Wonderealm Society IC

[Absyinthe_Artica]

Wonderealm Society IC

A World of Whimsy

---

Wonderealm was a vast and whimsical world that existed on the fringes of what was real and impossible. The creatures and flora existed as unique beings wielding powers and abilities one could only dream about having. The history of this society that rules over the realm is long and bloody. The current age has four courts ruling while a fifth defacto faction calling themselves the Freedom Riders guards the land in the center of the world. They seek freedom for those oppressed by the Court System. Although not all Courts are wrong, some seek enlightenment or profit, as it were. Overall the landscape is an intriguing delight as one can encounter roses that sing, mushrooms that help you grow, and rabbit holes that lead you to an Underground Bazaar, not for the faint of heart. There is something different at every turn, and one must always keep on their toes!

* * *​

Within the Bloros Region, you can feel the anguish of the poor souls that had befallen the wrath of the current Bloody Hearts Court Queen permeate throughout the land. The Royalty is the cruelest of all and dislikes relations with others. Many come to die here, as this is a one-way trip to torture, abuse, and imprisonment by the Courts. Only the genuinely high-skilled or diplomatic can withstand a visit to this region and live to tell the tale. Notable places were dotting the dreadful landscape, but one had to know where to find them. The blood-red hills and plains of the Bloros Region make way to small settlements ruled over by the Court. Those who live here don't look forward to much in their daily routine. There seemed to be no heroes that cared to save the people, as all of them chose to leave and abandon what they deemed to be lost. Others can only keep the Bloody Hearts Court at bay for so long...

* * *​

The Micab Region is shrouded in mists and thick emerald pine forests that extend into mountainous cliffs. Magic brims in everything that lives here; it oozes out of the plants and comes off the fauna in waves. This area is gorgeous at night, as that is when the moon illuminates all. Wonderealm is home to many mysterious ranks of magic, and only one is affected under the light of different phases of the moon. The people call it "Dark" magic because the things that happen when using it aren't always good. But with proper research and experimentation, one could achieve anything with Moonlight Magic. The Queen of the Midnight Clubs Court is a Vila by the name of Acacia Leveson. Her experiments are well known, and the other Monarchs respect her. She seeks to find more ways to utilize magic in all its ranks and forms. Who knows what she might discover?

The day was growing warmer as the afternoon sun raked its way across the sky. The full moon would be tonight, and it would be extravagant. The Queen's Lady-in-Waiting was bustling about the castle, making sure everything was in proper order for the rituals tonight. She was hoping to leave a good impression on the Queen. When there was nothing left for her to do in the main hall, the Lady-In-Waiting went through the castle. Somewhere among these long halls would be her Queen. Perhaps she would enlighten the woman on how magic works. She didn't know all the details of what would happen tonight, but she hoped the Queen would let her join. It intrigued her deeply to understand the ways Wonderealm Magic could change under the Full Moon. She sighed and peered around doorways to try and peek at the Queen. Where could she be now?

* * *​

IIn the Radumia Region, the world is a colorful place filled with radiance at every corner. The Radiant Diamonds Court upholds a lawful place where people are peaceful as long as they obey the rule of law. The Court does its best to keep life pleasant and relaxing for their people, with festivals and activities happening every time the week turns. The Court's Wonder Elementalist performs the latest trends known throughout the civilized kingdoms. The land holds plenty and the food and drink are abundant among the settlements that make up the Radumia Region. What more could you want from a ruled land?

* * *​

Abisyo Region holds its own as the most profitable of all in Wonderealm. The Abyssal Spades Court runs on business models and seeks to gain as much Wondera Coin as they can for themselves. They say that they run the Bazaars and the mysterious counterparts beneath. The citizens of this Court are happy to an extent. The taxes are high, but the living can be decent in certain areas. Some settlements are treated worse than others by the King, and it shows when traveling through them. Overall the wealth of the world seems to rest in this region. If an attack were to happen from the Bloody Hearts Court, the Abyssal Spades fears they would be first, regardless of being farther away. Greed can make one blind to the world around them.

* * *​

Freedom is a precious thing that one truly doesn't have if under the rule of a Court System. The founders of the Freedom Riders knew this fact and carved out a place of their own, taking a slice of each preexisting region and creating their own called Fredrim. There would be no real leaders, just riders who rode out into the areas helping those oppressed and who needed to be free. They would try and show the whole of Wonderealm what it meant to have true freedom. One day they would make a move, but today it would be the same routine; briefs, missions, mealtime.

