Geography - Revision history

Ecb: /* Sickness, Old Age, and Death */

2012-02-07T03:44:29Z

Sickness, Old Age, and Death

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	lepers and the aged, seeking to avoid death.		lepers and the aged, seeking to avoid death.
	Unfortunately, such last minute conversions rarely		Unfortunately, such last minute conversions rarely
-	impress the cardinals and templars. A wanderer of the Wastelands may appear old and frail as they approach forty, while a patriarch of the Inner Sea wouldn't be so infirm until their hundredth year.	+	impress the cardinals and templars. A wanderer of the Wastelands may appear old and frail as they approach forty, while a patriarch of the Inner Sea wouldn't be so infirm until their hundredth year. The downside of this is that the tolerance for old age and sickness is very low in the Inner See as it is a reminder of the darkness. The old and sick are shunned, sometimes even sent to finish their days in the Outer See so they are out of sight of their kin. Such behavior is less pronounced in the Outer See, where they are more used to the intrusions of the Void, and they accord the elderly the respect their years deserve.

	It is surmised that		It is surmised that

Ecb: /* Sickness, Old Age, and Death */

2012-02-07T03:41:35Z

Sickness, Old Age, and Death

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	===Sickness, Old Age, and Death===		===Sickness, Old Age, and Death===
-		+	Just as the Void decays the form of travelers within
-	Just as the Void decays the form of ~~travellers~~ within	+
	the Nocturne, so does it also seep into the domains of		the Nocturne, so does it also seep into the domains of
	man and slowly strips from them their permanence. This		man and slowly strips from them their permanence. This
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	proportion to the extent of night in a realm. In the		proportion to the extent of night in a realm. In the
	Inner See, both are rare and slow to bring infirmity.		Inner See, both are rare and slow to bring infirmity.
-	In the ~~outlands~~, they are common and quick. Many	+	In the March, they are common and quick. Many
-	pilgrims from the ~~outlands~~ to the City of Light are	+	pilgrims from the Outlands to the City of Light are
	lepers and the aged, seeking to avoid death.		lepers and the aged, seeking to avoid death.
	Unfortunately, such last minute conversions rarely		Unfortunately, such last minute conversions rarely
-	impress the cardinals and templars. It is surmised that	+	impress the cardinals and templars. A wanderer of the Wastelands may appear old and frail as they approach forty, while a patriarch of the Inner Sea wouldn't be so infirm until their hundredth year.
		+
		+	It is surmised that
	the inhabitants of the Temple itself are immortal.		the inhabitants of the Temple itself are immortal.
	Death itself is just a symptom of the Void, which		Death itself is just a symptom of the Void, which
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	Whenever the demise of a particularly powerful sorcerer		Whenever the demise of a particularly powerful sorcerer
	or even bishop is reported, the superstitious make sure		or even bishop is reported, the superstitious make sure
-	to light many candles as are on hand to ~~disuade~~ these	+	to light many candles as are on hand to dissuade these
	apparitions from attempting to steal a new body through		apparitions from attempting to steal a new body through
	the use of some vile necromancy from beyond the grave.		the use of some vile necromancy from beyond the grave.
-
-	~~System: The ghost of someone who has died persists for~~
-	~~a number of days equal to their Will. While in this~~
-	~~form, they can only effect the real world through magic~~
-	~~and can only be seen in the dark or at night, if at all.~~
-
-	~~The table below shows the time it takes for a person to~~
-	~~enter each stage of aging, based on the Permanence of~~
-	~~the area in which they live. This shows that a person~~
-	~~who has lived forty years in the wastelands will be old~~
-	~~whereas if they lived in the City of Light, they'd have~~
-	~~the health and youth of an adolescent. This discrepency~~
-	~~tends to color the attitudes of citizens in different~~
-	~~regions. Were a templar from the Inner See to find out~~
-	~~that his outland friend (who appears to be an adult) is~~
-	~~only thirty five years old, he might tend to condescend~~
-	~~to him a bit if his experience doesn't override his~~
-	~~preconceptions.~~
-
-	~~+-------------------+-----+-----+------+------+-----+~~
-	~~\| Age \| 1 \| 2 \| 3 \| 4 \| 5 \|~~
-	~~+-------------------+-----+-----+------+------+-----+~~
-	~~+----+--------------+-----+-----+------+------+-----+~~
-	~~\| 1 \| Adolescence \| 10 \| 15 \| 20 \| 25 \| 30 \|~~
-	~~+----+--------------+-----+-----+------+------+-----+~~
-	~~\| 2 \| Adulthood \| 20 \| 30 \| 40 \| 50 \| 60 \|~~
-	~~+----+--------------+-----+-----+------+------+-----+~~
-	~~\| 3 \| Middle Age \| 30 \| 45 \| 60 \| 75 \| 90 \|~~
-	~~+----+--------------+-----+-----+------+------+-----+~~
-	~~\| 4 \| Old Age \| 40 \| 60 \| 80 \| 100 \| 120 \|~~
-	~~+----+--------------+-----+-----+------+------+-----+~~
-	~~\| 5 \| Death \| 50 \| 75 \| 100 \| 125 \| 150 \|~~
-	~~+----+--------------+-----+-----+------+------+-----+~~
	----		----
	[[Shadow Lands]]		[[Shadow Lands]]

Ecb: /* Night */

2012-02-07T03:14:05Z

Night

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	- the journal of Sergeant-Brother Artikin		- the journal of Sergeant-Brother Artikin

