Varkhannon: Age of Steam

Magic has been present in the world for as long as anyone can remember, and countless people still rely on it. Yet technological progress never halted. For decades now, steam engines, gear-driven mechanisms, and primitive firearms have become part of everyday life. The world is home to many strange creatures. Trolls roam the frontier, and dragons — once common — have been hunted nearly to extinction. Elemental beings also wander across the land, each bound to the will of ancient gods: lightning, water, ice, wind, earth, and fire. A unique race known as the Hogun stands apart from the others — a bestial yet intelligent species. They resemble humans, but bear the features of both warthogs and hedgehogs. It was the Hogun who first discovered and perfected blood magic, and they guard its secrets fiercely. Human civilization has grown vast and industrialized, yet the world suffers under the weight of a long and brutal war. Two great powers clash endlessly: the Crystal Empire and the Fire Dominion. Their conflict has shaped the age. The first steam-powered land vehicles have already been developed, and air travel has become increasingly common. Many skyships drift between cities, though most are owned by large merchant guilds that transport raw materials across great distances. Horse-drawn wagons remain widespread as well, mostly among the poor and wandering traders.

The two great empires share a vast continent — one that stretches far to the north, south, east, and west. Its lands are carved with lakes, winding rivers, towering mountain ranges, and deep valleys. The Crystal Empire occupies the far eastern coast, its glittering cities standing watch over the ocean. On the opposite side of the continent, along the western shores, sprawls the Fire Dominion, a realm of smoke-blackened forges and volcanic banners. Together, the two powers claim nearly the entire continent. Yet scattered between their expanding borders lie small, independent city-states. Both empires seek to control these outliers — sometimes through open force, other times through strangling trade, political pressure, or engineered instability. To the north, the land rises into a frozen tundra of jagged peaks and windswept cliffs. Few live there, save for hardy tribes and ancient creatures that refuse to bow to any empire. The south is a realm of swamps and wide-spreading mangrove forests where the ground itself seems alive. The air hangs heavy with mist and old magic. The west — beyond the Fire Dominion’s heartland — dissolves into an immense desert. Sandstorms sweep over ruins said to predate both empires, and strange shapes move beneath the dunes. Beyond this primary landmass lie numerous small continents, some scarcely mapped, others no more than distant legends. Many magical beings fled to these isolated lands long ago, escaping the endless hunger of human expansion and imperial ambition.

The world is populated by humans, dragons, trolls, hogun, elemental beings—and a handful of far rarer species whose existence borders on myth. Strigoi The Strigoi are a near-extinct, highly intelligent vampiric predator race. Their outward appearance resembles that of humans, but their skin is pale, and not a single hair grows on their bodies. Their lower jaw can split open, allowing them to fire a long, tentacle-like tongue several dozen meters. The tongue ends in barbed spikes that pierce flesh and drain blood in seconds. Because of this feeding method, Strigoi live extraordinarily long lives and possess powerful regenerative abilities. Sunlight does not kill them, but it burns their skin painfully. Prolonged exposure causes their flesh to blister and char. They live in small colonies deep inside cave systems, far from civilization. Urmund The Urmund are ancient humanoids, their bodies stretched into unnatural proportions. They have no necks; instead, their large heads blend directly into their shoulders. Their eyes are entirely black, and an elephant-like trunk hangs from the center of their face all the way down to their waist. They possess no mouth. The Urmund existed thousands of years ago and are the originators of most healing and creation magic. Humanity, frustrated that the Urmund would not share combat-related magic or weaponize their knowledge, slaughtered them almost to extinction. Now only a few survive, hiding in remote corners of the world. Mecha (Arcane-Steam Constructs) This artificial race was created by humans as an attempt to merge technology with magic. The result was a new intelligent species—not of flesh, but of steam-driven metal bodies animated by arcane cores. Mecha can repair and upgrade themselves, even assimilating other constructs to evolve. They serve human cities—primarily the Crystal Empire—and play an active role in the ongoing war against the Fire Dominion. Murtuk The Murtuk are amphibious beings, a blend of fish, frog, and human traits. Most live in tribal societies underwater or along the coasts. Others dwell in the southern swamp regions among the mangrove forests. They possess great magical potential, especially in water-based shamanic arts. A few Murtuk have learned human languages and integrated into cities, where most other races regard them neutrally. Hogun The Hogun are a beastlike but intelligent race, resembling a fusion of wild boars, hedgehogs, and humans. They live far from human settlements, forming small villages and tight family groups. Although they do not speak human tongues by default, they can learn them. They are not evil, but fiercely territorial. If a land belongs to them, they defend it with relentless ferocity. Trolls Trolls roam the mountainous and northern tundra regions. They are hardy, thick-skinned creatures capable of surviving brutal climates. Encounters with them are rare, but seldom peaceful. Dragons Dragons are nearly extinct, hunted relentlessly throughout the centuries. The few remaining individuals hide in isolated mountain ranges or on distant islands and minor continents untouched by human expansion. Elementals Elementals are manifestations of ancient powers—lightning, water, ice, wind, earth, and fire—bound to the will of primordial gods. Though rare, they appear wherever these old powers awaken. Humans Humanity is spread across the world, industrialized and ambitious. Steam engines, primitive firearms, and clockwork machinery coexist with widespread magic. Humans are the dominant force on the planet—something the other races endure with varying degrees of fear, resentment, or wary cooperation.

