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Ʌƽ Ǥɵɗƽ Ɯɛ Ʀɩƽɛ...
The evolution of the mysterious and unknown has always fixated man, down from the first moments of their birth. Curiosity, as it were. The years following the fall of the Imperrium were no different. For thousands of years, the Imperrium was the ruling government of the Land. None remember when it first came into being; only stories are known. How the Imperrium saved the land from an eternity of imbalance and chaos, gave order to a world ruled by discord. However, almost everyone remembers the Fall, and the Rise of another government.
A decade before the Fall was an astonishing event. Nine individuals showed signs of the ability to tap into the fabric of reality, to fold it to their means and to change the world around them. Magic was nothing new, dozens of schools and academy’s – each studying a different form of the Arcane – but this was different. Seven men, and two women, who could affect the world around them in such a way that, at first, many believed them to be deity’s sent from the Heavens. Each was unique, bearing a weapon that was their signature, their personalities. Only two were the “same”, the same weapon but unique to its bearer. A pair of twin great-swords, each the other’s opposite. Fire and Ice, Light and Darkness. A whip, a spear, a sword and shield, dual swords, a longbow, and a staff. Different heraldic devices, different homes and Houses. Unique, but connect by their very souls.
The Nine rose quickly into greatness, defeating the Land’s greatest enemies and dangerous monsters. Dragons, demons, ghastly monsters, undead creatures, and etc. Each fell the glory that was the Nine. Their greatness, however, was short lived. One of their own, his name stripped from history, believed himself a God. So diluted was he in this belief, he started his own cult, his followers worshipping his power and his deeds. Drunk with power, he came to his brothers and sisters and proclaimed their glorious rise to godhood. Aghast at his words, the others banished him and stripped him of his legendary weapon: One of the Twin Swords. Wrath filled his veins, and with this anger he hunted down the greatest smiths in the land to forge him the greatest suit of armor and a powerful weapon to raise an army to march across the world. He succeeded.
The Rise of the Deceiver was swift and merciless. Recruiting hundreds of thousands to his twisted banner, the Deceiver – as he was known – sent his countless armies all around the world and subjugated those unwilling to kneel before him to swift ends. Those scared and cowardly took his advice and knelt. The Eight – as they were known after the Deceiver’s rise – rode to destroy him, only to find an invincible enemy wielding a weapon far too powerful for them to embattle: The Whispering Blade, so swift it left barely a whisper in the air, a weapon so sharp it cut through any metal, but unable to be broken. Indestructible. A weapon forged with hate, to be wielded by a man snared in its grasp. On the Broken Plains of Caer Delann, the forces of good and evil clashed in one final battle. The Nine in its entirety, including the splinter that was the Deceiver, vanished into the wind, leaving behind the empire he forged upon the fall of the Imperrium.
One-hundred years after the War of the Broken Plains, the world was split again, but not by war or famine, but politics and racism. Three classes were made: The Ascended, those following in the footsteps of the Nine, gifted with their powers and “heavenly” in appearance; the Blessed, those gifted with mild forms of those same powers, but not “heavenly” in appearance but rather normal; and the Untouched, those unaffected by the Blessing – as it was called as more people found their abilities – and generally found as the lowest of the low, ignored by the Ascended and treated badly by the Blessed. Even those wealthy and connected who were among the Untouched were treated badly. Soon the Untouched became the Cursed, the Reviled. Names were given to them as they slowly sunk deeper into the revulsion that was this day and age.
Whispered are the names of the Nine in hope of their return, to bring with them the Heavenly Weapons and to make right the wrongs of the world. No one realized that they were already here, hidden within the bodies of normal humans. Even the Deceiver has returned, though they know not of their past life. Those remnants of the Dark Followers – the names given to those who followed the Deceiver – had taken the power their leader had left behind and shaped the world to favor those blessed with their old master’s power. Behind their machinations and plotting is another dark facet of the land: Unholy magic. Already the cogs and wheels of war were turning, shifting the currents of reality as the world readied itself for an onslaught of epic proportions. Men and women wielding power only the gods themselves should have, with weapons that can rend souls, tear armor, shatter bodies, and summon tempests of fire and ice.
No one is safe. As the Saviors of All rise again, so shall the Evil of Mankind, setting the world alight with the Unholy Fires from the depths of reality. How can you possibly prepare for the darkness that is ahead? No one is safe, no one can hide…
The Land
The Magistratorium – The House of the Magistrates, the rulers of the seven provinces of the Land; Usually called Lords or Ladies; Lord Calden of Auburn, Lady Klair of the Province of Jade, Lord Fairel of Caer Delann, Lord Pir of Burgundy, Lady Salida of Aerl, Lord Gao’Lin of the Highlands, and High Lord Derid of the Golden City, High Magistrate and Prime Minister of the Land.
