NORRINGTONs DESIRE Lore

I use this document to, well, document and note the growing Norrington's Desire Lore, set up the bases and go from there.

First and foremost, the genre

GENRE

Norrington’s Desire would fall into the contemporary high fantasy genre—where magic and mythical creatures exist in the modern world, but their presence is not always harmonious, and the balance between them and humans is tense, sometimes violent. That said, it departs from the usual “hidden world” trope: nonhumans aren’t struggling to be seen or accepted—they're already here, established, and woven into everyday life. Many humans are entirely used to their presence. While human supremacists still exist, they’re just one voice in a much broader, more complex society, not the dominant one.

• The world maintains its own kind of equilibrium, but it’s unstable—constantly shifting under the weight of politics, criminal syndicates, and personal ambition.
• The setting allows for a mix of gritty crime drama, paranormal politics, and intense personal stakes (betrayals, alliances, power struggles).
• Not necessarily dystopian, but the world isn’t just “humans vs. nonhumans.” It’s everyone looking out for their own interests, whether they’re fae aristocrats, human politicians, or rogue mercenaries.
• There’s a huge amount of room for humor and casual interactions (since humans and nonhumans coexisting is normal), but beneath that, there’s a lot of political tension, crime, and power struggles.
• It’s less “nonhumans are a secret” and more “nonhumans are an everyday reality, and they have their own agendas.”

SOCIAL AND POLITICAL STRUCTURE

Since nonhumans aren’t trying to blend in, their hierarchies exist parallel to human governments rather than being absorbed into them. This means:

• Nonhuman leaders aren’t just ceremonial or cultural icons—they hold real, tangible power and are recognized as legitimate actors on the global stage. A fae queen, an elven lord, or an elder dragon isn’t just a folklore figure; they wield influence over territory, negotiate trade and diplomacy, and are central players in supernatural geopolitics.

• Debate over how nonhumans should fit into human systems is ongoing. Some humans advocate for full integration under shared legal frameworks. Others push for strict separation or control. Meanwhile, nonhumans are just as divided: many prefer autonomy and self-governance, some push for legal protections and rights under human law, and others (like most dragons) simply don’t engage at all, because they operate entirely on their own terms.

CULTURE AND EVERYDAY LIFE

Since interspecies relationships are normal and many nonhumans are open about their identities, that means:

• Some nonhumans have become celebrities in their own right—think siren pop stars with global fanbases, elven fashion icons redefining style, or Myxarid CEOs leading major industries. There are even entertainment spaces built around nonhuman culture, like their own sports leagues, media platforms, or reality shows.
• Some regions are vibrant melting pots where multiple species live side by side, while others remain predominantly human (or mostly nonhuman) depending on history, politics, and local attitudes.

WRESTLING-THEMED SETTING

Now we go through the good shit. I'm basically turning this underground world into a massive power struggle where dominance, alliances, and rivalries matter more than morality—which fits perfectly with the ideals and worldbuilding of a wrestling company. It’s less about good vs. evil and more about who’s on top at any given moment.

This opens up a ton of room for over-the-top battles, shifting alliances, betrayals, and intense rivalries that feel more like a mix of crime syndicates, outlaw guilds, and supernatural powerhouses rather than traditional governments or empires.

And no, it’s not just the criminal underworld—entire civilizations, kingdoms, and major power structures function like wrestling factions, where dominance, alliances, and rivalries dictate everything. That means politics, warfare, and even leadership shifts are as much about spectacle and influence as they are about actual governance.

This is to make the world of Norrington’s Desire feel like a never-ending grand event, where power is held by those who can keep it—and taken by those who challenge it. After all, actual nations, tribal societies, and rulers operate like larger-than-life stables competing for supremacy.

Rulership is Less About Bloodlines and More About Strength & Reputation
→ A king, queen, chief, or ruler stays in power as long as they can defend their throne—physically, politically, or magically. Losing a major battle, challenge, or being outshined can mean getting dethroned.

