Talketh

Ar'nai

Tergans

Humans

Talketh are an exceptionally ancient race that, in the distant past, faced a cataclysmic event resulting in the loss of their physical bodies and their entire civilization. A select group of Talketh chose to transfer their souls into artificial bodies and entered a state of hibernation as a means to endure the impending apocalypse. Millennia later, they were awakened by humans, who unintentionally discovered their place of rest. It was during this awakening that it became evident that the process of transferring their souls into artificial bodies had stripped them of all memories predating this transformation. Small group of Talketh, a reminder of the once monstrous civilization now at the mercy of humans that towered over them both in strength and numbers. Artificial bodies were an extraordinary creation of science and magic from the old times, however they were not one of the most durable nor could they match the strength of other intelligent races. Although thanks to the connection of souls to the artificial bodies being unnatural, it made their connection to magic stronger than ever. Spell casting became much easier and their senses became inseparable from magic around them. To show appreciation towards humans for waking them up from hibernation, Talketh started to teach their saviors how to wield the power of magic safely. The two races are now connected through a strong bond, where Talketh always has seen themselves in the role of a mentor, that will guide humans into the right direction. Humans enjoy the share of knowledge on magic they get offered from their friends. Artificial Talketh bodies are made of mysterious material, which with time is able to regenerate itself. Magical aura can be sensed from around it, and can be fully animated through the use of the soul placed in the core inside the body. The core is a small ball-shaped artifact, working as a soul anchor. Talkeths faces are completely smooth, without eyes, nose nor ears. That is why they usually wear masks, which usually give off the character of the wearer, and most importantly don’t frighten other races by showing pale, empty ovals in the place of the face. Due to Talketh not having biological organs, their senses work differently. Their sight and hearing are connected in something, which you can call surrounding awareness, in “seeing”; darkness doesn’t bother them nor blinding light. These senses have a magical underlying, which makes Talketh able to “hear” spells that are cast nearby, or with time they can be able to tell what spell will be cast before a mage is able to perform the spell. Another “defect” that came with their new bodies was how Talketh communicated with each other. The sound seems to come from outside the body, but the source is hard to track. With their experience in magic their second way of communicating came, telepathy, where they are able to send words directly to someone’s mind. However, they need to see the person they are talking to, and it takes a toll on the user, so it is only used when needed. Due to losing their biological bodies and not remembering which gender they were before waking up, they decided to abandon this matter, and set their identity mainly by a group identity which reflects on their first part of the name. For example “Tal” meaning mage, “Vegh” as wanderer, or “Urma” as a scholar.

The Ar’nai live in harmony with aquatic beings, using sea creatures as mounts or companions. They mainly feed on marine plants but also consume meat from hunted marine and terrestrial beasts. They live slightly longer than humans – the oldest members of this race can even reach 200 years. In construction, they use corals, stone, shells, and a special pearl mass, which after proper processing can also be used for the production of armor, weapons, and jewelry. Their society is divided into castes, some of the most important being the Pearl caste (aristocracy and monarchy), Storm caste (warriors), Moon caste (priesthood), Beast caste (breeding and training of marine animals), and Reef caste (workers). Mixing between Ar’nai from different castes is allowed; in such cases, the offspring of such a couple chooses which caste to belong to at the age of 20. The Ar’nai do not have a state; instead, they have city-states called enclaves, and each city is a different enclave. Representatives of each enclave meet once every 10 years in the currently ruling enclave to choose which city will represent and coordinate the actions (in case of danger or need) of all other enclaves. The Ar’nai primarily worship two gods, their beloved Aquelun and her former lover, the beast from the depths, Vatros. Aquelun is the guardian of her marine children, representing the calm and life-giving side of water and the moon (according to legends, she is a great pearl that Aquelun placed in the sky so that everyone could admire her beauty), and she also granted the Ar’nai the ability to foresee the future. In order for a priestess to foretell the future, she needs a special black pearl, and the entire process must take place in the moonlight. During the ritual, the priestess enters a trance state and experiences visions, while around her, one can hear unintelligible whispers of various voices. Vatros is considered an evil deity, and following his path was long ago prohibited, leading to a civil war with his followers, who, defeated, fled into the depths of the sea. The Ar’nai mainly live in the Emerald Waters Ocean in its shallower part called the Moonlight Reefs. Although this is the largest cluster of their cities, there are enclaves located in other places as well, such as Tempestra by the Northern Ocean, or Fundumaris, the deepest enclave at the border of the DarkAbyss.
 
