One hundred years has passed since the Crown of the World has been laid on Evangeline's head and the proclamation of the Empire. One hundred years since the Lion's roar first shook the world. The Imperial warmachine quickly began spreading eastwards, devouring everything in its path. Hundred kingdoms were crushed by the Lion's advance. It fought magic with technology, compensating the lack of individual strength with the weight of numbers and steely discipline, and in hundred years most of the Azure came under its dominion. Now it bares its fangs towards the Warden Kingdom of Juren, a realm not as large as the Empire but still a great power in its own right, and the world holds its breath in anticipation of the largest war in centuries.
As the Empire's Sun is reaching its zenith, the old order of Azure is being replaced by a new one and no mortal shall remain untouched, but it is to each individual to shape their own path. So what would be yours? Which fate will you choose in this world constantly shaken by calamity? Will you etch your name in history or let your deeds fall into oblivion? Will you be hero or a villain, savior or destroyer?
Where will you be once the roar stops?
Armageddon is a name given to a conflict so terrible and so destructive that it completely changed the world, from its relief to the very laws which governed it. Nobody knows what the world was like before it, and only legends remain of what triggered it. Supposedly, a schism occurred among the Old Ones- the only sentient race before the Armagedon- which plunged the old world into war. Magic of such power that a mind of modern mortals wouldn't be able to comprehend it was used so irresponsibly and so freely that it went out of control and created Chaos which covered the world. Chaos devoured, torn to pieces, recreated, changed, mutated and, for some time, the world had literally ceased to exist.
Of the Old Ones, only one group saw in time what was happening and managed to shield a small corner of the world from being consumed by Chaos. Here, first of the six races of the new world was made. After surviving initial wave of Chaos Ashans began reclaiming the world from it. How did they do it is a mystery today, even to Ashans, but it is certain that whatever they did changed the laws of magic and divided, for the first time, all magic into five natural elements. Unfortunately, Ashans couldn't reclaim everything which Chaos consumed and at the end of their efforts, the new world emerged in its present form, a small piece of the greatness that once was.
Of the Old Ones, only one group saw in time what was happening and managed to shield a small corner of the world from being consumed by Chaos. Here, first of the six races of the new world was made. After surviving initial wave of Chaos Ashans began reclaiming the world from it. How did they do it is a mystery today, even to Ashans, but it is certain that whatever they did changed the laws of magic and divided, for the first time, all magic into five natural elements. Unfortunately, Ashans couldn't reclaim everything which Chaos consumed and at the end of their efforts, the new world emerged in its present form, a small piece of the greatness that once was.
Before the process of reclamation was over the leader of Ashans, who modern history only remembers as Padishah, declared the formation of the Empire with him as its ruler. It will, he proclaimed, cover the entire world once its reconquest from Chaos was finished and it will be the duty of all Ashans in it to guide the other mortals so that Armageddon may never be repeated. As Chaos was pushed back many of the Old Ones who were caught in it reappeared and among them Ashans recognized those who began the wars. Whether out of fear or anger is unknown, but Ashans decided to punish those responsible for the end of their world. They stripped most of them of magic and turned them in to slaves. This was the birth of Oxidals. Not everyone was caught, however, and two groups managed to escape. First group, Mords, ran to the north were Chaos still had a strong presence, correctly believing that Ashans will deem them not worth the risk. Second group, Arkards, sailed across the Chaos-infested seas and for centuries were believed to be lost.
There were those among Ashans who opposed punishing Oxidals, warning that Ashans' judgment was led by emotions rather than reason. When their words fell on deaf ears Erdevar broke away from Ashans and moved to a group of islands in the east where they were largely left alone under condition to not meddle further in the governing of the Empire.
Finally, once they pushed Chaos as far back as they could, Ashans found the last of the six races. Baraki, common men and women, people who were simple bystanders during the schism which led to Armageddon, gained the appearance of humanoid beasts. They were by far the largest population in the Empire and from the early years Ashans strived to keep them on tight leash, never giving them influential positions or letting them have any degree of power.
Despite these and similar tensions and turmoil which occurred over the many years it existed, the Padishah's Empire would endure and prosper in relative peace for nearly two thousand years.
There were those among Ashans who opposed punishing Oxidals, warning that Ashans' judgment was led by emotions rather than reason. When their words fell on deaf ears Erdevar broke away from Ashans and moved to a group of islands in the east where they were largely left alone under condition to not meddle further in the governing of the Empire.
Finally, once they pushed Chaos as far back as they could, Ashans found the last of the six races. Baraki, common men and women, people who were simple bystanders during the schism which led to Armageddon, gained the appearance of humanoid beasts. They were by far the largest population in the Empire and from the early years Ashans strived to keep them on tight leash, never giving them influential positions or letting them have any degree of power.
Despite these and similar tensions and turmoil which occurred over the many years it existed, the Padishah's Empire would endure and prosper in relative peace for nearly two thousand years.
Then, something which completely shocked the Old Empire happened- Padishah died. True, in hindsight it doesn't seem that strange. Last Ashan who survived Armageddon with him died a thousand years earlier, but to everyone at the time it seemed as if Padishah would live on forever and, with him, his Empire. His appearance was the same as ever even on his last day, when, looking down from the balcony of the Kirnshan Palace towards the huge crowd gathered in the courtyard, he said with a kind smile on his face "I'm stopping here, children. Rest of the road is yours to walk." and disintegrated into the cloud of sparkling dust.
Initially things continued as before on inertia, but eventually each of the nine Daevas, concubines of Padishah, began pushing her own candidate to become the new emperor. Naturally this started a conflict which spread from the halls of the Kirnshan Palace to the battlefields of the world. Early on, this civil war was fought mostly by Ashan soldiers, but as the death count grew while decisive battle remained elusive, Daevas got involved personally. Each of them possessed a power which, once Padishah was gone, was unrivaled by anyone in the world... that is, anyone but other Daevas.
What followed wasn't another Armageddon, but it came dangerously close to becoming one. In fact, the only reason why Chaos didn't engulf the world again was that Daevas weren't powerful enough to undo what old Ashans did when they founded the Empire two thousand years ago. But the world didn't pass unscathed. Spellplague was unleashed and with it the greatest wave of death seen in the new world until today. The world's entire population halved and entire regions where left without inhabitants. Like their ancestors once before Daevas were horrified by what resulted from their magic and ceased to actively participate in the civil war.
Sadly, this didn't stop the war. In fact, to this day strife persists in Ashan Dominions, though it is mostly reduced to assassinations and streetfights. The Deluge itself ended after other races, infuriated by the years of bloodshed and Spellplague, rose up and expelled Ashans from their lands. Padishah's great empire was reduced to a fragment of its former size and Ashan refugees from all over the world were flooding the regions of Bersara and Ovalar, trying to avoid death at the hands of their former servants. For centuries later Ashans would cling to its name, but the Old Empire had ended with the Deluge and the world had moved on.
Initially things continued as before on inertia, but eventually each of the nine Daevas, concubines of Padishah, began pushing her own candidate to become the new emperor. Naturally this started a conflict which spread from the halls of the Kirnshan Palace to the battlefields of the world. Early on, this civil war was fought mostly by Ashan soldiers, but as the death count grew while decisive battle remained elusive, Daevas got involved personally. Each of them possessed a power which, once Padishah was gone, was unrivaled by anyone in the world... that is, anyone but other Daevas.
What followed wasn't another Armageddon, but it came dangerously close to becoming one. In fact, the only reason why Chaos didn't engulf the world again was that Daevas weren't powerful enough to undo what old Ashans did when they founded the Empire two thousand years ago. But the world didn't pass unscathed. Spellplague was unleashed and with it the greatest wave of death seen in the new world until today. The world's entire population halved and entire regions where left without inhabitants. Like their ancestors once before Daevas were horrified by what resulted from their magic and ceased to actively participate in the civil war.
Sadly, this didn't stop the war. In fact, to this day strife persists in Ashan Dominions, though it is mostly reduced to assassinations and streetfights. The Deluge itself ended after other races, infuriated by the years of bloodshed and Spellplague, rose up and expelled Ashans from their lands. Padishah's great empire was reduced to a fragment of its former size and Ashan refugees from all over the world were flooding the regions of Bersara and Ovalar, trying to avoid death at the hands of their former servants. For centuries later Ashans would cling to its name, but the Old Empire had ended with the Deluge and the world had moved on.
While Spellplague decimated the population of most races, one found itself relatively untouched. Oxidals were now the second most populous race. Region of Asturias, which saw most of the battles during the civil wars and was hit particularly hard by Spellplague, barely had any Ashan presence left. Oxidals used the opportunity and founded many kingdoms of their own there.
