The Old Kingdom

Three hundred years have passed since the defeat of the great Destroyer, Orannis, and though the kingdom has seen it's fair share of trouble since, nothing too large to handle has arisen. With the rise of the new Wallmaker's line, comfort has spread once again across the land, a golden age even, some might say, the genius of the former prince Sameth bringing new magics and devices to the people in the years hence. The newest Abhorsen, Matrael, wed long ago to one of Sameth's descendants, Avernicus, and their son, Ranael, is soon to be 18, and ready to follow in his mother's footsteps. But once again, trouble brews, and the Clayr's sight has been disturbed in a place no one has thought to look since long ago: the northern rift. As new dangers begin to appear, can Ranael accept the responsibility he never thought he'd need to take up?

Based on The Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix, this roleplay will follow a new pair of heroes. Ranael, the Abhorsen-in-waiting, and the youngest of the Wallmaker's clan, (yet to be named), Son of Tirrina of the wallmakers, and Quiroth brother of the king. Their journeys will take them across the kingdom, through many perils, and even into death itself, following in the footsteps of all their fore-bearers. Details for the beginning of the story are yet to be decided, and will be announced later. Via reply's I shall post vital information about the Old Kingdom.

The Abhorsen

The Abhorsen is one of the bloodlines of the kingdom, descendant from the Great Charters who forged the land and magic as it is known today. They embody the second of the Great Charters, their duty to put the risen dead back to rest. The Abhorsen is a necromancer of sorts, walking in death like any other, but for different reasons. In the wake of Lirael's rise into the position of Abhorsen, the line became not just Abhorsen, but Remembrancers, seer's of the past, thanks to the bloodline of Clayr entering the line.

Bells

The Abhorsen carry the tools of a necromancer, though they are modified slightly. These tools are bells, held in a leather bandolier to still any noise they may make. Though a normal necromancer's bells are forged of silver, wood, free magic, and quenched in the waters of Death's river, the secret to the bells of the Abhorsen are unknown, as they are forged of silver and mahogany and imbued with charter magic, as well as free magic. Though they are different, they operate the same, and the purposes of the seven can be found here: Bells. Though it is not commonly known, these bells each represent one of the seven Bright Shiners of the before times, forgers of the kingdom, and each hold a portion of their power.

Sword

The second tool the Abhorsen carry is a charter-spelled sword. The sword they wield varies from Abhorsen to Abhorsen, but each is a very powerful artifact, and all have been forged at some point by the most powerful charter mages of all, the Wallmakers, either in their first line, or their newest incarnations, the descendants of Sameth, first of the new line. Though his mother carries one of the newer swords, Ranael has found comfort in the re-forged Nehima, famously wielded by Lirael in the fight against Orannis some 300 years ago. It was destroyed in the battle, but tediously re-made by Sameth and bequeathed again to Lirael, who has passed it down once more. The swords are some of the few items that can enter death along with their weilders, and their chartered blades are important, as only a spelled sword can truly harm the dead.

The Book of the Dead

Arguably the most important tool of the Abhorsen, The Book of the Dead is an arcane text in which everything the Abhorsens of long past have learned of necromancy and counter-necromancy is compiled. The book appears small, bound in green leather with silver clasps, but its bespelled nature ensures that even as you finish the book, you shall find more the next time you open it. Only someone with innate talent for Free Magic may open the book, and only an uncorrupted charter mage may close it. One of the book's most curious properties is it's stunning measure of remembrance. Though one finds it hard to hold the knowledge of the book in their mind at any given time, appropriate pages and passages will present themselves perfectly in the reader's mind when they are needed. This book is kept auspiciously displayed in the Abhorsen's library, generally on an oilskin rag, as it's cover often seems to sweat oddly.

The Book of Remembrace and Forgetting

Created by former Remembrancers, the book is much like The Book of the Dead, in it's nature and appearance. It deals shortly with death as well, but only because that is where the Remembrancer's power is drawn. Mostly it deals in the use of the tools of a Remembrancer. This book is lately displayed in the library aside it's cousin, The Book of the Dead.

