In The Beginning... (nMage Fantasy; prepare for wonk) [Forum] [Dice]

[Axelgear]

And so it was written, that Uthar slit the throat of the Mother-of-Rivers, and from her blood poured forth all the waters of the world. The land ceased to be arid and dry, and plants grew at the water's edge. Some of the plants grew so strong that they became animals, and some animals so strong that they became people. Mother-of-Rivers did not die, though, even though she bleeds and continues to bleed. She has too much life in her to give. Even now, when her heart races faster in anger or grief, the rivers flood. Thus, always remember this: Obey and respect the gods, especially Mother-of-Rivers, and give no obedience nor respect to those who would deny your heritage. We are born from gods; it is fitting we should rule over this world as we see fit. - The Litany of High Priest Ariistuun, an ancient and sacred scroll in the lands of Dak'ah that survived countless civil wars, fires, storms, and floods.


Pagan nonsense. Burn it with the priests. - Censor Tativaric, whom the scrolls did not survive.


So, the long and short of it: I'm getting the creative itch and feel like running a game soon. Of the many possible means and avenues I have considered running, one of them is a PbP here. The sort of game I'm interested in running is High Fantasy, with a large and expansive world, swords and sorcery, mystic magic, and generally to evoke a mood of the sublime; where a vast and untamed world rolls out ahead of the PCs as they blaze a trail to enlightenment.


This would be a game of nMage Fantasy and, as a result, there's going to be wonk. Anyone who is thinking of applying, know that I'm going to bend the rules over my knee and spank them until they call me Daddy and answer to Princess. The direction this metaphorical spanking will be pointed in is towards greater expression of power and enlightened will - i.e. reducing the presence of Paradox - but the rules are still going to be familiar enough to you that you'll find them easy to handle.


I'm also in the mood to craft a pretty sizable setting, which will include room for everything from ghost-whispering necromancers who grew up in swamps where the last breaths of the dead linger in the mists to Daedalian atheists who refuse to acknowledge the gods from their brass towers for fear of encouraging them to the half-breed offspring of the Beasts of the Woods and their mortal lovers who know how to keenly listen to the whispers of the forests. All this means that I'm probably going to bomb players occasionally with setting material, and will be throwing out a ton of it during the character creation period. I'll also be working with players to integrate their own desires and thoughts into the setting, so everyone can play what they want.


So, if you're still interested and I haven't scared you off, I look forward to hearing from you and hope I'll get time to actually run this.

 

[Grey]

HNNNG

 

[Exthalion]

My interest has been strongly piqued. In the interest of full disclosure, I am a strong fan of Prime and its implications especially the idea of solid phantasms and ley lines. Infrastructure is also an item of special interest.

 

[SephirothSage]

Ohhhhh /my/.

 

[Madmal]

I'm pretty new on Mage in general, and expressing interest. I think there were already rulings for more Towres/Supernal Realms if you're aiming for that type of diversity...

 

[Hurm]

Never enough games. Especially given the last few Mage ones I've joined all failed horribly.

 

[SephirothSage]

Query. Mage the Ascension? Just checking to be sure.

 

[Axelgear]

My interest has been strongly piqued. In the interest of full disclosure, I am a strong fan of Prime and its implications especially the idea of solid phantasms and ley lines. Infrastructure is also an item of special interest.

Well, I can certainly work with that; there will be plenty of opportunities for those who wish to explore the implications and questions of just what underlies the structure of the cosmos. At least in the former instance, anyway. I'd have to consider whether I want to include the latter. This would be a completely new setting, so the God-Machine's inclusion/exclusion is still in the air.

I'm pretty new on Mage in general, and expressing interest. I think there were already rulings for more Towres/Supernal Realms if you're aiming for that type of diversity...

If you want a quick outline of what I'm considering so far as rule changes, my current thoughts involve using the same current Paths but with each Mage causing no Paradox when casting spells from their primary arcana or spells that draw on multiple arcana with one of those as the primary focus. For example, a Thyrsus would not roll any Paradox dice for a casting of Shapechanging, or a sympathetic-ranged casting of Life Force Assault.


