Gaia Praeteritum

A complete analysis of our people

By the “Ivory Scholar”

Preface 2
Introduction 3
HASELDAN: 5
ASHIIN: 8
RIGAN: 10
CASTELLAN: 12
KASPARAN: 15
GAIAN: 17
SCROOMS: 20
MADRASIANS: 23
DINAKERI: 26
DZIN: 28
VIND & FISCHERAN: 29
NAVARAN: 31
MORVID: 33
CONSTRUCTS: 34
DULLAHANS: 36
CAMEOS: 38
AZAELS: 40
SERAPHS: 41
MAGIC, SPELLS, AND MANA: 42
THE ORIGIN OF UNARMED COMBAT: 45
CONCLUSION: 49
CHANGELOG: 49

1
 Preface
It all started at around April of 2019 where I bought access to Rogue Lineage on
the request of my younger brother, who wanted to fill me in on this sort of “sleeper
hit” and play with him and his friends as a way to spend time together, since I
moved across the world to go to college in America. Since it was one of the first
40% off sales that occured, there was a massive influx of people and I was plopped
in a server full of new players. No guidance, no rules, nothing.
Discovering everything for the first time, walking through Sentinel and
discovering this whole new world just struck a chord that I can’t really describe.
This sort of wide-eyed wonder and immersion that I was getting from a Roblox
game was something that even triple A titles just pale in comparison to. The more I
looked the more I saw, and how much attention to detail and love was put into the
game, especially since there were a lot of references and nods to popular games
and anime. Rogue really felt like the love child of all these different genres of
media, from Dark Souls to the Witcher, from Full Metal Alchemist to Berserk,
even from Naruto (yes, I know, sounds weird) and much more.
I wish I could go back to this sort of innocence, after playing for a while and
having a large amount of experience under my belt sort of made me jaded, do you
see? With the constant deaths, the exploiters, and growing toxicity from the
community as a whole just became a burden.
As it stands, the game’s fire is slowly dying down into embers, and I could
feel the disappointment from Ragoozer of how the attitude of Rogue was treated. It
was combat-focused, and the hidden, but deep lore was pretty much ignored.
This changes now. This small project is dedicated to Rag and his team, as thanks
for making this game.
What will follow is a list of lore of the races from Gaia, their history, and is
essentially me piecing together the pieces and filling in the blanks with what is
basically headcanon, so beware.

“H a v e y o u s e e n ?”

Introduction

2
 Greetings, dear reader. No doubt that you picked this tome up from the
library as a primer on your history lessons, or mayhaps you looked at the title with
curiosity, and wondered what wondrous secrets the bound parchment held?

To answer your inquisitive mind, this book is an analysis of the history of our
people, or ancestors, and where our races and lineages can trace back to. For many
years have I traveled the Vearth and discovered many historical secrets, from the
hidden texts of the Library of Magus, located within the Castellan capital of Magna
Solis, all the way to the deeply rich oral histories of the nomadic Kasperan peoples.

In any case, as the era is coming to an end I made it my life’s mission to archive
and record the histories of our branched, but connected, peoples into one
comprehensive text. This way, when we in the distant future have lost ourselves in
war or in peace, we can look back and see how it was, and determine for ourselves
if we progressed further for the better, or for the worse.

Of course, I will touch on other subjects that have passed my eyes during my
journeys, like certain factions and how they exert their influence to the world with
their members, and as a special bonus, I will impart my understanding of magic to
you, the reader, just in case you might become a fellow scholar.

As it stands, please forgive this soul for any grammatical errors or improper
writing form, as I am a historian and sociologist, not a linguistic expert.

3
 To start, the original race's historical secrets date back several centuries, but
from the annals from the Library of Magus, it's determined that the deep-running
line of Castellan sages have recorded historical events and guarded such historical
secrets, running back over 5,000 years!
It's universally accepted that of the natural races, ones that either have
distinct lines of lineage tracing back to the original ancient ancestors, or those who
were in Gaia before the Great Opening, and are commonly and accepted to be
"natural" are as follows: Haseldans, Ashiins, Castellans, Dzins, Scrooms, Rigans,
Kasperans, and more recently, Constructs. Of course, I will be covering races that
are considered not “native” or more accurately, not descendents of our ancestors
and/or are not original inhabitants of this world.

Dragons are said to be one of the two original inhabitants of Gaia, long
before our ancient ancestors planewalked to this land during the Great Opening. It's
widely unknown what caused the Great Opening, but from what can be discerned,
it was not intentional. On the topic of dragons, in modern times there have been
tales, or, more accurately, rumors, of two types of dragons - feral dragons, or
commonly known as “lesser” dragons, and “greater” dragons. However, I'd like to
drop this myth into the mud. There is no such thing as lesser or greater dragons,
they’re all dragons, it’s the fact that since dragons are essentially immortal, or at
least very long lived, they run the risk of going mad with age.
I’ve traveled deep into the north, past the protective walls and have
conversed with these creatures when I travelled to meet the remote tribes of
nomadic Kasperans. My dragonspeak is a little rough, but the fact that we have
textbooks on their language (or something that’s close to it) available in libraries
shows that they are intelligent to an amazing degree. These long-lived beings
captivated me with their first-hand stories of the past, me being a historian and all.

More on this in the Kasperan section of the book, the traditional oral stories have a
fascinating amount of detail regarding these exceptionally rare and noble beings.

4
 “Will of iron,
Born of mettle,
Steel yourselves,
Against their metal.”
- Old Haseldan Proverb

HASELDAN:
People of dark hair and eyes, with a bright amber skin tone. Out of all the
races that inhabit Gaia, these people are the most common. Of course, their long
history denotes their prowess in battles, as Haseldan fighters have a reputation of
being unbreakable warriors. Every one of them, from men to women, elderly to
child, are all natural-born fighters with an unbendable will of iron.

“I saw it, Sergeant, he rose from the mud, surrounded, riddled with
arrows, two blades in his back… I’ve seen men die with half of those
injuries, but he stood and fought like a beast, howling at the wind -
those titanic whirlwind of swings left nothing alive.” - Private Otto’s
report, The Southern War.

The wars between the Ashiin’s and Haseldans are long, dotting the
timeline of written history ever since the start of the exodus. Haseldan’s and
Ashiin’s are actually related, as long ago, Haseldan’s were a splinter faction
from Ashiin culture. Half-breeds, misfits and the lower servant class were
the “ancestors” of the Haseldan race. Due to the prejudice faced by the
Ashiin culture, there was a mass-exodus south of the Ashiin capital of
Spartaé, where the Haseldan people migrated past the connecting sea.
Legends say the warrior-monk Seldan parted the sea and led the newly
founded Haseldan people to a promised land.
Legends aside, the real contemporary account of the mass exodus was
quite an amazing ordeal. The planning took place over several years, and the
tale of the ordeal was written in it’s own book. I recommend that you do
read it yourself, and take special note of how they gathered the sailboats and
merchant ships to take them across the sea.

In any case, finding the promised land that Seldan promised was
difficult, and their journeys across the seas and past the shifting sands culled
many of their kind. Morale was low and Seldan was sometimes doubted in
5
his teachings and prophecies, but during the journey, it was said that Seldan
praised his people and the unbreakable will that they earned at the end. The
legend ends after many years of searching that the Haseldan people
discovered a large oasis beneath the scorching sun, which soon became the
capital of the Haseldan people, Sekhtam. Sekhtam was a true mixing pot, a
free city - though you may already know this. There is very little in the way
of a class system, and to become a citizen one can simply live there for a set
amount of years and apply, or marry in. In modern times one can trace their
lineage to the original inhabitants of the free city where because of the great
mixture of races that settled in Sekhtam, the features of the many different
varieties of peoples have blended into the characteristic amber skin and dark
hair and eyes that is commonly seen in Haseldan today.
Aside from being a free city where even non-citizens enjoyed many
rights during their stay, the citizens had an amazing tradition and culture of
stoicism, perseverance, and strong respect and connection with their
ancestors. Any person of the Haseldan bloodline can enter a state of
“Rotschleier”, a term coined from old shamanistic languages, which loosely
translates to “Red Veil”. Those who’ve entered this state of mind are
normally in grave danger with serious bodily injury. However - those
affected by Rotschleier can fight like a wild beast, even with injuries that
would’ve killed any lesser being two times over. Indeed, it’s a well-known
fact that when pushed to the absolute breaking point, an enraged Haseldan
in the trance-like state of Rotschleier can give blows and connect swings
with superhuman strength.
Early accounts of Rotschleier have been made legendary from the
many stories borne from the conflicts between the Ashiins and Haseldans,
many of which when stripped of nationalistic pride and propraganda, are just
disputes in either territory like trade routes, rights to familial territories, or
simply because both sides were mercenaries on wars that were not caused by
tensions between the two capitals. Of course, Sekhtam being a free city,
there were many cases where Haseldans who were direct descendants to
“outcasted” Ashiin royalty contested inheritance with their cousins, which
also helped fuel territorial disputes between duchies, claiming that they
deserved a say in inheritance. The first of these first-hand accounts come
from reports in battle, the most famous of which are from the Southern War,
which you may know was fought over the port city of Constantine, the
massive trade city connecting the two continents via the silver sea. It held a
6
large amount of economical importance to the Ashiins, and a lot of
nationalistic importance to the Haseldans - being the first city the original
Haseldan pilgrims reached when on their great journey to find their
promised land further south. Of course, the war was just shy of two hundred
years ago, and the loss that the Ashiin’s suffered was the final nail in the
coffin for their militaristic dominance over the middle continents, and
marked the true beginning for their downfall.
During these turbulent times, Haseldan warriors sought out the
technique to refine the unique art of Rotschleier. Eventually, they mastered
the art of forcibly enacting a technique dubbed “Bloodline”, the mastery of
which can forcibly staunch bleeding and regenerate wounds to a small
degree, and allow oneself to shrug off injuries and trade blows with
superhuman strength. Of course, the strain on the body is immense and
would make the user pass out after a short period, making this technique a
final trump card in the arsenal of the almost mythical status of the renowned
Haseldan berserker.
In the more peaceful times of today, the Haseldans can be seen all
over the world, as travellers and great merchants. Their hold over
Constantine and their outstanding business acumen and grit has allowed
them to become world-renowned merchants, business owners and explorers.
I implore you to visit both Sekhtam and Constantine if you have the means
to do so, these cities are rich with goods from all over the Vearth.

