Shrine to the Old Gods
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The Age of Introspection
Following the death of the Lightbringers, came The Age of Introspection. The remaining Lightbringers lived in a state of fear of the emptiness of their once-bustling world. The death of an individual Lightbringer was a momentous occasion. Each death left a scar on the world, and these scars ran deep, creating the ravines, crags, volcanoes, whirlpools, and perpetual storms of the world. However, not all were meant to remain. For The Amender, despite being the cause of this disparity in the world's ecosystem and repairing the world's woes. however not all of them. The scars he left to remain upon the world, were the Salt Pale, The Illisa River, The Elantris Forest, and The Ambrose. The Remains of the other Lightbringers were used to form the stars, and to create the Cerulean Crescent, you know the blue arm streak in the sky that appears at night.
Once all the dust had settled, unbeknownst to the remaining Lightbringers, it was akin to their paradise returning to how they found it centuries before, although a greater depth had expanded before them, not below their feet, but instead high up above. In turn, after learning... something from their mistakes in the past. They created strict laws, and these would come to the foundations of the reality we live within. The Lightbringers would shed their physical forms for a time being, returning to the abstract to understand further the power they maintained. Before returning to Mezaran and creating "The Winged Court." The winged court is the 27 fundamental laws of our reality. One Lightbringer for each wing. We have a singular sun in the sky, that is the Lightbringer Erkanar. All the Oceans are also a singular Lightbringer, that being Orsika. Nonetheless, after the founding of the court, the Lightbringers would go on to create mankind as a whole. They created Humans, Dwarves, Elves, Demons, Angels, and even the Beast Kith.
These races would be born, grow, and eventually break down and die. But through this cycle, they would achieve concepts and actions their creators didn't think were possible. Their creations created various advancements in science, industry, and society. Their greatest achievement would, of course, be, creating the Shelonan Theocracy, the first empire to grace the world of Mezeran. All the while, the Lightbringers sat atop the throne as living gods.
The Golden Age
Following the creation of the Shelonan Theocracy. Came a great golden age. These races naturally led a life of harmony albeit with a disparity in social equality. Those who retained the favor of their gods were called "Samnals." The Samnals created a grand city in the center of the world. This grand city had a dome constructed around it, to shield the citizens from the elements, that would be unfavorable to them at the time. Maintaining a perfectly temperate environment. With this advancement came perpetual growth of crops across the cities indoor farmlands, lowered disease, and eventually docility.
The Great Split
Following the Golden Age was The Great Split. The Golden Age was our greatest and shortest defining moment upon Mezeran. As it merely granted our people the mindset to band together and form civilizations. In a paradise, we as a people had no need to venture out from The Domed City, that is until the dome itself split open. Most of mankind lived unaware of the world outside it, following the advent of the domed city. People remained living outside the city, however, they were the undesirables of the theocracy, and when the city would ultimately fall, these individuals would disperse and form the other nations that dot Mezeran.
When the City fell, it came as a surprise to most of those who inhabited it. Only a singular man from the working class would run through the city rallying up a handful of individuals to try and leave the city. He spoke of a great glacier that would arrive, and crack the city in two, as well as split the great land bridge that connected the now, Continent of Yllitar, The Isle of Burzistan, and the Continent of Garrion. None believed this man, however at fervent begging to his old friend, he was allowed to leave with his flock and form what is now the grand tribelands of Yllitar. After his exodus, the city and the world split apart, and the only evidence of the formerly great city remains as ruins on the Isles of Burzistan.
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The Far Travels
The diaspora led to the creation of various nations that would rise and fall at the flip of a coin. Eventually, however, the cyclical destruction of the nations of man would come to a crawl. Most of the falls of man were naturally due to inexperience. As mankind naturally did not need to truly stress over things like hunger, thirst, or the elements while in the lands of Shelonan Theocracy. As their needs were provided for by the gods or through the divine marvels of the domed city. Those who lived outside the city as undesirables faired a bit better, but the survivors of the glacial split were woefully unprepared. Plunging the world into a dark age as the gods tried to recover from the event.
