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amaiguri · 8 months

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"Family isn't whose blood you have, but for whom you bleed."

On the peninsula farthest eastern side of the continent -- a dryer, temperate steppe, kinda like Sicily -- the City of Knights, Kivihkya, waits in the dust for the perfect moment to rise up. Though externally, they are known for their horses, leather, salt, and pearls, the one thing that unites most of Kivihkya is its disdain for the Aftokratoria's reign.

About 2000 years ago, when the Demons ruled the South, a council of 14 took on the roles of the 14 Constellations -- led by what is traditionally considered the Lord of the Burned Man Constellation but, to them, this was the Blood God Kivihk...

According to legend, the first Kivihk died after getting drunk in Ririkya and insulting Ririhks, leaving only his descendant behind and the war with Ririkya began. This descendant became the first Blood Tsar of Kivihkya -- each of whom takes the name 'Kivihk' when they come into power. He united the other Constellation Lords -- or sometimes, the Horse Lords or sometimes the Blood Riders -- and they began to overtake the South.

Of course, this didn't work out: Today, the city of Telethens has a strict military presence in Kivihkya and the relationship with the locals is tense.

While the Kivihk used to be a pinnacle of Svanihk architecture, the Telethenians bulldozed and burned large swaths of it to the grown -- before forcibly erecting new buildings in the Telethenian style after an attempted insurrection about a hundred years back. Some of the old square towers still remain. A giant statue of the Philosopher King was erected at the top of the city, but the locals secretly added symbols that mark it as their Kivihk instead.

Today, the Tsars still rule the city--people are pretty anti-Telethenians here and actively vote for the Tsars. It's a popularity contest basically with the current Kivihk always winning.

Primary Subcultural Values

Strength

Victory by any means

Ambition--they're very warlike, some still believe that it is their job to kill all non-believers on behalf of Kivihk

Imports:

Robotics/machinery

Somenian Silk

Metals

Tools

Other specialty goods

Exports:

Horses, leather-products, pearls, salt

Transportation wise -- Horses are the biggest thing, goats as pack animals, there is also a train but it only goes to other cities and is primarily for shipping.

Popular Arts

Dancing is the primary one

Singing

Drumming

Jewelry-making,

Technology-level:

While less sophisticated than Telethens, their horse husbandry knowledge is second-to-none.

They have some firearms but they're not that widespread outside of the military.

They do have nice roads and good carving techniques and knowledge of stone for these roads.

They also have more knowledge of demons than most places but they don't realize it because it isn't usually relevant--it's all considered either superstition, folklore, or like… irrelevant to people outside of the city. It's kinda insider knowledge and it IS, in fact, used as gatekeeping to outsiders.

Common Professions

Horse rancher

Fisherfolk

Pearldiver

Jeweler

Aftokratorian military

Population Distribution

The tsars are not significantly more rich than the average people--even before the Telethenians came, their willingness to distribute wealth was much higher than other Tsars. They are generally meritocratic, but they also believe everyone has a use: They'll either support or sacrifice those who are less good-at-things to the blood god, unless the Kivihk Tsar or another Tsar tells them not-to do it.

History of Kivihkya:

The Empire of Kivihk began after the Kivihk horsemen and sailors ceased internal fighting after hundreds of years of it by exiling its 14th--the Svana Tsar, who fled to Ririkya. They then began to conquer all their neighbors. However, they were turned back by the first Philosopher King. All this was about 400 - 350 years ago. It was conquered in a 7-year campaign under the First Philosopher King--which ended with the first Philosopher King leveling half the city to be rebuilt in his image. Then, from about 340 - 150 years ago, the Aftokratoria ruled it tumultuously--with a lot of internal rebellions, public executions, and so forth. 100 years ago, they burned the other half of the city to the ground to be rebuilt in the Telethenian style. Telethenians here are often unwelcome or are military.

The Svana Tsar from her home in Ririkya began to suck up to the Aftokratoria like crazy to win favor with them about 150 years ago, pissing off Kivihkya even more. She made the exclusive porcelain deal with the Aftokratoria--leading to the discovery of porcelain prosthetic skin about 70 years ago. Initially, porcelain prosthetic skin was only good for 5-10 years but eventually expanded to be viable for one's whole lifetime, (probably).

This made Ririkya popular and the ever-difficult Kivihkya less so--and new, stricter restrictions were put in place around their blood sacrfices and dances. Kivihkya began to leave Telethenians more alone--coming to respect their government as powerful conquerors but seeing individuals outside of leadership position as weakling pawns. Kivihkya began to try to undermine Ririkya with renewed ferocity.

The Blind Witch Tsar and the Tsars of Kivihkya begin to compete in policy, in public competitions, and then in bloodshed. A small civil war is started. Secretly. Kinda. Kinda secretly from the government in Telethens.

The Blind Witch Tsar and her husband both die, the Tsar's brother takes over and tries to make amends to avoid more warfare--but ends up getting walked all over and giving up waaay more than he should in their trade/border-dispute war.

