Background & Notes

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Once upon a time, Mankind was a united race that lived in peace and harmony as the Kingdom of Zell, on the rich and resourceful land known as The Mother’s Cradle or Cradle for short.

Mankind prospered greatly, but began to have problems of overpopulation. To solve the issue, the kingdom decided to send a group of willing population to the uninhabited eastern lands for resettling.

However, tragedy struck not too long after the new settlers crossed over to the eastern lands. An earthquake (known as The Great Earthquake) split the Cradle, separating the western and eastern lands with an ash-spouting chasm from where monsters leapt out. Communications with the new settlers were lost, and Mankind faced the constant aggressive attacks of the monsters. Livelihoods were severely affected as the monsters also encroached in farms and mines that supported the people.

The Kingdom of Zell fought against the monsters as it struggled to get back on track. The first several decades were unspeakably harsh, but efforts paid off and the Kingdom gained a healthy balance against the monsters for the next century.

The Kingdom was beginning to experience prosperity once more, when a new shocking threat struck them – humans crossing over from Mother had launched an invasion against them.

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Notes:
The Mother’s Cradle – A large land with the shape of an adult embracing a child, thus the name. It was rich in resources and had beautiful prairie landscapes in the west, known as the Child. The east (known as the Mother) however, had extended swamps, forests and mountain ranges, which cloaked its potential and gave off a mysterious feeling.

The Great Earthquake – While earthquakes were not new to the Cradle, this one was particularly horrible. It not only wiped out a significant percentage of human population, it also splits the land into two, opening a chasm which gave birth to monsters that attacked human civilisation.

Devil’s Fang – The chasm that separated Child from Mother. The name came from the fact that monsters were borne from it, and that its shape was fang-like. Hundreds of monsters leapt out from it every few months, and produced a new species every few years. It was deemed as uncrossable to the Kingdom.

Kingdom of Zell – The human civilisation based on Child. Its people are known as Zellians or the Children. The kingdom suffered greatly from the Great Earthquake and the monsters the resulting Devil’s Fang gave birth to, which stamped out a total of 60% of human population (inclusive of the new settlers bounded for Mother). Perseverance and constant researches on and against the monsters helped Zell to regain momentum, and puts them back on balance. Its capital is Leshach.

The Lost Children – Also called ‘The Lost’ in short. They were the settlers who moved to the east nearly two hundred years ago but subsequently lost contact with the Kingdom due to the Great Earthquake, thus the name. The official stance and general public consensus was that they no longer exist, having been wiped out by the Great Earthquake and the monsters.

The Pretenders – The name the Kingdom gave to the invading humans from Mother. They were regarded as the “illegitimate children” of Mother and the Cradle, and so were termed as The Pretenders in their perceived attempts to steal the rightful places and possessions of the Children. The undignified name for them was “The Bastards”. They were a mysterious group of humans that Zellians never knew existed and could not identify with. While the language was rather similar, their dressing, habits and culture were all too different. The fact that they managed to cross the Devil's Fang for the invasion placed them in worse light, as they were seen in league with the monsters.

The Order of the Sun - Esteemed knights of the Kingdom of Zell. They are separated into three ranks, White, Blue and Red. The White Knights are the highest-ranked and hold prominent military positions, and members of the royalty are usually part of it. The Blue Knights are the second highest ranking and the Red Knights are the lowest. The Order of the Sun is charged with the ongoing conflicts with the monsters and The Pretenders.

The Order of the Moon - Researchers and scientists of the Kingdom of Zell. About 50% of its resources are used in studies on and against the monsters, while the other 50% concentrates on bettering human lives.

The Order of the Stars - Members of this low-profile Order are highly intelligent individuals who have privileged access to the tomes (even the restricted ones) of the Imperial Library. It is a very quiet Order compared to its counterparts the Sun and the Moon, but it provides support and has heavy contributions to their accomplishments from the background. Members are inducted into an exclusive priesthood that studies in depth into history and philosophy, but many of them are also trained as spies and scouts (and sometimes even assassins) for the Kingdom.

Kingdom of Zeal - Aka The Pretenders/The Bastards, but they called themselves 'Zealots'. They were the human civilisation of the Mother, living in harmony with their surroundings, adapting to it instead of making it suit them. They knew of their western cousins, but never made contact because they never saw the need to. They took in and assimilated what remained of "The Lost Children" (the settlers) nearly two hundred years ago. Unlike the Zellians, they had not fared well in repelling the monsters, and were facing a gradual decline in their civilisation. Their first encounters with their western cousins had been less than friendly, igniting a full-blown war.

They are highly communal, living wherever they want and in anyone's home. All homes there are rather large with several beds or mattresses to allow for more people. They also have a clans house system that identify each Zealot, and heads a particular community.

Royal Charter West News (RCWN) – The dominant media and largest employer in Zell. Its headquarters is located at the port city of Azure, a metropolitan comparable to the capital city. It has a respectable stake in Zell’s media industry for years, but it quickly took over about two hundred years ago, leveraging on the chaos caused by the Great Earthquake. It was particularly remembered for its constant reports about the Lost Children back then. Extremely rich and powerful, the RCWN is said to bankroll a majority of the Kingdom, giving it a certain amount of political muscle. The Royal Charter Publishing is RCWN’s wholly-owned publishing subsidiary, and it publishes 75% of all books in Zell.

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Zell’s peerage system consisted of three Dukes, five Marquises, seven Earls, and 12 Barons, and above of them all was the Royal House of Zell – the Solaris. Of them all, only the Duke of Ravenhearst, two marquises, three earls and four barons are based in the capital city.

Key figures in the Zellian Court:

The King – An ailing but strong-willed man in his 70s. He holds direct control over the Order of the Sun as its Chief Commander. He sees no way out of the constant conflicts except land separation, cutting the Cradle, removing Child from the embrace of Mother.

The Elder Princess – The firstborn of the King and heir to the throne. She is a White Knight and second in command in the Order of the Sun. She controls the resources and budget allocation for all three Orders.

The High Prince – The second child and eldest son of the King, second in line to the throne. He is third in command in the Order of the Sun. A White Knight. He plays an important leadership role in the conflicts against the monsters and the Zealots.

Duke of Ravenhearst – The chief of ministers, wielding considerable administrative influence. He heads the Order of the Moon and reports directly to the Elder Princess. The Ravenhearsts are related to the Solaris by marriage, and members of this family are favourite candidates for royalty marriage.

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In Zeal, the mages hold the most power and respect. To become a recognised mage, one must be a master in a school of magic.

The Circle of the Mages is the ruling council of Zeal. It is made up of several powerful arch-mages, who more than often are masters in at least three schools of magic and are highly recognised/respected for their contributions to Mother and the communities of Zeal, and has a certain level of wisdom.

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Post above updated.