The Planet
Xentos is a large planet orbiting a red dwarf star. It has a slightly skewed axis, which means it's Southern side receives more daylight than the Northern side. The planet itself orbits in a sort of elliptical orbit around it's star. The planet itself is dotted with many islands stretching beyond the borders of the Eastern and Western Kingdoms. With the North being covered in icy mountains. The Western Kingdom is covered by a perpetual dark cloud that never moves, and infrequently rains. This cloud stretches from a small point on one island, all the way to a third of the Northern part. It curves and grows in a similar way that the yin symbol does, with a bright spot where the gods reside.
Everywhere the dark cloud stretches is known as the Western Kingdom, or Dark Fell. Many attempts have been made to understand why the dark cloud is there, but only the gods know as far as the people are concerned. This same dark cloud deprives the entire kingdom of sunlight, and from ever seeing the silver moon. The ground is infertile, with only certain monsters being able to gain sustenance from it. The kingdom is home to strange and exotic creatures and plants that have adapted to live in such an environment. There is constantly just enough light to see as one might on a gloomy day, but when night falls it becomes unbearably dark.
The Northern kingdom is rocky and covered in icy mountains. Making the Dwarves have to dig into said mountains for survival. They have chutes that reach into the icy tops above for a steady supply of fresh clean water. There are icy monsters that do nest in the cold climate, as well as extremely tough beasts. The Dwarves keep themselves warm by using fire gems and crystals that they find and mine near magma chambers. There is very little food even compared to Dark Fall, which makes such their largest import.
Most of the Northern Kingdom is covered in ice, but there are massive tunnels carved by the water itself towards Eclipse. These tunnels are filled with even more beasts and monsters that create a unique ecosystem. Essentially a sort of underground River, that no body wants to really explore given all the unique and unidentified monsters and beasts living within such. The actual shape of the Northern Kingdom is that of a jagged circle with a mountains forming around where the dark cloud moves into it.
The Southern Kingdom is much more temperate and has a small ice cap with very few mountains, that turn into rolling hills. After those hills, they have mostly flat land with three main rivers spreading out. The first goes towards the Western Kingdom, meeting it where the start of the dark cloud is. The second stretches mainly through the entire kingdom with turns here and there. Mostly manmade, and it ends in a swamp are that makes it easier to guard two land bridges after the swamp turns into a huge sea. Naturally the territory of the kingdom goes around the sea itself, since Eclipse is a small kingdom. The two land bridges cut between the West and East kingdoms, and generally most prefer going through the East side, or traveling over the sea.
The Eastern Kingdom mostly consists of a mix between stray mountains along the border between it and the Northern Kingdom. Rivers flowing from those mountains, to fields, forests, and jungles. There are a good many wood elf tribes, with much fewer monsters. As the majority weren't able to make it past Eclipse. Monsters are generally seen as rare and exotic by the Eastern Kingdom, with many of their nobles spending coin on those that interest them. There is a bit of friction between the Eastern and Southern Kingdoms, given that both raid each other's villages. As well as the Eastern Kingdom controlling the second land-bridge.
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Eclipse
Eclipse as stated before, is in the center of the other kingdoms. Eclipse itself is very well protected, and through the use of spatial magic, it can potentially hold the rest of the world's population. The king is paranoid, since he knows first hand how nasty the monsters can get from Dark Fell. Most of its success with magic, comes from the fact that the original Queen of Dark Fall actually started to decode monoliths. The monoliths themselves will be explained in Silver Spider, (another book I plan on writing).
This knowledge essentially set Eclipse centuries ahead of the other kingdoms in terms of understanding magic and how it actually works. It's why they can grow crystals, how they were able to erect a wall in a matter of months versus years, and so on. It is also why the king is rather adamant about Eclipse not falling to monsters, or other kingdoms. Because he realizes that if others claimed what he or very few others knew, it could end them all.
We'll start with the first walls built around Eclipse, the inner most walls. As I know all of you know there are three different sets. There is no underground for this section of the city. There is literally a very solid wall enchanted with extremely powerful runes, and rituals of all kinds. It cannot be dug through with any magic tools, as there is a barrier outside the wall itself that stops all magic, including talents. This entire section is dedicated to the crystal snails that make the magic crystals and gems for the kingdom. There are very few ways to actually enter these underground chambers, and they all involve going through the king's castle and entering the correct sequence of portals. More than the food grown, this is the lifeblood of the kingdom. It is very well protected, and impossible to enter by accident.
These magic crystals are harvested, and refined through a secret work force of people and monsters that have made contracts with the king. These crystals are traded to other kingdoms, and can only be produced by Eclipse. Since they are the only ones that know how to do such, or properly care for the snails that no one knows about. The other kingdoms believe that such is mined deep underground, save for the Dwarves who know a little bit more about what kinds of crystals can be found through mining.
