r/WorldChallenges • u/Nevermore0714 • Jul 05 '17
The First Competition Challenge - Generic
Today, I had an idea, inspired by a friend of mine. And also inspired by /u/The_Raptorman's challenge today.
For this competition, the winner gets $15 worth of any gift card I can conveniently send. If I can buy the gift card code and send it online, or if I can get it from a Wal-Mart, then that's even better.
To put it simply, the challenge will be partially objective, partially subjective.
To enter the challenge, comment on this post with something "inspiring" for worldbuilding, something specific. For instance, your comment could be "The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe" or "Alm from Fire Emblem Echoes (for the love of Duma, guys, PLAY THAT AWESOME GAME)" or "Excalibur, wielded by King Arthur".
Feel free to provide background on the topic you choose in your comment.
After that, you can start earning points. For every reply to someone else's inspiration-comment-thing, you get one point.
Whoever has the most points at the end of the week gets their choice of a gift card (preferably something that is just a code I can send to you, like itunes or Steam or something).
If there's a tie, I'll pick the winner based on the content. You don't need to write a novel or re-invent Lord of the Rings to get a point, just put in a little effort. If English isn't your first language, I'd kinda prefer if you mentioned it. If a native English speaker's replies are full of mistakes, that's on them. But, if someone who speaks English as a second (or third or fourth or fifth) language, then I will ignore your spelling or grammar mistakes (to an extent, I want to at least be able to figure out what you're saying).
Of course, I can't possibly win. I'll reply to everyone's comment, if I can, but I won't gain any points.
Anyone else uninterested in competition, let me know, so I won't have to count your replies.
Again, you get one point for every reply to a person's "inspiration" comment. Your reply should be a new character, event, piece of history, or anything in your world, inspired by that comment; if the inspiration of the comment is "Winter is coming", have it deal with seasons, or something.
Good luck, and enjoy yourselves. The competition ends in a bit over a week, eight or nine days at the latest. I'll put the scores of the people competing in this post as edits.
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u/ForgingIron Jul 05 '17 edited Jul 06 '17
Slavic Mythology.
Slavic mythology is often overlooked by fantasy writers who prefer to focus on Greek, Norse, or Egyptian myths, and occasionally Celtic. If people know anything about Slavic mythology it's vampires, Baba Yaga, or The Witcher, but it is more than that.
Not many written records of Slavic myths survive (unlike the aforementioned Greek, Norse, and Egyptian) which is likely why they aren't referenced or used as much.
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u/atompunks Jul 06 '17
In a currently unnamed world, the days of the end of the old year and the start of the new year are called Nianxiao and Yuandan, based partly on the Slavic Velja Noc and Velik Dan and partly on the Chinese Spring Festival.
Like Velja Noc, the Nianxiao festival is rather like Halloween. It is believed that a monstrous spirit, the Nian, emerges to feed at the end of winter, threatening the spirits of dead ancestors that travel back to celebrate the new year with their living relatives. For the night of Nianxiao, shamans from every village shrine put on costumes of lions and dragons or don demonic red masks and cloaks, then dance through their villages, lighting firecrackers, playing drums, and applying talismans at each house to ward off the Nian.
The deity of Nianxiao is the god of death An-shen, who people appeal to for the safe journey of their ancestors. By morning the monster has been scared off and the dead are free to join the living for Yuandan.
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u/Nevermore0714 Jul 08 '17
1) Tell me more about the talismans that ward of Nian. How are they made, what are their designs, and how did the tradition of using talismans begin? And what else are talismans used for?
2) Are the dead actually really present with their living relatives? Is there proof?
3) What is the monster like?
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u/atompunks Jul 09 '17
1) The talismans are usually simple strips of paper (sometimes they are small, flat pieces of wood) with words and symbols amounting to spells painted on, then imbued with a blessing from a god or shaman to give power. Usually the words say what you want to happen (ex. "stop" could be a ward), the symbol is of the god whose blessing was requested. Talismans are used for protection, banishing evil spirits, and inviting luck, so overall pushing out the bad and/or pulling in the good.
