EdroGrimshell
2012-08-09, 08:20 PM
Nexus:
Realm of Nexus: A large region within an endless plane of existance simply called the Borderlands, a place that grows ever stranger the farther in you go, and more hazardous as well. Nexus, however, is protected from the Borderlands and is a safe haven for the human-like, sentient races that reside within the plane; the Elementals, the Demons, and the Spirits (see Denizens). Nexus is split into eight districts, one for each element and two for demons. There may be other realms within the Borderlands similar to Nexus, but they'd be to far away to reach without being able to take on the most powerful Abominations of the Borderlands.
Borderlands: The endless plane outside of the Realm. It is a place of savage and strange creatures that grow ever stronger the farther from Nexus you go, often refered to simply as Abominations, measured in "layers" for certain creatures, though some creatures cross into other layers searching for easier meals, however, this rarely occurs. Why this is the case is unknown, but many demons and elementals are thankful for this.
The Outer Ring: The district between Nexus and the Borderlands, the Outer Ring is one of the two Demon districts in Nexus and is definitely the larger of the two. The demons here are more feral than the ones in the inner ring and often show off their prowess to Elementals, Humans, and other Demons in attempts to form pacts. They do so by hunting and displaying the Abominations they have killed or captured from the Borderlands as trophies and marks of accomplishment. The Outer Ring completely lacks spirit magic, weakening spirits and keeping them from being able to make bindings within the Ring. Some of the demons here have learned a method to assimilate some of the power from the Borderland Abominations, a fact which gets spirits, humans (including hackers), and elementals to come there and try to obtain some of their abilities, though the actual method is not known to the public.
The Inner Ring: The district that surrounds the City of Nexus, it is a strictly governed city that acts as a gate between the Elemental Districts and the City of Nexus. The Inner Ring has strict laws that are enforced by loyal demons that have bound the services of a Law Spirit. The raw amount of Spirit Magic in the Inner Ring forces unbound spirits to manifest into a corporeal form. Demons here are often more noble than the ones in the Outer Ring and will only form pacts with those they trust unequivocally and their contracts are almost always more solid.
The Elemental Districts: The various elemental districts are divided into subdistricts based around large metropoli. Each of the six districts have different foci and terrains, and each subdistrict is different from another. They range in societal norms and cultures between each district and subdistrict.
Air District: A district of near endless plains and forests, the Air District is the one that provides almost half of the crops eaten in all of Nexus, the plains being the perfect place for farms and the forests having abundant orchards. Many of the subdistricts are simply areas where nomadic caravans roam from village to village and town to town, with only two small cities in the District.
Earth District: A desert district with rocky outcroppings to signify mines, ore deposits, and wayhouses. The desert itself is not actually to hot or cold, simply dry. Every subdistrict in this region is based around a large city that is partially underground with several mines and ore deposits connected to it through tunnels. You can get anywhere in the desert through underground tunnels, never needing to set foot on the surface, but these tunnels are often only accessable to earth elementals.
Fire District: Located in a hilly tundra, the Fire District is a region of cold and brutal elements, but the fire elementals thrive there, their natural heat keeping them and their cities safe from the elements and the blizzards that roll through the district. The subdistricts are centralized on thermal vents and hotsprings. Most cities in the Fire District are popular vacation spots because of the hot springs.
Lightning District: A most unusual district, the entire district is one long mountain range with six valleys which hold the cities of the district. Unlike most districts, where the city is where the elementals want to be, lightning elementals prefer being farther up the mountain, the cities lack the energy that the storms in the mountains produce, and this is where many lightning elementals want to be.
Shadow District: The massive Labyrinth that makes up the Shadow District is extremely hard to navigate, even for those that know the way it's easy to get turned around, only the shadow elementals and a select few spirits can guide people through the labyrinth safely, but few choose to guide outsiders through the Labyrinth. Many die within the Labyrinth, and few see the cities held within.
Water District: A large estuary/lagoon with raised islets and reefs, the Water District is unique in that its cities are almost always on the move, floating islands in the lagoon estuary with smaller villages and towns built on the islets or grown/carved out of the reefs. Along with the Fire District, the Water District is one of the most popular vacation districts because of the beautiful beaches and seafood available.
City of Nexus: The central city that shares the realm's name, Nexus City, as it is often called, is a beautiful metropolis unlike any on Earth. It is a city of advanced magitech and prosperity, where many come to make it big. The city is open to the public, and anyone can enter, but it is heavily enforced by Demons, Elementals, corporeal Spirits, and even Humans.
