- The Archipelago ◔

The Archipelago 

The Archipelago is a planet world located in an unknown quadrant of space, sustained and built using the A'huun energy that broke free from Earth's atmosphere during the Great Upheaval. It is a fantasy world owned by Tayleaf.
 

A'huun is also referred to as "Rune" in ancient texts.

Etymology 

The Archipelago got its name for its appearance. As opposed to most worlds and moons found in space, that being sphere shaped rock, the Archipelago instead looks like a strange disc containing a collection of islands, similar to an archipelago found on Earth. Those witnessing it could only describe it as such, and the residents of the world do not wish to give it an actual name. Naming days and the act of Bestowing a name upon someone is a somewhat sacred act within the Archipelago, and it has been decided that something as complex and fluctuating as their world could not possibly be bound to a single name. For simplicities sake however, they refer to their planet with the title given by onlookers, being "The Archipelago" or simply, "The Arch Lands".

Origin

The Great Upheaval
On Ancient Earth, During a point of excessive Rune pooling, it eventually reached a density that could no longer sustain itself. The abnormalities and rifts turned inward on the Rune itself, creating rifts and tears in very space and time itself. At the peak of this massive outburst of energy was a powerful event, referred to as The Great Upheaval. This event caused several things to happen at once during a chaotic and powerful explosion.

The Ex-Terra Rune
The energy that broke free from Earth's atmosphere continued on its trajectory for an unknown amount of time. Up until now, the observed occurrences were presented as memory-visions from Quiet, and being earth-bound, he could only sense the departure of a massive amount of Rune as it left the Earth's bounds, and drifted farther and farther away. Quiet was able to sense it and its growing distance for several hundred years, however in time its distance became too great, and he could no longer sense it. The events that brought the Ex-Terra Rune to their current state were explained by the very first Khle'ahd, who wrote it in great books and kept its story safe for centuries before being able to reconnect with Quiet and learn the origin of their home.

The beam of Runic energy that had broken free from Earth traveled onward, untethered now, and free to soar onward for lightyears. It carried the massive shards of Earth along with it, frozen in time. Many of the trees had shattered during the explosion, but some still stood, motionless in the vacuum of space. The energy rippled and rushed, it had not gained sentience in the same way that Quiet had, but it seemed to have gained some inkling of a purpose, and along its journey through space, it began to take on a new form. Along its path, it began to siphon energy out of other worlds and dimensions, slipping in and out of timelines. It had no rules, was anchored to no one. The tendrils of Rune touched many pockets of unnamed magical energy along the way, however the most significant by far, was the energy that would become what is now known as the Khle'ahd. Formed from a unknown mixture of the Ex-terra Rune, and swirling astral magic from several timelines that had found themselves tousled by the Rune's wake, the creation of the Khle'ahd was both anomalous, and fortuitous, because it was with their arrival and guidance that The Archipelago truly began to take shape. 

You can read more about these events here.

Geography

World Geography
The external appearance of The Archipelago (aka, The Arch Lands) is that of a disc shaped anomaly in space itself. Shimmering purple and blue Rune energy pools freely and has formed a protruding atmospheric dome on either side of the wide cylindrical area. The edges of the world are made of pure Runic energy that has taken the form of a liquid, which seems to pour towards the "bottom" of the basin in a solid wall of waterfalls. This is thought to be directly in reflection to the basin on earth where the Great Upheaval occurred. The waterfall of Rune is too caustic and powerful for any creature other than the Khle'ahd to pass through, meaning any creature wanting to travel to or from the Archipelago must be escorted by a Khle'ahd who will stand under the falls to allow one to pass through under their wings.

Landmass Geology
Within the basin lies a collection of islands, each with their own quirks and land types. The solid land that makes up these islands is formed mainly from the chunks of the Primordial Basin on Earth, broken free during the Great Upheaval, but also are made of a mixture of broken dwarf planets and asteroids that were caught up in the Rune's path as it formed. 

above. An early map, as the Khle'ahd began to shape the land into islands.

above. A map of the Continent's current appearance. 

The "water" that surrounds the islands of the Archipelago are made up of Runic energy pools, and some true liquid. The further away from the center you go, the stronger the Runic currents are. There is only true "water" along the edges of the islands and the inland seas and lakes.
The depth of the sea varies wildly, from only a few meters deep, to endless voids that pour out the bottom of the world into space, or end in a rift that connects randomly to unknown places and times. Entering the sea is seen as very dangerous and usually deadly. Those who use boats or swim are regarded usually as either very brave, or very stupid. Some zealots claim that those who dare to traverse the Auric Sea are disrespectful of the safety that the Archipelago offers, and unkindly wish harm upon them, hoping that they might be swallowed up by a rift in the depths and warped to unforgiving places for their daring.