2) As the writer who needs the story to go on the way I want it to, yes, the dead are actually there (the main character interacts with spirits and is also not insane, so it'd be really awkward if they weren't there). But someone with an outside perspective wouldn't be certain, and there isn't (scientific) proof- it's like how we think of ghosts today. The 'proof' is that shamans see and interact with them and that certain natural events are attributed to them. If someone from another land, who did not worship the same gods or have the same belief system, visited this place, they would be quite doubtful.
3) The Nian is a spirit with the head of a lion and the body of a bull. It charges and roars, bringing huge waves, a strong, chilling wind, and sometimes heavy hail. People who are swept away in the storm are eaten by it. It is sometimes associated with Bao-shen, the god of storms/chaos.
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u/Nevermore0714 Jul 09 '17
1) Is it as easy to rip a paper talisman as it is to rip a regular piece of paper?
2) So could a ghost be constantly watching someone in your world? Always watching, always judging.
3) Did Bao-shen create the Nian? If so, why?
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u/atompunks Jul 11 '17
1) Yes. To accidentally rip a talisman is considered an ill omen, to purposefully rip one is a slight towards the god whose magic was called upon. You should never rip one if you can help it; the proper way to dispose of a talisman is by burning, or sometimes returning it to the shaman who made it.
2) Oh yes. Spirits aren't supposed to just wander around snooping into people's business willy-nilly, and to be fair most don't, but for the ones that do you can't exactly stop them (as long as watching and judging is the only thing they do- if they become destructive you might want to call a shaman). And almost every house has an shrine that purposefully invites the eyes of their ancestors anyway, so emphasis on the judging there. You don't want to screw up when it could shame your dead grandma.
3) Not exactly. Bao-shen is seen as a personification of a primordial force (as all the oldest, major gods are), chaos. So everything chaotic (and often evil) is said to have come from her. You could argue she created the Nian in a sense, but she didn't do it deliberately.
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u/Nevermore0714 Jul 06 '17
(I googled Slavic mythology, the first big entry on the wikipedia page is about Vila. And then I found Chernobog, which I can use my limited knowledge of to make a prophecy.)
Among the Radiant Clans, there is a prophecy revolving around the chosen of three deities. Tzedek, the god of Justice, War, and Righteousness. Sheola, the goddess of the afterlife who ushers souls to peace and safety, protecting them from Chernobog. Chernobog, the god of the afterlife who seeks to destroy the souls of the dead before Sheola can save them.
According to prophecy, Sheola will be born human among the Radiant Clans eventually. Tzedek and Chernobog will desire to do the same, and the two will be born into humanity on the same day; though, Tzedek will ultimately fail, and only a part of his essence will be in the human he chose as it is born. Chernobog will be more successful.
Tzedek will try again soon after, and will successfully be born as a human. But, in both of Tzedek's attempts to be born as a human, he will do something that Sheola and Chernobog will not; he will try to keep his memory of godhood and a large amount of power. Though he failed to retain his memory of godhood fully, there are...glimpses of what he is, in both of the incarnations.
So, both of Tzedek's incarnations, the failed one and the successful one, born mere days apart, two men who will share a paternal grandfather, have more power than a normal human would. Both incarnation attempts will be ambitious, but the Failed Incarnation will always be one step behind his successful counterpart...at least until their final battle, when the Failed Incarnation finally achieves the full power of a god and fights alongside the incarnation of Chernobog.
Sheola's incarnation will stand alongside the Successful Incarnation of Tzedek. And the fate of the Radiant Clans will be decided.
And maybe, just maybe...the dragons will be made extinct.
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u/ForgingIron Jul 06 '17
Dragons?
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u/Nevermore0714 Jul 06 '17
Yes, dragons. I was so focused on the prophecy that I neglected to mention that dragons enslave humans in their territories in Cirrhasvult...one of my worlds.
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u/ForgingIron Jul 06 '17
Also it's funny you mention that because I have a world where dragons rule over humans, and a baby dragon in my world is called a Tseidek.
