Phantasmagoria
arc I: the convalescent dark.
A missing girl, an insatiable hunger, and a necropolis seething.
Mercaid is a castle forged in mystery, from the Pendragon Vaults below to the unearthly colossus looming high above, motionless. A new school year begins as old wounds yet bleed. In the midst of it all, an old mystery resurfaces, threatening to upend the utopic facade of humanity’s new kingdom. Something dark looms over the Mercaid College of the Arcane, and it's only a matter of time before it strikes.
RUÉN
the truth is rarely pure and never simple.
‣ SPOKEN: non-magical races; those who are physically uncorrupted by the arcane. ex. halflings, dwarves, & humans.
‣ WYLDLINGS: those who, over time, have been shaped by wyld magic, or those born with an elemental affinity. ex. elves, genasi, & firbolgs.
‣ DARKLINGS: those who, over time, have been shaped by dark magic, usually divine or hellish in nature. also includes any humanoid monsters. ex. tieflings, aasimar, & vampires.
history.
In the wake of the first World War, the long-secret, dwindling population of magi, monsters, and fae fled the Earth, leaving behind the machines of war before they destroyed all life as they knew it. Their destination: a demiplane capable of supporting their small society known as Ruén. It was a land entirely bereft of life, and it was seemingly supported by a colossal, lifeless statue, one that was later dubbed ‘the Judge.’The journey to Ruén was a difficult one. To open a portal large enough to ferry an entire population, it took the combined efforts of the world’s three greatest powers: the Spoken king, Pendragon II; Saturnalia, an ancient trickster; and the Penitence, Empress of the Endless Night. The spell was unlike any cast before, and it was far from perfect. Many were lost in the transition between the two planes. Some used the stone colossus as a beacon and found their way home, but most were lost to the endless void.The aftermath left those responsible horribly scarred. Saturnalia became cruel and reclusive, blaming the lost souls on the shortcomings of mortals. The King Pendragon II fell into an unshakeable depression and wasted away upon his throne as his regent lord kept the peace. In Penitence, something broke, and she wandered off to lands uncharted, never to be seen again.
regalia.
The enchanted regalia that serves as the backbone of magical society is more entangled in daily life than ever now that society has abandoned technology almost entirely, shaping the sociopolitical sphere with increasing relevance. The artifact one wields often determines their prospects — and standing — in the world. These sentient magic items allow their bonded wielders to cast beyond the normal means, achieving feats otherwise impossible.For the security of all, these artifacts are kept safely stored in the vaults beneath Mercaid castle. Yearly tournaments witness young aspirants vying for the favor of these artifacts, which, if impressed, will choose a wielder from among the lot. This ceremony is responsible for making Mercaid the cultural center for Spoken society.
dossier.
‣ KING EUPHEMIE PENDRAGON: The longest lived of her line, Euphemie Pendragon has held Excalibur for 53 long years. Her wisdom is unparalleled, and her rule has seen leaps and bounds in the transcription of new spells and magical techniques. She is the current king of Ruén and resides within her chambers on the outskirts of Mercaid.
‣ ELSPETH BLACKWOOD: The headmistress of Mercaid as well as a trusted advisor to the King. She is a powerful chronomancer and is bound to the Branch of Yggdrasil, a plain-looking shard of pale wood said to be a splinter from the World Tree itself. Rigid and cunning, her dauntless facade rarely (if ever) cracks, and if it does, it is to rage and rage alone. It's said that she harbors a soft spot for small versions of normal objects.
‣ SATURNALIA: Archfey, wielder of the Liar's Dance, and last surviving member of the party that facilitated the exodus to Ruén. A masterful illusionist and clever negotiator, they befriended the spirits within the Shifting Forest, allowing them to bend the wood to their will. Those who enter with ill will find themselves lost and left to die. Merciless? Perhaps. Saturnalia has never been known to harbor much love for outsiders. Foreign wine, however... now that's a different story.
‣ VERDICT: High Inquisitor and acting regent of the Darklings, Verdict has managed internal and diplomatic affairs since the Empress’ initial absence. They’ve been a steady, guiding hand, although tensions between the Spoken people and the Darklings are at an all-time high. Rumor has it that the reason they’re so well-informed is due to innumerable spies planted in every court. Verdict's bound artifact is the Censer of a Thousand Eyes, the smoke from which encircles them in an unnatural, gilded haze.
