World Star-Crossed

[Semi-Sweet]

I've been working on a Scifi-world for some time now. This is where I will post different lore items for potential partners.

Inspirations: Dragon Age, Star Wars, Sailor Moon, D&D, LOTR, Assassin's Creed, and Lovecraft.

Table of Contents:

1. Astrography
2. Factions
3. Galactic History
4. General Society
5. Species
6. Classes and Specializations
7. Factions:
   1. Boreas
   2. The Order of the Shattered Sword
   3. Akka
8. Characters:
   1. Alen La'Ahad
   2. Lazari
   3. Navarro Kantoste
9. Lore:
   1. Myths about the Enchantress

 

[Semi-Sweet]

Astrography

The galaxy is a vast composite of over 400 billion estimated stars and over 3.2 million habitable systems orbiting around a supermassive black hole at the heart of the galaxy. The galactic arms rotated around this black hole across a diameter of over 100,000 light-years. It is home to countless sentient species and star systems.​

The galaxy is divided into several regions. The regions are subdivided into sectors and then star systems, which contained planets. The Standard Galactic Grid is used to give the location of a galactic point in grid coordinates. Areas of the galactic disk are referred to as the galactic north, south, east, and west.​

The Deep Core​

The Deep Core serves as the innermost and most brightly lit region of space. It is the most densely-packed with stars, nebulae, and other anomalies. As such, it is dangerous to navigate, leaving it relatively few explorers. It is from here that the ancient, supermassive black hole binds the galaxy together.​

The Core Worlds​

The Core Worlds is home to the wealthiest and most important worlds in the galaxy. Densely inhabited and located on several major trade lanes' strategic ends, its planets are fashion, education, finance, and technology hubs. It is where the human species arguably began. It is from Eos, Imbramos, Mesoxnyx, Apatouros, and other systems that the galaxy's fate is often decided.​

The Inner Rim​

When first settled, the Inner Rim served as the frontier of galactic civilization for centuries, known simply as "the Rim." As colonization spread outwards, Inner Rim worlds prospered.​

Expansion Rim​

The Expansion Region contains many newer colonies sponsored by their core-ward neighbors.​

The Mid Rim​

The Mid Rim is a tranquil region of space that brims with varied galactic worlds that boast successful governments and thriving economies. Distance from the Core gives these worlds less fame or notoriety than planets closer to the galactic center. Spillover piracy from the Outer Rim affects the region. Those headed towards the Outer Rim see it as the last taste of civilization, while those heading core-wards see it as the last grasp of frontier living.​

The Outer Rim Territories​

The largest region of the known galaxy, the Outer Rim Territories, is considered lawless, strange, and savage. Criminal organizations, including the mob families of Giocka Space, the Black Dawn, pirates, and slavers, operate in abundance within the region.​

Unknown Regions​

The Unknown Regions are composed of the westward arm of the galaxy that is mapped but mostly unexplored. Hyperspace anomalies, solar storms, rogue magnetospheres, black holes, gravity wells, and other handicaps to hyperspace travel leaves it mostly unexplored throughout galactic history. Mysterious species shrouded in myth, such as the Pleiades and Revenants, originated from the Unknown Regions.​

Wild Space​

Unlike other galaxy regions, Wild Space exists along the entire circumference of the galactic disk and on the borderlands of the Unknown Regions. It is inhabited by sentient species but not fully charted, explored, or civilized. Explorers and cartographers seek their fortune here at their peril.​

 

[Semi-Sweet]

Factions:

• Al-Voilenn
  • The desert moon of the planet Sahib, home to the Nyanko-species and origin of the Dajjal-religion. Located on the outskirts of the Borean Empire in the Mid Rim in the galactic northeast.
• Boreas Empire
  • A region in the galactic north, Boreas' borders have moved a lot over the centuries. Boreas started as a purely human association, but as they took over the eldarïn-worlds, it now houses every kind of species known to the Galaxy. It is strongly believed that the human species started out in the prime system of Boreas.
  • Notable dominions: Boreas, Celaeno, Creta, Damasque, Elysium, Hecaerge, Loxo, Nikothoê, Upis, Valerian
• Free Planets
  • A confederation of system-states in the galactic east. The "Kingdoms" are independent-minded descendants of brutal barbarians. Their systems have formed a loose confederation that rarely unites on any matter. In the event of aggression from larger neighbors, however, the Confederation can assemble a joint military front that even the greatest powers cannot dismiss.
  • Akka
    • After being ousted from Creta, the Crusader system has made its way to the neutral planet of Akka, situated at the border of the Borean Empire.
  • Alejandrar
    • It is a place of wealth and luxury, with many kingly estates with fountains and granite paths. Large sections of the planet are decorated in fine materials like marble and gold. The royal palace is made of marble, and the path to it is paved in granite. Alejandrar is also famed for its superb cuisine, with its most famous dish being fish and egg pie. It is made with three deboned fresh fish, boiled eggs, dried fruit, spices, and thickened cream, topped with a light crust.
  • Dyionius
    • The first system to break away from the Borean Empire. It is a mecha of technological and medicinal advancement in the Galaxy.
  • Estwick
    • A habitable moon near the inhabitable planet of Ostara. Once a position held by the Boreans, it has since been abandoned and is now the home to the neutral Nyanko clan of Coronis.
  • Pollon
    • Pollon is a system in The Core Worlds, west of the Free Planets. Thanks to enormous wealth and a strategic central location in the Galaxy, some claim Pollon's power rivals the Notoian Empire.
    • Notable Dominions: Aristaios, Pollon
  • Poseidan
    • A system in the galactic northeast. Unlike the majority of peoples in the Galaxy, the Poseidan are not Miriahians and don't believe in the Goddess. Rather, they are pantheists who believe in the Natural Order. As such, many hold to the belief that their god and the universe are the same. Though Poseidan's royalty is still Miriahians, the Temple lacks any authority beyond the capital planet of Daimonne.
    • Notable Domains: Daimonne, Poseidan, Tamlïn
  • Syrac
    • The planet's complicated past is not easy to forget, history having earmarked many corners of its stone cities. A ship approaching the capital spots the city's namesake: an imposing black wall. It is visible for miles, and carved into the cliffside is a pantheon of vile guardians representing the Old Gods. Over the years, the Temple has effaced many of these profane sentinels, but it will take many more years to erase them all. Flanking the orbiting station are two massive bronze statues—the Gemini of Syrac. The statues have a practical use. A massive chain net can be erected between the statues, closing off the only narrow navigable lane. This stranglehold on space traffic is jealously guarded by the ever-changing rulers of the planet as the net trolls taxes, tolls, and extortions in from space.
  • Thena
    • The whole planet is filled with artistry, from the statues of heroes that litter the streets in even the meanest villages to the glittering golden College d'Arte in Chalkioikos. Perhaps nowhere is more astonishing than the vast necropolis outside Amboulia. Unlike most other followers of Miriah, the Thenans do not burn their dead. Instead, they carefully preserve the bodies and seal them in elaborate tombs. Some of the wealthiest Thenans begin construction of their own tombs while quite young, and these become incredible palaces, complete with gardens, bathhouses, and ballrooms, utterly silent, kept only for the dead.
• The Galatea Armada
  • A network of pirates working from the independent moon Larissa.
• Ganymedes
  • Ganymedes is a relatively young kingdom located in southeastern Galaxy. It was formed by King Eron nearly four hundred years ago by uniting Heran clans.
  • The Medians are a puzzle. As a people, they are one bad day away from reverting to barbarism. They repelled invasions from Boreas during the height of the Empire with nothing but dogs and their own obstinate disposition. They are the coarse, wilful, dirty, disorganized people who somehow gave rise to the prophet, ushered in an era of enlightenment, and toppled the greatest empire in history.
  • There are few things one can assume safely in dealing with these people: First, they value loyalty above all things, beyond wealth, beyond power, beyond reason. Second, although they have nothing in their entire country which one is likely to think at all remarkable, they are extremely proud of their accomplishments. Third, if one insults their dogs, they are likely to declare war. And finally, the surest sign that one have underestimated the Fereldans is that one thinks one have come to understand them.
  • Notable Dominions: Aquarius, Eron, Ganymedes Prime, Gawaren V, Kallirhoe, Longlake, Silvera, Starr'dane
• Hefaistion
  • Hefaistion had been in the possession of the Boreas Empire from its earliest days, and its architecture reflects the long occupation of the Empire. However, after successfully claiming Al-Voilenn in 530 AD, the Nyanko turned their attention to Hefaistion and landed on its shores in 532. After ten years the Nyanko had not only taken the planet from Boreas entirely but also occupied a significant portion of the main-system Empire.
• Hermeticus
  • The Principality of Hermeticus is a plutocratic system in the galactic northeast. Although it possesses few resources of its own, Hermeticus' location makes it a center for trade in the galactic north. Hermeticus' wine trade, buoyed by its fruitful vineyards and an aggressive approach to trading practices with other nations, is one of the country's main resources, allowing for a relatively prosperous life for its citizens.
  • Notabe Dominions: Aethon, Aithalides, Hermeticus Prime, Sikoyinia
• Notos Empire
  • There are many lords and ladies in Thanalem. Once, the system of noble titles in Notos was labyrinthine: There were barons and baronnes and baronets and sur-barons and a horde of others, each with its own origins and its own nuances of comparison. The Notoian aristocracy is ancient and much given to competition. All the nobility play the Grand Game, as it is known, whether they wish to or not. It is a game of reputation and patronage, where moves are made with rumors and scandal is the chief weapon. More blood has been drawn as a result of the Grand Game than any war the Notoians have fought.
  • As far as titles went, everything changed with the coming of Emperor Erikhthonios, who established the Notoian Empire as it exists now, and who created the Temple. There is no more venerated figure in Notos; in Thanalem, the statue of Erikhthonios stands as tall as the statue of Miriah. Erikhthonios determined that the Grand Game was tearing Notos apart, so he abolished all titles besides his own, and lord, and lady.
  • This action did not end the Grand Game as Erikhthonios had intended. Now the lords and ladies collected unofficial titles rather than official ones, such as "the exalted patron of Dakota Payne" or "uncle to the champion of Aithiopia." It is a headache to remember such titles, and one winces to think of the poor doormen at the balls who must rattle them off as each guest enters the room.
  • The Notoians' right to rule stems directly from the Goddess. There exists neither the concept of rule by merit nor the slightest notion of rebellion. If one is not noble, one aspires to be—or at the least aspires to be in the good graces of a noble, and is ever watching for a way to enter the patronage of those better placed in the Grand Game.
  • Notable Dominions: Aithiopia, Auster, Balios, the Briar system, Ghislain, Nemesis, Potnia, Thanalem, Xanthos
• The Order of the Shattered Sword
  • The Knights of the Shattered Sword are an Order of warriors of exceptional ability dedicated to fighting Remnants throughout the Galaxy. They are headquartered in the Ganymedes system, at the star fortress of Laomedon but maintain a presence in most other systems as well.
  • The Knights are known for ignoring a recruit's racial, social, national, and even criminal background if they deem the person valuable in terms of character, ability or skill.
  • Despite their small numbers, the Order has been instrumental in defeating each Plague so far, and thus are vital to the survival of the Galaxy as a whole.
• Zephyros
  • A system in the galactic northwest, Zephyros is a system of shocking extremes. It is the most desolate place in all the Mid Rim, for two Plagues have left great expanses of the steppes so completely devoid of life that corpses cannot even decay there—no insect or grub will ever reach them.
  • The Zephyrians, too, are a people of extremes: The most devout priests and the most deadly soldiers, the poorest nation in the world and the most feared.
  • Notable Dominions: Areion, Xanthos, Zephyros Prime

 

[Semi-Sweet]

Galactic Ancient Times

The Age of Dawn
When the eldarïni first awaken, there are several different kinds; however, these distinctions have been watered down to the point that there are now wood eldarïni and dark eldarïni/Morïquendi. Eventually, these different eldarïni were gathered under one rule known as the legendary Millenium of Ëos. After the Awakening of Man, the eldarïni start to notice a loss of immortality, seen as a disease spreading from the humans, and they close off their planets and their magicks from humanity.

6404 BCE:	The legendary eldarïni kingdom of Ëos is founded nearly three thousand years before the awakening of humans on the Galaxy. It is an empire of crystal magicks provided by the Morïquendi court of Mab and used extensively throughout the Empire. The Eldarïni are, at this point, immortal, a gift bestowed upon them by the excellent Aurora crystal in the hands of Queen Ëos, whom some eldarïni still worship as a goddess of light and magic.
	It is said that Ëos had a husband from each of her seven courts, though their names differ significantly.
3100 BCE:	The Awakening of Man. Eldarïni essentially sees humans as children or pets.
2850 BCE:	Eldarïni first notices the quickening, which puts an end to their immortality. They begin a racial cleansing of humanity within their borders, building powerful shields around their planets to keep out the humans.

The Endless Winter
Due to the rise of the Boreas Empire, the period is known as such, in which the Empire completes the destruction of the Millenium of Ëos. In this event, several magisters tried to attain godhood, leading to the First Plague and the Empire's eventual diminishing power. Therefore, the currently-used calendar starts at the end of this period.

1195 BCE:	Darius I unites the human systems Boreas and Elysium, forming the mighty Boreas Empire. He declares himself the first Emperor. Before this event, only scattered fragments are known. Humans spread across the Galaxy - as various tribes of people known as the Hadian and the Poseidan. These started other tribes such as Heran and the Perespheian - but it is the Borean, centered on the planet of Creta, who became ascendant.
	History records that eldarïni and humanity are hostile toward each other and that Boreas leads the way in aggressive retaliation against the eldarïni Millenium of Ëos. The eldarïni respond by retreating from human contact, and Boreas thus flourishes and spreads. The first "dreamers" learn magick from eldarïni captives, and these dreamers later become the first of the Empire's ruling magisters.
981 BCE:	Adaim and Evan, two human slaves, escape from the eldarïni city Hemerra and sneak into the palace of the Queen of Lights. Upon touching the Aurora crystal, it scatters into seven parts, sending shockwaves through the eldarïni planets.
975 BCE:	The Human Magisters resort to a horrifying blood ritual that sinks pushes the stars of the Ëos systems into a massive supernova, destroying it utterly and deciding the war in their favor. Thus, the conquest of the eldarïni kingdom is complete: All those who do not perish with their planets are enslaved, their spirit crushed, and their ancient culture destroyed forever. The part of the Galaxy that was the Ëos-Millenium is now known as the Void, due to the many black holes.
895 BCE:	The Boreas Empire expands rapidly, bolstered by its new eldarïni slaves. The Empire takes nearly all of the northern Galaxy and begins conquering lands across the Aegean Nebula.
880 BCE:	The Boreas Empire settles the Moon of Estwick and fortifies its bay. The port is built for repairing warships.
760 BCE:	Emperor Kalais ascends to the throne of the Boreas Empire.
715 BCE:	The Boreas Empire begins several campaigns to subjugate the barbarous Heran tribes on Heran. After many near losses, they manage to hold the central area for a time and pave the Imperial Highway across the Brokeback asteroid field to the battle station of Aquilo.
712 BCE:	The First Borean expedition against the Hermetican tribes in the Brokeback asteroid field.
695 BCE:	The western part of Boreas rebels to form Dyionius, mainly populated by the Dyionians.
692 BCE:	Emperor Kalais is assassinated. His apprentice, Khione, inherits the throne. Civil wars break out in the Boreas Empire.
640 BCE:	Empress Khione dies without an heir. The civil war continues, and the magisters fight for power.
620 BCE:	Hestia, the last of the great Imperial planets, is founded in the distant south of the Empire by the powerful magister, Hestia Trayvon. Eldarïni slaves were brought in by the millions to work the quarries and suffer hardships that would give the city a dark and bloody reputation. In time, it became known as the "Capital of Chains," the center of the Imperial slave market and the destination of all those captured by the spread of arcane rule.
	Emperor Zetes claims the throne of the Boreas Empire. The end of the civil war in the Empire.
575-555 BCE:	The largest civil war of Boreas is usually cited as when it began to decline markedly from its golden age. The magisters of the various noble houses wield terrible power but still seek more; their competition with each other leads to human sacrifice, and demonic summoning becoming a regular occurrence. When two of the largest Borean houses battle to claim the emperor's throne, the Empire is almost split in two. The resulting war left ruins and battlefields where the magical taint continues to be felt to this day. Peace is brokered in the Senate to prevent the dissolution of the Empire, but the nobility continues its oppression of the masses to achieve supremacy.

Galactic Antiquity
The First Plague
The Magister Lords of the Boreas Empire pursue the Ritual of Seeding, trying to attain godhood. However, the goddess worshipped on Creta, Oreithyia, is freed and goes mad, spreading cold and ice across the Galaxy. For the next 200 years, the races of man are locked in a never-ending battle against the Remnants for survival. Finally, the Order of the Shattered Sword is created in response to the Remnant threat.

395 BCE:	According to Temple lore, the most powerful magister lords, seeking more power, attempt the Ritual of Seeding to gain godhood. The result is catastrophic: The planet of Hestia becomes tainted, and the magisters bring the Corruption into the world, creating the first Remnants.
	The Old God Oreithyia is freed and transformed into the first Mad God. The First Plague begins. The Remnants attack en masse, concentrating at first on the Court of Mab of the Morïquendi.
370 BCE:	The Morïquendi court begins to fall, and the race is at the brink of collapse, saved from destruction by the actions of Paragon Phaenon. The Remnants use the Void to appear throughout the Galaxy. All of the Empire is under siege and in a state of chaos. Finally, the nations of the Empire begin to settle in for a long war as they become accustomed to the surges of the Remnants. Communication becomes difficult across the Empire, but cooperation is paramount. The people of Boreas pray to the remaining Old Gods for help against Oreithyia, but they receive only silence. With the people's faith waning, unrest sees many churches destroyed as the Imperial people turn from the Old Gods, believing themself betrayed. The dark period lasts for over 200 years, extending post the Plague.
355 BCE:	The Remnants has yet to reach the Heran. They are instead caught up in a war with the Hermeticans. In the Battle of Red Snow, Hermetican warrior Laomedon Morïquendison fights Raveena, Heran warrior queen. Both die in the battle. The Order of the Shattered Sword is founded in Morïquendison's honor.
203 BCE:	The Order of the Shattered Sword gather the forces of humans and confront Oreithyia at the colossal Battle of the Cruel Plains in the southern reaches of Boreas. Oreithyia is ultimately destroyed by the Order and the Remnant forces routed. Though the Remnants are still prominent in their numbers and still battle humanity, they are no longer directed by Oreithyia's power and become scattered. The contracts ensuring the powers and rights of the Order of the Shattered Sword date from this year.
	The prophet Miriah is born in the Heran system. However, scholars hotly contest the exact planet and year of her birth.
195 BCE:	Slowly, the last of the Remnant hordes are defeated. After centuries of fighting, the once-mighty Empire is now weak.

