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Post by Alastor on Dec 19, 2012 1:08:47 GMT -5
More of that short story. Still a WIP, and am posting two versions for the sake of more feedback- one is the version I sent Pen for feedback (all of the profanity intact), and the other using her suggestions (removing most of the profanity). Curious in a second opinion to see which gels better with the overall setting. No offense, Pen. The rain was pelting onto the a mostly barren desert. The clouds were a heavy, dark shade of gray that covered the night's sky, the boom of thunder and the bolts of lightening striking periodically. On the desert's edge rested a black machine, bipedal and elegant, slouched down as it knelt down on a single knee with hand open as it laid on the desert's floor. Not terribly far off was a small tent, about the size for two adults, was illuminated by the lantern inside. The shadows of the two inside could be seen through the thin walls of the tent, as could the items and the muffled sounds the two made.
The male of the two, certainly larger and more muscular than the female he traveled with, sat as he moved around a bottle drunkenly. The man's attire was mostly that of the cloth undergarments of a Knight common in the world, a tight fitting shirt and pants. Chunks of the armor he wore laid about the tent in a small pile, his dagger and sword resting beside them. His eyes a dark blue, and his hair a thin blonde trimmed down to buzz, he rambled to his friend about the encounter with a merchant he had while she was away as they traveled through a small settlement in the forest that day.
The woman nodded mindlessly as she read a book using the lantern’s light, not even paying attention to the Knight's story. She was easily thinner and smaller than her compatriot with marginally more pointed ears, hinting towards Elvish descent at least somewhere on her family tree. Her emerald green eyes focused intently on the runes inside of the leather-bound tome, only loosing focus when locks of her chestnut brown hair fell before her eyes.
“So I tell 'im tha-” In the midst of his slurred, drunken ramble, the man stopped and looked at his Faitul companion and noticed her mindless nodding still going on, before slinking over and tossing his arm over her. “The hell are ya readin', Eoru?” He asked, unable to make out a word of the text on the pages.
The half-elf woman jolted in surprise, dropping the leather-bound tome from her hands. “D-don't do that!” She squeaked, leaning down to the floor to grab the now-shut book before leaning back up.
“Well what're you readin' then?” The man replied, a coy grin on his face as he took another drink from his bottle. “Not like yer reading ancient porn or some shit, right?” The woman blushed a deep read at the man's wisecrack as he began chuckling to himself.
“J-just an old spell book I bought at the market today!” Eoru replied with her embarrassment carried in her tone. “I mean, for Gods' sake, I wouldn't do that, Rayth!”
The blonde haired man looked at her then, setting down the bottle to his side before he pulled the girl into a playful headlock and noogie, with the girl squirming under it, managing to read a few runes of the book's cover. “That ain't what ya normally say!” He chuckled.
“Raaaaaaaaaaaaayth! Stop it!” The thin, brown haired girl whined, her high-pitched voice covered by her Knight's laughter and her face still a vivid red as she clamped onto the book “You're getting out of hand!”
“Ahhhh, you're no fun about that type of shit, Lady.” The knight muttered with a tinge of disappointment in his tone, has he released the Faitul. The girl nearly tipped over from the sudden loss of balance, giving a slight grunt as she retained it and returned to the book.
The nickname he gave the girl, Lady, meant nothing of any real meaning- she certainly wasn't nobility of any sort- beyond as a mocking, and yet affectionate, crack at the 'lady-like' behavior she had.
After a brief silence over took the tent, during which only the soft drums of the storm hit the tent's walls, the man repeated the question. “The hell has you all so interested in that book? How did ya find the damn thing anyway?” His tone was more serious here, though one could still hear how drunk he was as it was carried in his voice.
“The merchant I bought this from old book dealer who had a few magic books from a few centuries back,” She replied, still mentally translated the runes as her eyes moved from page to page “and there's some interesting old spells and remedies in here. Some rituals too!” Her voiced picked up with glee as she said the last part.
“And what's with the runes for that matter?” Rayth asked, his tone growing more and more inquisitive by the moment, “I ain't the best at rememberin' what they teach Faitul nowadays, but that shit's unreadable to me.”
Eoru looked up from the pages of the ancient book, her face being one of confusion at the knight's . “What are you talking about? These are as clear as day, and I didn't get any training for reading old runes...” She replied.
The man rubbed the stubble on his chin at this. “Well,” He began, “it isn't English, that's for sure. Easily not those old Elvish and Dwarvish languages you told me about for that matter, since the grammar is all wrong...”
“Maybe it's Fae?” The half-elf asked as her gaze returned to the tome. “I mean, it's not out of the question, after all...”
“Nah, Fae is much more easily identified. Shit's almost exactly the same as English, give or take a few loanwords from Elvish. Had to read a few scrolls during trainin', you wouldn't forget the language.” He took a swig from the bottle near him, which was almost empty at this point. “Should get it checked out by an actual linguist at the nearest kingdom we hit up. Probably could get an answer, maybe find out why you can read it with no training.”
“What IS the closest kingdom, actually?” Eoru asked, a marginal monotone in her voice as she continued to read the book. Her companion grabbed for the map buried under the chunks of his armor, pulling the rolled up scroll out and reading it.
“Lessee 'ere...” He muttered, mentioning a few details of the last few days of travels (“We left Altera a few days back, after that was Ustmire...” “Seen that settlement...”) as he read. “Ah! There it is!” The man's tone rose ever so slightly as he found the location they had been heading to. “Seems we're going to pay a visit to Pharmoria in a few days, Lady!”
“That's nice.” She replied, an uninterested, generic tone in her voice. “Traveling is good, after all...”
The man tossed the scroll aside after rolling it back up, giving a groan at his companion's response. “You and yer godsdamn books...” he muttered, propping his head up on his open hand, tapping his cheek in boredom. “Probably should hit the hay soon, Eoru. If we're heading towards Pharmoria, we're going to need to head out early in the mornin'.”
“That's nice.” Was Eoru's reply again. The girl was off in her own little slice of reality, as per normal whenever she bought a book of magic.
“You are no fun, you know that, right?” The knight commented with a yawn, his eyelids growing heavy The rain was pelting onto the a mostly barren desert. The clouds were a heavy, dark shade of gray that covered the night's sky, the boom of thunder and the bolts of lightening striking periodically. On the desert's edge rested a black machine, bipedal and elegant, slouched down as it knelt down on a single knee with hand open as it laid on the desert's floor. Not terribly far off was a small tent, about the size for two adults, was illuminated by the lantern inside. The shadows of the two inside could be seen through the thin walls of the tent, as could the items and the muffled sounds the two made.
The male of the two, certainly larger and more muscular than the female he traveled with, sat as he moved around a bottle drunkenly. The man's attire was mostly that of the cloth undergarments of a Knight common in the world, a tight fitting shirt and pants. Chunks of the armor he wore laid about the tent in a small pile, his dagger and sword resting beside them. His eyes a dark blue, and his hair a thin blonde trimmed down to buzz, he rambled to his friend about the encounter with a merchant he had while she was away as they traveled through a small settlement in the forest that day.
