The World Behind "Drink The Moon"
everyone else had a personal thread, so now I've got one too!
nyeh.
this thread will be used primarily for dumping worldbuilding ideas.
this is now the official Drink The Moon worldbuilding thread.
those wishing to avoid spoilers should tread lightly on these grounds, but actual spoilers will be placed in spoiler tags within the thread itself.
nyeh.
this thread will be used primarily for dumping worldbuilding ideas.
this is now the official Drink The Moon worldbuilding thread.
those wishing to avoid spoilers should tread lightly on these grounds, but actual spoilers will be placed in spoiler tags within the thread itself.
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The title "Protector of The 20,000 Doors" was once an advisory position to The Emperors of Malzekh. But even for several centuries before the eventual collapse of the empire, the Protectors held far more power than the actual Emperors and Empresses. Today, the Imperial Office is vacant, officially waiting for a valid claimant who can prove imperial blood to reclaim the throne. Until then, the City of Molkhengrad and the immediate territory beyond is ruled by Iekelka, and has been for almost 50 years. Iekelka takes the form of a young human girl, but it's difficult to discern her true nature. Her mystic powers are vast, and none in the city dare oppose her. She is among the most powerful figures in the Underdusk.
Appearance & Manner: Iekelka appears to be physically roughly 20-24 years old. She has black hair artificially streaked with silver, and wears the traditional garb of a Duchess-Protector, favoring the phekom over the simpler gold circlet (see below). Her eyes are large and a jade green, and she favors her nails painted, often coloring them deep shades of blue or purple. Iekelka revived the tradition of using the Administrative Sceptre as a carried insignia, and has been accused of being pretentious and out of touch. Regardless, the economy has boomed under her reign. Iekelka has been scolded by advisers for being too blunt with foreign dignitaries, and her poor manners are one of many causes of the deterioration of relations between Molkhengrad and Moon City. Iekelka regardless remains relatively popular amongst the populace at large. The most recent census, taken in 540, ranked her approval rating at 76%, with slightly higher a percentage amongst humans and a slightly lower one amongst beastmen. The Duchess is positively described as willful, unyielding, and directed. Negatively, one could call her headstrong. foolish, and rude.
Biography: Iekelka is 97, and has been Duchess-Protector of The 20,000 Doors for 43 years since her election in 502 AE. She was an unexpected victory, winning only after the votes were split between the royalist candidate, Karladt II, Duke of Thorrel, and the populist Magistrate Leon IV of Deighrid. Prior to her election Iekelka was The Fourty-Third Countess of La Hiert, a title she relinquished upon her ascension to her sister Erosobat, Iekelka was a devoted student of magic, and has since become one of the most powerful wizards still living, even in her city, one of the rare places where the practice of magic is not illegal.
Malzekh was once the predominent political force in this world. It has since long fallen into decay, the kings of some of the far cities claiming rightful rule over the whole empire, and many more mayors, administrators, counts, dukes, and other figures of authority rising and forming their own smaller states to fill the gap. At its peak, Malzekh's authority covered a solid third of the planet's undersurface, and extended to many outposts on the planet's outer shell as well. Additionally, they possessed near-complete control of the underground oceans, and constructed the grand city of the Underdusk, Molkhengrad.
The Empire of Malzekh lasted some 3,000 years, but because of the differing calendar systems it is difficult to accurately ascribe dates to any of their rule, as such none have been provided. The native Malzekhien word for "emperor" (or more accurately, "Lord of Lords") is Khandus, but the term does not see much use today.
House Maiekonid
Maiekon I (Maiekon the Founder, Maiekon IV of Khaharam prior to his formation of the emperorship)
Marcellus
Maiekon II (Maiekon the Planter)
Empress Pilata Oshyanta
Seoserachus I
Maeikon III (Maeikon the Pompous)
Maeikon IV [died without issue, throne passed to his cousin, Sao-Rukh Shindanari]
House Shindanari
Seoserachus II
Maeikon V
Ignat
Maeikon VI
Ralopazh I
Seoserachus III
Seoserachus IV
Maeikon VII
Seoserachus V
Ralopazh II [died in battle, Ralopazh had granted the throne to his younger son Sao Mignad, but both sons claimed it, resulting in civil war, and briefly, two rival lineages.]
