The Campaign Builder's Guild

[ic]Astolat lay in flames. After the events of the past two days, another civil war must surely impend. But Rudra couldn't bring himself to care. The sea of time cascaded through his mind, the tide of visions almost ceaseless. "I've seen terrible things." He spoke without turning, without facing Prometheus. "The end of the world."

"Even time ends. The world ends in fire or flood, in war and darkness. It is the eschaton."

He could have walked away. He turned, tried to. But Prometheus still had the child cradled in his arms. The last person that truly mattered had died giving birth to that child. Rudra couldn't abandon him. "How do I stop it?"

"Stop it? You are the catalyst that ignites it. History will not be denied."

Rudra felt the hands of fate at his throat. Every step had brought him here. "Oh yes. History is merciless."
[/ic]

[spoiler=Table of Contents]
Main Page - overview

Atlas

Logres[/list]

Valland[/list]

Encyclopedia
Spirits - named spirits

Abhijit[/list]

Agni[/list]

Bana[/list]

Caen[/list]

Diti[/list]

Dhumravati[/list]

Hardual[/list]

Kroni[/list]

Nirrta[/list]

Nirrti[/list]

Prithvi[/list]

Sophia[/list]

Theletus[/list]
People - people in the setting

Anann[/list]

Arcturus[/list]

Deucalion[/list]

Faridun[/list]

Imana[/list]

Ishmael[/list]

Kapila[/list]

Mulciber[/list]

Ninsun[/list]

Perseus[/list]
Things - items and features

The Abyss[/list]

The Blades of the Circle[/list]

Gungnir[/list]

Mistletoe[/list]

Orichalcum[/list]

Pandora's Box[/list]

Royal Road[/list]

Tarnhelm[/list]

Time Chambers[/list]

Wave Sweeper[/list]

The World Tree[/list]
Organizations - power groups

Amplius Viri[/list]

Angels of Vengeance[/list]

Arcturian Empire[/list]

Atlantean Empire[/list]

Conclave[/list]

House Bors[/list]

House Gawain[/list]

House Lancel[/list]

House Lionel[/list]

House Lucan[/list]

House Palamedes[/list]

House Pellinore[/list]

House Tristram[/list]

Inquisitors[/list]

Triumvirate[/list]

Vatian Empire[/list]

Watchers[/list]
Cosmology
Planes - levels of being
Magic - supernatural power and its users

Sociology
Cultures - the 22 cultures

Anannites[/list]

Mulcibites[/list]
Religions - faiths

Druidism[/list]

Vates Church[/list]
History
Cosmogony - creation
Prior Eras - earlier versions of the Earth
Golde Age - time of Atlantis
Silver Age - time of the fae
Bronze Age - time of heroes
Iron Age - modern age

Bestiary
Spirits

Primordials[/list]

Cosmic Beings[/list]

Fae[/list]

Ghosts[/list]
Monsters

Chimera[/list]

Griffin[/list]

Mutant[/list]

Sea Monster[/list]
Mortals

Atlanteans[/list]

Giants[/list]

Siddha[/list]

Therianthropes[/list]

Undead[/list]
Lore
Glossary
FAQ
Inspirations
[/spoiler]



Every religion tells us of a last battle, a time when the world descends into darkness, a time when there will be no more time. The Destroyer has been incarnated. It is not prophecy. It is History. The end is coming.



[ic=Anonymous Vatian Priest]The Eschaton is a myth. Time will not end, for God would not allow such a thing to happen. Fear not.[/ic]

Things to Know about Eschaton
* Eschaton is an alternate history/historical fantasy set around 45 BCE. It is a dark fantasy setting where everyone has an agenda. Except for specific changes, the Earth is much like historic Earth in antiquity. Humanity dominates Earth, while supernatural creatures live in the underworld.

* The characters in the setting are characters from mythology, reinterpreted, their stories becoming part of the history of this Earth. Many locations are also named after mythical places. Other place names are derived from historic names.