Similarly, I'd be discarding the rule that requires you to roll a chance die at zero Paradox dice. Also, since this is a fantasy setting and magic's common, there's not really such a thing as a Sleeper, so witnesses/disbelief aren't a "thing". This means that, as long as you've got magical tools and Mana to burn, you can at least defer Paradox for a while when using non-Primary spells.


It goes without saying that the nature of magic's origin and the causes of Paradox are getting greatly altered as well. This is a novel (as in new, I'm not writing a book or taking it from one) setting. These are also general rules, too; different places and entities may interact with magic differently, meaning that, say, in the Valley of Zen-Brim, where the people worship Azgoth the Eater with blood and desecration, magic might draw the attention of otherworldly creatures that ride down currents and eddies created by spells to become manifest and wreak havoc in the world.


I may also jigger with Legacies and rotes, but we'll see.


The whole point of all these changes is to give the setting a feeling of much greater freedom in magical creativity, while keeping some level of specialization, while still giving magic some elements of danger and a sensation of incomplete knowledge, i.e. mystery.


This is also all preliminary, so I might change some or all of this (I may honestly scrap the notion of the traditional paths and see about having you all design your own) but this should give you an idea of just where I will likely be going with all this.

Query. Mage the Ascension? Just checking to be sure.

As the title suggests, I was aiming for Awakening, since it's the one I'm most familiar with. Ascension's revised edition would have to be ridiculously amazing for me to consider using something I'm so relatively unacquainted with.

 

[Grey]

@The Fuzz came up with a really cool nMage hack a few years back that might work here, maybe.


Essentially, everyone had a Legacy. A personal theme, aesthetic, and method that included a number of wholly reliable spells equal to your Gnosis, and free-form casting took a bit more effort. For example, if your character was themed after a Bokor and used Death and Life, they'd use a voodoo doll to inflict pain on someone. They'd have to - the spell wouldn't work any other way. But it wouldn't work if any other Mage tried that method.


I thought it was neat. May or may not fit here.


Tentatively all up in this with either a Necromancer or a Druid. Maaaybe Mastigos because I love dem, and while I prefer them in a modern context having them serve as a cunning demonologist in this one might be cool.


For some reason I got a very Arthurian feel from it, at the start.


Also willing to play ball on direction and worldbuilding. I don't normally play well with others, creatively, but I'm willing to try and it sounds like we share a common ground on a lot of aspects there.

 

[Exthalion]

Well, I can certainly work with that; there will be plenty of opportunities for those who wish to explore the implications and questions of just what underlies the structure of the cosmos. At least in the former instance, anyway. I'd have to consider whether I want to include the latter. This would be a completely new setting, so the God-Machine's inclusion/exclusion is still in the air.

Infrastructure as in the more mundane sense, not the God-Machien system term. (though in this case mundane infrastructure could include things like teleporation circles and magical heat gradients.

 

[Axelgear]

@The Fuzz came up with a really cool nMage hack a few years back that might work here, maybe.
Essentially, everyone had a Legacy. A personal theme, aesthetic, and method that included a number of wholly reliable spells equal to your Gnosis, and free-form casting took a bit more effort. For example, if your character was themed after a Bokor and used Death and Life, they'd use a voodoo doll to inflict pain on someone. They'd have to - the spell wouldn't work any other way. But it wouldn't work if any other Mage tried that method.


I thought it was neat. May or may not fit here.


Tentatively all up in this with either a Necromancer or a Druid. Maaaybe Mastigos because I love dem, and while I prefer them in a modern context having them serve as a cunning demonologist in this one might be cool.


For some reason I got a very Arthurian feel from it, at the start.


Also willing to play ball on direction and worldbuilding. I don't normally play well with others, creatively, but I'm willing to try and it sounds like we share a common ground on a lot of aspects there.

Good to hear your interests. There's a lot of room for all of it in the setting. I suppose I should really get to world-building this weekend.


