Format as Table

In most Uesean societies, children are registered as citizens at some point within one month of being born, receiving a birth certificate and a unique identifier to be used on their identity slip. From that point on, the child is considered a ward of their parents (assuming both are present).

That said, infants can also be put up for adoption during the first year of their life. Rather than going into a child-care system, the parents (or the hospital, if no parents are available) must find a specific person or group of people who will become the child’s new legal guardian. Once that’s done, there’s a lengthy legal process to determine the worthiness of the potential guardian(s) to raise a child, as well as to truly confirm that the parents are ready to give their child up. This type of adoption carries very little stigma on a social-level, and is typically used so that other members of the parents’ family can adopt a child from unprepared parents.

In Aquiland, a child is considered to be of legal age at 18, and is gifted the rights to vote, to drink alcohol, and to own their own property. It’s also at this time that all Aquilish citizens are required to sign up for the Emergency Defense Service: a system that allows the government to conscript all participants in case of military conflict. The Service has been in place since the Askedelos Conflict, and while it hasn’t been activated since that bloody war, the threat still hovers over every able-bodied citizen, both woman and man.

Upon their death, there are two ways for an Aquilish citizen’s body to be treated. If they have a Writ of Living Will, then it falls to their family to enact the deceased’s last wishes. Typically this means either burial, cremation, or embalming and entombing. Those without a Living Will are dealt with in the way determined by their family, while those without a Will or family are typically cremated by their local government and buried.

Obviously, Shapechangers have a completely different life cycle. After conception, the pregnant Shapechanger carries their spawn long enough for the central brain to form: typically 5-6 months. When born, the Shapechanger spawn is a lump of meat jelly about the size of a house cat, made up of the “flesh” donated by their progenitor.

Even for Shapechangers born from “civilized” parents, they’re still not truly sentient until they start eating Humans. Since Shapechangers have to gain enough mass to eat and digest something the size of a human, and the only way for them to gain mass is to eat creatures smaller than themselves, this means the average Shapechanger will take 4-5 years before they’re big enough to start hunting humans. Sometimes their parents will provide a first Human; either recently deceased or soon-to-be so, while others leave that encounter up to fate.

Aging and death is strange for Shapechangers. So far, there are no records of a Shapechanger dying of old age (though not for lack of trying; Humans are just really good at finding Shapechangers when they put their minds to it). Theoretically, a Shapechanger could continue to eat and grow until they can no longer support their own weight, crushing their brain and killing them. A Shapechanger could also carefully wound themselves to shed mass, and thus live indefinitely.

The invention of the telegraph and the development of its infrastructure has brought Aquiland closer together than ever before. Telegraph lines run from each of the province capitals to every city and town in its territory, while those capitals connect both to each other and to the nation’s capital: Aqui City. This near instantaneous communication makes it easy for guilds to do their business on a nation-wide scale, for the Princes in each province to coordinate themselves politically, and for the average Aquilish citizen to talk to family on the other side of the country.

Telegraphs have their downsides, though. It’s relatively easy for someone to tap one of the communication wires and pick up on the messages being sent. This, along with the cost per letter to send a message, means that physical letters and couriers still have their place in Aquilish society. The train lines make it easy to take letters en mass across the nation, in exchange for a few days in transit.

Finally, there’s something that was hinted at back in the middle of this month: the electromagnetic telephone. This groundbreaking technology is still in the prototype stage, but would revolutionize how communication works world-wide. The early version have fairly distorted sound, and require repeaters to make up for the short range of the signal through the wire. Still, the technology is advancing quickly, and once released to the public it’s almost certain that other guilds will be “inspired” and improve on the system.

I’m not gonna go over every since Prince and Grand Prince in Aquiland. Mainly because there’s way too many of them to cover at once. Instead, let’s talk about the main players in Aquiland’s government.

The current Lord-Elect is James Boon. In a stunning break from the expected, Boon is not a politician like every other Lord-Elect before him, Instead, he’s a business man who was, and still nominally is, head of a group that funds and runs several of Aquiland’s major organizations; including the agricultural guild Montanos and the information network Canis News.

