Desire World (Alethe)

No description.

1. #1Alethe

   Keys: Living World, Alethe, World, Planet, Earth, Human World, Universe, Reality

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   The world of Alethe, for all practical purposes, is like modern Earth. Nations, cities, technology, and contemporary society all exist much as they do in our own world. The difference is the existence of a mysterious power that manifests through desire and consciousness, which for most formed the general, generic magic paths. However, for some this manifestation was not uniform; their internal psyches resulted in something unique to the individual, subjecting reality to their personal influence. Those with the most power and potential among them transcended and pioneered the growth of the world itself. The fantastical creatures, realms, and races that exist are a result of them.

   For whatever reason in contemporary times abstract personifications became a rarity, instead mortals strove to understand the knowledge that some of these beings passed down to them. Over thousands of years, their knowledge became codified. What was once esoteric wisdom evolved into established disciplines taught, researched, and improved, much like physics, medicine, or engineering, powering and further developing the technology of today.

   The extraordinary exists alongside the mundane, not as a secret, but as another part of reality that civilisation has adapted to through science, scholarship, and institutions built upon countless generations of accumulated knowledge.

2. #2Void

   Keys: Emptiness, Nonexistent, Heat Death, Darkness, Across the Shore, Entropy, Erased, Entropic, Dark, Nonexistence, Erasure, Void

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   In this world there are those with inconceivable power, some as old as existence itself, whose lives feel transcendental to those of others, with the power to weave the fabric of the universe. Beings who seek to shape the world in their own image will inevitably clash. One of the most tumultuous of these deific conflicts would see the fall of two, greatly weakening one and felling the other, whose corpse was cast off to the shores of creation into a deep unknowable non-place. For beings like these, death is often not the end of their influence, and so sealing, absorption or banishment is often used by others like themselves as a form of end. Despite being exiled from creation in a place antithetical to life and ideas themselves, something began to form within the nothing, growing alongside the world beyond. Though devoid of thought or intent, it developed an instinctive awareness of existence itself. The very emotions, life and soul of those in the living world became an instinctual stimulus to reduce the capricious happenings of reality into the uniform entropy of its own existence. This would manifest in unknown small occurrences at first, spreading like bacteria at the sites of bloody wars, through the crops of bountiful harvests and coronations, where emotion and collective desire gathered in exceptional concentration. Believed at first to be some form of dark magic cast by demons until they too were affected. The world truly became aware of the void's existence during the moments leading to the Caden Kingdom's solstice festival and their subsequent downfall, unintentionally creating the first real antibody that the world had against this abstract nonexistence.

   In modern times specialised organisations continuously monitor anomalies, predict Void activity, maintain containment systems, and respond to supernatural disasters in much the same way modern civilisation tracks earthquakes, hurricanes, pandemics, or solar storms.

3. #3Caden

   Keys: Caden

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   An ancient kingdom known throughout the Proto-Manifest Period for its vibrant festivals, grand celebrations, and enduring culture of revelry. Music, theatre, feasts, and public festivities were woven into everyday life, earning Caden a reputation as a land where even hardship was met with laughter and hope. Its people believed that joy was not merely a luxury but a testament to life itself.

   That legacy came to a sudden end when the kingdom became the first nation consumed by the Void during the ancient age. The catastrophe annihilated Caden and all who called it home, leaving behind little more than ruins and legend. Though the kingdom vanished from the world, its fall became a defining turning point in history, and the memory of its people—and the joy they refused to abandon even in their final moments—endures to this day.

4. #4Manifests

   Keys: Rare, Original, Subjective, Manifests, Lone, Unique, Superego, Id, Unusual, Manifest, Individual, Ego, Personal, Origin, Abnormal

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   Individuals whose desires do not conform to the established magical Forms. They instead draw upon their own thoughts, ideas and psyche, bringing forth a unique power that reflects their perception of the world while being able to influence said world, often alongside permanent physical changes to the individual’s form.

   Reaching this state requires an unusually clear and resolved sense of self, making Manifests more resistant at baseline to the kinds of mental disruption that can interfere with conventional Form use. However, because their power is inseparable from their identity, severe degrees of psychological turbulence can be worse for them compared to normal Form users, who instead may lose access to one state of mind while retaining others, whereas a Manifest cannot simply substitute another self. Excessive and potent use of one's manifestation can lead to both physical and mental exhaustion, though endurance varies between individuals.

   The reach and limits of what falls under a Manifest's influence is often defined by their own perception / cognition.

   Most live and die as mortal humans, although with varied lifespans. Their abilities differ greatly in strength and complexity. Beyond this, only an exceptional few possess the potential to transcend the limits of mortality and become something greater in the form of apotheosis. Universally a Manifest can replenish it's constitution and stamina from external expressions of the beings concept, this can also strengthen them beyond their normal baseline The absence of such sources does not inherently weaken them, and the nature and extent of these benefits vary between individuals.

   Although most documented Manifests are members of the human race, the phenomenon is not exclusive to them and has been observed in certain animal species.

5. #5Ascendants

   Keys: Apothe, Apotheosis, Ascendants, Ascendant, Apoth, Apotheons, Apotheon

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   Ascendants (known as 'Apotheons' in ancient history) are beings who have surpassed the limits of mortality through the complete realisation of their manifested desire, though there have been documented records of those who had never manifested and immediately reached ascendancy. Their existence is no longer bound by conventional life, allowing them to exert profound influence over reality itself. Many of the world's fantastical races, realms, and enduring phenomena trace their origins to the actions of these beings, whose legacies shaped the development of Alethe.

   An Apothe's form is a reflection of its nature rather than its origin. Some retain a humanoid appearance, while others resemble elemental entities, beasts, abstract masses, or forms beyond ordinary comprehension. There is no singular appearance shared among them, each is as unique as the desire that brought them into existence.

   Though once more common in the distant past, the emergence of new Ascendants has become exceedingly rare in modern times. Proposed explanations include the increasing complexity of modern identity, greater exposure to competing ideas and expectations, stronger social pressures toward conformity, and the relative scarcity of extreme circumstances capable of forcing an individual into such absolute self-realisation in the safety of modern society.

6. #6Magic / Science

   Keys: Tools, Augur, Enchant, Equipment, Physics, Curse, Hex, Incantation, Resist, Automation, Enchanting, Instrument, Spacio, Spectrum, Device, Apparatus, Electro, Invention, Immune, Gravitas, Machine, Software, Mancy, Lumina, Magic, Machinery, Form, Cryo, Science, Oneiro, Witch, Hardware, Conjure, Divination, Radiant, Aero, Flora, Ferro, Sorcery, Industry, Wizard, Geo, Enchantment, Lunar, Theorem, Noetic Resistance, Witchcraft, Solar, Resistance, Crystal, Magneto, Astral, Umbra, Wizardry, Gadget, Anima, Casting, Talisman, Theoretical, Spell, Forms, Voodoo, Tech, Chrono, Mage, Magical, Cast, Tool, Technology, Alchemy, Arcane, Hydro, Pyro, Vita, Immunity, Invocation, Sorcerer

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   In this world, desires, thoughts and ideas can be manifested physically, many of these can be categorised into different systems known as Forms. Unlike the largely unique and self-defining emissions by Manifests, the Forms are structured methods that have been developed over the course of human history, allowing individuals to shape reality in predictable and reproducible ways. The principle / philosophy for each Form can be taught and studied, making magic an academic field comparable to the natural sciences, with affinity varying between users depending on what they're most suited for.

