#king radius

Solaria had three moons. The most well-known are two: Seli and Lene. They are a pride of the forever sunny realm of three suns. But as everything needs balance, so does Solaria. The third moon has a peculiar story. It’s malformed. Its core never merged and consists of two energies forever moving. Because of that, the planet has an inconsistent aura similar to Magix. Places are charged with strong negative energy, and places charged with positive and neutral energy.

Using magic is highly restricted. One wrong move, too strong a spell, could forever change this place into an uninhabitable land. People adapted, learned to utilize the magic that surrounds them, learned how to perform rituals, create talismans, and how to take advantage of such a place.

Why would anyone live there, you might ask? Simple. It’s what some said, a land of the free, if free would be defined as lawless and unregulated. Oscuria was one of the few places that didn’t know the war of Magix. They couldn't care less about some dragon flame or some three lunatics that called in arms. Here, their lives were guided by fate. The main faith of the moon.

Spiritism

--was born as many mind witches flee during war to the moon to escape their cruel fate. They taught locals about Auras, spirits, the true nature of beings, and so, word-for-word, a religion began to emerge.

Spirits guide us, in life, in death, in dreams, in visions.

EVERYWHERE.

It formed into a faith that explains the core and its significance in the world. Fate is the only certain thing. It has been written in stars, and we can only observe as we take a path to meet it. No matter the twists and turns, you must trust the stars, trust the fate. One cannot escape what's coming, as everything was meant to happen. Witches of mind control left, but the faith remained, and so did its priestesses. 

The current high priestess, Yvette, can be found mostly at the temple located at the Edge of the crossroads. The temple, or rather the grounds surrounding it, was separated into areas. The stairs led to the main platform with high pillars, where each represented a planet in the Magix realm. Pillars were meant to be kept the same; fate doesn’t care where you are from, but you must never forget those who led you until this very moment. You will see women clad in long white, grey, or black robes. Their faces were painted with chalk, and their eyes painted in various colors. They walk around, often cleansing the visitors before entering the sacred grounds with fumes made of local plants, flowers, and seeds. In celebration, the fumes would be dyed in various colors representing the journey each of us faces before meeting our fate.

The fate written in the glorious night sky. No one can argue that Oscuria has the most beautiful nights in the whole of Magix. The sky was not bathed in darkness or endless black but in colorful arrays of cobalt, dark purples, and stars that formed serpents across the sky if you chose to follow one with your finger.

Maybe this is your path?

The low-ranking priestesses would gladly guide you to one of the tents where your fate and Aura would be read. Maybe you seek the lost memory? A family member you wish to talk to one last time? You would recognize them by their more colorful clothing that resembled the fauna of Oscuria itself. 

Salvias were considered a symbol of Oscuria as they can be seen growing despite the planet's less-than-friendly habitat.

Scorching sun, dry weather, sunlight that bathes the moon in dim light rather than grand light. Yet the heat remains. Water was present, but its salt content was nothing but deadly. The sea of the forgotten has seen too many jump from the cliffs and meet its refreshing embrace below. Hence the name. Farewell cliffs. Agastache was commonly used in rituals alongside the desert willow. Yarrow was a welcome sight among the endless succulents and was covered in thorny euphorbia. Many who dare to visit are in awe, looking at the Jacarandas that provide the shade in the less inhabited regions.

The high priestess has her own tent temple. It's where she teaches the apprentices or performs with other priestesses the most obscure rituals. She has vast knowledge of nymphs, emotions, and their influence over magic, how one becomes a fairy or a witch, and what many find controversial—

Achieving pure blood and anything related to it.

It’s forbidden to practice, but blood reading is still very much legal (but then, who would care in a lawless land), but due to the nature of the moon, it’s a tool used to keep balance over too ambitious individuals. Often, they are being taught control, patience, and stability.

The high priestess is also the one you would find wandering in the Dark Forrest. Dark Forrest is where the strongest negative Aura resides, and what Yvette named the threshold of the Shadow Realm. Despite thick, luscious greenery and trees that climb to the very sky, no one goes there.

The negative charge can easily overtake anyone, even seasoned witches. You must learn to control your energy, your own Aura, in order to venture through.

Creatures residing there cannot be found anywhere else in Magix. Among the twisted limbs of the oldest trees, the grass that lures you to lie and fall asleep, where light is but the speckles of light remind one of the dimming flame of the candles, monsters found a new home. After the war, many creatures of darkness failed to return to the shadow realm or simply didn’t know how. Here they found shelter, and those who are willing to understand them will find friends among them. They weren’t evil, at least, they weren’t born to be that. Forest looks peculiar once you see that most of the moon consists of dunes and deserts.

The main city of Oscuria is Obsocurum.

