[h1][u]The Gift: A Deeper Understanding[/u]___  __  _  _[/h1]
Use of The Gift is a rare phenomenon, reserved only for those most blessed by the gods. It is estimated that perhaps two in a hundred people have the ability to use magic for more than mere parlour tricks, though this has not been measured for a certainty. As befits a great boon bestowed upon man by the divine Pentad, The Gift is arcane and inscrutable in nature: far beyond mortal understanding. What little is known to learned men is recorded below for the benefit of the interested. 

[hider=Measuring Your Power][h2][u]The Five Celestial Wheels[/u]_________  __  __   _   _[/h2]The precise reason why some people can use magic has not yet been revealed by the Gods or by man's ingenuity. Learned monks and nuns of the Stresian Order, however, have surmised that it has something to do with one's blood. They have deemed this sanguine quality 'mana'. 

Developed during Avincian times, the Five Wheel Method provides a straightforward measure of a person's amount of mana. Five massive wheels are set spinning and maintained at a set speed by a powerful user (or multiple users) of The Gift in order to generate a specific amount of Force energy. Each of these wheels contains precisely double the energy of the wheel previous. Upon a signal, the candidate being tested will draw from each wheel in turn, taking a moment's rest between wheels to expel all drawn energy. The number of wheels that he can successfully draw from will act as a measure of that person's capacity for drawing energy. If he is able to draw partially from a wheel but not entirely, he will be assess for a quarter, half, or three-quarter measure. While the Five Wheel Method can put a number on how much energy a person is able to safely draw from his surroundings, what it cannot do is give him an absolute measurement of something as abstract as 'power'. Other factors such as drawing range and efficiency, conversion efficiency, spell focusing techniques, environmental and multiplicative effects, and a caster's mastery of a spell all have roles to play. Having a high Five wheel number certainly doesn't hurt, though. While other factors can change, it is the only one that is more or less immutable. Let's take a bit more of a look, shall we?

The Five Wheel scale is not a linear one. It's exponential. That means that each whole number on it represents double the power of the one before. Let's say that a hypothetical person is  able to complete drawing from one wheel. We'll assign him a score of one. If he is able to draw successfully from two, then he has double the power and a score of two. Nice and tidy, right? But remember that two will now double, so when he draws from the third wheel, he does not have three times the power of a First Wheel magic user, but rather four times. This diverges further as we move up the scale.

