PatchWorld: Mechanics and Lore

[Aero Blue]

I've heard it theorized that all the world loves an artist - an author, an illustrator, a painter - for one reason: they're a Godly - or rather, Godlike - people.

After all, they create worlds.​

Maybe that's the pretension of the artiste speaking, or maybe it's the nature, the overwhelming desire of the consumer, desperate to transform paint-strokes and written-word into something wondrous. Ever since the digital age, and the advent of virtual reality, pretension and desire has fused into one central conceit: the creation of a new world, a new reality, perfect and whole.

Altera was one of three.​

A second world, presented through a polarizing medium - a game. Many noted the triviality of it, to apply such grand aspirations to something so frivolous. Some even viewed it as arrogance. Nonetheless, we pressed on because we decided it had value. Years and years later, cycle after cycle, Altera became real. A game set in a fantastical world, each and every single one of its players able to access, to feel, magic that had been lost to most of us. A world in which we were characters - protagonists - free to create our own story.

And all was well…

except…​

we were escapists…​

Selective realism: one of the core concepts of stories, of movies, books and games. We allow the endless skies and upside down mountains of fantastical worlds to distract us from the grey of our own bleakness, indulge in stories of chain-breaking heroism to forget the hardships that oppress us. No one truly wants a second world, not with all its calamity and monstrosity - we only wanted a dream, one we could retreat to whenever we wished.

But something has gone horribly wrong…​

Altera is real.​

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CORE-HISTORY

The First World Earth, 1412 Altera

• The First World is known as Earth.
  
  That we ever came into being is nothing short of miraculous. Particle after particle gathering in an accretion disk, forming a world of volcanic matter and ocean unable to sustain even the simplest speck of life. Happenstance and the unfathomable occurred, bringing unto this primordial world of ours water, oxygen, bacterium, life, and us.
  
  'Us' as it happened, may have been a terrible mistake. From nomadic hunter-gatherers to antiquated rulers of fiefdoms and conquerors, to industrialists with a penchant for the despotic, to exploitative drones of the cyberage. We have been typically unkind to the world, though we sometimes argue that the world is in turn unkind to us.
  
  Few subjects encapsulate the concept of 'Us' as succinctly as the life and near-death of Magic. The first confirmed practitioners existed amongst the warring Xiongnu tribe of China, breathers of fire and controllers of stone who required the construction of a Great Wall to stop them. They would spring into existence in more and more continents. They were manipulators of the elements who brought about wonders, their brilliance leading to the Industrial Revolution in the year 921 AC.
  
  The story of 'Us', however, is a story of wasteful exploitation - these Magi have been near-extinct for almost a century, worked to the bone and drained to husks by our thirst for acceleration and growth. Now, their penchant for the wondrous has been supplanted by the digital.
  
  The current year is 1412 AC, the Cyber-Age.
  
  ((Essentially, this version of Earth is much the same as ours - save for the fact that the existence of magic managed push along many phases of civilization. Thus, this version of Earth has higher levels of technology, despite it still being the year 1412 AC))
• As previously noted, the First World has deviated fairly significantly. The prime reason is the presence of 'magic', accelerating much of our technological and societal growth. In many ways, the world state of the First World in 1412 AC is similar to our Earth in 2017.
  
  'Magi-Tek': Between the years of 220 BC (when the Xiongnu Magi reaved across China) and 1200~AC, magic has peaked and waned, although established itself enough to become firmly woven into early infrastructures. The peak years of magic found itself centralizing in Europe. Europeans, ever the beacons of arts and technology, ran wagons powered by steam-magic for both travel and the harvesting of crops, and sailed across airships for the purposes of exploration. In essence, they industrialized magic, although the results were rarely so unanimously beautiful: Mages were still a limited commodity, and to ensure the stable running of a magic-based infrastructure, nations required that each and every single one of them - though they needed food and sleep - were rotated and milked to the last drop.
  
  Around the dawn of 1200~AC, it became apparent that Magi were not so easily harvested or exploited - numbers of Magi began falling dramatically, while attempts to convert magic into a resource that renewed itself failed in (explosive) ways. Technology, as a necessary alternative, diverged from magi-tek (the hybridization of the magical and the structural). Accelerated by the mind-warping, perception-enhancing abilities of the more powerful Magi remnants, societies were set upon the new path: the Cyber-Age, technologies buoyed by calculation and program rather than dying forms of magic.
  
  Society Continues: As it happens, societal development meshes quite well with our timeline for a bit, and then overtakes it. Developed nations tend towards constitutions and democracy, while becoming increasingly more advanced in the fields of medicine and education, high-tech hospitals and well-funded university a commonplace - although it's apparent that those higher in status receive a larger share of the benefits. Globalization and mass-media also abounds!
  
  The Americas: As in our timeline, the Americas are heavily shifted by an Age of Exploration and European voyages - expedited by magically-powered airships. The story is shockingly familiar: they oppressed the indigenous, and warred with each other over the new resources. In 820~AC, the rival nations of Spain, France and England engage in a four year-long war. It is the first time magic clashes against magic in such disposable fashion.
  
  In a divergence from our timeline, the Spanish, French and the English quickly realize that prolonged war on such a scale was a waste of Magical resources. The Americas of today are heavily informed by the three nations that warred upon it. Although eventually - and without a revolution - the unique burgeoning cultures of its settlers blossom into a distinct entity, much as the Americas of our timeline did.
  
