Runehack: Wineholm

Worlds should have a variety of places. In a world like Runehack that can be a little difficult, but even then, I firmly believe that it's possible to make up cities that stand out here. It might actually even be easier here, seeing how I have an excuse for the cities to be isolated. I hope you'll enjoy this article, and have a beautiful day!

Wineholm

Centuries before the morphers overwhelmed the wilderness, there was an ancient kingdom that prohibited the usage of runes. Within it, a small island was populated solely by people who were arunic. Once this island has established its independence from the kingdom, it has surrounded itself by walls. What could have been a truly preserved landmark of the old era before the age of monsters has been turned into something entirely different when The Spiritual Advent occurred.

Geography

The Antediluvia Jungle hides within it many wonders. The kingdom of Bedenblume is one of them, and it encompasses the Gray Sea within it. Wineholm is an island found in this inland sea. Its beaches are surrounded by walls, and a portion of it goes into the sea, framing a ship gateway.

Due to the Wineholm being an island, it has some space for the safe wilderness. This means that people can hunt for their meat in the forests, gather fruits there, grow them in their own fields, and find other kinds of resources too. While amber and silver are scarce on the island, it's rich in iron, wood, and other natural resources. Fortunately, it doesn't need silver, since it is surrounded by a kingdom that's protecting them from the morphers.

History

Centuries ago, the kingdom of Bedenblume has spread all around the Gray Sea. The royals who ruled the Bedenblume began their kingdom based on the prohibition of the runic magic. Over time, they noticed that some of the people were completely unaware of the runes' effects. Seeing these as the blessed people, they decided to gift them an island of their own, Wineholm.

Eventually, the people of Wineholm have forgotten what the rulers of Bedenblume have done for them, and demanded independence. When the larger kingdom refused the offer, Wineholm started to a revolution. Shortly before their success, the era of monsters began, and this has weakened Bedenblume enough to force them into giving up on Wineholm's island. Several kinds of rulership have been tried in Wineholm since then until it has settled into rulership by a trinity.

Years after the era of monsters began, a handful of denizens of Wineholm found out that they can see ghosts. Eventually, it was found that an elven woman living in the city was to blame. They exiled the necromancer to live in a tower. The problem kept getting worse, until the day when she vanished mysteriously. Those who could see the ghosts, labeled mediums, reported that the ghosts have started to vanish one by one, as the necromancer's magic was fading after her supposed death. Several years later, the island has gone through what's referred to as The Spiritual Advent. Mediums describe that the island has been submerged in a dozen of ghosts, who constructed ethereal structures around it and spoke many wondrous things of the outside world, beyond Bedenblume.

Structure

Wineholm is an island, surrounded on all sides by a wall. Within these walls are a sizable forest, a singular hill, several small hamlets, and a settlement built on the hillside. The round capital of the island nation, most often called Wineholm just the same as the island, is surrounded on the outside by the farming fields. It lacks a dedicated residential district, and on the inside, it's split into the following seven districts:

Alliance District. The southwestern district of the city is primarily focused on relations with the outside world. While Wineholm borders only with the kingdom of Bedenblume, the kingdom is populated by a large variety of smaller groups of people to keep relations with. It borders the Guild District, the Military District, and the Trinitial District.

Artisan District. Most of the artists and plenty of shops can be found in the northwestern part of the city. It borders the Alliance District, the North District, and the Trinitial District.

Guild District. The craftsmen are mostly concentrated in the Guild District, which makes up the southern part of Wineholm's biggest city. This part also includes the port that serves as an entrance into the Gray Sea. This district shares borders with the Alliance District, the Scribe District, and the Trinitial District.

Military District. The military of Wineholm came to be all the way back in the beginning when the city had to defend itself from the wilderness that surrounds it on the island. Quickly, the northeastern district became the focal point of training and housing soldiers of this nation. It borders the Alliance District, the North District, and the Trinitial District.

North District. Found in the northern part of the city, the North district mostly concentrates on the religious aspects of people's lives. A vast amount of temples and priests can be found here. It borders the Artisan District, the Military District, and the Trinintial District.

Scribe District. Science is an area that's rather new to Wineholm. Its district is populated by researchers and inventors, trying their best to collectively or individually understand the world. Libraries are for the most part found in this section of the city. It borders the Guild District, the Military District, and the Trinitial District.

Trinitial District. Trinitial district is home to most of the governmental bodies of Wineholm, most importantly the trinity. It borders all six of the remaining districts, located in the center of the city.

