Fendrith's page

Point Buy: 20

Races: The world has yet to discover many of the non-humanoid races. I assure you this will change over the course of the adventure, but the world in which the Kingdom of Linoor exists is a relatively young one. As such core races, tieflings, aasimar, dhampir and drow are the only races permitted.

Class/Level: There are no class restrictions, and characters will be level 6 gestalt. (The Magus class in this world isn't called the Magus - Swordmage, arcane sword... haven't quite settled on a name yet, but it's definitely not Magus).

If there's a class concept that you feel isn't effectively done through the classes that exist, we can talk - I'm pretty open. We won't be starting until after the release of the ACG, so those classes will be permitted as well ( I say that having not read the book yet, obviously).

Wealth: Standard wealth for a level 6 character.

Items: A metal/substance that holds arcane energy without constant input or upkeep from a caster has yet to be discovered. As such, there are no magic items (this will also change during the course of the campaign). Players will be able to purchase feats instead - I'm working on the formula at present. If you decide to buy something that's out of the ordinary - a cold iron sword, mithril armor, etc, let me know. Those items are still relatively rare, though not as rare as they would be if our story didn't take place in the Kingdom of Steel.

Background: You can present your background however you want. As long as you end up Harlan for the start of our adventure, I don't much care who you are and where you're from. You could be a member of the Magistratum who's received a directive to answer Lord Colton's call, a seedy Gravedigger excited at the prospect of Harlan's return to a shadow age, a son of one of the undead clans of Harlan's underworld, one of Lord Colton's guard, a bounty hunter, one of the Duskgarde (Duke Colton's elite force dedicated to protecting Harlan from its own underworld and enforcing is directive throughout the city and its bordertowns, one of Harlan's city watch, a random wanderer, nobleman belonging to a prominent mining family, the town drunk, a fighter in an underground arena, a wench in a brothel or a bartender in a bordertown back alley. Entirely up to you. The more interesting, the better, obviously. I'm not opposed to giving out rp items/abilities based on backstory. Feel free to make up your own locations/history - if I like it enough, I'll definitely incorporate it into the world. I want this experience to be relatively sandbox-ey. No matter what you decide to do, please include a small rp writing sample.

Harlan has been the site of great triumph and tragedy. Cut into the rolling hills of Western Linoor, Harlan is one of two mining towns to grow rapidly since the expansion of the Aggaran Mining Company - the Crown-sanctioned mining guild - to the nearby Firestone Quarry. As a major source of iron and coal, firestone quarry is an invaluable resource to the Kingdom of Steel, and its notariety spread quickly, sparking the rapid development of kingsroads and tracks connecting Western Linoor with the central province of the nation. Pioneers, tradesmen, merchants and mercenaries poured in seeking resources, riches and adventures, and suddenly the little town called Harlan found itself as the bustling hub of the west.

As expected from any bustling hub with access to resources, an explosion of technologiy issued from Harlan and its bordertowns. Harlan itself produced the coal powered boiler for hot water, and small steamboats to traverse the aqueducts, fed by Clearwater Lake, that run through the town. The bordertown of Castark was the proud owner of the firearm innovation, and Lasren produced the track switch, allowing for a more efficient railway network.

Such rapid expansion also saw an unprecedented increase in crime, necessitating the use of a bounty system for adequate justice. Harlan's most infamous crime also serves to this day as its most notorious blemish. A former noblemage by the name of Reginold Knox had made the burgeoning town of Harlan his home after his exile from House Reddey, the House of Knowledge. In Harlan, Reginold, styling himself as Magister Nox, saw an opportunity to continue the very research that earned him his exile. After all, the use of negative energy to manipulate corpses and souls required resources; Harlan had no shortage. With too few men to monitor the city effectively and an excess of workers performing dangerous mining operations, it took time to notice the climing rate of disappearances and graverobbings. Nox had plenty of time to develop a mountain of necromantic knowledge and a swathe of undead abominations. Eventually Nox began to expand his secret operation in earnest, unleashing a virulent plague of undeath and marching across the Saarnwall province. Following an appeal to the Crown, a small force of Faithkeepers, footmen, local Gravediggers and agents of the Magistratum stymied the Noxious March, but not before mass bloodshed.

