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The Iithic Nation is a sprawling interplanar power, and the main setting of the scope Souls & Stars. A nation composed of over two hundred isolated city-states, all bound by the authority of a singular aristocracy: the Arch Magi. While their empire once fought and conquered to expand, the modern Iithic people are a civilization of isolation, legacy, and quiet pride, maintaining their land, but not often expanding it.

Each city stands alone, many of which are in different planes throughout the interplanar weave, connected only by shimmering stargates stone platforms carved with glimmering spellwork, which lead to the warp corridor, connecting all Iithic cities.

To live within the walls of an Iithic city is to live in safety, with access to magics no other society has seen. To step beyond them, however, is forbidden to all but the Templar, elite knights entrusted with the perilous wilds of the outside, guarding the walls, and fighting for the magi they’re sworn to, when aristocratic families disagree.

Stardust flows in the veins of the aristocratic magi bloodlines, granting them not only magical power but elevated status, even aristocratic non-magi are never given the same level of rank and power as a magi can earn. Technology, art, and arcane research flourish in the walls of Iithic Cities, yet the nation is fiercely isolationist and xenophobic. Beneath its polished order lies buried dissent, whispered legends, and rogues who still dare to challenge those blessed by the stars.

The Iithic Nation has endured for millennia, rooted in tradition, shaped by power, and its citizens ignorant of what lies beyond its own walls.

History

The history of the Iithic Nation is measured in AF—After Founding, beginning with the founding of the city of Iithis. The number before AF represents the amount of years which have passed since the founding of the city of Iithis

The Founding Era (0–183 AF): The Iithic Nation was founded by Emperor Iithol Va-Novia, who constructed the city of Iithis, and declared it an independent nation. Iithol’s rule lasted 42 years. After which his son ruled for 73 years, and his grandaughter for 67 years. Though lacking the magic that would later define the nation, this era was peaceful, and the city of Iithis grew much over it.

The Shimmering Era (217–296 AF): The Shimmering Era began with the rise of Caġeir Va-Iithis, Iithol’s great-granddaughter. Her discovery of a fallen starshard changed the course of history. Upon binding the shard to her soul, Caġeir became the first magi, her blood infused with stardust. This magical empowerment was passed down to her offspring, resulting in her descendants frequently being born as magi.

The Empirical Era (296–503 AF): Empowered by their stardust blood, first led by Emperor Volan Va-Iithis, the grandson of Caġeir, him, as well as the rest of her descendants led a sweeping campaign of conquest, forming the Iithic empire. Iithic cities were founded across the interplanar weave, armies of templar led by the magi secured large amounts of new territory. The Iithic People used the souls of the fallen to forge powerful enchanted relics, fueling both infrastructure and warfare. Many of the stargates in use today were built during this time, establishing the foundation for the nation’s planar unity.

The First Calm Era (503–893 AF): With territorial ambitions satisfied, the empire entered a long period of unity and prosperity. The Calm Era was marked by relative peace, cultural entrenchment, and the solidification of magic and stars as a symbol of nobility. Magical knowledge spread slowly, but without major innovation or unrest.

The First Renaissance (893–1092 AF): This vibrant era brought a rebirth of art, philosophy, and invention. Scientific breakthroughs such as math, architecture, and geometry emerged alongside a wave of philosophical shift, including a trend of nobles and aristocrats becoming patrons for artists. Politically, the Iithic underwent a major shift: the monarchy was abolished by Emperor Kol Va-Iithis in the year 962 AF in favor of a ruling aristocracy of magi, governed by a group of elites known as the arch magi. Near the end of this era, a shapeshifter successfully impersonated a member of the arch magi council, triggering a major political scandal. This event dramatically increased societal distrust toward all shapeshifting entities, a stigma that persists to this day.

The Soul Light Era (1092–1687 AF): A time of magical infrastructure and research. The Iithic Nation greatly expanded its use of enchantments, building magical devices, defenses, and communication systems across nearly every city. Research into magic, soul-binding, and enchantment effects reached new heights. However, this golden age of magic came at a deadly cost, as soul-harvesting became much more widespread and increasingly unethical.

The First Schism (1687–1732 AF): The overharvesting of souls, and the social inequality it underscored, erupted into civil war. Known as the First Schism, the five main factions of the nation fought:

Va-Iithis The aristocratic bloodline with the most power in the capital, mostly wishing to maintain the status quo.

Va-Keplar The aristocratic bloodline ruling over the city of Keplar, which had been rapidly expanding after the soul light era, this faction wished for Keplar to become the new capital of the nation.

Orne-Meus An aristocratic faction seeking to take advantage of the civil war to split off into its own nation.

The Rogues of Vanscetċu Dissidents who sought the complete dismantling of the Iithic government.

The United Commons A popular movement of non-magi and disenfranchised citizens protesting soul-harvesting, sometimes also known as the people’s army or the common warriors.

After forty-five years of war, the Va-Iithis and Va-Keplar factions allied, Va-Keplar giving up on their goals of becoming the new capital. They won the war, and the aristocracy retained power, but they had to dramatically reduce the practice of soul-harvesting to prevent further revolt.

The Unifying Era (1732–1978 AF): Following the chaos of the First Schism, the ruling class initiated a sweeping national reform. The Unifying Era saw the enforcement of a standardized language across all cities, as well as a significant expansion and standardization of education. Literacy, math, and history education became widespread with the construction of schools and libraries across the nation, but this came at the cost of cultural homogenization. Regional traditions were diluted, and state narratives became easier to spread. While the nation grew more cohesive, dissenting voices found themselves drowned in a sea of curated doctrine.