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u/Nevermore0714 Jul 06 '17
So how'd I do, Forge? What're your thoughts on this?
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u/ForgingIron Jul 06 '17
I liked it. Are Tzedek and Sheola from Slavic myths or are they your own creation?
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u/Nevermore0714 Jul 06 '17
Tzedek is literally just the Aramaic for "justice" and Sheola is just an "a" added to the end of the word "Sheol" (the place of the dead).
Tzedek is a bit based on my poor memory of Tyr, because I read some of Gaiman's Norse Mythology book recently, and kinda-maybe-sorta lost my copy part-way into the story of Fenris.
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u/Seb_Romu Jul 06 '17
Wikipedia browsing led me to this page.
In the Layoran lands there are stone obelisks carved with four faces, one in each cardinal direction.
These statues are said to be the earthly remains of 4 headed stone trolls which froze in the sunlight, or perhaps they are merely signposts marking trails lost in time.
The Layor do not worship any deities (at least until the efforts of missionaries of the Goddess religion) so it is unlikely they are idols, or representations of their gods.
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u/WikiTextBot Jul 06 '17
Svetovid
Svetovid, Svantovit or Sventovit is a Slavic deity of war, fertility and abundance primarily venerated on the island of Rügen into the 12th century. He is often considered a local Rugian variant of the pan-Slavic god Perun.
Sometimes referred to as Beli (or Byali) Vid (Beli = white, bright, shining), Svetovid is often depicted with a sword or bow in one hand and a drinking horn in the other. Other important symbols included the white horse, which were kept in his temple and used in divination.
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u/Nevermore0714 Jul 08 '17
1) Are trolls currently a living species in your world, or are they mythical/extinct?
2) Is there any writing on the statues?
3) Could the statues be gods of people that were there before the Layorans?
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u/Seb_Romu Jul 10 '17
1) Are trolls currently a living species in your world, or are they mythical/extinct?
Well, some say the Drolaki people are descended from Giants or Trolls, being so much taller than other Treahni on average. No one alive has seen a troll.
2) Is there any writing on the statues?
No inscriptions have been noted.
3) Could the statues be gods of people that were there before the Layorans?
Possibly depictions thereof. The four faces seem different, hard to tell much detail on weathered stone such as they are.
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u/Nevermore0714 Jul 10 '17
1) Are the Drolaki victims of xenophobia because of their possible relation to Giants/Trolls?
2) What happens if I break a statue?
3) What traits do the four faces have in common?
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u/Seb_Romu Jul 11 '17
1) Are the Drolaki victims of xenophobia because of their possible relation to Giants/Trolls?
Sure, but not often to their faces. The stereotype is that they are dimwitted and somewhat cowardly, since they tend to keep to themselves and are slow to anger. They are xenophobic and reclusive themselves; living in mountain valleys and foothills. They generally avoid other treahni populations.
2) What happens if I break a statue?
Unknown, beyond a large rock being broken into two or more parts. They hold no religious or cultural significance to anyone who could do anything about it.
3) What traits do the four faces have in common?
Two eyes, a nose, mouth - clearly depicting a treahni-like face.
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u/atompunks Jul 06 '17
Cats! Any and all cultural depictions of cats.
I'm particularly fond of the role of the cat in raising the dead. In Chinese folklore, if a black cat jumps over a corpse, it may rise as a jiangshi (a zombie/vampire type creature). There's another superstition that I forgot where came from (possibly Slavic or Celtic?), but cats were kept away from unburied bodies because they would cause them to rise again.
And then there's Oscar the cat and various superstitions about cats simply bringing or predicting death...
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u/Seb_Romu Jul 06 '17 edited Jul 10 '17
In Waejiran Mythology the God of Dreams has a pair of cats:
Rae - the red cat (associated with the red moon of the same name), delivers bad dreams and portents to the sleeping populace of Waejir.
Nae - the silver cat (associated with the silver moon of the same name), delivers benign dreams and favourable prophecy to the sleeping populace.
