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Oceans of Candela: Create an Original Fantasy World

SharkLord

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Jun 20, 2020
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Pangaea, 250 MYA
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SharkLord

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Jun 20, 2020
Messages
7,318
Location
Pangaea, 250 MYA
Going forward, I've decided that all votes will finish around 4-ish PST, for the sake of consistency. My schedule made them alternate between ending at 2 and 4, but we're settling around 4 from now on. As such, the voting period for both the Number of Races and the Merfolk will continue for about two more hours. Be sure to get your votes in if you haven't already!
 

SharkLord

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Pangaea, 250 MYA
Aight, it's about that time

First off, the maximum number of races:
  • 12 Races - 11
  • 9 Races - 8
  • 16 Races - 7
  • 20 Races - 4
  • 26 Races - 0
Popular vote goes to Glubbfubb Glubbfubb 's suggestion that we have a maximum of 12 Races in our setting. Now for the second vote, which will add the second race to our world alongside humanity:
  • Merrow - 13
  • Icthyses - 7
  • Atromen - 6
  • Aguadas - 5
  • Fish Hominidae - 5
And SharkLord SharkLord 's Merrow scores the win. As a quick rundown, the Merrow are a diverse group of amphibious humanoids wish traits of ray-finned fish, split into tribes corresponding to different fish species. They're comparatively low-tech thanks to their aquatic lifestyle preventing the discovery of fire for the longest time, and many of them spend their time scavenging from advanced sunken cities for personal use, study, and trade with terrestrial races. We'll get around to fleshing them out in some later jobs.

Moving on, we've got a comparatively simpler job coming up now:

Job 8 - Submit a Name for the World
Because Original Fantasy World doesn't roll off the tongue that well. The setting takes place on an ocean planet, and has at most twelve races. It's not much, but I still think we can spin something out of it. Find some mythological beings and/or foreign words relating to water, mess around to find something cool, and we should be good.
 

GolisoPower

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Sep 17, 2017
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Job 8:
Enumalish:
A portmanteau of the Enuma Elish, the Mesopotamian creation myth that tells the tale of the two gods Abzu and Tiamat, representations of fresh water and saltwater. As Mesopotamia is the earliest recorded civilization in Earth history, existing before Egypt, it would make sense to have the world's name take roots from not only this civilization, but also from the creation myth with the most ties to water to date.
 
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SharkLord

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Pangaea, 250 MYA
Job 8 - Pulua
A contraction of Pulu Honua, Hawaiian for "Blue Planet" according to Google Translate (Half of the time - The other half it's honua uliuli, depending on the capitalization. GT is finnicky like that). It rolls off the tongue, and as an island nation, Hawai'i is heavily linked to water, much like our world.
 

Dan Quixote

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Jun 25, 2020
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Gonna go for the solarpunk half of our world for the name game here.

Job #8: Candela

Bit of a simple etymology here, but fantasy can be a little childish, can't it? A candela in our world is a measure of luminosity, how bright something is. But doesn't it also sound like a really pretty word? I love that word! And it's not a common enough measurement we make in our daily lives for the name to stand out as just being a word. It's nice and punchy and memorable, and I'd be proud to be called a Candelan. Candelite? Candelian kinda works.
 

SharkLord

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Pangaea, 250 MYA
Three submissions... Isn't that much, all things considered, so we're stretching out the naming job a little longer. While we wait, here's another job to work with.

Job 9 - Submit a Guild/Occupation
A fantasy world staple, guilds are organizations that dictate the fantasy jobs. There can be adventurers, merchants, defenders, healers, so on and so forth. Say what the guild's corresponding job is, describe the job, and list the standard gear the guild members are equipped with. This should help flesh out our world a bit more. Also note that, like the algae application job, all submissions will be accepted without a vote.

Again, JOB 8 IS STILL GOING ALONGSIDE THIS ONE
 

GolisoPower

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Job 9:

The Da Vinci Institute:

Named after the inventor of the first diving suit (He did a lot of things even if he was best known for the Mona Lisa), the Da Vinci Institute is a multinational organization that is effectively an interspecies science lab.

There are four different branches of the Da Vinci University that operate continuously:

Trenchwalkers: The Trenchwalkers are the deep-sea divers of the Institute, tasked with exploring the deep ocean trenches and unearthing sunken artifacts from before any sentient species made their first documents of the past. Oftentimes, Trenchwalkers are the more sought-after career in the world, however it is the riskiest, as they are in danger of being crushed by sudden water pressure, devoured by abyssal predators, or cut off from their air supply by other factors. Ultimately, however, the discoveries they make prove the risks to be worth it.

Luciferologists: Scientists studying in Luciferology, the study of Photoluciferin in the world. From its solar power potential to its ability to grant magic, Luciferologists are normally mages. Every day, these people are looking to discover more and more applications for Photoluciferin, with popular goals being the likes of space travel and permanently enhancing biology.

Galapagosites: The Galapagosites are the people responsible for studying the fauna of the world and how they adapt to the water-based world around them. While sea life is rather common in the world, and a common topic for the Galapagosites, it is ultimately the land-based life that they're fascinated in, mainly because natural islands are rare to come by. The data they collect from the fauna is then delivered to the Institute for use in other experiments.

