• Lumeria is one of several zones located within the Goldilocks band of a tidally locked world, placed inside The Strip,  a 300 km wide habitable area, bordered by 700 km of unpredictable environment.
• "Humans" occupy the central zone, scattered in isolated pockets within its boundaries. They are the mutated descendants of ancient colonists forced to crash-land on this planet.
• Walkers are engineered creatures originally designed to resemble Archangels . Parasites brought down the giants one leg at a time, and the Archangels decayed into Walkers., wandering aimlessly across the land or lying motionless for decades, until a  Sheppard takes control over them. They are immortal.
• Because both halves of the planet are experiencing extreme temperatures, sometimes the Strip is battered by devastating convection winds, particularly along its ridges. As a result, no journey between zones is safe without Walkers, which serve as moving shelters and sturdy anchor points. They are equipped with ladders and observation points. The hunter's equipment is crafted to withstand the convection winds that scour the surface or to face the extream heat.

Every world has something that makes the most grizzled, jaded and unhinged individual run for the hills or proceed with cautions. Things that science can't explain and if they could explain it makes them wished they didn't. Kingdoms and other ruling bodies doing everything they can to keep these hidden from the public to prevent wider chaos

Why are these things weird, creepy, horrifying and unsettling?

A classic tale of hubris where mortals tried to play god with their science or magic? Defying death or whatever their goal was?

An unexpected consequence? The road to hell is paved with good intentions?

A constant threat or invietablity

Creatures with bizarre or haunting origins

Does it break all rules of the known world?

Is it so ancient that nobody knows how it came to be?

The metal-armed demigod lording over Hongshi state. Patron of justice and law.
"In the morning I sentence them; by the evening the crime is repeated. In the evening they are flogged and they defy me still in the morning. The corpses pile up, yet others follow their path. Day and night I cannot rest..." Such is the lamentation of the metal-armed king.

HI peoples! Im writing a character that Ive decided to make a species that Ive never seen written because this species has traits similar to him. The species is the Dumbo Octopus, but ive never seen an octupus made as a demihuman. So I was wondering how do you do so? I was also wondering, what is the difference between demi-human and beastfolk? I see the two thrown around together as if their the same but also thrown together as if their different. Just hoping for some clarification

So in these 2 days ive made a map of the mayor cities ok the kingdom, and made a breif text in maonchese, it being Genesis 1:1-3 and a comparision with other Öil languages.

Also i wanted to address the situation of Guernsey and Jersey being British. The islands were in Maonchese hands since 1204, thanks to deals with France. During the 100 year war, Maonche was occupied and the local nobility pacted with the english, during the reconquest of Mâonche the nobels stayed on the english side to protect their pacts, accords and protection from France.

If you haven't seen the wikipedia page is here

(I remade the post cus there were misspelling errors)

Mithril is aluminum

It is usually wielded by elves in media because they are the only ones who can forge it - hear me out.

In the real world aluminum was notoriously hard to smelt due to bauxite's (common aluminum ore) notoriously high melting point. It was valued over gold as Emperor Napoleon III served honored guests cutlery made from it. The pinnacle of the Washington Monument is aluminum for this very reason. It was not until someone attempted electrolysis (a chemical separation technique utilizing an electrical current) on bauxite - boom. Workable aluminum.

Now, in fantasy worlds, elves detest the idea of forges, fires, smelting. It involves the consumption of wood - life - to fuel. Nature magic, on the other hand, is fair game. Druids and other geomancer-types typically have some access to electricity-based spells. If they zap rocks, boom - "mithril"

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk

I'm trying to create a minor character for my universe.
He's someone that uses a greatsword and earth element as his main methods of combat.

As I am working on this, it has sparked curiosity in me to see if anyone has done this before.

Got inspired by a song and decided to think abt region specific food and drinks, currently alcohols, I have an idea or two down and wanted to hear what other peoples ideas are like for inspo!! :0D

Ants at War

The Antakian Campaign was the first major conflict fought during the Sustenance Wars, beginning in 189/4

189/4, Cycle 1 - Kardenantt (Southern country) begins the invasion, facing heavy resistance as Antakians (Northern country) had a strong system of trenches and fortifications around their borders, built after tensions began rising the year before. Despite the efforts of Antakia, the line ultimately fell and Kardenantt continued advancing.

