Post by Rennat on Jul 9, 2014 1:52:24 GMT -5
Glossary of Terms
It's obvious that there are quite a few terms and events thrown around that, to the uninformed reader, would make no sense in the context they are used. The list below contains all of the different words of phrases that are integral to understanding the new world and the state of the people left behind to inhabit it. Some of the entries are linked to certain threads on the forum that will give more detail on the term.
The Fall: The cataclysmic event that signified the end of the world, leading into the Rebirth. The Fall left the earth charred and unable to sustain life. The ruins of civilization remain, including the bones of former metropolises and scattered debris. Many small homes can be found in junk heaps gathered from the wreckage of The Fall.
Rebirth: After The Fall, Gaia revived her fallen creations, granting each of them a Virtue correspondent to the kind moral high ground they tread in their former lives. Humans live as they once did, attempting restore the Earth to the pure state of its infancy. Those born again have been rendered immortal, to ensure future generations are well-informed and to see the earth return to glory. They do not age, but do fall prey to illness and physical injury. Children of Reborn humans age as they once did and are expected to re-populate the earth.
Gaia: The Great Goddess who once presided over all Creation, trapped within the confines of Her earthly prison. No one knows why Gaia created the humans, but all are of Her anger at watching Her earth poisoned and destroyed by war again and again. She wiped away humanity with a variety of natural disasters, in an event now called The Fall, and in an act of remorse, enacted the Rebirth that has left humans to re-populate and purify the earth.
Yggdrasil: Long before The Fall, when the earth was nothing more than a child and humanity had little power to taint as it eventually acquired, the world was dotted with massive life-giving trees called Yggdrasil. They provided those who nourished them with clean water, life-preserving vegetation, and crystals that could be harnessed to manipulate the world. However, humans did not possess the intelligence or technology to use the crystals for their purpose, and so they sat in wait for the day humans could use them. Before long, humans began to burn the trees, after the discovery of fire. Betraying the protection the Yggdrasil offered, the humans used them for momentary warmth, rather than long-term sustenance, and they became extinct. Now, in Gaia's Wake, more Yggdrasil have appeared to help in purifying the earth. The ground around each tree is of the ultimate fertility, nearby water cannot be tainted, and humans now have the ability to mine the crystals produced by their roots, able to harness the magical power within.
- Crystals: Yggdrasil crystals grow from the roots of Yggdrasil tree, and the magic-using Virtues (Castitas, Caritas, and Humilitas) require that crystals be in their presence in order to make full use of their abilities. Many possessors of these Virtues have the crystals fitted into weapons, jewelery, or garments. Others not of the three magic-using Virtues can utilize magic through the crystals, but must be taught to harness the power of the crystal by one of the three Virtues first.
- Sap: The Sap of Yggdrasil can be harvested to create healing potions and potions that temporarily bestow a character with the ability to use the magic their Virtue grants them without an Yggdrasil crystal.
- Bark/Leaves: The bark and leaves of Yggdrasil can be taken and used to ward off beastkind. Many scavengers carry leaves with them to deter unwanted beastkind and provide safety to a temporary resting place. Though not as strong as the tree itself, the bark and leaves carry enough of its essence to protect those who utilize them.
Virtue: Because the earth was in such disarray after The Fall, Gaia understood the humans would need extra help in bringing the land to a state it had not held for centuries. She Blessed each human based on the goodliness of their character and the virtue they had most embodied (or attempted to embody) in their past lives. Now, all humans have been assigned a Virtue, among the Seven: Castitas, Temperantia, Caritas, Industria, Patientia, Benevolentia, and Humilitas. Each Virtue warrants the human a Blessing, a special affinity for a particular realm of talent. Those born under Castitas excel at healing magic, those under Industria are driven by a steadfast persistence that makes them adept at combat... But, for every virtue, there is a vice.
Vice: Along with a Blessing, each Virtue is associated with a particular curse, representative of what a person must struggle with in order to maintain the ingenuity of their Virtue. These come in the form of Vices, and they are particular to each Virtue.
Gaia's Wake: The land left over after The Fall has come to be known as Gaia's Wake.
- Torn
- Miracle
Currently, the only successful reestablishment of a city is Miracle, once Chicago, in which humans have set up camp and plan on re-taking the rest of the city from the beasts that Gaia placed there. The Wilds make up the rest of Torn, comprised of nomads and those who have not yet discovered the new civilizations. These areas are lawless and fester with the whispers of rebellion against Gaia.- The Wilds
Any of the land that is not officially civilized, such as Miracle, is considered The Wilds. The Wilds are primarily broken lands, toppled cities, tremor-induced caverns, and craters, overrun with all manner of unidentified beastkind. Torn's resident radio show, Hotshot Radio, is based somewhere in The Wilds near where Texas was formerly charted. The Wilds is covered with Yggdrasil and many scavengers and explorers have started up small communities near the trees, though their laws and methods are rarely forgiving. There are often territory wars and one would be foolish to wonder out in The Wilds without a navigator.
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