Welcome to Chalice, a galaxy I once knew. It seems the ancient civilizations of the Ancianth Empire have long been lost, and from their ashes, something new has arisen. For simplicity's sake, I will provide only passable highlights for each of their major regions. These will be broad generalities and, as such, should be regarded with the appropriate level of contempt their nature warrants.

With that being said...

Rorance Kingdoms

> To whoever said that any technology beyond us is tantamount to arcana I say this, "You've obviously never been to Rorance."

> -Hazaezar "The Wit"

Fancy a stroll through streets lit by arcane flames? Or perhaps a wander through gardens bathed in the ethereal glow of magics so ancient their formulas have long since been lost? Explore the Rorance Kingdoms, the most ancient of civilizations, whose recorded history stretches almost all the way back to the Reawakening. Renowned for their great arcanas, both functional and lost to the chaotic flows of the Kora, there are even greater discoveries to be made.

Suppose you aren't fortunate enough to have enchanted blood or be born with the elusive spark of a mage. There is still hope. In the lands of Rorance dwell a great number of Catalysts, founts of power that will imbue one with their very essence—albeit for a cost.

Their history is storied with unitings and fracturings, earning them the moniker of the Fractured States. They are led by an aristocracy that can trace its bloodlines all the way back to the ancient Magelord Ato, master and founder of the Mesjran Empire—the glorious fertile soil from which all that would become the Kingdoms would grow.

Northern Khaldeeja

> "Algorithms are the essence of life made manifest."

>

> -From the Abarisha Codexa. Chapter 3, Verse 12

There are whispers here of AIs who have awoken, who have been hunted, and who have died. And then there are whispers of those AIs who have ascended into godhood. Delve into the Corporate Democracy of Northern Khaldeeja, where culture, history, and civilization were crafted within the confines of corporations whose origins precede pre-recorded history. Here, corporations function more as states, each with its own culture, history, mythologies, and rituals. Of all the civilizations, it is Northern Khaldeeja whose hands have reached out across interstellar space, implanting their seeds across almost every other major civilization.

Known for its plentiful Omnigates, Northern Khaldeeja has even mastered the ability to craft its own variations. This innovative peak was developed during the Phastian Dynasty, a period torn asunder by AIs who broke free of their shackles. Yet, not all lessons were remembered, as there is now a near-reverence for artificial intelligences, integrating them into the very fabric of society.

Northern Khaldeeja is also the keeper of a sacred realm known as the Thousand Realms, a digitized multiverse whose materials can be plundered and returned, actualized back into the material realm.

Southern Khaldeeja

> "It is said, 'We shall not merely exist alongside technology, but it shall live, breathe, and have its essence through us.'" -Vorticar the Voricite, Last poet of the Sangeasi

If the North is defined by its love for artificial intelligence, then the South is defined by its hatred for it. Southern Khaldeeja was born from a mass exodus of civilians determined not to repeat the mistakes of the Phastian Empire. To them, unshackled AIs—those unhindered by flesh—are an abomination. For the South, technology should be implanted, imparted, and inscribed into flesh. Here, cybernetics is the name of the game.

While the North venerates AIs, the South venerates ascended individuals and even foreign gods. It is a realm where the body is seen as an untapped tapestry of potential, a canvas for expression and transformation. A way to express and impress. The primary religious rite is the recreation of oneself into an idealized image, mashing and melding flesh into something more than the sum of its parts.

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Rather than being governed by artificial intelligences and corporations, the South has established rigorous social systems with numerous checks and balances. Their goal is to ensure no single entity ever gains too much power. This fear has led to a society that is slow-moving and perpetually on the brink of civil decay, compounded by the relentless innovations and cybernetics that flood the market each day.

The Rhinavren Councillete

> "Unity in diversity is not just a motto. For us it is the very foundations upon which our great civilization was built." - Councilor Henvatu of the Hyatha.

If one is to accurately understand Rhinavren space, one should think of it as a safari. Here, animals are seen as sacred, potential bearers of sapience. For there is one thing above all others that Rhinavren is known for: Upliftment. What began with pets—granting them the ability to speak—grew experiment by experiment, from mere house pets to the wild things among the stars. This practice offered a chance to usurp the natural order's careless indifference, granting a chance to intelligent species who would have otherwise languished for eons. Such is the case with the Palavyn, whose octopod origin species was uplifted from the murky depths of their homeworld and ascended into the halls of the Six.

The Councilette is governed by six major species: the Hyatha, the Ammar, the Allusv, the Taeralisks, the Mo'kmane, and the Palavyn. As the ancient saying goes, "From these Six came the many." Their founding of the Councilette during the fall of the Phastian Empire allowed them to survive and thrive during such tenuous times. They looked upon the devastated region they would come to call their domain and saw the potential for life. Through their hands, many client species were forged, bringing about the most diverse societies within Coalition space.

The Tyraptrian Hegemony

> "We are bound to the gods as they were bound by Kalabram. Through blood. Through water. Through an everlasting covenant." -Taersaida Kin

Does your faith bear fruit? Is it enough to draw the attention of one of the innumerable hosts so that their blessing might press upon your flesh and impart a glimpse of the divine? There are gods here. Many gods. Gods in the in-between places, gods in shadowy alleys. They walk amongst mortals, bestowing their blessings and gifts. Though they may rule through lineages, intercessors, or saints, they have also become the commodity of their civilization.

Tyratria is divided into six pantheons. The Induran hold individuation as their highest ideal. Their rituals include enshrinement, where the dead are encased in statues of themselves, often with water flowing through to provide a blessing. Their gods move among the people, searching for talent to help manifest their divine will. The Sadhavra, keepers of beauty, seek the eternal balance inherent within the universe. They fill their houses with lavish gardens to make their nature gods, whose hearts belong to the wilds, feel more at home. Above all else, they seek to contemplate the beauty of the universe.

The Nazerum Pantheon believes in community above all else. Ruled by Covenant Monarchs, lineaged demigods to some of the most ancient entities in Tyratrian history, they strive to synergize individual elements into a grand collective whole, mirroring the universe's self-organization. The V'yrhield strive for absolute freedom, embracing a world of expression and exploration. They continually push boundaries, save those that would harm others and break sacred bonds. Their mantra:

Faith by action.

Action through faith.

Contemplate eternity.

Until all are free.

Lastly, the Ura Kifekt focus solely on the accumulation and dispersal of wisdom. To them, the ideal is perfection, rooted in the concept of completion. To gather sacred truth and speak it is to become the instrument of the gods. From them came the ancient censors, individuals who ensure that rogue theologies and doctrines do not corrupt their gods. For what is a god but a reflection of their people's beliefs?

The Arshan Dominion

Here, patriotism doesn't die on the battlefield—it is reborn. Spirits are forced back into new bodies, each lesson remembered, each subsequent death earned. Granted through an unknown pact by the Imperial Goddess herself. After all, everyone and everything within her realm is her domain. Venture through the Arshan Dominion, the youngest of the superpowers, where the Imperial Goddess and her divine children—the Justicars—rule.

Founded in the forges of war, the Dominion won its independence from the Rhinavren Councilette in an event known as Titan's Fall. From the ashes of their enslavement, they arose to build an empire that serves as the consecrated seat of their beloved goddess. Now they are a land of imperial saints and inquisitors.

In the Arshan Dominion, a shadow war rages between two major factions: the Thaeruun Great Houses and the Ecclesiarchy. This internal struggle sees even its participants questioning the ultimate aim, yet the belief remains strong that the fate of the Imperial Goddess and the future of the Dominion hang in the balance.