The Sunken Altar

“Elves ruled, then dwarves ruled, then humans ruled. Centuries of this cyclical behavior only broke when outsiders tried invading Orem.”

Orem Academia teaches basic history to youth by the following ages:


These bullet points in Orem history are over simplifications to a very nuanced conflict. A thorough timeline is something even a few elves have little patience for. Rest assured, I’ll spare you the mundane details and highlight the need-to-knows:

The Age of Mana, when elves ruled with magic. Many civilizations came and went over the span of ten-thousand years, but the underlying principles of arcana always remained.

The Age of Machine, when dwarves let themselves be known to the outside world. The basic principles of runic generators gave birth to steam engines. The eventual clash with elves lead to a standstill as dwarven artificers were able to create anti-magic fields with their machines. This peace treaty enabled the dwarves to over produce and migrate throughout the north and southwestern mountains, creating a pincer hold to the main Elvish Covens where Glimmervale stands today.

The Age of Man, vast in numbers but not in lifespans, their ambitious push for dominance forged a temporary alliance between dwarves and elves, ushering in the Age of Conflict.

The Age of Conflict, is mostly taught as the tipping point in Orem history, where all came together to thwart the invading forces of Deign and Kadesa. This age lasted over one hundred years, with the campaigns against the two kingdoms only lasting for ten of those years. This campaign is best known as The Venastia War.

The Age of Gear Spell is in its infancy, titled by King Tygran VI to mark the end of The Age of Conflict and instill into the minds of the Orem people of the alliance between elves, dwarves, and humans of the land. This year marks the 18th anniversary since the end of The Venastia War.

King Tygran VI and Queen Lilia of the Vale are recognized as the major ruling party of Orem. It was Tygran who united the humans, and fought for Orem during The Venastia War. Queen Lilia was essential in bridging alliances with dwarven clans and her elvish covens. Together, they willed the people to take back their lands, often seen fighting in the frontlines of battle. They are considered legendary heroes, and because of their valiant efforts, were given the Rite of Crown, a traditional title dating back to the Age of Mana.

The Royal Court is led by Dwarven Magistrate Tolgrus of The Golgantrian Clan, the highest ranking family within the Citadel Hierarchy. Tolgrus was a companion of Tygran and Lilia’s, who also did his part in rallying the Dwarven families during The Venastia War.

There are a total of twenty members in the Royal Court. Ten are designated to a particular branch of power, while the other ten function as provincial governors.

Magic is defined by the Elvish Coven as the melding of soul and ether. Ether is a peculiar property. Only the most capable wizards can resonate with this mystical power without a special conduit. Even still, to perform a powerful spell without a buffer like a rune or an enchantment can have devastating consequences to the user. The elves call this consequence Graveborne. During the Age of Mana it was said that exceptional mages could move mountains, raise armies of the dead, and even shift the sun and moon to their liking. Ether required for such spells can dissolve a soul to cinders, reanimating one’s spiritual essence into a dark and twisted abomination.

The thirst for knowledge in the mystic arts can lead to dangerous paths if left unattended. It is why Orem goes through great lengths to ensure that stringent rules are enforced by the Arcana Institute and the Elvish Coven. And when the Graveborne slips through their defenses, the Inquisition is there to make sure they’re properly attended to.

As for the academic structure of magic, the Arcana Institute in Glimmervale functions at a collegiate level, offering a rigorous four year program to any and all who show potential.

Students are given a crash course of all forms of acceptable magic in their freshman and sophomore year (elemental, healing, shape shifting, etc.,) and be given an affinity test by their junior year for their major focus. By the end of their senior year, they’ll be tested on their chosen focus and receive a certification to mage status should they pass. Students can continue education to master different focuses. The timetable for these extra focus tests depends on their mentor and the ability of the apprentice. Necromancy is allowed in Arcana, but heavily regulated towards understanding its nature and how to counterattack it.

Outside of Glimmervale, however, the Elvish Covens are more liberal with their arcana instruction. This is where the more advanced and forbidden magic is accepted like Necromancy. Basically where to get your master’s and become a full fledged wizard.

Runes are special ores that are crafted to channel ether and materialize it into whatever magical property they specialize in. There is a rune for every magic type. For a wizard who is proficient in many different forms of magic, they carry a singular, specialized rune that can transform to accommodate a variety of spells. Any and all runes that are used for magic are attached to an enchantment, likely a staff, or any item that is smithed to attune to it.

Understand that all sorcerers who’ve been appropriately trained don’t need runes to draw upon the ether to create magic. However, doing so without a rune for a long period of time can cause Graveborne. Therefore, it is absolutely prohibited — unless cleared by a Grand Mage.