Province of Auburn – Ruled by Lord Calden and his family. A country of swamps and lush forests, Auburn is one of the more prized areas of the Land as it is the main source of lumber and exotic herbs to fuel the growing Magistratorial Armies; Consists of five cities, the capitol being the city of Lyrum. Auburn consists of three armies, one infantry, one of cavalry, and the last being the navy. Auburn boasts of largest navy in the Land, consisting of several hundred ships, ranging from the smallest frigate to the elite battleships and battle-cruisers. Most people who come from there are sea-born naval cadets, fisherman, herbalists, or mercenaries with experience on both land and sea. Those who fair from Auburn are normally rather cultured, with males and females having ponytails or have their usually lengthy hair tied back; Most dress rather nicely despite their funds or lack thereof, and only have a bit of a loll to their speech. Their hair comes in all normal ranges of color, with eyes as well, with height at average. The males and females – at least those with seafaring experience – have tanned skin and are a bit weathered. Their primary language is Common.
Province of Jade – Ruled by Lady Klair and her family. A country of ideals and craftsmanship, Jade has been for several years the home of honor and creativity. As the chief source of craft and blacksmithing in the Land, it fuels the Armies of the Magistrate with the weapons and tools they need; Consists of four cities, the capitol city being the Jade City. Jade boasts only two armies, being the most landlocked of the Seven Provinces, both infantry and cavalry. However, they boast the most ranged soldiers throughout the provinces, those soldiers being incredibly well trained and disciplined. Most who come from there are great artists – in painting, drawing, and cloth making – along with accomplished marksman and horseman. The olive skinned, slant-eyed citizens of Jade usually dress in rather conservative fashion, with males hair tied back into a queue and the females simply tied back away from their faces. (A pertinent example would be Feudal Japan and their clothing and hairstyles.) Their language is that of Yadenese, a rather difficult to learn language that is very formal and direct, far different from Burgundian and Aerlan.
Province of Caer Delann – Ruled by Lord Fairel and his family. What was once a beautiful country was nearly destroyed in the war one hundred years ago, and has thus fallen into decrepitude despite the Lord’s attempt to clean his province up; Consists of three cities and the ruins of the Imperrium, the capitol being the city of Illium. What Caer Delann lacks in military force they make up for with incredible defensive constructs. Illium, their prized city, features four incredibly thick walls that protect the most inner section of the city, splitting the city into four parts which can all be easily defended by the tall walls surrounding each section. They have more than enough soldiers to do the job. The other cities are situated in such a manner as to easily and quickly escape into the massive confines of Illium if and when an attack is imminent. Watch towers are situated at great intervals around the edges of Caer Delann, warning the citizens within of danger or simply watching the comings and goings of trade and travelers. Most who come from there are scholars, priests, swordsman and knights, or mercenaries. Illium does not boast a large artistic community, spending most of its time delving into history to keep the world from falling into what it once was. Much like the citizens of Auburn, those from Caer Delann are cultured and well educated, but with shorter hair and dress more elegantly. The scholars and teachers can be seen with robes of blue or gray, while the religious personnel – monks, priests, clerics, and so forth – generally wear brown or the colors of their religious deities. The soldiers are usually in the more form fitting clothes and lack facial hair. The same as Auburn in skin tone, eye and hair color, and height. The women generally dress in fashionable dresses or the more business dresses. Their primary language is Common.