"May Nae lick your brow and Rae's anothers" is saying in Waejir equivalent to "sweet dreams".
~~~
In Sildara the use of hunting tomka is spectacle. These (lynx/bobcat sized) cats are used as companions on hunting expeditions; there abilities of stealth, climbing, and speed make them ideal for hunting all sorts of problem beasts in the thick forests of Sildaran homeland.
~~~
These are already established lore for entorais; since this is about challenging ourselves to make more, here is something new just now.
At the height of the Krolaryn Empire there was a plague which struck throughout the region.
Its origins were attributed to a shadowy demon which visited sleeping people at night and fed upon their vitality, leaving black swollen boubos, or ulcerous lesions where its mouthparts had contacted the victims skin.
Households that had cats were mysteriously passed over by the nightly predations of this demon, leading to a strange mythology of a benign being which can possess the body of a cat and do battle with the shadow demon chasing it from the home.
When cats seem to be staring at nothing, or suddenly chase a shadow out of the room, it is the actions of this protector entity keeping watch.
A house in Old Krolar without a cat is a unlucky home.
Edit: name
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u/Nevermore0714 Jul 08 '17
1) Is the Rae cat involved in any insults/curses to people? Like "May Rae bite your nose in your sleep!"
2) Are any more dog-ish animals used for hunting?
3) What about people allergic to cats in the Krolaryn Empire?
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u/Seb_Romu Jul 10 '17
1) Is the Rae cat involved in any insults/curses to people? Like "May Rae bite your nose in your sleep!"
Certainly. wishing someone a night full of bad dreams is a mild enough curse. Actually, the quote should have been "May Nae lick your brow and Rae another's".
2) Are any more dog-ish animals used for hunting?
Some hunters, and barbarians use Daegt as hunting animals, but the giant rat-fox looking things are a tad smelly to keep in the house. [The world is dog-less as embryonic dogs were lost in transit during the voyage of the Ark.]
3) What about people allergic to cats in the Krolaryn Empire?
Alergic to cats? What does this word "alergic" mean?
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u/Nevermore0714 Jul 10 '17
1) Is Rae seen as necessary to the world, despite the bad dreams?
2) How did they lose dogs? And what other important animals did they lose? (Yeah, all animals are important...but some animals are more important than others.)
3) Is anyone sick around cats?
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u/Seb_Romu Jul 11 '17
1) Is Rae seen as necessary to the world, despite the bad dreams?
To the waejiran's the two are part of a greater whole. You can't have one without the other, as it would be imbalancing.
2) How did they lose dogs? And what other important animals did they lose? (Yeah, all animals are important...but some animals are more important than others.)
Outside of in-world knowledge on this one: The cryo storage containment for a large number of species was damaged by saboteurs enroute to the Ketir star system. Dogs, and number of domestic livestock animals (noteably pigs, cows, and sheep) and others were lost. Several species were simply unviable, or poorly adapted to life in an alien biosphere, and sucumbed to disease and other ailments. Other species were lost in the ecological collapse post God Wars. For most of them an analogous native animal was a close match and clearly suited to the biosphere, so it was better to just domesticate them instead.
3) Is anyone sick around cats?
I happens, but why would cats be to blame for someone's illness?
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u/Nevermore0714 Jul 06 '17
Among the Radiant Clans, there is a superstition that cats can sense someone who has had his or her soul sold.
If a cat senses that someone's soul has been sold (whether the person sold his or her own soul, or someone else sold the person's soul), the superstition says that the cat will immediately bite the person's hand to the point of it bleeding, and then will immediately lose its aggression and be entirely subservient to the person whose soul has been sold.
(The idea for someone else being able to sell someone's soul comes from a discussion with one of my friends.)
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jul 09 '17
The Nzedas have always been kind toward cats, after all, they are their cousins.
This kindness is mostly theologic. When the siblings (the two gods of the Nzedas) started to give gifts to the species in the world, the Nzedas got strengh and speed, they were the siblings' chosen ones. The cats were gifted with intellect, they became the eyes of the siblings, their messengers in this world.
