Avera, Life After The Forging Wars

Elari — Plainsfolk; fertile plains and broad valleys. Major agricultural economy; often provides food and winter relief to other kingdoms, giving it considerable diplomatic goodwill.
Vaelwood — Woodsfolk; vast temperate forests and wooded foothills. Economy centered around lumber, herbalism, hunting, and specialized woodcraft. Maintains strong trade relations with Elari and tends to favor preservation of its forests over territorial expansion.
Kharad — Peaksfolk; mountainous highlands, cliffs, and deep valleys. Rich in metals, stone, and mineral resources, with a reputation for skilled miners and traditional smithing. Its resources make it an important trading partner, though its strict opposition to modern forging sometimes puts it at odds with more industrialized powers.
Marovia — Coastfolk; major river deltas and ocean-facing coastal cities. Dominated by shipping, fishing, shipbuilding, and international trade. It acts as a commercial bridge between the kingdoms and is generally diplomatic with everyone, though its merchants are known to care more about profitable treaties than old rivalries.
Republic of Sahran-- Dunesfolk; vast deserts, badlands, and rocky canyons. A decentralized republic built around a network of fortified settlements and oasis cities. Sahran's economy relies on caravan trade, mineral extraction, glassmaking, and hardy desert agriculture. Rather than a hereditary ruler, the republic is governed by elected representatives from its major settlements.

The Empire -- Primarily Peaksfolk and Woodsfolk; a vast inland territory spanning mountain ranges, highlands, and old imperial heartlands.

The Empire is the largest political power in the known world, formed through centuries of expansion following the Recuperation. Imperial ideology historically emphasizes unity, civilization, and the supposed superiority of imperial culture, contributing to a reputation for arrogance among neighboring kingdoms.

The Empire was also the birthplace of many of the oldest Cursed Weapons. During the Forging Wars, imperial smiths and sorcerers pushed forging further than any other nation, creating weapons whose power came at catastrophic supernatural costs. Their legacy left a particularly deep mark on imperial law.

As a result, the Empire maintains the strictest regulations on Cursed Weapons in the modern age. Possession, study, forging, and activation are heavily controlled, with surviving weapons treated as dangerous historical artifacts rather than ordinary arms. The irony is not lost on neighboring kingdoms: the nation most responsible for perfecting the old weapons is now among the most determined to ensure they are never created again.

Modern imperial relations are complicated. The Empire maintains extensive trade and diplomatic ties with the surrounding kingdoms, but its history of expansion and lingering claims of cultural superiority have left some neighbors suspicious of its intentions.

The modern world exists in the long shadow of the Forging Wars. Civilization has recovered into an age of prosperous High Fantasy, with sprawling cities, magical institutions, trade networks, adventurers, and powerful kingdoms, though few nations possess the overwhelming wealth or influence held by the great powers of the Old World.

The world's political and cultural maps are distinct. Nations such as Kingdom A, Republic X, and the Empire of Z contain populations from many different Folks. Plainsfolk, Woodsfolk, Peaksfolk, Dunesfolk, and others describe ancestral and cultural origins rather than nationality or species. Humans, elves, and other species can belong to any Folk, while members of the same Folk may live across several different kingdoms.

Relations between modern powers are complicated. Territorial disputes, old grudges, espionage, economic competition, and military posturing remain common, but outright war is rare. The devastation of the Forging Wars remains a powerful historical warning against conflicts allowed to escalate unchecked.

Shards are ordinary members of society. Though naturally powerful, most live mundane lives alongside everyone else. Shards become merchants, craftspeople, scholars, soldiers, adventurers, farmers, performers, guards, or anything else they desire. Bonded Shards often enter professions where their relationship with a wielder is useful, particularly monster hunting, military service, exploration, and arena combat.

Cursed Weapons remain considerably more controlled. Some are registered and safeguarded by governments or organizations, while others have been passed through noble families for centuries as heirlooms. Countless others remain lost.

