Prologue

Aeons ago, the sky itself betrayed the world. One of Atheria’s four moons tore free of the heavens and crashed to earth in a cataclysm later named the Moonfall. Continents cracked, seas boiled, and nearly all life was scoured away. The survivors looked up in fear at the three moons that remained, Ire, Zareneth, and Elysia, and wondered when the next would fall.

From the ruin came strange gifts. The Moonfall seeded the world with a shimmering ore called Atherium, the raw stuff of magic. Even now, shards fall in burning showers known as Starfall, each impact leaving behind veins of power, and danger.

Atherium fuels every marvel of this new age: machines, weapons, airships, wonders that would have been called miracles in older days. Yet its touch is perilous. Prolonged exposure twists flesh, sickens blood, and leaves behind creatures better suited to nightmares than life.

The gods, if they ever truly walked Atheria, are silent. Their names linger only in fragments of myth, while the people have turned instead to worship the divine aspects of emotion itself. Six great Churches dominate the land, Joy, Hope, Reflection, Fear, Hate, and Gree, with countless lesser cults and fellowships filling the spaces between. In Atheria, to feel deeply is to touch the divine.

In the many millennia since the Moonfall, countless empires have risen from the dust and crumbled back into it. Civilizations of staggering brilliance left only ruins, their names half-remembered in song or buried beneath stone. Each age has built upon the bones of the last, and each has fallen in turn to war, disaster, or corruption. The four great powers of today are merely the latest inheritors of this endless cycle.

Arcadia closes its gates beneath the waves, hoarding secrets of rune and flesh. Drachen endures in its crimson courts, ruled by immortals with an unquenchable thirst for dominion. Aegis, heart of the Collective, pushes outward with industry and conquest, ever testing its neighbors. And Eradar struggles still against the creeping plague of mutation, its people scarred by the land itself.

This is Atheria: a world rebuilt on the bones of a fallen age, driven by wonder, shadowed by fear, and forever marked by the fire of the Moonfall.

Timeline of the World

The Age of Ruin

The Age of Ruin is as mysterious as it was cataclysmic. What came before is a complete unknown to those who live today. Scholars, prophets, and dreamers spin countless theories, but all are shadows cast on broken stone.

This is the age of the Moonfall, when Atherious, fourth of Atheria’s moons, tore from the heavens and shattered the world below. Continents buckled, seas boiled, and nearly all life was annihilated. Fossil records and scattered ruins suggest the near-total extinction of the old world. For tens of thousands of years, Atheria lay in silence, a barren ruin seeded only with strange new power: Atherium.

Few remnants survived. What life endured was forever changed, and the world that rose again was not the same one that fell.

The Age of Heroes

The Age of Heroes is when life returned in earnest, and with it, legend. Villages grew into kingdoms, kingdoms into empires. Monsters stalked the land, and those bold enough to face them became names carved into memory. It was a time of rampaging dragons, besieged castles, and adventurers whose deeds shaped entire peoples.

Many civilizations rose in this age. The enigmatic Stone Choir carved vast crystal monoliths said to sing across valleys. The Glass Kings ruled the deserts with crowns of living flame. And the Elves forged the great Dominatus Empire, mastering magics now long lost. Few of these wonders endure, their ruins litter the world, but their secrets remain beyond mortal grasp.

This was a time of triumph, but also of hubris. What was built in glory often fell to greed, betrayal, or shadow.

The Age of Horrors

The Age of Horrors marks a void in history, a time when the light of memory itself guttered and died. Records are almost nonexistent, as if deliberately erased. What fragments survive speak of a Darkness that swept across the land, blotting out whole civilizations.

It was during this time that the Lost first appeared. Creatures warped beyond recognition by the touch of Atherium, they spread like a plague. To the people of that age, the connection was unknown; Atherium was still rare, still a mystery, and so the horror seemed without cause.

Some whisper this was when the Empire of Chains rose and fell, binding the dead into servitude until even their masters vanished. Whether true or myth, the Age of Horrors was a second great extinction, and Atheria has never fully recovered from it.

The Age of Discovery

After centuries of silence, the fires of civilization flared once more. As Atherium grew more abundant, mortals learned to harness its power not only to survive, but to fight back. The Lost were driven into the night, and with their retreat came an age of rebuilding.

Towns and farms spread, guarded by spells and steel. Great cities rose, and the first true metropolis of the new world was founded: Parallax. It drew pilgrims from every land, promising safety and prosperity. But as its numbers swelled, resources dwindled, and factional strife grew.

Legends tell that the Silent Court ruled briefly in this era, faceless monarchs whose names were erased from every record. By the time Parallax fractured under its own weight, their memory too had slipped into myth.

At last, the Parallax Treaty split the land into three fledgling nations, each vowing to chart its own destiny. Their rivalry would shape all that followed.

The Age of Atherium

The Age of Atherium is the age of marvel and peril, the present era, when the true scale of Atherium’s power has been revealed. Nations build wonders upon it, but every marvel carries a cost.

Arcadia vanished beneath the sea, a nation remade in pressure and tide. The Collective embraced industry, their airships now skimming the skies on magnetic currents. Drachen perfected undeath, its Crimson Court ruling in velvet and blood. Eradar emerged from the mountains scarred, their people mutated by the very ore they once hoarded.

It is an age of miracles, but also of growing fear. Recent centuries have seen assassinations, bombings, and the rise of rulers who speak openly of war. Some whisper that this cycle too will end in ruin, as all others before it. The only question is when.

Chapter I - Prologue

The Collective

Aegis sits at the bottom of an enormous crater, above the ruins of the city before it. It is protected from the Starfall by an immense shield dome and is the center of power and technology in the area.

Aegis itself is built in segregated zones around the Noble Tower. Outward from these are the Temple, Market, Arena and Military Districts. There is a strict caste system involving numerical brands in place, with those with money and influence at the top.

The city holds power over the Towns, Villages and smaller settlements of the land east of the Impasse Mountains, sending down Barons to govern them. This group of loose alliances is known as the Collective.

Collective Technology has progressed along an industrial path. It features exposed metalwork and wood with an emphasis on mechanical systems. Their weapons, armour and machines tend to have an amalgamation of functions and uses and often fill a "Jack of all trades" function, however they do require a certain specialised knowledge to manufacture properly and maintain.

The major languages spoken in the Collective are Common, Dwarven, Giant and Goblin.

Major Cities

Aside from Aegis, the most prominent cities within the Collective are the three ports that sit along its eastern shore:

Imber

In the north, Imber, which sits guard alongside an Atherium blighted river known as The Glow, doubling as a fortress and port. The mangled and grotesque trees of the Fang Wood are visible across the river and another reminder of the horrors which lurk there.

This city is well known as a pirate haven, there is a longstanding agreement from the Baron that so long as pirate vessels stand with those of Imber against the tide of marauding creatures from the Singing Sea, a blind eye shall be turned.

Solum

To the south, Solum, known as the 'City of Science' is ruled by a paranoid Baron who has banned all magic within its walls. The city strives to advance technology without reliance on fickle, unpredictable magic.

A testament to this, is the cities enormous battery of cannons, which protect it from the threats of the sea and the threat of obliteration by Starfall. However, they have not been fired in over a century and in recent years there has been a push toward accepting magic once more.

Numeri

At the east, Numeri, largest of the three ports, the hub of trading across the continent and built 100 feet over the sea. The city rests on an enormous stone bridge which spans the delta of a great river.

If Aegis is the seat of the Collective's power, then Numeri is its beating heart. People from all over the continent live, trade and work along or under this massive bridge and Atherium almost runs through the streets like water.

Arcadia

The City of Arcadia resides under the Arcadian sea. However, their influence reaches far as several small islands and landmasses also make up parts of this Federation, as well as any number of other underwater cities. They mostly keep to themselves and away from the land although they do have a vested interest in the resources and affairs the people there. They are the biggest consumer of Atherium on the continent.

Arcadian Society is hive like, having a rigid occupational structure with each citizen working toward the greater whole. They are ruled over by the Weaver Matriarchs, four powerful mages with the rare ability to create new magic.

Arcadian Technology proves to be a wonder of magic and metal. Their weapons, armour and machines almost exclusively work around elemental infusions and each tends to perform a certain task with great focus and craftmanship with little room for deviation. They create most of their works with a material dubbed "Rune-Steel" which is somehow able to hold elemental energies during the forging process.

The major languages spoken in Arcdia are Common, Elvish, Sylvan and Draconic.

Major Cities

Arcadia is secretive, aside from its capitol city, there are only a small number of other widely known settlements.

Arcadia Prime

The capital of the Federation. Arcadia Prime is a massive subnautical city that sits deep below the Arcadian sea. The city is home to the Hyperian Institute, a military branch that specialises in forced Atherium mutation to empower their soldiers.

The city itself rarely admits travelers, but those who have returned from the place speak of wounderous spires, and buildings that tower over the citizens. As well as the ever present military on seemingly every street corner.

Brallia

Initially no more than an outpost, Brallia sits north of Arcadia Prime in a small island chain. Its residents have developed a sense of independence over the years and often consider themselves seperate to the Federation as a whole.

