The year was 2042. It would go down in history as the year that the old world died…and it would be the last year of the A.D calendar. After that, the dates would we start at year 1 NE, the New Era.
There were no signs or warnings to the coming of the New Era. The year began like any other. Perhaps we would have noticed…had we not been lost in our technological trance. It seems so ironic that the price of knowledge is a loss of touch. As Adam and Eve took their first bite of the Tree of Knowledge, they were awakened to the truths and realities of the world, but were thus expelled from their paradise. Perhaps then, it was inevitable, that when mankind entered this age of technology and information, we too would be expelled from our paradise of comfort and luxury.
The event that would drag humanity into the New Era was known as the Great Calamity. It would occur over a period of one month: The month of April. On the first week, geological events shook the world. Floods and tsunamis claimed cities, earthquakes split lands into islands and new lakes appeared where old ones dried up. Thunderstorms and tornados rocked the people of the world, and nearly a quarter of the worlds population was exterminated within these first seven days. Those that survived were only given a single Sunday to mourn and lament their losses.
On the second week, flora and fauna began to reclaim civilization for the wild. Animals of all kinds began growing more savage and vicious. Domesticated animals showed strange behavior and lashed out at their masters. Some became larger and stranger, some mutating into creatures only seen in nightmares or movies. As this took place, the vegetation of the world grew sporadically, recapturing lands and cities that had once intruded on their territory. Great cities and towns were now being overgrown with trees, vines, and carnivorous plant life. Humanity was forced to abandon much of what was once called home.
On the third week, technology met its final end. Television, internet, streaming services, cable, and any other advanced age product of this great time of discovery and innovation died. Satellites that orbited the planet crashed to the earth in heaps, as if knocked out of the sky by force. Those who had lived their entire lives glued to their phones or computers were now without their lifelines. Suicide was a common occurrence, as much of the new generation could not exist without their screens. Only basic machines remained, but even cars began to falter and fail as gasoline became scarcer and scarcer. Humanity was stranded…and yet this was only the beginning. The true horror of the New Age would come the following week.
On the fourth week of the Calamity, humans began to mutate. New races and species once thought to have only existed in the pages of fantasy novels began to crop up among humanity. With them came new mentalities, new strengths and weaknesses, and most of all…paranoia. Neighbors fell upon neighbors. Friends butchered friends. Those who remained human fled in terror from family members who were no longer. Governments collapsed and most religious organizations faded as the face of true anarchy showed itself in all its terror. The weak were trampled and humanity was pushed to the point of no return. It was an age of monsters and devastation.
In the final week of the Calamity, magic was introduced to the races of the world. It was like a healthy reprieve from the pain of a months worth of anguish, but it was hardly meaningful. As the world fell into disillusionment and disdain, the only remaining body of power was the Vatican, which millions swarmed to for answers and help in these dark times.
The Vatican itself had no answers, but seek them they did. In the time following the Calamity, the Church split into the Three Factions known as “The Children of Christ,” “The Seekers of Light” and “The Inquisitors of Holiness.” The Children of Christ held firm to the message that all were children of God and that all would be welcome in his church, regardless of race or background. The Seekers of Light were so frightened by the meaning of these events that they barred themselves off from the rest of the world, focused only on finding a way to fix the Calamity that had claimed their planet. But the Inquisitors of Holiness were far more legalistic and fierce. They saw the Calamity as God’s wrath upon the wickedness in the world and believed only the 60% of humans who retained their humanity were pure enough to be welcomed by God. All others were heretics and damned by the Lord and cursed them. Descension between the Inquisitors and the new races was intense…and there was little chance for the church to retain control of the world.
Since that horrid month, 10 years have passed, and the land has become a feudal world where towns, villages, and clans have been built on the ruins of the old world. These towns and villages have no loyalties to each other and a higher government has yet to be established. As these warlords, governors, kings, and queens all war with each other over land, resources, and power, the world waits for this New Era to bring with it new change…but for the better. The world has turned back to God for an answer and for a change. The Church is divided and the world is leaderless. What then can be done in this new age of monsters and madness? What will become of this New Era, or as some have called it: “The New Epoch.”
