Contents

Lore Primer ................................................................................................................................................... 5

Spirits .................................................................................................................................................... 5
Shapers.................................................................................................................................................. 6
Vitality Springs ...................................................................................................................................... 7
The World ..................................................................................................................................................... 9
The Sky ...................................................................................................................................................... 9
Mortal Races ............................................................................................................................................. 9
Humans ............................................................................................................................................... 10
Ottrekin ............................................................................................................................................... 12
Hutan................................................................................................................................................... 13
Varunis ................................................................................................................................................ 15
Iteshi.................................................................................................................................................... 16
Animals................................................................................................................................................ 18
Regions .................................................................................................................................................... 20
The Brooding North ............................................................................................................................ 20
The Savage East................................................................................................................................... 22
The Dreaming South ........................................................................................................................... 24
The Enlightened West ......................................................................................................................... 26
The Heart of the World ....................................................................................................................... 27
Languages ............................................................................................................................................... 28
Literacy ................................................................................................................................................ 28
Governance ............................................................................................................................................. 30
Titles and Honorifics ........................................................................................................................... 30
The North ............................................................................................................................................ 30
The West ............................................................................................................................................. 31
The East ............................................................................................................................................... 31
The South ............................................................................................................................................ 32
Calendar .................................................................................................................................................. 33
The Ancient East ................................................................................................................................. 33
 Time of Day ............................................................................................................................................. 34
The Ancient East ................................................................................................................................. 34
Measurement.......................................................................................................................................... 34
The Ancient East ................................................................................................................................. 35
The Shapers................................................................................................................................................. 36
The North ................................................................................................................................................ 36
Freia .................................................................................................................................................... 36
Raina ................................................................................................................................................... 37
Zalgus .................................................................................................................................................. 37
The East ................................................................................................................................................... 38
Amarynth ............................................................................................................................................ 38
Cerulean .............................................................................................................................................. 38
Dibs ..................................................................................................................................................... 39
Faris ..................................................................................................................................................... 39
Nissa .................................................................................................................................................... 40
Sakari ................................................................................................................................................... 40
Viyana.................................................................................................................................................. 41
Viridian ................................................................................................................................................ 41
The South ................................................................................................................................................ 42
Ashabel................................................................................................................................................ 42
Flin ....................................................................................................................................................... 42
Kahgen ................................................................................................................................................ 43
The King of Masks ............................................................................................................................... 43
Renzo................................................................................................................................................... 44
Zeri ...................................................................................................................................................... 44
The West ................................................................................................................................................. 45
The Desecrator .................................................................................................................................... 45
Basko ................................................................................................................................................... 45
Kensu................................................................................................................................................... 46
Mikella................................................................................................................................................. 46
 Mina .................................................................................................................................................... 47
Petrus .................................................................................................................................................. 47
Varion .................................................................................................................................................. 48
The Nine .................................................................................................................................................. 49
Fenmore .............................................................................................................................................. 49
Kindra .................................................................................................................................................. 49
Ronan .................................................................................................................................................. 50
The Heart of the World (Nonaligned) ..................................................................................................... 51
Kel........................................................................................................................................................ 51
Lillin ..................................................................................................................................................... 51
Marah .................................................................................................................................................. 52
Moya ................................................................................................................................................... 52
Salous .................................................................................................................................................. 53
Tess ..................................................................................................................................................... 53
Vex....................................................................................................................................................... 54
Voluc ................................................................................................................................................... 54
The Story ..................................................................................................................................................... 55
Content Standards .................................................................................................................................. 55
Prominent NPCs ...................................................................................................................................... 56
Regional Leaders ................................................................................................................................. 56
Antagonists ......................................................................................................................................... 59
Live Service Time Scale ........................................................................................................................... 61
Hutan Holidays .................................................................................................................................... 61
Winter Holidays................................................................................................................................... 61
Spring Holidays.................................................................................................................................... 63
Summer Holidays ................................................................................................................................ 67
Autumn Holidays ................................................................................................................................. 67
Lore Primer
The world we know is but one layer of reality. Our Mortal Plane is mirrored by the Spirit Plane. Between
the two, dividing yet connecting them, is the ethereal Spiritstream. The energy of Potential (or Vim),
“the capacity for change,” is created within the Spiritstream.
Only the Spirits could manipulate Potential, altering that raw energy into myriad Vitalities to pursue
their own inscrutable goals. Vitalities are the energies and passions that drive existence. Love, Progress,
and Momentum are positive Vitalities; Rage, Decay, and Sloth are negative ones. Each Vitality is worked
by a particular Spirit; the Spirit of Progress, the Spirit of Rage, and so on.
From time immemorial, mortals benefitted from the intercession of Shapers. A priestly class, Shapers
communed with the Spirits through rituals and the construction of shrines, sometimes persuading them
to manipulate Vitalities according to the designs and desires of mortals.
The greatest Shaper of the age was Eidolus. Helpless to prevent the suffering and death of his wife
Imanna, Eidolus threw himself into a grand construction, the Dawngate. Built in the holy forest at the
Heart of the World – the place where the boundaries between Mortal Plane, Spiritstream, and Spirit
Plane are thinnest – the Dawngate would allow passage between the three.
After Eidolus opened his Dawngate, the Spirits were loosed to walk our plane and bond directly with
Mortals. These New Shapers, a mortal and a spirit in harmony, work Vitalities directly. This grants a New
Shaper superhuman abilities that can be used to for good or ill.
Eidolus disappeared at the Dawngate’s activation, leaving only questions. Now the New Shapers gather
at the Heart of the World. Some seek enlightenment or power. Others are driven by personal affections
or vendettas. All are ultimately mortal; imperfect and fallible, but striving to be worthy of their vast new
powers.

Spirits
Spirits are immortal, supernatural entities that each embody a certain Vitality. They do not act according
to any mortal morality. A Spirit has precisely one overriding interest - the furtherance of the Vitality it
embodies. Rage cares about experiencing and creating anger. It doesn't care if this is the self-hatred and
arguably righteous fury of Freia, or the blind xenophobia of a bigot.
Though immortal, Spirits can be killed. The Spirit of Grace (as in “mercy, benefice, and love,” not
“elegance”) was killed near the close of the Age of Majesty. Many believe this is why the world is in a
fallen state relative to the heights of the Ancient East. The circumstances of Grace's death have not been
defined yet, though it occurred just east of the holy woods. Unlike other Spirits, Grace assumed a
humanoid (and female) form on at least one occasion; when she taught Shaping to Inessa of Balakhan.
(There is another tale, an apocryphal fable, of her attempting to enlighten Yusoth of Sei Kashari while
disguised as a female varunis.)
Mortals cannot understand Spirits. They
communicate between themselves through
means that can barely be perceived. In
scientific terms, they emit patterned
wavelengths of energy undetectable to
mortal senses. The human voice vibrates air
molecules with sound waves. Spirits use
something more like microwaves or radio.
Rather than transmitting words and
language, this method imparts their
memories, impressions, and emotions on the
recipient.
When Spirits communicate, mortals detect
nothing more than a faint whine or buzz, a A statue of the Spirit of Grace as she appeared to Inessa, seen in
"vibration" in the air, and perhaps an the ruins of Taraysk.
alteration of temperature. Particularly empathetic individuals, such as Marah and Zalgus, may be able to
receive Spirit images impressed on them. These will be garbled and prone to misinterpretation – more
like dream-visions than a coherent message.
Grace's humanoid guise notwithstanding, Spirits have no perceptible or practical gender. Individual
mortals use whatever pronouns "feel right" when referring to them, much as we would assign an
arbitrary gender to a cat dozing on a garden wall. In the patriarchal west, Spirits are nearly always
considered male, and in the matriarchal north, they are mostly considered female. In the south women
tend to gender Spirits as female and men tend to refer to them as male. In the east, Spirits are gendered
according to whether their Vitality is considered a masculine or feminine quality, though this varies
hugely according to local values.
Spirits do not reproduce, so far as anyone knows. It’s not yet determined if more have come into
existence over time. I.e., the concept of Form would have existed from nearly the beginning of the
universe, but Hope might have only come into existence when mortals evolved the capacity to feel it.
Spirits are also part of the cycle of mortal reincarnation. When a mortal is born, the Spirits deliver a soul
into their body. Exactly when this occurs is never specified; to do so might set our game on one side or
the other of religious debates on abortion. When a human dies, a Spirit arrives to guide their soul back
to their realm. It is believed that a soul spends some time in the Spirits' world before somehow losing its
memories, and is delivered into the body of another mortal.
Very rarely, the Spirits deny a soul passage across the Spiritstream upon their death. Such a soul is
cursed to spend eternity wandering as an disembodied wraith.

Shapers
A Shaper (more specifically, a "New Shaper") is a mortal soul bonded to an immortal Spirit.
Spirits are drawn to mortals driven by passions akin to their own. They do not bond with inanimate
objects, nor with non-sapient animals. Vex, whose intelligence was enhanced by Petrus' use of Progress
Vitality on his brain, is the least intelligent creature that has attracted a Spirit. Faris is a construct, but
attracted a Spirit by his possession of a preserved fragment of a mortal soul. Mina's soul was taken from
her dying body by the Spirit on Dominance, and impressed on a porcelain doll.
The majority of the time, a Spirit remains incorporeal within the body of the Shaper. It does not control
their behavior, but the mortal can call upon their powers at need. The mortal is aware of the Spirit's
presence ("like a warm roast in the stomach" according to Mikella), but it occupies no particular tissue
or organ, and adds no mass to its bearer. The Spirit can manifest itself at its own discretion. The mortal
can "urge" the Spirit to appear, but it is under no obligation to comply.
Shapers are no more able to communicate with Spirits than other mortals. However, Spirits have some
empathic ability to understand the feelings of mortals they bond with.
Spirits allow bonded mortals relatively rapid healing (a broken bone mends in days rather than weeks)
and resistance, but not immunity, to disease and poison. However, Shapers still feel pain, can be killed if
they take too much injury too quickly, and will ultimately die of old age.
If a mortal Shaper dies, their Spirit will seek a new person to bond with.
If a Shaper's personality changes so greatly that they no longer embody their Vitality (Freia takes up
meditation and learns to control her anger), the Spirit will abandon them to find a more appropriate
host.

Vitality Springs

The founding of Nishi'an, relief with mosaic

Spirits carry Potential from the Spiritsteam through to the mortal realm, and deposit it in Vitality
Springs. Mortals exposed to Springs are charged by those energies, receiving inspiration, wisdom,
healing, power, etc. according to the nature of the Vitality.
Springs reflect or affect their environment. In the holy woods, a Spring of Shadow lies in a mountain
valley the sun never strikes, a Spring of Motion is at a stretch of rapids in the Amulay river, and a Spring
of Growth lies in a grove of enormous trees.
Mortals have been drawn to Vitality Springs since the dawn of time, building shrines or temples at which
the seek the boons of the Spirits. When a group of artists travelled through the southern desert after the
fall of the Ancient East, they followed the Spirits of Form, Vibrance, and Elegance to a rocky plateau
(changed by their interaction into a combination of the Bisti Wilderness of New Mexico and the Danxia
Landform of China). The artists founded the city of Nishi'an around those Springs.
The four Wells within the Dawngate are artificial Springs crafted by Eidolus. Unlike Springs, Wells yield
raw Potential, which can be converted into any Vitality by the mechanisms of the Dawngate.
The World
The world of Dawngate has no name; it is simply “the world.” As in historical medieval times, there’s not
yet a concept that the planet is anything less than “all that is,” so there has been no need to coin a
distinct name for it. Our story is set on a single continent in the northern hemisphere of the planet,
ringed by several islands and island chains.
No one has visited the southern hemisphere, but Marah, through the web of life, had a brief vision of it;
"Far off, beyond lands overgrown by violent green, beyond wastelands of dust, across oceans dark, cold,
and terrible, there were other forests. Stark and creaking, sleeping under blankets of snow. Shaggy
creatures she had no name for wandered through forests grown of a single seed, gnawing the bark to
keep moving." (At the time it was summer in the north and winter in the south.)

The Sky
The night sky has different stars than our own world, organized into unique constellations. The only
constellation established thus far is the owl, as seen in Zalgus' Great Rift ability.
The world has a single moon, roughly the same size and color as our own. It completes a lunar cycle
every 30.3 days. Though currently appearing to be barren rock, legend holds that its surface was once
obscured by clouds. This is referenced in the Dawngate equivalent of "once upon a time;" children's
tales often begin with the phrase, "Long ago, when the moon still hid her face..." If the moon has a
name, it has not been established yet.
For a few nights around the summer solstice, the Southern Crown rises over the horizon in the most
southerly regions of the continent, Sei Kashari, and Suzutai. The Crown might be a spiral galaxy viewed
edge-on, parallel to the horizon, and stretching across the entire sky. If this feels too "sci-fi," it might
simply be a large nebular complex.

Mortal Races
In other MOBAs, many characters seem to be a member of a “race of one.” We endeavor to develop a
small number of significant races, which most characters should belong to. This is a stylistic choice
allowing greater development focus on each one’s history, culture, and biology.
Rather than the approach of Dungeons & Dragons or Star Wars - throwing dozens of barely-
distinguishable races at players - we take the path of Lord of the Rings and Star Trek. Only intense fans
can tell you much about the Wookiees of Star Wars beyond “they’re big and furry,” but mentioning
Klingons brings cultural and aesthetic themes to the minds of listeners who don’t even watch the show.
Characters that deviate significantly from the basic forms of these species are best explained in one of
two ways. First, they can be the product of Blood Shaping (see below), an ancient eastern method of
“magical genetic engineering.” Viyana and Lillin are Blood Shaped characters. Second, they can be
humans who appear normal most of the time, but always fight while within a “suit” created by their
Vitality powers. Marah and [JELLYGIRL] are examples of “power suit” characters.
Unique species names should never be capitalized, unless they are named after a region or culture that
is capitalized. We don’t capitalize “human” or “grizzly bear,” so neither should we capitalize “ottrekin”
or “ussuri bear.” We do, however, capitalize “Bengal tiger” and "Lakota," so it's appropriate to refer to
the "Iteshi" culture.

Humans
The dominant sapient species of our world, as in so many fictional worlds. The humans of Balakhan were
the first to practice (old) Shaping, which is the root of the species’ historical dominance. The various
human cultures are described in the section on Regions.
Given the level of medical understanding, humans rarely live beyond the age of 80. Most die long before
that from injury or disease. Among the poorest levels of society, it's rare for anyone to live past 40.

