Qirsyllviar

The World of Qirsyllviar, a world on another plane of existence, is a world with five main continents, Aquilonis, Soligaia, Nekcroz, Tarak and Marlakcor, and a large ocean Maritymir on the surface, and a smaller continent, Tirnanog, flying over the equator over the course of a year. Additionally, Soligaia and Aquilonis together form a larger continent called Geminos.
Between Aquilonis and Marlakcor are the great islands of Fuso. There has been debate among cartographers for centuries on whether or not Fuso is part of either continent or a separate land all its own.
There are also some smaller islands flying overhead. Some move like Tirnanog, due to various unknown influences, while others remain stationary.
==Inhabited Lands==
=== The Main Continents ===
Name 	Description
Northern Hemisphere	Northern Hemisphere
Soligaia 	Soligaia is the northwestern continent of Qirsyllviar; modeled after Medieval and Renaissance Europe. Soligaia forms the western half of the larger continent Geminos.
Aquilonis 	Aquilonis is the north-central continent of Qirsyllviar; has the most republics than any other continent. Mostly resembles parts of Europe and Asia. Most of the south and southeast is modeled after the Middle-East. Aquilonis forms the eastern half of the larger continent Geminos. To the east of the continent is the Japanese-based great islands of Fuso.
Marlakcor 	Marlakcor, also locally known by many names depending on culture and/or language, is the northeastern continent of Qirsyllviar. Mostly modeled after East and Southeast Asia, primarily China.
Southern Hemisphere	Southern Hemisphere
Nekcroz 	Nekcroz is the southwestern continent of Qirsyllviar; modeled after Pre-Colombian Mesoamerican cultures of the Americas.
Tarak 	Tarak is the south-central continent of Qirsyllviar; modeled after India.
Maritymir 	Maritymir is Qirsyllviar's southeastern ocean, and the largest ocean on Qirsyllviar; modeled after Oceania.
Soligaia.png|Soligaia
Aquilonis.png|Aquilonis
Marlakcor.png|Marlakcor
Nekcroz.png|Nekcroz
Tarak.png|Tarak
Maritymir.png|Maritymir
==== Other lands ====
Name 	Description
Arctica	Arctica is the northernmost continent of Qirsyllviar.
Fuso 	The land between Aquilonis and Marlakcor
Orbica 	The cluster of large islands between Nekcroz and Tarak.
Arctica.png|Arctica
Fuso political.png|Fusō
Orbica.png|Orbica
=== Aerial Lands ===
==== Continents ====
===== Tirnanog =====
Tirnanog is Qirsyllviar flying continent and the main homeland of human-sized Tirnagese Fairies. It is in constant motion circumnavigating the world eastward over the Grand Line over the course of one full Qirsyllvian year. Homeland of one of the seven abjaksan.
Tirnanog.png|Tirnanog
==== The Sky Cities ====
Capital: Skyrkraftia Government: Federated Elective Absolute MonarchyHead of State: Sky KingHead of Government: Sky KingLegislature: Grand CouncilDemonym: SkyrkraftianCurrency: ???
The Sky Cities are the collective term for thirty flying island cities that soar across the skies of Qirsyllviar. Together they make up the semi-borderless nation of the Pterytiko. With a history of neutrality, they are guarded by the legendary Sky Knights.
It is said that Skyrkraftia, the capital and largest city, holds an extensive library rumored to contain every detail of the history of the Sky Cities; but whether this is fact or fiction is unknown.
Each city has its own elected lord and legislative council, from either of which the king of all the cities is elected.
The cites are supported on floating "mountains" or "islands," along with smaller stones of varying size, held together by bridges or magic-infused ropes. Carried by the wind as well as moved about by magical means, the cities are in constant motion and are never in one place for very long. How exactly the Pterytiko manage to locate each city when they travel between them is a mystery to all but them. The cities move so often and are so high, even dragons have a hard time reaching them.
The known cities:
City 	Notes 	City 	Notes
Aborol 	 	Oklor 	
Arkolono	 	Orogon 	
Bykcrok 	 	Qir 	
Corondo 	 	Raer 	
Dynasto 	Allegedly the first Sky City	Rivyrica 	
Erop 	 	Ryz 	
Ikarolok	 	Skyrkraftia	Capital of the Sky Cities
Jokye 	 	Sonoko 	
Keriko 	 	Tcono 	
Kyop 	 	Tyr 	
Kyzir 	 	Ukyro 	
Luo 	 	Wereo 	
Lykir 	 	Wokolor 	
Molpor 	 	Xylir 	
Nifica 	 	Zyrko 	
==Astronomy==
==Games & Sports==
==Races==
The World of Qirsyllviar is home to many different races that coexist with one another. Some have their own nation while others live amongst the populace in peace. While humans make up the majority, a number of sentient beings and fauna, magic and non-magic alike, are native to Qirsyllviar.
