Where does the game take place?
Glykia is a jamjar post-apocalyptic fantasy world, visually characterized by a strong solarpunk aesthetic. Much of the old world still exists in the form of ruins that the contemporary populace has chosen to build their new settlements around.

The main hub at the start of the game is a humble settlement known as Sunspire, aptly named due to the large glasslike pyramid in the center that shines from afar under the sun’s light.

Sunspire is a small town with a population of 3000. It’s largely an egalitarian and mercantile society run by a council of local guild masters. Order and security fall under the jurisdiction of the Paladin Guild, who have their posts littered throughout Sunspire.

Huge swaths of desert surround Sunspire, but there are other settlements and cities beyond it and even floating islands that are only accessible via rather particular means. These will gradually be revealed to players over time and upcoming events.

Tell me more about the world.
Sunspire is one of the many settlements scattered across Glykia. Nations no longer exist. Most are nomadic, braving the elements as they traverse the world’s lawless lands. Those who seek shelter and security gather around settlements like Sunspire, marked by a large pyramid on the horizon; it’s pretty hard to miss.

What is up with the giant pyramid?
It is an ancient ruin that has been well-preserved over time and is maintained by a religious body known as the Seraphim, who worship the deity Seraphina and claim to hear their voice from beyond. Religion is not a huge thing around these parts; most folks think the Seraphim are silly. But players will hear Seraphina whispering into their brains, which is not at all normal. Sometimes, she even gives them dreams. See the Dreams section below for more info.

What is the local climate and temperature like?
Hot as balls during the day. Freezing at night. Occasional rain. Lots of dusty wind and sandstorms (Darude intensifies).

Tell me more about Sunspire.
Sunspire, one of the older Glykian settlements, serves as a rest stop for weary desert travelers. It is built near an oasis, the settlement’s primary source of water. Although it lies along a trade route, the sandstorms, lack of infrastructure, and scarce resources make it an unpopular spot among tourists. Beyond the pyramid, the settlement’s main allure lies in the untouched surrounding ruins.

Not a lot of money comes into Sunspire, but that doesn’t get the residents of Sunspire down. The Sunfolk’s scavenging prowess and green thumbs help them survive the harsh desert. Renowned as monster hunters, they're as fearsome as the creatures they face, embracing a world in disarray with resilience and resourcefulness.

Ruins? What’s the history behind those?
Long ago, Glykia used to be a world filled with smartphones and shopping malls. Everything changed when the war broke out. Humans destroyed each other with their own technology, annihilating peoples and razing down civilizations until there was nothing left. The survivors hid underground for centuries, and when the surface was finally deemed safe to travel, the rest was history.

The ruins of this distant past are referred to as “The Old World”, scattered across the land, from scorching sands to sweltering jungles to the sunken depths of the ocean, each location with its own tragic rise and fall. Players are encouraged to uncover these sites and imagine their stories for themselves.

There are monsters? What other threats do we need to worry about?
Monsters appeared in Glykia after the war. The ones native to the region of Sunspire are inspired by Middle Eastern and Asian mythological creatures. However, there have been monsters foreign to the world appearing in the wild. Could they be from yours? You may find more specific information about the local bestiary here. Players are encouraged to contribute to it!

It’s also entirely possible to encounter still-functioning robots from the Old World, but due to the wear of time and lack of maintenance, they will barely function as intended and likely be hostile.

About those robots from the old world…
Some locals enjoy finding rogue robots in order to reuse their parts to build something new. Others choose to repair the robots and use them as is. However, if the robots have a more destructive nature, the locals will not take too kindly to them because of their history.

What can we do in this game? There seems to be a heavy emphasis on building and crafting.
Yes! Building and creating are two of the main aspects of this game. We encourage all characters to learn new skills and adapt to their surroundings like the locals of Sunspire have. Here’s a non-exhaustive list of what your character can do in Glykia:

• Hone your survival skills and learn how, where, and when to forage and gather resources.


• Dive into the ruins, where your character can sharpen their skills as both an archaeologist and adventurer — not everybody can accurately date artifacts from the 2000s, you know.


• Restore old technology and engineer new ones, pioneering the inventions that will shape the world.


• Learn more about magic. It’s just as mysterious to the locals as it is to you.


• Brew potions, concoct medicines, and craft poisons. These will be especially useful in your expeditions.


• Come up with new ways to cook using vibrant and unique local ingredients.


• Grow useful plants and farm delicious crops.


• Forge weapons that would make a dragon think twice about attacking.


