#worldbuilding meme

[ohisms]

━━━ for every "👤" [ alternatively: "NPC" ] sent to my inbox, i will introduce you to ONE NPC relevant to my muse's lore !

[babylonthrum]

📁- Talk about the other races and peoples in the Reach, maybe? :D

The Compendium || Always Accepting

@dragmirc | @blckkheart asked for the races and cultures of the Greater Reach The Compendium provides...

These are just basic summaries on the list Those with larger amounts of information will be added into the main compendium to save space here

The Southern Corridor, that which directly connects to the Western 99, is not a very racially diverse space. Most of those who live or frequent this narrow stretch of land connecting the Western 99 to the Eastern Wall are human hermits, with a smattering of a few adventurous Molenoids and rebellious individuals of the common species from the Western 99. Generally, small gangs will use the space to lay low after catching the eye of any local law, but theirs is never permanent.

Oddly enough, those of the Greater Reach do not tend to inhabit the stretch, using it instead as a continuous road between South Pass and Gateway Cavern. In comparison to the sparse life found in the Southern Corridor, however, the Greater Reach is home to a vibrant diversity of peoples.

It's not uncommon, particularly in the Central Core System, to find a mishmash of the Reach's peoples in small spaces. Although humans and humanoids are fairly prominent, you can find just as many Coral Trolls trying not to trip over Flairmoles and the elvish alike. There is little emphasis on a person's race or species in the Greater Reach, an overarching culture of the hotpot of peoples being the judge of one's character than of one's species. While some may prefer the company of their own at the end of the day, it is up to preference more than it is social ostracization.

Humans are a very common sight, as they are all over Slugterra. Perhaps the only species that does not have any one strict territory, it's not hard to find them in all corners of the world. A diverse and friendly species, they adapt very quickly to their surroundings and sudden environmental changes, making them hardy and resourceful. Because of this, they are able to fill any niche in any community, capable of learning usually quickly what needs to be done. Their cultures are broad and diverse as they are, no one group being the same as the next. It's said they came from the World Above many millennia ago, a theory supported by the Elves of Durin in the long-lived records of their sacred exits. Although these are closely guarded documents, so who is to say what is and isn't true in that regard.

Elves are another common sight across the Greater Reach. Nearly as diverse as their human counterparts, they are defined by their tall slender frames, narrow faces, and long pointed ears. Although they are seen as aloof, those in the Reach are still polite and amiable if given the same. They have a strong bond to the raw natural world, capable of understanding the energies that coax life into places it was not previously more than some other species. They are characterized by very meticulous behaviours and are quite long-lived, so it is usually elves who are historians of archives. While elves do not have a set cultural homeland or territory, a faction known as the Elves of Durin protect the land around tunnels that are believed to spiral up to the World Above. They guard these places with their all, letting no one through their borders and into them for protection of both sides of the line. However, the occasional accidental intruder from Above is treated with a wary kindness.

Coral Trolls are a derivative Troll species, having evolved instead to live and peruse the vast coral forests of the Greater Reach. They are taller than some other species, standing at anywhere between seven and nine feet tall, but more slender in build than their Western counterparts. They have a purple-based complexion with brightly-colored eyes that match similarly-colored hair. They have four arms, aiding their ability to manipulate pieces from the coral trees with the dexterity of accomplished jewelers. Coral Trolls are best known for their artistry. Although they are still not a species to pick a fight with, they are best known for their ability to refine coral and will use it in fashion, accessories, and sometimes tools. They use the bioluminescent variety in tattoo inks, a common cultural trait among them, and most of their tattoos glow due to it. Hailing from the Great Coral Forest in the Central Core Region and commonplace across the Reach from there, they are a proud and honorable species, being intensely loyal to those they find worthy of it and equally as pragmatic.

