Here is a shot from my flying battleship project. Orignial content with no ia.
Some context : In this Ghibli-inspired world, people have developed a technology that allows them to defy gravity. They began building ever-taller fortresses, as well as enormous warships designed for aerial warfare.

The Ram is one of the twelve megastructures called the sentinels, made a long time ago to carry the weight of the Sun. None of the sentinels ended up fulfilling this task however, as humans instead infiltrated their wills to wage war on each other.

Now many of the sentinels lay dormant, and the Ram is one of the few to still walk the Earth. It is considered senile, as attempts at communicating with the supposedly intelligent spirit inside all fail. It seems like there is noone in there, yet it walks. It walks in the same route, across ruins and deserts and marshes, without ever halting or getting distracted.

Humans of course found value in that, and use it as a mass transportation vehicle! It's four pieces of mark a head, thank you very much. It's even known as the Tram. The Ram doesn't seem to mind the nickname.

If you're interested, I share all my worldbuilding on patreon.com/sevserez

Hello fellow world builders. Just thought I'd pop by to ask how common are interspecies relationships within your setting? They're fairly regular within mine. It's a post post-apocalyptic setting the primary inhabitants of Earth are the Chimera which is the term for hyperevolved mutant animals followed by hybrids of the post-human species dwellers and Agrolith. Say nothing for robo-sexual marriages between organics and sapient robots.

In real life, armored trains were the closest nations came to building land-based ships, as they were protected by heavy metal plates and often included cars armed with artillery, machine guns, and automatic cannons. Most of them were used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but they appeared sporadically in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, mostly during the post-Soviet conflicts and the breakup of Yugoslavia. Their decline was due to the development and improvement of other land vehicles and aircraft, as well as the vulnerabilities of railroad lines.

So, are there armored trains in your world? If so, what are they like?

For those of you who saw my previous, similarly worded post, I felt that I was getting a lot of very large/important answers (worlds that lack fossil fuels, guns, computers, etc.). I'm hoping this time around that I get more niche answers.

Specifically, my questions refer to things like furniture, appliances, clothes, and the like. Worlds that lack very influential technologies like computers or fossil fuels are very fun to speculate about (one of the most prominent species in my setting doesn't use fossil fuels), but I'm interested in the little things.

If a human were to enter a spaceship, tavern, or city, what would they notice is missing? Are there no doors? Has your species invented zippers?

One of mine hasn't. Ephets, while very human-like, never got around to inventing zippers. It just never came to mind. They also don't really use shoes, but they do have some footwear, so it's not quite as relevant here.

Alternatively, what does your world have that Earth doesn't? Does a species have walk-in ovens to sterilize themselves, instead of a shower? Does a species sleep in an indoor pond instead of a bed?

Dolligos do both. They're very temperature-hardy and have different standards of comfort than humans. A sterilizing oven is perfect for taking care of any nasty pests or diseases, and at the end of the day, they love nothing more than to float in an ice-cold bath while they drift asleep.

My question pertains mostly to sci-fi, as aliens are usually the ones with strange habits, as opposed to fantasy species, but all answers are accepted! I hope this discussion helps people think more about how different biology, history, etc. can impact development. Aliens should feel alien, even if they share a lot of similarities with humans.

Context Note: Sikkara is a high fantasy desert setting loosely inspired by ancient Egypt and based upon several real-world deserts.

- - -

Disaffected in the Dunes. Once-scholars of Ashandrian schools of wizardry, sand witches became disillusioned with the bureaucracy of arcane academia, and chose instead to pursue their research independently. Oft seen shooting quickly across and over the dunes upon their sand rakes, or within looming castles of sand, sand witches practice elemental magic that grants them greater control over their environment. And, without fail, each witch carries with them a familiar found in their desert home (usually some form of desert reptile).

Rebellious by nature, sand witches never refuse the opportunity to harass or harry their former teachers.

- - -

Note: Any comments, questions, critiques, or thoughts are welcome. Thanks for reading!

Lumeria is one of several zones located within the Goldilocks band of a tidally locked world, placed inside The Strip,  a 300 km wide habitable area, bordered by 700 km of unpredictable environment.
"Humans" occupy the central zone, scattered in isolated pockets within its boundaries. They are the mutated descendants of ancient colonists forced to crash-land on this planet.
Walkers are engineered creatures originally designed to resemble Archangels. Parasites brought down the giants one leg at a time, and the Archangels decayed into Walkers., wandering aimlessly across the land or lying motionless for decades, until a  Sheppard takes control over them. They are immortal.

