Darcassian

"Never again will a Darcassian be content to be the slave to a so called God King. A Darcassian is the master of his, her, or their own fate. We can decide for ourselves what is sacred and what is not. We can harness the power of the machine or tap into the potential of the flesh. This, then is the path to transcendence. This is the path to Godhood."
"The God Kings jealously keep this secret from us. They fear their creations. Now we are the masters. We will take their so called faith, their miracles, their divinity. Now everyone can become a God through their own merits. There is power and divinity in the machine. There is grace and transcendence in the shaping of flesh.
"Rise up, sons, daughters, and kin of Darcassia! The chains of faith the God Kings shackle us with are brittle. Rally to Mars Militant. Let war cleanse this world of the God Kings. And from the ashes let us build our own Heaven. A Heaven built on merit and the power we have within us all."
Hamun the Martyr, "Call to Revolution in Faith, Government, and Innovation"

Civilization and Culture

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

For a Darcassian, tradition holds back society from progress and efficiency. Religion is seen in a similar light, with rites, ceremonies, and morals being road blocks to a Darcassians view of perfection and improvement. Tradition and religion is not vilified (as the veneration of the Martocrat as the War God Mars testifies) but it is seen as secondary to the ideals of the Empire. Innovation, Experimentation, and Mutation.
This is not to say that Darcassians always strive to overstep their bounds or limits. A Darcassian loves efficiency as much as progress. Inventions and breakthroughs are only valued if they are helpful to the wider society. Intentional harm or going too far is viewed as dangerously radical or even treasonous to the Empire's ideals.

History

The Darcassians are the direct descendants of the Zarmudan settlers of Kiimati. In their blood flows the same Demigod blood of Zarmudan Pilgrims, Missionaries, and later God Kings. They are the rulers of a vast, technologically advanced Empire. While all Darcassians are descendent from Zarmudans, this divine bloodline grows weaker as the Darcassians have assimilated and conquered across the world. Only the Martocrat and applicants for the position remain pure blooded, the direct descendants of Zarmudan God Kings. These Darcassians are very much Demigods in the way that all Zarmudans are Demigods.
The biggest departure from their ancestors is the Darcassians obsession with change and the (some say sinister) practice of modifying their bodies biologically or mechanically. This obsession has intensified with the discovery of Zerizite.
"Truth be told," boomed the God Kings. "They never left behind their Zarmudan heritage. From the ordered ranks of the Vennacti to their veneration of their Martocrats, they are Zarmudans ultimately. They can rename, reinvent, or reshape themselves as many times as they like. It makes no difference."

The Divine Age

In the Divine Age the Fatherland of Zarmuda expanded west, reaching the sea that had been set by the God Kings. The Divine Age was a time of Gods and Demigods, a time when most creatures had a direct or close relationship with the God Kings that made them or patronized them. The most favored were the Zarmudans, who owed their entire beings to the God Kings.
The continent of Kiimati was settled and contact with the primitive humans living in these lands was made. The God Kings extracted tribute from these lands as was expected of their mortal followers. Across the world Pilgrims set forth seeking Ascendency or to perfect their faith and spirituality. Great works marked the world. Temples and Palace Complexes mirrored the splendor and radiance of Heaven. The search for perfection of faith and spirituality marked all but it had its strongest effect on the Zarmudans living in Kiimati.
They lived farther away from the Fatherland. Their search for perfection soon led them to other avenues beyond contemplation, meditation, or study. These Zarmudans would soon jumpstart the Artificial Age.

The Artificial Age

The Kiimati Zarmudans divided their lands into different kingdoms, principalities, and states. In these lands innovations and new ideas began to arise in the wealthiest states. The most prominent of these was Darcassia where the first machines and genetic innovations were birthed. Over the course of one century Darcassia and the other states, like Alkallia, Tyrallia, Salakhand, and Zykallia had advanced from simple lumber fed industry, to coal, all the way to oil and electricity. Genetic modification was in its infancy but gradually becoming more intricate.
The rapid pace of change was followed by the formation of new ideas, new faiths, and new God Kings. More people than ever embarked on pilgrimage to Zarmuda seeking Ascendency and a chance to live alongside the God Kings in Heaven. The prosperity of the Divine Age and the early Artificial Age was staggering. But soon the lines began to blur between Heaven and Earth.
The original God Kings permitted the technological advancement for a time. They also welcomed new God Kings to their ranks. The problem arose when there were too many God Kings who had distorted ideas of themselves or who had a faulty understanding of faith and spirituality. Mortals who had not even embarked on a Pilgrimage found ways to create artificial Godhood. Revolutionary ideas asked what was a God, who deserved to be a God, were their Gods? The questions soon asked why people offered tribute to all powerful beings or just powerful people who they had never seen or knew.
God Kings were growing jealous of each others power. There had been so much ease, plenty, and prosperity for so long. Clashes were beginning to break out between the followers of different faiths and gods.
The original God Kings had enough. They decreed a complete halt to technological progress and pilgrimages. In the meantime the God Kings gathered in Heaven to discuss how to redress the balance. The fall from grace was inevitable.

The War of Zealots and Martyrs

While the God Kings deliberated, the newly ascended God Kings were quietly massing their armies and faithful. Soon open rivalries between temples spilt over into neighborhoods and blocks. Armed conflict soon spiraled out of control leading to entire cities being fought over by the followers of different God Kings. Others strove to take power for themselves, aiming to Ascend without taking a Pilgrimage. Technology was hoarded by the wealthy and powerful. An idea floated around that a God King could ascend even higher, higher than the Father and Mother ever could.
Firebrands began to preach from the roads, on pulpits, and in the palaces of kings that Godhood could be achieved by force. They reasoned that the God Kings in their jealousy kept the people ignorant and in slavery. The path of divinity was to be earned through force of will and with the power and potential of technological or genetic improvement.

