#wwcf

Leadership across the nations of Octavia is deeply rooted in each country’s unique traditions and history. Regardless of how leaders are chosen, the head of each nation holds the title of First Citizen. Leadership systems vary: some nations follow a hereditary model, where power is passed down through generations, while others select leaders based on merit and skill. The hereditary leaders are known as the Destined Ones, and those selected by meritocracy are called the Chosen Ones.

Aquaris follows an inherited leadership tradition, with power passed down through the Seaborn family—founders of the Aquaris island. After the early death of their former First Citizen, Orion Seaborn, leadership passed to his younger brother, Kraken Seaborn. The next in line is Rigel Seaborn, Orion’s eldest son.

Like Aquaris, Solaris maintains hereditary leadership. The Sunfire family, believed to descend from the legendary Lance Sunfire—once the most powerful Solarian whose downfall shaped Octavia—has ruled for generations. The current leader, Coal Sunfire, is preparing his son, Blade, to become the next First Citizen.

Agralis also practices inherited leadership, but with a strict tradition tied to the Elderroot: women are forbidden from becoming First Citizens. Basil Wildbloom, the current leader, has five daughters. The eldest, Anise, should have succeeded him, but after the birth of a son, Fennel Wildbloom, he is now the rightful heir.

During the rare Double Moon lunar event, the sacred Moondeer—a mystical creature revered by the Faunians—chooses the nation’s leader. The chosen individual leads until their death, ensuring the land remains in harmony with nature. The current First Citizen, Lark Doeheart, was selected by the Moondeer at age 16, and happens to be the youngest First Citizen in history. 

Remedians are famed for their healing abilities and long lifespans, which greatly impact their leadership dynamics. Though hereditary, leaders often hold their position for centuries, as aging affects them differently. Their First Citizens are revered as the most powerful healers, able to perform feats others cannot. Salve Trueblood, who is rumored to be over 300 years old, currently leads Remedis.

In Mechanis, intellect and innovation govern leadership selection. The nation holds elections every 15 years to ensure the most skilled individual leads. The current First Citizen is Bismuth Ironsmith, a biologist who earned her position after inventing Octavia's IVF process. The upcoming election features contenders Aero Axelwright, a mechanical engineer, and Atom Ironsmith, Bismuth’s son and a genetic scientist.

Craftis also chooses leaders based on merit, celebrating the nation’s most talented artisans. After the previous First Citizen, Arch Blackstone—an architect—was removed from office for legal violations, the role passed to Strand Weavewell, who heads a major plastics empire.

The Allurian First Citizen holds a divine role as The Avatar, believed to be a reincarnating mortal artist whose work moves the souls of all. The Allurians determine the new Avatar during the Revelation Festival, a grand event where candidates compete to prove their worth. Following the recent passing of Ink, a beloved poet and the previous Avatar, the people now look to Chorus—an acclaimed actor, singer, and dancer.

Together, the eight First Citizens form the First Council, the governing body overseeing continental affairs and major decisions. To maintain fairness, the leadership of the Council—known as the Grand Master—rotates every 10 years, giving each nation a chance to govern.

wip; white walls checkered floors

aislinn: used to write in perfect cursive, of course after a while of not writing because of [redacted] it wore off. to tick off everyone she makes sure no one can read her writing by doing it in the most tiniest script known to man.

noah: although he prefers talk to written, he writes with a hand of a god. you can’t be a storyteller if you cannot write, am i right??

nafi: what writing?? hmm?? i was too busy to learn how to scribble thank you very much. pretty much illegible.

stjarna (aka star): that fancy loopy cursive that your embarrassed to show your friends. none has lived to tell the tale of her writing. 

katje: oh man?? writing?? you mean that people actually evolved from grunts to actually transcribing thoughts on flat sheets using a stick?? cool bro.

felix: man, it’s been an age since he last wrote. at this rate, it’s probably chicken scratch by now. bonds with nafi over that.

the shapeshifter (i haven’t gotten to finding the perfect name for him sorry): writes like how you normally write?? doesn’t know what all the fuss is honestly.

Aquarians worship the Ocean itself. Their temples lie beneath the waves, and offerings to the sea are central to their culture. Every Aquarian is born in water and in death, they are returned to the sea. Their clergy, known as Tide Readers, are deeply revered for their ability to read and interpret the ocean’s moods and messages.