The woman nodded mindlessly as she read a book using the lantern’s light, not even paying attention to the Knight's story. She was easily thinner and smaller than her compatriot with marginally more pointed ears, hinting towards Elvish descent at least somewhere on her family tree. Her emerald green eyes focused intently on the runes inside of the leather-bound tome, only loosing focus when locks of her chestnut brown hair fell before her eyes.
“So I tell 'im tha-” In the midst of his slurred, drunken ramble, the man stopped and looked at his Faitul companion and noticed her mindless nodding still going on, before slinking over and tossing his arm over her. “What're ya readin', Eoru?” He asked, unable to make out a word of the text on the pages.
The half-elf woman jolted in surprise, dropping the leather-bound tome from her hands. “D-don't do that!” She squeaked, leaning down to the floor to grab the now-shut book before leaning back up.
“Well what're you readin' then?” The man replied, a coy grin on his face as he took another drink from his bottle. “Not like yer reading smutty old myths or somethin', right?” The woman blushed a deep red at the man's wisecrack as he began chuckling to himself.
“J-just an old spell book I bought at the market today!” Eoru replied with her embarrassment carried in her tone. “I mean, for Gods' sake, I wouldn't do that, Rayth!”
The blonde haired man looked at her then, setting down the bottle to his side before he pulled the girl into a playful headlock and noogie, with the girl squirming under it, managing to read a few runes of the book's cover. “That ain't what ya normally say!” He chuckled.
“Raaaaaaaaaaaaayth! Stop it!” The thin, brown haired girl whined, her high-pitched voice covered by her Knight's laughter and her face still a vivid red as she clamped onto the book “You're getting out of hand!”
“Ahhhh, you're no fun about that type of shit, Lady.” The knight muttered with a tinge of disappointment in his tone, has he released the Faitul. The girl nearly tipped over from the sudden loss of balance, giving a slight grunt as she retained it and returned to the book.
The nickname he gave the girl, Lady, meant nothing of any real meaning- she certainly wasn't nobility of any sort- beyond as a mocking, and yet affectionate, crack at the 'lady-like' behavior she had.
After a brief silence over took the tent, during which only the soft drums of the storm hit the tent's walls, the man repeated the question. “What has you all so interested in that book? How did ya find the damn thing anyway?” His tone was more serious here, though one could still hear how drunk he was as it was carried in his voice.
“The merchant I bought this from old book dealer who had a few magic books from a few centuries back,” She replied, still mentally translated the runes as her eyes moved from page to page “and there's some interesting old spells and remedies in here. Some rituals too!” Her voiced picked up with glee as she said the last part. Girl might as well have been a twelve year old fangirl when it came to this sort of thing.
“And what's with the runes for that matter?” Rayth asked, his tone growing more and more inquisitive by the moment, “I ain't the best at rememberin' what they teach Faitul nowadays, but that brick's unreadable to me.”
Eoru looked up from the pages of the ancient book, her face being one of confusion at the knight's question. “What are you talking about? These are as clear as day, and I didn't get any training for reading old runes...” She replied.
The man rubbed the stubble on his chin at this. “Well,” He began, “it isn't English, that's for sure. Easily not those old Elvish and Dwarvish languages you told me about for that matter, since the grammar is all wrong...”
“Maybe it's Fae?” The half-elf asked as her gaze returned to the tome. “I mean, it's not out of the question, after all...”
“Nah, Fae is much more easily identified. Almost exactly the same as English, give or take a few loanwords from Elvish. Had to read a few scrolls during trainin', you wouldn't forget the language.” He took a swig from the bottle near him, which was almost empty at this point. “Should get it checked out by an actual linguist at the nearest kingdom we hit up. Probably could get an answer, maybe find out why you can read it with no training.”
“What IS the closest kingdom, actually?” Eoru asked, a marginal monotone in her voice as she continued to read the book. Her companion grabbed for the map buried under the chunks of his armor, pulling the rolled up scroll out and reading it.
“Lessee 'ere...” He muttered, mentioning a few details of the last few days of travels (“We left Altera a few days back, after that was Ustmire...” “Seen that settlement...”) as he read. “Ah! There it is!” The man's tone rose ever so slightly as he found the location they had been heading to. “Seems we're going to pay a visit to Pharmoria in a few days, Lady!”
“That's nice.” She replied, an uninterested, generic tone in her voice. “Traveling is good, after all...”
The man tossed the scroll aside after rolling it back up, giving a groan at his companion's response. “You and yer godsdamn books...” he muttered, propping his head up on his open hand, tapping his cheek in boredom. “Probably should hit the hay soon, Eoru. If we're heading towards Pharmoria, we're going to need to head out early in the mornin'.”
“That's nice.” Was Eoru's reply again. The girl was off in her own little slice of reality, as per normal whenever she bought a book of magic.
“You are no fun, you know that, right?” The knight commented with a yawn, his eyelids growing heavy. [/color] Would like some feedback on it so far, since I might reuse the characters in other stuff for the setting. |
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Post by Alastor on Mar 20, 2013 1:41:58 GMT -5
It is somewhat-complete.So here are those settin' notes I've been working on. Human: Humans are the dominant species of the setting. They're generally the smartest of the races as a whole, though their Elvish counterparts are the physically stronger on average. As such, they have a habit of building/discovering the tech in the setting. There's not much more to them, really. Mating works exactly the same as reality with a birth of about 40 weeks on average.
Elf: Pretty much the typical 'lanky, kinda pretty forest humans with pointy ears that are a bit rarer' without the long lifespan shit (though the average lifespan of an elf is around 5 years longer than a Human). They're not really 'better' than humans, considering they're a marginally different species that branched off from the same on humanity did a few thousand years ago- hence the ability to crossbreed. They're also not the smartest of races, with a marginal technophobia of new technology. They are, however, incredibly strong, meaning they're often contracted to do construction work. Only real difference for breeding is a slightly longer gestation period- about 44 weeks long (making it a year long for Farndis). That leaner, more muscle-based physiology also means they generally suffer more in winter- they don't have nearly as much of a fat deposit as humans and half-elves, meaning they don't have the same amount of fat to burn.
Fae/Fairy: The fae of Farndis are... interesting. They, as a whole, are considered trickster bastards that only are still around because of Messis' fondness of the things. They're divided by colors- Red, Blue, Green, and White, which also clue you into what they can do.
- Red Fae are poisonous, having fangs to inject. The poison causes victims to lapse into a state of a berserk rage and lust, of which the victims have no memory of. Reds are also often the most hostile to other species.
- White are able to do 'healing' by biting and latching on to the wound- they allow the process of healing to speed marginally faster than natural recovery, making them highly desirable in the medical field. Whites, while the most helpful medically, are also the rarest because of this. Should you find a White Fae, they're likely to bargain for something big in return for their abilities.
- Green are the curse givers- commonly from the 'fountains of great fortune' they live in, which has the side effect of cursing any poor soul who drinks the water with a random curse, the effects of which vary depending on the mood of the Fae. These curse can be reversed through the waters of the fountain it stems from, and is impossible to cure if the fountain is destroyed. They're where the majority of the 'trickster' thing comes from.
- Blues are half breeds with no powers whatsoever, making them useless to most fae tribes, though they are considered the least harmful to other races.