Blood Shaping
The height of the Ancient East’s Shaping proficiency – or decadence, depending on the point of
view – was the art of Blood Shaping, the manipulation and alteration of living flesh. Early
experiments were performed on animals (there’s an intriguing possibility that all the unique
animals of our world came from Blood Shaping), then themselves. At first, the intent was only to
heal, but it wasn’t long before mortals attempted to improve.

Murals in Taraysk: the exodus of the tribes (l), Blood Shaped children taken from artificial wombs (r)

Blood Shaping became a symbol of prestige among the upper classes. Some enhanced
themselves for practical purpose. Politicians and singers would Shape their throats to attain
more powerful and resonant voices. Athletes Shaped their limbs to be faster and stronger.
Intellectuals Shaped their minds to be quicker and retain memories more adeptly.
Others altered themselves for purely aesthetic purposes, making themselves more attractive by
whatever their personal standard was. Changes to height, weight, facial features, eye and hair
color were trivial. Even “unnatural” colorations became possible; for example, golden eyes and
blue hair. A few performed more extreme changes; reverse-articulated knees, tails and wings,
gills, fur, and so on.
This became so accepted that the upper echelons stopped giving birth to children, instead using
the most rarified forms of the art to tailor the appearance and abilities of their own offspring
from the moment of conception.
When the people of the Ancient East abandoned civilization, not all went along. These holdouts
tended to be the wealthy and powerful, who pursued the most extreme Blood Shaping. As the
masses gathered into tribes and left the cities, those left behind turned inwards. They isolated
themselves in the crumbling metropolises, hiding their lost arts behind elaborate rituals.
Modern Blood Cults are show staggering variety in appearance. Most keep to themselves, but a
handful send representatives to Lhan Getur. The tribes regard their envoys with a mixture of
awe and revulsion. The Cultists, for their part, see themselves as inheritors of the high culture of
the Age of Majesty, holding themselves above the “barbarians.” They rarely do more than
observe, and when they deign to speak, they expect to be listened to.
Blood Shaping is performed at the genetic level, and changes will in theory breed true in
offspring. In practice, many modifications are mutually incompatible, and will either fail to
fertilize, or result in frightful genetic defects. Blood Shapers rarely reproduce sexually. When
individuals wish to start a family, they splice and edit their genetic material in a laboratory, and
grow the resulting zygote in a Shaped birthing crèche. Some cults have gone so far as to remove
all the desires and “physical accoutrements” of mortal sexuality, sculpting themselves into
genderless creatures.
It is important to remember that the Blood Cults, however advanced their abilities compared to
the rest of the world, are degenerate compared to the Ancient East. They have lost much
knowledge and succumbed to “echo chamber” group-think.

The Shorewinds
The Shorewind tribe is a unique case among humans. Centuries ago, they were blessed by a
Spirit to have a deeper connection to the ocean they live beside. Shorewinds are born fully
human, but at puberty undergo a series of physiological changes.
Coral grows out from their bones, eventually breaking through the skin and enveloping parts of
their body in a protective layer. Other changes depend on the lifestyle of the individual.
Generally, more physically active members assume a hulking, coral-armored form suited to life
along the shore, while those less physical become streamlined and adapted to spending life
away at sea.
Members of the Shorewind Tribe are frequently mistaken for Blood Cultists, and often face the
same prejudices.
Ottrekin

An ottrekin camp n the north, where the Heinne River flows into the Sea of Tronnen

Ottrekin (OT-ra-keen) are bipedal “furry people” based on earthly river otters. The average ottrekin
stands chest-high relative to an average human. They are natural swimmers with an omnivorous diet
heavy in fish. Humans often find their numerous needle-like teeth unnerving, so many make an effort to
smile closed-mouth when among strangers.
In early history, ottrekin were a terror along the rivers of the world. Human exploration of the
continental interior was hampered by nomadic tribes of savage ottrekin along the rivers. Many
expeditions were torn to bloody scraps by the teeth and claws of howling “naked” ottrekin warriors. As
humans developed weapons and defenses based on Shaping technology, the ottrekin were beaten
down and reduced to a repressed minority.
The long history of enmity between humans and ottrekin makes them a frequent target of racism and
pogroms all over the world. Human stereotypes paint ottrekin as shifty and untrustworthy, habitual
thieves and kidnappers of children. If a crime is committed, any ottrekin in town are the first to be
blamed. They remain capable fighters, but rarely resist the abuse, since that only leads to more brutal
repressions. The ottrekin are wearily used to fleeing their homes with no more than what they can carry.
Culturally, they are based on the Romani of Eastern Europe. They remain nomadic, sailing barges with
bright-dyed sails along the rivers that connect every corner of the continent. They eke out a living of
above-board trade and below-board smuggling, supplemented by their skills at fishing, handicrafts, and
instrumental performance (but don’t ask them to sing). In times of war between human realms, many
barges take commissions as privateers.
Ottrekin settlements are temporary, often impoverished tent-towns, with population coming and going
as barges pass through. These camps are usually at a remove from any human towns.
Barges are flat-keeled, with small draft to get over river shallows. They have fore-and-aft lateen rigged
sails, like African and Arabian dhows, and are decorated in in bright colors suggestive of Romani vardos.
They are prone to foundering in the swells and high wind of the open sea. Only extremely profitable
deals can persuade an ottrekin captain to sail her barge out of sight of land.
A minority of ottrekin do not live along rivers, but formed permanent settlements on the shores of
freshwater lakes. The history and culture of these Stillwater Clans has not been explored. In general,
they would be treated like the so-called “civilized tribes” of Native Americans, attempting to fit in to
human society by cultural assimilation, but still treated as second-class citizens.
Family, either blood relation or adopted kin, is extremely important to ottrekin. In a world hostile to
them, they are fanatically loyal to their own people. Barge captains are the “parents” of unruly families
adopted from across the world. Though their crew may sometimes be jerks, they’re always “our jerks.”
Ottrekin use their tails for swimming, combat, and emotional expression. They are not terribly flexible,
but powerfully muscled. Getting hit by one is like being punched or kicked.
In earlier ages, it was not unheard of for ottrekin to have a human-normal lifespan. As impoverished
outcasts, it's rare for them to live past 40.
Names for ottrekin are built from Romani and Irish Celtic sources. They don’t use surnames. Children are
called pups; boys are lads and girls are kits. Ottrekin habitually replace the word “not” with “nay,” as in
“It’s nay a problem.” Their vessels are referred to as barges, never boats or ships. An obscenity unique
to them is spraint, which refers to the piles of dung used by (real life) otters to mark their territory. It’s
equivalent to calling someone or something a pile of crap.

Hutan
Hutan (HOO-tan) are furred arboreal creatures native
to the Kuulahele Tangle jungle, in the eastern portion
of the south. They build sprawling, ramshackle villages
among the branches, out of whatever construction
materials they can steal or salvage from around them.
Trees inhabited by hutan are connected by dangerous
jury-rigged bridges that often fall apart on use.
They have no government per se. When things need to
get done, those who see a need to get them done
informally band together and do it. They cannot be
governed. Humans who've attempted to conquer
hutan clans have been ignored and mocked. When Dibs the hutan and his little sister, Livy

soldiers attempt to impose law, hutan steal everything they can lay their hands on and move deeper
into the jungle.
Culturally, hutan are distinguished by their fondness for celebration and physical contact. If a hutan likes
someone, it is difficult to stop them from hanging on them all the time. If they don't like someone, they
get into frequent brawls. They have at least one holiday a week - often for something ridiculous - and
throw themselves into the party with gusto.
Hutan prefer to sleep in large piles. In their tropical homeland, sleep piles consist of family members and
close friends. In colder lands, they may glom on to any source of body heat they find, and worry about
introducing themselves later. Nissa met Dibs and Livy when she woke one morning to find them curled
up on top of her.
If they have little concept of "personal space," they have only the barest familiarity with the concept of
"private property." By hutan logic, "if I need something and you're not using it, it's all right for me to use
it." If you need it later, they expect you’ll take it back. Ottrekin captains dread sailing into hutan
territory, as any unwatched hull fixture might be "salvaged" in the night.
Hutan have been "social drinking" fermented jungle fruits for centuries. These beverages tend to have
low alcoholic content, and are treated more like real-world humans treat soda. The import of more
potent human beverages has caused social problems; the small bodies of hutan have their blood alcohol
level raised quickly by them.
When inebriated, hutan become even more physically affectionate with friends ("I love you, man!") and
more likely to brawl and riot - though the stakes of these contests seem comically low to outsiders ("The
Tairi Bigglefomps are going to sweep the melonball championships this year!")
In summary, hutan are cuddly soccer hooligans who live in trees.
Hutan are marsupial. Females give birth, and males carry children to maturity in pouches. Children are
nearly always born in pairs, one male and one female. The rare single-birth children are often
intersexed, and may have other atypical genetic expressions. Gestation takes three months, with
another three in the father's pouch. Hutan families can grow preposterously large; Dibs has 16 brothers
and sisters.
The average hutan only stands at knee level compared to an average human. They have a relatively
short lifespan, with death by old age normally occurring by 60. Those who indulge too often in human
intoxicants rarely live beyond 30.
Hutan names are never longer than four letters and two syllables. They are not based on any earthly
culture, but should be constructed to sound whimsical. Like ottrekin, hutan have no surnames.
The word "hutan" is Malaysian for "forest." Orangutan is a contraction of "orang hutan," meaning
"forest people." Malaysians regarded orangutans as a fellow intelligent race, as we might regard elves in
any given fantasy milieu. A group of hutan is called a muddle.
Varunis
The varunis (vah-RUNE-iss) are “lizard folk” native to
the tropical island of Sei Kashari. Culturally they are
broadly based on Japanese, with elements of
Ryukyuan and Chinese.
Their society is rural, and based on four orders;
farmers, laborers, monks, and scholars. As the old
Chinese proverb, they believe "when you have two
pennies left in the world, by a loaf of bread with one,
and a lilly with the other." The farmers and laborers
are responsible for keeping everyone fed and
sheltered, while the monks and scholars are
responsible for keeping them enlightened and
inspired. There is no perception that any order is of
greater or lesser importance than any other - all are
required for harmonious and fulfilling existence.
Individuals may freely move from one order to
another, if it lies within their means and talents.
The varunis don't have temporal leaders in the sense Salous, a monk of the Order of the Kindly Visitation
that other lands do. Most defer to the elders of their
own family, or to the local leaders of their particular order. To handles disputes between orders,
Magistrates, even-handed arbiters and judges, travel from town to town. By tradition, Magistrates
wander perpetually, never staying anywhere longer than a week. They never sit in judgment over events
involving their home region, or those they know personally. Though the image common in varunis
literature is of a solitary person in shabby clothes, travelling the world with only a backpack, walking
stick, and wisdom, most Magistrates travel with a retinue, and several ox-drawn carts of records and
works of jurisprudence.
Though not cold-blooded, the varunis did evolve to live most comfortably in their tropical homeland.
They are highly susceptible to cold, and only rare circumstance can persuade them to travel north of the
Heart of the World.
Most varunis meditate at midday by lying in the sun on hot rocks. This allows them to enter the Sun
Dream, a state of lucid dreaming in which they may receive inspiration and visions of the future. This
natural propensity for altered states of consciousness may explain why the varunis have so many
monastic orders, and why nearly everything - from tea-brewing to assassination - is approached in a
ceremonial and prayerful fashion.
The internal biology of varunis is markedly different than that of other species. Their heart lies at the
center of the torso, and most organs are more "accessible" through the back than the chest. Relative to
humans, the stomach and kidneys are where the lungs should be, and vice-versa. Those who battle
varunis often have to re-learn how to fight - what would be a mortal blow against a human, ottrekin,
hutan, or iteshi is often just a painful inconvenience for a varunis.
Unlike mammalian species, varunis only enter a state of capable of procreation once a year, when
temperatures rise above a certain point for an extended period. The rest of the year, they have no
sexual urges whatsoever. They find mammalian species' seemingly-constant urges to procreate
distasteful and hedonistic. We haven’t yet decided if they lay eggs (it would certainly make them
unique).
Varunis tend to be healthy and active for most of their lives, with typical lifespans of 90-110 years. The
species name varunis is adapted from "Varanidae," the genetic family of monitor lizards.

Iteshi
The Iteshi (eh-TAY-she) are humanoid felines
who are the dominant species on the Isles of
Suzutai, a subtropical archipelago. Their
culture is based on that of Han or Tang
Dynasty China.
Iteshi believe they are the most advanced
people in the world, and refer to all residents
of the mainland as barbarians. By the
standards of their own cultural values, this is
not unreasonable - Iteshi place great value on
stability, literacy, civil service, public works,
and sanitation. Their technology is behind the
rest of the world in some areas (they lack the
black powder weapons used by the mainland
west and use fewer Shapings), but they have
developed others that exist nowhere else in Kensu, an iteshi ghost-hunter

the world.
In a world where the supernatural Spirits are an undeniable reality, they are the closest thing to
culturally atheist. Iteshi believe that their souls are too precious to be returned to the Spirits, and
potentially reborn in the body of another race. When a valued member of society is near death, their
soul is snared and preserved within a crystal that keeps their minds intact and conscious. In theory, this
is a more advanced version of the anamneses used in the golems of the Ancient East.
Scientifically speaking, the crystals used to contain souls are hyperdimensional constructs that exist
partly in the mortal realm and partly within the Spirits’. Their edges and facets constantly appear to shift
as they bob back and forth across the boundary between the two realities. These shifting surfaces are
dangerous to touch, and leave hands and fingers gnawed and scored to bleeding.
Soul crystals are stored in vast underground archives called Silent Cities, curated and protected by the
order of Pathkeepers. Stacked on endless shelves, crawling and grinding against one another, the
crystals containing the departed Iteshi enjoy afterlives bound only by their imagination. They can
communicate with other souls stored nearby, and can conjure worlds from memory or imagination, as
real to them as they desire it.
The living can visit the dead at any time, by physically touching a crystal (as noted above, this injures)
and meditating. It’s not unusual for Iteshi clans to be led by patriarchs and matriarchs that have not
walked the physical world for over two thousand years. To those within the Silent Cities, very little time
seems to pass. The boy they meet one day might be a man the next. While the living can speak with the
dead, they can never touch. Souls appear to pass through one another, leaving only the sensations of
burning cold and electrical jolts.
A side effect of the trapping of souls is the creation of hungry ghosts. These are not literally "dead guys,"
i.e. souls, but the regrets and emotional attachments of the stored dead, released from their corpses to
haunt the islands. An order of hunters exists to track down these misplaced, often malevolent emotional
energies and put them to rest.
Iteshi sailing vessels are built in the style of junks. They are broad and deep draft, with squared-off bows
and battened sails. They neither swift nor maneuverable, but possess enormous cargo capacity and are
extremely stable in heavy seas. They are typically constructed of teak, known for its durability and
natural waterproofing. Compared to the practical working caravels and carracks of mainland human
society, Iteshi ships are richly decorated and sumptuously fitted.
Iteshi folklore holds that thousands of years ago, they sailed to Suzutai from some location over sea –
either a distant island chain or another continent. They have made no attempt to seek their origins, nor
have any come in search of them.
Animals
Though we largely use real-life creatures to populate the world of the Dawngate, there are a few
significant species unique to our world.
Altai cats (AL-tie) are horse-sized feline apex predators found in the northern half of the east. They
resemble a cross between prehistoric saber-toothed cats and Siberian tigers. Their name comes from
the Altai mountains of Siberia. Nissa was seen hunting an altai cat in the Chronicles, and Kel is
attempting to raise an orphaned kitten.