First Wheel = 1: Minor magics - 80% of magic users
Second Wheel = 2: Moderate magics - 13% of magic users
Third Wheel = 4: Fairly Strong magics - 6% of magic users
Fourth Wheel = 8: Great magics - 1% of magic users
Fifth Wheel = 16: World-warping magics - neg.% of magic users[/hider]
[hider=The Process of Spellcasting][h2][u]The Process of Spellcasting:[/u]_________  __  __   _   _[/h2][sup][h3]Draw > Contain > Convert > Cast[/h3][/sup]
The power of a magic user is based upon a number of factors, but the four steps above are the essentials of any spell, though conversion is optional for some. We've already touched on capacity and schools of magic, so let's take a closer look at exactly how using The Gift works and how one can use it more effectively.
[hr][center][h3]Spell Power Determinants[/h3][/center][list][*][b]Capacity [/b]– all magic users have a capacity for energy that their body can process at a given moment. Effectively, the higher the capacity (as measured by the Five Wheels), the more energy that can be drawn in, contained, and expelled. While other skills can be learned, this one is innate. While it increases as you mature, once you are grown, your capacity is whatever the Gods have declared it to be.
[*][b]Reading [/b]– Energy exists in a number of forms in nature and artificially: force (motion and sound), thunder (magnetic), arcane (heat and light), essence, and blood (matter-based). The better that a magic user is at reading energy sources, the more ready a supply of energy for spells he will have.
[*][b]Drawing [/b]– the energy that a magic user relies upon originates in her surroundings. She must be able to sense it, grasp it, and draw it to herself in order to utilize it for casting spells. Drawing is the first active step in transferring the energy from its origin to its eventual target, using the person who draws as a temporary vessel.
[*][b]Containment [/b]- For a period either brief or long, the magic user must contain the drawn energy within herself, and containing large amounts for long periods can be dangerous. It often manifests itself as a sort of pressure that one feels inside, and a mounting headache. Energy contained for too long also tends to 'leak out' into one's surroundings and gradually dissipate. 
[*][b]Conversion [/b]– Energy for use in spells can be drawn from a multitude of different sources addressed earlier. Normally, a spell simply intensifies and redirects that energy towards a preferred target. However, with training, a wizard or other magic user can store the drawn energy temporarily and expel it as a different type.
[*][b]Efficiency [/b]– energy must be pulled from surroundings, contained, (potentially converted), and then expelled (cast). Energy is not easy to control, and may escape the grasp of the magic user during any of these stages. Maximizing the amount of energy retained through each results in more powerful spells. Basically, the process is as follows: Draw Efficiency >> Containment Efficiency >> Conversion Efficiency >> Expulsion (Cast) Efficiency.
[*][b]Focus Words[/b] - This is the spoken part of any spell. It is not strictly necessary, but many magic users will use this for more complex or energy-intense spells. While having a routine of prescribed words that correspond to what one is doing can help with maintaining focus and ensuring efficiency, if these words invoke the Gods, it is also believed that they may lend the caster their assistance.
[*][b]Preservation [/b]– Drawing, containing, and casting large amounts of energy is often dangerous to the human body, so a magic user must spend a certain amount of focus and energy on protecting himself. This is usually accomplished through projection of spells away from the body, or the casting of small counterspells. 
[*][b]Freecasting [/b]– Preservation when casting is often achieved through use of an object or weapon that acts as a focus point for the spell away from the body. In fact, most magic users do not know how to cast any other way. However, with the right protection in place, it is possible to cast without the use of an instrument or focus point, giving the magic user far greater flexibility.
[*][b]Multiplying [/b]– The energy released by a spell can cause secondary and tertiary effects in the environment, which skilled magicians such as witches, warlocks, and wizards should learn to anticipate and benefit from. Possessing a keen awareness of the potential for these effects and tailoring one’s spells to take advantage of them can multiply the energy output of a cast exponentially.  
[*][b]Impact Focusing[/b] – When bursts of energy are diffused over too large of an area, their impact is diluted. A skilled magic user can increase their intensity by forcing all of the energy into a small focus point and maintaining that focus all of the way through spell completion. 
[*][b]Impact Bursting[/b] – Drawing energy can take a considerable amount of time. While expelling energy is a faster, simpler process, there still tends to be a power curve. This effectively weakens the spell, as the total amount of energy is not used all at once. A disciplined and well-trained practitioner of magic can release all of her energy in a very short burst to ensure that it reaches its objective with maximum impact.[/list][/hider]
[hider=Overdrawing][h2][u]Effects of Overdrawing[/u]_________  __  __   _   _[/h2]As a magic user draws energy, the mana in her bloodstream fills with it, inflating in a sense, and her blood pressure increases. For reasons unknown, the more mana that there is, the less that it will be taxed when she draws energy and the less risk she runs of adverse effects. Somebody who scores higher in the Five Wheels test will inherently be able to draw more energy safely than someone who scores lower. A magic user will be considered to have reached her capacity once her mana has expanded to the point where it cannot expand any further without hurting her. This looks the following way: firstly, she will become slower at drawing and expelling energy, resulting in slower spell usage. Her mana seems to lose efficiency, resulting in temporary dips in capacity until it regenerates. In the short term, however, mana that is stressed enough and filled with enough energy will simply cause veins and arteries to burst. If this is in an essential area - like the brain - then the magic user may suffer serious injury or even die. However, there are warning signs before the worst effects take place, and these should be heeded by all mages. We'll illustrate these with a case study below:
