Category: Research

With little left to celebrate in Whatslef, survivors instead give ‘recognition’ towards the completion of a round of travel.

The ‘first’ Whatslef was the region within which Inse’s gaze first spared survivors before the first turn. It is hence used as a reference point, indicating a completed round of travel when arrived to or passed by again, and typically, elicits a range of emotions from survivors which span from indifference to general angst or actual festivities.

Rather than formally ‘celebrate’, however, different groups gradually developed idiosyncrasies/tendencies which would emerge around the location, with specific practices being the most conscious of them, and simple habits being the least.

Groups/Alliances:

“Barriguards”

Initially all the more on on guard in light of the increased Zealot activity, the Barriguards eventually came to recognize the relatively harmless pattern in their behaviors. 

Although they do not let down their guard, they do allow for a brief celebration of their own to commemorate another completed turn they lived to see. In order to keep up morale, the re-arrival to the ‘first’ Whatslef is deemed to be part owing to the Barriguard’s success in guarding Inse from harm, hence preventing any backlash from It upon them.

The Barriguards hence allow their members and selective family members to leave the confines of the barricade for the duration of time they remain in the ‘first’ Whatslef region. These temporary leaves of duty are scheduled among themselves and only last a few hours each, but allow for a much welcomed break. As the Barriguards are not a uniformed order, their members can easily pass off as regular survivors, and hence while out wandering the rest of Whatslef among the common survivors, use this to maintain a low profile and avoid unnecessary conflict.

“Zealots”

The Zealots are the only ones to actually celebrate, ever, in Whatslef. The completion of a turn, and hence return to where their new lives under Inse began, is marked by blessings as a holy day.  Preparations for arriving to the area begin in advance, and prayers accompany ritualistic reenactments of the days leading up to Inse’s arrival to the world. Regular survivors who venture near the Zealot lands often witness such spectacles, which, like everything done by the Zealots, are exceedingly detailed, specific and grand.

Often, however, piles of the deceased (those first lost to Inse’s arrival) would go missing in the days prior to these reenactments, and if none are available in the region, a small number of survivors would typically go missing, eliciting rumors the Zealots partake also in recreating Inse’s destruction of life, either symbolically or literally. No proof is ever found of either, but the disappearances persists.

The moment of breaching into the ‘first’ Whatslef is seen as the day the world was ‘reborn’ and ‘received by Inse’ ; Survivors beyond their lands no matter how far away can always hear the Zealots bursting into instantaneous, cacophonous festivities. These go on for days into the travel or stillness without any relief or respite. 

It is only when the duration of being in the ‘first’ Whatsleft is three quarters way through that the Zealots suddenly go silent, and again, this is used by survivors as another time marker. Intensified prayers take over every moment left remaining in the area, and most Zealots are ever spotted outside their temples. The few who are-those guarding their lands-are seen doing so without ceasing in their share of the worship. The chants, in some cases, are all that can be heard if one wanders near enough to their lands, and like the festivities, never seem to cease in their rigor.

Upon leaving the ‘first’ Whatslef however, the Zealots break out in a final few hours of festivities, and even those who despise them admit the festivities exude an undeniable sense of well-being and certainty. In essence, the last of the festivities celebrate the future Inse has laid out for the world, and hence, regardless of its unpredictable nature, is still deemed worthy of worship and thanksgiving.

“Airtroopers/Airfarers”

The best preserved remains of the world’s standing air stations and bases are situated in the ‘first’ Whatslef region, having been exposed to comparatively the ‘shortest’ period of decay. Still badly deteriorated-practically ruins from having also been the first looted-they developed sympathetic  value among the airfarers, who remember them from their former glory and their service before and after Inse’s arrival. When passing by these ruins, air vessels will hence expose and turn their weapons in their direction, saluting every crashed wreckage  and barely standing vertical station.