House Ralopazhid [Lineage A]
Ralopazh the Younger [Claimed the throne as Ralopazh III, incidentally, beginning a tradition of regnal numerage in Malzekh]
Ralopazh, Son of Ralopazh [as Ralopazh IV. Assassinated, ending the period of civil war, and House Ralopazhid]
House Tirotomid [Lineage B]
Tirotomus I [successfully defeated the rival lineage, first emperor to not use a variation of his birth name (Khon Dimat) as his regal name]
Maeikon VIII
Maeikon IX
Maeikon X
Maeikon XI
Maeikon XII [only son murdered, throne passed to his eldest, married daughter, and then her sons by a noted general]
Empress Terompha I
House Seluchusid
Seluchus I
Tirotomus II
Seluchus II
Maeikon XIII
Seluchus III
Seluchus IV
Tempus
Empress Terompha II [died without issue. For several decades, another period of civil war follows, resulting in dozens of overlapping rivals to the throne. For brevity's sake, only the successful Seorid line is given here. Named after their founder who was only declared emperor posthumously, this line was able to slowly consolidate the disparate factions over a number of years through politicking and intrigue. Unfortunately, this began the decline of the emperor's actual power, since he no longer had solid control over the military.]
House Seonid
Sao Rukh Kahukis, Lord Regent of Malzekh (posthumously, Seoserachus VI)
Seoserachus VII
Seoserachus VIII [ended the civil war]
Maeikon XIV
[interregnum where the reigning Protector of 20,000 refused to confirm the emperor-apparent. This period ends with the death of Protector Ziewelt IV and the confirmation of Seolan Kirakh as Seoserachus IX]
Seoserachus IX
Seoserachus X
Maeikon XV [died without issue, throne passed to easternlander relative Vandir Kilovwiet]
House Kilovwiet
Vandir I
Zhodelm I
Zhodelm II
Myzrykhus I (Maeikon XVI)
Vandir II
Vandir III
Myzrykhus II (Maeikon XVII)
Vandir IV
Myzrykhus III (Maeikon XVIII Maeikon The Last)
With Myzrykhus' death, again without a proper heir, and the extinction of the last known descendants of Maeikon I, the reigning Protector of 20,000 officially declared the throne vacant. A number of claimants would come forward in ensuing centuries attempting to prove their descent, but none were widely accepted.
In the year 186 AE, Protector Kwahila declared the Imperial Office officially abolished, and dissolved the empire. Claiming the capitol city of Molkhengrad as the Duchy of The 20,000 Doors and himself Duke. Kwahila's control over the city guard was such that his claims were uncontested inside city walls. Outside them, the empire fell into disarray either through war or simple neglect, until such time as new states would arise to thrive on their own. The first transdimensional breach occurred a scant decade later, and it is then that we reach the modern era.
Persons Currently Claiming The Imperial Throne & Possessing The Power to Enforce Such Claims in a Limited Area
Madruggun Ghyhelm ("Maeikon XXI") -- Ghyhelm rules over a loose confederation of baronies and counties in the northern Underdusk, and is the most recent in a line of kings there who claim the imperial throne. Their authority keeps order in the area, but they have never been able to muster up the force necessary to press their claim on Molkhengrad.
Swi'Elt, Lord of The Merr -- Swi'Elt's father defeated the "Western Emperor" going by Vandir V in 33 AD. Vandir ruled over a large coastal territory through fear, and when Saghawogg, Swi'Elt's father, murdered the cruel king, and the coastal populace proclaimed him emperor. Swi'Elt has little interest in attempting to take Molkhengrad, even if he is by far the claimant most poised to do so. The coastal region (called Vvarden) remains under the protection of the Merr to this day.
