World ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɴɪɢʜᴛ ꜱᴋʏ | an assortment of worlds & settings

[skee]

ꜱᴋʏ'ꜱ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅꜱ

over the years, I've written a variety of settings, many of which have become near and dear to my heart. here, I'll be expounding on a number of them: from neo-dystopian hyper-capitalist cities, to viking apocalypses, to monster-ridden medieval iran. I've also illustrated many of these settings, so below you will find a variety of my own artwork used to represent these settings and their characters.

eastriver | war of roses

a little guide to how I've organized each section:

italicized text under the header image reads: genre | approximate time period | aesthetic flavor

text in a quote box is a short, flavorsome summary of the world.

ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴇxᴛ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ʜᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ɪꜱ ɪɴ ᴀ ꜱᴄʀᴏʟʟ ʙᴏx, ꜱᴏ ꜱᴄʀᴏʟʟ!
in the notable people section, Underlined Characters are those I am comfortable and interested in writing as a main character in a roleplay. Links contain images of the named character.


all images in this thread are mine unless otherwise specified.​

 

[skee]

ᴇᴀꜱᴛʀɪᴠᴇʀ

low fantasy | late 1910s | steam trains & magic mountains
​

Eastriver is a small industrial town of little note. It's far, far from the border of Astrijan, where a great war has been raging for the last 14 years. Its hills are rolling and neverending, the ghosts of mountains. It's a town nestled up to the Eanre Mountains, a place where no man goes and returns.

In ancient history, the lands now called "Eastriver" were home to the Kinaak, a gentle and honorable race of shepherds and medicine-women, worshippers of the mother of Earth, Kina. Now, what's left of Her people work in factories processing wool, turning mutton into tinned meat, and sewing leather into boots for the front lines. It's said that, even still, the odd weaver-woman or herb-picker may walk into those old hills and hear the voices of her ancestors.

The town is run by three major families: the Bookers, who have been mayors of the town for three generations; the Andrades, who believe the town might one day be the pinnacle of the ephemeral sciences; and the Kuznetsovs, who own the town's industry and the livelihoods of its people. Don't be fooled by their power, though: there are deeper forces in those alleys, in those mountains.​

ꜱᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ
​

The town of Eastriver is small and remote, with only one rail line going in and out of town. It's a place caught between the old and the new: between rolling hills are both freshly built homes and ancient megaliths, sheep roam the hillsides and gather in hordes in industrial farms, and a proud nation of indigenous people work in colonizer's factories. It's a place with secret rules and strange customs, all in the hope of not incurring the wrath of the earth-goddess that the Kinaak worship: one does not fish in the river, when lost things are found they must be buried, no one goes to the mountains.

Outside of Eastriver are wheat fields and ranches, grassy hills, and small villages of Kinaak who have refused to integrate into modern society. There, shepherds mind flocks and send them into the hills alone for winter, steady hands dye beautiful fabrics and yarns, and old women watch giggling children play. Beyond, in the rest of Jevia, are distant cities, rocky coasts, and great lakes, each with their own myths and secrets.

The world of Eastriver is centered in Jevia (YEV-yah), a massive country whose sprawling lands are often wild and untouched. It's a place just past the threshold of industry: through its lands blast howling steam trains, on its coasts are bustling carnivals, and from its mountains waft ephemeral whispers.

To the west of Jevia is Astrijan (ASTRI-djahn), a place of beauty, wealth, and power. Nearly 15 years ago, Jevia and Astrijan went to war over a relatively minor dispute over rail lines. Since, it has ballooned into massive gunfights, capital bombings, and battles of espionage and information. Astrijan is ruled by a monarchy, and under that monarchy is a strict class system, determined both by an individual's occupation and parentage. Those not of neighbouring classes are forbidden to intermingle, and even in business one's class often offers an upper hand in negotiations. It's a place with both the poorest of the poor and the richest of the rich, its massive population contesting that of the vastly less dense Jevia. To Astrijan, its greatest weapon is the number of poor bodies it is able to send to the front.

