Introduction to Melior
A dark fantasy worldbuilding project by TJ Trewin
TL;DR
Fifty years ago, the world of Melior was forcefully introduced to magic during an apocalyptic invasion. Folks are questioning their old traditions and faiths as they struggle to rebuild amidst the new dangers of everyday life.
The World of Melior
The Aurus
It is believed that there is a hidden source of ancient power beneath this polar ice cap. Its pull is so great that this is what causes compasses to always point toward Aurus, and mystical lights illuminate the eternal midnight that cloaks The Auric Boss. The world map of Melior always depicts The Aurus at the absolute centre, whereas smaller regional maps are rotated so that the direction of Aurus is at the top of the map. Clock-wise, the cardinal directions are Aurus, East, Selith, and West. An easy way to determine your direction is to know that the sun rises in the East and sets in the West.Cartography
The map of the world is segmented into 30° graticules. The first latitudes either side of the Dixide form the two shields of Melior: The Selithen Shield and The Auric Shield. The 60° latitudes form the boss of each shield. This naming convention supposedly originated from an ancient Jolundrian tradition where warriors painted the map of the land they were defending upon their shields. Click and drag to rotate the map, scroll to zoom in or out!
Click the globe to stop it spinning. Wait 5 seconds for it to resume again.
Click the globe to stop it spinning. Wait 5 seconds for it to resume again.
Magic is New
The Rupture
The Rupture, often referred to as The Apocalypse, took place across the entire world some fifty years ago on Thirday, 10th of Darkfall 514 2A. It was a catastrophic and unforeseen event that wrought havoc upon the world, plunging it into complete and utter chaos on an unfathomable scale. Rifts from an unknown realm tore open the very atmosphere with devastating force. The shock waves and ground tremors leveled villages and crumbled structures for miles around causing millions of casualties across the globe. The opening of the realms invited both wonders and horrors. Terrifying creatures that had never been seen before invaded the world and caused a complete upheaval of ecological balance, and strange, invasive flora crept into the ripe, unclaimed soil of the world. The folk, flora, and fauna from beyond the Rifts introduced magic to the world of Melior. This abrupt and unexpected introduction was met with much skepticism and strife - even fifty years onwards there are clear divides between those who fear magic and those who've embraced it.Magic
Magic feels like energy: if your reserves are low it's a bit like feeling as if you're too tired to perform a spell or enchantment. This fatigue does not interrupt physical energy and tiredness, and a person will not feel more physically tired for being low on magic reserves. Maisha is the magical nutrient that is found in many fruits, fungi and vegetation in the planes beyond Melior. Consuming maisha-rich food restores magic energy. Intelligent creatures may start to feel a magic hunger which will urge them towards consuming foods rich in maisha. Much like other foods, maisha can be processed into dried out variants, concentrates, and beverages. It can be added to normal foods to add magic-restoring properties. In order to channel elemental and healing magics (which are also used for enchanting items), a person must be in direct physical contact with the base element that they're casting. You can't summon things from nothingness, and need a source to expand from. For this reason, fire magic is very uncommon and impractical due to its self-destructive, burning nature.Folks
Folks
You'll encounter many different Folks throughout your travels in Melior, with each flaunting their own set of unique abilities. Everyone is familiar with the Humans and Fauns native to Jolundria, but you should get to know the Rakuwan crabfolk and their affinity with the tides. Scale-covered Manavaxians and soaring Ardeans are newcomers here and came through the Rifts during The Rupture.Social Classes
Folks of the world belong to one of four distinct social classes under rule of the aristocracy. Whilst these classes still function in many countries of Melior today, the events of The Rupture has provided opportunities for the lower class to rise and fight for equality.- Gutterborn - Unfortunate folk who live in the shadows of the streets. They hope to go unnoticed (and unharmed) but strive to walk in the warm sunshine as equals to the rest of the world.
- Proletariat - Manual labourers and hard workers. They work the roughest jobs for the smallest pay, but it’s enough to get by and have a good meal at the end of the day.
- Emissary - Commonly identified as traders, errand runners, servants, and representatives. Small business owners also fall in under this social class due to their wealth and servitude to aristocratic clients.
- Aristocrat - The upper class and nobility of the world. Many were born into this social class and it’s unlikely to rise into it unless you marry.
Conflict
Rise of an Empire
The Jolundrian Empire is the foremost constitutional monarchy in Melior, encompassing the regions of Jolundria, Arklend, Anvil, and Kuldar. With the impact of The Rupture upon its resources, The Empire is spread thin defending against magic-weilding invaders whilst rebuilding its cities. Meanwhile, The Melopian Commonwealth seek to take advantage of this opportunity - they have established camps on the outskirts of Porosa and have even begun their initial raids upon the coasts of Anvil in their strategy to overthrow The Empire.The Fall of Order
The impact of the invasion has thrown the world of Melior into chaos. Folks and fiends alike find themselves fighting through a multitude of interconnecting trials:- Conflict resolution between opposing factions.
- Struggles between social classes.
- Dissolutions and formations of religious groups and cults.
- Rebuilding in the ruins of old.
- Survival against horrific magical riftbeasts.
- Trying to establish a safe place that feels like home.
- Mastering and surviving against newfound magical abilities.
Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull
Beautiful introduction to Melior. <3 I love the maps, and how you emphasise that it has only been fifty years since the Rupture. It makes it clear that the world is still really from its effects.