Cry Out for a Hero Lore and NPC C.S

Magic
Ever since the imprisonment of the God of Chaos, magic has existed in some form across the world. Magic comes in three forms: ethereal, material and blood. Ethereal magic is drawn from the world around you, and is more powerful in areas where the Veil is particularly thin. Those with an affinity for magic tap into this energy to fuel their spells, and over the centuries ethereal magic has become increasingly more abundant. This has led to priests and Inquistors to surmise that the Veil between us and the demons grows weaker with each passing season, and mages have begun research to try and attempt to stabilise  or strengthen the Veil again. 

Material magic is closely associated with Chaos Crystals or Spirit Gems as known to mages. The Pantheon teaches that when Valatar was locked away, the energy exploded across the world and formed these crystals, small glowing rocks of either blue or purple. The blue crystals are known as Ovalar, and can be used to fuel complex spells and also for enchanting weapons and armour. These crystals are often handled and mined by dwarves, as they have a natural resistance against the stones. Prolonged exposure to the stones tend to drive any other mortal mad after a while, and so the substance if often well regulated by monarchs and especially the Church. The purple crystals are called Valavar after the God of Chaos, and is magic in a pure, primal state. They are more powerful than the blue crystals, and are exceedingly rare. If a mage can acquire one, and resist its influence long enough, they can create the most powerful and destructive magic. The only documented use was the sorceror Malkor who used it to try and raise his island home into the sky during the Church of Light's attempted Grand Annulment (crusade). The man lost control of the power, and the resulting blast shattered the island into pieces in the air, the gem falling into the ocean leaving a trail of purple flames dancing across the top of the water, even still to this day known as the Burning Sea. Nearly all nations prohibit the use of Valavar, and the Dwarves themselves try to stay away from the material, as they hear the 'Song', the only example of when Dwarves are exposed to Chaos. If exposed to either of them, people begin to hear a strange humming sound emanating from the stones, before eventually complaining about a song. If exposed to Ovalar for too long, or rare Valavar for a short time, a mortal can turn. First they go mad, muttering and crying out at random before frantically beginning to dig. They forsake the light and burrow underground into the Dwarven Under-Empire, searching for the source of the song. Eventually their skin decays and body morphs into one of the Corrupted, who stalk the underground looking for their god, feasting on anyone who strays nearby. Or each other. Ovalar is also useful in the manufacturing of a particular drug, Rashish. Created by dwarven cartels and smuggled to the surface to sell, Rashish of often smoked through a specialised pipe or mixed with wine. Known to be highly addictive, the liquid can create feelings of euphoria, remove inhibitions and heighten pleasure from food, drink and love. As such, it is used by nobles and commoners alike, those who can afford it that is.

Blood magic is another forbidden magic, although some societies have been known to tolerate and encourage its practice in times long past. Seen as another form of material magic, it uses blood instead of crystals to fuel spells. As all mortals were created as beings of soul and magic, each one has an small amount of magical energy inside them that can be drawn on for spells. While a mage could sacrifice some blood to enhance a simple spell into a more powerful version, it was often used by cruel magisters of the past by sacrificing hundreds of slaves to achieve their goal. Same as Valavar, the magical potential is endless, and is alot safer to the user as they won't need to risk becoming Corrupted, however the cost of lives to achieve the same results is very high indeed. The Church of Light actively hunts mages who dabble in blood magic, and all mages trained by the Church have a Paladin to accompany them. A Paladin is a mortal who pledges their everlasting service to the Church as well as the Pantheon, and in return they are put under a series of harrowing trials, the trials themselves only known amoungst the Order and high ranking members of the Church. When they pass, they are blessed with more strength and speed than the average mortal, as well as acquire the magical resistance of the Dwarves. They serve in two branches; the Guardians and the Inquistors. The Guardians serve either as a guard in a Chapter or assigned to a travelling mage. It is their job officially to protect the mage, watch over them as they guide the leaders of the world and provide their services. However in reality they are there to strike down any mage who gives into blood magic or a demon. The Inquistors are the mage hunters, specially trained to track and eliminate rogue mages. They are able to detect magical energy when it is used, and trace it back to the mage who wielded the spell. Feared across the land, Inquistors have also been known to kill those who speak out against the Church and Pantheon, mages are not. 

