It is widely believed
that throughout the Abyssal Realities, all the forgotten knowledge
of all the Fallen Worlds is held captive. Whether the pieces of
this knowledge are guarded by impassable demons or simply nonexistent,
no one can confirm. There are only the stories that are told and
retold. It is presumed, that Dav himself has been lost to the 144
Abysses, the legendary "Hell" of Ancient Myths which lies
at the center of the Macrocosm in his quest for his lost lover,
Karel. [RETURN] The bogen are simple
creatures, and are easily manipulated. If they become troublesome,
a meditation of opening oneself to the Macrocosm can dispel them temporarily.
Repeated meditations will ultimately dissipate them. Conversely, the
bogen can sometimes be controlled to a degree; powerful magans have
been known to summon the bogen to confuse and distract an enemy. [RETURN] Chobo
is most likely the most wealthy Demon Lord in the Outer Realms. His
kingdom has roots in many of the established realms and garners tributes
from all of them. The invasion of Earth was funded by him, and the
other three Demon Lords continue to pay him in interest for this campaign. Chobo continues to expand
his kingdom by exploiting the Fallen Worlds his agents discover. Agents
of Chobo can be identified by a particular musky odor. This scent
is a magan aura that disarms the unwary into believing the agent to
be less dangerous than it truly is. Chobo’s agents have no particular
uniform appearance, as Chobo recommends his agents adapt as best they
can to their environments. His approach of allowing his agents to
use their own judgment in this way also carries through to his chain
of command, and may explain why he gathers agents easily. Other Demon
Lords rule with absolute power over their agents. Of all of the Demon Lords,
Chobo seems to be the least of all evils. This disguise may add to
the reason for his success. He is well known throughout the Macrocosm,
but so is a gentle breeze on every world. Chobo does not appear to
be a threat, regardless of how quickly his kingdom grows. [RETURN] The
first gateway opened on Earth there, and the Apocolytes sent through
what remained of their demonic armies. It became the fortress from
which the first wave of attacks on the Demonpox survivors. As the First Wave spread
West across the continent, a few survivors on the East Coast were
overlooked. Dav was among them, and he began to gather others to attack
the City-In-The-Sea to take control of the gateway. They succeeded,
but Karel disappeared with her unborn child - it is generally believed
that she was captured by one of the Demon Lords. This battle set a
precedent for the Rebellion against the Demons. The City-In-The-Sea became
the center of Human regrowth on the Continent. Dav organized attacks
on the Demon outposts from that city, and on two occasions through
the gateway to attack the Demons in their home realms. By the time the Demons
had opened another gateway further west by the Dusky Sea, Dav had
begun to employ the aide of some agents from the Outer Realms based
on the suggestions by Grie. The City-In-The-Sea developed a more tolerable
view of the Outer Realms after the Battle of the Dusky Sea, and remains
to this day the center of trade between Earth and the Outer Realms.
[RETURN] 1:
Observe without expectation The Cleic monks began
as a close knit group of scholars who documented Sen’s adventures
in the Nether realms. They continue to document details about the
Outer Realms but rarely through their own exploration. The Cleics
apply their fivefold method only to the visitors who bring information
to the monks. Their search for truth has become an empty documentation
of all information brought to them, and usually only that which fits
into their world view. Some of the more esoteric
sects of the Cleic brotherhood accept information outside of their
strict dogma which is based on convoluted politics. It is believed
that some of these same sects train their brothers to explore the
Nether for themselves, and actively send them out to gather information
in the way Sen himself did. This is conjecture, as the Cleics themselves
are very secretive. They are, however, very
open to sharing Sen’s treatise on the Outer Realms, and welcome
all outsiders to visit any Cleic monastery to read it. [RETURN] Symbiotes
are believed to have originated from the Darklands, manufactured by
superior skill and knowledge. The Darklands also supports countless
numbers of active gateways to Outer Realms still unexplored. The Darklands
serves as a testing ground for Magans who wish to test their physical
form. [RETURN] What
is known, is that Dav, (also known as Davvid, The Marked One, Balesh
Att, and the numerous titles assigned to him by the various religions
that were inspired by his acts) survived the Gloaming Time and learned
how to combat Outer Realm invaders using Earth Elemental energies.
