Magic and the Supernatural

2014-09-22T00:51:23Z

Robb: /* The Supernatural */

== Magic and Rituals ==

=== The Heartbeat of the World ===
Pulses of life energy wash across the world on a regular basis. Most people notice these as a sudden feeling of alertness that swiftly passes, so regular and mild that they barely notice. These pulses seem to be slowed or accelerated by areas of magical significance, such that the Heartbeat varies in rate depending on where you are.

=== Paradigms ===
Every being has a Paradigm, an internal image of themself, their beliefs and their desires. Individuals with a strong Paradigm can use it to store energy in their Soul as it passes through them, then focus it to their own ends. Whether that be from a Mage’s deliberate creation of a Paradigm, a priest’s faith in their God’s work, or a soldier’s discipline. This stored energy is known as Stamina.

The easiest use of the energy is to strengthen your mind against outside interference, as you use the stored Stamina to reinforce your Paradigm against meddling. The next step is being able to use the Stamina to affect the body. By channelling it into your sword-arm, feats of supernatural might are possible, beyond what anyone could achieve through physical training alone. The most subtle use of Stamina is to project it beyond the body. Generally this takes some time as you focus the power to a more complex purpose. A Focus is a shortcut that allows a user to store the memory of how to perform a Spell, letting them cast it in a few seconds as opposed to a minute or so working it out from scratch each time.

=== Rituals ===
Rituals are ways of combining Paradigms, more people getting involved means more energy for the Ritual. The person leading the ritual is enforcing a defined worldview, those with them are sharing the belief that this is possible. Rituals involve putting belief onto the world.

For an individual to use a given Ritual on the same target more than once in a day is dangerous, as they are trying to fit even more energy into the same place. This tends to cause the Soul energy to rebound back into the ritualist’s face with painful consequences.

== The Supernatural ==

=== Life and Death ===
The Soul Inhabits the Body during life. Divorced from the Soul, the Body is incapable of movement. Divorced from the Body, the Soul is incapable of affecting the Realm. Souls are freed from the Body and enter the Beyond after death. Bodies are freed from the Soul and return to the stuff of the Realm after death. Death and life are defined by the Soul and Body’s relationship.

=== The Realm, the Beyond, and the Portals between. ===
The Realm is the plane of existence that characters inhabit. The Beyond is a place from which Divine and Demonic influence flows into the Realm. Portals are places where the veil between the Realm and the Beyond is thinner than usual and denizens of the Beyond can influence the Realm. Being near the Portal helps you hear the words of your God. It also means you’re close to where Demons come through, if you’re interested in studying them. Being near a Portal seems to weaken the Soul’s ability to regenerate its energy. Portals fade after a few years of use, but even a closed Portal is enough of a connection to the Beyond to allow the use of certain powerful rituals.

=== Revenants ===
Revenants are the Bodies of the dead, given movement by a spark of their creator’s Soul energy and intent through that master’s Paradigm. The simplest are made to turn the tide of a single combat, burning through their energy in a swift, violent burst. More complex Revenants are used as labourers or servants, or set walking in huge treadmills as a source of power. All Revenants burn out much quicker near the Portal.
Often temples to Aspirant, and sometimes to Builder, will have a workforce composed of Revenants. Bodies donated in this way are masked in order to preserve anonymity. Although undoubtedly useful, this practice of using dead bodies for labour is commonly seen as just plain creepy- the mask helps cover up the potential decay and static inhumanity of the body’s face. To get “masked” is a term for being raised as a Revenant which has entered into the parlance- capitalizing on this double-entendre, Explorers often declare that “Masking anything is a Sin”

=== Gods ===
Gods exist somewhere in the Beyond, and inspire their Faithful to build their idea of a better world. They are believed to desire worship but more importantly, action in their name. The Inspirations of the Gods can only be heard at Portals, where the Realm is closest to the Beyond. Much of the work of Churches is taken up in cataloguing these Inspirations and determining which were the true word of their God, which were sent by meddling ritualists, and which were the temptations of Demons. Priests can often have quite different opinions on what is important to their God. Favoured priests may be rewarded with powers useful in doing their God’s work.

To learn more about the four Gods, go to the links on the Faction page.

== Creatures ==

There are various unpleasant creatures that inhabit the lands of Mat Sellah, and it would be unusual for agents not to encounter these on their journeys.