This, however, is hotly disputed and has caused the city to split along political lines, with two very distinct groups and ideologies on either side. One striving for true independence and the other seeking to comfort and protections of Arcadia.

Deltaius

A major city, Deltaius is the foundry hub of the Federation. Its here that Rune-Steel is created and imbuded with its elemental properties and it is here that their machines of war are wrought.

The City is under a constant layer of smog due to the sheer quantities of Atherium refined within its walls. Because of this, its citizens are always seen wearing distictive breathing masks. This has lead to some of Atheria's strangest fashion scenes.

Nevertheless, the city is the industrial heart of Arcadia and its people are are hard and tempered as the metals they forge.

Eradar

The Eradani (Known as the "Forgotten" to most) are a secluded and nomadic people, with a handful of permanent settlements. The biggest group reside in the city of Val Hazark deep in the Impasse Mountains. This city also doubles as the only known route through the mountains and many an explorer laments at the "Gate of Hazark" blocking their way.

As the Eradani people live in and around vast Atherium deposits, the majority of the population suffer from mutations in one form or another. However this has also meant that they rule the region economically, as the dominant Atherium traders.

Eradani Technology is primitive in design compared to the others but often uniquely strong. The tribes of the Eradani forge Atherium into their Blades and Armour with a secret technique which renders it near inert. This Atherium Glass is incredibly sharp and durable, able to pierce the sturdiest of armours and withstand the most potent of attacks. It is also well known for its magic damping properties.

The major languages spoken in Eradar are Common, Undercommon, Gnomish and Dwarven

Major Cities

Val Hazark

The capital of Eradar, Val Hazark is the largest permanent settlement within the nation. It sits below the Impasse Mountains, carved out of the massive caverns that litter the area.

It is known at the 'Atherium City' as so much of the mineral flows through its very streets, largely on its way east to be sold to the other nations.

However, due to the high concentration of Atherium in the city, large swathes of the population are mutated and visitors must take precautions to avoid a similar fate.

Dusk Haven

Located at the edge of the Duskwood, this city is steeped in an eternal twilight. The city itself acts as a trade hub for the local area, largely due to the existence of esoteric reagents in the nearby wood.

It is said that those who reside in the city for too long become unable to stand direct sunlight. Its longest lived denizens are apparently able to move through shadows as if they were portals.

While travelers, adventurers or merchants are common in the city, most visitors are warned not to spend longer than they must here, lest they never leave.

Val Tyro

North of Val Hazark, Val Tyro is Eradar's technological hub. This is where the vast majority of Atherium Glass production occurs and is also rumoured to be the location of an ancient vault of powerful magical artefacts.

Val Tyro is home to a majority Changeling population and, while largely benign, their presence can be quite unsettling for unwitting travelers. Especially when they first encounter the Changeling predilection for keeping pet mimics.

Drachen

Younger as a nation, but older as a people compared to the others on the continent. Drachen is spoken about in hushed whispers by their eastern neighbours in Eradar and not at all by those over the mountains.

The City of Khanval is considered by most as the Capital. It is home to the Crimson Court, a group of ruling Vampires who style themselves are lords and rulers over the area. Khanval is a seat of power, loosely allied with the other cities in the area but at odds with Voltyn and its Lich ruler.

The Scarlet Queen (The lead member of the court) has rebranded herself the Scarlet Empress in this last century, as part of her expansionist dogma, and has started to create waves amongst the other ruling houses across the nation.

The Coven Crafters of Drachen specialise in the use of Sanguine Brands. A magical mixture of Blood that has been altered by necromantic ritual and bound to a mundane item through sigils and markings. This foul craft is ever hungry however and requires constant replenishment

The major languages spoken in Drachen are Common, Elvish, Primordial, Infernal and Abyssal

Major Cities

Khanval

The current capital city of Drachen, Khanval has vied for this position with the city of Storms, Voltyn, for centuires. There is little in the way of beloved or democratic leadership in this region, with "Might is Right" being the general sentiment.

Khanval is the strongest city at the moment, housing the Crimson Court and acting as both their seat of power and symbol of authority.

The majority population of the city are undead thralls and servants, with the half-breed Dhampire sitting near the middle of the hierarchy. There are many lords and dukes styled among the upper noble classes and much political infighting, plotting and scheming.

Eyge

The city of schemes, Eyge, lays on the very border of Drachen amd Eradar. Both sentinel to forces from the east as well as base of operations for the vast spy network operated by the Court.

The city sits at the mouth of Drachen Pass (Known as the Nightway by those in Eradar) a canyon bottleneck that has served as border and outpost for centuries.

The population of Eyge is largely humanoid, but it is rumoured that there exists a vast underground city here and that the surface city is simply a ruse.

Voltyn

Home of a mysterious and powerful Lich. Voltyn resides in the north of Drachen lands, cradled by the Aetherial Ossuary. The city and its denizens act as protectors to this sacred site.

Sickly magical energy hangs in the air over Voltyn, the entire population are said to pay a tithe of their own life energy to their ruler. Travelers are expressly forbidden access.

Kazagar

Kazagar is a continent steeped in eternal twilight, far to the north of Starfall. The sun never fully rises here; the land lies bathed in a perpetual half-light that casts long shadows and breeds stranger things still within them. Vast forests of black crystal, known as Nakkete, pierce the horizon, some growing as tall as mountains. These spires hum faintly when the moons draw close, filling the air with a sound more felt than heard.

It is a land divided. For centuries, Kazagar’s denizens have warred with the Fallen, a caste of dark celestials who once served an ancient god. Though her godhood lies broken, her children remain, demi-godlike beings who see themselves as rightful rulers of the continent. Some Fallen walk openly as tyrants, others whisper from the dark as prophets, and still more lead cults that promise power in their fallen god’s name.

The mortals of Kazagar are caught between resistance and surrender. Entire city-states live in the Fallen’s shadow, forced to tithe in blood or service, while others raise their banners in rebellion, fighting a war they can never truly win. To set foot in Kazagar is to walk in a land where faith, fear, and shadow intertwine.

The major languages spoken are Umbral, Kazag, Assa, and Harr. Scholars note that Umbral is closest to the speech of the shadow realm itself, often used in Fallen rites.

Major Cities

Onyx

The greatest bastion of mortal defiance in Kazagar. Built among towering Nakkete crystals, its black walls shimmer with their light, warding off lesser shadow-beasts.

Onyx is ruled by the Council of Ash, a conclave of war-leaders and seers who have sworn to hold back the Fallen at any cost. Life here is harsh, but to the free peoples of Kazagar, Onyx is a beacon of defiance.

Orzai

A city surrendered to the Fallen. Orzai thrives in uneasy peace beneath the gaze of its celestial overlord. Its markets bustle with strange goods, shards of crystallized shadow, blood-inked tomes, and relics stolen from Nakkete spires.

Outsiders are tolerated so long as they acknowledge the rule of the fallen, but whispers say the city’s soul has long since been bartered away.

Orkell

Once the jewel of Kazagar, Orkell now stands in ruin. The city was shattered during the first great revolt against the Fallen, when a Nakkete spire collapsed into its heart.

Ruined palaces and half-sunken avenues stretch for miles, haunted by both specters of the fallen and scavengers who dare the cursed streets. Many claim Orkell sleeps, its people not truly dead but bound within the crystal roots that now choke its foundations.

Chapter II - The World of Atheria

Currency Across the World

There are various currencies in and out of use in the Nations, Cities and Villages of Atheria. Each of the four nations mint their own coinage and there are countless types of old and ancient coins to be found in ruins and the old places of the world.

The continent's economy runs on the Silver Standard. Each of the four nations coins may be different in name and style but they are each worth roughly the same. Despite their shared value, vendors within a nation will usually only accept the currency of their realm.

The Collective Hexate

Coins from the Collective are known 'Hexates', or simply 'Hex' due to their distinctive six sided shape. They are gold in colour and feature imagery of the largest cities around the Collective.

In recent years, these have began to dominate the other currencies of the continent.

The Arcadian Bond

In Arcadia, they utilise paper money which has been enchanted with magical inks. These 'Bonds' are durable, light and can be traded for goods and services across the nation.

However, they quickly lose their magical imprints when removed from Arcadian lands and are largely worthless in other nations.

The Eradani Frag

The Eradani currency, 'Frags' are flat, irregular shaped offcuts from failed Atherium Glass creation. They are a dark translucent green in colour and hold none of the properties of Atherium or its Glass derivative.

These Frags are surprisingly tough, given their thin shape and have even been honed into throwing weapons for the more esoteric adventurer.

The Drachen Ducat

Within the Crimson Courts of Drachen there is little need for coinage as favour and duty are the preffered currency. However, within the wider towns and cities of the nation they make use of the Drachen Ducat. The Ducat is a complex square of red metal, forged with a drop of Vampire blood.

Just how vampire blood is extracted and forged into these coins remains a mystery, but there remains a steady supply.

Gold Sovereign

In the long past, this was the major currency across the entire land. It faded out of use during the Age of Horrors and was eventually fully replaced almost 1000 years ago at the signing of the "Parallax Treaty". These coins can still be found in the ruins and old places of the past and can still fetch a good price, to the right buyer.