-	The most obvious manifestation of the Void in a domain	+	The most obvious manifestation of the Void in a domain is night. At the very heart of the See, there is no night as the light of the Temple illuminates the City perpetually. The further away one gets, the longer the night and the longer the twilight periods of dawn and dusk. The Inner See has a very short night, enjoying the light of the city for three-quarters of its day. Even the Outer See has a half a day of full brightness before the darkness begins to encroach. By the time one reaches the March, though, table is turned and half the day is fully dark with long periods of twilight on either side. The Wastelands are never fully lit, enjoying only a quarter of their midday with a dim radiance the equivalent of twilight. The Void itself, of course, is always dark.
-	is night. At the very heart of the See, there is no	+
-	night, the light of the Temple illuminates the City	+
-	perpetually. ~~Further~~ away, the Inner See ~~only~~	+
-	~~experiences a few hours~~ a night, ~~depending on how far~~	+
-	~~it is to~~ the ~~wastes~~. ~~The~~ Outer See~~, bishoprics, and~~	+
-	~~archbishoprics all have significant periods of night,~~	+
-	~~which generally lasts~~ a ~~third to~~ half of a day~~. In the~~	+
-	~~outlands, nights are long, perhaps two-thirds~~ of the	+
-	~~day, while the areas nearest the wastes never get~~	+
-	~~brighter than dusk~~. In the ~~wasteland itself~~, ~~there~~ is	+
-	no day. The ~~closest approach is~~ a ~~time similar to~~ the	+
-	~~earliest hour~~ of ~~dawn~~, ~~and even that~~ is ~~absent in the~~	+
-	~~parts nearest the Void~~.	+

-	~~Baronies and other domains vary in how this manifests.~~	+	Note that there is no sun. Light
-	~~Some exist in a constant dusk, or are suffused with~~	+
-	~~impure light of some color or another (this is~~	+
-	~~particularly true of duchies), but many simply have a~~	+
-	~~schedule of day and night, just like the See. Stygia,~~	+
-	~~for example, exists perpetually at dusk. Just enough~~	+
-	~~light to see by and navigate easily, but never day.~~	+
-	~~Arcadia, on the other hand, revels in its long nights,~~	+
-	~~during which wild parties are thrown by torchlight.~~	+
-		+
-	Note that there is no sun ~~in the Shadow Realms~~. Light	+
	is produced by the will of an archon and takes whatever		is produced by the will of an archon and takes whatever
	form he or she wishes. In the See, the Temple of Light		form he or she wishes. In the See, the Temple of Light
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	not merely a commonplace experience.		not merely a commonplace experience.

-	{\|	+	{\| border=1
	! Region		! Region
	! Dawn		! Dawn

Ecb: /* Night */

2012-02-07T02:59:57Z

Night

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	not merely a commonplace experience.		not merely a commonplace experience.

-	{\| ~~border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" align="center"~~	+	{\|
	! Region		! Region
	! Dawn		! Dawn
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	\|-		\|-
	\| City of Light		\| City of Light
-	\| colspan="4" \| Always day	+	\| colspan="4" align="center" \| Always day
		+	\|-
		+	\| Inner See
		+	\| 2am
		+	\| 3am
		+	\| 9pm
		+	\| 10pm
		+	\|-
		+	\| Outer See
		+	\| 4am
		+	\| 6am
		+	\| 6pm
		+	\| 8pm
		+	\|-
		+	\| Outlands
		+	\| 6am
		+	\| 9am
		+	\| 3pm
		+	\| 6pm
		+	\|-
		+	\| Wastelands
		+	\| 8am
		+	\| --
		+	\| --
		+	\| 4pm
	\|}		\|}

Ecb: /* Night */

2012-02-07T02:55:03Z

Night

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	simple torch or campfire of a shaman embodies magical		simple torch or campfire of a shaman embodies magical
	power. Light in the Shadow Realms is a mystical thing,		power. Light in the Shadow Realms is a mystical thing,
-	not merely a commonplace experience.	+	not merely a commonplace experience.
		+
		+	{\| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" align="center"
		+	! Region
		+	! Dawn
		+	! Sunrise
		+	! Dusk
		+	! Sunset
		+	\|-
		+	\| City of Light
		+	\| colspan="4" \| Always day
		+	\|}

	===Darkness===		===Darkness===

Ecb at 15:53, 2 February 2012

2012-02-02T15:53:22Z

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-	''Even from this far distance, the light of the Temple shone brightly upon us, bathing us in its radiance. The missionary priest did not pause, but the rest of the party was obviously overwhelmed by the sight. Nothing in all the Outlands could compare with it. Almost as beautiful was the city laid out around it, its avenues broad and straight, its churches magnificent and gleaming. Once I had recovered, I hurried to catch up, my resolve to become a templar strengthened all the more.''	+	"Even from this far distance, the light of the Temple shone brightly upon us, bathing us in its radiance. The missionary priest did not pause, but the rest of the party was obviously overwhelmed by the sight. Nothing in all the Outlands could compare with it. Almost as beautiful was the city laid out around it, its avenues broad and straight, its churches magnificent and gleaming. Once I had recovered, I hurried to catch up, my resolve to become a templar strengthened all the more."

	- the journal of Sergeant-Brother Artikin		- the journal of Sergeant-Brother Artikin

Ecb: Created page with '''Even from this far distance, the light of the Temple shone brightly upon us, bathing us in its radiance. The missionary priest did not pause, but the rest of the party was obvi…'

2012-02-02T15:52:44Z

Created page with '''Even from this far distance, the light of the Temple shone brightly upon us, bathing us in its radiance. The missionary priest did not pause, but the rest of the party was obvi…'

New page

''Even from this far distance, the light of the Temple shone brightly upon us, bathing us in its radiance. The missionary priest did not pause, but the rest of the party was obviously overwhelmed by the sight. Nothing in all the Outlands could compare with it. Almost as beautiful was the city laid out around it, its avenues broad and straight, its churches magnificent and gleaming. Once I had recovered, I hurried to catch up, my resolve to become a templar strengthened all the more.''

- the journal of Sergeant-Brother Artikin

==The See of Light==

By any account, the See is the first and the largest
realm in existence. Even those who speculate on there
being others do not think to presume that they might be
quite so grand as the one founded by the only Avatar
known by name in recorded history.

