So Tithe is a world that I use in a lot of my fantasy writing. I have cultivated it for years and it is incredibly detailed. I have pages and pages of lore which I have created for this world, and I wish to share it as much as I can with you so that you can feel as if you’re part of the world too. RPG has character limits, however, and not everyone wants to see walls of text describing every kingdom. So, I am going to do this; when you get to the setting section of the OP, there will be a brief description of each kingdom and region. I’ll try to make it under a paragraph. There will also be a link which says “click here for more information.” Clicking this link will take you to a Google Doc containing long-form lore for each place. That way, people can read the lore that they want and the website doesn’t explode. You are NOT required to read all of the lore, but I suggest you read the lore for the kingdom that you want your character to be from. If you ever have a question about a place in Tithe, whether the answer is in the lore or not, PM me and I’ll answer it. Enjoy.

Rules are important for an RP. They make sure that people don’t do things that are unfair to others and ensure that all characters are balanced. However, I understand that writers like having freedom to do as they please sometimes. What that means is this; if you pm me with a very good reason, I will allow you to break any rule on this list.

So this RP will have a lot of combat in it. This means that your characters need to be armed. However, I have been in enough rps to know that if there aren’t weapons guidelines, everyone will run around with dual buster swords. So, keep this in mind for weapons. You can have whatever weapons you want, so long as they fit in the time period (early renaissance). In order to balance magic with weaponry, weapons and armor can be blessed in order to give them magic resistance. However, don’t carry a stupid amount of weaponry. Think of what would be realistic for a person to actually carry. Dual buster swords are cool, but how would you carry them and how would you wield them?
As far as armor goes, be realistic as well. A quick, agile character isn’t going to wear full plate armor, and a slow character covered in armor isn’t going to be doing backflips. Just keep in mind what would work in the real world.

There may or may not be an error in my BBcode. Ten drunes for the first person who finds it!

[hider=Character Name Here]

[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Age: [/b]
[b]Gender: [/b]
[b]Species: [/b]

[u][b]Background [/b][/u]

[b]Kingdom of Origin: [/b]
[b]Parents: [/b]

[b]Backstory:[/b] (Be as detailed as you’d like. The more complicated the character gets, the more of a backstory I suggest you build in. Remember that if you ever need any lore information, just ask).

[u][b]Physical Appearance: [/b][/u]

[b]Height: [/b]
[b]Weight: [/b]
[b]Appearance:[/b] (You can use pictures, but no face claims unless you drew them yourself. Also, if you use a picture explain what you’re showing.)
[b]Attire: [/b]

[u][b]Personality: [/b][/u]

[b]Personality: [/b]
[b]Hobbies: [/b]
[b]Skills: [/b]

[u][b]Abilities/Combat:
[/b][/u]
[b]Abilities:[/b] (Both magical and non. Include any form of training in magic/combat/etc here)
[b]Weaponry: [/b](Don’t be ridiculous. Your characters are adventurers, not walking knife collections)
[b]Weaknesses: [/b](Because this isn’t superpower-based, this means basically things that your character is not skilled in defending against or a fighting style that they aren’t used to dealing with).
[b]Mount: [/b](optional. Limit of one.).

[b]Other: [/b] [/hider]

Many sentient beings share the world of Tithe. Nearly every area of Tithe is inhabited to some degree by some group of near-human intellect.

Humans:

Average Lifespan: 45-50 years

Humans are jacks of all trades, average-sized creatures of average strength. They are one of the most populous sentient species of Tithe, numbering in the millions. Humans are hardy creatures, capable of surviving in nearly any environment and renowned for their resiliency. They primarily inhabit the countries of Talbor, Nepharie, and Haderlock.

Average Height: 167 cm (5’6”)
Average weight: 70 kg (157 lbs)

Strengths: Hardy and well-balanced.
Weaknesses: Jack of all trades syndrome; they’re not particularly good at any one thing.

Orcs:

Average lifespan: 70-75 years

Orcs are Tithe’s most famous warrior races. Big and strong, they are known for their warlike mentalities and brute force. Generally-speaking, orcs specializing in smashing things. Though not exclusively dim-witted, orcs are in general rather stubborn and impatient folks, the kind that prefer beating their enemies with a stick than casting a spell at them. They appear humanoid in shape but are much taller than a human, with an average height of around 6’8”. Their skin appears thick and wrinkled, like the hide of a rhinoceros or elephant. Said skin is quite tough, and is capable of resisting cutting instruments and arrows. Orcs are generally tan or green in coloration, with some northern tribes being grey. They are the primary inhabitants of Jikari, and also make up a significant portion of the populations of Haderlock and Ignion.

Average Height: 203 cm (6’8”)
Average Weight: 136 kg (300 lbs)

Strengths: High physical strength and tough, damage-resistant hide. Excellent warriors.
Weaknesses: In general somewhat dim-witted and stubborn. They are known to be very poor wizards. They’re also not particularly agile due to their large size.

Gnomes:

Average Lifespan: 75-85 years

Gnomes are short, humanoid creatures which inhabit the country of Ostraca. They are known for their intellect and magical prowess, and have discovered many technologies which are integral for the survival of the people of Tithe, such as armor fortifying. Due to a 400 year period of time where their kingdom sealed itself off from the rest of Tithe, gnomish weaponry and magic is much different than that of the rest of Tithe. Gnomes are skilled in enchantment magic, magic where they use the energy of the world around them to bring artificial organisms, golems, to life. These golems have allowed gnomes to create some incredible works of architecture, such as the massive stone wall which makes the border between Ostraca and Nepharie. Gnomes are generally bald, with occasional facial hair. They have long, pointed ears and hooked noses. Their skin is generally brown.

Average Height: 122 cm (4 feet)
Average Weight: 45 kg (100 lbs)

Strengths: Highly agile and skilled in enchantment magic. Often use powerful golems in battle which do not tire and can strike with supernatural strength.
Weaknesses: Rather frail themselves and lightweight. A physically strong opponent can easily overpower a gnome.