Winter's End
After the end of the First Plague, a time of political shifts and religious prowess is born. The Boreas Empire is beaten back by the Heran chieftain Yusuf as his wife's teachings spread across the Galaxy. After Yusuf's death, Notos gains power through military prowess and begins what is known as the Conversion, a time when the religion of the Goddess spreads and replaces the worship of the Old Gods.

187 BCE:	Miriah marries Yusuf, a Heran chieftain.
186 BCE:	Miriah preaches of a new creator, whom she calls the Goddess. The more she says, the more her following grows. Finally, Yusuf uses her teachings to unite the Heran clans under his authority.
184 BCE:	The Boreas Empire's influence recedes in the southern Galaxy as Creta rebuilds.
180 BCE:	A massive horde of Herans led by the warlord Yusuf and Miriah cross the Aegean Nebula to invade Boreas. Natural disasters and slave rebellions help their advance. The Boreas Empire abandons the moon of Estwick to focus on main planet troubles. As a result, the moon remains largely uninhabited for ages.
171 BCE:	West of Creta, the Battle of Valarian Field is fought between the Herans and the Boreas Empire. Yusuf is victorious. At that battle, the eldarïni slave Mëmnone takes Yusuf's side and leads other eldarïni to fight against their Borean oppressors. He later converts and is made a disciple, only to have his writings suppressed following the Crusade of the Briar system. Finally, the Heran army led by Yusuf and Miriah stands before the gates of Creta and prepares for the battle to come.
170 BCE:	Yusuf makes a pact with Empress Pnoia of the Boreas Empire in exchange for a truce and promise of lands. However, he betrays Miriah on the planet of Valerian, one of their strongholds, and allows her to be taken to Creta for execution. While Miriah burns at the stake, Empress Pnoia takes pity on her and stabs her through the heart.
165 BCE:	After the death of Miriah, the barbarian army disperses. Yusuf is granted the lands of the southern Galaxy. He keeps the Heran System for himself while dividing what will become Notos, the system of Ganymedes, and The Free Planets between his three sons. The land between the Aegean Nebula and the Brokeback asteroids is given to the freed eldarïni by Yusuf as a homeland and is called the Briar system. The Long Pilgrimage begins as eldarïni from across the Empire starts traveling to the Briar system and is preyed upon by disease and robbers, causing massive chaos.
160 BCE:	A cult devoted to Miriah's teachings spreads rapidly in the south but is mainly disorganized and unpopular with the churches of the Old Gods. However, Empress Pnoia converts from revering the Old Gods to the Cult of the Goddess and reveals Yusuf's treachery. As a result, the Herans abandon Yusuf, and the southern Galaxy collapses into anarchy. Back in the barbarians' system, groups claiming to be the Disciples of Miriah are formed, and the new religion begins to grow, referred to collectively as "the cults of the Goddess." Finally, Empress Pnoia converts the Boreas Empire to Miriahism, starting the Conversion.
130 BCE:	The Bible is created by Miriah's disciples, collecting her story and her teachings into hymns. Numerous versions of the Bible are written over time, with different interpretations of what Miriah taught about the Goddess, each prevalent in different regions.
125 BCE:	Empress Pnoia dies in her sleep. Many in the eastern and southern provinces of the Boreas Empire push for secession, fearing her successor, Emperor Hekaerge, will restore the Old Gods and their clergy.
120 BCE:	Rebellion begins in the east as the Poseidan attempt to split off from the Empire. The resulting campaigns to stop the uprising distract the Empire from its attempts to reconquer The Free Planets and allow the south to gather its strength. As a result, many of the eastern planets in The Free Planets intervene on behalf of the Poseidan.
53 BCE:	After several losses that culminated in the disastrous Battle of Tamlïn, the Empire finally abandons the east.
44 BCE:	The Republic of Poseidan is formed.
30 BCE:	The kingdoms of Hermeticus expand and becomes a unified system.
25 BCE:	As the borders of the Empire recede, Hestia becomes one of their lone outposts within a distant and violent frontier. The planet is surrounded by the system of Zephyros, the barbarian Free planets, the Herans, and the new eldarïni homeland of the Briar system. Despite its isolation, the Empire fought off many invading armies and did not fall until the slaves within the planets finally rebelled, executing their Borean rulers in an orgy of violence. Possession of the fortress planet remained contested for centuries to come, but it would never again rejoin the Empire. No longer under Borean rule, the system changed its name to Syrac and became part of the Free Planets.
11 BCE:	The cults of the Goddess spread quickly in the southern Galaxy, resulting in the commencement of construction of the first great temple on Thanalem, which becomes the center of worship for the new faith. One of its most fervent followers is the young King of Notos, Erikhthonios II, the Red Drakon. The Red Drakon begins a series of holy wars in the name of the Goddess, quickly proving himself to be one of the greatest generals in history.
3 BCE:	Having conquered several neighboring free planets and forced others to submit to his overlordship, the Red Drakon is crowned emperor of the new Notoian Empire on Thanalem. However, his ambitions to spread farther north into the Free Planets are confounded by constant pressures from the Briar system to the east.

The First Century
The first century shows the increased Conversion to the Religion of the Goddess and the banishment of the use of magick unless supervised by the Temple or the Order. Finally, the Goddess, Khloris, is released and goes mad, calling the remnants to the surface. Horrific thunderstorms across the Galaxy characterize the following 90 years.

0 AD:	Emperor Erikhthonios form the Temple as he formalizes the Goddess's cult as an official religion. The emperor commands that missionaries be sent forth into the other planets, thus spreading the Temple's teachings.
1 AD:	The first Grand Matron of the Temple, Juno I, is instated at the still unfinished Grand Cathedral in Thanalem. The free use of magicks is declared illegal in Notos except by those operating under the direct auspices of the Temple or the Order of the Shattered Sword.
5 AD:	Khloris is released, and the Second Plague begins in the Zephyros system with Remnants slaughtering the entire planet of Xanthos before the Order of the Shattered Sword finally gets the word out. Now, rather than the Remnants coming primarily from the north as they did before, they come out of the black holes in all corners of the Galaxy. Once again, mankind is launched into a desperate battle for its survival for the next 90 years. Emperor Erikhthonios calls on witches to use their magic against the Plague. The witches prove themself to be influential allies in battle. The Boreas Empire abandons Zephyros and attempts to protect itself, a betrayal that the Zephyrians remember even to this day.
16 AD:	In several engagements, including the hard-fought victory at the Battle of Balios, the Notoians defeat several hordes of Remnants, and numerous planets are saved. However, the Notoian Empire under the Red Drakon's command expands quickly, as does the influence of the Temple.
25 AD:	The people of Notos are angered when the planet of Auster is nearly destroyed by the Remnants as an eldarïni army watched from nearby.
31 AD:	The Remnant horde fails to overrun the Borean capital planet, Creta.
33 AD:	Emperor Erikhthonios is allowed to expand northward, but instead, he chooses to swing his armies west and relieve the siege of Areion. The Order of the Shattered Sword is impressed enough to convert to the worship of the Temple, and together the Order of the Shattered Sword and the Red Drakon save the badly weakened system of Zephyros from destruction, making it a part of the Notoian Empire and bringing it to devout worship of the Goddess that continues to this day. However, throughout the Second Plague, the eldarïni of the Briar system refuse to provide aid to their neighbors.
45 AD:	Emperor Erikhthonios perishes from old age in Aithiopia. Unfortunately, his Empire, forming most of the western Free Planets and all of Zephyros, does not survive his death.
65 AD:	Zephyros once again declare their independence, this time from the Notoian Empire.
95 AD:	The Free Planets and Notos are hard-pressed to defend themselves, but the Order of the Shattered Sword and the Notoian armies make the difference. The last battle of the Second Plague is fought on Alejandrar of the Free Planets. The human army is led by the Order of the Shattered Sword and takes a resounding victory, where Khloris is finally destroyed and the Remnants routed.

The Second Century
While there are no plagues in this century, it is still characterized by bloodshed—the Temple first marches on the Briar system in the first-ever Crusade. The Order builds their main battle station in the Ganymedes system. A second crusade is marched on Alejandrar, liberating it from Borean rule.

105 AD:	Increasing hostility between eldarïni and humans results in numerous border skirmishes between the Briar system and Notos.
109 AD:	Finally, the eldarïni forces attack the Notoian moon of Nemesis and quickly take it over. The atrocities they are said to have committed there against the villagers and the town's Temple enraged humans across the system.
	Notos immediately went to war with the Briar system but was initially surprised by the ferocity of the eldarïni response. A quick Notoian victory was not going to happen.
110 AD:	In the Ganymedes system, Baron Eron declares himself King. A civil war begins in opposition.
110-120 AD:	With eldarïni forces having captured Auster and marching on the doorstep of Thalalem, Matron Persegan I calls for a holy war against the eldarïni. This becomes known as the Crusade of the Briar. Unfortunately, while the eldarïni eventually sack Thalalem in 114 AD and push well into the human system, Astraea is conquered, and the eldarïni are entirely crushed by 120 AD.
	The planets of the Briar system come under Notoian control, with eldarïni settlements being uprooted and worship of the eldarïni religion illegalized. The eldarïni are forced to either live with mankind under their rule or wander as homeless vagabonds.
130 AD:	By far the most prominent structure in Astraea, the Dawn Palace becomes a regular seasonal retreat for the empress and selected Notoian nobility.
134 AD:	Following the defeat of Khloris in 95 AD, there is general support of building fortified headquarters for the Order of the Shattered Sword. The star fortress of Laomedon in the Ganymedes system is finished after a decade of construction.
180 AD	Alejandrar is freed from Borean rule during a crusade, the second in less than a century.
199 AD:	The Grand Cathedral in Thalalem is completed, its two towers visible from miles around.
	The same day, Emperor Aellopos of the Boreas Empire is stabbed to death by one of his eldarïni servants, Leonius, in an underground corridor beneath Palpatinus Hill, Creta.

The Third Century
A relatively quiet century; the Third Plague begins but is swiftly dealt with in a matter of only 15 years. However, the raging solar flares the Plague brings to the Galaxy leaves much to be rebuilt after the end of the Plague. Trouble begins to stir between the Borean and Notoian Temples, leading to a complete schism between the two factions.

209 AD:	The Right of Annulment is invoked for the third time since its inception. The witches of the Coven of Hermeticus are put to the stake. After reports that the Right of Annulment might have been invoked to cover up a massacre by a serial-killing priest, the Hermetican Assassins are hired to eliminate the highest members of the Hermetican Temple.
210 AD:	The Old God Phoinix awakens, and the Third Plague erupts in the central systems of the Galaxy, with Remnants coming in greater numbers than ever before. Remnants swarm the Borean planets of Nikothoê and Celaeno and the Notoian planets of Potnia and Auster.
	The Order of the Shattered Sword in both of these empires can quickly organize a defense, and despite heavy losses in the besieged planets, the Remnants are pushed back.
218 AD:	Remnants ravage the Free Planets. At first, the Notoians and Boreans do nothing, but constant pressure from the Order of the Shattered Sword convinces both nations to send aid to the beleaguered planet-states.
225 AD:	The armies of Notos and the Borean Empire meet on Thena and join the Order of the Shattered Sword in the last battle of the Third Plague.
	Phoinix is destroyed, and the Remnants are slaughtered in one of the bloodiest battles in history. The Remnant carcasses are piled into mounds as high as 100 feet and then burned. The people of the Free Planets will not soon forget the image of the burning Remnants.
	Their goodwill is quickly crushed by the victorious armies as they decide to occupy the territories liberated from the Remnants. Notos takes the planet of Pollon, while Boreas takes Thena.
249 AD:	Thena breaks away from the Borean Empire.
265 AD:	Pollon achieves independence from Notos.
287 AD:	After learning that the Imperial Temple has been preaching that magicks best serve man by ruling over him, Matron Persegan II demands that the Boreas Bible be revised to conform to the Notoian Bible, which states that "magic must serve man, and not rule over him." She declares the Boreas clergy heretics when they refuse. In response, the Borean Emperor appoints Grand Magister Kelainô, a man and a magister, as Patron of the Borean Temple. In the south, he is widely reviled and dubbed the "Malefic Patron."
	In the Ganymedes system, the local Coven moves to Hymenaios Hold after the original tower on Aquarius is razed.

The Fourth Century
A particularly dark chapter of the Galaxy. Religious differences lead to several crusades and bloodshed, coining this time as "The Age of Vehemence."

300 AD:	Werewolves, long present in Median lore, are said to reappear, assuming the appearance of regular people. The use of dogs as guards able to "detect" werewolves becomes common. An incredibly bloody chapter of Ganymedes' history ends with the apparent extinction of the creatures.
322 AD:	The Hermetican King Qin the Younger meets his end at the hands of Yuwei, a soon-to-be-legendary member of the Hermetican Assassins. During one of the King's tours of eastern Hermeticus, the eldarïni Yuwei struck the King with his spear, killing him.
340–410 AD:	The Temple declares a series of four crusades to destroy the "heathens" within the Boreas Empire. All four times, large armies are gathered from around the Temple's domains, and an assault is launched deep into Boreas. Every time, however, the Crusade falls just short of its goal of conquering Creta. In the end, the crusades serve simply to cement the separation between Creta and Thalalem. As a result, the Imperial Temple starts to form its own dogma and policies, and the groundswell of witches fleeing from southern systems into Boreas bolsters the Empire's waning power.
345 AD:	The most famous eldarïni criminal in Notos, Munët, is arrested for slaying twelve chevaliers. However, she escapes and kills twenty more before cutting her throat to avoid capture.
380–384 AD:	The Notoian Empire takes advantage of Ganymedes' fractured state and crosses the Brokeback Asteroids to invade the system for the first time. However, the Median Barons set aside age-old differences to push the Notoian Empire back. The Notoians hope to take the moon of Silvera, but the star fortress of Longlake holds out too long, and radiation in the Brokebacks leaves many Notoian units without supplies. By the spring of 384, most of the invaders pull out or are captured.

The Fifth Century
The first half of the century is marked by bloodshed and war as the last of the crusades on the Imperial Temple makes way for the Fourth Plague. The Remnants, this time around, seem to be taking the appearance of regular people, killing and taking the place of their doppelgangers. Finally, Ganymedes unites under one King, kicking the Notoian Empire out of their system.

410 AD:	The Last Crusade on the Borean Empire ends in retreat for Notos.
	The Order of the Shattered Sword sign treaties with the various Median barons, build a fortress on Eron, and several small outposts to watch for signs of Remnants.
412 AD:	The eldarïni remaining in the Briar system attempts a Ritual of Awakening, trying to resurrect the lost Queen Ëos. The ritual fails, and they create a dark reflection of the former queen, naming itself Erebos.
	The Crusades against Boreas end with the awakening of the Mad God Erebos and the outbreak of the Fourth Plague. Remnants appear in significant numbers in the northeast and northwest of the Galaxy.
	Remnants overrun the System of Hermeticus. The Order of the Shattered Sword arrives to evacuate Hermeticus Prime, but the royal family refuses to leave. The Hermetican Royal Guard rebel and kill King Eleusis before the Knights stop them. It is publicly reported that the Remnants killed him.
	The Knights evacuate the surviving royals and court members via spaceships. As they retreat, they are attacked by the Mad God, and the surviving royals are killed along with most of the Knights.
	The Remnants pour into the Free Planets and Poseidan.
	The Plague rises in the Zephyros system as well, and the capital planet of Zephyros comes under siege.
	Notos and the Borean Empire are attacked by fewer numbers and can drive the Remnants back into the depths of the Void. However, despite their success, Boreas refuses to send any aid to the Free Planets or Zephyros, while Notos sends only a token force.
420 AD:	The Knight of the Shattered Sword, Gäraniel, leads an army of Knights and Zephyrians and breaks the siege of Zephyros Prime.
421 AD:	Remnants all but devastate the Free Planets. A refuge known as the Retreat is dug into the Brokeback asteroids. At the direst point of the Fourth Plague, hundreds of fleeing Syrac and Akka residents call the Retreat home.
422 AD:	Gäraniel gathers Knights from Notos and Zephyros and marches to Alejandrar. On Alejandrar, Gäraniel organizes an alliance between the leaders of the Free Planets. As a result, a united army marches north, led under the banner of the Order of the Shattered Sword.
424 AD:	Hermeticus is freed from the Remnants during the infamous battle at the planet of Aithalides, where Gäraniel dies upon slaying the Mad God Erebos. So many Remnants are slaughtered in the fight that it is considered certain that they will never return. That the Plague continues to be felt in the Void by the Morïquendi is largely ignored by most except the Order of the Shattered Sword. Most are eager for the war to end and for regular trade to begin.
	Alara Valmont, a young Notoian captain, is declared a hero by King Azar of Hermeticus for coming to the rescue of the Hermetican army during the Battle of Aithalides. Alara weds one of Azar's sons, and the Valmont family is elevated to nobility. Upon returning home, the Notoian emperor is forced to match Azar's honors by granting Alara a marquisate.
437 AD:	The first king of the Pollonian Van de Kampf family, Tylerius Van de Kampf, is crowned after having claimed to be a descendant of Erikhthonios's son, killed on Akka and killing the ruling King. Being a hero of the recent Plague, Tylerius is able to stir nationalistic feelings in the western Free Planets against the growing power of Notos. He proves his military might by winning several major battles against the Notoians, establishing Pollon as a new, growing power.
438 AD:	King Tylerius turns the western Free Planets against the growing power of Notos. He wins several major border wars against the Notoians, expanding Pollon into a proper system.
442 AD:	With the crowning of King Galen on Ganymedes Prime, the various warring factions of Persespheians are at last united under a single banner to form Ganymedes. What had always been considered a system of wild, nomadic barbarians was finally a nation in its own right, though considered primitive and backwater by most.
499 AD:	Queen Myrtilos of Hermeticus, is assassinated on a tour throughout the system. True to the slow nature of the poison, Myrtilos withered away over several days until she finally perished.

