The Encyclopedia Aqualonia

The Cosmology of Aqualon

The Reincarnating World

Generic article | Sep 23, 2019

A planet broken to ashes and cast upon new forms in an ever expanding spiral by the gears of the Great Clockwork.

Past Incarnations of Aqualon

Generic article | Sep 23, 2019

Aqualon, Ignos, Lumin, Terra, Aura. As the world breaks apart and is remade by the Great Clockwork, one of the five elements is at its strongest during each incarnation, and the planet named for it. Here are some facts about previous incarnations.

The Deep Dimensions

Generic article | Sep 23, 2019

The cyclic death and rebirth of mankind by the power of the Great Clockwork has never been free of greater intent, and throughout the making and breaking of worlds, the celestial machinery has made things, old and sentient things that have endured...

The History of Aqualon

The Broader History of Aqualon

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The History of Aqualon: After the Reshaping

Generic article | Feb 3, 2019

A timeline of Aqualon's major history after the planet had been forged out of the Nine Realms by the Faceless World-Shaper.

The Reshaping of the World

The Reshaping of the World was brought upon the Nine Realms after the War of the Reshaping and turned the shard world of Aqualon into a planet. (432 Words)

Doubts About the Great Clockwork Arise in Jamphel Yeshe

In one final act, the Grand Sages settle around Jamphel Yeshe and turn to stone as they bannish the Great Clockwork from within the island. ~ 157 Words

The Eternal Flame of Lumina Aka is Lit

When the Angel Saxons and Kaltani druids gave the gift of flame to the men of Mt.Tarkaal, they enshrined it in a great bottle of glass. ~ 154 Words

Trade for Magics

In the 4th century of the Age of the Iron Divide, Angel Saxons and Kaltani druids traded the secrets of magic (or at least some of them) with tribes of the Middle Lands. (164 Words)

The Monastery of the Grand Sages is Built on Jamphel Yeshe

Construction on the Monastery of the Grand Sages is completed. During their lifetime, the Sages and their acolytes refer to it simply as home. ~ 120 Words

The Founding of Jamphel Yeshe

The Five Sages cross the Iron Belt and the Corsic Ocean on foot to arrive at Whale Island, and they name it Jamphel Yeshe. It becomes a mecca of spirituality and philosphy. ~ 175 Words

The Yamato Surveys: Jamphel Yeshe

Yamato folk first survey Jamphel Yeshe, calling it "Kujira-tô" or Whale Island, owing to its shape that resembles a whale's head. ~ 147 Words

Special Perspectives

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A History of Faith on Aqualon: The Old World

Tradition / Ritual | Feb 26, 2020

Before Aqualon was forged into a planet, it consisted of nine asteroids, floating around the sun, a rainbow river connecting them. Then, people put their faith in titans and gods, before they knew better. ~ 1777 Words

Codex Riccardium - A History of Magic

Generic article | Jan 25, 2019

From chapter 1 of the Codex Riccardium: Magna Magia - Some thoughts on the origins of magic in society by Rickard Leeuw. ~ 1184 Words

The World of Aqualon

Maps of Aqualon: The Planet

Generic article | Aug 31, 2019

This titanic 10000 x 6045 pixel world map shows the basic layout of Aqualon and many of its lands and locations. Though still incomplete, you can find many, many pins on this map telling you much about the lands of Aqualon.

The Middle Lands

Fulgrath

Fulgrath, the City of Lightning, is one of the Five Capital Cities of the Middle Lands. ~ 14474 Words

The Bonfire Shrine

A shrine dedicated to the Eternal Flame of Lumina Aka, and also a recognized magus academy of the Middle Lands. ~ 405 Words

Aerialis

One of the five great cities of the Middle Lands, home to the Rickard Leeuw Magistorium. ~ 2501 Words

Aquaris

One of the five capitals of the Middle Lands, home to the Spire of Rahn. ~ 2959 Words

The Tower of Five

The Tower is the ruling house of the five Keepers, who are in charge of the Middle Lands. ~ 461 Words

The Middle Lands

The Middle Lands are the most powerful region of the Great Land, which encompasses most inhabital parts of the Southern Hemisphere of Aqualon. ~ 459 Words

The Golden Sands

Midas Creek

The great mercenary city in the heart of the Golden Sands, home to the mighty Midas Men. ~ 166 Words

The Red Sands

The Canyon of Khepri

At the southern border of the Red Sands lies the Canyon of Khepri, a vast gorge that runs along the Rusty Shore towards the east. ~ 677 Words

The Saltplains

The Green Baronies

The Green Baronies, three domains that each contain one capital castle town, rule the fertile and wealthy Saltplains. They owe fealty to the Tower of Five and pay Middlish taxes, but are also granted broad trade and customs subsidies. ~ 358 Words