Flairmoles are a derivative species of Molenoid found predominantly in the Greater Reach. They are typically shorter than other species, their tallest only reaching upward of four and a half feet tall, and squat and rounded in build. They don't see very well, most of the species being partially blind or having some form of ocular degeneration. Even with glasses, which are a prevalent aid through their society, they see poorly. They do have hyper-sensitive touch receptors, however, and they can 'see' through vibrations felt in their hands and feet and through their starburst-shaped noses; the 'flair' that gives them their name. Flairmoles are overall a very diminutive but polite species. They are typically bashful in behaviour and quite generous besides. Visiting a Flairmole den, carved out of the living rock of the caverns in the Reach, one can expect the utmost hospitality, even despite the awkward clumsiness of their host. It's not hard to find these dens, as they are almost everywhere there are walls to tunnel into. There are even rumors a few colonies have managed to tunnel into the Northern Wilds, though no one has proof. Although they do not look it, Flairmoles are among one of the stronger Reach species. They are not only capable of lifting three or four times their own weight, but also digging through solid rock. The Engineering Corps was founded by a clade of Flairmoles and it still operates with them at the forefront to this day, performing everything from carving new tunnels for roads and routes to keeping the infrastructure they make clean and clear of the Reach's constant almost-aggressive attempts to swallow it whole. After all, no one knows rock and dirt quite like a Flairmole and of that trait, they are dutifully proud.

Manticores are an isolated species who come from the Eastern Corridor region. Manticores are about average height for your standard humanoid, their tallest standing at six and a half feet and the rest being anywhere between five and six when upright. They have distinct primate features, with flat faces and long limbs with thumbs on both hands and feet. Their bodies are covered in rusty-red hair, trimmed near the top of their heads and plaited down their back in intricate designs that show which family clan they come from. Their tails are chitinous, large stiff segments locked and layered together that equals an individual's height and ends with a large venomous barb. The tails do not move fluidly, but rather clackle audibly and stiffly into place, usually held diagonally across their chests to show they mean no harm to others. Although Manticores will default to physical close-quarters combat when provoked, they have been known to sling slugs by using their tails as carefully-controlled catapults, snapping the segments fast enough to bounce slugs to velocity when necessary. The use of the tail barbs are always the last resort to them. Manticores are a proud species. They believe in the art of showing one's intent through actions and hold others to that standard. They are decently friendly -if a bit standoffish- with other species and cultures in the Reach, though travelers are not very common outside the Eastern Corridor, where their native caverns are. However, one can always count on them for help when it comes to learning and understanding how to better their slinging ability, as they are incredibly in tune with the over-abundance of energy in the Reach and understand the balance one needs to achieve for better control and harmony with their slugs.

Dwarves are a common humanoid species found all over the Reach. They are believed to have come originally from the Western Wall, perhaps in those regions of heavy volcanic activity, though they are so widespread otherwise that they are not concentrated there any longer. Dwarves are characterized by their shorter stature, only standing at tallest five feet tall. They are stout with sturdy heavyset builds, broad shoulders and stances alike. They are very adept engineers and architects, found most commonly in both beast and blaster forges as well as a huge part of the Engineering Corps that keeps the Reach running. It is said that what Flairmoles cannot achieve, Dwarves certainly can. Dwarves are proud to the point of feigned arrogance, though they are also socially friendly. Their very straight-forward sense of humor can be taken as rude, though they mean no harm with it. Dwarves are, at their core, honest and loyal and anyone who can get used to their brutally-honest takes on the world will have a friend for life.

Gnomes are one of the greater mysteries of the Greater Reach. The smallest of the native species, Gnomes barely reach up to the average human's knees at tallest. They are an odd bunch, wearing what looks like tattered cloth cobbled together over hair-covered bodies that are typically drab in greys and browns. No one has ever seen or recorded what the body itself actually looks like. The only features distinguishable on them are large hands and feet and a pair of glowing orbs of eyes. They have a human intelligence and sapience, capable of communicating with other peoples of the Reach fairly easily. When not being directly addressed, however, they tend to grumble about, making odd almost feral grunts and growls. Gnomes are very isolated in culture. They do not branch out and they do not deviate from that which defines them. They are an industrious species, constantly seen moving about wherever they are, and are surprisingly social even if only with themselves. It is uncommon to see a singular Gnome anywhere, as they generally come in companies of three to six outside their settlements. Their settlements, simply called Holdts, are little shanty towns Gnomes erect for themselves near the established towns and city-centers of other races. They busy themselves sifting through trash and refuse for things that can be refined and sold, seen in constant movement moving these treasures back and forth in a positive symbiotic relationship with the area they have taken root in. It should be noted, however, that although Gnomes are a generally peaceful bunch, hurting one will bring the wrath of the entire Holdt it is a part of in a swarm of vengeance and large pointy teeth. As it is, people tend to simply leave them be unless necessary, if only to avoid this one odd tic of their species.

