The Story So Far…
Arlin, the most powerful Empire in the history of Sol, has dominated the continent for the past 60 years. They have done so through the power of Magore, a material made of pure mana that can be refined and used in weaponry and machines. However, Magore has a toxic effect on the bodies of normal humans. Only attuned, individuals with connections to mana who can change and control natural aspects of the world through its flow, are able to resist most of the mana radiation from the substance. Arlin uses these attuned in mines, controlling them through the power of cuffs which restrict their ability to use their attunement.
North, a slave from Corith with a rare light attunement, leads a revolt to free the population of a magore mining camp. He is helped by his friend Sera and Elm Grayson, his mentor and an ex-major and researcher of Arlin who developed the slave cuffs. To keep his numbers as high as possible for the journey, he makes a deal with the shady Plumite oligarch Nicole Allena, who was imprisoned and put into the mines for embezzlement. North gets what he wants from Nicole who parts ways to head back to her homeland, but is stuck with an inevitable favor hanging over his head. After breaking free, they journey through the land of Boralis to free camps and destroy refineries while heading towards the northern border of the cursed land of Corith. After a fierce battle with Keagan and Theodore, a romantic pair of lieutenants, North kills Theodore as Keagan flees the battle, vowing revenge. North heads into his homeland for the first time in 5 years to attempt to free it from the Empire's grasp. On the other side of the continent in Arlin’s capital city Vyris, the Emperor David Arlin and his Advisor Erin, who have known each other their entire lives, have become aware of and are now taking active steps to stop the slave rebels. At the same time, David is fighting court subterfuge after the murder of his friend, Transport Minister Roland.
North and Elm split up their forces to tackle different parts of Corith, and plan to eventually meet up again to capture the capital city Freiweld. North decides to take the eastern road, and is ambushed. Nearly all of his squad is killed except for his close allies, who are all trapped in the cursed forest of Corith. They are all immediately designated as sinners for breaking a rule of the forest, and are targeted by the Ire. The Ire of the forest is an ancient collation of mana that has gained sentience, and now protects the sanctity of the forest by killing sinners who break its rules, such as killing pregnant animals or simply entering the forest. North decides to travel through the forest to avoid Arlin’s detection and liberate the camp located next to Haven Lake. One of North’s allies, Wanderer, ends up getting mana poisoning near the end of the journey. He reveals his name to be Weiss and sacrifices himself to destroy the camp by committing the unforgivable sin of starting a forest fire. Meanwhile, the Emperor finds the man who killed Roland, an old member of the Royal Court named Orven Laurian. Before his execution, Orven gives David a grave warning that there may be dangers on the horizon for him that not even the throne can protect him from.
After liberating the camp next to Haven Lake, North gains new allies, including a Urilan assassin named Cedric who offers to help North better utilize the invisibility power granted by his attunement. He also captures an extremely unlucky researcher from Arlin named Matthias, who is dragged along with them for his knowledge of Corith’s capital. Emperor Arlin is struggling at the same time. He learns of some macabre progress in the potential creation of artificial magore from his trusted friend Researcher General Solomon, and is faced with a moral dilemma over whether to use toddlers as fodder for experiments. His hand is forced after an attack during the night which attempts to kill Erin, which he prevents with his own extremely powerful light attunement.
North travels down the road and meets in a city he planned to liberate, only to find it already freed. He reunites with Elm, and prepares to remove the territorial governor from power and make North the king of Corith. While the group travels to Freiweld, David finishes his annexation of Hornel, completing the eleventh campaign in Arlinian history. As he leaves the meeting, Erin is targeted once more, which David prevents while killing all seven of the assailants.
North arrives at Freiweld and manages to get inside the castle through secret passages thanks to the help of Deborah, one of the other allies gained at Haven Lake who used to be a royal guard. However, he is intercepted by Keagan. After a brutal and bloody fight which leaves North on death’s doorsteps, his light attunement’s unique healing factor kicks in and painfully repairs his broken body. He and the gang manage to get to the Territorial Governor Bernard, who asks for their help in preventing the contingency plan Keagan made in case of his death to summon the Ire of the forest by starting a fire, using it to destroy Freiweld and everyone inside. North manages to catch and kill the sinner, ending the forest’s punishment, but not without losing much of Freiweld to its rampage. On the other side of the world, David confronts Solomon after realizing he was another member of the conspiracy attempting to dethrone him. After learning what the conspiracy’s end goal is, he kills Solomon. In response to the fall of Freiweld, Arlin declassifies Corith as a nation and quarantines it, cutting off its roads to prevent the spread of rebellion. He sends out a warning letter to much of Arlin’s nobility warning those who are part of the conspiracy. One of these letters unwittingly ends up in the hands of Nicole, who has returned to her seat in Pluma's Oligarchy leading the Allena family.
Character List
North: Our protagonist. A mage with a light attunement who decided to lead a revolt to save Sera. Has an extremely unique connection with the natural mana of Sol. Was born in Marlisle, a village erased from the maps of Corith and grew up as a candlemaker. Is now the leader of a rebel movement attempting to take down Arlin.
Elm: The MC's grumpy mentor. Has a stone attunement, and is one of the most experienced battle mages out there. Was a major in the Arlin army and a magic researcher who created the slave cuffs.
Sera: Our protagonist's friend and the closest thing they have to family. Has a lightning attunement. Daughter of a village elder from Marlisle, the village erased from the maps of Corith. Her assault is what leads to the eventual Revolt.