The Second Renaissance (1978–2276 AF): With education widespread and cultural voids left by the Unifying Era, a new wave of intellectual and artistic fervor swept across the nation. The Scholar Era brought advancements in bookbinding, early plumbing systems, and public architectural design, as well as the invention of steel forging. Performance arts flourished, such as plays, music, and storytelling. A major philosophic shift caused artists to be viewed as scholarly and intellectual, worthy of the same esteem as philosophers and engineers. This prestige allowed creativity to flourish, filling the silence left by the nation’s lost folk cultural traditions and folklore with newer stories, performances, and music, which were viewed as more sophisticated and elegant.

The Second Calm Era (2276–2549 AF): This era brought peace and stability, but little innovation. With the arts in bloom and cities prosperous, the Iithic people became idle once more. Many view this time as one of slow, comfortable stagnation, a plateau between great leaps.

The Second Schism (2549–2631 AF): This fragile peace shattered when Orham Va-Iithis, an arch magi, was assassinated by a New Rogue of Vanscetċu. The ruling class responded with fury, launching a brutal campaign against any suspected dissidents under the pretense that they were aligned with rogue elements. The ensuing schism, also known as the rogue war, devastated much of the nation’s cultural and scholarly infrastructure. Libraries were razed, soul-crafted relics sabotaged, and magical techniques and technologies lost, some yet to be recovered. Though the Arch Magi ultimately reasserted control, the damage to public trust and the historical record was lasting. The city of Iithis was renamed to Orhos at the end of the second schism in memory of Orham Va-Iithis.

The Second Unifying Era (2631–2826 AF): In the aftermath, the council of arch magi undertook a new wave of cultural reconstruction. Using heavily romanticized histories and state-funded art, they sought to re-legitimize their rule. Massive public works and grand narratives about the righteousness of the rogue war helped repair public confidence. While stability returned, this era remains controversial, with modern scholars quietly debating how much truth was sacrificed for unity.

The Third Renaissance (2826–2957 AF): The modern third renaissance brought rapid advancement in nearly all fields: astronomy, arcane theory, construct engineering, and civic planning. This era was defined by the greatly growing public interest in engineering and education. The arts also experienced a rebirth, with many visual arts such as painting and sculpting becoming more stylized and glamorized, and fashion becoming more dramatically flamboyant, as well as the wider exploration and retelling of any surviving pre-unification folklore and myths.

The Modern Era (2957 AF–Present): The past fifty years are often considered an extension of the third renaissance, though most simply refer to it as the modern era. While the Iithic Nation enjoys general stability and prosperity, dissent still simmers beneath its shining surface.

Government & Power Structure

The Iithic Nation is governed by an aristocracy centered around the Arch Magi Council, a ruling body composed of powerful magi drawn from the nation’s noble bloodlines. While the modern state is no longer an empire in name, its political machinery remains tightly controlled by a privileged class, one that claims it’s right to rule through magical power.

The Arch Magi Council: At the core of Iithic governance is the Arch Magi Council, which maintains both legislative and social dominion. There are 53 noble bloodlines known to produce magi, and each of these lines holds at least one seat on the council. Some of the more influential houses, most notably Va-Iithis and Va-Keplar, may have several arch magi seated at once. While there is no formal high seat or ruling magus, bloodline prestige often equates to greater influence during council sessions.; New members of the council are not elected, but trained. Existing arch magi take promising younger magi as apprentices, and once the council judges them ready, they are elevated to the rank of arch magi. Though representation on the council is based on bloodline rather than territory, many noble families maintain hereditary claims over specific city-states, and as such get greater say in relation to those cities.

Lords: Each city in the Iithic Nation is governed by a lord, who oversees and delegates work in relation to local policy, diplomacy, and trade. Lords must abide by the broader laws set by the Arch Magi Council, though they are given some autonomy to enact region specific ordinances, so long as they do not conflict with national law. Lords are typically born into their title, and while they are often magi, this is not a requirement. The arch magi council reserves the right to strip lordship from any city leader who defies them or falls into disgrace.; While many lords are magi of aristocratic descent, in rare cases, powerful individuals from outside noble circles, most often senior Templar, may be granted lordship in times of political crisis.

Class & Influence: Political power in the Iithic Nation is tightly bound to lineage. Aristocratic bloodlines are revered, and only those born into them are expected to reach the upper rungs of governance. While rare exceptions exist, non-aristocrats do not rise to political office without extraordinary circumstances. Though magi status alone does not guarantee power; it grants the potential for it, as well as generally better treatment.; Non-magi have no formal representation in government. Their concerns are occasionally acknowledged when unrest threatens, but no institution formally advocates on their behalf. Their treatment under the law is inconsistent and largely unofficial, with class bias deeply ingrained in the justice system.

Law: Law within the Iithic Nation is enforced by the city guard, who maintain order within urban walls. However, matters involving threats beyond city limits, especially breaches of the outer boundaries, fall to the Templar, the elite knights permitted to cross the walls.; Judicial authority typically lies with each city’s lord, or an official judge of a city chosen by its lord. This individual passes judgment in criminal cases. If a crime is major enough, however, it may be escalated to the Arch Magi Council. While laws are largely consistent across cities, local lords may implement additional regulations, provided they do not conflict with national doctrine.; Punishments for magi and aristocrats are often less severe than those for non-magi, though this discrepancy is not openly acknowledged or outright written in legal documentation.