[[Creatures|Read More]]

Creatures

2014-09-22T00:50:39Z

Robb:

== Demons ==
Demons are unnatural beings that can manifest in the Realm. When most people think of a Demon they tend to think of Hellions, a common power-hungry being from the Beyond. Demons often enter the Realm through Portals, but have also been known to spontaneously appear at notable locations. For example, the sites of battlefields are often cursed with vengeful Phantoms, Golems stalk sites of great magical disaster, and Dryads can be found near ancient trees.

The Demonic
Anywhere there is power, there are Demons. As such, everyone has been instructed to be vigilant. Most PCs who have put any effort into learning their Demons will have the following knowledge:
Hellions are red-faced, dangerous and powerful. They tend to have horns, carry threatening weaponry and often have the capabilities to prepare Magical Items, which they “reward” their human servants with. They are obsessed by the gathering of Power, and have been known to demand sacrifices or worship in this aim. When an average person thinks of a Demon, it is an image of a Hellion they have in their mind.
Phantoms are a form of Sprite left behind at the sites of great battles, haunting those who return there. There are known cases of phantoms killing looters and arranging their bodies in horrifying positions to discourage further desecration They are fairly intangible, the fluid, congealed properties of their essence making them highly resistant to weaponry, but their substance is quickly distorted by concerted effort or by Magical power.
Golems seem to have no defining purpose. They tend to be tough, regardless of what they appear to be constructed from, which varies wildly from example to example. They tend to respond to nearby Life by striking it to the ground and continuing to smash against it until it stops moving. These are extremely rare- maybe four or five reported cases in the past decade, but reports from Mat Sellah’s first scouting parties of all Factions have reported Golems roaming areas of the countryside. This is especially concerning because Golems, once their physical form is destroyed, tend to reform and return to their previous habits- killing anything nearby.
Sprites, in general, are Demons seemingly in tune with a particular place and emotion. They are unpredictable, ranging from malicious to benevolent, and often reform after discorporation.
This is not to say that that was an exhaustive list of Demons, simply ones which have been observed to have features linking to them, making them in some ways more comprehensible. There are many Demons out there with only the vaguest resemblance to each other.

Magic and the Supernatural

2014-09-22T00:50:04Z

Robb: /* Creatures */

== Magic and Rituals ==

=== The Heartbeat of the World ===
Pulses of life energy wash across the world on a regular basis. Most people notice these as a sudden feeling of alertness that swiftly passes, so regular and mild that they barely notice. These pulses seem to be slowed or accelerated by areas of magical significance, such that the Heartbeat varies in rate depending on where you are.

=== Paradigms ===
Every being has a Paradigm, an internal image of themself, their beliefs and their desires. Individuals with a strong Paradigm can use it to store energy in their Soul as it passes through them, then focus it to their own ends. Whether that be from a Mage’s deliberate creation of a Paradigm, a priest’s faith in their God’s work, or a soldier’s discipline. This stored energy is known as Stamina.

The easiest use of the energy is to strengthen your mind against outside interference, as you use the stored Stamina to reinforce your Paradigm against meddling. The next step is being able to use the Stamina to affect the body. By channelling it into your sword-arm, feats of supernatural might are possible, beyond what anyone could achieve through physical training alone. The most subtle use of Stamina is to project it beyond the body. Generally this takes some time as you focus the power to a more complex purpose. A Focus is a shortcut that allows a user to store the memory of how to perform a Spell, letting them cast it in a few seconds as opposed to a minute or so working it out from scratch each time.

=== Rituals ===
Rituals are ways of combining Paradigms, more people getting involved means more energy for the Ritual. The person leading the ritual is enforcing a defined worldview, those with them are sharing the belief that this is possible. Rituals involve putting belief onto the world.

For an individual to use a given Ritual on the same target more than once in a day is dangerous, as they are trying to fit even more energy into the same place. This tends to cause the Soul energy to rebound back into the ritualist’s face with painful consequences.

== The Supernatural ==

=== Life and Death ===
The Soul Inhabits the Body during life. Divorced from the Soul, the Body is incapable of movement. Divorced from the Body, the Soul is incapable of affecting the Realm. Souls are freed from the Body and enter the Beyond after death. Bodies are freed from the Soul and return to the stuff of the Realm after death. Death and life are defined by the Soul and Body’s relationship.