The land of the free gave way to the afternoon as the lunchtime bell rang in the Eatery. Fredrim Square was the principal capital of the Fredrim region and held the quarters of the riders, the stables for their mounts, the Eatery for meals, and a few other businesses and things for the folks who choose to live here. The Cook of the Eatery needed someone to sample his latest concoction and hoped the Yellow Rider was about the Square. Perhaps the Flamingo fellow would like to try this soup and crumpets recipe he just made. However, riders go through the Square all the time, so the Cook wasn't quite sure if Reginold was around. Though he knew the Yellow Rider did not usually miss a good meal, he seemed to like to eat. Perhaps if he rang the bell for lunch, he would be able to see the flamingo.

* * *​

Throughout Wonderealm, the societies that lived were stirring, and the thrum of a new era hummed slowly in the distance. What would await those who travel through the land? Time will only tell.

---

Addressing: @Elvario and @foodforpigs

 

[Elvario]

Acacia Leveson
​

TL;DR Most paragraphs are to set the political scene from Acacia's perspective. The last three are regarding current events.

Acacia had locked herself away in her study for the past few days. She'd been more concerned about the state of affairs than usual, as she was starting to worry about the Bloody Hearts more and more. Between people fleeing the Bloody Hearts' territory and others finding their lives at an early end, there soon wouldn't be enough people left for the Bloody Hearts to be satisfied with merely terrorizing those in their own territory. Whilst Acacia didn't approve of cruelty for the sake of cruelty, she'd be content to leave the Bloody Hearts be if they just kept to themselves. Sadly enough, there was good reason to believe this wouldn't be the case.

As a result, she had been contemplating her options. The first was simple; increasing Micab's military strength through the normal means. Recruiting more soldiers, crafting more weapons, training her people more intensely, creating militia's... It'd be a long and tedious process, but it could work. However, doing so would surely be noticed by the Bloody Hearts and it would be an ideal excuse for them to attack her domain, as they would likely end up claiming that she'd been gathering an army for the purpose of attacking them, rather than for self-defense. It could very well result in Micab taking the brunt of an attack she'd rather prevent altogether.

A second option was to focus on defensive structures, building walls around her cities and villages, building castles and guard-posts along the border with Bloros and further fortifying existing ones. It was expensive and time-consuming, but it was relatively safe. Nobody could claim she was building defensive structures to go on the offensive, after all. Even so, without a strong enough army, those structures alone wouldn't be enough. In a worst case scenario, they'd be taken over and used against her.

A third and highly enticing option was to use magic to scare off the Bloody Hearts. It'd have to be something so truly destructive, powerful and terrifying that even the Bloody Hearts would think thrice before attacking her domain. It was her favored option by far, but she knew her own desires were steering her judgment, as she secretly hoped that research into magical deterrents could lead her to finally obtain a form of grand magic. As enticing as it was, there were three big issues. The first was that her research into it was extremely dangerous and that she could do considerable damage to her own kingdom if she messed things up during the necessary experiments. The second was that it was expensive, as hiring experts and gathering recourses wasn't exactly cheap and her suppliers from Abisyo would likely charge a premium. The third was that the act of working on such weaponry would sour her relation to the other courts and could even lead the Bloody Hearts to preemptively attack her, as experimenting on such a scale couldn't be done in utter secret.

The fourth option was to walk the path of diplomacy. She could try to come to some sort of agreement with the Bloody Hearts, but she feared their price would be high. A non-interference pact might be possible, but that would give the Bloody Hearts a chance to deal with the other regions and give them good reason to betray Micab the moment they were done with the others. All in all, she simply didn't trust the Bloody Hearts to stick with a deal, fearing they'd betray her the moment it was no longer in their favor.

She also considered making a deal with the Abyssal Spades, especially after learning their court feared that the Bloody Hearts would come after their wealth. She could potentially utilize that fear to her advantage and offer a defensive treaty, having the courts come to each-others aid in case either of them was attacked. It was an option she was still considering in all earnest, but she wished she had more information on what the Abbysal Spades desired. She knew they weren't going to be easy to negotiate with, as the Abbysal Spades were business-folk through and through, so she'd need to have a lot of cards to deal if she wished to come out on top.