Solarians worship the Sun. Their temples are roofless, always open to her gaze, and offerings are burned in fire. Their clergy are called Light Bearers. But not all worship is peaceful—Solaris is also home to the Ashened Order, an extremist cult that believes in uniting the eight nations so their lost leader can be reborn.

Mechanists are atheists. They believe in logic, not gods; in data, not divinity. However, some fringe believers worship CORTEX-X1, a powerful AI said to hold the answers to all things. To them, the machine is the divine—the only truth that matters.

Agralians worship the Elder Root, a great tree at the heart of their nation. Its roots stretch across borders, believed to connect all living things. Cutting down a tree is the gravest of crimes, while a new one is planted for every birth and death. Their clergy, called Leaf Speakers, are attuned to the voice of the trees. Once a year, citizens make a pilgrimage to the central city to honor the Elder Root.

Faunists worship The Kin—a half-human, half-animal ancestor whose form varies in every tale: wings, antlers, hooves. They believe all Faunists are descendants of The Kin, chosen guardians of nature. Temples are hidden within the wild, adorned with statues and art in The Kin’s many forms. Eating animals is a sacrilege. Their clergy, called Howlers, run vast sanctuaries for animals, many rescued from other nations.

Remedians believe in a universal spirit within all living things—known as The Pulse. Illness is seen as an imbalance in that spirit, often caused by one's actions or thoughts. To them, the body is sacred. Their clergy, the Binders, are revered healers capable of restoring balance, even bringing people back from the brink of death.

Craftisans worship The Mason, the legendary builder of Nexus—Octavia’s capital. The Hand of the Mason, their clergy, reside in the Temple of the Mason, constructed from the last surviving stones carved by The Mason. These stones are said to withstand anything. Every act of creation is seen as a form of worship.

In Octavia, Essence is the very soul of a person—it shapes how they live, what they do, and even where they belong. Essence is inherited through blood, passed down from parent to child, and tied deeply to one’s nation. It is not a “power” to be wielded, but a natural state of being.

Each of the eight nations of Octavia has its own Essence. It is both identity and resource—determining what a nation can grow, build, or trade, and how its citizens relate to one another and the world.

Because of this, crossbreeding between Essences is forbidden by Octavian law. To protect the delicate balance of the continent—and avoid repeating a dangerous history—you may only marry and have children with someone who shares your Essence. 

Essence is who you are—sometimes, for Octavians, it’s all they are.

Aquarians can breathe underwater, a gift that makes them one with the ocean itself. They swim faster than most can run, dive for hours, and navigate currents like second nature. It's said their ancestors lived beneath the waves, and some still claim to hear the ocean speak to them. Their deep bond with water makes them the only island nation in Octavia, surrounded by the ocean, where they feel at home. 

Solarians are immune to heat and flame. They walk through fire, work in lava-heated forges, and train under the desert sun without blinking. Known as fierce fighters and master weapon-makers, their bodies are shaped by hard physical work, and their minds by discipline. Solaris stretches across scorched red sands and volcanic ranges, a blazing land of ash, light, and steel. 

Agralians can command plants—urging seeds to sprout, vines to bloom, and forests to thrive. They say the earth listens to them—and it must, because their nation is the greenest in all of Octavia. Agralis is a dream of forests and fields, sun-drenched farms and endless gardens. Hearts and stomachs are always full in Agralis, where food is never far from hand.

Remedians can sense imbalance in others—and correct it. Whether it’s a fever, a broken bone, or heartbreak, they restore harmony. They themselves are never sick, and their remedies reach every corner of Octavia. Remedis is nestled in cold rainforests and quiet valleys, where the mist never lifts and every plant seems to hold a secret cure. It’s a gentle land, where time slows and wounds fade.

Faunians speak to animals—not with words, but with something older. Their bond with beasts grants them wisdom others miss. Animals whisper secrets, carry messages, and warn of storms before they rise. While some dismiss them as strange or simple, Faunians know what most never learn: how to listen. Their homeland is made of soft hills, whispering woods, and pastures untouched by machines.

