In which there is canon
This is me attempting to organize canon information and failing to do so. So I'm just tossing random chunks out. The following will probably NOT MAKE MUCH SENSE oh well.
The World
The world the story is set in is not established. It's something like 18th/19th century England. There are servants and maids and butlers and carriages and tea parties!!! The current capital is Lybia (spelling not confirmed sob). There's a government and then there are the four great duke families. Huzzah.
The Four Great Duke Families
- Vesalius
- Nightlay
- Lainsworth
- Baskerville
The heir to Vesalius is Oz, while the heirs to Nightlay are Vincent and Gilbert. Sharon's supposedly the daughter of the Duchess of Lainsworth. The Baskervilles are still a mystery.
These four families are "The Heroes who protected the country 100 years ago". But who were the 'heroes', and what did they protect the country against? We don't know! All we know is that 100 years ago there was a Tragedy (The Tragedy of Sabrie) - and the country came through with these families' help.
Like any other noble families, it's all about money and power:
Chapter 2, pg. 6
Sharon: From now on, you'll have the privilege to participate in social parties, so... there will be many who draw near you in hope that they may use you and your status. There will be those who seek great wealth... Yet, there will also be those who hope to share in the hidden power of the Duke's household... Also, every one of them will merely place your father's image upon you.
The 'hidden power' here refers to not only to political and social power, but also Chains. I will get to that later in this mini-essay.
Alliances between the families
The relationships between the four families is not clear. As of now, we can only speculate.
Vesalius and Lainsworth
The Vesalius and the Lainsworth seems to be quite friendly with each other. The Duchess of Lainsworth was invited to Oz's coming-of-age ceremony, and regardless of whether that's merely a social gesture, it's clear that these two families are on friendly terms with each other.
Chapter 2, pg 12
Sharon: If he becomes the Vesalius successor, it's fate that he will eventually come to our side.
Here, Sharon could be referring to Pandora, or she could have been referring to the Lainsworth family. Either way, it seems that the Vesalius heir is somehow destined to be involved in Pandora and its sneaky businesses. More on this in the next part!
Vesalius and Nightlay
Enemy families. The Nightlay family commits various offensive acts towards the Vesalius family. Examples include murdering Oz's mother and trying to kidnap Oz. Make that very offensive.
Break: The Vesalius family and the Nightlay family... for example, it's like the relationship between light and dark. The Vesalius family is praised as the Hero family from 100 years ago, while the Nightlay family has always bear the suspicion of being the traitor, and lived in the dark.
The gist is that The Veslius live in the 'light' - they are highly regarded and favored in society and are the good guys, while the Nightlays live in the 'dark', shunned by society and are involved in dirty businesses such as assassinations and idk, bootlegging? |D
Lainsworth and Nightlay
This is merely speculation on my part but... they are not on good terms with each other. Break, who's part of the Lainsworths, despises the Nightlay family - he calls them rats and planted Gilbert there as his chess piece in order to spy on them. Basically, it's a mix of suspicion, hatred, suspicion and more hatred. However, this could just be an isolated case of Break hating the Nightlay - but these two families are definitely not friendly allies.
Pandora
Chapter 4, pg 8
Oz: If I remember right, it's an organization under the direct control of the country to preserve public order.
Break: Well, that's 'officially' true, you know. In fact, research into the Abyss or, more specifically, resolving accidents related to that, are also one of their tasks.
Pandora. The mysterious organization that Break, Sharon, Vincent, Gilbert, Liam and Oscar are all in. Vincent sums it up quite well in vol. 3
Vincent: The reason the country makes certain of the status of the four great duke families, is because they got their hands on the Way leading to the Abyss and... imprisoned within that, the weapon known as Chain. Through interferences with the Door, the four great duke families are able to draw the Chains out... After that, the four great duke established the organization known as Pandora... in charge of researching the Abyss, managing illegal contractors... and spying on each other.
They are the ones with the POWAR and they banded together to research on it and monopolize it. \o/ They still don't like each other really.
The Abyss
To the everyday citizen, the Abyss is nothing but a legend - a bedtime story to scare the kids into behaving:
Chapter 1, pg 13
Oscar: If it looks like you are going to pull a stunt... I'll have to call out the emissary of "Abyss".
It is a creepy place alright, according to the legends:
Chapter 1, pg 15
Oz: It's a prison where bad people are locked up. The rumor says that once you are taken there, you can never come back.
Gil: The emissary comes from "Abyss" to snatch those who commit heinous crimes. It's said that the creature then takes them away to a truly terrifying place.