* Twenty-two supercultures exist, each tracing its cultural ancestry back to a messiah. These god-like messiahs are said to have lived over four thousand years ago. The supercultures have rough analogs in historical Earth.

* Alexander the Great and King Arthur are the same historical figure, Arcturus. He lived in Logres and built the greatest empire in recorded history. His empire did not survive his death, a death blamed on the Myrddyn the Betrayer.

* Some bloodlines carry the blood of the fae. These people, siddha, have access to magical abilities called siddhi. Whether they are hunted and exterminated or placed in positions of reverence, they are people to be feared.

* Fate is relentless, driving men towards a fixed and often cruel future. History follows a cycle of ages. The specifics change, but the pattern remains the same.

* Souls are eternal, uncreated. Individual lives are easily snuffed out, but souls play out a never-ending cycle of death and rebirth.

Themes
Fate vs. Free Will
Fate drives the Wheel of History, but if the future is written, heroes still struggle to assert their free will.

Humanity vs. Divinity
Many creatures claim divinity, but the nature of the divine is open to interpretation. As one's power grows, one's humanity tends to falter.


[ic=On Myrddin]Whether Myrddin truly betrayed Arcturus or not, we may never know. What we can say for certain, is that Arcturus felt betrayed, and that feeling is all that truly matters. The Church seized on that sentiment and demonized Myrddin, called him the Betrayer, the man that destroyed an empire that could have united all humanity.

But the truth is, the Arcturian Empire would likely have collapsed under its own weight even without Myrddin. It was a fragile alliance held together by the force of personality of the kind the world had not seen since the messiahs themselves. And Arcturus may well have gone mad with that power.

Once, we believed the fae were gods. Their mortal descendants, the siddha, were blessed chosen. Now we know them to as flawed as the rest of us. It is only that they think themselves gods that make them dangerous. The Church used the supposed betrayal of Myrddin to launch a fresh Inquisition. Perhaps one day no more siddha will remain.
[/ic]

[ooc]Feel free to comment on this thread, or on the appropriate discussion page on the wiki. I will be updating the wiki, and crossposting excerpts on the thread.[/ooc]

The Vatian Empire
 [note]The Vatian Empire is the historical analog of Rome. Only it's a theocracy. And it's based off of Sicily. And it was an empire from the beginning.

It's probably the most important organization to understand in the western world.[/note]

The Vatian Empire is the theocratic empire of the Vates Church, based on Thrinakia. It has become closely tied to its province of Logres, such that the two cultures have become almost indistinguishable.

While many are subject to the empire, citizenship is a privilege granted only to those from Thrinakia or Logres, or those awarded it for service. Citizens cannot be executed for capital crimes, though they are exiled; they can never be crucified. Citizens receive other legal privileges, such as fewer restrictions on marriage, and the ability to vote on certain public offices.

[ic=Chronicles of the Unseen Order]Vatia has the chance to be what the Arcturian Empire never could: stable. It could last a thousand years. Of course, the Church's unwavering stance against the siddha, the revival of its Inquisition, also makes some powerful enemies for the Empire. And whatever the Inquisitors think, Amplius Viri is still out there.[/ic]

Structure
The Empire is ruled by the Vicar, the head of the Church--an office equivalent to an emperor. Each province of the Empire is overseen by the Church, via bishops, but governed by a secular military governor of the rank of legate. These governors are appointed for a term of one year, but often receive multiple such appointments. They are usually drawn from the ranks of the Logrian nobility or are bishops that stepped down for a government career; sometimes lesser provinces are governed by knights or Inquisitors. Governors protect against both enemies and domestic agitators, as well as serving as judge over legal disputes. They also ensure that taxes for the province are sent back to Thrinakia. A province that cannot pay its taxes or war indemnity has to take loans, usually at inescapably high rates.