=== The Realm, the Beyond, and the Portals between. ===
The Realm is the plane of existence that characters inhabit. The Beyond is a place from which Divine and Demonic influence flows into the Realm. Portals are places where the veil between the Realm and the Beyond is thinner than usual and denizens of the Beyond can influence the Realm. Being near the Portal helps you hear the words of your God. It also means you’re close to where Demons come through, if you’re interested in studying them. Being near a Portal seems to weaken the Soul’s ability to regenerate its energy. Portals fade after a few years of use, but even a closed Portal is enough of a connection to the Beyond to allow the use of certain powerful rituals.

=== Gods ===
Gods exist somewhere in the Beyond, and inspire their Faithful to build their idea of a better world. They are believed to desire worship but more importantly, action in their name. The Inspirations of the Gods can only be heard at Portals, where the Realm is closest to the Beyond. Much of the work of Churches is taken up in cataloguing these Inspirations and determining which were the true word of their God, which were sent by meddling ritualists, and which were the temptations of Demons. Priests can often have quite different opinions on what is important to their God. Favoured priests may be rewarded with powers useful in doing their God’s work.

To learn more about the four Gods, go to the links on the Faction page.

== Creatures ==

There are various unpleasant creatures that inhabit the lands of Mat Sellah, and it would be unusual for agents not to encounter these on their journeys.

[[Creatures|Read More]]

Faction Regulation

2014-09-22T00:48:23Z

Robb: /* Trials */

Each Faction has the right to punish and reward its own members as they see fit. This tends to be administered by Ambassadors (who are NPCs) or their appointed representatives (who may be PCs). Punishments tend to include fining the offender their pay for several weeks, putting them under the parole of a senior faction member, banning them from Rituals with other Agents, etc. Rewards might be money, equipment or the authority to call in NPC backup, skills or resources.

In serious cases, matters are taken to trials made from various Faction members

== Trials ==

An Accusation of Crime must be made by a named Individual or Faction (the Accuser). They must name a Suspect and their desired Punishment. The Suspect Faction or Individual is tried by Judges from 3 Factions that are neither the Accuser’s or Suspect’s Faction. Judges are picked quickly by the Suspect, who must pick from those nearby and should pick those who show willing. The Accused can Veto one choice, disallowing it. The Accuser and the Suspect each have 2 minutes to make their case, then the Judges have 2 minutes to confer.
Note that conspiring, or attempting to conspire,, with your Judges to avoid rightful punishment is a High Crime (Either interfering with the Trial if spontaneous or Undermining the Treaty if pre-meditated)

=== Results ===

All Judges must vote either Guilty or Not Guilty. A verdict requires 3 votes.
If all 3 Judges vote Guilty, the Suspect is punished.
If all 3 Judges vote Not Guilty then the Accuser is punished for Wrongful Accusation.
If the Judges cannot agree, the final Vote may be gained from the result of a Trial by Combat. The combat is seen as a way to test the commitment of both parties to stand by their words, there is no belief the Gods or any other force will intervene. Only the person with the majority support of the Judges may call for a Trial by Combat, otherwise there is no punishment.
If there is no Trial by Combat, the case is adjourned as clearly the Accuser was insufficiently commited to the case.

The Accused may request a Champion for this fight. Someone who volunteers as a champion will be punished alongside the Accused if they are found Guilty. If a faction is at fault, they may choose any champion who volunteers. The Trial lasts until one fighter concedes. Killing the loser of a Trial by Combat flies in the face of all of Canon Law and is considered a High Crime (so an empowered Representative of the Wronged Faction may come, which is something no-one wants)

=== Influencing Factors ===

Judges set the sentence, and if they feel a Wrongful Accusation was justified but ultimately incorrect, they may make the punishment much less severe. If they feel a Wrongful Accusation was particularly malicious, they may make the punishment more severe. If a Faction is found Guilty of a crime, the punishment is increased in proportion to the number of Faction members who took part in the crime.

If a Faction is accused, but can show to the judges that they have already punished the offenders satisfactorily, they may be declared Not Guilty. If a person is Accused but has already been appropriately punished by their Faction this is a valid defence (Punishment removes the Guilt)

Self Defense or prevention of a greater crime is a legal defence unless otherwise noted.

