THe World of AfterLight

AfterLight is the name by which the world of today is known. This name was first suggested by the authors of Historium Homides, an exhaustive collection of histories written and compiled by the scribe-lords of Melithia, a far away city-state renowned for its collection of artifacts and records from the Lost Age. The world is known by many other names as well, names given by the once-great nations and cultures who now make their home behind the fortified walls of the last cities. Eras Toa. Talera. Amah. The planet has many names, but for the purpose of simplicity will be referred to here according to the name by which it is most widely known: AfterLight.

​According to ancient records and folk stories predating the Lost Age, AfterLight consists of three continents; Athrain in the north, Khemet in the south, and Calinost in the west. Very little is known of these continents beyond the stories passed down through generations of survivors whose people once called those lands home. It is believed that humanity came from the lands of Athrain while the mighty Saurian people once tamed the great Archosaurs native to their home continent of Khemet. The Elves claim to have come from Calinost (which they still call Elaesqua) as slaves and prisoners brought over by those who sought to colonize their mystical homeland. The veracity of these stories remains in question however, as any official records and documents that could authenticate their claims were lost when the world ended over a thousand years ago.

Athrain (northeast), Khemet (southeast), and Calinost (west)
​It is believed that Belhaven lies somewhere on the western coast of Athrain

Yet the end of the world is not so grim as one might imagine. Without bearing the burden of modern society's endless hunger for resources, nature flourishes. There is incredible beauty to be seen throughout the wild places of the world and great abundance waiting to be gathered beyond the walls of the city. The wilderness holds its secrets as well; caverns dark and mysterious hide entrances to underground cities buried by the apocalpyse. A traveler never knows what strange and wondrous things they may encounter in the world outside the city's walls.
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Sin

Unfortunately, the world is also filled with a dark and corrupting force known as Sin​, a fundamentally evil force opposed to all that is bright and good. Sin is the antithesis of life, the entropy and doom eating away at the heart of the universe. Unyielding and indestructible, Sin is a vile, destructive force that taints and transforms living beings into monstrous Hellbeasts. These abominations, empowered by how much Sin they have absorbed, spread corruption and destruction wherever they roam.

There exists a finite reservoir of Sin within the world, an unrelenting darkness that cannot be eradicated but merely dispersed temporarily or sealed away through certain magics. Exposure to Sin exacts a heavy toll on mortals, manifesting as dire illness with even minimal contact or, with prolonged exposure, resulting in cursed afflictions like vampirism, lycanthropy, and undeath. Those who would do battle with the Hellbeasts who ravage the land face a great risk not only from the claws and fangs of these ravening monsters, but in the slaying of such foes; for felling a Hellbeast causes all the Sin it has absorbed to be released and dispersed, a final act that is sure to result in the doom of the Hellbeast's slayers.
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dungeons

Where Sin pools in the dark and wild places of the world, a Dungeon may emerge; a sentient, malevolent domain of corruption and treachery. These accursed enclaves are more than mere stone and mortar; they are living entities, created by Sin and sustained by the will of a Master, a monstrous creature who lurks at the heart of the Dungeon. Dungeons corrupt the land around them, spawning legions of Hellbeasts to do the bidding of the Dungeon's Master. These Hellbeasts gather wealth and treasures, hording them within the walls of the Dungeon to lure adventurers to their doom. As corrupted souls succumb to the dangers within the Dungeon's halls, they themselves are transformed into powerful Hellbeasts who serve to further the corrupting cause of the Dungeon.

As an architect of doom, the Dungeon has the power to create intricate traps and mind-bending puzzles within its depths, weapons by which to ensnare and confound those who dare to venture within. Only by confronting and defeating the Master at its core can the Dungeon's insidious influence be undone, dispersing its Sin and purging the land of its evil presence. Thus, the reward for intrepid adventurers who brave the Dungeon is not only the wealth hoarded by its denizens, but the vanquishing of a great evil which blights the land.
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Mana

For all its power and wickedness, Sin does not stand unopposed on the cosmic stage. Another force stands diametrically opposed to it - the force of Mana.  Where Sin is negative, Mana is positive. Where Sin is destructive, Mana is creative. Where Sin pulls the cosmic order down into entropic ruin, Mana animates life, creates order, and undergirds reality through physical laws such as those which govern gravity, energy, and motion. Mana turns the seasons over, breathing life into all living creatures for a time before cycling their souls anew through the great wheel of souls. Where light shines and life carries on, Mana is at work.