  The distinct nations of Mexico, Canada, and America remain. Each of them are Constitutional Monarchies, who theoretically owe allegiance to three Monarchs; of Spain, France and England. As of 1412AC, the three European nations largely operate as democracies, with figurehead monarchs, meaning the Americas hold to the crown as a matter of ceremony only. .
  
  The capital of America, for 'reasons', is not named 'Washington DC', instead being the city of New Lincolnshire. Players can… feel free to put forth fictional city names for the purposes of enhancing their Histories. The President of America is Edward Plantaget of Woodstock.
  
  The Europeans: Aside from being the center of Magic for much of known history, Europe persisted through a history of fiefdoms and knighthoods, and wars of a religious nature. Still, the 'Industrial Revolution' helps them prosper, while their advanced infrastructures ensure that calamities such as the 'Black Plague' never occur. [To be expanded.]
  
  Asia: 'Westernization' come quickly to China, Japan, Korea, and their like - compelling them to similar routes of politic, trade and technology. Of note is the Republic of China, about a third lesser in size compared to our timeline - the raids of the Xiongnu Magi carved out a chunk of their land, forming the (now well-developed) nation of Huna, [To be expanded].
  
• Altera is one of three 'cyber-realities', their creation a priority both as a matter of virtual science and as monument to natural human arrogance. They are simulations of unfathomable scale, constructed by an infinitesimal amount of mathematical calculations and the minute, ongoing decisions of artificial intelligence systems. The three cyber-realities are as follows:
  
  Simulacrum, where time is accelerated and the environment selectively tampered with to forecast human influence on Earth; Providence, a test-world created as proof of concept and perfected as proof of capability; and Altera, a world fashioned by the artistes, and a game, a fantastical escape for the masses.
  
  Altera is molded in the image of Earth, pervaded with fantasy elements; an inordinately high presence of magic, creatively drawn and designed monsters, ivory castles and ebony high-towers. Players interact with magical world and esoteric NPC, encouraged to commune with others, explore, or to take part in combat-ridden adventures. 'Bosses' exist to vanquish for treasured weapons and armor, to assist in the vanquishing of stronger opponents - an addictive cycle that feeds itself.
  
  It is, however, not merely a game - it's a second reality (without, thankfully, the possibility of permanent death). Monsters exist within the contexts of carefully curated ecosystems, while castles and tower erode beneath the torrential weight of storms. NPCs have thoughts, feelings, and emotions, as do the various 'Bosses' - each bestowed with their own backstory and grand ambitions. On the other hand, Players are neurally affected, their minds tricked into 'believing' - for the duration of their play-session - that the fluidity, the weapon-proficient, combat-ready motions of their in-game character is really their own.
  
  One week after Altera's launch, its players found themselves stranded within the cyber-reality.

 

[Aero Blue]

CHARACTER-INFO

In the following contexts, 'Player-Character' refers to the players of Altera in-story, not the players of this roleplay. 'Non-Player Character' similarly refers only to the pre-programmed and existing inhabitants of Altera in-story, as they may be playable in the context of the roleplay.

Player-Characters Non Player-Characters

• Destined to be a smash-success even years before its actual release, Altera captured the hearts and imaginations of the masses. On its release date, 17,000,000 players found their way into the world of Altera. While most were at least middle-class to affluent, even lower-class citizens found ways to play Altera, accessing through arcades and cybercafes. Deemed an activity for all ages, young and old alike found something about Altera to enthrall them.
  
  Player-Characters engage in a 'Character Creation' process to determine the details of their avatar in the Altera world. Keeping one's identity secret remains paramount - players are highly encouraged to ensure that their In-game appearance differs from their actual appearance. To that end, the systems of customization for appearance are highly involving, also including a Race System and the option to portray oneself as another gender. The latter option, admittedly, at times draws controversy when in a game as life-like, immersive, deceptive as Altera.
  
  Along the lines of identity protection is the importance of selecting a User Name - which serves as one's nom de guerre when in Altera. There are two common naming methodologies: a fantasy-inspired name such as 'Loras Oakenshield', or more simplistic tags that could still pass as nicknames in-world ('Spearwolf', 'Shieldbasher') - names that served to break immersion were strictly forbidden as were, of course, one's real name. As players gained achievements and felled powerful enemies, these faux-names would become associated with such, by fellow players and in-world entities alike.
  
  Finally, Player-Characters selected a set of skills (see under WORLD-MECHANICS), and were allowed on their way, transported into one of several Hub-Kingdoms.
  
  In-game, Player-Characters are unable to identify other Player-Characters as such, although they typically behaved in ways that made it obvious. Non-Player-Characters, in addition, were also unable to identify Player-Characters, although they have recently begun to pick up hints of the unfamiliar.
  
  5.6 million players are currently stranded in Altera, around half that number having begun in the Hub-Kingdom of Thyrvald.
• For a game-world such as Altera to be truly immersive, it required characters of its own. The various hub-kingdoms of Altera, and even its wilderness house, well, a world's worth of personalities - characters with their own specially defined motivations, backgrounds and familial relationships.
  
