Aquitillan Lexicon (A Collaborative Worldbuilding Game)

Welcome, everyone, to Lexicon! For those of you new to the concept, it's basically a game where we as a group make a piecemeal wiki for a fictional world of our own creation. It's a lot of fun, very creative, and none-too-demanding: you can make an article one week, but if you're too busy the next, just sit out. You can join at any time, even after the game has started, and leave just as easily.

For the purposes of the game, each of you is a scholar working to add to the sum of Aquitillan knowledge through the creation of this repository of information. What kind of place is Aquitilla? Who asked you all to work on it and why? Who are you? All that is up to you and your fellow scholars, to define bit by bit as you add to the wiki. The original concept of the game was developed by Neel Krishnawimi, and you can find it laid out in his own words here.

The world (or universe, or country; whatever the players define "Aquitilla" as) is gradually created as we write our articles; play progresses in week-long turns: each turn, every participating scholar writes an article the title of which begins with a particular letter. We begin at A and progress one a turn until we hit Z, then loop back to A (if we're still playing).

To make sure our world is consistent and interconnected, there are a couple of requirements for your articles: except on the first turn, each must link to at least 1 existing article. Additionally, you will be creating 2 phantom articles each turn: phantom articles are simply articles that have yet to be written, created by adding links to non-extant pages within your article.

The most important thing to remember is that everything already written is entirely true! Your fellow scholars may be petty jerks, biased and agenda-driven, or even plain stupid, but they have their professional pride and would never add an untrue fact to the wiki. As such, anything in any article must be assumed to be correct: you cannot change that article to change the facts, and you may not write contradictory facts in future articles. Interpretations of those facts, however, are fair game: if someone says "And in the year 889, Bungabunga went to war with Kaztopia", then went to war they did; however, if someone says "And in the year 889, Bungabunga went to war with Kaztopia because King Bunga's nephew was assassinated", then you're free to argue "Actually, the war was more motivated by Kaztopia's wealth of cherryberries; the assassination was largely unrelated and was in fact performed by a Bungian".

Play is pretty simple and governed by 8 rules:

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Spoiler1: Every scholar will write 1 article per turn by first dibsing an appropriate article in this thread.

2: Every article will cite or link to a minimum of one existing and two phantom articles per turn (excluding the first).

3: No scholar will cite an article they wrote, nor will they write a phantom article they were the first to cite.

4: After turn A1, all unwritten phantoms of the turn's letter must be dibsed before new articles may be created. For instance, on turn B1, if five people are playing and the phantoms "Bungabunga" and "Balloon Travel" exist, two scholars must claim BungaBunga and Balloon Travel before the other three may dibs new articles.

5: After the first turn (A1), only one new phantom may be created in each article: thus, the minimum phantoms cited are one pre-existing phantom and one new phantom; you may cite more than one pre-existing phantom, but may never create more than one new phantom except on turn A1.

6: The required citations must not be articles created on the current turn.

7: On any turn A, you may write a new article rather than define an existing A phantom.

8: On any turn Q, X, or Z, after all of that turn's phantoms are dibsed, you may write a new article of any letter; after all, not many words in English start with Q, X, or Z.

Also, it's easiest for everyone if you sign your scholar's name at the bottom of each article; that way we all know who wrote it at a glance, and who's eligible to write phantoms from it. If you create an author page for your scholar (which I highly suggest you do! It adds flavor to them and the world, and it doesn't take a turn), then link to it in your signature.

It's encouraged, but not necessarily required, that you try to get into your scholar's character; it's usually more fun if the wiki sounds like it's written by a bunch of competing barely-professionals rather than a dry lecture on a place that doesn't exist.

As this game is wiki-based, we obviously need a wiki. Ours is here!

The game will start Saturday, and each turn will last a week; during that week, feel free to write your article at any time. As I said, don't worry about playing one turn and not the next; if you don't have time, or your grandma suddenly keels over, we understand! However, try not to dibs an article if you won't be able to finish it; it's just cleaner that way. Still, the unexpected happens, and nobody will be too mad if you don't get it done.