Another likely candidate were the Freedom Riders, as they were the likeliest to defy the Bloody Hearts and had even managed to claim some of their territory. The main problem was that they'd also taken from Micab's territory and that they favored the disbanding of the Courts altogether. To that extend, the Freedom Riders were almost as big a danger as the Bloody Hearts, as they'd likely end up destabilizing her nation with their ideologies. In a perfect world, she'd be able to set-up a war between the Bloody Hearts and Freedom Riders to get rid of both of them in a single swoop, but the very attempt of plotting such a thing would mean she'd suffer the wrath of both. She feared she'd be incapable to sail such dangerous waters.

That left only one Court. The Radiant Diamonds. She disliked them. Whilst they were also working to harness the magic, their general attitude was naive and without proper ambition. She also considered them to be the weakest of all factions, which she believed stemmed from their focus on keeping life pleasant and relaxing. Even so, having a weak ally was better than having none at all, for as long as she'd be able to make use of this ally. It's why she had written an invitation to the officials in the Radiant Diamonds' Court to visit her, offering them a view of some of her Court's magic and asking for an opportunity to discuss the realm's future with them. She purposefully left thing vague, not even choosing a specific person, but rather addressing the Court as a whole, as their reply to such a request would already give her a fair guess towards their stance in all of this. Depending on how easily the messenger was able cross the Freedom Rider's territory, she expected a reply to come anytime now.

All these political choices had kept her from her true passion, which in turn had put her in a bit of a sour mood. This changed when she suddenly realized the date. Tonight's ritual was relatively simple, but it was still a crucial step in her experiments. Her original thesis to create a fully autonomous life-form through Midnight Magic had the first step of creating a vessel suitable to such a life form. After all, giving life to a vessel not worth living in was cruel, even by her obsession-lowered standards. As a result, she ordered various craftsmen to work on creating creatures of various materials, which would be animated by magic to test their potential as a vessel. Tonight was one of the more exiting tests, as they'd be using jade.

The greenish stone had some interesting properties that, despite being a mineral, might allow for relatively flexible movement of the vessel, assuming the ritual succeeded. Finding large enough chunks of jade to carve from had been tough, but they'd gotten one, which had been crafted in the shape of a Gargoyle. The traditional stone protectors of sacred places would be a nice addition to their castles on their western border, for obvious reasons, but it'd be a long road to get there. Even so, tonight's test was an exciting first step. With her head still in the clouds, she hadn't even spotted her Lady-In-Waiting peaking into her study until she opened the door to leave it...

"Ah..." She almost instinctively made an excuse as to why she was here, until she recalled that she was the queen now, rather than a servant sneaking into places she wasn't supposed to be in. "Good evening." She smiled, as the upcoming experiment was putting her in a better mood already. "I'm a bit busy, as I fear I might run late for tonight's experiment." She was on the verge of telling the Lady-In-Waiting off, but changed her mind. "Would you care to join me?" Tonight's experiments weren't particularly dangerous, as she'd been well-prepared and wasn't yet taking any drastic steps, so having company shouldn't be an issue.

 

[foodforpigs]

Reginald "Reg" Hurst
​

Reginald Hurst had taken longer than usual to bid temporary farewell to his companion Dandy at the stables. It risked cutting into Reg's lunchtime, but true to his name, Dandy was very peculiar about his temporary residence and correct protocol that was to be observed. His name was not just a reference to its dandelion mane and plant features, after all. Reg ensured there were enough cushions for Dandy to rest on in his partition of the stables and that everything was sufficiently clean. He sprayed perfume around and put on a record to start playing. Reg found a stable attendant was around that knew which records to switch out at which times, as well as giving him a jar of honey glaze that Dandy preferred. Reginald bowed with a flourish to Dandy before departing.

Reg went into a run after leaving the stables until he reached the crowded Fredrim Square and was shoved around a couple of times but Reg retained his balance and weaved through the crowd to find the Eatery as the lunchtime bell rang. Alarmed, he made more sudden cuts across the crowd to get to his destination. After barging through the front doors of the Eatery, he scanned the dining hall for signs of the master cook to be the first to try his latest recipes. Usually Reg would be here before lunch officially began to eat the new stuff as an appetizer, but it looked like, this time, the meals would be in opposite order, given there was enough time before the next mission briefing. He hoped so. Reg loved food, but he wanted time to savor both meals.

After all, his previous mission had been a long one, being mostly uneventful recon in the Micab region, where he had to eat mostly rations and have Dandy hunt for food. The Radumia Region would've been preferable, but Reg didn't choose the missions, but he'd make the argument if he had to, that the right food could bring out the best in people.