[list][*]Anna Sigmundottir is an Arcane Mage with a 5W score of 3½. 
[*]In order to have enough energy for most of her everyday spells she will probably have to draw up to between 1½-2½. She won't need to make use of her full capacity on a regular basis.
[*]However, Anna likes really big explosions. She wants to cast a large fireball and draws up to about 3¼: close to her full capacity.
[*]When she does this, Anna will probably start to feel a weird sort of pressure as her mana inflates to very near its full capacity and her blood pressure increases as a result.
[*]Anna decides that she wants even more power, because you can never have too much destruction.
[*]She draws right up to her capacity of 3½. Her mana is at full inflation. The pressure on her arteries and veins is significant.
[*] Anna will likely start to develop a headache. Things will feel a bit faint and fuzzy and she might be lightheaded.
[*]Wisely, Anna releases the energy and casts a massive fireball, eyes sparkling with dark glee, reveling in the carnage which she hath wrought.
[*]However, Anna loves destruction so much that, a short while later, she starts drawing for another huge fireball and, this time, she ignores her body's warning signs and continues drawing energy past her capacity.
[*]As she passes it, her smallest blood vessels start to burst. At first, there is no outward sign of this.
[*]However, once a few within close proximity rupture, the effects start to become visible.
[*]The result is that Anna starts bruising in random places. She develops hematomas. Her headache and dizziness intensify as she draws close to 3⅗ and she begins to hear a ringing in her ears.
[*]As she passes 3⅗, Anna has burned up a significant amount of mana, which she will take a while to recover. 
[*]At 3¾, she is in mortal danger, all for the payoff of a spicy fireball. What a maroon! She gets a nosebleed. Her eyes become bloodshot.
[*]All it will take at this point is a burst blood vessel in the wrong place - such as in a major artery or in her brain, and Anna could suffer a debilitating injury or even die.
[*]If she's lucky, she'll faint first, but that's not a guarantee. Magic users [i]have[/i] overdrawn themselves to death.
[*]In the event, Anna gets lucky and faints. The energy starts leaking out of her, but not quickly enough.
[*]Fortunately, a wizard is there to siphon some of the excess energy from her before further damage is done.
[*]Anna has pushed her capabilities to their very limit, but all that she has gained from it is a splitting headache, nosebleed, and multiple bruises. She has not expanded her capacity and has, in fact, temporarily reduced it. Your 5W is your 5W and everybody knows that you can't just increase it by 'training hard'.[/list][/hider]
[hider=Manipulable Mediums][h1][u]Mediums[/u]_________  __  __   _   _[/h1]
[center][h3]Solids[/h3][/center] 
Often very heavy due to their high density, but capable of maintaining a fully cohesive shape, solids usually require a very large amount of built up energy to be expended to move. However, since they maintain their own shape, they require no extra concentration or energy in order to hold them together. 
- E.g. rocks, trees, clothes, living things
- Sometimes, an unchanging shape can be a problem, as solids cannot be manipulated as finely.
[center][h3]Liquids[/h3][/center]
Often somewhat heavy due to their density, but capable of maintaining only a partially cohesive shape, liquids usually require a fairly large amount of built up energy to move. Since they cannot maintain a fully cohesive shape, they also require some concentration and a lesser amount of energy in order to hold them together. 
- E.g. water, blood, chemicals, drinks
- Sometimes, it is easy for a mage to lose control of a large volume of liquid
[center][h3]Gases[/h3][/center]
Often quite light due to their low density, but incapable of maintaining any sort of cohesive shape, gases usually require a fairly small amount of built up energy to move. However, since they cannot maintain any kind of cohesive shape, they also require considerable concentration and energy in order to hold them together. 
- E.g. air, smoke, water vapour, helium
- While easy to manipulate, it is hard to do much by manipulating air alone and directly.
[center][h3]Plasmas[/h3][/center]
Often virtually weightless due to their extremely low density, but actively resisting any sort of cohesive shape, plasmas usually require virtually no built up energy to move. However, since they are charged and resist a cohesive shape, they also require exceptional concentration and energy in order to hold them together.
- E.g. fire, lightning, electric sparks, stars
- Impossible to control completely, and requires constant sources of energy to maintain it.[/hider]
[hider=The Limits and Utility of Offensive Drawing][h1][u]Mana Protection[/u]_________  __  __   _   _[/h1][sup][h3]No, You Can't Just Draw Your Opponent to Death[/h3][/sup]As they become more acquainted with the Gift, most mages will learn, either by accident or with intent, that they can draw from other living things. However, they may find it noticeably more difficult to draw from people and, in particular, to draw from other advanced magic users. It is an established fact that, since the human body both generates and contains multiple types of energy, mages can draw from other mages. However, in practice, this can prove extremely difficult. The reason why is that mana naturally wants to hold onto energy at all costs and seems to view the energy contained in its host as 'its' energy. 

