The World of Khurun
The World of Khurun encompasses the twin continents of Ilica and Suldaza. At the center of this world lies the Scar of a shattering calamity - falling meteors that shook the heavens and changed the face of Khurun. A mother raining tears down upon her child.
The Shroud, the force of nature that dictates magic in this world, was changed forever. Celestial elements - freshly fallen upon the earth - spurred the evolution of magitech and the shaping of new cultures.
Thousands of years later, many peoples walk Khurun. From the ash-blooded Devhani nomads, to the elves of Northern Suldaza, Made-men testing their worth against themselves like sharpening knives. Covenants and kingdoms, ageing empires and moving cities, all circle round The Scar at a distance as celestial bodies orbiting the sun.
An ancient wonder, or a warning.
Technology, magic, and the natural world collide as the peoples of Khurun vie for dominance. Hubris blinds heroes from seeing the true threat. Deep below, roots and veins of the Scar run through even the furthest reaches, and out of those ragged wounds bleeds dangerous corruption.
Both biome and culture divide Khurun into the following regions -- invisible divides that usually only scholars and the most worldly travelers bother to cross.
North Ilica - A land of knights and legends, and of old wounds and terrible corruptions. Most of the habitable parts of North Ilica is ruled by the Kingdom of Altalusia - a pastoral land protected from raiders from the North and warlord from the South by natural borders. Wildlands frame the kingdom on either side, the peoples who live in those untamed lands oft overlooked by the Crown.
South Ilica - The southern Ilican peninsula ranges from open prairie, temperate woodland, coastal flats and bluffs, and the southern foothills of the Mheara Mountains. The Arshakan Empire, remnants and mimics of the ancient Devahni empire, attempts to lay claim to the entire peninsula, although their control extends only as strong as the paper on which their maps are drawn. The majority of the peninsula is broken into Free States, an eclectic collective of cities and peoples that have since shaken free of Imperial writ.
Suldaza - continent of contradictions and contrasts, of overflowing magic and lush gardens, to deserts and barren wastelands. It is dominated in the north by warring Elven clans, and populated by scattered desert civilizations and nomadic tribes in the south. Volatile magical energies makes life more vibrant in Suldaza, but also makes traversing the land far more dangerous. Yet, great rewards await those who brave the monsters and elements of the continent.
Islands & the Sea - the seas surrounding Ilica and Suldaza are stormy and untamed. The Shroud is wilder and more unpredictable upon the water than on land. Sailors come back with tales of leviathans, the sunken dead, and maddening illness. At the convergence of the seas lies the Scar. No known peoples inhabit the surrounding islands, and attempts to explore the inner fissures are oft met with catastrophe.
The source of magic is called the Shroud, and those who can interact with it are called shroudweavers. Only a handful of people have the potential to cast magic - and from that number, not everyone who has the potential ends up becoming a weaver. Like any other art, mastery takes decades of practice and experience, with some disciplines of weaving being harder to pick up than others.
There are some types of technology that are restricted in order to maintain immersion in the setting. Namely: firearms, gunpowder, and other advanced weapons of war should be kept out of play.
The celestial elements from the rings oft rain down upon the land in meteorological events. These elements have magical effects not found anywhere else on the planet.
First Age, Era of Promise - A meteor shower caused ecological change on a major scale - the very nature of magic and the world was re-written, and no records exist before this time. The Deva Empire rose from the chaos, and ruled as the dominant culture for generations.
Second Age, Era of Chaos - The collapse of the Deva Empire brought about the Second Age. Kingdoms fought over broken lands, and their struggle for power led to the creation of the Blight, a lingering force of corruption that persists into the modern day.
Third Age, Era of Many - The Arshakan Empire emerged as the dominant power in the South of Ilica, and the Kingdom of Altalusia in the North.
Fourth Age, Era of Unity - a time marked by relative peace and prosperity. Trade flourished, the arts were celebrated, and many schools of weavers were founded across the world.
Fifth Age, Era of Decay - About 300 years ago, the Ilician Free States rebelled against the Arshakan Empire, and the empire's iron grasp over the land weakened for the first time in centuries. Many philosophers saw this as sign of a dark age yet to come, and premptively named the age the Era of Decay.
The current year is 350 E.O.D.
The Shroud, the force of nature that dictates magic in this world, was changed forever. Celestial elements - freshly fallen upon the earth - spurred the evolution of magitech and the shaping of new cultures.
Thousands of years later, many peoples walk Khurun. From the ash-blooded Devhani nomads, to the elves of Northern Suldaza, Made-men testing their worth against themselves like sharpening knives. Covenants and kingdoms, ageing empires and moving cities, all circle round The Scar at a distance as celestial bodies orbiting the sun.
An ancient wonder, or a warning.
Technology, magic, and the natural world collide as the peoples of Khurun vie for dominance. Hubris blinds heroes from seeing the true threat. Deep below, roots and veins of the Scar run through even the furthest reaches, and out of those ragged wounds bleeds dangerous corruption.
Major Regions
Both biome and culture divide Khurun into the following regions -- invisible divides that usually only scholars and the most worldly travelers bother to cross.
North Ilica - A land of knights and legends, and of old wounds and terrible corruptions. Most of the habitable parts of North Ilica is ruled by the Kingdom of Altalusia - a pastoral land protected from raiders from the North and warlord from the South by natural borders. Wildlands frame the kingdom on either side, the peoples who live in those untamed lands oft overlooked by the Crown.
