Trying to Learn to Fantasy

Started by mulattaFURY, November 19, 2011, 05:54:27 AM

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mulattaFURY

This is a write-up on a fantasy concept I'm trying to revive. It was something I worked on a lot when I was in my teens and now I'm trying to breathe some new life into it and generally make it suck less haha.

Be warned I am totally bad at this, my strength is cyberpunk and science fiction. :B

The concept is based around the Ukiniorian Empire. The aesthetic/culture/technology is loosely based in 13th century Europe. Expansion has brought a new cultural Renaissance to the Empire, as goods are being brought in from the far reaches of their borders and other species are beginning to migrate to the growing trade centers.

This lineup features female characters from the various species that inhabit the Empire. From left to right:



Humans/Ukinorians: The main inhabitatnts of the empire, which began with the unification of the warring Old Kingdoms two hundred years prior. These kingdoms now exist as their own provinces, part of nine into which the empire is divided. They are supberb weaponsmiths and unrivaled warriors, and once united behind a single banner the Empire expanded rapidly.

Korgians: Inhabit the dangerous swampland along the southern border of the Empire. This coveted land is the gateway between Ukinor and the rich forests and cave systems of the southern coast. They have been battling the empire for years over this land, and despite their inferior weapons have proven more of a challenge as the Ukinorians simply aren't equipped to do battle in this dark and dangerous region.
One of the most dangerous setbacks to the Imperial forces (aside from the heat, fog, dangerous/poisonous wildlife, and lack of familiarity with the territory in general) are the scattered Shadow Elven ruins. These are often littered with brilliant blue stones, which are known in the imperial provinces as "Korgian Sapphires." Once frequently used and traded among the long-extinct Shadow Elves, these stones, when submerged in warm water, give off a heady, intoxicating fume. Korgians are immune to this, but humans are not, and stumbling into an area where these nifty little trinkets have settled into the swamp can leave an entire army ripe for the picking.
Korgian Sapphires are illegal within the empire, and as such are highly sought after. Individuals who venture into the swamps to collect them are called berry-pickers. Wealthier berry-pickers often send Korgian slaves to do this task for them, often threatening their families in case they get any ideas about not returning.
The korgians are divided into several tribes, though the largest and most prominent are the Nareek and Sivareen, the former (pictured left) being notoriously vicious and territorial, and the latter (pictured right) more passive and mystical. Most korgian slaves within the empire are Sivareen.

Shadow Elves: Their empire once stretched across the korgian swampland, the southern forests, and what is now the southern reaches of the Ukinorian Empire. An advanced race of immortals that mysteriously vanished just as humans began to settle the area and the Old Kingdoms came into power. Relics of the shadow elves are highly revered by Korgians, though they rarely venture into shadow elven ruins, and religiously avoid the forests that now grow in their abandoned capital. They explain them as being "haunted," though there really is much more to it than that *eyebrow wiggle*

These Guys?: I never really fleshed this race out as well as I should have. They're just travelling gypsy-like people that show up sometimes and cause trouble. Their lands were conquered by the empire. and many of them live among Ukinorian society. The rest wander the land, mostly near the eastern border, doing fun things like freeing slaves and stealing imperial horses.

Elfs!: You gotta have elfs, right? Fantasy and shit. Okay. Some elves live in the empire I guess but most of them live in the kingdom on the eastern border, Hasseel. It is an extravagant and lawless place -- warmth, beauty, and decadence for those who can afford it, slavery and crime-addled slums for those who can't. Their trade agreement with Ukinor means the empire isn't a threat, for now...


Okay this is all I have for now. I have a couple or three stories vaguely set in this region that might be fun to RP, but for now I just want to have a collective of information here while I work on hammering out the worst of the tropes and reforming them into something vaguely creative. :)