AI:L Background

Ascension Isle: Legacy

Rules

Under Development

History

Map of Arth
Full Size Download

Magic was discovered about a thousand years ago in roughly simultaneous events on the continents of Jibril, Rafaela and Heylel (called Zenith by the locals). Magic, called Prana by the Zenith, and Praxis by the Jibrilites, is driven by an energy called Ether pulled from another universe across from our own, and particularly attracted to the energy of life and thought. Initial magical spells were simple, limited as they were by the ability of the users to mentally conceive the uses of this energy and control their application. In those days magic mainly took the form of additional physical prowess or the basic induction of excess energy into other objects, usually with destructive effect.

Approximately 700 years ago Jibrilite thaumaturges discovered that certain materials could be used to contain and channel Praxis before its ultimate discharge. This allowed the thaumaturge to craft vastly more precise and complex spells (called Cyclos, or circuits) by first crafting into a physical item pathways the Ether would follow, before finally being given form. Magical ability exploded, and with it scientific and technological advancement. At the time, the technology level was about equivalent to Earth's 15th century, but it now aided by their Praxis it began to advance in leaps and bounds. At first the many kingdoms of Jibril warred upon themselves, but soon they began to look further afield, to continents they had only irregularly visited before (due to the electromagnetic effects of Ether, the compass does not work on Arth, limiting - although not preventing - long range navigation).

It was this expansion that brought the Jibrilites into conflict with the race known as the Xaro. Living on the continent of Mikaela, The Xaro had never developed any serious magical ability, although their technology was said to rival any in the world. Most of the history of the Xaro is now lost, however it seems they were an insular and secretive race. Jibrilite records describe them as a stunted and twisted race with dark skin and glowing eyes, although the veracity of these is questioned by Zenith scholars. In any event, the Xaro resisted the Jibrilite move into Mikaela, aided by their ability to control several of the less advanced non-human races, and a long and brutal series of wars followed, during which the Xaro were exterminated, and other non-human species including the goblins and ogres were reduced to slavery.

Seeing the advance of the Jibrilites across the continents of Mikaela and Rafaela, the nations of Zenith realized that they could soon be next. Although Zenith had a substantial human population, it also had several non human races to which the Jibrilites had already shown great hostility. The Jibrilite thaumaturges jealously guarded the secrets of the etheric circuit, but the sorcerers of the Zenith found another means to channel their power. The Zenith had for some time realized that the universe from which Ether came was not, in fact, as the Jibrilites assumed, a formless void. It was instead a shadow universe which they called the Locus, and populated by its own denizens. At the appropriate time when Arth was aligned with the hidden worlds of the Locus, the Zenith enticed several of these beings, alternately known as Demons, Deva or Dragons, across the Veil between worlds, and fixed the greatest of them to human souls. This gave the new Dragonsouled or Zohaka power over the Ether comparable to that of the Jibrilite Thuamaturges.

A series of wars followed between the Jibrilites and the Zenith, escalating in ferocity over a period of about a century, until both sides realized nothing further could be gained by conflict, and the Confederacy of Jibrilite kingdoms, and the Dragon Empire of Zenith declared a truce and entered a long cold war. By then technology had reached a level roughly comparable to that of the modern day. . . and then it stopped.

As the wars were winding down, the Zohaka, who had set themselves up as the hereditary god kings of the Zenith, unlocked the power of immortality. To gain peace they shared this with their most powerful Jibrilite opponents, who also used it to set themselves up as immortal rulers - the angelic "Chosen." The world's new ruling super-humans decided that it would be in everyone's best interest to limit the spread of this power, and for the next 500 years Arth entered a period of relative stasis, divided in two between two rival super powers. The Chosen decided to erase much of the historical knowledge of their citizens, instead indoctrinating them in the belief that their rulers were divine beings in fact, and creating an entire religion to worship them. The Zenith were not so extreme, but the Dragonsouled still set themselves up as a heavenly mandated Imperial family.

