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[Vortigern]

Class Templates

Every race in Arsencia has some kind of distinction of type, be it through social hierarchy, profession, strength, intelligence or anything else. Below is an overview of some of the more common varieties of each species, though it should be noted that this list is neither exclusive nor complete.

Humans:
Soldier: Probably the most numerous profession taken up by Men. Some enlist as mercenaries and travel the world seeking war, others serve as militia and professional armies for the nations of Arsencia; sometimes the two overlap, as with the Valentine Mark (the Landsknechten of Grand Marshal Maximilian the Valiant agreed to settle as permanent defence against invasion). There is no set style for soldiers. Generally their weaponry depends on with which service they perform their duty.
Ranger: Like soldiers in that they are usually proficient with a variety of weapons, these people take up quests and missions offered by rich and powerful clients. Traditional garb for a ranger would include dark green or brown, camouflage for the wilderness in which most of their work would likely take place. Bows are the most common weapon, though swords and knives will not be uncommon. Rising to challenges is second nature to these people. Some small degree of magical understanding is beneficial, as the recovery of magical artefacts is the most commonly requested undertaking.
Magus: The traditional scholar character, most magi will rarely venture outside their preferred library except in the pursuit of greater understanding. For the majority, being faced with real danger would give reason to panic, so it is best to be wary when relying upon them. Most would also be lost without a satchel full of dusty tomes to fall back on under pressure.
Peasant: Legend has it that vast numbers of the serfdom have at times undertaken great quests and risen to kingship, but the truth is probably far removed. Still, there are more farm labourers and unskilled workers in Arsencia than of any other echelon of society, so it seems reasonable to include them.

Vyre:
The Vyre tend to all have similar goals: survive and feed. Even the achievement of sentience has not altered their basic instincts. If being a soldier or a ranger provides the most opportunity for the satiation of their appetites, that is what the Vyre will do.

Elves:
Bard: The magical elfsong has a great power over creatures of all races, and can be woven to evoke celestial bliss, heaving sadness or deep longing. The beauty of an elven voice lends itself extremely well to the prospects of a career travelling from town to town earning keep through performance, so a great many elves do just this. These elves, though, will still likely be extremely capable with their preferred weapons and are not to be underestimated.
Woodsman: These elves have developed an uncanny ability to blend into their surroundings, becoming almost invisible and sneaking up on their prey, be it for food or bigger game. Bows and knives seem to be the preferred modus operandi.
Paladin: After the dissolution of the human order, it was quickly realised that true servants of the darkness had little standing between them and prosperity, so a number of elves, tired of living in secluded harmony within their harrows, set out to right the wrongs of the world. The order was created by Illyriel Tynar, after seeing first hand the effects of dark magic at the hands of Winter Vayu. It has quickly caught on, especially among the younger elves.
High Elves: These enigmatic elfkin rule the harrows and dwell therein exclusively. They have spent whole immortal lifetimes studying the higher magics and becoming proficient in both prophecy and scrying, thereby gaining a great and profound understanding of the outside world. Truthfully little is known about them as they never venture from the safety of the harrows.

Drow:
White Drow: These folk are the ones who have chosen to shun the night and, clad in thick white robes to prevent their skin from blistering in the sun, live diurnal lives in peace with the rest of Arsencia. Most White Drow live in human cities.
Geomancer: A rare ability granted only to those who have spent great lengths of time underground, supposedly in proximity to a certain potent mineral. See below for a description of the magic.
Bard: Much as with the elves, though Drow song, called Léoth, tends to evoke much darker emotions: righteous anger, vengeance and death are common themes.
Magus: Drow magi draw upon the elements of fire, earth and darkness for their power, and the majority tend to act as protectors of their forest territories, waxing wrathful if any unwelcome intruders are found. They are very weak during the hours of daylight, but woe betide any who cross them in the night.

Minotaur:
Shaman: The only known subtype among the Minotaur, these are the only ones born with an ability to wield magic, but this use renders them physically weak and stunts their growth. They seem to be rare indeed, but are welcomed by any tribe. Every shaman is appointed a valvoïa, a guardian, usually the strongest warrior of the tribe to prevent any harm from coming to them.

Dwarves:
Geomancer: See above.
Paladin: The Dwarven Paladins have existed for millennia, supposedly guarding the subterranean prison of a mighty demon, and in later years heading out into the world to prevent the spread of his followers. They are deemed by all to be utterly incorruptible, the complete opposite of the humans who perverted their cause in the past.
Smith: The Dwarven smiths are worth mentioning, as they are highly skilled, beyond anything humans can master. A Dwarf-made sword will never break, never blunt, never rust. Many have now taken their trade to human cities, appreciating the massive demand for their craft in the wider world. Some have even taken their forges to the highways in caravans. They will do almost anything to protect the secrets of Dwarven smithing.

Gnomes:
Arap Datrebil: The gnomes of this organisation are deeply empathic, having the ability to read and manipulate the emotions and thoughts of other beings. Race seems to provide no barrier to this process. The higher ranks are represented in the advisory council to the King of Envael, while those lower down prefer to spread across the world, preaching their message of mental harmony.
Engineer: These are the traditional preconception of gnomes: bent over a forge or an anvil, magnifying lens stuck to their faces, creating complicated works of clockwork or springs. The ‘arbalest’ is the most popular invention of the gnomish engineers. Much like the Dwarven smiths, some have taken to the road to better distribute their wares.

