Solisia

**Solisia** is a hidden island and former secret colony of the British Empire, formerly run by the Grand Order of Magi, specifically by the British Covenants. Formerly a cursed place for exiles, the Order exploited its resources, and a sudden disaster caused it to turn into what it is today, a place where no one wants to go to, and those stuck there have no choice but to continue scraping by and trying to survive. Some, however, were lucky enough to be the exception, able to survive outside of Solisia's borders.

## History

Solisia exists as a dystopic island city-state several kilometers northeast of New Zealand and southeast of Hawaii, and was a secretive colony established by the British Empire during the early 1700s. The island was originally named Poi-uhane by the Hawaiian magi who considered the island as “cursed” and where the banished and the punished are sent into exile. Hidden by a natural bounded field, Poi-uhane was unknown to the rest of the world until the 1700s, when Magi from the Arcane Order accompanied the exploration voyages to the Pacific and detected the magical anomaly in the middle of the ocean that turned out to be the Bounded Field of Poi-uhane. By meticulously breaking through the Bounded Field, they found the island and began exploring it. Although the surface was relatively bereft of any exploitable resources, other than the groups of banished people who formed a society of outcasts, the Order, with the backing of the British, discovered a rich underground basket of minerals and magical resources. One of which was the mineral that gave the colony its name, Solinium.

A bright yellow ore that reached extremely high temperatures when heated, “as hot like the surface of the sun” they said. Solinium was also coveted as a magical resource, useful for Magical items and weapons weapons, but its use by both the magical and the mundane sparked during the industrial revolution, where factories secretly used Solinium as a fuel source, more useful than coal. The colony was established away from the peering eyes of the world and prisoners, natives, and outcasts who many wouldn’t look for if they went missing, were sent to work themselves to death. In fact, their deaths were encouraged as the Bounded Field of Solisia absorbed the souls of those who died in its vicinity, and used said souls as “fuel” to replenish the island’s Solinium veins. It was like one giant, natural alchemy circle of transmutation, souls consumed for a powerful resource. A sprawling underground city was created as the result of the vast mining operations within the Bounded Field, while the surface, which was already lacking in abundant greenery, was slowly replaced by industrial buildings and tall but cramped apartments overtime.

Countless people died in the British Empire’s “Colony that greeted the Sun”, and many would have died even more if it wasn’t for one fateful event in the 1950s, when Solinium, regardless of how many people died, stopped replenishing. And not just that, but a strange unseen terror affected every living human within the island and it’s Bounded Field. While unknown at the time, the Bounded Field changed dramatically, and instead of converting souls, it twisted those who had souls with a mutation in their bodies and mana lobes. Every person in the island was hit with a mutation that begins with a mental disorder, victims suffered symptoms of paranoia, mania, and even insanity. Under these mental conditions, the victim experiences heightened physical capabilities and even amplification of magical energy in their bodies, worsening overtime with the victim turning into a husk of their former selves, monstrous abominations that seek only to destroy, and strange cancerous growths forming in their bodies that looked suspiciously like the old Solinium deposits that many died mining. Some even developed strange and unique psychic or magical capabilities connected to the mutation. Fearing that this mutation would spread, the Order decided to abandon the colony, and by abandon, they meant sealing the island off and killing anyone that tried to escape, even their own Order overseers that attempted to flee. Anarchy and chaos ensued as the island’s already depleted natural resources meant that everyone was going to run out of food and water eventually as they were cut off from the rest of the world.

Some of the Order members, who resisted the drastic effects of the mutation, managed to survive and consolidate power in the ruins of Solisia, creating the “Solisian Hegemony”, with an express purpose of ensuring the abandoned Order members’ well-being. Anything that threatened this the cause must be neutralized. The laborers and their families who didn’t immediately turn into mindless mutated monsters were forcefully gathered by the Hegemony, and their first “Hegemon”. Many were made to work as the manpower, and at times, emergency food supplies and cattle. Those that survived and didn’t turn into monsters would nevertheless find themselves chained into servitude by the remnants of the old overseers.

