The Sword and the Shield: Enae is the Sword, Enen is the Shield. They are understood by all citizens of Tyragarde as true, living Gods. While the two of them, personally, discourage this, as they regularly commune with the actual Just Gods, find doing so of little use. Tales of their capability in battle have become mythologized, and they find themselves in the awkward position of being the figureheads of a personality cult they unwillingly created. For example, when a character says something to the degree of “By the Holy Diarchy” or “In the name of the Sword’s wrath” or “Shield’s might,” or “For the Sword and the Shield,” this is who they are referring to.
The Sword is a natural fighter, and uses a scorched earth methodology when leading a battle or crusade. She is the primary negotiator with Gods and other worldly diplomacy.
The Shield is a tactician, a siegemaster. He does not reclaim territory as quickly as his sister, yet his slow, calculating methodology makes for more efficient warfare. Being a master of logistics, he always knows where resources need to be, and how to effectively use them. For the nearly the last 250 years, he has never left the front line.
The Swine Plague: The swine (anthropomorphic pig-men) are understood as an absolute scourge. Anyone who uses pig-like metaphor or language are referring to the swine. Their very existence is heretical, and therefore they are fought ruthlessly and without mercy. There is also one extra horror to their foulness: they can use human women to reproduce, on top of being spawned by Infektiskar. As a result, their numbers are not just endless, but nearly inexhaustible in battle. Harpies are their aerial units, often used to capture women and other persons of interest.
Harpies: The aerial units of Infektiskar’s forces. Alone, a harpy has equal power of any competent Guardsman. However, they collaborate in massive numbers, always creating an unfair advantage, and rip their enemies to shreds, blackening out the sky. Once enslaved human women are no longer capable of bearing swine, one of their potential fates is to undergo a “mortification process,” by which they are forcibly turned into a harpy following crude, agonizing surgeries. They are given makeshift talons, claws, and wings, and their bodies are tattooed with feathers. They will look more terrifying than regular harpies, as they have the appearance of being made using “spare parts.”
Feral Swine: In the depths of some of Tyragarde's forgotten slums, feral swine still exist. Merc Squads are usually hired to go combat their foul stables.
The Just Gods: They specifically seek to aid the mortal realms in the ways they can.
Freya, the Goddess of Life and Beauty: Directly aids in the fight against the Swine, her archnemesis being Infektiskar himself. She can sometimes be in direct communication with the Sword and Shield.
Sserpentiss, the God of Cunning, Innovation, and Commerce: The God of the Pluffie, a small, short, yet inquisitive and intelligent people of inventors, alchemists, and merchants. He has yet to directly communicate with them, despite their best efforts. While (most) Pluffie do not worship the Sword and the Shield the way humans do, they still see them as prophets, and trust in their alliance.
Morgana, Goddess of the Cosmos, Calm, and Adventure: Worshiped by the state of Celestine, Morgana is very active in her influence on the mortal realms, such as giving her Astromancers the ability to call the cosmos themselves down upon the battlefield.
The Mad Gods:
Infectiskar, God of the Ugly Soul: He has taken issue with Freya, which is why he worked so diligently to unleash the swine plague on Tyragrade. He
selected it specifically because of the Kingdom's natural beauty. He does not know truly how to invent, only destroy. He can only "create" using what already exists.
“Annie,” The Goddess of Lust, Greed, and Envy: It has been said her true name is too provocative to utter, without causing a Dryad or Kill Brother/Sister to lose their purity. She is known to be extremely gorgeous and seductive, and will go to great lengths to spite the mortal realms in the smallest of ways.
He of All Which Should Not Be: Any negative quality not embodied in Infektiskar or "Annie." He exists as a hideous amalgamation, banished to a pocket realm, forever casting his power across space and time.
The Gray Gods:
The Gray Duke, God of Chance, Riddles, and Mystery: There’s always something the Gray Duke knows that nobody else does, which is why he is so quick to allow anyone who can find access to him a gamble. After all, the results are always entertaining, for he is the Gray Duke.
Grei, Goddess of Our Own Destiny: Grei believes that the mortals should be in charge of their own fate. It is said she is responsible for the existence of the Kingdom of Night, but the truth or falsehood of this is only known by the other Gray Gods.
System 51G-42P-33T, God of the Other Realm: There is something else out there, something which has always been but never quite defined. It stirs.
Factions of Yogathar:
Yogathar itself is the planet in which the events of SWINE PLAGUE take place. Tyragarde itself is one of the largest continents, and with the largest population. Imagine a continent the size of Africa with major cities that have the population density of Manila.
The Tyragarde Pact: While Humanity is exceptionally powerful under the rule of the Sword and Shield, they are not without aid. Because the Pluffie are a rational, logical people, they realized if Tyragarde were to fall, they would be next, should the swine ever figure out how construct ships. As a result, they have negotiated a pact with humanity which if broken, could perhaps be the unmaking of both.
Humanity: Lorded over by the Sword and the Shield, this once open-minded, progressive, and tolerant people have retreated inward. The whole purpose of their existence is to serve the Sword and the Shield however they are able, for without them, there is nothing.
Pluffie: A short, intelligent and inquisitive people from the Ivory Archipelago, a vast network of islands off the west coast of Tyragarde. While human invention stagnated long ago, the Pluffie continue to invent new technologies. Since the inception of the Swine Plague, most of these are weapons used to wage war, such as the flamethrowing salamanders, to the pocket automatic cannons (PACs) used to gun down endless hordes of swine in the trenches, and the creation of Dawnsteel, a particularly durable yet expensive alloy used to protect elite soldiers, such as Kill Squad members or elite commanders of the Holy Guard.