Dark Mirror

Though not officially a tool of the Abhorsen, this has been passed down through the lines of Lirael's descendants, and will continue to be so until the day when Remembrancer's blood runs dry in the line. This is the most important tool of the Remembrancer, as it is what gives them their sight into the past. The mirror is contained in a small silver case, with etched decorations and charter marks on it's surface. When opened, it presents two surfaces: one reflective like a true mirror, and the other pitch black, reflecting nothing until the user stands in death, at which point it will show the moment of the past that the user desires.

The Royal Line

Another of the great bloodlines of the kingdom, and also descendants of the remnants of the Five.  The Royal Line is charged with the protection of the kingdom, and rule of its subjects.  They dispatch of more physical foes and see to the safety and prosperity of the people.  Some 550 years ago, the Royal line was once disrupted by one of it's own.  A prince who sought everlasting life in necromancy, and attempted to bring about the destruction of the charter with the blood of his own family.  The Abhorsen of the time put an end to this, but not before the queen and princess had been slain, and the bastard prince, only remaining heir, had been sealed away.  For 200 years, King and Queen were absent from the throne and turmoil reigned in the kingdom, until Sabriel awoke the imprisoned prince in her travels to defeat Kerrigor: the creature who had once been the very prince who had ended the line.

After Kerrigor's defeat, Sabriel and Touchstone (formerly the prince Torrigan) married, and took back the throne, settling the kingdom and resuming peace in the land.  After their passing, their daughter Ellimere took the place of Regent, while prince Sameth, in whom the bloodline of the Wallmaker's had re-awoken, took up the task of the Wallmaker's line.  The current King and Queen are Kalligar and Gwenneth, who reside as usual in the royal city of Belisaere.

The Clayr

Inheritors of the bloodline of the fourth of the five Great Charters, the Clayr are the seers of the Old Kingdom. They reside in the mountains to the north, their great halls referred to as "The Clayr's Glacier," in reference to the massive glacier that cuts it's path through the mountains, and indeed makes up a part of their halls. Though the Clayr's power is manifested in themselves, ice is a method by which they focus their sight, and so it is often associated with them.

Most Clayr are born with great resemblance: olive-skinned, with fair complexion, light hair, and green or blue eyes. Prominently women, very few men are born to the Clayr, and many a generation has gone by without a single male Clayr gracing their halls. For the most part, when a Clayr wishes to have a daughter, she will find a man amongst the visitors, or briefly venture from the mountains to find a father. These men are rarely more than one-time companions, as the Clayr in question will soon retreat back to the glacier to have her child and continue to gaze into the future.

Though many workings of the Clayr are unclear to people outside of the glacier, they make one thing clear: the malleability of the future. The future, or futures, that the Clayr see are no more than possibilities, and the purpose they seek is to drive the future onto the best course of events, using key turning points. The Clayr rarely deal with anyone beyond the great bloodlines, and only these are allowed into the depths of their glacier.

The Wallmakers

A bloodline long thought lost, the Wallmakers once forged the charter stones, and the Wall, which separates the Old Kingdom from the magic-less Ancelstierre to the south. Thousands of years ago, the Wallmakers poured their very existance into the creation of both the Wall and the six Great Charter stones, which lie below the castle of the royals. Each of these creations are powerful sources of Charter magic, and very important to the existence of the Old Kingdom.

