OVERALL DESCRIPTION
UDUU, standing for ‘Undivided, ununited’, is one of four regions of Garden. It’s the biggest region on the planet, covering the entirety of Eastern continent, and shares a maritime border with all other regions. Other than the continent area, UDUU people own a small southern part of Öffgast, having them as the only continental border.
UDUU isn’t a real nation, but a group of anarchists who are only connected through the religion of Suyika Ola. They hold the belief that only the strong survive and the weak deserve to die, focus is on strength and amassing power. Death is a concept above all, but they also worship Famine and War. There isn’t a nation capital, but there is a church capital called Muaoshi. Majority of people live as nomads and travel in caravans, but there are also tent villages used as temporary settlements.
Most UDUU people are specialized in one field of combat and use their various skills to build functioning troops. They value street smarts and resourcefulness. Usual lifestyle is simple, present-oriented, and people tend to live day to day, spending money on entertainment and lavish personal feasts.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
4.1. Leader and the government 4.2. Law and judicial system 4.3. Military
7.4. Marriage and family 8. Magic
9. Foreign relations 10. Trivia
CONTENTS
1. ETYMOLOGY
UDUU isn’t the official name of the region since it’s not the official nation. It is derived from UP derogatory phrase that’s been incorrectly translated to mean ‘undivided, ununited’. The views on the name are mixed as some see it as a symbol of pride and others as being against their religion, too committal to the state of their society and overall offensive.
Although the region as a whole lacks the official name, every guild has one and it’s what most identifies as rather than UDUU. Famous troops sometimes get special names inside the guild.
Suyika Ola is the name of the religion and means ‘live strong’ but can also be interpreted as meaning ‘additional life’.
2. HISTORY
UDUU people had been mistreated throughout history by all the other nations due to their magic which was never welcomed to the society. They had been seen as animals and systematically abused, so they decided to take matter into their own hands and create a place where they belonged. Through violence, they claimed the whole Eastern continent, and in the process weeded out Shift and Claynite settlements and took over eastern Öffgast territory.
Over the years, various people from all nations and races joined UDUU in the search of freedom, because of being outcasts, or simply because they liked the idea of having no rules or rulers.
3. GEOGRAPHY
3.1. CLIMATE
Majority of UDUU lives on the Eastern continent which has various types of climate. North to south, there are cold layer, warm layer and tropical layer.
Besides troops that go rouge and wild beasts, there aren’t too many hazards in these lands. Northern part sometimes struggles with snow and avalanches and middle part has some minor tornadoes developing in the mountain ring but there was never any major danger from them. Southern part is very hot and in danger of heavy sea winds, which are the worst during and after the dry season.
3.2. BIODIVERSITY
Northern part is full of mountains and winter-green forests. Middle part has many small lakes and forests, in the middle there is a mountain chain which causes a small dry area. In the southern part, there is a mountain chain on the east side of the ocean and across it is Eastern peninsula, which is mostly dry and has low growing vegetation. Western peninsula enjoys more moisture so plants are taller and thicker.
3.3. NATURAL RESOURCES
Most prominent natural resources are wood, oil and gas, available for personal use and export. The area is also rich in soul crystals found in the mountains.
4. POLITICS
4.1. LEADER AND GOVERNMENT
There is no official government, but Priesthood serve as something similar to it. Priests are ranked and lead by the High Warpriest, who has the almost totalitarian rule. Still, the High Warpriest and the rest of Priesthood have very little raw power, they are ruling due to UDUU people belief in the religion.
Priesthood does not only lead the church but controls the economy and placement of most of the troops. They limit the crystal flow and arrange deals with UDUU guilds and foreign bodies. On the surface they hold all the stings, but in reality they are weak and rely heavily on pleasing the troops enough so they don’t overthrow them. Priests are the rulers of the collective, but on a day to day basis Warchiefs rule their guilds. Warchiefs hold the practical power, although they are officially answering to Priesthood.
Warchiefs are independent, but they try to keep good relations with Priesthood in order to keep good reputation with other guilds and the people. Although they have free will in this regard, only the most powerful guilds can allow themselves to openly defy the church.
4.2. LAW AND JUDICIAL SYSTEM
UDUU people are divided into smaller troops they choose by themselves, so they live freely to some extent. Troops are grouped into guilds which are led by the Warchiefs. Each guild operates on their own and follows their own rules.
Crimes are heavily punished, either by beating up and confiscating possessions, dueling Warbeasts, or death on the spot. Other disputes are usually resolved by dueling.