As far as the Legacies go, I wasn't thinking too drastic a change; just, perhaps, allowing people to initiate into a Legacy at Gnosis 1 with sort of a zeroth initiation. This would allow access to the third arcana and oblations early, without the boosted spell. The latter is particularly important because, honestly, you guys will probably be mobile. Hallows, thus, will be tricky things to use. I need to think on that part, though.

Infrastructure as in the more mundane sense, not the God-Machien system term. (though in this case mundane infrastructure could include things like teleporation circles and magical heat gradients.

Hmmm... Mind elaborating a bit? You've got me curious.

 

[Exthalion]

Hmmm... Mind elaborating a bit? You've got me curious.

Sure, a few ideas I have had:


Creative Thaumaturgy Prime Spell on ley-line nexuses to have it contribute [Rating] successes to a spell cast to power it. Usually used to make it permanent by covering duration factors.


-This would require significant leyline management to be practical


Influence Heat to create permanent heat gradients. This could be anything from a forge that is always hot to magical refrigerators.


Telekinesis spell applied over roads and canals to permit things to travel faster along them


Some form of Life healing effect in hospitals to speed/aid recovery.


Imbue Item "factories" to mass produce magical items.


Alter Integrity to create stronger building materials to permit skyscrapers without the requite materials science.


The first is of greatest interest to me.

 

[Grey]

Actually, riffing on what Exthalion is talking about, if it's going to be a mobile game maybe you can consecrate/attune/prepare certain sites to function like Hallows. A Druid having to commune with nature, or pray at stone circles. A Necromancer having to meditate among the dead. A demonologist chanting in the middle of a ritual circle with ominous candles...

 

[SephirothSage]

Mage the Awakening... not sure I've heard of it- is it the NWoD Mage system?

 

[Exthalion]

Mage the Awakening... not sure I've heard of it- is it the NWoD Mage system?

It is, yes. The basic premise is that the world is essentially Gnostic in character with the World of Darkness representing the Fallen and Material and a separate Supernal representing the Unfallen and Essential. Mages "Awaken" to the Supernal truth and so gain the ability to do magic. There is also a world wide conspiracy called the Seers of the Throne meant to keep people from Awakening and to rule the world led by humans who physically entered the Supernal known as the Exarchs. Finally, as a result of the Exarchs ascention there is a giant spiritual wound between the Fallen and Supernal worlds called the Abyss which is the source of paradox and impossible things. (Thing the lovechild of the Mouth of the Void and the Wyld)

 

[Axelgear]

Sure, a few ideas I have had:
Creative Thaumaturgy Prime Spell on ley-line nexuses to have it contribute [Rating] successes to a spell cast to power it. Usually used to make it permanent by covering duration factors.


-This would require significant leyline management to be practical


Influence Heat to create permanent heat gradients. This could be anything from a forge that is always hot to magical refrigerators.


Telekinesis spell applied over roads and canals to permit things to travel faster along them


Some form of Life healing effect in hospitals to speed/aid recovery.


Imbue Item "factories" to mass produce magical items.


Alter Integrity to create stronger building materials to permit skyscrapers without the requite materials science.


The first is of greatest interest to me.

Ah. Not quite what I expected you meant but, honestly, do already have stuff in mind for that. Mages are common enough that people certainly see them now and then in this setting but they're not omnipresent, but that hasn't stopped people from developing all sorts of occult creations and such.


I may do a write up on a nation or two soon, just to give you guys a taste of the setting. I'll include some examples of magical infrastructure when I do.

Actually, riffing on what Exthalion is talking about, if it's going to be a mobile game maybe you can consecrate/attune/prepare certain sites to function like Hallows. A Druid having to commune with nature, or pray at stone circles. A Necromancer having to meditate among the dead. A demonologist chanting in the middle of a ritual circle with ominous candles...

That's sort of what oblations for Legacies already do. That said, I do like the notion of there being useful shrines and way-points for this sort of stuff; a druid stopping off at a local glade or hilltop, the necromancer meditating amidst the graves, etc.


