The Definitive TVTropes Guide to Elvectica

Low Fantasy

Etherea was once a world full of mysticism, Tolkien's monsters, and everything else you'd expect from High Fantasy. As rapid industrialization sweeped the nation and spread throughout the world, Elvectica's mythological creatures have either retreated into extinction, or are valued members of society so long as they conform to the sociopolitical expectations and categories of humanoid beings. Sentient non-humanoids for instance, are particularly rare. Dragons are considered a part of religious myths.

Magic is difficult to control and reserved for the elite. The arcane spells are harnessed through reading highly guarded ancient texts, scrolls, and sacred scripture. This has led to a long, long history of Social Darwanism in traditional societal attitudes and political governance. As access to these scripts becomes more democratized and commonplace, ancient institutions and social structures have withered away, collapsed, or simply transformed; such was the experience of the "High Enchantressdom" of Elvectica turning into simply "Elvectica."

Magic in Etherea in general is soft, and serves as a barrier/antagonist itself. What little people know of magic are its physical properties, such as Ember Stones, which are highly volatile minerals that are used in place of coal or oil. This serves to explain Etherea's Magitek style. While it draws inspiration from Steampunk, particularly regarding the visuals of its machinery and cities, magitek is a more apt description.

The general tone is modelled explicitly on famous historical events, namely the Victorian era and 1900's American manifest destiny. This is particularly true about its posters and propaganda. Civil strife is also modelled off of the Age of Revolution in Europe during the late 18th and early 19th century, with very early communist and socialist movements gaining popularity. In Etherea, the equivalent to communism is Witcheric Socialism.

Royalty Superpower

The ruling queen of Elvectica is considered divine and holy, despite their power not being derived from blood but are instead elected by the Magocracy. This is a product of an object passed down—the Holy Imperial Crown—originally handed down to Raakel, the mythological first queen of Elvectica, by the goddess of heaven, Etherea.

This results in a perpetual adoptive ruling collective, since individuals with high literacy in magic are invited or forced into the fold of the supernatural ruling elite. It is particularly rare to find a commoner able to become literate enough to become a disruptive figure against the system within their lifetime.

Since the Holy Imperial Crown's magic extends the life of those who it deems fit to wield it, it is nigh impossible to reach a similar arcane level to the ruling Queen or entrench themselves in power. That also explains why Queens have such enormous power in directing the country and society, yet because they are still mortal it prevents Etherea from reaching High Fantasty since "victories are usually achieved through combat and cunning," not magical battles.

Having a long life and access to the world's most powerful spells and wizardry is a great boon that has helped Elvectica conquer much of its continent and even retain some colonies, but world domination is out of the question when other supernatural monarchs exist and wrestle for control. Simply put, it's god queens and kings fighting each other but through their own nations and countries. Kind of like a game of Civ, now that I think about it.

The Magocracy

The Crown Council simultaneously fits this description and does not. Taking inspiration from pre-modern East Asian governments, royal examinations are carried out throughout the country to seek out the most literate and adept fighters, bureaucrats, witches, etc., to determine whether they are fit to be nominated into a long and arduous process of becoming a member of the Council of the Crown. The council members comprise the nation's most decorated military generals, knights, statesmen, mathematicians, economists, spellcasters, and other professionals. The Holy Imperial Crown has the final word for accepting, rejecting, or ejecting members.

The Chamber of Sorcery is a democratic version of the Crown Council, and the general franchise elects its members. It is meant to act as democratic oversight and a counterbalance to the wills of the Crown. Their power is largely ceremonial, however their power is more pronounced in the internal affairs of the nation and solving and brokering agreements between low-level regional administrations.

Hegemonic Empire

The Elvectican Empire is your classic, run-of-the-mill, hegemonic empire that seeks to exert its will through exerting soft power, economics, and attraction, and is capable of wielding and utilizing hard power when it deems fit or when provoked. It lies in stark contrast to the Helmish Empire, which is more or less the shadow archetype of Elvectica and the embodiment of The Empire. Although it depends who you ask. Since the setting is focused primarily within Elvectica, the Helmish Empire is simply viewed through state-sanctioned propaganda, media, and cultural osmosis. Not much is known about the rest of the world besides those who are traders, navigators, and the ruling elite, besides maps and Elvectican education.