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| Keokoma | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Aug 14 2011, 10:07 AM (509 Views) | |
| Duke Smugleaf | Aug 14 2011, 10:07 AM Post #1 |
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Celestial Princess
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So, I've been working on a fantasy world for over half a decade now, and, naturally, it has gone through dozens of revisions in that time. However, I am (hopefully) finalizing some of it. Here's a bit of information on the history and the various races that I just wrote up. Because why not? Maybe it'll get this place a little more active. Probably not, but it's worth a shot, right? Oh, and if some things don't entirely make sense, that's because I'm leaving out some important information that I couldn't be bothered to type. So, don't worry about it.\ Also, as an extra little "game," try and guess what language each name is inspired by. Deities: Earth: Akamulani Water: Kaialani Life: Ewalani In the beginning, the land of Keokoma formed by three unknowable, genderless deities: Akamulani, who formed the land and the mountains; Kaialani, who flooded the land with water; and Ewalani, who filled the land with plants and animals. Originally, the land was quite simplistic. The northern half was filled with an eternally dense forest, the southern half was filled with impossibly large hills and the land was surrounded by an infinitely wide ocean. To maintain this balance, the three deities decided to create protectors. First, Ewalani created the Cheveyona, a race of sentient trees, to forever protect the forest. Next, Akamulani created the Ikraama, a race of small, hairy goblins to forever mine the caves. However, when it came time for Kaialani to create her race, she decided to do something slightly different. Convincing the other two to slightly reshape the land, the deities created a boundless field surrounded by a wall of mountains between the forest and the hills. In this field, Kaialani created the Zeligen, a race of dual-gendered humanoids to forever explore the mysteries of the world. For many years, things proceeded well. The Cheveyona protected the forest as tasked; the Ikraama mined the caves as tasked, and the Zeligen asked questions about the world and sought to answer them as tasked. However, Something unexpected soon happened: the Zeligen invented science and soon began growing more and more powerful. The balance in the land started breaking down as the forest thinned, and the hills shrunk. Eventually, a crack in wall of mountains appeared, and the Zelignen escaped their valley, spreading out over the rest of Keokoma. Akamulani and Ewalani grew angry with Kaialani for her creation and banished her from the divine realm. Without the influence of their patron deity, the Zeligen civilization collapsed and millions died, leaving only a few collections of nomadic bands left in the valley, which, by this point, had been so much warped that it became a desert. It is said that a small chunk of the Zeligen culture lived on and still exists to this day, the survivors taking on the role of divinely-inspired scholars, recording the entire history of the world in the past, present, and future. Cheveyona: The first race to ever set foot, or root as the case were, on Keokoma. They have changed little in the subsequent millenia. They started out as peaceful, sentient trees who happily guarded the forest. However, once the Zeligen invaded their lands, the Cheveyona grew enraged and fanatical. They have since ceased their peaceful ways a zealously adhere to the task set forth for them: protect the forest from any and all threats, foreign and domestic. They now wantonly slaughter anything they deem a "threat" and refuse to communicate with anyone, even the other forest protectors. The only time you will ever see a Cheveyona is right before you die. Appearance-wise, the Cheveyona look almost identical to regular trees. They can range from 80-260 feet in size, and can look like any temperate-climate tree. They move on 8-12 large root-like appendages and can utilize any of their branches as pseudo-arms. Ikraama: The second race to be created for Keokoma. Being the ones who had the most contact with the Zeligen before Kaialani's banishment, the Ikraama were changed considerably by the experience. The most prominent change is that they formed genders, though the two look almost identical to the untrained eye. They have also morphed to look somewhat more human-like and have gained a slight sense of curiosity. This hasn't affected their culture much, though, as they still mine the caves as they always have. They did grow to be more militaristic, but that was only in response to the caves increasing in danger over the years. Before Zeligen influence, the Ikraama were roughly 3-foot tall, unnaturally skinny goblins covered in a thick coat of brown or black fur. Since meeting the Zeligen, they have grown to be generally around 4-feet tall, have gotten a bit heavier, and don't have quite as much fur. However, they are still the hairiest race in