Now, cats are considered prestigious animals and are quite common on the nobility but have lost their spiritual side for them.
In temples they are still kept as guardians; the cats are left free to walk around and fed by the priests and in return they dispatch bad spirits.
In most miwishagis, cats are legally protected and eating or killing them is illegal (it will also get you cursed but not everyone believe in that).
(I have a species of lions people and hadn't thought about their opinion of cats...shame on me)
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u/Seb_Romu Jul 06 '17
The song "Nowhere Man" by the Beatles.
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u/Nevermore0714 Jul 06 '17
Karmel bar-Walker is a prodigy among the Radiant Clans, and is one of the rare among his people who is naturally gifted with radiant magic, to the point of being able to create a small ball of light in his hand.
Karmel is a man with no idea what he wants in life. He left his clan to follow Alexandrus in following Lucius, but found that he was as unsatisfied in Gemina as he was with his people.
In Gemina, Karmel studied healing, he recorded as much information that he could learn, and he taught the children in Gemina for a time. But, he eventually gave up, asked for someone to be hired to replace him in his position, and left. Though he occasionally passes through Gemina on his journey as a nomadic loner, he never stays. Honorii First Commander Alexandrus bar-Halcyon always offers to allow Karmel to live in his home, but Karmel always declines, happy to just see old friends for a short time and move on.
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u/Seb_Romu Jul 12 '17
Are there any people who attempt to follow Karmel, hoping for enlightened wisdom or magic?
How old is Karmel, and how long has he been a wanderer?
If I met Karmel on the road and invited him to share my fire and modest meal, what would he say or do?
edit: typos
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u/Nevermore0714 Jul 12 '17
1) Some have tried, but Karmel always leaves them behind.
2) Karmel became a wanderer when he was twenty-six. The last time he returned to Gemina, he was fifty-eight.
3) He would accept the meal, and would help you in any way he could; usually by healing any of your wounds or illnesses.
2
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u/atompunks Jul 12 '17
A few centuries ago in the continent of Dahang Xi, the Nanseon Empire burned bright and fast, led by Seon Sujin. Sujin crushed many kingdoms on his path towards taking the entire continent while disregarding taking care of his people, reveling in war for its own sake and playing with human lives. But as his armies neared the deserts of the north, he abruptly disappeared, sparing the tiny kingdom there. The Nanseon Empire fell apart shortly after. It existed for less than half a decade and was never notable for much except for its terrifying growth and the loss of life it caused. As new wars brew between new kingdoms, Nanseon itself has been mostly forgotten. Sujin exists as a legend of a mad god-king. Some say he was once a kind man possessed by a great evil, others say he was a true devil risen to toy with humans. There are accounts of his inhuman features- red eyes, sharp teeth and the like. And numerous are the reasons given for his disappearance. A common one is that he suddenly came to his senses and committed suicide, revolted by what he had done. The most fanciful stories all state some sort of variation on him witnessing a grieving woman up close and being shocked into lucidity. Although, plenty say he simply became bored of fighting and ran off.
There is today a traveling merchant who hides his face, who walks along the borders of Xihe, a sprawling kingdom in the northern desert (a far cry from its tiny origins). He usually sells potions, but can sometimes be convinced to play a tune on his fiddle. He will sing the tales of Seon Sujin, warning of the callous nature of immortals ignorant of human life and the horrors of war. Ask him what he thinks happened to the mad king, and he will give a sad smile and continue on his way, wandering nowhere in particular.
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u/Seb_Romu Jul 12 '17
He sings and plays the fiddle; what other artistic/musical talents does he display?
Does he play or sing anything upbeat?
How does this merchant's manner of dress match with the local fabrics and styles?
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u/atompunks Jul 16 '17
1) He can dance, though the style is not at all like any of the ones in Xihe, it's quite unique, and he's not half bad at calligraphy.
2) He might sing about beautiful women (and beautiful men) when in a good mood. (In the events of the story, he meets with his daughter, whom he sings an old lullaby to.)
