UNBROKEN: SANCTUM
JANUARY 2024 - CURRENT
Unbroken : Sanctum follows the story of Beryl Onigawu, the leader of the Moon Cathedral within the capital of the Holy Human Empire, who seeks to prevent the destruction of her religion after the recent religious civil war between the Moon and Sun churches. When she is tasked to find the cure to the Vermillion fever to get more funding from the Imperial Family, she does not back down and sets out to save her faith, yet unknowingly attracts the attention of both the Gods and the Demons below.
The world of Sanctum takes place 20 years after the recent religious war of the Holyland in the Holy Human Empire, where the two capital religions, the Sun Church and Moon Church clashed over the fertile crescent land. The Empire, hoping to establish a new religion and wipe out the two other religions, pit the two religions against each other, thus starting the war. The royalty at the time, once patrons of the Sun Church themselves, soon fell to ruin and brought a new age of leaders. The Monroe family ruling over the Sun Church, the Alendrine's over the Imperial Family, and Beryl alone leading the Moon Church.
My inspirations
For the project came from research into my Swedish and Danish culture from my parents. The architecture, clothing, shape-language, weaponry and land are all inspired by 1100 - 1500 Danish and Swedish culture, with the Moon Church reflecting a more Swedish, Caucus, and Danish attire and the Sun Church reflecting more of a Nordic culture. The Empire’s architecture, technology and clothing all aim to reflect that.
Beryl’s Backpack
Beryl does not take much with her to adventure around the Holylands. As she has never stepped outside the capital, she does not have much stamina or wits about what to bring to with her, and only brings the bare necessities.
All the vials she brings with her are simple remedies from Ru, the doctor of the Moon Cathedral, as well as her holy book.
All of the materials all of the bags and vials had to be leather, hide, or simple cloth, with nothing modern or machine made.
Nox’s Scripture
A colorful scripture, made from dyed parchment and hide. Also gilded with Vious, it is the holy book of the Moon Church.
As many of those within the Empire cannot read, most of it is illustrated, telling the story of the creation of the Moon Goddess, Nox, and her twin, Luz, the Sun Goddess. The words within the scripture are in an older text, that many within the church study and recite during Night prayer.
The Currency
Below is the currency for the Holy Human Empire, as well as all the metals in the series. All metals - decoration, weaponry, jewelry, currency, and more, had to be made from these seven metals. If they are a different color, they might be from a different continent or not metals.
Lucius (Adventuring)
Lucius’ clothing had to represent the colors of the Moon Church as there are a lot of people that travel in the group with him. There are also strict rules that the characters of the Moon Church must follow, where they do not adorn much Atar or Carvage as that is the rarest metals, and Vious for only church leaders (currencies and metals of Unbroken). Following this principle, they can only have Tol or Aval on all all accessories and weapons.
Much of Lucius’ adventuring outfits were based on Scandinavian outfits from the 1100’s to 1400’s. His feathers on his cloak hint at his ending as a Fallen. The weapon he carries is the disguised, “human” version of his Sypher weapon. Despite this, he can still control fire and his eyes glow bright yellow when he is angry or controlling fire.
Lucius’ accessories
Lucius carries few accessories as he is more skilled with his spear and magic, however, he was given a dagger by the Moon Cathedral, as everyone carries one around for self defense after the civil war. He carries it out of respect for Beryl, and rarely uses it. Inside the hide pouch is a small amount of herbs and bandages.
Lucius’ dagger was inspired by daggers from the 1300’s - 1500’s Italy, mixed with the signature markings from the Moon Cathedral - using Moon Stone, which is found on Beryl’s hat, and Vious for the metal handles. The white handle is made from horns of an Anima (animal) named Eudo, a large horned six legged creature, symbolizing the coming rain.
Ruline “Ru” Sarvo
Ru is the Aves or doctor of the Moon Cathedral. She is of equal ranking to Beryl within the church, and is equally respected for her role as a highly educated woman and one that defended the church and Imperial Family during the religious civil war.
Ru’s outfit is highly decorated to represent her high status within the church. She is allowed to decorate herself in plenty of Vious, as well as Moonstone, which is reserved for the higher rankings of the Moon Cathedral. Around her waist is several tinctures, dried herbs in her pouches, letters, recipes, and a small sun dial. She often wears a thick cloak around her face to prevent the “bad air” of the Vermillion Fever to spread to her.
Her outfit is more inspired by North-Western Russian and Nordic clothing, as well as the colors and patterns from the established Moon Church.
Cedrick Aldross
Is apart of the Moon Church, and is one of Beryl’s friends. As a rank higher than Lucius and lower than Beryl, he needed attire that was similar to them, but not more extravagant than Beryl’s. All of his jewelry is with the same metal, Vious, and had a similar color scheme as the rest of the Moon Cathedral’s attire.
Later, when he is kidnapped and hiding within the Imperial Palace, he wears the outfit of a servant. The colors of the Imperial Palace had to be distinct enough from the other main group of characters, the Sun Cathedral.
His outfit for the Imperial Palace was based off of many peasant or lower class Scandinavian woman servants clothing, as much of the Holy Lands sees pants as a warrior or knight only attire. The clothing also had to have little to no metals on it, as a palace servant would not have anything luxurious on them.
Odi
Odi is a Risen and not a Sypher. She is the strongest protector of all the Gods. Despite this, because of her past, she can no longer show herself as fully Human when trying to disguise herself. She at best, can only pass as a “halfling”, or a half elf, despite looking more like a Ibil - or Demon. When disguised, her magical nodes transform into scars, and she is unable to hide her cursed eye with magic. She joined the Moon Church as a Alba, or messenger.
