Zeithalt Lore Guide#

Table of Contents:#

Introduction#

Welcome, interested reader!

You're here either because you got interested in the stories of Zeithalt, or because you're interested in writing your own stories, or you simply got lost.

Either way, this is your chance to learn more about the wonderful world of Zeithalt Island and its lore!

What is this document?#

This is an optional guide for the readers and writers of the Zeithalt stories. It contains general information about the world, its inhabitants, and inner workings of this world.

If you feel like you already have a good grasp of the world, just feeling intimidated by all this text, don't worry!

You can safely skip this document and still enjoy reading AND writing the stories.

It was compiled by one of the lore writers from all the discussions that happened on our discord server, reviewed and edited by other lore writers, and then approved by the creator of the Factions Game.

The main motivation behind this guide is to provide a consistent and coherent view on the Zeithalt Islands setting, scale, population, battles, and other topics.

Disclaimer (repeated once more)#

First and foremost, this guide is meant to be a reference for the writers of the stories. It is not a rulebook, and it is not a requirement to follow it.

The stories are meant to be fun, and the writers are encouraged to use their creativity and imagination to create the best stories they can.

As already mentioned multiple times, this is an optional guide. You don't need to follow it in writing your stories, and you don't need to read it to enjoy the stories.

I hope that I mentioned it enough times to excuse myself and write the rest of this document in a more direct manner, without reminding you at every possible moment that what you can read here is just... opinions.

And you are, of course, entitled to your own opinions and your own vision.

General Description of the World#

Zeithalt Island is a large landmass, with a variety of climates and terrains. There are no other lands or continents known to the inhabitants of Zeithalt Island.

The setting of the world is best described as "augmented medieval."

Most of the island is stuck in some kind of medieval stasis.

People use horses and carriages for transportation, and swords and bows for combat. There are no widespread firearms, although such - and even better - technology does exist in this world (more on in the next section).

As a rule of thumb, the technology level is similar to the late medieval period, with some exceptions made for specific characters and places of the world.

The world is divided into several factions, each with its own unique culture, technology, and way of life.

However, the factions should be seen as more of a ruler class in this world – their members have access to the best technology, magic and power sources, while the common folk is left to fend for themselves.

There are four major factions in the world, here are their names and some general associations:

Cybernetics Inc (CI) – a faction deeply invested in futuristic technology, with a focus on cybernetics and robotics. Sometimes lore writers add a tinge of a religious following to the "Great AI" when describing this faction.

MindTech Institute (MT) – a faction that focuses on the power of the mind and knowledge. Stories about his faction could explore topics of telepathy, telekinesis, and other psychic abilities.

Delta Collective (DC) – a faction that uses the power of chaos to achieve their goals. This faction is often associated with dark magic and forbidden knowledge.

Protectores Silva (PS) – a faction rooted in the natural world, with a focus on the protection of the environment and the creatures that inhabit it. This faction derives its power from the natural world.

There's also a new fifth faction - Cloudy Operatives – presumably built on the ideas of capitalism and free market, with a focus on trade and commerce. However, given the new status of this faction, their lore is much less developed than the other four.

All factions, however, exert the same amount of power and influence over the world, there are no inherently stronger or weaker, good or bad factions (although each writer usually adopts the perspective of their own faction).

There's a separate section on factions in this guide, so we won't go into too much detail here.

ðŸŠķ Writing Advice

Only a small portion of the population is actually a part of any faction.

With a very loose interpretation of the word "elite," the factions are the "elites" of the world, and they rule over the common folk.

Avoid labelling the factions as objectively "good" or "bad" – instead focus on opinions of specific characters, or views of specific factions.

Timeline and Time Periods#

The time on Zeithalt Island is measured in eons.

An eon is a period of time that is as long or as short as the lore writer needs it to be. It is not a fixed period of time, neither it is a consistent measure of time.

There's a curated factual timeline of the major events – these things DID happen in the world; they are facts that you can rely on.

As a rule of thumb, most stories happen either in direct relation to these major events or in the time periods between them.

There's also a generally accepted in-lore reason for such a unique flow of time on Zeithalt – the Timeless Desert. It's a place where the time itself gets twisted and distorted the most, however, it's generally acknowledged that the whole island is affected by this phenomenon.

ðŸŠķ Writing Advice

If possible, avoid setting in stone the specific time periods between confirmed major events.