All that ended with the "Silent War." It had been known for some time that while Ether was drawn to living beings, in some areas of the world if was drawn more strongly. This effect had long been measurable, but otherwise of only modest significance. Then, on the island of Saranavo, almost equidistant between the two superpowers, a massive ether font of unprecedented scale was discovered. Where before nothing in the world had been worth conflict between its god kings, all of a sudden this was a prize worth fighting over. Mediation failed, and war broke out, first between the Zenith and the Jibrilites, and then within a month among the Chosen and the Zohak princes themselves. From that point the war rapidly escalated. . . and then abruptly ended.

By now most of the Chosen lived in vast orbital palaces accessible only to themselves called the Ascended Isles. The Zenith Zohaka had their own retreats hidden in bubble realms along the Veil. Who struck first is no known, but over the course of a few hours the god kings of Arth began to attack each other's previously inviolate centers of power. By the end of a day most of the world's former rulers were dead - the few survivors, fled.

Most citizens saw the war only as an endless shower of falling stars across the sky, as their ruler's vast orbital palaces exploded and burned up, leading to it's moniker, the "Silent War." The next day they found that much of their world had also fallen silent. Without the power of the Chosen vast magical factories ground to a stop, power plants shut down, and the nations of Jibril began to fall apart. In distant Zenith, although the social impact was less severe, the various provinces of the Empire now began to move toward civil war as disagreements long contained by the Imperial family began to erupt.

This is the world and the period in which this game is set.

50 years ago Zadkiel founded the Republic, 20 years ago he stepped away from it leaving humans to their own devices. 10 years ago he vanished. 5 years ago was the invasion of Eleutheria and the fall of the republic.

The Eleutherian Diplomatic Initiative; the Limes Prionicus

With the outright refusal of the Chosen of Mercy’s support made abundantly clear in the early planning stages for the proposed Armagher Defence Line (a system of fixed anti-stratodyne defenses for the city) the planning committee of the council legates diverted attention towards strengthening the conventional forces; the Loki Autogear project’s star therefore ascended under the strenuous support of the First Prince Ryzard. Zadkiel was fully aware that an outright military confrontation with the full force of the Chosen was perhaps outright hopeless if not suicidal, and their Jibrilite nations, and thus stressed the validity of the diplomatic approach and deescalation towards worsening relations with Jibril. Certain private records indicate that Armagher’s cabal in the republican leadership accepted this nominally, and publicly, for the benefit of those less willing to risk everything on a future confrontation and the general public.

After receiving the general affirmation of the noble assembly Armagher authorized the dispatch of an embassy under Cordelia Megus and Durus Sentonius to Jibril to treat with the Chosen; Zadkiel provided transportation and safe conducts for the embassy. How much he knew of the actual intent is unclear but it is doubtful he remained in the dark for very long. The embassy treated primarily with the Chosen Megalos, the Builder, the Curtain of Light specifically rather then Liah, the Chosen most opposed to Zadkiel’s republican experiment. On the confidential orders or understanding delivered privately from Armagher Cordelia Megus, the head of the delegation, spoke with Megalos and offered up certain electrotech computers and other pieces of technology that had slipped from the hand of the Eleutherian Darrow and into the possession of the Republic in return for industrial assistance; Armagher’s plan for the Limes Prionicus required the raw power of Jibrilite transmutation capacity on the scale only a Chosen could provide. If one would not help another might be bribed into doing so.

Cordelia Megus: “Governor Armagher wants a tower to rain doom upon our enemies...”

Megalos: “A TOWER OF DOOM? Yesss.. You are the enemy afterall… So. You’ll get the BEST tower of Doom.”

--From the recollections of Zad-kun, Vol 71.

Megalos thereafter arranged for the almost wondrous construction of the four laser-defence towers in Piron itself and others outside of the city. Such a task was something out of the reach of the Republic but a child’s trick for the Chosen of builders; Megalos gleefully absorbed the technology used as payments for his services into his own method of personal ascension becoming something other. The embassy returned with the Governor-General presented the mission as a success. The Republic however was unable to fully outfit most of the towers as laser-defence towers thanks to the great demands on the republic’s limited industrial resources; the Autogear project as well as the mass construction of track-irons and other equipment had absorbed a high percentage of industrial output that could not be diverted. While Armagher had ensured his ADL (named the much more patriotic Limes Prionicus) through the clever use of circumventing the refusal of one chosen by enlisting the help of another Ryzard had in the meantime built his conventional army. Not fooled or blinded by hope Zadkiel finally made his break with the republican leadership foreseeing perhaps the war and the ruin to come.

