The One Eyed Bandit
rotworm
- The sun blazes hot, and the river-seas of Tethys wash endlessly up and down the countless shores of Pan.
It is a prosperous age. The Church of Tethys' borders ebb out across Pan's many oceans, spreading their teachings far and wide. With every year that passes, another of their boat-colonies springs up and takes to the waters. In opposition, The Transgaean Commonwealth lays claim to more and more land, their growth sustained by foreign technology and shrewd business practice.
Caught in the middle are the countless island nations of Pan. Small communities who've either excluded themselves or stubbornly stand against the expansion of the rival factions, sticking stubbornly to their independence until they die trying.
Then, as if the Church and Commonwealth were not trouble enough, there are the ruins. Across both Pan's islands and Tethys' oceans, ruins of an ancient civilization are strewn about like a sauce through pasta. Some brood quietly, others rumble loudly, and all pollute the air with the formless Ether. From within Ether, monsters are born, which then go on to infest Pan's shores. They come in forms big and small, mundane and bizarre, docile and hostile, but none are to be trifled with.
Finally, from the monsters comes Magic. A monster's body is quick to rot, sloughing away into nothing in less than a week, but in their place a crystalline core will remain. These crystals can be utilized by any race with a will to call their own to manipulate the arcane arts. The physical essence of the Ether from which a monster is spawned, each Crystal will have a single purpose which is relative to that Ether. Ability Crystals are each imbued with a single property or 'spell', allowing the user to spew fire, manipulate water, fortify their body, and so on. However whenever they're used the Ability Crystal will shrink, eventually vanishing into nothing.
To circumvent the short life span of Ability Crystals, Siphons were invented, a type of device that allows an Ability Crystal to draw energy from a Mana Crystal. A Mana Crystal is a crystal formed from a more common monster that is not powerful enough to be used to cast a spell. However, Siphons are both expensive and difficult to maintain, so they are usually reserved for rarer forms of Ability Crystals.
Magic, monsters and politics aside, the world of Pan ticks on like any other, and the time of year approaches where the hour strikes high noon. The Church of Tethys has opened up its capital city for all, be they man or woman, priest or heretic. This is the Rainfall, a yearly festival throw to celebrate the beauty of Pan, and the week surrounding is the only time when Pan's waters are truly free for all to sail. It's on the cusp of the Rainfall that you find yourself on the docks of the Church's beloved capital city, Marianis, for reasons known only to yourself.
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