True Neutral
The Undying Empire of Mesumeria
Origin
Humanity is the youngest of the mortal races and the only to arise from the natural world. For millennia they fell beneath the notice of the elder races and their patron deities, roaming Primordias in nomadic tribes and living simple lives as hunter-gatherers. These early tribes lived short and brutal lives, leading them to develop a preoccupation with unlocking the secrets of death.
Humanity is true neutral, owing no allegiance to the deities, allowing them to access powers beyond the reach of the elder races. Deep in the steaming jungles of Sanctus, using blood sacrifices and carefully orchestrated rituals, they tapped into the primordial energies of the cosmos and unlocked the power of undeath. This event forever changed Primordias, propelling humanity onto the world stage and founding a civilization that rivals the greatest of the elder races.
Learning to channel Vis, the raw energy of life, created bound servants and soldiers from the dead. These Risen were used to build a great metropolis, uplifting the nomadic tribes to a powerful empire. Seeking to escape death itself, humanity continued to delve into the forbidden lore of undeath, eventually discovering the long sought key to immortality. By siphoning Vis through themselves and into a focal point, the greatest of the Visicians elevated themselves to the Undying, lich barons that rule Uruk Bara to this day.
Domain
The jungles of north western Sanctus are spread across a vast river basin known as Mesumeria. This steaming rainforest is dominated by predatory beasts and enormous saurians that hunt the lesser creatures. The basin is fed by three rivers that converge to form the great Urfratu, which widens to become a large lake surrounded by jungle choked cliffs of chalky limestone. Draped across the cliffs of the eastern shore lies Uruk Bara, it's ziggurats and temples stretching high above the turquoise waters.
The limestone cliffs have been carved into winding paths, statues, and caves, to accommodate the transportation of goods coming from the waterfront. From the lake, travellers are greeted by a line of grim stone sentinels that tower over the waterfront, showing the original height of the cliffs. The excavated stone, along with that taken from local quarries, has been shaped and built into a vast complex of pyramids, monuments, and sturdy structures.
The northern end of Lake Urfratu marks a ridgeline that runs across Mesumeria. The Urfratu empties over the Tigra Falls and continues to descend all the way to the coast where it pours into the Sanguine Sea. South of Lake Urfratu, the three rivers split off upstream, leading deeper into the continent. Human settlements have spread across much of western Sanctus but next to Uruk Bara, the largest are the three upriver burgs of Eanna, Anu, and Aratta, named for the three tributaries that form the Urfratu.
Society
Uruk Bara, and by extension the whole of Mesumeria, are ruled by the Undying, a chamber of lich barons that have lived for thousands of years. Empowered by their immortal undeath and served by armies of the Risen, the lich barons have cut an empire from the savage jungles of Mesumeria. This empire has grown prosperous by the labors of the dead, allowing for a high standard of living among the common people.
Because of the delegation of labor to the Risen, culture and art have flourished, drawing refugees and exiles from other races. The Undying offer citizenship freely, bringing with it many benefits, but also a cost. Upon their death, all citizens of Uruk Bara are claimed by the empire to join the Risen. Without this constant supply of tireless labor, the empire would crumble. There are those that reject this society, calling themselves the Free People. They live by the old ways of the jungle, hunting and roaming Mesumeria in nomadic tribes.
The secrets of undeath are taught readily by the Visicians at the Temple of Vis. Dedicated to the necromantic arts, the temple serves the empire through the creation of the Risen and the education of aspiring Visicians. The Undying on the other hand, jealously guard the secrets of immortality. There is never more than 9 lich barons and a viscount is only ever elevated from the nobility if one of the Undying is destroyed.
Paths
Deatheater
Barbarian (Path of the Berserker)
Deatheaters are warriors who use potent alchemical mixtures to induce rage states in which they feel no pain, fear, or doubt. The alchemical mixtures are derived from Gravecap mushrooms that sprout from the flesh of the undead. Empowered by the Gravecap trance, Deatheaters are able to face certain death without flinching or failing.
