Nascense

Common medieval, with steampunk influences. Guns are but a rumor in distant lands, superstition abounds, science rocks the boat for some, but many facts are indisputable, such as the cosmology of the world, and the immutable laws of natural physics. Many technological advances, surprisingly, are based around convenience before martial use; this is in stark contrast to many other lands where technology is often born out of military use and later made available for civilian use in a less potent, and more practical form.

Magic is thought to be the lifeblood of the land. Crystals born from massive fragments in distant mountains are linked to former glorious civilizations that faded once their source of magical power dried up. The capricious nature of magic clashes with consistent facts. The lifeblood of the land streams from one focal point to another, its veiny paths changing at times, with noted incidents of geysers of primal-esque magic erupting forth, at times twisting the land, or worse, the inhabitants of the land, if overexposure occurs. It is said that fiends have been born from a sudden surge of power in a mundane monster's nest. For those who can safely handle magic, the land is a dual edged blade, for a sudden rush of surplus in the lands magic might aid a mage as it expels itself forth before traveling along its path, there also exists the risk a mage might experience a dearth if the path is stymied before it can reach their current location, forcing them to rely on their own reserves more so than the ambient flow of the world around them.

It is notably easier to perform particular aligned magics depending on the surrounding locations for those who manipulate said force: A hot sunny day rarely hinders flame or light; a cool, shadowy night provides less resistance against the aforementioned magics than a sunny day. Crystals similarly work on this scale, for they gather in heat and light during the day to expel them at night, and vice versa for the cold at night, as they are able to expel cool air during the day.

The locals rely on technology built from crystals, the remnants of ages past, many of which are attuned to a unique element. It has been rumored that even the most well-maintained crystals of the purest quality are beginning to fracture and fail as they leak aether. The authorities of the town and other neighboring nations insist this is normal, and new crystals will be mined once the volcano in the distant land stops actively spraying its choking soot, blacking out the sky in the distant snowy north far past the jagged mountains of the desert. There has been great anticipation as to who will claim the new caverns which were unearthed before the volcano became active once more, but the spew of ash has hindered all reasonable attempts to stake claims, for now.

Circuit-type technology is unheard of, and functionally useless in these lands. There is no space travel, cars, and the earliest usage of firearms are only a rumor in distant lands. In lieu of what one would consider modern technology, there exists magical or steampunk stand ins, for while a GPS device wouldn’t exist, there exists magical maps which can chart courses provided the map is kept up to date by scouts. Other stand-ins exist such as familiars or enchanted brooms sweeping floors rather than Roombas, magical orbs project images or voices akin to a television or phone, but they lack the equivalent of the internet and exist for entertainment and long-distance communication.

The weather in the desert is like a pendulum, but it always swings the same path: it is hot during the day, and by the night, it is cold. The local attire often focuses on layering, with nighttime wear worn over daytime, often with the feature to remove the clothing and allow it to hang at the waist during the day and then pull it back up over during the night. Even the greatest of trackers will often find themselves lost at night in the desert if the moon is not at its fullest, not to mention there is a risk of dying of hunger or thirst, for there might not be edible creatures or water for miles.

In the forested hills in the town opposite the desert side of town, the weather is often rainy due to the winds from the desert rushing down the rolling hills of green. Much of the rainfall occurs closer to the coast, but a cool, crisp wind is common, and the temperature becomes more temperate the further one travels from the desert and toward the coast. The daytimes are cool; it is often overcast, and nighttime is moderately cold in the colder months, and pleasant in the warmer months.

The desert, and at times, the town, is buffeted by sandstorms. Curiously, these sandstorms carry an additional effect further than the eye would indicate, for within their wake exists a magical dampening, electromagnetic-like field which renders modern technology useless, essentially bricking electronics that aren’t built from steampunk or crystal technology. The storm's effects render a compass near useless until it passes, and the needle halts its ceaseless pirouette. The field persists for days, often times weeks after one storm. At times, a storm stops well out of the reach of the town, but its electronic destroying effect still follows in an invisible aftershock. As of late, this electromagnetic-esque phenomenon has spread to other lands, though it has yet to be noted, for this world has had no recorded history of circuity-type technology currently used.

In the east, there are rolling hills of green, a mountainous highway leading down to the coast. To the far west, past the desert, are the flattened plains and temperate, civilized woodlands with their own coast to their south. To the north exists frigid tundra, active volcanoes, and a myriad of caves in which many free persons crystals—their magical apparatus of choice—can be reliably found in caves; unfortunately, there are almost always warped fiends lingering in these caves, as they are drawn by the raw, primal power they emanate, and often aren’t scared away from the alluring pull of magic.