The actual diplomatic maneuvers and pretense of the mission did no real harm to the cause of avoiding war while the secret objective guaranteed it. The handover of the darrow electrotech technology by Cordelia and Nina Megus was a small thing that might have allowed the Chosen to discovery the limits of such technology…. The ultimate heresy was the contamination of the chosen state of being, as developed by that cabal of alchemists centuries before, with darrow-tech by Megalos delivered by Armagher and House Megus. Liah, the Chosen most opposed to the Darrow on the grounds of their strange electrotech, pointed out to her fellows at how Megalos had went from merely being concerning to outright alarming. Pointing out this threat alongside the arming for war aganist them, especially in light of skirmishes with the Zenith, convinced finally the uncertain or previously indifferent Chosen.

The impetus for invasion was now firmly fixed and the doom of the republic triggered.

Background Fluff Images

Some images shamelessly stolen from Deviant Art to give an idea of the style of the game:

Aldicore, island capital of the Divine Dominion of Coreven

Error creating thumbnail: File missing

Marsel City Slums, Coreve Mikealan Zone

Coreve Herald-class Aerodyne Gunship

Coreve Crusaders with Inquisitor

Zenith Knight with active Arclave

Last Stand against Autoclaires

The Fall of Prion, bringing the Eluetherian Republic to an end

CZ Central, Formerly Prion City, capital of the Eleutherian Republic

Timekeeping

Jibril uses a calendar with 361 days to the year, with 11 months of 30 days, and one month of 31 days. The months are divided into seven day weeks. According the the (intentionally confusing) Jibril calendar it is the year 5 of the Age of Ascension. The previous age was the Age of Repentance, which lasted 148 years, and was itself preceded by the Age of Countenance, which lasted 76 years.

Current Game Date is Raguday, 25 Aries, 5AA, in the middle of one of the worst winters in living memory on the Mikealan Continent.

Months

Aries

10 Aries - 0AA. - the fall of the Republic

Taurus

Gemini

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

Libra

25 Libra - 4AA. - the Silent War

Scorpio

Sagittarius

Capricorn

Aquarius

Pisces (31 days)

Days of the Week

Gabrelday (Holy Day)

Mikkelday (Rest Day)

Raflesday (Toil Day)

Anasday

Simisday (Midweek)

Orisday

Raguday (Final Day)

Zenith uses a different calendar of 12 Months of 30 days with one Interstice Day (although the month names are the same), and each month containing three weeks of 10 days each. According to the Zenith Calendar the current year is 2998 Bandish Shinastra, or after the revelations of the prophet Shinastra.

Terms of Arth

Below are is some general information on items, equipment and terms in the world of Arth:

Archenium: A silver alloy capable of conducting and containing ether, and the basis for much of the Chosen's technology.

Autocar: A powered ground vehicle, commonly driven by Ambroline. Due to supply shortages of etheric fuel, many Autocars have been modified into steam powered vehicles, and in Mikaela many old gasoline powered vehicles have seen a resurgence.

Construct: An artificial organism, often created from a fusion of mechanical parts and dead flesh. Such constructs are more properly known as Cogmeks. Fully living biological constructs are possible, and have been made in the past, however they are currently outlawed by the Empyrean Codex, and living constructs will be destroyed by Jibrilites if recognized as such.

Ether Geode: A small geomantic gem capable of collecting and storing etheric energy within. Common components of etheric devices, they naturally form in small quantities, but most current geodes are artificially manufactured.

Bloodstone: An etheric bacteria mixed in to construction materials to assist transmutation when living, and then resist further casual transmutation attempts once dead. Attempting to transmute the material leads the bacteria to absorb the energy and then bleed out of the material as a dark liquid. Extremely common in Jibrilite construction.

Clockwork Cities: The cities of the Chosen in Jibril, so named for their orderly reputation as well as the habit of some Chosen to regularly rearrange the city layout via mass transmutation effects.

Cold Iron: Magically forged iron whose creation processes make it extremely resistant to further transmutation. Cold Iron disrupts etheric effects, and is used in weapons and currency (called Aduli) in some parts of the Zenith Empire. Elves have a distaste for cold iron and do not like to handle it.