Should the turn end within the region, allowing them to dock, the Clusters will set their Docking Grounds within travelling distance to them and station crew members by the ruins in order to protect them. Vessels, primarily those confident of repelling any Saboteur antics, will even station themselves away from their Cluster and above the structures in order to mark them as ‘protected’. 

Unofficial Groups and Callings:

“Ritesmen”

The Ritesmen become near non-existent when within this region of Whatslef, as it is here that their ever-failing attempts to dispose of the dead are re-presented to them in its entirety. Having had the entire turn to devise new ways to set the dead to rest, it is at this place, where it began, that they set their expectations the highest; yet, they see their failures supersede them every time.

Initially, the Ritesmen’s ‘tradition’ involved patrolling and guarding the dead out of fear of them being taken by the Zealots. Over time however, their failures to do so diminished their efforts, as well as the remains of the dead left to guard, and hence, the practice faded away.

Among some groups however, a single body from either the long dead or recently passed is kept hidden and guarded in this time; a single victory, if it is all achievable, that they strive to keep. It is only at the success of preserving these individual corpses that the Ritesmen celebrate, but often, these celebrations are short-lived.

“Railfolk”

Most Railfolk tend to become more paranoid around this region and tend to completely avoid the East Peripheral rather than prepare the rails from it like they usually do. It could be owing to almost anything, and those who care to speculate claim it is from the region being the least suited to their rail construction, whilst others say it is because it is the most depleted in resources.

Whatever the reason, Railfolk generally become shifty and easily agitated, and like most survivors, distract themselves by reminiscing about the pre-Inse days, and fervently bitching about the post ones they are still being forced to live.

“Scavenger-Traders”

Scavenger-Traders go quiet around this region or time period, as stripped of most resources, the area provides them with little to carry on their trade with.

Instead, some risk wandering closer to the Zealot lands in search of any remains they might claim for themselves left over from the festivities, while others head further out to join the Railfolk in the hopes of procuring more resources or wares the folks’ train permits them carry in abundance.

Like most survivors, they have nothing to celebrate.

General Survivors:

“Survivors”

Survivors have nothing to celebrate. Their normal lives ended in this region where Inse first arrived to and the turns began, and so if they acknowledge it at all, it is often just in the form of feeling mellow or angry, and hence acting out if they feel like it. Typically, they  ‘celebrate’ by either:

1. Gathering to bitch about Inse and the life It left them with
2. Doing nothing, feeling nothing or feeling agitated
3. Spending most of their time inside their transports so they do not have to look at the place
4. Going towards the Zealot lands to chuck rocks, debris or non-threatening projectiles from a safe distance into the camps at the celebrating temples and worshipers.
5. Or carrying out mock celebrations outside the Zealot lands from a safe distance making fun of their practices.

“Extravs”

Assuming they are even still alive at the point Inse’s turn is on the ‘first’ Whatslef, Extravs have the least regard for the place, and as such little to no reaction or cause to ‘celebrate’,  having spent all their time elsewhere and developing no roots there whatsoever. 

“Riskies”

Riskies often dedicate this period of time to celebrating in their own way: Making things difficult for everyone else celebrating the end of the turn or not.

Zealots: True to their natures, they attempt pranks on the Zealots and join in on the mock celebrations that are often carried out outside their lands. Such gatherings by the survivors are sometimes used as cover when something goes wrong, and the Zealots momentarily break their festivities to address the disruption or eliminate the blasphemous activity.

Barriguards: Riskies also seek out Barriguards to harass for the heck of it, as it is an open secret that they emerge from their lands during the time Inse’s gaze is over the ‘first’ Whatslef. While most end in simple scuffles or at worst an actual fight, rare cases have seen members from either side being shot or seriously wounded. Those Riskies who survive however live to do it all again the next time round, this time with specific targets in mind to bother.

A less practiced, but much riskier, nuisance they provide to the Barriguards involve a screaming individual or small group of them charging the barricade dressed as Zealots in plain sight before tossing off the costumes and running away just before they get in range of actually being fired upon. Underestimating the safe distance has led on several occasions to serious injuries and on one occasion death. Still, the prank continues.