The inner most walls are a full circle, and tower at about 25 meters high (roughly 80ft). There are thick pillars that will not fall, even if a dragon attempts to charge through the walls. The inside of the walls hold more runes, and crystals that make a sort of matrix. This matrix will rebuild the walls, repair any damage it receives, and controls the temperature within itself. These same walls also control the spatial distortion all around the kingdom, and just about anything else important to the city.
If anything breaches these walls, they are suddenly faced with the full might of the king. A king who has hand picked nobles and monsters with exceptional skill and talent. That has appointed the most promising guards as Heralds, and let his elite train them properly. The same one, that can control time with magic, and has access to other types of magic through his various contracts. There are monsters, and others out there that are stronger than him. Though he'll see them coming, and prepare accordingly.
The inner most walls house almost all nobles and their families. It holds the head quarters of the guards, with warehouses holding the emergency supplies of the kingdom. Most of the occupied living facilities belong to the secret work force, the Heralds and their families, with sections dedicated to the count and kin. There are courtyards for the elites to train, as well as gardens and fountains to make the place beautiful and rather pleasant to live.
The inner walls on the other hand is where most of the actual population lives. It expands outwards from the inner most walls, turning the perfect circle into a sort of long egg shape. The inner walls and inner most walls connect on the East and West sides, effectively attaching them. This allows a lesser version of the temperature control to wash over the general population and helps to keep them happy. Recently efforts have been made to slowly convert the inner walls to expand the strength of the inner most walls. As well as making the inner walls stronger with the barrier over both of them. Such efforts are expected to bear fruit in about fifty to a hundred years given the size of the walls.
Due to the magical interference of the inner most walls, and inner walls. All teleporters that seek to use their abilities, have to wear a special crystal necklace. This essentially functions as a key-card to allow spatial magic within the walls. Otherwise it becomes very difficult for someone to teleport properly. There are platforms with runes that allow a specific amount to be teleported from one place to another. Though this usually causes teleportation sickness. These platforms are typically only used when the bells are rung, to swiftly mobilize the Guard. If the inner walls are breached, they are then used to move the citizens from danger.
Given how difficult it is for others to teleport within the city. This is the safest, and easiest way to move people. If the inner walls are breached, this means all of the guards are mobilized. Usually whatever noble happens to be in the area will also react. Oswald will also move to intercept any danger. Oswald's orders are to be followed over the orders of other superiors, and he is to take command of the guard as a general. He knows the entirety of the inner walls, given that he was there when such was built, and built it with the others.
Due to Oswald and the King both having paranoia to some extent about what is outside. The sewers themselves have secret rooms and tunnels planted throughout the tunnels. Most of these rooms house materials that only need to be mixed in order to create different kinds of gasses. They are kept separated by a thick piece of glass, tied to a pulley that can be activated by Oswald as he spent the time to craft it. This will count as him mixing materials, and the sewer system will become a dead zone in such an event. This is to prevent anything that invaded the city from escaping into the sewers. Likewise, there are safe rooms, secret rooms with very specific items for certain situations, and even Haven's for the Count's kin.
There are plans to type out an overview on vampires in a future chapter, likely after we meet the Count. The reason why they rest in the sewers, is because it's a safe place that was built for them. Even if the gas is released and used, Vampires don't need to breathe so it doesn't affect them. They are down there on the Count's orders, to make certain that anything able to survive Oswald's gas, isn't able to continue surviving for long. If the attack takes place during night, it is very likely that they will come out to defend their homes if the gas is released in their area. They are essentially reinforcements, and very rarely are they needed.
It should be noted, that the underground will potentially make their own moves at this point. Meaning that the gangs will attempt act together to stop the threat. Often moving from behind to pincer, or outright filing out of warehouses. This has more to do with the fact that if the King has to make a move, they won't be left alone. Plus a little bit of looting is allowed if their help was needed. Which motivates them to actually work together with the guards, and those above ground.
As for what happens if the gangs do not help during a crisis. The underground typically gets cracked down on, where drugs are confiscated, vendors are removed one way or another. Then there are the Heralds that are sent in, who either remove the problem gang leaders, or start killing monsters and other illegal beasts. Which gives the underground a very real reason to keep itself in line. Since they stand to lose more by not taking action when needed. I'll type out an entire section for the Underground and how it works after covering the outer walls.
It is rare for the inner walls to be breached. Most of the time such happens, it is happens because a monster got loose from the underground and made it's way up. Such instances are usually put down within minutes, by the offending gang, or other stronger gangs. This typically results in a slap on the wrist, as well as a proper tribute being made to the king and guards. Usually in the form of the gang members responsible working the fields, or stone mine. This is often accompanied by coin to pay for the damages, and a little extra for the trouble.
