Emergent Dreams

Celebrations

Even in a dystopian country ruled by a brute, there are still occasional celebrations, usually on a national scale, and these have to be approved by the government of Bosei.

Bajin’s supposed birth date is the largest celebration by far, consisting of ten days of feasting and drinking, sanctioned by the government. This is usually for those with political power or the rich however, as the poor, working class, and those of lower castes do not have the privilege or money to do so.

The traditional celebration of Bajin’s birth has no name, but is colloquially known as Bosei’s National Day, even though Bosei was known to have been founded before Bajin took power. The celebration starts early on the first day, before the first ray of the morning sun pierces through the veil of night. Bajin kneels before the three Grand Magi in front of his throne in the center of the Bosei Palace, and the Grand Magi ceremoniously rub his forehead with three different local spices, each symbolising his rule over the sky, the earth, and the sea. Annually, a large crowd congregates below the balcony in the southern tower, awaiting Bajin’s presence. Bajin appears at the balcony on the break of dawn, and addresses the audience with the same words every year, reminding them that his rule is absolute. Occasionally, the Grand Magi will cloud the sky with their magic, artificially extending the night if Bajin needs more time for preparation.

There are also celebrations of good harvest, especially in the eastern part of Bosei, where fishermen ritually behead their largest catch and throw the head back into the sea as a token of respect for sea gods, and for them to bless the fishermen with bountiful rewards for the next year. There is limited knowledge of such celebrations elsewhere, though it has been noted by royal scribes that the Duma celebrate a similar event during the winter Periods.

There is a rumour that there are voodoo ceremonies conducted in the underground by partisan societies that are fighting against Bajin’s government. Such ceremonies are outlawed for obvious reasons, and the practitioners are always beheaded publicly if caught, and their corpses displayed at the palace gates.

Authority of Verun

Verun, or in this regard, Bosei, is governed by Bajin, the Eternal Emperor. Technically Bajin never dies, as he uses clones of himself, known as Lagho in the local tongue, created in the depths of the Bosei Sanitarium. Their origin is unknown.

Lagho retain the memories of their original self, and in this regard, Bajin resurrects himself whenever he dies, either by old age or unnatural causes, and retains memories, experience and knowledge, allowing him to single-handedly dominate most of Verun, and command Bosei.

Just below the Emperor in rank are the three Grand Magi, each commanding a different jurisdiction under Bosei. The Grand Magi are unnamed, and are only known as the First, the Second, and the Third, in terms of the amount of time spent being a Grand Magus. They undergo an incomplete Marked process, that grants them eternal life but at severe consequences, such as memory and morality loss, and removal of all sense of humanity.

The First commands the military of Bosei, which is structured into four distinct armies and two naval fleets. Each army is then split into six divisions, namely Cavalry, Artillery, Infantry, Sappers, Reconnaissance and Intelligence. By far, the Bosei Infantry outnumber other service branches, with an estimated three million enlisted servicemen. Bajin considers them expendable, and uses large numbers of infantrymen to quell uprisings. The Bosei Elite guard is a battalion-sized (approximately 300 men) black ops service that serves as bodyguards, elite infantry, assassins and spies, and swear undying fealty to the Emperor, and is under the command of an unknown Magus, equivalent in rank and power to the Grand Magi. Magicians serve extensively with the military, usually as backline support, as portable artillery pieces, mobile hospitals or search teams. The Eastern Fleet, the larger of two fleets, is stationed in East Verun, to quell regional rebellions and negate threats by an extensive show of force. The Second Fleet is generally relegated to transport and reconnaissance.

The Second is in charge of the Guard, a policing force stationed mostly in Central Bosei. The Guard are in charge of guarding important locations, general prowling duties, counter-terrorism and to a lesser extent, spying. They are granted almost infinite power, and claims of abuse of power are quite commonplace. They are also allowed to detain (and torture, but not openly admited) suspects without trial.

The Third is in charge of the Priesthood, a religious service that worships and serves Bajin as their god. All other religious groups or gods are outlawed, and members executed. The Priesthood builds temples extensively with total disregard of the local populace, usually after burning down entire villages as a sacrifice to their god. Sacrifices are commonplace. The Great Temple of Bosei serves as the religious center of Bosei, with its ivory towers extending way above the Bosei skyline, visible even from the fringes of Bosei. The Great Temple has been the desired location for the casting of the Fog for the past 300 years, after the original temple in the north was sacked by the Duma.

Chapter 1 – Out of the Cauldron, into the Fire.

Chapter 1.1

Escape

Ayun and Rukki (henceforth known as Signcraft Beakonwood), squat outside a squalid thatched hut, and wait for the search party to pass by. Naturally gifted and agile, Signcraft, trained as a Spellthief since young, is at home in the shadows. She glances at Ayun, a towering, menacing Abaddon to hide behind a nearby set pillars. Ayun stares disapprovingly, and does what she says. And they wait.

The thundering roar of galloping approaches, and a sizeable battalion of quick response troops from the Bosei Royal Guard passed by, not noticing the two Marked hiding in the shadows.

