Airth

The continent is split into seven realms, each serving a different purpose in a whole. They all trade goods with one another, but do not always have civil relationships. Ord (a large realm to the west) is home to agriculture and is the main supplier of crops, baked goods, etc Kilmore (a central realm) is home to hunting and the main supplier of meats, pelts, etc Ceresco (a central realm located above Kilmore) is home to textiles and is the main supplier of clothing, jewelry, etc Circa (a northeastern realm to the right of Ceresco) is home to education/art and is the main supplier of literature, decor, scholars, etc Boldhelm (an eastern realm below Circa) is home to mining and is the main supplier of minerals, coal, jewels, etc Striga (a southeastern country below Boldhelm and to the right of Kilmore) is home to weaponry/tools and is the main supplier of weapons, equipment, tools, etc Florian Isles (a collection of three islands in the southern-most region) is home to oceanic goods such as fish, sea minerals, etc

The main race are humans, and each culture depends on the realm you are in. For example, Circa residents are going to be more astute and knowledgable, preferring to discuss intellectual topics or music and art over other things. A person from Boldhelm may be hardened and more guarded, same as someone from Striga, though they might be a bit more aggressive. Each culture depends on the area you are located within, and what each realm is based around.

Since their establishment, Striga and Boldhelm have always worked together (mainly through trade) to supply resources to each other. Since the terrain and environment in each kingdom is different, they relied on each other to get certain goods. Boldhelm and Striga have always been closely tied. Not only are they neighboring kingdoms, but Striga relies heavily on Boldhelm for materials that can be crafted into tools or weapons. Over recent years, Boldhelm has lessened/restricted their supply to Striga for unknown, or seemingly petty, reasons. The rulers of both kingdoms during this era have always had a tumultuous relationship, and the unusual actions on both sides only heightened the tension. Recently, Striga received word that Boldhelm miners had found and extracted a precious and powerful material from a cavern. It was rumored that the material had unique properties that, if used in the right way, could have disastrous effects on its target. The Strigan ruler was not pleased with this information, as it gave Boldhelm an upper-hand, one that Striga had little intel about. Striga, as the kingdom of weaponry, has always held a high ground and been the most ‘feared.’ They could easily combat another kingdom and overcome them with brute force and their unlimited arsenal. The Strigan ruler did not like that this challenged that precedent, and assumed it made the kingdom look weak (and provided the possibility of being overthrown). This escalated tensions more, and fueled the Strigan civilians resentment towards Boldhelm. Many think Boldhelm is trying to undermine Striga, or potentially overcome them. Both leaderships have used propaganda to fuel hatred in their citizens.

