[ ic game info ]

[empc]

GREETINGS.

If you are reading this, then you are a newcomer to this world. Don't fret, for you are not the first. You are what we refer to as an Otherworlder, a person who has been brought here from their own world during an instance of strong emotion — perhaps even at the moment of your death.

You must have many questions, but we will share with you a simple introduction for now of where you are. This is Empatheias, an island high above the remnants of our ruined world. Long ago there was a war that used emotions as weapons, which you will come to find is a valuable energy in our world. A simple laugh can illuminate a room, an angry outburst can shatter windows. The grass can both grow and wither depending on how you feel.

Somewhere on your person is a crystal amulet. The world became imbalanced due to the war, and now it drains humans of their emotions to replenish itself. These crystal amulets will protect you, collecting the emotions you experience inside. Keep it close at all times, as the consequences to going without one for too long will threaten your life.

You may wish to know why you are here, or how to get back home. Unfortunately, no one here is able to answer this. You could be here for years or for months, or maybe only for a few weeks. All we know is that a lot about our world has changed since Otherworlders like yourself have arrived. Through your anger, your love, your hope and your bravery, you have brought us answers to mysteries we didn't konow existed. There has been pain on both sides, but we are bonded by our need to know more. A need to understand, and to thrive.

We will search for a way home for those who desire it, but we can only do it with you.


Together, our emotions will be the key.

~ The Welcome Centre Staff

FOR THOSE WITH ILLNESSES/SPECIAL DIETARY NEEDS: Please ask a member of staff for whatever questions you have. We will take you to the hospital if need be. You may feel more comfortable speaking to Otherworlders. If so, please do so.

BASICS

How, Why, Where?

WHERE AM I?

If you have just arrived, you are likely in the city of Verens, located on the island of Empatheias. Ours is a world that thrives off the emotions from living beings to sustain it, as well as agriculture. You will be able to read more about notable locations and how our world works in their relevant portions.

HOW AM I HERE?

This, no one knows. No machinery or other source has been found, and studying the phenomenon has led us to no clues. Some believe it to be the will of the world. All we have is theories.

HOW DO I GET BACK?

There is no known way of sending people back home. However, we do know from people leaving and then returning again that they don't lose time when they return home — they blink back without time lost, and will also find themselves as they were before they arrived to this world.

WHY AM I HERE?

The first Otherworlders arrived at a time called a Rise, in which a great accumulation of emotion on our island revealed to us ruins of a shrine, and brought a fog over the land. In these ruins were the first Otherworlders, and from then on, more continued to arrive.

Our island would often shift with these Rises, and we believe it was for this moment: That something would have the power to bring others from other worlds, and to help the world heal. There is some purpose to your being brought here, and this is all we can deduct.

However, what you choose to do is up to you. We expect nothing of you, other than for you to follow the laws of wherever you are. The government will provide shared housing to allow Otherworlders to get on their feet, and we at the Welcome Centre will help you find the care you need. There is a Task Board for temporary and full-time work, and also resources for learning.

Emotions, Amulets, Replacements, Communication

EMOTIONS AND THE WORLD

In our world, emotions play a vital role in how the world works. Emotions are a source of energy that nourishes the planet, and so while you're here, you will find your emotions may take a physical or powerful form, either deliberately or intentionally. Emotions can make the plants grow or die, can strengthen the brickwork of our buildings or cause them to brittle. Sudden outbursts may shatter windows, or you may find yourself floating off your feet, with animals being attracted to you.

We ask you to be careful while exploring the effects of your emotions, but not to be nervous in doing so. Contact native teachers or ask your fellow Otherworlders in understanding them. We have many ways of learning how to keep the physical manifestations of emotions under control. One such popular means is dunamis.

A NOTE ON APATHY: Apathy is the lack of emotions, and in this world it is reflected in a sense of nothingness. Sounds may be muted, colours drained to complete monochrome, light extinguishing around. More severe effects include giant holes appearing, as if the matter itself was erased. Some experience more mental fatigue, such as temporary loss of memory of whatever was troubling them before.

AMULETS AND CRYSTALS

Amulets refer to the whatever holds your personal crystal. These are for your own protection, and Otherworlders have always arrived to this world with one. Despite the way Empatheias may appear, the world as a whole is greatly imbalanced, and as a result it attempts to siphon your emotions from you. This is not a fast progress, but by a month it will cause you unable to experience emotions, and then will drain what energy is left in your body, resulting in death. KEEP YOUR AMULET NEARBY AT ALL TIMES.