Ogurz: Created by the Pluffie using Org genetic material, this large, oafish, (mostly) sterile race was invented to fight the swine (or any other enemy) with raw, brute strength. Loyal and endearing to a fault, the Ogurz prove time and again to be the most important allies one could have on the battlefield. When an Ogur manages to be conceived naturally, they are called “Mutebloods,” and are closely monitored by the COA (Central Operating Apparatus), as they will demonstrate even more prodigious strength than their sterile kin. However, if their loyalty to Sserpentiss and the High Prophets (Sword and Shield) is without question, they go on to make some of the most legendary soldiers the Tyragarde Pact has ever known.
Esethye: Characterized by their long slender bodies, tall thin ears, and utterly insufferable smug elitism. While there is no official religion among the Esethye, Highstriders tend to bend towards the Duke, the Earthmovers towards Freya, and the Dustwalkers towards the System.
Highstriders: The most pretentious of all Esethye, the Highstriders are known for their porcelain skin and sharp, angular facial features. They rarely ever court other Esethye, as they see themselves the most superior people on all of Yogathar. The ruling oligarchy of Ethere (their nation) mostly consists of Highstriders.
Earthmovers: Much of Ethere consists of dense, old growth forest. The Earthmovers are much more tolerant than the other Esethye, and have light to dark green and earthen colored skin. They are more attached to their Godess than their kin, and worship her through vast shrines they’ve built throughout their networks of tree-cities.
Dustwalkers: There is a portion of Ethere which is mostly desert, yet holds many Oases, along with the Elin River, which snakes through the desert out to the sea. The Dustwalkers are the least numerous of Ethere, as it is the smallest region, yet they also possess architectural knowledge their kin do not. Dustwalker masons are the ones responsible for constructing the grand architecture of Isthylin, the capital city.
Kingdom of Night: A mysterious race of rogue, gray-skinned Esethye called Nightstalkers who inhabit the island of Kostromo. Their agenda and motivation remains unclear, as not even in the Deep Royal Archives of the Highstriders is their departure recorded. However, the scrubbed records of such an event seem to be oddly deliberate. The Nightstalkers will only show up during the winter months in the northern hemisphere, often raiding, looting, and kidnapping whoever they see fit. While claimed to have been seen in spring and fall months, Kostromo can only ever be made out as a silhouette in the mist during the winter, disappearing as soon as spotted.
Mol’Tin: Builders, craftsmen, warriors, guilds, thanes. The Mol’Tin are a stout, stalwart people hailing from the mountainous highlands of Bris’Ingur. Despite their stature, their powerful and stocky muscular bodies more than make up for it. While diplomacy is their preferred course of action, if poked, they will not hesitate in bringing down the hammer.
Orgz: Enormous, green, savage. Orgz live to fight, and it doesn’t matter who. Since the Esethye and Mol’Tin are their closest neighbors, they prefer to attack them. The only advantage other races have over the Orgz is that their mating rituals, while not completely understood, take a long time to complete, stunting their numbers. For the greater part of 2,000 years, the Orgzs have made little to no contact with neither the humans nor the Pluffie. However, with the state of the world in 1,220, and with the weakened Esethye and Mol’tin on defense, the Orgz will go anywhere they can in search of a fight. How the Pluffie's Ogurz would react upon seeing their cousins raise their weapons against them, is something everyone is thinking, but nobody is talking about.
Institutions of Tyragarde:
Kill Squads:
"Mercy is for the heretic. Those foul things show us no remorse, no dignity, no respite. They do not think, and neither should we. For the Sword and the Shield do not bless us to think, they bless us to kill and hate." -Malachi Sanguinar, Rank I of Kill Squad Hatefury 1,202 S.P.
Kill squads are the elite of the elite, and their name is self-evident. They are hand selected by the Holy Council and placed into squads of 10. The way these squads work is very simple. When needing to hold a piece of territory, or claim one, or when a crusade in general is being organized, they will be sent to fight the most important of battles. The squads are organized by gender, however, the leader of a kill squad will be given two Purity Guards of the opposite gender, as a testament to their purity and devotion to the Holy Diarchy; A left and right hand. The job of a Purity Guard is to sacrifice his or her life for their assigned #I should they find themselves in a dire situation.
Numerology plays a major role in a kill squad. It goes purely by seniority. #I is the leader and longest standing member, whereas #X is the newest to the team. When a member or members of a kill squad die or are rendered incapable of combat, the Holy Council selects thoroughly proven soldiers to bump the number of the squad back up to 10. The specific number of an individual in the kill squad is important, because generals may need to promote someone on the battlefield, so their number is always prominently displayed on their armor. To rise to #I in a kill squad is a major feat, as one has to outlive and or outlast all of the others ahead of them in their squad. Those within Kill Squads treat their fellow brothers and sisters as kin, and hold one another in ultimate regard. This is because once assigned to a Kill Squad, they understand those are the people they are most likely destined to die with. Few live to see retirement, but it does exist. A retired Kill Squad member has served as #I in their squad for at least a decade, so they have experience in leadership. They will either go on to be Generals, Inquisitors, or join the Holy Council. Service to the Sword and Shield only truly ever ends in death, for in death, lies redemption.
The High Holy Regent:
"I do not invite trouble, trouble arrives unsolicited. And I route it." -Contra Lighthand, 399 S.P.
As the situation gets further out of control, the Sword and Shield required someone to take on the bureaucratic duties of a figurehead. They selected Holy Councilor Contra Lighthand to take over as High Holy Regent. Her coronation was in 654, where she still, albeit wearily, serves the Holy Diarchy to this day.