Magic is obtained from making "pacts" with powerful entities known as the Seven Hollows or Unspoken Ones. Each entity is a manifestation from the fears of each realm, and are given power based on how much they are feared by general humanity. Each realm has their own hollow based from there, but they are not restricted to those areas. The Seven Hollows/Unspoken Ones: They Who Burn (the flame) They Who Fester (the rot) They Who Linger (the shadow) They Who Crave (the hunger) They Who Fade (the forgotten) They Who Watch (the eye) They Who Sink (the deep) The Realms and their associated Hollow: Ord - Agriculture - Rot - fear of famine, polluted crops/soil, disease Kilmore - Hunting - Hunger - fear of starvation, desperation Florian Isles - Oceanic Goods - Deep - fear of drowning, storms, guilt Ceresco - Textiles - Eye - fear of being perceived, watched, judgment Circa - Education - Forgotten - fear of forgetting, obscurity, being unseen Boldhelm - Mining - Shadow - fear of darkness, suspense, isolation Striga - Weapons - Flame - fear of fire, chaos, wrath When a person makes a pact with a Hollow, known as the Silent Accord, they are granted powers related to that Hollow. A person who makes a pact with a Hollow is referred to as a Forsworn. For example, let's say someone makes a pact with the Flame. They would be granted the ability to produce and manipulate fire to various extents, and their power may depend on how much rage they have. Someone who makes a pact with the Rot may be able to cause disease to spread around them or rot any living thing around them just by being in that area. Essentially, the power/magic manifests as what is feared with each Hollow. There is also the ability known as Weaving, which allows an individual to see and manipulate the threads of reality. In reference to the Loom, everything that exists (including metaphysical concepts like air or shadows) is made up of different "threads." Weavers can see these threads and manipulate them, which in turn manipulates the corresponding object/effect. If a Weaver wanted to conjure fire, they could summon several threads that would then manifest as fire in their hand when combined. Weavers are the only individuals who can see threads. Normal people can only see the manifestation of the threads, not the threads themselves. A person becomes a Weaver once they interact with a Rift, a cosmic tear in reality that manifests in random locations. When a rift is touched, it briefly teleports that person to the Loom itself, where they are surrounded by millions of threads in an infinite, empty space. They are then teleported back to their original location, now touched by the Loom, allowing them to see threads. Rifts are a rare find, so Weavers are not commonly seen. There is also the overlying deity known as the Ascended One, but he does not grant abilities to people. He is worshipped by nearly every human, and many religions focus around him. The Church of Ascended Light: The main religion within the kingdoms, worshiping the Ascended One, the being that once wielded the Halo. They believe that the Ascended One was a divine being, chosen by the Light Beyond (higher-being) to bring order to the world using the Halo. They believe the Light Beyond forged the Halo from the ‘threads of reality,’ and chose the Ascended One to shepherd the world using it. The Light Beyond is said to dwell beyond the Shattered Sky, unreachable since the Sundering. The church claims to serve this being through the Ascended One. They also believe the Halo is a divine relic that should only be wielded by those chosen by the Light Beyond. It is prophesied that a new ‘chosen one’ will arise someday, the rightful bearer of the Halo. They do not view death as an enemy, but a force to be obeyed and not contended. They see the Sundering as a lesson; that when a natural force, such as death, is challenged, there are dire consequences (the Sundering). The Shattered Sky is viewed as a message for mortals not to contend with such forces, or there will be repercussions. The church teaches that Hollows are “demons from the Rift,” beings that tempt mortals into sin (which would pull them away from the Light Beyond). They portray pacts as ‘blasphemous bargains,’ turning men into monsters that are severed from the Light Beyond. They preach that only the full Halo can “seal them away once more.” The Crimson Covenant: After the Sundering, when the Ascended One died, a group of people recovered their body and took it. These people each consumed parts of his flesh until it was bare bones. They are known as the First Supplicants. Although the Halo was lost, the Ascended One’s body had been altered by wielding it for some time. Upon consumption, the supplicants gained the ability to manipulate flesh beyond ordinary means. Some people saw this, and begin to see these individuals as bearers of divinity, following them. When followers proved their loyalty, the supplicants would gift them with their own blood. When drank, those individuals gained the ability to manipulate their own blood to an extent. As time went on, and the First Supplicants began to die, an elected follower would be chosen to consume the whole body of the supplicant. When all flesh was consumed, that person acquired the abilities of the supplicant. These people were titled Fleshwardens, and would be trusted to lead sects of the cult. When they were soon to pass, the process would happen again, and the new person who consumed the old Fleshwarden would become the current Fleshwarden. This is known as the Rite of Consumption, a sacred rite among the cult. Fleshwardens were also responsible for indoctrinating members into the cult, as only their blood could grant mortals the ability of blood manipulation. If a