Fluff Two

World Fluff

NATIONS:

The Arthoran Nations

Tresk

	The Kingdom of Tresk is known for its lush plains and hills. Its founding was one of the events that marked the end of the dark ages known as the Chaotic Era, and in the century that followed the continent slowly settled into the form it is in today.

	Tresk is currently at war with Vedira, being the victim of its most recent attempt at conquest. Pilots are scarce due to the war currently, and so defense of the people against the current Gaiakin cycle has fallen to a collection of mercenaries and freshly graduated trainees.

Vedira

	The Vediran Empire is located in what was once the center of the old Arthoran Empire, considering itself to be the descendant and inheritor of its will. As such it has taken a very aggressive stance torwards its neighboring countries, and has gone to war many times in the name of restoring its former glory. The most recent emperor seems to have taken his obsession with the Arthoran Empire to the extreme, constantly ordering expeditions to seek out ancient relics.

	Vedira is mostly desert, and takes a noticeably longer time for an Argoths mana collectors to recharge as one goes further into the center. Records indicate that it was once as lush and green as the rest of its neighbors back in the time of the empire, but any information on what happened to it were lost during the Chaotic Era.

	A holdover from the old Arthoran empire is the importance of masks in their culture. The imperial family wears masks whenever appearing in public, and most Argoths made in Vedira are designed with a blank ceramic plate in place of a face.

Laetia

	Laetia was once a part of Vedira, but in 422 A.E. it rebelled and seceded in response to the oppressive policies imposed by the emperor at that time. It keeps itself safe from its parent nation through the support of the neighboring countries of Yask and Bakar, who are happy to see Vedira weakened in any way.

	Laetia took with a large portion of fertile land, and has proven to be quite prosperous. It prefers to stay out of the affairs of the rest of the world, and is mostly characterized the large collection of skilled craftsmen within it.

Danba

	The people of Danba are supposedly descended from people who came across the sea a bit less than 700 years ago, and this is indeed supported by the difference in the local culture, though it cannnot be confirmed as the disappearance of the 10 living Argoths resulted in sea travel being cut off by the resurgence of massive amounts of aquatic Gaiakin. Danba is filled with rainforests, and a central volcanic mountain at its center.

	Danba is known for being completely crisscrossed with veins of the metal Metarium, which is extremely tough and difficulty to shape. On the flipside, it is incredibly hard to damage, and lesser materials often break against it.

	Recently there have been increased sightings of Vediran ships and Argoths nearby Danba, feeding fears that they are to be their next target if Tresk is defeated.

Fafna

	After the death of Fafna's founder Grendus the Great, his many sons quickly took to squabbling against each other over who was most worthy of succeeding him. This set the tone for the rest of the country's history. Fafnan nobles are notorious plotters and schemers and are constantly attempting to steal each others power.

	What the country lacks in size, it has made up for with its vast amounts of Argoth, being rich in metals which it incessantly mines out. This is also their main export to neighboring countries, with there being many rumors of Fafnan merchants trading to both sides, which they of course vehemently deny.

Aquisse

	Aquisse's economy and culture, are heavily tied to the sea. With an upper class made up of merchant princes, it is known for its mastery of the waters and grandiose aesthetics. Unsurprisingly, Aquisse Argoth makers are best when wanting one capable of underwater travel and combat. As such most of the shipping lines in the northern regions are guarded by Aquissian mercenaries against pirating and Gaiakin attacks.

	Aquisse and Tresk have historically had very good relations with each other, with their royal lines being closely related to each other. Recently they have offered their aid in the war against Vedira.


Damarky

	The ports of Darmarky are historically known for rampant crime and smuggling, a trait that has carried to the present day despite the best efforts of its rulers. It has frequently come into conflict of Verdira over the posession of the city of Freecha and the surrounding territories, which provide the easiest land route between the Eastern and Western halves of the Arthoran lands.

Yask
	Yask is the continent's center of academia. It is ruled by a council of the most senior mages. It is here that mages and craftsmen toil and study to exceed the capabilities of magic and solve the worlds mysteries.

Bakar
	Bakar has been content to stay out of the affairs of any of its neighbors. Indeed it is notable as being the least culturally homogenous of the Arthoran nations, still holding onto the traditions of the southern nations.

