Knights of the Roundtable: Altered History, Races and Magic

[ShadowHounder]

587 BC: The holy city of Jerusalem was besieged and destroyed by an army of demons. It's citizen were corrupted and bound to the ruins, marking the first creation of spirits in the Mortal Realm.

323 BC: Alexander the Great was killed by an Angel Ambassador, beginning the conflict between the Mortal and Celestial realms.

Year 582: A group of demons attacked the kingdoms of Europe. Though the humans prevailed, Europe had been blasted into multple islands. The future areas of where France, Italy and Poland would eventually be founded, were destroyed in the ensuing chaos

Year 1623: During the shipping of African slaves to British colonies in the Americas, a large demon invasion attacked and obliterated the continent entirely. Many ships survived, the last of the ancestors of Africa surviving alongside them.

Year 1775: Fearing that revolutions would leave them vulnerable to another attack from the Demons or Angels, the European Islands gave all of their colonies independence.

1844: Working alongside the United States of North America and the Brazillian Union of Colonies, the newly formed United Nations began a plan to bring the people of earth together in order to drive back the otherworldly threats.

1985: The first elemental rampaged across Russia, flooding their eastern mountains.

1990: The United Nations declared that their previous military funding would be dissolved in favor of a independently owned Guild system. The first guilds were founded and provided financing from the UN.

Present Day: The Guild fund as proven to be an effective replacement, albeit not a flawless one. After finding evidence of corruption and illegal activities, many guilds were shut down indefinitely and military freelancers were tasked with replacing them.

 

[ShadowHounder]

The Races of The Realms

Humans: The most common race of the Mortal Realm. They have the most uniqueness among the races, as they are more prone to natural adaptation (they call it "evolution"). Due to the humans' average biological and magical form, they are often used as a basis to scale the other races off of.

Elves: The mystical woodfolk of the Mortal Realm, the Elves watched as the humans were attacked by the Demons. The Elves made an alliance with the humans after the sieging of Africa, lending their aid to protect their home. Elves are naturally taller and frailer than Humans, and have a natural talent for magic.

Demons: Hailing from the Chaos Realm, Demons are beings that live off destruction and carnage. They wage an endless war against the Angels... And seek to use the Mortal Realm as a backdoor to the Ascended Kingdom. Demons have multiple subspecies, making them similar to Humans.

Angels: Hailing from the Celestial Realm, Angels are the pinnacle of order and truth. They live inside their Ascended Kingdom and wage a never-ending war against the Demons of the Chaos Realm. They are larger than Humans, possessing a set of pure white wings. They have a halo of holy magical energy hovering over their head, a symbol of their undying loyalty.

Elementals: The Primordial race of the Elemental Realm, these beings are creatures of pure, unfiltered magical energy. Most Elementals are creatures of emotions and magic, but some intelligent ones are capable of communing with the beings of the Mortal Realm.

Dragons: Dragons are the true ancient beings of the Mortal Realm, however, little is known of them. What is known is that they are territorial and greedy, often damning tribute from anyone who settles in their domain.

 

[ShadowHounder]

The Government and the Guilds

The worldwide government is known as the United Nations (unchanged from our current timeline), where political leaders from around the world gather to discuss the future of the mortal realm. Among the world leaders is a military and a guild representative... Both there to provide information on the current state of the threats of the world and their defense against them.

The three main political parties are the United States of North America (who own the entire North American continent and shared part of the "American Bridge" with the Brazilian Union of Colonies), The European Islands (who compose the remaining countries that build the island fragments of Europe) and Russia (who has since lost power due to damages caused by constant Water Elemental attacks).

Other primary political parties consist of the Brazilian Union of Colonies (who own South America and the second half of the "American Bridge"), The Eastern European Confederacy (Since Eastern Europe was untouched by the demon attack, they were able to build a government outside of the Islands), China (who has significantly less political power due to Demon assaults and communism never progressing in this timeline), Japan (Same country, just no nukes or World Wars involved) and the Oceanic Refugees (After Africa's destruction, many of the Pacific Islands were no longer save. The Americas allowed the refugees to relocate in the American Bridge).