Furya:
Reaver: These seem to be demon-summoners, though very little is known of them, even to the extent that many scholars still declare them nothing more than a myth.
Warrior: Furya warriors use physical and magical weapons in equal part and are entirely unafraid of death. They are popular among brigands and pirates.
Nyasi: The Nyasi Furya are those from the southern continent. Their skin is darker than the greyish-blue of their northern cousins, and they conduct themselves in a much calmer manner. They work mostly as ‘windrunners’ on Nyasi trading vessels, keeping the ships safe as they ply the ocean. Some, however, have taken up positions in courts and merchant convoys in mainland Arsencia and are widely respected, acknowledged as separate to the Miledan Furya.

Deathknelve:
See below for details on the Deathknelve.

Lizardmen:
The majority of Ssadjin work as indentured slaves to the Embaru, though every day a few more break free. Most either seek to live in obscurity in the wilderness or join brigands or mercenary corps.

Melds:
The melds have not made any attempt to integrate with society, but are of various types regardless. The most common seem to be hybrids of man and bear, wolf, jackal, lion and panther, though rumour has it some avian hybrids may exist somewhere.


Excerpt from the Tome of Librera, concerning the races of Arsencia.

[Vortigern]

An Overview of the Common Magics

White magic: White magic is based in water, the purest of the elements. It is used to heal, to cleanse and to rid the world of 'shadowseekers', as the Paladins once called their foes.

Black magic: Black magic is based in fire, the destroyer, and darkness, the deceiver. It is used to cleanse in a wholly different sense and to fight. Neither fire nor darkness have any healing properties. Black magic is, alas, used by petty criminals all across Arsencia, and it slowly rots away at their souls until all that is left is a burning desire to kill and to wreak havoc. Overuse of black magic turns the wielder into an undead creature, a true necromancer. Black magic grows stronger if the wielder drinks the blood of another.

Healing magic: Healing magic is based in earth, solid and dependable. It offers a different form of healing to White magic, and, unlike White magic, is quick to replenish itself, drawing as it does from the soil, the trees, the rocks, the animals.

Battle magic: Battle magic draws on all four elements equally, but very weakly. Battle magic is the most common form of magic, but the spells it can cast are limited. Only very few magi can use battle magic to its fullest extent, as Furya can.

Summoning magic: Summoning magic is used to call forth creatures of spirit and element to fight in one's place. This is the only way in which elemental creatures, including dragons, are born. When summoned the creatures have no life-span, and death will only come if delivered at the end of a spell or sword.

Elfsong: The in-born magic of all elfkin, elfsong shifts reality into beauty and nostalgia, and while it can do no physical hurt to any living creature, it can send a corrupted soul into floods of tears, pining for lost love. It can also move the singer to any place dear to his or her heart, be that their harrow or anywhere else.

High Elven magic: High Elven magic is elemental, but draws on all six plus an unknown seventh element. It can be used for virtually everything, though very little is known about it.

Dwarven magic: This is a natural magic, born in the rocks and the minerals that the Dwarves mine, and refined in their forges and their souls. This magic creates a strong bond between the dwarf and the final product of the mineral, strengthening both in the process. The visible manifestation of this magic takes the form of runes, apparently engraved on the weapon or armour in question. The weaker spells are transferable, but the stronger ones are created specifically for one user and will destroy the item when the wielder dies.

Geomancy: An ability granted to some dwarves, Drow and gnomes, apparently obtained through prolonged exposure to an unknown mineral. I suspect the mineral provides a mental link between the subject and the earth itself, allowing them to manipulate it a little and to sense caverns, ore seams and the like. It seems to be most prevalent in the Dwarven citadel of Oster.

Drow magic: The Drow have a corrupted, blackened version of elfsong known as Léoth, which they use to call forth darkness and cast terror into the hearts of their foes. Some Deathknelf also inherit this ability. Drow also have a peculiar brand of elemental magic, based in fire, earth and darkness. They use this during battle as a last resort, as it drains them almost to the point of no return.

Furya magic: This is a higher form of battle magic, stronger and more powerful than any human could handle. However, it drains the life-force from the Furya with every use.

Gnomish magic: Recently some of the gnomes have begun displaying an ability to read thoughts and emotions from all races, and even to manipulate them to a certain extent, though full possession does not seem to be possible. As demonstrated by the Dark Lord Vayu at the Battle of the Maughold, using this ability leaves the minds of the gnomes wide open to mental attack.

Minotaur and lizardmen have demonstrated resistance to minor magical attacks, though neither race has shown any ability to wield magic (with the obvious exception of the Minotaur shamen). Deathknelve have varying inherited abilities dependent upon from which House they descend. The Vyre have an inherent resistance to physical harm which seems to grant them a form of immortality, though one which can be ended by removing the head or by any form of magical attack (their ability does not seem to encompass any kind of magical resistance.) However, since the Vyre achieved full sentience a few years ago, their resistance seems to be dwindling slightly. Studies are still underway.

[Rafv Nin IV]

Gnomish Magic--The shortest race of Arsencia seems to have an innate ability, inexplicable by any means other than a magical talent, to sense the emotions of any aquaintances beyond the normal point. However, the tendency for gnomes to host a great hate for the world and its other residents mars their ability to use this for any constructive activity. Gnomes often use their heightened empathy against any and all who they come into contact with; they understand what actions will infuriate or create sorrow best in their victims. There is little evidence that this is actively controlled; very few gnomes have been known to hone their talents; still, this may be explained by their antisocial attitudes and the gnomish public's isolation from the rest of the world.

