What is this?

What is this?

Geography

Geography

As a rocky Earth-like world, Xylea features a number of continents comprised of varying biomes and oceans. Currently known regions include the following:

• Nusau Nusau

  A large, tropical volcanic island nation and region that includes a number of smaller isles surrounding it. Home to many Nusauans and Jakkan. Wooden buildings on stilts nestled around giant palm trees and raised above the sandy beaches. Capitol city: Xavan. A hub of magical research, including the Arcane Academy Skai studied at which developed the theory of Arcane Magic generations ago, and many artificers who devote themselves to learning and making unique runic items. Dungeons tend to appear deep within the volcano or in nearby 'mirage islands' as there's no room for them otherwise. Hard to access without naval or air travel (or an equivalent vehicle), but Nusauans and Jakkan can come and go, making them excellent couriers for their respective domains.

• The Reaches The Reaches

  A relatively isolated northern nation, often cloaked in snow. Home to many Arkwul and some magideer. A vast expanse of alpine land between Rantar and Trinity, it is home to the Reaches Expeditionary Forces (REF), which conduct frequent wargames and patrols. The local Monster Factions/Dungeons, in turn, respond in kind, leading to simulated military conflict at scale - the best place to get experience as a soldier or officer.

• Trinity Trinity

  The main home of the magideer. Snowy and very alpine in some parts, especially those that butt up against The Reaches to the east. As its name alludes to, this country was originally three separate regions - Arkwul, Magideer and Kirin. Reclusive, they use their buffer with the rest of the world to conduct long running scientific and alchemical experiments in peace, in the preservation of the cold, living in A-shape roof wooden homes.

• The Enclave The Enclave

  A small city-state home to the Kirin. Lots of magical advancements have led to a rather isolated populace. Offshore from the Trinity, it is as cold and desolate as it gets, allowing the Kirin to practice their Revel magics in peace and secrecy, only rarely accepting outsiders.

• Rantar Rantar

  Large, flat, and very savannah-like. Often seen as the home of Gnolls and Gazelle. Plenty of trade is moved across this region. Gnolls are brash, competitive and stubborn as a people, while Gazelle are savvy merchants and traders. Care needs to be taken while travelling through this region, as Gnollish Warlords and the Monster Factions they brawl with (and each other) capture much of the territory outside of towns and cities, and Gnolls tend to drag foreigners into their competitions and disputes. The food is also REALLY good - meaty, hearty and filling - but be careful of the booze! Gnolls get VERY inventive and foreigners won’t be acclimated to the strength and intense flavours.

• Arcanis Majoris Arcanis Majoris

  The Arcanis Majoris is a huge, sprawling enchanted woodland northeast of Rantar. Many Ursan make their home here. The outer rim of the forest is very much bog-standard forest, but as one explores deeper, it becomes more dense and 'fantastic'. The Ursans are reclusive, and accept outside visitors only under duress or if they can prove they are trustworthy caretakers of nature - because the inner portions of the Arcanis Majoris are dangerous and strange, akin to a fae realm. Scattered ruins between trees, strange pockets of corruption, unusual dungeons.

• Yarthania Yarthania

  Eastern continent on Xylea. An empire of Yarthanian Gryphons, lead by the (rather cute but don’t say that out loud) Emperor Zephys, keeps trying to slowly expand its reach here and there - which leads to a united response from the factions of western Xylea to fight army with army, navy with navy. Imperialist and hierarchical, it values martial strength and ironclad appearances. It takes the magical and metallurgical innovations of other nations for itself and does not give back - visitors will not have a good time here! Depending on the timeline, it may have one or more vassal states.

• Deep Blue Deep Blue

  The Jakkan Underwater homeland - Situated somewhere near Nusau. A massive underwater cavern that’s been built up over time. It includes a large surface level portion as well, with various means of moving between surface and underwater sections. It acts as a huge trading hub, and the place to go if you need ships, submarines or diving gear commissioned, underwater mining done, or anything else that can only be made by these underwater experts. The staging grounds for underwater dungeon expeditions. Often, Deep Blue will team up with The Reaches for naval warfare with Yarthania. Deep Blue has a reputation for a great culture of seafood, both carnivorous and herbivorous!

