The FMA Setting Places and people.

[black dragoon]

This thread is for the Actual world and for notable characters that will be featured.
Please read the main hub overview before posting as there will notable changes to setting.

[black dragoon]

Alright here goes.
The Full Metal World
Though very simaler to our mundane world there are several key differences between this setting,our world, and Amestris the actual world of FMA

- The biggest difference is that Alchemy exists
- North America has been discovered but, the U.S. is divided between the Union of America and the Conferated States of America. These two nations are locked in cold war and have several secret treaties with the European powers.
- Amestris is Austro-Hungary(the allied countries it's based off of)
- Xing is China under a Tyranical British Empire.



Alchemy overview
History

The process of changing matter from one form to another using mystic forces. Alchemy was first used by the ancient egytians to create the materials needed for their great monolithic structures and to conquer the Nile Delta. By the Grecco-Roman era Alchemy pervaded all aspects of society and had become a formal practice in Western cultures. In East Asia Alchemy arose independtley and focused primarily upon the body and the flow of Chi. Astime went on and history moved steadily forward alchemy rose and fell in prominence. During the age of the Holy Roman Empire alchemy was prohibted and those who practiced it were burned at the stake. This continued for an extremely long time until the recent scientific revolution. Now in the year 1900 much of the lost techniques of Western Alchemy have been relearned and used in modern methods of manufacturing and research. Nearly every country of the modern world has created institutes soley for using this lost art.
The laws of Alchemy

Without a circle there is nothing
All Alchemy requires special diagrams called transmutation circles. These symbols channel the energy needed to facilitate the process. An array as their called can be scribed using anything:blood,chalk,ink,etc. It is said however that certain individuals can perfom alchemy without an array and need simply to concentrate upon their task at hand. Though like all things in alchemy it is said that this incredible power comes at a price...
Equalvilant Exchange
Nothing can be taken without something being given in return. This is the premiere law of alchemy. All alchemists must follow this tenet. If an alchemist wants to create a one-foot cube of water he must borrow this water from something or somewhere and it must be an equal amount.
It is said that this law can be circumvented though. Using a mthical artifact;the Philosopher's Stone. A powerful alchemical booster that can allow for nearly anything to happen.
the Forbidden art: Human Transmutation
It is possible to heal with alchemy, the chinese and other asiatics have done so for centuries. but to create life is something utterly different. "to raise the dead is to go against God." as one alchemist of the middle ages puts it. Human Transmutation is supposedly impossible though techniques such as soul tranference into a suit of armor by blood seal are possible though costly if the alchemist is not highly talented and the creation of false life such as the chimeras and hommunculi are also possible they all take an extremely large toll upon the alchemists involved. It is for these reasons any form of human transmutation are banned in nearly every country. However a recent tome found within a an ancient egytian temple may hint at the way to circumvent this law it translates as follows:
Take the sparrow and turn it green. From here extract the Swan and make her blue as the sky. With this raise the impefect hawk covered with white and red. fianally with singing suns and a final twist raise the fenex(this is a literal translation) perfect red and fling open the final door into truth and walk back from the final journey unscathed.
So far no one has actually determined the truth behind this text. Many believe that it is an allusion to philosopher's stone however.

[EvilElitest]

hmmmmm, i think a bit more detail would be needed. While its world and our world share some stuff, i think by the founding of the Miltary State, our histories are totally different.


Also the State is bigger than Austrio hungry i think, personally i think it includes Germany as well. But by the by, who are the ishbalians?
from
EE

[black dragoon]

Ishbalans are Scar's people. The ones that the State massacred before the Series took place.

[Draken]

I believe he asked who are the Ishbalians related to. Iberics? habitants of northern Africa? Middle East?

Edit: Woo, Barbarian.

[black dragoon]

I get the feeling they are either a reference to the middle eastern cultures or the Rhona/gypsies. IN truth I don't think it's ever made clear.

[EvilElitest]

Personally i think they were from Turkey, because that is the closest area in Eastern Europe to the enviorement shown in the books, but even that isn't quite right
from
EE

[black dragoon]

I don't think there is a true relation in all honesty. The Ishbalans are simply there because well. They are a pretty major part of the plot period. For now I'm knocking them into gypsy,turkish analogs though.