Soleil

Written by strawberryAle

We sought shelter from the crusades. A home for not just for the Elves who feared the church, but for the men who knew it corrupt. --Raphael Tremble

We escaped the church's madness. Then we ran right into the Oni. I find the difference between the two hard to find. --Alderic's statement on the Oni, upon arriving.

Soleil is a Vank settlement built in the Smiling Islands, located just off the coast of Devkarth . In hopes of escaping the corruption of the Church, Alderic had gathered several thousand men and Elves and set sail 'Sunward', hoping to find a new home. Unfortunately, storms blew the fleet off course, sinking a single ship and leaving the remaining ships to sail past their original destination of Kalni, and instead arrive upon the islands beneath Devkarth. These islands were named the 'Sunward Isles' by Alderic due to their location, but are known as the Smiling Islands by the inhabitants.

The Oni

Lurking deep within the woods of the Sunward Isles are a dangerous race of nature sprites called the Oni. In Elven folklore, there are nature spirits found across the world that embody various aspects that shape and direct the courses of action taken by both men and nature itself. These spirits can be physical, embodying the earth beneath one's feat or the flowing river that nourishes the soils they farm on. They may also be metaphysical, embodying revelry, and the rush of freedom one gets from letting their inhibitions go wild. They regard these spirits with great respect, but as many say, 'Mother Nature is a cruel mistress.'
Just as not all men are good, not all spirits are kind. Within the ranks of the Fae are spirits so vile that the Elves refuse to call them Fae at all. Instead, they are called the Oni. The Oni are spirits that embody all the negative things in the world, and as such, feed off those things like a leech. Some spirits may feast upon the sadness and sorrow of others, driving men and women to tears until their body grows dry from their sobbing. Others relish in the kill, seeking to spread carnage and bloodshed. These hostile spirits plague the Sunward Isles, so much so that merely stepping foot without a talisman or seal risks possession by the creatures.
In order to combat this, Soleil has built several shrines as outposts around it, with special warding talismans and censers designed to repel any hostile spirit that may wish to bring harm to someone.

Demographics

Mostly Human(roughly 70% Human.) 30% Elf. Humans are mostly of Vank ethnicity. The population of Soleil comes the humans who grew weary of the crusades, and chose instead to manufacture boats to make a safe haven with the Elves who were being persecuted by the church. These boats went 'Sunward', in the direction of where it always sets (North, due west, in this case.) but were drastically knocked off course from their designation, landing instead on the largest isle within a chain called the Smiles. The smiles is located just beneath Devkarth.

Government

Soleil has only recently begun to establish a proper government. It is currently lead by an appointed baron, with a set of officials that are voted in by the citizens to help keep the leader in check. The current leader has still inherited his position from his father. When the colonists arrived on Soleil, they looked towards the captain, Alderic Tremble, as the leader. When he grew too old to properly maintain the state of the town, his son, Raphael inherited the mantle. Though Raphael is still considered a fair and skilled leader, he decided to establish a parliamentary system to keep not just himself in check, but any future ruler of Soleil as well.

Defences

What lurks and wanders the night is far more terrifying than mere bogeymen. --Raphael Tremble, on the walls built around Soleil.

Soleil has a somewhat small yet simple wall built around the whole settlement, with plenty space left for it to continue expanding. The natives, along with the Elves that arrived on the island with the humans, have constructed special talismans to place across this wall. Censers are pinned into the sides and frequently refilled by patrols to ensure that they always burn at nightfall, for even the talismans used aren't expected to ward away the powerful spirits that linger across the isles.

Industry & Trade

Soleil trades only with Shixi ; a settlement found further in the isles. Despite being years after landing, the inhabitants are still fearful of venturing too deep into the woods due to the dangers that are said to lurk within the woods. They find it a miracle of God that Shixi has managed to stand despite the strange creatures that wander within the forest of the Sunward isle, but are happy to make trade and attempt aiding them, for Shixi is what provides them with the necessary tools to help stave and ward off the Oni.
Aside from that, the settlement is very much so just focused on surviving on its own. The walls around it are more than enough protection thanks to the multiple talismans stamped across it -- no matter how haphazard they may be. Incense burns perpetually at midnight, with guards staying up until sunrise to patrol the walls so they may refill the censers and watch for any threat that may desire to sneak their way into the city. Soleil's industry focuses primarily on building up its own settlement and receiving stable food from the farmlands.
Huntsmen are revered throughout Soleil, and are frequently treated as if they were knights. To step beyond the walls of Soleil is to put great danger to oneself; it is a job that sees frequent bloodshed and missing people, but one that provides an ample supply of food and furs for the settlement. Expeditions are also frequently made to Shixi for trade, allowing for further growth.

Infrastructure

Soleil has a large lumber mill established nearby a flowing river. The mill utilizes a water wheel at the side to power it.The village is built centered entirely around the river and leads further inwards on the island, somewhat close to the coast, but not too far. Trees have been clear cut along the river to be re-purposed as both buildings and provide the fertile soil necessary to farm.
Most of Soleil's homesteads are kept behind the walls that were constructed around the village, as many are too fearful of the capricious nature spirits that haunt the isle.