  No NPC exists in isolation, not even the various mystic recluses and hermits - their backgrounds tie them to other aspects of the world. NPCs go about their days in ways both routine and otherwise, accounting for the various shifts in Altera-conditions, or the behavior of PCs. If such behavior or routine permits it, NPCs are capable of growth, in knowledge, skill, or even the fiber of their character.
  
  Furthermore, they act according to their programmed narratives - if an NPC is given a lead to avenge his murdered father, they will follow it - although perhaps the more clever NPCs will attempt to first prove its veracity - overriding their typical day routine. These narratives are not constant - they, too, are capable of shifting.
  
  In this regard, the NPCs are wholly living entities, with their own sense of agency.
  
  The game has accounted for a certain type of 'gamer', the one who does what they wish without a care in the world for immersion or narrative - the ones who have a typical affinity for wanton slaughter. NPCs will preserve their own lives as best as they are able (unless their personality calls for otherwise), and their death causes various contingencies made for the express purpose of preserving narrative - those connected to the NPC will behave appropriately, while new NPCs are generated to maintain status quo as much as possible.
  
  As of now, the function that governs the generation of new NPCs appears to be non-operational.
  
  Additionally, while NPCs were formerly given cognitive blocks to prevent them from recognizing the unfamiliar behavior of Player Characters, they are now more and more aware of these 'new, strange foreigners' - a knowledge that threatens to dramatically change their various routines and behaviors.

RACE-SYSTEM

As with all fantasy settings, the game world of Altera is host to a variety of races - however, not all races were deemed Playable, primarily for narrative purposes. The playable races are as follows:

• Human
• Gnome
• Elf
• Orsi anla Kesh (Low-Orc)
• Half-Elves are also playable, and may select either the Human or Elf race bonus. Half-orsi and half-gnomes are not playable, nor do they exist in Altera (as of yet).

Selection of a Race gives the Player the ability to understand and communicate in the Race's natural tongue (Half-Elves receive understanding of Elvish), as well as receiving treatment befitting their race.

It should be noted that the following descriptions of appearance mostly pertain to non Player-Characters, as Player-Characters were given more options in customization.

[[Descriptions of Other-Altera races such as pixies and fae will be worked on at a later date.]]

Human

• It is said that all Humans were derived from the Beasts, given the gift of sentience to examine how they would fare in the world of Altera.
  
  As the most populous race, it is fair to say that they have thrived. While few races boast as many varied cultures as the Humans, one unifying trait defines them: their resourcefulness. Without the same magical attunement as the elves, they made the most of the mud and dirt they were born with, carving out kingdoms such as Thyrvald.
  
  The Humans of the Atriya region are typically fair-haired with light complexions. Those from the Xo region are a more tanned-lot, and are typically representative of humans from Earth's Asian and Mesopotamian regions. Humans that hail from the Remnant are a hardy folk, and generally pale-skinned.
  
  Human Player-Characters represent a race who have risen from mud to become skilled practitioners of war. They are able to gleam competency in a field of weaponry without taking the 'Warrior' specialization. Humans who have already taken the 'Warrior' specialization may gain competency in a field of weaponry not currently granted. Humans with only 'Warrior' specializations may gain a third.

 

[Aero Blue]

WORLD-MECHANICS

Progression System Death

• In theory, the developers of Altera understood the benefits of a 'level' system, rewarding the players for time spent and repetition. Fundamentally, however, they understood that using such a system would be immersion-breaking in the context of the cyber-reality.
  
  Progression is holistic - the player feels themself improving upon repeated practical usage, perceives the learning of new skills as a stroke of inspiration. Instead of levels, Players identify each other as 'Beginner', 'Intermediate', or 'Advanced'.
  
  The developers of Altera - in line with most games - intended an accelerated growth process; where abilities and spells that would seem to, logically, take years to master can be learned with one or two days of focused playtime - 'grinding'.
  
  Ever since Altera became, for lack of a better term, real, the growth process has changed. Advanced spells and abilities are learned at slower rates, from weeks to months to years, depending on the current skill of the user. This has caused the power-balance of Altera's player to stagnate, players who invested much of their time early on becoming vastly stronger than their peers.
  
  Progression in Altera can also be witnessed through the accumulation of loot, and the gaining of 'achievements'.
• The exact details of Death in the new world are currently unknown. Obviously, the game of Altera did not call for such - when a player was defeated, they would simply re-awaken at the nearest hub-city, or where they were when 'resurrected' by a Lux Talisman (see Skill-System).
  
  Now, however, those who have fallen are nowhere to be found, failing to re-appear at any of the hub-cities. Furthermore, the game's resurrection spell no longer seems to be usable, the bodies of fallen Players simply disappearing instantly.
  
  Conversely, the bodies of NPCs remain when they die, although they are also unable to be resurrected.

Sub) Skill-System

The fantastical game-world of Altera enables its players to perform feats of magic and combat otherwise impossible in the First World. The game of Altera allowed its Players to specialize in two of six 'Skill Categories', one Primary specialization, and a Secondary specialization to denote a lesser amount of skill. The selections would augment their in-world character, and enable them to learn relevant abilities.

As Altera became 'real', the Players have become subconsciously capable of learning abilities and growing towards capabilities from Skill Categories they had not chosen as their specialization. With a bit of self-discovery, they will have entered the beginning stages of removing the shackles of a Skill-System.