==Magic==
==Religion==
==Legends==
==Non-State Organizations==
==Languages & Writing==
==Economics==
==Materials & Substances==
==Terminology & Concepts==
===Amazons===
===Abjaksan===
The Abjaksan are a group of people native to one of each of the seven great continents. They are the seven who, through existence alone, maintain balance between good and evil. They are easily identifiable by their unique heterochromatic eyes (crimson in the right and blue in the left) like the twin moons of Qirsyllviar. There are always seven, no more no less, continuously reincarnated when one dies.
===Elemental Arts===
The Elemental Arts are the collective term for the martial arts techniques that make use of the ability to telekinetically manipulate the elements: Fire, Air, Water, Earth and, to a rare extant, Energy. Practitioners of each individual practice are called "Artists" and the four main disciplines are prefixed with words meaning for Fire, Wind, Water, Earth, Energy. Sub-techniques are also given the same suffix and are prefixed accordingly.
===Slavery===
From serfdom to outright labor, slavery is a common practice throughout Qirsyllviar. Only a few handful of nations have either outlawed it or made efforts to. Otherwise, it is a common sight across Qirsyllviar. Slavery on Qirsyllviar has no racial boundaries, so it is not uncommon for one race owning a slave of another race.
===Feudalism===
Feudalism is a decentralized form of governance where the entire country, or parts of it, is divided amongst lords (usually nobility) who swear oaths of fealty and vassalage to monarch, and the lands of feudal lords are in turn divided amongst lower lords that have sworn oaths of fealty to their liege lord as well as the monarch. This form of governance is the most common form of monarchical rule on Qirsyllviar.
Realms under a feudal society are often akin to a confederacy or a federation, as they generally have some degree of autonomy from the monarch or liege they are sworn to; although a monarch and liege can have many vassals sworn to them, and a feudal lord is often sworn to both their direct liege and the monarch, no feudal lord can be sworn to more than one higher lord of equal footing, especially if the two equal-foot lords belong to different realms.
Feudal lords are often dynastic, with various titles depending on their culture, and individual families are often termed a "House," a "Clan," or something of the like. Dynastic lords, sometimes descended from the liege they are sworn to, pass down their lands and titles from parent to child until something ends the succession or their lands and titles are taken away for any reason. Feudal lords can also be elective, depending on the additional forms of governance the nation employs.
Feudal vassals are also obligated and responsible to provide some measure of sustenance to the realm they are subject to and to provide armies in the event of war. Of course, they can refuse to do either if they feel their rights to their lands are violated, or if they see no reason to oblige their liege's orders.
A vassal who refuses their obligations or breaks their oath of fealty in rebellion is often subject to any manner of punishment, but the exact extent of punishment varies depending on the exact standing of the offending and offended liege. If a settlement between a liege and vassal is reached, the offending lord or vassal often simply gets off with a reprimanding, but more serious offenses usually leads to the offender being branded an outlaw and stripped of their lands and titles. An outlaw lord will sometimes try to defend his rights by waging war in rebellion, especially if his own vassals (assuming any) remain loyal. And sometimes, but rarely, a rebelling lord will try to declare independence for their territory, leading to the establishment of an independent nation.
War between feudal lords is a common occurrence; whether it's a war for a right to inherit certain lands or titles, a conflict over territory or resources, or a simple squabble, feudal lords often go to war with one another for one reason or another, and the conflict usually only ends once the dispute is settled. The liege or monarch the vassal is sworn to can also get involved in the conflict, taking one side or acting a a mediator, to bring about an end to the conflict. This is normally done if the liege or monarch sees a benefit to getting involved, and if the conflict ends favorably. But, since such wars are normally fought between lords beneath the monarch, a monarch getting involved usually turns the conflict into a full-blown civil war, and the war can get so large that other lords are forced to pick a side if they find themselves in a situation where they can't stay neutral. In wars of such scale, when loyalty is questionable, lords will often side with whom they think is most likely to win. It is often a gamble, as while being on the winning side of the conflict's conclusion may bring great boons later, being on the losing side can bring severe repercussions. Either way, switching sides while the conflict is ongoing, especially if they were initially forced to join a side they didn't want to, is very risky as well, as the new lord they're trying to swear allegiance to is not likely trust them.
