[b]A note on dates[/b]

Throughout the Empire, people follow the Divine Era system of date notation which is counted from the establishment of the Common Law by Emperor Samut Sardakan. We are now in 1657 DE. Any date before the establishment of the Common Law is counted backwards from that day with a suffix BDE (Before Divine Era).

The tribal people of Amara, on the other hand, believe in cyclical time. According to them, time repeats itself in cycles called Yug. They place the present at year 663 of the Second Yug.

[h3]A Brief History of the Empire[/h3]

For an empire the size of this one, it is difficult for a historian like me to pick one day and say that was the beginning of it all. Should I consider the establishment of the Middle Kingdom as the seminal date? Or is it when the Tashi Republic unconditionally surrendered to the forces of Nakumoro Sardakan? There are many views on this matter. For me, personally, the coronation of Miaji Sardakan is perhaps the definitive beginning of the days of the Empire. This was 127 BDE.

Miaji, at the time of his coronation, was just 12. His father, the great general Nakumoro, had succumbed to the White Fever just the previous year. It is ironic that the legendary warrior who single-handedly conquered the three kingdoms finally went to the beyond in such a mundane fashion. With his death, the vassal nobles were sure that the newly founded Heavenly Kingdom would disintegrate through civil wars. But they hadn’t counted on the intervention of the mages - the Sendars as they are officially known. ([i]See further below for a concise history of the Sendars.[/i])

The Sendars used their considerable influence over the people to bring them in line. For reasons known only to them, the Sendars threw their lot in with the boy-king. The Mahdi - the head of the Sendars - proclaimed the young boy to be an aspect of the Creator himself. This attribution of divine prerogative to rule - this was something completely new to the people. And coming from the mouth of ones who cannot lie, the proclamation was received with religious fervor among the populace. The son of their celebrated general was none other than the Divine Father! This gave the throne a legitimacy undreamed of by previous monarchs.

Miaji embarked on a complete consolidation period. During his reign, the lands of the old three kingdoms were divided into smaller administrative prefectures. Each region was governed by a Prefect, and the prefects deferred to the provincial governors. The governors were ultimately answerable to the Emperor. By setting up an efficient bureaucratic system very early, the Empire was able to form a stable and powerful base.

Miaji’s son, Samut, succeeded his reformist father. Almost from the first year, the new Emperor exhibited the military genius and drive of his grandfather. Under his rule, the borders of the Empire expanded to include the desert lands of the fierce Tarrmen, the lush plains of the Ryanians and even the cold northern regions of the Balenians. And, unlike his grandfather, Samut was not just a conquering machine. He understood the inherent threat in any multicultural political entity. Thus, with the help of the Sendars, Samut put down the Common Law - a rigid constitution that ensured cultural and religious freedom to the people as long as they recognized the divinity of the Emperor and the primacy of the Sendars.

The establishment of the Common Law ushered in a new golden age for the Empire. The conquered people brought with them their own culture and traditions, their arts and ideas. It resulted in an explosion of literature and art. Calligraphy thrived and so did the arts of philosophy and discourse. Debate podiums were set up in many places, especially near the markets, that encouraged people of different ideas and faiths to debate in a non-violent but no less intense fashion. The court rituals became even more refined. Science and engineering flourished with the Emperor’s patronage. The Temple of the Sendars became a major center of study. Advances in farming and warfare, in economy and administration, and in governance, helped the Empire retain stability while small states rose and failed around it, only to be gobbled up by the ever expanding Empire.

Today, nearly 1700 years after the coronation of Miaji, the people of the Empire live the most comfortable lives. The Tarrmen in the desert are content because they don’t have to fight for water anymore. The Balenians are not amazed anymore that they can eat fish that was caught thousands of miles away from a distant ocean. The Ryanians have amalgamated their strong religion with the Emperor cult, making him yet another deity in their endless pantheon of gods. There is not a single prefecture within the Empire where regular prayers for the Emperor’s health are not held. The current monarch is Emperor Baishu Sardakan, who rules from the Crystal Throne in the beautiful capital city of Candorin.

