Lindin (Lin-din): The eye of the storm
In most regions, lightning that manages to make contact with the ground is a rare thing. However, here in Lindin, that is a rather common occurrence as it is a part of the inhabitant’s daily life to experience. Ever since the Gates have been entrapped upon each region, Lindin has never seen the light of day. Instead they are constantly bombarded by an everlasting dark storm that blots out the sun and tosses about lightning without a care in the world. And with a storm comes the occasional rain or hail. Yet with such a defining storm, comes with its other characteristics that come about because of it.
The landscape of the Lightning Region comes with a mixture of ashened flat plains or jagged mountains, all due to the lightning constantly beating at the terrain. Even the trees stand no match in this environment, as those that grow too tall are turned to charcoal by the lightning’s course toward the ground. Sea life has also stopped rising close to the surface and adapted to the deep sea, as the impurities in the water make it extremely conductive. Truthfully, only vegetation that sticks closer to the ground has a chance at survival, as well as animal life that burrow underneath the surface or find shelter that guards them from above.
The Gate of this region is entirely unique in comparison to the rest of the other regions, as much like the natural element itself, lightning is something without a physical form. For that reason, the Gate is an actual conscious entity that takes the form of a translucent dragon. It has the ability to be mobile and roam Lindin at its will, though can traverse no further beyond the region, as it is bound to this land as the other Gates are. It is extremely difficult to spot, though a telltale sign of its presence is seeing its eyes crackling with lightning that pierces through the dark clouds. As terrifying and intimidating as it might appear, the Gate is actually surprisingly docile and will not attack on sight.
Linnel (Li-nel): Life in the storm
Despite all the tribulations and perils that one must overcome in order to live in the Lightning Region, mankind’s ever so valiant persistence and stubbornness to conquer and thrive proved that they will find any way to use the environment to their advantage. As such, homes have been built with the sole purpose to be as non conductive as possible. Primarily with wood. Some have chosen to add an extra layer of protection against the lightning by living within crevices and inside caves. Regardless of differing living conditions, those that live on the ground level of the Lightning Region all fall under one name as a union, that being the kingdom of Linnel.
Some extra steps to make the lives of Linnel all the more inhabitable can be seen deeply woven into their daily basis. Their clothing, which is always either made from a rubber or leather material, some will even choose to wear regular cloth but expect to be mocked by a few people. All of which are to the very least, non conductive. Indoor farming is the only real solution to protect crops from the harsh outside elements, and with the sun being blocked out by the dark clouds, it limits the crops they’re able to grow. The people of Linnel make do with what they are provided, and are at least able to make ends meet with it.
Electric based technology
If there is one thing Linnel has over the other regions, it’s their revolutionary advancement in using the lightning as a source of energy, propelling them to an era ahead of technology. At first it started off as a way to combat the lightning that looms above by placing simple lightning rods around empty plains to direct it away from their homes. But they soon began to question if they can somehow convert that raw energy into something they can use to better their living conditions. And so, they built upon the lightning rods to conduct the lightning into a raw energy converter, which would then run into a battery that can store that energy they called a Power Cell.
This creation alone would be the cornerstone that would push Linnel into the era people now know today as the Voltaic Era. The people of Linnel would soon create mechanical machinery that would be powered by these Power Cells, such as airships that could keep itself afloat, so long as it had energy running through it. They would have actual running electricity currents in households to provide sources of light and refrigeration, making life all the more tolerable in a region lacking natural greenery.
One of the few machinery that would be an iconic staple to Linnel would be the invention of a smaller, but agile, airship suited for a single pilot. This small airship alone would fulfill a multitude of purposes. A common purpose was to fly directly into storms with Power Cells in tow to gather energy more efficiently, although a dangerous feat. Another purpose it was known for was its introduction to military use, as taking to the sky for combat was something out of reach for most regions. It is highly recommended that one should not carry steel weapons on them during flight, as mitigating how conductive one already is in a steel machine and high in the sky is a must. Instead, weaponized Power Cells are made as ammunition for the small airship to shoot bolts of lightning from a range. It is a true marvel to behold.
Work to be done
Currently there are three major cities that act in unison in Linnel that are invaluable assets to the production of lightning based energy. There is Spotter, the city based upon trained meteorologists that can foretell the potency of active storms within certain areas. Then there would be the city, Outpost, that would use that information to fly their airships into the active storms with the purpose to have their power converters struck by lightning that would feed back into Power Cells. Then the final step, which would be left to the city of Lummus to manufacture and distribute these Power Cells among the region to keep the work flowing and their people living comfortably.