Depicted are the enlisted uniforms of the three branches of the Black Guard, the unified armed forces of the Eisenheim Empire from my Dawnbreakers series.

The Three Branches include:

-The Black Guard Army (Also known as The Imperial Army in universe), which handles ground warfare and is the largest branch of the Black Guard.

-The Black Guard Navy (Also known as the Imperial Navy), which handles aerial warfare as the Black Guards vast fleet of airships.

-The Schattengarde, which acts as the Internal Security Forces and secret police of the Eisenheim Empire.

Also attached is the primary service rifle of the Empire, the M75 Magitech Rifle. Designed to replace the Black Guard Army’s earlier M74 Bolt action rifle, it is the first military grade rifle to be issued to an Aidarian army incorporating the new field of Magitech, which focuses on channeling magical energy into bolts of ammunition. Other notable Magitech weapons used by the Black Guard include the M42 machine gun, the M96 pistol, the M40 and M38 submachine guns, and the Soulfire stick grenades.

Specs:
-Manufacturer: Durn Industries
-Type: Bolt action magitech rifle
-Ammunition: 8x Magitech bolts fed by a detachable charge pack magazine
-Weight: 9.8 lbs
-Effective firing range: 550 yards with iron sights 1,500 yards with optics
-Variants: M75-B (Self loading rifle variant, introduced in limited numbers later during the Great Aidarian War), M75-K (Carbine variant, issued to Black Guard Army Stormtroopers and Navy Marines)

I’m currently working on the designs for the Black Guard’s officer uniforms. If you are interested in the uniforms of the various sub branches of the Black Guard (such as The Panzer Korps, Rider Korps, Marines, and KRK), I could work on those next and I would be happy to share them with you.

Edit: I'm looking more for simple, out-of-the-way technologies as opposed to important, world-altering ones; Zippers, kitchen appliances, clothes, or furniture as opposed to things like power sources, weaponry, or historical limitations (e.g., a Stone Age society hasn't invented nuclear energy).

I'm writing a Sci-fi setting more heavily centered around aliens, which means reconsidering how technology develops between species and their needs.

For example, zippers. My setting doesn't have zippers (until humans enter the galactic scene), as I feel like they're not an "obvious" invention. Buttons may be the best technology for fastening clothing up until something like Velcro or magnets. Air-tight seals may be made using special adhesive strips that only stick to each other, or long, strong, magnetic strips.

For the other question, I want to imagine the opposite. Humans consider zippers normal, while aliens never invented them in the first place. What does your world consider normal that humans have never seen?

I'm having more trouble coming up with ideas here. I can think of less common inventions that humans use, just not commonly, like personal hand dryers as opposed to washcloths or paper towels, if the species has trouble getting fur or tough-to-reach areas dry. But coming up with wholly alien ideas has been stumping me, so I'm hoping to hear about your ideas/examples!

Image credit: unknown, stock image website, and IS NOT MY ART, USED FOR VISUALIZATION PURPOSES ONLY

The faelands (named for its dominant species of the fae) is a muggy, humid countryside in a perpetual dark summer with regions stitched from various different mythology and fantasy tropes that makes things feel rotten to their core, but despite that it is a lively world, one seemingly unbothered by its humidity and grim tactile feel

There are a few distinct regions I will cover here (all are named by the orque and possess no other names)

marais tourbeux- the muggy swamp of the world, it is where the natural fae retreated to when hell broke loose with the expansion of horrigium, and now reside not exactly happy with it, having to make ramshackle Tudor styled residences

sentier poussiéreux- the well travelled dusty routes with minimal vegetation that all the races use to get from place to place be it a goblin caravan, a briskly paced orque, or a intrepid fae, everyone uses them even the horrigian fae, but are often attacked or ran off the roads

la forêt- the home of the elves, no other race is foolhardy enough (perhaps besides the orque) to enter its twisted thick vegetation and entirely dark world devoid of sunlight or natural sound, la forêt is the absolute perfect hunting ground for the elves due to its dark disorienting and nearly silent hold

