Realms Contest! (CLOSED)

[Vyn]

Edit: I apologize for any spelling problems or what have you XD I was power typing this over the last hour XDDD

Realm Name: Adysiia

Lay of the Land: Most never even realized Adysiia is separate from the forests it borders on. It is protected, mostly, by the unusual or secretive nature of its boundaries. Most stray cards will probably find their way in through Torquehelm, if they don't believe it's a part of Tulgey. What sets Adysiia apart is its unusual plant life: Mushrooms.

Mushrooms are the main stock and trade of the Adysiians. In this dense dark forest mushrooms grow in abundance and some even reach monstrous sizes (bigger than the average card). Most of the mushrooms display some form of bioluminescence which light up the otherwise dim, sun-strangled forest floor with a ghostly green glow.

Colors/Patterns: Mostly white with a faint green undertone to their coat (like the greenish shading here in tones like these) with golden accents (ear tips, cheek tufts, tail tips, wing tips, even siamese points in extreme cases).

Due to the unusually high concentration of hallucinogenic mushrooms spores in the air, Adysiians have a much higher chance of mutation than most other cards. Mutations in Adysiia are often unusual and ethereal but typically useless - extra appendages (eyes, ears, tails, limbs, etc.), mini wings or random feather plumes, finger-like paw mutations, and so forth.

A plain Adysiian may be able to fit in better on the outside but will likely be regarded as odd or unusual in their home region.

As a ritual in Adysiia all children are marked with a protection 'rune' at birth. These runes are usually a soft blue or green and will glow faintly in full darkness. These runes are known to grant the children one tiny ability to help them along in life, though many are 'decorative' abilities such as throwing one's voice or creating 'mirages' and illusions. It has been rumored in Adysiia that some children have been granted unique gifts such as seeing the future - or the past - but this hasn't happened in many decades.

History: Adysiia is a superstitious realm.

Separated from most regions by thick impenetrable woods, Adysiia has lived in seclusion for centuries. Old, old legends state that, somewhere back in history, Adysiians were once Tulgeys which vanished into the deep, uncharted wood and never returned. Of course, most of these legends have long been forgotten by all but the Tulgeys and a few Avingtons living on the border of Adysiia.

Secluded but almost entirely self-sufficient, Adysiians rarely see any need to live their homeland. They have the wealth of nature at their fingertips and treat the world around them with unusual reverence. Adysiians have a ritual for everything, from greeting their neighbor to enjoying a full moon. In their own habitat Adysiians are easy going, friendly, and quite welcoming to outsiders.

Outsiders, however, will find it hard to settle into the region due to the high spore concentration from the hallucinogenic mushrooms in the area.

Likewise, Adysiians tend to fare poorly outside of their region after such a long seclusion and leaving, even temporarily, causes strange hallucinations that Adysiians have come to believe are 'gifts'. Upon adulthood all Adysiians venture briefly out into the outside world (usually just into Avington, though some do go further) to receive this 'gift of sight'. Like the Tulgey 'weirdness', Adysiians develop a small 'madness' upon leaving which may make them prone to hallucination or schizophrenia which they believe are caused by the spirits of the world. All Adysiians will believe their madness 100% even if there is absolutely no logic to it.

Beyond Avington, most Adysiians are easily mistaken as oddly good-natured Tulgeys (and their madness only fuels this misconceptions). Beware an Adysiian trader for though they sell many strong healing concoctions made from their native mushrooms some have recently begun to peddle very potent hallucinogenic powders as well.

Location: Most believe that Adysiia is actually an extension of The Wood stretching behind the actual border for Tulgey past Torquehelm and some of Avington.

Feelings: Due to its seclusion there is very little known of Adysiia. Even its Torquehelm neighbors seem to believe it's nothing more than an extension of The Wood along with the majority of other regions. Tulgeys, even, seem to accept that Adysiians were, at some distant point, somehow connected to the Tulgeys and will treat a passing Adysiian with grudging neutrality. Adysiians, in return, attempt to keep a healthy distance from Tulgey territory. Most regions will regard an Adysiian as if they are a Tulgey with odd mutations.

