Five Realms

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The other fantasy world I have been working on. Please post any questions or feed back  here.

Welcome to Five Realms, a land that is exotic and disjointed. This primer will introduce you to the land, the magic and the people of Five Realms.

The land that became known as Five Realms was once a world filled with magic. In times long past a demon decided that this world would be a perfect breeding ground for its army. A war ravaged the land, leaving cities laid waste. The demon developed a spell that would bring all of the magic of the land to itself. Thousands of blood sacrifices later the demon finished casting the Binding in the center of Sarlis, the largest city in the land. The one thing that the Sretinar didnâ,¬,,¢t consider was that the magic of the land itself wouldnâ,¬,,¢t allow this. As the spell was cast the magic twisted itself away from the original purpose of the Sretinar. Rather than binding all magic to the demon the spell now split the land into 5 copies of itself, each with a different type of magic which only worked in that realm. The city of Sarlis, which had once been in the center of the land, now exists separately from all five planes. Each realm has either a crater or a large lake where Sarlis once sat. While the Realms all began physically the same centuries ago there are geographical differences now due to erosion, man and magic.
Various gates, portals and geological events connect the Realms. The gates do not have consistent locations throughout the Realms. If a gate is in one spot on one Realm it does not mean it will be in the same spot on another Realm. Sarlis is also known as the City of Gates. Portals are more numerous there than any other place in Five Realms.

The Five Realms are stacked one above the other, though they are offset somewhat. If viewed from above the Realms would appear to be a U shape, with Sarlis sitting in the middle of the U. It is level with the Realm Brea.

In descending order the Realms are:
Lonli
Phoris
Brea
Garin
Dakeen


Facts about Five Realms:
Only humans, no dwarves, elves, halfings, etc.
One common language (read the Nafreet post for the exception)


Rough Timeline

-5    Sretinar comes to the world
-1    Sretinar overtakes Sarlis and casts its binding spell
0   Sundering of the world
1   Gates discovered- almost starvation in Sarlis
10   Realm Council formed
12   Realm Court founded
150   Berelz School of Mystical Arts founded
155   Mage Duels formalized
389   Dragons enter the Five Realms
637   Angin Falls created by Zela Angin
894   Council dispute. Gates sealed off except to Sarlis
899   Gates reopened
1411   Discovery of Arani Crystal on Dakeen
1729   Orc uprising on Phoris and Garin
2476   Phoris invades Lonli-repeled
2906    Juxtia founded
2999   Headmaster Ilida vanishes on trip to Phoris
3116   Orc coordinated invasion of main Realm gates to Sarlis
3116   Orc invasion of Sarlis
3119   Present Day

Calendar
   The Five Realms year consists of 10 month. Each month is made of 5 weeks of 5 days. The months are grouped in sub groups that are made up of 2 months each. These supra months are named after the 5 moons of the Realms.

Supra month   1st month   2nd month
Karif             Kan           Vorif
Bendil           Benoran           Tondil
Zanar             Zan           Hilnar
Jafiz              Jal           Gifiz
Rild             Rifk            Wald
 

The name of the supra month comes from the 2 month period when that moon is not visible to the Realms

As mentioned before there are five moons in the skies of Five Realms. Each moon is associated with a particular Realm. Karif, a yellow moon of medium size is connected to Lonli. Phorisâ,¬,,¢s moon, Bendil, is small red globe. The moon for Brea, Zanar,  is also medium size but a pale purple in color. Garinâ,¬,,¢s moon is pale green is Jafiz and roughly the same size as Zanar. The final moon Rild is the largest of them all and is a silvery gray color. The moons travel through the sky four at a time.  The fifth moon disappears for a two-month period.

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Magic

Each Realm has two types of magic that will function there. One that is Realm specific and the other is Elemental Magic. When a person is born in a Realm there is small chance that the Realm will â,¬ËSeeâ,¬,,¢ that person, allowing them to work magic. A person need not be raised on the plane, just born there. Mage powers become active during teenage years though there are rumors that some people can see the mage potential in younger children. A mage born in Sarlis becomes an Elemental Mage. Currently there are only about 30 Elemental Mages in the five Realms. Many of them come from one family, the Qoldi.