189/4, Cycle 2 - The Battle of Kemati mountain range. Deadliest battle of the Antakian Campaign, casualties were in the hundreds of thousands as Kardenantt sunk into a stalemate due to the difficult terrain and inexperience of soldiers in such enviroments.

189/4, Cycle 3 - The Battle of Kemati ended with Antakia victorious. Yet this victory didn't matter in the end, as Kardenanttean forces simply flanked the mountains and stopped trying to capture them. They instead began preparing for a naval invasion, shifting their advance towards their capital city, Amereka. The siege of Amereka started soon after the sunset, as Kardenantt deployed thousands of troops from small motorboats and into the city. Antakia was already weakened, they could not hold much longer. Antakia was doomed to fall. Amereka was overran just 16 hours after the first wave of invaders, soon, morale dropped among Antakians, most decided to give up, some stayed loyal to their country. Antakia was declared occupied after just 3 cycles (432 hours for humans) of war.

Academy of Occult Pharmaceuticals

Overview: The Academy of Occult Pharmaceuticals is an organization that focuses on alternative medical practices using paranormal organisms and abilities to cure both paranormal and known ailments. Established in the 60s, they have multiple locations across the globe, primarily in Europe and North America. They are known to break the Veil if deemed necessary to save the lives of humans and the paranormal.

Black Star INC.

Overview: Black Star Incorporated was founded in the mid-70s during the arcade and video game boom. They were a mystery entity behind many video game-related conspiracies and urban legends. Using paranormal forces to exploit and keep customers addicted to their anomalous product. Ultimately, the company crashed in the late 80s or early 90s. Attempts to come back have been made but haven't been as fruitful as their genesis.

Charitable Organization by the Mystics

Overview: An interfaith humanitarian relief agency, the Charitable Organization by the Mystics uses magic, paranormal technology, and entities to help those in need, primarily those affected by war, famine, natural disasters, disease, and poverty-stricken regions. Although their intentions are noble, their methods often lead to inconvenient or disastrous consequences due to the group's general ignorance about magic and the paranormal.

Chimera Farms

Overview: This food production company has been shut down multiple times, but it always seems to return with a new name, a new owner, and in a new location. Some of the names include Monster Meats, Cryptid Feast, Extraterrestrial Delights, and Mystery Cuisine. This company illegally sells alien and cryptid meat to the general public. Both are considered protected species by Project Paradoxa and Wilderness Solutions for Mysterious Animals and thus illegal to sell and consume.

Hephaestus Industries

Overview: Founded in 1889, Hephaestus Industries reverse-engineers extraterrestrial and paranormal technology to both research and sell to an undisclosed list of individuals, companies, and governments within the Veil. Their first and only public appearance was between 1896 and 1897 when a wave of strange airships was sighted across the US. Hephaestus Industries has been relatively compliant with Project Paradoxa’s objective of normalcy and often supplies technology to aid in their research of the paranormal.

Readman's Technical Media Productions

Overview: A 15-year-old Viktor Readman founded a group of supernatural broadcast intruders in 1971. Throughout the 70s into the 90s and partly in the early 2000s, this ragtag group would use their supernatural abilities to intrude upon television broadcasts and feed glimpses of the anomalous world to the general public. In the 2000s, the group shifted its focus to creating and distributing anomalous entertainment for Veil communities. Whilst the group still occasionally performs anomalous signal intrusions, this practice has become rare in the company.

The Midas Touch Initiative

Overview: A goods and services broker and auction house for ultra-wealthy and elites in the paranormal community. Primarily based in New York City, Shanghai, and Mumbai, the Midas Touch Initiative auctions off extraterrestrial and paranormal technology, artifacts, and entities. This group is known for collecting rare and obscure items, along with providing its clients the most exclusive, expensive, and rare experiences available, often coming into conflict with Project Paradoxa due to the illegal nature of their products.