Currently, the Tsars of Kivihkya basically run Ririkya and they're rebuilding their blood cult. Some of the local Inquisitors are getting sus and some of them are totally chill and they're trying to weed each other out.

Relationships with Other Cities

These days, the Kivihki are very proud and not particularly friendly to outsiders. They see a world full of enemies trying to take them down and stomp out their traditions. They have very particular and strange things they expect out of people and, if you fail to do those things, then you're just the worst. But if you fit their very specific expectations, they'll respect you:

Telethenians need to be leaders--literally or in-spirit. They must be ruthless, cunning, ambitious, and also agree with local values. Alternatively, they also respect Telethenians who are are ruthless, cunning, ambitious, and against them--but they'll still kill these ones.

Ririkihki must be either 1) Devoted craftsmen who care about nothing but their craft or 2) A perfect balance of emotional and cold, willing to listen and take criticism, but not give any themselves. Failing these things, they're despised. Any Ririkihk pride is considered fake and stupid--not unless you know the truth of Ririkihk (and no one does, in their mind)

Anyone else must be curious, open-minded, and strong BUT if they're stubborn or principled, they'll be eaten. They must be willing to learn about Kivihk without judgment AND be capable of defending themselves. The Kivihki will not grant you much leniency if you fail in these qualities, making them unpopular victims of imperialism.

On the flipside, most people consider the Kivihki to be difficult, stubborn, capricious, and violent. The stereotype is that they're outwardly violent, but most Kivihki are often sly, manipulative, and charming rather than obviously angry and insane. They will gaslight the hell out of you, if you're a visitor -- just to make sure you feel uncomfortable and leave. Many outsiders are afraid they Kivihki literally demons or that they eat people or that they're rebels. Most of them are not that… they just would be fine if their fellows were.

Major Threats

Ririkya is still potentially a threat, if it gets better leadership, could accuse the Kivihkya of many things. They're also potentially going to get more properly annexed by the Aftokratoria--particularly, the Telethenian Inquisitors have sent them several warnings telling them to stop their blood sacrifices or they're going to be the most-burnt witches.

Languages

They speak Svanihk almost all the time. They learn Telethenian in school and their accent is known for sounding sexy for its ladies and murderous with its men (kinda like how people from the USA perceive the modern Russian accent). They also have a lot of seal blood in their veins and many speak know Selkie phrases, words, and songs but few after deeply immersed in a Selkie subculture.

#fantasy world #writerblr #fantasy city #fictional city #fantasy worldbuilding #worldbuilding #yae miko #story ideas #fantasy writer #fantasy writing #dark fantasy #creative writing #writing community #Yssaia #Amaiguri

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elshells · 1 year

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Agent Ace || Table of Contents

**For those of you who use Wattpad or AO3 as your preferred reading platform!**

Blurb and Author's Note Content Warnings Character Art ⬗

Chapter 1 || SOPHIA —‌Sophia Colbo, an agent of the Watch investigating the disappearance of a teenage boy, answers an anonymous tip in the dead of night.

Chapter 2 || HARLEY —‌Harley Manalis, a nineteen-year-old amateur inventor, returns to the city after six months of living with her eccentric uncle. But her homecoming takes an unexpected turn when she hears a stranger's voice in her head on the train, and after receiving more disturbing news from her best friend, she realizes that Harmont has changed in her absence, marking the beginning of her troubles.

Chapter 3 || SOPHIA —‌Sophia and Jet reunite, now imprisoned as hostages of the vigilantes. While Sophia begins to plot their escape, Jet reveals the cryptic information he has gained on their new enemy.

Chapter 4 || HARLEY —‌In light of her conversation with Jade, Harley discovers that a rogue vigilante has recently gained notoriety for a number of violent crimes done in the aftermath of Max's disappearance. Worse still, she learns that Sophia, her sister and the Watch agent assigned to track down the vigilante, has become unresponsive in the field.

Chapter 5 || SOPHIA —‌Sophia has a visitor who offers her an explanation, but at a price.

Chapter 6 || HARLEY -1- —‌Harley receives an urgent phone call from Sophia early in the morning. Her warning stirs her to action, but nothing could prepare her for what she would encounter once she stepped foot out of the house.

Chapter 7 || HARLEY -2- —‌Now caught in the fray, Harley is questioned about the incident at Jade's apartment. While she attempts to clear herself of any involvement in the crime, she comes to a realization with horrifying implications.

Chapter 8 || SOPHIA -1- —‌After giving in to Mulciber's threat, Sophia meets a familiar face that is just as eager to escape the vigilantes as she is.

Chapter 9 || SOPHIA -2- —‌If Sophia and Max hope to make it out of the vigilante complex alive, they'll need to take a leap of faith.

Chapter 10 || HARLEY —‌Jade is cleared from the medical ward, returning home three days after Harley's interrogation. Harley pays her a visit and discovers that Jade has a surprise waiting in store.

Chapter 11 || SOPHIA —‌Following their rescue by the Guard, Sophia and Max are placed under the Watch's care. Two days later, Sophia has a private meeting with the director of the Watch, but little does she know that she is unprepared for what he has to say.

