WORLDBUILDING: The Ultimate Guide to the World of Yoso

[LightningTopaz]

Welcome one and all to my field guide for Yoso, the fantastic Pokeworld in which Pokemon: Magic of a Melody and The Traveler's Tales: A Minstrel's Journey, an upcoming adventure tentatively titled "White Fire, Black Thunder, Silver Song", (and a few dozen one shots) are set. In here, I hope to tell you all about the world, its people, and its culture.

If you have any questions or want to know more about a specific topic, let me know.

Table of Contents:

Counterparts to the Real Pokeworld
Religion and Mythology
Choosing a Trade
Magic in Yoso
The Minstrels of Yoso
Yosoian Food and Drink
Character profile: Kissa
Quick profile: Brock
Holidays in Yoso: The Festival of Colors
Legends of Yoso (part 1--spoilers ahoy!)
The Merfolk of Yoso
The Tamers of Yoso
Languages of Yoso
Holidays in Yoso: Rainbow Day
The Lore of Yoso: The Travels of Akane
Trade Quests
The Heavenly Rings
Deity Profile: Anima
Holidays in Yoso: The Festival of Fire
Deity Profile: Dorcha
Games of Yoso: Tamer's Quest
The Gauntlet of Illusion
The Desert Nomads
The Sorceror's Sanctum
The Tournament of Fate
The Fairies of Yoso
Theater in Yoso (part 1)
Theater in Yoso (part 2)
Theater in Yoso (part 3)
Theater in Yoso (part 4)

More to come, so check back often

 

[LightningTopaz]

Counterparts to the Real Pokeworld

The main continent of Yoso is a conglameration of the five main regions. While every main place in the real Pokeworld has a counterpart, it is not always in the same location as its real counterpart.

Below is a list of the main counterparts seen or mentioned in the stories thus far:

Masuliro--Pallet Town
Raduga Plains--Route 1
Hijau--Viridian City
Luse Forest--Viridian Forest
Hopea--Pewter City
Whitespell Temple--The Pokemon Center by Mt. Moon
Mt. Arian--Mt. Moon
Mavi--Cerulean City
Sindura--Vermillion City
Raben--Lavender Town
Ourania--Celadon City
Kesara--Saffron City
Hese--Fuschia City
Aiiro--Indigo Plateau/Kanto Pokemon League
Rosalia--Cherrygrove City
Veilchen--Violet City
Ayaton--Ecruteak City
Oliva--Olivine City
Nishi--Johto League
Solarosa--Oldale Town
Kaina--Slateport City
Mieta--Verdanturf Town
Amanta--Fallarbor Town
Cimenele--Fortree City
Hakutai--Eterna City
Pradera--Pastoria City
Yuniwa--Hearthome City
Chairo--Snowpoint City
Sefiro--Nacrene City
Austra--Castelia City
Madari--Nimbasa City
Fayenza--Driftveil City
Kuroshiro--Unovan League

This list will be updated as more locations are revealed

 

[LightningTopaz]

Religion and Mythology

The pantheon of Yoso is based on the eight elementals of the world, as listed here:

Anima (ah-nee-mah)-One of the chief deities and Goddess of Light, she is Dorcha's beloved, and watches over the world by day

Dorcha (door-sha)-The other chief deity and God of Darkness. Unlike the demon lord Kione, Dorcha represents the good side of darkness in the form of night and shadows. He is said to ride across the night sky aboard Lugia, keeping watch over the world while Anima rests. He is also very wise, and many a tale depicts him or Anima deciding a dispute (the two of them together are often referred to as the Holy Couple) Their love is very strong, so much so that it is the model for a lasting relationship

Miran, Goddess of Water

Raissel, God of Earth

Deami, Goddess of Fire--said to have created Moltres, according to one myth. She is also known to be a great dancer, as well.

Isori, God of Wind

Jendav, God of Lightning

Saidas, Goddess of Ice--The only deity besides Dorcha to own a Legendary, she is depicted as riding Articuno. She is also said to light the way for Dorcha and Lugia as the evening star.

In addition to the main eight, there are a number of other minor deities. One of the most prominent are the three goddesses of inspiration--Reikan, the Goddess of Story; Kyuki, the Goddess of Song, and Prerana, the Goddess of Wisdom. Collectively, they are called the Three Sisters, and many minstrels pray to them before performing. (In Brock's case, he does so at the beginning of each day)

To Be Updated...

