~Lore Stuff~
~Important People You Should Probably Know~
Originally, a Dockworker who helped the fishermen with their duties and helped them with their daily duties. Growing up, he led a hard life being a poor worker, but with a little hard work he managed to make ends meet though he always wished that there was a way he could have better working conditions. Still, he made a living and was able to keep food on his table so he didn't complain.
And eventually, he caught the eye of the young princess before she was Queen. The two quickly fell in love, and married sometime later and he was soon elevated to the title of King once Selma inherited the Throne, though his position was secondary to hers among the internal politics simply because he was of common birth.
That didn't stop him from attempting to push for policies that would free the slaves and help working conditions in the docks. When he heard of the rumor, he was definitely interested. If he could have it, perhaps he could make his wife see reason.
Born as the only child of the late King and Queen Ballard and Malene Lorenz, Selma has had a fairly pampered life growing up. Despite this, though, she has always had a gentle nature and mature disposition. She's never thought of herself as better than the others, and tends to indeed feel for the troubles of the working class and slaves.
But, as a noble and queen, she can't just abolish them completely. It is a point of debate to this day for both of the Lorenz's. She hopes that with this artifact, if she can find someone to retrieve it, that she can bring peace between the current factions vying for power. Either through reason and peace, or a show of force if absolutely necessary.
She is a fairly decent mage and her Familiar, a Dullahan by the name of Alena is the captain of the Royal Guard.
The well known and friendly headmistress of the Themis Magic Academy. She's been the headmistress for well over twenty years, and doesn't seem to be stepping down anytime soon. It's well known she's one of the most powerful mages in the city, if not the most powerful both politically and magic wise. One with such a profound understanding of the 'soul' is certainly bound to be powerful, are they not? It's rumored she has even found a way to artificially extend human life, though one can never prove such a thing.
That said, she has little care for the ambitions of certain other mages that wish to place themselves at the pinnacle of society.
She's fairly well liked around the campus, and most students look up to her as a role model, and for the most part she is able to keep the younger generation from harboring illusions of grandeur for mages.
It's rumored she can be a little too friendly with students sometimes though...but such a claim has never been verified.
Alena, is not human if her pale skin and somewhat lifeless appearance wasn't a clue. She's an undead. A Dullahan, actually. As in a so called 'Headless Horseman'. In fact, she's the Queens Familiar. An Expert swordsman with inhuman strength, speed, and agility and the profound ability to foretell the moment of a humans death make her a fearsome opponent on the battlefield, and that's without her ever actually being serious.
Incredibly loyal to the Queen and the Crown of Themis in general, she's been around for almost a century and has nothing more than peace, order, and the well-being of the citizens in mind, though she only became Queen Selma's familiar after her previous master went missing and she was never able to find her despite a thorough investigation.
She's well respected among the guard and often is a source of inspiration and morale.
Among the faithful, none are as unabashedly zealous as St. Rosella. She was conscripted at the age of ten, and served aside legends such as Saint Rufino the Unbroken. As a Saint, she focused on taking down the enemies of the faith. She spent the majority of her time outside of civilization, hunting the creatures that prey upon the innocent. Some would say that she’s obsessed, paranoid that there are always enemies about. Others would say that she makes them feel the safest they’ve ever felt when it comes to being a follower of the Divine.
Her appointment as First Witness came as a surprise to nobody. When the former First Witness ascended to walk beside The Lady Serafina, her support amongst the faithful was at an all-time high. With having spent decades serving The Lady Herself, who better to lead the faithful in a time of high tensions.
Heathens fear her and attack her character, questioning if her brutality is fitting for the head of the Church...but the faithful know that should it come to it, St. Rosella will ensure the survival of the Church. By any means necessary.
~Place you should know/Have discovered over the course of your Journey~
This expansive labyrinth of tunnels and caves beneath the city stretch for miles. In the past, there were efforts to explore the labyrinth, but the deeper the people went the more dangerous creatures came out. Today, it's off limits to the public normally, though mages often go there to practice spells or perhaps even find a familiar among the myriad of creatures in the caves.