Guilds and Factions

The Cranes: Named so for their usage of origami, the Cranes are an important guild dedicated to providing safety to Soleil. They are the ones tasked to stay up late at night, patrolling the walls both inside and outside of Soleil, refilling and maintaining any censers, while also replacing any seals to help ward off the corrupting spirits of the isles. They also help in manufacturing the necessary paper talismans used to keep everything within Soleil's walls safe.
The Scouts: The Scouts are a small adventuring guild dedicated solely to exiting the city to hunt for resources. They hunt for food and establish trade with Shixi, and are the ones that leave the city. Being a scout is easily the most dangerous occupation in all of Soleil, for exiting the city places them outside of the protective barrier established around it. Fortunately, the Cranes provide protective talismans, but even those aren't enough to ward off particularly powerful Oni.

History

When the crusades were sparked by the Church to bring all Elves to the sword, many Vanks saw the Church's decision as simply far too bloodthirsty and foolish. For a long period of time, the Vanks saw corruption in the Church and desired to segregate themselves from the elitist nature of the faith. Furthermore, their intolerance towards other faiths was seen as not only unfair, but unwise. To the Vanks, all faiths and religion were on equal grounds. The greatest argument within Vank history is that Wild Gods and Demons truly do exist -- and if such horrible or powerful yet divine things exist, then surely, their good God must be proof as well? To some, denying the Pagans their faith, was in a way, denying the faith of God as well.
Seeing the slaughter of the Elves tipped a turning point in the Vanks, and so, many Vanks, along with their Elven comrades, built ships and set sail 'Sunward', in hopes of reaching new land. When winds blew them aside from arriving at the Chain of Fire, they instead arrived far, far away in the island chain called the Smiling Isles. It took only a few days after arrival to realize the place was far beyond normal. What happened is something that will always haunt the elder survivors of Soleil; they spoke of their fellow men growing malicious. Some cackled, laughed madly, and ran to butcher their fellow men. Others grew sad and sorrowful, locking themselves within their homes to mourn for days, all for reasons unknown even to them. Even worse, took themselves to higher positions of power, issuing commands that made no sense to subordinates, while executing anyone who dare work against their orders.
It only took a few months for the Elves to realize what was haunting them. In their culture, the Fae are beneficial nature spirits. Creatures of goodwill that embody the very world around them. However, just as there are beneficial creatures, there are also those that wish to take what they want, feeding off negative aspects of the world. While Elves were frequently surrounded by the Fae, they never would dare imagine the concept of being surrounded by the Oni -- dangerous spirits that possessed men and sought to sow negativity wherever they may be, not out of desire, but out of necessity. It wouldn't take long until the locals from Shixi arrived in Soleil and agreed to help them with their predicament. They were provided special seals and instructed how to ward off the spirits, and in time, this allowed Soleil to grow into the settlement it is today. Though isolated, it now flourishes compared to what it was.

Geography

Soleil is surrounded by an enormous jungle. It is located in the center of a verdant green brush, though most of the environment around the village was clear cut into a somewhat flat and fertile plain. Trees outside are frequently carved with special runes to help further stave off hostile spirits from making their way into the settlement.

Natural Resources

Being found in the middle of a jungle, ample amounts of wood can be found across Soleil. At the core of older trees are a special vegetable called Heart of Palm, which is frequently used in meals made by Soleil. Due to recent trades with Shixi, rice, tubers, and lettuce have become a staple part of the colonial diet. Large cotton fields are also grown closer towards the walls of the city.

Wildlife

Sunward Tortoise: The coasts are often frequently hunted due to the gigantic tortoises that call it home. Sunward Tortoises grow to enormous sizes if left unchecked, and are said to age forever. Those hunting the tortoises often prefer to hunt for the elder, larger ones, leaving the young ones to grow larger. Recently, Sunward tortoises have found themselves in the pens of farmers, acting as livestock that are treated much like pigs.
Sunward Treelion: The Tree Lion is a predator lurking within the trees; the first account of it was seen as so ridiculous that it was at first thought to just be a myth, but recent sightings have concerned its existence. Tree Lions are somewhat smaller than normal lions. They are known for their colourful fur that they use to blend in with the brightly coloured flowers growing from certain trees, allowing them to pose as an actual plant before springing upon their prey from below. Tree Lions have flattened faces but have an enormous mouth filled with exceptionally sharp, pointed teeth designed more to snare and trap than to chew or tear. They have a pair of frontal claws and a long, prehensile tail that coils and unwraps at a whim. Tree lions get their name from the enormous mane around their necks. These manes can shift and change colours at a whim. Tree lion pelts are popular due to the bright colours they have, and due to being a frequent creature encountered around Soleil, are commonly hunted for their meat.
Pale Ape: Of many creatures and monsters lurking within the Sunward Isles is the ferocious pale ape. Pale apes are enormous creatures, reaching sizes beyond the norm. Their pale pelts blend very poorly with their environment, but the mere sight of one strikes enough fear in both wildlife and men to stay far, far away. These apes are fortunately not carnivorous, and mostly subsist off the fruit growing within the trees above, and on occasion, are known for using their long claws to tear into palm trees for heart of palm. Despite that, they still remain very territorial, and are very likely to attack anyone daring enough to approach them. Still, their soft, exotic white pelts are seen as a status symbol among members in the Scouting guild. They are rarely hunted due to their preference of remaining in troops.

Alternative Name(s)

Sun's Landing, Sunward Isles

Type

Village

Population

Around 2,000

Inhabitant Demonym

Vanks

Location under

Devkarth