Welcome to the World of Nodd.
Nodd is a strange and magical world that delves deeply into indulgence, despair, magic, and madness alike. The laws of the world itself vary with the beliefs of those who inhabit it and are wont to change without warning. Nodd lacks any natural sun or even a proper sky, causing citizens of the city to mimic these conventions through magic.
The majority of the world's occupants live within the city of the same name, The City of Nodd.
Order & Chaos
If Nodd becomes too orderly and smoothly-run, chaotic and unexplained events are said to occur. Bizarre weather, unusual behavior among citizens, arcane phenomena, and manifestations of monsters are all products of excess order. For this reason, the Council seeks to control this inevitable chaos by enforcing chaotic behavior in citizens.
This means that the city's laws and social conventions are not written with the ultimate goal of order, but rather a sort of controlled chaos. Laws change frequently, sustaining an unending upheaval. Vanity, exhibition, exploitation, violence, materialism and excess are all encouraged; citizens are urged to endlessly indulge. If a citizen ceases to generate enough chaos, they’re dealt with accordingly.
Gloam is a magical energy of potential and actuality that is thought to suffuse the world of Nodd. To simply exist is to absorb and process gloam in some small way. Expanding on this principle, mages are able to utilize gloam to make changes to reality in ways both subtle and outlandish.
In addition to warding off naturally-occurring chaos, the spent energy of chaotic acts can be converted back into usable gloam. Following chaotic events, this spent energy is collected through The Conduit - a steeple-like structure at the top of The Council Spire whose workings are a closely-guarded secret. The Conduit somehow collects and rejuvenates the energy, and allows it to be concentrated into a raw fuel.
Corruption & Aging
Alongside aging, citizens undergo a process known as corruption, which makes a citizen more in tune with the city's magic, and renders their appearance gradually more monstrous. Acute corruption is also achievable by various means, and is usually a terrible idea. Consistent use and manipulation of gloam is thought to relate to corruption, but the exact relationship and nature is not understood and difficult to study.
Particularly with the technology of resurrection, it is thought to be possible to live forever in Nodd, though the city's dangers make this difficult.
Insiders & Outsiders
Citizens of Nodd are either insiders or outsiders. An insider refers to any creature that originated in the realm of Nodd. They are said to be born of Nodd's unspoken needs, influenced by unknown arcane mechanics.
Insiders can take on any number of appearances, and some are unlike any others. However, there are several that are considered common enough in Nodd that they're identified with names, such as slyne and ravel. Cross-species [[|hybrid|hybrids]] are common and referred to simply as hybrids, or some awkward informal hybrid-name (such as a slyvel, in the case of a ravel and slyne mix). Even more common are ambiguous mutt species, which are referred to as “chimerae”.
Outsiders, on the other hand, inexplicably appear before the city's gates, seemingly cast onto its doorstep from another, likely more mundane, reality. These special creatures are a recent anomaly, and are rather rare, sparking curiosity among insiders. The Council has even taken to calling them the Chosen Ones, and has established a protocol for ushering new outsiders into the city. Alongside most inhabitants of Nodd, these creatures often appear beautiful, if not divine. Insiders regard them in a wide variety of ways, from intrigue to abject hostility.
Outsiders who end up in Nodd don't seem to remember the series of events directly before they wake up before the gates to the city, but rather snippets of their past life that return to them in dreams and visions.
Mages
While you don't need to be a mage to use magic, many citizens consider themselves mages to some degree, or are employed (or owned) by them. Some are passionate if not religious about their roles, while others dabble, preferring to work as apprentices to pick up a few showy fireworks to draw attention at bars, enhance themselves aesthetically, or otherwise aid or improve their personal life in various ways. Aside from joining a House and becoming an apprentice, initiate, or savant, being a "mage" is an identity more than a proper title. Several terms arose for the tendencies of mages to dabble or specialize in certain areas, however.
Battlemage - A mage well equipped and eager for battle Beastmage - Essentially a battlemage but one who focuses upon companions and creatures Showmage - A mage focused on entertainment, aesthetic enhancement, and other such effects Craftmage - A mage who primarily uses mage to create, craft, refine, or otherwise manipulate materials Utilitarian - A general term for someone who dabbles more than the average person but primarily just knows a bunch of everyday use spells
Familiars
Most mages have one or more familiars - a special animal companion with whom they’ve bonded.