I won't go into detail about the markets, since it is a district within the inner walls where most trade happens. Stalls are rented, bought, and sold to whoever has the coin for it. Likewise loans take place, and information is sold. It is in the center of the inner walls, closer to the inner most walls. With a single large path leading from the main gates. Mostly merchants, and traders live in this area. It is typically the safest spot to be, as the multiple barracks, and guard offices surround it to protect it. It is also the place where most incidents occur, hence why most of the guards of focused on this one area.
There are Barracks, and other offices strewn about the inner wall part of the city. With about half hanging around the wall itself. Most of the offices linger near the markets. With other spots sprinkled through the city properly for rapid response. The Guard is in charge of enforcing the peace, dealing with day to day issues, and so on. They are basically a large organization that has different units for different things. They deal with sanitation, building projects, and just about anything else the city needs to run properly. They are funded by the king, and ran by leaders put in charge. Naturally the king can demote and promote people on the spot. This includes the people running their own sections.
As for an idea of how the guard identify themselves. They essentially leave the Guard part of their name out. Which is why you have Tamers, Blacksmiths, Carpenters, and so on. They are the biggest organization in Eclipse, and they do run the guilds. The king goes through great lengths to establish a rough sense of unity, even if it means more paper work for others to do. There are small groups that crop up now and then, but they either fail, or are brought under the Guard properly if they do well enough.
Now we move on to the outer walls. The shortest of the three, with the inner walls actually varying in some places, but never going below the outer walls. In case you do not remember, the outer walls are 15.24 meters (50ft) high. These walls wrap around Eclipse in its entirety. Making a perfect circle, that covers the stone mine, the fields, and everything else. These walls have bells, that are rung whenever there is a horde, or breach.
The bell system is designed to have said bells stop where there is trouble. If there is a breach where the bells have stopped, they are to start ringing, while the others stop. The outer walls are completely governed by the Guard, and usually run by recruits. This is to help them gain proper experience in the event they need to protect from within the inner walls. No guard is stationed within the inner walls, unless they have served their time on the outer walls. The outer walls are ironically the safest place in the event of a proper attack. Since the recruits are ordered to send the signals when breached. Then they wait for backup, or report if the farmers and slaves stop whatever is trying to advance.
The true defense of the outer wall, happens to be the same people imprisioned and forced to do hard work. With the wardens releasing the shackles and collars on the prisoners when an enemy is sighted. Those that perform well, have their sentences reduced, and may gain their freedom. It is up the individual warden to decide who to release and why. No warden is allowed to lose all their inmates, lest they want to become one themselves.
The principle behind this, is that the wardens are to treat those under them humanely and ethically. It does not matter how vulgar or evil the crime was. Everything can potentially be forgiven if one is to work hard enough. The people working the fields either chose to be there (as the coin is good), or those that have committed terrible acts. The people are given a choice to work the fields, work the stone mines (safer), or to be placed within the hole (inner walls). Most do chose the option that would allow them to potentially go back into society. In the event that terrible acts were done due to duress or mental illness. They are still required to serve their sentence, but are given proper care to make sure they do not have to come back.
The system works well, not because such punishment is undue, but because they were given a choice. There are a few exceptions where some do not have a choice, but that is a very rare occurance and can be justified. It is not perfect, and does have it's flaws, but there will probably be another chapter dedicated to the legal system. Though most of the laws are pretty common sense stuff, and the punishment is appropriate in most cases. Like if you steal from a merchant, you have to work their stall for free. The better merchants actually use this as a way to get cheap new labor. Which helps both parties. It mostly functions on the principle that no one would steal unless they had to, or something was wrong with them. Murder is a little different, and that is why they have a choice. Though it varies widely based on who was killed, why and so on. They use mind magic to find the truth, and make sure the proper person is brought to justice.
That essentially concludes everything important about the walls, and how the defense system works. It is important to know that most people can do magic, with others having talents. It's because of this, that it is actually really hard for most monsters to really get past the outer walls, let alone the inner one. Prisoners are documented, and some may have their talents removed. While the citizens aren't all documented. Which means anyone within the inner walls can have a talent to deal with a specific monster, or some very strong magic that is perfect for the situation (besides teleportation).
The only time the inner most walls fell, was when the lord of monsters sent his hordes against Eclipse when it was first getting started. Back then, they only had the innermost walls, and were building the inner walls. Even the inner most walls were not enchanted, and lacked runes at the time. Since the outer walls were built, the inner most walls have not fallen once. Another important thing, is that there is an invisible barrier above the inner most walls, that stretches to cover most of the outer walls. This prevents dragons and other airborne creatures from just raining rocks, fire, or what have you on to the people below.
Before going into the underground, I'm going to talk about the religions. This is because there are churches in both Eclipse and the Underground. Please feel free to ask questions, and I'll happily answer them, if they are not too spoilery. That said, the underground part will have a few spoilers that will be subtle. The cult part will also have a spoiler for Mal, so if you want everything to be a surprise feel free to stop here.