Follow the timeline if your story calls for it, but leave room for other writers to reuse the same major events and fit in their stories in the same time periods.

Any events in your lore should not contradict the Timeline and should probably be on a lower level of magnitude than what's mentioned there.

Magic and Technology#

These terms here are often used interchangeably, and also hey are often referred to just as "powers."

Although the factions are often associated with a specific type of power, the powers are not exclusive to the factions. There's no rule that any given character can't have access to more than one type of power.

And even though these powers come from vastly different sources, for the consistency of the world-building, they have to be equal in their strength and accessibility.

The powers in this world are not distributed equally, and for the purpose of lore writing, it's safe to assume that population centers of specific factions are the places where the powers are most abundant and accessible.

To give a couple of examples:

  • In Admincity (of CI), the technology is probably abundant and access to the city-wide-web is universal. It's recommended to imagine this city like a cyberpunk megapolis.
  • In Neuropolis (of MT), most of the population in one way or another related to the Institute, highly educated and skilled in such powers of mind as light forms of telepathy.

And so on for other factions and their respective "sources of power." The powers are usually concentrated in the capitals of the factions, and as we go further away, these concentrations of power become fewer and smaller.

The existence of magic and tech in this world is not a secret, and it's not something hidden from the common folk. However, this begs a very valid question - why then the rest of the Island is stuck in the medieval state?

Consider the possible answers to this question:

  • The resources are scarce. For example, the full-scale worldwide production of computer tech might not be possible due to limited resources and absence of production facilities.
  • The magic requires great skill and knowledge to use, and the common folk simply do not have access to the necessary teaching resources. They have to feed themselves and their families.
  • The island is constantly affected by the corruption that occasionally outbursts in large swats of lands, undoing the progress made there and sucking in resources for containment and restoration.
  • The effect that the Timeless Desert has on the whole island may play a part in this too.

When assessing the limits of power, it's important to remember that the CR artifacts have to be the strongest on the island. They are nowhere near powerful enough to obliterate an army, but significant enough to be a big deal when used.

ðŸŠķ Writing Advice

When writing about the specific skills or tech used by faction members, keep your descriptions direct and to the point of the specific situation.

But at the same time be purposefully vague when describing the powers and origins of powers as a whole, to give other writers the freedom to explore and expand on the world.

Avoid setting narrow worldwide precedents and unnecessary constraints.

If you need to introduce a new powerful device or weapon that is stronger than CR artifacts, think twice or thrice about it.

Scale and Physical Properties of the World#

If you're looking for short answers, here they are:

  • Size – about the size of Australia / Europe / the USA;
  • Population – in the 10s of millions;

The specifics are not set in stone, therefore, not mentioned here and also should not be defined by lore. The rough understanding that the distances are in the thousands of miles / kilometers should be enough for most stories.

The Zeithalt World is big enough to have a variety of climates and terrains – each of the 25 lands on the island has its unique features and usually a different climate.

This vast space is also a reason why the factions are so spread out and why the common folk is so disconnected from the ruling class.

The scale and technology of the world lead to the fact that big armies are not easy to gather and move around, and the battles are usually fought between local forces, rather than large-scale invasions. More on that in the battles section of this guide.

ðŸŠķ Writing Advice

When writing about the world, unless it's crucial for your ideas – avoid setting precedents for exact sizes, differences, populations, and other physical properties.

Usually, the general vibe of a big city, or a long journey, or a vast desert should be enough for most stories.

Factions and Politics#

First of all, if you skipped right to this part of the guide, let me note that previous sections about the general world description and on the world's magic/tech are also important for understanding the factions.

The factions are the main political entities in the world of Zeithalt. They are not countries, but rather groups of people who share a common culture, technology, and way of life.

The very close analogy to faction that can be used is "Houses". In the same meaning as they were present in medieval Europe, or presented in the Game of Thrones, or Dune.

This is also tied to the previously mentioned idea that only a small portion of actual inhabitants belong to any specific faction. Exactly like lords would swear their loyalty to, or belong by blood to some House – same with factions in Zeithalt.

It is worth noting that while the factions are the main forces in the world, they are not the only political entities. There are also smaller groups, such as guilds, tribes, and other organizations, that have their own interests and goals. These, however, operate on a lower scale – as they are not present in the game mechanics, but could be mentioned in the lore.