Those mages who are born with an affinity for magic, can have it develop at any age. Some children are born with it, able to change their eye colour before they can even walk, and sometimes it may not develop until old age. No one is sure why some mortals suddenly develop their magic, but what is known is that they are closely tied to the Veil. They are fairly rare, with magic known to stay within bloodlines but not appear it all its children. When magic develops, the mage begins to dream within the Veil itself, able to walk around and control the dream as they would like. However any mage who doesn't learn to harness and suppress their power and prescence when it begins to develop, can attract demons to them while they sleep. Demons can sense magical energy in the Veil similar to how Inquistors can in Thelia, and if they find the mage they will make attempt to possess them. If successful, they will take control of the mages body and will do a wide variety of things. A demon of pride will attempt to use magic and cruelty to open up tears in the Veil to let spirits and demons through. A demon of fear will attempt to locate a particularly trouble individual and transfer the possession to them, feeding off their fear and bad memories until they can physically manifest in the real world. There is demons for everything you could imagine. Hatred, desire, lust. 

There is however benevolent spirits in the Veil, with the Church of Light teaching it is where the soul of the evil and tainted are taken by demons, and tortured and violated into becoming demons of themselves. The good and pure however pass on to join with Solaril, ignoring completely what happens to worshippers of Lunaris, saying they will join the demons. Spirits who have unfinished business, good or bad, cannot pass on until they have finished it either in the Veil or by passing a message onto a mage who walks in dreams. These can be spirits of hope, justice, valor and love. Yet the longer these spirits reside in the Veil without passing on, the greater of chance that their good traits are twisted into that of a demon.

A Chapter is a congregation of mages who come together under the watchful eyes of the Church's Paladins to practice and teach magic. Their is often one for every city, and parents are told to bring their children here for magical training to protect them from the demons of the Veil. Court mages are also collected from here, chosen by the Church to serve kings and lords, although every mage leaving a Chapter must be accompanied by a guardian. There is many mages who live outside the Church's laws known as hedge mages. These mages, like Yuna, learn on their own and practice outside of Church law. While not illegal in the sense, it is frowned upon and if discovered by an Inquistor, they are likely to be killed to prevent them ever becoming a threat. Those countries who follow the Council do not have Chapters in their cities, and instead refer to mages as the Gifted. While these refer to natural mages, every mortal is capable of magic. With enough study and experience, simple spells can be preformed by drawing on the ethereal magics, however they can be physically taxing and exhaust the user. 

History of the Dwarven Under-Empire
Dwarves are only the name given to the race that lives under the very earth. To the dwarves, they call themselves the Durimur originally. The first dwarven records span far beyond any lore of the surface, although this is fiercely debated theologically on the surface as it is the belief of the followers of the Divines that all the mortals of the world were placed there after the Trickster was locked beneath the earth. The Dwarves are a short and stout race, with an inherent ability to resist magic and magical effects. They are known for their pursuit of science, high craftsmanship and cutthroat politics that would make the intrigue of the kingdoms above seem tame in comparison. 

Orginally the Dwarves were one united race who mined tunnels for materials and minerals to feed their burgeoning nation, with many families breaking off to form their own colonies and tunnels. Each however swore fealty to the Mountain King, who managed and ruled over each Krak (City) and Karakus (Town). This was just before what the records call The Sundering. The earth shook violently, and whole sections of rock rose and fell under the Durimur's feet. Their tunnels collapsed in on themselves, and in some cases the rock even split apart to show the Dwarves their first glimpse of the sky, where the records say they saw an 'ethereal light'. When the rock came smashing down, it buried whole towns and cities, to the point the survivors thought they were the only ones left. 

Five great Dwarven cities remained; The largest and most powerful Krak Varok. The city of miners Tal Ithol. The city under the Sky, the trading town of Silverlight. Home of the Revered Defenders, elite warriors of the dwarves resided in Falhammar. Lastly, the oldest Dwarven city where all their ancient deeds and knowledge was contained, the Halls of Stone. 

Each city developed independently of each other, slowly making their way through the ancient tunnels that once linked their empires to recover ancient towns and knowledge. After over a hundred years, the first two kingdoms met each other again. Krak Varok and the Halls of Stone discovered one another while excavating one of their super highways, the Stoneway. Wary at first, the two eventually entered into negotiations to try to rebuild their empire when they also discovered Tal Ithol. The last to be discovered was Falhammer, who was found only in the last 100 years.