The Holy Council:
"[Deeply laughing] My Lord, I never knew ye had such a rich sense of humor! Oh, just when I think my faith cannot be heightened, ye bless me with such mirthful remarks!" Holy Councilman Corrin, when the Shield attempted to explain he was not a God, 189 S.P.
These are the most exalted leaders in Tyragarde. In fact, they are senators of such high status that they only answer to the Sword and Shield or the High Holy Regent themselves. The only way to be able to join the Holy Council is to have served as #I in a Kill Squad for a least a decade. As a result, they have survived countless battles, have proven time after time prowess in leadership, and are free of corruption. While there is no set amount of members on the council, every member is hand selected by the Sword and Shield, and both must be in agreement about appointment.
The Inquisition:
"Heretics are worse than the swine, if you ask me. They had free will to accept the Sword and Shield's benevolent Light. We choose Beauty, they choose Ugliness. What more needs to be said?" -Inquisitor Thalassia Ishnu'Aran, 433 S.P.
Heretics are a blight on Tyragarde. It is important that these individuals are found, exposed, and properly disposed of. After all, if someone is falsely accused of being a heretic, either the divine grace of the Holy Diarchy will make it apparent, and spare them. Or, if not, the falsely accused merely get to join their place beside the Sword and the Shield prematurely, a fate better than life! For execution, unrepentant heretics will be paraded around in Penitent Chains and Heretic's Bridles - an excruciating set of armor constructed of sharp metal scrap. After the humiliation ritual, the heretics are then loaded into the Bronze Serpent, A Pluffie designed device which is slowly heated by fire, and converts the screams of the burning heretics into a hissing sound. Because the enormous structure takes so long to heat, it is usually not until night when the show begins, its eyes aglow with fire and belching steam out into the sky.
However, repentant heretics are offered a different fate. They are kept alive, but fed poison which causes them to vomit Black Humors, A highly flammable liquid which is used to power some instruments of war, like fuel for Salamanders, or it will be loaded into jars which Gryphon Riders will then drop onto enemies, then be ignited by mages or fragments. Members of the Order of the Hospitaller keep the repentant alive. Most heretics will eventually die during the extraction process, as once they perish, it is understood they have purged all the wickedness of their souls. In very rare cases, they survive this process, and will begin weeping Red Humors, a potent, enriched form of blood which can be universally drunk by a wounded soldier. This will replenish even the largest amounts of lost blood. These individuals are known as The Redeemed, and are inducted into the Order of the Hospitaller.
The Holy Guard:
“The Guard makes due!” -John Miller, 399 S.P.
For every conflict, every battle, every defense and every sacrifice, the Holy Guard is there. Fodder, the meat grinder, it is the vast, insurmountable numbers of the Holy Guard which charge into the swine pens, harpy nests, and heretic enclaves. At some point, somewhere, every day, the Guard is there to defend Tyragarde in the Holy Diarchy’s name. The most elite and proven of the Guard are then selected by the Holy Council to join Kill Squads, the Night Watch, the Inquisition, or the Order of the Dryad, but every great hero of Tyragrade begins their journey in the here.
The Holy Industrial Complex:
“I have never before seen such a madly-conceived assembly of sparks and steel. It is as if this place has been managed by a cabal of our enemies for centuries.” -Jean Tylar, 1,193 S.P.
The Holy Industrial Complex (HIC) is the most mismanaged bureaucracy in all of Tyragarde. Arbitrary practices work well to maintain authority, but not when it comes to the logistics of manufacturing. Fighting the swine may seem simple, but it is indeed the opposite. Some places need defended, some attacked, some reinforced. Some reconnaissance missions require certain tools. However, there’s one thing worse than delivering the wrong tool: not delivering a tool at all. Sometimes large nails are required to reinforce the walls of a trench, and other times smaller nails are needed to board windows. However, the Sword and the Shield would be disappointed the fewer nails made! Therefore, it’s better to make more smaller nails, as the quantity of nails being made and delivered is higher. This is the logic by which the HIC largely operates.
Order of the Dryad:
“They [the swine] can drink from the rivers, but not the lakes themselves. Goodness persists on our side. Praise to the Shield.” - Rien, 299 S.P.
The swine, harpies, and fully corrupted heretics can subsist off any source of nutrition. Raw meat, cannibalism, any organic vegetation. Because of this, whenever the swine capture an area of land, they can hold it effortlessly against attrition for a very, very long time. However, once territory is reclaimed, it is nearly useless unless life is restored. As a result, in her meeting with Freya, the Sword introduced the idea of the Order of the Dryad. After the initial success of the reclamation crusade, the Dryad sisters were able to regrow ancient trees from broken stumps, return fish to rivers, and purify the general rot which grew alongside the swine. The Order of the Dryad, particularly with how often land fluctuates in the current setting, are crucial in not just retaking land, but maintaining it.
Order of the Hospitaller:
"There is one distinction between an ally and a friend. An ally hates the swine. A friend hates the swine, and loves his fellow man." -Sister Arixie Solanox, Siege of Concordia, 647 S.P.
The Hospitaller holds the most compassion of any order, and it isn't even a close decision. Consisting of missionaries, nurses, doctors, healers, reformed heretics, and templars, this order is the shining light in the darkness that has befallen Tyragarde. What defines a Hospitaller is the most pure, genuine love for their fellow man. The Hospitaller, due to being medics, follow war. They often encounter the most downtrodden, abused, and neglected citizens of Tyragarde. Their philosophy is simple: to never quit until there is no longer a single suffering soul. Not. One.
The Night Watch:
"Heresy may lurk in any corner, any hovel, any lonely back room where the rites are said and rituals performed. It's up to us to find it and burn it in Righteous Flame." -Watch Captain Desmond Stone, 505 S.P.