Most of the people living in Oscuria could be found there among the busy small streets, shadowed by spread canopies to protect from the sun. The busiest of all was the market located near the official station of Oscuria, which is mostly used to travel to Solaria, or if one must avoid a positively charged planet, it goes to the main city of Lynphea as the planet and the moon are heavily intertwined economically due to the craftsmanship of Oscuria that is oh so famous for and the supplies that Often Lypnhea provides in exchange. Even the crown family wears clothes sewn on Oscuria, jewelry produced by talented Oscurians, and, most surprisingly, uses the purple dyes from the moon.

 You would think it would make the moon quite a rich blue body in the sky, but what Oscuria struggles with the most is simply the bare necessities—food, water, gas, vehicles that can work without magic, and any other alternatives. Lynphea, the main food source in Magix, knows how important the exchange is to the people of the barren planet.

Eraklion is also one of the partners of the moon due to the metals and minerals that are being sent there to be later transformed into bracelets, rings, and even tableware with intricate decorations. Sadly, the moon only gained more people, and as a result, more mouths to feed. People struggle in many areas, and so the black market was born. The unofficial station is located further from the city where the dune, Cienie, is located. There comes the work of professionals who swiftly load and unload the newly acquired goods and use bikes, motorbikes, and wagons to deliver the “packages”.

Seeing a bike speeding through the small streets or via rooftops is nothing new at this point. Hoverbikes are a luxury, so if someone has one, they are either well off or it was stolen. Back to the main city. It’s colorful, its buildings are kept simple, made of sandstone, and kept in natural colors. Among them, endless fairs where everyone fights to get the best deal and earn their coin the right way…even if it’s that much harder.

Deeper in the market, you will see food stalls where communities often cook together anything that was recently delivered. What can be found on Oscuria are various edible rhizomes, some flowers, and seeds. Most of them are known for their spice and strong flavor, so be aware of that when trying the cuisine.

Popular is drinking tea mixed with the bark of the Jacaranda. Seed milk is also a well-known beverage that comes in many flavors.

Most residents are located in the north, further from the sea. Even if it’s deadly, it’s still a commodity reserved for the one higher on the ladder. The north district, Lone Star, isn’t pretty, but in comparison to the East? To the Dusts? Streets are wider and often blocked with Roman carriages, where the merchants live. Between stone buildings, you will find tents, constructions resembling yurts, and hammocks set up in the narrowest alleys where no one could truly bother you. Children are often seen playing in the streets or helping in packing merchandise that most likely was also made by their hands.

Most houses have rooms or even basements dedicated to the craft. Teenagers often go to the main city to get supplies or work as messengers between the widely spread neighborhoods. Schools are located in the main city, but most choose to teach the family craft at home, or send kids to priestesses if they desire to know more about magic. If you want out. If you crave to leave Oscuria, you will seek the main library.

It's located underground, hidden, allowing for the storage of scripts and books that arrived with many people for centuries. The long corridors are filled to the brim with scrolls, scripts in various languages. They will never be translated, but do not worry, many Oscurians in the main city speak more than one language; it’s simply up to them to reveal that to you.

Here you can gain knowledge of magic, spells, ancient rituals, curses, and history. At first glance, it might be overwhelming. The chaos, the disarray, but once you were there multiple times, you know by heart where each book or scroll is. You can also buy missing books at the market, imported from the main planet.

Not all trading goes on Oscuria. Many travel beyond it, either to the other two moons or to the mainland, Solaria. Some are an entertainment thanks to the peculiarity of the moon, which, as one can imagine, is both harmful and results in stereotypes that people who live there are just that.

Crown

Oscuria has a complicated relationship with the crown. Despised by the Radius, beloved by Luna. After the divorce, the queen agreed to leave her rule of Solaria solely to Radius so she could keep an eye on her beloved moons. Before life on the “rodent” infested moon, as many would call it, knowing what type of inhabitants can be found there was heavily taxed by Radius, seeing how many enjoyed the artistry of criminals and low lives. Faith also played the role as the weird religion was seen as a form of cult, as how can one turn their back on the great dragon? Ignore the suns? Choose darkness? It did not help that after the war, many saw Oscuria as a refuge and the only place that, despite its hardships, might be the only home they would find in a world where each witch and each fairy sent daggers at each other whenever their eyes met.

Here?

Good luck guessing who is who.

No one transforms on Oscuria, and magic is limited. No race, no species, no differences. Everyone is Oscurian. Luna tried many times to explain to Radius that the life and the choices of these people were often out of their control, that fate was cruel to them—

By simply mentioning the world, the transport was severely limited and forced Oscurians to travel to Solaria, and forced Radius to change the law… thanks to the queen, the transport was restored. Bless the one whose name means the world of ours. Luna is adored by the forgotten folk and those who suffered the most. She is the one who made sure they would never miss transport from Lypnhea and arranged the emergency food supplies from Solaria, paid by her alone, if the others were delayed. Sadly, it meant that Stella knew nothing of the moon being mostly under Radius care. He was preparing her to rule the SUNS, not the moons. The moons feared the day of the passing of the queen or of the king. Who will take care of them? Who will check on the moons?

