Arc 102 – Arc 132 – Foundation of Quacia
The origins of Quacia lie in the natural curiosity that often permeates the existence of mortal beings. Faced suddenly with a world filled with wonderment and astonishment, a great deal of persons sought to learn the causes and effects of everything that they laid their eyes upon. Whilst plenty of these individuals were satisfied with simple inquiries and conducting their own research, others determined that the best way to learn about the world was to consolidate themselves in a location where information and knowledge could be freely shared.
Such a location would need to be separated from any geo-political struggles of the world incurred by the various Immortals and governments under their purview, whilst still being readily accessible enough that scientists and researchers from across the world could gather together. Examination of what few maps were available at the time revealed a virgin continent near the South of Idalos, and it took little effort from a few charismatic expedition leaders to gather together enough fascinated souls to form the fledgling colony.
Perhaps the most captivating of curiosities came from the study of the Spark and the many abilities that it granted to otherwise ordinary persons. The discovery of a massive fracture someway away from the initial boundaries of the city further excited a great deal of would-be mages, and it was not long that the meager colony had begun to swell with the numbers of the mystically-inclined. As the colony grew from a mere research outpost devoted to a greater understanding of the world to a more permanently established city-state, it became necessary for a measure of law and order to be established.
A formal election was held, and it was decided that one of the original expedition leaders, a wealthy gentlemen researcher by the name of Edmund Arkenstone would become the first official King of the city. The political structure of the city itself was modeled after those of the time, and if the people of Quacia had known the struggles that would plague them in the future over choosing their monarchist system, they likely would have chosen to elect a far more democratic model. It took little time for the charismatic gentleman to begin organizing his newly formed state. Positions of power were granted to those individuals who had proven themselves throughout the difficult tribulation of establishing the city, and whose leadership and organization seemed exemplary in comparison with other members of the population, and these persons were granted the title of Duke. The Dukes themselves were given control over vast regions of territory surrounding the city of Quacia, and given the commandment to both subdue these savage lands, and procure information as to their qualities.
Arc 135-Arc 412 - Quacia Expands
Under the leadership of King Edmund Arkenstone, the city of Quacia continues to expand, steadily drawing an influx of migrants to its banner. Many of these are researchers and scientists curious about a great deal who are excited at the prospect of being able to share their findings with one another in a readily available location. Notices and invitations are dispatched from the steadily growing city to distant lands, calling for academics and those interested in learning to gather together in unity. They seem to come from other cities across the world, united in the academic vision of Quacia. Others simply take notice of the growing presence of researchers, and assume their businesses will be successful in the burgeoning city-state, away from any imposed monopolies present in their homelands. The trade conducted in Quacia does a great deal towards further promoting the city, as assorted exports from the exotic Southern continent are sold to the peoples of the world. Wells, devices, books, and educational treatises seem to make up the bulk of these exports.
The city is filled with the voices of brilliant men and women excelling in the fields of medicine, architecture, geology, and even in the understanding of the Spark. Government funds were spent to support the experiments and research of these exceptional individuals, further incentivizing their learning. In accordance with the desired outcome of learning all that could be learned, the infamous Seekers organization was invited to the Quacian area, and before long, a campus was established so that they could pursue their own studies in peace, protected under the sovereign watch of Quacia.
The Dukes of Quacia were simultaneously busy in acquiring and holding vast swathes of territory outside of the city itself. Residents of the gradually over-crowded Quacia promptly began to migrate to the more rural regions of the area, and soon several villages and towns had been established to hold the constantly growing population. With the growing population came the creation of a military and policing force responsible for ensuring that the realm remained safe. The Dragoons were formed, an elite band of soldiers who, whilst few in number, quickly made a name for themselves due to their advanced equipment; a result of the experimentation of both the Seekers College, and of the many engineers and scientists in the area being funded by the Quacian government.
