With the delicate balance of the world established, the Age of Dreams began. This was a period of magical and psychic expansion. The state of the world remained balanced. On Lothgar, the kingdoms of Dogol, Bel`Aq, Beltizhan, Kailang and Caeron were the longest-standing. On Mologan, the seven kingdoms to the south and east united in an empire known as the Southern Kingdoms ruled over by the High King who was elected by the Royal Council consisting of the Kings of each of the kingdoms. On Anterre, the Emporer Kroll ruled with an iron fist. The Chaos Current continued to rage in the Moralay Archipelago. Puntas, long hidden by the Myst, has been all but forgotten as has the moon.
During this time, many organizations and societies have risen to prominence. The most ancient and secretive of these are the Wanderers. The most learned of sages are unsure exactly of the origins of this group. They operate always in the shadows, behind the scenes. They are organized into Lodges, each run by a Huntsmaster. It is known that they have carried different names throughout history but most agree the oldest of these names, likely the original name, is the Wardens. Although what it is or was that they are warding against is lost to the sands of time. They are not strictly a tribe, but certain families are prominent although even the most learned of sages are uncertain to what degree. It is believed that the very highest strata of the organization is controlled by the descendants of the original Wardens so they are often considered a tribe of sorts.
The Jiorti live on the island of Jiorta. Although they maintain a tribal structure, they are largely recognized as among the oldest of societies and among the most powerful. They were instrumental in freeing the people from the oppression of the Kol Draahl. They withstood the constant depredations of the Emperor. Many believe it was Jiorti tribal elders that had a hand in the creation of both the Soul Riders and the Beast Masters. Every Jiorti who ever lived, save one, possesses either magical or psychic ability. That one is the bard Madigan, whose exploits will be explained later. With the birth of a Jiorti tribesman, a small cache of a unique organic metal is found. This is known by the Jiorti as being "claimed by Jiorta". At the child's coming of age ceremony, that metal is forged into a knife and tied to the new tribesman by some means both magical and psychic and possibly more. Thereafter, the knife is known as a Jortai and it acts as a focus for the tribesman's magical and/or pyschic abilities. So long as the tribesman lives the Jortai will never tarnish or dull and upon their death, the Jortai will quickly corrode and eventually dissolve. Jiorti culture is very art-centered for through music, song, stories and art the Jiorti maintained their culture during the long hard years of oppression by the Kol Draahl.
Another tribal group of ancient origin, the Gloanoq have various homes throughout the continents of Geis. A warrior culture, they focus on the complete mastery of but a few weapons. Some are born within the tribes that have magical or psychic ability. These are not estranged for they view magic and psionics as natural tools of combat, little different than a hand or sword. All are trained from a young age in the ancient art of combat, called simply the training.
After the fall of the Kol Draahl, a schism in the Gloanoq tribe was formed. A perfection of the art of combat was sought, resulting in different paths. A group that believed a perfect warrior could use any weapon well splintered off, they became known as the Merebal tribe. None of their number has ever been born with magical or psychic ability. It is unknown if this is by design or just a natural progression. Another group believed that only by focusing on one weapon could perfection be achieved. This group became known as the Nazd clan. Whereas the Gloanoq and Merebal depend upon actual bloodline affiliation, the Nazd eschew that for talent and training.
The last of the most ancient of tribes is the Mixtali. Every member of the Mixtali are psychics of varying degrees of power, and though infrequent, mages are not uncommon. They are a nomadic people, whereas once they used wagons in massive caravans they now live in large groundships.
Members of these tribes may be found in any kingdom and most place a higher loyalty to their tribe than to their kingdom, but as always individuals may vary.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Geis Basics: Timeline - The Age of War
Freedom had been won for the people of Geis. Their escape from tyranny had been bloody and long. During the purge, things were done that shamed them in retrospect. The rage born from centuries of debasement, abuse and oppression was released in a blood bath of violence resulting in effective genocide.
The effect on the newly freed population could not be overstated. People who were ashamed of their actions isolated themselves from others, some even killing themselves. Many struggled to face their reflections. Society regressed as none lived who understood what was required to form a civilization. Lacking any other form of loyalty, people drew together in family groups. It was truly a dark age and one that modern sages do not name except as the "dark times" following the fall of the Kol Draahl. None are really sure how long it lasted or what it was that ended it.