== Crimes ==

=== Petty ===

Petty Crimes are things which do one of the following and are punishable by fines, curses, penal servitude, Wounding etc:
Raising a Revenant without the deceased or their Faction’s consent.
Assault
Petty theft (under 256 Ducatto)
Subversion of Guild Law (i.e. Selling newly acquired loot without one of the parties being an Antiquarian)
Reckless Endangerment (Any act that is unreasonably risky and could have caused multiple injuries. Usually Exploding Rituals)
Defacement: destruction of belongings worth under 256 Ducatto
Breach of Impartially Witnessed Verbal Contract
Unlawful Imprisonment (Including Slavery).

=== Capital ===

Capital Crimes are things which include one of the following and are punishable by up to Mutilation, Deportation or Death. Capital Criminals may be freely reanimated as penal servitude. Only the Ambassador of the criminal’s faction or their representative may perform the punishment.
Raising a Revenant despite the objection of the deceased or their Faction.
Murder
Malsanguino (Preventing a Dying person from receiving medical aid)- Self Defence is often very difficult to justify
Theft (over 256, under 5000 Ducatto)
Vandalism: Destruction of belongings worth over 256 and under 10,000 Ducatto
Forgery or Coinage defacement (destruction of Ducatto)- Self Defence will never be viable.
Mutilation.
Breach of Impartially Witnessed Written Contract- It is possible to consent to a duel to the death via contract.
Repeated and Apparent Criminal Behaviour (Being found guilty of a Petty Crime more than 5 times). For example a fight where you attack 5 people could be counted as this.

=== High ===

High Crimes are things which do one of the following- self-defense is never a viable claim. The punishment is as per Capital Crimes, but the perpetrator’s Faction will further be expected to provide reparations unless they can prove they were working to prevent the Crime:
Interfere with the functioning of a Trial
Undermine the Treaty of Ozgur Sehir
Seek to start a war between Factions protected by the Treaty of Ozgur Sehir
Grand Theft: Involve the theft of over 5000 Ducatto from a Faction recognised by the Treaty of Ozgur Sehir
Arson: Involve the Destruction of property worth over 10,000 Ducatto

Faction Regulation

2014-09-22T00:47:18Z

Robb:

Each Faction has the right to punish and reward its own members as they see fit. This tends to be administered by Ambassadors (who are NPCs) or their appointed representatives (who may be PCs). Punishments tend to include fining the offender their pay for several weeks, putting them under the parole of a senior faction member, banning them from Rituals with other Agents, etc. Rewards might be money, equipment or the authority to call in NPC backup, skills or resources.

In serious cases, matters are taken to trials made from various Faction members

== Trials ==

An Accusation of Crime must be made by a named Individual or Faction (the Accuser). They must name a Suspect and their desired Punishment. The Suspect Faction or Individual is tried by Judges from 3 Factions that are neither the Accuser’s or Suspect’s Faction. Judges are picked quickly by the Suspect, who must pick from those nearby and should pick those who show willing. The Accused can Veto one choice, disallowing it. The Accuser and the Suspect each have 2 minutes to make their case, then the Judges have 2 minutes to confer.
Note that conspiring, or attempting to conspire,, with your Judges to avoid rightful punishment is a High Crime (Either interfering with the Trial if spontaneous or Undermining the Treaty if pre-meditated)

All Judges must vote either Guilty or Not Guilty. A verdict requires 3 votes.
If all 3 Judges vote Guilty, the Suspect is punished.
If all 3 Judges vote Not Guilty then the Accuser is punished for Wrongful Accusation.
If the Judges cannot agree, the final Vote may be gained from the result of a Trial by Combat. The combat is seen as a way to test the commitment of both parties to stand by their words, there is no belief the Gods or any other force will intervene. Only the person with the majority support of the Judges may call for a Trial by Combat, otherwise there is no punishment.
If there is no Trial by Combat, the case is adjourned as clearly the Accuser was insufficiently commited to the case.

=== Results ===

The Accused may request a Champion for this fight. Someone who volunteers as a champion will be punished alongside the Accused if they are found Guilty. If a faction is at fault, they may choose any champion who volunteers. The Trial lasts until one fighter concedes. Killing the loser of a Trial by Combat flies in the face of all of Canon Law and is considered a High Crime (so an empowered Representative of the Wronged Faction may come, which is something no-one wants)

Judges set the sentence, and if they feel a Wrongful Accusation was justified but ultimately incorrect, they may make the punishment much less severe. If they feel a Wrongful Accusation was particularly malicious, they may make the punishment more severe. If a Faction is found Guilty of a crime, the punishment is increased in proportion to the number of Faction members who took part in the crime.