Other Nations

The Republic of Karia

	Karia's people and goverment are notoriously jingoistic, and are extremely aggressive towards their neighbors in the name of spreading their greatness. However they have an unspoken agreement to not interfere with the affairs of the Arthoran Nations, for which their exact reasons are unknown.

	Karian Argoths are known for having a very distinctive appearance, being very jagged and organic. This is due to a local method of metal working in which spells are used to sculpt the molten metal into the desired shape while rapidly cooling it at the same time. A similar method is used by its neighbors of Jenma and Norro, however they use  the techniques differently in a way that produces much more rounded and flowing appearances.

Jenma
	The lands in Jenma are known for being full of swamps and ancient ruins dating back to before even the formation of the Arthoran Empire. Gaiakin attacks are more frequent here, leading to rumors that their source may be somewhere deep within its swamps.

Norro

	Norro is located next to the Onlie mountains, which has shaped their culture due to their contact with the Apolli, giant beings which live in the tunnels beneath the mountains. It is here that worship of the nature spirits is strongest, being where the Apolli first taught humanity how to communicate with them.

Thormin

	A heavily militarized nation which has gained a reputations for being impenetrable since the end of the Chaotic Era. A massive system of walls and fortress rings its borders, and all youths are required to spend 5 years in the army.

Hexsis
	A country filled with large clans fighting for dominance. Hundreds of years ago Haska the Mighty created a system in which every 5 years the clans would compete in a grand tournament of battle and wits in order to gain the right to rule until the next tournament. The winning clans champion must display proficiency in strategy, piloting, and on foot combat in order to win.

Mordana

	Little is known about Mordana as it avoids nearly all contact with the outside world, and all who enter it never return.

Penry

	A large republic known for having made great advances in the construction of its Argoths and Weapons. They don't make much contact with the other countries and consider them barbarians.
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Magic and Technology

The Magic System

	Magic is primarily based around runes which effect the world in various ways when mana is channeled into them. The very simplest spells taught to beginners do not involve runes, but are however greatly involved in using them, such as the light projection spell which forms the basic of most magic, as it is used to create magic circles floating in thin air which are needed for most spells. Magic is at the simplest level, altering and making use of the laws of the world in order to produce certain effects. Essentially hacking physics.

Runes

	There are three types of Runes used in spell crafting and enhancing, Large Runes, Small Runes, and Functional Runes. Large Runes and Small Runes are used in inscriptions and complex spells, with Large Runes being the centerpiece of the stored spell, and the Small Runes surrounding it and pathing to where it needs to be connected. Functional Runes are used in Magic Circles and direct spells.

Mana Collectors

	For whatever reason, cones were found to be the most efficient shape in gathering mana out of the air. And so on nearly all Argoths, one can find small structures (most often located on the back) with this shape. These are Mana Collectors, which pull the mana out of the which is needed to power the Argoths, and be used for spells on the scale of Argoth Combat.

Alignment Runes

	A collection of Large Runes located near the cockpit which connect to all the other engraved spells on the Argoth and controls their interactions. If damaged, the spells which control the Argoth and its weapons, particularly around its moving parts, will begin to connect with each other in ways they were not suppose to, with a fifty fifty chance of either simply causing it to shut down, or violently explode.

Guns

	Guns in this world work via the acceleration of slugs by passing them through successive magic circles designed to apply large amounts of force upon them. The runes required for this are difficult to scale down by all save for the greatest of mage craftsmen.

Rockets

	The Magic used in flight engines creates an effect of a orb of light floating behind the engine as opposed to a jet of flame. The orb tend to leave a a trailing of light effect behind it when in motion, and when stopped the Argoth appears to "hang" suspended from the orb. Similarly to the spells used in guns, engine effects are difficult to scale down, and cost a vast amount of mana.
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Religions

The Imperial Religion

	The primary religion held in the Arthoran Nations, it holds the old Arthoran Emperors and Empresses (Particularly the first Emperor Arthrus) as divine beings, having been blessed with immortal souls and holy blood to guide humanity to glory. The 10 living Argoths are likewise revered as their holy servants and warriors.
	The fall of the empire is attributed to its subjects having grown corrupt and lazy, causing them to lose the favor of the divines and the scattering of its power.