Factions & Political Tensions: Though no official political parties exist, ideological divides and inter-family rivalries are common within the council. Old grudges, philosophical disagreements, and cultural pride simmer beneath the surface, though open warfare between houses is exceedingly rare. These tensions tend to manifest through diplomatic maneuvering, proxy conflicts, and subtle sabotage.; The Iithic government maintains the views of the population through careful use of propaganda and censorship. While not explicitly acknowledged, academia is highly regulated, and dissenting voices are often silenced before they gain traction. Rogues, those who leave the city walls or reject the nation’s ideals, are publicly vilified. The punishment for being caught as a rogue is soul harvesting, having one’s soul taken from their body for use in an enchantment.

Bureaucracy & Institutions: Though the government holds central power, other institutions still wield influence. Schools, often led by aristocratic headmasters, but occasionally being led by charities run by the commonfolk, are respected centers of learning, and often gain local political leverage. The Adventurer’s Guild, while officially independent, commands respect due to its control over expeditions into ancient, long-abandoned Iithic structures. They often both rediscover older magical relics, and help add to the nation’s understanding of history.; The arch magi council funds education, infrastructure, and public works through national taxes. Stargates, magical research, public art, and elite academies are all maintained by the government, both as investments in national pride and tools of subtle control.

Culture

The culture of the Iithic Nation is shaped by its rigid hierarchy, deep reverence for legacy, and an ever-present tension between tradition and progress. Though internal diversity is present across its many city-states, a shared identity is most dominant, bound by language, religion, and the omnipresent influence of the ruling magi aristocracy.

Social Structure: At the top of Iithic Society stands the aristocrats, especially the magi who wield more political, magical, and cultural power than anyone else. Though other aristocrats can become lords, only the magi can ever join the arch magi council. Below them lies the more prestigious of the common people, typically honored Templar, distinguished scholars, and the occasional wealthy adventurer or merchant. The common class, which is the majority of those with no hereditary claim to power or magical lineage, encompasses tradespeople, farmers, and laborers.; While class mobility is rare, certain high ranking templar may find themselves elevated to an aristocratic position in times of political crisis, such as if the lord of their city is going against the arch magi council, or is caught in a massive scandal, and their family looses the lord title as a result. Typically they’ll opt to have that templar married into an aristocratic bloodline in these situations.

Daily Life: Daily routines in the Iithic Nation vary starkly by class and status. The Iithic people typically follow a nocturnal rhythm. The magi normally rise just after dusk and partake in a structured sequence of meals, studies, and rituals. Their lives are often closely monitored and scheduled by the older, more prestigious magi, especially during apprenticeship under the tutelage of arch magi. The common folk, by contrast, live far less extravagant, rising at sunset, working through most of the night, and resting when it becomes morning, often eating one communal meal after waking up, and one before going to sleep. Schools are common for children of all classes, but vastly differ in quality and content, with magi schools offering generally higher quality education with additional classes in magic and spellcraft, while common schools emphasize literacy and general societal obedience.; Food customs also follow class lines. Aristocratic meals are generally much more expensive and varied, often featuring white breads, delicate pastries, richly prepared meats, and rare herbal teas, while common meals typically consist mostly of stews, porridge, or preserved vegetables, nourishing but plain.

Values & Etiquette: Lithic culture upholds a core set of values: unity, order, and respect for legacy and authority. Citizens are expected to control their emotions, adhere to their commitments, and display reverence toward superiors. Emotional restraint is seen as a mark of refinement, while outbursts, especially from lower-class individuals, are particularly frowned upon.; Social etiquette is both formal and omnipresent. Greetings often involve a salute-like motion, which can be more loose and relaxed in less formal environments, or in more formal settings, a bow is common when one is greeting their superior. The phrases vansidas and lirndas are common salutations, while partings often include stela-vil, shortened informally to vil. Public discussion of death, sex, or bodily functions is considered deeply inappropriate, and lateness or breaking a promise or vow is seen as a breach of serious social etiquette.

Isolation & Xenophobia: The Iithic Nation remains deeply isolationist. It is not simply in philosophy but extends even to the law, most citizens are unaware of or uninterested in lands beyond the nation’s walls. To speak of “the outside” is a dangerous taboo, reserved for hushed whispers between trusted kin. Even discussing ideas of the outside is frowned upon, and going out past the walls of an Iithic City is strictly forbidden.; Though there is cultural diversity between city-state, distinct customs, dialects, subcultures, etc. While some embrace this diversity as a part of the nation’s legacy and depth, others have disdain for anything outside of true cultural homogeny.

Events & Festivals: In Iithic Society, milestones are often celebrated with events between friends and family. A coming-of-age ritual is performed when someone reaches the age of sixteen, featuring a ceremonial anointing by one’s parents and the passing down of a personal heirloom, followed, traditionally, by a night of revelry and drinking among peers. Weddings are typically celebrated with feasting, drinking, music, and gifts for the newly married couple. Births are also celebrated to honor both the mother and child, having a large meal to help the mother regain her strength, and giving gifts to the family to help them care for the new baby. Funerals are quiet affairs, often private and religious, though the dead are typically also honored with annual visits from their close loved ones to their graves, at which they leave offerings in their memory.; Festivals are common in Iithic Cities. The new moon, when the stars are most visible, is celebrated across the nation with music, community meals, and often alcohol. Additionally, each constellation is honored with its own annual festival, which tend to have local customs in each city, artistic expression, and religious ceremonies are often led by temple priests.

Religion: The Iithic people worship the stars themselves, constellations viewed not only as divine figures, but as sources of power and prophecy. Star temples serve as centers of both religious life. Daily prayers and offerings align with the constellations currently visible in the sky, and it is common to whisper a wish to the first star seen each night.; Priests lead ritual services on festival nights and full moons, and oversee rites such as anointments and funerals. Religion is deeply intertwined with magic and governance, reinforcing the divine mandate of the magi.