To the south of Jevia is Ublod (OO-blood), a communist oligarchy which evolved out of a revolution that occurred a little over thirty years ago. Allied with Jevia, Ublod offered much revolution-era weaponry to the war effort in the early days. Now that the war has raged on over a decade and Ublod has had to contend with its own inter-party strife, Ublod has mostly left Jevia to their own devices, its primary contribution to their alliance diplomacy.

To the east of Jevia is Myrunia (my-ROON-yah), a fairly insular and self-isolated country ruled by a matriarchy. Though most people in Jevia think little about the Mynese, a wave of immigration from the country nearly two centuries ago has led to many Jevians being of Mynese ancestry. Though only the southern tip of Myrunia touches the Eanre Mountains, it seems that the Mynese are both most connected to, and most superstitious of its secrets.

To the north of Jevia, across the Hetian Sea, is Ostral (OSS-truhl). The greatest ally of Astrijan, Ostral's benevolent dictator has contributed much to the war, from ships to diplomats. It's a place well known for its mercantilism, its pleasant beaches, and its massive fashion houses.

ᴄᴜʟᴛᴜʀᴇ
​

ᴘᴏʟɪᴛɪᴄꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴄᴏɴᴏᴍɪᴄꜱ
Jevia is a world of overwhelming but expedient bureaucracy: its government is functionally an oligarchy, run by a panel of judges who create and monitor a massive, detailed series of laws. It's a land of attorneys and solicitors as much as it is one of farmland and field: in order to navigate the arcane number of rules which govern Jevia, its government is bloated, bustling, and fast-moving. A man sent to prison for theft might see his sentence in a week. Papers pass through its lightning-fast mail system with overwhelming efficiency. If one has a child, it must be studiously and expediently documented, submitted, and reviewed in order for even an infant to travel. Every incident makes a rule, every rule becomes a law, and every law has a set punishment for failure to adhere to it. Fortunately for its people, Jevia is just large enough to make getting away with it possible.

Jevia's massive landmass is a benefit to its people in more ways that one, though: there are nearly endless industries within it, and Jevia is broadly a fairly self-sustaining country. Their greatest exports are coal and wheat products, while their greatest imports are luxury goods such as clothing, jewelry, and furniture. Broadly, however, Jevia is fairly self-sustaining and has been free of famine and extreme poverty since the two former countries that formed it became incorporated. It's most known globally for its extraordinary transit systems and its various environments and climates.

Because the majority of people in Jevia work in some sort of industry, the most common form of education in the country is apprenticeship, though many people still go to universities and get formal educations. Both apprentices and students are expected to learn their craft in a period of five years, starting between 16-20 depending on the individual and their craft. It's not uncommon to enter a business and witness its owner being assisted by a minimum-wage, teenaged apprentice.

ᴇᴛʜɴɪᴄɪᴛʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴀᴄᴇ
The world is made up of several major ethnicities: the Olmans (analagous to europeans), the Jevics (analagous to south east asians), the Mynese (analagous to central/southern africans), the Belics (analagous to south asians), the Emnan (analagous to west asians/arabs), and the Kivu (analagous to indigenous latin americans).

Jevia mostly consists of Olmans and Jevics, for whom Jevia is named. Ublod is also mostly made up of Olmans and Jevics, with a small Mynese population in the north. Myrunia is almost exclusively Mynese. Astrijan is primarily Belic and Emnan. Ostral is primarily Emnan and Kivu.

There are also smaller ethnic groups throughout the world, including the Kinaak, one of many indigenous groups that are native to the area around the Eanre mountains.

While there is ethnic discrimination in Jevia, it's fairly uncommon. Discrimination against small ethnic groups like the Kinaak (analagous to orientalism; racism centered on "otherness" rather than criminality or weakness) is not unseen, but the most commonly discriminated groups are those native to Astrijan, especially the Belics, as they are the more populous, the darker skinned of the two major ethnicities, and most sent to the front lines of the war.

Jevics are generally considered to be the most dominant ethnicity culturally in Jevia; obviously, the whole country is named after their people. Jevian culture most values Jevic art, Jevic fashion and beauty standards, and Jevic ethics and morality. It's not uncommon to see Olman women wear makeup that elongates their eyes, or to wear Jevic-inspired dress, or to utilise the imagery of the Sounnets, the southern mountain range which is still majorly Jevic-occupied, in their art. There is even a current revival of the Jevic language (people in Jevia speak Oljev, a constructed language combining Olman and Jevic) while there is not a similar movement to revive the Olman language.