Indeed, as the city progressed throughout the many arcs that followed, the advances that it made in a number of fields grew substantial. The constant presence of so many persons interested in learning and research led to innovation after innovation, and the Quacian Royal Family was more than happy to grant patronage to those whose creations could ostensibly improve Quacia. Though Edmund eventually passed, the lineage of his rulership passed on to other members of the Arkenstone family, and they continued to rule without issue. A navy was eventually established to deal with threats in the surrounding waters. A key point of notice in regards to this fleet was their unusual armament, relying primarily upon alchemical explosives to deal with opposing vessels, and eventually, launching these chemical concoctions out of cannons at foes.
Without a doubt, alchemy and the arcane creations that became commonplace in the equipment of the military and the city itself were the reason for so much of the splendor and success that captivated so many with the city of Quacia.
Perhaps one of the grandest projects undertaken by the Arkenstone family was the creation of a massive series of roads located under the ground. Dirt and stone were excavated and promptly used in the creation of walls and surface-side building projects. Nearly one-hundred and fifty Arcs of progress meant that the Underway as it came to be known stretched from nigh one end of the country to the other, and soon it was not an uncommon occurrence for civilian and military elements to use the streamlined system of transportation to more quickly reach the outlying Duchies.
Arc 413 – “All Things Come to an End.” The Cataclysm.
To this trial, it is not known entirely what led up to the Cataclysm that obliterated Quacia and its surrounding countryside. All that can be seen are the various symptoms of the massive destruction that brought the proud and splendid city to its knees, and cast it upon the course of ruination that it has walked ever since.
A great deal of Fractures opened up within the crust of the world, drowning the surrounding land with their arcane radiations. The city and its duchies shook with a thunderous roar that brought an undeniable silence to every living soul. Some tales speak of a great deal of strange and chaotic anomalies that burst free from the newly rent fractures, their forms composed of biology that was incompatible with all known reason. Beings which walked upon their eyes, which tasted the soul with a flick of the tongue. How much of the Cataclysm is true, and how much is the effect of mass delirium is unknown, but there is little doubt that something truly catastrophic occurred, and that a great deal of life was lost.
The proud Dukes of Quacia, facing something beyond all comprehension, fled to the city, bringing with them great droves of banner-men, and abandoning their grandiose fortresses and townships to whatever obliteration was sure to follow. As the roar finally died down, and the citizens of Quacia glanced around at the rubble that had over-taken so much of their city, frightened eyes turned to the King of Quacia… only to find that he had long gone.
As the roar continued for nigh a trial’s time, the Arkenstone family gathered together, and fled into the confines of the Underway, apparently seeking shelter in one of the Duchies on the outskirts of the Kingdom, or perhaps in a prepared shelter hidden beneath the crushing weight of the planet. It was an unfortunate occurrence which led to the collapse of several portions of the Underway, trapping refugees and fleeing families inside of the tomb.
It was the third cousin of the King who would be thrust into the position of rulership: Davin Arkenstone. By coincidence or providence, he was separated from the remainder of the family as they fled to the Underway. When the grand underground road finally collapsed under the strain of the Cataclysm, he was snatched from his would-be tomb, and promptly informed of the sad state of the city.
The Dragoons did all they could to keep order, but in the trials following the cataclysm, the sudden lack of basic necessities and creature comforts led many citizens to the verge of outright riot. Violence became widespread among the city, and robbery became the profession of many who sought, not gold and silver, but food and water. Many turned to prayer, calling upon their respective Immortals for divine intervention, for a salvation that would never come. No assistance ever came from the outside world.
Quacia was alone, and she was broken.
Arc 414 – Rise of the Theocratum
King Davin Arkenstone was a mere adolescent when he was thrust into the throne, faced with a disaster that had gone unrivalled in Quacia’s history. He had never been trained to take up the mantle of ruler, nor had he possessed any genuine ambition to ever take hold of the throne, and yet, he was the sole survivor of a royal lineage, and so all the authority of the broken city fell to him. The Dragoons in stark contrast to the rebellious and panicked citizens retained enough discipline and loyalty to prevent anyone from entering the Fortress proper, and did what little they were capable of doing to put an end to criminal activity. Martial law became rampant, and executions became a necessary cruelty to dissuade the masses.
