Irluwei is a project I am slowly working on where I am trying to mimic Tolkien’s style of world creation. I want to make something that will exist long after I am gone. My hope is to include the first example of a story in this world in A Little Lost and eventually have several stand alone books and series set within it. This page includes what I have created so far in regards to this world.
Peoples
Elves or Loresians
The elves or Loreisians live along the southern coast of Irluwei and populate the Lore peninsula. They are a monarchy, with a king and queen and ruling royal family. The people of Lore are very focused on the art, history, and religion.
There are four main jobs you can get in Lore. 1) Priest: there are Lore churches throughout Irluwei that provide religious guidance to the peoples of Irluwei. Priests are also the most proficient in magic and healing of any people. 2) historian: historians reside in temples or in the main city. Their job is to make records of the history of Irluwei. They usually do not learn more than basic spells. 3) art: most Loreisians take this career path. Their job is to create music, art, and books for the world at large. Some become travelers or learn magic as well. 4) soldier: Any who wish can be trained to protect Lore and the peoples of Irluwei. Soldiers often take tours throughout different parts of the world working to keep the peace.
Onoci
Onoci are small humanoid creatures that resemble various animals. There are 8 clans within the Onoci: deer, elk, badger, fox, wolf, puma, beaver, and otter. They live in the hills and woods between the coast and Gray Mountains.
Onoci live in various styles of houses. Some make their homes in the large trees that populate the area, others build homes inside the hills, some build cottages of stone and wood. The clans intermingle in their living arrangements, but governance is kept by a High Council with representatives from each clan. The elf, wolf, and puma clans are in charge of protection of the Onoci and have the most power in the council. The clans also meet individually to decide things before high council meetings.
Onoci only practice small magic, nothing large like the people or Lore or the Shipor, specifically nothing involving blood. They request the help of elves or Shipor for bigger magic.
They spend much of their time tending for their land and growing plants. They also care for the animals and tend to their wounds. They are a very hospitable people, always seeking to love on others. They are peaceful, but have contingencies in place for if issues arise.
Men
Men first inhabited just the Gray Mountains as one nation. By the end of the first age, some humans had fled to the unknown lands to set up a second kingdom of men there called Sevaria. By the third age, the men still inhabiting the Gray Mountains had split into three kingdoms: Branin, Mohinia, and Willeth.
All men frown upon magic, thinking that it is wrong to use the power of Adwei. The men of the Gray Mountains primarily apply this to humans, but Sevarians believe that all peoples who use magic should be killed. This is why they went to the unknown lands at the end of the first age.
Mushims
Mushims are made up of individual tribes, each inhabiting its own island. They resemble fairies, but with mushroom caps that sit on top of their heads instead of hair. Tribes are separated by appearance. Each tribe has their own tribal leaders, one spiritual and one political/warring.
Shipor
Shipor are the primary magic wielders of Irluwei. They tend to look like humans, though on the taller side. They may have odd physical quirks like pointed ears, large birthmarks, or Mushim or Onoci characteristics. They live for hundreds of years, longer even than some elves.
They usually travel throughout the land, going from town to town, assisting with magic, providing a variety of services, or selling wares to the peoples. They are accepted in the western civilizations of men as long as they do not openly practice magic. They are mysterious and little is known about them, but many believe that the Shipor are blessed directly by Adwei.
Squips
These are squat, dark creatures that run in packs. They love to hunt and feast on unsuspecting animals, including sometimes terrorizing the peoples of Irluwei. They frequent the Misty Wood and the Midlands, but sometimes stray into the mountains.
Squips are thought to be the outcome of some dark magic enacted long ago. They resemble humans in some ways, other than their pointed ears and sharp teeth.
Religion
The creator of all is the Adwei or the One. They are many and they are one. They are creation itself and the creator. No one knows for sure what the Adwei are, other than that they were there at the beginning and set everything in motion. Some believe that the Adwei are the magic within living things itself. Others believe they are a group of beings that reside in some distant land.
Magic System
- Rule #1: the only one who can create magic is the Adwei.
- Rule #2: Magic requires sacrifice. For small magic, that normally comes in the form of physical energy, meaning the channeler need to rest or eat more. Large magic requires larger sacrifices which is were blood magic can come into play.
- Rule #3: Sacrifices must be freely given. If they are not, this twists the magic making it dark. Dark magic is very powerful, but it is also extremely dangerous to the user, slowly killing them over time.
- Rule #4: Magic is a living thing and resides within living things. Dead items can be imbued with magic, but that requires a great deal of sacrifice, specifically of magical blood. Magic works best with living things, so it is usually used for healing and growing among the common peoples.
- Rule #5: When living things die, magic needs to move to another living thing. With small stuff like plants and animals, this is easy, but not so with the peoples. Peoples must give their magic to someone in death or be burned to release their magic when they die, otherwise they can become a rackle.
- Rule 6: Magic is ultimately governed by moon cycles. Depending on the phase and position of the moon in the sky, magic can be extremely powerful or extremely weak. This is especially important to know for large magic.
Geography
There are two mountain ranges, the Gray Mountains and the Severed Peaks. Three kingdoms of men inhabit the Gray Mountains and one governs the Severed Peaks. There are marshes and plains throughout the space between the mountain ranges that is mostly uninhabited, except by some small tribes of men and elves, known as the Midlands. To the east, beyond the Severed Peaks, is the Unknown Lands. Only the men of the mountains know what lays out there.
Most of the peoples live between the ocean and the Gray Mountains in the west of Irluwei. To the south is the land of the Loresians and their many castles and libraries. To the north is the lands primarly inhabited by Mushims, including an archipelago off the coast. In the middle of these two is the Weedy Hills which are home to the Onoci. Some Onoci also live to the south of Lore in the Misty Wood.