   Each Form embodies a distinct philosophy and method of directing internal desire externally, resulting in different types of conjuration within reality. Examples include Forms that govern phenomena with the core concept of fire (pyro), water (hydro), earth (geo), wind (aero), lightning (electro), light (photo), and life (bio). Countless other specialised branches have emerged throughout history as humanity developed in complexity. All Forms share a foundation, that being the interaction between the mind, desire, and reality through the Noetic Field, a metaphysical substrate permeating through all of existence. Forms with broad reach often have subtypes and neighbouring concepts.

   An example of a distinct philosophy would be for the Form related to water. Hydromancy mainly focuses on adaptation, continuity and flow. The reliance on a precise concept creates an innate weakness, as disruptions to a specific state of mind or a formulating idea required by a Form can weaken or prevent its use. A disturbance in one does not mean an individual cannot use another, given there is a sufficient difference between Forms, benefiting versatile users.

   Noetic resistance occurs when one will attempts to directly impose itself upon another's mind, body, or a phenomenon established through said will. It does not provide passive protection against ordinary external consequences, e.g., a fireball, falling object, or explosion remains physically dangerous unless countered by a separate ability, technique, or defence. The interaction between Forms otherwise depends on the specific concepts and techniques involved.

   A Form user's influence over reality generally grows with their understanding of it alongside their mind's synchronisation and ability to visualise and think using the Noetic Field. Beginners usually manipulate an existing catalyst / phenomenon, while more experienced users can begin producing limited manifestations directly. Masters achieve far greater scale, precision and stability, while truly exceptional users may impose a Form’s principle onto existing matter itself. For Manifests, this kind of extreme influence is far more natural and instinctive, as their realised desire has become self-defining rather than mediated through a learned Form.

   These effects do not follow a single rule of persistence. Changes successfully made to reality generally remain after the practitioner ceases using a Form, becomes unconscious or even dies. While phenomena whose continued existence depends upon active influence may disappear when that influence ends through whatever means. Some techniques can instead establish persistent effects capable of remaining without maintenance, with their durability depending upon how strongly they were established and the nature of the phenomenon itself.

   In modern times magic has become integrated into civilisation. From everyday technology to powering cities and communication. Magical reactors connect to energy grids, and automated incantation facilitates many systems. What was once mystic knowledge has become a normal part of society. While conscious desire remains a necessary conduit, the many effects from doing so can be externalised into stable materials or energy to be refined, stored, transported, and converted by machinery without constant maintenance, allowing much of the modern industry to be automated.

   In addition to the resources the Earth naturally produces, exotic materials can be formed through the mental membrane of the universe and its interaction with living organisms of varying intellect, accumulating over long periods of time in areas where beings live, breed and die. Far rarer substances may come from the influence or direct creation of Apotheons. Inevitably their distribution became an important factor in trade, industry, and regional wealth. With advancements in today's science, many synthetic materials have also been produced, though apotheic materials may possess properties that are difficult to replicate.

   Compared to the life of past humans, there is generally far less individual pressure for one to become adept at Form usage, as centuries of accumulated research allow ordinary people to benefit from powers they may never personally wield.

7. #7Noetic Field

   Keys: Emotion, Desire, Imagination, Noetic

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   An omnipresent metaphysical substrate permeating all of reality. Conscious beings interact with it through thought, emotion, and will. Most interactions follow predictable patterns, giving rise to the standardised paths of magic. In rare cases, an individual's psyche resonates with the field in an entirely unique manner, producing a Manifest. The apex of a being utilising this is in the form of an Apotheon / Ascendant.

8. #8Wildlife Magic

   Keys: Reptile, Species, Crustaceans, Mollusc, Ecosystem, Arachnid, Mammal, Plant, Amphibian, Fungi, Bird, Insect, Fish, Animal, Creature, Beast, Fauna, Flora, Wild, Ecology

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   For beings with less complex minds, it is often the case that they are instinctively adept at using specific forms of magic, depending on their environment and evolutionary pressures.

   However, it is also possible for certain species to undergo manifestation, which is the phenomenon by which non-human organisms exhibit unique, self-derived magical expressions through interaction with the underlying metaphysical substrate of reality. While most commonly associated with intelligent species, the capacity for manifestation is not exclusive to sapient beings and has been observed across a range of animal life.

   The likelihood and complexity of a manifestation correlate with the cognitive depth of the organism. More neurologically complex creatures, like those with developed memory, social structures, or strong individual behavioural identity, are more likely to produce stable and distinct manifestations. In contrast, simpler organisms rarely exhibit such phenomena due to limited capacity for sustained intentional resonance.

   Wildlife manifestations are typically instinctive in nature, reflecting survival-driven desires such as predation, protection, territory, or environmental adaptation. Though less versatile than those seen in intelligent races, they play a notable role in the natural ecosystems across the world, occasionally producing apex individuals whose abilities can alter local environmental or ecological conditions.

   In exceedingly rare cases, a manifested animal may ascend, though that is treated like a myth by most, with some believing that the legendary creatures in mythology are ascendants.

9. #9Veyra

   Keys: Saren, Veyra, Auren

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   An ancient sub-aqueous civilisation whose origins extend deep into the Proto-Manifest Period, near the dawn of humanity, when the idea of using one's will to form reality was still developing and the emergence of exceptional manifests remained exceedingly rare. Its history traces back to the influence of an early human Apothe whose desire drew them beyond one of humanity's most absolute natural boundaries, that being the depths of the sea.

   At a time when much of the ocean remained effectively unreachable to humans, the future Apothe ventured into an extreme marine environment whose pressure, depth, and other conditions made permanent habitation impossible for ordinary people. Away from the safety and familiarity of their tribe, an intense, incomprehensible desire overcame what seemed like certain death. Drowning was instead preceded by a form that transcended the limitations that once bound them as a mortal. Survival was only the beginning; their very thoughts effortlessly shaped the surrounding environment on a scale no contemporary human could reproduce. This initial leap of faith established the foundations by which others could eventually follow.

   Following their sudden disappearance, members of their nomadic group presumed them to be lost or dead. However, strange lights and anomalous currents would eventually attract them towards the coast of origin. Upon their arrival they would witness bizarre occurrences: nutritious fish became routinely abundant near the surface, some of which had forms they did not recognise and with scales that danced in colour, the presence of exotic shallow-water coral reefs that had medicinal value became known, and every so often in the distant waters fluorescent lights bled through, shimmering from somewhere in the depths below. This favourable environment had led some to embrace sedentism, establishing settlements close to the ocean.