For all of their efforts at establishing order, it is an unspoken truth that the mighty Dragoons would have been overpowered by the mob should the situation have continued to escalate. During the tribulation following the Cataclysm, a radical new cult began to form, well-known for their grim and dark theories on the course that the city should take in order to restore their former glory. Men and women who at one point would have been considered terrifying fundamentalists quickly became the model of sanctity. They spoke of a Wounded God who had been harmed in his battle with the Immortals many eons ago, and how he had awoken only recently from his catatonic slumber, his wounds still bleeding, and in need of healing.
The Quacian people, similarly shattered, could feel a kindling sympathy for the Wounded God, and before long, more and more of them gathered around these unknown preachers, listening to their tales of the injured deity… and wondering how they could achieve salvation. Rituals began to be committed, carving of the flesh to sate the needs of the Wounded God, and for all of the crudeness brought about by the new belief system, it carried with it a sense of community and kinship that was desperately needed by an ailing people. The violence began to settle… the anxiety and frustration suddenly being directed, not to others, but to oneself, the hostility pouring out of them even as their own blood was spilled.
Davin saw a possible solution to the irritation of the masses, and a secret meeting was called between the King and the leaders of the religious movement. An agreement was stricken between them that all matters theological and religious would be placed into the palm of the radical fundamentalists, and in return, they would quell the outrage of the people, and establish in their dogma the divine sanctity of the Kingship. Greed, not faith, rattled within the hearts of the convened preachers, and an agreement was stricken. An official sanction was signed…
…And the Theocratum was born.
Arc 414 – The Reorganization of Quacia
With the threat of the citizenry finally quelled, Arkenstone directed his attention to other matters of internal importance. The Dukes who had fled from their assorted Duchies and managed to survive the Cataclysm now idly took room within the Fortress, complaining of their lost luxuries, and no doubt plotting for themselves how they would manage to seize the throne. Work was granted to them in honor of their service, and each became the head of a department or section of the city in order to put their meager organizational talents to work. Leadership was once more established in the city of Quacia, and other matters took precedent.
The Cataclysm had managed to destroy many primary sources of food, and a strange creeping mass could be seen beginning to stretch across the land, devouring whatever it came across, and covering it in its vegetation. It was decided that agricultural pursuits would be moved into an undestroyed section of the Underway which had been safely separated from the remainder of the treacherous roadway. Though it took a fair amount of time to fully understand the intricacies of underground growth, eventually production of meals began anew, ensuring that the ailing storehouses would not reach an absolute famine.
Research and literacy fell in the wayside as the primary focus of the city-state shifted from understanding the world around them to merely surviving the disaster that had befallen them, and many professors and students took up new work as blacksmiths, farmers, fishermen, and other members of a more agrarian and basic society, their knowledge gradually beginning to fade from the minds of their offspring.
As time passed, strange and unnatural beings began to stride freely beyond the walls of the city, covered in the same Creep that had been seen stretching across the landscape. Some of these beings were notably hostile, others passive to the point where they would not even acknowledge the existence of mortals near them. Regardless of their level of aggression, it could be plainly seen that the Creep was a proverbial pestilence spreading across the land, and strict guidelines and regulations were put in place to prevent it from breaching the city. Dragoons who had once fought mere mortals now found themselves facing abnormalities, relying on technologies that were difficult to maintain, and even more difficult to replace.
Were it not for the presence of the Seekers College, and the work that was done to provide the remaining military with Wells for their equipment and weaponry, Quacia may have been over-run in the midst of its recovery by the creatures of the Creep. As it was, they struggled onwards, slaying abomination after abomination until the beasts learned to stay clear of their walls until they had amassed greater numbers.
Arc 489- Arc 611 – The Corpse King of Quacia
In the arcs following the Cataclysm, there was a great deal of sacrifice on the part of the Quacian people, but for the most part, they had managed to prevail against a disaster that would have outright slain a lesser city. A system had been established, and whilst there was little to go around for the common man, their basic necessities had at least been somewhat regained. The loss of many key parts of industry had left much of the equipment used by the Quacian people irreparable, and as this fact became more readily recognized, what devices had been made at the pinnacle of civilization were safeguarded, passed out only to trusted members of the Dragoons, and in certain cases, the Theocratum as gifts for their work in subduing the populace.
