Newrp Second Age

The Second Age.

After the abrupt fall of Kandhrak, the sealing off of Orimann and the destruction of the Vaanite, humanity was thrown in for a loop. People fled the large cities, the structures of old, once majestic, now aflame. Many died and the remainder fled into the wilds. For a while the center of the continent was also the center of civilization as everyone gathered in the Central Belt and formed small settlements, before finally starting to spread out.

The Second Age is also called the Dark Age, not without reason of course. Some of the most savage conflicts, diseases and misfortunes occurred during the stretch of it. One must not assume that the so-called Dark Age was entirely bad however. Arts as they were to be known, as well as the roots of modern civilization were all settled during this time period. Important progress and advancement of society still occurred during it's days.

Center Culture: A new culture formed by the gathering of multiple people of multiple cultures, into a very small area. Given the fact that very few areas were safe, quite a bit of conflict commenced. Center Culture was formed around numerous small groups of population lead by one or two Artists and their Voices. However, the massive shift in ideas brought a few unfortunate changes, as Voices became harder to manifest. Thus, the overall mass of ideas in the mankind of the early Second Age became far more fragmented, and after a century or so, the central culture became dissolved.

Center Culture Artists: Quite varied, although obviously practicing in a far smaller scale. A few royals and nobles here and there, as well as the occasional notable personality. They amassed large numbers of followers and while many things were lost, appreciation and reverence for the power of Artists wasn't. Unfortunately, Artists in these times could only command the abstract power of Voices, being unable to fully materialize them but for a split second or so. It was for this reason, that the distinctions between Arts begun to blur a little.

The Gathering of Alchemists: The first Artists to coalesce into a body larger than base settlements, roughly 70 years into the  Second Age, were the Alchemists. While Alchemists were a fierce lot, the possibility of integrating individual parts of their art was always enticing to some. It was in this time that an alchemist called Sophia arose, and sent messengers to the other notable alchemists, invoking the first Alchemist Gathering. Many important concepts were laid out in this gathering, chief of which, the Seven Great Projects of alchemy, decided from the accumulated knowledge of alchemy.

Sophia: An alchemist of renown. Sophia was originally an inhabitant of Kandhrak who was exiled by a rival with great influence, fleeing into the lower provinces of Orimman. Here, she found that her ideas of melding Arts together were appreciated, as she sought to combine Alchemy and Doll Making. It was here that Sophia developed the idea for one of the Great Projects, following after an Orimman legend, of how the Axioms possessed servants and followers with superhuman abilities, called Prime Humans. At the onset of the Second Age, Sophia begun to use her charisma and gather support from the masses.

The Alchemy Schism: The Alchemist Gathering was unable to decide which Great Project to prioritize or follow. After much deliberation and worsening relations, the alchemists decided it was best to spread out instead, and each pursue their own projects individually. After settling on this, every alchemical group gathered their followers and set off on a long journey and a destination in which they could freely pursue their individual quests. The Alchemical Schism would remain fundamental to defining the greater conscience of Alchemists, even into the present.

The Seven Alchemical Towers: Built across the continent, the Seven Alchemical Towers were the first sign of civilization in the Second Age. Three of them were built in Vaanite lands, one in Orimman, two in the former Kandhrak and a fourth, far to the south-west. These towers amassed large groups of people around them which gave birth to cities. The cities were under the protection and watch of the alchemists, and the people living there worked for the towers on top of sustaining their own lives. Seeing that they needed these people, some of the alchemists decided to use their art for the betterment of the citizens lives.