Goblins are a mystery for a different reason. Although they are found in all parts of the Reach, their home cavern or territory is unknown to outsiders. They seem to prefer it that way. Goblins tend to wander in small groups all over the Reach, characterized by their ship-shod technology and cobbled cultural aesthetic. They are typically shorter than the average human, standing anywhere between four and four and a half feet tall. They have upturned noses and prominent tusk-canines in their bottom jaw and long pointed ears, with long limbs and longer nimble fingers. They come in an array of color combinations and builds, heights and quirks with sly smiles and a notable silver tongue to sell or trade their wares. Goblins are the 'snake oil salesman' of the Reach. They are classed as wandering traders of a sort, selling whatever they scavenge or trading for whatever they invent. They are a quick-witted fast-talking species, but adaptable and inventive. They have a good relationship with Gnomes, trading for bits and bobs from their collections, and have a decent understanding of base-level engineering. Although the Dwarves call them 'bubblegum engineers', meaning that they pretty much stick whatever looks right together and hope it does something cool. It's good to know going into a goblin trade that their inventions can either work amazingly well, or blow up pretty spectacularly. There is no middle ground. And absolutely no refunds. An oddity among their culture is being angry when confused with Kobolds, though they refuse staunchly to point out these Kobolds outside of insults, and so no one really knows if the things even exist.

Sirinfolk are a species of bird found strictly in the Northern Wilds. They are kept contained in the Northern Wilds and very rarely manage into the Eastern Corridor, much less the rest of the Reach. There are peoples in the Reach itself who believe they are a myth, a story of boogeymen told to frighten children into behaving, and for good reason. Sirin are much much larger than the average human, and still at least three times the size of the largest Coral Trolls on their own average. Their faces are flat with large black eyes, patterned after their marking type and full-body plumage, with sharp-edged hooked beaks lined in rows of circular teeth. They have functional arms ending in talons at the wrist of their wings, capable of walking on four limbs or hobbling about on two. They can move in swift and sinuous patterns, making the ominous sound of hissing feathers as they hunt. Drab plumages are more common -akin to sparrows, most owls, and hawks to name a few and known as just Drab- while brilliant colorful plumage is rare -similar to peafowl, parrots, and certain grouses called Brilliant. Plumage is not genetic among them; two Brilliant Sirin will almost always produce Drab chicks, while a pair of Drab Sirin may produce a Brilliant by chance. Sirin are not very sapient, and while intelligent, are fooled by certain types of object permanence. Drab Sirin are soldiers, wrapped in a series of hormonal shifts into something that functions like a hivemind. They move together when in close quarters with others, they hunt together, they act as one entity under the control of Brilliant Sirin. Brilliant Sirin are born with the knowledge how to manipulate and shift these hive hormones to tell Drabs around them what to do. What they do, is eat. Sirin are, by design, hyper carnivores. They swarm and they devour everything in their path. They have no known civilization, driven by their stomachs first and their feral instinct second. Only one Sirin has ever been sapient enough with other species to communicate, a Brilliant Quetzal Sirin dubbed 'Argos' by the defense of the Northeast Pass. He isn't seen much, but has been around a very long time according to records and shows no intent on mending the rift between his species and others. Despite being capable of intelligent conversation, he too functions solely on his stomach, as his peers do. It is the existence of the Sirinfolk the Eastern Corridor marshals -The Horsemen- are necessary, trained and honed to combat and push back any Sirin attempting to enter the Greater Reach through the funnel that is the Eastern Corridor. Because of their continued efforts and those of the Forty-Eighth Battalion from Babel of the Floating Isles at the fortress of the pass, the rest of the Reach thinks Sirin are stories to frighten children.

[sanguinesorcery]

Lore lover (dealer's choice!)

The Loremaster's Archive || Always Accepting

@vigilantdesert Wildcarded and Opened the Worm Can That Is:: The Imperial House

As one might expect in any imperium, the Imperial House is central on both a political and social level. Sidhe's Imperial House is hardly different from this ideal, being the centerpoint for society and progress in their own empire. Social and historical eras shift around them, as they are the catalyst of the most change in their civilization. Without House Ariad, Sidhe would not be as it is in present time.

