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====== Hybora Free States ======
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^ {{ :shards:hyborean_flag_small.png |}} ||
^ **Nation Info** ||
^ Motto | "As Hybora Wills It" |
^ ~~MAP|maps:calliope|2597, 2540|-2~~ ||
^ **Home System** | [[locations:hybora|Hybora]] |
^ Capital | The [[locations:hybora:argent_ring|Argent Ring]], Hybora |
^ Official Language | Hyboric |
^ Species | [[species:hyborean]] |
^ Government | Anarchic Republic |
^ Strengths | Binding Magic, Indomitable Spirit |
^ Weaknesses | Disorganized, Uneducated |
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<note important>
Work In Progress
</note>

The **Hybora Free States** is a collection of settlements, colonies, and fleets led by a Captain's Council. It is comprised primarily of [[species:hyborean|Hyboreans]] and immigrant sentients. Those who have spent most of their life within the Hybora system, or any territory held outside of it, call themselves the 'starfolk'.

Originating from the water world of [[location:hyborea|Hyborea]], its culture and politics are heavily influenced by the ancient sailing and mercantile spirit of their once-terrestrial people. Now, with colonies existing around nearly every major heavenly body within their system, their culture continues to be based around trade between distant locations - and all the things that can happen to that trade along the way.

Hyboreans are highly reliant upon [[shards:hfs#magic|magic and artifice]] in order to make their way among the stars. Their Shipwrights craft beautiful vessels with brilliant solar sails to carry them through the depths of space, while Starfinders ensure that their ships always stay true to course - and avoid any potential dangers along the way.

Set sail on the stars of adventure in the Hybora Free States!


===== History =====
The tumultuous forces of raw magic in the Hybora system have been both a blessing and a curse for its inhabitants. Solar waves, full of arcane power, regularly bathe the system's planets and trade lanes - often with less than desirable results as these tempestuous waves roil on.

While these waves of magic have caused their fair share of problems, they have also had a pronounced effect on the creatures within the Hybora system. The spark of sapience took root, whether it be by design or by simple chaos, and this single system is host to a wide range of intelligent creatures. The disparate land masses and reefs of the planet Hyborea, and some of the system's larger moons, allowed these burgeoning sentients to flourish.

On water rich Hyborea, the majority of these sentients hail from amphibious backgrounds and today prefer environments that are, at the very least, a bit on the humid side. As technology progressed, sailing ships became the predominant form of travel.

The influence, and eventual exploitation, of magic did not end there. The peoples of Hyborea, who call themselves [[species:hyborean|Hyboreans]], discovered how to manipulate the arcane forces awash on their world. The discovery of a way to bind a spirit of a magical creature into an object allowed them to create any number of effects in the world. The discovery of spirit bindings halted all progress in the realm of what others would consider to be science-based technology, but progress did not stop.

Their ships became faster and eventually took to the skies - and then the stars beyond.

Today, sentients from Hyborea and the rest of the Hybora system have colonies and ports across the system. Their ships and stations, empowered by runes that allow them to hold atmosphere and withstand the rigors of space, still look much the same as they did during the height of terrestrial maritime trade.

Organized into a loose collection of alliances and local governments called the "Hybora Free States", they have begun to look beyond their star and into the sector at large for new frontiers to explore and conquer in the pursuit of greater glory and treasure.
===== Demographics =====

==== Population ====

[[species:hyborean|Hyboreans]] make up the majority of the population within the Hybora system. Immigrants from other systems are a very small minority. Those who choose to live their life within the Hyboran Expanse call themselves the 'starfolk'.

Tensions between the various species exist, but so much of the culture in the system is based around moving from place to place that there are few large pockets of any one species. This diaspora, combined with the number and variety of different sentients, has created an environment where species have largely taken the place of real-world ethnicities in Hybora's social fabric. 

In other words - there's not much reason to argue and fight with each other, but people will always find a way.

==== Language ====

Hyboric, locally known as 'Trade', is the primary, and only, language spoken in Hybora. Other languages once existed, but they were soon swallowed up once global, and later interplanetary, trade began.

