The Novice

You have the rare ability to summon demons—creatures bound to a mage through magical sigils. This power draws you into a world of political tension, military training, and deep prejudice as he enters an elite academy for battlemages. 🪄 Magic System (High/Low Magic) High magic with structured rules. Key features: Summoning is the core: mages call forth demons of varying species and power. Spellcasting is done through runes and demon-assisted energy, not free-form sorcery. Power varies by mana reserves, demon strength, and magical skill. Summoning is rare, which makes Fletcher’s accidental discovery a major plot driver. 🏰 Technology Level Medieval to early gunpowder era, roughly: Swords, bows, armor, and siege engines Some primitive firearms exist Society resembles a classic fantasy kingdom with guilds and rigid class structures Orc wars influence the militaristic tone 🌟 Unique Elements That Set It Apart Pokémon-like demon companions tied to the summoner for life A military academy that trains summoners as officers for a looming war Strong themes of racial prejudice, especially against dwarves, elves, and orcs Mix of demonology + military fantasy + school competition Summoning originates from an ancient grimoire tradition that is partly lost

🏰 Major Nations 1. Hominum The central human kingdom and the primary setting of The Novice. Ruled by a monarchy, supported by noble houses. Constantly threatened by Orc invasions. Socially stratified: nobles, commoners, dwarves, and elves all exist in tense relationships. Demon summoning is practiced only by certain humans with innate talent. Most events in the book occur in Hominum. 2. Elven Lands A forested nation bordering Hominum. Home to the elves. Relations with humans are strained; elves are subject to discrimination in Hominum. Provides rangers, diplomats, and warriors to aid (or negotiate with) humans. 3. Dwarven Holds Mountainous territories inhabited by dwarves. Known for craftsmanship, mining, and proud warrior clans. Political tensions with humans—dwarves face oppression and legal restrictions in Hominum. Some dwarven characters come to Hominum’s academy. 4. Orc Territories Wastelands and harsh plains beyond Hominum’s borders. Populated by Orc tribes and shamans. Perpetual enemies of Hominum. Their threat drives much of Hominum’s military and political structure. 🏙️ Major Cities & Settlements 1. Pelt Fletcher’s hometown. A small northern village. Surrounded by forests and hunting areas. Close to the frontier with Orc territory. 2. Vocans Academy (most important location) A fortress-like academy located in the mountains. Trains summoners for military and noble use. Houses libraries, classrooms, training grounds, summoning chambers, and dormitories. Divided into social factions (commoners, nobles, dwarves, elves). Acts as the setting for most of The Novice. 3. Corcillum Capital city of Hominum. Home to the Palace, noble houses, and the Inquisition. A center of political drama, corruption, and intrigue. Fletcher and others travel here for trials, ceremonies, or major events. 🌄 Major Geographic Features 1. The Ether Not a physical location but a magical dimension. Demons originate from here. Summoners draw power through portals connected to this realm. Higher-level demons come from deeper layers of the Ether. 2. Mountains of Hominum A rugged region that houses: Vocans Academy Dwarven mines Strategic military outposts 3. Silverwood Forest A vast forest near Elven lands. Contains wildlife, magical creatures, and patrols of elven rangers. 4. The Badlands / Orc Frontier Harsh wastelands beyond the borders. Frequent raid routes. Home to orc citadels and shamanic sites. 🧭 How Geography Shapes the Story The threat of the Orcs forces Hominum to train powerful summoners. Social tensions between dwarves, elves, nobles, and commoners are tied to land and resource conflicts. Vocans Academy’s isolation makes it a pressure cooker for political and personal rivalries. The Ether enables the existence of demons, which fundamentally shapes the magic system and warfare. A looming multi-nation conflict influences every major character’s decisions.