Interestingly, the gnomes' empathetic skills do not seem to aid in their relations with each other. The creatures frequently kill each other and rarely develop friendships. Monogamous relationships between spouses tend to collapse after an average of only eight months--as the gestation period of a normal gnome child is five months, this does not impact their reproductive capabilities. The relationship tends to terminate altogether (often with the death of one of the spouses) within a year. (Side note--this may be due to the gnomes' curious custom to advertise their martial status; partnered gnomes abstain from washing and other hygienic necessities during the course of their marriage, and this may contribute to their short-lived relationships.)

This prompts the fascinating concept that the better we know our companions, the worse we get along with them, but that is a discussion for another day.

Due to the Human Paladins' pious extermination of gnomes (among other races), few gnomes live near human cities. In sharp contrast to this general rule, the population of gnomes living in the Maughold itself appears to have risen in the last fifty years. While no gnomes are known to reside in the fortress, sightings of gnomes have escalated drastically in the recent past. This, combined with the apparent immunity to Paladin massacre, suggests a society of gnomes that have learned to develop and hone their innate power to the point where they can resist the Paladins and the urge to kill each other. No such gnomes have yet been exposed, so at this point this is merely speculation.

Edited by Vortigern, 30 May 2010 - 02:33 PM.

[Vithar-133]

Mental Magic: Of all forms of magic, this appears to be rare, even for Elves and Furya. It is said that if someone is found to be with this form of Magic, they disappear, never to be seen or heard from again. I will get back to this later. Mental Magic has a variety of uses, going from healing and support, to devastating mental blasts. Due to the rarity of Mental Magic, few know it even exists.

The Paladins, in their Pious "witch hunts" have found multiple "Psionic Mages" although, the interrogating Paladins have always been found dead. It is assumed that the mages either are weak in the mind, or are not willing to release to us this power of theirs. This brooks further research.

Back to my original line of thought. Mental Magicks seem to be unwieldy, and lawless. However, the wielders do seem to have an innate control over this unruly and over powerful magic.

There seem to be multiple facets and uses to Mental magic. I will list them here.

Healing: It would seem that this Mental magic allows the wielder to speed the healing and recovery processes of their patient, meaning they can, with the help of a skilled healer, have an injured warrior back to the front rather quickly. It also seems likely that the wielders can server mental ties and repair trauma damage to some small extent. Amazing! What I would give to see our healers do things like this!

Supportive: Mental magics seem to have various effects in the supportive manner. Including being able to create a distraction and even affecting the morale of allied and enemy troops. Interesting...

Defensive: This is another one with various effects. Whether it is defending the minds of an army or stopping enemy magic, this does seem useful.

Combative: Of all magicks, Mental magic seems to be the deadliest. A wave of mental energy that can fry weak minds, or concentrating mental energies into deadly "mind bombs". Disturbing.

Telekinetic: This particular branch seems to be the most versatile. It can act like any of the other branches, and more besides. I heard that there is a healing trance that can server mental ties. How that would be useful...Only these mental wizards know.

I made mention of the fact that children discovered with an affinity for this "magic" are said to disappear, never to be seen again. I wish to negate this belief. There are said to be some sort of city-like area in the Mountains, far to the North. I think that there is an elite cadre of warriors there who can wield this magic as well as physical weaponry. I assume that the Paladins will find time to cleanse the Mountains...

Addendum: I have recently heard that the "Telekinetic" branch if mental magic is often combined with another branch, to make for some interesting casts. The most often used combinations are Healing and Telekinetic and Combative and Telekinetic.

Edited by Vortigern, 30 May 2010 - 02:34 PM.

[Copaman]

More on the Deathknelve:

The Deathknelve are a curious race, seperated and scattered throughout Arsencia, although this was not always so.

History: Originally, the deathknelve found a home in their fortress megacity, Shadowfang Keep. The fortress was set ablaze by dark magi who were able to infiltrate both the magical and physical defenses of Shadowfang Keep, and the inhabitants who survived set out to find a new home.

The destruction of Shadowfang Keep cut the deathknelve population in Arsencia by more than two-thirds. What remained of the population was, understandibly, scattered.

When Shadowfang Keep still stood, it rivaled the Maughold in size. The deathknelve ran a four-house monarchy, with each house taking a turn in the ruling position. Just before the city fell, the Daggerweave family seized power from the Shadowblades in a coup d'etat - it is suspected that the Shadowblades in turn hired the dark magi to burn the city. The last known heir to the throne is the child of Aelfieron Dagerweave and an unnamed mother in the Soulfyre clan. His current whereabouts are unknown and have been so since his twentieth birthday.

The Houses: The four clans arranged in ruling order are as follows: Shadowblade, Soulfyre, Deathbringer, and Daggerweave. Each house is composed only of pureblooded deathknelve whose parents court for at least twenty years before concieving a child; furthermore, each house has a unique magical ability inherited from their parents - whichever ability is inherited is the house which a child belongs to, except in rare cases when the child inherits both magics - in which case, it belongs to the father's house. The Shadowblades can bend shadows to their will, concealing weapons from all but the keenest eyes and weaving dark magic from pure shadow. The Soulfyres are able to produce a curious magical flame whose source is apparently their soul; each flame color is unique to the person, and each Soulfyre manipulates the flame in their own way. The Deathbringers are physically larger than most deathknelve and are threefold stronger, supplemented by their clan magic. The Daggerweave are the most agile deathknelve and are able to weild daggers in a most effective manner, delivering staggeringly fast blows which are nearly unparriable.

All deathknelve share one common magic which is curious in its own right. This magic allows a deathknelf to focus on various things at a seemingly impossible speed. This focus slows the sense of time for the deathknelf and allows for incredible feats.