Fae, unlike the other sentient/civilized races of Farndis, don't have the concept of marriage- they still have a mating season every two years to create more life. Fae breeding is based on flowers- a female uses a flower as a womb of sorts for a passing by male to fertilize. The female latches on to the flower, making a life-bond with it until the 'pregnancy' ends 20 weeks (four months) later with the flower's death as the children are born and their mother leave the hibernation they entered. The typical lot of a Fae birth is two children of each gender, with the children being cared for by the mother.
Half-Elves: Exactly what the name implies. They're what happen when humans and elves crossbreed. They don't have any special feats, meaning they're another 'jack of all trades, master of none' like humans. Or would be, rather, if Faitul weren't most commonly found in the Half-Elvish race. It can be interpreted that both the elvish and human races are offshoots of the same race, of which half-elves are the closest to genetically. Breeding often results in a slightly premature birth compared to the parent races, at 38 weeks. Physically, they tend to take from their human parent more in some aspects- mainly in having the ability to store fat better compared to the other parent race, though they'd still have trouble in winters- though they generally hit a bizarre medium between races.
Dragons: Because no fantasy setting is complete without some goddamn winged lizards. They're also about as intelligent as a winged lizard would be- meaning they're not the all knowing sages of the setting. That said, mythology in Farndis says that Dragons were once the messengers of the Gods, before one defied the will of the cosmos, dooming the species to their current state as it fell to become a Meul. Dragons stand about 16 meters on average, making them marginally taller than Ensongs.
Changelings: Changelings existed before the rest of the universe did, living in the outskirts of reality, where everything is a changeable construct. Meaning they technically shouldn't be in reality, though they seep through cracks every now and then. The fact reality is grounded scares them into a destructive rage (as well as damages a semi-hive mind thing they have). They can appear as anything they wish to be, causing them to be a worry when they appear. They're not intentionally antagonistic as they are curious about things they weren't really meant to know. In theory, they can adapt to the laws of reality, though it's incredibly uncommon, given they're oftentimes killed before they can. Changelings are also fascinated with music and beautiful things- often trailing after them if and when they adjust to the reality of Farndis. In the event of a mortal race managing to breed with one of these things, assuming the Changeling is the mother, it can't morph its current form into another until the pregnancy's duration ends- though the resulting offspring almost always is stillborn. When it does survive, the child is likely to follow in its non-mortal parent's footsteps and be born a changeling.
Meul: Basically, this is what happens when a God is born- Farndis works on the concept for every coin to have two sides. They, like the Changelings, technically exist outside of reality. ...the difference is, while Changelings are just creatures with a curiosity of things around them, the Meul are actively antagonistic. They posses other creatures in the setting to use as anchors while their giant true forms can wreck havoc if they so choose. The only real way to banish them out of reality is to beat the fallen god into a weak enough state for them to retreat. Meul are created either from negative energy spawned from a God's birth or when the Fates curse a specific being to damnation. The Ensongs are gigantic steel titans powered by magic (the ability to animate motionless objects to be exact), standing around 15 meters (meaning they're about 147 Hands in the setting) on average. They are a fairly recent invention introduced into the world of Farndis, being invented in 2,192 ER as the result of the first few appearances of Meul and giant forms of Changelings by a group of scientists.
These mechanical knights are considered to be the top-of-the-line in a military's forces, as well as being considered to be marvelous feats of art and engineering, often held as a flag of the nation's wealth and pride. They aren't typically mass produced- 'production' models are often limited to 100 units at most. This is due to the fact Ensongs are incredibly hard to build because of how many resources are needed and the need for perfect parts (so they don't get destroyed by firing off their own canons, for example), as well as the general rarity of the Faitul. Basic equipment for an Ensong is at least one sword, a shield, and a cannon (or an otherwise ranged weapon).
Because of this, Farndis isn't really meant to be big on mech combat, despite the fact the entire setting was built around having giant knight robots. The name 'Ensong' is a carryover from the 'original' draft of the setting, where the Ensong are powered by song.
The Faituls are a sub-breed of sorts to elves and humans, who are much more adept to use magic- and the only ones able to keep the engines of an Ensong moving do to a genetic quirk emerging from being descended from the Gods themselves somewhere in the bloodline. As well as the higher amount of Half-Elf born, it's more common to see a female Faitul then a male, with roughly one male Faitul being born every five females- this might be a genetic mutation of some sort. The reasoning for a half-elf born being more common than either full blooded humans and elves is that half breeds are as close to the original species both off shoot from as possible- and thus are closer to those who bred with the Gods. Still working out the exact details as to why they're oftentimes female.
Knights are.... knights. They're the typical concept of a western armored fighter. They accompany Faitul in travel, as well as control the movements of Ensongs through motion, while their animates the lifeless form into movement (which requires much focus). Knights with the ability to control Ensong are somewhat uncommon, because of how rigorous of training is to be able to use one without destroying everything in sight by accident. I'll likely go into the varying 'graduation rituals' for a Knight per kingdom in the notes for those.
The magic in Farndis isn't really anything like that you'd find something like Final Fantasy or even Harry Potter (provided it's not casted by a God or even Fae in some cases). For the most part, magic in the setting is generally a time consuming effort to do things like having it much more likely to rain, or the chance of a good hunt. Rarely is it anything more than minor efforts that have a fairly decent chance of not coming true. The Faitul are generally more apt at magic, as I mentioned above, meaning the likelihood of these things coming true are almost guaranteed. The only real 'instant, always working magic' in the setting is banishing a Meul back into the edge of reality.
That said, potions in Farndis are somewhat common place. They're generally the normal stuff in JRPGs- Heals, minor stat buffs, etc. The catch, however, is how potion making is a craft that takes years to perfect into a sellable product (roughly half a decade for even barely working potions), meaning potions aren't always in good stock by a party of travelers.
The technology of Farndis is... schizophrenic. It, for the most part, is about the typical high fantasy- castles, steel armor, swords, cannons, etc.
Guns are around, for example. They're powered by steam, and are oftentimes considered to be extremely unwieldy do to frequent jams, warping of the barrel because of built up pressure, frequent misfiring, and an incredibly low accuracy compared to someone even marginally competent with a bow.
Other more modern conveniences are the existence and widespread use of the printing press and indoor plumbing, those that is currently only available to the nobility in the setting.
Airships, like the ones in Final Fantasy, are slowly starting to appear, with them being built recently by a bored human with a broken ship and a wish to see the skies. They're powered by the crystallized hearts of ancient dragons. There are only about ten airships around, spread across the nations, at least during 2,272 ER. At least one is owned by a guy named Cid.
There's also the fact beam weapons are entirely possible. This works on the idea of Aura Energy, which is the use of energy from the souls of those who have passed on but haven't reincarnated, can be channeled into a physical plane. The resulting Aura is turned into a vivid beam, which can cut far better than other blades (although it won't always be able to cut steel blades, as long as the other blade is crafted well enough). The idea hasn't ever been tested, and anyone who does try to test it typically disappears suddenly.
Something of note is that the majority of Gods don't interact with the physical world terribly often and hardly care to. Nor do they technically have permanent... anything- they can appear as whatever the hell they want to be, basically. Another thing that should be noticed is that Gods, technically, are mortal- they're just nigh-impossible to kill.
