Titanic Ring

The Titanic Ring Introduction

After the end of the Vitality War, the Titanic Ring was remade. Millions of souls reformed from the detritus of war and the spark of hope that rekindled into a roaring inferno. All that was broken was remade. Now the newest Ring sits orbiting Null with its siblings once again.

The Twin Empresses, Ishin and the Maiden, now sit upon Mithril Thrones in the capital city of Amalathea. From beneath the canopy of the Tree of Quelling, they command the counties of Ardyria as their influence stretches to the continents of Xorgaddon and Shah Vaedin.

They are aided by the Retainer Counts of Ardyria. These counts provide council to the Twin Empresses, control over their counties, and the power necessary to fend off the threats that plague the new ring.

And there are indeed many threats. During the Vitality War, the silence of the Cosmic Stack was sundered by the cataclysmic clashes that occurred. The Endless stir from beyond the veil. They send the Dark Triad forth to destroy all that the noble heroes of the Vitality War fought to protect. Their powers grow by the day as they threaten to disturb the booming Age of Innovation brought on by Corania, Lazarus Stark, and the unparalleled era of peace brought on by the efforts of the Seraphs.

Yet, all is not perfect. The Catastrophe of Xorgaddon still hangs in the mind of a weary population. Shah Vaedin is still wild, patrolled by the remnants of those who never surrendered during the Titanic Wars. Rumors also circle of the return of the Silent Queen whose power puts fear into the hearts of all. The year is 777 A.R. as the great powers begin to turn once more on the Rings of Meropis. The Dawn of Demons is at hand…

- Rings of Meropis Volume Four

Ardyria 777 AR

Continents of the Titanic Ring

• Ardyria
• Draulmyr
• Shah Vaedin
• Xorgaddon

Ruling Structure on the Titanic Ring

Sometimes referred to as the “Calm Ring,” the Titanic Ring is unified under a single governmental system. The ring operates under an Elective Monarchy where each of the Retainer Counts elects two rulers to serve a twelve year term. So far, the Counts have always elected the Twin Empresses in a landslide victory.

Below the Empresses are the Retainer Counts. Once appointed, a Retainer Count retains their position for life or until they: are removed by unanimous decision by the rulers, relieved of duty by nine present Seraphs via written directive, stripped of title by committing a high crime, pass their position to another with the support of two-thirds of the other Retainer Counts, or retire from the position leaving the office open for election by the population of the county.

A Retainer Count has the power to pass laws in their county, manage the administration, raise armies, and levy taxes. They are granted extensive powers by the Twin Empresses to the point where they are considered rulers in their own right. Somewhat controversially, no Retainer Count has ever been removed from their position by the Twin Empresses.

Finally, each city and town within a county is broken into a barony. Each barony is overseen by a baron or a baroness. The leader of a baron is responsible for local policy-making, the raising of militias, setting a budget for the town, organizing a fiscal plan, maintaining local courts, and providing for the “general welfare and health of their subjects.” This final power has led some barons and baronesses to abuse their power in the name of general welfare. Count Helmuth von Grayz is personally responsible for the capture and/or execution of thirty-six of these individuals.

“Your mistake was expecting one of the Empresses. Why waste their time on filth like you? My hands and that cliff will do.”

-Count Helmuth von Grayz moments before throwing a traitor baron off his cliffside estate.

Seraphs

Hand-selected by the Twin Empresses, the Seraphs are a group of clandestine agents whose power and authority are nearly unlimited on the Titanic Ring. Seraphs serve as secret police, spies, judges, and more. Many say that a Seraph acts as a “judge, jury, and redeemer” while out in the world. Some scholars debate whether or not Seraphs have more authority than Retainer Counts in Ardyria.

Court of Chancery

Sometimes a Seraph may begin a court of chancery in a location. During a span of one week, a Seraph usurps the power of the local courts to rule on decisions. They may grant money, destroy debts, find guilty corrupt officials, and anything else but commit a person to death. For those who have been failed by the normal courts, a Seraph’s judgment is the greatest relief they can seek. However, Seraphs are careful when they do such things. Sometimes they will send the beneficiaries of their court into hiding for a time to prevent retribution to those they crossed.

