Azureus, Sirius

Azureus
537E7-3T Sirius System

Diameter: 7600 km
Surface Water: 72%
Average Surface Temperature: 73 °C
Gravity: 1 g
Atmosphere: 1 atm
Breathable

Rotational Period: 36 Az Hours
Orbital Period: 242 Az Days

Discovered: N/A
Colonized: N/A
Population: 2.6 Billion

Azureus is the home planet of many of the sentient species in Emaria. It is also the primary workbench of the gods, so to speak. Originally home to only humans, Histan created most of his own creations from them, and thus the strongest race in the galaxy, the Emarions, were born.

Azureus is split into two main continents: Crim, the human homelands, a widely varied and massive continent housing dozens of different human nations of varying sizes, and Viridia, home of the diverse Emarion, Aerai, Dragonian, Lyn, and Bangarash cultures, among others. The first major interactions between the two continents was during the Turtle Rising, when floating island-turtles peppered the sky all over the world.

After the ascent into space, many of the humans on Azureus left to the new human capitols, finally making the Emarions the majority race on the planet, and allowing them to exert their control on the star system without any intervention. Currently, Azureus is the home planet of the Emarion King, and its orbit contains one of the most popular and well-maintained space stations in the galaxy.

City icons by Curt Sibling

Bangarash, Sirius

Bangarash
645B6-2T Sirius System

Diameter: 8800 km
Surface Water: 55%
Average Surface Temperature: 32 °C
Gravity: 1.1 g
Atmosphere: 1.05 atm
Breathable

Rotational Period: 72 Az Hours
Orbital Period: 267 Az Days

Discovered: Emarions
Colonized: Bangar
Population: 1.9 Billion

Bangarash is the new capitol of the Bangar race. The planet is only loosely populated due to the relatively small number of Bangar in the galaxy, and the more even distribution across the various stars. Besides New Bangarash, their major cities’ names are all inspired by other races’ languages; Rinodri Alam is a Dragonian name and Commona Bre is Emarion. Due to the relatively high surface temperature, the planet is not a tempting place to live for any races outside the Bangar, though it is certainly tolerable to most, and many Aerai make their residence closer to the poles.

The climate of Bangarash is mostly humid, making the majority of the planet either swamps in the lowlands and rainforests in the high. The water on the planet is rich in certain minerals that are extremely healthy for the Bangar physique, but often allergenic, sometimes dangerously so, for most other races, Emarions especially. Bangar does import water from off-planet for non-Bangar consumption, but that has caused heavy inflation on pure water. The higher gravity and slightly denser atmosphere add even more credence to the theories that Bangarash was a planet sculpted for the Bangar long before it was named.

City icons by Curt Sibling

Mantra, Sirius

Mantra
210I1-1V Sirius System

Diameter: 1800 km
Average Surface Temperature: 260 °C
Gravity: 0.6 g
Atmosphere: 0.1 atm
Unbreathable
Pressure suit advised

Rotational Period: 28 Az Hours
Orbital Period: 112 Az Days

Discovered: Necros
Colonized: Emarions
Population: 0

Mantra was first landed on and colonized by the Necros, who built a skeletal palace whose ruins can still be seen on the surface. The Emarion Navy, after discovering this palace, bombarded it from orbit, successfully destroying it as well as killing one of the few actual Necros who left Azureus.

Later Mantra was colonized by a small Emarion mining company in hopes of finding some useful raw materials, but little was mineable, and the cost far outweighed the benefit of mining, so the mine was quickly abandoned.

Currently, a luxury liner takes cruises out to Mantra from Azureus and Coelenth to Mantra, and passes over the ruins of the Skeletal Palace. It’s a popular tourist attraction for history buffs, and a relaxing voyage for regular vacationers, the entire trip taking about four days.

Symbols thanks to Curt Sibling

Indra

Indra is a special case among the gods. She is the goddess of chaos, and unlike any of the other gods, cannot speak. Rather, she does not care to, and doesn’t seem to understand anything said to her. Nothing any of the other gods do to her affects anything she does, and even to them she is a complete mystery.

Naturally, mortals also find this being fascinating. Indra usually drifts around the cosmos in the form of a celestial dragon ghost, a creature of every colour of the visible spectrum and most of those off of it. She spends most of her time in the Reaches and beyond, and finding her can be dangerous at times. Those who do find that the danger is well worth the spectacle; seeing the dragon up close is one of the most beautiful things a limited mind can imagine. A very lucky few have even flown through the apparition.