The Burning World

This line of thinking, the belief that the God Kings were tyrants, jealous, and intentionally keeping the secrets of divinity to themselves soon led to the rise of Darcassia. The people of Darcassia owed fealty to the God King Mars. Mars was the God of War and in the early years of the war personally led his people into conflict. Darcassia went to war with its long standing rival, Salakhand. In one of the most infamous acts of the war, Mars unleashed a devastating artillery bombardment on the massive state. Mixing in a flesh eating chemical toxin with massive shells taken from Heaven itself, Mars decimated Salakhand. Half of the land sunk into the sea while the rest became a devastated wasteland trapped in a toxic winter. Its people perished as the sea consumed the land and the rest melted away into barren rock.
Salakhand was the crown jewel of the Hierophant and the Scholar. The twin sons of the God Kings were in anguish at the loss of Salakhand's Palatial Archives and Libraries. With the Father's permission the Warrior and his Radiant Host unleashed a similar attack on Darcassia. The Warrior delivered not just punishment, but a Divine Mandate from the Father himself. Darcassia was scoured and burned down to its foundations.
Mars challenged the Warrior to single combat during Darcassia's counter artillery fire. While the earth and sky roiled and burned the Warrior and Mars clashed. Though Mars was powerful he was no match for the Warrior. The Warrior decapitated Mars. Keeping his head as a trophy the Warrior burnt the body of Mars into the ground of Darcassia itself. It was a branding meant to forever damn the Darcassians for their affront against Heaven.

Rise of the Martocrats

Mars had been no fool in his war with the God Kings. Before its destruction Mars had scattered his people to all corners of the world. Until the time was right, the Darcassians would carry out the war in secret. The Darcassians issued radio programs, sent out public speakers, established espionage cells in the courts of Emperors, Kings, and other God Kings to spread their message. A message of resistance, aimed at avenging Mars and ultimately overthrowing the Gods.
So struck by the message was a man named Hamun. Eventually known as the Martocrat, he was a Darcassian who had undertaken a Pilgrimage but refused to Ascend. He was in Zarmuda when news reached him of his homeland's destruction and the death of Mars. Denouncing the God Kings Hamun hurried back to Kiimati. There he saw the Devastation firsthand. Darcassian Propaganda claims that Hamun saw a vision of Mars himself, marking Hamun as the descendent of the slain God King. Empowered with Mars's divinity Hamun resumed the struggle from the ruins of Darcassia.
In this time the Warrior and his armies had been recalled to Zarmuda to defend Heaven from the False God. Once the False God had been defeated it took time for the Zarmudan's to respond to the rogue Darcassian state. When battle was once again joined Hamun bravely set out to face the Warrior in battle. Weakened as he was, the Warrior was far superior to Hamun and his army of demigods and mortals. Hamun was slain, his act of defiance and martyrdom coining the title all Darcassian rulers hold, the Martocrat.
Believing the battle finished a tired Warrior aimed to rest. Yet he did not expect the sudden surge and fury of the Darcassians. With the loss of yet another of their leaders the Darcassians fell upon the Warrior, his Vennacti, and the Radiant Host. In a devastating running battle the Radiant Host was cut off. Surrounded the Darcassians killed the entirety of Heaven's armies, its divine warriors torn to shreds and their essence used to forge new weapons of war.

The Darcassian Empire

Hamun was succeeded in his position as Martocrat by his second in command, Abelech the Apostate. Together with the God Queen Shoka of Athelia Abelech forced the Warrior to battle at Good Harvest. In the siege of the Garden City Abelech and Shoka faced off with the Warrior. In a grueling war of attrition the Imperial and Zarmudan Vennacti fought for miles of trench lines, repelled massed infantry charges, and unleashed countless artillery bombardments. Framing this was the titanic battle between Abelech, Shoka and the Warrior.
In the end Abelech and Shoka wounded the Warrior, something that was thought impossible. The Battle of Good Harvest saw the Fatherland of Zarmuda driven completely from Kiimati. Abelech led a campaign of conquest, subjugating or annihilating all who opposed him. He would have conquered Heaven itself if not for the bargaining and diplomacy between himself and the Statesman. Deeming further war with Zarmuda not necessary Abelech led his victorious armies back to Kiimati.
The War of Zealots and Martyrs continued to rage but the God Kings were cut out completely after their defeat at Good Harvest. Patriotic fervor swept through the Darcassians. Their victory was proof that mortal kind could stand up to the Gods themselves. Abelech would die before the war finally ceased. His successors would slowly rebuild the Darcassian Empire.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

"No we harbor no ill will or sense of superiority to others. No, no. We see the flaws the God Kings built into all of us." Hycaithus stretched out his hands. "Imagine this..."
"Uribans, freed from their generally frailty through the aid of biological enhancement. Dwarves, their bodies strengthened further and, perhaps made taller, through mechanical augmentation. Why settle for how the God Kings made us. It is all flawed, all..."
He twirled his hands in the air.
"Inefficient. We can improve everything about ourselves. To be taller, stronger, faster, to live longer, or to not die at all. We can change everything about ourselves. We can become perfect through our own efforts. Why struggle and fight when we can become Gods through our own efforts?"
His eyes glittered.
"And why stop at mere perfection?"

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Zarmudan

Origin/Ancestry

Zarmudan

Lifespan

Between 100 and 150

Geographic Distribution

• Kiimati
• Minuba