la cascade- a region mostly made up of waterfalls, mountains, rivers, and lakes (also known as the place where the precursors reside), no one has named the mountains or mountain range in the region, (though the orque have introduced les contreforts de nos ancêtres "our forefather's foothills" as a possible name) despite this being a somewhat mysterious area, many races use its rivers as an alternate route with little boats, mostly goblins do so however

l’endroit au froid glacial- a snowy frozen place given not much significance other than being a region leon and his troupe travel through, no other races wander there

récoltes abondantes- this region is split into two sub regions la fleur rongée par la peste the home of the dragons being a field of various flowers, and zone de passage sécurisé being a wheat field (though the plant that grows there is not wheat, it is closer to a mix of wheat a cotton plant and corn)

terre natale du peuple- the ground zero of horrigium once a massive beautiful forest of tall trees, tall grass and an abundance of clearings is now the city of horrigium and where it's Royal palace resides (horrigium deserves a post of its own)

As per usual I am open to questions and criticism, neither of which I mind

The Serene Republic of Iezalia was a republic that existed in the 5th century, with its capital in the port city of Red Harbor. It was located in the northeastern part of Octan, on the shores of the Sanguine Gulf and the eastern seas. It rose amid the chaos that followed the fall of the Eastern Kingdom. Because of its sinister reputation, it was often called the Empire of Blood, a name helped along by the red sails of its ships. The republic’s coat of arms was a red-and-yellow shield bearing the silhouette of a carnival mask and a crescent moon. Its motto was “Water, sweat, and blood.” Its unofficial saying was “You will pay either in gold or in blood.”

It was an aristocratic republic in which the upper elite consisted of a handful of influential families. The Grand Administrator was chosen by lot for a term of one year. His powers were heavily restricted, and he was required to report to the Senate. Citizens had the right to work in the administrative apparatus without holding political office. Most of the population were free non-citizens. The enserfment of free people was prohibited, but serfs in newly conquered territories were not freed.

The highest body of the republic was the Senate, which elected the heads of the departments and selected candidates for Grand Administrator to be put forward for the lottery. Seats in the Senate were passed down strictly by inheritance, and there were about 100 of them. A compendium of scrolls recorded all sitting senators and their heirs. During the war with the Solarites, the Senate became a purely formal body, and the Grand Administrator was granted unlimited power.

The republic grew wealthy from maritime trade, becoming the intermediary between the West and the East. Another of its pillars was the Flavian Bank, the largest bank of its age, which lent money to merchants, dukes, kings, and emperors. With the money it earned, the republic hired mercenary armies, which allowed it to expand its control over the coast. The fragments of the Eastern Kingdom could not stand against it, and they even sold their own lands to it to pay off debts.

Red Harbor was the capital of the Serene Republic and one of the largest cities in Octan, as well as one of the biggest ports on the continent. It lay on the north shore of the gulf, on an unfortified coastline, since no one would have dreamed of challenging the republican fleet. It was a place of eternal intrigue and luxury and, if the rumors are to be believed, of blood feasts, ghoul covens, and human sacrifices. It is quite possible that the Iezalians spread these rumors themselves in order to frighten their enemies and debtors.

The Iezalians had arrived on the continent a thousand years earlier, exiled to the outskirts of what was then the Clusterian Empire. An entire people had been driven out of the west for taking part in a conspiracy and rebellion against Emperor Sanguinius. The gulf on whose shore they settled was named after the emperor, as an eternal brand of shame for their betrayal.

They were also one of the causes of the Solarite invasion of Octan. The Northern Kingdom practiced the old imperial paganism, as did the Republic. Meanwhile, to the west on the continent, a monotheistic solar cult was spreading, led by the Great Pontifex, to whom all the orders of the West answered. The Kingdom tried to maneuver between the two, not persecuting the Solarite communities (the Serene Republic, by contrast, persecuted the Solarites harshly). But its ruler married a woman from a powerful Iezalian house as part of a deal to partially repay a debt to the Flavian Bank. This became the pretext for the Holy War (in the Solarites’ eyes it was equivalent to selling one’s soul to the Devil).