Denizens:
Elementals:The most human-like of the natives, Elementals come in six varieties, each with their own set of traits and abilities. The six elements are Air, Earth, Fire, Lightning, Shadow, and Water. They appear as humans with traits that cater to these elements, such as blue-green hair, stony skin, or fire in place of eyes. Elementals sometimes create elixirs called infusions, which give another the power over an element. Some also create power tags, a talisman that infuses an individual with raw power, though these are exceptionally rare.
Elementals can learn to wield other elements like their base element, and some naturally possess two elements, which are often called paraelementals. However, a shadow elemental can never learn another element, and no elemental except a shadow elemental can learn to use shadows. Elixirs that grant shadow erase all other elements from the individual and turn them into pure shadow elementals.
Air: The natives of the plains and forests, air elementals are known to be swift and perceptive, with far superior hearing to other elementals, the air elementals are master scouts and spies when they elect to go into the fields, however, this is quite rare as most air elementals are farmers, musicians, or athletes. Their hearing itself makes all air elementals fans of music, and their towns often play a constant symphony when the wind blows by, one that mixes with the songs of the elemental musicians within them.
Earth: Unlike what many would believe, earth elementals are not blacksmiths, simply mining the ore and refining it to be shipped to the blacksmiths of the lightning and water districts. They have a nose for metal and minerals of all sorts, making them exceptional miners and metallurgists, but they lack the skill to work the metal for weaponcraft. An earth elemental makes an exceptional fighter with their sturdy build allowing them to take hits and deal them out, however, few stray from the mines and their chosen professions.
Fire: Natives to the tundra of Nexus, fire elementals are known for their skill as chefs and their great performances, as well as the herb gardens almost all maintain in the frigid climate and the hospitable inns connected to the hot springs throughout the district. The many healing properties of the springs make the fire elementals one of the most prosperous of elementals in Nexus. Fire elementals rarely fight, relying more on their element to fight and scare off potential opponents, those that do fight rely on fast and decisive strikes.
Lightning: Mountain natives that often decend to the valleys of their mountain homes, the lightning elementals are known for their skill in metalworking and their inventions. Their incredible eyesight allows them to spot even the minutest of flaws in their work and fix it with great precision through use of their element. Fighters are often inventors experimenting with their newest inventions. Most lightning elementals are ranged fighters rather than close range fighters, even if they are the leading blacksmiths in the elemental districts.
Shadow: The mysterious, enigmatic shadow elementals are largely hidden from public view. However, they are the leading exporters of power tags, alchemical resources, and expert contractors. Ones seen in public are rarely identified as shadow elementals, and those seen fighting are assassins that leave no witnesses alive.
Water: Much like fire elementals, water elementals are incredible performers, known for their graceful dancers and incredibly flavorful wines. A water elementals sense of tastes is much stronger than any other elemental, making their wines superb. Water elementals are the most adaptive of the elementals, their cities constantly moving on the currents. Water elementals are also one of the leading exporters of seafood. Unlike other elementals, water elementals are also known for their fighters and combat tournaments, one of their leading forms of entertainment.
NOTE: The information above is general information, individual elementals may not follow the norm set by their cultures.
Demons: A rather varied lot, Demons are where the myths of demons, angels, devils, and fey come from. Often they look either like a human or an animal with feral features, extreme beauty, or disturbing mutations. Demons are generally far superior than any human, elemental, or spirit in physical abilities, though some prefer guile over such means. Demons often form pacts with humans, elementals, or other demons, offering a few abilities and services in turn for money and some of the same in return.
While the term "demon" is often used to describe "creatures of hell", in Nexus, demon refers any divine being (whether holy or unholy), fey creatures, and other such creatures. This means that pixies, angels, nymphs, gorgons, imps, goblins, and other such entities are actually universally called demons in Nexus, though the various subraces still exist. The four subraces are broadly defined and often not set in stone: Celestial, Infernal, Faeri, and Mythic.Celestial: Heavenly creatures such as angels and archons, celestial demons are marked by their beautiful appearances and noble bearing. These are often the most humanoid of demons, though many have animalistic features.
Faeri: Sylvan creatures of the wild, the faeri range from incredibly beautiful to horrendously ugly, but all are extremely charismatic and wise. Most are humanoid with extremes in beauty or ugliness or look like animal hybrids or fairies.
Infernal: The creatures most humans think of when they hear "demon" are the Infernals. They are feral, horrifying creatures with horns, scales, sinuous tails, and bat-like wings being common among them.
