Welcome, all, to the world of Project Annulus! We are a collective of writers, artists, worldbuilders, and other creatives, all coming together to contribute to a ruined world trying its best.
When the ancient Ur-Planet broke apart, countless peoples were scattered, clinging onto clumps of dirt as their last hope. Even the most powerful magic users in existence, the Mage-Companions, couldn’t prevent this tragedy, nor could they keep their order from collapsing. Their apprentices the Blade-Scribes, though unable to truly fix what had been broken, stepped in. Through years of work, they achieved a new harmony: a world of worlds, connected but separate.
But even this wouldn’t last forever. Tragedy struck once more, and the Scribes all disappeared, their efforts unfinished. Now, the various Segments of the Ring-World are more isolated than ever before, though their inhabitants manage to survive in even the harshest of conditions.
Despite this bleak description, the people of the Annulus make the best of their situation, and in many cases even manage to thrive off the destruction. While civilization will never be as “perfect” as it used to be, there is still a long way to go before reality truly falls apart. Current predictions claim that the world will hold on for several thousands of years before the magic holding it together will finally begin to unravel.
Before we get into the details, there are a few terms that will be used throughout the text that are helpful to understand. Here they are:
- Ur-Planet: the ancient planet that broke apart thousands of years ago.
- Shard: any piece of the Ur-Planet.
- Segment: one of the 21 largest Shards. Each Segment has both a number and a name; for example, Segment 10 is called Aeolia.
- Dah-Veh: a large crystal that used to be the center of the Ur-Planet. Now, it is the brightest light in the universe.
- Void: the outer reaches of space, which house powerful destructive magic.
- Voidstorm: the most common way this destructive magic manifests, and one of the most dangerous things the majority of people will ever encounter. Within these storms, the laws of reality break down, and magic often fails.
And now, let’s get into some of the things we’ve cooked up so far!
Khemia: The Glass King
Centuries ago, there lived a Krai, a bird-human, whose name was Rava. He was lucky enough to experience the clearing up of the Voidstorms that previously plagued his home, Khemia, and to see the many floating islands where he lived connect their magical bridges to a great, previously unknown land called Alpha.
The stories told on Khemia say that the Alphans attacked first; naturally, Alpha’s own stories blame the Khemians instead. Whatever might’ve happened, Rava was a clever strategist, and managed to turn a natural weather phenomenon into an asset for his army.
See, despite the unusually clear weather surrounding both Alpha and Khemia, this is the only period in recorded history when both Segments experienced storms that were not made of rain, dust or the Void itself, but rather of glass shards shooting through the skies. Rava was one of very few who were able to predict when and where these storms would strike, and thus became a feared leader. According to the tales, Khemia’s own troops weren’t hit a single time, though this is likely an exaggeration for the sake of narrative.
He turned the tides of war in favour of the Khemians, and eventually managed to conquer the seat of power on Alpha; the high mountain region. Once an unknown, low-grade noble, Rava had managed to earn himself the title of King of Khemia, Emperor of Alpha through his sheer intellect and strategic skills.
Rava, now also known as the Glass King, ruled over both Segments relatively peacefully for the remainder of his lifetime. Even centuries later, stories are told of him as a powerful mage, or perhaps even a demigod, capable of commanding the storms rather than merely predicting them.
Urur: The Sweet Death
Beneath the roiling red torrent of Urur’s unrelenting storm lies a desolate tundra entrenched in misery. Between the arctic chill and the volcanic ash, survival is as unlikely as escape.
Should you come across a warm and inviting fog that smells faintly of burnt sugar, this is not a stroke of luck. Your best and only option is to run.
The locals call it Maapa sacharaa—The Sweet Death. Its origins are unknown and remain largely unstudied. It is unclear whether it is of biological or supernatural origin. It manifests as a dense, sweet-smelling fog roughly twenty-five to fifty meters in diameter.
Know the signs. Always remember: T.O.T
Temperature: Is it warm?
Odor: Is it sweet?
Temperament: Is it calm?
If the answer to any of these questions is ‘yes’, run. But be careful; the fog has been known to create mirages to keep its victims inside until they can be fully digested. Survivors report finding themselves in a stone labyrinth, and some even report a mysterious mute guide attempting to lead them in circles. Remember, these are illusions, and thus can be traversed without consequence. Do not stop running until the fog is behind you.
Those unlucky enough to fall victim to the Sweet Death succumb in less than an hour. The symptoms in order are as follows:
- Intense lethargy
- Tingling/burning of the skin and throat
- Liquefaction of the epidermis and esophageal lining, rupture of the lungs and bronchial tubes
- Eventual asphyxiation due to blood in the throat and lungs
The digestion process will fully strip all flesh from bone, leaving only nails, teeth, hair, and a discolored skeleton.
Come Join Us!
These are just a few of the things we’ve developed so far, and there’s much more to discover. If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, please come check out our Discord server! As mentioned before, we’re looking for new members, and there are still a number of Segments that are unclaimed at the moment.