[center]A Kingdom of Hungry Stars[/center]

[img]https://robertofont.github.io/assets/img/2022-04-10-TheCityAtNight_partI/WomanWalking_1.png[/img]

The train whistles throughout the fog, the acrid scent of steam and coal wafting through the misty night. You step off onto the wet cobblestone streets, hoisting your luggage with you. Luminarya has called you here: perhaps it has called you home, or perhaps it has called a foreigner to new adventures. Wherever it has called you, you are now being watched by Gods older than the oldest kingdoms and the highest mountains. Gods long forgotten but never truly dead. Perhaps your arrival will set things into motion that may save this land or finally send it careening into the depths of the abyss. 

[img]https://uploads.worldanvil.com/uploads/images/843e9d9a4699993fefa5d76adcc92a87.jpg[/img]

[hider=The Kingdom of Luminarya] 
Luminarya has existed for as long as man has recorded words. Regarded as the First Kingdom, Luminarya has a history of magical excellence, political superiority and military might. And yet, for all it’s grandiosity, something stirs beneath the beautiful veneer of the land.  
At night, the sky above Luminarya displays constellations found nowhere else, with stars that occasionally pulse in patterns that scholars claim form mathematical sequences beyond human comprehension. In certain regions, particularly near ancient ruins, visitors report whispers that seem to emanate from the ground itself, and the sensation of being watched despite being alone. The magical ambience manifests in floating lanterns, spontaneous musical notes carried on the wind, and occasional ripples of color that dance across surfaces without apparent source. Only sanctified members of the Vigil know the truth; and it is under their sacrifice that the public never truly perceives what stirs beneath the First Kingdom. 
The country is divided into seven provinces, each centered around a major ley line convergence where magical energy pools most densely. The capital, Astralys, sits at the center where all ley lines meet, built around a massive crystal monolith that predates all recorded history. To the north lie the Whispering Highlands, where ancient stone circles and obelisks covered in indecipherable script stand sentinel over misty valleys. The eastern coast features the Luminous Marshes, where bioluminescent flora creates breathtaking nighttime displays but also conceals treacherous terrain and ruins that occasionally surface from the muck during certain astronomical alignments. The western region is dominated by the Veiled Forest, where massive trees with mirror-like bark reflect everything except human faces. In the south, the Obsidian Desert contains glass-like black sand and geometric formations that appear to have been melted rather than eroded. Beneath the country runs an extensive network of caverns known as the Echoing Depths, which the current magical rulers have sealed with powerful wards that are renewed during monthly rituals.[/hider]

[hider=The Vigil] 
The Vigil traces its origins to a schism within the ruling magical order approximately three centuries ago. Following a catastrophic incursion of entities from beyond the known planes that decimated the province now known as the Obsidian Desert, a faction of mages led by the visionary Elowen Cursebringer broke away from the established order. They believed the ruling mages were concealing crucial information about Luminarya's nature and the true purpose of the ancient structures scattered throughout the land. Initially persecuted as heretics, the early Vigilants operated in complete secrecy, meeting in the reflective groves of the Veiled Forest where magical surveillance was impossible. Over generations, they gradually established a tenuous truce with the ruling mages, positioning themselves as an independent protective force while carefully concealing their investigative activities. Their legitimacy grew following the Midnight Tide of 1447, when they successfully predicted and prevented a massive incursion through the Luminous Marshes, saving thousands of lives. Today, they maintain an uneasy alliance with Luminarya's rulers, who value their protective capabilities but keep them at arm’s length, constantly sabotaging any plans to uncover deeper truths, especially of the nobility in the Kingdom. 
Initiates to the Vigil are elected every year in an event called the Lamplighting. Anyone over the age of 16 is allowed to participate, though the ceremony is known to be dangerous and tends to leave multiple fatalities every year.[/hider] 

Alongside the classical arcane magics of the world, special magic in Luminarya exists from two major sources: Abyssal Pacts and Verdant Communions. 

