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 **What is Requiem and Where does it take place?**
 Requiem is a roleplay-enforced Ultima Online Shard that has been around for Twenty+ years.
 It is set in the World of Eden, a planet much like your Earth, Dear Reader. The Year is 1350 in our Timeline and an outbreak of immense disease, the Torment, has been around since 1313.
 **Eden**
 Eden consists of one large continent called Vitaveus and at least some other foreign land known as Bhaskar. Other continents on Eden are unknown to us. Think of it like North America was not discovered by the Europeans until well; let’s not argue Real World History huh?
 To the East of Vitaveus, across the fairly calm waters of the Pearl Ocean, sits Bhaskar. Bhaskar is inspired in this world by East Asia. Think Oriental or Samurai in both culture and architecture. For all intents and purposes, Bhaskar is a Foreign land to Vitaveus.
 **Vitaveus**
 Vitaveus is the world in which our story takes place. Characters can apply to be from Bhaskar but expect little to no lore surrounding this mysterious foreign land. Characters cannot apply from any other lands other than Vitaveus or Bhaskar. You are not a Klingon.
 Vitaveus itself can be broken down to three regions. East, Central, and West. These regions can then be broken down to smaller Territories. Each region may have five or six Territories who share similar native languages, have similar terrains, and fairly similar cultures.
 The most commonly spoken language on Vitaveus is known as Decusian or the common tongue. 99% of people within the world of Vitaveus speak Decusian.
 Before we go further into the rabbit hole that is the Regions and Territories, let us first speak to the governing body of the continent.
 **The Venerated Republic of Decus**
 The Venerated Republic of Decus is the governing body of Vitaveus. The Republic was established when faithful servants of The One True God spread his word slowly across the continent. This growth of Decusian religion and the Republic itself was born in the City of Tor, First Province. Tor served as the seat of the Republic for over a thousand years until the city’s collapse in 1341, eight years ago.
 Who governs the Republic? Well to answer that, let’s dip our toes into Factions.
 **The Venerated Decusian Templar and Clergy**
 The Templar, Followers of the Archangel Decus, were responsible for spreading the word of the One True God across Vitaveus and coincidently the Church, as it has come to be known, are still the majority rulers today. The Templar were responsible for liberating Mankind from the bonds of Slavery by what has been coined simply as the Ill; Beasts created by the Ancients.
 It is said that the First Apostles (Templar) walked alongside the Archangel and learned how to Fight and Live as He lived on Eden. He bestowed to them the Eight Virtues of Decus, a moral code in which all man should live by.
 The Templar, to this day, do their best to uphold those teachings and liberate mankind from their newest bonds of slavery, The Torment, the disease by which Vitaveus now suffers loss of life and mental acuity.
 **The Venerated Inquisition Corps**
 The VIC, as it is abbreviated, was founded by a few Templar who took a differing approach to their liberation. These Inquisitors felt rather than try to teach Mankind to live as Decus lived, they would simply try to eradicate any who did not conform quickly to the religion. The Inquisition tasked themselves as the Military branch whose goal was to abolish and punish heresy against the Church, including the burning of all things magic and pagan in nature.
 These elite soldiers trained heavily on martial prowess and fear tactics. It is said that when an Inquisitor came through town, it would incite fear in the local populace.
 **The Venerated Legion of Decus**
 The Legion of Decus represents the lasting strength of the Republic’s will. As the Templar swept slowly across the land, The Legion was formed of necessity. These soldiers, though many became religious later, were formed of conquered peoples. This military arm grew in numbers greater than that of the Templar. For as the Templar train their pledges in both military and faith, the Legion simply gives them a sword and puts them on the front lines. Training is often done in the field and the Legion is often joined by civilians who wish to increase their status in society, if only in a miniscule way. Ranks have formed in the Legion but general oversight is still maintained by at least one faithful Templar alongside the Legion’s leader in any area where both exist.
 **The Republic Foundry**
 As is necessary in any land, logistics are handled by what is known as the Republic Foundry. The Foundry started as simple farmers and craftsmen who pledged service to the Republic in some capacity. They handled the logistics of feeding and arming the militaries and rebuilding in their wake. The Foundry has expanded in number exponentially since inception to provide food in most cases to the larger cities of the Republic. This is not their only purview, however, as most innovation comes from the Foundry’s Corps of Engineers. Almost all advancements in technology have been born of the Foundry including the most recent ones of Electricity and Firearms.
 **The Venerated Apothecary Corps**
 The VAC, as it is most commonly abbreviated, represents the doctors of the Republic. What started as simple alchemy and home remedies, as well as battlefield triage, has become a true science of the human body. These doctors have advanced medicine and surgery considerably since the First Apostles stepped foot on Vitaveus. While not necessarily a governing body of the Republic, their study of disease including the Torment has been substantial in the Republic’s success as of late.
 **The Consortium**
 The Consortium of Mages is a rather new faction within the Republic having only been established in 1334. The Consortium was born of an understanding that magic may in fact be a useful tool in the banishment of Torment. The Consortium is overseen mostly by the Church and Templar as it is viewed as a necessary evil. To this day, very little is understood about magic. The Consortium is the Research and Development branch of the Republic in terms of magic knowledge. The greater sentiment towards magic in the Republic is fear and hatred, whether one is licensed to practice and study or not. Not all areas allow Consortium presence and even some that do still hate magic.
