Introduction to Animora
Foreword
Animora is an existence, a universe, quite unlike our own. It is a world where the physical is but one of several considerations, where concepts can alter the world, where the soul hold power, and where gods roam. Careful, friend, for the five realms of Animora are great and tall, and differ all. Most hidden and least known is the divine realm, it overlaps the other four realms of Animora and is where deities and gods recide in their true form. In the sky there is the two realms of Konari of sky, ocean and storm, and Veltosh of flame, earth and magma. The center of Animora is split in twine in North and South, where one is wild and mighty yet never change, and one is stable and by some called weak, yet changes as the ages pass. Animora's southern half, a realm of flame and elder gods-a plenty, a realm of fire. of power and of magic unending. And last, but not least, is Animora's northern half, this is the realm in which we shall go, for it is here mortals roam and titans hide.The world
Animora's northern half is usually just referred to as Animora, especially by the universe's inhabitants, as they are usually either unaware or only vaugly so that there is a greater whole, and even those that are aware usually juist refer to those other parts by their specific names rather than as part of the greater Animora. Animora is split into various continental groupings all around The Northern mountain in the center of the map, and north is always in its direction when within this realm. Humans primearilly live in the continent group of Enokk and Enokk is the continent seen to the west Animora MapThe gods
When one thinks of a god, many different ideas may be present, however within Animora, there are a few different kidns of powerful beings that more or less may fit the definitions from various points of view. They are divided into various different categories, all with different dos and don'ts, but one of the biggest is quite simple: while a god has power in all of Animora's northern half, a deity has power only within their deific dominion.Primival entities
While all primeval entities are far more powerful than those that are not among their ranks, only really The Dead God Of Madness and The Nine are actual gods.The Three
Azura and Ishva are sometimes referred to as The Two, while The Dead God Of Madness is unknown by the vast majority of gods and men.The Nine
Elder gods
Old gods
Gods
Throne-bearers
Deities
Deific pantheons
Magic
Magic is the existential alteration of reality using outside sources of power such as soul essence coming from the Eternal soul. Soul essence in particular can be unaligned or ascended, but primearilly have five potential aspects related to what part of reality it itneracts with, with three spheres related to its relation to reality vs the existential plane of the soul. Primordial truth
There are The 7 primordial dominions each divided into 3 of the 21 primordial domains.
Magic attunements
The vast majority of magics possess a Magical attunement, a flavour of existence that affects their nature. In truth, even unaligned and unattuned magic has such a "flavour", as, by its very nature, Magic cannot be mundane, and as such, even unaltered, it will have the same "flavour" as its source of power. For a mortal, this "flavour" when not altered at all, will be of Existence, which is the innate Magical attunement of the soul.Magic Wielders
Most types of magic wielder are present in one sphere and essence attunement, with the lower spheres being less powerful but often easier to master and wield, and the higher spheres often being slow, hard to master, and immensly powerful. There are also exceptions to these rules, such as warlocks, druids and witches, who each draw power from various sorces that may involve more than one of each sphere and essence attunement. MagiMagi
A magi is a mortal who through comprehension aligns their Soul essence with knowledge and meaning, transmuting it into Mana using arcane structures known as Spells.Mage
Wizard
Sorcerer
Divine Invokers
Mortals who attune themselves to a Deific domain to the point where their essence and soul aligns with it and transmutes their essence to Divinity becomes divine invokers. Magic powered by Divinity is known as a Miracle.Priest
Cleric
Ecclesiarch
Psions
Psions manipulates the are around themselves through attunement to the world around themselves, attaining Authority around it through rejection of the world and an attunement to some aspect of the location around one-self.Psychic
Psionic
Mystic
Ki artists
