Editing DissidiaTemplar West Marches/The World (section)

= The End Period =
The region draws outside eyes, ready to explore it's dangerous wilds. (Year 1,000-Present)

== Magictown University Founded Year 1,010 ==
The magic-users of the world have magic schools throughout the land, most have been abandoned for many years, but some still exist. One of the biggest schools had a student who went only by his last name '''Johnson'''. After graduating when he was in his early twenties, he decided that the magic schools of the world (particularly the one he graduated from) were too exclusive and shunned the less fortunate. The poor would be denied because they couldn't afford it and most of the less respected races (including the '''Monsterkind''' and '''Ogrim''' (orc/troll), among others) were outright denied entry due to extreme racism. '''Johnson''' took it upon himself to set out and found a school of his own that would be far more inclusive for the magically adept.

He gathered a following at the school he graduated from and began construction on his own school a few miles away. With the use of magic, the school came together far quicker than it would have without its aid. He had members of each race help him, including a few Monsters. The school was a success. He made lots of money mainly from donations from approving members of the discriminated races, which he spent almost exclusively on the school and the students. He earned the nickname '''Magic Johnson''' for his efforts.

There was, of course, bitterness and rivalry between him and his Alma-mater as well as other magic schools, but it was never enough to close down the school. In time, '''Magictown University''' became grudgingly loved even by some of its most hated enemies.

'''Magictown University''' had to be rebuilt in one of the rival school attacks and, instead of rebuilding on the spot, he decided to move the school to a far off land, to better protect the students and staff. He gathered all staff and many of the students into a group of ships and took them across the sea to the continent that, unbeknownst to them, was fringed by the '''Curtain of Death'''.

When they passed through it, 90% of them died instantly. It was catastrophic for the school. Luckily, enough of them survived that they were able to rebuild a functional school, albeit less than it's former glory.

The survivors noticed that they were able to pass through the Curtain unharmed (it seems the 10% that survive it do so every time). '''Magic Johnson''' was one such survivor. He advertised the school to foreigners and many were still interested despite the guaranteed 90% death rate. At first anyway. After the first trip, though, only 10% survived and foreigners stopped traveling to the school. 

Luckily for the school, previous survivors, from earlier shipwrecks or voyages, had made a series of villages near the coast that supplied enough students to sustain the school, albeit with far fewer magically-inclined individuals. Trade was possible by way of the survivors. 

The conclusion is that '''Magictown University''' exists to the present day behind the '''Curtain of Death''', but is less of a magic school these days.

== Colonies of the New Land 1,020==
'''Cornia''', a large multi-species sovereignty far off from the continent in interest had - due to political upheaval - an overpopulation of its jails. Since whole houses were seized, not merely the perceived perpetrators of a given crime, this meant all classes of citizenry was present. To alleviate this burden, the ruling monarch came up with the clever idea to reduce the burden:
Under the guise of 'seeding the colonies of their empire' she bade that golem-ships full of prisoners (pulled at random to prevent any from trying to overthrow it) were to be sailed to 'The New Land'. There, they would supposedly be given control of the new colonies or jobs within.
Anyone who knew about the far-away land however, knew that this was essentially a death-sentence: Due to the terrible conditions of the golem-ships and the pervasive '''Curtain of Death''' that surrounded the entire land, nearly everyone who was sent would perish. If they did survive the trip over, then they were abandoned without supplies into the unforgiving shallows before the golem-ships started their months-long voyage back.

Incredibly, some do survive this hellish ordeal. They face the dangerous wilds of the unexplored land. Banding together is their only hope of survival. They call their eeked out existence of rag-tags '''Hell's Point'''.