Galactic Middle Age

The Sixth Century
Pushed by the continuing oppression from the Temple of the Goddess, The Nyanko appear on the galactic scene, taking over several planets where they force people to revert to their religion, the Najjal. Skirmishes between the Heran and Ganymedes begin to create growing hatred between the two peoples.

530 AD:	The Nyanko land in Al-Voilenn, then loosely controlled by the Borean Empire, and conquer it quickly, unbeknownst to the rest of the Galaxy.
532 AD:	Word of The Nyanko invasion finally reaches the Galaxy when Nyanko ships begin to land en masse on the coasts of Hefaistion and northern Poseidan. The Nyanko Wars begin and last for the remainder of the century, and most of the next one.
535 AD:	The Hermetican planet of Sikoyinia is conquered by The Nyanko.
542 AD:	The Nyanko's initial advances are significant: they have conquered much of the Borean Empire, Poseidan, and Hermeticus and begin to assault the Free Planets and force all they conquer to convert to the Dajjal.
	Only Creta itself remains besieged but unconquered in the north.
550 AD:	The Heran organize forces under the great warlord Balakk and sweep into the heart of the Ganymedes System in massive numbers. Ganymedes Prime is put to the torch.
552 AD:	The Herans are pushed out of Ganymedes proper. The period results in one of the worst famines in Median history—memories of Heran savagery sour relations between the barbarians and Median kings for ages.
585 AD:	The humans have organized themselves and pushed back hard enough that massive rebellions in Boreas manage to free the Empire, and The Nyanko lines begin to crumble.
590 AD:	The Nyanko besiege the planet of Aethon. The appearance of a drakon, rumored to be called by a witch, ends their effort and forces them to retreat.

The Seventh Century
The Battle of Laomedon results in the Order being expelled from the Ganymedes system, losing their stronghold in the process. The Nyanko are pushed back at first, but retailiates by taking over the Hermeticus system. Towards the end of the century, another crusade is fought against them, ending in the Larissan Accord, promising peace between The Nyanko and most of the Galaxy.

605 AD:	After losing the Median throne to her cousin, Arlandus, Sofjian joins the Order of the Shattered Sword and rises to the rank of Knight-Commander in Ganymedes.
	Arlandus is considered by many to be a tyrant. Nobles approach Sofjian, asking her to intercede. She accepts and attempts a coup against her cousin using the Knights of the Shattered Sword. After the bloody Battle of Laomedon, Arlandus declares himself victorious with Sofjian killed. The Order of the Shattered Sword is expelled from Ganymedes and Laomedon is abandoned.
623 AD:	The Nyanko are pushed back to Hefaistion and Poseidan, but they are well entrenched.
	The Battle of the Nocean System is the largest galactic engagement in history and results in a stalemate and the destruction of many of the ships on both sides.
	With both sides exhausted, an impasse begins.
625–685 AD:	The Crusades on The Nyanko is declared by both the Imperial Chantry - to retake Hefaistion and the eastern planet of Syrac - and the Notoian Temple - to retake Poseidan.
	During the Crusades, Notos manages to steal the Qareen (Tome of Al-Masih) from The Nyanko.
628 AD:	A drakon cult following the rampage of the High Drakon Cychreus devastates the northern Free Planets until the drakon is slain by a group of militiamen.
634 AD:	Emperor Kanabos is elected directly from the ranks of the Magisters. He overturns the old rules forbidding witches from taking part in Borean politics.
644 AD:	The newly crowned emperor of the Notoian Empire, Freyanar, allows women to become knights after witnessing the death of Sir Haemus, the Knight of Notos.
652 AD:	The second Crusade ends in a disaster, as The Nyanko capture much of Hermeticus.
654 AD:	The Nyanko land on Estwick and use it as a launching point for fleets of dreadnoughts.
655 AD:	Raiders from the independent moon, Larissa, unite under the banner of the Galatea Armada. Together, their pirate fleets help turn the tide against The Nyanko fleet.
	A third and final crusade on The Nyanko is called.
656 AD:	The Nyanko, although on the retreat, manage to gain a foothold in the Free Planets by landing near Ostara and launching assaults against Alejandrar and Syrac. Alejandrar prevails, but Syrac falls to the sorceries of the Da'jinn in a daring night-time raid and is occupied for several years.
682 AD:	The Daphnea family takes over Pollon from the rival Van da Kampf family. In order to secure their border with Notos, they approach Astraios IV with an offer of marriage. The emperor leaves his current wife of 17 years as she hasn't produced him an heir, and marries Princess Sotiria Daphnea. However, the Pollonian bride also fails to produce him an heir, and he forces her to join a convent. Pollon sends soldiers into Notos, but only to retrieve the princess; they do not start a war with the Empire. The princess marries another Notoian by the name of Gustave Hyakinthos, and adopts his son, and names him Aurelian Daphnea.
684 AD:	By the end of the Third Crusade, The Nyanko have only one stronghold left in the Galaxy: the planet of Despione.
	By then, rebuilding all the destruction caused was considered more important than trying to dislodge The Nyanko from Despione once again. A meeting between envoys of all the human systems (except for Boreas) and The Nyanko at Larissa results in the signing of the Larissan Accord and peace being declared.
	Peace is not established between the Borean Empire and The Nyanko, though skirmishes are few while The Nyanko pull back to Al-Voilenn and rebuild.
688 AD:	The Temple names king Catamitus a saint for spreading the Religion of the Goddess to the entire system of Ganymedes.

The Eighth Century
While the Nyanko invites Poseidan diplomats into their midst, their war with Boreas heightens. In the middle of the century, the Nyanko take over the system of Hefaistion from Boreas. The "Mad Emperor" of Notos, Astrileux, invades Ganymedes. With the help of local nobility, they eventually take over the system, forcing the ruling family into hiding. It is only at the end of the century, with the help of the Morïquendi, that Ganymedes regains its freedom from Notos.

710 AD:	In a grand gesture, the Nyanko on Al-Voilenn welcome a group of Poseidan diplomats. The visit dispels many myths about Dajjal society.
724 AD:	The Notoian Empire, under the direction of the "Mad Emperor" Astrileux, launches the Second Notoian Invasion of Ganymedes. Thanks to the clandestine support of a number of powerful barons undermining Median defense, Notos quickly establishes a strong foothold.
725 AD:	Though King Valerian XI is succeeded by his son, King Ba'ariel I, the youth cannot unite the system beneath him, and for the next two decades, Ganymedes is mired in blood and battle.
744 AD:	The Notoian Empire finally sacks the planet of Ganymedes Prime, claiming victory in Ganymedes and driving King Ba'ariel into hiding.
	Though routed, the King and others among the true Median nobility continue to wage guerrilla war against their oppressors. When Ba'ariel finally dies, several years after the birth of his grandson Melkoriel I, Notos crowns Moghrenn as King of Ganymedes, though Ba'ariel's daughter, "the Rebel Queen" Moirraa - considerably more popular and charismatic than her father - keeps the resistance alive.
747 AD:	Emperor Astrileux, fearing the court turning favor toward rival Grand Duke Gwatienne, has Gwatienne, his wife, three grown children, and all eight grandchildren murdered. The youngest, Anastasia, is only eight months old.
751 AD:	Emperor Astrileux dies after spending more than a year locked in his room, fearing retribution for his assassination of the Gwatienne family. His son, Erikhthonios XI, is crowned the Emperor.
755 AD:	War between the Nyanko and the Borean Empire continues as the Nyanko land and conquer Hefaistion within three years. Boreas is left on its own to fight its war with the Nyanko, though the peace between the Nyanko and other systems is considered fragile.
	Several attempts by the Nyanko to land in the Boreas system and attack the Empire directly are repulsed.
	Emperor Erikhthonios XI of Notos dies. His brother, Judicael V, is crowned the new Emperor.
770 AD:	A war between Pollon and Notos over the control of the western field around Aristaios results in a Pollonean victory. However, Notos proceeds to sow dissent and rebellion among the locals on Aristaios, who resent Pollonean rule.
	Emperor Judicael V dies. His son, Judicael VI is crowned the Emperor.
776 AD:	In the coldest winter in centuries, Adaim of Syrac escapes from the Coven.
777 AD:	The Hundred Days Cough epidemic begins in Notos; it claims the lives of the twin sons of the Emperor Judicael VI and the infant daughter of his brother Florienne.
782 AD:	Pollon begins a bloody campaign of conquest within the Free Planets, encouraged by their taking of Aristaios. They are stopped by Cade Maddoxx, who is named Champion of Syrac for his deed.
784 AD:	After Emperor Judicael VI dies during a fox hunt, his brother Florienne ascends to the throne of Notos, much to his chagrin.
795 AD:	A witch in Hermeticus shouts a prophecy about the impending return of the drakons.
796 AD:	Moirraa the Rebel Queen is assassinated by Baron Cedric and several other traitor nobles at the behest of the Notoian King Moghrenn.
798 AD:	The Median rebels, led by the young Prince Melkoriel, take the isolated port station of Gawaren V, their first major victory since the death of Queen Moirraa.
	House Tërranus is exiled from the Void for denying the Voice of the Ancients and willfully manipulating the sacred Evincings.
799 AD:	At the battle of Kallirhoe, the Median rebel army is devastated by the royalist forces. Survivors retreat to Gawaren V. Melkoriel is presumed dead.
	With the aid of the Legion of the Dark Ones, Prince Melkoriel emerges from the Void under Gawaren V and wins an important battle, and is coming much closer in liberating Ganymedes than he or his mother ever did. Afterward, he also kills Baron Cedric and the other three nobles who betrayed and killed his mother.
	Believed hunted to extinction, drakons emerge first in Hermeticus, then devastate rural Notos and Pollon. Another drakon is also sighted in the Notoian side of the Brokeback asteroid field, just before the battle of Starr'dane.
	At the Battle of Starr'dane, the last two legions of chevaliers that the Emperor sent to the occupied Ganymedes are defeated by the rebels.

The Ninth Century
The century is marked by malice and discontent. Hermeticus goes into civil war, known as the "Three-Queens Era." Melkoriel I retakes the Median throne from the Notoian usurper. The war between the Nyanko and Boreas continue, with the Nyanko slowly gaining the remaining Hefaistion system. In the dispute, most of the Magisterium is killed off by the Nyanko, however, the Malefic Patron vows to remake the Magisterium in his image.

800 AD:	Led by the young Prince Melkoriel, the Median rebels finally succeed in driving out the Notoian occupational force. Melkoriel kills the usurper King Moghrenn in a duel at Fort Drakonea.
	A short time later, Hermeticus is shaken by civil war and the much-maligned "Three-Queens Era" begins.
	The ruling Emperor of Boreas faces usurpation.
803 AD:	Melkoriel is crowned King of Ganymedes.
810 AD:	In the center of Ganymedes, the intelligent Remnant known as the Draughtsman attempts to awake the remaining Old Gods and taint the Galaxy. His efforts are thwarted by King Melkoriel and a band of Knights of the Shattered Sword.
	King Melkoriel allows the Order of Shattered Sword to return to Ganymedes after two centuries of exile.
812 AD:	The Sultan of the Nyanko navy launches an offensive on the Boreas central system with a fleet of warships, and the entire Da'jinn is sent with them as a landing force. The Sultan's campaign makes excellent progress, but his headway disappears when legions of Borean soldiers and Magisters retaliate in force. The Nyanko footholds in Boreas are obliterated in the counterattack, and the Sultan is forced to withdraw the fleet to Hefaistion. The defeat shakes the entire populace, but none take it harder than the Sultan himself, who resigns his role and returns to Al-Voilenn to be Sultan no more.
814 AD:	Perrinthus VI succeeds his father, Chivalry XXI, as King of Syrac.
820 AD:	Ganymedes and Notos officially make peace after the ascension of Empress Celina to the Notoian throne.
	Pollon invades Notos and seizes the moon of Pommed'or circulating Ghislain. Grand Duke Caspard de Hhalons leads the Notoian defense, eventually driving the Polloneans out of Notos.
821 AD:	After a failed attempt to oust the influential Order of the Shattered Sword from the planet, King Perrinthus VI is executed, and Delphi I is appointed King of Syrac. Due to her part in the arrest of King Perrinthus VI, Meredia Hiero is promoted to Knight-Commander of Syrac by Grand Master Nemea.
822 AD:	Beldames, secretly in league with a rogue Grand Cleric of the Notoian Temple, conspire to assassinate Matron Beautrix III. A Knight of the Shattered Sword thwarts the conspiracy and is named Hero of Notos and the Matron's Right Hand, starting the bloody inquisition of the Notoian Temple. This day is remembered as the "The Day of Black Skies."
825 AD:	King Melkoriel of Ganymedes is thought lost in space and imprisoned by Hermetican Assassins.
	Melkoriel 's son, Caylann, inherits the throne of Ganymedes.
	The Nyanko elevate a new Sultan, Rak ag-Nok after the previous one died during a campaign on Hefaistion.
827 AD:	Magister Urion Nehalenas and a group of co-conspirators among the Imperial Temple and the Magisterium ousts the ruling Malefic Patron. Nehalenas becomes the new Malefic Patron afterward.
832 AD:	The eldarïni slaves of the Damasque Alienage revolt against their owner; many eldarïni are killed.
840 AD:	Empress Celina is called out of Thanalem after news of an eldarïni rebellion in the Briar system. The move is thought to have been orchestrated by Caspard. Celina's absence fuels rumors of her death or capture.
	Anticipating unrest, the Sun Gates to Thanalem are ordered closed for the first time since drakons attacked the city in 822 AD.
	Caspard de Hhalons returns to Thanalem to resume the civil war; the missing Empress Celina reappears at the Dawn Palace in the Briar system and begins to marshal her own forces.
	A violent uprising at the Thanalem Coven leaves many senior witches dead. The Matron supports the rebellion through her agents.
	Following the conflict at the Thanalem Coven, allegiances amongst the Temple and witches are split. Some still support the Matron.
	The covens in Poseidan are put to the stakes.
	The Thanalem Coven tries to separate itself from the rule of the Notoian Temple, but the inquisitors kill anyone (witch or priest) who supports the idea.
858 AD:	Patron Nehalenas, Grand Magister of the Magisterium in Boreas, passes away and is succeeded as Patron by Nehelenarr.
865 AD:	Nyanko leader Rak ag-Nok is captured and executed in a pit of snakes by King Aellarr of Syrac.
867 AD:	King Aellar of Syrac is executed in a blood ritual by the Da'jinn in retaliation for the execution of Ragnar Rak ag-Nok.
871 AD:	Patron Nehelenas, Grand Magister of the Magisterium, passes away. His brother, Alfered, succeeds him as Malefic Patron and, reluctantly, as Grand Magister of the Magisterium.
872 AD:	On the advice of the Knight of the Shattered Sword Bounos Ibn-Ishtaq, select members of the Coronis Clan leave the Nyanko's endless wars and lack of resources and travel to Estwick.
873 AD:	The Coronis Clan arrive on Estwick, where they established the settlement of Corvus Major from the remnants of an abandoned settlement from the Borean Army.
	A Knight of the Shattered Sword attends a ball held by Empress Celina I at her Dawn Palace in the Briar system after learning of an assassination plot against her. The Knight's actions resolve the Notoian Civil War and with Celina on the throne once more.
875 AD:	Frei Ibn-Abdah of the Coronis Clan travel to an unknown planet called Vhanteros, otherwise known as Saint Beroe's Land, where she assassinates Magister Gorm. There, Frei recovers a Crystal Ball from his personal effects and later gives the artifact to Melïan of the local eldarïni.
877 AD:	Frei and Tyr Ibn-Abdah return to the Nyanko, where they uncover the Dra'sil Chamber. They experience a simulation of life, making them believe they are the reincarnations of the old gods Oreithyia and Khloris; Frei eventually rejects Oreithyia and convinces her brother to abandon the simulation.
	Bounos Ibn-Ishtaq, the believed reincarnation of Phoinix, attacks Frei after deducing she is the reincarnation of Oreithyia. Frei defeats Bounos in combat with Tyr's help and leaves him trapped inside Dra'sil's simulation device.
878 AD:	Frei and Tyr Ibn-Abdah and their allies fight in the Battle of Eryx to weed out Patron Alfered and kill him. Alfered escapes, but the Nyanko are victorious.
	Frei successfully wipes out the Magisterium in the Hefaistion system with the help of the reluctant Grand Magister. In the Magisters' wake, Alfered vows to establish a new order, which would become the new Magisterium.
879 AD:	Knight-Mentor Fallulah of the Borean region holds a council at the newly constructed fortress of Podarkes. Page Hrythamex is invited by Mentor Fallulah to receive a promotion and give an account of Bounos Ibn-Ishtaq's desertion.

The Tenth Century
With the invention of blaster technology, the Galaxy continues in a century of relative peace, as the new technology opens doors for both prosperity and wealth throughout Ëos. Towards the end, a Borean prince makes an attempt at the Notoian throne, using the newest technology and the magicks of the rebuilt Magisterium.

900 AD:	The first pictorial representation of a blaster is made on Dyionius after it has been created using the knowledge from a datacron. The technology revolutionizes warfare but also puts the various warring factions at a standstill.
985 AD:	Emperor Erikhthonios X of Notos, backed by the Order of the Shattered Sword, defends himself against the forces of Borean prince Oupis and his ally Loxos Erekhtheioi, a member of the Magisterium.

The Eleventh Century
The beginning of the century is marked by the burning of Matron Sylvestra II, who is branded a heretic due to her views on the use of magick and the freedom of witches. At the end of the century, the Notoian Temple sends an army against the Borean Empire, capturing the holy planet of Creta.

1001 AD:	The populace of Thanalem revolts against Matron Sylvestra II, who is branded a heretic and beldame for her support and promotion of magick.
1096-99 AD:	An army of Crusaders captures the planet of Creta, marking the end of the First Sacred Crusade and the start of a Crusader presence in the Holy Land for almost a century.
	In the process of the Crusade, the planets Hecaerge, Loxo, and Upis are taken over, creating a solid trade line for the Notoian Temple. Together the Crusader planets are known as Outremer.

