The World of Unkai

People have named this world Unkai, a planet shrouded in clouds. So much so that no one has ever seen the sky or knows what lies beyond. The game is set in Nisumari, a floating landmass, which translates to protector or guardian in Runic. Two major continents surrounded by oceans and other smaller continents make up this floating landmass.. Surrounding all of that is the sea of clouds—which is where the name of the planet comes from. As stated before, the people of Nisumari do not know what is beyond the clouds and they have never parted. They see a bright spot beyond the clouds—the hidden sun—but nothing else. This means the sky is always cloudy regardless of the weather.

Besides this game being a fantasy game involving spells and magical abilities, it also has advanced technology compared to what typically exists in a traditional medieval setting. A major difference with technology is that gunpowder (black powder) doesn’t exist. The terms gunpowder, black powder, or other terminology related to it do not exist. However, guns and explosives exist through the advancement of steam energetics.

Using the energy of water and fire combined with crystals, they created steam as a fuel source for most of the technology that exists in the game world. Nisumari has access to inventions like clockwork mechanics, steam arms, explosives and melee weapons.

To clarify, Nisumari is not an industrial Victorian setting like most worlds involving steampunk. The world setting is a medieval era with a steampunk and magical fantasy twist.

Natural Light

Continents float in a world of clouds revolving around a core of light and heat. The light from the core reflects off the clouds and keeps nights from becoming completely dark on the surface.

The world's light sources come from the sun behind the clouds and the planet's core. Nisumari's inhabitants don't consider the bright spot concealed by the clouds to be the sun. The sky is always covered in clouds, to the light from the sun never passes through. The light coming from the core of the planet provides a kind of moonlight effect, which also causes the edge of the continents to always remain daytime.

Economy & Currency

Essence and Energy has a unique economy and currency system. The primary forms of money are: copper coins, silver coins, and gold coins, with copper being the lowest value and gold being the highest. The currency is called Gomitsu (gold coins), Samitsu (silver coins), and Sayatsu (copper coins). Other money forms include Loops, Chips, and Cubes (more info in the Currencysection of the Marketplace chapter).

The other currencies are optional to play with, but can include exchange rates if the game requires players to cross over into other empires. It’s all a matter of how immersive and organic you want the world to be.

Main Currency

• In the Runic language, Tsu means coin. People sometimes use Tsu to refer to a reward or treasure.
• Gold Coin: Gomitsu (commonly called Gomi)
• Silver Coin: Samitsu (commonly called Sami)
• Copper Coin: Sayatsu (commonly called Saya)

Other Currency

• Chip: Niya
• Cube: Sabo
• Loop: Miya
• Orb: Orebo

Listed Prices

Prices listed in the marketplace are not rounded for simplicity. Instead, they are in a format that should be easy to follow, like real world money. For example, if we write the item's price as 140gc50sc3cc, it would be a jumbled mess. Instead, we use the simplified form. Prices that require multiple values of coins use the following listing style: 140.50.3c which uses a dot, or period, to divide up the different values of the coins.

140.50.3c = 140 Gomitsu, 50 Samitsu, and 3 Sayatsu

When speaking the simplified form, the coin values speak one after another. It is optional to add coins (or Tsu) at the end. Speaking the example from above would be “143 tsu” or if wanting to be more specific yet more drawn out: “140 gomi, 50 sami, and 3 saya tsu”. However, if something costs only one value of the coin (i.e., one copper coin or eight silver coins) it will look like this: 1cc or 8sc. If something was to cost one-thousand gold coins, it would look like this: 1,000gc.

We only used the simplified form when something’s price requires multiple values of coins. To not cause confusion, the merchants of Nisumari choose to use gc, sc, and cc when using single value prices, since both silver and copper coins in Runic start with “S”.

Banking System

There is also a banking system that securely permits players to hold their treasures or, if in financial trouble, can take out loans. The bank will impose a hefty penalty for missing payments. Each bank has a one time membership fee to open an account, along with a maximum amount of insured coin; if something happens to one of their locations. Refer to the Banking section in the Marketplace chapter for more detailed information.

Governmental Structure

Multiple empires divide up Nisumari, all ruled by their respected emperors or ruler. The kings and queens within these empires take care of their citizens and uphold their emperor’s laws. The governing structure of Nisumari is that of the emperor’s rule over all within their empires. Kings/Queens rule their kingdoms under the laws and regulations of their emperor. Lower nobility such as Dukes, Duchesses, Earl, Countess, Baron, Baroness. are of equal standing above the common folk. The common folk, merchants, and artisans stand above the common peasants (also known as commoners).

It is common for the high nobility to own trade companies and artisan shops without ever managing them directly. Instead, they hire lower nobility to manage and operate the business. The lower nobility hires the common class to do all the heavy lifting (sometimes literally).

1. Royal Class
   1. Emperor
   2. King/Queen
2. High Noble Class
   1. Dukes, Duchesses, Earl, Countess, Baron, Baroness, etc.
3. Low Noble Class
   1. Merchants, Artisans, etc.
4. Common Class
   1. Peasants (commoners)

_{The terminology of titles/social classes are generic and social statuses/titles can vary between cultures and empires.}

Time & Date

The world of Nisumari’s time system uses the Grimslarian Calendar. Which is like the calendars and time systems of the real world. There are sixty seconds in a minute, sixty minutes in an hour, twenty-four hours in a day, seven days in a week, thirty days in a month, and twelve months in a year. Which means there are three hundred and sixty days in a year.

The people of Nisumari documented the history of Nisumari to explain the creation of life on Nisumari, but their records only reach back to the Moreru Era (ME), so they mainly rely on myths, legends, and religion to understand how creation happened. Just as in other areas, the timeline before the Moreru Era is unknown to the people of Nisumari, so characters would have no logical reason to know the information.

Layers of Nisumari

Nisumari has three sections: Surface Side, Fureta (Midway), and Underside. The Surface Side is where most people live.

Fureta is the underground, where some have called home. Although it is not as populated as the Surface Side, it is still a thriving civilization that works together with the people on the Surface Side to create the cultures and empires of Nisumari.

Finally, is the Underside, which is mostly a scorched barren wasteland because of the intense heat from the Under Sun. The Under Sun is the core of the planet for player’s knowledge, but to the people of Nisumari, it is their primary source of natural light and their primary sun.