== Nessa the Good Year 1,030==
'''Nessa''' was a young lay-priest of the '''Light in Cornia'''. She had beautiful golden-white hair, stunning ice-blue eyes, and disturbingly beautiful and fair skin.
'''Nessa''' was imprisoned for preaching while supposedly inciting to riot in what was essentially a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. In reality she was trying to use calm words of reason to keep the peace between the two sides, but that's '''Cornia''' for you.
Even while imprisoned she kept up her rigorous religious observations, even making a life-time convert and new friend, '''Tarkan Jebb''', an ex-naval-officer turned (briefly) to buccaneer.
When she was chosen for one of the earliest golem-ship sentences, she did not despair, and survivors said she would sing to them for hours on end to help keep their spirits us. Then, as they passed through the '''Curtain of Death''', she a white nimbus softly enveloped the ship and no screams were heard to issue from it.
The few scavengers that came down from '''Hell's Point''' to greet the dead and scrounge what they could from the fallen were awestruck when she strode upon the water to offer a saving hand to those that could not last in the freezing depths. All the while with a grim look of determination on her smeared and filthy face.
Miraculously, of the one hundred souls aboard that doomed vessel, a phenomenal thirty-two of them made the crossing safely, more than doubling the current population.

Since that fateful day she's been a voice of reason, a constant bastuib of support, and, perhaps, most importantly, hope, to those of Hell's Point. There is not a day she doesn't provide some physical or spiritual comfort, tend to the ill, or listen to the stories of the scouts who go beyond the horizon and provide level-headed insight on those subjects that might affect the whole community.

Even poor '''Tarkan''' made it through, on a later ship. He spoke of not having anything to live for but to see 'Sweet '''Nessa's''' smile" again and when he did, he professed his unswerving devotion to her from that day forward.

== Making Lemonade Year 1,040==
After burying their dead and shedding their tears, most of the surviving '''ex-Cornians''' gather at '''Hell's Point''' and begin doing what they can to rebuild some sort of civilization. Masons craft blocks of stone for their new homes, cooks nourish hungry bellies, and nobles and administrators... administrate, helping out in other ways as their personal skills or physical strength allows. But more creative minds are working on more ambitious plans of their own.

One of the golem-ships happened to contain three mages who established contact with one another and begun conspiring about how to improve their current situation. The golems-ships couldn't be turned aside to new destinations, however, having been built specifically to delver their contents beyond the Veil. But the three learned a great deal about golem-ships in the process.

Two of the three died passing the veil, one did not. When the survivors gathered at Hell's Point he brought another mage, a shipwright, and a carpenter into his conspiracy. They seemed to have few resources in the strange land but there was great power in the eldritch golem-ships, power that could turned to better purposes.

The first golem-ship that they tried to alter was destroyed irrevocably in the attempt, earning the group the nickname of "'''The Fourkups'''". The next golem-ship worked on was similarly ruined, and the general population of the survivors became hostile to this seemingly wasteful indulgence. The four managed to negotiate the rights to attempt to alter a third ship, however, and on the third try the charms works beautifully. Rows of legs emerged from the bottom of the ship, legs that could carry the massive ship up onto and around land with ease. '''The Fourkups''' guided the golem-land-ship around with ease, it's initial orders having already been carried out and it's control now seized.

The ridiculous sight elicited widespread cheers of joy, filling the survivors with hope. The golem-ships had been the site of great suffering, to be sure, but now these strange contraptions could be turned into mobile homes and fortresses for the survivors.

== The Tide Comes In Year 1,050==
For some time the souls of those killed by the curtain of death aren't treated unusually. But, when a particularly ill-fated ship accidentally passes through the curtain, '''Genesishydra''' instead intervenes to bind the souls of the departed together and create new monsters out of them as an experiment (if mortal words can be used to describe the intent of the divine).

The first of The Mother's creations is '''Chimera''', three souls of the departed twisted together into a terrifyingly virile creation. Worse follows, slowly but surely. These creatures aren't bound to the death curtain but, drawing from their own ugly energies, can travel at will.

Some of these '''Chimera''' supplant existing children of '''Genesishydra'''. Some are consumed by the existing children. Most coexist with or merge with their siblings. Strange and troublingly personal horrors result.


