Welcome to Gilden! Start Here
Hello, and welcome to the world of Gilden! If you're here, then that means you are a potential reader, which is awesome, so here's a quick rundown of what's actually going on here. Ultimately, I plan to make this into a graphic novel, the main story for which this world exists, but there is potential for more stories to take place in this world as well. The unfortunate thing about graphic novels is THEY TAKE SO LONG, so quite a lot of stuff will definitely be spoilers. This introductory page is spoiler-free, though! But either way, if you're getting on board this early, then tbh you can have free access to all the spoilers you desire, up to you. I'll try to mark them when pertinent. Without further ado, here's a brief introduction to the main cast, and some more on the story's premise!
The Characters
(If their name is underlined, that means you can click it to be linked to their full character article. If it's not underlined that means I haven't finished the article yet)
Shea
(Age 21, She/Her)
A bold, brash, and crass young hero (self-proclaimed) with as much heart as she’s got brawn-- which is a lot-- determined to overcome the dark secret of her legacy. She's a tank, a heavy-hitter, a brawler, who takes no shit and no prisoners. Her sense of justice is both very strong and kind of black-and-white, so if she's identified you as an evil-doer, then don't expect any mercy. She can be pretty intense both on and off the battlefield-- but off, she's more like an overexcited puppy than a raging killing machine. She claims folks call her 'the Hellblade Hero', but really, she just calls herself that and is hoping it'll catch on. The reason for the moniker is her distinct weapon, a massive, sinister-looking, hellish greatsword, which is, unbeknownst to most, inhabited by a demon. Whenever anyone asks where she got such an unusual blade, Shea smugly declares that she 'stole it from a god', but the details of that story are a mystery she isn't keen on unveiling.
"Disobedience isn't just how I survive-- it's how I live! If you just kneel and bare your neck and do what you're told, then in my book, you may as well already be dead. Always bite the hand that feeds you."
Canorsolanim
(Age ████, ██/███)
Shea's loyal sword and best friend, a bloodthirsty and bitchy Blade Demon with a millennia's worth of scars of his own. A quote from Shea, to explain Blade Demons in as few words as possible: "Basically just think of it as, the sword is alive, and the alive part is Canor." He goes along with Shea's heroic antics (with only minimal bitching and moaning) out of the power of friendship, but would also just as happily set orphanages on fire for fun. An unlikely pair to be sure, but Canor and Shea are a dynamic duo that can't be beat, nor can any force on earth break their ride-or-die bond. Canor mostly stays hidden inside the sword when others are around, only materializing to fight, or when they're alone-- the element of surprise gains them advantage in battle, to be sure, but the main reason is just because Canor is kind of a cunt and he doesn't like people. Shea is the only exception.
"The loyalty of mortals is finite, and so is their love. Only power is infinite. So pray to me, worship me, but make no mistake! The fount of my power shall be none but myself. The weak cower under the heel of the strong, so is the world's way-- and I will never be weak again."
Rune
(age 28, He/him)
A perpetual damsel in distress mourning his lost love, who’s spent his life getting on his back (and knees, and all fours) for powerful warlords in order to survive, suddenly finding himself in control of his own life for the first time. Unlike the rest of the main cast, Rune is a native to the Warlands, and also not a fighter. He has some long-since buried bardic aspirations to rediscover. Sensitive, effeminate, always branded a weakling, he's never been able to toughen up and fit in, but he also doesn't really want to. Life in the warlands is pretty hard and bleak, and Rune always dreamed of better, brighter, more glamorous things, of luxury, opulence, decadence, romance-- a life with no hardship but plenty of drama. This medieval fruitcake is always the first to dismiss his own value, but he's much cleverer and stronger than he gives himself credit for.
"I've only ever been exactly what I am, who I am. I'm not ashamed. Even if I could change, I wouldn't. Just because you don't understand me, doesn't mean I don't deserve to be treated like a person."
Siromsja
(Age 25, She/Her)
A travelling healer with a mysterious curse, strange ways, strange magic, and a drinking problem, who won’t-- or can’t-- speak at all of her past. Sometimes referred to as ‘the wild woman’ by locals, Siromsja is strange by everyone’s standards. She's reclusive, reserved, and serious, and is accused of not having any sense of humour almost as often as she's accused of being a witch, which is frequently. She's not a witch, but a druid-- not that Siromsja ever clarifies that. She doesn't care what people call her, nor does she resent the misconception. She does cast spells and brew potions and smear fragrant herbal ointments on people's foreheads while muttering in ancient tongues, after all, not to mention the clairvoyance... which she also doesn't. Siromsja doesn't share that she's a gifted Seer due to her curse-- before, she could see all ways through time with clarity, but now she can no longer see the future, only the past. People don't care for a Seer who can't tell their fortune, she claims.