Cloistered in family groups, society again reformed. Families strong in the use of magic and psychic abilities grew in power and influence eventually forming groups. One such group claimed the lands forming the high plains in the eastern mountains of Lothgar. This group, strong in psychic might, became the kingdom of Baenor. In the mountains northwest of them a kingdom of mages gained power, calling themselves Verellia. None alive now truly know how it started, most sages believe it was the result of a pending marriage that would unite the kingdoms falling apart but however it happened, the two kingdoms started warring. This was the first of the Psi-Mage Wars. It ended with Baenor utterly destroyed.
The hand of Master of the Undead was first played during these turbulent times. It is known that in an effort to gain control over life on Geis, the Master created his first Avatar. The resulting war of dead on the living became known as the Rise of the Fallen. The Seven Kingdoms on Mologan, not yet unified under the High King, struggled against the horde of zombies, skeletons, ghosts and other forms of undead that threatened their very existence. In response, the Creator's Seekers unified into an army for the first time. They were able to put the dead back into their graves, but ever since the undead have been a blight upon the face of Geis.
On Anterre, a man named Kroll unified a great army under his command and started a campaign of conquest. Aided by a woman known as Lady Vreilla, he equipped his army with the very best in magical equipment. He started in the southeast, taking over the kingdom there quickly, then spread east.
At the same time the second Psi-Mage war raged as Prince Torano, leader of Fallen Baenor, rallied the remains of his people and attacked the Emerald Cardinals that formed the leadership of Verellia. In a daring raid, the Tower of Verellia fell and the Cardinals' power was broken. The toll on the attackers was high; the prince had fallen and the leadership of the scattered forces of Baenor were unable to keep the people united.
A force of people suspect of the influence of magical and psychic power united on Jorton Mountain and immersed themselves in the study of the body and the hidden abilities locked within not only it but within nature. These alchemist warriors became known as the Orian Barve.
Portions of the psychically strong Baenor forces remained united and sequestered themselves in the study of psionic ability. They unlocked incredible ablities, eventually forming into a formidable force known as the Moragai.
On Mologan, the Master of the Undead refused to be defeated. His Avatar united the hordes once more and the Creator responded with a powerful leader, a Seeker of incredible faith known as Allyndra Thorindrel. Under Allyndra's leadership, the army of Seekers again pushed the undead back into their graves and in a final act of sacrifice, she killed herself to destroy the Master's Avatar.
Kroll's army had defeated the outer nations of Anterre and he set his sights on the center of the continent, seeking to unify his rule at the very center of the nation. His army had grown in size to include battalions of mages and psychic warriors. Rumors of Kroll spread like wildfire. Some speculated that he was the last remaining member of the Kol Draahl and the Trioka had sacrificed themselves so that he might create a new stronghold on Anterre. There was much evidence to the contrary. All that was really known was that Kroll had been leading his armies from the front for well over a hundred years with Lady Vreilla at his side. It was believed by his army that Kroll was immortal.
The third Psi-Mage war broke out on Mologan, in the northeastern forests. The Moragai had grown in power and influence and sought to create their own kingdom of psychics. Two forces of mages arose in response and prevented them from gaining control of the region; sword wielding sorcerers and armored wizards. United under Marok De l'Argent, the mages prevented the Moragai from establishing their desired kingdom. As a result, the Moragai split into two forces; one vowing to never again seek political power and the other vowing declaring that the true power of psychics lie in secrecy and they became masters of intrigue. This second group became known as the Doeneik.
Kroll unified his rule on Anterre, celebrating his success by raising a massive mesa at the very center of the continent and creating his castle atop of it. This became known as Krolspoint and it was from here that Kroll ruled over his empire. His first attempt at spreading his rule was targeted on Jiorta, a large island off the southeastern coast of his new empire. His forces faced defeat for the first time. It became a trend that would mark the entire rule of Kroll and eventually spell his ruin and that of his empire.