This melting pot of languages makes Hyboric something of a challenge for outsiders. Language conventions often change mid sentence, grammar is all over the place, and the entire thing comes across as some kind of elegant, disorganized market chatter - because it is.

The clearest picture of Hyboric would be to take English, Chinese, Spanish, French, and German, toss them in a bag, shake it up, and then start using whatever words you took out without caring where they came from.

==== Religion ====

Superstition is a more driving force than religion for most of the starfolks of Hybora. What shoes to wear on what day, what color to paint a ship, and more all have deeply ingrained importance that, unfortunately, tends to vary from community to community. A color well known for being lucky on Hyborea might be considered horribly offensive on the moons of Andora. Savvy merchants are aware of all of these things and take full advantage of them in their trade.

Religion does still exist, however! The system's star, largely believed to be the source of the wild magics within their system, is called 'Hybora'. Within dwells an ancient, immeasurably powerful leviathan from which all life and magic flow. Should the serpent ever wake, it would destroy the star and all those who live around it in the process, before moving on to find a new home in some other star.

Or so the story goes.

==== Education ====

Higher education is not a constant within Hybora and is often given only to those who have the means to afford it. For most, this lack of higher education is not an issue. The starfolk learn all they need to by apprenticing and working their way through life. So long as they can read the flows of magic and see themselves safely to the next port, the majority of starfolk are perfectly happy.

Those who //do// have a higher education tend to become runesmiths, starfinders, shipwrights, merchants, or artisans of various kinds.

While local schools exist across the system, the seat of learning in Hybora is [[locations:hybora:argent_ring:barbarossa_university|Barbarossa University]], located on the [[locations:hybora:argent_ring|Argent Ring]].
===== Government and Politics =====

Hyboran civilization started on the lands and within the waters of the archipelagos and reefs that litter the world of Hyborea. Even as it spread to the planets and moons of the Hybora system, its peoples tended to go their own way and founded settlements where they went. The types of major conflicts and power grabs that lead to the existence of large nations simply never took root.

The result is a sort of organized chaos where each community - be it a port station, a colony on a moon, or a sprawling city - sets their own rules and governs themselves.

This generally leads to communities that are fairly safe, if only because merchants won't travel somewhere that's dangerous or less-than-profitable. The danger of losing your settlement's lifeblood is simply too great to allow the majority of communities to be lawless.

Fleets of various sizes, with various purposes, act as permanent homes for many within the Hybora system. Merchant fleets, pirate fleets, and patrol fleets are the most commonly found. The captains of the most prominent fleets meet occasionally to discuss matters of great importance at the Captain's Council - even if they don't all get along.
===== Economy =====

Trade is everything in the Hybora system. Food, water, goods of all kinds, and more are constantly in motion between the hundreds of settlements scattered across the system. Nearly every settlement is a port of some kind and the starfolk's transient nature means that they rarely settle down in one place for more than a few years.

This transience further drives the economy, as it is a very common practice to pay your way from one destination to another with labor. A ship will arrive at port, unload its cargo and half its crew, then be full on both again by the end of the day.
===== Culture =====

Arts and craftsmanship both are in high demand among the starfolk. Loose, colorful clothing with rich patterns are appreciated by all. No port would be complete without its songstresses, star shanties, and local delicacies. Flashy jewelry, especially bands of metal around the arms, neck, and legs, are particularly common - because this is the source of their [[shards:hfs#enchantment|personal magics]].

Shipwrights, runecarvers, and artificers are viewed and valued so highly, in fact, that to do harm to them or deny them passage will likely result in trade sanctions or an outright attack upon your ship/s. Instead, sailors do their best to garner the favor of these talented craftsmen in the hopes of receiving some boon in return.

As nearly everything in Hybora has some sort of will attached to it, it's very common for people to talk to their possessions. Sometimes, they talk back - in a manner of speaking. If someone were to say, "The ship's got a gentle spirit," they're talking about the //actual spirit// that provides it with the will and magic to move. 

While some feel that the business of killing things and using their spirits might be distasteful, most Hyborans show a respect for their belongings and do their best to keep them well kept.