Nonetheless, this marked a great age of exploration for mankind, they found giant trees reaching the heavens and releasing steam into the sky to form clouds far to the north in what is now the City state of D'ellenas. Thrumming Spires of Stones marked with metallic tethers to keep them from shifting and toppling over in the Principalities of Barag. Elves and Demons would travel to the northeast to form the Fuyusaka Shogunate, where they grew in power and quarreled with themselves for centuries. The Angels would disperse to either the Tribelands or to parts unknown, never to be seen again. The humans, dwarves, and beast kin dispersed across the world, forming the rest of the nations, and the bulk of the world's population.
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The Divine Interregnum
The world continued through this age of exploration and technological advancement till reaching the modern day. With the horizons open to them, mankind began to try their hands at sailing, diplomacy, and eventually war. The Orsika Gulf had been in a constant cycle of war between the newly found duchies of Sinopal and Serga, up until the Kingdom of Uteca joined in. Vorgumun the neighbors to these three nations that sit at the mouth of the gulf tried to maintain neutrality but ultimately were forced to defend themselves against generations of opportunistic generals, losing some land to Uteca and a third party, in the form of a Mercenary company known as the Grey Ravens that took an island off the coast of Vorgumun to act as a staging point of their business.
The Principalities of Barag, sought to defend themselves against the Kingdom Path'kis and its three grand dukes. However the war was drawn out by the mercantile nation of Uskas. A Nation that holds great power over the seas with its grand navy, allowing for it to trade with the Northland Company, which is a large trading nation east of the wildlands of Garrion. The Fuyusaka Shogunate despite being a military powerhouse, stayed away from the world stage due to its internal instability.
Nonetheless, these nations were solely focused on their own problems up until recently. The Shelonan Theocracy regrouped and reformed, as the 2nd Shelonan Theocracy. However, things had changed drastically, for many of the Lightbringers had died once more. only fourteen of the original gods remained within the Lightwarden Pantheon. As Thirteen new gods had taken their place. Following this change in the divine roster, came a change in mandate. Immediately after the reformation, the mobilization of troops began, and in turn, the theocracy Invaded the Community of Burzistan. The island republic was once the homeland of the Shelonan Theocracy. This caused a crisis in the Principalities of Barag, as it was the only viable land that had a modicum of peace nearby the central island. Thus this is where we are now... In a world where we as a people, collectively know little about the world around us... we are in a great time of Turmoil.
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Key events:
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The Formation of the Lightbringers
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The First Attempt at recreation led to the creation of "The Amender"
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The Amender Instigated the event known as the War of Heaven and Earth, which is later described in the book of the Lightwardens.
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The Remaining Lightbringers search the world for survivors, finding the remaining 27.
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They Form the Winged Court
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They Form the domed city and create the Samnal System
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Demian takes his flock to the Yllitar Tribelands, forming the first nomadic tribes
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The Landbridge between the Continent of Yllitar and Garrion shattered and the domed city is crushed by a tidal wave of ice
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The Orsika Gulf is encompassed in war
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The nations of the modern world begin to form
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The Shelonan Theocracy reforms, with a new pantheon of Lightwardens.
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The first crusade began, followed by a great exodus from Burzistan
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Setting:
Following the crusade, the story would begin in a pre-industrial port town in the Principality of Barag. Technological advancement is being made in strides upon the eastern continent while the Western world advances greatly in the marvels of magic. Despite this there is many differences between the two sides of Mezeran, what is the more industrialized east, is overshadowed by magical marvels such as floating cities and sky forts to the west. The East is ultimately more grounded in reality. As such this would be used to ease the individual to the possibilities of the fantastical. The characters of the East would explore the world naturally through a sense of wonder through scientific regression while facing theological and arcane advancement when heading westwards, and facing the opposite when heading eastwards. -
Locations
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Tarth: A port town in the Principalities, it's where this story begins. Recently after the refugee crisis began, a festival was set up to combat the growing food crisis. The Clergy aims to perform a Hero quest, to draw blessings from the spirits, and their ancestors.