===The Temple===

"The Lightbringer stood upon the hill and placed the
light he had brought there to shine over all the lands
and the darkness was banished. Those he had gathered
began by building a great temple out of pure white
stone, untouched by impurity or decay, to reflect the
light of Him even further."

- A Discourse on the Geography of the Holy See

At the very center of the See, its immortal heart and
foundation, lies the Temple, the first structure raised
by the will of the Bringer of Dawn to house his people.
Now, it is residence only to the highest-ranking
priests, the Cardinals, who interpret the Law, command
the templars, and lead the priesthood in its duties.
Hidden deep within it is believed to lie the inner
sanctum where the creator now rests, attended by his
most trusted priests and templars. The Temple itself is
a huge cathedral, stretching almost a quarter mile into
the air, made of the purest white marble which shines
brightly, lighting the lands around it perpetually. The
temple grounds stretch for half a mile in all
directions and are never touched by the dark of night.
Everything here is a relic, impenetrable and virtually
immune to all magic (except for that of an avatar).
Nothing is touched by dirt or decay, nobody ever
hungers, and death (so it is rumored) does not exist.

===The City of Light===

"Once the temple was risen to house his divine radiance,
the people set to building a great city around it,
wherein to dwell for all eternity. This was the first
city and the grandest, the City of Light, and its plan
was laid out with great precision according to His
plans. Those who were chosen to tend the Temple were
named Cardinals, who rule the City in His name."

- A Discourse on the Geography of the Holy See

The city surrounding the Temple is the very model of
order and cleanliness. Its streets laid out in a
perfect grid pattern, its buildings symmetrical, and
its lawns immaculate, it is considered by many citizens
of the See (and some beyond) to be paradise.
Constructed around the very seat of the Bringer
himself, it is bathed constantly in his holy radiance.
Those dwelling in the city are the See's most blessed
citizens: priests, templars, trusted servants, and
their families, only those who have faithfully served
the See and vowed their lives to upholding its virtues
are allowed to even step foot within its walls, much
less settle there. Practically no magic is possible
here and night does not exist. The inhabitants of the
city are also particularly long-lived and healthy, as
disease and hunger are unknown. However, reproduction
is similarly impossible, as the creation of new life is
due only to the influence of the Void, which has been
banished. Due to this, some residents of the city spend
part of their life in the Inner or Outer See, doing
missionary work and establishing a family. However, for
the most part, those who dwell in the city come here
later in life, allowed to spend their latter years in
paradise as a reward for piety and good service. Almost
all of the citizens in the city are former priests and
templars, due to the fact that the Cardinals must
approve any petition to take up a residence in the city
and priority is given to those who have served the
Temple well.

===The Inner See===

"Even before the city was complete, He sent forth
emissaries to seek out others in the darkness and bid
them come forth to join in what He had done. In time,
seven great tribes came out of the Void, one for each
of the messengers sent, each bearing a great light
which shone forth in the darkness and kept the tribe
safe. These great tribes each founded a city at the
base of the hill, whence stood the Temple, and this
became known as the Inner See. The light they brought
further extended the realm, each housed in their own
cathedral in the manner of the Temple. These were the
first seven Theocrats of the See, who rule in His name."

- A Discourse on the Geography of the Holy See

The lands immediately around the City of Light are
known as the Inner See. It is here that the first seven
tribes of people to answer the Dawn Bringer's call
settled and founded its seven cities. While it lacks
the perfection of the City, it is still much preferred
to the chaos and uncertainty of the outlands by its
inhabitants. These lands are patrolled regularly by the
templars and administered by the Theocrats and their
priests, who see to it that no wizard or abomination of
the outer lands stumbles in. Each city also has its own
cathedral, where the Law is taught and the will of the
Bringer reinforced by the wills of his priests. The
people of the Inner See are, thus, a pious and
even-tempered lot, comfortable in the routine of their
existence and the security which it provides them. The
nights here are short but many of the citizens of the
Inner See have an almost neurotic fear of them. Disease
is rare, but so is childbirth, so families tend to be
small. This suits the inhabitants, however, given the
urban environment, and has led to the creation of
castes based on lineage. A merchant nobility has
descended from the first settlers, whose contacts and
wealth is passed down narrow family trees. Free
artisans and laborers make up the bulk of what is left,
with priests and templars existing in their own class
and providing a means of social mobility for the
willful and ambitious. Some slavery exists, most of it
based on debt or criminality rather than inheritance,
but it is relatively uncommon.

===The Outer See===

"As word of the glory of the See spread, others came out
of the darkness to settle within His light. Smaller
cities sprang up, the largest of whom had churches of
their own. Most, however, were communities of farmers,
herders, and traders who lived peacefully in the lands
outside of the seven cities of the Inner See. This
became known as the Outer See, ruled by the priests and
the bishops. In order to better enforce His law, some
of these new citizens were recruited to form the
templars, warriors who patrol the borders of the See
and repel the influence of the Void."

- A Discourse on the Geography of the Holy See

Thought by denizens of the inner realm to be the
hinterlands, the Outer See is still much more stable
than the outlands. In fact, most of the Outer See was
originally outland territory that has been brought into
the fold by the bishops and their priests. Few remember
those days, though. Now, the Outer See is home to many
towns and villages, usually built around a church or
chapel. Life in these lands is not quite so regimented
as it is in those closer to the Temple with its rigid
castes, but it is also not as secure. Bandits and
criminals are not unknown here and the templars do not
perform regular patrols outside of the larger cities,
only coming out to deal with specific threats. While
life is less secure, citizens of the Outer See prefer
the greater freedom which they can find there without
having to give themselves to the perceived chaos of the
wildlands.