Decades before the Plaguehowler Heresy, the Sword dreamed of a little girl with glowing blue eyes who told her one of the most loyal in her ranks had been corrupted by Infektiskar, and that there would be no way of telling who. When the Sword asked the girl how she knew this, she told her that they would some day come to know one another, but until then, to watch the night for her. As a result, the Sword created the Night Watch, an order which patrols the lonely corners of Tyragarde at night, searching for whispers of heresy.
Merc Squads:
Unsanctioned by the Holy Council, a Merc Squad is a small party usually consisting of 3-6 rag-tag members. Sometimes, deserters of the Holy Guard are given a chance for redemption via a suicide mission, other times it's shady characters looking to make a little extra coin, or maybe it's a veteran guardsman on leave. Regardless, Merc Squads are often formed at bounty boards, and a Scrying Skull can be used to have Astromancers connect nearby interested individuals with others. These bounties mention various nuisances that need purged, but are not important enough for a Kill Squad or entire Guard Unit. These bounties could include remnants of swine dens, harpy nests, heretic cults deep within the depths of cities, or other strategic targets not worth the time investment of the Night Watch.
States of Tyragarde:
Yareken: Yareken consists of the main stretch of land in central Tyragarde. The northern section consists of temperate woodlands and prairie, while the southern region has milder winters, but snowfall still can occur. Most standard citizens of Yareken speak with a standard British RP accent. Citizens from Highcrown either speak in Posh RP if wealthy, or like Londoners if middle or lower class.
Floridia: Floridia receives the hot, balmy winds of the South Sea. As a result, it has a hot, humid, swampy atmosphere all year around. Floridians are particularly known for their fearlessness and tenacity, along with an unbreakable spirit – they are highly resistant to corruption. As in Floridia, the beasts are bigger, the bugs more venomous, the vegetation thicker. And recently, they have been dealing with the Krok invasion. Yet as their motto proclaims: “Floridians never die!” Floridians sound like Australians and New Zealanders.
Celestine: Known for its rainy, depressing climate, yet beautiful woodlands and shores. Celestinian culture evolved around the rare nights in which the sky is clear, and then taking communion with Morgana. While their worship of her would normally be heretical, she gives permission to worship the Holy Diarchy as well, making their religious beliefs more of a pantheon. The Celestinian Astromancers play a large role in the fight against the swine, as Astromancers are how military correspondence is quickly relayed. Celestinians sound various degrees of Welsh.
Ogal’lalah: Plains and prairie, the region of Ogal’lalah exists in northwestern Tyragarde. Pleasant, warm summers – cold, harsh winters. 6-7 months out of the year, the region is the breadbasket of Tyragarde. The other half, it’s freezing cold and windy. However, the Autumn Homage is a tradition of the region that has lasted for millinea, and is still celebrated when part of Tyragarde territory. (Cork City is the single longest standing human city in Tyragarde, having never fallen to the swine due to the miracle of 144, known as “the Miracle at Cork City,” the battle which finalized the already growing personality cult around the Sword and Shield.) Ogal'lalagns speak with a British West Country accent.
Flywyrm: Flywyrm enjoys mild summers with harsh, bitter winters, far worse than Ogal’lalah. While growing season is short, a crop of grain can be managed, and it is one of the most prolific regions of Tyragarde in raising livestock. While gryphons were originally native exclusively to this region, stables in Celestine, Ogal’lahlah, and Rebirth Island have proven to be successful grounds to raise them as well. Flywyrmians sound various degrees of Scottish.
Very few native Flywyrmians remain due to the Flywyrmian Heresy. Having fallen to corruption, and mostly perishing during the Burning of Lordheim and the Siege of Toba, Ogal’lalahn farmers moved in to repopulate the region. During the Total Yareken Crusade, the Holy Diarchy found it necessary after Flywyrm’s liberation, to redirect all manpower to the Ogal’lalahn crusade. Feeling neglected and trapped, they sided with the very God who hated them. Only the few families truly faithful to the Holy Diarchy remain to this day, known as the Resolute 9.
The Weeping Lands: Central Northern Yareken is a broken land, cratered by the enormous meteor of the Celestinian Martyrdom, and the deep scarring from trenches dug over and over again. While the lower areas of the region are habitable, (Weeping lands) it is always raining, allowing a fishing economy in the lakes and rivers. Indoor farming through greenhouses is the only means to grow crops. Many question why it perpetually rains, as it is a relatively new phenomenon. Some say it’s the tears of the Celestinian Martyrs, others suggest that due to the Shield having to inhabit and command the front lines for hundreds of years, it is his grief. Perhaps it’s a combination of both. While there are some permanent residents of this area, it’s mostly the families of those stationed at the front lines, or itinerants, drifters, loners, those who need to disappear and start anew. There’s an eternal gloom which resides over the Weeping Lands which cannot be fully described, but remains ever-present.
The Wastelands:
Leading up to the Shattered Bulwark and the mouth of the maw, trenches, bones, and rusting armaments line the path like canopic tributes to slaughter. Here, not even the Dryads could hope to restore what has been done, even if it were reclaimed. The Swine Plague has left a permanent scar on this world, and even still their defeat remains but a fantasy. As more and more continue to pour out of the maw, they trounce upon dozens of feet of bones and mud. Upon walking these lonely wastes, a traveler may ask “is this Tyragarde’s doom? Is this how it all ends?”