Boon’s run as Lord-Elect has been... rough at best, and outright disastrous at worst, with the supposed leader of Aquiland has siding heavily with the guilds instead of with the Aquilish people, and giving major concessions to the Federation of Rhosan Republics. His election was met with grave concerns that he was assisted by Rhos, and his administrations has been plagued by investigations running since day one.

Directly opposed to Boon is Grand Princess Gale Iokiend of Melas. Originally elected following the death of her husband Martel during the Askedelian Conflict, Gale has since been reelected for a total of 3 terms so far. Her platform of over 12 years has been one of championing citizens’ rights over the guilds’, which has successfully made her almost as popular among the Aquilish citizens as her late husband was.

Trains, planes, and automobiles! Except without the planes and automobiles. So just trains.

Steam-power trains connect practically every country on Ues, even crossing the Midland Sea in a few narrow places. While you might not be able to get from one end of the continent to the other in a single train ride, chances are you can get there by planning your changes from station to station. It’s said that the day someone can get from Rhos to Metria in one sitting, and be back home in time for dinner, then it’ll only be a matter of time before Ues is truly unified.

While inside most cities, citizens typically get around via the railway system. This is a network of smaller trains running through, and sometimes under, the city, connecting the various districts in a spiderweb of stations. While you can pay on a per-trip basis, most natives of the city will pay monthly for an unlimited pass card.

If you want to get somewhere that isn’t one of the major cities, then you’re going to have to take a horse there. People living outside the city often ride horseback, or use horse-drawn carriages, to get where they’re going. For those commuting into the city, there are stables available in the outskirts to house your horse while you take the train, and an assortment of relatively cheap overnight hotels for you to stay in.

I did at one time describe part of The Game We Play as “Banksy’s underground rebellion“, so it would make sense to talk about the art of Creation.

Art in most of Ues is split into two broad categories. On the one hand, you have Traditional Art. These are your typical paintings, songs, stories, and so on; created by and named by artists to be sold either to individuals, to galleries, or to a guild who will then find another buyer elsewhere. The artists creating these pieces usually have spent a lot of time, and money, at prestigious academies to carefully hone their craft to appeal to specific demographics. Quite often, the demographic being targeted is “people with money”.

On the other hand, you have Progressive Art; or more commonly, Transgressive Art. These are you graffiti on the side of a building, your harsh music played from street corners, and your carefully worded diatribes slipped into newspapers. While some may see these works as being vandalism, or the work of hooligans, the truth is that these are expressions of the downtrodden, and the words of those who can’t otherwise be heard.

One of the most prolific groups associated with Transgressive Art is Resistance. While anonymous, Resistance has openly claimed responsibility for dozens of displays all across Aquiland; all denouncing the class divide between the average Aquilish citizen and their elected Princes. All of these works are done in public spaces, where people often gather to watch or listen as much as possible before the local guard breaks up the unlicensed demonstration.

The most important thing for an Aquilsh citizen to carry is their Identity Slip: a laminated sheet of thin cloth. This sheet is inscribed with information that can be used to reliably identify the owner, such as their name, distinguishing features like hair and skin color, current home address, and so on. Additional information, such as passport-style stamps of other countries they’ve visited, is also added to specific sections of the sheet. When not being looked at, the sheet is folded such that the basic information is visible on one side, and the section for registered Cathurgists is on the other side.

Identity Slips are required for any transaction that requires, well, identification. This includes purchasing alcohol and certain medicines, crossing Aquiland’s border, and most professional work involving the guilds. If lost, the process to get a new one involves bringing multiple other forms of identification to a major city hall, and a long drawn out line of questions. Updating some part of the information, such as a new address, is a simpler task, but still takes quite some time to complete.

In addition, most Aquilish people carry both a small coin purse and either a billfold or a leather wallet. These are for carrying the two varieties of Scrip, although the exact amount varies from person to person. If someone’s carrying a large amount of bills, especially in a wallet, they’re likely well-to-do. On the other hand, someone with a heavy coin purse filled with the older metal Scrip is either lower-middle-class, or prefers the heft of something they can use in self-defense.

