It has been a little over a year since the virtual reality video game, Pariah Online, has become an international hit.
Designed from the studies of a yet-to-be-named cyber-neurologist, the video game was always intended to be a breakthrough in changing the way the human mind perceives things when it is in a dream-like state. During the early development of these theories and experiments, the idea of applying it to a virtual world seemed like the only sensible conclusion. The true nature of Pariah Online is hardly public knowledge for very legal and serious reasons, and for the most part, there have been no detrimental issues that endangered the people in the game or the company's legal and financial security. That is until a few hours ago, a massive glitch spread throughout the game. The ramfications of this glitch appears to be deadly and financially damning for the company. As they race across the clock to fix the issues, players locked into the virtual world are about to have everything they know about Pariah and their lives change in an instant.
With server technicians, neurologists, and software specialists trying to figure out the source of the problem, a different threat within the virtual world itself is awakening. How will these "Wayfarers" handle their responsibilities, anxieties, and doubts? Perhaps the answer begins in the City-State of Thorinn. Only time will tell.
I started Pariah Online a few years ago as an interpretation of the “trapped in a video game” trope that is so often seen in anime and manga. I looked at the works of Kazunori Ito, Mamare Touno, Ao Jumonji, and Fujino Omori as starting points – though I did want to put my own spin on it. I looked at the concepts of dreams and science fiction related to that and decided to frame a story that is tense, adventurous, and exciting.
The World As We Know It
In the world of Pariah Online, there exists a divide between the inhabitants of the world and the players who choose to interact with it.
From the moment that the players entered the world there was a tension. The inhabitants of the Kingdoms of Aetheria, otherwise known as “denizens” by the players of Pariah Online, have always looked at the powerful outsiders as a dangerous precedent but one they needed exactly at the time of their appearance. They dubbed these alien adventurers from another dimension as “wayfarers”, a fitting title given their nature as homeless vagabonds and travelers. But why would these denizens exactly need wayfarers in the first place? Why were they met with a weary welcome rather than one at the end of a sword?
The answer is not a complicated one, nor a strange or particularly unique one. Before the arrival of the wayfarers and their impeccable talents the denizens of Aetheria had been losing their heroes year-after-year to coordinated attacks from supernatural monstrosities. Their origin? Supernatural dens that would create and empower them. Supernatural dens they had come to know as “dungeons”. The wayfarers served a purpose to clear these dungeons and destroy them; as the heroes of Aetheria had done the same before them. But as more wayfarers arrived as did more dungeons and more kingdoms and cities found themselves in danger. Some denizens speculated their appearance was only making things worse, though their critique was heard on deaf ears as hordes of orcs, goblins, golems, and all sorts of monsters began to push against the walls of the cities that depended on the wayfarers to protect them in an era where heroes of their own were at an all-time low.
Even with the support of the fraternities to arm, educate, train, and direct the wayfarers, a problem continued to brew. But the Council of Monarchs saw little choice. Their hands were tied.
The Fraternities, hero-adventurer guilds that had been established for centuries, found a new life by the flood of wayfarers. Denizen recruitment had been at an all-time low and fraternity leaders saw this as a chance to return to prominence; to propagate a newfound Age of Heroes even if the heroes were men and women whom had no idea what they were doing at first and were by the denizen perception certifiably insane. The five fraternities – Draethir, Drox, Queon, Sikth, and Tyhrien – were more than happy to deal with the eccentricities of the wayfarers as long as they served their role.
And for a year, they have served that role indeed.
The Domains of Magic
According to the ancient texts dating back to before the Kingdoms of Aetheria had been raised from the earth, magic is said to have originated from the twin gods Arcanen and Primora, who have ruled over their respective fields since the dawn of all things. The two primary branches of magical study originate from these gods: the Arcane, the domain of Arcanen, and the Primordial, the domain of Primora.
The primordial domain contains all magic based upon the elements that make up the world, ranging from the ice that fills the tundra, to the fire that burns in every hearth, to the stone that makes up the very ground we walk upon and everything else in between. Primora's magic is wide and varied, possessing no shortage of uses in everyday life. When combined with utility and a little bit of creativity, there exist few bounds to the limits of magic's potential. For most Wayfarers, however, this power is seen primarily as a weapon to be used against the monsters that lurk in the depths. The offensive might of primordial magic cannot be overstated, and it is most often found at the forefront of the war for the world's survival.
