LORE ———————————————————————————— …
593yrs. last known recording of creators — 278yrs. first TOY_faced emerged — Present day … ———————————————————————————— World and Origins [IMAGE] > Landscapes of barren, dusty fields, tangled trees and flowers, overflowing rivers and seas, all invading the ruins of dilapidated buildings and roads.> But not all is lost of the world before: dotted across these lands are deep swellings of energy, interconnected across the world with each other in a tangled network of energy lines. In these areas and along these lines, what existed of the old world is preserved, leaving sections of (or even whole) ruins intact. This phenomenon is referred to as the Vibrance. > Born by ripping their way out of claw machines, the origin of the TOY_faced has been a subject of great study amongst the most inquisitive TOYs; by scavenging machine manuals, preserved news articles, and the remnants of studies, they’ve managed to form a rough idea of their creation. > [A pieced together series of manuals and articles. Parts are damaged, missing, or scratched out. It reads: Scientists make bid for new energy source … (unintelligible) strides in genetic engineering paves way for greener future … lead in the research, Dr. (unintelligible), says the newly developed technology is “essentially a non-sentient organism, self-producing energy with no reliance on further sources” … concerns as to the sentience and life of the technology assuaged by … New bio-engineered energy source to begin implementation …] > Through rough translation and deciphering of these texts, it has been deduced that the TOY_faced are the evolved forms of the power source synthetic organisms which had been placed inside a number of machines, but from there not much has been found. > It seems that whatever higher power created them has long vanished from the planet, though fossils of them can still be found, and some of the ruins of their great structures still stand. > It’s unclear why only the organisms placed inside claw machines have evolved and gained sentience; some TOY philosophers believe it has something to do with the machines and their speculative functions themselves, others postulate that it has something to do with the Vibrance. ———————————————————————————— … Faces and Fashion [IMAGE] > A TOY_faced’s face is its most vulnerable point. In order to protect it, they have taken to hiding it behind an object. This object that the TOY hold to their faces is often the first thing that they instinctively grab when leaving their claw machines: commonly, this is a plushie or plastic toy head that is ripped off in the frenzy of emerging from the machine, though less commonly they manage to pull the full body of the toy with them. > Some rare novelty machines have ceramic, glass, or porcelain toys that the TOY_faced might take with them. > On some rare occasions, a TOY might not be able to find a toy to hide their faces. To surpass this, they will grab any object they deem fit to hide themselves behind. > In even rarer and often macabre circumstances, with nothing left to grasp, this might be a skeleton or a live creature. > Extremely rarely, TOYs can even be forced or choose to not hold a face object. > Modifications to the object (piercings, graffiti/tattoos, Frankensteining the toy with another toy, etc.) are quite trendy. > TOYs are also known to express and adorn themselves with cloth and clothing; some tailors even double as historians or religious figures, studying the clothing of their long gone creators. … ————————————————————————————
[IMAGE] > TOYs are asexual, reproducing by one or more TOY “imprinting” on an un-emerged TOY_faced, a process that involves the sharing of the self-produced energy that courses through each and every TOY. By doing so, they encourage the emergence of the young TOY, and instill it with some of their characteristics and traits. Most TOYs will remain in these imprinted families until their maturity at one year before finding their own place in society. > TOYs commonly court for a long time, creating metalwork adornments or energy-charged art, and giving all kinds of other presents. > As TOY_faced communicate through a system of buzzing, humming, and clicking, romantic partners might be found harmonizing their voices and intermingling their energy auras, causing literal sparks to fly. > As long as a TOY is able to keep producing energy, it is essentially immortal. However, they can be killed if their body becomes damaged enough, with their faces being the most vulnerable and devastating to damage, releasing a large surge of energy when they die. > To honor their dead, grand tombs are built from metal and stone, intricately carved and sculpted; grieving TOYs may send bursts of their energy into these structures to honor the life lost. ———————————————————————————— … Empires and Community [IMAGE] > TOYs primarily live in societies; being able to sense another TOYs’ energy across great distances, many flock together in the ruins of their creators. > The largest gathering of TOY_faced is currently in Home_Page, an expansive region frequently affected by fluctuating temperatures and flooding. Made up of wilderness and what is believed to be the ruins left behind by their creators, different societal structures have been set up in the differing regions: > Commun_E (suburbs), an outlying district of ruins of houses. These communities share responsibilities and resources; while on the outside appearing peaceful, commun_Es are prone to drama and power struggles. > EMPIRE (city), a sprawling concrete jungle of shattered skyscrapers, prone to flooding from the underground network and the sea that borders it. The EMPIRE is ruled by one monarch [TBA], with a supporting court consisting of advisors, enforcement, priests, and entertainers, whose duty it is to care for the needs of the residents of the EMPIRE. While life here is bustling and full of trade and opportunity, some TOYs may disagree with the emperor, creating dissent. > .Origins (arcades), the buildings inside of which so many TOY_faced sprang. Despite being located within the EMPIREs, the .origins are lawless, a vibrant maze of bright lights, art, and wares. Because most arcade buildings aren’t large enough to house a large community, they expand underground, even connecting multiple buildings together with their tunnels. As the underground network is prone to flooding, .origin inhabitants are often strong swimmers and become adept at navigating the deadly waters. Although the arcades are a place of freedom, they can also be incredibly dangerous with no protection against violent characters, and many TOYs have died in flash floods. > Wildfaces (Wilderness), the vast spread of wilderness beyond the ruins. TOYs who want to live alone or create their own societies and rules live here. Researchers may also be found in the wilderness, studying a strange phenomenon that crops up around some desolate, open fields, surrounded by outward jutting spikes: a nauseating repulsion, almost as though their entire beings are hardwired to stay away. Priests can also be found in these areas, claiming that the dizziness caused by these areas result in visions. > A rather large Vibrance spot is centered in the EMPIRE of Home_Page, a towering building that the emperor holds as his abode. The energy lines leading off spread all around the area, with some leading to smaller pockets of Vibrance. … ———————————————————————————— Jobs and Religion [IMAGE] > TOY_faced do not need to eat, and they only need to “recharge” (remain in an inert state while their energy accumulates) for four hours. > With no pressing needs, TOY society operates on a system of gift and barter. > Some jobs and recreation include: > The study of the broken world around them, as some TOYs choose to become historians, zoologists, archeologists, or paleontologists, with particular fascination with their creators. Often viewing the world before them and their creators more scientifically (and in some cases cynically), some of these researchers double as traders, with the market for fossils being quite lucrative. > The subject and standing of the TOYs creators is a matter of much debate: some consider them to be gods, becoming priests, building grand shrines in their names, and making offerings (commonly bursts of energy or art, but the more macabre priests have been known to sacrifice themselves for the greater explosion of energy, or even animals) in thanks for their lives and world. > There is also yet very little understanding of the Vibrance. While some try to study it scientifically, there are a number who have become Saints of the Vibrance, utilizing their own energy to react against it, or even sometimes control minute strands of it. > Tailoring and metalworking are popular jobs, and can include the fixing and modification of all manner of face objects, clothes, ear spines, and machine bodies, as well as creating items or sculptures. > Architects also have their work cut out for them, reshaping the ruins of what was left behind. > Artists and performers of many kinds are abundant, with TOY art focusing most on metalwork as well as the ways that their energy can be manipulated to create a visual or phenomenological effect. > This list is not exhaustive, and there are a great many other jobs that a TOY can do. ———————————————————————————— …
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