Mythic: Mythological creatures from pheonixes to gorgons to mermaids are all of the mythic subspecies. Any mythological creature not obviously in one of the other three categories is likely a Mythic demon.
Spirits: Incorporeal entities that resembles spheres of light when not manifested. Spirits live on borrowed time, literally. An unbound spirit will eventually fade away, however, it can bind itself to another if it is willing in order to provide itself with more life and the recipient with more power. Few spirits actually have any power of their own, what they do have is knowledge, and raw power with no way to direct it, though some do develop some skill at manipulating their power at the cost of depleting their reserve of time. When a spirit is bound, it's time does not fade, and it in fact regenerates. A smart and lucky spirit can effectively live forever. Most spirits are fairly intelligent, they have to be or they die fairly quickly.
Humans: A rarity within Nexus, humans with some connection to elementals, demons, or spirits can come to Nexus with relative ease and need not worry about the borderlands like other humans. Few come to Nexus though, prefering to remain on Earth. Most humans that come to nexus are part elemental or demon, have a family pact with a demon, or have a natural bond to a spirit, or any combination of the above.
Hackers: A human tainted by the borderlands, Hackers are never able to return to Earth after their corruption and are not welcome within Nexus, however, Hackers have an innate strength while in the borderlands as they can literally hack into the twisted reality of the borderlands, though what they can do is limited the closer they are to Nexus. A hacker is often viewed as insane by humans, and they are, in essence, insane. Unable to return to their normal existance and bound to the bizarre borderlands and imbued with incredible, but tainted, power, they have fallen to despair and delusion, with only one goal keeping them from giving up on life, the aethermental's mystical properties being able to turn them back to humans.
Aethermentals: Probably the rarest of the Natives within Nexus or the Borderlands, Aethermentals are unintelligent entities that are a combination of elemental, spirit, and demon. Their powers are unknown, but anyone can bind an aethermental, form a pact with one, or create an elixir from one, offering unique and potent powers. One randomly manifests every few hundred years, and remains for about a year before fading away. Rarely, one comes into existance that is intelligent and can bind itself like a spirit. These aethermentals hide their true identities and masquerade as simple spirits. These intelligent aethermentals are often spirits that have, somehow, obtained demonic and elemental power in addition to their normal spiritual essence. The requirements for this to happen are unknown, and cannot be replicated because of it.
Locations:
General Locations
Spirit Manifest Zones: Spread throughout Nexus, except in the Outer Ring, are areas saturated in spiritual energy to the point of allowing a Spirit to manifest as a physical being. This removes the Permanent flaw from the Insubstantial power all Spirits possess while they are within the zone. These zones slow a spirit's aging as well, causing them to age 100x slower.
Elemental Pustule: Despite the rather unappealing name, an Elemental Pustule is simply a pool of colored liquid that, when ingested, causes the one to drink it to gain some degree of elemental control as if with an elemental infusion. They are spread throughout the elemental districts and rarely in the Outer Ring or Borderlands. The ones in the Borderlands are by far the strongest of these pools, but are also the most dangerous to get to.
Demonic Obelisk: A powerful artifact made of crystal attuned to one of the four classes of demons. Demons within one mile of the obelisk recieve a Boost Effect to all traits for as long as they are in range. This boost fades at a rapid rate after leaving the range of the obelisk.
Air District Locations
Coraesine Mines: While air elementals aren't known for their mining skills, they do have a few metals unique to their district that they are incredibly good at crafting, one of the most unique ones is Coraesine, a metal that concentrates and focuses wind, coating the metal in a thin layer of wind. Sharp weapons made from this metal, are made even sharper by the wind forming its own cutting edge and allowing it produce ranged attacks from simple slashes. These mines are well guarded and rarely traded outside of the air district or the City of Nexus.
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Earth District Locations
Crystal Mines: An interesting phenomenon where elemental energies coalesce into a crystalline form. Identifying the crystal's element and strength is a difficult task, only the best of earth elemental prospectors can identify the crystals without fail. It requires a DC 30 Knowledge (Earth Sciences) or Knowledge (Arcane Lore) to identify one of these crystals, what element it is, and its general strength. These crystals enhance ones ability to wield the elements. Air, Earth, Fire, and Water crystals act as Easy to Lose Devices with the one of the following effects: Boost Element Control (corresponding to the element of the crystal), Boost Electricity Control, or Boost Darkness Control. The rank of the effect is based on the size of the crystal, ranging from 2-20 ranks and usually lasts for one minute each use regardless of Rank. A single crystal has five charges to it and regenerates one each day it isn't used. A crystal can also be used as a weapon, granting Strike with the Mighty Power Feat with a rank equal to 1/4 the ranks of Boost it grants, rounded down. A crystal with no charges left loses its ability to grant boosts but may still be used as a weapon.
