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Gods of Ambar Ifrit (Astral Spirits, Old Ones, ... Magic Cosmology Religions The Magic Arts Uru (Dragons)
Ambar is a highly magical world with a complicated history and cosmology. This is best described by outlining the fundamental concepts of magic and faith in Ambar.
On Ambar, magic is a lot like the weather -- it is an undeniable fact of life that surrounds us and affects us in uncontrollable ways. There really are ghosts in the old house on the hill, priests who heal the sick, and armies of vampires plotting to invade your nation. On most days the weather is mild and is only a small benefit or inconvenience, but once in a while there is a real storm of fury that serves as a reminder of how small you really are. Those vampires might be here any time...
Like major natural storms, the major magical events have a profound impact on the nations and people of the world. Leaders of nations spend a great deal of their time and energy dealing with and preparing for the larger storms. Many threats cannot be met with a mundane army, but require magical allies such as Imperial Wizards. Ultimately, however, there is no way to fully mitigate the wrath of nature, nor the magical events that happen on Ambar.
Magic is either extremely low-powered, or high-powered.
Even most children know a few simple charms and words of minor magic. Folk charms tap into ambient energy, but their workings are often so minor as to be unnoticeable. For example, farmers quite often invoke blessings for rain, but they do not often seem to work.
Conversely, magic can also be unbelievably powerful, and can manifest dramatic or even cataclysmic displays. Tapping into major magic requires formal knowledge of the Magic Arts. Not everyone has seen a major work of magic, but everyone has heard hundreds of stories--both current and from the past--involving major magic acts.
Magic can seem to happen spontaneously, most likely from outside events beyond one's ken. For example, a folk charm performed in the "wrong place at the wrong time" could seemingly cause a magical disaster. Of course, dabbling in partially understood magic is usually dangerous.
Every culture on Ambar has a mythos, or set of stories, that describes the world and helps them to make sense of it. In most cultures, this takes the form of religion. The people of Ambar believe in a variety of different religions, which range from philosophies to pantheons of gods. Often a god is worshiped by more than one religion, perhaps under a different name or guise, with different prayer rites and customs.
In addition, the Avatara, Dragons, Deep Ones, and the Kha'din are ancient beings of god-like power who existed before the creation of Ambar. Various cultures consider them to be vassals of the gods, powerful immortals, or gods in their own right.
In a time before time, the Aethiiri and the Deep Ones warred for control over the Astral Seas. When the Kha'din resurfaced the Aethiiri fled to the lands of Ambar, and constructed the Great Weirs to guard their sacred mountain subcontinent--the Undying Land. In the next age the moon was shattered after the second great war against the Kha'din. These ancient magical wars have left their mark. The bones of fallen strongholds littering the land, and many treasure troves contain mighty songblades and other relics too powerful to be safely wielded by mortals. Even now the undead still issue forth from the Wintercrown Mountains--once the Undying Land and now a land of horrid undeath. The north is locked in a struggle between the Alorns and Avathars, and the south between the Southmarens and Gobbah.
Magi across Ambar continually struggle to build and control the Regios.
Ambar has always been defined by magic and the struggle to control it. Ley Lines are the source of magic within Ambar, extendng in a vast, interconnected network that carries magic to nearly every corner of the world. The intersections of Ley Lines are called Nodes, places of vast magical power and danger, as well as gateway portals between Ambar and the Astral Seas. The struggles against the Deep Ones and Kha'din are for control over the Nodes, for only by warding the portals to the Astral Seas can Ambar be at peace. Magi also struggle to create Regios, networks of Nodes. The wars of men are but shadows of the wars of wizards.
Earth Mother Sun King Unknowable Void Veiled Maiden Winged Messenger
All of the gods of Ambar can be identified to one of five divine archetypes: "Earth Mother", "Sun King", "Winged Messenger", "Veiled Maiden", and "Unknowable Void". The gods within an archetype are all similar in some ways, but are still distinct and unique. For example, Mrmym and Reshuk are both aspects of the the "Winged Messenger" archetype, and are both gods of the air represented as archer messengers. However there are many differences as well: Mrmym is surrounded by birds and Tark by flies; Mrmym carries the messages of the gods and Tark carries false messages.
