#tor worldbuilding

[contes-de-rheio]

For the wip title game: I'm very intrigued by The Living Library! That sounds very cool and I don't think I've heard about it before!

I may have mentioned it in passing, but it would have been very easy to miss.

The setting comes from the influence of xianxia dramas I watched (including The Untamed and Word of Honor), except for the core concept of the Living Library. I've wrote a few scenes, including what would be the epilogue, but I don't intend to develop it beyond what it is, because my understanding of Chinese culture is limited, and seen through the prisms of Japanese and Korean cultures. In short, it would require a ton of research, which I'll never have the time for. But I'll detail here the main bones of the story.

The Living Library is a being born from concentrated magic. It exists in a specific location, but no one seems to remember where its siege actually is. In any case, it still can manifest itself in a number of libraries, and always take the form of a young lady made of clay (though notably taller than any human being). The libraries in question are all set in the mountains around a vast valley, and under the watch of "cultivators", whose clans are more or less allied together. The Living Library is precious because it can store every written (or drawned) document that comes in its circle of influence, which is extremely wide (trace a circle that would fully encompass Mongolia and you'll get the idea).

As for the story, everything started with an Emperor who wanted to become immortal. He sent his armies to find the Living Library, conquering a ton of land and destroying many lives. He also set to destroy any other being made of concentrated magic, mainly to disrupt the way of life of the people from conquered lands and guarantee his undisputed authority. At some point, the Living Library decides it's enough, and seeks the help of the one living person she knows to be able to create new beings like her. It just happens to be a retired general who served that emperor.

The epilogue takes place when that general, now a very old man, rebirth the last being the Living Library instructed him to.

In addition to the cultivators and the emperor's army and court, the people of the valley are also mentioned. We never see them, but, since consider foreigners who come on their land as trespassers, they set violent magical traps to keep people at bay. Obviously, my characters, despite their initial intentions, end up forced to cross over the valley, and face a number of these traps, including a river that goes like that scene in lotr:

To end this, I'd like to mention that even without the influence of xianxia, the Living Library would feel best fit for a setting influenced by Chinese culture, as records compiled by Chinese dynasties have been a tremendous source of historical information.

[contes-de-rheio]

Royal House Charlevis of Aqualos - Part 2

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Part 1

Tristan Charlevis (725 - 737)

Nicknamed the Heartless, he proceeded to: get rid of his older sister (Druaine was the legitimate heir to the throne) in a seemingly hunting accident, poison his father, exile his eldest son (Estan), lock up his daughter (Estrid, who would suffer from the trauma the rest of her life), and killed his youngest son (Stanel). When Estan finally seized back the throne, he had him executed as a traitor.

Estan Charlevis (737 - 758)

While in exile, he sought refuge with the Kingdom of Roue-Champêtre, and married the heiress of that kingdom, Céleste Bonlois. Then he conquered back his kingdom. So far, he is the only person to have been able to conquer Aqualyre by force. When Céleste became queen of Roue-Champêtre, he had hope to gain control of it, but she quickly drew a line and discarded him from all decisions over her kingdom. This would create a wedge between Estan and his son, when, at her death, the latter directly inherited her crown.

Stanel Bonlois-Charlevis (758 - 777)

Nicknamed the Young by historians as to distinguish him from his uncle, some also refer to him as Stanel II, though his uncle never reigned. He became king of Roue-Champêtre before inheriting the crown of Aqualos, and set up his court at the summer palace along the Thève, between the two capitals. People have always said he was more the king of Roue-Champêtre than of Aqualos.

Estanel Charlevis (777 - 783)

Eldest son of Stanel, he suffered many health issues and is reign is the shortest ever recorded. At the insistence of his brother, he moved back the Court to Aqualyre.

Constan Charlevis (783 - 809)

After his brother’s death, he worked to the true unification of his domains. He drafted a complete code of law which came to replace all local legislation across the kingdoms of Roue-Champêtre and Aqualos.

Conrad Charlevis (809 - 868)

One of the longest reigns of the dynasty, if not the longest. Conrad’s reign is mostly known for its instability, as he fought many wars, including the first and second wars against Niensheria. With age, he would grow paranoid, which may be why he started building the defensive wall which was later named after him.