Slate

A smooth, disc shaped coinage with a flecked white appearance. Slate has only recently entered circulation in Starfall as its been bought over by travelers from Kazagar.

Its value fluctuates wildly, city to city and vendor to vendor and it is not widly accepted anywhere.

Chapter II: Rules and Mechanics

The Otherside

The Veiled World, the Far Lands, la Distesa. There are many words in many languages for this realm. Most know it simply as the Otherside. This is the physical location of the Elemental, Celestial and Infernal realms, which occupy space within the same plane.

In Atheria the barrier between planes, however, is strong. The Ethereal acts as a solid protective shell around the Prime Material (Where Atheria Resides), stopping all outgoing attempts to breach it.

The Plane of Dreams borders the Ethereal, with the hopes and fears of sentient races shaping and warping it into one of Atheria's most turbulent and dangerous metaphysical locations. This energy eventually trickles away on the shores of the Astral Sea, where consciousness ends. It is on the other side of the vast Astral expanse that the remaining plane lays.

Planar Travel

Travel out of the Material Plane has been largely considered impossible by Atheria's top minds over the centuries. The Etherial Barrier is simply too strong to breach.

However, travel into the Material is much easier. Summoning Spells are often used to pull denizens of the Otherside, known as 'Outsiders' through and history shows that there have been many incursions by extra-planar entities.

Little is known about the physical make up of the Otherside as precious little information is shared by Outsiders on our plane, just that The Celestial Realm of Elysia is bordered by the Elemental Realms of Water and Air while The Infernal Realm of Ire is bordered by the Elemental Realms of Fire and Earth.

Elementals

Elementals are a subset of Outsider which embody elemental energies. They have a much less regimented society than most Outsiders, and live a fiercely independent existence.

Some scraps of lost lore suggest that there exist elementals which exhibit multiple aspects, such as Lava or Mist, but little else is known.

Celestials and Infernals

Celestials and Infernals are another Subset of Outsider. It appears that the emotional weight of Atheria is felt across their realms, having a heavy influence upon it. They are largely divided into the Lawful Celestials and Chaotic Infernals. There is no inherent Good or Evil within these beings.

The great generals of the Celestial host and Infernal horde are the manifestations of the emotional energies felt and experienced by the denizens of Atheria. The current, most powerful beings match the major emotional faiths of Atheria.

They appear largely uninterested in the affairs of the Material Plane, despite their apparent tie to its emotional energies, although there is evidence of Outsider incursions in the long past of Atheria.

It's been said in hushed whispers that some of the leaders, the Archons, of the major faiths of Atheria are concerned that if the general population of Atheria discover the extent that their worship empowers these beings, that there could be a schism. That the weight of their belief could manifest a true deity? That is true sacrilege.

Greater Outsiders

Name	Type	Alingment	Domain
Remiel	Archangel	LE	Hate
Usiel	Archangel	LN	Reflection
Domiel	Archangel	LG	Hope
Xeran	Archdemon	CG	Joy
Dral'Ganeg	Archdemon	CN	Greed
Azzad	Archdemon	CE	Fear
Igni	Elemental	N	Fire
Torr	Elemental	N	Water
Sapur	Elemental	N	Air
Chur	Elemental	N	Earth

Chapter II - The World of Atheria

The Lost

The Lost are those who succumb to the effects of Atherium and are warped by its corrupting influence. These creatures count as Undead for Class Features and Spells, they are all very dangerous. Below are some of the different Classifications that have been discovered across in Atheria.

The Bound

The Bound are tormented spirits of the dead who are trapped in our world, bound to the body they inhabited in life. They appear as Shadowy spirits engulfing a phsycal body, however in truth they exist purely as the spirit and puppeteer their corpse as a way to interact with our world.

They roam the wilds at night and seek out the warmth of life, attempting to siphon their victems life force into their own in a doomed attempt to live once more.

They are so strongly adverse to light, that a simple torch is enough to drive them back. However, when they gather in numbers, the weight of their grief becomes so intense that light sources dim and eventually extinguish.

The Juggernaut

The Amalgamated can form when multiple creatures die within close proximity of each other. The Atherium in their blood or their surroundings causes flesh to shift, warp and change, pulling together and bonding into something new.

They can also be created from living creatures, if they share a close environment that is seeped in Atherium, such as those who refine the mineral or slaves used to mine it.

Amalgamated are incredibly violent and aggressive beings, they seek out other creatures in a warped attempt to merge with them and add to themselves.

Physical contact should be avoided at all costs, all attempts made by these creatures to communicate should be ignored. Nothing remains of those consumed.

The Withered

The Withered are creatures that have given up and wasted away. The Atherium in their blood tightens their skin and warps their bones, causing limbs to grow long, thin and gangly.

When they move, their weakened form snaps, cracks and breaks and is subsequently regenerated. This gives them a very distinct soundprint as well as making them very hard to kill for good.

They are otherwise soundless and are drawn to sources of food and water. Thus, those living on farmsteads or around potable water must be always on guard and listen for their distinct arrival.

They primarily attack from afar, with some arcane mechanism that allows them to snap off limbs, then hurl them at their targets.

These shuddering, creaking and snapping creatures are to be avoided where possible. If engaging them is the only option, be sure to remember that their regeneration can only be negated by healing magic.

Chapter V: The Lost

The Shattered

Clusters of hovering limbs, faces, and fragments of armor that orbit a cracked soul core. Their parts are in constant motion constantly forming a new, grotesque silhouette every few moments.

Fauna of Atheria

Though the Lost embody Atherium’s curse, the living world is no less dangerous. Atheria’s beasts are not simple wildlife but omens, predators, and echoes of the world’s broken past. To scholars they are subjects of study; to common folk, they are stories whispered by firelight.

Flora of Atheria

The plant life of Atheria bears the scars of the Moonfall and the touch of Atherium. Some offer sustenance, others conceal danger, and a few blur the line between miracle and curse. To the untrained, they are simply plants. To the wise, they are omens, weapons, or treasures beyond price.

Other Worlds

Though Atheria is the jewel of its heavens, it does not hang alone. Ancient astrologers named the wandering stars, and modern scholars of the Collective and Arcadia alike confirm their existence.

Beyond Atheria lie other worlds, some shrouded in myth, others glimpsed only through fractured crystal lenses or the dreaming paths of seers. Each carries its own secrets, and each whispers of forces older than mortals can reckon.

The Sternbild

At the rim of the system lies a pale ring of stars, a boundary scholars call the Sternbild. Beyond it, magic is theorised to falter and fail. Without Atherium, there can be no magic.

Some believe the Sternbild is a wall; others, a wound. If there are worlds beyond, they remain out of mortal reach and sight.

Demilios

At the heart of the firmament burns Demilos, the eternal star. To mortals, it is the source of light, warmth, and the rhythm of days, but to the faithful it is far more: the First Fire, the divine spark that all emotions spring from.

The Church of Hope calls it the Crown of Dawn, while the Acolytes of Fear claim its brilliance blinds mortals from the truth hidden in shadow.

Arcadian astronomers note that Demilos is not constant, its light pulses faintly every few centuries, as though it breathes. Some whisper that even the sun is alive, and that one day it may exhale its last.

Hunegarr

A world of endless storms, Hunegarr is cloaked in churning clouds that flash with crimson lightning. No mortal sight has pierced its atmosphere, but seers claim that vast beasts swim its tempests, each the size of mountains.

The Bastions of Wrath teaches that Hunegarr is the prison of a storm-titan cast down by the gods. Yet sailors swear that when Hunegarr burns brightest in the sky, their ships sail swifte, as though some power still blesses the bold.

Varmorak

The black star. Even at its closest pass, Varmorak gleams no brighter than a dying coal. Its surface is said to be scarred with fissures glowing faintly green, like veins of buried Atherium.

Explorers whisper that Varmorak is hollow, a shell of stone around a great, consuming void. The Order of Apathy holds vigils on nights when Varmorak eclipses the moons, believing that its silence is a glimpse of the true end of all things.

Atheria

Atheria holds three moons in its orbit, Elysia, Zaraneth and Ire. It's fourth moon, Atherious, fell to the planet eons ago in a cataclysmic event known as the 'Moonfall'.

While the planet still bares the scars of this event, by the current age it has largely healed and life once more abounds.

Alarq

Called the Dawn Mirror, Alarq is a world of impossible beauty, golden seas, cloud-wreathed mountains, and an atmosphere that shines like glass. Yet nothing about it is stable. Scholars tracking Alarq have recorded it in two places at once, or seen its light flicker out entirely, only to blaze again days later.

To the faithful of Hope, Alarq is a promise that some fragment of paradise lingers. To the Acolytes of Fear, it is proof that even paradise can be devoured.

Whispers of the Forgotten

There are names half-remembered in forbidden tomes, worlds lost to time or erased from the firmament.

Some speak of a shattered twin to Atheria that fell into shadow, its remnants scattered among the moons. Others of a hidden black sun that fuels necromancy. Others more of ancient moons, flung away from Atheria in the past who seek a path back home.

Whether these are truths or lies, the stars above remain restless, and mortals ever reach upward.