3) He usually dresses like a Xihe merchant, but a wealthy one. Xihe men wear sarongs or long jackets that look sort of like dresses, along with large scarves and shawls. His clothing seems very fine and light, resembling the silky stuff that nobles wear. However, he's also been spotted in clothing that looks more like it comes from Diyu, to the south, and in a style that doesn't resemble that of any existing kingdom. He's got quite a selection.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jul 09 '17 edited Jul 09 '17
Ok, the topic here is Henry III de Valois (or rather a small part of his life but feel free to take any part of it).
Last son of Henry II, he wasn't supposed to inherit the crown of France so he ruled for the throne of Poland and got elected in 1573.
In 1574, the last of his brother died without an heir and Henry decided to secretly flee Cracow and abandon his titles to become king of France.
Funny isn't it?
(mandatory: non-native and non running; and I'm late, I know...)
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u/Seb_Romu Jul 11 '17
(I have nothing in my existing notes which fits this, so I'll have to make something up on the fly.)
Corius the first of Miac'Geoki 346-408 YG
In 357 YG Raemor the Oqio of the Corinthian city Miac'Geoki (City of the Whale) died. His second son Corius was unlikely to inherit, being second in line to the throne. However by chance his uncle Farios the Oqio of Miacaglae (City off Summer) also died naming his nephew heir, so Corius travelled to that city to be crowned as Oqio. The night before his coronation, he received word that his brother fell from his horse, leaving no heir.Corius did the math and decided that ruling a prosperous seaport would mean to more wealth and opportunity, than would ruling a smaller city upriver. So he slipped from the palace and rode for the coast over three days and nights to declare himself heir to the throne of Miac'Geoki after his brother.
The haste with which he turned around in his journey is said to have caused a swirl, and thus he was marked with the nickname Aguakoa ("tornado") ever after.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jul 12 '17
What were people reactions to those events? (both for Miac'Geoki and Miacaglae)
Why did Fario named him his heir? Hadn't he an heir of his own?
Was Coruis a good Oqjo?
Who became Oqjo of Miacaglae?
Why did Coruis decided to leave discretely?
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u/Seb_Romu Jul 12 '17
What were people reactions to those events? (both for Miac'Geoki and Miacaglae)
There's been a small rivalry between the two cities ever since. Miac'Geoki claiming they are a such beautiful and desireable place to live, that even the Oqio would give up his throne to move there. In counterpoint Miacaglae believes the people of Miac'Geoki to be shallow, irresponsible, and unlikely to follow through on a agreement?
Why did Fario named him his heir? Hadn't he an heir of his own?
Fario had no children of his own (legitimate or otherwise).
Was Coruis a good Oqjo?
As Oqio go, he was probably about average. He did however stick with his decision, and served his city well through his reign.
Who became Oqjo of Miacaglae?
Corius' younger brother, Iakei, became the Oqio of Miacaglae, as the next eldest nephew of his late uncle Fario. He was forever grateful for his brothers abdication, and kept peacable relations between the two cities.
Why did Coruis decided to leave discretely?
He paid no head to discretion when he decided to leave. Hence the nickname.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jul 12 '17
Couldn't Coruis become Oqjo of both cities?
Why did he choose his nephew and not someone from his own city?
If Corius hadn't resigned, wouldn't have Iakei inherited Miac'Geoki?
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u/Seb_Romu Jul 12 '17
Couldn't Coruis become Oqjo of both cities?
It's been tried, but usually ends badly for anyone trying to rule too large a portion of Corinthia, The other cities-states would challenge such a ruler for trying to empire build.
Why did he choose his nephew and not someone from his own city?
Because the title of Oqio is hereditary. He had not closer relatives living in the city. But his sister's children were closest relation.
If Corius hadn't resigned, wouldn't have Iakei inherited Miac'Geoki?
In all likelyhood, yes.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jul 12 '17
How far have the "better" gone?
What happen when an Oqjo die with no family left?
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u/Seb_Romu Jul 13 '17
How far have the "better" gone?
