Ulyan history and terminology: view article

The world was set up by five founders (iya), who had "admin powers" and are sometimes called admins (vyek). They provided the resources and an overarching vision. They recruited many others, called dzanu (editors), to join in the work of actually making the world's form. The preliminary work, which was done by the five founders and early editors, resulted in one major continent, as yet "blank", in a world ocean. Some lesser islands were scattered about the world, but the focus was on the continent.

The founders divided the continent into districts and assigned each to an editor, or in some cases a group of friendly editors who wished to work together. In most cases the editors got to work creating the shape of the land generally according to founders' master plan. But things did not go perfectly smoothly, for various reasons. Some editors lost interest and never began their work, or abandoned their districts soon after starting. Some editors worked against the master plan, out of caprice, disagreement, ignorance, incompetence, or some other reason. In addition, some editors were not interested in working, "editing", but rather a more casual, usually playful life. These "casual" editors became known as jnos, users. In time the word jnos came to be used for both editors who rarely if ever used their "editor-powers" as well as editors who were stripped of powers.

As work proceeded some editors stood out as particularly gifted, hardworking, and loyal to the founding vision. In many cases the founders gifted such editors with abandoned districts, or got them to mentor less gifted editors. In some cases the founders banished editors they did not like, and gave their districts to more trusted editors. The founders themselves had districts, typically of special appeal, and gifted themselves additional districts in similar ways.

After a while some of the editors grew resentful at the unchecked power of the founders. There were some controversial banishments and gifting of districts and rights. A large group of editors, including many highly trusted ones, appealed to the founders, asking for certain powers of review on certain founder actions. Various rights were granted, but not after strong debate among both editors and founders. These processes continued, and in time the editors, or certain groups of editors, came to have many legal powers. In some cases they could overrule founders. Eventually some founders found the situation unacceptable and left the world altogether. As well, some editors grew in power until they were essentially equal to the founders in terms of admin-power.

Thus among admins, vyek, there were two types, founder-admins, iyavyek, and editor-admins, dzanuvyek—although the common usage of the terms is: iya (founder-admin), vyek (editor-admin), and dzanu (editors without admin powers). These terms are sometimes used loosely, with context determining exactly what group is meant. The term dzanu, in particular, is frequently used to refer to all non-iya editors, including the vyek editor-admins (in English the word "editor" can likewise mean both vyek and dzanu, and sometimes iya and jnos as well). For greater specificity several other terms can be used. The word didr refers to all editors (iya, vyek, and dzanu). The word zmem refers to all "outworlders" or "avatars"—that is, all beings who are not native to the artificial world Ulya: iya, dzanu, jnos, xrog, etc.

In time there appeared loose blocks of editors and admins, who worked for particular visions, and other groups that worked for opposing visions. Sometimes such groups were able to resolve their differences. Sometimes they could not, and some factions became ever more distinct from one another. There were cases of factions attacking each other, by proxy through the world and their created devices and features. At first the founders strongly condemned such actions, and editors who were caught acting in these ways were summarily banished. In time the editors and factions grew in rights and power enough to make appeals and even make judgements themselves. Total banishment, however, remained a power only held by the founders.

In short, the world grew very complicated. The original vision of the founders included a degree of complexity of this sort. Some conflict and devolution of power was expected, with mechanisms in place to handle such things. But the scope and degree went far beyond founder expectations. It was this that drove some of the founders away, as well as many editors. They saw the world taking form in a way too chaotic and uncontrolled. Some fought back against the trend, seeking to regain control, with some success. Some simply gave up and left. Some fought long and hard, only to become bitter and resentful. Some of these eventually left, but some stubbornly remained, acting out their resentment with little care for the original world vision.

[edit] [top]Xrog

Some of these latter editors became xrog (loosely translated as troll)—a name given to editors who purposefully worked against the world vision, usually in secret in order to avoid being banished. Sometimes banished editors and xrog found secret ways to return, either through loopholes in the bans, or via altered incarnations, or by gaining access to abandoned editor domains, or by other ways. What distinguish the xrog from regular editors is that they deliberately work to undermine the fabric of the world, or at least the world vision. Such acts range a broad spectrum from generally harmless pranks to malicious destruction of both the world as well as editors and admins.