The nights here last as long as the day, providing
cover of darkness for wizards and criminals who brave
these lands. Slavery is common in many areas, with
criminals, debtors, and blasphemers making up a
significant portion of the enslaved. The rest tend to
be outlanders or those born to slavery, the latter
particularly common on large farmsteads and
plantations. Families tend to be larger than in the
Inner See, with the higher rate of disease and
generally shorter lifespan balancing it out. Also, due
to the closer proximity of the Void, birth defects and
complications (which are virtually unknown within the
Inner See) are possible. Those born with the former are
referred to as changelings and are often considered a
sign of sin in the parents or the product of a liaison
with a faerie or outlander. The stigma attached to both
child and family has driven more than one into the
outlands in search of acceptance.

===Bishoprics and Archbishoprics===

"Some priests, whose Will was strong, chose to go out
into the Outlands and bring His light to those who
dwell without. With each bishop and archbishop that
went into the shadows, the realm grew, and the first
bishoprics and archbishoprics were established. Though
the superstitous and blasphemous residents of these
lands often resisted the light, the might of the
templars helped aid its coming."

- A Discourse on the Geography of the Holy See

There exist on the very edges of the Outer See those
domains which were carved by a saintly bishop out of
the Void itself, conquering the Darkness in the name of
his church. These domains add to the realm of the See
but are more similar to duchies and baronies, and often
reflect the deviant or outright blasphemous beliefs of
the local bishop more than the unsullied Law. The
priests of the inner realm look down upon these
domains, but generally do not openly oppose them so
long as the tithes are paid and the bishop does not
openly blaspheme or indulge in vulger uses of magic.
The social order of these places is highly variable.
Some are strict hierarchies, like the church itself.
Others have a caste system similar to the Inner See.
Many have resemble no portion of the See, as varied and
unique as any barony. A number of these are even
experiments in democracy or republican systems of
government by liberal priests who frown upon the
dictatorial tendencies of the Cardinals and their
hierarchy. Night tends to last as long as or less than
the day, depending on the will of the local archon.

===The Outlands===

"Upon the farthest reaches of the See, a great shadow
lies, which is the darkness of the Void. In these
lands, far from the light of the Temple, a people dwell
who do not recognize His glory and choose, instead, to
live in superstition on the edge of oblivion. Gypsies,
brigands, and barbarians they are, and it is only
through the strength and diligence of the templars that
they do not trouble those of the See."

- A Discourse on the Geography of the Holy See

Beyond the influence of the bishops, archbishops, and
priests lie the outlands, places where the light of the
Temple is diffuse and night rules supreme. Within these
lands dwell faeries and skinchangers, ghosts and
witches. Even the templars do not often enter into this
part of the realm, except when marching to war against
some baron. The people of the outlands are a hardy lot,
relying on themselves, their own skills and
determination, to survive in such an uncertain and
often inhospitable place. Those who do choose to live
here are often outcasts, criminals, witches, or
revolutionaries, but they are not, by far, the sum of
its inhabitants. Rather, most who dwell here do so
because they were born to its customs and
eccentricities and find the ways of the See stifling
and unnatural. Some gather in bands to raid nearby
bishoprics and baronies, while others settle into small
towns and try to live simple, normal lives, possibly
according to beliefs which the church and its priests
frown upon. Those born here often prefer this life to
that in the See, when exposed to it, because of an
inbred aversion to rules and laws.

The nights here are long, often longer than the day,
which makes agriculture difficult. This is why most of
the inhabitants remain hunter-gatherers or sell wares
to citizens of the Outer See in exchange for food and
cloth. The latter are often referred to as gypsies and
tend to be mistrusted by those they barter with due to
the prejudice against the outlands within the See and
the propaganda of the merchant-princes of the Inner
See, who dislike the competition. Also, due to their
lower Permanence, goods from the outlands tend not to
last as long, causing many to refer to them derisively
as dross.

Families in the outlands tend to be large, due to the
close proximity of the Void, which also introduces many
odd gifts and flaws into children born here. Many more
children born in the outlands have magical talent than
in the See and some have other strange powers and
abilities. However, deformity and defect are also quite
common, and many children and their mothers die in
childbirth due to the high occurance of illness and
disease. Given the variance, diversity of both
appearance and psychology are much more easily accepted
by these people than by the citizens of the See.

===The Wasteland===

"Past the outlands is a place where the light cannot
reach, which dwells forever in the shadow of the Void.
This place is home to horrors and monsters beyond any
sane man's imagination, where the land itself is
possessed of a malevolent spite that causes it to
change and shift like sand in the wind. This is the
land of the fae, where sorcerers dwell, practicing
their blasphemous magic where even the priests and the
templars will not go."

- A Discourse on the Geography of the Holy See

This is where the outlands border on the Void itself.
Practically nobody settles here except for shamans and
wizards. The primary inhabitants are chimera, leading
to many superstitious outlanders referring to this
place as the 'faerie realm' or 'shadowlands'. The land
here is ever-changing and eternally night, making it
navigable only by sorcerers and priests, or those
accompanied by such. Many shamans make a living leading
parties through the wastelands, from one barony to
another. The unpredictable nature of the land and its
inhabitants makes it dangerous even for the
experienced, though, and few travel the wastes if they
can help it. On the rare occurance of childbirth within
the Wastes, the child is almost always a changeling and
many are abandoned to the inhabitants of the realm to
raise. Some outlanders and witches, however,
specifically journey into the wastelands to give birth,
hoping that the proximity of the Void might imbue the
child with rare gifts and magical ability.

===Fiefs===

"On occasion, one of the petty lords of the Void will
repent his blasphemous ways and swear fealty to the
Temple. Unwilling to leave his domain and become a
priest, he retains his lordship and declares his land a
fief of the See, ruled by its Laws and subject to the
will of the Cardinals. Often, a priestly Regent is sent
to advise and assist the ruler, particular where the
oath of loyalty is the result of military pressure."