Religion: The deathknelve are worshippers of old, heathen gods. They pray to different deities depending on what they are about to undertake. The highest god is the goddess Feruilen, who is the mother of the gods and everything else in the world. Several other major deities are known to be worshipped by the deathknelve, including Vala'ai of the blood moon, Weial the hunter, Thandol, guardian of the forge, and Kronaie, keeper of life and fate. The high preists and preistesses of these major gods form what is known to the deathknelve as the Council of the Higher Gods. Other minor deities are thought to exist as well.

Military: Before the fall of Shadowfang Keep, the actual number of soldiers in the deathknelven army was unknown; the army, tragically, fell with Shadowfang Keep. It was widely known that the deathknelve were the most ferocious warriors in all of Arsencia, nearly unable to feel pain, exceptionally fast, tremendously lethal. The military consisted of several different fighting classes, this much is known. They are listed below with a short description.

Fighter: These are the grunts of the deathknelven army, preferring armor and melee weapons. They deal high amounts of damage and have a high survival rate, but are slow in battle.

Weaver: The mages are purebreeds with no direct connection to the throne. They are always either Soulfyres or Shadowblades and cast spells as such.

Behemoth: A behemoth is a Deathbringer which has no direct connection to the throne. They don tremendously heavy armor and use incredibly large, unweildy weapons to cut large swaths in a battlefield.

Whisperblade: A reclusive order of dagger and shortsword weilders who draw upon a special from of elfsong to deliver incredibly fast and deadly blows. Their song, and the language it is sung in, is known as the Ebrion and is good for nothing other than battle. Whisperblades will rarely wear armor - when they do, it is light leather.

Dweller: The dwellers are stereotypical assassins, donning black robes from head to toe and relying on stealth and shadow to attack their targets.

Ranger: Rangers equip themselves with longbows and hardened arrows. They are the bowmen for the deathknelve, and are nearly useless in close quarters unless using a backup weapon such as a concealable dagger; even with a backup, they are still easy to dispatch in hand to hand combat.

Edited by Vortigern, 30 May 2010 - 02:34 PM.

[Vortigern]

I have never claimed that this work will be a total authority on all things Arsencian. However, I strive constantly to deliver as much knowledge in a single compendium as is possible given my research and, ultimately, my lifespan. The following concerns the least well known of all the races of Arsencia: the Vyre.

Their homeland was once thought to be connected to the Arsencian mainland, though millennia of war, magic and natural processes have seen them separated by a hundred mile wide strait, widening to nearly twice that at the farthest reaches. Their isle was once cohabited by humans, elves and Drow, possibly among others, though the existence of any other races thereupon cannot be confirmed by any reliable sources. The Vyre began as instinctive, barely sentient humanoid creatures who kept to the shadows, hunting at night and surfacing when there was a meal to be had. They would lurk in the darkness and prey on the unwary, and on livestock when the people of their isle became inured to their ways.

Of course, once sought out by the Vyre it was extremely difficult to avoid ending one's days as fodder, as their inexplicable resilience to physical harm allowed only the select few to do them harm. In the early days magi would often be hired from the mainland to mount expeditions into the jungles to seek out colonies of Vyre and destroy them. It was a risky, though lucrative, business, and more than one blossoming magus disappeared amongst the trees. Later studies of captured specimens showed that their ability to withstand sword blows and arrow wounds was due to an extremely high pain threshold, to the point where they would only begin to notice pain at the sort of levels that would have a human pleading for death, and also to an improbably high healing rate, doubtless the side-effect of some vast magic effected in their surroundings in the dim past. It was shown that an arrow to the heart of a Vyre would heal and begin pumping blood anew in less than fifteen seconds, while a leg or arm wound would be largely ignored as anything more than a curiosity by the recipient. However, testing did reveal two manners in which Vyre could be disposed of. Removing the head, and thus severing the spinal column would almost immediately kill the wounded Vyre. Secondly, and far more common, was magic. The Vyre's mysterious healing properties were of no use against all known forms of magic.

It is thought that, approximately six hundred years ago, some kind of spell was used around the Vyre colonies that granted them sentience, or at least a very close approximation. Though still primarily creatures of instinct, they were granted the ability to reason and make abstract decisions, rather than simply chasing after the nearest kill. Their primary function was still to kill and eat, but they had found new and clever ways of ensuring they did just that. It was this sentience that made many leave their isle, by some unknown manner, in search of more bountiful food sources. Many of these travelling Vyre took up with mercenary cadres, aware that their new friends would lead them to huge numbers of victims for their bloodthirsty maws.

Later study suggests that the incident which granted the Vyre their intelligence was begun by a human mage known to history only as Veitar. Veitar is said to have sailed alone to the isle of the Vyre, in search of knowledge and test subjects. Legend has it that his plan went awry and he was trapped inside a ruined temple in the midst of the jungle. The magic he cast to free himself of the clutches of the surrounding Vyre sent them running in all directions, terrified of the prospects their new minds opened to them. Veitar was likely largely unaware of the full effects of his magic, content to know that it had granted him survival. What remains of his memoirs can be found in the Great Library of the Maughold.

In modern times no race but the Vyre lives on their damned isle, and their jungle has reclaimed all but the farthest corners of the land. The Vyre have nothing in the way of political and social heirarchies, simply several levels of strength dependent on physical prowess and number of kills. Their numbers are thought to be somewhere between one and two hundred thousand, across Arsencia.

[Vortigern]

Old Arsencian Politics

For hundreds of years Arsencian politics were kept remarkably simple. The humans ruled, the other races kept to themselves. A few exceptions took place, such as the Furya incursion during the reign of King Cervantes, during which the Minotaurs were brought in to join the fight, at horrendous expense for the single human realm of Envael. Minor kingdoms have sprung up over the years, but all have been subdued within five years at the upper limit. All until the rise of Anvar, that is.