Keokoma. Zeligen: The third divine race, made by the forgotten deity, Kaialani. They are all but extinct from the world, and their civilization is but a distant memory. With Kaialani's influence and their own thirst for knowledge, they commanded great control over the world, inevitably using it to tip the balance of power. When Kaialani disappeared, they disappeared as well. However, their distant descendants live on in the various human races in and around the desert. The Zeligen are rather plain, boring humans with no unique qualities. Yuanling: A mysterious race of unknown origins, the Yuanling were composed of three separate groups: the blue-colored Qingii, the red-colored Zhuii, and the green-colored Yanyuii. The Yuanling originated from a strange, floating island in the middle of the ocean. Not much is known about their past other than they are much younger than any of three Keokoma races. Like the Zeligen, they have an insatiable desire to learn. However, where the Zeligen took the path of science and technology, the Yuanling pursued the art of magic, something that was quite rare in Keokoma. At some point during their history, the Yuanling discovered an interesting quirk about their biology: they were unstable. They determined that if they applied enough magic to their own bodies, they could permanently change their own genetic makeup. After some years of research, they performed their first test. Taking a Yanyuii volunteer, they pumped his body full of magic, wondering what it would do. Unfortunately for him, the magic turned him into a violent, murderous monster, and unfortunately for the entirety of the Yanyuii race, the change somehow simultaneously affected all of them, as well. The sudden change angered all of the Yanyuii, causing them to turn on their former friends. Though the new, monstrous Yanyuii could no longer use magic, they were also highly resistant to magic, and their increased physical capabilities ensured that they were far superior in melee combat. In the end, the Qingii and Zhuii were routed, and in one final act of desperation, they blew up a large mass of energy crystals, shaking the entire island, propelling it eastward and causing the formerly dormant volcano to spring to life. In the confusion, the Qingii and Zhuii escaped on a fleet of ships, leaving the enraged Yanyuii on the doomed island. As they proceeded westward, away from the island, they promised to themselves that they'd never attempt another transformation like that ever again. Looking very much human, the Yuanling have only a few differences, the most prominent one being color. Instead of a milky-brown, the Yuanling each encapsulate one of the three primary colors of light, the skin being lightly shaded and pale, while the hair being much deeper and richer in color. They are also typically up to a foot taller than most humans, and are usually much leaner. They also lack any and all body or facial hair and have pointed ears. Chochmingwuna: After the Zeligen invaded the Great Forest and the Cheveyona, became more reclusive and violent, the forest, itself, birthed a new race of protectors to fill the void left behind. The Chochminwuna were created to nurture and mother the forest, ensuring that it grows strong and healthy. They are much kinder and caring than the Cheveyona, but they are still quite xenophobic and do not enjoy foreigners in the forest. However, they typically will not attack on sight unless the visitor is an obvious threat. Oddly enough, the Chochmingwuna ended up looking strikingly similar to human females, though they are still technically genderless. It is unknown why they were formed this way, but it is thought that the lasting influence of the Zeligen was simply that strong. It is not a perfect look-a-like, of course, and there are some obvious differences. The biggest is that instead of skin, the Chochmingwuna are covered by tree bark, and their "hair" is merely a collection of thin, flexible branches covered in leaves. They also tend to be considerably larger than humans, coming in at around 13 feet tall. Askuwheteauna: When the forest first detected the Yuanling landing on Keokoma's shore, it immediately birthed the Askuwheteauna to act as diplomats with these foreigners. The forest did not know or understand the Yuanling, but it realized that being allies would most certainly be in its best interest, especially with the humans starting to emerge from the desert like the Zeligen before them. Like the Chochmingwuna, the Askwheteauna look remarkably human. This time, however, it was intentional, the forest believing that something more closely resembling the Yuanling would be more readily accepted. Unlike the Chochminwuna, however, the Askuwheteauna take after the masculine persuasion in appearance, though they are again still genderless. Their "skin" is made from smooth, but still tough, bark, and their "hair" is once more composed of branches and leaves, though it looks more flowing and smooth. They are also much shorter, reaching no more than 9 feet in size. Yassera: After meeting with the Zeligen for the first time, the Ikraama had a