Factions, Kingdoms & Organizations Work Like Power Stables
→ They’re constantly forming, breaking, merging, and feuding. Some are more traditional monarchies, while others act like roaming warbands, syndicates, or secret societies.

Glory & Infamy Are as Important as Strength
→ It’s not just about winning—it’s about how you win. Being the most feared or respected matters. Some leaders keep control through brute force (Freki), others through sheer charisma (Anthony) or strategy (Akane).

"Titles" Exist Beyond Nobility—They’re Earned, Not Given
→ Some rulers hold official titles, but many positions of power come with names that carry weight, like:

• The Crimson Emperor.
• The Big Red Machine.
• The Nero Angelo.
• The Shape of Heaven.
• Underworld's Attack Dogs.

Wars, Alliances & Betrayals Play Out Like Wrestling Storylines
→ When two major factions or kingdoms feud, it’s like a long-term wrestling rivalry.
→ Alliances shift based on necessity, but betrayals are just as common.
→ When a faction or ruler falls, their former members either get absorbed by new groups or seek revenge in dramatic fashion.

The Role of the V7D – “A Four-Soldier Army”

The V7D is basically a faction that’s just entered the big leagues—roaming travelers who may want to do good and try to do it as much as they can, but ultimately, they’re still playing in this world of dominance and power struggles.

With the exception of Medea, they don’t answer to any ruler or nation, but they can’t avoid getting dragged into power plays.

They build their own reputation, whether they want to or not. Their actions will determine whether they’re feared, respected, or hunted.

Since they function like a power stable, their chemistry and teamwork matter just as much as their individual strengths.

They might've started as underdogs, but the more they defeat a high-ranking factions and opponents, the more they get thrown into the spotlight.

The Bigger Implications

This whole setup means Norrington’s Desire isn't trying to be cool for cool's sake (ok maybe just a little)—but it has a worldwide power structure that thrives on spectacle, strength, and shifting rivalries.

• No One Stays on Top Forever – Today’s dominant faction could be tomorrow’s fallen empire.
• Survival Requires Strength, Smarts, or Unpredictability – If you can’t fight, you’d better be damn good at playing the game.
• Honor & Respect Matter, But Only to Those Who Can Enforce It – Laws exist, but they’re only followed as long as the people in power can make others respect them.
• Your Name is Your Legacy – Winning a major fight, pulling off an impossible feat, or taking down a legend cements your name in history—even if you die.

KEY DIFFERENCES FROM THE REAL WORLD

While similar to our world, Norrington's Desire has many changes from the historical timeline beyond humans and nonhumans coexisting.

USSR 

In Norrington’s Desire, the Soviet Union never formally disbanded. Its survival is attributed to decades of deliberate, largely mortal governance aimed at preserving institutional continuity rather than ideological purity. Through controlled economic reforms, managed political decentralization, and extensive intelligence and influence networks, the USSR mitigated multiple near-collapse scenarios that would have otherwise fractured the state.

Rather than collapsing under internal pressure, the Union adapted, allowing it to persist into the contemporary era as a consolidated, if transformed, superpower.

Space Race

In 1961, Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space, marking the USSR’s early lead in space exploration. However, The moon race unfolds differently: instead of the United States claiming an undisputed victory, both the USSR and the US succeed in landing astronauts on the Moon.

• Neil Armstrong (USA) and Alexei Leonov (USSR) both step onto the lunar surface within hours of each other.

• The precision of the landing sites and the timing of the missions is so close that, historically, there is no definitive record of who “landed first.”

As a result, the Moon landing is officially a tie. This shared lunar achievement reshapes global perception: both superpowers gain similar prestige in space exploration, which subtly affects political narratives, cultural pride, and international relations in the decades that follow.

Gran Colombia

Unlike in real history, Gran Colombia never dissolved. However, rather than remaining a centralized republic, the state gradually evolved into a confederation of autonomous nations composed of the territories of modern-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panamá.

Early constitutional reforms addressed the regional tensions that once threatened the union. Instead of enforcing strong centralism, the founding charter redistributed authority: each constituent nation retained its own legislature, judiciary, fiscal system, and internal governance, while delegating limited powers—foreign policy, continental defense, currency regulation, and interstate trade—to a federal confederal council.