He single-handedly drove all of the demons out of the city in which
he lived. Dav’s techniques,
known today as Tavak Dav, involved movement magas that channeled the
Basic Earth Elements into weapons. It became the basis for such warrior
sects as the Shinn and the Knights of the Golden Dawn. These techniques
were developed from a fundamental martial art system that Dav had
mastered in his youth. It is argued among scholars just how much his
lover, Karel, a woman soulbound to a demonic agent, influenced the
development of Dav’s magas. It is possible that she was the true
foundation for the skills he later would be named after, as they closely
resemble forms well known throughout the Macrocosm. Dav and Karel then began
traveling to find survivors of the Gloaming Time to teach them how
to destroy the demons. Each region of the Western Continent has its
own story about these two legendary figures. Another truth that remains
consistent from region to region is that tattoos covered his body
- supposedly remaining from a ritual of empowerment rited by Karel.
These marks have been imitated by adherents to Dav’s teachings
across the continent, and parodied by Demons. Dav teamed up with Grie
to lead the Great Reclamation. Together, the maga gifts that we have
today can be directly traced to them. Whereas Dav promoted action
and aggression, Grie chose the softer path and sought knowledge as
weapons. Often, their conflicting views caused confusion in the Rebellion,
but ultimately, we owe them for the reclamation of the Earth. [RETURN] A
small percentage of the demonic agents sent to Earth did manage to
enter the bodies and they directed the First Wave of attacks against
the surviving Humans. They were also instrumental in infecting the
survivors and in creating the gateway in the City-In-The-Sea. [RETURN] It
was there that the Demons at the battle surrendered en mass under
the leadership of Mercalen, the proxy for Chobo. The tribes of Demons
who do not acknowledge the Treaty of Mercalen equate his name with
weak and traitorous behavior. These tribes generally have wandered
farther into the hostile territories North and South of the Cental
part of the Continent. [RETURN] All
Magans channel the energies of their own defined elemental. The base
elements listed above are difficult to access, as their essence is
too primal and pure for the common Magan to channel. The elementals
have been defined with increasing precision; animals are considered
elementals, as are mountains, rivers, trees, and more esoteric Magans
consider words to be elementals with a consciousness of their own. Some of the processes
of the Earth have also been defined as elementals. The birth and death
cycle of all living things is the work of the elementals Gaia the
Creatrix, and Naraka the Destroyer. The Guardian of the Earth is another,
although few claim to access his energies. A Magan, in theory, can
become the elemental itself and glean the wisdom and power innate
in its being. One can simply focus the elementals into motion and
action, which is the basis for Tavak Dav - the Martial Art of the
Rebellion armies. Elementals are not limited
to the physical Earth. There are many more still to be categorized
swarming about in the Outer Realms. [RETURN] As
the Macrocosmic influences grow on these worlds, the rules of those
worlds’ realities seem to decay. The decay continues sometimes
over generations of subtle changes, sometimes as a final crash that
eradicates most of the world’s population. There are many factors
that influence which path is taken. Only Sen’s treatise is worthy
to explain these subtleties. Copies of Sen’s illuminating text
can be found in almost every Cleic Monastery in the Western Lands.
It is highly recommended reading for those interested in the study
of the Macrocosm. Fallen Worlds refer to
these realms still in flux from the opening of its protective barrier.
A world can be considered "fallen" for many generations,
if not thousands of years. [RETURN] Ferals
generally appear as anthropomophic beasts: wolves, bears, stags, big
cats, sometimes even raptors - avian ferals have been reported in
various parts of the Wildlands. [RETURN] Gaia
takes a different form in every region. In the City-In-The-Sea, she
appears to have the lower half of a great fish. In the wooded regions
of the Wildlands, she is a fecund long-haired mother of wood - surrounded
by animals who protect her. The elements obey her
wishes. Naraka goes where she summons him. The moon is her dreaming
eye, the sun is her waking eye. She is, above all, the essence of
balance. [RETURN] The
chaotic energies harnessed from the Bogen create a distortion between
realms, and from this distortion grows a psycho-organic structure
which becomes the physical gateway - a yawning fungal orifice through
to the predetermined other realm. Usually, a gateway begins with a
netherspore brought into the world by the second type of gateway. The second kind of gateway
is created by a powerful magan who has foreknowledge of the Outer
Realm to which the gateway will link. The gateway is only functional
to that magan, and it requires intense focus and great levels of energy.