Speaking of self-defense, it is legal to carry a weapon in Aquiland if you have a permit added to your Identity Slip. Small knives or folding batons can be carried concealed if they can fit in your pocket, but anything larger like a shortsword or a mace needs a permit, and those carrying such weapons can be expected to be stopped by the local guard to confirm that permit. Carrying bows or crossbows in a strung state is illegal, as is carrying unsecured bolts or arrows, and either of these offenses come with a sizable fine. There are those in Aquiland’s council pushing to the permit process extended these ranged weapons, but it’s unlikely that anyone will be carrying a hunting crossbow around in the big city.

The brave new frontier: Outrem. Homeland of the Shapechangers, and—aside from the poles and a few tiny islands—the last of the unmapped landmasses on Creation. The reasons for this are relatively simple.

First, Outrem’s climate is hostile to both Humans and their trappings of civilization. The rainforests that cover most of the continent are moist and, depending on the time of year, either freezing cold or extremely hot and humid. Any would-be colonists or explorers have to take care that they don’t catch malaria, leprosy, or simply have their clothes rot right off their body.

The second danger is, of course, Shapechangers. Specifically the feral Shapechangers who haven’t eaten Humans yet. These Shapechangers are true apex predators, hunting boar, bear, and Humans equally. Unlike their “civilized” cousins, feral Shapechangers cannot be reasoned with, and when determined can change shape and size to avoid most defenses. The only real defense against one is to wound it greatly enough that the hunt becomes pointless, so Humans have to move in heavily armed groups when away from their colonies.

Look, no-one wants to hear about how the sky on Creation is pretty much the same as it is on Earth. Let’s talk about the fun things where it’s different.

The sun at the center of Creation’s solar system is named, creatively enough, Sohn. It’s a yellow-red star that’s somewhat temperamental; firing off solar flares much more frequently than our own Sun. It’s believed that these flares played into the creation of Sohnism as a religion; specially after a particularly powerful flare that, according to record from the time, lit up the night as if it were day.

Fun, huh? Let’s see...

The Industrial Revolution might have opened up new ways to work (and exploit) the population, but established work shifts means that everyone has time to relax. Equestrianism is a popular pastime for many Aquilish; those with the money to do so own their own horses, while those without can rent horses by the day from public stables. Horse races, polo, and show jumping are some of the most popular spectator sports.

At the other end of the spectrum, writing poetic letters has made a resurgence among those with the time to do so: mostly the elected Princes, higher-ups in the guilds, and, of course, their families. Julien Darcrest, the Grand Prince of Hemfall, even instated a province-wide holiday to celebrate the writing of letters. The former stage actor has attempted to bring this holiday to the national level, but to no avail so far.

Much like how Earth’s economy is based around competing corporations, Creation’s economy is based around competing guilds. These can be broken up into three main groups: supply, production, and development

Supply Guilds are the broadest group, and the ones most often interacting directly with consumers, as well as with the other two groups of guilds. These guilds include farming guilds like Montanos, mercantile guilds like Universal Goods, and transportation guilds like Hordsen & Sons. Supply Guilds form the backbone of most economies across the world, since without them there would be no materials to work with, and as such tend to be spread across Creation rather than specializing in one particular nation or region.. Essentially, if the job involves taking something from one place to another, it’s likely handled by a Supply Guild.

Production Guilds are the next step up from Supply Guilds. These guilds take materials and produce more complex materials or products from them. These could be things like furniture, wagons and carriages, clothing, and so on. Unlike the Supply Guilds, Production Guilds don’t often spread beyond one or two borders, since each nation has its own legal and cultural expectations for their products. That said, it’s not uncommon for products from certain Production Guilds to be considered higher quality, and thus imported at a premium by the Supply Guilds.