In centuries that followed these kingdoms out of mutual rivalry and out of fear of eventual Ashan return, began developing advanced technologies to make their armies more effective. Most Oxidals couldn't sense magic, so they developed the instruments which did. Most of them were unable to cast spells, but they made tools which could. When almost three centuries after the Deluge one Ashan commander attempted to reconquer Asturias from those "magicless monkeys" in order to earn prestige and backing for his candidacy for the imperial throne, he came across the strong kingdoms with armies which wielded weapons the rest of the world had never seen before.
Still, Ashans didn't become rulers of the world by luck and the "War for Asturias" was long and bloody affair. In the chaos which followed a young king from the western edges of Asturias by the name of Carlos di Mytrya used the war with Ashans to expand his domains by annexing other, weakened kingdoms. His son, Sebastian, finally expelled Ashans from Asturias and expanded his inheritance over it entirely. Sebastian's daughter, Evangeline, declared herself the successor of Padishah and new Empress of the world, managing to force Ashans to admit her title in a war (which resulted in change of the name for Ashan state, from Ashan Empire to Ashan Dominions). Philip, her grandson and heir, mostly dealt with internal matters during his long reign and only by its end did the New Empire expand further, but that was only under the command of Philip's only daughter, Katarina.
Today, after mostly diplomatic annexation of Tanjen, the Empire's warmachine stands at the borders of the Warden Kingdom of Juren, a great power in its own right. Talks exist of the alliance between Juren and Ashans while on the other hand Empress Katarina wants for the Warden Kingdom to willingly join the Empire because "Kinsmen (Oxidals) shouldn't spill each other's blood."
What will happen? Only time will tell.
In centuries that followed these kingdoms out of mutual rivalry and out of fear of eventual Ashan return, began developing advanced technologies to make their armies more effective. Most Oxidals couldn't sense magic, so they developed the instruments which did. Most of them were unable to cast spells, but they made tools which could. When almost three centuries after the Deluge one Ashan commander attempted to reconquer Asturias from those "magicless monkeys" in order to earn prestige and backing for his candidacy for the imperial throne, he came across the strong kingdoms with armies which wielded weapons the rest of the world had never seen before.
Still, Ashans didn't become rulers of the world by luck and the "War for Asturias" was long and bloody affair. In the chaos which followed a young king from the western edges of Asturias by the name of Carlos di Mytrya used the war with Ashans to expand his domains by annexing other, weakened kingdoms. His son, Sebastian, finally expelled Ashans from Asturias and expanded his inheritance over it entirely. Sebastian's daughter, Evangeline, declared herself the successor of Padishah and new Empress of the world, managing to force Ashans to admit her title in a war (which resulted in change of the name for Ashan state, from Ashan Empire to Ashan Dominions). Philip, her grandson and heir, mostly dealt with internal matters during his long reign and only by its end did the New Empire expand further, but that was only under the command of Philip's only daughter, Katarina.
Today, after mostly diplomatic annexation of Tanjen, the Empire's warmachine stands at the borders of the Warden Kingdom of Juren, a great power in its own right. Talks exist of the alliance between Juren and Ashans while on the other hand Empress Katarina wants for the Warden Kingdom to willingly join the Empire because "Kinsmen (Oxidals) shouldn't spill each other's blood."
What will happen? Only time will tell.
LIFESPAN: Immortal
APPEARANCE: Before Rot kicks in Arkard will look like a human, possibly with unusual hair and eye colour but without other major differences. During Rot appearances of Arkards vary; some may actually look like zombies but it is not a norm and many will develop utterly alien visages.
Blood drinking Arkards are an undead race with a homeland on the Kaesar Islands. Their escape from Ashans during early days of the Old Empire killed them, but their will to live was strong and their spirit managed to remain attached to their bodies, resulting in the existence between life and death. Most Arkards choose to spend their eternity partaking in various pleasures and hobbies, but those who grow tired of their monotonous existence join the notorious (among other races) Black Ships on the raids all over the world, seeking glory and death in battle. Despite the fact that pretty much every Arkard embarked on several raids in his lifetime, bringing slaughter and taking slaves and other booty, less than a thousand had managed to achieve death since Armageddon.
The Empire conquered Kaesar 100 years ago in a bloody and prolonged conflict, but Arkards since then became passionate servants of the Mytryan monarchs. Due to their centuries of experience disproportionately large part of Arkards occupy high positions across the Empire. A fifth of all officers in imperial military are Arkards and there are even special Stormtrooper regiments for those who wish to seek death in battle. Still, some simply love pocking giant's nose and board the Black Ships, this time scourging skies instead of seas.
Rot: If Arkards don't drink a glass of blood of other mortals their human appearance will start to deteriorate and in a week it will acquire a more ghastly visage. This change is purely cosmetic and doesn't incur any penalties other than people finding you disgusting and/or terrifying.
Immortality: Arkards can't die a natural death or be killed. However, if enough damage is sustianied Arkard may fall into torpor that can last for years, if not decades (this means if PC Arkard gets injured a lot he may be out of the RP regardless of immortality). During torpor Arkards loose their old memories and most Arkards don't have memories from more than a thousand years ago. There's no Arkard who remembers Armageddon or the time before it.
Undead: Arkards body are clinically dead. They can't go hungry or thirsty and are immune to poisons and diseases. Also, their sense of pain is dulled so injuring them doesn't prevent them from fighting at their full strength. However, due to this state Arkards can't reproduce and their numbers have remained roughly the same since Armageddon.
LIFESPAN: 700 years
APPEARANCE: Ashans look like extremely beautiful humans with a pair (or several pairs) of wings on their back whose size they can change at will, though never completely remove. Wings can either be angelic or demonic, there's no rule, and some Ashans may even have horns or halo. Their hair and eyes can be of any color and sometimes it will change on random.
Noble Ashans. Cruel Ashans. Beautiful Ashans. Many traits are prescribed to this magically gifted race and most of them are true. Theirs was the Old Empire which held the world together in a relative peace and prosperity for nearly 2000 years. Theirs was a tyrannical rule which saw all other races as lesser beings, too weak and ignorant to be able to rule themselves. For them there are only two races: Ashans and Raya (cattle). However, this belief in their own superiority also gave them a sense of moral duty to guide and protect the powerless. During the Old Empire numerous Ashan knights traversed the world on their own initiative, combating draughts, curing plagues, killing monsters and fighting off Arkard raids, demanding no compensation from those they helped. This continues today, though in lower numbers as the legal system of the New Empire dislikes the notion of wandering Ashans who consider themselves above the laws of Raya.
During the Old Empire Ashan society was split along strict gender roles. Women took up administration, men diplomacy and military. However, end of the Deluge saw men to woman ratio change to one man for every five women. Painfully low birthrates and slow aging common for the race kept the ratio roughly the same to this day. This resulted in men becoming more privileged and sheltered gender, forbidden from tasks that were deemed too risky, while women took up professions that were previously considered "men's jobs" of which most notable is military career. Exceptions are made only if a man is deemed to possess incredible talent for particular job.
Divine: Ashans are attuned to all elements. They also get 2 more points to spend on powers.
Flight: Ashans can use their wings to fly. This is purely magical phenomenon and speed and maneuverability during flight depends on Ashan's magical rather than physical ability.
Third Eye: With one glance Ashan can tell attunement and magical potential of the individual, as well as see person' aura which would tell them their current mood.
LIFESPAN: 200 years, though those Baraki resembling more long lived animals can live up to a thousand
APPEARANCE: Varies, some look like beasts that learned to walk on back legs while others look like humans with tail or cat ears, though both examples are extremes. There is also no rule how a newborn will look compared to its parents, so one extreme may have children looking like the other.
Describing Baraki in general terms isn't really possible. The only thing all Baraki have in common is their appearance of humanoid beasts. Avians, reptiles, canines, felines, just dividing them along the lines of which species they resemble would create several new races, and even these sub-races have their own divisions, and that is without adding cultural and national differences to the mix. Only in Ushakar there are seven great tribes of Wolf-people and these are divided in to dozens of kingdoms, principalities, city-states and nomad groups which are at war with each other more often than not. To make long story short, being "beastmen" is the only reason why Baraki are at all counted as one race. As such, they are the most numerous race in the world, their total population equaling the population of all other races combined.