"I know it's wrong for me to be this way. My people value life, life above all else. I shouldn't want to kill... but I have been infected by the hate of my enemy, and now I hate too. Vengeance consumes me like a rot, and therein lies his victory."
Mira
(age 24, she/her)
A bright and powerful young mage, whose promising future was lost to scandal and infamy, now seeking to prove her greatness away from the society that unfairly spurned her. Mira is booksmart and rather sheltered, coming from a privileged background in the wealthy republic of Sidusimpere, so she experiences some pretty strong culture shock when she comes to the Warlands to become an adventurer. She's not used to violence and is definitely an idealist, believes very strongly in always doing the right thing as she was raised and is very firm in her view of herself as A Good Person, but she does have a hidden ruthless streak. Having an arcane education from the top university in Sidusimpere, an extremely competitive and cutthroat environment, Mira is used to doing whatever it takes in order to succeed-- it's just that here in the Warlands, that means sometimes she might have to kill people. Also, she is the only one of the main cast to actually have/use a last name. Her full name is Miriedha Andrea Toranthykoulos.
"I have to believe that people are good, and the world is good, and that a better future is possible-- I have to or I'll go insane. It's been getting harder lately to convince myself of it, but if there's one thing I hate, it's being proven wrong."
The Setting
Gods and Magic
The overall setting is pretty solidly fantasy medieval, with a strong magic presence. There ARE gods, and spirits and fae and other deities, but their involvement in the world varies based on the god and the circumstances. It is possible for an individual to commune with a god, or for a god to directly meddle with or even be physically present in the physical, mortal world, but only in extremely rare cases or highly specific circumstances. This has to do with the atomic construction of the universe as a whole, which is explained in more detail here-- there are many layers of the greater universe, also called the different realms, including the physical, mortal realm, basically the matieral world, and the Ninth Realm (it's just called that, it's not actually specifically the ninth in any kind of real numerical order) where the High Divinities, or Capital-G Gods, reside. These two realms are the farthest from each other, and the material realm is the smallest, while the Ninth Realm is the largest, and the true forms of the high gods are so ultra-gigantically enormous, comparable in size and mass to supergiant stars, and as a result it is literally physically difficult for the high gods to access the smaller realms. They reach out with parts of themselves, having to condense and split into more parts as they pass through the smaller realms, branching further out, eventually managing to just barely make a whisper of contact with the mortal world-- of course, to mortals, that whisper feels more like a deafening roar. All these reaching tendrils of divinity, if imaged, would resemble an exhaustive map of the entire human nervous system, each of the nerve endings being the forms of the gods are mortals know and worship them.
As for magic-- there's different kinds of magic, and while magic is a sort of universally acknowledged part of the world, there isn't always magic actively happening everywhere, moreso there is always the potential for magic. Magic is fairly common in many parts of the world, but not just anyone can just do magic willy-nilly. The three main types of magic are: wild magic, arcane magic, and spiritual magic, differentiated by the source of their magical power and how it is used. Spiritual magic draws on faith and/or blessing of a divine, spirit, or fae entity (mainly like a DnD cleric). Wild magic uses the raw material energy of the world, with a strong aspect of the power of nature, and is most associated with witches. It is thought of as more of an innate magic. Arcane magic, by contrast, is learned, though certain individuals can have a strong natural affinity. It uses the invisible energies of the world, drawing especially from energy generated by extraterrestrial, celestial bodies, and refining that energy in exact and calculated ways-- more of a scientific practise than an instinctual artform. Basically it's like the magic version of nuclear/atomic science.
Actual World Setting-- states and structures
As I mentioned, we start off in the Warlands region, so the bulk of my worldbuilding will mostly focus there, at least in the beginning. This is a large area of land in Central Gilden defined by warfare, divided up into many smaller territories ruled by various warlords that are in constant conflict with each other over land and resources. Because of this the inner border lines of the Warlands are frequently shifting, and one part of the region might be under different rule from one year to the next. The vast majority of the population are extremely poor, and suffer violence, famine, and disease often, with little access to medicine, and virtually no access to education, at the mercy of the warlords and their armies that rule them. Hardship is the status quo in the Warlands, but with the major surge in adventurers flocking to the region in the last few years, it seems that change might be rumbling in the distance.