Education & Art: Educational infrastructure is common throughout the Iithic Nation. It is typically state-funded and highly regulated. For commoners, schooling offers a path toward prestige, while for aristocrats, it is a rite of passage that reinforces elite identity. Artistic education is a particular focus in recent eras, with painting, music, and performance art gaining respect as intellectual pursuits, especially in urban centers like Folii and Keplar.; Art is also a conduit of both reverence and control. While celebrated and preserved, it is often censored. Works that critique the state, aristocracy, or moral values are quietly banned and removed from public record. Nevertheless, the spirit of innovation persists, frequently clashing with the cultural reverence for legacy and tradition.

Use of Magic: Though only the magi have the ability to cast spells, magical infrastructure pervades everyday life; stargates connecting different parts of the nation together, magically reinforced walls around the cities, and everlit soul lanterns as objects of prayer. These artifacts affect life across social classes. However, ownership of personal magical artifacts remains too unaccessible for almost all but upper class. Most commoners interact with magic passively, while the ruling class treats it as both a tool and a divine right.

Geography

The Interplanar Weave: The Iithic Nation is not confined to a single world, but sprawls across dozens of planes, each with distinct landscapes, environments, and resources. Some planes are home to just one solitary city, while others house several Iithic Settlements, either way, no Iithic Cities are connected by roads, as it’s forbidden for almost all to go beyond the walls of their city. What unites these otherwise disconnected pockets of civilization is the presence of stargates, platforms of enchanted stone carved with magical engraving, which link the various Iithic Cities together. These gates are the only viable method of long ranged travel between planes, rendering them both a vital infrastructural asset and a potent political tool. The planes themselves vary wildly. Some teem with lush forests and glowing rivers; others are vast deserts lit by half a dozen moons, or infinite skies pierced by floating islands. Though geography often shapes the industries and identities of their cities, it doesn’t dictate their habitation; Iithic settlers have made homes underground, above the clouds, or in wasteland planes where no other lifeforms can be found. Some planes accessible by stargate are wholly uninhabited by the Iithic people at this point, only accessible because of ancient Iithic Ruins which have been left untouched for centuries if not millennia. These spaces are sometimes explored by adventurers, who wish to learn more of the nation’s history, and potentially find long forgotten artifacts and enchanted items.

Major Cities: Scattered across the interplanar weave, the Iithic Nation has a variety of settlements, each with its own contributions, and its own place within the nation. The following is a list of a few of these cities.

Orhos the capital of the Iithic Nation, is the political heart of the nation. It is here that the arch magi council convene with the Great Star Temple, under ceilings etched with constellations. Known for its opulence and ceremonial gravity, Orhos is often viewed by citizens of other Iithic Cities as either impressively refined or intolerably pompous. The Va-Iithis bloodline holds rule here, and even among the aristocracy, Orhos is synonymous with power.

Folii, a breathtaking city of floating walkways and sky bound architecture, is revered for its artistry and is a favored retreat for the elite. In the center of Folii is the Vakwin Spire a levitating tower etched with glowing spell circles, which pierces the city’s skyline, and serves as a popular site for visitors. Though Folii is beloved for its exotic allure, many of its residents quietly resent the endless wave of highborn tourists who treat the city as a living gallery.

Vasem sits within a plane with some of the most fertile soil in the empire, serving as an agricultural backbone of the nation. Though the people ate often stereotyped as dull backwater bumpkins, Vasem’s citizens take fierce pride in their work ethic, their self-reliance, and their sense of community. They’re governed by Lord Nekrhoma Visveta, who was placed in that position after a scandal with the previous lord making trade with rouges.

Keplar is known to be the academic pinnacle of the nation, home to the prestigious Kolnir Academy of Politics and Magical Arts, which has a library said to house texts dating as far back as the Shimmering Era, including pre schism manuscripts which are sealed away from public view. The city is known for its vast libraries, spirited debates, and experimental artistry. It is ruled by Lord Ġerhan Va-Keplar, whose bloodline traces back to one of the most influential magical families in the empire’s long history. To some, Keplar is the pinnacle of progress; to others, it is unbearably smug.