If you are one who lives by the blade, however, take comfort in the
fact that a Haseldan by your side in battle is nothing little but a stroke of
good fortune. Just pray that your opponent doesn’t have a few of their own.

7
 “Body of fire,
Eyes of green,
Raze the lands,
For all is seen.”
- Prophecy of Sin, pg. 23
ASHIIN:
People of tanned, orange skin and fiery red hair with piercing green
eyes. They’re said to be born of fire, and their training and tempers can
contribute to that notion. Ashiins in the modern times are people of fierce
nationalism and unity. All Ashiins strive for “perfection”, what that means is
up to the individual, but nevertheless it’s apparent in their mastery of their
crafts in modern times.
Ethnocentrism was (but some consider that it still is) the dominating
factor for Ashiin culture, as loyalty to the state and military is the number
one ideal that all Ashiin’s share. All newborn Ashiins are held to a test of
health and physical perfection, those who do not meet the standards are cast
out and left to die, or in rare occurrences of survival or adoption, become a
part of the old lower-servant class. All young boys and girls that meet the
standards enter a state-sponsored school and are traditionally trained in
combat until they reach adulthood.
However, due to the mass exodus of the Haseldan people, there was a
drastic change in how society worked as up to that point, all Ashiin’s were
apart of the military and the lower-class workers took care of all the manual
labor and craftsmen jobs that were needed to keep the society functional.
Without the support of the lower class, Ashiin society had to quickly adapt
and from then forward, there was more freedom in the choice of profession
to the younger Ashiin prospect.
In modern times, Ashiin fighters are quite common and reknowned
for their skill with fighting barehanded, but workers and other more
“peaceful” professions are not uncommon either. Long-gone is the lengthy
and gruelling training that was enacted in the past to create the perfect
soldiers that Spartaé was famous for producing. It was soon replaced with a
more cut-down and shortened version of this and even so, in the event that
Spartaé or her cities need a workable militia, all citizens can defend
themselves and their country one way or another.
This is especially true after the Ashiin loss of the port city of
Constantine, as said in the previous chapter, was the final nail in the coffin
8
for their militaristic dominance over the middle continents, and marked the
true beginning for their downfall. After the loss of the port city, the
economical support that it garnered was a heavy blow to the Ashiin cities,
and because of it, they soon lost the means to support their widespread
conquered lands. Eventually, it degraded to other countries retaking their
lost lands, and the Ashiin control of the middle lands to slowly recede and
eventually their wars became less about conquest and more about fighting
for exclusive trade routes and keeping what little land that they could
support.

Not all was lost, however, eventually there was some stabilization and
reforms after losing territory, with many political campaigns to keep their
already existing lands alongside with working on internal affairs allowed the
nation to weather the storm and eventually stabilize. Surprisingly enough,
there still is a long reign of prosperity, as the society drifted away from
militarism to more of a production-oriented one. Of course, their philosophy
and drive for perfection made them surprisingly well-renowned
philosophers, artisans, mathematicians, craftsmen, and Vint makers. If you
ever visit the city of Spartaé, take note of the great climate and statues of old
heroes in the city. The world-famous schools of thought and mathematics go
hand-in-hand there, as the Ashiin’s themselves proved that the world is
round and the great Ashiin philosopher Plato himself formulated the theory
of forms.
Their museums are nothing to scoff at either, old heirlooms, stories,
and other curious collectables gathered from their long line of conquest
allowed them to amass quite an amazing collection of trinkets from distant
lands. For those of ample faith, however, you can take comfort that the
murals adorning the inside of Solan’s churches are an enrapturing sight to
behold.

“From ashen skin,

To blackened bones,
Golden eyes arose,
From under’s home.”
9
 - Book o’ Faybles an Mysterie, pg. 3
RIGAN:
People of ashen to blackened skin and striking gold eyes, these people
are a unique blend of circumstance, amazing evolution and selective
breeding. According to their own history, their lineage can be traced back to
the ancient ones, same as all other natural races. Apparently they were
descendants of scholars who wanted to map out and explore the perilous
lands that our ancestors accidentally planewalked into. Eventually they
discovered the Underdark, a massive, expansive cave system deep beneath
the Vearth in the north. From there, the concrete story is obfuscated. Some
communities claim that it was an intentional escape, that they felt that their
chances were better underground, others say they were banished, and my
own theory, the scholars stayed there permanently to better understand
magic and it’s source.
You see, the Rigan’s have a unique affinity for magic and the element
of ice. Their body absorbs the ambient energy more readily than any other
race and experienced members of their race can turn this ability on
overdrive. This technique is dubbed “Flood” which effectively gives them an
infinite amount of mana for a set duration, at the cost of cutting their
capacity in half for a short period. This works by “opening the body to the
core of the Vearth’s energy, and reveling in its greatness”.
It’s said that this evolution came from their deep connection with the
underground Vearth, and it is theorized that the closer you are to the core of
the Vearth, the more attuned you are to it, and in turn, the more you are in
tune with the source of magic in this world. With this being said, Rigans are
known to be great and accomplished mages, as they are known for being
intelligent even compared to more scholarly races like the Castellan. Rigan
mages do hold another advantage against other mages - no one can cast
spells faster than them. In a duel with spells, bet your silver on them.
Alongside their natural gifts in intelligence, they are unfortunately
stereotypically known to be somewhat arrogant and even worse, their unique
abilities allow them to escape danger more readily than others, paired
alongside their natural charm and wit they have earned themselves a
reputation of being skilled thieves, charmers, and con men. This of course, is
not a natural inclination as it is a cultural one. You see, the underdark is a
vast network of massive caves, divided into what we can think of as
“continents” or “provinces”. These caves are large, inhospitable, and sorely
10
lacking in resources. This means that traditionally, the number one goal of
each individual Rigan was advancement in their society, which in turn meant
more luxuries and resources at their disposal. This meant that life was short
and cutthroat before their discovery and introduction to the surface world
centuries ago.
As their introduction to the world was made known, they were quick
and eager to explore the surface world, something that was completely alien
to them, as their subterranean cities were alien to us. While there were many
adjustments to be made to their behaviors on the surface and their physical
adaptations as their large, piercing golden eyes made it easy to see in the
dark caverns, it was a hurdle to get accustomed to the bright sunlight of the
surface. With their natural abilities and admirable ambition, they’ve asserted
themselves as well respected members of the surface society, as you can see
plenty of Rigan mages, scholars, and government officials all throughout the
lands.
The underdark too, has had their society changed for the better. Rare
gems, metals, and other such items have allowed the underdark cities to
prosper in their production of luxury products like jewelry and high-quality
cuts of building and statue stones. These imports to the surface allowed
those who’d prefer the familiarity over the underdark comfort in their
attained upper-stations, and served to soothe the rather ruthless nature that
scarcity brought.

11
 “Ancient’s advice, fear the night...
Creatures will wander as daylight dies...
One’s blue-eyes open, wide-awake...
Not cov’rd by quilt, the child, they’ll take...”
- Castellan lullaby
CASTELLAN:
People with fair hair and skin, with beaming blue eyes. Castellans are
regarded as the closest link to our ancient ancestors, as their society and
cities are the oldest in existence, and their archives, annals and historical
records span long before other societies have even begun their settlements.
The Castellan capital of Magna Solis is located in the northern continent,
and is famous for their research in magic and sciences. Of course the
Library of Magus is probably the highlight of all efforts for knowledge, as it
is the single most largest gathering of books and other related knowledge on
all subjects from magic to medicine, mechanics to alchemy, and much, much
more. Scholars from all across the Vearth flock to this place of learning, and
all of Castellan society generally has the same goal: pursuit of knowledge.
There is a council of elder maesters that makes up the leadership of
Castellan society, and as such, the political sphere makes it somewhat of a
republic scientocracy.
As the Library of Magus is the key gathering point for all knowledge
in the world, some who are not privy to how the library works internally
may assume that this place is a school, and while it may be in some aspects,
it is generally agreed upon that it is a collection of books, not teachers.
Already well established scholars and learners come to the library to further
their fields of study and to research more about their field of interest, and
unless you are training to become a librarian there really isn’t anyone there
willing to teach any and all bumbling novice scholars. That is, if you can
even enter the library as a novice in the first place! You see, to even apply to
enter the library you need approval from the chain of command that runs the
library in the first place. One must assert themselves as an accomplished
scholar, publish findings in their field of choice, have it peer reviewed and
approved, and finally pay a hefty sum to be put on the entry list. The library
is a massive structure in of itself, and can accommodate hundreds to
thousands of scholars, with room and board as long as you can afford to
stay. As someone who’s been inside, I can say with confidence that the
library feels like a city within the city. It’s just inefficient and wasted time to
12
tutor someone from scratch, and you as a novice are better off finding more
established and specific schools of learning outside the library’s walls. For
the city of Magna Solis has a wide array of institutes of higher learning
spanning all subjects, provided you are willing to pay the coin. Of course, I
recommend Spartaé if you are a scholar of arithmetic or schools of
philosophical thought. My advice to you, dear reader, if you plan on
becoming a scholar, a polymath is better than those who study just one
subject.
If you do happen to fulfill all the requirements, then I am proud to
know that an accomplished scholar is reading this book with presumed
interest. However, to those who aspire to be a scholar trusted enough to
peruse through the rare tomes, I do recommend treating the librarians and
especially the books with respect. Punishments for mishandling a book are
severe, and the librarians can ban you permanently from the library, and tear
your career to shreds for minor to moderate offenses. The illusionists there
are quite vigilant, and no-one can escape their mind and barrier magics, so
fret not, they can defend the area perfectly well. However, those who want
to access the more secretive and exclusive tomes should and I say this with
respect, not get their hopes up if you plan on doing it legitimately. The
bureaucratic option is long, arduous, and very rarely successful, you’d have
a better chance at marrying a duchess than hoping to apply and get accepted
in any reasonable time! However, by some odd stroke of fortune you do
happen to marry a duchess or any person in power, well, I salute to you and
urge that you need not worry about the advice I'm about to give, though if
you are one of more modest means, please do read ahead.