Key Events:
The Great Slaughter:
When the swine emerged, Tyragarde was not prepared for war. While it had a sizable and trained standing army, an army which had not waged war for over 1,000 years would be inherently inefficient. Moreover, neither the Sword or the Shield had any experience commanding an army, and with their father absent, they were unsure what to do. Murozund, their tutor, imbibed a potion which theoretically, was supposed to allow him to locate their father and call him back. For nearly 100 years, they waited for his return as more and more territory fell to the swine. Finally, the two of them realized he was not returning. So, they set out, learning how to win battles, how to retreat, how told hold territory. Their first victory came in 101, when they successfully defended the city of Concordia. This marked the end of the Great Slaughter.
While the Sword and Shield continued to lose many engagements after, they persisted, and against all odds, successfully defended Cork City, a small peninsula in southern Ogal'lalah. The battle lasted so long that the bones of the dead swine piled up so high, it prevented any traffic from coming in or out. This pile of bones and steel still exists to this day, yet is overgrown by moss and shale. It prevents any swine from entering. This massive, grim bulwark is known as "the stopper."
A few decades later, now losing territory at a much smaller rate, the Sword left to negotiate aid among other nations and some of the Just Gods, most notably Freya. Then, finally, after all of Tyragarde mainland was overwhelmed by the swine, the Holy Diarchy recalled all forces to Rebirth Island, part of her negotiations with Freya.
The Reclamation Crusade:
Outside of Cork City and Grand Island, the Holy Diarchy recalled all units to Rebirth Island. From there, in the year 300, they launched the Reclamation Crusade, in which they employed all knowledge they'd gained over that last 3 centuries. Overwhelmingly successful, they reclaimed half of Tyragarde by the end of the Century, including all of Floridia and Celestine, Creating the Verde Parallel and the Bulwark of Faith.
The Plaguehowler Heresy:
One of the greatest deceptions Infektiskar pulled off. During the defense of Port Verde in 399, the leader of Kill Squad Bright-Hammer, Nobel Lightsinger, and one of her Purity Guards, Tiberius Manarius, were captured by harpy units. 3 decades later, her and Tiberius were rescued, having not appeared as though they aged a day. It was speculated that their faith in the Sword and the Shield had preserved them and thus declared a miracle. However, it was the opposite, both were already rotting on the inside. 60 years later, NoBell and Tuberculus proclaimed themselves the true Sword and Shield, uniting dozens of heretics, and even some Kill Squads, under their banner. In spectacular fashion, they also assassinated 2 of the longest standing members of the Holy Council - Corrin and Uranda.
The Flywyrmian Heresy:
After the reclamation of Flywyrm, the crusade shifted towards Ogal'lalah, a strategically much more important area. Once achieving a pyrrhic victory in the Plaguehowler Heresy, supplies were stretched thin. The reclamation of Ogal'lalah would once again fill the grain bins of Tyragarde, and thus Flywyrm was left to its own defenses. Hungry, afraid, cold, Hothgar the Red led an insurrection, claiming independence from Tyragarde. However, what he did not tell his followers was the deal he cut with Infektiskar. And thus, all but 9 families fell to corruption. Once again, Infektiskar had bolstered forces.
The Century of Stagnation:
After the success of the Ogal'lalahn Crusade, Flywyrm forces already had a trench prepared when the Shield arrived. Low on supplies, the land slowly got more and more ravaged. No side could overrun the other. While they had fought trench warfare before, advancing technology made it particularly brutal in this instance. And thus, for over a century, the line did not budge, no matter the Shield's strategy. During this time, more and more were being accused of heresy, causing paranoia and bizarre, Byzantine rituals to escalate further than they already had been over the centuries.
The Celestinian Martyrdom:
Celestinian Astromancers are an indisposable force the Tyragarde Pact. Not only do they serve as the chain of communication via their ability to access the dreamscape, but also in combat, they can call down the very heavens. However, out of options, and without any way of breaking the Valhallan Trench, the Shield did have an idea, but it would be costly. Understanding their sacrifice, in 823, 1,000 Celestinian Astromancers joined their minds to call down the largest meteor ever known. And while it did break the trench, Morgana claimed all 1,000 of their souls that night.
The Decade of Fear / the Neverending Winter:
The dust flung into the atmosphere from the Celestinian Martyrdom caused Yogathar to cool. For an entire decade, the planet itself was plunged into an eternal, with only Floridia and spare areas of Yareken being able to grow crops. Since the swine no longer had abundant resources to consume either, warfare nearly cease, with the trenches frozen and deserted. However, the Kingdom of Night is only active in winter, and thus, all over Yogathar, they became an utter terror. Never knowing when and where they would show up, even the Orgz grew weary of their constant assault.
The Battle in the Sky:
A costly pyrrhic victory, as massive amounts of Harpy and Gryphon units were lost. It created the Bulwark of Wings, where the shield held the trenches as he waited for more gryphon units to be trained.
The Miracle of the Moons:
One century since the Celestinian Martyrdom, extraordinary events begin to take place in the sky, and by the end of the following decade, a massive influx of Celestinian Astromancers began to show promise.
The Burning of Lordheim:
Flywyrm's second largest city. Weary from constant crusading, the Sword chose to burn it to ash, rather than siege it.
The Seven Year Battle:
The final battle against the Swine. For seven years, neither the Sword nor the Shield slept. Once they had pushed the swine all they way back to the Maw, they came to a grim realization: they had to idea how to actually close it. In one massive offensive, they sent a team of volunteers into the Maw. They still have not returned and have not shown any presence in the dreamscape.
The Containment Bulwark:
While Tyragarde Pact could not close the Maw, Infektiskar's forces had been sufficiently pushed back. Here, the Shield constructed his largest fortress-trench yet. Where for hundreds of years, it held the swine plague at bay. A brief, small golden age ensued, as the Sword left to create her Bargain.