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Niravo: The Former Golden city upon the continent of Burzistan. It's currently partially buried under a grand ice sheet
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Chov-Ashda: The founding tribe that would go on to explore the entirety of the Yllitar Tribelands. Demian's descendants keep his tools as a symbol of their clan.
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Panto: The Capital of Barag, Currently it's the site of a succession war, although no blood has been shed. The leader of the principality is chosen by dividing three parts of the city's industrial and mercantile sectors to see who can produce the greatest revenue within the town.
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Karanes: The Capital to the neighboring Kingdom of Path'kis. It's a Inland Trading center for the kingdom itself, however most of the kingdom's industry is also consolidated there. Allowing for it to grow into a bustling metropolis. The Most notable feature of the capital is that even far out into the rural countryside, all their roads are paved in stone. Allowing for greater ease in transportation.
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Krolova: The capital to the Northland Trade Company's claim on the continent of Garrion. Most of the individuals that live within the lands of the company are subjected to extended work shifts, low-quality rations, and meager living quarters. Those who live within the capital however are treated to a lavish lifestyle as large amounts of clerical work is done within the city. With Automatons acting as the Enforcers to the status quo within the city
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The Orsika Gulf: A spindly landmass northwest of the Yllitar Continent. The Gulf is in a constant state of war that has lasted for three hundred and fifty years by the estimation of historians. Originally dozens of nations littered the gulf, however they were subsumed by the four remaining nations.
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Grey Nest: The Island that was taken from Vorgumun during their war with Uteca. In the skirmish, dozens of soldiers, mercenaries, and deserters banded together and stormed an island off the coast of Vorgumun. Taking it for their own. They hope to build a haven for soldiers out on the ocean and to bring an end to the wars littering the gulf. Recruiting broken men and women along the way.
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Characters
Levant Alemmon The Main Protagonist of the story. Levant is a brash young man who was driven to set out from Burzistan and explore the rest of the world. Given that they were born at the end of the age of exploration, they naturally heard grand tales of beautiful sites across the world. Not only that, their old friend Lan Kessler helped plant the seeds of curiosity within them. However at the time of the exodus and reaching Barag, their demeanor became more volatile and standoffish, his home was taken from him. And the "gods" as they were called, took it from him. His parents could have been killed but he would never come to know if they were or not. Instead he would opt to develop his skills to bring the fight to the Shelonan Theocracy. Opting into the Barag military to help facilitate his goal of incomplete vengeance. He doesn't have much of a goal in mind, as he's using his hatred of the Shelonans to cope with a loss of youth, and the destruction of his original dreams.
Lan Kessler: One of the supporting characters of the story. Lan was a bright and optimistic child during their early years, dreaming up adventures to faraway lands, inventing new games to play with their playmates, and on occasion causing mischief here and there. Their youth naturally came to an abrupt halt during the first crusade, however. He and their friends were naturally forced to flee to the Principality of Barag. Nonetheless, after becoming a refugee, he would, in turn, become a scholar in Barag, before joining the military and expanding on the stufy arcane and science. As such they would come to develop their own brand of study, that being Arcane Syntax.
Ensia Sicht: Ensia was brought alongside Alemmon and Kessler to Barag. In Burzistan she was visiting Levant's hometown after her parents finished moving to town at the recommendation of Levant's father. Who was a doctor, and asked them to move to help monitor the child's situation. Ultimately though, this would be interrupted as she and her family were separated by the crusade. Her parents didn't make it out of port and in turn she was dragged to Barag along with the three. She resolved to become a soldier to help ensure Levant didn't end up killing himself by throwing himself into situations he couldn't handle. Little did anyone know, she had an innate talent to combat and military operations.
Kuroda Icairit: Following the exodus, Levant, Lan, and Ensia would find themselves alone in a foreign port town. Being shoved off the ship as it tries to prepare to make another journey back to the Isle of Burzistan. They would be taken under the wing of another refugee that was only a couple of years older than the three. Kuroda would go on to ensure the three children wouldn't want for anything after losing all they had. He would descend to a life of crime to ensure they wouldn't go hungry after the failed hero quest in Tarth. Some of the jobs he took would range from smuggling, extortion, the killing of guards and officials, and even working for a tailor and pub owner with deviant tastes. However, he would put his life of crime to an end when joining the military to ensure his two kids Ensia and Levant wouldn't end up dying.
