The World of Paralex

• The Creators
• The Spirit Rider
• Magistructs
• Demons

"... When things get that dire, sometimes, just sometimes, the Trinity or the Architects, or whatever you want to call the Creators..."

- Chapter 4, Spirit Rider: The Royal Problem

~~~

Most all academics of Paralex agree that two or more (three by most religions) intelligent beings created  the world and every species upon it, before eventually disappearing. The exact appearance, role, and even names of these ancient beings varies by race and culture. For example, common jaserta custom calls them the Great Accursed Ones, for the jaserta believe these 'cruel' gods cursed them with their trademark inability to enter a dwelling without invitation and cast them out of their fabled sapphire city in the heart of the Great Magnolia Desert. The atlantiens dubbed them the Architects, for they attest their noble city of Atlantis was crafted by the hand of their gods. With so many varied beliefs, it is common practice outside of religious circles to use the catch-all term 'the Creators'.

Myths and legends from Before History continually assert that the Creators walked amongst the beings of the world, so one enduring mystery is why they left. Some say it was out of grief at being forced to wipe out the uncompromising werren. Others suggest it was out of fury at having to take the Lost Arts from the arrogant magicians. One belief is that once the first Spirit Rider was born, they felt content the safety of the world could be passed on to them.

Through it all, the thing that chilled him the most was what the something had said. Words that filled his whole mind, splaying themselves across his every thought. They made no sense to him, yet Sam couldn’t stop the words ringing in his ears and they left him with one burning question:

          What in the world had the voice meant by: ‘Hello, Spirit Rider.’?

- Chapter 1, Spirit Rider: The Royal Problem

~~~

A mysterious being of legendary power. At the time of writing, five Spirit Riders are known to have been born throughout Paralexian history. In each case, the Rider has arisen to defeat a great evil that threatens the world. The Spirit Rider presents as a holy knight, protected by gleaming white armour and wielding a fiery sword. 

For centuries, the Riders were unknowable, merely appearing at Paralex's darkest hour, defeating their destined foe, then vanishing once more. Yet during the time of the fourth Rider, said Rider was joined in their journeys by the inventor and poet, Lorenzo Ouroborus, who went on to write the famous epic, A Good Man. Through Ouroborus' words, a great deal about the Riders and their nature became clear.

For example, despite appearances it seems the Riders do not rise to their foes from no where; each one must quest to gain the power they need to defeat their enemies. The Spirit Rider is equipped with an internal map of Paralex, which can lead them to their powers. Despite not being necessarily born a magician, once a Spirit Rider becomes active in the world, they are able to cast magic. Their minds are incredibly robust, boasting mental defences much more powerful than any ordinary beings. 

The known Spirit Riders, periods of activity, their foes, and exploits are as follows:

The First Rider - (Before History) - Unknown Adversary

• [NOTE: Due to the nature of Before History, not even the name of the First Rider's foe remains, much less their appearance, or what threat they posed to Paralex.]

The Second Rider - (Circa. 550 I.E) - Archmage Yzmaldra

• Having turned Archmages Urnicott and Immato to her side, in the pursuit of power, Archmage Yzmaldra wrought havoc across all corners of Paralex from her flying tower. She sought the pieces to summon the fabled Magistruct Hydra, which would grant her power over the elements, in defiance of the Lost Arts. 
• As she journeyed, Yzmaldra sought to battle only the most powerful magicians, taking them prisoner and appearing to grow more powerful - and more demented - for every one she defeated. Unusually for an Archmage, armed with the Magus Staff of Mysteries, she also kept a golden wand of unknown origin on her person at all times. 
• The Second Rider eventually confronted her before she could complete the summoning ritual, leading to a legendary duel between the Rider and all three Archmages. Most stories agree that for all the Rider's power, the battle was only won when Archmage Immato turned sides, culminating in the deaths of all three Archmages, the destruction of their three Magus Staves, and the disappearance of the Second Rider.

The Third Rider - (1247 - 1310 I.E.) - Caius Gallius

• Once-chancellor to Empress Hildren of Orbelis, Caius Gallius rose against his ruler and discovered a mysterious technique by which he could both kill a person, raise them as a zombie, and control said zombie over great distances. Curious and uncertain legends claim such had been done before, almost as if in the past, this was some seldom-used yet well-known technique. Some suggest Gallius noted his methods in a chained ledger that never left his side.
• Through these means, Gallius created a vast zombie hoard that expanded Orbelis’ borders tenfold. Gallius’ subjects were forced into servitude, ruled with an iron fist. Once much of Reot was conquered, Gallius’ zombie hoard spread to Crovis and Dalloran only growing larger for every foe they killed. Though not physically imposing, Gallius was a tactical genius, rarely ever leaving his imperial fortress, yet besting every force that came before him.
• The Third Rider confronted Gallius many times, yet through his dark methods Gallius was able to survive multiple mortal wounds. Through their encounters (and his other enemies) Gallius survived: a blade through the heart, three poisonings, bludgeoning, drowning, and even beheading. By the time of their final battle, Gallius was a living corpse more skeleton than flesh, carrying his own severed head. He met an ignoble end beneath the Rider’s armoured boot. His zombie hoard perished with him and the Third Rider was never seen again.  