The environments and biomes of the Islands vary, ranging from Mountains and Forests, to Deserts, Plains and even some frigid Icy islands. Generally the outer edges are coldest all around, but are kept warmer by streams of Rune that flow beneath them. The Crisp Twins islands are formed of very dense asteroid chunks, and the Rune streams cannot penetrate the soil here, causing it to be excessively cold and infertile.

Over centuries of the planet's development, there have been shifts and quakes, and an unknown cataclysm that scourged a large forest on the south-western edge of the islands. The Khle'ahd refuse to divulge what occured there for fear that it would reignite dangerous theories and practices. The things that grow from that area are altered and twisted, and often produce the most intense abnormalities in new creatures.

Many locations are named for the species that originated there, or who came to reside there. Others are named for significant events or features.

THIS PAGE IS BEING REWORKED FROM HERE DOWN!
Please check back later!
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The islands will be named soon, and more information on locations incoming.

Significant Locations 

Shimm peak is where most of the Shimm dragons stay
Turraden is where most of the Turratyx species chills
Zyrden is where the Fanzyir hang out
Siamurden is where the Siamur nest. They are very territorial, and the other races are careful to avoid the fragile nesting area.
Khle'ahd fly everywhere and have many homes, but they prefer the warmth of the desert, and hang out near the Scorched Oasis and Khle Cove.

Lost Gate and Scorched Gate are just islands near the edge that Khle often use when coming and going, newcomers can stand on land there while waiting for transport to the main islands.
The Quiet Forest is where Jae's Tree is, and the quiet forest village with all my personal characters.

The Quiet Forest

In the Northern region of the North-East most Continent lies a dense forested area.
Deep within the forest, hidden away from the more freely-traveled places of the world, lies a private village.


This place is where Jae and her friends live, and may not be accessed by anyone else without having been invited by the world creator. 

Here lives Dragons, Elves, Centaurs, Dinosaurs, Kirin and more, Living together in peace. In the center of town, a cosy little burrow sits tucked neatly under the roots of a massive tree.  Small creatures flutter and scurry throughout it, flitting in and out the circular windows. This is the home of Jae,  who is also the guardian of this place. She has saved them multiple times from discovery and disaster, both here and on Earth and other realms. Many of them were brought here by her, and see her as sort of a mother figure. She is the only one other than the Khle'ahd species who is able to traverse the rift, freely coming and going from the world as she pleases.

CROSSROADS CAPITAL

Named for the multitude of roads and pathways that lead through the massive walls, Crossroads Capital is the beating heart of the world. It acts as a city-home for many, a trading post for the natives, and a marketplace for all. The Capital is where Khle'ahd bring any newcomers, so that they may be introduced to the ways of the world, and understand what is expected of them.

The Khle'ahd have within the city a great hall of history and conduct. It is an open-air building of sorts, with walls and columns and vaulted ceilings. Upon the marble walls, they etch the history of the world, and the rules that govern its citizens. Peace is a high priority here, and governing is simpler than on most worlds, as the Khle are able to sense things and address concerns easily.

 

Central Continent

This central Continent is the most densely populated of them all, and also seems to be the homeland for two of the species that reside within the Archipelago world. The Rasues, who's origin resulted directly from the intensely anomalous world itself, and the Jikamba, who's origins are still being investigated.

Eons roll forward, a never-ending flow of time throughout the ages. Matter evolves and churns with life, even in death. The tallest mountains fall to erosion, the deepest valleys overflow with torrents and floods, asteroids spin into oblivion in a constant ebb and flow of time and space.
Somewhere, out in the vastness of that temporal sea, appeared a speck of light, no larger than a pea. It flickered and shuddered, spinning chaotically through the spatial tides, an anomaly.
No one knows how it happened, or what prompted the fleck of energy to pop into existence, but here it was, and it was strong. Light-years away, in a distant magical plane, an elegant swirl of energy noticed it right away. It froze, sensing and feeling the auras washing over them, across endless galaxies and realms, so strong was its chaotic itch.

To a non-magical creature, such as Earth's inhabitants, nothing would of been felt at all. Even the most powerful mages within the many mystical realms felt only a inkling of a chill, as if an insect had buzzed past their ear. The swirl of energy felt it like a magnet however, something was out there, flawed and incomplete, shuddering amidst the endless tide of normality. Something just like them. The swirl suddenly felt a purpose within this sensation, and it immediately grasped that purpose like an oath.