• Build homes and other structures that can defy the elements and provide solutions for the community.

The sky’s the limit! We urge characters to come up with creative solutions to improve lives and foster the growth of Sunspire into a thriving city. How it happens is all up to you! Events will include many opportunities for this, but players are highly encouraged to take the initiative and start their own plots outside of events.

My character doesn’t know how to do any of that. How do we start learning these things?
Your character can learn basics from the locals, either through joining guilds or self-study at the library. If learning from NPCs, feel free to handwave the experience, whether through direct apprenticeship or close observation, but also try to be reasonable and realistic with how fast they learn. Even if the character is a genius, it will still take some time to learn, and they are not likely to learn everything overnight.

If a character already has useful skills, that’s good! But you’re always free to have them learn new things, too. For example, if they are incompatible with local engineering procedures and equipment or they are unfamiliar with some materials unique to this world, they can choose to study them and adapt.

Avoid godmoding! We want to encourage creativity and make the game balanced, engaging and enjoyable for characters of all kinds.

Where can my character find supplies and materials?
Due to the world's harsh conditions, resources are scarce. Shops may run out of stock, so player characters might need to help replenish them.

Everyday materials like plants, sticks, rope, and dairy products are available from nearby sources. However, rarer and more valuable materials, such as remnants from the old world—vintage music players, retro telephones, worn jukeboxes, vehicle parts, or fantasy metals—require characters to venture beyond Sunspire and into the desert. These treasures can be unearthed in hidden, challenging locations, be it ancient ruins or monster-infested dens.

Players are free to make up materials and methods to collect them!

If resources are limited, are there consequences for wasting them?
Yes, especially water (you are in a desert after all)! The locals will not take kindly if they see someone throwing water, food, or other useful items around. Some of the more burly residents might even take a hard swing at your face for your carelessness. The harshest consequence for squandering resources is a brief stint in jail, but Sunfolk are more likely to force you to replace whatever was lost.

Over time, especially as characters bring in more materials from their explorations and devote themselves to the development of the town, the overall availability of resources will increase. Despite that, however, the locals will maintain a strong aversion to waste. They’ve been through a lot!

Arrival

Living Arrangements

Economy

Lifestyle and Commerce

Transportation

What is the technology of Sunspire like?
It is post-apocalyptic, with no means of mass production since the last factories were destroyed millennia ago during the war. Remnants of Old World technology from the 2000s are scattered throughout the landscape, but most of it is non-functional and requires significant repairs.

Their construction technology allows the building of structures using stone and metal scraps. The glass pyramid? Well, that’s a mystery to everybody… Small magic-infused jewels—rare imports from another town—power the few operational Old World appliances.

No one has an air fryer, but basic amenities such as stoves, clay ovens, spice storage, and places for meat drying are commonplace. Mills exist in Glykia, but Sunspire currently lacks one. Notably, the plumbing system is one of the most sophisticated components, enabling functioning flush toilets, baths, and sinks, albeit with limited other technological conveniences.

What about magic, weapons and armor?
The most advanced weaponry of this world uses a combination of magic and gunpowder. Small blades, firearms, and explosives are popular among explorers and monster hunters. Their armor is often light. Bulletproof vests exist, but they are expensive.

Can you tell me more about magic?
Few Sunfolk know this, but traveling scholars and magic practitioners will tell you that through training, meditation, and willpower, anyone can use magic. In theory, even player characters are capable of using magic from the four known domains of magic in Glykia:

• Sun: light, heat, abjuration, spirit


• Sand: earth, wind, divination, mind


• Oasis: water, life, healing, heart


• Shadow: darkness, cold, enhancement, body

The keywords for each domain serve as a loose guide for the kind of magic that exists under that domain.

Most Sunfolk don’t know how to use magic outside of offensive weaponry, but once in a blue moon, charitable traveling scholars use their magic to help them with everyday tasks.

What is communication like?
Long-distance communication is done by letters, telegrams, smoke and flare signals. Some locals have simple Nokia-style phones, which they used to send messages to each other and access the network, which they call the Stheno. Simple printing presses exist in Glykia, but in Sunspire there are none, and few are literate enough to understand college textbooks.

Does my character get a phone, too?
Yes. Not only are they suitable for sending messages, you can also use them to play Snake and throw as a blunt projectile against enemies. Photographs and videos taken on the phone will be excessively grainy and of poor quality (think below 360p).