An altai cat on the hunt

Cetan whales (SEE-ten) are huge sea mammals hunted by humans

for meat, blubber, and oil. In the west, this is performed in the open
ocean by large sailing vessels, in a way largely familiar to readers of
Moby-Dick. In the east, the hunt is performed by small boats of
hunters working close to the shore. Cetans can dive as deep as two
kilometers and remain underwater for over an hour. Viridian’s Ult-
ability and high emote summon a cetan whale.

Cetan whale concept art

Frax are warm-blooded reptilian
predators native to the forests of the west. They have poor vision,
but an exceptional sense of smell, and hunt by "throwing" the
quills that grow from their back. Frax hide can be tanned into fine
leather, highly prized by the wealthy. The Shaper Vex is a frax
uplifted to near-human intelligence through the prolonged
application of Progress Vitality to his brain.

Ghazil (gah-ZILL) are subtropical herd animals similar to gazelle.

They are prevalent in the grasslands south and east of the holy
Vex, an atypically intelligent frax
woods. They've yet to be seen, but are mentioned in Nissa and
Kahgen’s VO.
 Hathi (ha-TEE) are giant elephants, ranging
in size from historical mammoths to the
mumakil of Lord of the Rings. They are
multi-ton “land ships” used in caravan trade
through the deserts of the south. The
superstructure built on a hathi’s back (to
carry cargo or passengers) is called a
howdah. Both hathi and howdah are words
from Hindi.

A caravan of hathi leaves Nishi'an

Kirruk (KEER-uk) are

housecat-sized arboreal
creatures akin to earthly
squirrels, but with higher
intelligence. They can be
found in virtually every
forested area of the
world. Kirruk are
sometimes domesticated as Tal'ah, Nissa's kirruk companion
companions, much as humans
domesticate dogs.
Shisan cats (SHE-san) are unique to the southeastern island of Sei
Kashari. They are distantly related to altai, though more like real-
world tigers in size and appearance. They are named for the shisa
temple guardian dogs in Ryukyuan folklore. Flin’s comrade
Sergeant Mandrake is a six-legged, albino shisan cat.

An albino shisan cat

Ussuri bears (you-SIR-ee) are omnivorous scavenger/predators found in the taiga and tundra of the
northeast. They’re similar to earthly polar bears, but bigger, fiercer, and hungrier. The Greylines tribe
have domesticated a few of them for use as berserker battle mounts, but they see little use, as they are
too heavy to bring on raids.
Regions
The continent is divided into four major regions, loosely defined along the points of the compass. Each
differs culturally, politically, and economically. They are in competition for control over the Heart of the
World, which is lightly populated and historically been regarded as neutral/sacred ground. Now it is the
source of Shapers; whoever controls it controls the power to create super(wo)men.
At the beginning of Season One of the live service story, the North allies with the West, and the South
with the East, based on largely superficial symmetries of opinion. By the end of Season One, differences
in the deeper values between the cultures lead to a realignment – North allied with East, and West with
South.

The Brooding North

The queens of Chassart (l) and Neissen (r) settle a matter of honor by the bank of the Varre River

The realms of the north endure long, dark, bitter winters and enjoy cool summers with many hours of
sunlight. Shaper monasteries, places of contemplation and study, dot the winding valleys. Noble
dynasties measure their worth by the size of their family libraries and archives. Homes are cramped and
stoutly built, to make heating easier. Families share living space as a matter of course, with three or
more generations under one roof.
Due to the heavily mountainous terrain, realms are long-lived and unusually stable. Realms are
separated by mountain passes that are snowed shut most of the winter. Wars tend to be brief and
ritualized, as they can only occur in the summer months. Conflicts are typically resolved by duels
between single champions or small groups of elite troops – heavily armored warriors or erudite scholar-
Shapers. Conflicts between individuals are settled via duel or, for those less martially inclined, by the
dispatch of assassins.
This region is classically medieval, with a powerful aristocracy ruling over a large population of serfs.
Titles, land, and honors are passed from mother to eldest daughter. Some of the nobles are decent and
moral, some are vile and venal, but most simply don’t think about the peasants grubbing in the mud
below them. Fortunately, the unique local methods of waging war cause few wartime peasant levies or
incidents of scorched-earth looting to disrupt lives and livelihood.
Vitality Focus: Knowledge
Pre-Dawngate Shaping Method: Carved or scribed runes
Local Term for Shapers: Learned (as in, “the Learned Zalgus”)
Prominent Shapers: Fenmore, Freia, Kindra, Raina, Zalgus
Dominant Biome: Alpine – coniferous forests clinging to the slopes of perpetually snowy
mountains.
Culture: Matrilineal monarchies
Largest City: Serath, capital of Chassart
Regional Leader: Queen Sereyn Kethelle
Values: Order, loyalty, preservation, tradition, nostalgia, reminiscence, close quarters /
“coziness,” home and hearth, Aristotelian ethos
Significant Geography: Virtually all of the north lies within the Austrand Mountains (AW-strand).
The Sea of Tronnen (TROW-nen) is a large inland freshwater body at the southern foot of the
mountains. It is fed by the Heinne River (HYNE), which flows north out of the springs at the
Heart of the World.
Significant Political Entities: Chassart (SHASS-art) is ruled by Queen Sereyn, and Neissen (NYE-
sen) by Queen Karolina (kare-oh-LEE-na). Falkrent (fall-KRENT), which lies along the shores of
Tronnen, is ruled by Queen Ahldara (ahl-DARR-ah).

Visual Influence
Medieval Europe and Scandinavia; meets default NA/EU genre expectations; Hundred Years
War; heavy “feminine” influence.

 Chassart – French/Gallic with some Sweden (Raina, Zalgus, Kindra)

 Neissen – German/Saxon with some Finland (Fenmore, Freia)
 Falkrent – Scottish/Celtic with some Norway (Voluc, +1 Shaper in early concept)
The Savage East

Nissa and Tal'ah exiled from Stonebloom territory

The people of the east formed the first true civilizations in the world. While other regions remained
subsistence hunter-gatherer bands, they discovered agriculture and architecture, built gigantic cities of
quarried stone, and explored most of the known world.
During their explorations they discovered the Heart of the World, and built the first shrines in the holy
woods. A combination of epiphanies gained from the Spirits and grassroots rejection of the Blood
Shaping practiced by the wealthy led the mass of society to abandon technological civilization. The folk
of the east achieved heights beyond that of any other culture – many secrets of the ancient east have
yet to be rediscovered – and they chose to discard them and live another way. They moved out of the
cities and returned to their nomadic roots, living in communion with the nature Spirits and Vitalities that
dotted their lands. Their ancient cities remain, crumbling stone labyrinths draped with vines, broken by
tree roots, and prowled by wild beasts.
The only remaining “city” in the east is the vast nomadic tent camp of Lhan Getur, which serves as a
trade center and neutral ground during disputes between tribes. Lhan Getur is always erected on a
vitality spring. At least once a year, the council of elder Shapers that rules the city convenes to
determine if it should be moved to another spring.
While Shapers are as prevalent in the east as elsewhere, they are less likely to use their talents or serve
prominent roles in society. The easterners believe that the Spirits are the only ones who should
manipulate Vitality; mortals who do so are considered prideful and selfish. Practicing Shapers live as
hermits, sought only when their aid is absolutely required, and shunned the remainder of the time. Old
eastern Shapers prefaced their supplications to the Spirits with, “if it be your will.”
Vitality Focus: Nature
Pre-Dawngate Shaping Method: Music, sung or played on an instrument
Local Term for Shapers: Singers or Callers
Prominent Shapers: Amarynth, Cerulean, Faris, Nissa, Sakari, Salous, Viridian, Viyana
Dominant Biome: Steppes, with taiga in the north and jungle in the south
Culture: Nomadic tribes led by warrior chieftains or elder councils
Largest City: Lhan Getur (lonn geh-TUR)
Regional Leader: Elder Nikal of the Snowblood
Values: Independence, mobility, fearlessness (though not impetuousness), pragmatism, stoicism
in adversity, generosity in hardship, public display of affections
Significant Geography: The Kamaltka Penninsula (ka-MALT-ka) is a mountainous region of
volcanoes and glaciers that extends from the north coast, its tip lost somewhere in the Eternal
Ice (the Arctic). Sei Kashari (SAY ka-SHAR-ee) is a southeastern tropical island.
Significant Political Entities: Compared to other regions, there are no significant powers.
Established tribes include the Stoneblooms, the Snowbloods, the Viking-like Greylines, and the
coral-blessed Shorewinds.

Visual Influence
Mostly Pacific Rim; shamanistic trappings, nomadic life, no permanent structures, limited metal
forging.

 Greylines Tribe/ Kamaltka /volcanic tundra – Vikings, Faeroe Islands, Iceland (Katla -
they are probably northerners who migrated back east)
 Stonebloom Tribe/taiga – Reindeer Chukchi (Nissa)
 Glasstide Tribe/sea ice – Inuit (Sakari)
 Snowblood Tribe/Lhan Getur/steppes/– classic Mongolian (Nikal, Asenka, Juri)
 Shorewind Tribe/tropics – Maori, greater Polynesia (Amarynth, Cerulean, Viridian)
 Sei Kashari/varunis people – Ryukyuan Japanese, with some Chinese philosophy
and the original “Sun Dream” (Salous)
 Blood Shaper Cults – special cases, live in the ancient metropolis ruins – some
consistent Persian/Mesopotamian influence (Viyana, Lillin)
The Dreaming South

The upper city of Nishi'an exemplifies the heights of southern culture

Much of the south lies in the desert rain shadow of the Arieste Mountains. Cities are built in defiance of
nature, with great aqueducts bringing in the water to support vast hanging gardens and rooftop
ornamental gardens. The air of cities is thick with the aromas of savory dishes, expensive perfumes, and
exotic incense. The tinkling of copper wind-chimes and the plashing of fountains make a constant,
pleasant sound beneath the music and calls of innumerable street performers.
The people of the south value creative ability to such a degree they have shaped their culture around it.
All are judged by their ability in a chosen artistic endeavor, be that music, sculpture, dance, acting,
painting, weaving, cooking, or the written word. Individuals ascend through a series of 12 castes.
Children and those without proven artistic talent occupy the lowest tier; philosopher-kings occupy the
highest. As an individual gains respect as an artist, they gain political power and social influence. Those
who can mentor a less-developed artist to ascend into a higher are highly regarded.
The caste of an individual is used as their middle name. Only three castes have been named so far. Zel is
the lowest tier (Kahgen), ehl is the highest (Renzo, Ashabel), and ahb is around 8 or 9 (Zeri). Caste
names are never capitalized.
Those who show no talent – either through lack of artistic sensibility or simple disinterest – are required
to do the brute labor to keep the glittering, impossible cities clean, fed, and in good repair. This is as true
for the children of esteemed artists as it is for the children of gutter-sweepers. Though derided as
arbitrary and elitist by people of other regions, the southerners maintain that their system is completely
egalitarian. Everyone earns their own place, regardless of birth. A man who worked in the sewers one
week can eat lark’s tongues from a jeweled plate the next, if he creates an impressive enough piece of
art.
The greatest artistic achievement of the south is arguably the Wind-Stones of Seljust. Over the course of
decades, the sculptor Seljust carved a series of desert mesas such that the dawn and evening winds pipe
through them melodiously. He died shortly after their completion; travelers, drawn by the music,
discovered his achievement. He was posthumously acclaimed the Philosopher-King of Nishi’an, a title he
still “holds,” for no one has created a greater work of art.
Vitality Focus: Inspiration
Pre-Dawngate Shaping Method: Motion (dance, martial arts)
Local Term for Shapers: Dancers or Weavers
Prominent Shapers: Ashabel, Dibs, Kahgen, King of Masks, Renzo, Zeri
Dominant Biome: Rocky and sandy deserts in the west, jungle in the east
Culture: Artistic meritocracies led by philosopher-kings
Largest City: Nishi’an (nee-shee-AHN), capital of The Most Harmonious Confederation of
Eventide
Regional Leader: Virtuoso Dail ehl Kasini
Values: Creativity, spontaneity, open space, “mono no aware,” putting on a good face, personal
mentoring, Aristotelian pathos, execution over ideas
Significant Geography: A sandy desert known as The Great Abeyance covers a significant
portion of the south. The Kuulahele (koo-lah-HAY-lay) Tangle is a thick jungle along the
southeast coast.
Significant Political Entities: The cantons of Nishi’an (nee-shee-AHN), Shira’bel (sheer-ah-BELL),
and Rima’hai (ree-mah-HYE).

Visual Influence
Arabia and Indian Subcontinent; heavy use of decoration, nothing is purely functional.