Many mages pit their familiars against one another as a form of sport, and some fight alongside their familiars in combat.
Arcane Houses & Cults
Many mages seek the prestige and reliability of an education from one of the six official houses, which each represent an aspect of magic. The houses' fellowship splits itself into two sects, each representing a different nuance of the house. Each differs in its tactics, aesthetic, rituals, and belief.
The six official arcane houses are as follows:
Omnillian, the House of Control
Morphoria, the House of Change
For those who can't find what they're looking for, or for those who do not wish to be associated with the Council, cults are an option. These operate in the same fashion as the houses, but are run independently by powerful mages.
The Cult of Byle
The Cult of Gorgharia
The Cult of Quelsh
The Cult of Amyrnum
The Cult of the Nameless
Flora & Fauna
Like insiders, animals and plants spawn in and around Nodd from the city's needs - which also demand a basic ecosystem. These can be of any appearance, but some consistent forms have been identified.
Any bestial species can occasionally manifest as what is effectively a sapient counterpart. The opposite is also true, resulting in what’s known colloquially as a “feral”. This term may also apply to any sapient insider that’s been temporarily rendered a beast via transformative magic.
Furniture
Furniture, too, is alive in Nodd.
Ideally, furniture will do little more than pulsate and occasionally shift around. Furniture that moves too much or exhibits other undesirable behavior is said to be “ambulant”. Ambulant furniture can either be tamed, or euthanized and stuffed.
“Dead furniture” is considered less appealing and natural than furniture that’s still alive.
When furniture dies, or is euthanized without the corpse being used, it’s sometimes made into a food item called “couch steak”. Couch steak refers to any cut of meat taken from cushioned furniture, such as couches, ottomans, armchairs, and beds.
Parts that are hard and chitinous, such as legs, may be cracked open like crab legs. This is known colloquially as “couch shrimp”.
Some furniture pieces, particularly quadrupedal sorts, sport visible genitalia. Oftentimes an ottoman or sofa will be castrated before it's euthanized in an attempt to address ambulant misbehavior, such as humping. The testicles of furniture can be used culinarily, and in this context are called “couch potatoes”. This is generally considered to be bottom-shelf fare.
Death
Death in Nodd isn't permanent - as long as a citizen has been generating sufficient chaos. If this is the case, the individual will be resurrected, no matter the circumstance - and no matter the state or location of their corpse. The corpse will remain, and the citizen will receive a new body, in whatever state it was in before the time of death or terminal damage. However, the memory of the experience remains. This process happens in the Court of Resurrection. It takes both insiders and outsiders roughly one sleep (about 24 hours) to form and stabilize enough to leave the facility.
Whether or not one will be resurrected is unknown until they've been resurrected, creating much uncertainty and distress. The one exception to this is an "immortal" citizen, whose ego file shows an infinity symbol. This honor is thought to be bestowed on particularly valuable citizens for a variety of reasons, and denotes that they will be resurrected no matter how many times they die. However, this may be revoked at any time.
Aging & Corruption
Alongside aging, citizens undergo a process known as corruption, which makes a citizen more in tune with the city's magic, and renders their appearance gradually more monstrous. Acute corruption is also achievable by various means, and is usually a terrible idea.
Particularly with the technology of resurrection, it is thought to be possible to live forever in Nodd, though the city's dangers make this difficult.
Reproduction
In Nodd, there are no rigid biological laws governing what can and can't breed to make a hybrid. While this doesn’t mean everything can breed with everything else - while not well understood, there are still arcane laws to consider - it does mean even biologically incompatible pairings may be able to reproduce.
These mixed-species hybrids are known as chimerae. Many if not most insiders are chimerae. A chimera would legally be considered an insider - even if its parents are both outsiders - due to being formed within the city.
It is worth noting that the physical species or parentage of a hybrid's actual parents are not necessarily what they themselves are hybrids of, nor is it required a parent be of any species that ultimately ends up in a hybrid. Nodd's chaotic nature affects birth in strange ways. Many believe it is not random, however, and that it is a condition or "spawning myth" being met at the time the child is conceived which affects its ultimate appearance and traits. Thus it is entirely possible for two nurks to give birth to a nurk, a nurk-hybrid, a chimerae, or even a species or hybrid other than nurk!