 **The Ecclesial Authority and the Council of Bishops**
 The Ecclesial Authority is the term for the State Government of Vitaveus’s Republic.
 The Council of Bishops, as it is known, is like the Senate of the Republic. Though Bishop is literally in the name, not all members of the council are in fact Bishops or even members of the Church. 60% of the councillors are indeed from either Templar or Church rank, with representatives from the other governing factions filling the other 40%. These members or councillors are either appointed by their faction or can be voted by the people, in some cases. Those members of the council not with the title of Bishop are also known as Vicars.
 The Ecclesial Authority rules the Republic in whole and has the final say in what is right and wrong as well as where funds and resources are allocated.
 Not all factions of the Republic get along with each other. For instance, The VIC fears and hates all things magic and some may not even tolerate the licensed Consortium. The struggle for power in some areas is prevalent, and often a small subregion or city may be controlled by one faction or another. In most cases, however, the Factions of the Republic strive to work amicably towards a common goal.
 **The Forlorn Hope**
 The Forlorn Hope is not a recognized Republic Faction but an Anti-Republic insurgency group.
 The Hope has had a rebel disposition since the outbreak of Torment. Their origins and seat of operations are unknown. Many of their ranks are formed of civilians who had a distaste for the Republic rule of law or even defected military service members from any of the Republic factions. However they have come to be does not matter as much as their goals. These goals are only speculated by most of the laymen of the continent but may include overthrowing the Republic, causing distrust in the Church’s teachings, or a possible rise to rule. They may also just wish to cause as much chaos and anarchy as possible. Their members may truly stem from all walks of life, but they do have a ranking system and answer to a supreme leader.
 **So Who am I as a Character in this World?**
 Well, characters can be applied for from all over Vitaveus as well as Bhaskar. Though don’t expect there to be a whole lot of Bhaskarian kinsmen to have traversed the Pearl Ocean by ship. We will not include specifics of Bhaskar but as stated previously, consider them to be like Real World oriental. Below we speak on the lands of Vitaveus in general, more can be found on the wiki.
 **The Eastern Baronies**
 The territories to the eastern side of Vitaveus were among the first touched by the Decusian Republic. These include Aedenshyr, Arkhess, Athearun, Redholme and the First Province or First Coast. The modern day Republic started in the now fallen capital of Tor, the First Coast.
 As such, most of the cities within these territories are larger and more advanced than many of those found in the Midlands or West. The new capital of the Republic has been relocated to Redholme, perhaps the most advanced city in Vitaveus. Redholme has hosted the Council of Bishops since the fall of Tor. From this seat of power and old wealth, the Republic seems to prosper. Though the common language of the continent is Decusian, the people of the East may also remember a bit Nothryian from their ancestry.
 Torment has run rampant in some outskirt regions of the East, especially up in the cold north of Arkhess. However, the Republic has been able to maintain a strong sense of safety and order with the presence of the Templar and the Legion leading from Outposts as well natural boundaries such as mountains and rivers aiding in holding back the scourge.
 **The Midlands**
 The middle of Vitaveus hosts some of the most fertile soil and produces most of what is needed for the Republic’s war efforts. Wealthy families may dot the landscape but most civilians in the Midlands are paupers employed by one faction or another to provide goods and services or food. The larger cities of the Midlands may be controlled entirely by the Foundry with little oversight from the rest of the Republic. The people hailing from the Midlands speak both Decusian and Yultish, named after one of the region’s territories.
 Yultac, Volgen, Ostenam, Heston, Ghaenthgrand and Drolund make up the Territories of the Midlands. Most of these territories have pockets of Torment running rampant but for the most part have been reclaimed and still provide some sort of agriculture or goods for the Republic.
 **The Western Territories**
 Known simply as the Western Territories, these lands start to the west of the Godspine Mountains and include the southern desert land of Prodai. As the last parts of the continent liberated by the Templar, these people can have a distaste for the Republic. Some of these territories have been lost completely to the Torment or have simply not assimilated to the Republic Rule. The Western territories, save for a few large cities that have been a staging ground for the Republic’s push into the region, may be considered uncivilized in comparison to the Eastern Baronies. The most prominent municipality of the West is that of Aleksandrov in Teramer. Though the territory is almost completely lost to the Torment, the city stands as the Republic’s farthest outreach from Redholme. It houses the largest garrison of Templar and VIC and is the birthplace of the Warbishop Naum Alexandrov.
 **The Decusian Religion**
 We’ve spoken a little about Decusian Religion and how it came to be but what does the majority of the Republic view of it? Well, for the most part especially in the Eastern Baronies and the Midlands, people view the Church and Decus himself as the savior and liberators of Mankind. The disposition is mostly positive and most civilians would be receptive and faithful of the Church’s teachings. The Eight Virtues are after all a pretty good moral code. The Eight Virtues include Honesty, Honor, Sacrifice, Compassion, Justice, Spirituality, Humility, and Valor. The Church teaches that there are also thirteen sins also known as the Thrones. The Thrones include Falsehood, Hatred, Wrath, Murder, Cowardice, Enlightenment, Sacrilege, Covetous, Shame, Pride, Lust, Hubris and Chaos. It is said that to sin is to worship the Thirteenth Angel herself, sort of the devil in our little world.