Too bad that it really exists, huh? The Abyss is as real as the milk carton in front of me right now, which isn't saying much, but. it's real. And Oz gets a free ticket for it in the first chapter! We all love free tickets. :)
Chapter 3, pg 15
Alice: The Abyss exists in a different dimension than where you were. In this space between those two worlds arose a distortion called the "Way".
A DIAGRAM:
(Real World) --------- || 'Way' || --------- (Abyss)
The Abyss and its v. special powers is the central plot of the story!
** The Abyss was previously the capital, Sabrie. Stuff happened. :(**
Abyss' Will And Just What Crack This Story is On
Abyss' Will... Is a hooker!
According to Gil, Abyss' Will is...
Gil: I don't know much in detail... but, everybody says that he's the one who created the Abyss nowadays...
A better and tl;dr explanation is...
Break: ...Oz. What's your perception of the Abyss? Is it the same as the prison in a fairy tale? Or a broken toy box?
This is what Pandora thinks. The Abyss is the womb that gives birth to the weapons known as chains. That's why we want Abyss' Will.
That's the thing, the core that created that space--- That's why... because of that reason, you're something indispensable, Oz.
There's no doubt about it, you're the key that'll help us obtain Abyss' Will.
Please try and imagine the Abyss' Will as a gigantic contraption with enormous power. Right now, because of a mistake in its processing, it's affecting this world we're in. To make the contraption work properly, we need a particular key, and Oz, is that key. Do you understand? That means, you-- Possess all the power to control the Abyss!
SURPRISE!! The protagonist has super special awesome powers! Alright!
Long story short. Pandora want to get their hands on Abyss' Will. Abyss' Will is a godmode and is obsessed over Oz and really, we have no idea just how much crack it took before making its first appearance.
Chains
A chain is...
Chapter 3, pg 10
Alice: It's a general term for creatures born in this Abyss. Within that group, the Trump is the lowest of all.
A contract is...
Chapter 3, pg 15
Alice: Right now, I have a restriction and because of it I can't release my power. The thing that can release my power is... a contract. All you have to do is call out my name and agree to the contract.
Chapter 3, pg 20
Red Baby (in the guise of Sharon): A contract is... a ritual necessary to maintain a Chain's unstable existence in the other world.
A contractor (illegal or legal) is... (plus bonus side effects!)
Break: Ahh~ Even if I say so, we aren't illegal contractors~
What we use is a contracting method developed by Pandora, so seals like yours won't appear on us, Oz.
But sometimes, there'll be people like us who gets influenced by the power and stops the body from growing.
Oz: ...That would be immortality...?
Break: Haha, impossible-- ☆
The body will still be under the same burden, even if our appearances won't change, there'll be problems with the body sooner or later...
And overview would be...
Chapter 4, pg 8-9
Break: As you know, the Abyss is not like the prison spoken of in the legends. There are also times when the Way produces something on occasion, and Chains come out from there. Also, they look for a contractor to stabalize their unstable existence. At that point, people who join in, inviting trouble, are called "illegal contractors". It's prohibited for normal people to get involved with the Abyss, and to make contracts with Chains... since it's very dangerous, of course.
Alice (a.k.a. Bea Rabbit)
Chapter 4, pg 16
Break: Oz... you know, the girl you contracted with is a little different from other Chains. It's confirmed that she has a personality...as long as she takes the form of a human.
Was human! Stuff happened. Is now a godmode in the Abyss! Illegal Contractor: Oz.
Side effects: Illegal contractor traits: A time limit in the image of a clock seal on the contractor's chest. When the time runs out (when the hand of the clock's been round a full circle), the contractor will be pulled to the lowest level of the Abyss.
Mad Hatter
Chapter 20, pg 40
Break: This Mad Hatter is concerned with the Abyss, all of its power. Negation. Extinction. Because it's a Chain that was born to kill chains.
Is gigantic and very pretty. Also fucks up Break's body when he uses it. \o/ Cheshire thinks that it's a lower-level Chain, when compared to Raven. Legal Contractor: Break.
Side-effects: Physically not aging =/= immortal
Raven
Vincent: The legendary Chain with black wings, and the power to create paths leading to the Abyss...
Is a gigantic raven! Probably the Chain that sent Oz to the Abyss in the first place. Can open pathways and seal Alice's powers. Belongs to the Nightlay family. Legal Contractor: Gilbert.
Side-effects: Possible physical sickness.
Unicorn
...Is an black unicorn! I-Information pending? Legal Contractor: Sharon
Side-effects: Physically not aging =/= immortal
THERE ARE MORE like Cheshire Cat and Vincent's Dormouse (Side-effects: narcolepsy) and the other ones the gang encounters along the way blah blah blah.