Chapter II - The World of Atheria

Faith through Emotion

A The vast majority of the population in Atheria choose to worship the emotions that drive their daily lives instead of Deities. This is due to the apparent lack of presence of any such God, Gods or other Divine beings. There are still those who worship higher beings, with the Church of the Broken God being the most populous, but they are in the minority.

Concentration of strong emotions are required for the summoning of Fiends and Celestials. Some even posit that it is these emotions that all humanoids experience that willed the Angels and Demons of the Otherside into being in the first place.

Clerics gain their power through devotion to, and embodiement of, emotions. While some domains seem to fit easily into certain churches (Such as a Life Domain Cleric, who embodies Hope), you'll find that most can easily cover multiple churches (A Trickery Domain Cleric fits easily within the Avarites of the Church of Greed with its Roguish flavour, but equally well with Joy as a fun Prankster).

There exist many emotions and thus many places of worship out in the world. Below are the Six Primary Emotional Faiths of Atheria, as well as a selection of the smaller secondary churches.

The Church of Joy

Sex, Drugs and Rock n' Roll.

The most populous faith across the continent, Hedonists from the Church of Joy revel in the good things in life. There is always a buffet or an orgy happening in their temples and all are welcome to attend, member or not.

Their events and parties are legendary across the continent and are their way of expressing and worshiping their aspect of Joy. However, some see this as excessive, others question what is expected in return from all this good faith and Joy.

While popular, the route of worship through Joy is seen by many devout people as taking a divine shortcut. Joy is too easy, too simple, there is little in the way of sacrifice or understanding that goes into partying. Many of the other faiths look upon the Church of Joy with distain.

Day to day, the church also supports the populous around them. They serve as a food bank to those in need, as a day care for working families and even a theater. Clerics of Joy can be found at street carnivals, shows and all manor of events.

It's at night the real Joy begins. The sun goes down, darkness unhinders inhabitions and Joy spreads to all. However, life cannot be a party all the time, there are more than a few members of this church who eventually fall out of Joy and in with Greed or Guilt.

Chapter III: Religion in Atheria

The Path of Hope

Healing, Medicene and Protection.

Those who worship at the Beacons of Hope seek to bring their light to all corners of civilisation. They are more loosely organised than the other faiths, having no formal leadership and its members simply work toward this shared goal. This means their approach to faith is one of the most varied in Atheria.

Often, members of The Path travel the lands acting as healers or escorts. They seek people in need and render aid, helping kindle the light of the week in hopes that they may bring that light to others still.

Some choose to settle in an area, often small townships or villages, and build literal beacons of Hope. These are tall, defensive structures full of light, to attract people in need. Sometimes a person on The Path will set up a beacon in an area of particular turmoil or danger, with the intent to guide lost souls.

The light of Hope burns bright and hot and those who wish harm on its members or the innocents in their care often find themselves on the receiving end of zealous retribution. Followers of The Path, and their wards, fight with the light of Hope fortifiying their hearts and minds.

The Eye of Reflection

Serenity, Introspection and Divination

Those who seek inner peace often worship at the sacred gardens tended by members of the Eye of Reflection. This faith usually draws in older patrons who have lived hard, complex lives looking for some further meaning or understanding within themselves as well as those who have led particularly complex existences.

The patrons here often been known to lose themselves in study, meditation and distraction from the wider world. These followers of the Eye of Reflection become its hermits and teachers.

Many instead follow a path of Divination, turning the power peaceful power of introspection outward to gaze upon the world. This faith has produced many prominent psychics and seers amongst its followers and practitioners over the years, although a true Oracle has not appeared in many generations.

With Reflection, comes self realisation and this doesn't always manifest as serene inner peace. There are those who look within themselves and are comforted to truly understand who and what they are. There are those who, however, that through reflection and understanding become monsters worse than whose found in the wilds.

Chapter III: Religion in Atheria

The Bastions of Wrath

Death, Hatred and Jealousy

There are many who consider themselves lost, failed or unimportant, and many still who blame others for their problems. The Bastions of Wrath welcomes all, and through worship here its Patrons learn to channel their hate, tame it and bend it to their will.

The Bastions of Wrath is a sanctioned guild of Mercenaries and Assassins. Bought into being by one simple motive, "Better them, than us." and taking its place as one of the major faiths in Atheria. It's Headhunters span far and wide, aiding the populous by ridding them of their problems. For a price.

It's widely considered a benefit to society having the Bastion around. Crime is kept low, the assignments are taxable and the dregs who darken the cities know that anyone with enough coin can have them legally 'Taken care of'.

Of course, those who have the coin often keep the Bastions on retainer, a sort of 'No-Kill' policy, against another person taking out a job against them.

There are those, however, who join the Bastions with one calm and calculated ambition. To aquire the training and equipment they need to kill the target of their hate. These internal 'Hits' are also sanctioned, there for its members own release and are not subject to the restrictions of No-Kill policies.

The Consortium of Avarice

Greed, Addiction and Selfishness

The The Avarites of the Consortiym are drawn to this faith by their wanton desire to have more, to take more. The Vaults of The Avarites are known to all to contain vast riches of coin, art, food and of all other manor of riches. The majority of which are stolen from others.

The Consortium is a vast, complex network of interlocked traders, dealers and brokers that relies heavily on the ancient sacred art of the paper trail. Every action, request or interaction requires the correct forms and signitures and will receive a bill and receipt at its conclusion.

Those are are down on their luck or just need to have more than their neigbour often worship at the Consortium (Once they've paid for entry of course). Patrons are free to take what they want from the vault, however, to receive they must first give.

Those who are savy or inclined to more roguish activities do well within the church. They pay their tithe and use what they take from the vaults to increase their own wealth or standing. Those who take, and end up unable to pay back the church often find themselves paying back what they owe in other ways.

Chapter III: Religion in Atheria

The Dread Acolytes

Secrets, Fear and Anxiety

To the common folk, the Dread Acolytes are a rumo, a whisper in the tavern, a story told to frighten children. Their faith has no temples, no priests, no open sermons. No banners bear their mark, no holy texts circulate in markets. Many believe they do not exist at all, that they are phantoms invented to explain away misfortune or unrest.

Yet once each winter, the illusion shatters. On a night chosen without pattern, The March begins. Hooded figures in procession wind through the streets of every major city and town, cloaked in silence. No chants, no songs, only the rhythm of their steps. They carry no weapons, yet none dare oppose them. By dawn they are gone, leaving only the certainty that the Acolytes are real, alive, and watching.

The truth is more unsettling still. The Acolytes’ hidden sanctum lies somewhere in the wilds of Eradar, shrouded by mist and memory. Recruitment is not sought but found, a fearful soul noticed, approached, and guided down a path of initiation. Those who join speak of learning not doctrines but methods: how to spread disquiet, how to fracture trust, how to whisper the right word at the wrong time. Even within the faith, the higher mysteries remain obscured, the greater designs known only to unseen hands.

Some claim the Acolytes serve Eradar’s rulers, acting as spies and silent blades. Others whisper they are older than any crown, steering nations as one might steer a ship in storm, unseen, but decisive. Their true allegiance remains unknowable. What is certain is their creed: that Fear is truth. Where Hope blinds, and Joy deceives, Fear cuts to the marrow. To the Acolytes, spreading fear is not cruelty, but clarit, a reminder that all things can be broken, and that in the breaking, the world is laid bare.

Wherever suspicion festers, wherever armies hesitate, wherever rulers doubt their own allies, the shadow of the Dread Acolytes is not far.

---

Unknown, Dread Acolyte

"Fear is such an interesting emotion, dont you think?. Fear leads those consumed by it to their ruin, paralysed by its cold grasp. But those who conquer it? Who learn to bend it to their will...?

Chapter III: Religion in Atheria

The Order of Apathy

Silence, Peace, Protection

This order of stoic followers help police and protect the members of the various emotional faiths in Atheria. It's members undergo a secretive ritual when joining which strips them of the ability to feel emotion.

This is necessary as the Order believe they are the keepers of one of the greatest secrets of Faith in Atheria. It is already known by the educated that the Emotions of the people of Atheria are mirrored to the Otherside, with the strongest creating powerful Demons and Angels.

But, the Order believe that should the Emotional spectrum of the world fall out of balance. That should Joy or Fear for instance, spread to all corners, consuming enough people that the weight of their belief would twist the Otherside into the end for all things.

They believe that beings with the power to warp reality, to punch through the planes, to subjigate the world. Beings with the power of a god, would rise up and destroy everything that we know.

Silent Watchers

The Order polices the other emotional faiths, insuring that no one faith starts to outstrip and overwhelm the others. At present, the largest concentration of Apathy Clerics is at and around the Church of Joy as in recent years, its popularity has started to skyrocket.

They are often present at events, gatherings and rituals of all the emotional faiths. Stoically watching from the sidelines, a not too subtle warning about the dangers of excess. More than a few followers of other faiths have found themselves 'Muted' by the Order's Clerics.

'Muting' is a simpler, temporary version of the ritual undertaken by new members of the Order. It dazes its target and leaves them incapable of feeling emotion for the next 12 hours.

Planar Defenders

The other key duty of the Order is its fight against Outsiders. They train to dispatch and banish their incursions into our plane.