If a Faction is accused, but can show to the judges that they have already punished the offenders satisfactorily, they may be declared Not Guilty. If a person is Accused but has already been appropriately punished by their Faction this is a valid defence (Punishment removes the Guilt)

Self Defense or prevention of a greater crime is a legal defence unless otherwise noted.

== Crimes ==

=== Petty ===

Petty Crimes are things which do one of the following and are punishable by fines, curses, penal servitude, Wounding etc:
Raising a Revenant without the deceased or their Faction’s consent.
Assault
Petty theft (under 256 Ducatto)
Subversion of Guild Law (i.e. Selling newly acquired loot without one of the parties being an Antiquarian)
Reckless Endangerment (Any act that is unreasonably risky and could have caused multiple injuries. Usually Exploding Rituals)
Defacement: destruction of belongings worth under 256 Ducatto
Breach of Impartially Witnessed Verbal Contract
Unlawful Imprisonment (Including Slavery).

=== Capital ===

Capital Crimes are things which include one of the following and are punishable by up to Mutilation, Deportation or Death. Capital Criminals may be freely reanimated as penal servitude. Only the Ambassador of the criminal’s faction or their representative may perform the punishment.
Raising a Revenant despite the objection of the deceased or their Faction.
Murder
Malsanguino (Preventing a Dying person from receiving medical aid)- Self Defence is often very difficult to justify
Theft (over 256, under 5000 Ducatto)
Vandalism: Destruction of belongings worth over 256 and under 10,000 Ducatto
Forgery or Coinage defacement (destruction of Ducatto)- Self Defence will never be viable.
Mutilation.
Breach of Impartially Witnessed Written Contract- It is possible to consent to a duel to the death via contract.
Repeated and Apparent Criminal Behaviour (Being found guilty of a Petty Crime more than 5 times). For example a fight where you attack 5 people could be counted as this.

=== High ===

High Crimes are things which do one of the following- self-defense is never a viable claim. The punishment is as per Capital Crimes, but the perpetrator’s Faction will further be expected to provide reparations unless they can prove they were working to prevent the Crime:
Interfere with the functioning of a Trial
Undermine the Treaty of Ozgur Sehir
Seek to start a war between Factions protected by the Treaty of Ozgur Sehir
Grand Theft: Involve the theft of over 5000 Ducatto from a Faction recognised by the Treaty of Ozgur Sehir
Arson: Involve the Destruction of property worth over 10,000 Ducatto

The Factions

2014-09-22T00:43:55Z

Robb: /* The Churches */

History of the Builder Church

2014-09-22T00:42:23Z

Robb: Created page with "A long time ago, before the Church was heard of or the Nations had formed, there are Legends of an Alfar named Skepta who united several city-states under one banner. This Ske..."

A long time ago, before the Church was heard of or the Nations had formed, there are Legends of an Alfar named Skepta who united several city-states under one banner. This Skepta built up and unified a large amount of land, and was rumoured to be blessed with the ability to bond with a person such that he could permanently weaken them in order to gain more energy. Skepta’s efforts led to the formation of some of the first specialized military units.

Church of the Builder

2014-09-22T00:41:54Z

Robb: Created page with "God of Community and Loyalty. The Perfect City. Never depicted the same twice in any church or artwork, as the Builder is the spirit of community. Identified by the bronze tro..."

God of Community and Loyalty. The Perfect City. Never depicted the same twice in any church or artwork, as the Builder is the spirit of community. Identified by the bronze trowel or shovel she holds.

==Theology==

The modern Church of Builder dates to the beginnings of the Hegemony. It is believed that Builder helped communities form during this time, and that when those communities who worship Builder pass through this world join together again in the next one. Builder Churches have no laws against slavery, but are less open about keeping their slaves after the Treaty, because keeping a member of another Faction captive in such a way may be seen as criminal.

They are certain the Builder favours a strong, hierarchical community. Some believe she wants them to be strong enough to withstand outside threats, to weather storms and profitable enough to make merry during the Winter. The clergy support communities who protect their own and suffer no insult to even the smallest of them and theirs. They believe people should proclaim Builder and all her glory, by word, by deed, by example, by choice.