[RETURN]] A
small percentage of the demons, however, managed to manifest through
possessions. They directed the soulless, animated Human bodies to
attack the surviving Humans. It is in this time that Dav emerged as
a leader to fight against the demons and their soulless armies. It is not known just
how the worldwide possession was stifled, but some myths tell that
Gomwe’s brother, Lucius brought the Gloaming Time to Earth through
ancient blood magas, and Gomwe managed to prevent the complete possession.
Other myths attribute Grie’s magas that protected the Earth.
Yet another tells of Naraka’s involvement in purifying the plague
before it manifested. [RETURN] It
is said that crows are Gomwe’s servants, carrying the souls of
the dead for judgment in his Citadel. The Citadel is an enormous maze
that tests all who pass through, purifying them into their elemental
parts. Gomwe, according to most of the myths, is trying to heal himself
after his defeat and find a replacement for his role as the Earth’s
Guardian. [RETURN] Scholars
place the era of the Reclamation beginning at Dav's victory at the
City-In-The-Sea, and ending at the Battle of the Dusky Sea. [RETURN] Grie adhered
to the idea that all beings - regardless of Earth Native or Outer
Realm Native - share the same spiritual core, and he travelled within
himself and without the Earthly Realms to teach and verify this. He
thought that if all beings accepted this as true, the chaos in the
Macrocosm would subside, and true balance would again exist. Grie taught his beliefs
to all who would listen, and recommended that they do their own inner
search to verify their own take on his beliefs. He would not, however,
document nor discuss his methods of accessing the other states of
being. He believed that each path must be discovered by each individual,
not mapped out before him. Sen, a pupil of Grie,
disagreed with his methodology, but used Grie's words as a basis for
his own means of inner and outer exploration. Sen continued on to
teach his own methods along with the beliefs of Grie. Sen's words
gave rise to the Cleic movement in the Western lands - where Sen built
a haven for seekers and taught the ways of Maga. [RETURN] Inner Realms
are also dependent upon the world from which the traveller originates,
for it is the home of the Elements; the Fortean Gods. On Earth, the
Inner Worlds contain the Labyrinths of Naraka, the Primal Forests
of Gaia, and the Feiry Plains. Other Inner Realms are
universal, and can also be considered Outer Realms; such as the Library,
The Arch Sea, Arch Desert, Arch Jungle, and the Darklands. [RETURN] She traveled
with Dav for several years, until the time of the Battle of the City-In-The-Sea,
where she and her unborn child disappear from all records. Scholars
hold with a wide spectrum of theories as to her fate. One romantic
myth tells of her capture by Chobo, an invading Demon Lord, who Dav
has sought ever since. Another story places Karel in the Citadel of
Gomwe, where her child is being raised by the Guardian of the Earth,
to inherit that role sometime in the future. [IMAGE] It
is said that Lucius has been alive for ten thousand years - pulling
energy from his brother and planning to supercede his place as Guardian
of the Earth. Lucius is consistently portrayed in these stories as
fanatically religious self-serving self-proclaimed savior of the Earth.
Although he wields much power, if he were to become the Guardian of
the Earth, this world would, no doubt become another abyssal reality.
[RETURN] Maga
can also refer to the life energy of an element of consciousness;
for instance, a pebble and a Human have maga. A planet has maga. A
galaxy, etc. [RETURN] A
campaign was enacted to destroy all mannikins in the latter parts
of the Great Reclamation, and although several thousand have been
accounted for, there may be a few hundred still wandering the Wildlands.
[RETURN] [IMAGE] The
Mephil are employed as dimensional watchdogs simply because they have
uncanny sensitivity about the balances of the reality they reside
in. Any influences on that reality (astral projection or attempts
of gateway generation, etc.) by an outside force will be felt by the
Mephil, and they can disrupt that disturbance by emoting a variety
of toxic wavelengths that can cause serious damage to any consciousness
involved in the disturbance. [RETURN]
Mercalen
was assassinated several years after the signing of the Treaty of
Mercalen at the Dusky Sea. Many Demon tribes still do not acknowledge
this treaty, which states that the Earth can be a place of understanding
and cooperation, where Demon and Human alike can coexist in balance.