Rico Deitriech: A female military official, currently investigating the string of murders pertaining to dozens of military officials. She specializes in investigating cold cases closed by the military police of Barag. However, her investigations would lead to revealing great deals of corruption in military ranks, as well as factionalism. In fear of being found out, the other two factions within the military would restation her at a military training camp in an effort to throw her off the scent of the case.
Angelica Moses: A girl from a family of hunters. A citizen of Barag, who joined the Barag military when realizing her remaining as a hunter in her small town village would lead to her family's strained finances. She's a fairly caring soul who excels at tracking, scouting, and ranged combat. However, shows innate growth in hand-to-hand techniques as well. Sadly she doesn't seem to care much for her studies in military operations, logistics, and the like.
Ulkin Stratmann: An outgoing and impetuous young man, who joined the military of Barag to become the talk of his small village. However, his skills lack in some areas while he excels at others. He's gained a penchant for making up stories that make him out to be an unstoppable warrior in the eyes of local children when he's given leave from the training camp.
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@darkwalker57 I really like the world that you've built here. There is a lot of lore and depth, but enough openness that you can really tell that there is room for a player (or players) to be capable of manipulating and adding to it themselves. It's not too restrictive, not too open. Well-done. Definitely a sandbox I would love to play a game in!
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Religions
The Winged Court
This was considered to be the defacto founding religion of the world. Upon the founding of this religion, the Shelonan Theocracy was formed. The original 27 surviving light bringers are worshipped in this religion. Following the advent of the religion was a creation was a caste system to bring about order within the creations that would be later known as mankind. Following a descending order of Samnals, Bittals , Simca , Yihra , and Emet. The Samnals are individuals close to the deities, so close in fact that worshipping the ground a samnal walks is akin to worshipping the divines. Samnals can range from personal confidants, to even their chefs or foot rests. However all Samnals tend to attain a breath of divinity from who they serve. Usually they're thematically appropriate with a few exceptions, such as the deity of combat's samnals are capable of summoning and storing weaponry in various means or performing extrodinary combat feats. Be it as light, in pocket dimensions, or kicking a spear to skewer their opponents from miles away.
Bittals are those who propagate the spread of the religion. In other words, spiritual advisors, priests, shamans, diviners and the like. Despite this religion being fairly organized as a whole, terminology is not. As it's broken into various cults that work together. As such in large places of worship it's not uncommon to see a orthodox priest and a wild shaman in the same place. Usually in different sections of the grand place of worship.
Yihras are Scholars and Artisans of the world. This caste is a broad section as these can be researchers, alchemists, doctors, tailors, Smiths, inventors and the likes. Yihras work hand in hand with the next caste and in fact is one of the castes that most of the population used to belong too
Emets were the producers of the religion. However despite the necessity, it's considered to be only the third largest populated caste. With Bittals being second. The reason for this, was due to the divine spectacles used to create the utopia of old, Niravo. They were mainly farmers, miners, fishers and the like. But thanks to blessed fields of abundance, preserving mountains, and blazing craters, Nivora created some of the most effective methods of producing products. But their quality wasn't always assured. The major drawback of the old Religion of the Winged Court was stagnancy, as they maintained a barely passing bronze age till the fall of Nivora. Afterwards the religion became greatly disorganized as the Lightbringers sought to preserve their ideal world. As such very few folks retain worship of this religion in the modern day, instead opting to worship... -
The Radiant Hosts
The Radiant Host is a reformation of the Winged Court. Following the death of 13 lightbringers and the ascension of their Samnals. The advent and creation of this reformed religion was marked by the fall of Nivora. Naturally many individuals had faith in Nivora before it was crushed by the ice sheet. Nonetheless after the death of that many deities, the former Winged Court faith was naturally shaken to its very core, and in turn a new god by the name of Revache took the mantle as the main god of the pantheon. Renaming the Light-bringers as light wardens, and taking a more active role in the future of mankind. He would go on to rework the Samnal system, and create the first series of Holy Orders that traveled and propagated the faith of the new religion, while also creating and attaining foot holds in various governments across the world. However a number of the holy orders naturally were rooted out of governance in some nations. -
The Seneschal's Path
Following the advent of the Winged Court, the dregs of Shelonan Society who lived outside the city of Nivora grew disgruntled by the way life they were led to live. As beings not even considered worthy of a Caste, they were left to their own devices, riots would typically break out, outside the city, followed by violent and one sided suppressions by a handful of Samnals. After years of oppression the Amender would arrive and offer the unfortunate souls a path to a better life. Naturally however not everything comes for free. This Religious practice is a less organized religion, no written texts are made for the faith. Ultimately the world recognizes this as a religion, yet nothing exists to elaborate any form of spiritual actions and rites. The only things that are truly known of the religion, is that those who can properly follow the faith are called Arbiters, wearing garb of black and gold. They appear just as mysteriously as The Amender. Also that Amender will never answer the prayers of those who pray to them.
