Fantasy The Hordes- Lore page.

[Agent23]

Lore

The Great Empire of Thuell was Once a Global superpower. Magical portals and gates connected the continent to the rest of the world and their empire through magic had instantaneous communication, mass production, and even air travel. Over a thousand years of magical achievement had made them untouchable with nothing out of their reach, for a good long while mankind was godlike. Then the Cataclysm occurred. A faction of renegade sorcerers within the sorcerers guild poisoned this magical communication network, and in a single day killed millions around the world.

The Sorcerers guild, which had been the ruling class for nearly seven centuries pleaded to the people to allow them to investigate. Yet people would not allow this and a violent uprising transpired. During this uprising Critical components to the portal networks were damaged and after a few weeks the system collapsed and each portal would rupture like a bomb taking with it many of the great cities of old. Those who survived were to Poorer rural areas. Small towns which would grow into city states, which would in turn form alliances eventually leading to nations.​

Among the quickest to get back to a kingdom status were the Twin kingdoms of Thandrell and Vulkun. Two Kingdoms that share a narrow land border and have had a long and contentious history. Fighting in the seas and clashing in the narrow mountain passes that connect them for literal centuries, yet violent storms, tight terrain, and mutual prosperity have kept them at a gridlock. Among the many things they share in common is Speaking the same language of New Thuel, Sharing a distrust of magic, and Two Massive Populations, each boasting over 10 million citizens and the Means to provide for them.

Thandrell- The land of Rolling hills, high mountains, and Dense forests, this land is rich in natural resources and tends to have tightly packed urban areas, with rural families similarly living in smaller homes while having large farmlands. Its central lake provides many of the rivers with freshwater. Mountains and denser forests to the east help to serve as a funnel into the shared narrow pass with vulkun. The Four large cities within the Nation are connected through large paved main roads, with smaller dirt and gravel roads leading to the many towns and homesteads.

Sadly with the fall of all but Driscol, and a few small towns serving as outposts much of this nation is now corrupted by Dark forces and filled with the blighted dead. Nearly a fifth of this nations once proud population are stuffed into the city and surround towns, camps, and farms all fighting in shifts to keep the hordes at bay while diplomats negotiate frantically.
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Spoiler: Cities of Thandrell

1.)Narvel- The Ancient city of Narvel was once a large city of the Thuell empire before the gate explosion leveled most of it. Survivors of the local area would trickle into the southernmost rim of the ruins and slowly a city would be built. The people of this city and its surrounding towns tend towards a more traditional culture emphasized by their architecture and reverence for artifacts and old techniques.

Narvel was the first city to fall as the Mausoleum which was the birthing chamber of the horde could be found a mere 11 miles north, it was the burial chamber for most of the country. Lord Marshall Claudius lead the Defensive Line and the Subsequent Offensive counterattack. He and his forced slapped the horde back then stabbed deep into the horde felling 7 of the 13 Necromancers before being consumed by the surging masses. They have the second lowest percentage of refugees as they took heavy losses.

2.)Luca- The Capital city Of Thandrell and its “crown jewel”, The seat of the crown was here as was the bulk of the kingdoms might. Being at the center of the land with ancient roads leading to is Luca was built up not long after Narvel and quickly surpassed it as an economic powerhouse. “All roads lead to luca” and “All merchants have a stall here” are but a few of the phrases often associated with the city.

Luca put up a remarkable defense holding out for a little over five years as the horde advanced. Its central position served as a sort of shield for Driscol & Monrea. Unfortunately that would ensure that the fall of this city was a breaking point for the morale and hope of many. The Hordes breeched the walls many times in what was thought to be raids, but was soon discovered to be probing scouting ventures. In one night dozens, then hundreds of undead arrived within the city and spread chaos. During that chaos the walls were breached and the king made his final stand sending his family away in a caravan toward Driscol. His final stand would claim two more necromancers when they came to “personally” end him. Yet alas the King would fall with his city.

3.)Monrea- The old sea ports of Monrea actually outdate the city itself. What was once a small sea fishing town grew over time into a large port city. As military clashes with Vulkun grew so too did the investment within the port and its ability to deploy naval forces. Thus furthering its fishing industry as well. Known for its sailors and fishermen, this city has a maritime culture and has for a long time provided food and the wealth of the sea to the Thandrell Kingdom.