The fourth Psi-Mage war took place again on Lothgar, this time the battle raged across the Moralay Archipelago and onto Mologan. The two magical forces from the third war had grown in the interim into the mercenary Spellswords and the De l'Argent. This time, the kingdom of Bhletizhan's mages and Wyvern Riders sought to unite Lothgar under their rule. They made forays into the kingdom of Bel'Aq, their neighbor to the east who had become a stronghold for the new Morgai forces. The Moragai rebuffed the Wyvern Riders time and again, but it was the mage Ugden Toffmarr, a foreigner who had risen in the ranks of the mage army of Beltizhan, who ended the war. The Wyvern Riders penetrated into the heart of Bel`Aq and destroyed the Moragai headquarters. The mage council sent their agents throughout the world, seeking to totally eliminate the remnants of the Moragai order. Ugden had seen the corruption of the leadership on his side and sought to end it. His destruction of the mage council established him as a powerful magical presence on Geis and ended the fourth Psi-Mage war. He established the Toffmarr academy and opened his doors to mages of any national origin, seeking to train them in the proper use of their ability and create a safeguard on the seeking of power. Never again did he want to see magical power used for anything other than the betterment of the peoples of Geis.
Rumors had started on Mologan that the Kol Draahl had not been destroyed. The near-mythical Myde Laethe had been seen by farmers. These rumors spawned the fifth Psi-Mage war. Gloanoq tribes in the northeast portion of Mologan had been attacked by people claiming they had no idea why they attacked. Unable to find an enemy to respond to, the Gloanoq simply migrated out of the area. In the vacuum created by their absence two powerful Gloanoq, Nerevan and Aelok, sought to seize control of the region. Originally the psychic and mage, lifelong friends, sought to create a kingdom of both psychics and mages united in common purpose. The first few years went well, but the constant influx of rumors of a Kol Draahl presence plagued them. Every lead that they followed resulted in a dead end. A schism was created between the friends and the two factions that followed them became increasingly polarized. Civil war broke out. It is ironic that the fifth and final Psi-Mage war was unlike the others in that this time, there were mages and psychics on both sides. The area had long been home to powerful Manitou and these beings of incredible puissance and ability fought one against the other for the first time.
The result was devastating. The Nerevans and Aelokians soon destroyed themselves but the immortal beings they had brought to their respective sides continued the struggle and escalated it. Power unlike anything seen since Arcdawn were unleashed. Two Manitou destroyed each other in the midst of the battle and the energies thus unleashed took on a life of their own. Immortal beings of concept disappeared from the face of Geis. The resulting release coalesced into a storm. A living storm of energy related to both magic and psionics bearing an unfathomable intelligence and drive. The Maelstrom was born. At that very moment, on the opposite end of the world in a small town in the Moralay Archipelago, a child was born. Brother to the Maelstrom, his birth heralded a change in magic on Geis. The lands where the Maelstrom started became equally bellicose and maleficent, an almost living land where few could live and those that did were forever changed. They became known as the Madlands and none venture there without courting death.
The Maelstrom still rages, sometimes espoused as a small cloud and at other times a powerful hurricane. It wanders the face of Geis and any touched by it are forever changed. Many, the vast majority, die or disappear, never to be heard from again. Others, the very few, live on forever changed in ways unable to be understood by the sages.
The Madlands are a place of mystery. Entire cities disappeared. Lakes and rivers move about. Some say the very stones themselves speak. It is a place devoid of Manitou, where there is no direction or guidance for the raw energies that are normally contained by those spirits.
The child grew to become a man. He alone knew, instinctively, that if left unchecked the Maelstrom and the Madlands, his brothers, would grow and destroy until they eventually claimed the entire surface of Geis. He traveled with his friends and helped them in their adventures, always seeking to control the forces both within him and the world. Soon after aiding his companions in establishing the kingdom of Kailang, he traveled to the high plain that had one time been the site of the first Psi-Mage war. There, he created another opposing force to the Madlands. Where the Madlands was a rocky barren land devoid of life, he rose a place of life. Where the Madlands were uncontrollable he balanced it with a place of control. Just as he balanced out the power of the Maelstrom, Sairao Goldriver rose the Forbidden Forest to balance the Madlands.
With the undead forces of the Fallen balanced by the power of the re-established Church of the Creator, the power of the Empire balanced by the solidarity of the Southern Kingdoms and the Forbidden Forest and Sairao himself balancing the Madlands and the Maelstrom, an uneasy peace was at last reached. The Age of War was ended and over 850 years did it last.
The effect on the newly freed population could not be overstated. People who were ashamed of their actions isolated themselves from others, some even killing themselves. Many struggled to face their reflections. Society regressed as none lived who understood what was required to form a civilization. Lacking any other form of loyalty, people drew together in family groups. It was truly a dark age and one that modern sages do not name except as the "dark times" following the fall of the Kol Draahl. None are really sure how long it lasted or what it was that ended it.