The Twelfth Century
The current century is plagued by wars over what is deemed 'the Holy System', the very primary system of the Borean Empire. Several smaller planets are fought for, but the big prize is still that of Creta.

1129 AD:	The Magisterium is publicly recognized as a military order during the Council of Xanthos, with Aetae serving as the new public Grand Magister.
1144 AD:	Hecaerge is recaptured by Emperor Nar Assamum for the Borean Empire.
1147 AD:	Matron Astraeus V calls for the second Sacred Crusade to retake the planet of Hecaerge from Nar Assamum. King Limos of Pollon and King Khrysomallos of Poseidan both lead their armies towards the Borean border. Attacking the planet of Damasque from one side, the kingdom of Outremer presses from the other. In a marvelous display of magickal power, Nar Assamum's Magisterium dispels the attackers, forcing the armies to retreat.
1162 AD:	Hassa'nn the Youth sent the Knight who would later be known as Al'Mareinn from Podarkes to establish a fortress on Lykourgos, speculated by some to have been due to an ideological rift between the two.
1176 AD:	Emperor Nar Assamum lays siege to the Borean Order of the Shattered Sword' fortress on Lykourgos. Acting on information received from Aimahd Sofjan, the Knights' leader Al'Mareinn tasks Uma La'Ahad with infiltrating the enemy camp, where he leaves a note tied to a dagger in Nar Assamum's tent.
	Zah Assamum, uncle to Nar Assamum, brokers a truce with the Knights on the condition that Uma La'Ahad is executed for taking the life of a Borean nobleman during his infiltration of their camp. Against Al'Mareinn's will, Uma voluntarily has his life taken.
	Aimahd Sofjan commits suicide inside the quarters of Uma La'Ahad's son, Alen, because of his remorse over giving Uma's name to the Boreans while in their captivity.
1187 AD:	The Battle of Hattattin occurs between the Crusader Kingdom of Creta and the Borean forces of Nar Assamum, resulting in a Borean victory. With Creta once again under Borean rule, Nar Assamum turned his eye on the remaining Crusader planets, capturing all.
1188 AD:	Before dying, Matron Astraeus V calls for a third Sacred Crusade to retake 'the holy system'. Three royals answers the call: Queen Keryx of Hermeticus; Queen Karpos of Zephyros; and Empress Iris of Notos. For this reason, it is nicknamed 'The Queens' Crusade'
1189 AD:	Alen La'Ahad assassinates Haran, a Knight-turned Magister, in Lykourgos Fortress during an attack by the Magisters, saving the life of Al'Mareinn. Alen is elevated to the rank of Knight L'rog'g.
	Grand Magister Aetae is beheaded on orders of Nar Assamum.
1191 AD:	Alen La'Ahad and the brothers Milak and Kadarr infiltrate the Creta Vault to retrieve a relic. After encountering Magisters led by Grand Magister Roberr de Sabre, Kadarr is killed and Milak loses his left arm, though the latter brings the artifact back to Lykourgos.
	The Knights fend off an attack by the Magisterium led by Roberr de Sabre.

 

[Semi-Sweet]

Society
Though society differs depending on which part of the Galaxy one is in, there are similarities and generalities.

Technology
Most systems' main worlds are completely industrialized, with the planet's surface not being accessible due to the many high-rises. Blasters and speedsters are commonplace, and lightspeed travel is installed in all intergalactic ships. Most planets have orbiting stations for larger vessels with shuttles going to the main planet. The less coreward one gets, the less civilized the worlds become.

Racism and Slavery
After the Boreas Empire took over most of the Galaxy, human supremacy dominated the other races – a still actively enforced divide in most, if not all, systems. Other species are simply put in one box called 'aliens,' without differing between them – except for the Eldarïni. This is because most other species were already enslaved during the Ëos Millenium. To this day, eldarïni slaves are seen as cleaner, getting the more lucrative jobs inside palaces rather than the quarries. This does not mean every alien is a slave, but they are worse off than humans.

Religion
The dominating religion in the Galaxy is the Religion of the Goddess, aka. Miriahism. The Religion spread with the Notoian Empire. The commonly used calendar starts the year the Red Drakon officially started the Temple.

Lost Elderïni Religion
Today it's very hard to find any eldarïni that still practice their ancient religion. Artifacts and relics are still found to have amazing powers; however, almost all of the eldarïni culture was lost when the magisters of Boreas doomed the Ëos Millenium through magick. Scholars have been able to gather a few things over time.

The eldarïni did not worship any gods specifically, instead, they put their faith in their Queen, who used her power over the Aurora Crystal to bestow immortality to her subjects.

When the scholar Erasmux Knudson asked his companion about the Eldarïni's beliefs, he got the answer: "We don't believe. We fear."

The Old Gods
There were several Old Gods that were said to rule over the ancient world. The Temple maintains that they are responsible for the original sin, that they turned humanity away from its true creator through deceit. Humanity's faith faltered, and thus the Goddess turned away from the world—but not before trapping the Old Gods in eternal prisons beneath the earth as punishment.

Regardless of the truth, legend maintains that even from their underground prisons, the Old Gods were able to whisper into the minds of men. Emperor Darius I, the first of the Magisters, who claimed to have contacted the Old God Oreithyia, used the blood magick Oreithyia taught him to attain incredible power in Boreas and declare himself the ruler of an Empire. In return, he established the first temples worshipping the Old Gods, and the deities became equated everywhere with imperial power.

To date, four of the Old Gods are said to have risen as corrupted Mad Gods: Oreithyia, the first and most powerful, was slain at the Battle of the Cruel Plains. Khloris fell at the Battle of Alejandrar, Phoinix died at the Battle of Thena, and Erebos was felled by Gäraniel, the legendary Knight of the Shattered Sword at the Battle of Aithalides. The Mad Gods have been identified only after years of argument among scholars, and to this day, it is unclear whether the Mad Gods were truly Old Gods and not simply powerful monsters. All that is known is that the Remnants hunt for them deep underground.

The Temple of the Goddess
The Temple is the dominant religious organization in the Galaxy. It is based on the Bible, a series of teachings written by Miriah, the prophet of the Goddess, and her disciples. It was founded by Erikhthonios, the first emperor of Notos. The Temple's followers are known as Miriahians.

The Temple's goal is to spread the Religion to all of the Galaxy and to all species. The view of the Temple on non-humans is that they need saving—they have turned even further from the Goddess' grace than humanity has—a view that has led much of humanity to look down on them. There is no known Miriahian Nyanko. Once all peoples have accepted the Bible and practice its teachings, the Goddess will return and restore the world to its former glory. As such, Miriahian religion in the Galaxy can be described as deistic in that the Goddess abandoned the world, and she will not heed prayer or perform any other function until her favor is regained.

Commandments:

• As there is but one world, one life, one death, there is but one god, and She is our Goddess.
• Magick exists to serve man, and never to rule over him.
• Those who bring harm without provocation to the least of Her children are hated and accursed by the Goddess.
• There is but one truth. All things are known to our Goddess, and She shall judge their lies.
• All things in this world are finite. What one man gains, another has lost. Those who steal from their brothers and sisters do harm to their livelihood and to their peace of mind.

The Borean Temple
There are those who would say that the Temple is the same everywhere as it is in the south of the Galaxy, that the Matron on Thanalem reigns supreme in the eyes of the Goddess, and that this fact is unquestioned throughout the Galaxy.

Do not believe it.

The Goddess' second commandment, "Magick must serve man, not rule over him," never held the same meaning within the ancient Borean Empire as it did elsewhere. Instead, the Temple there interpreted the rule as meaning that witches should never control the minds of other men and that otherwise, their magick should benefit the rulers of men as much as possible. When the clerics of Boreas altered the Bible to reflect this interpretation of the commandment, the Matron on Thanalem ordered the clerics to revert to the original Bible. They refused, claiming corruption within Thanalem, an argument that grew until the Temple in Boreas elected its own "legitimate and uncorrupted" Patron Kelainô —who was not only male but also happened to be one of the most prominent members of the Borean Magisterium. This "Malefic Patron" was reviled outside Boreas, his existence an offense to the Temple on Thanalem.

After four Crusades to dislodge these "rebels," all that the Temple on Thanalem accomplished was to cement the separation. While most aspects of the Borean Temple's teachings are the same, prohibitions against magick have been weakened, and male priests have become more prevalent. The Magisterium today rules Boreas directly, ever since Emperor Kanabos was elected in 634 directly from the ranks of the Magisters to great applause from the public. He dispensed with the old rules forbidding witches from taking part in politics, and within a century, the true rulers within the various imperial houses—the Magisters—took their places openly within the government. The Borean Patron is now always drawn from the ranks of the Magisters and operates as Patron and Grand Magister both.

This is utter heresy to any member of the Temple outside of Boreas, a return to the days of the Magisters, which brought the Plagues down upon them. Further confrontation between the Malefic Patron and the so-called "White Matron" is inevitable.

Dajjal
The Qareen is a code of honor based on the writings of the Vizier Bast, which encompasses everything from philosophy, a set of laws, a legislative guide, and a social architecture to govern the Nyanko. The Qareen defines the role of everyone and everything in the society of the Nyanko, regardless of whether it is spiritual or mundane. For example, some Nyanko is raised as soldiers from a very young age. They are expected to be strong, disciplined, and stoic, adhering without fail to the tenets of honor and duty as defined in the Dajjal.

As the Qareen covers a broad and complex range of topics, summarizing or explaining it to those not raised within it is difficult for those not trained to do it. Most inquiries from outsiders will be met with refusal, not out of ill will, but because most Nyanko knows only those parts of the Qareen that affect their specific duties. Only the priesthood is equipped to convey it, and even they have to study it rigorously.

An essential concept in Dajjal is the idea that everything and everyone in the world has a nature, and all these things come together to form a proper order—such as the locust devouring crops. It is every individual's choice whether or not they act according to their nature and the nature of the world, oppose the proper order, and fight against themselves and the world. The individual is not truly "individual", but part of the whole. Their own nature contributes to the larger nature of the world, so their struggle against self-balance disrupts the balance of the whole, thus hurting themselves. Because of this, society is not considered artificial but part of nature.

Extracts from the Qareen:

• Existence is a choice. There is no chaos in the world, only complexity. Knowledge of the complex is wisdom. From the wisdom of the world comes the wisdom of the self. Mastery of the self is mastery of the world. Loss of the self is the source of suffering. Suffering is a choice, and we can refuse it. It is in our own power to create the world, or destroy it.
• Struggle is an illusion. The tide rises, the tide falls, but the sea is changeless. There is nothing to struggle against.
• As a fish stranded by the tide knows the air or a drowning man knows the sea, so does a Da'jinn know magick.
• Doubt is the path one walks to reach faith. To leave the path is to embrace blindness and abandon hope.
• To call a thing by its name is to know its reason in the world. To call a thing falsely is to put out one's own eyes.

Magick
Though the concept of magick existed well before the Borean Empire took over the Galaxy, the human terminology is still the one in use today, in most of the Galaxy outside the Empire. A witch is a person who has magickal capabilities. Though witches and magick have been studied extensively, very little is known about its origins. There is nothing in DNA showing where the ability comes from, though there does seem to be a genetic component as witches will often birth more witches. Twins have been born where one is a witch, and the other is not. Cloning has shown itself to be just as sporadic.

The Temple tells that the first Magisters of the Borean Empire learned magick from the Old Gods, which made the Goddess turn away from the Galaxy. However, it is no secret that the Ëos Millenium used magick extensively.

Magick encompasses many different types of activities, including astrology, divination, spell casting, and spirit communication. It includes the practices of many cultures, nations, religions, and many books and writings from ancient times. The practice of magick infuses its practitioners with remarkable paranormal abilities such as moving objects without touching them (telekinesis), killing at a distance via strange rituals, etc.

A witch is fire made flesh and a demon asleep.

Magisters
As magick tends to run in bloodlines, the Borean Empire keeps extensive genealogies of all families known to produce magickal talent.

There is a mistaken impression outside the Borean Empire that a 'magister' is simply a witch, and the mere act of being a witch is all that is required to be among the ruling class—a misperception aided, no doubt, by some Borean witches claiming the title outside their home-system to take advantage of its reputation. In truth, being a magister requires one holds a seat in the Magisterium, the upper house of the Imperial Senate. This is the body that makes laws and chooses the new Emperor if there is no approved heir. The Senate's lower house, the Publicanium, consists of elected officials, but it has no true power and is considered a bureaucratic body.

Young witches often aspire to become a magister's apprentice because it offers them the best chance of ascending to the rank of magister. Foreign witches may also indenture themselves to a magister in order to eventually become imperial citizens.

Magisters, meanwhile, come from the ranks of the Mel'kar and the Imperial Chantry, but most hold their seats by virtue of an Emperor having granted it to their family long ago. A true magister is thus a figure of real power in Boreas. All other witches serve at their pleasure.

Belegurth is where witches within the Borean Empire go to pursue their trials. Driven by their emotions, including hate, anger, passion, and greed, the Mel'kar lords are deceptive and obsessed with gaining power no matter the cost. Over the many years, they've perfected magickal combat to the point that one Dark Lord can take out a small army if provoked. Aside from magick, they also use Silmarïli, weapons of pure light. They come in various forms and are powered by the willpower of the witch, concentrated through a crystal focus in the weapon which creates light. Because they are powered by the witch's emotions, they become very attached to their weapons, almost like it's a part of their soul.

Ranking system:

Grand Magister:	The 13th​ seat on the council belongs to the Grand Magister. It is usually granted to the strongest, wisest, and most powerful member of the Mel'kor. The Grand Magister's power is second only to the Emperor's; when they're not the same person.
Magister:	Magister is a rank granted to a few Dark Lords, depending on their experience, intelligence, wisdom, mastery of magick, skills in Silmarïli combat, or they successfully killed their former mentor(s) who had the rank of Magister. Once a Dark Lord ascends to the title of Magister, he is symbolically letting go of his mortal form by taking a new name. As such, Magisters are known by their title first and then their new name. There are a total of 12 Magister seats on the council, each looing over a particular area of Borean politics.
Mel'cor/Dark Lord:	A Mel'kor who advances in the order's hierarchy will eventually be elevated to Arcanist. His or her name is preceded by "Lord" in formal address. In the modern Empire, "Dark Lord" is synonymous with this term. Arcanist is a rank granted to apprentices, who have become considerably powerful in magicks and skilled in Silmarïlli combat. It is seen as the apprentice graduating their apprenticeship. However, some apprentices gain this title by besting their masters in combat, killing them, and taking over their power base in the process.
Apprentice:	A rank granted to an acolyte who has been chosen by a Mel'kor lord or Magister to be their apprentice. It is extremely rare for a magister to choose an apprentice, as they have sway over the more powerful Mel'kor lords.
Acolyte:	The Title of Acolyte is granted to witches individuals who have been initiated into Mel'kor; they will remain under the tutelage of an Overseer until they are selected or assigned to a Mel'kor Lord or Magister as their apprentice(s).

The Notoian Temple
Magick, in the systems that follow the Notoian Temple, is vastly different from that of Boreas. Here being born a witch can be extremely dangerous. Witches are believed to be cursed by the Goddess, and their magick is only accepted within the confounds of a Coven. Only within a Coven is it illegal to kill a witch, and even then, several covens have been razed over the many years due to the possibility of demons. Even within a Coven, there are limited studies a witch can undertake. The leaders of the Coven are in charge of both ensuring that no witch delves into what is considered the Black Arts, but also in making sure the Temple has no reason to kill any of their comrades.

Hierarchy:

Grand Arcanist:	The Covens' direct representative to the Temple and advisor to the Matron; the Grand Arcanist, is elected by the Council of Witches.
First Arcanist:	The leader of a Coven; first arcanists routinely congregates on the planet of Pollon, at their Council.
Senior Arcanist	Consist of a small council of the most experienced witches present in each coven; newly appointed senior arcanists are presented in a ceremony to the Matron in the Grand Cathedral.
Arcanist:	Witches who tutor apprentices; they can specialize in a particular field of study;
Witch:	All witches who have passed their Trials.
Apprentice:	Any witch who is studying to pass their Trials.

The Order of the Shattered Sword
Witches outside of a Coven are known as beldames. They're considered extremely dangerous and are to be killed on sight. That is unless they belong to the Order of the Shattered Sword. Then, the Order uniquely has the authority to take anyone into their ranks, including criminals and beldames, or even witches from covens.

Within the Order, there are three branches:

• Niggurath: Tracking/sensing corruption or dark magic.
• Sothoth: Be on par with some of the elite soldiers of the realm in terms of combat.
• L'rog'g: Psionics, holy magicks, runes.

Every knight receives training in all three (though obviously those without magick, get more training in runes than spells), and at year three, they choose one to specialize in. It is expected, that those with magick pick the third one.

Ranks:

Da'jinn
Though little is known of what happens to witches within the Dajjal-religion, it is known that they have powerful magick-users called the Da'jinn. In the Nyanko tongue, it means 'dangerous ones'.

Plagues

A Plague refers to a period when Remnants find and corrupt one of the Old Gods—ancient deities slumbering in the depths of the earth—, which is transformed into a Mad God and leads the horde to attack the Galaxy. The world has seen four Plagues to date. Studies have found that the Remnant Plague actually comes from the spreading of a malignant parasite that transforms its victims into deranged mutants. Each time a Mad God rises, the remnants are changed in their image.

Sexuality
In most parts of the Galaxy, non-heteronormative sexualities are freely open. The subject of sexuality is only an issue when it comes to traditions, where one has to produce an heir. Within Boreas, an heir is not necessarily a blood relative, but more so a powerful apprentice that is chosen as an heir.

Within Notos, nobility does put pressure on their families to produce a blood heir, and so any relationship that cannot produce this is impossible. However, the tradition of pederasty is widely practiced, and sex between same-gender partners is not viewed as being unfaithful. Because non-insemination sex is seen as lesser. That being said, in no part of the Galaxy do children of one's slaves count as legitimate heirs.

 

[Semi-Sweet]

Species:

Adarans
The Adarans are a Near-Human species that differ from Humans in that they lack eyes, only retaining vestigial eye sockets, and perceive the environment around them through Inner Sight instead of regular vision. This vision is so strong that if an Adaran looks upon a Magister or Knight of the Shattered Sword, they can "see" Magick radiating off them. The strength of an Adaran's connection to Magick varies by individual.