Monrea was a lucky city initially. It was able to shuttle refugees off to Bokia, a small fishing village on an island off the southernmost coast of Thandrell. However as the island filled up and the battles ground on many of the able bodies were conscripted into the defense of Luca. Thus when Luca Fell Evacuations immediately began, yet even immediate action was too late. The hordes fell on them half a day after the fall of luca, as if a large detachment had been splintered off to head there way before the city fell. Captain Lance Sentas, Would lead the final defense with around half his guard but he almost immediately realized how hopeless it was. The horde at his gates extended clear into the horizon, and seeing the hooks and ropes they brought he recognized their intentions. They were taking the port. Thus he split his already meager forces, ordered the emptying of the harbor and the burning of the docks. He and the city fell cutting the hordes off from the sea. Unfortunately the sea was their only escape route and thus Monrea has the lowest number of refugees in Driscol.

4.)Driscol- The city of Driscol started as a fort, one meant to secure the mountain pass between Thandrell & Vulkun. Thus as tensions rose so to did the size and garrison of this fort. Overtime this would become the Military heart of the Kingdom. Training fields surrounded it, with Villages full of hardy young men and women who wished to join. It was the city of heroes, the destination of those seeking glory. Eventually it would become the destination of those seeking salvation.

Driscol has been bustling since the horde began its rampage. Their training camps are optimized to produce an endless stream of soldiers out of conscripts. They have adapted to the new style of combat training their troops to use torches in place of shields, loose formations with light armor to ensure mobility, Sharp blades and light hammers to avoid fatigue, Training to aim for the eyes and knees rather than the usual middle of the target. Nonetheless its been its location that has kept it safe and since the swell of refugees more than doubling the cities population it struggles to hold the burden, though no Driscolite would be caught dead complaining. The have no refugees and very few non-combatants, with even the elderly and disabled taking up crossbows on the wall. All fight knowing Driscol is the last of Thandrell.

Vulkun- the Land of wide Plains and home of the Tallest mountain in the world. Vulkun is a land rich in Metals of all kinds with vast space for herds and crops. Built of a union of Five City States this nation was forged on the basis of Keeping the Thandrell Alliance from expanding into their territory. The two would meet on the borders and the rest is history. The open plains and mounted calvary have kept their claims to the border secure and have made horse husbandry a popular career in this nation.

The bulk of the nations military is lining up in the mountain pass battle camp, with four smaller camps lining the coasts to provide support to the defensive fleets should any vessels attempt to land along the shore. All the movements of assets and Rumors drifting in about a disaster in Thendrell have caused a bit of a divide between the people and as more information leeks out the rift grows larger.
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Spoiler: Cities of Vulkun

5.)Magnas- The great city on the other side of the mountain pass from Driscol. Magnas, slightly to the north of the passes entrance is a city of three keeps, built around the Three knight houses of Meldas, Sigurne, and Felix. House Meldas Are the Guardian Knights, defenders of peace akin to policemen. House Sigurne are the Siege warfare knights. With House Felix the Hunters house serving as Game wardens, anti-Poaching patrols and of course the hunting of magic users. All of the knights of these houses are well trained specialized warriors with a knack for operating in the cold and snow, as are their horses.

The culture of Magnas is one of Honor and personal pride, resulting in them having an incredibly high percentage of folks in favor of admitting the refugees. Thus conflicting interest presents a problem as their city is the closest in proximity to the Military camp, thus make up a significant portion of the forces garrisoned there. The Knights of magnus still stand ready to fend off any threat to their nation and people…as they have for centuries.

6.)Porpune- When the diplomatic envoys of Vulkun Union first arrived at Porpune they were met with lavish splendor. The finest of foods, drinks, gifts of jewelry, visits to the brothels, and the entire time they were waited on hand and foot by some of the best trained servants they had ever seen. The peace treaties were a roaring success, Porpune was brought into the Vulkun Alliance turning the faction into a full nation. It wasn’t until the military inventory of each city that the diplomats learned why the nation was so relaxed. Each of the butlers of porpune were trained warriors, spies, assassins, and of course waitstaff. When asked how talented they were in battle it has always been said, they are as skilled in battle as they are in the dining hall.