Though Anvar is now only twelve years old and therefore, historically, not yet a well-established kingdom, it shows signs of becoming a great nation, to mirror Envael's original promise. When work on the great fortress of Anharad is complete, Anvar will truly be recognised as an independent kingdom, though as yet the inner walls and keep are all that stand complete. The mighty outer wall of the concentric rings is far from finished, as are several of the inner rings. It seems likely that the fortress could have been finished had Anvar been granted access to magic, but the few magi who risked leaving the service of Envael have proved not nearly numerous enough to help speed the work along in any real way.

The King of Envael, currently Vassingar, is far and away the most powerful political entity in the world. Though some argue that the Paladins are a greater force, the recent disappearance of High Lord Winter Vayu has thrown them into disarray, leaving them without a leader and allowing the King to reassert his influence over the Maughold and over Envael as a whole. Winter Vayu was a powerful man indeed.

The rival king of Anvar, Sesitha, has little real power in the world at large, though his word is law within the confines of his kingdom. His army is no match for the forces of Envael, notably the Sons of Man, the great élite of the Envaelu soldiery, which, again, gives Envael the upper hand in all matters of bargaining. Quite what it is that keeps Anvar alive and growing nobody is rightly sure, but the simple fact is that Anvar will soon match Envael for military, economic and political might and maybe even surpass it, given time, though for the moment the winning horse will always come from Envaelu stables.


Author's note: This is no longer accurate or relevant, but will remain herein as testimony for future generations.

[mike_]

The Minotaur.

It is unknown precisely when or where the Minotaur originated, though most sources agree that they migrated en masse to the Arsencian mainland from an uncharted archipelago to the southeast of the plains and mountains they now inhabit. It is not known from what they fled, if anything; the Minotaur themselves are not sure, their short lifespans not allowing for such trivialities such as the history of their kind to take predominance in their lives.

By and large, the Minotaur are immensely loyal to their own kind, particularly the Elder of their tribe. The Elder is voted upon by the dams of the tribe, selected from a pool of Minotaur that have reached above their thirty-fifth winter in the tribe. This forces the bulls to act as worthy members in the tribe at all times, or else the dams will not vote for them. It also ensures that an outsider cannot rule those he does not know.

Minotaur children, until the age of three winters, are referred to as calves. At three, if they pass the Arvioitaessa, the Judging, the males are referred to as rams and the females dams. At sixteen, after going through their Kokeilu, the Trial, the rams are referred to as bulls, which they will be for the rest of their life, if they are not elected the Elder.

(will do more later)

[some_weirdGuy]

"Geomancers"

Some members of the subterranean cultures of Arsencia are known to express a certain power, a link between themselves and the earth which allows them to do things others would find difficult, to say the very least. Members of this order exert many gifts, such as being able to sense caverns and materials through the rock face, shift through solid rock, and even manipulate the caverns and earth around them.

To those outside the order they are called Geomancers. Just as the term necromancer describes one who can manipulate the dead, a Geomancer describes one who can manipulate rock, soil and other earthly elements.

A passage from the Hazuks Encyclopaedia of Dwarven Heritage

Among the subterranean races of Arsencia such as ourselves there is an ancient art known to most by the generic term of Geomancy. The fruit of the combined efforts of the ancient masters; Malan, the Drow Priestess, Tauran, the Dwarven Scholar(for more on Tauran see chapter 3, page 755), and Maust, the Gnome Inventor and self pronounced philosopher, who in ancient times supposedly* discovered a great cavern comprised of many precious minerals. They meditated in the crystalline cavern, working together towards what they called 'oneness with the earth' and 'enlightenment'.

*I say supposedly because no such cavern has yet proven to have ever existed, and although the the Geomancers power is not in doubt, I am yet to find solid evidence to prove that this 'crystalline cavern' ever truly existed

They fasted in their secret, secluded network, and it is said that after months the caves finally spoke to them, and they learned the art known to some as Geomancy. They founded a school, a secretive society where those that showed worthiness and willingness were taken to learn the art. The caverns location is a secret lost in time, but the Geomancers are still known to exist within the cave networks of gnome, drow and dwarf.

Occasionally they will surface from their seclusion and walk among the underground societies. They are revered and respected people (even feared by some, although they are not known to ever use their power wrongfully) and even the gnomes among them, who would otherwise be forgotten underfoot, have crowds part before them.

Edited by Vortigern, 30 May 2010 - 11:38 AM.

[Vortigern]

New Arsencian Politics or An Account of the World of Man in the New Age.

In the few years since the kingdom of Envael was crippled and Anvar destroyed and subsumed into what has become Imbara, Arsencia has changed dramatically. It seems strange to recall that as little as twenty years ago Envael was the only true power in the human realm, and now they stand as one of many; still in the top rank, to be sure, but no longer so clearly outstripping any rival.

Envael is an ancient kingdom, and has survived by what will likely keep it alive now: excellent strategic position. Envael is situated on the border between mainland Arsencia and the Miledan Peninsula, allowing Envael to effectively control all trade between the two regions. Beyond that, the human government is now assisted by the gnomes of the Arap Datrebil, giving Envael an edge over any other state. The position of head of state, however, remains with Man in the form of King Vassingar IV.