The arcane domain, on the other hand, is seen more for its potential utilitarian uses than its usefulness in direct contact with the enemy. All magic that does not fit the mold of the primordial domain is typically associated with the arcane, showing a great breadth of uses: from transmutation of matter to the enhancement of the human body, enchantment of weapons, and the creation of alchemical potions, there is little that an experienced mage can't do if they have access to the proper training and tools.
When wayfarers enter the world they realize two principal things:
They are immediately taught by the fraternity they choose the basics of magic, just like they are taught the basics of the world. As such a fraternity mage teaches them how to use one type of primordial magic and one type of arcane magic. Beyond that, the sky's the limit depending on their interests.
That these magics are numerous in number and through the right applications wayfarers can combine the arcane and primordial like few spellcasters have been able to do in centuries with little practice.
Once they understand both of those principles wayfarers look to expand their horizons or focus on what they are given as specialists. The more domains someone knows, the less potent their magic, though this can be mitigated by use of potions, artifacts, and extremely enchanted items and armor. The use of magic exhausts a person’s stamina depending how powerful a spell is and how much the spellcaster’s body has been conditioned to withstand the strain of being connected to the aspects of two gods.
A list of some of the known schools of arcane and primordial magic are listed below.
Primordial Magic is the innate ability to wield the power of the elements that make up nature.
This includes the primal elements of fire, water, frost, lightning, wind, metal, and earth. Within the esoteric this compounds light and darkness.
The applications for these fields are endless and varies depending on hybridization and the interest of the caster. While primordial magic is often classified as having only combat uses this is more of a cliché than something that is objective fact. A wayfarer may choose to use metal to create armor or to create shortcuts in basic crafting as one example. Primordial magic’s one truth is that it is raw. It is the bones of what keeps the world’s heartbeat beating, and for that a healthy planet is one that has many primordial battlemages.
Arcane Magic is the innate ability to wield the power of energy that weaves the universe together.
The manipulation of arcane energies can result in different results depend on the approach of the user. It can be used to empower, enhance, alter, restore, protect, and create. If the primordial school is the heartbeat of the world, the arcane is the glue. As it is more complex than the primordial elements, listed below is an explanation of what each basic school of arcane magic composes.
Alteration: The ability to weave arcane energy into item enhancements.
Conjuration: The ability to transmutate arcane energy into physical items.
Convokation: The manipulation of arcane energy to summon and bind creatures beyond the veil to the caster.
Divination: The ability to use arcane energy to find and see things unseen to the naked eye.
Enhancement: The manipulation of arcane energy to enhance the physical body or weapon.
Illusion: The manipulation of arcane energy to create tricks of the mind.
Manifestation: The ability to transfer arcane energy into manifestations of powerful constructs such as orbs, fields, and such things.
Protection: The ability to channel arcane energy into protective wards and fortifications.
Restoration: The transference of arcane energy to mend physical wounds and ailments.
The Kingdom of Aetheria
The lore of Pariah Online speaks pretty clear in its European anachronisms.
The Kingdom of Aetheria is the sole piece of central human civilization on the world of Nidus. It has been around for several centuries, dating back to when several human societies agreed to rule as one in the face of a great universal threat from beyond the veil exposed itself in its attempt to destroy all life on the planet. This abyssal creature became known as The Nameless One, its true name stricken from the records.
This creature created all things unnatural to spite the gods of Primora and Arcanum, claiming its place as a third god. The Striga, twisted corruptions of humans and abyssal corruption sought to eradicate all humanity. To pair with the Striga, The Nameless One planted demon seeds into the soil and into what were majestic, legendary creatures. The offspring of these seeds would turn into monsters and inhumans; basilisks, orcs, ogres, goblins, lycans, worgs, and so much more. At the end of the First Age the legendary heroes faced the Striga Queen and her army on the southern fields of Aladar. The Striga retreated into the darkness with their queen banished, one day plotting a return to bring about The Nameless One’s plan to feast upon the life force of all living things.
Upon the Striga Queen’s defeat, the heroes would form The Fraternities of Aetheria, hero-adventurer guilds meant to train the next great heroes in case a new Striga Queen reared its head.
Problem is, for centuries outside of aimlessly wandering monsters and inhumans, there was nothing. The other kingdoms gathered more autonomy under the King of Aetheria, turning themselves into city-states that only had loose association with one another. Eventually, the city-states agreed about a egalitarian council of monarchs over a high king, especially considering the extinction of the original imperial dynasty. While the city-state of Toraenis appointed the leader of the heroes who felled the Striga Queen as its new leader, things began to take shape. The Council of Monarchs would convene anytime the realm was in unilateral danger. Beyond that the fraternities that would found themselves in each city would continue their goals as set about by their founders, though eventually it seemed the interest in magic and heroism seemed to diminish as the centuries rolled on.