 

[LightningTopaz]

Choosing a Trade

Like the real Pokeworld, most people in Yoso choose their trade at ten years old, where they go to begin an apprenticeship or training in the desired trade. If someone is especially skilled, they may begin earlier or later, depending on the trade.

When their training is finished, the fledging apprentice receives a special item to commemorate their going out into the world (what this is differs from trade to trade)

Besides mages and minstrels, other known trades in Yoso (so far) are smithing, artists, seers, weavers, merchants, sailors, rangers, farmers, writers, dancers, and tamers (a trainer and a coordinator rolled into one)

 

[LightningTopaz]

Magic in Yoso

The basics of magic

Magic is common and revered in Yoso, but not everyone has the talent to use it. The power first manifests around the ages of seven to nine, but it has been known to manifest even earlier if it is particularly strong. Whenever it manifests, it does not awaken until age ten (many times by accident--Ash discovered his by inadvertantly naming an incantation while singing a song)

Once someone's magic power is awakened, they spend about three to five years honing their skill. Once they fledge, some stay behind at the lodge to teach apprentices and some go out into the world (either to serve someone, train even more, or go adventuring) Upon fledging, mages receive a weapon to commemorate their fledge (Ash chose a sword when he fledged)

Magic is tied to a person's strength, so the stronger the spell, the more strength it takes. While you cannot die by using magic, it is possible to exhaust yourself to the point of death, but resting recovers strength and magic power.

Familiars and the saefleita

A mage will often have at least one familiar, and carry a small instrument known as a saefleita to call them. Literally meaning "bird's flute" in Mew, this small bird shaped ocarina-like instrument is often used by mages to call a familiar. A mage's saefleita is tied to the mage's magical power--every familiar summoned costs some magic power (Legendaries require a lot of power, hence why mages are told to only summon them in an emergency). Every one of a mage's familiars has their own unique song, but despite the saefleita's three octave range, many summon songs are no longer than seven notes to make it easier for the mage to remember and keep track of them all, should they have many familiars. There are exceptions, however (the Wind section of the Summon Cycle for Lugia, for example, has nine notes)

A mage can summon their lodge's Legendary using a saefleita, but only in an emergency (as this depletes the saefleita's magic power). In addition, a Legendary summoned in this way can usually only do one task or speak to the mage once per day. (although some, like Lugia, can be summoned more than once) The summon songs for Legendaries are more complex than common Pokemon, and most of the very few summon songs that have more than seven notes are part of a Legendary's Summon Cycle

To summon a Legendary using their saefleita, a mage must play four songs that match the complete cycle of the four basic elements--earth, fire, wind, and water. If any of the four songs are played out of order, the summoning will fail, If a Summon Cycle is played on any other instrument, only a likeness of the Legendary will appear in the sky for a few seconds

Song Magic

Song Magic is a special type of magic cast by music, and usually only learned by minstrels with the talent for it, or be taught to another by such a minstrel. If one is lucky enough to meet the Guardian of Song, Meloetta, she may bless you with the talent as well. Song Magic spells are often performed on an instrument, but it is also possible to cast it by using one's voice. (Dawn, a cleric of Whitespell, can do this)

Unlike most magics, which are grouped by type, most Song Magic is grouped by families, spells across all elementals that share a characteristic form of attack. Known families include arrow, rainbow, diamond, and mist, to name a few. The more people playing or singing a song, the stronger it becomes, although only the first performer has to say the incantation and name the spell.

Crowned Pokemon

In Yoso, some Pokemon have the ability to speak human language by means of enchanted headgear. Usually, you can only get these items from an archmage (or in Brock's case, doing something to please an archmage), but sometimes, an archmage will leave these items for a lucky treasure hunter to find. A Pokemon wearing one of these items is said to be "crowned", and may also have other abilities depending on what it is wearing.

