Culture

Language(s)

Dismeil is host to a variety of different languages, especially due to how it appears in various different worlds and dimensions. And then Dismeil has some of its own dialects from these various cultures merging. Being able to communicate with other survivors in Dismeil is one of the most challenging problems with survival there.

Clothing

The primary clothing style is ... recycled and practical. Very little effort is spent in fashion, as Dismeil is very demanding when it comes to time management.
Lightweight armor is the most common thing seen, and there may be some personal touches thrown in, but overall most people prefer to not stand out very much, as it may be seen as having an excess of resources, which is basically an invitation for a raid.
Clothes are usually washed by hand, or in various DIY washers utilizing items like plastic or metal barrels. Materials are scarce, so patchwork/slightly mis-matched clothing is common. And not a lot of dyes are available, so undyed cotton is very common. That said, some plants may be worth cultivating for camouflaging dyes - white is very conspicuous.

Food

Small plot farms and small game meat are the most common sources of food in Dismeil. Makeshift greenhouses appear throughout the city, many of which reinforced and guarded.
The most prized food crops are legumes, leafy greens, squashes, and potatoes. These are all easy to grow and provide a variety of nutrients.
There are not a lot of native animals, and some that used to exist were hunted to extinction, but the city does occasionally let in some wildlife. Deer that wander in are coveted as they can feed a small group for a long time. Various groups have tried to keep deer as livestock, but this often ends in the animals being slaughtered by monsters, or other survivor groups stealing them.
Goats, rabbits, and poultry are the most common livestock animals. Eggs and cheeses are high-value trading items.

TBN

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TBN

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Religion

Basics

The city favors those that worship The Old One. They receive the best, most helpful gifts.
Of course, most people in the city are not very grateful to be stuck there.

Roles

The scientists that founded the city are at the top of the hierarchy. They have been given the very first gifts, and are immune to receiving any "natural" ones. They are also unable to age, are conditionally immortal. (They can probably die by some methods, but these methods are not known).

There would also be the military personnel that first watched over the city during its initial phases, many of them were in the know about the operations and were given the same option - rare and wonderful gifts in exchange for worship. Those that agreed are in a similar situation to the researchers - immortality and immunity to new gifts.

Most residents do not have immunity to new gifts, no matter how detrimental.

The Deity

Referred to as "The Old One"

A shapeless, ancient being. Manifests as weird fleshy growths in a maze of tunnels (whether that be sewer systems, burrows, or caverns) located beneath the city.
It is very much not recommended to explore the areas that the Old One lives. You will probably get lost, or consumed.
The magic sustaining the city must come from somewhere.

Places of Worship

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Practices

Description of religious practices (praying, offerings, gathering, etc.). Praesent egestas sollicitudin dui, in feugiat lacus maximus ac. Aliquam ac tellus tortor. Vivamus mi dolor, dictum vitae massa id, tristique commodo lacus. Donec eget libero vel nibh accumsan luctus nec non nibh. Donec tincidunt varius libero. Donec ut erat aliquam, accumsan mi id, mattis neque. Aenean sit amet sollicitudin mi, sed tincidunt libero. Integer ut lobortis quam. Etiam faucibus a ligula id iaculis. Quisque porta diam nec leo euismod facilisis vitae eu est.

Myths/Teachings

Description of religious myths or teachings (what they are, where they can be found (book, oral tradition, papyri, etc.), etc.). Praesent egestas sollicitudin dui, in feugiat lacus maximus ac. Aliquam ac tellus tortor. Vivamus mi dolor, dictum vitae massa id, tristique commodo lacus. Donec eget libero vel nibh accumsan luctus nec non nibh. Donec tincidunt varius libero. Donec ut erat aliquam, accumsan mi id, mattis neque. Aenean sit amet sollicitudin mi, sed tincidunt libero. Integer ut lobortis quam. Etiam faucibus a ligula id iaculis. Quisque porta diam nec leo euismod facilisis vitae eu est.

Beliefs

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Society

Government

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Economy

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Occupations

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Technology

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Housing

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How it Works

Source

All mutations and gifted magic obtained through residency in Dismeil is from the subterranean deity. As such, all of the magic that can be obtained is Divine and Spectral, like The Old One.