The transition from the end of the Noxious March to normalcy occurred far more quickly than many expected, considering the number of West Linooran citizens turned against their will by the March's collateral. Refugee camps were formed across Western Linoor for the victims of said collateral as a Royal Initiative; many of these victims struggled to find a place among what remained of society following the conflict. After all, the world was full of mistrust and intolerance for anything that remotely resembled necromancy. A short time after the establishment of these camps, many of them would die out, falling prey to Gravediggers, mysterious abandonment, and outright conflict.

In time, Harlan would return to its former visage. Still, Harlan often seem almost haunted by the its memories. The past lingers on in the form of areas that must be avoided after dark, rumors of an undead underworld consisting of refugees left over from the March, and whispers of creatures that bump in the night.

[Harlan is basically the hub of a small fief (governed by Duke Halduram Colton) within the Saarnwall Province (Ruled by Lord Dominic Colton) of Western Linoor. The crown referred to above is that of his majesty King Istlan Iald, Bladelord of the Sword Clan, Master of the Linoori and Defender of the Realm.]

The universe is defined by a finite set of laws, all of which are governed by the movements, rearrangements and interactions of the fundamental unit - mana. All things are made of mana in one form or another, whether they are organic or in organic. Mana, much like all fundamental particles, is capable of complexing with itself in a variety of spin states and orientations. These different "forms" make up everything from what we know as forces/energy to physical substances (and the content of a mage's formula). Even a soul, the only known machine capable of drawing mana from the Infinite Chaotic Sea of mana from which the universe was crafted by the Scions, is one such complex. A soul of some degree of power and complexity is requisite for most creatures - a steady stream of freeform mana is required to facilitate many of the body's biological processes. [It is theorized that Scions and their Soulsworn experience no separation of body and soul as mortals do].

Magic is the use of mana to facilitate some sort of process or change within the system of our universe, often in a way that is different from the preset flow of mana that has been defined as "nature." In order to perform magical feats, a practitioner of the art, hereafter referred to as a "mage," must first draw an amout of mana in excess of that required for life into his/her soul. Mana must then be transferred from soul to body. Once in our physical universe, the mana takes on any variety of effects based on its orientation and spin states. Magic, then, is free form by definition. Some casters may define the formula by which a given set of mana is manipulated as they draw their pool on a given day - often these are the academics, known as wizards. Others may draw their pool without shape or form, but define their spells as part of the transferring process. This takes natural talent, and many who practice magic in this way are known as sorcerors. [The spells listed in spell lists are simply rote spells tried again and again and passed throughout cultures.] As magic is transferred, a very distinct glow and sound are emitted as the mana forms specific patterns associated with a given spell around the focal point of transference. Typically the focal points are a mage's hands. [There are obviously exceptions to both assertions made in that last sentence.]

By its nature, magic is fleeting. The universe tends to return to its "natural" as the mana disapates. This means that the duration of all spells is finite and dependent on the amout of mana spent on said spell. While magic's durations may be fleeting, the effects may be permanent depending on how a given spell is applied. For example, a mage may augment his/her strength temporarily with "bull's strength." This is fleeting and finite - but a mage that chooses to use that augmented time to lift weights will experience bigger gains as they were able to lift more in that time period. Similarly, a fireball's duration is instantaneous, but the effect of singing its surroundings is certainly not temporary. With the exception of organic material, which is capable of holding mana with a rate of dissipation much lower than any other known material [particularly blood], no substance has been found to date that holds mana for any appreciable amount of time. Certain items, such as wands, are engraved with runes and patterns that assist in the flow of mana, such that untempered/freeform mana channeled through it will create a specific effect. These items still require the input of mana from a mage of some sort. Scrolls have a very similar effect. This means that other than the aforementioned, there are no magic items, and permanency does not exist. [Additionally, the concepts of other planes beyond the Astral and the Scionic Realms is pure theory and conjecture at this point.]