Archimedians: Last but certainly not least are these guys, the Archimedians. They're responsible for creating the machinery used by the 12 races on the planet. Their designs are for the most part original, but they also take inspiration from unearthed machinery from Trenchwalkers, animal data from Galapagosites, or special data found from Luciferologists. Generally, the Archimedians provide solar panels, hydroelectric generators, and seacraft to travel in the ocean, but they are also responsible for developing the weaponry they provide to the civilizations of the world.

As far as fantasy jobs go, they're usually responsible for Researchers, Artificers, and Wizards.
 
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Glubbfubb

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Mar 16, 2021
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The Clambrea Institute

This institution is responsible for the development of water distillation technologies. In this world fresh water is serious buissness and many teammates and equipped in pressurised water suits to extract freshwater from the depths of the world where salt isnt deposited. This guild is very secretive and is responsible for the supply of all the worlds freshwater.
 

Yiptap

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Feb 13, 2021
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The Flat Eric cult
Job 9: Gold-Getters Guild/Thief Guild
A somewhat large, underground guild consisting of low-level thugs to master criminals. As the name says, they revolve around stealing things. They are sneaky and attack by sneaking up close to an opponent. They use knives, but also use weapons not as common in a fantasy setting, such as crowbars, brass knuckles, and even nets to trap enemies.

Useless Lore:
The guild was started by a man in his early twenties, who was the breadwinner of a poor family on a slummy island. His family was in deep debt, so he resorted to swimming to other islands and stealing items for money. Eventually, he bit off more than he could chew, and the authorities were able to figure out that he was the culprit behind the theft of an ancient relic. Enraged, the man's family sold him out, so he needed to run away. Betrayed by his family's betrayal, he then began to steal just for the fun of it. Though when he was feeling generous, he would give some of his loot to poor people. Soon, people from many different races wanted to join the man in stealing out of gratitude. The man then thought it would be good to create a guild where he would work with all kinds of different people and steal random stuff. The guild has an oath that if anyone rats someone else out, they will be punished (executed).
 
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SharkLord

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Pangaea, 250 MYA
Job 9 - Scavenger's Guilds
Not really a single guild so much as a group of unrelated guilds, the Scavenger's Guilds are dedicated to combing the coasts and waters inside the continental shelf for lost technology and relics from sunken cities. These cities weren't always more advanced than modern cities, but the relics fetch a high price and the technology that is highly advanced compared to modern tech is even more important due to the potential of modern usage and reverse-engineering. For the most part, Scavanger's Guilds tend to be formed mainly from terrestrial races; Merrow tribes usually just form scavenging bands and share whatever they brought back between their tribes, rather than complex guilds and organizations to dictate the scavenging. That said, some Merrow guilds have popped up here and there, usually from tribes who attempt to model themselves off of terrestrial civilizations.

Scavenger's Guild gear tend to vary, but most have the usual aquatic gear and knives. In some cases they may also bring other weaponry for protection, usually harpoon guns or polearms.

P.S. More people submit a name for our worlds we need more submissions
 

SharkLord

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Well, I tried to get more names going but we're stuck at three submissions. That's actually the least amount of submissions we've gotten so far - Usually we have exactly five. Ah well, it's been two days. No more dragging this out.
Ranked voting is in effect as usual, which means each submission will get at least some votes from everyone. The guild job is still in effect.
 

Mr. Robotto

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1) Candela - I like the more Solarpunk approach to this one
2) Enumalish - Love me some mythology, maybe we can work this into the lore somehow
3) Pulua - Hawaii, being scattered islands, make sense for a source of inspiration

These are all great names, definitely way better than what I would come up with! Definitely a case of quality over quantity here.
 

SharkLord

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  1. Candela
  2. Enumalish
  3. Pulua
In hindsight it'd probably be better if I had called it Pallua instead of Pulua but ah well, what's done is done
 
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SharkLord

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Aight, let's tally it up
  • Candela - 15
  • Pulua - 8
  • Enumalish - 7
Candela wins by a massive sweep - Congratulations, Dan Quixote Dan Quixote !

Now that we have our world a name - Which will be going up on the title as well - We'll be fleshing out the specific details.

Job 10 - Submit a "Starter" Location
In other words, a low-down, casual place where you'd start a fantasy story. Tolkien's Shire and Pokemon's Pallet Town are two well-known examples. Surrounding the area would be (relatively) casual zones as well, equivalent to Level-1s like Green Hill Zone or Green Greens. This will be our first time taking a closer look at our newly-christened world of Candela, so it's only natural we should start with a low-key place such as the one we're making now.

Your submissions should include the following:
  • The name
  • A brief overview of the geography (Is it a natural island? A collection of islands? An artificial floating city? How big is it?)
  • The surrounding climate
  • Any regional specialties, noteworthy facts and locations, and economic focuses (Is this focused on mining, farming, scavenging, etc.)
  • State of the place (Is it a country? One of many states? An occupied territory? Simply a research colony?)
  • Real-world cultural equivalents (If possible)
I want to have a working blueprint in these submissions to go off of, but not to the point that there isn't any room to build on it. I also want to figure out a way to incorporate the second-place vote of this job, and possibly the third, so people don't feel like they're putting in a lot of work just to have it lose.
 