The Tergans are a race that values honor, craftsmanship, and ancestry. They are excellent warriors and loyal friends, but unfortunately, they are also cursed with demonic blood, which prevents them from effectively using magic and makes them prone to anger. Long ago, they also revered nature, but when demons attacked and tainted their people with their blood, their connection with nature weakened significantly. Tergan culture is filled with sadness and melancholy due to the losses suffered in the war with the demons, and the most visible symbol of those times is the heart of the demonic ruler, which the Tergans diligently guard in the great fortress in their capital – the Iron City. Long ago, when Humans, with the help of the recently awakened Talketh, were just beginning to build their kingdoms, the Tergans lived in peace and harmony with their forests and the creatures inhabiting them. During those times, there were many conflicts and friendships between the Tergans and Humans, but everything changed when the demons arrived. They turned the Tergans into their servants, defiling them with their blood and destroying their native forests and meadows. The war with the demons lasted for many years and was extremely devastating for the world. The lands belonging to the Tergans were scorched to the ground and separated from the rest of the continent, thus creating their current home, the Isle of Terg. Eventually, the combined forces of Tergans, Talketh, Ar’nai, and Humans managed to block the demons’ path to this world and defeat the demonic ruler, Abaddon, whose heart the Tergans guard to this day. The victory led to friendship between the victorious races and brought new hope for the future. The Tergans built a huge fortress in a dormant volcano in the middle of their island, where they sealed the demonic heart. More and more Tergans came to this fortress, believing it was their duty to guard Abaddon’s heart, and over time, more buildings and fortifications were erected around the fortress, until the great Iron City, the current capital of the Tergans, was built.
 

 

 

People mainly inhabit the continent of Ouvelon, which they dominated long ago, overwhelming other inhabitants with their numbers and ingenuity. Initially, other races were not favorably disposed towards humans. The Tergans were repelled by human disrespect for their traditions and nature, the Ar’nai considered humanity uncivilized savages, and the Talketh, who were awakened by them in their artificial bodies, expressed gratitude for their discovery but to this day remain somewhat distant in their own way. Much changed, however, when demons first arrived. It was then that a young prince named Meredin appeared, who united most of the warring human kingdoms to collectively oppose the invader. For many years, they resisted the demons, and when the opportunity arose, Meredin supported the attempts to free the transformed Tergans from the yoke of the demonic ruler, Abaddon. With his wisdom and humility, Meredin persuaded the Tergans and humans to abandon old grudges and form an alliance, and the battles fought together against the demons strengthened the bonds between the races. With the support of the Tergans, Talketh, and Ar’nai, Meredin defended the Fairy Bay, while the most powerful mages created a magical barrier in the form of a shield to stop the demons from invading this world. After creating the shield that defended the world, they jointly slew Abaddon, and this feat halted the demon invasion and ended the war. After repelling the demonic hordes and defeating Abaddon, Meredin founded the Kingdom of Tirganoth and the Order of The Shield of Destiny, dedicated to the main god of humans, Az. Their task was to ensure that demons would never again succeed in entering this world. Unfortunately, Meredin did not rule his kingdom for long because he was killed by wounds sustained during the invasion a few years later. Meredin was hailed as a saint by the people, and his son Angnar I took over the kingdom. For the next decades, Humanity, with the help of the Tergans and Talketh, faced a new threat, the necromancer Vartheron, and many other dangers that followed. Now the Necromancer has returned, opening small passages to demons, and the magical cyclone over the northern pole has begun to dissipate, heralding a new era. People find themselves between a rock and a hard place, fighting Vartheron, demons, and a strange plague turning everything into monsters from the Northern Reaches.
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