HISTORY x

House Ariad [pronounced Ar-ee-uhd] started somewhere between 1200-1300 years prior to present day. The exact dates and times are debated hotly in historical circles, given the nature of society in that timeframe to not write their own records.

The first to take the Ariad name was Shrayak the Stormbringer. He was the thirteenth pup born from the union between the War Goddess, Katya, and her Demon Lord consort, Manis. Having tried multiple times to quell the inherently genetic-bound violence that wracked the mortal people of the archipelago with her prior offspring, Katya bestowed Shrayak with a gift she gave none of her other children to tie the warring clans together: Shrayak became the first hinge-pin, the proprietor of the emotional Hivemind that ties all dominant-Sidhe together even into present day. Being the only one granted such a boon, Shrayak was able to tug the ethereal tethers of the hive to bring his peers under one emotion. However, this emotion was whatever he was feeling at any given time, as the concept of the hive was new and he had not been given the practice to control how he could use it. This was the start of what is commonly known in historical anecdotes and faint records as the True Ariad Lineage, later described as the Direct Lineage; it is believed Shrayak's twelve elder siblings died in various ways without descendants -or the descendants died out, there are many retellings- before he was released on the world. Shrayak was long before the imperium would establish itself and therefore, he did not use the honorific 'Emperor' in any capacity, though modern historians will still refer to him as such. He was the progenitor of The Upheaval Era, the archipelago's tumultuous beginnings unified under the glazed influence of whatever genetic demigod had control of them at the time. The Goddess blood was strong in the hinge-pins during this era and they themselves were prone to violence and madness, though they focused their progression in the south tropic region on swarming the people of their charge over neighboring territories and nations with seemingly no rational strategy. It was not until the eleventh generation, Torvul the Crested, that times changed and the Upheaval Era would begin to wane. Torvul was born into the downswing of the Upheaval's climax, having slain his father -the prior Ariad- when he refused to see the budding reason his son was beginning to develop. Torvul settled the self-destructive hive and the people with it, pulling them back to their own home. As this was still before any established societal hierarchy, Torvul did not use the 'Emperor' title in any way during the peak of his reign. Instead, he spearheaded building a central collective on the original archipelago, though records state he was still prone to fits of rage and occasional madness. However, he was the first to accept the title of 'Emperor', given to him from the priesthood that arrived from the Clouded Isle as he aged and tempered and as such, was recognized as the first interred into the newly-established family mausoleum on the grounds of the Clouded Isle under the new imperium.

It was Rakkon the Sparkeater who shifted the eras. The fifteenth generational Ariad entered the newly-established empire into The Middle Era, one of the more stable generations considering. He established a more centralized governmental body using the Imperial title as a foothold in the newly-forged political climate of the tropics to gain ground. He was the first to receive The Star as a sword, recognizing his sovereignty to the ever-elusive priesthood of the time and further establishing his influence among those who were his people. He was the first to legitimize a spouse, marrying a rural girl into his family to help keep him from the expected fits of fury and help make his decisions reasonable going forward. He was also the one who commissioned the Aeroglaive from the Clouded Isle in defense of his homeland and the peoples within. Though Rakkon is regarded as a stable Emperor in the early days, the Middle Era was full of highs and lows, order and chaos. Not all Ariads were reasonable, many were still victim to the bloodthirst that plagued their diluting Goddess blood. The Middle Era saw much expansion in their influence, but the society began to suffer and the people themselves grew low in morale with being stagnant or stopped entirely in their social progress. It made them targets of their neighbors and of those seeking revenge for past misdeeds, culminating in Zamnas the Knell, who sacrificed all he was to protect them when the Aeroglaive failed for its one and only time. The most notable Imperial figure of the Middle Era did not come until the very end, nor was she of the direct lineage. Styna the Willow was not born into the lineage. She was the first of the priesthood's Oracles to leave the Clouded Isle and marry into it as a part of connecting the God's Realm to the mortal one, starting the tradition of an Oracle spouse that would be observed for many generations yet to come. Instead, while her husband the Emperor -Kayjul the Abyss- began the largest expansion campaign that would write the Imperial Book of Conquest, Styna worked to improve the lives of the people in the capital center of the stabilizing imperium. Under her command, the bridged highways were built to connect the major islands of the archipelago. The Imperial Palace Complex and lighthouses were commissioned, the main Waterworks designed and built by her newly-instated Engineering Corps. Universities were founded, as were hospitals and libraries and temples, and the mint foundry was instated. The first iterations of the War Council began which lead into the foundings of permanent year-round agricultural and commercial districts. Under Styna's careful diligence and empathy for her people, the imperium left the turbulence of the Middle Era behind and launched into The Modern Era, the era that is the present.