Desert plants are renowned for their hardiness; they survive on what little water they can find, with many of them found near bodies of water in caves or in an oasis, but there also exist vine plants with thorns; a dangerous prick for those who don’t watch their footsteps. Cacti, bitter petals, bitter roots, and other flaky leaves and flowers often congregate around water or at the bottom of a dune, where water might flow. For the plants that sustain themselves without water, there is no rhyme or reason for their placement, but it is possible they once littered the entire desert, and these are the ones yet to be uprooted. Lotus plants are coveted for their silk and are expectedly uncommon, with their location guarded.

In the forested hills, the plants are similarly hardy, though this is due to their surplus, and a need to ward off the animals and people who seek to harvest them. Very few plants are dangerous, but there are many kinds, and the comparative abundance of rainfall aids in beautiful golden-brown fields closer to the desert, and more vibrant near the coast.

Many plants are known for their alchemical uses, for if a plant doesn’t help with heat strokes, chills, or rashes, it is expected it has use as a dye. Many desert plants have a bitter taste without the proper garnishes, while forested hill plants, the closer they come to the eastern ocean, the saltier they are said to become.

In the desert, one can travel for days without seeing an ordinary animal on the ground aside from a camel, but if one were to wander at night, they’d spot hairy spiders, scorpions, foxes, snakes, beetles, rats, lizards, and hedgehogs. Great owls, bats, vultures, and eagles taunt ostriches on the ground. In the desert caves, animals are more abundant, as are larger, mutated animals appearing more akin to monsters of lore than their mundane cousins.

In the forested hills, there are many birds, deer, squirrels, goats, rabbits, horses, big cats, bears, and as one travels closer to the coast there exists a plethora of sea-born animals, coyotes, badgers, toads, and many insects. Animals are not often mutated in these lands, but there are rumors of gargantuan beasts deep beneath the water’s surface, so much so are they believed in, that the seafaring peoples often offer tribute to them in the form of the carcasses of hunted animals stripped of all of use; there are many who say this custom only feeds those beneath, while others claim it placates them or that the monsters of the deep are but primitive superstition.

The desert is rich in chitin and ivory from animals, iron, tin, copper, charcoal, gems in the ore, gold, silver, spices, oil used for lamps, and salt. The forested hills are rich in lumber, stone, copper, fish, and game. Further toward the coast, there are more riches to be had, such as pearls, ocean fish, salt, and trade, but these lands belong to the united peoples of the eastt, and they have claimed the water as theirs. Through trade there exists various textiles and other assorted rarities all which meet in the desert town to be traded, stolen, and gandered on by the haves and have nots.

The river outside of the city walls provides a great bounty when it comes to its harvest and the occasional small fish, but much seafaring trade occurs further toward the south and east coast rather than outside the city.

Coin:
Gold
Silver
Copper

Trade is heavily welcomed and encouraged.

The populace consists mostly of humanoids, with some anthropomorphic peoples, the latter of which aren’t treated much differently than humanoids. It is expected to see different cultures and customs in a trading town, and so long as none of these peculiarities directly harm commerce, they are often overlooked.

Merchant leaders were at the top of the food chain, but the great decimation of the populace has led people long since outcast to the wastes to seek their revenge. The town is scared, vulnerable, and the fear has led to skirmishes in and outside the city as people seek to stake their claims on positions recently made open for claim.

The town’s government was run by a merchant society’s guild rule, but when they were nearly decimated, the swing of political power inevitably changed. They have found themselves hosting companies from distant times and places. The merchants were attacked by a group seeking not their riches, but their secrets; secrets which the high-occultist claims are rumors meant to unseat their rule. The merchants have been rumored to have dealings with Djinn, hybrids, and less reported, fiends, to protect their wealth in the palace warded from prospective snoopers.

With the recent attacks, the government is more unstable than ever, and new arrivals have heralded the potential for a brighter future–will the grip on the town tighten, or will power be shared in the foreseeable future?

The people of the desert are private but are willing to work with nearly anyone to advance their station, barring they aren’t dealing with an agent from a foreign land seeking to annex the region. There is great value placed on both working hard and balancing one's health. When the sun is at its peak, it is common to see locals stepping away from work to relax in the shade or take a swim, and when a sandstorm rushes into town, none are faulted for leaving their place of employment.

