Draikou

The world of Draikou began as many worlds did in the Spectran Explosion; The universe was molded in an instant, and ancient people came up from the ground.

The Gods
The gods of this plane are physical beings, who can be killed. Killing a god grants you with their abilities and knowledge. If a god leaves the plane, their godhood is passed on to a random mortal, and the god can only get the mantle back by killing whomever was granted the power. A god is unable to kill another god. Any attempt to do so results in the aggressor vanishing into dust, and their godhood is passed on randomly.

Gods are invulnerable to any sort of physical damage that may cause their death accidentally. Great falls, being crushed, and so forth. The act of nature that would kill them simply does not, and in the case of crushing, the object vanishes into dust. The mantles (the physical representation of their power) are as follows:

Agriculture

Balance

Creation

Soul

Storm

The Mantle of Agriculture
This mantle gives its bearer the ability to speak with plants, and mastery over the care and protection of plants. Whenever a plant is harmed, they may appear in aid of it instantly. The bearer of the mantle cannot create plants from nothing, and must still use seeds and so forth, and is not able to make plants grow at an unnatural rate. They can shape how a plant grows in an unnatural way, like shaping a tree to be hollow, but cannot accelerate the speed at which the tree would grow.

The Mantle of Balance
The bearer of this mantle has a complicated position. They act as a guard of the natural order, so to speak. The natural order is built by the current bearers, and its laws are fluid, as is whomever can bear the mantles. The natural order is also swayed by the laws of mortals. The bearers of the mantles are locked into this natural order. Any mortal that betrays whatever the natural order is is subject to correction by the bearer of this mantle. If, for instance, the bearer of the Mantle of Soul has determined that it is against the natural order for one Drai to kill another, then there the bearer of the Mantle of Balance will be, to right whatever wrong may have occurred. What righting the wrong means is up to the bearer.

The Mantle of Creation
This mantle gives its bearer the ability to carve, cut, and construct materials into any given shape with magical precision. The bearer of the mantle cannot create matter from nothing- they are simply incredibly gifted at turning existing material into whatever sort of tool, sculpture, building, and so forth that they wish. They shape things by magical means, and are not limited to the use of tools.

The Mantle of Soul
This mantle gives its bearer the ability to speak with animals, and understand any language spoken to them. They are also able to control souls to a degree- They can soothe a lost soul, they can banish a wrathful soul, and so forth. A soul occupying a real body cannot be drastically affected by the bearer of the mantle. If one’s mind is troubled, the bearer of the mantle may be able to quell that disturbance, but this is the extent of the bearer’s ability. The bearer cannot create nor destroy souls.

The Mantle of Storm
This mantle gives its bearer the ability to speak to the wind and clouds, and control the weather to a slight degree. They are unable to stop a storm that has formed, but may be able to sway it from its course. The bearer of this mantle also gains an understanding of how the weather works- which is necessary for controlling it. They cannot create weather that could not form naturally- They cannot create a lightning bolt from nothing, and must yet create the circumstances under which one would be formed. They cannot change weather so quickly in any way that would not otherwise be natural. Tornadoes, storms, and so forth do not form instantly. They take time, and a general set of predetermined circumstances.

Warrior Clans
The mantles of godhood being so attainable meant that the early days of Draikou were rife with warrior clans trying to attain godhood, as attaining these ends gave them immense power over others.

The First Cosmic Accord
These conflicts lasted until the first Cosmic Accord, where the then bearers of the mantles met and decided to found a city where they could disperse their wisdom to mortals. This city was called Pantheon, and would be the home of the gods for quite a while. The Pantheon was built to be highly defensible to invaders, but accessible to those who lived there. The city was surrounded with walls with cavernous moats at the bases, with bridges that could be extended if you were confirmed to be a resident. Many simply came to learn and then left, and few came to live there permanently.

