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World-building ideas: World of Vel
- Magic
- Magic comes from rocks/minerals that are spread throughout the Earth; can be found in small quantities on the soil but underground has larger chunks
- Dwarfs mine these and sell them to other nations for profit
- Magical deserts occur when the population is too dense (too many people using magic in an area)
- One country hates dwarves; they have a magical desert and have had to develop steampunk as a result
- The act of 'getting tired' of using magic is because when someone uses magic, their entire body is a sponge and absorbs the magic; that person must expend energy to absorb and materialize magic
- Magic takes a physical toll on the body; overuse of magic can sometimes manifest into symptoms like sweating, coughing up blood, and in rare cases, death.
- Interpretation of magic varies depending on the user and receiver. Naturally, magic users emanate their intent within their magic, and their intent is acknowledged by the receiver. However, there are some schools of magic that allow users to inhibit their intent or sensitize receivers to hidden intent. In other schools, intent can be used as a weapon itself.
- Each species tends to have their own scent within the magic that they utilize. This scent is the accumulation of all the magic that they've ever used.
- Fae magic smells metallic; Dragon magic smells like pine with smokey undertones, wood elf magic has a floral scent, high elf magic has a citrus scent, night elf magic smells like rain, bone elf magic smells like grass, orc magic smells savory/like umami, dwarf magic smells nutty, and human magic smells salty/ocean water.
- Dwarves develop technology (i.e. accessory?) to refine magic to make it easier to use - orcs get a hold of it first and the protagonists fight + defeat orcs; afterwards, someone who's not supposed to have the tech gets a hold of it
- Telepathic magic exists throughout Vel and manifests itself in different forms
- Elder Dragon Telepathy - This telepathy technique is used by elder dragons and riders. Typically, it is good etiquette to 'ask for permission' to start up a telepathic conversation, however, the telepathic user may also barge into the receiver's mind. That isn't to say that the receiver is helpless against the telepathic user. Receivers may be able to develop a mental guard around their mind to shove off the telepathic message, similar to the interpretation of magic. While Elder Dragon Telepathy is commonly used for communication, those more adept at telepathic magic may be able to invade the receiver's mind and potentially damage the receiver's mental/physical state.
- Power source for protagonists' city
- Power source was provided by original Lord and King
- People of the protagonists' city use the power source for daily operations in the city (public magic supply - PMS joke?)
- Power source must be resupplied by new Lord and King
- Storage magic originates from ancient Wildermen arts. This form of magic allows the user to compress large and heavy items into small accessories
- Storage magic has its limitations - it is quite cumbersome to pull items out of storage, so items like potions, weapons, and other small items typically are not stored
- Elder Dragons
- The Lord possesses the Elder Crown, which is a mystical aura that gives the lord control over the elder dragons
- When a lord dies, the hive crown is passed onto a newborn elder dragon egg, which chooses the elder dragon that it considers most worthy
- Elder dragons become connected to 'the hive' even while in the egg, allowing them to develop thoughts and views of the outside world before entering it
- While the elder dragon is in its egg, the elder dragon decides whether or not it will be bonded to a potential rider. In VERY rare instances, an unbonded elder dragon may bond with a rider later in life.
- Elder dragons possess the ability to telepathically talk with other elder dragons, creatures, and people.