I'm not going to keep a playerlist, since people are free to come and go, but I will keep a handy reference of phantoms here:

Phantoms

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SpoilerArmbright Engine: A faster-than-light propulsion system that works by creating microuniverses with different physical laws.

Carirzh Badlands: Possibly a location. Suspected to contain, be used by, or consist of black market vendors.

Cyranatic Islands: A chain of tropical islands,known to be partially forested and contain wild and domesticated crops of Azano Plant.

Dakkara Fungus: A widespread culinary fungus and known vector of Epdo parasites.

Jakaarith City: A place known to have a corrupt government which accepts bribes of Azano poison.

Intergovernmental United Council of Health: An international or interplanetary health organization.

LFM Service: A colony ship that escaped the "home planet"; it was destroyed by a prototype FTL drive and scattered its occupants across time and space.

Marsuline Extended Calendar: A calendar system.

Oarspur: Potentially a language, culture, or people. Only mentioned as "recovered fragments of Oarspur Poetry" and "Recovered Texts of the Oarspur Catastrophe".

Rhubarb Mary: An urban legend which gives its name to a granite spire called the Marian Tower.

As long as it remains IMMORTAL LIKE CANCER, I shall be all ins~!

...seriously, don't die ;^;

Arismith Orchard.
I may have gone a little citation-crazy. Luckily the oranges in white coats were there to give me the nice candy.

I...

I approve of this. Gimme a bit. I might contribute something.

Acel Armbright.

On another note, we probably ought to put our Phantoms on the bottom of our articles, for easy finding and linking.

On another note, a plausible reason to have anything you like across the whole of the continent/planet due to shipsplosion!

Arismith Orchard.
I may have gone a little citation-crazy.

I did the same thing the first time I played, but... Way more crazy. However, you're only supposed to create two new phantoms on the first turn, not as many as you feel like. Sorry if I didn't make that clear!

Pick your two favorites, then de-link the rest, please.

I'm going to read the articles that have been written to far, then see if something to dibs strikes me.

However, you're only supposed to create two new phantoms on the first turn, not as many as you feel like. Sorry if I didn't make that clear!

Nuuuuuuuu and here I thought we might have had an exception, but it makes sense I suppose ;^;

In any case, that's fixed. I'm also putting down a table of contents, a phantom index, and a few categories. I might see if I can write a template for listing Phantoms and Citations.

I give you the Azano plant, bringing some much needed drug trafficking into the world of Aquitillan.

I've been watching a lot of Breaking Bad recently, don't look at me like that.

https://aquitilla.wikia.com/wiki/Template:Phantoms
https://aquitilla.wikia.com/wiki/Templat...box_person

These, as well as the Phantom Index are up, and ready for use!

Aurgwah Pharmaceuticals

In addition to just writing articles, making art and other images for the wiki is also encouraged! If you feel that you can't contribute writingly, don't let that stop you from reading about and seeing if you can apply drawingly or paintingly or digitally!

On that note, is anyone going to make that Aurgwah logo? (what's it supposed to look like, thriggle?)

I have no idea; anyone who wants to is free to make up and contribute a picture for it. If we get more than one, we could ascribe extras to the old logos of Borray-Rahplur Medical Supply or Aurgwah Research and Spirits Company.

Looks like the Azano plant could also use an image!

https://aquitilla.wikia.com/wiki/Templat...x_business

And now that we've got a business to boot...

Well, I was going to get my article finished today but ERRANDS got in the way. I hope to get it put up tomorrow because I've already written most of it.

I took some notes for things people should keep in mind when writing! These are developments we saw this turn:

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SpoilerSociety:

Time measured in MEC (Marsuline Extended Calendar), presumably a year analogue. Ascending numbers indicate passing time; no negative numbers yet present, but numbers as low as 265 have appeared. AD also used in reference to a person's birth. Possibly indicates two disparate calendars (which would explain an individual born in 2051 AD still being alive despite the year being 4043 MEC or later), may indicate different notations used for persons. BA appears as well; 1 BA was later than 2051 AD.