==The life of Huntergan the Furion master of the People of the Eye Year 1,060==
After sharing knowledge with '''Grom''', the lore keeper, a culture surrounding his powers come to be. The culture around him center around enhancing your body and mind to survive the conditions of the mountain he has chosen as his home. Among them, a single Monk takes a pilgrimage across the curtain. Huntergan: A Furion criminal, became a devout Monk after an incident. As a soldier, he was given a mission to raise an empty village while the people have been evacuated. After his men set the village ablaze with fire arrows, he ran in when he saw people running out of the town. His advisers, being devout to their orders, stop him and he was imprisoned. During the '''Cornian''' upheaval his prison was demolished and he fled. He come to the mountains, where no one would know him and started a new life there. Avoiding his militaristic tendencies, he takes up the Monastic lifestyle. After meeting '''Grom,''' who tells him of his past but shows no hostility to it, '''Grom''' tells of how Huntergan can focus his skills in a productive way. Together they establish the Style of the Iron Fist, a teaching within the People of the Eye. 
After teaching his skills to numerous students, A learns about a temple where '''Monsterkind''' practiced martial combat. Having almost superhuman abilities from learning the '''Style of the Iron Fist''', he makes this journey the manly way. Using his superhuman abilities, he swims through the '''Curtain of Death''' and makes his way across the continent. On his journey he accomplishes multiple feats, recorded across the age. Fighting an Infernal Warlord for domain over this world, fighting his way across the continent to the '''Monsterkind’s''' Arena and fighting at the '''Bar-king’s''' arena.

== Adventure! Year 1,060==
With '''Hell's Point''' relatively secure and well established a group of the more ambitious survivors decides to take one of the '''Golem-All-Terrain-Ships''' (recently re-christened the '''Adventure''') out to an island nearby covered in ruins. The island is near enough that it will have to be explored sooner or later, particularly if the ships are to be used for their more efficient seaborn travel, and there's talk of finding lost treasure among the ruins, perhaps setting up some sort of outpost on the isle. Confidence is surprisingly high, given all that the exiles have suffered.

The expedition doesn't send word back to '''Hell's Point''' for a while, long enough that it's becoming slightly concerning. Then the expedition returns, in a strange and startling fashion. An enormous gelatinous sphere emerges from the shallows and begins barreling towards '''Hell's Point'''. Deeper layers of the creature's exterior seem to consist of strange creatures and races, embedded in this terrible amalgamation, but the outer layer clearly consists of the '''Adventure''' and it's crew, 
trapped in this giant rolling monstrosity. The living components of the creature flail about and scream wildly as it approaches '''Hell's Point''', with the speech of the former humans just as terrifying and incomprehensible as that of stranger organic components.

Casualties from the initial impact are quite light, with most of the exiles panicking and running away from the abomination as fast as they can. As the creature rolls about, though, screaming from dozens of mouths, '''Hell's Point's''' finest muster a response. Warriors strike, mages conjure powerful spells, and priests beseech their gods for powerful boons. It's a good showing, but swords, lighting bolts, and lances of holy light don't seem to do much more than irritate the creature.

With a strange focus, however, the creature suddenly reverses it's momentum and begins rolling back out to sea. Various attacks and curses continue to land with little effect as the enormous blob rolls out into the water and then disappears beneath the waves, with the same ease with which it entered '''Hell's Point''' to begin with. Non-combatant residents eventually begin to trickle back in, confused and horrified. The blob doesn't return. At least not to Hell's Point.

== Skirmish at Muddyrocks Year 1,070==
Expanding the influence of the Cornian survivors beyond Hell's Point, a group of explorers are pleased to find a small cluster of ancient ruins with an assortment of potentially useful artifacts within. The artifacts have largely been exposed already and extraction promptly begins. Looting Recovery is suddenly interrupted, however, by an attack of a group of strange humanoids (mostly human). Injuries are sustained on both sides, a few are killed, but neither side is willing to press matters to a bloody conclusion.

One of the strangers approaches the expedition the next morning, however, alone and under some sort of banner that apparently signifies a desire for peace. Language barriers are quickly surmounted, largely through magic, and the stranger identifies himself and his compatriots as Favreni, specifically "Durscheni" (literally "the sundered"), who were already excavating the ruins before the Cornians' arrival. The situation quickly cools off and interesting talks begin.