What this means is that drawing from other people with an appreciable capacity is a tug of war: your mana (from a distance) vs their mana. If you have a higher capacity, you can pull with a magical strength and 'leverage' that you opponent simply can't, and you'll gradually gain ground, especially if you're the more skilled drawer. This is massively inefficient, however, and exacerbated by the fact that drawing isn't instant and the time that it takes increases with distance. You can probably tear away a bit of energy, but anyone with even the barest understanding of magic will notice quickly before you have the chance to do much of substance, and they'll counter you if they're able. The only times when you can smoothly draw from another magic user are if you're orders of magnitude stronger or if that other person has overdrawn and their mana is depleted.[/hider]
[hider=Mana Blood Types][h1][u]Mana Types[/u]_________  __  __   _   _[/h1]The factors that cause The Gift to manifest within individuals are arcane and divine. While the reasons are known only to the Gods, humans, in their diligence and free will, have studied mana assiduously and noticed a number of patterns. It appears that there are actual a number of different types of mana. These are noted and described below.

[list][*][u][b]Fireblood[/b][/u]: 20/1000 magic users – Firebloods are masters of offensive magic, particularly from the arcane, essence, and blood schools. Their resistance to thunder spells covers Essence’s traditional weakness. They are resistant to hot temperatures and being burned, not having to worry about wasting energy on preservation, but their power levels are often modest, very rarely exceeding 3¼.
[*][u][b]Icevein[/b][/u]: 10/1000 magic users – Iceveins are masters of defensive magic, particularly against arcane, force, and essence draws. They can draw heat out of targets and slow movement with exceptional ease. They are resistant to cold temperatures and to being frozen, however, their base power levels are often modest, very rarely exceeding 3¼.
[*][u][b]Bloodchild[/b][/u]: often in children revived using blood magic, 24/1000 magic users – Bloodchildren are almost always albino, and are excellent at drawing from matter and at matter reconstitution. They possess a natural proclivity for Blood Magic, but some secretly dabble in Blood Magic. They have an alarming tendency to self-damage and to damage allies when not careful with their drawing.
[*][u][b]Skyborn:[/b][/u] 36/1000 magic users – Skyborn are generally light on their feet, can self-levitate easily, take a long time to physically tire, and are excellent at evasion. However, they struggle greatly with spells that involve weight and recoil.
[*][u][b]Truecaster[/b][/u]:  10/1000 magic users – Truecasters are hobbled by their inability to convert. They can only cast from the same school that they draw from, rendering them inflexible and predictable. However, they compensate by way of prodigious raw power, with capacities almost always over 4¼.
[*][u][b]Thunderchild[/b][/u]: 42/1000 magic users – Thunderchildren are highly susceptible to magnetic charges and pick them up easily. This makes them extremely powerful with Thunder Magic. However, they must always be careful to maintain a balanced charge for fear of significant self-injury.
[*][u][b]Leadvein[/b][/u]: 32/1000 – Leadveins are generally solid and balanced. They can safely draw and contain half again the amount of kinetic energy that their capacity would usually allow. They can impart this into physical blows and tend to be highly self-damage resistant. However, they tend to tire easily and can struggle to control their own force.
[*][u][b]Greengrowth[/b][/u]: 8/1000 - When drawing, Greengrowths are naturally and purposely inefficient, imbuing their surroundings with enriched energy and stimulating rapid growth of plants and animals as well as encouraging the growth of manas and babies to be born with a higher 5W capacity.
[*][u][b]Devourer[/b][/u]: 6/1000 - Devourers are notable for having generally high capacities (over 3¾ wheels) but being slow at drawing. Their manas are highly aggressive toward foreign or invasive substances, relentlessly attacking them. This is a double-edged sword, as it sometimes leads to severe and unwarranted allergic reactions. At its best, however, it renders Devourers virtually immune to all forms of poison and most forms of illness and disease.
[*][u][b]Mooncaster[/b][/u]: 5/10000 (almost always from Eskand) – Mooncasters are extremely rare, and often possess heightened senses and reflexes. Their base power levels are often quite low, rarely exceeding Second-and-a-Half Wheel. However, they grow exponentially more powerful depending on the position and brightness of the five moons. Given the right position, a mediocre Second wheel magic user can multiply his power, becoming a monstrous fifth-plus wheel with a capacity ten times that of before. For reasons unknown, it is possible for a mooncaster to also possess a second mana type.[/list][center][h3]Mana Diseases[/h3][/center]It is only natural that, with the mysterious exception of Mooncasters, a magic user has only one type of mana. However, there exist mana diseases known for inflicting horrible adverse effects on the body. These generally carry boons, as well, that fail to outweigh the symptoms in a final acounting. Thus, in theory, if one has a mana virus, he or she could appear to manifest two types of mana, even though one is, of course, simply the disease. Usually, mana viruses are innate and one is born with them. However, there are many who claim to have fallen ill with one of these, and all magic users are encouraged to be prudent and cautious around those infected.
[list][*][u][b]Greyborn[/b][/u]: 4/10000 - Greyborn are a mystery to the study of The Gift because they seem to break its established laws. These strange, doomed individuals possess the otherwise unheard-of ability to not have to draw magic from any visible source. It simply seems to come out of nowhere for them and they never have to worry about supply. However, the dark side of this is that they are often only semi-corporeal. Once they reach adolescence, Greyborn begin to phase in and out of the mortal plane, becoming ghostlike and near-invisible. To some degree, they can control this and use it to their advantage. It is near-impossible to strike a Greyborn who doesn't wish to be struck. However, while phased out, they also seem to lose the ability to cast spells of any real power. The worst part of all is that, as time goes on, it becomes increasingly difficult for them to remain corporeal. Eventually, all Greyborn fade away, and very few live to see forty. 
[*][u][b]Tethered[/b][/u]: 20/10000 (more common in females) - A disease known as the Tethering occasionally effects magic users, almost always making itself apparent in the later years of childhood. While this terrifying illness of the Mana comes with benefits such as a truly prodigious drawing and casting range and unusually fine control, it is ultimately a mark of the Gods' disfavour. The Tethering begins in the toes and works its way up the body, gradually robbing its victims of sensation and movement over the span of about two decades. It is a slow, cruel, and undignified death, and many choose Echeran's Mercy rather than wait for it to take them.
[*][u][b]Powergazer[/b][/u]: 15/10000 (more common in males) - As much a blessing as a curse, this mana disease infects the eyes directly, rendering those with it blind in the traditional sense. Instead, their eyes change, becoming dark and porous. Unlike most mages, who gain a dull sense of agglomerations of energy, Powergazers can 'see' by sensing all of the energies around them with great clarity: size, shape, and type. They can also draw and expel energy at an extremely rapid rate using their eyes as apertures. [/list][/hider]
[hider=Magic in the Natural Sciences]Coming Soon[/hider]
[hider=Magic in Arts and Culture]Coming Soon[/hider]

[h1][u]The World: A Deeper Understanding[/u]__  _  _  _[/h1]
The world of Sipente is home to a myriad of different cultures based on region, religion, social class, and other identity factors. For the purposes of our RPG, we'll be focusing mainly on those of Parrence, Drudgunze, and Eskand, which occupy the central and southern regions of the continent of Constantia.

