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Pandora's Encyclopedia - Abridged; Worldbuilding Thread
Topic Started: Jul 28 2011, 11:09 PM (1,950 Views)
Wil Grieve ✿
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All suggestions are welcome, and hopefully this'll inspire you guys a little bit. This first post will also serve as an archive for ideas, I'll edit them in as they come along. Looking forward to hearing what you guys come up with!

For those unfamiliar with the world and think the world info is a bit TL;DR, I'll give some little snippets with each place to describe it quickly.

PLACES

The Corporatocracy of Exiona
The center of Vaenice's industrial revolution. Smoggy and horribly dirty. It was once ruled by the Dorman family, but the last couple decades have seen a transfer of power over to flourishing private companies. Ever since, a low rumble of revolution has sought to make itself known in a nation that increasingly ignores the people. The government has a face in Dacian Corsair, a charismatic but cruel Prime Minister with a finger in every corporate pie. Corsair has since left the picture, but the nation struggles to unite with the Dorman rulers.

Cities:
Rechvald - Capital City, run by a giant clock.
Ainbrach - The prestigious scientific university, also the second largest clockwork city.
Greile - A suburb of Rechvald, and victim of a recent bombing run by anti-government revolutionaries.

Landmarks:
2 Devreaux Avenue - The home and workplace of Dacian Corsair, Exiona's Prime Minister. Aesthetically resembles Moscow's Kremlin, with an industrial twist.
The Gouge - Originally a large meteor crater, the Gouge is now a major dumping site for chemical waste. The cities around the lip of the crater have been all but vacated thanks to the horrible, toxin-thick lake; however, some find the sight of the still, fluorescent green surface on a warm night to be quite beautiful in its own way.

The Luxarian Matriarchy
Aladdin: Steampunk Edition.
As the pseudo-Arabian nation of Luxaria has grown in the booming worldwide industrial revolution, it has increasingly developed a distinct international identity, largely thanks to its large population of psions. With the establishment of Queen-Regent Nagin Shazi's rule, Luxaria has seen increased modernization with the building of bridges, a proper water system, electric lights, and the invention of the steam-powered flying carpet. Queen Shazi also heads the prestigious Psion academy, and is known to be one of the strongest psions in the world.

Cities:
Aribus - Capital City

Landmarks:
Tombs of the Ancients - A ruined ancient burial ground, fabled until its discovery beneath the shifting desert sands.

The Hanshinan Empire
An oriental winter wonderland.

Cities:
Kyojen - Capital City
Jishin - Port City

Landmarks:
Mt. Dashi
Mt. Shijin

The Arcadian Nation
Vaenice's Melting Pot.
Run by a committee of tradesmen, Arcadia has a knowledgeable base of people and a healthy supply of wealth. Its central location on world maps has resulted in a bloody war history, and the remnants on many battles dot the landscape. Nowadays, the ruling trade council has insisted on complete neutrality, making it a desirable partner for every other nation. Tritonia is often accused of encroaching on Arcadian territory with their expansive navy, and though they insist that these moves are nonaggressive, some worry that it is a sign of an impending attack.

Cities:
Woodhurst - Capital City
Novel - Center of Arcadian knowledge

Landmarks:
The Netherworld Altar - A portal to the land of the dead, and fabled to be the place where the God of Life and Death, Promideas, fell during Götterdämmerung.

The Kingdom of Tritonia
Ancient Greece (Sparta, specifically) with an industrial twist.
Tritonia is a collection of nation-states populating a mountainous island continent in the southern hemisphere. From Helanne, the Athanasios family governs

Cities:
Helanne - Capital City, and home to the Tritonian royal family, the Athanasios'.
Innes - The Oracle City
Port Hindar - The main port city of Tritonia, located on a peninsula close by the capital. Its location further out at sea minimizes the raging currents surrounding the island.

Landmarks:

Islands and Island Chains

Wushina Islands - An icy landmass northeast of Hanshina.
Important Locales: Hanshinan military harbor

Jiazhou Islands - An icy landmass east of Hanshina.
Important Locales: Hanshinan military harbor

Axulles Island - A temperate, tropical island smack dab in the middle of Hanshina, Arcadia, and Luxaria. The lone city, Guent, has dealt with several incursions by the Hanshinan navy in an attempt to claim the island to establish a third massive military harbor. Once Jillian Traceaux took power in the Guent underground, Hanshina was driven out. The island is officially at war with the frozen nation, but action is rare.
Important Locales: Guent

Turtiana - A flat grassy island hosting some of Vaenice's worst. Most of the goods plundered by the world's pirates eventually end up here, where they are auctioned off on the black market to the highest bidder. It is incredibly wealthy, and as such, incredibly well-defended.
Important Locales: The Pirate City, Turtiana

Nirya Islands - A tropical island chain between Arcadia, Exiona, and Tritonia.

Byrnak Islands - A tropical island chain between Exiona, Hanshina, and Tritonia.
---Hiveminded, mind-stealing bugs controlling a tribe of humans who once lived here.