Species

Species

All of Xylea's inhabitants are all descendants of the original life-forms that were seeded on the planet. They are bio-synthetic lifeforms built off of a 'Xylean Genetic Template' that was introduced, and made to offshoot into different sub-species that specialized in different areas and vary wildly in size and shape.

The base 'Xylean' is a very generic chimeric creature of sorts, designed to be molded and changed and adjusted. Extremely adaptable, but able to be prodded to change in any number of ways. A designer species of sorts, Xyleans are capable of reproducing, passing on the base template and their own 'specialized base' as well as mimicking genetics.

In various corners of the world, there are a number of various Xylean '''offshoots'

Skai by Zephra

• Nusauan (Fire) Nusauans (Fire)
• Phoenix-like avians. Typically range in height from 5’7 to 6’5”
• They inhabit mostly tropical climate areas, concentrated on and around Nusau
• Magically talented, and also make for excellent scouts and couriers - can sense air currents, temperature flow and long distance sight
• Nusauan enchanted items are well renowned throughout all of Xylea
• The need for anti-heat charms kickstarted their artificing prowess.
• Go through several rebirth cycles, each one lasting 50-100 years - tattoo themselves to show which cycle they’re on

• Arkwul (Ice) Arkwul (Ice)
• Wolves that hail from The Reaches
• Known for their magical tracking prowess
• Able to pinpoint many artifacts and magic sources by scent
• Also make excellent scouts, trackers, and hunters - acute smell and long distance hearing
• Lots of reliable weapons are made by the Arkwul. Normal and specialized types

Vesra by Great9Star

Ravio by Batnoise

• Jakkan (Water) Jakkan (Water)
• Small, otter-like beings from the region of ocean near Nusau
• Range from 3’ to 4’ tall once fully grown
• Excellent swimming and water-based abilities - can sense water currents, pseudo-identify by touch and seismic vibrations
• Often employed as aquatic explorers and sailors

• Magideer (Arcane) Magideer (Arcane)
• Denizens of the Trinity, a hardy alpine region west of the Reaches. These cervine folk excel at magic research.
• Due to their instinctual understanding of the Arcane, they can easily generalize into any branch of magic they want, and form a scholarly culture of experimentation and writing down theories of everything.

Quinten by SquareHeart

Ashuo by MISE

• Kelnan (Earth) Kelnan (Earth)
• Kitsune-like vulpine anthros.
• They tend to be very thrifty and resourceful, lending their talents to jobs or positions that involve creation, like alchemy, carpentry, etc.

• Gazelle (Earth) Gazelle (Earth)
• Hailing from portions of Rantar, the gazelle-folk are often inventors or merchants, often seen travelling and peddling wares.
• Very into civil engineering and architecture. As the timeline advances, become responsible for megacities, simdomes and spaceports.
• Also into vehicle design - from merchant caravans at first to jetbikes during later eras

Kisa by Bersickr

Tsosga by MISE

• Gnolls (Shadow) Gnolls (Shadow)
• Hardy scavenger types, they often are seen in the stretches of Rantar. Exceptionally technologically minded, these hyenids are well-sought after for their natural resistances and unique engineering alike.
• Gnolls express themselves through three main ways and are competitive in a very laissez faire way.
• Warlords (physical mountains who specialize in Shouts and cultivating larger bodies, who lead warbands and conquer territory to build increasingly more impressive outposts)
• Warlocks (who use shadow magic to read, manipulate and summon from The Veil, the closest to normal Xylean magic Gnolls can easily access)
• Engineers (who use their instinctual Shadow to create facsimiles of engineering/magitek that frankly run more on sheer confidence than sound engineering principles, leading to engineering contests, junkyards, races and competition/sharing of resources across the land, eventually culminating in modern magitek design later on in the timeline).