Philgrim Truggahlugg, The Lord Mayor of Czekhengrandling, The Moon City -- The Lord Mayors of Czekhengrandling, otherwise known as Moon City, have claimed to "be protectors and arbiters of the imperial throne" since even before the empire's collapse. While The Lord-Mayors are feared in their own city, they lack the power to enforce their claims elsewhere, even if they did, the imperial constitution forbade orcs and other beastmen (which some Lord Mayors were, and Philgrim certainly is) from holding royal office at all.
Today, the Duke or Protector (the titles are interchangable and sometimes combined) of The 20,000 Doors is effectively "merely" the ruler of Molkhengrad and its surrounding territory. As the city is suspended in midair, yet beneath the earth, it is near-impenetrable to attacks from both above and below, this affords the Dukes of The 20,000 a perhaps undue amount of influence in the trade and politics of The Underdusk. As almost anything that wishes to enter the surface from below, or come down from above, must pass through the city, it is an undoubtably important center of trade, and the Duke or Duchess controls this trade, regulating the economy of The Underdusk to some extent.
The office is elective despite what the title "Duke" my imply. However, it is not elected from the general populace. Rather, it is elected from one of 55 positions within the city. Each position gets a vote on who the next Duke is on the death of the old one, but no elector may vote for themselves. Of the 55 Electable Offices, 21 of these are hereditary--various counties and baronies within the city--these are held primarily by humans, often of considerable mystic prowess and with elongated lifespans. The remainder are themselves elected offices, whose members are elected from either the general public or through a similar process (The Magistrate of South Town is elected directly, while his counterpart in North Town uses a microcosm of the Ducal electorate system), and while most Dukes do come from one of the hereditary offices (The County of Thorrel has had nearly half of all Dukes alone) it is possible for them to come from the elected ones, and a handful of commoners have held the office (most notably Duke Ziorsz the Magnificent). It should be noted however that as The Duchy is considered a royal office, beastly races (Orcs, Roachmen, Merr, Sekuna, etc.) are forbidden from holding it, even if they are eligible to become an elector.
It is worth noting that all of the offices (both elected and hereditary) that are electorates have their own regnal numerage, and it is this that denotes the numeral by which the Duke is called (thus, Iekelka XVII is not the seventeenth person named Iekelka to hold the office, she is in fact only the second, but she *is* the seventeenth Countess of Lahiert named Iekelka).
The traditional garb of the Protector is a simple white robe accompanied by a large headdress called a Phekom. Historically, some Protectors have preferred a simpler gold circlet, though the current Duchess wears the Phekom quite frequently.
All legal powers the Protectors possess are invoked by the phrase "by the power invested in my predecessors by His Imperial Majesty, Tirotomus The Lawgiver*....", judgments made without the use of this phrase are technically not legally binding, but this is an oversight that is rarely dwelled on.
The Protecors' full title if male is: Lord Protector of The 20,000 Doors, Autokrator Basileus de Facto in the Name of The Holy Imperial Houses Until The Throne is Reclaimed, Sole Confirmant & Elector of The Emperors of Malzekh, and Duke of Molkhengrad.
For female Protectors: Lady Protector of the 20,000 Doors, Autokrator Basilissa de Facto in the Names of The Holy Imperial Houses Until the Throne is Reclaimed, Sole Confirmant & Elector of The Emperors of Malzekh, and Duchess of Molkhengrad.
*Emperor Tirotomus I is traditionally considered to be the establishes of the Protector's office, but no contemporary sources attest to this. He is rarely called "The Lawgiver" outside of the context of this phrase.
Mournagad is a planet largely devoid of landmarks, so travelers from other worlds would do well to memorize those that exist.