Chapter 12 || HARLEY -1- —‌After a heartfelt moment in the city, Harley and Jade return home, unaware of the danger that awaits them there.

To be continued... ⬗

TAG LIST: @writernopal, @mysticstarlightduck, @liv-is, @wotchergiorgia

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marislittleworld · 3 months

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The Elemental Teen Guardians comic updates!!

I'm doing another blender 3D background which is the park, I did the umbrella, the chair, the plants and I now I did the clothing store called "Hot Spot". Now I need to finish the second building on the right

#comic #future comic #wip #blender #3D #blender modeling #modeling #fictional city #work in progress #still not finished #tetg #the elemental teen guardians

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christmastreebag · 9 months

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train heading north out of stamey, view of the quercio skyline

#i wish i couldve added more but whatever tomorrow im going on vacation and its better to be done with this than think about it all weekend #my art #tanuki #furry #anthro #fictional city #metro train #train #train art

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anebarone · 1 year

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Another Borborema concept

A view of the neighborhood around Chew's home and workshop.

It's far from the concept in my head (a realization I had while painting) — I'd like buildings and structures in different heights, more yards and nature, some unkempt corners, a bit more chaos and color.

This current view matches the rich-er neighborhoods nearby, but not a place in which Chew would set up his shop. In any case, I'm happy with how this turned out and think it's time to let it go.

Chew and Yara tag

#chew and yara #town concept art #fantasy illustration #environment design #visdev #background art #digital painting #fictional city

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aiaantarctica · 5 months

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("Housing Tract" Fort Frances, FP, Antarctica, 2005)

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aigreenland · 5 months

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("Castle Ridge Community" Priedava, Greenland, 2021)

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smzeszikorova · 2 years

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First off, very cool ocs, I too have so so many that I have to cut down if I'm listing any details XD

Secondly! I would love to know more about the worldbuilding and the countries and stuff :D they sound super cool!

I'm gonna take that as an invitation to start ranting now lmao. Thanks!

Ok, so here are all the countries and cities I've come up with.

Pemoki (Puh-mo-kee): It's cold there. King's an incompetent figurehead, but a lot of Kenacian refugees flock there anyway because the Pemokese don't restrict immigration like a lot of other countries in that region do.

Drosil (Dro-sill): Southern city. Southern Pemoki is generally full of luxurious mansions, government buildings, and unsuspecting rich people. And Drosil's where the prissiest of the prissy come from. It's also the capitol.

Suvlin (Soov-leen): This is where Catherine and her siblings live. Very northern. Very rural. Primarily a refugee town. Lots of farmland and forest, and not too many buildings.

Vijeszka (Vee-yesh-ka): Also a refugee town, but more urban. Lots of overcrowded apartments. This is where Ernest Wolbert lives, and where Lyn used to live before he married Catherine.

Baliszka (Bah-leesh-ka): Another southern town. Lots of fancy shit. It's basically Pemoki's other cultural center besides Drosil, but with less government stuff.

Ksatvaj (Ksaht-vai): A central city, but close enough to Suvlin that Catherine can ride a horse there and back on the same day. Known for its community of retired veterans. Catherine goes there sometimes to buy stuff because she doesn't trust the quality of most goods and services in Suvlin and Vijeszka.

Lewyndanil (Luh-win-duh-neel): South of Pemoki. Aorin was born here. It's pretty and temperate, and also a good place to get stalked by members of the Miaccoran mafia. (But more on that in book 2.)

Kavjanna (Kahv-yah-nuh): The capitol. Very different from the Pemokese capitol. If you're looking for nice, pleasant parts of Lewyndanil, go literally anywhere else. There's a lot of government buildings in the center of Kavjanna, and that part of the city's pretty decent, but everything surrounding it is extremely shady.

Aleon (Aah-lay-yon): Pemoki's powerful neighbor / Adrona's birthplace. They're semi-involved in the war with Kenacia, but only because they're scared that if Levi conquers too many little, insignificant countries, he'll eventually be big enough and powerful enough to challenge Aleon. I don't have any cities for Aleon yet because nobody really goes there at any point in the story. It's more of a background presence.

Kenacia (Ken-ay-sha): Formerly a country nobody ever thought about, except to say, "Man, that King John sure was awful", but now that Levi's king, he's determined to turn Kenacia into a world power.

Thaeryvon (Teer-ih-von): The capitol. Center of a lot of corrupt garbage. Levi lives here, as do all of his military advisors (and technically the rest of his cabinet, but they're not important). Winson went to school here. Catherine, Lyn, Victoria, Petra, and Eva all used to live here. John Niacera's infamous national military academy was here before it got shut down.

Garrons-Abery (Gare-uhns Ay-buh-ree): Winson was born here. Not much else to say about this place.

Merrianck (Mare-ee-ank): Lots of fishermen live here. And so does Samuel Brown. (More on that in book 3.)

Qhiron (Kee-ruhn): Kenacia's neighbor. First country Levi conquered. Now he basically uses the entire country as a battlefield / supplier of resources for his army. He's pretty much universally hated in Qhiron.