Magic

Magic

• Magic as Physics

  Similar to how electricity is a consequence of the electromagnetic field, magic is a consequence of the magic field.

  Mana is used as the energetic input, and all manner of fantastical effects can be performed through the medium. Planets, being gravity wells full of life and activity, are stores of mana and process it in various ways - when going into mana vacuums (such as outer space or certain demiplanes) you need to bring your own mana with you/your ship. Xylea is blessed with rich Arcane Mana that diversifies easily.

• Diet

  Xyleans have a dietary requirement for a magical ore/salt as part of their meals. Gnolls tend to need it as a lesser part of their diet. For planets that don't naturally have it, a workaround has been made that infuses compatible ores/salts with mana.

• Elements

  The elements form a hexagon with Arcane in the middle. Around the center, forming three opposing pairs, is: Atmos - Fire - Earth - Ice - Water - Corrosion (making the opposing pairs Atmos/Ice, Fire/Water, Earth/Corrosion). Then a spoke is stuck through the center - high above is Revel and far below is Shadow, too far to easily connect to Arcane.

• Fire Fire

  Evocation, area denial, hotheaded passion and unwarranted confidence, burning bright but fast, cycles of rebirth, destructive temperature control, ‘comboing off’, wild random effects and hoping to get lucky, cooking and seasoning, infectious optimism.

• Ice Ice

  Freezing and shattering evocation, Constructive temperature control, stamina and stubbornness, durability and longevity, battlefield control and slowing things down, tracking and awareness in the stillness, meditative introspection and self-reflection, food preservation and hibernation/slow digestion, outlasting in attrition/expeditions.

• Water Water

  Water in the atmosphere, in living environments and in bodies of water is ready to be summoned. Restrict enemy mobility while creating your own, flood, soak, launch, pressure blasts, manipulate currents, painting, working with other liquids, whirlpools and typhoons, rain and floods, pseudo-identification, going with the flow, using what’s available like water moving along the stream, second chances and adaptability, shipwrighting. It’s also about nurturing and caring for yourself and others: Healing, relaxation, rejuvenation, support bubbles/auras.

• Earth Earth

  The earth is always nearby to use as your tools. Craftsmanship, creating, pride in one’s hard work, wood/metal/stoneworking, alchemy, enhancing and studying, seismic sensitivity, reshaping and mapping your surroundings, containing and controlling, fortifying and armouring, disassembling and repairing, logistics and mining/refining, structural assessment and sound planning.

• Atmos Atmos

  Manipulation of the winds and open skies. Lightning, air cutters, weather sensing and control, climate management rituals, mobility and free action charms, insulation and fog, dancing and instinct, reflexes and reactions, performance and bedazzlement.

• Corrosion Corrosion

  Disorder, entropy, decay, acids, poisons, vulnerability exploitation and analysis, critical hits, baleful polymorphs, crippling status effects, obfuscation and misdirection, weaponized toxicity and negative emotions.

• Shadow Shadow

  The imprint left behind by magic, emotions and events forms a substrate known as The Veil, which can be read, summoned from and manipulated to weaponize history and emotional payoffs as monsters. (Later this will be discovered to be the same technology the Prologue uses for Dungeons and Monster Factions.) Also involved in Cursebreaking, Heroism (persisting based on raw emotions when your physical resources and body should fail you), Solidity (resisting baleful polymorphs and outside change) and Shouts. Dramaticization and exaggeration.

• Revel Revel

  The piercing light, the divine revelation, a persistence in order and justice and righteousness so strong it sustains itself. Involved in Curses and Geases, Divination, Oathlight, Boons and Banes and Formality (an effect that prevents unpredictable and unwanted effects, shutting down many spells/runic programs and forcing obedience to your strict, stifling law, putting you in control of the battlefield). Falsehoods and fiction.

Natural Xylean instincts, based on race, push them towards understanding a specific element like a sorcerer, but you can train to push towards Arcane in more wizardly pursuits.  

