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The World of Crux

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Consider this "part 2" of the rambling worldbuilding introduced with my "the three guys" post, where in this part, I'll be talking about not the characters, but the setting of Element.


Crux, all-in-all, is a lovely place. Very similar to earth, considering it has 89% of its mass, has an axis tilt of 16.5 degrees, and its days consist of 22 hours and its years consist of 325,2 cruxian days.

However, you're not here for all the nitty-gritty details. You're here for... well, I'm not sure what you're here for considering you probably stumbled upon this work looking for better content, but it's definitely not the nitty-gritty details.


One important thing to know about this world is that it is infused with pure elemental energy, which has manifested geographically in various areas. It is populated by a wide variety of elementals and organic inhabitants, who have developed their own nations, cultures, and whatnots throughout the entire world, so I'm going to be offering a brief synopsis on each and every one of them, going from left to right.


Lum is one of the most well-known and reputable nations on crux, once mainly inhabited by Lumans. With its sprawling, sun-bleached dunes and finely crafted sandstone structures and glasswork, it has served as a hub for knowledge and culture for quite a while. In the present day, it's doing somewhat... worse. A nasty incident known as the Umbral incursion has razed these roofs, leaving the place somewhat of a hallowed ground. However, even amongst its crumbled infastructure, beauty and Hope still shine through on the noonday sun. Some would say it could someday return to its former glory, but more would probably argue that the jury is out on that claim.


Tunnelis is a sprawling, dusty badland populated by Terrians and the occasional prairie oyster. Folks here earn their living either through farming spactus or digging up fossils, with the latter having become much more lucrative and expansive in recent times, to the point the land being used for it is threatening the space of the former. Massive excavation trenches are a common sight throughout this land, hauling up barrels of filler dirt and treasures from beneath.


Volkanis was once a grand kingdom, clad in blackened iron and run with an unfeeling gauntlet of order and conquest. However, those days have long passed and the Rhot empire has met its devastation since then, leaving its people... better than ever, actually! The native fire elementals (or ignis) spend their time cobbling together ramshackle tools, explosives, and machines, treating the old towers and streets as testing grounds for whatever madcap creations they cook up next. The place is somewhat lawless and inhospitable, with skies filled with choking ash and volcanic activity being a common occurrence, but you can't say the local population is any bit dissatisfied.


Flaunara is, unfortunately, one of the last bastions of natural life on Crux, as it wasn't always the elemental haven it once was. Crux's elemental infusuion is a somewhat recent event, having caused irreversible terraforming destroying a large amount of the planet's native ecosytems in the process. With that being said, things are still sprouting back up and adapting throughout the planet, but Flaunara is the one area that has remained untouched throughout Crux's tumultuous history. It is populated by swathes of flauna of all shapes and sizes, as well a a wide variety of regular plants and fungi.


Aqu'arion is a smattering of islands and shores spread throughout the Palthan ocean, with sunny, reed-lined beaches and villages adjacent to the warm, tropical waters. The water elementals (or aqueans) spend their time with recreational activities such as fishing and artistry, although some more daring souls have taken to the seas and saltsprayed docktowns in search of adventure and piracy with some of the native octopods and klam. Either way, the land has quite a reputation for providing fulfilling experiences for its inhabitants.


Aeria is a barren, mountainous wasteland, buffeted with unrelenting winds and stormy weather. While its surface is nigh uninhabitable, high above the nation on its peaks and plateaus the air elementals (or zephryn) comfortably thrive over a sea of endless clouds. They participate mainly in the construction and piloting of flying machines like planes and dirigibles, and regularly compete with each other in dogfights and racing events.


Tallem is a place of bright ideas and gleaming metal. Despite the fact that it’s alien, Crux is a remarkably low-tech planet, with the vast majority of the outside population unfortunately seeing “gizmos and gadgets” as nothing more than a novelty or a fad. Tallem welcomes ideas and scientific progress with open arms, making it the leading purveyor and manufacturer of Crux’s technological advancements. Constructs, machines, hand-held tools, communication devices, and much more are all made by the metal elementals (or metallan) seeking to make it big out there.


Crystolia may be barren and bouldry, but its beautiful, carven cathedrals of crag and crystal are what give it its reputation for being a place of unwavering faith. Its stone elementals (or lithians) believe strongly in a figure named Gol, who they believe formed the world and provided it with good fortune and life. The paved streets of Crystolia are littered with depictions of him or those they declare saints who have worshiped him without fault. The chisel goes both ways however, as they aren’t too kind to those who stray from his image.


Frostonia, as the name implies, is a land of ice and snow, with beautiful vistas of powdered plains, frosted forests, petrified peaks, and chilly caves. Alliterations aside, its population of ice elementals (or cryos), are built for, and from the harsh environment, as their combat training and survivalist traditions have honed them into mighty warriors. The lands outside their hometowns are inhabited by mukluks, fuzzy, primitive creatures who have likewise adapted to the cold climate in their own ways. Up here, one thing remains constant- only the strong survive.


Shaydon is a dark, crooked wasteland bathed in inky, shrouding clouds and near-endless storms. It’s dotted with bustling, walled kingdoms inhabited by pathetic, suffering shayd. They may not have a perfect life, but they’ve been able to carve out their place in the world, for better or for worse. They are quite industrious, following the orders of higher ups for their expansion and livelihoods, but not exactly innovative, as they aren’t exactly encouraged to speak out of turn. In any case, it’s dark, it’s dreary, but to many, it’s still home.


Knollam is literally nothing but snow-bleached wasteland and ice sheets. It’s not even an entrance to a Cruxian Hyperborea or hollow earth or anything cool like Antarctica is to Earth. There are some rumors of Aqueans who have traveled down there, but nothing’s really come of that.


And with all that, that’s really the up and down of the wild world of Crux, with so many interesting settings and potential for stories to occur!

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Uploaded
Jan 14, 2023
9:05 PM EST
Category
Comic

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