Eventually, the King grew ill, and it was quickly realized that the disease would be terminal. The Dukes, deprived of much of the power and luxury of their heritage convened, a scheme birthed between them all and brought before the Voice of the Theocratum.
And so, it was pronounced to the Heaps that on Ymiden 37, 489, King Arkenstone had passed on to the Wounded God. The people were further informed that the soul of the King remained within the confines of his corpse, and that it was the wish of the Wounded God that he continue to rule, for his body would serve as an avatar of He Who Bleeds. The proclamation was certainly strange, and there was a hint of discontent which arose at the idea of a fallen corpse acting as King, but it was drowned out by the cheerful jubilance which swept through the city: The Wounded God would be taking his place among them! Their prayers had at last been answered!
The Dukes, now unrestrained from the rule of a proper King began to act as absolute authorities over the city. If they had acted as a unified force, they might even have managed to shift the government away from the monarchal rule of the Arkenstone family, but in the stead of a stable leadership, they filled the city with their squabbling. Even the unity of the Dragoon force was splintered as squads began to choose which political factions to fight for, and which would serve as their opposition. The situation never technically broke out into a full civil war, but the number of secret murders and assassinations throughout the city more than tripled under the rule of the Dukes. The people began to chafe ever so slightly under the rule of the Dukes, a few critics arising from the masses and questioning why the arrival of the Wounded God was taking so long, other faithful silencing their criticisms and imploring them simply to continue waiting in faith for his arrival.
Facing a similar series of the circumstances, the Voice of the Theocratum went about the process of curbing undesirable qualities in the laity. Tribunals were dispatched to homes, investigating for any signs of heresy. Vices began to be crushed under-heel as well with the reasoning that such things were distractions from the service of the Wounded God, and that one’s entire being had to given in service to He Who Bleeds, or else his avatar would not be summoned in time to save the city. Those who smoked and consumed assorted drugs gradually found themselves without any semblance of a supply, and those who continued despite the shortage were publically whipped and lashed until they sought forgiveness. Lust was curbed, alcohol intake was very nearly on the verge of forbidden, such delicacies hidden away within the confines of the Theocratum where the occasional bottle would incidentally go missing from the stores… discovered later in the refuse bins of Heralds.
The city was pushed to the breaking point. It had been here before.
Arc 612 – The Heap’s Rebellion
Though it was true that a great deal of the literacy and scientific talent that had once embodied the Quacian people had been lost out of necessity, and then further squashed by the restrictive attitudes of the Theocratum, there were still those few scattered hither and thither throughout the city who read of the former glory of their homeland, and who saw the squabbles for power, the disdain that was felt for them by a pious organization of contradictions, a law enforcement fighting for assorted masters instead of for any semblance of law... and they decided they’d had enough.
The Heaps for the most part had been a relatively docile force since the introduction of the Theocratum, but after all of the things they used to relieve stress had been taken away, and their city had been plunged into the secret war of the Dukes. It took the spark of revolutionaries driven by their desire to return the city to its former glory to unite the Heaps. After all, they had always had more in common with one another then the nobility which now ruled over them. They had not entirely lost their faith as a people, but many of them had become disillusioned with the rules and regulations of the Theocratum, the promise of an avatar for their Wounded God falling flat.
It started as a protest in front of the Fortress. A gathering and conglomeration of Heaps who met together publically to speak of their disillusionment, to meet a compromise with the people within the Fortress. As time passed, more and more of those who were once passerby found themselves drawn into the cause, and a great crowd soon gathered before the Fortress. Production across the city plummeted, agrarian pursuits abandoned entirely for the few trials that the crowd had gathered, listening to speeches of those few literate enough to know of the city’s past, of the glory they had exhibited.