Due to the Jerusalem curse, The Middle Eastern Dessert are no longer inhabited.

Altered Geography

Demon invasions have had a massive impact on the landscape of Earth. Europe has been shattered, now laying as multiple large island across the Atlantic Ocean. The Continent of Africa has been wiped off of the face of the earth, a massive Demon Fortress now standing in it's place.

Elemental attacks have also altered the landscape. Most of Eastern Russia has been flooded by these attacks... As well as many Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Area known for their great forest (such as the northern portion of North America) have been turned into desserts by attacks.

 

[ShadowHounder]

Magic and it's Fundamentals

Magic is the mystical force that binds and empowers the realms and it's inhabitants. All creatures are capable of learning magic, however certain races have a higher natural aptitude towards certain magic types. Magic runs on a beings mana reserves and, similar to physical muscle, became stronger over consistent training and usage.

Magic Types

There are many applications for Magic, however, for simplicities case, we will catalog the most common.

Offensive: This magic type is used to actively attack or hinder the target. Offensive magic is the strongest, but also uses the most mana to utilize.

Defensive: A magic type meant to protect the user or selected targets. Defensive spells can be maintain indefinitely, but require a constant drain of mana to do so.

Supportive: A magic type designed to alter the battlefield and increase the strength of one's self or allies. Supportive magic follows the same rules of Defensive Magic.

Healing: A unique Magic type. This uses the regenerative properties of certain magic elements to restore wound and cure diseases.

Portal magic: This is a specialized magic type that allows the user to forge runes, which can be used to teleport them to certain way points.

Enchantment: A type of magic that is unique in property. Enchantment magic infuses magical properties to items such as trinkets, armor or even bullets. Legends speak of a man who combined Enchantment Magic with Ritual Magic...

Ritual: A type of magic that is unique in property. Ritual Magic utilizes chants and runic circles to perform powerful spells, or even summon beings from the other realms. This magic type, however, takes significantly longer to channel than the other types, making it ill-advised for combat. Legends speak of a man who combined Ritual Magic with Enchantment Magic...

Conjugation: A magic type that, by all current accounts, as no known rules. What is currently known about the magic type is it allows the user to create weapons and tools from their own mana and that it appears to be a natural magic, instead of a learned one.

Magic Elements

Their are currently eight known magic elements in the Mortal Plain. They are the following:

Fire: Magic that allows the user to create and manipulate fire and heat. This element is a natural magic to Elementals, Demons, Devils, Oni, Imps and Angels

Water: Magic that allows the user to create and manipulate water and moisture. This element is a natural magic to Elementals and Elves.

Wind: Magic that allows the user to create and manipulate air and wind currents. This element is a nature magic to Elementals, Oni, Imps, Shades, Spirits and Elves.

Earth: Magic that allows the user to create and manipulate rocks and earthen formations. This element is a natural magic to Elementals, Demons, Devils and Spirits.

Divine: Magic that allows the user to create and manipulate holy energy from the Celestial Realm. This element is a natural magic to Spirits and Angels.

Dark: Magic that allows the user to create and manipulate the chaotic energy from the Chaos Realm. This element is a natural magic to Demons, Devils, Imps, Shades and Humans.

Necromancy: Magic that allows the user to create and manipulate the life force of other beings (currently outlawed by the Mortal Realm's government). This element is a natural magic to Humans.

Spirit: Magic that allows the user to create and manipulate the artificial energy of the Spirit Realm. This element is a natural magic to any form of artificial life.

 

[ShadowHounder]

Demon Subraces

Imps: Small, fiendish creatures with a natural adeptness to illusion magic.

Changlings: Often called Skinwalkers, Changlings are demons that can take on the appearance of anyone they touch.

