THE SETTING
(introduction to this story to follow)
The Lightside Chronicles
An Introduction to the world - By Inbar Rose inbarrose@gmail.com
Abstract
The Lightside Chronicles is a series of stories set in a Light Fantasy, Post Apocalyptic, Steampunk world. This is a one page introduction to that world, and its setting.
Cloudfall
The Cloudfall was a cataclysmic event that saw the sudden appearance of very thick and low hanging dark clouds which blocked the sun from reaching the land. The world was thrown into chaos, as crops died and civilization began to collapse, an apocalypse had hit the old world.
The Great War of the Old World
In the times just before the Cloudfall, a great war was being fought between many nations and kingdoms. Great armies and navies ravaged the lands and seas. The Cloudfall brought everything to a halt, armies and navies were stranded all over the world. Manpower and resources that were already scarce since the war became even more scarce, only exacerbating the apocalypse, and sowing more confusion and chaos as the old world ended.
A Thousand Years
Almost a thousand years have passed since Cloudfall. The world had split in two; above the Cloudfall is the Lightside where the mountain tops are home to communities known as Peaks, and below are the Darklands whose inhabitants live as nomads or in the ruins of the old world. New religions who believe in the sun became common among the Peaks, as the old gods were abandoned. To survive, Lightsiders and Darklanders had to innovate and evolve, each group and Peak forming their own unique identity and mark on the world through the ages.
The Darklands
The land is covered in death and decay; rotting forests, dead lakes, swamps, and old world ruins. Fungus and Mushrooms grow in abundance, tree-like mushrooms grow in vast mushroom forests. Luminous mushrooms are a source of light. Predators lurk the Darklands; wolves, reptiles, insects, and monstrous spiders. Most Darklanders are nomadic, and survive off the scraps they can trade or steal off the Peaks, or what they scavenge in the Darklands, but some live in the old world ruins, usually utilizing magic to survive in some way.
The Lightside
The Peaks have very little resources, almost no farmland, and few trees. Most of the material is scavenged from the old world ruins. Climbing the Peaks is dangerous, the Cloudfall is wet and the trails are muddy and treacherous. For Peaks to survive they had to have rudimentary protection from Darklanders and predators, as well as careful food management of what little they have. Peaks are mostly isolated from each other, but some alliances and kingdoms exist.
An Age of Invention
Traversing the Darklands was the only way to travel between Peaks without magical skyships until the recent invention of the dirigible, or airship. Subsequently a rapid acceleration of trade and diplomacy, the spreading of ideas and technologies, and exploration of the old world lead to new conflicts and challenges in the lives of Lightsiders and Darklanders.
THE STORY
Air Captain Forgis second of his name of house Rinmore waited outside the Emperors chambers. He had been summoned in the middle of the night and had been given only a few minutes to get himself presentable. A servant offered him some warm tea, and he accepted gracefully. “May Her light grace you, I needed that!” he thanked the servant and continued waiting.
This must be important if they are waking me up, he thought, I am the most senior Air Captain in the fleet and the late hour suggests urgency, or perhaps even emergency. Was it related to the recent visit from the ambassador of Laydtop? He knew there was war to the South but that was of little interest to the Empire of Porov, so remote and lacking in resources. Or perhaps it was religious in nature? The Knights of Solae have been trying to gain more power within the Empire for decades, perhaps they pushed too far?
The doors opened to the Emperors chamber, and Forgis was ushered inside, he left his half finished tea and straightened his lizard-skin flight jacket and checked his ranks and insignia one last time before marching in to meet the Emperor. The doors closed behind him with an ominous creek, and he walked carefuly towards the Emperor. In attendance were also a few house lords of notable power and the ministers of finance and war, the customary servants and guards and other sycophants were absent, which was unusual but could be accounted for by the late hour. Forgis arrived at the Emperors dais, and knelt.
The crew of the Horizon awoke that morning unaware of their captains meeting with the Emperor in the night. They began the morning routine checking of the airship and equipment. They were not expecting the Captain to be on board with Imperial guards loading cargo into the guest quarters. Before they could ask anything, the door was closed, and locked, with the key given to Captain Forgis. “Men” the Captain began, “We have an important mission from the Emperor, I want us ready to fly in two hours. We may be gone for longer than any of us has ever been gone, I expect preparations be made, and the correct stores gathered. You will be briefed in the air.”
Hosted and narrated by:
Inbar Rose (InbarRose)
Started 04/15/20.
Scenes played: 5
License: Host License