Travel & Regulations: All long-distance travel across the Iithic Nation occurs through stargates. While their form and function are uniform across cities, access is not. Some gates are public and see daily civilian traffic; others are restricted to the military or magi. A few are tightly controlled conduits for diplomatic or research use only. Regardless of access level, all travelers must present themselves before a gate warden and state their name, intent, and destination. These records are logged and reviewed regularly. Most cities are intentionally isolated, many so far as being built in the sky, beneath the ground, on floating islands, or in locations surrounded by natural or magical hazards. This spatial detachment reinforces the values of the arch magi council, control, containment, and centralization of power.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Souls & Stars}}
-:The '''Iithic Nation''' is a sprawling interplanar power, a nation composed of over two hundred isolated city-states, all bound by the authority of a singular aristocracy: the Arch Magi. While their empire once fought and conquered to expand, the modern Iithic people are a civilization of isolation, legacy, and quiet pride, maintaining their land, but not often expanding it.
+{{Iithic Nation}}
+:The '''Iithic Nation''' is a sprawling interplanar power, and the main setting of the scope Souls & Stars. A nation composed of over two hundred isolated city-states, all bound by the authority of a singular aristocracy: the Arch Magi. While their empire once fought and conquered to expand, the modern Iithic people are a civilization of isolation, legacy, and quiet pride, maintaining their land, but not often expanding it.
 :Each city stands alone, many of which are in different planes throughout the interplanar weave, connected only by shimmering stargates stone platforms carved with glimmering spellwork, which lead to the warp corridor, connecting all Iithic cities.
 :To live within the walls of an Iithic city is to live in safety, with access to magics no other society has seen. To step beyond them, however, is forbidden to all but the Templar, elite knights entrusted with the perilous wilds of the outside, guarding the walls, and fighting for the magi they’re sworn to, when aristocratic families disagree.
@@ Line 5: / Line 9: @@
 :The Iithic Nation has endured for millennia, rooted in tradition, shaped by power, and its citizens ignorant of what lies beyond its own walls.
+{{Infobox Nation|title1=The Iithic Nation|article_creator=MythHooked|scope=Souls & Stars|organization_type=Empirical Aristocracy|types_of_divisional_powers/regions=City States|capital_city=Orhos|major_cities=Orhos, Keplar, Folii, Vasen|national_language=High Iitheyic|founder(s)=Iithol Va-Novia|founding_date=0 AF|rulers/leaders=The Arch Magi Council}}
-==History==
-:The history of the Iithic Nation is measured in AF—After Founding, beginning with the founding of the city of Iithis
+==History==
+:The history of the Iithic Nation is measured in AF—After Founding, beginning with the founding of the city of Iithis. The number before AF represents the amount of years which have passed since the founding of the city of Iithis
-;The Founding Era (0–183 AF)
+;'''The Founding Era''' (0–183 AF)
 :The Iithic Nation was founded by Emperor Iithol Va-Novia, who constructed the city of Iithis, and declared it an independent nation. Iithol’s rule lasted 42 years. After which his son ruled for 73 years, and his grandaughter for 67 years. Though lacking the magic that would later define the nation, this era was peaceful, and the city of Iithis grew much over it.
-;The Shimmering Era (217–296 AF)
+;'''The Shimmering Era''' (217–296 AF)
 :The Shimmering Era began with the rise of Caġeir Va-Iithis, Iithol’s great-granddaughter. Her discovery of a fallen starshard changed the course of history. Upon binding the shard to her soul, Caġeir became the first magi, her blood infused with stardust. This magical empowerment was passed down to her offspring, resulting in her descendants frequently being born as magi.
-;The Empirical Era (296–503 AF)
+;'''The Empirical Era''' (296–503 AF)
 :Empowered by their stardust blood, first led by Emperor Volan Va-Iithis, the grandson of Caġeir, him, as well as the rest of her descendants led a sweeping campaign of conquest, forming the Iithic empire. Iithic cities were founded across the interplanar weave, armies of templar led by the magi secured large amounts of new territory. The Iithic People used the souls of the fallen to forge powerful enchanted relics, fueling both infrastructure and warfare. Many of the stargates in use today were built during this time, establishing the foundation for the nation’s planar unity.
-;The Calm Era (503–893 AF)
+;'''The First Calm Era''' (503–893 AF)
 :With territorial ambitions satisfied, the empire entered a long period of unity and prosperity. The Calm Era was marked by relative peace, cultural entrenchment, and the solidification of magic and stars as a symbol of nobility. Magical knowledge spread slowly, but without major innovation or unrest.
-;The First Renaissance (893–1092 AF)
+;'''The First Renaissance''' (893–1092 AF)
 :This vibrant era brought a rebirth of art, philosophy, and invention. Scientific breakthroughs such as math, architecture, and geometry emerged alongside a wave of philosophical shift, including a trend of nobles and aristocrats becoming patrons for artists. Politically, the Iithic underwent a major shift: the monarchy was abolished by Emperor Kol Va-Iithis in the year 962 AF in favor of a ruling aristocracy of magi, governed by a group of elites known as the arch magi. Near the end of this era, a shapeshifter successfully impersonated a member of the arch magi council, triggering a major political scandal. This event dramatically increased societal distrust toward all shapeshifting entities, a stigma that persists to this day.
-;The Soul Light Era (1092–1687 AF)
+;'''The Soul Light Era''' (1092–1687 AF)
 :A time of magical infrastructure and research. The Iithic Nation greatly expanded its use of enchantments, building magical devices, defenses, and communication systems across nearly every city. Research into magic, soul-binding, and enchantment effects reached new heights. However, this golden age of magic came at a deadly cost, as soul-harvesting became much more widespread and increasingly unethical.
-;The First Schism (1687–1732 AF)
+;'''The First Schism''' (1687–1732 AF)
 :The overharvesting of souls, and the social inequality it underscored, erupted into civil war. Known as the First Schism, the five main factions of the nation fought:
@@ Line 49: / Line 54: @@
-;The Unifying Era (1732–1978 AF)
+;'''The Unifying Era''' (1732–1978 AF)
 :Following the chaos of the First Schism, the ruling class initiated a sweeping national reform. The Unifying Era saw the enforcement of a standardized language across all cities, as well as a significant expansion and standardization of education. Literacy, math, and history education became widespread with the construction of schools and libraries across the nation, but this came at the cost of cultural homogenization. Regional traditions were diluted, and state narratives became easier to spread. While the nation grew more cohesive, dissenting voices found themselves drowned in a sea of curated doctrine.