To the south of Envael’s borders lies the plains duchy of Sairacuse, headed by Duke Sestac. The principal wealth of Sairacuse lies in trade with the Furya nation to their east and the export of steel: Sairacuse steel is in demand all over Arsencia, being considered the strongest and finest to be found anywhere. Recently extensive trading has begun with the Valentine Mark, supplying the dwarven citadels in the mountains.

The Margrave of Gulgottir is the other state to have emerged on the Miledan peninsula. The city, populated largely by red-haired, swarthy descendants of the Gotti, subsists through the industries of fishing and mining and the artisans who work with obsidian, making weapons and talismans to absorb magic and protect the wielder. Time has proven them to be extremely effective. Gulgottir is led by a union of elected patrons, the only democratic state in Arsencia.

The Valentine Mark, led by the Six Marquises, lies on the peninsula of the same name. The capital, Valenti, is famed for the colossal lighthouse, acting as it does as a repository for all knowledge and learning compiled by mankind in the last two thousand years. Valenti is also now the greatest commercial hub in Arsencia, sending trade as far afield as The Meres, Gulgottir, Mirmida and Nyasa.

To the east of the Mark is Trivandor, a reincarnation of the ancient empire. It is ruled by the self-styled Emperor Arquist, taking after the rulers of old, though it has to be said, modern Trivandor is as nothing compared to its ancient incarnation. The previous form, of course, controlled the whole southern coast, based out of Valenti, and ran all trade into and out of the dwarven citadels. The new form seems more opportunistic, led as it is by a military man who, seeing the weakness of the great nations, seized the chance to found his own. Trivandor has yet to find a real constant source of wealth or power and, given the strategically unimportant location, is largely ignored but for trading purposes by the other nations.

Further east and south we find Mirmida, a coalition of city-states around their coastline, largely dependent on the sea for their subsistence. They were always unaffected by Arsencian politics, being so far away, but now are willing to make allies among the smaller nations. The Mirmidons are constantly troubled by the tribespeople of the northern and eastern plains who harry their tradesmen and pillage their outlying towns, and the recent arrival of melds has only worsened this problem. This is likely what spurred their willingness to contact the world at large, in seeking wealth and resources to fend off the threat.

Returning to Arsencia proper, we encounter Imbara, the new nation carved out by invasion. The lands which were once Anvar, stretching from Anharad, rechristened Anaburg, to the western shore, are now claimed by the race called the Embaru, who arrived three years ago en masse from some distant land across the Great Ocean, bringing with them their lizardmen slaves, which have become the staple of their economy. Slaves of all races, in fact, not just of the Ssadjin. They have claimed Anaburg as their capital and enslaved all who wield magic, citing it as an abomination in their belief that only nobility, and certainly only humans, may manipulate the elements. They have achieved this with devices, silver-and-obsidian collars which utterly quash any magical ability of the wearer. When they are made, the collars are linked to a bracelet, and as long as the bracelet is intact, the collar cannot be removed. In this way magic is constrained and set to aid the Embaru.

To the north-west is Fenrig, a small region defined mostly by its total separation from mainstream Arsencian culture. The locals speak Fenrine as a first language, raise their children in communes rather than families and have wilfully resisted any attempt at integration over the years. The formal declaration of independence from Anvar, Imbara and wherever else may feel the right to claim their home changed nothing for them but to end the annual tribute sent to Anharad. They are ruled by a Warlord, who roams the little realm with his warband settling disputes and maintaining borders. The current Warlord is Braefar Three-swords.

East of Fenrig and north of Imbara lies Tyburn, a reborn form of the greatest nation Arsencia has ever seen. New Tyburn is ruled by the Convocation of Princes just as in old Tyburn, a parliament of the knights who watch over the counties. The patriarch of each County family is eligible for the title of Grand Prince, the nominal head of state. His is the final say on all matters legal and military. Tyburn’s economy is based on the trade of coal, lumber, furs and amber and the extremely fertile land upon which is grown all manner of plants and foods as well as the tobacco which so many are fond of putting in their pipes.

East again and to the north lie The Meres, lowlands upon which an ancient kingdom has grown, fallen, risen and sunk time and time again over the last three thousand years. The ruler of this latest attempt is the Pontifex, a title which literally means ‘bridge-builder’, so named for his civic duty to maintain the bridges which are all that keep the myriad islands, deltas and marshes of The Meres connected. The principal assets of The Meres are much the same as in Tyburn, though in addition they are great shipbuilders, known for their deep-hulled ships capable of braving any storm in the Great Ocean, much stronger than their main naval rival, the Valentine Mark, whose galleys ply the Inner Sea.

Still further east lies the region known as Stavangr, which translates loosely as ‘castles of fear’. It is so named for the imposing stone towns which dot the plains and forests, built solidly enough to resist assault by the Minotaur who dwell nearby. The castles themselves are built with high, thick walls, while the towns below them have generally six or eight main roads connected to each other by extremely narrow alleyways, designed to allow a human to escape somewhere the raging bulls cannot follow. The castles do not tend to trade outside The Meres and their own realm and are all governed independently of one another. Most of their wealth lies in farms and game hunting, abundant as their forests are with life of all sizes.

The southern continent, Nyasa, has largely remained a mystery through the last four thousand years. Recently, however, the dark-skinned natives have crossed the Inner Sea to bring ivory, gold, diamonds, herbs, spices, strange black wood and brightly-coloured feathers (which have quickly caught on as court fashions in almost every nation) in their little boats, only to return with fleets of galleys at their behest. Most of their trade is done in Valenti, though the Mirmidons, Sairacuse and Trivandor have each claimed their share. Many of the Nyasi are accompanied by unusual-looking Furya, who seem tame in comparison to the wild, raging creatures who dwell in their little corner of the Miledan Peninsula. The Nyasi Furya conduct themselves with decorum and restraint, and their main function seems to be in ensuring the safe transit of goods across the sea. All we really know about the origin of these men and their companions the Furya is that they are not from the northern shores of Nyasa. Though seemingly hospitable, those lands are entirely devoid of life.