Not only is Mana the force behind life and order throughout the planet, it is also the wellspring from which magical power is drawn. Any who wield The Mystery do so through practiced control of Mana in the world and within their own bodies. Indeed, many heroes and legendary figures unknowingly draw on Mana's power to achieve superhuman feats of strength, cunning, and skill which most mortals could never dream of. It is not only through a strong spirit and hardened will that legends are forged, but by the blessing of Mana itself.
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Daemons and The Spirit Courts

Just as an abundance of Sin creates Hellbeasts who serve as agents of chaos and ruin, Mana gives a greater measure of power and wisdom to certain creatures in certain places, who then become the immortal guardian spirits of these locales. These beings are known to mortals as Daemons or Genius Loci (plural: Genii Locorum) the physical incarnation of a location's will, personality, and guiding ethos. Daemons are physical beings who exist both within the physical plane of reality and in a realm of spirit, unseen by mortals. Known as The Unworld, this land of shadows and echoes is home to Genii Locorum and the ghostly spirits of mortals who were unable to pass on.

There are Daemons of geological features like a mountain, a river, or a forest. There are even Daemons of the cities mortals have made (even Daemons of specific neighborhoods and prominent buildings). Every place has its own guardian Daemon whose fate is intrinsically tied to that of the location they are born of. Should the river dry up, its Daemon will become lost and displaced. Should the forest wither, so too will its Daemon. Should the city burn to ash, its Daemon will cease to be. As spirits of life, creation, and order, Daemons are inherently good and bear no ill-will towards mortals. Most Daemons, in fact, act as allies to mortals in the struggle against Sin, especially those born of cities, whose fate is tied to that of the civilization that birthed it.

Spectres of The Unworld

The Unworld is a realm of shadows which lies below the physical plane of reality where mortals dwell. Here, the corporeal reality is mirrored darkly as a grim echo of the world of light and life. Genius Loci exist within both realms simultaneously, able to become invisible and intangible within the physical reality should they so desire.

The Unworld is also home to a host of restless spirits, the spectres of mortals unable to find repose in the afterlife due to some unfinished business or emotional anchor which hangs heavy on their soul in the form of chains and weights. A spirit may also be held back from moving on due to the taint of Sin's curse from which they have never been absolved (this is the unfortunate fate of any who die at the hands of a Hellbeast or from exposure to Sin). These specters may (through great effort and willpower) affect the world of the living, whispering, touching, or appearing to mortals briefly as a ghostly apparition.

Deaths which are particularly sudden, tragic, or numerous can affect the veil between worlds, reenacting the traumatic event annually or at certain times of day. Such harrowing events tend to weaken the barrier between worlds, allowing spirits to affect the world of the living more easily in these places. The veil between worlds is also particularly thin at night (particularly midnight) and during certain times of the year such as New Year's Eve and Eventide.

All the Genius Loci of a region or city gather in an alliance of powers known as a Spirit Court. Such a Court is led by the most powerful spirits (who govern the largest or most important domains within the region) with various positions within the Court falling to those with an equivalent level of power and wisdom. 
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Ley Lines

As an orderly force, Mana tends to flow through the world (and even in the bodies of living creatures) in predictable currents known as Ley Lines. Near Ley Lines, it becomes easier (and less costly) to tap into magical forces, making those who study the arcane seek out such places of power and even build cities with a mind to funnel arcane energy to a central manse, using streets, buildings, and the bustle of daily activity as living levies to contain and direct Mana's flow. 
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Lux: the world's currency

