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Message: <blockquote data-quote="The Other Librarian" data-source="post: 1780716" data-attributes="member: 23655">Here's a littlebackground info, much of which you will have sussed out already, but it's kind of a "what the man on the street might know" primer. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> A Few Things by way of Introduction to Illmyre.1. The World is Dying.    Slowly but certainly.  No-one is really sure why, and opinions differ on this.  Perhaps it is the fault of the Imperial family, who turned their backs on the gods, instead choosing other, more sinister masters.  Then again, maybe it’s just a natural death; we just happen to have the poor luck of being born at the end of times.  Did the other races die out because the world waned, or vice-versa?  Regardless, things have been going this way for a long time.  Few, if any, who are alive now remember anything different.2.  Magic is Corrupting.    As the world has begun to move on, so has the source of magic become corrupt.  While it is still possible to wield the powers of magic, it carries the risk that the caster will herself become tainted.  Those who dabble long enough begin to exhibit signs of this taint.  At first they may simply tire easily, or appear distracted.  Eventually more physical signs manifest: twisted limbs, rotting flesh, tumors.  Those who continue beyond this point will certainly die, but many believe that, in such a condition, it is impossible to rest easily.      Not surprisingly, few want anything to do with an acknowledged mage.  Fear and shunning are the best welcome most mages can hope for, death at the hands of an angry mob is probably more realistic.  Magic is outlawed in the City of Illmyre, and practice is punishable by death.  But then again, those who choose to study magic have worse things to worry about than the law.  Some people seem to be innately ‘gifted’ with magical ability, and must do their best to hide the secret.  It is also rumored that death is not always the fate of convicted mages; that in fact the Empire has other uses for them.3.    The Gods are Dead.Or might as well be for all the concern they show now.  Time was, a person could count on the Gods to look out for things, at least in a cosmic sense.  Some lucky few could even compel the gods to intercede on their behalf.  At some point though, those miracles stopped happening, and with that belief began to drift away.  People had to turn to more prosaic methods for healing and protection.  Some churches tried to carry on, adapting their role in the community and becoming sanitariums and similar institutions.  Herbalism and primitive alchemy has also tried to fill the void left by the absence of the divine.4.  There are Big, Nasty Things out there.You’d think all the above would be enough.  But no.  As a byproduct of all the above, many nasty things find their way into the city.  Many live in the ruins and catacombs beneath.  Things summoned by wizards, things that got through in places where reality is breaking down.  If there is a noise in the basement, best to leave it alone.  If the angles in your house don’t seem to add up right, it may not be your contractors fault.  Ignore it.  Those who don’t tend to end up soiling themselves quietly in the corner of some institution.5.  The Royalty is Not Quite Human.        The same ruling family has help power for centuries.  Where they came from before they came to power is knowledge lost to the mists of time.  They were blessed with powers beyond those of normal humans: great charisma and wisdom, mastery of great magics, incredible longevity.  Naturally they rose to power and formed a great dynasty.      For better or worse, they bred with humans.  Many of the other aristocratic families have Imperial blood in their veins, and of course, more than a few bastards sprang up.  Now the Imperial Family, though still possessed of great wealth and political power, is waning.  Perhaps the bloodline has become too dilute, or perhaps their power was tied to the Gods.  Now they tend toward fickleness and dissolution.6.  The City of Illmyre is the Center of the Universe.    Despite all this malaise, Illmyre is still the greatest city in the world.  Sat on the mouth of the river Myre, its docks are the largest center of trade in the Empire.  It is the Seat of the King.  It is the place all aspire to be, and all roads lead to Illmyre.  Generally the only people who leave for any significant length are merchant traders, and those who enlist in the army.  But they all come back to Illmyre, or die trying.  Just about anything you want can be found here, along with a few things you don’t.  More on the city itself later…</blockquote>

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