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Fire District Locations
The Flare Springs: A series of hot spring located in the Fire District that possesses incredible healing properties. The water from this spring, when distilled, carries this property and is often used as a catalyst in alchemy. Any creature that soaks in the water for 1 hour is healed as if via the Healing Power with a rank varying from 4-12 depending on the spring's location (8 being the average rank). Additionally, a character with Artificer that is using Craft (Chemical) to make an artifact gains a +5 bonus on the Craft check if they use the water in the creation process. This only applies while the water is freshly drawn from the springs and thus cannot be transported or sustained for longer than 24 hours after removal from the springs.
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Lightning District Locations
Thunder Arches: A thunder arch is a dangerous natural formation that is created from the constant lightning strikes on the mountains of the lightning district. Any creature going through or touching the arch must make a Reflex Saving Throw or be stunned for one round, at which point they must make another Reflex Saving Throw or be stunned again, repeating every round until they succeed the save or are physically removed from the arch. The save DC varies by how strong the electricity of the arch is. Creatures immune to electric effects are immune to the arch effects, and in fact, instead, recieve a boost to their Electricity Control power. This acts as a Boost with a rank that varies based on how strong the arch is. Additionally, the metal from these arches is highly prized for its ability to constantly produce electricity. Any device made from the metal of a Thunder Arch shocks anyone that touches it if they are not immune to electricity and gain a bonus on Damage equal to half the wielder's ranks in Electric Control.
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Shadow District Locations
The Shadow District is incredibly hard to navigate, and its many secret gems are hidden well from outsiders. Only shadow elementals ever learn of them, and even then only natural shadow elementals are given the secret of their location and how to reach them.
Water District Locations
Coral Dream Pools: One of the most interesting locations found in the water district are these prismatic pools of almost ephemeral water. While beneficial, they are also dangerous as the water within is highly addictive. After spending an hour within the pool, a creature can enter a dream-like trance to gain a single Dream Token. A Dream Token can be used as a Hero Point and lasts for a week before fading. Each time a creature gains a Dream Token they must make a Will Save (DC 5 x the number of Dream Tokens the creature has gained in the past week). On a failed save, all Dream Tokens become Nightmare Tokens. Each day, the creature must make a Will save against 5 x the number of Nightmare Tokens they possess or take a stacking -1 penalty to all ability scores, skills, saves, attack rolls, and damage DCs for each Nightmare Token they possess and all Dream Tokens the creature would gain become Nightmare Tokens. These penalties are mitigated by soaking in the Coral Dream Pool for an hour (and saving against gaining further Nightmare Points). A successful save reduces the number of Nightmare Tokens the creature possesses by 1 plus an additional 1 for every 10 they succeed the save by until they reach no Nightmare Tokens.
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Outer Ring Locations
The Iron Gates: The gateways to the borderlands, these giant metal portculi are made of the strongest alloy devised by earth elementals, forged and reinforced by lightning elementals, imbued with the alchemy of the water elementals, tempered by the healing waters of the fire elementals, and guarded by the ever watchful winds of the air elementals. Exitting the gates grant no benefit, but on entering from the borderlands, demons and elementals as well as humans with pacts or bindings are instantly healed of all damage and weakens any Abominations or Hackers that cross through.
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Inner Ring Locations
The Inner Ring has very few magical locations, and none of real note. The strongest are the Eternal Fountains that runs through the entire center of the Inner Ring, broken only by a few roads leading towards the City of Nexus, which only produce a constant supply of fresh water.
City of Nexus Locations
The College: Actually a magical library, the College, as it is known, is a repository of magical knowledge unlike any other. With an hour of research, a creature can gain a +10 bonus on Knowledge (Arcane Lore) checks and Craft checks to create Artifacts or Rituals within the College. This research must be redone daily. Designing and Crafting Artifacts or Rituals takes half the usual time within the College. By quadrupling the time and increasing the DC for the Knowledge (Arcane Lore) and Craft checks by 20 to create the artifact as well as spending an appropriate cost (or making a wealth check or using special materials as determined by the GM) to cause an artifact to be turned into Equipment with an appropriate Equipment Point cost.