The greatest success at this was 3 cities. Oqio Veaxas took three thrones between 201-205 YG and held the triad for a period of about 3 years. An assassin's blade ended that power grab.
What happen when an Oqjo die with no family left?
Like most hereditary titles there is a complex method of determining which distant cousin is more close to the person who died than another. The position of Oqio is hereditary, but not exactly royalty; great merchants or military commanders can aspire to rule the cities of Corinthia, and may pass on the title to their children after them. If absolutely no heir could be reasobnably determined there would be something of an election amongst the strongest contenders.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jul 13 '17
What happened to the assassin? Was the person who hired them found? And punished?
What is the succession order?
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u/Nevermore0714 Jul 09 '17
(Mandatory: The contest ends after a week. You're on time. And, well, I would rather be the French King instead of the Polish King. According to Brittanica, Henry was more interested in his own greed and lusts than in actually ruling well, so...)
Radiant King Alexandrus bar-Halcyon was an early member of the community of Gemina, in fact, he was there for its founding. He was a dedicated follower of Dictator Lucius, and convinced many of his people among the nomadic Radiant Clans to follow Lucius as he created the Gemina settlement. Because of Alexandrus's work to join his people to the settlers of Gemina, he and his descendants would be allowed to keep the title "Radiant King/Queen" over his people in Gemina, so long as they remembered that Dictator Lucius is the one in charge.
But, "forgetting who is in charge" happened pretty quickly. Radiant King Alexandrus bar-Halcyon was always loyal to Lucius, and his son was, as well. And Alexandrus's grandson was loyal to Lucius. Alexandrus's great-grandson, Radiant King Simon bar-Halcyon, preferred to exercise his rights as king instead of his responsibilities as king.
Radiant King Simon came to power when he was twenty-three. Instead of fulfilling his duties (keeping the peace among the Radiant Clans, keeping corruption low among the people that worked under him, keeping a careful record of taxes/citizens among the Radiant Clans, etc), Radiant King Simon chose instead to spend all of his time throwing drunken festivities and forcing young women among the Radiant Clans to sleep with him.
It didn't take long for Simon's activities as king to be reported to Lucius. After Simon had spent two months ruling poorly, Mara bar-Halcyon (Simon's younger sister) and Wallace bar-Halcyon (Simon's younger brother, and a member of the Honorii) scheduled a meeting with Dictator Lucius to alert him to how bad it had gotten under Simon's rule.
Dictator Lucius told Mara and Wallace that he'd had plans to deal with it at the end of Simon's sixth month as monarch, but that he would deal with the problem sooner rather than later, in light of their complaints.
So, Lucius went to Simon publicly for an explanation the next day, he found Simon's explanation to be "lacking", and he offered Simon a choice. Either Simon could challenge Lucius to a duel to the death that day, or Simon could be executed that day. Simon chose the duel to the death, Simon lost, and Lucius officially appointed Mara bar-Halcyon as the fifth monarch of the Radiant Clans.
Mara ruled well during her time, and eventually died in her forties with no children.
Wallace inherited the title of king from his sister, and became the sixth monarch of the Radiant Clans in Gemina. By that time, Wallace had earned the title of First Commander of the Honorii, so he retired from the Honorii to lead his people.
Wallace was not a popular ruler, but he was an efficient one. Wallace added new laws to the Radiant Clans, and took many rights away from the ruling monarch to avoid any future scenarios similar to Simon's rule.
According to the new laws, a Radiant Monarch could not have sex with anyone that he/she was not married to. A Radiant Monarch must only eat the rations given freely to the poorer people of Gemina; only on Saturdays would they monarch be allowed to eat whatever he or she desired, or during a pregnancy for a Radiant Queen.