follower gave their blood to another mortal, that person would not be able to manipulate blood; only the blood of a Fleshwarden can pass on such ability. When the Rite of Consumption is performed, the new Fleshwarden undergoes intense madness and visions as the memories of the previous successors flood into their mind. They eventually stabilize, and become the new vessel. The followers of this cult worship the blood of the Ascended One, but not the being itself. They believe his essence was not destroyed upon his death, but carried on through those who consumed him. They seek to resurrect the Ascended One, not as he was, but as a being reborn in flesh. They believe that if enough of his essence is gathered and merged, a New Ascended can be woven from flesh and crowned in blood. They view the Halo fragments as vital, because they believe they are key to awakening the god-flesh within its inheritors. They do not want to control reality through the Halo, but instead, use it to ignite the dormant godblood and birth a new divine being. The followers view the Church of the Ascended Light as hypocrites and liars, as they worship who the Ascended One was and not the idea that he can be reborn. They believe in the Crimson Host, the final incarnation of the Ascended One. The Crimson Host is said to have the ability to command the Halo, bending reality as the Ascended One once did. In order to ‘become’ the Crimson Host, this person must consume all of the Fleshwardens, allowing them to wield the full power of the Ascended One as the “body reformed.” This prophecy is still in waiting, as most followers do not believe the person who is the rightful Crimson Host has come yet. There is also discourse among various sects, as some Fleshwardens believe they are/should be the Crimson Host, while other members/Fleshwardens debate that idea. It is considered blasphemy, by some members, for a Fleshwarden to call themselves the chosen one, though some followers support the idea when it arises. The Skybound Faith Followers believe that true knowledge lies beyond the Shattered Sky, in the vast reaches of the cosmos. To them, the Halo and the Ascended One are cosmic phenomena that can be explained by learning more about the cosmos. One of their main philosophical points is that the world of Firth is only a sliver of a wider, more ancient reality. They call this greater reality the Loom. They preach that the Sundering was the first sign that the Loom has begun to unravel. Followers reside mostly in observatories, which are often built on high cliffs or towers so that they can easily view the sky and what’s beyond it. They use complex mechanical diagrams and star-charts that can only be deciphered by ranking scholars. Their clergy members are called Astroliths. The Astroliths believe that the Halo is a cosmic agent that is able to manipulate the Loom itself. They do not seek to destroy or rebuild the Halo, but they fear that if it is reforged, the Halo could trigger a cosmic event similar to that of the Sundering. They study the strange phenomena that has occurred after the Sundering, such as the rifts. Since some members focus on the rifts as their main interest of study, a few of them have become Weavers due to interacting with them. This has only expanded their knowledge even more, as those individuals reported what they saw when within the strange dimension. This solidified the concept of the Loom, as all Weaver members observed the same web-like structure. They also came back with the ability to see threads, which the clergy believes is what makes up not only the Loom, but all of reality. They see the Loom not as an entity, but as a meta-system that has existed long before the world. It binds all things in existence, and holds all realities together. The Halo, when whole, was an anchor-point that kept sections of the Loom stable. When the Halo was shattered, it snapped threads across countless layers of existence. These tears caused some stable pieces of reality to be disrupted/altered, and possibilities that never should have existed to bleed into the world (ex. Rifts). The Skybound Faith believes that learning the Loom’s design will lead to ‘true ascension,’ not through power, but through understanding.

The Sundering: Centuries ago, a being wielded the Halo, and was known as the Ascended One. One day, this being decided he wanted to erase death from the world. No one could die, and everyone would live forever without the fear of death. However, when death heard of these plans, he intervened. The being and Death fought, but the being was defeated by Death, showing that no living thing can outrun him, and that he is inevitable. Death took the Halo and broke it into five pieces, so that no one could use it again and try to put a stop to him. However, in doing so, shattered the heavens and other fragments of reality. One consequence is the sky breaking into "pieces" like glass, allowing entities from other planes to leak into this reality. This is known as the Shattered Sky. The Shattered Sky is a reminder to all of the consequence of trying to cheat Death. Rifts also manifested as tears in reality, appearing as narrow slits of swirling color in the middle of the air. The Halo’s fragments were scattered, and although powerful alone, did not compare to the power of the complete Halo. Death sees all, and continues to watch for anyone who may try to reforge the Halo. The Five Fragments: Mind (who) Form (what) Time (when) Space (where) Force (how) Each fragment wields immense power and is associated with one of the above five. For example, if someone held the space fragment, they might be able to teleport vast distances. The fragments are considered "legend," and seeking them is seen as foolish.

Hollows