Airfarers: Riskies some times also go after the Airfarers in this time, and stage mock threats upon their guarded stations by firing blanks or false beams (in the case of the magically inclined) at them, before running away as well. A bomb scare was successfully achieved thrice over the ten years, but has since lost their effectiveness.

Ritesmen: A lesser practiced nuisance involves stealing or swapping out the guarded corpse under the protection of the Ritesmen, but very few Riskies do this more than once.

“Saboteurs”

Saboteurs are the second group to actually ‘celebrate’ the completion of the turn and often gather to share their antics from over the period of travel. The ‘best of them’ are usually dared to carry out the first big sabotage of the new turn, and this usually leads to multiple groups and individuals trying to outdo each other for the score. The entire duration of time spent in the ‘first’ Whatslef is hence open to this sabotage arms race, which ultimately became a traditional competition among them.

Although targets like the Zealots and Barriguards are occasionally targeted, they are generally deemed the ‘easier’ pickings as the difficulty of hitting them comes with the added advantage/’handicap’ of bragging rights to help their stories.

Saboteurs hence try to attack ‘lessor’ groups and regions to make their efforts seem more significant, and the results vary immensely with each concluded turn.

Special precautions against Saboteurs are hence taken during this time period, and casualties on either side can become common.

“Inventors/Alchemist”

Considering the region is where it all first began, most attempts at reversing what had happened occurs at the end of a turn. The attempts vary but often fall under the radar as none ever produce any results. Survivors often joke that the attempts are so pointless and futile that even Inse is never threatened by them, hence never speeding up Its turn or reacting in any way whatsoever to their attempts to magically or scientifically end It.

The inconsistent state and location of the survivors of Whatslef make it impossible to officially organize society into a certain state of order. While some groups share a common way of life, the majority came to establish an unsaid and unwritten, but mutually accepted, way of life and mutual coexistence.

Land

General:

Typically, since few survivors-the Saboteurs excluded-would bother or interact with each other unnecessarily, survivors usually follow along the lines of the following practices:

• Weapons are not carried in hand/leveled/aimed when within proximity of other groups or individuals
• Camps are not approached without the owner acknowledging the visitor’s presence first
• Scavenging is done in the proximity of others only when they know you are there, otherwise, the presence, whether welcomed or not, announces itself to avoid unwanted, impulsive conflict
• Vehicles keep a distance from others if traveling within Whatslef during times of stillness.
• Vehicles do not bear mounted weapons. By right, there is no reason to need them.

When conflict does arise, either as a result of the above going wrong or not being sufficiently practiced, the following is usually observed when others outside the conflicting parties are around:

• Conflict that may result in collateral is met with intervention if necessary, but only if the intervention is carried out by more than one onlooking individual/group
• Violence, when it breaks out, is restricted to the parties involved. All those associated with the collateral immediately takes on the side opposing that which inflicted the damage, and eliminate the mutual threat or threats
• Following the resolution of a conflict, whether by means of negotiation, coercion, force or a party emerging victorious, the involved parties and those associated to them are watched by other survivors. Word spreads fast despite the relative distancing survivors practice, as a threat to one may suggest a threat to all.

Barriguards and Zealots:

Those who carried out the first attacks against Inse were the first to recognize the consequences of doing so. Rallying together, they created the second and most formidable line of defense in the Fore-lands, the Barriguards, against those out to destroy Inse in the hopes of preventing the attacks from worsening the situation. They are stationed at the base of Inse Itself, where they have set up the infamous barricade.

The Zealots on the other hand worship Inse as a god, and make up the first line of defense in the outer region of the Fore-lands. Armed like any other survivor, they patrol the outer Fore-lands.

The two groups are distinct from each other but share in the same goal of preventing others from bringing harm to Inse. Hence, when within the Fore-grounds, the ‘laws’ of Whatslef are dictated by whichever group is encountered.