Lonli-
The magic of Lonli is one of the self. A Lonli mage uses their inner energy to create various spell effects. With extensive training in both physical and mental abilities a Chi mage learns to access their inner reserves. These abilities often manifest as changes to the mage's physical being, but not always. Since martial training helps focus the body Lonli mages are very skilled in fighting. Because of this most spells revolve around fighting.

Phoris-
Rune magic is the magic of Phoris. There are two types of runes that a mage can inscribe, permanent or token runes. A token rune is placed upon a small disc of some type of material, usually wood or metal. When activated the runeâ,¬,,¢s magical effect takes place the token disintegrates. Token runes can also be set with a passive trigger that will allow them to be activated at a later time when certain conditions are met. Permanent runes are inscribed onto objects for a long lasting effect. It takes much longer to create a permanent rune, but the rune does not fade. Permanent runes can be designed to have their effects always active or activated by certain words or conditions.

Brea-
Breaâ,¬,,¢s magic is different from the other Realms as there is no preparation beforehand for the spells. The mageâ,¬,,¢s abilities are more psionic in nature. Each Brea mage has a gemstone that is the focus for the spells. Without the gem the mage will only have very limited abilities. While the mind magic of Brea is capable of doing anything that the magic of the other realms can many of the mageâ,¬,,¢s seem to focus on illusions and such. Brean mages are often viewed with suspicion, as it is hard to tell when they are casting a spell since there are no visible signs of the casting.

Garin-
Nature magic is the type of magic that is part of Garin. Mages from here specialize in spells that revolve around nature and animal. A staff is the key to the mageâ,¬,,¢s spells. It connects the mage the nature that is everywhere around him or her. Garin mages also get along very well with animals, even when not on Garin proper.

Dakeen-
All things in the world have a proper name. And Dakeen mages know these names, which comes them some amount of control over that item. By speaking the proper name of an item along with other names various effects can be created by the mage.

Each mage, no matter who he or she is Seen by, has a familiar that comes to them during their first year of having active magic. These familiars are able to communicate telepathically with their mage as well as being able to see through the others eyes and hear what the other hears. A familiarâ,¬,,¢s intelligence is on par with sentient humans. No one knows for sure where the familiars come from or how they select their mages.

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Religion:

Religions:
There are a number of religions in Five Realms.
The first is Juxtia. This quasi religion/cult attempts to worship the elemental mages in the Realms. The underlying belief is that since elemental magic is the only one that works in all 5 realms and Sarlis it is divinely ordained to rule Five Realms. Most elemental mages discourage the practice of being worshipped, but there are a few that have bought into the Juxtian philosophy.

An underground religion has begun to gain momentum, especially among the nobles of the Realms. This religion is attempting to summon Sretinar, the demon that caused the Realms to be Sundered. Many of the nobles donâ,¬,,¢t truly believe that they can summon the demon, but rather have joined as a way to rebel against their parents and society. Little do they know that it is possible to for Sretinar to return.

On Garin the druidic mages have formed a fellowship that resembles a religion. Many have joined this fellowship since the foundation of it is respect for life. The Garin mages donâ,¬,,¢t encourage worship, but use the fellowship as a network or support system to make sure that the Realm is safe and protected.

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Government:

A council governs five Realms. A Baron or Baroness rules each Realm. The Baron or his representative sits on the Council. The Mayor of Sarlis also sits on the Council. Each Realm governs itself and is an autonomous state.
The Council also has a number of advisory positions. The Headmaster of Berelez as well as the ranking Elemental Mage sits on the council in these positions.
The Council decides on inter-Realm matters such as trade and crimes.


Marriage/Courts
For couples to be married in Five Realms they only need to go the local Justice. Each Realm has a similar court system that is standardized by the Council. In-Realm matters are handled by that Realm. Matters that involve multiple realms or Sarlis are handled by the Realm Courts in Sarlis. The Baron chooses an in-realm Justice after having names submitted by the local population. Realm Justices are chosen by the Council. There are 7 Realm Justices, one from each Realm and Sarlis as well as a seat the rotates between the Realms


Candin Zela
Female, from Dakeen. From a wealthy merchant family she tends to favor that class or the wealthy in her decisions. If it is obvious that the upper class is in the wrong she will decide against them, but if there is some doubt she will rule on the side of the upper class. There is no malice in her decisions. She honestly feels that the upper class is better. She has never taken a bribe and will not take one.