In order of power level, these are the known Archmage items and their other abilities besides speech:

Archmage's Cap (boosted agility)

Archmage's Hood (simple psychic powers such as seeing a short time into the future)

Archmage's Circlet (simple magic spells)

Archmage's Tiara (boosted strength and simple magic)--this is what Kissa wears

Archmage's Crown (boosted strength, strong magical agility, and invincibility as long as the Crown is worn)

Once a Pokemon is crowned, the item is bound to them, so only the rightful wearer receives the item's powers.



Aura Knights

Aura knights are a special type of knight that train in harnessing one of the eight elementals. While they are physically strong, their magic is limited to whatever element they have trained under (and any derivatives of that element--so a water knight can also cast ice spells and some basic healing magic) They are best known for their ornate armor with swirls--the swirls glow when they cast magic (and strike fear into most opponents)

Jutsu

Casting Jutsu is different from casting spells--the incantation setup for a jutsu is "(elemental) Magiiro no jutsu" (meaning (elemental) magical technique) before naming the jutsu. A ninja can draw on the elementals of earth (chi), water (mizu), fire (hi), lightning (denki), wind (kaze), and illusion (sakkaku).

To Be Updated...

 

[LightningTopaz]

The Minstrels of Yoso

Yoso is a world filled with legends and lore, and there are many minstrels wandering about sharing stories, songs, and culture. Some of them dance or do other acrobatic feats in addition to singing/playing music and storytelling. They typically perform in inns and taverns, and never stay in one place for too long. Some towns will have a minstrel in residence (For example, Brock is the minstrel in residence of Hopea, even though he still travels often alongside his Persian, Kissa)

Minstrels typically fledge around age 15-16, although some stay longer to hone Song Magic if they have the talent. They usually begin training on the instrument they know best (which in Brock's case, was a lute) Other known instruments include harps (Brock's instrument of choice), drums (Brock has a hand drum) flutes and whistles (both Brock and Ash have a flute--Brock's is a silver whistle, while Ash's is a Dreamer's Flute--a special flute for casting Song Magic), horns, cadenas (an instrument that is essentially a cross between an autoharp and a guitar with a fretless fingerboard a la a violin--Brock also has one), fiddles (which both Brock's mentor, the legendary minstrel Marista Laire, and Brock can play) zithers, pipes, (on Yoso, a pipe refers to an instrument known as a kaite, which is played and sounds similar to an oboe) and bells, to name a few.

The quest for Rainbow Symphony

A minstrel dreams of unleashing the ultimate Song Magic, Rainbow Symphony, at some point in their career. To do this, they embark on a long quest to find the eight beads that form the Necklace of the Mystical Rainbow. The necklace was said to be given to a great minstrel who used the power of Rainbow Symphony to save the world. Its eight beads are made of pure elemental energy, and to prevent its power from falling into the wrong hands, the necklace shatters and the beads scatter when the spell is successfully cast.

 

[LightningTopaz]

Yosoian Food and Drink

Yoso has a wide variety of food--meat, bread, berries, and herbs are staple foods, but dairy products are also common, with Miltank milk being the most popular. Water is clean and plentiful, and is often drank alongside juice or tea (although there are places where juice or tea is exclusively served)

Taverns have a bewildering array of beers, wines, ales, and other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages (mages and minstrels are discouraged from drinking alcohol, as its effects would interfere with the ability to perform or cast spells) These "clear mind" drinks are usually on the menu, but in some taverns you have to ask for them. The most well known of what we would call "mocktails" in our world is the "daisy" family of drinks--so named because they are "clear mind" versions of sour cocktails (a Berry combined with the liqueur of that Berry. There is one "Daisy" drink that is an exclusively "clear mind" drink--The Mata Daisy (made with Mata Berries, the most common form of mint, and duster plant nectar, which actually contains caffiene)

To Be Updated....

 

[LightningTopaz]

Character Profile: Kissa

Basics:

Name: Kissa

Species: Persian

Height: 3'3" (as per the Royal Yoso Pokedex)

Weight: 70.5 lbs (as per the Royal Yoso Pokedex)

Age: 7 Persian years old (about 21 human years--many Pokemon in Yoso age slower than humans)

Notable features: She wears an Archmage's Tiara, a gift from the archmage of one of the lodges of Miranai to her master, Brock.