The Altonar Region

Altonar, the City at the Water Vent

One of the great technocrat cities of Aqualon, located in the Great Land between the Golden Sands and Lake Glazglubin. ~ 645 Words

The Yamato Mountain Range

万善屋敷 Banzen Yashiki

An eerie, dilapidated mansion on the western Yamato Maountain Range, located in the vicinity of Xiau'toku Mura. (496 Words)

The Yamato Kingdom

The Yamato Kingdom is one of the oldest kingdoms of Aqualon and located in the great Yamato Mountain Range, the largest mountain range of the planet. ~ 2576 Words

The Corsic Ocean

Timber

Timber is an islet of the Spark Isles, which are on the south-western side of the Anvil Island. It has a thick jungle on it and harbors a camp of illegal arms-dealers, the Gulch. ~ 341 Words

Jamphel Yeshe

The first clockwork exclusion zone. No magic. No god. Just depravity and human garbage littering hopeless streets of a once holy land... ~ 4623 Words

The Spiral Sea

The Shipyards of Jotuneyja

A remote shipyard of the Borealian Technocracy, which churns out its ironclads for trade and supply lines.

The Odenwald

Albeney Castle

The largest stone castle owned by the Nordmen to this day. It was built by Angel Saxon builders and Kaltani, Skôtish, and Gallian laborers in the early decades of the Great War. (1110 Words)

Plants and Animals

Shishisô

This amazing, cattail-like plant grows all over Yamato, though it is rarer in the fertile Yamato Valley, instead preferring higher altitudes along the vast mountain range. ~ 400 Words

Murasaki Moths as Pets

Almost no animal is as beloved in the Yamato Kingdom as the murasaki moth, its national animal. And though many households in Yamato raise the little critters, people from different regions rarely enjoy this privilege. ~ 1309 Words

Kuikoroshi no Nemuri 食い殺しの眠り (The Sleep of Devouring)

When the yarenma moth flaps its wings, run. Run fast and run far.... ~ 416 Words

Codex Riccardium - A Primer on the Moths of Yamato

As Riccard Leeuw prepares to discuss the principles of technamagix in his codex, he sets a few pages aside to talk about the Moths of Yamato. (13848 Words)

Magic and Technology

The Laws of Magic and the Great Clockwork

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Magic

Physical / Metaphysical Law | Sep 5, 2020

The magic of Aqualon comes in several forms, but all of them share the same nature. ~ 1450

Soul Theory

Technology / Science | Oct 14, 2022

Soul theory is the empirical study of the human soul. (860 Words)

Spellblight

Physical / Metaphysical Law | Jul 27, 2020

My eyes are blue now / yet, there is no innocence / and on the magic do I vow / to make them pay forever hence ~ 1922 Words

The Connection Between Mind and Great Clockwork

Generic article | Dec 26, 2018

The human mind connects to the Great Clockwork via five inner gates located in the so-called soulscape, which connects to the mindspace via a Great Gate located in a person's inner void. (483 Words)

About the Great Clockwork

Geographic Location | Oct 15, 2022

Let me tell you about the machine behind the world. (836 Words)

Magic, Mages, and Technamagix

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The Keeper Weapons

These greatest of weapons bind the great elemental Ur-Souls to their Keepers, enabling them to perform impossible feats of elemental magic.

The Keepers

Mightier than mages, only five Keepers ever exist at a time, each exerting total dominion over one of the five magical elements.

The Ur-Souls

Since the creation of the Great Clockwork, those most powerful souls often suspected of being deeply connected to that very creation have stood apart from the rest, commanding magic and a connection to the Great Clockwork few other souls can match.

Earth Magic

Earth magic is one of the five types of elemental magic. Feared above all other elements in war, and coveted for its application in construction, the mastery of earth is old and mighty indeed.

Wind Magic

Wind magic is one of the five types of elemental magic. Versatile in its application, it has found widespread applciation across the Ocean Belt to propell ships and calm storms but is found everywhere on Aqualon.

Fire Magic

Fire magic is one of the five types of elemental magic. Ever feared and coveted, it once was monopolized by the Angel Saxons for their magic forges, until they made a deal with the Middlish men and gave them the gift of flame. (2317 Words)

Lightning Magic

Lightning magic is one of the five types of elemental magic. Difficult to master and devastating in its raw application but incredibly versatile in powering advanced technology, few mages outside of Fulgrath choose to attune themselves to it. (2906 Words)

Water Magic

Water magic is one of the five types of elemental magic. It enables a magus to manipulate water by moving it or changing its phase and can even be used to heal certain injuries such as poisoning, bleeding, and flesh wounds. (2919 Words)

Schools of Elemental Magic

Of the various types of magic on Aqualon, elemental magic is the easiest to attain and the most prolific kind across the globe. There are five sub-types of elemental magic: Water, Fire, Lightning, Earth, and Wind, each with its own schools. (721 Words)