Tophrenica Valley (Tuh-fren-ik-uh): Not technically a city. It's more of a region. But it's important because of its location. The Tophrenica river marks the Qhironese-Kenacian border.

Palchaara Araca (Pahl-kar-uh Ah-rock-uh): A walled city / center of the Qhironese rebellion.

Siomnil (Show-neel): General Aamitok's hometown.

Lardengot (Lar-din-go): Kenacia's largest, strongest fortress.

Miaccora (Mee-uh-kor-uh): Everything is legal here. Place to go if you're an outlaw. Miaccora doesn't become a place where plot stuff actually happens until book 2, so I haven't come up with any specific cities there yet. Stay tuned :P

#thanks for the ask!#this is so much fun #p&k #worldbuilding #fictional country #fictional city #original fiction #writers on tumblr

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amaiguri · 8 months

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Zavlakya

Alright, today, you're getting THE MOST incoherent city-dump. Sorry. I could try to format this but like... energy. So this is just what I actually just wrote in my notes for New City November a few years back.

Here are the prompts:

Day #3: Resources in this city?

-Lots of water-based plants and woods like Salt Palms, Mallow, Sacred Feathers, Cherimanus, Witch's Hours, Olives, Seaweed

-Sulfur & Hot Springs

-Salt from the ocean

-Peat moss & coal

-Seahens/seacocks, Solbirds, Monk seals, sardines, frogs, solbirds, deer, goats, squat lobster

-Gold, minor amounts of silver and copper, nickel, aluminum

-Somenium is a type of silk that flows down through waterfalls and rivers nearly year round--but most prominently during the warming of spring. Somenium is extremely durable, holds and protects dyes from the sun, and is also very lightweight. Due the structure of the fibers, catches and holds Ysse--the extremely cold particles that makes up my magic. Somenium is produced by a specific kind of caddisfly on the Upper Contient. But the Aftokratorian scientists have not confirmed this specifically. Seeresses and illuminators have woven somenium into as many things as possible for forever in this town...

Day #5 Architecture:

The traditional Svanihk styles are not generally as advanced as those in Telethens--the architectural height of the world--but since the growth of this city was largely guided by Yeulia, they stand out sharply from other structures built at the same time period (I imagine this city was founded... oh... 200ish years ago?). The rooftops are typically mildly conical--inspired by their yurt-based roots. Blue-toned glass windows are a newer addition--but due to the humidity, they are typically left open anyway except in the winter. While moss definitely overgrows the buildings and trees, the people make a point of cleaning it off at least once a year to maintain the stonework set by their precious Seeress.

Day #6 --Governance Historically

In Svanihk culture, Tsars and their Tsarinas have ruled the land. (Tsars and tsarinas are essential landed nobility but without the gender roles found in the traditional meaning--Tsars are the rulers, tsarinas are the relatives) However, under the new-ish laws of the Aftokratoria over the last 70-odd years, the Tsars have progressively lost power in favor of elected officials.

Today, the Tsars and Tsarinas in this city have say in government through monetary means and land-ownership. While some senators, particularly those in Telethens such as Senator Diacaius and ex-Senator Tarchus, are very pro-wealth redistribution, traditionalists and the Senate at large oppose the motion to simply "steal" wealth from the rich and give it to "random people for no reason".

The Seeresses of Telethens also have quite a bit of say over laws as well--seeing as they control large swaths of the airship supply in this city. If Yeulia ever arrives in town, her word becomes law unofficially.

And lastly, the head elected official is the Governor. The Governor is supposed to be in charge of enacting the people's will, and then will appoint everyone else they want in the government. They are reelected every year at the end of Spring--at the beginning of the safest travel season. There are no term limits. Their power is quite broad, as they can set taxes, laws, and such as they please within the city HOWEVER anything they do can be vetoed by the Senate or the Philosopher King or angry mobs. The Governor of this city in particular is known for being pretty in-line with the desires of the Senate and the local Tsar and Tsarina

Day #7--Most Famous Person

I already told you about the Seeress and the Stonemason (whom I'm officially naming Somenia and now the city's silk is named after Yeulia's lover). I have decided to name the city Zavlakya and the reigning Tsar family, Ivodra. But today, let me tell you about a more modern famous person: The elected Senate representative of Zavlakya is a Telethenian (pale skinned, pale haired) girl named Pythas.

Senator Pythas has basically formalized the theory of modern mathematics. Born to a rich shipwright family, Pythas was tutored alongside an Ivodra family Tsarina. Pythas was always very shy but very intelligent. Her tutor always encouraged her to speak up, and thus the Tsarina got very jealous of her. As such, she decided not-to go into Philosophy at first--despite that being her passion. While working a terrible gig with long hours as a secretary at the Tsarina's shipmaking company, she discovered the Pythasian Theorem at age 17. She told the Tsarina who published the work and claimed the discovery as her own.

Pythas allowed it but secretly published her own, superior book titled the Symphony of the Planets--in which she not only demonstrated the Pythasian Theorem more clearly but used it to explain the movement of the stars at age 19. The Tsarina was furious and bitter and fired her, so Pythas had no choice but to pursue her dream as a Philosopher--standing on streetcorners and tutoring those who would listen. She was wildly courted by every shipwright company in town, thirsty to sponsor her, and even the Seeresses were impressed.