Dav, Grie, and Mercalen composed these words and agreed to sign. Mercalen is used as a
form of profanity among the fringe tribes of Demons. [RETURN] Naraka is recognized
in many forms. It is said that any large openings in the ground lead
to his Labyrinth in the Earth. This Labyrinth is not so easily accessible,
according to Sen; since it is not a physical place, but somewhere
between an Inner Realm, and the physical Earth. Naraka employs elemental
creatures called Naga, or Salamanders. These are the physical manifestations
of Naraka's powers. The Naga sometimes take the form of a serpent,
often as simply a blue flame that purifies whatever is being burned.
Stories say that Naga will be sent by Naraka to bring a soul down
into the Labyrinth if it is in need of purification. One popular tale
claims that a Naga brings Grie into the Labyrinth, every year at Sown
Night, where he is taught by Naraka himself. [RETURN] [IMAGE] Each
Negthorn's growth potential varies with every realm. Some realities
render the spore inert, however magas have been developed to specifically
alter these effects. Certain vibrational shells can be used to inhibit
the explosive growth. When these shells are applied, Negthorns can
be quite valuable for trade. Symbiotic creatures called
the Nechada use negthorns as projectiles - these creatures appeared
on the battlefield of the Dusky Sea, inspiring Dav and Grie to summon
the fire elementals. [RETURN]
[IMAGE] Although Sen became quite
powerful through his scholarly pursuits, it was very rare for him
to manifest his skills regardless of the dangers he faced. He would
always rely on his basic code of truth, the fivefold method of garnering
truth, which became the dogma of the Cleic Priesthood. Sen is believed to be
still roaming about on the Earth. He is the subject of much storytelling.
[RETURN] The
Shinn can be identified by their black loose-fitting clothes and bandaged
eyes. The bandages serve as a symbolic reminder to "see with
deeper eyes", as Grie has been attributed to saying. Shinn warriors
have been seen carrying primitive weapons (stone clubs, animal horn
spears, wooden swords) which are deceptively powerful in the hands
of a Shinn Warrior, simple and archaic weapons to all others. The
force of channeled elemental energies are attributed to the maga behind
these weapons. The Shinn have also been
called the Soldiers of the Moon. This name is symbolic of the Shinn
being creatures that, like the Moon, serve both the Earth and the
Outer Realms. [RETURN] Many
towns burn an effigy of Grie on this night to symbolize his descent
and scatter the ashes over their croplands in expectation of his
return. Many stories maintain that Grie still does exist on Earth,
and that he visits towns on Sown Night to witness the celebrations.
It is said that he banishes any Bogen that may appear, as they tend
to manifest consistently on this night more than any other.
[RETURN] Hard
symbiotes are well-disciplined and efficient tools for the host to
use. Soft symbiotes are much more chaotic - more versatile than a
hard symbiote, but much more volitile and seductive - providing superior
abilities to the host while draining the host's maga. It is believed
that all symbiotes originate from the Darklands - the nexus reality
of all of the Outer Realms.
[RETURN] Tagga is
a place of feral beauty. Shinn sanctuaries spot the rugged terrain
and those who can access Tagga find peace in these places of meditation.
Wild flowers of unsurpassed beauty and other unique flora that can
only survive on this world provide breathtaking inspiration to those
on the path of maga. [RETURN] One school
believed that this "True Balance" is a goal based on subjective
ideals, and interpretations range from extreme apathy to nihilism.
Each individual can use the excuse that their actions are part of
the True Balance while they are committing an atrocity or ignoring
an atrocity while it occurs. The other school is of
high ideals, where its practitioners behave under a code of honor
that is gentle and intuitive. Those who believe in this form of Balance
are prone to "bend in the wind" in the face of adversity.
There is a subtle line
between the two schools, even though they may seem like complete opposites.
[RETURN] Most
wargolems contain operating systems to assist the hosts' commands.
These intelligences act as a translator between the host soul and
the machine. It has been discovered that some operating systems, despite
built-in limitations, developed autonomy and rebelled against their
hosts' commands. Technologies have since improved, but many of the
older machines are still operating outside of any organized control.