Indra has also mostly stayed out of everyone’s way, and has not directly impacted any major event in history, save perhaps for inspiring development in art and science with her sheer majesty. Only Indra herself could possibly know exactly what it is she wants, and at The End of time that secret, whatever it was, was lost forever.

Magic

Emaria is home to three separate but equal types of magic. Anyone is capable of picking up and mastering any or all of them, but they tend to be more difficult to pick up the more you know, and the more age sets in.

The first and most prevalent is Essentia. Essentia is a questionably tangible substance that can be harnessed into a living body, and frequently is, even if the creature doesn’t know how to use it. Essentia can then be released back into the ether to produce effects willed by the wielder. Essentia is considered by most to be the strongest magic, but this is untrue; it’s just the easiest to learn.

The dangers inherent in essentia have forever presented themselves, not only to the targets, but to the wielder. The most common problem is when a body unused to a higher amount of stored essentia is essentia burns, where the stored magic reacts poorly to a body and causes headaches and other sharp pains in the body. This pain can be averted if the essentia is used up quickly.

The second kind is Empathy, a magic that utilizes the thoughts and emotions of the user and receiver to execute its effects. Empathy is possible to pick up without formal training, but it requires the highest amount of intelligence to learn. Empathy distinguishes itself from essentia in that its effects are more neurological, in its simplest detecting the intentions and emotional state of the receiver and in its most complex eliminating pain and mending bone and flesh.

Empathy is more or less safe from error in the hands of anyone able to master it, though most people consider its use to be a little rude if used without their consent. Empathy, unlike essentia, has few possible physical ramifications.

The third is Tighe, the magic of the body, used to enhance physical abilities. Tighe is most notably used by the Emarion Dragoon corps, which gives them their ability to leap great distances and survive the subsequent fall. It’s the hardest to learn without formal education, and most people only learn and perfect a single ability, but once learned it usually takes little or no effort to produce effects, as in the case of dragoon jumping.

Also, Merry Christmas. You get an article this year.

Emarion Names

In Emaria, the tradition is to name a child with whatever sounds good to the parents. That said, there are conventional meanings for certain vowels if placed at the beginning of a name. An “A” denotes affection, and is common for the first letter of Emarion names (Anselm, Arkturus, Azreal), especially single children, as they are their parents’ only progeny. An “E” denotes some kind of greatness (Eathanu) or destiny, and is more common to children of military families. An “I” is rarely used, but mostly feminine and used to show a scholarly nature, and is often the first letter of a long name (Inuama, Itimusia).

“O,” while not limited to such, is traditionally the first name of kings and other royalty. It shows power of the mind and body, and partly as a sign of respect the lower classes do not so frequently use the letter for their children. Interestingly, to Aerai culture, which in most cases neatly mirrors Emarion, “O” is a masculine letter used for disgrace, “with the king being the only exception,” as they put it. (Examples: Ocato, Odessa, Osiris)

“U” is used very infrequently for the first letter of a name just because it’s a strong sound on its own and doesn’t fit well at the start of a word. Regardless, it represents a beautiful simplicity in a person, not necessarily of the mind, but of the nature. A farmer who wishes his offspring to have an uneventful life might name his child with a “U” name. (Examples: Uncoste, Ulycai)

Most names don’t start with a vowel, but the first syllable of any word contains at least one, and in most cases the first vowel in any name is considered as above, though if it is not the first letter as well, it’s frequently considered to be less emphasized. Silvikk is a monk and a scholar, but that is not all she is, and it’s not particularly her passion.

Also of note in Emarion culture is that, when a couple marries, they choose how the names are distributed. For example, some women take the man’s last name, but keep their old last name as their new first name. Some couples exchange last names. The most traditional practise, however, is also the most familiar: one person takes the last name of the other.

Emarion Craftsmanship

Emarions are considered some of the best artisans in regards to some crafts. The typical styles vary widely, but beauty as seen by Emarions usually entails a mix of harsh angles and rounded edges used in complex but predictable patterns. Emarion artists like to paint or sculpt architecture more than anything else, with later artists creating impossible or exotic structures, often inspired by the complicated Materian engineering exhibited on their planet and their colony on Azureus.