Ki shapers wield ki-formations to create magical effects physically present within the world. It requires a physical mastery of the self and the world to transmute your Soul essence into ki, which is by its very nature unchanging and stubborn by the time it has fully formed.Ki Artist
Naturë
Cultivator
Aspect channelers
Aspect channelers call upon the power of spesific Aspects, also known as specific concepts, and both draw power form and mimic them using their Aspectual Manifistations.Alchemist
Shaman
Arcanist
Faith and the world's malability
The world of Animora is in many ways a universe where concepts hold more weights than the mere physical. A rock recently formed from being split apart from a larger rock, is young, it has no mind, no history and therefore, no weight. It is just a rock. Even this rock, however, has a spirit, a naadia, even if one with no personality or power. A mountain that has been lived in by a specific tribe of dwarves for millenia, that has kept them safe from harm, and which has been successfully keeping out all invaders for this time, also has a naadia, and, over tiem, this spirit may grow in power and will. Often, if a location is associated with spesific peoples, actions and history, such actions are more likely to repeat, because by their very nature, naadia are their past, and lack the free will and ability to change by their own will that [mortal]s possess. Beyond this, sentience grants a creature a Soul, which holds the potential to develop power if fed with sufficient existential power, and sapience innately develops an Eternal soul, which by its very nature produices existential essence.Magic Beasts
A magic beast is a beast that has absorbed large enough amounts of magical energies that they have mutated and changed. As most of these beasts developed from consuming large amounts of existential essence or other sources of magical energies, unless they can innately produce all the power they may ever require innately, they usually hunger for essence, and will find beings possessing Eternal soul absolutely irressistable. Magic beasts that hunger for essence and are not self-sufficient are called monsters. Magic beasts often develop similarly to local deities or previously known monsters, because of the influence deities has on the land, as well as both the existential weight of the past, the concept of the land, and the beliefs of the nearby sapients. Most naturally formed magic beasts start out as ki artists, and eventually become naturë if left alone for long enough, though the ascension to cultivator is not something that is known to occur naturally. Some magic beasts form "ki-cores", which are objeccts that may form somewhere at the center of a creature's body, usually forming within their heart at the time of death as their remaining ki collects around their alchemical center (the heart).Monsters
Monsters are magic beasts that hunger for essence, and usually develop dark gifts and various powers useful for the hunt of sapients or other magical creatures.Magic Items
WIP: Which categories and magic spheres have which restrictions.Magic in the world
Magic resources
Religions, cultures and people
Major Religions
The church of light
The worshippers of the twins
The cult of Life
The cult of Death
The worshippers of the two-faced god
Velin's priesthood
Worshippers of The nine
Mortal races
Humans, elves, meya, nooxy,Cultures
Elven, far eastern, southern cultures, wandirr, northern, north-western, enokkian cultures, darrheim, giant.Other
Titans
Power classifications
commoner/conscript (D&D: < 1) soldier/mage/warrior/adventurer (D&D: 1-5) senior/experienced soldier/mage/warrior/adventurer / wizard (D&D: 6-13) ace (sorcerer, archwizard, etc) (D&D: 14-21) elite (titan, elite individuals) deity godOLD
HistoryOrigin
The Age of Creation
In the beginning of this realm, two great dragons, world dragons shaped an unshaped world into a corporeal existence. They were rivals, yet in some strange manner, friends they were too. During their shaping of the world, somehting else interfered. The mad god came to the world, it twisted their creation, undid any progress they made, and corrupted all it saw with its illogical nature.The two world dragons agreed to work together, and in a battle that lasted for aeons untold, fought the mad god with all that they had. According to legends, the world is flat and split in two, because of this was, the world has places of magic and power that follow no mortal rule, because of this war, and the world has its nine moons, and uncounted stars, because of this great war.