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...More to come...
Realm of Nexus: A large region within an endless plane of existance simply called the Borderlands, a place that grows ever stranger the farther in you go, and more hazardous as well. Nexus, however, is protected from the Borderlands and is a safe haven for the human-like, sentient races that reside within the plane; the Elementals, the Demons, and the Spirits (see Denizens). Nexus is split into eight districts, one for each element and two for demons. There may be other realms within the Borderlands similar to Nexus, but they'd be to far away to reach without being able to take on the most powerful Abominations of the Borderlands.
Borderlands: The endless plane outside of the Realm. It is a place of savage and strange creatures that grow ever stronger the farther from Nexus you go, often refered to simply as Abominations, measured in "layers" for certain creatures, though some creatures cross into other layers searching for easier meals, however, this rarely occurs. Why this is the case is unknown, but many demons and elementals are thankful for this.
The Outer Ring: The district between Nexus and the Borderlands, the Outer Ring is one of the two Demon districts in Nexus and is definitely the larger of the two. The demons here are more feral than the ones in the inner ring and often show off their prowess to Elementals, Humans, and other Demons in attempts to form pacts. They do so by hunting and displaying the Abominations they have killed or captured from the Borderlands as trophies and marks of accomplishment. The Outer Ring completely lacks spirit magic, weakening spirits and keeping them from being able to make bindings within the Ring. Some of the demons here have learned a method to assimilate some of the power from the Borderland Abominations, a fact which gets spirits, humans (including hackers), and elementals to come there and try to obtain some of their abilities, though the actual method is not known to the public.
The Inner Ring: The district that surrounds the City of Nexus, it is a strictly governed city that acts as a gate between the Elemental Districts and the City of Nexus. The Inner Ring has strict laws that are enforced by loyal demons that have bound the services of a Law Spirit. The raw amount of Spirit Magic in the Inner Ring forces unbound spirits to manifest into a corporeal form. Demons here are often more noble than the ones in the Outer Ring and will only form pacts with those they trust unequivocally and their contracts are almost always more solid.
The Elemental Districts: The various elemental districts are divided into subdistricts based around large metropoli. Each of the six districts have different foci and terrains, and each subdistrict is different from another. They range in societal norms and cultures between each district and subdistrict.
Air District: A district of near endless plains and forests, the Air District is the one that provides almost half of the crops eaten in all of Nexus, the plains being the perfect place for farms and the forests having abundant orchards. Many of the subdistricts are simply areas where nomadic caravans roam from village to village and town to town, with only two small cities in the District.
Earth District: A desert district with rocky outcroppings to signify mines, ore deposits, and wayhouses. The desert itself is not actually to hot or cold, simply dry. Every subdistrict in this region is based around a large city that is partially underground with several mines and ore deposits connected to it through tunnels. You can get anywhere in the desert through underground tunnels, never needing to set foot on the surface, but these tunnels are often only accessable to earth elementals.
Fire District: Located in a hilly tundra, the Fire District is a region of cold and brutal elements, but the fire elementals thrive there, their natural heat keeping them and their cities safe from the elements and the blizzards that roll through the district. The subdistricts are centralized on thermal vents and hotsprings. Most cities in the Fire District are popular vacation spots because of the hot springs.
Lightning District: A most unusual district, the entire district is one long mountain range with six valleys which hold the cities of the district. Unlike most districts, where the city is where the elementals want to be, lightning elementals prefer being farther up the mountain, the cities lack the energy that the storms in the mountains produce, and this is where many lightning elementals want to be.
Shadow District: The massive Labyrinth that makes up the Shadow District is extremely hard to navigate, even for those that know the way it's easy to get turned around, only the shadow elementals and a select few spirits can guide people through the labyrinth safely, but few choose to guide outsiders through the Labyrinth. Many die within the Labyrinth, and few see the cities held within.
Water District: A large estuary/lagoon with raised islets and reefs, the Water District is unique in that its cities are almost always on the move, floating islands in the lagoon estuary with smaller villages and towns built on the islets or grown/carved out of the reefs. Along with the Fire District, the Water District is one of the most popular vacation districts because of the beautiful beaches and seafood available.
City of Nexus: The central city that shares the realm's name, Nexus City, as it is often called, is a beautiful metropolis unlike any on Earth. It is a city of advanced magitech and prosperity, where many come to make it big. The city is open to the public, and anyone can enter, but it is heavily enforced by Demons, Elementals, corporeal Spirits, and even Humans.