Today, with the exception of those in the Warden Kingdom of Juren and few small settlements in Ledzem, all Baraki are within the borders of the Empire. Although they have only hatred for the Old Empire and saw the arrival of the new one as the return to slavery, the Empire's appreciation for talent and competence regardless of the race and willingness to give Baraki positions of power if they prove themselves loyal has eased the rebellious sentiments. Still, in many places being in the Empire's employ carries a social stigma, which resulted in Baraki (in contrast to Arkards) being underrepresented within the imperial institutions.
Regeneration: Bruises will heal in seconds, cuts in minutes, deep wounds in hours and re-attaching one's limbs can be done in a day. However, Baraki are not immortal and if they suffer too many injuries in a short time and bleed too much, they'll die.
Bestial Advantage: Baraki gain one free lv.1 advantage to represent their bestial nature (flying ability if avian baraki, claws if cat baraki, etc.). This advantage's level can be raised.
LIFESPAN: 200 years
APPEARANCE: Erdevar are tall humanoids with easily recognizable pointed ears and hawkish features. They also have emphasized fangs, but these are harder to notice.
Although soon after their split with Ashans they were seen only as a large order of monks, Erdevar community grew and eventually a new culture and a new race emerged. Erdevar practice strengthening their bodies and then developing combat techniques which combine physical prowess with magical expertise. However, in order to avoid hubris Erdevar had seen develop among those particularly gifted with magic (namely Ashans, though you'll never hear Erdevar mention names), they limit their magical potential only to the element they are attuned to. Even then, over-reliance on magic is looked down upon, and if someone is seen using spells for a task which could be accomplished through pure physical effort he would suffer criticism of the entire society.
Erdevar emphasis on self-restraint in all aspects of life had made them somewhat two-faced. While outwardly they will act in polite and calm manner, one will never be able to guess with certainty what Erdevar actually thinks. Also, one's standing in the eyes of his peers is very important as Erdevar believe society as a whole can act as a check on anyone who's getting ahead of themselves. Phrase "nail that sticks out gets hammered down" perfectly describes Erdevar society. Oxidals and Baraki who share Juren with them often find it unnerving, but fortunately Erdevar never saw it necessary to force their way of life on anyone unwilling.
Serene mind: Self-discipline and rigorous mental training has made Erdevar immune to mind-affecting magic.
Magical sense: Because of their restraint with magic Erdevar can more easily notice when magic is used around them. They can also sense the anima of those around them, making it very hard, if not outright impossible, to ambush Erdevar.
Focus: Erdevar can only develop element they are attuned to, but this also makes their magic harder to resist.
LIFESPAN: 150 years
APPEARANCE: Mords are 2.5m tall on average and wear armors of various shapes and colors which cover most of their body.
Although their armor is humanoid shaped, underneath it a lot of small body parts are not in places one expects to find them. A tongue may be sticking out of one's eye socket, face may be located on the chest rather than the front of the head and sometimes entire limb may be one big mush with only armor giving it coherent shape.
The giants from the frozen northern wastelands, Mords are the most enigmatic race to the outsiders. They are never seen outside of their armor, they speak little and always in short, laconic manner and few can say they had seen more than one Mord at a time. Although Mords like to travel and get a taste of life in various regions of the world, they never permanently settle and always return to their homeland in Ledzem. Between the cold temperatures, scarcity of food, air poisoned with Chaos and demonic beasts which prowl the north, Mords are used to having little and living each day with their life on the line.
Unfortunately, despite the disappearance of the Old Empire and benevolent attitude of the new one, 2000 years spent in Ledzem has changed Mords, making them unable to leave the unforgiving north. Due to powerful influence of Chaos, Mords' bodies are unable to maintain a definite shape and are always in danger of falling apart, with each part turning in to an abomination. To combat this Mords use special kind of metal found only in Ledzem to forge armors in which they spend their entire lives after they reach adulthood. Reproduction and raising of children is done in deep underground vaults where walls are alloyed with this metal. As time passes, bodies of Mords become partially merged with their armors.
Magic Resist: Due to their armor Mord completely ignore any magical effect of lv.4 and under. However, side-effect is that Mords can't use magical powers.
Might: Any advantage boosting one's physical attributes, such as strength, reflexes and endurance, is counted 2 levels higher for Mords when compared to the similar advantages held by other races.
LIFESPAN: 100 years
APPEARANCE: Vanilla humans, plain and simple.
Six hundred years ago nobody thought Oxidals would ever amount to anything. Ashans stripped their anima of ability to attune to elements making the process of learning and casting magic extremely difficult and for some Oxidals even impossible. Then, they were made in to slaves, the lowest race, and where exploited and abused. However, in their powerlessness underneath the heel of Ashan masters, Oxidals learned to be cunning, persevering and resourceful. In the irony of fate, during the Deluge Spellplague almost completely missed Oxidals due to their inaptitude for magic. With the fall of the Old Empire Oxidals across the world saw their chance and quickly asserted their position as a race equal to others.
Today, world's Oxidal population is largely concentrated in regions of Asturias and Juren. Even with growing cosmopolitan nature of the Empire, Oxidals still have large majority in Asturias and their way of life changed little since the days of old kingdoms. However, Oxidals in Juren are in difficult position. On one hand, as the threat of an all out war between the Warden Kingdom and the Empire looms, the Empress calls for the reunion of the long lost brethren and many Juren Oxidals are swayed by it. On the other, the Warden Kingdom has been homeland of Oxidals for centuries, and blatantly betraying it is something only the most shameless among them could consider.
Resourcefulness: Oxidals start with 3 more points for advantages.
Powerless: Oxidals aren't attuned to any magical element so they don't get any points to spend on powers. Instead they have to spend their advantage points to get access to magic. On the bright side, Oxidals can't be manipulated by Spirit magic or be detected by Ashan Third Eye and Erdevar Magical Sense.
The red line shows the Empire's borders
THE EMPIRE
Also known as the New Empire, Mytryan Monarchy, and the Lion (due to Mytryan’s dynasty coat of arms) it is currently the largest nation, taking up more than half of world’s land surface. It is also technologically most advanced and it brought fires of industrialization to all places it conquered. Although it was founded by Carlos di Mytrya as a way to defend Oxidals of Asturias from Ashans, today it counts members of all races as its citizens.
Asturias- the cradle of the New Empire and the most technologically advanced region in the world. North of it is dominated by hills and dense forests, but in the southwest one can find tall Dielsen Mountains and in the south and east vast open plains exploited for agriculture. Asturias has excellent roads and huge railway network which connect larger towns, while skyports located in every big city keep the region in touch with the rest of the world.
Nayl- the most cosmopolitan region of the world, one can find members of every race here. Since the days of the Old Empire Nayl was a land of city-states, merchant princes and mercenary armies and little has changed under the new government. It is intersected by numerous large rivers which make the travel by boat fast and cheap and there are also numerous privately owned skyports (in Asturias these are mostly owned by the government).
Kaesar- the full name of the region is “Kaesar Islands”, but nobody really uses it outside of official documents. Dominated by rocky hills with little arable land and away from most trade routes, Kaesar truly seems as a place only undead pirates can find fitting for a home. Still, there are many valuable ores and while most of its old Arkard population is spread out around the Empire doing whatever, a large number of Oxidals and Baraki who have found employment as miners or factory workers have taken up residence here.
Ushakar- the most barren and backward region within the Empire and only Ledzem wins in the competition of overall crappiness on global scale. Even today, nearly a century after it was conquered by Evangeline, Baraki inhabited Ushakar shows little sign of… pretty much any kind of development. Reasons are numerous. Stubborn refusal of peasants to use advanced ways of land cultivation, rivalries among tribes, oligarchs, princes and other factions, lack of natural resources and proximity of Ledzem and the things which inhabit it all contribute that even the average Baraki wants to get the hell out. Only one rail cuts though the region, right next to the huge camp of the Army where one can also find the only skyport.
Albaham- if one wants a proof that Barakis should be divided into new races due to both physical and cultural differences he or she should only compare those of Ushakar to those in Albaham. Where former keep resisting any change, later took to the new rules the Empire introduced like fish to the water. While the military built first few skyports, it is Baraki of Albaham who began investing in railway and opening factories. Albaham already has couple of sprawling industrial cities and railroad network which connects them to each other and necessary supplies. Sure, nothing much when compared to Asturias and Nayl and region is still mostly backward, but hey, it has been only ten years!
Tanjen- it has been only a year since Tanjen became part of the Empire and for now it is left to rule itself like it used to, with condition to allow few military bases to be built. The region is mostly jungle, especially thick in the south, while the north has a few gold mines which were immediately claimed by the crown. There are a few Ashan cities on the west coast and their culture is strongly felt there, while as one goes eastwards buildings and dressing style become more and more like those in Juren.