4.3. MILITARY
There’s no official military, each guild fights on their own for their own interest. When considering concerns of Suyika Ola, Priesthood leads the guilds and organizes their placement and operations. While priests aren’t trained for combat, they are well educated in the field tactics and the art of war. Most guilds employ one Reality Weaver or Glypher, since they can make soul rods and are overall useful. |
They use modern weapons such as guns and rifles as the rest of the world, but they are also usually proficient with some sort of melee weapon that is catered to their modding enhancement of choice.
Rank structure:
Warpriests: Teachers of the arts, spent life learning tactics, history and religion. They do not consume crystals, only use them in tools, weapons, and clothing, but are instead skilled with the sword, bow and pen. They wear blue wings, differing in size, depending on their rank and respect.
High Warpriest: Religious leader, in charge of units and guilds during the war. Serves as the only form of bond to people, the only thing that holds the ruler body together. Wears huge purple wings with imbued life rods.
Warchief: Leaders of guilds. They wear red wings and are usually mounted. They usually are high level Modders, but not to the extent of turning into Warbeasts. To achieve this rank, you have to prove yourself in war or missions, be knowledgeable in magic and have defeated at least two specialized warbeasts.
Warbeast: Modders whose bodies got turned to crystals. They have no ruling power, but every Warchief has a set of personal Warbeasts. They are respected for their power, but no-one really wants to end up like them. Some specialize in one enhancing aspect, so they reach levels not believed possible. They are slain so the crystals can be used later on, and it provides a spectacle to the people. Their numbers have to be controlled in order not to deflect the ruling body.
Soul Reavers: High-class assassins. They wear white uniforms and white wings, they always emerge clean from the fights, without a drop of blood on them. Skilled Modders and fighters, they excel at dispersion and are the most precise and fast while dispersed.
Specializations within troops:
Thugs – raw physical power
Assassins – speed, dispersion, precision
Piercers – enhanced sight and hearing, usually archers
Lashers – greater tenacity, use chains, whips and flexible weapons with rebound
Mists – speed, dispersion, able to run large distances at high speeds
Unrestrained – no specialty, good enough in all forms of enhancing, versatile
5. ECONOMY
5.1. FARMING
Farming isn’t well developed. Priesthood keeps greenhouses boosted by Glyphers and some regular plantations, but there is a lack of people willing to work on them. Most UDUU people would rather hunt instead of growing their food.
The Host have their own small farms, but they are not considered UDUU, they just share the land. Most common plants are potato in the north, and herlo in the south, with the south being rich in naturally growing fruits.
Keeping livestock is also uncommon for UDUU, but mercenary guilds often have drypas or befloos tamed.
5.2. INDUSTRY
Industry isn’t well developed. People use natural resources such as wood and soul crystals, but they usually only collect raw materials and don’t produce a lot out of them. Only stable industries except priesthood are weapon crafting and trading. Most people do have crafting skills and hobbies but most don’t do it professionally.
5.3. TRADE
One of the biggest problems for UDUU is that there are no export-import laws, so individuals can’t sell anything. It’s a common practice to export raw materials and import refined products, which are much more expensive. Most of the products that require industry or skilled labor are imported, which includes food. Ironically, majority of crystals are imported despite many crystal mines.
There is a merchant class, the only allowed class of non-religious and non-combat category. Most merchants are connected to Priesthood, but there are also free-ruled ones. They trade a lot internally for common items and necessities, amassing resources and gaining political influence. The biggest merchant families are wealthy enough to rival Priesthood.
5.4. Currency
Priesthood has its own currency called favors. Favors are basically papers of service, worth a favor from someone paying with it. As such, its value heavily depends on the person you are trading it with. The value of favors lays in the existence of Priesthood, which means they lose their value as soon as Priesthood loses influence. If it ceased to exist, all favors would become worthless, so smarter individuals don’t use them as often.
Favors among people are simply called favors, while favors granted by Priesthood are called bonds.
Favors are usually used only for smaller purchases, more expensive trades will require more stable means of payment such as U.P. crypto currencies or infused soul crystals. Most people would accept most currencies, including precious metals and Ladvoljan cash.
Types of favors:
- Among people:
+ Bite – small favors, often used to get a meal
+ Word – quick favors, something done in no longer than 15 minutes and non-demanding, often used when someone shares useful information or a piece of knowledge
+ Sweat – longer favors, around an hour of physical or professional work
+ Leash – a week of work, or more than 3 days of dedication
+ Collar – a month of work
- Priesthood:
+ Token bond – you will be feed once, given something minor, a quick tip or a blessing
+ Favor bond – you will get information, get your health checked, be able to buy a small contract
+ Help bond – you will get a contract
+ Asking bond – you will get a priest companion who will resolve minor contract on your behalf
+ Companion bond – you will get priest’s help, crystal items or big contracts
6. DEMOGRAPHICS
6.1. RACES
Main race of UDUU are Hazeherd with minor races being Claynite, Shift and Host. Claynite and Shift were left without their own nations when UDUU conquered them, so they are left as a minority inside the region. Host are natives to the land.
