The Roric Word
the roravi origin myth
In the beginning, the world flower bloomed. It burst forth, its pollen scattering, its seeds sowed.
Primordial creatures crawled across the soil, and the divines, happy with their creations, sat content.
One god, however, looked upon the creatures and cried.
“How sad! How lonely!” She sobbed.
“They crawl and crawl, with nothing to do.” Her tears, falling upon the world flower, beaded onto the petals.
Sagging from the weight, the tears became dew, and slowly slid off the edge.
The god gasped in surprise, as the light shone on the falling dew drop, scattering into beautiful colours.
One colour was bright vermillion, scorching the soil with fiery might.
One colour was a deep sapphire, covering the soil with watery waves.
One colour was glimmering russet, enriching the soil with earthy gems.
And the last colour was a vivid green, breathing into the soil with windy skies.
The god, delighted, flew down into the world to play with her new spirits; however, the spirits had no form, or mind.
They scattered and moved aimlessly, just as the primordial creatures did.
“I know,” the god said. “I will give these spirits...”
“An elemental body, one part from each spirit.”
“A sidereal spirit, from a lively starshard.”
“An immortal divine soul--myself.”
And so, these spirits, born from dew, celebrated their being with their god.
In joy, the god lived amongst them, creating the five greater spirits.
Primordial creatures crawled across the soil, and the divines, happy with their creations, sat content.
One god, however, looked upon the creatures and cried.
“How sad! How lonely!” She sobbed.
“They crawl and crawl, with nothing to do.” Her tears, falling upon the world flower, beaded onto the petals.
Sagging from the weight, the tears became dew, and slowly slid off the edge.
The god gasped in surprise, as the light shone on the falling dew drop, scattering into beautiful colours.
One colour was bright vermillion, scorching the soil with fiery might.
One colour was a deep sapphire, covering the soil with watery waves.
One colour was glimmering russet, enriching the soil with earthy gems.
And the last colour was a vivid green, breathing into the soil with windy skies.
The god, delighted, flew down into the world to play with her new spirits; however, the spirits had no form, or mind.
They scattered and moved aimlessly, just as the primordial creatures did.
“I know,” the god said. “I will give these spirits...”
“An elemental body, one part from each spirit.”
“A sidereal spirit, from a lively starshard.”
“An immortal divine soul--myself.”
And so, these spirits, born from dew, celebrated their being with their god.
In joy, the god lived amongst them, creating the five greater spirits.
Historical timeline
Written by Tomasingen Scholars
Much time and prehistory pass...
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6000 years agoThe five greater spirits, known in modern times as the first Roravi, created pockets of civilizations in the islands that each deified their specific elements. 4 of the elemental civilizations live in the main islands, while the remaining goddess resided afar to watch the islands prosper as she rested from her roric creation. Each area and roravi groups began to farm and use their magic to provide for the earth, mimicking the goddess. Each group began to develop distinct architectural styles and cultures, and rivalries began to grow between certain groups. |
4000 years agoThe Roravi begin to fight and war over the islands, with territorial disputes and Roric Artes warfare growing wild. The goddess awakens from her dozing to see her children fighting, and tries to put a stop to it, but is slain trying to stop the clash of the salamander and undine. The roravi mourn her death for many years, wondering if the islands will fall to ruin now. This catastrophe occurs at the height of Roravi economical and technological power, with advanced, lost technology that are unable to be used today. Various remaining roravi ruins are from this era. |
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2000 years agoWith the weakening of Roravi power, presumably due to the death of the goddess, the Roravi retreated back to their home lands and secluded themselves for many years, rebuilding their broken cities and lands. It is assumed that with the death of the goddess, the rorum of the land dramatically drops and the Roravi peoples are unable to fight at their former strength. Rorum levels drop steadily over the 2000 years time. Various technology, advanced for their time and powered with rorum, was unable to be powered anymore and fell to ruin. Many of these machinery and ruins become what is known as dungeons today. |
950 years agoAround this era, the spread of humanity began to take seed across the islands. Their number, while small now, quickly grew numerous and various simplistic villages and serfdoms appeared over the map. Through several generations of growth, the population grew to a sizable number and began to trickle around the mainlands, exploring the wilds and coming into contact with the weakened Roravi that mostly turned them away in fear and distaste. With nowhere to really call home, humans begin to make small settlements for themselves around the middle of the islands. |
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500 years agoSlowly, over many generations, the shy and elusive Roravi people are opening up to trade and interaction with humankind. Their sharing of ideas and beginnings of inter-species trade opens up a wide path of commerce and a small technological boom for humans, with many important advancements in science and medicine that allowed for an even greater population boom. The greater exposure to Roravi culture has influence human religion to convert many groups from pagan culture to belief in the Goddess. Churches and practices of the Goddess become mainstream. The human capital of Alton-by-the-Riversmeet is founded. |
250 years agoSome humans, while normally unable to use the rorum in the air, begin exhibiting signs of roric prowess again, and many begin to learn how to use Roric Artes by themselves. The Roravi, knowing the dangers of uninhibited rorum, warn the humans that rorum can be dangerous, and humans begin to fear and hate other roric human users--prompting the beginning of a long period of witch hunts. Prosperity in the human capital over the last 250 years has made many richer families unsympathetic to the common folk's distress, with various sources of heavy handed taxation, documented case of abuse of power by praetors of the church (especially the abuse and murder of 'witches'), and the spread of an incurable sickness that even the Roravi cannot heal. |
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150 years agoThe human uneasiness comes to a head and events are set into motion, with the death of King Marduk the VIIth often cited as the catalyst. The King was the lynchpin of many peasant relief efforts and was known to be a kind, empathetic man. The Lords and Ladies of the noble houses became rabid at the death of the monarch, and thus began the long age of the Roric Mage War. The mysteries surrounding his death are many, but the coroner reports state that he has contracted an illness he did not recover from. Noblemen and clergymen alike all became involved in the civil war that takes place in this era, with concentrated efforts of the common folk fighting back for justice for their dead king and outrage of the way they've been treated. Both parties use and hire heavy roric weaponry and Wordsweavers to fight on the frontlines. The full political and socio- aspect of this war is outlined in text XII-CIX. |
50 years agoThe Roric Mage War ends, with most parties having lost most of their financial wealth to continue fighting. The common folk rebuild slowly, and are given more of a voice in Alton, but are still subject to a wide variety of troubles that stemmed from the war--increasing monster activity, Mortesian attacks, prejudice against witches and Fell Beasts. The New Rich, having wisely stayed mostly out of the civil war, take major control by funding rebuilding projects. The monarchy is reinstated with the old King's great-grandaughter assuming the throne, though many believe she's just a puppet for the church. |
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Present Day (Year 950)
Humans have rebuilt much of what was lost and are searching for adventure. Many sail the seas around Septima, while some explore the hidden roravi relics of old. With a need for adventurers, many guilds begin forming to answer the needs of the people. Many major cities will have a large guild, where humans, witches, Roravi, Fell Beasts, and even sometimes Mortes come together to do daily tasks. Many guilds have dropped most political-socio norms in favour of ability and potential, creating welcoming environments for people to work together.
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