Sharukhant -- Originally founded and claimed as a direct successor to the empire, the Kings of Sharukhant renounced the imperial title some time in the 3rd century AE. The Sharukhant border and control the underground sea which shares their name, and as such are a primary source of water for much of the world. Sharukhant is ruled by an elected king in a system not dissimilar to that of the Protectors of The 20,000. Sharukhant however is significantly more socially mobile, it is entirely possible for the beast races to reign as monarchs of Sharukhant, and this has been possible for almost 200 years. The current King of Sharukhant is a Merr by the name of Towigan II.
Eternal Domain of The Inside Light -- The Church of The Self was a philosophical/religious cult that denied the existence of the world outside the mind of the observer. The cult has existed since at least a century before the collapse of the empire, but has grown to record numbers in recent years. The Eternal Domain is ruled by a Hierophant chosen through esoteric processes unknown to most outsiders, and the churchgoers use forms of magic as well as hallucinogenic substances to "leave the world". Selfmen differ widely from sect to sect on the particulars of their belief (most notable is a schism over whether or not only one person can be truly real, or a group can). Notable sects include The Actualized, who are well-known for running banking institutions the world over, The Godslayers, who seek to end physical existence and are extremely violent, and The Awakeners, who often serve as councilors and therapists.
The Dome -- The Dome was the home of the Dwarves, great primeval men who lived before the Empire. Since, it has been occupied continuously by a variety of strange, frightening machines, some miles high. A creature sometimes referred to as Central Server is the largest living thing on the entire planet, its roots extend deep below The Underdusk, and it breaches the planet's surface at its tallest, poking through a hole torn open in The Dome itself.
The Realm of The Merr -- The Merr control Siowutsi, the second Great Ocean, and are the other source of water for the world. The Merr are nearly as old as the empire itself, but the state of Siowutsi that exists there now is relatively recent. The Merr are ruled by a King or Queen, with the oldest child inheriting, regardless of gender.
Czekhengrandling, The City of The Moon -- Far more often simply called Moon City, Czekhengrandling served initially as the uppermost outpost of Molkhengrad. Over time, it grew into a city apart, and many of the discriminated-against beastmen migrated here over time. Czekhengrandling is just one of a dozen or so city-states that exist on the surface, reminders of the Empire's failed attempt to colonize the outer shell of Mournagad.
also
The Imperial Legion: In the Empire's heyday, the Imperial Legion was the easiest way for a commoner or beastman to earn respect from his peers. One could reasonably expect to enlist, learn the ways of an Imperial footknight, fight in campaigns abroad, and return home well-off and respected. In contemporary times, the Legion largely serves the role of ceremonial bodyguard for the Duke or Duchess of Molkhengrad. While any knight of the legion hypothetically has authority over even the highest-ranked officer of the City Militia (see below), this command is rarely exercised in combat. The Legion has a deeply complex hierarchy denoted visibly with the patterns and colors of a legionnaire's armor. Today, The Legion consists largely of the second or third children of privileged nobility. Its old function as a tool for social advancement long deprecated. The Legion is headed by a Rank Emperor, elected from within a number of positions within the Legion. The serving Rank Emperor is Mosrit Shak.
The City Militia: The Militia is Molkhengrad's real modern fighting force. In contrast to the swords and polearms of the Legion, the Militia are equipped with modern weapons such as rifles, though most carry a sword as a sidearm. In contrast to the elaborate hierarchy of the Legion, the Militiamen are ranked simply. Each militaman belongs to a squadron. A squadron consists of twenty infantry, headed by a captain. Squadrons in turn, are grouped into units called Squares (headed by a Squaremaster, naturally), which consist of ten squadrons each. Squares, lastly, are grouped into the twenty five pillars (headed by Pillarmasters), bringing the total armed force of Molkhengrad to roughly 5,000 able-bodied men at any given time. There are also conscripted "irregular" Squares that can be drafted in times of emergency, but it has been well over a century since this emergency power was last used. All of these men are under the jurisdiction of The Grand Captain. A position appointed from within the militia by the Duke or Duchess, to serve as the unilateral commander of the entire militia. The current serving Grand Captain is Solkhan Arking.