I'll consider this further.

Mage the Awakening... not sure I've heard of it- is it the NWoD Mage system?

Yes, it is. We'll be using those rules, primarily, with natural tweaks.

 

[SephirothSage]

Gotcha. Put me down as interested, then.

 

[Axelgear]

Alright, so, a while back, I said I'd try writing up some bits and pieces of setting info for this so peeps could get an idea of the setting. Here is the first.


Prepare for wonk.

Spoiler

On the shores of the northern edge of the Great Continent, where land meets waters and feed the rains that gather at the Source of All Rivers, there is a city known all across the world. It is a city unlike any other, so large that it has become a nation unto itself. Like a jewel in a crown, it rises up around a central bridge known by many names; the Arch of Psioses; the Mouth of the Mother-of-Rivers; the Elf Stride, and many others.


It is a city whom trade has made rich but the gods have made richer; a place where incense is not so much burnt as set upon pyres and the skies often filled with coloured smoke; it is the scene where great cathedrals and temples loom alongside humble shrines, with fields of flowers cropped every season to provide a bounty of offerings for pilgrims to buy with their precious coins.


The people who dwell their and their bishops and priests and shaman would have you call it the Pious City; the Conurbation of Sermons; the Holy Port, whereupon come pilgrims and tradesmen alike, or even by its proper name, Affircis, if you must be so vulgar.


Everyone else just calls it the City of Idols.


---


The City of Idols is a place that was always destined for wealth but few could have predicted the vast industry of churches that sprang up within it. Positioned on a natural inlet from the sea that surrounds the Great Continent, Affircis (Aff-ur-sis) has been inhabited many times before. The first inhabitants were a race not of Man; tall and lumbering things that were humanoid in feature but blue of skin and possessing a gift with the magical art, whispering to stone and sand and water to make them move. Though they are now long gone, their burial mounds remain in the hillside and add to the holy sites now littering the landscape with the cults sprung up around them. The only relic of theirs within the city is the vast, silvery bridge that bestrides the harbour, which some have taken to calling the Elf Stride. Many a visitor has been quite confused and alarmed by the thought that elves dwell now within the city, but the giants who once dwelled in the city were not elves, nor do they linger anymore.


The city itself sprang up from the bridge, as a sort of simple trading post. The bridge is strong, made of an ancient metal that some learned sorcerers suggest is a kind of derivative of orichalcum, and so it is a natural crossing point on the river. Similarly, it bestrides an inlet from the ocean that leads into the plateaus further south, with rivers running down from there into the lands below. Traders (and raiders) from north, east, and west flock to the inlet as a gateway to the southern lands. Inevitably, many of them were in need or laden with goods, and willing to sell what they had there for a quicker turn-around. Over time, raiders laid the area low for its wealth many times and, inevitably, each time it sprang back up, until around four centuries ago, when Affircis was founded, this time with building high walls and hiring guards as a first priority, and appeasing travellers into valueing the city enough to defend it as a close second. This policy has led many of the surrounding towns and villages to forge alliances with the city of mutual defense and, in turn, to share in its unique wealth and culture.


---


The unique culture of Affircis arose by a chance decision on the part of High Priest Telerophon I, known before his rise to power as Telus the Innkeeper. Spending as much time as he did keeping warm rooms and beds and meals and whores readily available for his guests, Telus was anything but a pious man. With a mind always looking for whatever service he might offer next to squeeze another copper coin or plate of silver from his customers, Telus grew increasingly frustrated at his inability to sell many of his more lascivious goods to the more wealthy merchants who came to his door. After all, they largely brought their own wine and whores and there wasn't much of a profit margin to be had on food. Worse, the more saintly ones who didn't bring either couldn't even be charged for a spare bed or uncorking fee. It played havoc with his bottom line! So Telus listened, and watched, and waited to see if there might be some angle he could exploit. It all came to him on a day just like any other.