Gaining confidence and with the help of the Tsar himself, she ran for Senate which she won at age 24--5 years junior to Senator Imedea, the second Senator of Zavlakya

Day #8: What do people value?

In the Svanihk culture generally, people value humanity, life, and education. Telethenians (those from the Isle of Telethens and generally the group with more representation in the government) tend to value rationality, truth, and the acquisition and application of knowledge. Both cultures work well together in the Aftokratoria.

In Zavlakya specifically, they value truth and creation. The value of these things is largely due to their reliance on and prosperity from ships and their sails. However, more than anywhere else in the Svanihk cities, this leads to an emphasis on acquisition of wealth and prosperity.

Like everywhere in the Aftokratoria, it's a meritocracy of sorts but there is definitely more "merit" to being a shipwright or someone who makes physical things and less value on more abstract arts. Even Philosophers have less social clout here than elsewhere because their work is more abstract--with the exception of Senators Pythas and Imedea.

Day #10 - Transportation

While airships exist, they are basically all used by the military and the government with almost none available to the general public. Normal ships and fishing boats, on the otherhand, are far more commonly available to civilians--though the military is also responsible for building roads and running the mail and other major engineering feats and don't necessarily just fight things. Roads are, of course, the necessary precursor to easy carriage transportation. They use horses to pull their carriages.

The Aftokratoria is a largely Communist nation with universal basic income determined by one's job sector and government coordinated transportation. So most of this stuff is free. It's not like civilians can never ride on or fly airships--sometimes they do but it's usually through luck or circumstance.

DAY #11 Imports & Exports

Primary Imports:

Grains

Lumber

Dyes

Medicinal things

Ores & Metal

Golems Primary

Exports:

Sails

Ships (Air and Sea)

Sailors

Day #12: Art

Known primarily for weaving Somenium silk, different weaves and patterns have different meanings based in Svanihk fortune telling tradition. Often, the seeresses weave their memories and visions of the future into the fabric--and help sailors who visit the city to do the same.

Also, they also sing a lot of sea shanties, have an opera based on organs, singing, and street organs, and are the first city to paint primarily on canvas instead of wood. The Aftokratoria invented realism as a painting method and they primarily use turpentine and safflower oil

Day #14--Professions

People in Zavlakya are known for being sailors and shipwrights and then all the sub-categories of things that go into that--particularly engineers, carpenters, and sailweavers. Zavlakya is also known for having an especially safe place for women--especially women who have been hurt by sailors or have lost husbands--amongst the Seeresses at their city Shrine.

Day #15 -- Wealth Distribution

There is not that great of a wealth gap between the rich and the poor--though it still exists. 70-odd years or so ago, the first Telethenian-style elections were held in Zavlakya and at this time, Communism/government-imposed minimum wage took hold. However, part of getting the Tsars to cooperate was allowing them to keep all their wealth. That being said, there are very few who are overlooked by the system--the government accounts for all citizens except in case of clerical errors or other extreme circumstances. Crime is incredibly low because why would you steal if you can more or less have whatever you need at any time? That being said, not every citizen has the opportunity to make lavish donations to the government or the Ecclesia or own several acres of orchards or convince artists to make art specifically for them... Only the rich do.

Senator Diacaius Praefori and many citizens in Telethens are pro-wealth redistribution for the Tsars but the Tsars are not so inclined

Day 16--Current Affairs

The biggest current issue in the Public Discourse in Zavlakya is the kind of power we want our leaders--elected and not--to hold. Should our Senators really dictate the transition of conquered peoples into our rule? Should our Seeresses and Illuminators dictate our values or should our Philosophers and forward thinkers? Should the Philosopher King be able to blow up entire cities with her ring finger? These are all questions being discussed with poor Svanihk and Telethenian people being pro-Philosophers and pro-not-blowing up things while rich Svanihk people tend to be pro-Seeresses and pro-Conqueroring people. That being said, they really love the Philosopher King here, just think maybe she shouldn't have nuked an island out of existence...

Day 17 Zavlakya's Outsiders

Due to the production-focus of the culture, they often are competitive with outsiders and proud when they outdo the other cities who aren't competing with them. They're kinda like New Yorkers who are like "Oh, you haven't seen NEW YORK busy". The kind of people who have side hustles to their side hustles. The government might dictate what kind of raise they get, but it's also a moral obligation to work hard.

Also, Zavlakihks aren't a fan of sporty, countryside towns with lots of horses--they consider horse racing to be the biggest waste of time. You know, unlike boat races. Those are great and perfect and useful

Day 18: Outsiders' Opinions of the City

(Idk if these aspects are cohesive cuz I just made em up but I like it so far) Most outsiders of the city see Zavlakyihks (as I realized it would be because they're NOT A ROMANCE LANGUAGE) as overly obsessed with their work and, in plays and such, those with Zavlakyihk accents frequently take on the "neglectful parent/spouse" stereotype. They being said, Zavlakyihk Seeresses are also fetished in the whole western half of the Aftokratoria for being beautiful ladies high in the mountains and who weave silks. Due to their history as a women's shelter, these women are known for being especially chaste and uninterested in men. To win one's trust is a sign of incredible nobility. That being said, a majority of the Seeresses in Zavlakya are VERY VERY gay just because of the legends in the city. There's a general expectation in the city that young people will meet their SO and then do incredibly productive things together as a power couple. This Zavlakyihk Romance has also become a trope in Western art.