=== Inquisition ===

Many churches have no Inquisition, although there are often Templars ready to guard a temple from any threat. Templars are particularly conspicuous in their defense of Preachers- any who move to strike a preacher quickly find two Templar blades at their throat. Builder’s preachers not only exalt Builder, but often take it upon themselves to preach against the six evils of society- want, disease, ignorance, squalor, and idleness. Builders consider the demon to be a creature of Ignorance and Idleness, whose nature is to revel in the Realm and not work for the betterment of all. As such, anyone who works or associates with Demons should find no place in their Community.

== Five points on the Builder ==
:They are here to Strengthen.
;Castaway villages should follow your example, becoming outposts of their former Nations or countries in their own right.
:The inhabitants of Mat Sellah fell to something. Their community was weak.
;Find the nature of this weakness, so that the societies of today can protect themselves.
:Ensure that the Demons of Mat Sellah are seen as a danger, not an opportunity,
:Strive to ensure that the Portal is well organized, and that the laws are upheld.
;Lest the Portal too falls prey to this land, especially the Churches that the Builder has created
:Preach the importance of the Builder, and encourage others to spread the importance of her virtues

== Supplemental Reading ==
* [[History_of_the_Builder_Church|Legends of the Builder]]

Magic and the Supernatural

2014-09-22T00:35:34Z

Robb: /* Gods */

== Magic and Rituals ==

=== The Heartbeat of the World ===
Pulses of life energy wash across the world on a regular basis. Most people notice these as a sudden feeling of alertness that swiftly passes, so regular and mild that they barely notice. These pulses seem to be slowed or accelerated by areas of magical significance, such that the Heartbeat varies in rate depending on where you are.

=== Paradigms ===
Every being has a Paradigm, an internal image of themself, their beliefs and their desires. Individuals with a strong Paradigm can use it to store energy in their Soul as it passes through them, then focus it to their own ends. Whether that be from a Mage’s deliberate creation of a Paradigm, a priest’s faith in their God’s work, or a soldier’s discipline. This stored energy is known as Stamina.

The easiest use of the energy is to strengthen your mind against outside interference, as you use the stored Stamina to reinforce your Paradigm against meddling. The next step is being able to use the Stamina to affect the body. By channelling it into your sword-arm, feats of supernatural might are possible, beyond what anyone could achieve through physical training alone. The most subtle use of Stamina is to project it beyond the body. Generally this takes some time as you focus the power to a more complex purpose. A Focus is a shortcut that allows a user to store the memory of how to perform a Spell, letting them cast it in a few seconds as opposed to a minute or so working it out from scratch each time.

=== Rituals ===
Rituals are ways of combining Paradigms, more people getting involved means more energy for the Ritual. The person leading the ritual is enforcing a defined worldview, those with them are sharing the belief that this is possible. Rituals involve putting belief onto the world.

For an individual to use a given Ritual on the same target more than once in a day is dangerous, as they are trying to fit even more energy into the same place. This tends to cause the Soul energy to rebound back into the ritualist’s face with painful consequences.

== The Supernatural ==

=== Life and Death ===
The Soul Inhabits the Body during life. Divorced from the Soul, the Body is incapable of movement. Divorced from the Body, the Soul is incapable of affecting the Realm. Souls are freed from the Body and enter the Beyond after death. Bodies are freed from the Soul and return to the stuff of the Realm after death. Death and life are defined by the Soul and Body’s relationship.

=== The Realm, the Beyond, and the Portals between. ===
The Realm is the plane of existence that characters inhabit. The Beyond is a place from which Divine and Demonic influence flows into the Realm. Portals are places where the veil between the Realm and the Beyond is thinner than usual and denizens of the Beyond can influence the Realm. Being near the Portal helps you hear the words of your God. It also means you’re close to where Demons come through, if you’re interested in studying them. Being near a Portal seems to weaken the Soul’s ability to regenerate its energy. Portals fade after a few years of use, but even a closed Portal is enough of a connection to the Beyond to allow the use of certain powerful rituals.