The world contains four intelligent mortal races plus demons, which come from a different realm. 👨‍👩‍👧 1. Humans Territory The Kingdom of Hominum Cities: Corcillum (capital), Pelt, and many villages, towns, and strongholds. Role & Culture The dominant political and military power. Only a small fraction of humans can become summoners, which elevates their social rank. Relationship with Others Elves: Uneasy alliance; tensions high because humans encroach on forests and mistrust elves. Dwarves: Humans discriminate against dwarves heavily—restricting trade, weapons, and freedoms. Orcs: At war for generations; see them as natural enemies. Humans sit at the center of all conflicts. 🧝 2. Elves Territory The Elven Lands, a vast, ancient forest to the east of Hominum. Capital sometimes referred to as Elesban (mentioned later in the series). Role & Culture Master archers, rangers, and nature-attuned people. Respect demons deeply and use them differently than humans. Relationship with Others Humans: Suspicious; humans have cut down forests and broken old treaties. Elves see humans as greedy and destructive. Dwarves: More respectful relationship; share mutual distrust for humans. Orcs: Hostile but not in open war—elves rarely encounter them directly. Elves stand for tradition, balance, and cautious diplomacy. ⛰️ 3. Dwarves Territory The mountainous regions west of Hominum. Independent dwarven holds, mines, and fortified tunnels. Role & Culture Expert smiths, engineers, and craftsmen. Proud, clan-based culture with warrior traditions. Relationship with Others Humans: Extremely poor. Humans impose discriminatory laws—bans on weapons, trade taxes, limits on representation. Elves: Respectful equals; dwarves prefer elves to humans politically. Orcs: Enemies; dwarves defend their mountains from raids. Dwarves in Hominum live under legal oppression, fueling political tension. 🐗 4. Orcs Territory The Orc Wastelands / Badlands, brutal territory to the north and northeast. Role & Culture Highly aggressive, tribal societies. Led by chieftains and shamans with their own form of dark magic. Relationship with Others Humans: Open war for generations; frequent border raids. Elves: Mutual hostility but limited contact. Dwarves: Regular conflict over mountain borders. Orcs serve as the external threat that shapes most of Hominum’s politics. 💠 5. Demons (Not a mortal race — beings from the Ether) Territory The Ether, a layered magical dimension. Summoners draw demons from here. Role & Nature Magical companions, fighters, or mounts for summoners. Many species: salamanders, canids, gryphons, vulcans, wyrms, and many others. Relationship with Others Humans, Elves, Dwarves: All use demons if they have summoning ability. Orcs: Also use demons via shamans. Their existence defines the world’s military and political powers.

⚔️ 1. The Orc War (Constant, Increasing Threat) The greatest ongoing danger is the Orc invasion on Hominum’s northern borders. Why it creates adventure opportunities: Border fortresses need scouts, summoners, and soldiers. Orc shamans command demons, creating magical battlefields. Raids destroy villages, forcing evacuations and defense missions. Heroes can hunt warbands, sabotage tribes, or explore Orc territory. This war is the backdrop of every political decision in the kingdom. 🏰 2. Rising Tensions with the Elves Humans and Elves maintain a fragile alliance, but: Humans have cut into elven forests. Old treaties have been broken. Elves fear humans expanding demon-summoner armies. Elven delegates arrive at Vocans, increasing friction. Adventure opportunities: Diplomacy missions between races Escorting elven envoys Investigating treaty violations Preventing extremists (on either side) from starting a war The alliance is so strained it could collapse at any moment. ⛰️ 3. Oppression of the Dwarves Dwarves live under restrictive human laws: Bans on carrying weapons Heavy taxes Limits on their businesses Historical grievances Their leaders push back politically and socially. Adventure opportunities: Underground dwarf resistance movements Smuggling weapons or goods Helping dwarves reclaim mines Navigating the tensions at Vocans Academy between dwarves and nobles Dwarven characters bring deep conflicts and grudges that drive quests. 🏛️ 4. Noble Houses vs Commoners A powerful internal conflict: Noble families dominate summoning ranks. Commoners rarely are allowed entry to the Academy. Fletcher’s talent disrupts the hierarchy. Noble students scheme to preserve status and block outsiders. Opportunities: Intrigue, rivalry, duels, sabotage within Vocans Political missions to expose noble corruption Helping commoner summoners survive and rise This tension fuels major story arcs and academy drama. ⚖️ 5. The Inquisition The Inquisition acts as a mix of: legal authority political enforcers anti-magic watchdogs They prosecute summoners, enforce noble interests, and manipulate the monarchy. Adventure opportunities: Escaping or fighting unjust charges Investigating Inquisitors’ abuse of power Protecting magical texts, demons, or people Being hunted for forbidden magic or alliances For many characters, the Inquisition is the most immediate danger. 