The same ritual that strips members of the Order of their emotion, also provides them with their best weapons against Outsiders. Apathy Clerics are exceptionally hard to Charm or Fear and their specialised magic makes them a potent threat to all Outsiders.

All in all, members of the Order of Apathy sacrifice a great deal for their faith, they no longer feel Hope, Joy, Love or Contentment. They have no families, no friends and no spouses. No life, or purpose outside of their faith.

But they truly believe it is the only way to keep the balance, the only way to keep the world they know safe.

Chapter III: Religion in Atheria

Lesser Faiths

While Joy, Fear, Hope and Greed are emotions felt be all, there are other, smaller churches scattered around Atheria which worship emotions that are often a mix of the Prime Six, but distinct in their own right. Most of these churches are very small and the average person knows little of them.

Some examples of these churches are below:

Grief

A small, specialised group within the borders of Eradar. They have special training to help those deal with this powerful emotion. They send out Paladin councillers and Ranger Grave Watcher pairs to sites of great sadness and cataclysm to insure the living are cared for and the dead remain in the ground.

Surprise

A splinter group of the Church of Joy, these mirthful tricksters revel in pranks and traps, taking the mantle of Joy upon themselves and believing it to be theirs and theirs alone. They often do not care if their victims are experiencing Joy or if they are even alive afterward.

Contempt

The darker side of Reflection, those who find their world view tarnished and worn by the difficulties of life. They find themselves weary of others, especially others who have obtained material wealth or status that they never could. They dwell on that which has already past and remains immutable, trapped in a cycle of fruitless attempts to alter the past.

Rage

A splinter from the Church of Hate, Rage acolytes have lost control of their hated and find themselves no longer bound to social constructs such as 'Law', 'Honour' or 'Conscience'. They are a dangerous, short lived and unorganised sect that goes through intermittent periods of activity and is hunted ruthlessly by the Order of Apathy.

Awe

A merging of ideals of Joy and Hope, disciples of Awe seek to elicit this emotion in each other and members of the public through acts of great bravery, creativity and skill. It it one of the more hazardous sects in Atheria.

Frustration

A paradoxical faith by its very nature, those who end up here often find themselves stuck in a cycle of unfulfillment, with the other members frustration compounding on their own. Members of this church that break free of the cycle often fall in with the Eye of Reflection.

Desire

A more positive offshoot of the Church of Greed. Those who follow the path of desire tend to be happiest when beholding the things in the world then want, instead of actual materialistic possession. They are most content when the things they want are just out of reach.

Chapter III: Religion in Atheria

Attendants of the Broken

One of the last true religions that revere a deity left in Atheria. They believe their god was sundered, betrayed and murdered long ago. That the Starfall which rains down on the land are parts of his broken body and that Atherium was his final gift to the world and his followers.

Many Attendants sever body parts in ritual sacrifice and offer them up to their broken God (Sometimes known as Imperfectus or Atherious), to be more alike. They see this sundering of self as way of growing closer to their god. Lately, as new technologies have arisen, Attendants have started to replace those missing parts with robotics.

There are three major sects of this religion, each believing and worshiping in their own way. Most of the Attendants worship peacefully, however the general populous are always weary of the Broken Fanatics.

The Founders

This sect is made up entirely of Warforged, they believe themselves the chosen people of their god as their form is already mechanical in nature. They often look down on the 'Organics' of other races and are incredibly xenophobic.

They strive to create more of their kind and all the latest advancements in Warforged technology have sprung from the Founder's technocrats. Their core belief is that their god will return to ascend them to his side, if enough Warforged can be created, that their combined faith will act as a beacon.

So strong is their belief and commitment to their cause that some have speculated that they will soon become the majority sect within the faith, as their numbers grow exponentially.

The 22nd Synergy

This sect believe that by gathering the remains of their god, the Atherium which rains from the heavens, that his spirit will return to the world and his body will reform. That by bringing him back, he will shelter the world with his form once more and save them.

Many of its members go into the world with the sole purpose collecting what Atherium they can. There are rumours that the ATC (Atherium Trade Company), the company largely in charge of the trade of Atherium in the Collective, is secretly run by this sect and that they funnel Atherium to some secret vault for their divine purpose.

The Transhumanist Brotherhoods

This sect is wholey devoted to the concept of ritual sacrifice. Their core belief is that, as their god once broke for Atheria, they should sunder themselves in his image.

some members sacrifice entire limbs, while others only small parts of themselves. There is an underlying acceptance that the more you give, the more devout you are.

They sunder themselves and offer up their flesh in the hope that, one day, their god can take physical form once more using the combined sacrifices of their sect as his new body.

Faith at a glance

Faith	Usual Domains	Symbol
Church of Joy	Life, Peace, Trickery	Three interlocked circles
Path of Hope	Grave, Life, Light	A glowing tower
Eye of Reflection	Arcana, Knowledge, Nature	An open eye surrounded by water
Bastions of Wrath	Death, Order, War	Two crossed daggers over a sword
Dread Acolytes	Death, Life, Twilight	A marionette
Consortium of Avarice	Tempest, Nature, Trickery	An outstretched hand
The Order of Apathy	Order, Knowledge, Apathy*	A featureless circle
Attendants of the Broken	Forge, Tempest, Broken God*	A shattered clockwork Moon

Faith	Usual Domains	Symbol
Grief	Grave, Peace	A teardrop on a headstone
Surprise	Trickery, Knowledge	A bursting firework
Contempt	War, Tempest	Three vertical bars
Rage	Death, War	A splatter of blood
Awe	Arcana, Knowledge	A unicursal hexagram
Frustration	Nature, Forge	A column of rising smoke
Desire	Twilight, Light	A figure prostrating a vase

Chapter III: Religion in Atheria

The Pure Bloods

The so-called Pure Bloods are regarded as the first peoples of Atheria, those whose ancestry remains untainted by shadow, mutation, or the meddling of Outsiders. Whether this claim is truth or vanity is debated endlessly, yet the Pure Bloods themselves hold to it with fierce pride. In their eyes, they are the rightful heirs of the world, the steady hands upon which civilization was built after the Moonfall.

Their societies are old and deeply entrenched. Humans spread across every land, carving kingdoms, empires, and merchant houses wherever ambition can take root. Elves hold tightly to Arcadia, clinging to their shattered memories and rune-steel legacies, while dwarves endure in the flame-scarred lands of Eradar, shaping stone and steel in defiance of mutation. The Forged, though created within the last few centuries, have fought to claim a place among the Pure, arguing that the spark that drives them is no less true than blood.

Other races call them arrogant, rigid, or blind to the truth of change. Yet none deny that the Pure Bloods have shaped Atheria’s history more than any others, for good or ill. To some, their purity is a lie. To others, it is the foundation of the world. And in the end, it may be both.

Humans

Like rodents, Humans pop up all over the continent and have historically out bred their competition. Industrious and cunning, Humans often worm their way into every aspect of daily life in the continent and can be found in every nation and almost every city.

They largely lack a culture of their own and often simply adopt the customs and rituals of the area they reside in. Through the years, they have ended up in all walks of life in each of the nations of the continent and are thought by many to be the most numerous race.

Warforged

Created within the Collective’s great forges and rune-workshops, Warforged were first designed as tools, soldiers to fight, laborers to endure, constructs that would not tire or disobey.

Their bodies are shaped of steel, wood, crystal, and rune-bound alloys, each frame designed for purpose. Yet when the process is performed correctly, something inexplicable occurs: a soul stirs within the shell. None know why.

To their makers, the Warforged are both miracle and inconvenience, proof of the Collective’s genius, but also a reminder that creation breeds responsibility. Many Warforged struggle to define themselves beyond their intended purpose. Some embrace it, marching proudly as soldiers and guardians. Others reject it, carving out lives as poets, merchants, or wanderers. Always, they wrestle with the same question: was I built to serve, or to be?

Starforged

Where Warforged are crafted, the Starforged are born of heaven’s fall. When certain comets streak across Atheria’s skies and crash to earth, their hearts sometimes awaken. These radiant cores, shards of metal, crystal, or burning ston, thrum with consciousness. Slowly, they gather the fragments of their fallen shell, shaping them into bodies with which to walk the world. Each Starforged is thus unique, built from the remnants of its own descent.

The people of Atheria treat Starforged with awe and unease. To some, they are living omens, proof that the heavens themselves watch and judge. To others, they are uncanny interlopers, born with no past, no kin, and no ties but the ones they choose. Starforged themselves speak of faint memories, visions of vast starfields, songs in the void, or battles waged in light before memory. Whether these are truth or dream is unknown, but each carries the weight of mystery.

Chapter IV: Races of Atheria

Elves

The Elves of Atheria, while long lived, have very little personal history. The Elves suffer from a sickness or, some say, a curse. This sickness is known as “Mind Rot” (or "Il Incubo" in Elven), causes them to lose their older memories. Elves see this as a personal death, even if it’s not a physical one.

Elves as a race however, have a vast and long reaching history but as the Mind Rot set in, they started to lose their own identity of self. This was a race used to living many hundreds of years, with the knowledge and experience thats comes with that. They've often see themselves as being reduced down to a more mundane existence and as a culture, lost their spark.