UDUU people are mostly toned, slim and agile. With all the training they do, they should’ve developed huge muscles, but due to their inconsistent food supplies, such body mass would be hard to maintain. As such, they mostly don’t have such developed physique, although they are very strong.
Subtypes with unique looks are:
Warbeasts (Kaukemono) – those that went too far with the rod implants, their body is turning into a pile of crystals, but they are incredibly powerful
Mahu – normal people who returned to their physical forms with slightly disfigured bodies after dispersion, usually with something like an offset eye, crocked nose, longer or shorter fingers or random rashes
Joyo Mahu – low-class people who get addicted to the power modding gives, but most of them can’t afford good soul crystals, so they implant weak and empty ones instead
Iniku – weak people who get tattoed as a mark of their weakness
Subtypes are usually seen as lower class and shunned inside a society. However, not all modern UDUU are raw and discriminating, many still believe into the idea of freedom for everyone. Such people aren’t in favor of the current state of UDUU people, but they still prefer it to the life in other regions.
UDUU abilities aren’t based around genetics or are by any means unique to them. Modding is available to anyone anywhere, but it’s seen as an impure type of magic in most of the world. Modding is in the very core of UDUU culture, so naturally they are the most skilled users of it. Their signature move is dispersing into a mist, a modding move that requires a lot of control and practice.
Other than UDUU, there are remains of the Host, people who lived on the Eastern continent before the UDUU came. They are very similar to the U.P. natives, but they have darker skin and wider noses on the south, while those on the north are more prone to freckles and blond hair. Most live in scattered villages all around the unreachable places of the continent and are less developed than the rest of the world.
The Host have no rights in the UDUU world and will mostly be ignored, but many make good money using their resources. There are some villages protected by certain Warchiefs and in turn the village produces food and provides shelter for them.
6.2. LANGUAGE
Official language is UDUU language, which is made up of syllables. They use modern U.P. writing system.
6.3. RELIGION
Religion is the most important part of UDUU, without it they wouldn’t have any sort of structure or a society. Suyika Ola practices worshiping of Death, sometimes including the worship of Famine and War.
They believe that each time someone dies, Death collects their soul and gains power from it. Their goal is to become stronger than Death, so they can escape it and become immortal. Focus is on raw strength and they believe that through it you can steal lives from Death and the power that comes with it, rising above it. Desired practice would be creating a soul rod out of free soul that left the dead person’s body, and for that UDUU hires Reality Weavers.
Famine and War are worshipped because they steal lives from Death, so UDUU could learn from them the way of successfully doing so as well.
Those who came close to surpassing Death are worshiped as saints. When they die, they try to pass all the souls they collected to fellow UDUU, so the common practice is to let someone kill them and turn them into a soul rod.
6.4. EDUCATION
When an UDUU child turns seven, they are taken to training camps where they are educated in fields of faith and military combat. Out of all the children, those rich or highly intelligent are handpicked to become a part of Priesthood while others continue their modding training.
Another important part is practicing teamwork, so they are divided into smaller groups and are given a mentor. They go on easier missions to gain experience of working as a unit under authority while not being exposed to too much danger.
When they turn fifteen, they finish their basic training and get assigned to a troop.
7. CULTURE
7.1. ARTS
UDUU people are mostly practical, so they have no eye no beautiful things nor they’re interested in it, but that doesn’t mean all kinds of arts are left untouched. Most prominent arts are carving, playing instruments and storytelling.
Carving is mostly focused on creating items that can be used as a weapon, but there are also decorative items mostly used by priests such as crystal pens, knives or canes. Warchiefs will often keep some kind of a crystal token weapon.
They prefer instruments that can be carried around, so the most common are small drums, string instruments and flutes. War and bar songs predominate the music scene. They like to play music on the battlefield, playing the strongest melodies they have to get them ready for the battle, usually screaming religious war cries as they crash into the enemy ranks.
When it comes to stories, they prefer the ones of strong people, heroes slaying monsters and gods. Their favorite story trope is when individuals turn to gods or become immortal and enjoy the overpowered main characters because they want to feel such power themselves. Another favored type of story is the one of a falling hero, struggling to regain the power. Older stories of fallen heroes usually end with a hero’s weak death but modern ones have redemption arcs.