Fairfolk

Lifespan: 150-200 years

One of the two original races of Tithe, Fairfolk are small creatures indigenous to Concordia and Nepharie. As the most ancient race and direct descendants of Ma’el, Fairfolk are known to be born with a nack for magic. Fairfolk are the best race at magic, and a well-trained Fairfolk can manipulate their environment from quite a long distance away. Fairfolk generally have butterfly or dragonfly-like wings, and have purple, blue, or pink skin. Fairfolk with dragonfly-like wings have two pairs of narrow eyes and are covered in lots of tiny hairs, while Fairfolk with butterfly-like wings have one pair of eyes and little hair besides on their heads. The former variety of Fairfolk is generally referred to as a pixie, and the second a fairy. Fairies are capable of flight and have hollow bones, aiding in their flight abilities.

Average Height: 147 cm (4’10”)
Average Weight: 40 kg (90 lbs)

Strengths: Best race at magic.
Weaknesses: They’re probably the frailest race. They can’t take much of a physical beating and hate both wind and fire-based magic. They’re also pretty physically weak, and are incapable of utilizing many weapons used by humans and orcs.

Cyclopses

Lifespan: 200-220 years.

Cyclopses are the second ancient race and inhabit the land of Ignion. They are larger than humans and smaller than orcs, and are known for their distinctive single, large eye. Their skin is tough like an orc’s, and their skin colors range from greys to blacks to browns. Cyclopses are the most technologically-advanced race in Tithe, utilizing technology such as steam engines and rifles. They are several centuries more advanced than most of the country due to their nearly 1000-year period of exile where they lived exclusively underground. Many cyclopses still live underground under Ignion and the capital of Ignion, the Galloran Citadel, is underground. Cyclopses generally tend to their own, trying not to interact with other races much. They are of decent physical strength, about equal to a human in that regard, but prefer using their technology to fight.

Average Height: 182 cm (6 feet)
Average Weight: 90 kg (200 lbs)

Strengths: Superior technology and are fairly physically strong.
Weaknesses: They have very poor eyesight due to living underground for so long, and don’t tend to study magic much.

Satyrs

Lifespan: 120-150 years.

Satyrs are magical guardians of nature, existing to protect the forest of Robore from danger. They’re roughly akin to dryads, creatures which are tied to the state of their environments and, in exchange, gain exceptionally powerful magic. Satyrs are the second most powerful magical race next to the Fairfolk, especially if they’re in a healthy ecosystem. They appear as half-men, half-goats, with curled horns and the bottom half of a goat. Their fur is either white, grey, or brown, and their skin tends to be olive in color, like a Greek person. Satyrs are quite playful and joyous creatures, spending most of their time caring for their forests, playing lyre, and partying. They very rarely take things seriously.

Average Height: 157 cm (5’2”)
Average Weight: 63.5 kg (140 lbs)

Strengths: Very good at magic, and about equal in physical strength to a human.
Weaknesses: Their strength is tied to the environment around them. If the environment is damaged or weak, their magic and strength are both weakened.

Minotaurs

Lifespan: 40-55 years.

The masters of the north, Minotaurs are a primitive and tribal race known for their brute strength. They are the strongest sentient beings in Tithe, capable of lifting objects nearly double their weight. They are also the physically largest creatures in Tithe, standing at around eleven feet. Minotaurs appear as half-men half-buffalo, with the head and lower legs and abdomen of a buffalo. Their hair is either brown or black, and occasionally white-haired individuals are found. Thick headed and pretty dumb, minotaurs are often enslaved by humans in Haderlock and Talbor to help build large structures and mine ores. Those who were enslaved typically have a brass nose ring. They have a tribal society, with small tribes numbering in the tens or low hundreds scattered around northern Ignion and the unclaimed lands south of Haderlock (unclaimed because there’s a bunch of angry bull-men living there).

Average Height: 335 cm (11 feet)
Average Weight: 600 kg (1300 lbs)

Strengths: The physically strongest sentient species in Tithe, capable of lifting tons of weight. In the days when men hunted minotaurs and captured them to be slaves, it took a crew of seven hunters to take one adult bull minotaur down.
Weaknesses: Minotaurs are also about as dumb as a ferret with microcephaly. While capable of language and structured society, minotaurs have made very little development in the way of mathematics or science, and their written language is...sporadic, to say the best. Because of this, minotaurs are very easy to outsmart. Also, they are the only race which is completely incapable of using magic.

Valkyrie

Lifespan: 90-120 years.

Valkyrie are one of two species of winged beasts which patrol the skies of Tithe. Valkyries are creatures similar to humans in shape, with the exception of their gigantic, feathery wings. Their skin tones are generally that of pacific islanders, with dark tanned skin and black or orange hair. Their wings range in a wide variety of colors, from white to gold to vivid rainbow colors like the wings of macaws. The tribe of a Valkyrie generally determines their wing color (because this is fantasy, not biology dammit) Valkyries live on islands in the southern and eastern areas of Tithe. They tend to keep to themselves, and leave terrestrial races alone at all costs. This has caused Valkyries to become legendary figures in Tithe, figures of good fortune in Ostraca and bringers of death in Talbor and Nepharie. The wings of Valkyrie absorb whatever they come into contact with, empowering their magic and giving them a wide variety of effects depending on what they absorbed. Long ago, Valkyries were hunted by humans due to the magical properties of their wings. Because of this age-old past, Valkyries are fearful of humans and tend to avoid them at all costs.

Average Height: 167 cm (5’6”)
Average weight: 54 kg (120 lbs)

Strengths: They can fly for very long distances and have wings which can absorb magical energy, empowering their attacks (for example, if a Valkyrie’s wings absorb fire, they could be able to manipulate fire well or, by flapping their wings, create twisters of flame). They are skilled mages as well.

Weaknesses: They’re highly vulnerable to wind magic and are fairly frail.

Name of Species: Dorak

Brief Description: The dorak are nicknamed "mole-people" by the rest of Tithe for vary obvious reasons. They are made of rough hides and leathery skin, with extended snouts and heads full of thick, natural dreadlocks. They possess four black eyes, though their eyesight isn't as good as most other races'. Thus, they rely more on their other senses. Both their hands and feet possess three appendages, and they have naturally large claws perfect for digging through and scooping up dirt. All of their aesthetics are comprised of browns, beiges, yellows, and in some rare cases, blacks and reds.