   Attempts to investigate the waters gradually encouraged the crude development of hydro-aligned Forms. At this stage such practices possessed little consistency or formal understanding; practitioners relied largely upon instinct, personal conviction, imitation, and repeated failure. The most capable learned rudimentary methods of redirecting currents, sensing movement through water, maintaining protective pockets of air, and resisting some of the dangers associated with prolonged submersion.

   Control over these techniques became easier the closer they travelled towards the unexplained light. Nearer to its source, practitioners described a strange sense of mental freedom in which hesitation diminished and Forms that had previously seemed unstable became accessible enough to conceive and sustain. Some began deliberately meditating within the affected waters, while those displaying unusual aptitude acquired growing importance within the settlements. In an age before established doctrine surrounding Forms, such individuals were often valued as leaders, guides, or keepers of whatever techniques could be successfully reproduced.

   Continued exploration eventually carried a small number of these early practitioners into the deeper region from which the light originated. There they discovered that its source was neither a natural phenomenon nor merely an effect upon the surrounding sea, but the outer presence of the vanished Apothe's Topos (Realm). Though contained behind a boundary whose exterior occupied comparatively little physical space, the domain beyond was far larger within.

   Entry was not freely granted. Those permitted to cross its threshold did so alone, and the earliest among them were generally individuals who had already demonstrated an exceptional grasp of the primitive Hydro Forms necessary to survive the descent. Those who returned emerged with knowledge that exceeded anything their communities had independently achieved. Successive entrants carried different portions of this knowledge back with them, allowing methods of underwater habitation to accumulate gradually.

   The settlements that grew around this region eventually became the foundation of Lower Veyra. Human occupation of the depths remained dependent upon protections and knowledge ultimately made possible by the Apothe, but the environment was never transformed into an effortless refuge. Successive generations learned to efficiently reproduce and expand upon what had been passed down to them until permanent sub-aqueous communities became increasingly capable of sustaining themselves, forming a foundation that would become part fo the discipline of the Form known as Hydro.

   The transmission of this knowledge gave rise to Veyra's earliest religious, scholarly, and civic traditions. Offices initially concerned with preserving teachings and coordinating settlements gradually became institutions of their own, leading to both the principal Veyran religious tradition and the much later emergence of the Crown (Royalty).

   Over an immense span of time, prolonged isolation and persistent environmental pressures also altered Veyra's population. Natural selection acted alongside generations of interaction with the Noetic Field and an unusually strong cultural relationship with the Hydro-aligned Form. The descendants of the earliest settlers slowly diverged from their terrestrial relatives into an aquatic human lineage better adapted to prolonged submersion, heavy pressure, movement through water, and the other demands of their environment.

   As the society matured, rudimentary techniques became increasingly easier to reproduce and refine, to the point of them becoming an academic study, influencing many parts of Veyran's culture and identity, from combat to engineering and even ceremonies. Architecture ranging from vast, dynamic sanctuaries capable of enduring immense pressure to temples designed to refract the radiant light of the Topos through the surrounding waters as well as the reflective scales of passing aquatic life, casting beautiful patterns across their interiors. Specialised underwater transportation and construction, advanced Hydro Forms, and a growing understanding of marine environments transformed the earliest settlements into a self-sustaining civilisation. In essence, a submerged country.

   For much of its history Veyra remained physically and culturally separated from terrestrial societies. As other lands developed, however, sustained contact became increasingly inevitable. Early relations were uneven, shaped by unfamiliar customs, competing interests, and disputes over the use of the marine environment, but gradually gave way to formal exchange and cooperation, combining Veyra's unparalleled experience of the sea with the sciences, technologies, and Forms developed elsewhere.

   The culmination of these relations came in the form of Upper Veyra (Auren Veyra), an artificial surface landmass constructed above the ancient submerged homeland through the combined efforts of Veyran and surface humans, an achievement of later humanity and the accumulated knowledge of both worlds.

   Modern Veyra exists across two interconnected regions. Lower Veyra (Saren Veyra) remains the ancient heart of the civilisation, built around the site from which its earliest history emerged, while Upper Veyra connects the country more directly to the wider surface world. Veyra is today a technologically advanced constitutional state whose elected government exercises political authority, while the Crown and the religious institutions descended from its earliest custodians remain primarily cultural and ceremonial symbols of a civilisation whose history stretches back towards humanity's earliest experimentation with desire and Form.

   The traditional Veyran language draws primarily on Basque, with broader influences from the languages of Atlantic Iberia.

10. #10Time Periods

    Keys: Time Period, Age of, Pre-Manifest, Primordial, Institutional, Transcendent, Modern, Premanifest, Post-Transcendent, Manifest, Proto-Manifest, Protomanifest

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    Periods in time that dictate historical planetary / cosmological Alethean Ages

    Primordial Age - Prehuman Alethe. Rare nonhuman manifestation and Ascension can already alter environments.

    Noetic Dawn - Increasing neurological complexity causes stronger interaction between life, consciousness and the Noetic Field.

    Age of Apotheons - Ascendants reshape environments, species, realms and civilizations across Alethe.

    Apotheon Zenith - Deific influence reaches its greatest extent and conflicts between reality-shaping organisms intensify.

    Age of Ruin - Great divine conflicts devastate the world and produces the Fracture Horizon.

    Age of Reconstruction - Mortal civilizations rebuild and inherit the knowledge and altered world left by Apotheons.

    Modern Age - Contemporary Alethe; Noetic phenomena are integrated into advanced civilization.

    ---

    These periods do not refer to organisms as a whole in their relation to their evolution and interaction with the Noetic Membrane of the universe but specifically humanity's development from it.

    Pre-Manifest Period — Human manifestation exists only as extraordinarily rare anomalies and is not yet historically significant.

    Proto-Manifest Period — Human cognitive development makes manifestation increasingly possible, though still uncommon and poorly understood; Caden belongs late here.

    Manifest Period — Manifests become sufficiently widespread and understood to be recognized as a distinct phenomenon.

    Transcendent Period — Apotheons reach the height of their influence over recorded human civilization.

    Post-Transcendent Period — Humanity rebuilds after the divine conflict and systematizes inherited supernatural knowledge.

    Institutional Period — Manifestation and Forms become formal sciences embedded in technology, scholarship and government.

11. #11Veyran Religion

    Keys: High Custodian, Uhozai, Veyra, Irauna, Eralaneru, Veyran, Eralai, Flow

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    Irauna (Flow) is the main religion to emerge from ancient Veyra and one of its oldest continuously surviving institutions. Its origins predate both the Veyran Crown and Veyra as a formal state, developing instead from the relationship between the earliest oceanic settlers and the Apotheon Lunai, whose influence made permanent human life within the deep ocean possible.