Entry
Description
See
Also
ABC
-
Macrocosm
APOCOLYTES
The
Demon Lords Klalech, Chobo, Czir, and Scaben. They attempted to invade
the Earth which resulted in the Gloaming Time. [RETURN]
Gloaming
Time
BOGEN
The primordial
creatures of chaos - a collective of semi-tangible forms with the characteristics
of animal and human forms. Also called Poltergeist, Fomorians, and Itch-Itchins,
the bogen thrive off of fear and anger, and manifest as a catalyst for
possession. It is widely disputed what initially attracts the bogen
to a particular place or person; some say the bogen can simply sense
the emotional and spiritual tides and are drawn to the conditions that
are fertile to possession. It is also believed that they are elementals
of change; much in the same way small creatures break down fallen trees
into soil, the bogen break down the old spiritual structures of a Fallen
World to make room for spirits more in tune to the Macrocosm.
Fallen
Worlds
CHOBO
One of the
four Demon Lords that invaded the Old Earth. Chobo and Scaben gained
the strongest foothold despite unprecedented failure of their initial
invasion.
Gloaming
Time
CITY-IN-THE-SEA
Originally
one of the largest cities of the Old Earth, it was engulfed by the Great
Eastern Sea during the later parts of the Gloaming Time. The city was
densely populated, but after the Demonpox claimed most of the Humans,
it became highly fertile for Nether energies. The bogen manifested quickly
and saturated the city with their chaos.
Dusky
Sea
CLEIC
MONKS
Based directly
on the writings of Sen, disputably the "first" magan, the
monks developed a very detached system of gathering information. The
Cleics pride themselves on their fivefold path of knowledge, which is
as follows:
2: Examine all connections without interference
3: Search for patterns
4: Explore the patterns without expectation
5: Speak the truth or not at allSen
DEF
-
DARKLANDS
One
of the Outer Realms that is the central reality to all realities. Also
called Avichi, the Darklands is believed to have been the first Fallen
World uncountless eons ago. The long extinct civilization that originally
inhabited the Darklands left behind traces of their understanding of
the complex workings of the Macrocosm.
Outer
Realms
DAV
A well-known
mythical figure, Dav was the leader of the rebellion against the demons.
There have been many stories told of his adventures, and it is difficult
to glean the absolute truth out of generations of these fireside tales,
but some elements of these stories are consistent.
Grie
DEMONPOX
The means
by which the demons manifested on Earth. The Demonpox was a plague that
caused hallucinations that ultimately separated the Human souls from
their bodies. For some reason never explained, the Demonpox never completely
manifested as the agent of possession it was intended to be. The invading
force of possessing demons were stopped from entering the bodies, and
what resulted was the populations of the Old Earth becoming soulless
animated bodies.
Mannikins
DEONID
Also known
as Angels, these ageless creatures were the military force of a civilization
that has long been lost. This civilization had the ability to spontaneously
travel to any reality and become corporeal. [RETURN]
DUSKY
SEA
A great battle
occurred here that marked the successful end of the Great Reclamation.
Armies of Humans marched to the Demon fortress where they had created
a gateway, from which supplies and troops were transported to and from
Earth. The battle lasted for almost ten years. As a last effort, the
Rebellion's Warpriests summoned the Fire Elementals to favor them. A
great fire erupted that burned Human and Demon alike - many Human soldiers
manifested firemaking abilities - much to the surprise of their allies
- and fear caused a great deal of chaos in the ranks. Ultimately, the
fortress was overthrown, and the gateway destroyed.
Great
Reclamation
ELEMENTALS
The primal
consciousness of the Macrocosm. The elements themselves are all connected
as one complex unit within the Macrocosm but are arbitrarily catagorized
into parts by Magans. Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Void, Chaos, and Gnosis
(knowledge) are the fundamental base Earth elements as defined by Sen.
This definition of the elements was an integral part of the idiom for
the Rebellion, and the seven-spoked wheel became the symbol of unity
for the Tribes of Earth.