ʀᴇʟɪɢɪᴏɴ
There are a few major religions in the world of Eastriver, though only one has a place of worship in the town of the same name. The Temple of the Divine is a church which worships two deities, a brother and sister god, and their two prophets, each musicians. Divinites are known for having services full of music, buildings full of art, and worshippers who are patrons. Each church is run by a monk and a nun, each titled Brother and Sister, who each represent the two halves of divinity. Devout Divinite worshippers wear broad-brimmed hats with black veils over them, in the image of the divine, whose faces are usually depicted veiled. Their greatest values are creativity, humility, and gender division and empowerment.

The most common religion in Astrijan is Nanna, which worships Nan, the sun. Their worship revolves around the rising and falling of the sun itself: at sunrise and sunset, Nannans meet to worship and pray together, musing over the ascent and descent of light over the horizon. The teachings of Nan value life and man's place amongst the world, and as such many Nannans are vegetarian or vegan. The goddess, Nan, is both a personified diety and literally the sun, and so while representations of her are the sun, she is often represented artistically through pottery, beadwork, and jewelry in wild and overwhelming colour. Nannans' greatest values are peace, altruism, and diligence.

The Kinaak worship the earth itself, who they call Kina. They claim that Kina is literally the earth, and that though she can see and touch all people on her, man's connection to her is strongest close to the mountains, most especially the ancient Eanre Mountains. A lucky few Kinaak, those who are women, say that they can speak and communicate with Kina through their ancestors. Some of these women claim to hear voices or distant trains. Others claim that some divine hand forces their legs to lead them to places they did not intend to go. Still others claim that the earth itself can claim their sight, letting sacred herbs and holy waters sparkle with ephemeral light. Their biggest worship days are the solstices, representing both the gift of the seasons. Kinaak are well-known for their worship practices of lamb slaughter, dancing, and feasting. The Kinaak most value harmony, generosity, and community.

Outside of religion is Ephemera, or what we might consider magic. Ephemera is all that is inexplicable in the world: it is miracle, it is coincidence, it is witchcraft. Ephemera is real and unreal, it is fleeting and forever. All that is certain about ephemera is that it is unknown, and where there is unknown, there are people desperately wishing to know it.

ɢᴇɴᴅᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴇxᴜᴀʟɪᴛʏ
Gender in Jevian society is different from our own: though women do often raise children and men often work laborious jobs, beyond the common physiological differences between the sexes, men and women are often considered on equal but different footing. Most notably, women are very common in "factual" fields, like mathematics, engineering, and medicine: woman are considered very logical and fact-driven, while men are considered more creative. Men most often breach into the unknown: they are the scientists, the artists, the generals and the lawmakers. Conversely, women are considered most competent at repeating or expounding upon the theories and inventions of men, and though not relegated soley to the home, are often taught to pick up the slack and allow their male counterparts to do inventive work. It is also not criminal to be transgender, though transgender men often have many more rights than transgender women as trans men are seen as more virtuous and valuable for their contributions to society and war.

Sexuality in Jevian society is a little more complicated. Queerness in Jevia is referred to as being "sideways", a contrast to being "upright", or cisgender and heterosexual. There are sideways pubs, communities of people who are sideways, and those who study the culture and phenomena of being sideways, but broadly, outright homosexuality is not socially acceptable. While not illegal, many upright individuals feel scandalized by brazen shows of homosexual affection, even though public affection is not unusual amongst the upright. Thus, most queerness in Jevia occurs in the shadows, in pubs and drug dens, in private hotels and personal bedrooms.