The culture of porpune is one of exploitation and vice, hidden beneath a veil of luxury and wealth. Treacherous deals, backstabbing, its all to be found in the paradise city. Yet the help seem to carry an air of odd respect, no one speaks ill of their maids or servants, and they seem immune to the treachery and lies around them, They now represent The Vulkun kingdoms 6th Knight House, House Ignacio. Violent crime is low around the island in the smaller towns that dot the coasts, but it gets rather crowded in the cities. Those who visit here are wise to keep their coin purses hidden and keep shrewd eye open. The people here are evenly split on the refugee crisis.

7.)Lampray- The town built in the middle bend of a kidney shaped lake. Lampray was the First capital of the Union before the construction of Domhan. With The great mountain fortress to the south, The Houses of Magnas to the North, And the Fleets of Julain to the west. Lamprey has only ever had to worry about the occasional storm blowing in from the eastern coast, With a pirate ship or two coming maybe once in a decade. Due to this peaceful location, this city and the surrounding “lake folk” have been known for their hospitality. The land smells of baked goods nearly constantly, the stretches between the towns and city hold wild and farmed fruits alike. The vast open fields to the east serve as fields for horse husbandry and breeding.

The culture here is not one of charity, more so it is a kind of boisterous generosity, proving how wealthy and successful they are by how much they can afford to shell out to strangers. These people support Bringing in the refugees almost unanimously, though their commitment to peace gives them nearly no military support to speak of besides their small regiment of guards. The capital hold has one of the only surviving ancient structures from the pre-fall period, A great windmill which is used to grind tons of grain per day.

8.)Julain- The naval city of Julain was forged as a counter to the Thandrellian naval city Monrea. Shortly after its founding Two knight houses were formed, House Logos, the knights of scholarly pursuit. And House Fathom, The Knights of the Sea, Both above and below. Despite coming into being after its rival city, the ingenuity of the a scholars, paired with the boldness of the Navy men keep them in a constant state of change keeping their enemies guessing as to their next move. The union of these houses has even pioneered a new oceanic warfare strategy, Diving Keel-breakers.

Culturally speaking Julain is very proud of the actions of its two houses, seeing either path as equally honorable, however there is a competitive divide between the two respective fanbases. The secretive nature of the logos house tends to keep the city in a constant state of readiness and has bred a disdain for outsiders and guests. As such julain is often said to be the least welcoming city in Vulkun, with them being suspicious even of their fellow countrymen from different cities.

9.)Domhan- The Great mountain fortress of Vulkun, Seat of the Crown, Capital of the nation, Home of the Fabled golden Knights of House Midas. This impenetrable fortress was built shortly after the Alliance became a nation, Its rich iron content armed and equipped the warriors of the nations, leaving within the mountain a network of mineshafts that would be repurposed to serve as the city living quarters. Homes were carved into the stone walls, and all meticulously planned out by stonemasons, scholars, architects, and Anti siege commanders. Ever were one to breech the massive stone gates, they would be plunging into a maze of tunnels and rooms, narrow corridors and tight corners, a maze populated with some of the greatest warriors in the kingdom, Who can navigate the corridors as easily as any native person would in their home town.

Living so close to the king, with such a mighty military presence, with the entire city being a fort no less, Domhan is by and a far the safest city on the planet…yet it is one of the least free. Strict laws, Ruthless enforcement of them, and Swift delivery of “Justice” make this a city to fear for those who bend the rules to their liking. The Unparalleled Combat Skills of the Golden knights only scratch the surface of their talents, their detective skills, intelligence networks, interrogation methods, Tracking and capturing skills affords them a heavy monopoly on force within the fort itself. And the 100 best among them serve as a personal guard retinue for King Shane Wuldorf. Those who dwell here know the trade, they give up all their freedoms, for the ultimate in safety. If you follow the rules of this city, you will likely die at a ripe old age.

~More nations In sequel~​

 

[Agent23]

The Horde

Seven years Ago a collection of Thirteen magic users gathered in the Great Mausoleum of Thandren. A place where the entire nation would lay their dead if they could. Fleeing the Inquisition and wanting revenge these thirteen utilized dark magics and rituals that would give them sway over death itself and these thirteen would strike their revenge against mankind. Thandrells inquisition were just beginning to look into the situation when the final ritural was completed and those who rested in the mausoleum were stirred, their wills bent to the 13. They would lay siege on Thandrell.

