Fiction:Everlands

The Everlands (also known as the Old World before contact with the lands outside the island) is a single island located in the seas of the planet Narazen. The island is divided up into six environmental regions of forest, plains, tundra, sea, volcano, and cavern. Across these regions are various tribes of different races who do constant battle with strange and savage monsters that plague the lands. In recent years conflict has arisen among the tribes as the old way of performing magic by channeling the elements of earth, water, wood, wind, thunder, and fire, and a new way that bends the spheres of the planet to one's will (geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, areosphere, psychosphere, and astrosphere). This has also come with a change in understanding the monster between evil beast to dangerous animals.

Origins
The origins of the Everlands are shrouded in myth and legend, all tales differ slightly but all go generally the same way:


 * "In the space before space, and the time before time, there was madness. A madness so violent and unknown, that those who found existence within it could not withstand it's writhing and torment. At their limit, these great beings sought salvation within an uncaring ocean of endless thorned tendrils and gaping maws. Their prayers were answered, and one greater than themselves rose to aid them. Through an act of love, the Great Beings were pulled from the Deep by their savior, Zarava. The Elder Beings saw the sky for the first time and wept. Zarava, in yet another act of love, gave up its strength to the Elder Beings. Zarava asked that in return for their deliverance, the Elder Spirits would use their gifts to create where it could not. To create wondrous things within this new place, where space and time were given form. And it was so. One being created oceans that once held memories from before. Once endless, another being rose earth from the oceans, which held the time-yet-passed. As a symbol of unity and understanding between these two Great Beings, rivers began to flow, flowing through a myriad of mountains whose peaks reached the heavens. From the earth came the first life. Life which bore possibilities and imitated the mountains. One being created two flames. The first which danced across the heavens, where all could behold its radiance. The second was ignited below, hidden until its heat rises from the earth with unmatched force. Yet another being gave motion to the world, and with it the winds that incite change and give purpose. In the sky, flashes of power and light struck true, displaying the strength of the Great Beings even more. When the Elder Beings saw that their creation was good, they allowed new life to emerge, and with it the Old World."

- "The Origin of the World", Chapter 1

Scholars of the modern era generally assert that the Elder Beings were the old rulers of the island, and the accredited creators of its races, whose empire long since collapsed under mysterious circumstances. The Old World is believed to be what the Everlands were known as before the discovery of other lands and a whole planet beyond the island. Thus the reason for the legend describing the creation of the entire world rather then just the island, at the time the island was understood to be the entire world. The legend continues as such:


 * "During the time of the Old World, all of creation prospered. The Elder Beings were now gods in the eyes of their numerous and industrious progenies. The world was bathed in the glorious light of Zarava for generations. But for every light, there was a darkness. An entity had wormed its way from the old Depths and into creation. It saw the sky for the first time and was disgusted. It was known simply as the Dark One, for his true name was even feared by those of divine origin. Seeking to drag creation into the Deep, the Dark One began spreading his corruption throughout the world. He whispered sweet nothings and deceptions into the hearts and minds of the mortals, turning them against each other. In a mockery of creation, the Dark One created beasts of its own. These Beasts were crafted with malice and desire, and hated all who did not share their dark heritage. Zarava took notice of the Dark One's actions, and came to him explaining the rules of his domain. The god of light did not sense the malicious intent of the Dark One, and attempted to bring him into the fold of the Elder Beings. Zarava motioned to the Dark One's spawn. "In your creations, imbue no more than one element. To do so will cause imbalance", said the god of light. While the Dark One agreed to these terms, he now knew what he had to do to sunder creation. The Elder Beings did not share Zarava's hospitality however. They gathered what mortals they could and hunted the dark beasts alongside them. From their hides and bones came new weapons and armor that would aid the mortals in this endeavor. This enraged the Dark One, causing him to begin work on his ultimate creation; a beast infused with the power of all of the divine elements. It was known simply as the Black Dragon. It stank of the Depths its creator had slithered out of. This began the Dark War. The great beast ravaged the land with its unmatched strength. Most of the Old World's greatest warriors perished to the black flames of the beast. The Elder Beings, seeing no other options, did two final acts to save their creations. Firstly, each being gifted their element to a mortal of their choosing. Once that was done, the Elder Beings confronted the Black Dragon. With their divine power, the Elder Beings sealed themselves and the Black Dragon away, never to be heard from again. The mortal champions who had been gifted semi-divine strength led their people into the fray, killing many beasts, but ultimately failed to prevent the Dark One from emerging from his hollow. The Dark One began slaughtering and twisting the wills of the mortals he came across. Almost all of the mortal champions fell at the hands of the Dark One. Finally, having seen enough of the Dark One's brutality, Zarava appeared and clashed with his mirror. In the end, Zarava managed to strike down the worm, and send him screaming back into the Depths. Zarava, having been poisoned and horrifically injured by the Dark One, fell into a deep slumber."