Where Ley Lines intersect, something incredible happens. A crystalline substance grows from the ground in pentagonal columns of fulminous matter. Known as Lux​, this wondrous material has the power to bend reality and grant the wishes of mortals when gathered in great enough quantity; the more Lux, the more likely one's dreams will come true. Most historians agree that the ancients built their great and wonderous civilizations upon their mastery of Lux. Its value is a mystical reagent is also unparalleled, and Lux is used in the production of Mystical weapons, in medicine, in manufacturing, energy, technology, and every field of industry and commerce. Its status, rarity, utility, supernatural properties, and indisputable value make Lux the de facto currency of the world, with every bastion of civilization accepting Lux as payment for goods and services.

Coin of The Realm

Lux can be easily broken apart and reassembled, with forces akin to magnetism holding the material together. Clusters of Lux emerge from the ground in pentagonal columns which can be broken apart into hundreds of coins (which are each about the same diameter and thickness of a US half-dollar). Each coin breaks down into five perfect triangles. Twelve pentagonal coins can also be combined into a dodecahedron (a twelve-sided shape). Each city-state stamps its own emblem on the front and back of the coin, denoting from where the currency came. Yet due to its intrinsic value, Luxen currency holds the same value no matter its city-state of origin. Each city-state calls its coinage by different names (even if its base value is the same as any other Luxen coin). The city of Belhaven refers to its currency as such: 

• A single triangle, valued at 1 Lux, is called a Bit.
• Five Bits can be assembled into a pentagonal coin (valued at 5 Lux) known as a Talenth.
• Twelve Talenth can be assembled to create a Lustre (plural: Lustrum), a dodecahedron valued at 60 Lux. 

Efforts have been made to redirect Ley Lines and artificially produce Lux, but all such efforts have met with calamity. Lux, it seems, only occurs in the wild world, far beyond the safety of the city's walls where Hellbeasts roam and the ravages of Sin abound. Thus, in order to power, prosper, and protect a city-state, brave souls must risk the dangers of the wilderness to seek out and harvest sources of Lux.

For all its power and value however, Lux is dangerous for living creatures to handle. Lux emits a Glow that can sicken, cripple, and kill with prolonged exposure. This is truest for Lux that is connected to the earth, making the mining of this treasured substance dangerous, debilitating work often performed by slaves and those lowest on the social ladder. Once Lux has been mined, it's Glow fades over time. Lux that is exchanged on a daily basis as currency is almost entirely inert. Forging Lux into weapons and tools releases its dormant Glow, however, making such work hazardous to most mortals.
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Mana & The Mystery

Mana is not only the source of all life and the order which undergirds reality, but the force that enkindles the mystical arts collectively known as The Mystery.

Many tales are told of how Mortals first learned to wield The Mystery. Some claim a hero stole from the realm of the gods and shared his ill-gotten treasures with his kin. Others say a divine traitor, sympathetic to the plight of mortals, stole a spark from the Secret Flame, the power which had been wielded to create everything, and gifted its light to the first Mystics only to be tortured, twisted, cast out of Heaven, and reborn as Anima Sola; the Mother of All Monsters. Whatever its origin, use of The Mystery was once commonplace. The ancient's mastery of Lux and The Mystery were used to build cities, fly ships through the sky, and power great engines of war. People lit their streets, warmed their homes, cooked their meals, and built a paradise upon this power.

History and legend blur in the telling of how this age came to an end, but all agree that the end was so calamitous as to completely wipe out civilization and all but erase knowledge of The Mystery from mortal memory. No longer would the power of The Mystery be availed of so freely. Only at great cost could one bend the laws of reality: the cost of life. All magic comes at the cost of life and vitality, either from the Mystic themselves or from the life of a sacrifice. Most common enchantments and magical trinkets only drain enough life to leave the wielder winded, as though they had run a hundred-meter sprint. But truly powerful, world-shaking magic can come at the cost of hundreds if not thousands of lives.
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Arcanum: The simplest Path to power

Even with these limitations, some persistent (and foolhardy) mortals have devised methods for siezing the powers of The Mystery for themselves. Mostly this comes in the form of Arcanum: trinkets, weapons, and tools infused with the supernatural properties of Lux. Folding Lux into objects which can be worn or wielded is no simple task; it requires not only an exorbitant amount of Lux, but a craftsman who is both highly trained and willing to risk exposure to the Glow in the creation of such a wonder.

