credit for the art below goes entirely to kisekiii25 on tumblr
Welcome to the hub of the Roseblings Cinematic Universe (RCU), a high-fantasy reinterpretation of Empires SMP Season 1. As you can probably guess, this collaborative fiction project was created by a couple of ESMP enthusiasts who really enjoy the Roseblings, epic fantasy, worldbuilding, and writing thousands of words in one sitting.Behold the contents of our mad ramblings, and let it be known that there is no actual cinema involved despite the name. The tumblrs of both co-authors are below. Enjoy!Read the series on ao3 here!(P.S. If you so choose, take our survey!)
we do a LOT of writing
There are 30+ works in the series, with more in progress. Below is a short description of each fic, listed in chronological order by when each is set in the timeline:If two are grouped together, it means they are partner fics!
There Is A Crown Atop His Head (tiacahh)
Focus Character(s): Pixl
Words: 4.8k
An account of the boy prophet who would one day become Pixandria’s king, and the suffering he endured in order to claim his throne.
Under the Covering of My Blood (utcomb)
Focus Character(s): Sausage & fWhip
Words: 3.9k
Two young men, both suffering with wounds inflicted by family, seal a promise with their blood.
While She Goes On With Her Life (wsgowhl)
Focus Character(s): fWhip (with Sausage)
Words: 2.4k
At the Wither Rose Festival, a brother left behind realizes that his sister’s life has gone on without him.
Chosen
Focus Character(s): Sausage
Words: 3.9k
Mythland’s new king is chosen by her sacred blood–the worthiest among five heirs.
A Book He Burned (abhb)
Focus Character(s): Gem (with fWhip, Sausage)
Words: 3.2k
A fight between Gem and fWhip on the precipice of the Wither Rose Festival unearths memories buried deep below the surface.
The Weight of This Gift (twotg)
Focus Character(s): fWhip
Words: 3.8k
The Count of Eastvale, leader of the world’s least superstitious nation, is spoken to by a disembodied voice.
The Price for the Lie (tpftl)
Focus Character(s): fWhip & Gem (with Sausage)
Words: 6.7k
After being trapped in the Nether against their will, fWhip and Gem are faced with Sausage’s downward spiral.
The Count and the Wizard (tcatw)
Focus Character(s): fWhip & Gem
Words: 4.7k
A Count and a Wizard discuss the betrayal of their closest ally. fWhip and Gem begin to make amends.
Fallen
Focus Character(s): fWhip
Words: 1.1k
fWhip struggles to cope with the ripple effect of the Ender Dragon’s fall.
Never Draw Hope from a Single Source (ndhfass)
Focus Character(s): Gem & fWhip (with Pearl)
Words: 5.2k
The Wither Rose Alliance, now sans Mythland, begins to determine how it will recover from the Dragon’s death.
Anything to Have Any Hope at All (athahaa)
Focus Character(s): Gem & fWhip (with Pearl, Sausage)
Words: 11.7k
Gem is kidnapped by the servants of Xornoth, causing her allies and friends to mount a rescue.
Empty Space
Focus Character(s): Gem (with fWhip)
Words: 4.7k
Still suffering post-kidnapping trauma, Gem finds shelter with her brother and confronts the memories buried in the Count’s manor.
Remembrance
Focus Character(s): Pixl & fWhip
Words: 4.4k
Pixl learns how death is dealt with in the ever forward-moving Grimlands. fWhip lets some very important truths off of his chest.
Scarlet Sparks (Dim, but Certainly Present) (ssdcp)
Focus Character(s): fWhip & Gem (with Sausage)
Words: 6.2k
Gem attempts to sway fWhip’s opinion of magic as the fateful arena duel closes in.
Freed
Focus Character(s): Gem & Sausage (with fWhip)
Words: 4.2k
Gem must face down the thing Sausage has become, at the greatest possible cost.
The Blood of the King (tbotk)
Focus Character(s): fWhip & Gem
Words: 2.5k
fWhip and Gem attend the funeral of Mythland’s king, and their best friend.
When You Choose to Dwell (wyctd)
Focus Character(s): Pearl & Pixl
Words: 1.2k
The Queen of Helianthia and the Copper King have a tense discussion about death and redemption.
The King’s Sojourn (tks)
Focus Character(s): Sausage (with fWhip, Gem, Pearl)
Words: 29.8k (across 8 chapters)
A fallen Sausage must journey through time and memory to prove himself worthy of a second chance.
To Earn His Respect (tehr)
Focus Character(s): fWhip & Sausage
Words: 3.9k
After fWhip finds Sausage alive, he will only listen to the resurrected king under one condition.
