Hyaline - a worldbuilding project

[artofhyaline]

✨ Tags and topics ✨

Start here for the world overview that will give you a broad idea of what kind of worldbuilding project this is.

The content on the posts here are often being updated/changed, because I want to make it easy to find things. Some posts will get consolidated in the future, etc. I will write updates when that happens. I'll eventually assign that a tag.

You can support me here on Ko-fi, if you like. You can read about me here.

My general chatter for this project can be found under this tag on my main blog, @machinesbleedtoo, just to keep this one uncluttered.

I do not and will never use generative AI / LLMs.

If it's not purple, it's not got posts in those tags yet. This is a work in progress blog. I have a lot of work to add and not a lot of time 😭

Types of posts Concept art | illustration | Prose | Comic

Places and people

Falih’oko Elinneu - A rainforest on the continent Kienani. Elinu lio'rohi is an inhabited section of the rainforest - the Gukeur people are native to and live there. Their species: Amiel. Their leader is Kol, who is one of the Kigi anek’oko (“the diplomats”) of the world.

 Nails and Teeth OCs

These are characters from the eventual comic based in this world I will do someday. You can see the starter pages here. I don't have references for many of them yet but I'm working on it.

Their sex is listed on their ref sheets because gender is not a thing that exists in this world. I gave them pronouns just to make differentiation easier when writing. Please keep this in mind when talking about them.

| 🏷️ Amzarah (Amiel, they/them) - ℹ️ Profile | | Ao’ze’ckr (Rk’gr’ke, he/him) | | 🏷️ Grarej (Vtharhj, they/them) | | 🏷️ Raieill (Faragull, he/him) - - ℹ️ Profile | | Vr’ev’jk (Rk’gr’ke, he/him) |

[artofhyaline]

Amzarah

The scar inconsistencies between ref and third image on arms is because i fucked scar locations up in this comic :')

I’ll write proper profiles on my OCs eventually. this post will be updated when I do.

[artofhyaline]

Raieill

The only OC with a ref sheet right now (working on it...!)

Here he is with his natural hair. it helps the species blend in with the water and the plants in it.

I'll write proper profiles on my OCs eventually. this post will be updated when I do.

[artofhyaline]

The beginning of a comic series I'd like to finish one day

[artofhyaline]

The Gukeur and Amiel People

A biologist, a guard, and a farmer.

Kol.

The Gukeur people

The Gukeur are governed by the diplomat Kol, formally known as “the life breather”. They reside in Elinu lio'rohi.

The Gukeur are especially sensitive to all matters involving life and death. They monitor their forest home and make sure all things are in order- which includes not imposing further than the land they have already claimed. 

They are not considered religious, but their ancestors did worship the moon closest to Hyaline – named Elun - and its phases. As a result, the moon holds much symbolism to them. Their clothes are mostly red & gold, embroidered with vine-like patterns and other motifs symbolic of nature. The metals and fabrics are provided to them in exchange for rainforest resources, in trade with nearby colonies. 

The Gukeur homes are located along the beach - the safest portion. They regularly survey the ecology in their forest yard. They ensure they plant what they eat and give the animals recovery time after being hunted.

Their cuisine consists of mostly raw fruit, vegetables, and fire cooked meat- they especially favour that which belongs to ocean dwelling animals.

A Gukeur hut.

The Gukeur’s village features a number of buildings close to the beach. Those closest to it are built on stilts to survive the unforgiving tides three moons create. These are communal buildings, connected by a series of bridges. It is here the Gukeur partake in social activities. The structures are also used as lookout towers, and for fishing. Further inland are the living quarters. They are mainly huts of various sizes.

Red and gold adorn most things, made from fabrics and dyes they attain from trade. The colours were chosen to make finding each other easy in the colours of the forest. The light that emits from Kol’s skull makes it apt, too- it is as if they are the sentient embodiment of their planet’s star, Aniku.

Amiel (species)

The origins of the Amiel species began in Elinu lio'rohi. They evolved from herbivorous hoofed creatures that evolved into opportunistic omnivores, and finally to full-fledged ones. The rainforest is a harsh habitat and versatility was essential to their development into a species of human-like intelligence. Their hooves became claws, their eyes forward-facing, and their posture became progressively more upright. 

Amiel people are simultaneous hermaphrodites. The Gukeur being relatively small in number suggests their reproductive methods was an evolutionary advantage should numbers dwindle too low. They lactate and lay eggs. 