Adventurers come from pretty much exclusively outside of the Warlands. Also mentioned in the world intro is the republic of Sidusimpere, the mage-run democracy which neighbours the Warlands to the northeast. Sidusimpere is known for its mages of unparalleled power and prestige, advanced arcane technology, and high standards of education. It's governed by a nationally elected council of archmages, and most of its economy and infrastructure revolve around arcane magic. Their culture is highly competitive, so most of the magic casters on adventuring parties in the Warlands are aspiring or amateur mages who just couldn't quite make it in Sidusimpere, seeking their glory elsewhere. To the east of Sidusimpere is Solril, a wealthy kingdom known for its glittering splendour, valiant knights, glamourous nobles, and fairytale-esque castles. Solril is a subject of fantasy and fascination to many in the Warlands, and tall tales of the heroic Knights of Dawn, ethereally beautiful princesses, and the enchanting capital city with its sparkling white Celestine Palace are extremely popular among the Warlands peasants. Many bards that travel Gilden are from there, and the more polished fighters in Warlands adventuring parties are usually likely to be from, or trained in, Solril. Our main characters won't actually travel there, but Solril is referenced fairly often in the story. Same case for Sidusimpere, but it's more relevant as Mira's home country.
There are a few kingdoms still between the Warlands, and the Dymin Empire to the north. There were once a lot of them, but they have been slowly disappearing under the sprawling shroud of Dymin as it has expanded over the last (nearly) four hundred years. Dymin is a threatening presence on the map of Gilden, intimidating, powerful, and mysterious. Its armies are horrifically brutal, and the entire empire worships E'erendar, the god of the end of all things-- they have to, it's required by law and all other faiths and/or religious/spiritual practises are outlawed, punishable by death. A large number of people displaced by Dymin's invasions have scattered all across Gilden, so many adventurers in the Warlands are people whose homes were swallowed up by the sinister empire, or who have fled preemptively before its armies might descend upon them.
Along the south-and-east coasts are a few more kingdoms that I haven't fleshed out as much yet. They're mostly defined by their economic success as major centers of trade and cultural exchange, with bustling coastal cities and busy harbours. Wicksfroth to the south is especially mariner-focused in its culture with a booming fishing industry. To the southwest of Gilden is an entire other vast region called Xarjanna, full of even more nations, kingdoms, and empires, known for its long and rich history. This includes the grand empire of Zarthosia, and the ancient island nation of Adamedos, among many others, but these two in particular are famous for being home to wealthy, teeming cosmopolitan cities which are among the world's greatest meccas of culture, art, and philosophy. A huge amount of sought-after goods and wisdom flow out from this region, but even though it is part of the same larger continent as Gilden, due to the impassable Dragon's Spine mountains and impenetrable Southern Wilds, trade with Gilden and travel can only occur via boat. This is why the merchantry in the coastal kingdoms of Gilden are so successful.
The Plot
I have an entire epic drama planned out for these characters and their story, but it's kind of a slow burn and we're starting small-- smaller scale, smaller stakes, smaller drama. We'll follow the main characters as they meet each other and form an travelling group, and some of their adventures, misadventures, shenanigans, and exploits, starting with a somewhat more episodic, 'monster-of-the-week' type of vibe before building up to the bigger arcs. The overall story is divided into three parts, and the first part takes place entirely within the Warlands, the region described in the main world introduction that's ruled by war, warlords and little else. After that we'll explore some more of Gilden, and end the third part with the big final battle taking place in the Dymin Empire.
The story begins with Rune being rescued by Shea from a mercenary encampment where he was being held captive along with some women from a nearby village, who Shea had been tasked to save and escort home. How he actually got there will yet to be revealed (unless you feel like delving into Rune's full character article, because it's all in there).
The fact of the matter is, Rune has nothing (not even the clothes on his back because he lost those and had to find other clothes), nowhere to go, and no one to turn to... except Shea. She offers to let him travel with her until he finds somewhere to settle down, and without any other real options, Rune accepts.Canor reveals himself only once they stop for a mid-day rest, and immediately starts bitching, as he is wont to do, and through his complaining we learn that Shea and Canor have never actually had another travelling companion before-- it's only ever been just the two of them.
They meet Siromsja pretty soon after that. By the time they reach the nearest small town, Rune has become sick with an infection from some of his injuries he'd gotten from the merc camp, and when Shea asks around for help, the townsfolk tell her about 'the wild woman', a travelling healer who's currently set up out in the woods just outside of town, and who they can't seem to reach an agreement on whether she's a witch or not. Shea drags Canor along to go find her, but when they get there Siromsja ambushes them with a knife. She could sense a demon approaching and believed they were there for nefarious reasons-- it doesn't help that Canor immediately squares up and eagerly escalates the situation, but Shea manages to convince them both to stand down, explaining that they come in peace (or she does, at least, Canor never goes anywhere in peace) and that their friend needs healing. Siromsja treats Rune, and he recovers. Through needling and pestering and prying, Shea learns that Siromsja is a Seer, but also cursed.