Avington, however, recognizes Adysiia as its own realm and has established steady trade with the mysterious region.

[Yuiven]

((I apologive for any speeling or grammar mistakes. This is, in essence, a rough draft. I just wanted to post my second entry before the deadline. I will try to edit it later.))

Realm Name: Venequia

Lay of the Land: Venequia is a carefully constructed Card-made city that floats sheltered in a shallow freshwater lagoon, stretching across a series of islands; which divide the city into five districts.

The lightweight, waterproof buildings adorned with fancy trimmings are built atop of closely spaced wood piles (under water, in the absence of oxygen, wood won't decay. It is petrified as a result of the constant flow of mineral-rich water around and through it, so that it becomes a stone-like structure). These piles are set into the central islands, and penetrate a softer layer of sand and mud until they reach the much harder layer of compressed clay. The buildings directly face natural canals, with entrances barely above water level. Dozens of these canals provide transportation routes within Venequia. There are no streets for vehicular use, only raised narrow passageways for walking. The canals are spanned by bridges, most of which are arched to allow gondolas to pass underneath them. There are also public squares scattered throughout the city.

In summer, Venequia is warm and sunny albeit humid with occasional rainfall, but in winter conditions are dominated by cold, damp fog, and intermittent snowfall. Because it is surrounded by water, in Venequia cooler temperatures feel colder and the warmer temperatures feel hotter. During autumn and winter, a natural phenomenon called Acqua alta or "high water" occurs. This happens when the lagoon's water level rises above the level of the squares and streets, effectively flooding them. Fortunately, when the flooding does occur, it doesn't last for days, only for a few hours each day since Acqua alta coincides with the tides.

Colors/Patterns: The base coat of the Venequias is generally cremello with filigree sapphire markings strategically placed all over their body (except in their curly hair, if he or she has any) in a range of sizes. Eye colour can be either rose pink, sapphire or emerald. However, there exists another variation-- an inverted albino. These rare, highly-valued Venequias are black with ruby filigree markings instead. Eye colour can be topaz yellow, ruby or amethyst.

It doesn't matter if a Venequia is a regular or an inverted albino, all of the residents feel compelled to don a decorative mask. Everyone owns at least two - a simple, plain "everyday" mask that must always be worn in front of strangers; it's only acceptable to show your face to family and friends, as they believe that is the window to your true self. The second mask is a fun, and often highly elaborate mask with glitter, jewels, feathers, precious metals and/or other embellishments that is worn for special occasions. Both types of masks are designed to be symbolic representations of the individual. They also wear other accessories such as bells, ribbons and assorted jewellery on a daily basis.

History: Described as undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by Cards, Venequia is also known as the "Jewel of the Selkie Lakes", and "City of Water", Venequia has certainly come a long way since its early beginnings when a group comprising of refugees from the Highlands, Villa En Miir and Corvistowne, fled from the oppression their native realms had imposed on their creativity. Now the floating city flourishes as a realm in its own right.

The main trade is tourism. Venequia is one of the most popular tourist destinations due to its beautiful cityscape, and rich musical as well as artistic cultural heritage. Many of the old buildings stand as testament of ancients times, establishing the realm as a "living museum." It has also become a fashionable centre for the rich and famous, often staying or dining at luxury establishments. Couples often travel to Venequia together for a romantic getaway.

Venequia has been internationally famed (and notorious) for its party-throwing prowess. The annual festival called the "Carnivale of Venquia". It's an event not to be missed. Everybody, natives and tourists, dress up, sing, dance and make merry in the streets.

Behind the glamoursous façade, Venequia harbours a dark secret. While on friendly terms with all of their neighbours, the general populace is at war with a secret society called the "Illuminati". A conspiratorial organization which acts as a shadowy "power behind the throne", allegedly controlling a large portion of the realm including politics and organized crime. Neither faction wants any Outsiders to know what's really going on. They want to keep Venequia as a happy place.