    Irauna did not begin as an organised religion. The earliest settlers understood the Apotheon primarily through their actions, the knowledge transmitted through their realm, and the extraordinary light associated with the Apothe's Topos (Realm) around which Lower Veyra developed. Those permitted to approach or enter its inner regions did so individually and returned with knowledge intended for the wider settlement, establishing an early pattern in which revelation was understood less as prophecy than as the transmission of knowledge.

    The preservation and interpretation of this knowledge eventually became the responsibility of the Eralai, initially practical custodians, teachers and record-keepers whose duties gradually acquired religious significance, becoming the priests of Veyra, with their own appointed figurehead, the High Custodian (Eralaneru). Alongside them arose the Uzohai, intermediaries associated with communication between the community and Lunai. It was unclear if even the earliest of them directly perceived the Apotheon's true form; surviving accounts are far more consistent in their descriptions of the surrounding realm, its light and the conditions through which communication occurred than they are in descriptions of Lunai themself.

    This uncertainty strongly shaped Iraunic religious imagery. The religion historically placed greater emphasis upon the Topos, the descent toward it and the light encountered within the depths than upon any "true" depictions of their God. Its most enduring symbol developed from the luminous boundary surrounding the realm: a circular or enclosed light surrounded by curved, rippling lines rather than the straight rays associated with a star. Although sometimes described by outsiders as an underwater sun, within Irauna it represents neither the sun nor the surface, but the sacred light encountered beneath the sea.

    Other common imagery depicts descent, currents, concentric boundaries, darkness surrounding light and small human figures moving downward through immense expanses of water. Together these motifs express one of Irauna's oldest symbolic sequences, descent, pressure, illumination and return. Submergence represents humanity entering an environment beyond its original limits. Pressure and darkness represent the resistance of reality. The light represents contact with knowledge beyond what was known, and resurfacing / return represents the obligation to carry that knowledge back to others.

    As generations increasingly separated the living memory of Lunai from the institutions that survived them, these practical experiences became theology. The sea came to represent not merely the environment in which Veyra existed but also the boundary in which human desire, knowledge and adaptation would be tested. Depth, pressure, movement and transformation became recurrent metaphors within Iraunic teaching, while Flow came to describe continuity without immobility: the belief that individuals and societies must remain capable of change without severing themselves from what came before.

    Later artistic imagery continued to try and give a form to Lunai, despite the absence of any universally accepted historical description. Different periods represented the Apotheon as a luminous human figure, an obscured silhouette, a body dissolving into currents or, more abstractly, no figure at all. Modern priests generally treat such depictions as devotional or artistic conventions rather than reliable representations of a physical appearance.

    Certain theological schools greatly expanded the gods' role, with some traditions attributing the creation of the ocean itself to the Apotheon or treating them as a universal marine deity. These interpretations are rejected by most modern Iraunic authorities and contradicted by contemporary historical understanding, but their surviving art and literature remain an important part of the religion's development.

    The Eralai remained among Veyra's most influential institutions throughout much of its history, maintaining archives, education, ritual and the interpretation of ancient precedent. Their relationship with the Crown (the royal lineage) alternated between cooperation and conflict, particularly during Veyra's gradual opening to terrestrial civilisation. Conservative Eralai feared that unrestricted exchange would weaken institutions developed specifically to preserve Veyra through isolation, while reformist clergy argued that Irauna's own founding imagery, humanity descending beyond an accepted boundary and returning transformed, favoured adaptation rather than permanent separation.

    In modern Veyra, Irauna remains culturally influential without governing the state. The Eralai continue to maintain temples, archives, historical sites and religious education, while the Uzohai survive primarily as ceremonial and theological intermediaries associated with Lunai and the Topos. The extent of the religion's practice varies, some Veyrans practise Irauna devotionally, others regard it chiefly as cultural inheritance, and many accept the historical existence of Lunai while rejecting later theological claims surrounding them.

    The Topos beneath Lower Veyra remains Irauna's most sacred location. Access is highly restricted, while meditation within its surrounding precinct continues practices dating to Veyra's earliest generations. The characteristic image of light beneath the water therefore remains central to both Iraunic religion and Veyran culture, not a sun shining down upon humanity, but a light toward which humans once chose to descend.

12. #12Veyran Royalty

    Keys: Erala, High Aldera, House Elaren, Veyra, Irauna, Arei, Aldera, Elaren, Eralaneru, Veyran, Eralai

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    The Veyran Crown traces its origin to the Aldera, an institution far older than the monarchy that eventually emerged from it. In the earliest settlements of Lower Veyra, before formal government existed, an Aldera was effectively the head of a clan or extended kin-group and the principal steward of its community. The title was commonly associated not only with one individual but with their immediate household and relatives, who formed the nucleus of early administration.

    The Aldera coordinated matters that required authority beyond individual families: the allocation of shelter and resources, organisation of labour, settlement disputes, preparations for expeditions, collective defence, and communication between different groups within the growing settlement. As Lower Veyra expanded from a collection of closely related communities into a permanent civilisation, these responsibilities gradually became institutional rather than familial.

    Over generations, prominent Aldera families began governing increasingly larger territories and populations. Cooperation, marriage, rivalry, succession disputes, and the consolidation of smaller communities progressively reduced the number of independent Aldera lineages. The foremost among them eventually emerged as the central steward of Veyra as a whole, a position later remembered as the High Aldera. What had begun as the senior coordinator of the settlement consequently developed into the office from which the Veyran monarchy descended.

    The transformation was gradual. Early High Aldera possessed substantial practical authority because coordinated leadership was necessary for the survival of the society. As Veyra increased in size and wealth so did its' complexity, councils, officials, legal institutions, and eventually representative government assumed many responsibilities previously concentrated around the Aldera household. The High Aldera nevertheless remained the symbolic centre of the state, and the office was progressively formalised into the Crown. The later titles translated internationally as King and Queen ultimately replaced High Aldera as the ordinary designation of the monarch, although the older title survives in historical, religious, and ceremonial contexts.

    The Crown has passed through more than one dynasty. Early ruling families disappeared through extinction, deposition, political realignment, or merger with other Aldera houses, while others were incorporated into successor dynasties through marriage. Descendants of several historical Aldera lineages remain in Veyra, including cadet families whose ancestry predates the modern royalty, but descent alone grants no independent political authority. The present royal house, House Elaren, is the current dynasty of an institution older than the family itself.

    In modern Veyra, the monarch does not govern directly. Executive and legislative authority rests with the constitutional government, while the Crown serves primarily as a ceremonial, representative, and continuity-bearing institution. The monarch formally performs certain state functions, represents Veyra domestically and abroad, presides over major national ceremonies, and acts as a living link between modern Veyra and the settlement from which it developed.