large, internal debate that raged on for many decades before the two sides finally split in an event known to both as The Unfortunate Schism. While the Ikraama remained where they were and continued their contact with the Zeligen, the outcasts delved deeper into the caves, venturing almost four miles underground. Calling themselves the Yassera, they continued their mining unhindered by outside influence. It is unknown what happened to them after the schism and whether or not they even still exist. Being untainted by the Zeligen, the Yassera look almost identical to the original Ikraama. Adelarden: The most "sophisticated" and "cultured" of the various human groups, the Adelarden have long since left the desert, building on the western edge of the empty plain that used to be covered by the Great Forest. They consider themselves the most direct descendants of the Zeligen and, therefore, the most superior of all the human races. Their arrogance is not entirely undeserved, however, as they are generally the most intelligent of the races, even surpassing the Yuanling. They have recently finished constructing one of the greatest feats of architecture Keokoma has seen since the fall of the Zeligen: The Great Wall of the Five Cities. It is a massive wall starting at the northern mountains and proceeding southward all the way to the hills, effectively closing up the hole that the Zeligen originally escaped through. Having left the oppressive sun of the desert, the Adelarden have lost most of their color, now being a light tan. Padunen: Dwelling on the western coast of the southern half of the desert, the Padunen are rather undeveloped, mostly living in an assortment of small villages and the occasional towns. They rarely ever build permanent structures, and frequently move around the desert as nomadic tribes. After the Adelarden contacted them to propose a trading alliance, however, this has somewhat changed, and more permanent settlements have popped up along the trade route. Living entirely under the harsh desert sun, the Padunen are very dark, being the darkest human race in Keokoma. Kynthien: The Kynthien are a very reclusive people, living in the highly dangerous northern half of the desert. This has, however, trained them to be some of the best fighters in the world, if only to ensure their own survival. The strangest thing about them, though, is that unlike the rest of the patriarchal humans, the Kythien are strongly matriarchal. It is not fully understood what prompted this shift. Living in the desert, the Kythien are quite dark, yet they seem to be slightly lighter than the Padunen. Dazbogen: The Dazbogen are a rather sad case. Almost three centuries ago, the Aledarden enslaved their entire race to perpetually work in the Aledarden mines. Since then, they have never once seen the surface. This, combined with propaganda from the Aledarden, has caused their culture to develop in such a way that the Dazbogen now consider the "surface" to be a mere myth, thinking that the entire world is underground. Due to never once seeing the sun, the Dazbogen are almost unnaturally pale and always look rather sickly. Eanrainen: Living in the mass expanse of hills in the southern half of the land, the Eanrainen generally live as roving barbarians and bandits, living off of raiding merchant caravans and small villages near the hills. They also sometimes hire themselves out as mercenaries. However, unlike the other humans, they have no racial bias and will hire themselves to whoever is willing to pay, even if that means getting picked up by a Yuanling to slaughter an Aledarden settlement. Also unlike the other humans, the Eanrainen have the most variation in skill color depending on what part of the hills they live in. Yongii: The new name the Yanyuii gave themselves after centuries of isolation on the floating island caused them to forget their own history, the Yongii are still just as monstrous as the Yuanling remember. However, they have calmed down from their imprisonment and no longer attack and destroy anything they lay their eyes upon. The only thing they remember about their own past is "the blue and red devils of evil." They do not even recall that they were once Yuanling, themselves. The transformation the Yongii underwent altered their body significantly. They are still green, but they are now even taller than before, reaching a maximum height of up to eight feet. They are also much heavier and bulkier, and they also grow body hair, though seeing a Yongii with a beard is a rare sight. Their jawline is much more pronounced and jutting, with their teeth being long and sharp. Their nails have also hardened to points. In addition, they now have a pseudo-prehensile tail. Pakapaoii: When the Zhuii first encountered the Ikraama, battle almost immediately started. No one quite knows who threw the first punch, but whatever first caused the fighting has been long forgotten. The two races are now locked in an eternal blood feud that will only end when one side is exterminated. During the fighting, one of the Ikraama's most powerful priests cast a powerful curse on