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A Bell of Awakening, the echo of revelation that once called Hallows from all over the world to chase after a faint ringing bell in the hopes of either curing their curse or discovering the truth behind the Hallows. An accursed land of undead, a land beyond a wall of mist, a nation lost to the Thousand Year Fog, a Forgotten Kingdom which beckons forth desperate Hallows with the ringing of a bell that only they can hear.

Ot at least, that how it was.

Now, the Kingdom of Myrstrost awakes from its thousand year slumber but like a fleeting dream, remember nought of what had happening in its sleep after forced into the waking world a decade ago. A land lost to time, Myrstrost, the Forgotten Kingdom, harness the power of the Fog which had once isolated them from the world. No one remembers anything or how drastically their land has changed since the time before the Fog or even how the Fog came to be or ended.

With its legions of Hallowed warriors, Myrstrosts sets its sight on not the conquest of the world, but the rediscovery of their own homeland as well as reconnecting with a world which had forsaken them after so many years of being shackled to the Fog.

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Myrstrost is built on the island of Slivyst, far north of the main continent, separated by the Csarik Strait or the "Strait of Monsters" as great sea-born beasts of unnatural origins that prowl under the waves, killing any who dare cross. The island itself has many rolling hills and expansive Arlimir Forest. Towards the north-east, the woods begin to thin out and reveal a chain of mountains called Frostfallen Peaks where tribes of giants can be found. The two smaller islands to the north-ish are Krosc (smaller) and Himlar (larger). Across all of Myrstrost can be found ruins of villages, towns, and temples, all seemingly lost during the Thousand Year Fog, however much of the population lives in cities and settlements that have not been lost as all those places lost have now taken up new, more sinister residents.

Climate wise, the island is fairly chilly but there are times where it warms just enough for crops to grow but famine still plagued the land at one point until the genius inventor Pharros had come up with a network of magical fires called Ember Cradles which had warmed the earth up enough to allow for more stable farming. More recently now that the Thousand Year Fog has ended, the Starlit Strait will occasionally freeze over, allowing easy access to the island from the mainland and trapping the beasts under the ice, but some still find a way above.

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Myrestrost can trace its roots back to the old Empire Of Aciret which had spread its wings the northern edge of Matria hundreds of years ago, encompassing many races under its banner. However, the Empire was fractured from its start with local rulers having too much power compared to its central leaders and under the weight of unruly vassals and the Orc hordes that were making routine incursions into the weakened Aciret lands, the Empire fell apart.

Those who were lucky enough to run faster than the mounts of the Orcs could go hopped on to boats and made way for what was then known as Silvyst Island. The Orcs had tried to follow but the valiant warriors who were left protected the beaches with great vigor day and night to ensure that their new home would be well protected. As the raids became less and less frequent, the island slowly became its own kingdom under Queen Gywendelin Myrstrost the Stoneweaver. A talented mage in the Earthen Arts, Queen Gywendelin personally oversaw much of the creation of the new Myrstrost Kingdom, explaining its fantastical style.

Things went smoothly for a few generations where the Kingdom became an important stop along many northern trade routes and sea lanes. The ports were busy, people filled the streets, things where made and researched, but then, silence. The villages were silent as no ships came in and an erie, thick, hazy fog set in.

No one could get in or out it seemed, any ships that tried to enter or leave the fog found themselves turned right back around by some force of magic. Strangely enough though, Hallows were able to pass through the mist and reach the Kingdom but never come out.

For centuries the silver mist isolated Myrstrost with no one able to get in or out. As such, the land had faded away into legend, an eternal abandoned land beyond the smoky mist with only the words of a kingdom so grand and epic that the gods themselves were jealous of the Queen's abilities. And thus, curse her entire kingdom into fog to be forgotten.

But then, almost 10 years ago, the fog dissipated and the ancient kingdom rose from that of legends into that of reality. However, now there are new monsters and beasts that roam the old, once forgotten cities and the island of Silvyst has been tainted and marred with countless new ruins. But no one remembers how all of this came to be, nor the events that lead up to the Thousand Year Fog or what exactly transpired in it. Now as Myrstrost, the Forgotten Kingdom, tries to find its spot in the world that it had been so long forgetful of while also trying to discover what happened within it.

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The rule of Myrstrost is a simple monarchy with heirs chosen from the oldest of the Royal Blood, assisted by a Royal Court. The first known ruler of Myrstrost is its namesake founder, Queen Gwyndelin Myrstrost the Stoneweaver, although legends speak of someone even older and stronger the the fair Queen. As of now, the current ruler is King Dromovalt of the same line as the old Queen Gwyndelin.

