pomme
bonk
blood ballad
Rheinfeld is an isolated nation, surrounded on all sides by steep mountains and cliffs or treacherous, balmy ocean. The center of the nation is the only portions inhabited, where citizens can enjoy moderate temperatures and sprawling cities and towns. Recent centuries have seen a sharp uptick in progress, with newfound peace allowing a bloom in industry, artistry, and overall quality of life. Most citizens take status as an artisan or common worker. The capital city, Delrienne, is host to ornate buildings and small palaces, with the majority of elected officials and nobility living in the city. Other than the capital and the few small towns that surround it, military facilities are scattered throughout the nation. While they had historically not housed many soldiers, the majority have been repurposed as training and holding facilities for the Greyborne in light of new developments.
The Greyborne
While the amount of information gathered on the Greyborne is not great, a decent amount is known from the past instances of souls in the nation. Unlike their older counterparts, the Greyborne do not hold an innate leaning towards violence or peace: instead, they are unable to lean towards either of the extremes. When faced with a decision of large consequence, one would be unable to act upon what could be considered their true intentions—even the most selfish or bitter individual, if Greyborne, would only be able to make the decision that is 'right'. What constitutes a ruling of 'right' is not exactly known, though Greyborne can only make decisions through knowledge already available to them. This means that decisions made by Greyborne are not infallible and certainly not always 'right', just what appears as most unbiased or just to them at the moment.
Despite the clear boundaries of magic found in past souls, the magic relating to the Greyborne is not nearly as clear. The general consensus from the information available is that their magic is defined by their penchant for ultimate fairness. Some speculate that the magic might adjust to help a Greyborne's decision come to its full fruition, temporarily granting them abilities that they otherwise would not have. However, such a speculation has little confirmation as of now.
The efforts of the Rheinfeld Council to collect and protect the new population have proved to be largely successful. Due to the welcoming and comfortable conditions of living within the facilities, the vast majority of Greyborne voluntarily entered the program. It's estimated that there are less than 500 Greyborne throughout the nation, with the vast majority already within Rheinfeld's facilties.
Pure & Corrupt Souls
Many centuries ago, souls saw their first instances as a simple divide between virtue and vice. Nearly every individual was born with either a pure or corrupt soul, either of which would form their actions. While an individual with a pure soul would be nearly unable to act in any ways that didn't benefit the greater good, a corrupt soul would be predisposed towards actions with either benefit them or harm others. The magic found in the souls was also much more clear cut: pure souls were equipped with either abilities to heal or persuade, and corrupt souls with abilities to unnaturally harm or influence. Due to the sharp contrast between the two, those with pure souls would automatically seek out to halt the spreading of corrupt souls, and those with corrupt souls to eliminate the virtue of those with pure souls.
The War of Two
Due to the dividing nature of the corrupt and pure souls, a war known as the War of Two raged throughout Rheinfeld for nearly 100 years. The war knew little in terms of strategy or organization, more akin to an all-out brawl than a series of organized military actions. While a select few prominent generals rose and fell throughout the course of the war, there were little times where either side had a clear lead or strategy. Such a vicious war largely prevented all progress in terms of technology or civilization. The war stopped abruptly after 96 years of fighting, due to the seemingly random disappearance of souls altogether. As the last remaining individuals with souls died, the war ended fully and the two groups merged to form the nation of Rheinfeld. Certain historical documents write that there was an armistice that played a role in the end of the war, though due to the lack of details on the arranging parties and unlikely nature of the situation, such documents are usually regarded as outliers and untrue. As of the current date, 528 A.F., it has been 278 years since the end of the war.
The Greyborne
While the amount of information gathered on the Greyborne is not great, a decent amount is known from the past instances of souls in the nation. Unlike their older counterparts, the Greyborne do not hold an innate leaning towards violence or peace: instead, they are unable to lean towards either of the extremes. When faced with a decision of large consequence, one would be unable to act upon what could be considered their true intentions—even the most selfish or bitter individual, if Greyborne, would only be able to make the decision that is 'right'. What constitutes a ruling of 'right' is not exactly known, though Greyborne can only make decisions through knowledge already available to them. This means that decisions made by Greyborne are not infallible and certainly not always 'right', just what appears as most unbiased or just to them at the moment.
Despite the clear boundaries of magic found in past souls, the magic relating to the Greyborne is not nearly as clear. The general consensus from the information available is that their magic is defined by their penchant for ultimate fairness. Some speculate that the magic might adjust to help a Greyborne's decision come to its full fruition, temporarily granting them abilities that they otherwise would not have. However, such a speculation has little confirmation as of now.
The efforts of the Rheinfeld Council to collect and protect the new population have proved to be largely successful. Due to the welcoming and comfortable conditions of living within the facilities, the vast majority of Greyborne voluntarily entered the program. It's estimated that there are less than 500 Greyborne throughout the nation, with the vast majority already within Rheinfeld's facilties.
Pure & Corrupt Souls
Many centuries ago, souls saw their first instances as a simple divide between virtue and vice. Nearly every individual was born with either a pure or corrupt soul, either of which would form their actions. While an individual with a pure soul would be nearly unable to act in any ways that didn't benefit the greater good, a corrupt soul would be predisposed towards actions with either benefit them or harm others. The magic found in the souls was also much more clear cut: pure souls were equipped with either abilities to heal or persuade, and corrupt souls with abilities to unnaturally harm or influence. Due to the sharp contrast between the two, those with pure souls would automatically seek out to halt the spreading of corrupt souls, and those with corrupt souls to eliminate the virtue of those with pure souls.
The War of Two
154 After Founding - 250 after founding