📜 6. Discovery of Ancient Artifacts and Lost Magic Hints appear of: Pre-summoner civilizations Forgotten spellbooks Ancient demon species Ruins in the mountains and forests Adventure opportunities: Expedition into abandoned summoner strongholds Hunting rare demons in the wild Recovering ancient relics before nobles or orcs do The world’s history is deep enough to build entire campaigns around. 🔥 7. Corruption Within the Monarchy and Nobility Key noble houses: manipulate the king influence the academy control mining operations use wealth to sway military strategy Their rivalry creates instability. Adventure opportunities: Spying on corrupt nobles Protecting witnesses or evidence Uncovering plots to control the throne Sabotaging noble power grabs Politics becomes as deadly as any battlefield. 🐺 8. Wild Demons and Ether Disturbances Not all demons are bound to summoners. Ether rifts appear Wild demons occasionally emerge Orc shamans experiment with new summoning rituals Adventure opportunities: Hunting rogue demons Investigating Ether anomalies Keeping demon species from falling into enemy hands Magic itself becomes a frontier for explorers. 🌩️ 9. Social Unrest All races—humans, elves, dwarves—are unhappy for different reasons. Protests and riots in cities Border villagers fleeing violence Calls for reform Clashes among mixed-race groups at the Academy Adventure opportunities: Quelling riots Protecting political figures Helping refugees Navigating dangerous streets or protest zones

Magic in the Summoner universe is not elemental sorcery or spellcasting like traditional fantasy. It revolves around summoning demons from a parallel dimension called the Ether and controlling them through mana. 🔹 1. The Ether The Ether is a magical realm layered like an onion—each deeper layer contains stronger, rarer demon species. Important traits: Demons are born in the Ether, not in the mortal world. Summoners pull them through a summoning portal using mana. Returning to the Ether is part of their natural lifecycle. The Ether is the source of all supernatural power in the setting. 🔹 2. What Summoners Actually Do A summoner: Bonds with demons Channels mana into them Commands them mentally Uses runes to cast magical effects through the demon Demons are both companions and spell-focuses. Magic = demon power + summoner mana + rune direction. 🔹 3. Mana Mana is a personal internal magical energy. Each summoner has a limited mana pool. If it empties → the summoner becomes exhausted or unconscious. Demons also have mana reservoirs, especially higher-tier demons. Mana fuels: Summoning Healing demons Rune magic Opening/maintaining Ether portals 🔹 4. Rune Magic Runes are geometric magical inscriptions that channel mana. Runes can: Empower demons Heal or protect Enhance abilities Create spells when combined Some advanced runes are: Aegis (shield) Blitz (speed) Hellfire (rare, dangerous) Summoning (portal creation) Rune knowledge = magical versatility. 🧙‍♂️ WHO CAN USE MAGIC? Only summoners—rare individuals of any race—can draw demons from the Ether. 🔹 1. Humans Humans produce the majority of known summoners. Traits: Summoning ability appears randomly. Nobles encourage breeding lines, but commoners can have the gift too (like Fletcher). Humans rely heavily on summoners to fight Orcs. 🔹 2. Elves Elves also have summoners. Distinct traits: More spiritually connected to demons. Tend to treat their demons as equal partners. They have their own academies and methods. Elven summoners are fewer but often highly skilled. 🔹 3. Dwarves Dwarven summoners exist but are extremely rare. Cultural pressures and human oppression reduce training opportunities. Dwarves themselves value craftsmanship more than magical traditions. Still, they can summon—nothing biological prevents it. 🔹 4. Orcs A small number of orcs have summoners called shamans. Traits: Use dark rituals and savage forms of runes. Often use demons for destruction. Their magic is feared, chaotic, and poorly understood. 🔹 5. Demons Demons themselves do NOT cast spells the way mortals do. Their abilities come from instinctive powers tied to their species, such as: Fire breath Healing flames Flight Burrowing Poison Camouflage Their power scales with: Mana Evolution (some demons evolve or “molt” into higher forms) Depth of Ether origin 🕯️ ARE THERE DEITIES? No traditional gods or pantheons exist in this world.