Spaceflight is extant.

An era known as the Binary Age exists or existed, which was preceded by "a complete societal and scientific collapse" at the end of the Information Age.

Artificial intelligences may exist or be being developed, as evidenced by an anti-Turingtest movement.

A "home planet" (which was NOT Aquitilla) was conquered by something during the Binary Age. A colony ship escaped that home planet. The ship was destroyed in-transit by an experimental engine; the destruction appears to have seeded humanity across time on and near the planet Aquitilla.

People:

From at least 3985 MEC, the public has consisted of Aquitillans and non-Aquitillans.

Humans appear to be the dominant or only sapient species on Aquitilla.

Religion appears to exist in modern or near-modern times.

Names appear to follow a format similar to Western standards.

World:

Geography includes archipelagos, forests, hills, and deserts, perhaps indicating an Earthlike planet.

Plants and animals both present; insects extant.

Apple, pear, citrus, and cherry cultivated, as well as less familiar plants; agriculture widespread.

I also updated the OP with current phantoms and what we know about them. Since there are no B phantoms, feel free to dibs any article you like! Remember to include at least one existing phantom, and exactly one new phantom.

TURN B BEGINS!

Baria Canyon. Ba-bam.

The Blue Oslei now has its place in history.

Bit-reclaimed cordalite-tungsten-titanium becomes a manufactured post-Mendelevian metal!

Um..yay?

In addition to the addition of Black Wind, it's time for our weekly review and the start of the next turn!

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SpoilerSociety

The Oarspur culture or people appear to be looked down on by at least one scholar.

Exotic matter is somewhat-routinely produced and utilized.

No manner of planetary government exists, and smaller governments appear to clash regularly.

Nuclear power is utilized.

People

Traditional art and religion appear to play a significant role in Aquitillan life.

World

Some manner of "mass avian extinctions" occurred in 3211.

New phantoms and updated information about old ones:

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SpoilerArmbright Engine: A faster-than-light propulsion system that works by creating microuniverses with different physical laws.

Carirzh Badlands: Possibly a location. Suspected to contain, be used by, or consist of black market vendors.

Cordalite: A form of post-mendelevian matter manufactured from iron.

Cyranatic Islands: A chain of tropical islands, known to be partially forested and contain wild and domesticated crops of Azano Plant. They act as the breeding grounds of ghoarz flies.

Dhuiss Monastery: A (seemingly-) religious order or the location that houses it; it or they appear to focus on prediction through the use of "temporally-detatched decision engines" and appear to use their computation power for scientific purposes as well.

Ezrahim Reaction: Some form of scientific phenomenon, the misunderstanding of which may have caused or contributed to the Oarspur disaster.

Ghoarz Flies: A near-microscopic lifeform that is airborne for at least part of its life cycle. They live in the Baria Canyon for most of the year, but migrate annually to the Cyranatic Islands to mate. Could be anything from a literal fly to a buoyant form of zooplankton.

Jakaarith City: A place known to have a corrupt government which accepts bribes of Azano poison. Said government appears to be religiously-dominated and insular, as well as focused on temporal domination.

LFM Service: A colony ship that escaped the "home planet"; it was destroyed by a prototype FTL drive and scattered its occupants across time and space. Its destruction could instead have been caused by a malfunctioning superweapon.

Marsuline Extended Calendar: A calendar system.

Minerologie Ltd.: A large mining corporation that uses methods objected to by some.

Oarspur: Appears to be a people and culture based in the Baria Valley that was wiped out in a mysterious cataclysm in or near 1830 MEC; this may have been caused by attempts to develop a weapon. Their society appears to have been scientifically- and religiously-minded, but considered primitive by modern standards. A number of recovered Oarspur documents and relics exist. It may have been ruled by a barony.