Dagon
The Dagon are a proud and violent species of humanoids that originated on Creta. Dagon has a larger than average number of individuals with potential to use magick in their species. The abundant magickal ability results from a symbiotic relationship with the Qi, where they—like the other few creatures that inhabited the planet—derived sustenance directly from the Qi and empowered it in turn.

Dyionians
The Dyionians are a near-Human species distinguished by their blue skin and glowing red eyes, which grows darker depending on the oxygen content of their surroundings. The more oxygen present, the more intense the color of their eyes and skin tone. While their hair is typically jet black, it does on rare occasions go gray with age (most Dyionians believe that the development of gray hair is an indication of the siring of exceptional children). Male and female Dyionians tend to be more powerfully built when compared to Humans but exhibit the same variances as Humanoid sexes. A fully grown Dyionian typically stands between 1.6 to 2.1 meters in height. The fact that all Dyionians often appear in very good physical shape is an indication that the species possess an active metabolism which is responsible for their trim figure and lower body temperature. Thus, this is believed to be responsible for preventing obesity that was commonly found within more sedentary humanoids. The Dyionians do not possess any magickal ability

Eldarïni
A humanoid race, Eldarïni are typically shorter than humans and have a slender, lithe build, larger eyes, and pointed ears. Long ago, the eldarïni were the dominant race in the Galaxy, and their advanced civilization was based on crystals, technology and magick. After the fall of their Ëos Millenium, plunder by the Borean Empire and the subsequent generations of slavery, the eldarïni have lost most of their cultural heritage and identity. They attempted to rebuild their society in the Briar system, but after three centuries the Briars fell to one of the Temple's Crusades.

Humans
Humans are the most numerous, yet also the most contentious of all the species of the Galaxy. Only four times have they ever united beneath a single banner, the last being centuries ago. The monotheistic faith of the Religion of the Goddess plays a major role in human society. The majority of humanity in the Galaxy descend from numerous the Borean system.

Kratoxx
Kratoxx are a near-human species distinguishable by their yellow-green or pink-purple colored skin and geometric facial tattoos. Kratoxx hair colors include black and brown, and their eyes can be brown, blue or purple. Kratoxx are also incredibly flexible and agile, traits which aid them in activities such as vibrosword combat. The Kratoxx wae known for their spirituality and strong connection with the world around them. They hava a natural belief in, and practice, a primitive understanding of magick. Because of this, members of the species are taught to respect and listen to magick.

Lekku
Lekku sometimes referred to disparagingly as "Tail-heads," are a humanoid. Their distinctive features include colorful skin, which varied in pigment from individual to individual, and a pair of shapely prehensile tentacles that grow from the base of their skulls. The tentacles, called odano, are advanced organs used for communication and cognitive functions. Lekku possess a fairly standard humanoid vocal structure and are capable of learning most alien languages; however, they usually prefer their native language of Lek, which incorporate subtle movement of the odano. When they wish, they can even communicate in complete secrecy using their versatile brain-tails. Lekku are often used as slaves or dancers because of their beauty.

Morïquendi
The Morïquendi, or dark eldarïni, as they refer to themselves, are one of the major humanoid races of the Void. Strong, athletic, and taller than any their lighter-skinned cousins, the Morïquendi are skilled builders and boast a long tradition of courage and martial skill that has served them well in their millennia-long battle against the Remnants.They once developed a huge, great empire which spread across vast Void systems of twelve great Princes that spanned the breadth of the Void. However their world was all but destroyed during the First Plague, and they are now a race in decline.

Nyanko
The Nyanko are a species of feline, bipedal humanoids native to Hefaistion, a planet of savannas and rough uplands. They are known for their loyalty, passion, and temper. Quick and powerful, they are considered great warriors and dedicated, efficient predators. Nyanko have high moral values, learned from both family and society. Their females are prized as slaves, whereas the males were generally regarded as too uncontrollable for slavery.

Phomosians
Phomosians are Near-Human, but have a number of significant physical characteristics that set them apart from baseline Humanity. The most striking of these are a series of vestigial horns that crownes the heads of both males and females. These horns grow at puberty in varying patterns and signify that the time of their rite of passage is drawing near. Another of the traits that make Phomosians instantly recognizable is their facial tattoos, which are made up of thin lines received during their rite of passage. These can symbolize many things, including but not limited to family lineage, place of birth, or even a design that reflected their individual personalities. Internally, Phomosians possess a second heart. They also have great resistance to physical pain.

Umbrarans
Umbrarans, culturally known as the Shadow People, reside on the dark world of Umbrax deep within the Ghost Nebula. Umbrarans can see in ultraviolet (below 300 nanometers) and have the ability to read, subtly influence, and sometimes control the will of others. Umbrarans are gaunt, frighteningly pale near-Humans with achromatic sunken eyes. Due to the Umbrax's eternal twilight, their eyes are well adjusted to the dark, but they are easily disoriented when exposed to bright sudden flashes of light.

 

[Semi-Sweet]

For good or ill, the Empire has put its stamp on the Galaxy forever.

The old Imperial Highway is still in use across most of the Galaxy. The ruins of Borean star-fortresses and centers of magickal study still litter the Galaxy, long after the glory of the Empire dimmed. But the influence of that ancient empire goes deeper than this. Without Boreas, there would have been no Plagues, no Miriah, no Temple. Every aspect of the world would be altered.

The might and majesty of the Empire may have faded, but it still makes its presence known, even in the most distant corners of the Galaxy. Every child has been brought up on stories of Boreas as it is now: a decadent nation, ruled by the Emperor and his court of magisters—great, and no doubt corrupt, witch-lords. Their Temple a mockery of the Notoian, their Malefic Patron a man chosen from the ranks of the Magisters. The Goddess's most hallowed law, "Magick exists to serve man, and never to rule over him," perverted. Witches in the Empire say their most sacred duty is to serve man, and they serve best by wielding political power.



And the worst, that which Blessed Miriah must weep to see: All of it is built on a foundation of slavery. While most nations forbid the buying and selling of slaves within their own borders, nearly everyone ships her people to the Empire for sale, skirting the prohibitions against such atrocities, and feeding the Empire's endless hunger for bodies: To fight the Dajjal, to work the mines and quarries, to build the palaces of the magisters, to sweep the crumbling streets and turn the middens and serve at the whim of their witch overseers.

The Empire is little more than a dilapidated old slattern, crouching in the far north of the Galaxy, drunkenly cursing at passersby to recall her faded beauty.

One can see that Creta was once the center of the universe. The vestiges of her power and artistry yet stand. But they are buried in the layers of filth that the Empire's decadence has accumulated over the ages. The witchocracy live in elegant stone towers literally elevated above the stench of the slaves and peasants below. The outskirts of Creta are awash in a sea of refugees turned destitute by the never-ending war between the Empire and the Dajjal.

And yet the Empire survives. Whether with blaster or magick, Boreas remains a force to be reckoned with. Creta has been besieged by men, by Nyanko, by Miriah herself, yet she still stands.

Culture
Borean society is notoriously decadent yet also takes great pride in its history and achievements. The Empire treasures its past and preserves it, as indicated that everything they've built has been carefully preserved and renovated. Ambition and magickal ability are the hallmarks of its ruling elite, the magisters. The ancient magister lords ruled the Empire in the Coven (before their modern incarnation), maintaining a tight hold over its people through the power to infiltrate their dreams using dark magick. This circumvention is often necessary in order to simply survive the deadly rivalries and competitions for power and influence amongst the Borean noble families, who only ever put aside their constant bickering to unify in the event of a major crisis such as acts of sedition amongst the indentured populace.

To those outside of the Borean Empire, it is easy to imagine a society filled with witches and Eldarïni slaves and little else. In truth, there are three different Empires, each of them a world completely separated from the others. There are the witches, the land's nobility, completely obsessed with competing for supremacy with each other—almost to the exclusion of paying any heed to the nation's enemies, such as the Dajjal. They vie for dominance in the Mel'kor Magisterium, where factions shift and flow on a daily basis with deadly consequences, requiring every family to put on a veneer of perfect citizenship or face scandal and censure.

Then there are the so-called endymiôn, the "sleepers." These are the non-magickal citizens who vastly outnumber the witches, yet are beholden to their whims. Many are resentful of this status, plotting in secret, even as they secretly hope their children will possess magickal talent—an enticing lure since the talent could conceivably show up in anyone, even a slave. It would be easy to forget that Boreas possesses a massive class of publicans, the civil servants, and leaders of the armies. It has an enormous merchant class, enough teeming poor to drown any other system in Galaxy, and the shadowy thieves called "phaeton" who are practically treated with respect.

And then there are the slaves. One would think they, at least, see each other as equals, but it is not so. The divide between the freed mousaios, those who act as personal servants to magisters, those who work on farms and factories, and the "servus publicus" who do all the tasks proper citizens will not—it is all but insurmountable, but perhaps in emulation of those who own them, Imperial slaves will connive and scheme to try anyhow. Outsiders might see it as futile, but to Borean citizens, their nation's social classes are the most mutable and rewarding of merit in all of the Galaxy.

The centuries-long war with Outremer has taxed the Empire significantly as resources are strained, with hundreds of refugees fleeing to the capital of Creta, the splendor of which is chafing greatly everywhere outside the spires that house the Empire's Mel'kor.

In Boreas, same-sex relationships between nobles are largely hidden, but nowhere prohibited. These relationships are encouraged with favored slaves. Transgender individuals likewise face no official persecution or legal repercussions, although such individuals living openly amongst the upper classes (such as Lord Kleopatra) can cause a scandal. In the army, however, rules are more strict and identify people based on their biological sex.

Borean architecture uses strong horizontals and verticals, accentuated with high-contrast materials. Many of their buildings are made with the help of magick, allowing them to raise massive pillars from the earth, and make use of dramatic designs. Boreas also has access to vast quantities of precious stones and metals, which they make good use of.

Religion
The Imperial Temple is now the main religious organization in Boreas, replacing the abandoned worship of the Old Gods. Unlike its southern counterpart, the Imperial Temple is accepting of magick and allows men into the priesthood.

Social classes
Borean society is highly stratified, with citizens classified into different levels depending on their ancestry and magickal ability.

Endymiôn
All common citizens of the Empire who are non-witches are considered part of the endymiôn ("sleepers") social class. This is a mainly human class that is allowed to own property and serve in Boreas' military but they have no real power in the nation's governance and are unable to attain a higher rank in the Imperial Temple than priests. Often they are found to be merchants. However, when an endymiôn family produces a witch child — this is greatly desired in Boreas, unlike within the rest of the Galaxy — it allows them entrance into the ersa class and thus a higher social standing. In general, the andymiôn and ruling witch classes exist in a state of tension due to the inequality of their standing in the nation.

Ersa
The next highest social level is that of ersa, who are witches born into families that had up to that point shown no magickal ability or who have been witches for generations but have no link to the higher pandeia, or Dreamer, class. One-third of the Emperors throughout history have been ersas. Empress Khione was the first ersa to become Empress, and the outrage that this caused among the Magisterium led to a civil war that lasted over seventy years. The magisters believed that magick was a favor of the Old Gods rather than an accident of birth, and refused to acknowledge the witch underclass of eldarïni and newly liberated foreigners. The civil war was only ended in 620 BCE when Emperor Zetes, former high priest of Oreithyia, finally admitted the ersa to the temples and gave them three seats in the Magisterium.

Pandeia
Pandeia witches are believed to be descendants of the dreamers or magisters who possessed the ability to speak to the Old Gods. The Old Gods are no longer objects of worship but the descendants of these powerful witches are still held in esteem and often are the most high-ranking Mel'kor in the Empire; indeed the majority of magisters are pandeia. Interestingly, there was a time in which these Pandeia witches were scorned for their seeming part in creating the Plagues as the corruption of the Cruel One transformed these mages into the first Remnants. As a result, many such witches were slain during the period of Conversion when the Empire became Miriahian. Since then, the pandeia witches have returned to the upper echelon of Borean society.

Slaves and mousaios
In Boreas, slavery is not only legal but officially sanctioned. While Borean slaves used to be predominantly non-human, they are now mostly a mix and aliens and humans, though even Morïquendi and Nyanko can become slaves. While slavery is officially outlawed everywhere outside of Boreas, slavers operate throughout the Galaxy, luring and kidnapping people to sell them into slavery in Boreas.

Slave uprisings are frequent but rarely successful, as are attempts by Borean politicians to abolish the practice.

Slaves can only be legally freed before a judge, with their owner present to make the decree, or by the owner's will upon their death. However, freed slaves are still not considered citizens of Boreas. Those who achieve freedom are instead sectioned into another class known as the mousaios. The mousaios function as a subclass and those within it are granted limited rights. Mousaios are able to act as an apprentice in a trade or join a coven. Mousaios are also able to own land and property, but they cannot join the military and rarely have a say in governance.

Most of the menai, Boreas' elite spies, come from slave families. Their families are kept safe, as a promise and a threat, to ensure that the menai never flinch from their duties.

Politics
The Borean Empire is still governed by powerful magick-users through a form of witchocracy. It is almost universally reviled by other systems. Its nobility is known to be over-indulgent, and slavery is still practiced. The Empire is the center of the black market, smuggling (including the harboring of witch fugitives from other lands), and the slave trade. Boreas would crumble without slaves, given that it is the only way to support their economy. History shows how deeply committed they are to the practice; when an emperor once outlawed slavery, the emperor was quickly assassinated. Though slave rebellions occur frequently, the Imperial Senate unites in the face of "sedition" to suppress them. Though merely a shadow of its former glory, the Empire is still a very powerful nation with considerable military might. It would turn on the southern nations were it not diverted by the constant wars with the Crusaders of Outremer.

The Empire draws a variety of soldiers from its territories to form an impressive army. Creta is famously protected by a trio of gigantic Juggernauts purchased from the Morïquendi known as the golems.

The legislative body of Boreas is known as the Imperial Senate. The Senate is divided into two houses: the Magisterium and the Publicanium. The Magisterium is the upper house and is responsible for making laws and choosing a new Emperor if there is no approved heir. Members of the Magisterium are known as magisters. The Publicanium is the lower house, and in contrast with the Magisterium it holds no true power and is considered a bureaucratic body. Senators of the Publicanium are elected officials.

Magisters constantly compete with their fellows to rise into a higher position on the Magisterium, though they come together to put down slave rebellions, which they view as sedition. Raising one's position can be achieved through wealth, magickal prowess and/or support by fellow senators but almost always requires relying on forbidden magick. There are various means by which an enterprising witch may enter this august company.

Each position in the Magisterium (apart from the Emperor's) covers one of the controls one of the twelve Spheres of Influence within the Empire, and the various Mel'kor who serve each Magister maintained power bases of their own. Through that system of power bases, every single Mel'kor within the Empire ultimately answered to one of the Magisterium, and every non-witch organization also fell under one or more of the Magisters' Spheres of Influence.

The Twelve Spheres of Influence:

Gomory:	Ancient Knowledge
Zagan:	Biotic Science
Sytry:	Defense of the Empire
Eligor:	Expansion and Diplomacy
Durson:	Imperial Intelligence
Vual:	Laws and Justice
Scor:	Military Offense
Algor:	Military Strategy
Sefon:	Mysteries
Partas:	Production and Logistics
Gamor:	Mel'kor Philosophy
Anaboth:	Technology

A Lord may inherit a seat from a magister rather than earn it through magickal ability or station within the Temple. A final means by which a witch enters the Magisterium is by being appointed directly by the Emperor, which is a power the Emperor may exercise at any time.

The Emperor is the true ruler of Boreas and the magick he wields gives him a god-given authority over others, whether that god is one of the Old Gods or the Goddess. As noted above he may appoint magisters to the Magisterium at any time and has final say on any laws under consideration. The role of Emperor is generally an inherited one and oftentimes these men are relatives or perhaps the apprentices of the previous Emperor. In the event that an Emperor passes without an appointed heir, the Magisterium steps in and names the next ruler provided he is not already part of the Magisterium or a member of the Temple.

Relations with other nations
Because of its history as conquerors and slavers, the role magisters played in starting the Plagues, and the current Schism with the Matron in Notos, the Borean Empire is the most maligned and demonized system in the Galaxy. It is virtually impossible to find writings from Boreas outside its borders that have not been heavily altered or outright forged. To most, it is a corrupt and degenerate witchocracy that must be feared until it can be converted.

Boreans themselves view the rest of the Galaxy as barely civilized savages who lack proper reverence for tradition and respect for authority.

Though the eldarïni no longer have a home per se, the general relationship between them and the Empire is largely self-explanatory and very poor.

 

[Semi-Sweet]

The Order of the Shattered Sword is commanded by the First Knight in Laomedon and consists of semi-autonomous systematical branches lead by a local commander. Though there is a hierarchy, in practice, this is frequently defined by seniority.

In 1192 AD, the strength of the Order is estimated at over 1,000 in Ganymedes, several hundred in Notos, and around two dozen in Zephyros, with unknown numbers in other systems and the Free Planets.

Recruitment
The Knights are open to men and women from every species, system, and background, even criminals. They also accept volunteers, and eldarïni, in particular, tend to be eager to submit themselves for the Knights, as they recruit regardless of social standing and serving is considered by many an honor.

One witch in every Coven is traditionally recruited, usually joining the Order after their Trials. The young witch recruit serves as a Knight their entire life from then on. Similar to serving a ruler, yet greatly removed from the degradation they may usually face in society, Witch-Knights are given great respect and importance in the Order.

Should they need to, the Order possess the Right of Contraction, an authority that dates back to the end of the First Plague and was given to them to ensure they will always have enough members. By using this Right, a Knight may demand that, instantly and irrevocably, any individual from king to criminal be drafted into their ranks, and the conscript cannot refuse being recruited once the Right is invoked. This is especially true in times of Plague.

However, in contemporary times the Right of Contraction is used sparingly for fear of political reprisal due to the low standing the Order has in some countries—especially in Zephyros. The Knights prefer not to invoke the Right unless there is no other option and usually is invoked only to quell protest from a recruit's lords or commanders.

