lost_pocket/world.md

# Environment

## Topography
Shelter's shape is diverse, including oceans, continents, small mountains, and smaller chambers and tunnels.

## Minerals
(All minerals are named with two syllables followed by -ite.)
  * Basaltite: A smooth, dark, igneous stone.
  * Horazite: A translucent lavendar crystal, tending toward clusters.
  * Corinthite: A smooth, hard, white stone.
  * Casavite: A rough, speckled mid-gray stone.
  * Theravite: A light, rough, yellow-orange-tinted stone.
  * Ferralite: A dark reddish ochre ore.
  * Auralite: A bright yellowish ore.
  * Flumenite: A smooth, cloudy gray stone.

## Plants
  * Moss: Generic moss.
  * Fungi (All fungi are named with two syllables followed by -ak.)
    * Thovarak: A tough, thick, gnarled toadstool-type mushroom with a broad, thick cap. They can grow to around 5 meters in height.
    * Miranak: A small pale brown toadstool. Delicious.
    * Sikarak: A pointy, knife-edged fungus commonly found among frozen rocks. Painful.
  * Flowers (All flowers are named with two syllables followed by -wyn.)
    * Marawyn: A small blue flower. It is found in lighted areas near warm water.
    * Dorewyn: A common glowing yellow flower, typically found in the same areas as grass.
    * Clarawyn: A glowing white flower. It generally grows in cold areas, particularly near water.

## Lights


## Creatures

### Animals

### Monsters


## Biomes

### Land
  * Flame wastes
  * Green grove
  * Twisting forest
  * Fungal fields
  * Crystal swamp
  * Rocky barrens
  * Glacial plains

### Ocean
  * Boiling lake
  * Thermal vents
  * Coral jungle
  * Marine forest
  * Gravel desert
  * Frigid straits
  * Frozen lake

### Caves
  * Magma cracks
  * Crystalline passage
  * Frozen tunnel

## Weather
  * Due to chaotic geothermal activity, the caverns have their own weather systems, equaly chaotic.
  * Cold areas abutting hot areas would experience fog, rain, and in some cases snow.
  * High winds may also occur under certain circumstances.

# Story

## Background
  * The cavern realm is known to the locals as Shelter.
  * Shelter was originally founded as a refuge from the ceaseless conflict of the latter portion of the Hundred Years' War.
  * Over time, it expanded into a sizable kingdom in its own right as wanderers from the surface found their way trough the Principal Gateway.
  * At one time, there were numerous waypoints forming a travel network throughout the kingdom.
  * As time went on, however, the kingdom began to become more and more corrupt, slowly sinking into the mire from which it had fled.
  * At length, a coup was staged in the capital of Whitefall, obliterating the monarchy and installing the renegade mage Tav as the new dictator.
  * Tav had no use for citizens; he preferred slaves, or, ideally, worshippers. Thus, he began instituting a program of deception to win converts, and a program of assassination to eliminate threats.
  * Tav cared nothing for creation; he preferred destruction. Eventually, the kingdom became a barren wasteland, inhabited only by Tav's sentries.
  * Tav's vistory is still incomplete, however. The last remaining citizens fled to the city of Crevasse, near the site of the Principal Gate, which is now the only remaining holdout against Tav.
  * Tav would like nothing better than to crush Crevasse and unleash his forces on the kingdoms of the surface, but he would hate nothing more than another incomplete campaign. He wants his victory to be overwhelming.
  * He bides his time, growing ever stronger as Crevasse grows ever weaker. It is said that the monsters that now roam the caves and, from time to time, attack Crevasse are only one product of Tav's brooding machinations.

## Crevasse
  * Located at the sole opening of the thrust of the cavern containing the Principal Gate, Crevasse is the oldest settlement in Shelter.

## Guilds


## Characters

### Key
Key has been an explorer for as long as he can remember. His parents died when he was very young, but as luck would have it, they were on good terms with the local Explorers' Guild, who subsequently took Key into their care. Thus, Key's childhood was of the chaotic, wandering, adventurous sort that typified members of the Explorers' Guild — and he loved it. Now, an explorer himself, he boldly exposes himself to avoidable danger in exchange for the thrill of discovery. It was in the course of just such an escapade that he stumbled across the surface side of the Principal Gateway and decided to venture through; the rest, as they say, is history.