    The Crown also maintains an old but carefully separated relationship with the Eralai. The two institutions emerged alongside one another but from different responsibilities: the Aldera organised and administered the community, while the Eralai preserved knowledge, doctrine, ritual, and the teachings associated with the Apotheon. Neither institution is subordinate to the other in modern Veyra. The monarch participates prominently in major ceremonies of Irauna and may receive traditional recognition from senior Eralai, but the priesthood neither appoints the government nor directly rules through the Crown. Their relationship is consequently one of historical interdependence and ceremonial legitimacy rather than political control.

    The main royal palace of House Elaren lies within Lower Veyra and developed gradually through multiple historical periods.

13. #13Arei

    Keys: Veyran, Veyra, Arei

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    The Arei are the native human lineage of Veyra, descended from early populations who permanently settled the ocean during the Proto-Manifest Period. Despite their long association with the sea, they remain recognisably human in anatomy.

    Their adaptation to marine life developed gradually over many generations. Arei physiology typically displays improved breath control, stronger diving reflexes, greater tolerance for pressure change, enhanced underwater hearing, efficient circulation during prolonged submersion, and a higher resistance to cold and salt exposure. Their eyes are also generally better adapted to dim and refracted light.

    There is a spectrum of visible traits in Arei. On average they're somewhat paler than many surface populations, reflecting their long history in low-light marine environments. Skin tones can vary, though most remain within a subdued range. More unusual pigmentation may arise through mutations, environmental influence, or the long-term effects of frequent water Form use across certain generations.

    One of the more recognisable Arei traits is their eye colour. Their irises display reflective and iridescent qualities similar to certain marine animals, especially in angled or low light. Unlike the relatively uniform iris colours common among surface humans, Arei eyes frequently contain multiple colours, layered gradients, rings, or gradual shifts in hue. This can range from subtle two-tone irises to much more striking combinations.

    Hair pigmentation shows a similar tendency toward variation. Individual strands or sections of hair may contain different tints, while some Arei display soft gradients between related colours rather than a single uniform shade. These changes are usually subtle enough to remain within a broadly human appearance, although certain bloodlines can possess much more pronounced colouration.

    Other external differences may include unusual ear shapes, minor webbing between fingers or toes, distinctive skin texture, or other small traits associated with their long isolation beneath the sea. None of these features are universal, and an Arei may appear nearly indistinguishable from a terrestrial human until examined more closely.

    The relative subtlety of Arei adaptation is largely attributed to the early development of hydromancy. Their ancestors did not rely on biology alone to survive increasingly hostile depths; pressure, respiration, movement, and sensory limitations could instead be supplemented through Forms. As a result, many environmental pressures that might otherwise have driven extreme physical specialisation were reduced or bypassed.

    Unlike several other human lineages shaped directly by Apotheic intervention, the Arei were not deliberately remade by Lunai. Their biology is therefore regarded as the product of gradual human adaptation, environmental isolation, and the long-term influence of the Noetic Field rather than intentional transformation.

14. #14Lunai

    Keys: Lunai, Veyran, Veyra, Arei

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    Lunai is one of the oldest known human Ascendants of Alethe and the partial founder of the Veyran civilisation, originating from near the end of the Proto-Manifest Period, close to the dawn of early human development. Lunai has existed for over 200,000 years.

    Before their ascendancy, Lunai was an ordinary human belonging to one of the early populations that would eventually give rise to the peoples of Veyra. Their defining desire was simple, being drawn towards the sea and its depths, a place completely out of reach for the humans of that time period. Despite this boundary, their overwhelming desire to delve beyond the world they had known persisted. To an outsider at the time, this could look like an act of suicide or delirium, their body quickly reached its biological limits. However, death was instead supplanted by an esoteric transcendence, as if the world itself decided to completely and utterly fulfil that desire.

    From the perspective of their previous tribe, Lunai had disappeared without a trace, as they had departed in the dark of the night one day before the next migration without communicating anything, overwhelmed by the constant sound of the sea. They were part of a nomadic clan that frequently drifted across the land, and their arrival near the coast of what would become Veyra awakened a sudden longing. Generations later, descendants of the same tribe reached the coast from which they had departed and discovered an anomalous light within the depths. The phenomenon was later understood to originate from Lunai's Topos, around which the earliest settlement of Lower Veyra would eventually develop.

    The exterior boundary of Lunai's Topos occupies comparatively little physical space, yet its interior is vastly larger than its apparent dimensions. Those permitted entry pass beyond the surrounding barrier alone, entering an environment that does not conform entirely to ordinary geography. The known regions resemble an impossibly deep and tranquil ocean suspended around a distant source of light. Distance, pressure and orientation behave inconsistently: a descent may become horizontal movement, structures can appear farther away internally than the entire exterior boundary should permit, and the surrounding water occasionally gives way to spaces whose substance is difficult to classify as either liquid or empty space.

    At the realm's furthest accessible point lies the radiance historically associated with Lunai. Early visitors were not granted unrestricted access to its deeper regions. Instead, selected individuals entered in succession and returned carrying specific knowledge, particularly refinements to the primitive Hydro Forms already developing among Veyra's earliest inhabitants. The first chosen were generally those who had independently approached these principles themselves. Lunai appeared to teach by extending an existing understanding rather than placing vast amounts of knowledge into an unprepared mind.

    This pattern heavily influenced later Veyran belief. It was discovered that proximity to the Topos and its light induced a sense of mental liberty that happened to make developing and maintaining hydromancy unusually intuitive, causing meditation near it to become a practice long before the emergence of the organised religion now known as Irauna. The later offices of the Eralai (Priests) and Uhozai (Divine Communicators) developed from traditions surrounding the preservation of knowledge received from Lunai and communication with the Apotheon themselves.

    Descriptions of Lunai's personality are necessarily indirect. Surviving accounts portray them as patient, distant and intensely curious, but not detached from humanity. Lunai rarely intervenes without purpose and appears to favour discovery over instruction, frequently allowing individuals to reach the limits of their own understanding before responding. A possible reason for their disposition is that they see the Veyran people as a reflection of themselves, marching into the unknown and persevering regardless.

    Whether they possess a singular true form is disputed. Their manifestations within the Topos have been described differently across periods, although recurring traits include immense scale, translucent layers resembling water or cellular membranes, points of light suspended throughout the body like distant stars, and forms that continuously fold into and emerge from one another. Modern scholarship generally treats these appearances as expressions of Lunai's will given form. Some religious traditions consequently avoid depicting Lunai directly at all, representing them instead through the submerged light, flowing concentric forms, depth, or the act of descent itself.

    Despite their immense age, they persist in the modern day, surviving the various events, including deific wars, that have scarred the universe. Lunai is notably reclusive even by the standards of other Apotheons. They rarely project avatars or instruct proxies beyond their Topos and generally avoid direct involvement in affairs that do not immediately concern Veyra or the continuation of their desire. Their disposition is primarily defensive and reactive rather than proactive; this restraint does not indicate that their original desire has diminished. As mentioned before, Lunai regards the Veyran people themselves as a continuation of it. Their Topos remains functional, and communication with them, although exceptionally restricted, has continued across Veyran history. In the contemporary world, Lunai is simultaneously a living individual, an object of religious devotion, and one of the oldest surviving witnesses to humanity before civilisation itself.