Denizens:
Elementals:The most human-like of the natives, Elementals come in six varieties, each with their own set of traits and abilities. The six elements are Air, Earth, Fire, Lightning, Shadow, and Water. They appear as humans with traits that cater to these elements, such as blue-green hair, stony skin, or fire in place of eyes. Elementals sometimes create elixirs called infusions, which give another the power over an element. Some also create power tags, a talisman that infuses an individual with raw power, though these are exceptionally rare.
Elementals can learn to wield other elements like their base element, and some naturally possess two elements, which are often called paraelementals. However, a shadow elemental can never learn another element, and no elemental except a shadow elemental can learn to use shadows. Elixirs that grant shadow erase all other elements from the individual and turn them into pure shadow elementals.
Air: The natives of the plains and forests, air elementals are known to be swift and perceptive, with far superior hearing to other elementals, the air elementals are master scouts and spies when they elect to go into the fields, however, this is quite rare as most air elementals are farmers, musicians, or athletes. Their hearing itself makes all air elementals fans of music, and their towns often play a constant symphony when the wind blows by, one that mixes with the songs of the elemental musicians within them.
Earth: Unlike what many would believe, earth elementals are not blacksmiths, simply mining the ore and refining it to be shipped to the blacksmiths of the lightning and water districts. They have a nose for metal and minerals of all sorts, making them exceptional miners and metallurgists, but they lack the skill to work the metal for weaponcraft. An earth elemental makes an exceptional fighter with their sturdy build allowing them to take hits and deal them out, however, few stray from the mines and their chosen professions.
Fire: Natives to the tundra of Nexus, fire elementals are known for their skill as chefs and their great performances, as well as the herb gardens almost all maintain in the frigid climate and the hospitable inns connected to the hot springs throughout the district. The many healing properties of the springs make the fire elementals one of the most prosperous of elementals in Nexus. Fire elementals rarely fight, relying more on their element to fight and scare off potential opponents, those that do fight rely on fast and decisive strikes.
Lightning: Mountain natives that often decend to the valleys of their mountain homes, the lightning elementals are known for their skill in metalworking and their inventions. Their incredible eyesight allows them to spot even the minutest of flaws in their work and fix it with great precision through use of their element. Fighters are often inventors experimenting with their newest inventions. Most lightning elementals are ranged fighters rather than close range fighters, even if they are the leading blacksmiths in the elemental districts.
Shadow: The mysterious, enigmatic shadow elementals are largely hidden from public view. However, they are the leading exporters of power tags, alchemical resources, and expert contractors. Ones seen in public are rarely identified as shadow elementals, and those seen fighting are assassins that leave no witnesses alive.
Water: Much like fire elementals, water elementals are incredible performers, known for their graceful dancers and incredibly flavorful wines. A water elementals sense of tastes is much stronger than any other elemental, making their wines superb. Water elementals are the most adaptive of the elementals, their cities constantly moving on the currents. Water elementals are also one of the leading exporters of seafood. Unlike other elementals, water elementals are also known for their fighters and combat tournaments, one of their leading forms of entertainment.
NOTE: The information above is general information, individual elementals may not follow the norm set by their cultures.
Demons: A rather varied lot, Demons are where the myths of demons, angels, devils, and fey come from. Often they look either like a human or an animal with feral features, extreme beauty, or disturbing mutations. Demons are generally far superior than any human, elemental, or spirit in physical abilities, though some prefer guile over such means. Demons often form pacts with humans, elementals, or other demons, offering a few abilities and services in turn for money and some of the same in return.
While the term "demon" is often used to describe "creatures of hell", in Nexus, demon refers any divine being (whether holy or unholy), fey creatures, and other such creatures. This means that pixies, angels, nymphs, gorgons, imps, goblins, and other such entities are actually universally called demons in Nexus, though the various subraces still exist. The four subraces are broadly defined and often not set in stone: Celestial, Infernal, Faeri, and Mythic.Celestial: Heavenly creatures such as angels and archons, celestial demons are marked by their beautiful appearances and noble bearing. These are often the most humanoid of demons, though many have animalistic features.
Faeri: Sylvan creatures of the wild, the faeri range from incredibly beautiful to horrendously ugly, but all are extremely charismatic and wise. Most are humanoid with extremes in beauty or ugliness or look like animal hybrids or fairies.
Infernal: The creatures most humans think of when they hear "demon" are the Infernals. They are feral, horrifying creatures with horns, scales, sinuous tails, and bat-like wings being common among them.