Oni: The Demon equivalent of Ogres that found themselves in Japan long before the demons (the other demons generally don't like Oni, so many of the smarter ones joined forces with the Humans)

Wraiths: A Special breed of demon that is capable of using spirit and blood magic. Some have physical bodies, but many choose to free themselves of such restraints and live on as living souls. It is believed that Shamans and Vampires gained there powers from Wraiths.

Devils: These demons are the direct followers and spawns of Sir Lucifer von Satan himself. They are naturally greedy creatures who use their words and minds to trick any into giving them what they want. Unlike their brothern, Devils do not have the same chaotic drive and will actively sabotage assaults on the mortal realm. After all, anarchy isn't very profitable.

Artificial Races

Spirits: A naturally occurring "artificial" demon that is created when a strong willed mortal dies during a demonic ritual. Most Spirits are unaware of their form as many don't even realize they are dead.

Shades: An artificial demon made by infusing various forms of ash and natural gases with demonic energy.

Ferals: Ferals are form of artificial demon, created by infusing wildlife with demonic energy.

Homunculi: These are artificial races specially made using the combination of Spirit Magic and Necromancy. Their appearances very greatly, based on the being (or beings) used to forge one.

 

[ShadowHounder]

Infusement and Ascension

Infusement is a rare occurrence where a being from the mortal realm becomes one with a powerful source of magic. The raw energy fuses with their bloodstream, altering their body both physically and mentally. Theories have been formulated at the potential that many of the demon generals know of Infusement, however no evidence supports being from the Chaos Realm being compatible for the process.

Ascension is the process a mortal may choose to endure to become an Angel. During Ascension, they are cleanse of their sins and bath in the fires of renewal, leading many to believe the process simply kills you. Due to our negative situation with the Angels, we are incapable of learning more about this process, but spies have been able to prove that mortals have been Ascended before. The high saturation of ascensions within China has cause concern to spread across the United Nations.

 

[ShadowHounder]

Demonic Beasts

The demons were not the creatures to cross between realms. Many of their beasts entered the Mortal Realm, following the sent of chaos and blood. Unlike the demons, these creatures are mindless and savage. The known beasts are as followed:

Helhounds: Wolves forged of pure hell fire.

Chimeras: Strange creatures that takes the form of multiple mortal animals. The most common combinations is Lion, Griffon and Scorpion... but others have been recorded.

Lavasnaps: A surprisingly docile race of demon turtles, they live within many of the Mortal Realm's volcanoes now.

 

[ShadowHounder]

Angel Society

Within the Celestial Realm lives the great Divine Kingdom, ruled by it's heavenly leader: The Grand Exemplar. The Grand Exemplar acts as the king of the realm, with the High Priestess enforcing his will. Within the Divine Kingdom, all angel are given blessings from the Grand Exemplar and the High Priestess from birth, referred to as their Grace and our trained to be warriors until the day they die. They live under the authority of what is called "The Heavenly Law." Any Angel who defies that the Heavenly Law is taken to the Grand Exemplar to have their Grace stripped from them and to be banished to the Mortal Realm. Angel who are born outside of the Celestial Realm are not allowed to be brought the Divine Kingdom to be given their Grace.

Templar: Warriors, Defenders, Cleansers, the Templar are the will of the Grand Exemplar's decree. They wage the Endless War against the Demons of the Chaos Realm. Recently, they have begun to attack the Humans of the Mortal Realm, in fear that the Demons could use the Mortal Realm to gain direct access to the Celestial Realm.

Seraphim: Patrollers, Enforcers, Pursuers, the Seraphim are the will of the High Priestess' power. They enforce the Heavenly Law across the Divine Kingdom and the Celestial Realm. Many are often tasked with hunting deserters and survivors to have them stripped of their Graces. The Seraphim are considered stronger then the Templar, even though they are smaller in number.