User:Dabe/The Modern Age

This article collects information regarding the conceptualisation of the game world of The Mana World.

Outdated template, please use Template:Status Under Construction to mark pages as unfinished. There might seem to be sizely gaps of time between descriptions of some events. There shouldn't be a problem with additions and alterations at a later date, but the core sequence of events should be laid down "soon". Until any consensus is reached pertaining a date/time system, consider the following numerical ages relative to our own years.

the world is left in ruins

0-85: Survivors of the great conflict awaken to varying degrees of ruin, all around the world. Since most of the able adults died fighting or protecting others, a generational gap was left in much of the population. The small amount of information salvaged from before the disaster was difficult (in many cases, impossible..) to comprehend. To make matters more troublesome, the face of the world had changed since then, rendering old maps useless. Only a few towns survived the geographical turbulence, but most were so utterly displaced, that new homes would have to be built. The necessity of exploration became a way of life for many generations, until society finally began to reassert itself.

the revival of civilization

The Crystals would remain hidden in the twisted terrain of the new world, locking away their vast supplies of energy. People that once used magic, could no longer grasp its basic concepts. As younger generations were born and grew up, most people who claimed to have magical powers were believed to be suffering from some form of dementia.

85-87: Having organized the largest unified kingdom since the essential destruction of civilization, a Sparron noble named Sabborus Keshlam begins aggressively expanding his territory. Without a strong government, the rest of the world is virtually helpless against this takeover.

88: Sabborus reaches his peak of world domination, controlling nearly 85% of the population. Alarmed by the news, the Tritan empire reacts with a posturing attitude, emerging to preemptively oppose the annexation of the sea. An agreement is reached, that Sabborus will not attempt to annex the ocean, if the empire keeps its business off of dry-land. The nation of Keshlam subsequently solidifies a hold on most of the world, which is still largely in ruin.

89-178: Taxation of basically everything goes unchecked, because it is moderately reasonable & life doesn't seem too bad under Keshlam's rule. Under his economic guidance, long-distance trade becomes a common feature of everyday life, as does standardized currency and free education for children.

178-179: Sabborus Keshlam dies and leadership begins to falter. There is a brief argument over who should take control of the entire kingdom, until the former-ruler's family decides to split power evenly between themselves, briefly forming a government known as the Keshlam dynasty.

180-182: Taxes climb at a maddening pace, inflating the wealth of the dynasty, at the direct expense of their populous. Many rag-tag resistance forces of varying size and capability form in light of these injustices, but most are in some way disrupted or destroyed.

183: Orchan Keshlam (one of the many family members in power) makes the mistake of demanding the seizure of a cargo-vessel, citing failure to pay one of the many new taxes, before leaving port. When the captain refuses to pay, the vessel is attacked, but manages to escape. A group of Tritan hunters helps the crew with injuries & repairs; the lead hunter & the ship captain, exchange information & become friends.

184: The nation of Ancea begins to take form, through a collaborative union between the Tritan empire & a growing number of independent organizations. Despite their general lack of interest in the ocean, the dynasty of Keshlam considers this as a threat, because of the land they now stand to lose, as a result of this new collaboration.

185: With the protection of their newly organized military, Ancea is swift to secure most of the strategically relevant coasts, ports, etc.. the exceptions focused mainly around the heart of Keshlam. In an act of desperation, the rather flustered dynasty of Keshlam sends most of its army to take control of Ancea's capital. Though Keshlam's army does reach the capital, it is met with fierce resistance & is unable to take full control of the city.

the Gods escape

The Crystal of Water shatters, smashing a great deal of the western world to the ocean floor. Ancea sinks, crushing most of Keshlam's invading army to a watery grave - an abrupt end to a short-lived war. Many of Ancea's citizens were naturally or artificially capable of breathing water and thus, were able to survive the deluge. Nerena, a previously average town, becomes the new center of Ancea and is elected as the capital, only a few days after the apparent disaster.

Soon after, the Crystal of Air shatters in a similar fashion, sending a the land around it skyward. The northern edge of Keshlam separates & floats from that point on.

The Crystal of Fire shatters next, scorching the jungle around it. Unlike previous eruptions, this explosive event seems to have more lasting effects. As the average ground temperature seems to skyrocket in many areas, Tonori transforms almost overnight, in to a barren wasteland. The area becomes known to many, simply as the Volcanic Desert.

Finally, the Crystal of Earth shatters, forming the longest & tallest mountain-range, in the world. Once a rather unremarkable chunk of land, Gasaro grows in to the most fertile stretch of land in the world, despite its generally rocky terrain.

186: With each of the Crystals down broken down, the flow of elements around the world changes radically. Due to fluctuating levels of elemental stress, an enormous whirlpool forms in the waters of the central ocean.

199: After many ages, the whirlpool begins to subside slightly, revealing a previously hidden continent. As the news spreads, explorers immediately begin traveling to the central continent, which some refer to as "Gaea's Land" - it is eventually named Argaes. People settle in droves, but the new continent remains shrouded in mystery.

The new era of magic

With many generations behind them since the drastic changes to the environment, people are finally beginning to discover the crystal fragments. All around the world, there are reports of strange occurrences; individuals exhibiting unknown abilities. Though modern civilization's understanding of magic and the elements seems dwarfed by that of their ancestors, their senses of curiosity and wonderment encourage continued study.

to go much further here, we will need to decide how these crystal shards function in the game

Dabe : my talk page discusses the crystal issue a bit