The Ether is the sole other plane that interacts directly with the physical world. It is: the origin of all demons, the source of all magical power, and the foundation of summoner magic. There are no heavens, hells, astral planes, or divine realms—just the material world and the Ether. ✨ 1. What is the Ether? The Ether is a parallel dimension composed of multiple layers, with each deeper layer housing stronger and stranger demon species. Known properties: It is a living, energy-rich realm. Each layer has its own environment and ecosystem. Time, gravity, and space behave differently there. Most demons never physically enter the material world unless summoned. 🔗 2. How the Ether Interacts with the Material World Interaction happens in three main ways: 🔹 A. Summoning Portals A summoner can pull a demon from the Ether into the physical world through a summoned portal. Requires a summoner’s mana. Happens instantly. The demon is bound by a magical bond that regulates behavior and communication. This is the primary connection between planes. 🔹 B. Demon Mana & Abilities Demons carry Etheric energy (mana) within them. They can expend this energy to use magical abilities. The more powerful the demon or the deeper its layer of origin, the stronger the effects. Thus, demons bring Etheric power directly into the physical realm. 🔹 C. Ether Rifts (Rare and Dangerous) Very rarely, the boundaries between realms weaken, causing: bursts of Etheric energy, spontaneous demon appearances, unstable magical effects. These events typically occur: on battlefields scarred by magic, near ancient ruins, or in places where summoners have overextended their mana. They are a sign of dangerous stress between planes. 🔥 3. What Happens When Demons Return to the Ether? Demons naturally return to the Ether when: they die, they run out of mana, or their summoner releases them. This creates an ongoing cycle of interaction between planes.

The world’s history can be divided into three major eras that came before the current timeline: The Age of the Ancient Dead Civilizations The Rise of Early Summoners The Founding & Expansion of Hominum Each era leaves ruins, artifacts, and mysteries that still influence the present. 🏺 1. The Age of the Ancient Dead Civilizations (Most mysterious era — predates all recorded history) Little is known because almost no texts survive, but archeological evidence and the content of ancient spellbooks suggest: A race or multiple races once mastered demon summoning long before humans learned it. Their civilization reached great heights through potent runic magic. Their downfall was sudden — possibly tied to Ether instability or misuse of magic. Legacies & Ruins Ancient spellbooks containing rare or forgotten runes (immensely valuable). Collapsed fortresses, tunnels, and forgotten shrines in mountains and wilderness. Obelisks and rune-etched stones still humming faintly with Ether energy. Lost demon species believed extinct or unreachable except in deep Ether layers. These ruins form the basis for many expeditions, mysteries, and adventures. 🔥 2. The Era of Early Summoners (The time when humans, elves, and dwarves first learned summoning) This era marks the rediscovery of summoning — likely through contact with ancient artifacts. Key Developments Elves appear to have learned summoning earliest. Humans and dwarves followed later, reverse-engineering ancient runes and portals. Rune magic became more systematized. The first summoner bloodlines formed, though talent remained unpredictable. Legacies & Ruins Primitive summoner academies now abandoned or partially collapsed. Old summoning chambers carved with original-style runes. Demon-hunting grounds marked by ether-tainted terrain. Early human or elven grimoires, fragments of which still appear in collections or black markets. These early practices form the foundation for modern summoning techniques. 👑 3. The Founding and Rise of the Kingdom of Hominum (The recent-but-pivotal era) This period marks the formation of the current political world. Defining Events Humans formed the first unified kingdom. Nobles rose to power by monopolizing summoning knowledge. Early wars with orcs, dwarves, and elven territories shaped borders. The monarchy established Vocans Academy to produce military summoners. This era leads directly into the modern conflicts of The Novice. Legacies & Ruins Early border forts now overrun, abandoned, or filled with orcs. Old battlegrounds where powerful demons once clashed — often magically scarred. Historical caches of military weapons, runic gear, or forgotten demons sealed away. Relics of noble houses: collapsed estates, forbidden libraries, destroyed labs. These are common locations for political intrigue and treasure-hunting adventures. 🏚️ RUINS, RELICS & SECRET KNOWLEDGE THAT REMAIN Here’s a quick list of the most important tangible remnants from earlier ages. 1. Ancient Ruined Fortresses Built by a long-forgotten civilization. Often contain advanced runes no modern mage understands. 2. Lost Spellbooks The most valuable finds in the world. Contain forgotten runes like Hellfire, binding runes, or deeper-layer summoning glyphs. 3. Collapsed Summoning Chambers Old stone circles, temples, or underground halls. Sometimes still active — Ether leaks, wild demons, or unstable portals. 4. Ether-Tainted Sites Wild magical zones where reality is warped: Floating stones Mana-filled crystals Permanent fog or glowing fungi Hidden demon nests These often come from ancient battles or weakened planar boundaries. 5. Forgotten Noble Crypts & Academies Filled with enchanted weapons Notes on early summoning experiments Failed demon hybrids or dangerous runic constructs 🧭 WHY THESE REMAINS MATTER These ruins and artifacts lead to: quests (recover ancient runes) danger (demon nests, unstable portals) political leverage (spellbooks can shift kingdoms) racial conflicts (elves/dwarves/humans claim ruins as ancestral) military breakthroughs (lost magic can turn wars) They form the mystical skeleton of the Summoner world.