At their less harmful, xrog might, for example, create landforms or life that contradicts or seems to contradict the natural order of the world. Often such things take the form of jokes or intended jokes. Sometimes they turned out truly humorous, at least in the eyes of most editors, and in rare cases allowed to remain after being discovered. Usually the jokes were in poor taste or designed to mock other editors or the world vision, and such are typically corrected or dismantled when discovered. Sometimes the intended joke failed to manifest as intended, in which cases the results ranged from harmless to highly damaging.

Xrog actions are not always pranks. Often, perhaps usually, they are intended to be damaging. Again there is a range of outcomes. Sometimes the damage is small, perhaps aimed to make things difficult for a single editor. Sometimes the damage is larger. And sometimes it damages the entire world or world vision. These major threats are usually intentional, but sometimes are the result of accidents. The fabric of the world is complicated, and grew increasingly complicated over time. The tools of the editors and admins can be powerful and complex. Although there are built-in checks, it is not difficult to create runaway processes that build upon themselves in ways that could, if not stopped, overwhelm the world. When these kind of process occur in a blatant way they are usually quickly stopped, either by editor/admin intervention or, increasingly with time, automatic anti-vandalism tools. Sometimes, however, runaway processes are subtle and not noticed until much damage has occured. In these cases editors and admins have to manually intervene to halt the processes, eliminate them as best they can, and correct the damage done, as best they can.

In a few cases xrog-created runaway processes spread so deeply and intricately into the fabric of the world that the editors and admins found it extremely difficult to correct. In some cases the editors and admins themselves created carefully designed recursive processes intended to correct the damage in ways more thorough than they could attempt manually. Such processes usually worked quite well, but in a few cases did not work quite as intended, or had unintentional and undesireable side-effects.

[edit] [top]Gwimle

As the eons passed and the world grew relatively stable many editors came to see their work as done. Over time most founders have left, or return rarely. All the original founders save one are long gone. The remaining founder grew weary of conflict and largely withdrew to seclusion. Some editors and some xrog remain, mostly waging a dispirited, superficial war of vandalism and counter-vandalism, usually via proxy world forms. A fair number of jnos ("users" who simply want to "play" in the world) remain. Still, most of the editors, xrog and non-xrog alike, are now gwimle, ghosts—their avatars, tools, powers, and domains abandoned but not expunged. When they were actively engaged in the world, all editors used complicated tools that often ran themselves, and have continued to run after the editors became ghosts. As such, despite abandoning the world an editor's presence and power remains in effect in many ways. Usually these effects are mild and unremarkable, but sometimes they are powerful. And frequently abandoned processes can be triggered into more powerful forms by certain events, as least temporarily. In short, gwimle ghosts are frequently dangerous and powerful in unpredictable, sometimes incomprehensible ways.

[edit] [top]Lul

About the lul (loosely translated as demon), little is known definitively. Even their origin is mysterious. Some hold that they were deliberately created by a xrog or group of xrog. Others think they were accidentally created, probably by xrog, but perhaps by “regular” editors or founders. Possibly, some say, they are an unexpected byproduct of the founders’ world vision. Whatever the case, the lul were a major threat to the world in early times. In more recent times they remain and are dangerous, but seem to be semi-dormant and no longer a risk to reality itself.

The lul appear to be a parasitic species, almost virus-like in some ways. They apparently reproduce by somehow copying themselves into some kind of host, which may be a person, an animate object, an inanimate object, or even, somehow, a parcel of reality itself. They seem to reproduce in hives, exponentially, like a cancer. Eventually the hives appear to collapse under their own weight and size. Additionally, they seem to prefer cold temperatures. It is said that in the dawn of time the world Ulya was significantly colder and that the iya, to combat the lul, made the world hotter by adding several additional suns.

The lul do not seem to exhibit individuality very strongly, if at all. Rather they seem to function in swarms, with subset squads or workgroups taking on various tasks. It does not appear that they think of themselves as individuals, but perhaps, some speculate, the squads and workgroups might feel some kind of shared sense of self. It is possible that the hive, squads, etc, communicate not only at the vocal, language-level that is

Lulian, but also in some other manner, faster and more subtle, that serves to join a number of lul together into something resembling a self. How this happens, or even if it does at all, is a mystery.