The lower levels are always strictly off limits, however, and there is round the clock guards stationed at every possible entrance that has been discovered. Even attempting to go to the lower levels is a crime punishable by a few months in the dungeons.
There are rumors of ruins down there, however, that have an odd structure to them...
The coast surrounding Themis looks as though someone took a mountain, crushed it into large chunks, and tossed them into the water. The coast is a very treacherous place, though with the use of magic they have cleared a fairly safe path from the sea to the city.
The Silent Sea stretches west from the city, all the way into the horizon and presumably beyond. The sea is calm most of the time, but sometimes a monsoon plagues the city.
On some nights, some fishermen and sailors swear they hear singing coming from the depths of the sea...
The lands surrounding Themis look as equally torn as the sea. It is a mix of easy to travel valleys, with small craggy hills and outcroppings that make travel somewhat difficult. The area has been mapped as best as anyone has ever bothered to map, and the plains are quite large. Several outer laying villages exist, making a living on raising sheep and crops for Themis proper. The plains go south until they reach the coast, and east until they run into the massive forest that makes a natural barrier preventing most people from traveling past it. North, exists a large mountain range in the distance though no one has ever bothered to travel to it.
The large forest South East of Themis. It's mostly untraveled, mostly due to the fact it's more or less impassable for normal people. It's easy enough to get in, but once you do it's very easy to get lost without knowing your way around. Not to mention, the fact that if you manage to make it deep enough the trees grow so close together that it's almost impossible to continue forwards.
Not to mention to hostile wildlife.
Giant Spiders, some fairly territorial forest spirits, Treants, and other things make this place their home and are not too welcoming of human visitors. Some brave mages though, risk life and limb simply for a chance to make one of these creatures their familiar.
~Religion in Themis and other important organizations~
While there is no 'Official Religion' in Themis, as most mages are hesitant to say that there is any higher power other than themselves, (aside from the crown, obviously) The Church of Lady Serafina is as prevalent as magic almost. Many of the commoners are devout believers, and most nobility are traditionally expected to practice the faith even if it is just for appearances. However, the Queen is a devout believer herself and often visits the church.
In the beginning, there was naught but the Divine.
For eternities, the Divine slumbered, dreaming It’s Endless Dream.
From this Dream, the Divine did give shape to all that would ever be. All that we know, all that we will ever know, everything existed simultaneously in the Endless Dream.
And then the Divine did awake. The Endless Dream, all of existence, was gone. The Divine could not accept this. Thus the Divine created.
From nothing came space.
From nothing came time.
From nothing came the canvas on which the Endless Dream would be painted.
The Divine created everything. But from this came chaos, something not present in the Endless Dream. So to balance it, the Divine created order. The two forces were at odds, but through conflict with one another created balance.
By then, the Divine grew tired. Thus It did split Itself into six aspects and tasked them with creating the Endless Dream while It slumbered.
The Aspect of Arcane and the Aspect of Nature.
One created the Realm of Magic, the other the Realm of Fae.
The Aspect of Life and the Aspect of Death.
One created the Realm of Man, the other the Realm of Daemon.
The Aspect of Order and the Aspect of Chaos.
One created the Realm of Celestials, the other the Realm of Elements.
The Realms were watched over by the Aspects, each being cultivated to realize the Endless Dream. Each existed in harmony with one another. The Aspects eagerly awaited the awakening of the Divine, during which they would rejoin It and the Realms would be joined, and the Endless Dream would be realized.
But the Divine never came.
The Aspects waited. And waited. And waited. And eventually, they grew tired. So they retreated from the Realms and slumbered themselves. Yet before they left, each of the Aspects created a Guardian, a being that would serve to watch over and protect their individual realms, and guide the creation. Satisfied, the Aspects waited for the Divine to return.
For eternities, the Divine slumbered, dreaming It’s Endless Dream.
From this Dream, the Divine did give shape to all that would ever be. All that we know, all that we will ever know, everything existed simultaneously in the Endless Dream.
