Astrirore
Scope
The motivation behind building Astrirore
Astrirore is the home world for the comic Tales of Astrirore.
As someone who grew up loving horses and practically breathing "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron", I've always had a lean toward equine characters.
However most things catering to horse-girls are geared for young audiences.
Tales of Astrirore will allow an older equestrian appreciating audience to have a corner in Fandom without having to share the party with 3rd graders all the time, because we all know that's not nearly as fun as advertised.
As someone who grew up loving horses and practically breathing "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron", I've always had a lean toward equine characters.
However most things catering to horse-girls are geared for young audiences.
Tales of Astrirore will allow an older equestrian appreciating audience to have a corner in Fandom without having to share the party with 3rd graders all the time, because we all know that's not nearly as fun as advertised.
The goal of the project
The goal is to create a rich, fleshed out universe for the characters to thrive within, making a solid framework for spin-off series of other characters, and possible future games taking place within the world.
Astrirore's Unique Selling point
Astrirore is a world with magic, technology, and culture centered around horses. Despite it's whimsical flair, it's a world with just as much dark as light, catering to an older viewership.
Theme
Genre
Equines pose a fun challenge when it comes to what is considered basic technology. While magic makes a lot of that hurdle passable, it's important to me that Astrirore doesn't have technology that feels like it was ripped from the human realm and merely given the magic excuse.
Magic is rich and derived from the demigod bloodlines, blessings from the gods, or rituals appealing to the gods themselves.
Despite a marketly noticable medieval inspiration for the world and its technology, the machinery work can border on futuristic in function even if it is rustic in appearance.
It's greatly important to me for each of the four Empires to have a unique cultural feel, this includes the technology, clothing, aesthetic, societal norms, religion, and values.
Magic is rich and derived from the demigod bloodlines, blessings from the gods, or rituals appealing to the gods themselves.
Despite a marketly noticable medieval inspiration for the world and its technology, the machinery work can border on futuristic in function even if it is rustic in appearance.
It's greatly important to me for each of the four Empires to have a unique cultural feel, this includes the technology, clothing, aesthetic, societal norms, religion, and values.
Reader Experience
The world should feel fleshed out and alive, the history should feel as though it affects the present, and actions had natural and logical consequences, even if they're small and hard to notice on a first look.
Reader Tone
Astrirore isn't necessarily dark, it depends on who you're following. Some characters have "darker" stories than others.
Recurring Themes
1. Creation
2. Cycles
3. Magic
4. Costs
2. Cycles
3. Magic
4. Costs
Character Agency
The effects of what each character does leaves ripples through the world. I want it to feel like every storyline has stakes no matter what occurs.
One of my favourite things when exploring worlds is finding the little threads that make up the weave. Small hints and clues that bring everything together make my brain extremely happy, so I like to leave crumbs for other readers who also love to dig into world building.
Of course I don't make these pieces of the story impossible to understand if someone doesn't want to bury themselves in itty-bitty details, as that would be frustrating and a gate to enjoying the world for others, which is the last thing I want. So, it's somewhere between puzzle pieces and easter-eggs.
One of my favourite things when exploring worlds is finding the little threads that make up the weave. Small hints and clues that bring everything together make my brain extremely happy, so I like to leave crumbs for other readers who also love to dig into world building.
Of course I don't make these pieces of the story impossible to understand if someone doesn't want to bury themselves in itty-bitty details, as that would be frustrating and a gate to enjoying the world for others, which is the last thing I want. So, it's somewhere between puzzle pieces and easter-eggs.
Focus
Drama
Long ago, the Sun Raids destroyed countless temples to the Pyricleo Lunate, and persecuted his followers.
They resulted in an ongoing feud between the Caldari and Shiessen Factions as well as wide-spread prejudice against the worshipers of the now Shunned God. Some devout worshipers of Solaris have also since turned away from their devotion as a protest to the raids.
An increase in escaped Daemons across Astrirore have caused unrest within the kingdoms and an uptick in magical accidents. The Arkarhyn are facing heavier persecution as their rituals are being blamed for the incidents.
The North is being more frequently attacked by beasts emerging from across the sea, swimming south from the Vórein Wastes to strike the settlements on the shore of Braenagar.