The Fourth Rider - (909 - 932 A.W.) - Captain Dazbard Oberon

• Disinherited by his family following a violent altercation, Dazbard Oberon struck out alone as a seafarer. After gathering a loyal crew, he turned to piracy - with phenomenal success. His crew swelled to a fleet of some 1000 ships, terrorising the seas of Paralex. There soon reached a point where people feared to leave any port in the world, knowing the Dread Fleet could emerge from the mists any moment. Oberon commanded mysterious devices capable of summoning storms and controlling the waves. Some say he planned to flood all of Paralex so his watery domain would be without end.
• Oberon’s strength was augmented by the fabled Crimson Blade. Though owned at one time or other by notorious killers such as Josiah Seven-Arms and the Butcher Empress, Oberon became its most famous keeper. The weapon granted its wielder near-unparalleled skills as a swordsman, but at the cost of needing to take a life before sunset each day, otherwise the weapon turns on its master. Coated in a glowing crimson poison from which it takes its name, the Crimson Blade leeched any light from the area, seeming even to darken the skies. The faintest blow from the Blade would fester and soon lead to death.
• Only the skill of the Fourth Rider, armed with the Cyan Sword, stood a chance of ending Oberon’s reign of terror. Having lured the dread pirate into a trap, his thousand-ship fleet was destroyed by the tides. Oberon and the Fourth Rider were locked in battle atop the flagship Last Witness, even as it too vanished beneath the waves, taking the two combatants down with it.

The Fifth Rider - (1636 M.E - Present) - Acheron Dae-Cache Beachis

• Precious little is known about Acheron Dae-Cache Beachis’ life prior to his attack on the Great Library of Alec-Cassem in 1636 M.E. Scattered reports suggest he MAY have been born in the port town of Steppton. This is both strengthened and muddied by the fact that the town and most-all of its records were destroyed by a fire earlier the same year as his attack on the Great Library. A magician with extensive abilities in the Art of Luceurgy, his attack on the Great Library let him capture and torture Ipartus, last of the eidetta. Though Ipartus could not be saved, their dying words gave the only clue to Beachis’ goal: “The Well of Souls.”
• Following the attack, Beachis spent the next decade involved in many crimes. For a time he turned serial-killer, targeting prophets across Paralex and linked to dozens more unsolved murders of the same kind. He plundered ancient tombs and sealed vaults seemingly at random. Over the past few years his attention has turned to sites and museums featuring werren relics.
• The Fifth Rider has only recently been unveiled in the form of the teenager Sam Mundle, a boy from Besfen. Whether he is fit to bear the title Spirit Rider and match the legendary deeds of his forebearers, remains to be seen.

“She’s a Magistruct; an incantation with a mouth. Last I checked, incantations do not require rooms.”

- Chapter 9, Spirit Rider: The Royal Problem

~~~

Whenever a magician completes the necessary steps of a Ritual, the result is the conjuration of a Magistruct. These are artificial beings, woven from magic itself. Their appearance and abilities vary greatly, often reflecting the power, complexity, or rarity of the ingredients involved in their summoning Ritual. A Magistruct will most often unform back into magic energies once they have fulfilled the purpose specified in their Ritual, but this can also occur if the magician who initially summoned them should meet some misfortune. Otherwise, Magistructs are generally very hardy, able to recover from forces that may otherwise kill most creatures. Their nature as beings of magic, means that any Magistruct possessed with speech can cast magic and forge reflexes as a magician would. 

For further details regarding specific Magistructs or their Rituals, such as the Grim Reaper, please consult a relevant magical text (HERE).

“All the Demons, Legio included, are supposed to be sealed away in Tartarus,” Grim said.

Chapter 12, Spirit Rider: The Royal Problem

~~~

The exact origins of the Demons are murky at best, seeing as they were born Before History and have spent the intervening millennia sealed in their prison pocket-dimension of Tartarus. The stories only agree that they were 'born of shadow and hate'. Each of the Demons are themselves both wicked and powerful beyond reasoning. For fear of the threat they possessed, the Creators sealed them away.

It is said that in the beginning, they all looked alike, distinguishable only by their distinct abilities. But over the eons in Tartarus they found ways to mould their bodies (or some would theorise, Tartarus moulded them) to different forms. The Order of Demon Hunters were charged in ancient times to slay the Demons at the Creators' behest, but with little success. Many have entered Tartarus through history (sometimes with little short of an army alongside them) attempting to do so, but all failed. For the Demons are immortal in lifespan and all but indestructible in form.

From the collected dossiers of the Demon Hunters, the Demons are known thus, by order of birth and along with their ancient monikers: 

- Specto - The All-Seeing Madman

- Legio - The Possessive General

- Terra - The Floral Dame - [SLAIN]

- Formosa - The Alluring Abomination - [SLAIN]

- Lapidis - The Unyielding Guardian

- Aduro - The Infernal Prodigy

- Somnus - The Slumbering Strategist

- Traditio - The Creative Mistress

- Venator - The Silent Hunter

- Umbra - The Shifting Shadow