In the Zealot lands on the outer region, such is observed:

• Weapons are sometimes confiscated and kept in scattered locations
• Visitors are constantly checked on and questioned at odd times.
• Sometimes, a small company of zealots will escort the visitors regardless of where they go and what they are doing.
• Vehicles that are unmarked, or not obviously enough marked, by the Zealots upon entry are instantly gunned down
• Occasionally, shootings occur at random.

The region between the Zealots and Barriguards barricade however is a heavily defended, prohibited zone. Only a few are allowed across, and the conditions of which this occurs is unknown. The Zealots appear to understand the exceptions, but never explain.

Air

Cluster:

A Cluster consists of a collection of allied airships and air-balloons that stick together, cooperating and coordinating to keep each other safe and up to speed in times of travel.

Within a Cluster, the following is mutually acknowledged and practiced:

• Vessels keep at a safe distance/varying altitudes from each other to avoid collisions
• Weapons are kept disarmed unless the Cluster signals for the take down of a targeted vessel, during which only certain vessels will arm themselves
• Vessels assume a role that contributes to the Cluster in times of travel (Carriers, Signalers, Rear Fliers, Side Guards and Cycle Patrollers, etc)
• Vessels who are unable to contribute in times of travel avoid becoming a burden, and serve as runners in times of stillness.
• Failure to do so leads to the detachment of the vessel from the Cluster, or in the case of hostile/potentially threatening vessels, lead to their elimination.

Cluster-to-Cluster:

There are a few dominant Clusters among Whatslef which coexist at the same time. Typically, these Clusters are ‘led’ by a significant craft which sets the direction and pace of travel, and in times of stillness, determines where the ships will park, aka, the new Docking Grounds.

Between Clusters, the following is mutually acknowledged and practiced:

• Clusters are to maintain significantly large distances from each other, whether during travel or stillness.
• Should a vessel from another Cluster need to approach for whatever reason, it would have to do so alone and radio in as it does, or else risk being deemed a threat or compromised.
• Alternatively, the vessel may near, but stop at a distance where the crew representatives will continue by land.
• Failure to respect the air space and security of other Clusters would lead to all out battle, but as doing so would serve no one, this has yet to occur

Docking Grounds:

The Docking Grounds present the rest of Whatslef with a tight, interdependent concentration of armed air-faring crew members and their similarly armed families on the ground. With every individual out to defend their cluster-allied crew members, it is rare that trouble occurs if at all.

A sense of order does exist however on the ground, and any threat is either gunned down or detained by whichever crew is responding to it. Ultimately, it is up to the crew and their captain how to deal with the threat, and unless said threat is significant, the other vessels will not get involved.

Air Cities:

Air Cities refer to when the allied air vessels of a Cluster link up their common chambers through ladders and ramps, allowing for movement and trade between them for crew and certain trusted visitors. This is only done over the first few days of stillness to allow recovery time before the next travel to fix any setbacks that may occur during this period of vulnerability. It is a possibly the only occasion where ‘laws’ really do come into place given the sensitive location in the air.

• Any ‘crime’ from petty theft or cheating in trade to attacks is dealt with by the vessel it occurs in. Usually, this involves the individual(s) in question being stabbed to death or thrown from the air-borne vessel in order to avoid gunfire within the vessel.
• Should the troublemaker belong to an allied vessel of the same Cluster, the same is either done and followed up by a mention to the associated vessel or left quiet in the hope he will not be missed. Alternatively, the person/people are reported back to their vessel.
• Should the troublemaker belong to another Cluster, this would usually mean more than one visiting at a time. In this case they are all thrown out, but not literally, and sent back to their Cluster. A second ‘crime’ in the future from any member (whether repeating or new) of the offending Cluster is met with the original consequence.

Air Space:

The airspace of the Fore-grounds expand beyond the grounds themselves, and are heavily guarded by both the Barriguards and Zealots.

Air vessels that get too close are shot down or targeted for sabotage under the presumption it meant harm.