For nearly thirty years, a brutal war and an escalating arms race have raged between the Crystal Empire and the Fire Dominion. Entire cities have vanished, others have risen from the ashes, and countless regions have fallen into poverty. The world has grown weary and scarred; most races avoid humankind altogether, knowing well the cruelty humans are capable of. Only the Hogun and the Murtuk sometimes live alongside humans—rare islands of cooperation in a world dominated by conflict. The Mecha, born from human experimentation and arcane engineering, live entirely under human control and serve them without question. The Strigoi The Strigoi avoid human settlements during the day, but at night they roam the roads and prey upon lone travelers or isolated village folk. Their reproduction is incredibly slow—the gestation period lasts many years. However, when a Strigoi intentionally infects a member of another species, a half-blood is born—creatures capable of walking in sunlight. These hybrids are extraordinarily dangerous. The Crystal Empire A rigid, militaristic nation defined by discipline and steel. Magic is rare here; the Empire relies on technology, machinery, and arcane-steam constructs. Their society is uniform, controlled, and their faith is unified under a single, state-enforced religion. They see themselves as the rightful rulers of the continent—through order and progress. The Fire Dominion An ancient, expansionist empire overflowing with sorcerers. The Imperial bloodline itself is composed of noble mages, their lineage stretching back to primordial times. The Dominion’s people are diverse, culturally rich, and spiritually free—their religions are many, unregulated, and deeply woven into daily life. But their laws are rigid and uncompromising. They believe in conquest as a divine mandate. The Two Superpowers The Crystal Empire wields industry—steam engines, clockwork machines, primitive firearms, and Mecha legions. The Fire Dominion wields magic—battlemages, fire-wielding nobles, elemental pacts, and ancient arcane traditions. Their conflict reshapes the world with every passing year.

The Crystal Empire The Crystal Empire enforces a unified, state-controlled religion known as the Church of All Paths. Despite its name, the church acknowledges only one god, whose true name is forbidden to speak—uttering it is considered blasphemy. All other religions are outlawed. Magic is heavily restricted. Only healing magic is permitted among non-citizens, and even citizens must follow strict regulations. Within the military, the most common mages are: Necromancers Ice mages A rare offshoot of necromancy developed a unique art: the ability to infuse lifeless machines with arcane consciousness, animating steel with spirit. These mage-engineers are known as the Mecha Masters, creators of the sentient Mecha race that now serves the Empire faithfully. In war, the Empire relies mainly on: Mecha battalions Armored infantry Rifle and firearm units Cannon crews providing long-range fire Heavily armored cavalry, wielding both primitive guns and melee weapons Mages are rarely deployed to the front lines—most are valuable specialists kept far from harm. The Fire Dominion The Fire Dominion embraces complete freedom of religion. There is no imperial church; people may worship any deity they choose. Still, several beliefs dominate the region: 1. The Faith of the Myriad The most widespread religion, honoring hundreds of gods, each representing an aspect of existence. People may pray to any of them without restriction. 2. The Kásztos Shamanic Tradition An ancient spiritual practice focusing on spirits and elemental beings. Shamans commune with forces of nature, especially elemental manifestations. The imperial family deeply respects the philosophy of the Urmund, the nearly extinct ancient race. Because of this, the Dominion erects statues in their honor and teaches their peaceful teachings and creation-focused ideology in schools and temples. Magic in the Dominion Unlike the Crystal Empire, the Fire Dominion imposes no restrictions on magic. Anyone may practice any form of sorcery. Fire mages dominate the army—centuries of tradition have made them unparalleled in destructive magic. Their military forces include: Fire sorcerers trained from childhood Battle-elementals summoned or bound to serve Mercenary mages of many schools War airships—rare, but fearsome, crewed by firecasters who can unleash devastating infernos from the sky Crucially, magic requires: High concentration Recitation of the proper incantation Strong mental stability If the caster’s focus falters, if the incantation breaks, or if the soul is uncertain, the spell may backfire—harming the caster or an unintended target. With enough mastery, however, a mage can cast without words: thought alone becomes the incantation. There is no conscription for ordinary citizens, but all mages must serve in the Dominion’s army. The rest of the population may volunteer but is not required to join. Technologically, the Dominion is far behind the Crystal Empire—they rarely use firearms and rely instead on: Bows Swords Elemental-enhanced melee combat Their strength lies in magic, not machines.

