Thulox? Dekar? Naw, I'm making my own set of small Mahri-Nui sets
With the exception of the custom masks, these guys are all buildable, and they're growing on me enough to push me to write little character bios for them
In one particular forest of Airweed, rumors of a beast dwell. According to these fables, this beast hides in the fields of Airweed, stalking the workers and Hydruka who come in for the harvest. And when one detracts too far from the group… The Beast snatches them and devours them alive! The tale sprung when a worker named Reysa and his Hydruka lost track of time and stayed past the designated safety hour. One worker who had been close to the Airfields swore that they had heard a scream. Later that evening, many questioned where Reysa had gone, and had assumed that he must’ve returned after the tides rose; Unless he drowned?
They got a grim answer when someone found what seemed to be Reysa’s hand amidst the Airweed. Ever since, hysteria struck the workers as they claimed that some Beast dwelled in the Airfields, likely coming in from the tide to devour everyone. As days passed, more disappeared. Others swore they saw something in the airfields stalking them, one even ran from something massive that chased them!
The rumors of the Beast spread, and the overseer got exasperated and dismissed such claims, even when workers began to strike, unwilling to work with such a predator breathing down their spines. To prove his point, the overseer ventured into the airfields with some hired guns to comb the area, sure that there was no beast.
He never returned, and soon another overseer came in. She let the tales of the Beast run rampant with apathy, not caring for those who quit in fear- There was always some poor, jobless schmuck to take their position, after all, and so the mysterious disappearances continued…
Xia boasts an incredibly proficient, lucrative industrial sector, constantly manufacturing everything from weapons, to basic household items. Metals and ores of various types make up just about everything, and almost all of them come from the mining district of Voymari, where the main bulk of materials to be processed are actually acquired.
During the early growing years of Xia’s industrial age, high demand was put on metals and other materials conducive for mass-manufacturing and selling. Attention was directed towards the region that would later become the present-day Voymari District, which was lowest in elevation compared to the rest of Xia and naturally had the most rainfall, rivers, and lakes. The natural presence of water, as well as various high-tides, helped to naturally erode the surface of the region, making the earth softer and easier to dig up.
Mining operations and industries were set up, as miners set to work tilling the soil and digging up layers of earth to access the precious metal deposits within. To aid in the erosion process, canals were dug, with rivers and lakes redirected to flow across areas and help wash them away. All of the constant water and mining efforts naturally resulted in mudslides that would often prove dangerous, swallowing entire villages or destabilizing them, but the booming Xian industry demanded more materials, and so mining continued as usual. Canals by the shore were dug to allow the high tide to come in and help wash away the earth itself, and large portions of the island were dug up and either dumped into the surrounding ocean, or onto towering, manmade hills and mountains.
As of the present-day, Voymari is a rocky, craggy, and mostly-barren district. The constant rainstorms and weather has resulted in some of Xia’s clearest skies, which are mostly covered and enshrouded in clouds; Still, it’s far more preferable to the smog of Stelt or Tametru. Scattered across Voymari and etched into the sides of cliffs and chasms are various mining villages and settlements, with massive drilling machines rolling across the landscape, miners following in their footsteps and scavenging dug-up materials.
In Voymari, countless mining businesses make a fortune digging up metals and ores, such as the luxurious Exsidian, or the invulnerable Bohrok, of which there is a readily-accessible supply of. Technically, all across Xia one could find the same materials, more or less; However, the rainfall, canal, and work of predecessors has left Voymari the most barren area and thus the easiest to dig up resources in, with much of the bedrock having been cleared in various places.
Aside from the aforementioned landslides, there are massive chasms and endless, shadowy pits, hollowed out by excavators and depleted almost entirely of the resources they have to offer. Many areas of Voymari are structurally unstable due to unregulated mining efforts, and settlements are carefully set up; Even so, it’s not uncommon for people to have to relocate after a few years. Some villages and neighborhoods have been bought out so corporations can drill in them, and the lower-class tend to live in the most structurally unsound parts of Voymari.
Obviously, mud, sinkholes, and other issues are a regular part of life in Voymari. Almost everyone is a miner, although there are a couple of fisherman and boating crews near the shore and major canals. The vast majority of Xia’s orphan population lives in Voymari, in-part due to a precedent established by a Xian noble who set up multiple orphanages in the district. Likewise, many Xians have reasoned that the cleaner air is healthier for young Xians, who can be exposed to the smog of Tametru and Stelt later in life; Likewise, Voymari isn’t lawlessly dangerous like Zakaz or Nynrah, and Artidax has too many fragile, delicate components to benefit from unskilled childrens’ hands.
Many of these orphans are unsurprisingly hungry, and tend to go homeless anyway, either cast out by the crowded orphanages, or else by choice; Child Services in Xia, like many other sectors, is abysmal. Roving crowds and gangs of these children often amass, scavenging across Voymari’s ghettos and picking up whatever they can find, even resorting to thievery, to later sell or benefit from. Unsurprisingly, there are those, such as the eccentric crimelord Karzahni, who take advantage of these disenfranchised children and induct them as gang members, servants, and even slaves.
Otherwise, most people live as miners, waking up early in the morning and working day-and-night in the muddy, wet, and often hazardous conditions of the mines. Most mines are open to the air, unearthed by massive excavation machinery while workers grind away with pick-axes and other tools, digging up ore deposits to be piled together, washed away at another site, and then shipped to Tametru for refining and processing. As always, pay is abysmal, but at the very least consistent- Usually. Mining accidents from rogue explosions, mudslides, sinkholes, and so forth are common, and sudden floods can come in thanks to the constantly-shifting landscape and various rainstorms.