- Hatchlings without riders grow up together in nurseries and cared for by (wet maids, *develop different name)
- Courting a potential partner often involves giving them gifts, which eventually leads to two elder dragons becoming mates. When they become mates, they become mates for life. Mating is a rare process for elder dragons, and because of the ethereal bond *Mating rituals must be defined later; possibly with a mythos behind it, AKA inspired by greek mythos of human origins
- Bonded - term for the pairing of a dragon and a (dragon) rider
- Rider - the human who is bonded to the dragon (only people in the protagonists' city call them riders; everyone else calls them dragon riders)
- Dragon riders were created right after the first bonded (the first King and Lord) to combat miasma, and also serve as the first unifying force between species
- This encourages Lirin to become the epicenter for a united species effort in defeating miasma; the prototype siphon was made in Lirin
- Dragon riders also take up the elder dragon's ability for telepathic communication; dragon riders are typically limited to this form of communication with their elder dragon, however, a trained dragon rider may expand this ability to resemble that of an elder dragon's
- In order to survive the frigid conditions of the upper atmosphere (during flight), dragon riders utilize magical clothing that is created from the wool that night elves harvest from a particular species of mountain dragons (sheep dragons)
- Dragon riders wear face masks made out of "the immortal flower" (some may call it the immortal flower, others call it the flower of _____), which supplies them oxygen. The immortal flower, from wood elf lore, had originated from a child of the wood elf royal family. The child had a strong affinity for magic, and once the child was laid on a bed of flowers, the flowers were blessed so that they would never die, even when plucked.
- Riders are tasked with creating a pair of accessories for their dragon and one for themselves
- Bonded use storage magic to create a pair of accessories; one accessory will store the dragon's saddle, and the other stores the dragon's armor
- Riders' accessories store big items like tents, bed rolls, and camping supplies
- Dragons typically stay in their eggs for 1-30 years (Lords are an exception, typically around 100 years old; Archie is a few hundred years old); Lord eggs look different from normal eggs
- At a young age (baby to 5 years old), potential riders are taken to the roost to see if they are compatible with a dragon egg; once the egg hatches, the rider and dragon alternate between the rider's residence and roost for several years; the roost provides financial support for the rider
- Elder dragons can sense in the egg who their partner is - often described as either instinctual / fate
- Becoming a part of a bonded is a very high honor; culturally, the elder dragons and riders' families are saddened by this partial time allowance, but ultimately sacrifice their personal feelings for that honor
- At age ten, riders are taken to the roost to begin training; most of their training is very book-based until they are 13-15 years old, where they begin combat training
- At age 18-21, riders begin flight training with their dragons
- At age 22-25, riders graduate and become full-fledged riders
- Humans benefit by being able to draw from their elder dragon's magic, while elder dragons gain an ability to alter their basic magic to more creative forms.
- Due to the ethereal bond between elder dragons and humans, riders tend to feel very satisfied without finding a significant other. The dangerous lifestyle and the tendency to be long-lived deters dragon riders from finding a mate.
- For dragon riders, it is uncommon for them to be married, but when they do, they typically get married to other riders
- Training to become Dragon Riders
- Citrio and Archadia have been training separately from the rest of their cohort - the elders hope to instill their values onto the young and misguided youth by making sure the future rulers are just like them (the older rulers)
- Citrio and Archadia enter into the "flying academy" and initially show off their learned skills; however, their lack of creativity begins to be their downfall as other riders adapt to challenges put forth by the flying academy
- One character is suspicious of Citrio's niceness; another tries to take advantage of his naive nature
- Dragon rider trainees will have to hone their abilities to withstand frigid conditions (cold air and lack of oxygen from high altitudes)
- City of Lirin
- Since the protagonist city defeated the great evil, the world has entrusted this single city-state to monitor/mediate the rest of the world's problems; as a result, the city-state is neutral with most affairs
- The crystal in the Roost supplies magic to both the Roost and the protagonists' city; it is about the height of a human; it is tradition that the Lord and King bring back a new crystal from the nearby cavern whenever the crystal within the Roost is running low
- Citrio's older sibling, who is heir to the throne, is jealous of Citrio for becoming bonded with the Lord - he/she is angry that Archadia had passed them up and is actively seeking out ways to break the two apart so that he/she can become bonded with Archadia (This character may drive plots such as weakly bonded or newly bonded pairs from unbonded.)
- The Great "Species"
- Humans
- They are very adaptable in terms of their environment; they do not restrict themselves to where to live; spread out; "you're a human, you can sleep anywhere"
- Dwarves
- They mine for magic crystals; they will also mine for metals which they often trade with orcs and humans
- Because they're so ambitious, they are a warring nation between each other (i.e. sieging mountains)
- Their hard-working attitudes has made them music lovers
- Elves
- Elves are very in tune with nature, and view nature, happiness, and purity as one thing. Many ages ago, they tried to summon the primordial god OR elven god(s), but ended up summoning "the Darkness" (a previous creation of the primordial god); the darkness was later defeated by the first Lord and King.