- Myths of the Dark War

This story seems to tell of the fall of the Great Beings by what many scholars assume to be a titan arisen from Primordial Chaos as a counter balance to Zarava (a god arisen from the beliefs of the Elder Beings). The Black Dragon is a common devil-type figure among the natives of the island, beast thought to bring the end of the world. Many scholars assume this is some monster with the power to shatter the island.

Dark Age
After a catastrophic event known as the Dark War, the Everlands fell into a Dark Age that lasted for centuries. During this time, many technological advancements of the Old World were destroyed or lost. What remained of civilization amounted to scattered towns that bartered or traded with each other. Though in same cases minor conflicts would break out between them, causing some instability in the new Dark Age economy. Dark Beasts were said to have ran rampant during this age, in some cases wiping out entire settlements of people. Due to the steep decline in technological advancements, the people living in these settlements were unable to truly combat the Dark Beasts effectively.

The early to mid Dark Age was a time of famine, pestilence, disease, and war. Hardly any first-hand accounts exist from those times. The late Dark Age saw the redevelopment of recording devices by individuals known as Chosen, which made documenting the time period much easier.

The aforementioned Chosen were powerful individuals that rose during the mid-Dark Age to defend what remained of civilization from the Dark Beasts. These Chosen were descendants or in some way successors to the mortal champions that fought in the Dark War. The Chosen had the ability to wield the element of their patron god and were said to be 10 times the warrior that most soldiers were during this time. Some of them lived in settlements and merely assisted with the defense of the people. Others led and protected caravans and settlers through the Everlands. Even fewer were scholars and sought to rediscover the lost technology of the Old World.

Despite the small numbers of the Chosen, their efforts would prove necessary for rebuilding civilization and driving the Dark Beasts back into the wastelands. The hardships of the Dark Age produced legendary heroes and events that would make such a goal possible.

Regions
The Everlands is a large island that is divided up into six environmental regions. Each of these regions is connected to one of the six forms of elemental magics found in the Everlands. Every tribe finds their home upon one of these regions, though it may not be the region connected to the particular element that they wield.
 * Sea - Found to the northwest of the Everlands, the sea is connected to the water element and hydrospheric magic.
 * Caverns - An underground network that runs throughout the Everlands, the caverns is connected to the earth element and lithospheric magic.
 * Forests - Found to the east of the Everlands, the forests is connected to the nature element and biospheric magic.
 * Volcanos - Found on a smaller chain of islands to the far north of the Everlands, the volcanoes is connected to the fire element and heliospheric magic.
 * Tundras - Found to the north of the Everlands, the tundras is connected to the wind element and atmospheric magic.
 * Plains - Found to the west of the Everlands, the plains is connected to the thunder element and psychospheric magic.

Magic
"Magic is a gift from the divines themselves. To shun it would be blasphemous. Through it we feel their love, and through it we can protect our way of life. There is no art nobler than magic."

- Mananada, Ch.1 Magic

Magic within the Everlands is built around the six elements of water, earth, nature, fire, wind, and thunder, which are now understood to be the six spheres of the island hydro, litho, bio, helio, atmo, and psycho. All races of the Everlands have a connection to one of these elements which determines what kind of magic they can use. Most races must use spells, potions, amulets, etc to command the sphere they are connected to. There are those known as the Chosen or Awoken though that can command the sphere they are connected to only through the power of their mind, no need for a spell, potion, or any other means.

Water/Hydrospheric
"The oceans are a symphony of echoes that retell what was and is. Each ripple a memory, each wave a story, each storm a reminder. In water we see ourselves as we were, are, and can be, and so too does the world."

- Mananada, Ch.2 Water

The Water element or Hydrospheric magic is that which draws its power from the energy created by the motion of water. Hydromancers can commaned the motion of water and the movement of sound and electricity through water. They can also alter the state, temperature, purity, and ph levels of the water they command. Water is an element that is both easy to call upon and easy to command, providing little resistance to user. However, water's tendency to take the path of least resistance means that a significant force of will is needed by the Hydromancer to use water in any forcible way.