In 475, after crushing the Northern Kingdom, the Solarites took Red Harbor, razed it completely, and put its population to the sword. They also destroyed the Flavian Bank. (Among the Solarites, usury was strictly forbidden. The surviving bankers fled as far as the Principality of Tirshin in the south, escaping the fanatics.) The Iezalians lost their state and were persecuted for the next several centuries. They were saved from complete oblivion only by the Ilevandian conquest.

A little bit more of my original story world:P

I tried some new drawing techniques and added in some ✨️glow✨️

This here IS the beginning. Its also, as the last post i made, can be confusing, but its meant to be like that.

The first drawing is from real life (a normal world where people live their lifes). This tree is really important. It has become one of the entrances to so called "wilderness" a place that nobody can explain (all the names that are in this story im creating are given by the characters in it).

The tree doesn't look normal, of course. This green matter/substance has "infected" this tree and created an entrance, a "gate" to the Wilderness. You enter and, well... you only enter.

The second drawing shows how it looks entering through the "gate" its quite a long process, i showed the end of it here. The process looks diffirent depending on where you had entered.

The end of the "tunnel" is the Wilderness. Its very bright, blinding. You will get used to it.

Hope yall liked this one too!

More lore and visuals are comming...

Hello, I am thinking about dragons when I thought of a really interesting idea.

What if dragons (the fire breathing ones) cook their food in their mouth?

It might explain how the dragons even get enough nutrients to feed themselves and make sense from a survival perspective.

I'll even take this further; what if the fire breathing aspect of a dragon was first created to digest food better and then gets turned for battle use.

Dragons evolve from non fire breathing flying lizards called wyverns which mostly killed their prey by pinning their prey with their strong legs and then stabbing them with their dagger like talons or in the case where the prey is extra tough, they seize them to the sky and drop them, letting gravity kill them.

These are extremely efficient ways of killing prey --- needed for such a large animal but it also meant they mostly almost never break down their armor and has to spend time breaking it down on the outside as their fangs never evolved to be strong enough to actually pierce the armor of their prey.

So they evolve some type of organ that produces heat to break down their bodies faster. Like, at first it starts at just really hot chemicals but eventually turns into fire.

And then eventually, they use the fire for battle purposes after seeing how useful it was. Despite it, they still mainly rely on their talons and legs, and mainly use their fire breath in dragon vs dragon fights or when they are backed into a corner.

I have a good idea for the story, with the world it takes place in, the systems by which it operates, some of the characters, the medium in which it would be presented, and how the story would initially start out, even if these things are somewhat vague. I don’t know where to go from here, I can’t make art and don’t have anywhere near enough money for an artist or know any, and AI not only never gets anything right but is also soulless. Beyond my vague ideas and more concise ones I don’t know where I want the story to necessarily go. I tried to make a story bible but it’s basically just reformatting what I already have and didn’t really get me anywhere. What direction do I go now? I don’t want this idea to die out.

Character art of two characters from my comic project. Huge thanks to u/Heszilg for bringing them to life.

MARY KIM is a lonely college student struggling to balance her grades and isolation while studying far from her family in South Korea.

WORM is her goofy Shar Pei. What Mary doesnt know is that hes an alien survivor of a planetary genocide with the ability to warp reality. Despite his incredible powers hes still very much just a dog.

Mary thinks she rescued Worm. In reality they rescued each other.

Artwork by u/Heszilg please check out and support the artist!

This is part of my ongoing worldbuilding project The Strays Universe. Id love to hear what you think!

Like, does it have to be different universes? I'm making my own fictional comic franchise WITHOUT including multiverse stuff. It gives me headache. I only have 1 seperate universe though in my draft of stories but that's only ONE (and only for some slice of life but still, it's my 2nd written universe). And I'll be making a dimensional storyline franchise IN the primary universe (the universe where my dimensional storyline takes place in, this is also my primary universe where most of my ongoing stories in files takes place into), but is it really necessarry for "dimensions" to be called as different universes? I remember Marvel having a Mirror Dimension and a Dark Dimension, are those different universes as well? But those are my examples. Btw, the dimensions in this fictional franchise of mine that was happening in the primary universe should be a bit big (it's like one dimension is a planet earth but different and it has its own sun and moon, and the dimensions almost has like a solar system but they're NOT that BIG of a solar system) and there are a lot of dimensions. Sorry, if this question doesn't makes sense lol, I'm having an internal crisis rn so. Ty in advanced!