Runes and their attuned enchantments are a means to prevent this disease. There are several stages of Graveborne, most of which are irreversible, but a powerful spell used without a rune more often times than not can cause permanent damage to the spirit. Like a cancer, it must be expunged from the body periodically, lest it take over and cause grave mutation. Dark magic like necromancy is highly susceptible to graveborne.

Types of Runes

Elemental Rune specific (Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Lightning)

Mind Rune (Telepathy, Enhanced Vision, Psychic, Illusion, etc.)

Angel Rune (Healing, Protective Wards, Dispel)

Shadow Rune (Invisibility, Stealth)

Blood Rune (Necromancy, Blood magic)

There is an ongoing debate amongst historians and archaeologists as to who exactly brought forth the technology we now harness for our everyday use. The High Families of the Citadel proclaim that the earliest machinations known to civilization were created by dwarves, but there are thinkers from the Coven who believe those machinations are elvish, dating back to the Age of Mana.

What is widely accepted as truth is that despite wherever they came from, the dwarves improved upon their designs. At the core of every machine is the rune generator or power cell. These devices attune with the ether and convert it into a safe and sustainable energy source. This conversion method involves dumping excess ether in order to prevent overcharging or burnout, hence the “steam” emissions often seen from airships and trains. Stationary things like homes or factories can either recycle the dumped ether into other charging cells, or have installed exhaust vents, separate from regular chimneys.

Ether remains an abundant source of power, but runes will deteriorate over time from use, and will need to be repaired or replaced.

For those not talented in the mystic arts, fear not. There are tools that can supplement for the spirit, allowing you to use ether, albeit in a non traditional way. While the results are far less potent and often unpredictable compared to a trained sorcerer, you cannot be consumed by Graveborne using this method. However, the process of imbuing items with magic requires training. A lack of understanding the fundamental principles of equivalent exchange can lead to disastrous repercussions.

The Age of Gear Spell has provided the Kingdom with a job force that is high in demand. Thus, the Ironcrest holds the largest university for Machinists to learn the trade at the Academy of Cognitive Machinery. Their programs are similarly structured to the Arcana institute, even to the point where to achieve a higher education, one must go to the originators to learn advanced engineering. These lessons are found in the heart of the Citadel from the Tinkerer’s Philosophy, the grandest workshop in the world.

There are various religious sects throughout Venastia, but there are only three that are recognized in the Kingdom of Orem.

Gnollism


Yaldirm


Vectism

“Their spirit is no longer tethered to the ether. Thus, their souls have cindered, twisting their bodies into Graveborne; godless creatures remade into the likeness of The Sunken One.”— translated from the Scrolls of Yaldirm, Psalm of the Damned

“The cost of magic is severe. Everyone knows this. We were taught as children to never invoke the ether alone, and not without runes or enchantments. To be Graveborne is to be dead. Nowadays, there are ways to keep the sickness from taking over. Some have lived full lives while fighting it! Yet there is a point of no return. I’ve seen it happen to those closest to me. Beautiful, loving people mangled into abhorrent fiends. Magic is a curse! Damn it all!” — Sir Viscouth, Vanguard of the Graveborne Inquisition.

“It is a severe misunderstanding. They see us as demons. Monsters. Yes, to deny our unsightly visage is foolhardy, but even in the eyes of Vectis I am still whole. That is not to say there are dark thoughts within me. Always, they’ve been with me, yet with this disease they no longer whisper. They yell. Scream. Laugh at my face. I will not let it push me to madness. Not like the others who’ve devolved from speech and utter the dark tongue. Please, should that day come…put me out of my misery. Let me die knowing I was the man I always was, not the thing HE wants me to be…”— Shamus Townsend’s last written words before the Graveborne took over.

“Don’t get me wrong. This condition is repulsive, but it isn’t as dangerous as they make it out to be. For starters, it only affects a small percentage of our population: Magic users! And not just all magic users, but the overly ambitious, clumsy sort! With the modern treatments we have at our disposal, for one to fully succumb to Graveborne is downright irresponsible on their part. Secondly, those who’ve been inflicted with even the gravest of Graveborne aren’t exactly hostile. Yes, they look like the stuff of nightmares, and much like nightmares, they are physically harmless! It’s almost as if they’re in a vegetative state, and if they do seem like a threat, it’s more than likely out of frustration, what with their ‘souls’ being stripped from them! All this religious talk has shaken up the perception as to what these things really are. Scared mutations.”— Andalusi Faux

There are 12 months in a year, and each month is named after a bird:

January: Owl
Feburary: Parrot
March: Bluebird
April: Canary
May: Puffin
June: Hummingbird
July: Eagle
August: Sparrow
September: Cardinal
October: Swan
November: Rooster
December: Woodpecker

Currency

Copper, Bronze, and Gold Orem coinage