It was not an easy siege for them, Seven of the 13 would fall At Narvel due to the deeds of Marshal Claudius. The six would go on to strike the rest of the country with three taking the countryside whilst three raided the capital city of Luca. Those three who Aimed to take the capital would be slain by the late king Argil Neltz. Though they would succeed in felling the king the remaining three Necromancers realizing their vulnerability would build up lairs in the Thandrellian territory, where they continue to control the hordes from a distance.
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The Kinds of dead.

The Hordes are hardly uniform, however The nation of Thandrell has made an effort to categorize them and determine what is the most effective method of dealing with the various categories.


Skeletons- the most common kind of dead in the beginning, and still the most prevalent among the hordes, though their numbers have admittedly begun to lower as newer dead are added to the mix. These are the slowest, weakest, and easiest to bring down amongst the undead. Driven by magical energies spread thin as the hordes themselves spread, one can easily dismember the skeletons, and unlike more fresh dead, their Dismembered parts are of little to no threat after the fact. While they can be destroyed with fire and are by and afar the most flammable of the dead and quickest to burn…one can actually skip that step entirely if they can splinter them enough. It is very rare for anything other than a human to be a skeleton, as the animals were not so carefully buried and the wild rarely leads to conditions like that allow preservation of entire skeletons. Be weary, if you dismember enough skeletons in one area, they can merge into a single skeletal abomination of their own volition.


Decayed- the Decayed are corpses in various stages of decomposition from near fresh, to nearly skeletal. The more decomposed the less their reflexes, Strength, and speed. Some decayed can ever retain a portion of their skills so long as some brain matter exists within their skulls. they can be dangerous berserkers, sprinting up to enemy lines without fear or fatigue. Yet they will quickly weaken as they rot away, as muscle melts their strength leaves them, as nerves shrivel their reflexes slow. Eventually their brain matter is gone, and they will become a slow shambling creature that gathers in large groups by instinct and follows dark magical impulses to seek out prey. Eventually they will deteriorate into Skeletons. These creature are resilient to a degree, they dont feel pain, shattered bones will remain held together by decaying flesh, and the presence of muscles mean even a severed hand can strangle men to death, as has happened several times in the past. the only known way to cease their movements permanently is to burn them into ash. Though crafty folks have found binding them in chests after dismembering them can seal them away adequately enough.


Ghouls- Those who have just turned, retain their skills, memories, and all they had in life. Except for their free will. They now serve the Necromancers and are among the most dangerous dead. Able to trigger adrenaline rushes at will, shrug off crippling damage, and even rendering lethal damage often useless. Fortunately for all, They typically only maintain this status for 12-48 hours after death. Without body heat cold enough environments can strip most of these advantages from them. But the scariest thing about these dead is their ability to remember hidden paths, think, reason, and even strategize. It is they who infiltrate cities and open the gates from inside, it is they slit the throats of the guards in their sleep. Sadly, all to often, it is the very guardian who protected his or her family who succumbs and in his first day as dead, turns and slays those he or she gave their live to protect. Once the body begins to decay, the Hormonal glands will often shrivel up, the Ghoul will lose its adrenaline ability and devolve into a Decayed. While they are still vulnerable to fire, they take longer to burn than the other variants of dead and have been known to continue fighting for a bit whilst on fire.


The Beasts- true horror was discovered a mere year after the hordes began their war on life. That horror was the realization that it was not just mankind that would be vulnerable to the curse of undeath. Animals too could suffer from the curse and become undead, indeed many theorize that between all the herd animals and wild animals there may be more dead beasts than dead humans. Fortunately even the Ghouls of the beast dead are nowhere near as intelligent or dangerous as their human counterparts. Unfortunately their decayed and Skeletal versions are vastly more effective than human variants of either. Due to this, beasts are often prioritized by defenders as they can in large enough numbers pull down gates and walls. The exotic private Zoos of wealthy lords throughout thandrell have contributed to this diverse and deadly problem as tigers, and even elephants have been spotted by scouts along the countryside. Their state of decay varies, but the decayed are often the most prominent, none have seen a beast skeleton implying that they are new additions to the Hordes.