Seifarian Archipelago - A frozen chain of icebergs and islands to the far south.

Fyodar Islands - A frozen chain of seven islands south of Luxaria.

Synrian Islands - A frozen chain of islands very far to the south.

PEOPLE

Nobility and Diplomacy

Hanshina

Divine Emperor Shigeru Benitoura

Exiona

Dacian Corsair - Prime Minister and de facto leader of Exiona.

Tierney Lukas Dorman - Prince of what remains of Exiona's government. Most of the nobility has given in to corporate influence, but Tierney expresses a strong desire to reunite his nation and take it back from Corsair. Known as the "Rebel Prince" to some, he operates out of a western town called Avenghelst, in a decrepit castle that once hosted Exiona's royalty, several centuries ago.

Gretel Adriana Blanc - One of Prince Dorman's closest confidants, willing to go to the ends of the earth for him, even if that means donning her mask and becoming the notorious Black Bomber.

Arcadia

Esto fon Foliére - One of the higher-ups in the Arcadian Trade Council.

Tritonia

The Athanasios Family - Monarchal rulers of Tritonia.
- King Athanasios
- Princess Selene Athanasios

The Abendroth Family - A family with incredibly close ties to the Tritonian royal family.
- Astyanax Abendroth, Head of the Military and War Council
- Guinevere Abendroth, Captain of the Ikarous.

The Bestechlich Family
- Zephiel Bestechlich, Head of the High Courts

The Kentavrs of Innes
- Jonno Daccat, Kentavr 4

Luxaria

Queen Regent Nagin Shazi - Matriarch of Luxaria
Unnamed Luxarian Prince

INNOVATIONS AND TECHNOLOGIES

Tritonia

The Aqueduct - Tritonians build their cities near the edges of the nation, close to the surrounding mountain ranges. This way, they can redirect running water from the mountaintops to the defensive walls surrounding their cities, and pump it into their homes not only for plumbing purposes, but to power anything requiring steam.

Paegasos-Class Fighter Aircraft - Invented in a joint experiment by Guinevere Abendroth, captain of the Ikarous, and Soto DiGiacomo, a west Tritonian evoker, there are five Paegosos fighters in existence. Piloted by four of Ikarous' best, the aircraft are not officially affiliated with Tritonia, instead operating outside of the government in order to carry out missions without creating tension between the naval superpower and the rest of the world.

Mercurian Boots - Infantrymen in the Tritonian army are given a pair of mercurian boots with their uniforms. The boots enable the army to fall from long heights without sustaining damage, and also grant them superhuman jumping abilities. Small golden wings adorn the outsides of the boots, fashioned as a filter, absorbing Auria from the air nearby and expelling it to propel the wearer up, or to slow descent. One need only tap them together to activate them, but they don't work as well when the air is not thick with Auria (fortunately, in battle, there is always a ton).

Jupiter Cannon - High-powered mass-cannon that charges up tessellated plasma, shooting it forward like a giant lightning bolt. The heat generated can melt through the hulls of metal ships, and light wooden ones aflame. Tritonia has been refitting their airships to carry these tesla cannons in lieu of normal cannons.

Luxaria

The Steam-Powered Flying Carpet - Luxarian means of enabling normal humans to possess and fly on traditional rugs, as psions and elementalists have done for many years. A simple steam engine, together with a Psion rune, keep them airborne.

Exiona

Clockwork Cities - A few of the cities in Exiona function almost entirely via massive clocks beneath the town plaza. Cogs and gears expand outward from these huge clocks and invade every aspect of town life; public transportation clicks along, perfectly synced to the massive clock, while garbage collectors dispose of the city's waste every night. Gas streetlamps flicker to life every sunset, and shop doors lock at 10. Relative to other cities in Exiona, these are fairly clean, but the pollution cloud still bleeds over from other parts of the country.

Everywhere

Buoys - Invented in Exiona, these are floating devices deployed by volunteers that point in the directions of nearby locales.

BEASTS & NON-HUMAN RACES
Clockwork War Elephants - Luxaria
Bred Salamander-esque Wyverns - Luxaria
Goblins - The world over.
Dwarves - Mostly Tritonia, but spreading.
Dragons - the nearly extinct servants of Cinaed. Only one remains.
Karkadann - Luxarian beasts of burden. They resemble unicorns or oryxes, but a bit more violent.
Ogres

SHIPS AND CREWS

The Shirokami Crew
Houkoukaze - The ship of the Shirokami pirate crew, headed by Mako Sarizuko.

The Gentleman's Crew
Terror Moon - The ship of the Ruthless Gentleman, Leuther Schenkkan.
The Armada - The collection of ships that work under Captain Schenkkan.
8 of Clubs - Clive's ship.
Diamond Overture - Jagger's ship.
The Stack - The crew's fence.

The Vogobonnes
Zwon Maiden - The ship of the Pirate Empress, Julia von Vogelbach, and her notorious crew, the Vogobonnes.

