So I have been doing some thinking, about the worlds that we created as children. And when Open Angel Arena (Standalone) announced their writing prompt (which can be found here), I leapt at that chance. So after a long day and a half of writing, here it is:

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THEME

The Ascended: Angels and Demons
Long ago, the world was dominated by a thriving, space-faring race known as the Ascended. With the power of Miraculum (their secret sauce), they shaped creation to their will, seeded the planet with life, granted themselves immortality (not invulnerability), and great power. Playing God, it was through a series of experiments to turn themselves into the perfect beings gone wrong that started their downfall. The “Angels” favored progress, order, strength, and authoritarian rule; and the “Demons” who rejected their ideology, prizing their own free-will above all else. What started out as a fierce debate rapidly escalated into a civil war that spread across the planet (Evryn).

As the conflict betwwen Angels and Demons, escalated, their battles spread over the planet, and in the last days of the war, both sides managed to weaponize Miraculum, the elixir of their Ascendancy. With the ability to reshape the fabric of magic and reality,  their battles devastated the world and beyond. In the climax of their final battle at the place that would eventually be known as Surtnar, the energies unleashed by their Miraculum warfare tore the planet apart in an event known as “the Sundering”, leaving a crater in the heart of the world. In the aftermath of the Sundering, the Angels “won”, but victory was a bitter one. Their population decimated by 96.735%, and with ideological rifts still existing, the Ascended slowly faded into history, their numbers less than hundred. The very few remaining extremist Angels shaped history with their version of the conflict, with the Garden of Eden and how man was a creation of theirs, and the whole tragedy of being cast out as one of their many stories.

Knowing that another war would eradicate the rest of their kind, the majority of Angels and Demons have taken to keeping their existence a myth, agreeing on an uneasy truce, although occasional skirmishes between Angel and Demon extremists do happen. However, the majority of the Ascended now walk among us unnoticed, disguising themselves as humans. They perform the occasional miracle to atone for their sins, with the guilt and memory of what they once were haunting them for eternity.

Note: Granted, many Ascended who walk the gray area, never associating themselves with either faction, but were dragged into the war. On the other hand, the Ascended extremists who live today believe that their supremacy should be restored (Angels and Demons have diametrically differing views on supremacy), and so the conflict rages on.

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The current world (Evryn)
Our characters live on a quasi-stable world, where there are a number of different dominant nations. Some of these nations co-exist with each other, prospering through trade and alliances(think of trade unions or military alliances). Other nations are expansionist in nature, acquiring more lands through conquest, military intimidation, or even through deep espionage (think puppet-politicians or spies attempting to undermine the current rule). While there are many soveriegn city states/ smaller nations in the midde of the map, the balance of power between nations is a delicate one, and many see the signs of an all-out war brewing on the horizon.

Nations: (ideas)
“Vanar” – An aristocratic nation. While utopian-looking on the surface, it has some tightly guarded secrets, such as a small part of the populace comprising of Ascended disguised as humans. While Angels and a Demon majority both live in the nation, they have come to accept their differences, mended their rifts, and coexist with each other. With mounting pressure from extremists from the east, this haven of coexistence between humans, angels and demons will be put to the test.

“Confederacy of Surtnar” – A system of independent nations banding together, all living near one of the prominent features of the world – a massive crater dividing two continents that formed as a result of “the Sundering”. A thriving system, they have prospered through trade with other nations, and selling geothermal energy, although with mounting pressure this remains to be seen. Rumor has it that one of these nations is actually the extension of an entire entity (not Ascended, but some otherworldly being that consists of all citizens and ruler as one), but nobody has been able to prove it.

“Zuerta” (zer-ta) – An “utopian” expansionist nation based on the rule of strength through order. Has a ruling council of 5, each with extreme power and great skill (strength, guile, vision, science, and charisma) with extremely strong military and assassins. Constantly at war with Vanar, border skirmishes with the Confederacy, but also cunning enough to acquire city-states through espionage and treaties. Lead by humans (who believe in strength through order)working together with Angel extremists (who want to crush the last Demon “stronghold” in Vanar).

“Lanthara” – A nation of great technological and magical prowess. Located near ancient relics found in the aftermath of an ancient war. While seemingly neutral on the outside, their leadership consists of charismatic figures who have learnt how to enslave Ascended (angels and demons) While being a technologically and magically advanced nation, they are obsessed with discovering the secrets of our world, seeking to wield the fires that forged it.