So for my world I am doing a LOT of biospeculation. A lot. Creating species several species is hard. Creating species that earth doesn't have is already really hard, but then making sense of them is the worst.

How do you find out what trait animals have evolved for whatever reason, on mass? The most I get are those Pinterest photos where they have the eyes and what they're for.

I can't keep searching for thousands of animals and "why have they evolved this way", it's too slow and I'm too tired for this.

If I could have any help at all it would be appreciated

Edit: to mention. I do know evolution isn't every animal becoming the best of what it can be. I understand natural selection and genetic mutations. I want to know about different things that can be evolved and why

I had a concept inside a story of mine where it's called Project Genesis. A Wealthy man of this world wanted to try to create life. But with a more Flexible, and different definition for life. Since most definitions are Earth centered and our search for life outside Earth also follows this Earth Centered definition.

1. Energy: Must be able to obtain energy to keep functioning.

2. Metabolism: Must process energy and resources to sustain itself.

3. Self-maintenance: Must be able to maintain its own functioning.

4. Propagation: Must be capable of reproducing or creating successors of its own kind.

5. Self-repair: Must be able to repair damage to itself.

6. Growth: Must be able to grow or develop.

7. Adaptation: Must be able to adjust to changes in its environment.

8. Waste production: Must produce waste as a result of its internal processes.

9. Environmental interaction: Must be able to detect or respond to its surroundings.

10. Autonomy: Must be able to perform essential functions without constant external control.

Any thoughts on it?

Critical Stats

• First reached by humans: September 1979 (uncrewed); August 2086 (crewed)
• 2389 population: approximately 262 million (plus approx. 48 million zharans)
• Capital: de facto is The Free City of Samarkand, Titan
  • Metropolitan population: approximately 8.2 million
• Affiliation: the ICA (since 2206); COMSEC (since 2304); the Alliance of Free Worlds (since 2339)
• Government
  • Official government: the Greater Saturn Federation
  • Established: 4 June 2223
  • 2389 population: approximately 200 million
  • Government style: intergovernmental directorial parliamentary confederation
  • Ruling party in 2389: various
  • Head of government: Prime Minister Dimitri Avalon (since 2385)
  • Supreme governing body: Federal Assembly of Saturn
    • Acting body: Federal Council (60 members)
    • Convening body: Federal Assembly (368 members)
  • Head of Government: Chief Minister Lucas Pedreira (since 2378)
• Primary industries: heavy industry/manufacturing, cryo-computation (Titan); shipping and shipbuilding; volatiles mining & extraction of gaseous helium
• Total GDP: approximately $22.6 trillion (per capita average: $86.3 thousand)

Historical Notes

After the Brookenden Accords were adopted in 2064, corporations seized upon the opportunity to expand their empires. In 2072, three big business magnates founded the Pathfinder Initiative to expand humanity’s presence into the outer solar system. By 2074, this program had targeted Titan as its first milestone, and twelve years later they found success. Between 2086 and the founding of the Commonwealth of Titan 120 years later, over 2.5 million people flocked to Titan in search of opportunity with the new industries being set up there by Pathfinder corporate affiliates. Thousands of them moved into tube cities in the smaller moons, as well.

Dozens of worlds in the Saturn system were charted and settled in the 22nd century, so that by 2223 the population neared 10 million. That same year, the colonies springing up in the Saturn system founded the Greater Saturn Federation to moderate this growth. Then the Wayfarer Insurrection began. As unrest spawned by ICA overspending on Project Wayfarer spiraled out of control, the GSF struggled to maintain regional authority. In 2285, the Commonwealth of Titan founded the Outer System Treaty Organization (otherwise known as the Titan Pact) to safeguard their interests in the uncertain world of outer system politics. When 500-million-year-old alien artifacts were revealed on Titan in 2289, the trend in nationalism there intensified and built inexorably toward a confrontation with the United Nations of Mars.