The Automaton Army
Scheherazade - The ship of the Automaton General, North Seolfor.
The Plateau - The base of operations of the Automaton Army.
Saint of Fools - The ship of one of North's associates, Adamo Moretti.

The Ministry of Malcontent
Doomsday Serenade - The ship of the Mistress of Malcontent, Jillian Traceaux.

The Tritonian Navy
Ikarous - Tritonia's flying megalith, captained by Guinevere Abendroth.
Ocean Wind - The living quarters of several Tritonian airship captains.

Etc.
Canta Seresa - A small cargo ship belonging to the Death Merchant, Malek Abdumalah.
Flaming Lambert - The ship that rescued Mako's crew following the release of Amado Vitapax.
Prison Ship Purgatorio - A massive floating prison that drifts around the skies of the dead zones of central Exiona. An unquestionably inhumane place to keep even murderers. A few cells have been reserved recently for the Black Bomber, The Masked Rebel, and a few others. Much of the former king's court reside here, though their crimes were never made clear.

RELIGION AND OTHER MYTHOLOGIES

The High Gods - Amongst the hundreds of beings responsible for the creation of Vaenice, there were six who stood above the rest. They came in opposing pairs (Light/Dark, Fire/Water, Earth/Air), and the nature of their magics and the interactions between them were responsible for the formation of the world. The various lesser species created as a result of their interactions became the Lesser Gods (amongst which existed the Fionans, dragons, nereids, and others). The species which we see today (such as humanity and its various offshoots, as well as most animal life) are further down the ladder of life, most created as a result of Fionan needs (or, as with humanity, created as a new hope for the world after the Twilight of the Gods).

Each of the high gods was born in a realm all their own; it was the interactions between these realms that eventually coalesced in one stable realm that became the universe where Vaenice exists. Upon the deaths of the gods, their realms respectively became the Six Hells. The interactions with the Hells and Vaenice during Götterdämmerung contributed to the vast devastation the world underwent.



IDEAS, ETC.
Promideas statue in the Netherworld, since he was turned to stone.
God of Time, whose death sped up time, lowering lifetimes (before his death, beings lived to be thousands of years old)
Edited by Wil Grieve, Nov 22 2012, 01:27 AM.
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Mako ✿
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Doesn't it sound familiar?
I'm loving this thread 8D. Members are encouraged to contribute. I'M LOOKING AT YOU SPIDER and your wonderful ideas XD.

I'm thinking in Exiona, the capital building where the Prime Minister resides would be a Kremlin-esque building, heh.
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Wil Grieve ✿
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Sounds neat. I was contemplating the nations' climates earlier and I figured that'd be one way to add more steampunk to them. For example, Hanshina would need a lot invested in their heating, and Luxaria would need cooling. By looking at the basics of how the people live in each country, we could shove brass and cogs in every gap until its satisfactory.

EDIT: I added Corsair's home to the list, gave it an address (2 Devreaux Avenue) to make it a little more official. As more info becomes available, I'll add it to the thread.
Edited by Wil Grieve, Jul 29 2011, 12:44 AM.
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Wil Grieve ✿
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So I discovered the worldbuilding game called Microscope. I don't think I'm allowed to link to the site I found it on, since the site I was on had the full text in .PDF form, while the site who makes it charges money for the download.

http://www.lamemage.com/

That's the site that sells it, but I must say, it sounds mighty interesting for worldbuilding.
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Mako ✿
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Doesn't it sound familiar?
Ah it does! But we gotta buy it to use it :(?
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Wil Grieve ✿
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Well, I mean, I found the full text in .pdf form with the same Google search I used to look it up. So, I dunno. It's saved to my desktop either way.
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Mako ✿
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Doesn't it sound familiar?
Oooh okay!

BTW. We never touched up on this, but Luxaria needs a leader. So I'm thinking of a "Queen Regent" (until her son comes of age). She could also be a really skilled Psion as well, like a Arch-Mage of Psions :o.
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Wil Grieve ✿
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LOVE it. Ruler and headmaster of the Psion academy. I might, uh, make the prince as a character because he kinda sounds like he'd be a total badass, too.
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Mako ✿
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Doesn't it sound familiar?
Ooh! Yeah, although her duties as the headmaster will be secondary XD. But she could have been fulltime headmaster before she was forced to Queen Regent duties 8D.

And for Arcadia, I'm thinking they have a Trade Prince...or a committee of trade princes that keep things in order.
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Wil Grieve ✿
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The school would likely be mostly overseen by some sort of Vice Principal-type, with the Queen weighing in on big decisions.

I like the idea of a committee of trade princes, because I know I want Esto (NPC) to have some connection to the Arcadian ruling apparatus but I don't want him to be the king or anything, plus a king makes much less sense.

EDIT: Added a section for ships and put in the ones I remembered off the top of my head, there are surely a boatload (pun intended) more though :D
Edited by Wil Grieve, Aug 16 2011, 02:02 PM.
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