Location: Venequia is located next to the Selkies Lakes, expanding alongside the shoreline of the very southeast tip of the Forest of Kahmden, Morganberry and the most northeast tip of Villa en Miir.

Feelings: Venequia exists in harmony with the other realms, respecting their values and ideals even if they don't necessarily agree with them. (Why instigate more confrontations when they are already fighting amongst themselves?) As for the other realms, they are completely oblivious to the turf war, seeing Venequia as a tourist destination, due to the city being one of the world's most beautiful cities.

[Nako]

Realm Name: Halari Shades

Lay of the Land: It is a small and secluded place, set just a ways away from Forest of Kahmden but is very different in appearance. The trees are similar but are finely sculpted, having been carefully cultivated and pruned for hundreds of years to make works of art. In fact, everything about the realm speaks of perfect control. Even the 'wilderness' is carefully sculpted and pruned, no part of this realm looking any less extravagant than a well groomed lawn.

Colors/Patterns: The majority of a Halari's body is completely bald annd pink, with thin and sensitive skin that sometimes sports speckling and freckling if they did not keep up with sunscreen throughout life. Fur often shows up on the tops of the head, and sometimes on the paws and tails. It is considered very lucky for a Halari to have a nearly full body of fur, feathers or scales. Creatures with feathers and scales are certainly a pitiful sight, for any birds without tailfeathers and wingfeathers would be landbound. The fur, feather and scale, when present, are brilliant pastel shades swirling throughout the entireity of the coat. It is a truly beautiful sight, and if they were fully furred a Halari would be a glorious sight to behold.

History: They keep to themselves, keeping within the shade of their perfectly manicured trees most of their life. The rest of the world is much too chaotic for the average Halari to want to deal with. Regardless, they are known for their ability to grow and shape various breeds of trees, and their bonzai trees are their main source of realm income.

Location: Next to Forest of Kahmden

Feelings: Though the halari have quite the reputation for being anal retentive, they do not make a habit of getting in other people's business. They avoid Lowlanders, for fear that the rot may somehow infect their sensitive skin.

[Nathalia]

Winners Decided!!!


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First Place: Bee - Durum Veldt!!!


This one was kind of a surprise.
The first one posted gets first place? Surprisingly enough, yes it does!
The history is superb and the reasoning for why they're secluded yet valued is so lovely I could cry.
Beautiful, simplistic, different, and easy to play in a variety of situations, the Durumites most certainly earned first place!
There are only minor changes to be made to fit with the current world:
1. The insects will be seasonal, coming out once every two years in the fall. As opposed to whenever simply to make the land itself accessible at least some of the time...however, people must still exert extreme caution as there are a very small amount of insects who could be premature or kept from mating by very odd Durumites in order to prolong their lifespan.
2. Instead of a lightning pattern (which may look a bit more like Corvistowne instead of Villa remnants, we'll go with what looks like stalks of wheat on their fur in the blue/gray color. <3 The very occasional script-like marking still stands. <3


So, Bee!
Fill out the form below and PM it to me. <3 You have won!

Semi-custom SD
Gender:
Species: Can be a mix of two very common species, or a pure of the rarer ones, the only exception being Insect. Sorry, no bugs. <3
Realm: Must be pure, but can be anything you like.
Suit/Rank: You may choose either Suit or Rank, not both. If you go for Rank, the highest you may choose is Jack.







Second Place: Xenon - Benyan Riverlands!!!



Stunning.
Absolutely stunning.
The lay of the land is perfectly suited to the SoD world, the Realm-dewllers seem like they could fit in almost anywhere, and a beautiful design and history.

I honestly couldn't find anything to change either, so I'll just need you to send me the following form. <3

Random SD:
Gender:
Species: Give me a preference of three you want, I'll consider them.








Third Place: Lucca - Niieliye (Cranstone Moors)!!!