Obsidian: Commonly used construction material by mages and thaumatechs due to its resistance to transmutation. Also colloquially used term for various types of pure silica extensively used by the Jibrilites.

Pol: A non-noble Jibrilite. Although heavily involved in Noble affairs, following the hierarchical tenets of the Empyrean Codex, the Chosen very rarely directly involve themselves in the affairs of the Pols.

Noble: The genetically engineered and eugenically bred members of the Jibrilite ruling class. In particular, Jibrilite Nobles have a superior sensitivity to Ether. The Jibrilite Nobility is used as the tools of the Chosen, while the Pols are the tools of the Nobility.

Heirophant: Nobles specifically granted the right to direct communion with the Chosen. This may be awarded to an entire house, in which case it will be called a "Heiro-House."

Talent: The basic Jibrilite unit of currency. Most Talents are stored etherically in voidbanks. A physical talent is a small silver coin with trace amounts of inert Archenium in a complex matrix. The coin can easily be transmuted, but doing so destroys the finely balanced Archenium matrix and renders the currency invalid. The average Jibrilite Pol will earn about 10,000 Talents a year. The average noble scion of a modest house will have a yearly stipend of 250,000 or more.

Stratodyne: Flying warships used almost to exclusion by the Jibrilites, to the point that there are very few true "water ships" in their arsenals. Most stratodynes are designed to float in water if required, usually when docked. Stratodyne Destroyers are the smallest stratodynes, usually armed with powerful short ranged missiles and rams for taking on larger warships. Cruising Stratodynes are the most common and general purpose sky ships. Battle Stratodynes are the main combat warships, and are usually capable of carrying at least a battalion of men, as well as supporting them in combat with heavy gunfire. Bridge Stratodynes are the largest sky ships, and are capable of carrying a full brigade of troops. They are often used as long range combat transports and command vessels. They are more common in garrison fleets. High Battle Stratodynes are the most powerful of the skyships and the centerpieces of the Chosen fleets - sometimes the personal transports of the Chosen themselves. They are armed with powerful spinal Void Cannon, and are the supreme combat ships of Arth, with the bulk of these warships deployed as flagships with Home Fleets or on the Heylel front.

Arthrodyne: Smaller aircraft using the sympathetic etheric resonance with insects to guide the motion of their components. Arthrodynes are a common tactical transports for Jibril troops, and usually look like large armoured beetles. The Herald Arthrodyne Guncraft is particularly common among the Coreven Crusade, due to its useful mix of armour, firepower, and troop capacity.

Aerodyne: Aerodyne Gunships have been standard modes of transport for the Crusaders for some time. Aerodyne fighters, known as "Skyreaves" are a more recent development, created over the past century to combat air attacks by sophisticated Mikaelan rebels, as well as meet the threat of potential Zenith advancements. Most Battle Stratodynes now carry at least a flight of these aircraft. The common term for the standard combat Jet is "Moth," due to its delta-wing appearance.

Autoclaire: A humanoid battlesuit, standing between 3m and 15m tall, depending on type. The smallest Arch Autoclaires are like large suits of armour, while Prime Autoclaires are the most common tactical type, and the largest Domina Autoclaires are used by commanders and for special battlefield tasks needed extra firepower and armour. There are also Throne Autoclaires of unimaginable power, rumored to have once been the personal mounts of the Chosen. The Chosen have no need of such weapons these days, but they have been known to grant these weapons to their most favoured servants. Autoclaires function through sympathetic etheric resonance with the human form, but ZEN-Tek has also created a version that runs entirely through advanced slicon computer control, which they call the 'AutoGear.' The Zenith Empire also fields devices similar to Autoclaires which they call 'Megas Anima.' Megas Anima are lest bound to the human form than Autoclaires, and commonly take winged forms.