The Dusts are an unfortunate neighborhood. Located right next to dunes, it often suffered from sandstorms caused by sudden local shifts of Aura’s charge. They weren't common, but could have been quite devastating. It explains why Dusts reminds you of a dead coral reef. Narrow Alleyways that kept on twisting and turning just to branch out into more similar-looking corridors between the stone buildings. It prevents sand from entering the neighborhood.

Since most travel happens on the rooftops, most houses have trapdoors for easy access, and the rooftops are commonly used as terraces or for everyday living activities. Many choose to have terraces that can be quickly dismantled in anticipation of the upcoming sandstorm. It’s the furthest neighborhood from the main city, but the closest to the hidden station.

It’s also a home to the racers.

You would think that, in a moon where traveling by magic is impossible, there wouldn’t be a bike racing culture? Among the hills of ever-moving sand, you will hear engines roaring across the desert, often nicely covering any illegal activities taking place there. Is it the transporting bike? Or is it a racer? Better leave both be. The enthusiasts of speed and spiked adrenaline can be found there, training and during holidays, racing through the city to win grand prizes. Training starts as soon as you get your hands on the vehicle. It’s the only time when the south is filled with noise, not of soft-spoken diplomats, but of squealing tires, accelerated engines, and screams of people watching and chanting the name of their favorite rider.

Oscurians

The archetype is impossible to describe, as many Oscurians, no matter when they arrived at the moon they see themselves as moonborn and natives of the land. When you arrive on the moon, you are welcomed warmly and immediately guided to the merchants who will be kind, helpful, and all in the hope that they will learn a quick buck from you. The locals are wary of travelers who sneak around without a guide. Even then, people will watch you, the eyes seemingly never leaving your form. You think you are alone now? Think again. The gossip spreads fast, and the language barrier doesn’t help either.

It is hard to break through their walls, but once you do, you cannot find a more genuine, more compassionate, and more fascinating people. They share EVERYTHING. Food, customs, clothes, materials, labor, houses, and the list goes on.

They know what it means to have nothing. To start from absolute zero, and they know the struggle that comes from living in such an unkind environment. You would be surprised how many people here arrived alone and are now part of very tight communities. Within them, kids are raised knowing everyone would help them, parent or not. They are well taken care of. In communal kitchens, they are the first in line for a meal. Lower hammocks are always left unoccupied. The times are harsh, but the people know they will survive everything that they come across after all—

Stars show the path of their fates, and the end is nowhere near.

Language

When you have a moon where society is a true patchwork art, you must find a common tongue among so many languages. They did. The language is spoken only. Not written there is no need for that. Its main purpose was to be a bridge between the first settlers. With time, most Oscurians, maybe not the youngest children or elders who see no need to learn, speak Magixio. The equivalent of English on Earth. It’s taught alongside the mother tongue of Oscuria, so don’t be shocked by the lack of accent. Rare cases involve teaching the faith where certain words or phrases aren’t translated and thus remain untouched by time. In Temple, and with any priestess, you must always speak the language. It’s part of their culture, and it must be respected.

The geography and the terrain.

Known for its night sky, the landscape perfectly balances the colorful and bright sky. The Farewell Cliffs are the tallest point of the moon. For visitors, it not being the ships' landing location is seen as a wasted opportunity. For locals, it’s an unfortunate reminder of what has happened to many who couldn’t accept the new reality and the mind witches who in the end never escaped their fatum.

You can’t run away from fate.

They overlook the biggest body of water, the Sea of the Forgotten. Its salt content would put Andros oceans to shame. Salt is used practically everywhere, especially in the conservation of food, by healers, and in the production of various clothes. But the name of the sea doesn’t come from the mineral that helps to keep your cutting boards clean or kill unwanted insects. It comes from the high concentration of bromide in the water. Elders speak of those who dared to drink it and lost their minds, but maybe that’s just a tale to scare the young from doing so.

The richest neighborhood is located right by the sea. Pathway is short for on the path of my fate, but the full name is never used…unless you are looking for trouble and beaten with a sandal by the other for acting like a prick. It’s mostly a tourist place and the home for the diplomats and representatives of the moon. From here, getting to the ship is swift, as it takes one road

Another body of water can be found in the dark forest, which is the Krewcien. A hot, rich in iron spring is used for medicinal baths, and is right in the center of the thickest part of the Shadow Forest. Its name refers to its color, which the Elders named the Blood of the monsters of the Shadows. It’s believed that once they were slaughtered, the flame that gave life to them didn’t return to the dragon and instead was trapped in the liquid and formed a lake. If you ever find yourself severely sick, you will be taken to Yvette’s tent, where the water is regularly stored. She would have no problem taking you directly to the lake, but very few would dare to enter such a horrifying place.

[TBC if i feel like it]