The rulers of the Forgotten Kingdom reside in the epic Castle Myrstrost that had been made by Gwyndelin herself. Some describe it as mountain of a cathedral-castle, others an extraordinary city-of a castle, all can be said as true. Perhaps a monument to Gwyndelin's power, its built atop a massive outcrop of stone making it as defendable as it is beautiful.

The iconic symbol of the Myrstrost monarchy is the Frozen Crown, a masterpiece crown made of exquisite, delicate work made of silver, inlaid with prized sapphires and diamonds and imbued with with pure Salus as to clear the mind and improve the health of its wearer, the king or queen.



The city which surrounds Castle Myrstrost is called Tyrbure (try-burn), and its seen as a massive, sprawling city and the only city in Myrstrost as all other have been lost to the beasts and darker forces. As such, Tyrbure is divided up into different sections or "wards", each focusing or being known for something but not necessarily only doing that. Several layers of walls have also been built, signifying the willingness of the kingdom and city to move further into the wilderness during the Thousand Year Fog with each wall inward becoming taller, more complex and just more epic. The wards of Tyrbure are:

• Castle Ward - Consists of Castle Myrstrost and its immediate surroundings.
• Factory Ward - The manufacturing heart of the city, it feeds the people with goods and warriors with weapons and armor.
• Caravan Ward - A small-ish merchant district that hosts the largest marketplace and festival grounds.
• Cathedral Ward - Not just the religious center of Myrstrost with the epic Nostradamos Cathedral, its also the cultural center of the kingdom with many museums displaying art and old artifacts from expeditions into the ruins as well as several opera houses and entertainment venues. It is said that it is actually the ringing of the Bell of Awakening atop the Nostradamos Cathedral which beckons Hallows to Myrstrost.
• Academy Ward - With knowledge at its head and magic in its heart, the Academy Ward is the center of all things relating to knowledge, education and the arcane. The prestigious College of Atakin is located in this ward and this is where everything relating to Mythst takes place.
• Noble Ward - As one might expect, this is basically a nice, secluded place for THE ARISTOCRATS to do whatever THE ARISTOCRATS do and has many a manors and estates.
• Farmer Ward - The large, open space between the very first perimeter barrier and the first proper wall, this is where the farming takes place mostly in close proximity to Tyrbure and thus is almost a village in its own right given the number of people living and working here.

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Hallows are the most common folk of the Forgotten Kingdom making up about 2/3 of the total population, the rest being human with a tiny sliver of other races from other lands who've found their way to Myrstrost without dying and without being Hallows.. Technically there's only two races in Myrstrost: Hallows and Humans. But given that Hallows are simply undead of any race that retain their intelligence, Myrstrost can be seen as quite diverse.

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Long ago, when the kingdom was first founded, men worshipped the Giants as they stood taller than life above all else. Back then the Giants were much more intelligent and knowledgable so it was their assistance which allowed the tiny humans to survive. Such was known as the Age of Giants where Myrstrost practiced the beliefs of "Way of Giants" with rituals and prayers and festival.

But then, it would all change when Karginoth of Mezenia, a small village on the edge of the mountains, launched an attack on the Giant's stronghold with 10,000 men. Overcoming the great ones with agility and speed, he overthrew the Way of Giant and in its place had created the Bodhi Church in its place, ordering extensive magic to be used on the Giant to the point they would loose their intelligence as Karginoth believed man had learned all they needed from the beasts.

The actual ideals and beliefs of the the Church of Awakening are unknown as they seemed to have faded with the Fog once it had left. Its widely assumed that Karginoth had used the fog some how and the Bodhi Church exerted great power in the kingdom as seen by its numerous churches and buildings. Its said that the Cathedral Ward of Tyrbure was entirely built and financed by the Church of Awakening alone, quite a show of power.

Now a days, Myrstrost is lost religiously, the Way of Giants long gone and the teachings of the Church forgotten, while some scrap to old beliefs or even cults, the Church of Awakening's beliefs is returning and seeping in once more into the once forgotten Cathedral Ward with prayer and hymn filling the streets once more. However, in conjunction with the reformed Church of Awakening is the Brescian religion of the "Sect of Insight", otherwise more commonly known as the "Church of Awakening". While it would be lying to say that both ideologies go smoothly with each other, the two do enjoy cultural similarities and a number of shared worshippers; the Church of Awakening even has its own floor on the epic Nostradamos Cathedral in Cathedral Ward, a sign of great prestige in Myrstrost

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To outsiders, what Myrstrostians appear to be can vary from telling to telling. Some talk of a land of undead Hallows who do nothing but moop about, others speak of a land of endless adventure with brave men exploring the great ruins of a land forgotten; some say of a frozen hellhole in the north where everything tries to kill you and its people nonchantly brush off dangers which could easily kill them, others report that its a land with limitless magical potential and can possibly hold the key to evolving magic to the next stage with its Mythst.