The Age of Old
After the defeat of The mad god the two great dragons shaped the world. One half went to Ishva, the other to Azura. From their battle, remnants of both themselves, and their enemy merged with the wild magic of the world, creating the animorian old ones, the predecessors to what is today known as the elari.The First Great Wish
Half a billion years ago, the elder things were destroyed and the world's magic started stabilizing after an event known as the first great wish. After this the Elari ruled the realm, they are gods, bound to their dominion, and their domain. Their place of power, such as a country, an ocean or an island and what they have power over, such as fire, water, money or some other concept.The Age of Titans
About two hundred million years ago, the titans came forth, great humanoid beings with that could resist the wild and everchanging magic of the world, as well as having the power to challenge the elari in battle, if only when in groups.The Second Great Wish
10M years ago, the second great wish took place, magic again were weakened, the realm stabilized, but at the cost of the titans having their numbers greatly decreased.The gods are weaker now than before, but the titans are now so few, most mortals know not of their existence as anything but legends.
The First Age of Men
Half a million years ago the first humans came to Animora. They did not evolve, they came through means unknown, through the forest without end, Ekaz, a place between places, a realm between realms.The Third Great Wish
80-10 millennia ago, the third and last great wish was made. The giants were in a war of supremacy against the dragons. The wish, as had happened before, backfired, the realm temporarily got too chaotic for mortal life and all races of giant that did not have a patron god were destroyed, together with every other race of mortal in a similar situation. Local populations protected by deities survived, and over time were imbued with properties of their gods, leading to no pureblooded humans existing any more.The Second Age of Men
Twenty millennia ago, humans came again, similarly to 500K years ago, and 8-10K years ago, much of Enokk became stable enough for mortals to again live without fear of the laws of physics failing randomly.Recent History
The Age of Blood
19 centuries ago, When the blood moon was at its mightiest in over 2600 years, Azurakk the vampire god was born from an elven woman unwillingly taken by the god of enslavement and bloodshed. His reign and conquest would be legendary, and be remembered to this very day. Eastern Enokk once had many gods, pantheons and powers, yet now they have none. Azurakk slaughtered them, for he was mighty, and the blood flowed. From he came the Azur, the crimson vampires. Born to hunt, to dominate, and to slaughter in his name, the azur are the mightiest race of Sanguine vampire known to ever be, their potential immense, their powers diverse, and their weaknesses few. Of Enokk, the east fell to his might, yet the south was protected, Velin, busy as she has been for millennia with some unknown task of great import, still saw fit to intervene, destroying the legions sent upon her land, yet still she did not enter battle herself, and so Azurakk lived. After his defeat by Velin's pantheon, he challenged the west, as the north was too sparsely populated, and much was too far west to be targetted so soon. His attack on the west went well, yet he faced great opposition. First in the form of priests and clerics of the Church of light, whoem was joined by the Emissaries of western pantheons and independent deities unwilling to fall to his hand. Slowly, however, he progressed over the centuries, having his servants breed the perfect cattle in the form of the moriym, and slowly taking over the west bit by bit. His progress slowed down as he took less and less personal interest in his conquest, leaving it to his five counts, and his children. And eventually, his progress started being undone. La'dreew the hero of mankind was born, a legend in the flesh, the mortal was born with the blessings of The light itself, and had three angelic companions protect, guide and assist him in his quest to end the tyranny of Azurakk. Eventually, roughly nineteen centuries after his birth, Azurakk was defeated in an attack made by La'dreew the hero of mankind, his three companions and The one hundred . Some centuries before his defeat, his only known daughter, Eishellis, disappeared from Azureth (the name of Azurakk 's lands during his rule)The age of light
A few centuries after the age started, in western Enokk a new deity slowly built their home, first around a mountain, a hovel alone within a valley, then some houses, a village, a town, and eventually a cinty and a kingdom was formed at the base of the valley, leading up to Eishellis's home.She is now a vampiric deity of crafting, skill and mastery, and while The Enokkian empire wishes for her death, her skill with crafting and the time she was left undiscovered as a child of Azurakk have left her home an unassailable location by most any mortal force, even with the support of an Emissary.. It is now the end of the 17th century of the age of light, the Enokkian empire rules subprime over much of north-western Enokk, the Church of light is the most powerful religious organization upon the surface of Enokk after only the ancient Velin's pantheon. The ruler of the empire is decided by The Crown of Kings, a divine artefact said to permit only the worthy to wield it, and which grants its holder power unending, by virtue of The Heavens.