-;The Second Renaissance (1978–2276 AF)
+;'''The Second Renaissance''' (1978–2276 AF)
 :With education widespread and cultural voids left by the Unifying Era, a new wave of intellectual and artistic fervor swept across the nation. The Scholar Era brought advancements in bookbinding, early plumbing systems, and public architectural design, as well as the invention of steel forging. Performance arts flourished, such as plays, music, and storytelling. A major philosophic shift caused artists to be viewed as scholarly and intellectual, worthy of the same esteem as philosophers and engineers. This prestige allowed creativity to flourish, filling the silence left by the nation’s lost folk cultural traditions and folklore with newer stories, performances, and music, which were viewed as more sophisticated and elegant.
-;The Second Calm Era (2276–2549 AF)
+;'''The Second Calm Era''' (2276–2549 AF)
 :This era brought peace and stability, but little innovation. With the arts in bloom and cities prosperous, the Iithic people became idle once more. Many view this time as one of slow, comfortable stagnation, a plateau between great leaps.
-;The Second Schism (2549–2631 AF)
+;'''The Second Schism''' (2549–2631 AF)
-:This fragile peace shattered when Orham Va-Iithis, an arch magi, was assassinated by a New Rogue of Vanscetċu. The ruling class responded with fury, launching a brutal campaign against any suspected dissidents under the pretense that they were aligned with rogue elements. The ensuing schism, also known as the rogue war, devastated much of the nation’s cultural and scholarly infrastructure. Libraries were razed, soul-crafted relics sabotaged, and magical techniques and technologies lost, some yet to be recovered. Though the Arch Magi ultimately reasserted control, the damage to public trust and the historical record was lasting.
+:This fragile peace shattered when Orham Va-Iithis, an arch magi, was assassinated by a New Rogue of Vanscetċu. The ruling class responded with fury, launching a brutal campaign against any suspected dissidents under the pretense that they were aligned with rogue elements. The ensuing schism, also known as the rogue war, devastated much of the nation’s cultural and scholarly infrastructure. Libraries were razed, soul-crafted relics sabotaged, and magical techniques and technologies lost, some yet to be recovered. Though the Arch Magi ultimately reasserted control, the damage to public trust and the historical record was lasting. The city of Iithis was renamed to Orhos at the end of the second schism in memory of Orham Va-Iithis.
-;The Second Unifying Era (2631–2826 AF)
+;'''The Second Unifying Era''' (2631–2826 AF)
 :In the aftermath, the council of arch magi undertook a new wave of cultural reconstruction. Using heavily romanticized histories and state-funded art, they sought to re-legitimize their rule. Massive public works and grand narratives about the righteousness of the rogue war helped repair public confidence. While stability returned, this era remains controversial, with modern scholars quietly debating how much truth was sacrificed for unity.
-;The Third Renaissance (2826–2957 AF)
+;'''The Third Renaissance''' (2826–2957 AF)
 :The modern third renaissance brought rapid advancement in nearly all fields: astronomy, arcane theory, construct engineering, and civic planning. This era was defined by the greatly growing public interest in engineering and education. The arts also experienced a rebirth, with many visual arts such as painting and sculpting becoming more stylized and glamorized, and fashion becoming more dramatically flamboyant, as well as the wider exploration and retelling of any surviving pre-unification folklore and myths.
-;The Modern Era (2957 AF–Present)
+;'''The Modern Era''' (2957 AF–Present)
 :The past fifty years are often considered an extension of the third renaissance, though most simply refer to it as the modern era. While the Iithic Nation enjoys general stability and prosperity, dissent still simmers beneath its shining surface.
+==Government & Power Structure==
+:The Iithic Nation is governed by an aristocracy centered around the Arch Magi Council, a ruling body composed of powerful magi drawn from the nation’s noble bloodlines. While the modern state is no longer an empire in name, its political machinery remains tightly controlled by a privileged class, one that claims it’s right to rule through magical power.
+;'''The Arch Magi Council'''
+:At the core of Iithic governance is the Arch Magi Council, which maintains both legislative and social dominion. There are 53 noble bloodlines known to produce magi, and each of these lines holds at least one seat on the council. Some of the more influential houses, most notably Va-Iithis and Va-Keplar, may have several arch magi seated at once. While there is no formal high seat or ruling magus, bloodline prestige often equates to greater influence during council sessions.
+:New members of the council are not elected, but trained. Existing arch magi take promising younger magi as apprentices, and once the council judges them ready, they are elevated to the rank of arch magi. Though representation on the council is based on bloodline rather than territory, many noble families maintain hereditary claims over specific city-states, and as such get greater say in relation to those cities.
+;'''Lords'''
+:Each city in the Iithic Nation is governed by a lord, who oversees and delegates work in relation to local policy, diplomacy, and trade. Lords must abide by the broader laws set by the Arch Magi Council, though they are given some autonomy to enact region specific ordinances, so long as they do not conflict with national law. Lords are typically born into their title, and while they are often magi, this is not a requirement. The arch magi council reserves the right to strip lordship from any city leader who defies them or falls into disgrace.
+:While many lords are magi of aristocratic descent, in rare cases, powerful individuals from outside noble circles, most often senior Templar, may be granted lordship in times of political crisis.
+;'''Class & Influence'''
+:Political power in the Iithic Nation is tightly bound to lineage. Aristocratic bloodlines are revered, and only those born into them are expected to reach the upper rungs of governance. While rare exceptions exist, non-aristocrats do not rise to political office without extraordinary circumstances. Though magi status alone does not guarantee power; it grants the potential for it, as well as generally better treatment.
+:Non-magi have no formal representation in government. Their concerns are occasionally acknowledged when unrest threatens, but no institution formally advocates on their behalf. Their treatment under the law is inconsistent and largely unofficial, with class bias deeply ingrained in the justice system.
+;'''Law'''
+:Law within the Iithic Nation is enforced by the city guard, who maintain order within urban walls. However, matters involving threats beyond city limits, especially breaches of the outer boundaries, fall to the Templar, the elite knights permitted to cross the walls.