For the purposes of Character Creation, players are encouraged to use the Skill-System and selection of specializations as a way of conceiving something creative, a method of differentiation rather than conformity. The Skill Categories are intended to be somewhat open to customization and the flavoring of the player/character, and vague enough to encourage highly varied applications. Additionally, combinations of specializations seek to work along with that philosophy in order to create new possibilities.

The six Skill Categories are as follows:

Warrior Magus Crafter Talisman Enthraller Enchanter

• Skill Category-Warrior represents a superlative level of athleticism, the extreme training of the physical body, and high levels of proficiency in weaponry. Those who choose 'Warrior' as a specialization begin the game with high levels of certain physical traits, and advanced skill with certain classes of weaponry.
  
  There are multiple versions of the Warrior specialization, one of which must be selected. The Warrior specialization may be chosen multiple times, enabling the selection of the remaining versions. They are as follows:
  
  

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  Warrior-Hashashin: The player is a natural gymnast and incredibly mobile, being blessed with superlative speed, acceleration, agility, dexterity and balance - veering into the superhuman at more Advanced stages. They have high proficiency in combat forms that require swift reaction, nimble movements, and some degree of fine control; many one-handed weapon styles, dual-wielding, daggers and short swords, ranged weaponry, and whips.
  
  Warrior-Glacier: The player is a rock, a mountain, a fortress, bestowed with incredible amounts of strength, stamina and constitution - veering into the superhuman at more Advanced stages. They have high proficiency in combat forms that are either heavily defensive, or full of brutish might; sword and shield, bludgeoning and flailing weapons such as morningstar, axe, mace, etc.
  
  Warrior-Druid: The player is uniquely attuned to their bestial side, capable of morphing into a variety of beast-forms. Advancement in this school is typically represented by the vastness of one's repertoire, and the manner of creature-forms one can assume. The most rudimentary Druids can morph into wolves, cats, and bears, with the most Advanced among them able to assume the form of magical creatures, in turn gaining access to their various magical abilities.
  
  Warrior-Xo Paragon: The player is uniquely attuned to the internal energies that flow within him - whether that be called 'ki', 'chakra', or 'mana'. The only weapons known to the Paragon are his body and mind, although that in and itself opens possibilities. They are uniquely resistant to spells cast by equal or lesser combatants. They are also capable of channeling their internal energies to wreck havoc through their strikes, able to slow/cripple opponents by striking their pressure points. At more advanced stages, they are capable of Wuxia-like skills, running through air to reach their foe, or healing grievous ailments through pressure point.
• Skill Category-Magus represents the ability of the Player-Character to generate, bend and manipulate the various natural elements of Altera. Those who choose the specialization 'Magus' begin the game with the ability to perform rudimentary spells of a certain element, while also gaining a supernatural resistance to the element.
  
  There is a version of the Magus specialization, one for each of the natural elements, one of which must be selected. The Magus specialization may be chosen multiple times, enabling the selection of a second element. The elements are as follows:
  
  

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  Magus-Hydro: The player is adept at the manipulation of water and ice, elements versatile in their potential for offense and defense, subduing enemy mobs with flood or protecting oneself with a wall of ice. As a general rule, water is considered more easily manipulated than ice, with the latter requiring a great deal of patience and concentration to maintain at the early stages of proficiency.
  
  Magus-Aero:The player is adept at the manipulation of the winds and storm, capable of generating gentle breezes to - at higher levels - veritable tornadoes. As a general rule, winds are considered more easily manipulated than storms and electricity. Electricity is difficult to manipulate, but is known to generally be the swiftest-striking of the elements.
  
  Magus-Pyro: This player generates and bends the flames, the most volatile of the elements. Those who bend the flames may eventually call down infernos and storms of flames. Even at the lowest level, flames are easily spread - making it a dangerous element to face, or wield.
  
  Magus-Geo: The player is adept at the manipulation of earth and flora, able to create tremors, call for barriers of stone, or entangle enemies with vines. This sub-specialization is known as the most defensively-oriented, being capable of creating tougher (and less meltable) defenses than the Hydro specialization.
  
• Skill Category-Crafter represents the ability of the Player-Character to create and alter objects well beyond the usual restrictions of material quality, or the laws of physics, nature and magic. Crafters are amongst the most flexible characters as they can equip themselves for a variety of situations and encounters, utilizing items that are almost functionally akin to magic.
  
  There a multiple versions of the Crafter specialization, most of which represent the crafter's focal point, one of which must be selected. The Crafter specialization may be chosen multiple times, enabling the selection of another version. They are as follows:
  
  

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  Crafter-Tinker: The player is adept at the creation of 'consumables' - one-time usage objects such as grenades, bullets, arrows or potions - that fulfill specific, esoteric purposes. In many ways, they can be functionally akin to magic, although the downside is that they typically require time and effort to create and replenish once used.
  
  Crafter-Hammer of God: The player becomes as if Hephaestus at his forge, capable of crafting wonderful weapons and armor, enhanced by magic. Players belonging to this specialization distribute a pool of magical potential over their creations, meaning they are typically limited to crafting such for themselves. However, these creations are amongst the finest in the world of Altera, bestowed with special properties.
  
