Towns and Cities
Notable Characters in Valhiem
Special thanks to all our players for contributing to Valhiem with NPCs and breathing life into the city!
Lucinda 'Lucy' Bottrill
Lucinda Bottrill is one of two Guildmasters for the Adventurer's Guild Valhiem Chapter. She hails from the Desert Elf Clans in North Eastern Mytheria, a region that has been in turmoil since the arrival of The Witch Queen. It is currently unknown what has become of her people, but Lucy remains confident that they found a way to go into hiding, ready to reveal themselves when the time is right. She's a workaholic, helpful and professional. In spite of not being gifted with the Source Crystal, Lucy is somewhat proficient with weapons and magic, and is very-much acquainted with the variety of personalities and uniqueness that Adventurers seem to come with. She is charismatic, can meet people at their own level and her excellent administration skills sees the Guild in Valhiem running smoothly. Romantically, Lucy has a non-comittal on/off relationship the Director of Research and Technology at the Academy, Clarissa Shields. Why they don't just get it over with and marry is anybody's guess, as they are clearly madly in love. Lucy also has a dog called Scribble, who treats the Guildhouse like his home.
Clarissa Shields
Clarissa Shields is the Director of Research and Technology at Valhiem's Academy. She hails from Finley, a small city in Southwestern Mytheria and recieved the Source Crystal as a teenager who already well on her to being a genius in engineering. She rose in the Academy of Finley, but moved to the big city of Valhiem to increase her career prospects, a move that has born fruit. This woman is crazy, known to conduct experiments that have almost killed her. She is also somewhat lacking in interpersonal skills, which actually proves just how genius she is, as she has risen to such a position in the Academy and cultivated a strong reputation across the land without the need for excessive mingling and networking. Obssessed with work and technological progress, Clarissa also finds time to be a competent leader of her department when delegation and direction is necessary. She is also not afraid of difficult decision. Strong minded like her lover, Lucy Bottrill, she is a credit to Valhiem's Academy.
(Areleth in his younger years, before he'd risen to the status of High Septum)
Areleth of the Snow Clan
One might first notice that Areleth has no surname. Snow Elves never do. Instead they consider themselves all one big family, as they descended from a small handful of Snow Elves who survived the wrath of The Ice Dragons back in the Mythic Age for daring to stand up to them. Such is a story for another time. Areleth left home in search of his destiny, for like most Snow Elves, there comes a time in their lives when they wake up suddenly with the foresight to know what life holds for them. And so he concieved a child with a close friend in the clan, as was tradition before leaving, then went off and eventually found himself in service of The Quinity. With great wisdom, knowledge and decision-making, Areleth rose to the position of High Septum, the highest rank one can recieve without taking his career to Capitol City and serving in the Basilica Magna Decoris, The Highest Governing Body of all things religious in Mytheria. He is calm and wise, gifted with remarkable kindness and understanding, Valhiem has never had a High Septum that would wash the feet of a beggar in the street. Perhaps no city in Mytheria has ever had such. Areleth is one of a kind.
Mayor Joseph Pendlebury
A typical blue-blood and nothing more, really. That is not to say that Joseph Pendlebury is not a good man. It is not to say that Joseph Pendlebury is not a man of principle and smarts. It's just that, by the very nature of Mytherian Politics... nay, Mytherian Power Dynamics... unless one is of the highest birth, being simply of the nobility doesn't really make a person stand out. And that is what Joseph is - a noble who was pushed into politics by his father and did his father proud by achieving the highest position in local government. His 6 year service is almost up and the elections draw near, but with war on the city's doorstep, nobody really cares who is running the city. In this time of crisis, the people are looking to The Academy, The Adventurer's Guild, the High Septum at the Temple of the Quinity, Valhiem's military and especially outward to Capitol City, where sits Council of Heroes, the most powerful bearers of Source Crystals in all the land. Sorry Joseph... you're just a little too ordinary in times like this.