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Alex: Boisterous Ex-Military who helps North recruit people in the revolt. An affable guy with a fire attunement. Raised and fought for Nacilia against Arlin as part of a mage battalion. He's tied deeply to Silva, his lieutenant in the mage battalion.
Elina: Combat addict and slightly insane ex-military who helps North in the revolt. An energetic and extremely confident woman with a fire attunement. Raised in Irebor as a warrior and fought as a rebel against the Empire before being enslaved. Has a mixed relationship with North due to him denying her the chance to kill Wanderer.
Ruby: The caravan's cartographer, and a wind mage from Boralis. Born in a nomadic tribe that traveled all over the nation until they were eventually subjugated by imperial forces. Has a deep love of maps and drawing and will do anything to get more paper. Anything.
Mell: A Herder and Strig-expert from Asarn with a physical attunement. Is a giant man with a friendly and polite disposition who only refers to North as "sir". Him and Ruby share a deep bond and stick together the most often.
Wanderer/Weiss: An Ireborian Swordsman who deserted and was banished from his homeland that was recruited after the refinery raid. A master with the blade with a stoic personality. His addition to the group causes a schism with Elina, who wanted to kill him on sight. Died in a moment of self sacrifice by summoning the forest.
Silva: A Nacilian lieutenant who was the leader of Alex's mage battalion. Has a water attunement and is extremely proud of her skills with magic, putting much of her own self worth into that skill. Joins with North after being saved from the second camp in Boralis.
Cedric: Urilan Ex-Assassin who was put into the mines who has a wind attunement. Freed by North in Corith, and offers to help him improve his proficiency with his invisibility.
Deborah: Corithian Royal Guard who was put into the mines. Has a physical attunement. Freed by North in Corith. Helped him get into the castle in Freiweld.
Jay: Hornel Prisoner of War with a stone attunement. Saved by North in Corith. Has a deep hatred for Arlin that is fresh and intense.
Gwendolyn: Boralis Prisoner of War put into the camps. Has a fire attunement. Saved by North in Corith. Helps to create his identity as King, although that has fallen apart.
Emperor David Arlin: The main antagonist of our story and the Fourth Emperor of Arlin. Has an attunement, but the exact power he has is unknown. Is an extremely layered man who is determined to make Sol a better place no matter the cost while ridding it of the corruption that plagues it. Has a deep hatred for his predecessor, the Third Emperor, who is the root of much of this current corruption.
Erin: David's Personal Advisor and the only person he feels comfortable around. Is the person who keeps him running and gets the information where it needs to go while sharing in his mission to end corruption. She was a servant who was brought up alongside David to follow him into his later years, and transitioned to being his advisor once he ascended to the throne. The two have recently gotten into a formal relationship. She’s now under constant threat from the conspiracy hoping to take down the Emperor.
First Lieutenant Keagan: An investigative military official who searches for corruption and weeds it out alongside Second Lieutenant Theodore. Was in Boralis at the time of the initial revolt and tracked North down to the border. Has no attunement, but is extremely good with his fists. He vows revenge against North for killing his lover, but dies in a bloody one on one fight with North.
Nicole Garcia Pluma Allena: A corrupt noble who assists North to further her own goals. Attunement currently unknown. A sly aristocrat who wants to use favors and any tools necessary to keep control of power. Head of the Allena family in Pluma’s oligarchy, having only recently returned to power after escaping the camp in Boralis.
Karla: Young child who got dragged into the camp as a replacement for Sera. Has a water attunement. Was taken from her family in Corith during a raid, and is hoping to get back to them with the assistance of North and his crew. Left to live in one of the villages in Corith with an adoptive family.
Orven: A corrupt noble with a domain in Central Arlin. One of the oldest members of the royal court and has fond memories of his time during the third's reign. Was one of the main court officials who helped in the assassination plot of Transport Minister Roland. Died by execution for participating in the current conspiracy hoping to tear down David.
Twig: A Penal laborer who assists Sera and North in the revolt and dies during the battle. No aptitude for magic. Was arrested for nearly murdering her husband, a corrupt noble who got frustrated due to change in policy under the fourth emperor.
Guard Captain Galen: Our first antagonist, and the captain of the guard. Had a lightning attunement. A fanboy for Arlin and Elm who hoped to get him to work with the empire in the production of slave cuffs. Was killed by North during the revolt.
Elric: North's other friend who helped with the revolt who died in the event. Had a water attunement. Son of a famous Craftsmen family from Rolith who was grabbed in a raid searching for people with aptitude.
Transport Minister Roland: The now deceased Minister of Transport and one of David's only true friends. Grew up knowing him during their time in Imperial College and took a liking to him despite his humble origins. He is assassinated in front of David as a way of telling the young emperor to stay in line.
Researcher General Solomon: The oldest researcher and the head of the research department in Vyris. Was a trusted ally of David who has pushed for him to continue the Artificial Magore project. He was also part of the conspiracy attempting to remove David from power and restructure Arlin,
Ashley Garcia Pluma Allena: Younger sister of Nicole, member of the Allena Oligarchy. Took over the position during the time that Nicole was away in the camps, and has stepped down after her return.
Nadia: Urilan Slave. Previously was owned by the now deceased Orven Laurian, but has since been purchased by Ashley Allena.