  Crafter-Machinist: The player becomes intrinsically capable of fashioning machinery and vehicles ahead of the game-world's timeline; airships, for example, and steam-powered wagons. Machinists are highly capable of fashioning 'faux-life', steam/magitek-flavored drones and subservient androids to assist them in matters of combat. Machinists create perhaps the most sophisticated creations, and this translates to a long preparation process.
• The Skill Category-Talisman represents the player's ability to bend the more 'divine' aspects of the Altera world, namely the light and the shadow. Unlike Skill Category-Magus, their effects are often more abstract and less tangible, although no less potent.
  
  There are two versions of the Talisman category - Lux and Umbra - one of which must be selected. The Talisman specialization may be chosen twice, allowing for the selection of the other.
  
  

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  Talisman-Lux: The player becomes adept at the manipulation of light-magic, a versatile school. The school is most associated with beams of light, swift movement, vision-related spells, illusions and, most commonly, healing. High-level practitioners of this school were formerly able to resurrect the fallen, although as of the events of the story, this appears to no longer be possible.
  
  Talisman-Umbra: The player becomes adept the manipulation of shadow-magic, a school as versatile as its opposite. The school is most commonly associated with compelling the very shadows to move and even solidify, the obscuring of one's vision and senses, illusions, tricks of the mind, and the insidious weakening of an opponent.
• The Skill Category-Enthraller represents the ability of the Player-Character to utilize others to fight for them. Be they conjured demons of the Altera-World, or beasts bent into servitude, the Enthraller is an on-field commander and tactician, who moves his pieces with the utmost precision.
  
  There are multiple versions of the Enthraller category, one of which must be selected. The Enthraller category specialization may be chosen twice, allowing for the selection of another.
  
  

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  Enthraller-Conjurer: The Conjurer is uniquely in tune with the entities of Other-Altera, the dimension of Altera which contains the likes of ghosts, demons and fae. These are typically esoteric entities, capable of their own magics, adding to the versatility of the Enthraller. Enthrallers further specialize in one category of these Other-entities, and typically only further expand upon becoming more advanced.
  
  Enthraller-Shaman: The Shaman is uniquely in tune with the animals and beasts that exist in the ecosystems of Altera - flying creatures, wild boars and bears, etc. This connection manifests as a telepathic link, or simply the ability to understand the language. Shamans typically come in two varieties; the first commands packs and flocks, sending them forward like disposable fodder, the second focuses on a single creature, rendering them stronger, quicker, more fearsome through their connection.
• The Skill Category-Enchanter describes the final form of magic in Altera. Where the Magus invokes the natural elements, the Talisman the divine, and the Enthraller the living, the Enchanter bends the very rules of the Altera world in clever and unique ways, altering its characters, or toyings with its laws of physics.
  
  There are two versions of the Enchanter category, the Transmuter or the Shifter, one of which must be selected. The Enchanter specialization may be chosen twice, allowing for the selection of the other.
  
  

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  Enchanter-Transmuter: The Transmuter is capable of changing the properties of creatures, NPCs and PCs in subtle to extravagant ways, although typically always impermanent. They are capable of granting temporary flight, water-breathing, the gift of tongues, or perhaps turning flesh into stone, or body into fluid water. The main form of progression for Transmuters lays in versatility: a low level transmuter knows few spells, while the Advanced transmuter has a gargantuan bag of tricks at their disposal.
  
  Enchanter-Shifter: The Shifter is capable of changing the properties of Altera's various laws - of nature, of physics, of magic, though always impermanently, and at times overlapping with the Magus category. Such feats include being able to cause gravity in an area to push sideways, the wind to blow upwards, objects to become lighter or intensely heavy. Like the Transmuter, their progression lays in versatility and the size of their repertoire.

 

[Aero Blue]

SETTING-ALTERA

The game-world of Altera was designed to have its own vivid history, which in-turn motivates the backstories and personalities of NPCs, minor and core.

Alteran civilization has existed 851 years. Its calendar years are 360 days in length, separated by twelve months: the First Month, the Second Month, and so forth. The following regions and Kingdoms are those currently discovered and mapped by the Playerbase; much is said to lie beyond both the Deadwaste, and the Remnant.

An Incredibly Basic Map

Kingdoms, General Thyrvald Vaslera Machina Xo The Remnant The Deadwaste

• Kingdoms, and all that the title denotes - walls, castles, fortresses, armies, people - are strategically layered about Altera. Save for the forsaken outskirts, and the harshest dunes and tundra, cities and countries of all sorts persist, with market economies and political systems that are either carefully curated, or driven - for the purposes of in-game narrative - to ruin.
  
  They share similar design philosophies with that of NPCs - changing, shifting, growing ideologies and paradigms - but on a significantly larger scale. The internal affairs of Kingdoms are constantly shifting, simulating merchants vying for market control, the unrest of the common masses, and the intrigues of nobility. On an even grander level, Kingdoms have shared history with other Kingdoms, leaning them towards peace, or war, alliances or lethal rivalries. The goal was for the more cerebrally-inclined Players to insert themselves, to play a role in the burgeoning history of Altera.
  