Amiel people also exist in other cities and towns, although rarely- Hyaline is homogeneous in so far as it relates to the placement of the sentient creatures that live there. Due to the combination of life occurring after the continents were formed and very little colonization due to specialized species needs, few make lives outside of their birth place. 

These are diurnal people, as the imitation sun-speckled markings on their fur suggests. Their ears are large to release excess heat and serve to blend in. Most members have low nose bridges and a snout that slants downwards, which gives their eyes the appearance similar to humans with epicanthic folds. Their skin is tough and leathery, and their water-repellent fur serves the purpose of protection and camouflage.

[artofhyaline]

Locations: Falih'oko Elinneu and Elinu lio'rohi

Falih’oko Elinneu as named by the Gukeur people, meaning“Endless green", is a rainforest located in a deeply eroded trench, on the continent Kienani. The sole language spoken here is Lune. 

Like rainforests on Earth, the symbiosis is rich. Every living thing is a member of the thousand-part machine that is its ecology.  Most of the forest has remained undisturbed by settlers as its wildlife is vicious, including the plants. The sentients who live among them accept that. 

The reliable warmth and water supply combined with the rich ecology this harbours sustains a much more diverse range of life. The canopy reaches heights of 130 metres.  The only way to safely enter the region is by the beaches on it's north-west and south-east sides. It is otherwise surrounded by steep cliffs, as if the area had been created by manual excavation.

Elinu lio'rohi

A portion of Falih’oko Ellinneu. Literally translated to “Water’s mouth”, Elinu lio’rohi is aptly named for its proximity to the ocean. it is often being covered in a blanket of fog. The region includes two islands located east of its main land mass. It is the only area of the rainforest known to be inhabited by sentients. It is home to an ancient population known as the Gukeur; a group of Amiel people, about 300 strong. Few can survive the rainforest’s conditions, aside from its native inhabitants, which makes for favourable conditions where trade is concerned. This region of rainforest is the origin of all Amiel people that exist on Hyaline today. 

[artofhyaline]

An introduction

As of 2026, this map is outdated - I'm currently working on another one.

Hyaline is an Earth-like planet that orbits a main sequence star. Its sky features rings comprised of rock and three moons that shepherd them. Life was born after the continents had already formed, segregating the very first fingerprints- extraordinary biodiversity evolved in its wake.

The planet is known among its inhabitants as many things- Nierio (Lune) or Kazauthi (Rriork-th) are but only two of them. In Lune, the rough translation is “Hyaline”, reflecting the Gukeur people’s preoccupation with the sky and ocean they are surrounded by.

The three moons are known as Amarh, Elun and zarel'k by the Gukeur people.

GOVERNANCE

A single world government was dreamed of by colonizers from another planet - Ziograu, they call themselves. They built a city from which to rule and named it Arifeux. It is bathed in brilliant gold and sterile white. It is the most technologically advanced location on the planet. The language of Arifeux is Rriork-th.

Their attempt at world governance failed, however; Nature won, because Hyaline was not made for them. They are weak and dwindling in number. The reach of their influence eventually came to an end.

Ziograu remain the rulers of their city. Its citizens have lineage native to the planet, though they no longer know how to survive it. Ziograu know this. They know because they architectured it. They do not need to kill those who attempt to escape; nature will do that for them.

As a result of their failed colonization attempt, each populated area has its own unique form of government with no other to link them. The world outside these golden walls is incredibly varied, with each population free to develop its own way of life independently of one another. Trade between populated locations are mostly localized to areas easy to reach by boat or animal companion, whether those be of land or of the sky.

ALLEGIANCES & THE DIPLOMATS

Hyaline has no countries or relationships based exclusively on location. Instead it has factions, each of which is dedicated to one or a number of Kigi anek’oko - ancient entities that roam the planet. Roughly translated, their name means "the Diplomats".

The most catastrophic wars of Hyaline’s past have arisen from crimes committed by the diplomats themselves. They earned their status as diplomats for their subsequent success as mediators, knowing best of all what conflict looks like. The worst of them are under the care of Oreun and their vault.

Each of the diplomats appear to be of known species origin, but are mutated in bizarre ways. They move and speak unnaturally and have characteristics so unusual one could easily mistake it for magic - Kol, for instance, has flames erupting from their eyes, nose and mouth, yet they alight nothing. 

It is for these reasons they are revered as though they are gods, even to those who know they are biomechanical in nature. 

None of the diplomats remember how they came to be. None of them have a sense of personal identity. They exist with purpose.