Day 19: What's currently threatening the city?

There's also an election in Spring in which the Tsar is running against both Imedea and Pythas. They are expected to win, but it would be a hit against the democracy of the Aftokratoria to have the Svanihk elite win instead...

Day 20: Languages

In Zavlakya, they speak Svanihk and Telethenian.

Davyevi, minihk ken Belle ziri. Svan kevos'hi ziri.

Day 21: A Shop

Filia and Syeva's workshop is higher on the mountain, at the edge of the lake. The vaulted space is filled with elegant looms and more elegant voices. Filia sings and you can hear her high, sweet voice even down at the waterway below. Her singing is timed to the churning of machines and to the boiling pots of safflower, pomegranate, and mallowblooms. Syeva weaves and grinds. Filia pans for somenium and spins. Together, the Seeresses turn their creations into great sails and wings stretched across those thin, strong frames.

Belle's Note: I don't remember this at all lololol

Day 24: The City's Heart

Zavlakya is a city for the beautiful and the practical. The fast paced bustle is the Gem of the West, a haven of religion and industry. From the shipwrights and the trade port in the harbor to the weavers and spinners at the mountain lakes, water flows through the heart of Zavlakya. And the rising middle class here make the most of every drop. That is the essence of what Zavlakya is about

#fantasy city #fictional city #worldbuilding #fantasy world #fantasy illustration #environment art #writerblr #concept design #concept art #concept illustration #forest city #Yssaia #Amaiguri

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elshells · 1 year

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Agent Ace Chapter 1 || SOPHIA

Rating: Teen + Word Count: 2,752 Content Warnings: Reader discretion is advised. Click here for a list of potential warnings; only #4* applies. Summary: Sophia Colbo, an agent of the Watch investigating the disappearance of a teenage boy, answers an anonymous tip in the dead of night.

⬗

June 20 2:49 A.M. Kinghaven Park

Sophia dimmed her car's headlights as she pulled into the empty parking lot. Long shadows stretched out in front of her, settling around her as she slowed to a stop. Time stood still in the absence of street traffic, broken only by the flickering street lamp that hung above her. As she shut off the engine, her earpiece crackled to life.

"I've got a view on someone in the parking lot. Is that you, Colbo?"

Sophia switched on the speaker. "Yeah, I'm here, Jet. Any sign of our friend yet?"

"He walked through the front gate about ten minutes ago. Not much activity since then."

She raised an eyebrow and turned her gaze towards the empty road. "You said 'he?'"

"His hood was up, and I couldn't see his face, but as far as I can tell, it was a male figure."

"Got it." Sophia opened the glove compartment and reached inside, wrapping her fingers around the grip of her handgun and pulling it out in front of her. The revolver had the same coppery-gold finish that all Guardian weapons were made with, and the leather grip was molded to fit perfectly in her hand. While she checked for bullets, she asked, "Can you still see him?"

"No. He entered the pavilion and hasn't come back out yet." If Jet found this concerning, his professional, matter-of-fact tone hid it well."

"Good. Nicely done." Sophia set the gun down on the center console and reached back inside the glove compartment. She took out a small flashlight, clicked it on and off, and set it down next to the gun. "Anything else?"

Silence followed for a heartbeat or two before Jet responded. "I don't know. Something's off, Colbo. I don't like this."

Sophia trusted his intuition—after all, nothing about this meeting was typical, even for a Guardian like Jet. That fact had weighed on her, too, growing heavier with each minute of the drive. But she was here now, and her anticipation had only gotten stronger, overpowering those nerves.

"Neither do I," she told him. "But it's the best lead I have and I've got to take it. Don't worry about me."

"Oh, I will. But I was talking about the location you've chosen for tonight. It's horrifying."

Sophia laughed, but only because she knew that Jet was joking. He'd done stakeouts in much worse conditions than this.

"Cheer up, it's not so bad," she said, matching his flippant tone. "Also, I didn't choose to come to the park. He did."

She'd visited Kinghaven Park countless times as a kid, and the memories she'd collected from there were all happy ones. The colorful lights, the junk food, and the small and rickety but classic old rides were all highlights of her childhood. The annual haunted house in October had been her favorite attraction—she'd always insisted on braving through it by herself—and when her little sister was younger, they'd slip away to the pebbly beach below the boardwalk to look for shore crabs during low tide.

But those times had passed. She hadn't come back here in years, and this time, she didn't know what to expect.

"Okay, I'm going in." Sophia used her sleeve to give the barrel of her gun a quick polish before sticking it in its holster. "Remember what we talked about. Stay hidden. Let me do the talking."