As the textbooks kept under lock and key in the upper archives are
either tomes of questionable, and sometimes down right repulsive in nature,
like instructions on necromancy and how to bind the dead as servants, or on
the contrary, books of significant importance like first hand historical
writing from the ancients themselves. In short, they’re books on taboo and
banned subjects, or books of historical and cultural significance.
In any case, I recommend finding people of importance willing to pull
strings on your behalf, and to find a willingness to part with your silver in a
generous manner to those keeping a close eye on you, especially if you are a
mage of ample power, immune to their observation and scrying spells. Make
sure to keep your intentions pure, however. There are countless scholars
13
who’ve fallen into the temptation that forbidden magic brings, or fallen to
greed in an attempt to steal these precious tomes, and met a fate worse than
death itself. For the illusionists are invisible, ever vigilant, they never tire,
and they do not feel remorse to those who pose a danger to the library. They
could easily sunder your mind and reduce it to a grey mush, rendering you a
simpleton, fit only for a permanent sentence of hard labor in Magna Solis’s
distant salt mines.
I’ve felt that I went on a tangent on Magna Solis’s stupendous library,
it’s time for an explanation on the Castellan themselves. As one closest to
our ancient ancestors they enjoy many benefits regarding magic itself, some
say they’re second only to Rigans, others argue it’s the other way around.
Truth be told, due to the close connection, all Castellans are naturally born
mages, their ability to cast a bit faster and better than regular mages
alongside their increased potency with all spells have made Castellan mages
a staple from courtrooms to battlefields for centuries.
Even so, there’s a secret art dedicated to enhancing spells beyond
what is conventionally seen. Those who have gained an attunement to a
spell, that is, use the spell so frequently that the spell has made a mark on
one’s soul and mind, can unleash its effects with a simple snap of the
fingers. These snap magics are varied, and can suit a wide variety of
purposes in combat. However, all races are limited to just one, unless you
sacrifice a part of your very soul to have another. However, all Castellans
are naturally born with and can use not one, but two snap spells.
More on this in the chapter about magic itself.

14
 “From fires's breath,
To scales of stone,
Eluding death,
And succor'd home.”
- Kasparan mantra
KASPARAN:
A people of draconic appearances, from long horns and slitted eyes to
scales that array themselves in bewildering colors. Their looks are striking,
and frankfully intimidating, however fear not, as these nomadic people are
humble, friendly, and greatly kind to outsiders.
My time with these people were short, as they were a nomadic sort.
Their tales and great oral stories and real-life heroes defied in their tales was
an absolute delight to partake in. Kasparan merriment is like no other, take
that as truth from a veteran traveler of the Vearth! While the initial
uneasiness faded away, I noticed that they’re quite charming, in the sense
that all Kasparans were filled with vigor and life that I can describe as
unnatural, but very welcome. This can be seen in those who have left their
nomadic tribes and settled in a more rigid society, as they make great
innkeepers, bards, sales people, and more.
As their rich oral tradition dictates, their "ascended" lineage branches
from our ancient ancestors who rejected civilized society and adapted a
nomadic lifestyle, worshipping the Ancient Dragons as gods among the
physical plane.
Due to the waning of magic, however, it was said that Dragons have
found it more and more difficult to propagate and sustain themselves in
Gaia. As a result of this, to prevent extinction some Dragons decided to
share their bloodlines with the ancient ancestors themselves.
Those who share the dragonsblood have features that make them apparent.
Their draconic visages, strong scales, horns, and innate ability to breathe fire
and speak in the dragon's tongue are just a handful of what is possible for
them. It is rumored that Kasparans are partially immortal, as the dragon's
blood inside them enriches their soul with an uncanny vitality.
In Kasparan society, the color of your scales indicates the purity of your
lineage, and all Kasparan royalty are colored purple. Green scales are
reserved generally for commoners, while red scales indicate one from a
lineage of warriors. The rare and elusive Albino Kasparans are considered a
bad omen in society, and are frequently cast out and shunned. Most that are
15
born as Albinos rarely live very long after birth, as they are abandoned by
their parents. Even so, there are cases where Albinos have found their way
into the homes of more rigid society, and have been adopted and raised by
others, leading relatively peaceful lives. An interesting fact, however, is that
all those who breed with Kasparans will always produce a Kasparan
offspring, commonly green or red in color, but never purple. This is said to
be the case due to the extreme potency that the dragonsblood can hold.
On the topic of dragons, while expressing my intent on documenting
their histories they allowed me a rare opportunity to meet with their patron
dragon. Alongside my shaky hands, stuttering and rough dragonspeak, I’m
truly glad that I had my Kasparan guide next to me to help my translations,
and I learned a great deal about their race. Everything for the most part,
aside from their flair for the dramatic is true, and this patron dragon in
particular was quite ancient, and was able to recite some experiences with
the original ancestors, albeit with a hazy recollection.
When I asked about how they were born or created in this world, I got
a reply that can be translated to:

“We were born of fire and sky, from the sands of the Vearth to the long-
standing stones of time immemorial.”.

I found this particularly interesting, as the epics from old Kasparan

tales of heroes state that many have been able to wield both fire and sky
specifically, lightning itself.
The escape was short, but the experience that I had will stay with me
forever. The merriment alone was a fantastic memory, but that ancient,
primordial fear and awe that I had when I was in front of that ancient
being… It leaves no doubts on why the Kasparan people themselves choose
to worship these noble creatures as gods walking the physical plane.

“Dear childe of Gigel...

Dare not weep,
The blessing of truth,
Given to those who are meek.”
16
 - Psalms to Solan, pg. 10
GAIAN:
Rare and elusive robotic beings. Their metallic construction and cold
demeanor does little to warm them to the public eye. However, despite what
one may assume, these are indeed people that have souls of their own, and
have sacrificed their bodies and their lives in the search of “Truth”.
Their bodies are made of metal and run by oil, but these people have a
tangible soul still within them. This ageless feat of engineering genius are
the creations of Gigel himself. Although he sacrificed all manner of people
to perfect this vessel of immortality, it did little to change the heart of the
wielder. Worse yet, immortality is a curse more than it is a boon, as the
centuries pass on, memories fade, and convictions wane. Those who were
pious soon turned bitter at their fate. Others reveled in what potential it
brought, only to realize that vices of the past apply not to those made of
steel. A heart of iron, it took. To move on pass the years, slowly die out and
simply exist in a torpor. It’s rare to see Gaians today, as many have perished,
broken along the centuries. Many live their lives as normal as one can in that
state, but often muse about what it meant to be flesh. Do they truly still
exist? Are they damned once they perish? Pious ones turned to Solan, and
ones burning with the flames of hatred, soon took action. These embers are
manifestations of latent regret, and those burdened by sins must carry this
weight within their hearts.
A word of caution, to you, reader. There are many great and noble Gaians,
but take note in a secret that I have discovered. An unwritten rule, so to
speak. Those who had their souls planted in their robotic bodies long ago
were separated by their ceremonial robes. Those close to Gigel, pious and
good, wore robes of deep purple. Those who were condemned criminals,
wore robes of ragged, brown burlap. When a Gaian warrior modifies their
body to become armor, take up this color scheme to make clear of their past.
The story goes that long ago, an eccentric man by the name of Gigel
was obsessed in learning the truth about magic. He’s heard tales and
experienced visions of ascending, becoming closer to the source of all
magic, obtaining “truth” and casting spells without the use of a tome. His
charismatic character alongside his seemingly limitless intellect allowed him
to attain a large following, alongside the eyes of the upper-echelons of
Solan’s church.

17
 Pouring over from alchemical to religious texts, he found a way to
purify fire to the point where it became a ready vessel for souls. Of course,
methods to find whether or not the fire was pure enough to putrefy the body
but leave the soul in a clean state for sacrifice was no easy manner. When
fanatics over the cause grew thin and the support for “the greater good”
began to wane, more unsavory individuals were used, sacrificed in an
attempt to cleanse their putrid souls. It turns out that it matters not whether
one is pure of heart or not, a soul is a soul.
While this was happening, Gigel was also working on an artificial
means of attaining immortality, as he felt his life waning after the years, but
the truth that he sought was so near to him. So, he researched and invented a
method of forcibly putrefying the body, leaving a clean soul and binding that
soul to a vessel for holding, instead of sacrifice. He used trusted members of
his flock alongside murderous criminals, it mattered not. His methods of
transporting souls to their new shells needed to be absolutely perfect.
However, before he could go along with the procedure himself, he
finally attained his method of grasping his “truth”. He discovered the
method and by sacrificing eight of the natural races by white fire, he was
able to create an “artificial” substitute for the ancient’s soul, by combining
the races, it made a complete circle and worthy fuel to open the Gate of
Truth.
He conducted his final experiment. An individual with crimes so
heinous that the legends leave out this detail. Hundreds of lives, it’s hinted,
were snuffed out by their hands. Gigel made a promise, the sinner will walk
through the gate, find their inner truth, and emerge from the other end anew,
pardoned from their crimes. They jumped at the opportunity, more power to
crush lives and the permission to roam free? Their entire life was based on
taking from others and it seems that the sinner themself was blessed by
nothing other than Ardor’s own fortune. They passed the gate, saw the truth,
and were burdened by the titanic weight of their own sins. Painful wails of
agony and pleading were heard, coming silent only when the gate itself shut.
It was final. Only one unburdened by the hefty weight of sin can pass
through and obtain the truth. Good deeds were done in the name of progress.
Gigel passed through the gate.
Once he emerged from the other side, first of his kind, he became privy to all
manner of things. To see the world in a new light, to channel spells without
the aid of a tome. But there was an unintended result - to become tomeless
18
and achieve truth is to lose something within oneself. Gigel lost his desire,
his drive. How could one go on when they achieved everything? Obtained
truth? Know all manner of things? To sum it all up by Gigel himself:

“Those who achieved and peered into the realm of a God, should
show humility. Discover that finding truth is only the beginning. The
start. To finally understand that even when we know everything, we
understand nothing.” - Gigel, soon before immolating himself in the white
flames.