As a general rule, the lingua franca (common tongue) that most people would speak, similar to how many of us use English as a common medium and how Europeans used Latin in the past, is Avincian: the old language of the Avincian Empire. Most noble, clergy, and wealthier merchant characters would be expected to have a strong command of this language in addition to their native tongue and perhaps one other major language. For the commonfolk, its use has faded and local dialects of Parrench, Eskandr, and Drudgunzean generally prevail.

[hider=The Yasoi][h2][u]A People Apart[/u]_________  __  __   _   _[/h2]
The yasoi are an intelligent, magic-using species closely related to humans (think elves or dwarves within fantasy or neanderthals for a real-life example). Historically less numerous than humans, they possess a different (and stronger) sort of connection with magic, weaving it holistically into the very fabric of their society in a multitude of subtle ways. For thousands of years, they have inhabited the towering highland forests of Constantia though their heartland is within the eastern arm of the continent, where they've established a number of small and evanescent states that nonetheless seem to be able to pull together against outside threats. The yasoi's embrace of their closest biological cousins is a wary one, driven mostly by a particular sapient curiosity.

Within their societies, yasoi tend to be distinctly less communal than humans. From an early age, they are largely independent and are expected to seek out knowledge and purpose. They are near-boundlessly curious, often setting off on long travels in search of adventure, new experiences, and - most importantly - riches. Yasoi are hoarders, with a need to collect rare and valuable things, which they either treasure, seek to sell or trade for even greater prizes, or adorn themselves with. For most yasoi, the mere knowledge that they possess something of rarity or value can put them in a good state of mind. A Mette'stiroi (yasoi swap meet) is an event not to be missed. Fortunes are won and lost, alcohol flows liberally, stories and music fill the air, and babies tend to be made. Following these meets, individuals will generally withdraw into their own pursuits once more, as few things hold a yasoi's attention for long. It is rare not to see them in motion, humming, tapping their feet, or fiddling with something. In rare cases, they might be found in a state of intense focus. They can lose days on a single great task, with little care for other needs. It is in this way - in addition to their natural proclivity - that they become such masters of The Gift. Indeed, most view humans as unskilled practitioners and dangerous dabblers.

Their lifespans also seem to help in terms of magical knowledge. Despite their overall similarity to humans, yasoi tend to live considerably longer, with an average natural lifespan of some hundred-twenty years. It has been theorized that this longevity is due to their subtle, constant use of Temporal Magic. Of course, in practice, many fall victim to their restless natures, meeting with accidents or illness long before they would naturally expire. While they are surprisingly hardy, yasoi are generally long-limbed and lightly built. Their lanky frames tend to make them excellent climbers and they can leap considerably further than humans. While they are not particularly strong, nor are they fast sprinters, they are possessed of excellent endurance and agility. Their eyes - often green, gold, or blue - tend to be narrow and are noticeably larger than those of humans, set above high, prominent cheekbones. Yasoi tend to be pale of skin, with an almost greyish undertone. Their hair is thick and similar to that of humans, though sparse along the sides of their heads and extending along the backs of their necks often past their shoulder blades. Their fingernails and toenails are thick, fast-growing, and sharper than those of humans, and their ears tend to be slightly larger and perhaps a tiny bit pointed.

Overall, yasoi have been a familiar presence in the world of Sipente for as long as their human cousins can remember. For all of their differences and the mutual wariness that has characterized many of their interactions, the two species are remarkably similar and have often worked in concert. Following the collapse of the Avincian Empire, however, yasoi have become increasingly assertive over what they view as 'their' territories, particularly in the northwestern highlands. There have even been instances of them driving humans out. This behaviour seems rare, thankfully, and not much in keeping with their overall values. Indeed, many happily reside in countries such as Parrence or Eskand, though for how long, one can never say. Their wanderlust is insatiable and drives them ever onward.[/hider]
[hider=Telling the Time][h2][u]Hours, Minutes, and Seconds[/u]_________  __  __   _   _[/h2]

All lands formerly belonging to the Avincian Empire and many of those adjacent, have adopted the Avincian method of telling the time. This is prevalent throughout much of Constantia and Severa and has even been adopted by the Eskandr. In this conception of time, there are 25 hours in a day divided into five periods. In practice, however, it is difficult to delineate these so precisely. 

Methods of keeping time on Sipente vary by region, but water clocks, candle clocks, and hourglasses are most common across the twin continents of Constantia and Severa.

