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I Finally Started Posting My Web Novel, Called “Helena Wars”. It Would Mean A Lot If You Checked It Out.
The synopsis:
“Antonius Catero is a young man who, despite his family’s protests, joins the diplomacy division of the Cohort, the ruling body of Vetulonian Republic.
His new path takes him on a journey around the continent of Helena, an adventure on which he’ll encounter Elves, Dwarves and even ghastly Orcs.
Becoming a Cohortian, his former simplistic view of the world shatters, forcing him to reinvent himself. All the while a great danger is rising in the east, threating to engulf the whole of Helena.”
A map of Helena. I’ll add more details in the near future. There are five races inhabiting Helena: 1. Dwarves. Dwarves are two heads shorter than an average man. Most of them have beautiful gray or blue eyes, red hair and pointy noses. Red hair is a rarity in Helena. Due to their extreme physical similarities, many of them seek to express their individuality through wardrobe and makeup. Some wear togas and tunics, others simple trousers or dresses. Some wear no makeup at all, while others paint their whole faces. Their bodies are well proportioned and they move with grace, even more so than Elves. They walk as if they are gliding through the air. Their agility makes them fast at running, they can easily outrun a rabbit! They are also exceptional climbers. They can climb better than mountain goats! This unearthly grace, along with the unique red hair, makes them disliked in most of Helena. 2. Giants. The most technologically advanced race. They use their knowledge for spiritual advancament and play, not luxury commodities or dominance. They keep mostly to themselves. They’re twice the size of a regular person, with gray skin and rectangular faces with long, narrow noses. Their bodies are strong, although not muscular. 3. Orcs. For a long time people of Helena believed Orcs were just a myth, but then the Great Orc Invasion happened, followed by a short, but bloody war. The origin of Orcs is a mystery, but some speculate they’re the descendant of the Ancients, who tempered with their blood in attempt to improve their body. But something went terribly wrong, hence they disfigured their appearances and eventually, their ways as well. 4. Men. The most populous race in Helena, inhabiting several realms: a) Vetulonia, the home of our protagonist. It’s the most technologically advanced realm, second only to Giants. They are ruled by the Cohort, a military type organization with strict rules. b) Porosia. Porosia was once a mighty kingdom that fell apart in a civil war. Nowadays, Porosia is a sickly realm, with corrupt nobility and starving peasants. c) The League. The League was once a part of Porosia, but broke off from it in the previously mentioned civil war. It’s a republic, ruled by a tyrant under a weak disguise of democracy. They’re the most powerful realm in Helena, due to their natural resources and highly effective bureaucracy. However, as a result of the latter, people have little to no freedoms. Men also inhabit free cities and villages scattered through out Helena. 5. Elves. Like Orcs, Elves are believed to be direct descendants of the Ancients. They are quite taller than men, have pointy ears and most of them wear long embroidered hair. They are clean shaved and their skin lacks any imperfections. It’s impossible to determine their age. It’s said a grown Elf looks the same pretty much all their adult life. They die suddenly, in old age but without any warning of troubled health. This fact makes them lively, adventures and even a bit vane.
Technologically, most realms are somewhere in the territory of ancient Rome, or Athens. They’re able to construct fairly large cities (50k+), sewage systems and aqueducts. But only Vetulonia, home of our protagonist, is able to sail the seas for weeks on end, have printing press, effective bureaucracy, advanced metallurgy and alchemy, and are exceptional at glass-art. However, The League, their main antagonist and the most powerful realm in Helena, is quickly catching on.
Both Vetulonia and The League are heavy into the use of psychedelics. Vetulonia encourages its citizens to drink “the Elixir” as a means to explore the world of self. However, the use of psychedelics in The League is reserved for the elite. Instead of drinking the Elixir, they lick skins of a particular species of snakes, living in their northern mountains. They dive into dark realms, trying to harvest powers of unnatural beings that seek to control the world through mortals. And that’s pretty much it :). I post three chapters a week (sometimes more) on RoyalRoad: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/66199/helena-wars/
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