It’s speculated on what truly caused his death. Did he finally find the truth
and was unsatisfied with the result? Or was it the burden of the sins of all
those priceless souls sacrificed for him to achieve his goal? It’s unknown,
but the only remnant of his story is that becoming tomeless is still an
achievement one can do today. Normally it’s rewarded to mages who’ve
done untold amounts of good, but there are stories hushed deep beneath the
room with a gate and white flame, behind bars where the sinners lie, of those
corrupted by the power that the “truth” would bring them.

19
 “DEATH TO ALL BUT ONE.
CULL ALL THOSE WHO DESECRATE,
OUR LANDS BENEATH THE SUN.”
- Scroom chant of remembrance
SCROOMS:
Odd forms of sentient life, walking mushrooms or sentient stalks of
fungi. Characterized by their white body and large and rotund mushroom
cap. These caps are a sort of pride to the Scroom, and their color often
denotes a type of stereotype amongst themselves, comparable to horoscopes
or birth signs that some charlatans use in our society. These colors can vary,
from red, blue, green, brown, rarely a glowing cap and the most elusive,
pink.
Reserved only for the leaders of their settlements, the pink capped Scroom is
actually earned through a special druidic process known only to those
who’ve undergone it. Unfortunately, there haven’t been any diplomatic
reports of any pink-capped Scrooms for some time now.
While they are not related to the ancients in any way shape or form,
Scrooms are in fact, one of two original races that inhabited Gaia before the
Great Opening. The other sentient life form, of course, are dragons. This
explains their general tendency towards “evil”, and are categorized as
naturally vile in nature. Their hatred towards other races are apparent, as
ever since the ancients arrival to this plane, they’ve suffered many a conflict
with these rather primitive (at the time) people. However, they were no real
match against the collective firepower and might that the ancient’s held,
even with much of their technology lost, the Scrooms have never been able
to retake their lands as it once was, and have dwindled in numbers in the
past few centuries since.
Even so, while a vast majority of Scrooms choose to isolate
themselves within areas uninhabitable to the rest of Gaia’s inhabitants, some
very rarely may choose to “defect” to our society. It is, in fact, this reason
why we have an understanding of potions, alchemy, and natural shamanistic
magics. Old Scrooms lured in by the power that our ancient’s technology
offered were willing to give their secrets of nature itself in exchange for a
small taste of that power. The first druids and alchemists were Scrooms, and
if one wants to even become a druid themselves, must find a Scroom mentor.
Continuing their history, these Scroom heretics and defectors soon realized

20
that their magics were useless without an abundance of nature and their
philosophy in the “harmony of balance”.
On an interesting note, these Scroom heretics were rumored to be one
of the first Metal scrooms. It’s unknown why they would willingly go
through drastic changes, but it’s generally accepted that some were driven
by revenge and some by a lust of power, or perhaps a mad curiosity.
It’s theorized that some of the Scroom heretics sought after to copy Gigel's
work in order to become stronger and to combat the Ancients (or really, their
descendants) that arrived through the Great Opening.
Metal scrooms use their unique, malleable bodies instead of souls to
metamorphose into their “Transcended” form. It’s known that the Vinds had
a heavy hand in these "original'' creations. Because of their normally
benevolent nature, it’s theorized that they took pity on the Scroom's situation
in the wars and conflicts and helped the Scroom warriors gain a fighting
chance. This right here is mainly the reason why we had a long cultural
mistrust of Vinds and Fischerans, as at the time, we were technically at war
with them and branded them as enemies for the act of creating Metal
Scrooms.
The “scroom key” is an enigmatic item, said to be created in limited
production, as resources were somewhat rare at the time of creation and to
prevent a large boom of bloodthirsty metalscroom warriors that would’ve
undoubtedly turned the tide in the conflicts and would’ve cemented the
Vinds and Fischerans as traitorous peace treaty violators.
These Metal Scrooms that were created to turn the aid the Scrooms in the
wars were also shunned by their people, as it goes against their ideas of
being one with nature and achieving the ultimate druidic goal of "harmony
of balance". They were accused of turning to heretical means and
abandoning themselves in search of strength. With nowhere to go, welcomed
nowhere and shunned by many, these warriors were snuffed out and left
naught but a rare and powerful legend, as they have the advantages of a
metal body but also still carry the unique racial properties of Scrooms.
A marriage of both worlds, but welcome in none.

In any case, those that did return to their swamps and continued
practicing their spells to bend nature to their will once again. Even with the
knowledge that druidic magic existed, it became somewhat of a lost art. No
21
books can teach the attunement needed to wield such magic, and only first-
hand work with brewing potions and steady mentorship can cultivate the
growing buds that will bloom into the fully-fledged manipulators of nature
themself.
Thankfully I was lucky enough to survive my ventures into the Great
Swamp, despite the poisonous bogs and hostile creatures, the Scrooms that
live there are known to drive off outsiders with… Lethal results. In any case,
the abundance of poisonous, swampy bogs was an eerie but interesting sight
and while my scroomspeak is rather rusty, I managed to converse briefly
with the Scroom inhabitants in their noxious and rather inhospitable swamp
cities. Apparently I surprised and amused them with my knowledge of their
tongue, (I think they felt that their supremacy was acknowledged after my
groveling) and I fear that that was the sole reason why I wasn’t turned,
bound to a tree and flayed alive for trespassing upon their lands. It was just
by this pure stroke of luck that I managed to learn a little about their culture
first-hand, escaping with my hide still attached to my back, with a bit of
broken pride.
Warning to all travellers, be prepared to grovel for your life, for what
awaits those with hubris are fates that make death far more preferable. If you
are allured by the ability to bend nature to your will and do decide to
venture, I recommend a guide and a great understanding of scroomspeak.
Alchemists, stray away from the cities and make your way to areas of
abundant nature. While Mother Nature herself is the embodiment of
harmony, this does not mean she is defenseless nor should she be trifled
with.

22
 “Shifted skin, stolen every year,
Fangs produced, amongst ghastly fear,
When pulled right across, from ear to ear,
Grants wicked smiles, to those held dear.”
- The Book of Ruin, introduction
MADRASIANS:
Changelings, mimics, body-snatchers, dopplers, shifters, or simply -
rats. Madrasians and their true forms are a rare sight outside the city of
Madras. True forms characterized by pale skin, ashen brown hair and green
eyes. While a naturally cowardly race, they are exceptional actors and have
no qualms deceiving others. Of course, this further fans the stereotype that a
Madrasian will lie, cheat, and steal, only to run at the first sign of danger.
However, you’d be sorely mistaken if “cowardly” meant “defenseless”.

“The Madrasian Crime Lords, well known for their cunning deception
due to their unique racial abilities. While one would think these so-
called "men" as sniveling rats when backed into a corner, the street
Kings of Madras produce long sharp daggers known as fangs to great
effect when they find themselves in mortal danger.” - Anonymous

There is much speculation on what brought the Madrasians to Gaia, as they

are not related to our ancient ancestors by blood, but only by appearance.
When I traveled to Madras, I searched for answers first-hand. But as
expected, their answers were elusive and obfuscated the real truth. As a
result, I travelled to the Library of Magus in an attempt to discern the truth,
and I believe I have come to a sensible conclusion. Fair warning, this is,
when boiled down, is just speculation. But if it is close to the truth, I urge
that being forthright and honest about one’s origins would help soothe our
stereotypes that we hold against these people.

23
 “Earl Carris of Monsters was responsible for the creation and the
introduction of monsters into our mortal plane. While Ardor can be
said to be the progenitor of some of the world's first dark creatures,
with their creations came a barrier from Solan. Carris through
unknown means was able to create tears in this barrier, allowing
monsters never before seen to enter our world.”
- Encyclopedia and Bestiary of Monsters, introductory page

I believe that Madrasians were originally monsters that were

introduced to this world by Earl Carris of Monsters. Sentient, with little
choice but to blend in our societies, they did so for survival. Eventually their
original forms melted away and became the form that we know today. It
would explain their abilities to shift into others, but still keep a humanoid
form. Particular masters of shifting can shift into inanimate objects, but the
method of how this is even possible is unknown, as is the method of their
shifting in the first place. However, do take note that while Madrasians
cannot breed with other races, the humanoid form that they possess is their
true form, and their origins of being “monsters” brought in by Carris is
simply just a very loose title, as it doesn’t make sense to classify sentient
beings that share our world happily as monsters in the first place.

Moving on to different subjects about the Madrasians - the underground,

mountainous city of Madras. Madrasians themselves are isolationists, and
their city is comparatively small. But the rather famous City of Brass is a
well known trade hub, centered near the borders of three countries, their
production of textiles, writing, and bookbinding materials is what they are
known and famous for. Of course, a more innocent use for their natural
inclination to mockery and deceit have made them exceptional poets,
writers, playwrights, and comedics. Madrasian minstrels and bards are
beloved by many, made famous with their traveling circuses and roadside
performances.
A less innocent subject that’s pervasive among the Madras citizen’s
lips are talk of so-called “Faceless Men”. Individuals who have given up
being individuals, a death cult, an order of assassins fed up with pretending
to “be” someone else, and instead choose to discard their identity and

24
possessions, to become what they believe is their true, naked form - To be
“No one”.
Of course, these are what most rulers and people fear, Madrasians can
make excellent spies and assassins due to their abilities, but shy away from
such actions due to their cowardly and relatively docile, peaceful nature.
How do I truly know that these daggers-for-hire are real?
Because recently their cult has been outed and mostly eradicated.
Assassins take comfort in hiding and the dark, but when the covers are
pulled off, they become naught but defenseless. Disturbingly enough, their
unholy book, dedicated to the art of death, dubbed “The Book of Ruin” tells
tales of how to remove one’s face and become no-one, and techniques to
mete their wicked will with assassination techniques. This book, guarded in
Magna Solis’s protected archives, shows that not only Madrasians can
become Faceless men, but all races can be one.
Thankfully, these hired blades are rare, and have been exposed to not
be a mere rumor spoken in hushed tones in taverns, but true, and a real
threat. They’re still out there, but the higher echelons of the secret society
have been sentenced to death, and have left naught but the bottom dregs left
to be mopped up from our society.
However, this doesn’t mean that we should shun our Madrasian
brothers and sisters and spit as they pass, but to welcome them and realize
that they are also foreigners to the land as much as we are, sentient, and a
part of our culture and history in this land.
If suspicion and paranoia still permeate every fiber of your being, then
I give you the true way to discern a person from a Faceless One (Or Night
Lord, if you prefer.), it’s simply in the name. If you see the lack of a visage,
or someone who swathes and covers their entire face with no clear
explanation why, steer very clear - and call for the authorities and leave the
Faceless One to the inquisitors.
Of course, this won’t make a difference to just regular cutthroats, as they
haven’t made their mark in the dying organization anyway.