Normally, dorak are completely incapable of utilizing any magic whatsoever. Somehow due to their evolved physiology, they cannot stomach the blood of gods. However, extremely rare cases exist whereupon a dorak is born with a body of stark white, and eyes of pure red or purple. This subtype is known collectively as the vala, and are treasured by the dorak.

Average Height: 6-7 ft
Average Weight: 200-300 lbs

Strengths: The dorak are naturally sturdy, resilient to heat, and possess great levels of stamina. The majority of them build up considerable musculature as a result of spending years digging burrows and wrangling bugs. Their range of equipment manufacturing is short, but everything they make out of insect remains is exceptional - bladed pincers, flexile webbing, tough shells, and potent venom coatings are all very common among their forces.

Weaknesses: The dorak are a completely mundane race, making no use of magic whatsoever (save for the vala). Their four eyes do not owe well to their vision, and near-sightedness is common amongst them. They live relatively short lives, averaging up to sixty years. They don't do well in rain or snow, and possess a natural aversion to open waters, being completely unable to swim due to their bodily composition. And while they are normally in favor of being under the beating sun, the vala are pained by it, and prefer to travel under moonlight.

Non-playable races:

Icemen: In the Icemen States far north live the Icemen, a peculiar bunch of creatures which tend to keep to themselves. As their name implies, Icemen are men made entirely of ice, about the same size and shape as a human. While most Icemen are confined to the far north, some of them, known as Glacial Knights, are capable of moving south limitedly. The Glacial Knights are icemen who cannot melt. They are famous for being some of the best warriors on the continent. Icemen are a proud warrior race and have kept intruders out of their lands for centuries. Icemen generally live to be about 40-50, though Glacial Knights are technically immortal.

Dragonkin: In the Frozen Wastelands of the north live the Dragonkin. Dragonkin are half-man, half-dragon, possessing scales, long reptilian snouts, tails, and wings. Once a dominant force in control of a sixth of Tithe’s landmass, the combined forces of Ignion, Nepharie, and Talbor drove them north around one hundred-fifty years ago. Capable of breathing fire and manufacturing near-indestructible steel, they are a force to be reckoned with. Dragonkin are the most long-lived race in Tithe, with some of them living to be 1000 years old.

Gorgons: In the swamps of Silvestre lie the Gorgons. Gorgons are truly frightening monsters, all-female with green skin, serpentine tails instead of legs, and snakelike teeth. The stare of a gorgon is paralyzing, and their venom, which they can spit like a cobra, is so corrosive that it can eat through iron and melt flesh. Gorgons are part of the reason why nothing lives in Silvestre, and they’d like to keep it that way. Gorgons are solitary creatures, giving birth occasionally to unfertilized eggs and sending their children off into the wild at a young age. They are the second most long-lived race in Tithe, living to be up to 300.

Avianes: Avianes are the gods of Tithe’s sky. They are bird-men with wings, sharp talons on their hands and feet, feathers on some parts of their bodies, and sharp, curved beaks. They are quick, agile flyers who utilize their speed as well as their powerful magic to hunt prey and defend their nests. Avianes are unique in their abilities to control the weather, a power which curiously does not require them to consume the magical blood required for other races to perform the same feat. Avianes tend to live up to fifty years.

So this is a short-form origin story for Tithe. It is a story which is both true in the context of the world and is a direct cause of magic in Tithe.

So it is believed by the people of Tithe that the world was created by Ma’el, the Mother Being. At the dawn of time, an unspecified amount of years ago, Ma’el descended upon a barren world and breathed life into it. She carved the world with her fingers, paved valleys, flattened plains, crimped together mountains, and then sowed the seeds of all living things. She created all plants, animals, and sentient beings. She originally created two species of beings; the Cyclopes in the north and the Fairfolk in the south, the two first beings from which all other beings hail. She gave them the gifts of technology and science, to further their building, and for a long time descended upon Tithe in a physical form to hand-guide the Fairfolk and Cyclopes. Unlike her father, who ruled a different race on a different world, Ma’el wanted to care for her people more directly, so she worked with them as an equal, using her magic to help them construct brilliant temples and castles towering to the sky.
For hundreds of years, the Fairfolk and Cyclopes lived in peace and harmony, until a Cyclops king named Gallor rose to power. Gallor was an immoral and vicious man, one who lusted after women and thirsted for power. He achieved the throne through trickery and assassination, but was clever enough to convince Ma’el that he had overthrown a king worse than he. Willing to believe him, she allowed him to rule. Gallor was jealous of Ma’el’s power, however, and so he schemed to have her killed so that he could use her magical blood to make himself a perfect being. He began to rose an army more fearsome than any other ever seen by man, with iron-clad warriors and vicious, fire-breathing dragons.

Before he sent his mighty silver army to kill Ma’el, who resided in a temple at the border between the Cyclops and Fairfolk kingdoms, he sent an assassin to kill her. Fearing her power, the assassin attempted to shoot Ma’el with an arrow, but instead shot the queen of the Fairfolk, who was meeting with Ma’el to discuss a possible removal of Gallor, in the heart, killing her instantly. The arrow scratched Ma’el’s arm and a drop of her pure, green blood fell into the wounds in the woman’s heart. Immediately, the arrow dissolved and the wound healed. The blood of Ma’el stayed in her heart and gave her magical power. The queen’s name was Vara.

Once Gallor learned of the queen’s magical powers, he became livid with rage and sent his army to conquer Ma’el’s temple. The Fairfolk defended her, forming an army to fight off the cyclopes. The war raged for centuries, with Vara and Gallor both eventually consuming enough of Ma’el’s blood to become near-immortal: Ma’el gave Vara a chalice of her blood and Gallor sent hundreds of assassins to collect small drops of Ma’el’s blood over time. Millions died in the war, soaking the ground with blood and making the rivers of the land go red.

After many years, Ma’el finally realized the error of her ways and attempted to leave the world. Gallor wouldn’t have that, though, for deep in his castle under Mount Phoenix his blacksmiths forged a weapon strong enough to kill Ma’el, a blade made of iron, drops of magical blood, and laced with the most powerful poisons in the land. It was known as Godbane, and as Ma’el attempted to ascend into the heavens, Gallor appeared and struck her with the blade. Vara ran to her defense, and a divine battle ensued, with Vara and Ma’el fighting Gallor. As they ascended, Gallor struck both of them with Godbane, causing drops of Ma’el’s and Vara’s blood to fall to the land. He was struck as well, and his black blood dropped over other areas.