the Zhuii. As luck would have it, this curse activated their Yuanling transformation. Luckily, the result wasn't nearly as destructive as with the Yongii, though it was still far from ideal. Ashamed to face the Qingii, the Zhuii retreated into the caves and locked themselves in, completely cutting off communications between the two. While the Zhuii used to be beautiful and elegant, their new form is twisted and hideous, the Ikraama curse forcing them to "wear their inner selves on their surface." In addition to being severely stunted in size, measuring up to only 5 feet, their skin is coarse and pitch black. However, they did keep their red hair, though it is tough and scraggly. They are also no longer toned and lean but more scrawny and bony. Chiekii: When the Qingii attempted to create a large wall of pure magic to help protect the forest from the Aledarden, the 39 wizards chosen for the task pushed themselves to the very limits their bodies could handle, summoning stronger and stronger magic in an attempt to activate the power crystals for the wall. In the end, they channeled so much pure magic through themselves that they ended up all giving their lives to activate the wall. However, mere moments before their deaths, they triggered the Yuanling transformation, turning the Qingii into beings of pure magic. This had three main affects. First, they no longer possessed physical bodies. Second, magic became significantly easier to manifest, so even basic farmers can cast an array of spells. Third, their mental faculties skyrocketed, propelling them up to the top of the list, surpassing even the Aledarden. Having probably the greatest change of all the Yuanling, the Chiekii barely even resemble their old forms. They appear as glowing, pale blue, vaguely humanoid wisps of supernatural energy. They are often times seen wearing ectoplasmic shells so that they may interact with the physical world. These shells usually look just as undefined, though the more powerful will often times shape them and detail them to look more life-like. |
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| Duke Smugleaf | Aug 19 2011, 08:38 PM Post #2 |
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Celestial Princess
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You people suck. :/ Really? Nothing? Not even a single comment? Fucking fuck... |
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| Duke Smugleaf | Aug 22 2011, 10:57 PM Post #3 |
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Celestial Princess
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Here's the timeline. I only listed what I consider to be the "important" things. Otherwise it would be giant as fuck. Also, I want to keep some things a mystery. ![]() Of course, I don't think anyone even cares... The Mythical Age: Year: ? Akamulani, Kaialani, and Ewalani somehow come into existence. Year: ? Akamulani forms the land. Year: ? Kaialani floods the land with water. Year: ? Ewalani fills the land with life. Year: ? Ewalani births the Cheveyona. Year: ? Akamulani births the Ikraama Year: ? Kaialani convinces Akamulani and Ewalani to reshape the world to include a valley. The Ancient Age of the Zeligen: Year: 0 Kaialani births the Zeligen. Year: 1 The Zeligen discover sex. Year: 7 The Zeligen birth the first baby. Year: 13 The Zeligen begin asking questions. The Zeligen begin looking for the answers. Year: 18 The Zeligen begin using tools. Year: 27 The Zeligen discover fire. Year: 52 The Zeligen invent agriculture. Year: 56 The Zeligen build the first structure. Year: 77 The Zeligen invent writing. The Zeligen invent literature. Year: 81 The Zeligen discover mathematics. Year: 100 The first Zeligen is murdered. The Zeligen discover the negative side of the emotional spectrum. The valley begins its ultimate descent and starts slowly becoming less fertile. Disease enters the world. The Zeligen begin to feel the affects of aging. Year: 117 The Zeligen build the first city. Year: 118 The Zeligen found the first government. The Zeligen establish the first currency. Year: 170 The Zeligen invent science. The Great Forest begins thinning. The Southern Hills begin shrinking. Year: 191 The Zeligen invent engineering. Year: 236 The Zeligen discover magic. Year: 244 The Zeligen seamlessly merge technology and magic. Keokoma "shudders" A crack appears in the Encircling Mountains. Year: 257 The Zeligen finish construction on Taalamal Castle. The Zeligen unite the various tribes into one massive empire. Year: 264 The Council of Scholars is formed. Year: 301 The Zeligen discover the crack in the Encircling Mountains and begin exploring the Great Forest. The Zeligen discover the Cheveyona. Year: 324 The Zeligen discover the Ikraama underneath the Southern Hills. Year: 331 The Ikraama split into to factions with the anti-Zeligen Yassera retreating further underground. Year: 334 The Cheveyona take an anti-Zeligen stance and begin attacking any that enter the Great Forest. Year: 380 A massive blight sweeps across the valley, killing many. Year: 387 King Jalkadir becomes the new ruler of the Zeligen with the