Development Guild can be seen as an offshoot of Production Guilds, but they’re usually considered different thanks to the Development Guilds’ tendency to lead the technological charge, while Production Guilds replicate what already exists. There’s a wide number of Development Guilds, all based in major cities, With a focus on creating new items or innovating on what can be improved. These guilds are often subsidized by their home country and engage in lucrative government contracts, so the native guilds are often considered higher quality than foreign ones. Just to name a few, Development Guilds include United Business Magic, Rosen-Gunn, and Talpasis Arms & Armament in Aquiland, as well as foreign guilds like Rhos’ Kannonmench and Xerstria’s HASIA.

The average Aquilish soldier is a trained professional, capable of operating on their own but best when operating along side their allies. Each soldier is armored with a combination of light plate over chainmail, prioritizing mobility and protection of vital organs. As such, the plate is heaviest over the head and torso, while leaving the chain to protect the arms and legs.

For weaponry, the standard issue is a crossbow and quiver of approximately 60 bolts. Most soldiers carry relatively light crossbows, capable of piercing chainmail but not necessarily plate. A few will carry heavier, slowly loading weapons with enough force to punching through plate, but the added weight means that these soldiers often wait for defensive lines to be drawn before entering the fray.

When the soldier runs out of bolts, they fall back on their side arm. Usually this is a short sword or flanged mace, but some prefer to wield weapons that they’re more familiar with, such as longswords, warpicks, or hand axes. Most soldiers are also provided a light shield, which could potentially be used in melee combat, but is designed to be embedded in the dirt as cover while reloading their crossbow.

With the end of the Askedelian Civil War, Ues is experiencing an Age of Peace unlike any seen before. In fact, it’s the Askedelian Conflict’s continent-spanning reach turned the population of most nations off from ideological conflicts, territory-grabbing, and empire-building in general. However, just because no-one wants a war doesn’t mean that countries start disarming immediately. In fact, the reason why the Askedelian Civil War turned into the Askedelian Conflict was due to the evolving system of military strategy, alliances, and yes, ideological conflicts. 

As a former vassal of the Aquilish Kingdom, Askedelos followed the Aquiland Revolution’s example and formed its own republic: this one a parliamentary government with restrictions on the powers of its formerly ruling Duke. While this lasted for over 200 years, eventually the government collapsed under the weight of a failing economy, corrupt politicians, and allegedly foreign influence.

When Askedelos’ government fell, two factions rose from the ashes. The Independents, who sought to reform Askedelos into a federation of city-states; and the Unifiers, aiming to establish a dictatorship. What started as a series of debates blossomed into a full on civil war, igniting the entire nation in just a few weeks.

In response, various nations across Ues were forced to choose sides in the conflict. While many provided humanitarian support to the unaligned civilians in the struggle, two nations were prominently involved in prolonging the conflict by providing arms, armament, and eventually full military support: Aquiland, supporting the Independents; and Rhos, supporting the Unifiers.

The the bloody Askedelian Conflict raged for 4 years, ending the lives of thousands of Aquilish and Rhosan soldiers, and millions of Askedelians. Prominent amongst the casualties on the Aquilish side was Martel Iokiend, Grand Prince of Melas and Commander-in-Chief of the Aquiland Expeditionary Force. Well liked both by Aquilish citizens and abroad, Martel’s death at the hands of a Unifier ambush broke the will to fight for Aquiland, 

For the average Aquilish citizen, tastes in clothing skew more towards comfort than fashionable. Cloth shirts and blouses, denim trousers and ankle-length skits, flat shoes and work boots. With that said, the advancements of the textile guilds have made a wide variety of colors and styles that were previously outside the realm of the common folk.

Members of guilds, on the other hand, almost universally look like they’re ready for business. This usually means two-piece or three-piece suits made of silk or cloth, or high-quality dresses made of the same materials. The higher up in the guild you are, the more expensive your outfit is: not just as a show of your wealth and status, but because of simply psychology. After all, you’re more likely to be promoted if you already look like the people above you. When off the clock, of course, people can wear whatever they want.

Those in the Aquilish government, especially the Princes/Princesses, are expected to look the part whenever they’re out in public. A Prince’s “casual” outfit looks a lot like what a guild’s leader would wear: three-piece suits and fancy silk dresses. In general, these are also relatively conservatively cut and colored, favoring muted shares of greys or blues.