25
 “I mirror your soul.
Inscribe your being on flesh.
You live on through me.”
- Poems from Gaia, Dinakeri.
DINAKERI:
People of charcoal black skin, pure white hair and eyes that burn with
infernal colors of blue, white, or green. It’s unknown where they truly came
from, but they’re speculated to be one of the first “dark creatures” that were
ushered into this world by Ardor, or, my personal belief, a mockery of our
ancients, our ideas, our beliefs, they’re sentient creatures that mirror our
image, from the plane that Altrum controls.

"They’re corporeal manifestations of the soul. Essentially they were

first developed by Dinakeri tribes as a way of inscribing those they
killed onto their bodies. A sort of “they live on through me” type of
deal. Dinakeri would kill in order to use the soul to gain more power.
Eldin found a less “barbaric” form of soul tearing by only destroying
part of the soul. This allowed the soul to reform for future harvesting
but cut off the damaged soul's ability to conduct mana.”
- A discussion on Rune Magicks, chapter 2

The Dinakeris and their Rune Berserking earned a fearsome

reputation back in days of yore. Their marauding tribes would eat the souls
from village people and other warriors and use them to fuel their strength
and become even more ferocious. If you think the Haseldan and their state of
Rotschleier was a sight to behold, Dinakeris do much more with magic than
what man can do with pure will.
A little bit on rune magic, when a Dinakeri invokes their ability of
Rune Berserking they use the energy of the soul as a fuel source for their
magical enhancement. At the moment they let out their roar their bodies are
charged and the incomprehensible power that a soul has, even when
grasping at embers when they pass on, it makes a Dinakeri stronger, faster,
more durable and have an infinite amount of mana for a short period of time.
There were some older reports that Dinakeris would injure themselves due to
the immense power that Rune Berserking holds, but recent accounts would
prove otherwise.

26
 There’s no doubt that Dinakeri’s were the source, or more accurately
the inspiration for the power behind the order of the Wraith Knights, a sect
of deserters from our order of noble Sigil Knights. These deserters, who are
all led by Runemaster Eldin, use this ability of Rune Berserking,
Runecasting and Soul Ripping, all abilities normally exclusive to the
Dinakeri tribes. Their dark flames coating their unique blades and their
fearsome helms with leering demons are noticed by all, even to those who
aren’t privy to their origins, these oathbreakers leave an imposing aura of
dread when they pass.
When they run amok and destroy in the name of their master, they dart in
and out of mirrors, used as portals, doors to escape or enter. Superstitious
nobles would cover their large mirrors with linen sheets to ward off their
passing into their estates. None knows Runemaster Eldins origins, or his true
goals. But all know that he is powerful just as he is malicious.

People say that mirrors reflect your being and soul, and these
Dinakeris can be what you could say, a true manifestation of our soul. A
shadow cast, showing the silhouette that is the makeup of the core of our
being. These elusive and rare people are one of the enigmas that inhabit this
land alongside us. It is known, however, that these people are rarely kind-
hearted, but filled with malice. A twisted perversion of us, a mockery, a
simple foil to our beliefs and values of kindness and generosity.
Or is it? Their methods of magic and abilities to rend souls from those
they’ve slain are harrowing, but if they are to be corporeal manifestations of
souls, then does that mean our ideals of good are simply a farce, a mask to
hide the true intentions of our nature?

Questions that we may not want the answer to, I suppose.

“Once were people of mystic will,

Who meditated on mountains and hills,
They opened their eyes,
Saw naught but lies,
27
 And went blind, from then, till.”
- Poems from Gaia, Dzin.
DZIN:
Elusive people with steel grey eyes, dark hair, and either red or blue
skin. Famous mountain hermits who sought after contact with the universe,
the world, or harmony with life itself. Their temples dedicated to meditation
are located beyond the Sea of Trees, far from civilization along the World’s
Trail. This forest is filled with mist and mystifications, making it not only
ideal for training illusion techniques, but barrier magic as well.
Their long isolation and studies on perceiving the world in different
manners have allowed them to “see” the life force of creatures. As the
original founder of the Dzin clan put it:

"We are seeing on the basest of planes. What we need, are more eyes."

Wielding this perception is inherently unnatural and is essentially

peeking at a world with vision not our own. The price to pay for peering into
the “World’s Pulse” for too long is total blindness, in exchange to see the
“souls” of all living beings, one permanently stuck in a world of darkness,
only able to see the silhouette of one’s soul.
Dzins who have awakened their mind’s eye are touched by the
cosmos and are given an unnatural insight characterized by a third eye that
dominates their forehead. When opened, this eye allows one to see a brief
glimpse of the future and can be used to avoid fates that spell danger and see
dark tidings - This alone made them renown soothsayers and sages.
Other than this, Dzin’s as hinted before, are the original developers of
the magic used by Illusionists. Their techniques to fool, to deceive, to break
and mend minds and cast barriers to protect their homes, all were simply
natural necessities in their line of study and choice of residence. Not all
Dzins are Illusionists, but you’d do well to respect them anyway.

“Keepers of Sky,
Wild and Free,
Keep watch of our lands,
Down to the deep blue sea.”
- Ballad of Keepers of Sky, Stanza 1.

28
VIND & FISCHERAN:
These two races hail from a different plane, and fled here after Earl
Carris of Monsters ravaged their homeland. These two races have an odd,
but symbiotic dynamic.
The Vinds are people of the sky, beings born with close ties to mana,
and may be born of it. Naturally long-lived, they hardly age, and their bodies
are known to simply stay unblemished, even after their deaths. Vinds have
the unique ability to control the wind, and their naturally bestowed magic
and racial ability, dubbed “Tempest Soul” allows them to deflect any
manner of magical force. These people possess dark hair, magenta eyes and
lavender skin, and they are naturally courteous and benevolent.

“Since the dawn of Gaia, the Vind was thought to be a myth; a

mystery retold through whispers everywhere. From rowdy taverns to
the quietest corner of a library, myths of their grand cities spread
throughout the generations. It was said that these floating cities were
held up with only the magic power of the Vind and nothing else.
Spotting a Vind was considered a bad omen. They are painted as an
evil race in most stories, but in truth, the Vinds were a peaceful race.
They sought refuge in Gaia while Carris pillaged their home, the
Endless Sky. In order to not disturb the tentative Gaia towns in place,
the Vind took to the skies, very rarely ever coming down from their
aerial cities.” - Ballad of Keepers of Sky, Introduction

Fischerans have lived with the Vinds hand-in-hand for as long as their
history records have been written. Fischerans have either cyan or seagreen
skin, hair, and eyes and have a unique affinity for water. Vinds are keepers
of the sky, and Fischerans are their guides. Their bodies are malleable with
concentration, and can have attacks simply phase through them with a little
effort. Those with more mastery over their bodies can simply melt and
congeal into a puddle, reforming at will. Because of their unique constitution
and affinity for water, they are immune to burns and impart a freezing touch
when struck.

“The Fischeran have long lived in prosperity with the Vind, acting as
guides to sailors of the sky and advisors to Vind royalty. During the
destruction of the Vind homeland, far more Vind was lost during the
29
 destruction of the plane as many saw it fit to "Sink with the ship".
Fischerans inhabited and followed the Vind who sought to leave their
despairing homeland. Fischerans are commonly found on the sky
palaces above Gaia, remaining as loyal servants to their Vind
masters. Some, however, have seen it fit to find places of peace in the
mountains below.” - Ballad of Keepers of Sky, Introduction

Having a close affinity to water and wind means that these sailors
were not originally sailors of the sky, but once of the sea. Fischerans were
master helmsmen, being able to feel the waters below their ship and steer
clear away from danger. When the sails grew slack, the Vind captains
mustered gushes of wind and changed the climate itself to move their
vessels. Vinds were natural mages, and in their home world they were the
only race capable of using it.
In our world, however, all races can use magic, but to a greatly lesser
degree compared to the original Vind masters. Original Vind magic is
something out of apocalyptic fables, summoning great tornados, calling
forth meteors from the sky, casting bolts of lightning, and ushering great
glaciers from another realm. These spells that were normally casted with
naught but willpower and concentration, were transcribed to scrolls to be
usable in this world.
Of course, with stories of these seemingly world-ending spells and
occasional meddlesome affairs, it’s easy to see why in our myths they were
painted as an evil race in most of our stories. But fret not, dear reader,
they’re far from it.

30
 “Blank stares, for all to see,
Endless hunger, endless thirst,
I think they'll consume me,
A single bite, spew blood first.

Weighty gaze, with green skin,

Unknown traveller, given wide berth,
Unknown stranger, mysterious birth,
Eaten, from head to shins.”
- Poems from Gaia, Navaran.
NAVARAN:
Navarans, sentient creatures of strange circumstance and odd origins.
From what could be gathered from rumors, there was a recent meteorite that
landed close to the outskirts of a remote town, far from civilization. The
meteorite was a known occurrence, and scholars flocked to the area to study
it. What they found was something akin to a vision of someone’s
nightmares. Creatures with green skin consuming the townspeople and
assuming their form, their clothes, mannerisms and speech. These are the
original Greater Navarans, closest to their originator.