The materials Emarions use are traditionally extracted by the artists themselves (trees planted for the wood, flowers grown for the colours taken from petals, ores mined for the metals they smelt into), though sometimes the artist is unable or the times call for a more efficient division of labour. Blacksmiths, especially in times of war, tend to buy metal to craft their weapons and armour.

The epitome of Emarion craftsmanship is the Kaska, a weapon used by particularly skilled Emarion warriors and customized to whoever uses it. It consists of a rod that is a certain balanced length and weight, dependent on the wielder, that allows for the elaborate flourishes and acrobatics involved in using the weapon. Because they are custom-made for the person who uses them, Kaska are frequently decorated heavily with beautiful etchings or dyes, and adorn the graves of their owners if they do perish.

Azureus is home to many distinct cultures, and while Emaria is not necessarily the most varied (humans are, of course), they are arguably the most prolific.

Emarion Pets

The concept of ownership over an animal is fairly limited in Emaria (though it is not illegal by any means and several human factions as well as many alien species practise it. That said, many people do seek the companionship of animals, on an optional basis.

The most common animal for Emarions to befriend is the Rilli (which I covered in their article). These friendships are different from others in that Rilli are fairly intelligent on their own, and only loyal out of conscious choice. Also common for companionship are canines much like dogs, which are of animal intelligence but familiar with loyalty and unconditional love for another, which they like many other animals can develop.

In that specific relationship, an Emarion will provide food and shelter for the dog, and often leave the door to the house open while he’s home, giving his new friend the option of leaving at any time. Partly because the alternative is fending for itself in the city or wilderness and partly because it may particularly like its person, the dog will generally come and go as it pleases, but almost always return.

In Aeria and a few parts of Emaria there is also the practise of leaving windows open and having essentially aviaries in one’s home, feeding and housing birds on the long-term. Often this involves having an enclosed bird cage that is open on one side allowing free access in and out the window without having the entire house open as well. Then birdkeepers can just close the window after all of the birds have left for the moment and close the window, clean the cage, and reopen it when they’re done.

Other examples of friendships between humans and animals exist, of course, but in very nearly every case, there is no concept of ownership of either party on the other (excepting maybe cats, the bastards).

Nine Plains

The universe is made up of what is essentially numerous separate volumes encompassing a large four dimensional hypervolume you can’t even conceive of. These are the different plains of existence. The known plains are all made up of sub-regions that also require travel in four dimensions to go to.

	Law	Neutral	Chaos
Good	White Haven	Avina	Cha’artica
Neutral	Sirius	The Elements	Pandemonium
Evil	Hell	Grloth	The Pit

When a god does travel to another plain, they lose most of their immortal powers during their stay, though they can leave at will still. Mortals, on the other hand, don’t lose anything from travelling to different plains in most cases, though some places are safer than others.

White Haven: White Haven is a place of utmost peace and serenity, though it is easily the hardest of all of the plains to reach, with its only known gates being buried deep on planets way out in the Reaches. In other plains there are not even any known gates leading there. White Haven is home to many compassionate beings, and anyone entering the plain is treated well. However, most people are eventually made to leave, because only the most inherently good of souls are allowed to live freely on White Haven.

Avina: Avina is a meeting place for the greatest of heroes. People gather there, in the one city that exists in the mountains of that plain, and speak of how to eradicate evil, without regards to law or chaos. Many people who want to achieve true righteous balance make a pilgrimage to Avina some time in their lives. It is not terribly hard to reach, luckily, with a portal even on Azureus existing.

Cha’artica: Cha’artica is a haven for those with good intentions in mind who do not wish to be constrained by law. The entire plain has only one truly evil being residing at all times, and the warriors of the population are in a constant struggle with that being. The plain has a few sub-regions in it which offer similar situations, with the solitary evil getting more prevalent the deeper you go. Magic in Cha’artica is unpredictable, and most essentians avoid using their powers to be safe, though empaths have less to worry about. Cha’artica has at least two entrances in the planets of the Graduill system at least.

Sirius: Sirius is the galaxy within the plain that Emaria rests in. There is little else to say except that it is the only plain without any sub-regions in it and is one of the most diverse as well.