While most people believe that someone must truly hate Remnants to join the Order, in most cases the potential recruits are just responsible individuals with a strong sense of will. In fact, most Knights see their first Remnant only after becoming initiates of the Order. More so, veteran Knights consider that having a personal hatred of the Remnants to be detrimental to a Knight if it leads them to make rash and irrational decisions.

The Knights don't accept just anyone within their ranks, however. Only the best and brightest are allowed. Recruits suffer excruciating tests to determine if they are worthy of being members of the Order. In addition, the fact that the Trials kills many of its participants means that the draft may turn out to be a death sentence. While this is seen as unfortunate, this process elevates their membership to the highest caliber. To face a Knight in combat is to face an elite and deadly opponent.

The Trials
One of the reasons for the small number of Knights is that few can survive their Trials. After being recruited, one's Trials take four years where the person is formed into the perfect knight against the Corruption. One of the reasons for the small number of Grey Wardens is that few can survive this ritual.

Through a mixture of stims and magick their bodies are twisted into peak physical condition, their minds shaped into maximum capacity. Only about 20% of recruits survive the ordeal.

Philosophy and Methods
Being a Knight means abandoning all ties to one's old life and dedicating their life to destroying the Corruption. Knights go where they are needed most, fight Corrpution wherever it appears, and do whatever it takes to stop them. They act as a frontline presence during a Plague and investigate Corruption outside of the Plagues.

Due to the Knights' cause being so crucial to The Galaxy's survival, various groups and nations signed Ancient Contracts promising to support the Knights in times of Plague. This support can come in the form of military aid, donations of gold, supplies, lending of armed forces, and equipment. Although those bound to the contract are obliged to fulfill their promises, Knights believe in times of Plague, the contracts entitle them to take what is needed, when needed. Outside of the Plague, the treaties are as binding as a clever tongue can make them. Still, if the danger of Remnants and the image of Knights as necessary heroes is still fresh in the minds of the people, Knights may be able to use the contracts in order to leverage the goodwill owed them if it can be justified as the Knights using their privileges to protect the Galaxy from calamity.

The Knights are aware that they are fighting a war of attrition against the Remnants, and that they are in the losing side. Because of that, they know that they will have to use whatever tactic they can devise, no matter how unorthodox, to win in the end. And so, they acquire whatever resources they can regardless of the method and employ whomever they must, regardless of their defects of morals or character.

Even for their willingness to use any tactic, however, a philosophical split—unknown to people not associated with the Order—has long divided the Knights into two distinct factions: the ones who feel that the eradication of Remnants is paramount, and the ones who see their protective mission as the greatest purpose of their calling.

For instance, if a planet is under attack by a host of Remnants, the Knights oriented to protection would chance to alert the Remnants to their presence by warning the population of the danger, helping them to safety as best as they can before facing the monsters;. In contrast, those oriented to destruction would be more likely to sacrifice the planet before springing a more effective ambush on the Remnants. The dead populace, in their minds, is an unfortunate but necessary sacrifice.

Other duties
While the Knights first and foremost duty is to detain the Remnant threat, they are also expected to deal with other kinds of Corruption. Corruption takes many forms, whether it is in the form of monsters, criminals, or politics. When wanting to hire a Knight, the person hiring would send the task ahead to the Chamberlain, who will then decide if it is really a matter of Corruption or not. For this reason, the Order is seen as nothing short of mercenaries in certain parts of the Galaxy.

Knights work alone. Due to their perfected physical and mental capabilities, their tempers are often massive, which is detrimental to their work.

The Knights' first allegiance is to their duty, and their second to the Order, but Knights are not expected to abandon the lives they had before their Trials. Rather, they are encouraged to put their worldly ties to use in furtherance of the Order's aims. Noble titles and merchant wealth can often accomplish what weapons cannot. Knights are expected to marry, usually to some sort of nobility or even royalty in order to procude power for the Order. They are expected to produce children that can be put into the ranks of the Order, more likely to survive the Trials due to their genetic makeup from their Knight parent. For this reason, homosexual marriages are not allowed.

Relations to the Morïquendi
Knights and the Morïquendi have always had a kinship through their shared battle against the Remnants.

Morïquendi are viewed as excellent recruits to the Order due to their experience against the Remnants. However, as there are fewer Morïquendi due to low birth rates, there are also fewer Morïquendi Knights. Knights are also the only surface organization to care about the endless war the Morïquendi wage against the Remnants in the Void.

During the Knight's life, a Knight honors a longstanding agreement between the Order and the Morîquendi and serves a year fighting Remnants in the Void at the side of the Morïquendi.

 

[Semi-Sweet]

The system of Akka is named after the only habitable planet in the system. Albeit small, the Akka system poses a strategic vantage point, bordering up to the Borean Empire and the Pollon system. It has remained free from takeover by the Borean Empire by bowing to the Malefic Patron's sovereignty. Until it was taken over by Queen Karpos' army on the retreat from Boreas.​

Geography​

The planet itself is mostly covered in oceans and artificial landmasses. Akka is almost an ecumenopolis, save for the few areas of ocean that refuse to be tamed. Akka is a city of duality: the richer parts of the city remain above waters, but the deepest and most populated areas exist in underwater buildings with only artificial lights.​

Its roads are paved with cobblestones, many of which have ornate facades. In the older portions of the city, the streets are narrow, but most are spacious to accommodate speeders and traders. Pollonian veneration of the dead is seen in the city by the skillfully crafted statues of heroes past that fill the city's many courtyards.​

Armed guards stand watch outside of the wealthy districts of the city and inhabitants and visitors are therefore not allowed to walk about armed. Those who appear uncouth or of low standing are looked upon with disdain.​

Notable dominions​

Akka Citadel​

The Akka Citadel is a huge fortress located in the southern hemisphere rich district of Akka, as well as the main residence of Queen Karpos of Zephyros during the Queen's Crusade.​

The citadel is essentially a small city that is heavily fortified against outside attacks, with huge walls and battlements. It contains the quarters of Harpyia of Areion, who governs the area whilst Karpos s absent fighting the Boreans.​

Akka Spaceport​

There is only one legal place for commercial spacecrafts to go on Akka. Due to the lacking space, larger ships will dock at the orbiting station and take a shuttle to the spaceport, while smaller personal ships can get their own hangar spot.​

Located near the equator of the planet, the ships coming in and out of Akka are tightly monitored by the Crusaders. The harbor covers a huge area and possesses two lighthouses located to the east and the south of the spaceport. It is separated from the rest of the city by huge walls, only accessible through two gates. The north gate is known as Saint Sirena's Gate.​

Cathedral of Holy Light
The Cathedral of Holy Light is a major temple and the biggest landmark on the planet, located at the southern tip of Akka City, visible for miles around. It is considered the high seat of the Akkan Temple.

During Outremer's siege, one of the spires was destroyed. This is seen as a clear indication that the Crusaders are not doing the work of the Goddess.

The Miriah of Heran Temple
Under the waves, in the electrical poorer district, the biggest temple is named after the prophet Miriah. It is a popular meeting place for the city's residents.

The Naplouse Hospital
The structure functions as both a hospital and military quarters and is located in the northern section of the poor district. Akka has universal healthcare, and this is the mecca of medicine on the planet. The University of Akka is located right next to it.






The Akkan Coven
A massive, elaborately designed structure featuring a spired golden dome called the Sun Dome; once the palatial home of a Duchess, the building also features the "red auditorium," a meeting space with a mahogany dome. It is located far from the city on the continent of Tsunare.

The Mikakino Fortress
The home of the Order of the Shattered Sword on Akka. It is located far from the city's borders, above sea levels.

Recent history​

In the year 1190 AD, during the ongoing Crusade, the armies of Karpos of Zephyros laid siege to the city and planned to poison its waters in order to wipe out its entire population. The Knights Alen La'Ahad and Navarro Kantoste were able to stop this plot by killing the Crusader-Commander in charge of the operation.​

The following year, however, the city fell to the besieging Crusader forces. Akka now serves as the capital of the remnants of the Kingdom of Outremer. It is in this city that the Crusaders established a base of operations in order to stockpile weapons and troops. With this, they intended to march north towards Nikothoê. From there, they planned to launch an all-out siege upon their true target, Creta, which they have come from Europe to reclaim in the name of their religious faith.​

The planet of Akka is thus ripe with conflict as resistance to the usurpers draws bloody conflict, brother turns against brother, leaving the Knights with some very difficult times ahead.​

 

[Semi-Sweet]

The Enchantress

Encyclopedia entry:
Marthesie, a mythical enchantress, whom mythology calls a raven-locked goddess, a daughter of Helios by the Pleiad Alcyone. She lived on the mythical moon of Aeetes with her nymph companions; and when Yusuf on his wanderings came to her moon, the Enchantress, after having changed several of his companions into beasts, became so much attached to the unfortunate hero, that he was induced to remain a whole year with her. At length, when he wished to leave her, she prevailed upon him to descend into the lower world to consult the seer Teiresias. After his return from thence, she explained to him the dangers which he would yet have to encounter and then dismissed him. Her descent is differently described by the poets, for some call her a daughter of Khloris and Aerope, and others a daughter of Aeëtes and Ëos. According to Hesioded she became by Phorkys the mother of Kharybdis. The Heran poets too make great use of the story of Marthesie, the enchantress, who metamorphosed Picus, prince of the Boreans.

Through time and the eras of the Galaxy, the Enchantress known for her astonishing beauty went by several names, including Marthesie, Pythia, Kirkê, Lazari, Moriamis, The Skinless One, Yee-Tho-Rah, The Lurker at the Threshold.

Myths:

Spoiler: The Flight of Yusuf

Passing swiftly over the Aegean Nebula, with the Heran system insight, they [the Barbarians] came to the famous haven of Aia, took Barbara close in, and tied up on the moon. Here they found Lazari bathing her head in the saltwater. She had been terrified by a nightmare in which she saw all the rooms and walls of her house streaming with blood, and fire devouring all the magic drugs with which she used to bewitch her visitors. But she managed to put out the red flames with the blood of a murdered man, gathering it up in her hands; and so, the horror passed. When morning came, she rose from the bed, and now she was washing her hair and clothes in the sea. A number of creatures whose ill-assorted limbs declared them to be neither man nor beast had gathered around her like a great flock of sheep following their shepherd from the fold . . . The Barbarians were dumbfounded by the scene. But a glance at Lazari's form and eyes convinced them all that she was the sister of Pnoia.

As soon as she had dismissed the fears engendered by her dream, Lazari set out for home, but as she left, she invited the young men to come with her, beckoning them on in her own seductive way. Yusuf told them to take no notice, and they all stayed where they were. But he himself, bringing Medea with him, followed in Lazari's steps till they reached her house. Lazari, at a loss to know why they had come, invited them to sit in polished chairs; but without a word, they made for the hearth and sat down there after the manner of suppliants in distress. Medea hid her face in her hands, Yusuf fixed in the ground his great hilted sword with which he had killed Mariah, and neither of them looked her in the face. So, she knew at once that these were fugitives with murder on their hands and took the course laid down by the god of suppliants who heartily abhors the killing of a man, and yet as heartily befriends the killer. She set about the rites by which a ruthless slayer is absolved when he seeks asylum at the hearth. First, to atone for the unexpiated murder, she took a suckling pig from a sow with dugs still swollen after littering. Holding it over them she cut its throat and let the blood fall on their hands. Next, she propitiated the god of suppliants with other libations, calling on him as the Cleanser, who listens to a murderer's prayers with friendly ears. Then the attendant nymphs who did her housework carried all the refuse out of doors. But she herself stayed by the hearth, burning cakes and other wineless offerings with prayers to the Cleanser, in the hope that she might cause the loathsome Pleiades to relent, and that he himself might once more smile upon this pair, whether the hands they lifted up to him were stained with a kinsman's or a stranger's blood.

When all was done, she raised them up, seated them in polished chairs, and taking a seat nearby, where she could watch their faces, she began by asking them to tell her what had brought them there, from what planet they had traveled to visit her and why they had sought asylum at her hearth. Horrible memories of her dream came back to her as she wondered what was coming; and she waited eagerly to hear a kinwoman's voice, as soon as the girl had looked up from the ground and she noticed her eyes. For all the Children of Phoinix were easy to recognize, even from a distance, by their flashing eyes, which shot out rays of golden light.

Medea, daughter of Pnoia the black-hearted empress, answered all her aunt's questions, speaking quietly in the Celaenoian tongue. She told her of the quest and voyage of the Barbarians, of their stern ordeal, and how she herself had been induced to sin by her unhappy sister and had fled from her mother's tyranny; but she said nothing of the murder of Mariah. Not that Lazari was deceived. Nevertheless, she felt some pity for her weeping niece.

'Poor girl,' she said, 'you have indeed contrived for yourself a shameful and unhappy homecoming; for I am sure you will not long be able to escape your mother's wrath. The wrongs you have done are intolerable, and she will soon be in Heran to avenge her savior's murder. However, since you are my suppliant and kinswoman, I will not add to your afflictions now that you are here. But I do demand that you should leave my house, you that have linked yourself to this foreigner, whoever he may be, this man of mystery whom you have chosen without your mother's consent. And do not kneel to me at my hearth, for I never will approve your conduct and your disgraceful flight.'

Medea's grief, when she heard this, was more than she could bear. She drew her robe across her eyes and wailed till Yusuf took her by the hand and led her out of doors shivering with fear. Thus, they left Lazari's house.

Spoiler: The Eldarïni-God War

The Enchantress was always the foremost practitioner of the art of Enchantment, the most terribly powerful kind of magick. Like historical enchantment-practitioners, she wandered from town to town plying her craft for hire.

Under the name Kirkê ("Bright"), she eventually came to the home of the Gods. The Gods were quite taken by her powers and zealously sought her services. But soon they realized that their values of honor, kin loyalty, and obedience to the law were being pushed aside by the selfish desires they sought to fulfill with the witch's magic. Blaming Kirkê for their own shortcomings, the Gods called her "Lazari" ("Gold-greed") and attempted to murder her. Three times they tried to burn her, and three times she was reborn from the ashes.

Because of this, the Gods and Eldarïni came to hate and fear one another, and these hostilities erupted into war. The Gods fought by the rules of plain combat, with weapons and brute force, while the Eldarïni used the subtler means of magick. The war went on for some time, with both sides gaining the upper hand by turns.

Eventually, the two tribes of divinities became weary of fighting and decided to call a truce. As was customary among the ancient peoples, the two sides agreed to pay tribute to each other by sending hostages to live among the other tribe. Lazari went to the Gods, and Ëos went to the Eldarïni.

Spoiler: The Myth of the Psuedomason

In the third century of the Galaxy, a Phomosian disguised himself as a mason and offered to repair the great hole in the Core Wall in a year, in exchange for the Enchantress' hand. The leaders of the Core Worlds were outraged, and Grand Magister Kelainô proposed to seal the deal with six months in place of a year, to defeat the mason, who was allowed only his tool and his ship for help. The Enchantress has not consulted on the matter.

Facing a possible marriage to the phomosian at the mason's impending victory, Lazari had to make the mason fail. He changed into a beauty, distracted the mason's crew, and the wall was not finished. Angered at his defeat and at Lazari's suspected treachery, the phomosian revealed himself before being killed by Kelainô.

Spoiler: The Birth of Kharybdis

The Notoian myth in Gylfaginning of Siegried's Prose Edda, describes the origins of Lazari's son and the Aegean Nebula's predator Kharybdis. Shortly after the Gods had created the galaxy they contracted an unnamed builder, to build fortifications for themselves. The builder agreed to complete this work in three seasons and in exchange wanted the Enchantress for himself. The Gods were taken aback by this demand but agreed on their own condition that the builder must complete the task, all by himself. The builder further negotiated and requested that he may at least be allowed to take the assistance of his stallion the drakon Phorkys. The Gods were confused again but on the insistence of Moriamis who further reduced the time frame to one season, the deal was brokered among the two parties.

When the work started the Gods were marveled to see the dexterity and strength of Phorkys, who was performing twice the deeds of strength as his master. The builder with Phorkys made swift progress on the job and was nearly at the entrance to the fortification three days prior to the final date. The Enchantress was nervous. Moriamis shape-shifted into a mare. Then, at night, when the builder and his horse ventured into the forest in search of stones, Moriamis in disguise of a mare whinnied to the drakon. Aroused at the call Phorkys snapped his reigns and ran after the mare the whole night, followed by his master. The work was stalled, and Moriamis had succeeded in her endeavor. However, there was a price to pay and during the episode, Moriamis was impregnated by Phorkys. The mare would soon give birth to a monster with eight rows of teeth – Kharybdis.

Spoiler: The Myth of the Harem Queen

]
Matron Sylvestra II was approached by a phomosian in drakon-form who asked her for the Enchantress as his bride. Sylvestra went to Moriamis, tricked her into bringing her to Dyionius to witness Golden Apples similar to her, but in truth brought her to the phomosian. She became his harem queen against her will. Deprived of the Apples, the Notoians withered and Sylvestra was eventually denounced. She went to deliver her, but both were saved by the timely arrival of Satern, who killed the phomosian. Returned to Aeetes, the Enchantress was able to deliver the Apples to the Notoians.

Spoiler: The Gifts of the Enchantress

According to Siegfried's Skáldskaparmál, once in the mood for a great prank, Marthesie cut off Ëos' hair while she was sleeping. Ëos was known for her divine beauty and golden hair. This impertinence naturally invited the wrath of the goddess who was quick to grab and confront Marthesie. As the situation was getting out of hand, Marthesie promised Ëos a replacement of her hair made by the Morïquendi. Ëos was initially skeptical but agreed after being convinced by Marthesie that her new hair would be of real gold, and thus even more beautiful and luxurious than her natural hair.

To fulfil his promise Marthesie approached the Morïquendi Ivaldi with the request. The sons of Ivaldi not only crafted an exquisite headpiece for Ëos but made other gifts for the Gods as well. These included the foldable ship Skiðblaðnir for Khloris and the spear Gungnir for Oreithyia. Though his task was complete, the mischief-maker in Marthesie wondered what else he may extract out of the talented dwarfs. He thus approached the brothers Brokk and Sindri and bet his own head that the craftsmen could not better the work of Ivaldi's sons. Taking the challenge, Sindri was first on the job and despite being bitten by a fly on his hand he managed to create the Gullinbursti for Phoinix, an exquisite golden boar who was faster than any drakon. Brokk then created another perfect item despite the fly biting his neck, the golden ring Draupnir for Oreithyia which created eight new rings of gold every nine nights. Finally, Brokk began work on the Mjölnir for Khloris, a great battle hammer that never missed its target and flew back to its owner's hand after it made its hit. This time Brokk was bitten on his eyelid and being blinded by the sting, the dwarf made the hammer's handle slightly short to be considered perfect. Interestingly it was the shapeshifting Marthesie that had taken the shape of a fly to save his own head and succeeded only by a slim margin. As his adventure was over, he now possessed six legendary items that would empower the Gods in their pursuits.