- A Discourse on the Geography of the Holy See

Occasionally, a baron or duke will declare his loyalty
to the See of Light and become a fief. These domains
are usually distant from the See itself, reachable only
by crossing vast expanses of the Wasteland or the Void
itself. Because of this distance, the priests are
rarely able to force perfect compliance with the Law in
these domains, and they are more prone to heresies and
deviations than even the bishoprics, particularly if
the baron's opinions clash with those of the church.
Should the outrages of the archon become too severe,
however, the Cardinals may opt to send a Regent to
'advise' him, backed by a force of templars and a
mandate from the Temple to do whatever necessary to
force compliance. This is often the case when a barony
is conquered militarily and leads to tremendous
intrigue, as the Regent rarely has the strength of will
to maintain the barony and, thus, must at least attempt
to work with the archon.

====Anchorages====

When a barony declares its loyalty to the See and
becomes a fief, the priests of light build an anchorage
to connect the domain to the Outer See or one of the
bishoprics. These roads are lined with lanterns and
provide a safe passage through the Wasteland and the
Void. Every month, a priest must walk the length of the
anchorage and refill the lanterns' oil, relighting
those which have gone. If too many of the flames are
extinguished, the anchorage will begin to fail and
leave travellers stranded in the wastes (or, worse yet,
the Void). It is hardly surprising, then, that
anchorages are popular targets for revolutionaries,
bandits, and enemy barons, as well as the occasional
chimera. Faeries, in particular, like to use glamour to
mislead travellers on the anchorage, tricking them into
leaving its safety.

==Baronies==

Nobody knows how many domains exist within the Void,
any more than they know how large the Void actually is.
Most believe that the Darkness is infinite and, thus,
there are an endless number of domains scattered within
it. The priests of the See, however, claim that the
Temple is the center of human civilization and that
only a few arrogant barons and wizards have struck out
into the Void to found their own domains. However, even
the most foolhardy of mages is unwilling to strike out
into the unknown (and, some claim, unknowable) vastness
of the Void in search of proof to either theory. Those
mad enough to try have never returned. Stories are told
of their hideous fates in alien realms where they do
not know of the See or of their slow descent into
oblivion as the Void reduces them to wraiths.

The most common type of domain is the barony, a small
territory formed out of the Nocturne by an Archon of
intermediate power. Usually, these consist of little
more than a magnificent dwelling surrounded by some
farmlands, a village or two, and then a short stretch
of wildlands and wastes. The nights in such domains are
long and the landscape mutable, often changing to fit
the mood of the local lord. Sometimes, odd physical or
mystical laws will exist, and rumors exist of baronies
founded by people born of the Void which resemble the
See not at all. Most, however, are consistant with the
basic Laws of the Bringer of Dawn because that is what
the Archon is used to.

===Stygia===

"It has been three weeks, I think, since we came upon
the realm of Baron Kardak, and not a day goes by that I
do not curse the memory of the battle which led us
here. None of us, in our arrogance, expected to meet
resistance prior to reaching the fief of Duke Oryn,
where we were to quell to a small revolt. Thus, we were
completely unprepared for the ambush they laid upon the
anchorage. One light after another went out, leaving us
lost in the darkness. The worst was still to come,
though. We thought ourselves lucky to find a domain so
quickly until we looked closely at the men toiling the
fields and saw their rotting flesh and hideous wounds.
For three weeks we have fought, watching comrades fall
to the undead legions, only to rise again and turn on
us. I pray to the Bringer of Dawn to save them from
their fate, but I am beginning to believe that He has
no power here."

- the journal of Sergeant-Brother Artikin

The nightmare realm of Baron Kardak, this domain is as
warped as the twisted necromantic sensibilities of its
lord. Formerly a priest of the See, Kardak's lack of
devotion banished him to the Outer See, where he became
obsessed with his own mortality. Dabbling in magic, he
began to devise strange necromantic rituals to extend
his life. When his practices were finally revealed, he
fled before the templars could arrest him, straight
into the Void. His judges presumed that he would not
survive, but were forced to reassess when rumours of a
new domain began to spread throughout the See. The
stories were familiar to those who had discovered
Kardak's blasphemy, telling of rotting corpses returned
to a semblance of life and a strange wasting disease
which afflicted those who stayed too long in the
outlands of the domain. From his castle atop a
mountain, the Baron watches over his undead realm,
secure at last that he will live forever, fed by the
lifeforce of all who stumble within.

===Arcadia===

Baroness Filania was born in the wildlands of the See
and spent many a childhood hour playing with the
faeries there, learning their magical arts and playing
tricks with them on the other inhabitants of the
village. Her parents scorned such companionship, but
Filania was a capable little mage and had learned well
of glamour. She would sneak away, leaving a shade of
herself to trick her parents into thinking she was
studying, or doing her chores, and continue her
friendship with the fey folk. When she grew older, she
ran away with a faerie prince, the two of them dwelling
for a time in the shadowlands before deciding to set
out on their own. They now live in a small pastoral
domain crafted by Filania's will and populated with
their faerie kin and other chimera which she was able
to call forth from the void. It is a whimsical and
childlike place, verging on malicious only when
visitors lack good humour or anger its somewhat spoiled
ruler. Still, many witches and shamans find it a
pleasant stop on trips through the Void, though they
wonder how long the glamour of the Baroness will be
able to hide it from the See.

===Elysium===

Somewhat legendary, the domain of Baroness Amia is a
place of rest and healing. Rather than being built
around a castle or similar structure, the barony
consists of a collection of smaller buildings which
compose the hospital. The lands surrounding it are
pastoral and populated by birds and small, friendly
animals. Babbling brooks wind through beautiful lawns
and small hillocks, while gardens and orchards
punctuate the landscape with brightly colored flowers
and luscious fruits. The Baroness herself tends to the
sick and injured with her staff of nurses and doctors.
The patients here suffer not only from physical
ailments, though. The insane or the melancholy are
often brought here to gain peace from the quiet and
soothing aura of the domain. Unfortunately, in order to
not be found by the templars, Elysium is shrouded by
magic, making it very difficult to find, to the woe of
the sick and weary who wish to benefit from its bounties.

