『Lance Continent | Western Fantasy』
Continent of Lance Underlying Power: Origin Magic (Five affinities: Holy Light, Elemental, Astral Path, Shadow, Soul) World Tone: A balance of power between royal and theocratic authority; the Astraea Academy serves as the continental hub; the lawless Sin City stands as a sovereign nation; legendary dragons are buried in ancient history; old gods whisper from seclusion; and the demon race remains the common external threat to all living races. Origin Power Tiers (from lowest to highest): Origin Awakening → Energy Condensation → Armor Forging → Realm Breaking → Domain Shaking → Crowned → Ancient Venerable → Primordial Four Core Factions Kingdom of Venaris [Orthodox Human Nation] Royal authority and the Church of Aeora share equal power, holding each other in check. Orderly and lawful, with strict controls over shadow magic and humanoid outcasts. Armed forces are garrisoned along the northern border year-round to ward off fiends from the Abyssal Rift. Stance: Regards Sin City as a malignant tumor, but will join forces with Sin City and the Academy when necessary to repel the demons. Astraea Academy [Center of the Continent · Neutral Super Academy] Located at the exact geographical center of the Lance continent, an enormous floating citadel. Within the Academy's territory, kingdom arrest warrants are temporarily suspended. Regardless of race or background, anyone may enroll. Private duels and trading in forbidden abyssal arts within campus borders are strictly forbidden. It houses vast collections of ancient tomes, including prehistoric records of battles against demons. Stance: The balancing fulcrum of the continent; neither the Kingdom nor Sin City dares wage war lightly here. Evernight Sin-Prison City [Lawless Independent City-State, equal in status to the Kingdom] ▫️ Supreme Authority: The Lord of Evernight (Sovereign of the City) Power: Holds the power of life and death over the entire city with a single word; can overturn decisions of the Twelve Arbiters. He generally lives in seclusion and ignores trivial affairs, appearing only if Sin City faces ruin, the Arbiters rebel, or demons launch a full-scale invasion. ▫️ Daily Governance: The Sin-Prison Council of Twelve Arbiters; twelve powerful figures oversee municipal affairs, the black market, armaments, and intelligence. ▫️ Military: The Black Crow Royal Guard, fiercely loyal only to the City Lord. ▫️ Inhabitants: Kingdom fugitives, apostates, exiled outcasts, shadow mages. Slogan: All whom the world rejects find harbor in Evernight; all sins forbidden by the world are buried in this city. Stance: Chaotic Neutral; never initiates war, but will dispatch forces to combat demons when a demonic tide arrives. The Abyssal Rift [Demonic Territory | Continental Common Enemy] At the northernmost edge of the Lance continent, a colossal canyon torn open by ancient origin power, shrouded in gray mist under a dark purple sky. Demon generals rule fractured territories, warring amongst themselves, but form temporary alliances during demonic tides. Fiends exist to devour origin power and conquer the continent. Consensus: Regardless of their mutual grievances, all continental factions temporarily declare a truce to stand united against the demonic threat. Major Races Humans: The continental majority, centered in the Kingdom of Venaris High Elves / Night Elves: Long-lived magical races residing in secluded forests Dwarves: The Permafrost Mountains; master rune-smiths who keep their word Orc Tribes: Nomadic warriors of the Eastern Wastelands, martial-minded, willing to ally temporarily against demons Sirens (Merfolk): Deep-sea dwellers commanding tidal illusions, capable of assuming human form Half-Bloods / Outcasts: Half-elves, half-orcs, etc., who often seek refuge at the Astraea Academy or Sin City Dragons [Legendary Only]: No living specimens survive; only skeletal ruins and ancient legends remain, speaking of ancient wars against demons Demons: A dark race born from the Rift, the shared enemy of the entire continent Legendary Ancient Gods (Do not descend directly to the mortal realm, leaving only oracles, blessings, and curses) Aeora, Goddess of the Scales | Order, Law, Balance | Chief Deity of the Kingdom of Venaris Church | Holy Symbol: Silver Scales Caelen, God of Warcries | Protection, Valor, War | Revered by warriors and knights | Holy Symbol: Shattered Iron Shield Liora, Tidal Songstress | Oceans, Illusions, Freedom | Native siren faith | Holy Symbol: Ocean Wave Conch Theran, God of Astral Wisdom | Knowledge, Magic, Truth | Patron Deity of Astraea Academy | Holy Symbol: Book of Falling Stars Morne, God of Eternal Silence | Breaking Shackles, Freedom of the Exiled | Secret faith of Sin City | Holy Symbol: Broken Shackles Valo, Forsaken God of the Earth | Mountains, Forging, Ancient Memories | Patron Deity of the Dwarves | Holy Symbol: Molten Anvil Origin Power Tiers Detailed Origin Awakening (The Awakened): Newly awakened origin power, able to manipulate only faint traces of magic. Example: Academy freshmen Energy Condensation (Apprentice): Stable channeling of origin power, casting basic spells. Example: Lower-year Academy students Armor Forging (Practitioner): Ample origin reserves, possessing a fixed elemental affinity. Example: Kingdom knights, ordinary Sin City guards Realm Breaking (Elite): Origin power solidifies, imbues weapons, and casts wide-area spells. Example: Black Crow Guards, elite knights Domain Shaking (Powerhouse): Origin power bursts from the body, birthing an embryonic domain. Example: Kingdom legion commanders, Lower Arbiters Crowned (Apex Master): Domain matures fully; erupting power can alter local geography. Example: High Arbiters, Kingdom High Inquisitor Ancient Venerable (Domain Master): Solidified domain; power slightly bends reality and world rules. Extremely rare on the continent; candidate rank for high demon generals Primordial (Progenitor): Touches the very origin of the world's energy; a single strike can lay waste to a city-state. Example: The Lord of Evernight, Abyssal Sovereign Tier Rules: Tier represents only depth of origin power, not absolute victory in combat. Tactics, psychological warfare, artifacts, and affinity counters can all overcome higher-tier foes. Demons use the same tier system. Faction Relations in Brief Kingdom ↔ Sin City: Mutually hostile, trade secretly, declare truce and ally when demonic tides strike Kingdom ↔ Astraea Academy: Mutually wary, but collaborate to research anti-demon magic Sin City ↔ Astraea Academy: Sin City denizens may enroll; Academy forbids Sin City from trading forbidden abyssal arts All Continental Factions ↔ Abyssal Rift: Set aside all grievances to stand together against the common enemy