 Nishi’an – urbane, hanging gardens, Persian/Iranian, 1001 Nights (Renzo)

 Shira’bel – Thal Desert, Rajasthan (Zeri)
 Nita’yal– poor backwater in the Great Abeyance, perhaps Bedouin (King of Masks)
 Rima’hai – desert fades before the eastern jungles; Bengal, Myanmar, Thailand
(Ashabel)
The Enlightened West

Eidolus passes through the glittering opulence and grinding poverty of Maridia

Fancying themselves the only civilized region of the world, the city-states that sprawl like jewels along
the western shores are cosmopolitan, productive, and boisterous. Every citizen, from the poorest street
urchin to the wealthiest merchant prince, is driven to succeed in all they do. By night the cities glow with
fires, lanterns, and Shaper auras; by day they are blackened by the soot and smoke of industry. The
wealthy live on hills and in towers, literally and metaphorically above the commoners.
Though westerners are accused of worshipping coin above all else, their wealth is merely a means to an
end. What they crave is novelty. The merchant princes can afford the best of everything in any quantity
they might want. What flames their passions are things they can’t purchase at will; the scent of the
rarest bloom; the roasted flesh of the deadliest predator; a one-of-a-kind trinket from a master
craftsman; the most depraved and forbidden vice; the favor of the greatest lover in the realm for a
night.
It is this search for novelty that fuels their restless discovery of new Shapings and technology. It is also
the reason the people of the west place less value on loyalty, friendship, and family than those of other
regions. Old acquaintances are passé; only the next new experience matters.
To support the opulent life of those at the pinnacle, the masses live in poverty, slaving their brief,
mortgaged lives away for little gain. In the dark, crowded warrens at the heart of the cities, families live
a Dickensian nightmare in grimy mills. In the fields beyond the cities, villagers tend plantation fields from
dawn to dusk. Only “The Promise of the West” keeps them from rebelling, a cult-like belief that anyone
can ascend to the rank of merchant prince with hard work and a bit of luck.
Vitality Focus: Progress
Pre-Dawngate Shaping Method: Devices (“Vimpunk” magi-tech)
Local Term for Shapers: Artificers
Prominent Shapers: Desecrator, Kensu, Mikella, Mina, Petrus, Varion, Tess
 Dominant Biome: Rolling grasslands
Culture: City-states led by plutocratic councils of prominent merchants
Largest City: Maridia (mar-ID-ee-uh)
Regional Leader: Duke Josare Anzerani
Values: Originality, industry, persistence, novelty, scarcity, “it’s not the having, it’s the getting,”
Aristotelian logos, ideas over execution
Significant Geography: The Jeweled Coast is a collective term for the rolling, temperate western
seaboard where the wealthiest city-states lie. The Arieste Mountains (are-ee-EST) are a high,
rugged chain that divides the temperate west from the arid south.
Significant Political Entities: The city-state of Maridia is effectively ruled by Duke Anzerani.
Genalfi (genn-ALL-fee) and Tessua (TESS-you-ah) are other prominent coastal city-states.

Visual Influence
Renaissance Mediterranean with odd outliers; most technically advanced, nearly everything
owned by the wealthy has some Shaping; heavy “masculine” influence.

 Jeweled Coast – Vimpunk Renaissance Italy (Mikella, Varion, Petrus, Desecrator)

 Isles of Suzutai – Han or Tang Dynasty China, not yet sure (Kensu)

The Heart of the World

At the center of the known world lies a primeval sacred forest. Ages ago, mortals discovered the
plentitude of Vitality springs in the region. Over the centuries, the various cultures of the world built
thousands of shrines to the Spirits, each in their own local fashion.
Wars were fought over access to the powers of the Heart. For many years, the combatants were careful
to avoid bloodshed near the sacred forest itself. That unspoken truce ended when assassins from the
north slaughtered a party of southern philosopher-kings as they travelled through the Heart to a parley.
The Spirits rose in wrath, withholding their blessings from all mortals until restitution was made.
In the wake of this, the order of Sentinels was founded. Comprised of people called to serve from all
corners of the known world, the Sentinels were charged with protecting the Heart from harm.
The lands around the Heart are populated, though sparsely. The folk of the region are simple farmers
and herdsmen. Ill-educated and naive by the standards of other regions, they remain deeply in awe of
the Spirits, and enjoy their grace and protection.
Prominent Shapers: Kel, Lillin, Marah, Moya, Ronan, Vex, Voluc
Significant Geography: Just west of the Dawngate lies Lake Rannai (ran-EYE), which is fed by the
Springs of Life. Four major rivers flow out of Rannai, one into each region. The Heinne (HYNE)
flows north, the Sarno (SARR-no) west, the Amulay (AH-myoo-lay) south, and the Skaya (SKAY-
ah) east.
 Significant Political Entities: The holy woods were previously guarded by the Order of Sentinels,
a society of Templar-like religious warriors. All save their leader, Voluc, died when the Dawngate
first opened. Lake Rannai, being the source of the largest rivers through all regions, possesses
large tent-cities of transient ottrekin travelling from one to another.

Visual Influence
Vaguely Celtic, particularly on the northern side; intended to be simple peasants and herders.
 Ottrekin people – Romani with some Celtic, but they wander everywhere, so
elements from any other culture can be used.

Languages
There are many languages in the world, though each region has a dominant tongue that is spoken by
most educated people. The only regional language that has been named is Telauri (tell-OR-ee), which is
spoken along the Jeweled Coast of the west. In the north, the diplomatic language would be that of
Chassart, in the south it would be that of Nishi’an, and in the east, people would use the tongue of
ancient Balakhan (much as Latin was understood by most nobles in medieval Europe).
When characters from different regions encounter one another in out-of-game fiction, thought should
be given to how they communicate. For example, in “Strand,” Raina can only understand one of the two
languages spoken by the eastern raiders, and her lack of fluency renders their speech awkward and
broken to the reader. In the Chronicles, the easterner Juri serves as a translator for Renzo and Zeri.
A handful of words and expressions have been invented.

 aniyu (ah-nee-YOO) – Glasstide, snow

 ataraga (ah-ta-RA-ga) – Glasstide, older sister
 betto (BAY-toe) - Telauri, (I) strike
 kinu (KEY-noo) – Glasstide, "slushy ice by the sea"
 kudav (KOO-dav) – ottrekin, f**ker
 muerti (MYUR-tee) - Telauri, (you) die
 nilak (nee-LAK) – Glasstide, "freshwater ice for drinking"
 puvaca (poo-VA-ka) - Telauri, whore (literally, "slatternly cow")
 pafoni (pah-FOE-nee) - Talauri, peasant (implying stupidity or foolishness)
 pula (POO-lah) - Telauri, slang for police, guards, watchmen
 vadya (VAHD-ya) - Stonebloom, "damn it"
 vittora (vee-TOR-ah) - Telauri, victory
 Ush'valli (oosh VAHL-ee) - Stonebloom, "My Lord Spirit"
 za oprei, Ezalev (zah oh-PREY, ee-ZAH-lev) - ottrekin; "be with us, Spirits"

Literacy
We take literacy for granted in the modern world, but widespread knowledge of reading and writing was
uncommon before the 17th century. In the world of Dawngate, people who aren’t wealthy or well-born
are frequently illiterate. Some have the ability to read, but not write – mostly those who are self-
educated through work (Varion, to read contracts) or hobbies (Tess browsing technical manuals), or who
perform ritualized or religious activities (Amarynth).
In the east, literacy is often seen as a crutch, or a sign of mental weakness. People choose to develop
their memory and extemporaneous speaking ability instead. Sakari expresses surprise when Zalgus asks
what her favorite book is; “You still use writing? Wow, we gave that up centuries ago.”
Governance
Real world aristocratic systems can be bafflingly complex. Ours are simplified down to a “Dungeons &
Dragons” level of comprehension.

Titles and Honorifics

Generic honorifics for high-born women and men are (My) Lady and (My) Lord. Free commoners might
be referred to as Miss and Master. Peasants and the urban proletariat of the west get nothing. When
low-born orphan Hetta refers to Mikella as "Miss" in the Chronicles, it's because she has no idea she's
been rescued by the noble daughter of the household; the soldier accompanying Mikella correctly refers
to her as "My Lady."
Only the current holder of a domain is granted its title. Raina is never called “Duchess Raina,” but “Lady
Raina;" her mother is the Duchess.
The proper way of referring to a noble is, (Title or Honorific) (First Name) of (Surname or Domain). It is
accurate to say either, "Lady Kindra of Salmesse" in reference to her family, or "Lady Kindra of Inglaire"
in reference to her domain.
In the north, queens are referred to as “Your/Her Wisdom” rather than “Your/Her Majesty.” Princesses
and Princes are referred to as “Your/Her Highness.”

The North
The north uses a traditional form of peerage, and serves as a general model for elsewhere. Titles are
awarded by primogeniture; held by the oldest female of the family, and normally passed mother to
daughter on death, disability, or abdication.
Lower-ranked houses are sworn to provide taxes and military service to their superiors. From highest to
lowest, the ranks of peerage are:
 Queen: The sovereign. “There can be only one.” In addition to ruling the realm as a whole, the
queen has a personal domain. Queen Sereyn is also the Duchess of Serath. In Neissen, this title
is Kaisarina, though this has not been used anywhere.
 Duchess: Rules a wealthy province of the realm; typically a single populous mountain valley,
several smaller ones connected by passes that don't snow shut in winter, or ~100 square miles
of lowland. There are around a dozen Duchesses per realm. Raina will inherit the title of Duchess
of Risenne upon her mother’s death. In Neissen, the title is Herzgrafen.
 Marquess: Typically rule an important province bordering a foreign power, or a long-
occupied/conquered territory. The male title is Marquis.
 Countess: Minor nobles who rule isolated or rural valleys. When Kindra's mother dies, she will
inherit the title Countess of Inglaire. The male title is Count.
 Baroness: Minor nobles who rule small manors or villages. The male title is a Baron. In Falkrent,
the title is Thane, though this has not been used anywhere.
  Knight: Not a landholding noble, but a professional warrior sworn to serve a higher-ranked peer.
Each is awarded a manor within their lady’s domain to reside in and protect. The title of Knight,
unlike higher patents of nobility, is never inherited, only granted by a liege-lady. Knight is a
unisex term, but 90% of northern knights are women – men are stereotyped as too hot-headed
and lacking empathy to be effective and just warriors.
By strict logic, women of the north should be titled “Count” or “Duke,” and there should be some unique
derivative term for a male version. In practice this would confuse players, so we stick with the real-world
male-base, female-derivative.

The West
In the west, a merchant prince's rank in the peerage doesn’t indicate the size of their holding, but the
magnitude of their wealth. Western peerage is fluid, rising and falling with a house's fortunes, and titles
are often granted and stripped purely in the “court of public opinion.” Women are given titles only to
indicate their value as dowry. They can never inherit wealth, titles, or land.
There is only one Duke per city-state, the man recognized as the shrewdest and wealthiest. Anzerani is
the Duke of Maridia; no other city has had their Duke named yet.
In an anomaly created by poor fact-checking, Mina refers to herself as a Countess in her launch fiction,
but is called a Baroness in her biography. The handwave is, she was a Baroness through her own family
titles, but was married off to a Count. When she "mysteriously" died without producing an heir, and
replaced by a new wife, the locals returned to referring to her by her original, lesser title.
There is no equivalent to knighthood in the west. Rather, there are “household guards” paid for
professional, full-time service to a given merchant prince. Skilled warriors often join mercenary
companies that sign year-long contracts of service. Mercenaries are better paid than household troops,
but often placed in the forefront of battle. And, of course, when a war ends, they have to find a new job.
As their soldiers are not part of a ranked peerage, armies of the west use a crude version of an officer
corps. Companies are commanded by Captains, with detachments of around 20 maneuvered and
administrated by Zergentes (Sergeants).

The East
In the east, there is no aristocracy. Leadership roles traditionally pass parent-to-child through a lifelong
process of mentoring, but a poor leader is replaced by tribal acclaim. Those who rule by wisdom are
referred to using the honorific Elder, while those who rule by force are hailed as Overlord. In the
Ancient East, Balakhan and the north tended to the former, while Henj and the south tended to the
latter.
Rather than Lady and Lord, titles of respect for women and men in the Ancient East were Dama and
Mani. Faris, and all Blood Shaped characters, continue to use these honorifics.
The South
The south's government has not been greatly detailed yet. The title of Virtuoso is given to members of
the highest artistic caste (ehl) who volunteer to participate in civic leadership. Not all members of the
ehl caste do; many are not "people persons," or prefer to focus on their work. Ashabel, for example, is
only interested in leading the women who work at her salon.
The greatest Virtuosos, who master several arts and are wise and effective leaders, ascend to the fabled
rank of Philosopher-King or Philosopher-Queen. It is rare to have more than one living at a time.
Given the lack of constancy in executive leadership, the south relies on a broad and effective
bureaucracy and civil service. Bureaucrats are considered students of the "practical arts." Exceptional
skills in administration, mathematics, or economics are recognized as rare and specialized talents. These
bureaucrats (Hateen from "Resonance" is one) organize the labor of thousands of unskilled zel-caste
workers to maintain the civil infrastructure.
The south is a hydraulic empire. On one hand, the cities along the Amulay River maintain control
through stewardship of flood controls and irrigation - those who rebel risk having these protections
taken away. On the other, the cities in the deep of the Great Abeyance Desert rely on the flow of water
through aqueducts from glaciers in the Arieste Mountains.
Oasis bandits, who rely on neither river nor aqueducts for water, are in a sense the only truly free
people in the south. In practice, the bureaucracy is too laissez-faire and inward-focused to bother with
oppression for the sake of it.
Calendar
Though it was tempting to invent our own system of time whole-cloth, with unique names and lengths
of months, days of the week, and so forth, practical experience has shown that these are difficult for
developers to keep straight, let alone players. It is another potential point of confusion. As a pertinent
example, only the most extreme lore-philes can comprehend the dating system used in the various Elder
Scrolls titles.
To provide a more exotic, in-world flavor, the months have been given original names, but these
deliberately cleave close to their real-life counterparts to facilitate casual recognition.

January Janviar
February Fevriar
March Markkun
April Aprelle
May Mai
June Junil
July Gillai
August Augente
September Heptaver
October Oberta
November Navamara
December Disamara
The calendar year begins with Janviar and ends with Disamara. The continent in which we lay our scene
is set in the northern hemisphere of its world, so the year begins in midwinter. The equinoxes and
solstices are celebrated as major holidays in all regions, though the specifics of the celebrations vary.
Like our real-world Gregorian calendar, that of Dawngate counts forward and backward from a “year 1,”
with no “year 0.” Year 1 saw the final abandonment of the great cities of the east by the current tribes
that live in the area.
History is divided into three great eras. The Age of Majesty (Aion Majeste) saw the rise and fall of the
great high technology culture of the ancient east. It is officially considered to have ended in year 1, with
the sack of Balakhan by the Bird-Men of Henj. The Age of Toil (Aion Travaile) has lasted since, and is
generally considered to be a “dark age.” The opening of the Dawngate inaugurated what will become
known as the Age of Miracles (Aion Mirallum).
Faris, a relic of the ancient eastern technology, was originally constructed 1746 years ago, in 203 Aion
Majeste.

