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Androniseia
Androniseia is the name of the world you will all be adventuring in, a land of peril and death. The skies of this world are never clear of dark and ominous clouds, thick fog often grips the land, and winter snow hampers travel and kills crops year round. Humanity is on the verge of collapse, its people slowly dieing or transforming into the very things that prey upon them as the wolves prey upon the sheep. The last human Empire has collapsed, the towns and cities left to fend for themselves. Crime is at an all time high as people have to turn to theft, murder, and cannibalism. Graveyards and crypts fill, and their fellows are forced to burn corpses instead.
It wasn't always like this though. Once people were prosperous and safe, united and strong. They traded with the other races, forging peace with many that lived in the world. Child birth was booming, and the average lifespan was long. People were happy. Content. It all changed though, in barely over a month. First an unnatural winter descended upon the land, killing the crops and slowing travel. Next came the clouds, consuming the sky and plunging the land into unnatural darkness. Finally came the horrendous monsters, no longer myth or legend, but in the flesh and terrorizing the land. Slowly, race by race, the peoples of this world were slain, until only the humans were left to face the coming death and darkness, and the creatures they once thought of only in stories.
There are seven continents on Androniseia. Alesyema is the largest continent, and the center of human survival. It is considered to be the 'safest' of the lands, and the only one not fighting a war on its own soil. Drosllyn is a smaller continent to the north north-east of Alesyema, and it is home to the war against the Spreading Darkness. Iremsay is a large continent to the south of Alesyema, and it is home to the war against the Consuming Swarm. Leydos is a smaller continent that is just southeast of Iremsay, and it is home to the war against the March of the Damned. Nokive is the smallest continent just southwest of Alesyema, and home to the war against the Legion of Rot. Reasamer is the second largest continent, just northwest of Aleysema, and home to the war against the Burning Conquerors. Veraldiss is far west of Alesyema, and is home to the war against the Plague Warp.
Though they are separate lands, distanced by water, the coming of the cold has caused them all to be connected by ice bridges. Most humans now refer to each of these continents as a territory, and the collectivity of them as Andronia. It is now a hope among many that these lands would one day rally under one banner, though this outcome looks bleak as the armies they fight against slowly press toward the center, slowly destroying the human population.
Humanity
-coming soon-
The Church, Indridin and Oxeriah
The church teaches that Indridin and Oxeriah, divine lovers, cast down the old gods and took their rightful place among the heavens. The holy father, Indridin, is depicted as a large angel, clad in full plate and carrying shield and sword. The holy mother, Oxeriah, is depicted as a large angel, wearing a flowing robe and wielding a holy staff. The pair are worshiped in all human lands across the world, and are prayed to daily by those that believe. In recent events, many have turned from the couple, claiming them to be false deities and deserters, abandoning them in their time of need. The church opposes this, merely stating that humanity has become arrogant, and have overstepped their boundaries. They preach in the streets, and wander about the human lands claiming to be the hand of the deities. They burn and hang those suspected of consorting with anything the darkness and cold brought, doing so believing their deities have chosen them to bring humanity back to the light through sacrifice and cleansing.
Dex'zir and the Cult
The church teaches that Indridin and Oxeriah cast down all the old gods, but the cult teaches that one remained. Although the cult is banned, and any member is punished by death, it is thriving, especially now in the cold and darkness. They each that the old gods protected the world from harm, and that their defeat by the hands of the false couple allowed the darkness and the cold to consume the land. That through worshiping the last of the living old gods, Dex'zir, that they would be saved from the darkness, and the world eventually restored. This requires a lot of work, the price of redemption steep. The cultists often shave their heads, and tattoo themselves with intricate and gruesome designs. They plot assassinations and tortures, arson and theft. They sacrifice their bodies and souls, hoping they would be redeemed by destroying those that oppose the cult.
The River of Souls
When everlasting darkness and winter consumed the world, the River of Souls appeared. Like a snake, twisting and slithering across the sky, the spirits of the dead flow in a bright river, forever lost among the skies. It is said that the dark clouds block the spirits from going to their afterlife, keeping them forever in the mortal world but maintaining the pulling feeling they all have, the desire to move on. It is this pull, never satisfied, that drives the spirits crazy, makes them little more than mindless apparitions. Though a fearsome sight, usually the spirits of the dead leave the denizens of the surface alone.
Angels and Archons
The church teaches that there are two creatures that reside in the heavens, working for the divine couple; Angels and Archons. An Archon is a being composed entirely of the essence of heaven, and take on many forms, humanoid and not. They enforce the laws of these deities without so much as a pause or a second thought, punishing and destroying sinners. Angels always appear humanoid, with two or four feathery wings. These beings were once humans, faithful and unwavering loyalists to their deities. They show great acts of compassion, understanding, mercy, and charity. Both of these beings are almost never seen, and often die quickly to the horrors of the dark and snow soon after they descend from the heavens.
Demons and Devils
The cult teaches that there are two creatures under the rule of Dex'zir; Demons and Devils. A Devil is a being that is said to be the essence of the old god himself, and take on many forms. Most usually though they are red and/or black, and sport several horns, spikes, and quills. They are unfeeling, and destroy without pause or remorse, often torturing their victims for days. Demons come in many appearances, and originate from two races. A Fairy that is corrupted by the old god becomes more humanoid in appearance, its legs and arms transforming into spindly copies of a humans. It's six wings fuse to produce two leathery batlike wings, its mouth becomes smaller and it loses all but one row of teeth on the top and bottom of its mouth. Its tail become forked at the end, and it grows two horns from its head. Demons that come from humans grow twice as large, and their skin becomes black or grey. They grow two or more horns on their heads, and their teeth become sharp. Their fingernails become claws, and they grow two leathery wings from their backs. Although Demons come from humans and fairies, they never sport the feelings they did in life, and destroy without pause or remorse like their Devil overlords.
