The Rebellion is a rather new group of mages who oppose the rule of the Emperor and the Wizards of Ish. They are hunted mercilessly throughout the Empire, but as magic has reawakened, they have grown in numbers and in power.
Secret is their strongest advantage, so very little is known of them.
A specialist class of mounted infantry in the Uthgard army. They are directly under the control of the Holy Order of the Church. They are also known as the “Blades of God”.
Active 5685 – 5706
The Red Guard were formed from a faction of Kowal city guards loyal to a well respected guardsman named Damien. In the past 20 years, Damien has shaped the Red Guard into it’s own power within the city.
The Red Guard are strictly anti-magic and have lead hunts for magic users for the past 5 years, often ending in public executions.
Some feel the Red Guard are more powerful than the Baron in the current day, and the sight of their red armor sends many into a panic.
In the Fall of 5706, the building was destroyed in what has been named the Catastrophe of the Greystone. Many different stories, from an explosion to a giant demon are reported to have caused this. After its fall, the Red Guard were disbanded.
Kowal became part of the Uthgard Kingdom and the Ministry of the Arts took over the building and began to rebuild it.
The library of Kowal is many things to many people. It is a public repository of knowledge, free for citizens to peruse and read. It is the main printing press of the Eastlands, making books more readily available to all. And to a secret few, it is also a group that collects, catalogs, and experiments with magic.
The first floor of the Library hosts the public books, the printing press, and offices. The second floor holds the shelves of rare books and historical artifacts. Below that are the vaults and dormitories, their contents only known to the Society.
Twice a year, in a hidden level beneath the library of Kowal, a secret society meets to exchange knowledge, artifacts, and magic spells under the pretense of collecting histories. Their aim is to bring magic back to its former power, before its disappearance so many centuries ago, trusting this amount of power only to themselves.
Highly skilled treasure hunters in their employ scour the lands searching for traces of artifacts and ancient tomes, bringing back all they can find to be studied. If a book is deemed to have magical value, it is kept hidden below. If the book is of mundane value, it goes into the public library above.
But little do many of its members know, there is a level even deeper, where the books are not only studied, but experiments are conducted by a faction of Librarians committed not only to restoring magic, but advancing it. Their motto is to commit no harm, but their ambitions often rule, and little has been spared in the research into magic.
The Library of Kowal was formed by a group of monks who were once part of the Unelesia Church. As the church grew more rigid in their practices, the Library grew separated. As time went on, the Library became less and less involved in religious institutions.
Tybalt Garner
The Head Librarian
Cristiean
A council member of the Librarians
Godart
A council member of the Librarians
An outlaw mercenary group.
The Sworn are a society that stretch across the known lands of Atheles Their creed says that they are a brotherhood of men, who look to improve culture and society in the world around them. Some believe the Sworn are a secret society that is vying for a new world order. They say the Sworn believe that the old ways have led inevitably toward war and destruction, and they want to lead Atheles into a new, brighter age. While some of its members openly speak of their allegiance to the Sworn, many others keep their loyalty secret.
Their symbol is a five pointed star with a hammer and sword in front. Their temples, which can be found in all major cities, are adorned with this mark. While they outwardly claim that anyone can become a member, few advance to their higher ranks.
The eye of Tanthu-Ra, and the Symbol of the Najur
The Wizards of Ish, or Najur as they call themselves, keep their secrets close. Once trained they are never allowed to leave the ranks of the Sorcerers. Of all the magic groups, theirs was the most untouched during the Disappearance and their stronghold in the center of Ish remains as it has for over a thousand years. But whatever knowledge they may have, they keep to themselves.
Much like the rest of the Ishian Empire their policies are strict, and death of slavery is a just punishment.
One of the biggest differences between the Wizards of Ish and the majority of other magic using groups, is their use of slaves as power reservoirs for magic. Powerful wizards can have a stable of slaves, blank eyed and pale, who are kept on leashes as a source of power for their magic.
Ansely, Mage of Eredar, Eastlands
From the Encyclopedia Atheles
“We are all but servants.”
Ishian wizards view themselves as conduits of God, and therefore as priests instead of workers of arcane magics. The wizards of Ish call themselves the Najur, an ancient word for servant. They, like most in the Ishian Empire, worship Tanthu-Ra, a sun deity. This is why all in the priesthood wear yellow robes.
They are ranked very high within the culture of Ish, with the Grand Priest even being considered higher than the Emperor.
They occupy the Temple of the Sun, a large squat building made of black stone.
They take volunteers from the citizenry to give themselves to God. This means that they willingly become vessels for the wizards to take energy from for spell casting. The Najur see them as disciples, who become vessels to the all power of Thanthu-Ra.
There are many churches throughout the lands, but the one most are familiar with is the Unelesian Church, or Church of the One. The Unelesia Church rose in favor after the Great War. The world was suffering, and it gave hope. It told people that with faith and good deeds, your afterlife would be better than life on Uteria. It grew in power and influence swiftly, and became opulent and ritualistic. Then, as the plagues began to ravage the lands, its centralized power weakened and the Church became regional, with each sect having its own set of beliefs.
The Valetta region of the Church saw evil and Kaldrath around all dark corners and persecuted those who they saw as colluding with evil. The Endamas Church was separated from the more strict northern sects and became tolerant and open to the populace.
Now that magic has reemerged, each branch of the Church is struggling to cope with something that complicates their views of faith and spirit.
In the Endamas region of the world, the Unelesia of those regions has welcomed in some of the “blessed.” In Ferryport, they have even opened up part of their school to devote to those given the gifts of the Creator.
The military organization of Tiren.
A Vicary is a loyal soldier of the Tiren Kingdom. They are one of the largest standing armies in Atheles.
A Vicary soldier is chosen at a young age, when they show an aptitude for sports or tactics.
The Wanderers
About 500 years ago, while the world was yet reeling from the Great War, the Wanderers were formed in the city of Borden to help bring the people together again. They became known as saviors and heroes as they brought news, recovered old technology, and comforted people with hope for a greater good in a dark time. Now, the Wanderers still do much of the same, but as the lands have become less dangerous, they have started exploring deeper and deeper into the darker places of Uteria, bringing back horrifying tales and strange magical artifacts.
The Wanderer’s Coin
When a person is accepted into the Wanderers they receive the Wanderer’s Coin. This is shown at any Wanderer Guildhouse to gain access to a warm meal and a place to sleep.