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houraipeachMajor Nations
Kingdom of Asphodel: The most populous region of Mag Mell, Asphodel is a land of rolling plains and temperate forests, ringed by mountains rich in Aurite deposits, which have made it the world's cradle of magical innovation. It has a lengthy history of internal dissent, as the squabbling royal families of the region fight each other for the right to sit the Emerald Throne; it is only through the ever-present threat of Barghest attacks incited by its incredible Aurite density that cooperation between the duchies is maintained. The Aurite Enforcement Bureau has its headquarters in Asphodel, in the capital city of Crownhold.
Barzakh League: Settled on the frigid northern coast of Mag Mell's largest continent, the closest national neighbor of Asphodel is the birthplace of Fomor culture, a loose confederacy of fishermen, artisans, and traders whose system of governance has remained largely unchanged for a thousand or more years. It is here that the Tethran Church was founded, and the Order of the Shining Blade still maintains a strong presence here, training recruits in the brutal mountains and rain-soaked coasts that mark the region. Its status as the spiritual center of Fomor culture and strong mercantile ties to its neighbors make it one of the wealthiest nations on the planet, and it enjoys close economic and military ties to Asphodel.
Tian Empire: Having recently settled an inconclusive naval war with Yomi, in order to deal with internal Barghest attacks, the Tian Empire covers the most sheer landmass of any nation on Mag Mell, much of it grasslands and blistering desert. A deeply cultured land, Tian's long military and poetic traditions are the underpinnings of a strong sense of national pride that has resisted conquest from within and without for centuries; the Sun Dynasty has ruled over the fertile veldt in an unbroken streak for nearly 800 years. Broken Spear Industries makes its headquarters in the capital, Penglai, and provides most of the nation's armaments. While rich in many other resources, Tian is poor in Aurite, and imports much of it from its neighbors.
Republic of Yomi: A relatively recent player on the global stage, the Republic of Yomi is a breakaway from the Tian Empire, formed after the indigenous Fomor of the Naraka Jungle rebelled against their rulers roughly 300 years ago. Yomi culture, while extremely syncretic and adaptive, is also fiercely individualist; their struggles against monolithic Tian nationalism have left them with a ferocious spirit of independence. The Republic has become a colossal commercial power in a relatively short span of time; Yomi consumer goods and cultural influence are rapidly breaking into markets everywhere, and their merchant navy is reaching farther and farther every year.
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Hunting Guilds
Cauldron Regiment: One of the few things the duchies of Asphodel can actually agree on is the absolute necessity of having well-trained Slayers on hand. And if the Aurite Enforcement Bureau is the deft left hand that keeps Aurite pollution under control, the Cauldron Regiment is its mailed right fist. The AEB's formal corps of Slayers, the soldiers of the Cauldron are battle-hardened professionals whose sole task is to eliminate Barghest and Unseelie when civilian or military authorities lose control of a situation. Unlike other Hunting Guilds, the Regiment's Slayers, known as 'Judges,' are actual government officials: they report directly to the Emerald Throne and are authorized to issue summary judgement upon anyone they deem guilty of aiding or abetting magical threats. The Cauldron takes any who will sign on, and has a reputation for brutal efficiency that precedes it; those who bear the Regiment's mark are given a wide berth.
Order Of The Shining Blade: The oldest of the Hunting Guilds, the Order dates back to the first days of Aurite mining. Originally a branch of the Tethran Church, the Order was formed to protect Church researchers studying Aurite deposits. The Order is a well-respected institution, but membership has dwindled in recent years as talent scouts find that very few young mages are willing to commit to Church rules of conduct and behavior; the Order is regarded as dour, inflexible, and grim. However, while the Order may be in decline, it still attracts new Slayers enraptured by stories of their historic exploits. Slayers of the Order are referred to as 'Paladins,' and universally mark their equipment with a sigil of Claimh Solais, the legendary first Focus, which is stored in the Order's Grand Reliquary as a holy treasure.
Broken Spear Industries: Beginning life as a Focus manufacturer and Aurite mining concern, Broken Spear runs monster-hunting in a 'strictly business' capacity. One of the first Guilds to hit upon the idea of charging local muncipalities for their services, they were rocked by antitrust and racketeering scandals some 40-odd years ago, but have since rebuilt their reputation thanks largely to drastic revamping of their executive structure and a massive advertising blitz. Broken Spear boasts the largest number of active Slayers of any Guild on Mag Mell, thanks to generous signing bonuses, and are typically the best-armed in the world thanks to getting 'pick of the litter' from new Focus prototypes. Broken Spear Slayers are known commonly as 'Lancers,' and approach combat with more strictly militaristic tactics than many other guilds; group performance is emphasized over individual skill, resulting in highly-disciplined Cabals skilled at working in concert with conventional military and security forces.
Rainbow Arc: The youngest Hunting Guild, Rainbow Arc is a recent entry into the world of magical threat elimination. Spun-off from Yomi media conglomerate Prism Enterprises, Rainbow Arc is known for its flashiness and colorful marketing, treating Slayers like pop stars and merchandising them heavily. Despite this seeming flippancy, Rainbow Arc is incredibly selective about recruitment, and its training program is crushingly rigorous; its teachers are made up of a core of Shining Blade Paladins excommunicated for speaking out against archaic Church policies. So-called 'Arcbreakers' are among the most elite Slayers on Mag Mell, with Rainbow Arc emphasizing quality over quantity in terms of training, battering rookies with harsh field training in the Naraka Jungle. Due to this, Arcbreakers have a reputation for egotism among other Slayers, one only reinforced by billboard ads and sneaker endorsements; the Shining Blade in particular views them with naked disdain, an attitude that tends to go both ways.