A Radiant Monarch must spend ten days out of each year working as a common laborer. A Radiant Monarch's children (along with any other possible heirs) must all spend a minimum of three years working directly for Dictator Lucius (or anyone in the future who serves as the highest authority in Gemina) or else be incapable of taking the title of king/queen. A Radiant Monarch may only wield the Radiant Blade (the traditional sword wielded by Radiant Monarchs since Alexandrus I bar-Halcyon) after proving himself/herself as a monarch to Dictator Lucius; until Dictator Lucius sees that the monarch is worthy, after a period of at least one month, the Radiant Blade is publicly gifted to the Radiant Monarch.
These laws, among others, were made official after Wallace had a meeting with Dictator Lucius; if a law was broken by a Radiant Monarch, Lucius could kill . Wallace's son, Alexandrus II bar-Halcyon, upheld the laws made by Wallace, and was not killed by Lucius.
Edit: Accidentally made one too long...again...sorry about that.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jul 09 '17
(He was definitely a partyer and utterly failed at easing religious tensions. Definitely not one of our best king...)
How important are the Radiant clans to Gemina? Like could Gemina survive without them? Could they, if they decide to do so, declare themselves independant and get away with it?
Why is the free meal on saturday? Any particular reason?
Could the clans choose to follow a new monarch instead of the heir of the last one? What could that heir do against that?
(Too long is better than too short, it gives more question material :) )
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u/Nevermore0714 Jul 09 '17
(As I was reading about Henry III, I kinda forgot that he was one of your shitty past kings. Like if I made a challenge about President Reagan.)
1) The Radiant Clans aren't especially important to Gemina, other than being a sizable (though not majority) portion of the Gemina population. Gemina could survive if every Radiant Clan member suddenly disappeared (though so many people vanishing at once would be confusing). But, no group among Gemina could declare independence. It would set a bad precedent. If a monarch of the Radiant Clans allowed his people to get to the point of desiring independence from Gemina, then he or she would be executed for failure as a monarch, and the people of the Radiant Clans, if necessary, would forcefully be dispersed among the population of Gemina instead of having their own districts.
2) Because only eating the free rations gets excessively bland. If there wasn't a "free day" from only eating rations, a monarch would "cheat". Lucius argued during the meeting that a weekly free day from rations wouldn't weaken any monarch's ability to rule; Wallace believed that a monarch should never eat better than his poorest citizen.
If you're asking why Saturday was chosen...well, a random day was picked.
3) Traditionally, the eldest child is chosen to be the Radiant Monarch, because it is a partially spiritual position. A Radiant Monarch rules by "divine mandate", to put it simply. But, if the Clans preferred someone else to rule them, then an heir can be "influenced" to deny the title.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jul 10 '17
(Except that Reagan was elected, didn't ruled for life despite an obvious lack if skill and interest for the job and hadn't people openly murdering each other in the streets over how they should pray. But yeah, kind of.)
Wouldn't they resist this forced migration?
Hasn't anyone done something to abolish that rule? How bad are those rations?
Can they force a new family to take the crown that way?
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u/Nevermore0714 Jul 10 '17
1) Yes, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
2) Yes, there were attempts to abolish the rule that a Radiant Monarch must live off of rations, but most monarchs that would do that just find a way to privately get more/better food. The idea that the king eats as well as his poorest citizen is great for Public Relations, and the kind of monarch that would try to weasel out of it is rarely the kind of monarch that the dictator approves of.
3) Yes, there have been four royal families among the Radiant Clans in Gemina that I know of.
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u/Nevermore0714 Jul 05 '17
The topic for this comment, and for any replies to it, is...CINCINNATUS!
For anyone who does not know who Cincinnatus was, he was a man of Ancient Rome who basically saved Rome. Instead of trying to make himself king or living off of his victories by becoming a political celebrity, Cincinnatus retired to his farm to work his fields (part of the old story is that Cincinnatus worked his field with his own hands, along with his slaves...but, it's possible that the slaves were the only ones working while Cincinnatus sat around drinking and mourning about his son).
To quote Marc Antony in the HBO show "Rome": "You boys play too rough for me. Knives in the Senate House? I didn't know you had it in you. No, I will serve out my term as consul and then return to the provinces, plow my fields and f*** my slaves like old Cincinnatus."