However, it is fine to go to sleep without your amulet on, if you wish to not accidentally share your dreams.

REPLACEMENTS:

Replacements can be retrieved from amulet centers around Verens, where natives also collect new crystals. You will be given a chunk of crystal and a small pick to break into it, and this process will shape and connect a personal crystal to you.

COMMUNICATION

Communication between people is possible through your amulets. Through some concentration and intent, an individual can share with other Otherworlders messages, either by voice, feeling, with visible words, or with images. Memories can be shared in this way, as well as anything the individual sees in front of them.

There is a feeling in the mind when another wishes to speak to you. Over time, you may be able to realise the signature feeling of a person you've come to know. Sometimes, people may be able to hide this deliberately.

Communication with others with amulets other than Otherworlders is possible, but takes some extra concentration. This is the same for us: the streams between our connections are different, although we can merge them at times.

If communicating with amulets unnerves you, simply speaking or writing to a person is possible. Messenger birds are available to deliver messages, both organic and mechanical.

( OOC info )

Arehtei, Alignments, Boons

WHO ARE THE AREHTEI?

The Arehtei are eight beings connected to the world and the flow of emotion. They each represent the conflicting ends of correlating emotions: love and hate, calm and anger, hope and despair, trust and distrust, bravery and fear, joy and grief, appreciation and envy, and sympathy and apathy.

Only seven of these beings are currently with us, with the Arehtei of Sympathy and Apathy, Simpathis presumed deceased, despite two Arehtei being reborn since the end of the war. It is also with the Arehtei Simpathis that we believe native Empatheians are aligned with, while Otherworlders are capable of aligning with the present seven Arehtei. However, Otherworlders cannot align with Simpathis, and native Empatheians cannot align with the other Arehtei.

More information on the Arehtei can be found on this page.

ALIGNMENTS:

Alignments are a sort of connection with an Arehtei over others. It's signified by a change in colour of one's amulet crystal towards a hue related to a specific Arehtei. The meaning of this is that the individual usually feels emotions closely related to that Arehtei.

An alignment will usually allow you easier access to that Arehtei than others, but not make access to other Arehtei impossible, except for dire situations. Those aligned with certain Arehtei may also feel emotions deliberately or unintentionally sent by them, or be aware of their mental state.

The colours of the Arehtei are:
Aiada: mint green (dark-neutral-light)
Daimonia: Coral pink (dark-neutral-light)
Elios: Blood orange (dark-neutral-light)
Peromei: Creamy white (dark-neutral-light)
Piphron: Dark navy blue (dark-neutral-light)
Simpathis: Silver (dark-neutral-light)
Sosyne: Periwinkle blue (dark-neutral-light)
Thras: Golden yellow (dark-neutral-light)

( Alignment Swap )

BOONS:

Since around Endeca 817 (Feb 2017), it has been known that an Otherworlder can give a crystal in exchange for something still back in their home world. However, this cannot send people back, nor is it known to bring people in, either.

( Completed Crystal and Regains )

Crystallisation, Death

CRYSTALLISATION

This is a phenomenon that happens only to Otherworlders, and happens abruptly, without any known reason. The person is encased in a shell of crystal for an indeterminable amount of time, being released as suddenly as they were encased. For the individual, no time has passed.

DEATH

Death is an unavoidable part of life for those born in this world; however, death for Otherworlders is not the same. When Otherworlders are brought to the point of death their amulet crystal will shatter, and their body disappears. After a week they will return, around the edges of the island near to the Calinede Temple, weak and in need of medical assistance. They will have an amulet on them, but it will not be as filled as it was previously.

Around Tria 916 (June 2016), a being who watches over the flow of death revealed itself after being witnessed to what it deemed pointless deaths. Since then, Otherworlders at times have known to suffer consequences for their deaths, depending on the circumstances behind it.

Festivals, Calendar, Tree of Memories

Festivals & Calendar System

The calendar runs on a 7 day week, 12 month system, and consists of four seasons.

The four seasons are called the following: Zephyras (spring); Eurus (summer); Boreas (autumn); Notus (winter).

To translate our calendar to the common "Earth" one, the months are arranged from "January" to "December": Deca, Endeca, Dodeca, Ena, Dua, Tria, Tessa, Penta, Exi, Empta, Ochta, Ennea. However, our calendar year starts in Ena, the beginning of Zephyras.