Rhubarb Mary: An urban legend which gives its name to a granite spire called the Marian Tower.

Also, to Agent: you're only supposed to introduce two new phantoms on the first turn; after that, it's one new one and at least one old one. Pick which of cordalite and Minerologie Ltd. you want to keep, and delink the other one. Let us know in the thread, too, so I can update the phantom registry.

To everyone, it's turn C and we've got two (or three) c-phantoms that need dibsing! Carirzh Badlands and Cyranatic Islands definitely do, and cordalite may, depending on whether Agent keeps it or Minerologie Ltd.; remember, you can't dibs a phantom you introduced!

Dibsinging Carirzh Badlands.

I'll go ahead and dibs the Cyranatic Islands.

Poop. Theeeere goes cordalite so that I don't force anyone to do it :3

It might be worthwhile for us to invest in a timeline of somesort...

Edit:

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Spoiler
Aquitillan Timeline

265 MEC - Oarspur poetry mentions Aquitillan shamans of the Cyranatic Islands
1001 MEC - The Great Famine afflicts the Oarspur
Mid 1000s - Several catastrophic earthquakes occur
1132+ MEC - The Sky of Stone (years of unusually powerful sandstorms) afflicts the Oarspur
1140 MEC - The Barian Fires afflict the Oarspur
Late 1200s - Widespread conflicts take place around the Cyranatic Islands
1485-1493 MEC - Alchemist Predah Druvwirn establishes hospital on Aurgwah atoll in the Cyranatics
1670 MEC - Founding of the Natural Philosophers Association of Aurgwah
1764 MEC - Aurgwah Research and Spirits Company registered in the International Trade Registry
1830 MEC - Oarspur Catastrophe wipes out inhabitants of Baria Canyon
2030 MEC - Aurgwah merges with Borray-Rahplur Medical Supply to form Aurgwah Pharmaceuticals
2800 MEC - Baria Canyon ruins discovered, leading to archaeological Cyranatic Abandonment
3030 MEC - It is discovered that supersonic repellants can limit agricultural damage from the Black Wind
3057 MEC - Black Wind Ghoarz flies are protected by regulatory measures
3150 MEC - Renmis Point Grove established
3150-3200 MEC - Modern Eminent Saint Ferris establishes chapel at Renmis River
3211 MEC - Mass avian extinctions occur
3329 MEC - Renmis Point Grove officially renamed Arismith Orchard
3424 MEC - Modern Eminent Saint Martin Seamus journeys across the Baria Canyon over a month without provisions
3985 MEC - Shirick the Shaman mascot introduced by Aurgwah Pharmaceuticals
3987 MEC - Shirick the Shaman mascot abandoned by Aurgwah Pharmaceuticals
3991-3993 MEC - Intergovernmental investigations into claims that Aurgwah distributed military-grade pharmaceuticals to the Carirzh Badlands
4031 MEC - Dhuiss Monastery predicts Bitreconium
4032 MEC - Cayne University study concludes that LFM Service was destroyed by unnatural temporal collison, not Armbright Engine failure
4033 MEC - Bitreconium isolated
4034 MEC - Dhuiss Monastics predict weapon that destroyed LFM Service was in the Baria Canyon
4035 MEC - Jakaarith announces that it posesses weapon (the Blue Oslei) that destroyed the LFM Service
4036 MEC - The Blue Oslei's last public appearance
4043 MEC - Class action lawsuit against Aurgwah over Raidricin plant worker deaths
4044 MEC - Bitreconium perfected

I uh, didn't include AD or BA times, or the history of the Home Planet.

Phew! Cyranatic Islands is finally done.

Captain Maple Androtti, who is totally not modeled on Christopher Columbus at all.

Well uh, I had about half of the Carirzh Badlands page finished and saved before my laptop finally gave out on me. I'm just gonna leave an IOU here and promise to get it finished either when I get the laptop fixed or when I have enough time and energy to sit back down and write it all over again from scratch, which might be awhile still. I'll get it done eventually though.