“Tianzeia” – A peaceful country with a series of islands to the east. Their rule is by democracy, made up of representatives of different provinces. The current head of the council is Anathael, ex-Angel who defected during the war and disguised herself as a human in the aftermath of the Sundering. A peaceful, magic-infused place, some of the people there have demonstrated extraordinary abilities, all of which are harnessed for the common good. While they do trade minerals with Zuerta, in recent times Zuerta has sought to subjugate the peaceful nation through political means. Even as of now a corrupt politician stands in the council, paving the way for a future invasion.

Other nations/factions:
1. Yarrmathia – a seafaring nation prospering through trade, although shadier elements rule the people, much cutthroat. Ran by a badass human leader.

2. Jalantis – a tribal island nation of strange cultures, some of the most agile warriors the world has ever seen originate from here. Blood magic, spirits possessing warriors and stuff like that. Island was once part of a larger continent, which was sunk in the Great Flood.

3. Barbaric tribes in the Kharun Desert in the south that continue to plunder the Confederacy and Yarrmatey. Recent news has it that a new King, a warlord by the name of Drakath the Cruel has managed to unify the tribes and is set on conquest, starting a warpath towards Yarrmathia and the Confederacy.

4. Undead sightings around the coast of Lanthara. Evidence needs further verification.

Here is a world map, for reference:

Major events that shaped the world:

The First Age
-The Great Starfall (Giant meteorite, responsible for the creation of Mt. Vakhirest, the tallest peak on Evryn)
-The Miraculus (The discovery of the magic sauce)

The Second Age
-The Moonweaving (The creation of the moon)
-The Sundering (War of the Ascended, the formation of Surtnar)

The Third Age
-The Great Flood (The sinking of a continent, leaving Jalantis behind)
-The Mxylite Wars (Humans discovering Miraculum in the form of Mxylite. Naturally they fought over it, creating the Kharun desert in the process.)
-Many nations founded during this time.

The Fourth Age (Current Age)
-The Destruction of Mt. Minomato (Unstable energies, cause otherwise unknown, the nation of Zuerta built near the mountain range 45 years later)

CURRENT EVENTS
-Trade depression
Started when an ancient living weapon broke free of its prison, going on a rampage in the Confederacy. While the beast was stopped, it crippled the mining capabilities of the Confederacy, which caused a massive shortage of Maculite (type of ore) and Steel in the market. As both Vanar and Zuerta rely heavily on these exports for their ongoing war, and with Lanthara being a steady customer, prices have shot up drastically and affected the rest of the economy.

-War between Zuerta and Vanar
With Zuerta wanting to expand to the west, naturally they coming into conflict with Vanar. Since their conflict with Vanar, Zuerta has had to rely more on the Confederacy for their military supplies as their capital is far to the east and transporting resources are constantly being raided by barbarians. With the trade depression going on, their efforts to expand to the west have been greatly hampered on the frontlines. While the majority of their subjugated city states prosper under their control, some see it as a weakness and seek to break free.

-Tension between Tianzeia and Zuerta
Thareus, relatively young provincial councilperson, Zuertan by birth but raised in Tianzeia, stands on the ruling council. While he appears as an ambitious politician, he senses that some of the council members are not what they seem, and suspects a possible invasion from his homeland. While Thareus and Anathael seem like allies on the outside, he has a deep mistrust towards all on the council, further complicating matters.

-Rising faction in the South
Recent news has it that a new Barbarian king by the name of Drakath has managed to unify the tribes in the South Kharun Desert, and is set on a warpath towards the Confederacy, Yarrmatey, and Zuerta. For the past 3 years, ports have been raided, their resources stolen, and even travel on land is not safe as these barbarians have struck from nowhere and disappeared. And now three barbarian armies are on the march northwards.

-Strange creatures from the North
The harsh tundra is averse to life, aside from nomadic tribes. Recently, reports of strange beings coming from the North and aiding the people have been circulating, and people sent to investigate rarely return. Those that do describe a rapturous experience like no other, and some return…changed. While rumors speculate those beings to be Angels/Demons, but known to a few, their true nature is confirmed to be anything but Ascended. Whatever they may be, the nation of Lanthara has taken special interest in them and sends continuous expeditions to the north.

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This is part 1 of the writing prompt, with part two to be released further on today.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it. Leave a comment if you like or think that it can be better. I know it can.

Have a great day.