Eventually, after a long battle, Ma’el released her full power and defeated Gallor with a single blow of her staff. She struck him down bloodlessly, however, knowing that his blood contained magic, and placed his body in the magma chamber of Mount Phoenix. His body burned forever, and it is said that he still dwells in the depths of the magma today, eternally burning. She then took Godbane in her hand and attempted to destroy it, but was unable to. So much of her blood had soaked into the blade that she was unable to crush it. So she dropped it into the deepest ocean to never be seen again. It is said that as she dropped it, the magic-soaked sea foam bubbled up and created the Avianes.

After Gallor was defeated, Ma’el turned on the silver army. She smote the armies of Gallor, toppled his castle, and destroyed most of their empire before Vara was able to calm her rage. Embarrassed, Ma’el walked the world that she had created and was gone for several hundred years, leaving Vara in charge to clean up the world. Using her nigh-divine powers, Vara cleaned the rivers of blood, rebuilt cities, and moved the many bodies to a funeral island high in the north. When Ma’el finally returned, she saw how well vara had cleaned the world and decided once and for all to ascend to the heavens. She forgave the cyclopes, knowing that they only did Gallor’s wishes, and then ascended into Heaven, leaving Vara to govern the world as she once had.

Vara, however, had no desire to rule eternally as a goddess. She built the Fairfolk kingdom, established a strong government, created a set of rules still followed by the Fairfolk to this day, and then left the kingdom in the charge of her great great granddaughter. She walked into the ocean, dove to the depths, found a deep underwater cave where her blood wouldn’t rise to the surface, and committed suicide with Godbane.

Tithe’s magic system works like this:

The magic system in Tithe is based on divine blood, namely the blood of Ma’el, Vara, and Gallor. All magic stems from the blood of Ma’el, which contains incredible power, but Vara and Gallor both consumed enough of her blood to become deities in their own right. If a mortal being consumes the blood of Ma’el, Vara, or Gallor, they gain magical ability based on how much and how potent the blood is. The blood is found in one of two ways, either a drop will be found in a vein in the earth or a well will be found. The drops are often found by miners and are sold to wizards and kings for incredible fortunes.

The wells, meanwhile, are extremely rare and riddle areas with intense magic. Wells are where many drops of the same immortal’s blood fell during the divine battle, creating a divot in the earth filled with magical blood. The animals and plants around the wells tend to contain powerful magic, and are often incredibly dangerous. Only three wells are aboveground, and the others have sunken underground over the millennia. The three above-ground are the Pool of Origin in the center of the Fairfolk kingdom, the Pool of Clarity in the center of Robore, and the Pool of Overlords in the hills of Mount Phoenix. The others are deep underground, and their magic leaks up to the surface. Wells are controlled generally by heavy militaries, as they contain so much magic that they can make men gods. The Council of Sorcerers posts guards at the wells to prevent anyone from abusing their power and has a team of sorcerers who search for new underground wells.

Generally speaking, the most powerful blood is the blood of Ma’el, with blood of Gallor in second (though not much less powerful), and blood of Vara in third. Ma’el’s blood is green, Vara’s is blue, and Gallor’s is black. All beings must drink the blood of one of the three to gain magic. Once a person has drank the blood, they contain its magic for the rest of their life and it is impossible to remove the magic from them.

By consuming the blood of an immortal, a person gains the ability to manipulate aspects of nature. One who has consumed immortal blood will find themselves feeling more at harmony with their environment, though using magic requires an understanding of how different things in an environment work. In order to use stone in combat, for example, a mage needs to know how stone acts and how to change the shape of stone. They then will their soul to make a connection with nature and the stone does as they wish. In addition to understanding nature, one must also understand how to control their movements and emotions to make the stone do what they want. It’s one thing to pull a giant block of granite out of the ground, but another entirely to create a shield of that granite or throw granite spears at an enemy.

This is why magic is something which requires years of training to be able to harness, as four different components need to be dealt with. (1) the mage must tap into the environment and sense what is around, (2) the mage must know how certain elements in the environment act, and what aspects they contain, (3) the mage must be able to control the movement and shaping of the thing that they wish to control, and (4) the mage must make a spiritual connection with what is around them and then will it to do what they ask. In order to do more complex tasks, one must understand how various things connect and then use that connection to create a desired outcome. Enchantments and potions are very important because of this, as they add new objects to a system and allow for more magical effects to take place.
Enchantments are essentially like potions, where parts of a thing are incorporated into another thing so that the thing can exhibit different properties. This is generally done by mixing objects with divine blood and then spreading the mixture onto a thing, imbuing it with magic properties. Potions can be used to imbue people or animals with specific properties, though their effects wear off.
Very good wizards keep up a constant connection with their environment, allowing them to interact with any component at any time. Skilled wizards also have the ability to combine various elements in order to create varied spells, such as mixing fire and water to create fire constructs that are fluid. The more a wizard trains, the wider their manipulation range is and the better they get at combining aspects of their environment.

This makes the magic of Tithe incredibly varied, as there is a near-infinite number of combinations one can make in their environments. Most wizards specialize in one specific form of magic or one aspect of the environment and become very good at manipulating specifically that object. It takes years to master an element, so wizards who can manipulate anything in their environment into any form are few and far between.