And then the Divine did awake. The Endless Dream, all of existence, was gone. The Divine could not accept this. Thus the Divine created.
From nothing came space.
From nothing came time.
From nothing came the canvas on which the Endless Dream would be painted.
The Divine created everything. But from this came chaos, something not present in the Endless Dream. So to balance it, the Divine created order. The two forces were at odds, but through conflict with one another created balance.
By then, the Divine grew tired. Thus It did split Itself into six aspects and tasked them with creating the Endless Dream while It slumbered.
The Aspect of Arcane and the Aspect of Nature.
One created the Realm of Magic, the other the Realm of Fae.
The Aspect of Life and the Aspect of Death.
One created the Realm of Man, the other the Realm of Daemon.
The Aspect of Order and the Aspect of Chaos.
One created the Realm of Celestials, the other the Realm of Elements.
The Realms were watched over by the Aspects, each being cultivated to realize the Endless Dream. Each existed in harmony with one another. The Aspects eagerly awaited the awakening of the Divine, during which they would rejoin It and the Realms would be joined, and the Endless Dream would be realized.
But the Divine never came.
The Aspects waited. And waited. And waited. And eventually, they grew tired. So they retreated from the Realms and slumbered themselves. Yet before they left, each of the Aspects created a Guardian, a being that would serve to watch over and protect their individual realms, and guide the creation. Satisfied, the Aspects waited for the Divine to return.
The Aspect of Life entrusted the Realm of Man to the Guardian Serafina. Where her counterparts were content with simply observing their realms, Serafina so loved the inhabitants of her realm that she often walked amongst them. She cared for her people, thus she shared with them knowledge, the means to survive. To thrive. And man did not disappoint. Eventually man moved from chasing food, to growing it. From starving during the winter, to storing excess food. From obeying the land, to shaping it.
But with knowledge, came greed and gluttony. Man wanted more and more. And should man see another with something man did not have, man had to take it. Man became very good at that. In fact, man’s greatest accomplishment seemed to be its proficiency in killing itself.
Serafina wept.
The people she so loved gave into violence and hate. That wasn’t how things were supposed to be.
So she intervened.
The Guardian Serafina revealed herself to man...but man was ignorant. Man had forgotten how she had helped him so long ago. So man earned the wrath of Serafina. She smote those that insisted on war. Those that saw worshiped her. They listened to her. She spoke of love, and kindness. And taking care of one another. Of caring for the weak, the poor. Of integrity, of honor. Of justice.
She gave man another chance, and left man to do as man pleased once more.
Man still hadn’t given up killing one another...but man hadn’t forgotten Serafina nor her teachings. Many flocked to temples built in her honor, and worshiped her and her edicts. It would take time...but Serafina believed that man could learn to live without war. That the faithful would protect those that needed protection.
To ensure that man see the power of the teachings, Serafina would approach the especially pious, and raise them to Sainthood. They would then be tasked with bettering mankind. With spreading the teachings. With protecting the innocent. With aiding the poor. With healing the sick.
But with knowledge, came greed and gluttony. Man wanted more and more. And should man see another with something man did not have, man had to take it. Man became very good at that. In fact, man’s greatest accomplishment seemed to be its proficiency in killing itself.
Serafina wept.
The people she so loved gave into violence and hate. That wasn’t how things were supposed to be.
So she intervened.
The Guardian Serafina revealed herself to man...but man was ignorant. Man had forgotten how she had helped him so long ago. So man earned the wrath of Serafina. She smote those that insisted on war. Those that saw worshiped her. They listened to her. She spoke of love, and kindness. And taking care of one another. Of caring for the weak, the poor. Of integrity, of honor. Of justice.
She gave man another chance, and left man to do as man pleased once more.
Man still hadn’t given up killing one another...but man hadn’t forgotten Serafina nor her teachings. Many flocked to temples built in her honor, and worshiped her and her edicts. It would take time...but Serafina believed that man could learn to live without war. That the faithful would protect those that needed protection.
