Five hundred years ago, a warrior brute named Taius united the fractured Martial clans, and swept down from the north, crushing the Scholar Empire and taking over most of the continent. He named himself Emperor and established his dynasty. He was called the Masked One, for the unearthly silver mask he wore to scare his enemies. His legacy still rules today.
A class of people once renowned for their knowledge, the “Scholars” crumbled beneath the Martial invasion, and have lived under the Empire’s rule ever since. They are forbidden from reading and writing, owning property and attending school, and even the mildest transgressions result in enslavement. In recent years, a Scholar resistance movement has grown in power, and is fighting back against the Empire’s oppression.
Blackcliff Academy sprawls atop Serra’s eastern cliffs like a colossal vulture, a jumble of buildings enclosed by a black granite wall. Initially built as a school to prepare and identify the future Emperor, Blackcliff is now a training ground for the Empire’s deadliest soldiers—the silver-faced Masks.
The Scholar Resistance is a movement dedicated to battling the Empire’s violent rule. The Resistance leaders are the best and the bravest of the Scholars. Elusive as the rebels are, they're the only weapon the Scholars have against the Empire and its soldiers.
Named for the eerie silver masks that cover their faces, these soldiers are the Martial Empire’s most ruthless enforcers. They fight with speed and skill that is almost inhuman. Martial children destined for Maskhood are taken from their families at the age of 6, and trained at Blackcliff Military Academy for 14 years.
The Augurs are a group of 14 Martial holy men and women who are believed to be immortal, and who are revered as advisors and seers.
Kauf Prison sits in the frigid Northern Reaches of the Empire. The Martials send their most dangerous criminals, as well as any who defy the Empire, to die in Kauf’s infamous and oppressive dungeons. Those who enter the prison grounds rarely, if ever, emerge.
A largely seafaring people, the Mariners live in the free lands of Marinn, to the northeast of the Martial Empire. Their prosperous trade of iron, meats, and spices enabled them to enter a treaty with the Martial Empire to retain their freedom. However, they have historically been an ally to the Scholars, and many Mariners have joined with the Scholar resistance movement.
The capital city of Marinn and home to the Mariner monarchy, Adisa is a bustling trade port perched on the shores of Fari Bay. The city is equally known for the majestic white granite wall that surrounds its borders as it is for its Great Library, a towering center of knowledge marked by its iconic spire.
The Jinn are ancient creatures of smokeless fire that walked the earth long before mankind was born. Though originally caretakers of humans and guides for human souls after death, they were attacked by the Scholar Empire, whose king wished to steal jinn magic. Long thought by humans to have been killed in the attack, the Jinn were instead imprisoned in a grove deep in the Forest of Dusk.
Nestled in a curve of the River Dusk, far inside the Forest of Dusk, lies the Sher Jinnaat, or the City of the Jinn. Made up of buildings created entirely out of a smooth black stone with magical properties, the city is characterized by its rounded streets and structures, as well as the musical pipes embedded in the walls, and activated by wind. Initially built for a bustling community of Jinn, it has lain empty and abandoned for centuries after the imprisonment of the Jinn by the Scholars.
Wraiths are malevolent, magical creatures born out of sorcerous experimentation in the Southern Lands. They're prone to attacking humans, and must be killed by decapitation.
Tiny, winged magical creatures, wights are small, swift, and crafty. Known as tricksters, they have a reputation of luring humans into trouble or death. However, they're fiercely loyal to those who earn their trust and make excellent spies, though they are still not to be crossed.
Ghuls are malevolent creatures of shadow who feed off blood and pain. They are often found on battlefields and in prisons, though they are attracted to any living creature that is suffering. The Nightbringer, the King of the Jinn, uses them as his personal spies and messengers.
The Jaduna are a people hailing from the unknown lands far west of the Martial Empire, beyond the Great Wastes. They are distinguished by their ability to wield magic, and traditionally wear gold and silver coins threaded into their hair and across their forehead. A number of the Jaduna make their home in Adisa, where they serve as protectors of the crown.