The Deatheaters serve the imperial cohort as shock troops, leading the vanguard or holding in reserve to break the enemy at the key moment. Consuming Gravecaps gradually changes the Deatheaters, warping them into the living dead as necrotic energy builds up in their bodies. Their skin pales to a sickly gray and their eyes begin to glow with dark energy.
Sage
Druid (Circle of the Land)
The Sages keep the traditions of their ancestors alive through their connection to the wilds of Mesumeria. They embrace the origins of human life and revel in the vibrance and brutality of the jungle. The Sages carry on a legacy older than the Visicians themselves, practicing the jungle magic that ruled before the discovery of undeath.
The Sages strive for an equilibrium between the Free People and the jungle. They have taught them to incorporate themselves into the cycles and rhythms of nature. This connection allows them to move freely amongst the saurians and savage beasts that would otherwise prey on them. Sages have created thriving communities that are free from what they see as the oppression of the Undying.
Deathward
Fighter (Champion)
Uruk Bara is a walled metropolis that has been cut from a prehistoric and predatory land. Dangerous saurians and hostile humanoids populate the dense jungle. The Deathwards are charged with protecting the city from all threats, both inside and out. They are the most powerful and skilled warriors from the imperial cohort. Each Deathward is an honored hero of Mesumeria, often accompanied by a retinue of the finest Risen legionnaires.
Deathwards are trained to command phalanxes of Risen soldiers. The imperial cohort has ten Risen soldiers for every one living and they must be bound to the will of their commanders. Experienced Deathwards can orchestrate a phalanx of Risen seamlessly and with fluid grace, their movements combining to form a deadly dance. Even alone, Deathwards are dangerous and intimidating foes, massive champions clad in ebon armor wrought in skeletal shapes.
Voidwalker
Monk (Way of the Open Hand)
The Voidwalkers take a different approach to the manipulation of Vis. Instead of the unsubtle methods of Visicians, they seek to attune themselves to the network of Vis within their own bodies. Through their training, Voidwalkers learn to channel, redirect and balance their Vis, allowing them incredible control over their bodies. Experienced Voidwalkers are even able to extend their control to the Vis within another's body, to heal or to harm.
Voidwalkers live in seclusion, far from the activity of the Mesumerian burgs. Scattered throughout the region there are fortress monasteries dedicated to the ascetic lifestyle required to cultivate their skills. Coupled with the manipulation of Vis, Voidwalkers train in the martial arts. This builds on their ability to manipulate their own bodies, allowing those that show talent and dedication to develop superhuman abilities.
Raptor
Ranger (Hunter)
The Free People of Mesumeria live short and brutal lives outside the safety of the shield walls that protect the burgs. Raptors thrive in this hostile environment, willingly facing some of the greatest beasts on the face of Primordias. They are great hunters, protecting their people from predators and providing for those unable to face the perils of the jungle.
Raptors live simple lives, pragmatic and focused to a fine point. The jungle is a deadly place and they must battle not only saurians and enormous beasts but also predatory flora and savage hordes of Lizardfolk and Myconids. There is no room for the trappings of civilization or the high culture of the capital in this environment. This life of constant struggle shapes Raptors into the hardest, fastest, and deadliest of warriors.
Visician
Wizard (School of Necromancy)
The Temple of Vis is the silent heart at the center of the Undying Empire. It is here that Visicians are trained to channel and manipulate Vis. Through the necromantic arts they learn to harm, heal, destroy, and even create life. This power is not seen as evil or abhorrent by the citizens of Uruk Bara, but as a science and an art, to be respected and controlled.
As Visicians rise in the ranks of the temple, deeper secrets are revealed, unlocking greater abilities and finer nuances in the manipulation of Vis. With each elevation however, a Visician is bound tighter to the will of the empire. This culminates with the Undying Chamber, glorious and immortal, but also prisoners of the viscounts of Mesumeria's nobility. The phylacteries of the Undying are held in trust to ensure that they act in the interest of the people.