The Elements: The elements are the five regions that embody the five forces of nature: fire, water, air, earth, and essentia. They are difficult for a mortal to survive on, but they are the prime location to summon creatures from for battle or whatever purpose. Unlike the other plains, there are no warp gateways to the elemental plains, but they can be accessed through magic easily due to their central location.

Pandemonium: Pandemonium is a plain of confusion, with little to no consistency within itself. It is a haven to the insane, ever changing and to the demented, never boring. Pandemonium has two regions, the bottom of which is downright dangerous to the mortal. The top has four seasons on its one planet: Mania, Delirium, Dementia, and Hysteria. The four come in a seemingly random order and cause untold damage to the psyches of anyone in the plain. Regardless of the emotional danger, a good empath can survive in the plain unscathed.

Hell: Hell is the largest plain of existence, with there being nine separate regions, all based on one of the seven sins, and not being altogether unpleasant. The last two correspond to those who have died within Hell itself, and those who were in life indescribably evil. Hell is the usual location for those who die on Sirius, and the dead then continue their lives in Hell, living within the region of their most prevalent sin. Some dead, the insane, instead go to Pandemonium, and those who are exceptionally virtuous but don’t ascend find themselves in White Haven. The dead can move from plain to plain, though it is not easy, and most choose not to.

Grloth: Grloth is a place of unpleasantness, a place where a gloomy shadow covers everything, and there is no enjoyment. It is easy to get to and hard to leave. That said, the amount of irremissible evil is negligible, and the place is more of a purgatory than a hell. Common effects from travelling within Grloth include apathy and depression. Creatures native to Grloth are often strong, but slow-moving or slow-witted.

The Pit: The pit is the ultimate plain of evil. It’s composed of three regions, representing various depths of madness and anguish. The pits themselves consist of one large pit in the ground, with a clear exit in sight, moonlight beaming down in one shaft, but clearly no way to reach the exit. The walls of the pits seem closer the more desperate to escape the being is. The region is inhabited by creatures of malice that can’t decide between killing outsiders or letting them suffer in the pits for eternity. The region below, the catacombs, is a labyrinth of twisting corridors and torture rooms, as well as crypts where they feed the souls of the dead to beasts of indescribable evil. Below even that is a region encased in flame that burns the flesh and soul of all who dwell within.

These plains all have their place in the web, and there are more outside of the nine, but they are beyond the understanding of mortal humans or even any of the Sirisian gods.

Dimensions

As humans, we live on three dimensions we can perceive. The first dimension, of course, is a line:

The line has just two possible directions, left and right, up and down, or forward and back. We can’t assign any one set of our directions to it. Now bend that line and you get:

Two dimensions. Humans and other three dimensional beings are comfortable with two dimensions. We see in two dimensions, and we can easily draw in two dimensions. It is easy to move from line to line, by moving along the other axis. We three-dimensional beings can assign any two of our directions, but they’re usually left, right, up and down, or north, east, west and south. Now, take that plain, and bend it over as such:

And that is three dimensions. You now have length, width, and depth. You can’t even really imagine yourself only occupying one line, and you can move easily from plain to plain on any of three dimensions, but it can take time to move far on the same plain. You don’t know what the fourth dimension is for sure. You can sculpt in three dimensions, but it’s not easy to perceive all of a three dimensional item at once, like it is in two dimensions. Now, take that cube or whatever, and bend it again:

You now have four dimensions. There isn’t even a word for what the fourth value is. A four dimensional being can see all of a three dimensional object at once, and can’t perceive themselves as a two dimensional object without a wild stretch of the imagination. Though they can see two dimensions, they can’t portray it in four dimensions without making it a three dimensional object. They’re comfortable working with length, width, and depth. They can move easily through plains and space along any three dimensions, but moving along the same 4D region takes time. They don’t know what lies in five dimensions, and they don’t have a word for what the fifth is. Now, bend that fourth dimension. Notice I can’t even begin to draw what it might look like.

Five dimensions. They are not aware of the second dimension, and can move in any of four vertexes instantly, though moving along their fifth takes time. I think you can fill in the rest.

Now, how does this have anything to do with Emaria? Well, Gods are four dimensional beings, essentially, though they can be seen in three dimensions, it hardly encompasses all of them. The next article will explain what this means to them exactly, and will hopefully make more sense to allayalls.