Introduction

= Introduction = Hi there, stranger! Welcome to  Thorns: Uprising !

As you may already know, Thorns is a play-by-post forum RPG with an emphasis on creative writing, story and character development, and community. And as you can probably see from the amount of links on the side bar, there is a LOT of information in this wiki.

But fear not! This brief introductory page should give you all the basic information you need to get a feel for the type of character you want to create. Once you have read to the end, you are encouraged to do additional research to better understand aspects of the game world and your character. Specifically, it would be a good idea to read the race page for the race you choose, research your point of origin, and read up on any organizations you might want to be a part of.

Please be aware that this game has a moderate standard of writing skill. Good spelling and grammar, as well as proper punctuation and capitalization, are absolutely necessary. Although we try to include everyone in our game, the reality is that without a firm command of the English language you will not be able to play the game well enough to enjoy it.

The World
Thorns: Uprising is set on a planet called  Vita. On Vita, there are four races of men. Vita is in the Steam Age, and therefore has mainly steam-powered technology. Travel and science are two areas that art particularly advanced; aeroships and steamboats as well as sophisticated medicine are commonplace in the world. (In Earth terms, think pre-1900 with a fantasy flair.) For more information, check out the technology page.
 * The galdori  are a race of powerful sorcerers. They are an aristocratic people, deeply dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge and the understanding of magic. They rule over the other races, using their power to retain full control of the kingdoms. They believe they are the benevolent caretakers of the world, and that they rule by divine right. Most believe that the other races are inferior and incapable of taking care of themselves. Galdori are very religious and somewhat superstitious. (Please note that "galdori" is the plural of "galdor," and neither are capitalized.)
 * The humans  have no magic, and are ruled by the galdori. Because they are oppressed, they have developed a culture of secrecy, relying on code, subterfuge and secret societies to exercise any freedom. Humans are deeply pragmatic, resilient and family-oriented. Unfortunately, and partially because of the inattention of the galdori police, human society is plagued by crime and piracy.
 * The wicks  are a half-bred race between humans and galdori. They can use magic, but it is very weak, and they tend to augment it with non-magical tricks. They are tribal and nomadic. Wicks are loyal and spiritual, and value tribal identity, which they display in artisan crafts, dancing, storytelling and music. Like humans, they have very few legal rights and are ruled by the galdori.
 * Passives  are born without magical ability, even though they come from magical parentage. They are quite rare, and treated differently in various societies. In Anaxas, passive galdori are treated very badly by the galdori, either used as slaves at Brunnhold or barred from owning property, marrying or traveling freely. All passives have a diablerie, or unchained spell, which can manifest at random and be very destructive.

The calendar of Vita has ten months, each of which have 30 days. The days have 30 hours.

Anaxas
The game is set in the kingdom of Anaxas. Anaxas is one of ten kingdoms, and is the wealthiest and arguably the most advanced of the ten. It is a meritocracy ruled by an elected  King  and  Queen, who are chosen to serve by the  Headmaster  of the University; they are advised by a  Congress  of learned and powerful politicians, a system of  Courts  (ruled by a  High Judge ) and the University itself.

There are three main cities in Anaxas.
 * Brunnhold  is the largest and most renowned University of Sorcery in the world. Almost all galdori children are sent to Brunnhold once they turn ten years old, and they remain there for ten years, studying magic and many other subjects. Brunnhold also houses a College Town known as  the Stacks, which is home to certain teachers as well as humans and wicks, who operate the majority of the local businesses.
 * Vienda  is the capital city of Anaxas. It is home to a great many humans, and is also the seat of the galdori government and the Royal Palace. It is also home to the headquarters of the Seventen (the peacekeeping force in Anaxas) and is a hotbed of resistance activity.
 * Old Rose Harbor  is the main trade port of Anaxas. Although technically a part of the kingdom, control of the Harbor lies with a man named Silas Hawke, the self-appointed King of the Underworld; together with his network of henchmen (the Bad Brothers) he exercises complete control over trade in the port. Although Old Rose is partly fueled by black market trading, the galdori government does not challenge Old Rose because Hawke makes the kingdom so much money. Very few galdori live in Old Rose Harbor; it is mainly populated by humans and the occasional wick.

Political Situation
In Anaxas, there is a lot of social tension between the races. The humans and wicks feel oppressed, and have begun to organize a resistance against the galdori government. Likewise, there is division within the government, as the galdori struggle with each other for power.

Currently, there are three main plot lines.
 * In Vienda, the resistance is beginning to become a problem for the galdori government. Under the leadership of  Jon Serro, the charismatic head of the resistance, the movement has grown at an incredible rate. The Seventen, led by the intimidating Hanz Morde, are doing all they can to quell the violent movement, including banning all wicks (whom they believe to be troublemakers) from the city and sending out elite squads to find and kill resistance operatives.
 * In Brunnhold, the newly chosen Headmistress  Ophelia Servalis  is making waves with a series of radical, liberal pronouncements. The faculty and Chairs have begun to suspect that she is a sympathizer, especially because she has spoken out against the poor treatment of passives and criticized the actions of the Seventen.
 * In Old Rose, Silas Hawke's trade route,  the Vein, is being challenged by a rival (jokingly called  the Drain ). He is seeking to find the operatives of this new route and cut it off at the source before it takes too much of his profit away. This has led to home invasions, raised taxes and the bullying of the citizens of Old Rose.

Religion
The Ten Kingdoms are unified by a single belief system -  Circlism. Circlism is the worship of the Circle Pantheon, ten gods who each watch over a kingdom. The prime goddess of Anaxas is  Alioe, but the Anaxi people worship the other nine gods as well.

Alioe is the goddess of  time  and the aspect of the moon. As such, these things are very important to the Anaxi people. Timeliness is next to godliness, and the moon functions as a prominent symbol in Anaxi mythology.

In Anaxas (particularly Brunnhold) there is a deeply spiritual and devoted religious sect called  the Everine, or the Time Keepers. The Everine are quietly influential in the government.

Magic
Magic is the system through which the galdori (and wicks) control the natural world by speaking to the  mona. The mona are sentient particles that make up the entire universe. Magic involves speaking to the mona, entreating them to change something about the world. It is an ancient practice that involves a language called Monite.

The galdori consider magic to be both a scientific and a spiritual act. Spells are written and spoken like prayers, with many verses of specific and careful wording. Spells are extremely difficult to write, as one wrong word can cause backlash or other disastrous effects. Currently, magic is dangerous and imperfect; the galdori are constantly working to improve their knowledge of the mona. The galdori are careful to respect the mona, valuing their relationship with them above all else, and take great care not to offend them by using magic for a base purpose.

Wick magic is considerably weaker than galdori magic. Because wicks are not allowed to use published spells, they have developed a compendium of unique and useful spells called the Spoke's Almanac. The wicks are not bound by the noble uses of magic, and most of their spells are utilitarian or for entertainment.

The Next Step
Once you've read this page, you should have some idea of what kind of character you'd like to make. To make your character we suggest that you do additional research pertinent to your character. When you have done the research you need, you should continue on to the Character Creation Guide.
 * Please read the races page to understand your character's race further. (We suggest reading all of the races pages if you have time.)
 * Please read the main page of the city location you wish to RP in.
 * If your character is part of an organization, or would like to be, please read up it on the Organizations page.
 * If your character is an avid magic user, please study and understand the magic system very well.
 * If your character is a wick, we suggest skimming over the Tek Lexicon to pick up some common wick phrases and slang words.