Higashi Taifûmon 東大風門

Still active and working after over two millenia, ships that sail westward through this gate are accelerated by a powerful channel of wind that carries them all the way from the Lower Yamato Islands to Hammerhead. ~ 627 Words

Soul Engineering

Soul engineering is a sub-field of clockwork theology and gyrometrics practiced in Miyako Fluxum, where it is also used in the development and maintainance of soul computers. (466 Words)

The Travel Gates of Fulgrath

Take a step and save yourself an hour or two. Mass transit with style. ~ 695 Words

Nubium, the Magic Metal of Aerialis

Nubium is a magic engine metal created from aluminum and spell ink. When touched it turns weightless. ~ 911 Words

Which Element is Your Soul Attuned to?

Test your aptitude for elemental magic, the result may surprise you! (929 Words)

Brynwain Fever

One of the most devastating plant deseases in Aqualon's history, magically crafted to destroy large ammounts of crop. ~ 1715 Words

Graduation Feddey

When a student of the Monastery of Five Paths is deemed ready, he is tested on his prowess with elemental magic over one feddey (a five day span). (941 Words)

Spell Ink

Spell ink is a restricted substance produced in the Middle Lands. It is used in all five of the great cities of that land where they create magic engines with it. ~ 4133 Words

Spellblight

My eyes are blue now / yet, there is no innocence / and on the magic do I vow / to make them pay forever hence ~ 1922 Words

Codex Riccardium - A History of Magic

From chapter 1 of the Codex Riccardium: Magna Magia - Some thoughts on the origins of magic in society by Rickard Leeuw. ~ 1184 Words

Magus Academies

There are a number of magus academies on Aqualon, the largest and most recognized five are located in the Middle Lands. ~ 1429 Words

Magic

The magic of Aqualon comes in several forms, but all of them share the same nature. ~ 1450

Science and Technology

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The Borealian Lunar Outpost

Few people on Aqualon are aware that the Old Gods actually live on Aqualon's moon, even fewer know that Borealians have flown up there and built facilities using no magic whatsoever.

Whetu Mohio

The Maoloaiya art of navigation, sometimes called pathfinding, with the help of which they used to travel hundreds of thousands of kilometers across the Corsic Ocean and Trans-Glaciatic Sea.

Darmstadt Processors

The key piece of technology that allowed Borealis to leave magic behind and usher in a new bio-computer age for their technocratic super-society. ~ 2227 Words

Clockwork Theology

Clockwork theology is a field of scientific study that examins the Great Clockwork, the laws of existence, and their relation to reality and the creation of the universe. (739 Words)

Rikkigen and the Ur-souls

The Age of the Iron Divide philosophers of Yamato worked closely with the scrolls of Yilik to further their understanding of the universe and the human soul. (752 Words)

A Theory of Qi

Within himself, Yilik found Qi, and within Qi, he found the gateways to the Great Clockwork, the origin of all Qi. (649 Words)

Soul Theory

Soul theory is the empirical study of the human soul. (860 Words)

The Altonar Calendar

The Altonar Calendar is used in Altonar, the Middle Lands, and some of the Seventeen Yonder Islands. (263 Words)

The Black Arkive

Remember us. These words are carved on immutable doors of jet-black metal. (603 Words)

Kunibert (Unit of Measurement)

The Kunibert is the unit of measurement for De Vries Field Strength. (382 Words)

Aqualonian Maps

A primer on mapmaking and the history of the southward orientation. (351 Words)

Academic Titles

The Academic Titles of Borealis, Miyako Fluxum, and Altonar. (692 Words)

De Vries Cluster Field Theory

An abridged explanation of De Vries Cluster Field Theory, its discovery, and its applications for anti-magic technology and advanced non-biological computers. (2900 Words)

Civilization on Aqualon

Organizations

Spiral Cloud Publishing

Spiral Cloud Publishing is a collector and distributor of content from the Borealis Creative Cloud, allocating fantastic short stories and novels from the CC in a weekly digest for Borealis citizens. ~ 961 Words

The HJT Gazette

The HJT Gazette is one of the most influential publishing houses of the Corsic Ocean, printing the same-named news paper and a popular magazine. ~ 393 Words

Amber Sun Productions

Amber Sun Productions is the most influential publisher of the city of Miyako Fluxum, publishing novels and magazines alike. ~ 668 Words

The Jô'oo Clan

The Jô'oo Clan is one of the Clans of Yamato. It exists since its founding in the Age of Awakening by the notorious Hestia Bygate, destroyer of Estverde. And both feared and respected, the clan has carved out an impresive name all of its own. ~ 3018 Word

Red Fox Publishing

Red Fox Publishing is one of the most influential publishing houses of the Yamato Kingdom and beyond. (1329 Words)

Command Tower Entertainment

Command Tower Entertainment is one of the most influential publishing houses of the Great Land. ~ 523 Words

Arclight Press

Arclight Press is one of the most influential publishing houses of Fulgrath. ~ 739 Words

The Publishing Houses of Aqualon

Across the planet, there are many great publishing companies, each specializing in their own genres and tropes, depending on the zeitgeist of the societies they are situated in.

