Post by Ly on Aug 12, 2010 12:48:15 GMT -4
Prior Fabula
[/font]Background Information
It is recommended that you read a bit about the culture of the people you will be creating before actually doing so. After reading this, you may want to take a look at the Ranks your characters will be assigned.[/center]
Location
The large island of Vafer is located between America and Europe. In the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean a few thousand miles south of modern day Greenland.
Origins
Vafer was first discovered by the early Romans. This is the culture from which their Latin roots stem from. Shortly after its colonization, the island was hit by the harsh winter storms customary to the north. No longer able to reach Vafer through the winter storms and freezing conditions, the Romans cut off contact. Leaving the colonists to fend for themselves.
The island of Vafer was later discovered by the Vikings. Having learned how to survive the harsh winters and short summer of the land they lived in, the colonists had just begun to build their own civilization. The people of Vafer found that they had much, through their lifestyles, in common with the Vikings. The only stark difference was that they lacked the Viking's complex culture in which magic and prophecy dominated many aspects of life. Acting as unknowing missionaries, the Vikings quickly instilled with in the Vafer people their beliefs. Maintaining contact with the island was easy for the Vikings, at least until the harsh winters began to grip the land again. The Viking civilization no longer found it practical or affordable to go so far out of their normal routes to visit the island.
In the centuries to come, the island of Vafer became isolated from the rest of the world. The people began to develop in cultural and technological ways. They appointed their own government, a Council of three individuals, to lead their civilization. Each member of the Council represented the different factions that the Vafer people had separated into over the years. Each of person on the island now possessing Powers of the Art. They became the Vafer, meaning the 'Artful' in Latin.
One of the groups of people on the island were called the Duco, meaning 'to draw' in Latin. Using special inks and special paper these people had the power to create anything from their realistic illustrations. The other group of people were called the Scripsi, meaning 'to write' in Latin. They had the power to create entire worlds from their writing. Creating these dimensions when they wrote on special paper with special ink, using the Anglo Saxton language of Runic that the Vikings had taught them. The third group was called the Oro, meaning 'to speak' in Latin. While considered the least powerful, they were also considered the most tricky. They had the power to weave illusions of the smell, taste, and touch with their spoken Latin words. Requiring no special ink or paper.
The third discovery of the island Vafer, was caused by an accidental action of nature itself. The shipwrecked crew of pilgrims on their way to American washed up on the shore of the island. Having been blown off course by the violent storms that were common up north. Having had no trouble with newcomers in the past, the Vaferians welcomed the European pilgrims with open arms. While they could not rebuild the ship the crew had lost, they could provide them with a place to live.
The large crew of the English speaking pilgrims taught their language to the people of Vafer. They were fascinated by the Vafer's talents with the arts, much like the Vafer were entranced by the European's skill with building things. So entrance, that they thought it was another form of magic. It was not until the generations of pilgrims had spawned their later generations and the original pilgrims passed from the world ahead of their longer living spouses (that were Vaferians) that the Council realized the grave problem on their hands. Any child born with the blood of the European pilgrims was born without power. These children did not even have the skills that their foreign fathers and mothers had learned.
Scorned and looked down upon almost immediately, these descendants of the pilgrims where called the Sicco, meaning 'out' in Latin and derived from the English word 'outsider'.
Present Day
This is where the story of Vafer's past has left us now. The Sicco have become the slaves of the Duco, Scripsi, and Oro. Each time a child is born, no matter the parents, it is brought before the Council. There its skill in art, writing and voice is tested, to assure that there is no taint of the pilgrims in its blood. After the original tests, the child is sorted into the category of society that its skills seem most developed in. For example, if your singing was horrible, you writing was okay, and your drawing was amazing, you would be sorted into the Duco society. These sorted children are given the rank of Apprentice and forever will the danger of being named Sicco hang over their head. Until, the one day that the title of Apprentice is dropped from their names and they are free to do as they wish. Some go on to become Masters, and train the new apprentices. Other seek normal careers in business and craftsmanship.
Those named Sicco, are taken away and never seen the same way again.