death of his father. The Council of Scholars predict the downfall of the Zeligen Empire. Year: 393 King Jalkadir orders the construction of the four Elemental Anchors and the Temple of the Elements. Year: 397 The desertification of the northern half of the valley begins. Year: 400 The Council of Scholars begins secretly building the Oasis of Knowledge. Year: 402 The Anchor of Air is completed. Year: 403 The Anchor of Fire is completed. Year: 405 The Anchor of Water is completed. The Anchor of Earth is completed. Year: 407 The Oasis of Knowledge is completed. Year: 408 The Temple of the Elements is completed. King Jalkadir and the Council of Scholars perform the Ritual of the Elements. A massive wave of techno-magical energy blasts across Keokoma. King Jalkadir and the Council of Scholars disappear from the world. Akamulani and Ewalani banish Kaialani. The Zeligen civilization collapses, marking the end of the age. The Intermediate Age: Year: 0 The apprentices of the Council of Scholars seal the Elemental Anchors, The Temple of the Elements, and Taalamal Castle from the world before retreating to the Oasis of Knowledge. The Oasis of Knowledge leaves Keokoma and enters another dimension. Year: 7 The forest births the Chochmingwuna. Year: 13 Dangerous creatures begin appearing in the Northern Desert. The survivors of the Zeligen retreat to the Southern Desert. Year: 33-378 The survivors of the Zeligen splinter off and set the stage for the various different human races to emerge. Year: 707 A distant rumble from across the sea shakes Keokoma. Year: 717 Foreigners land on the eastern shore of Keokoma, marking the beginning of a new age. The First Age of the Yuanling: Year: 0 The Qingii and Zhuii arrive in Keokoma after escaping from their homeland. The Qingii and Zhuii begin trying to rebuild their civilization in this new land. Year: 3 The forest births the Askuwheteauna. Year: 17 The Zhuii venture further south to form their own civilization separate from the Qingii, though they remain in friendly contact. Year: 38 The Qingii begin exploring further west and north, looking for potential resources. Year: 41 The Qingii discover the Askuwheteauna, and hostilities break out. Year: 54 The Adelarden leave the desert and begin forming a civilization on the western shore of Lake Konala. Year: 58 The Qingii surrender and offer a proposal of peace with the Askuwheteauna. The Askuwheteauna comply, and the two races form a tenuous alliance. Year: 79 The Adelarden enslave the Dazbogen to work in their underground mines. Year: 134 The Adelarden reestablish contact with the Padunen. Year: 141 The Adelarden discover the Anchor of Fire in the westernmost corner of the Southern Hills but are unsure of its purpose. Year: 154 The Zhuii discover the Ikraama, and hostilities break out. Year: 199 High Cleric Hyamisser curses the Zhuii, triggering their Yuanling transformation and turning them into the Pakapaoii. The Pakapaoii retreat underground, too ashamed to let the Qingii find out about their change. Year: 237 The Adelarden discover the Ikraama and form an alliance. Year: 244 The Qingii and Adelarden discover one another, and hostilities break out, despite offers of peace from the Qingii. Year: 256 The Adelarden finish construction on the Great Wall of the Five Cities. Year: 261 A large island crashes into the western shore of Keokoma, shaking the land, marking the end of the age. The Second Age of the Yuanling: Year: 0 The Yongii pour out of the island and begin pillaging the land. Year: 4 The Yongii discover the Askuwheteauna, and hostilities break out. Year: 35 The Qingii finish construction on the Walled City of Kiminori. Year: 38 The Qingii finish construction on the Great Sea Wall. Year: 57 The Adelarden discover the Yongii and form an alliance. Year: 58 The Qingii discover the Yongii and immediately set out on an expedition to find the Zhuii. Year: 59 The Qingii find the Pakapaoii and tell them about the Yongii. The Qingii and Pakapaoii reestablish contact. Year: 70 The Ikraama finish construction on Benesrol Wall. Year: 77 The Qingii discover the Anchor of Water in the heart of Boggywater Swamp but are unsure of its purpose. Year: 93 The Qingii finish construction on Tamiyori Wall, marking the end of the age. Third Age of the Yuanling: Year: 0 The Qingii accidentally trigger their own Yuanling transformation, turning themselves into the Chiekii. Year: 7 Present day. |
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| Shades | Sep 1 2011, 08:17 PM Post #4 |
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Novice
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It's tough, man. The stuff you've written is what you need to fill out your fantasy world, but you haven't presented it in a narrative. The narrative is what makes us want to know more, how these people and events interact. Just reading all this like a wikipedia page doesn't make me care about when the Zeligen discover mathematics, but I can't make a comment either about how to improve on how the Zhuii aren't pretty anymore. |
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4:01 AM Jul 11