"And if things start to get messy," Jet continued in a solemn voice, "I swoop down from my perch to apprehend his sorry ass."

"Good, you get the gist. Let's move. Good luck."

Grabbing her flashlight, she swung the door open and stepped out of the car. Dirt and gravel crunched beneath her shoes as a cool breeze stung her skin. The crash of the Arkley Bay waves rumbled in the distance, and the sky above was a blanket of ink, bathing everything below it in darkness. Sophia turned on the flashlight, and a beam of light pierced through the shadows. She followed it away from the car and out of the parking lot.

The dirt turned to pavement as she crossed the road to the main gate of the park. The aged iron doors were open wide, seemingly inviting her in. Curious, she gave the bars a gentle push, and the doors creaked open further on rusty hinges.

A prickle of apprehension ran through Sophia's body. "Jet, did you open this gate?"

"Negative. It was already open when I arrived."

"That's what I was afraid of." She drew her gun out of its holster with her free hand, holding it below the flashlight. To see the gates unlocked was unusual, and not only because of the late hour. The park had been closed for the last few weeks due to heavy rainfall. Their mystery man must have picked the lock.

Once inside the park, Sophia could start to understand where Jet was coming from. Even armed, she couldn't help but feel tiny and vulnerable, though none of the structures came higher than ten feet off the ground. Anything taller would have made this sleepy neighborhood much more remarkable. But without the lights and music she was accustomed to, they almost towered over her in the dark like a mechanical forest. She picked up the pace, her pulse quickening as she turned the corner and entered the boardwalk—the true attraction of the park.

Carnival booths flanked her on both sides. While most of them displayed games like bottle toss, sailboat racing, and balloon darts, a few held an assortment of prizes—bubble guns, clown posters, and jumbo stuffed animals—that could be won at the cost of hard-earned tickets. Near the opposite end of the boardwalk, a row of giant dolls hung limp and lifeless along the back wall of a prize booth, their beady glass eyes holding empty stares. Sophia had never been afraid of dolls, but seeing them lined up now, all she could imagine was a million pairs of those eyes peeking at her from behind the roller coasters. The image miffed her more than anything else. Creepy toys were the least of her worries here.

"Well, Jet, you were right," Sophia said as she turned her back to the boardwalk. "This is horrifying."

"You have no idea, Colbo. Those eyes follow you everywhere." His voice lowered to a dramatic whisper, crackling over the earpiece. "To this day, a stuffed tiger haunts my dreams."

She snorted and cast a cursory glance over her shoulder. "You're so brave."

The rest of the walk was quick and, aside from the singing chirp of crickets, eerily quiet. When she finally reached the pavilion, a regal bronze statue of a lion greeted her at the entrance. A pair of crows picked at kernels of kettle corn that scattered at the base of the statue. They paid no mind to Sophia as she stepped around them to get to the entrance door.

The entrance door that was already open.

"He could be waiting for you inside." Jet's voice reappeared in her ear, all traces of humor dropped. "Be careful, Colbo."

Sophia pulled the door shut behind her as the strong, mingling scent of something sweet and salty filled her nose. Usually, the pavilion housed the food court, but now, the stalls were all empty and the picnic tables were pushed back against the walls. Filtered moonlight shone through the rafters, shedding a dim silver aura over the round wooden stage in the center of the pavilion.

The taps of her footsteps echoes around her as she stepped onto the stage. Sophia held the gun level with her chest and swiveled her head side to side, scanning for movement, but caught nothing. She was alone, but she was sure that wouldn't be the case for long. Vigilantes usually had an affinity for dramatic entrances.

A sharp burst of static hissed in her ear. Sophia jumped, fumbling with her flashlight and gun. With her other hand, she tapped her earpiece to try and clear the noise. "Jet, what's going on?" she asked in a hushed voice. "Do you copy?"

Jet's reply was urgent but incoherent, buried under the deafening volume of static. "Colbo, ge... he... r... fr... ca—"

He cut off abruptly, and the signal went dead. The roaring of blood in her ears filled the silence.

"Jet!" she whispered harshly, smacking the earpiece over and over. "Jet, come in, now!"

"Agent Colbo."

Sophia spun towards the voice with a start. Her flashlight lit up the face of a man standing on the other end of the stage. He squinted in the light, but his lips curled up in a self-satisfied smile.

"You can turn off that light." He had a soft, pleasant voice that didn't quite match the smug expression on his face. Nothing else about him was inherently threatening, either. He wore a gray hooded jacket and jeans, and his dark hair was neatly cut and styled. He looked like he could be any other civilian on the street.

He looked perfectly ordinary.

Still, Sophia didn't budge. Maybe it was the way he spoke or the strange gleam in his eye, but something about him made her instantly wary.

"You sent the anonymous tip?" she asked, fighting to keep her voice calm and level. "Who are you?"

"No one you would have heard of," he replied, stepping out of the light. "But that's the nature of having a secret identity."

Sophia stiffened. "You're a vigilante?"

"You could say that."

