Scaleless
Weewoo weewoo
The Reliquary
Ceaseless artifacts and maddening anomalies bespectacled the gilded rooms of the Reliquary. The great doors, with their elaborately carved panels and inlaid hinges, were flung open at approach; a light breeze stirred the creaking wicker shutters, and the clangorous murmurings of a thousand voices resounded from the vast vaulted spaces beyond. A knock at any door in the world, a phrase, and the right permissions were all that were required for entry.
Inlaid within its many corridors, alcoves, and galleries was an ever-changing pageant of art, antiques, and curiosities. Within you may find mad gods held into place by waxen hands, antique automatons brought to life, or tables laden with dead men's bones and skulls. Fanciful masks, hideous sculptures, fantastical relics—all these are here. And if any of these things should prove too much for your credulity, there is always the gift shop on the ground floor where you can purchase a souvenir as proof of visit.
The Reliquary’s Tracers are its foremost asset, for it is they that set out into our world to retrieve such anomalies so that they may not wreak havoc on the world beyond. It is only within the Reliquary—an anomaly in itself, that these things may be safely guarded. Among them are a diverse set of individuals, from ages new and old, ordinary and extraordinary, and even ASCs themselves. Human recruits are chosen by an unknown metric. They may have stepped into an inn, their own home, or a store’s door before they found themselves instead placed within the Reliquaries walls. It is from that moment that they are recruited. The Reliquary has many means of obtaining what it seeks: blackmail, extortion, threatening, or bribing—nothing is beneath it, when it comes to recruiting new Tracers. It always has a way of getting what it desires.
Anomalies are categorized by the danger they may inflict on the population.
The first level of danger posed by anomalous objects is termed 'Leliurium.’ These objects present no discernible threat to the world and can be safely ignored. They may be strange or peculiar, but they do not represent any sort of danger to the general population or any form of destruction to the environment. Its effects may be as simple as changing the color of a person's clothing.
The second level of danger is known as 'Spectra.’ These objects are potentially hazardous in some capacity, but their effects are limited in scope. If a Spectra anomalous object were to come into contact with the world, it would be unlikely to cause major destruction or inflict any lasting damage.
The third level is titled 'Lucifugous’. These objects are more dangerous than Minor objects, and their effects can be more widespread. They are capable of damaging property or even causing injury or death to people unlucky enough to be nearby.
The fourth level is known as 'Ternary.’ These objects are extremely hazardous, and their effects can blanket entire regions. They possess the potential to completely devastate an area, irrevocably changing the landscape, and potentially wiping out entire species.
The fifth and final level is labeled ‘Principalities.’ These objects are the most dangerous of all, and their effects can be global. They can cause catastrophic destruction, wreak havoc across the globe, and endanger all life on earth. Their effects can affect not only the surface of the planet but also the very fabric of space and time.
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- While anomalies or ASC (anomalous supernatural constructs) are the subjects of many a fantastical tale in the world, encountering one is extremely unlikely. Only 0.2% of humans will ever stand within 100 meters of an ASC and even less will interact with one.
- The currency is called a Mark. It is a shiny, golden coin, with a complex and intricate design that features a graceful serpent coiling around a crest of two crossed swords. Its shimmering surface reflects the light, and its edges are smooth and curved. A week's worth of food would cost 500 Marks, whereas a house would cost around 150,000 Marks.
- Other than ASCs there are no common fantasy races or creatures.
- Each ASC is different. It can manifest in the form of an object, a creature, or a disease. The basis of each creation is also different: some just exist and always have, and one may have been created by an alchemist’s experiments or may have been born from a cult’s rituals. It could be a roving hairy cryptid—they exist as the plot demands.
- The Earth’s geography and cultures are completely unrelated to the real world and will be better defined if there is sufficient interest.
- Tracers have the option to get doped up to make their jobs easier. It makes them Increase in strength, age slower and heal faster. They may also rent ASCs in the form of a weapon, small familiar or device.
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