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Religion in Eclipse (Most of this stuff will be a general overview of the religions. Most deserve their own chapter to properly explain.)
It has been stated before that there are churches within the innermost walls. This is true, there are such, but these churches are not built for worship. They are built to hold the wealth of the religion they worship. This serves to show the power of the church, as they are recognized by the king, as well as potentially convincing a few noble families to convert. The four main religions are; The church of Death, The Golden Circle, The Children of Aether, and Church of the Mad God.
There are smaller churches and religions out there, but most of them are outside the city itself. They are typically practiced in villages, towns, and smaller communities until they can get a foothold within the city properly. There is an exception in that the church of Bo'chi is allowed within Eclipse. This mainly has to do with a few events from the King's past, and so that church is given a little more care. After covering the main religions and their worship, I'll go on to explain some note worthy smaller religions. I will also explain a bit about cults and how they work.
As for why there is religion, well there are literal 'gods' that can and will show up if they feel like it. I'll come out and say that most of them are not gods, and actually need the worship to sustain their power. To regular people, using enough magic to shift continents, shape oceans, and so on is considered a godly force. In reality that is a force of nature kind of thing. Gods should be able to move stars around, create planets from nothing, and so on. These guys (with very few exceptions) are just entities that have a lot of power. I'll explain the power pyramid when I work on the book of monsters.
The point is that these 'gods' need the belief of their worshipers to maintain power. Which people are happy to give, since they can be blessed if they are devoted enough. It is a decent relationship, and the gods do have different versions of hell for sinners within their sects. They also have different versions of an 'enjoyable' after life for those that deserve it. Though typically one really has to work for it, to be allowed a nice after life. Otherwise, the deceased just has their being reincarnated to a vessel that can hold the strength of their soul. Whether their personalities or memories remain depends on how well they can stay together.
Moving on, we'll start with the church of Death. This church dedicates itself to the goddess of death, who takes many forms and names. The key feature is that she will always be a female figure with silver eyes. She is also a false goddess, who just so happens to grow her power from others fearing the process of death. Her worshipers are; those that seek immortality, necromancers in general, those that seek to strike a deal for their after life, as well as the ones that wish to speak to their loved ones that have passed.
The church of death handles all affairs for the deceased, and typically go out of their way to adhere to the rites and customs of others. The only thing they do not permit, is cannibalism. After rites and customs are properly taken care of, the bodies are either burned, or buried in an enchanted cloth. This is to prevent it from becoming an undead monster after the soul has passed. Undead monsters are viewed harshly by the church itself, as a perversion of a life that once was. Due to this fact, one of the best ways to climb the ranks of the church is to actively hunt undead. Necromancy is overlooked, as bodies or skeletons controlled by a necromancer prevents them from becoming undead monsters.
Due to their goal of exterminating undead monsters, and accommodating local customs. The church of Death is welcome and accepted in Eclipse, The Northern Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Fire. The Eastern Kingdom does not readily accept them, but will trade and allow them to pass freely. There is some tension there, as the Elves have a different practice for their undead. With most tribes actively eating their dead, or creating elaborate burial sites without proper protection beyond traps.
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As for the goddess herself, she resides with the others on the Beacon in the dark. The Beacon in the dark is a large sheer mountain that glows with a divine energy. The gods are actively trying to rid the world of the dark cloud that stretches over a quarter of the world. It is slow progress, but they are slowly making their way out.
It should be noted that the church of death has no centralized power structure. They roam around in groups, with designated leaders decided upon the individual group. All are equal before death, and so the church is more of a place governed by a group that seeks to guide those wanting to join. The doctrines are to simply accept death as a part of life. To not interfere in the customs and practices of others (save for cannibalism). The final doctrine is to reject undeath where possible.
Rituals and trades are conducted by individual groups. Though for it to be official, the group in question must be able to summon a 'judge.' Judges are those souls that have offered service in their after life for some exchange while they were alive. This exchange could range from bringing a newborn back to life, to simply wanting to serve as a judge. All judges are given silver eyes, their features masked by shadow, and their tongues removed. This is done to rob the individual of their identity and remind them of their task.
In contrast to the Church of Death, we have the Golden Circle. Where the Church of Death is governed and roughly run by one goddess. The Golden Circle is governed and run by multiple gods and goddesses. Because of this, this is also viewed as the most powerful church and religion.
The main goal of the Golden Circle, is to gather worshipers and followers. Everything about them varies based on where they are located. One town can seek to exterminate all monsters that enters its area. While another will happily accept helpful monsters and beasts. The main reason behind this, is that every church is dedicated to a specific god or group of gods. The Golden Circle is actually a reference to all of the gods uniting to fight the darkness that is the dark cloud. Granted not all gods are part of this unity, but those that are benefit a lot because of it.
