Angelou

Information
History

**Angelou** was an ancient civilization once settled in the now vanished continent of Lacuna, which merged with the continent of Kalon. After the merge, some cities have survived under miraculous circumstances and are now living in hiding from the West's military forces.

## Race and Language

Angelou is inhabited by the Crei, whose language is known as Cretufei. Although human in appearance, including common human skin, hair, and eye colors, a notable difference in Crei are the cosmic patterns on their skins, which come in different colors and shapes, and are nourished by runic energy. These patterns can be concealed at free will, though are known to be more difficult to conceal when under the effects of magic. The markings respond to emotion, primarily positive, and to the use of magic by glowing vibrantly. The patterns are always consistent like birth marks and a normal Crei will shine in one color for all of their life. The exception to this rule is Angelou's queen, whose markings shine in a rainbow hue.

Crei tend to consider themselves the "pure" ancestor of humanity, with the genetically purest of all Crei being Angelou's queen. Due to their similar DNA structure to humans, they are able to mate with them, though whether their offspring can further reproduce is currently unknown. Unlike humans, female Crei do not undergo a menstrual cycle.

## Government

Angelou's form of government was a hereditary monarchy, in which both male and female members could assume the throne, though queens were considered the lone rulers. A king would serve as a queen's partner, enabling the option of childbirth to assure future royal generations. The last known ruler and current queen of Angelou is Kyrill, successor of King Cato.

### The Queen of Angelou

**The Queen of Angelou** serves as a queen bee of the Crei, as well as a bridge between the ley line flow of runic energy and its recipients. A queen nourishes her kingdom, chaining her to a lifelong duty of keeping all of Angelou alive and properly sustained. Without a queen, all life inside Angelou would eventually perish. Due to this fact, a queen was usually locked up inside Imroth's palace to avoid being harmed. A queen can be recognized by her people through the various colors of her markings, as well as the noticeable flux energy around her.

Due to their connection to the world's ley lines and the exhaustion caused by these circumstances, queens tend to die at a young age. However, their life expectancy would often be extended by using phylacteries to reset their body's damage. A queen's power is inherited from the predecessor queen, which is achieved by purposefully killing the queen before the natural end of her life, then using her soul in combination with a phlactery to form a new body for the new queen, regardless of the state of the successor's original body. Queens preferred their own children as their successor, though other royal branches existed if no child was raised in time for a necessary replacement.

### The Queen's Fountain and Coronation

**The Queen's Fountain** is a fountain located inside Imroth, that is towered by a memorial of the first queen, as well as a never withering rhododendron tree crowning the monument, symbolizing the never dying energy of all queens of the past.

During a **coronation**, the queen is directly connected to the ley lines of the world in order to sustain all life past mere survival, allowing Angelou to thrive. This is achieved by locking her in a chain construction inside the Queen's Fountain, which transfers her own energy back to her kingdom. The process, although short, is exhausting to the body and results in the queen's death over the course of several years.

## Culture and Customs

### Runic Energy

Runic energy, better known as "runic magic", is Angelou's primary power source, simultaneously serving as life energy of all Crei and making up the markings on their skin. Runic energy used to flow through everything inside Lacuna, including cities, phylacteries and automatons. This energy was redirected into the world's ley lines from the queen, through the use of the queen's fountain. Nowadays, it can still be found in use of selective automatons, teleportation pads, as well as runic weapons.

### Holidays

**Un'Rauncu -** A holiday celebrated on October 13th each year, in which Angelou celebrated the Gatekeeper's role of guarding the gate to the realm of Celestials. During this day, the Gatekeeper would leave his position and allow countless Ancients to breach the gate, and would herd them back behind the doors during midnight. As Celestials were bringers of doom, this was celebrated as a reminder that the people of Angelou could be grateful for the Gatekeeper and his control over the hellish beasts. Why he leaves the gates is unknown, but a myth suggests that he does so to reunite with something he loves. During night, the sky would illuminate in a spectacle of color, forming aurora-like phenomenon in regions that once were part of Angelou. It is also the day both magic and runic energy are at their peak.

### Technical Advancements

*To be added.*

**Celebrie Automatons -** Celebrie were automatons forged from runic mithril, whose energy could be restored by sunlight. Due to their longevity, ability to store research and information, and near indestructible hull, they were frequently assigned to assist certain fields inside Angelian civilization.

## Beliefs

As Angelou existed during an era in which Celestials did not roam the world as commonly, they were perceived as an omen of doom and were typically avoided. Maledictions were considered a fatal and dishonorable fate, resulting in the inescapable death sentence for all cursed. They were forged from runic mythril.

Celestials of Angelou include Cudeiya, Nerdalye, Anima, and Throes.

### Sacrosancts

Sacrosancts were scholars assigned to Angelian farms, who served the role of overseeing the successful completion of phylacteries. Assisted by Celebrie automatons, they could close a phylactery after it received a suiting soul. Without their interference, a phylactery could not be closed, rendering them useless. Sacrosancts began their training at an early age and dedicated their entire life to their service.

### Essemaior

( "*Beware the frailty of men*." ) While similar to the Sacrosancts, the Convocation seated 12 high ranking individuals, followed by a handful of lesser scholars, all dedicated to the idea of expanding the boundaries of human capabilities, transcending beyond their own mortality. In a sense, they wanted to become as close to a Celestial as possible, with hope to overcome Maledictions. Among other things.

**Known Members**

I - **Iosefka** - Founder, however, due to her 'inadequacies' she was overshadowed. Iosefka confirmed her research explored the more wholesome aspects of life. The possibilities of Echoes, something she dubbed the beings from Angelou reappearing on Kalon - a higher plane of existence manifesting on the physical. They are, however, dead. Or rather, supposed to be.

II - **Ephraim** - Self-appointed Leader, overshadowed Iosefka. While, at the time, it seemed kind and almost protectively done, it seems Ephraim only had ill intentions in taking over completely, leaving Iosefka ignored and belittled. It's hinted that it was Ephraim's research idea to consume Celestial flesh.

III - **Amos** - Rian's husband and the father of the deformed child, a result of consuming Celestial flesh. He wanted to keep the child, despite its affliction and marvelled at the possiblity that it was proof change was possible.

IV - **Amnon**

V - **Rian** - Iosefka's best friend, Amos's wife, and the mother of the deformed child, a result of consuming Celestial flesh while pregnant. She was said to still support the consumption even after her child's suffering disposition.

VI - **Mordecai**

VII - **Delilah**

VIII - **Jezebel**

IX - **Levi**

X - **Carmen**

XI - **Mikhail**

XII - **Sineon**

## Notable Locations

### Imroth

Imroth is the capital of Angelou and the city that keeps the queen's palace and her throne, as well as the Queen's Fountain.

### Anor

Anor was a six ward city, with a notable high authority of 12 individuals called the **Essemaior**. The inhabitants worshiped the Celestial Anima heavily, to the point of obsession, and feared her twin, Throes. The city was razed by a unknown Celestial, punishing the city and its citizens for their horrifying consumption of its kinds' flesh for research.

### Phylactery Farms

Angelou's phylactery farms were constructed with the clear and only intent to harvest souls for the creation of ancient phylacteries. For this purpose, maledict mages were chosen as sacrifices, as they were deemed incurable, and raised on the farm until either their honorable service was required, or until their magic grew strong enough to match a recipient.

**Notable Farms**

**Palinoia -**