Often, older Elves withdraw from society and only barely interact with the wider world. But more recently, more and more of the younger generations are reintegrating into the cultures of the continent, intent on making a new legacy for their race.

An Elf usually only has a centurys or so before the Mind rot sets in. Personalities can often change, but certain traits always come out through each of their lives. There is a saying amongst elves, “True love persists even beyond our deaths” with many believing that they are destined to always find the same person again and again.

Many Elves follow the tradition of tattooing their lives achievements onto their bodies, so that even when they undergo the Mind Rot, they have some idea of the person they used to be. You can often get an idea of an Elf's age by how little skin is left bare.

Dwarves

Hailing mostly from Eradar, the dwarves of Atheria are a robust and enduring folk, tempered by generations in lands scarred by Atherium and fire. Their bodies are strong, their spirits stronger still, and they meet the hardships of life with a mixture of laughter, labor, and deep tradition. Dwarves are not only survivors but celebrants, seeking joy in food, music, fashion, and craft, even as the land around them mutates and burns.

At the heart of dwarven culture is a fierce sense of duty, to clan, to craft, and to truth. Each dwarf carries the weight of their lineage, and with it, the responsibility to honor the past while carving a better future. To that end, every young dwarf must undergo a pilgramige, an adulthood ritual in which they leave their home to walk the world. They may not return until they bring with them knowledge, skill, or wisdom unknown to their clan.

Many dwarves also take up the mantle of the Watcher, guardians who swear not only to defend their kin but to stand against corruption in all forms. These warriors, easily recognized by their radiant armor and gilded blades, are revered across Eradar. To a Watcher, every act of courage is a prayer, every defense of the weak a hymn. This tradition has inspired outsiders to liken them to “living beacons,” and some even see them as the earthly kin of the Path of Hope.

Despite their material wealth and love of luxury, dwarves are not bound by greed. They believe true prosperity is measured not in coin but in honor, craft, and community. Their markets overflow with jewels and fabrics, yes, but beneath the glitter lies an unshakable principle: that nothing is more precious than the bonds of clan, the keeping of oaths, and the pursuit of truth.

Chapter IV: Races of Atheria

The Half Breeds

Half Breeds are the children of mingled bloodlines, born where borders blur, treaties are sealed, or violence leaves its mark. To some, they are bridges between worlds; to others, they are proof that the purity of blood is already lost. Few half breeds form nations of their own, instead they walk the uneasy line between cultures, never wholly embraced by either.

Yet from this struggle comes resilience. Mirov learn diplomacy in the cradle, Halflings chart paths across seas few others dare, and Graskar grow unyielding in the face of scorn. In the Collective, where industry demands many hands, half breeds flourish, carving places for themselves in workshops, guilds, and back alleys alike. They are at once mistrusted and indispensable, a contradiction they have long since learned to endure.

Graskar

The Graskar are the children of orc and human, born where warbands clash or where fragile truces hold. The name comes from the old Dwarvern tongue, meaning “scar-blooded”, a reminder that their existence often springs from conflict, whether violent or consensual. To outsiders, they embody strength and fury. To themselves, they are a people forged in fire, carrying the scars of two worlds.

Graskar culture is shaped by defiance. Many embrace the reputation of fearsome warriors, but just as many turn their backs on it, proving their worth in art, craft, or quiet labor. They are fiercely loyal to kin, whether blood or chosen, and quick to defend those who accept them. In the Collective, Graskar are sought after as guards and mercenaries; in Eradar, they wander as smiths and stonecutters, channeling strength into creation rather than destruction.

Though prejudice dogs their steps, the Graskar see themselves not as halves but as whole, stronger for carrying two heritages, unbroken even when the world calls them mongrels. They wear their scars proudly, reminders not of shame, but of survival.

Mirov

Born most often in the great cities of the Collective, the Mirov are the children of elves and humans. Their name comes from an old Arcadian word meaning “between two rivers”, caught between currents that never fully meet. The Mirov are celebrated as diplomats, traders, and storytellers, yet are haunted by the sense that they are never entirely at home in either world.

Culturally, they have developed a sharp adaptability. Mirov pride themselves on blending traditions: Arcadian rune-craft with human engineering, elven music with human verse, rituals that honor both dawn and dusk. Some call this compromise, others call it innovation. Many Mirov embrace their role as bridges between peoples, while others reject it fiercely, carving out identities wholly separate from elf or human.

They are often recognized by their fluid grace and sharp wit, but what truly defines them is resilience: the ability to belong nowhere, yet walk confidently everywhere..

---

** **

""

Chapter IV: Races of Atheria

Halflings

Halfings, known as the Brinn in their own language, are a small folk, often dismissed by outsiders as lucky tricksters or harmless wanderers, but their history is far stranger. They are the children of humans and the lesser fey who slipped into Atheria after the Moonfall, when the boundaries between worlds cracked. Neither fully mortal nor fully otherworldly, the Brinn live in the in-between, balancing practicality with uncanny intuition.

Brinn communities are nomadic, their caravans crossing lands where others dare not tread. They are uncanny navigators, said to sense the “threads of fortune” that weave through the world. Some call this superstition, but few scoff when a Brinn guide leads them through storm, forest, or shadow and emerges unscathed. Their culture prizes humor, song, and shared meals, not as frivolities, but as weapons against despair.

Though often underestimated, Brinn resilience lies not in strength but in their refusal to bow. To them, smallness is not weakness; it is freedom to move where giants cannot.

Gnomes

Where dwarves are proud and enduring, and humans ambitious and quick, the Gnomes (Or, Korrin in Dwarvish) are the synthesis of both. Born of mingled bloodlines in Eradar and the Collective, the Korrin are small in stature but burn with restless energy. Their name comes from an old dwarven word for “ember”, something small, but carrying great fire.

The Korrin have a reputation for invention, but their culture is not simply tinkering for its own sake. To them, creation is survival. They adapt, improvise, and innovate constantly, believing stagnation is death. Many work as artisans, engineers, or scholars in the Collective, though they are just as often seen as rebels, eccentrics, or heretics by their kin.

Unlike dwarves, who are bound tightly to clan, or humans, who sprawl endlessly, the Korrin are intensely individualistic. Every Korrin seeks to leave a mark — whether a machine, a poem, or an explosion in the wrong workshop. What unites them is not conformity, but the spark of fire in every heart.

Chapter IV: Races of Atheria

The Monsters

To be branded Monster is as much condemnation as description. These races are marked as other, their forms too alien or their origins too unsettling to be embraced as kin. In Drachen, monsters thrive openly, forming societies built upon necromancy, hunger, and strength. Elsewhere, they walk in shadow, feared and whispered about, tolerated only when their use outweighs their danger.

Reborn

The Reborn are those who have died… and refused to stay dead. Unlike the mindless husks of the Lost, the Reborn retain their memories, their wit, and their will, though not without cost. Their flesh is cold, their eyes shadowed, and their souls never entirely whole. To some, they are miracles of necromancy; to others, blasphemies that mock the natural cycle.

Most Reborn arise in Drachen, where necromantic rites are commonplace, but they can be found across Atheria wherever death is challenged. Some bind themselves willingly to undeath, soldiers who choose to serve long past their final breath, scholars unwilling to leave their work unfinished. Others are raised against their will, clawing their way out of the grave with bitter hatred.

Culturally, the Reborn are divided. Some form enclaves, gathering in hidden districts to support one another against fear and prejudice. Others blend quietly into mortal society, hiding their condition behind masks, hoods, or glamours. A few embrace their otherness openly, carving out identities as mercenaries, prophets, or wanderers, walking testaments to endurance.

The greatest struggle of the Reborn is not hunger but meaning. Freed from the fear of death, many find their passions magnified — for good or ill. To live again is to live intensely, whether that means clinging to joy, or descending into obsession.

Vampires

In Drachen, undeath is not hidden, it rules. At the heart of its power lies the Crimson Court, a vampiric aristocracy whose elegance veils cruelty. Styled after the courts of the old world, their halls are filled with candlelight, music, and whispered intrigue. Marble galleries, frescoed ceilings, and blood-stained banquet tables set the stage for power plays that can last decades.

The Crimson Court presents itself as a renaissance of beauty and refinement. Its members dress in velvet and lace, their masks adorned with jewels and gilded thorns. They commission art, sponsor scholars, and keep mortal retainers as both servants and cattle. Yet beneath this veneer lies an iron law: blood is the measure of all things.

To the vampires themselves, feeding is not savagery but ritual. The Sanguine Brand, a sigil carved into the flesh of chosen mortals, marks them as thralls and sustenance both. Some bear the Brand willingly, seeing it as an honor; others are given no choice. Entire lineages of mortals live and die in service to their vampiric lords, their lives traded for protection, wealth, or the illusion of belonging.

Not all vampires of Drachen belong to the Court, some roam as outcasts or predators, but the Court is its highest expression. Within its mirrored halls, politics is blood sport, literally and figuratively. Alliances are sealed in chalices, betrayals written in veins, and power measured in centuries.