She is quiet and defensive, often hostile towards Lucius, due to how they met and never resolved their past. She has also gotten quite hostile to the fact she will never grow up, and grows angry whenever people tease her about her age or height, or treat her as if she is a child, despite being the third longest surviving Sypher in the Heavens.
Winitil or Winston, began his life in the Elven Homelands, in the Fire Warlord’s conquered territory. He was once a powerful warrior and defender of his master in his homelands.
He wore a lot of luxurious items, including a sacred Koritori mask, and feathers of the Airis around him. As armor is seen as a cowards defense, he wore little of it.
He was awarded a Akkari-to, a precious two handed mace that many high ranking warriors use in battle, as it’s able to handle even the fiercest of fire magics.
However, He lost his status once he had failed to protect his master during battle, and then lost his redemption duel. As tradition, he was forced to give up most of his magic to the victor and his master, and he was sold into slavery to the Sun Church. He now is a fairly weak Fire Elf, and barely compares to the youngest of Fire Elves in terms of magical strength.
wINSTON
Winston, the lead Corvus of the Moon Church. He oversees all Albas and has grown from messenger to also protector of Beryl and other high ranking Moon Church Officials, as well as training the Albas as best as possible. As a Fire Elf, he is far stronger than any of the human Corvus’ within the church. Although a recent recruit to the church, he has proven himself loyal and respected by the other church members, including his promised, Ru Sarvo.
Winston wears a mixture of Fire Elf armor and Empire clothing, as a slight homage to his roots as a general for the Fire Warlords. However, as punishment for failing to protect his Warlord master, he was sold off as a slave to the Sun Church, the Monroe family. Ten years before the holy civil war, he lost much of his sight in a fierce battle with an Ibil, and was then bought out and freed by the Moon Church, Beryl’s parents after the war.
Winston’s clothing is a mixture of Scandinavian clothing, primarily from honored Vikings and raiders, as well as cloaks from early Medieval period of Sweden. All of his props has to be a mixture of messenger tools, such as writing tablets, etchers, scroll holders, and a mixture of fighting tools. Since he is far from his home, Fyritis, where the Fire Warlords live, he is not as strong as there’s no magical sources nearby, thus, he relies on a mixture of weaponry and magic.
Maline, in all her wealth has many different outfits she wears throughout the story. The first one is her formal wear, that she often wears to the Palace when seeking out an audience with the Emperor, or later when she attends her half-sister’s wedding.
She is also seen in her nightwear often when she invites her servants to her room at night.
Maline Monroe
An Ardea of the Sun Cathedral within the Empire leads her cathedral, spreading her faith and amassing wealth at an astonishing rate. Despite being an Ardea instead of a Thula, who is usually the leader of a Sun Cathedral, her brother, Spinel, has left her in charge while he ventures along the coast to bring new followers into the religion. An extremely greedy woman, who believes the only god of the Empire is Luz, the Goddess of the Sun and Warmth, and determines all other followers of other religions are heretics.
After losing her extended family, mother, and twin younger brother in the civil war, which the Moon Cathedral is said to have started, she has festered a hatred towards them, especially Beryl, whose mother is said to have started the civil war. Her unhealthy obsession for destruction of the Moon Cathedral has lead her beliefs astray. She only finds comfort in her older brother Spinel.
Maline’s design, and all parts of the Sun Cathedral are a direct contrast to Beryl and the Moon Cathedral. Maline will display wealth, greed, and obsession over her Carpage and Atar. She is the only non-royal or non ethereal character to have decor in carpage, showing off the wealth of the Sun Church. Aside from slight decor on her hat and ocassional cape, she does not have anything religious on her, like a religious text. The pouch she was given for her religious text is instead filled with Carpage and Atar.
Spinel has a few outfits he wears throughout the series, aside from his main religious outfit. His attire is simple and shows how little he cares for luxurious items and decor.
Later in the story, as he hides in the Imperial Palace, he is given lower nobility clothing. This clothing is often simple but made with fine cloths and furs.
Spinel Monroe
Spinel Monroe, the Thula or leader of the Sun Cathedral. He was chosen as the next leader of the cathedral over his sister, Maline, due to his age and vast knowledge of the religion. A very pious, intelligent man, sees the Moon Church followers as following the wrong religion, and hopes to guide those to the true faith. Despite this, he does not believe in the destruction of the Moon Church and regrets his family’s involvement in the civil war.
Due to the ongoing plague and droughts on the coast, he had left the Cathedral in Maline’s care, unaware of any underhanded tactics she may have been using. He is also disinterested in the Imperial Family or their politics.
Syphers
Syphers are creations similar to Seraphims, as Humans call them. Each Sypher resembles what they looked like alive, can be of any species, and share a portion of magical energy from the God or Goddess they are tasked to protect, as well as any innate magic they had in their previous life. The stronger their God they serve is, the stronger they will be in turn, but the opposite is true as well. Syphers can be killed, become a Fallen if enough rules of the Gods are broken, or destroyed entirely if Nyurutu decides it.
Syphers do not necessarily have to be pure of heart or holy in their previous life. To become one, they might have done something in their previous life to have attracted the attention of a God, or if they’re lucky, the previous Sypher was killed and they need a quick replacement.
Each Sypher has a different amount of wings, tail feathers, color of wings, and head feathers. Humans believe the more amount of wings a Sypher has, the more strength they have, but it’s more for speed and aerial control.
Sypher Inspiration
Syphers, or Seraphims are a mixture of whatever they were in their previous life as well as birds of paradise feather displays. Many of them have long tail feathers, variations of wing color, as well as different head feathers. I did lots of research on Song Birds, as well as the hundreds of Birds of Paradise for variations in the wings.
