Introducing the world of Vicara
This is a work in progress: the fantastical setting of an upcoming RPG system and novel series.
I'd love to hear what you think!
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Map
Lore
Deep within the earth lies an ancient force.
A cosmic being that has long been entwined with humanity. It attached itself to earth because of human's unique ability to tell stories. It feeds on the energy of narrative and creation. And in return, it projects a psychic field around Earth that humans call "a sense of wonder." Humans don't know this being exists. They have just participated in this sense of discovery and wonder over millions of years, anytime they tell or hear stories.
However, as humanity develops machines and algorithms, as humans press each other into new methods of profit and productivity, stories fade away.
The being becomes starved.
And as the being starves, the psychic field of wonder fades, and humans become fixated on competing for attention and wealth. Stories are forgotten.
Desperate for sustenance, the being starts pulling libraries around the world into gaping pits, consuming any remnants of tales and imagination it can find.
In the depths of those pits, a world is born. A world at the center of the earth where all of humanity's stories are living and breathing on top of each other. A world where genres and tropes are bent around each other in impossible ways. A world at once uncertain, silly, and profound.
And yet, some humans either fall or venture into the pits where libraries once stood, and discover a world where stories are not just told, but alive. And the hungry being, sensing new potential, seeks to lead these wayward souls to weave new stories, and finally sate its hunger.
Main Inspiration
This world draws from the tradition of classic portal fantasy like The Phantom Tollbooth, The Chronicles of Narnia, Five Children and It, The Owlstone Crown, and A Wrinkle in Time.
Other inspirations include The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Chronicles of Prydain, and A Wizard of Earthsea.
More than anything, this is for my son - that he grows up with a deep respect for silliness, a willing hand for those in need, and a reckless disregard for dogma.