The one chosen is known as The Crowned. It is, in many ways, an age of peace, though still monsters roam, lands imbued with great magic still stand, and an arch-sorcerer was born and died not three centuries ago, lifting the northern kingdom of Montagu up into the sky and seperating it from The Enokkian empire.
Regions
The Northern Mountain
A mountain over 30 000km away that is so tall and so massive, it is north. It can be seen from anywhere as long as nothing nearby is in the way, it is directly under Azure the moon of winter, and is said to be Azura the world dragon of the endless frost's personal dominion by those who buy into the legends of old. The northeners, as well as most other groups that live to the north, acknowledge the existence of Hel and Helheim which is both the afterlife and divine domain of many northern deities such as Alexis the goddess of honour and Valkyries. Many of them worship one or more of these northern deities, but they are not a pantheon, and many wage war eternal against each other, both in the land of the living, and in the lands of the dead.The North
Darrheim and the islands leading up to it from Enokk, in this land the afterlife is part of Hel's dominion, and the pantheon which she is part of. Darrheim is the most well known and largest location within what lies north of Enokk and south of The Northern mountain. Seven Darr gods rule this small continent, no other deities are allowed upon their land, and this is the home of the Darr, a species of large and physically strong true giants with white-grey skin, black bone-like armour covering them and tendril like hair. There is no one language spoken everywhere in the north.Northern Enokk
Northern Enokk contains many islands and larger landmasses where magic is still wild and great beasts still roam. Few mortals live here, and those who do risk destruction by the strange rules reality follows in some of these places. There is no one language spoken everywhere in the north.Western Enokk
The most populous location for humans in Animora, the majority of it is stable enough for mortals to live here. The Church of light is the greatest religion in this region, with the Church of the twins and theChuch of the two faced god being a distant second and third. Enokkian is the most common language in the west, as wel las the east among humans.Eastern Enokk
Eastern Enokk is still filled with monsters, azurs and various other kinds of creatures. The land has been magically stabilized by Azurakk's presence over millennia. Blood magic is mighty here, The blood moon Rëzen is at full power three times as often as it is in other locations, and sanguine entities are far stronger and numorous here than in other locations. This is not just because of them being stronger, but because there are so much fewer deities here. the land is hostile to deities, the three main religions of the west manage here, as well as The Order of Assassins which is The goddess of assassins's religious order. Enokkian is the most common language in the west, as wel las the east among humans.Southern Enokk
Southern Enokk is in theory ruled by The God Queen Velin, however in practice the gods care little about which family rules which kingdom, and which borders are where. Some minor deities may squabble, some countries may change, but as long as they serve, the gods care not. In the south there are velithian elves, velithian giants a race of true giants named Hooshi and a small number of velithian guardians who are said to descend from titans. Velithian elves are imbued with flames and pyromancy, velithian giants are usually 2.6-2.9m tall (8'6-9'6) and are imbued with flame, giving them some resistant to fire, as well as the ability to temporearilly enter a fiery rage and Hooshi are a race of true giant with black sleek skin and natural armor, long claws, a dexterous and sineous appearence, and an ability to move swiftly for something their size. Velithian is the most common language in the south.Gods, religions and pantheons
While religiouns, gods and pantheons are seperate, they are often connected. Usually, a god that is worshipped as a deity will have at least one religion, and the same is true for most pantheons, with cults to individual gods functioning as sub-religions being common.Southern deities
The south is ostensibly ruled by the god queen Velin the queen of fire, warden of the eternal flame, divine lady of the south and goddess of godhood, eternity, rulers, deities, gods, domains, power and ascension. If Velin decrees that you are a god, you are, and your domain and dominion is whatever she decides.There are more than one hundred deities in the south, the vast majority part of Velin's pantheon, though some minor deities may have escaped her notice should they stay deep udnerground, or deep in the water.
