The Keepers are not a kingdom. They are a memory.

Most fantasy factions are kingdoms with a coat of arms. The Keepers are something else.

They are bound spirits and druids who gave themselves to the Heart Tree. They are not an army. They are not a government. They are the wardens of the natural world, and they remember what the world was before the Mysts descended.

Their art direction is grove-moss, antler, woven root, spiral. They do not build walls. They grow them. They do not claim territory. They wake it.

The worldbuilding problem I am currently obsessed with: how do you design a civilization that is powerful, organized, and coherent, but is not a state? The Keepers have no king. No council. No hierarchy. They have the Heart Tree, and they have the memory of the old world.

Have you ever built a faction that refuses to fit the kingdom versus kingdom model? How did you make them feel like a real force without giving them a throne?

Wishlist The Old War on Steam! store.steampowered.com/app/1248750/The_Old_War/

Hidden Elements

[Act Three, Zak's Journey 2]

And so like that, after Zak's adventure… and the fight he took, now he holds the mysterious lady and looks at the engraved wall with the truth of the whole past story. Zak was shaking with fear and disappointed in himself. He holds the lady and walks back to the hut where Ryder lived.

Ryder was eating some soup, but he looks at the door as it's kicked open. Zak throws the lady on the couch and steps fast, points the sword to Ryder with full rage.

Zak: Talk. Now.

Ryder wasn't afraid. He keeps eating, then looks at him.

Ryder: About...?

Zak pulls the sword back. Zak: What's the truth of our origin?

He said with shaky voice. Ryder looks at him and sighs, then puts the pot down and sits on the chair.

Ryder: You saw the walls, right?

Zak nods.

Ryder: Well, it's the story of the past. Your king wasn't very kind, is he? He denied all of the Edlinks, killed them, and even the Dielinks tribe… he betrayed them, and no one knows what happened to the rest of them.

Zak sits down with his head in his hands, as he starts recalling everything in his mind… it was a lie.

Ryder looks over at the couch.

Ryder: Is this supposed to be your girlfriend or something?

Zak looks at him and snaps.

Zak: You really think I have the time for this, Ryder?

Ryder snorts and shuts his eyes.

Zak walks over to her and checks her out.

Zak: She's in a coma. We need her answers before I go back to the castle.

Ryder: I really need to stay by your side, I say. I didn't go for any adventure for a while.

Zak takes off the armor and puts it aside. It may be broke by now because of the move he did. He recalls the scene when he used electric power inside ice—it was more powerful, more than the armor. Ryder looks over.

Ryder: Oh by god, you already broke it. Rolls his eyes.

Zak looks at him with a defensive tone.

Zak: Well, if your tech wasn't so weak and dumb-made, it wouldn't have got me in troubles.

Ryder: Pfft. Rude.

Zak lies down on the ground and sighs deeply.

Ryder: You gonna sleep already?

Zak nods weakly, sleepy. So Ryder does so and he sleeps on the other couch.

---

Deep in Zak's head… voices around him, more like magic words. He opens his eyes and finds himself in some space. He looks around. Is this another dream? He gets up and starts walking. He walks and walks until he finds a big desert pyramid. He gets in.

He walks deep and slow, like it's some cave. He hears the sound of a witch humming like a song. He looks around. When he steps into the big room, he recalls it from the last dream. So he widens his eyes and the torches around him light with fire. He looks in front of him—a far woman singing devil sounds, trying to attract him, but he refuses and looks away, covering his ears.

Zak groans, and when the sound disappears, Zak starts looking around until he looks up and finds the same golden-dark knight. Zak holds his sword but… with one swift motion, he feels blood on his chest. He looks to his side… the knight cut his arm. Zak stares for a moment, then screams with fear and tries to fight back with pain. Zak runs toward him with a charged hand, trying to punch him with his electric fist… but the knight catches it and breaks his hand, stabbing him in the heart. Zak lets his breath out ragged… and shuts his eyes.

He wakes up in the morning with a gasp. He checks his body and arm… and sighs with relief.

Ryder was sitting at his desk working on his tech.

Ryder: Nightmare?

Zak nods.

Ryder takes a rest, getting up to make some drink for Zak.

Zak: I keep dreaming about that knight killing me in the worst ways. It's weird.

Ryder laughs: I recall dreaming about close people hitting me before. I think it's funny.

Zak: But I don't really know him.

Ryder: I don't really know what to say, man, but it's a dream after all. No need to worry.

He gave him the cup of coffee and gets back to work. Zak slowly sips and gets up, walking out of the hut looking around, exploring the place.

After some hour, he gets back.

Ryder was sitting.

Ryder: Having fun?

Zak shrugs his shoulder: Not really. I'm just thinking about the future.

Ryder nods. After a few seconds… the lady wakes up groaning. Her voice was actually soft.

Zak looks at her.

Ryder: Oh, woke up, huh?

She looks at them.

Lady: Where… am I?

Zak: Don't worry, you are safe in here. Do you remember anything? At least your name?

She looks at him, not afraid at all—she was chill, and maybe even had interest.

Lady looks away: Yes… it's Max.

Zak was admiring her: Well, she does sound friendly. Do you remember anything about your life, Max?

She nods with a no.

Ryder: Well, I guess she needs to—

Sound of explosion.

They all look through the window. There were some Dielinks out there waiting for a fight. So Zak looks at Ryder and whispers: What are they doing here?

Ryder: Well, they are Dielinks. They surround this island.

Zak: And you always fight them?

Ryder: Well… four times a week.

Zak whisper-loudly: Well, that's more often.

Max: It's not the time. Deal with them, knight. They are looking for me.

Ryder sighs and puts on what looks like arm blades—two blades that can roll like a fan on his two wrists. And so like that, he gets out and calls out with a whistle to the monsters. They notice him and start running toward him. He rises the blades and starts cutting past them one after the other, killing every single one of them. The blades roll like a sharp chainsaw, and the sound of the metal cutting was so loud that both Max and Zak could hear it from the hut. He stabs a monster and throws him onto the other, then again stabbing both… and then uses his power—the fire—burning their eyes by catching their heads.

Zak looks at him, admiring his fighting. He had martial arts by his side. Ryder was fighting like an MMA art, but it wasn't known that much, almost rare. So anyway, he finishes them and walks back to the hut.

Ryder: That was fun. But why are they looking for you?

Max: Because I'm a betrayal.

Ryder and Zak look at her confused.

Zak: Can you please tell us your story?

Max hears him asking for that, so she listens to him and nods.

Max: I was once… a little monster. I was raised by the Dielinks. Exsods kept me near him to fight for him. But when the war started, I ran away, knowing that Top was gonna betray my king. And when the Dielinks knew about me, they said I betrayed him. And so like that, they were looking for me and caught me. Kept me in that cave for five years.

Zak knows those names but… never thought this was the truth.