Heralds were dispatched to speak to the crowd, to dissuade them from their course of action, to instill within them faith and piety, but the rousing speeches and mob mentality of the crowd combined with their unsatisfied vices led them to weather the storm of religious fundamentalists. The Dukes, suddenly finding themselves entrapped within the Fortress responded in the usual manner of violence, deciding that the peasants needed to be taught a lesson instead of agreeing to resolve any of the legitimate issues plaguing their people.
On Saun 2, 612 a force of Dragoons were dispatched to quell the gathering, armed with the technologies and weapons that had made them a resounding force. When it became evident that the crowd would not be moved by a show of force, the Dukes decided that it was time to strike against the crowd, to force them from their position. Great blasts of fire from the Purifiers of the Dragoons were launched into the midst of the crowd, igniting otherwise innocent civilians, the heat matched by the sudden ferocity of a peaceful mob whose only sin was their disillusionment.
For all of the equipment of the Dragoons, they could not hold against the sudden surge of anti-government opposition against them. Whilst the crowd did disperse, the city now found itself turned against the Dukes and their soldiers. It became unsafe for Dragoons to even exit the Fortress, going so far that to even take five steps from the gate was to invite a sudden bout of mob violence. Food stopped going into the Fortress, and the siege continued onwards. Ruthless force was used against the Heaps, but they were far too numerous, far too convinced in their own self-righteousness to be quelled.
A mere season after the beginning of the siege, the gates of the Fortress were opened once more, and the Heaps swarmed within, slaying the Dukes under the watchful eyes of Dragoons who recognized that their own termination would be assured if they intervened. The next-in-line of the Arkenstone family was promptly instilled by the revolutionaries as a concession to the Dragoons and the Theocratum… though it was recognized by both parties that the Heaps had full power to do whatever they desired. The Corpse King was dismounted from his throne, his remains having fallen into mere bones. The Theocratum promptly began a campaign, explaining that the ascension of the Avatar would be halted due to the loss of the righteous Corpse King… but that a significant amount of piety still brought the chance of resurrecting him from his injured state.
Henceforth, there was a brief resurgence of heretics throughout the area, promptly stamped out by the Tribunals, and, as a concession to the Heaps, the creation of a new class of state-mandated sinners was created. Vicemen were allowed their own territory carved out of Quacia where they could deal with items that the Theocratum would have otherwise rejected, and persons affiliated with the religious organization were promptly banned from entering any part of the Lair on threat of imprisonment and revocation of their personal properties.
With a majority of the Heaps sated by the renewal of their stress relief, and by the direction of a now-living King, the rebellion came to an end… and it was forever revealed that the peasantry were stronger than the monarchists.
Arc 718 –Modern Day
Order has been returned once more to the city-state of Quacia. The lands outside of the walls are still covered in the infectious Creep, but miniscule outposts and baronies have been established further and further from the walls as the people learn to combat the abominations that come from the growth… no one ever expects the baronies to last longer than a week, and many don’t, but it is nevertheless a step in the right direction.
The current leader of Quacia is King Edmund II of the Arkenstone family. The Dragoon forces under his control keep careful watch over the Quacian area, ensuring the safety of the Heaps, though the actions undertaken by that same security force have earned them the ire of the peasantry they’re now sworn to defend. All the while, it is a public secret that Edmund II intends to flee from the dying civilization. Speculation has yet to reveal how he intends to manage the feat.
Radical elements of the Heaps continue to seek the glory days of the original Quacia, steadily gathering further followers to their banner with promises of ruling the city, not as a single person, nor even as a council, but rather as a conglomerate, a commune of each and every living citizen of the city. Thus far, it’s been quite difficult for the monarchist elements of the country to dispel these radicals, but the potential for a second secret war is on the horizon.
And, with the recent death of the last Voice, the Heralds bicker and squabble among one another over who shall next lead the Theocratum. Radical elements seek to dispel the system of vices implemented in the last Heaps rebellion, and to refocus the population almost solely upon their devotion to the Wounded God, whilst more conservative elements recognize the implicit danger of attempting to convince the people to abandon their sinful nature given the already volatile politics surrounding them, and instead seek solely to hold onto what power is already within their domain.
Yet… the city struggles on, as it always has… and time will tell how it fares.
