General Information on the Setting

Our objective is to create a persistent world in a fantasy setting, in which every player will create a character and will be able to live, explore, and interact with maximum realism.

The player will start the journey in Yliakum, a big underground city with different races, factions, guilds, adventures, and many unexplored places.

But the thirst for glory and knowledge has no boundaries. Beyond Yliakum, concealed by the Bronze Doors, the Stone Labyrinths, the unknown Kadaikos, homeland of Lemurs, and the legendary Pradesha - ruled by the enlightened Ahrijani - wait to be discovered. And much more...

Yliakum

Yliakum is an underground city. The inhabitants, a mixture of different races, also call it the "City of the Azure Sun", referring to the huge crystal that gives the city its light and supplies the land with life-giving energy. Yliakum is located thousands of meters under the surface inside a huge excavated stalactite, hanging inside a cave so huge that it could contain any kingdom of the surface. For this reason it is structured in grades - like Dante's Inferno - and each grade is smaller than the former. There are eight grades, or levels. The two highest levels are above the point where the stalactite connects to the roof of the cave.

Only two races are native of the huge cavern: the Kran created by Talad and the Lemur created by Laanx. All other races are said to arrive from magical portals connected to other worlds.

Stone Labyrinths

The Bronze Doors, located along the perimeter of the first level, access the Stone Labyrinths, a complex of both natural and artificial caves as ancient as the town itself. It is sure that some of them lead to places similar to Yliakum and even to the surface, but nobody ever came back to report such a discovery. The Stone Labyrinths are one of the sources of food and resources for the city.

Inhabitants of Yliakum hunt not only the animals inside these caves for their edible meat and warm furs, but also fungi, molds, and saprophytes. These plants cannot be found elsewhere, since there are no other suitable environments for them, and their curative and helpful properties are valuable to the people. Like all places, there are also more pernicious and aggressive creatures living here as well from each of the four natural kingdoms. Hunters and gatherers must keep an eye out for these predators, who create an obstacle for those who venture in the less controlled and more dangerous tunnels of the Stone Labyrinths. As always in places of danger, great sources of wealth are just waiting in these caves for someone clever enough to find and profit from them.

Streams and Lakes

Many different underground streams spring from the walls of the first and second levels, some of which were formed from time immemorial, and join together at the bottom of the stalactite, where they form a lake that submerges the two lower levels. Somehow the water gets out, since Yliakum hasn't been flooded once in recorded history. The flow of the streams varies as times goes by, and the level of the lake changes accordingly. Sometimes the lake level is so low that almost half of the seventh level is revealed, but other times the level is so high it almost reaches the edge of the sixth level. The springs here supply a constant source of drinking water for Yliakum.

The seventh and eight level, both usually submerged, host the Nolthrir, an Elven race who have been attending the seaweed for thousands of years. With the influence of time and the Crystal, the Nolthrir evolved into an amphibious species, which enabled them to remain under water for long periods of time. After centuries of crossbreeding, the seaweeds grown with such skill as the Nolthrir possess boast different qualities. Some of these varieties are used as food, while others are tanned and woven to make clothing. Still others have medicinal properties, but most of the seaweed is dried and used as fodder for Pterosaurs, Megaras, and cattle bred on the first level.

The Crystal

The Crystal that brings light to Yliakum is an enormous raw stone of purest transparency and analogous to the sapphire that hangs from the roof of the stalactite's internal cave.

Named the Azure Sun by those races that still remember the surface, it emits a radiation that is more towards infrared if compared to the light of the sun, but is suitable for photosynthesis and survival of many animals, vegetables, and mineral species. This radiation decays with squared progression with the distance. At the seventh level the radiation is just enough to penetrate the mass of the lake in order to light it, while on the first level it is so strong that it allows wonderful crops and the breeding of great cattle, which provide milk and meat.

To the great regret of the scientists, radiation from the Crystal keeps them from exploring too near. Using logic and common sense, scientists concluded that the nearer than twelve steps from the Crystal, the radiation dissociates matter, sometimes even generating random chain reactions that could be very dangerous. However, since the Crystal is such a powerful source of every kind of magic in the city, some fool will dare to get too close and risk the dangers.

Measuring Time

The Crystal draws its light from the surface and thus Yliakum is subjected to times of "day" and "night". However, even at night, it is not completely dark. The level of the lake, which rises and falls in an extremely consistent manner, measures hours. A wide band of the metal Orichalc was put on a section of the sixth wall and was used not only because it is the only metal that doesn't deteriorate whatsoever, but also because underwater flora cannot take root in it. The names of the six periods that divide each of the four seasons are carved on this band, and information about the periods is engraved over the level reports.

The year is subdivided into four seasons only because of the cultural heritage of the people coming from the surface and the observation of the cyclic phenomena of vegetable growth. During the twenty-four periods of the year, the Crystal's azure light varies marginally, helping to reinforce the different periods.

Travel

The Slow Way

Long stairs that wind along the walls or corridors dug deep into the rock connect every adjacent level. Most citizens walk from level to level, even though such a trip is very tiring, especially when going uphill with a load of goods. Because of this, wide landings were built where they can lay down their loads and rest.

The Merchandising Way

Because walking is so slow and cumbersome, an ingenious system of pulleys, wheels, and spider silk ropes was devised. These silk ropes attach to either people or goods and are then lifted up. The winches are privately owned, however, so generally they only belong to the mercantile society, and their use is allowed only after a fee is paid to the society, which varies according to the quality of the winch.