Chapter IV: Races of Atheria

Birdfolk

The Birdfolk of Atheria are a divided people, feathered kin who share a distant ancestry yet walk vastly different paths. Their origin is lost to myth: some say they were once a single winged race, blessed by an old god, to carry messages between them and mortals. Others whisper they were forged by something darker, who mocked the heavens by granting birds the minds of men. Whatever their truth, time and tragedy split them into two lineages: the Kenku and the Aarakocra.

Kenku are Dark-feathered and grounded, they are a people marked by loss. Once capable of flight, they were cast down in some ancient calamity, punishment, curse, or simply survival in shadowed places. Their wings remain, but they are weak and withered, leaving them bound to earth.

Kenku culture has turned this limitation into strength. They thrive in Drachen’s ruins and alleys, gathering as spies, thieves, and whisper-brokers. Their uncanny ability to mimic voices and sounds has become an art form, weaponized in espionage and theater alike. Many live as outcasts, distrusted for their trickery, but others see themselves as preservers of memory, echoing words and songs long after their speakers are gone.

Their dark plumage, sharp eyes, and stooped forms make them seem furtive, yet within their communities they are fiercely loyal. Among themselves, they share stories not in their own voices but in perfect imitations, binding past to present. Where the world sees only fallen wings, the Kenku see resilience.

In contrast, the Aarakocra soar upon broad eagle-like wings, their feathers bright and fierce. They are mountain-dwellers and cliff-guardians, forming tight-knit aeries in Drachen’s highest reaches. Their society is built on honor, vigilance, and freedom, with flight seen as both birthright and sacred trust.

Aarakocra warriors dive upon enemies with terrifying speed, their spears tipped with bone or crystal. They are often mercenaries or scouts, hired for their aerial mastery. Yet pride cuts both ways: many Aarakocra see themselves as inheritors of the “true” Birdfolk legacy, looking down, literally and figuratively, on their flightless kin.

To outsiders, they embody nobility, but within their ranks rivalry is fierce. Duels in the skies settle disputes, and whole bloodlines are remembered for victories or shames in aerial combat. Their songs, carried on the wind, echo across mountains, part hymn, part warning.

Though Kenku and Aarakocra share common ancestry, they are often estranged. Aarakocra call the Kenku “Fallen Feathers,” unworthy of their wings, while Kenku mock the arrogance of their skyborne cousins, claiming that pride is a cage tighter than any chain. Yet when united against an enemy, the Birdfolk fight as one, grounded cunning guiding aerial fury.

For adventurers, Birdfolk embody contrast: shadow and sky, silence and song, trickery and honor. They are a people forever torn between what was lost and what was preserved — and what may yet be reclaimed.

Chapter IV: Races of Atheria

The Plane Touched

The Plane Touched are mortals marked by Outsiders. Celestial fire, infernal bargains, elemental storms, or stranger bonds yet, their bloodline carries echoes of realms beyond Atheria. Some are born to it, others cursed or blessed by proximity to divine or demonic power. Their presence unsettles many, for each Plane Touched is a living reminder that the world is not closed, that other realms seep in where mortals least expect.

Among the Collective and Arcadia, their talents are prized, though not always trusted. In Eradar, Kalashtar wander the edge of dream, while Aasimar and Tieflings alike find themselves thrust into roles of symbol and scapegoat. Their lives are often lonely, defined not only by who they are but by what others believe them to represent.

Aasimar

The Aasimar are descendants of the Fallen who resisted the old god's corruption, or who turned their gaze away from tyranny to walk among mortals in defiance. Their bloodlines carry a strange luminosity: eyes that glimmer faintly in the dark, voices that echo like half-remembered hymns, and skin touched with the sheen of twilight.

Though many see them as beacons of virtue, the truth is more complex. Aasimar are bound to the legacy of rebellion, not purity. Some feel called to stand as guardians, healers, or leaders, their presence inspiring hope. Others struggle with the shadows still in their blood, walking a narrow line between compassion and pride. In Kazagar, Aasimar are both revered and hunted, proof of the Fallen’s divided nature, and reminders that even shadow can give birth to light.

Teifling

The Tieflings are descended from Fallen who embraced the old god's dominion, whether as conquerors, prophets, or loyalists to their broken throne. Their blood is marked by horns, tails, eyes that burn like coals, or skin tinted in hues of shadow. Where the Aasimar embody resistance, Tieflings embody survival, heirs of those who chose power over exile.

To outsiders, Tieflings are often treated as embodiments of corruption, but their reality is far more nuanced. Many live as scapegoats, accused of crimes simply for their appearance. Others lean into their reputation, carving places for themselves through cunning, ambition, or sheer defiance. In Arcadia, Tieflings often find refuge, their talents in sorcery and pact-binding valued if not trusted. In Drachen, they are sought as agents of the Crimson Court, their heritage seen as a mark of cunning and strength.

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Chapter IV: Races of Atheria

Genasi

The Genasi are born of elemental mingling, children whose blood carries the breath of storm, the heat of flame, or the stillness of stone. Some are the results of planar crossings or pacts, others of experiments in Arcadia’s rune-forges, and still more simply emerge where elemental surges warp mortal bloodlines. To some, they are unstable curiosities; to others, they are living proof of Atheria’s adaptability.

Fire Genasi — Their blood burns with restless ambition, their tempers quick to flare. Many fireborn find their calling in war, invention, or artistry, chasing passions as though each moment might be their last. The Bastions of Wrath reveres them as kindred spirits, while others shun them as dangerous and uncontrollable.

Water Genasi — Fluid and reflective, waterborn are at home in Arcadia’s flooded ruins and deep currents. They are known as healers, navigators, and mystics, said to carry fragments of the drowned songs of forgotten seas. Among them, still waters often run deepest, hiding sorrows or secrets behind calm faces.

Air Genasi — Restless as the wind, airborn wanderers often live as sailors, explorers, or couriers. Their laughter is quick, their loyalty elusive, and their presence often heralds sudden change. Many in Eradar mistrust them, whispering that they are fickle as storms, yet they are also sought after for their insight, said to hear whispers carried on the upper winds.

Earth Genasi — Solid, enduring, and stubborn as stone, earthborn embody patience. They often serve as builders, miners, or guardians, tied to the memory of the land itself. Their bodies sometimes bear crystalline growths or stone-like skin, leading others to see them as kin to dwarve, though dwarves themselves are rarely pleased with the comparison.

Aether Genasi — Rarest of all, the aetherborn are touched not by a single element, but by the harmony between them. Their blood glimmers faintly with starlight, and their presence unsettles even seasoned scholars. Some believe they are fragments of Ire, echoing through mortal flesh. The Aetherborn themselves are often dreamers, visionaries, or prophets — or else hunted for the power others believe lies within them.

Arcadias consider their births sacred and Star Genasi are often elevated to positions of power and influence.

Kalashtar

The Kalashtar are mortals bound to the plane of dreams, their souls forever twined with spirits that drift between sleeping minds. These bonds are not always chosen; some are inherited, passed down through bloodlines in Eradar, while others form suddenly when a wandering spirit seizes upon a waking host. The result is a being who is both singular and plural, a mortal with whispers of another voice always at the edge of thought.

This duality marks the Kalashtar as both blessed and cursed. Many display heightened perception, glimpses of possible futures, or empathy that borders on painful. Yet they are also plagued by fragmented dreams and half-remembered lives that may not be their own. For some, their spirit-companion is a guide and confidant. For others, it is a constant tormentor, a reminder that their mind is never entirely their own.

Chapter IV: Races of Atheria

The Shadow-Cursed

The peoples of Kazagar are unlike any other, shaped by eternal twilight and the resonance of Nakkete crystals. They are the Shadow-Touched, not Outsiders, not mutants, but something stranger still. Their bloodlines bear the mark of Kazagar, whether by heritage, pact, or proximity to her Fallen children.

The Mutants

Where Atherium falls, mutations follow. The Mutants are living proof of this, their bodies twisted, their forms unstable, their ancestry ever uncertain. Some are born to it, others warped by long exposure, but all carry the stigma of corruption. In some places they are reviled as cursed; in others, exploited as soldiers, experiments, or curiosities.

Yet to survive mutation is to embody adaptability. Shifters harness their beast-blood, changelings turn their flux to survival, and the Simic of Arcadia embrace deliberate graft and design. The line between blessing and curse blurs, for though mutants are feared, they often endure where purer folk would fall.

Changelings

Granted the ability to fully control the appearance of their bodies, those born with the Changeling mutation often suffer a crisis of identity as they grow. The true form of a Changeling is that of a horrifying, pale skinned, wide mawed monster.

Some use this mutation as a second skin, for a purpose or goal, always returning back to their true form once that purpose is done. These Changelings are ones who have accepted who or what they are and have a true sense of 'Self' underneath their disguises.

Others live through their alters, taking on new personalities, wants, desires and dreams with each form they take. These Changelings are rarely found in their true form and often live amongst other humanoids, sometimes living several lives at once.

Changelings, are often treated with mistrust and outright fear by the populations of Atheria. The only largescale Changling settlements exist within Eradar, where the peoples are generally more accepting of their mutation.

Goblinoids

The Goblinoids of Atheria, goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears, are not a natural race, but the legacy of mutation. They were the first mortals to endure a particular strain of the Lost, surviving where others perished, and in doing so became something new. Scholars call them “minor amalgamations”, stable enough to breed true, but forever marked by the echoes of their corrupted ancestry.

