Wicker and Wander Flame

**Wicker and Wander Flame** is a fantasy book series in the Rinnarverse and the Collectionverse.

## History

### First Edition (1993-Dec 1999)

Wicker and Wander Flame was written by the British author John Bobton in 1993, inspired by the role-playing games that he used to play as a teenager and history lessons.

The first edition of Wanderflame (the original fantasy setting) was set in a continent resembling Western Europe, with a typical fantasy setting populated by humans, elves, ogres, orcs, and dwarves. To the east of the known world is the Dark Lands, and beyond it are the countries of Paladinia, Moonlands (inhabited by fairy elves),

Five years later, his brother James Bobton made a spin-off based on raygun science fiction. Impressed by his creativity, John allowed him to continue his science fiction work, and the two brothers pooled their resources into a single company. The science fiction spin-off became known as **Wickwander of the Stars**, or simply **Wickwander**. The original fantasy premise is known as "**Wanderflame**" to differentiate it from the sci-fi Wickwander setting, although both of them had crossovers since the year 2017.

The Quindoris Arc was held from 1998 to November 1999, in which a "golden hero", Quindoris, leads the forces of good against a final war by the villains and arch-tyrants. It ends with Quindoris winning and the end of the first edition.

### Second Edition (Dec 1999-2011)

When Wicker and Wander Flame debuted in the '90s, its primary rival was the more-established Kalendrica, but it managed to gain its own fanbase through its deeper, ever-growing setting and lore. In the 2000s, the creators of both franchises held a yearly tabletop contest where fans of both franchises competed against each other, and influenced the lore of both franchises.

Another rival was Griffulgar, a more-established and older tabletop game from America. To compete against Griffulgar, John Bobton and his fellow artists improvised their fictional universe and added their own elements. The dwarves and orcs were largely replaced by horror movie characters, such as werewolves, clowns, and pumpkin scarecrows; and the elves were greatly reduced.

In 2001, elements from Greek mythology were added in the renewed Wanderflame setting. Among them included Emperor Cronos, his monsters, and the flesh walls used to create his monsters.

In 2004, the seirenii (a species of mermaid) was introduced as monsters. In May of the same year, certain files containing details about the seirenii's reproduction (and hints of same-sex reproduction via egg fusion) led to more fans entering the franchise, and an avalanche of romantic fanfiction. It also led to a supplementary rulebook that turned the seirenii into playable characters.

### Third and later editions

During the 2010s and 2020s, the two brothers who created the franchise allowed several artists to join them as co-creators. These new artists added their own lore into both franchises, influenced by their favourite shows and video-games. The additions' contrasting content and supposed ideological influence sparked a "civil war" within the Wanderflame fandom in March 2018.

### Rinnarverse history

Wicker and Wander Flame became the main influence for the Zaraguna colonies, and eventually their descendants in the Americanised republic of Bigton.

## Setting

Wicker and Wander Flame is set in a fantasy world themed after medieval European folklore.

The main civilisation in that setting (as of the third edition) was the Empire of Zargonia, whose language is used as the lingua franca of the setting.

### Fictional history

#### Age of Titans

* Thambar, a god, rules over the world as its first global emperor, or thanxarin. He chooses the next ruler, and his successor chooses his own successor, continuing for ninety-six rulers.
* Then, the ninety-sixth thanxarin was overthrown by a debauched race of titans, whose three successive dynasties ruled for 2,300 years of 234 thanxarinez.
* During that time, Hallondast the warrior and his wives fought against the titans. After his death, his wives and their sons and daughters governed his kingdom of Hallon. Hallon existed as an elective monarchy, and it was the second human civilisation in that world to have gender equality (although the presence of women in its government caused others to depict it as a matriarchy).
* Then, the titans were overthrown by a dynasty of giants, which lasted for 1,300 years of 56 thanxarinez. Among these rulers include the founder Thallurgo the Smith, Gluras the Foul (who created the first breeding pits to please his sexual debauchery), and Cronos the Cannibal. At the middle of the titans' reign existed several interregnums, such as the Dragons, the Angels, and the Demons.
* Gluras the Foul invented the breeding pits, walls of flesh that he, his officers, and his successors used to create monsters.
* Xarn and Vanor emerged from outlaws that escaped the titans. In a distant continent they established their respective slave empires.

#### Age of Myth

* With the death of Cronos, the giant civilisation falls apart. The first human civilisations of Radii and Plarii emerge in the Sunset Ocean. After 23,000 years, a malfunctioning reactor explodes, sinking both lands into the sea. Some Radii and Plarii mutate into seiren: some seirenii hunt humans for sport, while other seirenii seek to return to their human past.
* The surviving humans form their own civilisations, using what they had learned from the giants' and titans' ruins.
* The magical civilisation of Turma was founded by sorcerers that fled harassment from other countries. It later isolates itself from the rest of the world.
* Princess Skrindia ascends to godhood as a lunar deity. Angered by the world's preference of the sun over the Moon, Skrindia succumbs to her rage and attacks the world, but is repelled. The zergelos wolves and tir elves venerate her, appeasing her wrath.
* The ancient civilisations of Thaar, Hyancori, Haivelxe, and mountainous Aarusil use gryphons as cavalry and artillery instead of horses.
* The Harpy Empire ravages the north, raiding locals and killing them as food. They are defeated by the vampires and ice spirits.

#### Age of the Phoenix

* The tiny olin humanoids were created by a scientist. Many of them later escaped her cruel experiments, founding little kingdoms in the far southern seas.
* The Ameson and Pallasa women civilisations thrive.
* The Cult of the Araxara spreads throughout the west of the Supercontinent.
* The kingdom of Algeroi is founded by white zargothuz wolves.
* TBA

#### Age of the Griffon (current era)

* Mundar the Dueller
* TBA

### Wickwander (science fiction)

Wickwander, the science fiction spin-off, is set in a galaxy divided between several advanced civilisations.

## Trivia

* Wicker and Wander Flame (especially Wanderflame) is influenced by Warhammer Fantasy, medieval European folklore, Dungeons and Dragons lore, and Greek mythology.
	+ Wickwander was inspired by Warhammer 40,000's split from Warhammer Fantasy and 50s-80s science fiction.

## See also

* Zergonian glossary, for the words in the main conlang of Zarguniska
* Wickwarder glossary, for the different words in Wickwarder's version of Zarguniska/Zargonik
* Zergonian mythology
* Zergonian calendar