Lycanthropes
-coming soon-
Vampires
An evil was created when the world went dark and cold, a disease that warped its human hosts, turning them into something else. Through blood and saliva, one would catch this incurable disease, and forever after that would be hunted until they died. Vampirism warped the host, turning them pale, shedding their weight until they were on the verge of anorexia, causing them to produce fangs, and giving them an insatiable hunger for blood and flesh. They stopped aging, and their strength and speed improved tenfold. Upon death they would explode, their flesh and bone turning to ash and dust. They think highly of themselves, viewing humans as playthings and cattle.
There are seven families, one on each continent. The An'ad'i of Nokive, Daur'aoz of Leydos, Eld'rata of Reasamer, Ir'agai of Veraldiss, Leras'ny of Drosllyn, Rad'ana'em of Iremsay, and the Vor'old of Alesyema. Each of these families have their own customs and laws, and alliances between any of them are almost unheard of.
Undead
There are several forms of undead that are scattered across the world. Those that are not part of the Legion of Rot are usually mindless and ever hungering, though some exceptions apply. Zombies are the most common of the undead creatures, wandering the world and feasting on those they can kill. A zombie that kills and consumes part of a living creature transfers part of its dark essence to its victim, causing that individual to rise as a zombie as well. It is a common belief that just being bitten by one will cause the transformation, but this has been proven to be false. Skeletons are uncommon, but still numerous. They have a semblance of intelligence, but are still considered to be mindless. They come in many more forms than zombies, coming in the skeletal forms of all the older races as well as the humans. Unlike zombies, they cannot raise their victims as one of their own, and prefer to use crafted weapons. The rarest of the free undead is known as a Lich. A Lich is created when a mortal performs a ritual and goes through an unholy process of removing its soul, rotting its body, and placing its soul in a phylactery. The most common form of Lich is one that originated from a human, but the Legion of Rot hosts several that originated from other races. They can often be found underground in places where other undead are in abundance.
Homonculi and Golems
Those with the knowledge of magic and the funds to do so, often create Golems or Homonculi to serve or protect them. A Homonculi is created through a ritual, involving the blood of the caster. This creates a creature both animated and living, from several parts of flesh and metal. They are most often used as laborers and assistants, making poor combatants. They are forever loyal, being of their creators own flesh and blood, but have minds and personalities of their own. Golems are created through a similar but less restrictive ritual, applying a series of magical effects to a large metal construct. These creatures are controlled through either a rod or amulet, often through a specific phrase or password. They are often used as bodyguards and heavy laborers, but cannot make decisions by themselves, only performing what their controller commands and nothing else.
Animated
Once the darkness and winter descended upon the world, even the inanimate objects of the world changed with it. Living dolls and scarecrows are common now, prowling the fields or blending in with the inanimate objects of their kind. Children's toys come alive, tormenting and even killing the child that owns them. Scarecrows prowl the mists, dragging off careless men and women to never be seen again. Little is known about these animated objects, as they disappear as quickly as they appear, or are alive one day only to be inanimate again another.
Mind Thieves
Fairies, also know as Mind Thieves, are ugly and sinister creatures that come in many dark colors. They stand under a foot tall, and appear sickly and thin. They have a gaping mouth, and several rows of uneven needle-like teeth, across the top and bottom of the mouth. Their arms are skinny, and their hands sport three clawed fingers and one clawed thumb each. Their knees fold back, and their ankles are composed of thee joints. They have four toes on each foot, each one clawed. They have six wings, each one clear and insectile. They have a long tail that whips back and forth behind them, thin and scaled. Atop their heads are catlike ears, constantly swiveling this way and that. They have a taste for flesh, and are known to be ravenous carnivores.
These creatures have the ability to collect dreams, taking them out of the victims mind and turning it into a liquid that they then bottle and cart off in little bags. They also have a nasty habit of increasing the nightmares in their victims, making them more realistic and terrifying. They prefer to prey on children, the possessors of the more positive dreams. Any child that wakes to find one hovering or standing over them is carted off by the Fairy, never to be seen or heard from again. It is said that they undergo a transformation, becoming the very thing that preyed on them.
Consuming Swarm
-coming soon-
Plague Warp
-coming soon-
Burning Conquerors
-coming soon-
Legion of Rot
-coming soon-
Spreading Darkness
In the lands of Drosllyn the Spreading Darkness wars against humans. These creatures come in only one form, a shadowy spirit that can drain the life from another in seconds. These creatures, known as shades, seem to be endless. As soon as one dies, another seems to appear. They harass the people of the land constantly, and their only enemy is light and fire. They appear as an intangible mass of darkness, appearing only somewhat humanoid from waist up, though they sport no eyes, ears, noses, or mouths. Their lower bodies trail off into nothingness. No one knows who is leading these beings, or where they come from, though many rumors and speculations exist.
March of the Damned
-coming soon-
The Old Gods
The church teaches that the divine couple cast down the ten old gods, but this is only partially true. There are whispers that one of the old gods still lives, still influencing humanity. The old gods are as follows;
Ahrenthilmhor, Demigod of Rise & Redemption
Eldrasshy, Oversoul of Peace & Prosperity
Haddanquattai, Deity of Gluttony & Greed
Lyissianna, Godhead of Command & Control
Nylvhlik, Divinity of Humility & Charity
Sadarkeltim, Nobilis of Status & Rulership
Tyanuallias, Dominus of War & Ruin
Xalealsul, Deus of Death & Disease
Zheeghurn, Overbeing of Victory & Power
The Wilds
-coming soon-