Since the Major is constantly displaced with each turn, establishing a structured social order is virtually impossible. ‘Authority’ in Whatslef, or rather, the degree of influence an individual wields over others, is hence measured by:

• An individual’s capacity to survive and keep up while traveling/Inse turns
• An individual’s capacity to survive everyone else when things are stationary.

For the most part, most survivors would not care to bother others (with the exception of Saboteurs), and so the second point is rarely considered.

General Nature of ‘Order’

Since most survivors do not typically bother each other, focusing instead on their own independent survival, few to no social orders or hierarchies exist. Instead, an unsaid and unwritten, but mutually accepted, way of life and co-existence is practiced:

• Weapons are not carried in hand when within proximity of other groups/individuals
• Camps are not approached without the owner acknowledging the visitor’s presence first
• Scavenging may be done in the proximity of others if they know you are there, otherwise, the presence, whether welcomed or not, announces itself to avoid unwanted, impulsive conflict
• Conflict can be met with intervention, but only if the intervention is carried out by more than one onlooking individual/group
• Violence, when it breaks out, is restricted to the parties involved. All those associated with the collateral immediately takes on the side opposing those who inflicted the damage, and eliminate the mutual threat or threats

Significant ‘Authorities’/Influences

THE big ONE

The largest, fastest and most able airship, THE big ONE is the last air faring craft that would ever be threatened by Inse or the other survivors.

Given its capacity to outrun the Blindlands and help other ships to do so, the airship is respected and even protected by the allied crafts that travel with it as a part of its cluster.

While the captains of these allied ships do not take orders from the (virtually unknown) captain of THE big ONE, and in fact fly independently, they do follow on THE big ONE’s lead and gauge their altitudes and flight paths based on its flight. This can be seen in how THE big ONE leads the cluster in times of travel; its every turn, change in velocity and change in altitude is mimicked by its cluster, and upon settling into a new period of stillness, the cluster spreads out to allow THE big ONE choice of docking air space before closing in again to dock themselves around it.

Rare instances, assumed to be caused by specific repair needs, have also seen THE big ONE descend onto the ground. In such instances, the allied air vessels distribute themselves around it at varying heights whilst crew members station themselves on the ground to guard its perimeter. While crew members of THE big ONE itself are seen stationed around it, it is the allied crews who form the first ring of defense. Among ground based survivors and other air faring clusters alike, it is known that this was never an official condition upon allied vessels to THE big ONE, but rather, a practice that manifested mutually among them over time.

Captain Sergo

Following the destruction of his craft and the loss of his crew after Inse’s gaze outruns them, Captain Sergo openly gave into his rage and began rallying together everyone and anyone who wished to partake in his plan to take down Inse once and for all.

Formerly established in reputation and significance as one of the rear fliers of his associated cluster, Sergo’s craft was relied upon for saving any ships that fell behind or experienced crew-endangering malfunctions during travel. Unable to keep up after Inse’s turn began to speed up without warning, however, Sergo’s craft fell behind into the trailing East Peripheral, and then into the Blindlands, causing it to crash down into the Major ahead. Only he is recovered barely alive in the East Peripheral. The fate of his crew is unknown, the prospects grim.

Restored in the Major, he reacquires his influence almost immediately and becomes the new voice of victory over Inse. The reasons, presently obscure to most, are expected to reveal themselves as the plan unfolds.

Land

Mechanical

Transport vehicles are made up completely of mechanical parts and fueled by steam powered engines of varying internal configurations. That or they are driven by combustion engines customized from salvaged parts left behind following Inse’s destruction. New parts are easy to acquire and fuel sources are in relative abundance considering the severely reduced population still alive and demanding them. Owing to that advantage, many are able to gather enough resources to power basic jet engines for times of emergency when speed becomes vital to survival.