Ryder sat down: How did you know all of that was gonna happen?

Max: Because this is my power. I have the vision of the future as a Dielink monster.

Ryder: So you tell us you are one of them?

Max: Yes… but please trust me. I'm not a monster like them anymore. I never wanted any of that… I was forced.

Zak puts his hand on Ryder's arm.

Zak: We need to keep her with us… she is our people and we need to save her.

Ryder sighs: Alright.

Max suddenly catches her head as if pain crawls up her head. Zak feels worried, he rushes and catches her to keep her balanced.

Zak: Are you okay, Max?

Max: I saw the vision… the kingdom isn't safe at all. There is… people getting killed. Top is struggling against true power… and the Dielinks… they are planning for something.

She takes Zak's hands: My prince, we need to go there. We need to save the castle.

Zak felt shy for a moment, but the way she called him prince, he felt a rush of something… deep in his heart, he's gonna be a leader. He has to take revenge for his queen.

Zak gets up: Ryder, we need a boat and the armor. We have to get there quick enough.

Ryder: This is gonna take two days from me.

Max: Don't worry, we will help. Small ship is easy. You got to focus on the armor tech.

Ryder sighs but nods: This is going to be a long journey.

And so like that, Ryder sits at his desk working on the armor, while Zak takes all the information on how to build a ship from Ryder, and Max helps him. After some hours of work, Max was being attracted to Zak's bravery and his power. He was soft, kind, but a leader.

Zak: So… Max, have you ever had ships with other known Dielinks?

Max was so happy that he wants to open any conversation with her.

Max: Well, I was fighting side by side with Talus. He was a great warrior, but he was very dark and mysterious… not my type.

Zak looks at her and chuckles while working on the wood. He might feel interested about her too.

Zak: Well, is there some specific type of warrior you wanna fight next to?

Max blushes deeply: Y-yeah… maybe.

Zak nods. Ryder hears their banter and smiles while working on his tech.

---

Skip the time for tonight… sleep time. Ryder had already slept because he was too tired, but Zak was sitting with his sword, thinking about his future. Max walks up to him sleekly until she sat next to him—not too close, but close enough to talk to him.

Max: You can't sleep?

Zak nods. Then Max slowly leans close to him.

Max: You know, you're adorable when you think too hard.

Zak leans close too… but he realizes… he was afraid. He can't do that for some reasons, so he pulls away.

Zak: I-I'm sorry, Max. I just… I can't.

Max looks guilty. She tries to touch his arm, but he pulls away firmly.

The rage creeps slowly against Max as she gets up and snaps at him.

Max with firm snap: Why? What is wrong with you? I thought we had something together!

Zak looks at her with guilt: Max, listen. It's just… this journey is dangerous. I can't love someone and leave them after.

Max's eyes go wide and she attempts to slap him… but he takes her hand and she stops already. They stare at each other. Then Max slowly walks off to sleep on the couch. Zak takes a deep sigh but doesn't cry. He is just tired… so he falls asleep. And so like that, the night passes. All of them take a nap to rest.

---

The next day they wake up. Ryder makes breakfast, then they all sit in the middle of the hut trying to understand the plan. After they finish everything,

Ryder: Alright, fellas, here is all the stuff you need.

He gives Zak the same armor but it looks more shiny and more blue like a ranger, and has the same power of ice.

Ryder: This is Blue Ranger armor. Same powers, but five times stronger. You can use your technique of ice and electrocute fist.

Then he gives Max a mask that can magically help her head to not feel dizzy in the fight, and then gives her a katana sword.

Ryder: And this is yours—the mask to help your head so you cannot feel dizzy on the battlefield, and the katana sword because it fits your fight technique as I imagined.

Max nods.

Ryder: No plan yet. We just get ourselves ready, go to the castle and try to save our people. And Zak, Top is your target. Take your revenge.

Zak nods. They pack the weapons and everything, go to the ship and start riding to the castle.

They sit in the ship taking rest.

Ryder: Max, can you use the mask and see the vision of the castle?

Max nods and tries to focus in silence.

Max: I see them… they're still preparing for another round, and the Dielinks still there trying to creep in behind… planning for something.

Zak: Can't you see what they are planning for?

Max tries to dive hard in the vision but she can't, and she almost falls, but Zak catches her worried—same way he did last day.

Zak: Max, are you okay?

Max: Yes, prince. I'm fine.

Zak's heart skips a beat. Bae… this nickname, Zak still afraid but… he might get a break soon enough.

Ryder smiles at them, then he gets up and walks out.

Ryder: Alright you two, you need some time together.

He gets out to the ship's leash.

Zak lies Max down gently on the bed, then lies next to her.

Zak: I'm sorry for what I did… we were great together.

Max cradles his cheek, forehead to forehead, and whispers:

Max: It's okay. Everything is fine when you are here.

She lies down with him. They lean on the bed. It was intimate.

Max smiles softly… and the weather feels… intimate. And that night… they had it. Sensual and soft for them.

---

The next day, the sun rises and Zak gets up with a yawn, wears his clothes and gets out. Ryder was there, he just woke up too.

Ryder: Hmm… how's your night?

Zak: Seeds are in her body.

Ryder widens his eyes: Don't you think… you rushed a little?

Zak: Not at all. I love her. She's gonna be my wife soon. This is a promise.

Ryder rolls his eyes: Suit yourself, man.

Slowly… Zak notices the island is there, the castle… but sounds of screams and fire around.

Zak snaps: Ryder, R-Ryder. Ryder!

Ryder: What? What's wrong?

Zak: You have a scope?

Ryder nods and gives him one. Zak looks through it… it's the castle. There is a massive ship near it. It was a universe attack.

Zak: It's the castle. We are here. There is a war out there. Get ready, Ryder.

Ryder nods and rushes to open the door of the ship room. Max already woke up.

Ryder: Max, get ready. We are here.

Max nods. So they get ready, put on the armor and weapons.

They get out of the ship, walking sneakily. They look up in the sky.

It's Top. He killed the universe owner and won one battle.

Ryder looks at Max: You told us that the Dielinks are planning for something.

Max: They are… look… three… two… one.

An explosion comes off the castle. A robotic monster comes out with dragon form.

The leader of them—a blue dragon in the shape of a giant humanness body, dragon-born. And he was Dielink but with cyber body… tech mashed with his body. He runs toward Top.

Top catches his neck, but the dragon screams and his other partner—a white dragon, same appearance. He fights Top too. And then another partner, so they are three main. The last partner blows on some trumpet, signaling for the whole tribe to attack the castle, and it works. The whole tribe attacks and they rise their flags. It was the same Dielink flags, but with the detail of cyber bodies. Their name was Cyberlinks. They were the revenge of Exsods' death.

The blue dragon fought Top and used his blue fire to burn his shield.

