The Ivory Prophecy

Arakhis

The land of Arakhis is one of wonder, as the world is separated in several city states with their own armies and alliances, the wilds bear the ruins of ancient civilizations broken by an ancient war with the darkness that enveloped the lands in the olden times which is now referred to as the Darkening, they contain the various artifacts and evidences of our ancestors glory, but also the lingering and dormant creatures that once threatened our predecessors. Because of the waning influence of our ancestors in both culture and genetics the people have lost magic in its truest and most free form. What is left are glyphs,runes,sigils, and similar types of magic inscription and seals. These glyphs are permanent and usually require a person of innate connection with the Aether, the source of all magic. Or a person whose studies have managed to make a way for them to activate the glyphs through gems that contain shards of the Aether, allowing them limited connection. Besides this, the world cannot boast much in the ways of the arcane as the world has before where all sorts of life could destroy and create things with ease. 

What counts as seekers and practitioners of the Arcane are called Magi. They toil in researching and uncovering advanced forms of Glyphs to acquire a better understanding of the world before the Darkening. Among the Magi there are several roles one can undertake, depending on the overall contribution or their methods of research or practicing their glyphs. These roles are Runecarver,Glyphmaker and Sigilkeeper. Runecarvers carve the runes into an object, the ones who place the script in tandem with the Sigilkeepers various notes and formuli that reference the methodologies in order for the Glyphmaker to then successfully bind the Catalyst and the Rune. Whilst these Magi are typically researchers, many of them also brave the ancient ruins alongside others in order to seek out new knowledge. However mostly Sigilkeepers bother with the practice as they're the only ones who are needed to be there to take note of ancient Sigils and bring them to the surface. 

The people who fill the lands of Arakhis are also one of waning cultural and genetic descent, with sub-humans becoming far more human than their hybrid race. The Alf are one of them, a race of humanoids whose pointed ears and youthful faces has long diluted their heritage that they do not live much longer than twice that of a human. Then there are the Bastias, they are barely distinguishable from humans however they usually have one animalistic feature, they were rumored to use to be able to shift their forms at will, but now the majority simply either have eyes that can see in the dark, have keen hearing, or great sense of smell. There are the Tanduil, distinguished by their horns that appear on their heads down to their shoulders like spines of an animal, usually these horns are small and seem more like spikes. However the Tanduil are known for their connection to the Aether that trumps that of the other races, allowing even their young to have potential to connect to the Aether and use glyphs. Then there are the Karsenn, men whose skin is of a strange pigmentation, ranging from grey to a dull green, with frames built for physical labor and tempers that can melt steel. Then lastly the Zrael, who are distinguished by their pale complexions and calm demeanors, like the Tanduil they are connected intimately with the Aether, and they are the scarcest of all sub-humans. Rumored to be the anti-thesis to the Karsenn as the balance to their bad temper, many societies that harbor both sub-humans usually result with the two races cooperating in some way. 

In the middle region called Misandros lies the mountain ranges where the city state of Ashram lay, a natural fortress with the mountains covering the city from most threats, one of the few cities who managed to dig in the underground to discover ore veins and precious Ether Gems that they use to fuel the Spire. The Spire is an invention of the current Magi, a tower made out of stone embedded with the gems that give them power, it makes a barrier around the city walls that both repel and prevent creatures of vile nature to enter the city state. It spirals upwards like a tall needle piercing the sky atop a mountain, a great portion of the city are stone buildings made on artificially made plateau's, buildings usually spartan and simple in design, though the more aesthetically pleasing buildings simply have engravings on the stonework or rarely use glittering gems and ores to decorate its walls, the trend stopped when many men of misfortune started to borrow those gems for certain reasons. Other than the three story city hall were long halls that spread across the sides forming the right and left wings of the political standing's quarters, the state is ruled by councilmen of the right and left that vote on a course of action, the Sovereign is a person elected by the free folk of the city-state. The voting usually works with both parties voting, with the Sovereign being the tie-breaker. 

In Ashram the current Sovereign is a human named Fiore Olphanze, a woman of great skill in terms of management and leadership, a perfect and responsible candidate who has shown her capability in ruling one of the bigger city states of the Misandros region. However Ashram is in a time of unrest, the councilmen of the right and the left have made civil unrest within their city. With the councilmen of the left being mainly consisted of the Karsenn,the Bastias, and the Humans, whilst the councilmen of the right consisted of the Alf,the Zrael, and the Tanduil. At first it was merely because of a sharing of ideologies among those sub-human and human races, however when times changed and the land become more rife with active monsters that seek to end the lives of all that live in the free city states then did the councilmen think of radical views of action that only served to deepen the divide between the races. With the left wanting a more militaristic approach and to train the young to ready themselves to combat these monsters, and the right wishing to continue what has been working ever since by improving and continually researching to improve the Spire to better protect the city state. In times like these the people ridiculed the Sovereign, but those immediately stopped as she suggested a course of action that the councilmen agreed to, an unprecedented action where the councilmen agreed to the supposedly neutral Sovereign's decision. That decision was the creation of a coalition of both soldiers and researchers to both explore ancient ruins to discover and improve the magic in which the world uses, and to become vanguards and experts in slaying the monsters of yore that only evolved throughout the times. They are called Delvers, and once the term was used and the institution was made it began to be coined and used throughout the world as each city state developed their own coalition of Delvers, until they became so widespread that Delving has become an occupation that's widely considered by many people, even amateurs who seek to find their life among those who risk their lives Delving in ruins and protecting borders. 

A year has passed and people seem to feel peace setting in with the Delvers fulfilling all the tasks they are given, and the place where it all began, Ashram was in a state of prosperity and prestige that it became the capital city of Misandros, becoming the home base for Delvers and a place where people find security. 

In that year as it was about to end, they then find the Ivory Prophecy. It was discovered by a pair of Delvers, one Zrael and a Tanduil, they had a full party of companions that perished in their expedition, the two who were injured managed to find solace in a large open greenhouse of sorts. It was a place filled with marble and ivory pillars rising up to make the domed glass ceiling that lets in a strange otherworldly light that shines upon a gleaming tree of white glowing light. The stone interior was teeming with greenery and wildlife that wasn't even slightly dangerous, and as the two settled in they then found the prophecy that changed the course of the world. Even their mutual discovery, lead them to race for the surface and tell this news to the world, only to separate, out of mistrust of even each other that faced the trials and overcame it by surviving. As the world spirals into chaos, one place seems to stay true and within the confines of the peace the world needs, despite its previous hardships, Ashram stands strong as Delvers,the Sovereign, and the once divided council now seek to help the world by uniting them once more against this darkness that seeks to consume it.