- Elves decide to seclude themselves from the rest of the world
- Elves have different races, each with unique characteristics
- Wood elves
- Primarily settling in forests, the green-skinned wood elves are the closest to mother nature.
- Night elves
- The nocturnal night elves pay homage to the universe. Their violet-colored skin and starry speckles are similar to that of a night sky.
- Night elves hide within large mountains
- High elves
- Bone elves
- Bone elves are a collection of elves with a tribal lifestyle. They value the life of the animals they hunt, and try their best not to be wasteful. They will often find a use for every part of the animals that they've killed.
- Wood elves
- Elves see orc culture as very brutish and barbaric
- Dragons
- Fae
- Considered the most chaotic species, fae are best known for their unpredictability and near insane personalities. They take all sorts of forms, from hideous monsters to beautiful humans
- All fae can mate with one another (i.e. Citrio telling a fae woman "what a nice pet you have", only for the woman to be offended and reveal to Citrio that the 'pet' is her husband)
- Fae view other species as the same, since other species are far more ordered than the fae. They are indifferent to the other species' conflicts unless if the conflict can be used for the fae's entertainment
- Few humans have established settlements in fae territory, however, those humans have "disappeared", and such stories have prevented many conquerors from expanding into fae territory
- Those who are around fae/in fae territory for too long develop a "fae madness", where the same insanity that drives fae then becomes infused into that individual (this is a chronic condition vs. acute)
- Very self-serving; Citrio and Arcadia try to contact fae but are denied; Citrio and Arcadia decide to speak with the elves
- Orcs
- Orcs are the oldest species; they are very tribal and place a strong importance on ancestry
- Orc families possess a unique sigil; when members of two separate families do battle, the winner tattoos the sigil of the loser family onto their arm. This is a humbling gesture that reminds the stronger orc that the weaker orc is still "their brother." That way, if the family of the weaker orc ever dies, the weaker family "lives on" in the stronger orc. It is seen as disrespectful when an orc wins a fight against another orc and does NOT etch the loser's sigil onto their arm.
- When a renowned orc dies, their flesh is skinned off and presented to the shaman. The orc's flesh is used to tell the life story of that particular orc.
- Orcs have the most majestic weapons due to their love of war and combat
- Orcs treat war as an art form
- Orcs see elves and humans as fairly attractive because their body types do not exist within orc culture; though, orcs do not like the haughty nature of the elves
- Character idea: WIP mutt character who is half "blood elf" and half orc, but also has different blood in them; "My great-great-great-great-great grandpa was a human, but we don't talk about that."
- Town called Slork
- Wildermen
- Widely known as traders, the Wildermen have thrived off of the rich resources on their land. Whether be it luxurious furs or delicious fruits, the wildermen's keen senses help them in obtaining sought-after resources for the other great species. They will often sell their goods to other species, and their success makes them rivals to any merchant.
- Due to the fact that the Wildermen exist on a continent solely by themselves, the wildermen have developed an extensive naval force to help them distribute goods throughout the world. They may utilize trace amounts of crystal to help their seafaring/other general goods transportation
- Wildermen are actually composed of several different species, but are generally grouped together by the other great species due to the wildermen's heterogeneous disposition and cooperation.