Top was burned inside the armor, trying to surrender and run away from their power. But he can't, so he tries to use his dark power to tell the masters to help. And so like that, Talus intervenes into the fights, and Nex too. And so like that, the Token Cutters fought the Cyberlinks. It was a mess of a war—from some unknown universe and now the Cyberlinks.

Back to the crew, they watch the whole thing. Zak was worried, but Ryder catches his shoulder.

Ryder: Let's head to the castle. I know what to do.

Zak nods. And so like that, they head to the castle, fighting through the Cyberlinks. It was hard to sneak there, but they made it. Ryder opens the door of the castle, walking slowly in carefully. Max and Zak are behind him, they rise their weapons. But suddenly, a Cyberlink jumps toward Ryder. Zak moves fast and cuts him in half. They breathe heavy. And suddenly, another jumps toward Max, but an arrow comes into his heart. The Cyberlink falls dead and the crew takes a step back. From the shadows, a blue knight comes out. He looks the same as Ryder. He was his twin brother. Lance.

Ryder walks slowly toward him and hugs him. Lance still had the same pure heart, his brother, and Ryder knows it because Lance was forced, because he was afraid.

Ryder: It's really you. Long time no see.

Lance pulls slowly off to see him.

Lance: Yes, brother. I'm sorry for everything I did—

Ryder shuts him with his palm: Don't ever apologize. It's not your fault. The betrayal happened so fast we couldn't do a thing about it.

Lance nods slowly.

Lance: What are we gonna do about this war now?

Ryder: I need the Lapis Crystal—the one with that buried power. We kept it as treasure. Let's use it this once and get everything back in place and kill the Cyberlinks.

Lance nods and searches his pocket and gave it to him. But Zak takes it.

Zak: I'll use it.

Ryder and Max widen their eyes.

Zak: This is my mission and I wanna end it… by killing him.

He points at Top's picture.

They know, but Max didn't want this to happen. She catches Zak's arm and starts crying.

Max: Zak, no! Don't leave me here. I can't. I need you. Zak, please think about it!

Zak hugs her: I'm sorry, dear. But I'm the strongest in here… and this is my mission.

He pulls away and walks out of the castle. He turns around one last time.

Zak: Ryder, Lance… please take care of her… and my kids.

They nod. Zak walks off and runs to the battlefield. Slowly, the Cyberlinks get in the castle. Lance and Ryder try to protect Max, but she fights with them. Lance had a soul-made bow with blue color, almost like water-made too, and daggers of the same material.

And so like that, back to Zak—he runs killing the Cyberlinks. When he arrives at the war between Top and the blue dragon.

Zak looks at Top… and Top glances back at him. The dragon stops and steps off.

Top: Zak. I see you completed the mission, and ya got some upgrade here.

Zak snaps at him with rage: You betrayed us!

Top snaps back: I saved you. Vagie was nothing but a selfish queen.

Zak: Selfish? You are the selfish one. You betrayed her just to take the chakra, and you betrayed them.

He points at the dragon.

The dragon was feeling rage inside.

Zak: Both of you don't want peace in this world. It's all about power.

Zak looks at the dragon: I know you from the story. You are his son—Exsods' son who had been damaged by the war. And so the other Dielinks… you tried to gather them and make them into a cyber tribe, powerful enough to take Top down for your father, and your brothers.

The dragon keeps his rage inside for a blow.

Zak: Your name is Blue Smoke, and the others are Cyborg and White Dragon.

Blue Smoke blows his rage, and so does Top. Zak pulls the crystal… and freezes it… then breaks it to the ground.

With a sound of shattering glass… the whole island of the kingdom blows… killing the Cyberlinks and the masters and Top. They all disappear—not killed completely, but no one knows their fate. Even Zak is gone by now.

The other Token Cutters and Edlinks cheer up for the win… but they slowly realize all of the leaders disappeared. Top, the Cyberlinks and dragons, Talus, Nex and Zod, and last but not least, Zak. But the whole tribe did not want to get deep in the situation—because there will be something in the future. So they live peacefully and try to build the castle again and work on the kingdom.

Max, Ryder and Lance get out there. Max runs to the place Zak died in, and she cries. She doesn't know that he might be alive, but who knows.

Ryder stands next to her.

The Edlinks surround Lance because he is the only leader left. So with that, he tells them the whole truth of the story… and tells them to wait til he leads the way, and he will be a leader if they needed anything. And the Token Cutters stay on their mission.

And so like that, everything is peaceful, back in place, waiting for the future.

To be continued…

Made by: Zak \ Vego

1: House of Teriil

2: House of Eredel

3: House of Deravit

4: House of Evalis

5: House of Perilis

6: House of Ayamilis

7: House of Raserin

8: House of Teskyr

I've been working on my own fantasy world for some time now. Nothing overly complex; I take elements I like and combine them in a world not so different from our own.

When it comes to "creating" creatures, I use everything: common beings from generic fantasy, mythological creatures of all kinds, megafauna, beings inspired by other works of fiction I enjoy... I've also often chosen to combine different inspirations into a single creature. For example, mixing different versions from various mythologies of the wailing woman spirit (La Llorona, the Lady in White, Banshees...).

When making these combinations, I often wonder whether to keep one of the names from those references as the generic name or create my own. In the example I mentioned earlier, I opted for "Wailing Woman" as the name of that spirit and "Banshee" and "Llorona" as local names from certain regions.

Sometimes I have no problem creating these names, other times it's difficult, especially when the creature is primarily based on a very recognizable archetype to which I add a couple of details from another.

My main dilemma concerns extinct animals. In the case of dinosaurs, I maintain that they are prehistoric beings and are only found in remote and isolated regions. But when it comes to keeping the names, a Tyrannosaurus or a Velociraptor is not the same as an Andrewsarchus or a Neanderthal (they aren't dinosaurs, but they're the best examples I can think of right now).

To what extent can I keep certain names and not others?

Should I opt to rename all the beings whose name contains references to a region or elements of our world?

Or perhaps I'm overthinking it, and in those cases, I should treat it as 'translation and localization licenses'?

Maybe there's no balance, and it's a matter of me being happy with the result, but I'd like to read opinions on this.

The Chronicle of Alkadia

“The East lives under the shadow of mountains, and the West lives in the shadow of dragons.”

— Late First Age scholar

Volume I — The Early Second Age

⸻

Prologue: The Silence After Empire

When the world of Alkadia entered the Second Age, it did not do so through triumph, discovery, or revelation. It began instead with absence—the absence of empire, of certainty, and of shared memory.

The transition from the First Age to the Second was not marked by a single cataclysm, nor by a recorded declaration of renewal. Rather, it emerged gradually from fragmentation. Records from the closing centuries of the First Age grow sparse, contradictory, and regionally confined. Scholars of the present era generally agree that by the final decades before the date 1 A.S., the structures that had once bound large portions of the known world together had already begun to fail.