They are a great independent people. The less wealthy stock have had their spats with the merchants, but none have been treated nearly as poor as the exiled tribes. Of particular note was a tribe said to have worshipped a great monster. The leaders of the tribe are noted to be born with oddly colored hair or unnatural eyes. Locals born with unfamiliar traits have long since been sent to the wastes, but many parents claim to have never coupled with anyone from outside the city.

The dominant belief of the continent is that when a person dies, their soul needs to be cleansed. The soul travels along a winding, S-shaped river, with each side it reaches they are bombarded by their greatest memories, and the emotions that came with it, and on the other side, they relieve their worst memories, or their most heinous of crimes. The equivalent of angels and demons, otherworldly entities at each far side of the river strip forth their desired aspects a soul accrued through life, at times they are able to sever a complete part from the soul to create more of their own. This could range from the most selfless of healers’ devotion and generosity being spawned into a celestial cleric or a murderers’ cold malice being stripped to create an infernal assassin mired in frothing rage.

A soul can grow so large through life, that at the end of the river it might be severed into multiple bodies to be reincarnated in. Conversely, a soul can be so greatly diminished throughout the toils of life that it might take several centuries for a soul to be released once more as it is nourished in the river.

The river symbolizes rebirth. Rivers are sacred for all on the continent. Schisms in the continental faith include burial rites; the townsfolk of Nacense believe in cremation and the spreading of ashes in the river. Many nomadic tribes believe the pureness of rivers is blasphemed against by tossing ashes in the river; they prefer to embalm corpses and bury their dead in tombs, the most famous of which is a guarded secret amongst their elders, but it is said there are dozens of floors with dozens of chambers.

Almost all of the cultures of the continent believe in the River of Souls, and while some claim communication with the divine or dastardly, there are few true visionaries who have seen the afterlife, and fewer who can speak with authority on the goals of each side in the great beyond. It is thought both sides are at war, with rumors both sides send agents in an attempt to guide particular souls down certain paths. In distant kingdoms, the clergy claims to know the path, but locally, the townsfolk often believe they are meant not to resist the river. Wise shamans in the wilderness claim to be able to commune with their past lives and the memories left behind by a soul when it parts.

Crime amongst locals is dealt with by tribunals to decide punishment and restitution, and rarely does an outsider have a say. Outsiders fighting each other are often overlooked, barring the destruction of property or life, the locals might even place bets. Outside the city walls, the law rarely protects anyone in the waste. Trust no one, and always know your way back, for the sand may cover the road you once traveled on. Noble families, local warlords, and merchant leaders are known to employ mercenaries who engage in brigandry in an attempt to hobble a rival's caravan. To be caught is a great scandal, as such, it is risky to hire help, but the clandestine benefits often outweigh the fleeting blemish on one’s clan. It isn’t uncommon for hostilities to flair-up with different groupings entering the city from distant lands; to see a seafaring peoples slug a western diplomat might be an international incident, but for the townsfolk it's a spectacle to be watched, not a crime to be punished barring their business isn’t irrevocably destroyed.

The recent arrivals are expected to challenge these particular laws at times, and it is expected that as the local power remains in a diminished capacity, their ability to carry out their version of the law will markedly decrease.

Current Events: Much has been made about the arrival of the denizens from a town with the same name as theirs, especially given they both fought what seems to be a similar foe in Deene, albeit the desert town of Nascense didn’t contend with a comet. Much of their forces were lost, and it became clear to them during their climatic fight with Deene that they were receiving help from an unknown force, for he’d vanish at times, only to reappear with wounds they didn’t inflict. When Deene was seemingly defeated, they were left with more questions than answers: Why were they attacked? Why did another group of people claiming they came from a town called Nascense fight Deene as well? There was much to be done, for a weak Nascense meant there existed a threat of being overtaken by the great flanking powers. In order to maintain their independence, there were difficult decisions to be pondered, not to mention riddles to solve such as how both towns were coincidentally named Nascense.

Technology Overview

NOTE: Magic and magical technology are fictional creations. The examples and list below are meant to be supplemental to roleplay rather than narrowly define the options available for you to explore in roleplay. Just because a specific item or ability isn’t listed below doesn’t necessarily mean it can’t exist. Similarly, all magic independent of items was grouped under one category for easier explanation rather than going deeper into each type of magic seen in fantasy settings and debating how magical a ki attack is compared to a fireball.