 

[Absyinthe_Artica]

Wonderealm Society IC

A World of Whimsy

---

Within the world of Wonderealm, characters of all shapes and sizes make this topsy-turvy land their home. The great legends of old still wander the moors of the weird as the lights pass on each day. Exploring every nook and cranny of Wonderealm would allow you to find the mysterious figures that hold treasures far beyond normal means. The way the people interact with one another depends on what's truly at stake; for some, it's as simple as a coin; for others, it's their life. It takes care and patience to be able to navigate the trails that sprawl far across each region. Many things can happen unexpectedly, and one can never be too prepared. Adventures are plenty as the clock ticks slowly, moving time forward to its destination.

* * *​

A Bloody affair was to be had almost every day in the Bloros region. They yearned to cull those they deemed unworthy of their grace. The court was fierce, and anyone who even looked at them funny would be without a head by nightfall. The twilight hours were the perfect time for heads to roll, or that's what the Princess of Bloody Hearts thought. She enjoyed the waning light casting shadows across the guillotine as their prisoners died swiftly by its blade. Mostly it was the commoners who fell to this accursed fate, but Adaline had overheard her parents discussing plans for invasions into the other regions. They wanted more territory, more bloodshed, and she couldn't help but shiver at the thought. The Bloros Region was a beautiful place, but the rest of Wonderealm at her disposal? That would be the icing on her cake. Perhaps she would ask to attend more of these meetings, although she knew how the Queen was, and her father practically had no say. She sighed and bit her lip as a crow let out a caw somewhere beyond the castle walls. Dreadful animals they were, always making noise and pestering the cadavers. It wasn't quite time for beheadings, so Adaline was left alone with her thoughts. The lunch she had wasn't as good as the dessert she snuck from the kitchen earlier. Perhaps the Princess would find a way to sneak into the next meeting, though Adaline would need a good plan if she got caught. Mother was cruel if she went against her will. Thoughts swirled around her mind as the sun crossed the Courtyard.

* * *​

When the lady-in-waiting finally caught up with the Queen, she seemed extremely busy. She listened to her words quietly and cocked her head slightly at her question. Did she want her help? Corrina Matiste was new at being a lady-in-waiting, but she wanted to impress her Queen so much, this could be the perfect opportunity to show her how loyal she was. She felt so inspired by the woman and hoped to excel at being her handmaiden. She bit her lip softly and spoke to her Queen with a bow.
"Your majesty, I would love to attend with you. It would be my honor to serve you during your experiment tonight. Thank you so much for this chance!" She got up from her bowing position and straightened out her dress. She had no clue what to do to be helpful, but she would try her best with whatever instructions the Queen had for her. The experiment wouldn't be until later; preparations for dinner would need to be accomplished before she could let herself attend such an extravagant event. She sighed and furrowed her brows.
"Shall we prepare a feast before the full moon rises? Perhaps usher in the good spirits to stay the dark magic we rile up?" She was nervous but tried to keep it out of her voice. Her superstitions about evil crept around her thoughts as she waited for the Queen to reply.

* * *​

The dazzling lights and colorful sights of the Radumia region amaze all that travel through it. Some may say this is a perfect place to live; however, those who wish to be free say otherwise. The laws that bind the Radiant Diamonds Court are strict and rigid. If one were to break a rule, the worst consequences would ensue. The ruling King and Queen maintain a sense of order. They hold events to rally their citizens for their causes, swaying their opinion towards the bright, cheerful side. Although not every diamond can shine brightly, some are dull and lifeless and cannot sense the brilliance that others possess. Those characters seek to undermine the authority of the region one step at a time...

* * *​

Business dealings within the Abisyo region are private affairs that can result in great things or horrible consequences if one were to cheat another of their money. It's about the wealth of another here in this place, and the Abyssal Spades Court does their best to have a hand in every pocket on Wonderealm. Each day they count their coins and collect more from the travelers that live; almost every significant capital has some sort of Bazaar and hands over a minor percentage of their profits to the Court. One day all this business will make sense to the world. For now, the customers will buy, and Abyssal Spades will sell.