The gods stay in a land called Sarcillia (think the stereotypical perfect land- green hills, blue sky, lovely rivers, etc), which is also where souls of the dead come to heal from wounds before reincarnating.
Might as well mention how reincarnation works. It's pretty simple and to the point- someone dies, spend a few days or so in Sarcillia healing and reflecting on life, then they get the boot to become a newborn mortal. Pretty much how reincarnation systems normally work. For whatever reason, hazy memories of past lives are often common in Faitul. Knowledge of this phenomenon isn't terribly widespread, and a reason for why hasn't surfaced.
Immortals are around. This, as expected, is triggered by them dying for the first time (which requires a rather messy death- decapitation, dismemberment, burned alive, etc), with them mostly 'freezing' in appearance. They're being the mortal reincarnations of gods. Tells of a possible immortal include a lack of needing to sleep often, a birthmark on the inner thigh, and a build that makes them look rather sickly.
There's also the fact the demigods of the setting basically amount to mortals that are a medium between gods and immortals- they're mortal, but just really hard to kill and have long lifespans do to a slowing age speed after puberty ends, living to be about 800 years. They don't have powers like the gods do. Half-gods are also... strange, genetically- as Gods technically are a random assortment of compatible genetic code based off of their mate, the resulting offspring can only be the same race as the mortal parent.
How Gods reproduce is in four different ways- the first is the normal procreation creating a new offspring, the second is giving birth to their replacement without the need for a mate, the third being another God having to give birth to a replacement to another god should they die suddenly (and aren't put into the cycle of reincarnation and becoming an immortal), and the ascension of a mortal into a new deity.
Now for the gods themselves....
The Fates are as close to 'Rulers of the Gods' as the setting has, since they're the Changelings that created the universe. They appear as a trio of sisters, each representing a concept that keeps the universe working- Life, Death, and Reincarnation. They basically stay behind the scenes to keep the fabric of reality from falling apart.
Caulsta is the Goddess of Ice and Snow. She's haughty, arrogant, and more than a little obsessed with the 'beauty of the cold'. The setting's version of Winter Solstice/Christmas is based on worship for her, in the idea of her actually ends winter, after a year long of. Is also the mother of Asterum. One of the two I have an appearance for!
Lietus, the God of Rain and Creativity. Lietus is a sad god. He cries, obviously, to create the rain. He cries because all of his children were mortals and perished in The Great Flood years and years and years ago.
Messis, the Goddess of Nature and Fertility. She's your typical goddess of nature- maternal, warm, loving, hardworking, and insanely devoted to harvest- to the point she's willing to neglect anything else for months at a time to make the next century of harvest. She's equal parts mad scientist, leading to creations like a rose with tentacles for thorns (which thankfully never made it to Farndis). She's also the creator of almost all life on Farndis, and as such is often considered one of (if not the) most important deities in the numerous religions of Farndis. Mother of Clara and Lunamaria.
Velsoa is the Goddess of Prophecy. She's the closest to the Fates of the gods, being their messenger. Is often times found hiding in her own section of Sarcillia, doing her best to hear the requests of her followers on Farndis. Quite possibly the oldest of the Gods.
Gurgti, the god of the mountains and fire. Gurgti is always angry, enraging if he is so much as touched and disturbed. He's kind of a prick, so nobody really likes him.
Cinereo is the god of death and fog. Cinereo is sneaky and sinister and really just terrifying. Oddly enough, he's married to Elska. ...despite the two being the exact opposites of each other. He's like a creeper version of the Slenderman. If you gnaw at him enough, he becomes almost completely harmless.
Elska is the goddess of the ground and life, a virgin goddess who acts as a midwife and doctor to mothers and children during birth an after wards. Married to Cinereo. Possibly was drunk, neither really talk about it. Is apparently Betty White.
Clara, child goddess of the sun (and eventually love). She's bright and happy but easily distracted (hence so easily taken over by others). Should be noted that despite her short attention span, she's surprisingly intelligent. Twin sister of Lunamaria.
Lunamaria is the child goddess of the moon and eventually war. The younger twin sister of Clara. She's a crybaby, with a fondness of food. Also complete and utter idiot with a big heart, despite the fact she'll become the War goddess. She's often found playing with her older sister, Clara, in a field or trying to spend time with Zatun or Lietus (why is beyond everyone else- though in the meta sense, it's a small gag about how the seas are controlled by the moon, as well as the water cycle).
Zatun is the god of thunder and the sea. He's a loud, adventurous god, who despite his loudness is often a fun guy to be around. Traveled Farndis in his youth, developing a fondness of bears from it. Always eager for a fight, Zatun is often considered a patron saint of warriors. Think the Marvel version of Thor. Typically found near Lietus.
Meltom is the god of music and culture. He's often found singing and dancing in the sky of Sarcillia, and on occasion, Farndis itself. He's known for having an eccentric personality and rather high voice. Think Michael Jackson crossed with Peter Pan and you... pretty much have the idea behind him, since he's based off of Michael Jackson.
Rautl is the God of Time and wind, with a fondness of trickery and pranks. His most notable feature is that he's kind of a dick. By which, he'll promise a mortal 'immortality' or other rewards during near-death situations or similar ones- typically involving a quest of some sort. Rather obviously, this tends to lead to nothing (and when it does, it's a false, artificial reward that generally leads to terrible things). Another thing of note is that he doesn't go near Sarcillia anymore, having a strained relationship with most other Gods because he takes his domain outside of reality, with the Changelings. To say Green Fae like him is an understatement.
Asterum des Gradus is the God of Light (and just that, oddly), supposedly banished from the realm of the Gods. Keyword being supposedly- nobody really knows the story. Asterum is noted to be the king of the northernmost kingdom, Edious, as well as being looking (and sounding) feminine- to the point people have mistaken his gender. He's married to an immortal, Heinyel di Gradus, and has the two demi-god children (Maxaiver and Maybelline). I'll have to go into that mess later. He's the only one I have a design of, so here. wooo, time for the nations and spoilers Basic Info:
The Holy Kingdom of Altera is the Westernmost kingdom. Weather is often cloudy, and likewise almost always raining. Based in a forest, thus with a mostly elvish and half-elvish population. Ruled by a pair of twin sisters. This is the country with all of the airships. 73% elvish, 8% halfbreed, and 19% human. Population count is estimated at 675k.
History:
The Holy Kingdom of Altera is quite possibly the oldest of the kingdoms still alive today, having been established around one thousand years before the return of the gods and the resulting adoption of the Evo Renacer calender system (roughly at what is now 1,000 ER). The kingdom's remarkable ability to survive over the several hundred years and the wars that occurred in its time is a big reason why its population is what it is- the place is quite honestly just as safe to live in as it is in Edious, if not more so.
The Holy Kingdom supposedly grew from the remains of a long gone nation called Byweru, the kingdom of myth that the legendary Prince Cecire the Brave was born unto. This is notable, really, only for one of the claims the nation can make- the royal family is descended from a hero credited to have saved Farndis.
