These six heritages are for the world of Flash in the Pan, a post-civil-war and gaslight fantasy take on Western adventure. Included in the rules of my game LIGAMENTS, which has been growing steadily as I test and revise every little piece.

Art is from Kevin Le, found here.

Humanity makes up the majority of the folk in Graceland, from the white shores of Los Amigos in the west to the shining towers of Efer Island in the east, from the bitter cold pines of Nuckalay in the north to the hot jungles of coastal Vaquero in the south. Some, like the Waxlotche and Valiqan, are natives of this land before the place was colonized. But most are immigrants, seeking their fortune in the West, scientific progress in the East, and escaping the firm grip of the king across the dip, King Quillious IV.

People of the Dimmentum Federation (Known as Feddys), are southwestern folk raised on hard, hard work under the hot sun. Ranching, farming, and mining for their lot in life. Descendants of the original Graceland colonists, their relationship with the Valiqan and Waxlotche is estranged, to say the least. Though they get along with the Castuin and Tinea just fine. Regional Governors own and oversee the land in the west, bordering on the Whittle Peaks, but the power of the Feddy territories is always in the hands of its people. The biggest city all Feddy folk would know (and some have even seen), is Daygonby, a salt-mine turned trade powerhouse in the arid plains of the Cracked Stove. Their place in the war was as the rebellious force who wished to divest the country from the taxation and influence of the King across the dip, which the United Alto-Monarchies were all too happy to continue. They dug in trenches, laid traps, and fought defensively almost the entire war, until the massacre at Fort Carter broke their force’s morale, once and for all, leading to the dour moods and bitter hearts that dot society in the West today.

Keolei folk in Graceland are the descendants of slaves from well before the war, who freed themselves and carved out a place of their own in the country. Their independent state, known as New Mira, is governed by democratic elections and local councils. Just south of the Whittle Peaks, it was a tense area during the war, as many folks volunteered to keep the warring Feddy and Unamo forces from intruding on their land, especially given the history of cruelty to their people. While they were able to avoid open fighting on their land, the war raged on economically, with many trade routes that moved through northern New Mira being plundered or blockaded by agents of the warring states. While most Keolei folk live in the south of Graceland, many have also made a home in the far north, where native Nuckalay people, such as the Castuin, gave refuge during the days when slaves were forced to flee capture or slave hunters. These villages, such as Wishbone and Camp Repoze, became a place for the Keolei folk to settle down, grow their roots, and share the culture they had kept alive through song and stories up till then. Keolei cooking in particular is a wildly popular addition to Graceland, garnering an awesome reputation by anyone whose so much as heard it described.

The bulk of immigration to Graceland is done by Talni folk, from the country of Talnia. Originally flocking to Graceland in the early days of western expansion, the “March of Progress”, so-called by Feddy settlers. Seeking their riches far from the chaotic politics of their homeland, most Talni folk looked to make money in labor before settling down and taking advantage of the country’s comforts. However, mistrust of the foreigners, mixed with a lengthy immigration process meant that Talni folk were grasping for any work they could get, becoming the bulk of cheap human labor, from mining and farming in the Federation to building the railroads of the Unamo. Despite this, Talni folk were hardy and loyal to one another, fighting off racist attacks and forming some of Graceland’s earliest unions with their neighbors, which earned them better payment and led to Talni cultural influence that spread quickly, leading to Talnia songs, foods, and written media becoming ever popular with Graceland’s people.

People of the United Alto-Monarchies (Known as the Unamo), are northeastern folk with access to the latest in technology, from idea-sharing tools like the printing press to war-winning machines like the Gunstepper, and the economic boon of the enormous Efer City Zeppelins. The nicest cities have paved roads made of perfectly cut stone, towers as high as the clouds, indoor plumbing, and free electricity available to every citizen. While some other folk thinks the Unamo soft, these comforts have actually helped bolster the people’s focus on skillful shooting, practical mechanical skills, and economic savvy. Each domain of the United Alto-Monarchies is headed by an Alto-Monarch, who unilaterally controls their sector of the country, laws, funding, culture, and all. Because of this, not every citizen of the Unamo has equal rights, or the same chances in life, but most of the domains have taken the post-war peace to rearrange some priorities, following the lead of Alto Henry Lockwood, the lord of Efervesi, which many see as the capital of the Unamo.

Valiqan folk will be the first to tell you that you’re not the first cowboys, the first ranchers, or the first anything. Working across the land like the Waxlotche, these natives from Vaquero are hardy, loving, and unerringly loyal to family. The horse as an animal was a beautiful beast of freedom before the Vaquero was able to tame it as a new way to travel, hunt, and race. Originating from the bleak and arid land directly south, the Vaquero has had many run-ins with the colonists of Graceland, from warring with early Feddy forces over invading their land to helping Keolei Slaves in the Unamo fight for their freedom. Religion holds a large slice of the Valiqan soul, with organized worship of The Mother starting in Vaquero, and growing swiftly across Graceland. Wars were fought in earlier days over ways to worship, and while the church has unified, outliers still exist who worship the Sister, or the Brothers, over their Mother. During the war, the Valiqan were split, with a good amount joining both sides, and a smaller group completely abstaining from the conflict. They stood shoulder to shoulder with Feddy’s in the trenches and rode in with the sharpshooting Unamo cavalries.

The last “true” tribe of Native Gracelanders is the Waxlotche. This land is known as Gomo to them, and they have been oppressed and decimated since the first colonists arrived years ago. The Waxlotche were once nomadic, traveling across Gomo from lush hills in the east to the salt flats in the south west, in a cycle every few years. It was for this reason that when they were pushed west by the so-called “March of Progress”, some were able to flee quick when word of imprisonment and massacre to natives reached their ears. Some stood and fought and for this reason, the Waxlotche as it is today lives on, safe, yet sequestered, in the valley of Wakan. The Waxlotche have many talents, but you’ll never find better horse breeders in the world, and their floriculture skills have allowed them to secure the rocky soil of Wakan Valley into well-worked and healthy farmland, tended by gentle hands and ever-present bees. Some leave the valley to sell flowers, blankets, wax, and honey, but most business is done when folk wish to barter for horses. The process the Waxlotche make visitors go through is full of hard work and is apparently for buyers to prove themselves equal to the horses they wish to purchase. Though some have theorized the Waxlotche take great joy in embarrassing the foolish colonizers into proselytizing themselves. Waxlotche who resided in Wakan Valley abstained from the war, uninterested unless the fighting was on their doorstep, where both forces were driven off with swift and merciless violence. However, when faced with Keolei slaves who had fought and escaped their former masters, the Waxlotche were relentlessly helpful, going as far as driving the slave hunters to their homes, or their deaths.