Unchained Ichor

by MxMusicalSurge

In the seemingly utopian land of Votum, hierarchy reigns supreme. At the top reside the Electi - the wealthy, powerful elite who wield control through wealth and non-magical status. Below them are the Ordinatus, the respectable middle class, and the impoverished Crepido who struggle at the bottom rungs. There exists another class, one forced to the outskirts and shunned, The Exuls.

The piercing towers of Votum stretched high into the crystalline sky, their polished alabaster surfaces reflecting the relentless sun. From a bird's eye view, the city resembled a flawless snowflake - an immaculately designed metropolis sprawled out in concentric circles of districts spinning out from the central plaza. Meandering canals and pristine streets ran through these districts, lined with carefully manicured gardens and buildings that gleamed like jewels.

The air hung thick with a sickly sweet artificial fragrance, like a concoction of filtered perfection that clung to everything within the city limits. Every corner of Votum exuded meticulous order, a testament to the unyielding vision of the Electi Council that ruled over it all. The citizens themselves were indistinguishable from one another, dressed in identical attire as they moved about their sterile lives in perfect harmony with the city's design. Votum was a monument to control, an unshakeable symbol of the power wielded by its ruling council.

In the outer ring, the Crepido toiled tirelessly in their designated roles, their every movement precisely calculated and executed with a mechanical efficiency born of a lifetime's conditioning as they maintained the city's infrastructure. Their drab grey uniforms blended seamlessly with the sterile, monochromatic architecture that surrounded them, creating an almost suffocating atmosphere of uniformity. Above, sleek transport pods glided smoothly through the air, ferrying the Ordinatus to their designated places of work and leisure. The gleaming chrome exteriors of these pods reflected distorted images of the pristine cityscape below.

Amidst the mechanical hum and whirring of machinery, joyous laughter echoed throughout the immaculate gardens and shimmering fountains. But even this seemingly natural sound held an artificial quality, too perfect, too controlled to be truly genuine. Every element of nature in this artificial paradise was meticulously maintained, from the manicured trees with their precise geometric shapes, to the flawless promenades lined with pruned bushes and flowers.

This was a utopia crafted by man's hands, devoid of imperfections and free will.

High above the bustling city, the grand palaces of the Electi stretched towards the heavens. Their elaborate spires reached for the clouds, casting long shadows that painted the streets below in a soft twilight. The ivory facades glimmered with an otherworldly radiance, a testament to their divine right and unshakable authority. The citizens gazed up at these magnificent structures daily with both admiration and trepidation, their faces betraying a mix of awe and unease.

At the very heart of the city lay the opulent ivory tower, where the esteemed Electi Council convened with hushed voices and grave expressions. The air was thick with hushed whispers as they discussed matters of utmost importance: maintaining order and preserving the delicate balance that kept Votum functioning smoothly. They were known as the Divine Electi - a select few chosen by God to guide the masses towards a brighter future. To some, they were godlike figures to be worshiped and obeyed; to others, they were distant rulers to be feared and mistrusted. But one thing was certain: their power was absolute, and it shaped every aspect of life in Votum.

The sprawling, untamed wilderness of Deorum beckoned beyond the towering walls of the city, a landscape of rugged mountains and dense forests that seemed to stretch endlessly toward the horizon. The jagged peaks reached for the sky like sharp claws, and ancient trees towered over everything with their gnarled branches and thick canopies. This was a place where nature still ruled supreme, untouched by the laws and order of society. It was here that the Exuls, those feared and shunned for their magical abilities, had been banished, deemed too dangerous to coexist within the carefully cultivated order of Votum. The Divine Electi saw them as a danger to their rule, and so they were banished to this untamed and merciless frontier, condemned to live in solitude with the faint hope that the harsh wilderness would eventually drive the Exuls to extinction.

It was a childish hope, an oversight that would lead Votum to their eventual doom.