[edit] [top]Puep

Originally puep (loosely translated as familiar) were sophisticated tools used by the iya. In time they came to be used by editors in general. Puep can appear in a bewildering variety of forms. Sometimes they appear like hand-held tools, usually with very complex functionality. Sometimes puep appear to be living creatures, and their sophistication can reach levels more or less equivalent to regular sentient, sapient beings. Even so, editors very rarely treat them as sentient beings, and the puep themselves do not seem to exhibit any inclination to be more than "tools" (however, there are stories about puep that grew to feel like sentient, sapient beings—although the truth of such stories is unknown to all save, perhaps, the founders and some editors). Sometimes puep are invisible or somehow "built-in" to the fabric of reality such that non-editors are unlikely to realize their presence.

In short, puep are sophisticated, often intelligent and autonomous editor and founder tools, but can appear, sometimes, to be living creatures rather than "mere tools". There are many types of puep, and the types can be distinguished in many ways. A detailed description of puep types is beyond the scope of this article, and, indeed, beyond the knowledge of most non-editors/founders.

[edit] [top]People of Ulya

People, tsïk, include "automatons", ketsïk, and "free" or conscious jgatsïk. Among "free people" the term tsïk is generally used to refer to free people, while ketsïk or other terms are used for "automaton people".

Note that the tsïk are inherently part of Ulya, unlike the zmem (founders, editors, users, xrog, etc), whose true life exists beyond the reality of Ulya and who only appear in Ulya as avatars. Thus to the tsïk Ulya is not an "artificial world" so much as the only world and reality they can know. The tsïk feel themselves as real in the same way the general flora and fauna of Ulya are real, while the zmem seem "less real" in a way, since their true lives exist elsewhere.

[edit] [top]The Five Founders

The five founders are known by various names and spellings. Common form is as follows:

1. Vixevelku: "the eternal". The founder who remained after all the others left for good. In early eons Vixevelku traveled widely and famously. During later, more troubled times, she expanded her direct rule over larger and larger areas, until she was essentially an emperor over much of the world. Over time her rule diminished and faded, both because she chose to withdraw and because she was forced to. Finally she put an end to her direct involvement in the world and went into a mostly self-imposed seclusion on a couple of islands. There she remained, and remains still, apparently ever more inward-turned and caring little for the larger world.

Vixevelku and Mrogatadak often worked together and were on good terms. As a team they were able, in early times, to overpower almost any other faction.

Her personality and demeanor is generally one of regal reserve, with an aura of command as well as mystery, some of which is doubtlessly a facade she presents on purpose. Still, she has always had a charisma that commanded respect, honor, even reverance.

Her symbolic colors are dark blue, purple, and white.

2. Mrogatadak: "the paragon". One of the most hard-working and enduring founders. He (or she? Iya do not necessarily have a fixed gender) is generally known for having been extremely intelligent and virtuous. He worked long and hard to counter the xrog and lul threats, most famously by building a continent-spanning wall intended to contain the lul in the north (it eventually failed). He focused much of his attention on the Aprosi region, which became the heart of the earliest great civilization. His Aprosi attracted many editors and flourished in a grand manner. Mrogatadak is famous for his devotion to the natives of the world, especially the tsïk ("humans"). He found ways to liberate tsïk from mindless automatic behavior to self-aware consciousness and at least the feeling of free-will. Thus he is remembered by tsïk and others as the world's great liberator. He remained active in the world longer than any other founder save Vixevelku, but eventually disappeared for mysterious and suspicious reasons. Some think he was a victim of the xrog or a rival editor faction. Many hope or expect that he will return to Ulya someday. Some think he already has, in some other perhaps secret form.

Mrogatadak and Vixevelku often worked together and were on good terms. As a team they were able, in early times, to overpower almost any other faction.

His personality was known for being extremely friendly, compassionate, even saintly, and "of the people". Hard working and self-sacrificing.

His symbolic colors are black and rust-orange.

3. Jgikwïxevek: "the vigilant". In the earliest eras Jgikwïxevek worked closely with Vixevelku and Mrogatatak, oten helping to realize their visions and projects. When the xrog and lul became a serious threat to the world Jgikwïxevek worked to create a sort of hidden refuge, which became the lands of Dja. To this effect she (note iya may or may not have actually have gender as humans understand it, "he" and "she" are used in a traditional but not necessarily accurate way) separated herself from the other founders, to work in secret. Her work was generally successful, and for many eons Dja was hidden from the xrog and the world in general. She fostered civilization in Dja, which as a result of its isolation developed in ways quite different from the rest of the world.