Despite rampant piracy throughout the system, all in Hybora do their best to uphold their promises. Liars are often killed on the spot. Trustworthiness is critical to all walks of life, as so much of their business and survival relies on being able to rely on those around you.

  * [[https://imgur.com/a/eT02bLM|Imgur album for clothing ideas]]

===== Magic =====

Hyborans are deeply dependent on the magic of //spirit binding//. These bindings allow them to capture the spirit of a magically-potent creature and bind it to a person or object. 

==== Inheritance ====
Binding one's spirit to that of a magical creature is known as **Inheritance**. Hyborans who are so bound take on prominent aspects of that creature as their own. If the creature were an elemental, then the Hyboran's hair or skin might become red or blue, flickering like a flame or roiling like a wave. 

The abilities that creature possess are likewise 'inherited'. Binding with a physically powerful creature will greatly increase the binder's strength. Binding with a creature that has the ability to breathe fire will give the binder that same gift. 

These abilities are not translated 100%. For example, binding to a hundred-foot tall giant will not give you the //full// strength of that giant.

An individual can only have a single inheritance at any time. Attempting to bind a new spirit will release the previous one, which disappears into the ether.

Those seeking an inheritance must be a native of Hybora and its potent magicks. A complex series of tattoos must be inked onto the body of one wishing to inherit a creature's spirit, the design of which is unique to each individual.

==== Enchantment ====

Binding the spirit of a creature to a physical object is known as **Enchantment**. Perhaps out of respect for the spirit within or out of necessity, most enchanted objects tend to be crafted by skilled artisans and made of rare metals and gems. For this reason, starfolk are usually bedecked in a wealth of jewelry.

As when binding a spirit to a person, the object becomes modified by the process in prominent ways. A sea elemental bound to a sword will coat the blade in water or cause the blade itself to be made of water.

Enchanted objects typically gain only a single property or ability of the spirit they have bound. Spirit Binders can guide this process in a reliable fashion, ensuring that each object bound with a similar spirit contains the same ability - if they so choose.

Creatures with particularly strong wills tend to pass those wills onto the objects they are bound to. People using the objects can feel the influence of this will. Those with a weak will have been known to lose themselves to the creature entirely, undergoing a forced inheritance wherein the person no longer retains their own will. 

For this reason, most starfolk take care not to wear too many objects containing strong-willed spirits, as each such spirit greatly increases the difficulty of maintaining one's own will.

==== Artifice ====

Combining multiple enchantments to create an object with a new purpose results in an **Artifice**. Such an artifice could be as simple as a common object with multiple gems embedded into it or as complex as a building-spanning clockwork contraption.

All Hyborean vessels are products of artifice. Enchantments create the life-preserving bubble around the ship that contains its atmosphere and protects it from harm, allow the ship to travel through air and space, and more. The core of all vessels is a particularly powerful spirit, whose personality and will are major influences upon the ship itself.

Some weapons, such as the //spellbinder//, are also the product of artifice. These revolver-like weapons use spirit-bound gems instead of ammunition, allowing the wielder to swiftly create magical effects ranging from gouts of fire to illusionary mists.
===== Strengths and Weaknesses =====

Spirit Bindings allow all Hyborans to make use of magic in an easy, intuitive way that requires little of them except their willpower. Given that they are all strong-willed and free spirited, they're well-suited to the task. Indeed, it's hard to get a Hyboran down, as their resiliency in the face of dangers or hardships is a defining part of their personalities.

Their over-reliance on magic comes at a cost. First, they have little in the way of infrastructure as we know it. They never had a need for an industrial age or the advancements that came with it - they do not mass produce, they do not organize themselves into countries or other large powers, and they have no concept of widespread formal education. Many Hyborans can't read or write, let alone perform math beyond what's necessary to conduct trade. Their grasp of science is so limited compared to our modern understanding that a high schooler could teach them entirely new concepts.

While their weaknesses have done them little harm within their own system, as they begin to interact with the rest of the sector these shortcomings are likely to prove a significant challenge for characters originating within the Hybora Free States.
===== OOC =====

This page was created by [[user:whisper]].

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