ASHAN DOMINIONS
Once known as the Padishah’s Empire and later, when Padishah died, as Ashan Empire, today Dominions hold only a fragment of the once great realm. It is plagued by internal strife and rivalry between various factions. The ruling body of Dominions is council of nine Daevas, former concubines of Padishah and the most powerful magic users in the world. Daevas rarely agree on anything and much of the realms internal problems come from them manipulating various groups for their own interests.
Bersara- this desert region is probably the richest and most wondrous place in the entire world. It is the homeland of Ashans and the core region of the Old Empire. With its cities dotted with towers, domes and huge statues and monuments, oasis producing fruits of maddening sweetness, mines filled with any kind of precious metals and jewels one could wish for, floating islands holding marvelous palaces and magical academies, spirits who interact freely with mortals and ancient beasts which only bring destruction elsewhere but here seem to enjoy more peaceful pleasures, Bersara seems, and truly is, a land from an older, more glorious time.
Ovalar- compared to Bersara a very peaceful region with its marshlands in the south, and large, open plains in the north. One may be a bit disappointed with how down to earth Ovalar is, though its cities still have domes and spires which are signature mark of Ashans. Still, Ovalar’s main purpose is apparent in its name (“plains” in Ashan) and most of the food eaten in Ashan Dominions is produced here. Huge farming estates of Ashan nobles are tended by numerous slaves, both mortal and artificial, and magic is used to increase production and to protect it from natural disasters.
THE WARDEN KINGDOM OF JUREN
Near the end of the Deluge, as the Old Empire was dying, Erdevar of Kamisai made an offer to the Oxidals and Baraki of Juren to form together a strong state which will serve as a bulwark against any future Ashan attempt to enslave the world. Thus, the Warden Kingdom of Juren was made. It is an elective monarchy where the king is chosen by a body called the College of Electors consisting of three members from each founding race. However, king’s power is limited by the Deliberative, a body of three hundred men and women of noble birth which debates and then approves or blocks any decision made by the monarch.
Juren- with its rich and fertile lands and little in the way of big mountains to separate its peoples, it’s no wonder this region has one of the highest population density in the world and yet only one large kingdom. Its three races have worked together to make their homeland prosper. Even some of the Empire’s technological marvels, such as skyships and railway, had found their way into Juren, though still in small quantities.
Kamisai- this peaceful cluster of mountainous islands is a homeland of Erdevar. Although it doesn’t have many natural resources, disciplined and diligent Erdevar has exploited everything available to the maximum, not wasting a single square meter of land. It is here that the building and dressing style that is so characteristic of the Warden Kingdom developed. The islands have only few big cities and are dominated by smaller towns which specialize in particular fields, such as fishing, agriculture and craftsmanship. However, the most iconic thing about Kamisai is its huge temples where most inhabitants gain basic education and training in martial arts and magic.
OTHER
Ledzem- there are no words which could properly illustrate how bad this place is. Miles upon miles of frozen wasteland, freezing temperatures which only Mords and few Baraki can endure and food which only a Mord can find edible already make Ledzem a place nobody wants to be in. However, that’s not the worst part. Ledzem is close to the Azure’s continental boundary with Chaos and its presence is strongly felt. Mortal beings who wander too far north will see their bodies turn to horrifying abominations and, if they spend too much time under influence of Chaos, completely disintegrate. In addition, demons come south from Chaos, bent only on carnage. Many Mords have found their end when their settlements were attacked by these monstrosities. Settlements in Ledzem are mostly underground with only forts and watchtowers which protect from eventual demon invasion being built above. It’s telling how afraid Mords were when they deemed it preferable to settle here than risk being captured by Ashans.
Chaos- unlike places described above, Chaos is not a single area of the world. It is, in fact, everything which looms over the edge of the map of the Azure. Nobody alive today knows how much of the old world is lost to Chaos. A continent or two? If so, how large were they? What about their populations? Those who bother themselves with these questions have little answers and that frightens them. Some had tried to explore Chaos but they have never returned.
Also known as the New Empire, Mytryan Monarchy, and the Lion (due to Mytryan’s dynasty coat of arms) it is currently the largest nation, taking up more than half of world’s land surface. It is also technologically most advanced and it brought fires of industrialization to all places it conquered. Although it was founded by Carlos di Mytrya as a way to defend Oxidals of Asturias from Ashans, today it counts members of all races as its citizens.
Asturias- the cradle of the New Empire and the most technologically advanced region in the world. North of it is dominated by hills and dense forests, but in the southwest one can find tall Dielsen Mountains and in the south and east vast open plains exploited for agriculture. Asturias has excellent roads and huge railway network which connect larger towns, while skyports located in every big city keep the region in touch with the rest of the world.
Nayl- the most cosmopolitan region of the world, one can find members of every race here. Since the days of the Old Empire Nayl was a land of city-states, merchant princes and mercenary armies and little has changed under the new government. It is intersected by numerous large rivers which make the travel by boat fast and cheap and there are also numerous privately owned skyports (in Asturias these are mostly owned by the government).
Kaesar- the full name of the region is “Kaesar Islands”, but nobody really uses it outside of official documents. Dominated by rocky hills with little arable land and away from most trade routes, Kaesar truly seems as a place only undead pirates can find fitting for a home. Still, there are many valuable ores and while most of its old Arkard population is spread out around the Empire doing whatever, a large number of Oxidals and Baraki who have found employment as miners or factory workers have taken up residence here.
Ushakar- the most barren and backward region within the Empire and only Ledzem wins in the competition of overall crappiness on global scale. Even today, nearly a century after it was conquered by Evangeline, Baraki inhabited Ushakar shows little sign of… pretty much any kind of development. Reasons are numerous. Stubborn refusal of peasants to use advanced ways of land cultivation, rivalries among tribes, oligarchs, princes and other factions, lack of natural resources and proximity of Ledzem and the things which inhabit it all contribute that even the average Baraki wants to get the hell out. Only one rail cuts though the region, right next to the huge camp of the Army where one can also find the only skyport.
Albaham- if one wants a proof that Barakis should be divided into new races due to both physical and cultural differences he or she should only compare those of Ushakar to those in Albaham. Where former keep resisting any change, later took to the new rules the Empire introduced like fish to the water. While the military built first few skyports, it is Baraki of Albaham who began investing in railway and opening factories. Albaham already has couple of sprawling industrial cities and railroad network which connects them to each other and necessary supplies. Sure, nothing much when compared to Asturias and Nayl and region is still mostly backward, but hey, it has been only ten years!
Tanjen- it has been only a year since Tanjen became part of the Empire and for now it is left to rule itself like it used to, with condition to allow few military bases to be built. The region is mostly jungle, especially thick in the south, while the north has a few gold mines which were immediately claimed by the crown. There are a few Ashan cities on the west coast and their culture is strongly felt there, while as one goes eastwards buildings and dressing style become more and more like those in Juren.
ASHAN DOMINIONS
Once known as the Padishah’s Empire and later, when Padishah died, as Ashan Empire, today Dominions hold only a fragment of the once great realm. It is plagued by internal strife and rivalry between various factions. The ruling body of Dominions is council of nine Daevas, former concubines of Padishah and the most powerful magic users in the world. Daevas rarely agree on anything and much of the realms internal problems come from them manipulating various groups for their own interests.
Bersara- this desert region is probably the richest and most wondrous place in the entire world. It is the homeland of Ashans and the core region of the Old Empire. With its cities dotted with towers, domes and huge statues and monuments, oasis producing fruits of maddening sweetness, mines filled with any kind of precious metals and jewels one could wish for, floating islands holding marvelous palaces and magical academies, spirits who interact freely with mortals and ancient beasts which only bring destruction elsewhere but here seem to enjoy more peaceful pleasures, Bersara seems, and truly is, a land from an older, more glorious time.
Ovalar- compared to Bersara a very peaceful region with its marshlands in the south, and large, open plains in the north. One may be a bit disappointed with how down to earth Ovalar is, though its cities still have domes and spires which are signature mark of Ashans. Still, Ovalar’s main purpose is apparent in its name (“plains” in Ashan) and most of the food eaten in Ashan Dominions is produced here. Huge farming estates of Ashan nobles are tended by numerous slaves, both mortal and artificial, and magic is used to increase production and to protect it from natural disasters.
THE WARDEN KINGDOM OF JUREN
Near the end of the Deluge, as the Old Empire was dying, Erdevar of Kamisai made an offer to the Oxidals and Baraki of Juren to form together a strong state which will serve as a bulwark against any future Ashan attempt to enslave the world. Thus, the Warden Kingdom of Juren was made. It is an elective monarchy where the king is chosen by a body called the College of Electors consisting of three members from each founding race. However, king’s power is limited by the Deliberative, a body of three hundred men and women of noble birth which debates and then approves or blocks any decision made by the monarch.