CURRENCY & MONEY SYSTEMS The Kingdom of Hominum is the dominant economic power in the known world and has a unified monetary system. 1. Common Currency: Coins Hominum uses a metallic coin-based system, with: • Bronze / Copper coins Used for everyday small transactions (food, clothing, basic trade). • Silver coins Used for larger purchases (weapons, tools, travel), wages, and general commerce. • Gold coins Reserved for nobles, military procurement, land purchases, rare materials, and bribery. Gold coins appear most often in: noble transactions high-end trade academy tuition military contracts Value spreads are similar to medieval Europe, except with more centralized minting thanks to the monarchy. 🧾 2. Barter & Resource-Based Exchange Especially among: dwarves (favoring trade in metals and forged goods) elves (who value crafted items, rare plants, and magical reagents) border communities (which often lack coin circulation) Goods like: pelts metal ingots medicinal herbs smoked meat demon reagents tools are frequently traded directly, especially far from major cities. 🛒 3. Specialized Magical Trade Certain goods are extremely valuable and often traded outside standard coin markets: Demon eggs (rare, usually illegal for commoners) Spellbooks & rune tablets Summoner tools (gauntlets, crystals, binding gear) Ether-charged materials (stones, crystals, monster parts) These form a semi-black-market economy mediated by nobles, mages, and smugglers. 🧭 TRADE ROUTES & ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY The known world has three major regions that interact economically: Hominum (humans) Dwarven Holds (mountain miners/smiths) The Elven Lands (forest-based goods) Trade also exists with orcs indirectly (mainly looting, stolen goods, or black market trafficking). 🚚 1. Hominum’s Internal Trade Routes As the largest kingdom, Hominum has a network of: roads connecting major towns river trade (particularly near Corcillum) military supply chains feeding border fortresses caravan routes running through forest and mountain passes Important hubs: • Corcillum – the capital A center for: minting taxation high-value trade noble estates Inquisition-controlled markets • Vocans region (mountains) Regions around the Academy benefit from: dwarven metals military supply lines specialized summoner markets • Border towns (like Pelt) Trade in: pelts meat lumber frontier goods weapons for defense These towns often rely on caravans for manufactured items. ⛰️ 2. Dwarven Trade Routes Dwarves historically controlled: iron and steel production precious metals and gemstones expert craftsmanship (the best in the world) But: Human oppression suppresses dwarven trade. Restrictions include: heavy taxes bans on weapon-carrying trade limitations political sabotage Despite this, dwarven caravans still bring: high-quality weapons metal goods tools ornate crafts to human cities — often at great risk. 🌲 3. Elven Trade Routes Elven commerce is more selective and political. Elven exports include: rare herbs botanical medicines fine bows and carved woodwork limited magical reagents Trade between elves and humans is tense. Elves mostly use: forest paths river routes diplomatic caravans under guard rather than open trade networks. 🐗 4. Orc Trade? Orcs have no formal trade relations with other races. However: They scavenge or loot from battlefields Some human smugglers illegally trade with them Orc shamans collect magical reagents, but rarely for exchange Orcs interact with the economy mainly through conflict, not commerce. 🏛️ ECONOMIC SYSTEMS & POWER STRUCTURES The world’s economy is shaped by three major forces: 🪙 1. The Monarchy & Noble Houses Nobles dominate: land ownership mining rights trade taxation magical knowledge summoner recruitment They behave like a feudal oligarchy, using: military contracts controlled markets influence over Vocans Academy to consolidate wealth. ⚒️ 2. Guilds & Craftsmen The kingdom contains: blacksmiths’ guilds merchant guilds innkeepers’ and craftsmen’s unions Guilds provide: standardized prices apprenticeships product quality some political leverage (not much vs nobles) 📦 3. Military Economy Because of the constant Orc threat, the military economy includes: fort maintenance weapon and armor procurement demon feed and care supplies summoner equipment recruitment and training centers This is one of Hominum’s largest internal expenses. ⚖️ ECONOMIC THEMES THAT SHAPE ADVENTURE These dynamics create excellent plot hooks: ★ Dwarven economic oppression Smuggling, rebellion, secret crafts, political sabotage. ★ Black-market rune trading Illegal spellbooks, demon eggs, bound demons. ★ Border shortages Supply runs, mercenary patrols, village defense. ★ Noble economic manipulation Controlling mines and caravans, sabotaging rivals, bribing Inquisitors. ★ Elven–human trade tension Escorting caravans, enforcing fragile treaties, resolving trade disputes. ★ Rare magical materials Treks into ruins, dangerous forests, Ether-tainted zones.

