Magic RPG
History
The land as it was...
Long ago, the land was ruled by a great empire. An empire whose rule was supreme and religion reigned true. The land was united as can reasonably be. And even though the regions did have arguments and the regional lords plotted it was a time of peace. Peace that lasted many generations. And supporting that empire were the great schools of magic. Founded in ancient times by old masters and administered by imperial law these schools kept the nation safe from threats both without and within. For who would dare face them? The schools however were restricted in size and specialization by decrees made up to keep any one of them from becoming strong enough to take the others out and take over the empire.
Each school resided, and still resides in a massive compound in the provinces. There you have the farms that feed you, the classrooms and amphitheaters where you are taught and the most important part of each school, the hall of spirits. The hall of spirits is a sacred place where the spirits of long dead grand masters, the greatest of your school reside. Unable to intervene on behalf of mortals they still offer advice to current Grand Masters who are the only ones allowed in and help explore the outer reaches of magical powers from beyond death.
And for a time it worked. However, 400 years ago to this day a great tragedy happened. A malign force of unknown origin attacked and destroyed one of the schools, murdering everyone in them, stealing their magical secrets and ripping the souls from the hall of spirits before vanishing as quickly as it appeared. Naturally, every school blamed the others and pretty soon the empire devolved into a civil war that tore it apart leaving the 4 kingdoms you know today.
You all would know of this from history. But you would not know it in great detail. In fact, even the location of the lost school or their power have by now been forgotten and lost. But you know it existed and that it was destroyed, its spirits torn out. And that it was a power grab by one of the others, even if you do not know whom. But the rest is as far as you and the general population (kings included) is concerned lost in the ravages of the war.
After the war ended the schools of magic each supported their own kingdoms. And they each sought to swell in numbers and power indefinitely. A strategy which lead to the first great war. In this war, the 4 kingdoms fought one another to no victor. Millions of people died, the land was ravaged and yet everyone just lost. So after this war the kings and mages came together and agreed that from that point onward the ancient imperial rules for the schools were to be restored. For they had kept the balance of power before and would do so again. They also agreed that the old imperial capital was to become neutral territory where the kings could meet and talk things out. Finally they agreed that from that point onward the imperial palace was to become known as the "palace of the mages" and become a place where if things ever get too close to open conflict the mages could convene a council.
Politics
The land as it is..
The old empire occupied lands on the far eastern part of its continent. Bordered in the south by mountains, the west by deserts and east by the great sea. These days the land is divided into four kingdoms, each laying claim to roughly a quarter of the old territories. Some of them still hold claims on the united throne, at least in word if not deed. Others meanwhile are more than content with what they have.
Like the old empire before them the four kingdoms see their land and its people as the center of the world, a bastion of civilization among savages and wasteland. A notion that is not very far from the truth. For what surrounds it is far from promising.
If you travel west across the great desert you will eventually reach civilized lands. But only eventually. The path there is not only long but perilous, thronged with dangers of both human and inhuman root. And it has been but trice since the old empires fall that anyone has made that trek.
To the north you will find frozen tundra and further still a sea so cold that mountains of ice float upon its shell. No life is said to exist there. At least none that one can meet and return to speak off.
To the south are mountains, to tall to cross and in the south east by the coast marshes where all manner of disease and plague hold sway. For those that make the journey here and live it is said that they will reach a land of the Naga, mythical beasts half man and half serpent. But it has been many ages since anyone has made that journey and returned.
Finally, to the east is the great sea, home only to monsters and waves as large as mountains that sink any ship which dares intrude too deeply.
In light of this, the kingdoms are mostly insular, content to trade with one another and size each other up for weakness and future wars. And in turn this insularity has in a way preserved the imperial creed. For although the kings demand them self the sole rulers of their people the people often see them self as being of the old and united imperial race that just happens to now be split into different provinces.
Two of the kingdoms border the coast, splitting it in twain between them. The other two are in the west bordering the great desert. Their lands are fertile and pleasant. And their rulers for the most part just.
The plot so far
Ever since the last great war, 200 years ago the world as you know it has been at peace. It has been a time of prosperity and growth but ultimately stagnation. The lands to the west have grown poorer since the empires fall, their lucrative trade routes drying up long ago. But not terribly so, for the occasional caravan of great wealth was still occasional at best. Overall, the luster of the old empire has faded, but the memory remains. Recently however something happened that will cast doubt on all that.
If someone had asked you if a magic school could be attacked, let alone defeated not a month ago you would have thought him a fool. But this is just what happened. One of the schools, and a powerful one at that simply vanished. When regular messengers who bought produce in local towns failed to appear their king sent envoys to investigate. What he found was an empty place devoid of magic, life and even death. The other schools swiftly descended upon the problem forbidding access to outsiders but word got out. Rumors have it that not only was the school destroyed to the last student but that just like centuries ago it had its hall of spirits emptied. As name calling and threats start flying around the magical ether and no one knows whom to blame the council has once more been summoned. The first, and hopefully last to be seen in an age.
You are an initiate, the lowest ranking magic practitioner. You have been brought to the capital along side your entire schools and placed in one of the palaces great wings. Whilst your grand masters debate you sit in your quarters waiting for errands to come from above for you.
