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Plot, Both Main and Extra Info
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Karana
Karana is a world with a rather unforgiving climate, made up of tundra, mountains, caves, plains, and forests with bodies of water that remain frozen for most of the year. Snow covers the surface almost constantly, but when the water thaws, it is a safe bet that most of the snow will have receded to the tops of the taller mountains for a brief "summer" period.
The inhabitants of Karana range from nomadic, to cave dwellers. The nomads follow the caribou like herds over the land, and are a fairly unassuming bunch, going about their lives peacefully, as there main concerns are on keeping warm and getting their next meal. The cave dwellers are much more social. The live in a chain of tightly knit communities in the main mountain range that nearly wraps around the planet. Here, they have created homes under several meters of rock, building permanent residences and developing ways to raise livestock and grow crops, with the help of their trading with Makires; a large chunk of the Alliance's supply of Potentium is mined in these caves and their partners on Makires will supply them with just about anything to get their hands on such a large quantity of the crystal. Some of the more prosperous communities will be able to expand into more sophisticated cities within the next few decades should their economy hold steady.
Anterrum
The environment on Anterrum is a stark contrast to that on Karana, with a far warmer, more tropical climate, hosting deserts with the occasional oasis, volcanoes, jungles, beaches on the edges of large bodies of salt water, peppered with freshwater lakes and a handful of rivers. The heat is largely due to the planet being slightly closer to the sun than Makires and Karana, and while slightly cooler at the poles, this is where most of the dense forests are located.
Most of the people on Anterrum reside near the vegetation and sources of freshwater, though some larger communities have carried out the painstaking process of converting some of the arid patches of land along the edges of jungles and forests into more fertile soil to expand their workable, inhabitable landmass.
The amount of sunlight and radiation that permeates the Anterran atmosphere makes it a highly efficient place to recharge Potentium crystals and this particular industry brings in most of the realm's wealth.
There are some that choose not to benefit from trade with the other realms, and these people live out in the middle of the dry deserts scattered throughout the planet, calling the small oases their home. They go without most of the modern amenities that others do, believing that others rely to heavily on energy, when all one really needs to survive, is some water, a soft place to rest, and the sun.
Makires
The third world of the alliance is Makires(muh-key-race); it is the most similar to earth, with differing climates and landscapes, a combination of those of Karana and Anterrum. The inhabitants of Makires peacefully coexist with nature and the topography and climates as the other two realms, but with a little more ease. While Karana and Anterrum can be a bit of an acquired taste, most of the the people in them strive to have a life on the Makires, even if it is begrudgingly so. With more moderate climate, flat, fertile lands, surviving has never been much of a struggle for the people of Makires, and they have thrived there for millennia. They have become the most technologically and intellectually advanced of the Alliance, even surpassing the societies of Earth in many areas.
They gladly shared their discoveries of clean, renewable energy source in the Potentium crystals (found in varying quantities within the worlds), and easier ways to overcome all of nature's challenges without destroying nature in the process. While the other realms were happy to receive the knowledge, there was still a shadow of animosity towards the world of Makires. The luxuries it provides it's inhabitants erases the struggles people in the other realms deal with every day to survive and while they love their homes, they cannot ignore the ease with which Makirese go about their lives without a touch of jealousy.
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People and Nature
The realms today are a fairly decent representation of where Earth would be had they been able to use their raw materials wisely. There is little to no pollution, no natural disasters caused by the human inhabitants, and waste is no issue.
The most telling develop of all isn’t just the respect that the people of the realms have for nature, but the respect nature has for the people. Nature being a powerful entity, it has come to sense that it can trust the inhabitants of the Alliance, knowing that the people will not cause it unnecessary harm, and will bend to the wishes of these people in what Earthlings would call an almost supernatural manner. The people of these realms are able to coax the elements to change and move, twisting trees into sculptures and structures, smothering a flame that has gone unchecked, guiding water away from endangered crops, persuading animals not to fear them. But for the Karanian, Anterrans, and Makirese, their connection with nature is hardly anything to bat an eye at anymore, as they have moved on to more challenging ventures.
Technology
Having become masters at coexisting with their environment, they have directed their focus to technology and have developed modes of transportation and communication just like Earth has, but in a more direct fashion. Want to travel a long distance but don’t want to waste time on the journey? Then just teleport there. Some of the top engineers in Makires, with some collaboration from the supporting realms, were able to fashion the Potentium crystals into a platform that was able to carry both objects and living beings from one point to another. This even allows for interplanetary travel, without the need for starships and rockets. In terms of communication, a device much like the cellphone was created allowing for verbal conversations across great distances to be conducted. Information and stories, when not carried out orally, are recorded and stored in tablets and databases much like those on Earth, though a bit more streamlined and sleek. Most of the useful technologies that are found on Earth can be found within the three realms, but in a new and improved variant.
Potentium
Obviously, all of these gadgets and gizmos need some sort of energy source and that comes in the form of Potentium crystals. Potentium is an element that acts as a vessel for large amounts of powerful, but relatively harmless, radiation. They are grown naturally in dark spaces, forming in clusters that are easily spotted by their opalescent glow. When connected to a device that requires power, it is able to supply the energy necessary.
This mineral does have it’s limits, however; some machines may need more energy than others, for example, the teleporters. Teleportation within one realm is difficult enough, but when used for interplanetary purposes, an inordinate amount of power is called for, and once they are typically used for transportation from one world to another, the energy is exhausted from the crystal. This is signified by the dull grey appearance that it takes on. When met with this dilemma, some thought to harvest more Potentium, but it was soon found out that while there is a finite supply of crystals, there is an infinite supply of energy. Almost like how solar panels take in the sun’s rays to convert into energy, the crystals, when put in direct sunlight, will slowly absorb the radiation that seeps through the atmosphere and eventually be functional as a power source once again.