[hider=Abyssal Pacts] 

This magic flows from entities that exist beyond the stars - ancient beings that watch from the void between constellations. These entities, neither fully gods nor demons, exist in dimensions perpendicular to reality and can only be perceived through the patterns of stars and celestial bodies. The ley lines that crisscross Luminarya act as conduits for these entities' influence, with convergence points serving as thin spots where communion is easiest. During certain celestial alignments, the barriers between worlds grow especially thin, allowing these entities to extend their awareness into Luminarya. The Echoing Depths are believed to contain ancient carvings and artifacts that first taught mortals how to establish contact with these beings.
Anyone with sufficient desperation, ambition, or curiosity can attempt to forge an Abyssal Pact, though few possess the mental fortitude to survive the initial communion. Those with natural sensitivity to the ley lines (sometimes born with unusual birthmarks resembling constellations, hence "Starmarked") have an easier time establishing contact but are also more vulnerable to corruption. The ruling mages of Luminarya officially forbid the practice, though many secretly maintain pacts themselves. Some practitioners are unwitting vessels, having inherited dormant pacts from ancestors who made deals generations ago, only to have the power suddenly awaken when the stars align once more.
Abyssal Pacts manifest in three primary forms, each corresponding to different types of entities and sacrifices:
1. Illumination Magic (Sight Pacts): Grants visions, prophecy, and the ability to perceive hidden truths. Users sacrifice portions of their ordinary perception, often becoming blind to mundane reality while gaining sight beyond sight. Their eyes gradually transform, becoming reflective like the night sky.
2. Transmutation Magic (Flesh Pacts): Allows manipulation of matter and physical transformation. Users sacrifice their bodily integrity, gradually becoming less human as parts of them are replaced with otherworldly substances - crystalline growths, living shadow, or star-stuff that burns from within.
3. Dominion Magic (Will Pacts): Enables control over minds, elements, and natural forces. Users sacrifice their autonomy, experiencing periods where the entity takes control, with memories of these episodes appearing only as dreams.
Verdant Communions: draws power from the slumbering nature deities who once ruled Luminarya before the people turned their gaze skyward. These ancient gods—embodiments of mountains, rivers, forests, and winds—have retreated into the land itself as their worship waned. Their dormant essence now flows through the ley lines, pools in sacred groves, and whispers in the Echoing Depths. Practitioners can tap into this power through rituals that honor these forgotten entities, often involving natural offerings, blood sacrifices, or promises of stewardship. The magic manifests as a verdant glow, the scent of wild herbs, or the distant sound of primal drums. Unlike the transformative nature of Abyssal Pacts, this magic leaves practitioners physically unchanged but deeply connected to the land's rhythms and seasons.[/hider]

[hider=Verdant Communion]
Anyone with the patience to learn the old rituals and sensitivity to natural energies can access the Verdant Communion, though with varying degrees of success. Those born in Luminarya's rural provinces, particularly near ancient stone circles or sacred groves, often display natural aptitude. The most powerful practitioners are those who've dedicated their lives to preserving natural spaces or restoring forgotten shrines. These individuals, known as Grove Keepers, can trace their lineages back to the original priesthoods of the nature gods. Interestingly, some members of the Starlight Vigil secretly study this magic, believing it holds clues to Luminarya's true origins. The magic is democratic in theory but requires significant dedication—casual practitioners might manage minor blessings or communications with plants, while devoted adherents can command weather, heal grievous wounds, or even temporarily awaken slumbering nature spirits.
The Verdant Communion encompasses several traditions, each honoring different aspects of the natural world:
1. Rootspeaking: Communication with plants and manipulation of growth. Practitioners can accelerate harvests, create natural barriers, or extract ancient memories from ancient trees. Their magic manifests as whispered conversations with rustling leaves.
2. Stonechanting: Drawing power from earth and stone. These mages can sense vibrations through ground, stabilize structures, or even shape rock with their will. Their spells often require rhythmic chanting that mimics the slow pulse of mountains.
3. Tidesinging: Command over water in all forms. Masters can call rain, navigate treacherous currents, or draw moisture from the air. Their magic flows like water itself—adaptable and persistent.
4. Windwhispering: Manipulation of air and weather. Practitioners can summon breezes, disperse poisons, or carry messages on the wind. Their spells are often accompanied by melodic whistling.
5. Beastbonding: Communion with animals and adoption of their traits. These mages form deep connections with fauna, sharing senses or temporarily borrowing physical abilities. Their magic requires understanding the language of creatures.[/hider]

[hider=Abyssal Beasts] 
Creatures that originally hailed from long-forgotten dead stars, who now occupy the blood of the Echoing Depths of Luminarya. These creatures are truly alien in design, as they do not seem to want to even exist in this plane. Seeing such a beast already begins a battle between the victim’s mind and their own survival instincts.[/hider]