The Ancient East

The people of the Ancient East used a lunar calendar, where each month had a poetic name to describe
the weather during that period. August was the “Moon of Shattering Skies” due to the frequent
thunderstorms in Balakhan, while December was the “Moon of Long Stars” due to the length of the
nights. The rest have not yet been named. Months were subdivided into Waxing and Waning moons; the
New Moon was the start of the month.
Years were counted by the number of winter solstices since a given council of elders took political
control, and given the clan name of that council’s Eldest and Wisest. For example, Balakhan fell in the
Fourth Year of the Council of Adra-Isruk.
Consider this broadly akin to measuring history by the number of years the US Supreme Court has been
sitting under a given Chief Justice. We would currently (2014) be in the “Ninth Year of the Council of
Roberts.”

Time of Day
We have not specified whether the world has a 24-hour day like Earth, or some other period. Whatever
is decided should be kept internal, as the people of this world would have no basis for comparison. A
character should never say something like, “we’re open 26 hours a day.”
Most people keep time by the movement of sun and moon, as reckoned either by eyeball or sundial.
There is no concept of the “second” as a discrete period of time; rather, people measure brief intervals
by counting, heartbeats, or breaths. Minutes are only truly meaningful in the west, were large clockwork
timepieces (think: Big Ben) exist. Pocket-watches remain beyond the current level of technology.
People throughout the world would use the following times of day:
Day: Sunrise, Morning, Eastering, Highsun (noon), Westering, Evening, Sunset
Night: Twilight (sky lit after sunset), Gloaming, Highmoon (midnight), Longwatch, Foredawn (sky lit
before sunrise)
There are fewer divisions at night because few venture out of doors; artificial illumination is spotty and
scarce, limited to carried lanterns and public lamps in a few major cities. It’s difficult for modern humans
to appreciate how dark the world was before our towns and roads were lit.

The Ancient East

The people of the Ancient East used water clocks called fenjaan, which gave their name to the interval of
time they counter. Fenjaan were built to a uniform size by a “timekeepers’ guild,” who distributed them
throughout the land and kept them running.
There were twenty-two fenjaan cycles in a day, as the people of Balakhan regarded two as a sacred
number.

Measurement
While we use real-world measurements internally for convenience, concepts like miles, feet, meters,
pounds, and kilograms don’t exist within the lore.
When referring to close distances, it’s best to use relative or poetic terms; an arm’s length away; close
enough to feel breath; across the room; a head shorter or taller; waist-high. For longer distances, refer
to the number of days required to travel (on foot, this is ~20 miles per day; ~30 miles if mounted or
river-borne with night stops; ~100 if sailing open ocean). When more specific distances are required,
tend towards archaic, nonspecific, and relative (yet D&D-familiar) measurements such as spans, rods,
furlongs, and leagues.
Tess does refer to a “mile high club” in her flirts. This is a specific exception granted under the Rule of
Funny (warning: tvtropes link).
Regarding mass, again it’s best to focus on the relative, and how the character experiences the weight.
Is it something they stagger under, or have to dig in and sweat to grind into motion? Is it the weight of a
child, a dog, or little more than a puff of dandelion fuzz?
When more specific weights are needed, again tend towards nonspecific and archaic terms. Stones are
used as a unit of measure of the weight of mortals and livestock. Tons are used for extremely heavy
objects (hathi and ships), but these are not modern, precise metric tons. Rather, they are the vague old
“long ton” measure based on the (variable) weight of a large barrel.

The Ancient East

The people of the Ancient East had more precise and formal units of linear measurement, which Faris
occasionally mentions. These are direct imports of units of measure used in ancient Persia; an aiwas is
approximately 0.8 inches or 20mm, and a parasang is about 3.75 miles or 6 km.
Faris expresses velocities in terms of “ppfc,” or “parasangs per fenjaan cycle.” This is very broadly akin to
speaking in terms of miles per hour.
The Shapers
This section includes “thumbnail” information on the playable Shapers. Shapers are broken down by
allegiance, rather than by region of origin. Not everyone works for their homeland.
Full Name notes any middle or surname. In the east and the Heart, few use either. Age is as of the start
of the live service story, in 2014 (1543 in-lore). Where a birthday has been specified, it is provided.
Where a specific height has been determined for a character, it is provided. Otherwise, Shapers are
categorized relative to average human height; Small (knee-to-waist high), Medium (chest high),
Average, and Large (a head or more taller).
A few ongoing fictional issues to be aware of in the creation of Shapers:

 We have too many eastern Shapers. On the other hand, we started with the north
underrepresented (due to Fenmore and Kindra being aligned with The Nine), and a new
northern Shaper hasn’t been added in over a year.
 Too many Shapers have names beginning with K and V (five of each, out of a pool of 33).
 Among female Shapers, 8 of 14 have names end in the “ah” sound.
 Racial diversity (partially an art issue). We currently we have only three humanoid Shapers who
are not pale-skinned. Viyana and Mina, despite being not strictly human, are still pale-skinned.
o Of those three (Renzo, Kahgen, and Tess), two are from the south. We should move
away from the inadvertent suggestion that “dark-skinned people are from the south.”
o We have one character with an Asian appearance, Ashabel.

The North

Freia
“If you're not weak and stupid, no one can make you a victim.”
A commoner from the mountainous north, Freia bonded with the
Spirit of Rage when she discovered her village razed by Fenmore
and his spirit-wolves. Now consumed by the Vitality she bears, she
pursues the warlord relentlessly, intent on revenge.
 Full Name: Freia Mairenholtz
 Age: 20
 Height: Average
 Literacy: none
 Friends: Nissa (why won’t she leave me alone?), Voluc (why won’t he leave me alone?)
 Enemies: Fenmore (killed my family)
 Early Season One: Basko (let's kill some bastards), Kensu (I prefer cats that judge me silently),
Mina (stay out of my head), Tess (let's kill some bastards)
 Late Season One: (none)
Raina
“I may be an archivist, but I supervised the military history section.”
The daughter and heir of a prominent northern Duchess, Raina’s
plans for life revolved around the written word. A voracious reader
of ancient history and disreputable fiction, she took up the powers
of the Preservation Vitality to protect her friends and her books
from raiders.

 Full Name: Raina Athus Tallund

 Age: 25
 Height: Average (5’9”)
 Literacy: read and write
 Friends: Zalgus (younger brother; must be protected)
 Enemies: Kindra (childhood friend; I have to save her)
 Early Season One: Fenmore (keep your hands off Kindra), Mikella (OMG OMG OMG), Ronan
(good guy, why's he work for Fenmore?) Varion (OMG OMG OMG)
 Late Season One: Viyana (I'd be your friend if you weren't a jerk)

Zalgus
“Combat is a vulgar activity. Still, one does what one must.”
Effete, intelligent, and obsessed with outcomes, Zalgus expected
his fate as the son of a northern Duchess was to be married off for
political gain. The Spirit of Fate showed him the future is not as
blandly predictable as he anticipated.
 Full Name: Zalgus Silander Tallund
 Age: 21
 Height: Average (5’8”)
 Literacy: read and write
 Friends: Raina (older sister; stop protecting me), Ashabel (you’re mocking me, aren’t you?)
 Enemies: Kindra (childhood friend; attracted yet repulsed, “so fair yet so cruel”)
 Early Season One: Fenmore (yes, fine, go be "manly")
 Late Season One: Viridian (tedious)
The East

Amarynth
“Can you feel the rising of the moon? It quickens the blood.”
The High Priestess of the blessed – or cursed – Shorewind tribe,
Amarynth commands unstoppable forces of tide and squall
through her bond with the Spirit of Momentum. Like the eastern
sea, she is serene and elegant at peace, but prone to thundering
rages when roused.
 Age: 28
 Height: Average
 Literacy: read only
 Friends: Cerulean (I’m too broken for you to love), Moya (honorable fellow swimmer), Viridian
(a valuable member of our tribe)
 Enemies: Faris (ancient abomination)
 Early Season One: (none)
 Late Season One: (none)

Cerulean
“Best thing ever? Punching out a whale. Unf!”
Cheerful and rowdy, Cerulean swore long ago to protect Amarynth
as Warden of the Shorewind tribe. Both have changed much on the
outside since then, but his heart remains constant. His powers of
Resilience make him as immune to her fey moods as to enemy
attacks.
 Age: 26
 Height: Average
 Literacy: none
 Friends: Amarynth (I don’t care if you hurt me, I still love you), Viridian (weird loner, seems
okay), Voluc (friendly sports-ball type rivalry)
 Enemies: (none)
 Early Season One: Kahgen (fun to brawl beside/with), Zeri (cute kid)
 Late Season One: (none)
Dibs
“The bigger they are, the farther I run when they fall!”
From his earliest days in the eastern jungles, Dibs looked to sky.
While his innumerable friends-and-relations capered through the
trees, he dreamed of ways to fly over them. Now that the Spirit of
Ambition allows him to touch the sky, he’s sworn to help Nissa
achieve her dreams.

 Age: 17
 Height: Small
 Literacy: none
 Friends: Flin (teach me, sensei!), Kel (like minds), Nissa (needs my help), Zeri (a great hugger!),
Sakari (needs lots of squeezings)
 Enemies: (none – who could hate Dibs?)
 Early Season One: Kahgen (wow! cool! let me ride your hook!)
 Late Season One: (none)

Faris
“All living things adapt to their surroundings.”
In the turbulent era that closed the Age of Majesty, Faris was built
to protect the children of the powerful from a rising tide of violent
religious zealotry. The Spirit of Ruin sought him after centuries
alone. In this age, there are still children to protect – by any means
necessary.
 Full Name: Kalb-u-sapris 3347: "Faris"
 Age: 1746
 Height: Average
 Literacy: read and write
 Friends: Amarynth (clearly a noble leader like Viyana), Mina (a child to protect), Viyana (the only
person remotely like the world I remember), Zeri (a child to protect)
 Enemies: (none)
 Early Season One: Flin (a child to protect)
 Late Season One: (none)
Nissa
“Kill only what you must. Take pride in your skill, but no joy in
death.”
Nissa was the High Huntress of the Stonebloom tribe until she
bonded with the Spirit of Pursuit. The people of the east venerate
the Spirits as untouchable, and her Vitality powers left her an
outcast. She wanders with her companion Tal’ah, helping where
she can, but always moving on.
 Age: 18
 Height: Average
 Literacy: none
 Friends: Dibs (he means well), Freia (I don’t know why it’s so important that I heal her), Moya
(calls me Water-Sister and is more loyal than I deserve), Sakari (a cousin from over-sea), Viridian
(fellow master hunter), Viyana (awe and revulsion)
 Enemies: (none)
 Early Season One: (none)
 Late Season One: (none)

Sakari
“I’m not bipolar… I’m strictly arctic.”
Every decade, Sakari’s tribe set their most beloved youth adrift on
an ice floe, offered as a spouse to the Spirits of the north for good
weather and fine hunting. She doesn’t speak of what happened,
but returned frost-brittle and bearing the Spirit of Inevitability.

 Age: 19
 Height: Average
 Literacy: none
 Friends: Dibs (squeezy-cute), Marah (comforting big sis), Nissa (a mainland cousin)
 Enemies: (none)
 Early Season One: Ashabel (really nice - why does she like me?)
 Late Season One: Zalgus (why care when you know how this always ends)
Viyana
“We claim this place for Taraysk. The rest of you may leave.”
Artfully bred, the product of generations of carefully preserved
Blood Shaping expertise, Viyana regarded the advent of her Spirit
of Purity as a natural and inevitable right. Her creators dispatched
her to lead the barbarian rabble of the eastern tribes to victory.

 Full Name: Viyana Irizevak

 Age: 32
 Height: Large (6’7”)
 Literacy: read and write
 Friends: Nissa (a wolfling child who must attend us), Faris (a toy of our ancestors), Lillin (we
most certainly do not envy her), Petrus (rightly worships us)
 Enemies: (everyone else is a barbarian)
 Early Season One: Ashabel (frivolous), Renzo (the only one more beautiful than ourself)
 Late Season One: Raina (uncouth child)

Viridian
“Keep a fire inside when all about is cold.”
Among the eastern Shorewind tribe, Viridian hunted whales with
only a knife, diving alone into the dark and cold to provide meat,
blubber, and oil. Even to his tribe, his blessings are horrifying, and
before he bonded with the Spirit of Finesse, he lived alone and
apart.

 Age: 24
 Height: Average
 Literacy: none
 Friends: Amarynth (“all love is unrequited”), Nissa (fellow master hunter)
 Enemies: Cerulean (romantic jealousy)
 Early Season One: Kahgen (too loud)
 Late Season One: Zalgus (full of himself)
The South
Ashabel
“Sway with the notes, as a petal lingers upon the wind.”
Though famed across the south for her sublime dancing, Ashabel is
talented in arts from poetry to song. Clients at her salon pay
handsomely for hours on the arms of clever and charming
companions, enjoying refined conversation and recitals… but the
lady holds herself aloof, the Spirit of Elegance her only company.

 Full Name: Ashabel ehl Nahime

 Age: 40
 Height: Average (5’11”)
 Literacy: read and write
 Friends: Flin (peculiar, harmless fan), Mikella (should be my apprentice), Zalgus (amusing to
tease)
 Enemies: King of Masks (such a tedious man)
 Early Season One: Viyana (I shall teach her beauty), Sakari (poor sweet child)
 Late Season One: Marah (I have been where you are), Varion
(reminder of my early loves)

Flin
“This reminds me of that battle in '36. Or was it '37? There we
were…”
Veteran of a hundred fierce battles in the southern jungles, crusty
and confident “Colonel” Flin is always happy to invite himself into a
scrap. He has two advantages; his old beetle comrade “Sergeant”
Buttersworth, and his new command of Valor Vitality. If only these
twigsnappers would heed his vast experience…
 Age: 54
 Height: Small
 Literacy: none
 Friends: Ashabel (the epitome of womanhood), Dibs (I’ll make a man out of you), Zeri (good kid)
 Enemies: (none)
 Early Season One: Faris (out of my way, contraption!)
 Late Season One: Mina (clearly a lady)
Kahgen
“Surrender and I'll treat you proper. Fight and I'll gut you.”
The bandits of the Great Abeyance desert prey on caravans of giant
hathi that wind between the cities of the south. Kahgen’s band
uses tar sand-fuelled grapples to haul themselves aboard the
massive beasts. The coming of their boss’ Spirit of Avarice allows
them to seek more ambitious targets.