Juren- with its rich and fertile lands and little in the way of big mountains to separate its peoples, it’s no wonder this region has one of the highest population density in the world and yet only one large kingdom. Its three races have worked together to make their homeland prosper. Even some of the Empire’s technological marvels, such as skyships and railway, had found their way into Juren, though still in small quantities.
Kamisai- this peaceful cluster of mountainous islands is a homeland of Erdevar. Although it doesn’t have many natural resources, disciplined and diligent Erdevar has exploited everything available to the maximum, not wasting a single square meter of land. It is here that the building and dressing style that is so characteristic of the Warden Kingdom developed. The islands have only few big cities and are dominated by smaller towns which specialize in particular fields, such as fishing, agriculture and craftsmanship. However, the most iconic thing about Kamisai is its huge temples where most inhabitants gain basic education and training in martial arts and magic.
OTHER
Ledzem- there are no words which could properly illustrate how bad this place is. Miles upon miles of frozen wasteland, freezing temperatures which only Mords and few Baraki can endure and food which only a Mord can find edible already make Ledzem a place nobody wants to be in. However, that’s not the worst part. Ledzem is close to the Azure’s continental boundary with Chaos and its presence is strongly felt. Mortal beings who wander too far north will see their bodies turn to horrifying abominations and, if they spend too much time under influence of Chaos, completely disintegrate. In addition, demons come south from Chaos, bent only on carnage. Many Mords have found their end when their settlements were attacked by these monstrosities. Settlements in Ledzem are mostly underground with only forts and watchtowers which protect from eventual demon invasion being built above. It’s telling how afraid Mords were when they deemed it preferable to settle here than risk being captured by Ashans.
Chaos- unlike places described above, Chaos is not a single area of the world. It is, in fact, everything which looms over the edge of the map of the Azure. Nobody alive today knows how much of the old world is lost to Chaos. A continent or two? If so, how large were they? What about their populations? Those who bother themselves with these questions have little answers and that frightens them. Some had tried to explore Chaos but they have never returned.
MILITARY
Imperial Military, the most feared organization both within and without the Empire, answers only to the Empress. It is the sword and the shield of the crown, unmatched on land, sea and in skies. Military career is lucrative for many young men and women as being a soldier gives one elevated social standing. The throne itself makes sure that the military is respected and retired veterans gain good pensions and certain legal benefits. In the past nobles were strongly opposed to the crown possessing professional military under its direct command, but today many smaller houses see it service as the only way to maintain family’s prestige and wealth. The highest position in the military is a Grand Marshal, of which there are currently eighteen, and, at least in theory, even the lowest grunt has the possibility to become one.
CAMARILLA
The most secretive organization in the Empire, and possibly the whole world, the Camarilla serves as the throne’s eyes and ears throughout the continent. There’s no official structure to the organization. Simply put, the Empress has an understanding with certain individuals of varying ranks and positions that they will report to her what their spies report to them, occasionally giving them specific instructions. Often enough, the Empress will have members of the Camarilla spy on each other in a two, three, and sometimes even four-way espionage war. Most “Friends of the Court” don’t know any other member and only the Empress and her Lord Protector know the names and faces of all of them.
RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF PRAVIA
The Institute has two main jobs. First and foremost, it is tasked with developing new devices which can be put to use by the military. Second, it has the task of investigating, categorizing and finding preventing measures (or ways of exploitation) for magical phenomenon which occur around the world. At the first job the organization is simply brilliant, to which soldiers of any conquered region of the Empire can testify. However, it is the second job that most researches in the Institute really love, for it allows them to explore things never seen before which is the main reason most of them joined the Institute in the first place.
ESNAF
Esnaf is the world’s largest and most powerful crime syndicate. It has operations all around the continent. Its origin are as an influential merchant guild of the Old Empire (its name literally means “Guild” in Ashan) which survived the Deluge by going underground to avoid anti-Ashan sentiment among the newly freed states. Since then it got such a huge power it was able to topple dynasties which threatened its interests. However, with the rise of the New Empire Esnaf finds it more and more difficult to operate as brazenly as it once did. It’s still going strong though, and it is impossible to deal it a fatal blow as it is unofficially supported by Daevas.
TEMPLES OF HIMATAH
Himatah is a mountain top located in the mountain chain between regions of Nayl, Ushakar and Albaham. There exists a temple built in the Jurenese style with rigorous (and often deadly) tests which deem one whether one was worthy or not of receiving training within its walls. Inside people are helped to develop their magical abilities so that they may travel the world and help the needy by curing diseases, helping with natural and magical disasters and mediate in local disputes. Although it is not really a religion, Temple’s students have opened their own training facilities all over the world and named them “Temple of Himatah”. The Temple is organization only in the sense that monks from the main temple occasionally do inspections to see if someone’s is not exploiting the Temple’s name for selfish gains.
DISCIPLES OF PANDORA
In the world overflowing with magic, when one has spells to cure sickness and wounds and prevent or at least reduce the impact of natural disasters, life can become quite idyllic and peaceful. Some see this peace as corrupting. If one does not know sorrow, how would he know to appreciate happiness? Disciples of Pandora strive to remind those who life’s has been too easy of pain’s bitter taste. They orchestrate assassinations, riots or large rebellions, unleash magically concocted diseases or summon terrible natural disasters, all with the purpose of shaking up areas where people have grown a bit too complacent. Disciples don’t see themselves as an evil organization. Sure, some brothers and sisters only want to see the world burn, but many others firmly believe that their controlled injections of misery prevent truly great catastrophes from happening.
CHAOS CULTS
All around the world there exist people who want to see Chaos once again swallow everything. Why do they want this? Reasons are as numerous as the cults themselves. Every region has at least dozen of cults which act separately and with different plans, hardly amounting to anything that can truly be called an organization. So why mention them here? Because there are some cults (a number you can count on one hand and still have enough fingers to pick your nose) who are not just some band of misfits and actually have a proper long term plans. These cults are currently spread out, but their numbers and influence are growing and many count powerful local nobles and magistrates as their members.
AZURE PIRATES
This is not a real organization. Azure Pirate is anyone serving on a skyship which intercepts and robs other vessels. It doesn’t matter what one’s position on the ship was, once caught he or she will be tried and, if found guilty, executed by hanging. Still, it’s not so bad, because if the ship can pick its targets smartly and exploit rivalry between the Empire and Dominions, a pirate may have a lengthy and prosperous career. Today especially, as the Empire’s keeping its fleets ready for a possible showdown with the Warden Kingdom of Juren, many shipping routes are under protected and merchant vessels traversing them ripe for the taking.
VUKODAVS
Operating exclusively within the borders of the Empire, Vukodavs are mercenary organization which deals in hunting down and killing demons, spirits, elementals and any natural beast which makes itself too big of a problem. They have office in every large city and they demand high payment for their services, but those who hire them can be sure that their money is well spent. Vukodavs don’t accept just anyone within their ranks. Candidates need to prove both their physical and mental fortitude, as well as extend of their combat abilities. Vukodavs rarely operate in large numbers, usually in the groups of three or four and sometimes those particularly skilled operate alone. Mords, due to large combat experience with demons they get by simply growing up in Ledzem, are usually accepted immediately, without tests. Most Vukodavs serve for life, but organization only demands five years of service after which members are allowed to retire whenever they want.
RED SUN
At the same time a death cult and an assassins’ guild, Red Sun is an organization of the world’s most deadliest and feared killers. Its members- they call themselves Artists- are orphans taken from a very young age to be taught the art of killing. They are not taught just to put a knife in someone’s back but how to do it to make a spectacle out of it while not being caught. Many children don’t survive the brutal training regime, but those who manage to become fully recognized Artists are vicious killing machines, loyal only to the Grandmaster. Indeed, while Red Sun demands hefty sums for each kill, little of that money is seen by low ranking assassins. Loyalty of young Artists is won by feeding them a very addictive and potent narcotic which only the current Grandmaster knows how to prepare. They are given a choice to either succeed in their missions or be driven mad by the irresistible craving.
Imperial Military, the most feared organization both within and without the Empire, answers only to the Empress. It is the sword and the shield of the crown, unmatched on land, sea and in skies. Military career is lucrative for many young men and women as being a soldier gives one elevated social standing. The throne itself makes sure that the military is respected and retired veterans gain good pensions and certain legal benefits. In the past nobles were strongly opposed to the crown possessing professional military under its direct command, but today many smaller houses see it service as the only way to maintain family’s prestige and wealth. The highest position in the military is a Grand Marshal, of which there are currently eighteen, and, at least in theory, even the lowest grunt has the possibility to become one.