Recruitment Process

A Seraph is usually a close confidant of the Twin Empresses or is recommended by a trusted Retainer Count. There is thought to be training provided to the potential Seraph although it is unknown the exact specifications. What is known is that those who become Seraphs are granted unusually long (although not immortal) lives free from the weathering of age. They gain otherworldly intuition and greater powers than what they had before being given the position of Seraph.

Known Seraphs

It is thought that many Seraphs are unknown. They operate in the shadows, appearing during times of strife, to lend their aid. Many times those aided by a Seraph do not know that their guardian angel was one. There are reports of Seraphs silently depositing gold in a starving family’s chicken coups or leading a pack of troublesome wolves away during a thunderstorm without a word. Oftentimes, good fortune on the Titanic Ring is the work of a Seraph.

The only true way to tell a Seraph is their badge of office. Each Seraph is given a feather from the wing of Ishin. In the presence of the Twin Goddesses, the feather glows a clear aether blue.

Below is a list of confirmed Seraphs:

• Minerva Mourne
• Adpham

• Kiyoko Sayoko
• Gatsby Grim
• Prime Minister Max Grayfall (honorary)
• Priam
• Amil Edge
• Fia Pergamena

World Note: No new player character can be a Seraph. Being a Seraph is earned. Even high level player characters cannot start as Seraphs because the standard is so high.

Jubilee

Every twenty-two years on the Titanic Ring there is a time of Jubilee. During Jubilee, all debts are forgiven for outstanding debts. Those held in prison due to defaulted debts are also released and their records are cleared. Ancestral lands are returned to families who were forced to give up their lands due to hardship. In Amalathea, a great ritual is performed to rid the curses of all those present in the city.

Jubilee is a time of healing, redemption, and rebirth. No expense is spared by the Empresses, Counts, or populace in celebrating this occasion. Heroes and travelers from all over the Cosmic Stack stop by the Titanic Ring every Jubilee to engage in the merriment.

Catastrophe of Xorgaddon

In 766 A.R. an event took place that scared the people of the Titanic Ring. This is known as the Catastrophe of Xorgaddon. It turned a once prosperous continent, full of explorers and fortune seekers, into a ruined waste that is unrecognizable. Many believe that Corania, the mother of the Age of Innovation, shoulders the blame for the catastrophe. This is likely true.

The Event

What follows is the entire fact pattern, at least what is available to the public, regarding the catastrophe.

The epicenter of the event was a mountain range known as the Proy Peaks. Nestled in the center of the range was research site gamma 006 (gamma). At this site, Corania oversaw the construction of the largest LSRS device ever constructed. The device ate close to four tons worth of material every second it was powered.

At 7:06 AM on the 6th of Lionnir, a test began using the system at gamma. This system, codenamed TWISTER, started to consume material. The exact nature of TWISTER is unknown but it is thought to have been a reality warping device. At 7:14 AM, TWISTER was already consuming four tons of material every second. However, a redacted transcript released to the public revealed that Corania defied safety protocol and ordered that the LSRS increase power output. By 7:18 AM, TWISTER was consuming six tons a second. By 7:22 AM, it would be consuming close to 7 billion cubic miles. 

At 7:19 AM, the TWISTER system began to draw more power than the LSRS could provide. Corania ordered more power output but the quelling mages had reached their limit. The first signs of collapse began at 7:20 AM when one of the mages collapsed due to extreme dehydration. Other mages began to fall as well. At 7:21 AM, Corania executed an emergency shutdown designed to immediately quell the red spiral reaction that was rapidly growing out of hand. However, there was a fault in the design. The TWISTER system did not allow the shutdown to occur. Instead, it consumed the titanic magic altogether creating a detonation. 

All rock within 60 miles of gamma was liquefied at 7:22 AM. 

The Titanic Ring itself would crack under the pressure. Earthquakes were felt across Ardyria as category eight earthquakes ravaged the land. Many could see the light of the explosion from Kost. People in Amalathea had their windows blown out from the shockwave.

The Twin Empresses stopped a 400-foot-tall tsunami from devastating the western coast of Kost at 7:31 AM with the help of nearly 100 aether souls from across the Rings of Meropis. Many also aided in a massive effort to remove the ash that blotted out the skies over the ring. In total, it took six months before the effects felt in Ardyria were fixed. However what could not be fixed was the more than 3,000 Ardyrians who lost their lives in the aftermath of the catastrophe. It is unknown how many in Xorgaddon lost their lives but generous estimates say at least 258,000 died.