That swirl wasted no time, even though time had no hold on them, and set out towards the blip. Navigating both time and space is tricky, but this strange twisting aura seemed to be built for it. Spinning and weaving through centuries like seconds, over parsecs as if they were but miles. As they traveled, they began to build their own appearance, both for the sake of mobility, and because they'd decided that being beautiful would be a nice hobby. The aura elongated, turning from a cloudy mist into a strand of light, snaking through the millennia, coiling over mountains. They thickened themselves and brought limbs into being, two, no six, but interchangeable. Thousands of years later in a moment, and they'd decided on a face, soft but strong, with a nose like velvet. They ricocheted off of Jupiter, and took inspiration from the cluttered rings. So many beautiful stones and crystals. They pulled those onto their face, curling them into ornate horns and plates. A million years later, they realized they were three, and that their number depended purely on their whim, and so they became seventy, and then ten. Drifting in and out of existence, but somehow never truly changing.  As they careened from one galaxy to the next, they found that tails could balance their movement, the number of tails seemed whim based as well, and they smiled among themselves, comparing the features they'd chosen. One might be brilliant gold, with opals adorning their face, seven tails coiling behind them, while another could be jet black, chunks of charred obsidian smoking from their brow, a single abyssal tail whipping amongst the stars behind them. They were quite impressed with their array, however they grew tired of the distraction, focusing forward on their quest to find the bright spot, somewhen in the distance.

Suddenly, and not suddenly at all, they found it, a rush of spinning energies circling the pulsating anomaly. It shone brightly against the darkness of space, pillars of light broke free from the swirling surface, shining like beacons into the night, red, gold, pink, blinding white, they sparkled and swirled incessantly.

"We protect this." they spoke as one, it was not a question, or a declaration. Simply a truth. They circled the tiny speck, their spirits centering where a heart would be, and from that place erupted wings. Massive wings built of feather and fur, bone and stone, enormous and reaching. They reached out as one with their wings, creating a barrier, protecting the speck from the onslaught of time. It hummed loudly, free from the chaos, room to grow. They hummed along with it, forming a language for themselves out of the notes.
"We are Khle'ahd, guardians." they said, naming themselves.

The speck flickered larger, slowly at first, and then with sporadic bursts of speed.

"We help this grow." they said, and more of them flew off. Returning days or eons later with whatever they deemed beautiful enough for their tiny orb of light. Some brought magical auras, pouring them carefully into the sphere, others brought chunks of pretty rocks or rare flowers. As a whole, they cared for the orb as if it were all they could see.

It took weeks, or maybe millions of years for it to grow. Over time it became large enough for the Khle'ahd to enter, carefully at first, cautious not to damage the still strengthening ball of light. Using their wings, as an umbrella beneath a waterfall, they waded inside the mists. Meticulously placing each stone now, each rock and handful of pure soils from every corner of creation. Their numbers fluctuated, mostly increasing over time however, and if you were to see them at work, you would describe it as a thousand angelic creatures, seemingly dancing in and out of existence around a small star.

Perfection was never their goal, only to grow and heal the flawed anomaly. They continued forever, until it became clear to them that it had in fact, reached perfection. As large as a small moon now, a perfect sphere. The bottom half was filled with swirling liquids, auras and mystical things. Atop the wet planes sat a peppering of organically shaped continents and islands. Mountains and jungles, forests and deserts of all kinds sprawled across the surface. Every tree had been planted with care, every cave had been carved with purpose. Above the land areas spanned the top half of the sphere, a dome filled with the most pure air they could find, puffy clouds of all natures swirled against the dome. Confidant that nothing could harm it now, they carefully folded their wings, letting the flow of time and space crash back around the tiny world. It didn't even flinch. Strong and beautiful it rolled casually with the tides, always staying upright, as if pulled by an invisible string. The Khle'ahd felt at peace. They dove into the stream and entered their new world, walking in through what appeared as waterfalls, crashing around the edge of the orb.

They had fulfilled their first destiny, and within the sphere, the chaos of temporal and spatial noise seemed to fade. Time had no pull on this place. The Khle'ahd could feel their next destiny calling to them, this time, much less urgently, and so for the foreseeable future, they decided to track down other anomalies, creatures and rifts, flawed species or lost worlds, and bring them here. They would populate this perfect improbability with other improbable or unfeasible  things.

The sky spun slowly, calm now. The depths rippled gently against the many shores. Time stood still, while rolling ever onward, washing over and around the tiny planet filled with islands, like a stone in a river.
 

The Anomaly that became a World

After the anomaly burst into creation and righted itself, carving out a space between the rifts, it became what you will read below...

At the crossroads of realms, barriers and boundaries, somewhere between the streams of space and time, this is where this world exists, and does not exist all at once. It is both there, and not there at any given moment, and only creatures with intensely powerful magical abilities can even detect this place. The Khle'ahd are the main guardians, standing at attention around the edge of the falls, guarding and escorting those who would come and go. 