The Silent Heresy:
The end of the Golden Age. A rogue member of Kill Squad Nightfire attempted an attempt on Contra Lighthand's life, missing her heart by a grain of sand. It is imagined Freya herself intervened. Hysteria has since, and every day more and more heretics are being loaded into the Brass Serpents.
Sword's Bargain:
The Sword sought to create 10 demigods to use as tools, intending to send them across Yogathar in attempt to figure out how to close the Maw. The Duke agreed, and reached into the dreamscape to find 10 beings to match the archetypes she requested. However, the Duke told her whoever contacts him next, will receive the same offer.
Infektiskar's Fold
Infektiskar, using his spyglass, saw this pact occur. He then began to open channels with the Gray Duke. His advantage was that he already had his champions, and strengthened them.
Opening of the First Whirlpool:
"Annie" seduced Infektiskar, and in return he gave her some "toys" to play with. She opened up a whirlpool south of the Floridian Keys, and thus the Kroks became a new threat.
Opening of the Second Whirlpool:
Later, she opened one in the heart of the Ivory Archipelago, but much larger.
The Second Great Slaughter:
Infektiskar's Fold erupted from the Maw, shattering the Containment Bulwark and pushing Tyragarde forces back to the crater, now called the Lake of Tears, left by the Celestinian Martyrdom. Trench fighting is at its worst, the Kroks are out of control in the Ivory Archipelago, everyone is at war with everyone else. Peace is nowhere among the world. The utter carnage sweeping across Yogathar is also causing something to stir within the dreamscape...
Miscellaneous:
Skulls/Bones:
Bones are quite important to the inhabitants of Tyragarde. Characters will often be very sentimental toward the skulls (and other bones) they carry on their armor, or with them as trinkets, as they often belong to either powerful enemies they’ve felled, or more often, the people they knew, such as family, friends, and fallen comrades. Enormous battles have been waged solely for the sake of reclaiming the bones or belongings of martyrs. War machines, such as catapults, siege towers, battering rams, cannons, pacs, etc. also will not work properly unless they contain a bone blessed by someone belonging to the Holy Council, Inquisition, Order of the Dryad, the High Holy Regent, or the Sword and the Shield themselves.
Scrying Skull:
Used by lesser and non-mages to communicate with nearby Astromancers in the dreamscape. Either the skull belonged to a family member, friend, or fallen comrade, there is never difficulty with communication, unless malicious forces are a play. Generally, if Hospitaller members have not had their skull requested, they offer their bones to be used in death however fit.
Mages, Magic, and Sorcery in General:
Magic works pretty straightforwardly in Swine Plague. The swine have no magical capabilities, which implies they are quite vulnerable to it, meaning it benefits every Kill Squad to have a few mages among their ranks. Because humans are still relatively new to magic, not very many are born with prowess, so they are highly valued soldiers when they do show some kind of talent.
While anyone from Tyragarde may be blessed with the gift of magic, the Celestinian Astromancers have a specifically crucial role. Information is key in fighting against the Swine Plague, and therefore it must flow quickly. Astromancers, while able to commute telepathically with anyone who can use magic, can only do so while asleep. This is how communication works. Astromancers memorize the information they need to relay, imbibe a sleep potion, and find another Astromancer asleep in the place the information is needed, where they then meet in the dreamscape and exchange information.
Astromancers are also useful on the battlefield, being able to call down blazing meteors which crash into their foes. However, they must be asleep for combat, and require a guarded tent in battle as they dream. When needed in offensive battles, they will be carried in the backline atop a guarded litter. While the preferred garb of an Astromancer is black garb with cosmic symbols, in hot environments white is also allowed, so that they do not begin to hallucinate from heatstroke as they dream.
The Dreamscape:
The Dreamscape is the realm beyond. It is where souls reside.
Salamanders:
If there is one thing swine despise, it is snakes. What could be worse? Snakes that breathe fire. The Pluffie found a way of converting black humors into flammable liquid. Salamanders play a crucial role in the trenches, but have limited effectiveness in larger, open scale battles.
Pocket Semi/Auto-Cannons (pacs):
Guns. "Fragments" are used as bullets: small pieces of bone loaded with droplets of black humors. Each fragment has to be individually blessed to assure reliability. Low ranking members of the Inquisition and Dryads stand at the end of assembly lines, taking shifts chanting with censers and incense.
Dawnsteel:
Expensive, yet the best armor one could wear. Light, durable, infinitely reliable.
Plaguesteel:
Reverse-engineered Dawnsteel used for Infektiskar's champions.
The Four Humors:
Black humors are extracted from repentant heretics. For several months they are fed heretic's tongue, a common flower with mildly poisonous properties. They will then vomit the black humors, which is then collected in buckets, and eventually stored in barrels.
Red humors are from fully repentant heretics, should they survive the extraction ritual. Once they have thrown up all of the black humors in their body, they will begin to weep crimson tears, called the red humors. These individuals are known as The Redeemed, and are then placed into the Order of the Hospitaller. This liquid is a form of super-blood. It is then bottled in vials and given for soldiers to drink should they lose too much blood in battle.
Yellow humors come from crushing bilebeetles into a paste. Its acidic quality is then concentrated into the formula used in the amber mist, a heavy, gas-like compound used on swine and heretics in trenches.
Green humors are a dew-like substance found in the flowers of a green gavara plant. A green gavara will only bloom after 100 years at the end of its lifecycle. This dew, also known as "Dryad's tears," has many general medicinal qualities. It grows in swampy climates, and is thus widely farmed in Floridia. The Dryads have accelerated its growth period, to the point where 3-4 harvests can be made per growing season. It is the most readily available of all 4 humors.