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Sarlis
Also known as the City of Gates, Sarlis is unique in that it has a large of number gates to the Realms. It is also sits apart from the other Realms level with Brea. Just beyond the wall that encircles Sarlis there lies nothing. All but one of the city gates are permanently closed and barred. Hope Gate is the only one that still functions. A bridge connects Sarlis to Brea through Hope Gate. This bridge or causeway has no handrails and is very dangerous to use. A pass must be obtained from the Mayor to use the causeway. Both ends are guarded by the City Watch to prevent unauthorized access.

Mayor Dlif Lesk
Male-43 years old. Lesk was voted to be Mayor by the Council and the advisors 2 years ago. (This is the only time the advisory positions are allowed to vote.) While young to be Mayor Lesk has proven to be well liked by the citizens of Sarlis and the Council. Some Council members did think they would be able to use his age to control him, but Lesk has proved otherwise. Lesk was a member of the City Watch before becoming Mayor. He was instrumental in repelling the orc invasion of 3117. It was his bravery in battle and the recapturing of 3 gates that the orcs were using to invade Sarlis that brought him to the Councilâ,¬,,¢s attention. The then Mayor lost his life while fighting orcs that had overrun his home. The City Watch saved his wife and daughter. Lesk is an outgoing man that takes his job seriously while still able to enjoy life. Currently he is unmarried and considered to be the most eligible bachelor in the Realms.

Berelez School of Mystical Arts
While each Realm has their own system of teaching magic (schools or apprenticeships) there is also a school for all the Realms magic that is based in Sarlis. Most mages that are Realm trained spend their final year at BSMA to perfect their skills. This is also were mages come to handle any disagreements between themselves. An arena was constructed to handle any mage duels. If there is enough time for the public to be informed mage duels draw huge crowds.
There are some students that receive all of their training at BSMA. Training starts at about age 12 or 13 when a personâ,¬,,¢s mage powers become active. There are a few students that are younger, but not many. Elemental Mage receive their official training here though there are rumors that some EM have taken apprentices to the far Realms and are training them in secret. The training at BSMA is excellent and students usually have a better understanding of their abilities. But it is considered unfashionable to receive your full training there. All six styles of magic are taught at BSMA and the professors often rotate in from their home Realm while they are working on other projects at BSMA. There are a number of permanent staff on campus.

Headmaster Polir
Polir has been headmaster for 20 years. She stepped into the role when the previous headmaster vanished on a trip to Phoris. Confirmed quickly by the Board Polir started making changes. The school had become a breeding ground for political infighting. Polir removed some professors, brought in others and made the school a neutral entity in the political scheme of things. This did not win her points with the Council or the nobles since many of then had other uses for BSMA. The Mayor values her advice as her long time in office balances his relative lack of political experience. Polir is Seen by Brea, which makes some of the Council nervous since the magic of that Realm is the most subtle and hidden. Her familiar is a large calico cat named Fedin. Polir is a strict taskmaster that has a heart of gold. The school is her utmost concern.

Taverns/Inns
Green Goblet
Five Ales
Cinder & Ash
Goblinsâ,¬,,¢ Pass
Gilded Cockroach
Feathered Fish
Ravenâ,¬,,¢s Roost

Thieves Guild
Known as Night Wind the thieves guild in Sarlis is know for its lack of tolerance for freelancing thieves. A thief is given one warning and a chance to join the guild if caught freelancing. There is no second chance. Quiet runs the Night Wind with an iron fist. She was born in Sarlis and has never left the city. The Night Winds controls just about any type of illegal activity in the city, from cutpurses to the blackmail of nobles.

Quiet
Female, 44 years old. The woman known only as quiet grew up in the Night Wind. She joined at the age of 12 and progressed through the ranks. She took over 4 years ago when she killed the then leader for selling out to a noble. Blonde hair and blue eyes and moves with no sound. She is an Elemental Mage and has kept this hidden from all about 3 people, her children and their father. She is completely self-taught and has no compunction of killing anyone to prevent her secret from being exposed. Her daughter is active in the guild, hoping to take over from her mother some day. Her son is in BSMA as an Elemental student. No one there knows that he is the son of the rumored Quiet.