A rebellion of vassal against his liege or the monarch can end in several ways: with the rebelling lord being crushed, the rebelling lord's demands being met, or the liege or monarch overthrown and replaced with the new dynasty.
===Knighthood===
Knighthood is a common profession for many people across Qirsyllviar, mostly in feudal societies. Male and female knights are called Knight & Knightess respectively. Both are addressed as "Sir" and "Dame." While a knight is a profession it is also a level of nobility, often coming with land ownership.
===Republicanism===
The idea of Republicanism is not a new concept to Qirsyllviar. Republicanism is a governance dependent on the will of the people, often consisting of legislative assemblies, such as a parliament, where politicians debate issues that require resolution. Republican government comes several forms, such as democracy, oligarchy, autocracy, etc. However, the amount of control the government exercises over the country, legally or otherwise, varies.
Regardless, the majority of countries on Qirsyllviar are monarchical and only a handful of nations have implemented some form of republicanism as their form of government, fully or partially. Most notably is in northern central Aquilonis: the majority of states in that region are republics of some form, and most were part of the former Salrinoa Federation before it collapsed following the Salrinoan Revolutionary Wars.
===Grand Line===
The Grand Line is as it is understood to Qirsyllvians, is a band of ocean 125mi in width out from either side of the equator of Qirsyllviar. As a band of ocean that circumvents the planet and is mostly clear of any obstruction, save for a few islands, it is a haven for maritime trade and travel for all nations and cultures. The Grand Line is generally regarded as the "crossroads of the world," where people from all over mingle and trade in any and all the islands in or adjacent to the Grand Line.
===Travel===
Various methods of travel are used to traverse the world of Qirsyllviar. The most common ways are on foot or beasts of burden such as horses, cattle, or oxen; travel by flight and sea is also common practice. Instant transportation is just coming into practice and is not common.
==== Seafaring ====
Travel by sea is one common method. This is a bit more dangerous than by foot or flight, as anything can happen on the sea such as storms or sea-monster attacks (such as krakens or leviathans). The length of travel by sea can also vary depending on various natural or unnatural factors, lasting a few days or taking a few weeks or months. Sea travel by sail, current, and oar (often a combination of the three) are the most common methods, but generally takes the longest. Seafarers will sometimes employ the aid of magic users or elemental artists (mainly wind artists and water artist) to reduce the travel time.
==== Instant Transportation. ====
The recent discoveries and developments of teleportation magic have started making instant transportation, commonly simply known as teleportation, available. Instant transport, or teleportation, is just as the term implies, a magical way of moving from one place to another in an instant without any passage of time. The two most common ways of instant magical transport is warpstones and Gateportals. Warpstones are natural rocks naturally infused with teleportation magic, while Gateportals are stationary conduits scattered around Qirsyllviar.
Some magical creatures, such as demons and angels, have the natural ability to teleport themselves without some kind of magical tool or spell. Mages are also capable of sending people around Qirsyllviar without warpstones or Gateportals using hand drawn magic circles and the appropriate spell, but these are tricky to work.
Despite the moderate availability of instant transportation, it isn't very popular, as it can go horribly wrong; the people being transported can end up in the wrong place, or wind up with missing body parts that ended up transported elsewhere (the latter outcome can be fatal).
===== Gateportals =====
Gateportals are a magical means of long distance travel in an instant period of time. Gateportals are easily recognized as an archway on top of a low platform. Most Gateportals – especially those built within the last few millenniums – look different according to local architecture; but older ones – built long ago by a magical civilization whose name has been lost to time – are made of black stone with three conical prongs on top of the curve that give it the appearance of a crown.
Gateportals can be used to travel between continents, or from one end of a continent to the other, in short periods; but, they can only be used to travel to another Gateportal, not a random location. However, Gateportals require a Gatekeeper to be used. A Gatekeeper, as the name suggests, is the Gateportal's operator and sends travelers from one Gateportal to another, usually for a fee.
The way it works is, the people or object being transported stand in the middle of the platform just before the portal, then the Gateportal is activated. A large, shimmering, glass-like plane appears within the archway then the persons and objects being transported walk through the archway and appear at the other Gateportal. It is required for both Gateportals to have a Gatekeeper for the transportation to work; if a Gateportal has no Gatekeeper, the Gateportal is inoperable and useless.