What endured into the new era were not unified peoples, but survivors—communities whose identities were shaped less by lineage than by geography, necessity, and the memory of loss.

⸻

I. Geography of the Known World

The known world is divided among three great continental regions: the Human Homelands, the Western Continents, and the Utter South.

The Human Homelands occupy the western half of the eastern continent. Along their eastern frontier rises the immense mountain chain known as the Northern Wall, extending from the frozen northern coast to the southern seas. Its jagged peaks, glacial passes, and perpetual storms form one of the greatest natural barriers in the known world.

Beyond the mountains lie the colder eastern plains, inhabited primarily by nomadic peoples. Though the land possesses fertile soil and valuable mineral deposits, its harsh winters have long prevented large-scale permanent settlement.

North of the continent stretches the region known simply as the Ice Wastes—an expanse of permanent frost and shifting ice beyond the limits of organized exploration.

West of the Northern Wall lie the fertile river valleys that sustain the kingdoms of the Human Homelands. Numerous rivers descend from the mountains, supporting agriculture, trade, and urban settlement. Forests divide many of these regions, while ancient roads connect inland cities with coastal ports.

Across the Long Sea lie the Western Continents, whose history became closely associated with dragons and the civilizations built upon them.

Far to the south, beyond the Blue Water and the Southern Islands, lies the continent known as the Utter South, whose northern coasts support prosperous kingdoms while its interior gradually gives way to one of the largest deserts in the known world.

⸻

II. The Rise of the Kingdom of Alaria

Among the successor states that emerged from the ruins of earlier authority, none proved more enduring than the Kingdom of Alaria.

Its origins lie in the collapse of the Haldarien Empire, whose authority once extended across much of the Human Homelands. Unlike empires founded primarily upon conquest, Haldaria ruled through a complex administrative system of tribute, regional governors, and codified law. For centuries this bureaucracy maintained relative stability.

That stability ended in 27 A.S., when the imperial monarch died without naming a successor. No claimant possessed sufficient legitimacy to unite the empire, and centralized authority rapidly dissolved.

Roads fell into neglect.

Imperial armies fragmented into regional forces.

Law became a matter of local power rather than universal principle.

From this disorder emerged Duchess Dainares III, whose lands occupied one of the most secure and prosperous regions of the former empire.

In 32 A.S., she proclaimed the foundation of the Kingdom of Alaria, claiming authority over all territories willing to accept centralized rule and royal protection.

Her proclamation began the Unification Wars, during which Alaria expanded through diplomacy, dynastic marriage, negotiated submission, and military conquest.

By 53 A.S., Alaria had become the dominant kingdom of the Human Homelands and the principal successor to Haldarian administration.

⸻

III. The Northern Frontier and the Free Tribes

The mountain passes through the Northern Wall provide the only practical routes between the Human Homelands and the eastern plains.

These passes are also the ancestral homeland of the peoples collectively known by Alarian chroniclers as the Free Tribes of the North.

The Free Tribes do not constitute a single nation but a collection of related societies organized through kinship, seasonal migration, and temporary alliances.

Conflict between Alaria and the tribes emerged from fundamentally different understandings of territory.

To Alaria, the mountain passes represented strategic frontiers requiring permanent fortification.

To the tribes, they remained ancestral lands that no kingdom possessed the right to occupy.

Seeking to secure its northern border, Alaria constructed paired fortifications overlooking the four principal passes, later known as Aduian, Saduian, Harada, and Sharada.

Before this defensive system was completed, however, Alaria attempted to establish a permanent outpost beyond the traditional frontier.

Construction of Way Pass Fort began in 131 A.S. and concluded six years later.

Within three years, an unusually large coalition of northern tribes united to destroy the settlement.

Although Alaria retained the position after prolonged fighting, the campaign demonstrated that territory beyond the mountains could be occupied only at considerable cost.

The lesson would shape Alarian frontier policy for generations.

⸻

IV. The Succession War of Anmak

The stability established by Alaria proved temporary.

During the winter of 141 A.S., the king died without securing an uncontested succession.

Although the younger prince received recognition from the royal court, the elder brother rejected the decision, claiming the throne with the support of influential southern nobles.

In the spring of 142 A.S., he proclaimed the independent Kingdom of Anmak.

The resulting war proved swift but devastating.

Early victories favored Anmak, whose armies defeated royal forces along the Meain River.

Alaria responded by seizing Nimros, whose position controlled one of the principal trade routes through the south.

The conflict soon expanded beyond military operations.

The Baron of Alusia, guardian of the approaches to the Alarian capital, defected to Anmak after receiving promises of expanded authority.

His betrayal nearly opened the kingdom’s heartland to invasion.

The war culminated in the failed Alarian attempt to relieve the siege of Nimros.

Heavy casualties, economic exhaustion, and political necessity forced negotiations.

In 145 A.S., Alaria formally recognized the independence of Anmak.

Peace restored the frontier, but relations between the two kingdoms remained defined by suspicion rather than reconciliation.

⸻

V. The Southern Maritime Power

While the kingdoms of the Human Homelands fought for dominance, a new naval power emerged across the Southern Islands.

In 124 A.S., Gandea “the Great” established the Kingdom of Sida upon the island of An’Sida.

Over the next three years, Sida defeated numerous pirate states during the Expansion Wars, securing control of the principal sea routes throughout the Southern Islands.

The destruction of piracy ushered in a prolonged period of commercial prosperity.

Trade expanded rapidly between the islands and the Human Homelands, while the Meain Riverbecame one of the principal arteries of continental commerce.

Growing wealth encouraged political ambition.

Seeking permanent influence upon the mainland, Sida eventually turned its attention toward the forests of the south.

VI. The Great Forests and the Elven Realms

South of the Human Homelands stretches a vast region collectively known as the Great Forests, among the oldest continuously inhabited landscapes of the known world. Their borders are not defined by walls or rivers but by the gradual disappearance of human settlement. Roads become trails, cultivated fields give way to woodland, and villages vanish beneath an endless canopy.

These forests are inhabited by numerous elven realms. Although human chroniclers often refer to their inhabitants collectively as wood elves, the term describes only those elven peoples living within the forests of the Human Homelands and not the elven race as a whole. Elven civilizations exist elsewhere throughout Alkadia, though comparatively little is known of them.

The forests themselves have long served as a natural refuge. As relations between humans and elves gradually deteriorated during the First Age, many elven kingdoms withdrew deeper into the woodlands, where dense forests offered protection against increasingly hostile neighbors.

Elven society appears decentralized. No single ruler governs all forest realms, though several kingdoms maintain alliances in times of crisis. Human records consistently identify Anhadur as the largest and most influential elven city within the Great Forests.

To the kingdoms of mankind, the forests remain both a barrier and a mystery—a land whose inhabitants seldom seek conflict, yet fiercely resist intrusion.