Wilderness Solutions for Mysterious Animals

Overview: Established in 1976 as an animal conservation, rehabilitation, and refuge center for invasive, out-of-place, escaped from zoos, and released exotic and non-exotic pets and animals. At least that's the objective of the company in the public eye. Outside of it, they help conserve mysterious animals and cryptids. Often working in collaboration with Project Paradoxa to keep cryptids hidden and protected.

Welcome to the "Regress" universe, a concept for my project set in a beautiful but dying anime fantasy world!

The Arden Empire, powerful, proud, terrifying, the largest state in the world. Once a small principality, it has now become something the world has never seen before, and it will commit something no one expected—the genocide of the beastmen. Propaganda insisted that "this is a cleansing war, that the beastmen are inhuman and must be exterminated, that they are parasites, they fill every available space until they completely displace humans."

The Empress had begun a genocide; her motives were unknown to anyone, even her inner circle, but they dared not contradict her. Many understood that this could lead to dire consequences within the Empire itself, but these words remained unspoken to the Empress. A general mobilization began, conscripting men from 16 to those able to bear arms. Women were also conscripted. Recruitment centers were full, and all structures were working at full capacity. Everyone was told they were going to a holy war against the beastmen, promised gold, and dangled the grandeur of the Empire, and that everyone would return a hero.

To the world, it looked as if another war for territorial conquest was brewing; the very concept of mass genocide hadn't even entered the minds of the people. In 1095, the earth shook, the air grew heavier, and the sky clouded over. Something terrible began. In just one day, thousands of tragedies, thousands of deprivations, pain, and horror occurred. The stories of each individual began and ended, stories we will never hear about.

How did an ordinary Imperial soldier feel when he killed peaceful beastmen? He had mixed feelings. Deep down, he knew he was doing something wrong, but when he saw thousands of others like him doing it, he continued. He was proud of his nation, and he had gold in his pocket, along with a lot of stolen goods. His ego grew, and he truly began to consider beastmen an inferior race. Now he was on top of the world. But he was terrified; his worldview could crumble and he would see his crimes. But one way or another, the genocide began, and the world embarked on a path that would lead to something even worse than genocide...

Illustrations for the "Regress" project by. Soken

• The beginning of the genocide | Part 1
• The beginning of the genocide | Part 2
• Regular Army of the Arden Empire
• Trophy hunters...
• Beastmen | Part 1
• Beastmen | Part 2

Colony ship leaves earth never to return, finds habitable exoplanet and all that. But how does human society (like a workweek and weekend) restructure itself around a 4.2 day(100.8 hours) long day night cycle, I do have my own idea but am looking to see if anyone has one I prefer.

Much like in the real world where there are countries with popular cuisine, is there a country that has that? People come far and wide to get a taste of the country's tasty dishes. Some countries try to emulate their own version.

You can list down more than one country.

Hundreds of years ago the planet of Jaka was at the center of Wars. War fought between galactic empires, bringing death and destruction unimaginable by man. At some point long forgotten the empires left, no one on Jaka knows why or what happened. Perhaps Peace was made, or they collapsed, maybe the wars moved on somewhere else.

What's left are the remnants of it all. Megastructures dots the landscape some are not sure of their original purpose. Beneath the ground sprawling complexes and tunnels reaching kilometers below ground.

Most of the population are agrarian farmers. Some are miners, others scavengers exploring ancient tunnels and cities. Ancient defensive system are often a danger but nothing a scavenger can't take care off, bandits tho rare do sometimes inhabits darker corners of tge world

At present the world of Jaka is at peace. The people had moved on and the world healed overtime, growing around old relic of war a new life was born.

Breachers are twisted constructs born from the Void, drawn to tears in reality that they seek to tear open even further. Fueled by an unrelenting fury, they lash out at all living things, leaving destruction in their wake.

As the barrier between Hasphal and the Void grows weaker, rifts are appearing with increasing frequency. If left unchecked, these breaches will widen, allowing something far more dangerous than these raging constructs to slip through...