It was for Telus, anyway. Yet for the traveling Censor and his entourage, it was but three days from the Feast of the Solar Flame, one of the holiest days of the year, and they were weeks' travel from any shrine appropriately prepared to worship their holy and purifying fires. Telus knew an opportunity when he saw one. Racing to buy a small, nearby lot, he threw coin at workmen to see them hammer together a makeshift shrine according to the best descriptions he could get from those who had overheard talk of the Temple of the Pyre to the west. When it was done, it was crude beyond words, but Telus had started something he could never have predicted.


What is more valuable than a pilgrim's shrine? All you need to do is make sure it's nice and clean and ready for their holy days and they come and buy offerings from you that they then leave right on the altar! Ready to be re-used! And, of course, there's not just one holy day but dozens! When you add that up with how many different people came through the seaway, with different gods and different feast days and holy days and offering days, Telus realized he had struck it rich. What began with a small lot was, by the end of Telus's life, a small empire of churches, temples, priories, altars, shrines, and cairns, all tended by a veritable army of priests, priestesses, shaman, nuns, monks, and more. In Affircis, a tavern-keeper with an eye for gold lived a long life and died one of the holiest and most revered men in the world.


---


Today, the City of Idols has become more than a trade hub. With so much gold trading hands, the business of religion is now a part of the city's life's blood.; following in the footsteps of Telus, many other would-be religious leaders, some devout and some with more material concerns, soon began to build a trade in constructing the grandest temples, gathering the most holy relics, and soon what had once been little more but wayshrines for passers-through to keep to their strictures was now a destination all its own.


The modern culture of the City of Idols is one bound together by a seemingly endless supply of wealth, a profoundly syncretic kind of public religious faith, and a constant battle between various proselytizing churches of the same or different faiths, all trying to win converts with the highest temple walls and the shiniest golden idols. The average commoner on the street can name at least a few dozen gods of the Role of Divinities, a record of all recognized religions, and point a visitor in the direction of a temple based on which pantheon they wish to worship or what kind of favour they wish to invoke... Usually for a coin or two.


Despite its immense religious presence, the average citizen of Affircis is rarely particularly pious. There are simply so many gods and deities that devotion to any given one in particular is seen as bizarre and, given how the gods are so eager for mortal worship, most view the laying of offerings as something akin to a business transaction. To be more devout or afraid of the gods than is respectful or necessary is to be called superstitous. Residents will leave offerings at two or three different ocean god's temples before setting on a voyage, just to try and make extra sure that at least one might bestow their favour on the voyage.


Thanks to centuries of travellers passing through, there is no truly identifying feature that marks one out as a native of the city. Skin tones range from pale to dark and it is perhaps more common here than almost anywhere to see those touched with the gifts of spirits. Many a temple boasts priests or priestesses or even oracles or healers who claim "divine" heritage, bearing slightly inhuman features. Due to the heavy trade that comes through the region, a similar multitude of fashions of clothing follow with it, but there is a trend to ape the designs of the clergy in one's dress. After all, they're the ones who can afford the best tailors. This means that ornate robes are a common affectation, typically worn overtop more seasonably appropriate clothing; Affircis rests in a temperate region, made slightly warmer by the flow of the ocean, but it can still get quite cold in winter. The Temples of the Celestial Bull are said to be quite stunning in the snow...


---


Merit: Idolatrous Heritage ● (Only available at character creation)


Spirits touched your family tree... In a way that would be inappropriate in public. Now, you bear some of the consequences. You have a small supernatural feature (or features) that marks you out as clearly not fully mortal. This can be eyes that look like spilled oil, unnaturally sharp teeth, blue skin (with an unnaturally low body temperature), or a tail. Whatever it is, it provides no direct mechanical benefit in and of itself, but those who recognize and respect such parentage will be more friendly to the bearer of such marks.


Effect: The character receives a +2 on all Social rolls relating to spirits and faithful mortals who would react favourably to your divine parentage. For example, a character whose eyes are notably crimson and look like living flames will get a favourable response from those spirits who dance in flame and with the faithful of the Purifying Flame.