This sucks. Can I give this world an upgrade?
Yes, and we encourage it! Characters can do this by improving their crafting and building skills, as well as the skills needed to gather the materials for them. Maybe you can start small and upgrade your brick of a Nokia or repair your neighbor’s ultra rare VHS player. The goal is to elevate the overall quality of life in the world, so do whatever you like.

What is the network like?
There is a version of Wi-Fi that exists due to sophisticated satellites that still orbit the planet, though the locals believe the WiFi comes from an unknown and ancient magic in the atmosphere, as they are not aware of the satellites’ existence. They refer to the Wi-Fi as “the Stheno” due to the many magical serpents that they believe link everyone together to one central galactic snake brain. There are only a limited number of websites that still exist via the Stheno, and they are very rudimentary in design and resemble old Geocities pages. They are usually filled with fanworks, tedious flash games, and random information from ancient people who were a little too deep into cross-breeding different varieties of turnips. When characters post public messages on the network, they show up on the only internet forum to survive the apocalypse, the “WooHoo!” forums, which locals believe were once used to arrange hook-ups, so one may occasionally be notified about sexy singles in their area while browsing.

What’s this about Seraphina whispering into their brains and receiving dreams?
Seraphina mainly communicates through telepathy and dreams. The dreams they flash at you are an endless array of possibilities created by echoes of other parallel universes where you are either thriving or failing. Characters are more likely to get dreams than NPCs do, and they’ll notice that their dreams are quite different from the rest.

What are dreams from Seprahina supposed to be?
In-universe, dreams from Seraphina can be best described as shared visions of another life. Think of every fanfic and AU that’s ever been thought of. That’s what your character will probably be dreaming about. What makes these dreams special is that characters may see other player characters in their dreams. Upon waking up, they will also remember everything said or done in those dreams too, leading to potentially awkward breakfast conversation.

OOCly, the dream mechanic is essentially a monthly meme prompt for players to play around with. It doesn't influence in-game events unless players choose to incorporate it into their own plots or character development. Posts set within a dream should be tagged "!dream" on the game’s IC community.

When does my character dream?
ICly, dreams by Seraphina occur whenever your character sleeps, though not necessarily every time. If your character sleeps and dreams too much, Seraphina may intervene with a nightmare. Get off your butt and work!

OOCly, one or two dream prompts will be posted monthly on a separate post tagged "!dream event." However, dreams can be played out at any time. The monthly dream prompts only serve as a guide and reminder of what can be explored with the dream mechanic. We’d like to give players a chance to incorporate it into their personal plots should they want it.

What are dreams like?
In dreams, your character can appear in different forms if you wish, such as dreaming of themselves as a child or a dragon or a cat-hybrid, but they cannot take on the appearance of another appable character (e.g. Darth Vader can appear as Anakin, but he can’t appear as Luke). The dreams can also be of the scintillating variety if you like (but please warn appropriately if so). You may even dream of scenarios where your characters are married to others and living in a house with a white picket fence, 2.5 children, a cat, and a dog.

What happens if I get hurt or die in the dream?
If your character gets hurt or injured in the dream, you'll feel mild body pain and scratches corresponding to the dream's events. If your character dies in the dream, they wake up in the real world.

Do characters get rewards for dreaming?
There are no in-game rewards for dreams, but they can be creatively used to build character relationships you might not otherwise achieve in the regular RP setting.

Can I join the game?
Glykia is an invite-only game. Only those who were personally invited by the mods can apply and join the game. An invite does not guarantee that you'll get in, since the mods collectively have the final say on all apps. Please specify who invited you in your application or your application will automatically be rejected.

What characters can be apped?
We currently allow canon characters, original characters, CRAUs, malleable protagonists, doubles of characters from different mediums (such as comics!Loki and MCU!Loki), and MMO/tabletop protagonists. We also allow any non-human characters so long as they have a demonstrated amount of sapience. Male and female versions of MCs can also be apped alongside one another (such as Caelus and Stelle from Honkai: Star Rail).

What characters cannot be apped?
We do not allow canon OCs or any AUs and doubles of canon characters from the same medium except in the case of male/female variants of all malleable protagonists. We also do not allow any MMO/OC/malleable characters who have established relationships with canon characters that are not strictly mentioned in canon. However, this can be developed in game through CR. Please go wild.

Are there any age restrictions on characters?
There are no age restrictions, but we ask that players please be mindful of character suitability in terms of long-term survival on their own and their ability to handle potentially dangerous situations due to the overall plot and direction of the game.

How many characters can each player app?
Currently, there is no limit, but please be responsible and do not app more than you think you can handle. We would like to avoid any instances of character squatting.