[contes-de-rheio]

Royal House Charlevis of Aqualos - Part 1

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Lorn Charlevis (circa -500)

Fondator of the Charlevis Dynasty, he came with his people from the far south, probably because of climate change which had rendered agriculture near impossible. With the help of two sorcerers, he slayed the chimeras (ram head, eagle wings, snake body) which infested the valley they settled in. Bourg-Les-Rois claims he is its fondator, but historians place the first settlement on the north side of the mountains surrounding Lake Aunette.

Réné Charlevis (circa 0)

His reign is marked by the fall of Ketal’s Empire upon his disparition. This allows Aqualos to regain its independance. The royal palace is definitely moved from Bourg-Les-Rois to Aqualyre with the help of a few sorcerers, including Lena Familier who will become his wife. Weirdly enough, historians are unsure if his children and heirs were from Lena’s or from one of his lovers.

Istève Charlevis (? - 636)

His reign comes to an abrupt end at the battle of Aigue-La-Morte. It is important to note the battle itself probably didn’t take place at Aigue-La-Morte, only the final peace treaty with Coriandre was signed there.

Iseult Charlevis (636 - 687)

She became queen in the middle of the battle of Aigue-La-Morte which she brilliantly won. Her marriage with the heir of Valène (technically he wasn’t the person with the best claim) allowed her to claim the crown of the Valène Empire, though it stayed loveless and childless as Iseult showed more interest in her own gender. Her reign could have been catastrophic, as she was a better general than she was an administrator, but she benefited from her sister’s and husband’s advises.

Drustan Charlevis (687 - 725)

Son of Igraine, and grand nephew of Iseult. Like his mother’s, his father’s identity is unclear. As he was 7 when he inherited the crown, his reign started with a regency led by his mother and his grand-uncle (Iseult’s husband). This rare situation started awful rumors, which would have make him both the son and grandson of Quentin. Historians all agree “it’s bullshit”, though the idea of Drustan being his grandson is possible, archives from the time tends to prove Igraine couldn’t bear her uncle. The rest of Drustan’s reign was quiet until his son, Tristan, decided the throne should be his.

Tag list: @elaynab-writing​ @cjjameswriting​ @leo-november​ @kainablue​ @the-ichor-of-ruination​ @justafriendlymonster​ @cawolters​ @paperprince​ @kittensartswriting​ @kuebiko-writes​ @wisedom-for-an-eye​ @purpleshadows1989 @quilloftheclouds​ @homesteadchronicles​ @realitefictive​

[contes-de-rheio]

Royal House Charlevis of Aqualos - Final part

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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Carvin Charlevis (953 - 1001)

After putting his reign in the continuation of friendship with Astralone with his marriage to Peslé Familier, he attempted a new alliance with Aqualos’s direct neighbor South-Darah. Upon the birth of his son, his two daughters abdicated. They both became famous: Feid obtain the rare gift of eternal youth from the gods, while Joy went to woke up Ketal, the Great Sorcerer.

Trevin Charlevis (1001 - 1042)

He was mostly an unremarkable king who followed the opinions of his main advisor, Sylve Defontaine. His iconograhy, at least during his reign, always represent him as a soldier, though, there again, he showed little talent. He died during the Battle of Acmida, refusing his daughter’s advice to use the artillery over the cavalery. She would manage to reverse the battle as soon as her father’s tactics had failed.

Trélyse Charlevis (1042 - ?)

Nearly always compared to her ancestor Iseult (cf part 1) because of her prowess on the battlefield, she also proved to be an efficient administrator. Her decision to marry a Prince of Niensheria, yesterday’s enemy and one she fought herself, has been widely criticized by her people and beyond, though it did allow for peace to finally settle between both powerful nations.

Tag List: @elaynab-writing​​ @cjjameswriting​​ @leo-november​​ @kainablue​​ @the-ichor-of-ruination​​ @justafriendlymonster​​ @cawolters​​ @paperprince​​ @kittensartswriting​​ @kuebiko-writes​​ @wisedom-for-an-eye​​ @purpleshadows1989​ @quilloftheclouds​​ @homesteadchronicles​​ @realitefictive​​

[contes-de-rheio]

Royal House Charlevis  of Aqualos - Part 3

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Part 1 | Part 2

Cirad Charlevis (868 - 887)

Grandson of Conrad and a smart administrator, Cirad came very early in his reign to the realisation he had to reduce the crown expenses as to compensate the wars fought by his predecessor. His work probably spared Aqualos a revolution.

