Zenith CST Info
Aug 19, 2016 21:04:04 GMT -5
Post by Free My Mans on Aug 19, 2016 21:04:04 GMT -5
Magical Hierarchy
Level 1: Entry Level
Age: 6-8
Requirements to Enter: None
Requirements to Graduate: Unlocked Access to Mana, Completed Entry-Level Theory
Level 2: Student Level
Age: 9-16
Requirements to Enter: Complete Level 1 and Choose a Specialty
Requirements to Graduate: High Proficiency in 1 discipline, Medium Proficiency in at least 2 more disciplines
Level 3: Intermediate Level
Age: 17-25+
Requirements to Enter: Complete Level 2 and Choose a Secondary/Tertiary Specialty
Requirements to Graduate: Mastery in 2 disciplines, High Proficiency in at least 2 more disciplines, Memorization of at least 2 Spelltomes
Level 4: Advanced Level
Age: 25+
Requirements to Enter: Complete Level 3 and Gain Approval from 67% of Level 5s
Requirements to Graduate: Mastery in 4 disciplines, Memorization of at least 4 Spelltomes
Level 5: Expert Level
Age: Old
Requirements to Enter: Complete Level 4
World (New Material is Italicized)
During the time of the CST, the world is in a state comparable to our middle ages, although the presence of magic has made certain elements more advanced than others. For example, medical practices and agricultural practice and relatively far ahead, while the presence of combat spells has caused weapon technology to be largely left behind. Guns and steam engines don't yet exist, but the cotton gin does. In general, questions about technology will be answered on a case-by-case basis.
The focus of the CST is on 5 nearby city-states, each of which is politically dominated by its own religiously affiliated academy of magic. Each of these academies is distrustful of the others, and all specialize in different branches of magic (with some overlap). About one fifth to one fourth of each city-state's population is affiliated with their magic academy in some way, and their reach extends far beyond merely educating -- the magic academies run the city police force, churches, and military as well. Since the creation of these magic academies, they have done a good enough job of governing, keeping order, and maintaining public support that no major rebellions have occurred. Each city-state has a total population of about 20,000-25,000. ~5,000 of these are affiliated with the magic schools -- ~2000 are military, ~500 civilian police, ~500 administrators and religious leaders, and ~2000 more in the academy itself (including both faculty and students).
Jestona City is the largest civilization in the area, with a population of about 35,000. Jestona has signed nonaggression pacts with all 5 city-states. As shown on the map, they are centrally located at the foothills of a treacherous mountain range containing dragons and many demons. Jestona has a small but well-maintained military of its own, but the majority of its forces are paid mercenaries (the city can afford these prices because of the wealth of minerals and natural resources in their possession.
Jestona is also the host of the tournament that the CST centers around. Every decade, an enormous rectangular portion of their territory is blocked off for the purpose of hosting a contest of magical superiority between the 5 cities. Each is instructed to send a 4-man cell of 1 Level-4 Advanced Magus and 3 Level-2 Student Magi (this team structure was chosen because mercenaries are typically hired in groups of 4, with 1 powerful leader and 4 subordinates). The Jestonians claim this contest allows them to test the rigor and strength of each academy's magic, and that they decide based on this information where they should hire more mercenaries from, although for years rumors have abounded that they have an ulterior motive in hosting the tournament.
Still, ulterior motive or not, in past decades the 5 city-states have been all-too eager to send their best and brightest off to the tournament, which raises the question of whether they desire something more valuable than gold for themselves...
Small commerce and residential towns exist, much smaller than the city-states and scattered about the map. Most of these have populations that do not exceed 2,000, about 200 of which know some amount of magic. Some of these towns have grown quite wealthy, and some have agreed to become protectorates of the city-states.
Travel between city-states is restricted such that you must have permission from the officials of the magic academy.
The vast majority of the continent is covered by wilds. The taxonomy and speciation of animals in this world is comparable to those of our own, with the addition of certain foreign species such as dragons and sprites. Although some, like sprites, are sentient and have mastered language, none of those are as advanced or as populous as humans. Most are distrustful or hostile towards members of the human race, which is why no nonmage should ever enter the wilds unarmed.
The summon world runs parallel to our world, and contains all manner of creatures, some of whom have the ability to perform magic and many of whom are sentient. Many animals in the summon world are joined together by clans, or families of a certain species. For example, many of the larger turtles in the summon world are members of the Great Turtle Clan, who control their own swath of land and resources in the summon world. summoning clans may make contracts with human mages, allowing the mage to summon members of that particular clan more easily; these contracts may be passed down through family trees.
The spirit world is the land of dead souls, and certain spells allow brief communication with a soul located there. Finding a specific soul to talk to is in general extremely difficult (more so with an older soul), but it can be made easier if you knew the soul and you attempt to reach them from the place of their death, in conditions similar to those at the time of their death.