For example, Skai is a Fire caster who’s learned to master Arcane, and can reach Atmos and Earth with some effort, Ice and Corrosion take great difficulty, and Water is a true struggle. Ravio, an Aquaturge, has not learned Arcane so innately, and struggles to cast anything outside of Water, but is excellent in his element - something called ‘Deep Elemental’.

Shadow and Revel’s weaker connections to Arcane make this less common; Gnolls tend to be either magically untalented or Shadow specialists, for example. Someone Arcane aligned might be able to cast all elements, but pure arcane constructs are their strongest, while they only dabble in the periphery.

• Reconstitution

  The process of 'moving across Arcane' between elements is referred to as this. A caster is essentially breaking their strongest elemental affinity's energy down to -shove- its energy into a neutral state, then trying to pull it back together as another element. Moving from Fire to Atmos directly is reasonable, but any further and Arcane is a better intermediary.

Magitech

Magitech

• Runic Systems

  A brain is a complex instrument that can imagine spells, manipulate mana into the imagining and the movements of your body and cast them. But what really springboarded automation is the standardization of Xylean Runes. Engraved on a surface, or better yet etched into the interior of an Enhancement Crystal (those cyan octahedrons you’ll see in art sometimes!), each one can be thought of as a ‘logic gate’ or ‘assembly instruction’ in a graph, but analog logic, even sensitive to the type and timing of mana added.

  When activated using mana, it’ll flash and produce some effect - either stimulating adjacent glyphs or being part of instructions to cast a spell. These can be used to make wands, charms and enchanted items. When assembled into a more traditional computer science architecture, you get ‘runic computers’ and ‘runeminds’.

• Resonance

  A spell in progress sends out interference through the magical field. Two spells may destructively interfere - this is called ‘Resonance’. This is the main reason why Xyleans don’t go around wearing 20 rings - the enhancements may not all work at the same time, or produce even more disastrous effects.

  This can also be weaponized - a lighting spell can be counterspelled by its antithesis in water or earth, a beneficial polymorph locked out by a baleful one, limiting your opponent spellcaster’s options based on magical crosstalk still rippling around them. This also motivates ‘computational’ runes to interact as weakly as possible, so as to not change their behaviour and malfunction suddenly.

• Runetable

  A technological advancement even further along the timeline. A 2D (even later 3D) surface that etches and un-etches runes on itself programmatically, allowing it to cast any spell or run any program within a vast library that can even learn and optimize itself over time. Used for magical vehicles, buildings and mechs.

• Runetablets

  A magical equivalent of a smart tablet, a Runetablet is a sheened screen made of hardened black rock that projects light onto its surface. They are the epitome of runic computing, showing up around the same time as Runetables (don’t confuse the two!). These magical devices work together with base and communication towers to send runemail long distances across the Runenet.

  In later variants of the Xylea setting, they can be used to access the Spellnet, where a user is ‘digitized’ down into the world of runes and mana and spells and can explore/fight/debug/infiltrate/defend them on this conceptual microscopic level.

• The Ring

  An artificial Prologue construction surrounding Xylea. It serves multiple purposes:

• A planetary defense system - in case Xylea is threatened by old or new forces, this will re-activate to keep Xyleans safe as long as possible. (It will look VERY pretty.)
• A maintenance and monitoring system. Cloaked Prologue maintenance robots are responsible for ensuring the balance between Factions is stable, that progress is not stagnating, monitoring visitors through the Autumn Crossroads and introducing/depreciating Dungeons based on what’s performing well for modern Xyleans or what needs aren’t being met - and will intervene as necessary.
• It’s a honeypot for Xyleans. When they become spacefaring, the first thing they’ll visit is the thing they’ve been curious about for countless generations, too far through a mana vacuum to teleport through, too obscured to divine - the Ring. And there they will learn about their true nature and origins now that they’re ready to propagate out into the wider universe.

• Dungeons

  The unseeded Xylea was not host to a Dungeon Effect, so the Prologue needed to instill one through a complex system of monster factions that needs regular maintenance and inspection. Dungeons pop up throughout Xylea, manifesting monsters and villains through elemental effects like shadow, rock and ice, filled with rooms of platforming, puzzles, arenas, transformation tutorials, minigames and boss fights, giving useful loot in the process.