Something is driving them over the icy waters in search of food, making them desperate as opposed to the usual attacks of opportunity.
Something is driving them over the icy waters in search of food, making them desperate as opposed to the usual attacks of opportunity.
Malerai is facing war with Sukwolf while under heavy internal stress. The King was killed in battle, leaving his Queen and one heir who is far from being of age to rule in his stead.
The nobles are divided in loyalty, the economy is suffering, and the military is spread thin defending Malerai's two neighboring nations (Braenagar and Vasaria) in an attempt to avoid a battle on three enclosing fronts. Sukwolf has remained relentless and whispers are spreading of a new form of hybrid that is designed to turn the tides of the war in Sukwolf's favor.
The Queen, bereft with grief, has stepped down to the position of Regent to completely retire from the public eye once the prince is of age, her closest advisor doubling as the young colt's tutor in hopes he will be able to save the empire from collapse.
The nobles are divided in loyalty, the economy is suffering, and the military is spread thin defending Malerai's two neighboring nations (Braenagar and Vasaria) in an attempt to avoid a battle on three enclosing fronts. Sukwolf has remained relentless and whispers are spreading of a new form of hybrid that is designed to turn the tides of the war in Sukwolf's favor.
The Queen, bereft with grief, has stepped down to the position of Regent to completely retire from the public eye once the prince is of age, her closest advisor doubling as the young colt's tutor in hopes he will be able to save the empire from collapse.
Foals and full-grown Vimta alike have been going missing as of late. Entire settlements becoming ghost towns overnight. At first it was brushed off as simply casualties of war, or Arcana denizens going uncontested. But far too many have appeared far from empire borders with no sign of Daemon activity.
What's worse, oracles are having more trouble reaching the Pyricleo and Kefadi in an attempt to identify the source of the disasters. Some fear Vimtalogos is heading for an era even further from the Forces and Novus and the disappearances are the result of the anger of the deities being unleashed before they go utterly silent and leave the vimta to their fate.
What's worse, oracles are having more trouble reaching the Pyricleo and Kefadi in an attempt to identify the source of the disasters. Some fear Vimtalogos is heading for an era even further from the Forces and Novus and the disappearances are the result of the anger of the deities being unleashed before they go utterly silent and leave the vimta to their fate.
Braenagar has slight tensions within the clan of Vellir, as their annexed lands from the former fifteenth clan contain a tribe of Satelune worshipers that both are and aren't under Brae Crown rule.
Cinaed has directly ordered they continue to be left alone, but the head of Vellir, Liath, blames them and their rituals for the hardships within his lands. He doesn't have enough power to disobey the king, but he isn't the most hospitable.
A bandit group has been hitting caravans of exports and imports no matter what countermeasures are put in place. Changes in route, increases in escorts, and even deliberate mismarking of travel schedules to try and smoke any informants have been fruitless, and the hits impossible to trace back to any prosecutable suspects.
Sukwolf faces an internal war as much as an external one. A rebellion has risen in the southern Foallit district, hiding away in the extensive cavern systems underground. They're better supplied than they should be with the compromised trade routes and bearing down on the other districts to restrain assistance of the rebelling faction. They claim to have the lost heir to the throne, the search for whom caused the insurrection that split the empire all those novei ago.
Cinaed has directly ordered they continue to be left alone, but the head of Vellir, Liath, blames them and their rituals for the hardships within his lands. He doesn't have enough power to disobey the king, but he isn't the most hospitable.
A bandit group has been hitting caravans of exports and imports no matter what countermeasures are put in place. Changes in route, increases in escorts, and even deliberate mismarking of travel schedules to try and smoke any informants have been fruitless, and the hits impossible to trace back to any prosecutable suspects.
Sukwolf faces an internal war as much as an external one. A rebellion has risen in the southern Foallit district, hiding away in the extensive cavern systems underground. They're better supplied than they should be with the compromised trade routes and bearing down on the other districts to restrain assistance of the rebelling faction. They claim to have the lost heir to the throne, the search for whom caused the insurrection that split the empire all those novei ago.
Astrirore, its characters, and the story they explore are created, produced, and owned by Mystic Mahogany Studios. 