The Elite Way

The fastest way of getting over remarkable distances in a short time is using flying animals: Pterosaurs and Megaras.

Flying Animals

Pterosaurs

The Pterosaurs are reptiles with organs adapted to flight, such as their membranous wings and long tails, which they use as a rudder. The Pterosaurs' dimensions vary from three to six meters, not including their tails, and their wingspan is directly proportionate to their bodies. From the moment they are born, Pterosaurs begin training to carry a person sitting in a saddle buckled between the animal's shoulder blades. Pterosaurs must be at least three years old and fully trained before they can actually carry a person, which makes them precious, coveted, and very expensive to keep. Only extremely wealthy people can afford these lizards, but no matter how wealthy a family is they may only legally own a single Pterosaur. The law forbids owning more than one of these animals in order to avoid dangerously crowding the limited air space.

Megaras

The second flying animal is the Megaras, which is similar to a giant bat. Scientists believe the Crystal has genetically mutated the Megaras, since they reproduce only in Yliakum. These bat-like creatures are not as docile as the Pterosaurs, but they are stronger and more efficient, making them perfect to carry heavy but not too delicate loads, such as food and building materials. As with the Pterosaurs, each mercantile society is allowed to own only one Megaras.

Waste

Ducts that have been dug out in the rock are used to dispose of human waste. Larger rubbish and bodies are simply thrown into almost vertical and apparently endless wells. Nobody seems to care about where all of this junk finally ends up, since the stalactite theory is only devised by some Xacha scientists and has not been proven yet. Dead bodies are eliminated the same way. Though discarding dead in such a callous fashion would seem rather shocking, neither of the two main faiths at Yliakum requires particular care nor reverence to dead bodies. To the people here, a body is simply a non-functional apparatus or an empty shell with no soul. However, nothing is ever thrown into the lake. The law forbids this disposal method not only out of courtesy to the Nolthrirs, but also to protect the seaweed population. Polluting the lake is one of the few crimes punished with death.

 

Government

Eight dignitaries called "Octarchs" rule the city; each of them supervises and is responsible for one level of Yliakum. Together they form the "Circle of the Octarchs" or "Internal Circle", that takes decisions regarding all the people living in the city.

Immediately under an Octarch there are twenty "Vigesimi", high civil servants that deal with law and order. There are 160 "Vigesimi" in total and they form the "External Circle". At the beginning of every year there is a meeting of all Octarchs and Vigesimi that lasts for several months. In this event they evaluate all expenses and revenue of the previous year, all complaining, problems, etc... Vigesimi normally come from the Craft Guilds of each level, and their position is hereditary. Nevertheless is not too rare to find some high citizens that are elected thanks to people acclamation, taking place of Vigesimi that are dead, that are judged inept or that are found to be guilty of thievery.

At the beginning of every season takes place the meeting of all Vigesimi of a level, generally (but not always) directed by the Octarch. During these short meetings the members of the External Circle can elect a new Octarch if the previous is dead or too old. An Octarch can't be removed, nevertheless in some cases the Octarch was assassinated because it was too cruel, inept, dishonest, etc... One of the most famous cases is the one of Fertedian Dalko, Octarch of the 4th level, that was tied to a hypnotized Megaras and sent straight towards the Crystal.

 

Yliakum Economy

Currency

Trading is mainly done with coins, though barter and credit letters are also available. A currency mint on the second level produces coins for all of Yliakum. Since it's a closed society, the minters only have two jobs: repair broken coins and replace the ones that leave the city or get lost somehow.

Trias

"Trias" are the best coins and the main currency. They are made of alloy, metals, or crystals that are resistant to corrosion and oxidation, which allows the Nolthrirs to take them under water, increasing their worth as a cross-race currency. The crystal mineral can easily be found in the mines and is transparent or light green in color. Magically forging the crystals produces a perfect triangle with rounded-off edges. Coins made out of steel are worth much less (1/10 of a Tria), which makes them more popular among the poor.

Other Coins

The "Hexa" has a value of 10 Tria; it's made of another crystal mineral, light blue in color, and has the shape of a hexagon. The red "Octa" is worth 50 Tria, or 5 Hexa. The golden "Circle" is worth 250 Tria, or 25 Hexa.

Unofficial Currencies

Coins of higher value are not official because these are not made in the official mint. Instead rich merchants who need an easier way to make big trades create them. The merchants use the silver coin, worth 500 Tria, and the platinum coin, worth 1,000 Tria. To make large trades like these using official currency, banks or Craft Guilds will issue credit letters to whoever needs them.

Sample Prices

The following samples of the purchasing power of Trias will give you a better understanding of the currency:

Object to Buy	Trias	Hexas	Octas	Circles
a pint of good beer	2 tria	-	-	-
a lunch in a tavern	5 tria	-	-	-
leather pants and shirt	25 tria	2 hexa, 5 tria	-	-
a good steel sword	350 tria	35 hexas	7 octas	1 circle, 2 octas
farmer's one month salary	250 tria	25 hexas	5 octas	1 circle
healthy, trained pterosaur	45,000 tria	4,500 hexas	2,400 octas	180 circles

City Population Overcrowding

As you can see, it's difficult for a farm worker to collect enough money for good equipment like swords, armor, etc. to venture into the Stone Labyrinths. Nevertheless, some try to save every Tria they can to pass on to their sons so that the son may search for a better life, which often sends them into trouble. This "killing-by-kindness" is one of the reasons that city is never overpopulated.

 

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