Mythic: Mythological creatures from pheonixes to gorgons to mermaids are all of the mythic subspecies. Any mythological creature not obviously in one of the other three categories is likely a Mythic demon.
Spirits: Incorporeal entities that resembles spheres of light when not manifested. Spirits live on borrowed time, literally. An unbound spirit will eventually fade away, however, it can bind itself to another if it is willing in order to provide itself with more life and the recipient with more power. Few spirits actually have any power of their own, what they do have is knowledge, and raw power with no way to direct it, though some do develop some skill at manipulating their power at the cost of depleting their reserve of time. When a spirit is bound, it's time does not fade, and it in fact regenerates. A smart and lucky spirit can effectively live forever. Most spirits are fairly intelligent, they have to be or they die fairly quickly.
Humans: A rarity within Nexus, humans with some connection to elementals, demons, or spirits can come to Nexus with relative ease and need not worry about the borderlands like other humans. Few come to Nexus though, prefering to remain on Earth. Most humans that come to nexus are part elemental or demon, have a family pact with a demon, or have a natural bond to a spirit, or any combination of the above.
Hackers: A human tainted by the borderlands, Hackers are never able to return to Earth after their corruption and are not welcome within Nexus, however, Hackers have an innate strength while in the borderlands as they can literally hack into the twisted reality of the borderlands, though what they can do is limited the closer they are to Nexus. A hacker is often viewed as insane by humans, and they are, in essence, insane. Unable to return to their normal existance and bound to the bizarre borderlands and imbued with incredible, but tainted, power, they have fallen to despair and delusion, with only one goal keeping them from giving up on life, the aethermental's mystical properties being able to turn them back to humans.
Aethermentals: Probably the rarest of the Natives within Nexus or the Borderlands, Aethermentals are unintelligent entities that are a combination of elemental, spirit, and demon. Their powers are unknown, but anyone can bind an aethermental, form a pact with one, or create an elixir from one, offering unique and potent powers. One randomly manifests every few hundred years, and remains for about a year before fading away. Rarely, one comes into existance that is intelligent and can bind itself like a spirit. These aethermentals hide their true identities and masquerade as simple spirits. These intelligent aethermentals are often spirits that have, somehow, obtained demonic and elemental power in addition to their normal spiritual essence. The requirements for this to happen are unknown, and cannot be replicated because of it.
Locations:
General Locations
Spirit Manifest Zones: Spread throughout Nexus, except in the Outer Ring, are areas saturated in spiritual energy to the point of allowing a Spirit to manifest as a physical being. This removes the Permanent flaw from the Insubstantial power all Spirits possess while they are within the zone. These zones slow a spirit's aging as well, causing them to age 100x slower.
Elemental Pustule: Despite the rather unappealing name, an Elemental Pustule is simply a pool of colored liquid that, when ingested, causes the one to drink it to gain some degree of elemental control as if with an elemental infusion. They are spread throughout the elemental districts and rarely in the Outer Ring or Borderlands. The ones in the Borderlands are by far the strongest of these pools, but are also the most dangerous to get to.
Demonic Obelisk: A powerful artifact made of crystal attuned to one of the four classes of demons. Demons within one mile of the obelisk recieve a Boost Effect to all traits for as long as they are in range. This boost fades at a rapid rate after leaving the range of the obelisk.
Air District Locations
Coraesine Mines: While air elementals aren't known for their mining skills, they do have a few metals unique to their district that they are incredibly good at crafting, one of the most unique ones is Coraesine, a metal that concentrates and focuses wind, coating the metal in a thin layer of wind. Sharp weapons made from this metal, are made even sharper by the wind forming its own cutting edge and allowing it produce ranged attacks from simple slashes. These mines are well guarded and rarely traded outside of the air district or the City of Nexus.
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Earth District Locations
Crystal Mines: An interesting phenomenon where elemental energies coalesce into a crystalline form. Identifying the crystal's element and strength is a difficult task, only the best of earth elemental prospectors can identify the crystals without fail. It requires a DC 30 Knowledge (Earth Sciences) or Knowledge (Arcane Lore) to identify one of these crystals, what element it is, and its general strength. These crystals enhance ones ability to wield the elements. Air, Earth, Fire, and Water crystals act as Easy to Lose Devices with the one of the following effects: Boost Element Control (corresponding to the element of the crystal), Boost Electricity Control, or Boost Darkness Control. The rank of the effect is based on the size of the crystal, ranging from 2-20 ranks and usually lasts for one minute each use regardless of Rank. A single crystal has five charges to it and regenerates one each day it isn't used. A crystal can also be used as a weapon, granting Strike with the Mighty Power Feat with a rank equal to 1/4 the ranks of Boost it grants, rounded down. A crystal with no charges left loses its ability to grant boosts but may still be used as a weapon.