Ancient vaults, ruined fortresses, forgotten battlefields, sealed tombs, and abandoned cities still hide Cursed Weapons whose wielders never returned.

Finding one can turn an otherwise ordinary life into another chapter of a story that began centuries ago.

Shard Classification is decided by 2 factors. The imprint amount at the time of awakening, and the type of weapon they are.
The Major Weapon types are as follows:
Piercing: Spears, Pikes, Lances, Rapiers
Cleaving: Axes, Halberds, Poleaxes
Impact: Flails, Warhammers, Knuckles
Bladed: Longswords, Shortswords, Daggers
Projectile: Bows, Crossbows, Cannons, Slings

The other factor, the Imprint amount, decides the appearance. In order of Imprint amount:
Carrion, Small Predatory animals, Large Predatory Animals, Monstrous.
the imprint amount, however, isn't mandatory power scaling, a Carrion level Projectile Shard may be stronger than a Large Predatory Bladed.

As such, Shards are often classified as Level-Type (Vulture Bladed/ Weasel Cleaving/Dragon Projectile)

The Bonding of Cursed Weapons takes two forms, depending on their life cycle stage.
Weapon Bond: the more a wielder kills using a Cursed Weapon, the more violent they become, should the weapon have innate abilities, the Wielder will be able to use them as well.
Shard Bond: A Shard bond is much more important, because it is a 2-way relationship. a low bond may allow a wielder to have a better affinity with the Shard's weapon type, while a high bond will allow them to enter a sort of sensory link with their Shard, and even limited use of their abilities. Only a fully bonded Shard can willingly transform into their weapon form without corrupting their wielder.

Legendary Cursed Weapons are a handful of Cursed Weapons whose names have survived the ages. They are not necessarily the oldest or most powerful of their kind; they are weapons that have generated enough myth, fear, admiration, or historical significance that their identities survived both the Forging Wars and the erosion of time.

Some earned their names through extraordinary feats or infamous massacres. Others were carried by celebrated heroes, feared tyrants, royal executioners, or legendary warriors. A few simply appeared so often throughout history that generations began recognizing the same weapon beneath different forms.

A Legendary Weapon's title generally belongs to the Cursed Weapon itself, persisting across its cycle of death and rebirth. When awakened as a Shard, they may inherit that title whether they embrace it or not. A Legendary Weapon known for centuries as the Bloody Crescent, for example, remains the Bloody Crescent even when living under a personal name.

Records concerning Legendary Weapons are rarely complete. Their histories span centuries, and fact is often tangled with folklore. A weapon may disappear for generations before resurfacing in an entirely different form.

Some currently live mundane lives as Shards. Others remain weapons passed between noble families, displayed as treasured relics, wielded by champions, sealed away intentionally, or simply lost somewhere in the ruins of the old world.

Cursed Weapons and Shards are two forms of the same artificial life, alternating between Weapon and Shard throughout an indefinite cycle of death and rebirth.

A newly forged Cursed Weapon begins largely dormant. Whenever it takes a life, it records an Imprint of the victim within itself. As these Imprints accumulate, the weapon grows in supernatural strength and develops a greater influence over its wielder, gradually encouraging aggression, bloodlust, and further violence.

The cycle changes when the weapon's wielder dies. Using its accumulated Imprints, the Cursed Weapon Awakens, abandoning its object form and reincarnating as a humanoid Shard. The quantity, strength, and nature of its accumulated Imprints influence the resulting Shard's classification, abilities, and physical traits.

A Shard is an independent living being rather than merely a weapon given a body. They can live for years or centuries, form relationships, pursue professions, and bond with new wielders. Despite this independence, their nature as a weapon remains intrinsic to them.

When a Shard dies, the cycle reverses. Their body disappears and leaves behind a Cursed Weapon, beginning another Weapon Phase.

The weapon's exact form may change between cycles, but generally remains within the same functional lineage. An axe may return as a halberd or poleaxe; a spear as a lance or rapier; a bow as a crossbow.

Thus, barring destruction by extraordinary means, Cursed Weapons do not truly disappear.