Autoclaire Generations: To date there are five "generations" of Autoclaires. The first geneneration were the Eshim, clunky steam powered suits controlled by cogs and pulleys, used in the early days during the founding of the Chosen dominions. Only a handful of these obsolete suits still exist in collections and as curiosities, and they have no place on a modern battlefield. The second generation are the Cherubim, which were also steam powered but far more advanced with full articulation with hydraulic muscles to mimic the human form. Small numbers of heavily upgraded Cherubim still exist, most commonly as Arch Autoclaires for Jibrilite noble houses. The third generation Elohim introduced etheric power and are the recognizable form of modern Autos, with the introduction of Liah's Aleph Alpha. For several centuries the Elohim were the last autoclaires designed by the Chosen as the Jibrilite gods moved on to other pursuits. In this time the mortal Thuamatech engineers of the various Crusades performed a series of upgrades to the Elohim that were eventually recognized as the fourth generation Shaper-Elohim. These upgrades added more advanced weapons and sub systems, and additional functions including flight or fire support or assualt breakers. The fourth generation was codified in a series of force-wide upgrades incorporating the lessons learned from the late Mikealan and Rafaelan conflicts, particularly the Eleutherian Correction. These upgrades had only just been completed when the Crusades clashed with the Zenith Empire at Saranavo. The Zenith Megas-Anima proved themselves vastly superior even to the upgraded Shaper-Elohim, necessitating the hasty development of a fifth generation "Seraphim," including features like flight and improved control and weapon systems as standard.

Seraphim: The "fifth generation" of Throne Autoclaires, produced just before the Fall. Autoclaire design stalled for several centuries with the third and fourth generation "Elohim" and "Shaper-Elohim." When the Crusaders clashed with the Zenith over Saranavo in the two years leading up to the Fall the Chosen realized the Zenith had stolen a march on them with the development of their new Avatar class Megas-Anima. The fifth generation Seraphim Autoclaires were rushed into service, although only a few Throne and Domina class units were completed before the Fall. The very first Seraphim class autoclaire was actually constructed in the last years of the Eluetherian Republic. This was the Seraphim Heartbreaker, made by the Chosen Zadkiel as a final gift for Aster Emeraldine.

TrackIron: Once thought to be an obsolete weapon, the TrackIron (originally Land Panzer in its first incarnation) was an armoured Mikaelan war machine. The Eleutherian Republic resurrected the type during the Corrective War, and used vastly more modern versions with some success during the First and Second Phases of the campaign. Eleutherian TackIrons possess particularly heavy charged armour that renders them immune to most common battlefield weapons.

ZEN-Tek LLC: A shadowy manufacturer of extremely advanced electrotech, able to match the best Thaumatech devices. The Eleutherian Republic's possession of large quantities of ZENTek equipment was a nasty surprise to the invading Crusade Armies during the Correction.

Mattock: The main manufacturer of smallarms for the Jibril Crusaders. The original Mattock factorum is in the Coreve capital of Aldicore, although subsidiaries now operate in most Crusader Dominions.

Nightfall: 10 Aries 0 A.E., the day the Chosen Leliel destroyed most of the city of Prion. In the Chosen record this marked the fall of the Eleutherian Republic, however the Republic never officially surrendered, and major combat continued for several months after this date.

Charged Plate: Also known as 'Blessed Metal,' a form of personal armour involving a etherically charged metal to strengthen it and resist ether-penetrating attacks. Although it is standard personal armour for elite Crusade brigades, the Praxis version does present an unmistakeable aura signature which inhibits stealth and disrupts electronics, making it less popular with the Republic.

Ambroline: An etheric fuel, consisting of a silicate jelly, suspending etherically sensitive bacteria. Used to run most etherically powered heavy equipment. More technically called "Dyronobic Gel." Synthetically produced by the Chosen to remove the demands for geodes. Ambroline is now in short supply do to the collapse of the refining system, and can only be manufactured in small low quality quantities by the efforts of several priestesses.

Panoptic Mirror: A remote viewing device linked to a "master mirror." Images reflected in the master mirror and similarly reflected on all linked Panoptics. The newer Jibrilite Panoptics can also transmit sound, and these are sometimes referred to as "Tinbells."

Teletex: A teletex is a telepathic transmission device, usually used as part of a secure one-to-one communication. The teletex interprets the normally difficult telepathic transmission. Teletex usually take the form of a crown, however the smaller ones are a simple silver pad that the user presses to their temple. When used by a skilled thaumatuge, a teletex can be used to broadcast and receive from and to a larger number of stations, and over longer ranges. It should be noted that the range of telepathy is in fact functionally unlimited on Arth, but Chosen technology imposes range restrictions to allow some control over regional communications.