While they are all one race and once one people, the time spent apart has allowed each to develop into their own kingdom with their own rules and laws. Krak Varok is ruled by a king, the royal line of Althing. A High Priest rules over those of the Halls of Stone who is voted in after the death of the last, and similarly the city of Silverlight is commanded by a  congregation of merchant princes. Tal Ithol is commanded by a Mayor, voted in once every 20 years when the last dies or if one is voted High King of the Dwarves. Lastly Falhammer is ruled by the strongest and noblest warrior known as the Knight Commander. Each of the great cities gets to send 4 representives to the Tagath, the committee that votes the new High King. With 30 representives, 10 coming from the smaller towns and colonies, Dwarven politics is often cutthroat as each city tries to sway, intimidate and often murder to acquire votes for their chosen candidate. A two month period is normally given to debate, giving plenty of time for allegiances to switch, often multiple times. 

The cities often help outsiders to reflect the caste system that is part and parcel to Dwarven life. They castes are as follows in descending order: Noble, Priest, Warrior, Merchant, Miner and Osoble. Nobles are primarily tax collectors and landowners, often renting out to the lower classes, and make up the Magisterium. The Priests are in charge of honouring ancestors and writing the history of the Dwarven race. The warrior caste are revered as the protectors of the cities, and patrol the Stoneway to keep them clear of the Corrupted and other creatures of the deep. Merchants hold a unique position in that they are the only ones allowed above the surface and under the open sky without being caste out of Dwarven society and joining the Osoble. They are responsible for the regulation of Spirit Gems above the surface, as well as maintaining the trading outposts on the surface. These outposts are often carved into stone mountains or cliff faces, so as not to completed give up the protection of the Stone. Miners do as the name suggest, mining ore and Spirit Gems and moving them to the Merchants for distribution. Last are the Osoble, or the casteless. This happens when a family falls from favour or tries to undermine the caste system, and their own caste is stripped away leaving their family nothing. Any property is taken away and given to the priesthood to redistribute and they are sent to the slums, often under the glamour and prompt of the rest of the city. These dwarves complete the rest of the jobs required by society, but laws prevent them from selling these goods to the rest of society. Therefore, cartels and other criminal organisations rule over these areas, paying other Osoble to help them live and providing work, while selling the product to the Merchant guilds through secret deals and networks. In alot of the slums, many of the common folk have a positive relationship with the cartel and will even work and protect them. 

The Dwarves deeply rever their ancestors through the Stone. When their world was torn apart and the sky opened up, terror struck the people. The priests teach that it was the Stone that protected them, that caved in around them to protect them from the horrors of the surface. Only the people of Tal Ithol don't fear the sky, although they still prefer to live within the shadow of their ravine. The priests teach that the blood and body of the Durimur strengthen the Stone and that their wisdom speaks through it. When a Dwarf with a caste dies, they are entombed in a sarcophagus within a city's catacombs, vast halls with sarcophagi carved into the walls. However when the priests and nobles agree that a particular dwarf has lived a virtuous life or has done a great service for the empire, they can be uplifted to the status of the Honoured. When this happens, the Honoured body is move to the Hall of Heroes underneath Krak Varok and their family is uplifted to specific part of the Noble caste called the Magisterium. Here they are revered as the blood of the Honoured and believe the wisdom of their ancestor speak through them, and thus they convene with the priests when they choose one of the Honoured and confirm the choice. 

Blood Magic
A corrupted form of magic, rather than using Ovalar or Valavar to enhance a spells strength, it uses blood as life energy to fuel its spells. While blood magic is much more powerful than traditional magic, it is infinitely more dangerous as over use can kill its caster.

All mortals possess magical power within them, and as such any blood can be used as fuel for a spell. This is why magisters of ancient times would use hundreds and thousands of slaves for use in their more ambitious spells, using other mortals as fuel. Blood mages also use it to just fuel natural spells, and as such have an extra well of power to draw upon. These can be used to enhance normal elemental magic into a more dangerous, primal state or to achieve spells that no normal mage can achieve with their mana, similar to the use of Valavar. The possibilities are endless.

All blood mages dream more than their normal counterparts, and as such are more at risk of possession by attracting demons. Those who can master their dreams can find they can see into the past, present and future. These 'blood dreams' can also allow them to see, in real time, across vast distances and so blood mages are very useful for spying. However as blood magic has been outlawed across much of the world, many who practise go into hiding, avoiding Inquistors as they go.