Cirèle Charlevis (887 - 913)

She continued her father’s work. Under her reign, citis became more autonomous. City halls of major cities fell more and more under the control of the bourgeoisie.

Savel Charlevis (913 - 931)

As his predecessors, he continued the austerity plan. The only novelty of his reign comes from the involvement of advisors from the bourgeoisie to the point of nearly always excluding nobility at the highest level. This would force nobles to educate themselves in more formal ways and attend universities.

Savine Charlevis (931 - 953)

After three reigns of austerity, she benefit of much more stable finances. She will not always use it wisely, but her work to improve further her people’s education (building schools and starting scholarships) cannot be denied.

Tag List: @elaynab-writing​​ @cjjameswriting​​ @leo-november​​ @kainablue​​ @the-ichor-of-ruination​​ @justafriendlymonster​​ @cawolters​​ @paperprince​​ @kittensartswriting​​ @kuebiko-writes​​ @wisedom-for-an-eye​​ @purpleshadows1989​ @quilloftheclouds​​ @homesteadchronicles​​ @realitefictive​​

[contes-de-rheio]

Myth of the Moons

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Once upon a time, Rhéio, the Earth, and Ran, the Sky, loved each other very much. Wanting to reach each other, they threw bits of themselves toward the other, but failed. The bit thrown by Ran became Segjo, the Sun, while the bits thrown by Rhéio became Iljé and Monjé, the Moons.

For a timeless while, the Sun and the Moons stayed right where their course had stopped, and then Faéran was born. Time started to flow, and astral bodies started their course across the sky. Iljé, Monjé et Segjo danced around Rhéio for the first time. A first day. A first night. And many more. Until, one day, Monjé met Segjo for the very first time.

Like their parents before, she fell desperately in love with him. But Segjo couldn’t care less about her feelings. He had been alone for so long and was now pretty satisfied all by himself. In fact, Monjé’s feelings were felt by him like an assault on his whole being.

For a long while Monjé refused to move. But her sister, Iljé, in the hope to ease the matter, altered her course. Many times she passed between Monjé and Segjo, each time diverting her sister attention for a while. But as soon as she had passed, Monjé went back to her contemplation.

The First Gods started to worry too. They had projects for the world, but as long as Monjé refused to move again, there were nothing they could do, and Rhéio’s soils stayed barren.

Finally, Wido, with the assistance of Gjusa and Noré, met with Monjé. It took some convincing, but in the end, Monjé agreed to reset her course as Segljo’s light threatened to falter.

Together they wrote the first contract, the first oath. Monjé would return to her dance and would meet Segjo every 28 days. In the days she couldn’t meet her infatuation, one of the Seven Little Princesses would serve as her messenger to reassure Monjé over the state of the Sun. Monjé signed the contract, and bound by an unbreakable oath restarted her course around Rhéio.

The world went back to normal, the First Gods to their projects, nature flourished on Rhéio’s surface. The time for humanity was close.

NB: Wido is the head of the Pantheon, Gjusa is the goddess of love and Noré the goddess of laws. The Seven Little Princesses symbolizes different form of love and art. and here’s a link to my Cosmogony Myth, in cased you missed it.

This is for @homesteadchronicles​ Moon prompt.

Tag list: @elaynab-writing​ @cjjameswriting​ @leo-november​ @kainablue​ @the-ichor-of-ruination​ @justafriendlymonster​ @cawolters​ @paperprince​ @kittensartswriting​ @kuebiko-writes​ @wisedom-for-an-eye​ @purpleshadows1989​ @quilloftheclouds​ @realitefictive​

Picture credit: NASA

[contes-de-rheio]

Astralone - The land of Sorcerers

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Astralone was not always the country it is now. For a long time, it was just one city, known as Astraloné, standing beside the Gods’ Lake, and the main pilgrimage place for sorcerers. Population was scarce, and so was food.

Situated in the far south of Rhéio’s Southern Hemisphere, and submitted to a harsh cold climate most of the year, Astralone’s agriculture benefits, today, from the presence of sorcerers who lend their power to ensure the population can subsist all year long in a relative comfort.