Architecture isn’t made to last, but mostly consists of tents and vehicles that can be quickly used and moved. On the other hand, priest architecture is full of pillars and round shapes, beautiful gardens and spacious rooms.
7.2. CUSTOMS
Weak are tattooed, highly ranked and priests wear lavish wings embroiled with soul crystals. There are many groups of people seen as weak, and those include, but are not limited to non-warriors, deserters, addicts, Mahu and Joyo Mahu.
Most UDUU have no sense of fashion, they’re only interested in the practical side of clothes. They wear special uniforms when on official missions, but on everyday basis they wear whatever is comfortable. Clothes tend to look militaristic, usually consisting of boots, denim or military cloth long pants with many pockets and a simple shirt. Camouflage patterns and black are predominant in their everyday clothes, but their official robes are colorful (for example, bright red).
Strength and intelligence are seen as attractive, same as with any other trait that can make you powerful or seem powerful.
Dueling culture is prominent, so they carry a special band around their upper arm to signal they are ready for a challenge. They are keeping score and hold leaderboards of all the duels.
7.3. CUISINE
They tend to eat a lot of simple dishes because they are constantly on the move. Common meal consists of a piece of meat, usually from an animal killed and prepared on the road, and a starchy vegetable. They also add a lot of spices to mask poor quality ingredients.
After a successful mission, they spend money on better food and make a feast.
Most food is imported, so they lack a unique cuisine, but will eat whatever they have at the moment.
7.4. MARRIAGE AND FAMILY
They are open to most kinds of relationships and are supportive of polygamy and same-sex relationships. Terms such as ‘relationship’ and ‘family’ are not singularly defined. There is no judgement for any kind of relationship or family and everyone is free to live how they desire.
Two of the most common dedicated relationship types are poly communes and exclusive monogamous relationships. In a case of poly commune, they raise children as their own and children view them all as parents.
The only social stigma around relationships is engaging with someone who is much below you in strength or social status. Iniku and Mahu are not desired as any kind of partners and being with them is frowned upon.
8. MAGIC
8.1. VIEW OF MAGIC
UDUU see magic as the crucial part of everyday life and use it in most occasions. Magic is in the heart of UDUU military and economy, almost everything revolves around soul crystals and modding. They have an extremely positive outlook on magic, even though the rest of the world sees modding magic as dirty and dangerous.
8.2. PREDOMINANT MAGIC
Magic system mostly used by UDUU is modding.
Users can enhance physical properties of their body. Usually it comes down to enhancing strength, tenacity, speed, healing or basic senses. They can enhance only one or all of them, it all depends on how much soul they have to use and how skilled they are with enhancing certain properties.
Advanced use of this system is dispersion. When dispersing, users turn their bodies into a dark mist and move it around until they decide to regain their physical form or run out of soul. Untrained Modders often get the coming back part wrong, so they return disfigured, with their body parts offset.
The way Modders use soul is by impaling themselves with soul rods. Once the rod enters Modder’s body, it starts leeching the soul stored inside the rod. First it expends some soul to heal the wound created by inserting the rod, then soul circulates the body waiting to be expended. The most efficient places to implant rods are brain, heart and lungs.
9. FOREIGN RELATIONS
U.P. people dislike UDUU because of their overuse of magic and a lack of societal structure. They commonly refer to them as landless and lost, pagan and faithless, and view them as nothing more than animals, subspecies.
Ladvoljan people dislike UDUU because of their massive differences in values. While Ladvoljans hold conservative views, UDUU have no alignments and are in general more progressive.
Offgast people dislike UDUU because of their misuse of power and fascination with the mortal body.
10. TRIVIA
- UDUU language structure is a mash-up of real life Japanese and Hawaiian
- Warbeasts (Kaukemono) – “kaukemono” would translate to Japanese literally as “a beast to buy”, but it comes from “kemono”, Japanese for “beast” and “kaua”, Hawaiian for “war”
- Mahu – “mahu” is Hawaiian for “vaporized”
- Muaoshi – “i mua o” is Hawaiian for “in front of” and “shi” is Japanese for “death”
- older Warbeasts usually hire some Reality Weavers to shape their crystals and bodies into some animalistic forms, the oldest ones are the work of art
- their early development name was “Shadows” which then changed to “Modders” which now is “UDUU”
- they were originally supposed to be demon aliens and their power was summoning weapons from hell
Written & edited by: Worldbuilding by: Cadence Nocthonax