Cloistered in family groups, society again reformed. Families strong in the use of magic and psychic abilities grew in power and influence eventually forming groups. One such group claimed the lands forming the high plains in the eastern mountains of Lothgar. This group, strong in psychic might, became the kingdom of Baenor. In the mountains northwest of them a kingdom of mages gained power, calling themselves Verellia. None alive now truly know how it started, most sages believe it was the result of a pending marriage that would unite the kingdoms falling apart but however it happened, the two kingdoms started warring. This was the first of the Psi-Mage Wars. It ended with Baenor utterly destroyed.
The hand of Master of the Undead was first played during these turbulent times. It is known that in an effort to gain control over life on Geis, the Master created his first Avatar. The resulting war of dead on the living became known as the Rise of the Fallen. The Seven Kingdoms on Mologan, not yet unified under the High King, struggled against the horde of zombies, skeletons, ghosts and other forms of undead that threatened their very existence. In response, the Creator's Seekers unified into an army for the first time. They were able to put the dead back into their graves, but ever since the undead have been a blight upon the face of Geis.
On Anterre, a man named Kroll unified a great army under his command and started a campaign of conquest. Aided by a woman known as Lady Vreilla, he equipped his army with the very best in magical equipment. He started in the southeast, taking over the kingdom there quickly, then spread east.
At the same time the second Psi-Mage war raged as Prince Torano, leader of Fallen Baenor, rallied the remains of his people and attacked the Emerald Cardinals that formed the leadership of Verellia. In a daring raid, the Tower of Verellia fell and the Cardinals' power was broken. The toll on the attackers was high; the prince had fallen and the leadership of the scattered forces of Baenor were unable to keep the people united.
A force of people suspect of the influence of magical and psychic power united on Jorton Mountain and immersed themselves in the study of the body and the hidden abilities locked within not only it but within nature. These alchemist warriors became known as the Orian Barve.
Portions of the psychically strong Baenor forces remained united and sequestered themselves in the study of psionic ability. They unlocked incredible ablities, eventually forming into a formidable force known as the Moragai.
On Mologan, the Master of the Undead refused to be defeated. His Avatar united the hordes once more and the Creator responded with a powerful leader, a Seeker of incredible faith known as Allyndra Thorindrel. Under Allyndra's leadership, the army of Seekers again pushed the undead back into their graves and in a final act of sacrifice, she killed herself to destroy the Master's Avatar.
Kroll's army had defeated the outer nations of Anterre and he set his sights on the center of the continent, seeking to unify his rule at the very center of the nation. His army had grown in size to include battalions of mages and psychic warriors. Rumors of Kroll spread like wildfire. Some speculated that he was the last remaining member of the Kol Draahl and the Trioka had sacrificed themselves so that he might create a new stronghold on Anterre. There was much evidence to the contrary. All that was really known was that Kroll had been leading his armies from the front for well over a hundred years with Lady Vreilla at his side. It was believed by his army that Kroll was immortal.
The third Psi-Mage war broke out on Mologan, in the northeastern forests. The Moragai had grown in power and influence and sought to create their own kingdom of psychics. Two forces of mages arose in response and prevented them from gaining control of the region; sword wielding sorcerers and armored wizards. United under Marok De l'Argent, the mages prevented the Moragai from establishing their desired kingdom. As a result, the Moragai split into two forces; one vowing to never again seek political power and the other vowing declaring that the true power of psychics lie in secrecy and they became masters of intrigue. This second group became known as the Doeneik.
Kroll unified his rule on Anterre, celebrating his success by raising a massive mesa at the very center of the continent and creating his castle atop of it. This became known as Krolspoint and it was from here that Kroll ruled over his empire. His first attempt at spreading his rule was targeted on Jiorta, a large island off the southeastern coast of his new empire. His forces faced defeat for the first time. It became a trend that would mark the entire rule of Kroll and eventually spell his ruin and that of his empire.