Goblinoid reproduction is unlike any other. When a child is born, it carries not only its own soul, but fragments of memory from lives before. Many goblinoids hear whispers from these remnants, voices offering guidance, arguing among themselves, or screaming to be heard. Some live peacefully with the chorus. Others fracture beneath it, splintering into multiple personalities. To outsiders, this constant murmuring makes goblinoids seem uncanny, as if they are never entirely present.

Yet goblinoids are more than their curse. In Drachen, their ancestral home, they form sprawling clans bound not by blood but by shared voices. They prize loyalty above all, for only kin can be trusted to understand the burden of many lives pressing in at once. Where other races see madness, goblinoids see strength: the wisdom of countless generations carried in every skull. They are a people both fractured and whole, unsettling to strangers but bound tightly to each other, living proof that even in corruption, life endures.

Chapter IV: Races of Atheria

Shifter

Those with the Shifter mutation find themselves more animalistic in nature. Often born with distinct traits from the mammals of the animal kingdom, such as tails, hooves, claws and fangs. Their key aspect is an ability to shift into this animal form when the need arises.

Shifters are intuitive about others and very in tune with their own emotions, with many developing empathic bonds with those around them. Shifter packs commonly roam the wilds of Eradar, rarely settling in any one location very long.

A Shifter friend is a friend for life, but a Shifter enemy is one that will hunt you to the ends of the continent.

Simic

The Simic are a manufactured mutant race, hailing from the Hyperian Institute of Arcadia. It is here that through a careful program of Atherium infusions, training and genetic manipulation that Simic Hybrids are born.

Similar to Shifters, Simic Hybrids exhibit animalistic traits. But due to the aquatic nature of Arcadia, they are generally bred with water based mutations in mind, such as gills and fins.

They have little to no culture or history in the world, being a fairly new creation.

Races at a Glance

Race	Typically Found in...	Ancestry Group
Humans	Everywhere	Pure Bloods
Forged	The Collective	Pure Bloods
Elves	Arcadia	Pure Bloods
Dwarves	Eradar	Pure Bloods
Graskar	Everywhere	Half Breeds
Mirov	The Collective	Half Breeds
Halfings	Arcadia	Half Breeds
Gnomes	The Collective	Half Breeds
Dragonborn	The Collective	Monsters
Zombies	Drachen	Monsters
Vampires	Drachen	Monsters
Birdfolk	Drachen	Monsters
Aasimar	The Collective	Plane Touched
Teiflings	Arcadia	Plane Touched
Genasi	Arcadia	Plane Touched
Kalashtar	Eradar	Plane Touched
Kazagari	Kazagar	Shadow-touched
Harr'Chak	Kazagar	Shadow-touched
Vayasta	Kazagar	Shadow-touched
Changelings	Eradar	Mutants
Goblinoids	Drachen	Mutants
Shifters	Eradar	Mutants
Simic	Arcadia	Mutants

Chapter IV: Races of Atheria

Glossary of Atheria

Aegis – Capital City of the Collective. A Magi-punk haven where a massive energy sheild protects the city from Starfall.
Atheria – The world of your adventures. A place of vast continents, ancient ruins, and magi-punk invention.
Atherium – A crystalline mineral infused with raw power. It fuels magic and machinery but can cause dangerous mutations when mishandled.
Atherium Trading Company (ATC) – The largest and most influential merchant guild dealing in Atherium. They control mines, trade routes, and sometimes entire cities through wealth and influence.
Arcadia – A Nation of Magic deep below the Arcadian Sea. Avarites – Followers of the Consortium of Avarise, also known as the Church of Greed.

Beacons of Hope – Towering lights raised by the Path of Hope. They shine as sanctuaries and symbols of safety across troubled lands.

Cr’ss Radin – A frontier port city in Eradar, home to merchants, adventurers, and wanderers. Its great beacon is said to be visible for miles at sea.
Collective, The – An alliance of City states along the eastern coast of Starfall. Led by the Praetoriate Council in Aegis.
Crimson Court – The seat of power within Drachen, rulled over by the Scarlett Empress.

Dominatus Empire – An ancient Elven empire, long since fallen. Drachen – A distant land where vampires rule in noble houses, with human serfs serving under them. Known for its strict hierarchies and the Crimson Court.
Dracoghul – A winged undead thrall created from twisted flesh. A common sight in the service of darker powers.
Dread Acyloytes – Followers and Clerics of Fear.

Eradar – A nation marked by the influence of Atherium. Its people often bear strange traits or mutations passed down through generations. Elysia – One of the Moons of Atheria, its Domain is Order.
Empire of Chains – An ancient civilisation from Drachen, the precurser to the rule of the Crimson Court.

Fallen, The – A people with celestial heritage. They reincarnate in cycles of light and dark, each life carrying echoes of their past.

Glass Kings – Ancient empire that ruled in the deserts of what is now Eradar.
Greenfire – A phenomenon caused by unstable Atherium. Its eerie emerald flames burn without heat but warp what they touch.

Hospitality District – The center of inns, taverns, theatres, and public houses in major cities. A place where adventurers often find work — or trouble.
Hopebearers – Common folk who dedicate their lives to spreading the Path of Hope, though they may never see a true Beacon themselves.

Imber – A grand steampunk port city across the sea, famed for its vast trade fleets and clockwork inventions.
Ire – One of the Moons of Atheria, its Domains are Fire, Water, Air and Earth.
Ironbound – A colloquial name for those who wear magi-tech prosthetics or armor so extensively that their humanity is often questioned.

Lost, The – Horrifying creatures born of broken or tormented souls. They take many forms, from shambling husks to terrible monstrosities.

Kazagar – A misterious shadowy continent to the north of Starfall. Only recently discovered.

Mournhold – A farming settlement recently troubled by strange wolf attacks. Its people are wary of outsiders but desperate for aid.
Moonfall – The cataclysmic event aeons past where one of Atheria's moons fell and struck the planet.

Noble Houses – Families of influence in both human and vampiric societies. Their rivalries shape politics across continents.
Nakkete – A rare obsidian-like material used in stealth magic and artifacts. Tied to Kazagar

Order of the Scythe – A vampiric knightly order that oversees the balance between humans and vampires in Drachen. Revered and feared alike.
Old Roads – The cracked, ancient highways of past empires. Many still carry travelers… and dangers.

Path of Hope – A wandering faith devoted to healing, aid, and kindling hope wherever it is most needed. They are less organized than other faiths, but deeply respected.
Paradisium – A sprawling park at the heart of one capital city, filled with gardens, monuments, and public gatherings.
Parallax – The first great metropolis of Starfall. The birthplace of Arcadia, The Collective and Eradar.
Parallax Treaty – Accords signed as the city fell into ruin and chaos, forming three new nations that would go their own way.
Progenitors – The theorised race of people to exist before the Moonfall.

Quiet Ones – Hermits and mystics who claim to hear whispers in the silence of Atherium. Feared as mad, but sometimes sought for their visions.

Scarlet Empress – The ancient ruler of Drachen, said to command both fear and devotion among her vampiric subjects.
Singing Sea – An oceanic expanse scattered with countless islets. Known for strange tides, haunting voices, and dangers lurking beneath the waves.
Silent Court – Songs speak of the Silent Court, a kingdom ruled by faceless monarchs. No records explain their fall, only that their names were struck from every tablet.
Starfall (Event) – Meteors of Atherium which rain down on the world. Said to be shards of the Fallen Moon.
Starfall (Continent) – The central continent of the would of Atheria, where Drachen, Eradar and the Collective call home.
Stone Choir – a people who built crystal monoliths that “sang” across valleys. No trace remains but scattered ruins.
Symphony – A name found in myth and song, describing a vast harmony that connects stars, dreams, and fate itself. Few agree on its meaning.

Tide-Singers – Colossal whales whose songs echo for leagues. Their voices are considered omens by sailors.
Titanica – The world’s largest airship, a marvel of engineering, luxury, and adventure. Passengers aboard it are often swept into grand events.

Vitalis – First great city of the Collective. Destroyed by Starfall

Whisperfog – A pale mist sometimes seen after Atherium accidents. Survivors swear it carries voices.
Wyrdmarks – Strange scars or sigils that appear on those touched by Atherium in unusual ways.

Zaraneth – One of the Moons of Atheria, its domains is Chaos.

Credits

Below are the people and systems that made this book a possibility.

My friends and players

Who have experianced everything in the document above and, one way or another, helped shape it too:

Aequitas, Aki, Akkedis, Ale, Amygdala, Augustus, Blight, Cassey, Castello, Constant, Corvo, Croganht, Darquad, Eberk, Elijah, Fenwin, Graz, Grit, Illatheal, Kyrie, Narissa, Neeko, Rain, Rava, Reene, Saelethil, Sol, Talvi, Tavius, Tim, Tok, Venturas

Cover Art

Eden

Interior Art

Midjourney

Proof Reading

Eden

GM Binder 'Blackthorn Light' Theme

Blckthorn

Additional Homebrew Content and inspirations

All the Lights in the Sky are Stars.

Open Game Licence