"You wanted that much essence, for this?"

Death's query was placid, but tinged with disappointment. His voice a dry whisper in the dreamweave, emanating from an unseen crevasse. His lover smirked, tapping her fingers against her chin.

"Nycyd, my love, you do me a great dishonor. Have you ever known me to be wasteful?"

She sat on her throne of water and ivory, smiling through the shifting silver veil of her hair at the mortal tapestry below.

"No," he admitted, "but if not for them, then what?"

Cibest, goddess of the moon and keeper of secrets, offered him a wink before speaking.

"If it were the lives of those petty men I sought, they would have been delivered to you long ago. The Vyiren are merely a catalyst to set the world in motion," she stood, her gown of night and shimmering constellations twisting about her form, "and those who answer the clarion wailing of their bitter vengeance shall be instruments of my will. I shall sit silent all the while and they will find the truth of their folly...in their own time."

The Dead Cairn: Forged when then blood of Vysold spilled onto Lerayis two hundred years ago, the Cairn stands as a staunch reminder of the maliciousness of the divine. It is a grotesque thing, jutting up like a broken bone from the rotten flesh of the land. Though it is generally avoided by those who would make their home in the Godwastes, there are some tainted with vile ambition; cruel beings that offer blood to the old stone. It is believed that this arcane growth is the source of all corruption in the Godwastes. While theories on the less obvious effects of the Cairn existing on the mortal tapestry are plentiful; it is whispered that all mages draw their power from this stone.

Godwastes: The expanse of scarred, fetid land that takes up the northern portion of what was formerly Lerayis. The earth there is cracked and deeply pitted, bearing little in the way of life. There are sparse, gray patches of grass that dot the landscape and an occassional petrified tree in the south; which is furthest from the point of the Gods' impact with the mortal tapestry. Heading north, the land becames ashen and unstable. Great chasms that belch poison line the Godwastes like old wounds. Posing the most peril, however, are the innumerable monstrosities that roam the land; be they aberrant creatures or humans twisted by the Dead Cairn's influence, they are a constant threat to those who dare to enter these pale and cursed lands.

Death Touched: What once were Immortals are now the Death Touched; those bound to servitude in the name of Nycyd, God of Death. Removed from the former perks that came with immortality, the Death Touched merely can not die; regardless of what wounds they suffer through and will continue fighting even after they have sustained enough damage to kill a mortal several times over. Yet, they must suffer through every wound. Since there are no healing magics left in the world, the Death Touched often resort to stitching themselves back together and waiting for their still living tissue to mend its self. The Death Touched are widely despised and reviled.

Mages: Those who draw their power from the Dead Cairn. Mages have always been distrusted in Lerayis, moreso in these turbulent times, for their unpredictable and nigh uncontrollable abilities. Once, there was an organization devoted to understanding and practicing magic; hidden away in a realm separate from the mortal tapestry, suspended in a realm of chaos. It was these mages of old that turned upon their Gods, bringing them forth into the mortal realm and laying them low.

Magic displaces time in a localized area, causing dysfunction in most complex machines. As such, mages are often discovered by their effects on their surroundings. Currently, mages are killed if discovered in a community. Be they formerly innocent or not, there is no greater sin than to offer a piece of yourself to the dead Gods.

Yildeanic Faith: Founded by Lady Yildeane, in the bygone ages of Lerayis' glory days. Originally a group devoted to enslaving Vysold, they were inevitably turned away from their founding goal through increasingly radical actions. Spurred by Yildeane's fear of losing the fervor of her followers, she began to warp their minds; turning those who followed her completely against the Gods. While the she succeeded in pushing them into the final stages of her plan, Yildeane was made a martyr by her cult; her blood offered as a catalyst for the most destructive spell ever wrought by mortal hands.

After the culling of the Gods and Yildeane's 'sacrifice', she was raised up as a hero to the people who survived. So widespread was her influence at the time of her death that what remained of Lerayis quickly adopted the worship of human qualities that she taught. Now, two hundred years after her death, Lady Yildeane is seen as a goddess to those who would follow her false faith. She is immortalized through the words she left behind and the golden images cast of her by the faithful. Every prayer spoken aloud in Lerayis is offered to Yildeane.

Currently, those who worship Yildeane are vast and varied; but all share a common hatred of magic and fierce sense of loyalty to humanity. These people are often strong of arm and sharp of mind, driven by strict tenants of self-discipline and an untarnished belief in mankind's continuing glory.