What if I want to app a character from a new canon?
Please wait at least one month before apping from a new canon to avoid spoiling anyone in the game.

How does the app process work?
Submit your app via the Google form on the Applications page. At the end of the app cycle, you will receive an automated acceptance or rejection email from [email protected]. An OOC post will go up to notify everyone about this as well. If you didn’t receive an email, please reach out to the mods on the Mod Contact page. We don’t check the mod email at all, so we discourage players from emailing us their concerns.

What type of activity system does Glykia have?
Glykia runs on a simple check-in system. There are no comment requirements.

How often do I need to check in?
Activity checks are processed on the last day of every month.

Where do I submit activity?
A post on the OOC community with a Google form will go up on the 1st of every month. Players can submit to this form any time during the month to indicate their continued interest in remaining in the game. You must submit this form for every character you have in the game. You also need to make a comment on the monthly activity check post so we can verify that you submitted the form yourself.

Since this is a new system to us all, we will be lenient with players who make mistakes on their activity check form. However, players who are evidently trying to cheat the system will be kicked and banned from the game.

For whatever reason, I can’t check in for the month. Can I take a hiatus?
No. We do not process hiatuses since we operate on a check-in system. If you have certain circumstances that keep you from submitting the monthly activity check, please contact the mods.

I checked in this month! Why did I fail AC?
You likely did one of the following:

• You did not comment on the AC post and/or you did not submit the Google form.


• The URL you submitted on your Google form did not pass our regex check and had the wrong format.


• The URL you submitted on your Google form had the correct format, but was not your own Dreamwidth comment on the AC post.

If we failed you in error, please reach out to us on the Mod Contact post.

Can my character keep their canon powers?
Yes, your character can keep all their canon powers. Players will only be required to nerf their character’s abilities if said abilities are deemed game-breaking in any way. Examples of this include the ability to travel through dimensions, to travel through time, reality warping, immortality, casually tossing around entire planets, etc.

If my character has no canon powers or abilities, can they gain new ones?
Yes. As stated in Technology and Magic section, even player characters are capable of using magic from the four known domains of magic in Glykia. Characters usually have a better affinity for one domain over the rest. What that domain is up to player discretion. So long as it doesn’t break the game or make it less fun, go wild and have fun with it!

What about oversized characters, transformations, and summons?
As a general rule, the maximum height of all these things is limited to 10 meters (~32.8 feet). You are welcome to have your character shrunk down below that if you want them to fit comfortably in smaller spaces, particularly when exploring areas underground, entering buildings, or using transportation.

Can my character be given a humanoid form if they were originally an animal/transformer/etc. in canon?
Sure, they can have one. Seraphina works in mysterious ways.

Will my character arrive with no memories whatsoever?
Your character will arrive with at least two of their memories missing. How much your character remembers of their own world beyond that is entirely up to you. You can choose complete memory loss, partial memory loss, or keep to the minimum.

Can my character regain those missing memories?
Yes, there will be several opportunities for your character to gradually remember everything from their canon. These are most likely to happen during game events.

What if my character dies in the game?
Their body will vanish for a few days and respawn near or exactly in the location where they died with more missing memories, senses, or body parts that they will have to work to recover. Any missing limbs can be temporarily replaced with prosthetics created out of scraps from old ruins.

What happens to characters who are dropped?
Their body will also vanish, but their device will remain and will be non-functional. Basically, it’s now a bricked phone, but remaining characters are welcome to try and pry any photos or data off of it. Maybe even learn the horrifying truth of their friend’s internet search history.

What happens to characters when they are on hiatus?
Officially, we do not process hiatuses since we operate on a check-in system. If you won't be playing for a while, you can tell others on the next activity check post that your character is either on auto-pilot, or lost in the desert, desperately surviving in spite of the elements before they return to Sunspire all desiccated and covered in sand. It’s up to you!

What if I wish to canon update a character?
You can canon update them at any time. Please fill out the form on the Canon Update page so we can update their information accordingly. In-game, their body will mysteriously disappear for a few days and then return to the same location they vanished from, similar to when they experience death.

Is smut allowed in this game?
While Glykia isn’t an outright sex game, it is very sex-friendly. We only ask that you appropriately warn of any sexual content when it happens.

Are there any age restrictions for smut?
Please be mindful of Dreamwidth’s Terms of Service and keep the smut limited to characters in their older teens and above.

Can my character get preganté?
No, all characters will wake up sterile in this world, but they are more than welcome to fill the void with pets and potted plants.