Centripetal Force – 1/2 (cf)
Focus Character(s): fWhip & Gem
Words: 9.3k
After the return of Sausage, fWhip decides to stay in the Crystal Cliffs for a day.Lightning in his Veins – 2/2 (lihv)
Focus Character(s): Pixl (with Jimmy, Katherine, Joel & Lizzie)
Words: 12.8k
While Xornoth attacks elsewhere, the Cod Alliance is occupied in Pixandria.
And His Ambition Was the Fire – 1/2 (ahawtf)
Focus Character(s): fWhip & Sausage (with Gem, Pixl)
Words: 8.1k
fWhip begins walking a dark road after the disunity brought by Xornoth. Sausage learns a shocking secret.Similar in Appearance, Identical in Ambition – 2/2 (siaiia)
Focus Character(s): Gem & Pixl (with fWhip, Sausage)
Words: 3.7k
Gem summons a friend to aid her spiraling brother. Pixl accidentally reveals a secret.
Bound by A Common Thread – 1/2 (bbact)
Focus Character(s): fWhip & Sausage (with Gem, Pixl, Pearl, Katherine)
Words: 15.9k
fWhip makes a devastating sacrifice to avenge the injured Gem. Sausage rediscovers a miracle from Mythland’s past, with help from Pearl and Katherine.To Cherish and Be Cherished – 2/2 (tcabc)
Focus Character(s): Gem & Pixl & Katherine (with fWhip, Sausage, Pearl)
Words: 6.9k
Gem falls victim to a magical malady and incites fWhip’s wrath. Katherine calls upon Pixl for help.
The Persistence of Lady Katherine (tplk)
Focus Character(s): Katherine (with Lizzie)
Words: 4.2k
A day in the harrowing life of Katherine, as written in her own play.
Worthiness, and Everything that Means (waetm)
Focus Character(s): Gem & Sausage
Words: 8.2k
On a long walk to a secret destination, Gem and Sausage discuss history and make amends.
Middle Ground
Focus Character(s): fWhip & Pixl
Words: 3.7k
The Copper King and the Count have a disagreement about redemption and worthiness.
The Shore of Death – 1/2 (tsod)
Focus Character(s): Katherine & Pearl
Words: 3.7k
After fleeing from a failed assassination attempt, Katherine crash lands in Gilded Helianthia.A Place to Go – 2/2 (aptg)
Focus Character(s): Katherine & Pearl
Words: 4.2k
In the early morning hours, Pearl welcomes an unexpected visitor to heal some wounds at her kitchen table.
The Fall of Eastvale (tfoe)
Focus Character(s): fWhip & Gem
Words: 3.1k
fWhip and Gem must come to terms with the beginning of the end of the world.
The Farmer Queen’s Tale (tfqt)
Focus Character(s): Pearl (with Sausage)
Words: 9.1k
The story of Pearl, from the beginning to the end.
we do a LOT of worldbuilding
The Grimlands
Patron Force: Deepslate Redstone Spirits (destruction)
Primary Trade Export: Gunpowder, explosives, redstone/redstone machinery
Form of Government: Countship (functions like a monarchy)
Rules of Succession: Hereditary (equal primogeniture)
Notable Previous Ruler(s): Count Dajag of Eastvale
Recurring OCs: Zip, PlashOccupying the hilly highlands southeast of the Great Jungle, the Grimlands were once green, fertile, and overflowing with life. After being ravaged by the incursion of the Wither, much of the land is now rocky and barren, with soil suited only for nurturing the sharp-thorned wither roses the monster left behind. Still, the Grimlanders have found a way to thrive despite the odds, and their civilization is one of the most scientifically and technologically advanced on the continent, leading the way into the future with the development of ever more ingenious machines.The culture of the Grimlands places a high value on logic, pragmatism, reason, and practicality, with little room set aside for effusive displays of emotion. Their minds–and often hands–are constantly moving in search of the next innovative idea or novel design. This makes Grimlanders incredible scientists, machinists, inventors, engineers, and mathematicians, but you won’t often find them dabbling in poetry or painting, which are largely viewed as not being useful applications of one’s time. In addition, they are also highly suspicious and distrustful of magic, which they perceive as unpredictable, irrational, and dangerous.See further details here.