All of those are true to an extend in some capacity. Myrstrostians are known for being incapable of feeling fear in the face of danger while also being xenophile to an extend, their curiosity about the world only natural given their isolation. If compared to a child, Myrstrost is like a curious kid whose wants to be friendly with everyone to learn more about the world while sharing what it as.

They're quite a strange but yet quaint people with an eternal chasing of adventure.

Besides the law, the two aspects which dominates common life is the Church of Awakening and the Odyssey Guild. The Church already wields influence in the way which you would expect, but the Guild is in charge of all explorations and endeavors into the ruins as well as trade. Their focus on trade means their exploration laws are actually quite lax, but employment into the Guild in an administrative role is a every coveted role indeed.

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Magic has been intertwined with Myrstrost's fate since the beginning when the first Queen Gwyndelin had raised the cities from the earth. As such, the tradition has persisted to this day with magic heavily imbued into people's lives and are the focal point of study and progress of advancement with the College of Atakin being the foremost place to study such arts. The College actually has untold ties to the Church of Awakening, likely due to the fact that the College actually originates from the Church of Awakening before separating into its own entity.

Studied at the College of Atakin, the major magics are:

• School of Hazeal - Perhaps the most powerful and well known School, the School of Hazeal focuses its efforts on studying Mythst and the lingering traces left of the Thousand Year Fog. They are behind the creation of Mythst and its current and guard its secrets to death and beyond. While nothing is said between the two, its almost common knowledge that the School of Hazeal works very closely with the Church of Awakening on projects of the more secretive and questionable nature.
• School of Gaia - Founded by Queen Gwyndelin herself, the School of Gaia focuses on a very specific art within what some call "druid magics" or "nature control": Stoneweaving. The art of Stoneweaving is the way of magic concered with altering stone and is the reason behind the amazing building style of Myrstrost. However, this is still work for construction workers, masons builders as Stoneweaving does not create intricate carvings and details.
• School of Kryrus - Once the most dedicated followers of the Way of Giants, the School of Kryrus can trace its origins to those who the Giant taught their cold magics too. They were nearly all killed after Karginoth had eradicated their mentors. To this day, the School of Kryrus give a cold shoulder to the Church, their wounds still not healed.

This is not to say that the College of Atakin doesn't offer other fields of study; its just that these are the most common and popular areas as those from these schools often find the most work for the Church or the Guild. The most common of the "Minor Schools" is the School of Esporat which focuses on "adventuring and exploration magic" such as finding one's way and being able to appraise and magically inspect artifacts and treasure.

In terms of "storing" said knowledge, magical or otherwise, much of it is located in the Grand Archive, built by Pharros before he became mad. Its an epic construction in its own right, although not surprising as Pharros was a prodigal student in the School of Gaia. Much of it is actually under grown like roots with only a little bit of it open to the surface, hence the nickname given to it of "Library Roots".

However, much of the underground portion where the most advanced magical tomes, scrolls, grimoires, books and text are stored and complex mechanical drawings, diagrams and solutions have been sealed off from the rest of the Archive and remain unaccessible. Rumor has it that it was actually the Church of Awakening had sealed it off after Pharros had gone Feral. Some say you can still sometimes hear the mad howls of the Mad Inventor who still makes copious notes and papers as if he was still granted audience at Castle Myrstrost.

In some ways, one can say that Myrstrost is a pro-magic nation compared to a pro-tech one. This is only half true as outside of what the Mad Inventor Pharros created, Myrstrost's technology level is simply not nearly as effective as its magical capabilities and what the Mythst can provide.

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The Kingdom of Myrstrost is modestly gifted with resources. Miners toil to dig up iron and silver to be made into steel and jewelry, woodcutters fell great forests of Northern Yew and Frostbitten Ironwood trees as farmers push out a meager harvest each year thanks to the Ember Cradles network which the Mad Inventor Pharros created to prevent permafrost from starving the land. However, Myrstrost finds itself in need of food given how poor the soil is naturally is; how the land got by during the Thousand Year Fog is unknown.

