How About Some World Building (Patreon)

Let us start with a name. Gregorian Azusa. The man who founded what would become the Kingdom of Gregoria. As of the current year of 1652, only three known voyages have ever landed on the shores of this land. Gregorian was the first back in the year 496, followed the lucky Kitari sailor Shinon in 844, and lastly, a group of explorers from Elgaria, lead by a man named Horrun in 1640.

Whereas sailing may be commonplace in your world, it is not so here. The ocean is fraught with monstrous creatures causing sailing to be more trouble than any think it's worth. Boats are mostly limited to small fishing rafts, never embarking far from the coastline. Once in a while, an adventurous sailor or explorer will try their luck, with only a select few managing to survive their adventures. To this day, no one has yet to return from any voyage. As a result, this has only discouraged the idea of ocean navigation even further.

What about flying? Just as there are dangers in the ocean, the sky is no better. Due to the mage's association in Gregoria, they achieved flight in the year 1434. The flying crafts could travel short distances at low altitudes, making them adequate transport vessels. Incidentally, the creation of the flying contraptions was more a feat of engineering than magic. Alchemists learned of substances lighter than air, while mages who studied transmutation, discovered atomic structures of materials. Combining the two would result in a light and sturdy construction, coupled with a weightless gas. These discoveries would eventually be applied to other industries as well.

With international travel being nigh impossible, the spread of ideas and inventions didn't happen, greatly stunting technological development. Fortunately for Gregorians, they weren't the only inhabitants of the landmass. Many species live in Gregoria, with all of them predating the humans. The main intelligent species are Sylve, Faun, and Daemos, with each having specific subspecies. 

Sylves reside in the southeast forest, with the main subspecies being elves, dryads, nymphs, and faeries. It is typical for their settlements to be near rivers or other water sources. They live off a combination of farming, foraging, and hunting. Settlement populations tend not to exceed over a thousand, except for the capitol, Leisiea. Residing near the center of their territory, Leisiea is the hub that links all other settlements. Sylves are peaceful until threatened and are willing to work with the other species on Gregoria. They were the first intelligent species encountered by humans, and it was with their guidance that humans successfully made their first settlement.

Fauns are a species in the western forests, taking the form of hybrids, with the most common being centaurs, satyrs, Lynxes, and Bunnies. Living in their respective packs (rarely exceeding 200 per group), the groups coexist on a set of mutual agreements. Foraging and hunting grounds are divided or shared depending on location, and they maintain a line of communication with one another. While the different groups keep mostly to themselves, they will, on occasion, work with other species. They were first introduced to humans by the Sylves. Fauns introduced humans to the western half of the landmass and set the groundwork for initial treatises with the humans.

Daemos live in the northeast desert, occupying caves as shelter from the heat. Subspecies include the succubi, demon, and imp. Daemos tend to settle near subterranean waterways (settlement population varies greatly depending on the caves themselves), using a combination of fishing and farming to survive. Due to their geographical location, the Daemos and Faun rarely come into contact, and it is common for Sylves to act as a representative between them. It was happenstance that a Demon messenger was with the Sylves when the humans first arrived. This messenger returned to the Daemos territory with a handful of scholars to introduce the two groups.

One thing the landmasses have in common is that the intelligent species which inhabit the land tend to work together in some regard. The threat of encroaching sea dwellers, as well as monsters from the sky, incentivizes this behavior. While different species coexist, peace is not a guarantee. Disagreements arise from time to time, and every so often, violence will break out between groups. It is common for a third party to mediate between opposing sides to reach a peace agreement, as to prevent either ocean or sky dwellers from capitalizing on their weakened state.

After arriving at the landmass, humans quickly spread out across Gregoria. They founded settlements near the other species and intermingled with them. Currently, human settlements rarely consist of just humans. Some Fauna, Sylves, and Daemos leave their land to live among humans, while some humans go live with the natives. Gregoria, as a result, has turned into a cultural melting pot of ideas, species, and cultures.

As an intro, this will do for now. More in-depth analysis of species, cultures, tech, and history will come in the future. To clarify, this is the universe in which most of my work will take place. feedback and ideas for improvement are welcome and appreciated.