ᴀᴇꜱᴛʜᴇᴛɪᴄꜱ
​

Eastriver is majorly influenced by late 1910's fashion, and so the clothing of its people tends to vary between late 1900s to highly fashionable pre-1920s wear. I've spent a lot of time designing clothes for Eastriver, so rather than explain it to you I'll show you a variety of people of different classes and occupations for example:

The setting of Eastriver is inspired by the Appalachian mountains and its northern sister, the Scottish highlands. It's especially influenced by my childhood in Appalachia, in its rolling, grassy hills, its dense and mysterious woods, and its quiet solitude. Littered across the hills are ancient megaliths, old worship spaces made by ancient Kinaak. For the landscape, here are some various inspiration pictures (not mine):

Its architecture is a mishmash of various, mostly european, early and middle industrial styles. Think of fat bricks made of granite and limestone, cobble-paved streets, square tenement blocks, and sheet metal warehouses. Wealthier homes might look more ornate and victorian, or more stately and edwardian. A lot of Eastriver has been built up in the past half century, so its architecture is fairly modern, its oldest homes being either stone and mud-hewn Kinaak cottages or ancient stone megaliths. Its newest buildings have been made with the war effort in mind, and are generally made of corrugated steel.

ɴᴏᴛᴀʙʟᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ
​

Daniil "Hawk" Volkov: One of my three main "protaganists" of the setting. Daniil is a sleazy bar owner who has found a penchant for revolution stuck between his bloodlust, his Kinaak ancestry, and his love of utilitarian philosophers. Owns The Rusty Cage.

Ilya Volkov: One of my three main "protaganists" of the setting. Once a well-known architect in Jevia's capital, Ilya returned home two years ago after a bombing destroyed their work and their life. An alcoholic, an artist, and common hallucination-haver, Ilya's only hope is that their old haunts can bring them new inspiration.

Linnette Engman: Notorious lesbian & best friend of Daniil. A civil engineer, she was brought to Eastriver to redesign its confusing and enigmatic streets and alleyways. Instead, she mostly just chain-smokes and looks at pretty girls.

Katherine Andrade: Daniil's ex girlfriend and the bane of his existence. She and her older brother, Gabriel, are the last heirs to the Andrade family. Her uncle, Bertrand, has arranged a marriage between her and the eldest Kuznetsov son in hopes to resolve this particular issue.

Bertrand Andrade: Uncle of Katherine and Gabriel. Head of the Andrade family. Owns most of the land in Eastriver, including much of the farmland adjacent to the town.

Alexiy Kuznetsov: Patriarch of the Kuznetsov family and owner of the Great East Manufacturing Company, which holds the town's factories, warehouses, and railway. Runs a textile mill, a flour mill, and a butchery.

Charles Booker: Eastriver's Governor. Though his job is elected, his father was governor before him, and he has held the position uncontested since his father's retirement and ultimate passing.

Nikita Meykov: A geoscientist/ephemeralist brought to town by the Andrades to assist in the construction and eventual operation of The Focus. Originally from Ublod, he fled after previous research projects were found to frequently be less than ethical. Child of one of the few Royalist generals not executed by the revolution.

Yassi: One of Daniil's frequent lovers. She is one of the few non-cis women with the Gift. For most of the year, she is a shepherd. In the winters, she works as a dancer at The Rusty Cage.

Kayura: A community leader of the Kinaak. Runs a safe house for women. Gatherer of herbs and maker of poultices.

Oylan "Buck" Sannaak: Daniil's right hand man. He and Daniil have been friends since they were kids. Works at the flour mill and is a union organizer for it and the butchery.

Curtis "Cub" Walker: Daniil's left hand man. Was in the military with Daniil. Works as a surgeon under Veda Mendel, the town doctor. Newly married, with a child on the way.

Sidney Nilsen: One of my three main "protaganists" of the setting. Sidney is an Inquisitor, a military-run leader of a crime-solving and intel-gathering unit within Jevia. He is sent to Eastriver, alongside his lieutenant inquisitors and men, to uncover some ephemeral miracle that might finally end the war with Astrijan.

Petyr Hughinn: Lieutenant Inquisitor. A once-psychologist with a penchant for ripping people's minds open at the seams. An ephemera skeptic.

Cyril Lucas: Lieutenant Inquisitor. She was once a doctor on the front lines, before her renown brought her into the inquisition.