Gildor Hammerfist
Gildor Hammerfist is an arcane Blacksmith and the very best in the business. He owns a shop in the commerical district of Valhiem by the waterside and welcomes all providing they have the coin or the knowledge to 'talk shop' with him. He is a lawful citizen and tends to stay away from anything involving Dark Domain Source. That is until a certain skelly-slaying-hero-from-the-sky walked into his shop. Anyway, Gildor is highly respected by blacksmiths all over Mytheria. He bears his own Source Crystal, and has used ascension to further his skills and expertise in his field. His wares range from a 200 Silver all the way up to 60 Platinum Chips. Yes, he is that skilled at what he does.
'The Snake' Titus Hart
Titus once belonged to a strong, Platinum ranked Adventurer party, but they were the usual 'righteous do-gooders' and Titus felt so above all that 'protect the innocent' nonsense. His ambition involved a more 'robbing the rich' mentality, something he was very good at. In the end, after one particular incident involving Titus' ignorance of Mytherian law, Titus took it upon himself to leave the party and quite adventuring for good. The fact was, anyway, that his ascension and powers seemed far more suited to tinkering and engineering magical technology, even having the gall to try and combine alchemy, magic and tech into his personal R&D projects. He found a home at the Thieves Guild, but has recently been noticed by The Director of Research and Technology at the Academy - Clarissa Shields. And would you believe, they get along swimmingly.
Butch Sirocard
Butch Sirocard is the co-owner of The Hunter's Lodge, a shop based just outside the North East Gate of Valhiem. He is a Sibliconian, which means that standing 7 foot tall and 400lbs is pretty normal to him. The mountain people of Northern Mytheria are known as a stubborn race, but Butch is quite the opposite. As long as he has his chewing tobacco, he is easy going and friendly to all who he interacts with.
The Associates
Neebs Jonson - Elven Water Master and the leader of the friend group. He was once part of an adventurer party, The Ark, but eventually retired once their Human party members started to age. Like Thick and Doraleus, Neebs followed Simon to Simon's birthplace, The City of Valhiem, where they all joined The Academy to help other students and Source Crystal Users to progress in the magical arts.
Simon Aldorf - Veteran Cleric allied with The Mother, Iris. Simon is a whiny, whiny individual. But if you can get past that, he is/was a solid party member and has now become a halfway decent teacher.
Appsro Rindstone - Engineer and Master of Air, Appsro is known for the extremely rare phenomenon of recieving the Source Crystal as a toddler. He was never an adventurer, but found immediate friendship in the retired adventurers. He likes dirty jokes and is always up-beat.
Thick Jordash - Once the the adventurer party, The Ark, a Rogue Class who specialized in the Sub-Class 'Brute' which allowed him to be a versatile force in the party. He has affinity in Dark Domain, which limits his progression due to legal issues, regulations and red tape. However, he splits his time between many things - The Academy where he studies Dark Domain and does seminars, while training gifted Rogues and Rangers at both The Academy and The Thieves Guild. Very practical and patient.
Doraleus Greybor - A Fighter specializing in Cannon subclass. Has mastered a variety of weapons and has a ton of scars to show for his long list of feats. Very disciplined a soldier-like, in spite of never serving in the Military. Acts as a consultant and very willing as a test subject - anything that helps The Academy better understand magic and hone it to focus on Adventurer utility and team combat.