At the very end of the spectrum – the common folk, who are not part of any faction, are usually not involved in the politics of the world. They are the ones who are affected by the decisions of the factions, but they have little say in how the world is run.

On the other end, if we go for a bigger picture, there are two entities that are bigger than factions – the royal government led by the King of Zeithalt and the Bank of Zeithalt.

King of Zeithalt is a figurehead supposed to represent the unity of the factions. However, the King's power is only formal, it's more of a ceremonial position than anything else. Factions are not subjected to the King's rule, and the King has no real power over them. The King of Zeithalt is an elected position, and the King is usually chosen from one of the factions.

The Bank of Zeithalt is a powerful financial institution that controls the economy of the island. The Bank is not affiliated with any faction, and it takes a neutral position and stays outside the conflicts between the factions. The Bank is responsible for issuing currency, regulating cross-factional trade, and keeping the island's economy running in general.

ðŸŠķ Writing Advice

When writing about politics in the world of Zeithalt, stick to the general outlines presented here. But also remember that the factions are not the only political powers on the island.

Feel free to explore the smaller groups and organizations that exist in the world and how they interact with the factions.

While these groups would be operating on a smaller scale than faction, they add flavor to the world and make it feel more alive.

Writing on the faction level is the most obvious idea, but for example, writing about the rival mafia groups in the specific city could be an engaging and a fresh story too.

Weirdly, the smaller scale sometimes could give you more freedom for creativity.

Battles#

There are battles between the factions over land, resources and influence.

In lore, they are often portrayed similar to medieval battles – where the foot-soldiers are actually fighting, get wounded, and there are inevitable casualties.

Battles are actual war.

Although, most lore is probably advised to stay on a brighter side of it – valor and glory and stuff.

These battles are fought with quite a diverse range of weapons.

There are weapons that are magical, and some can be compared to modern or futuristic weapons – MT mind-bombs and their CI analogies come to mind here as examples. But the majority of the armies are common folk, soldiers equipped more or less with medieval style weapons, augmented by the specific faction's magic or tech.

When it comes to battles, it's safe to assume that they happen between several hundreds to several thousands of people on each side.

Each faction employs some sort of the "elite" forces, which are able to move around quickly – these forces in game terms are referred to as Map Units (more specifically - garrisons).

Commanders in those battles are usually the same - players of the game, who are also the main characters of most stories. But the bulk of the armies is usually made up of local common folk, who are often not even part of the factions.

ðŸŠķ Writing Advice

When writing about battles, remember that they are actual wars, with actual consequences.

Here my advice gets repetitive: if possible, do not set any constraints on the time, size of the armies, etc.

Instead, focus on the emotions, the decisions and consequences on an individual level. Focus on your characters.

Characters (Players)#

Finally, let's speak about the characters of most stories – players of the game.

Discord users who are playing the game are the main characters of the stories. They are the ones who make decisions that impact the world, and they are the ones who are usually the focus of the stories.

From the fact that players are the ones who make decisions and lead factions, we can derive that they're kind of a local "nobility," the "higher class," or "elites" of the world.

The "factions are like houses" analogy mentioned in the factions section can be extended to the players – they are the lords of the factions, the ones who make decisions and lead their people.

This is why players are the ones who are usually mentioned in the lore, why they rather than NPCs get credit for what happens during battles and why they seem to almost never get injured nor die in battles.

Just like lords in medieval times.

ðŸŠķ Writing Advice

Remember that the above text in this section is just a description to give you an idea of what's going on.

Everyone personally is always free to role-play whoever they want or write stories from vastly different perspectives.

I would even argue that the best stories are the ones that explore the world from the perspective of the common folk, or from characters (players) interacting with such aspects of the world.

Yet another faction's perspective on the recent battle is interesting too, but making your characters go into the world of Zeithalt explore it is also a valid choice.

Afterword#

This guide is a work in progress.

What you see above is a matter of discussion, and it's not set in stone.

If you want to question or discuss any of the points made here, feel free to do so on our discord server.

This guide is not a rulebook, and it is not a requirement to follow it.

However, I hope that it was a good first look into the Zeithalt Island, its many mysteries and possibilities.

Enjoy your time on the island – and write some good stories about it!

ðŸŠķ ~ Written by Dino Saurex.