The races of New Epoch are easy enough to understand. There are seven in total. The humans who did not transform. The elves. The dwarves. The halflings. The nyrads. The ogres. And The orcs. Some in the Inquisitors of Holiness argue that each of these races represent a sin that humanity is guilty of and, as a result, are punished in a form that befits that sin. Here are listed the strengths, weaknesses, and attributes of these races. Be aware that not all of the members of each race speak for their kin and there are exceptions to every rule.
Humans. The Humans make up 60% of the worlds population and, as a result, are still the dominate race. They lack any outstanding qualities like the other races, but are highly adaptable to their environment. They are very skilled in the use of basic technology and mechanics, and are the most common to rely on firearms as well as hand to hand combat, making them a highly capable and versatile people. As humans are most favored by the Inquisitors of Holiness, they are the least taxed race in human civilizations, and are least scrutinized.
Humans have a 40% likelihood of magical aptitude. This means that a human is 40% likely to be capable of using magic. And of this 40%, 35% of them are female, making females the more capable of magic. For this reason The Academies of Sorcery are often headed by female mages and witches. Humans are a highly structured people and have the best run governments, banks, and educational systems. For this reason, other races often depend on them for these needs. And, it goes without saying, but many of the leaders of the Church are human.
Elves. Elves have a longer lifespan than humans and are easily identified as having longer sharp ears and youthful features. Elves are versatile but not as adaptable as humans are have fairer features. They do not adapt well to colder climates. They are considered beautiful in features and also have the highest aptitude for magic of the races, having a 70% aptitude rate. They are not much physically stronger than any other race but are often considered wise and intelligent. Many who became elves were often prized for their intellect and wisdom. Elven civilizations are run by a regional prince or governor who oversees day to day affairs.
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Despite their intelligence, Elves are quite often proud people. This is why the Inquisitors see them as representing the sin of pride. Many elves believe that they are the next evolutionary step of mankind, as they have longer lifespans and have developed more physical beauty. They are arrogant in many cases and look down on other races. This leads to them often forming their societies away from other peoples and races, if only to consider themselves above others.
Dwarves. The Dwarves are short and stocky in build. Most are plump and only grow to be about 5 feet at their highest. They possess physically tough bodies that can withstand intense pressures, heat, and darkness. All dwarves grow facial hair, including women. A dwarves merit and prestige is measured in the length of their beards. The longer a beard is, the more prestigious the dwarf. Women are allowed to shave their beards, but they can never cut their hair. Dwarves have a natural eye for value and worth, and are often hired as appraisers, blacksmiths, and miners. Many dwarves took on excavating jobs to dig through old world ruins to find lost valuables and treasures.
Dwarves possess only a 30% aptitude for magic, but many hardly ever use it because they are far more adept with their hands. Dwarves feel a natural draw to the earth and to nature and some believe that they are natures attempt to return mankind to its rightful place…to the ground. Some Dwarves who go to the Church even speculate that Heaven resides beneath their feet. However, the Inquisitors see Dwarves differently. Dwarves are naturally prone to greed and covetousness, thus the Inquisitors see them as representatives of the sin of greed. Elves in particular hold the dwarves in disdain, calling them the antitheses to evolution. For this reason, Dwarves rarely do business with elves, but this is at the elves detriment, as dwarves are possibly the best merchants and craftsman in the land.
Halflings. Some say halflings are just a smaller version of humans…which isn’t an inaccurate summation. Halflings are half the size of men and usually shorter than dwarfs, only growing to about 4 and a half feet. They are noted as having curlier hair, fair skin, large ears, and rather big and hairy feet. They are the smallest of the races, and many don’t look different from children. Halflings possess no extraordinary skills and many are content to waste their lives away doing nothing. The Inquisitors see halflings as representatives of the sin of sloth. They have only a 5% aptitude rate for magic and those who do have the aptitude usually don’t care enough to learn how to harness it.