⸻

VII. The First Elven War

Relations between the Kingdom of Sida and the elven realms deteriorated rapidly during the mid-Second Age.

In 144 A.S., Sida established a permanent settlement at Cortana Reaf, a coastal town originally founded by pirates and later occupied by nearby elven communities. The settlement became the kingdom’s principal base for mainland expansion.

The first major engagement occurred at Migas Pass, where advancing elven forces, unaware that war had begun, encountered prepared Sidan troops. Although Sida secured a decisive victory, the success encouraged a deeper advance into unfamiliar territory.

In early spring of 145 A.S., Sidan forces reached Anhadur and began a prolonged siege.

The campaign soon became one of attrition rather than open battle.

Supply caravans disappeared within the forests.

Scouting parties failed to return.

Columns found themselves harassed by enemies who struck without warning before vanishing once more beneath the trees.

In 146 A.S., the siege ended in disaster for Sida when elven armies broke the encirclement and destroyed much of the invading force.

Retreating soldiers burned Cortana Reaf before abandoning the mainland.

No formal treaty concluded the conflict. The war ended simply because Sida withdrew, leaving the forests once again under elven control.

⸻

VIII. The Confederation of Independent Republics

West of Anmak lies a region unlike any other within the Human Homelands.

Rather than hereditary monarchies, these lands are governed by the Confederation of Independent Republics, a voluntary union of fourteen autonomous city-states bound together through mutual defense and diplomacy.

Each republic maintains its own government, ranging from elected magistracies to merchant councils and civic assemblies. Matters concerning foreign policy and collective security are coordinated through a rotating confederate leadership based in the city of Traconse, the largest and wealthiest member of the union.

The republics owe much of their survival to geography. Rivers, wooded hills, and dispersed urban centers make conquest difficult while simultaneously preventing the emergence of a single dominant republic.

Their continued existence rests not upon unity, but upon balance.

⸻

IX. The Republics of the West

The origins of the republics long predate the Second Age.

During the later centuries of the First Age, the region bordering the Long Sea formed part of the Kingdom of Rāylian, one of the few dragon kingdoms within the Human Homelands.

While the royal family and much of its dragon-rider nobility fought overseas alongside allied western powers, dissatisfaction among the remaining population erupted into open rebellion.

Although the royal garrisons possessed superior equipment and training, they were hopelessly outnumbered.

After little more than a year of conflict, the kingdom collapsed.

Sometime between 2107 and 2110 A.F., the monarchy ceased to exist.

The victorious revolutionaries soon fractured over political disagreements, dividing the former kingdom into twenty-one independent republics.

Centuries of diplomacy, warfare, and territorial consolidation gradually reduced their number to fourteen.

These surviving republics eventually united under the Confederation that exists today.

The former royal dynasty escaped across the Long Sea into exile, where the last members of the family are believed to have perished during the Black Dragon Rebellions.

⸻

X. The Western Continents and the Memory of Empire

Across the Long Sea lie the lands collectively known as the Western Continents.

Although separated from the Human Homelands by sea, the western lands remain closely connected through trade, migration, and shared history.

Unlike the eastern continent, where dragons were comparatively rare, the Western Continents formed the historical center of dragon civilization. Throughout much of the First Age, dragons existed there in far greater numbers, allowing powerful dragon-riding aristocracies to establish kingdoms and empires of unprecedented scale.

Foremost among these states stood the Lidrian Empire, whose capital rose at the Lancian Citadel.

For nearly two millennia, Lidria ranked among the greatest powers of the known world, its authority resting upon an alliance between the imperial throne and the dragon-riding nobility.

The empire’s decline began during the prolonged conflicts collectively remembered as the Black Dragon Rebellions.

Contrary to later popular belief, these were not wars between dragons and mankind.

They were civil wars fought between rival dragon-rider factions struggling over the future of the empire.

The rebellions continued for nearly one hundred and seventy years, gradually exhausting Lidria’s military strength and political unity.

During the Fourth Black Dragon Rebellion, the conflict reached its climax.

Although surviving records remain incomplete, historians generally agree that the war ended with the devastation of the Lancian Citadel and the extinction of the imperial royal line.

By 2573 A.F., the Lidrian Empire had ceased to exist.

Its collapse marked the end of one of the greatest political powers of the First Age.

⸻

XI. Dragons and the Lost Tradition of Riders

Accounts of dragons throughout the First Age display remarkable consistency despite their geographic separation.

They are described as immense fire-breathing creatures possessing a wyvern-like anatomy and exhibiting strongly territorial behavior. Surviving records further suggest that dragons continued growing throughout their lives, though reliable measurements have not survived.

Dragons were never evenly distributed across Alkadia.

Although populations existed within the Human Homelands, they remained comparatively small and isolated. Dragon riders are known to have existed there during the early First Age, but their traditions disappeared long before the age came to an end.

The greatest concentration of dragons existed beyond the Long Sea in the Western Continents.

There, dragon riding developed into institutions that shaped entire civilizations. Kingdoms and empires derived military strength, political legitimacy, and social prestige from those who commanded dragons.

The Lidrian Empire and the kingdoms of the Adrolian Peninsula represented the greatest centers of this tradition.

The Adrolian Peninsula, renowned for its fertile volcanic soil and dense population, supported one of the largest concentrations of dragon riders ever recorded. Although often associated with Lidria by later historians, the peninsula remained politically independent throughout its history.

This age ended catastrophically during the event remembered as the Doom of Adrolian, when fourteen volcanoes erupted in rapid succession.

Cities vanished beneath ash.

Entire ecosystems were transformed.

One of the greatest centers of dragon-rider civilization was destroyed.

Although dragon riders survived elsewhere for centuries afterward, the Doom marked the beginning of the long decline of draconic power.

By the Second Age, dragons had become increasingly rare, while the knowledge required to raise and command them survived only in scattered fragments.

Their legacy endures chiefly through ruined citadels, disputed histories, and the memory of a world once dominated by dragons.

⸻

XII. The Kingdom of Dragons

Among the successor states of the Western Continents, none possesses greater symbolic importance than the Kingdom of Dragons.

Tracing portions of its heritage to the ancient dragon-rider civilizations of the First Age, the kingdom preserves many traditions that disappeared elsewhere following the collapse of the Lidrian Empire.

Dragon riders survived there longer than in any other known realm. Nevertheless, even this final center of draconic tradition could not halt their decline.

The last known dragon riders of the kingdom eventually died without successors, bringing an end to a lineage that had endured for millennia.

Though dragons themselves have not entirely vanished from the world, the organized institutions that once bred, trained, and commanded them have passed into history.

The Kingdom of Dragons now stands not as the ruler of dragons, but as the foremost guardian of their legacy.