He had to be unregistered—otherwise, she would have recognized him from the Guard's database. But whoever he was, he wasn't who she had been expecting to meet tonight. He didn't match the description, and even if he had, he was right that she had never heard of him.

And that meant all bets were off as to how this meeting would go.

Sophia switched off the flashlight and stuck it in her pocket. Rigidly, she grasped the gun with both hands, allowing her finger to hover over the safety lever. Questions flowed into her mind, one after another. What was with the secrecy? Why meet at Kinghaven Park, and why in the middle of the night? If he didn't want to come into the Watchtower, why couldn't he have sent in a letter instead, telling her everything?

And, most importantly, what are you hiding from me?

He grinned and cocked his head to the side in silent encouragement. The moonlight glinted off an earring in his left ear.

"Why," she began, finally settling on a question, "would you offer me information on the whereabouts of Max Ahn?"

"He's missing, isn't he? Don't you want to find him?"

Sophia glowered at him over the barrel. "But why come to me? You know, most illegitimate vigilantes make an effort to stay off the authorities' radar. Or, at least, they'd wear a mask."

"True. But maybe I'm here to fulfill my duties as a concerned citizen of Harmont." He paused, waiting, as if for effect. "Or, maybe I know where he is."

Sophia didn't bother hiding the edge in her voice. "Well, do you?"

He didn't answer immediately, but after a moment, he smiled. "Tell you what. I'll make you an offer. You answer my questions—you give me the information I need—and maybe you can learn a little something about me and what I know. What do you say?"

She wanted to say yes. An entire month of headaches and dead-end investigations had led her to this vigilante, and he claimed to have the answers. She was so close to a breakthrough, yet agreeing to this bargain had the potential to compromise everything. Sophia didn't know his motive yet, and he was sure to use that to his advantage. He knew exactly what he was doing, dangling this information over her head, just out of reach.

That was what made unregistered vigilantes like him so dangerous. While the Guard enforced a strict moral code, those who chose to work alone had nothing to guide them but their own personal agendas. At best, these people were proudly uneducated, but at worst, they were anarchists. Cunning and unpredictable, they interfered with the lives of innocent people, picking fights without caring who got hurt, all while hiding under the guise of a mask.

Or, in this case, unapologetically bearing his face for the world to see.

"I've already met your demands by coming here," Sophia said coldly, "and you're in no position to renegotiate. You told me you could help me, and I am not leaving without hearing you talk. So spit it out. We don't have all night."

He let out a high-pitched laugh, and a chill went up Sophia's spine.

"You sound awfully determined." His voice became scarily calm. "I admire your zeal. But I'd be careful if I were you. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into."

He stepped forward. Sophia inhaled sharply and thrust out the gun, clicking off the safety. "Stop right there."

He paused. Sophia watched as his eyes flicked down to the barrel pointed at his chest and back up to her, entirely undaunted. Like he was daring her to shoot.

"You know, it's a shame you ended up a Watch agent," he said. "You're much better suited for the Guard."

The gun burned in her hands like a bad memory. What does he know about the Guard? What does he know about me?

"And?" she snapped.

He shrugged. "Just saying that you're on the wrong end of the Watch. You'd do a better job than the Guardian you brought along with you."

Her breath hitched. He knows about Jet. How does it know about Jet?

Then it hit her—the lost signal, Jet's desperate attempt to tell her something, the sudden appearance of the vigilante. There was a reason Jet hadn't shown up to intervene yet, and it was standing right in front of her.

"What did you do?" she demanded.

"Nothing." His gaze didn't waver. "I didn't come here to fight."

Sophia narrowed her eyes and gripped the gun harder. The vigilante's smile widened, and he nodded his head toward the front of the pavilion.

"But she did."

Sophia whipped her head around to see a woman blocking the door, clad from head to toe in black leather. Her blonde hair glowed white in the moonlight, and the blade she twirled in her hands flashed scarlet with blood. With a flick of her wrist, she hurled it across the room.

The blade sunk deep into her arm. Sophia staggered back with the force of the blow, dropping to her knees with a cry. The woman broke into a run towards the stage, her wedge-heeled boots pounding against the concrete with each step. Shakily, Sophia aimed the gun at her and fired off two shots. Neither one hit their mark.

Summoning a surge of strength, Sophia tucked her head and threw herself off the side of the stage. Fire shot through her arm as she collided hard and rolled across the floor. The gun slipped from her fingers and clattered out of reach.

Sophia landed flat on her stomach, breathing hard. She pushed herself upright, crumpling back down as she attempted to stand. The woman dropped down off of the stage, looming above her. She grabbed a fistful of Sophia's hair and, with a swift push, slammed her head into the ground.

Sophia's skull vibrated as throbbing pain spread across her face. Her vision flickered, and the world began to spin as a pair of hands pinned her down, trapping her against the ground.

The urge to fight back dwindled with the rest of her strength. A metallic tang seeped onto her tongue, growing stronger as everything else around her faded away. The last thing she head before slipping into unconsciousness was the vigilante's voice, speaking to her.

"That kid you're looking for is safe, for now. We'll see if the same can be said for you."

NEXT CHAPTER ↦

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