Some potential parents even go so far as to organize events in order to help bias the potential species of their offspring - someone wishing for an offspring with some amount of ravel might host a 'puzzle party', whereas someone wishing to avoid an oggorous would mayhaps hire escorts or other services to minimize loneliness in the immediate area. It can be hard to say if these actions have significant, if even any, effect in the end but the belief persists regardless.
It's worth noting that, similar to variety in species, one's body type can also be quite varied due to Nodd's influence. The result is that individuals can easily have "non-standard" genitalia, anatomy, etc., and it be a wholly "natural" part of their form exclusive of any transformative magics or influences after birth.
Juveniles
Nodd is not particularly accommodating of a family lifestyle, and juvenile citizens are largely left to fend for themselves. Often, orphans - called “gutter runts” or simply "runts" - will form gangs to protect themselves and other orphans until adulthood. They tend to make small townships on rooftops, inside the walls of buildings, and in other areas that see little to no foot traffic. Oftentimes the only easy way to access these places is through various pipes and other systems an adult of most species may not be able to squeeze through, hence the name.
Runt gangs are hardly a force to be reckoned with, and are known for stealing from and exploiting their elders in various ways in order to survive.
Ego Bracer
A citizen’s entire life can be accessed via their ego bracer, a common artifact. This device attunes with the wearer, and can send messages, search the Arcanet, store items and familiars, record holograms, and more. The main screen contains one's ego file - this contains basic information about them, and lists items and creatures for quick access.
The screen doesn’t have buttons of any kind, but rather demands the user concentrate on the desired information. The bracer’s audio will be present in the user’s head, and visuals will manifest on the bracer’s screen as a magic hologram. Only the user will see or hear this information; others will only see a colorful jumble of symbols and shapes. If the user is unable to concentrate, the hologram and sounds will fail to manifest. If the user cannot see, one can learn to manifest the information in other ways, or purchase an ego bracer for one’s specific situation.
Most ego bracers also act as a basic utility artifact with several spells one can browse in a list. For a basic ego bracer, these generally include things like light-producing spells, heat and cold, a spout of clean drinking water, and basic self-defense spells. More expensive models may be capable of casting better spells, but usually a mage will have a separate, higher-quality artifact for anything more powerful or specialized.
Ego bracers need a gloam cartridge to function. Gloam’s natural green color can be seen in the bracer’s screen, but this can usually be changed in the bracer’s settings - at a small energy cost.
The Arcanet
The arcanet is most certainly not the internet, but something very different.
The arcanet contains all information about the world made public by the Council - one can find information about species, weather, upcoming events, and more. Most shops and services have a public hologram that can be accessed when concentrated upon; these often begin to partially manifest when one passes by the associated establishment. These holograms contain basic information and often the option to purchase items or download free samples to one’s ego bracer.
The arcanet is also home to a number of solo and competitive games playable on one’s ego bracer. Almost all of them require gloam to play, and promise substantial winnings. These are an easy and convenient way to gamble away one's livelihood.
The Doldrums
The Doldrums is a general term applied to the area surrounding the City of Nodd. Much of the land closest to the city is occupied by windy plains and patches of dense forests and swamps.
There is no naturally occurring sun in Nodd. However, a powerful spell performed daily by the Council creates the illusion of a day and night cycle. This affects the city and the surrounding areas, but anything far beyond that becomes an impenetrable darkness
Near the city, there are several smaller townships, villages, and outposts. Many of these are occupied by individuals who find Nodd too distasteful to be a part of, and those who seek solitude, safety, the thrill of the wilderness, or something else entirely. The presence of civilization diminishes the further you travel from Nodd.
As many strange and monstrous beasts roam the Abyss, competitive hunting is a common sport in Nodd, and hunters adorn their chambers with all manner of bizarre trophies.
The Abyss
Beyond even the Doldrums lies the Abyss. It is not a set distance in any given direction but is simply the point at which all available light drops off into utter and abject blackness.
Those who have tried to document the Abyss have either never returned, or inexplicably find themselves back at the city after months of travel. Stories involving travel of this magnitude often conflict in perplexing ways - each individual in a single party may return to report an entirely different experience, given they return at all.
As a result even the most dogged research has never managed to ascertain anything consistent nor usefully informative about what lies within the Abyss.