(pronounced 'core-RAIN-oh-del')

A land of puppets and puppeteers, spiders and webs, weavers and looms—Coreinodel is a nation of connections and control.

Amongst the clouds, birds fly in circling motions—only a few ever break free from their flocks. On the ground, creatures weave themselves through interlocking threads and webs. Lonely wanderers traverse a maze of strings.

Amongst the quiet chaos, what stands out in this barren landscape is the grandiose castillo casting shadows over derelict housing and empty forests.

Fates are told and interpreted in many different ways. However, they all revolve around strings, the physical binding to fate, and weaving. Some people believe they need only follow a string towards somewhere important. Some are gifted a string somewhere on their body, with it only falling off once their fate has supposedly arrived. For others, they fear becoming ensnared in the arañas' spiderwebs.

Weavers spend their lives crafting fate interpretations for those that come to them—or even for those they do not know. As such, strings cover the landscape in intricate patterns. Puppeteers guide dancers on stage, or help actors perform in theatres. Arañas roam the shadowy forests.

Fates here can have a very direct influence on people’s lives. For instance, some people are considered marionetas, having manifestations of strings attached at their wrists and hinged joints. Some people seem freer than others, but not all strings are visible.

Coreinodel holds their monarchy in high regard—or at least that is what El Rey, who leads the nation, likes to believe. However, the Royal Family do not tend to interact with their citizens. All the royals are graceful, with skin like porcelain and symmetrical faces—almost as if they were dolls. However, there are no strings to control them. Instead, their clothes and tapestries are crafted by Royal Weavers, chosen by El Rey himself.

While Coreinodel has a monarchy, El Rey does not hold a lot of influence over his citizens. Isolated communities are scattered across the nation, functioning through the preservation of a range of ancient traditions and beliefs. For instance, Weavers in some communities craft string bracelets believed to carry information about one's fate. Other communities may have superstitions that the strings scattered across the land will lead them to riches or a fated destination. Elsewhere, acting troupes travel the land, telling tales of Coreinodel's history, and emphasising the importance of their rituals.

The arañas of Coreinodel don't tend to have their own wider communities, often choosing to stay with their family or to roam freely across the lands. They craft artistic webs, representing connections and journeys, with each web telling a different story. However, most people fear arañas due to common tales of them trapping or preying upon people. This isn't helped by the manifestations that arañas seem to often have—extra eyes and limbs that, while having limited functionality, give them an unsettling, arachnoid appearance.

Unlike some nations, fate prediction here is unregulated. There is no Guild of Weavers, for instance, nor any real interference by the monarchy in the fate-reading traditions of smaller communities.

Straying away from tradition is severely frowned upon. While there is no general consensus on whether fates are good or bad, there is the knowledge that, more often than not, if you try to pull away from your fate you risk your bindings becoming tighter—inevitably becoming entangled in fate’s embrace.

You might be connected to a wise weaver, a travelling dancer or puppeteer who encounters a lot of rumours, somebody who works for the royal family, or even a royal themselves. Perhaps the most intrepid may even have befriended an araña…