[h3]A Brief History of the Sendars[/h3]

Mana is a concept as old as life. Mana is the force of life that flows through every element in the universe. And throughout mankind’s history, there have been those few who are born with the ability to sense the mana. These people have been called many names - magicians, mages, wizards, witches. Every land has them. They can be seen practicing herbal healing or dispensing good advice. They were either advisors or teachers.

Mahdi Rudar Sya is often considered to be the first Sendar. He lived so many years ago that any story about him is bound to be a highly warped and distorted image of the truth. It is said that he made the once lush plains of Tarr into a desert in his anger by sucking all the water from there and dumping it to create the Sea of Storms. Naturally, such stories must be taken with a heavy helping of salt.

But there are a few facts about Rudar Sya that we can all agree upon. Namely, it was he who set up the Shrine of Elements - the Nogundai - on the banks of the Geerath river that flows through Candorin. It was he who brought together the eastern mages under this roof and established the Sendar Order. The word ‘sendar’ apparently meant ‘servant’ in the Old Tongue. But today, that word stands for power and piety.

The Sendars were initially a group of reclusive monks who were content to investigate the abstract nature of life sequestered in their Nogundai. People would seek them out for knowledge, for advice, for cures. Though these monks tried to keep the world out, the world wanted their guidance.

It was under Mahdi Visan Duran that the Sendars grew to become a moral authority. They officiated weddings, mediated separations, negotiated truces and generally made themselves indispensable to the society.

People fear what they do not understand, and the Sendars were far beyond anyone’s comprehension. In 534 BDE, the Shrine of Elements was put to the torch (not for the first time) and the Sendars were forced to seek exile. It was during this period the Sendars decided to take up what is now known as the Purity Vows: to never use the power of the mana to kill unless in self-defence; to never speak a word of falsehood; and to never seek a throne or any other form of political power. The vows were a masterstroke. By making these vows public (and by making them binding with the help of the mana), the Sendars managed to assuage most of the fears. Kings and Queens sought them for their knowledge, secure in the fact that they would never seek political power. The Sendars began to reemerge, stronger than before.

By 100 BDE, the Sendars had reestablished themselves in Candorin. The Nogundai was rebuilt. This time, it was no mere shrine. It was a massive temple complex straddling the Geerath - a symbol of power and divinity. At the time of the coronation of Miaji, there were nearly ten thousand Sendars in the land. Today, they are three times that many.

While the Sendars never sought to rule, they also never missed an opportunity to pull strings. While the Sendars never lied, they never missed an opportunity to twist the truth. Over the past thousand years, the Sendars have overseen so many political maneuvers that they now have a reputation. People still respect them, still treat them just one step below the Emperor. But unlike the Emperor, the Sendars don’t enjoy unbridled adoration. They are known as scheming magicians, capable of twisting your own words to suit their needs. If you shook hands with a Sendar, a saying goes, you always counted your fingers afterwards.

[h3]A Brief Look at the Amara Tribes[/h3]

The thick forests covering the newly discovered lands in the west are collectively called Tengsho Forest by the people of the Empire. The word ‘tengsho’ means ‘dark’ in the Old Tongue. The same forest is called home by the people of Amara.

The Amara are a brown-skinned people who are, on an average, shorter than the Imperials. They claim to have inhabited these forests for two thousand years. Since no written records are kept among the Amara, there is no way to validate this claim.

The tribals worship nature as a mother goddess. They call her Uru and live in the belief that when Uru wakes, their life-dream would end. Once every year, the Amara celebrate Uru by singing lullabies to her through the night amidst feasting. Over the years, this day has become their day of the new year.

The Amara live as one cohesive tribe, but they are split into clans. In all, there are 18 clans. Some of the clans live far away from each other. Each clan has a chief who is elected by the elders of that clan. Typically a chief ‘rules’ till his or her death. The chiefs of all eighteen clans form the Circle - the highest ruling body of the tribe. In the Circle, a majority is needed to pass any laws among the Tribes.

What the Imperials call mana, the Amara call saa. And unlike the Sendars, the Amara focus on the saa as a life essence rather than a life force. The distinction is very important. By identifying the saa with life, the Amara saa-men (a word that has morphed these days into ‘shaman’) are able to manipulate the dormant spirit within plants and animals, and sometimes even humans. The Sendars, on the other hand, identify the mana with animation. To them, the mana is what makes up the wind and water, the mountains and fire. And they believe that these elements make up the component of life, as opposed to life being a direct result of the saa. Because of this distinction, the Amara cannot channel the elements like the way the Sendars can, and the Sendars cannot manipulate the life essence the way the Shaman can.