Below is a quick list of pros, cons, and examples of the various technologies available. This list is not exhaustive; its functions and applications in roleplay are not inherently limited by the below references. This list is meant to serve as the framework for basic guidelines in order to help, rather than list restrictions or hard limits as to the uses of the below examples.

Differences and examples between clockwork, magitech, magical items, and magic:

Clockwork:

Usually a series of intricate springs in a metallic limb or item meant to alter its form and function. Rarely magical, or necessarily an outright weapon. Can be used for personal use, such as limb replacements, navigation, tools to build and maintain cities, or for warfare.

Pros: Rarely reliant on magical powers, thus not subject to magical interference. Usually able to serve multiple functions or adapt different forms. Little risk of harm when a clockwork item fails, as no magical core or electrical current to charge it means it rarely explodes when jammed and there is no magical core to overload. No magical knowledge is required to build, maintain, or use clockwork items, as an item with no magical function requires no magical upkeep.

Cons: Usually requires skilled maintenance; subject to failing in harsh conditions; if not properly cared for, it could rust or jam if water, sand, mud, or other substances overwhelm the springs and levers. One damaged lever or spring is often enough to halt complex machinery on the spot, and the smaller, precise nature of the device often proves difficult to repair while in immediate distress. Clockwork devices can be subject to wear and tear, as well as shutdowns, if the device is put under extreme stress by rapid, repeated uses in a short amount of time.

Examples: A prosthetic arm with the ability to change from a hand to a short blade. A pair of springy boots meant to enhance one’s leaping ability. A clockwork-driven golem capable of defending or cleaning its immediate vicinity. A clockwork hammer or a clockwork water pump. A spring-loaded weapon such as a hidden blade that extends or launches when grabbed, or a repeating ballista meant for siege defenses.

Magitech:

Usually a device powered by a magical core, oftentimes a crystal, which alters its function to provide a magical means to an otherwise often non-magical weapon. Magitech is inherently magical and is subject to magical interference. The magitech function of an item does not drain a user's power.

Pros: Magical functions are available to someone who either couldn’t muster magic on their own, is lacking in the specific field of magic, or is seeking a way to capitalize on their existing magic. Usually, it is a weapon with a specifically designed purpose aligning with a particular magic, such as an arm that can emit a bolt of electricity. In theory, a skilled pyromancer could use a magitech arm to fire a blast of fire and manipulate it with their own magical power to fan the flames well after impact. A magitech item is usually able to be maintained and used by someone without any magical knowledge, but creating one often requires a mix of magical and technological know-how.

Cons: Magitech items are subject to magical interference, as well as maintenance needed, such as replacing a core or making sure not to overload the magical source powering them. Magitech weapons often focus specifically on one or two sources of power based on the source powering them. Magical cores, when overloaded, often either shut down or fracture. This could render a magitech item too hot to hold.

Examples: A gauntlet or prosthetic with the ability to project a current of electricity. A coat that can envelop one in a gentle heat. A melee weapon with the ability to wreathe itself in flames; in comparison to a magical flaming sword, a Magitech flaming weapon has less avenues of attacks available to the wielder, but it doesn’t require magical infusion from the user to activate it. Armor is meant to augment one's physical power and durability by providing earthen strength. A golem meant to perform complex tasks beyond the immediate cleaning and defense of an area.

Magical items:

These items are usually powered solely by magic; this requires the item to be created from materials strong enough to contain magic without outright rejecting it. These items are often created from rare metals favorable to channeling magic, or in the case of scrolls or spellbooks, particular types of parchment often carved from magical trees. A magical item ranges from a ring meant to cast a fireball three times a day to a gem meant to trap people, weapons, books, scrying devices, and other assorted objects. Magical items that can stand the test of time through repeated uses are often imparted to the world by deities and their high-ranking followers or are created by exceptionally gifted mages.

Pros: Magical items are often smaller and easier to carry on one person in the form of a gem or worn in the form of jewelry. Magical items of high quality often stand the test of time; rarely do they require any maintenance, but they are often subject to having a period of time in which they need to replenish their reserves, and the various means in which they recharge can vary by item. Magical users can often augment their existing repertoire with magical items meant to work in a pinch if caught off guard or seeking to hold back on their magical reserves. Skilled mages can manipulate the effects of a magical attack well after impact, similar to how a pyromancer could manipulate an existing flame. A magical item can be used by someone lacking magical abilities, but any sort of maintenance needed often requires highly specialized mages, and some are highly coveted, not to mention expensive to acquire, and often perilous to keep.