Just like everything else on Ues, and definitely in Aquiland, healthcare is handled by the guilds. Almost all medicine is based around treating symptoms as illness appears, rather than preventing sickness in the first place. There are many arguments for this; many backed up by studies funded by the medical guilds themselves.

Of course, the cynical Aquilish citizen might say it’s because medical guilds charge for just walking through their doors, let alone anything they find wrong with you. Many people are forced into choosing one of two choices: pay monthly for a membership with one of the medical guilds, or pay out the nose on the rare occasions they need their services.

With that said, the services offered are fairly extensive. Highly trained medical practitioners for every type of illness and ailment, along with Cathurgists specializing in tapping Joy for more immediate wounds, are available 24/7. And of course, no-one is turned away at the door just because they can’t pay.

No, bills come after service is finished, of course. They’re not barbarians.

Finally, finally, FINALLY I get to talk about the magic of Creation: Cathurgy.

Cathurgy is the practice of utilizing a specific set of emotions to affect the world around the user. The power of the magical effect is proportional to how strongly the user feels the relevant emotion at the time of casting, and while greatly reduced effects can be caused unintentionally by strong emotions, the full effect requires the conscious act of tapping into the emotion in a process called “tapping”.

Once an emotion has been tapped, the associated magical effect continues until either stopped by the user, or the emotion is “drained” completely. In either case, the user feels the effect of being drained, leaving the user incapable of feeling that particular emotion, as well as deadening similar emotions, for some time. The effect of draining is lessened if the user willingly stopped tapping the emotion, but is still strong enough to prevent the user from tapping that emotion again for several minutes.

The first Cathurgical emotion, and the easiest to recall, is Anger. The effect of tapping Anger happens immediately: causing touched objects to break down as if by entropy. Wood rots, stone weakens, and metal rust. Tapping Anger on living creatures causes intense burns where touched, starting at the skin and eventually working down to the bone. Once drained of Anger, the user experiences a paradoxical sense of peace and calm, to the point of indifference.

Contempt is the second Cathurgical emotion, and can be maintained for a few seconds. When tapped, Contempt pulls on one or more objects the user focuses on. If the object is lighter than the user then it is pulled directly towards them, while heavier objects pull the user towards it instead. Tapping Contempt only works on things the user can see, including living creatures. After Contempt is drained, the user is overwhelmed by a feeling of melancholy or ennui, as if the user has lost their place in life.

Tapping Disgust is difficult to do over long periods, but the effects are both subtle and dramatic. Once tapped, the user can dull the emotions of a touched living creature, making it more difficult for them to use Cathurgy themselves. While under this effect, the user can also influence the emotions of the target, making them more susceptible to manipulation. When drained, the user becomes unable to determine positive or negative aspects of objects and people.

Fear is probably the most useful Cathurgical emotion to use in the moments one would be feeling it. Tapping Fear creates a protective barrier around the user, protecting them from physical objects and living creatures that they can see, and continuing this protection for as long as they are aware of its position. For example, someone tapping Fear could hold a red-hot iron without any harm because they can feel the metal in their hand. If the user is not aware of something, it can pass through the barrier unimpeded. As a trade-off, being drained of Fear causes the user to become apathetic towards all things, to the point of losing any self-preservation instincts.

One of the rare positive Cathurgical emotions, Joy has an immediate effect when tapped. When touching a single living creature, including themselves, tapping Joy heals their physical wounds. This effect starts with the most recent wounds, and works backwards through time. Tapping Joy is a particularly draining experience, and leaves the user physically and mentally exhausted once drained; an experience often likened to experiencing heartbreak.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Sorrow is also one of the easiest emotions to tap, and can be maintained easily. While tapped, Sorrow makes the user immune to Cathurgy, while also preventing them from using it themselves. Objects, but not living creatures, touched by the user are also immune to the effects of Cathurgy during this time. When finally drained, the user suffers face blindness, as well as inability to read/understand emotion in others.