Culture

Traditional outfits worn in the older times featured legwear that reaches up to one's knees, scarves that were tightened up in the case of windy weather, and long sleeves that could be rolled up while working. I don't know what kind of material would they use for these, I'm not that knowledgeable in history of fashion.
All art featured in this article was kindly created by my wonderful girlfriend Arell.

The population of Wineholm is mostly made up of humans and dwarves, with a very small minority of elves and fairies present on the island. Goblins and orcs are unheard of on the island itself, so it is an oddity to them when some make it to the island or sail the seas. The first assumption of Wineholm's denizens was that orcs and goblins are humans and dwarves respectively, corrupted by the upper class of Bedenblume through some unknown magic. While the tension between Wineholm and members of those species still persists, currently they recognize orcs and goblins as living sentient beings, independent from other species in their origin.

Wineholm lacks knowledge that's common in the majority of the civilizations in the world due to their isolation. The runes are a secret art, only practiced by the mediums since they have near to no usefulness for others. Runetech is something that the mediums only hear about from the ghosts present on the island. While the existence of morphers as a general global issue is unfamiliar to the denizens of Wineholm, it's a common fact that the ruler of Bedenblume can shapeshift, and so can some of her soldiers. On the other hand, thanks to their abundance of animals and flowers found on the island, they possess a greater awareness of the natural world and its inner workings. While it's not as in-depth as sciences taught in the Avurai University, it is broader and taught in a way useful to common people.

Dichoarchy is a religion that's widespread in most parts of the world, ever since an expedition has reached the North Pole. However, it has developed during the Wineholm's fight for independence, after which the era of monsters began, which is why it hadn't reached this solitary kingdom. Due to this fact, this island is the only place in the world where the most ancient religion is still worshiped, with very few alterations. Simply called Faith, its followers believe in a single omnipotent deity that created the world and all the life in it. As its story of the world's origin goes, all life began egocentric and selfish, caring only for oneself and not for others. Until some of the beings realized that they do not like being treated as such, but to not be treated in that way, they must change first. The core belief of the Faith is that all things born into this world are evil, and they must learn how to become good during their lives in order to get into a good afterlife. Ever since the Spiritual Advent, the religion has adapted itself, and the priests claim that those who do not learn how to be good are doomed to remain in the spirit realm among us, only permitted to converse with the mediums, until they are ready to leave for good. The ghosts of the spirit realm are less about unfinished business and more about an afterlife that has to be earned.

To see the ghosts and the spirit realm in the first place is considered a blessing. Mediums are born with such blessings and are always encouraged to become priests. At the same time, the believers in Faith discourage mediums from having children due to a superstition that a medium gives birth to a vessel, which can be possessed by any of the ghosts present. Elves and fairies are subject to same opinions, which has lead to tension and founding of a hidden hamlet that's far away from the Wineholm's capital city. Currently, the number of fairies and elves in capital city is fewer than 5.

Some of the phrases used in this region, and traditions practiced here include:

• People of Wineholm consider the first day of spring to be the beginning of a new year. The local belief is that plucking a bloomed flower on this day brings you good fortune for the rest of the year. This is why people of Wineholm sometimes refer to a beginning of something as "spring".
• Every year during the winter, plenty of hummingbirds visit Wineholm, flying there from the north. This is why followers of the Faith say that hummingbirds are holy birds, bringing goodness from the north and reminding us at the end of the winter what we should strive for.
• "Elflike" is an adjective that came to mean "introverted, reserved, mysterious". "Fairylike" is synonymous, but it implies that the person hides their intentions or thoughts on purpose.
• The Spirits Festival is celebrated during the 7th and 8th week of autumn. In this time, people remember those who have passed away by drinking to their memory and using special dyes mixed with phosphorus that glow in the dark to imitate the visions of spirit realm that the mediums share with others.
• One common format of a joke in Wineholm is "A researcher, a priest, and a socialite enter a tavern", with the order of the three profession varying depending on which of them will be the punchline of the joke.

Subculture Showcase: Dichoarchy

Note: This section is not meant to imply that the presented subculture is in any way unique to or most represented within this city. It is just a subculture I chose to present because it felt most thematically fitting and it wasn't introduced yet.

Art Curiosities: I have yet to figure out whether the mask markings have some deeper meaning. Originally, the purple colors on the green outfits were an accident made while recoloring, but I think I'll keep it. I like the symbolic contrast between the starry sky and a pink-flowered meadow.

