Rhys

Life   The most precious resource. However, the people of world of Rhys (reece) have realized that life is not an unlimited resource. Though many females of all races long for the gift of motherhood, it comes to very few.   The arcanists at the Tower of Knowledge in the capitol city of Kaspahr (Kas-Pahr) estimate that there are never more than 500,000 living, sentient creatures on the planet at any one time. Through all of their study of the arcane, be it traditional thaumaturgy, or other means, they have not been able to understand what spark creates the beginning of life. Over the 10,000 years of documented history, the population seemed to swell to capacity around 700 years ago, then suddenly the populace began to notice that children were not being born at a normal rate. This has made life the most precious commodity, and murder the gravest of sins, shunned by all who walk the lands.   Those who worship Nuru, the Force of Light, meet at homes or one of the few temples, or make the pilgrimage north to the mountains, where the Grand Monastery of Nuru rests on Mount Hemmel (hem-Mel). Those who worship Giza, the Force of Darkness, meet in secret and in shadow. There are whispers of a grand temple where Giza lives, on the "Rockshade", or the barren rocky bottom of the floating diskworld. Few have ever found a way, by magic or technology, to travel to the Rockshade. None have returned, or they aren't saying anything if they have. Finally, the majority of Ryhs' inhabitants at least pay lip service to Upande, the Force of Balance, out of fear that favor with Nuru will bring the wrath of Giza, and vice versa.   Yet over the last few decades, talk in back alleys and special circles speak of people gaining supernatural abilities without their allegiance to a Force, nor the use of thaumaturgy or other arcane means. Some speak of whispers of powerful beings in their minds, promising power in exchange for furthering their goals. Others have claimed they have mastered their own internal powers, of their blood or their mind, but most of these have been sent far away to the island asylum of Katterath.   Throughout their history the people of Rhys have clung to the threads of life, granted from the large crystal few have ever seen in the center of their world. Small shards of this crystal, called Materia, are sometimes found by adventurers and explorers. These shards have granted the denizens of Rhys with the ability to craft many magical wonders, making the progression and blending of magic and machine exceptionally faster over the last millennia. This has brought Rhys to the age of magical revolution, where steam and sword combine with aether and divine energies to bring transportation, light, and other marvels.The skies of Rhys are constantly lit with the "flux", or flowing magical aether energies. These purplish tined lights dim and glow on a 24 hour cycle, and produce a consistent level of heat. Surrounding all sides and directions, there is often little shadow on the surface of Rhys, however legend tells that the Rockshade does not benefit of the life giving energies of the flux.