Races

Humans (Order)

Humans evolved from primates and went from nomadic communities to settlements. From the First to Third Age, humans were instrumental in Sekaian civilization. During the Fourth Age, humans were once again nomadic, fleeing powerful beasts and on the run from toxic gases. Humans found themselves in petty arguments amidst their survivalist techniques. Strong families and dukedoms arose in the ashes, some tyrannical in nature, enslaving people and promoting their cause with false religions or threats. Indeed, humans had a rough time during the Fourth Age. Fortunately, many of these serfdoms rose in revolution to restore some of the older kingdoms of Sekai, and some even proclaimed nationhood and granted rights to their citizens as cities were moved above the troposphere. Now humans are the creators of progressive ideas, organizers of new civilization above the surface, and have begun to rely on honor, politics, and protection as virtues. The vast majority of human settlements are currently located above the surface. Surface settlements/mining colonies do exist, but are minimal in number. Some radical humans are finding themselves drawn into fanatical religious terrorist groups.

Elves (Order)

Elves are even older than humans in terms of race history. Elves are said to have originated from spirits that came from forests. Seeing the developing human body and its flexibility, these forest spirits inhabited the evolving human form and their own type evolved as a result (taller, pointy ears, and longer life-spans). Having such a mystical background has given Elves an advantage in the magic arts, but they are often ignorant to new ideas involving technology and research, and usually prefer to stick to their ancient and magical ways. Elves are environmentalists. During the Fourth Age, they largely went into hiding. Unlike humans, they did not succumb to jealousy or power struggles, and were noble. However the toxic gas seemed to be more deadly to Elves and killed a large population of them before they were able to participate in the learning of some protective magics. These magics only did so much good. Like humans, Elves were forced above the surface. Now they use powerful magics to move forests and morph land into jungles and ecological centers. They typically live in strictly controlled domes, where the environment plays a massive role. They are ecologists, and are attempting to preserve Sekai’s flora and fauna in massive forests above the surface. There are absolutely zero Elvish settlements still on the surface.

Half-Elves (Order)

Half-elves were, for a long time, ridiculed in both Human and Elven society. Eventually they came to be respected members of the universe, founding their own half-elf specific nations. There was an exodus from Human and Elvish kingdoms. The magical element of an Elven body mixed with the very earthen element of a Human body created something special. During the Third Ages, Half-elves were known to be beings who were economical like humans, but knew the forests well, like elves. That created in half-elves a sense of pride on both sides. They were able to map out forests, discover plants, and know their usefulness, but they had no qualms about cutting them down, selling them, and using them (much to the dismay of elves). Currently, half-elves are in a predicament. Some have gone to live with elves in controlled ecological settlements, while others have gone into human settlements. Some are even illegally entering elvish settlements, and acting as smugglers for rare plants that could be used in alchemy or medicines. Half-elves have not managed to establish themselves in the Fifth Age in their own unique settlements. There are some very nationalist half-elves that participate in all kinds of activities, from fanatical religious terrorism to more respectable attempts at founding a half-elf nation above the surface.

Dwarves (Order)

Dwarves are an ancient race, about as ancient as Elves. Dwarves get along well with Humans and Gnomes, but there are some hostilities between Dwarves and Elves. Dwarves were formed by mountain spirits in the general form of being which originated both Humans and Elves and Gnomes. These spirits had their own take on an ideal form, being from the mountains and desiring to form kingdoms almost entirely within mountain ranges. Dwarves were instrumental in the survival of humanity during the Fourth Age. A union of dwarves and humans near the end of the Fourth Age allowed for sorcerers and inventors to work together. Now, like in the past, dwarves are masters of engineering and mining. They live in a few different settlements. Some have gone above the surface to live in human settlements. Most live in ancient mountains that have for long reached above Sekai’s troposphere. There they inhabit vast tunneled settlements in the peaks of the mountains. They are one of the only races, along with Goblins and Gnomes, that can withstand living in such caves, as the environment on those mountains is quite hostile and not as controlled as on new human settlements above the surface. Dwarves are inventors of many of Sekai’s newest inventions, though of course not without human support. They are also excellent miners, meaning that they are often employed to spearhead mining groups to retrieve precious Alloy.

Gnomes(Order)

Gnomes are interesting creatures. They are even smaller than Dwarves in physical form and they are found so far underground that their communities are close to the center of the earth. They are extremely intelligent and innovative, focusing on inventions and new ways to solving problems. Gnomes, like dwarves, have been instrumental in discovering many of Sekai’s newest technologies. However, Gnomes have always been lacking in numbers. They are one of Sekai’s rarest intelligent races. During the Fourth Age, they were forced into deeper depths, and it was there that they discovered Alloy and assisted other races in using it to build strong structures above the troposphere. Currently, gnomes either live in human or dwarf settlements, have their own settlements on the peaks of ancient mountains, or some even still retain small enclaves near the center of the earth, despite the existence of new underground beasts and violent magics and seismic activity. They are rather mysterious these days, and they often trade other rare more beautiful metals found near the center. They are also still inventors of strange devices.