Shards are the living incarnations of Cursed Weapons. Created when a weapon Awakens following the death of its wielder, they are artificial lives formed from the countless Imprints accumulated during the weapon's previous existence.

Shards possess humanoid bodies, but rarely appear entirely human. Their forms develop animalistic or monstrous characteristics influenced by the number and nature of their accumulated Imprints. These manifestations are broadly classified into types such as Carrion, Wolf, Bear, Dragon, and Demon, with stronger classifications generally requiring greater concentrations of Imprints.

Every Shard retains characteristics of its weapon lineage. Bladed Shards may manifest edges from their bodies, projectile Shards may possess exceptional senses or ranged abilities, while impact Shards often develop immense physical strength or durability. Individual abilities vary considerably, even between Shards of similar origins.

Despite being born from weapons, Shards are fully independent people. They possess their own personalities, desires, relationships, and identities, and are ordinary members of modern society.

However, a Shard cannot naturally access the entirety of its power alone. Shards can form a supernatural Bond with another person, known traditionally as their Wielder. Through this relationship, both Shard and Wielder can access greater portions of the Shard's abilities. The stronger their trust, familiarity, and compatibility, the stronger the Bond becomes.

Shards may remember fragments of previous cycles, but reincarnation does not guarantee complete continuity of personality or memory. Some remember former wielders and lives vividly; others know their own history only through stories and historical records.

When killed, a Shard returns to its Cursed Weapon form, beginning the cycle anew.

Cursed Weapons are artificial magical weapons created through forbidden forging techniques developed during the Forging Wars. Unlike conventional enchanted weapons, a Cursed Weapon records an Imprint whenever it takes a life, preserving fragments of the victim within itself.

Each Imprint strengthens the weapon. As they accumulate, the weapon becomes increasingly supernatural and develops a growing influence over its wielder. This influence commonly manifests as heightened aggression, violent impulses, possessiveness toward the weapon, and an increasing willingness to kill. Particularly old or powerful weapons may appear almost conscious even before Awakening.

When the weapon's wielder dies, the accumulated Imprints are used to create an artificial life, causing the weapon to Awaken as a Shard. The number and nature of those Imprints influence the resulting Shard's strength, abilities, appearance, and classification.

Cursed Weapons generally retain a functional lineage throughout their reincarnations rather than one exact form. A cleaving weapon might exist as a hatchet in one era, a halberd in another, and an executioner's axe centuries later.

The creation of new Cursed Weapons is universally forbidden in the modern age. Their forging requires the deliberate manipulation of souls and was responsible for some of the worst atrocities of the Forging Wars. Surviving instructions are heavily censored, sealed within restricted archives, or intentionally destroyed. Possession of knowledge sufficient to forge one is itself illegal in many kingdoms.

As a result, virtually every Cursed Weapon encountered today is a survivor of the Forging Wars or a descendant of its ancient cycles.

While possessing an existing Cursed Weapon is not universally illegal, most kingdoms closely regulate them. Others remain privately held as noble heirlooms, military relics, sacred artifacts—or lie forgotten in places where their last wielders died.

The Forging Wars were a series of interconnected conflicts lasting nearly a thousand years, during which the great powers of the Old World fought for territory, resources, faith, succession, and eventually simple survival. What began as conventional wars between powers escalated across generations until warfare became the defining force of the age.

The creation of the first Cursed Weapons changed the conflict permanently. Forged to accumulate the imprints of those they killed, these weapons grew stronger with every battle. Their wielders became increasingly violent under their influence, driving them to claim more lives and further empower their weapons. Once a wielder finally died, sufficiently powerful Cursed Weapons could awaken as humanoid beings known as Shards.

Shards were quickly recognized as invaluable weapons of war. Their supernatural abilities and capacity to bond with new wielders led kingdoms to deliberately create, cultivate, and compete for them. Entire campaigns were fought simply to acquire legendary Cursed Weapons or deny them to rival powers.