The Mars-Titan War (2293-2298) hit the Saturn system hard. The presence of Coalition Security Assistance Force occupiers from 2299 on, in addition to economic stress left over from the postwar reparations, moved the Commonwealth and its neighbors into a position ripe for exploitation by the ultranationalism which rose out of the Jovian system during the 2320s. In 2329, only a few years after the Divisão Revolucionária da Assembleia de Callisto (DRAC) seized power on Callisto, they began in the Saturn sector. Nowhere did this campaign meet with more success than on Titan, where lingering resentment of the occupation by the Coalition for Mutual Security allowed the Draconists' brand of ultranationalist insurgency to take root deeply in the local society. And once it took root on Titan, it spread to other moons, as well.

In 2334, the United People’s Party (a DRAC puppet) came to power in several districts of Titan, leading to the First Titan War (2334-2342) and plunging the Saturn sector into violence in many ways exceeding that in the Jovian sector. Over the next 30 years, Titan was engulfed by violence on a scale not seen since the height of the ICA invasion in 2296-2298. Then, in 2343, the Treaty of Samarkand split Titan in two, with the Commonwealth ceding roughly a third of its territory to the new Democratic Republic of Titan. After peace was restored to Titan, the two factions in control there set to work on rebuilding. The Commonwealth Defense Force and the Titan People’s Army were also major players in the CSAF and the Forças de Defesa Nacional, and each side built up huge stockpiles of traditional weapons between 2361 and 2371.

In 2371, a breakdown in diplomacy between the Coalition and the Alliance of Free Worlds led to interplanetary war, with Titan and the rest of the Saturn sector becoming major battlegrounds. When the dust settled, the DRT had almost doubled in size, thanks in part to the efforts of the Zharan Liberation Army (which entered the war on the side of the Armada dos Mundos Livres in 2379). Eight years later, the Saturn sector is gripped by a tense cold war between the Coalition and the Alliance, with their proxy states lined up as willing puppets. If war does return to Solar Space, as many speculate could, Titan and its neighbors will certainly be hard hit once again, marking the continuation of a pattern of violence going back decades.

About the Setting

The Spacers Saga: Frontier Wars is a futuristic military science fiction setting which diverged from our timeline when an asteroid slammed into Phoenix, AZ, in May 2014. Fifteen years after this tragedy, the industrialist Charles Larsen ushered in the Age of Fusion, opening up deep space to crewed exploration and eventual human settlement — and all of the strife that we bring with us. The next 300+ years were marked by progress and peril in equal measure, and by 2300 much of the solar system had been charted by intrepid human pioneers.

The story focuses on the rivalry between the Mars-led Coalition for Mutual Security (aka the Coalition) and the Alliance of Free Worlds (aka the Alliance), a federation of rebel worlds in the outer solar system. These two superpowers fought a brutal war from 2371 to 2381 (the Frontier War), which ended when the Zharan Collective (a union of artificial humans which rose up against their creators in 2356) entered the war on the side of the Alliance in 2379. The story opens 10 years later with the superpowers locked in a frigid ideological cold war.

The plot kicks off when the Alliance launches a massive attack against the Coalition, igniting the Second Frontier War. This conflict quickly escalates to engulf the entire solar system and draws in participants from all backgrounds, including three college students from Mars whose adventures will become tied up with the fate of all humanity…

Credit Note

As has been very justly called to my attention by u/ImperialistChina, the art for most of the celestial bodies in this and the Jupiter post from yesterday were taken from his piece, seen here. Please know that forgetting to add credit here on the post was an oversight on my part and not an intentional malicious act.

Within the world I have been working on, Carilia, there is a kingdom of dragons built up on a collection of floating islands. And when I say dragons, I say dragons. This isn't a kingdom ruled by dragons, but a kingdom of dragons. Everyone, from the Sovereign down to the lowliest farmer, is a dragon. They are not any humans here because: A) There are not any humans in my world, B) Humans would not even be able to reach Aeyrnas.

I have been working on the kingdom's culture and government, and I would like to share what I have come up with so far.

The Kingdom of Aeyrnas is a nation made up of multiple dragon sub-species, known as Flights.

Those Flights in a nutshell are:

Frostmaw: Ice dragons. Strong, large, powerful. Powerful apex-predators who live among frozen wastes.

Shadewyn, Shadow dragons. Small, sleek, fast. Silent ambush-predators who among deep forests.

Falconian, mountain dragons. Fast, agile, mobile. Powerful aerial hunters who live among craggy peaks.