 

[skee]

ᴡᴀʀ ᴏꜰ ʀᴏꜱᴇꜱ

high fantasy |1918 | revolution & despair
​

A crowd draws together in the frigid cold of winter. At center stage, a man, clad in shackles, stands tall. To his right stands his judge, to his left his executioner. A sudden static electrifies the room and with it, buzzing lights flicker on overhead. Its sharp drone coalesces into a single note, and with an explosion of light and electricity, the man at the center is dead. The crowd cheers. Another revolutionary witch is executed, the Judge cheers.

This is not what this technology was made for. This was not what Werdun was supposed to become. Half a century of revolution, for this? The death of everything wonderful, everything beautiful, everything different?

A block away, the tram rumbles by, carrying people who did not witness this event. They have seen it before: five years ago, a civil war beheaded their Król and killed their brothers. Unwittingly, they will see it again: humanity is failing. Death to All.​

ꜱᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ
​

The world of War of Roses is composed of a slice of continent made up of 11 countries. This continent is moderately temperate, with weather becoming cooler to the north and warmer to the south. At the farthest north, Aghavni has frigid, long winters and little sun in the cold months. By contrast, Messene, furthest south, is bordering on subtropical.

Werdun (ver-DOON) could easily be considered the center of War of Roses' universe. Fifty years after gaining its independence from Voskrenzka, an imperialist empire who still controls many, the people of Werdun went to war with their own kingdom and dethroned their king, Król Andrzej Skowron. His eldest son, Wiktor, fled to Aghavni, leaving Werdun stuck in a tug-of-war between political ideologues. After a year of attempted democracy, the fascist Petriotci party won out and filled the government with their people. Now, Werdun is held hostage under a cruel dictatorship, ruled by Prezes Grzegorz Majewski, a man who puts all the blame for Werdun's last century of suffering on Fey and the Arcane. It's because of Majewski and the Petriotci that Werdun finds itself on the cusp of war, the people around them fearful of its genocide-hungry government.

To the east, Voskrenzka (vosk-RENZ-kah), the former ruler of Werdun, sees opportunity to fold the Werdować back into its empire. Ruled by an eccentric family, the current Tsar Vadim Novikov seeks to build Voskrenzka into a cultural museum, where the finest artifacts and arts of those peoples it has subsumed will be displayed for its people to celebrate. In spite of this goal of supposed inclusion, Voskrenzka is a place which upholds the culture of its ethnic originators, the Vosk, above all, seeing those of its current and former colonies as pieces of art more than aspects of its peoples' daily lives. It's for this reason that the Werdować fought their revolution against the Voskrenzki half a century ago, and it's this reason that sees the stirrings of new revolutions bubbling in its core.

One of the many colonies of Voskrenzka, one which still retains some shadow of independence, is Aghavni (ah-GAV-nee). Its fate was once something similar to that of present Werdun: after overthrowing their oligarchs, Aghavni fell into a dictatorship that was only overthrown through the intervention of the Voskrenzki royal family. Now, nearly a century into being a Voskrenzki colony, the only thing that has retained its independence is the extraordinary power and wealth of Aghavi aristocracy.

A similar story is true of Öceli (ah-SELL-ee), another colony of Voskrenzka. Rather than aristocracy, however, its independence is maintained by powerful Öcelian merchants, their lands covering some of the most profitable trade routes in the world. Nearly everything that leaves the continent east does so through Öceli ships and carriages, making them a valuable piece in Voskrenzka's set.

The most recent colonial acquisition of Voskrenzka is Kusala (koo-SAH-lah), a mountainous country whose rule is split between Men and the goat-like Visovek. Its independence is often debated even within Kusala: to the Visovek, Kusala is still under their rule, their cooperation with Voskrenzka middling and tenuous. To Men, however, it is difficult to deny Voskrenzka's presence is ever-felt and ever-seen, most especially as conflict rises between the Visovek tsar and the Kusalan people.

Zamora (zah-MOOR-uh), south of Kusala, is the second largest country, but one of the smallest political forces. Its rule is split evenly between Men and Fey, its sprawling woodland the center of the Sylvan kingdom and home to many of the continent's Faeries. Kusala is the home of rolling farmland, human-agnostic settlements, and vibrant beach towns.