Mechanists are brilliant—born with minds wired for invention. They build what no one else can even imagine.  Every machine in Octavia can trace its roots back to Mechanis. Their cities shine with glass and steel, rising high into the sky. Streets buzz with invention. Buildings move. It's a place where the future is always just a few steps ahead.

Craftians are builders by birth. Their hands bend wood, stone, cloth, and steel into breathtaking forms. Every bridge, palace, and monument owes itself to their artistry. Their cities are living galleries, carved with precision and care. In Craftis, even the smallest things are made with purpose—and made to last.

Power in Octavia is carefully organized—whether to uphold peace, sustain the economy, or maintain control. These are some of the key groups shaping the continent and the secondary characters connected to them:

The highest authority in Octavia, made up of eight First Citizens—one from each nation. The Council ensures balance and cooperation across the continent. Upon joining, each member is entrusted with Octavia’s secret origin, a legacy guarded for generations.

Bismuth, the First Citizen of Mechanis and the Council’s only woman, is also Atom’s mother.

As the neutral military force headquartered in Nexus, the Guardians operate independently from any one nation. Each nation sends young volunteers yearly, and selection is competitive. Recruits train in Nexus, then serve across Octavia.

Cove, cousin to Rigel and daughter of Aquaris’ First Citizen Kraken, chose to forfeit her claim to leadership and now lives in Nexus as a Guardian. She helps oversee the prison and is married to Brook, the Guardians’ Commander.

Tasked with regulating trade and preventing monopolies, the Trade Council ensures the economic survival of all nations. Each nation has its own council, while the High Trade Council in Nexus oversees continental trade.

Cask leads Agralis’ Trade Council. His family controls the wine industry, and he’s in talks to marry Anise, daughter of Agralis’ First Citizen.

A hidden network of smugglers and fixers who bypass trade laws to move banned or luxury goods between nations. Though illegal, their services are quietly used by even the powerful. Outlaws drop their birth names and adopt colour names (e.g., Sable, Azure) to hide their origins.

Cerise, one such outlaw, deals in secrets—highly valuable in a land cut off by borders.

A secret resistance group that seeks to restore Arcadia, a time when nations were united and Essences blended. They support love and family across borders and hold quiet ceremonies for mixed unions. Being a Converger is illegal and seen as treason, resulting in immediate arrest and imprisonment. 

Harbingers are born of mixed-Essence unions, which are both illegal and deeply feared. They are seen as threats to the balance of power, and rumors alone can spark violence.

Thank you for checking in 🥺

Truth be told, I haven't worked on it lately because I got back to work in October and was swamped till a couple of weeks ago.

During this year, I did finish 80% of the worldbuilding (just a bit more to go). BUT. I came to an important realization that WWCF is too big and too important to be my debut novel.

I'm not sure if I'll even find an agent, and I believe I will have to self publish. In this case, I really don't want to fuck things up for this series by making any mistakes since this is my very first time doing this.

So, I decided to write a 'trial' book first, to understand how publishing works and to get some practice. I've already started doing some brainstorming for it. Even though it's supposed to be my practice book, now I'm kind of obsessed with this story too.

It's actually inspired by some of my LBAF characters and their dynamics and is heavily rooted in my own culture. And I'm suppppper excited about it.

One of my goals for 2026 is to work more on my original books than on fanfiction, and I hope I will stick to that!

WWCF: Relationship Dynamics - Rivals

“I’m not your enemy, Rigel,” Atom said, his voice calm but firm, the practiced tone of someone trying to coax a wild beast into submission. “I wish to be your ally.”

Rigel let out a harsh, biting laugh. “How? By trying to erase my culture? By forcing your way into something you barely understand?”

“Technology doesn’t erase culture. It elevates it,” Atom snapped, his composure faltering for just a moment. His hands clenched at his sides before he forced them to relax. “We can make Aquaris better. Stronger even.”

Rigel’s eyes narrowed, his fury barely contained as he stepped closer, his voice dropping into a low, dangerous growl. 

Hey nico :)

It's going alright. I finished most of the worldbuilding and transferred all my notes from all my notebooks and apps into Scrivener (which were two of my biggest tasks).

The next big task is to do the Outline for which I've saved Nov-Dec timeline since my October is packed.

There are some updates about the novel, actually (and another book), which I want to share with you all. But I'm a little overwhelmed with some stuff right now, and I will for sure let you guys know soon!