CAMARILLA
The most secretive organization in the Empire, and possibly the whole world, the Camarilla serves as the throne’s eyes and ears throughout the continent. There’s no official structure to the organization. Simply put, the Empress has an understanding with certain individuals of varying ranks and positions that they will report to her what their spies report to them, occasionally giving them specific instructions. Often enough, the Empress will have members of the Camarilla spy on each other in a two, three, and sometimes even four-way espionage war. Most “Friends of the Court” don’t know any other member and only the Empress and her Lord Protector know the names and faces of all of them.
RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF PRAVIA
The Institute has two main jobs. First and foremost, it is tasked with developing new devices which can be put to use by the military. Second, it has the task of investigating, categorizing and finding preventing measures (or ways of exploitation) for magical phenomenon which occur around the world. At the first job the organization is simply brilliant, to which soldiers of any conquered region of the Empire can testify. However, it is the second job that most researches in the Institute really love, for it allows them to explore things never seen before which is the main reason most of them joined the Institute in the first place.
ESNAF
Esnaf is the world’s largest and most powerful crime syndicate. It has operations all around the continent. Its origin are as an influential merchant guild of the Old Empire (its name literally means “Guild” in Ashan) which survived the Deluge by going underground to avoid anti-Ashan sentiment among the newly freed states. Since then it got such a huge power it was able to topple dynasties which threatened its interests. However, with the rise of the New Empire Esnaf finds it more and more difficult to operate as brazenly as it once did. It’s still going strong though, and it is impossible to deal it a fatal blow as it is unofficially supported by Daevas.
TEMPLES OF HIMATAH
Himatah is a mountain top located in the mountain chain between regions of Nayl, Ushakar and Albaham. There exists a temple built in the Jurenese style with rigorous (and often deadly) tests which deem one whether one was worthy or not of receiving training within its walls. Inside people are helped to develop their magical abilities so that they may travel the world and help the needy by curing diseases, helping with natural and magical disasters and mediate in local disputes. Although it is not really a religion, Temple’s students have opened their own training facilities all over the world and named them “Temple of Himatah”. The Temple is organization only in the sense that monks from the main temple occasionally do inspections to see if someone’s is not exploiting the Temple’s name for selfish gains.
DISCIPLES OF PANDORA
In the world overflowing with magic, when one has spells to cure sickness and wounds and prevent or at least reduce the impact of natural disasters, life can become quite idyllic and peaceful. Some see this peace as corrupting. If one does not know sorrow, how would he know to appreciate happiness? Disciples of Pandora strive to remind those who life’s has been too easy of pain’s bitter taste. They orchestrate assassinations, riots or large rebellions, unleash magically concocted diseases or summon terrible natural disasters, all with the purpose of shaking up areas where people have grown a bit too complacent. Disciples don’t see themselves as an evil organization. Sure, some brothers and sisters only want to see the world burn, but many others firmly believe that their controlled injections of misery prevent truly great catastrophes from happening.
CHAOS CULTS
All around the world there exist people who want to see Chaos once again swallow everything. Why do they want this? Reasons are as numerous as the cults themselves. Every region has at least dozen of cults which act separately and with different plans, hardly amounting to anything that can truly be called an organization. So why mention them here? Because there are some cults (a number you can count on one hand and still have enough fingers to pick your nose) who are not just some band of misfits and actually have a proper long term plans. These cults are currently spread out, but their numbers and influence are growing and many count powerful local nobles and magistrates as their members.
AZURE PIRATES
This is not a real organization. Azure Pirate is anyone serving on a skyship which intercepts and robs other vessels. It doesn’t matter what one’s position on the ship was, once caught he or she will be tried and, if found guilty, executed by hanging. Still, it’s not so bad, because if the ship can pick its targets smartly and exploit rivalry between the Empire and Dominions, a pirate may have a lengthy and prosperous career. Today especially, as the Empire’s keeping its fleets ready for a possible showdown with the Warden Kingdom of Juren, many shipping routes are under protected and merchant vessels traversing them ripe for the taking.
VUKODAVS
Operating exclusively within the borders of the Empire, Vukodavs are mercenary organization which deals in hunting down and killing demons, spirits, elementals and any natural beast which makes itself too big of a problem. They have office in every large city and they demand high payment for their services, but those who hire them can be sure that their money is well spent. Vukodavs don’t accept just anyone within their ranks. Candidates need to prove both their physical and mental fortitude, as well as extend of their combat abilities. Vukodavs rarely operate in large numbers, usually in the groups of three or four and sometimes those particularly skilled operate alone. Mords, due to large combat experience with demons they get by simply growing up in Ledzem, are usually accepted immediately, without tests. Most Vukodavs serve for life, but organization only demands five years of service after which members are allowed to retire whenever they want.
RED SUN
At the same time a death cult and an assassins’ guild, Red Sun is an organization of the world’s most deadliest and feared killers. Its members- they call themselves Artists- are orphans taken from a very young age to be taught the art of killing. They are not taught just to put a knife in someone’s back but how to do it to make a spectacle out of it while not being caught. Many children don’t survive the brutal training regime, but those who manage to become fully recognized Artists are vicious killing machines, loyal only to the Grandmaster. Indeed, while Red Sun demands hefty sums for each kill, little of that money is seen by low ranking assassins. Loyalty of young Artists is won by feeding them a very addictive and potent narcotic which only the current Grandmaster knows how to prepare. They are given a choice to either succeed in their missions or be driven mad by the irresistible craving.
Magical energy comes in two shapes and five elements.
The two shapes are Anima and Mana.
Anima, sometimes called “soul”, is found in every living being; it is what animates them and, depending on its size and potency, gives them sixth sense which allows them to perceive and manipulate surrounding Mana. Through life person will shape Anima with memories and once he or she dies it will linger for a while before dissipating into Mana. Some Spirit users will exploit this moment to re-attach Anima back to its old body or put it in a new one in order to create an intelligent undead. Arkards are an entire race where this happened, although it was done by Chaos rather than a mortal.
Mana is magical energy found in raw elements, outside of living beings, and often influences the phenomenons which happen in nature in similar way the laws of physics do. In fact, Mana often messes up natural laws so things like snow in a desert or floating islands or fire which doesn’t burn can happen. This, although troublesome for many, is nothing unusual to the people of the world and they have learned to live with it like one learns to live with earthquakes, storms or floods.
An important thing for every aspiring spellcaster to note is that magic is by nature chaotic and strives to be free. That is why magic rarely repeats the same process twice, even if the result may look the same. In order to achieve reliable control over Mana spellcasters mix it with their Anima, so one can’t use magic indefinitely because exerting Anima tires the body.
Five elements of magic are Light, Dark, Fire, Water and Earth. There is also sixth, unnatural element called Spirit created for manipulation of raw Mana in order to control natural magic phenomenon (though it soon found other application, most notorious of which being Ashan removal of magical ability from Oxidals).
All living beings are born with their Anima attuned to one of the five natural elements and they possess instinctive knowledge of how to achieve some basic control over Mana of the same elment. Except for Oxidals’ whose Anima is too weak, all children are able to create small rays of light or streams of water (depends on their attuned element) shortly after they begin to walk and speak. Most people don’t develop their abilities further, but those who do practice it will eventually gain control over other aspects of their elements.
Description of each element is located in Character Sheet.
The two shapes are Anima and Mana.
Anima, sometimes called “soul”, is found in every living being; it is what animates them and, depending on its size and potency, gives them sixth sense which allows them to perceive and manipulate surrounding Mana. Through life person will shape Anima with memories and once he or she dies it will linger for a while before dissipating into Mana. Some Spirit users will exploit this moment to re-attach Anima back to its old body or put it in a new one in order to create an intelligent undead. Arkards are an entire race where this happened, although it was done by Chaos rather than a mortal.
Mana is magical energy found in raw elements, outside of living beings, and often influences the phenomenons which happen in nature in similar way the laws of physics do. In fact, Mana often messes up natural laws so things like snow in a desert or floating islands or fire which doesn’t burn can happen. This, although troublesome for many, is nothing unusual to the people of the world and they have learned to live with it like one learns to live with earthquakes, storms or floods.
An important thing for every aspiring spellcaster to note is that magic is by nature chaotic and strives to be free. That is why magic rarely repeats the same process twice, even if the result may look the same. In order to achieve reliable control over Mana spellcasters mix it with their Anima, so one can’t use magic indefinitely because exerting Anima tires the body.