This structure diluted personalist rivalries and prevented the fragmentation that destabilized neighboring regions. Economic interdependence—Venezuelan oil, Colombian industry and agriculture, Ecuadorian trade corridors, and Panama’s strategic canal zone—created mutual reliance strong enough to discourage secession.

Today, Gran Colombia functions as a confederation under a shared constitution. Its citizens are legally Gran Colombian, though regional identities remain strong. A citizen may be born in Quito, Bogotá, Maracaibo, or Panamá City, but all carry the same passport and fall under the same federal diplomatic representation.

Gran Colombia is not a global superpower, but it is the most politically stable and influential Latin American state in the ND timeline. Its combined population, resources, and unified foreign policy grant it significant regional leverage. It commands respect in continental affairs and maintains strategic neutrality in global conflicts, preferring calculated diplomacy over ideological alignment.

The Panama Canal Negotiations

As a consequence to the above, Washington could not rely on backing Panamanian separatists to secure a puppet state. Instead, U.S. negotiators faced a unified Gran Colombia, which was unwilling to sacrifice sovereignty. After decades of tense negotiation and brinkmanship, the U.S. secured permission to build and operate the Panama Canal—but on terms highly favorable to Gran Colombia. 

Unlike in the historical timeline, the “Canal Zone” remained under Gran Colombian sovereignty. The United States served as the junior partner, overseeing engineering, construction, and partial administration, while also securing Gran Colombian military support in potential future conflicts.

The canal became the backbone of Gran Colombia's 20th-century economy, making it a regional power far greater than modern Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, or Panama alone could have been individually. While Washington. retained a significant operational role, it was compelled to treat Gran Colombia as a sovereign partner rather than a subordinate client state.

The Latin American Triumvirate

Gran Colombia, Brazil, and Argentina form a kind of Latin American triumvirate of rivalry

• Gran Colombia: Leverages unity, geography, and culture. Controls the Panamá Canal, sits on Caribbean + Pacific trade routes, and brands itself as the “true inheritor of Bolívar’s dream.”

• Brazil: The sheer giant—biggest landmass, population, economy. Always flexing its size, coffee, iron, and later industrial power.

• Argentina: Plays the “European” card—Buenos Aires as the Paris of the South, tango, beef exports, intellectual prestige, and ties with Europe.

It's not always purely hostile—it tends to be a mix of petty nationalism and serious geopolitical maneuvering.

• At football matches, you get riots and insults.

• At UN-style meetings, each tries to outshine the others in speeches and posturing.

• In real crises, they might cooperate reluctantly, but always with one eye on how it makes them look compared to the other two.

Alternate WWII and the Rise of Supernatural Arms

Many things in WWII happened differently:

• In this timeline, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were never destroyed by nuclear bombs. Instead, both cities were obliterated by dragons contracted by the United States. These dragons acted as living weapons of mass destruction, bound by formal magical pacts.
• This event established a precedent in global military strategy: rather than focusing on nuclear arsenals, major powers prioritized alliances with nonhuman entities (not only dragons but other sentient nonhuman races) as both offensive assets and strategic deterrents.
• The American dragon contract was a one-time, mutually beneficial arrangement that provided a decisive advantage without rendering the United States universally feared for indiscriminate annihilation. Following this example, other nations pursued their own alliances with various nonhuman races, fostering a new form of arms race in which diplomatic negotiation, magical contracts, and control over supernatural assets became as strategically significant as conventional technology.

The Great Latin American Rivalry in WWII

Gran Colombia and the Soviet Union:

Motivations:

• Ideological admiration for Soviet resilience against fascism.

• Strategic: aligning with Moscow gave Gran Colombia leverage to present itself as the “anti-imperialist” voice of Latin America.

• Propaganda: Gran Colombia used its alliance with the Soviets to claim it was defending Bolívar’s dream of independence from Western dominance.