Socially, Logrian nobles stand just below upper Church members. Below them are the knightly houses of Logres. Plebeians, or common freemen, stand below the knightly orders. Plebeians once had little voice in government, but now are represented by elected tribunes that ensure their interests are attended to.

The lower classes are considered inferior, and can thus receive corporal punishment from the upper classes. However, the upper classes do offer some support to the lower classes, including by offering them a grain dole--free monthly grain handed out to each male citizen for his family.

Really cool so far.

So how large is the Vatian Empire? Does it just include Sicily and Italy, or does it extend far out into the Thalassa Sea, as Rome did?

Quote from: Elemental_ElfReally cool so far.

So how large is the Vatian Empire? Does it just include Sicily and Italy, or does it extend far out into the Thalassa Sea, as Rome did?

Thanks EE. Validation always helps :D

It's more or less the same as Rome was. All the places have been renamed after mythical places or obscure historical names.

[ooc]By the way, Eschaton was the reason I created the Mythological Resources pages.[/ooc]

The sidebar on the wiki lists the names of the provinces: Amazonia (Pontus), Aratta (Bithyia), Ellas (Greece), Karkhedon (Carthage), Khemia (Egypt), Libya (Numidia), Listeneise (Hispania), Logres (Italy), Lyrcea (Illyria), Ogygia (Corsica), Phaeacia (Crete), Phlegra (Macedon), Sandalyon (Sardinia), Thrinakia (Sicily), Valland (Gaul)

You can see these on the map, though I've put their real-world counterparts in parenthesis here.

Ok so I have a question. Vatian seems to be an amalgam of Rome and the Vatican, so who do the Vatians worship? I read the wiki page but I'd like some more info :)

Vatian's legion is very, very large 288,000 men. Even Imperial Rome only had 153,600 men (which included auxiliaries). So there must be a big threat on the horizon for the Vatian Empire to maintain such a massive army.

Need to see more before I can say too much, but it's a really neat idea.  I'm a bit confused by Alexander and Arthur being the same person, and how that works.  Did Alexander (are you using either of those names at all, or is this character always just known Arcturus?) at some point decide to go west and just make it all the way to Britain to do the things Arthur is famous for?  I realize this is an alternate history, so you have leeway to make changes, but how faithful to the history of Alexander and the lore of Arthur are you keeping?

ETA: I suppose it helps to actually READ the material you've provided.  I see what you did with Arcturus.  So it was the reverse of what I figured.

This is pretty cool, I really like this kinda thing. And I have to say, your wiki template is really pretty.

Aside from that it looks interesting. A couple things jump out to me.

1. I find it strange that all 22 messiash just happened to all show up around the same time (from what I understand, could be wrong) 4000 years ago (roughly 4000 CE).

2. Was Arcturus a messiah? Also, I'm not sure when King Arthur is supposed to have happened, but I thought it was like in 700-800 BCE, yet the setting takes place in 45 BCE. Maybe its just me being confused.

Keep up the good work Phoenix, its interesting. I like the little in-world snippers they help liven it up.

Questions! I'm excited, it's been a while since I've had a full setting up for the CBG (Eclipse was a mini-setting, and over a year ago).

One early answer: I don't use Earth names for places or historical persons in setting; I've used them here only to help give a clear picture for those not reading the setting in depth.

Quote from: http://www.thecbg.org/wiki/index.php?title=Silver_Age_%28Eschaton%29Silver Age[/url], so around 3200 BCE in our world (or 1 Bronze Age in my setting).

Yup, it's strange. x. The messiahs were chosen by phoenixes to help mankind survive the Fae Wars which split the fae into Seelie and Unseelie.

Quote from: http://www.thecbg.org/wiki/index.php?title=Iron_Age_%28Eschaton%29Iron Age[/url] page explains the last several centuries (the 1st c IA would be 800 BC), including Arcturus (in the 5th c IA).

