Dice Lightfall Lore

[Hanakai]

THE HISTORY
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Hundreds of years ago, the kingdoms of Mazeron lived in an uneasy peace.  Not true peace, for monsters and bandits still roamed the roads.  Still, knights were noble and wars were kept between armies.  Adventurers roamed the lands, keeping the realm safe.  This was known as the Age of Heroes.  However, that age came to an end when a mad wizard tore open a gate into another realms.  Seeking power, the wizard was instead greeted by the mighty Umbral Dragon.  Behind it came a dark miasma that began to spread across the land, raising the dead and turning them into the dragon's mindless followers.  Many adventurers and armies stood against the onslaught, but were quickly cut down and assimilated into the undead army.  However, from this darkness came one hero; Torol.  He and his 7 knights, along with the brave remains of the continent's combined armies, fought through the scourge.  After months of fighting, the armies made it to the dragon's tower.  In the ensuing battle, Torol and the knights scaled the tower and fought the great beast until, finally, it was slain.


The world was saved, but in the war, most of the continent was lost.  Humanity would need to rebuild, and for that they would need a king.  It was almost unanimously decided that Torol would become the king of this new land.  For seven days, people celebrated the beasts death and mourned the loss of soldiers' lives.  However, upon the eighth day, when Torol was to be crowned, he vanished.  Soon, the other knights began to leave as well.  Only the knight Ainmire remained, and so he became Ainmire the Crowned.  Of course, there were those who opposed Ainmire's rule.  Rather than live under his laws, these people went north to rebuild what was left of the ancient kingdoms.


Now, the year is 342 AU (After Umbral).  After humanity had regained its ground, it began on a crusade against magic of all kinds to prevent such a travesty from ever occurring again.  Elves and wizards were driven from their homes, magic beasts were slaughtered by the hundreds, and even the mighty dragons were eventually reduced to nothing more than legend.  Aliech, a continental superpower, now presses against the northern kingdoms with firearms.  Only the recent creation of magitech has managed to hold them from going against their peace treaty.  Kings, queens, and courts still rule over most of the continent, though many have turned in their valor for coin.  To make the corruption worse, bandit tribes have become organized criminal empires rooted deep into grand cities.  Guns have long since replaced bows, though some traditionalists can still be found far at the edges of civilization.  The only reminder of the age of heroes that remains is the Dusk Tower, the ancient fortress of the umbral dragon

 

[Hanakai]

THE WORLD
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Mazeron is a huge continent, stretching from the Equator nearly to the north pole.  In between those two points are a variety of biomes and nations, each home to their own wonders, dangers, wildlife, cultures, and laws.

 
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ALIECH
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Aliech is the largest nation on Mazeron, as well as one of the most powerful.  After its founding in 0 AU, Aliech has taken steps to prevent such a tragedy from ever occurring again.  Because of this, most forms of magic are banned throughout the country.  Only trained priests and paladins are allowed to wield magic, and this is only for religious and government purposes.  Instead, Aliech has primarily focused on science.  With the invention of the steam engine, Aliech's productivity has skyrocketed.  Steam trains and firearms are not uncommon here, though only those with proper certifications can own weapons.  That being said, Aliech is such a huge country that upholding such laws can be tricky sometimes.  Despite it's gilded appearance, Aliech has a dark underbelly; weapon smuggling, drug trafficking, religious zealots, and corrupt politics define Aliech just as much as its grand cities.  Distrust of magic has bled into hatred for elves, drow, and other magical races.  Such people aren't given citizenship, and racial violence is commonplace both in and outside of cities.


Being near the equator, most of the country is warm year-round.  The far west is shrouded in jungle, particurally along the Emerald Peninsula.  While a lot of fishing villages exist along the coast, much of the inland jungle is undeveloped.  As you go east, the jungle transforms into warm forests.  These forests eventually fade into the plains that cover most of the country.  However, these plains are not all the same; while the western side is fertile, the plains grow dryer and dustier as you travel west.  Most of the fertile soil in the west comes from the Macha River, where the capital, Emain, is located.  The southern coast is almost entirely rocky cliffs, making ports difficult to come by down there. The plains eventually become semi-arid forests until you reach the rocky Edern mountains.  Beyond the mountains is the rocky beginning of the Draak desert.


Queen Ciara Ainmire III is the current ruler of Aliech, though her cabinet also holds a lot of power.  Though she doesn't appear to the public very often, her laws and decrees can be felt throughout the country.  She's loved by most of her people, save for the poor and oppressed who blame her for their condition.

BASILUS
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While they have little history prior to the Umbral Dragon, everyone knows about the struggle between Aliech and Basilus.  Unlike Aliech, Basilus has existed long before the Umbral Dragon; by some accounts, it has existed since as far back as 400 BU (Before Umbral).  The Edern Mountain range protected its capital, allowing its royal lineage to survive.  However, following Aliech's subjugation of mages and magical races, many refugees fled to the still rebuilding Basilus.  Aliech pushed at Basilus' borders, as well as the other northern kingdoms'.  In response to the rapidly evolving technology that was so prevalent in Aliech's military, the Basilus royalty had mages around the country begin devising ways to counter these firearms.  This eventually resulted in the creation of a mass-producible weapon that would allow even common foot soldiers to use spells.  This 'Magitech' was supplied to both the Basilus military and to it's allies in Purbala and Reichtum.  This was what allowed the stalemate that forced a peace treaty to be signed between Aliech and the Northern Kingdoms in 84 AU, ending the Edern War.  One can still see the effects of the war, particularly in the prevalence of magitech in everyday life.


Despite being so close to Aliech, Basilus is much cooler than its counterpart.  The Edern mountains prevent the warm air from entering the country, while the plentiful highlands in the east raise the nation to a higher altitude.  Rolling, grassy highlands are common in the north, while the south is more heavily forested.  Past the Conlis mountains is the grassy coast by the Orcum Gulf.  It is here where you'll find Regum, the Imperial capital.


Basilus' King is Richard Aurum II, though his age and poor health currently keeps him out of politics.  Instead, his eldest son, Prince Lucas Aurum V, rules in his place,  Despite his young age, his subjects have come to either fear or respect his strict rule.  This has given him the title of the "Crimson Prince," both by his allies and foes.


More to come...