To ensure that man see the power of the teachings, Serafina would approach the especially pious, and raise them to Sainthood. They would then be tasked with bettering mankind. With spreading the teachings. With protecting the innocent. With aiding the poor. With healing the sick.
A militant organization of the Church of the Divine, founded by former Captain of the Royal Guard, Saint Roland the Oathkeeper. Justiciars are educated on the teachings and trained in combat. They serve as the defenders of the faith, loyal to the Church first and the Crown second.
The Order of Justiciars accepts recruits from all walks of life, though due to its relatively short history, the majority of members are on the younger side of life. Currently the Order only accepts human recruits, though there is a growing motion to open recruitment to all members of the faith, regardless of race. Themis’ stance of slavery and race relations, however, makes this a bit...difficult.
The Order is based out of the Grand Temple in Themis. Recruits are housed either in the nearby, church-owned residential blocks, or the church’s catacombs. Once one is accepted into the Order, one cuts off all contact with the outside world until training is complete. Members of the Order must give up claims on holdings, land, what have you. Justiciars belong completely to the Church.
The Order of Justiciars accepts recruits from all walks of life, though due to its relatively short history, the majority of members are on the younger side of life. Currently the Order only accepts human recruits, though there is a growing motion to open recruitment to all members of the faith, regardless of race. Themis’ stance of slavery and race relations, however, makes this a bit...difficult.
The Order is based out of the Grand Temple in Themis. Recruits are housed either in the nearby, church-owned residential blocks, or the church’s catacombs. Once one is accepted into the Order, one cuts off all contact with the outside world until training is complete. Members of the Order must give up claims on holdings, land, what have you. Justiciars belong completely to the Church.
One of the oldest, if not the oldest organization in Themis next to the Academy. The Royal Guard has been around for ages, since even the first king and queen of Themis ruled supposedly, though of course, the histories don't go back so far. They are sword protectors of the Crown, Themis and her people, and ensure the general safety of the public and people.
Their Leader, Alena is a well respected and liked woman among the populace and the guard. After taking the position of it from Augusto Timothé Lebeau, who currently goes by Saint Roland, she quickly earned the respect one needed in such a position.
They are a large organization, and ensure the safety of Themis and the surrounding Lands.
Their Leader, Alena is a well respected and liked woman among the populace and the guard. After taking the position of it from Augusto Timothé Lebeau, who currently goes by Saint Roland, she quickly earned the respect one needed in such a position.
They are a large organization, and ensure the safety of Themis and the surrounding Lands.
~NPCs that will be traveling with you guys/have met on your journey~
Name:
Randall Durant
Gender:
Male
Age:
35
Race:
Human
Appearance:
Standing at an even six foot, Randall possesses a stout frame and burly appearance from year and years working with a forge and making weapons, shields, and armaments for the Royal Guard. he has straggly blond hair and a beard to go with it. More often than not, he dresses in a simple white shirt with a leather apron housing his tools.
Personality:
Fairly friendly, but also serious to a fault and he doesn't really like shenanigans. He takes his position as the expedition lead fairly seriously. He is a reliable and loyal sort though, and if he can help it he'll get to their destination and bring everyone back without so much as a scratch on them.
Bio:
Born a commoner, and later elevated to the status of the Royal Blacksmith due to his superb abilities with forging metals. He's an old friend of the king, and the two have been friends ever since childhood. Married with two kids, he didn't wish to leave on this expedition but when the king asked, he couldn't refuse. It was either him, or the Queen sent the captain of the guard, and well, he's a loyal bastard and even if he doesn't agree with everything the King is saying, he would never turn down the request of help from a friend.
Abilities/Skills/Magic
He has no formal training with magic, aside from some minor Pyromancy used to help him with the flames of his forge and a few small fire tricks he used to entertain his infant children with.
Forge Master:
You want a sword? He'll give you the best damn sword you've ever held. He can forge a decent sword out of the minimal amounts of iron needed.
(Maybe more to be added later)