Essentially the church is run by individual popes that represent the interests of their gods, or specific god. These popes then assign bishops who are allowed to sanctify a new church. These bishops can become popes themselves if their church becomes a reliable source of faith and worship. Bishops can assign Deacons, who go out to other churches that are not sanctified. These Deacons will guide the masses to worshiping the appropriate ideals and methods of worship for their god, or group of gods. Deacons can be promoted to Bishop if they establish a proper base of worship for their gods. Deacons will assign others as Fathers, or Mothers. These individuals are essentially supposed to go out to new villages, forgotten towns, and so on in order to establish a new church. Naturally they are promoted when they establish a connection to one of the gods, or a group of gods.
There are terms that refer to certain individuals. Like arch-pope, arch-bishop, and so on. The arch in front of the title, essentially means they are the one in charge of all affairs within the city, town, or village. At least when it comes to religious matters. Each title has it's own specific job, and what they should do. If no title under the highest title is available, then the highest title takes on all responsibilities of the lower titles. Which is very unlikely to be a thing for a Bishop to do.
The job of Fathers and Mothers, is to gather worshipers and lead communities towards the worship of a specific god or group as instructed by the Deacon. This title will be promoted to Deacon if they establish a clear connection with their god, or group. The job of the Deacon is to inform the community of what rituals, ceremonies, and so on are needed to give their god, or group, faith and worship. They are to assign fathers, and mothers when they feel such is appropriate. Bishops are to sanctify a church as their connection is stronger than a Deacon's. They usually are able to perform minor miracles on their god(s) behalf. They are supposed to gather wealth, in order to send Deacons to other churches. Popes have a connection as strong as their souls can handle. They are able to perform wonderful miracles through the power of their god(s).
Essentially priests are like reverse tamers, but due to the ceremonies and rituals, anyone can become a priest and climb that ladder. So it is not uncommon for a deacon to be a fire elementalist, or any of the other magic types. It is a lot easier for priests to climb the ladder however, since they do not really need the rituals to connect with their god(s).
Due to how adaptable the Golden Circle is, they are pretty much everywhere (save for Dark Fell). This is genuinely because the Bishops, and Popes are the best healers out there. They can revive people, cure terrible illnesses, cure curses, and just about anything else. The problem is that they charge a fortune for the miracles they can provide. Which means unless you are a very well off noble, it's not exactly an option.
Some key differences between the circles in certain areas. The circle in the East only has one pope, and a handful of bishops. It is mostly run by Deacons given the tribal nature of most elves, and the fact that most of them follow the religion of Aether. The Circle to the South typically has more anti-monster practices. Which results in more zealots, since even the church is expected to participate in wars. The Circle in Eclipse does not have a very strong foothold in the underground with mostly Fathers or Mothers leading the churches that do crop up there. As for the city, they held a good deal of political influence at one point. Though that stopped when their Arch-pope couldn't provide the miracle the king wanted. Now they are waning, and struggling a little to keep their power. As for circle in the North, they are basically more focused on providing food through miracles. They have recently taken a more anti-monster stance given the events going on right now.
The Children of Aether is the main religion of the Eastern Kingdom. Most elves practice this religion, since it is ancient and actually has practices that help them. The Children of Aether mandates that mana comes from the monoliths, and that the other gods are false because they have to use the mana provided to them by monoliths. These monoliths are deemed gifts from the only true god. That the demons guarding these monoliths are former angels that have been corrupted due to the hubris of the false gods. For where there is a monolith, there is a demon guarding it from harm. If they are unable to protect the monolith, they leave, then restore it once the danger has passed. This may take decades, centuries, or even thousands of years.
Because of this belief, the Golden circle has a hard time really getting a good foothold with the Elves. It doesn't help that the popes and bishops of the Golden Circle forbid any damage being done to the monoliths. Which serves as a sort of proof of the beliefs for the Children of Aether. Most elven cities are built around monoliths, with very few exceptions (such as the one city with a pope).
As for how the beliefs are practiced, they maintain that practicing magic is the only true way to worship the one true god. That trying to decipher the monoliths is heretical, and a sure fire way to anger the one true god. That the destruction of a monolith is forgivable if it prevents others from trying to understand it.
Everything else kind of depends on the tribe itself. Some will worship the demons, and be given power from them. Others will make ritual offerings to the monolith, which can result in a talent being given. Then there are some that have built entire burials around a monolith, to have their dead protect and guard it.
The reason that trying to decode the monolith is viewed as heretical, is because it sparks madness in most. Those elves that have tried to decode the monolith have either killed themselves outright, or left the tribe to live alone. Those that utter words before leaving, merely state that they were right in their worship. That the other gods are false, or even that they are being protected from things far worse through the monoliths. Hence why their core principles are universal, regardless of tribe.