Some have taken to calling halflings the “unseeables” for they are so devilishly sneaky, they often go unnoticed. In fact, if it wasn’t for the Calamity, many might not even be aware that Halflings exist at all, for they live in quiet and out of the way villages, usually in old farmlands where they have wide open spaces to lounge around all day. They are a mostly unremarkable people.
Nyrads. Known also as the fish people. Nyrads are the strangest of the races for they look like a mix between man and fish. They are the only race who lays eggs rather than gives live births, and they are capable of living underwater. After the Calamity claimed many cities to the mercy of lakes and the sea, many Nyrads took refuge in the underwater cities as their homes. They are often blue in skin tone having gills on their necks or sides and having sharper teeth. Their hands and feet are webbed and their bodies are covered in fins for diving and swimming fast. Their ability to dwell in the water makes them the chief of trade over rivers and lakes. Quite often if trade or business is to be conducted near water or over it a Nyrad tradesman will be involved.
However, Nyrads have many draw backs to their new lifestyle. They cannot be above water for longer than a few hours before they must submerge again, meaning many Nyrads dare not travel far from their sea homes. While all Nyrads are capable of magic, it is restricted to only elemental water magic, thus they lack the versatility of other races. But worst of all, Nyrads lay almost eight to ten eggs at one birth cycle….this is because the chances of hatching are slim. Nyrads are the race that face the lowest birth expectancy. For this reason they hold resentment for other races of the land at times and often over charge trading fees out of spite, thus they are seen by the Inquisitors as the sin of envy.
Ogres. To the common citizen, ogres are brutes and beasts. They are the tallest of the races, most coming in at about 7 or 8 feet in height. They are noted as having tan or red colored skin with large muscles, sharp teeth, and a horn or two growing out of their foreheads. They are durable and strong; far stronger than an average human. They are warriors by trade, and most are not content to live in one place. Ogres often travel in bands or war parties; mercenaries for hire. In this time of war between factions and warlords, the side that can buy a mercenary band of ogres has a distinct advantage for their savage skill on the battlefield. Ogres are prone to a adrenaline rush of rage called “Demon’s Fury,” which activates when they are outraged or injured. It heightens their strength and speed, but at the cost of their self control.
Because of their battlefield prowess, ogres are not trusted by most. Seen as harbingers of bloodshed, and living in fear of their adrenaline surges, the Inquisitors see ogres as the sin of wrath. Ogres often are secluded, though most don’t mind this. In their eyes, they are wandering adventurers in seek of fame, strength, and fortune.
Orcs. It should be again stated that there are exceptions to every rule, but as a general rule, orcs represent the true underbelly of society. The Inquisitors see orcs as the embodiment of both lust and gluttony. Orcs are noted for their large build. Some are obesely fat, while others are built and powerful, but all have the common green skin, fierce eyes, and rank bodies. Orcs possess a pungent odor that never seems to wash away, and the stronger orcs have tusks. Those with larger tusks or bodies are known as higher orcs and are given leadership over other orcs. While there are female orcs, they are greatly outnumbered by the males of their race, and the males have an appetite for beautiful women and sex. They eat constantly and consume much the resources where they live. Those that live in Orc communities are often subjugated to serfdom, being allowed to live in their land but offering up large amounts of their profits and goods to the orc lords.
Despite their brutish and often very vile demeanor, they are not a race to be underestimated. They are perhaps the most physically strong of the races. They lack any magical potential, but they hardly need it as their rough bodies are mostly immune to spells. They are the fastest growing race of the races, and this gives many other races pause for concern, as a world overrun by Orcs might be something worse than the Cataclysm itself.