Twisted Horrors- As the war progressed the necromancers would turn to their twisted fleshcraft when it became apparent that numbers and treachery were not enough. Stitching together horrific beings these abominations haunt the nightmares of defenders, often times absorbing the focus of their efforts as they can be designed for a variety of purposes, from Diving Dead, to Siege corpses, even assassins & Personal guards to the necromancers themselves. These monstrosities are to be handled with the utmost care.


The Titans- In the most ancient of places far from the reaches of the civilized world lie frozen ruins where great ruins lie. For centuries there were theories that they belonged to a race of giants, yet no confirmation was ever given on that. The necromancers would remove any room for doubt, as they brought from the northernmost tundras Titans of unbelievable power. To date only two such beings have ever appeared, the first Gorm, a great blue titan pulled from the glacier and reanimated. It was he that smashed open the gates of Luca, and was felled twelve miles east of the capital city, when a sabotaged guard tower was toppled onto it and its body set ablaze. The second titan, Grixis, made its appearance in the fall of Monrae. Where it broke the enemy line and flooded the city with skeletons, only to be set ablaze itself. However it would cast itself into the sea and has yet to be spotted again.

Spoiler: The Necromancers

Lady Claire Van Schoal- Once the wife of a wealthy businessman. Clair lost everything when her husband was suspected of Divination by the inquisition and their estate was burned. As she tried to rush past those responsible in an effort to save her children she was stricken down by a devastating slash to her face which took her right eye. Thinking her dead they left her to bleed out beside her estate. Yet she had not died, and with her husband and children’s blood on the inquisitions hands they had earned a deadly enemy. For thirty years she has gathered information on necromancy and magic, eventually her actions against the inquisition had earned the attention of Galruge, who would give her the last bits of knowledge she needed to become a dreaded master of the dark arts. She is known for her spell Power word: Kill, which can Kill those who hear it and lack magic protection, Only for them to be promptly resurrected as her ghoul.


Master Galruge- An inquisitor from 200 years ago who through the offer of power was corrupted. He fled the country and sailed across the seas rooting out any fonts of dark magics he could, and finding a treasure trove of power. As a pale-master his body is partially dead, and he is the maker of many Twisted Horrors. He is most known for his Spell Necrosis & Fleshknit, which deaden the flesh on impact, then allow him to manipulate the flesh of his still living targets.


Mikhail Fortudo & Deimos- Mikhail and His cat Deimos Were among the youngest of necromancers, hailing from vulkun, he brings with him a national hatred for Thandrell and its people, and seems to be very adept at swinging above his weight class. It was he who brought the great Titan down upon Luca. Unfortunately no one is sure what his trademark spells are, he has never been seen in battle, instead he is known simply as the Third Necromancer, and unlike his peers displays no interest in be known for his deeds, in fact ye seems to prefer the shield of anonymity.

 

[Agent23]

Magic

The force of magic is one that permeates all things, it is a mysterious and unique force that can be found in the inanimate and animate alike, living and dead, from the stones to the individual human. Yet this magic comes in many forms and kinds. The first of many dividing categories is that between Wizards and Sorcerers.

1# Wizards- A wizard is a magical being that teaches themselves the practice of magic. On average they possess control over a lower amount of magic than sorcerers, But a much more diverse list of potential spells. They can learn Any kind of magic, but will never be as potent at specific practices than a sorcerer will.

2# Sorcerers- Beings born with a unique ability to harness mana either from within or the world around them. Usually with a theme such as an element or kind of magic practice. While they are usually more powerful than Wizards in specific kinds of magic. They have an Inability to use any kind of magic outside of their own unique ability.

While wizards can use nearly any kind of magic and thus lack any further subdivisions. Sorcerers have unique talents and abilities which can be split into a variety of sub-classes.
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Sorcerer Subclass

Mage- a sorcerer that pulls energy from within themselves and applies it to the outside world. These are divided into Elements, Concepts, and Materials. For example a Wind mage can shape the wind itself using their internal magical energy.