At the very least, Arcanum are quite uncommon, though one is more likely to encounter such curious among wealthy people and prosperous city-states. Those blessed enough to own Arcanum are able to channel their own life-force into predictable expressions of Mysterious power which are the same every time (for example, a fire charm will always produce fire and boots of flight will always always enable flight; no more and no less). For adventurers, this may come in the form of augmented speed and strength, blasts of destructive power, or the rapid healing of wounds. Most people who own Arcanum wear useful curios that make their lives simpler or grant them passive benefits such as making them more charming, knowledgeable, or lucky. The cost of a few years drained away from the wearer's life over time is considered a worthy price for such advantages. 

SPELL VS ROTE

The Mystery is most often manifested in two distinct ways. Spells are predictable, formulaic methods for expressing Mystic power. While one can expend greater reserves of strength to increase the effect, a Spell generally produces the same results each time. A Spell which ignites fire, for instance, can summon a candle-flame or a roaring inferno depending on how much the caster exerts themselves, but it will never produce water or call down meteors. 

Rotes on the other hand, are more like guiding principles to help one shape The Mystery according to their desires and the needs of the moment. Using "Water" and "Shape" Rotes may allow a Mystic to divert the flow of a river, create dancing spires of water, or even temporarily solidify water to walk upon. Rotes are, by their very nature, unreliable and flexible. Exactly what may be produced by a particular combination of Rotes depends on the discretion of the GM and the creativity of the player.

Some who study The Mystery like a warrior studies the blade may learn to use a special type of weaponized Arcanum known as Focoi, summoning bursts of fire, frost, or lightning to strike at their enemies from a distance. Focoi often take the shape of wands, rods, staffs, tomes, and other arcane implements into which Lux has been folded, allowing magic to spring from the weapon like an arrow loosed from a bow. The use of Focoi is limited to those who have spent years developing the necessary mental and physical requirements for harnessing such a power. As such their use is mostly limited to the scholars and sages who dedicate their lives to studying The Mystery.
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Grimoires

Such scholars hold one prize in highest esteem, a treasure among treasures: the Grimoire. Grimoires are ancient books of unknown origin, upon whose pages is scribed the deep secrets of The Mystery. Simply opening a Grimoire and gazing upon the shifting, glowing runes of the voluminous tome is enough to write the powers of the Grimoire upon the soul of the reader, after which the book crumbles to dust. Grimoires instantly and permanently teach the reader a single Spell. If the reader already knows this Spell, the pages of the Grimoire appear blank and nothing happens when it is opened. But the first person without knowledge of the Spell who looks upon the pages of the Grimoire receives its power irreversibly. Needless to say, such a treasure is highly sought after by anyone with a mind to wield arcane powers.
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Pandora, the Mystic Disease

In recent years, a rare illness has been spreading, a malady of arcane animus. Named Pandora, the illness appears as deep, black burn scars across the body, swirling randomly in eldritch patterns. Afflicted individuals report strange dreams of celestial realms and visions of the future, random pain in the afflicted parts of their bodies, and the ability to hear random thoughts of other nearby individuals infected with Pandora. Most interestingly, those infected by Pandora gain a deep, innate connection to The Mystery,  becoming capable of weaving improvised spells as naturally as walking or speaking. Such power comes at a price, however, as each use of The Mystery gives Pandora more purchase over its host until little remains but a burnt-out husk.

​Pandora does not spread like any natural disease. In fact, it seems there is little to no chance of contracting the disease through contact with the infected. Most who develop symptoms seem to do so after exposure to the Glow of Lux. The higher the degree of exposure, the more likely and severe the disease's manifestation. Even so, there are cases of Pandora cropping up randomly throughout the population with no regard for race, gender, or social status.