Psyrex: A form of focused short ranged teletex used for delving inside the mind of a subject. The most powerful deep psyrex can be used to plumb the very depths of a subjects self and even change their personalities.

Libratex: A libratex is a simpler form of teletex that sends only pre-set text messages from an internal library, usually to a printing device. It is commonly used by the military, government, and news agencies.

Logitike: A Jibrilite thaumaturge skilled in wild magic. What wild magic a Jibrilite can learn and use is heavily restricted, and official schools never teach "Lotek" beyond the basic level.

Logos: A thinking machine, usually formed from imprisoning a spirit within a mechanical construct to give form to its thoughts and allow it to be used to aid the thaumatech. Also called a Aetheric Intellect or AI.

Sodality: An etheric computer, made from several complex interconnected praxi. Sometimes the host for a Logos.

Psyche: A thaumaurge particularly skilled in telepathic communication.

Thaumatech: A Thaumatech is a Jibrilite who understands the inner working of praxis circuits, and can recombine, or even create their own. Nearly all Jibrilite Thaumatechs are members of the Empyrean Church, and in some Dominions it is actively illegal to practice Thaumatechnology without divine sanction.

Thaumaturge: A Thaumaturge is any Jibrilite with developed skill in channelling ether. Most Thaumatechs are also Thaumaturges (so much so that the skill is assumed for any Thaumatech), but many Thaumaturges are not Thaumatechs.

Preistess: A Thaumaturge within the Empyrean Church, ordained with religious authority by the Chosen. Virtually all are women, due to longstanding tradition.

Cleric: An Empyrean Thaumaturge attached to the Crusade or Constabulary. Sometimes called "Combat Claires," in barracks slang.

Crusader: A soldier in the army of those Chosen who sought to build empires abroad. Crusaders recruit from across Dominion, and even Protectorate populations, although their officers are almost always Jibrilite nobility. For centuries the most powerful and feared military force on Arth.

Guardians: Soldiers serving the Empyrean Church directly, not commonly seen in the Protectorates, where the Crusaders perform many of their duties. Habitually far better equipped than Crusaders with the most advanced Thaumatech. Guardian lines are insular and do not recruit from the general populace. Although originally drawn from the very best human soldiers, there are rumours that many Chosen have long used tailor made constructs as Guardian. More archaically called 'custos.'

Inquisitor: A Thaumaturge within the Empyrean Church, charged with protecting the Church and its members from physical and doctrinal harm. The most prominent Inquisitors are Solinarchs, and the terms are often used interchangeably, but in fact most members of the Inquisition are not so enhanced. The Inquisition admits large amounts of men, and nearly all Solinarchs are male.

Solinarch: An individual enhanced with internal praxis circuitry (called solo praxis). The Solinarch creation process is lengthy, painful, and prone to failure, but when successful it results in powerful etheric warriors. The very pinacle of Jibrilite military technology.

Fey: Etheric beings originally from the Perithan world of Morgana, now shapeshifting residents of Apathan animal shells. There are five known ranks of Fey. At the top are the Monarchs of the Lios Alfar, the rulers of the Fey. These are immortal Perithan beings who remain close to their heritage and are virtually indestructible. They assume a multitude of forms, and can change their shape as freely as they change their minds. Below the Monarchs are the Princes. Princely Fey assume static forms, although they can change them greatly if they desire. While these forms are mortal, if killed, the Prince's soul will drift until it can be reborn in a new body. Next are the Courtiers. Courtiers also have static forms, with the ability to shift them as they wish. Like Royal Fey, if a Courtier is killed their soul can be recovered and reborn. Below the Courtiers are the Commoners. Commoners have mortal bodies, and although their souls can be preserved after death this must be done quickly or they will soon dissipate. The lowest are the Mog Alfar, Thin-Bloods, or most commonly, "Elves." These are the offspring of humans and Royal Fey, from pairings in the distant past. They are unable to shapeshift, and bear tell-tale signs of their heritage. Mog Alfar are longer lived than humans (living 300-500 years), and have higher innate Etheric sensitivity, but are otherwise mortal.