Magical Realm Cyoa/Avalon
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Area Increase 4 Portals Protection 2 Assimilation Attitude Adjustment Culture & Customs Pretty Population Population Demographics Population Longevity Extrahuman Population Metahuman Population Magical Upgrade 5 Aesthetics Public Education University Diplomatic Mystical Infrastructure Sanitation Healthy Music Affinity Religious Affinity Art Affinity Occult Affinity Literature Affinity Intellectual Affinity Warfare Affinity Cosmic Adjustment Landscape Adjustment Fertile Rich Exceptional Materials Magical Phenomena Fauna & Flora 3 Benevolent! Nightmare! Guidance 2 Divine Spark Waifu 1 Friendship 2 Dominion Biomancy Time Manipulation Energy Manipulation Conjuration Enchanting Healing Alchemy Glamour Teleportation Levitation Psychoactive Awakening Immortality Spirit Walk Shape Shift 2 Tongues Memory Awareness Inspiration Peak Condition Superhuman Body Influence 3 Automatons 2 Lifestyle Upgrade 3 Dungeons 3 Spirits Afterlife Fate Artifact 1 Scrying Elementalism 3 Machina Mind Division Gaming Affinity
Info
World Structure
The Realm known as Avalon is divided up into 2 distinct sections.
First of all, there is the actual region known as Avalon. This is a large area (approximately 120,000,000 square kilometers), and bears a passing resemblance to parts of Earth (particularly the British Isles). It is mostly wilderness, excepting a few scattered villages and homes throughout the countryside. The primary population centers are large cities built on the many floating islands throughout Avalon.
Central to Avalon is the large floating castle known as the Capital. Details about it are vague, as citizens only are likely to see the outside, gardens, entry hall, and throne room. The Realm Lord reigns from here, and it is the home of his Court. People who fly close to it sometimes speak of the sounds of battle, raised voices, screams, psychotic laughter, and other, less disturbing, forms of laughter. No one has actually seen inside, as the windows are opaque from the outside.
The other section of the Realm is known as Underland. This smaller area (roughly 30,000,000 square kilometers) is a nod to the works of Lewis Carrol, and is quite difficult to navigate. It is not intended to be inhabited, or even visited under normal conditions. Underland was, instead, created as a prison for All the Evils of the World (which was accidentally created during Avalon's formation). Logic and proportion mean nothing at all here, and the everchanging labyrinth serves to contain the horror within by both physical and magical obstruction and utter confusion.
There is a metaphysical gap between the two, which may only be breached by theoretical brute force or a magic known as the Looking Glass Spell, which opens a temporary portal to Underland. Those that intend to return use an anchoring spell that forcefully brings them back through as the portal is closed. This spell requires the use of the Realm Lord's power to cast, and is carefully managed in order to prevent All the Evils of the World from escaping. There are rumors of a second spell that can allow transit, but the truth behind this remains in darkness.
Finally, there is the Spirit Realm. This location, for lack of a better word, does not exist at any particular point, nor does it occupy space. Rather, it is a conceptual reality that uses the bond between Avalon and its occupants to create a nexus of thought. It is, effectively, a system built upon the collective consciousness of Avalon's citizens. At a practical level, it's much like the internet.
Spirits are perpetually linked into this, only manifesting physically when they feel it necessary or appropriate. Living humans, in contrast, are normally disconnected from the Spirit Realm, but may access it through meditation and dreams. Accessing the Spirit Realm while sleeping prevents humans from resting properly, however, and most choose to sleep normally and enjoy more traditional dreams.
Some people manage to access the Spirit Realm while fully awake and active. This gives them many advantages in life, most notably rapid access to information within the collective consciousness. Unfortunately, doing so puts a heavy strain on their minds, and they tend to exhibit various mental oddities (ranging from nervous ticks to hallucinations) if they do this for an extended period.
Culture
Avalon's culture is very dissonant from Earth's culture, and new citizens often experience a powerful culture shock when arriving.
Most notable, perhaps, is the distinct lack of sexuality in the culture. This is not to say that people do not dress to impress. Indeed, fashions can become quite over-the-top at times (often stumbling into the realms of JRPG or anime fashion, probably due to the influence of Avalon's creator), but sexual promiscuity is viewed with what might be best described as amusement. It's not unheard of, but is generally considered childish and nonsensical. This is due to the distinct presence of Fate in Avalon. Love isn't something one searches for through trial and error, it is a promise that one waits to see fulfilled. Sex is simply viewed as a reflection of this emotion, and performing the act with someone besides your Soul Mate is seen as frivolous and slightly rude to your eventual spouse. Most people find said Soul Mate some time during puberty, although some find them earlier or later than this. Newcomers to Avalon may take longer, as either another Newcomer with suitable compatibility must be found or they must wait for a native Soul Mate to be born. Usually, a Newcomer can expect a roughly fifteen year wait to find said Soul Mate, and may find themselves taking part in Earth-style relationships with other Newcomers or in other worlds in the mean time. Sometimes, these relationships evolve in to permanent ones through the machinations of Fate, although the mechanism it uses is unclear.