===The River of Night===

The River is a unique Barony in that it is not the
projection of a single archons will, but that of an
entire society of mages who call themselves the
Travellers. They forged the river as a means to move
safely between the domains of the Void in much the same
way as an anchorage provides a passage through the
Darkness. That is where the similarity ends, though,
for while an anchorage is a river of light, the aptly
named River of Night is a dark and treacherous place.
Because of its size and its tendency to border on other
baronies, its laws are not always as stable as boatmen
would like. Often, the laws of individual domains 'leak
out' into the river, so that the portion that touches
Stygia is plagued by water-logged zombies while the
docks nearest Arcadia are often home to the forgotten
vessels of those men lured by the faeries into the
depths of their domain. The River touches most known
domains, including the See, and is used by priests and
witches alike. So far, none have dared to try and wrest
control of it away from the boatmen because of the
reactions of the often powerful denizens of the Void
who rely upon it.

===The Great Bazaar===

This domain is ruled by Baroness Fecand, a greedy woman
with a love of fine wine, clothes, and art. She founded
this barony as a place where merchants and traders
could come and ply their goods, but more importantly,
she would have first choice of any item to go through
the market. This one rule persists to this day, even
though the lady of the market has grown old and
disinterested in most of the day to day affairs of the
domain. Rather than reveiwing things personally, she
sends out her buyers into the streets of the bazaar
with the authority to take any item from anybody which
they feel might match her fancy. Of course, this has
led to some corruption, as buyers abuse this power or
sell 'protection' to merchants who do not wish to lose
their best wares to the ruler of the domain. The entire
realm resembles a vast market, the booths and mats only
tapering out towards the wastes. Of course, the best
spaces are closest to the palace, but these are also
the ones most likely to be perused by the buyers or
visited by tax collectors, so it is not uncommon to
find fine goods and exotic items on the far reaches of
the bazaar, sold by those who want no part in the
bureaucracy of the domain.

==Duchies==

These are the domains of extremely strong-willed
Archons and tend to be much larger and more magnificent
than baronies. Otherwise, they very much resemble them.
Usually based around a city, rather than a mansion or
keep, they have broader lands and a more distinct
outland. Some are centers of trade, others are
aggressive and warlike, raising armies to conquer
surrounding baronies or wage wars against the See. They
are also far less apt to have odd physical laws or
mystical properties, although there exceptions. Nights
here are not quite as long as in baronies, and the
color of daylight is an easy way to distinguish between
one duchy and another. Duchies are extremely rare. The
two below are the only ones commonly known to exist.

===Orynia===

The egotistical Duke Oryn has recently had to concede
victory to the See after a protracted and expensive
war. His domain is now officially a fief and an
anchorage has been constructed to allow templars safe
passage to it from the Outer See. However, the Duke is
not willing to give up just yet. While he slowly
rebuilds his city, he is also making secret agreements
with other barons and trading for weapons and armor
from less war-torn realms. As his people regain their
former strength, he has begun to orchestrate a guerilla
campaign against the priests and templars, arranging
ambushes along the anchorage and lynchings in the
outland villages. Meanwhile, the cardinals are
beginning to suspect that he is behind it all and are
making secret plans for a full-scale invasion of the
domain, to establish martial law and force the Duke to
accept a regent.

===Lamar===

The people of Lamar consider their lord to be a wise
and just ruler. Although the occasional missionary from
the See can find some sympathy for his cause, there
isn't any widespread support for it. These missionary
attempts are the only avenue that is available,
however, because Duke Gareth has constructed powerful
sorceries to protect his domain from invasion. While
his people may think themselves free, there are
actually insidious spells woven into their very being
by the magic of this land that makes it possible for
the Duke to take control of them, should the need
arise, turning them into soldiers to fight for his
cause. No memory exists of these 'episodes' in the
host. Indeed, nobody recalls the last time he was
forced to do this en masse, during an invasion by
templars fifty years ago. His people simply awoke after
the battle was done and the dead buried, convinced that
there had been a famine which had claimed the lives of
the dead.

==Homesteads==

The domains of wizards are solitary affairs, often no
more than a cottage or a small tower in the midst of
the Void, whose stability only extends a handful of
yards beyond the front door. On occasion, though, a
group of wizards will band together and form a college
or guild, each contributing a building until the realm
approaches the size of a small barony. Usually
dedicated to mystical research and learning, nobody is
entirely sure of how common these are. Wizards are very
tight-lipped about their location and size, and few
wizards belong to more than one, so comparisons are
lacking, even among that body. While cloaked in eternal
night, they offer solace and refuge to those who are
often not welcomed in any other domain.

===The College of the Seven Mystics===

Presumably one of the oldest of such establishments,
the College is home to seven master wizards and a
number of apprentices determined by trading of favors,
potential, and status. Highly competitive, a position
of apprenticeship in the College is highly sought by
sorcerers throughout the domains. Some of the most
powerful archmages of legend are said to have attended
here as apprentices. The masters who teach here are
also said to be old and powerful, practically immortal
due to their alchemical knowledge. The common
conception among the students is that these are the
same seven mystics who founded the college in the first
place, but others find such a concept ludicrous. The
College itself consists of seven great halls, one in
the center and the other six forming a closed hexagram
around it. The courtyard is filled with exotic plants,
fountains, and statues in an immense garden which the
students are encouraged to take a hand in tending.

===The Tower of Zot===

The Tower is not a realm, per se, as it is the abode of
only a single wizard. However, it is so large and
houses so many guests, that it might as well be a
guildhall. The proprietor, an eccentric wizard named
Zot, built the Tower after being driven out of one too
many outland villages, but quickly grew lonely left
entirely to his studies. After many failed attempts to
find companionship in the arms of conjured chimera, he
began to pass the word to shamans and witches he knew,
offering invitation to come visit him on their way
through the wastes and the Void. Many took up the
offer, aware of Zot's friendly nature and hospitality,
and these visits became routine. Now, many guides make
a point to stop at the Tower en route to their
destination to enjoy the fine wine, ale, and food
offered by the gregarious host.