The kingdom is traditionally ruled by twin sisters, though as the years passed a single queen became a relatively accepted occurrence, likely beginning as a religious matriarchy of sorts. The whole 'single Queen' thing is a rare ordeal- through the use of magic, and a fair amount of luck, the royal family generally manages to keep a single pair of twin sisters to take throne.
The kingdom's military and technology is strong, a given that it's managed to stay around for ten hundred years.
The kingdom is also believed to be the most likely birth place of the original Ensong 'Alusom Estras', as the head of the project (and pilot) Tiros Arma was born and raised in the nation. This can't really be proven, as no real records of the thing's construction even exist beyond blue prints passed through numerous hands and a general outline of what developed into the modern Ensong- though the kingdoms have been narrowed down to Altera and Pharmoria.
One of the last kingdoms, along with Istul (which it had made an alliance with in order to fight back invaders, despite almost constant warring between the two beforehand), to be defeated in the conquest Edious began in the 2,290s.
The nation holds the Lamairius as its flagship Ensong, which is noted for its Draconian appearance and a surprising amount of love put into its craft, even for an Ensong. As the royal family is an almost completely Elvish one in recent generation sand opts out of having royals trained to fight in favor of education and such, thus leading to a lack of Faitul and Knights, it's not piloted by the royal family. Instead, the machine is entrusted to the nation's current strongest, loyalist warrior. This is a rough idea as to how it looks
Royals:
Attia Altust the Fifteenth (Saphramine 26th, 2,238 – ???) The elder Queen of the kingdoms' ruling sisters. Her personality was a calm, collected ruler- the air around her almost that of a wise sage. Extremely likely to have been asexual, if accounts of various consorts and such are believed to be true. Had about five children by the time of her death, none of whom had survived birth or were otherwise killed. Here's a rough idea of how she looks
Anieth Nayth the Fifth (Saphramine 26th, 2,238 – ???) The younger Queen of the ruling twins. Anieth is almost the exact opposite of her older sister. Hotheaded, brash, and rather flirtatious with numerous accounts of anyone to have caught her eye and spent a good twenty minutes with her. She was also the one to disagree with the royal tradition of use of magic to ensure twin sisters to be born almost every generation- this likely applied to the traditions in general. The woman, at the time of her death, bizarrely only had a single child- an infant boy, who a trusted family bodyguard managed to escape with from the assault on the castle. Appearance
Naples Drinity the Second (Paerli 10th, 2,29x - ???) The sole survivor of the Altera royal family and the protagonist of the rebellion story. Naples was saved from the castle siege that killed his mother and aunt by a trusted bodyguard managing to escape with the newborn at the edge of their teeth. The boy was raised under the name Figaro Chere, as a nomad of sorts with his adopted father, unaware of his royal origins for the majority of his first eighteen years- only learning of his history when he and his adopted father had to escape arrest from Ediousian police. He has a calm head that rationalizes the callings of a rather passionate heart- making him an almost natural born leader. This works to his advantage when he meets up with a band of rebels on the verge of collapse, eventually making his way to becoming the leader of the largest anti-Ediousian group after the collapse of Altera and Istul. Pilots the Alusom Estras and later on a vastly modified Lamairius (enhanced by the tech of the Alusom, when that's almost completely wrecked- though aspects of the machine, such as the lack of a need of a co-pilot, are lost), still working out how he got the thing. Need to make an appearance. Basic Info:
The Grand Daemis Empire is the most southern nation of Farndis, sharing its boarders with Zanit, the mountain kingdom of Ustmire, and the edges of Pharmoria. The climate of the Empire varies depending on the location, a given considering how large the nation is. The nation shares a fair amount of mountain range with Ustmire- that is, there's a large pocket of mountains and tundra around that area. The other areas, extending down to the tip, are rather warm, eventually merging into just scorching amounts of heat. The nation is 98.5% human, 1% Elvish, and .5% Halfbreed. Population count is 720k.
History:
The Grand Daemis Empire is a fascinating bit of the setting's history- that is to say, it's the first non-kingdom nation in recorded history. While there's a marginal likeliness of another in history, the nation likely crumbled with in a short span of time- leaving not even a hint of its existence.
Daemis was established around four hundred years ago, stemming from a war between three separate dynasties- The west's Nementh, the south's Derynad, and the east's Cetaine. The war went down as the 'Romance of the Three Roses', and lasted around fourteen years. The victor of this war, the Cetaine, declared itself an 'empire' and dubbed its new nation Daemis.
The Daemis Empire's attitude towards war is a bit of an interesting one- it's actually noted for being a semi-pacifistic nation in the current Emperor's reign, despite a rather bloody, war-ridden past. Despite the nation's stance, the military is actually quite strong, at least on paper, even if it hasn't officially seen much use as of late- strong enough to fight Altera's on even footing and win, even.
It also is surrounded by a large stone wall built about two hundred fifty years into the nation's history and during the reign of the fifth emperor, stemming from preventing elves into the nation because of the emperor's incredible amount of racism towards the race.
The nation's spearhead Ensong is the Esctemus, which is rather unique in its ability to transform. Like the Alterian Lamairius, it's based on dragons found in the setting. The mech's form looks something like this, while the dragon looks like this.
Royals:
Emperor Dornius Rayatis (aged 115) The tenth Emperor for the nation, and by freak luck, an immortal on top of that. Dornius is more of a philosopher than he is a warrior, which is something of an oddity- the empire is known for its warrior rulers in the past. Dornius, in personality, is actually quite the affable person, having a grandfatherly air about him, when he isn't discussing various bits of philosphy and such with people- in that case, he actually comes off as a tad hostile. His immortality kicked in at around 85, during an accident when retrieving a book from the library, leading to him falling and cracking his skull, killing him. And then he woke up about thirty minutes later, complaining of a sore neck.