Spoiler: Rivalry with the Sorcerer

According to the Völsunga saga in Siegfried's Prose Edda, Grimhild was a sorcerer and the father of Regin, Fafnir, Ótr, Lyngheid and Lofnheid. Once when the three Gods Oreithyia, Khloris and Phoinix were on their travels exploring the worlds, they came across an otter who had just caught a fish. Khloris was quick to get hold of a stone and killed the otter in one throw. She then picked the salmon under one arm and the limp otter under the other, as the others were delighted in expectation of a good meal. As the trio continued, they came across a hut that belonged to a farmer named Grimhild. The trio requested lodgings for the night and in exchange offered the owner and his family to share their food for the night, the otter and the salmon.

Soon after in the story, it is revealed that Grimhild is a sorcerer and the otter was in fact his shape-shifting son. Wanting revenge Grimhild used magic and tied down the three Gods with the help of his sons Regin and Fafnir. He then proposed to kill the Gods in retribution, but Oreithyia pleaded innocence and asked for a chance to pay ransom. The sorcerer thought and then called for the dead otter's skin. He wanted the Gods to fill it with red gold and then to further cover it fully in red gold.

Pythia is tasked with bringing this red gold and firstly makes a journey to meet the Beast of the Sea. He borrows his drowning net and proceeds to the lyre of Andvari, a large echoing chamber with a pool. Here Pythia uses his net and catches a furious looking pike. This long-bodied fish is soon revealed as the Morïquendi Andvari who is forced to lead Pythia to his golden treasure. Pythia then makes Andvari fill all the red gold in two sacks and manages to extract a golden ring that the Morïquendi was attempting to hide. As Pythia leaves the frustrated dwarf curses him saying that his gold and ring would destroy whosoever will own it.

Pythia then returns to Grimhild and the three Gods fill the otter with gold and then cover it with gold using the two sacks. When Grimhild observes that one small part is uncovered, they use the ring of Andvari as well to satisfy the greedy sorcerer. Finally having saved Oreithyia, Khloris and Phoinix, Pythia smiles before they leave and utters Andvari's curse in a low voice "Take that ring! My curse on that ring and that gold! It will destroy whosoever owns it."

Spoiler: The Death of Ëos

Once Ëos and her mother Theia both had the same dream, a nightmare regarding Ëos' death. The dream deeply disturbed Ëos who soon became depressed, and thus to re-insure her beloved son Theia made every object and material in the Galaxy take an oath, to never hurt Ëos in any way. All objects made this vow except mistletoe. The mischief-making Lazari became aware of this. The Gods were once engaged in a new pastime of hurling objects at Ëos, which would bounce off to everyone's amusement. Lazari thus made a magical arrow of mistletoe and hurried to the place of recreation. Lazari then gave the weapon to Ëos's brother, the blind Helios, who then inadvertently killed his sister with it. Hearing of her son's death, Theia was crestfallen and resolved to change her fate. She sent her messenger to the underworld to ransom Ëos' soul. Goddess of Death agreed but, on a condition, that all living things should weep for Ëos. Theia was quick to set about the task and was able to convince all but one, a giantess with the name Yee-Tho-Rah which may have been none other than Lazari in disguise. Thus, Ëos could not be saved and had to stay in the underworld.

Spoiler: The Enchantress Captured

Lazari had always brought trouble upon the Gods but her involvement in Ëos' death meant that their patience had run out with her. Lazari soon realized that the Gods would now come after her and fled from the realm of the Gods. She hid herself atop a mountain where she built herself a house with four doors so that she could watch her pursuers from all directions. During the day she would shape-shift himself into a salmon and hide in the waters nearby, and by night she would fish for her food and sustain herself. The Gods were indeed looking for Lazari seeking for her punishment and Oreithyia perceived her whereabouts. When Lazari saw the Gods approach she burnt her fishing net, quickly transformed into a salmon and hid in the water. The Gods sewed their own net and tried to catch her but Lazari successfully evaded them. Knowing well that it would be impossible to evade the net forever, Lazari decided to take a big risk by jumping downstream and swimming to the sea. However, when the salmon finally made the leap, it was caught by Khloris. Lazari struggled to be free but Khloris held her fast by her tail fins.

Spoiler: The Punishment of the Enchantress

The Gods had over time gotten tired of Lazari's mischief and insults, she had become more annoying, deceiving, and dangerous. After recognizing her hand in Ëos' death, the Gods decided to punish her and captured her. Lazari was then taken to a cavern and meted out a cruel punishment for her misdeeds. Her two sons Ketos and Kharybdis were summoned. Kharybdis was transformed into a monster, who then killed his own brother Ketos leaving his entrails across the cave floor. Lazari was now tied to the rocks with the entrails of her own son and Grimhild placed a poisonous snake on a rock above her head, where it dripped venom onto her face. Lazari's devoted apprentice Adaim stayed with her in this cave holding a dish above his mistress' face to collect the venom and protect her. But every once in a while, the dish would be full and he would be compelled to turn away and empty it. At these moments the venom dripped on Lazari's face and she so screamed and writhed in pain that the very earth trembled. Lazari would remain in the cave until the beginning of the Binding of the Gods.

Spoiler: The Enchantress' Revenge, or The Binding of the Gods

Someday – whenever the Fates, those inscrutable spinners of fate, decreed it – there came a Great Winter unlike any other the Galaxy had yet seen. The biting winds would blow snows from all directions, and the warmth of the suns would fail, plunging the Galaxy into unprecedented cold. This winter lasted for the length of three normal winters, with no summers in between. Mankind became so desperate for food and other necessities of life that all laws and morals failed away, leaving only the bare struggle for survival. It was an age of swords and axes; brother slayed brother, father slayed son, and son slayed father.

The chain that has been holding back the monstrous Kharybdis snapped, and the beast ran free. Ketos, the mighty serpent who dwells at the bottom of the Galaxy rose from the depths.

These convulsions shook the ship Naglfar free from its moorings. This ship, which is made from the fingernails and toenails of dead men and women, sailed easily over the flooded Galaxy. Its crew was an army of giants, the forces of chaos and destruction. And its captain was none other than Lazari, the traitor to the gods, who had broken free of the chains in which the gods have bound her.

Kharybdis, with fire blazing from his eyes and nostrils, will ran across the earth, with his lower jaw on the ground and his upper jaw against the top of the sky, devouring everything in his path. Ketos spat his venom over all the Galaxy, poisoning land, water, and air alike. From the crack emerged the Beastiomorphs. An ominous horn blast rang out; this was Phoinix, the divine sentry, blowing the Gjallarhorn to announce the arrival of the moment the Gods have feared. Oreithyia anxiously consulted the Oracle of Dawn, the wisest of all beings, for counsel.

The gods decided to go to battle, even though they knew what the prophecies had foretold concerning the outcome of this clash. They armed themselves and meet their enemies on the battlefield.

Oreithyia fought Kharybdis, and by her side was the einherjar, the host of her chosen human warriors whom she had kept in her nook for just this moment. Oreithyia and the champions of men fought more valiantly than anyone ever had fought before. But it was not enough. Kharybdis swallowed Oreithyia and her men.

Khloris and Ketos, those age-old foes, both finally had their chance to kill the other. Khloris suceeded in felling the great snake with the blows of her hammer. But the serpent had covered her in so much venom that she would not be able to stand for much longer; she will take nine paces before falling dead herself and adding her blood to the already-saturated soil of the battlefield.

Then the remains of the world sank into the sea, and there was be nothing left but the void.

And so was the end of the Gods.

Spoiler: The Enchantress and the First Magister

On Lazari's shore we [Adaim and his men] moored our one last ship but then, remembering the Laistrygon and savage Cyclops, we refused to leave the ship; but lots were drawn and I [Akhaimenides] was chosen to approach those unknown halls. The lot sent me with shrewd Eurylochus and my true friend Polites, and Elpenor, too fond of wine, and eighteen more of us to Lazari's walls. As soon as we arrived and reached the portal, lions, bears, and wolves, hundreds of them together, rushed at us and filled our hearts with fear; but fear we found was false; they meant no single scratch of harm. No, they were gentle, and they wagged their tails and fawned on us and followed us along until the maids-in-waiting welcomed us and led us through the marble vestibule into their mistress' presence.

There she sat, in a fine chamber, on a stately throne, in black robe and cloak of woven gold; and in attendance Nymphae and Pleiades, whose nimble fingers never comb a fleece nor spin a skein, but sort and set in baskets grasses and flowers, heaped in disarray, and herbs of many hues; and as they work she guides and watches, knowing well the lore of every leaf, what blend is best, and checks them closely as the plants are weighed. She saw us then and, salutations made, her welcome seemed an answer to our prayers. At once she bade the servants mix a brew of roasted barley, honey, and strong wine and creamy curds, and then, to be disguised in the sweet taste, she poured her essences. We took the bowls she handed. Our throats were dry and thirsty; we drank deep, and then the demon goddess lightly laid her wand upon our hair, and instantly bristles began to sprout; I could no longer speak; my words were grunts, I groveled to the ground. I felt my nose change to a tough wide snout, my neck thicken and bulge. My hands that held the bowl just now made footprints on the floor. And with my friends who suffered the same fate, I was shut into a sty.

Eurylochus alone, we saw, missed a swine's shape, for he alone refused the offered bowl, and had he not escaped it, I should still be numbered with that bristly herd today, for from his lips Adaim never would have learnt our ruin nor ever come to Lazari for revenge. He had been given by Cyllenius, who brings the boon of peace, a flower which the Gods call moly, a white bloom with the root of black. Secure with this and heaven's guiding grace, he entered Lazari's halls and as she coaxed him to the treacherous cup and with her wand was trying to stroke his hair, he thrust her off and drew his sword, and back she shrank in dread.

Then trust was pledged, and hands were clasped; she took him to her bed, and he, for a wedding gift, called for his comrades' shape to be restored. So, we were sprinkled with the saving juice of some strange herb and on our heads, her wand was touched reversed, and words of countering power were chanted to unspell the chanted spells. The more she sang her charms, the more erect we rose; our bristles fell; our cloven feet forsook their clefts; our shoulders, elbows, arms came back again.

Our captain was in tears, and we, in tears ourselves, with open arms embraced our lord, and the first words we spoke, our very first, were words of gratitude. A year we lingered in that land, and much in that long time I saw and much I heard; and this tale too which I learnt from one of the four acolytes who serve those magic rites. . . Many such tales I heard and many sights I saw in a long year. Our idleness had made us slow and slack. Then the command came to set sail again and put to space. Titania [Lasari] had spoken of vast journeyings, perplexing courses, perils of space, the cruel space, to face. I was afraid and having here found a haven here I stayed.

Spoiler: The Curse of Kalkhos

The story of Kalkhos the Xanthian was greatly in love with Kirkê, the same to whom Adaim came. He handed over to her his kingship over the Xantians and employed all possible blandishments to gain her love; but she felt a passion for Adaim, who was then with her, and loathed Kalkhos and forbade him to land on her moon. However, he would not stop coming and could talk of nothing but Kirkê, and she, being extremely angry with him, laid a snare for him and had no sooner invited him into her palace but she set before him a table covered with all manner of dainties. But the meats were full of magical drugs, and as soon as Kalkhos had eaten of them, he was stricken mad, and she drove him into the pigsty. After a certain time, however, the Xanthians' army landed on the moon to look for Kalkhos; and she then released him from the enchantment, first binding him by oath that he would never set foot on the island again, either to woo her or for any other purpose.

Spoiler: The Children of Adaim

"Skylla, son of Adaim and Lazari, sent by his mother to find his father, by a storm was carried to Creta . . . Skylla with Telemachus and Penelope returned to his home on the moon of. They brought the body of Adaim to Lazari and buried it there. By the advice of Lazari again, Skylla married Penelope, and Telemachus married Lazari. From Lazari and Telemachus Calypso was born, laid waste to the system once known as Aegea."

Spoiler: The Curse of the Woodpecker

"A year we [Adaim's men] lingered in that land [Aeetus], and much in that long time I saw and much I heard; and this tale too which I learnt privately from one of the four acolytes who serve those magic rites. She pointed out to me, one day, while Moriamis dallied with my lord [Adaim], a statue of a youth, in snow-white marble, set in a shrine and gaily garlanded with many a wreath, who bore upon his head a woodpecker. I asked her who he was, why worshipped in that shrine, and why the bird upon his said, for I was curious.

'Listen,' she said, 'and learn from this tale too my mistress' magic power and mark my words. King Picus, son of Darius, ruled the land of Damasque, a king whose chief delight was chargers for battle. You observe his features. Gaze upon his striking grace and from his likeness here admire the truth . . . Many a glance he drew from Demons born among the Damasque hills; he was the darling of the Nymphs and all the Pleiades of Albulba and Anio and Almos. . . [but he loved only Canens, daughter of Janus, and wed her.]

'Once, as her [Canens'] soaring voice poured out its song, Picus left home to hunt the boars that roamed his countryside. He rode a prancing bay, carried a pair of spears, and wore a cloak of purple with a clasp of tawny gold. To those same woods [Moriamis] the daughter of Helios had also come from that Lazarean Moon, to search the fertile hills for her strange herbs. Unseen in the undergrowth she saw the young king--saw and gazed entranced. The herbs fell from her hands. Like blazing fire, a thrill of ecstasy raced through her veins. Then, gathering her smouldering wits, she meant to bare her heart, but could not come to him, he rode so fast, so close his retinue.

"You'll not escape," she cried, "No! though the wind whirls you away, if I still know myself, if still my spells their magic power retain, nor all the virtue of my herbs is vain."

She summoned up a spectre of a boar, a phantom boar, and made it race across before his eyes, and dart, or seem to dart, into a spinney where the trees stood close and crowded so no horse could penetrate. Off in a trice, unconscious of the trick, sped Picus to purse his shadowy prey, and, leaping nimbly from his foam-flecked horse, fumbled on foot to follow his false hope, and soon had wandered deep into the wood. Then Moriamis turned to prayers and incantations, and unknown chants to worship unknown gods, chants which she used to eclipse the Moon's pale face and veil her the Sun's orb in thirsty clouds. Now too the heavens are darkened as she sings; the earth breathes vapours; blind along the trails the courtiers' grope; the king has lost his guards; the time and place are hers.

"Oh, by your eyes, those eyes of yours," she said, "that captured mine, and by your beauty, loveliest of kings, that makes me here, an enchantress, kneel to you, favour my passion, and accept as yours, and harden not your heart to Kirkê Titanis' love."

'But fiercely he repulsed her and her plea. "Be who you may," he cried, "I am not yours. Another holds my heart and many a year I pray shall hold it. Never will I wound for any stranger's love my loyalty, while fate keep my Canens Janigena safe for me!"

Time after time she pleaded--all in vain.

"You'll pay for this," she said, "never again shall Canens have you home. Now you shall know what one who's wronged, who loves, who's woman too--and I that loving woman wronged--can do!"

Then eastwards twice and westwards twice she turned, thrice sang a spell, thrice touched him with her wand. He fled and marvelled that he ran so fast--so strangely fast--then saw he'd sprouted wings! Outraged to find himself so suddenly a weird new bird in his own woodland glade, he pecked the rough-barked oaks with his hard beak and wounded angrily the spreading boughs. His wings assumed the purple of his cloak, the golden broach that pinned his robe became a golden band of feathers round his throat and naught was left of Picus but his name [i.e. picus is the Eldarïni word for woodpecker].

Meanwhile his courtiers through the countryside were calling him and calling, but in vain. Picus was nowhere to be found. Instead, they chanced on Moriamis (who by now had cleared the air and let the wind and sun disperse the mists) and charged her, rightly, with her guilt and claimed their king and threatened force and aimed their angry spears. She sprinkled round about her evil drugs and poisonous essences, and out of Night and the Gods of Night and poured a prayer with long-drawn wailing cries to Darkness. The woods leapt away, a groan came from the ground, the bushes blanched, the spattered sward was soaked with gouts of blood, stones brayed and bellowed, dogs began to bark, black snakes swarmed on the soil and ghostly shapes of silent spirits floated through the air. Stunned by such magic sorcery, the group of courtiers stood aghast; and as they gazed, she touched their faces with her poisoned wand, and at its touch each took the magic form of some wild beast; none kept his proper shape.

The setting sun had bathed Tartesus's shore, and [the wife of Picus] Canens' watching eyes and heart in vain had waited for her husband. Through the woods her household and the townspeople had spread with torches in their hands to meet their lord. Nor was the Nymphea content to tear her hair and weep and wail (all that she did); out like a madwoman she rushed herself and roamed the countryside of Xanthos . . . [and eventually wasted away in her mourning.]'"

Spoiler: The Myth of the Beast

A wealthy, widowed merchant lived in a mansion with his six children, three sons, and three daughters. All his daughters were very beautiful, but the youngest, Beauty, was the most lovely, as well as kind, well-read and pure of heart; while the elder sisters, in contrast, were wicked, selfish, vain and spoiled, and secretly taunt and treated Beauty more like a servant than a sister. The merchant eventually lost all of his wealth in a tempest at sea. He and his children were consequently forced to live in a small farmhouse and work for their living. After some years of this, the merchant heard that one of the trade ships he had sent off has arrived back in port, having escaped the destruction of its compatriots. He returned to the city to discover whether it contained anything valuable. Before leaving, he asked his children if they wish for him to bring any gifts back for them. The sons asked for weaponry and horses to hunt with, whereas his oldest daughters asked for clothing, jewels, and the finest dresses possible, thinking his wealth had returned. Beauty was satisfied with the promise of a rose, as none grew in their part of the country. The merchant, to his dismay, found that his ship's cargo had been seized to pay his debts, leaving him without money to buy his children their presents.

