Races

Dragons: a Paxan mammal with both reptilian and avian traits; a martial race of that has evolved to transform into a humanoid during a harvest sun or a new moon; they either interbreed with humans or mate with other dragons

Dragonborn: a martial race of human-dragon hybrids; known for their primacy in battle and war; they serve the Gatál Empire by comprising the vast majority of their army

Dwarfs: a sub-race of humanoids who specialize in combat and physical labor, such as mining and crafting; males and females are almost indistinguishable from each other

Fireborn: a genetically manipulated race of Risa bred purely for combat; the society includes two castes: the intellectual elite and the barbarian hordes

Gatál: a sub-race of humans who specialize in wizardry and have access to parallel worlds to obtain technology well beyond their ken; they look like humans but have superhuman abilities

Humans: the Paxan equivalent of homo sapiens on Earth (Terra)

Risa: a peaceful sub-race of humans who possess the requisite biological systems to absorb natural elements and energy and convert them into mana (magic power) for spells

Wraiths: undead beings; mortal souls brought back from the dead against their will or by force; dark beings who live by draining/siphoning the emotional energy from the living; can only be killed by a diamond-edged blade or arrow in a way that would have killed them as a mortal

Places

Free World: a loose confederation of Paxan nation-states that stand against the Gatál Empire as allies; regime run by the Ministry of Minningen, a democratically elected body of officials

Gatál Empire: a collection of annexed nation-states and satellite states that belong to the Gatál; run by a powerful centralized, dictatorial monarch; an oppressive regime that uses slavery

Hades: a place of limbo on the ephemeral plane (not the physical world) in which people create their own worlds, usually ones of eternal torment and despair

Halden: a free village-state in the neutral zone between the Gatál Empire and the Free World; the Free World has sworn to defend Halden against Gatál attacks

Minningen: one of the major nations in the Confederation of the Free World

Paxus: the fictitious planet on which Fireborn and the Forlorn universes are based; all nations exist on Paxus (adj. Paxan)

Terra (also called Earth): a planet in a parallel plane of existence, which is similar to Paxus with some major differences (Example of parallel evolution: dinosaurs on Terra; dragons on Paxus)

(Please refer to the Map for more detail regarding geography.)

Classes

Academics: intellectuals who strive to increase their wealth of knowledge and use that information to teach, fight, defend, heal, and research how the world operates

Barbarians: primal warriors who focus on brute strength to win battles (in contrast to Fighters)

Clerics: religious warriors, healers, or magic users who use the power of their gods and goddesses to draw strength for spells and the acquisition of knowledge

Fighters: skilled warriors who use a combination of wisdom, intellect, tactics, and superior weapons and armor to win battles (in contrast to barbarians)

Healers: academics who take an oath of purity and stand as the defenders of life; they can act only as medics on the battlefield and vow not to take a life except in self-defense

Rogues: specialize in stealth, dexterity, and camouflage; includes reformed criminals who use their skills for the benefit of their community, usually as spies, combatants, or defensive patrols

Royalty: leaders who claim the right to rule based on racial origin, bloodlines, wealth, status, or domination; this right is then passed down through masculine or feminine primogeniture

Sorcerers: a sub-class of magic users who focus on perfecting their innate biological processes to control/manipulate natural energy and matter (in contrast to wizards)

Wizards (also called Scientists): a sub-class of magic users who focus on the acquisition of knowledge to harness their control of natural energy and matter (in contrast to sorcerers)

Expressions - Modern equivalent

By the gods!: I swear... / Oh my! / Wow!

(This world is polytheistic; therefore 'gods' is not capitalized.)

Chaff: literally the husk of corn, wheat, or some other grain; (here, pej.) a vulgar word for rubbish or trash equivalent to many four-letter words in English, depending on context

Go to Hades!: Go to hell! / F*** off!

Oh, gods!: Oh, my God! (again, gods is written deliberately in lower case)

What in Hades?: What the hell? / What the f***?

What on Paxus?: What on Earth? / What the heck? (less pej.)

Terms

Clairvoyance: an ability to see beyond time by means of visions of the past and the future

Day of Rest: a day reserved for prayer, reflection, relaxation, or spending time with family and/or friends; the shops, mines, and factories are closed; no classes run; no military training takes place; no professional services are rendered (cf. Sunday; US Law: Blue Laws)

Diabolan: a new language created for the Fireborn that combines Ancient Draconic with Ancient Risan dialects

Emotional vampirism: the ability to fuel one's magic and life force by draining/siphoning the emotions of others and converting them into mana for spells; an ability of Wraiths

Empathy: an ability to detect the emotions of others without obvious signs/signals

Fisca: a false vision Sorcerers see during times of extreme stress or sickness; contrast to a real vision (verita); akin to a nightmarish daydream in which Sorcerers lose consciousness; they can't control when it begins or ends; chronic fiscas are considered a physical disability

Genetic manipulation: the use of science (wizardry) to change the DNA of an organism to express unusual features/characteristics