Quick Bio: Kissa is a friendly and caring Pokemon, and fiercely loyal to those she loves, particularly her master. Her talent of speech gives her a razor sharp wit and a great singing voice in her own right (range-wise, she is a mezzo soprano on the soprano side) Like most of her species, she can be vain, impatient, and fickle, and will not hesitate to manipulate you to get what she wants (especially if fish is involved).

History: Ever since Brock rescued her as a Meowth, the two of them have been nigh inseperable--he tending to her whims in return for her lending an ear (and possibly hankies). Currently, she lives with Brock (who she deems "Master") in a small house just outside Hopea, which serves as the "home base" for their travels. They make a living traveling around Yoso, spinning tales and singing songs to all who want to listen, but she will often play a female role in a tale or sing a song herself, often with Brock backing her up.

Little did she know that when she met a Pikachu that frantically begged her to save its master's life, she would be going on the adventure of a lifetime!

Likes: fish, traveling, fresh milk, singing, chatting with her master, and exploring

Dislikes: rain, taverns, people rubbing her the wrong way (literally or figuratively), thieves

 

[LightningTopaz]

Quick Profile: Brock

Quick Profile: Brock

Since we're dealing with an existing character for this profile, I'm only going to talk about what sets this incarnation of Brock apart from the Brock we know in the real Pokeworld.

Differences from real counterpart:

--Girls go gaga for HIM on occasion, not the other way around
--His Yoso incarnation is an only child (Flint and Lola also exist in Yoso, but their counterparts have a happy and loving marriage)
--Strong muisical talent and love for the stage (he chose to be a minstrel so he could make others happy with his talents)

Currently he can play harp (his instrument of choice), lute (his first instrument), cadena, various flutes and whistles (mainly a whistle, but he has also been known to play Pokeflute, panpipes, and

Spoiler

ocarina

), and hand drum very well, and is learning fiddle in memory of his fallen mentor, Marista Laire

Quick Bio: Friendly and easygoing, Brock enjoys nothing more than entertaining an audience with the millions of songs and stories he has learned both in the minstrel's hall and on his travels around Yoso. (range wise, he is a tenor, but he can scrape the high end of the baritone range on a good day) He can and will show his bad side if angered, insulted or annoyed--especially if Marista is involved. Fortunately, it takes a lot to get him mad, so he does not snap very often. He currently is the minstrel in residence of Hopea, so when he is not traveling, he performs for the people of that town.

History: Born into a middle class family, Brock showed a knack for singing and performing at an early age. When he was old enough, he joined the minstrel's hall, where he was trained under the legendary minstrel Marista Laire. They formed a very close friendship, made even closer when he adopted Kissa later that year.

When demonic Mightyenas attacked Amhran Hall when he was twelve, Marista sacrificed her own life to buy him and some other apprentices time to flee. At the funeral, he vowed to learn the fiddle in her memory and lay her favorite ring on her tomb if he ever found it. Although he bounced back from his loss and fledged at age fifteen (receiving a sword and his trademark instrument, the Harp of Divine Elements), the loss of his best friend still weighed heavily on his mind. He promised himself that he would take the quest for Rainbow Symphony himself in Marista's stead, and complete what his mentor had never gotten the chance to do.

He performed for the archmage of the Vatin Lodge, a northern lodge of Miranai, not long after fledging, and received a name for himself and an Archmage's Tiara for Kissa. Not long after, he went on a journey across Yoso, visiting many places Marista had been and learning many more stories and songs in the process. He eventually settled down nearby Hopea, where he resides with Kissa when he is not traveling.

But it took a wounded mage to remind him of his promise to unleash Rainbow Symphony, sending him and Kissa on his biggest adventure yet!

Likes: traveling, singing, telling stories, exploring, meeting new people.

Dislikes: Being cold, hearing his mentor badmouthed, arguments, bar fights

 

[LightningTopaz]

Holidays in Yoso: The Festival of Colors

What is it?

The Festival of Colors is the holiday that heralds the start of the summer in Yoso. It typically falls in late May to early June on the Earth calendar, and lasts for two weeks.

Events include:

--Pokemon battles
--games and competitions of all kinds
--Minstrel performances (this is the second most popular holiday after the Feast of Winterlight (the Yosoian answer to Christmas) for a minstrel to perform at)
--Dances
--Some cities hold massive open markets at this time (with Ourania's Grand Market being the most famous)

 

[LightningTopaz]

Legends of Yoso (part 1)

In addition to the Legendary Pokemon (who are said to be the guardians of the gods), Yoso also has a number of other legendary creatures, both good and bad. While there are too many to list and discuss in a single post, we will look at a few of them here.