+:Judicial authority typically lies with each city’s lord, or an official judge of a city chosen by its lord. This individual passes judgment in criminal cases. If a crime is major enough, however, it may be escalated to the Arch Magi Council. While laws are largely consistent across cities, local lords may implement additional regulations, provided they do not conflict with national doctrine.
+:Punishments for magi and aristocrats are often less severe than those for non-magi, though this discrepancy is not openly acknowledged or outright written in legal documentation.
+;'''Factions & Political Tensions'''
+:Though no official political parties exist, ideological divides and inter-family rivalries are common within the council. Old grudges, philosophical disagreements, and cultural pride simmer beneath the surface, though open warfare between houses is exceedingly rare. These tensions tend to manifest through diplomatic maneuvering, proxy conflicts, and subtle sabotage.
+:The Iithic government maintains the views of the population through careful use of propaganda and censorship. While not explicitly acknowledged, academia is highly regulated, and dissenting voices are often silenced before they gain traction. Rogues, those who leave the city walls or reject the nation’s ideals, are publicly vilified. The punishment for being caught as a rogue is soul harvesting, having one’s soul taken from their body for use in an enchantment.
+;'''Bureaucracy & Institutions'''
+:Though the government holds central power, other institutions still wield influence. Schools, often led by aristocratic headmasters, but occasionally being led by charities run by the commonfolk, are respected centers of learning, and often gain local political leverage. The Adventurer’s Guild, while officially independent, commands respect due to its control over expeditions into ancient, long-abandoned Iithic structures. They often both rediscover older magical relics, and help add to the nation’s understanding of history.
+:The arch magi council funds education, infrastructure, and public works through national taxes. Stargates, magical research, public art, and elite academies are all maintained by the government, both as investments in national pride and tools of subtle control.
+==Culture==
+:The culture of the Iithic Nation is shaped by its rigid hierarchy, deep reverence for legacy, and an ever-present tension between tradition and progress. Though internal diversity is present across its many city-states, a shared identity is most dominant, bound by language, religion, and the omnipresent influence of the ruling magi aristocracy.
+;'''Social Structure'''
+:At the top of Iithic Society stands the aristocrats, especially the magi who wield more political, magical, and cultural power than anyone else. Though other aristocrats can become lords, only the magi can ever join the arch magi council. Below them lies the more prestigious of the common people, typically honored Templar, distinguished scholars, and the occasional wealthy adventurer or merchant. The common class, which is the majority of those with no hereditary claim to power or magical lineage, encompasses tradespeople, farmers, and laborers.
+:While class mobility is rare, certain high ranking templar may find themselves elevated to an aristocratic position in times of political crisis, such as if the lord of their city is going against the arch magi council, or is caught in a massive scandal, and their family looses the lord title as a result. Typically they’ll opt to have that templar married into an aristocratic bloodline in these situations.
+;'''Daily Life'''
+:Daily routines in the Iithic Nation vary starkly by class and status. The Iithic people typically follow a nocturnal rhythm. The magi normally rise just after dusk and partake in a structured sequence of meals, studies, and rituals. Their lives are often closely monitored and scheduled by the older, more prestigious magi, especially during apprenticeship under the tutelage of arch magi. The common folk, by contrast, live far less extravagant, rising at sunset, working through most of the night, and resting when it becomes morning, often eating one communal meal after waking up, and one before going to sleep. Schools are common for children of all classes, but vastly differ in quality and content, with magi schools offering generally higher quality education with additional classes in magic and spellcraft, while common schools emphasize literacy and general societal obedience.
+:Food customs also follow class lines. Aristocratic meals are generally much more expensive and varied, often featuring white breads, delicate pastries, richly prepared meats, and rare herbal teas, while common meals typically consist mostly of stews, porridge, or preserved vegetables, nourishing but plain.
+;'''Values & Etiquette'''
+:Lithic culture upholds a core set of values: unity, order, and respect for legacy and authority. Citizens are expected to control their emotions, adhere to their commitments, and display reverence toward superiors. Emotional restraint is seen as a mark of refinement, while outbursts, especially from lower-class individuals, are particularly frowned upon.
+:Social etiquette is both formal and omnipresent. Greetings often involve a salute-like motion, which can be more loose and relaxed in less formal environments, or in more formal settings, a bow is common when one is greeting their superior. The phrases vansidas and lirndas are common salutations, while partings often include stela-vil, shortened informally to vil. Public discussion of death, sex, or bodily functions is considered deeply inappropriate, and lateness or breaking a promise or vow is seen as a breach of serious social etiquette.
+;'''Isolation & Xenophobia'''
+:The Iithic Nation remains deeply isolationist. It is not simply in philosophy but extends even to the law, most citizens are unaware of or uninterested in lands beyond the nation’s walls. To speak of “the outside” is a dangerous taboo, reserved for hushed whispers between trusted kin. Even discussing ideas of the outside is frowned upon, and going out past the walls of an Iithic City is strictly forbidden.
+:Though there is cultural diversity between city-state, distinct customs, dialects, subcultures, etc. While some embrace this diversity as a part of the nation’s legacy and depth, others have disdain for anything outside of true cultural homogeny.
+;'''Events & Festivals'''
+:In Iithic Society, milestones are often celebrated with events between friends and family. A coming-of-age ritual is performed when someone reaches the age of sixteen, featuring a ceremonial anointing by one’s parents and the passing down of a personal heirloom, followed, traditionally, by a night of revelry and drinking among peers. Weddings are typically celebrated with feasting, drinking, music, and gifts for the newly married couple. Births are also celebrated to honor both the mother and child, having a large meal to help the mother regain her strength, and giving gifts to the family to help them care for the new baby. Funerals are quiet affairs, often private and religious, though the dead are typically also honored with annual visits from their close loved ones to their graves, at which they leave offerings in their memory.