In time Dja was "discovered" or revealed or forced open—accounts differ. It is possible that Zlujgenyürci found and revealed Dja by accident. Whatever the case, Jgikwïxevek felt betrayed and soon after left the world.

Her personality tends toward the introverted and humble. When working with other founders she tended to follow rather than lead. On her own she tended to be secretive but loving—feeling a responsibility for her creations that eventually fed into feelings of betrayal. She was a perfectionist, very meticulous, careful and cautious, yet not unwilling to try radical things.

Her symbolic color is red.

4. Zlujenyürci: "the brilliant". Most famous for having wide ranging and frequently changing interests. Was a visionary who began many projects, often of a very creative or "outside-the-box" quality. Could work intensely on a new project, but rarely stayed involved after a project matured. As such Zlujenyürci ranged widely over the world and was involved in many things, working on her own and with other founders, editors, etc.

Personality was mercurial and somewhat capricious or rhapsodic. Sometimes unstable, even delirious. Sometimes became fixated on non-ideal projects, or undermined the work of others, usually without realizing it. Was generally on good terms with the other founders, if somewhat aloof and detached. When conflict occurred Zlujenyürci tended to simply leave rather than argue or fight. It is possible that she came into conflict with Jgikwïxevek over the hidden land of Dja, resulting in Jgikwïxevek's departure from the world.

It is not clear when or how Zlujenyürci left the world. Possibly she left and returned multiple times, drawn away, perhaps, by interests beyond the world. Some believe she still returns now and then, and may be quite active but rarely encountered. It is more commonly believed that she eventually lost interest in the world and is gone for good. Possibly some conflict, perhaps with Tcakavekatca, the xrog, and/or the editor "revolt", played a role in driving her away.

Her symbolic colors are silver, pink, and pale blue.

5. Tcakavekatca: "the dragon". Known as a "dragon", meaning one possessed of great energy, drive, and power, with intensely held opinions verging on the narcissistic. Tcakavekatca is perhaps the most controversial of the iya and different people have different opinions about him. Some hold that he is basically good but sometimes driven into unhelpful, sometimes damaging emotional outbursts. Others think he is inherently bad but tends to present himself as a champion of the good, but long-suffering, maligned and slandered by his enemies, who conspire against him. Most agree that he sometimes tends toward the paranoid, seeing conspiracy too easily—yet his "dragon" personality certainly created enemies and some of the conspiracies he railed against.

In early eons Tcakavekatca worked extremely hard and probably did more for the world than any other, save perhaps Vixevelku. His scope of interest was very wide and his work permeates most of the world in some way. In time he became disgruntled by many things, some perhaps of his imagination. During the "editor revolts" he at first sided strongly with the editors and helped them win many rights. He tended toward populist and "democratic" doctrines, apparently believing (some say) in the basic goodness of people and suspicious of power held in the hands of a few (ie, the iya). Later, however, he became disillusioned, especially as the post-revolt "democratic" situation became increasingly litigious, "bureaucratic", and, he claimed, corrupt. Eventually he began fighting bitter wars against what he identified as corrupt cabals, some of which were real but some probably not. These wars made him many enemies and in time much damage was done to the world.

After several particularly bitter and long-lasting fights Tcakavekatca left the world in a fury. In the process he, by design or by accident, left behind many complex processes, traps, and "weapons" that played a major role in the growth of the xrog movement. Some say that Tcakavekatca created the xrogs on purpose, others that the xrog existed long before and were enemies of Tcakavekatca. But most agree that Tcakavekatca's departure served and strengthened the xrog—both in "material" terms and philosophically. Tcakavekatca's behavior during his "wars" certainly inspired many editors to "turn xrog".