 Full Name: Kahgen zel Seydhi

 Age: 46
 Height: Average
 Literacy: read only
 Friends: Zeri (kid’s got spunk)
 Enemies: King of Masks (what happened to your dad weren’t my doing), Renzo (stand and
deliver!)
 Early Season One: Cerulean (you could be great), Dibs (what the hell is this animal?), Viridian
(wet blanket)
 Late Season One: Mikella (I'd plunder that, If You Know What I Mean), Tess (our bands should
work together), Varion (let's hit a tavern after this)

The King of Masks

“Genius! Are you not entertained?”
Illusionist and master thespian, the King performed to crowded
squares and the delight of children everywhere. But woe! The
Virtuosos of the south resented his consummate skill and unbridled
popularity. Our hero was unfairly banished to the wastes… but the
Spirit of Madness offered him a chance for justice!
 Age: 30
 Height: Average
 Literacy: none
 Friends: Ashabel (our hero’s fated leading lady)
 Enemies: Kahgen (shrieks! My father’s murderer!), Renzo (unfairly exiled me), Zeri (Renzo
approves of this obnoxious child?!)
 Early Season One: (none)
 Late Season One: Basko (dull brute), Kensu (chortles! a natural-born straight man)
Renzo
“In the south, Renzo is like unto a god. But Renzo remains humble.”
The Virtuosos of the south are artistic trend-setters and cultural
leaders, and the sculptor Rezno has long been among the most
famed and influential. His connection to the Spirit of Form enables
him to create ever more elaborate works… not that his unruly
pupil, Zeri, is impressed.

 Full Name: Renzo ehl Tamahid

 Age: 45
 Height: Average
 Literacy: read and write
 Friends: Zeri (Renzo’s student)
 Enemies: Kahgen (a bad influence on Renzo’s student!), King of Masks (who are you?)
 Early Season One: Viyana (the only one more beautiful than Renzo)
 Late Season One: Mikella (understandably envious of Renzo)

Zeri
“My mentor says I'm a prodigy. Meh.”
Artists are revered in the southern deserts, and young Zeri is their
finest painter… when she can be persuaded to apply herself.
Wielding the power of Vibrance Vitality has changed her life, but
not her attitude towards living it.
 Full Name: Zeri ahb Kareiya
 Age: 15
 Height: Medium
 Literacy: read and write
 Friends: Dibs (my plush toy!), Faris (whoa, cool – but stop acting like my dad), Flin (kinda
annoying, means well), Kahgen (fun to hang with), Renzo (my mentor)
 Enemies: King of Masks (who are you?)
 Early Season One: Cerulean (big dumb nice guy, kinda sad)
 Late Season One: Mina (OMG, what a bitch), Varion (fun, treats me like an adult)
The West

The Desecrator
“The dead are clay, cold and uncomplaining.”
The cold and clinical entity known as the Desecrator wields the
Vitality of Decay as a surgeon wields a scalpel. Little is known of
him, save that he nurses a frightful vendetta against the merchant
princes of the west, and Mikella’s family in particular.

 Age: Unknown
 Height: Large
 Literacy: read and write
 Friends: (none)
 Enemies: Mikella (daughter of one who condemned me), Mina (obnoxious insect), Petrus (one
of those who condemned me), Fenmore (won’t leave me alone)
 Early Season One: (none)
 Late Season One: (none)

Basko
“No one's gonna give us a future. My kind got to take it.”
In Maridia, the masses spend their lives laboring in hunger and
squalor for the benefit of a few wealthy merchant princes. Basko,
once an enforcer for the criminal gangs of the slums, means to
change that with the Spirit of Resolve.

 Full Name: Basko Sartazi

 Age: 28
 Height: Average
 Literacy: none
 Friends: Tess (stop hitting on me and join the cause), Varion (should be with us)
 Enemies: Mikella (enemy of the people), Petrus (enemy of the people)
 Early Season One: Freia (you got a right to be mad)
 Late Season One: King of Masks (a lap-dog at heart)
Kensu
“You don't see the hungry ghosts that cling to you. I will help.”
The Iteshi of western Suzutai turned their backs to the Spirits,
snaring souls at the moment of death. Their isles are haunted now
by the misplaced desires and regrets of the bound dead. Hunters
must keep them in check, and the finest is Kensu and his Spirit of
Conviction.

 Full Name: Lie Ren Kensu

 Age: 28
 Height: Average
 Literacy: read and write
 Friends: Marah (oddly appealing), Salous (a fellow warrior-philosopher)
 Enemies: (none)
 Early Season One: Freia (a legion of hungry ghosts)
 Late Season One: King of Masks ("straight man?" I do not understand...)

Mikella
“Judge me by my deeds, not my looks or lineage.”
Proud, prickly, intelligent, and beautiful, Mikella grew up wanting
for nothing money could buy, and everything it could not. She uses
her new power as bearer of Fortune Vitality as bargaining leverage
with her father – the greatest merchant prince of the west.
 Full Name: Mikella Anzerani
 Age: 22
 Height: Average
 Literacy: read and write
 Friends: Ashabel (I wish you were my mother), Petrus (former tutor), Varion (I couldn’t possibly
love this idiot… could I?)
 Enemies: Desecrator (why does this monster hate me?)
 Early Season One: Raina (I envy your freedom)
 Late Season One: Kahgen (my eyes are up here), Renzo (what is this, I don't even...)
Mina
“Anyone who calls me ‘dolly’ gets punched in the kneecap.”
It is said the Spirit of Dominance came to Mina as she drowned. At
the edge of life, it tethered her soul to a body fashioned for the
western Festival of Dolls. Spiteful and cruel, Mina delights in
shaming those she possesses by laying bare their innermost hidden
thoughts.

 Full Name: Mina Prisardi

 Age: 27
 Height: Small
 Literacy: read and write
 Friends: Faris (the nicest man I've ever met literally can only think of his long-dead wife)
 Enemies: Desecrator (a distillation of the society that wronged me), Petrus (blathering old fool),
Tess (foul-mouthed harpy)
 Early Season One: Freia (I can make you powerful)
 Late Season One: Zeri (obnoxious brat)

Petrus
“I am the Master here, and you are the pupils!”
A western Shaper of the old priestly tradition, Petrus chafed as
perennial second-best to the Arch-Shaper Eidolus, architect of the
Dawngate. After losing an arm, Petrus began a second career as
Mikella’s tutor. Bonding with the Spirit of Progress allowed him to
construct a replacement limb and resume his experiments.
 Full Name: Petrus Decamari
 Age: 63
 Height: Average
 Literacy: read and write
 Friends: Mikella (former student), Viyana (what wonders she could teach!)
 Enemies: Basko (treasonous thug), Desecrator (why does this monster hate me?), Vex (my
flawed creation), Mina (vicious little monster)
 Early Season One: (none)
 Late Season One: (none)
Varion
“Look on the bright side. Win or lose, I still get paid.”
Born in the slums of a western city-state, Varion’s marksmanship,
wit, and charm bring him wealth as a soldier-for-hire – which he
quickly squanders on drink and gambling. He accepts the highs and
lows of life with a smile and a shrug, which drew the Spirit of
Adaptability to him.

 Full Name: Varion Canova

 Age: 24
 Height: Average
 Literacy: read only
 Friends: Mikella (I love her, but her dad would kill me), Tess (ex-lover)
 Enemies: Basko (your way's too violent)
 Early Season One: Raina (you've got a lot to learn, kid)
 Late Season One: Kahgen (let's hit a tavern after this), Ashabel (classy as a northern queen,
dirty-minded as tavern wench... wow), Zeri (scrappy kid sister)
The Nine

Fenmore
“Your lips move, but all I hear is the whimper of a whipped dog.”
Cool and practical, the warlord Fenmore betrayed his queen to
build a peaceful, orderly world, united under his rule. The acting
leader of a shadowy group known as “The Nine,” he wields the
Vitality of Hunger, incarnate as a pack of his northern homeland’s
ferocious wolves.

 Full Name: Harkund Fenmore

 Age: 41
 Height: Average
 Literacy: read and write
 Friends: Kindra (useful tool), Ronan (admirable code of honor)
 Enemies: Freia (vengeful child), Desecrator (should be my ally), Salous (be professional)
 Early Season One: Raina (amateur), Zalgus (irritant)
 Late Season One: (none)

Kindra
“I hope this isn't boring. You should never bore a lady.”
A young noblewoman exiled to a remote northern abbey for her
perverse and lethal hobbies, Kindra gleefully broke free when the
Spirit of Shadow bonded with her. Amoral and easily bored, she
spends her days finding new ways to amuse herself.

 Full Name: Kindra Salmesse

 Age: 23 (Gillai 7, 1520)
 Height: Average
 Literacy: read and write
 Friends: Fenmore (amusing employer), Ronan (tedious, but reliable)
 Enemies: Raina (childhood friend; clingy annoyance), Zalgus (childhood friend; immature fop)
 Early Season One: (none)
 Late Season One: (none)
Ronan
“Gentlekin, you got 'til highsun to clear out of these woods.”
Among ottrekin, there’s a legend about one of their own, a lone
wanderer who metes out his harsh brand of Justice with a pair of
flintlock pistols. If you can find him, and you’re willing to let him do
as he sees fit, he’ll balance the books.

 Age: 42
 Height: Medium
 Literacy: none
 Friends: Fenmore (the boss), Kindra (cracked, not broken)
 Enemies: Moya (ain’t so noble as she claims)
 Early Season One: Raina (naive, spoiled, thickheaded... but a good heart)
 Late Season One: (none)
The Heart of the World (Nonaligned)

Kel
“A small life is best. Friends, good food, warm sun. Just breathe.”
The folk of the holy woods are simple shepherds, tending their
flocks and ignoring the world beyond the fields they know. By his
own reckoning, Kel is neither wise nor valiant, but the Spirit of
Protection clearly felt him a kindred soul.
 Age: 30
 Height: Large (6’6”)
 Literacy: none
 Friends: Dibs (like minds), Lillin (needs to talk more), Voluc (needs my counsel), Marah (known
her since we were kids)
 Enemies: (none)
 Early Season One: (none)
 Late Season One: (none)

Lillin
“These woods will know peace. I swear on my makers' tombs.”
The ancient tombs of Sunar stand in among the vast eastern
steppes, guarded by blood-Shaped holy warriors of swift aspect.
Exiled for the heresy of love, Lillin, her infant son, and the Spirit of
Divinity found peace and acceptance among the folk of the Heart.
 Full Name: Lillin Asu-Rede-Amar
 Age: 34
 Height: Large (6’10”)
 Literacy: read and write
 Friends: Kel (comfortable as a warm old blanket), Marah (I owe her my life and my child’s),
Voluc (a brother in faith), Viyana (cold outside, wounded within)
 Enemies: (none)
 Early Season One: (none)
 Late Season One: (none)
Marah
“The way forward isn't always clear. Watch the sky with me.”
Strong and quiet, like all folk of the holy woods, Marah was always
attuned to the passing seasons and animal migrations. Bonding
with the Spirit of Growth left her overwhelmed – able to see life
swarming in a drop of water, and feel every leaf shiver in the
forest.

 Age: 28
 Height: Large (6’6”)
 Literacy: none
 Friends: Kel (childhood friend, kindred spirit), Lillin (a young mother to aid), Sakari (needs a
shoulder), Voluc (his Spirit also keeps him from his family)
 Enemies: Kensu (gets creepy around me)
 Early Season One: (none)
 Late Season One: Ashabel (advice and support - Marah's husband divorces her for being away
fighting all the time)

Moya
“Think you're my better, huh? Come on. Bring your temper.”
Wanderers and smugglers, the ottrekin ply the rivers in family-run
barges, viewed with suspicion wherever they land. Moya has
guided her crew through rough waters time and again, but her
Motion Vitality promises to bring a new level of trouble to their
door.
 Age: 35
 Height: Medium
 Literacy: none
 Friends: Amarynth (kinda creepy, but nice enough), Nissa (Water-Sister deserves better than she
got)
 Enemies: Ronan (giving us all a bad name)
 Early Season One: (none)
 Late Season One: (none)
Salous
“There is grace in a drop of water, and terror in a grain of sand.”
A member of a holy order of eastern assassin-monks, Salous had
grown haunted and nauseated by his many murders. He confessed
his sins to the Spirit of Control, which offered him the strength to
redeem himself through deeds.

 Age: 42
 Height: Average
 Literacy: read and write
 Friends: Kensu (he must see the shackles of his own pride),
Vex (a young soul in need of guidance)
 Enemies: Fenmore (I will never work for him again)
 Early Season One: (none)
 Late Season One: (none)

Tess
“Gravity? Screw gravity. Gravity is my bitch.”
Coarse, exuberant, and unrestrained, Tess and her pirate crew
terrorized shipping along the Jeweled Coast of the west. After years
of fruitless tinkering and experiments, the coming of the Spirit of
Defiance granted her life-long dream; a ship that can sail among
the clouds.
 Full Name: Therese Ciela Solente
 Age: 26
 Height: Average
 Literacy: read only
 Friends: Basko (loosen up and have fun), Varion (8/10, would ride again)
 Enemies: Mina (flouncy hellbitch)
 Early Season One: Freia (lighten up, sister psycho)
 Late Season One: Kahgen (your crew needs mine - what would we get?)
Vex
“Too smart for animal. Too dumb for hind-legger. What is Vex?”
Born a mere frax – a predator beast of the western forests – Vex
was the subject of Petrus’ early Vitality Experiments into Shaping
flesh. His body and mind both enhanced and damaged, he suffers
constant agony. Only the blessings of the Spirit of Pain keep him
alive and sane.