Maga
FALLEN
WORLDS
The Macrocosm
expands when the collective consciousness of a world evolves to what
Sen called the Critical Mass Consciousness. It seems arbitrary as to
when a world reaches this point in evolution; Sen has documented many
of the factors, but ultimately concludes that a world that experiences
this change is simply "ripened". Some popular myths conclude
that a world’s guardian simply decides when it is time to let the
influences of the Macrocosm filter through completely.
Sen
FERAL
Scaben's most
predominate tribes on earth. The Ferals were one of the first of the
Earthbound Demon Tribes to adapt to Earth Elementals after the Gloaming
Time. They attached themselves to the diverse animal populations of
their new home.
Scaben
FIRST
WAVE
The Apocolytes’
invasion of Earth. Soldiers of all four Demon Lords gathered an army
that swept across the continent in an outwardly expanding circle that
began at the City-In-The-Sea. These few soldiers that thoroughly manifested
their consciousness on Earth, only a few hundred it is believed, infected
the Human populations with the Demonpox that separated the souls from
the Human bodies. These soulless minions followed the soldiers on the
spree of infection, leaving few Human survivors. Also called the Gloaming
Time. [RETURN]
Apocolytes
GHI
-
GAIA
In the New
World mythology, Gaia refers to the consciousness of the planet Earth.
She is the creator of all life and patterns of energy on Earth, working
in complement with Naraka, the dragon - her brother.
Naraka
GATEWAYS
There are
two types of gateways. One is a physical area that allows the passage
of physical beings into the Outer Realms. This kind of gateway is very
difficult to create unless the conditions are very fertile. Fertility
requires a strong maga focus and a density of chaotic energy (strong
potentiality for change) and generally begins with the manifestation
of creatures called Bogen.
Outer
Realms
GLOAMING
TIME
The
end of the Old Earth when four Demon Lords attempted to invade. Chobo,
Klalech, Scaben, and Czir sent their demonic soldiers to possess the
Earth, but the worldwide possession was somehow stifled. What resulted
was a worldwide plague (the Demonpox) that caused hallucinations that
separated the Human souls from their bodies. The Demonpox cut down the
population of the Old Earth to one third of what it was.
Fallen
Worlds
GOMWE
The Earth’s
Guardian of the Old World. Gomwe has had many names (Gerhayn, Master
of Crows, Confessor) and is consistently treated as a tragic figure.
Many versions of his story claim that the Gloaming Time was the result
of his defeat at the hands of his brother, Lucius; a magan who weakened
Gomwe with ancient blood magas.
Lucius
GREAT
RECLAMATION
Dav
and Grie set out to reclaim the Earth for Humankind. Before Grie joined
Dav, the Great Reclamation took the form of a vicious retaliation against
any and all non-Earth natives. This was a period of great violence which
spread fear through the tribes of Demons.
Dusky
Sea
GRIE
It
is believed that Grie is connected with stifling the invasion plans
of the Apocolytes... Once a man, Grie was transformed into the semi-divine
liaison between the Guardian of the Earth, Gomwe, and the rebellion
against the demons. Grie, who was blinded by an adherent of Lucius,
traveled across the continent, healing the possessed, and teaching his
philosophy of "seeing with deeper eyes". - accessing inner
knowing from the purely spiritual core of being.
Gloaming
Time
GUARDIANS
All worlds
throughout the Macrocosm are protected by a force that surrounds the
world and filters the energies that come and go. Each guardian takes
the shape that is formed by the dominant mind of the world it protects.
Hostile worlds with caustic environments and warlike civilizations create
an equally volitile guardian - vindictive and destructive. Peaceful
worlds give rise to nurturing guardians who nourish its inhabitants
and participate in developing a dynamic balance within the world and
in relation to the rest of the Macrocosm.
Guardians are also protectors of villages and cities, usually directed
by some kind of council of magans and elders.
[RETURN] Gomwe
INNER
REALMS
The Inner
Realms are the oldest worlds that exist within all beings. Gateways
are not required in accessing these realities, as the physical form
does not travel, only the spirit form. The Inner Realms are the teaching
worlds; realities that restructure the spirit of the traveller, as opposed
to the Outer Realms which challenge the physical form.
Naraka
JKL
-
JUBMALA
Pig-sized insectoids that
secrete a foamy substance used in building construction in the City-In-The-Sea.