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 Most of the Republic officials, however, would still be Faithful Decusians and even many civilians might fake their faith in necessary circumstances. For it is said, the Church will not stand for heresy and the VIC will not tolerate it at all.
 **What is considered heresy then?**
 Heresy would be considered denial of the Archangel. It may also be considered worship of pagan gods. It may even still be considered that too much sin makes a heretic. Magic is also said to be blasphemy or heresy. And outright worship of the Thirteenth would be considered the ultimate in heretical offenses.
+//It may also be said that to play with the science of Blood Mixing is unnatural and therefore Heretical. Certain blood items skinned from monsters or even the mixing of human blood may be viewed with skepticism. It is true that most practitioners of hematology are viewed as insane.//
+//There are other items that, if found upon one’s person, house, or vendor may be considered heretical items. These usually include some types of powdered substances that some characters would know to have no use other than in the magic arts. We won’t spell these out for you in depth, however. There are places in the game where some governing factions do not have as much authority. These items are better to be sold in those locations. We Won’t tell you where those locations are either.//
 **How is Magic Viewed in the World?**
 Magic is mostly unfavored within the greater populace. This is due mostly because magic is a relatively new thing in Vitaveus. It is said that to speak like the Angels, or say mantras and powerwords, is blasphemy. Many people may have an outright hatred for magic. The VIC will almost certainly arrest and try a mage on first sight and actively hunt mages. Most magic users in the Game World will need to be secretive until they may find like-minded individuals or a group to protect them. MAGIC CAN BE VERY HARD TO GET STARTED AND YOUR CHARACTER MAY VERY WELL BE HUNTED.
 Now, the reason behind that is some people in Vitaveus blame the Torment on a group of mages called the Resolve. Little is known about the Resolve but the greater sentiment is that they are evil worshippers of the Thirteenth Angel. They believe the Resolve is responsible for the outbreak and that they wish to abolish and enslave Mankind once more. Therefore, many distrust anything to do with magic.
 **So Where on the Map does the Game Take Place Then?**
 Our map is set in an area called the First Province. The overarching goal is to reach Tor and liberate it from the Torment. Though we have not yet reached the fallen capital. We start the game in the Rumbling Pass; and there we are judged and given passage into the game map.
 Whatever your character’s motivations to enter the First Province, know that it is here that they end up. One Faction or another may have a bit more sway than others in the new region and that will be determined mostly by the players.
 **So who can I be as a Character in this world?**
 The short answer to the question above? Anybody you want to be, within reason of course. You cannot apply as a god. You cannot apply as the highest ranking official in the Republic. You also are not a Resolvist, are you? You will come in as all do to the First Province, without much coin, without much skill, and without much clout in a particular faction. These things will have to be earned.
 Think of yourself more as an intrepid traveler. Or perhaps a lower ranking local official within one of the factions. As a new player, it may be best to apply to the world as a starting rank or no rank at all with an idea of who you might wish to be. Some leadership may already be established within the map we play. Not all Factions may even have a standing within the game map.
 **You are expected to Apply for a Character and exhibit a basic understanding of the game’s lore.**
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 **Cliff notes?**
 Requiem is set in Vitaveus, a continent of Eden to which the only other known place is Bhaskar.
 Vitaveus is made up of the Eastern Baronies, the Midlands, and the Western Territories. These regions differ slightly in history and culture as well as their current political and relgious stances.
 Vitaveus is ruled by the Venerated Republic of Decus to which there are five main factions.
 The Templar/Church are the greatest ruling faction consisting of the faithful who spread religion across the continent.
 The Legion who are the military arm of the Republic.
 The VIC who are the zealots of the Faith who mainly believe their Warbishop is the Second Coming of Decus and will burn anyone who does not agree to that sentiment.
 The VAC who are the doctors and alchemists of the society advancing the science of health.
 And the Foundry who maintain the logistics of running the day to day operations of such a massive ruling Republic and innovate new technologies.
 There is also the Consortium who license mages in the world with oversight from the faithful Church and Templar.
 The Forlorn Hope who do not agree with the state of the Republic and may wish to overthrow the Church’s rule.
 The Church and VIC rule with an Iron Fist in most cases against any who deny the faith of the Church.
 Decus was an Archangel who came down from heaven to liberate mankind and teach them how to protect themselves. The Republic and the Faith were spread in honor of his ultimate sacrifice.
 MAGIC IS CONSIDERED BY MANY TO BLASPHEMOUS AND MAGES MAY BE HUNTED AND KILLED ON SIGHT. BE WARNED.
 Characters can hail from any region in Vitaveus or Bhaskar and can be anything they want to be within reason. Expect to come to the First Province with very little skill or coin and little to no clout within the Republic.