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Feyrahl, An Introduction

The Feyrahl Empire spans the entirety of a continent and an island chain off of the eastern coast. It is comprised of many vassal kingdoms, each having sworn fealty to the Emperor more than three generations past. Despite occasional problems with bandits and monsters, the Empire has otherwise been at peace for that time with trade, civil projects, and grand institutions of learning prospering without the constant threat of war.

The Imperial City is part of the Eastern Province, and is one of the most diverse portions of the Empire with residents from all nations found in roughly equal measure. Due to the decree of the Second Emperor, all denizens of the Imperial City are considered equal in the eyes of the government with no beast species considered greater than any other; this is the general consensus across the Empire, though it is all the more evident in the Capitol where Feyrahlians can strive toward their dream no matter their species.

Feyrahl is a nation in which Magic plays a great part of daily life, with most citizens capable of at least some capacity for spell casting. All Feyrahlians have a magical affinity sign for one of the five elements: Fire, Water, Earth, Air, and Spirit, but some are more attuned to their element than others, reflected by their spell casting capabilities. With enough effort, anyone can learn basic magic from the element with which they have an affinity, but usually just one elemental aspect. Stronger casters can develop familiarity with multiple aspects of their elemental affinity, and powerful Magi can even pick up an aspect or two from a second element. Very rarely some Magi can even learn powers corresponding to a third element, but no Magi is able to cast spells from the element in opposition to their own, thus learning magic from four elements is not considered feasible, and few casters outside those aligned with the Holy element can manage spells from that affinity.

The Element of Fire has three aspects: Ember, Destruction, and Enchantment. The Ember aspect allows the caster to control, summon, and snuff fire; Destruction is the aspect of offensive magic and can take the form of flames, lightning, and explosions; Enchantment can imbue items with magical power. Those who are attuned to the Fire element are often bombastic, loud, and outgoing, but it is not unheard of for quiet casters with strong force of personality to also represent the Fire element. Fire's opposite element is Water.

The Element of Water has thee aspects: Flow, Ice, and Illusion. The Flow aspects allows the caster to control, summon, and dispel water; Ice is an aspect that covers temperature control and can also be used offensively and defensively to summon ice usable as a weapon or armor; Illusion magic governs perception and can create mirages, cloud senses, and alter perceptions. Mages attuned to Water are usually very slow to anger, tend to be relaxed and composed, and socially adept, though some casters attuned to Water can also be cold, distant, and aloof-- especially those most closely aligned with the aspect of Ice. water's opposite element is Fire.

The Element of Earth has three aspects: Stone, Force, and Abjuration. The Stone aspect allows the caster to control, raise, lower, and shape earth; Force is the aspect of gravity, velocity, and impact, usable in a variety of ways for those well-versed in its casting; Abjuration is the aspect of protection and cancellation-- Earth casters well versed in Abjuration are often known to be skilled at dispelling other spells and protecting the targets of their own magic. Mages with an Earth affinity are usually reliable, stable, and consistent, but some have an inner fury that can become downright frightening if it bubbles to the surface. Earth's opposite element is Air.

The Element of Air has three aspects; Zephyr, Movement, and Summoning. A caster of the Zephyr aspect is able to control, summon, and still wind and weather; the Movement aspect allows a caster to affect the speed and location of targets and masters of the craft can even impart the ability to fly; the summon aspect of Air allows a caster to call forth an item or being to them or send one away. Most individuals with an Air affinity have trouble staying still for long and often have trouble concentrating on just one topic, preferring to be on the move and multitasking, though some Air casters can be so incredibly tranquil, flowing calmly from task to task with little hurry or concern. Air's opposite element is Earth.

Spirit Casters are the rarest of all affinities, found in less than 10% of the population and, even among those who have it as an affinity, most are never able to accomplish more than simple cantrips and basic spells. The Element of Spirit has three aspects; Holy, Transmutation, and Necromancy. A caster of the Holy aspect is able to provide blessings, heal wounds, and purify corruption; those skilled with the aspect of Transmutation are able to modify items, and sometimes animals and even people; Necromancy is considered a dark aspect and addresses both life and death, including undeath. Unlike other Elemental affinities, Spirit Casters are usually not able to use other elemental magics, and usually only excel at a single aspect-- no Spirit Caster has ever been known to utilize both Holy and Necromancy aspects.

Technology within the Feyrahl Empire is still in its early stages. With so much reliance on magic, there has not been a great need to develop machinery or advanced engineering but, during the past century of peace, scholars have begun exploring more methods to learn about the world; the scientific method is alive and well. Due to this, the the Feyrahlian University has gained a great following among the common folk and nobility alike. Many of the less magic-inclined populace have taken to learning more about the world with the intent of being able to affect it in more mundane ways, further increasing the equality among the denizens of the Empire.

This story world is the one that will be the focus of the next upcoming Reader Driven Story, which will be presented similarly to a choose-your-own-adventure story. This story will follow a Human protagonist named MacKenzie and readers will help define the character. MacKezie is a:

Male Human

A college student who has a vocational degree / earned a Bachelor's Degree / got a Master's Degree / is studying for a Doctorate.

Considers himself a Chemist. (other options induced a Nurse, Veterinarian, and Physical Therapist)

Has the advantage of being Athletic / Resilient / Gorgeous / Kind / Knowledgeable / Creative

The story will begin with MacKenzie traveling in his car late at night and, due to an unforeseen accident, ends up careening off the side of the road and into a river, onto to find himself ejected from his car, and suddenly in the world of Feyrahl... a world in which anthropomorphic animals have taken the place of Humans as the dominant society, and Humans are merely a myth. What will happen when MacKenzie gets involved in the world's events and suddenly finds himself at the center of a world shattering problem? What problem, you ask? Well... it will be *a prophecy of disaster. * (other options included a scheme within the Empire, a great source of evil, and a breakaway province)

This isn't something MacKenzie will have to handle alone. During his stay in Feyrahl, he will have the chance to make friends with (or something more) a cast of several characters including a King, a Guard Commander, their own assigned Guardsman, the King's Ranger, and the Empire's Mystic. These five characters could be from among the Fehryal Empire's many races of beasts:

Lion / Tiger/ Lynx / Wolf/ Fox / Jackal / Bear / Stallion / Moose / Elephant / Rhino / Elk / Stag / Ram / Dragon / Ferret / Otter / Bat / Rat / Raccoon / Bull

So... what determines how this story will take shape and which option will be chosen for which segment? Well that's easy: YOU, THE READERS!

Keep an eye out for updates for the next two weeks where you'll all have opportunities to help influence how this story takes shape and then tune in for opportunities to help influence the trajectory of the story itself!

Also, keep in mind that I'll be running this story in duplicate; FA and SF will have their own version of this story so readers from both sites will get to see how the story unfolds differently! It is important to note that this story will likely include adult content, either of M/M or M/F content, depending on the main character build chosen by readers.

Finally, I have run reader driven stories in the past to mixed results; there have often been issues with ballot stuffing and questionable ethics on behalf of very energized readers who mean well, but have ruined the experience for others. The new method used or this story line will NOT be vote-based, rather, it will be first-come, first-served which each reader getting one and only one opportunity (per site) to affect the story as it is put together, and another opportunity to help control the direction of the story as it unfolds. If any given choice is not selected by readers on the corresponding site it will be handed over to my patrons on Patreon to vote for it.

So... that being said, take a look at the details for this post to help influence the MC and, remember: if you choose to influence the MC you won't be able to influence the story premise or the love interests. Choose your reader input carefully!