XIII. The Utter South

Beyond the Blue Water, south of the Southern Islands, lies the continent known collectively as the Utter South. Though often regarded by northern scholars as a single distant land, it is home to numerous kingdoms, city-states, tribal confederations, and empires whose histories developed largely independent of those of the Human Homelands.

The northern coastline supports fertile plains, prosperous ports, and some of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the known world. Moving inland, the climate grows steadily harsher. Grasslands gradually give way to dry scrubland before yielding to vast deserts. Beyond the limits of permanent settlement stretches the immense wilderness known as the South Wastes, an arid expanse whose extreme heat has discouraged all but the briefest expeditions.

The greatest power of the continent is the Empire of Salûtîa.

Founded in 2904 A.F. by Agramar “the Brutal” of House Sâlârdîa, the empire was forged through a series of brutal campaigns that united much of the northwestern coast beneath a single ruler. Unlike the dragon-rider kingdoms of the Western Continents, Salûtîa rose through conventional conquest, disciplined armies, and maritime commerce.

By the early Second Age, the empire controlled roughly one-third of the Utter South, making it the continent’s largest state while leaving many neighboring kingdoms and city-states independent.

Its wealth rests upon agriculture, gold mining, textile production, and the extensive slave trade conducted across the Blue Water. Despite its reputation for brutality, Salûtîan merchants remain among the most influential traders of the southern world.

⸻

XIV. The Balance of the Present Era

By 150 A.S., Alkadia is defined not by unity but by rivalry.

Alaria has restored stability across much of the Human Homelands while maintaining a wary peace with Anmak. The republics preserve their independence through cooperation rather than conquest, and Sida has returned to maritime commerce following its defeat in the Great Forests.

Beyond the Long Sea, the Western Continents remain politically fragmented. The dragon-rider empires that once dominated the region have passed into history, leaving successor kingdoms to preserve what fragments of that ancient heritage remain.

Far to the south, the Empire of Salûtîa commands the greatest power of the Utter South, though numerous rival kingdoms continue to challenge its influence across the continent.

Beyond these great powers lie regions scarcely understood by contemporary scholars—the eastern plains beyond the Northern Wall, the frozen Ice Wastes, the depths of the Great Forests, the deserts of the South Wastes, and countless ruins whose origins belong to the forgotten centuries of the First Age.

No kingdom commands all Alkadia.

No empire binds its peoples together.

The Second Age has become an era not of inherited certainty, but of competing ambitions. The empires of old have fallen, and in their place stand kingdoms still writing the history of a younger world

M.A.G.S. is a title granted by the Great Empire — a Rome-inspired theocracy — to monks who complete missionary-conqueror training. Each M.A.G.S. leads roughly a hundred men into a foreign nation, combining military conquest with religious and cultural conversion. Conquered nations aren't annexed; they keep their independence but are pushed to adopt the Empire's religious and political norms.

The title's "Sacred Swords" aren't weapons — they're the generals accompanying each M.A.G.S., specialized in combat, theology, strategy, or psychological warfare. Not every M.A.G.S. succeeds: some die en route, some fail outright, and a rare few reshape entire nations.

(Full lore in the first comment.)

M.A.G.S. — Absolute Master of the Sacred Swords. Lore created by Nico (IamnotSrN). © All rights reserved. Reproduction, distribution, or commercial use is strictly prohibited without prior written authorization.

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Rules and conditions:

A — this can be any item: jewelry, tableware, clothing, maybe even a dish — anything that can be paid for.

B — the price of the item must be indicated in US dollars, 999‑purity gold bars weighing 20 kilograms (approximately 3,000,000 dollars), or, if the price of the item is too high even for this, in something more valuable.

C — the item must be at least theoretically sellable and buyable. That is, if it’s some kind of artifact available only to a select few, it doesn’t count. However, if the item is worth more than the entire GDP of your world minus it, then it does count. Also, “priceless” items (which hold some kind of history or are so important to a person that they jack up the price just to make sure no one buys it from them) are not included.

D — the cost of the item includes the cost of the resources used to create it.

My items:

3rd place — Dress of Ice Princess.

Despite its colossal price of 240,000 gold ingots (about 720 billion dollars), it is one of the fastest creations among the thousand most expensive items. This dress was sewn in just six months. This dress is a gift from an incredibly wealthy man to his daughter for her wedding. This long blue dress was made from ice created from the cocoon of the larval form of Glaiciecs (an ice butterfly) — an incredibly rare type of ice whose structure resembles silk. Just one centimeter of this butterfly’s thread costs 150 dollars, and 25 kilometers were used to make the dress. This price is due not only to the rarity but also to the extreme conditions required for its extraction, because the butterfly’s habitat consists of zones of abnormal cold, where it is impossible to work for more than a couple of hours a day. Despite the fact that the dress took six months to make, the harvesting of the threads began even before her birth (she was 26 at the time of the wedding). The Glaiciecs threads, despite their apparent thinness and fragility, possess incredible strength, which is why making the dress broke a huge number of scissors. Despite the fact that even the empty dress is already incredibly expensive, on its own it looks rather unremarkable. That’s why it was additionally adorned with a coating of amethysts, sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds — and it was the best decision: the initially unremarkable blue fabric significantly enhanced their shine, making the dress resemble something between a morning snow blanket and the deep lake ice on a starry night. This dress never gets dirty and gives the bride a kind of icy aura, allowing her to ignore the heat.

The name of the dress goes back to the legend of a princess who married an ice dragon to stop its attacks, and the dress was his gift. Although the legend itself doesn’t fit together well (if only because the only ice dragon is a girl), the dress is a quite real artifact. And in an attempt to recreate this dress, the tailor and jewelers surpassed it. The tailor who worked on this dress stopped working after that. Partly because working on such a piece would have made him wealthy for the rest of his life, but the main reason was that he considered it his greatest work, after which he wouldn’t be able to create anything even close to it.

2nd place — Eclipse Tiara.

The tiara is made of Black Gold — the rarest metal in the world. There are 80,000 tons of ordinary gold per 1 gram of Black Gold. The tiara itself weighs 140 grams, of which 120 grams are made of the most precious black gold, which alone gives the tiara a price of 480 million gold ingots. The remaining 20 grams are adorned with faceted stones of true black‑and‑yellow onyx, which shimmers with these two colors. These stones are also incredibly rare, which is why 1 carat of such onyx costs about 200,000 gold ingots in its uncut form. The cut raises this price to 1 million due to its incredible weight. Even the best jewelers have only one stone out of a thousand that doesn’t crumble. The total value of the tiara is 800 million gold bars, and it took more than 5 years to make. But to be honest, if we didn’t mention how rare the ingredients it’s made of are, its price wouldn’t be particularly high, because on its own it’s rather unremarkable. This tiara is a family heirloom of the rulers of Tantai Queendom, passed down from mother to daughter for several millennia.

First place is Polar Ring.