...I need to sleep now will come back and edit later. orz
The World
The world the story is set in is not established. It's something like 18th/19th century England. There are servants and maids and butlers and carriages and tea parties!!! The current capital is Lybia (spelling not confirmed sob). There's a government and then there are the four great duke families. Huzzah.
The Four Great Duke Families
- Vesalius
- Nightlay
- Lainsworth
- Baskerville
The heir to Vesalius is Oz, while the heirs to Nightlay are Vincent and Gilbert. Sharon's supposedly the daughter of the Duchess of Lainsworth. The Baskervilles are still a mystery.
These four families are "The Heroes who protected the country 100 years ago". But who were the 'heroes', and what did they protect the country against? We don't know! All we know is that 100 years ago there was a Tragedy (The Tragedy of Sabrie) - and the country came through with these families' help.
Like any other noble families, it's all about money and power:
Chapter 2, pg. 6
Sharon: From now on, you'll have the privilege to participate in social parties, so... there will be many who draw near you in hope that they may use you and your status. There will be those who seek great wealth... Yet, there will also be those who hope to share in the hidden power of the Duke's household... Also, every one of them will merely place your father's image upon you.
The 'hidden power' here refers to not only to political and social power, but also Chains. I will get to that later in this mini-essay.
Alliances between the families
The relationships between the four families is not clear. As of now, we can only speculate.
Vesalius and Lainsworth
The Vesalius and the Lainsworth seems to be quite friendly with each other. The Duchess of Lainsworth was invited to Oz's coming-of-age ceremony, and regardless of whether that's merely a social gesture, it's clear that these two families are on friendly terms with each other.
Chapter 2, pg 12
Sharon: If he becomes the Vesalius successor, it's fate that he will eventually come to our side.
Here, Sharon could be referring to Pandora, or she could have been referring to the Lainsworth family. Either way, it seems that the Vesalius heir is somehow destined to be involved in Pandora and its sneaky businesses. More on this in the next part!
Vesalius and Nightlay
Enemy families. The Nightlay family commits various offensive acts towards the Vesalius family. Examples include murdering Oz's mother and trying to kidnap Oz. Make that very offensive.
Break: The Vesalius family and the Nightlay family... for example, it's like the relationship between light and dark. The Vesalius family is praised as the Hero family from 100 years ago, while the Nightlay family has always bear the suspicion of being the traitor, and lived in the dark.
The gist is that The Veslius live in the 'light' - they are highly regarded and favored in society and are the good guys, while the Nightlays live in the 'dark', shunned by society and are involved in dirty businesses such as assassinations and idk, bootlegging? |D
Lainsworth and Nightlay
This is merely speculation on my part but... they are not on good terms with each other. Break, who's part of the Lainsworths, despises the Nightlay family - he calls them rats and planted Gilbert there as his chess piece in order to spy on them. Basically, it's a mix of suspicion, hatred, suspicion and more hatred. However, this could just be an isolated case of Break hating the Nightlay - but these two families are definitely not friendly allies.
Pandora
Chapter 4, pg 8
Oz: If I remember right, it's an organization under the direct control of the country to preserve public order.
Break: Well, that's 'officially' true, you know. In fact, research into the Abyss or, more specifically, resolving accidents related to that, are also one of their tasks.
Pandora. The mysterious organization that Break, Sharon, Vincent, Gilbert, Liam and Oscar are all in. Vincent sums it up quite well in vol. 3
Vincent: The reason the country makes certain of the status of the four great duke families, is because they got their hands on the Way leading to the Abyss and... imprisoned within that, the weapon known as Chain. Through interferences with the Door, the four great duke families are able to draw the Chains out... After that, the four great duke established the organization known as Pandora... in charge of researching the Abyss, managing illegal contractors... and spying on each other.
They are the ones with the POWAR and they banded together to research on it and monopolize it. \o/ They still don't like each other really.
The Abyss
To the everyday citizen, the Abyss is nothing but a legend - a bedtime story to scare the kids into behaving:
Chapter 1, pg 13
Oscar: If it looks like you are going to pull a stunt... I'll have to call out the emissary of "Abyss".
It is a creepy place alright, according to the legends:
Chapter 1, pg 15
Oz: It's a prison where bad people are locked up. The rumor says that once you are taken there, you can never come back.
Gil: The emissary comes from "Abyss" to snatch those who commit heinous crimes. It's said that the creature then takes them away to a truly terrifying place.