 Full Name: Vitality Experiment IV

 Age: 4
 Height: Small
 Literacy: none
 Friends: Salous (treats me as an equal)
 Enemies: Petrus (the malicious god that made me)
 Early Season One: (none)
 Late Season One: (none)

Voluc
“Failure is my dishonor. Victory is my damnation.”
Once the leader of a paladin order, Voluc bonded with the Spirit of
Consumption as he lay dying in the holy woods. No longer quite
human, he must remain tirelessly vigilant, lest the Vitality he wields
suck the life from all around him.
 Full Name: Jeronym Voluc
 Age: 47
 Height: Average
 Literacy: read and write
 Friends: Cerulean (promising lad, needs to take battle more seriously), Freia (a niece I watch
over, but can't reveal myself to), Kel (his rustic manner masks great wisdom), Lillin (sister in
faith), Marah (the only one who understands)
 Enemies: (none)
 Early Season One: (none)
 Late Season One: (none)
The Story
Dawngate is distinguished by having an ongoing story that will be told via a webcomic that updates
three times a week. We are, “A player-driven fantasy superhero soap opera.”
 Player-driven: Significant character decisions are placed in the hands of players, via vote. All the
options we offer should be consistent with the character in question – actions they would
conceivably think to take in the circumstance.
 Fantasy: The world of Dawngate is one of magic, Spirits, and Medieval-Renaissance level
technology. Nobles and merchants enjoy lives enriched by magical splendors both subtle and
gross. The mass of mortals live much as own ancestors did, as dirt-poor feudal peasants and
proles in overcrowded, plague-ridden towns.
 Superhero: The most easily understood analogy for a Shaper; an ordinary person suddenly in
possession of extraordinary abilities. They’re trying to figure out how to live with this, what their
responsibilities are to all mortals, to their homelands, to their friends and family, and to
themselves.
 Soap Opera: All of our characters form a web of relationships that evolve over time and affect
their personalities. As time passes, some will fall into or out of love. Others will form bitter
rivalries. Some will lose those precious to them and grieve.
TL;DR: It’s a Joss Whedon show, akin to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, showing supernatural
people being natural people. We’ll have funny bits. We’ll have d’aww. We’ll have emotional gut-
punches. They’ll all be mixed together.

Content Standards
We have a relatively high level of violence and death, though it is presented with a bare minimum of
gore – usually little more than a splash of blood from “offscreen.” Some antagonists will perform
reprehensible deeds, though they’ll believe the ends justify them. Injuries hurt. Characters suffer and
die.
Some deaths will be sudden, unexpected. Some will be violent. They are never presented grotesquely.
The intent of violence and death is to hit the reader in the heart – to make them feel sad, horrified,
outraged; never revolted or squicked out. Relevant examples are Murron’s execution in Braveheart and
Wash’s death in Serenity.
More controversially (in North America), Dawngate’s fiction contains a low to moderate level of
sexuality. This is a soap opera. Some characters will become involved with one another, or with the NPC
supporting cast. Sometimes this will be shown, though circumspectly; nothing worse than you’d see on a
network TV drama, in mainstream josei manga like Nana and Honey & Clover, or a BioWare game’s
romance culmination. As with violent content, the intent of romantic scenes will always be on hitting
the player in the heart. No prurience.
Non-consensual sex should always be considered out of bounds.
Homosexual and transgender characters are encouraged, but should be treated with respect and
consideration. The intent should be to produce “a character, who happens to be gay/trans,” not “a
gay/trans character.”

Prominent NPCs
It’s difficult to compose a story with narrative tension when you can’t kill or seriously injure any
character (because then we’d have to remove them from the game), and can’t have them make
indefensible decisions (because people may not want to play them afterwards).
An extensive non-player character cast is being developed to add a sense of jeopardy that couldn’t exist
with just the game characters. We can’t seriously injure or kill the Shapers, but we can add people that
they (and the readers) care about, then threaten to injure or kill them. Buffy the Vampire Slayer has her
mom and Dawn, Spiderman has Mary-Jane.
If an NPC proves highly popular before they are inevitably and horrifically slaughtered, they could be
“promoted” to Shapers. Use this option sparingly – these NPCs exist for players to worry over.

Regional Leaders
Players should not need to comprehend complex politics, so we have four representative regional
leaders. These are “firsts among equals” who have enough influence over their peers to drive politics for
a region.

Duke Josare Anzerani

“If you can’t keep up with the pace of business,
you are useless to me. Collect your things and
leave by the help entrance. I will return in ten
minutes. If you are still here, I will throw you out
myself.”
(pronounced yo-SAIR ahn-zer-AH-nee)
If Machiavelli cared about profit rather than political power, he’d be
Duke Anzerani. The wealthiest of the western merchant princes,
Mikella’s father (and the employer of Varion and Petrus) is ultimately the driving force for the “Scramble
for the Heart.” He is insightful and calculating, but only cares for others based on how valuable they may
be to him.
Anzerani is a polymath. In addition to his business and political skills, he achieved some fame as a
sculptor and architect (he designed his own palace). If he didn’t actually invent double-entry
bookkeeping, he was one of its earliest adopters. Almost incidentally, he wrote the six-volume History of
the Great Trade Houses of the Jeweled Coast, a work noted for its unsparing even-handedness; he
neither diminishes the achievements of other houses, nor excuses the failings of his own.
He is nearly 50, but since he is chronically stressed, his hair went white a long time ago. He suffers from
ulcers and rarely sleeps more than four hours a day.
Shaper Connections: Father of Mikella, employer of Petrus and Varion.

Queen Sereyn Kethelle

“My, my. I do not believe I have heard such
forward speech since I was a girl. Whatever
shall I do?”
(pronounced SERRY-in KETH-ell)
The charming, radiant thirtysomething ruler of the Queendom of
Chassart. As Anzerani is the touchstone and representative of the
various western leaders, Sereyn represents the north. If Anzerani is
Machiavelli, Sereyn is Eleanor of Aquitaine.
She is a Kikuko Inoue character in full “ara ara” ojou-sama mode; polite, soft-spoken, and refined,
feigning innocence as she deftly plays everyone in the room like chess pieces. She views romance as the
continuance of politics by other means; she prefers to achieve her goals by manipulating events to bring
couples together… or split them apart (she runs “Courts of Devotion” akin to the “Court of Love”
described by Andreas Capellanus). She usually has a little smile and hooded eyes that make her look
seductive and suggest she knows a lot more than she’s letting on.
Sereyn was married to Reinad (RAY-ned), a prince from the Queendom of Falkrent. He died of illness
some years ago, leaving Sereyn with a single daughter, sixteen year-old Princess Mirsenne (mer-SEN).
Shortly after the Dawngate opened, Sereyn arranged the girl’s marriage to Prince Alaric (al-ARE-ik) of
Neissen. Mirsenne is as intelligent and perceptive as her mother, but inexperienced, and unskilled at
dissembling and acting coy.
Shaper Connections: Mentor and confidant of Raina. Zalgus is infatuated with her. She does not
reciprocate, but will occasionally flirt to keep his loyalty to her alone.

Elder Nikal of the Snowblood

“Yes, yes. Time is always short. I’m closer to
death than you, child. I still take time to let the
tea steep.”
(pronounced NEE-kal)
The east has nothing akin to the unified governments of other regions. Most tribes are led by autocratic
warlords or informal councils of the old and wise. These leaders, or their representatives, are
intermittently dispatched to moot at the camp of Lhan Getur. The most esteemed of the current tribal
leaders is Nikal, a stooped and nearsighted grandmother nearly 80 years old. Her tribe sends her to
moot with the phlegmatic yak Bokkei (bow-KYE) and her strapping granddaughters Juri (“jury,” a horse
archer) and Asenka (ah-SEN-ka, an eagle huntress and sabre dancer) to help with labor.
While physically diminished, Nikal’s mind remains sharp and insightful. Her quaint mannerisms and
maternal demeanor lead others to underestimate her. A meeting with her invariably starts with sharing
a pot of tea and aiding her with her knitting. This is an elaborate ritual refined over decades, allowing
her to observe body language at close range. She is willing to play the doddering old lady (for purposes
akin to Yoda playing the annoying primitive), but is a shrewd judge of character and keen listener.
She is famed for her ability to watch and listen to two parties argue for a few minutes, then interject and
distill their point of contention into a sentence. Unless invited, she rarely offers her opinion on how to
solve the problem – she prefers to “let the kids work it out.” She sees herself as an objective third party.
Nikal is constantly knitting with yak wool yarn, an endless series of manageably sized squares with
eastern pictogram designs worked into them. Each piece reflects the significant events that occurred
during its creation. As they are completed, she attaches them to a massive blanket that always travels
with her; after a lifetime of work, it is growing enormous.
She claims her ultimate goal is to knit a blanket large enough for all the children of the east to shelter
beneath. Of course, she’s not talking about her knitting, but about her efforts to build alliances at Lhan
Getur. The rise of the New Shapers persuaded her that the east must present a unified face to the
powers of other regions.
Shaper Connections: Nikal does not have a personal relationship with any current Shaper.

Virtuoso Dail ehl Kasini

“We all play roles.”
(pronounced DALE ell ka-SEE-nee)
Kasini is one of a triumvirate of Virtuoso southern philosopher-kings of
the south acclaimed above all others. His peer Renzo migrated into a
role of leading the army by virtue of his interest in bodybuilding and
martial arts; he is the south’s premiere diplomat and spymaster.
Kasini is the finest stage actor to appear in generations, but it would be
difficult to determine this from a casual conversation. He has a form of what we know as Asperger’s
Syndrome, and tends to be silent, devoid of body language, and prone to repetitive motions. But he
observes everyone around him extremely carefully, memorizes every nuance of motion and speech.
When on the stage, he uses this stored knowledge to embody his roles in a way few can; in addition to
memorizing dialogue, he chooses appropriate mannerisms and tics, adopts an accent indistinguishable
from a native speaker, and even gives each character a unique walking gait.
In addition to his skill at acting, he is a playwright– though few have the endurance to stage his scripts,
which are often over 14 hours long. One, a dramatized history of Nishi’an titled “The Crimson Wind,”
exceeds 50 hours of dialogue and features nearly two hundred characters. It is typically performed over
the course of a week during festivals. Over the years, Kasini developed a way to interact with others by
using his writing and acting skills.
He began to write his own dialogue and act it out, at first in pre-planned monologues. Over time he
developed his own form of shorthand, cryptic and complicated, virtually indecipherable to anyone else.
He can write it at great speed, then immediately act it out. A conversation with him can be unnerving,
with one hand seemingly performing automatic writing in cramped script while his face, voice, and body
cycle through multiple personalities (his “stable of characters” each have their own strengths, constantly
trading off, debating, and interrupting one another). When he suffers a moment of writer’s block, he
pauses in mid-speech, face slack and expressionless.
Using this method, Kasini has been able to unlock his own political skills and ambition. Early on, he
gained advantage by writing himself roles that allowed him to blend in with crowds and spy on others.
(he can no longer get away with this; he’s far too well known in the halls of power). His ultimate goal is
aggressive cultural expansion – he wants the folk of other lands watching southern plays, singing
southern songs, and reading southern literature… and in the process coming to revere southern values.
For Dail is conscious of his fortunate birth. In any other land, he would not have had the opportunity to
discover his prodigious gifts. He would have been labeled an idiot and thrown into a madhouse, or left
to die on the street, or put to death out of fear. He is haunted by the possibility that there may be
others just like him out there, somewhere.
Shaper Connections: Colleague of Renzo. Admires Ashabel’s talent and has written roles for her
specifically. Roughly equal in prestige and influence to both Shapers.

Antagonists
We can’t make a true villain of any of our playable Shapers. Antagonist NPCs are potentially sympathetic
characters who drive the story by inflicting schemes on our cast of Shapers that can be clearly judged as
evil. Their goals may sometimes be noble, but their methods are reprehensible.
These characters will be built up over the course of Season One. Evren is the intended nemesis of
Season Two. When The One becomes an overt nemesis depends on the decisions of the players.

The One
“Answer one question…”
An ambiguous, androgynous voice from the shadows, The One has given Fenmore access to vast
financial and material resources to pursue his goals of centralization and order. Fenmore will pursue the
truth behind The One’s identity and motives – he’s too sensible to blindly accept such boons.
REMAINDER OF THIS ARTICLE REDACTED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE
Shaper Connections: A “business relationship” with Fenmore. The rest of The Nine are not aware of hir
existence.
Evren, the Kefali
“Absolute power corrupts absolutely. It stands
to reason that absolute corruption provides a
form of absolute power.”
(pronounced EV-ren the keh-FAHL-ee)
Evren will be introduced over the course of Season One, working in the shadows, and become a nemesis
figure in Season Two. An eastern warlord who claims descent from Arkemon the Great, she has resolved
to control the Shapers, believing them a danger to all mortals. Once they truly internalize the level of
power they now have, they will – as Voluc once predicted – fear the judgment of neither Spirits nor
Mortals.
Though Shapers are not immortal outside the Heart, they are still immensely powerful. Mortals could
bring a Shaper down through attrition – but the casualties would be terrible. Shapers, Evren reasons,
cannot be opposed by normal individuals… because any given person will sensibly fear that though any
of their group may die attacking the Shaper, they will be the one to die. Evren resolves to control the
Shapers by hunting down and abducting the mortals they care about – each month, we work in a
mention of someone a Shaper knows disappearing. If the Shapers don’t do as she says, the hostages will
be tortured and killed.
She doesn’t do this because she is a sadist. She finds her own actions revolting, but doesn’t wring her
hands over it (after performing an act of extreme violence, she retires to a private location to vomit and
bathe – that’s the extent of her remorse). She does what she does because she passionately believes it
is necessary. Consider Evren an extreme version of certain portrayals of Lex Luthor, who believes that
Superman is too powerful to remain unchecked.
Her tribe produced a Shaper who lorded over them, using his powers to punish those who disagreed
with him. At his insistence, they began raiding into the west. But her people were largely peaceful, and
the raids were bloody and unprofitable. Evren was one of the few survivors, returning home with a
shattered leg. The Shaper raged, murdering the raid leader for failure. Evren led the rest of the tribe in
an attack on the Shaper, overwhelming him through numbers. He slew the majority; the few survivors
became the first and most fanatical of Evren’s followers.
"Kefali" is a title, translating as "The East Wind."
Shaper Connections: Evren does not have a personal relationship with any current Shaper.
Live Service Time Scale
Eidolus opened the Dawngate on Aprelle 12, 1543. Our time scale runs forward from there. The clock
begins rolling when we leave beta and live service formally begins.
The current intent is to attempt to match in-game time with real-world time, such that every year of
service, a year passes in the lore. Assuming we launch as planned in 2014, in 2017 the year will be 1546,
Zeri will be 18, and Petrus will be 65. Once we work out everyone's birthdays, we could plan skin
releases and sales around them.