By contrast, the Klosterfels (KLOSS-ter-fells) is the home of the Titans, giant humans who rarely interface with other humans. In the valleys of its massive mountains, Men still maintain a comfortable existence, but the shadows of giants are always looming overhead.

Dunmist (DUN-mist) and Fjellvik (FYELL-vick), the northwesternly neighbours of Werdun, are both relatively undisturbed naval civilizations whose primary dividing line is their differing cultures. To the north, in frigid Fjellvik, a long history of world travel and trade has left a people known for their handicrafts, their holidays, and their hot drinks. To the south, Dunmist, eternally in conflict with its southerly neighbour Redwall, is remembered for its painted men and cooperation with sirens and other sea-dwellers.

Redwall (RED-wall), the westernmost country on this continent, is known for its cunning and mercantilism. Equally formidable on land and by sea, Redwallians are seen by others as equally hardy and foolhardy, adventurous, and nosy. Constantly in some form of naval conflict with both its northern and southern neighbours, Dunmist and Messene, the people of Redwall are formidable and always up for a challenge.

Finally, Messene (mess-SEEN) is a country consisted of a group of islands that connect one continent to the next. While Voskrenzka desperately seeks to claim the varying cultures of its colonies, Messene does so effortlessly: it is north and south, occident and orient, temperate and tropical. Ruled by a Theocracy, it's a place of ups and downs, of rules and freedom, of cliffs and beaches.

ꜰᴇʏ & ᴀʀᴄᴀɴᴀ
​

ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ & ᴛʜᴇ ᴀʀᴄᴀɴᴇ
In the world of War of Roses, "Arcana" is the term that encompasses nearly all magic: from magical humans, magic practitioners, and magic-tainted objects and people.

Arcana is the overarching force of the unknown: it is the inexplicable, it is the unseen, and most importantly, it is the life-force that allows certain individuals to possess unnatural skills and traits. To possess Arcana is merely to be aware of this power, and to utilise the naturally inexplicable and unseen to one's advantage. To be Arcane, however, is to possess the gifts of the unknown, to be able to do things no other individual can do, to see and feel things no other individual can see and feel.

The nature of being Arcane is complicated and unknowable. Though Arcane gifts are often passed down through bloodlines, often times one is born with Arcana for no reason at all. It's yet unknown how one becomes Arcane, except that it is a gift only given at birth, and only taken away through extraordinary acts of Arcana.

The abilities of the Arcane are very specific and limited to a small range of skills, broadly referred to as Thaumaturgy: extrasensory perception, Arcane sensitivity, elemental affinity, and compulsion. While one Arcane might be able to will others to do his bidding with a simple word, another Arcane may be able to see spirits and ghosts as though they were on our plane of existence. With practice, one can improve these skills, but unless one meddles in the art of Essomancy, or the act of combining naturally Arcane ingredients and items, whatever power one is born with is immutable.

Though all of the people in War of Roses are considered human, those who are not Men are considered by Men to be Fey. While not all Fey possess arcana, Men often consider all Fey to be Arcane, a point of contention amongst those who lack innate magic such as the Visovek, Titans, and Smallfolk. Those who do possess innate magic, however, possess it in a very specific way, each manner of which will be elaborated upon below.

ᴍᴇɴ
The most populous sort of human in the world, Men are known for being hardy and adaptable. Men can be found in the coldest tundra and the hottest desert; they can be found in the muck of swamps and the arid folds of the steppe. They are the ruler by which most other humans are measured, for better or for worse.

Humans have rounded ears, proportional bodies, and hair and skin colour ranging from inky to milky. They stand, on average, at a height between 5 (150 cm) and 6 (180cm) feet. They live, on average, from 80 to 90 years.

While Men are not inherently arcane, about one in a hundred possess arcane gifts. These gifts are spontaneous and varied: some might possess some sliver of arcana from fey ancestry, while others claim extrasensory abilities or unusual powers.

ꜱʏʟᴠᴀɴꜱ
One of the longest-lived races of humans, Sylvans prefer to live in isolation amongst nature. Historically, Sylvans have kept to themselves, preferring the company of Sylvans to other humans. In spite of this, an increasing number of Sylvans have found synchronicity with what they define as the "new natural order", living in industrialized cities built by other races.

