The Calinan Sea
Scope
The motivation behind building The Calinan Sea
I'm building the Calinan Sea setting for a number of reasons;
- Creativity: I'm pretty much constantly daydreaming up fantasy settings and stories and scenarios. While dreaming is fun, I want to channel it into something bigger rather than than fleeting ideas- and maybe feed that god complex.
- My love of ancient civilisations: Since a kid I loved reading and learning about ancient worlds and imagining what they might have been like. Greece, Rome, Babylon, Persia, Phoenicia, Aztecs, Mayans, and all kinds, with the civilisations of the Mediterranean being my special interest. As an adult I have visited ruins of these places, and now I want to build some of my own.
The goal of the project
My ultimate end-goals for the setting are:
- Release short stories and novellas based in the world. I've done two short stories already, but they are more experiments than anything publishable, which is the end goal.
- Release a heroic fantasy novel series set in the world. I have a general story idea and characters/themes but there is much more to do!
- I wouldn't be opposed to other possible adaptations like a campaign setting, but that's not the prime focus right now.
The Calinan Sea's Unique Selling point
The Calinan Sea has a few selling points.
The most obvious would be its setting; unlike classic medieval-inspired fantasy worlds, it is inspired by a time period that in our own world is shrouded in mystery and speculation, predating the beginning of history itself. There is a lot to work with!
I aim to replicate and expand upon the feeling of mystery, wonder and adventure these semi-mythical periods inspire.
It also combines this setting with classic fantasy elements and tropes, given my own personal spin.
Theme
Genre
The world of the Calinan Sea is a blend of high fantasy and heroic fantasy, with a splash of sword-and-sandal adventure.
In terms of technology, the Calinan Sea is in a time period comparable to the Late Bronze Age. Bronze is the primary metal used throughout the world, with most states being made up of city-states, with a few kingdoms covering larger geographic areas and three empires covering larger spaces. Military tends to be levied from citizen-soldiers, although the larger kingdoms and empires have access to standing armies with advanced tactics (think very early hoplites). Architecture depends on the location, but ziggurats, large palace complexes, hillforts, stone buildings/walls and the like are the kind of image one should have.
It is a low-magic world; while magic exists and is not unheard of, throughout the Calinan Sea region it is considered a rare force that only a very low number of people can master. Your average commoner will maybe see it a few times in their lives; mainly in rituals or through random chance, and it will always draw attention from people; and not all of it good.
With that said, magic and the supernatural will play a considerable part in the novel, so the audience can expect to see many people with abilities considered magical; however it’s made clear these are anomalies.
Reader Experience
First and foremost the world is intended to feel like a world of adventure and intrigue. There’s always something going on, new lands to travel, adventures to be had and opportunities to be seized. Merchants and nobles scheme against each other, mercenaries and adventurers seek their fortunes, the less fortunate strive for social mobility and agency. I hope for audiences to be driven by a sense of excitement and a curiosity to see just what else the world has to offer and what stories lie within.
It also should feel like a world that's suddenly about to become very crowded and about to light up like a tinderbox, with empires getting very close to clashing with each other, kingdoms and city-states scheming against each other and trying to resist the empires. It should feel like the fantasy equivalent of the years leading up to World War 1 or the hotter parts of the Cold War. Not quite the world at war, but you can see it coming.
Reader Tone
The Calinan Sea is about in the middle of the scale between dark and bright. There is no question that for many people it’s a hard world; slavery is prevalent in the Kalriv Empire, banditry and piracy exists off the beaten track, and power structures tend to favour the wealthy or strong over the poor or weak.
However, in many parts of the world living there can be quite pleasant. The Avadian Sovereignty notably allows equal rights for all citizens, and in many parts of the world sexuality and gender are not considered constraining factors like they are in our world. Like our world, it very much depends on where you're born as well as who you're born as.
It’s also a world with the potential to be a brighter one; there’s very much a sense of ‘it’s not perfect, but it could be one day’ about it.
Recurring Themes
The kind of motifs that I'm looking to inspire in the world of the Calinan Sea would include;
- The hustle and bustle of a large city-state - adobe and stone buildings of various sizes and shapes, merchants hawking their wares while labourers in cotton tunics haul stones onto a building under the eye of overseers.
- A feeling of adventure aboard a penteconter cutting through the waves of the Calinan Sea, as weather-tanned athletic rowers heave on oars to launch the vessel forward, while the captain observes and leads from the command rail at the back of the ship, with the looming shore of the mainland just on the edge of your vision.
- A sense of subtle tension that slowly but surely rises throughout the adventure. This is meant to feel like a world that is gradually but inevitably drawing towards a massive clash of powers and an explosion of conflict.
- A sense of seemingly powerful people being constrained by that same power - the expectations and responsibilities of their roles stifling and smothering who they really want to be, and their yearning to break free of this.
- A sense of ambiguity about various civilisations and peoples - some places being visibly corrupt and unfair but with positive qualities buried beneath along with the potential of something better - like a stratified, slave-holding society that believes in nobility, honour, and justice. Conversely, a place that seems quite fair and advanced in many senses, but also has corruption and injustice on a more subtle social scale - a free society where the poor have the pretense of equality of power but no way to exercise it. A dystopia that could be saved, and a utopia that needs fixing.
Character Agency
In the Calinan Sea, especially in the more monolithic societies of the Three Empires, the perception is that it is difficult for someone to make a change or difference in the world, but it most certainly can be done if someone truly has the will and ability to do it. However; just because somebody can, doesn’t mean they will. They have whole power structures to contend with, and changing an ancient empire is not easy.
Outside of the major empires, it’s considered somewhat easier to make meaningful change; the monolithic power structures that make up the Empires isn’t present and change can be affected more effectively on a local scale.
Focus
Drama
Clash of Empires
After several decades of relative stability, the Helikan League and Kalriv Empire appear to be slowly gearing up for another confrontation along the borders of their relative empires. Kalriv expansionism had receded under the reign of Var Belsev, however he is gravely ill and his ambitious generals are all eyeing the Sapphire Coast with desire.Rise of a New Power
In the last five years, the previously isolated kingdom of Kjoqvist in Arikanda’s far northwest has been seen expanding its presence into the southern Boundless Ocean and the Calinan Sea itself. A number of enclaves and trade posts have been set up, and Kjor merchants and adventurers are a common sight on the northern coast cities of Calina. This seems to have been bolstered even further in Solathi, with the daughter of the Dux of Solathi being betrothed to a Kjor prince. The Avadian Sovereignty have not ignored this expansion, and friction between the two maritime powers seems to be growing.Reformation of a Kingdom
The independent city-state of Mayoka has recently been brought into the fold of the Helikan League, in exchange for the League's assistance in removing a despot from power by loyalists of the old Royal Army. The city is now being integrated into the League's system, and at the same time is beginning the move from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional elective monarchy, with the Queen renouncing her title and instead becoming an Archon like the other League cities. The disruption taking place on multiple levels of government, along with the reconstruction of a decimated city and arguably the surrender of its prestige to a former rival, makes for a volatile environment.
Copyright © Liam J. Johnston 2025