“They are a species that evolves by consuming other species and

stealing their traits and abilities. They're thought to come from the
unknown depths of space, from some kind of entity that split up into
many fragments in order to divide and conquer and become some
kind of supreme being.” - Anonymous

These beings have the uncanny ability of emulating another’s technique with
perfect detail. For Greater Navarans this emulation is not only reserved for
techniques, but skills, gear, and even memories. Thankfully, these greater
Navarans are few and far between, and their perfect emulation is limited to
what is physical and not magical. Lesser Navarans, by a stroke of even
greater fortune, can only emulate techniques or skills. This makes them
versatile in their tools of war or peace. They’re a very rare sight, but as you
may know or heard, lesser Navarans were shakily accepted in our societies,
or at the very least, barely tolerated. The lesser Navaran are weaker versions
of their true potential, cut off from their true progenitor, and as such are
mortal and in their eyes “incomplete”. Navarans have difficulties in their fit
31
in society, as they are emotionless, cut from their originator and mortal.
They are what you may call abandoned ones, failures, too weak to truly fulfil
their original destiny of conquest.
The physical differences between greater and lesser Navarans are
indistinguishable, that being green-ish skin and large round black eyes with
blank stares. And as such, all Navarans are treated with fear that they may be
the greater version, however, their behaviors are quite different. Lesser
Navarans are not as powerful as the greater ones, as the greater Navarans are
all-powerful and somewhat foolhardy. This is because when slaying a
greater Navaran, it was reported that what could only be described as their
“soul” or true form, escaped their body as a sentient and motile form of
black smoke. These forms will then escape and regenerate their bodies to
full at some other destination. This grants them a sort of immortality, but it’s
been reported that, thankfully, this regeneration is strenuous and leaves them
without their previously consumed abilities.
Another big difference between the two is that, aside from lesser
Navarans leaving just a corpse when killed, is that Greater Navarans will
consume their slain victims to perfectly emulate their skills and memories,
and while lesser Navarans do have the irresistible urge to consume corpses,
they cannot steal memories from the slain like greater Navaran can.

We are blessed with fortune, as only one can imagine if these greater cosmic
beings lurking in the outskirts of our society were truly able to fully
consume, divide, and conquer to their destined extent. That would definitely
signal darker days ahead.

32
 “Souls of sinners
Sights to behold
Usher your flock
With culling untold”
- Prophecy of Sin, pg. 78
MORVID:
It is hard to classify these creatures, as they are on the verge of being a
monster, but at the same time, are sentient beings in humanoid form; and I
coin the term form lightly, as they can actually “evolve” by consuming
others of their own race. Aside from this, they are naturally attuned to mana,
and their light bodies allow them to survive falls that would kill ordinary
folk.
Morvid’s first forms are characterized by their avian appearance;
simply put, they look like giant crows with four, piercing red eyes, alongside
feathers and a beak. By consuming their own kind, they add their power to
their own, and evolve slightly. Consuming 10 will net them hair and skin
instead of feathers, and by consuming around 10 more, their four eyes merge
to two, and they lose their beak, replaced with a face not unlike you or I; a
face frozen in a permanent expression of what I can only describe as apathy,
or even boredom.
This is not all, upon evolving their final form they gain the ability to
disperse their body into a flock of crows, and reform mere moments later.
The theory is, is that Morvids are not unlike Dinakeris, where they consume
their own kind as a “live on through me”, but instead of runes, it’s a
permanent bond of one’s soul. It’s even speculated that Morvids are born of
groups of crows on battlefields and those souls who’ve met their untimely
deaths. With it, and with their collective miasma of torment, they would
incidentally gather into a sanguine puddle, being reborn as one, as a
Morvid.
I feel as if the barriers of our world, set up by Solan, are starting to
wear thin. How else could one explain the sudden influx of strange, sentient
races to our world? I believe that there may be a greater being toying with
the very fabric of reality, causing our astral and physical planes to merge...

33
 “For the construct,
Hailed from cold,
Paid naught of coin, but soul.
He’ll chop, he’ll slice,
He’ll prod and dice,
Change you, up whole,
Change you whole.”
- Excerpt from “An Ode to Them”.
CONSTRUCTS:
An artificial race, a feeble attempt on creating the “perfect” being, a
mere shadow of our ancient ancestors. These long-lived people are
characterized by their pale skin, dark indigo hair, and deep green eyes. Their
unnatural constitution comes from their unnatural origins, and while it was
said that those turned into constructs were to lose their soul in exchange for
their new forms. This is false, however, as Constructs can sire children.
The attitudes and mannerisms of individual constructs vary, as these
are a race of people created from something else. As a result, their original
forms and cultures will vary among themselves. Of course, these people are
a very rare sight indeed, and their methods of construction and
transformation have been all but wiped out. The reason why these beings are
as rare as they are is because decades ago, when these Constructs were
originally created, there were fears that constructs were an attempt at re-
creating Cameos. This led to a widespread hunt to eradicate all findings and
researchers dedicated to this alchemical process of creation.
However, there are rumors that there is still a lab, a compound deep
within the northern tundras, guarded by a dragon and situated deep
underground, still running to this day. But these rumors are simply just that.
Who with a head on their shoulders would believe an outrageous tale like
that?
In any case, the method for creating these beings is lost, but what
boons does this experiment give? Well, those who survive are very few. It
essentially strips your body down, leaving the soul, and builds one back up
anew. This is possibly the only way for even a Gaian to become flesh again.
Those who become Constructs enjoy a resistance to cold temperatures and a
greatly increased tolerance for potions.
All who practice the art of brewing potions know that these potions
are toxic, and in large doses can lead to a painful death. However, the body
34
that withstood the drastic and violent remolding of their form resulted in an
end product that can withstand great amounts of imbibed “potions” that
would kill any ordinary person instantly. For Constructs, these potions seem
to give an extraordinary amount of strength and vigor, and to those who’ve
imbibed enough of these potions can unlock a deep-rooted potential for the
control over life itself. This ability, dubbed “Galvanize” can instantly restore
any wounds and can revive themselves from a near-death state.
Those who’ve experienced Cameos first-hand can understand why
this ability struck fear into the hearts of others. The ability to revive oneself
from death is a feat capable only of Cameos, the result with Galvanize is
similar, but instead of damaging their soul, they instead flood their body
with toxins to forcibly regenerate themselves to a healthier, or more
accurately, less wounded state.
In the case of Constructs now, most enjoy being researchers in
alchemy or explorers of the north, due to their unique natural abilities that
give them tremendous advantages in these two fields. Their ability of
galvanizing themselves, however it is something that must be trained on. All
Constructs can feel the power surge through them, however miniscule it may
be, and even then, it’s merely a vestige, the bottom dregs of what it is to
touch the realm of divinity.
It sparks a philosophical question in my mind whenever I'm reminded
of this. To be a Construct is to sacrifice oneself to be reborn anew, but to be
a Cameo is to sacrifice others in search of divinity. One can pass on and
enjoy their greatly extended lives with others, while the other must suffer
alone with their immortality. Who wins, who grows as a person, in this case?
One who can have their new life be fulfilled? Or one who’s taken their
power from others?
It just shows that we have stopped and peered briefly into the realm of
the divine, and made an imperfect version of what we saw, however small.

“At Hallow's Eve, the Witch will appear,

Emerged beyond the woods of nightly fears,
Dropping sweets from the sky, all will cheer
“Trick or treat!”- until the next year ”
35
 - Children’s nursery rhymes
DULLAHANS:
Ahh, Hallows Eve. Doesn’t that simply just spark fond memories of
candies, delights and festivities after a good season’s harvest? Most will
agree that this is a great time for those in need of alms to find magical treats
scattered around the ground, much to their delight - my poor childhood
included. But what wonder did it spark in me when I picked up these treats
that were so sweet now, but would turn to dust after the season’s ended. Me,
sitting there with a strange sense of wanderlust, swaddled in rags at my squat
hut in my hometown, I wondered more and more about the world around
me, and grew irredeemably curious. What good that it brought me in the
end, to share my experiences and travels with the wide-world!

Besides the bittersweet nostalgia of my younger years that these

candies bring out, I’m sure that you also know about their peculiar ability to
bring out memories and experiences that are lost in the deep sea of our
subconscious mind. Depending on the flavor of the candy you gain insight to
a particular skill, all of which stem from a mysterious source and the only
explanation that I could sensibly give are perhaps experiences that are buried
in our subconscious, or maybe even memories from a past life. It’s foreign
fey magic that’s not readily understood and the Witch herself is too much of
an elusive and enigmatic figure to readily track down and ask these
questions anyway.

Speaking of experiences, knowledge and peculiar sights and rumors -

are of the existence of Dullahans. Curious beings sparked by the
mischievous nature of what they would call the “Halloween Spirit”.
They’ve all said the same thing, “Cross the worlds and show your
dedication.”, cryptic and strange, but those who are willing can do it,
otherwise we wouldn’t have them around in the first place.

There are reports of mystical powers of said Dullahans which include flight,
phasing through walls and immunity to flames and gravity, but I believe that
it’s nonsense. Surely the Halloween magic that the Witch provides is only
limited to summoning Halloween related things with magic and dolling out

36
mundane souvenirs like chairs or brooms, not to create demigods and
destroy the balance in this world, right?
Despite what these rumors might assert, their abilities are somewhat
mundane if a bit strange and the composition of their body is nothing too
special either. While their bodies are created from magical plants, formed to
a bipedal body that you and I would recognize. The main thing that separates
us from them is their fully detachable, flaming, pumpkin head. This head
they can pull off at any time to throw, which these now detached heads will
explode mere moments later. This head will reappear after some time and at
will they can repeat the process to spread mischief and mayhem across the
lands during Halloween.

With all their legends and rarity, Dullahans are undoubtedly rare, just as they
might be a more common occurrence during Hallow’s eve, they certainly
meld into the shadows once their season is over, much like the candies that
do the same.

37
 “Betrayer of four,
A wicked being,
Ascend yourself,
Unto me.”
- Lannis, Father of Lies
CAMEOS:
To call these individuals “people” would be an insult to all of us, and
it would be more accurate to term these beings as “sentient monsters”
instead. Cameos are the well-known boogeymen of our children’s stories,
people who’ve been seduced by the power of godhood and immortality. This
is something that shouldn’t be obtained by any normal means, as they are
reaching a mockery of a world where they would imitate god. By taking the
so-called meaning of “truth” and twisting it to a perversion that can only be
described as untold hubris.
These beings are characterized by their pale, yellowish skin, deep
violet eyes, and snow-white hair. Cameos are a failed mockery of Seraphs;
they were created by Lannis, the Father of Lies to spite Solan and to spit in
the face of our True Creator. The means of how far one would go to create
an artificial Seraph, to peer into “the truth” and twist it in a form to imitate
God speaks volumes of the untold amount of pride and lack of humility one
has as their place as a mortal.
In our stories of old, Cameos were created by an artifact, made by
none other than Lannis, Creator of Curses himself. This artifact as described
in the old tales, is an amulet that glows a radiant and incandescent white. A
curse it truly is, to be drawn in and take four of those who you would hold
most dear, clutch the Amulet of the White King, and utter the words
“I sacrifice.”.

