The Magick of Taliah: Elemental, Emotional, Spiritual

“Unlike what rests within us, upon this great blue ball of Taliah we call home beats its heart. We are the soul that shapes this world and it is by our magicked hands we craft our tales. Mav’n Loraent’s parables were instrumental in lifting us from our caves and hovels in the early 300th century and even some 500 years later, we live by them.”

These words were scripted by Zin Tao in an effort to explain the long dead poet, prophet, and philosopher, Mav'n Loraent's motives in crafting an endless ensemble of parables. In those days, unraveling the mysteries of the world was less scientific and far more spiritual. But, centuries later, the people of Taliah would come to understand fundamental truths about their world: Magick was nearly all important in every aspect.

In Taliah, Magick is not rare. While only a segment of people across the world are blessed with the ability to control it innately, everyone benefits from the blessings that magick provides. Those who have control, however, tend to lead elevated lives - at least in Procoline Kingdom.

In total, there are three forms that Magick takes. The most common and the one most beneficial to all is Elemental. Harnessing the power of fire, water, earth, and wind, innate wielders and devices fueled by Elemental magick serve to enrich everyone's lives. Whether it's fire and air forming electricity to power vehicles or lights; earth, water, and fire forging building materials; or the command of fire and water to lift vessels skyward, Elemental magick is part of every day life in the whole of Taliah, as well as Procoline Kingdom. For a user, it manifests early, when they're young, and classes help mold the wielder into a productive member of society.

Where Elemental is more common than the second form, with one in six or seven people born as a wielder, Spiritual magick is rare by comparison. In fact, only Procoline Kingdom employs those who can wield Spiritual magick, its presence absent in all other places in the world. Unlike those with command of Elemental, Spiritual magick appears only among the Procoline elite, employed primarily by the Jaixia Knight Division, which is the official military arm of the Procoline Kingdom. It also is employed by the Blades of Oa, a femme assassin group that uses tactics to quell rebellions, hunt wayward magick users, and more. Unlike Elemental, which draws outwardly, Spiritual magick pulls from the beliefs of its user and those around them, working to manifest objects for use. And it's also instrumental in maintaining Procoline Kingdom's powerful status among world powers: Spiritual magick is the foil to Elemental.

See, in the world of Taliah, while Elemental magick is the most common, Spiritual's rarity is powerful, as its nullification of Elemental can bring entire armies of Elemental users to their knees. Thus, the armies of Procoline Kingdom can thwart those of other nations, employing their Knights to snare and dampen the weapons, devices, and participants of another's army. And the Blades of Oa can retrieve any Elemental wielder who has flights of fancy.

Except, there is one more form of magick, which is the rarest of all: Emotional. While innate Elemental users number in the millions out of a potential billion or more who live in the world of Taliah and Spiritual counts itself lucky with several thousand, it is theorized that only a few dozen claim Emotional magick as their own. No one knows when, where, how, or why Emotional magick users come to fruition, only that when they do, it is a powerful moment that shapes history; either theirs or those around them. And their abilities? No one is certain. However, Emotional magick wielders are seen as guardians, stewards of the lands in which they reside and none know this as intimately as Procoline Kingdom. Where once they sought to invade their southern neighbor, Shehroz Kingdom, they lost nearly a thousand soldiers in a blink when a single Emotional user slew them but with a thought, dismantling and destroying their armaments with ease. They also lost a portion of their northern most lands to the Warukem Sovereignty, who employed numerous Emotional wielders to keep Procoline at bay.

But Emotional can be outdone by Elemental. If Procoline were to flex its might as an Elemental nation, they would find themselves in a war of attrition with others, who employ similarly skilled tacticians.

Herein lies the Trifecta, a world of Elemental bowing to Spiritual that is frightened of the Emotional. Around and around they go. Welcome to the world of Taliah.

The Myriad Places and Peoples of Taliah

A map of the world of Taliah that lists the capitals and kingdoms.

“While the nation of roses may seem like a kingdom of sand, its lush, mountainous regions are home to all manner of fauna and flora that exist nowhere else in the world. It is here that Shehroz Kingdom is different from its northern neighbor, Procoline, a kingdom of iron, steel, and temperate climes.” - The Rise and Fall of Monarchies Volume III by Merri Pom

Taliah is a world full of different peoples and lands, owing its diversity to the varied geography and magicks populating the world. Whether its the Magick-led and steel reinforced Procoline Kingdom, the clan-based island Kingdom of Uchuu-Ain, or magickless peninsula nation of Na'aefume, Taliah reflects the tastes, passions, and motivations of its peoples.

There will be time enough to learn about all of the nations and places the world has to offer but there are two which play an important role in our tale: Procoline Kingdom and Shehroz Kingdom, two bickering sisters forever at odds with one another.

Procoline Kingdom is governed by Elemental Magick, producing and trading devices fueled by the elements. They are also the only nation with users of Spiritual Magick, though this strength is kept in check by their Emotional Magick wielding neighbors. Procoline is a temperate clime nation with rolling hills, large rivers that were at the heart of trade in its infancy, and mountain ranges to the east, west, and north. However, in recent years, hyper speed rail has connected the kingdom's distant locales, ferreting goods and people the space of hours or days, instead of the weeks of yesteryear.

At its heart is the capital city of Jaixia, a massive, modern city with skyscrapers, apartment buildings, and more. Other notable towns include Forsyth, Diadem, Madeline, Avery, and Laepro. Both the primary governmental buildings as well as the Jaixia Knight Division, the largest military in the world, call Jaixia home. It is also in Jaixia that our story beings. We will get to that soon enough.

In contrast, Shehroz Kingdom is partly desert, partly gorgeous mountains and lush jungles. South of Procoline, Shehroz is a peaceful kingdom, whose monarchy rules with open diplomacy and voting rights. It is called The Kingdom of Roses for its unassuming and beautiful ability to disarm its opponents with culture and civility. It also helps that they hold the most Emotional Magick wielders in the world, a fact that is not lost on its northern neighbor and frequent opponent in all arenas, save war, Procoline.

Shehroz also benefits from hyper speed rail, allowing companies in Procoline to build into their nation. Now they have the largest network in the world, with branches connecting the country to others both near and far. The capital of Cantolise sits in the heart of the desert atop the largest oasis in the world, enjoying both the natural hot springs and clean waters the city is known for. It is also here that the second largest banking institution in the world can be found. Other cities like Awash, Raefway,  Millaboss, and Tar-tanna offer varied and exhilarating experience across the kingdom.

Though the governments of these two sister nations are at perpetual odds with one another, their peoples still love one another, though Shehrozans are discriminated against regularly in Procoline. Still, peoples pass freely between the two nations without much incident. The same can not always be said for other nations around the world, lands, for instance,  like the Warukem Sovereignty, an ex-colony of Procoline that won its independence. Still, many more lands await, like The Confederation of Trade, an establishment of municipality for Procoline, Shehroz, Warukem, and Uchuu-Ain; Na'aefume, a nation that uses not magick but science to forge its future; and the Vinemount Provinces, a little populated land in the Deep South. Soon, there will be more to learn. For now, welcome to Taliah.