The Crystal Cliffs
Patron Force: Great Dragons (the moon/the arcane)
Primary Trade Export: Amethyst crystals, magical items
Form of Government: High Wizard, working collaboratively with a Council of Ethics
Rules of Succession: Directly selected by previous ruler
Notable Previous Ruler(s): High Wizard Elya
Recurring OCs: RohanAlthough also touched in ways by the desolation of the Wither, the high peaks of the Crystal Cliffs remained largely safe from the kind of full-scale destruction wrought upon the Grimlands. Tall, strong pines and alpine ferns still flourish on the slopes, where snow collects upon their branches and fronds for many months of the year, its white shimmer matching perfectly with the shine of the amethyst deposits protruding from the stone. Visitors often describe the physical atmosphere of the Cliffs as ‘magical,’ which is appropriate, given this kingdom’s prominence in the study of the arcane arts.Though not all residents of the Crystal Cliffs practice magic, it is, on the whole, a society made of, by, and for wizards, and magic is deeply interwoven into the citizens’ daily life. They value curiosity, intellect, and ambition (although tempered with a healthy caution born from the many woeful tales of mages struck down by their own hubris), and are a people who seek knowledge and pursue wisdom above all else.See further details here and here.
Mythland
Patron Force: The Sanguine One/Sacred Blood (creation)
Primary Trade Export: Iron
Form of Government: Monarchy
Rules of Succession: Hereditary, selected from available heirs via religious ceremony
Notable Previous Ruler(s): Queen Araceli IEncompassing a vast tract of land between the Great Jungle to the east, Smallhold to the south, and the Codlands to the north, Mythland is an ancient kingdom with a long and storied past and a rich, complex, and vibrant culture. This behemoth nation is the largest, both by land area and by population, of any of the Twelve Empires, and its people range from the heights of opulent wealth to the depths of destitute poverty.The gap between Mythland’s rich and poor is wide, and only reinforced by the kingdom’s primary trade: the iron ore painstakingly wrenched from its soil by poor miners, to be given to the slightly-less-poor blacksmiths who craft it into the sturdy weapons, armor and tools that Mythland’s rich merchants make their profits from. Despite this massive disparity between richest and poorest, a relative ‘middle class’ also exists, made up of the bakers, tailors, cobblers, and other craftspeople who supply their fellow Mythlanders with day-to-day needs.Mythland’s religion, centered on devotion to patron deity the Sanguine One, is one followed robustly by rich and poor alike. Blood is a pivotal element of the Mythlander faith, and a blood offering or blood sacrifice happens at almost all religious festivals, holidays, and ceremonies (such as weddings or funerals).See further details here and here.
Pixandria
Patron Force: The Vigil (death)
Primary Trade Export: Copper, honey, beeswax
Form of Government: Monarchy
Rules of Succession: Selection via religious ceremonyThe mystical desert kingdom of Pixandria is a source of intrigue and curiosity for many–of the Twelve Empires, it is the most isolated, its capital separated from its neighbors by the vast Oceanic Expanse and the sands of its own desert territory. As such, the Pixandrians’ culture is one that has gone, on the whole, undisturbed by the incursion of foreign cultures, flourishing and thriving across a history as ancient as the world itself.The Pixandrians are both highly technological and highly spiritual, and their primary trade products are interwoven with both aspects of their society–copper, the metal they mine from the depths of the tunnel-riddled Anthill and the network of caves beneath their sands–is used for power conduction when Grimlander redstone runs short. The Pixandrians are the only culture to rival the Grimlanders in their innovativeness and ingenuity, and some of history’s most pivotal inventions, especially the flying machines used by End-trawlers, were born in the desert’s heart.Pixandria’s other most important export is honey and wax, produced by the lovingly cared-for bees in the kingdom’s apiaries. While useful as a food source and for preserving the longevity of copper products, the Pixandrians themselves see the paramount purpose of beeswax in the making of the colorful candles which line the edges of the capital city’s crowning monument: the Vigil. A stunning pillar of sandstone crowned by a swirling point of light, the Vigil serves as both memorial for the dead and beacon of hope for the living, and is the centerpiece of the Pixandrian faith.See further details here and here.