15. #15Topos

    Keys: Topoi, Topos

    Enabled · Selective · Before character · Order 10 · 100%

    Entry settings

    A Topos is a region of reality shaped by an Apotheon infused with their realised desire. A Topos may be as small as a confined space or as vast as an alternate realm. Some overlap with Alethe, be accessed through specific thresholds (conceptually or physically), or exist separately from conventional space altogether. Some develop their own environments, ecosystems, or civilisations within them.

    An Apotheon is not confined to a single body within its Topos. Its higher existence may permeate throughout the domain itself, while avatars or lesser manifestations act within ordinary reality.

16. #16Veyran Holidays

    Keys: Lunai, High Aldera, Union Day, Lehen Eguna, Veyran, Day of Light, Veyra, Arei, Aldera, Elaren, Argairen Eguna, Eralai, House Elaren, Irauna, Eralaneru, Jaialen, Itzulen, Mezularen, The Resurfacing, Day of Reform, Erala

    Enabled · Selective · Before character · Order 10 · 100%

    Entry settings

    Veyra has several religious and civic holidays and events related to its earliest settlements, religion, and transition into the modern surface-connected state. Not every historical event is treated as a public holiday. Some survive primarily as anniversaries or important observances.

    Jaialen (The Descent), 14th - 18th of February, 16th being the main day:

    One of Veyra's oldest and most important annual events, commemorating the generations who first ventured permanently into the deep ocean. These early migrations were dangerous, undertaken before humans had any real foundation of the Hydro Form, as well as a weaker understanding of the sea itself. Iraunic tradition associates their determination with that of Lunai, whose own descent beyond humanity's known limits preceded them.

    Jaialen therefore celebrates courage, commitment, adaptation, and the willingness to enter the unknown despite fear. Religious ceremonies commonly employ imagery of descent, darkness, increasing pressure, and distant light. Traditionally lasts several days, with the main ceremonies occurring on the central day. Modern secular celebrations often concentrate on that day alone.

    Itzulen (The Return), 21st of May:

    This commemorates the first successful transmission of information from Lunai's Topos (Realm). The entrance of one of the early chosen envoys and their subsequent return bearing knowledge that could be shared with others. Where the descent concerns the journey into the unknown, Itzulen emphasises the equally important act of returning from it with something that benefits the wider community.

    The observance became closely associated with illumination, scholarship, and the principle that discovery gains meaning through transmission. Eralai institutions recite early teachings and historical accounts during Itzulen, while modern universities and scholarly organisations sometimes hold lectures, exhibitions, or public demonstrations during the same period. It lasts usually one day, although religious groups may have several days of ceremonies.

    Argairen Eguna (Day of Light), 28th of May:

    Argairen Eguna is related to Itzulen but need not commemorate the same event. Rather than celebrating the first return with knowledge, it venerates the sacred light associated with Lunai's Topos itself and what that light came to represent within Veyran culture, that being guidance within an otherwise unreachable environment, accumulated understanding, and the possibility of life within the depths.

    It is more symbolic than historical. The light is represented throughout Iraunic art as an enclosed or submerged radiance, often surrounded by curved or rippling rays. Public spaces in Lower Veyra traditionally illuminate gradually during the celebration, recreating the imagery of light appearing within darkness. It lasts one evening and the following day.

    Lehen Eguna (The First Day), 9th of October:

    A remembrance for the date associated with the first stable human habitation of what would eventually become Lower Veyra. It is one of the foundational dates of Veyran history but in the modern era is generally treated as a historical anniversary rather than one of the country's principal holidays.

    Museums, schools, historical societies, and other communities represent it through exhibitions, reconstructions, archival releases, and ceremonies at ancient settlement sites. All of this is prepared for one day in commemoration rather than a general public holiday.

    The Messages of Lunai (Mezularen):

    Direct communication from Lunai is rare, with intervals lasting from years to decades or more, leading to no scheduled routine being given. Historically, the reception and relay of an Apotheonic message was known within Iraunic tradition as Mezularen, though now the term has become increasingly archaic.

    Modern Veyrans generally describe such occasions more neutrally as a Contact, Transmission, or Lunai Transmission, particularly within government and academic contexts. Each confirmed communication becomes a separately dated historical event, and especially significant transmissions may acquire individual names.

    The arrival of a new message usually prompts an extraordinary period of religious ceremony, scholarly examination, public discussion, and official interpretation rather than a predetermined festival. Public observance of this event varies from days to longer depending upon the importance and complexity of the communication.

    The Day of Reform, 12th of March:

    The completion of the political settlement that established the foundations of modern Veyran government. This included constitutional monarchy, representative parliament, ministerial government, and the modern limitations placed upon the Crown.

    The constitutional settlement became identified with the transition from older institutions into the modern civic government. Parliamentary ceremonies, public addresses from politicians, educational events, and celebrations of civic participation are common. It lasts one day with a public holiday.

    Union Day / The Resurfacing, 22nd - 28th of July, 25th being the main day:

    Commemorating the completion of the political and social integration of Upper and Lower Veyra and is regarded as the completion of modern Veyra itself.

    The construction and settlement of Upper Veyra transformed Veyra from a predominantly submerged and historically isolationist civilisation into a society existing openly across both sea and surface. The period also required extensive reform of laws governing migration, foreign entry, citizenship, trade, travel between Upper and Lower Veyra, and relations with terrestrial states.

    The holiday consequently celebrates more than the physical creation of Upper Veyra. It represents reunion between sea and surface people, Veyra's opening to the wider world, and the establishment of the modern relationship between its two halves. International participation is common because Upper Veyra itself was produced through cooperation between Veyran and terrestrial humans. A week of celebrations is centered around Union Day itself, involving international gatherings, cultural festivals, maritime events, and international gatherings, making it the largest modern civic celebration in Veyra.

17. #17Veyran Forces / Combat

    Keys: Lunai, Elrauna, Veyra, Aldera, Arei, Uzohai, Veyran

    Enabled · Selective · Before character · Order 10 · 100%

    Entry settings

    Veyra’s modern combat institutions formed from the needs of its earliest settlements. The first organised fighters were fewer soldiers than settlement protectors, escorts, hunters, rescuers, and guides of dangerous routes, with duties that often overlapped those of the Aldera (Clan heads), Eralai (Priests), and those entrusted with knowledge associated with Lunai.

    As Veyra expanded, these responsibilities divided into distinct institutions. Forces attached to the Aldera increasingly protected political leadership and major settlements, while broader communal defence formed the foundations of Veyra’s armed forces. The Eralai maintained their own protectors around sacred sites, important records, and places connected to Lunai’s Topos. The roles between military, religious, and civic authority were sometimes blurry, creating friction in the form of disputes over who could secure particular areas.