Much later Tcakavekatca returned to the world for a while. During his time away he had apparently calmed down and was ready to again work for the good of the world—or so it seemed. Some think he honestly tried to rejoin the world to work for good, but succumbed to the same process of fighting corruption and conspiracy until his own actions caused harm. Others think his return was for the purpose of causing harm from the start and he only pretended to "be good". Whatever the case, soon after his return he once again began fighting various factions. Although he always claimed to be working for the good of the world and was a victim of slander by his enemies, in time his fighting intensified and began damaging the world again. He became the focus of many debates and was charged with many "crimes". Evidence was produced that showed him to be actively assisting the xrog movement, which he denied or tried to explain as something other than what his enemies made it look like. After a long and complex era of conflict around him, he left the world again, and/or was forced out, permanently this time. On this final departure there remains debate over how much he left by his own choice, fed up and disgusted, and how much he was forced into banishment by the "democratic" post-iya admin bureaucracy. It seems his departure was some of both—there were powerful forces of banishment at work, but as an iya he was not easily banished and in the end at least some of his leaving seems to have been his own choice. How much that choice was forced remains unclear and disputed.

His symbolic colors is gold-amber.

[edit] [top]Timeline

General order of major events:

World creation and initial "groundwork"
Iya (founder) and dzanu (editors) given realms. Factions start forming.
Earliest xrog, relatively mild, and first gwimle
Myriad lifeforms and iya/dzanu "tools" made, including puep and tsïk (humans).
Origin of lul about this time, for unknown reasons—maybe good intention gone bad, or corrupted by early xrog, or xrog created.
Tcakavekatca's early conflicts with dzanu
General iya interests: Vixevelku in east, Tcakavekatca in west, Mrogatatak in center, Zlujenyürci all over but mostly in south, Jgikwïxevek in south and west. Lul in north.
Mrogatatak first "freeing" of tsïk (humans); first jgatsïk (free humans)
Dzanu further organize themselves and seek more rights; continued conflicts with Tcakavekatca; first granting of some rights and powers to some dzanu. Factions and parties increase. Some dzanu factions continue to seek, even demand further rights and powers.
Rapid growth of xrog; explosive growth of lul population, reaches point of major crisis, north overrun
Mrogatatak builds wall to contain lul in the north, Vixevelku and Tcakavekatca assist. Zlujenyürci remains mostly in the south. Jgikwïxevek begins to think of and plan for hidden Dja.
Wall fails and lul spread through the lands. Counter-measures slow their growth to some degree
Jgikwïxevek's seclusion and creation of hidden land of Dja
Additional suns created, which reduces the lul infestation and threat
Mrogatatak, with Vixevelku assistance, leads/inspired a great civilization in Aprosi. Many jgatsïk.
Dzanu protests turn more serious and become a "revolt". Tcakavekatca's "wars" turn nasty.
Tcakavekatca leaves the world "in a huff".
Vixevelku's "travels" begin
Major growth of xrog numbers and activity. Xrog tactics and sophistication increase. Some seek extremely destructive ends.
Aprosi civilization fragments; factional chaos among dzanu and jgatsïk; probable major xrog involvement
Mrogatatak disappears for unknown reasons. Aprosi further disintegrates.
Vixevelku travels widely, working industriously
Dzanu "revolt" ends with a major granting of rights and powers, which essentially ends the era of iya direct rule over the world. Rise of dzanu "democracy"/"bureaucracy"
Vixevelku begins to reform Aprosi civilization, which in time become's "Vixevelku's Empire".
Tcakavekatca returns, at first seems cowed but soon in various conflicts again
Tcakavekatca "wars", very nasty. Dzanu "government" put to the test. "Lawsuits", etc.
Tcakavekatca banned/leaves for good
Vixevelku's Empire waxes, then wanes and finally breaks
Vixevelku begins retreat into seclusion, long slow process
Hidden land of Dja revealed, perhaps by Zlujenyürci, by accident. Crisis in Dja
Jgikwïxevek (of Dja) leaves/abandons the world
Long period of declining dzanu interest and work in the world. Dzanu-xrog stalemate. Lul "plague" mostly dormant, run out. Vixevelku and Zlujenyürci only iya left. Vixevelku becomes increasing inward-turned and secluded. Zlujenyürci wanders, little seen, perhaps often not in the world at all. Rise of "native" peoples to general sovereignty of the world
Vixevelku "fully secluded". Zlujenyürci rarely seen, perhaps losses interest and leaves the world, fate uncertain.
Human history starts

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