Smallhold (Gilded Helianthia)
Patron Force: Sun Deity (the sun/the elemental)
Primary Trade Export: Sugar cane, wheat, & other crops
Form of Government: Direct democracy
Rules of Succession: Elected by citizensSharing a tenuous, fraught history with its northern neighbor Mythland and southeastern neighbor Rivendell, the nation of Smallhold is a relative newcomer among the Twelve Empires–at least in terms of being recognized as an independent and sovereign state.Small, as its name might suggest, this kingdom is still quite powerful due to its location in a particularly fertile area of plainsland, where many staple crops–sugar cane, wheat, and barley, to name a few–are grown in abundance. Because of this remarkable productive capacity, the land now governed by Smallhold has been a desirable conquest for many of the nearby kingdoms over the centuries, especially Mythland and Rivendell, who have claimed and lost the territory many times.This, justifiably, has caused much indignation and suffering for the native inhabitants of the land, who call it Gilded Helianthia (after the golden sunflowers growing in abundance in its valleys), and themselves Helianthians. A hardy farming people who prefer to live a life of simplicity, the Helianthians have been caught in the Mythland-Rivendell crossfire for the majority of their shared history, being occupied by both larger kingdoms in turns. Only during a period of Mythlander weakness were the Helianthians able to throw off the yoke of their imperialist neighbors and establish independence and self-governance in the land that they have always inhabited.See further details here, here, and here.
The Overgrown
Patron Force: The Spring (life)
Primary Trade Export: Flowers, dyes
Form of Government: Guardianship
Rules of Succession: Selection via religious ceremonyThis verdant kingdom is inhabited by the mysterious and elegant fae, a people notorious–like their cousins the elves–for their reluctance to interact with the world beyond their borders. Much of what goes on in the Overgrown is shrouded in the secrecy of its inhabitants, resulting in a tremendous dearth of knowledge amongst other empires’ cultures about the land and customs of the fae.Though beautiful, powerful, and long-lived, the fae of the Overgrown are also highly proud and deeply cunning, and their society is fraught with subterfuge, betrayal, and even assassination. Divided into Circles of influential families representing different domains of nature magic and the natural world, Overgrown politics pits these families against one another in a brutal tug-of-war for power, with balance ever-shifting as they maneuver and plot. Only the Guardian, a protector designated by the blessing of their life-giving Spring, has the authority to overrule the Circles’ leaders–but just because the Guardian is given authority does not mean that the authority is always respected. Many unpopular Guardians have been forced to guard themselves as much as they do their people.See further details here.
The Codlands
Patron Force: Ocean Gods (seas)
Primary Trade Export: Slime, mud/clay products
Form of Government: Guardianship
Rules of Succession: Selection via religious ceremonyThough frequently underestimated and underappreciated by their fellow empires, the Codlands are a thriving and healthy kingdom, rich in ancient traditions. Situated at the heart of the swamp which occupies the land directly north and east of Mythland, this bustling nation is inhabited primarily by the friendly and energetic codfolk—an amphibious race possessing both fish and humanoid features. As such, their kingdom gracefully walks a balance between land and sea, with dwellings and places of business located both in and out of the water. This allows them to play host to visitors from both the land-dwelling empires and the fully-aquatic Ocean Empire, making the capital of the Codlands a popular spot to host international summits (second only to the neutral grounds of Mangrovia).The willow-draped swamplands, dotted with warm and homely wooden dwellings, are ruled by a guardian appointed by the primary religious order of the codfolk, the Order of the Five Fins (so named for the distinctive five fins of the codfish with whom the people share many traits). This guardian, taking on the name of Codfather (or Codmother/Codparent, as appropriate), becomes the spiritual and political representation of the codfolk as a people, and as such, wears an ornate cod-face mask to symbolize that their personal identity has become secondary to their identity as leader and guide for their people.See further details here.
In essence, our aim as writers is to build a world which exists exists beyond our characters and their conflicts. As such, there are innumerable other details about this world which don’t necessarily have any bearing on the overall plot, but they are still interesting in their own right:- The “Uncreated Ones” and some of their intentions (two links)- “inventories” in a high fantasy setting- building materials according to geographical area, and how that differs from Minecraft- different drinks of each empire- different languages & alphabets of each empire- trade routes, area, and population density- the alliances of the world: a comparison- elytras + why most commoners do not have them (two links)- seven centuries of Wither Rose Alliance history, and the festivals it holds annually + a bonus WRA trio tidbit (two links)
And of course, we have some other ideas that, while unrelated to the plot or any deep lore, are still very worthwhile (and perhaps a little funny):- Pearl plays the banjo
- Pearl also has a duck pond- Jimmy is a playwright- Katherine likes to write stories- Mezalean Xornoth deniers: “It’s gonna have to show up on my doorstep if it wants MY tax money”- Pixl has a lot of piercings so fWhip calls him a lightning rod
- More about the Gunpowder Boys
- Dragon fight thoughts… of the prophet!Pixl variety- A bit about prophet!Sausage and his visions
- Another bit about prophet!Sausage and the details concerning his visions- Not a fan of Scott’s owls- Bonus Wither Bros drabble- The Crystal Cliffs’ mail system is mountain goats