“We who would dare to play God must pay a steep price for our
arrogance. That, is our Truth.” - Last words of a Cameo

Those who do sacrifice the ones that they hold most dear do obtain many
boons as a result of their treachery. They never need to eat, never tire, obtain
superhuman strength, become immortal, and can revive on the spot from
death. This ability is a sort of failed immortality. Their second coming
allows them to tirelessly fight until they reach their final death, and burn to
ashes on the spot, or retreat and lick their wounds to fight another day.
38
 To become a Cameo is to forcibly use the souls of others to elevate
your own, and wear your very own soul to it’s breaking point. The
Dinakeri’s method of soul ripping are comparatively less barbaric, since
rune magic doesn’t outright consume the soul, but instead uses the energy of
its release to the astral plane to fuel magic or their temporary state of
enhanced physical abilities. However, Cameos completely and utterly
destroy the souls that they use. This sort of failed divinity doesn’t come
without a cost. Aside from the fact that your immortal soul is forfeit in
exchange for an immortal body, Cameos cannot use spells, as the conduit
that is their soul is destroyed, and the soul is the root of all magic. They
instead are rejected by Solan, an empty husk that can merely just use magic
for basic enhancement.
Gigel’s last words speak multitudes of what it means to be us, what it
means to possess a soul, as he saw “the Truth of all Things”.

Because what does it mean, to sacrifice others in a cause that we can

deem "for the greater good?" Not all are seduced by immortality, but many
by power. To take power from a heretical source, to use it in desperation, to
take power from others, is the height of either insolence, or ignorance.
By robbing others, one will never grow internally. But we are not
perfect beings, nor will we ever be. Becoming a Cameo, even with noble
intentions will still boil down to a wrongful attainment of "Truth", or
perhaps an abstract concept of control.
Instead of taking strength from others, standing on a pedestal and
learning nothing, one should show humility and instead borrow strength
from others - that is the essence of humanity. Becoming a Cameo means
reaching a state where one is merely a proud rooster, and with their regal
acts they are blind to see that the post where they stand upon is little more
than a pile of manure.

39
 “Crimson horns,
With Gem-cut eyes,
An apple fell,
From a Serpent’s lies.”
- “Planewalkers”, Unknown writer
AZAELS:
Azaels, an extremely rare sight to behold. Characterized by their
bright red skin, infernal eyes, dark hair, and twin red horns upon their head,
which they hold a great importance to. These people are natural
planewalkers, and have a tremendous mastery over crossing worlds.
Haughty by nature, all members of their race wield the unique magic of
teleportation. They "Gate" by punching temporary holes in the very fabric of
space with the aid of their technological creations, Obelisks. These Obelisks
act as a sort of anchor, a focal point in their network of gates, as without it,
they may teleport anywhere, with potentially disastrous results.
They hail from a plane of perpetual flame, and aside from our
personal saying that “Ashiins are born of fire” Azaels are literally born of
fire. They are completely immune to flames and can immerse themselves in
it like we immerse ourselves in water.
The reason why they travel between worlds and universes are for the
most part, a mystery. All we know is that they travel frequently, mingle with
sentient beings that they come across, and if those who meet Azaels garner
enough favor towards them, perhaps by being helpful or by matching their
impish and witty nature, the particularly seasoned planewalkers may even
teach them how to use their unique magic.
There’s no doubt that they possess an advanced culture and society.
The current consensus is that Azael’s planewalk to gather particular
specimens from other worlds, whether it be natural things like fauna or flora,
or advanced technology to further better their society and homeland. Though
we do not know for certain whether or not their Gate abilities are completely
original to them, but it does seem to have a connection with magic. It’s said
by those who’ve mastered the ability of Gate and have been granted access
to obelisks, remark that these obelisks commune with their very soul.

40
 “True believers, have faith in Solan's blessings.
Oh, Lord... Save our lands from these faithless invaders.
At the end of our long path,
We shall reach you in the promised land.”
- Hymns and prayers to Solan
SERAPHS:
Legendary beings, in direct accordance to the books and legends,
these beings are closest to divinity, as they are blessed by Solan himself.
They act as his hands on this world, and are sent down to rain punishment to
those who dare sully his name.
These intermediaries between us and Solan mete his justice upon
those who are wicked, and legends say that you can feel their radiance in
their physical form. They have dull golden eyes, ivory skin, pure white hair,
and ichor that glows a bright gold.
These hands of justice are close to Him, and as a result, they can cast
magic without a tome and even emerge from white flames unharmed.
Furthermore, it is said that they can fight and not grow weary, run and not
feel faint, and can soar on wings like an eagle, only to drop from the heavens
like the hammer of Solan’s wrath.
They are infinite in their attempts and pursuit for good, though it is
said that there can be many interpretations of what may be considered
righteous in their actions. There are old legends of them saying that they will
descend from the heavens to give visions and messages to those in need, and
to those who are pure and pious.
Gigel, for example, was said to be visited by a Seraph, to impart the
revelation of the Truth and artificial immortality. It is said though, that by
discovering these Gigel was made an example of, and punished. A harsh
reminder of humility, and to never stray into the territory that He resides.
For He is eternal, He is all-knowing, He is all-seeing, and He protects
this world with utmost vigilance, and expects us not to stray from our Path.

41
MAGIC, SPELLS, AND MANA:
As I have promised back in the introduction to this book, I will teach
you my understanding of magic because, as it stands dear reader, that if you
read through the entirety of this text you must be an aspiring mind, ripe with
potential.
As my old mentor explained it to me when I was a mere budding
student, she said that, in her own words:

“You see, magic... Is the ultimate fantasy. We are born to follow the
rules of the world, and we are charmed by the bending of these rules,
but this manipulation we cannot perfect. Those whose fascination
with magic persists, learn to channel it in their own hand.”

Our world is governed by scientific laws, laws that cannot be broken

by normal means. Gravity, friction, conservation of mass, the laws of
motion, simple concepts of our reality that keeps everything together.
Magic, on the other hand, is the breaking of these laws. Conjuring
flame from one’s palm, cursing someone’s body, resurrecting the dead,
breaking one’s mind, all of these are an impossibility without magic.
Magic, and mana itself, is an object of chaos. One can use the analogy
that our reality is an orderly one, a sugar cube in a cup of tea. The tea is the
realm outside our world of laws, and in our natural state, we adhere together.
By utilizing magic, it’s like stirring the cup of tea and dissolving the sugar
inside. The sugar will reform and reassume it’s natural place once we stop
stirring, but as we constantly stir we introduce tea into the sugar.
That, is magic.
Mana (Or Tithe, as some may call) is something that any being can
train. We attain mana by being born with it, striking others to absorb the
natural energy that their souls produce, become a monster of the night, or be
struck by a curse spell. This forcibly and violently exposes our soul to the
outer realms of reality, if only briefly. In turn, this allows us to become a
conduit, a battery of sorts, to temporarily hold this object of chaos.
Mana can be trained, and is done so by meditating, by absorbing all
the mana that our bodies can hold, briefly letting go, and repeating that
process again. It is a long process that can only be done by “feel” but those
who mastered this can call upon a very basic form of magic - physical
enhancement magic.
42
 Those who’ve exposed themselves to mana and are fully trained in
attuning themselves can employ enhancement magic to their bodies. The
first and most basic of which are “mana running”. By encasing one’s body in
a thin shell of mana, one can reduce the friction on one’s body and can run at
speeds that are physically impossible otherwise.
Next, is using mana as a springboard of sorts, by concentrating the
mana within your body into your legs, you can use it as a boost to propel
yourself further than without it.
On the opposite end, by concentrating the mana within your fists, it
will allow one to disrupt your opponent’s mana charge with your own, by
muddling the homogeneity that the opponent needs to charge mana in the
first place.
Finally, there is mana climbing. Mana climbing is very difficult, as it
requires both strength and skill to master. By concentrating the mana in your
body, you must circulate it all throughout your body in an even manner. You
can use this circulation to adhere yourself to walls and flat vertical surfaces.
With training, one can reach a maximum of 15 seconds. Various types of
enchanted clothing can help with evenly regulating the circulation within
your body, allowing you to climb faster as you need not concentrate nearly
as much as if you would without.

Attaining basic physical enhancement is only scratching the surface of

what magic can do. Spells are what we truly think about when the smallfolk
talk about magic. Spells are based upon an idea of equivalent exchange. We
scrawl the hex on the scroll, use the circle inscribed, and trace our hand
signs in the air while outputting the equivalent amount of mana needed into
it. We pour too much, we backfire the spell. We pour too little, the spell
fizzes out; but for more powerful spells, it backfires instead. Rune magics
have a simple workaround to this solution. Dinakeris or Wraith Knights can
bypass this fine control of mana by expending the energy of a soul to
perfectly cast a spell without consequence.
Becoming a mage means having a fine control over how much mana
we charge in our bodies, quick hands and precision are the essential tools of
a magic user.
Those who become tomeless do not need a magic circle on parchment,
but instead their bodies themselves have become open to magic, as they

43
have reached the “Truth”, and become privy to all manner of things. Their
hand signs and way of casting are natural to them as a result.
However, I mentioned in the Castellan chapter of the book about snap
magic. To reiterate,

“Those who have gained an attunement to a spell, that is, use the spell
so frequently that the spell has made a mark on one’s soul and mind,
can unleash its effects with a simple snap of the fingers. These snap
magics are varied, and can suit a wide variety of purposes in combat.
However, all races are limited to just one, unless you sacrifice a part
of your very soul to have another. However, all Castellans are
naturally born with and can use not one, but two snap spells.”

