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ᴏʀɪɢɪɴᴀʟ ꜰᴀɴᴛᴀꜱʏ ꜱᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ
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Rushar is a country of obscene riches, harrowing danger, and corruption around every corner. Even the land itself has been bent and warped over centuries of seemingly nonstop wars - the forests that sprawl across half the eastern side of the continent roll and surge as if there's an ocean trapped beneath the ground. The plains that make up most of Rushar are dotted with smoking ruins and inhabited by the nomads that have been displaced from their homes. To the south, the Shimmering Ocean tempts young adventurers and seasoned explorers alike, it's floor littered as it is with crystal dust and tiny gems carried down the Crystalrun River in the west. And in the north tower the Glittering Peaks, the source of virtually all of the wealth in Rushar. Deep, deep beneath the mountain's roots lie untold riches in the form of minerals and gems as far as the eye can see. The people of Rushar have delved to impossible depths and still have not found an end to the wealth lying beneath those mountains.
But all is certainly not well. Greed has taken hold of many, and with the wealth earned through ruthless exploitation comes a power too great to be held by mortal men.
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Magic falls into three broad categories in Rushar: solid, liquid, and gas. These are more colloquially known as bone, blood, and breath magic, respectively.
If a person is born with magic, it is only of one type out of the three. Blood magic is the most common, and is also seen as the most useful. It allows the user to manipulate liquids. The type and amount of liquid that can be handled depends on the mage. Some can only work with pure water; others can control any liquid they come in contact with, with extreme precision and efficiency. Blood magic is the only magic type with no restrictions relating to the body of the mage. Oddly, blood is one liquid that no Blood Mage is able to control - or so it was always thought ...
Bone magic is the second most common, and is generally disdained by most, since the power of the magic depends on the physical power of the mage themselves. Even the biggest, strongest mage can only manipulate a certain amount of solid matter before their bones begin to physically feel the strain. Many bone mages have bitten off more than they could chew and walked away with shattered bones.
Breath magic is rare, and extremely disdained. The amount of gas or vapour a breath mage can control is based on their lung capacity, rendering it essentially useless in day to day life. Even if somebody is born with breath magic, their parents tend to suppress it out of shame - better to be born with no magic at all than breath magic, after all.
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The Whitgard family is the richest and therefore most powerful clan in Rushar. They've made their fortune for generations by "employing" down on their luck citizens desperate for a meal and a safe place to sleep. The meals they're provided are little more than gruel, and the safe place they're given to sleep lies deep underground, with no light but that of torches and no warmth but that of the hatred slowly burning in their hearts.
Alexei Whitgard is the current head of the family, and has more of a martial nature than his entrepeneur ancestors. He takes what he believes he is owed with little to no concern over who he steps upon on his way to the top - which is, incidentally, where he started anyway. He's the first Whitgard in many years to step out of the vast complex he and his family abide in and take a direct hand in the ruling of Rushar. He's known to be cruel, heartless, and cold.
What few outside the Whitgard family know is that the upbringing of a Whitgard heir is harsh past the point of cruelty. Alexei rarely saw his parents growing up, being left instead with a series of 'tutors' that beat and bent him into the shape his parents desired. When it became clear he had an aptitude for combat, he was given over to the General of his father's army and made to endure conditions even worse than the foot soldiers in order to 'build character.' On his 16th birthday, he was given a sword of the finest make, by the best blacksmith in all Rushar - Perthan Graysong. It was the first and last gift he has ever received, and has since taken more lives than he's bothered to count.
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Rushar is not without unrest. An underground rebellion, known as "The Rising Dead," has slowly but surely been gathering a substantial following among the people of Rushar. Even in Sapphord, the seat of the Whitgard family and the capital city, has a large population of rebels living within its' walls, right under Alexei's nose.
The Rising Dead are dedicated to the downfall of House Whitgard, and the installation of a fair and unbiased central government. Many think this is a foolish hope - the Whitgard's have in their employ some of the most powerful mages in Rushar, the most brutal soldiers, and the most conniving tacticians. For generations they've had Rushar by the throat, and few see that changing any time soon. But The Rising Dead have recently seen a surge in new members, ever since the unexpected death of Alexei's younger brother - who was slated to become the next High Mage. Now the family is in turmoil, and people see a crack in the impenetrable armour that's been protecting them for centuries.