Orcs (Chaos)

The Orcs of Sekai are a savage race. Even though they are savage and excellent fighters, they can still be extremely intelligent and have been able to form coherent communities over time. It is said that Orcs formed from corrupted spirits attempting to inhabit human souls, mutating the standard figure and causing it to grow sharp teeth and claws and create animal-like instincts. Orcs are deadly, but do not underestimate their ability to hold conversation… if you are talking to the right ones. During the Fourth Age, Orcs were forced into a lifestyle that they were very accustomed to before the Third Age. The Third Age saw Orcs forming organized communities, city-states, and kingdoms. Before that, they were always nomadic, thinking of the whole, and not the individual. They went back into this lifestyle during the Fourth Age, and survival was a must. Small bands or tribes of Orcs scoured Sekai seeking shelter. This experience made Orcs significantly more noble than they had become before. Honor and protection became virtues to them, oddly enough – some even desired to protect their families or tribes from harm (think of Native Americans mixed with Mongolians here). Orcs sought help from Goblins in discovering Alloy and using it to build settlements above the surface. Now Orcs are finding their tribes re-built within massive cities on plates above the surface. Orcs do not care about the environment, even amidst Sekai’s disaster. Their new settlements are gritty, industrial, and poorly planned. However, they still have a sense of tribe and protection in this sense. They are fierce and aggressive, still ferocious, still eat raw meat, and have not adopted concepts such as human rights, voting, or representation – they are still more into slavery, only the strong rule, and things like that.

Goblins (Chaos)

Goblins are physically the chaotic version of Gnomes. However, they have very different characteristics. Goblins usually inhabit mountain ranges, like Dwarves, and are extremely intelligent creatures when it comes to commerce. Of all chaotic races, they are the most trusted by other races because of their abilities as shrewd merchants. They have access to precious materials, and while they are not as strong or skilled in combat as Dwarves may be, some say their small and fast bodies (as opposed to the Dwarves’ somewhat lumbering speed) gives them an excellent ability to shuffle goods from high places to villages on flatlands in short periods of time. They are also fast miners and are said to be somewhat competent inventors, especially for a chaotic race. They love to eat raw meat, and like the Orcs, raw horse meat is a specialty, especially for the Goblins who have no other use for horses except for food. The Fourth Age saw a fate similar to the Orcs. Goblins organized into tribes. After the Fourth Age, Goblins were key in helping Orcs discover Alloy and use it to build settlements above the surface. Now Goblins either live in Orcish settlements or in their own settlements on the peaks of ancient mountains (like Dwarves and Gnomes). Some Goblins still maintain small settlements and mining colonies near the center of the earth, amidst terrible dangers.

Undead (Chaos)

The Undead, like the Orcs, have a reputation of not being sociable. This would be incorrect. The Undead are actually an ancient race, originating from the afterlife of carcasses found of all types of races, but mostly Humans and Elves. These spirits inhabit dead bodies and create from them a strange race that is mostly bone, but with a massive soul. Because of the Undead’s far from fragile body, they have become experienced fighters, gaining an advantage in combat. The Undead are usually extremely powerful. However, this is countered by their limited ability to create new inventions. The Undead are not very concerned with technology as their soul is the basis of their existence, not their brain or even their hands, unless it comes to fighting or devouring others for their cause. The Undead have virtually no economy at all, and their society is usually either non-sedentary or semi-sedentary. There are exceptions, though, like large citadels in which a single undead Lich lord rules over his subjects with an iron fist, without moving frequently. During the Fourth Age, there was obviously a boom in necromancy and the dark arts. Many dark sorcerers believed that the future of Sekai lie in necromancy, and they raised many of the dead to attempt to combat the new ferocious beasts and magic. However, these attempts were in vain, as the new magic from the asteroid was far too powerful, even for the undead. Thus, instead of directly combating the new beasts and magic, the undead began to scrounge together their scourges and create small societies across the surface of Sekai. These were in massive Lich towers. The undead usually build their settlements out of Alloy, but the settlements are walls of Alloy, massive towers that often go high above the troposphere. Unlike other races, the undead do not require sunlight to survive, and can survive for longer periods of time amidst the toxic gas. Therefore, they can start building massive towers from the surface made of the Alloy. Also, they employ massive amounts of zombie slaves to build these epic structures. Around the tower is usually a graveyard.