The Grand Master of the Null

Veiled in shadows ever shifting, the master commeth, and he knoweth many things. (1359 Words)

The Original Baba Yaga

Three queens to stand tall above all pirate lords, one bringing magic, one bringing cannons, and one bringing drugs... (453 Words)

The Brotherhood of the Null

"What Comes to Be Will Come to Naught." - A black wave washes over the land and all magic ends. (5033 Words)

The Middle Lands Magic Research Consortium

The MLMRC is a research think tank that meets up for one month each year at the Tower of Five to advance magic and science in the Middle Lands and promote unity through advancement and prosperity. (668 Words)

The White Lancers of Aerialis

An order of elite mage soldiers, skilled in a secret art of wind magic. (682 Words)

Cultures

High Saxian

The Maoloaiya

The Maoloaiya inhabit the Trans-Glaciatic Sea, cut off from the rest of the world by the mighty Gastropnir Glacier, which separates them from the Great Land and the Corsic Ocean. They are skilled navigators and nomadic island dwellers. ~ 4702

The Angel Saxons

The descendants of the Albenmannen. Weavers of magic, blacksmiths of mighty artifacts, builders of tall stony halls, children of the Old Gods. (3116 Words)

Son of a Shoe - A bit of Arkatrashian Culture

Sometimes insults take a moment to slip past the cultural barrier. (355 Words)

Idioms of Aqualon

A list of of idioms and sayings used throughout Aqualon. (617 Words)

Faiths

The Hearthersfǫr - Days of Winterlight Angels

Far down north live the Kaltani, Skôts, and Gallians, as well as the Angel Saxons. Of the old Nordmen tribes, only the Angel Saxons remain truly mighty, and when the dark winters threaten their brethren below, the Journey of the Hearth begins...

The Den of Momiji

A fox family that has become enshrined, literally and metaphorically, in the local culture of the Western Yamato Valley.

The Wattenwaten

Men of Metal

An ancient worldview that tries to explain the nature of the soul and the Great Clockwork created by the Albenmannen, ancestors of the Angel Saxons. (586 Words)

The Giant's Meal of Ravensburg

An ancient tradition of the Kaltani Fiefdoms of Ravensburg where a breakfast of tiny ingredients is served to the new High King on his very first day of rule. This is done to celebrate the first High King, Jörg the Giant. (1041 Words)

The Fox Wedding

None would dare to hold a white wedding on Aqualon, none but the white themselves. (1043 Words)

The Fox in Yamato Culture

The Yamato people can be quite superstitious, and seeing a fox can have very different implications for them, depending on the color of its coat. (737 Words)

Gears, Mounds, and Elements - Funeral Rites on Aqualon

People don't dwell on death all that much on Aqualon, for their souls are reincarnated over and over by the power of the Great Clockwork. Still, life is life, and there is a time to mourn for all who lose those close to them. (1627 Words)

Games

The Grand Magus Tournament

On the first day of Auri, the bell is rung, and might marches into the Taira Coliseum on Mt. Tenbashira. (1745 Words)

Gatakoage 蛾凧揚げ (Moth Kite Flying)

On the 18th Day of the Ninth Month, the Yamato folk fly moth-shaped kites above their cities. (Words 1105)

Age of Heroes (Deck of Cards)

The standard Age of Heroes deck of cards can be found all over Aqualon, even beyond the Iron Belt. (8124 Words)

The Faces of Aqualon

Heroes

Hinamoto Kanna

Plâton Rai’enjoh

Aqualon's greatest hero, Plâton was not born a Keeper but an ordinary boy who wound up at the doorstep of the Old Gods. (14921 Words)

Innovators

Constantine Rajavadi

First Dan Magus Constantine Rajavadi of the Monstary of Five Paths. (4005 Words)

Villains

Vinclav, the Master of Keys

Now games and wagers are the life / Of sailors, pirates, fisher′s wives; / But do beware the yellow eyes, / Don′t bet to serve, your soul, your life / Always beware the yellow eyes. (2701 Words)

Hestia

Some people change the world for the better; but sometimes the way they do it is unsavory to say the least. (5556 Words)

Leaders

Efalla, Lady of Water

Chief of chiefs, first leader of the Vanierkindern in the New World. Efalla led her peers to the great Lake Glazglubin and the Corsic Ocean where they would later become known as the Efalli and eventually the Maoloaiya.

Paxia

Hm. Yes. I will be your guide to this world. Alright. ~ 343 Words