Dinnel (Din-nel): The Floating Kingdom
With the aid of the Power Cell, Linnel was able to make what can only be imagined in fabled stories become a reality. By unearthing a gargantuan portion of the ground, and attaching gigantic propellers that were each powered by multiple Power Cells, along with lightning rod energy converters, Linnel had successfully made a flying kingdom that would stay afloat so long as it stayed within the storm. It would be a landmark that would forever etch itself into history for being the first. Thus building upon it, and establishing it as Dinnel, the floating kingdom.
This is where all the governing power would reside in all of Linnel, as the government, military, and king would choose to station their duties here. In truth, it was a guilty pleasure of theirs. Standing high above the ground on the first ever flying kingdom, and literally having to look down upon people and survey the environment. It would make any man feel powerful. Nonetheless, it allowed for communication and transportation for all to be all the more easier. If anyone had urgent business to bring, they’d know where to go, as no one would be able to miss it.
All hail the king
The king of Dinnel, King Shammos, had always been known to succumb to his people’s wishes if it is something he could grant them. A bit of people pleaser, but in terms of vanity, so long as they chanted his name in greatness. He absolutely adored when all he had to do was lift a finger and his people would worship the ground he walked on. King Shammos may have been full of himself and pretentious to a certain degree, but the people of Linnel could at least rely on him being rather easy to read, so it allowed the people to be aware if their wishes may be overstepping some boundaries. It was basically a balanced truce that was easy to keep track of.
It would be a decade ago that a certain event would forever change King Shammos into the tyrant he is today. During a gathering routine with Shammos present, as he’d occasionally, his fleet stumbled across a sighting of the Lightning Region’s mobile Gate hovering in the clouds. This being a once in lifetime opportunity, Shammos and his fleet could not pass up the urge to approach the Gate and behold it at a closer distance. The Gate eyed Shammos, being able to deduce that he was the alpha of the pack. Or at least in its own interpretations. And so it granted him a blessing. Perhaps it was a sort of gift of goodwill and peace. It allowed Shammos to peer into the Elemental Plane.
After that event had transpired, King Shammos had never been the same. His usually pompous and vain self had been replaced with a greedy and driven mindset. However, this would lead Shammos to gather his soldiers in preparation for war, as he declared their first act of sharing their greatness and conquest with their neighboring regions. Starting with the Air Region, Astana. Many were taken aback by the sudden declaration, especially with their king’s newfound resolve. But to share and show their great region to the rest of the world is how Shammos presented it, to bring the world together into a new era. Their era.
The Resistance
This declaration of war has set a great divide among the people of the Lightning Region, as a good portion of them have set themselves against their king’s wishes. As much as they’d be more than willing to share their advancements with the rest of the regions, they could never agree to the methods of doing so. Effectively making them renegades to their own homeland. King Shammos was quick to strip them of their machinery, imprison them, or exile them completely. He deemed those that weren’t for his cause to be plotting against them, a risk he wasn’t willing to take.
And so those that rebelled that were still left either went into hiding, or fled into the neighboring regions. However, finding any sort of help in either region would prove to be difficult. On one hand, the Wind Region would be conspiring with someone from an enemy region and trusting them could be fatal. On the other hand, the Fire Region places a price on desperation and services. So as of currently, the resistance stalemate. Being unable to act or seek help without traveling a far distance.
OOC knowledge: All hail the king part 2
During the event of King Shammos peering into the Elemental Plane, with the aid of the Lightning Gate, a wicked spirit strayed too close to the opening between the two planes, effectively splitting it in half and placing it on the brink of oblivion. And so the spirit forced itself into Shammos’ body, overtaking his lesser soul and consuming it with no trouble, thus the spirit was able to narrowly avoid its own end. The Lightning Gate immediately detected the bad magic permeating from the new infused being and fled the area, not wanting to do any more damage than it already has done by possibly doing anything that might aid the wicked spirit.
With its other half most likely gone, the spirit would have to find other means in order for it to become whole again. The spirit would look towards the Lightning Gate to undue what it had done, but after that event the Lightning Gate had gone into hiding where it would be difficult to find. The Spirit was able to observe and detect that the Air Region has its gate very much out in the open, so finding a way back into the Elemental Plane was easy enough. But in its current vessel, the spirit is weakened. And so the spirit now assumes the role of King Shammos, guiding his people through a ploy to fulfill its own selfish desires.