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Sal Paraspas
An organized religion that worships the Seneschal, a reinterpretation of The Amender. The Religion has a low global following, and was founded by the saint Lawrence Halfdan. Following the eventual rise of the Winged court, the diaspora of mankind faded into myth and legend, and in turn a conman would go on to found a religion built upon the continued proliferation of life, liberty and egality. However the organization of the religion became increasingly more constrictive. In turn they would go on to create various doctorines centered on wealth accumulation.
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The Six Winds
The Six Winds Faith is a faith based upon the teachings of Demian. The Shepard who led their flock out of Nivora and into the Yilltar Tribelands. The Religion worships various new gods who walked alongside the congregation. These people were called "Herrschers" or "The Rulers" as they were called in the common tongue. After leaving Nivora, a key feature of the religion was the nomadic lifestyle, and creating worksites across the entire tribeland, Where spirits and the storied pasts of their heroes, spirits, and Herrschers would influence where grand forges, kilns, underground ferrmentation cellars, mines, and forestry locations would be located.
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The Church of the Aeons
A religion formed off the basis of astrology, the different celestial bodies up above Mezeran are worshipped as gods on the eastern continent, and it is believed that its possible to tap into various magics attributed to the aeons. The aeons being "powerful constellations" in a stretch of the night sky known as the Stellar Desert. A patch of sky comprised of only beautiful constellations of various colors. The powers typically drawn from the Aeons correspond accordingly, for example; The Aeon of Myriads grants strong healing magic, The Aeon of Ruin grants no base magic by itself, but allows for all types of magics to breach various defenses. Nonetheless the power of the Aeons are fickle, as at points they leave the sky entirely hence the stretch of land they inhabit is called the stellar desert, and in turn only a maximum of five Aeons can retain control over the heavens.
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The Congregation of Seismeche
The Congregation of Seismeche is effectively the centralized religion on across the Continent of Garrion, The Orsika Gulf, and the Isle of Uskas. It's considered the largest religion following the dissolution of the original Winged Court. It follows the worship of similar beings such as the Aeons, these beings are however called Etros. Etros are personifications of worldly elements, these being Mezeran herself, Pela the Eternal Flame, Purphoros the tempestuous, etc. This religion also incorporates the Amender, although they attribute them as a Zeitgeist, or the breath of change that naturally roled through the world every once in a while.