Now, for the final main religion, the Church of the Mad God. This is a church only found in Eclipse, and Dark Fell. It is more popular Underground, and is not on the surface of Eclipse itself, save for behind the inner most walls. It is the religion of almost all monsters. Every monster that practices in this religion does so, because the Mad God created them. It was either directly, or indirectly that they were created by their god.
Their doctrine is that the strongest may enforce their will. That is all there is to it, that might makes right. All those races given existence through the mad god worship him, because he is their creator. Those with the minds to understand, realize that their god does not care for their plight. That he does not care for their suffering. That they must do what they can to survive and thrive, to truly be acknowledged by their father. Their views are not the same as the 'people' of this world. Even their own individual racial views differ from others of different races. From the tragic Banshee, to the ever hungry Chimera.
To that end, everything is allowed. The leaders of these churches often meet brutal ends, or will be succeeded by those clever enough to succeed them. They do not care who leads, so long as they are strong enough in some way to guide them. The Monster King has a powerful talent that controls monsters, that forces them to obey. Yet, he is viewed as weak, because they have the choice and ability to resist when they are far enough away. This makes them yearn for a proper king, and so many silently wait for the day the monster king is destroyed and replaced by anyone stronger than them.
Strength through any means is revered. It does not matter if someone is weak physically. If they are able to move a group strong enough with their words, this is strength and it is accepted. If someone tries to assassinate the leader of a specific church. Then the assassin is the new leader of the church. To that end, many smarter monsters choose to be the second in command. Catering to their new leader, while guiding others from the shadows.
Because of this, the population of followers is in constant flux, save for the Church led by the Count. The same Count who serves under the King of Eclipse and has his kin moving through the underground to find others. If a monster doesn't like their current leader, or the new ideals, they just go to another church to serve someone more acceptable.
It is less of a religion, and more of a community leader sort of thing. Each church marks the center of its own territory. Each church has a leader, regardless of race. It's rare for anyone to be forced to stay in one group or church. In situations where that does happen however, the word will eventually get out. That means, it's very similar to signing one's own death warrant. Since the other churches will start to fight with this specific one, just to see what they are hiding.
With the main religions and the rough idea behind them, out of the way. We'll move on to cults fairly quickly. One final warning, if you don't want some major spoilers. You can seriously just skip the rest of this, scroll down and read about the underground. I won't put this part in a spoiler, since I trust you to know what you'd like. Yes, I realize this seems out of place, but that's the point. Also feel free to ask any and all questions in the comments. Though I would appreciate you not asking about cults in particular. There is a Discord now, so feel free to use that. Anyway, now that I've given a paragraph that looks like the rest, and a warning. I shall continue.
There are cults spread all throughout the world of Xentos. Most cults are built around very powerful monsters, or obscure gods and ideals. They are typically led by a priest that has felt a connection to something, even if it is not strong. They seek to strengthen such a connection through fervor, and living out the beliefs and insights they are given through dreams. Some cults are even acknowledged as local religions and sort of add flavor to an area in particular. Naturally it would be silly to write about every single cult, because they can pop up, and die out overnight.
There are a couple cults acknowledged in Eclipse. What that means, is they are accepted as a religion, and are allowed to have a church within the inner walls. The church of Bo'chi is a cult for all intents and purposes. Even though the priest in charge has called himself a Father. He is so far unable to connect with the object of their worship, which means it cannot be seen as a proper religion. The other acknowledged cults do not have their church out in the open, as they move from the shadows.
The most notable cult is the cult of Mal. All worshipers of Mal lose their individuality, to form a sort of unity. All cultists of Mal simply refer to themselves as Mal. They have an agreement with the king, who uses his talent to allow them to change bodies with prisoners, or even each other. Which makes things extremely confusing and difficult. Especially when you realize that the main purpose of the cult is to literally grow and nurture plants.
I know that may seem silly, but there is a lot of backstory behind that. I don't plan on giving the entire list of all the events from past stories. What I will say is that Mal is a godly mage that is able to hop between universes. He married a goddess of plants, and had a daughter. Due to reasons, the best place for his daughter to grow is this specific universe. She is literally a magic tree, that the cult will protect with their lives. If that isn't crazy enough for you, this is just the super summarized version. Mal himself was a man that became a mage. Then he was a mage that became a god.
As for what the cult is doing in Eclipse, they have a certain daughter planted there. Granted she is held within a magic spatial bubble, and is an actual goddess by this point. She is just extremely young, and needs proper protection so she can fully mature. None of this will probably ever impact the story in a meaningful way, but this is a wonderful easter egg for those that know me. The main spoiler is that Mal (the group, not the god), is multiple people. Their duty is to safeguard their tree, while growing more plants. Their pact with the king allows them to trade bodies with others he has made certain pacts with. In exchange they have to safeguard the princess as well.