Kingdom of Asphodel: The most populous region of Mag Mell, Asphodel is a land of rolling plains and temperate forests, ringed by mountains rich in Aurite deposits, which have made it the world's cradle of magical innovation. It has a lengthy history of internal dissent, as the squabbling royal families of the region fight each other for the right to sit the Emerald Throne; it is only through the ever-present threat of Barghest attacks incited by its incredible Aurite density that cooperation between the duchies is maintained. The Aurite Enforcement Bureau has its headquarters in Asphodel, in the capital city of Crownhold.
Barzakh League: Settled on the frigid northern coast of Mag Mell's largest continent, the closest national neighbor of Asphodel is the birthplace of Fomor culture, a loose confederacy of fishermen, artisans, and traders whose system of governance has remained largely unchanged for a thousand or more years. It is here that the Tethran Church was founded, and the Order of the Shining Blade still maintains a strong presence here, training recruits in the brutal mountains and rain-soaked coasts that mark the region. Its status as the spiritual center of Fomor culture and strong mercantile ties to its neighbors make it one of the wealthiest nations on the planet, and it enjoys close economic and military ties to Asphodel.
Tian Empire: Having recently settled an inconclusive naval war with Yomi, in order to deal with internal Barghest attacks, the Tian Empire covers the most sheer landmass of any nation on Mag Mell, much of it grasslands and blistering desert. A deeply cultured land, Tian's long military and poetic traditions are the underpinnings of a strong sense of national pride that has resisted conquest from within and without for centuries; the Sun Dynasty has ruled over the fertile veldt in an unbroken streak for nearly 800 years. Broken Spear Industries makes its headquarters in the capital, Penglai, and provides most of the nation's armaments. While rich in many other resources, Tian is poor in Aurite, and imports much of it from its neighbors.
Republic of Yomi: A relatively recent player on the global stage, the Republic of Yomi is a breakaway from the Tian Empire, formed after the indigenous Fomor of the Naraka Jungle rebelled against their rulers roughly 300 years ago. Yomi culture, while extremely syncretic and adaptive, is also fiercely individualist; their struggles against monolithic Tian nationalism have left them with a ferocious spirit of independence. The Republic has become a colossal commercial power in a relatively short span of time; Yomi consumer goods and cultural influence are rapidly breaking into markets everywhere, and their merchant navy is reaching farther and farther every year.
---
Hunting Guilds
Cauldron Regiment: One of the few things the duchies of Asphodel can actually agree on is the absolute necessity of having well-trained Slayers on hand. And if the Aurite Enforcement Bureau is the deft left hand that keeps Aurite pollution under control, the Cauldron Regiment is its mailed right fist. The AEB's formal corps of Slayers, the soldiers of the Cauldron are battle-hardened professionals whose sole task is to eliminate Barghest and Unseelie when civilian or military authorities lose control of a situation. Unlike other Hunting Guilds, the Regiment's Slayers, known as 'Judges,' are actual government officials: they report directly to the Emerald Throne and are authorized to issue summary judgement upon anyone they deem guilty of aiding or abetting magical threats. The Cauldron takes any who will sign on, and has a reputation for brutal efficiency that precedes it; those who bear the Regiment's mark are given a wide berth.
Order Of The Shining Blade: The oldest of the Hunting Guilds, the Order dates back to the first days of Aurite mining. Originally a branch of the Tethran Church, the Order was formed to protect Church researchers studying Aurite deposits. The Order is a well-respected institution, but membership has dwindled in recent years as talent scouts find that very few young mages are willing to commit to Church rules of conduct and behavior; the Order is regarded as dour, inflexible, and grim. However, while the Order may be in decline, it still attracts new Slayers enraptured by stories of their historic exploits. Slayers of the Order are referred to as 'Paladins,' and universally mark their equipment with a sigil of Claimh Solais, the legendary first Focus, which is stored in the Order's Grand Reliquary as a holy treasure.
Broken Spear Industries: Beginning life as a Focus manufacturer and Aurite mining concern, Broken Spear runs monster-hunting in a 'strictly business' capacity. One of the first Guilds to hit upon the idea of charging local muncipalities for their services, they were rocked by antitrust and racketeering scandals some 40-odd years ago, but have since rebuilt their reputation thanks largely to drastic revamping of their executive structure and a massive advertising blitz. Broken Spear boasts the largest number of active Slayers of any Guild on Mag Mell, thanks to generous signing bonuses, and are typically the best-armed in the world thanks to getting 'pick of the litter' from new Focus prototypes. Broken Spear Slayers are known commonly as 'Lancers,' and approach combat with more strictly militaristic tactics than many other guilds; group performance is emphasized over individual skill, resulting in highly-disciplined Cabals skilled at working in concert with conventional military and security forces.
Rainbow Arc: The youngest Hunting Guild, Rainbow Arc is a recent entry into the world of magical threat elimination. Spun-off from Yomi media conglomerate Prism Enterprises, Rainbow Arc is known for its flashiness and colorful marketing, treating Slayers like pop stars and merchandising them heavily. Despite this seeming flippancy, Rainbow Arc is incredibly selective about recruitment, and its training program is crushingly rigorous; its teachers are made up of a core of Shining Blade Paladins excommunicated for speaking out against archaic Church policies. So-called 'Arcbreakers' are among the most elite Slayers on Mag Mell, with Rainbow Arc emphasizing quality over quantity in terms of training, battering rookies with harsh field training in the Naraka Jungle. Due to this, Arcbreakers have a reputation for egotism among other Slayers, one only reinforced by billboard ads and sneaker endorsements; the Shining Blade in particular views them with naked disdain, an attitude that tends to go both ways.