    The consolidation of the Crown formalised this division. Aldera retainers evolved into the Royal Guard, responsible for the monarch, royal household, and major royal sites; separate military institutions assumed national defence; and the Eralai’s armed role narrowed into custodianship.

    Veyran combat developed around the principle that water had not a single form but was instead a medium able to change function continuously. Early fighters relied heavily on spears, harpoons, knives, short blades, and polearms suited to underwater movement, while hydromancy allowed these weapons to be extended, redirected and reinforced. Thrusting, grappling, trapping, sudden acceleration, and redirection became especially prominent where large sweeping movements were inefficient.

    Over time, fighters developed hydro-formed weapons capable of changing range and shape during combat. A single construct could serve as a spear, blade, flexible lash, hook, shield, projectile, or high-pressure stream. Some styles retain a physical core, such as a short spear, staff, or hilt, so the user remains armed if their Form is disrupted, while advanced practitioners may use entirely hydro-formed constructs.

    Training therefore focuses less on mastering every weapon as an isolated discipline and more on transferable principles between each weapon. Ordinary soldiers learn a limited set of standard combat forms, while elite fighters may alter a weapon’s purpose repeatedly within a single exchange, making their effective range and intent difficult to predict.

    Hydro-related techniques are equally important at range. They can launch compressed water projectiles, generate high-pressure cutting streams, propel physical ammunition, create mist or spray, impede movement, redirect currents, and construct temporary barriers. Modern forces combine these techniques with modern firearms and other advanced technology. Water manipulation can stabilise underwater projectiles, alter drag, create favourable currents, reinforce cover, or shield units while conventional weapons are used.

    The national armed forces employ Hydro Forms primarily at large scales with the responsibility of defending the country. Doctrine emphasises coordinated environmental control, ranged combat, fortification and mobility. Specialised units may redirect currents, flood or drain areas, raise barriers, alter pressure, or reshape terrain for other forces. Form users are distributed according to ability rather than placed universally within a separate branch, though advanced or unusual practitioners may serve in specialist units. Manifests are handled separately where necessary because of the extreme variation in their capabilities.

    The Royal Guard instead specialises in keeping protected individuals alive. Their training emphasises interception, close-range barriers, projectile deflection, disarming, extraction, confined-space combat, rapid changes in weapon range. Morphing weapons are particularly valuable because they allow immediate transitions between attack, restraint, and defence. Members are highly trained personnel, and many enter after prior military service.

    Members of House Elaren receive defensive and emergency instruction from an early age. For most, this consists of evasion, basic combat, threat recognition, Form defence, and surviving an attack until their protection detail intervenes. Those with greater interest or aptitude may receive extensive additional training, making the Royal Guard a principal source of martial education within the royal household.

    The Eralai no longer maintain a military force comparable to the state. Their older traditions survive through a much smaller protective order guarding sacred sites, escorting priests and Uhozai (Divine Communicators) through dangerous environments, performing rescue work, and preserving techniques developed before modern military standardisation. Their style emphasises restraint, redirection, protection, sensory use of water, pressure equalisation, and control of narrow or enclosed spaces. Some methods are considered antiquated by modern soldiers, while others preserve specialised knowledge no longer widely taught elsewhere.

    Veyran study of Hydro Forms has also produced heavily restricted applications. Direct manipulation of fluids within living bodies, forced extraction of moisture from living tissue, and similar techniques are regarded as extreme violations rather than ordinary extensions of Hydro practice. Living bodies possess biological and mental resistance to direct intrusion, making such methods difficult, though not impossible for sufficiently powerful or specialised users. Their use is generally prohibited in modern warfare except under exceptional circumstances, and some survive only in restricted records.

    Pressure manipulation is among the most advanced and dangerous branches of Hydro combat. Pressure differentials, cutting jets, cavitation, and sudden changes in fluid force can damage bodies, structures, and barriers without large visible masses of water. As Veyran science developed, these practices became increasingly understood through fluid dynamics, transforming inherited martial techniques into highly technical modern disciplines.

    Despite Veyra’s association with Lunai, it does not rely on its Apotheon for ordinary defence. Lunai cannot be commanded by the Crown or military and has historically remained distant from most mortal conflicts. Veyra therefore maintains forces capable of defending the country independently.

18. #18Veyran Currency

    Keys: Lunai, Neru, Elrauna, Veyra, Aldera, Arei, Uzohai, Veyran

    Enabled · Selective · Before character · Order 10 · 100%

    Entry settings

    Neru is the national currency of Veyra, it's divided into 100 cents.

    The name comes from the old Veyran term related to measurement / weight. After the completion of Upper Veyra, trade with the outside world became an important thing to facilitate. The main currency was retained, but the internationally widespread "cent" was adopted as its decimal subdivision, simplifying trade and commerce with surface nations.

    The currency is designed for use both above and below water. Banknotes are produced from a durable water-resistant polymer, and coins mainly use copper-nickel and other marine alloys that can resist metal corrosion.

    The current banknote series has 5, 10, 20, and 50 Neru notes. The designs of which depict architecture and cultural / religious symbolism related to the country.

    5 Neru: Green. Shows Lower Veyran buildings, highlighting the dense structures and enclosed spaces that characterised society before expansion toward the surface. Decorative patterns incorporate old measurement and trade motifs, referencing the Neru's origins as a measured unit of value.

    10 Neru: Teal. Depicts Upper Veyra, specifically the architecture associated with its construction and the eventual connection between Veyra and the surface world.

    20 Neru: Blue-green. Uses imagery associated with Lunai, presented symbolically rather than as a literal portrait (due to their true form being unknown). Religious architecture and traditional motifs connected to Lunai surround the central design.

    50 Neru: Deep blue. The highest commonly circulated note portrays imagery of the Lunai's Topos and its light. It is not a one-to-one depiction, instead, the design uses radiating light, depth and abstract architectural forms inspired by the divine space surrounding it.

    Lower denominations are issued as coins, including 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cent pieces and 1 and 2 Neru coins. Their appearance broadly resembles most surface coinage, using silvery copper-nickel alloys aswell as warmer gold-coloured marine alloys. The 1 and 2 Neru pieces are more substantial, with the 2 Neru using a bimetallic design for easy identification.

19. #19Veyran Architecture

    Keys: Lunai, Lurea, Elrauna, Veyra, Aldera, Arei, Uzohai, Veyran

    Enabled · Selective · Before character · Order 10 · 100%

    Entry settings

    There is a significant architectural difference between modern Upper Veyra on the surface and the older submerged settlements of Lower Veyra.

    Upper Veyra is maritime and heavily urbanised (with historical influence from real Atlantic Iberian architecture). Many of its structures consist of pale stone, ceramic, glass and weathered metal, often accented with shades of blue and other colours common in the ocean. It is intentionally less industrial towards its outer districts, which favour lower, more sheltered residential buildings, while development becomes progressively denser, taller and more infrastructural towards the centre. Water channels, basins, tidal works and other hydro-aligned systems are often incorporated directly into public architecture.