+:Festivals are common in Iithic Cities. The new moon, when the stars are most visible, is celebrated across the nation with music, community meals, and often alcohol. Additionally, each constellation is honored with its own annual festival, which tend to have local customs in each city, artistic expression, and religious ceremonies are often led by temple priests.
+;'''Religion'''
+:The Iithic people worship the stars themselves, constellations viewed not only as divine figures, but as sources of power and prophecy. Star temples serve as centers of both religious life. Daily prayers and offerings align with the constellations currently visible in the sky, and it is common to whisper a wish to the first star seen each night.
+:Priests lead ritual services on festival nights and full moons, and oversee rites such as anointments and funerals. Religion is deeply intertwined with magic and governance, reinforcing the divine mandate of the magi.
+;'''Education & Art'''
+:Educational infrastructure is common throughout the Iithic Nation. It is typically state-funded and highly regulated. For commoners, schooling offers a path toward prestige, while for aristocrats, it is a rite of passage that reinforces elite identity. Artistic education is a particular focus in recent eras, with painting, music, and performance art gaining respect as intellectual pursuits, especially in urban centers like Folii and Keplar.
+:Art is also a conduit of both reverence and control. While celebrated and preserved, it is often censored. Works that critique the state, aristocracy, or moral values are quietly banned and removed from public record. Nevertheless, the spirit of innovation persists, frequently clashing with the cultural reverence for legacy and tradition.
+;'''Use of Magic'''
+:Though only the magi have the ability to cast spells, magical infrastructure pervades everyday life; stargates connecting different parts of the nation together, magically reinforced walls around the cities, and everlit soul lanterns as objects of prayer. These artifacts affect life across social classes. However, ownership of personal magical artifacts remains too unaccessible for almost all but upper class. Most commoners interact with magic passively, while the ruling class treats it as both a tool and a divine right.
+==Geography==
+;'''The Interplanar Weave'''
+:The Iithic Nation is not confined to a single world, but sprawls across dozens of planes, each with distinct landscapes, environments, and resources. Some planes are home to just one solitary city, while others house several Iithic Settlements, either way, no Iithic Cities are connected by roads, as it’s forbidden for almost all to go beyond the walls of their city. What unites these otherwise disconnected pockets of civilization is the presence of stargates, platforms of enchanted stone carved with magical engraving, which link the various Iithic Cities together. These gates are the only viable method of long ranged travel between planes, rendering them both a vital infrastructural asset and a potent political tool. The planes themselves vary wildly. Some teem with lush forests and glowing rivers; others are vast deserts lit by half a dozen moons, or infinite skies pierced by floating islands. Though geography often shapes the industries and identities of their cities, it doesn’t dictate their habitation; Iithic settlers have made homes underground, above the clouds, or in wasteland planes where no other lifeforms can be found. Some planes accessible by stargate are wholly uninhabited by the Iithic people at this point, only accessible because of ancient Iithic Ruins which have been left untouched for centuries if not millennia. These spaces are sometimes explored by adventurers, who wish to learn more of the nation’s history, and potentially find long forgotten artifacts and enchanted items.
+;'''Major Cities'''
+:Scattered across the interplanar weave, the Iithic Nation has a variety of settlements, each with its own contributions, and its own place within the nation. The following is a list of a few of these cities.
+:'''Orhos''' the capital of the Iithic Nation, is the political heart of the nation. It is here that the arch magi council convene with the Great Star Temple, under ceilings etched with constellations. Known for its opulence and ceremonial gravity, Orhos is often viewed by citizens of other Iithic Cities as either impressively refined or intolerably pompous. The Va-Iithis bloodline holds rule here, and even among the aristocracy, Orhos is synonymous with power.
+:'''Folii''', a breathtaking city of floating walkways and sky bound architecture, is revered for its artistry and is a favored retreat for the elite. In the center of Folii is the Vakwin Spire a levitating tower etched with glowing spell circles, which pierces the city’s skyline, and serves as a popular site for visitors. Though Folii is beloved for its exotic allure, many of its residents quietly resent the endless wave of highborn tourists who treat the city as a living gallery.
+:'''Vasem''' sits within a plane with some of the most fertile soil in the empire, serving as an agricultural backbone of the nation. Though the people ate often stereotyped as dull backwater bumpkins, Vasem’s citizens take fierce pride in their work ethic, their self-reliance, and their sense of community. They’re governed by Lord Nekrhoma Visveta, who was placed in that position after a scandal with the previous lord making trade with rouges.
+:'''Keplar''' is known to be the academic pinnacle of the nation, home to the prestigious Kolnir Academy of Politics and Magical Arts, which has a library said to house texts dating as far back as the Shimmering Era, including pre schism manuscripts which are sealed away from public view. The city is known for its vast libraries, spirited debates, and experimental artistry. It is ruled by Lord Ġerhan Va-Keplar, whose bloodline traces back to one of the most influential magical families in the empire’s long history. To some, Keplar is the pinnacle of progress; to others, it is unbearably smug.
+;'''Travel & Regulations'''
+:All long-distance travel across the Iithic Nation occurs through stargates. While their form and function are uniform across cities, access is not. Some gates are public and see daily civilian traffic; others are restricted to the military or magi. A few are tightly controlled conduits for diplomatic or research use only. Regardless of access level, all travelers must present themselves before a gate warden and state their name, intent, and destination. These records are logged and reviewed regularly. Most cities are intentionally isolated, many so far as being built in the sky, beneath the ground, on floating islands, or in locations surrounded by natural or magical hazards. This spatial detachment reinforces the values of the arch magi council, control, containment, and centralization of power.