Sylvans possess long limbs, long, pointed ears, and clawlike nails. They typically stand slightly taller than humans, averaging between 6 (180cm) and 7 (215cm) feet in height. Their skin and hair ranges in colour from bark to moss. They live, on average, from 150 to 200 years.

Sylvans are inherently arcane and have the ability to see into the spirit realm, a place where unusual creatures called Lyctors live. These Lyctors form the backbone of myth: tales of Leshy and Baba Yaga, as any Sylvan knows, are truly just tales of Lyctors passing temporarily into the human realm. Because of this otherworldly sight, Sylvans can also see and communicate with ghosts, the lingering souls of the deceased.

ᴠɪꜱᴏᴠᴇᴋ
Sometimes crudely referred to as "Goats", Visovek are a horned race of humans descended from bovines. Though Visovek are not opposed to integrating with other humans, they are often in conflict with Men, who frequently feel that Visovek are representations of sin and wickedness. It's not uncommon for Men to treat Visovek like livestock in spite of their equivalent intelligence and rich culture.

Visovek are often tall, standing between 6 (180cm) and 7'6 (230cm) feet on digitigrade legs and cloven feet. They have horns of varying shapes and sizes, fuzz-tipped tails, and thick skin smattered with patches of soft, fur-like hair. Their skin ranges in color from stone to lilac. They live, on average, from 60 to 70 years.

Visovek are not inherently arcane, but similar to humans, around one in a hundred possess arcane gifts. These gifts are most often related to the spirit realm and Lyctors, whether being able to see into the spirit realm or being able to bond with and communicate telepathically with Lyctors. Visovek believe that Arcana is inherently tied with Divination and will often use their powers to predict the future or make sense of the past.

ᴛɪᴛᴀɴꜱ
The largest of the human races, Titans are a race of mountain-dwelling giants who are known for their bluntness and their secrecy. They live fairly isolated lives, high in the mountains, which they protect with arcane runes created by their Essomancy experts.

Titans are giant, standing between 8 (240cm) and 10 (300cm) in height. The largest Titan ever witnessed by other humans was 12 (365cm) feet tall, a feat in biology by any measure. Titans are known for frequently carrying mutations, such as unusual number of orifices and limbs, multi-pupiled eyes, and asymmetrical bodies. Otherwise, they are fairly similar to humans, excepting that their hair and skin generally ranges from charcoal to ash. They live, on average, from 200 to 250 years.

Titans are not able to possess arcane abilities, but they are exceptionally skilled at Essomancy and often use the enchantment of objects and spaces to protect both their kingdom and personal effects. They are most known for being spectacularly skilled at manipulating the natural arcana found in crystals and gemstones, and built cities almost entirely powered by gemstones centuries before other humans figured out electricity.

ꜱᴍᴀʟʟꜰᴏʟᴋ
Once thought by men to be the physical manifestations of the divine, Smallfolk are a long-lived, arcana-resistant people known for their community and craftsmanship. They often live in community with other human races, as there is no distinct Smallfolk kingdom. Their relative hardiness and adaptability, similar to humans, makes them prolific traders and artisans.

Smallfolk may have rounded or lightly pointed ears and their bodies are generally proportional, except for their large heads. They are fairly short, generally standing from 3 (90 cm) to 4 (120 cm) feet in height. Their skin and hair colors are similar to that of a human, ranging from sable to wheat. On average, they live 100 to 140 years.

Unlike most other races, Smallfolk are completely immune to Arcana. They cannot possess arcane powers, Essomancy and Thaumaturgy cannot effect them, and Lyctors and other dwellers of the spirit realm are unable to interact with them. It's a common joke amongst smallfolk to question if Arcana even exists.

ꜰᴀᴇʀɪᴇꜱ
An unusual race comprised exclusively of women, Faeries are a naturally Arcane, elemental race. Their inherent arcana is fundamental to their being, and some humans, such as Sylvans, consider them strictly arcane beings rather than humans. Because Faeries are exclusively female and possess some arrangement of female sex organs, faeries require humans of other races to perpetuate.