Alternatively, some transports are completely independent of fuel, instead functioning off a multitude of intricate combinations of specially designed gears, suspenders, chains, pulleys, pistons and the likes that allow the users to travel as if on semi-or completely-automated stilts or bikes. Relying on momentum, some of these bizarre contraptions almost drive themselves forward and over the mounds of debris and dead, giving the users an elevated means of travel.

Magic

In the beginning it was relatively easy for survivors learned in a branch of magic to manipulate their powers over long periods of steady travel. Whether manipulating a platform with unseen forces, utilizing raw power to soar or launch themselves forward and over obstacles, or outright teleporting short distances, the slow rate of Inse’s turn allowed for brief recovery stops, enabling continued travel through magic. However, the extended traveling time and increased pace of Inse’s turn have since forced such means into extinction ten years later, and although a select few are still able to keep up, many have reverted to combining their magic with technology.

Mechanical and Magic

Many survivors able in magic presently use combinations of fuel combustion to drive a magically manipulated platform, magic to heat and power advanced Stirling-esque engines attached to motors, and everything else fathomable in between. As long as on side of the trade is able to make the other move, it exists in the world of Whatslef.

The Railfolk Tracks

Over the years, some of the more practical of survivors, eventually coined Railfolk, situated in the End-lands started creating train tracks that would run from the East Peripheral to the West in order to give the Eastern dwellers a better chance at getting away. The train, running on whatever was best recovered from the region, would be placed a distance from the edge of the East Peripheral while the tracks, built the last time they were there and since rusted away, recovered under Inse’s gaze. Upon the beginnings of Inse’s shift, the train would leave the East Peripheral without any stops until it reached the West. The rest of the way is independent to the survivors.

Air

Air-based vessels often band together in allied clusters that travel and dock together. Usually, this would consist of:

• The ‘leading’, most prominent ship, usually an airship, who will typically lead the others in their travel route and determine the Docking Grounds.
• Allied ships who make up the rest of the cluster and link the crafts together during times of stillness. These include the air balloons who in more organized clusters help to carry additional cargo
• Signalers who track the movement of the cluster and measure the speed of Inse’s turn in order to relay any changes or problems to the others.
• Rear guards; fast and more able ships who deliberately hang back in order to come to the aid of any cluster member in danger of falling behind.

Airships

Airships had already been used prior to Inse’s arrival, and over the years after, advanced into the massive-sometimes mini and private-air faring vessels that fill the sky in allied cluster fleets. Propelled by advanced jets, magic propulsion, etc, they are the main and most reliable means of transport in Whatslef, anchoring down during times of stillness and forming temporary ‘cities’ in the sky from their ties to each other.

Their interiors transit from the more industrialized, important parts of the ship (main deck/maintenance/fueling sectors) to the more communal sectors, which in larger ships can even include a market where allied air-farers and their passengers set up trade.

Air Balloons

Air balloons are mocked as the lesser rulers of the sky by ground travellers, but in reality, are respected as equal farers to the airships. Relying on alternative fuel sources or more intricate and complicated mechanics, they are less dependent on magic and considerably more maneuverable that the looming airships. Although less matched in speed, their abilities to serve as passenger, cargo and resource carriers earn them a place among selective airship fleets.

Gliders

A common and some times only means of travelling from one air vessel to another during both times of transport and docking. Colored according to affiliation, they are permitted to glide down to lower flying crafts and are inbuilt with simple jets to enable fly up to higher ones. Similar to hang gliders, they take on multiple forms and are best used for short distances (or for fun when airfarers have nothing else to do.).

Aquatic

‘Boats’

 Boats are extremely rare and risky in the world of Whatslef, as the waters demands its own rules in navigating which do not always comply with the nature of Inse’s gaze. Rather than directly running away from the Blindlands as Inse turns, they have to go around and sometimes under at the cost of precious time and ground needed to be covered.

Of the boats that do exist however, they are automated to take a specific pre-determined path in order to ensure a higher chance of getting between two locations in times of stillness. In times of travel, they are usually packed up for the road or abandoned altogether.