Generally, wizards are instructed in a specific system. This system was created by the School at Venera, an ancient and now-nonexistant academy in Nepharie where mages of old were trained. Nowadays, the system is attributed to the Academy of Sorcery. It goes like this

• A student enters whatever institution at the age of ten. The best wizards generally started at the National Academy of Sorcery, though other academies exist (Ostracan mages, for example, are trained at the Royal School of the Arcane in Lychellon)
• When they enter the school, a student picks an element which they wish to learn how to use. These are the four classical elements; fire, water, earth, and air.
• For five years, in addition to receiving education in fields such as mathematics, literature, writing, history, and philosophy, young trainees learn how to use magic and manipulate their element. If they have not been given magical blood before, it will usually be given to them, though rarely for free, as the blood is very expensive. The young trainees also learn other basic magic, such as making objects float and basic alchemy or apothecary (the words are synonymous).
• At the age of fifteen, the trainees are tested by the Council of Sorcerers in their element. If they pass the exam, they can move on. If not, they have to retake a year of classes and then retest.
• The trainees then pick a secondary path. Depending on where one was trained, these paths can vary, but the Academy of Sorcery uses the following paths: healing, combat, research, utility, seal-crafting, apothecary, and enchanting.
• The trainees then learn these specialized paths for the next five years. generally, this process also requires learning how to limitedly manipulate other elements.
• At the end, the trainees then take another set of examinations to test their mastery. If they pass these exams, then they become official sorcerers.
• At some academies, some wizards can then enter another specialized tertiary path. These paths allow someone to become a member of a magical order such as the Order of Mordane, the Council of Sorcerers, or the Ostracan Eternals. The wizards can also attend a graduate program to become a research wizard, called a sage. Sages are powerful wizards who do research for a magical academy or have some other sanctioned role (Ravencloak, for example, is the Sage of the Starlight Path, and so protects the path from intruders and trains some wizards instead of doing research)
• Some wizards can also become apprentices to certain sages. In these apprentices, the wizards are taught how to use certain forms of magic in exchange for helping wizards with their research.

Though Tithe magic is extremely strong, there are some drawbacks. Firstly, objects infused with divine blood cannot be manipulated by magic. Basically an object counts as being infused with divine blood if it has been soaked in divine blood. The blood soaks into any object and not only makes it nigh-unbreakable, but makes it immune to magic. Essentially, it makes them blessed weapons. This also means that living things cannot be directly magically damaged, as the combination of a body and soul is a form which was blessed by Ma’el and cannot be undone. Necromancers get around this by separating the body from the soul (death) and then manipulating each independently of the other. This rule also makes medical magic difficult, as a wizard doctor cannot do anything which breaks any part of the body in order to repair something (such as removing a tumor or re-breaking a malformed bone to re-set it). This, of course, doesn’t mean at all that magic cannot be used to damage a body, but that the body itself cannot be the thing which is being manipulated to make a spell.

Every well is guarded by members of the Council of Sorcerers, a band of wizards who exist to protect any one person from consuming too much divine blood. In addition to them, every well has a magical guardian created by Ma’el which oversees it, preventing any one being from drinking too much blood.
Wells exist in Concordius, Robore, Ignion, Sylvestre, The Icemen States, Jikari, and Ostraca. There is also one well underwater in the Southern Isles, but it’s kind of inaccessible. No one knows how that one got there. The three biggest wells are the Well of Origin in Concordius, the Well of Clarity in Robore, and the Well of Overlords in Ignion. Those three are above-ground and are heavily defended by the Council of Sorcerers. All of the others are underground, be it from tectonic shifting or simply from the blood soaking into the ground over the millennia.

Some spellcasters wield magical objects through which they channel their spells. Be it a staff, wand, spellsword, or instrument, these objects act to amplify magical attacks and concentrate attacks into a smaller range with the same power, making them more accurate and less likely to cause collateral damage. Using a wand or magical artifact is not required, however, to cast spells. Consuming divine blood has many health benefits and causes witches and wizards to live longer than their non-magical counterparts. Some witches can look like they are still in their thirties while in their seventies, and a few powerful wizards have been able to live for hundreds of years through consuming divine blood and through rejuvenating potions.

Tithe is generally organized into fourteen different regions, or “nations”. These are Talbor, Nepharie, Jikari, Ostraca, Dorakis, Concordius, the Southern Isles, Robore, Ignion, Sylvestre, the Minotaur States, Haderlock, the Frozen Wastes, and the Icemen States. The Northern Islands also exist, though these are generally considered part of the Frozen Wastes.

(I’m about 80% sure these links will work, but I can’t be certain. Please let me know if there’s an issue in accessing them)

Southern Tithe

Talbor

Talbor is a cloudy, mountainous nation. It is the northernmost nation in Southern Tithe, bordering Ignion to the north, Nepharie to the west, and Concordius to the south. Known for its excellent military, Talbor is a warlike nation, often skirmishing with nearby nations for territory until recently. They contain the best cavalry unit in Tithe; the Knights of the Ram. Talbor is split into five shires, each with a thane. The king is the thane of one of the nations, and so receives two votes in meeting on laws for the nation. At present, King Victor of Draco is the king. He is an unpopular king, one who has a very low approval rating with other countries and whose vicious attacks on Valkyrie islands have made him appear to be a warmonger.

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Nepharie

The largest nation in Tithe, Nepharie is a long nation with three very distinct climates: North Nepharie, South Nepharie, and Central Nepharie. It is a vast empire, containing nearly a quarter of the citizens of Tithe within its borders. It contains the Council of Sorcerers, a group of wizards who protect the Wells of Tithe, as well as the Order of Mordane, a group of magical knights who protect the world from powerful wizards. Southern Nepharie is currently in the process of having a technological renaissance, using the discovery of Ignion gunpowder to bring about a new age of warfare. It is a monarchy, with an emperor ruling over the kingdom.

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Jikari

The homeland of the orcs, Jikari is a warm, dry savannah filled with all assortment of vicious magical beasts. It is a harsh landscape which only the orcs have been able to tame over the millennia. It is a home to many monster-hunters because of this, many of which travel to the Lonesome Valley to the north to fight the dragons and bellows (gargoyle-shaped creatures who fire concussive shockwaves from their mouths) of Tithe. It is administrated by a council of chieftains who meet to make decisions in the capital of Marisson. Jikari contains the strongest navy in Tithe, as well as a powerful army, though they are currently at peace.

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Dorakis
(created by SepticGentleman)

A vast, unconquerable desert, Dorakis is home to some of the most terrifying monsters in Tithe. Its insectoid creatures have a strange case of gigantism, causing mile-long centipedes, spiders the size of SUVs, and mountain-sized beetles to be a regular occurrence there. Its primary sentient inhabitants are the Dorak, a race of mole-men who are just crazy enough to tame the ridiculous creatures that inhabit their desert.