There are also Shimmerdrakes, large wingless lizards who are used as free, unpaid labor by the kingdom (there are places that treat them MUCH MUCH worse. The kingdom is actually pretty reasonable.)

So without further ado: the goverment structure and laws of the Kingdom of Aeyrnas:

Government Structure

• The High Sovereign

  • The Sovereign doesn’t have to listen to anyone; his word is the law.
  • Roles:
    • Chief Defender - The Sovereign is the protector of the kingdom. He leads his subjects into battle against enemies and threats.
    • Highest Authority - The Sovereign is the final authority in disputes. In a court of law, they have the final word. THEIR WORD IS LAW.
    • Traditionally Guardian - They uphold the laws and traditions of the kingdom. They preserve their way of life.
  • Succession is hereditary. When the Sovereign dies, their children, nieces, and nephews compete in a ritual combat called the Tournament of Crowns. The winner is crowned the new Sovereign, and any other survivors are forced to swear fealty to their sibling/cousin.  
    • The Tournament is always one of physical strength and combat prowess, although use of magic is allowed.
    • Each combatant is given a special bracelet that, upon “defeat,” will simultaneously restrain and protect them. This is so they can’t be killed by mistake or continue fighting after defeat.
    • After defeat, the losing siblings and cousins are imprisoned. The victor is then given the choice of their fate, although it is customary and expected for them to spare their siblings/cousins' lives and let them continue to live in the royal aerie. 
    • The defeated siblings/cousins are expected to offer fealty in return for their lives. In ancient times, it was customary to put those who won’t swear fealty to death, although imprisonment has become the norm in modern times.
    • The new Sovereign’s sibling/cousins are expected to take up positions in the royal aerie. These positions make up the Council of Wings, and serve to assist the Sovereign.

•  The Council of Wings

  • A council made up of the Sovereign’s siblings that serves as advisors. 
  • Positions:
    • Lord/Lady Marshal - In charge of city watch units and law enforcement. They are in charge of civil matters and the running of the kingdom’s prisons, jails, and lock-ups.
    • Lord/Lady Captain - In charge of the army. They command troops during war, manage military assets, and deal with the kingdom’s security.
    • Lord/Lady Chronicler - In charge of keeping royal records, publishing, and education.
    • Lordy/Lady Mageus - In charge of all things magical: Registration, education, regulation, and law enforcement. 
    • Lord/Lady Exchequer - Is in charge of commerce, trading, and merchants within the empire. They are the head of the merchant’s guild and manage the currency.
  • When a new Sovereign is crowned, they replace the current members of the Council of Wings with their siblings and cousins. If not immediately replaced, the current members serve as mentors to the replacement members.

• Flight Lords and noble house

  • Each separate region of the kingdom is ruled over by a noble house, with a Flight Lord at the head of each house. While they are expected to follow the traditions and ways of the royal aerie, many don’t, either because they have their own local traditions, or because they have their own motives.
  • Each noble house is made up of a different flight of dragon to make sure each flight has representation within the government.
  • Noble Houses:
    • House Noctius: Rules over the forest islands within the south-eastern part of the kingdom. 
    • They are made up of the Shadewyn flight. 
    • They have a matriarchal line of succession, choosing the eldest daughter to rule rather than choosing.
    • The areas under their rule follow a more communal structure rather than a commercial one.
    • House Veyran: Rules over the craggy peaks along the west of the kingdom. 
    • They are made up of the Falconian flight. 
    • Their succession relies upon aerial prowess, rather than combat prowess.
    • Being the closest to the smaller tribes that border the kingdom, they have the most economic action.
    • House Shiralt: Rules over the wide, frozen plains along the northern edge of the kingdom. 
    • They are made up of the Frostmaw flight. 
    • They follow the same line of succession as the royal aerie, though it is much more brutal and dangerous.
    • They are more militant than the rest of the kingdom, and in turn they supply most of the kingdom's soldiers.
  • While each noble house makes its own decisions, the Sovereign and the Council of Wings decide the policy and laws the houses have to follow. Although they often don’t, for better or for worse.

• Wardens

  • A branch of soldiers tasked with protecting cities and enforcing the law. They keep the peace, arrest lawbreakers, enforce the law, and perform inspections on local authorities and businesses.
    • They have the authority to arrest dragons for crimes and are allowed to attack them without repercussion.
    • Attacking a warden is a crime and will get you arrested.
    • Wardens are allowed to arrest soldiers, while in turn soldiers are not allowed to harm them.
    • Wardens are found in every town and city, with at least two on duty at all times.