The Durscheni, it turns out, are a sort of libertarian/survivalist element of the old Farven empire that established self-sustaining communities beyond the borders of the old empire rather than deal with the empire or the non-humanoid factions that tore it apart. They know a great deal of the history of the wider world, although their decentralized nature prevents them (by design) from becoming any sort of geopolitical power. Harv Fairhaired, the Cornian expedition leader, establishes the legal right (in New Cornia/Hell's Point) for the Durscheni to exploit the contested ruins called Muddyrocks. The Durscheni involved in the exploitation send Hell's Point a number of valuable gifts in return and establish diplomatic relations with these strange folk.

== The Shadow over Hell's Point Year 1,080==
After the groups in exile settled and have several encounters with the strange, two particular families took to investigation of magic to defend themselves. The Kainfaust Vilebloods lead by Count Azkelon and Countess Stella and the Flaming Avengers led by the brother Gnauraill and Thengur of the Reintic Clan. 

Initially the research was a joint effort, with both looking for a way to enhance their bodies through magic to allow them to fight. When this research come to a head, they completed a ritual that would enhance the bodies. The first to attempt this ritual were two young men, Kodorn of the Reintic Clan and Sarventus of the Kainfaust. 

After the ritual, there seems to be no effect on the two and they returned to their work. But what they did not account for the unnatural energies that isolates this island. These unnatural energies, twisted the souls of the two and damned the souls of their entire clans. In the night, the mage of the Reintic Clan, Kodorn, tossed in this bed, until the effects of the ritual finished its effects. Becoming the first cursed Vileblood, he slaughtered most of his fellow mages in a frenzy of madness and rage brought on by the ritual. He then left the town, in search of sanctuary in the woods. Having been the only person left of the researchers, the slaughter of his fellow mages was placed on Sarventus. For such a heinous act, he was executed the next morning. 

To his own surprise, Sarventus awoke in a coffin next to where he would be buried. Rising up from it, he realized that his body cold, his heart did not beat but he still moved. Realizing that his presence in the town would be a terror to many, he buried his empty coffin and made for the woods. After some time, he returns to the town to collect resources for research when he sees it plagued by demonic beasts. Finding himself in a position to attempt to gain favor with his people again, he fights off the beasts with the help of the other survivors. The battle concludes with Sarventus against the largest of the beasts, later learned to be the afflicted Kodorn. These two duel like two beasts, with monstrous strength and unyielding vigor. Eventually the two are so wounded, that they can no longer act. The beasts on Kodorn’s side, carry him away while the survivors carry off Sarventus. 

After a three other similar encounters, the two clans agree to never cross paths but establish groups to combat the other in case, suing the same rituals which made the origionals. The Kainfaust Vilebloods, are a group of elite warrior nobles who relish the finer things in life, and fight with all manor of weapons but are cursed with enfeeblement unless they drain the life essence of their fellow men. The Flaming Avengers, a order of monks who are cursed or are within the cursed family who has sworn to fight the beast within and without. They use holy weapons and magic but few survive as their curse gives them a maddening bloodlust during combat. While not openly admitting to it, these two continue the fight. Assured that the destruction of the other will bring an end to the curse, this has only proven to perpetuate the curse as new damned souls join the ranks regularly. 

This conflict eventually is what allows Sarventus to create the first Undead Golem Ship and sail back to the mainland, through the Curtain of Death as he is no longer alive.

== Hell Point Overflows 1,090==
As Hell's Point became settled and "civilized" (I use the term loosely), people eventually began to fight among one another and run out of space and resources. A few younger, and more brash members of the group set out to look for somewhere to live and claim as their own. This group primarily consisted of those who actually incited political unrest back in Cornia, who were unhappy with how the denizens in Hell's Point were attempting to run things. 

After traveling along the coast, they stumbled across an abandoned village, complete with stone towers sprawled out over a large area. None of the locals dared to go anywhere near it, for fear it was cursed, but as far as the youngsters from Hell's Point were concerned it was perfect! It was already full of structures, it just needed to be cleared out in order to be suitable for many people to live. Eventually more people followed suit, and the ruins of the tribe Heizun were populated by some of the Cornian Survivors