[Vortigern]

Magical and Holy Orders

There are numerous orders, castes, guilds and brotherhoods throughout Arsencia, made up mostly of humans; of all the races, they seem to most need some greater organisation to define themselves. Herein I shall describe some of the more well-known groups.

Shepherds of the Sun: This is a strict and disciplined organisation, and one of the few that decries martial activity. The members are each sworn never to exact violence upon another soul. They study white magic and healing in their monasteries and welcome all in need of their attention. They also preach their religion, which some satirists claim is the cost of their help, to all who would hear. The Shepherds believe in a god of peace and hosts of angels who carry out his good works. They see themselves as his devoted servants and their duties as ensuring the greatest peace and happiness is achieved in the mortal realm. They have branches in the Maughold and Valenti as well as in several locations throughout the countryside.

The Watchers: They are an organisation of warrior magi who study the elements of fire and light, as well as the most intense disciplines of combat known. In recent years they have sought training in the rebuilt Shadowfang Keep, under the tutelage of the Deathknelve. Their most regular source of income is in supplying members as guards for merchant convoys. Their abilities, namely scrying (magically looking across great distances) and martial prowess, make them excellent protectors, and they are much in demand.

The Sailors’ Guild: These men, for men they all are, are devotees of Tiamat and Apsu, the gods of ocean and river. They are taught to read the winds and the currents of the sea to best ensure the survival of their ships. There is a modicum of magic involved in this process, but mostly it seems to be experience and natural talent. Every seaman in Envael is a member of the Guild, as are most from the Valentine Mark and The Meres. The Guild collects a portion of the profits from every guildsman’s mercantile activity, and uses the money to construct ever-grander temples to their gods and to maintain the military fleet with which they do what they can to keep the seas free of pirates.

The Vounos: The ‘Men of the Mountain’ are the magi of the Maughold, sponsored by the Kings of Envael in their study. Their headquarters is a collection of towers atop the highest peaks of the citadel, from where they observe the flows of the clouds and the air currents. Their towers are also the foremost repository of knowledge and literature outside Shakayn’s Lighthouse at Valenti. The Vounos is mostly comprised of scholars from across the world, and they are renowned for their open approach to new forms of magic and learning in general. In recent years they have been working closely with the gnomes of Arap Datrebil.

The Enuma Elis: This sacred order of women exists all across Arsencia, though quite how it spread nobody is rightly sure. Rumour has it that these women throw off all inhibitions under cover of night and drink heavily and participate in orgiastic rituals, although most scholars believe this to be nothing more than the work of men’s imaginations. What is known is that these women worship the goddess Enumae, and evidence of ritual animal slaughter has been found at several sites known to be frequented by these devotees.

The Reformed Order of the Stricken Hammer: Before its dissolution, the Palatinate was composed of numerous Orders, each headed by a Paladin-Chevalier and staffed with his retainers. Infamous Orders included the Order of the Falling Rose and the Order of Rising Stars. Alone of them all, the Order of the Stricken Hammer has reformed, returning to the ways of the Light. To combat this flood of evil, the Reformed Order has accepted many that are neither Man nor Dwarf nor Elf within its ranks, and has been known to join forces with both the Elven and Dwarven Paladins. They have also accepted into their ranks many who would have been hunted before: White Drow, pyromancers, demon-hunters, even some gnomes. The majority, however, are former Paladins seeking redemption. The Reformed Order has chapter houses leased out in many of the major cities of Arsencia.


((Likely more to follow.))

[Vortigern]

The Embaru

The land of Imbara, populated by the people called Embaru, covers a large part of what was before known as Anvar. The Embaru arrived aboard a colossal fleet from across the Great Ocean three years ago and lost no time in making themselves at home in Arsencia. For the two years they looked inward, consolidating their new homeland and protecting themselves from perceived threats. They were quite happy to allow the growth and independence of the minor nations of the north and east, perhaps assuming that a series of lesser powers would be unlikely to become a genuine menace to their fledgling state. Since their borders became more open in the last thirteen months, I have spent time researching their ways and their people, in the hope that with greater understanding can come peace and prosperity. Herein I shall describe what I have yet learned of these newcomers to our shores.

Their political structure is built around a fairly primitive feudal system, overseen by those with inborn magical ability. Periodically, the rulers will walk among their people, testing for those with potential, and take them away to be trained as members of the ruling families. These ‘families’, therefore, have little true blood connection, and can be seen as more of a franchise in common terms. All the males bear the surname of the family patriarch – I stayed for some time with Arek Am’Kul, the patriarch of one of the southernmost families – and all the females take the first name of the man they marry as their second – Arek Am’Kul’s wives are Kaesi Arek, Wichata Arek, Petra Arek and Lieda Arek. The wives have a strong and strict hierarchy based around success in managing the estates and bearing children and, naturally, the order in which they were married to the patriarch. For those wondering about the potential of a society that seems to encourage polygamy, it should be noted that only the patriarchs take more than one wife; it is yet another means by which the rulers are kept superior to the serfs.