 

[Malozing]

I have not played any Mage, but I like the setting you've put together. I would be interested in joining up.

 

[Kasheal]

Not sure how I missed this when it first started. It sounds like an awesome idea Axelgear and you have yet another interested person.

 

[Grey]

Reducing religion to a cynical cashgrab? OH YES MOAR GIEF CYNICISM

 

[Axelgear]

In the City of Idols, there are many faiths, many religions, and many priests, most of whom worship the Almighty Gold Coin.


I'll be tossing up details on Dak'ah, the as-yet-unnamed Daedalians (hell, might just call them that; Daedal is a fun name), the Huskar, a few bits and pieces of other smaller cultures as examples, a butt-load of merits, a map, and a summation of the state of the world.


How and when I'll be doing so... Eeeeh, not so sure on, but I know I want to get them out the way, at least, before I can even consider putting a date on when this might be.


I know it's a lot for people to slog through but I want to both have a reasonable grasp on the atmosphere of the setting and give other people the same. At the end of it all, I'll also finally be outlining how magic works.


If I can hold your interest until then, thumbs up!

 

[Axelgear]

Alright, finished with the Dak'ah. That didn't take long! Only a month!

Spoiler

In Dak'ah, there is a saying: Know your friends by the water they offer you. In a land where water is the greatest source of life and death, it is a saying well earned and best learned.


It is said in Dak'ah that the world did not begin, for stone never dies and so can never live. The world has always been; lifeless rock, cold and unfeeling, and yet eternal. So, forever, it might have remained, if the Celestial Bull had not taken pity on so sad a sight as that.


When the universe began, there was the rock, and the firmament that divided the cosmos from inside and out, and an egg. From the egg hatched the great Bull, brilliantly white and bearing between its horns a light of radiant gold. Finding itself alone but for the barren rock, the Bull lamented, and carved up the egg shell to give features to the rock.


Soon, the world had texture, but it was still little but dead rock. This did not satisfy the Bull, for what purpose was there in this shaped stone? So he took off his brilliant, radiantly white skin and pulled out his eyes and draped the world in both, to give it a sky, but still the Bull found himself unsatisfied. What purpose was there in a sky or rock? So he spilled his fiery blood and gave the stone its flame and its hunger, and thus was created the places where the land spews forth fire. Then, the bull stripped down his muscles, and broke the rock with them to make dirt, and he thrust his bones into the land to fill it with metal, and his lungs became the wind and his organs all the colours of light.


Yet, still, what point was there in it all. All that remained of the Bull were his horns, which held the light in place, and he had nothing else to give, and so he wept.


(What? You ask how he could weep with no eyes? Feh! Silly child! You might as well ask how he could thrust his bones into the earth or hatch from an egg! This is how it is! Now shut up and listen!)


As the great Bull wept, his tears fell through the sky and landed upon the earth. There, where the sacred waters touched, two beings sprang forth: Ushtar, the Mother-of-Rivers, and Uthar, the Father-of-Night. At last, the Celestial Bull felt happy, for now there were others. Now, the world had purpose. On greeting their heavenly father, Uthar suggested the Bull at last take well-earned rest, and he would watch over the world while he did. The Bull, thankful for his child's kindness, agreed, but said Uthar would need to come up high to look down upon the world. Not wishing to leave his sister behind, Uthar asked the Bull if he could teach him another way.


Here, the Bull was cautious. It warned Uthar that he could not take up a duty without a burden. If he would not come up, he would have to take it on some other way. Uthar agreed just the same, and so the Bull cut Uthar's head from his shoulders and placed it in the sky, to watch over the land while it slept. Ushtar fashioned another head for her brother, made of stone, so that it would never need be lost again, but would be eternal, like the world.