While life under this dystopian Hegemony was cruel and unforgiving, the upper echelons of the Hegemony secured survival and even a comfy lifestyle, living high up in their urban-style mage-towers with magical gardens and water sources, cushy accommodations and amenities, at the cost of everyone else toiling deep in the mines and mushroom farms of the Undercity. However, the Hegemony’s grip in Solisia would not last long. Betrayal, assassinations, self-serving aristocracy synonymous with Magi of the Order led to the Island devolving into several bickering warlords and gangs, with those under the yoke of the Hegemony surviving their mutations fighting back and dividing the surface city and the undercity into different turfs. Wherever there were hydroponics farms and sources of water, a gang would base their territories there.

While the Order monitored what was happening from the outside, they eventually learned that the mutation had evolved to the point where it was no longer contagious, and was only passed down through birth, and was no longer a threat. Interest gradually diminished, especially as the remnants of Solisia devolved into chaos. Those with the Mutation could not even survive leaving the Bounded Field as their minds and bodies rapidly deteriorated when outside the premises of the island, and the Order simply covered up the mess and erased its existence from the history books.

By the 2000s, however, the “Solisian Mania” as it was known from then on, evolved once again, and certain members of the island’s populace found out that they could leave through weak spots of the know deteriorating seal left by the Order on the Bounded Field and escape to the outside world without their minds and bodies deteriorating. They became the “Blessed”, and many escaped for a better life. Some could not adapt to the alien world outside, some died, some returned, some thrived, but this meant the world of magi rediscovered the existence of Solisia.

Outside groups that learned that they were no longer in danger of mutation began to show interest in the still divided island of Solisia, as the level of anomalies that popped up within its Bounded Field became an interesting source of research. The Hegemony took advantage of this and began sending out their “Blessed” as envoys, especially to the Grand Order. While others figured that investing their time and resources in a conflict-ridden, gang-violence-plagued island nation with little to no valuable resources to exploit was a waste, others saw potential. Others made deals with the Hegemony, others made deals with the different factions of Solisia. Desperate souls hiding from their enemies also found themselves flocking to this land of lawlessness. If a Western magus found Asia to be not remote enough for their enemies to find them, the hidden city-state of anarchy was their last option.

With the connection to the outside world secured, many smuggled weapons, resources, and people into the island, whether the Hegemony and other factions would allow them or not.

## Notable Features

Solisia’s upper surface is covered in a dense urban sprawl, a result of the colony turning the surface as primarily living quarters for the countless workers and their families. In the present, the surface is ruled by the Hegemony, and serves as their “Utopia” within their dystopian home, with many buildings repurposed as farms for food and facilities for fresh water, as well as workshops for the Hegemony to produce magical crafts and equipment that helps them maintain their position of power.

The Undercity, which gets its name because of the settlements built within the deep caverns and former mines of Solisia, is where the other factions of Solisia reside. While the Hegemony controls a portion of the undercity, its dark recesses and dangerous environment made the undercity impossible to permanently hold from the different gangs that call it home. While dark, the place is populated by magically giant engineered bioluminescent mushrooms that provide a gloomy and depressing feel to the area. While many factions managed to steal and recreate the magical hydroponics farms and water-purifiers that converted saltwater to freshwater from the Hegemony, the undercity dwellers primarily rely on consuming the fungi and underground plants bred by the Order to serve as food supply for miners. Disgusting when eaten raw or cooked, these plants served one purpose: “cheap but filling nutrition”. While the Hegemony elite ate real food, a majority of the people ate what amounted to bright blue or purple slop that kept them alive and healthy, but was torture to the taste buds.

Only the desperate of outsiders or as the Solisians call them “Outlanders”, would try to call the island home.

Due to the British’s colonization, a majority of the native population’s old culture was wiped out, and the Grand Order's involvement also meant native magi were either assimilated or eliminated, to the point where they have lost most of their identity. Solisians developed this culture of pragmatic survivalism and general distrust of people who aren’t part of their “faction”. Solisian English is said to be similar and different at the same time to normal English, although there are hints of a New-Zealand accent according to outsiders.