Haunt

The Tenants of Haunt   1- The World is one Mass Grave:   Haunt is an ancient and old world. Countless empires, kingdoms, and civilizations have risen and fallen, often in bloody wars and catastrophes. The very earth is permeated with blood, corpses, and death. Fortresses, citadels, and cities lay buried in the ground, choked by forest, and hidden in peaks, their inhabitants long dead, their secrets left to those brave enough to seize them...   2- The Covenant keeps the Dead alive in some way or form:   When the Grim Covenant was made during the genesis of this world one of its clauses was that all dead things: people, creatures, plants, and even greater beings would come back to life. Not all things come back as undead. Some simply retain their life essence and memories becoming little more than boxes of memories and energy, waiting to be happened upon and opened. Still the world is inhabited by more of the Dead than the living because after so much time, wars, and death the corpses begin to pile up...   3- Heroes are few and far between; those that are burn bright in this dying world:   In a world as dark as Haunt filled with the Dead, most people are content to remain unnoticed as part of the rank and file. Besides those that step out of line and go looking for trouble often end up dead in a ditch then shambling around as a walking corpse. However those few who can be called heroes, those adventure seekers of the world, become spots of hope in the shadows of Haunt. They become a force of change, inspiring others and pushing them towards better days. It's sad to see when they are crushed by a power-hungry warlord...   4- The Gods are Dead and those that remain are weakened:   The last age was the age that the gods died. No one knows how or why but one day the gods stopped answering prayers or granting blessing. All except four: Crosis, Yor, Arris, and Elistar. These gods descended and gave vague answers to why the others ceased to exist: a Great War, a Deep Shadow, that even gods may die, and others. All half truths. Whatever the reason the remaining gods are weak and afraid. They remained on the mortal world and have since helped rebuild, adding structure and stability to the region around them. Still nothing can truly die because of the Covenant so who is to say that the old gods are not still alive or that the ones that remain aren't just as dead as the others...   5- Life is Hard and Short and Terrors lurk in the Shadows:   Life in Haunt is terrifying. The dead walk and wars rage all around but that's not only what will get you killed. People mysteriously go missing and are never found so it's much better to never stray to far from home and hearth. Close-knit communities form where the soil isn't as choked with corpses and where the warlords aren't too interested in and there they try to live whatever life can be lived in such a world. But not every danger comes from the Dead or the warlords...   6- War is Constant; Nations fight for power and resources:   Outside of the four god cities, the laws are made by those with enough power or those who inspire enough fear. These warlords amass resources and strength creating their own nations out of the darkness around them. Bringing purpose and order but also fear and bloodshed. Opposing warlords clash over land and wealth, only adding to the bodies...   7- With the Covenant comes Power and Magic:   The second clause of the Grim Covenant brought about an additional source of power other than the gods. Open to all with enough will to bend it to their wants, this power, commonly called the Covenant as that is what it is, serves as a way to shape the world and control it. But this power comes with a price. The Covenant deals in life, death and power. The Dead must be given life in some way. Those who use the Covenant as a magical source forfeit their life force to raising the Dead...   8- Death and the Dead have a special place in every society:     Because if the prevalence of corpses and their habit of coming back to life, death has a central place in many communities of Haunt. The spirits of those departed are honored and looked to for wisdom and guidance while their risen bodies are revered and used to help build the community. Even in death to they serve, helping strengthen, nurture, and teach the next generation and they will do the same in an endless cycle...   9- In a world of the Dead, the living look to each other:   While communities honor and revere their Dead they know that they must help each other to grow. Strength is found with others and because of this cities and societies grow in this uncaring world. Many flock to the God Cities or the warlords but just as many carve out their own home. In these places and with like-minded others the world thrives, even in all this death...