The Yildeanic Faith is a force of political and economic relevance within Lerayis, built atop the ruins of the city of Wyverncliff; a symbol of new growth from the decay of an old world. It is from the sprawling fortress of Vigil and its surrounding towers that Mage Slayers are sent into the world. Mage Slayer deployment and other important matters fall into the hands of the city-fortress' council; a reclusive and mysterious group of six that governs much of Vigil. They primarily survive by the income produced by a tax placed on the people that live within the city, though several wealthy benefactors often 'donate' to the church when they have need of discreet assassins.

Merrifort: Situated in basin of a large valley, on an island in the middle of the Merriweather Lake; Merrifort stands as staunch sentinel, reminiscent of the days of wanton bloodshed in Lerayis. A military outpost and stronghold, Merrifort is a bit removed from the implications of its name. Sitting atop an outcropping of stone, elevated above the muddy shores and large docks, the stronghold appears to be, at least partially, carved from the very rock of the island. Heavy towers rise above the bulk of Merrifort, where guards often keep watch on the distant Godwastes, encircling the sprawling city within. A quiet city, there are no trains or loud machinery; though there is an elevated platform near the easternmost tower to accommodate incoming zeppelins for trade and transport.

There is a relatively small population that actually lives on the island, though they often receive visitors for trade from sky or water. Zeppelins are seen drifting lazily over Merrifort during the summer seasons; leaving bloated and slower than they arrived; weighed down with supplies for the winter months. Fishermen or farmers from outlying, smaller villages in Euphius often take their small skiffs or canoes through the turbulent river that connects Merriweather Lake to the rest of Euphius to trade for goods and occasionally seek aid from the well trained Euphian Guard Corps of Merrifort.

Despite being so isolated, Merrifort has an extensive and vested interest in lumber and steel. Many of those who make their residence in Merrifort often spend their time harvesting one or the other, contracted by the city to engage in their labors for a fair price. The lands surrounding the valley in which Merriweather Lake sits have been almost completely stripped of trees, giving the land a harsh and battered look; with the towers of Merrifort overlooking much of the eastern part of Euphius. Zepplins are the main method of transportation for their goods, which are shipped out to several cities in exchange for food and other necessary goods. Merrifort houses, also, a derelict industrial weapon manufacturing facility. Rumor has it that the de facto leader of the city, Commander of the Euphian Guard Corps of Merrifort, Lord Orin Norath, has been seeking skilled laborers with a plan to reinstate the manufacturing of weapons in Merrifort.

Inside of the city is peaceful, with a low crime rate and friendly community. Dominating the plaza beneath Gryphon's Keep, the base of operations for the Guards, is an open air market, full of traders making stops before proceeding on to Vigil or Lightlea; making it a different scene every day, with a variety of different goods available to those with something to trade; though, solid coin always works as well. Beyond the market are various alleys and smaller open areas where tradesmen can be seen plying their craft. Most of the homes in Merrifort are low to the ground and constructed of stone, being partially underground and in orderly rows near the heart of the city; though it is not immediately obvious from the outside.

Bone Worms: Strange serpentine creatures, believed to originate from the Underweave. In their smallest stages, the Bone Worms are no larger than a common spider. They are gray in coloration, with a translucent, moist membrane serving as their skin. Through the skin, one can see that these creatures possess no bones themselves, only a series of veins and a few brownish lumps that serve as their vital organs. Their heads are often grotesque imitations of a human's face, gelatinous and drooping, with mouths that are ever agape.

Though they possess no teeth, the Bone Worms are capable of vomiting an extremely potent acid to dissolve a hole the flesh of their foes. Yet it is not this caustic expulsion that most fear. Bone Worms earned their name from their penchant for assimilating and consuming bones...from the inside of their foe. They are renowned as burrowers and often attack the feet of their prey, or, barring that, they will attempt to enter through any uncovered part of the body. It is solely for this that the Bone Worms seem to exist. As their lifespans are naturally very long, some Bone Worms can grow to be as large as a house...and some, in the days of old, were rumored to have been taller than trees.

Aside from their capability for growth, Bone Worms are highly intelligent, though incapable of verbally communicating if they are young. These strange creatures can also use dark and vile magics; it is believed that this is how they assimilate new bones into their bodies, once they have reached maturity. Older Bone Worms have been known to, instead of absorbing the fallen, reanimate their prey as undead servants.

Through the assimilation of bones, Bone Worms become entirely different creatures; creating macabre shells from the remains of those they have slain. Often, the arrangement of the bones and the appearance of the Bone Worm will vary; ranging from fierce, giant monstrosities to the lithe and slick appearance of an undead dragon. They are given different names for their size, in different places, as they can be found throughout the world.

In the north, the larger Bone Worms are simply called 'Ogres'. In the Hattavori Desert, where they are more common, they larger ones are called 'Bone Goblins'