Embedded Files
A land fraught with countless perils, Helix’s endless dunes stretch and coil into a deadly labyrinth for the unprepared. Here, water is currency. Shade is wealth. Battles are waged not only against the many creatures hunting in its shifting sands, but against the sun’s fury, the choking dust, and nature’s cruel scarcity.
To the ancestors of the Aegles and Humans who first laid eyes on these desert lands, Helix was nothing more than a wasteland—a barren, desolate grave for fools who dared carve out kingdoms from the dust.
Yet to the hardy, towering Wyords, it is home. Whether within the Walking City’s thick walls or trekking across Helix’s searing sands, they stand unwavering, steadfast in the belief that their calloused hands shape their own destiny.
─────────────────────
CLASS HIERARCHY ON THE DEV'LOKA
─────────────────────
A Wyord’s station on the Dev’loka is determined at birth by the Family they are born into. Those born to Families on the upper levels enjoy lives of relative ease, while lower-level Wyords have only a life of hard graft and endless toil to look forward to.
Though the current Champion, Rho’don, has enacted policies that make it… not entirely impossible for Wyords to move between Families, this has only resulted in limited movement between Families on the same level. Ascending to the upper levels remains all but impossible, as Families on the upper level guard their status with unyielding opposition, ensuring vertical mobility remains more an ideal than reality.
─────────────────────
Sky Reach
The most prestigious level and the highest point of the city. Here, the ruler of the Wyords—known as the Champion—resides alongside their most trusted advisors.
High Island
Home to the noble families.
Middle Rim
Houses the middle-class workers and artisans.
Low Floor
This is where the majority of the Wyords live. It is home to the city’s working class.
Underside
This level was once home to a slave class. They would do all the dirty work, putting their lives at significant risk to ensure the Dev’loka’s continued operation.
There are no slaves now. The current Champion, Rho’don, abolished slavery when he took up his crown. While many of the newly emancipated Wyords moved on to other less dangerous work, some chose to continue what they had done all their lives. The difference is that they now get paid for their toil.
─────────────────────
DEV’LOKA FAMILIES
─────────────────────
Within the Dev’loka, the Wyords live under a rigid caste hierarchy built around large occupational castes known as Families. A Wyord Family (uppercase) is a major caste group responsible for one of the Walking City’s crucial functions. Each Family holds a fixed rank in the hierarchy: higher-ranking Families reside on the upper levels of the Dev’loka, while lower-ranking Families inhabit the lower levels.
Inside each Family are multiple Wyord families (lowercase). These are smaller sub-families and communal groups who live and work together. These families are not always blood-related; instead, they are bound by their shared membership in the same Wyord Family and by their collective responsibility to uphold their Family’s hereditary profession.
Before Rho’don became Champion, Wyords who were not born into any Family worked as slaves, and were known as such. After Champion Rho’don abolished slavery, these Wyords were free to seek other less dangerous work; however, those who chose to continue with what they had been doing all their lives were paid for their labour. These former Slaves were officially reclassified as Independents.
Although caste rank is almost always hereditary, outstanding individuals may be elevated to a higher-ranking Family. For example, a Champion may deem an Alchemist of Middle Rim worthy of joining the higher-ranking Doctor Family on High Island. In such cases, the promoted Wyord will be given the option of bringing their immediate family (lowercase) up into the new caste as well.
─────────────────────
Explorer & Wayfinder Families
The Explorer Family’s sigil
The Explorer Family is a caste of High Island, the second-highest level of the Dev’loka, home to the Wyord nobility. True to their name, the Explorers venture into the scorching desert wastelands of Helix to gather resources, chart safe routes, and document new settlements and undiscovered beasts. They are also entrusted by the Champion to guide foreign visitors travelling from the borders of Helix to the Dev’loka.
The Explorer Family’s sigil means “the explorer” or “the wanderer”. Its maze-like pattern reflects the endless, shifting nature of the desertlands the Explorers traverse and map.
The Wayfinder Family was formed when the Champion selected a small group of exceptionally skilled Explorers to assist in steering the Dev’loka. These chosen Explorers were elevated to Sky Reach, the city’s highest level and home to the Champion and their inner circle. At the time, this advisory circle comprised the Council of Elders—the oldest members of each High Island Family—and the Seer Family, whose members receive mystical visions, which they interpret to provide the Champion with guidance on when and where to direct the Dev’loka. With their elevation, the Wayfinder Family joined the Champion’s inner circle, taking on the responsibility of navigating the Walking City’s course across the Helix desertlands.
The Wayfinders’ sigil traces a constellation-like pattern, honouring the Wyords’ long tradition of navigating the Dev’loka by the stars.
The Wayfinder Family’s sigil
In 1836 AA, two Wayfinders—Kha’tia and Rho’don—claimed the Champion’s Seat in rapid succession. Wayfinder Kha’tia took the reins of leadership after defeating Champion Dur’gali in a Challenge, and shortly thereafter, Wayfinder Rho’don Challenged Kha’tia and emerged victorious, securing the seat for himself.
Champion Rho’don at the helm, revisiting his former Wayfinder duties.
─────────────────────
THE GRAND BAZAAR
─────────────────────
To improve the lives of his people, Champion Rho’don opened Helix to trade.
After negotiating with the Kurestian soldiers stationed at the Helix Outpost on the border, Rho’don established a bazaar there, marking the beginning of formal trade between Helix and Kurestal.
The bazaar proved successful, expanding numerous times in the years that followed. Quivtol and Ameranne saw the chance to establish trade connections with Helix and so forged agreements of their own with the now trade-receptive nation.
Today, we call it the Grand Bazaar, a name that reflects its impressive size and bustling activity. Amidst its vibrant stalls and colorful tents, Kurestians, Ameranneans, Aegles, and Wyords come together to trade, negotiate, and connect. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of the occasional Noxie.
Page updated
Report abuse