WORLD BUILDING AND LORE - SECTION 1: HISTORICAL FOUNDATION & POWER SYSTEMS
The First Rift (537 AD)
In 537 AD, during Emperor Justinian I's reign, Constantinople experienced a phenomenon historians call "the year without sun." The sky turned red, temperatures dropped and the first Rift opened above the Hagia Sophia.
Creatures called Variants emerged from the Rift. They were entities that violated natural laws and the Byzantine military could not stop them with conventional weapons. Within weeks, 40% of Constantinople's population had met there demise.
Humans had become deep into seen and the rifts were believed to be Gods divine judgement.
The Prime Twelve
After offering up their prayers, the human race was giving one last chance and 12 worthy humans were touched with God's grace.
Glowing marks called Crests appeared on their bodies and gave them supernatural abilities.
The Twelve fought the Variants and sealed seven powerful entities called Diavoli into dimensional prisons using weapons made from Rift-touched materials. Notable members include:
- Alexios the Sword-Bearer (House Cross ancestor)
- Photios the Light-Bringer (House Rodriguez ancestor)
- Kyros the Frozen (House Veltman ancestor)
These twelve became known as Prime Topplers. Their pnuema became immeasurable due to the crests effectively making them immortal. Most are still alive but have withdrawn from public life.
Each founded a Major House.
The Expansion (6th-15th Century)
The Byzantine Empire used its Marked warriors to spread Catholicism and Crest knowledge worldwide in a campaign called The Sanctification.
By the 15th century, three continental powers formed under Byzantine rule:
- Arcana - Eastern Europe and Middle East. Political and religious center. Capital: Constantinople
- Fortizo - Western Europe and Americas. Military and technology hub
- Vitalis - Africa and Asia. Scientific and educational center
Emperor Constantine XXIII currently rules from Constantinople.
POWER SYSTEM
Pneuma
Pneuma (Greek: πνεῦμα, meaning "breath" or "spirit") is spiritual energy that all living things have. Most humans have very little. People with Crests have much more.
Pneuma is measured in units using Rift-tech scanners. Power levels are classified by tiers:
- Tier 1 (Neophyte): 100-500 units
- Tier 2 (Acolyte): 500-2,000 units
- Tier 3 (Presbyter): 2,000-10,000 units
- Tier 4 (Strategos): 10,000-50,000 units
- Tier 5 (Magister/Vice-Magister): 50,000-200,000 units
- Omega-Class: 200,000+ units
Crests
Crests are glowing marks on the body that give supernatural powers. They appear randomly but run in certain bloodlines, especially those descended from the Prime Twelve.
Activation
To use a Crest, three things are needed:
1. Focus (Katanyxis): Concentrating on the Crest mark
2. Invocation (Epiklesis): making a decision to use the crest usually through a glow in the eyes of the crest mark.
3. Manifestation (Energeia): Channeling the power physically
Types of Crests
Symbiont Crests (60% of all Crests)
- Bond the user's body with natural elements like fire, ice, or metal
- Need constant pneuma flow to work
- Example: Mira Veltman's ice powers
Aeon Crests (32% of all Crests)
- Give superhuman physical abilities
- Enhanced strength, speed, or other body modifications
- Example: Brick's strength
Shard Crests (8% of all Crests)
- Create weapons or creatures from pneuma
- Some creations can think on their own
- Example: wheeler. Willy's pet squirrel.
Charis
Charis (Greek: χάρις, meaning "grace") is a special ability separate from Crests. It comes from a person's soul rather than their genetics. "Every human is believed to be blessed in some way."
In other words not everyone has a crest but everyone has a charis.(Might Just not have found what it is)
Key facts about Charis:
- Only about 30% of Marked people discover theirs
- Each Charis is unique to that person
- Uses much more pneuma than regular Crest abilities
- Can usually only be used once per battle or 2-3 times per day
- Requires speaking a biblical verse to activate
How to activate Charis:
1. Katanyxis: Focus deeply on your soul
2. Epiklesis: Speak a biblical verse that fits the ability
3. Energeia: The Charis activates
THE DIAVOLO
The Diavolo are seven extremely powerful entities that the Prime Twelve sealed away. Each represents a dangerous natural force:
1. Typhon - Chaos
2. Erebus - darkness
3. Hecate - Corruption
4. Chronos - Time
5. Tartarus - rot/decay
6. Nemesis - Death
7. Nyx - Dreams
The Seventh Seal is what the Prime Twelve used to trap them. Each Diavolo has Heralds (powerful servants) and Apostles (servants of the Heralds).
A cult uses the seventh seal symbol and wants to free the Diavolo.
VARIANTS
Variants are creatures that come from Rifts. They break natural laws and threaten humans. They range from mindless beasts to intelligent beings.
1. Echoes- lowest ranked cat like entities. Strength is in their numbers
2. Abberants- more intelligent life forms, bigger and certainly a lot deadlier than echoes. Would take several Acolyte level topplers to defeat one
3. Titans- gigantic variants, with equally big brains. Capable of tactics and more recently even speech
4. Parasites
5. Diavolo.
Rifts still open randomly around the world. Toppler agencies work to stop Variant attacks.