=== Gods ===
Gods exist somewhere in the Beyond, and inspire their Faithful to build their idea of a better world. They are believed to desire worship but more importantly, action in their name. The Inspirations of the Gods can only be heard at Portals, where the Realm is closest to the Beyond. Much of the work of Churches is taken up in cataloguing these Inspirations and determining which were the true word of their God, which were sent by meddling ritualists, and which were the temptations of Demons. Priests can often have quite different opinions on what is important to their God. Favoured priests may be rewarded with powers useful in doing their God’s work.

To learn more about the four Gods, go to the links on the Faction page.

== Creatures ==

[[Creatures|Read More]]

The Factions

2014-09-22T00:34:39Z

Robb: /* The Builder */

Church of the Celebrant

2014-09-22T00:32:37Z

Robb:

God of Freedom and Pride. The Passion and the Victory. Usually depicted as a rotund, cheery man with a foaming flagon in one hand and a notched, worn sword in the other.

== Theology ==

Celebrant is the triumph you feel in victory. He is the adoring crowd cheering a master bard. He is the welcome cup of tea after a grueling day in the fields. The Church of Celebrant ensures that people see his hand in every moment of pride and passion in their lives. Achievements should be celebrated, milestones witnessed, and the dead given a fitting tribute recalling their finest hours. The Church therefore seems like more of an event-organizing group. Different areas can expect different results from ignoring this service. in most areas disgustingly dressed and loud people will gatecrash any event where the Church was not given at least a token invite, whereas in some regions there are rumours that sometimes couples go missing on their honeymoon if no prayers were given to Celebrant on their Wedding day.

Groves with Dryadic trees are just as common as luxurious temples as places of worship to Celebrant. One thing that unites them is that they are as well-appointed as the clergy can afford, usually with at least some ornamentation and furniture they have made themselves.

=== Inquisition ===

The Inquisition of Celebrant, as far as it seems to exist, is a loosely organised collection of agents. Some devote their time to freeing slaves, and these “renegades” are a thorn in the side of the Vendicsal’s piracy operations. Others are known to make pilgrimage to the sites of violent conflict, and “set free” the tormented Phantoms that haunt them. Such mindless, aggressive Demons are bound unchanging to one action, with nothing to take pride in and no passion but rage.

=== Goals ===

The Church of Celebrant believes that all should be free to achieve things they can be proud of. Whereas Aspirant is about self-improvement for its own sake, Celebrant is about having pride in whatever you accomplish, and showing that to the world. Celebrant’s church detests slavery as it makes your achievements the “property” of someone else. Other than that, they make little judgement on what acts you pride yourself on. One of the greatest gifts which can be given to Celebrant is a public performance dedicated to him. The approval of the crowd and the pride of the actors in their performance is a demonstration of Celebrant’s gifts.

== Five points on the Explorer ==

;They are here for others, to proclaim their works and encourage their passions.
;The islands echo with the wails of chained spirits.
:Set free the imprisoned Demons, let the victims of whatever happened here go to their rest.
;Celebrant demands his tithe.
:Encourage pride and revelry, and see he gets his due credit.
;Slavery is illegal here, and you have a perfect chance to punish such sinners ruthlessly.
;Do not be idle
:While Celebrant tells you to take pride in what you have achieved, do not let this stop you from achieving more things to be proud of.

== Supplemental Reading ==
* [[History_of_the_Celebrant_Church|Legends of the Celebrant]]

The democracy religion

2014-09-22T00:28:45Z

Robb: Created page with "The Celebrant is quite widely worshipped by the Ozgur also, who decry accusations the Church began as a Builder cult, due to its messages against slavery, and in self-accompli..."

The Celebrant is quite widely worshipped by the Ozgur also, who decry accusations the Church began as a Builder cult, due to its messages against slavery, and in self-accomplishment.

The Democracy

2014-09-22T00:11:28Z

Robb: Created page with "== Supplemental Reading == * Religion in the Democracy"

== Supplemental Reading ==
* [[The_democracy_religion|Religion in the Democracy]]

History of the Celebrant Church

2014-09-22T00:10:01Z

Robb: Created page with "Lyron Asuman, the Ozgur who marshalled them to rise up and throw off their chains was most highly blessed by the Celebrant. He was able to perform Rituals which gave slavers p..."

Lyron Asuman, the Ozgur who marshalled them to rise up and throw off their chains was most highly blessed by the Celebrant. He was able to perform Rituals which gave slavers powerful visions of their wrongdoings, and wracked their weak bodies most painfully if they attempted to recapture escapees, which at times even converted some of his foes into allies.