Another downside to Gateportals is that they can't transport very large groups such as armies. This is because, not only is the Gateportal platform relatively small, once a Gateportal is used it needs a few hours to "recharge" before it can be used again. This limitation makes them essentially useless as weapons of war.
No one aside for the Gatekeepers themselves know exactly how the Gateportals work, but it is believed that mastery of teleportation magic is a requirement to become a Gatekeeper. It is also rumored that every Gatekeeper has a telepathic connection with one another via the gates they operate so they know which Gateportals are operable, but this isn't confirmed.
There are as many 350 known Gateportals scattered around Qirsyllviar. However, it is estimated that only about three quarters of the total have Gatekeepers. Some were built relatively recently while others are as old as time.
==== Flight ====
The ability of flight as transportation is not new anywhere on Qirsyllviar, and is a popular method of travel on Qirsyllviar.
Flight comes natural to all Qirsyllvian fairies, and riding flying beasts isn't new either, but the practices of riding on broomsticks and magic carpets are relatively new, the precursors of which originate roughly ten centuries before present day. 
The most recent flight developments are flying ships called airships, which are from ordinary seafaring vessels altered for flight. Airships are an old experiment but are slowly becoming into common practice, and are made in two methods. 
The first methods called relied on either applying flight magic or applying lightweight magic to the wood make them light enough to be carried by the wind. However, this method is rare. The reason is because long-term flight or lightweight charms are difficult to maintain, and therefore makes airships expensive. 
The second method followed the discovery of a natural gas called strofilium, a nontoxic lighter than air gas capable of lifting, in large volumes, something as heavy as a ship. It involves attaching very large balloons filled with the gas to the ships. The strofilium method if often more favored since it's proven much less expensive than magic, primarily due to it's abundance and easy procurement.
Either method often sees the ships modified with turning sails and propulsion propellers along the port and starboard and/or the stern; though the former method usually keeps the masts while the second does away with them for the balloons. Different countries prefer different designs, styles and/or techniques.
The only nations on Qirsyllviar to truly master flight without magic or beast riding are Soynaltiar and Xotil, via use of alien technology that crashed into their respective homelands centuries ago; but Xotil's aggressive nature, and Soynaltiar's and strict secrecy, make it all but impossible for outside nations to even begin to understand how, let alone even acquire the method.
===Communication, Delivery & Correspondence===
Communication over vast distances has always been an issue across Qirsyllviar. The various mail systems across the globe are intricate and complex.
The most common method is overland using couriers on foot or horse, which can take days or weeks to get information to it's destination depending on various factors that may slow it down. Centaurs who excel in speed will sometimes volunteer for this job, but they can still take a long time to reach their destination. 
Delivery over water is another method of communication or delivery, but this is restricted to waterways in the case of rivers or canals, and coastal towns in the case of sea; and so this method is often merely part of a relay system of delivery.
Over the last millennium, air mail has come into popular practice. Air mail involves several methods: one is using trained birds to send messages or small packages. Some popular birds trained to be used for such communication include, eagles, vultures, falcons, hawks, owls, ravens, parrots, pigeons, and sparrows. The bird chosen to make the delivery usually depends on what their carrying; smaller birds like ravens or pigeons are used for carrying messages, while larger birds like falcons and eagles are used for packages; again, chosen depending on the weight of what they're delivering. Friendly harpies or fast fairies will sometimes volunteer for this job as well. Couriers using flying beasts like pegasi and hippogriffs are another form of delivery by air, but this is not a highly popular method. 
Mail by air is definitely a faster form of delivery, but mail by land remains popularly in use; but no matter what method is used, the mail can still sometimes be delayed if the courier or gets lost or off track; and sometimes the mail will never reach it destination due to the courier getting intercepted or perishing along the way.
The more recent magical inventions of "Magic Mirrors" and "Crystal Balls" has made communication across distances instantaneous, allowing two or more people in separate locations, even across separate continents, to converse in real-time. Unfortunately, due to being relatively recent discoveries, along with being extremely difficult to make, as well as expensive, they're not very common, making them rare sights.
===Piracy===
Piracy is the illegal seizure of goods from civilian and commercial shipping on land or sea, or even in the air, as well as the peacetime capture of warships. 
While looked down upon by most civil societies of Qirsyllviar, piracy is still a common occurrence. Most pirates operate in secret, but others take to privateering (attacking land convoys or maritime ships while under the employ of a nation) during wartime for a legal excuse to raid for profit. 
