The World of Frostmark

#### ***The Ages***

Many historical events, persons, and places have been lost to time. Still, this section outlines common knowledge for non-human scholars and those intelligent beings who concern themselves with this topic. For the humans living within Frostmark in the post-imperial year of 744, most of this knowledge is unattainable or a potential death sentence.

#### ***Quick Overview***

***Creation of time - The Age of Genesis***: The Enneade emerges, creating the World, the Mark, the animals, the human, the Realms, and the Enna.

***49 years - The Age of Collapse***: Disagreements over laws and the power shifts caused by humans’ devotion leads to war. The war survivors are only seven Enneade who divide the spoils and the human population between each other.

***3543-0 - The Age of the Seven***: Humans become imprisoned within Frostmark, and their population’s size is controlled as the Seven attempt to keep the peace between each other.

***1-106 - The Age of Geanor***: A hero arises that conquers all of Frostmark under the banner of Riahn. Riahn gains nearly all human devotion and becomes the strongest of the remaining Seven Enneade.

***1-744 - The Age of Riahn***: Riahn creates the Fiery Barrier to keep the other six Enneade’s influence out of the Realm and prevents Enna to travel to Frostmark. Geanor dies, and his daughter Leana establishes the Empire, the Duchies, the Church, and the Sacred Arms’ inquisitorial forces. The Empire forces all Enna to leave Frostmark and eradicates those who refuse. Moreover, they execute any magic-user who is not a priest of Riahn and destroy all records, items, and memories of magic and the other gods. After 600 years of imperial rule, the Empire falls apart, and the eleven duchies become independent kingdoms. A turbulent time of conflict and wars ensues.

***744-? - The Age of Resurgence***: 136 years after the Empire, tensions between kingdoms have alleviated somewhat. But one day in the year of 744 AEF, Frostmark will be plunged into renewed chaos as the Fiery Barrier is weakening, and the other six Enneade are preparing to reclaim their lost influence over humanity.

#### ***The Ages in detail***

##### ***The Age of Genesis***

Once upon a time, there was nothing but the void. For reasons unknown, beings of miraculous power emerged from it, accompanied by the mysterious constant of time. Later known as the Enneade, these beings created the World - space to form as they pleased. The Enneade spent their first year discovering their incredible powers and each other. They realized that their personalities were connected to their specific talents and dispositions, which were later named their “Spheres” of influence. With their power and their Spheres, they created all natural laws and physical objects. First, the Mark was made by all Enneade, a precursor Realm where they could walk and physically interact with each other. Then, other Realms were created, often in the image of one or several of the Enneade.

For what reason the Enneade created other creatures varied, nonetheless they spawned several races into existence. Besides the Spheres, the Enneade is also blessed with an immense amount of magical energy, later named Soul Power. Whenever a living creature is born, its creator Enneade supplies a small amount of Soul Power to that creature to give them the spark of life. The Soul Power is then returned to the Enneade at the time of the creature’s death. The legend goes that Gera created animals because she was lonely, and then other Enneade marveled at the miracle and joined her in experimentation. The animals turned successively more complex, and the Enneade continued to explore with rising fascination.

Some Enneade wanted to discover if they could create images of themselves, lesser gods, or even a creature equal to them in power. Others found this idea to be preposterous and dangerous. The task of creating an independent creature ensued either way, but the feat of unlocking the mysteries of self-awareness was both exhausting and intricate. It took seven Enneade and their combined power to create the first, pure, self-conscious being. The human. Because of their complexity, humans required more Soul Power than any animal they had made so far. However, the human possessed the unique feature to expand their sliver of Soul Power given to them at their birth. Their Soul swelled and grew from their experiences and struggles. And thus, the balance of the Soul Power equation turned positive for the Enneade after some time. Most Enneade welcomed this feature, as they had spent copious amounts of Soul energies creating the World.

The human was born with another trait. A trait that neither of them realized how much trouble it would cause during humanity’s creation—the trait of free will. Humans were born with the ability to choose their masters. Considering the Soul Power equation, a significant group of humans could generate a substantial amount of Soul Power to the Enneade they decide to devote themselves to. Humans do not need to devote themselves to any Enneade, however. Instead, the humans who remain neutral release their Soul Power to the natural World’s unconscious concept.

When the Enneade discovered this accidental side effect, it sent ripples of emotion in their community. Never before had all the Enneade gathered to discuss and parlay with each other in the World’s history. The discussion took days to complete. Some called for the immediate destruction of the human race, deeming their existence to be too problematic to go on. Others thought that the race should be created anew, this time without free will. Some saw an opportunity in the creation of humanity and argued for their continued existence, musing upon the possibilities of Soul Power they could generate for the Enneade. Others defended the human, calling it immoral to eliminate them and pointing out it was the Enneades’ fault to begin with. In the end, the defenders of humanity won the negotiations. Furthermore, the Enneade agreed to protect the human’s free will for the sake of fairness. They could worship whoever they wanted in whichever way they pleased. The Mark was repurposed as the human population grew to fit their needs, while the Enneade retreated to their paradises.