  There were plans in motion for multiple 'Hub-Kingdoms', areas where Players are initially transported to at the beginning of their Altera career. Hub-Kingdoms, unlike other Kingdoms which are more varied, must all follow certain rules of design, which may or may not hold in light of recent events:
  
  
  1. As a Starting Point, all Hub-Kingdoms must be peaceful enough to serve as an 'entry-level'. They must still, however, be allowed to shift, and to grow, to offer their own stories.
  2. All Hub-Kingdoms should be prosperous enough to be warm and inviting, but not so prosperous that they dull the compulsion to leave, to explore and find new Kingdoms.
  3. All Hub-Kingdoms must necessarily be affairs of grand scale, as they will house, initially, the brunt of all the player-base.
  4. As a stable, entry point, Hub-Kingdoms should tend towards non-aggression and neutrality, and the NPCs of the Hub-Kingdoms should be instilled with mental blocks to ensure this.
  
  At Altera launch, only two Hub-Kingdom were designated as such: Thyrvald, the Kingdom-Upon-the-Shield, and Lodestar.
  
  Thyrvald is the central-most Kingdom of the Atriya region, which is of temperate climate, and of rolling forests and hills aplenty.
• Thyrvald is one of the oldest Kingdoms in Altera, its longevity alone earning its name immense respect. As the story goes, during the one-hundred and first year of Alteran civilization, Tanis Lothyr fell upon the mainland and was beset on all sides by the savage; the maw and fangs of wolves, and the glimmering taint of poisoned arrows. He did not fall, for all around him were his Shield-Bearers who guarded him with forge-blessed steel, and the gilded blood of their own lives, pledged and sworn. Lothyr and his Shields crashed upon the savages, and upon the battlefield - which had spread far and wide - the Kingdom of Thyrvald was born.
  
  Today, Thyrvald still stands, a Kingdom of beautiful white-stone.
  

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  VITAL-INFO
  
  
  Politics Industry/Economy Citizenry Culture Army Diplomacy

  • Thyrvald is ruled by Queen Waneya Lothyr, and her word is absolute.
    
    The line of succession in Thyrvald does not account for gender, allowing for either King or Queen to sit the throne, with the eldest coming first. In the event the former monarch has no children to serve as heir, the closest blood relatives come next.
    
    The Thirty-Six Shields are understood to be the foremost advisors of the Kings and Queens of the Lothyr line. The Shields are not bound by class, drawn from lowest to the high, and even from those not of Thyrvald.
    
    The Queen, and many nobles, can be petitioned for audiences by the Player-Characters.
  • Currency: Standard (copper, silver, gold pieces)
    Trade Agreements: None.
    
    Thyrvald has a blossoming internal economy, designed to make use of steady new player inflow to ensure prosperity. Its middle-class is burgeoning and versatile - as Hub-Kingdoms are designed to accommodate most fields - and the populous being supplanted with new Altera players leads to opportunity aplenty to earn currency through the selling of goods and services. This, in turn, compels them to buy goods and services from differently-skilled members of the middle-class.
    
    Although typically insular with no trade agreements, Thyrvald is surrounded by bountiful resources. Exotic, dangerous game on the outskirts of Thyrvald can be harvested for higher-class ingredients and reagents, and the sale of such products plays a large role in Thyrvald's economy. By design, newer Player-Characters are the intended hunters, with the presence of the Famished March (see Notable Factions) intended to spur them onward. If, for whatever reason, they should stop, Thyrvald's economy threatens to collapse in upon itself.
  • A large Kingdom, Thyrvald is home to around 8 million NPCs.
    
    Thyrvald adopts the tried and true medieval class-roles of the Nobles, the merchant/hedge-knight Middle Class, and the peasants.
    
    Peasants: The lower class - the first to be conscripted, the first to die, and the last to be mourned over. The peasants of Thyrvald are an unfortunate folk who spend their days laboring to serve their 'betters'. That they to fail to recognize the injustice of it all is their acceptance of the system, and their love for Queen Lothyr - an exaggerated, almost cult-like worship born as a result of an inelegant programming. In recent times, however, unrest grows amongst the plentiful lower-folk.
    
    Humans and Low-Orcs comprise the bulk of the Thyrvald lower-class.
    
    Middle-Class: Those peasants gifted enough to be exceptional in a trade or field find themselves here, plying their talents for gold. The merchants, the most prodigious of the hunters and fisherfolk, and a large portion of mages and crafters will serve as contractors for their guilds. To be 'middle-class' is to have opportunity, to view something approaching nobility as a possibility. Therefore, competition amongst middle-classers in the same field is horrifically fierce and cutthroat.
    
    Note: Most entry-level Player-Characters, taking on the rule of adventurers, will have the starting stipends, skill-set and know-how to count as one of the Middle-Class.
    
    Nobles: The Noble Houses of Thyrvald have remained consistent, dating back to antiquity. They are paid tribute to, and they, in turn, make offerings to their liege. The power balance amongst Nobles varies, and in this regard they operate under a sort of Meritocracy - whether that merit be distinction in civil/military service, or the subtle, insiduous currying of ill-gotten favor. [Expand on Houses?]
  •  
  • The armies of Thyrvald meet all the expectations of standard, romantic, moderately-frilled medieval fantasy. The common rabble fulfill thankless and sometimes maligned roles as expendable pikemen and wielders of crossbow, bearing the standard of their Lord House. Those of noble blood charge forth, mounted upon stallions, followed into combat by their squires, while Lords and Generals watch on from chariots.
    