House Ariad is the most stable it has been, the Goddess blood diluted to a point that the inherent need for rage and dragging the people into it is a thing of the very long-distant past. There are a few notable generations in the Modern Era that remind the lineage and their people of their ties to Katya. The forty-fifth Empress Matena the Matriarch, for one example, who was known for such an unpredictable temper that rumors still abound of her massacres leaving unaccounted-for stains in the main audience hall of the Imperial Palace. The most notable reign is not considered a reign at all, and not for its progression of the imperium as there was none. The Half Reign or Cursed Reign, one in between the forty-sixth and forty-seventh generation, was a somber reminder to both the direct lineage family as well as the people themselves that the only thing capable of ending the modern Sidhe Empire is Sidhe themselves. Although it was a brief blip in the long and storied history of the family and the imperium itself, the damage dealt by a mutant in the system will still taint historical records to help future generations avoid similar fate.

The current Ariad hinge-pin in residence is the forty-seventh generation, Fariah the Dawnbreaker. She is known for bringing the imperium from the lowest it had been since the Upheaval Era to the highest it has been since its founding, as well as being one of the direct-lineage who is closest to Katya's influence in the Modern Era.

MAKING AN IMPERIAL x -Puphood

Direct-lineage pups are a necessity in Sidhe society. The nature of the hivemind demands the need for a blood relative to continue being the hinge-pin. The Imperial House will rarely produce more than one pup to take the role, seeking to mitigate any ill will between siblings for the Heir Apparent title. During times of political or social upheaval, siblings may be born to ensure the hinge-pin stays in place in the event one of them dies, thus keeping the emotionally-charged hive in place. Regardless of one or more pups born to the Imperial family, the birth is celebrated as a continuation of the lineage across the Sidhe-controlled imperium.

Imperial pups are being trained from the moment they are capable of seeing their surroundings. One of Styna's many contributions to her future society is written directly into the walls of the Imperial Palace Complex. A young Imperial pup will always see the symbols and puzzles hidden in various parts of the decorative motifs, or playing blithely in brushstrokes of the many painted panels of folkloric stories around the Palace. They learn to understand these details as they grow, and the average Imperial pup will understand a small amount of them before they even begin to walk. These puzzles lead to various sections of the Central Imperial Library, where records and histories are kept to read and learn from, among the journals and tomes about the people themselves as a whole. The purpose of these is to force young pups to think about their surroundings and be vigilant to details many others may miss in the same stroke it leads one to learn about who they are and where they come from.

By the time they are ready for their tutors in general education at their fifth year, a young Imperial pup will be able to read at a level twice as high as their age, as well as understand anywhere between three to five languages besides their own depending on the sociopolitical shift of the neighboring territories. They are already aware of who they are supposed to be, having learned from both reading and watching their parents their role in their civilization, as well as the finer nuances of the culture and people as a whole. By the time they are five years old, they understand the gravity of their eventual role as Imperial and have likely sat in on public deliberations or daily War Councils. Their exposure to their people via representatives helps them understand how to emulate their people for the time when they will ascend and take the place of the prior generation. Once they begin higher learning, they will be presented as Heir Apparent to the people. At six, they begin formal combat training if they have not already started, as House Ariad takes its ties to their Goddess progenitor very seriously. To them, combat is an artform, and it begins with the basics to be merged with their own personal stylings later. They will also be taught the beginnings of their cultural blood magick, and their control of the hive will be tested and tempered alongside; the goal is to not strum the hive until necessary, as careless use of it can cause damage to the people. At eight, their education addresses statecraft, including subjects such as political sciences and economics. Usually, their combat teachings will include the classical dance styles that will help them form their own style later and more in-depth sparring will be more common. Generally, they begin learning stratagem and tactics during the sparring sessions, leading to joining their first campaigns under watchful eye at or around ten or eleven years. While they are not in charge of these events, their abilities and trainings will be assessed in true combat situations in order to focus and hone their aptitude later. Use of blood magick is approved and expected where it is applicable, another assessment.