A high-tide is prevalent in Voymari, one of massive disparity with its low tide. As it gets darker, the water levels will rise up enormously, engulfing lower-elevation areas such as mines and quarries. During these times, workers are supposed to leave before the water comes flooding in; However, poverty and poor regulations result in bosses and overseers who frequently overwork their employees past these designated safety hours. Miners will find themselves exacavating even as the water reaches their ankles, their waists, and even their chests. Particulalry wealthy corporations have resorted to using aquatic mining equipment to bypass this issue at night, but other small businesses simply push disposable employees to their limits.
Closer to the shore, there are fields of Airweed, a plant that yields a precious, valuable gas useful for a wide variety of products and applications. Airweed grows best in the unusual, high-tide and low-tide conditions of Voymari, and in the salinity along its coast; During the low-tide, it gathers in oxygen, carbon-dioxide, and other gases, and during the high-tide it synthesizes them within the water.
When the high-tide recedes, workers come climbing down into massive pits and lower-elevation areas to harvest the Airweed, aided by Hydruka, quadrupedal, domesticated crustaceans who have an affinity for being able to discern plants with higher yields of gas, versus the emptier ones. When underwater, they transport themselves by shooting air through their tails, the same kind found in Airweed (a portion of Airweed harvests are set aside for the Hydruka). Hydruka can also spew a poisonous, chemical compound of gases from their tail, manifesting as bubbles that choke and suffocate predators in the water; On land, this air easily disperses and is mostly harmless.
Hydruka typically scavenge across the ocean-floor for nutrients while also feeding on Airweed, and can breathe on both air and in water. Hydruka can be stubborn and unyielding at times, and some will even sit down and refuse to work all day, forcing a hapless worker to report the situation back to their boss. Still, their evolved senses tend to do better than most Xian tools, and are cheaper as well. Hydruka meat is considered to be peasant food, but some higher-ups and nobles find it to be surprisingly delectable.
Fun fact- In Voymari, there is a constant running-joke amongst miners all across the district of Morak the Hydruka. Morak will be blamed for a wide variety of things, from running late due to the unruly Hydruka chewing on a worker’s boots, to a slow day with little bounty due to Morak’s laziness. Some will complain of Morak’s incessant temper and snapping, or him eating too much of the feed, and others will even blame Morak for all of their life’s misfortunes!
The joke of course is that Morak doesn’t exist- At least, as far as anyone knows. Perhaps Morak really DID, and when the worker assigned to them frequently blamed Morak for their dilemmas, it was turned into an inside joke that spread across the district, with most not even getting it but still joining in regardless. Who can tell for sure?
Unearthed salt-deposits and the constantly-receding tides from the ocean that regularly seep in along the coast contribute to another dilemma; Saltlung, a health issue that comes when salt scattered in the air, especially after the tide has just receded, gets into people’s lungs and causes health issues. Many Voymari miners are plagued with lifelong Saltlung and other health problems, unable to get the healthcare they need. As always, no regulations exist to forbid employers from deploying workers into mines and Airweed fields as soon as the tides recede, so many have adapted by wearing specialized breathing masks. In some areas where the salt content in the air is high, people wear their masks almost all day long.
Due to the constant presence of water (also prevalent in Nynrah, but that district is too dangerous), many shipyards are also built along major coastal towns and canals. The fishing industry thrives along Voymari’s coast, and ships are built and have their seaworthiness tested out on the waves or in the canals. Many nobles will throw parties on lavish yachts along these canals and off the coast of Voymari; However, deliberate ignorance of proper safety procedures and building codes in order to have the most ‘beautiful’ ships and parties can result in ships being sunken by rocky waves or inconsistent tides.
Although Chutes are used to transport items and goods, some items, including particularly massive ones, are ferried along large canals on boats to their destinations. Fast-flowing rivers are frequently used to wash off collected ore deposits. Due to their connection to the coast, as well as the high tides, some sealife has gotten into the canals and can pose a potential problem for sailors. There are many reported incidents of sealife accidentally getting into areas inland, and being left stranded and floundering about when the high-tides recede; Workers in the Airweeds have often found various animals, from sharks to even giant squids, flopping about with the water gone. Tiny Gadunka regularly cling onto Airweed, snapping and pinching at unfortunate workers, but are more of a pest than an actual threat.
Voymari’s landscape is constantly-changing, ever-shifting as mining efforts relocate earth, new tunnels and canals are made, water floods areas and erodes them, mudslides and sinkholes occur, earthquakes erode foundations, and so on and so forth. There are few truly permanent settlements, save along the rockiest and stable foundations. Saltlung and drowning is common both amongst miners and sailors, the latter of whom encounter brutal storms and massive waves in their work. Mud and sludge is everywhere, caking everything, and the mining work is brutal and physically arduous.
Many have been worked to death in these mines, ranging from indentured workers to outright slaves. Entire chasms and pits will be filled to the brim with either salty or fresh water during the night, but then become almost entirely empty by day. Unstable earth can also lead to dams bursting as water floods areas, bringing in new sealife, or else destroying their homes as water flows to another place. Sometimes, secrets in the earth are uncovered after a mudslide, sinkhole, earthquake, or flood passes through…
As awful as it all is, there are SOME ups to living in Voymari; Again, the sky and air is clearer in Voymari, and its coastal areas and rivers boast some great seafood joints. Most sailors can only get scraps of what corporations take from them to sell in Stelt, but it’s better than nothing. Some lower-class Xians also get to work as bodyguards or servants in the luxurious yacht and cruise parties of Xia’s upper-class; It’s not ideal of course, but it’s definitely more fun and a lot safer than the mines and Airweed fields, and tips, dropped luxury belongings, and scraps are prevalent. Voymari also boasts a handful of lakes, rivers, pools, and beaches that are open to the public as well! Just don’t expect a lot of sunlight, and beware Saltlung…