Church of the Celebrant

2014-09-22T00:09:49Z

Robb: Created page with "God of Freedom and Pride. The Passion and the Victory. Usually depicted as a rotund, cheery man with a foaming flagon in one hand and a notched, worn sword in the other. == S..."

God of Freedom and Pride. The Passion and the Victory. Usually depicted as a rotund, cheery man with a foaming flagon in one hand and a notched, worn sword in the other.

== Supplemental Reading ==
* [[History_of_the_Celebrant_Church|Legends of the Celebrant]]

History

2014-09-22T00:08:35Z

Robb: /* The Distant Past */

Major events before the present day, and the debate over Mat Sellah

== The Distant Past ==

Long ago, there was an Unnamed Empire, which ruled from the land where the Democracy currently holds power. They were a theocracy, based around a powerful King seen as chosen by Builder itself, who created numerous monuments in his image, asserting his power across the lands. And the emphasis, here, is on the pronoun 'he'. The Unnamed Empire was a sexist, homophobic, transphobic state, based around the core principle of humans as racially superior. For this reason,such attitudes are abhorred by all the Factions, as they bring back memories of the oppression of the past. Those who behave in such manners are called out, and have a tendency to last nano-seconds in the positions that they may have attained. Women were erased from history, suppressed and voiceless. Ozgur were a slave race, bred to fight and labour, and this period was a dark one in the race's past.

Some time before the present day, the Ozgur led a slave's rebellion against the Unnamed Empire, led by a Celebrant missionary named Lyron Asuman. This was furthered by the Church of the Explorer: under a society dedicated to Builder, society was dedicated to the concept of the King as the peak of civilization, anathema to the very concept of the Explorer. Indeed, Explorer missionaries passed messages, acted as runners, and some even died as martyrs in the final days. In the end, though, the Ozgur were triumphant, and the former officials of the Unnamed Empire were expelled from the Imperial city as it was razed to the ground.

From this, a large number of disorientated groupings emerged. The Democracy were the first to form coherently, quickly centralizing around the lands that they had taken from their oppressors. In this way, they suppressed its memory, taking and destroying almost all that could be used to revive such a state again. In the lands that were to be the Hegemony, . Meanwhile, the Vendicsal, who had mainly been kept quiet by the power of the Unnamed Empire, upon realizing its fall began the raids that would make their name synonymous with sea-based terror.

The Churches, other than the Explorer Church which found a natural home in the lands of the Democracy, became divided .The Builder Church is mainly focused around the lands of the Hegemony, with one notable Cathedral in the lands of the Democracy (although they are mainly ignored). The Aspirant found places wherever it could maintain a hold, in caverns or mountain-top temples. It is only recently that it's power is becoming clearer, used to working in the shadows. Meanwhile, Celebrant's major structure, the Golden Hall, is found to the north among the Vendicsal.

== The War of Igimund's Rift ==

It has been two decades since the War of Igimund’s Rift. A portal to the Beyond opened, drawing magi, priests and academics from across the three Nations and further afield. In defiance of the custom that Portals should be available to all, Clan Igimund of the Vendicsal seized it, sure that they could use its power to make recapture too expensive. Their extortion attempt failed, but not before each Nation, Guild and Church’s research delegations had called in reinforcements, triggering a confused and bloody fight as each Faction saw others as trying to steal the Portal. The war was ended with a combined Ozgur and Explorer Church peace deal that sought to determine responsibility for the conflict and prevent another. This deal was known as the Treaty of Ozgur Sehir.

== The Discovery of Mat Sellah ==

A recent Hegemony expedition to find a rumoured Fourth Continent came across an island chain curiously not visible from the shore despite its relatively close distance. Divinatory Rituals uncovered a new Portal in this archipelago, and the expedition quickly returned for a larger group to explore the interior. They found a land dotted with ruins of a fallen civilisation, with no settlements other than the occasional village that claimed descent from shipwrecked mariners. These villagers called the archipelago Mat Sellah.

The Nations, Guilds and Churches have all sent delegations to Mat Sellah. Fortunately, the reefs surrounding it make a direct invasion close to impossible, as only small boats can safely navigate through. Despite this, fear of treachery is ever-present.

The Factions

2014-09-22T00:05:24Z

Robb: /* The Celebrant */