Noctivaria
A sprawling, layered world of smoke, shadows, and whispered power, Noctivaria is a place where the modern meets the mystical, the mechanical meets the arcane, and humanity coexists uneasily with the supernatural. This world is defined by its complex interplay of magic and machinery, with towering brass-and-iron cities powered by steam and alchemical energy.Beneath the whirring gears and glowing runes, however, lies a darkness - a world haunted by fear, secrets, and a growing sense of dread.
The World at Large
Noctivaria is divided into vast territories, each governed by rival factions that wield their own mix of technological prowess, magical mastery, or supernatural strength. These factions represent diverse ideologies, from the technocratic Syndicates who see progress in the cold precision of machines, to the enigmatic Covenants who harness ancient magics to protect - or dominate - their lands.Despite these alliances and rivalries, humans and supernatural beings must share this world. Vampires roam the spired cities, werewolves prowl the industrial underbellies, and fae courts hide in the shifting mists of forgotten forests. Yet peace is fragile. Ancient enmities and prejudices run deep, and conflict erupts in the shadows as both sides vie for dominance or survival.Adding to the tension, the Blight - the most feared scourge in history - lurks as a threat to all, transcending race, faction, and allegiance.
The Blight:
A Parasitic Corruption
The Blight is an enigmatic and parasitic affliction that spares no one, human or supernatural alike. It begins subtly - a fever, an ache, a whisper in the mind. Then it blooms, corrupting the victim’s body, soul, and mind in unpredictable ways. Some grow monstrous appendages of iron-like bone and sinew; others are consumed by wild magic that rends the air around them, while still others are left as twisted amalgamations of machine and flesh.The afflicted lose themselves to the Blight’s whispers, becoming feral and destructive. But not all are consumed entirely. The rare survivors, known as The Devil’s Rejects, walk the line between beast and sentience. These tragic beings retain fragments of their former selves, haunted by their memories and struggling to suppress the monstrous urges that constantly threaten to take over.Though the origins of the Blight are shrouded in mystery, theories abound. Some claim it is an ancient curse, unleashed when humans first tampered with forbidden magics or technological forces beyond their understanding. Others whisper of a long-forgotten entity, awakening and spreading its dark influence across the world.
Life in Noctivaria
The cities of Noctivaria are towering amalgams of Gothic architecture and steampunk innovation. Narrow streets are lit by flickering gas lamps and arcane-powered neon, while airships loom over crowded marketplaces and factories churn endlessly to supply the world's hunger for progress. Clockwork automatons serve as both tools and soldiers, often bearing eerie human features, and massive trains powered by alchemical engines roar across treacherous landscapes.But beneath this veneer of progress lies despair. The lower classes, both human and supernatural, toil in the smoky depths of the cities, while the elite live above in crystalline towers protected by rune-etched steel. Blight outbreaks are most common in these grim underbellies, and fear of contamination ensures that victims are hunted or exiled without mercy.
Technology and Magic
In Noctivaria, technology and magic are not separate but intertwined. Electricity flows through arcane circuits, and smartphones powered by alchemical batteries glow faintly with an eerie green light. Guns fire bullets inscribed with runes, capable of harming supernatural creatures. Trains glide along tracks suspended by levitating crystals, while elevators hum with both gears and eldritch whispers.While humans rely on technomagic for everyday life, supernatural beings have perfected its use to maintain their dominance. Magic is taught in academies alongside engineering, though the most powerful and ancient spells remain forbidden to mortals.
Culture and Society
Human-Supernatural Relations
Humans are both fascinated and terrified by the supernatural. In the cities, fragile alliances allow coexistence, though tensions are ever-present.
Religion and Cults
The gods of Noctivaria are distant and unknowable, their cathedrals now crumbling ruins or repurposed into museums and nightclubs. However, cults still thrive, worshiping forgotten deities or ancient creatures. Their rituals often involve blood sacrifices or forbidden magic, and their influence is spreading.
Economy
The world’s economy is driven by technomagical inventions, arcane artifacts, and rare supernatural resources such as powdered vampire bone or phoenix ash. Shadow markets thrive, trading in illegal spells, cursed objects, and other contraband.
Struggle for Power
Supernatural factions vie for dominance, while humans fight for their place in a world increasingly controlled by beings far older and more powerful than they are.
Science vs. Magic
Though the two are intertwined, philosophical debates rage over whether the world should embrace logic and technology or return to its mystical roots.
Isolation and Fear
With shadows lurking in every corner and whispers of rebellion in the air, trust is scarce, and paranoia is widespread.
Geography
The Eternal Cities
Vast metropolises serve as hubs of life, blending the gothic charm of ethereal cathedrals, alchemists’ laboratories, and haunted mansions with advanced skyscrapers of darkened glass and wrought metal. In these cities, the mundane and the supernatural coexist uneasily - humans shop in neon-lit markets while vampires conduct secretive business deals in underground speakeasies.
Factions
The Syndicates
Technological pioneers who believe that humanity’s salvation lies in science and progress. They build towering machines of war and innovation, often at the expense of the natural world and magical balance.
The Covenant
Secretive alliances of witches, warlocks, and supernatural beings dedicated to preserving - or exploiting - magic. They see the Blight as both a threat and an opportunity to strengthen their powers.
Order of the Veil
A militant faction determined to maintain order by controlling or eradicating Blighted beings. They believe the Blight is divine punishment for mingling with creatures of the night.
The Devil’s Rejects
A loose, nomadic coalition of Blight survivors who band together for protection and purpose. Some seek solitude, redemption, others revenge, but all are united by their shared pain.
lumoria: the heart of noctivaria
The wastelands
under construction
the Blackened seas
under construction