‣ SARCOPHAGUS: The Grand General and lead strategist for the Empire of the Endless Night. His rise to power came as a surprise to many, as he had no prior history or accolades to precede him. The general consensus is that he’s Verdict’s protege— though their rivalry doesn’t seem to lend any credibility to that theory, leaving the mystery of his origins yet unsolved. Sarcophagus is most notable for his monstrous form. Towering at well over a dozen feet tall, he typically fights with his bare hands... or the massive, searing-hot chains that hang from the manacles binding his wrists.
MAGIC
Magic is pervasive. Drawn from the inherent energy that ebbs and flows throughout the universe, it takes a certain understanding of things to become a mage— time, space, matter, chemistry. You have to know the rules to break them, after all.But how?The three primary branches of magic are representative of their own unique philosophies that determine how a mage weaves their spells, effectively rewriting snippets of the universe to their desired outcome.
the darklings
i love the name of honour more than i fear death.
‣ DARK MAGIC: The core principles of dark magic are strength and will. Through knowledge, dark magic subjugates the universe, forcing it to rearrange itself however the mage pleases. To best a creature you must be stronger than that creature, and dark magic capitalizes on the assertion of a mage's dominance, growing more powerful against foes that waver or show fear.
‣ MASKED: The Darklings are those who have aligned themselves with the Endless Night and the philosophy that governs it. They also include those most other groups tend to reject, such as monstrous figures, demons, etc. In spite of their name, they are a welcoming people, and wanderers are generally met with open arms.Their world is centered around the dichotomy of strength and vulnerability; of honor and deceit. Every Darkling wears a mask, and to remove it in others' company is considered one of two things: a gesture between family or lovers, or a promise to kill. The more weathered a mask is, the more respect one commands. It shows that they suffered... and lived. Clerical figures, however, only wear layered veils as a symbol of their love for their fellows.Darkling society as a whole is centered upon honor, with deceit to one's fellows being a capital offense. Congregated in their labyrinthine, underground city, they never stray far from home, preferring to remain close to the rest of their fellows. Their relatively small population makes this less difficult than it sounds.
the spoken
beliefs create reality.
‣ SPOKEN MAGIC: Spoken magic relies on imagination and belief. Operating under the assumption that the universe operates on a set of rules, the mage devises a way that, feasibly, the desired spell can be wished into being. Urgency only amplifies one's power as the mind makes leaps of faith to rationalize its way into survival. While spoken magic is the most commonly practiced of the three methods, it is no less dangerous. Its inherent individuality lends itself towards odd consequences, capable of corroding a mage into any manner of creature.
‣ WHERE LEGACY REIGNS KING: Spoken magic heavily relies on the use of magical artifacts known as Regalia to amplify its power. Due to this, more powerful Regalia are considered a status symbol, and most aristocrats endeavor to keep whatever artifacts they have within the family line. They even determine rulership through this same process. Whoever wields Excalibur becomes King, regardless of creed, background, or age. This tradition has occasionally caused some turbulence in the political sphere, as the blade’s proclivity towards electing child kings has become something of a problem as time goes on. The current King, Euphemie, has hypothesized that Excalibur does this purely out of spite, as it is, “The most baleful hunk of steel [she has] ever had the displeasure of carrying.”
the wyldlings
‣ WYLD MAGIC: Wyld magic, like dark magic, is inherently tied to force of will. Unlike its dominant counterpart, wyld magic is grounded in being purely contrarian. By knowing what is, you know what is not, but reality itself is subjective— right? Those who favor this philosophy tend to be artists, illusionists, architects, and visionaries. They've devised a new design for the universe, and they intend to forge it.
‣ THE SHIFTING FOREST: Isolationists by nature, the Wyldlings brought what little of their home they could to Ruén, growing a forest from nothing. The Shifting Forest earned its name not due to its size, but its ability to distort time and the perception of those within. Saturnalia, the archfey that leads the Wyldlings, is able to exert a modicum of control over the woods, although, in the end, the trees have a mind of their own. They tend to favor musicians and poets, leading many adventuring parties to bring bards with them instead of guides when seeking to visit the Wyldlings’ treetop city. Bribes help too. Naturally.