Too bad that it really exists, huh? The Abyss is as real as the milk carton in front of me right now, which isn't saying much, but. it's real. And Oz gets a free ticket for it in the first chapter! We all love free tickets. :)
Chapter 3, pg 15
Alice: The Abyss exists in a different dimension than where you were. In this space between those two worlds arose a distortion called the "Way".
A DIAGRAM:
(Real World) --------- || 'Way' || --------- (Abyss)
The Abyss and its v. special powers is the central plot of the story!
** The Abyss was previously the capital, Sabrie. Stuff happened. :(**
Abyss' Will And Just What Crack This Story is On
Abyss' Will... Is a hooker!
According to Gil, Abyss' Will is...
Gil: I don't know much in detail... but, everybody says that he's the one who created the Abyss nowadays...
A better and tl;dr explanation is...
Break: ...Oz. What's your perception of the Abyss? Is it the same as the prison in a fairy tale? Or a broken toy box?
This is what Pandora thinks. The Abyss is the womb that gives birth to the weapons known as chains. That's why we want Abyss' Will.
That's the thing, the core that created that space--- That's why... because of that reason, you're something indispensable, Oz.
There's no doubt about it, you're the key that'll help us obtain Abyss' Will.
Please try and imagine the Abyss' Will as a gigantic contraption with enormous power. Right now, because of a mistake in its processing, it's affecting this world we're in. To make the contraption work properly, we need a particular key, and Oz, is that key. Do you understand? That means, you-- Possess all the power to control the Abyss!
SURPRISE!! The protagonist has super special awesome powers! Alright!
Long story short. Pandora want to get their hands on Abyss' Will. Abyss' Will is a godmode and is obsessed over Oz and really, we have no idea just how much crack it took before making its first appearance.
Chains
A chain is...
Chapter 3, pg 10
Alice: It's a general term for creatures born in this Abyss. Within that group, the Trump is the lowest of all.
A contract is...
Chapter 3, pg 15
Alice: Right now, I have a restriction and because of it I can't release my power. The thing that can release my power is... a contract. All you have to do is call out my name and agree to the contract.
Chapter 3, pg 20
Red Baby (in the guise of Sharon): A contract is... a ritual necessary to maintain a Chain's unstable existence in the other world.
A contractor (illegal or legal) is... (plus bonus side effects!)
Break: Ahh~ Even if I say so, we aren't illegal contractors~
What we use is a contracting method developed by Pandora, so seals like yours won't appear on us, Oz.
But sometimes, there'll be people like us who gets influenced by the power and stops the body from growing.
Oz: ...That would be immortality...?
Break: Haha, impossible-- ☆
The body will still be under the same burden, even if our appearances won't change, there'll be problems with the body sooner or later...
And overview would be...
Chapter 4, pg 8-9
Break: As you know, the Abyss is not like the prison spoken of in the legends. There are also times when the Way produces something on occasion, and Chains come out from there. Also, they look for a contractor to stabalize their unstable existence. At that point, people who join in, inviting trouble, are called "illegal contractors". It's prohibited for normal people to get involved with the Abyss, and to make contracts with Chains... since it's very dangerous, of course.
Alice (a.k.a. Bea Rabbit)
Chapter 4, pg 16
Break: Oz... you know, the girl you contracted with is a little different from other Chains. It's confirmed that she has a personality...as long as she takes the form of a human.
Was human! Stuff happened. Is now a godmode in the Abyss! Illegal Contractor: Oz.
Side effects: Illegal contractor traits: A time limit in the image of a clock seal on the contractor's chest. When the time runs out (when the hand of the clock's been round a full circle), the contractor will be pulled to the lowest level of the Abyss.
Mad Hatter
Chapter 20, pg 40
Break: This Mad Hatter is concerned with the Abyss, all of its power. Negation. Extinction. Because it's a Chain that was born to kill chains.
Is gigantic and very pretty. Also fucks up Break's body when he uses it. \o/ Cheshire thinks that it's a lower-level Chain, when compared to Raven. Legal Contractor: Break.
Side-effects: Physically not aging =/= immortal
Raven
Vincent: The legendary Chain with black wings, and the power to create paths leading to the Abyss...
Is a gigantic raven! Probably the Chain that sent Oz to the Abyss in the first place. Can open pathways and seal Alice's powers. Belongs to the Nightlay family. Legal Contractor: Gilbert.
Side-effects: Possible physical sickness.
Unicorn
...Is an black unicorn! I-Information pending? Legal Contractor: Sharon
Side-effects: Physically not aging =/= immortal
THERE ARE MORE like Cheshire Cat and Vincent's Dormouse (Side-effects: narcolepsy) and the other ones the gang encounters along the way blah blah blah.
...I need to sleep now will come back and edit later. orz