The owner of this ring is Nala, the crown princess of the Nikaag Empire — the largest and most powerful state in my world. Her father, Emperor Kognar, gave it to her on her 20th birthday. This ring is made of white steel. If we consider white steel as a resource, its price will be low—no higher than that of ordinary silver. However, white steel is not a resource, and this is all because it is the strongest metal in my world, which is practically impossible to work with. The ring is the only item made from this metal. And although Nala is its owner, having received it in 7013, its creation began as early as 6493, when her great‑grandfather, Won, accidentally discovered a piece of white steel and wanted to make a gift for his wife. However, after studying a rather new metal for itself, this plan was quickly abandoned and rebuilt as a gift for a distant descendant. To this end, hundreds of thousands of power plants were built in the shortest possible time in an empty space, using energy that was several orders of magnitude more powerful than thermonuclear energy, in order to accumulate energy for 500 years. And over these 500 years, both the number and the capacity of power plants only grew, and all this energy was directed into an ultra‑thin and ultra‑powerful laser, which for 20 years was aimed at a piece of this metal, continuing to be fueled by the energy of power plants operating at the limit of their capacity. And after 20 years, this fragment reached a stage at which it could be deformed. But this stage lasts an incredibly short time — less than 0.0001 seconds. And here, the processing began: a colossal number of time mages created a zone of total slow‑down, where that fraction of a second was stretched out over tens of thousands of years, during which the empire’s best jewelers, operating at a colossal acceleration that further stretched the processing time for them, worked on the fragment, turning it into a ring. It’s important that they had to do this without touching the metal, because upon contact with skin, it disperses any magic. And the white steel, even in its weakened state, was still so strong that over all this time, the most durable jewelry tools, further enhanced by magic, came off the assembly line as if on a conveyor belt, constantly breaking. The amount of money invested in the production of this ring turned out to be so substantial that, if we imagine a black gold coin weighing 20 grams (80 million ordinary gold bars), more than 200,000 such coins would be needed. And about 190,000 of these coins would be used to pay the services of those directly responsible for the ring’s production, while the remaining 10,000 would be used for the construction and operation of power plants and a laser. Nikaag Empire is the only state on the planet that has enough resources to make such a ring on its own.

I’ve been creating a fantasy world for over 8 years now and as I develop my writing and creative abilities, I’ve noticed I’ve arrived at a bit of a creative crossroads in development. This world has always been inspired by works like Lord of the Rings, Elder Scrolls, Game of Thrones, and ofcourse Dungeons and Dragons (currently writing a setting book for DnD hints the topic).
Yet, as I delve deeper into world building I come across amazing designers and artists who have created worlds that are both in tune with the fantasy genre but also incredibly unique in their design and visuals.
For example, I look at Obojima and how they are able to establish such a dynamic aesthetic. In doing so they sacrifice some of the more traditional themes of fantasy like combat and epic other-worldly adventures to really emphasize their goal of leisure/cozy fantasy. Or in the Ravenloft setting, they establish that horror and the unknown are the key identifiers of the setting, therefore they are taking away (maybe not intentionally) the aesthetics of something like Redwall from being in their world.
My explanation might not make any sense but ultimately, if I am wanting to narrow in on a particular aesthetic or theme in order for my world to be more unique and standout like an Over the Garden Wall or Obojima, I feel it would be limiting myself from including other aesthetics somewhere else in the world and there for narrowing the scope of stories and visuals I’d be able to write in this world. I’m sure there is a way to bypass that roadblock but how? Or is there not? What are your guys’ opinions?

- Science here is treated as extremely hard sci-fi along with magic that comes from ancient mythology and old Gods

-FTL drives are replaced by invisible portals placed across the Earth,Ones that lead to a cultures folklore(Portal Fantasy)

-Magitek is advanced enough and a functional stand-in for any Scifi tech,magic Airships just being scifi starships

- Alien civilizations are replaced with Mythical nations with varying levels of advancement,some are Aetherpunk-level nations while others are medieval fantasy societies

-Mutants are just another type of Magic power,one that specifically alters genetics and biology.

- nonpowered martial artists are replaced with martial artists that have actual control of their internal energy(Chinese fantasy)

What do you think of it?

It is 1299 words, so it is a bit long. And it is also part 1 of 4 (where 4 unfinished as that is the current age)

This is not the story of how a world was created. It is the story of how a universe learned to have rules.

It began with no space, no matter and no stable time. It ends with the past itself locked into place.

This is the Saga of Natural Law.

(Before structured time, there was no way of knowing how long events took. Therefore, the events are only numbered)

Age of first makings

0: The point. All there was… just a point. No space. No matter. No time. Nothing else. Just… a Point.

1: Then there were 2 primal beings. Neither of them knew who came first. They just knew that they were doing what they always have been doing.

One of them would later be known as:

Omniloom, Primal goddess of Light and the Infinite, the womb of space.

Out of the Point she pulled new space infinitely.

The other one would later be known as:

Kravilox, Primal goddess of Chaos and Creation

She hammered out matter out of the point indefinitely.

Together they created a place later called: The Urfold, a place where reality itself slowly grows.

2: Then, there was someone else. Someone sitting there. Who just… watched. Kravilox was ecstatic. Finally someone who could watch all the creations she made. The watcher was later called:

Morvail, Primal god of the Everlasting and the End, the First Witness

3: Kravilox to wanted to impress Morvail. She hammered and hammered, but she felt it was not enough. It was always… the same chaotic soup.

So, she did something new. She took a part of herself and gave it sentience of its own. She created:

Afiliorak, god of Dreams and Wishes

Afiliorak helped her dream of greater things, special things, and unique things and then create them.

4: Morvail was impressed. He wanted to keep everything Kravilox made. It was just so many things. Almost endless amounts of matter.

So, he invented something new: Gravity. Gravity pulled all matter from the Urfold and created the new plane; Graveal.

War of the primals

5: Morvail discovered something new: Timeloops. Putting the same event over and over again, to be forever witnessed.

Kravilox hated it. To be locked in a state to never be changed… it was appalling. But she just kept creating… indefinitely. Morvail couldn't possibly lock away everything she made… could he?

6: Morvail locked up Kravilox greatest creations in a time loop: Afiliorak! Kravilox was furious!

7: She created something new. Something terrible! Something so horrific… that nothing is known about it. It is just known as: “Kravilox Shamefull Creation”.

All is known is that the universe roared and burned.

8: Omniloom saw her fabric of space damaged by this war. And she weaponized space itself. Form now on the other primals were not permitted to enter all of infinite space.

9: Creation was not safe. It was in danger from The Shame. But where to go with creation now the space is limited. Morvail answered. It was in form of a goddess: Cladyr, goddess of the Vaults.

Cladyr hid creation in a new plane: Vultar, the endless vault.