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Fire District Locations
The Flare Springs: A series of hot spring located in the Fire District that possesses incredible healing properties. The water from this spring, when distilled, carries this property and is often used as a catalyst in alchemy. Any creature that soaks in the water for 1 hour is healed as if via the Healing Power with a rank varying from 4-12 depending on the spring's location (8 being the average rank). Additionally, a character with Artificer that is using Craft (Chemical) to make an artifact gains a +5 bonus on the Craft check if they use the water in the creation process. This only applies while the water is freshly drawn from the springs and thus cannot be transported or sustained for longer than 24 hours after removal from the springs.
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Lightning District Locations
Thunder Arches: A thunder arch is a dangerous natural formation that is created from the constant lightning strikes on the mountains of the lightning district. Any creature going through or touching the arch must make a Reflex Saving Throw or be stunned for one round, at which point they must make another Reflex Saving Throw or be stunned again, repeating every round until they succeed the save or are physically removed from the arch. The save DC varies by how strong the electricity of the arch is. Creatures immune to electric effects are immune to the arch effects, and in fact, instead, recieve a boost to their Electricity Control power. This acts as a Boost with a rank that varies based on how strong the arch is. Additionally, the metal from these arches is highly prized for its ability to constantly produce electricity. Any device made from the metal of a Thunder Arch shocks anyone that touches it if they are not immune to electricity and gain a bonus on Damage equal to half the wielder's ranks in Electric Control.
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Shadow District Locations
The Shadow District is incredibly hard to navigate, and its many secret gems are hidden well from outsiders. Only shadow elementals ever learn of them, and even then only natural shadow elementals are given the secret of their location and how to reach them.
Water District Locations
Coral Dream Pools: One of the most interesting locations found in the water district are these prismatic pools of almost ephemeral water. While beneficial, they are also dangerous as the water within is highly addictive. After spending an hour within the pool, a creature can enter a dream-like trance to gain a single Dream Token. A Dream Token can be used as a Hero Point and lasts for a week before fading. Each time a creature gains a Dream Token they must make a Will Save (DC 5 x the number of Dream Tokens the creature has gained in the past week). On a failed save, all Dream Tokens become Nightmare Tokens. Each day, the creature must make a Will save against 5 x the number of Nightmare Tokens they possess or take a stacking -1 penalty to all ability scores, skills, saves, attack rolls, and damage DCs for each Nightmare Token they possess and all Dream Tokens the creature would gain become Nightmare Tokens. These penalties are mitigated by soaking in the Coral Dream Pool for an hour (and saving against gaining further Nightmare Points). A successful save reduces the number of Nightmare Tokens the creature possesses by 1 plus an additional 1 for every 10 they succeed the save by until they reach no Nightmare Tokens.
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Outer Ring Locations
The Iron Gates: The gateways to the borderlands, these giant metal portculi are made of the strongest alloy devised by earth elementals, forged and reinforced by lightning elementals, imbued with the alchemy of the water elementals, tempered by the healing waters of the fire elementals, and guarded by the ever watchful winds of the air elementals. Exitting the gates grant no benefit, but on entering from the borderlands, demons and elementals as well as humans with pacts or bindings are instantly healed of all damage and weakens any Abominations or Hackers that cross through.
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Inner Ring Locations
The Inner Ring has very few magical locations, and none of real note. The strongest are the Eternal Fountains that runs through the entire center of the Inner Ring, broken only by a few roads leading towards the City of Nexus, which only produce a constant supply of fresh water.
City of Nexus Locations
The College: Actually a magical library, the College, as it is known, is a repository of magical knowledge unlike any other. With an hour of research, a creature can gain a +10 bonus on Knowledge (Arcane Lore) checks and Craft checks to create Artifacts or Rituals within the College. This research must be redone daily. Designing and Crafting Artifacts or Rituals takes half the usual time within the College. By quadrupling the time and increasing the DC for the Knowledge (Arcane Lore) and Craft checks by 20 to create the artifact as well as spending an appropriate cost (or making a wealth check or using special materials as determined by the GM) to cause an artifact to be turned into Equipment with an appropriate Equipment Point cost.
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...More to come...