Earth/Lithospheric
"The power of earth is hardly ever challenged. The ground itself challenges the very concept of defeat by merely being. Whether under our feat or touching the very heavens, it continues to be regardless of our will and our might. It is true strength, and should be emulated."

- Mananada, Ch.3 Earth

The Earth Element of Lithospheric Magic is magic that holds command over the land and draws its power from sources of geothermal heat and seismic activity. Those wielding the power can bend soil, sand, rock, and metal to their will as well as controlling the flow of geothermal energy and seismic activity. Furthermore Lithomancers can changes states of the materials they command to liquid, transforming soil into mud, sand into glass, rock into lava/maagma, and metal into slag, as well as controlling these liquid states just as well as they control their solid forms. Earth is by far the easiest element to control being unwilling to accelerate out of its users control, but the hardest to summon control of requiring a stubborn will to enact control over the most unmoving of elements.

Nature/Biospheric
"The progeny of the was and will be. It bears possibilities and provides and defines what we need. All life was cradled by it, and all life must do well to heed its power, for what it can nurture, it surely can destroy."

- Mananada, Ch.4 Nature

The nature element or biospheric magic is that which draws its power from the metabolic energy of living things. Biomancers can command living things to carry out their will and even mutate living creatures into new forms. There are limits to this form of control though as biomancers cannot control sapient lifeforms or command the monsters. Other powers of the biomancer is to create new types of simple, single celled lifeforms from the raw materials needed to create life, and to transform into other forms of nonsapient life.

Fire/Heliospheric
"In imitation of the light's divine power, fire was born. It's power is felt as radiant heat from both the sky and below the earth. Do well to control your flames however. Like the light, it too can sometimes shine too brightly, and engulf everything in its wake."

- Mananada, Ch.5 Fire

Fire or Heliospheric magic is magic that draws its power from the sun and the heat and light given by the sun. Those who can command this power are either known as Pyromancers or Heliomancers and wield a number of powerful abilities such as the power to generate to control the flow of light and heart as well and command forces such as the power of combustion and nuclear fusion and fission. Due to its reliance on the light and heat of the sun Heliospheric magic become weaker at night and stronger during the day. As compensation for this cyclical limitation Heliospheric magic tends to surpass other elements in power when at its apex (midday) but cuts out completely at the lowest point of its power (midnight).

Wind/Atmospheric
"Without the breeze we would not know change. Without the wind, the waves on the surface of memory would not form. The towering earth that reaches the heavens would not take shape. Do you see now? Do you see the importance of Wind?"

- Mananada, Ch.6 Wind

The wind element or Atmosoheric magic is that which draws power from the motion of the air. Atmomancers are able to control the motion of air as well as alter the pressure, moisture levels, cleanness, and temperature of air, create fog and clouds, as well as create pockets of airless vacuum. The winds are an easy power to summon to the user's will but is very difficult to properly control. The winds seek a freedom of their own are willing to listen to the commands of other. An Atmomancer must either over power the motion of the winds through their will or otherwise convince the elemental force to follow their commands.

Thunder/Psychospheric
"To hear thunder, to see lightning, is to know the power of the divine. The sky shatters, the oceans boil, the earth splits, and the forests burn. It's violent power is unrivaled in both power and difficulty to control. Not even the radiance of fire can outshine the brilliance of lightning. Heed the warnings, we are not to toy with this power lightly."

- Mananada, Ch.7 Thunder

The thunder element or the psychospheric magic is that which draws its power from bio-electric energy of all living things, in this particular case sapient beings. A Psychomancer can channel their own bio-electricity into lightning bolts and their own voice into thunder. On the less offensive side of things psychomancers can use their command over voices and bio-electricity to manipulate and command the thoughts, words, and actions of other sapient beings. Every use of this kind of power becomes a battle of wills between the psychmancer and those they wish to control, making every manipulation a considerable effort. It also cannot affect nonsapient creatures.