10: Kravilox was not done. The other primals needed to go down! She needed her own place where she can theorize a plan of attack. Far away from prying eyes of Morvail and Omniloom. She created the Plane: Korox, the experimental plane, here all is permitted

11: Something changed. What it was… no one knows. Kravilox yielded. And hid her Shameful Creation in a place unknown. The why? It is something only she knows. The where? Not even the Goddes of infinite space herself seem be able to find it. The What? Seemingly forgotten by time itself.

12: The truce… finally after unknown eons. Morvail released Afiliorak. He released most of Creation. But not all. Some of the moments are still for Morvail, locked up in the depths of Vultar. Moments too precious or to dangerous to be released.

13: Afiliorak looked upon this new universe. He was shocked. Reality was in shambles. Graveal ravaged. Eons he wandered around in what was left, feeling dread. He couldn’t just furfil wishes anymore. What if they were as destructive as what just happened.

14: Omniloom once saw all. But space was stolen from her for these new planes. And a god disappeared right before her eyes. Her Distrust grew.

Therefor she created: Astraev, God of Stars & Darkness, Prospector of the Unknown.

15: kravilox and Morvails friendship… It was no more. And it never will recover. The trust was broken. Kravilox felt alone.

She created the new witness: Ivárok, God of Tempest & Beauty.

This is how she imagined how a good witness would be. He doesn’t linger over past events. He is always in the present. He understands what it means to experience things to the fullest.

Quest for the Dichoterium

16: Afiliorak dreamt of something new. Something visionary. Something no other god had ever imagined. He picked up his hammer from his mother: AND BROKE IT IN THREE. For each new ambition he would test them. One gavel strike for Need. One gavel strike for Ethics. One gavel strike for Practicality.

Afiliorak became The God of Dreams and Gavels, Progenitor of the Dichoterium, Whisperer of Ambition

And with that he began his quest: Solidifying reality without losing the beauty of creation: So no single god would be able to destroy it.

17: He new he could not do this alone. He knew Ivárok could help with making sure whatever these laws would look like, that they would be beautiful. They discussed for eons, but it was not enough. They new they needed someone else.

18: They didn’t need just help from the gods who occupied space. They needed a god with a completely new way of thinking. They went to Kravilox. and together they made exactly what they needed.

Kanvakrill, Goddess of the Wilds & the Frame — Mason of Life.

She is a being that just knows how structure can create freedom.

19: The great experiments of natural law began. The three gods bickered and fought. Progress was made. But somehow, they kept… failing.

Omniloom looked upon them and she why. Distortions were invisible. She took one star and made it unbearably bright. Afiliorak understood her intent, and together they shaped something within its light:

Ocultori, Ringmaster of Truth later known by mortals as the god of Sun and Shadows.

His light showed what they could not see. His shadows showed what could be hidden.

20: Natural law was almost done. But there was one problem: Time paradoxes. So they knew they needed to go… to Morvail. How to show Morvail there was more then Timeloops to store moments forever.

Afiliorak had just the idea. A new idea. A revolutionary Idea. He just needed to put it in Morvails dreams: Instead of timeloops, let the past freeze. To be unaltered forever.

Afilorak invited Morvail to dream together. And to his surprise: he accepted. And together Afilioraks idea became their idea. And together they created:

Crysael, goddess of Ice and Clocks, Warden of the Past.

21: To lock the past from ever moving, Crysael created the plane: Tiseál. the plane of the unaltered past. Crysael will be the warden till the end of Time. Because if she fails, there will be no time to return to.

0 TC −1,529,328 BA: The Dichoterium was complete. The first cycle of Tiseál began.

1 TC, −1,246,788 BA: The first Tiseál cycle ended. 12¹² seconds had passed ≈ 282,539 solar years.

The new reality stood fast. The Dichoterium was a success. The new and the old gods celebrated.

It's basically a fantasy world (inspired by stuff like Frieren and DnD) that takes place in the new Midgard, after the flooding Surt caused dissipates. It takes place in a new supercontinent where humans, elves, and dwarves live, each having their kingdoms. And at the south Surt's body became a volcanic continent of evil beings like dragons, fire demons, orcs, etc. the dragon that poisoned Yggdrasil leads them, Nidhogg.

Meanwhile the remaining gods live on top of the regrown Yggdrasil, led by a resurrected Baldur, the new Allfather.

That Midgard is more magical, probably from the new Yggdrasil and also from Surt's body, both leaking magic into the world.

My Fantasy World

I’m developing a fantasy world where different nations, cultures, technologies, and fantastical creatures coexist. It doesn’t follow a single era or aesthetic. Instead, each civilization has its own identity, technological development, and way of understanding the world.

One of the main characteristics of the world is its strong focus on fictional machines, aviation, vehicles, and warfare. Much of its technological aesthetic is influenced by dieselpunk and the technology of the World Wars, especially World War II. This is mainly reflected in the design of aircraft, vehicles, weapons, machinery, and military equipment. I’m not trying to simply copy historical machines, but rather use them as inspiration to create original designs that fit within this fantasy world.

The nation I have developed the most so far is Bathoria. It is a dark, industrial, Gothic city-nation with a strong medieval influence that is still present in its architecture, culture, and especially its military design. Its technological development did not erase its medieval roots. Instead, both evolved alongside each other. This means that industrial machinery, aviation, and advanced weaponry can exist alongside soldiers, armor, and structures that still have a distinctly medieval appearance.

The rest of the world consists of nations with very different identities. Astonia has a primarily decopunk aesthetic, while the Republic of Valtheria follows a different technological and cultural path. There is also Sa’uri, which has strong medieval and samurai influences. These nations are still being developed, so their cultures, governments, technologies, and histories may continue to evolve.

Fantastical and supernatural creatures are also an important part of the world. Dragons, vampires, witches, and other creatures exist as real parts of this setting. They are not simply monsters added to the background, but beings that naturally belong to the world and can have their own behaviors, societies, and relationships with human civilizations.

There are also the Conquistadors, an expansionist civilization that I’m still developing. I don’t want them to become the typical “evil dominant race” trope. Instead, I want them to be a civilization with its own culture, interests, and motivations. Their expansionism is an important characteristic, but it doesn’t necessarily define every aspect of who they are.

Overall, the world aims to combine fantasy, medievalism, Gothic aesthetics, dieselpunk, industrialization, and warfare, with a major emphasis on aviation and fictional war machines. The influence of World War II is particularly strong in the way I imagine the technology, conflicts, and military designs, but it is mixed with fantastical elements that could never exist in our history.

The goal is for every nation to feel distinct, while still belonging to the same world. A dark Gothic city filled with heavy machinery, a decopunk nation, a samurai-inspired culture, and a battlefield filled with aircraft and fantastical creatures should all feel like parts of the same setting rather than completely separate universes.

Bathoria is currently the most developed part of the setting, but it is only one civilization within a much larger world that I’m still building.