==Shaman Camps==

While not considered by many to be true domains, shaman
camps were the very first attempt to force stability on
the shifting chaos of the Void. A camp is centered on a
single large bonfire and the range of its stability
extends only as far as the light. While the protection
offered isn't great, it is still better than sleeping
in the Void. Few camps are permanent. Usually, they are
made as needed on trips through the Void, but sometimes
a shaman will set up a base camp somewhere as a
sanctuary or merely as a place to leave his belongings
while he travels.

==Fading Lands==

Since domains are held together by the will of the
local archon, their demise can be devestating. Unless
there is someone else with sufficient power to sustain
it, the land slowly begins to fade back into the Void,
in much the same way as things left in the Void slowly
lose permanence. Such places are known as fading lands.
On occasion, even a part of the See will turn into a
fading land when a local bishop dies and is not
immediately replaced. Often, the complete dissolution
of the domain is halted by a priest or merely proximity
to the Temple of Light, but the loss of any permanence
is traumatic to the citizens of the domain who,
particularly in the See, have come to rely upon the
stability of the realm. Any loss is a reminder of just
how close the Void remains.

==Lost Realms==

Some myths tell of civilizations which existed (or
still exist) before the coming of the Bringer of Dawn
and the See of Light. Most tales speak of realms
founded by strange races, alien to humanity, while the
rest tell of ancient human races which have either
disappeared into the Void or were the ancestors of
modern man. Sometimes, a group of sorcerers will go off
in search of one of these lands, to plunder their
riches or learn their reputed lores, but few return and
those who do tell of finding nothing. The stories
persist, however, aided by the occasional relic which
comes out of the wastes which is not of Temple origins
and the strange, alien shadows which are sighted in the
deepest regions of the Darkness.

==The Void==

"It is nothing to fear, son. The Nocturne is the womb of
all creation. Everything you see has sprung forth from
the fertile Darkness and to its embrace we will all one
day return."

- a lecture at the College of the Seven Mystics

Those that fear it, like the citizens of the Inner See,
think of the Void as a place of oblivion and
desolation, where all things decay and are destroyed.
This is not the case, however, as any wizard will tell
you. The Void is actually the realm of pure
possibility. Certainly, this means that nothing there
is certain or lasting, and this is frightening to any
sentient mind with its reliance on permanence. However,
just because it if fearful does not mean it is not
important. While the See represents security and
stability, it also embodies stagnancy and stasis.
Imagination is limited, change is resisted, and dogma
is enforced. Those who dwell nearest to the center of
the See have sacrificed freedom and diversity for the
security of a single vision, that of the Bringer of
Dawn.

Residents of the outlands, however, understand that
while the influence of the Void brings danger and
uncertainty, it is just these things which make life
interesting and wonderful. While the citizens of the
Inner See may call them superstitious, they see their
rich mystical world as a boon, not a hinderance. They
much prefer their world of faeries, ghosts, and
shapechangers to the sterile existence of the See. This
is not to say that they do not appreciate the small
stability that the See's influence lends them, but that
they understand that it is not everything. Still, last
minute conversions are not uncommon, particularly when
death knocks at the door of the outlander or rampaging
packs of werewolves howl in the distance.

===The Nocturne===

"We stayed close to the priest as we trekked through the
darkness, search desperately for the remains of the
anchorage. Those furthest from the light complained of
strange pains and sensations. Once, when I glanced at
one of them, I imagined I saw that they'd changed
somewhat, their features twisted as if by some horrific
ailment, and grown somehow less real, more akin to the
apparitions which wheeled about as an endless
distraction within the Void. After that, I looked no
more, my eyes locked on the saving grace of the torch,
praying that its light might save me the same fate."

- the journal of Sergeant-Brother Artikin

The most direct and pure manifestation of the Void is
the Nocturne itself, lurking beyond the wasteland, and
navigable only with the assistance of shaman or
anchorage. The primary characteristic of the Nocturne
is that it is dark -- utterly, impenetrably dark. This
is primal darkness, not the degraded form found in most
domains, in that it is complete. Not only a matter of
light, but a metaphysical darkness. Nothing is certain
in the Nocturne. It is pure Void, without laws, without
boundaries. Only the light of a sorcerer's will can
make it at all comprehensible, and even this
understanding is doomed to be forever incomplete, often
dangerously so.

The Nocturne is thought by many in the Inner See to be
a place of emptiness, thus the reference to it as The
Void. This is also a misnomer, as any traveller of the
wastes can tell you. The Nocturne is practically
teeming with activity. Ephemera are created and
destroyed in a heartbeat and the landscape shifts and
alters itself without warning. To most travellers,
these things are harmless, too impermanent to effect
anything more solid than a chimera. However, they can
still be dangerous in an illusory capacity. Many
travellers in the Void have disappeared in pursuit of a
shade which resembled a dead loved one, or upon
sighting a shadow of a lost item. More than one shaman
has been led astray by the landscape, whose changes are
not always drastic, often subtly shifting such that the
tired or unperceptive might lose track of where they
are. Finally, the lack of stable laws can drive many
who are not used to the Void insane, or frighten them
into flight. It is easy to be told by your shaman that
the monsters you may see are not real, and quite
another not to jump out of the way when a terrifying
beast leaps at your throat.

The most insidious aspect of the Void, however, is its
ability to wear on the permanence of things brought
into it. When not in a camp or within the light of a
shaman's torch, all things degrade, losing permanence.
Or worse, they are twisted and deformed by the
irrational whim of the Nocturne, transformed into
monsters or inanimate objects. Those with strong wills
are able to stave off this effect longer than most, but
even the most powerful sorcerer, if he does not find
shelter soon, will be stripped of his permanence and
transformed into a wraith, an ephemeral echo of the
being they once were. The nature of such beings is not
entirely known. Some think they retain their will,
others do not. Some believe they can even work magic.
The wraiths of mages, in particular, are thought to
possess great power.