Gods and Goddesses
Credit to @Teyao for a massive contribution to this part of the world-build
T H E Q U I N I T Y - The First Children of the Source
T H E Q U I N I T Y - The First Children of the Source
T H E Q U I N I T Y - The First Children of the Source
 "First came the Light and the Dark, then the Earth and the Air, then the Fire and Water. Then came The Mother, Iris." I M A G E S A N D A R T I S T S I M P R E S S I O N S ⋮      |  I R I S - T h e M o t h e r I R I S - T h e M o t h e r The very first of the five. After the Domains of Source were configured, Mother Iris came into being and walked in the new world. She created all life, from plants and insects, to animals and monsters, up to the sentient races that rule Mytheria. She is most cherished of all deities and is often portrayed in paintings and sculptures as an old woman, full of warmth and love as she looks on her creations. . . . . . . H A D E S - T h e R e a p e r H A D E S - T h e R e a p e r Whatever mortal life is made, in time it must be unmade. Hades came into existence to provide catharsis for the journey of life, creating a cycle of ever-reforming Source - creation and destruction. He is represented void of appearance, to symbolize the end of the self in death, but he still has form, to show that the Source that created the self cannot die, only reform. Those who worship him, know that he is essential to the beauty of life, and do not fear him like many others do. . . . . . . . . . I S K A R A - T h e M e r c h a n t I S K A R A - T h e M e r c h a n t It is said that Iskara brought the concept of commerce and civilization to the sentient races of the world. To the layman, she represent riches and business, but those who serve and worship know that her gift was far deeper and greater than this. From her mind came economy, infrastructure and a drive to create technology. . . . . . . . . . D I A V I A N - T h e L o v e r D I A V I A N - T h e L o v e r True love and happiness were one half of the gifts that Diavian bestowed on the world, things added an emotional complexity to creatures and set in motion chains of events that would define the nature of people and the history of the world. The other half of his gifts were freedom to desire for desire's sake: Hedonism, lust and guilt. These things too had far-reaching effects on the evolution of life in the world. Diavian is perhaps the most underrated of The Quinity, for he is so uncaring and unserious, seeking only play and pleasure. But his influence on life has been significant, powerful and mostly positive. . . . . . . . . A R E S - T h e W a r r i o r A R E S - T h e W a r r i o r The father of conflict and struggle. Ares might have the most worshippers of all after Mother Iris, for he is loved by fighting tribes and fiefdoms, some adventurers, the entirety of the Empire's military branch, and even those who simply wish to protect themselves from the wildlings and monsters of the world. |
Matters of Politics and Economics
Credit to @Saiyan for contributions to this section of world-build
100 Copper = 1 Silver (1 US Dollar)
100 Silver = 1 Gold
100 Gold = 1 Platinum Chip
100 Platinum Chips = 1 Platinum Chunk (1 Million US Dollars)
100 Silver = 1 Gold
100 Gold = 1 Platinum Chip
100 Platinum Chips = 1 Platinum Chunk (1 Million US Dollars)
For reference on living costs: While cost of living can drastically vary depending on location, class, city or village, land value etc. The average living cost for an average working class family in major cities is roughly 300-400 silver per month. (Food, rent and community/utility bills.)
T H E D I V I N E C O N S T I T U T I O N - A F R E E P E O P L E ' S
T H E D I V I N E C O N S T I T U T I O N - A F R E E P E O P L E ' S
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The Empire was founded by history's most famous hero; Ileandra Young. She was a powerful adventurer, leader of Claws of the Ice Wolf, who achieved maximum ascension in the chaotic Mythic Age. After the fall of tyranical Dragon race, Ileandra used her reputation and the current politcal climate to unite all peoples of Mytheria under one banner. All cultures, history and customs were to remain in tact. Even borders and laws were maintained within the varying races and peoples. Humans, Elves, Half-Orcs, Dwarves, Tieflings, Fairies, Gnomes... the wide-ranging sub-cultures within... all were united under one overarching Mytherian Rule. The Divine Constitution - The Free People's Empire.
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Information regarding The Source and Magic
Credit to @Loksfjoer for using a basic framework to massively fill out this part of the Worldbuild
The Mining of Magical Caves
Only the biggest Wellsprings spew pure Source into Mytheria. And most of the major cities are built upon the biggest Wellsprings. Capitol is where the biggest Wellspring is. There are also big and medium sized Wellsprings out there in the wilderness. For example, The Mazy Hillocks. However, there are small Wellsprings where Source only manifests in one particular Domain. These are the known as Magical Caves, where the mining of condensed, tangible magic is an industry.