Shea offers to help Siromsja break her curse-- that's the kind of thing heroes do, after all. Siromsja tells her it's kind to offer, but this curse is not one so easily broken nor so easily understood. As much as Shea insists they can help, Siromsja insists there's nothing they can do.
Only a day or two later, the mismatched trio encounter Siromsja again by chance, where she helps them out with a monster-hunting related mishap. They spend some time together and then all get drinks at the local tavern, which is when Shea and Rune discover why the locals really call Siromsja 'the wild woman'. One appropriately wild night, some excellent stew, and a killer hangover later (which Siromsja of course has a magical remedy for) Shea decides that they all work really well together, and asks if Siromsja would be willing to join their group. It takes some more needling and pestering, since Siromsja is very solitary and has always travelled alone, but she eventually capitulates and does tag along. There's an assortment of tensions now in the group-- Siromsja and Canor got off on the wrong foot and still don't like each other, and Canor and Rune have had very catty banter laced with heavy sexual tension since day one.
Rune has determined not to go back to whoring (he enjoys it in theory, but it's really not sustainable, and he's too caught up grieving his recently-deceased lover) but at first isn't sure what he might do instead. He's not a fighter, doesn't know any craft or trade (unless you count whoring) and doesn't really have any skills (again, aside from whoring). Shea says she thinks Rune would make a good bard, and though at first he laughs the suggestion off, it does remind Rune that when he was younger, he did want to be a bard. At some point later he gets his hands on a lute, but at first tries to only practise with it in secret, kind of shy about it. With encouragement from the others, he starts to build more confidence with it, figuring out how to play songs he's heard, and even coming up with his own, rediscovering his passion for singing.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Warlands, Mira has been hopping from one adventuring party to the next, again and again, struggling to find a group that she fits in with. Magic users are very sought after for adventuring parties, and her skills as a mage are undeniable, but her lack of actual adventuring experience and fixed, lawful-good worldview keeps causing friction between her and the other members of the parties she's been joining. Eventually she and her current party (that she still doesn't get along with) end up banding together with Shea's group for a quest that's too much for one team to handle alone, hunting down a powerful necromancer.
Mira discovers that she has great chemistry with Shea and her party-- Shea, a seasoned fighter whose commitment to helping people Mira respects and whose prowess in battle she admires, Rune, their charming and friendly bard who Mira instantly gets along with, Siromsja, their archer and healer, whose magic Mira instantly identifies as druidic which is just so exciting and fascinating because it's so rare, thought to be a lost practise, and Canor, who... well, Mira could take or leave Canor. Anyways, by the end of the quest, she asks to join their group, and she is enthusiastically accepted.
Conflict inevitably arises by sheer virtue of having such different people with different backgrounds, perspectives, ideals and goals put together in close quarters, and as each character's mysterious and fraught backstory is slowly, piece by piece revealed (except Rune mostly, who is pretty much an open book), so too does the drama escalate. Things get intimate, and they get intense, and they get sometimes downright perilous. Will our heroes be able to close the distance, overcome their differences, and forge new everlasting friendships through trial after trial? Well, yes, it should be pretty clear that they'll all become close and loyal friends, but it's more about the journey than the destination, ya know?
Non-Exhaustive list of specific, named gods so far
- E'erendar, God of the End of All Things. An Empyreal God-- ie of the highest order
- Veniathan, goddess of time and memory. A Luminus God-- ie a major god but not THE most powerful
- Solvé, goddess of the sun and primary deity worshipped in Solril. An Eminent God-- ie major but below Luminus
- Themis, goddess of law, most worshipped in Sidusimpere and Adamedos. An Empyreal God
- Paviti, god of pestilence and plague. A Diadema God-- ie minor god but still a Whole God
- Marzhdeem, goddess of mercy, most worshipped in Zarthosia. A Luminus God
- Bjernkungr, bear god of might, a nature god from the Warlands. A Diadema God
- Gwenarha, moose goddess of fertility, birth and guardianship, another nature god from the Warlands, sister of Bjernkungr. A Diadema God
- Ferus, aka the Forge Father, god of forges, furnaces and kilns, worshipped pretty much everywhere but especially in the Multahn Mountains. An Empyreal God
- Lyr, goddess of healing and medicine. An Eminent God
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