However, behind them strolled a wizened gentleman with a thick beard. A Bosei Soulsearcher, used specifically as magical artillery by the Bosei forces, and an expert tracker! He mutters under his breath, and a ball of light forms. It hovers steadily, but it slowly but surely is approaching your current hiding spot! You may not run away, as the mage would spot you and immediately trigger an alarm, and you will be arrested. You spot an old bell on a bell tower, and it would be a great choice to knock it down to have it roll onto the Soulsearcher. However, this would cause a great din, and you will need superhuman agility and strength to destroy the wooden beam holding the bell. The Soulsearcher wanders into a small avenue off the street, with many clothes drying via magical fire sources. He is distracted by some lingerie on the clotheslines.

Signcraft spots a sign:

[Emma’s Laundromagica]

[Encounter: Bosei Soulsearcher]

HP: 4

STR: 0

AGI: 0

INT: 4

Ayun mutters to Signcraft

“Hey, that old geezer looks weak, I’m sure I could pound him into the ground in seconds.”

Signcraft whispers back

“I can Silence him, but the problem is, if I were to do so, I would not be able to prevent any encountered magi casting their magic in the next few moments. He wouldn’t be able to shout for help too.”

Ayun mumbles

“Hmph. Suit yourself, weak Amor.”

[Hint]

For every event that occurs, the Director may give hints to what options you may do, and will not limit you to a choice.

What do you do now?

Vegetation and weather of Verun

Verun is relatively large, spanning an area equivalent to 400 kilometres squared. Each year is split into sixteen Periods, with Periods 7 to 10 being the winter season. Snow covers Northern Verun, and parts of Bosei during this time, with occasional hail and snowstorms.

In the summer season, it is relatively mild in the north, and is nearly unbearable in the south. The Great Desert of Gen encounters relatively little rainfall, with around 8 days of rain per year. Temperature fluctuates wildly between day and night, and only the toughest people could make a living there. Scattered amongst sand dunes are oases, where most of the Vajrans, the desert natives, live in. Plants are scarce, with most being different species of cacti. One of these cacti is widely used by the Vajrans, known locally as the Bag, as many Vajrans use the tough, waterproof rinds of these cacti for storage of food and water on long journeys. Many non-Vajrans tend to receive severe sunburns especially during summer Periods.

The temperate forests in the north, the home of the Duma, become barren in the winter Periods. The Dumans, expert hunter-gatherers, may suffer from famine as food becomes scarce, crops fail in the extreme weather, and prey hibernate. They organise raiding parties, usually against the resource-rich Bosei in the center of Verun, to supplement their failing supplies. In the summer Periods, food is aplenty, and raids cease. The Dumans process a psychedelic drug from Aspir trees, a tall white tree with sharp needle-like leaves, and smuggle it throughout Verun. This drug, known colloquially as Frost, infuses great strength and wisdom in the users, but causes great addiction, shivers, weakness to cold, and hallucinations in those who consume it, and hence the name.

To the west of Verun lies a mountainous belt, known as the Devil’s Backbone. Home to the cursed Abaddon, the region is harsh, with sharp drops over a thousand metres in height. The peak of the mountain, the tallest point in Verun, is over thirteen thousand metres above sea level, with some Abaddon tribes using the climbing of the summit as a rite of passage for their young. Near the foot of the mountains lie a tree belt, with trees and shrubs being more bent and short as the elevation gets higher. Popular with local witch doctors, herbs and poisonous plants are abundant in the lower regions, where there are temperate forested areas similar to the northern areas. Wood from this area is well-known for its sturdiness and strange resistance to fire, and Abaddon woodworkers have been commissioned regularly by the Bosei to build furniture, sculpture and even entire buildings for the Bosei royalty out of this wood. The climate is generally cold due to the elevation even in summer Periods, but the Abaddon do not need thicker garments as they are naturally resistant to the elements.

The eastern area of Verun is flanked by a open span of water. No one knows what is on the other side of this sea, as none that have ventured out for exploration have returned. The sea flourishes with fish and other wildlife, and there have been occasional clashes between different factions over the ownership of this sea. The Bosei claim sole ownership, and have the largest number of fishermen guarded by large fleets of warships in the area. Occasionally squalls at sea blow inland, especially during the summer Periods, causing damage to Eastern Bosei, where most of the poor stay, and is not a concern to the Bosei royalty.

Verun generally encounters average amounts of rain, with the exception of Katra. Due to the Bosei grand mages’ influence over cloud cover, and to an extent local weather, Katra is overcast daily, with frequent showers. Lightning storms can be devastating due to the immense magical powers of the magi, causing large amounts of damage and casualties. This frequent rainfall causes most crop in Katra to fail, and results in a lack of food for the local populace. Streets are almost always flooded, with rural areas to the west being more affected. Occasional lack of concentration from the Bosei magi may cause interesting weather phenomenon to occur, such as hail in the summer, or even letting sunlight through parts of the cloud cover.