GolisoPower

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Job 10:

Aeaea:
Named after the floating island of the Greek goddess of magic Circe, Aeaea is a religion-heavy area where worship of a deity, whoever that may be, is common.

Much like its namesake, Aeaea is floating, as it is effectively a giant church held afloat and held together by Photoluceferic algae. Though it floats now, drifting along with the tides of the ocean, some signs have shown that this was once bound by land. Its appearance is nothing short of extravagant, sporting large bell towers and multiple floors on all sides. Usually, the climate around you as you explore the church is rather moist and cool, considering you are surrounded by, well, the ocean.

The island of Aeaea is independent of the rest of the world and gathers people from the dozen races willing to become followers. Their specialty is herbalism since the Photoluciferic algae are heavily tied to said religion; the monks that were native to the church since its theorized transition to the sea have gathered many herbs and non-Photoluciferic algae and created concoctions to aid in medicines, which they pass off as "becoming closer to the divine". Some even travel to other lands to use their medicines in infirmaries across many cities.

Going onto new followers, when a follower is accepted into their circle they are taken to a notable location on the church's roof, Circe's Altar, where they go through initiation rites, which involve among others, being baptized in, what else, Photoluciferin. Every morning, they congregate at the Hall of Choiros, where they give their prayers to their god in a brief, yet intense prayer.

The more I wrote this the more I'm thinking, "damn, this wouldn't be out of place in a FromSoft game".
 

Yiptap

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Job 10: Welcura

Considering the fact that this is our first island, it shouldn't be anything extraordinary.

Anyway, Welcura is a small, farming village that is well-known for the delicious ingredients grown there (Specifically carrots). It isn't an island, but a small town in a modest, plain-like island that is littered with hills. It has a fairly normal climate (Warm in Spring and Summer, chilly in Fall and Winter) except for the fact that it doesn't snow. Welcura doesn't use much Solarpunk technology, but the people have adapted to fighting using martial arts, as well as using pitchforks, knives, and even garden shears (Though more curious people like to craft wooden swords). Once someone is "of age", (Around eighteen) they have the choice of staying in the village for as long as they want or leave and live elsewhere. (They are still allowed to visit)

It's not too fleshed out, but it's the first area, so it doesn't have to be complicated, imo.
 

Dan Quixote

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Thought I'd make a town that has a bit of a spark to get a story going in it hehe

Job #10: Sonnenstrahl

This mid-sized town, isolated on a small island just off the coast of one of the largest landmasses in this world, has been gossiped about all over that small continent for the last few years. If the rumors are true, then Sonnenstrahl has the opportunity to become one of the most technologically advanced city-states on Candela! The phenomenon is not entirely understood, even by the scholars of the city, but the effects are reproducible. The sand around Sonnenstrahl's island seems to have been infused with the essence of photoluciferin over the years. The sand, if properly treated, can turn into a store of power once it's been left in the Sun for a long time to absorb its energy. Those special glass panels can be used to power things in much the same way photoluciferin can, but it requires little skill to use. At the moment, it's only a curiosity. After all, there is limited sand on Sonnenstrahl's beaches. But some larger political powers have their eyes on the situation, perhaps looking to selfishly use the resource for their own purposes.

Other than that, Sonnenstrahl's culture is quite simple. It's a service city instead of a farming one. Their main industry is shipbuilding, and most of the population will end up joining a guild of trade sailors who are hired to safely move big, expensive, fragile, or rare goods from one place to another over vast distances of ocean. Unfortunately, it is hard for the people of Sonnenstrahl to save up enough to leave and forge their own path because food and fresh water can get so expensive in a place where it's not locally produced.
 

Mr. Robotto

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Jan 20, 2019
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The Mayship
  1. Sonnenstrahl (very much like the setting, mixes the oceanic world and photoluciferin with our solarpunk setting quite well, also the german name makes it easy to pronounce, well at least for melol)
  2. Welcura (very basic and safe)
  3. Aeaea (while I very much like the setting, it's a bit too big of a tongue-twister to my liking lol)
Another round of great submissions!
 

SharkLord

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Sorry guys, got preoccupied. Let's move over.
  1. Sonnestrahl - 15
  2. Welcura - 10
  3. Aeaea - 5
In a unanimous agreement, Dan Quixote Dan Quixote 's Sonnestrahl wins. Now, let's start building up our geography

Job 11: Submit a Nearby Habitat
So yeah. Describe a nearby habitat. Coral reefs, mangrove forests, seagrass meadows, that sort of stuff. Of course, some really wacky stuff like, say, an underwater jungle or a giant fish skeleton are fine too. Basically, we're mapping out the areas nearby. All submissions will be accepted, however, we will be holding a vote to determine the habitat Sonnestrahl's island sits in.
 
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