After creating humanity, many Enneade occupied their time exploring and creating races on their own, collectively known as the Enna. The Enneade had gained experience and wisdom from their prior mistakes. Thus all Enna are created without freedom of worship. Enna was also significantly easier to create, as the trait of free will requires both energy and expertise from the Enneade. A new concept was created, “Soul templates.” Once the Enneade has created a race of Enna, they could reuse many of the basic features of Enna when they create another, like a blueprint. Reusing the foundation of a race could be considered as a template for further creation. Enna, who share the same template, have “Soul aspects” in common and can be seen as cousins. Influential templates included the “celestials,” the “fiends,” and the “elementals,” to name a few. Once the Enneade started to share these templates, as alliances and groups were formed, the creation of Enna exploded. Hundreds of Enna were created in a comparatively short amount of time.

Since it is “cheaper” for the Enneade to create creatures without complete free will, the Enna are bestowed with less Soul Power when they are born than the human. Furthermore, the growth potential is also less than it is for humans, as they start with a smaller amount. Enna cannot escape the fate that in their death, their Soul will power their creator Enneade. Moreover, to different degrees, the Enna are often susceptible to the will of their creator Enneade. Be it forced upon them through mechanisms in their Soul or from the fact that Enna are often mirrors of their creators. Usually, Enna shares many personality traits and tendencies with its creator.

There is no recollection of just how long this age lasted.

##### ***The Age of Collapse***

The initial wonder the Enneade possessed about their potential, their optimism, and unity decayed over time. More or less insignificant squabbles turned progressively more severe. After the Age that spawned the World and large quantities of lifeforms, the age that came afterward would be the most cataclysmic event to date. A war on an astronomical scale. Even if the Enneade had agreed upon the sanctity of the human’s free will, complaints and frustration returned with force. Several Enneade were less popular with the humans, and some of these gods certainly felt threatened by the unfair balance of Soul power amongst the Enneade. Even among these godlike beings, a power hierarchy started to emerge. Several disagreements of codes of conduct, morality, and law between the Enneade caused factions and alliances to solidify. These factions sought to consolidate their power and influence, usually from a perspective of self-defense. In the end, the war was inevitable.

No matter the origin of the conflicts between the Enneade, the war waged over all the Realms of the World, No being, Enneade or not, was left unaffected. When another Enneade vanquishes an Enneade, the victor has a chance to absorb the fallen’s power and Sphere. But only if the traits of the Sphere are not in conflict with the Spheres of the victor. The absorption of Soul Power was another feature of the Enneade also present in humans and Enna. Through the right means, this power could be utilized for humans and Enna when fighting each other or protecting their Enneade. Soul Magic was created and developed during the war.

One after the other, Enneade, Realms, Enna, animals, and many humans were consumed or blasted out of existence. The Enneade who were eradicated, but not had their influence absorbed by another, had their Spheres fall into the World’s hands, dormant, and therefore not a concern for the warring Enneade. It quickly became clear that the more popular Enneade among the humans had the advantage.

History would reveal that the Enneade, who survived in the end, were capable of both good and evil. Those radical and stubborn were prone to self-destruction, refusing to give up their principles. During the War of Collapse, the Mark’s largest landmass had been shifted further towards the northern pole, cooling the climate down significantly. The continent was henceforth named Frostmark in the common tongue.

And so, in the end, only a handful of Realms remained: a few million races of animals, a few hundred or so races of Enna, a decimated human population, and seven Enneade. As Enna’s existence is impossible without an Enneade patron, the survival of many of the Enna races depended upon their talents and luck, as one of the Seven could choose to offer their patronage. The Enna didn’t need to accept the offer, but not choosing at all would lead to their certain death. This era was also an age of migration, as dozens of Realms collapsed and decayed without an Enneade’s upkeep, millions upon millions of Enna and animals were required to relocate to one of the victor’s Realms. One independent Realm was spared death. Inet’Saret became a shared burden between the Seven, to be neutral ground where negotiations could be held.

This age lasted for 49 years, where ten years were devoted to a tense cold war and arms range.

##### ***The Age of the Seven***

The seven Enneade that had won the War of Collapse ruled now the new World. They all established a shaky peace between themselves and clear borders to reduce the risk of more destruction. To diminish their rivalry, they made agreements to control the human population and divide them up between themselves, creating a fair playground. Therefore, all humans in the World were forced to live their lives in the Realm of Frostmark only, where the Seven could easily control them. The Enneade assured fairness between their human populations by different tactics. Some of these tactics included forcing humans to live in hostile areas, sending civilization-ending catastrophes, or demanding sacrifice. Together with the trapped humans, Enna walked Frostmark with them. This era was an age of great heroes and sorcerers, of discovery and science, but also of disaster and peril for the human race, as they basked in the Seven’s attention, both good and bad.

This age lasted for a couple of thousand years. Today, the Age of the Seven is counted backward, measured to have started 3543 years before the Empire’s founding (BEF).