Goblins, couerls, and

Spoiler

griffons

are some of what the party has encountered so far on their quest. Dragons and merpeople are also common, particularly merpeople.

Merfolk are considered lucky on Yoso, and seeing one means the voyage (or sailor) will find great fortune. They have also been known to guide ships through rough waters and marooned sailors to safety.

To attract one, leave a pearl on a rock in the water or perform a song. Because of their love for music, many crews bring a minstrel aboard or sing sea chanteys to wish the merfolk well (and assure them that they mean no harm to them or the sea)

Spoiler

Brock has met a mermaid before--he met Melodisa Silvermist sailing from Sindura to Kaina, a port town in the southern islands. Melodisa helped him again on his quest for Rainbow Symphony two years later, helping him and the party claim Miran's Sapphire in return for their saving the Sea Kingdom

 

[LightningTopaz]

The Merfolk of Yoso

Just as Yoso is very diverse on land, so too is its sea life--and the sea plants and sea Pokemon are protected by the merfolk.

Unlike many mermaid legends in our world, the merfolk of Yoso are more guardians than seducers of humans--they were commanded by the sea goddess Miran to protect the sea and everything in it, and often serve as Miran's eyes and ears. If a human in Yoso spots a merperson, it is considered lucky, and the sailor/ship will have good fortune. Many crews will either bring a minstrel aboard or sing sea chanteys as they sail to earn the favor of the merfolk and assure them that they mean no harm to them or the sea.

They typically trade with towns on islands or by the coast, and only rarely venture further inland.

Kyorge is considered a god to the mer-folk, and so there are shrines dotting the sea floor. The most promenent of these lies under Seafoam Bay, and holds Miran's Sapphire.

The merfolk come in a variey of tail colors--mermen typically have warm colors such as reds, oranges and yellows, while mermaids have greens, blues, and purples. The darker the tail, the older the merperson.

To Be Updated...

 

[LightningTopaz]

The Tamers of Yoso

Like the real Pokeworld, Yoso has trainers and coordinators too--within the same job. The typical eight badges/five ribbons journey is also taken in Yoso, but there are a few differences from the journey we know:

--An aspiring tamer does NOT get a starter Pokemon from anyone--they have to find one themselves.

--Tamers, like mages, also have saefleitas to keep track of their team and calm Pokemon. However, they only have to remember up to a complete team of six at any one time. If they want to tame a seventh one, new Pokemon are warped away to the tamer's field for safekeeping

--If a tamer wants to earn a ribbon, they must show the High Tamer three appeals--if all three go over well, the ribbon is theirs.

--Badges in this world are called Crests--each of them symbolizing a virtue. If a tamer wants a Crest, what they have to do depends on the High Tamer--they may be asked to do anything from battle the High Tamer to find a rare item--and no two tamers will get the same task.

 

[LightningTopaz]

Languages of Yoso

In addition to English (aka the common tongue), there are a number of other languages on Yoso:

The sea tongue--the main language of the merfolk, it is similar to Hawaiian with influences from Italian and Japanese

The holy tongue--Said to be spoken by the gods, and usually spoken by mortals for certain prayers and by clerics (Dawn is one of the few clerics that sing Song Magic in it)

The demon tongue--Said to be spoken by monsters, demons, and other beings of evil, often to cast spells (Melis tried to use it to possess the statues of Sindura Temple, but Brock's harp silenced her before she could cast the spell)

The fae tongue--Usually spoken by the fairies, it is similar to Gaelic with influences from Spanish and Italian. It is a very musical language, so it sounds similar to Hymmnos from the Ar tonelico series

To be updated....

 

[LightningTopaz]

Holidays of Yoso: Rainbow Day

What is it?