As for other cults, most of the ones in Eclipse tend to exist underground. They are constantly shifting and changing with the gangs, but they are also considered gangs themselves. Just need to pay attention to see if they are more motivated by religion than coin.
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The Underground (of Eclipse)
The underground is perhaps a little larger than the city above it. It stretches around the inner most walls, trailing after the other walls before expanding in off shoots here and there. The underground is a place without any real law or order, with different factions and gangs vying for more control. The most prominent gangs will have their own personal buildings in the red light district of Eclipse. This is a measure that both asserts a gangs power, and allows the guards to know who to go through for questions.
The most important thing to know about the underground, is that it is essentially a playground for the princess. Because I feel that would spoil too much of the story, I won't explain much beyond that. The Underground could be captured and controlled if needed, but for very special reasons it is allowed to govern itself. Mal's entire gang is dedicated to making things interesting, and entertaining enough for the Princess. Even if they move against her from time to time.
The underground is home to every gang in Eclipse. Most gangs rise and fall within months, with rare exceptions. The underground also serves as a protection from the creatures underneath. That is to say, that under Eclipse is known as the underground. Which is an underground city. Under this city is known as the Underneath, which is a subterranean lake that provides water for both Eclipse and the underground. The Underneath is filled with very capable monsters, and beasts. Which is why it is blocked off, unless the city is not getting water. We will not be talking about the Underneath, since I feel this whole thing is long enough already.
The underground for all intents and purposes should be considered its own city, separate from Eclipse. There is an elaborate network of sewers above them, enforced through magic to keep such from dripping on those below. Massive spiraling pillars with some making their homes within such. The entire city is lit up by magic crystals that are deemed 'useless'. Because the Underground has all the trash of Eclipse, they have excessive supplies for painting, burned out magic crystals, and so on. Which means that the entire Underground is constantly radiating a soft magical light. With glowing signs, painted walls on every building, and exotic fashions.
Anything that is illegal to buy in Eclipse, is legal to buy in the Underground. From slaves, to forbidden drugs, everyone in Eclipse understands that if there is something they need, someone in the Underground knows how to get it. There is no law in the underground, only those rules enforced by those with the power to do so. It is both the most beautiful, and most disgusting place to be at the same time.
The Underground is the true melting pot of cultures. From elves outcast from their tribes, and homelands, to most of the dark elves that escaped Dark Fell. Monster refugees that cannot, or do not want to live in the City above with its overbearing rules. Exiled from the Northern Kingdom, and disowned people from the Kingdom of Fire. All that do not have a place to call home, are welcome here to carve out their place in the world. Including the beast man tribes that stretch between all the kingdoms.
There are many entrances, and exits to the Underground. There are secret passages dug well beyond the outer walls of Eclipse, as well as hidden rooms capable of teleporting people from below up into the city above. This is perhaps the only true glaring weakness of Eclipse. That said, most everyone underground understands that should Eclipse fall, they will be dragged down as well. Making a sort of mutual agreement to help each other when the time call, or it is needed. Because of this, it is not uncommon for those that wish to become elite guards, to find themselves aiding in the subjugation of creatures in the Underneath.
Due to the massive size of the city above. The Underground has a lot of places to hide, and territories known as dead space. Dead space is any area that has something occupying, but is not allied with any particular gangs. This typically manifests itself as wayward tribes of beast men, dens of monsters, or even mad people that sought to become hermits. As most gangs center themselves around the pillars, the dead space often occupies the outer edges of the Underground, tunnels that lead to the Underneath, or even the areas between two pillars.
Naturally all entrances to Eclipse proper is controlled by a gang of some kind. These gangs tend to last longer, since it allows for one to move goods more effectively. It also allows them an escape if something happens in the Underground, which isn't too uncommon. From gangs failing to keep a tunnel to the Underneath properly maintained, to stray fiends finding a tunnel and following the magic. The entire place is in a constant state between order and chaos.
As for the most notable gangs in the Underground. We'll start with the Raven's gang, and what it was before they moved out and left. The Raven's gang, was a smaller gang, that held a lot of influence thanks to its leader. From establishing the Tamers as a branch with the guard, to keeping more volatile gangs in check. The Flock (as it was called), specialized in moving people, and goods. They moved through the gangs along the outer walls; negotiating truces, removing problem people, and outright absorbing new gangs before they could settle in. Because most new games were started by leaders that lost their last leader for one reason or another. It was easy enough for the Raven to promise he would get them back.
The Raven himself was a charismatic leader, able to give those under him a hope for something better than what they had. His small gang quickly grew to one of the larger gangs. From there, he was able use the power of the gangs under him to make his promise more real to his supporters. Which meant more, and more people came to him. Monsters started to take notice, and the Raven would bond with them. Which given his talent as a tamer, allowed him have more bonds than a normal person should. This made him stronger physically, which ended up making him look even more capable.