The Dragon Cult

	Mostly combined to Danba, they worship the dragons as the descendants of the god Ark'Tu. It is not considered a sin to slay a dragon in self defense, this being the natural order of things, but killing them for sport is considered punishable by death. They hold the Anvern as demons which which corrupt the land and create imbalance by slaying the dragons.

Goroism

	Most commonly believed in the Southern nations, it holds that in ancient times, the world was chaotic and unstable. It remained this way until one day five stone giants were birthed from the chaos and with their knowledge, quelled the chaos and created humanity. They then taught humanity all their knowledge, Ardinva The Master taught them of warfare and chivalry, Mendora The Grower taught farming and hunting, Kono The Teacher taught the secrets of magic, Haveti The Joyful taught the arts, music, and celebration, and Loric the Crafter taught building, forging, and crafting. However as time went on, the giants began to turn on each other and wage war until only Ardinva was the only one left. He was then struck down by his pupils according to the laws he taught them, which stated he must be punished for the crimes he committed against his siblings.
	Its most holy site is the hand of Ardinva, a large hand shaped stone formation found in the southern tip of the Karian mountain range which is said to be where Ardinva fell after his death.

Spirit Worship

	Found mainly in Jenma, Norro, and Thormin, it reveres the spirits of nature which live within the earth and elements and worships the great spirit Gaia which is said to hold dominion over the entire world. The nature spirits are willing to perform favors for humans in exchange for sacrifices of blood, flesh, water, or extremely beautiful gifts. Communing with spirits was banned by the Arthoran empire, and while it is no longer considered a sin in most of the Arthoran nations, many still feel uncomfortable with the act.

Gaiakin Cults

	A variety of groups who worship the Gaiakin, some worshiping them as a whole, while others worship only a singular or group of them. A notorious example the Followers of the Shadakra, who worship the infamous and seemingly unkillable Gaiakin referred to by most as the Dark Walker, and regularly kidnap human sacrifices who they hand over to the shadow beings which the Dark Walker spawns. Gaiakin worshipers are considered insane heretics by the other religions, save the Spirit worshipers who are willing to leave them alone if no trouble is caused, but still considers them incredibly stupid.
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Notable Fauna

The Gaiakin

	The creatures that necessitated the creation of the Argoths. A multitude of giant beasts with unknown origins, with every specimen being completely different from the previous. Upon appearing, they wander the earth and intentionally or not, tend to destroy everything in their path. Their populations surge every 50 years, and afterwards the rate of emergence slows down drastically.

	None have ever seen a Gaiakin being born, and it is believe they are created out of the Earth itself. This hypothesis is supported by how they seem to merge themselves into the ground when sleeping, with the  dirt and plants covering them up in a way that makes them nearly undetectable unless observed up close.

	Their deaths release large amounts of mana that permeates the air around them until dispersal.


Dragons
	In this world Dragons are non intelligent, and share a characteristic 6 limbed body shape. True dragons have 4 legs and 2 wings, wyverns have 4 wings and 2 legs, and drakes have 6 legs. They come in a massive amount of varieties, but tend to be rare in the central areas of the continent due to the Anvern. The rarest and largest breed, the Imperial Dragon, has been known to grow to sizes capable of threatening an Argoth.


Anvern

	Also known as the Dragon Hunters. These creatures have long slender bodies, with thick leathery pale red skin. Their bones are a dark grey color and have growths which stick out of their backs and also grow out of their heads and cover their faces like armor. Their heads have a distinct triangular shape, hiding a long sharp proboscis which can even leave punctures in Argoth Armor. Ironically they have also been compared to wyverns in appearance, owing to their long winged forelimbs.

	As implied by their name, the Anvern have a bizarre impulse to kill anything that fits the basic profile of a dragon. While normally content to peacefully feed off of treesap, upon encountering a dragon they will swarm and viciously kill it.

Demkira

	Long necked raptors used as mounts in the deserts of Vedira. They have pairs of insectlike wings in place of arms that allow them to leap to great heights.

Rock Runners

	A particular type of lizard about the size of a crocodile found in the mountains. They are notable for their voracious hunger and for being covered in horns and spikes. They are a suprisingly popular design in the appearance of beast type Argoths.

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