Province of Burgundy – Ruled by Lord Pir and his wife. The country that holds the most sway over its people, Burgundy is half-desert and half-arid wasteland, known primarily as the Wastes, or Desecrated Lands. Beyond the vast walls of their capitol city of Waygate, lays the empty lands that make up the home of what was once the armies of the Deceiver. There, he stationed his soldiers as he waited for the perfect time to wage his war against humanity. There is only one city in Burgundy, as beyond its gates are rabid monsters, insane wanderers, roving brigands, and degenerates. The City of Waygate is massive, three times the size of the famed Illium, with a wall that stretches the length of the Wastes until it meets Waygate, the only way in or out of the Wastes. Despite the dangers of the Wastes, there are one or two nomadic tribes that wander the place, along with a handful of small villages that get by somehow, usually with livestock or farming the only plants that live there – cocoa. As for the ruling system, Lord Pir has made his province heavily religious, basing their beliefs on the Golden God, a god who only helps those who help themselves. As such, religious laws are paramount in Waygate, and no one breaks them. The most hardy of people, those from Burgundy are fame trappers, rangers, bodyguards, mercenaries, religious zealots, and hunters. Due to the religious laws and customs in Waygate, little to no artistic talent is found there, and most artists – for their radical views (unless musicians) – are turned back at the gate. As for musicians, as long as they do not slander the Golden God or any other god within the city – while the Golden God is the most widely worshipped, there are many other deities there that have been formed that have been sanctioned by the Council of Waygate and its home church – their talents are widely enjoyed and encouraged. Dark skinned, the citizens of Burgundy usually have hair, eyes, and skin the same color but different shades. None have light colored eyes, though they can be a different shade of brown. Most men have short hair or have longer hair tied back in locks with beads or simply kept away from their faces. Most have numerous tattoos, piercings, and religious memorabilia. The women usually wear dresses or other flowing apparel, while those in the military or other non-home business ladies generally match the men in loose clothing and pants. Their language is Burgundian, a guttural yet fluid language that is quite easy to learn, and besides Common, Burgundian is the second most known language in the Land.
Province of Aerl – Ruled by Lady Salida and her consort. By far the smallest of the provinces, Aerl is home to the greatest cavalry in the Land, the highly-feared and famous Vanguard, and the largest horse-rode force in all the Seven Provinces. Aerl has five cities, the largest being the capitol city of Aerlmark. Being the third province not entirely landlocked, their naval forces are small in comparison to Auburn, but large compared to the navy of the Highlands. The terrain of Aerl is rather flat, with only one mountain range that protects the rear of the city of Aerlmark, and the rest is rather tropical and lush despite the lack of terrain features. Their trading consists of rare fruits, delicious wines and other alcoholic drinks, and tropical animals caught within the confines of the city. Only a few are allowed to hunt beyond the city walls – of any city in Aerl – and those few have been given explicit permission to hunt and capture only those who are not short in population. The most sought-after animal being the beautiful and graceful silver tigers, a monochromatic cousin to the usual tiger, being silver and white rather than orange, black, and white. Slightly smaller than their orange cousins, they’re faster and smarter and far more attractive. The armies of Aerl are made up almost entirely of cavalry and accomplished archers, where most of their infantry resides within their naval branch. Also known as the most bountiful and beautiful province to spend ones honeymoon or vacation. Most who come from Aerl are talented hunters, horseman, soldiers, mercenaries, accomplished marksman, sailors, bards, artists, and rangers. Aerl boasts are large artistic community, mainly painters and pottery makers. However, their musical front is much sought after, as the famous bard Edwin Skylark came from Aerlmark. Lighter skinned then their Burgundy neighbors, the citizens of Aerl are darker than most with a rather fluid and graceful aura about them. In a society where appearance is everything, most dress exquisitely and have numerous servants in every household. They happily welcome guests and are – for the most part – quite friendly and trustworthy. While Aerl does have a darker side, most of it is hidden behind politics and secrets not shared with the occasional guests. Darker hair and eyes, very few are found with blue or green eyes. Males generally wear turbans or circlets of cloth, while the women are generally veiled – if a young woman – or given a thin hood if they are married and older. Generally their hair is let down, and rarely is one seen with their hair up unless in their homes. Their language is Aerlan, a dialect much like Burgundian but less guttural and more “refined”.
Province of the Highlands – Ruled by Lord Gao’Lin and his family. The Highlands are where very few people travel to on vacation. When not covered in snow, ice, constant rain, or harsh winds, it is home to the numerous roving packs of bandits and other foul creatures. To guard against this, the Lord of the Highlands devised an elite guard to protect wayfarers on their way between the eight cities of the Highlands. The Silent Watchmen, they are called, the most elite fighting force of the Seven Provinces. Small compared to most soldier companies – including modern military and mercenary corps – the Silent Watchmen were trained within the vast confines of the Highlands and braved the harsh climate that makes up the mountainous province. They are called the Silent Watchmen due to their inability – or by choice – to speak, or make any noise what so ever. The only way to detect a Watchman is to have one allow you to follow it. Thus far, the Silent Watchmen Corps has kept the wandering roads of the Highlands safer for travelers and merchants. The largest city of the Highlands is the capitol city of Liridia, situated at the peak of the Twin Peaks, the tallest mountain range in the Seven Provinces. The other numerous cities range around its base and sides, either inside the mountain itself or along its edges. As for military might, the mercenary corps that frequents the area is its military, hired by the governors of each city to protect it from marauders, bandits, and the harsh creatures of the area. As for a navy, mercenary ships and old military crafts – either stolen from Auburn or Aerl, or bought – protect it from pirates and other aquatic threats. Most who come from the Highlands are accomplished mercenaries, hunters, retired pirates, rangers, and musicians. The artistic community of the Highlands diminished over the years, yielding few painters, sketch artists, and other creative arts. Thus far, musicians are the only additions to the community, mainly traveling minstrels and bards. Other than the traveling bard companies, nomads and other tribal communities range about the open lands of the Highlands. The Highlands have very little trade beyond their hardy goats and sheep, mercenary corps, and talented seafarers. The residents of the Highlands are prone to longer hair, in both male and female, with tougher skin, light blue eyes, and hair colors ranging from red to brown, with a few blondes. An example of a Highlands citizen would be Nordic or even Scottish, including the rough accent that gives them their “foreign” air.