[b]HI -[/b] The five Hours of Ipte (HI) occupy the latest and most remote part of the night, when most people are in the embrace of sleep and the few who aren't are usually... up to things. 
[i]Example: 2:15 HI[/i]

[b]HS -[/b] The five hours of Shune (HS) occupy the period from first light into later morning, when most people awaken, start to think,  and become productive. 
[i]Example: 3:30 HS[/i]

[b]HO -[/b] The five hours of Oraff (HO) occupy the period from late morning through the early afternoon, when life is at its busiest, most flourishing, and most productive. 
[i]Example: 5:48 HO[/i]

[b]HE -[/b] The five hours of Eshiran (HE) occupy the period from later afternoon until dusk, when the daylight dies and people's main activities conclude along with it.
[i]Example: 1:07 HE[/i]

[b]HD -[/b] The five Hours of Dami (HD) occupy the period from just after sunset until the later hours of the night, when people go to sleep, reflecting on thier day and what comes tomorrow. 
[i]Example: 2:36 HD[/i]

There are fifty seconds to a minute, as measured by a minuteglass, and each of these is about 1.4 Earth seconds. Hours are fifty minutes long and, as mentioned above, each period of the day has five. These begin at 1:00 and go up to 5:49. Then, it'll be 1:00 in the next section.[/hider]
[hider=Days, Months, Seasons, and Years][h1][u]The Rule of Five[/u]_________  __  __   _   _[/h1]
With regards to days, weeks, months, and seasons, the rule of five generally prevails, with most being multiples of this sacred number. Below, you will find a guide to each of these units of time.
[h3][u]Days and Weeks[/u]_________  __  __   _   _[/h3]
There are five days of the week, and so seventy-three weeks in a year. In different languages, they are known as:
[b]Avincian:[/b] Taldes, Pandes, Orredes, Lepdes, Victendes
[b]Parrench:[/b] Teldi, Pennedi, Hordi, Lipdi, Bianche
[b]Drudgunzean:[/b] Telltag, Fritag, Hegnstag, Lentag, Vintag
[b]Loh Eskandish:[/b] Dallday, Freckday, Higgensday, Stillday, Shonday (this is the northern dialect)
[b]Ath Eskandish:[/b] Delday, Frickday, Hegensday, Stalday, Thonday (this is the southern dialect)
[b]Revidian:[/b] Taldi, Pandi, Orredi, Lepdi, Viddendi (Revidian is spoken to the northwest of Parrence)
[b]Belzaggic:[/b] Tolduch, Parduch, Gorduch, Lebduch, Zarduch (Belzaggic is spoken in Eastern Severa) 
[b]Inipori:[/b] Hāttah, Sarbah, Uhibah, Khabah, Iirbah (Inipori is spoken in Western Severa)
 
[hr][h2][u]Seasons, Months, and Festivals[/u]______  __  __   _   _[/h2]A year on Sipenta is 365 days long and is divided into five seasons and ten months (two for each season). These months are thirty-six or thirty-seven days long. In different languages, their names are:
[b]Avincian:[/b] Tiptos, Tellos, Vardes, Assani, Velles, Mittria, Ardanes, Jores, Carles, and Zales
[b]Parrench:[/b] Tippe, Tellose, Verdi, Assende, Velle, Metrie, Arres, Jorre, Cheaux, and Seaux
[b]Drudggnzean:[/b] Tippe, Telse, Varte, Aste, Valke, Mitte, Harte, Jurre, Kalle, Zaxe
[b]Loh Eskandish:[/b] Tiktas, Telkas, Vardith, Asted, Velka, Mittrech, Hedreth, Jarred, Kell, and Zeax
[b]Ath Eskandish:[/b] Tiptas, Telas, Varrdi, Astad, Velath, Mittrich, Hadreth, Jorred, Kol, and Zeax
[b]Revidian:[/b] Tippio, Tello, Varri, Assani, Vellia, Mirrari, Errara, Giorte, Calla, and Zallo
[b]Belzaggic:[/b] Belgo, Tellaz, Vorrag, Azan, Vela, Mota, Homuch, Yogu, Chell, and Zagg  
[b]Inipori:[/b] Hasirang, Arfatt, Zehelli, Jahass, Ohimuk, Akbin, Tahara, Elirang, Angkari, Zaha
 