  The loot is from these dungeons is designed based on reconnaissance of what Xyleans are presently making and what kinds of resources/finished products would be useful or inspiring variations/counterparts of the current meta, and the fights and raiding parties are tailored to fall within the easy-to-hard range while not actually being life threatening. Later down the tech tree, Xyleans will learn to manifest shadow monsters through inky purple ‘shadowcaster’ gems for sparring and exhibition match purposes. Even later, artificial dungeons. Even later still, artificial monster factions are possible.

• Cryptids

  The Autumn Crossroads is an artificially engineered nexus that links to similar auspicious locations in other worlds; when you lose yourself, you may find yourself in Xylea, and find your way home later. This is intentional, to give Xylea a slow drip feed of exposure to other worlds without fully opening the floodgates. As a safety mechanism, however, unknown outsiders are cloaked as Cryptids until enough information has been gathered on this new civilization and its motives to allow them to freely interact.

  When a Xylean looks at a Cryptid, they see an ‘inconsistent/inexact’ ‘reflection’, for example, a therio Kitsune may be black shadow with too many eyes and a glitchy fuzzy outline, and the specific appearance may be inconsistent between Xyleans. This causes a comforted unease in the observer, an interobject of conflicting emotions; "This thing isn't hostile but is mesmerizing but can be hard to look at?" / "This thing sucks to look at but it's entrancing?".

  Cryptid cloaking technology is also used for Prologue Maintenance Robots from the ring to allow them to move freely through Xylea without revealing their true nature; though they should still be careful to not draw too much attention and remain more mythology than studyable phenomenon.

Lifestyle

Lifestyle

• Not everyone is an Adventurer!

  For example, while Skai is a magus, his father is a scholar, his mother is an arcanesmith, and his sister is a merchant. Xylean genetics instinctually call to the thrill of combat and learning about the unknown, but this can come in many forms. Some dabble, some don’t find it to be their speed. Farmers, cobblers, carpenters and artisans are the backbone of a civil society!

• Labour

  Magic is no replacement for skills and discernment. You can cast spells to transmute mana into materials, lift/temper objects, steady your hands or refresh your strength/stamina, but you still need to know what you’re doing and put in the hard work yourself.

  It’s not as bad of a ratio as ‘it takes a village to raise a knight’ - as craft magic progresses, it gets easier and easier to forge a sword and suit of armour or raise a house - but the absolute most elite honed adventurers in artifact gear need regular maintenance and the backing of a whole guild to stay at peak performance. (Later in the timeline, as automation progressions, the relationship changes - but ultimately, someone needs to use their mind to decide what to make, why and how, and optimize factories and automata to their taste. It’s always a setting about people and their passions and pursuits!)

• The Frontier and the Core

  Due to the way Monster Factions work, it’s possible to place a buffer between polite society and the frontier towns where adventurers set up shop. While core cities just have to worry about bandits, crime and villains, frontier towns are hours away from random encounters and dungeons, and logistics are uncertain. In these frontier towns an economy exists of catering to adventurers’ needs - supplies, repairs, good food and drink, healthcare and so on. Just make sure to keep them defended from ambushes and don’t accidentally drag monsters back to town without proper precautions!

  Nusau is a notable case - the whole island nation is inhabited so it doesn’t really have a ‘wilderness’. It has guilds focusing on criminality, on mirage islands and on the volcano itself. Monitoring, scouting and sending out teams when a new dungeon is detected. Veterans take novices in to mentor them whenever it’s safe to do so - there’s a strong culture of co-operation in Xylea!

• Expeditions

  Xyleans of all walks of life believe in the importance of cultural exchange and travel. It’s customary to spend at least some of your life in other homelands, giving them a little of what makes you special and receiving a little in turn, taking it back home with you. Adventurers in particular love to widen their palette of challenges, while merchants profit the most from distant trade routes - while benefiting everyone else from the physical and cultural exchange.

