Races of planet Ross
The planet of Ross was formed around a Magicore of unparalleled magical yield. Although far from the level of energy exhibited by a sun; it is nevertheless a uniquely powerful planet’s core.
The result is the planetary environment of Ross; where magical, spewing volcanoes release the equivalent of an everlasting ash cloud of magic nanoparticles.
Over the eras this has caused those very volcanoes to sprout up, forming continents around the rising mountains that should have taken billions of years but that had been shaped to encourage life to grow after mere millions.
The magic certainly affects the flora and fauna as well, almost baking the substance into everything– rising from the earth and falling from the clouds.
Elderwood is the only continent with more than one volcano; in fact it has six–and they are the oldest at that–all but one which rose later and is now controlled by the Cloven.
That said… To control the volcano itself is impossible. Rather what they control, to an extent, are the extremely unique and ever evolving lands around it.
Every attempt to control the volcano itself–or harness its power too close to the core; leads to naught but destruction.
Even the Yar-Sang who created all of the Systems with a single exception; and who have always been in control of the solar system surrounding planet Ross, remain wary of its power.
When first discovering the planet they would experiment for a thousand years, hungrily searching for ways to bring the planet’s core under control and for their science to ultimately understand the power of its magic completely.
They ultimately failed, but in the process they observed how quickly the planet’s species were evolving, and an idea was born.
They had several other planets in their galaxy with troublesome species that made expansion and colonisation needlessly expensive and complicated.
They began an arduous project to exile them all to Ross, and then started using the research they had conducted to grant them all a System.
Its purpose was manifold; to keep things balanced and in a constant state of war and magical progression, while also shaping culture and providing the Yar-Sang with a direct and anonymous line of communication.
Over time several limitations were established, and certain technological progress banned from the planet entirely. They were careful and vigilant for many long years indeed; because the planet held the key it seemed to what the powerful Yar-Sang feared most of all.
Religion.
Creatures on Ross who grew to sufficient size and channelled astounding amounts of magical energy across their long lives seemed to eventually grow almost past the span of the planet. They should have ultimately died from size alone; but magic kept them alive somehow.
When the Yar-Sang finally understood something of the process that the gargantuan beings were going through they panicked… The creatures were reaching the equivalent of level 100 in the magic-powered System, but they were not stopping.
From there they were somehow undergoing a further process of evolution, presumably triggered by the overflow of magic.
The Yar-Sang ran thousands of simulations but the only result that kept coming up with any measurable regularity was this: They were turning into gods–taking complete control of their forms, abandoning physical size–and somehow harnessing their magical prowess to abandon a visceral existence altogether.
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They would not grow all-powerful, but they would reach a new level of magical capacity never before seen. Potentially becoming something impossible to understand.
The Yar-Sang had their own history with religion; terrible wars and conflicts that spanned millennia, halting progress and costing countless lives.
But science and reason had ultimately prevailed.
Now these gods risked reigniting the conflict. That’s why a technology to halt the process of their evolution was developed at considerable expense.
And to this day these kinds of giant magical creatures still roam the planet, trapped in a state of stagnation.
Some benevolent, others far from it. All regarded as Great Spirits by the natives and considered exalted beyond all other entities.
Of course, some factions among the Yar-Sang argued that knowledge was everything and without knowing the true answer of what these Great Spirits’ evolution led to it was impossible to keep claiming atheism was the confirmed truth.
What finally silenced these voices was the first slaying of a god beast; by a sapient who had reached level 100–backed up by his entire clan who worshipped the man and would have followed him into hell.
They had taken down an apex Spirit; one who had tormented their people for aeons.
The leadership among the Yar-Sang celebrated at length.
This proved the god-beasts were nothing special; that even these young and brutish races could work to bring one down with some solid leadership and luck.
They now argued that allowing one's evolution would be nothing short of tantamount to giving a rabid beast magic steroids and then expecting anything but costly destruction.
But the question that was posed later, and which nobody among them dared to elucidate too deeply on… Was what might happen if that level 100 sapient successfully underwent the very same evolution as the beasts?
Any discussion of this subject was quickly subjected to grade S censorship.
The Yar-Sang kept watching the planet nervously; but still organising games and giving new species that showed up their own versions of the System designed by their best competing institutions.
Eventually the goings on were treated more and more as a game, with the different races acting like sports dynasties; complete with track records of performance over the millenia and every racial trait jotted down for the betting pools.
Global broadcasts and massive betting leagues were created, establishing a pervasive culture.
Budding and historic characters of every kind were subtly followed across Ross via broadcast; the rise and fall of races and civilizations made into entertainment in their entirety for the masses.
But the Yar-Sang leadership never forgot that risk of it all cascading away from them, if given the slightest chance.
Of course, that was when Humanity had to show up and complicate everything.