Upon the Catenary Thrones sat a single crown. Holst refused to place the crown upon his head, abdicating his right to the thrones. He eschewed the responsibilities of governance and oversaw the creation of the Ebbing Temple – retreating further and further into his arts. The Gibbous Lancers claimed the crown for Junis, announcing her as queen. Oln did not contest or refute her claim – though he did not become her consort or take the second throne for his own. Oln instead created the Hall of the Judiciary, far from the Crystal Palace.
Now, the Ebbing Temple is dark and still. Holst and his wizard long since retreating to the Stairs of Dusk along the Salient Advance. None dare venture inside the temple, wary of the tomes and marginalia left behind. Stories, perhaps once a source of comfort and inspiration, have become things to fear and silence.
Tales were once told of the Bailifs of Oln wielding the unforgiving light against the nightmares of the Worldstriders lurking in the darkness. Their brilliance near blinding to even gaze upon. Tales are still told, but they are no longer the beacons of hope they once were. Stories swirl of the Bailifs of Oln taking all they encounter before the Judges, who inevitably find the plaintiffs guilty. The guilty are condemned to the Strident Hold – once the prison of the Worldstriders before they disappeared from the world.
The gates of the Crystal Palace stand close. The light of the never-setting moon still shines from within, but it is fragmented, harsh, and casts uneven shadows. The Gibbous Lancers – once a force of order patrolling the land – have not been seen in years. None can recall a time now when Junis held audience.
Race: The Painted| Magic
Statistics
Magic is governed by different statistics:
- Rites are governed by Intelligence. Rites were once the sole domain of the Wizard Holst and the Scribes of Crepuscular Light.
- Judgments are governed by Wisdom. Judgments were first pronounced by Oln, Brilliant Justiciar.
- Blessings are governed by Charisma. Blessings are granted by the never-setting moon, first harnessed by Junis.
Radiance and Beyond
While each magic possesses a means to do radiant damage, the magics differ wildly in what else they provide. Rites deal with the creeping shadow, proscription, and excel at long-range combat. Judgements evoke fire, condemn and weaken opponents, and focus on short-range combat. Blessings wreath the weapons of those harnessing their power in cold, provide personal benefits, healing at a cost, and burst of damage within close-range.
Resonance
All magic resonates due to the crystal beacons found throughout the world. The more of a specific of magic is used at a location, the stronger it becomes. Different magics being used in the same location decrease any resonance currently in effect. Each spell has a resonance number attached to it, indicating how much the resonance increases or decreases. In addition to making spells more or less powerful, the area affected by the resonance increases or decreases by five feet for each point of resonance.
Preparation
All methods of spell-casting require the caster to possess the ability to prepare spells. Spells grant a specific number of uses each time they are prepared, and may be prepared multiple times. Some spells are so powerful that they require multiple preparation slots in order to be used. The number of spell slots a caster possesses is not governed by the above statistics, but is a separate statistic called Preparation. Preparation begins at 0 and may be increased like any other statistic. Spells may only be prepared at crystal beacons within one hour of gaining the attenuated condition.
Recovery
Preparation slots may be recovered through one of three methods. The easiest and most complete method is gaining the attenuated condition. Each time you gain the attenuated condition, all currently prepared spells are lost, and all of your slots may be prepared again within one hour of gaining the attenuated condition.
The second method is to find a crystal lattice and destroy it – allowing you to re-prepare a certain number of preparation slots depending on the type of crystal lattice. The efficacy of crystal lattices are reduced each time they are used, though their efficacy resets each time you gain the attenuated condition.
The final method is to use an obsidian shard to destroy the anima of a target. This allows you to re-prepare a certain number of preparation slots depending on the amount of anima destroyed. Creatures who have their anima destroyed by an obsidian shard can no longer gain, trade, or spend anima without additional assistance.