    Elements of video game philosophy inform the armies of Thyrvald. As a starting city, the average combatant of Thyrvald is a mundane, highly unskilled sort - indeed, much of the infantry are untrained peasants who take to combat as a last resort. The vast majority of its nobles are reasonably versed, although nothing far exceeding average.
    
    On the other hand, Thyrvald's military might consists of several core NPCs, made strong both to support their narrative and to serve as a player-deterrent. The Thirty-Six Shields are seldom at full strength, although they are, without fail, prodigious combatants. Queen Waneya Lothyr's riders are highly-dedicated and immensely skilled, and the Queen herself a noted swordswoman. Finally, the Archmasters and Grand Tinkers of their various Mage and Crafter Guilds play a respectable supporting role… if they can be convinced to work on the same battlefield.
  • Hub-Kingdoms are designed to be fairly insular - which decidedly clashes with their central placement. Thyrvald remains neutral with Machina, Vaslera and the inhabitants of Xo. The Tribes of the Remnant are a prominent threat, though have never attacked in force.
  
  
  THE-SIGHTS
  
  Shield-Tower: The tallest Keep in Thyrvald, reserved for its reigning monarch. It is a pristine white, that has remained spotless throughout the centuries, and for good reason: the Shield-Tower is kempt with a variety of barrier-magics, insulating it from dust and outside assault alike.
  
  The Rose District: The residential district of the Noble houses. Posh. Beautiful.
  
  The Glubhub: The pre-eminent market of Thyrvald is the Glubhub, where the hides of fantastical beasts or sold alongside flowers, brooches, weapons and armor, and all sorts of eclectic fare. The Glubhub begins each day as an open canvas of space, and come the crack of morning, merchants must jostle (sometimes violently) for a place to display their wares.
  
  Bedlamville: The various Guilds of mages and crafters are constantly up in arms, for some reason or another. Their histories demand it! In this fated district of Thyrvald, an up and coming potion brewer invented the quintessential mix of the ages: the healing potion. His rival, mere days later, came upon a similar formula… but added a simple few tablespoons of sugar and cinnamon. This simple tweak would propel the rival to massive heights, and consign the originator to relative obscurity - birthing a feud that lasts to this day.
  
  The above is only one of several feuds. Indeed, Bedlamville lives up to its name, with a host of rivalling Guilds in close proximity to one another - every day, spells and casks of foul-smelling potions are tossed from headquarters to headquarters, causing a never-ending ruckus. Still, the 'ville' is worth visiting, as it offers many a valuable brew or service.
  
  The-Kingdom-Below: The lost, the disenfranchised and the hopeless converge in the sewers beneath Thyrvald, adopting their own hierarchy and structure, and dubbing themselves 'The-Kingdom-Below'.
  
  MAJOR-FACTIONS
  
  The Thirty-Six Shields: Named in honor of the Shields that protected the First King, Tanis Lothyr. These are the brightest and most talented of Thyrvald, schooled in the histories, or the arts arcana and divine. Furthermore, they must all serve the function of protecting the current head of the Lothyr line; the Thirty-Six must all be well-versed in combat. The Thirty-Six are seldom whole, with vacancies commonly arising from old age, casualty, or the simple fact that there are not thirty-six qualified candidates.
  
  The Famished March: The famed Hunter's Guild of Thyrvald, who hunt dangerous game along the outskirts of Thyrvald for the protection of travelers, and less dangerous game for sustenance and gold.
• The Vaslerans were said to come from the sky, birthed to the world in the form of thunder and lightning, scorch-marks upon the fields. When they rose, the first one hundred and eight of them set to work, wordlessly and without complaint, in constructing Vaslera.
  
  When they were finished, esoteric structures of ivory stood, pointing towards the skies as if a monument to their origin.
  
  

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  Political Structure: Oligarchy (ruled by the 'Tranquil', thirteen mages who preside over affairs as a Council).
  Inter-Kingdom Relations: Neutral.
  Notable Groups:
  
  • The Tranquil: A Council of Thirteen Mages, widely varied in background. They determine the future of Vaslera, through careful, deliberate debate. The Thirteen are chosen through popular vote, and there are no requirements pertaining to the prowess of the mage.
    
  • The Vasleran Academy: Foremost Academy for all sorts of magical-practitioners in Atriya.
  
  City Structure: Vaslera is notable in their efficient usage of space, particular of vertical space. Houses and other structures are made that hover in the skies, connected by floating bridges. The higher one's status, the higher their living space - indeed, the richer markets are all located high above ground.
  Race Distribution: Even.
  Population: ~10 million.
  Currency: Standard (copper, silver, gold pieces).
  Economy: Prosperous.
  Customs: The Vaslerans hold true to the ways of Archon, preaching control and good judgment in the use of magic. Every half-year, they fire off 'fireworks' of magical energy in prayer.
• The stories of many Kingdoms, such as Vaslera and Thyrvald, lay in fables, and fantastic flights of imagination. That is, according to some. According to those same folk, the pride of Machina is that it has no stories to tell save for its spire-buildings, its precarious-yet-perfect architecture, its steam-wagons and its airships - stories of ingenuity and precision.
  
  The Tinkerers of Machina have ensured that its people remain a good century ahead of Altera as far as innovation is concerned. They takes great pride in that.
  