The Golden City – Ruled by High Lord Derid and his consort. The last province is a city, considered thusly as to its size. Roughly the size of both Illium and Waygate combined, the Home of the Magistratorium is a spectacle many have wanted to see. Considered a rich province, the Golden City is home to the greatest minds in all the Seven Provinces, houses the largest retail of fruits, vegetables, miscellaneous foods, clothing, tools, and armor and weaponry for those who have just entered the soldiery profession. Four walls, much like Illium, keep it protected and separate each quarter from the other. The city was situated upon a tall hill, making the tallest point the Magistratorium itself. From base to top, is the Bronze Quarter, where those who cannot afford expensive housing and lush markets can stay for cheap; The Silver Quarter, the famed marketplace that any and all goods can be bought from, which also houses the numerous merchants who reside within the Golden City; The Diamond Quarter, where all the rich and famous people live in their towering homes and richly lit streets; and the Magistratorium, the home of the ruling body of the Land. Protecting the streets of the Golden City are the White Lions, the elite guards that keep the quarters safe, all but the Bronze Quarter. Due to its rather poor denizens, mercenary groups were hired to keep the quarter safe; though some have become corrupt due to the new power they were given. Those who come from the Golden City can be of any and all professions, and the artistic community is rather large and fruitful. Much like Auburn and Caer Delann, though with the different tiers and quarters, the dress style varies with those who are rich and who are not, though the merchants usually wear rather shiny clothing.
Well Known Mercenary Corps
Red Dawn – A harsh mercenary group led by Jadin Jax, a retired pirate who gave his sword to any who wanted it. Clad in red and black, they’re the most feared and used mercenary group. Main uses are as follows: Bodyguards, guards, bounty-hunters, assassins, and bouncers. One of three groups that prowl the Bronze Quarter of the Golden City.
Golden Saints – The more conservative of the popular mercenary groups led by the infamous Lady Sparrow, a renowned thief and assassin who, after an attempted betrayal, formed her own corps to remedy future situations. One of the more heavily clad corps, the irony behind the Golden Saints – being led by one of the greatest thief’s in the Land – is that the Saints are more a brute force than a profession of stealth and darkness. Gold and blue are their colors, and in normal dress it is present on the lapel of jackets or coats. Primarily in Caer Delann and Auburn.
Tuul’Drakk – “God’s Tools” to be translated from Burgundian to Common. Formed forty years ago by a deceased cardinal known simply as the Black Bishop – despite being a cardinal, he always referred to himself as a bishop – the Tuul’Drakk was the primary form of stealth-based operations in Burgundy. Assassins, thieves, invisible bodyguards, spies, and stalkers are the primary professions of the TD. Black and silver are their colors, with a half-moon of silver encompassing a crescent moon of black being their standard. While they are stationed primarily in Burgundy, they have been known to go as far as the Highlands to hunt their victims.
Hamr e’Rahm – “The Hammer of Rahm”, a religious mercenary corps that was formed much the same time as the TD, but with “beneficent” ideals that formed it. Aerlan in nature, the Hammer of Rahm was formed to combat heresy and discontent within the churches of the Land, to hunt those who practiced the Black Arts and who blasphemed against the gods. Very unforgiving, they do not consider themselves to be mercenaries, but “visionaries of the future to shape the world as the gods deemed it.” Lead by a council of their highest members, their colors are white and indigo, with a glowing hammer in white as their symbol.
 Lord Arimor Darkheart · Sun Feb 05, 2012 @ 05:49am · 0 Comments |
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