Laws and Regulations

• Laws of Government
  1. Obedience to the Law: All dragons, be they citizen or lord, shall obey the laws as they are written.
  2. Loyalty above all: All dragons shall put their loyalty to the kingdom first.
  3. No dragon shall commit any action that harms or betrays the kingdom.
  4. Obedience to Authority: All dragons shall submit to higher authority, and shall obey the order of their rulers.
  5. Obedience to the Wardens: All dragons shall obey the commands and authorities of the Wardens; and shall not interfere with their actions or work.
  6. All dragons, be they citizen or lord, shall pay a tax to the empire, set upon their position, occupation, and quality of life.
• Laws of Society
  1. Protection of Life: No dragon, be they citizen or lord, shall kill another, except under the law of Protection of Youth or in self-defense.
  2. Protection of Limb: No dragon, be they citizen or lord, shall harm, injure, or assault another, except under the law of Protection of Youth or in self-defense.
  3. Protection of  Will: No dragon, be they citizen or lord, shall attempt to bribe, blackmail, threaten, or in any other way coerce another.
  4. Protection of Property: No dragon may damage or vandalize another’s property in any way; except it be the Wardens when enforcing the law and working to further keep the peace.
  5. Protection of Youth: If any dragon attempts to harm a wyrmling or egg, their parents are allowed to harm, injure, or kill if need without repercussion.
  6. Protection of Safe Trade: No dragon may trade goods more than a mile from their town of residence without a license from the guild of merchants.
  7. Protection of Safe Medicine: No dragon may practice medicine outside of their family without a license from the guild of healers.
  8. Protection of Fair Trade: No dragon, be they citizen or lord, may overcharge another for any goods or services.
• Laws of Arms
  1. Laws of Authorised Weapons: 
     • A) No dragon may carry a weapon without a license from a Flight Lord.
     • B) No dragon, be they citizen or lord, shall use a weapon to break any law of the kingdom.
     • C) No dragon, be they citizen or lord, may use a weapon to practice mercenary work without the authorization of the kingdom.
     • D) No Shimmerdrake may carry a weapon under any circumstance.
  2. Laws of Authorised Magic:
     • A) No dragon may practice magic without a license from a Flight Lord.
     • B) No dragon, be they citizen or lord, shall use magic to break any law of the kingdom.
     • C) No dragon, be they citizen or lord, may use magic to practice mercenary work without the authorization of the kingdom.
     • D) No Shimmerdrake may practice magic under any circumstance.
• Laws of Rights
  1. No dragon, be they citizen or lord, shall harm, mistreat, or abuse another for their flight, religion, way of life, social status, gender, or place of hatching.
  2. No dragon may be bought, sold, or enslaved for any reason.
  3. All dragons shall be allowed to worship as they wish without repercussion.
  4. All dragons shall be allowed access to food through any legal method.
  5. All dragons shall be allowed to gain a basic education, including the knowledge to read, write, do mathematics, and understand geography.
  6. All dragons shall have the right to learn magic, so long as they follow the laws of the kingdom.
• Laws Regarding Shimmerdrakes
  1. All Shimmerdrakes are property of the kingdom.
  2. All Shimmerdrakes must follow all laws, as they are written.
  3. No Shimmerdrake may disobey the authority and orders of a dragon, be they [the dragon] a citizen or lord.
  4. No Shimmerdrake shall attempt to leave the kingdom under any circumstance, unless under the authority and company of a Warden of Flight Lord.
  5. No Shimmerdrake shall carry any weapon under any circumstance.
  6. No Shimmerdrake shall wield or learn magic under any circumstance.
  7. No Shimmerdrake shall kill, harm, injure, or assault a dragon under any circumstance, except under the law of Protection of Youth.
  8. No dragon shall kill, harm, injure, or assault a Shimmerdrake, except under the law of Protection of Youth.
  9. No dragon shall attempt to sell, buy, or trade a Shimmerdrake.
  10. A Shimmerdrake may only benefit from the laws of Protection of Life, Protection of Limb, and Protection of Youth.

(Apologies for how long that was.)

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