At its prime, the Flock was watching over five separate entrances to Eclipse, and roughly eight separate portals. As is tradition, with a gang falling, or leaving. These portals and entrances were blocked, or destroyed to make certain the city above would remain safe. With the Raven, and his Flock leaving to establish a new town. This creates a sort of power vacuum, that other gangs will start to try filling in. The Raven took most of the smaller, more volatile gangs with him, leaving most of the Underground with a fresh start. The issue is that there is less power, and fewer people to keep their eyes on most of the things happening on the edges.
Another prominent gang is known as the Fiend's Eye. This particular gang is led by a monster, known as a hag. There will be an overview on this particular monster later. The Fiend's Eye specializes in casting hexes and curses on those that cross, or if they have been paid properly. Preferring to hide in the shadows, and dealing with their affairs from afar. They tend to move between games, organizing arranged marriages to spread their influence. This gang is all female, mainly due to the diet of their leader.
The Fiend's Eye does have more monsters in their gang, than the average gang. They also tend to linger around churches dedicated to the Mad God. They function as information brokers, dealing with people that come in through the red light district. They are the ones that guide people to the proper gang to get what they want. They also tend to warn most new comers about how things work in the underground proper. They are a small gang, that moves around frequently. Due to their information network, and the unique skills that they have from the more monstrous members. They are very capable, and are only truly threatened by the Minotaur.
The Minotaur gang is run by a tribe of Beastmen with the same name. The largest gang in the underground, with many other gangs and tribes working under it. The Minotaur is the gang that keeps most of the underground from descending into pure chaos. They are the self proclaimed guardians of the Underground, centralized all around where the inner most walls are located. They use the anti-magic barrier to keep prisoners in check. Their prison is a circle built around the innermost wall's barrier. From there, they use good old fashioned torture to break people down and resell them as slaves, or as fodder for the arena.
The arena itself is a gladiator style combat zone, where prisoners, monsters, and beasts are pitted against one another in mortal combat. It is located close to where the red light district is, so that the nobles above may gamble and enjoy the shows. The arena is run completely by the Minotaur gang, and they are more than happy to accept challengers. Naturally death is not uncommon, and anything goes inside the walls of the arena. The only true rule is that the audience must not be harmed or placed in any sort of danger. The arena is a large source of income for the Minotaur gang, and they will protect it with their lives.
The Minotaur gang are the ones that the Guard must go through when it comes to people escaping them into the underground. They have a loose relationship with each other, given that the Minotaur will frequently try to intercept hordes of monsters. Naturally they do this to feed their every hungry arena, but this does make them more favorable to the Guard. To make things better for them, the Princess genuinely enjoys the fights within the arena, and will frequently be among the crowd. Meaning this gang has the support of the Guard, and Mal's gang from the shadows. Due to this, they are the largest and most powerful gang in the Underground.
Because of their size, they handle just about anything and everything. They will kidnap people, break apart assassination attempts, and so on. They are not completely bad, nor are they good. Their main goal is to simply keep their wealth, and slowly take over the Underground. They have been a part of the Underground since it was first founded, and seek to be there until Eclipse falls. They have learned how forcing gangs under them does not work, and that breaking most gangs causes more issues for them. Now they only move against those that they need to. Mainly those that could potentially cause problems for them in the future. Which they have pretty good soothsayers for that.
The final major gang belongs to the cult of Mal. Simply known as Mal's gang in the underground. This group has a stronger information network, than the Fiend's Eye. Mainly this is due to actively recieving funding from the king, and being in his pocket. The underground itself merely feels that the small gang is simply ran by a noble looking for a way to pass the time. There is a great deal of mystery surrounding them, or what their actual motives are. No body would actually expect it's a cult just tasked with babysitting the Princess and keeping her entertained. No one knows the true reason the Underground exists at all.
As for the Princess, and how she is viewed by the Underground. The people in the Underground see her as a sort of boogeyman. Whenever she visits someone; they wind up dead, tortured, or needing to do some kind of task for seemingly no reason. It is never a good thing to see her, and most people will do what she wants. She has been captured and killed a few times, but those responsible were dealt with by Heralds sent from the King.
Needless to say that wasn't pretty for anyone involved, and ended up with a lot of former gang leaders in the Hole. Which led to the rise of the Raven properly. Everything is connected in its own way, and the Raven's climb to power was intentional on behalf of the King himself. There is more to tell, and it can only be properly expressed through the story as it continues on.
As the story goes on, I plan on having more gangs introduced or gaining power. Due to how it is not fully fleshed out as much as Eclipse itself is, I'd like to hear from you guys on some potential gangs. I realize I could just make new gangs up when I get there, but I figured the best way to engage you guys would probably be to let you think of some gangs. The one I enjoy the most will potentially play a large part in one of the planned future arcs.