While the word shaman indicates a masculine aspect, there are women as well as men shamans. They are identified as such very early in their lives, as young as 8. Once recognized as a potential shaman, they undergo rigorous training - physical and mental. The shamans tend to live away from the regular tribals, preferring to commune with nature more than with men. But they are an integral part of the Tribe. They identify presence of underground water for the tribe to sink a well. They scout around the forests to find out the best places for planting corn. But most importantly, they act as messengers between faraway clans. They can freely traverse the dreams of men, and can jump into the dream to deliver important messages. Strict rules regulate dream walking activity among the shamans.

Though the tribe has not really conquered more land or fought external enemies, they are not without conflict. Honor and pride are important things for a tribal. More than life itself, a tribal sets much store by his/her honor. So, frequent clashes occur among the clans as matters of honor. These clashes can be quite bloody and intense.

Among the clans’ fighters, there are few who are called Urudhars (children of Uru). The Urudhars are fighters handpicked by their respective clans and sent to the shamans. The shamans use the saa to imbibe the aspect of a particular animal within the fighter, making him more powerful. The Urudhars are clearly identified by a number of tattoos covering their bodies. With the recent war with the Empire, the number of Urudhars have increased.

For centuries, the tribes have lived an earthy life. They hunt when they have to, wear the basic garments necessary to protect one’s dignity and live in houses constructed from mud or bamboo. Among the tribes, polygamy (and polyandry) is quite common. A woman can have up to four husbands while a man can have up to three wives. Since none of the positions of power are hereditary, the tribes do not have to worry about succession crises or warring sons.

[h3]Maltahil and the Tribal Crisis[/h3]

It is impossible to talk about the Amara without mentioning the extraordinary plant called maltahil. Maltahil is a sage that grows in the drier regions beyond the Amara forests. Once every six months, a harvesting party is sent from the tribal lands to procure the sage. The leaves are then cured for a fortnight and consecrated by the shamans. They are then distributed to the people who smoke it through clay pipes.

Maltahil has the power to cure virulent diseases like the red death and zeezee fever. It also prolongs a person’s life span. Among the tribals, it is not unheard of to live to 120. By regulating the use of the sage carefully, and by using various other contraceptive herbs like klapali, the tribe’s population stays at a sustainable level.

When the Empire first made contact with the tribe, a gift of the finest maltahil was presented by the oldest shaman to the Emperor. The gift was meant to be a peace offering, but it sowed the seeds of war. Within a couple of years, maltahil tea was all the rage in the Empire. It is a bitter concoction made by brewing the herb in hot water. And every noble household was drinking it.

Soon, regular trade was set up between the Empire and the Amara. The Amara were aware of the dangers in trading with an unequal partner. Thus, they imposed severe restrictions on the amount of maltahil traded. No more than 100 quintals would be traded in an entire year, and none of the exported maltahil shall be consecrated.

Naturally, the Empire had never dealt with such ‘arrogance’ before. The Empire has always had its reputation precede it. But now, a small tribe in a corner of the world was dictating terms. This was not acceptable.

On a warm morning nearly two years ago, Imperial forces stationed in Kuma (a treaty port on the coast bordering the Amara lands) seized the entire year’s consignment of maltahil and declared that the dry maltahil plains beyond the forest as Imperial property. Naturally, the tribes retaliated by raiding the port and burning down the ships. Thus began the current crisis.

It’s been two years and the conflict continues. The Imperial authorities are reluctant to directly declare war, for it would mean a direct commitment from the Emperor. Such a commitment can only be made when victory is assured. Considering the viciousness of the Urudhars and the craftiness of the shamans, considering the lukewarm support the Sendars have so far provided, such an assurance is not inherent in the campaign. General Akura Geerathan has been given command of the Imperial forces in the Amara lands. The General, a student of the Imperial Academy, is facing an enemy who knows the terrain better. The tribals’ insurgency tactics and raiding parties have been hugely successful, and the distance from home has had a demoralizing effect on the Imperial forces.