The last of the known Cathurgical emotions, Surprise is by far the hardest to tap. When it is tapped, the user can immediately identify all sources and targets of Cathurgy around them, with each emotion having its own unique “feel”. The user can innately tell which source of Cathurgy matches with which target as well, and this awareness is not limited by sight. Being drained of Surprise makes the user unable to orient themselves in space, or recognize where they are.

Although it is not an emotion, Pain is also a source of Cathurgical power. While for other emotions the memory can be used as a source, only current pain can be used for Cathurgy. Tapping Pain sends the user into a state similar to hysterical strength, granting them increased physical strength, stamina, and reaction speed. While the user is not immune to harm, they are incapable of feeling any pain except the one currently being tapped. Once their Pain is drained, the user experiences physical numbness and weakness, like they’ve just jumped into freezing water, as well as a mental fogginess similar to being drunk.

The actual mechanics of tapping an emotion are still relatively unknown, but there is one undeniable rule: in order to become a Cathurgist—that is, someone with the capability to use Cathurgy—you must have experienced a substantial emotional trauma, usually linked with one of the 7 emotions associated with Cathurgy.

The technology of Creation is... eclectic, to put it kindly. For the most part, Ues is in what would be considered the late Age of Enlightenment, early Industrial Revolution. However, gunpowder is still at the level of muskets and blunderbusses, thanks to a period of relative peace between nations.

Steam-powered locomotives are common both internationally and domestically, with Aquiland leading the way with smaller light-rail-style trains running within their major cities like Melas, Talpasis, and of course, Aqui City. However, if you want to get somewhere the trains don’t go, you’ll have to by horse and carriage, or simply by horseback.

The average person wears clothing that is mass produced by guild workers in textile mills, utilizing waterwheels to power their machinery. Handcrafted clothing is generally considered to be both higher-quality and more comfortable, as it is sized for the wearer instead of being “off the shelf”. Most families find a mid-point by buying their clothing cheaply, then tailoring a few “good” outfits for when comfort and appearance are both important.

Electricity is available, but power distribution is fairly limited. Cities, and some towns, have electrical street lamps to light up the night. The electric telegraph is considered the foremost way to send messages over long distances, although these messages are not considered as secure as a good, old-fashioned letter with a wax seal.

Not much to talk about here. The cuisine of Ues is as varied as that in Europe, with Aquiland’s modern food tastes being closer to that of most Americans.

So instead of talking about what Humans eat, let’s talk about what does the eating: Shapechangers.

Shapechangers are almost exclusively carnivores. They can ingest plants, fruits, and the like, but this is only to disguise themselves among herbivore and omnivore prey. In order to get any sort of nutrients, they have to eat meat. It also helps that eating meat, specifically raw, fresh meat, can also give Shapechangers extra forms to work with.

The way this works is that the original meat-jelly that makes up a Shapechanger is very similar to a Human’s stem cells, and able to take on the genetic markers of other creatures. When a Shapechanger consumes enough flesh of a creature, its body becomes accustomed to those genetics and can replicate it. This means eating all relevant parts of the animal  muscles, skin, bones, and organs. Once that’s done, the Shapechanger can transform their body into a replica of that creature.

Things get more interesting as the Shapechanger becomes familiar with their forms. Once adequately accustomed a form, they can choose to instead partially transform, adding aspects of one form onto another. For example, a Shapechanger may combine aspects of an octopus with their Human form to remove their bones, or add the talons of a hawk to the end of each finger. Maintaining multiple forms like this requires concentration, but it is common for Shapechangers to practice certain combinations for the purpose of hunting, hiding, or transportation.

This goes for Shapechangers creating their Human for as well. Taking on the exact appearance of a dead Human is sure to raise suspicion, so Shapechangers who have consumed multiple Humans often combine the traits of those base forms to create an original Human appearance. This, of course, means that the most common phrase a Shapechanger hears is “you look familiar”.

To be fair, the most common phase a Shapechanger says is “I get that a lot.”, so it all evens out.

Now, you may be wondering exactly how a Shapechanger can shift between a form the size of a mouse and one the size of a bear. Well, there is a perfectly logical explanation for that.