Kroks:
A scaly, bipedal race of malevolent soldiers created by "Annie" and Infektiskar. They have sparked a religious crisis among the Pluffie, as they believe it is a punishment from Sserpentiss.
Bilebeetles:
They arrived mysteriously from the Land of Mists, and immediately became widespread throughout Floridia. At first, they were mere pests. But now, they're getting bigger, and they're starting to show aggression.
Verde Parallel:
A particularly advantageous stretch of land. It's easy to hold and cuts off the swine from southern Tyragarde.
The Deep Royal Archives:
The Highstriders have the longest recorded history of any race on Tyragarde. Their records go back eons.
Sword’s Bargain Biographies:
Uma Bladeborne:
Created in the image of the Sword’s purity, Uma is her ultimate champion. She and Serapho are the High Saints of all Kill Squads. Her role is simple: be an extra hand of the Sword. When a micrusade or battle needs a tide turned, she appears on the Sword's Behalf.
Fighting: O
Logistics: B-
Magic: B
Foresight: A
Serapho Michaels:
Created in the image of the Shield’s will, Serapho possesses not only the logistical understanding of the Shield, but a heightened combat prowess. While not as powerful as when the Sword and Shield fight together, Uma and Serapho make a lethal duo when paired with one another.
Fighting: S+
Logistics: S+
Magic: C
Foresight: A+
Kindred Sorn:
The compassion of the Sword and Shield, personified. The Holy Diarchy mourn they cannot interact with their common people. Whenever a phyrrhic victory is achieved, or a land is wrought with disease, Kindred is drawn to help the local commoners. High Saint of the Order of the Hospitaller, he aids in medical coordination within Tyragarde. It is said that his very presence may heal the wounded or cure the sick.
Fighting: A+
Logistics: S-
Magic: S+
Foresight: A+
Gillie Kruze:
While she wandered in the dreamscape, she had a premonition. She saw the decay of a beautiful woman, until her bones turned to dust and she disappeared into the wind. This is where she, in a massive effort, reached out to the Sword. Cowardliness, conspiracy, and heresy breed under the veil of night. Gillie’s job is to stalk the shadows of night, find malfeasance, and cull it. She is the High Saint of the Night Watch.
Fighting: S
Logistics: A-
Magic: B-
Foresight: S-
Jean Tylar:
The Sword created Jean with one job in mind: fix the Holy Industrial Complex. Knowing its deep incompetency and corruption, Tylar needs only a half hour of sleep at a time, and can last weeks without sleep. The HIC cannot be fully restored, rather, he has to pick what manufacturing needs priority, while letting other segments slack. He has a permanent retinue of Celestinian Astromancers, as he is in constant need of information. He also bears the burden of being the High Saint of manufacturing, a very difficult task to say the least.
Fighting: C
Logistics: O
Magic: C-
Foresight: S+
Ro’Chell the Pure:
Nobody can fool Ro’Chell. She can spot even the smallest amount of heresy or doubt within someone’s heart. A sage of sorts, Ro’Chell exists to monitor the Inquisition, and ensure it does not carry a tinge of heresy or corruption. She is the High Saint of the Inqusition.
Fighting: D-
Logistics: S-
Magic: S+
Foresight: S+
Kael the Unbreakable Spirit:
Forged for the loneliest of causes, Kael cannot feel demoralization. He is only able to reassess a fight: adapt, adjust. He does not excel at anything, but it good at everything. Wherever he is needed, he is guaranteed to make the correct decision.
Fighting: A+
Logistics: A+
Magic: A+
Foresight: A+
Talor, Weaver of Dreams:
Talor was created to more efficiently conduct Astromancer communication networks. In a perpetual slumber, he redirects, boosts, and prioritizes communication within Tyragarde, as well as communications with the Pluffie. He is also actively searching for Murozund within the dreamscape. High Saint of Celestine and the Astromancers.
Fighting: D-
Logistics: S+
Magic: O
Foresight: S-
Bruna LeKritour:
Created to be the High Dryad, Bruna attempts to find new ways of restoring reclaimed land. Yet as intelligent as she is for the process, Azhtree is also figuring out ways to permanently corrupt land. They are engaged in a sort of biological arms race. High Saint of the Order of the Dryad.
Fighting: S
Logistics: A-
Magic: S
Foresight: B
Dy Lar’Dyn the Living Tarot:
Created as a failsafe in case Infektiskar found the Gray Duke next, she reads how Tyragarde could be sabotaged, traitors, sneak attacks, etc. However, she only recites what the cards say. There are any number of futures, particularly with Gramshi Bernays as Infektiskar’s master manipulator. High Saint of Mages.
Fighting: C-
Logistics: S
Magic: S
Foresight: O
Infektiskars Fold:
NoBell Plaguehowler:
Before her corruption, NoBell tenured as the rank I of Kill Squad Bright-Hammer from 384-399, when she was known as Nobel Lightsinger. While defending Port Verde, her and one of her Purity Guards, Tiberius Manarius, were captured by harpies upon being defeated by Warko, a Dreadnought class Swine. It took over a two decades, but Infektiskar eventually corrupted them, and created a ploy to have them rescued. At first pretending to still be pure in soul, the two of them began converting others regiments to their cause, including some Kill Squads. Over time, the Plaguehowler Heresy began, as she and Tuberculus declared ascendancy over the Sword and Shield proper. Over the centuries, her original beauty, even still observable in her corruption, has decayed. She lives on only as a husk of bones and steel.