Merchant Stores
Kyn General Goods-general
Nalin & Crol- high end goods
Bendin Supplies-general
Japufal Gems-gems/money
Refar Exchange-gems/money
Vashin Merchants-general
Wista Travels-high end imports

Gilded Cockroach
A low-end inn that mocks the upper class with its name. What else could be more useless than a cockroach that has been gilded? Tal Braz, the owner, actually had a huge cockroach gilded and it now hangs over the bar. It is rumored that it has magical powers. The GC often gets rowdy, but there are few deaths there. The GC is under the protection of the Night Wind. No thieving is allowed to take place within its walls. Tal is the father of both of Quietâ,¬,,¢s children. While not officially married the two have been together for over 20 years.

Feathered Fish
A dive tavern that sits on the edge of town, literally. What was dock area became very dangerous since there was no lake anymore but just empty space. A wall was built quickly to prevent people from wandering off the edge of the city. The FF back wall is part of the city wall. What is not well known is that there is a door in this wall that allows people to dispose of items quickly and quietly. One of the things about the FF is that it still has the best seafood in town. In the basement there is a gate to Garin that only the owner, Zor Kina and his three sons know about. The sons travel the gate daily to bring in fresh seafood.

Ravenâ,¬,,¢s Roost

Council Members
Count Vorin
Cera Day-Mage
Laila Kreif
Baroness Opanal-mage
Tali Norn- mage

BSMA staff
Dez Enil
Jnab Whelnar
Hiskal Iab
Larg Maris


Cascade Park
A large area was set aside near what is now Hope Gate soon after the Sundering. The population realized that with no direct access to farm lands or non-urban areas there would be need for open ground. The park is also home to the daily bazaar where people come for their meat, fruits and vegetables. Five Gates are positioned on the edge of the bazaar, one to each Realm. These are the main gates used by most people to travel between Realms. Fresh food is brought in daily from the Realms, but much is also grown in Cascade Park. The gates in the park and its exit points are closely guarded. The Orc Invasion began when enemy forces took these gate. They were then used to bring troops into the city quickly.
Some of the land is currently cultivated for food. Rooftop and courtyard gardens are also very common. In the center of Cascade Park sits a grove of tall trees that were put there by Garin mages. The number of Garin mages in town would also allow the city to hold of an siege since the mages would be able to quickly turn the whole park into cultivated land producing food at an accelerated pace.

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Lonli-
The topmost of the 5 Realms, Lonli is known for its gems and its deserts. Most of Lonliâ,¬,,¢s population is nomadic. The only major city is Lonli Keep, which sits on the edge of the Harbi Sea. This sea is the only major body of water on Lonli and sits in the depression where Sarlis once sat. There are a few other small towns in the Caan Mountain that search for gems, but these are often transient as the vein may shift or vanish. One of the unknown factors of Lonli is the shifting gems.  Without warning a gem deposit can dry up and appear anywhere from feet to miles away from where it last was. This is the prime reason for the nomadic lifestyle that abounds on Lonli.

Lonli Keep holds approximately 10,000 at any one time. The population is very fluid as people get the urge to travel across the Realm to visit family. There are 5 clans with numerous minor clans that are beholden to one of the major clans. The five clans are:
1) Drake
2) Chimera
3) Wyvern
4) Hydra
5) Manticore
Each Clan has a number of  Ã¢,¬Å"titledâ,¬Â members. These families founded the clans after the Sundering. It is possible for non-family members to gain titles, though it is extremely rare.

Baron Hren is of Drake Clan. His family has ruled Lonli since the Sundering. Count Vren is his appointee to the Council and his cousin. Hren is widowed and has 2 sons and 2 daughters that he adores, and they all feel the same about their father. Most of them travel with the other clans as representatives of their father. None of them are mages, though some of Hrenâ,¬,,¢s grandchildren are showing signs of being mages.