Hell is the home of demons and other dark creatures, who occasionally find gateways to the human world (where they wreak havoc) or to the spirit world (where they torment the souls of sinners). Although demons are technically summonable, doing so is rarely attempted and usually ill-advised.
Paradise is the home of angels and nature deities. These will often travel down to the spirit world to give gifts to souls who did good in life, or down to the human world only when they are needed.
World Lore and Theology
There is no evidence of any omnipotent capital-G God, but there is a Devil. The Devil is the father of all demons, major and minor, and the personification of maliciousness and chaos. The Devil is more powerful than any angels, but the angels are more powerful than his demon minions, so there is a general equilibrium in the balance of power between good and evil. This much is known for a fact.
According to the religion, although unobserved by humans, there was once a God. This God created the Earth and then allowed himself to die such that his magical energy may be reborn into a people that would populate the Earth. Each magical academy believes that its own mages are the best expression of God's original magic, and thus they name their own magical masters Saints.
In ancient times, as legends describe it, magic was exponentially more powerful than it is today -- Level EIGHT mages actually existed, and wielded the power to single-handedly reshape entire battlefields or summon armies. Since those days, magical knowledge has largely been lost, and today's highest-ranking masters cannot compare to these ancient heroes. Many theories exist about why magic has weakened this way, but none seem very likely.
Each magic academy was founded centuries ago by a master, and each today claims that their founder was the most powerful mage in history.
Schools
1: The Order of The Holy Spells
Nitrox and Jamesgames
Magical Specialties:
-Summoning, summon-binding, and contract spells
-Exorcism spells
-Rudimentary Shapeshifting Magic
-Matter Destruction
-Elemental Battle-Magic
-Large-Scale Rituals
2: The Holy Order of Seers and Mages
Epsilon and Techiture
Magical Specialties:
-Scrying
-Elemental Battle-Magic
-Tracking Spells
-Potions Magic
-Animation Magic
-Trap-setting Magic
3: The First Accord of Magecraft
MysticShadow and SierraRacer
Magical Specialties:
-Item-Conjuring Spells
-Item-Enchantment Spells
-Spell-Channelling Through Weaponry
-Rune-making and Mana Storage
-Animation Magic
-Large-scale Rituals
4: The Lord’s Coalition for Deep Sorcery
Widm and LeapingDeer
Magical Specialties:
-Sacrificial Spells
-Item-Consuming Rituals
-Siphoning Spells
-Astral Projection Spells
-Illusory Magic
-Binding Spells
5: The Noble Order of Magical Union
Zen and Iaashadow
Magical Specialties:
-Large-Scale Environmental Spells
-Group Spellcasting
-Self-enhancement Spells
-Binding Spells
-Transport Magic (Flight, Tunneling, etc.)
-Small-Scale Transmutation and Transfiguration
-Matter Creation
Undiscovered and/or Lost Magic:
-Mind-controlling and mind-altering magic
-Healing magic
-Teleportation magic
-Resurrection magic
-Time-affecting Spells
Map
Key:
Light Green: Grassland
Green: Forest
Dark Green: Jungle
Blue: Water
Brown: Desert
Black/Gray: Mountains
White: Snow
Solid Red Circles: City States
Red Ovals: City State Sphere-of-Influence
Solid Purple Circles: Jestona City
Purple Oval: Jestona City Sphere-of-Influence
Purple Rectangle: Location of The Tournament
Solid Yellow Circles: Western Barbarian Settlements
Solid Pink Circles: Eastern Barbarian Settlements
Small White Circles: Unaffiliated Towns
Red Triangles: Known Demon Hotspots
White Triangles: Known Sprite/Fae Hotspots
Lavender Triangles: Known Dragon Hotspots
Pale Blue Triangles: Areas of Abnormally High Natural Mana
Map Notes:
Although removed because they made the image crowded, primitive roads do exist connecting the major cities. Traveling these roads is fairly dangerous and should only be attempted in a group, with at least a couple of magi.
Going off the roads is even more dangerous and should only be attempted by experienced magi.
The 2 "clusters" of Western barbarian settlements are unaffiliated. The same can be said for the 2 "clusters" of Eastern barbarian settlements.
For scale's sake, travel from City-State 1 to Jestona City Center by caravan takes 2-3 full days.
The "Sphere of Influence" of a City-State refers to the fact that crimes committed within that area are to be prosecuted by the City-State elders, and that a magus or a group of magi intending to cross the territory line must notify the City-state elders in advance.
Character Sign-Up Form
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Please combine all 4 characters from the team in 1 post.
Please contact M2 before posting your characters.