Cons: Magical items are often capricious by nature; at times they may only need a day or a week to recharge, while others may require souls or blood. Magical items can be cursed or blessed, limiting use by those not meeting the requirements for the item. Magical items are subject to magical interference, as well as usually a limited amount of uses before they are either rendered inert forever if of lower quality or in need of being recharged if of superior quality. Magical items require a skilled mage to create, and if they fail, to maintain as well. A magical scroll is often a one-time use, but a ring that can summon a powerful entity is exponentially more valuable and rarer. Many a war has been fought over magical items elevated to the status of artifacts, and rarely does an artifact stay with the winning party for the rest of time.

Examples: A magical ring meant to teleport someone to their home or cast a fireball three times a day. A scroll meant to be used once to cast a spell and then expire. A gem meant to trap souls or summon a creature for personal use. A magical focus meant to channel a user's magical power into more precise and longer-range attacks, such as a staff, wand, or blade. A bracelet that could summon a golem and be controlled by a magical attunement with said ring or a series of commands. A melee weapon with the ability to wreathe itself in flames, and manipulate those flames when infused with the users magic; this is in contrast to a Magitech weapon in the sense a magical flaming sword is able to open more avenues of attack when paired with a magical wielder.

Magic:

Magic, in this example, is an all-encompassing term for the myriad of unnatural abilities ranging from powers of the elements, arcane, divine, fiendish, psionic, ki, and other similar abilities that one draws from a power source other than their natural body functions to expel and manipulate in a specific manner via the force of their will and supernatural prowess. Magic is often something one is born with an inclination toward, while some need to study long and hard to grow; others are more inclined to learn naturally or through a compact with an otherworldly entity. These types of abilities are subject to fatiguing an individual through repeated use, as well as a steeper learning gap, for it is much safer to use a magitech sword to envelop a blade in flame than it is to learn how to muster a fireball in your hand without risking incinerating yourself during your formative years.

Pros: While a magical ring can launch a fireball, a skilled pyromancer can use the same element for attacks of greater potency far beyond what most items could offer, not to mention manipulate the form of the flames, all while being able to use that same heat for purposes other than an offensive attack, such as being able to cauterize wounds or forge weapons at a smithy. Some magical schools or spells are near impossible to fashion into an item or weapon for use by those without magical powers, and the strongest of mages often possess a greater range of spells available to them, which surpasses all the abilities available to a non-caster adorned with magitech and magical items all over. Mages rarely need an item to cast their skills, but some choose to use a blade, staff, totem, or other similar items to more accurately focus their powers.

Cons: Magic is inherently draining on one's reserves, whether it be either or both their magical willpower and their physical composure to be able to deftly move their hands as they perform various gestures to command magic with trained eyes seeking to ply their craft; this is in stark contrast to magitech items, as they drain a magical core rather than the wielder's magical reserves. Magical usage has a steep learning curve in comparison to using a magical or magitech item for a specific function. Magical powers are subject to magical interference; a magitech sword able to wreathe itself in flames is still a sword and able to function for its cutting purposes despite magical interference, but a fireball cannot be conjured under a similar scenario. Magic is far more difficult to not only master, but also to learn and maintain said knowledge than the usage of magitech items. For each mage that casts a brilliant flash of flames able to incinerate flesh, there are dozens who were consumed by the very flames they once sought to master. To conjure a roasting sphere of heat and send it outwards can be compared to crafting a grenade from scratch every single time; it takes great skill, power, and knowledge for many a mage to cast what is thought to be the most basic of offensive spells. It goes without saying that when channeling great power, the risk of miscalculations, blowbacks, and interruptions could result in serious injury or death to the caster. Some types of magic can be corrupting or require fealty or the surrendering of one's soul or mind to another being, and just like any other form of power, it can be addicting to some.

Examples: The manipulation of an existing source of heat or the summoning of a new source of heat, whether it be through an inward pull of one's will or a drawing of flames from an elemental plane of fire. Teleporting, summoning creatures, and the powers of the mind to influence, control, or contact someone across a distance, and other classical magical spells are inherently magical even if one learned to read minds or conjure flames from a young age. The projection and subsequent control of a power from one's body; a cobra spitting venom is not magic due to the body producing venom naturally, but if a cobra were to directly alter the form or direction of the venom, that would be manipulating a natural phenomenon through magical means, and thus making the attacker a magical cobra using a magical attack. The conjuration of a golem able to be commanded by the magical will of the caster, often able to be imbued with a longer duration, as well as other features such as a greater sentience, possibly even a personality.