By the Fourth Age, things were mostly stable with few heroic events to keep note of. That is, until a new Striga Queen appeared, unearthed by foolish adventurers in the Great Desert. A magical burst of energy left the ruins of the Castle they were excavating and a burst of magical energy spread across the land. Strangest of all, massive structures—Dungeons—began appearing. With no heroes capable of breaking the magic from these dungeons all over Aetheria, a sense of hopelessness came over the general populace, though it did inspire a new generation of heroes. The Fraternities of Aetheria started to feel a renewed presence, though these new heroes seemed to perish and disappear as quickly as they declared against the Striga threat.
That is, until the Wayfarer’s arrived five years later.
The City-States
The Kingdom of Aetheria is divided into five kingdoms based around a central city which has its own towns, villages, and strongholds under its control. Since the defeat of the Striga Queen in the First Age the kingdom allows its subjects complete autonomy, only uniting for national matters under the Council of Monarchs. Each city-state is endorsed by a Fraternity and as such wayfarers who select different fraternities have very different experiences and are exposed to different facets of Aetherian culture.
To go in further detail, see below.
“Those who do not have magic will not understand it.”
Monarch: Wizard Queen Celestine Pathos Affiliation: Queon Element Associations: Wind & Fire Ideologies: Knowledge, Responsibility, Understanding, Compassion. Location: Southern Desert Climate: Desert with lush Savanna climates in pockets.
“A wise man enlists caution over impulse.”
Monarch: King Ier IV of House Khtar Pathos Affiliation: Sikth Element Associations: Shadow & Lightning Ideologies: Unity, Prudence, Perceptiveness, Patience. Location: Northwestern Highlands Climate: Continental; dry and windy beyond the crater lake forged by a waterfall where it is sub-Temperate.
“Power and Glory are two sides of the same coin.”
Monarch: King Janswald "The Red" of House Theremic Pathos Affiliation: Draethir Element Associations: Metal & Frost Ideologies: Strength, Perseverance, Resilience, Courage. Location: Northeastern Vale Climate: Alpine in the steepest hills, but fairly temperate in the lowlands.
“It is the duty of the hero to protect the helpless.”
Monarch: King Medrian II of House Toraendel Pathos Affiliation: Thyrien Element Associations: Water & Light Ideologies: Honor, Honesty, Gracefulness, Generosity. Location: Midlands Climate: Temperate with cool wind off the Great Oceans eastward and the warm heat from the south.
“Those who respect nature are empowered by it.”
Monarch: Queen Katla of House Thorinnar Pathos Affiliation: Drox Element Associations: Earth & Wind Ideologies: Service, Humility, Conservation, Nature. Location: Southwestern Reaches Climate: Subtropical as indicated by sprawling riverbeds and humid summers.
Description.
Codex
Chapterhouse
A wayfarer-owned property meant for business.
Guild of Acquisitions
Every major city in Aetheria has an Acquisitions Guild. They are the “quest boards”. Denizens operate and hand out missions here. Wayfarer’s used to use them as places to look for groups beyond solo questing, though through the lore of the setting they have other uses. You can find any freelance job list at an acquisitions guild as well as advertisements for concerts, performances, and other seasonal activities.
Fraternity Hall
A large compound that serves as a base of operations for a fraternity, the organizations descended from the original hero-adventurer guilds of eons past. They offer an information network to its members, a map of safehouses, lodging, general information, and faction-specific specialists.
Striga
A race of demihumans with demonic lineage.
Wayfarer's Hall
Taverns that have been repurposed as meet-up places for dungeoneering jobs (after they have been posted at the guild) unique to wayfarers.
Application
Pariah Online is a invite only RP.
Applicants will be provided entry to a discussion channel on discord and given access to the character sheet.
Afraid that we're full and we've been recruiting on an invite only basis. I'll keep you in mind if anyone drops out, but sorry to say we're good for now.
Afraid that we're full and we've been recruiting on an invite-only basis. I'll keep you in mind if anyone drops out, but sorry to say we're good for now.
Good to know. I'll be happy to fill in any dropped slots in the future.
This RP is everything I've wanted in a group and I'm crying on the outside about it. I'm so thrilled I can GM this consistently and have everyone as into the idea as I am. This never happens to me anymore.