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Concordius

Also known as “The Living Forest”, Concordius is the homeland of the Fairfolk and home to a variety of strange creatures seen nowhere else in Tithe. It gets its nickname from the trees there, which occasionally move themselves around to other locations. This makes travelling through Concordius a pain, as the road you went down this morning might not be there tonight. Nearly the entire nation is covered in thick temperate rainforests, with canopies so thick that little light reaches the ground. It is the location of the Well of Origin, a well of Ma’el’s blood which is controlled by the Concordian Servants, a religious organization which rules the nation.

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Ostraca

A land far west, Ostraca is a humid, jungle-infested land which is separated from the rest of Tithe by a fifty-foot wall of enchanted stone. It is an economic powerhouse of Tithe, a land containing many rare resources which make a pretty penny at market. It is controlled by an emperor, like Nepharie, as well as a board of advisors which inform the emperor’s opinion on issues. Passage into and out of Ostraca is possible, though there are tolls for entering and leaving the country. It is home to the infamous Ostracan Eternals, gnomish warrior-mages who ride golems into battle and are experts at martial arts.

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The Southern Isles

To the southest of Jikari stretches the Southern Isles, an archipelago of roughly seventeen islands which are controlled by Jikari, Nepharie, and Talbor. The Southern Islands are a very laid-back place, home mostly to traders and fruit farmers who enjoy its pleasant, tropical atmosphere. It contains many massive trading hubs, and so is known to be a home for some of Tithe’s nastiest pirates. The pleasant, warm waters there are home to many strange ocean creatures, such as water horses (loch ness monster type things), hippocampi, warm-water whales, and krakens, massive octopus-like creatures which occasionally pull small trading ships into ocean crevices.

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Northern Tithe

Robore

North of Nepharie is Robore, a fantastical place where things tend to stop making sense. Robore has several underground wells, and this has caused certain areas of it to be incredibly warped from the rest of reality, existing almost as Wonderland-like fantasy realms. The middle of Robore is surrounded by a thick ring of trees (this is where the nation gets its name) through which no one can pass. The only way in or out of Robore is a winding path called the Starlight Path, which is guarded by the ancient sage Ravencloak. The land inside is governed by a council of Satyr sages who protect the environment there from threats, but make no actual laws. Robore contains the Poor of Clarity, the second-largest well in Tithe.

Lore on Robore is WIP. Please PM me with any questions on it.

Ignion

The Russia of Tithe, Ignion is the country that nobody can beat but everyone loves to hate. It is home to the cyclopes, a race of one-eyed highly-industrious creatures who are a few hundred years more advanced than the rest of Tithe. Ignion is a vast, treacherous desert mostly, covered in lava flows and ash fields from the nearby Mount Phoenix. Though it is somewhat northern, its southern regions reach the hottest temperatures in Tithe, ranging from 110-120 degrees F in summer. The Cyclopes mainly live underground in long, complex burrows that are connected by steam trains. Their capital, Citadel Daedal, sits on a massive lake of lava.

The lore page on Ignion is WIP. Please PM me with any questions on it.

The Minotaur Territory

The minotaur states are a vast grassy plain covering a large portion of Northern Tithe. These plains are controlled by the minotaurs, creatures which are half man, half buffalo. The minotaurs recently won their new land from Haderlock and Ignion by uniting with the Dragonkin and Icemen, and have an alliance with both races. The territory is perfect for the herbivorous minotaurs, containing wide fields of grass and wild grains and sparse forests of fruit trees. The minotaurs live in nomadic tribes covering the states. They move from pasture to pasture like herds, grazing on the local herbiture.

The lore page on the Minotaur Territory is WIP. Please PM me with any questions about it.

Sylvestre

A practical hell on Earth, Sylvestre is the place where all of the creepiest monsters of Tithe roam. It is primarily jungle and swampland, with vast forests of dead trees to the south, byproducts of a magical fire which raged across the land a century or so ago. Very few brave the untamed wilderness of Sylvestre. Most of them are either monster hunters hoping to discover some horrible creature, gorgon witches who wish to experiment on the monster hunters, or fugitives who have nowhere else to go. Few who walk into the chilly jungles of Sylvestre are ever seen again (how jungles can be cold is unknown to Tithean meteorologists. Seriously, they have no clue).

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The Northlands

Haderlock

A cold and desolate place in the Northlands (the Northlands are considered to be Haderlock, the Icemen States, and the Frozen Wastes), Haderlock is the last bastion of civilization in the north. Forged in a frigid and harsh environment, the people of Haderlock are as tough as they come. They are a highly aggressive nation, constantly at war with the minotaurs to the south and the Icemen to the northwest. Their military is adept at taking down fortified structures, utilizing war dragons, cannons (a new discovery), and assassins known as the Shadow Corps to dismantle their enemies’ defenses.

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The Icemen States

Defended for millennia by their namesake, the Icemen States reside on a cold, uninhabited plain of the Northlands. It snows there year-round, even in summer, and it never goes above freezing. It is inhabited by the icemen, a race of sentient ice sculptures. People of other races are not allowed in the Icemen States, though many warriors of Haderlock have fought there. The Icemen here live in peaceful societies, mostly free of crime and devoid of disease. They have a communist society, where everyone is given what they need to survive and the wealth is spread exactly evenly.

The Frozen Wastes

No one is quite sure why the Frozen Wastes exist. Some say they are a byproduct of the divine war, a situation caused when Gallor’s sword scraped across the northlands, destroying everything in its path. Others say it’s the incarnation of Hell, a symbol from Ma’el to show the potential torture that one might find in the afterlife. Still others attribute it to the Starchildren which are mentioned in Icemen mythology, beings of divine power who bathed the northern part of the continent in flames. Nonetheless, the Frozen Wastes is an absolute hell. It is a barren, mountainous wasteland, unclaimed by any nation. Basically nothing lives in the Frozen Wastes except for the Dragonkin, who burrow themselves down in caves in the mountains. The Frozen Wastes are wracked by blizzards and thunderstorms constantly, and the wind that whips off of the permafrost can travel at nearly 150 mph over flat areas, blowing horses flat over. Not even the hardiest northern monsters live in the Wastes, for they know that death is soon to come there.