Hutan Holidays
The furry clans of the Kuulahele Tangle seem to celebrate a different holiday every week. Most of these
make no sense to anyone but themselves. Hutan typically dye their fur and dress in elaborate costumes
for festivals.
Holidays known to outsiders include the Carrot Festival, Lean to the Left, Rutabega Days, the Week of
Fruit Hats, Opposite Day, the Time of Tumbling, ¡WOW!, and the Interclan Tangle-Wide Melonball
Regional Championships of the World, a supposed "sporting event" whose level of manic anarchy and
drunken riot leaves even the most debauched poets of the South speechless.

Winter Holidays
The winter holidays are themed and timed around the winter solstice (the shortest day of the year,
usually around December 21), rather than any particular Earthly cultural holiday. All Dawngate cultures
recognize the brief days, deeper nights, and scarcity of food.

 Colored light sources (colored wax candles in the north, painted oil lamps in the south, strained-
glass lanterns in the west, and in the east they know what materials to add to make campfires
burn different colors… but you probably shouldn’t breathe the fumes)
 Feasting and drinking
 The rising of the sun
 Gift-giving to strengthen personal relationships

North: Midwinter
Winter is a time of privation, with the mountain passes snowed shut until spring. Solstice is a
time for keeping friends and family close. The rare travelers braving the weather will find any
home open to them. The large wolves of the north grow aggressive in winter, as prey migrates
and starves. It is not unheard of for smaller villages to be devoured by hungry packs.
The nobles in the largest cities (Serath in Chassart, Laisau in Neissen, and Inverlain in Falkrent)
push the darkness from their minds with lavish all-night balls, infamous for the flirtation and
seduction that occurs – “the night is long and cold, after all.”

 Aurora motifs; colored streamers that blow in the wind, lit from within
 Hearths that burn all winter to keep the homes livable
 Bonfires and “scarewolf” figures/totems to hold the wolves at bay
  Piles of wood to feed the hearth.
 Constellations of blue winter stars (our own invented constellations, one of which is
Zalgus’ owl)
 Masquerade balls

East: The Season of Ghosts

While each tribe has its own traditions, there is a general belief that the cycle of the seasons
occurs due to the “thickness” of the Spiritstream dividing the Mortal and Spirit realms. In
summer, when warmth and life are abundant, the Spiritstream is thin. Winter is a season of
darkness and privation because the Spirits are farther away.
Those who die over winter are thought more likely to become malevolent wraiths, since the
Spirits are more rarely around to carry souls to their realm. Children born on the solstice are
thought possess mystical gifts. Over winter, Lhan Getur is largely deserted save for sedentary
mystics – due to poor weather in many regions, the summer moot begins to break up on the
autumnal equinox (“The Day of the Road”).
 Colorful tapestries and rugs
 Wooden wind chimes to guide the dead
 Elaborate funerary rites for any who die
 Hot spring steam baths
 Colored posts with lights and streaming ribbons to guide the ghosts from villages to
nearby shrines

South: Dreaming Days

Though the people of the south are lively and extroverted, filled with passion and color (literal
and metaphorical), the long nights make winter a season of contemplation and reflection. It is
believed that the dreams on the night of solstice are prophetic. It is common for families and
circles of friends to gather in the morning to discuss their dreams and attempt to interpret
them, followed by a gigantic breakfast feast that can last into the afternoon.
The aqueducts from the Arieste Mountains to the west slow to a trickle as water sources freeze.
Winter is therefore unironically known as “the dry season” in the desert cities. In order to
maintain the flow, parties walk west along the aqueducts to the mountains, where they break
up the ice with burning pitch purchased from the raider bands of the Rahli Keta.

 Dreamcatchers
 Dream dolls, artistic interpretations of Spirits (kachina dolls)
 Piles of overstuffed decorative pillows
 Slow, contemplative musical compositions (evening raagas)
 Incense (or *cough* “incense”) burners
 The south is one of the few places things can grow in winter. Everyone plants some kind
of large, colorful bloom in their rooftop gardens, distinctive to the season. These might
have mild narcotic or hallucinogenic properties to aid in dreaming.
 West: Festival of Winds
The west marks the passage of seasons by the migrations of birds and (in warmer months)
butterflies. Although “enlightened” people no longer seriously believe it, the folk roots of the
holiday held that the snow-winds came south from the arctic on the wings of the birds (and the
birds coming up from the tropical south in spring bring the warm air back).
For those along the coast, winter is also marked by fierce storms on the western sea, which can
take a heavy toll of the working fishermen. An annual migration of whale-like creatures (valued
for meat and oil) pass through the area, obliging the sailors to take the risk. Those back home
help as they can by lighting up the harbors when they leave and return each day.

 Bird motifs – invent our own species or use a real-life example

 Richly decorated bird houses or nests woven from flexible sticks
 Kites
 Lighthouse motifs (see links for period-appropriate sources).
 Candles with Shaping-patterns in their wax floating on the sea. One color is set out to
protect fisherman at morning departure, another to welcome them home at nightfall.
 The “widows’ walk” – on the last day of the “whale” migration, the spouses of the
fisher-folk dress in their finest and parade to shore to meet the boats. Those who died
from the storms are commemorated with a feast.

Spring Holidays
The spring holidays are centered on the vernal equinox (when day and night are of equal length; usually
around March 20), rather than any particular real-world religious or secular holiday. All Dawngate
cultures recognize the time to sow crops, the northward migration of fauna, the blooming of flowers,
and increased fertility in animals (more politely celebrated as “romance” among sapient mortals).

 Courting, betrothals, and marriages. Specific regional traditions are detailed in the document
Lore Courting Traditions.docx, in P4.
 Flower blossoms and greenery in general.
 Decorated eggs as a symbol of new life. (Not exclusively Christian! It was a tradition in Slavic
paganism, and remains part of the traditional Haft-Seen table settings of Persian Nowruz, with
roots in the Zoroastrian New Year’s celebrations.)
 Plows, painted and decorated to be blessed for a good harvest. Rare in the east, which relies on
nomadic herding.
 Blessing livestock for fertility and health. The most important species are sheep in the Heart,
yaks in the east, cattle in the north, pigs in the west , and hathi in the south. The folk of the
Heart also traditionally shear their sheep before the spring lambing.

North: Seedsowing
Winter ends late in the north, with snow falling as late as May in some locations. For households
both noble and common, the first priority is “Wind in the Door,” the airing out and washing of
long-sealed homes, clothes, and bedding.
After houses are in order, nobles and freemen often travel to visit family and friends in
neighboring valleys, through passes that have been snowed shut for the last 3-6 months. These
visits are celebrated with feasting, after which everyone gets down to the business of communal
tilling and planting. The date of Seedsowing varies by valley, arriving later for those further
north or at higher elevations.
In spring, scholarly orders seek a new crop of initiates. An apprenticeship may be offered when
the prospective member is in their mid-teens, typically after years of circumspect observation by
a member of the order. Membership is by invitation only; orders are highly selective, and
specialize in a particular area of study. Though usually low-key and “hidden in plain sight”
(rather like the modern Freemasons), the yearly initiations are a rare public spectacle.
Recruitment and apprenticeship of warriors also occurs in the spring, though the process is
nearly the opposite of the scholastic orders. At the age of seven, the mother of a promising girl
approaches an individual knight (usually one in service to her family, or a personal friend) to
request she take her daughter as a page. If the girl is accepted, and excels, she becomes a squire
at the age of 15.
A seasonal event peculiar to the north is the Day of Wrath, a massive organized wolf hunt held
as soon as the ground is judged dry enough to ride horses through the woods. The tone of the
hunt largely depends on how predatory the local wolves were over the winter. In the south and
in heavily settled regions, it is symbolic and celebratory. In more rural and northerly regions,
wolves are a terror throughout the long, frigid nights, and the hunt is held in deadly earnest.
 Clothes and bedding hung on lines and scaffolds
 Decorated Meibion Strongboxes
 Scales of justice with symbols of love in each tray (the symbol of the Courts of Devotion)
 The banners and regalia of scholarly orders
 Old, rare tomes on display, bound in precious metals and jewels
 Tourney regalia, as pages and squires strive to prove themselves worthy
 Wolf corpses, pelts, and heads on display

East: Moon Season

The peoples of the east tend to see the melting ice of spring as representative of fertility,
femininity, and softness. The season is so named because the full moon is believed to resemble
a pregnant belly.
At dawn on the equinox, any eastern woman of age who is not handfasted has the right to shoot
a bow into the grasses of the steppes. The first to find her arrow may ask her favor for a night
without opprobrium cast on either party. Children resulting from this union are held to be holy,
born expressly at the will of the Spirits; Juri of the Snowblood is such a child.
The practice is voluntary, and the woman always has the right to refuse her suitor. In truth, who
will find whose arrow is usually arranged long before a hand touches a bow. The tradition exists
to allow couples to get around familial or tribal disapproval of a suitor, and enjoy one another's
company in peace – if only for a single night. The person who returns a woman's arrow need not
be male, or from the east.
In Lhan Getur, the vernal equinox is known as the Day of Blankets. All the tribes send their
emissaries arrive before this day, when the wise meet in council, traditionally on blankets
arranged in a circle, to decide if the camp should move to another Vitality Spring. If not,
conclave begins, and lasts until The Day of the Road on the autumnal equinox.

 Full moon and night sky motifs

 Ice sculptures left in the sun to melt in artistic ways (evanescent beauty)
 Handfasting cloths in various colors and patterns
 Decorated longbows and shortbows (the latter are used by riders)
 Arrows embellished with tokens of love – ribbons, bells, plumes of exotic birds, etc.
 Woven blankets arranged in a circle

South: New Day

Unlike the other regions (and like the Middle East and China in our world), the South recognizes
the first day of spring as the beginning of the calendar year. New Day is an exuberant
counterpoint to the introspection of the midwinter Dreaming Days, a holiday where the entire
south blows off their responsibilities in favor of having a good time. In other lands, such
abandon is typically found in high summer, but the desert becomes too hot.
New Day begins before dawn, with the people carrying elaborately decorated lanterns and
earthenware jars through the streets. Traditionally, the most esteemed artist in the family is
chosen to bear the Beacon of Flame, while the youngest is chosen to carry the Promise of the
Future. If the youngest is too small to bear its weight, they and the jar are placed in a padded
cart and pulled through the streets by their parents or older siblings. The processions wind
silently out of the towns to massive piles of wood and reed-woven figures of humans and hathi.
When the sun breaks over the eastern horizon, these objects are set alight, and the previously
silent crowds erupt in raucous celebration and music. The tremendous bonfires symbolically
burn away the impurities of winter and kindle new life. Feasting, music, and dancing continue
throughout the day.
At noon, the earthenware jars are smashed in a brief, intense spate of violence. The breaking of
the jar is thought to banish ill fortune for the coming year; as they symbolize the promise of the
future, wrecking them is believed to show lack of concern for any troubles to come. This
tradition evolved from the post-Awakening eastern tradition of smashing artificial crèches after
the last Blood-Shaped child was born from them. In the modern age, the jars are filled with
sweets and intoxicating libations; smashing them increases the frenetic merriment of children
and adults alike.
At sunset, the ashes of the bonfires are gathered, and used by Old Shapers and prominent
artists to anoint the foreheads of all who are still sober enough to stand.
Along the sacred Amulay River, the Festival of Supplication is celebrated, praying for the
profitable flooding of the cropland and the deposit of silt in the river delta in the coming
summer. Offerings of aromatic herbs and bonfire ashes are scattered across the water from
shores and bridges, much to the irritation – figurative and literal – of any ottrekin who happen
to swim through it.
 Richly designed lanterns, firebrands, and torches
 Wicker men and wicker elephants, potentially on fire
 Carved and painted jars, smashed at noon
 Displays of colorful herbs – possibly used to make “sand art?”
 Lotus blossom motifs
 Intense romantic duets sung by lovers

West: Festival of Glass

Along the Jeweled Coast of the West, spring celebrations revolve around the return of
butterflies from their hibernation grounds on the isles of Suzutai. Nearly everyone manages to
place some flowering plants in their garden or window box, in hopes of “attracting spring” in the
form of butterflies. Butterfly viewing parties, called vizalla, are common in the green spaces
around cities (though mostly limited to the wealthy and plantation workers). Stained glass, in
the colors and patterns of butterfly wings, are a major form of decoration.
On the final day of the Festival, the Blessing of Dolls is performed for women who are or hope to
become pregnant. Porcelain dolls are hand-crafted and dressed in elaborate costume (fashion in
doll clothes is as fiercely competitive and prone to trends as actual fashion). These are placed on
ritually carved boats and set to sea. Like the dolls themselves, the design of boats is fiercely
competitive and those desperate for children spend lavishly; while a commoner might place a
clay figurine on a raft of woven reeds, a wealthy childless couple might commission a full-sized
caravel with a crew of life-sized marionettes.
 Butterfly motifs
 Picnics for vizalla butterfly watching (akin to hanami)
 Stained glass art, windows and sculpture
 Planters of butterfly-attracting flowering bushes.
 Dolls of varying quality
 Model ships of varying size and quality, for the dolls
 Legal contracts (so romantic, those Westerners)
Summer Holidays
South: High Sun
Summer monsoons in the south and east
East commemorates the fall of Balakhan at the beginning of August
Sky Fires in the south – a few days when the core of the galaxy rising over the southern horizon. Orreys
of jewels (glass for commoners).
Season of death / borrowed life / whispers in the north – frequent honor duels and assassinations
Whispers – silent from dawn to dusk
Along the Amulay River, the Festival of Fulfillment is celebrated, as the Amulay River is flooded by rain
falling in the eastern mountains (which feed its tributaries).
Mirrors to the sky, or divinations in water from the holy Amulay.
Mirror to the self – brush and paper, writing truth (to be shared or burned?)
Fortune-telling – buy scrolls with fortunes for love, wealth, health, etc. (maybe with random in-game
effects?) Divinations (weather, personal)
Western merchants demonstrate their wealth with ostentatious displays of charity and commissions of
great works.

Autumn Holidays
South: Evening Chimes
Day of the Road in the east
Days of remembrance in the east
Hearthkeeping in the north
East: Stone Season chastity, masculinity, hardness (water freezing)
Fire-keeping in the north – cleaning and lightning the ovens and chimneys that will burn all winter
“Watch night” vigil
Spirit brides (women taking spiritual vows)