Day turned to night and night to day for many long turns after that. How long, few can say, as Uthar and Ushtar explored the world. As time went by, Uthar felt what his father did; that the world was somehow empty and lacking. Bit by bit, piece by piece, he did as his father had, and traded parts of himself away to make the world grander; his arms he traded for the knowledge of crafts, his legs to separate stone from sky, and his chest to blow bits of his father's flame into the firmament, to better light the nights when his father was away. Each time he traded a piece away, his sister would replace it with stone, until he had nothing left to give.


Something was still missing. Uthar could feel it; the world was empty and barren but for himself, his father, and his sister. He knew there must be more, yet Uthar had nothing else to give! He remembered what his father said: For something to be gained, a burden must be accepted. Nothing is won without sacrifice. So Uthar carved a knife of obsidian, from where the fires of the earth glow hot, and he found his sister in the twilight hour, when neither the Sun nor Moon could see. He sat her on his lap, and he cut her throat, and let her sacred blood fall upon the earth, and buried her deep beneath. Ushtar's blood flowed thick and fast, and her divine life flowed with it, and where it touched sprang up all the creatures and spirits of the world. At last, Uthar realized, the world felt right... And yet, in his cursed act, he had let something else into the world. Ushtar's pain and agony and her inevitable doom flowed with it; into the stone and into the dirt. For his grievous sin, her blood was cursed: Whatever rose up from it, it would claim again. So as all things would now live, so too would they all die.


To this day, the Mother-of-Rivers bleeds, and Uthar stalks the night, reminding all of one thing: Nothing comes without sacrifice.


---


To understand the people of Dak'ah, one must know their land and their beliefs. In a land driven hot and dry by mountains that catch the rain that should rise from the seas, Dak'ah is green and lush. Valleys carved out by mighty rivers have transformed parts of the wastes into veritable rainforests. While many of the outlying regions are simple flood plains, others are filled with tall trees and thick stone, and it is water and stone that are central to the Dak'ah's lives.


To be Dak'ah is to endure. The land is giving yet also takes. The abundant water lets them grow food and, where trees grow thick, find the gifts of the plants that provide medicine, but the waters also flood and drown; they wash away friends and family, destroying whole villages overnight. Life and death are ever-present amongst the Dak'ah.


It is only in stone that the Dak'ah find protection, and it is the kings who bring the stone.


Dak'ah society is built and organized as a monarchy, with kings all said to be descended from the first man to emerge from the waters and every king is said to be an alchemist and priest; transmuting the sacrifices of the people into civilization. Each king maintains his power and prowess by proving himself a greater creature than his predecessor; building grander monuments, organizing a more efficient society, expanding the reach of the nation's territory, and so forth.


Stone holds a sacred space in the Dak'ah mind; it existed before even the gods, and it is eternal. Stone is the only thing not drowned or destroyed by the floods, though it can certainly be made to change. This is why all the largest cities are built on stone foundations, and the houses of the wealthiest and most powerful are built of stone. Blue stone is particularly prized, as blue is a sacred colour, most often reserved for royalty, and so blue jade makes frequent appearances in the palaces and tombs of kings.


Finally, the Dak'ah believe that existence is toil. Life is harsh, after all, and the afterlife is seen to be little different. While beliefs might vary a little, regionally, the most common consensus is that death constitutes a transition to dust. While more recent influences from trade have caused some Dak'ah kings to try and integrate the notions of a pleasant afterlife into their state religion, the view of the majority is that, if there is an afterlife, it is a place of darkness and misery. Life is what matters; your deeds are what matters; creating something greater than you that will live on after you are gone is what matters. The Dak'ah traditionally view, therefore, those who seek to secure their place in some chosen Heaven or Shangri'la as vain, weak, and fearful.


---


The current state of Dak'ah, the nation, is one of constrained peace. The vast deserts that exists beyond their land is difficult to pass, and the current king, Teulzzar I, is more interested in spiritual endeavours than military expansionism. The people at large are uncomfortable with their king and he knows it; the horned crown of leadership sits uneasily on his brow. Little over thirty, he is young and inexperienced, focused instead on trying to unravel the mysteries of magic. Not a sorcerer himself, this has seen him growing more and more intensely involved with mystics both foreign and local, selling off pieces of his nation's wealth for their insights.