The appearance of faeries changes as one gets older. This change is most strongly associated with the race of her father, and the element of her arcana. As a child, a faerie will appear similar to any child of their father's race, but with larger pupils and small, pointed ears. As faeries get older, their skin and hair colour will tint of that to their element, they will begin to grow wings in the colour of their element, and their irises and pupils will grow larger until, as an elderly faerie, the whites of their eyes will lose all visibility. The size and shape of their wings often resemble that of insects such as butterflies, beetles, and dragonflies.

There are 6 elements which a Faerie can belong to: Glow (white and yellow), Shadow (black and purple), Heat (orange and red), Cold (blue), Terra (green and brown), and Temper (grey). While all faeries possess a certain level of compulsion, allowing them to gently tug at the will of other humans, each has a secondary power related to her element: Glow can create light and spark electrical current; Shadow can dim light and phase into the spirit realm; Heat can generate warmth and create flame; Cold can generate cool and ice; Terra can extend her senses through the earth; and Temper can extend her senses through the sky.

Faeries range substantially in height, but tend to be somewhere between 4 (120cm) and 6 (180cm) feet tall, as most Faeries are born to Man, Sylvan, or Smallfolk fathers. They live on average from 200 to 250 years, though the oldest faeries often "immerse" themselves in their element, separating from society at around age 170.

ᴏᴛʜᴇʀꜱ
The above list is nowhere near exhaustive: many other races of humans exist in War of Roses, from ocean-dwelling Sirens and Leviathans to hidden spirits and lyctors.

Lyctors are the most notable of these other sorts of fey, if they can be considered fey at all: Lyctors are long-lived souls in beastly forms, believed to be created by the divine themselves. This is not true of all Lyctors, of course: some Lyctors are born of extreme emotion and desire, some are the result of mass tragedy, and others come to being as the manifestation of overindulgence and sin. A ghost, or a spirit separated from a living thing, also has the ability to become a lyctor if their motivation for remaining on earth is powerful enough.

In addition to men and fey, there are also conditions which a human of nearly any race can contract, placing them in a unique space between arcane and mundane.

ʙʟᴏᴏᴅᴇᴀᴛᴇʀꜱ, ʙᴇᴀꜱᴛᴍᴇɴ, & ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ʜᴀʟꜰ-ꜰᴇʏ
The most notable of these "conditions", which often counts those who have such a condition as their own distinct race upon contraction, are bloodeaters and beastmen.

Bloodeating is a curse passed on through cursed blood and organs which, if consumed, will afflict the consumer with night-terrors, inexplicable arcana, transformation, and bloodthirst.

Beastmen, by contrast, are born via Essomancy and Augury. With this condition, the body of a human becomes host to the soul of a beast or lyctor, permanently intertwining the two. This can be done either by ritual, or through becoming bonded with a lyctor with Thaumaturgy. The forms of Beastmen become permanently altered, allowing them to summon the once-form of their soul-partner.

As humans of different races interact with one another, it is also not uncommon to come across half-fey, or fey descendants, who might possess some of the features of their ancestors. People of mixed ancestry are broadly considered to belong to the race of their mother, though this differs from culture to culture. Notably, all Faeries are technically half-fey, as Faeries require breeding with other races in order to propagate.

ᴄᴜʟᴛᴜʀᴇ
​

ᴘᴏʟɪᴛɪᴄꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴄᴏɴᴏᴍɪᴄꜱ
talk about systems of government, what sort of jobs people do, and education.

ᴇᴛʜɴɪᴄɪᴛʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴀᴄᴇ
talk about cultural opinions on race and different human ethnic groups

ʀᴇʟɪɢɪᴏɴ
talk about major religions

ɢᴇɴᴅᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴇxᴜᴀʟɪᴛʏ
talk about gender and sex

ᴀᴇꜱᴛʜᴇᴛɪᴄꜱ
​

discuss some of the various aesthetic references here & post some reference pictures.

describe the architecture and feel of a few countries. describe the style of clothing.

ɴᴏᴛᴀʙʟᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ
​

Firstname Lastname: Description.