Simply known as Elemental Stones, they are formed near the elemental source and can be mined, but due to the conditions, it's hard. The stones are brittle and not all are extracted in one piece. Once broken the elemental magic fades away. The economy surrounding this industry is regulated as best as the Empire can, and here are some extra points of detail worth knowing.
- Craftsmen with a license can buy these elemental stones, they grind them down with gold powder to bind the elemental magic and then add it to their items (blacksmiths sprinkle it over the red-hot metal, gold smiths add it to the melted gold, and leather workers add it to oil to treat the leather with)
- Items that craftsmen can make are not as potent as that what elemental mages and rangers with elemental magic can make, but it does the job. For instance, a fire blade from a normal smith using a fire elemental stone will release embers or flames on impact, a mage making a fire blade can be a sword that is on fire when it's unsheated.
- Water elemental stones can be either water or ice stones, air elemental stones can either be wind or lighting stones. Fire and Earth only provide fire and earth.
- Elements can be combined; they either simply co-exist, or give new abilities once combined. Examples: earth by itself gives stone, earth and fire gives lava, earth and water gives mud, earth and light gives nature. An example of co-existing is air and earth, they don't combine because they are opposite, but they can exist together.
- Some elements can't be combined: light and dark or ice and fire cancel each other out.
Story Added Lore Segments
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Code Readers: While not necessarily magic-users themselves, Code Readers are exceptionally intelligent, highly skilled students of magic. Trained specifically in the understanding and handling of Source, Code Readers are employed to look into The Wellsprings, to pry knowledge and information about the world and current events. The majority of Code Readers reside and work in Capitol City, Northwestern Mytheria - the city built upon the largest Wellspring on the continent. This workforce is the premier source of news on happenings around Mytheria, supplying the governing branches of the Empire, the grand univerisity Gradua Lexica, the aristocracy and media outlets.________________________________________________________________________________________________
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The Mazy Hillocks: A veritable labyrinth created by thousands of years of wind and rain. The region is a series of steep hills, ravines, cliffs, earth and rock. Getting lost is only the initial danger. Uneven terrain requiring scrambling is enough break an ankle, which might prove lethal on it's own. In addition, too much noise or weight may see one the victim of a rock slide. Or a sink hole might leave an unlucky soul in the cave network below. Humans rarely venture into The Mazy Hillocks. Those who do, rarely come out, for it is home to greater predators than regular wolves. Somewhere in the bowels of this mighty maze is a conduit of Source that draws to it the fiercest of creatures. It sustains them, twists them. Makes them stronger, even gives them powers. Only the strongest survive the competition to make this fortress of nature their home.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Each of them would feel the hum of their Source Crystal - The Gift - as it called out to the very fabric of existence. The lifeforce of their enemies faded. The Alpha Direwolves. Aurok the Maneater. Such powerful enemies. Such powerful lifeforces.
Their crystals overflowed, reaching the limit several times over, and shone purple to signify:
Ascension - The adventurers had ascended to a new level of strength. Their class-specific attacks would be innately, significantly more powerful. Their bodies could handle more damage, and their resistance to slashing, peircing, crushing or elemental injuries was considerabley higher too. Their current abilities would grow, new capabilities would be born, and a higher capacity to learn more powerful things was apparent.
Ascension - The true power and realisation of The Gift of the Source Crystals.
________________________________________________________________________________________________"First came the Light and the Dark, then the Earth and the Air, then the Fire and Water. Then came The Mother, Iris."
The Elemental Circle of The Source: This is the depiction of the foundational manifestation of universal fabric. Beyond the duality of the opposing elements, and the connections between those elements that sit adjacent to eachother, there are other rules that govern the relationships between the forces. Such intracacies have beeen studied by academics for centuries. The theories and formulas discovered have evolved, been outdated, debated and pondered by the smartest minds, but the technological revolution of the recent decades has thrown even more into question and pushed further investigation.________________________________________________________________________________________________