  

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  Political Structure: Democracy, although only certain members of society (those who have made scientific contributions of some sort) are allowed candidacy.
  Inter-Kingdom Relations: Trade Relations with Vaslera.
  Notable Groups: TBD.
  
  City Structure: Space both above-ground and below-ground are used - in the form of apartments and underground living abodes. Travel to and from abodes is managed by steam-wagon and miniature airship.
  Race Distribution: Even.
  Population: ~5 million.
  Currency: Standard (copper, silver, gold pieces).
  Economy: Prosperous.
  Customs: Special reverence is given to those who demonstrate scientific excellence and innovation - be it of a mechanical or magical means. Every month a 'fair' is held to show off one's ingenuity.
• The region to the North is Xo, a land filled with lush, wet jungle. Xo is treacherous for most outsiders, as its entirety is inhabited by the most fierce of magical creatures. Indeed, it is said to be one of the foremost homes of Dragons.
  
  Those who were born in Xo maintain peace and safety by learning from a very early age how to center oneself, to minimize one's own presence both on a physical and spiritual level. Such teachings and mantras have given rise to the Warrior-Monks of Xo, who protect the uninitiated youth by vanquishing the various creatures of Xo.
• The Remnant is so named because the various mountains are thought to be the accumulation of fallen comets and meteors.
  
  Home to numerous Warring Tribes of Mura. [WIP]
• To the East lays the decrepit Deadwaste, its stench noticeable even beyond its borders, thought to be the product of its unholy fog, magical fumes turned poison. That - and the dead. Here, the Wastemen tread.
  
  It is unknown to most what it entails - the Wastemen, their state of death - but one thing is certain:
  
  Altera is forever blessed that they do not leave the Deadwaste.

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[Aero Blue]

WARNING!-THREATS

Beasts Other-Worlders Overseers and Old-Lords

• At a base-level, the bestiary borrows heavily from Earth's own variety of creatures - including those that exist in the modern day, the extinct mammoths and dinosaurs of a previous era, and the dragons, griffons and tentacled horrors that only exist in works of fiction. The fantastical themes of Altera, however, require that each species become extrapolated, forming new species based off the previous ones: larger, more aggressive versions perhaps, species spliced with other species or versions infused with various elements and magical properties. The bestiary of Altera is almost infinite.
  
  
  
  
  The ecosystems of Altera, and the locations of the more dangerous species, were designed with video game theory in mind - the hub-kingdoms are firstly surrounded by the more benign, manageable creatures, while the dangers lie further beyond.
  
  In accordance with such design principles, packs and flocks typically contain an 'Alpha', one superlative specimen meant to represent a 'mini-boss'. It is also the case that some specimen exist as the lone representative of their species, a sort of mythical creature that inspires awe... and the urge to challenge it, to defeat it.
  
  
  
  
  Hunting for such creatures has a variety of functions. Firstly, the hunt of more dangerous game is good practice. Secondly, the taking of trophies builds notoriety and repute, as well as the possibility of selling for money or trading for goods. Thirdly, certain species can be harvested as magical components or reagents. Fourthly, many creatures are edible, providing a method of sustenance.
• Altera contains a mythical afterlife-esque domain, dubbed Other-Altera. From within, wraiths, spectres rise, in incorporeal form, or possessing the corpses of the dead. Demons and fae also exist, sentient beings who were initially programmed and written with the same internal-narrative as the living NPCs of Altera.
  
  The dead fall under the domain of Obso, the Ember-Son, although not all of the risen dead are under his thrall.
  
• The world of Altera holds to a variety of customs and belief-systems, varying from Kingdom to Kingdom, region to region. Perhaps the most pervasive of all are the tales of Altera's Guardian Overseers, and the Old-Lords which once plagued it. Although referred to by a variety of names over a variety of cultures, the memories of their true names transient, their influence is at times wondrously, or horrifyingly, tangible.
  
  As the game's internal narrative goes, the Old-Lords came upon Altera and its people, twisting them in their horrific visages, maddening and chaotic. Forests burned and bent inwards upon themselves, mottled black tendrils marking a dark world. They were eventually vanquished by figures who rose up, seizing divinity in order to reclaim Altera, although the Old-Lords left their mark on them in turn.
  
  These angelic figures - although few look so angelic - came to be known as the Overseers, the pre-eminent deities of Altera. They make their influence known through bountiful harvest, or natural disaster, good and ill in turn. Each of them commands a 'host', divine armies who have been known to come upon Altera, although seldom in force.
  
  They number five, and are as follows:
  
  
  Izaza, the Wind-Mother.
  Archon, the Grimoire-Arcane.
  Weah, the Smog-Lord. (DECEASED)
  Obso, the Ember-Son.
  Zioh, the Beacon-True.​
  
  The Old-Lords, though vanquished in theory, are said to be truly immortal, eternal representations of abstract constructs. They are known to have names, although such names are lost, said to be unspeakable. Therefore, they are each referred to as a number, denoting the order in which they were pushed back from Altera. They are as follows.
  
  
  One, Lord of Ennui and the Greydread.
  Two, Lord of Madness and the Inscrutable.
  Three, Lord of Law and the Reaping.
  Four, Lord of Finality and the Harbinger.​

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