These variants of spells can be cast by those with and without tomes, the
only thing one needs is nothing but a soul that “resonates like calm waters”,
a master of the craft can then awaken the potential within the individual.
Not all spells are created equal, and some spells and snap spells
require specialized training to even use properly, these “God Spells” are
extremely dangerous and rare, an example of which are the original Vind
magics created by the Vind sages of old. However, even as someone without
specialized training, you should be able to defend yourself with more basic
spells, like ignis which will burst a jet of fire from your palm, or armis,
which will shoot a missle that will rip the weapon out of the hands of your
foes.
Creating new spells is something that established magic scholars work
tirelessly upon. Even scrolls of magic themselves are difficult to produce,
with the ink, the parchment, and the drawings must be absolutely perfect in
their formulas, otherwise the spell will simply not work. As such, production
of common scrolls are really only produced in specialized facilities.
THE ORIGIN OF UNARMED COMBAT:
“ Before there was Time1,
Before there was anything,
There were dragons.
And before there were dragons,
There were Great Ones2. ”

1 Can be read as “history".

2 Could also be “Greater Enlightened Ones” or simply, “Gods”.
44
 - Elder Dragon, Deva

In our modern times, there are two schools of fist combat. The "Gentle way"
and the "Killing way". These two can also be dubbed the Gentle fist vs
Killing fist, or Soft style vs Hard style, or simply, Motion vs Force.

According to the monk’s teachings, fist combat originated from dragons and
in the dragon’s words, their style of fighting was taught from the heavens,
the forces of balance, and the cumulative wisdom of their enlightened
ancestors.
In the days of yore, the land was ruled by furious dragons with their claws
and techniques to crack the Vearth and split the sky - all were used in
endless combat.
Eventually their numbers dwindled, some maddened by their loss still
wandered the Vearth, some instead turned to quiet meditation, reflection,
atonement and seeked to quell their innate fury through great, great effort.

Monks descended from dragon worshippers, entranced by their power and

serenity, they started preaching and practiced a peaceful and ascetic lifestyle,
close to enlightened Vearth and the boundless sky.
As a way to defend their monasteries from monsters and bandits, they
developed the "gentle way" with the help of their dragon idols; they kept key
elements of their philosophy to make a fist style centered around defence
with both spiritual and bodily harmony. To the monks, the gentle way was
another way to meditate and to reach enlightenment. This style was used to
defend oneself and those important to you, not to kill.

The techniques of the monks correlate heavily with their ideas of Tenchi,
which is dragonspeak for “Of Heaven and Vearth”. As a result, the style
relies heavily on mana, a balance of natural energy or “chi” within their
bodies and uses innovative ways to train and mold the body to use unique
properties of physical enhancement. For the common monk, they are taught
techniques of Vearth, as the techniques for Heaven are only taught by
draconic masters.
The techniques of Vearth rely on use of Chi, mana, defence, disruption of
the opponents Mana, and use of elements related to the Vearth, namely fire
and stones. Some of the more profound techniques the ascetic monks use
45
include their “iron body” abilities, where they train their flesh to deflect
bone-breaking blows and sharp blades.
Their unique defensive “chi shields” allow the monks to knock away
attackers and by focusing their mana, channeling their chi and taking a
stance they can unleash the true power of the Vearth style with their
monastic stance. This stance takes advantage of the powers of Vearth, their
fists connect with the titanic strength of dragons and they draw upon the
powers of flame, as well as bestow the properties of monastic stance with
the spell Viribus.
Interestingly enough, when enhanced with mana particularly powerful
attacks will cause their fists to burst into flames. It’s also noted that their
mana punches are much more effective due to their heavy training in
physical enhancement magic, such training is only taught to those who call
themselves monks, however, and the method is a closely guarded secret.

And although the method of teaching the monks on how to utilize this
strange ability called “Chi” is a guarded secret, the philosophy and idea
behind Chi was explained to me as “To know one’s place in the vastness of
the world, to act without being attached to emotions or ego and to draw out
the good nature intuitively that is in your heart.”.
The use of Chi is known to require a calm and serene mind, and while its
abilities can be used without mana, it's more pronounced and visible effects
can be seen when mana is used as a catalyst.
However, my theory on the root of “chi” techniques is simply a careful
balance of ethereal mana and natural energy. Of course this balance derives
from the Vearth and requires specialized amounts of control, emotionally
and physically.

Regardless, the gentle way focuses on disruption of mana and the inner flow
that mana has on a body, this way they can effectively shut down a mage’s
abilities by releasing Chi enhanced mana (or perhaps mana enhanced Chi?)
into their opponents when they strike, making them an asset when defending
the libraries of Magna Solis or other cities under danger of rogue mages.
This, of course, makes them a welcome sight in cities not only for the
protection they give, but also due to the charitable services to the community
that they happily provide.

46
As explained before, the Vearth techniques of the gentle way are taught by
monks as a way to defend themselves and others, as well as a form of
meditation. True disciples, that is those who know the techniques of Heaven
and Vearth are revered as "Dragon Sages''. True to the legends, their
advanced style of the gentle way commands both Heaven and Vearth, in a
pursuit to become "unrivaled under the heavens''. Instead of just Vearth and
Fire, the techniques of Heaven style focus on conquering lightning, the
venerable sages can drop from the heavens to smite their foes in a
thunderous roar, move and strike so fast that they spark and leave naught but
lightning behind, and imbue their fists with both Heaven and Vearth,
sometimes simultaneously. In every sense, they embody the true physical
concept of the philosophy and meaning behind Tenchi.

Another style developed after the gentle way and instead of protection, it's
sole purpose is for killing. Techniques are used to injure, maim and kill,
rather than defend the weak and innocent, or to smite evil.
This style was created by a strange and elusive person, who’s origin as well
as true motives or goals still remain under speculation, or at least shrouded
in rumor and mystery. His students are named after demons and ogres in
ancient dragonspeak tongue and while the gentle way focuses on channeling
techniques of earth and sky as well as a calm and serene mind, practitioners
of the killing way channel their own fury, hatred, and dark inner emotions to
slaughter their victims, leaving nothing but mountains of corpses with their
fists of steel.

The basic techniques of the killing way revolve around kicks to break legs or
ribs, enough to debilitate a victim and allow an Akuma3 to deal the final
killing blow to their opponent wallowing in agony.
However, using just the simple bone-breaking attacks do not mark the true
prime disciple of the killing way, as the more esoteric and unique moves
focus on rapid consecutive attacks, quick finishing blows and the ability to
phase in and out of our reality to become invincible to any weapon or spell
known to us. With their unique power, experienced practitioners of the
killing way known as “Onis4” can easily and joyfully murder the helpless

3 Meaning “Devil” in dragonspeak, its rank and ability in the style is similar to a Monk.
4 Meaning “Ogre” in dragonspeak, it’s abilities are comparable to (and some may argue surpasses) a
Dragon Sage
47
and experienced fighters alike. Though this is thankfully uncommon, as in
their words - “I got no time for chumps.”.
Even then, their master is still around, training those who have proved
themselves to him. Some uttered the name “Ethan” when the killing fist
emerged, but most call him “Big Hoss”; Dragon Sages refer to him as “The
Destroyer of Heaven” with open spite.

It’s unknown where this elusive master and pioneer of the killing fist came
from, some say that he lacked the serenity to master chi, other’s say that he
was obsessed with becoming “unrivaled beyond the heavens”, though we
don’t know exactly where these unique and frightening techniques and
abilities truly came from, we can only speculate and see the results from the
occasional practitioner of the killing way.

In the end, these styles are generally regarded as two sides of the same coin,
yin and yang, as they cannot exist without each other - for balance is an act
of two sides.

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CONCLUSION:
And that concludes this book. I’m glad to see that you’ve made it to
the end here, and would like to thank those who have encouraged me to
create it. I hope that this book provides numerous insights to our people.

If you found this book inspiring, then I urge you to find a tutor and
focus on your studies. One day, you can become a scholar worth your salt,
and produce books that will inspire those to take up the path.

And if by any chance you come across this book in the far future, I hope that
you can read this as a reference to how it was back in the olden days, and
reminisce on how well we’ve journeyed as people of this land.

In any case, with the final parting words of this book done, I’m excited to
announce that I have another journey waiting for me, across the seas. I hope
that this journey will prove as exciting as the last.

Thank you, dear reader!

CHANGELOG:
- Added Table of contents
- Edited a bit to Haseldan to detract a bit from legend and ground it more into reality
- Added a sentence and changed a few terms on Castellan
- Added to Gaians a tiny bit, to give more ambiguity on the word "God"
- Added to Madrasians
- Added to Dinakeris
- Added a bit to Dzins
- Added a line to Vinds & Fischerans to support the metal scroom section
- Added Dullahans
- Added a section on Metal Scrooms in the scroom section
- Edited a term on Navarans quote
- Added a sentence on rune magic on the magic section
- Added a nod to Tithe in the magic section
- Added the origin of unarmed combat styles

I hope you enjoyed this long-needed update. The original doc was supposed
to be on another link so people would stop requesting access and spamming
49
my inbox, but I digress. I had a plan to update the doc ever since it came out
(where’s the metalscrooms? lul.) and a sudden urge of inspiration back in
December 2020 overtook me and I completed the update within February of
this year.

Sadly I haven’t been able to get into contact with Rag, though I hope it’s
more of a discord-technical issue than a personal one, since I got banned
from the discord server for reasons I don’t know or that at this point I don’t
care for - typical rogue mod complaint, I know.

Instead of waiting I decided to manually change the doc and transfer the
contents from the first over to the second, a task I’ve been holding off for a
while.

For obvious reasons, I like to keep my relative anonymity despite what clout
I could get from this, so if you know me - keep it hush-hush.
Also, big thanks to Agamatsu for having his DM’s open and helping me try
to get the original link some traction.

In anycase, let's hope that this is a double whammy for those who are hyped
for the release of Deepwoken (and the recently released FAQ), and despite
my slight salt for being promised Wave 1 yet circumstances being I couldn’t
50
cash in on that opportunity, I still hope you enjoy. Maybe I’ll get some
inspiration to add more.

I’ll see you guys and girls in fall, maybe the ivory scholar will have a new
surge of inspiration then.

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