Quote from: Elemental ElfOk so I have a question. Vatian seems to be an amalgam of Rome and the Vatican, so who do the Vatians worship? I read the wiki page but I'd like some more info

Vates Church[/url], the religion around which the empire is based. Any resemblance to the name Vatican is coincidental.

The word Vates is a Latin word for prophet. They worship an unnamed God of light very loosely based on Ahura Mazda, though it's more complex. The Vates themselves are the twelve messiahs the Church accepts as saints, who fought against the god of darkness at Unug during the Bronze Age. I'll probably make that my next post.

QuoteVatian's legion is very, very large 288,000 men. Even Imperial Rome only had 153,600 men (which included auxiliaries). So there must be a big threat on the horizon for the Vatian Empire to maintain such a massive army.

You know, I haven't done any calculations on how many men the legions added up to. All those numbers were pulled from a book called the Complete Roman Army, by Adrian Goldsworth. Highly recommend it. I think I took the number of legions (the only number I could find for that) inherited by Augustus; a number he cut in half. If your number comes from imperial period, it would make sense it would be less than what is listed now (in the time of "Caesar").


Thanks Seraph, EE, and Llum for the questions.

Quote from: PhoenixVatian is the demonym of Vates, from the Vates Church, the religion around which the empire is based. Any resemblance to the name Vatican is coincidental.

The word Vates is a Latin word for prophet. They worship an unnamed God of light very loosely based on Ahura Mazda, though it's more complex. The Vates themselves are the twelve messiahs the Church accepts as saints, who fought against the god of darkness at Unug during the Bronze Age. I'll probably make that my next post.

Very interesting!

Quote from: PhoenixYou know, I haven't done any calculations on how many men the legions added up to. All those numbers were pulled from a book called the Complete Roman Army, by Adrian Goldsworth. Highly recommend it. I think I took the number of legions (the only number I could find for that) inherited by Augustus; a number he cut in half. If your number comes from imperial period, it would make sense it would be less than what is listed now (in the time of "Caesar").

It is true, the numbers I derived were post-Augustus. I suppose the large legionnaire count you have is fine, especially if the state can support it (either through direct taxes/tithes or military generals paying percentage).

One more question, who is the biggest threat to Vatian independence?

Historically, I'd say Rome would be reaching the end of its period of "defensive" conquest, and moving into conquest for its own sake. Caesar's justification for invading Gaul was shaky, and the wars in the first centuries AD even more so.

Internally, the siddha are a pretty big threat because the Church is determined to wipe them out. The Inquisition has been pretty successful at this, but Amplius Viri still exists and may move against them. And, of course, the nobles houses of Logres hover on the edge of another civil war (one just finished).

Externally, Khvarvaran (Persia) is about the only near power that could pose a political threat, at this point.

Vates Church
The Vates Church is the state religion of the Vatian Empire and arguably the most powerful organization in the world. The Church's heart lies on the island of Thrinakia, in the city of Vatia. The heart of this city is the grand cathedral, Corbenic, which is surrounded by a fortress wall.

[ic=Chronicles of the Unseen Order]Strangely, few ever stop to ask where Mistletoe came from. The very emblem of the Church--a sword that the doctrine claims was given by God himself. Perhaps it was. We do know that the leader held the sword even when the Church was nothing more than a cult on Thrinakia.[/ic]

Structure
The Church is led by the Vicar, the speaker for God and heir of the Vates. Each province within the empire is overseen by an archbishop, who leads from a cathedral. Several bishops serve each archbishop. A bishop oversees a populous region within a province, called a bishopric. Almost every major city has its own bishop. Beneath bishops, priests serve as the voice of the Church, possibly the only voice in small communities. Priests are served by deacons, ordained laymen who perform minor ceremonies. Monasteries are overseen by abbots or abbesses, who hold rank equal to a bishop.