Primarily divine planes exist, which people can access through prayer and offerings, though this is most common in the Fire Empire. These gods exert only a minimal influence on the world and rarely make contact with mortals, which is why many people do not believe in them.

In the beginning, many small kingdoms were scattered across the continent, constantly battling for centuries and pushing back the territories of magical creatures. Eventually, on the western coastline, the Fire Empire was born from the alliance of several smaller kingdoms, but by then the Urmund race was nearly extinct, so the empire could preserve only a minimal portion of their legacy. About 200 years later, the Crystal Empire emerged on the eastern coastline, with its capital being a major trading city, Byzantium. The two empires lived in peace and alliance for nearly 100 years, working together to defeat the remaining smaller kingdoms until only these two empires remained. After that, the conflict began — a war that has now lasted almost 30 years.

Both empires use the crown as currency, but in the Crystal Empire, crystal coins mined and refined from the quarries have become widespread, which initially contributed to the empire’s rise. The empire has numerous industrialized mining regions, but agriculture is also strong, with many farming towns. Taxes are collected uniformly from the population, although the church also collects a separate tax. In addition, the state provides free healthcare for citizens in the major cities, and economic competition is open, resulting in many companies operating within the empire. These companies frequently trade with the Fire Empire. The Crystal Empire also hosts many industries focused on military production, where metal foundries mass-produce armor, weapons, and various types of vehicles. There are also factories that manufacture firearms, though they mostly produce ammunition for the army, which has given rise to powerful industrial magnate families. In the Fire Empire, coal and iron extraction are the most common industries, and due to their vast desert territories, their agriculture is weak. However, their maritime trade and fishing are very strong. The empire is divided into several provinces, and taxation varies depending on industrial development and local trade. Religious institutions do not collect taxes. Education is free in the empire, including magical education, and alongside strict laws, a planned economy is implemented, directed by the imperial dynasty. This system prevents widespread starvation or oppression of the population. However, their economy is weak, resulting in many living in deep poverty. They have no separate military industry, but most cities manufacture military equipment according to state orders, as everything is controlled by the state. In the Fire Empire, multiple forms of currency are permitted and accepted. The Hogun use a blood-red ruby-like gemstone as currency, which is also accepted here. The Murtuk currencies — carved shells and sea pearls — are likewise accepted, and bartering is legal as well due to their low tribal technological level. In contrast, the Crystal Empire rejects all such currencies and accepts only the state-sanctioned ones.

In the Crystal Empire, there is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government. The royal family is responsible for foreign policy and the military, while the parliament handles legislation and oversees the various ministries. Representatives in the Crystal Empire are elected through voting, but only men over the age of twenty may participate in elections. Because of this, the political landscape is divided, and women actively organize movements to gain voting rights. Courts in the Crystal Empire are completely independent from the state, the laws are fair, and there is no death penalty. In the Fire Empire, strict laws apply to all citizens. Anyone capable of using magic must complete five years of military service. However, this rule does not apply to political elites or religious leaders, such as priests and high priests. The form of government is an absolute monarchy in which everything is controlled by the imperial dynasty and its ministries. This ministry oversees the courts, the economy, and legislation as well. The imperial dynasty holds exclusive authority over the military and can change laws at any time. The death penalty exists for severe crimes or when the ministry’s review determines that a stricter judgment should be applied. Severe crimes include murder, torture committed with exceptional cruelty, treason, and any form of questioning or attacking the Urmund race, all of which result in capital punishment.

In the northern lands, there is a human tribe who are dragon riders, and they deeply despise and condemn both empires because they hunted dragons. For this reason, they are planning a war against the empires. Also in the north, there is a smaller troll kingdom who live underground in their city carved into the mountains. They are neutral toward the Fire Empire, but hostile toward the Crystal Empire because they are hunted within its territory. In the desert-like western region, within the Fire Empire's domain, lives a tribal race who rely on magic and are able to control the wind. They follow an ancient tribal faith. Their god’s name is Nauszikaa, and they are the warriors of the wind. They are hostile toward everyone and are planning something terrible. Within the territory of the Crystal Empire, there is a man named Aramus, a necromancer who can bring mechas to life and is building his own small domain in the southeastern part of the empire. He gathers mechas and bandits around him. He plans to attack and seize the capital, Byzant. But to do this, he still needs more influence and military power.