Kaplách: (Diabolan) mercy killing someone suffering a painful death

Mana: magic power that can be used to cast spells; can be derived from scientific knowledge (wizards) or from the manipulation of natural elements, energy, and matter (sorcerers)

Spells: an incantation that allows a transformation to take place (e.g. healing, wounding, manipulation of energy/matter; honing special skills such as clairvoyance, empathy, or telepathy)

Telepathy: an ability to detect the thoughts or thought patterns of others by means other than deduction, induction, observation, or supposition

Verita: a vision of the future; details might change depending on the choices individuals make; not accepted as evidence in court or evidence for a pre-emptive strike because of the margin for error (in contrast to fiscas, which aren't real)

Example of how classes differ

You have to get a large box up the stairs, and it's almost impossible to lift. How do you do it?

Academics: either pay someone else to push it or get a device to do it

Barbarians: roll up your sleeves and push that baby Grrr! Rawr!

Clerics: chant to the Goddess of Strength for extra power to push it

Fighters: round up a bunch of friends with massive biceps to heave that thing with you

Healers: fix the pulled muscles of everyone who thought they could lift it

Rogues: steal a device to lift it with ease ;)

Royalty: get your servants/minions to push it

Sorcerers: draw in natural energy, convert it to mana inside your body, and use that magical force to levitate the item to the top of the stairs; change the physical, chemical, or natural properties of the item or the elements (e.g. air) around it to make it easier to lift.

Wizards: create a device/cast a spell that you've memorized so that it's easier to lift; if you haven't 'learned' the spell, it won't work

How do Sorcerers and Wizards differ?

Master Wizards learn a narrow range of spells in one specialized area. Master Sorcerers have a generalized ability to manipulate the physical, chemical, and natural properties of matter and energy.

Wizards acquire their skills through reading, memorizing, and understanding how nature works. Sorcerers might have no idea how nature works but can still manipulate it thanks to innate biological abilities to manifest whatever their minds can imagine.

Wizards are more rational and logical; therefore, the extent of their ability to manipulate the world might be limited to what they know and understand. Sorcerers cannot manipulate anything they cannot envision in their minds.

A Wizard's mana is housed in a jewel or relic that can be recharged with physical or natural power (sun, moon, heat, cold, water, lava, poison, etc.) Sorcerers have to imbibe that energy inside themselves and 'digest' it into mana that can then be expelled from their receptors.

A Wizard who lacks the biological systems to convert energy to mana can never become a Sorcerer, but a Sorcerer can study to become a Wizard as well. A person who has mastered both classes is very powerful indeed.

Limitations on the Magical World

Overarching concept = Yes, there are limitations on the use of magic that boil down to science, and more specifically for Sorcerers, biology.

___

The Risan Magic System

Excerpts from Liselle's study notes taken from her first-year Healer textbook, Risan Physiology and Physiognomy

Mana production

The Risa are a subset of humans who can convert natural energy into magical energy, or mana. They can then use that energy to cast spells.

The first step in mana production is the ingestion phase. The Risa activate receptors on their hands, also called manual receptors, and absorb natural energy through these receptors. The energy enters the bloodstream and travels to the secondary stomach, which is reserved solely for the purposes of mana production.

In the digestion phase, the secondary stomach processes the natural energy by using enzymes and a complicated selection of secondary substances, which is described in more detail in Unit 2. The digestion of natural energy into mana is also called conversion.

After natural energy is converted into mana, it travels through the bloodstream and into the appendix, an appendage without apparent function in the human body. The appendix stores the mana until it is required for casting spells. This is called the storage phase.

When a Risa has learned how to harness mana and cast spells, the final phase is the casting phase. Using a combination of mental and physical techniques described in Unit 5, the Risa can draw upon mana, which re-enters the bloodstream and pools in the manual receptors. These organs harden as the mana builds up in the receptors in preparation for spellcasting.

Once sufficient mana has gathered in the receptors, the Risa can cast the spell by either a silent or audible command. The receptors convert the mana back into either the energy or the element the Sorceress needs. After the receptors contract, the energy is expelled from the body.

A good analogy for humans studying the Risan Magical System is the process of human digestion, which also occurs in the Risa as a secondary source of energy. Humans imbibe food and drink, which is converted into substances the body requires to obtain energy. This energy is used for a variety of daily functions and exercise.

However, this analogy only goes so far. Unlike humans, Risa can use the by-products of their digestion for magical powers. In humans, the by-products of digestion result purely in waste, which is expelled and eliminated.

Energy transfers

Active receptors are organs on the hands of all Risa that aren't found on the human body. Their natural state is relaxed and flaccid under the skin of the palm. They differ from the passive receptors on the neck, also called cervical receptors, which can only receive energy.

Two Risa can transfer energy to one another through those receptors. The donor gives the energy to the recipient. During an energy transfer between two Risa, the donor's receptors fill with interstitial fluid and harden. This hardening process is called activation.