Contributions:

• Sent volunteers to the Eastern Front (an elite expeditionary brigade, nicknamed Los Libertadores).

• Provided raw materials (coffee, oil, and canal access for supply routes).

• Allowed Soviet intelligence to use its embassies and ports as footholds in the Western Hemisphere.

Legacy:

• Cemented a long-term political and cultural flirtation with socialism.

• Gave Gran Colombia an aura of “ideological weight,” letting it claim moral high ground in Latin disputes.

Brazil and the United Kingdom

Motivations:

• Similar to how History happened in Real Life: Brazil did join the Allies and sent troops to Italy.

• However here, this was turned up to 11; Brazil casts itself as the main Latin boots on the ground in Europe.

Contributions:

• Large expeditionary force (the Força Expedicionária Brasileira) fights in the Italian campaign alongside the British.

• Navy escorts convoys across the Atlantic.

• Heavy sacrifices → Brazil claims it “bled for Europe’s freedom.”

Legacy:

• Allowed Brazil to frame itself as the military power of Latin America.

• Boosted its ties with the UK, later influencing aviation, engineering, and infrastructure cooperation.

Argentina and America

Motivations:

• Economic pragmatism: Argentina already had deep export ties to the US (grain, beef, leather).

• By backing Washington, Argentina secured financial aid and postwar modernization.

Contributions:

• Major food supplier for US troops.

• Sent an elite aviation squadron to Europe under US command.

• Buenos Aires became a logistical hub for hemispheric defense.

Legacy:

• Strengthened its cultural claim to be the “gateway to the West” in South America.

• Argentina boasted it had backed the winning ally of the century—Washington—contrasting Gran Colombia’s later awkward ties to the Soviets.

Postwar Rivalry Fallout

• Gran Colombia: “While Argentina was polishing boots for the Yankees, we bled on the Eastern Front with the Red Army, the world's oldest superpower.”

• Brazil: “We’re the ones who actually fought and bled in Europe. Italians still sing songs about us.”

• Argentina: “We chose the right partner — look who came out as the world’s biggest superpower.”.

This means their rivalry got Cold War spice without them being actual superpowers:

• Gran Colombia = Latin American Moscow.

• Argentina = Latin American Washington.

• Brazil = Latin American London

The Dragon Renaissance

In this world, dragon gods are the true arbiters of power and inspiration. Human civilization still reaches remarkable heights in art, architecture, and culture, but all masterpieces are framed by draconic influence. Iconic works (like Michelangelo’s David) still exist, yet their subjects are either legendary champions chosen by dragon gods or mortals whose feats were guided by draconic favor. Temples, chapels, and public monuments remain, but they honor dragon patrons rather than traditional gods. Humans continue to create, to celebrate, and to mythologize, but the spiritual and symbolic core of society revolves around the dragons’ presence, their contracts, and their interventions in the world. 

John F. Kennedy

In this timeline, John F. Kennedy never dies in Dallas. Instead of attending the fateful motorcade himself, a decoy (created using advanced magitek shapeshifting) stood in his place. Ordinary shapeshifting magic at the time lasted only minutes to an hour, but the U.S. government developed a device capable of sustaining the illusion for 12 hours, ensuring the decoy could convincingly impersonate Kennedy throughout the event. The assassination attempt failed to reach the real president, leaving JFK alive and allowing the course of American history to diverge from our own.

Martin Luther King Jr. 

Martin Luther King Jr. remained a seminal activist but expanded his focus beyond human racial justice to include the rights and integration of sentient nonhuman species into society.

King was assassinated by James Earl Ray, though the circumstances of his death remain a subject of speculation within this world’s historical discourse. Some fringe theories propose that Ray may have been a shapeshifter operating under a human guise, while more widely cited accounts suggest he functioned as a convenient scapegoat for factions—both human and nonhuman—threatened by growing integration and the expansion of civil rights beyond strictly human boundaries.

Despite his assassination, King’s work profoundly influenced human–nonhuman relations and helped establish the ethical and legal foundations for later multi-species civil rights movements.