Abundance

For as long as The Old One is worshiped, and for as long as various people and creatures wander off into the wastelands or the tunnels below the city, the magic for the Gifts will remain plentiful.

Every single resident, if given enough time, will obtain at least one gift. Those that are not in the highest favor of the Old One will continue to get gifts until either they die, they somehow manage to leave, or they receive a gift or mark that gives them a magical compulsion to enter the tunnels and be consumed. This compulsion cannot be ignored if the being is less powerful than The Old One.

Acquisition

The "gifts" by The Old One are not the only magic that exists within Dismeil, as there may be beings that were already magical prior to arriving.

However, the Old One's gifts can be obtained simply by existing within the city. Over time, its residents will change. Those that worship The Old One will be directly given very useful gifts, and may be granted immunity to obtaining changes "naturally" through residency.
Residents may also force chaotic changes to happen very quickly by crossing over threshholds. Going back and forth over one boundary isn't productive (especially since the threshholds are not a clear-cut boundary line you can detect), but making continuous loops around the city is very productive. The more loops made, the more intense the changes. This is extremely not recommended.

There is also a river that cuts through a forested part of the city and leads to and from wastelands. The water is very supernatural in properties, and uncommonly a source of physical mutations, and rarely a source of strange magical abilities. The water is not safe for most people to drink, and submerging in it is also a physical health risk. The tradeoff that you may get a gift from the river is typically not worth attempting. It is also said to be infested with mutant aquatic life.

Types

Magical Abilities

There are many possibilities of magical abilities that could be acquired, and there usually is not a reason any given person would be given something, unless they are in high favor of The Old One. Such highly-favored residents usually end up with defensive magic, a lot of resistances, ability to drink the river water without consequence, and immortality for the most favored.

Magic with a lot of association with shadows and ghosts are extremely common.

Very typical abilities for general residents (not favored in any manner) include increased strength, speed, agility, and durability. As well as the ability to produce light (especially in the form of small floating wisps) and the ability to seemingly disappear in shadows.
Uncommonly, those without any favor may also obtain magic such as: better regeneration, force field generation, telekinesis, illusion detection and creation, intangibility, levitation, shadow manipulation, disarming scream, and object manipulation that rearranges but does not change material. Protection from the UV rays and the unique climate of Dismeil are also uncommonly found in this group.
Rarely, they may obtain magic such as: ability to heal others, malleable anatomy (a form of shape-shifting that retains original mass), energy projectile generation, intangibility, advanced alchemy, and resistances to various forms of physical and magical attacks, as well as immunity to the ill effects of the river water. Immortality is also possible to obtain without being in the highest favor, but it is very rare. And those given immortality that are not worshipers of The Old One may be targeted by the deity or their markbranders, which are high-favored residents with the ability to "mark" others to have a compulsion to enter the tunnels. Immortality given by city unfortunately does not save anyone from being devoured by The Old One.

Not all magic obtained is very useful or intended to help its residents survive. Some may make them more likely to be killed, such as becoming a beacon for some of the monsters that wander the night.

Physical Alterations

Almost anything goes with physical changes.
The most common sorts are color alterations of smaller areas (including things like pupils and blood), and changes to things like proportion (especially an increase in height or limb length), greater bone and muscle density, and increased flexibility.

Uncommon ones include complete color palette alterations, additional eyes (usually accompanied by magical properties given to said eyes), additional limbs, natural armor, and the gradual transformation into another sort of creature, usually of a similar size.

Highly-favored residents may get to pick physical alterations if they ask for them, and those in the highest favor will not alter any further.

It is pretty rare to obtain wings capable of sustained flight, and may take years for developing wings to get to that point. It is also decently rare for any transformations into another creature to drastically change from the former body size.
The rarest sort of physical alterations would be things that rapidly transform the entire body in a short period of time, but this can happen with looping around the city enough times.

Flora

Fauna

Art by Erradox

Art by Erradox

Art by Erradox

Art by Erradox

Art by Erradox

Art by Erradox

Art by Erradox

Art by Erradox

The Founders

Leaders & Noteworthy Residents

The rest