Once a donor's receptors are activated, they can connect to the receptors of the recipient, which remain passive beneath the surface of the palm. Magical energy, also called mana, flows from the donor to the recipient along with an exchange of emotional and spiritual energy.

The most common reason to do this is healing. Energy transfers can be used to revive an erratic or unstable heartbeat, for example, or to reawaken a patient with head trauma. It can save a patient from death, revive someone who is near death, or boost the patient's healing potential. It may also stabilize a patient until medical aid arrives.

Another purpose of energy transfer is mating. Unlike physical mating, which is reserved for the purposes of reproduction, energy transfers result in an emotional and spiritual connection. It stimulates the same endorphins as physical mating as well as a reciprocal mental and emotional climax. Many partners feel a closer bond to each other through energy transfer than from physical mating, regardless of gender.

One less common reason to transfer energy is in times of crisis when a Sorceress has no other recourse to replenish her depleted mana, usually in wartime. A friend or comrade has the authority to transfer, or donate, any excess of energy to the recipient so that they can continue to cast spells. This process is called donation.

If time is not of the essence, mana can also be donated by the donor, collected in a receptacle, and infused into the recipient's bloodstream intravenously. This process is called mana transfusion.

Magical disorders

Some of the most common problems that can occur in the Risan Magical System, or RMS, include mana dysfunction. Mana overproduction, also called mana excess, occurs when a Sorceress converts too much mana for the appendix to hold. Symptoms include abdominal swelling, loss of appetite, and nausea.

If the overproduction continues, a sharp stabbing pain might radiate from the navel to the lower right-hand side of the abdomen. A low-grade fever may develop, and vomiting may occur.

In this instance, it is important for the patient to expel the excess mana, either through spellcasting, donation, or transfusion. In cases of chronic mana overproduction, the appendix may need to be removed before appendicitis causes septicemia, or blood poisoning.

Another common disorder Sorceresses may experience is called mana depletion, or mana underproduction. In cases of extreme stress, exhaustion from spellcasting, or illness, the body may suffer from storing too little mana in the appendix. It can also result from trying to cast spells with insufficient mana. Symptoms include chronic fatigue, disturbed sleep, unexplained aches and pains, constipation, withdrawal from friends and family, irritability, and depression.

Other rarer magical disorders are discussed in Unit 9.

Energy balance

As is evident from the most common magical disorders, a mana balance must be kept for optimal spellcasting and health. This balance differs among individual patients. Every Risa converts mana at differing rates, and appendix size differs considerably among patients as well.

While care can be taken to optimize spellcasting and to make the process more efficient, much of a Sorcerer's ability to produce and use mana is limited by pure biology.

It is very important that Sorceresses do not consider themselves to be invincible. The Risa cannot produce unlimited spells. Once a spellcaster has depleted their mana, it takes time and patience to replenish that supply--anywhere from minutes to hours to days.

One of the most important skills to teach young Risa is to recognize the symptoms of mana over- and underproduction. It takes time to discover this delicate balance. Parents should not be alarmed if spellcasting or mana production triggers either one of these conditions or both. Care should be taken to teach children effective strategies (more on this in Unit 11).

Energy sources

Please note that the first remedy for all Sorceresses should be natural energy found in the elements (light, water, air, fire, and plants). Risa should avoid energy transfers with strangers except in dire emergencies.

Energy should never be coaxed or forced from any living being, regardless of race, gender, or class. This is considered a gross violation of the Healer Oath and can result in excommunication from the Society of Sorcery and a permanent black ribbon.

___

The Fireborn Speech
Captain Alaria von Tollen

Some experiences change your life forever. My family perished in the Firestorm of Halden, the single most vicious terrorist attack of the millennium.

I'll never forget the putrid stench of burning hair and flesh. I'll never forget the screams as our people ran towards the shelters. I'll never forget how the firestorm raged across the horizon like a red river of ruin.

The Raiders pillaged our broken homes until nothing remained. They assaulted and killed any Haldener who couldn't escape and blockaded our borders. In the end, we couldn't even return to bury our dead while they danced and shouted in triumph over the ashes of our loved ones.

Since then, the Raiders have spread like an epidemic across the Free World. But no longer.

We draw the line--here and no further. The Fireborn stand as Guardians of the New Order, and we refuse to allow their terror to spread.

Like many of you, I lost everything in the scourge, but I refuse to let our pain weaken us. It fortifies us and gives us purpose. It gives us the will to fight, the will to lead, and the will to conquer.

As your Captain of the Guard, I shall lead us to victory.

We of the Fireborn Elite stand tall as warriors forged in flame. We serve our people to take back what is rightfully ours. We will not return until we smite our enemies with an iron fist and reclaim Halden as our home.

Stand with me, my fellow Fireborn, and together let us defend the Motherland of Minningen. Let us pledge that we shall never again allow our lands to fall to the heathen hordes of Hades.

We will never forgive, and we will never forget. We will not rest until every last enemy perishes at the sword!

Halden prevails! Minningen above all!