HOW JUSTICE IS ADMINISTERED Justice in the Summoner world—especially in Hominum, the dominant human kingdom—is highly unequal, politically influenced, and centered around two main authorities: Local / Municipal Law The Inquisition (the most powerful and feared legal body) Dwarves, elves, and orcs use different systems, though interactions with humans often override them. 🏛️ 1. JUSTICE IN HOMINUM (THE HUMAN KINGDOM) Hominum is a feudal monarchy, meaning justice depends heavily on: class race the influence of noble houses the presence of the Inquisition ► Local Justice: Towns & Villages Handled by: Bailiffs Sheriffs Village elders (informal decisions) Local lords (in rural regions) Typical punishments: fines confiscation of property imprisonment indentured labor banishment corporal punishment If a noble is involved, outcomes often become political. ► Royal Justice For bigger crimes—murder, treason, magical misuse, noble disputes—cases may reach: the King’s magistrates the royal court But this system is slow and highly biased. Nobles often escape punishment, while commoners are treated harshly. 🔥 2. THE INQUISITION (THE MOST POWERFUL LEGAL FORCE) The Inquisition is judge, jury, and executioner—especially in matters involving: summoners demons magic political dissent interracial disputes (elves/dwarves vs humans) treason They operate as a mix of: secret police military tribunal legal court political weapon for nobles Tactics include: forced confessions rigged trials public intimidation swift sentencing exploiting gray areas of the law The Inquisition is feared because: it answers directly to the king nobles use it to eliminate rivals summoners can be arrested on suspicion alone dwarves and elves are treated far more harshly A trial by the Inquisition is rarely fair. Fletcher’s experience is a perfect example. 🌲 3. ELVEN JUSTICE The elves maintain forest-based tribunals led by councils of elders or clan chiefs. Values include: rehabilitation restoration social harmony Punishments tend to be: exile service to the community reparations magical oaths Elves consider human justice barbaric and politically corrupt. ⛰️ 4. DWARVEN JUSTICE In independent dwarf holds (outside human control), justice is clan-based. Led by: clan chiefs elders master forgemasters (for trade disputes) Values include: honor fairness compensation maintaining clan reputation Punishments include: fines forced restitution loss of status exile (rare and severe) Inside Hominum, dwarven justice is suppressed—humans force dwarves to use Hominum’s courts instead, often with discriminatory outcomes. 🐗 5. ORC “JUSTICE” Orc tribes don’t have courts—justice is driven by: strength shamans tribal leaders vengeance codes Punishments usually involve: ritual combat execution enslavement exile into the wilds To outsiders, orc justice appears brutal but internally consistent. Adventures don’t exist because of tension

🩸 1. MORTAL CREATURES & HOSTILE FACTIONS 🐗 The Orc Tribes The single greatest existential mortal threat. Spread across the northern wilderness Frequently raid human and dwarven settlements Controlled by war chiefs, shamans, and bloodline champions Many have tamed or bonded with feral demons Some shamans can manipulate Ether in primitive but dangerous ways Why they’re dangerous: Orcs breed fast, live harsh lives, and are united by hatred of Hominum. Recent decades have seen them grow bolder—likely because something is empowering them from beyond. 🩸 The Pinkertons / Mercenary Guilds (Human Threats) Though not a “creature,” the Pinkerton-like guilds and hired blades act as a paramilitary force. Used by nobles to eliminate rivals Often deal in illegal magical items Capable of capturing or killing young summoners May cooperate with the Inquisition secretly Why they’re dangerous: They operate outside any law and answer only to gold. 🐍 Beasts of the Wilds Non-demonic monsters still threaten borders: Dire wolves Shadow panthers Giant boars Forest serpents Ether-poisoned wildlife (mutant animals near ancient ruins) While normal wildlife, many are strengthened by Ether leakages, turning them into pseudo-magical threats. 