Dark Elves (Chaos)

Dark Elves are disgruntled spirits that inhabited the same Elven figure long ago. They are not as inept at developing technologies because of their break-away from the Elven race and their dabbling in new things. However, they are reluctant traders and are usually very stingy. Dark Elves are frequently loners as well, and this lack of a coherent society means that it is often difficult for a Dark Elf or a Dark Elf encampment to make money. Dark Elves use herbs and spices found in their dark forests, however, instead of using them for medicinal reasons, they are often used to create powerful poisons that are used in arrows or blades. Like Elves, Dark Elves know the forests very well, are environmentalist, and they are actually against the cutting down of their forests, because these woods produce the poisons that their economy thrives on. During the Fourth Age, Dark Elves shared a similar fate to regular Elves. They did not succumb to petty emotions as humans did and instead migrated frequently, trying to find magic to prevent their annihilation. There was an uneasy trading alliance with goblins during this time, providing Dark Elves access to Alloy. Like Elves, the Fifth Age has seen Dark Elves creating very controlled environments on settlements above the surface. Dark Elves actually helped in many magical devices used to meld Alloy. Some Dark Elves hope to discover the source of the toxic mist and to uncover the secrets of asteroid magic (cosmic magic). The difference between Dark Elves and Elves is that Dark Elves tend to create powerful poisons from their new magically terraformed/transported woods above the surface. They are also incredibly isolationist. They are considered chaotic because they are often aggressive, isolationist, and do not care for other races – however even though they are chaotic, it is extremely difficult for a Dark Elf to have a healthy relationship with an Orc. They are simply more violent than normal elves, and employ their woods for dark purposes. Many Dark Elves end up joining environmentalist terrorist guilds and things like that. Even though they have used Alloy to rebuild, many radical ones are against the further mining of the material.

Map

Here is the new map of Sekai.  It looks bleak, yes, and slightly depressing.  That is because this world is in ruin.  The highlands make great spots for villages, as caves can be tunneled into the mountains and used as support areas (though settlements can be made anywhere).  The low lands and areas with water are good entry points into the center of the earth.

Initial Notes on Sekai: The Fifth Age

I have decided to not continue “Sekai: The Third Age”.  Maybe in the future, I will continue it or start it over.  But for now, its just too long ago and not everyone is around and the map is in shambles.  So, I’ve been working on an entirely different concept (though slightly related in a few ways).  Sekai is not dead in this new idea.  I welcome you to this idea I have been tossing around, which takes place in the same world (Sekai) but in the Fifth Age (we were playing in the Third Age).

The Third Age came to an end when the large empires of Kandoran and Tyurial once again began an epic scale war.  This disturbed central Sekai greatly and forced the kingdoms of that area to band together to protect their lands against two massive empires that were threatening to engulf the entire planet in flames.  Unfortunately, this union did not succeed, and all was lost.  Kandoran and Tyurial ended up parading over central Sekai with their massive armies and powerful magic.  Eventually, great kingdoms were ruined and heroes killed.  The entire planet then witnessed the arrival of a massive asteroid.  Sorcerers from around the globe came together to attempt to stop the asteroid, and succeeded in at least dampening the blow.  The asteroid crashed into the planet, unleashing magical power and melding its magic with that of Sekai’s, creating properties still unknown today.  Ferocious beasts were unleashed, massive disasters commenced, and Sekai was placed into a state of panic.

Thus began the Fourth Age.  This was an age of ruin and despair.  All of Sekai was scorched earth.  New magics and monsters were running wild.  This was largely an age of survival.  Those that survived the end of the Third Age attempted to band together and create city-states and semi-nomadic tribes.  These attempts succeeded somewhat, but over time, Sekaians began to notice that a thick layer of the atmosphere had become incredibly poisonous and toxic to breathe.  Over the first few years of what was called the Fourth Age, which is generally the Age of Despair, Sekaians realized that their planet’s surface was no longer habitable.  Many of the newer breeds of beasts and wild creatures, and even semi-intelligent beings were able to breathe this air, but mostly the trees had become blackened, the mountains covered in inhospitable snow, the oceans either frozen or boiling.  Sekai was now a wasteland.  Thus the Fourth Age was mostly an era of nomadic groups attempting to survive, finding caves and other areas, attempting to live through this mayhem.

The Fourth Age ended and the Fifth Age began with a single event.  This was a union of specialists.  Some specialists themselves were from the former large empires of Kandoran and Tyurial, but actually most came from the former realm known as Inner Sekai.  This union of specialists included scientists, sorcerers, inventors, blacksmiths, and all kinds of other random professions.  These brilliant men and women joined forces and began the invention and construction of several massive magical pillars.  These pillars, when placed in certain areas, would rise higher than the toxic area of the atmosphere.  It was above this layer of atmosphere that sorcerers were able to combat the elements, successfully clearing some of the powerful magic that came forth from the asteroid that had struck Sekai.  Massive cities began to be constructed atop gigantic pillars.  Some of the earlier settlements above the troposphere were placed in magical domes or other such structures.  Over time, however, research and magic joined forces and created a completely breathable atmosphere above the ruin.