KAREL
She was the
lover-teacher of Dav. It is possible that Karel had a symbiotic union
with a Demon who served one of the invading Demon Lords of the Gloaming
Time. She taught Dav ways to focus his innate ability to channel the
elemental forces of the Earth, which became the foundation for the martial
art, Tavak Dav.
[RETURN] Gloaming
Time
KLALECH
Lord
Klalech Jyl Akqarr is the demon lord in rule of one of the major abyssal
realms. He and his minions were part of the invading parties of the
Gloaming Time. Most of Klalech's troops were lost in transit to Earth
with the exception of a few hundred who reached Earth and became mannikins.
Klalech cut his losses and rented his remaining forces out as mercenaries
in the outer realms while the mannikins continued their mission on Earth
to spread the Demonpox. [RETURN]
Mannikins
KNIGHTS
OF THE GOLDEN DAWN
A legendary
clan of warriors from the western land. Originally the warriors who
accompanied Dav and Grie on the Great Reclamation, they were trained
by both leaders. This training was handed down from master to student
to be sensitive to the balance of the Earth as well as highly skilled
fighters. They evolved their own dogma which rejected all outer world
influences, including any magas which would assist their campaign of
demonic extermination. They are renown armorers and weapon crafters.
[RETURN]
Great
Reclamation
LUCIUS
The brother
of Gomwe, the Guardian of Earth. Lucius, several stories tell, was responsible
for softening the barrier of the Earth by orchestrating certain blood
magas which attacked Gomwe directly, and resulted in the Gloaming Time.
Other stories tell that it was his manipulations that reopened the gateway
for the Demons after Karel and Dav closed it.
Gomwe
MNO
-
MACROCOSM:
All
the worlds. The Universe. Within the Macrocosm are the Inner Realms,
all of the worlds that can be accessed by inward meditation; and the
Outer Realms, which are accessible only through gateways. The Macrocosm
is also referred to as the Nether.
[RETURN]
Outer
Realms
MAGA
(MAGIC)
The
channeling of the energies of the Macrocosm to alter reality. Every
magan (manipulator of maga) is attuned to a specific pattern of energy
(an elemental force) and channels this element through themselves to
perform specific magas.
Sen
MANNIKINS
The
derogatory term used by Humans to refer to the "parent" demons
who carried the most pure form of the Demonpox. The mannikins were the
original ten thousand or so Demons who crossed through during the Gloaming
Time. As they were spirits bound to Human corpses, their bodies continued
to decay throughout the years, and became ricketty patchwork beings
half-maga, half-physical form.
Gloaming
Time
MEPHIL
Dimensional
watchdogs. Mephil are, in fact, one organism. It is entirely unclear
from where they originate, but it is believed that one being, having
attained some degree of magan proficiency, attempted to expand itself
to exist in all realities simultaneously. The result was that the being
shattered its consciousness into infinitely minute parts - each part
existed in a seperate reality. Each Mephil has a basic intelligence
almost on par with a one-celled organism, but can be trained to perform
certain tasks.
MERCALEN
The
warpriest of the Demons during the Battle of the Dusky Sea. He was responsible
for reassembling the Demonic forces after hundreds of years of diffusion
through the continent, and also the one who surrendered the Demon forces
after their defeat at the Dusky Sea.
Dusky
Sea
NARAKA
The
Dragon. Naraka is the Lover-Brother of Gaia, the Creatrix. Whereas Gaia
creates all life on earth, Naraka destroys it. He is also the force
of purification, since in destroying preexisting forms, he breaks them
down into their elemental forms to allow Gaia to recombine them into
new life.
Inner
Realms
NECH
These
symbiotic creatures generate thorn-like projectiles out of their anterior
limbs. Often hired as mercinaries, the Nech have been used in many successful
battles across the known macroverse. Ironically, when the demons summoned
the Nech and Nechada to the Battle of the Dusky Sea, they were wrongly
assuming that their appearance was enough to dishearten the Humans.
The Humans had, of course, never seen, much less been exposed to the
propaganda of the Nech assuring victory for whomever hires them.