🔥 2. SUPERNATURAL THREATS 🜂 Demons of the Ether The Ether’s native creatures, summoned or wild. Common classes: Imps (as personal companions) Salamanders Canids Drakes Wargs Golems Higher-tier or dangerous classes: Hydras Vampyr-class demons Ogre demons Geists & Specters (rare, incorporeal Ether beings) Chimeric demons (unstable hybrids from corrupted spellbooks) Unbound Primordial Demons (see Ancient Evils section) Why they’re dangerous: The deeper one goes into the Ether’s layers, the more hostile and intelligent the demons become. Some are implied to be nearly godlike in complexity. ⚡ Ether Storms & Rifts Raw magical phenomena: sudden Ether tears releasing wild demons storms that warp living beings areas where summoning becomes unpredictable “dead zones” where demons lose power or go feral These typically appear near: ancient ruins battlefields collapsed summoning chambers lost spellbook sites They are the supernatural equivalent of magical disasters. 🕯️ 3. CULTS, SECRET SOCIETIES & FANATICAL GROUPS 🕳️ The Cult of the Below (Expanded Lore) A shadowy group obsessed with the deepest layers of Ether where Primordial demons dwell. Beliefs: demons are divine messengers summoners should return the world to demon rule the ancient civilization fell because it defied the Ether Practices: blood sacrifice stolen spellbooks summoning rituals outside legal bounds binding demons using forbidden runes infiltration of weak noble houses Often blamed for Ether anomalies and disappearances near ruin sites. 👁️ The Inquisition (as a quasi-cult) While not a cult formally, it behaves like one: zealous secretive violent obsessed with purity manipulates politics and religion hunts summoners who are “too talented” without noble supervision Many nobles whisper that parts of the Inquisition are influenced by: ancient spellbooks forbidden demon lore anti-elf and anti-dwarf scriptures An internal extremist sect called The Purifiers wants to eradicate all non-humans. 🗡️ The Shadow Cabal A loose alliance of: rogue summoners black-market rune traders graverobbers demon smugglers They believe power should be free of royal control. Some Cabal cells seek to rebuild the ancient civilization through technology and demon-binding. 🜁 4. ANCIENT EVILS & PREHISTORIC THREATS This is where the deepest mysteries of the Summoner world lie. 🜁 The Remnants of the First Summoners Long before humans or elves practiced summoning, an ancient race mastered it. Possible truths: They created the first runes They summoned Primordial demons They built the great stone ruins still found today Their downfall may have been a magical catastrophe Some may have survived as lich-like Ether phantoms The ruins are not empty—many hold dormant constructs, sealed demons, or Ether traps waiting to be triggered. 🜂 Primordial Demons The deepest, oldest entities in the Ether. Never successfully summoned. Possibly: colossal partially sentient embodiments of primal energies (fire, void, storm, decay) aware of the human world through runes Many believe they were worshiped in the First Civilization. A few names whispered by scholars: Azhural the Burning Flow Vaelm the Silent Maw Korath the Thousand Eyes Sha’ruun the Whispered Hunger These beings would make hydras and ogres look like pets. 🜂 The Covenant of the Dead Kings A rumored alliance of ancient rulers stored in crystal sarcophagi found in mountains. Some believe: their souls linger in the Ether they influence summoners through dreams they seek new hosts they guard knowledge no one is meant to uncover Possibly connected to old-spellbook madness. 🗝️ Forgotten Runes & Forbidden Magic Some runes were deliberately erased from history because they: caused dimensional collapse created mind-bound demons corrupted the summoner opened rifts to deeper Ether layers Finding one is both a blessing and a curse. Many cults revolve around rediscovering them.