-Adolescence

Following their first campaign, seen as a rite of passage into the next stage of their lives, community instruction begins as a regular part of their growing agenda. Learning what makes their culture and civilization function is an intrinsic part to the Imperial heir and how they will represent their people, and they are tasked between the next levels of book-born education with learning how each district of their imperium works. By spending a week or two doing community service in multiple regions on each of the thirteen mortal islands of the archipelago, not only are they given a sense of purpose in helping their people, they understand what each district and region does to aide the imperium's progress. This system will continue until they turn sixteen.

The sixteenth year is a turning point in their lives. As per the tradition started by Styna, the young heir will be taken to the Clouded Isle for the first time since their birth to meet who will be their future spouse. An Oracle of the same age or close to it who has seen the vision of their future together will be presented and will return with the family to the Imperial Isle. There, the young heirs will begin to conduct the daily tasks together in shadowing the Emperor and Empress, learning to work together as one entity. The Oracle will learn more about the mortal imperium in this time, alongside their eventual partner, to better their understanding of the world they will inherit. This will help both parties to assimilate their political styles and be a stable pair when they marry in the future.

Although they are meant to marry an Oracle by tradition, it is not always the case. Marriage is seen as political, the sharing of the burden of managing and representing the imperium. However, it is not unheard of for a young heir in the later years of their adolescence to marry their common people, or foreign political parties if it is for sound political reasons that further their civilization. The Sidhe people themselves have no qualms to genetic purity, after all, simply that the Aeroglaive has chosen the direct-lineage Imperial and that a blood heir is produced. The pragmatism of this practice helps keep the bloodlines from stagnating. Marriage is seen as a graduation into adulthood under normal circumstances. By the time the adolescent years begin to move into young adulthood, the Imperial heir has begun to see themselves as their own people. Tutelage education has since ended, they can hold their own in a viper's den via learning from their predecessors what can and cannot be used. By the time they are ready for marriage, they have already solidified in their minds that they are no longer an individual person but a composite, through trainings and teachings over their lives.

It is this understanding that is their milestone to ascension when the prior bond with the Aeroglaive is broken by death of the prior bonded or the Oracles of the Clouded Isle forcibly severing it, paving their way to coronation.

ASCENSION x

The symbol of an accepted Imperial of House Ariad is the Aeroglaive. Given its propensity to gain another segment with every generation to the family who binds it, it makes it the most articulated tool in the known Sidhe world. As a result, in their culture, only a mage powerful enough to bind and control it will be accepted socially as their acting Imperial. Since only the Ariad bloodline has bound the Aeroglaive, only one of the direct lineage can bind it to them.

The ceremony site for the binding is in Karaji, the capital city on the Cultural Isle and home to the temple pedestal that the sacred rite of ascension will take place in. The Day of Ascension is considered a holiday, and does not include coronation. The date for ascension is determined by the Oracles and distributed to the people. This is so that the common citizenry may come to bear witness to the heir proving they are worthy to their people.

The Heir Apparent will use a dagger made of obsidian glass given by the Clouded Isle's priesthood strictly for the rite, carefully dragging the sharp glass blade over a major artery they have chosen earlier to promote bloodflow over the Aeroglaive in their possession. Smearing blood over its surface helps open the channel wider as the full surface becomes a forcing point for one's will over it, reaching for the composite consciousness of the sacred tool to call its spirit into their command. Though there has not been a loss of life to this practice, there have been close moments in the past.

The connection is made when the heir's mind opens up and feels the residual emotion left in the Aeroglaive from generations prior. It has been described as a number of things, though lights in the eyes and a tension in the chest and around the ritual bleeding wound are most common. Once it is confirmed by the overseeing Oracle as witness that the new connection has been made, the heir exits the temple shrine to an elevated platform made specifically to display the last half of the ritual to the people who have been gathered for the event. Through a series of short performances, the Aeroglaive is manipulated in varying tiers of power as proof of their mastery over it and thus gaining the respect of their people before being labelled Imperial Apparent by the overseeing Oracle.

Once the ascension is over, the Day of Coronation is set by the Oracle for time to allow their new Imperial to recover from ascension, usually within two to three weeks.

