An Introduction to Chronicles of Indur
The continent of Indur was once rich with life, with lush forests, fertile soil, and crystalline rivers dominating the land. Then, one fateful day, the Realm Drifters and the Great Desert began to appear. With the Realm Drifters came plague and hostilities between the native denizens and the interloping rifters, and with the Great Desert came the downfall of civilization itself. Crops failed as once fertile fields turned to sand. Rivers dried in their beds. Slowly, but surely, civilization began to fail as resources dwindled.
Present day Indur is but a shadow of its former self now. Over the course of a century and two decades Indur's kingdoms failed, leaving behind vast ruins buried out in the great sand dunes. Humanity now gathers into over-crowded city-states. There is little love lost between the city-states, each one viewing the other as a rival for resources and power.
Indurians eventually discovered a means by which to protect themselves from the constant influx of various diseases from the Realm Drifters, thus arising the ritual of marking all newborn infants with a magical religious tattoo to prevent ill health and death from disease from occurring. Those Indurians which do not possess the tattoo are usually ostracized from society as they are seen as either pagan or associated with the Realm Drifters, and it is also believed that those lacking the tattoo are disallowed passage to the afterlife upon death. The tattoo itself is a cosmic map of the three celestial bodies that are worshiped (Zhaeves, Aeltha, and Shedar), and has the appearance of a series of intricately woven lines and circles in dark blue ink to represent the path of their heavenly dance. These tattoos are either placed upon the wrist so that it encircles the arm like a bracelet, or across the forehead so that it spans the entire width and has a likeliness to head jewelry.
All the while the Realm Drifters suffer at the hands of the natives, either slain on sight in some city-states or forced into servitude in others. With each new generation there are fewer and fewer heroes willing to venture out to discover the cause behind the appearance of the Great Desert and the Realm Drifters. Few ever return from their quest, and none ever return with answers.
It is at this point that you, the player, come into the game. Your character shall have a direct impact upon the setting.
You shall determine whether the last bastions of civilization fail, or if Indur's horrible fate can somehow be reversed.
Below is a succinct summary of each area available to roleplay in. Please take the time to read over the summaries, and determine which area you would most prefer to start off in.
Dimesca - Originally founded to serve as the capital of Ardenthe, a small kingdom that has since been lost to the antiquities of time, the Desert Rose is a mosaic of flamboyantly grandiose architecture consisting of fluted columns, flying buttresses, gilt steeples, and curvaceous cupolas. The antediluvian city stands as a testament to the accomplishments of the proud Ardenthian people, vestiges of their former power towering high into the sky to now cast long shadows over their bitter lives. The city is divided into three districts, named the Paradisia Quarter, the Northern Quarter, and the Llynthíel Quarter. Over this all rules the oligarchic Grand Council, with the River Guard and the Sable Order serving as their iron fist.
Cadmia - The economic and political rival of Dimesca, this riverfront walled kingdom-city is known for it's farming, livestock and trade. Unlike the Desert Rose, Cadmia is a monarchy ruled over by the Suadine family and fiercely protective of her Massrian people, as evidenced by the small but formidable military and defensive boundary walls. Although the public religion is that of the three celestial bodies, there is an older underground set of beliefs practiced by Cadmians in the safety of their homes. The city is divided into three districts, named the Histali District, Kifa District, and the Mbizi District. The majority of Cadmians are fluent in both common Indurian and Caadia.
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