====Wraith, Shadow, Shade, or Ghost?====

There are many terms which refer to insubstantial
humanoid forms and it is easy for one not native to the
shadow realms to confuse them. However, each term has a
very specific definition which becomes natural with
use. A wraith is what remains of a person whose
permanence was stolen away by the corrosive effects of
the Void. A shadow, on the other hand, is merely an
ephemera, a product of the Void which only resembles a
human being. A ghost is the remanent of a strong-willed
person who has died, which manages to persist as an
ephemera for a length of time by will alone. Lastly, a
shade is a chimera, a being which has some permanence,
but little substance. One might notice a similarity
between wraiths and ghosts, and shades and shadows.
There is quite a bit of speculation on this within
wizardly colleges and some have suggested possible
links between them.

===Night===

"After a full day's march, we were finally ordered to
rest in a small town on the border of the outlands.
Many of the young templars, who had been growing
steadily more nervous as dusk progressed, were
approaching the level of panic as night fell fully. The
priest moved among them with his lamp, speaking soft
but firm words urging them towards fortitude, but the
fear remained throughout that first night, almost
tangible in the air, drawing the derision of those of
us who had been recruited from the Outer See."

- the journal of Sergeant-Brother Artikin

The most obvious manifestation of the Void in a domain
is night. At the very heart of the See, there is no
night, the light of the Temple illuminates the City
perpetually. Further away, the Inner See only
experiences a few hours a night, depending on how far
it is to the wastes. The Outer See, bishoprics, and
archbishoprics all have significant periods of night,
which generally lasts a third to half of a day. In the
outlands, nights are long, perhaps two-thirds of the
day, while the areas nearest the wastes never get
brighter than dusk. In the wasteland itself, there is
no day. The closest approach is a time similar to the
earliest hour of dawn, and even that is absent in the
parts nearest the Void.

Baronies and other domains vary in how this manifests.
Some exist in a constant dusk, or are suffused with
impure light of some color or another (this is
particularly true of duchies), but many simply have a
schedule of day and night, just like the See. Stygia,
for example, exists perpetually at dusk. Just enough
light to see by and navigate easily, but never day.
Arcadia, on the other hand, revels in its long nights,
during which wild parties are thrown by torchlight.

Note that there is no sun in the Shadow Realms. Light
is produced by the will of an archon and takes whatever
form he or she wishes. In the See, the Temple of Light
blazes forth its glory on the surrounding lands,
lending its stability. In other domains, light is
provided by great braziers or magic crystals. Even the
simple torch or campfire of a shaman embodies magical
power. Light in the Shadow Realms is a mystical thing,
not merely a commonplace experience.

===Darkness===

"All shadows are the arms of death, reaching for us from
the Void."

- a saying in the See, attributed to the Bringer of Dawn

Beyond just the fall of night, all darkness is a symtom
of the Void which lies just underneath even the most
solid of realms. From the shadows cast by buildings to
the dark depths of dungeons, darkness (as light) has a
metaphysical significance in the Shadow Realms. Inside
the City of Light, no shadows are cast and no darkness
exists, even in the deepest cellars. Far beyond, in the
outlands, shadows have a life of their own, animated by
the close proximity of the Void, and are watched
carefully. The lands in between lie somewhere between
these two states.

===Sickness, Old Age, and Death===

Just as the Void decays the form of travellers within
the Nocturne, so does it also seep into the domains of
man and slowly strips from them their permanence. This
takes the form of illness and old age, which exist in
proportion to the extent of night in a realm. In the
Inner See, both are rare and slow to bring infirmity.
In the outlands, they are common and quick. Many
pilgrims from the outlands to the City of Light are
lepers and the aged, seeking to avoid death.
Unfortunately, such last minute conversions rarely
impress the cardinals and templars. It is surmised that
the inhabitants of the Temple itself are immortal.
Death itself is just a symptom of the Void, which
demands that nothing be permanent and that all things
eventually change. It is further rumored that many of
the archons have achieved similar states of
immortality, but such speculation is considered the
direst blasphemy within the See. However, it is known
that particularly strong-willed individuals can persist
for a time as ghosts after their physical death.
Whenever the demise of a particularly powerful sorcerer
or even bishop is reported, the superstitious make sure
to light many candles as are on hand to disuade these
apparitions from attempting to steal a new body through
the use of some vile necromancy from beyond the grave.

System: The ghost of someone who has died persists for
a number of days equal to their Will. While in this
form, they can only effect the real world through magic
and can only be seen in the dark or at night, if at all.

The table below shows the time it takes for a person to
enter each stage of aging, based on the Permanence of
the area in which they live. This shows that a person
who has lived forty years in the wastelands will be old
whereas if they lived in the City of Light, they'd have
the health and youth of an adolescent. This discrepency
tends to color the attitudes of citizens in different
regions. Were a templar from the Inner See to find out
that his outland friend (who appears to be an adult) is
only thirty five years old, he might tend to condescend
to him a bit if his experience doesn't override his
preconceptions.

+-------------------+-----+-----+------+------+-----+
| Age | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
+-------------------+-----+-----+------+------+-----+
+----+--------------+-----+-----+------+------+-----+
| 1 | Adolescence | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 |
+----+--------------+-----+-----+------+------+-----+
| 2 | Adulthood | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 |
+----+--------------+-----+-----+------+------+-----+
| 3 | Middle Age | 30 | 45 | 60 | 75 | 90 |
+----+--------------+-----+-----+------+------+-----+
| 4 | Old Age | 40 | 60 | 80 | 100 | 120 |
+----+--------------+-----+-----+------+------+-----+
| 5 | Death | 50 | 75 | 100 | 125 | 150 |
+----+--------------+-----+-----+------+------+-----+
----
[[Shadow Lands]]