That does not mean that their is no speciality food however as Myrstrost has its own unique Mist Toast, bread made from wheat that is grown in soil laced with Mythst and whose texture and taste is soft and fluffy when unheated and a sweet toasty flavor when heated. Some say it also has magic abilities of its own like regenerative properties to promote youth and energy.

While by no means backwards, much of Myrstrost is less reliant on cutting edge technology as they are on arcane magics as they have found their natural landscape does not permit a good deal of technology to work well if at all. The people of the Forgotten Kingdom have also long since mastered the ways of magic in ways to make creations almost impossible to do with technology. Such as that in their magnificent buildings that defy physics almost and the magical Alephs of old, of which the art to create and control them has been lost.

That said, the Mad Inventor Pharros had managed to conjure up quite the amount of machinery in the Factory Ward of Tyrbure. A now near-constant beat of pistons and ticking of gears fills the steamy and smoky air of the Factory Ward as everything needed to rebuild a kingdom is made.

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Myrstrost's military is heavily focused on the idea that they will be more often used in exploring ruins and such within the island itself rather than being used as an offensive or defensive force. As such, they have some unorthodox techniques and mannerisms. Many soldiers are Hallows, most of whom dedicate their immortal lives to the art of military and diving into ruins in hope of being able to cure their eternal curse. Such "expeditions" are a common sight within the kingdom as otherwise the army has little to do. Bringing home valuables and past knowledge is also always appreciated.

The most famous of such is the high mobile fighting style used by all ranks of the Mystrost army. Such methods of quick-stepping and rolling are considered essential parts of training and are part of the "Karginoth Movement Arts", named after the leader of the warriors who defend the island from the Orc onslaught many centuries ago. Each soldier is not trained as a soldier who finds strength in numbers, instead they train like warriors, drawing upon their individual strength.

Another point of interest is the adoption of gunpowder, not in the form of firearms, but mostly that of bombs urns, at least one per person. In things such as field battles, warriors are expected to light the fuse and throw them right before they charge or the enemy does. This strategy has proven remarkably well at disrupting defensive formations, making for easy prey for the charging infantry while also capable of slowing the momentum if not outright breaking a charge. The odd firearm does exist however, mostly in the form of defensive units stationed at cities and ports or handguns carried by wealthy officers as more of a sign of wealth, prestige and rank due to their more ornate nature.



Infantry is without a doubt the star of the show for the Myrstrostic Army, their Hallowed soldiers spending years training the arts of war and then using them in the seemingly endless dungeons and ruins of the island. Death is nothing to be afraid of for a Hallow as they know that their curse will bring them back to life, even if they turn feral and die with the last shreds of their humanities lost. Heavily armored warriors that move swifter than light infantry in battle, each on their own can easily outclass any soldier from any other nation and can give elite units a run for their money in groups.



The downfalls of the Myrstrost army is a lack of a solid ranged support unit as most ruins do not offer optimal shooting conditions thus archery is left to volunteer hunters who keep at their craft in the army. Cavalry is also something of an issue as the harsh climate does not provide great conditions for horses. To circumvent that, knights ride the native Iceborn Dire Wolves and their role changes from that of a traditional fast shock cavalry unit into that of a slower brawler cavalry unit as the large beasts are by nature tougher than horses and are ferocious enough to fight on their own even without an already formidable knight riding them.



The elite unit of the Myrstrost is the "Hallowed Soulguard Knights", the chosen warriors who undergo the "Chalice Rituals" and go from mere Hallows into legends. They stand taller than any other soldier in the Myrstrost army (about 7-9 feet depending on the person in question) and have incredible strength and swiftness, often wielding massive weapons that no one else would dare to try and pick up. Such strength and combat ability makes the Soulguard Knights literal monsters on the battle feild, legends speak of ones with such strength that they could wipe away entire armies but alas, those heroes have long since met their fates, feral or not.

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Given their long isolation and the fog, one can assume that Myrstrost never got its sea-legs, never building anything larger than canoes, rafts and barges for internal use and transport. One legend speaks of a long, slender black canoe driven by the Veuls who brought foreign Hallows to Myrstrost to begin their often ill-fated quests.



Due to once again being able to see the world once more, there had been a small push to make more sea worthy vessels. The Cascade is the result of such efforts and has proven to be a great sucess for Myrstrost. Swift enough to dodge the monsters even in the Strait while sturdy enough to take on whatever the seas can throw at it, its Mythst-coated Frozen Ironwood construction is the likely source because of this. Although these ships are very lightly armed, their durability and agility can easily annoy many sea captains as their decks are harassed by arrows, bombs and marines.