Design Inspiration: The Breechers draw inspiration from the Branded of Guild Wars 2, alongside original creature designs born from the Void itself.

In most worlds, magic and how it works is the same for everyone, but different people, civilizations, schools of magic may have techniques, uses and mastery that are nothing alike.

An example i'll use for my world is runes:

- Dwarves created the first runes, using magic-rich materials to trigger reactions/spells, as they themselves cannot channel arcane energy. The materials, tools and the signs/language used are the most important part of dwarven runes

- elves have their own runic alphabet, and instead of singular runes, they use their innate ability to channel arcane energy to form sentences, writing spells in this unique, non spoken runic language. They use arcane gemstone wands/pens, similar to dwarves, but can apply runes on any material, though the spell will not be as strong as a dwarven rune.

- Goliaths can activate runes regardless of the tools and materials used to write them, using their voice, specifically a type of throat singing that focuses ambient energy into those runes, which, depending on the rune and song, can last forever and be bound to the caster

- faes mixed a bit of everything, using specific materials and tools to create their own runic alphabet, and incantations to activate/alter them.

- pure orcs have their own type of runes, though only working when tied to their blood, which is why they specialise in runic tattoos, since their arcane power mostly comes from the souls of their bloodline tied to their own.

These are small differences but still noticeable

So this was a premise I had written. This is just my style in worldbuilding. I have not really developed it, and I usually use AI when it comes to discussing my premises, however I want to not use it and instead talk discuss it with others. Here is the premise I have written, would love to hear any thoughts people have:

"Sometimes the perfect society is also the most brutal, but if that be the cost of perfection, then let it be so." - President Jason McCormack

Welcome to the Republic of Oshawa. Under the principles of Harrisism laid out by the author Berenice Harris. Her ideology's central belief was that the government has a duty to build a better society and not merely to reflect existing public opinion. She said that the the state should consider itself the guardian of society's long-term interests. It should protect citizens from poverty, discrimination, instability, and destructive social practices, but with the belief that ordinary citizens cannot always be trusted to make decisions in the collective interest.

She died before her vision could be realised, and although there was a vocal minority in support of this, and worldwide Harrisist Parties, none entered government. That was until the Collapse, when the destruction of nation states and intergovernmental organisations meant that local communities were now dominant, and many began to establish their own systems of government.

Toronto before the collapse had a major technology sector, international business, and a multicultural urban setting. After the Collapse the centre of the city was reduced to rubble, although outer suburban areas survived mostly intact. In Oshawa there was already a significant number of Harrisists, and due to its centre surviving intact, they sought to gain control. Inspiring protestors, they occupied the city and neighbouring areas, especially focusing on the eastern suburbs of Greater Toronto. Here Jason McCormack, the Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament for Oshawa, was appointed as President of the Republic of Oshawa.

Jason was not a Harrisist, but was sympathetic of the movement. He was socially progressive whilst at the same time having certain authoritarian leanings, especially in having very paternalistic beliefs. He believed that Harrisism could be a vehicle for progress in a post apocalyptic world, and he thereafter sought to create legislation to ensure this. He ruled as a dictator, with his authority stemming from the Oshawa City Council which at first only a third of members were Harrisists, but that soon became fully Harrisist. The governing body became the Oshawa Parliament, and the Oshawa Electoral Commission prohibited non Harrisists from becoming candidates.

His Cabinet was composed of the President and Secretaries for Finance, Justice, Home, Foreign, Defence, Infrastructure, Transport, Agriculture, Labour, Education and Health, with relevant departments for these. They were not allowed to change portfolios, and he worked closely with the civil service to ensure that only senior civil servants of the relevant departments would move up to this level. Hence MPs would not become a Justice Secretary, but rather a civil servant in the Department of Justice. This provoked criticism, leading to the permanent dissolution of Parliament. Still, although authoritarian, McCormack was still progressive in combatting discrimination across the Republic, and in also seizing assets from MPs who were critical of him, but these were not given to him but rather distributed as welfare to citizens. McCormack hence could always state that he was helping Oshawa whilst oppressing them at the same time.