* * *​

The Cook of the Eatery was a small stout man by the name of Coco. He loved to bake and create all sorts of food for the Freedom Riders to enjoy between missions. Coco admired their courage to save others from the Court System and did his best to make their bellies full and encourage them to keep going. Reginald was his favorite rider, or perhaps the only one eager enough to try the concoctions he would slam together on a whim. Today he had made honey glazed crumpets with almonds and a leek and potato soup with extra cheese. The unique thing about this is that the soup allowed those who drink it to go faster than usual. The glaze on the crumpets gave the user a dose of good luck. Coco did his best to infuse magic into his food, and he did everything to make them unique, so the Riders had a chance against the might of the other Courts. It was hard work rescuing the oppressed. Coco watched as the riders filed into the Eatery and scanned the crowd for his beloved flamingo. In a moment, he spotted his feathery head and called him over to the serving counter.
"Aye, Me' Pal I has a treat fer' ye' today!" He revealed an extra helping of the lunch meal for the day and scooted it across the counter. Usually, the custom was to give a couple of coins to the Cook for the food, but Coco didn't want him paying for this.
"Now save yer' coin fer sumtin' better than me. Eat up now!" He chuckled and stroked his beard as he waited to see the reaction of the Yellow Rider.

* * *​

The world of Wonderealm brims with magic and mystery as the day makes its way closer to the evening.

---

Addressing: @Elvario and @foodforpigs

 

[foodforpigs]

Reg nodded gratefully and expressed his thanks to Coco before other Riders and customers were clamoring behind him for their helping. He took the table closest to the serving counter so Coco could watch how Reg ate. Reg pierced the cheese layer of the soup, allowing it to mix with the leeks, potato, and broth, and savoring the smell, before lifting the spoon and allowing the first warm mixture to slide down his beak and into his gullet. His wings fluttered quickly as he felt a tinge of energy of the first spoonful before picked up the bowl and scooping the rest down directly into his beak.

His neck craned around to see the other Riders talking to each other and generally allowing their meals to cool, which seemed like a waste. The cheese at the served temperature had been just right. More confident in how to approach the meal, he took his second bowl of soup and performed the same ritual but spooning some of the mixture onto a crumpet, and devouring. He nibbled on the remaining crumpet by itself, leaving a crumby mess as his beak broke it into pieces.

He placed a hand on his stomach and adjusted his yellow cloak, brushing off some crumbs off, casualties of a fine lunch. Coco appeared pleased and now that the lunch line-up was gone, Reg went back with his tray with a couple of coins on it.

"Still on the house, I insist." Coco then chortled. "You enjoy it as much as I enjoy making it."
"How about for another meat glaze?" said Reg. "Dandy has become a fan of yours as well."
"High praise from one with such refined taste."
"Something familiar and something new?" asked Reg, gesturing at the coin.
"I'll see what I can do between now and tonight. Still have to make supper, you understand."
Reg nodded. The Cook of the Eatery was humble as ever, but one of the hardest workers he'd ever known. It was non-stop prep for him.
"Be seeing you."

Once Reg went back into Fredrim Square, he was feeling a bit peckish again, the flavors of the meal still lingering in his mouth.
"Yellow Rider!" someone shouted behind him. This person was holding one of Coco's crumpets. Reg looked at it before looking at this person's face.

 

[Elvario]

Acacia Leveson
​

Acacia was slightly taken aback by the gratefulness displayed by her lady-in-waiting. Was this an attempt at flattery or was it genuine? She couldn't really tell. Even so, she knew how it felt to be left out, without being given a chance. She also knew how it felt to finally be given a chance, as well as how it felt to be betrayed in the end. Now that she was the one holding the reigns, she could grand others what she'd never been granted; a fair chance. It was an odd sensation, but one that she'd gladly get used to. "You're welcome."

Corrina brought up a good point, as even a relatively simple experiment like tonight's could be better off by being properly ushered in with a feast. "Yes, let's get one going right away." Between the feasts and the containment rituals, the safety of these experiments had greatly increased. Even so, the fact that there was still such a thing as a clean-up crew was enough to prove that not all experiments went off without a hitch. In a worst case scenario, Acacia had made it so that everything within the bounds of the containment area could be blown up, which was enough to cause quite a mess, but it'd be neatly a contained one.

As they were heading for wherever the feast would be prepared, Acacia couldn't help herself from wanting to test Corrina a little. "Are you aware of the purpose of tonight's ritual? We're going to experiment with ways to create a suitable vessel out of jade, so that we've got something worth making into a fully intelligent, autonomous life-form later on. Tonight's experiment will mostly be about the flexibility with which we can make it move, but there will be various other factors to consider after this." She stopped walking for a bit, looking directly at Corrina. "Now, here's my question to you, what do you think is the most important thing to take into account, before attempting to give any form of sentience to something?"