This is a concept for a world I’m building, since I have been getting into worldbuilding lately, this is also an opportunity for me to display my skills in furry art and to improve the skill.

The artwork depicts a scene that is happening, it tells a story, the human-like beings were actually Misaeon, merfolk-like beings, while the shark beings were the Selachians, the Misaeon woman in blue shows a mother close to the Misaeon boy near her who is her son, based on the clothing they were wearing, they’re Misaeon Aristocrats, during this time period they’re currently in, it was a common practice for medieval Misaeon to send sons of aristocratic family to marry off to people of important positions in neighbouring countries to forge alliance and peace, it is part of a soft-power strategy the Misaeon used so that neighbouring countries will support them , Misaeon society is a Matriachy, in this society and Women held more power and marriage is optional for them, while men were expected to get married at the age of 18-19, In this case according to the artwork, her son is in between 18 and 19, he is turning 19 soon when they have found a match for him, a higher ranking Selachian general just around his age, is known for his good reputation and merit in the army, the Selachians and Misaeons were allies to each other for hundreds of years after the peace treaty, Marriage at that time for the Aristocratic and those in higher positions were arranged, not out of love, though if the couple were compatible, love will develop.

The Misaeon boy’s hair is styled in pulled braids, the hairstyle was originally worn by young Misaeon brides when the society was Patriarchal in ancient time but was later adopted by young men being sent to marry when the society slowly moved to a Matriachy, this hairstyle in their time period means “to keep the bond” as a reminder that they must create not only a good impression of themselves but also of their country and culture to be likeable enough for those they’re marrying to feel a good impression of Misaeon.

The clothes that both the Misaeon mother and her son is wearing are fashions of Aristocratic classes of that time, clothes were seamless and only need a simple long yard of fabric to wrap and drape with, but fabric and textiles were vibrant, what they’re wearing shows the variety of styles of that time the aristocratic could afford, from robes covered and layered by a collage of patterns printed on, to the sheerest shawls and veil with golden embroidery, pearlised conch headdress with dangling bits on its tips, golden rings for the braids and wrists, ombre dyed textiles with patterns, and pearls hanging all around the body, you can tell that it was a special day for the aristocratic son today, he is dressed in his best to not only display his status but also to make himself presentable to his husband-to-be.

The Misaeon and Selachians were accepting of same-sex marriage, in fact, it is very important if the aristocratic son and the one he’s married to are very compatible to create a good alliance, as much as the marriage is important for the alliance, their sons’ attraction should not be neglected(that is of course if it does not go against the Matriachy).

The mother here leads her son to his husband-to-be, in her eyes a small tearful expression arise, and her other arms either says she’s about to hold her son close because she couldn’t let go of her child marrying off to a stranger or about to let go, because as much as she is close to him, she understood that leaving her child to a man he’s marrying will mean a benefit for the entire Queendom of Misaeon. She did not dress as extravagant as her son because this is a day of mourning for her, she did not have enough time to invest in dressing lavishly, just a few simple drapes, wraps and jewelleries is enough for her, it’s the day she’ll say goodbye to her son.

The Selachian woman close to the Misaeon lady has a close connection to her as friends, she reassures her that her son will be treated fairly and well under the general’s household, as she understood what it’s like for a mother to be separated from the child she cared for and loved from his birth, she understood this because she too was separated from her son when he was serving the army and being a general,

The Selachian Man viewers may have noticed is the general and the son of the Selachian woman here, he has just came back from the meeting amongst generals when he received the news that the matchmaker has found the suitable partner for him, here he observes his partner-to-be with intrigue and curiosity, he has heard that Misaeon men were a beautiful gift to a High ranking Selachian but to see him in person is just enough for him to forget about introducing himself and the greeting as his partner-to-be greets him in soft-spoken tone and demure demeanour.

The Selachian General’s face is painted with scarlet and white, to show his rank as a general, he wears a sash that secures his blade he has used in battlefield and training, his sash looks identical to his mother’s robe, this is to show which aristocratic family they’re in, the gold patterns on their textile were actually their family crest, just like the one depicted on one of their pillars,

Now, when it comes to the distance, the reason why I depict the general to be far away from his mother, mother in law-to-be and partner-to-be is to tell what kind of person they are, the Selachians and Misaeons are both Matriarchal society, in both society, women held power over men, such as being in position of prime minister, monarchs, mayors, government or anything related to the political field and being part of the authority figure.


But the main difference are the cultural expectations of what a man is, In Misaeon culture, there’s barely any mention about what masculinity means years after the fall of the Patriarchy, Boys and men are taught feminine values alongside women and expected to be obedient, listening, soft-spoken, revere and respectful to the women, be it their friend, mother, wives, sisters or relatives. Beauty standards for men and boys during that time is a petite and slim body, with arms and waist that can sway and move fluidly like seaweed, long hair and full volume(the longer and the fuller the better), heart shaped or round face, small waist and smaller and doll-like hands(basically most men and boys of Misaeon are femboys) they are to be soft-spoken and speak their words like poetry,

In Selachian culture, feminine values were taught to girls and masculinity were taught to boys, unlike Misaeon, they have a strong emphasis on what a man’s duty is, they acknowledges and values masculinity, In Selachian culture, a man’s duty is to be a protector and honourable warrior, both mentally and physically, which is why you’d see the general in scars, tall, big, rugged and in muscular shape in comparison to his partner-to-be, it is common in Selachian culture to have men to serve the army their entire lives or at least once when they turned 16-17, aristocratic boys were taught the art of war from a young age and knew how to wield a blade to cut or tear an enemy to protect their motherland, which results in them finding it easier to be in positions of generals, our Selachian general here has forgotten to introduce himself due to finding fascination in his partner-to-be because of his upbringing

His mother, mother in law and partner-to-be were together and far away from him is to symbolise that they all have one thing in common, which is their femininity, while the general is far away, showing that he is the only masculine person in the room.

Again, this is just a concept for World-building, I think still have to do a lot to improve, like getting the culture consistent and feel like as if it’s something that could certainly work in the real world history if there’s an alternate timeline or somewhere in history, but hey! let me know what you all think! I am currently fixated on this idea and would love to hear suggestions, comments, and questions for prompts to develop this passion project of mine which may or may not be a phase, ANYHOW, have a nice day! constructive criticisms are welcome for the ideas and artwork!