Content to let the king tarry with his own private projects, the priests of the various gods and spirits of the Dak'ah have taken to running the nation in his name instead. The capital of Erishkaguhl has fallen completely under the bloody sway of the Temple of the Jaguar, who demand bloody sacrifices of hearts to appease the gods and seek their favour, hoping that some opportunity will be made clear to them to further their nation's conquest. Great walls of severed heads and the smoke of a thousand still-beating hearts roasted in flames have inflamed many, both for and against the status quo.


All the while, there are murmurs rising up; whispers that call those able to hear such things out into the forests, to the great tombs of deceased kings. These kings, appeased by foreign ideas that they would survive into some distant life, had their priests build great tombs, filled with grave goods and slaves (sealed in to die and stay forever with their masters, naturally). The priests promptly abandoned and forgot the tombs on the monarch's death. Yet now, there are whispers of those who hide in such places; who paint themselves with ground bones and ashes; who say that there is a world awaiting the dead... A world filled with strange new gods, that offer wonderful eternities to those who obey them without question.


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Day to day life amongst the Dak'ah depends on where one is. For the most part, there are three ways of living; as farmers on flood plains; as hunter-gatherers in the jungles; or as more settled members of the city dwellers. The farmers farm, the hunters hunt, and those in the city perform any number of jobs, from masonry to artistic works to herding slaves.


The grand cities of the Dak'ah are things to be hold unlike any other; each a great geomantic working, built atop layers and layers of yesteryear's work. The cities are always made of stone, save for parts of the latest layers, with those who cannot afford proper housing occasionally forced to dwell in cheap wooden constructions. Due to colossal civic works projects, the streets are usually some of the cleanest, most well-maintained, and secure in the land; every citizen has their name on at least one brick in the streets somewhere. Statuary is common in public squares and on the sides of buildings, as well.


Dak'ah gender roles are reasonably loose outside of cities but rather rigid within them; every man of age that isn't a criminal or slave belongs to one of the trade guilds, and every woman of age who is not a criminal or slave is either married, a doctor, or a priestess. Dak'ah beliefs hold that it was Uthar who understood the nature of sacrifice and work, but it was Ushtar whose power made him whole and who had much of the mystic power to begin with.


Dak'ah clothing, outside of cities, is often the most practical item available. Inside cities, though, this is again an exception. When most people visit these cities, typically on trade business, they will observe that wrapped robes are common, running from under the arms to above the ankles, for both sexes, with loincloths for those whose work demands more freedom of movement. Jewellery is a common affectation for men and women alike, focused primarily on the ears and arms, but the neck is reserved for one of the more unique features of Dak'ah clothing. The roll of deeds.


The roll of deeds can be as simple as a necklace or as elaborate as a full-length poncho (the latter is particularly common with the wealthy and royalty). This is a simple piece of clothing with repeating patterns in layers upon it, explaining the role a person plays in society. Masons wear collars depicting the shaping of stone, for example, while farmers display designs of farming. The higher someone's status is in society, or the more accomplished they are, the more detailed the roll and lengthy becomes, depicting their greatest accomplishments (such as victory in battle) or their ownership of a great many slaves. While commonly rimmed with blue, it is illegal for anyone but the king to wear one consisting only of shades of blue.


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Merit: Sacrifice is Power ● (Only available at character creation)


A lifetime spent in a society that emphasizes sacrifice has taught you deeply the meaning of the word. You are used to the sight of blood and the notion of taking life, regardless of whether you approve of it or not, and so you have special insight into the act itself. This instilled reverence for the taking of life means that sacrificing a living creature earns you one extra Mana on top of any you would gain otherwise. The organism must die for you to gain this benefit.


Phew! Seriously, though, one down, only... Oh boy...

 

[Grey]

Very, very nice work, at every layer.


SWAMP NAO.

 

[Exthalion]

This is the reason why mages risk the integrity of reality with time warping magics, waiting for this to finished is most distressing.