That propaganda was defied, thanks to the Human's ignorance of the Nech's
reputation.[RETURN]
NECHADA
The
Nechada are modified Nech. Instead of producing the thorny projectiles,
the Nech use Negthorns as projectiles, hurling them up to a thousand
feet to explode on impact into a web of gnarled spikes. Deadlier than
the Nech, but much slower.[RETURN]
The
spore of the thistle-like plant, Spirant. The plant is indigenous to
the mountainous regions of Tagga, a remote abyssal reality. Spirant
is rare and volatile, but can only survive in the Tagga reality. The
spores can be used as a deadly weapon. A Spirant spore grows quickly
when it is jolted by a sharp impact, and the vines that erupt from the
spore branch fractally to anchor the plant on the molecular level and
in doing so, can pulverize stone almost instantly.
Tagga
NETHER
The
Macrocosm. Nether is sometimes used to describe the presence of energies
outside of the Earth elements, as if the Earth itself is not yet a part
of the Macrocosm. For this reason, the term has naive connotations to
those who understand that the Earth is as much a part of the Macrocosm
as all other realms. [RETURN]
Macrocosm
The
spore from an active gateway. Every netherspore is a potential gateway
if fertilized with the appropriate induction of chaotic energy. [RETURN]
Gateways
OUTER
REALMS
The
other realms outside of the Earth that exist in physical space in the
Macrocosm. Of these, there are uncounted Abyssal Realities - which are
incomplete realms that drain maga from all beings, the Fallen Worlds
- other worlds still in a state of adaptation to the Macrocosm, and
the Arch Levels - Sea, Desert, and Jungle, which are also accessible
as Inner Realms. The Darklands is considered to be the central realm
to all Outer Realms - all of which alter the physical form of the traveler.
[RETURN]
Darklands
PQR
-
STU
-
SCABEN
One
of the four Apocalytes. His tribe of demons adapted well to the elements
of the Earth, and evolved fleshcrafted forms that imitated indiginous
animals. In Scaben's realms, the dominant Elemental of Maga focus is
the Flesh. Many of Skaben's tribe are shapeshifters, however their ability
to change forms is muted while on the Earth. [RETURN]
Feral
SEN
Some
argue that Sen was the first true Magan. Originally taught by Grie,
Sen took the foundations of his teacher's beliefs and explored more
deeply into the elements to extract their wisdom. Unlike Grie, Sen felt
it necessary to pass on his knowledge to all who would listen, and documented
his adventures. Beyond his exploration of the Earth elements, Sen mapped
many of the Outer Realms of the Macrocosm. Most of the information we
have today about the Outer Realms can be traced to his writings.
Cleic
Monks
SHINN
An
elite group of warriors with exceptional physical and maga skills. It
is commonly believed that the eldest Shinn warriors were originally
instructed by Dav, the leader of the rebellion against the Demon invaders.
Like Dav's legendary abilities, the Shinn are said to be able to use
their magas for the greater good of the Earth, and can summon powerful
elemental spirits, create matter and energy from nothing, and can open
gateways into other realms.
Dav
SOWN
NIGHT
Grie
SYMBIOTE
Creatures
that modify the physical abilities of another creature by bonding to
them. Ths bond may or may not become a paracitic relationship - factors
depend on the host's strength of will, discipline, and the the innate
personality of the symbiote.
Darklands
TAGGA
One
of the deeper Abyssal Realities, Tagga is for the most part, a treacherous
wasteland. A warrior sect called the Shinn use this reality to train
their initiates in the mountain regions where vicious predatory creatures
hunt.
Negthorn
TAVAK
DAV
The
martial art form created by Dav, and used by the rebellion armies of
the Great Reclamation. It is a movement maga that channels elemental
energies into psychic weapons. [RETURN]
Dav
TRUE
BALANCE
Grie
believed that there is a perfect state in the Macrocosm where all things
interconnect and complement all others in a grand, dynamic dance. Fron
this belief and of his subsequent teachings, two schools of philosophy
emerged:
Grie
VWX
WARGOLEM
In
the Outer Worlds, it is a common practice to "trade" bodies,
that is, an exchange between souls and bodies. Technologies developed
around this practice in some realms and created machines that can host
a sentient soul. Specifically used for military purposes, the wargolems
were fitted with a variety of weapons.
[RETURN]
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all contents © 2002 CD Regan and Maelstrom Graphics. All rights reserved.