The fourth Psi-Mage war took place again on Lothgar, this time the battle raged across the Moralay Archipelago and onto Mologan. The two magical forces from the third war had grown in the interim into the mercenary Spellswords and the De l'Argent. This time, the kingdom of Bhletizhan's mages and Wyvern Riders sought to unite Lothgar under their rule. They made forays into the kingdom of Bel'Aq, their neighbor to the east who had become a stronghold for the new Morgai forces. The Moragai rebuffed the Wyvern Riders time and again, but it was the mage Ugden Toffmarr, a foreigner who had risen in the ranks of the mage army of Beltizhan, who ended the war. The Wyvern Riders penetrated into the heart of Bel`Aq and destroyed the Moragai headquarters. The mage council sent their agents throughout the world, seeking to totally eliminate the remnants of the Moragai order. Ugden had seen the corruption of the leadership on his side and sought to end it. His destruction of the mage council established him as a powerful magical presence on Geis and ended the fourth Psi-Mage war. He established the Toffmarr academy and opened his doors to mages of any national origin, seeking to train them in the proper use of their ability and create a safeguard on the seeking of power. Never again did he want to see magical power used for anything other than the betterment of the peoples of Geis.
Rumors had started on Mologan that the Kol Draahl had not been destroyed. The near-mythical Myde Laethe had been seen by farmers. These rumors spawned the fifth Psi-Mage war. Gloanoq tribes in the northeast portion of Mologan had been attacked by people claiming they had no idea why they attacked. Unable to find an enemy to respond to, the Gloanoq simply migrated out of the area. In the vacuum created by their absence two powerful Gloanoq, Nerevan and Aelok, sought to seize control of the region. Originally the psychic and mage, lifelong friends, sought to create a kingdom of both psychics and mages united in common purpose. The first few years went well, but the constant influx of rumors of a Kol Draahl presence plagued them. Every lead that they followed resulted in a dead end. A schism was created between the friends and the two factions that followed them became increasingly polarized. Civil war broke out. It is ironic that the fifth and final Psi-Mage war was unlike the others in that this time, there were mages and psychics on both sides. The area had long been home to powerful Manitou and these beings of incredible puissance and ability fought one against the other for the first time.
The result was devastating. The Nerevans and Aelokians soon destroyed themselves but the immortal beings they had brought to their respective sides continued the struggle and escalated it. Power unlike anything seen since Arcdawn were unleashed. Two Manitou destroyed each other in the midst of the battle and the energies thus unleashed took on a life of their own. Immortal beings of concept disappeared from the face of Geis. The resulting release coalesced into a storm. A living storm of energy related to both magic and psionics bearing an unfathomable intelligence and drive. The Maelstrom was born. At that very moment, on the opposite end of the world in a small town in the Moralay Archipelago, a child was born. Brother to the Maelstrom, his birth heralded a change in magic on Geis. The lands where the Maelstrom started became equally bellicose and maleficent, an almost living land where few could live and those that did were forever changed. They became known as the Madlands and none venture there without courting death.
The Maelstrom still rages, sometimes espoused as a small cloud and at other times a powerful hurricane. It wanders the face of Geis and any touched by it are forever changed. Many, the vast majority, die or disappear, never to be heard from again. Others, the very few, live on forever changed in ways unable to be understood by the sages.
The Madlands are a place of mystery. Entire cities disappeared. Lakes and rivers move about. Some say the very stones themselves speak. It is a place devoid of Manitou, where there is no direction or guidance for the raw energies that are normally contained by those spirits.
The child grew to become a man. He alone knew, instinctively, that if left unchecked the Maelstrom and the Madlands, his brothers, would grow and destroy until they eventually claimed the entire surface of Geis. He traveled with his friends and helped them in their adventures, always seeking to control the forces both within him and the world. Soon after aiding his companions in establishing the kingdom of Kailang, he traveled to the high plain that had one time been the site of the first Psi-Mage war. There, he created another opposing force to the Madlands. Where the Madlands was a rocky barren land devoid of life, he rose a place of life. Where the Madlands were uncontrollable he balanced it with a place of control. Just as he balanced out the power of the Maelstrom, Sairao Goldriver rose the Forbidden Forest to balance the Madlands.
With the undead forces of the Fallen balanced by the power of the re-established Church of the Creator, the power of the Empire balanced by the solidarity of the Southern Kingdoms and the Forbidden Forest and Sairao himself balancing the Madlands and the Maelstrom, an uneasy peace was at last reached. The Age of War was ended and over 850 years did it last.
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