Five elements of magic are Light, Dark, Fire, Water and Earth. There is also sixth, unnatural element called Spirit created for manipulation of raw Mana in order to control natural magic phenomenon (though it soon found other application, most notorious of which being Ashan removal of magical ability from Oxidals).
All living beings are born with their Anima attuned to one of the five natural elements and they possess instinctive knowledge of how to achieve some basic control over Mana of the same elment. Except for Oxidals’ whose Anima is too weak, all children are able to create small rays of light or streams of water (depends on their attuned element) shortly after they begin to walk and speak. Most people don’t develop their abilities further, but those who do practice it will eventually gain control over other aspects of their elements.
Description of each element is located in Character Sheet.
Important note: these are not all fantastic monsters that can be found in the Azure. Things like trolls, goblins, dragons, dire wolves and other critters like that also exist, but they are considered "natural" beasts. This means they follow the usual pattern of birth, life, feeding, procreation and death. The ones listed below are the "supernatural" monsters whose existence is more exceptional.
SPIRITS
When a mortal dies his Anima leaves his body and over period of 40 days dissolves into Mana. A particular person's Anima can posses great potency which allows it to maintain its form for longer time. If Anima manages to preserve many memories from its host it may develop its own reason. Such Anima will begin to feed itself on Mana in order to maintain itself and will search out other free Anima to devour it and grow stronger. After a while it will become a being in its own right. It will become a Spirit.
Spirits are invisible to the naked eye, though one can feel its presence through his own Anima. Also, those proficient with Spirit element may possess spells which would give Spirit visible form. Spirits are usually hungry for magic, and though they are mostly content with Anima of recently deceased, those who become particularly powerful may grow impatient and start to devour Anima of the still living. Although it can’t hurt a person physically, it may very well drain her of all magic, making her an empty shell. It’s very hard to defeat a Spirit, mostly because normal weapons and magic usually possessed by the mortals can’t hurt it. Only those who specialize their knowledge of Spirit element for dealings with Spirits are capable of destroying them and dispersing their energy in to Mana.
SPIRIT POSSESSED
Once a Spirit devours the body of a living mortal it may choose to posses him. Body of Spirit Possessed change, gaining a more ghastly appearance and can seem almost see-through. Unlike the naked Spirit a Spirit Possessed is not a very troublesome adversary. It is corporeal so it can be killed through normal means, though it is physically stronger than the host originally was. Spirits usually do possession when they want to communicate with mortals, not fight with them. When they wish to do it without inviting hostility they will possess a corpse of recently deceased.
ELEMENTALS
A powerful Spirit may also choose to use Mana to shape itself a body made out of one of the elements. This gives it visible form, though not always completely physical, and allows it to communicate with others. Elementals prefer to stay in the areas where the element they are made out of is in abundance as it is easier for them to maintain their forms. In such areas they are also nigh indestructible as they are able to recreate their bodies with little effort.
PRIMORDIALS
Primordials are ancient creatures from the time before Armageddon. Nobody knows exactly how they survived it. Many speculate that it is their raw power which kept them together against Chaos. Regardless, the few Primordials which exist today are frightening beings. They are gigantic, able to destroy a large fortress by simply strolling through it. Best way to describe them is to call them living natural disasters. Primordials don’t seem to care about mortal races and if they posses some level of intelligence, they choose not to share it. Most of their numbers live in the Ocean, but four walk the dry land. These are Dracul, the flying Primordial, Gurmid, the fire Primordial, Nocturne, the dream Primordial and Sind, the pale Primordial. They spend most of their time sleeping, but when they wake up they destroy several cities in the close vicinity before returning to their slumber. Despite their destructive power, Primordials can be and were killed but it requires group of extremely powerful individuals, or an entire army, to take one on and triumphs.
DEMONS
Demons come from Chaos and spread destruction in their wake. For most people of the Empire this is enough information. It is suspected demons are twisted remnants of mortals who were left within Chaos after Armageddon. They are physically hideous, looking like a grotesque mockery of natural life, but they are also very powerful, both with magic and in body. It takes courage to merely look upon one of their kind and not go insane. There are rarely two demons alike, both in their appearances, way of fighting and powers they use, so each new fight with them brings new risks. Normally, demons come from Chaos in small packs over the continental route through Ledzem, where most of the time they are stopped by Mords. Some demons do managed to make it pass giant wardens of the north and small number occasionally comes from overseas (it is suspected overseas attempt are just as often as overland ones, but underwater Primordials tend to eat them and reduce their numbers), so from time to time the Empress’ realm finds itself plagued by these monstrosities. In these cases Vukodavs are usually hired.
SPIRITS
When a mortal dies his Anima leaves his body and over period of 40 days dissolves into Mana. A particular person's Anima can posses great potency which allows it to maintain its form for longer time. If Anima manages to preserve many memories from its host it may develop its own reason. Such Anima will begin to feed itself on Mana in order to maintain itself and will search out other free Anima to devour it and grow stronger. After a while it will become a being in its own right. It will become a Spirit.
Spirits are invisible to the naked eye, though one can feel its presence through his own Anima. Also, those proficient with Spirit element may possess spells which would give Spirit visible form. Spirits are usually hungry for magic, and though they are mostly content with Anima of recently deceased, those who become particularly powerful may grow impatient and start to devour Anima of the still living. Although it can’t hurt a person physically, it may very well drain her of all magic, making her an empty shell. It’s very hard to defeat a Spirit, mostly because normal weapons and magic usually possessed by the mortals can’t hurt it. Only those who specialize their knowledge of Spirit element for dealings with Spirits are capable of destroying them and dispersing their energy in to Mana.
SPIRIT POSSESSED
Once a Spirit devours the body of a living mortal it may choose to posses him. Body of Spirit Possessed change, gaining a more ghastly appearance and can seem almost see-through. Unlike the naked Spirit a Spirit Possessed is not a very troublesome adversary. It is corporeal so it can be killed through normal means, though it is physically stronger than the host originally was. Spirits usually do possession when they want to communicate with mortals, not fight with them. When they wish to do it without inviting hostility they will possess a corpse of recently deceased.
ELEMENTALS
A powerful Spirit may also choose to use Mana to shape itself a body made out of one of the elements. This gives it visible form, though not always completely physical, and allows it to communicate with others. Elementals prefer to stay in the areas where the element they are made out of is in abundance as it is easier for them to maintain their forms. In such areas they are also nigh indestructible as they are able to recreate their bodies with little effort.
PRIMORDIALS
Primordials are ancient creatures from the time before Armageddon. Nobody knows exactly how they survived it. Many speculate that it is their raw power which kept them together against Chaos. Regardless, the few Primordials which exist today are frightening beings. They are gigantic, able to destroy a large fortress by simply strolling through it. Best way to describe them is to call them living natural disasters. Primordials don’t seem to care about mortal races and if they posses some level of intelligence, they choose not to share it. Most of their numbers live in the Ocean, but four walk the dry land. These are Dracul, the flying Primordial, Gurmid, the fire Primordial, Nocturne, the dream Primordial and Sind, the pale Primordial. They spend most of their time sleeping, but when they wake up they destroy several cities in the close vicinity before returning to their slumber. Despite their destructive power, Primordials can be and were killed but it requires group of extremely powerful individuals, or an entire army, to take one on and triumphs.
DEMONS
Demons come from Chaos and spread destruction in their wake. For most people of the Empire this is enough information. It is suspected demons are twisted remnants of mortals who were left within Chaos after Armageddon. They are physically hideous, looking like a grotesque mockery of natural life, but they are also very powerful, both with magic and in body. It takes courage to merely look upon one of their kind and not go insane. There are rarely two demons alike, both in their appearances, way of fighting and powers they use, so each new fight with them brings new risks. Normally, demons come from Chaos in small packs over the continental route through Ledzem, where most of the time they are stopped by Mords. Some demons do managed to make it pass giant wardens of the north and small number occasionally comes from overseas (it is suspected overseas attempt are just as often as overland ones, but underwater Primordials tend to eat them and reduce their numbers), so from time to time the Empress’ realm finds itself plagued by these monstrosities. In these cases Vukodavs are usually hired.
::GENERAL INFO::
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Race:
Element: Magical element your anima is attuned to (see the spoiler below). You can't pick Spirit. Oxidals write "none" and Ashans "all" in this field.
Background:
::ADVANTAGES::
Advantages are everything beneficial to your character that he has access to, but isn't his magical powers. This can literally be anything. Cooking skills, swordsmanship, social status, rich family, henchmen, badass mount or animal companion, magical item, vehicle, some advanced piece of technology, safe-haven, connections, etc. You create your own advantages.