There is often conflict between the clans, though most of it is good-natured. The Chimera clan has uncanny luck in finding gems that are scattered throughout the deserts. This causes some raiding on their caravans. Blood feuds are not unknown between clans. Usually Hren or his children will intervene if it becomes out of hand.

Currently there are eight known Gates on Lonli. Three are in Lonli Keep. The first connects to Cascade Park; the next connects Vrenâ,¬,,¢s home in Sarlis to the Baronâ,¬,,¢s home in Lonli Keep. The final one connects to Brea. The other five gates are in scattered throughout Lonli. Two are in the Caan mountains, while the final three all in oasis that are governed by the other clan.

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Phoris-
The landscape of Phoris is rugged, but more varied than its higher neighbor. Zilnali is the capital and is not set near the spot where Sarlis once was. Rather it sits more to the south on the Gkaie River. The crater of Sarlis has not filled in with water, but has become the Forgotten Forest. It is rumored to be cursed and most that enter donâ,¬,,¢t exit. And those that do are not the same.

Baroness Regin Chican rules Phoris. While her family has ruled since the Sundering, there was a change in which branch actually ruled. Just over 600 years ago the then ruler, Baron Kifor decided that he must control the gem trade of Lonli. He built an army in secret, gained control of two gates to Lonli, one from Phoris and the other from Dakeen that he had taken over (supposedly by force, but this has never been verified). After the clans of Lonli repelled the invasion the people of Phoris called for a new ruler. A search was done of Kiforâ,¬,,¢s bloodline and it was found that a he had a cousin that had been raised primarily in Sarlis at BSMA. Nen Kif became Baron in 2478 and his family has ruled since.

Phoris has a strong agrarian feel with much of the population being farmers. A number of medium to large cities dot the landscape, with smaller villages interspersed between them. Phoris is also known for the quality of its metalwork. Large forges exist in the Cral Mountains where smiths work creating masterpieces. To be accepted as an apprentice into the world of smithing is a high honor.

One of the oddities of Phoris is Angin Falls. In 637 the elemental mage Zela Angin battled a goblin army in the Cral Mountains. The odds were overwhelming, but she was protecting her village and others nearby as well as the newly founded Ghar Foundry. Tapping into the magic of water she called a number of water elementals to sweep the army over the edge of the Phoris. Her plan was successful and the army was destroyed, but she paid the price of calling the elementals by returning with them to their plane. An unexpected side effect was that the water did not stop flowing from where the elementals arrived. From the top of the now named Zela Plautte flows Angin Falls, which cascades over the edge of Phoris to fall onto the Realm Garin below.

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Brea-
The land of Brea is one of very similar to Phoris with typical mountains, swamps, forest and plains. Cities and smaller villages dot the landscape with the capital being Dorfia, which sits on the crater of Sarlis. The city was built there in memory of the great city that vanished years before. Baron Rdeo rules the land from Dorfia. While not well loved by his subjects, he is not reviled either. The rumors are that he is spending too much time with his newest partner, a woman from Dakeen. She is said to be a mage of some sort, though no one has ever caught her doing a spell. Her attentions have pulled Rdeoâ,¬,,¢s focus from his Realm to her and almost exclusively her. This is worrying to the population as there are no direct heirs as Rdeo has never married nor has any children.

The second largest city of Brea is Sefir, which sits at the edge of the Realm and provides the anchor point to the Causeway, the bridge to Sarlis. The City Watch from Sarlis actually guards the entrance to the Causeway, but Sefirâ,¬,,¢s watch backs them up. Laila Kreif, Breaâ,¬,,¢s council member is from Sefir and often visits when she gets the chance.

Brea has an overall more metropolitan feel to it. Much of the population is very aware of the political intrigues and issues that are going on with their Realm as well as the other Realms. It is not uncommon for heated discussions to erupt over the politics of a far off land. The other main distraction of the population is that of art. Beauty of form is considered to be the highest art, so most people are constantly creating works of art of any media. The cities of Brea often have an elegant or airy feel as the builders try to outdo each other.