Smith- A smith is a Sorcerer that Bargains portions of their souls to create magical items. The amount of the soul given to the item determines its power and charge. The abilities granted usually come from a short list of applications based on the smiths “focus” for example a Thundersmith, can embue Loud thunderous booms to a hammer, a potent jolt of lightning to a spear, or a powerful magnetic field to a shield. When a smith dies their remaining soul is divided amongst their items. As the items run out of charge or are broken they pass on the bit of soul to whatever remains until a single item contains the entire soul of its maker. At which point the item become an intelligent soul bound artifact, these soulbound artifacts are among the most powerful items on the planet.

Druid- Magic users that pull magical energy in from the nature around them and gain changes to their body associated with what they pull in. For example the life energy of plants is uniquely suited for healing and growth, while the energy of a bear will increase the users size and strength. Masters of druidry can even shift into animals and spawn elementals.
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Magical terms of import.

Totem- An item usually of great sentimental value. For any kind of caster these items serve as a focal point for their magical energies and a tool with which they cast spells. Such as a wand, rod, or non magical item. After enough time passes these items can become magical. Unlike a smiths crafted items, a totem will not have any spells stored within it or any ability to speak of. It will however be harder to break than a normal item, will register to the senses of any magic user as a magic item, and more often than not can have its location “Felt” by the owner of the totem.

Sensing- All magic users can sense magical energy. Its not exact or precise, but in general one can sense the direction a source is coming from, the radius of energy, the concentration, and can even follow the way it is manipulated, masters of magic can often use this “way it’s manipulated” to predict spells heading in their direction.

Tome- A magic Book, Scroll, Paper, Tablet, or any other medium for writing which a mage can store information within, usually instruction manuals to using their magic, memorizing techniques, and even hidden information. This stored information is encrypted with nonesense, and can only be read by the Owner of the tome, or someone who has been taught the “flowkey” which is the wavelength one must attune their own magic energies to in order to read it. Using this mages have passed hidden messages to one another for centuries. Many magic users see learning to use this as a sacred practice, for it has allowed magic users a layer of secrecy that has in tern kept them alive in spite of the inquisition of both nations.

Spell- a spell is the way magic energy is woven together. It consists of a desired effect, a mana contribution, and an outcome. Yet these needn’t always line up. Skilled magic users can identify the way magic flows and become adept at disrupting said flow negating spells. Thus talented mages will make their energy weave in complex ways, often leaving redundancies, false weak points, and deceptive flows that will trick their foes. A clash between mages can be an incredibly complex ordeal some even have gone on for a full hour, the duration of which both mages spent trying to out weave the other and only a single spell was fired. Wizards are usually talented at negating spells, while sorcerers are known for naturally complex spells. Smiths spellcasting is entirely different and circumvents spell weaving all together, yet their Magical energy does not recover over time, and only comes back when an item is destroyed or its magic expended.

Familiar- many magic users will gain a familiar, usually a small animal though not always. This animal serves as a backup pool of mana to draw from, owners of familiars will often pour excess mana into said familiar. Smiths are uniquely able to extract bits of soul from a familiar to make magic items called “repositories” which serve as an Additional extra mana reserve accessible to the familiar and its owner.

Artifact- When a smith makes a magical item, they leave a part of their soul with it. This part of their soul takes with it a large portion of the total mana of the smith. When this mana is expended through use of the magical item, or said item’s destruction that soul but returns to the smith recharging them and allowing the production of more enchanted items. However. If the smith dies before the item is broken or expended it changes. The smiths remaining soul is divided evenly between the items he has made regardless of distance pr proximity. These items become more powerful versions of what they already were and thus begins a countdown. These items will he expended and or destroyed over time until but one remains. This item will hold the entire soul of the smith who made it, the enchantment will become remarkably powerful, and most interestingly, the item will gain sentience and awareness usually accompanied by the smith’s personality though not always. These artifacts are apparently indestructible as a noisy but off limits vault in the inquisition barracks can attest.

Channeling- The process that comes before a spell, soul craft, or Use of a magic item. Channeling is gathering magic energy be it from within, without, or from the fragmentation of a soul. After the proper amount of energy is channeled the spell-casting begins and that channeled energy is woven into form. The ultimate weakness of any mage is being attacked or otherwise disrupted during the channeling process. This process requires focus and time, shorter or longer based on the power and precision of the spell.