For the days of the week, the names are, from "Monday" to "Sunday": Prote, Dute, Trite, Tetre, Pempte, Ecte, Ebdome.

A more helpful guide on festivals/seasonal events can be read here, but the most notable events that occur are the Flower Festival in Zephyras, Helisium in Eurus, Boreas Harvest Festival in Boreas, and Selenium in Notus.

Memory Tree

The Memory Tree, also referred to as the Tree of Memories, is the large tree seen co-joined with the clock tower in the market square. It is forever in bloom, its leaves similar to what some Otherworlders have called cherry blossoms in appearance from afar, their natural colouration a very light pink. The size of an adult man's hand, upon the surface of these leaves can play memories of the person to trigger it; once a memory has been preserved on it, it cannot be overwritten.

A memory can be played back by lightly touching the surface of the leaf. These memories are usually associated to a strong, emotional event; however, this doesn't exclude calming, relaxing memories. Because of their ability to absorb emotion, they have been used in drinks, candles, and potpourris, and other ventures. Charms and decorations hang from the tree tops, as the tree has become a popular addition for activities.

HISTORY

The Beginning

Centuries ago, there was once a world that thrived and fed off the emotions of its inhabitants. The very landscape and weather altered and changed depending on how the people around felt. Because of this, a kind of balance grew between the people and the world and all prospered. If despair and hatred destroyed someone's home, joy and love helped rebuild it.

In the earliest years, there were beings that oversaw the balance of emotions. These were the Arehtei, who to the people of the world were god-like figures, capable of influencing the world greater than any one human could. Alignments grew to them through the beliefs of the people of the land, and territories were largely split by the borders of where their significance reached. Skirmishes happened at times between the different people, but otherwise, the world found its balance.

But as the world found its balance, so did the people find their own. They found how to navigate its resources and to build and create, and the once strongly held beliefs towards the Arehtei began to dull with the rise of advancing technology. While some kept their religions and traditions, many of the Arehtei were known to fall into a slumber — no longer needed to watch over the world. Cities grew in sizes and heights, their buildings reaching the skies. Travel between distant lands was made instantaneous, people made their lives underwater, and tools to better themselves were constantly being made.

The world reached its pinnacle, a prosperous new age.

The War

It was not to last.

With emotions always powerful source of energy, their use in weaponry was amplified, especially in wars. The results were disastrous, deadly: they inflicted damage to the battlefields and caused anguish that tore into the souls of those within their blast radius. Elemental attacks would be infused with emotion, causing the wildlife to become alive as carnivorous monsters, and turn homes sheltering innocents to warp into horrors that would spread out through villages, killing them with their own fears.

The lead-up to the great war is unknown, only that it happened: an all out war all over the world that caused a great surge of emotional imbalance, leading to the re-awakening of the Arehtei.

Except they would be unable to cease the fighting and bring the world to peace. Most woke up in anger, in despair or distrust. They only knew the world was being destroyed by the actions of the people on it, and sought to get rid of them to help save the world. However, their actions only added to the horrors already tearing into the world: people despaired more at the added fighting, adding to the Arehteis' crazed state of mind.

Amongst them was the Arehtei Simpathis, whose apathy caused the great ruin in the world, wiping clean large portions of the landscapes. But in recent years, it has come to be believed that it may been Simpathis that led to Empatheias's survival. A memory was shown of Empatheias's ancestors being led together, running from a shattering world, before a light and voice was heard from above.

The land of Empatheias would lift from the war torn world, and for centuries become ignorant of the world outside its edges.

Empatheias's Rise

None of the history before Empatheias's rise was available to its natives. Their memories were wiped clean of the past, leaving only the technology that our ancestors built upon, mining the mountains and scavenging the land for the resources to survive. The great crystal was observed, as its change in hue reflected the overall emotional state of the island. If it was a prism, it was balanced; if it was black, it was negative; and it was gold, it was positive.

In a world already burdened by grief and hate, long terms of the crystal showing black would mean ruin to the island, pieces of it breaking apart. However, a golden glow meant what was known as a Rise, where pieces of lands would come and form itself onto the floating island, such as the desert that still exists there today.

The people of Empatheias sought balance, but also for times of Rise to occur — and the most significant would come following the Summer Solstice festival back in 814, when unknown ruins would appear southwest of the city, and also a strange fog.

Inside and around these ruins would be the first Otherworlders, and the change of Empatheias forever.

For a complete reference of all the events that transpired through the game, refer to this record.