### Vix
Vix's memories of her childhood are hazy. Her understanding is that she was raised in a kindly, well-to-do family, but that at some point their home burned to the ground, leaving Vix alone. She fled and wandered about the countryside for a time, until she was taken in (and thus saved from eventual starvation) by the local Explorers' Guild. In the years that followed she became an explorer herself, searching for meaning by wandering the world. Eventually, she too stumbled upon the Principal Gate leading to Shelter, and stepped through.

No one knows where Vix's unique magical capabilities came from, not even Vix herself. Her fellow explorers have proposed various theories, but none of them really explained everything.

## Plot


# Mechanics

## Temperature
Temperature is an important aspect of life in Shelter. Some areas are scalding, while others are frigid, while many are more mild. Key and Vix can initially handle temperatures within a moderate range, but they aren't prepared to handle more extreme temperatures. At first, too much heat or cold will simply cause debuffs like reduced damage and agility. However, extreme temepratures are more dangerous and will additionally actively cause damage.

## The blackrod
The blackrod has been Key's compainion for a long time. It had originally belonged to his father, and was delivered to him when he was old enough to use it by the Explorers' Guild. It is a potent force-manipulation item, capable of creating temporary 'objects' comprised of virtual forces. The blackrod's capabilities are extensive, but only some of them can be active at once. The blackrod can create virtual objects attached to itself, allowing it to transform into a sword, an axe, or a staff based on Key's needs. Over time, Key has developed various techniques for each form.
  * Any form
    * Force bounce: The blackrod momentarily creates a solid platform next to Key, which he jumps off of sideways. Can only be used once per jump.
    * Force ledge: The blackrod momentarily creates a solid platform below Key, which he jumps off of vertically. Can only be used once per jump.
  * Rod form
    * Dodge: Key leaps to the side, boosted by the blackrod.
    * Force strike: Key strikes with the blackrod. The blackrod amplifies the force of the swing, making it more deadly than an ordinary quarterstaff.
    * Force dash: Key dashes forward, boosted by the blackrod. If he hits something before stopping, it will take damage.
  * Sword form
    * Force strike: Key leaps in the air and swings downward.
    * Force slash: Key lunges forward swinging.
    * Retreat: Key leaps backward, boosted by the blackrod.
    * Force shield: Key projects a virtual shield, which blocks most attacks, but he cannot attack or force-jump while it is active.
  * Axe form
    * Force strike: Key leaps in the air and swings downward.
    * Force stroke: Key swings the axe laterally.
    * Force smash: Key smashes the ground with the axe, creating a force shockwave.
    * Force block: Key spins the blackrod in front of him, blocking many coincident attacks.
  * Staff form
    * Force throw: The staff can function as a mini cannon and launch items at high speed.
    * Light: The staff glows brightly.

## Vix
It is generally accepted that the only way for someone to use magical abilities is to operate an item that provides them. Intriguingly, Vix seems to possess various enrgy manipulation capabilities within herself, without needing a special item. She seems to be skilled with using them, despite having no recollection of first learning how.
  * Energize: Vix transfers energy into the target item. The effect depends on the target item.
  * Siphon: Vix drains energy from a target item. The effect depends on the target item.

## Synergy
Key and Vix can combine their abilities for more powerful actions. These can be triggered from either character provided the other is close enough (but will be invoked by the character they belong to).
  * Energy ray: Vix energizes the blackrod staff, and Key fires it to create a searing ray of energy.
  * Energy wave: Vix and Key both hold the blackrod staff and slam it on the ground. The result is a powerful energy shockwave.

## Waypoints
  * Waypoints are magical contraptions that can translocate the user to another waypoint within its signal range — somehow.
  * Waypoints typically require the expenditure of significant energy to accomplish their task.
  * They did not enter common usage until the invention of teleport charges, condensed energy storage vessels designed specifically with that goal.
  * Unfortunately, with the loss of the energy farms, teleport charges are no longer easy to recharge, so the waypoint network has fallen into disuse.
  * Somehow, Vix's unique physiology makes her capable of operating these waypoints without teleport charges, at no cost (that we know about).