As the wives taken by the patriarchs and the other male members of the families are usually from magical stock, there is a significant likelihood that their offspring will be increasingly capable with the arcane arts. However, there are still those born without, and they serve as officers in the household guard of their family. When those of magical heritage become more powerful than the majority, they are taken on by the Imperial Family, currently headed by Nayda Im’Holuk. By this means the lesser families are kept from seeking to unseat their superiors in the political tree. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, intrigue is rife in the Embaru court: alliances are made and broken in matters of days, marriages are promised, any number of secret deals are made and whispers abound in the corners of the palace at Anaburg.

The Ssadjin, the reptilian slaves of the Embaru, are a deeply interesting race. They are fully sentient beings, and some seemed to be possessed of a powerful intellect, yet still they grind away, indentured to humans. The status quo is maintained by a rigorous array of checks and balances; at birth each Ssadjin child is assigned a name and number and immediately removed from the care of its mother, to be raised in a collective near to whatever part of the land it will work as soon as its strength is sufficient. The children are taught history as soon as their minds can comprehend basic instructions, and that history is one of oppression; the absolute subordination of the lizardmen is constant and unchanging, and any attempt to subvert this paradigm will result in death. When they reach maturity, they are overseen in their daily labours by the less powerful members of the family, and so naturally develop a deep fear of magic. (The few lizardmen I have encountered in the wider world have all shied away from any displays of magecraft, of any size or potential.) In short, the Ssadjin are stripped of their identity and beaten into submission from the day they are born, sometimes literally. It is little wonder that they have remained the chattels of the Embaru for so very long. I have as yet found no indication of how long this relationship between humans and Ssadjin has lasted.

The Embaru religion is extremely complicated, and as such I will explain it separately. It informs virtually every aspect of life in Imbara. They are an extremely superstitious people, and will often not attempt even simple tasks if the omens do not present themselves properly. That said, some of them do seem to have an uncanny knack for being correct in their predictions.




((More to come, especially about their religion. Seriously, it's important stuff for some reason.))

[Vortigern]

Dragons

Dragons are a largely unknown subject, as they rarely travel from their island in the centre of the Inner Sea to the mainland. The last dignity of dragons known on the mainland dwelt in the mountains near the ruins of Shadowfang Keep, among the lakes and plateaus above the dwarven citadel at The Burn. It is also thought that dragons will not go where one of their kind has been slain. Dolosik, late Patron of the Vounos, theorised that the death of a dragon causes a powerful elemental imbalance which acts like a scent among dogs, warning off others of their kind.

Dragons are deeply magical creatures, first born of magic and later of their own magic in some fashion that is not known. Each dragon has an affinity with one of the six elements which affects every aspect of the dragon’s life, from where it lives to how it acts. Fire, earth, air, water, light and darkness each share some common aspects when wielded by humans, Furya or Drow, but dragons use only the element they are born to in their magic, which is born of instinct rather than technical prowess. It should always be remembered that dragons are animals, albeit magical animals, though extremely quick-witted and never to be underestimated. However, their major concerns are simply eating, surviving and rearing their young.

In appearance they vary widely according to type, age and simply diversity. Fire dragons tend to have red or orange scales, earth tend to black or brown, air to white and cobalt, water to green or royal blue, light to gold and white and dark dragons to silver and grey. In size the adults range from fifty feet to anywhere as high as two hundred feet from tip to tail. Khaida d’Alric, esteemed seaman and dragon-hunter of Valenti, is said to have once returned from a voyage with fangs as tall as a man. His journals remain the prime source of information about the behaviour of dragons, as few scholars have the courage to brave their waters.

The main aspect that makes brave or foolhardy men willing to hunt colossal magical beasts is also the most interesting. The heart of a dragon is made of the largest and purest precious stones and metals to be found anywhere in the world; rubies for fire, opal for earth, sapphires for air, emeralds for water, gold for light and silver for dark. The opals taken from earth dragons are the only black opals in the world, and highly prized across Arsencia. It is thought that this trait is why dragons are known to hoard precious stones and metals, which begat the traditional image of the dragon sitting atop a pile of gold. In truth, however, it seems dragons of any kind are happy to collect all types of gemstones.

Dragons hunt alone, an unusual habit for creatures which live in packs (the proper collective noun is a ‘dignity’). Every facet of their lives but for hunting seems to revolve around the group, such as hoarding, rearing offspring and fighting off rivals for their territory. This last is what makes dragons so dangerous. The beasts can sense anyone wielding magic near them, so any ship carrying a mage is instantly seen as a threat and attacked. This makes it all the more challenging for dragon-hunters, who are mages by necessity, to get close enough to slay one without attracting the lethal wrath of the others of that dragon’s dignity.

Khaida d’Alric insists in his journals that there is only one way to kill a dragon. A dragon-hunter must draw one away from the group through some magical connivance, whereupon an imitation is created by the wizard to fight the genuine article. Usually the simulacrum will be killed, but hopefully not before it does sufficient harm to the real dragon to allow the hunters to net the beast and bring it down in a more traditional fashion. If the false dragon emerges victorious, the summoning mage will usually just let it go free, as the false kind only live for a few days before the magic unravels and they die. Every part of the dragon is used: the heart is inestimably valuable, as mentioned, the meat is considered a delicacy by every people in Arsencia, the scales are used as amulets against magical attack (with apparent success, at least against that dragon’s element) and also make thoroughly impressive and practical armour for any warlord that can afford it. The fangs are sometimes made into swords and daggers but generally claimed by the hunters as their prize, proof that they bested a dragon and survived the experience. The bones are a building material as strong as steel and as malleable as soft woods, generally used to create exceptionally opulent chambers by the rich and feckless.

I admit this account is incomplete. There is still a great deal that is unknown about dragons, but close studies are precluded by their territorial nature, inaccessible home and carnivorous appetites.