The Northern Islands

These are usually considered part of the Frozen Wastes, but they have their own distinct features. The Northern Islands are a small group of islands directly north of the Northlands. They are the northernmost point of Tithe and, thusly, are the coldest. The seas here are in constant flux, and storms can tear ships to shreds with ease. The sea is quite rocky, so there are many shipwrecks jutting out from the ocean. The islands themselves are generally barren and deserted, though some of them have taken up populations of undead creatures. One such population, known as Deadtown, is an actual civilization of undead creatures. Though the seas force them to keep to themselves, the people of Deadtown are quite jovial and love meeting new faces. The town is run by a lich who allows the undead to act like the people they were when they were alive.

The technology of Tithe varies greatly depending on where you go. Ignion, for example, uses steam engines, cannons, and muskets. The minotaurs of the Minotaur Territory, however, are not very advanced technologically, and some still fight with bronze or iron weapons. Generally-speaking, most of Tithe has early-to-mid Renaissance technology. Sabers, pikes, and crossbows are becoming common, and many noblemen now carry rapiers or falchions.

Gunpowder has just recently been introduced to the rest of Tithe through war with the Cyclopes, and many nations now utilize cannons in both defensive and offensive forms. Another invention, the flintlock pistol, was also brought back, but so far they are exceptionally rare, with only a few noblemen able to afford them. Mass production of firearms is still a few hundred years away, so right now armies still primarily utilize pikes, halberds, longswords, axes, and other generally medieval weaponry.

Notable NPCs

These are people who exist in Tithe and may become important to the plot, but who are not player-controlled.

Ultair Moromasa | age: 23 | Role: Emperor of Ostraca | Ultair is a young emperor, and so is rather inexperienced and naive. A scholar by trade, he is speculative and curious by nature. He keeps his advisors very close to inform him on decisions and takes a lot of advice from his uncle Clayed. He is very interested in increasing Ostraca’s influence over the rest of Tithe. He is very young-looking, with a head of black hair and a small black mustache.

Bjorn Svero | Age: 53| Role: Chieftain of Jangaron | Hardened and Wise, Bjorn is the most influential of the council of Chieftains. He is stern, earnest, and mentally tough. Being a man who literally jumps into the mouths of dragons with nothing but a spear, he gives exactly no fucks. He is taller than most orcs, standing at nearly seven feet tall, and has light grey skin. He carries a very long bone spear with him. He is quite conservative, believing that the way things are now are good, and changing them may make things worse.

Saro Kehn | Age: 40 | Role: Chieftain of Marisson | Rival to Bjorn, Saro is a figure in Jikari who represents change. He is a strong liberal who believes in modernization of the country to catch up to its neighbors. He has been pouring money into the arts and architecture of Marisson for years, hoping to spark a renaissance. So far he has been successful, and his city blooms with beautiful art. As the youngest possible elder, Saro is still a tad more naive than his co-elders, and his optimism often puts him in trouble. He’s slightly short for an orc, being about 6’6”, and has light green skin.

King Victor of Draco | Age: 24 | Role: King of Talbor | Young and restless with a taste for vengeance, Victor is about as well-liked a king as Joffrey is a Game of Thrones character. He’s got some serious anger issues, is prone to fits of immature rage, and listens to no one’s advice, trusting solely in his own flawed moral compass to make decisions. This is with the exception of Sir Fallon, who has become an uncle of sorts to the boy. If the other thanes had their way, Victor would be a cold corpse in an alley. He has survived thus far solely because he has lined others’ pockets to protect him or to do his bidding. He is known to be quite lecherous, keeping many beautiful women in the castle and sleeping with several of them at a time. He is pale and sickly-looking with dark hair that falls in curtains around his face.

Lord Sir Frederick of Ferdinand | Age: 47 | Roles: Thane of Ferdinand | Frederick is the ideal Machiavellian King. He’s wise, cunning, righteous enough to know what is right, and ambitious enough to do whatever it is to do the best thing for the nation. He’s kind of a dick, but he’s a dick who wants his nation to be controlled by someone with a level head. He funded Kane’s failed coup of King Draco and trained Pietro in his swordsmanship. He is tall, broad, and handsome, with a very large, well-kempt beard.

Sir Arnold Fallon | Age: 41 | Role: Grand Master Knight of the Knights of the Ram | Fallon is more of a politician than he is a warrior. Through false kindness, he has become able to manipulate King Victor’s feelings and, thusly, his decisions. Fallon is a snake who is able to put up a kind face for the people. Many people find him to seem quite trustworthy, even as he does something disgusting like blame the assassination of King Draco’s father on one of the thanes. Few know of the true ugliness that hides behind Fallon’s highfalutin vocabulary and intelligent-sounding voice. He bears a striking resemblance to Kenneth Branagh in his 1996 rendition of Hamlet.

Othur Dorkin | Age: 43 | Role: Captain of the guard of Maceron | A very fat and lazy captain of the guard. Othur oversees all of the guards of Maceron and ensures that the city is kept safe. He is, in Sir Fallon’s words, “a sniveling, cowardly, disgusting, lousy, miniscule worm.” He is portly and grey-looking, with a gnarled, unkempt beard.

Emperor Alanus Talon | Age: 59 | Role: Emperor of the Nepharie Empire | Having ruled for forty years, Alanus is an experienced and hardened ruler. Though he began naive and hot-headed (I mean, so would you if you were king of a gigantic nation at the age of 19), Alanus has come a long way, and is now a wise and taciturn man. He enjoys showing off the riches of his country, having his army march in cities to show their strength and having fireworks shows every week in Capital City. He is a Fairfolk man, a fairy with light pink skin and fair hair.

Governor Cyrus Lane, called Cyrus the Jolly | Age: 46 | Role: Satrap of Central Nepharie | Cyrus is the satrap for Central Nepharie, a role that has him enforce the law of the emperor. He is a simple, laid-back man, one whose calm demeanor makes other feel at ease around him. He enjoys the company of friends and a bottle of fresh wine. He’s a rather tubby human man who is completely bald save for a short black beard.