CORONATION

The last week before coronation is hosted as a celebratory festival. While the Imperial Apparent will recover back in the Imperial Palace Complex, they will return to the temple pedestal in Karaji to make the ceremony itself more visible to their people who come to witness the coronation event.

The Imperial Apparent is bathed in purified water brought from the Clouded Isle by the attending priesthood, with prayers spoken over them and drenched in holy incense smoke to push away bad energy and cleanse them of their past impurities. The priesthood scrubs their body down rather than letting them do it themselves. It is considered a symbol between them that they are sharing the burden of the imperium they inherit with their people, and the priesthood is considered their people, an intrinsic caste that offers stability to their culture and civilization. The Imperial Apparent is clothed in white with accents in royal and red, draped in iridescent gossamer, embellished in gold with the sigil of Sidhe -thirteen stars, three in the middle and ten around them- as a symbolic seal of their future influence to be released by the Oracle performing the ceremony. A second shorter veil of silver organza is laid over this, embroidered with the Thousand Eyes to protect their halfway status from dissenters and evil eyes. With the Aeroglaive in hand, they are sent after all the blessings are in place to the platform on the pedestal they stood a few weeks prior to prove themselves.

A new Oracle is waiting for them with one of the forgemasters from the Clouded Isle. After kneeling and listening to the stories of gods and goddesses ascending to such hallowed status as monarchs and leaders at a volume all present can hear, the Oracle calls blessings of the figures to the new Imperial Apparent before releasing the first seal, the topmost veil. A reminder is issued in oath and pledge to serve first the people before they serve themselves, to see all under them as equal, as 'without people, principalities will fall'. Once the pledges and rules are accepted verbally by the Imperial Apparent, they are told to hold out their hands and accept their partner in all things. Here, they accept the ceremonial yatagan, a sword made from the meteoric iron of the foundations of the Clouded Isle, decorated in the symbols and prayers that make up their name. It is proof of their oath to their people, of pouring themselves and their everything into the upkeep and protection of the imperium. With the acceptance of the ceremonial yatagan, the Oracle draws back the last veil to the top of their head and drapes the symbolic chains and links embellished in peridot and padparadscha that is the crown over that.

With the announcement of a new Imperial to the lineage, another celebratory festival is held for the following week to congratulate the new Imperial. It carries on through the week simply because the emotion of joy does not wane in the hive so easily.

INFLUENCE x

The Imperial Family is taught from day one that they are the imperium.

Without them, the people have no voice. Without them, the people have no power over their own change. While they take heed and listen to their peoples' ideas and suggestions, they will focus more or less on what the imperium needs, with little yield on what people want. They are reminded of their constant position as the decision-maker, where all necessities are signed into or out of being. The War Council tells them what they feel is necessary for their specific regions, but it is their choice to go to these places and witness what must be done or not in that stead.

Their presence is nigh omnipotent in the imperium, as they are taught to believe only they and their equally-trained spouses can handle the burden of making decisions. All bureaucratic events are handled directly by the acting Imperial, from taxes to census to daily event agendas. All expansions are dealt with on a long preplanning process. Long past are the days that the Imperial waged war for the sake of waging war, now it is paperwork and careful socioeconomic planning that wages their wars. It is how they keep the people happy and non-violent, while proposing projects to further their society and communities. Regularly-scheduled community service reminds them of regional differences as they evolve and connect them further to their people.

It is always good that the Imperial should know who they are and who they will represent when it is time to stop thinking like a person and walk into vipers' dens as a nation. After all, they are the first most foreign parties meet when it comes to the imperium, and they are the first line of defense of their bastion of civilization.

[sabraeal]

One of my favorite worldbuilding prompts from back in 2019 came from World Anvil's Summer Camp prompts, but it doesn't seem that they post these graphics on tumblr anymore! Taken from the World Anvil twitter: Send an ask with up to three of these numbers, and I'll give you an example from the project I'm currently working on!

[limbobilbo]

Me explanation as to why I worldbuild despite not using the worlds for anything

[tegarrianlore]

me.

[peekaboo-rp]

send me 3 emojis and I’ll make an NPC based on those for my muse’s world/lore

if unable to send emojis, send three words instead!

[00venator]

Sekka are just like. What if a hyena was a bird and we domesticated it.