##### ***The Age of Geanor***

Legend foretells that Geanor was an exceptional human, strong, wise, and brave. He was gifted both in the art of Soul Mastery and Soul Magic. Geanor dreamed of crusading all over Frostmark to unify all under one Enneade, Riahn. To set humanity free and unite humanity under one banner. If Geanor acted with direct, indirect, or no guidance from his chosen Enneade, Riahn, is generally unknown. Riahn maneuvered to keep the other Enneade in the dark as long as possible, denying involvement and claiming that Geanor is exercising his own free will. This was enough for Geanor to gain extensive ground, and when the other Enneade realized the threat and joined the fray, Geanor had already gained significant momentum. But no Enneade, not even Riahn, dared to leave their safe Realm to risk their own life; there were only seven left of them after all. This struggle was a battle of influence over humanity.

The campaign ensued, the crusade of Geanor, and it lasted decades. The other six Enneade found it impossible to ally with each other against Riahn ultimately. Thus, they were defeated as Riahn’s power swelled from his new followers one after the other. The six Enneade grew so weak that they could not contest Riahn for a presence on Frostmark at all. The six Enneade teleported their temples of worship out of Frostmark as one last act of protection. Riahn became the strongest Enneade henceforth in creation.

Geanor was born 106 BEF (before the Empire’s founding) and lived for 106 years.

##### ***The Age of Riahn***

At the very end of the long and extended life of the blessed Geanor, his followers wrote the Radiance of Geanor, which became the foundation of the religion of Riahn in Frostmark. After his death, his daughter, Leana, became the Empress of Frostmark, a unified world Geanor who only had a few years to enjoy at the end of his life. Legends describe that Leana split the Soul of Geanor and infused it into Geanor’s ten closest seconds, and named them Dukes of their own lands to help her govern the new Empire of Frostmark. Leana herself took the most central lands as her own. As one of her first proclamations as Empress was the order that the crown of the Empire and the duchies were not to be passed down hereditary; instead, the current Emperor, Empress, duke, or duchess would name a worthy soul as their heir.

She also established the Church of Riahn and repurposed the Sacred Arms. The Sacred Arms were Geanor’s highly successful army that was left without purpose after the war. With the Church’s support, the Sacred Arms became an inquisitorial force tasked with aiding the Empire with expelling Enna from its borders. Riahn assisted in this task by creating the Fiery Barrier, a magical wall around Frostmark. The Fiery Barrier blocked all travel between Frostmark and the other Realms and significantly made it harder for the other Enneade to influence Frostmark. The intelligent and cooperative Enna was first asked to leave Frostmark repeatedly with increasing hostility. Those who refused and those who they were unable to parlay with were engaged in battle. Sometimes this led to surrender from the Enna, and sometimes this resulted in death. Riahn also assisted Leana and the Sacred Arms in this endeavor. The purge took almost Leana’s whole life, but she successfully created a Realm with only humans and animals before she was laid to rest.

Another change in the new world order was the complete banning of Soul Magic, except for clerical magic bestowed upon loyal priests of Riahn, as it was seen as a threat to the Realm’s security. Every magical practitioner was hunted down and executed. Furthermore, the Church confiscated all magical items, most of which were expelled from the Realm to Eternal Suns. Any remaining locations that alluded to the other six Enneade, Enna, or magic were destroyed. Books were rewritten or burnt, certain topics became outlawed, and henceforth only a select few in the government and the Church would be allowed to know the truth to carry the torch on to the next generation.

After only a century or two, Frostmark had all but forgotten the existence of the other Enneade, magic, and the Enna. The Empire survived for about six centuries. After several Emperors and Empresses had come and gone after Leana’s rule, the Empire started to fall apart at the seams slowly. The most significant reason being Leana’s wish for non-hereditary entitlement. Many nobles resisted the Empire for their children’s sake. The Empire couldn’t solve the situation, and after 600 years of control, most of the duchies were in open rebellion against the current Emperor, Rainer. Rainer gave in to the duchies without much bloodshed to keep the peace of the Realm.

From an Empire falling apart, Frostmark turned into a squabbling continent of eleven kingdoms, where most rulers had vastly different ideas about how a kingdom should be governed. It’s true that king Rainer of Malgrave avoided a full out war, but instead, he doomed Frostmark to a century-long struggle for power, money, and influence. Five kingdoms grew significantly more potent than the others by stealing resources and land from their neighbors and expanding their economic and military might. Miraculously, no smaller kingdom was absorbed entirely as they came to serve as buffer lands in between the mightier nations.

The new timekeeping started at Geanor’s death and the same year that Empress Leana established the Empire. The Empire lasted from year 1 to year 608 after the Empire’s founding (AEF).

##### ***A New Age of Resurgence***

A hundred or so years later, the state of the kingdoms of Frostmark remains the same, as a favor and misfortunate has ebbed and flowed for all. Although wars have turned rare these last few years, with a stalemate settling in, there is still considerable tension between the kingdoms, and there are always those who plot in the shadows. The inhabitants of Frostmark awake to an inconspicuous and ordinary day, but something momentous has changed. For what was once only legends have returned to bring Frostmark into a new age of discord, or the age of newfound harmony. The Fiery Barrier is breaking, and the six Enneade are preparing themselves for retaliation.

At the start of a classical Frostmark campaign, the year will be 744 AEF, 136 years after the Empire’s collapse.