By the final centuries, the original reasons for the wars had become almost irrelevant. Kingdoms collapsed and reformed, borders shifted countless times, and civilizations exhausted populations and resources accumulated over millennia.

The Forging Wars eventually ended not with a decisive victory, but because the surviving powers could no longer sustain them.

The modern world has rebuilt, but it remains smaller than the civilizations that preceded the wars. Ancient roads lead to abandoned cities, ruined fortresses dwarf modern settlements, and relics of lost magical and technological achievements remain scattered across the world.

Most enduring of all are the Cursed Weapons and Shards—living remnants of a war that ended centuries ago, still cycling between weapon and person long after the nations that forged them disappeared.

The modern kingdoms were not always as distinct as they are today. Before the Forging Wars, the known lands were divided among numerous kingdoms, city-states, and regional powers, with borders and allegiances shifting through marriage, trade, conquest, and inheritance. The peoples of the Plains, Woods, Peaks, Coasts, and Dunes maintained distinct cultures and ways of life, but their kingdoms frequently overlapped and competed for territory and resources. Rivalries were common, though outright war was often restrained by treaties, trade agreements, and the understanding that no kingdom could afford to let another become overwhelmingly powerful.

This balance collapsed with the discovery and proliferation of advanced forging techniques. The ability to create exceptionally powerful weapons and magical armaments transformed warfare. What began as an arms race between rival powers escalated into the Forging Wars, a period of devastating conflict in which kingdoms sought to outproduce, outfight, and ultimately eliminate their rivals. Entire regions were devastated, ancient borders were erased, and several kingdoms ceased to exist altogether. The wars eventually ended not with a single decisive victory, but through exhaustion, destruction, and the realization that continued forging threatened the survival of civilization itself. Modern-age forging of the weapons and techniques responsible for the conflict was subsequently prohibited or heavily restricted.

The centuries following the wars became known as the Recuperation. Surviving kingdoms rebuilt their cities, restored farmland and trade routes, reclaimed abandoned territories, and established new borders. Some former kingdoms were restored, while others never recovered and were absorbed by their neighbors. The political landscape gradually stabilized, but the memory of the Forging Wars remained deeply embedded in law, culture, and diplomacy.

In time, one recovering kingdom grew beyond its original borders and developed into an empire, bringing numerous territories and peoples under a single political authority. Its expansion reshaped the balance established after the wars and created new tensions between imperial territories, independent kingdoms, and peoples determined to preserve their autonomy.

Today, the old wounds have largely healed, but the political consequences of the Forging Wars remain. Kingdoms trade, negotiate, form alliances, and occasionally dispute borders, while the Empire remains a major power among them. The prohibition on modern forging is one of the few principles broadly shared across national boundaries. The world is considerably more peaceful than it was during the Wars, but peace is maintained by history, diplomacy, and mutual restraint rather than universal trust.

The world is a High Fantasy society of ancient kingdoms, republics and empires built upon the remains of civilizations devastated by the Forging Wars. Magic, monsters, adventurers and Shards are accepted parts of everyday life, while ruins and relics of the Old World remain scattered across the landscape.

The world's political map and cultural map are separate. Political borders divide the world into nations such as kingdoms, republics and empires, while its peoples traditionally identify their ancestry through broad cultural groups known as Folks.

The five major origins are Plainsfolk, originating from plains and fertile valleys; Woodsfolk, from forests and woodlands; Peaksfolk, from mountains, highlands and cliffs; Coastfolk, from coasts, great lakes and riverlands; and Dunesfolk, from deserts and arid regions.

Folk is independent of species. Humans, elves, orcs and other peoples can belong to any Folk. A Woodsfolk human and Woodsfolk elf may share more cultural history with one another than either does with members of their own species from distant regions.

Likewise, Folk does not determine nationality. A single kingdom may contain several Folks, while the same Folk may inhabit many different nations. Centuries of migration, intermarriage and changing borders have made culturally mixed regions commonplace.

Species describes what someone is. Folk describes where their people came from. Nationality describes where they belong today.