It was Ketal’s rise which pushed sorcerers to escape his armies and himself, which consequently gave weight to Astralone’s considerable growth. Even after his demise, many sorcerers kept coming in the land who would soon be known as the Land of Sorcerers.

To protect their all new country, sorcerers built seals of magic along their frontier, allowing them to maintain only a very small defensive army, as the seals could block foreign armies, which both Darah, but especially South-Darah, would quickly learn. Today the seals, or moreover their maintenance, has lead to a radicalisation of South-Darah’s government against all sorcerers. Indeed, the Dahrans have accused Astralone of using the renewal of seal to push them further into their own territory, costing them lands year after year.

This is not the only conflict which Astralone has to face. The other concerns its own government structure. As said above, Astralone was colonised by sorcerers, but this does not mean there were no people leaving in the area. These natives did not have any structures which could allow them to keep the sole control of their lands, but they and their descendants still live in this land. For centuries, sorcerers excluded them of all political instances, but, with the help of a mediator designed by the gods, some sort of balance has been restored, and non-sorcerers are not only allowed to be elected, but also more likely to become a representative, sometimes even with the support of sorcerers who have come to understand their value, which rests in their intimate knowledge of the Gods Plain and its resources.

Astraloné is still the biggest pilgrimage for sorcerers. All year round, yurts are dressed for them on the lake’s bank. Those, among them, who seek to form a coven travel in the week before the Winter Solstice, and register with the office in charge of helping the process. It is also the moment to share knowledge across the international community.

Tag List:

@elaynab-writing @cjjameswriting @leo-november @kainablue @the-ichor-of-ruination @justafriendlymonster @cawolters @paperprince @kittensartswriting @kuebiko-writes @wisedom-for-an-eye @purpleshadows1989 @quilloftheclouds @homesteadchronicles @realitefictive​

(let me know if you want to be added or removed)

[contes-de-rheio]

Happy Worldbuilding Wednesday! Finally getting a chance to ask you one back!! Do your worlds contain any interesting landmarks, monuments, or geographical locations that you would want to explore? If so, who/how were the monuments created? What significance do these places hold in your worlds cultures? tag @feralsong

@feralsong Happy Worldbuilding Wednesday! (hope you didn’t mind me waiting a week to answer this 😶)

There are many monuments and landmarks in my world, but I decided to pick just one.

***

Morte-Chapelle is a memorial of the sorcerers, circular in shape, about the size of a village, but has been entirely deserted for more than a thousand years. It was built in the small chain of mountains in Aqualos. In fact, part of its structure was built by digging the mountain.

Its corridors form a vast labyrinth, and only sorcerers can find their path through it. The walls closest to the entrance are covered with the engraved names of the people who came here, though most of them are no longer readable. Then deeper, you can read theoretical and technical essays about magic, and as you draw closer to the center of the labyrinth, you discover the history of the world from the creation of Rhéio and Ran, to the birth of the first sorcerers (only women at the time), to the first time the gods gifted eternal youth to a mortal…

Finally, you reach the center of the memorial: a huge circular room with a rooftop made of stained glass, but partially broken. Engraving on the walls, which once were painted, tell of the biggest magical disasters, including the story of the desert of Niensheria. It seems one of the disasters described hasn’t happened yet… A sort of large column you can climb atop stands here, and was once used as a place of worship.

Last but not least, a sorcerer put a magic seal onto the whole place. It activates at sundown and kills every leaving being in the vicinity. This dark spell has given birth to many rumors about a treasure hidden somewhere in the memorial. Sometimes it is said to have belonged to the fallen Valène Empire, other time to the Queen Pheonix, who is a legendary sorcerer with the worst reputation...

***

For the little story, Morte-Chapelle’s name was inspired by a village beside my birth town named Mortefontaine (it translates as Dead-Fountain). This name comes from the fact the local source dried up.

Tag list: @elaynab-writing @cjjameswriting @leo-november @kainablue @the-ichor-of-ruination @justafriendlymonster @cawolters @paperprince @kittensartswriting @kuebiko-writes @wisedom-for-an-eye @purpleshadows1989 @quilloftheclouds @homesteadchronicles @realitefictive