First Princess Daphne Rayatia (aged 32) The first daughter of Dornius and his 'first' wife, though he had been wed several times before with this marriage being his tenth, officially, Empress Aden. Daphne is a recluse, living practically only in her room and nowhere else. Her personality has always been a rather shy one, which was confounded after her mother's death when she was five. It's actually really hard to even see her- making any appearances a rarity. Because of her shyness and reclusive nature, she has yet to be wed, even once. Daphne has no interest in being the empress to succeed her father when he retires, and thus is already skipped over in the running for it. She is, however, her father's favorite daughter, who is the only one who talks to her much of the time.Appearance
Second Princess Sophia Rayatia (aged 29) The second daughter of the Emperor and Empress.. You can sum up Sophia quite easily- one of the most vain, selfish people you will ever meet. She spends countless hours every day in an attempt to look 'perfect', leading to her being covered in jewelry and such. She's been wed three times, all of which ended in her husband dying by execution or some other means. Appearance
Third Princess Aima Rayatia (aged 27) The third child, and only child of Dornius' third marriage. Aima is... self-harming. Badly self-harming, to the point company is kept with her at all times. In addition to this, she has cripplingly low self-esteem issues. Appearance
Fourth Princess Isabelle Rayatia (aged 25) is the fourth child, from Dornius' fourth marriage. She's a rather artistic soul, with her head slightly in the clouds as she ponders what her next work will be in her free time. Unlike her similar Because of this, she also hasn't been wed. Appearance
Fifth Princess Lazenca Rayatia (aged 23) was also a child from the fourth marriage. She's quite the misandrist, and will spout her beliefs endlessly when given the chance. This tends to lead to arguments with her siblings and anyone in the castle. She's also incredibly lazy- not willing to raise a finger to do anything, meaning she's not gonna save us. Appearance
Sixth Princess Radia Rayatia (aged 21) is the last child from the fourth marriage, and is fucking crazy. She is a sadist of the highest order, almost to gleefully bloodthirsty degrees. She also terrifies the rest of her family, who avoid her like the plague. To make matters worse, she's a member of the nation's military, gleefully waiting for war to come. God help the world if she ever came into power. Appearance
Seventh Princess Ciel Rosemund Rayatia (aged 19) is the first child from the fifth marriage. She's headstrong, argumentative, and generally strong-willed. Dunno what else to add to her, at least at the moment. Appearance
Eighth Princess Maribel Rayatia (aged 17) is the second child of the fifth marriage. Maribel is arguably the most active of her siblings, doing her best to try and relieve the handmaidens and such of some of the work around. She's also openly lesbian, and does her best to promote tolerance of homosexuality- which has done wonders, making Daemis one of the most tolerant nations on Farndis. Appearance
Ninth Princess Anna-Marie Rayatia (aged 14), born in the fifth marriage, is like Isabelle when she was younger- she's a creative mind with her head in the clouds, always thinking of the next thing she can write, having yet to learn how to manage her time. The two seem to have a mindlink of sorts because of that. Appearance
Tenth Princess Ornella Rayatia (aged 11) is a tomboy. She wants to join the military when she's of age, and is currently taking fencing and archery at the moment, being trained by the royal guard. She's also rather headstrong, as well. Appearance
Eleventh Princess Lenore Rayatia (age 8) is like most eight year olds with older siblings- something of a shadow, mimicking what her sisters to do try and find what 'fits' her. She's still rather in the dark about herself and her interests because of it. Appearance
Twelfth Princess Anizette Rayatia (aged 6) is the first child of the sixth marriage and is a typical six year old girl. She's extremely caring and loving to the people around her, is kind to animals, and so on. Really, how else to put her? Appearance
Thirteenth Princess Twila Rayatia (aged 5) is a spoiled brat. Like, have you ever seen one of those spoiled kids throwing a tantrum in a store? Imagine that, times four. She's pampered to the highest degree possible, leading to frequent tantrums whenever she doesn't get exactly what she whims at the moment. Appearance
Basic information:
Edious is the Northernmost kingdom. The weather is generally sunny, and often windy. The 'main' settlement is in the center, with a roughly 82% human population, 13% elvish, and 5% halfbreed. The main settlement is connected to three sub settlements, with a mostly elvish population, pointing east, south, and west. Population count is estimated between 550k.
History:
Edious is a relatively new nation- established around 2192 ER. It's built around the ruins of a small, independent village that was destroyed in 2191 by an attack by an agitated dragon or changeling in the form of one. The nation grew from a small pocket of people (around 2,700) left homeless by the attacks of creatures into the current state at a rapid pace- mostly from various nomadic groups considering the kingdom to be a holy place for obvious reasons.
Edious, culturally, is generally seen as a pretentious, overtly-artsy place. This is generally seen because of the rather extravagant designs in fashion and in Ensongs- leading to an image of snobs made of only the high class. The fact the nation's flagship Ensong, the Orijannus, has armor made of solid gold is generally seen as a major example of the over-the-top extravagance of the nation.
Royals:
Asterum des Gradus (??? - 2992 ER, several hundreds of years old) Covered him mostly in the section for setting's deities. Not much to add beyond him oftentimes locked up in his study with numerous laws/general court matters or designing Ensongs, when he's not away on travel for either business or relaxation, leaving most of the pressing matters to assemblies and his wife. Clearly being based on Amaterasu of FSS, and by proxy Oldna Poseidal from Heavy Metal L-Gaim, he's got more than a few alter egos- the most prominent being Amara Terriece, a smith of Ensongs known for frequently being drunk.
Heinyel di Gradus (born Suligiate 24th, 2166 ER – N/A). Immortal half-elf Queen of Edious and Faitul of Asterum. At one point had another child, who was killed along with all others beside her in the settlement she lived at when a monster had set the area ablaze- the trauma of which she never fully got over. She ended up meeting a traveling Asterum when she found herself the seemingly only being alive and began looking about for other survivors, falling in love with him as they traveled Farndis.
Generally a kind, somewhat playful person overall, though incredibly broken under it all, do to her immortality. Because of traumas in her past, she's a somewhat smothering, borderline nagging mother to her two children (to the point she insists on teaching them herself). She generally doesn't bother with political matters, though she is capable of doing them competently, as she bores of them easily. Also known for being an awful cook, with the only person who has been able to stomach her food being her daughter. Tektek by Penny
Maybelline di Gradus (Chrysollia 21st, 2254 ER - ???/possibly N/A). Daughter, and eldest child, of the rulers of Edious. She, to put it simply, is a spoiled brat of a daddy's girl. Incredibly prissy and constantly butting heads with her younger brother over everything (though under the bickering, they really do care for each other). Has issues with her mother's 'constant lessons', which leads to even more complaining from her and arguments with her mother- the fact she notices her mother spoils her brother more just adds fuel to the fire. Is a Faitul like her mother (as is her brother) and is also showing the signs for possible immortality. Appearance by me.
Maxavier "Max" des Gradus (Paerli 16th, 2257 ER - 2292) is the younger son of the two, being three-four years younger than May, and is the favored of two by their mother. He's... basically the sanest member of the family. He really wants to make things blow up, though that's definitely puberty speaking. For whatever reason, he has a strange habit of attracting perverts of both genders. Somewhat clingy and will have a minor freakout if people near him disappear for long stretches of time (especially his father). Dies during combat with a rebellion force during a later story. Appearance by PennyBasic Info:
Istul is the Easternmost kingdom. Weather is incredibly humid, with the sun resting high in the sky. The kingdom is based in a desert, with very little forest and lakes in the area. The population is entirely human- with elves and half-breeds being considered inferior, and at the same time, held with high interest. Population count is estimated at 600k.
History:
Istul is about 250 years old, established in 2028 ER. It was established by a nomad clan after a long, drawn out war with another clan. The 'temporary' settling of a desert eventually became the clan's home, and soon began branching out to other clans that were either separated from each other or were looking to escape conflict between nations.
Istul's actions of genocide towards 'impure' races, which means anyone of non-100% human blood lines, is surprisingly recent. The nation was never one to really support non-human races to begin with, though the culture never actively antagonized them. This changed as the current ruler came into power, with his seething hate of the races becoming a sight seen in propaganda and other works, leading to the 'Great Cleansing'- a rather apparent stand in for the Holocaust. Fitting, considering Istul is a loose stand in for Nazi Germany.
The 'Great Cleansing' only happened do to a stroke of luck- the nation was ran into near destruction by its previous ruler, King Stronhiem the Third. As the nation came into ruin, a successful rebellion occurred, leading to the assassination of Stroniem, his wife, and children. The rebellion's leader, Elmant Bohyme I, placed himself onto the throne and quickly began making decrees on fixing the nation. Surprisingly, they actually worked- restoring Istul into a powerful nation once more. It was at this point, with the public behind him, he began releasing propaganda for interment and genocide of those not of human heritage.