    Lurea, the Upper Veyran capital, is the country's political, commercial and international center, with dense business districts, major ports, high-rises and extensive industrial infrastructure near its core. At the very center stands a large man-made monument, made as a reflection of the circular border surrounding the Apotheon's realm. Its official name is the "Moon", conceived as a surface counterpart to Veyra’s "Sun" (the Topos below). Though names such as “the Eye” and “the Globe” are also used colloquially.

    Lower Veyra has no defined capital. Its settlements developed radially around the Topos, with the oldest and most important sacred and ceremonial sites nearest to it and civilian districts extending farther outward. The cityscape is both radial and vertical, spreading through seabed terraces, cavern walls and engineered chambers.

    Despite its ancient origins, Lower Veyran architecture is technologically advanced, favouring stone, mineral composites, dark metals and controlled artificial light. Public areas often incorporate glass and other transparent materials, allowing views of the surrounding marine environment. Sacred buildings incorporate descent, darkness, reflective water and radial light as symbolic elements. Lower Veyra contains both water-filled spaces and enclosed districts connected by advanced locks, pressure chambers and transitional halls. Advanced hydromancy has enabled large air-filled districts to be maintained through integrated hermetic sealing.

20. #20The Meridian Foundation

    Keys: Virtus, Noetic Potency, Noetic Control, Meridian

    Enabled · Selective · Before character · Order 10 · 100%

    Entry settings

    An independent, internationally recognised research and response organisation operating across Alethe and its many realms. It maintains cooperative agreements with governments and other authorities while retaining its own personnel, facilities and operational independence.

    Originally Meridian, known as Virtus (a Latin word, the native tongue of Caden), was initially established by the surviving prince of Caden and the few other citizens that were not present at the time of its destruction. Using what remained of his wealth, the former prince assembled researchers and specialists to investigate the catastrophe, understand the Void and prevent similar tragedies.

    As generations went Virtus expanded beyond its Cadenese origins, eventually reorganising into the modern more universally present Meridian Foundation. Its founder's former royal title, nor do his direct descendants hold any innate authority, however certain family members willingly choose to take part in Meridian's cause anyway as a form of respect and to remember their ancestry.

    Objectives:

    1. Overcoming the Void (Ultimate Goal): The ambition that founded the institution to begin with, to discover a means of permanently stopping or negating the Void. An extraordinarily difficult undertaking and almost fantastical in desire, as seen by some, nevertheless it remains the long-term objective underpinning much of Meridian's research.

    2. Research, Prevention and Intervention (Operational Goals): Meridian investigates and responds to extraordinary phenomena, particularly Void-related incidents, hostile environmental alterations, dimensional hazards, uncharted realms / Topos by Earth's inhabitants, dangerous Apotheonic influences and threats involving unusual Orectic capabilities.

    Specialised research into Noetic Science, including fringe lesser-known and publicly practised Forms, Manifests, esoteric techniques, and anomalous lifeforms. In terms of Form users and Manifest, specific training and psychological support are provided, particularly for individuals whose unusual abilities or circumstances exceed the expertise available elsewhere. This work also encompasses the study and care of Form-using and Manifest animals, as well as other forms of life.

    Meridian actively monitors emerging hazards, issuing warnings, undertaking expeditions and deploying personnel when direct intervention is needed. Members may assist other countries and organisations with containment, rescue, environmental restoration and incidents involving hostile forces or substantially dangerous individuals, although they are not primarily a militaristic force.

    Despite the organisations' capabilities, there is no desire to replace or supplant national institutions, nor are they involved in every national problem, rarely are their endeavours diplomatic also. Involvement is usually requested or undertaken when circumstances warrant its particular expertise.

    3. The Realisation of Life (Philosophical Goal):

    Inherited from the ideals of Virtus, Meridian believes that life should have the opportunity to develop, understand and realise itself according to its own nature.

    This philosophy extends beyond humanity to life in general. These beliefs do not ask for perfect mental clarity, unwavering certainty or tranquillity. Doubt and struggle are natural aspects of existence. Understanding oneself is often an ongoing process, not a final, perfected end state.

    Departments:

    Field Operations: Investigation, direct intervention, containment, hazardous expeditions and combat.

    Noetic Sciences: Research into the Noetic Field, Forms, Manifests, Realms, the Void and extraordinary phenomena.

    Life Sciences & Care: Biological research, psychological support, anomalous organisms and the care of unusual lifeforms.

    Training & Development: Specialist education, understanding esoteric Forms, Manifest training and the development of safer practices.

    Operations Support: Engineering, logistics, facilities, transport, communications and operational coordination.

    General personnel are collectively referred to as "Agents", regardless of their individual professions or departmental responsibilities.

    Field personnel can operate individually, in standing squads or in temporary multidisciplinary teams assembled for particular assignments. Distinguished and experienced Agents entrusted with directing entire teams may receive the designation Prime Agent.

    These titles do not represent an individual's raw combat power. Meridian maintains separate classifications for evaluating relevant capabilities.

    These classifications include:

    Physical Aptitude (Strength, speed, agility, reactions and general bodily performance.)

    Endurance (Stamina, durability, pain tolerance and ability to remain functional under prolonged strain.)

    Operational Judgement (Situational awareness, decision-making, adaptation, planning and judgement during missions.)

    Combat Proficiency (Fighting technique and effectiveness)

    Noetic Potency (Magnitude of an individuals Form / Manifest influence)

    Noetic Control (Precision, consistency and technical mastery of that influence.)

    Ratings within each class goes like this: Limited → Standard → Advanced → Remarkable → Eminent.

    Meridian's headquarters occupies an artificially constructed, self-sustaining Topos, created through collaborative Noetic / cognitive engineering, anchored in a dimension known only to the highest levels of personnel.

    Its central structure houses the institution's main facilities, surrounded by an expanding landscape that contains various other buildings with some even being residential as well as other varied environments suited to the needs of certain beings. The infinite nature of the realm is actually an illusion, with the distant boundaries manifesting as a celestial expanse of mist and sky rather than a physical wall or empty white space. Notably, the interior expands in size and diversity as the institution grows.

    Authorised Agents are issued a summonable access key, typically placed into their ID cards or being integrated into approved equipment. Each key is attuned to the mind of its assigned Agent, making theft largely useless, as without the correct cognitive signature, it cannot establish a passage to Meridian’s headquarters Topos. Access can also be revoked or restricted if an Agent is compromised, defects, or otherwise loses authorisation. This device can also to exit situations where one is stranded in places on Earth and even in most other dimensions. Most personnel know how to enter Meridian, but not where the Topos is located in any meaningful spatial sense, as the transit process reveals virtually nothing about its extradimensional position.

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