Governor Phillipe Corasso | Age: 34 | Role: Satrap of South Nepharie | Phillipe is an aristocrat, an arrogant, rather snobbish man who spends his days painting and reading. He is the embodiment of the nobility of Southern Nepharie, a man who cares more about supporting and viewing art than he does making legal decisions. He is seen commonly in Orarius, going to cafes to speak with students at the Academy of Sorcery. He is a shrewd-looking pixie with purple skin and short black hair all over his body.

Lady Mirabella Caerus | Age: 64 | Role: Archknight of the Order of Mordane | The first woman Archknight in two hundred years, Mirabella is an all-business kind of gal. She’s nerdy and curious, spending almost all of her time reading or experimenting in her private laboratory. She has gotten a reputation for being rather shrewd and sharp, and possesses a cutting intellect. Generally, she seems to look down upon everyone else in the room and talks in such a way that she seems to be trying to explain it so your little monkey brain can understand. She’s a tall human woman with long blonde hair tied into a single braid down her back.

Gsr. Iro Strauss | Age: 89 | Role: Grand Servant of Concordius | As Grand Servant of Concordius, Iro is basically the sovereign ruler of the land. He is an ethical and just man who is praised for his level head when making judgements. He is essentially the perfect arbiter, a cold logician who takes into account all angles of a situation. He is a solid intellectual with a somewhat cold personality. He is very good friends with Lady Mirabella, so much so that there are rumors that the two are having an affair. He is a Fairy with very light pink skin, going on white, and short-cut white hair.

Mumuruk Gatoa | Age: 59 | Role: Grand Patriarch of Dorakis | Mumuruk is a prime example of a dorak that has lived his life well, having raised a large family and done much to cement his role as one of the most favored Grand Patriarchs of recent history. And while the Grand Patriarch doesn't do much save rally the dorak for celebrations, hunts, contests, and of course the occasional crisis, the people still love him, and tales of his life have even creeped out into the rest of Tithe. Nowadays, old age has left him seated, with tendrils reaching down to the ground and a brown, withered hide. Tattoos all along his body tell tales of old, all of which he was very much present for.

Ravencloak | Age: 277 | Role: Sage of the Starlight Path | Ravencloak is old. And by old, I mean REALLY old. He is wise and calm, occasionally curmudgeony in his demeanor. As quite possibly the most powerful magical being in Tithe, he acts pretty humble most of the time, preferring to walk with his head down and his hood drawn up. He is known to be extremely generous. Every ten or so years, he picks an apprentice from the children at the town of Brighton. Those who he trains in magic become some of the best wizards in Tithe, such as Mirabella Caerus, Archknight of the Order of Mordane. He is a very short, very shriveled Fairy who no longer has his wings. He wears a cloak made of raven’s feathers and carries a small staff made of a gnarled tree root.

Cosmas | Age: 125 | Role: Sage of the Well of Clarity | As Sage of the Well of Clarity, Cosmas’ job is to care for the environment of Robore. He is an efficient caretaker, one whose kind, nurturing nature makes him a favorite amongst many inhabitants. As a satyr, he is known to be quite playful and loves partying. He is a fat satyr man with grey fur and curly, grey hair on his head.

King Doran VI | Age: 100 | Role: King of the Cyclopes | Doran has been king of Ignion for about ten years. In this time, he hasn’t done a whole lot. He’s fairly lazy for a cyclops king, one who is more worried about raising funds for the nation than about spending them on technological advances or wars. This has made him unpopular as a king, especially when it was discovered that he is the only king in 3,000 years who is unable to wield Gallor’s mace, a weapon of nigh infinite weight which only one who possesses no inhibition to action is able to wield. Talks of a coup have echoed through Ignion because of this discovery. He is an average-sized cyclops with black skin.

King Beor Blount II, known as Beor the Destroyer | Age: 48 | Role: King of Haderlock | Beor lives up to his name and his reputation. He is terribly brutal, an iron-fisted, musclebound tough guy who stands down for no one. He delights in war, sometimes sparring against minotaurs to test his strength. He is brutal and heartless towards his enemies and like a tough father towards his people, making him beloved across his nation. He is muscular and gigantic, a large grey-skinned orc with a gigantic mustache.

Sir Arrond Curschk, known as Arrond the Butcher | Age: 39 | Role: General of the armies of Haderlock | If there were any man in Haderlock that you should desire to mess with less than Beor the Destroyer, it is Arrond the Butcher. Arrond is hard as stone with absolutely no sense of relaxation. He acts like a starved bear in a cage, pacing around, waiting for the doors to open so he can run to war. Despite his lack of tact and his violent nature, Arrond is a gifted tactician, possibly the best in Tithe. He got his name after butchering the bodies of cyclopes he defeated in battle and hanging them from chains outside of his fort. He is a very large human who has dark skin, very long red hair, and a scruffy beard that comes down to his nipples.

Colossus Rextus | Age: 56 | Role: Peacekeeper of the Minotaur Territory | Colossus is a massive minotaur nearly twice the size of a normal one. Standing at roughly twenty feet tall, he towers over all other men on Tithe. Though dim-witted in sense of intellect, he is a wise arbiter with a strong sense of justice. He is a bit of a philosopher-poet, one who has invented a new form of poem called “haiku”, where one writes a deep message with few words. In addition to being massive, Colossus is albino, possessing white fur and red eyes.

Grinda | Age: 125 | Role: Witch Queen of Sylvestre | Grinda is the witch queen of the swamps of Sylvestre, a gifted witch who uses her powerful ancient wand to cast the most potent spells in Tithe. She is regarded as the strongest magical being in Tithe next to Ravencloak, a witch capable of causing a man to burst into flame from a mile away without moving. She wields the wand Malefim, a magical instrument which lets her strike foes through blessed armor or weapons. In a nutshell, Grinda is the reason that no one goes to Sylvestre. She has a personality similar to GLAdos from Portal. She’s cunning, highly intelligent, seemingly careless, but does have some emotions which occasionally come out. Despite the fact that gorgons are supposed to be solitary creatures, Grinda actually enjoys the company of others and often becomes friendly with the monster hunters who come try and kill her, in some cases even forming romantic attachments to them. She is a green-skinned snake-woman with dark green hair and large breasts.