The cleansing didn't just mean they killed most of them- this is where the Puppe come in. Artificial Faitul created by Istul to work their Ensongs. These would be more doll like (as shown by the German term, as well as the fact Istul is kind of a Fantasy Nazi Germany), and results of highly dangerous experiments using a mixture of magic and technology, leading to the doll joints they take their name from. They're generally made from any one that isn't human or 'traitorous' humans caught trying to assist non-humans escape.
On that note, the Istul Ensongs technically wouldn't be Ensongs- they call theirs 'Elesect' by and are generally more prone to breakage as they're made for a marginally quicker production and repair. This is because of the nation's attempt to build a massive army, as well as dissociating themselves from other cultures.
The Deculmine, the nation's 'flagship' Ensong, appears to be something like this. It's piloted by either Bohyme II or his father's current most trusted bodyguard, with assistance from a Puppe engraved into the machine's cockpit. Because of the whole 'Puppe' thing, it also has marginal sentience. And it's a rather violent sentience.
Royals:
Elmant Reinhard Bohyme I (2204 - ???) Elmant Bohyme is generally believed to be an idiot with charisma and an extreme luck streak. He took power in after a rebellion against the previous dynasty, managing to claim the throne as his own in 2238. He and his royal court managed to save the nation from the break of collapse, through use of his own charisma and the suggestions of numerous royal advisers he gained the trust of through bribery and other methods. This, of course, lead to the Great Cleansing of Istul starting around 2,240- during a five year span of time, which I described above. He has a bizarre sense of lucidity whenever the subject of Puppe and Elesect/Ensongs are brought up- showing that the 'charismatic idiot' might just be a facade. Appearance (clearly he still dresses as he did in the rebellion)
Elmant Reinhard Bohyme II (2250 - ???) Elmant Bohyme the Second is, obviously, the son of Elmant Bohyme and his deceased wife, Annebel, who died in childbirth. He spouts his father's insane ideology rather mindlessly- the younger Bohyme doesn't seem to have thought of the subject on his own, and if he does, he begins to object to it. His personality is a rather brash one on top of that- he's headstrong, hot-blooded, etc. He's been trained from birth to be the ideal successor to his father, being trained in literally anything his father could think of- from magic to theology to knight training and everything in between. Appearance
Annebel von Benune (2230 – 2250) Elmant's first, and only, wife- despite the 26 year gap in age. Despite a rather 'sweet' look and personality, she was just as feverishly insane about the ideology against non-humans as her husband was- if not more so. Alongside this, she was rather sadistic to the workers under her and generally scary under this facade of sweetness. She died from complications during childbirth. Not really much else to her. Basic Info:
The kingdom of Pharmoria is a nation standing dead center on the planet's sole inhabited continent- as such, it's bordering the rest of the countries by default. The weather of the nation should be noted for being in a rather spring-like state almost year round, barring winter where it begins to snow rather heavily as temperatures plummet. Technically ruled by a five year old princess, but her second niece (Her parents were old as hell) rules until she is of age. 42% human, 16% Half, and 42% Elvish. Population count is estimated about 700k
History:
Pharmoria was established around three hundred years ago, forming as an offshoot of Altera after a civil war that nearly brought the nation into destruction. The nation's history, surprisingly, is a rather modest one beyond this, having surprisingly few wars and conflicts over the years.
Pharmoria's notable for being a rather wealthy nation as well. This, in theory, allows a rather good education system and such for the non-noble population. This, sadly, can't be farther from the truth in modern times- Pharmoria's government has become more and more nepotistic and favoring to the nobility as time went on, a flaw the nation had already had but has gained surprising speed in the last six years.
This definitely contrasts with the nation's appearance- which is one of a nation of equal rights and opportunity. However, the nepotism hasn't completely screwed the average joe yet- one can get an education still, though it is rather lackluster and incredibly out of date.
The nation's military has also suffered, even for being a rather small one to begin with. This is best shown in how poorly trained new recruits are as of late. While the soldiers can wage war and protect the nation with effort, Pharmoria was once known for having a surprisingly good, if costly, training process that lead to rather strong recruits- though at the cost of having a very high failure rate. This process eventually was adapted into training for knights with the ability to pilot Ensong
Because of this issue, the nation has recently turned to having more and more hired hands be recruited under its flag, to solve problems like dragons and other threats, as well as the possibility of war.
Another aspect of Pharmoria is the treaties it has with the neighboring Zanit and Ustmire- one leading to the production of Ensongs for the smaller nations by Pharmoria, in trade for the support of their own meager armies in case of war. This is another reason as to why Pharmoria has been slowly going down hill as of late- the costs of Ensong production has been tripled on average.
The flagship Ensong of the nation is the Zasavi (a slight pun on Sazabi from Mobile Suit Gundam, which is the base for the nation's Ensong). The appearance of the machine resembles this. Falling from the same faults as most nations, which is a lack of ability to pilot the Ensong in the current generation, the royal family entrusts it in the hands of its current most wealthy noble family with a Knight or Faitul now- currently the House Taesus. This contrasts the old tradition of the kingdom, which is the use of the royal guard as a group of alternating pilots because of the mandated training.
Royals:
Esmeralda Taiahin (Saphramine 1st, 2234 - N/A) is the niece of Crown Princess Mirabelle, and bizarrely the only living relative of the Royal Family that was remotely part of the political field. Esmeralda was born to father Telonime and mother Amy Taiahin, the latter of whom was related to the King. Though her parents both died young, she managed to find herself being trained to maneuver politics and eventually was brought to the castle because of the deaths of her great uncle and aunt.
Esmeralda is noted for a frequent drinking habit since 17- a rather nasty one that lead to her immortality kicking in from her first death by liver failing at 28 (of which has happened again at least two more times). Her personality, for the most part, is also rather nasty, for the most part- she's known for being incredibly cruel to most people behind closed doors, often verbally abusing them (and rarely, physically).
This is likely because of her rather bad temper, a case of untreated bi-polarism. as well as a very likely case of depression and stress. This isn't to say she doesn't have a 'sweet' side- she is publicly known as a very kindhearted person, which does apply to a handful of people behind closed doors as well (particularly the princess, though this might be her possibly sucking up to the child). I also would take note that while she is quite talented in history and political negotiations, her recent seat as ruler has had a sharp turn in nepotistic actions, as well as a massive load of budget cuts in places like education- complimented by friends of hers and such getting high positions in the royal court, as well splurging on high key items. Appearance by Penny
Crown Princess Mirabelle Gabbiani (Obisedia 2nd, 2267 - ???) is the only child of Maduin and Madeline Gabbiani, the king and queen previous of this land (who died, amusingly, of what appears to have been a poisoning from botched magical gem, which actually might have been what lead the couple to birth a child on top of this). Mirabelle is happiness incarnate (at least at age 5, which is what I am assuming for the sake of this). She's also a spastic little kid- bouncing off the walls constantly. Mirabelle is also very spoiled, as most high noble children are in the setting- though you'd expect her to a brat, she's actually quite sweet, if rather demanding.