There is no central government, although the Realm Lord and his court often assist in the mediation of intercity disputes, worldwide issues, and certain other matters (not to mention providing personal boons to those who approach him for help). There are also no large corporations (working 9 to 5 is a way to make a living, but no one actually needs to make a living, so that's not a thing), and city governments are extremely noninvasive, mostly just settling small personal disputes and contractual issues (any city government that tries to overstep itself gets brought down by either its people, vigilantes, or the Realm Lord).
In terms of cultural interests and such, the populace has three primary interests: the spiritual, the creative, and the adventurous. The most spiritual either take positions within religious groups or became magi. The more creative become artists of some form or another, ranging from bards to sculptors to blacksmiths to game designers. Finally, the most adventurous become adventurers (unsurprisingly), explore Avalon, and challenge the many Dungeons throughout it. There is not a strict divide, however. Everyone knows some magic, everyone can fight, and everyone has basic expertise in at least a few of the arts.
There are festivals yearly (although they are, unfortunately, not boosted by an affinity), where people gather together to show of their creations, take part in tournaments of various sorts, and generally have a good time. These occur on, roughly, the winter solstice (although whether it is actually wintry or not is mostly up to whoever manages the event).
Economy and Trade
Avalon lacks a traditional large scale economy, primarily because one is not needed. Physical necessities are non-existent, and simple transmutation spells can be used to create a suitable dwelling for any citizen. Thus, daily employment is not something individuals take part in out of necessity. Large businesses are likewise nonexistent, as a personal can gain more satisfaction from independent efforts that by working under the employ of others.
That is not to say that money and trade to not exist. The currency of Avalon is Mana, an essential energy that all objects can be broken down into using alchemy. This energy can be used to create anything and everything, theoretically, but the alchemist must understand that which they are trying to create.
As an example, any alchemist can create gold from Mana. A hypothetical substance that generates a passive gravitational field, however, is almost impossible to create if you don't have a sample.
The beauty of Avalon is that virtually anything can be found there. Anything a person can think of may be found sufficient effort, although actively malevolent substances and entities can't be found in Avalon, but rather in Underland. This means that there is a high demand for samples of exotic materials (which may then be analyzed and reproduced using alchemy), and vast amounts of Mana will often be traded away for such.
Another major economic demand is for finished products. Raw materials are plentiful, and basic needs can be met at little to no cost using magic, but magical devices and works of art (including the visual arts, games, literature, food, and music) still require creative effort and thus are valued immensely by a society which may readily meet all of its actual needs.
The last major demand is knowledge. While the public schools and universities provide a basic knowledge of most everything, certain fields are best studied at the feet of their masters, and apprenticeships are a matter of course in life. There is also a healthy market for secrets, both of the world and the people that inhabit it.
Societal Structure
The Avalonian populace live either in the wilderness or in one of the floating city-states. Those who live on the surface don't really have to deal with the concept of law, excepting a few strict edict put in place by the Realm Lord, which are rarely an issue anyway. City occupants, however, have a larger set of laws they must obey, which is determined by the City Council. These laws primarily focus on maintaining the city and order within it, but may also reflect the general philosophy of its citizens. Some cities, for example, restrict certain forms of magic. Others have a ban on gambling. Citizens who are dissatisfied with a city's laws usually just move (often by physically relocating their home magically).
City Councils are elected from among the populace, and exist in varying sizes. They are reelected every two years, with no limitation on the number of terms that any citizen may serve on the Council. These Councils are generally wise enough to keep their laws from becoming oppressive, as citizens are prone to dealing with such groups very directly.
Finally, the highest power is the Court of the Realm. This group of immortals is lead by the Realm Lord, and serves to protect, defend, and support Avalon. The actual identities of Court Members are unknown to most of the populace, and even the Court's Enforcers, who leave the Capital fairly often, are mysterious to most of the populace. They are known to possess abilities and tools that are foreign to most of Avalon, and some claim that they are somehow Eldritch in nature, being visibly otherworldly and out of place. Much of this is dismissed as rumor, but the truth is still unclear.
The Realm Lord himself is quite well known, in contrast to the rest. He is often seen wandering through cities, making conversation with passerby and observing the various works of art throughout said cities. He is known to await citizens in his throne room between the hours of three and seven pm each day (although the locals use a different time system), granting boons of various kinds to those who need it. He is also known to offer help to any he meets in his wanderings, although he sometimes deems situations to be too personal for his intervention, in which case he leaves advice instead of a solution. He is viewed well by the people, although some groups wish he would more strictly control goings on in society. Challenging him, however, is seen as both ridiculous and impossible, considering the extreme power of the Court. His own capabilities are unknown, although he has been seen to control the weather, heal the injured, and levitate, among other, rumored, abilities.