Each advantage has 5 levels, and you start with 8 levels to distribute however you wish. You can start with 2 lv.4 advantages or 8 lv.1 or 1 lv.5 and 1 lv.3 or any combination in-between.
How much does each level mean?
Well, taking swordsmanship as an example, with lv.1 your skill level is 1 in 100 people. At lv.2 it's 1 in 1000. Lv.3, it's 1 in 100,000, lv.4 1 in 1,000,000 and lv.5 1 in 100,000,000. Basically, if you are lv.5 swordsman in modern-day US only 2 other people in the whole country would be able to match you in a sword fight. Admittedly, this scale may not be good for all advantages, but if I think you made your advantage level too high or too low, I'll let you know.
::POWERS::
Powers are abilities derived from your character's magical talent and training. Like advantages, each power can have up to 5 levels and you have 5 points to spend on creating them. Though different races may have their own special rules concerning powers, by default your character is attuned to one of the five natural elements and you must spend 3 points on powers of that element (the other 2 points you can spend however you wish).
Each level invested in particular power gives you a new facet to that power. So, a LIGHT element illusion spell which at lv.1 makes you capable of creating a mirror image of yourself at lv.2 will not only make the illusion harder to resist, but you can also improve that illusion (make more mirror images, make them affect senses other than sight or create mirror image of someone other than yourself, for example). In cases like this, ability on each level gets progressively more powerful and wider in scale in addition to strengthening the effects of lower level.
You can also create two different powers of the same element and level them up separately. In fact, if the two powers work differently, then you must separate them even if they are the same element. To use the same example as above, if you already have a LIGHT element illusion and you want ability to boost your sight to be able to see through walls, you must create a separate LIGHT element power instead of adding it as a lv.2 facet to existing power.
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Race:
Element: Magical element your anima is attuned to (see the spoiler below). You can't pick Spirit. Oxidals write "none" and Ashans "all" in this field.
Background:
::ADVANTAGES::
Advantages are everything beneficial to your character that he has access to, but isn't his magical powers. This can literally be anything. Cooking skills, swordsmanship, social status, rich family, henchmen, badass mount or animal companion, magical item, vehicle, some advanced piece of technology, safe-haven, connections, etc. You create your own advantages.
Each advantage has 5 levels, and you start with 8 levels to distribute however you wish. You can start with 2 lv.4 advantages or 8 lv.1 or 1 lv.5 and 1 lv.3 or any combination in-between.
How much does each level mean?
Well, taking swordsmanship as an example, with lv.1 your skill level is 1 in 100 people. At lv.2 it's 1 in 1000. Lv.3, it's 1 in 100,000, lv.4 1 in 1,000,000 and lv.5 1 in 100,000,000. Basically, if you are lv.5 swordsman in modern-day US only 2 other people in the whole country would be able to match you in a sword fight. Admittedly, this scale may not be good for all advantages, but if I think you made your advantage level too high or too low, I'll let you know.
::POWERS::
Powers are abilities derived from your character's magical talent and training. Like advantages, each power can have up to 5 levels and you have 5 points to spend on creating them. Though different races may have their own special rules concerning powers, by default your character is attuned to one of the five natural elements and you must spend 3 points on powers of that element (the other 2 points you can spend however you wish).
Each level invested in particular power gives you a new facet to that power. So, a LIGHT element illusion spell which at lv.1 makes you capable of creating a mirror image of yourself at lv.2 will not only make the illusion harder to resist, but you can also improve that illusion (make more mirror images, make them affect senses other than sight or create mirror image of someone other than yourself, for example). In cases like this, ability on each level gets progressively more powerful and wider in scale in addition to strengthening the effects of lower level.
You can also create two different powers of the same element and level them up separately. In fact, if the two powers work differently, then you must separate them even if they are the same element. To use the same example as above, if you already have a LIGHT element illusion and you want ability to boost your sight to be able to see through walls, you must create a separate LIGHT element power instead of adding it as a lv.2 facet to existing power.
LIGHT: This element, in its raw form, allows you to create a light source or create and manipulate lightning. However, the true power of this element lies in its ability to manipulate knowledge. Anything that deals with acquiring knowledge, like boosting one's senses, detecting magic or life-forms, reading minds, seen through objects, etc. fall under the domain of LIGHT element. This goes the other way around and LIGHT can help you prevent others from acquiring knowledge through illusionary spells.
DARK: Although raw DARK may seem like a counter to LIGHT, as it allows you to manipulate shadows and create artificial darkness, the true nature of this element lies in summoning. With DARK element you can conjure up any weapon or monster you wish, the only limit is your imagination. Note that your summons aren't actually transported from somewhere else and are magical projections of your mental image. Summons don't remain for long and dissipate after a while.
FIRE: Obvious power this element gives to its user is its ability to create and manipulate fire. Its second ability is "limit-break". Caster transforms and during this time FIRE boosts his basic stats and also gives him more abilities depending on the nature of the transformation. However, these transformations are short and last only for a few minutes.
WATER: Aside from creation and manipulation of water, this element also makes one able to use healing abilities and create barriers. It also allows caster to create personal fields, where the power covers certain area and lets caster impose his own rules upon it, though this type of power doesn't have long duration.
EARTH: This is the element of transformation and making one object gain the shape and functionality of another. EARTH is capable of incurring permanent changes to the world provided caster attempts to transform an object of similar size and nature to the desired end product or otherwise the magic will be used to compensate for the lack of materials and thus make the transformation short-lived.
SPIRIT: The sixth element was artificially created in order to control raw mana. Think of it as "anti-magic" element. SPIRIT lets user influence the powers of other five elements by manipulating their mana. It can also be used to create wards against magic, to weaken one's affinity for it or to make using magic more exhausting. However, the most notorious power of SPIRIT is it's ability to influence anima of another living being, letting it be controlled by caster as a puppet on strings. Because SPIRIT is artificial you can't be attuned to it and can only gain its powers through study and practice.
DARK: Although raw DARK may seem like a counter to LIGHT, as it allows you to manipulate shadows and create artificial darkness, the true nature of this element lies in summoning. With DARK element you can conjure up any weapon or monster you wish, the only limit is your imagination. Note that your summons aren't actually transported from somewhere else and are magical projections of your mental image. Summons don't remain for long and dissipate after a while.
FIRE: Obvious power this element gives to its user is its ability to create and manipulate fire. Its second ability is "limit-break". Caster transforms and during this time FIRE boosts his basic stats and also gives him more abilities depending on the nature of the transformation. However, these transformations are short and last only for a few minutes.
WATER: Aside from creation and manipulation of water, this element also makes one able to use healing abilities and create barriers. It also allows caster to create personal fields, where the power covers certain area and lets caster impose his own rules upon it, though this type of power doesn't have long duration.
EARTH: This is the element of transformation and making one object gain the shape and functionality of another. EARTH is capable of incurring permanent changes to the world provided caster attempts to transform an object of similar size and nature to the desired end product or otherwise the magic will be used to compensate for the lack of materials and thus make the transformation short-lived.
SPIRIT: The sixth element was artificially created in order to control raw mana. Think of it as "anti-magic" element. SPIRIT lets user influence the powers of other five elements by manipulating their mana. It can also be used to create wards against magic, to weaken one's affinity for it or to make using magic more exhausting. However, the most notorious power of SPIRIT is it's ability to influence anima of another living being, letting it be controlled by caster as a puppet on strings. Because SPIRIT is artificial you can't be attuned to it and can only gain its powers through study and practice.
------------------------------------------------
The Lion's Roar is set in Azure, a fantasy world overflowing with magic, at the time when the Empire, the titular "Lion", is reading to invade the Warden Kingdom of Juren, which will practically result in this world's version of World War. However, this is just a backdrop for the adventures and stories of the player characters themselves. The players may get involved in the politics and war in some way, but if they wish so they can completely ignore all that crap and just stick to exploring dungeons, running a crime syndicate, hunting zombies, or anything else that crosses their mind. Although it could be said that the "main" genre of this RP is either steampunk or fantasy, the technological discrepancy of the Azure allows for stories of multitudes of other genres. For example, one group of players may be leading a medieval cavalry charge against the invading trolls, while the other is getting chased by drones in a super high-tech sky fortress.
I don't plan to have many players for this, probably from around 8, though I'll accept more if someone volunteers to be a co-GM for them. If people show interest I'll put up more info about the world's history, races, regions, creatures and how magic works. CS will come last, once all the relevant info is posted.