As more Drai became educated in the ways of the gods, they began settling in towns near to Pantheon, recognizing it as a sovereign city. This formed the basis for the modern country of Pantheon. Not all did this, however, and in fact quite a few became nomadic. Much of the open land around Pantheon became home to wandering tribes. Some that wandered became seafarers with the knowledge they gained from Pantheon, and took to the sea, in search of other lands where they would be free to live as they pleased. This age of exploration saw the foundation of the modern Island Nations of Pavlonas, Iezusia, Kercyseia, and Colous. They were named for the people who had first settled there. The Island Nations are considered to be sovereign of themselves to a degree, and are where, even to this day, the people tend to be very lax on law and allow for very free trade.

To the north, some nomads ventured into the forests and founded a kingdom. This kingdom would remain sparsely populated, generally because of the climate, but became a haven for people who felt as though they were being watched constantly by the gods- such a feeling was easier to avoid in the dense forests of the arctic. The kingdom is named Imria, for the family who has ruled it. The residents of Imria have a haven city within Pantheon, for escaping to when the extreme blizzards become too much to bear. This sort of thing became more and more commonplace, as more and more intense natural disasters became more prevalent.

The Story of Unus
The foundation of the continent-nation of Unus is a storied one. It would shape much of what makes up modern Draikou, in terms of global law and governance. It starts with an assassin, named Ena Mattias. She worked in Pantheon, as the hand of the Mantle-Bearer of Balance, killing criminals and anyone who betrayed the Natural Order. Ena was skilled and diligent, until, at a point, she began to question the natural order when she was sent to kill a child that had stolen a wagon of food for their starving family. This didn’t seem to be right- the punishment did not suit the crime, and to her, this oughtn’t be a crime at all. She betrayed her duties and slew the Mantle-Bearer of Balance when confronted.

Now the mantle bearer, she sought refuge in the Island Nations, but they would not house her forever, and she would not be safe there. The other gods in Pantheon were seeking her, and the Island Nations didn’t want that heat. So, she chartered a boat and sailed west. Landfall on a new continent was made. She stood there, waiting for the gods to confront her. When they arrived, they had armies behind them. Ena gave an impassioned speech about the natural order- that it was flawed if it were to force the weak to die, and only allow the affluent to survive. She would not budge from her place until the natural order was such that all were seen as equal in the eyes of the gods- because to her, they were. The gods were troubled by this notion, but their armies were not. The armies recognized that they were seen as inferior to the gods- expected to abandon their spouses and children to kill someone who wanted nothing more than to recognize them as equals. The gods were overrun, and a new pantheon was established.

Lulu - Agriculture
The Mantle-Bearer of Agriculture is Lulu - the youngest mantle-bearer. The mantle-bearer established at the time of the others became weary of conversation with plants, and sought freedom from it. They abandoned the plane when given the chance, after it was discovered by BEPIS, and their power was randomly bestowed to a young girl called Lulu. She lives with Gianni, and sees him as a father, her own family now unable to provide for her, given the lifetimes of wisdom she was suddenly blessed with. She travels with Gianni to speak with plants and tend to them. Her favorite ones are the trees in Imria- Oh, the stories they tell!

Ena - Balance
Ena is, to this day, the Mantle-Bearer of Balance. A city was built around where she stood, now named Stand, and is the capital of Unus. Ena resides here, ensuring the country does not see the injustice that she once had to deliver upon mortals.

Petra - Creation
The Mantle-Bearer of Creation is Petra. She wanders with different tribes, aiding in repairing their tools and so forth, where in older times they would be rendered helpless to the elements. She had lost a family to the storms in the East, and joined the army in Pantheon in a desperate bid to make a comfortable life for herself- so now she brings her divine benefits to those who were in the position her family was.\

Gianni - Soul
The Mantle-Bearer of Soul is Gianni. His primary place of residence is in Pantheon, but he often visits other places in the world to guide lost souls to the afterlife. He is haunted by guilt of awful things he did in the army of Pantheon, and seeks retribution by giving the dead peace.

Iero - Storm
The modern Mantle-Bearer of Storm is Iero. He would work with the Mantle-Bearer of Creation to form the city of Taies in the Confederation of Wandering Tribes. Storms ravage the lands east of Pantheon, and it is nigh on impossible to keep a permanent location anywhere, save for the mountains, where Taies was built. It is a haven for wanderers who need to rest for a long time, or where they need to settle. Iero now resides here.