[center][h3]Hundri[/h3][/center][center][img]https://thumb.mp-farm.com/0120155/preview.jpg[/img][/center]
[b]Associated God:[/b] Ipte (the lover)
[b]Months:[/b] Tippe and Tellose
[b]Connection to God:[/b] time spent with those you love, importance of love and warmth, many children conceived
[b]Equivalent Months:[/b] January - first half of March (January 1 - March 14)
[b]Holiday:[/b] takes place in the first week of the year and is a continuation of Somnes’ holiday. It begins with a mass catharsis and celebration on the first day, and tails off over the week, representing the course of love and beauty and how it both lasts and fades. Beautiful decorations and feasting. Ample leftovers to be eaten as the feast continues.
[hr][center][h3]Stresia[/h3][/center][center][img]https://www.islay.blog/images/articles/daffodils-bridgend-woods-islay_5.jpg[/img][/center]
[b]Associated God:[/b] Chune (the learner)
[b]Months:[/b] Verdi and Assende
[b]Connection to God:[/b] represents growth and new discovery
[b]Equivalent Months:[/b] second half of March - May (March 15 - May 26)
[b]Holiday:[/b] takes place in midseason. The day of skills (week of skills for some nobility) in which people hold competitions, concerts, talent shows, and dances. This is a time of pride in one’s accomplishments and skills, particularly in the case of children. This holiday plays very differently depending on class and culture.
[hr][center][h3]Dorrad[/h3][/center][center][img]http://sun-surfer.com/photos/2013/06/Summer-Forest-Herefordshire-England.jpg[/img][/center]
[b]Associated God:[/b] Oraphe (the creator)
[b]Months:[/b] Velle and Metrie
[b]Connection to God:[/b] height of flourishing, when the world is most alive
[b]Equivalent Months:[/b] end of May - early August (May 27 - August 7)
[b]Holiday:[/b] There are two during this season: a Mother’s Day at the start, celebrating the giving of life, and a Father’s Day at the end, celebrating the protection and preservation of life.
[hr][center][h3]Rezain[/h3][/center][center][img]https://cache.desktopnexus.com/thumbseg/1159/1159794-bigthumbnail.jpg[/img][/center]
[b]Associated God:[/b] Echeran (the destroyer)
[b]Months:[/b] Arres and Jorre
[b]Connection to God:[/b] Harvest is the reaping. Summer ends and leaves fall
[b]Equivalent Months:[/b] Second half of August - first half of October (August 8 - October 19)
[b]Holiday:[/b] Two of them - day of the dead at the start of the season and a harvest festival at the end. Day of the dead varies depending on what sort of year it was and is informally tied to the preserver’s day immediately beforehand. There is a rising trend among the merchant class of holding masquerade balls.
[hr][center][h3]Somnes[/h3][/center][center][img]https://images.pond5.com/winter-walk-forest-rainy-day-footage-147221010_iconl.jpeg[/img][/center]
[b]Associated God:[/b] Dami (the judge)
[b]Months:[/b] Cheaux and Seaux
[b]Connection to God:[/b] review of the year, final season is the final say or impression; a sober, somber time
[b]Equivalent Months:[/b] second half of October - December (October 20 - December 31)
[b]Holiday:[/b] Comes on the last five days of the year. Each day is a year-in-review reflection of how well you served each of the gods, in order, ending with the judge. On that day, you solemnly set your resolutions for the coming year and choose an item to add to your memory box. Every fifth year of your life, you open the box and take an item out each of the five days, reflecting on that instead of the gods. In some cultures, resolutions are between you and Dami, in others, they are discussed and shared around the dinner table, in others, you receive them from people in your life whose roles correspond in some way to each of the gods’. In a few, you only share your resolutions with a single ‘guarantor’, whose job it is to help you stay true to your goals. Your guarantor is usually someone who is senior to you or a responsible peer.
[hr][h2][u]Years[/u]_________  __  __   _   _[/h2]Years on Sipente work in a rolling system where five years at a time are dedicated to a particular aspect (or both aspects or neither) and also a particular god of the Pentad before both change. There are four aspect types (aun, sept, aun-sept, and none) while there are five gods, so any exact combination only repeats after exactly one century. Essentially, there are three components to a year: the aspect name, the deity name, and a number. For example, the very first year after the deposition of the last Avincian Emperor (which marks the start of the current calendar) was Ahn-Ipte 1. The second was Ahn-Ipte 2, then 3, 4, and 5. After those five years passed, the next aspect was Zept and the next god was Shune, so it was Shune-Zept 1, then Shune-Zept 2, and so on. For a better illustration, please take a look [url=https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_DCjetLlXgLm3En9R6mJe2AAaDoKyQ2EfLWo6Pf9i5E/edit?usp=sharing]here[/url]. 

When a five-year cycle honours both aspects of a god, as happens once each century for each god, that god is considered to be in ascendance, as Chune was when Holmenbahn split in two, with the western half joining Drudgunze in the year ACS11. Thirteen years have passed so, for reference, the current year is Aun-Echeran 14 (or AE14, for short).[/hider]
[hider=The Landscape][h1][u]Five Continents[/u]_________  __  __   _   _[/h1]Sipente is an Earth-sized world with a similar climate, day length, and year length. However, there are a number of subtle but important differences: for starters, the land distribution is somewhat different, with the bulk of temperate land in the global south. A far greater percentage of the overall landmass also falls within the tropics and subtropics as compared to Earth. Though the climate is moderated for the many nations located along the Ensolienne Sea, the primacy of more tropical and Mediterranean-style cultures over temperate ones is evident.