World Appearance

From eons away, gazing upon the world from a distance, it would appear as a glass marble. The chaos of endless reality crashes around and over the marble, but it is unmoving. Upon looking closer, you can see a horizontal line has made its place within the marble, with the top half seeming as open air, and the bottom half filled with what chaotic auras had seeped inside to provide a balance. Between the liquid and the sky lies a collection of islands, some are massive continents with sweeping forests and towering mountains. Others are mere flecks, lost chunks of mass that speckle the outer reaches of the world.

The edge of the world is inset, below the surf of the outside tides, and appear as a cascade, held back by the sky, to come crashing down on all sides into the auric sea. 

Continental Land within the Basin

The Auric Sea

Within the basin, surrounding and between the continents lies the Auric Sea, having crept up through the underside of the spherical world with the purpose of providing balance against the sky.

The sea is the most chaotic place within the Archipelago, varying in depth, color and intensity with every step. Some places are merely ankle-deep, a gentle pink surf on the beaches of the land. Other places fall away to bottomless voids, blue and onyx swirls of glittering anomalous depth. Wading into the sea and even swimming is possible, and the temperature always seems to be however you imagine it, however, not even the Khle dare to enter the depths, or swim too far from the shore. The endless voids that open up within the depths are intensely dangerous, and have the ability to simply omit the reality of anything that enters. Meaning, if you were to swim too far, or too deep into the sea, you may simply be erased from every strand of reality.

Continents

The Mountainous Continent North-Westernmost Landmass The Mountainous Continent has the highest elevation within the Archipelago, reaching high into the open-air zone, even unto the spaces where gases don't reach, proving inaccessible to any oxygen breathing races. This continent is home to three species in particular; The powerful Shimm, who reside within the mountains themselves. The Turratyx, who have taken up residence amidst the mountains, and the Fanzyir, who call the forested foothills to the East home.
	The Forested Continent North-Easternmost Landmass The Forested Continent is not the only forested area in the world, it just happens to be the most densely forest found here. It is made up of two large islands, linked together by a large bridge. The northern section of this continent is mostly left to Jae and her village, with outsiders never setting foot into the forest's depths. It has been protected by the dense forest and also by magics, and is entirely inaccessible without her permission. Within there lies The Quiet Forest, which is where the world's creator's characters reside. The southern section of the continent is also quite secluded, as the other species and races make sure to give the Siamur ample room and peace to nest there, both out of respect for the fragile eggs, and because Siamur have become intensely territorial around their nesting ground.
The Central Continent Central Landmass The Central Continent is by far the most populated, and the most diversely so. All roads lead to this city at the heart of the Archipelago. The continent is home to hundreds of small towns and villages, and the Central Capital also has a  sprawling residential area. The land here is dotted with farms, mills and shops, and the coast has several bridges, ports and beaches. All boats and ships know well to stay close to shore however, and are specially built with flat bottoms, able to skim along the shallow waters, safe from the dangerous open waters. Technology in this world is limited to more traditional levels of craftsmanship, everything built or made by outsiders is done so by hand, with hard work and ingenuity. No power tools or electricity. Two species call this main continent home, the Rasues, who appeared here mysteriously, and the Jikamba.
	The Scourged Continent South-Westernmost Landmass Crackling with energies and pulled by the chaotic depths nearby, the Scourged Continent is plagued with anomalies and mystery. The ruins in the Southern half of the continent shed more intrigue to the state of this place. Some unknown event caused the land to sink, letting the Auric sea seep into the earth, making a swampy soup of dangerous energies. Whatever caused it also effected a shoreline of the Central Continent, and must of been intensely powerful. Only the most curious creatures find the static air here comforting,
The Desert Jungle Continent South-Easternmost Landmass The hottest and most humid of all the continents, this landmass is 90% arid desert and rocky mountains. Some time-lost ruins lie forgotten here, and a large outpost with docks lies in shambles, a mystery long forgotten. The northern edge however is forested, and a vibrant jungle lines the coast's high cliffs. It is within these cliffs that most of the Khle'ahd make their home. The difficult terrain and desert to their back make this a perfect place to hide when needing time alone and peace. They sculpt their own desired homes here, quite often the most beautiful things imaginable, such as cathedrals of pearl, onyx statues and crystal pools.
	Islands Smaller Landmasses Aside from the five large continents, there are many smaller islands scattered around the basin. Some of these, named "Gates" are near the edge of the world, and are used when bringing newcomers in or out of the world. Others are forested and inhabited by miscellaneous creatures and citizens of the world, and some, like the "Crisp Twins" to the far north, and the "Scorched Prints" to the south are either too hot or too cold for comfortable habitation, and are left to the wild, or those who would prefer solitude. Some of these are accessible simply by wading through the straits between, others are joined by massive bridges. Either way, they are all parts of the world, and are freely explored by whomever resides therein.