It is thought that these five archetypes were derived from the ancient gods of the Eldar and creators of Ambar: Amarnaneth, Anoril, Hirmenel, Ithilriel, and Gollor. Along with the Eldar, these ancient gods have been all but forgotten, yet, they have had a profound influence on their successors.
Each of the five archetypes fills a role in ancient society, and in their own roles none is more important than the others. The "Sun King" is the warrio [ more... ]
Akuma (Taint-Bearers, Kha'din Sorcerers) Gobbah (Deep Ones) Kha'din (Kaeden, Nameless Old Ones)) Oni (Harvesters, Clockwork Daemons)
The Old Ones were, the Old Ones are, and the Old Ones shall be...
The Astral Sea is teeming with life, but almost all of it is inimical to our own ways of existence. The Eldar called these dark spirits Ifrit, and hunted them whenever they evaded the ever-watchful Uru and emerged onto the shores of Ambar.
Ancient tales of shining celestial angels, daemons, and other supernatural visitations are generally attributed to the Ifrit. The most known Ifrit are the Akuma, Gobbah, and Kha'din. [ more... ]
Arcanym (Ren, True Names, Secret Names) Astral Sea Ir-kalla (Underworlds, Netherworlds) Ley Lines (Dragon Lines, Shining Paths, ... Nodes (Astral Pools, Dragon Wells, ... Regios (Warrens) The Aether
Ambar has always been defined by magic and the struggle to control it.
Ley Lines are the source of magic within Ambar, extendng in a vast, interconnected network that carries magic to nearly every corner of the world. The intersections of Ley Lines are called Nodes, places of vast magical power and danger, as well as gateway portals between Ambar and the Astral Seas. The struggles against the Deep Ones and Kha'din are for control over the Nodes, for only by warding the portals to the Astral Seas can Ambar be at peace. Magi also struggle to create Regios, networks of Nodes. The wars of men are but shadows of the wars of wizards.
Beast Cults Children of Danu (The Old Faith, nature ... Cult of the Moon Exemplar Way Urumaiar (the Pendragon, the Dragon ... Vôkra, Jungle Gods of the Vôzen Menelion, gods of the Avatara Knights of the Eternal Light Duirgurth (The Gatekeepers) Harnendrim Great Deep Ones (gods of the Deep Ones) Gods of the Alorns
The people of Ambar believe in a variety of different religions, which range from philosophies to pantheons of gods. Often a god is worshipped by more than one religion, perhaps under a different name or guise, with different prayer rites and customs.
Alchemy (Yr) Baal'Atharu Baal'Shem (Dragon Sorcerer-Priests) Menelion'Galina (Eldar Song Magic) Mthu Rgyas (Spirit Sorcery) Necromancy and Necromancers Thaumaturgy (Dwur Rune Magic) Wizardry (Magic of the Deep Old Ones)
There have been magicians on Ambar for at least ten thousand years. The Baal have the most ancient lineage, followed by the Ithilrhi, Alu, and Avathars. Even before that, the Deep Old Ones practiced Wizardry in the Astral Seas.
Today, however, the ancient magics are lost arts and few priests have the faith to move mountains. Only rare individuals have the knowledge or strength to call forth magic power, and the rising human kingdoms fear and persecute the remaining Ithilrhi, Baal, and Wizards who openly practice their craft. The Ithilrhi songs of power and songblades are stuff of legend, having been lost or hidden away, waiting to be unearthed by brave adventurers.
The Uru are the noble dragons of Ambar. They were created by the Urumaiar dragon gods to guard the holy places of Ambar, and are sometimes called "guardian dragons".
These majestic, terrifying creatures have fire-hardened black scales and green eyes that glow with hellish light. They breathe a cone of flaming, oily acid called Baal Fire. Naturally, these dragons are immune to fire and acid. Even their spittle and blood are highly acidic and the few heroes who slay a dragon do not live to tell the tale, burned and trampled in the bloody death throes of the dragon. Dragons should not be confused with the vile, legless Wyrms that are hunted by the Baal and Kith.
Dragons are immortal, living forever unless slain, but their bloodline has diminished over time. The earliest dragons were created as perfect watchers and guardians, with great black wings and multiple heads. The Pendragon, "mother of dragons" is said to have five heads, and some of her princely consorts such as Sirrush had as many as three. Dragon [ more... ]