McCormack died in his sixteenth year as President, and the Cabinet elected the Defence Secretary Rachel Wong. A civil servant who had previously served in the Canadian Army during the Collapse, Wong was well respected and upon becoming President a civil servant took her place as Defence Secretary. So began the institutionalisation of this process, where meritocracy became embedded in Harrisism. Wong further contributed to Harrisism with the full erosion of all democractic vestiges to be replaced by that of top down localism. This became known as the School of McCormack-Wong, and is important to note because not all Harrists liked McCormack and Wong, some considering both Presidents authoritarian. Still, like her predecessor she could cite her social progressivism as evidence against being authoritarian.

Anyways, that was a long time ago. The President today is Pamela Dixon. I am currently a student at the University of Oshawa, studying Political Science. In order to join the civil service you need a Bachelor's degree at the very least for the relevant Department. With my degree there are hence many options for me to go to. My uncle is a civil servant in the Department of Infrastructure and he had completed a PhD in Political Science. A PhD is essential if you want to be eligible to be a Secretary, although despite my uncle being quite old he is not old enough.

Over time a gerontocracy has developed. Nearly every Secretary is over 60 years old, and the minimum age has increased to 40, although it is highly improbable you will get a Secretary that young. President Dixon herself if 81 years old, and having previously served as Justice Secretary when she was appointed to that office at the age of 65, having been a senior civil servant for much longer. I laugh when I read books and they say people retired at 70, that is supposed to be the age you are beginning your peak period.

I myself do not know about a PhD. I do want to join the civil service, because any other job is considered sub par. That is, there is very little funding. Junior civil servants are entitled to a high quality coffee machine in staff rooms. If I wanted to work in something else you would be lucky to even have a tap that worked. The School of McCormack-Wong is still dominant, and has evolved over time to become even more authoritarian. Still, every citizen gets welfare that is enough to survive on with necessities, and that means the lowest level of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, the physiological needs. If you want safety needs you need a job to provide protection, but most jobs do not provide sufficient protection. Really the only occupation that presents the highest level is civil service.

Still, one must accept the realities of life, and that is how I accept life here. There is a group which calls themselves "Pluto" who come from the rural parts of former Ontario. Fact is they are threats due to coming outside of the border, and although we accept immigrants, they can only become citizens through inclusive welcoming. That means assimilation, but it is instead presented as a journey to citizenship. The Pluto Group is excluded though as they are considered extremists. You hear them on the news sometimes. Not that I really care as they do not affect me.

Anyways, that is all from me, will hopefully write more soon.

This could be to improve democracy, reduce corruption, make government more responsive or something else. I'm imagining structures like the medieval-era Korean Censors, who were responsible for monitoring bureaucrats who had inherited or purchased their positions.

tl:dr: I'm interested in well-run governments and wonder how you've designed them!

Bonus points if you can explain where the idea came from (e.g., my real-world government does X badly, so I built a government to do it better).

The Earth Knight is a title passed down through generations within a vast lineage of mighty warriors and guardians.

Arthur is the second in his line to become a full-blown superhero.

The Earth Knight's powers are to control all four elements in every physical state, using them to craft armor, forge constructs, and deliver attacks.

As a nod to my Brazilian heritage, his head is engulfed in flames, a design coiche that was inspired by the folklore legend of the Curupira, a character responsible for protecting the forests that also have flaming hair. His story unfolds in Brazil, in my fictional city of Insorectam.

As

As I’ve been drawing more lately, I started wondering: why do regular humans always take center stage, or at least manage to build dominant civilizations in fantasy worlds? Their reproductive rate is lower than goblins, they don’t have high-end tech like dwarves, they don't live forever or have amazing talents like elves, and they're physically weaker than orcs. And it's not like they're a species that hides away in the shadows either. What are your thoughts on this? (Honestly, I just wanted to flex my drawings a bit.)

I named the island in western Teravaria-Uvantamoros