She doesn't really seem to understand that Esmeralda is her niece- she's insistent on calling the woman 'Mommy'. Mirabelle is also quite lonely under that happiness- having nobody but her niece and workers to be around. All in all, Mirabelle is a typical happy-go-lucky five year old who happens to be a blue blood, if on the lonely side. Appearance by Penny Basic Info:
Ustmire is a neighboring nation to Zanit, Pharmoria, and Daemis, located in the northern mountains nearby. It's weather is often snowy and cold, do to the location in the mountains. Population is 87% human, 8% halfling, and 5% elf. Population count is estimated 285k
History:
Ustmire is a sibling nation to Zanit, established in the same year (2032 ER). The nation is similarly small, like Zanit. Ustmire splintered off in sympathy for the Elvish people who were forced out of Daemis by Emperor Luft. This went... surprisingly peacefully, with no real conflict starting from this.
Ustmire should be noted for being somewhat isolated from the other nations due to its location in the mountains. This actually isn't as bad as it sounds- the nation is completely able to trade with its neighbors, which it works to keep up treaties with.
Ustmire's also noted for having a bizarrely high output of creative arts for the smallest nation- which makes it an ideal place for any creative types, with the nation's focus on well-trained theater being something of a tourist attraction.
Like Zanit, the nation's meager military leads to alliances and treaties being a high priority- leading to things like the current treaty with Ustmire to enable production of Ensongs. However, unlike Zanit, the nation doesn't actually have a draft- making the nation's military rather small, even for its size. This is part of why at least one of the two royal children are potentially to wed the royal children of Edious- gains the nation a strong ally.
While it has similar terms of the contract for Ensong production, the flagship Ensong isn't a custom like the Black Silvine of Zanit- the 'flagship' is the experimental Geldis. The machine is somewhat unique in that it's a failed attempt at creating an Ensong that merely needs a Faitul with the training of a Knight as its pilot. It's piloted by Sir Amrao Ryna, a member of the Royal Guard.
Royals:
King Alan Asiah (Suligiate 8th 2215 - ???) is the fifth king of the nation. Alan, like his children, was sheltered for the majority of his youth by his parents. Despite this, he's... a surprisingly effective ruler. Alan is a kind person at heart, though in person is somewhat of a bumbling oaf. Very much concerned with the well being of his people, as well, always working to try and better his slice of land for them. No appearance yet.
Queen Millerna Morrigan Asiah (Saphramine 20th 2220 - ???) is the current queen and wife of King Alan. She was a rather talented in her youth and belonged to a minor noble house, attracting quite a bit of attention from suitors for both her grace in theater and wealth. The 'winner' of young Millerna's hand was the then-Prince Alan. As the years passed, however, Milerna became... much more dreary, really. She's come to detest her life as a queen, and all that came with it, yearning for simpler times. Don't have an appearance yet.
Prince Lantis Asiah (Lizulia 4th 2254 - ???) is the son of the royal family. Like his younger sister, he's been sheltered all of his life, though to a marginally less degree- he is supposed to inherit the throne if all goes to plan, of course, so he was marginally allowed more of a view of 'the real world'. ...However, he's also a complete and utter moron, barely even able to do the most basic of tasks for a ruler, even with the best of intentions. On the other hand, he is bishie as fuck, so it... kinda evens out a little? At 18, he's potentially engaged to the princess of Edious. No appearance yet.
Princess Briallen Asiah (Deminda 22nd 2256 - ???) is the second child of the royal family. From a very young age, she was kept inside of a locked room, rarely let to leave. She was given a splendid education up there by her parents and servants, taught everything a young lady should know- mostly arts, given the nation's history. Personality wise, Briallen's upbringing left her rather sheltered and incredibly naive- she genuinely does not know how the world works. She's also a rather curious soul, always trying (and often times failing) to escape her confinement and see the world outside of the castle. As a teenager (around 16) she's potentially engaged to Maxiver des Gradus of Edious, though there are plenty of other suitors. Gets kidnapped, like her possible fiancee, by King Jareth of Zanit. Appearance by Penny Basic info
Zanit is a kingdom to the south, located in swap forest area, having quite a few hills and within range of a mountain or two, making it boarder Daemis and its sibling nation, Ustmire. The weather is oftentimes rather foggy and cold, and on top of that it's often humid because of the. Ruled by a king. Population is 86% elf, 12% human, 2% halflings. Population count is estimated 215k
History
Zanit was formed around the reign of the construction of the stone wall that isolates the Grand Daemis Empire from the majority of the rest of the world- placing the nation's birth at around 2032 ER. Because of this, the nation owes its creation, and its mostly Elvish populous, to the racism against people of elvish descent by the fifth Emperor of Daemis, Emperor Luft.
Zanit, as a nation, is tiny as all hell. This might be because the climate of Zanit is utter hell to live in for most people, making migration there something of a rarity. However, Zanit is a bizarrely popular location for traders and religions centering around Messis. As such, it should be noted that Zanit is noted to be much more nature-friendly than the other kingdoms- to the point it doesn't even have its Ensongs produced inside the nation (even if it really even had the materials for it), using trade with Pharmoria to secure a handful of mass production models and two custom units. The 'flagship' Ensong is a custom variant of the Silvine, with modified limits added to make it move at three times the speed of a normal production model. The custom's appearance is this. It's piloted by Farndis' very own Bern Bannings CHAR, Theta Angesam .
Zanit's meager population leaves it with a rather small military as well- if almost any other nation attempted to wage war, Zanit would be steamrolled in a matter of days by brute force. As such, a draft of having every capable person join the military at 18 for a minimum of four years of service. This also means that Zanit attempts to resolve any international affair with diplomacy.
Zanit's also somewhat poor compared to the majority of nations, both economically and resourcefully. Again, this stems from the location of the kingdom in a swamp, making vegetable growth for trade somewhat a challenge.
Royals:
Jareth Orijan (Obisedia 13th, 2241 – 2272) Jareth was the middle child of Zanit's royal family, with three older brothers and two younger brothers (and one baby sister). He grew up privileged and was taught well, and began hunting with his brothers at a young age. He learned death as a child, and corruption began to come with it. But it's supposed that the real nail in the coffin was as he heard his parents discussing who was to take over the throne- of course, his oldest brother Elijah, if no heirs then Gregory, again if no heirs, then Thomas, and finally Jareth. But of course, he really couldn't wait that long to become king, could he? As soon as his parents died came the bloodbath- his siblings all found dead in their beds, shot int he backs with arrows, heads cut off, chopped in half- the ways were different for each. But in the end, all that was left was him- not even his younger siblings survived. Obviously he'd had something to do with it, having called upon assassinations before Elijah's crowning. He took over then. He'd been looking for a bride for some time, to cement his ruling of sorts.
He's a glorified plot point and serves to kidnap Max when he's traveling, attempting to add the boy to a his pedophile harem. As one can assume by his death in the very same year, this ends in him getting killed. Probably painfully. DISTURBING APPEARANCE BY PENNY Aaaaand I'm almost out of room, so I'll have to post the last bit in a second post.
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