Rainbow Day commemorates the first unleashing of Rainbow Symphony--it is considered Yoso's national day. It is similar to the Chinese New Year and Easter in that unlike most national days, it has no fixed date. This means that it can fall anywhere from May 1 to July 31 on the Earth calendar. In the thirteenth year of the Seventh Raikou (what 2011 would be named in the Yosoian calendar), Rainbow Day falls on the fifteenth day of the Sunfall (the sixth month of the calendar, equal to June in our world)

Surprisingly enough, this is not the most popular time for minstrels to perform (Winterlight and the Festival of Colors are the top two), although performances do occur and Yosoians are more generous to a minstrel on this day.

The different minstrel halls also compete to see who can put on the best production of the story of the First Symphony. The winning hall receives a special tapestry which is hung in the main hall until the next Rainbow Day. Amhran and Kanzu are friendly rivals in the competition (Kanzu currently holds the winner's tapestry).

Other events include appeal shows, Pokemon battles, other athletic competitions, concerts, parades, and fireworks at nightfall

 

[LightningTopaz]

The Lore of Yoso: The Travels of Akane

One of the most beloved stories on Yoso is the Travels of Akane, about a crafty swordswoman who hears about a renowned tounament in a far away land and decides to take part, if only to prove herself as the best swordfighter. She befriends a mage named Lerrawin on the way, and the two of them get into a lot of adventures. Many episodes from the story have been set to music--"Claiming the Raikou" and "The Wandering Mightyena" are some of the more popular songs from the cycle that contains over a thousand songs.

Although the story ends with Akane winning the tounament, that chapter is said to be lost, so the story is unfinished, in a way. That doesn't deter minstrels from thinking up adventures for Akane and Lerrawin to go on--sometimes the "fansongs" are better than the official ones.

 

[LightningTopaz]

Trade Quests

Some trades in Yoso have a great quest that many in their numbers have been immortalized for. The tamer's quest for badges or ribbons and the minstrel's quest for the Necklace of the Mystical Rainbow are two known examples of such quests.

Another example of such a quest is a mage's quest for the Heavenly Rings, which

Spoiler

Ash went on shortly after the events described in Magic of a Melody

To Be Updated...

 

[LightningTopaz]

The Heavenly Rings

One of the other holy sets of treasures in Yoso is known as the Heavenly Rings. To find them, a mage must travel to the High Temples of each god and brave its catacombs. Each ring symbolizes a virtue that a mage must possess, and when all eight are together, the Wanderer (what a mage on this quest is called) is granted Ultima--the strongest spell known in the world.

In order, the rings symbolize Faith, (Anima) Truth, (Miran) Mercy, (Saidas) Humility, (Raissel), Courage (Jendav), Justice (Deami), Spirit (Isori) and Wisdom (Dorcha)

Only the most capable and strongest mages embark on the adventure, usually when recommended by those who taught them.

Spoiler

this is how Ash got to go on the quest--Milina reccomended him before the lodge council

 

[LightningTopaz]

Deity Profile: Anima

Who is she?

Anima, the goddess of Light, is one of the two of the head honchos of the Yosoian pantheon. She is deeply in love with Dorcha, the god of darkness, and the two of them are often referred to as "the Holy Couple" or "Our Lord and Our Lady." The deep love that she has for Dorcha is considered the ideal for a mortal relationship.

Her duties

Anima's main job is to maintain and defend the good things in the world, but she also bestows blessings, forgives sins, and fights for the cause of light should the Demon Realm cause trouble. She also will not hesitate to smite someone if that person threatens the light. The Legendary Pokemon, as guardians of the gods, act as her eyes and ears, and will act on her behalf if need be.

Notable myths and tales starring her

--The problem of evil in the world is explained by Anima choosing Dorcha over the demon lord Kione. Kione, in his despair, causes trouble in the Mortal Realm
--The sun and the moon are said to be pearls Anima and Dorcha made for each other
--She has a magical harp similar to the Harp of Dagda in our world--unlike the Harp of Dagda, the Harp of the Holy Evoker can evoke a lot more than tears, happiness, and sleep.
--She has matched wits with the trickster Pikachu Sorin on more than one occassion

To Be Updated...

 

[LightningTopaz]

Holidays in Yoso: The Festival of Fire

What it is: A festival in honor of Deami, as told in a Yosoian folktale (Brock's telling of it to the merfolk is here)

Notable events: Paper lantern decorating and contests, gift giving, fireworks, minstrel performances, games, and more