The northern pantheon
The northern pantheon is a rather strange group, as it is less of a collection of gods that cooperate, than it is a group of deities that share the same divine realm who constantly fight within Helheim, over which Hel is queen. Gods that are part of this domain include the orc god, Alexisthe goddess of honour, battle and valkyries, Gaiah the goddess of giants, strength and conviction and The Seven Darr gods that are worshipped in Darrheimand by the darr, and nowhere else.The Nine
The nine are the nine moons of Animora. They are the bottom nine of the twelve single most powerful enteties in all of Animora. Of them some have common names, each one having an avatar that is a god in their own right. Ekaz has the Great Wolf Lëskarr, The blood Moon is Rëzen's avatar, Ceres's avatar is known as The Light while Konari's is simply called The Eternal Storm. While the other five likely has their own avatars, they are less commonly known, if at all, though some legends speak of Isha as being the avatar of Veni.Western deities
The two-faced godEastern deities
The TwinsWarlock Patrons
Warlock patrons are a rather vauge and unspesific term. Any being able to give power, from a dryad of a forest, to an imp of Raziik can grant power, however only some patrons have the power to give a character more and more, at an often increasing cost.Devils
When referring ot devils in Animora, what is usually being referred to is the devilish inhabitants of Raziik. Devils are bound ot obey the letter of any deal they make, and wish to get their hands on your soul, through corruption or bargains, whichever is quicker, usually.Razikian Royals
A species of sanguine humanoid-draconic devils of Raziik, the most relevant nearby hellscape known to mortalkind. Where demons exist within a supposidly endless realm of layers of destructive creatures and powers, devils exist within their spesific realms. Razikian royals in particular are mighty creatures, being born with the flames of a dragon lord, the devilish sorcery of an archdevil and sanguine power of a greater uniz. Razikian royals always keep up their end of the bargain, and seek to give their contractor what they wanted out of their deal, not just the bare minimum. Do not make the mistake of believing them benevolent, however, for razikian royals play the long game, and wish to not only get you to hand over your eternal soul, but for you to di it with a smile, while giving a few references to your friends for a bonus in the afterlife.These creatures are known to be honorable, at least as far as devils go, and are unwilling to make bargains with children unable to comprehend the nature of their deal, as well as being unwilling to accept a soul unwillingly given. These things are illigal in hell, though other devilish races often skirt around at the edge of these rules where royals prefer to be firmly within them. Usually a razikian royal will be willing to give someone power in exchange for their eternal soul after death. While this is usually enough for 5 or so levels in warlock, beyond this you will likely require more bargening power.
Gods
Gods, surprisingly, sometimes makes bargains with mortals in exchange for power. A cleric who is also a warlock of the same entity is technically on the path of becomming an Emissary. There are numorous gods in Animora. If someone were to wish to make a bargain with a spesific kind of deity, one likely exists (and if none have been designed yet that are close enough, the DM will be happy to design one that fits, within lore-acceptable parameters).Dryads & nature spirits
Nymphic Dryads are creatures of nature, and are known to grant mortals power in exchange for services, or as rewards to those who earn their favour. Almost universally, only rooted dryads usually have sufficient power do give much power, however.Geography
Overview
Animora is divided into numerous continents, great and small. At the centre of this flat world lies The Northern mountain, the domain of eternal winter, and north to all the world. A mountain so vast and so tall, it can be seen from any place in Animora, so long as no tall structure nearby are in-between the observer and the tallest mountain in the world. When observing the northern mountain, if one look west Dracoth home of dragons and the flaming core can be observed.To the west Syreni'eth is seen, home to the eternal storm both and sirens and harpies both.
Further east lies the elven continents, one for dark, one for high and one for forest, as far as Humankind is concerned. On the other side of the mountain lies a continent few knows much of, beyond that the tigri supposidly once originated there. To the north and west lies Darrheim, home of the northern giants most commonly known as darr, with various other smaller landmasses leading to it from Enokk.
