from the Manual and Reference of the Fonlands
The Transatlantic Slave Trade that started in the 1700s on Earth, caused major upheaval for the Fonlanders of Western Africa, some of whom were swept up in the violence and transported to the Americas alongside Africans who would lose their connection to the land of their forebears.
Fonlanders refer to the period that starts with the inception of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and concludes around the year 2000, as the Unrest. Fonlanders generally live longer than Earthers and the upheaval that commenced in the 1700s didn’t seem to settle until the turn of the millenia as the Fonlanders moved around the planet to find comfortable living environments and a way to cohabitate with Earthers of foreign lands.
Over the last three centuries, a new breed of Fonlander came into existence on Earth. They were the first of their kind, an amalgamation of the fairies, and giants, and goblins who had been unknowingly transplanted from the African continent and eventually came to settle the Americas. Because the first emergence of the Fonlands on Earth occurred long ago in the planet’s history, there were already Fonlanders on every continent of the planet before the Unrest, but their numbers were small and many had lost a robust connection to the Divine Essence that permeates the Fonlands. These Fonlanders used magic sparingly in the dark corners of the Earth where they made their homes and mostly avoided contact with Earthers. The Unrest is the event that jump-started the proliferation of Fonlands magic on Earth and it is from this point in history that Earthers began to encounter Fonlanders in more significant numbers. All magic of the universe Prime 5 is derived from the connection to the Fonlands and various rites and rituals have been developed by Earthers interested in harnessing that magic.
Before the Unrest, all encroachments of the Fonlands on Earth occurred on the African continent. Over the years of the Unrest, however, it is believed that either Earthers, Fonlanders, or both, have caused new rifts between the universes that have led to an increased Fonlander population. During the early days of the Unrest, the first Earther was said to have entered the Fonlands in the Southeastern United States of America.
The Disc of Lêgba
The disc of Lêgba is a wondrous place, characterized by shifting landscapes. A visitor to the disc would likely enter through the Celestial Library where Lêgba first recorded the language of his parents. The library is a mystery, it is very large and the building that houses it, circles the entirety of the disc as a great wall, and there are many sections of the library that have not been explored by most visitors to or inhabitants of the disc. Inside the wall of the Celestial Library, the disc is divided into many domains that are ruled by Lêgba’s various iterations. As the recorder of the language of the Ruling Gods, Lêgba serves as the interpreter for them to all other beings, and he split himself into many iterations to govern life on his disc. These iterations are not Vodun, and some have wandered from the disc of Lêgba to settle other discs. The exact number of Lêgba’s iterations is unknown.
Lêgba’s palace is built into the great pillar of the disc and it is constructed of clear and opaque surfaces. There are many great cities surrounding the palace that occupy the center of the disc in a radius that is half the size of the total disc. There is a smaller library that circles the center cities known as the Void Library that is said to contain knowledge of life before the creation of the Fonlands. Outside of the Void Library is the changing desert that is perilous to cross because of the engrossing mirages that can ensnare travelers and keep them locked in fantasy. There are great cities in the desert, and all cities on the disc of Lêgba are ruled by iterations of Lêgba.
Notable Iterations of Lêgba
Kaggen : A shapeshifter, Kaggen chose their default form to differentiate themself from Lêgba. This default form is insectoid and is similar to a praying mantis. Kaggen is able to take the form of anything they encounter. They are the ruler of the Void City (located inside the wall of the Void Library) of Mantis that is a gridland, all black with blue lines running parallel and perpendicular on the surface and through existence. Within this black grid, Kaggen has formed cities on discs that are populated with various terrain, some lush and green, other hard and rocky, other still filled with technological wonders, all of which are inspired by Kaggen’s travels to other cities within Lêgba’s disc and even to other discs. Kaggen is very powerful, more so than many Lesser Vodun, and their ability to shape reality rivals that of the Vodun. The Fonlanders who inhabit Mantis are skilled shapeshifters.
Èṣù : Another very powerful iteration of Lêgba, whose Divine Essence rivals that of the Vodun, Èṣù takes the form of a large male and one side of his body is gold, the other blue. Any garments that Èṣù wears are black, and he is often seen with a hooded, black cloak that is larger than his body. Depending on his mood, Èṣù presents as a man of various ages; when he presents as a young child, he is mean and unpredictable, when he presents as an old man, he is wise and patient. He is the ruler of the Celestial Cities (located outside the wall of the Void Library, but inside the wall of the Celestial Library) of Pupa and Fun Fun. The cities share a border and Èṣù occupies a castle that straddles the border, each side of the castle mirroring the other, though the Pupa side is all gold and the Fun Fun side is all blue. The city of Pupa is constructed of buildings with red tones and it is home to many horrifying Fonlanders. The city of Fun Fun is a city constructed of white and it is home to many benevolent and kind Fonlanders.
Ogo-Yurugu : Also known as the Pale Fox or Jackal, Ogo-Yurugu is a man with canine features who stands on two legs. He is covered in fur and has paws as feet and hands. He has a prehensile tail that he uses as deftly as his limbs. He is not able to speak, but can use his paws to tell the future, and he is the master of duplicitous speech and lies. He is the ruler of the Celestial City of Dogo that is a city among stars, mostly tribal villages constructed on discs that float a starry cosmos. The greatest fortune tellers of the Fonlands have roots in Dogo.
Ekwensu : Ekwensu is the most feared iteration of Lêgba and she rules a large swath of the desert between the Celestial and Void Libraries. She can shapeshift, but this is a manifestation of her ability to shape reality. Her default form is a woman of considerable stature with red skin, and jet-black hair. She is a symbol of violence and war, and she wears a razor-sharp abreba on a chain around her neck. She has constructed a vast, mountainous kingdom that she is slowly expanding in the desert and her ambition is to rule the entire ring. Ekwensu revels in chaos and can ignite feelings of violence and discord in most Fonlanders. Her domain is known as Conflict.
Sampling of Fonlanders Who Inhabit Earth
From the Disc of Lêgba
Spiders
Many inhabitants of the disc of Lêgba are creatures with eight appendages and are similar to the Earther creature known as the spider. They can be found in every city on the disc and throughout the desert that is located between of the walls of the Celestial and Void Libraries.
The Great Dikithi
Dikithi escaped the Fonlands and fled to Prime 5 long ago. He is a notorious thief throughout all the discs of the Fonlands and he settled on Earth in an attempt to avoid justice. Dikithi is said to live in a cave where he has amassed great treasures of the Fonlands and Prime 5, and he rarely emerges. He has one eye, one arm, and one leg.
PRL Serials 