During his return, the merchant became lost in a forest during a storm. Seeking shelter, he entered a dazzling palace. A hidden figure opened the giant doors and silently invited him in. The merchant found tables inside laden with food and drink, which seemed to have been left for him by the palace's invisible owner. The merchant accepted this gift and spent the night there. The next morning as the merchant was about to leave, he saw a rose garden and recalled that Beauty had desired a rose. Upon picking the loveliest rose he could find, the merchant was confronted by a hideous Beast who told him that for taking his most precious possession after accepting his hospitality, the merchant must die. The merchant begged to be set free, arguing that he had only picked the rose as a gift for his youngest daughter. The Beast agreed to let him give the rose to Beauty, but only if the merchant would return.

The merchant was upset but accepted this condition. The Beast sent him on his way, with wealth, jewels, and fine clothes for his sons and daughters, and stressed that Beauty must never know about his deal. The merchant, upon arriving home, tried to hide the secret from Beauty, but she pried it from him. Her brothers said they would go to the castle and fight the Beast, but the merchant dissuaded them, saying they will stand no chance against the monster. Beauty accepted responsibility for her actions and willingly went to the Beast's castle. The Beast received her graciously and informed her that she was now mistress of the castle, and he was her servant. He gave her lavish clothing and food and carried on lengthy conversations with her. Every night, the Beast asked Beauty to marry him, only to be refused each time. After each refusal, Beauty dreamt of a handsome prince who pleaded with her to answer why she kept refusing him, to which she replied that she couldn't marry the Beast because she loved him only as a friend. Beauty became convinced that the Beast was holding the prince captive somewhere in the castle. She searched and discovered multiple enchanted rooms, but never the prince from her dreams.

For several months, Beauty lived a life of luxury at the Beast's palace, having every whim catered to by servants, with no end of riches to amuse her and an endless supply of exquisite finery to wear. Eventually, she became homesick and begs the Beast to allow her to go see her family. He allowed it on the condition that she returned exactly a week later. Beauty agreed to this and set off for home with an enchanted mirror and ring. The mirror allowed her to see what was going on back at the Beast's castle, and the ring allowed her to return to the castle in an instant when turned three times around her finger. Her older sisters were surprised to find her well-fed and dressed in finery. They were envious when they heard of her happy life at the castle, and, hearing that she must return to the Beast on a certain day, begged her to stay another day, even putting onion in their eyes to make it appear as though they were weeping. They hoped that the Beast would be angry with Beauty for breaking her promise and eat her alive. Beauty's heart was moved by her sisters' false show of love, and she agreed to stay.

Beauty began to feel guilty about breaking her promise to the Beast and used the mirror to see him back at the castle. She was horrified to discover that the Beast was lying half-dead from heartbreak near the rose bushes her father had stolen from and she immediately used the ring to return to the Beast.

Beauty wept over the Beast, saying that she loves him. When her tears stroked him, the Beast was transformed into the handsome prince from Beauty's dreams. The Prince informed her that long ago an evil enchantress turned him into a hideous beast after he refused to let her in from the stormy weather and that only by finding true love, despite his ugliness, could the curse be broken. He and Beauty were married, and they lived happily ever after together.

 

[Semi-Sweet]

Classes

Classes are the functions of the characters in the Star-Crossed universe. There are three base classes: witch, fighter, and rogue. Note Dyionians have a class restriction and cannot be witches.

Fighter
Fighters are the frontline fighters, the backbone of any party under assault.

They rely on both melee and ranged weapons but mainly melee. They are supplemented by powerful special abilities that draw from deep reserves of stamina. They can withstand and deliver a great deal of punishment and have a strong understanding of tactics.

Battle-hardened and masters of close combat, fighters are pivotal to battle. As frontline warriors, they absorb the brunt of opponent attacks, steal enemy focus, and create an opening for deadly ranged assaults from other classes. While some fighters prefer visceral, sweeping damage, many are beskar-clad bulwarks, weathering any blows they don't deflect with their shields.

Rogues
Rogues are crafty combatants who succeed in battle by combining speed, subterfuge, and a wide range of abilities to bring their opponents down in unexpected ways, sometimes before the enemy even perceives danger.

Rogues can pick locks with great skill, incapacitate enemies easily, or sneak up on targets to deliver a devious and crippling backstab. Dexterity and cunning are essential for a rogue.

Armed with guns, daggers, and any number of dirty tricks, the rogue's primary focus is damage: tearing foes down one at a time with systematic efficiency. In addition, rogues commonly use a mixture of stealth and mobility to reach positions of advantage, be it a sniper's perch away from enemy blades or behind an unsuspecting witch. Deadly and resourceful, rogues can tip the balance of any strategic assault.

Witch
Witches can use, control, and interact with magick.

Those who can tap into the raw energy of Magick and block the whispering temptations of demons are truly exceptional. When they turn that mental focus onto the field of war, they can be truly terrifying opponents. Rains of fire, walls of ice, or even the ability to heal allies make up a witch's toolkit. Most employ considerable skills rendering foes not only weakened but also vulnerable to physical attacks, setting up opportunities for their teammates to exploit.



Specializations
Specializations are sub-class choices that further define and customize characters. They open access to new talents based upon the character's base class. Each class has six specializations to pick from, however other, hidden specializations exist that can be unlocked through roleplay.

Fighter
Berserker

The first berserkers were Morïquendi. They would sacrifice finesse for a dark rage that increased their strength and resilience. Eventually, the Morïquendi taught these skills to others, and now berserkers can be found amongst all species. They are renowned as terrifying adversaries. The stench of blood and death drives the berserker into a willing fury.


Warrior

The warrior is a veteran fighter and a confident leader in battle. Possessing skill at arms impressive enough to inspire allies, the warrior can also intimidate and demoralize foes. These are the heroes you find commanding an army, or plunging headlong into danger, somehow making it look easy. The warrior inspires allies to attack with renewed vigor. This is the most common specialization fighters, as it encompasses most soldiers and guards throughout the Galaxy.


Borean Honor Guard

Demonic spirits teach more than magick. Honor Guards terrorize their enemies, feast upon the souls of their slain opponents to heal their own flesh, and can unleash a blood frenzy that makes them more powerful as they come nearer to their own deaths. A ritual by the Mel'kor is needed to ascend to this specialization, and not everyone survives it.


Crusader

The strong arm of the Notoian Temple, Crusaders serve as guardians of the Covens, hunters of beldames, and sometimes, as a standing army at the command of the Matron. Through rigorous study, Crusaders specialize in fighting witches and demons. They have the unique ability to dispel and resist magic. Their righteousness purges magickal energy. It is said they are immune to psionics.


Knight Sothoth

Many warriors foolishly believe that they can control the tide of a battle on their own, but a Knight realizes that an ally's survival is as important as an enemy's death. Therefore, knights prefer to protect party members directly, but if necessary, they are prepared to make personal sacrifices to ensure that their companions live.


Devil

Although devils employ magical abilities, they are not witches; they are fighter's bodies with a demon's soul. Demons cannot enter the physical world, but they can take over a willing body – whether that body is given by the fighter themself or a beldame. These demons agree to augment mortal abilities in exchange for a glimpse of the physical world.



Rogue
Assassin

The assassin finds any notion of fairness a quaint ideal that has no place in combat. Poisons are their weapon of choice, as are crippling strikes that inflict persistent wounds on their foes. As killers, assassins are a marvel of stealth and efficiency. The Order of Hashassin on Hermeticus are notorious as assassins.


Bard

Bards follow a Notoian tradition, acting as assassins, spies, saboteurs, and other secretive pursuits in the constant, sometimes petty struggles between nobles. Having taken the minstrel's art to new levels, bards are skilled performers and master manipulators; bards can inspire their allies or dishearten their foes through song and tale.


Duelist

Duelists are deadly combatants who prefer to fight in light armor and strike with light, but precise attacks. Experienced duelists have preternatural reflexes that allow them to evade their opponents' clumsy blows, as well as strike with remarkable precision. The duelist focuses on proper form, executing a quick move that throws the opponent off balance.


Sniper

Sniper have an affinity for open country and wilderness, but as independent scouts and militia, they are opportunists, not stewards of nature. Therefore, they exploit every advantage of their environment and find points of opportunity to take down their target. Focused on long-range tactics and eliminating sensitive targets, snipers are the most elite and professional marksmen in the Galaxy.


Dark Scout

Most tales of the Morïquendi Legion of the Dark are likely minstrels' fabrications, but the trail of Remnant corpses that the Legion leaves behind proves the efficacy of their training. Dark Scouts often travel ahead of their companions and consequently become renowned for unusual hardiness, able to survive battles that would kill any other rogue.


Knight Niggurath

The Order of the Shattered Sword makes elite rogues, masters of concealment and ambush. They strike from darkness, employing personal decoys and hallucinogenic poisons to distract enemies before sliding a dagger between their ribs. They know how to hunt down Corruption in its most innocent form, mercilessly striking it down before it has a chance to grow.



Witch
Magister

The Magisterium is the oldest known magickal tradition in the Galaxy. They channel magickal power through their weapons and bodies, becoming terrors on the battlefield. The formal name of their techniques is Mel'kor, knowledge that led to victory. They summon blades from pure will and are experts in protection and defense.


Blood Witch

Every witch can feel the dark lure of blood magick. Originally learned from demons, these dark rites tap into the power of life itself, converting blood into magickal energy and giving the witch command over the minds of others. Such power comes with a price, though; a blood witch must sacrifice their own health, or the health of allies, to fuel these abilities.


Shapeshifter

Rumors speak of barbarians that hold secrets of transforming the body into the form of others. The Coven denies such rumors, but this rare art survives in the forgotten corners of the Galaxy. Mastery of their bodies allows shapeshifters some protection, making them durable opponents and staunch allies. The path of the Shapeshifter is one that crosses the boundary between witch and warrior.


Healer

Healers focus on restoration, not destruction. They know that the best way to win a battle is to keep themselves and their allies in the fight as long as possible. They are the witches most likely to be accepted—or at least tolerated—by common people. Any fool can cause harm, but no amount of muscle can make a weapon heal.


Knight L'rog'g

Some witches specialize in spells that permit them to engage in combat from afar. Knights, by contrast, prefer to wade into the fray alongside their blade-wielding companions, close enough to read the fear in their opponents' eyes. Their spells primarily concern personal preservation as well as control of the holy in their immediate surroundings.


Void Witch

There are no tomes dedicated to this manipulation. There has been no time for academics, only the practical—and not in a manner that mitigates risk. Power in a raw form has found an outlet, both visible and in ways that only we of arcane proclivity can sense. The risk is great. Void witches manipulate space between molecules and uses it allowing them to use powerful offensive spells or dragging and throwing their opponents across the field like rag dolls.

 

[Semi-Sweet]

Age:	22
Place of Birth:	Sarouja, Damasque
Species:	Eldarïni
Family:	Moira (mother, deceased); Uma La'Ahad (father, deceased); Al'Mareinn (adopted father);
Class:	Witch
Spezializations:	Knight L'rog'g
Paraphernalia:	2x vibrodaggers, PSG-69 (personal shield generator), Insensate Melee D-Power Generator Focus
Affiliations:	The Order of the Shattered Hand
Appearance:	Whatever prejudice people have of how Eldarïni slaves look, Alen seems to embody. He is both short and lithe, standing at an even 5 feet. His skin is milky pale, his features soft and round. His violet eyes are large and slightly angled, just as his ears are pointed into a tip. This can make others think of Alen as a rare, but exotic, beauty; to combat this, whenever he is in public, Alen tries to dress in uniform-style clothes, often hiding his nimble limbs behind capes and tight leather and technometallic armor. However, for the few who are allowed to see him in private will find the alien has a fondness of softer things, such as silks and loose, flowing fabrics.
History:	Alen was born to Eldarïni slave parents in the Damasque Alienage. He has very few memories of his time there. After his mother took her own life, after having been claimed by their master, a fire broke out at the compound, killing most of the Borean noble house. After that, Uma took his son and escaped to the Order, joining them as he raised his son. Uma was executed by the Boreans during the First siege of Lykourgos in 1176, in retribution for him killing a Borean nobleman. Alen frantically called out to his father before the execution, but was prevented from seeing his father's death by Aimahd Sofjan, the Knight who had revealed Uma's name to the Boreans under torture. Crushed by guilt over Uma's death, he infiltrated Alen's quarters some time later, apologized to Alen for his weakness, and committed suicide with a vibrodagger. Alten ran to Al'Mareinn's quarters with haste, informing him of what had occurred. Al'Mareinn told Alen not to disclose anything about the incident to anyone – not even to Aimahd's son Psabbas, who would be shamed by the truth of his father's death. Alen would end up considering Al'Mareinn as more of a father figure than his own biological father, though he was aware that Al'Mareinn's love was "weak and dishonest, and agreed to do as the Knight-Commander ordered. Alen and Psabbas joined the Order as recruits once they came of age, grew up together and became good friends, always at each other's side. Alas, the truth of Aimahd's death ended up coming out, splitting the two friends apart forever. It was in his years as a recruit that Alen find a new companion, the knight Navarro. Unlike most other knights who preferred to work alone, Navarro and Alen seemed to fit each other in a way that seemed almost tele-empathic. Their want to stay together was viewed as a breach of tradition, and it wasn't until the two proved themselves by finding the long-lost Chalice of Oreithyia that their unusual partnership was accepted.

 

[Semi-Sweet]

Place of Birth:	Aeetes
Species:	Humanoid
Class:	Witch
Spezializations:	Enchantress
Paraphernalia:	Seemingly only their clothes, but it has happened that they have pulled out a vibrosword from seemingly nothing when forced to, but otherwise is not afraid to fight empty-handed.
Affiliations:	House Eventide
Appearance:	Seemingly blending the lines between male and female, Lazari is as much of a mystery as their appearance. Their long hair seems to blend with the long, dark fabrics they wear. Abundance seems to be the keyword when describing Lazari's fashion, several layers of regal fabrics held together by dark gemstones and platinum buckles. There is an otherworldliness to the way these fabrics sway when Lazari moves, it seems almost as if they aren't there at all, and the enchantress is wearing nothing but a cloud of pure darkness. Few get to see the splendor of lingerie these fabrics hide. Their skin is pale white, made to look even more deathly by black lips and makeup. This monochromatism is broken only by their green eyes that can seem pale and dull one moment, and brightly alive the next.
History:	The person presenting under the name Lazari at the Eventide court, leaves much to the imagination, easily slipping out of giving any real answers; both as to their identity as the infamous enchantress and anything else about their background. Where the Eventide Matriarch found them is unknown, but for now, it seems their presence has the purpose of steering the young heir, Ancaeus Eventide, on the right track.

 

[God Of Contracts]

Age: Appears to be in his early thirties.

Species: Fe'ai Type Human

Place Of Birth: Tuli Fe'ai

Family: Ankama (younger brother). Known to be from the Mako Clan.

Class: Fighter

Specialization: Knight Sothoth

Paraphernalia: Fe'ai Two handed Maced (Blessed by Tuli Shamans and Shattered Sword members), Seraphim Pulse Rifle, Heavy Carnifex Pistols (x2).

Affiliations: Order Of The Shattered Sword

Appearance: Fe'ai humans are a rare breed of human separated by choice from the rest of their brethren. Almost exclusively originating from the planet Tuli Fe'ai they are from a large planet that is mostly water. The people there are stronger, faster, and have much longer life spans than the average human. Whether it is the strange sort of mystical aura that permeates the planet, from the food rich in life giving nutrients born from the many ship devouring leviathans that swim beneath the waters, or perhaps even from the atmosphere which carries properties still not fully grasped by those who visit the planet it has always been this way. However, the planet is a harsh and brutal tempest that discourages even the most skilled pilots and fighters from visiting.

Navarro is the spitting image of what one would expect from the planet. Muscled and powerful he carries a gaze that can be easy going in one second but as intense as a roaring fire the next. Long wild hair hangs over his face, and tattoos cover both of his arms and back. Each tattoo is a story that tells of a battle overcome, a test passed, and a journey succeeded. Like many Fe'ai humans his eyes at first appear to be a dark brown color. Yet in the night they glow a dark purple, appearing like a pair of predatory lights in the darkness. Born of a race of fighters, hunters, and survivors he is most at home in the maelstrom of violence but also knows to enjoy the moments of quiet when he can. For space to the Fe'ai people is no mere collection of stars...but the final ocean to be challenged and explored.

History: Not much is known about Navarro before his arrival into the Order for training. All that is known is that he arrived as apart of an ancient covenant struck between his planet and the Order itself. For endless time every five years a collection of fighters hailing from the various clans on the planet will be gathered and arrive at the Order for training. This is a tradition that is given to very few, but those who are chosen are often possessing of special skills that allowed them to be singled out by their clans. No refuse is sent to the Order for to do so would be considered the height of disrespect to the agreement made years ago. Some say this is done as a way to repay a grievance from the past. Others say it is done to honor some moment of peril that the Order aided the planet. Either way Fe'ai humans often choose to go forth into the most dangerous territories. It is not uncommon to catch Fe'ai humans in lone outposts on dark backwater planets perfectly content with their position, and welcoming the dangers that come from such an isolated posting.

Navarro was given to the Order nearly a decade ago and did not spend much time making friends. In his first year joining he rarely ever spoke, merely training intensely, eating, and resting. Then he would wake up the next morning as if simply focused on the routine. Yet an unlikely connection began to form with the small eldarini Alen whom he often could be seen towering over on the training grounds. No one knows just how it happened, but all that is known is that soon the two would be seen training together. Navarro even encountered a situation where one recruit member was having a bit of fun shouting racial insults at Alen from across the mess hall. The recruit then found himself with half of his body punched entirely through a wall where he hung helplessly. Navarro then walked quietly over to his superior and informed him of what happened while the superior himself stared with a dropped jaw at the display.

The strangeness did not stop there as the elder members of the Order noted that the two incredibly skilled knights were not just training together, but seemed to insist on fighting alongside one another out in open space...something of an oddity as every other knight preferred to work alone as a way of improving their station by finding a strong influential mate. Yet it seemed that the pair preferred to simply go about their work, using their near unbeatable tandem skills to overcome challenge after challenge. Thus the duo is accepted for their efficiency however, and since then they have made quite the name for themselves out there among the stars.