Government
Within the Alliance, people are not classified by race or nationality, but by planet. There are no countries within the realms, only groups of settlements; some are small, simple villages and towns, others are large and elaborate cities, the size of which could rival a small country in Europe. Each planet has their own individual democratic governments, starting as small as a local governmental leader, and then expanding to a group of people who collectively help regulate the entire planet. Within this group, four representatives are elected, one for the northern hemisphere, one for the southern hemisphere, one for the eastern hemisphere, and one for the western hemisphere. These four representatives stand for the people of their planet in what is known as the Council of Twelve. The Council of the Twelve convene regularly, rotating locations from realm to realm with each meeting. Within the Council, one representative is elected annually from the group to act as the chairman, or -woman. The chairman decides the issues impacting all three realms that are most prudent to deal with, opens them for discussion, and acts as a tiebreaker when votes are split, as their vote counts twice.
Laws and law enforcement is typically handled by each individual realm, but there are crimes that warrant punishment meted out by the Council of Twelve. These crimes include murder, general manslaughter, grand larceny, crimes against nature, and treason. Depending on the severity of the crime, punishment can range from life in prison without parole to total exile. When making final decisions on cases involving these crimes, suspects are generally deemed guilty until proven innocent. Helpful hint, if you plan on committing one of the crimes above, don’t get caught.
Mod
Since the beginning of the Alliance, it’s purpose has been to benefit those under it’s protection; it was supposed to share knowledge and resources, to help those in need and make sure everyone knew that they were never alone. Over recent years, however, the Alliance has shifted away from these principles, though not everyone has noticed it.
The Paramount
A super power has quietly emerged in the powerful citizens of Makires; the wealthy, technology developers that have everyone in their pocket. They have been at the forefront of every great advancement in their society, and they peddle it out at a price. If the people of Karana want heat in their homes, tools to carve out their communities into the mountains, transportation of goods and people two and from their frozen planet, they must pay the loft sum of Potentium in return, leaving barely enough of the crystals to power the machines they receive. If Anterrum want shields from sandstorms or antidotes from the poisonous creatures dwelling in their forests, they must make agreements to recharge exhausted Potentium and send them back when they are fully renewed. If there is a natural crisis anywhere in the Alliance, the government on Makires must look to this deep pocketed group to decide whether or not they should send aid. Does the area have anything to benefit their advancement? Are they frequent buyers of their tech? Do they have unpaid debts? Nothing is done without the approval of these few men and women.
The Overlooked
There are many people within the Alliance who are oblivious to this inequality, mostly because they have no idea that it exists. They have never had to make deals with these people in order to have a more comfortable life, to remain alive. People living in Makires are typically among those who appear relatively untouched by the meddlings of the Paramount, not having to strive too much in order to survive in their mild environments, close to wealthy cities where they can easily exchange goods for anything they might need.
For others, the unbalanced system is blindingly obvious, people who have seen entire communities go broke to get an essential piece of mining equipment, or have known families who have lost their homes or their lives due to a natural disaster that was ignored by those who could do anything to help them. There are people who have had friends and loved ones disappear because they have stood up to their governments, spoken up and taken action against those who have wronged them. These are the Overlooked.
The Overlooked are members of a small but slowly growing faction who have organized themselves to end the vicious cycle of corruption and exploitation that has trapped them within the Alliance. The degree of action taken by the group varies by region, anywhere from getting involved in local government to try to minimize their community’s dependence on Makires and the Paramount, to going after government officials who are known to do business with the Paramount and political sabotage.
The more extreme cliques who resort to violence and intimidation have given anyone who even agrees with the Overlooked a bad name, and as a result anyone actually affiliated with the organization keep quiet about their involvement. They have been turned into a sort of boogieman, a group of monsters who seek to cause chaos within the Alliance, preying on the innocent out of jealousy and greed, terrorists who will destroy their peaceful society if given the chance.
Law enforcement in all three realms have begun to hunt down anyone who might know anything about the elusive group, taking information and interrogating possible members. Anyone proven to be one of the Overlooked is brought up on charges of treason and will be exiled without hesitation by the Council of Twelve.
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Maybe on Makires there’s a tech company opening or an art show they can attend like you said?
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I feel like I'm leaning towards a tech company opening on Makires, simply because it could touch upon Carolien's father, but also the Overlooked's goals.
Mod
that's a good connection! let's do that
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Awesome! Should we set up a special thread for that? Or should we wait until after we finish the scene with Carolien and Ryosuke?
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Yes! Inviting Ming would be amazing, haha. Which means she'll have to be close enough to Ming to invite him. So yes, we should wait for a lull in the story for that, I guess. Though I hope we can get to it quickly! :D
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Centuries ago, Earth was once a member of a group of four allied realms. As time went on, however, it became clear that the Earthlings did not respect the gifts of the world they were given, they lost touch with nature. They neglected their resources nearly every time they discovered a new use for them: lumber, animal life, soil, natural gases, the list goes on and on. Their allies shared their discovery of the Potentium crystal as a source of power, but if any was ever on the planet, the people of Earth gave up looking for it long before it was ever found. In response, the leaders of Makires, Karana, and Anterrum tried to teach the how to conserve and preserve their resources, even showing them strategies to restore the renewable ones, but Earthings were set in their ways. As they slowly began to destroy the world, exploiting its resources, the other realms shut off communication with the people there, choosing to believe that the gods had given up on Earth, abandoning the inhabitants.
And in a way, the gods had abandoned them; when they realized the inhabitants were only dooming themselves, they slowly erased their knowledge of the other worlds, embedding them into myth, like Yggdrasil(the world tree), and aliens. Today, no one on Earth knows of the other realms, with the exception of the Exiles.