[General] Colliding Empires: Overview

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Czernobog
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[General] Colliding Empires: Overview

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The History

It is the 19th Century, 897 years after the Event, a time when magic came to our Earth. Many at the time thought it was the wrath of God or Satan, and persecuted mages. But eventually, with the Renaissance, magic began to be viewed in a better light, and the Catholic Church founded the first of the now-familiar Mage Academies. History as you may recognise it has changed greatly from its course in our world - for just one example, Constantinople still stands, and the United States are still Britain's (or, to be more accurate, the Kingdom of Britannia's) colonies. But things are still more familiar than you might think. After the devastation of the First Mage War in the 1870s, into which all of Europe was joined into, the Kingdom of France and the Prussian Imperium are locked in a course that can only lead to further destruction and suffering.

Perhaps you should take a look at the nations first.

The Players

The nations of this world are multifarous and strange, ranging from the Prussian Imperium to the Egyptian Theocracy and the Kingdom of Britannia. But perhaps it would do to check the big boys on the block. The Kingdom of Britannia is perhaps the world's first superpower, dominating North America and wielding substantial influence over Europe. Vying for its place is the Prussian Imperium, a force that dominates Eastern Europe before fading into the tundra and steppes of the Russian Empire. Considered backwards and primitive by most, the Russians try and make up for this by sheer numbers and determination, and their battles against the Prussians often leave thousands dead on either side. Italy has finally been unified by the New Roman Empire, a colonial power that dominates Italy, Spain, and large parts of South America. To the north of this new Rome lies the Kingdom of France, with a court that seethes with schemes and power plays, ignoring the rebellion that thrives at its core.

In Africa, the ancient Egyptian Theocracy dominates. Claimed to be primitive by most powers, they use magic and rituals to their strange, ancient gods to make up for their lack of technological development, and are still important in this new age of ironclads and steam engines. Further north, along the border with the Middle East, lies the Domination of Stygius, a kingdom based in the sepulchral ruins and catacombs of ancient Jerusalem, ruled by their black emperor, the fallen knight known only as Acheron. They are engaged in a perpetual war with the Empire of the Pheonix, ruled from Constantinople and dominating Greece and Turkey.

In the far east, the Dragon Kingdom reigns, and their rivalry with the Empire of Nippon has led to war more often than not. The two powers now stand poised on the brink of another war, while all the world watches with bated breath to see who wins this time. Finally, the Mughal Empire now fights another bloody war with the Kingdom of Britannia, the world looking anxiously at the seemingly never-ending conflict.

The Magic

Magic has many forms and even more names, but all are alike in one facet. They manipulate the universe, bending but not outright breaking the laws of physics. For example, consider a fireball. The energy needed to create it cannot come from nowhere. Instead, it comes from the basic cosmic energy that created and drives the universe, and when the effect of the spell ends, the energy used to create it is drawn back to that same infinite pool of energy. Manipulating this energy requires incredibly strong willpower and self-control, so focuses, such as wands and staves are used to lessen the effort on the user. These focuses of magical energy can be anything - swords, staves, wands, even words and inscriptions. It is even harder to define what a spell must do mentally, so the caster often speaks words (which can be in any language), imposes his intent on those words, and then releases the magical energy. Rituals are merely more reliable ways to cast spells, often taking a long time to cast, but the energy used often has highly focused results and will probably do its job more reliably than an on the spot spell.

There are many ways that magical energy can be used or gathered - for instance sacrifices, which are used in some highly illegal rituals, are used to release magical energy from the sacrifice's body. Enchantments are merely creating a lasting spell, using inscriptions on the enchanted object to define the magic's purpose.

To perform magic, one requires the Gift, which often erupts spontaneously during puberty, often in times of fear or stress, though later eruptions can happen. After this, most people are sent to magical academies to be trained, unless they live in one of the few places worldwide where magicians are still persecuted. About 10% of the world's population is known to have the Gift, and it seems to be inheritable.

A common misconception of outsiders is that 'schools' of magic exist. That is not true. There are merely a nigh-infinite multitude of ways, most still undiscovered, to harness and wield magical energies, ranging from Astromancy to Necromancy and Technomancy, although these are not rigidly defined as such and fade into each other at the edges.

Gods are not known to exist, although the Egyptian Theocracy claims that its gods provide the power of the mages, a thing most of the other powers are sceptical about.
You have ruled this galaxy for ten thousand years.
You have little of account to show for your efforts.
Order. Unity. Obedience.
We taught the galaxy these things.

And we shall do so again.
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