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The Basic Magic System
Mages in the world of Mezeran are broken up into various categories, and are further broken up into specializations. Almost everyone in the world is capable of magic however it doesn't mean they can just read a magical spell and immediately cast it, its heavily dependent on their growth as an individual.Hyperion:
The Commonly known magical energy of this world. The understanding of this energy was formed by the Lightbringers, as it was a byproduct of the war of the lightbringers before the formation of the winged court. Hyperion alone cannot create magical and fantastical forces, instead it needs something to manipulate such energies. Ultimately Hyperion is a completely inert source of energy.Silla
"The Kingdom" or "Domain." Every Mage has a Silla within them, A barren landscape within themselves. This landscape rests within the Sea of Identities and is the culmination of their experiences. They grow this initially small landscape within the Sea of Identities to draw further knowledge and to manipulate their growth.The Sea of Identities
The Sea is a metaphysical ocean between the realms, not much is entirely known of the sea, however what is known is that it's intrinsically tied to every single being across the land. Normally individuals can't consciously access the sea nor can they influence their growth. Those who can manipulate their Silla and the tides of the sea are far and few between. The Sea is comprised of millions of small islands, obelisks, floating ruins, and the like. In turn normally people enter the sea through sleep, and in turn the dreams one experiences in sleep are considered to be alternate identities they inhabit in a reflection of this very world. Tapping into these reflections augment the growth of the individual, as well as the personality slightly as they draw traits from their alternate selves. -
The Basic Paths of Magic
Elementalism
Despite mages being fairly rare in Mezeran, this path is however the most common. In turn, many folk associate mages with this path of magic, You can't expect the common man to not ask your local apprentice mage at the tavern to not huck a fireball or to cool their ale.
The Mechanics of elementalism works heavily upon cause and effect and scientific understanding. In order to conjure a fireball, an elementalist must create the conditions for the eventuality. They will alter air temperatures around their hands to create the condition of ignition.
Elementalism is considered one of the more prestigious schools of magic, It's favored by soldiers and battlemages, -
Entropy
Entropists are mages who preside over the aspects of life and death. An entropic mage alters eventuality by manipulating the life force of beings. Necromancers tend to walk down the path of Entropy and develop their Silla to draw knowledge of their alternate selves. Unlike other schools of magic, very few teachers exist, little is known of the rituals and theories behind this magic as it's typically forbidden in many cities across Mezeran. To Ultimately grasp the power of this magic, students must understand that death is an omnipresent and constant variable. It's inherent in every being, from the simple pebble beneath your feet, to even the gods. Although death may vary from case by case, and interpretation. Entropy magics lack many offensive capabilities, instead focusing on as stated before, the manipulation of life force. Allowing for vampiric spells, blood magics, necromancy, and in some cases instant death spell. Recently however, purveyors of entropy have made a break through in the field of entropy. They have begun to recreate manifestations of death from their reflections in the sea of identities, summoning forth and creating blades that make wounds incapable of closing, living storms of death, sentient shadows, etc. -
Abundance
Abundance Magic is a school of magic heavily mired in the subjects of Thaumaturgy. This Magic is the most prestigious path, With this magic being capable of curing wounds and disease, purifying toxins in water, and temporarily enhancing one's own physical body to superhuman levels. However this is the most mentally and physical taxing for the caster.
An Abundance mage, when encountering a problem, for instance a wound. Would enter the Sea of Identities, search for a reflection where the body is intact, and transplants such a reality into our own. However this isn't a cure all, if they try to transplant a reality, for a disease or wound that's too deeply intwined with the individual. Such as to say cerebral defects. The use of Abundance could cause sudden brain death, or loss of sanity. As such many nations would rather choose to advance Mundane medicine. -
Mentalism
Mentalism is an exceedingly difficult magic, Unlike other magics in the world, this magic is ultimately impermanent. Unlike Elementalism, Abundance, and Entropy. This magic leaves no trace upon the world yet is requires a profound understanding over fundamental laws of the world. They practice in the Imaginary. As such True Mentalists are as rare as Painite. And their impact on history is even less felt. Nonetheless the mechanics of their magic is similar to elementalism and Abundance magic. They must produce the eventuality like elementalism, however they search the sea of identities for the possible cause and effect. If a Mentalist wished to kill someone, they would search for the death of a target in the sea of identities, and manifest ways for their death. However given the nature of the magic, these manifestations can't be seen by anyone other than the mentalist themselves and other mages who can sense Hyperion. However their impact upon the world till the de-manifestation can be seen. A tale of battle between a mentalist and a common foot soldier had the mentalist conjure forth some sort of invisible beast. However they were able to still hear the creature, and see byproducts of the creature such as a shadow, footprints and the like. A true mentalist however is predicted to supplant the imaginary, and instead however make these eventualities a true reality in this world.