Shadow/Necrospheric Magic
The shadow element or the necrospheric magic is that which draws its power from death itself and the violation of the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead. Shadow magic is not natural to the world, rather it is that any time more then one element is fused into one being or object there is a risk of shadow magic manifesting with a greater risk coming with the more elements fused into one another. This is a hideous abomination upon the natural world able to drain life from the living and drag the soul of the dead into their rotting material forms enslaving them to live again at the command of their controller. It can also be used to summon demons from other planes to posses monsters to control them. Finally the most terrible application of shadow magic is its power to invert a individual's morality filling them with desires antithetical to themselves.

Religion
A set of universal religious beliefs are shared by all races upon the island. This is the worship of the goddess Zaxava and the precursors known as the Elder Beings. Zaxava is a goddess of light and creation, and is seen as the supreme god above the Elder Beings. While all races worship Zaxava each race finds a patron in an Elder Being they accredit to being their creator. There is also the titan of darkness and control known the Dark One (for his name is not to be spoken). The Dark One is seen as the creator of the islands monsters and is not so much worshiped as worshiped against. The Dark One is seen as the creator of the Black Dragon, a devil-type figure and monster that is said to bring the apocalypse with its coming.

Crusader Tribes
Crusader Tribes are those who see the monsters are abomination defiling the natural world around them and seek to actively purge them from the island to restore balance to the natural order of the Everlands.

Mystic Tribes
Mystic Tribes are those who have come to see the monsters hostility as a response by nature for civilization loosing its connection with it, and that this connection must be restored to cease hostilities. Kulaung= The Kulaung are long standing inhabitants of the Everlands, far-spread and eager fighters and traders, with a lust for adventure and combat.
 * Regions - All
 * Element - Varies from Clan
 * Progenitor - Horangiis

Guardian Tribes
Guardian Tribes see the monsters as an purely hostile threat to civilization and thus seek to take measures to protecting civilization from their attacks and learning how to better develop counter measures against monsters. Vanara= Vanara are drakonians native to the volcanic lands of the Everlands in a place known as the Crystal Caldera. As a species that Vanara are sizable drakonians (small humanoid dragons) whose most notable feature is the metal spikes that grow on their back, arms, wings, and tail, as well as the massive metal horns growing from their skulls. As beings linked to the energies of Heliospheric magic the Vanara posses powerful regeneration abilities that accelerate the more adrenaline pumps through their body. The Vanara are know for their aggressive and single minded drive that lead them to dominate the Crystal Caldera
 * Regions - Volcanoes
 * Element - Heliospheric
 * Progenitor - Juraxis

The Vanara dwell within the Crystal Caldera of the volcanic region with their tribe centered around a city called Caldra. Caldra acts as a something of a hegemon over the Crystal Caldera with it ruling over several other villages and races that dwell within. Those ruled over by Vale are considered under its protection, so long as they pay taxes and keep internal order, able to maintain their own culture and practice their own religion. However, the one thing universally banned by Caldra is slavery with the Vanara considering its practice a great evil. Caldra protects its vassals from invasion and monsters via its Immortal Legion of 10,000 highly trained soldiers.

The Immortals of Caldra act as both the standing army and the imperial guard for the Shah, the king of Caldra. They are elite warriors armored with bronze scale armor and armed with shields, spears, swords, and bows. Immortals are not just skilled swordsmen and archers, but also skilled cavalry men, riding giant scorpions into battle. They are also assisted by powerful golems made of volcanic glass and flying drakes known as Ruhk. The number of Immortals is always 10,000, no more no less. However, many more are always kept in reserve so that if one falls in battle they can be quickly replaced earning their name.

Instrumentalist Tribes
Instrumentalist Tribes see the monsters as a source of potential power and seek to harness and control that power so as to establish control over nature in order to further empower the development of civilization.

Unaligned Tribes
Unaligned Tribes are those tribes that for some reason being schism within the tribe, forced diaspora, isolation, or any number of reasons have no alignment to any of the ideologies that tend to govern tribal politics.

Nephilim
The Nephilim are tribes that have fallen to some form of corruption that has turned them against civilization and the other tribes now seeking to destroy them, though this does not make them allies of the monsters either.

Kusarikku
Kusarikku are monsters that take on the forms of large herbivorous mammals.