With every passing day, the Empire is beginning to lose more face. High ranking nobles have already started muttering about the Emperor’s fall from divine grace. The people, though they know little about what’s happening on the other side of the world, are nevertheless aware of the resistance. A flyspeck little tribe of forest dwellers was facing the might of the Empire and not blinking. Several governors have already indicated to the Emperor the possibility of widespread dissension. Two years of maltahil consumption have left the people of the Empire wanting more of the addictive beverage. And supplies are drying up.

For the Amara people, the problems they face are more nuanced. Deep in their hearts, they know that they cannot hold the Empire at bay for too long. Already, several titan ships have left the western ports of the Empire, carrying soldiers and weapons to the tribal lands. But even if the Empire were to seek truce, peace held as much threat as war. The life of the average Amaran had changed with the arrival of the Imperials. Bales of silk and caskets of perfume were the currency with which the Empire paid for the maltahil. That and other treasures from the east. The Amaran people, who had lived an almost ascetic life, were beginning to discover the softer things. The chiefs worry that the Amaran way of life (the Way of the Leaf as they call it) is at risk. How long, they ask, can the simple joys of communing with nature withstand the luxuries of the Empire? They had lived without knowledge of the outside. But how long can they keep that world out? A few young Amarans are already questioning the policy of the chiefs. Let them have the maltahil, they say. Let them have maltahil and let us have the world, they say.

[b]Notes on mana/saa and its usage[/b]

The magic of the Sendars and the Shamans is basically the same but for the perspective on life. Because of this distinction, the Sendars channel the elements fire, water, earth and air, while the Shamans channel the spirit of living things. But the pitfalls and mechanics of this magic is the same for either group.

Mana is an infinite energy, like the light from the sun. But the human body can only handle so much. People who are born with the ability to sense mana - they are also born with an inherent strength. Some can hold more mana than others. The quantity a person can hold can be increased by constant practice. But trying to hold more than your limit can have fatal consequences. Holding too much can fry the brain to cinders, leaving behind just the husk of a body with the consciousness of a stone.

The quantity of mana a person channels can also be increased temporarily by linking with a fellow mage. It is a complex process that requires the linkers to know each other as well as possible. By linking, the mage can vastly increase the amount of mana he or she can hold.

The Sendars have taken magically binding oaths that prohibit them from killing unless in self-defence. The Shamans have no such restriction. Because of this, the Sendars of Nogundai have been debating on changes to the first oath. This is one of the reasons why the Sendars haven’t been too enthusiastic about supporting the troops.

[b]The Urudhars[/b]

As explained earlier, the Urudhars are elite fighters among the Amara who have been imbibed with the aspect of certain animals by the shamans. A panther warrior can move as silently as the beast and hunt as effectively. A capybara warrior can burrow effectively and stay hidden better. An eagle warrior can see for leagues and can jump higher and farther. A turtle warrior can hold his breath underwater for far longer and so on.

The actual process of imbibing requires the warrior to fast for thirteen days without even the tiniest drop of water. On the fourteenth day, the warriors are given oosquai - a strong hallucinogenic beverage made from the oosan flowers. When in the throes of their astral trip, the shaman enters their visions and invokes the mother goddess Uru. The warriors see the world through the eyes of their spirit animal and assimilate its powers. After they wake, they are tattooed and blessed by the shaman.

Such powers demand a price. The price of life. Once imbibed, the life of a Urudhar is shortened by many years. Moreover, the mind of the Urudhar becomes fragile and progressively loses distinction between human and animal. In the end, the Urudhar becomes little more than a wild man with only a vague memory of humanity. Because of this inevitability, the Urudhars are mostly picked from unattached males, preferably with some physical deformity. Women are almost never selected as it would mean wasting a potential mother.

[h3]CS rules[/h3]

Submit your CS with these fields: Name, Age, Gender, Physical description (no pictures please), Background, Strengths and Weaknesses. Do not worry if you want to be a magic user but are wondering what is allowed and what is banned. Let your imagination run when it comes to what magic you want to perform and I will correct you if you exceed any limitations. Just remember that whether Imperial or Tribal, your character must start in the Tribal lands or must have a strong reason to get there.