Each clergyman is required to shave their head as a sign of faith. They receive a glyph tattoo indicating rank on the back of their head, much like other Mulcibite glyphs. These glyphs are designed to be built upon as rank grows. On being ordained, a clergyman receives a ceremonial sword as a sign of his office. The sword, Mistletoe, serves as the sign of the office of Vicar.

The Church maintains its own military organization, beyond the imperial military, called the Inquisitors. They exist outside the traditional hierarchy of both the military and the Church itself. The Inquisitors answer only to the Vicar himself.

Pantheon
The Church teaches there is only one true God, whom they do not name. God chose twelve Vates, or prophets: Anann, Deucalion, Faridun, Hanwasuit, Heimdall, Ishmael, Kapila, Melkarth, Mulciber, Ninsun, Paivatar, and Ugunsmate. These ancestors of the races of man are also venerated as saints.

The Church teaches that there was once an opposing god of darkness, but that God destroyed the evil god through the Vates. However, the chief of the dark god, an angel that had betrayed God, escaped. This Dark Angel is said to walk the world forever, tempting and tainting mortals and evil spirits.

The fae are said to be angels that were cast out because they refused to fight alongside God against the dark god. Their siddha descendants are tainted by their cursed blood.

Ethos
Vates doctrine is drawn from the holy book, the Deus Logos. The book is divided into two sections. The first recounts the history of the world, starting with God breathing life into the Earth. The dark god tried to tempt mankind into serving him. He seduced angels of the lord who became demons, while other angels that did not follow God were cast out and became fae. The fae also tempted mankind with their power, which led to the dark god coming to Earth.

God chose twelve prophets--the Vates--to stop the dark God, and through them he slew the dark god. However, the dark god's chief, called the Dark Angel, escaped and was cursed to forever walk the world. Saint Mulciber recorded these holy events.

The second half of the book sets down religious laws and teachings. Among these teachings, the book tells that the fae, their siddha bloodlines, and the undead are unholy servants of the Dark Angel and must be destroyed. The book preaches love of mankind, but it also preaches unyielding strength, symbolized by the sword of the Church. It condemns all other religious as false. This section also prophecies the rebirth of the Vates.

Holidays and Ceremonies
At the heart of every chapel and cathedral a sacred flame burns, signifying the watching Vates. Worshipers toss a handful of grain into these flames, which briefly turn green, showing the saints accept the offering. In every chapel is lined with statues of the twelve saints along the walls leading to the altar of God. The floor of a chapel before these statues is carved with the image of a phoenix.

Worshipers are expected to make regular donations to the Church.

The last day of the year is dedicated the victory of the Lord over the dark god. All the faithful must attend service, make donations, and spend the day in prayer.

One of the things I'm thinking about:

Right now, I've got a section of the wiki called "Atlas" where I show several maps of continents. Then there's a subsection of the Encyclopedia called "Places" which is links to different locations. I wonder if this should all be one page, or if a separate page for big maps is good?

Wasn't Lemuria one of the mythical continents like Atlantis? Does it physically exist in your campaign? and where is it if yes?

Quote from: Cataclysmic CrowWasn't Lemuria one of the mythical continents like Atlantis? Does it physically exist in your campaign? and where is it if yes?

Yes, it was. Most of the places in Eschaton are real places given mythical names. Atlantis is an exception--it sank beneath the Okeanus (Atlantic Ocean) at the end of the Golden Age.

Lemuria is here.
[img:width=750px]http://www.thecbg.org/wiki/images/c/c7/Lemuria.jpg[/img]
Humanity arose in Lemuria (rather than East Africa), and when the fae enslaved humanity, they took most humans back there and made it the heart of their empire. Thus most of the messiahs arose there. (15 in Australia, 2 in Mesopotamia, and 5 in the Congo--the three major centers of fae civilization, where they kept human slaves)

Besides my question about the Atlas, I'm also interested in what sections of the wiki people most want to see written up next. I've mostly posted all I've written now, and I'm just getting stuff out of my head at this point. So if there's one area or another of particular interest...