Notable Xyleans

Notable Xyleans

Spectrum

• Skai Tashrili - Male Nusauan Mage - He/They

  Formerly Nusauan State Magi, Skai has since left their service and acts as the defacto leader of the freelance adventuring team Spectrum. Skilled with sword, dagger, and magical arts, he seeks to understand Xylea itself and its myriad of secrets.

• Vesra Carnalex - Female Arkwul Seeker - She/Her

  An Exile from the Northern Reaches, she was touted as the 'Chosen One' of her clan, but rejected this, fleeing with the assistance of her older brother Zerus. He taught her the ways of being a Ranger, and she is skilled in spears, bows, and ice magic. Her nose is essential to help sniff out artifacts the group is seeking. She is also still being hunted.

• Ashuo Yurai - Male Kelnan Alcarmist - He/Him

  A Kelnan kitsune, unable to grow any additional tails due to a childhood injury that scarred his mana capabilities, Ashuo instead put his mind towards finding alternate uses for the magic in the world around him. He is an extremely capable alchemist, providing support for the team, as well as ranged strikes from his unique custom weapon, an alchemically fueled firearm.

• Ravio Erclann - Male Jakkan Aquaturge - He/They

  Former dockyard engineer from the Glimmering Seas near Nusau, Ravio joined up with the group after proving himself quite useful in their aquatic pursuits. He is also quite capable on land, and able to manipulate water into solidified forms for attacks or utility.

Other

• Zephys - Male Yarthanian Emperor/Mage - He/Him

  Zephys, the Emperor of Yarthania and accomplished Mage, is a quadrupedal gryphon, 5ft/1.5m to the shoulder and 15ft/4.6m long with a bluejay front half and a lion rear half. Slender and lithe in stature, he bears a crest of dark blue and black feathers along his top front with white underneath, wings having speckled patterns of blue/black/white, followed by his compact leonic hindquarters, tail wiry and ending in a golden furry tuft, hindpaws leonic and foreclaws avian. He carries himself with grace and elegance, slinking and animate in his motion, showing a lot of expressivity and charisma in his mannerisms. He is small for a gryphon, but confident due to his many privileges.

  For clothing, he wears flowing blue and gold robes, silken and draping loosely over his body, leaving room for his wings, and strapped on with black straps, gold-decorated pouches and leather and padded sections, like a mixture between magus robes and feral barding. The robes are decorated with heraldic and regal designs, including runic trim along the edges, flowing and curling designs of skies and winds, and the Yarthanian Emblem - a silhouetted golden gryphon in profile, foreclaws raised and clutching an orb, wings flared, bordered by a circle of runes - adorns his shoulders. A blue and gold leatherbound spelltome is strapped to his hip, and his magistaff is stowed across his back, slender black oak length ending in a series of three blue spheres, helixed around by two golden spirals.

  What does he want? Conquest of the western Xylean continent - so that his son, Prince Zherah - can rule in his clawsteps.

• Zerus Carnalex - Male Arkwul Ranger - He/Him

  Vesra’s older brother and fellow Exile. He was originally a hunter for the cult, but broke away and helped remove his sister from their influence as well. Zerus is an expert marksman trained in the use of his powerful compound box Acharigir, and backs that up with prowess with his close-range ice blade Reolann as well.

• Tayren - Male ’Faux Xylean Chimera’ - They/Them

  Tayren was originally a Gazelle who became obsessed with gathering and maintaining a collection of various magical artifacts. They eventually stumbled across an artifact that merged itself with their body, taking the place of a horn, and changed them into an early example of what eventually would come to be known as Xylean Chimeras. Tayren tends to be a greedy sort, still seeking out artifacts (and adding to their extensive jewelry collection). Also has a number of small ‘kitsune assistant’ golems they use for their various schemes.

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous

• (The Xylean sigil, typically worn as a charm/badge/pin or embroidered into a scarf, neckerchief or other attire of clothing. Becomes especially popular once Xyleans realize that they’re not alone in the universe and wish to show pride for their heritage.)