The following is our latest blog, originally posted on June 24th, 2016. To see our weekly updates first, register your account at the official Worlds Adrift website.
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In this week’s blog our writer, Matt, gives you a sneak peak at the backgrounds of some of the many cultures that once populated Foundation . . .
Sabor (Saborians) – Self-Proclaimed Gods
The Saborians grew up alongside the Redusa river delta on the continent of Amum, a land that while hot, was as rich and fertile as any. Four once-disparate city-states unified there under the shared tenets of freedom and equality. They believed in creating a utopia, self-sufficient and untainted by the rest of Foundation – an inclusive society, without crime or poverty. They dreamed of an afterlife known as Aetherium in which they would one day take their place as gods. Saborians spent most of their lives at a bathhouse called the cloistrum, where they exercised and socialised.
Bandinia (Bandini or Bandinians) – Lost in the Shadow of Sabor
A barren and desolate desert, the Kingdom of Bandinia was Sabor’s poor neighbour on the continent of Amum. The cities of Darat and Drissa were an assault on the senses. Their ancient labyrinthine alleys arriving at quaint markets to which tourists used to flock during the Golden Age. The King of Bandinia had a magnificent palace in the centre, incongruous amid the squalor. The Bandinians were the creators of Foundation’s most popular sport, Lallara.
Ishgiru, Karem, Pin (The Kioki Unity) – Under the Gilded Parasol
The nations of Ishgiru, Karem and Pin unified to become the “Kioki Unity”. Ishgiru was southernmost of the three, a prosperous and enterprising people, subjects of a line of Empresses who had ruled the vast city of Ten-Rui for millennia. North was Karem, its leafy foothills under the command of the Warlocks, an enigmatic band of spiritualists. For a long time Karem fought with the Pin to the north, until Ishgiru stepped in to unite them. The Pin lived in the Pintins, the steepest mountain range in Foundation. They led rustic lives, preferring festival and colour to politics.
Melliflua & Chabuti – Fraternal Twins
The Mellifluans and the Chabuti lived on the temperate continent of Shabo, with the Korchis mountains forming a natural border between them. While the Mellifluans blossomed into a radical and creative society, the Chabuti by contrast were a stubborn and traditional people. In spite of this, the Mellifluans and Chabuti remained courteous to one another, and seldom had cause for disagreement. Many of Foundation’s best-known artists lived in Melliflua, and many of its best-known layabouts lived in Chabuti.
Gall – The Ebony Tower
The black rock of Gall, an island in the warm sea, was home to the Gallish people. The unparalleled University of Panyana was the cornerstone of their system, which put science and discovery ahead of all else. The Gallish traded their ideas to all comers, using the proceeds for new research. Their society was matriarchal, with men rarely holding important positions, and unable to attend the University as students. Gall’s population may have been small, but their influence was great.
Verduba – Frozen Out
Verduba was to the far north of Foundation, its icy waters eased only by the Verduban love of hot springs and saunas. Obsessed with the human body, the Verdubans began as hundreds of small cantons or “Houses”, with each House most often represented by a body part. However, it was House of Ice that became sovereign when Verdubans began to revere and worship the Ice god. The Verdubans were an open-minded peoples, much like the Mellifluans, though their frequent interference wherever they saw injustice made them unpopular.
Great Marsha – Stewards of the Estuaries
The Great Marshan homeland was a tangle of swamps, black alder and bayou. Broadly-speaking there were two types of Great Marsha; the ordinary folk, who lived in the settlement of Darnik, and the Deep Marsha who lived in the hollows. It is said the Deep Marsha were very small and possessed of a translucent greenish skin. Great Marsha was largely ignored by the rest of Foundation, as it was not properly understood. Marshan estuaries often saw the birth of baby Kraken in spring.
These are a few of the people that once inhabited Foundation, though you may find evidence of many more. Tall stories abound of the untame and bizarre, those that thrived in the hottest deserts, the dankest most perilous jungles, and the deepest oceans of the old world.
Make sure you check out the next episode of the Worlds Adrift Show next week as Matt answers your questions about creating the lore for Worlds Adrift!