"What is, Dark Fantasy?" I can see how it might be confusing when I simply say 'Dark Fantasy'. Dark Fantasy is the name of a series of stories I write that all take place in a shared world. They're set in a high fantasy world. A medieval setting with magic, fantasy races, and plenty of lore. The reason it's called
Dark Fantasy is because the main characters aren't heroes. There's thousands upon thousands of stories set in a fantasy world, but most of those center around do-gooders. In the world of Dark Fantasy, evil reigns supreme and we follow the exploits of only the biggest and baddest of villains.
"You see, despite the fact that Alorna carried herself with the presence of a Queen, she wasn't royal. She wasn't Nobility, nor was she even a good person really. Alorna was a slaver and a notorious one at that. Because for every grandiose story you hear about a noble hero saving the kingdoms and thwarting evil, there's ten stories of evil prevailing. There's a hundred stories about the seedy underbelly of that fantastical world and the proceedings of it's residents and Alorna tended to have a large part in quite a number of those stories."
~Dark Fantasy - Alorna the Dragon [Chapter 1 - The Orc's Brides]
The world consists of a major continent divided into 7 Kingdoms. This continent stretches across most of the planet face with a large sea in the middle, as well as an ocean surrounding it. Throughout the ocean are small islands thriving with life. This includes ecosystems of animals as well as societies of tribal residents.
Each of the major Kingdoms is given a French name which, when translated, gives a little insight into the types of criminals that frequent its underground. However, I'm a firm believer that a rule can't be a rule without an exception. So only six of the kingdoms' names relate to their criminal nature, while the seventh (Araignée) refers to the Crime Boss that runs its underworld.
- Araignée [Spider] sits in the center of the continent, surrounding the large sea. It's the largest of the Kingdoms and thrives on industry. Nearly all of the steam powered machines exist here, while the rest of the world relies on simple technologies.
- Arme [Weapon] is a small Kingdom which sits on the border of Araignée. Its air and water is heavily polluted as they attempt to catch up to their neighbor in terms of technology.
- Drogue [Drug] is a run down Kingdom, ravaged by the drug trade. It lays on the opposite side of Araignée and mostly consists of empty grasslands, their major towns built along the border.
- Rouge [Red] is a lively, carefree Kingdom. Their cities are painted brightly and they provide much of the food to Araignée, Arme, and Drogue. Because of this, its residents are among the richest in the world and live comfortable, lavish lives.
- Braconnier [Poacher] is a jungle Kingdom. This is where Amazons, Fae, and Elves originate from. Exotic beasts roam this place and technology has no place in its overgrown wilds.
- Ombre [Shadow] is a coastal Kingdom, on the far Eastern portion of the continent. This is a place for Royals who hold no land. It's landscape is dotted by large castles overlooking villages. The Royals within these castles serve as mayors, collecting taxes and giving a cut to the Royals that Ombre belongs to.
- Magie [Magic] is connected to the main land mass by a large bridge. This is the home of magi, isolated from the rest of the world. While those without a strong aptitude for mana are allowed in this Kingdom, they're urged to live elsewhere as it's an extremely dangerous place. Rather than being governed by Royals, Magie is run by a committee of Magi.
On top of having a King or Queen, each Kingdom has its very own Crime Boss. These seven run the seedy underworld from the shadows, collecting protection money, as well as doing their fair share of misdeeds. Each has their own specialty, as to not step on one another's toes.
Half a decade before "Alorna the Dragon - [CH.1] The Orc's Brides" takes place, an eighth position among the Bosses was created for Alorna herself. She'd gained a large reputation for being as ruthless as she was beautiful, as well as establishing strong relationships with most of the pre-existing Bosses. They eventually decided to grant her the title of Crime Boss. As a slaver, Alorna is always on the move and doesn't actually collect protection money from any of the Kingdoms. Instead, she serves as an impartial judge when problems arise between the Bosses.
LINK DUMP
A quick look at the actual map of the Dark Fantasy world.