Locations include: Kingdom of Altalusia, Lapvona, Plumhollow
South Ilica - The southern Ilican peninsula ranges from open prairie, temperate woodland, coastal flats and bluffs, and the southern foothills of the Mheara Mountains. The Arshakan Empire, remnants and mimics of the ancient Devahni empire, attempts to lay claim to the entire peninsula, although their control extends only as strong as the paper on which their maps are drawn. The majority of the peninsula is broken into Free States, an eclectic collective of cities and peoples that have since shaken free of Imperial writ.
Major Dominions: Arshakan Empire, South Ilican Free States
Suldaza - continent of contradictions and contrasts, of overflowing magic and lush gardens, to deserts and barren wastelands. It is dominated in the north by warring Elven clans, and populated by scattered desert civilizations and nomadic tribes in the south. Volatile magical energies makes life more vibrant in Suldaza, but also makes traversing the land far more dangerous. Yet, great rewards await those who brave the monsters and elements of the continent.
Major Dominions: The Hundred Houses, Cindersend, Miraj'Dah
Islands & the Sea - the seas surrounding Ilica and Suldaza are stormy and untamed. The Shroud is wilder and more unpredictable upon the water than on land. Sailors come back with tales of leviathans, the sunken dead, and maddening illness. At the convergence of the seas lies the Scar. No known peoples inhabit the surrounding islands, and attempts to explore the inner fissures are oft met with catastrophe.
Major Dominions: Kharsaga, Aetochi, Nechon
Peoples
Every manner of mortal walks (or swims, or flies) across Khurun. Here are the most commonly found -Beastkin - a catchall term for many clades of animal folk, their creed and culture as varied as the animals they resemble.
Devahni - Horned nomads that trace their ancestry back to the oldest known civilizations.
Dwarves - Skilled blacksmiths and sturdy warriors that carve their homes out of the stones of mountains.
Elves - Ethereal and illusive, elves are influenced by the Shroud more strongly and take on aspects of their environment.
Humans - a versatile, and prolific, people content to borrow or steal from everyone else.
Orkin - A hardy people who brave the harsh outer reaches of the world.
Languages
A common trade tongue is prevalent across both continents of Khurun. This tongue has roots in the ancient Devahni empire, who controlled trade routes for centuries during the First Age. Most travelers, adventurers, and scholars speak multiple languages. Isolated communities on the far reaches of the continents are less likely to be fluent in the trade tongue. Schooling and literacy vary greatly depending on one's origin, and reading is a rare skill in some regions.On Magic
Magic is a natural force which underpins reality, and follows certain laws. Each culture has developed their own understanding of magic, their own systems and teachings around it, but they all play off the same force.The source of magic is called the Shroud, and those who can interact with it are called shroudweavers. Only a handful of people have the potential to cast magic - and from that number, not everyone who has the potential ends up becoming a weaver. Like any other art, mastery takes decades of practice and experience, with some disciplines of weaving being harder to pick up than others.
Risks of Magic - the Shroud is a resource that can be exhausted, and its overuse has dire consequences.
Magic Restrictions - Magic obeys the laws of nature like any other force, and there are types of spells that are impossible to cast.
Level of Technology
In a world pervaded by the Shroud, the use and practice of magic are inexorably linked to the technologies found across the land. Difficult to craft and expensive to maintain, magitech items are often treasured as keepsakes and heirlooms.There are some types of technology that are restricted in order to maintain immersion in the setting. Namely: firearms, gunpowder, and other advanced weapons of war should be kept out of play.
Risks of Magitech - adding construction to the already temperamental nature of magic
The Homunculus’ Dilemma - a condition that affects people who have augmented their bodies directly with magitech.
Airships
The fastest and safest way to travel across Khurun is via airship. It is also the most expensive, and requires a dedicated crew and a lot of magic to maintain flight. While small trading vessels are not uncommon, Airships fit for war or major trade are extremely rare. The means and materials to produce, maintain, and crew them are at a scale only feasible to the most influential dominions.Astronomy
Khurun's night sky is full of bright bodies - thick rings of celestial dust stripe diagonally across the sky, and eight moons orbit through their phases. Nights are brightly lit, and save for overcast days, lanterns are not needed to see. The tides are temperamental, coastal storms destructive, and predicting ocean currents is a well-respected artform.The celestial elements from the rings oft rain down upon the land in meteorological events. These elements have magical effects not found anywhere else on the planet.
History
History is divided into five ages, all marked by great shifts of power that changed the landscape of the twin continents - sometimes literally.First Age, Era of Promise - A meteor shower caused ecological change on a major scale - the very nature of magic and the world was re-written, and no records exist before this time. The Deva Empire rose from the chaos, and ruled as the dominant culture for generations.
Second Age, Era of Chaos - The collapse of the Deva Empire brought about the Second Age. Kingdoms fought over broken lands, and their struggle for power led to the creation of the Blight, a lingering force of corruption that persists into the modern day.
Third Age, Era of Many - The Arshakan Empire emerged as the dominant power in the South of Ilica, and the Kingdom of Altalusia in the North.
Fourth Age, Era of Unity - a time marked by relative peace and prosperity. Trade flourished, the arts were celebrated, and many schools of weavers were founded across the world.
Fifth Age, Era of Decay - About 300 years ago, the Ilician Free States rebelled against the Arshakan Empire, and the empire's iron grasp over the land weakened for the first time in centuries. Many philosophers saw this as sign of a dark age yet to come, and premptively named the age the Era of Decay.
The current year is 350 E.O.D.
Contributors: staff
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