Proficiency- enough time spent practicing a spell increases your proficiency with that spell. Proficiency directly translates to how long it takes to weave the channeled energy into a spell. The more proficiency the faster you can weave, this is why Magic users keep tomes, so they can perfectly memorize and perfect their channeling, Weaving, and finally the casting. Proficiency is all about speed and narrowing the window of opportunity presented to a foe during the channeling process.

Affinity- the natural talent one has for a particular kind of magic. This mainly applies to Wizards, as Smiths and Sorcerers will often times be naturally optimized towards a specific affinity. this pertains directly to ones energy conversion rate, meaning how efficiently you transition your Magic energy’s into say…fire for example. Sorcerers and smiths will have maxed out affinities for the kind of magic they specialize in. While Wizards and Druids gain affinity through the age old tradition of repetition. The more you use a spell the higher your proficiency, the more you fixate on a particular kind of magic the more your affinity goes up. For example, Necromancers have maxed out their “death” type of magic,​

 

[Agent23]

Factions.

Within the disaster torn mountain pass, many factions are squirming and fighting for survival. Each one is neither good nor bad on the whole, you could certainly find good men and women in every corner of this area. However it is clear to any with eyes that the overarching threat is all that is keeping these groups from ripping one another apart.
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The factions of Thandrell

Traditionalists- Those in Thandrell who still hold the crown and throne as the seat of power. They serve The Crown Heir, (Role available). This faction is dead set on returning Thandrell to the state it was in prior to the Hordes induction. They are Thandrellian Nationalists.

Inquisition- Many of the most skilled inquisitors survived the hordes approach due to their unique skills and weaponry which make them deadly threats to magic users and their horde. However a severe blow was struck to the inquisition during the fall of luca. Their leader was slain, along with his entire elite guard regiment. Thus leadership has shifted to one of the many veterans (Role available) . They aim to bring the horde to heel, and then Launch a sacred crusade to purge ALL magical beings or items of any kind from the land.

Manaites- Magic users who have remained hidden and split, they have formed a loose faction for protection. After the Order of the mayor to dissolve the ban on magic in the city limits they have begun a campaign to show the people of this city and nation how useful magic can be, their leader (role open) claims to seek the union of the magical and mundane, admittedly an idealistic goal, but one worth seeking in their eyes.

Dricollites- Lead by Lord Leonard Carderoy mayor of Driscol, this faction seeks only to survive by any means necessary. If this means legalizing magic so be it, if it means standing against the crown let the crown be damned. According to lord carderoy, A nation is only worth its people, and He will preserve his people whatever the cost. The city legalized magic in the short term and their stance against the crown and inquisition has all but ensured they will have to fight their way into the future. Even after the horde, they will face more problems.
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The Factions of Vulkun

Knight houses- Seven knight houses that make up the best of Vulkuns warrior class. Meldas The guardians, Sigurne The Siege forces, Felix the hunters, Ignacio The assassins, Logos the scholars, Fathom the navy, and Finally Midas, The elite golden knights. Each of the houses has a specialized form of combat, with the golden knights representing the best warriors each house has to offer. Many knights are lined ip on the opposite side of the pass at the Vulkun camp. (All heads of the first six houses are available roles, The golden knights head is taken.)

Merchant’s guild- Merchants from numerous nations that have been stopped by the blockade. Their representatives and lobbyists have been incessantly petitioning the King of vulcan to open the pass. This has put them at odds with the Crown, but their bottomless coffers tend to make it hard for anyone else to stomach opposing them. Be it for buisness ventures or humanity no one knows but this faction wants the people of Thandrell alive…preferably still able to buy their stuff.

Lordship- The wealthy landowners, Mayors, and Governors of the Nation of Vulkun along with several foreign dignitaries make up the lordship, they make the general laws and regulations of the nation, of course only with the kings blessings. They have been negotiating in favor of the Thandrellian refugees, though its obviously due to the taxes and resources that will be added to their coffers as it is the lordship who taxes are paid to.
(All roles open)

Crown- The enigmatic leadership of the nation of vulkun, Seven years ago at the start of all this madness his scouts reported back to him what they saw. Apparently the king did not take it well, he has not left the fortress city Domhan ever since. He refuses to meet with his Lords, Knight Commanders, and Advisors more than once a week. Since the day of the report he has Spent most of his time drinking partying and ignoring his responsibilities much to the chagrin of the entire nation.​