Yes.
Yes, I love them.
Their history made every Tulgey bit of WR in me want to thrash them until their heads popped off. <3 I can see a good deal of Tulgeys after the war totally doing this. They're fun, good fit to the world, and easy to pick up and play. The mutations and colors are lovely and I like the addition of a Realm with lots of mutations available that make sense with their magically effed up background.
Not too many changes here:
1. As opposed to any other shade pf purple, we're going to stick with a uniform purple-gray for these guys. Makes me more sane. <3
2. The long thin ear mutation will be an incredibly rare commodity and bearing one will guarantee they have...extra oddities...
3. The eye-spots will, on occasion, (30% of the time) be real eyes. <3


I honestly couldn't find anything in the history or lay of the land to change, so I'll just need you to send me the following form. <3

Random SD:
Gender:
Species: Give me a preference of three you want, I'll consider them.









Runner-up 1: Esfiel - Keritu Vale!!!


Love, love, love the idea. This was the decision that had me waffling for the past three days.
I WANT it submitted again next time around as it was most certainly highest on the next possible list of successors to the throne.
Love the look, the ideas, the colorblindness and healing trade. ERF!
A very fun people, I would love to see them running about someday.


Please fill out the following form:

Favorite weapon:
Offensive/Defensive/Insane:
Other: If weaponry isn't your thing, state that here. <3









Runner-up 2: Harpsdesire - Cape Pintada!!!


ARGH! I WISH I COULD TAKE THIS ONE TOO!
NARRRGH! The potential here makes me want to scream, it could be like the conflicts between Jamaica and the rest of the bloody Bahamas in real life!!!
Oh god, I want this, it screams with potential, but I need to keep these things limited for now or the world will fill up.

LOVE the idea, m'dear. <3



Please fill out the following form:

Favorite weapon:
Offensive/Defensive/Insane:
Other: If weaponry isn't your thing, state that here. <3





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FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF! Nako, eff this came close!
Tagwe Crevice
I command you to submit it again next time! D8<

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Good job everyone!
I saw some really amazing things this round, and I really loved many of them, just because you weren't mentioned outright by NO MEANS says that I didn't stare at it for three hours next to someone else's and cry for a while (looking at you, Spides).

Everyone gets Three unassigned points for EACH Realm they submitted, even the winners, and I loved seeing them all.

Winners will get their prizes as soon as I ca churn them out, and if someone wouldn't mind helping me add these newbs to the map, I would appreciate it.


There will also be another new Realm soon.....the NAT-REALM I've been sitting one for quite a bit.


Good job all!

~Nathalia

[Satra]

*FLAILS*

Congrats to you all! I'm so excited to have these three new wonderful realms to our little world! And kudos to you, Nat, for reading all of these entries, sifting through them, and judging something that was very obviously not easy to do. I do not envy your job.

[The Jenn]

AHAHAHAHA YAY! So many congrats to the winners, and I cannot wait to see them appearing on the board!

We need to see them asap.

Also the Nat-realm. Because I waaaaaaant them so bad.

Once again, congrats and yay to everyone!

*flails incoherently*

[Spiderfly]

EEE so exciting! I was hoping the river-people would make it and I'm glad they did! Their red-edges make me squeal *_* So pretty. Congrats everybody!

Now I need to read back on the other two X3 as I probably didn't read them and now I'm /curious/.heheh can't wait to see the new characters and realms get going <3

[Lucca]

AFDSGHJKL;' HOLY CRAP AHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

....*cough* Okay, seriously, you have no idea how happy I am over this I had no idea I'd win! And with one of the Realms I came up with at work too ahaha....EEEEEEEEEEE so happy! *clings to Nat* <3333

I love that their markings will sometimes be real eyes too asdfghjkl it's awesome and creepy! <33

Hehe, man there were SO many awesome Realms though...good job everyone, the creativity everyone put in is amazing. D:

*squees quietly and runs to write a pm*

[Esfiel]

Yee! Wow. I'm amazed that the only realm I posted ended up the runner-up! XD Soo, close. Yes, you'll definitely see it next time around! Hopefully with more, too.. heh.

Yaay, congratulations everyone. XD Can't wait to see these running around the board!

And.. I'm super excited to see the Nat-realm. XDD

[Kari Muffin]

Congrats everyone! X3 I'm excited to see these realms a reality. *throws confetti*