Fighting: S+
Logistics: B
Magic: B
Foresight: S+
Tuberculus the Sineater:
Formerly known as Tiberius Manarius, and having served as one of Nobel Lightsinger’s Purity Guards before his corruption, his faith in the Sword and Shield was unwavering. Yet just as Nobel, he found himself corrupted after a long battle, and now serves Infektiskar with unquestioned loyalty, which is why along with NoBell, he was chosen as a champion. Little is known of what he may look like beneath his helm, as some wonder if anything remains at all.
Fighting: S+
Logistics: B+
Magic: B-
Foresight: S
Loren the Silent Screamer:
Before corruption, Loren was a member of the esteemed Kill Squad Hatefury. During the Ogal’lalahn Crusade, he was captured by harpy forces. Placed inside a suit of armor which fused to his skin, Loren has suffered in perpetual agony for centuries, his efficacy in combat due to his impervious armor-tomb and insanity from the constant torture. The fate of his soul is trapped in a constant game of tug-of-war between Freya and Infektiskar in the Dreamscape. Only in death could its fate ever be determined.
Fighting: O
Logistics: F
Magic: S+
Foresight: F
Zhinav Kannibul:
Born to a wealthy family in Celestine, Zhinav strived to join the ranks of one of the renowned Astromancers. All throughout her privileged upbringing, she spent her time studying the ways of the cosmos, the magic, the arcane. Yet, no matter the effort she put forward, she never showed the magical prowess of her peers. Finally, when the day came for examination, she could not call down even the smallest of pebbles from the sky. Morgana had rejected her entirely. Humiliated and infuriated, Zhinav was encouraged to marry into another house and become part of the aristocracy as a trophy wife. Yet resentment stirred. A deep rage began to build, and then she used her wealth to have passage to the front lines, where she pledged her allegiance to Infektiskar so long as she could wield some form of power. Infektiskar saw that power. It was not in magic, it was in her brooding rage. Zhinav could study, and she could scheme. The perfect agent for creating chaos. When he found they Gray Duke’s offer, he knew giving her more power than he already would make her a key instrument in spiting Freya and destroying Tyragarde.
Fighting: F
Logistics: O
Magic: F
Foresight: S+
Azhtree the Defiler:
There is no greater tragedy outside of NoBell’s corruption than that of Azhtree. Originally a Floridian poet born to a traveling merchant family, Ash Trelane was able to bear witness to the vast lands of Tyragarde, from the cliffs of Highcrown, the skies of Celestine, and the vast windswept planes of Ogal’lalah. In fact, his wonder with Ogal’lalah caused him to take up permanent resonance there. Yet during the Valhallan trench era, he felt the patriotic duty to defend the lands he’d become so attached to, and known by. In true faith to the Sword and the Shield, he joined the Holy Guard, and was, just as all other recruits, trained and sent to the front line. When captured by Infektiskar forces, while strong, his mind was that not even of a champion, but only a man. He was corrupted without much effort. Yet because his will was so strong for someone of no natural ability, he loyalty to his new God was also strong. And his God is not without a sense of humor. As a result, he selected Azhtree as his champion of corruption. Now, in his days as a demigod, Azhtrees sole purpose is to think of ways to corrupt the very landscapes he so once dearly loved.
Fighting: A
Logistics: A+
Magic: C
Foresight: S
Wrathia:
Little is known of Wrathia before her ascendancy to demigodhood. It is speculated she was a member of one of the corrupted Kill Squads during the Plaguehowler Heresy, yet she is not forthcoming about information, even among her newly ascended brothers and sisters. Very few have seen what she looks like under her faceplate.
Fighting: O
Logistics: C
Magic: C
Foresight: S
Vegetor Ankgor:
Vegetor's motives are the least clear. Why Infektiskar chose him is a mystery. All he will tell his newly ascended brothers and sisters goes to the effect of "I don't have a grudge against our enemies. I just have a grudge."
Fighting: A+
Logistics: A+
Magic: A+
Foresight: A+
Fetis Voyd:
Conversely, Fetis' motives are as clear as day: He wants power, and seeks to ascend to Godhood some day.
Fighting: S+
Logistics: S
Magic: B
Foresight: A+
Ouraboura Sangrael:
Ouraboura possess a unique gift: the ability wield blood magic. However, in Tyragarde, the use of blood magic is very regulated, only sanctioned for use by specific members of the Hospitaller and Kill Squads. All magic users must be reported to the local authorities. Yet Ouraboura's parents kept her gift a secret, knowing the Inquisition would take her away and enroll her in the Order of the Hospitaller should it find out. As a teenager, he village was raided by swine, and she was captured by a harpy. After they took her to the foul stables to become a breeder, a swine approached to mate with her. Her repressed powers awakened in her fear, and she ended up ripping it apart with her mind. Infektiskar just so happened to be looking in that direction as she did so. He was so impressed, that he personally had her brought down to the maw so he could corrupt her. The invention of Plaguesteel has made her even more powerful recently, allowing her to more efficiently channel her magic.
Fighting: B-
Logistics: B
Magic: O
Foresight: S
Gramshi Bernays:
The politics between Celestinian houses are petty, cutthroat, and infinitely complex. Shady deals and heretical rituals do happy behind closed doors. A fantastic negotiator and tactician, Gramshi imagined herself too intelligent to fall to corruption, which is why she ignored various heretical whisperings within her circles. Yet she found herself more and more being drawn to the power Infektiskar could offer her. And by the time she scryed him in her crystal ball, it was too late. She used her funds to travel to the front lines, and surrendered herself to him. Now, as she schemes in her foul dormitory, still wearing her aristocratic crown, she spends her days planning elaborate plans of sabotage, espionage, and how to confuse Tyragarde forces in general.
Fighting: D
Logistics: S+
Magic: D
Foresight: O