Kulullu
Kulullu are monsters that take on the form of large fish-like creatures. Illhveli= Illhveli are terrible whale-like monstrosities that stalk the seas of the Everlands. While all are universally very different they all have two things in common. First is their evilness for the Illhveli hunt both the creation of the Elder Beings and natural whales, never eating them but killing simply for the sake of killing. Second is the fact that they are completely inedible for their flesh provides no nutrition and dissolves into shadows and cold when cooked. Normal whales despise the Illhveli and will do battle with them any time given. While Illhveli are more powerful then normal whales, normal whales will cooperate with each other while Illhveli never will. There are ten different breeds of Illhveli:
 * Environ - Seas
 * Element - Varies
 * Power - Inedible Flesh
 * Sverdhvalur - Malevolent orcas with great bladed fins which they use to slash open ships and whales.
 * Lyngbakur - Massive malevolent blue whales that resemble islands and then sink themselves as soon as crews of ship board them creating whirlpools to drag ship and sailors under.
 * Skieliungur - Malevolent humpback whales covered in armored platting. They can actually be benevolent at times with the flesh of the benevolent ones becoming strangely edible and highly nutritious.
 * Taumafiskur - A form of malevolent and large minke whale known for holding vicious grudges against any beings that dare escape their attacks.
 * Katthveli - A malevolent form of seal lion, large enough to swallow row boats, as opposed to a whale. Kattvillei can be tamed when young but will quickly grow to big and vicious to be kept.
 * Nauthveli - Malevolent sperms whales with a deafening bellow that allows them to command livestock to jump into the sea and drown themselves becoming the Illhveli's next meal.
 * Hrosshvalur - Giant malevolent walruses, rather then a whale, with great red manes of fur that charge ships head long to sink them. They are a form favored by many evil sorcerers of biospheric arts.
 * Raudkembingr - A monsterous form of basilosaurus that delites in destruction and death to the point it will die of frustration if given nothing to kill. Like Hrosshvalur they are the favored form of many a shapeshifting evil sorcerer.
 * Stokkull - Malevolent and massive dolphins that are blinded by the flaps of sink growing over their eyes. They leap up into the air to crash down upon ships breaking them splinters.
 * Mushveli - Large malevolent seals rather then whales, that are willing to pursue prey onto the shore but generally no further for they are extremely clumsy.

Umu dabrutu
Umu dabrutu are monsters that are made up of pure elemental energy given form.

Girtablilu
Girtabilu are monsters that take on the form of massive anthropoids.

Uridimmu
Uridimmu are monsters that take on the form of large carnivorous mammals.

Ugallu
Ugallu are monsters that take on the form of great flying birds.

Lahmu
Lahamu are monsters that take on humanoid and simian forms. Maero=
 * Environ - Varies
 * Element - Varies
 * Power - Acidic Bile.

Musmahhu
Musmahhu are monsters that take the form of great mollusks or worms, often with multiple heads of tentacles.

Ushumgallu
Ushumgallu are monsters that take on the forms of great saurian beasts.

Basmu
Basmu are monsters that take on the forms of giant reptilians. Pseudo-Dragons= "Inferior dragon rip offs!"

- True Dragons in regards to Pseudo-Dragons

Pseudo-Dragons are not dragons as they appear to be for true dragons are something above the duality between man and monster. Rather they are beings spawned in imitation of the true dragons. They are known for their long serpentine bodies and sprawled legs that dinguses them from the more upright leg arrangement of true dragons. They have leathery bat-like wings, long necks, and long jaws with horned heads. Pseudo-Dragons are deviously intelligent beings who are known for being extremely greedy and hording treasure from those they have robbed.
 * Environ - Varies
 * Element - Varies
 * Power - Elemental Breath

Depending on where they live Pseduo-dragons will have different colors and a different breath weapon. Those that live in the volcanoes are red and breath fire, the tundra are white and breath ice, the forests are green and breath poison gas, the plains are orange and breath lightning, the sea are blue and breath jets of water, and the caverns are purple and have a sonic roar. All Pseudo-Dragons have a soft and vulnerable belly but those who slay them had best be careful. The treasure of a Pseudo-Dragon is cursed and any who posses it will invariably fall to corruption by greed before transforming into a Pseudo-Dragon themselves.

The Black Dragon is the most powerful of all the Pseudo-Dragons and is possessed of six heads, each able to breath a different elemental breath attack.

Dragons
Dragons are different then the monsters of island for they were not spawned by the Dark One but rather came about as part of the after effect of a storm of Primordial Chaos. They are neither allies of the tribes or the monsters but a force unto their own that even the strongest of warriors and beasts hesitate to confront. Sirrush=
 * Environ - Plains
 * Element - Heliospheric
 * Power - Fire Breath

Quotes

 * add your own!