Rescue teams were able to reach one city, Harasta, nestled in one of the valleys deeper within Xorgaddon. Its unique geography allowed it to withstand the doom that fell upon the land. Many people left with only a skeleton population choosing to remain.

Aftermath

The people of the Rings of Meropis called for Corania’s head. In the largest trial ever on the Titanic Ring, Corania was granted leniency by the Twin Empresses. This caused massive civil unrest that threatened to undermine the legitimacy of their reign. However, the storm was weathered.

Punishment

Corania served five years in a prison in Amalathea. Upon her release, she was ordered to remove herself from all artificing projects, abandon all plans to construct LSRS factories greater in size than those in Amalathea, was given a debt of over 2 trillion gold pieces to pay back, and lost the ability to elect rulers for the next 50 years or until the debt was paid. Those closest to Corania said this event affected her dearly. The Material Goddess became lost in her grief. Some swore she refused to step inside a laboratory ever again. Others say that she attempted to strip herself of her divinity but was stopped by a Seraph. Yet the punishment may never end. To this day citizens still curse her name. Corania, the mother of the Age of Innovation, is perhaps the most hated person on the Titanic Ring.

Geography

Ionad Sea

Running through the center of Ardyria, the Ionad Sea is the main trade route through Ardyria. Its calm waters allow for merchant fleets to patrol the waterways constantly. The only time trade is disrupted is during the spring cyclones which cause the Ionad Sea to become impassable for a few weeks.

Pearl Sea

The Pearl Sea is connected to the Ionad by the Strait of Hanners. This area holds the breeding grounds for many of the fish and other species that inhabit the waters of Ardyria. It is considered the crown jewel of Mecklen.

Sea of Kost

Since the Catastrophe of Xorgaddon, the Sea of Kost has been ravaged by whirlpools and constant rain. Most sea life has migrated to other waters leaving the Sea of Kost abandoned by nearly all on the Titanic Ring.

East Saoran Sea

Ancient magic stirs within the East Saoran. Even experienced sailors struggle to navigate its waters off the coast. Many are lucky to find the exile community of Dim Harbor before they die of starvation. Seekers of the strange routinely make a pilgrimage to the waters of the East Saoran in hopes of witnessing one of its ancient secrets.

Hartear and Leben Rivers

The life-giving rivers of Phalia, the Hartear and the Leben, run into the East Saoran. Their waters create the perfect atmospheric conditions for growing crops. While travel is easy on the Leben, the Hartear possesses fast-moving white water which has swept many to their doom.

Grain Fields of Phalia

Lying between the Hartear and Leben rivers, the Grain Fields of Phalia feed the Titanic Ring. For millions of acres, people grow wheat, rye, tamiil, and other cereal grains. Occasionally a traveler may stumble across a village within these fields. Many hamlets are unmarked on maps due to the mass immigration to Phalia. Often the government of Phalia learns about a hamlet is when a grain cart bearing the hamlet’s name arrives in Shan, Fanore, or Falken.

Rush River

Flowing from Fhea Lake, the Rush River flows northward before finally dumping out in the Bay of Cardyria. This river possesses fast moving water with sheer cliffs on either side. Jahrn Spotted Eels populate the Rush and are the main target for fishermen. Horrifically sour when not cooked, the Eels take on a lemon flavor when salted and smoked.

Collation Expanse

The Collations actually comprise two separate mountain ranges: the Pearl Mountains which run North to South and the Spertal which run East to West.

Ambres Desert

Within the heart of Saora lies the Ambres Desert. The mesa-dotted landscape routinely reaches more than 120 degrees during the summer months. Most animals (and people) survive by carving a living space from one of the mesas and drinking the juice of the gargantuan Eckhart cactuses.

Zauphen Mountains

On the border of Phalia and Zauphen are the Zauphen Mountains. These old mountains contain many trails that zig-zag through the peaks. Many miners call these mountains home. Each year, many walk the Canary Trail to either Albeck or Wexburg to deposit the year’s ore. Aether souls seeking money often come on this yearly trip to aid in the carrying of the raw materials and the protection of the miners.

The Demon’s Maw

Deep below the city of Dunkel in Zauphen there is a portal. This portal bleches hordes of demons and other nightmarish creatures from its depths. Only the 500-foot climb and the unshakable resolve of Dunkel’s defenders has kept the Maw from overtaking the entirety of Zauphen.