There is no distinction between arcane and divine magic, save that the initial drawing of mana into the soul is done directly from the Infinite Sea for arcane mages in contrast with divine magic. Divine casters draw their mana from the bosom of their scion of choice, and as such it often bears the mark of said scion. Many scions, and their followers, look upon arcane magic as an affront on nature and/or a major point of arrogance on the part of mortals. Others simply look at arcane magic as yet another tool that can be used for both great benefit and calamity. It is said that magic was given to mortals by the Exiled Scion as a means by which to define their own destiny, independent of the Scions themselves.

In this world I wanted to use a different, more free form mana system such as Elements of Magic or Monte Cook's WoD, but my concern is that it has a fairly high barrier to entry - there's a lot to read. Instead, I'm just going to adjust the existing system to suit my needs, unless there's a big push for EoM or WoD magic. The changes will basically involve spell levels being treated as mana points. A 9th level spell will cost 9 mana. The major change will be that you receive all of your spell levels/mana points as a big pool. So rather than having three 5th level spell slots, you would simply get 15 mana points to do with as you please. This means that if you want to cast 15 shocking grasps, it's your call. Wizards must still prepare ahead of time. This also means that you can combine effects (probably going to use the smallest range between the spells you combine, or have a combine cost). You'll also be able to make some base adjustments to a given spell, such as the save dc or duration, based on the number of additional mana points you want to spend. I don't want to bore you with the details here, if you want to play a caster, we'll talk about it.

Magic is a relatively recent tool in the history of mortals. Arcane magic in Linoor is not illegal, but King Irin Iald - a mage himself - saw the dangers of free magic. While he did not oblige his zealous advisers in ruling that all mages must register with the crown in some fashion, he did see to the creation of an entity to police the wanton use of magic within Linoor's borders. The Magistratum addresses all magical threats that plague Linoor. The organization is an amalgam of Faithkeepers, Reddites (mages and thaumaturgies studying under the House of Knowledge), and specialized martial combatants who respond to specific cases in which magic is misused - decided upon by the Magistratum council - throughout Linoor. The existence of the Magistratum itself is no secret, but its training methods, base locations and objectives are a matter of strict confidentiality. That being said, the Magistratum, its seal and its afforded titles carry with it a degree of authority second only to the crown in most cases.

As mentioned before, members of the Magistratum are highly trained to combat magic and are granted varying degrees of wealth, opportunity and impunity depending on the extent of that training. A Magistrate's depth of accomplishment is reflected in his/her title. Titles are awarded based on whether a given Magistrate is identified as a caster or noncaster. Caster Magistrates rank from Maive to Magister, Magister to Magus, and Magus to Arcanamach. Each major rank is divided into three minor ranks: the first minor rank is without title, the second is denoted as "Adept," and the third is denoted as "Prime." For example, a highly seasoned, highly accomplished magistrate may have earned the title Magus Prime, and a Magistrate with only the rank Magus would be his immediate suboordinate. Noncaster Magistrates rank from Knaive to Khaul, Khaul to Panser (Pan-zers), and Panser to Erul. These ranks possess the same minor ranks as caster magistrates. Upon reaching the rank of Magus or Panser, a given magistrate also earns a moniker based on his skills/abilities or accomplishments. [Think FMA if you've seen it, Fullmetal Alchemist, Flame Alchemist, etc]. [Also as a final point of observation, certain forms of magic and certain spells are definitely illegal within Linoors borders. Most applications of necromancy are illegal, for example].

Linoor's sovereign religion is that of Elyse, the Divine Matron, although many Linoori pay homage to other scions with similar portfolios. The Faithkeepers view her as the absolute pinnacle of authority within the divine hierarchy but recognize a variety of other Scions as divine. Elyse frowns upon the use of arcane magic as an arrogant attempt to stand on the same level as the scions, but respects the individual's prerogative to find their own way. [That's about all there is in the way of religion for now, I have a lot more info on it, but this is probably the most flexible portion of my world. Feel free to make up your own gods, stories and histories etc. If you wish to be a Faithkeeper or pretty much any divine class, you just let me know and we'll talk about some details].