Essentially, Sekai’s Fifth Age is one that might fit into the “steampunk” genre.  Science and sorcery have played an equal role in restoring Sekai to its current status.  There are definitely factions that represent fanatics on both sides of the spectrum, but these are in their infantile stages.  At present, Sekai has enjoyed the Fifth Age for about 150-200 years (pending).  This means that new city-states and even kingdoms/nations have risen from the ashes.  Elevating these settlements and new lands are massive pillars, which are made from a special type of alloy (each race, people, or kingdom has a different name for this alloy).  The alloy is found near the center of Sekai and requires special parties or groups of adventurers to retrieve it.  This powerful substance is magically infused by the planet itself and is used to construct the pillars, allowing almost any amount of weight to be supported.

Even railroads are appropriate in Sekai, as well as airships.  Railroads are often elevated by the pillars or pushed forward from a starting platform.  This Sekai is a bit more modern, and there are factions, some magical in origin, that promote environmentalism and have been known to sabotage railroads and other inventions.  There are even religious fanatics who believe that the alloy being taken from Sekai’s center is the land’s blood, and they promote terrorism, attacks on adventure groups going to the center from the settlements above, and other such acts of violence (some even have the ultimate goal of annihilating humanity, as they believe that the gods have willed humanity to be extinct).

All races are still present!  Dwarves and other traditional mountain dwellers are obviously some of the finest miners of the interior alloy and were instrumental in constructing the pillars alongside human planning and hard fierce orcish labor.  Elves tend to be quite conservative in their acceptance of technology, but still many migrated to the above-ground settlements and were helpful to society by providing powerful weather magics and other such spells to create dense forests on the settlements.  Some settlements thus contain wide expanses of nature, thanks mostly to elvish influence.  Many of these forests were made from extracting seedlings and other plants that survived the mayhem of the Fourth Age (and by using powerful sorcery).  Other such natural beauties exist on some of the settlements – including ponds and lakes.  Basically, imagine terrain being raised a little bit from the surface: everything is still there.  There are even mountains and hills on the platforms.

Race tensions are still prevalent, of course.  Orcs and humans will never be able to live in close quarters side-by-side.  Despite a unity of races perpetuating society on Sekai during the Fourth Age, the Fifth Age has seen old rivalries return.  There are some exceptions to this, of course.  There are tales of cities, massive metropolises in which all races live together.  However, even in these cities, there is intense segregation.  Dwarves still prefer to live in dwarvish cities, humans still in human cities, orcs still in orcish cities, etc.  There are also towns raised above the surface on smaller platforms.

Now to speak of the wasteland that is the land below.  This land has toxic air.  Beings cannot survive there for long.  The toxic mist is magical in nature, and has gotten worse since the Fourth Age.  Now, Sekaians are advised to not breathe the air for more than a week or so.  Many terrors lie in the land below.  The beasts that came forth from the asteroid’s abominating power are some of the most terrifying creatures that have ever lived on Sekai.  Their power is far greater than most Sekaians.  Fortunately, they require the toxic mist to breathe, and cannot leave that area of the atmosphere or the land beneath.  However, exploration / mining parties that venture to the core of Sekai are often massacred by these creatures.  Therefore, great strength and courage is required to be part of a mining team.  Also on the surface are ruins of kingdoms and city-states.  Most of these ruins date from the Third Age, but some date from as far back as the First Age.  These areas often contain useful, magical, or legendary items, but are extremely dangerous to approach or explore.

A few more things before I end this massive post.  Many of the metallic “poles” as I described them were only the initial structures of these settlements.  Imagine their physical appearance to be much more natural.  Mountains were grown with magic and elevated higher, so many mountains can reach above the troposphere as well, providing excellent support for these strange settlements I describe.  The incredibly durable and strong alloy of Sekai further enforces these settlements, allowing massive amounts of pressure to sustain itself atop the plates.  Underneath the plates, and void of sunlight, are sometimes slums, which feature men, women, and children constantly wearing gas masks or other rather post-apocalyptic clothing (imagine the pillars or structures to sometimes have tiers – the highest plate contains the beautiful living space, while underneath that is an area that does not get any of the new atmosphere or sunlight).  The alloy that is retrieved from Sekai’s core is the only metal that can be used to elevate the settlements.  This is for a few reasons: first, its strength, and second, its magical properties that somehow (its still a mystery) allow it to withstand the elements and magical beasts on the surface.  The alloy could potentially be used as a source of energy as well, but the scientific discoveries to allow this have not yet been made.

Welcome to the Fifth Age.