A lower percentage of Sipente's surface area is also made up of land: twenty-four percent compared to twenty-nine percent for Earth. The effect is twofold: the vast majority of major countries border the ocean. In fact, within the triad of Constantia, Severa, and Tarlon, only a single nation - Inipor - is landlocked and, even then, it has an outlet to the sea through the great Arapora River system. This closeness to the sea has played a significant role in encouraging trade and exchange of ideas. From a climactic standpoint, it means that the moderating effect of the ocean is more easily felt. Except for the most inland portions of Severa, and the unexplored lands of Callanaste and Rettande, few regions experience significant and long-lived temperature extremes.
[h3]Callanaste[/h3]Of the five continents, Callanaste is by far the largest, though as yet undiscovered by those from Constantia and Severa, with every major biome represented. The central part of the continent, in particular, is home to towering mountain ranges and great steppes, while the eastern arm is home to vast forests and fertile plains. In the south stretches the Neverritsuk Peninsula: frigid, mountainous, and near barren, its furthest reaches constitute the most inhospitable place on the planet. The enormous Olaxec-Kuska-Washawi river system dominates the continent, joining peoples as disparate as the Chappauri at one end and the Sawand at the other. At the very heart of Callanaste and of this river system lies the Gods' Eye: a large crater lake nestled amongst the sparkling glaciers of the highest portion of the inland mountain ranges. From these headwaters spring the Olaxec, headed northwest, and the Kuska, headed southeast. Each river sustains a population of millions.
[h3]Severa[/h3]Next is Severa, marginally larger than its partner to the south: Constantia. For all intents and purposes, these two continents, along with their much smaller northern partner Tarlon, act as a single entity, sharing much in the way of trade, technology, culture, and religion. Aside from the swampy region of the Arapora Estuary, the western half of Severa is divided roughly equally into coastal highland rainforest, mountains, and the vast desert of inner Zaqhoria and Firraz, graduating to savannah in the south. Its eastern portion is mostly savannah and rainforest as well, with a Mediterranean climate along the southern coast.
[h3]Constantia[/h3]Constantia is similar in composition, but rife with bays, inlets, lakes, inland seas, and peninsulas. Its irregular coastline is ancient and home to hundreds of archipelagos. Except for the western highlands populated largely by yasoi and the golden fields of southern Parrence, most of its inhabited landmass is relatively close to a coastline. In the south lie the cold, mountainous lands of Eskand, peppered with fjords, glaciers, and taiga forest.
[h3]Rettande[/h3]Rettande is named after the great country that dominates more than ninety percent of its area. While this continent is known to exist by the learned strata of Constantian and Severan society, vanishingly little is known about it. In fact, roughly half of its landmass is above the tree line and covered only with inhospitable tundra and roving herds of muskox and mammoth, thick forests and increasingly rich farmland take over as one moves south. Bays, inlets, and islands support a thriving maritime trade and fishing industry and are home to unique flora and fauna encountered nowhere else in the world.
[h3]Tarlon[/h3]Tarlon is the smallest of the five continents and, in many ways, simply an extension of the northern part of Severa, though it is geologically and tectonically distinct. Rare are those who know very much of its nature, and it is a realm of much storytelling and conjecture. In reality, most of Tarlon is made of ancient, eroded mountains and rolling hills, similar to the Canadian Shield. Much of the interior is rocky, or else wetlands and forest. The center of this micro-continent is dominated by the Tantas Sea: an enormous lake famous for its megafauna and dark, cloudy water.[/hider]

[h2][u]In-Progress Example CS[/u]_________  __  __   _   _[/h2]
[hider=King Arcel Pellegrin (incomplete)][color=E0FFFF][h1][u][color=00aeef]A[/color]rcel [color=00aeef]P[/color]ellegrin[/u]__ _  _   _    _[/h1]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/iPNncC6.jpg?1[/img]
[sub][h3][u]26[/u]  |  [u]M A L E[/u]  |  [u]P A R R E N C E[/u]  |  [u]F O R C E  &  T H U N D E R[/u]  |  [u]K N I G H T  /  W A R L O C K[/u]__ _  _   _    _[/h3][/sub]

[sub][h3][u]C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S[/u]__ _  _   _    _[/h3][/sub]
[i]A description of your character's appearance, motivation, and personality.[/i]

[sub][h3][u]B A C K G R O U N D[/u]__ _  _   _    _[/h3][/sub]
[i]A description of your character's life, experiences, and circumstances up to this point.[/i]

[sub][h3][u]I N V E N T O R Y[/u]__ _  _   _    _[/h3][/sub]
[i]A description of items regularly in your character's possession or owned by them.[/i]

[sub][h3][u]T H E   G I F T[/u]__ _  _   _    _[/h3][/sub]
[i]A description of your character's abilities with The Gift, Five Wheels rating, favoured schools, and how they're used.[/i]

[sub][h3][u]S T R E N G T H S   &   S K I L L S[/u]__ _  _   _    _[/h3][/sub]
❖ [i]Three[/i]
❖ [i]to four[/i]
❖ [i]of these[/i]
❖ [i]go here[/i]

[sub][h3][u]W E A K N E S S E S   &   F L A W S[/u]__ _  _   _    _[/h3][/sub]
❖ [i]Three[/i]
❖ [i]to four[/i]
❖ [i]of these[/i]
❖ [i]go here[/i]

[sub][h3][u]C O L O U R   C O D E   &   O T H E R[/u]__ _  _   _    _[/h3][/sub]
[i]Your character's hex code and any other miscellaneous information. Feel free to use bullet points.[/i]
❖ [i][color=00aeef]hex code[/color][/i][/color][/hider]