Enokk
Enokk is divided into four continents, and numorous smaller landmasses. Eacfh of the continents has their own distinct magical makeup and history, though osme have one older than others.Northern Enokk
The most desolate, dangerous and least populated land by far, at least by mortals. The majority of the north consists of a number of large landmasses, its continent being the smallest one by far. The north refers to not the spesific landmass therefore, but all of the islands that are not part of any of the other continents, or the far west.Eastern Enokk
The home of Azurakk the vampire god, this is a place of bloodshed of evils. The hunter organization is superstiscious, hateful for all kinds of monster and the vast majority of supernatural creatures, and are ever vigilant. Here the Church of the twins vie with the Church of light for followers, with their godly followers haivng sects of their own, and cults following corrupted deities sprouting up in search for power and meaning. Numerous corrupted deities consumed with hunger and rage roam the lands thanks to Azurakk's defilement, and vast areas of lands cannot be tread safely, and civilization can only exist with the blessing of The light or the warding darkness of Ressooth the god of Death.Southern Enokk
Southern Enokk is the home of Velin, her pantheon, and her followers. The god queen herself is rarely seen, eternally present within the deepest reeches of her domain, at the centre of the greatsouthern volcano. The south is ruled by nations both young and ancient, their gods are many and varied, yet one thing lies always in common; Velin sits upon her Throne, and none, be they mortal or god, dare oppose her eternal rule.Western Enokk
Western Enokk is the home of The Enokkian empire, it is the home and source of The Church of light and is a place filled with monotheistic countries worshipping The light where other gods are either distant or worshipped in secret and cults make bargains with dark power to escape the fate with which they are born, as well as a continent where pagan gods have their local faiths and followers. Western Enokk is by some considered the safest continent in Enokk, and they would not be wrong.Far West
The Far West is the islands furtherest to the west in Enokk, as well as a number of islands between northern and Western Enokk. It is a land with few, if any deities, where fairies have been known to roam, and the western clans and their high king have ruled for millenia since William the conqueror freed his people from the fairy king of Veiane by slaying him, and more recently has grown calmer magically, as the fey of Veiane has retreated, after Enek, their first true king, succeeded in burning one of their great trees within Animora and made a bargain with them, for them to stay away from their lands, in exchange for a ceasfire, and pieace, for now.Cultures
Languages
Common languages
Mortal languages
Old tounges
Supernatural languages
Common knowledge
- The world is flat.
- The northern mountain is always to the north, and can be seen from anywhere nothing else is nearby to the north.
- Enokk is the continent group humans are most prominent upon
- The gods are real, they draw power from faith, and they have both a place of power, and something they have power over.
- Tigri haflings are protected by their god, and to hunt them is to invoke the wrath of The Goddess of Assassins.
- Assassin's guilds exist, they are usually bound to the local government, is often used in war to take out or even protect key players and they all worship The Goddess of Assassins.
- There are regions in the world where magic functions differently, where the laws of reality changes over time and where monsters of old still roam.
- Do not challenge something you cannot kill.
- The day is 30 hours long.
- There are nine moons; Ekaz for evocation and the endless forest between worlds, Veni for heat and summer, Azure for cold and winter, Veltosh for flame and earth, Konari for wind and water, Elioumi for the naturla order of things and nature, Cael'fae for illusion, the unnatural and the fey, Ceres for light and life and lastly Rëzen the moon of blood and slaughter.
- Animora's moons and stars are windows into other planes of existence, though Konari and Veltosh both seem to act a bit differently.
- The five largest religions worship the angelic god of the light, the two-faced god of life and death, the twin gods of life and death as well as their aspects and subordinate deities, a vast pantheon of various southern deities all under the god-queen Velin's rulership and a range of northern deities respectivly.
- The afterlife is real, so is at least one afterlife, though different religions seem to disagree on exactly which, most seem to not activly not acknoledge that there is more than one.
- Near all mortals in Animora learn not to challenge something greater than oneself, and to never blaspheme against a god within their lands.
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