Pirates do not usually discriminate, and are more than willing to attack any tempting prize; adding to this, they're normally also willing to let anyone join. As a result, pirates are complete with people and races from all over the world. While not on a job, or attacking convoys or shipping, pirates most usually go after rival pirates rather than raid civilian and commercial ships or coastal towns.
Not all pirates are direct threats; some adopt codes and become known for their honor, chivalry, peerlessness, and are willing to do any deed for any nation, so long they pay and its honorable. Some honorable pirates will hunt pirates that openly attack indiscriminately, and are often willing to aid those in distress. Those who follow such honorable styles, tend to earn the honorific "Chivalrous Pirates".
===The Spirit World===
The Spirit World, sometimes known as the Land of the Dead or the Astral World, is the land where spirits live separate from the living world. Spirits have lived there since the beginning of everything.
===The Underworld===
The Underworld, also known as Hades, Hell, Purgatory, Tartarus etc., is the uncharted subterranean world beneath Qirsyllviar's surface. The underworld is where the darkest of dark creatures reside and only the bravest of souls dare to enter. It is supposedly the homeland of the Dark Lord that threatened Qirsyllviar before the abjaksan defeated him, and it is hence said to be the place he was banished afterwards. Whether it is fact or fiction is still unknown. The capital of the Underworld is known to all as Tenebrae, but its exact location in the Underworld is a complete mystery.
==Calendars==
==Stories==
*The Chronicles of Qirsyllviar: The Legend of Adelaide
*The Chronicles of Qirsyllviar: The Secret of Garvis
*The Chronicles of Qirsyllviar: Princess Isabella
==Notes & Trivia==
*Qirsyllviar is a world on another plane of existence from Earth.
*Qirsyllviar is pronounced "/kɪɹsɪɫviːaɹ/".
*The word for a person from Qirsyllviar is "Qirsyllvian".
*The current political maps of Qirsyllviar are of the mid-46th century (by the Solramese Calendar), after the conclusion of the Great Northern Aquilonis War and the Soleillien Civil War.
**Despite the apparent century, life on most Qirsyllviar, particularly throughout most of Soligaia, and northern and parts of southeastern Aquilonis, mimics life in the Middle Ages and the early Renaissance. A few places mimic life in slightly earlier or later ages.
***The age of gunpowder, referred to by its early name "black powder", is also only just barely starting to come play. Fireworks are a common sight across all of Qirsyllviar, but the same cannot be said for black powder weapons. The substance has existed for centuries, but many nations have either yet to officially acquire such weapons, or have simply rejected them outright, preferring to rely on the sword. Hence, early guns are almost nonexistent; as such black powder weapons such as fire arrows and lances are the only type of firearms used on Qirsyllviar, and are only starting to come into common use, while primitive cannons are barely in use at all. The use of grenades is just becoming common practice as well.
***The Printing Press has also been invented, and is widely used all across Qirsyllviar, particularly in the northern hemisphere, and colonial countries in the south.
***Ship designs are a combination of sails (usually one or two masts) and oars, mostly resembling galleys from ancient or medieval Mediterranean civilizations, but outward designs can differ from culture to culture. Some designs will do away with one or both sails, relying solely on rowing, to make room for an artillery piece such as a ballista, trebuchet or catapult. The front of ships will also sometimes have a ram, but it isn't relatively common practice.
*"Qirsyllviar" is the name of an ancient Zedylric deity, the Goddess of the Living World, whom is equated with the world they live in.
*Geminos, the term for Soligaia and Aquilonis combined, is the Latin word for "twins."
**Despite what's shown on the map, the actual boundary between Soligaia and Aquilonis has always been subject to debate among geographers for millennia.
*Qirsyllviar is slightly smaller than Earth. If you place the maps side-by-side (3 columns, 2 rows), then going by the scales, from the west equatorial end of Qirsyllviar to the east end, the circumference of Qirsyllviar is 19,800mi (31865.011km). Earth's circumference is 24,901mi (40,075km). Thus, Qirsyllviar is 5,101mi (8209.264km) smaller than Earth, that's roughly 1/4 the size. Despite the difference in the size of the planets, the length of Qirsyllviar's days is the same as Earth's, 24 hours, and the gravity is the same as well (that's because, the despite the difference in size, Qirsyllviar is the same mass as Earth).
Category:Worlds
Category:Qirsyllviar
Category:Locations