- Wildermen supply the following species with the following goods:
- Wildermen give dwarves a variety of spices to 'spice' up their otherwise bland meals from within the mountainous mines
- Wildermen provide orcs with leathers and furs
- Wildermen provide fae with a variety of fruits and vegetables
- Wildermen provide humans with livestock
- Wildermen provide high elves (wood, night, and bone elves don't need to trade because they are more self-sufficient) and dragons with luxury items
- Humans
- The Miasma
- Long before the creation of the modern species, the primordial god experimented with earlier beings. These earlier beings lacked any specific form. They are shapeless and mindless. However, the primordial god considered these creations a mistake, and thus, started fresh by making the modern world with the seven great species. In ancient times, the miasma was accidentally summoned and introduced into the world. It consumed anything and everything, though, more specifically, it consumed magic. The miasma, shapeless and mindless, was the very epitome of nothingness. Meanwhile, magic, the conduit for potentiality, was everything. The Miasma sought to consume magic wherever it went. It would also consume all walks of life. Anything the miasma consumed, it could replicate. Anything the miasma "saw", it could replicate as well. Since the miasma was nothing, it had the capability of everything.
- The Miasma roamed the earth far and wide, until it sensed the large amount of pure crystals shelved away in a distant mountain range. As the miasma made its way through the world and towards this mountain range, it would successfully consume all crystals in that mountain range - save for one that was taken away by the Original Lord and King. With the prototype siphon in Lirin, the Original Lord and King made a decision to take the crystal to Lirin.
- The Miasma chased the Original Lord and King to Lirin. There, a united species front combated the Miasma, and using the protected power of the crystal, were able to successfully fend off the miasma.
- The Age of Steel
- After the miasma wiped out a lot of surface-level magic from the world, the seven great species were forced to come up with new ways to defend themselves. This varied depending on the species' affinity for magic; while fae did not have to resort to technological advancements, the age of steel saw dragons, elves and dwarves dawning armor and physical weapons. Dwarves improved their mining equipment, which allowed them to dig into harder bedrock. As the dwarves dug deeper into the earth, they would uncover crystals which had long-thought to have been lost (pure crystals). Once more, magic was re-introduced into the world.
- Modern Era
- As crystals reappeared in the world, many settlements sought to obtain their own crystal. Having their own crystal meant a constant supply of magic for the people to protect themselves and utilize for everyday tasks. Yet, to prevent anyone from stealing excessive amounts of magic from the crystals, or preventing a future miasma attack, the seven great species worked together to craft a siphon, thus limiting the amount of magic that one entity could pull from a crystal.
- Slaves
- Slavery has been commonly found within the following species: orcs (war prisoners), humans (only certain human civilizations), and wildermen (wildermen accept all resources, which includes slaves to help out on plantations)
- World Economy
- With the exception of fae, orcs and bone elves (who trade goods, not currency), most of the world utilizes three basic metals as their tender - gold, silver, and bronze coins. Although the coins themselves may vary from species to species, or even country to country, most of the world relies on a weighing system. Heavier coins are worth more than lighter coins. Ten bronze coins are worth one silver coin, and ten silver coins is worth one gold coin.
- Lirin
- Tudor-esque houses surrounded mostly by grass; carved cobblestone pathway; foliage is natural, some grown by residents
- Lirin gets a lot of tourists, meaning they collect a good amount of revenue
- Food is eclectic, so are the inns
- Districts: rich residential, poor residential, entertainment, market, bureaucratic, castle (separate from bureaucratic district)
- Castle is closest to the Roost
- Beige-colored wood
- The Roost
- Consists of large tunnels and canals; people often get lost even with signs
- Different 'floors' in the Roost; giant holes and 'long windows in hallways' for dragons to fly in and out of
- The outside parts of the roost are mainly dirt and soil, but the deeper parts of the Roost are covered in organized stone (resembles inside of a castle) and tapestries
- Mage lights (balls of light) held in by glass are used to illuminate the roost
- Light reflecting down on dais; elder dragons in semicircle; located near the top
- Sleeping chamber towards the bottom of the roost for mature dragons to sleep together (dragons sleep with their mates, riders sleep with their mates)
- Archie and Citrio having separate sleeping chambers
- Elder dragons are in their dragon:human forms for a 60:40 ratio; dragon forms are more preferable/relaxing
- TALK ABOUT BARRACKS - WHERE DO THE DRAGONS/RIDERS SLEEP
- The Royal Family
- Citrio is the fourth oldest of five siblings
- The oldest, regardless of gender, becomes the 'ruler' of Lirin
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