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Garin-
Garin is a land of forests and nature, with a few cities scattered across the land. Hendar is the Realmâ,¬,,¢s official government seat with Baroness Opanal as the ruler and the Council member for Garin. Hendar is more accurately the gathering spot for the members of the Garin Senate. Each of the cities in Garin is run as a city-state since there are so few people that actually live in the wilds, which is most of Garin. The Senate meets in Hendar, as it is the largest city. Baroness Opanal is actually elected by the Senate to rule Garin and be its voice on the Council.

The Oaken Fellowship is a group of Garin mages that have banded together to honor and protect nature. Almost all mages that are Seen by Garin are members of this order. There are even non-mage members that agree with the principle of protecting life and nature and finding a balance with humanity

Much of Garin is wild and dangerous to most people. The Fellowship often acts as guides across the land between the cities.

The Sarlis crater is barren on Garin. No matter what spells are cast on the sunken land the mages are not able to get any plants to grow there. This has become the life quest (some would say obsession) of a few Fellowship mages

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Dakeen-
Another name for Dakeen is the Twilight Realm. Due to its position of being the bottommost Realm it is shadowed much of the time by the other Realms. A very soft early evening light fills the Realm. Due to the lack of sunlight of direct sunlight on a regular basis much of the population is very fair skinned.

Twilight is the name of the capital with Baron Norn as the ruler. His sister Tali is the Council member from Dakeen. Twilight sits on the edge of Sral Lake, the former resting spot of Sarlis. The majority of the population likes Baron Norn. He has worked hard on trying to get the stereotype of Dakeen changed, which has opened up new opportunities to merchants

Dakeenites have a reputation for being sneaky and untrustworthy due to their pale complexion and dark Realm. This is totally unfounded as there are no more evil people that come from Dakeen then other Realms.

Music is very important to Dakeenites and there are at least 2 bardic universities in Realm, one in Twilight and the other in Ulina.

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Nafreet-
The Nafreet are a mysterious group of people that travel the Realms and Sarlis in pursuit of trade. They owe allegiance to no one Realm and this causes a good deal of concern amongst regular people. This lack of loyalty seems odd to most people. But the Nafreet are very loyal to each other. The stereotype is that Nafreet often steal and take whatever they want since they donâ,¬,,¢t recognize the Realm authority. This could not be farther from the truth. A Nafreet respects the laws of each Realm and Sarlis. The whole culture of the Nafreet is based in trade though and this makes anyone from that culture an excellent merchant. This knowledge often helps a Nafreet in his or her dealings with others. Later these people may realize they have not gotten the best end of the deal, so they blame the Nafreet for being underhanded. It is said that if a Nafreet cannot get a desired item for you, then no one can.

The Nafreet clans have mages from all the Realms since they travel constantly through the Gates. There is currently only one Elemental Mage among the Nafreet as they donâ,¬,,¢t often stay in Sarlis long enough to have someone born there.

It is rumored that the Nafreet know of many more Gates then even the Council does. These hidden Gates are how they travel across the Realms quickly

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Very rough map of Five Realms. The diagram in the upper right corner is a breakdown of how the Realms are stacked.

Lonli is yellow
Phoris is red
Brea is pink
Garin is yellow
Dakeen is gray.

For some reason upload didn't take, will try again

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Map of Five Realms



Yeah! I finally got the map to post! Again this is a rough map, more to show how the Realms are related to each other.

Very rough map of Five Realms. The diagram in the upper right corner is a breakdown of how the Realms are stacked.

Lonli is yellow
Phoris is red
Brea is pink
Garin is yellow
Dakeen is gray.

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Church of the Sundered.

Founded soon after the Sundering, the Church of the Sundered takes the approach that the use of magic is a bad thing as it depletes the magic that is currently sustaining the Five Realms. While they don't actively seek to destroy mages or items created of magic they prohibit the use of such items or association with mages.

 [note]This is mostly a place holder until I can expand on this premise further. Originally I was going to limit the number of religions to a few at the cult level. But after giving it some more thought I realized that there would most likely be a few full fledged churches within the Realms. This is the first of those which will be expanded soon.[/note]
The underlying philosophy is that since magic caused the Sundering and that magic is now what keeps the five Realms and Sarlis afloat it should not be used for fear that it some day may run out and the Realms shatter to pieces.

There is a militant sect of the church that does hunt down mages and kill them.