While the religion is not present in the Wineholm, most of the world outside of it is at least familiar with it. It came to be as an explanation of people's findings in the North Pole. For the longest time, people debated whether it's the star or the Mount Boreal drawing them to the north. Once the first successful expedition there found out it's both the ground beneath, but also the Still Star above, the Faith had to adjust to accommodate for this fact, evolving into the Dichoarchy.

All believers of Dichoarchy divide themselves into two groups, depending on which they personally believe to be the greater good. Those who believe in the Sky God believe that what matters the most in judging the morality of one's actions are its consequences and results. Making the world a better place is worth it if the benefits outweigh the costs. They wear blue colors with golden details that represent the stars. The believers of the Earth God claim that the most important facet of an action when judging its goodness are the intentions. Even if your action (or inaction) resulted in something terrible, you did well as long as your intentions were good. Their color of choice is green, with purple or pink highlights sometimes included in the designs.

Even if they both believe their definition of what is good to be superior, plenty also recognize that both are equally necessary. However, not everyone throughout the history thought the other side is necessary, leading to conflicts between the groups. This has resulted in the development of a secretive tradition, in which each believer of this religion keeps their preference of the deity a secret to protect themselves outside of temples.

Relations

Wineholm is clueless about the world beyond the kingdom of Bedenblume. Currently, its relation to that kingdom is neutral, as the tensions have cooled down over the years. What people of Wineholm are not fully aware of is that they have a connection to the city of Everling, which is sending its tourists into the city digitally. When the Everling discovered and started to visit Wineholm, the locals called it Spiritual Advent, wrongly believing it's a supernatural bridging of the realm of spirits with theirs.

Curiosities

The island of Wineholm holds many curiosities, some of which include:

• Cathedral of the Faith is found in the North District of Wineholm, and it is the greatest Faith temple in the world. It's rotund in shape, and its main chandelier is shaped like an arrow, always pointing to the north. Legends say that it has been forged from a starmetal, gathered from a fallen star.
• Hidden Elven Village is a village located somewhere on the Wineholm island, in which majority of island's elven and fairy populations reside. Some mediums claim they have found it, but none of them is willing to share its location with those who do not possess the sight of the spirit realm.
• The Invisible Runestone that stands in the middle of the Trinitial District's main square is an illusion of a great monolith of impossible geometrical regularity. It has the instructions for scribing the runes written on it, and it has been created by one of the ghosts who linger in the city, X8R. Only mediums can perceive it.
• The Tree of Peace is a massive tree grown in the Guild District's port by the former ruler of Bedenblume. It's a sign of truce between the two nations that has been planted there when Wineholm became independent.
• Tresethes is the palace in which lives the trinity that rules Wineholm, located in the Trinitial District.

Nixly Everglade

Nixly has been born in Wineholm shortly before the era of monsters began. She was one of the few citizens of Wineholm who could be influenced by the sacrilegious runes, so she spent her life researching two things that fascinated her the most: the runes, and overcoming the death. Once she managed to combine the two and perfected her art, she's been exiled from Wineholm by people who labeled her 'the necromancer', forever forced to live in her tower alone. That is until people from beyond the Wineholm came to her rescue on a strange hovering construction. The only thing she left behind was her legacy, and half a dozen undead, who roam the land to this day.

Nixly has thus been taken to a whole another city, filled with wondrous creations. It turns out Wineholm was unique—most of the world's population can be influenced by the runes. In fact, most of the cities have constructed marvelous devices using these runes, and they wanted to incorporate her creations into them. With their assistance, her creations have taken on a new form—scans of people's minds could either emulate digital ghosts or enter special runebot bodies for them to animate at their whim. The genius of Nixly Everglade has forever changed the look of the modern world.

Wineholm never understood her genius.

Important People

A few examples of the important people from Wineholm:

• Abaron Sevenshield, human, male; the head diplomat of the current triumvirate.
• Belixta Treesap, human, female; the head researcher of the current triumvirate.
• Caldiffer Starsteel, dwarf, female; the head priest of the current triumvirate.
• Jeribel Freestone, elf, female; the founder of Wineholm who started the fight for its independence.
• Nixly Everglade, elf, female; the dreaded necromancer whose invention started the development of runebots and digital ghosts.
• Ricford Allwill, human, male; a fierce soldier who fought in the war for Wineholm's independence.
• X8R, ghost, either; one of the most well known ghosts in the Wineholm who has created many illusory markings in the capital city.