The Wall

The Wall is a massive construct at the southernmost point of the Old Kingdom, which both separates the kingdoms and protects passage both ways. It's very being has the ability to attack the dead and harmful free-magic creatures should they attempt to cross either way. On the Ancelsterrian side of the wall, the army has set up an area which they call the perimeter, guarding passage through the wall, more for the sake of keeping Old Kingdom residents from crossing rather than their own. The Ancelsterrian government tends to deny the stories of the Old Kingdom and the existence of magic, which leads to many shortcomings in the preparation of the perimeter, due to the fact that Charter magic has a detrimental effect on modern Ancelsterrian technologies. When the wind blows down from the north, it will frequently put out electrical equipment and vehicles and stop the use of guns as far south as the edge of Bain. The Crossing Point Scouts make up for these shortcomings through methods that the government chooses to ignore, such as the requisition of bows and arrows, the charter baptism of willing soldiers to allow them to employ basic charter magic, the teaching of swordsmanship, and even by dealing with the Abhorsen, who for generations has fashioned the devices known as Wind Flutes, which line the trenches and keep the dead from rising along the perimeter. Though magic is mostly absent south of the wall, a good southerly wind can carry enough magic far enough south to be felt and used as far away as Wyverly College.

The Great Charter Stones

The Great Charter Stones are one potentially the most important installations of the kingdom, as they are the source of almost all charter magic across the land. The six stones lie in a reservoir beneath the Castle in Belisaere. The original Wallmakers forged these, and the wall at the expense of their lives, hence their name. Durring Kerrigor's initial rise to power, two of these six stones were broken at the expense of the lives of the royal family, leading to a perversion of the charter. However the stones were re-forged through the dedicated hard work of King Touchstone, following his return, and the charter was once again restored. It is important to note that while regular charter stones may be broken by spilling the blood of a charter mage upon them in ritual, only the blood of the great bloodlines may break the great charter stones.

The New Wallmakers

During the events of 300 years ago, when the Destroyer briefly returned, so too did the bloodline of the Wallmakers. Though it is not clear how, prince Sameth, son of Sabriel and Touchstone, who was thought to be the Abhorsen-in-Waiting at the time, was revealed instead to carry the blood of the Wallmakers within him. His new legacy assisted in the defeat of Orannis in various ways, not least of which was the forging of the sword that split and bound him again. In the aftermath, Sameth followed his own path and began anew the work of the Wallmakers, assisting the royal family, the Abhorsen, and the Clayr, all the while working for the betterment of the kingdom. The Wallmakers continue to survive today, residing now in a castle of their own construction to the west, past Ganel, and growing in number. The Wallmakers are the most powerful Charter mages in the kingdom, owing to their unique ability to not only feel the charter, but also understand the purpose of each mark, enabling them to weave together spells that many couldn't begin to understand.

Magic

The Old Kingdom plays host to all manner of magic, and relies on it in many ways. The majority of it's residents take such magic for granted, and most are baptized in the charter at birth, allowing them it's use. Occasionally, dangerous magic, remnants of the before times, will flare up across the kingdom in what's known as Free Magic, in the form of beings or elementals. These are frequently dealt with by the royals or the Abhorsen.

Charter Magic

Charter Magic is the main form of magic in the Old Kingdom. It obeys set rules and is generally harmless to its caster, so long as they know what they are doing. Charter magic may only be used by a mage baptized in the charter, which is normally done by priests, though it is the charter itself that truly doe the baptism. The Charter is known as many things, mainly as endless, as its feeling is without beginning or end, and it is also frequently referred to as sentient in many ways, which is not far from the truth. Charter magic requires its caster to feel into it, which then allows the mage to visualize and pull forth familiar marks, which may be drawn, spoken, or otherwise implemented in order to do their work. These marks may be used individually for small effects, or sometimes woven together to form more intricate spells. A mage should never attempt to use a mark they do not know, as uncertainty and lack of knowledge may lead to harm.

Free Magic

Free Magic is the magic of the old times, from before the Charter. Though the Charter's purpose was to bind Free Magic into an orderly form, remnants escaped its creation, remaining frequently in the form of Elementals, of which there are estimated to be some thousands of across the land. Free magic is, at it's root, in opposition to the Charter, and as such reacts to it often violently. Its very nature is to destroy, so even in the hands of a skilled mage, it is often known to eat away at them and corrupt them if not tempered carefully. Free Magic adepts rarely find this too be a problem, as they often fashion themselves a new body or construct made of Free Magic itself. The power of the magic however corrupts the mind as well, and Free Mages never turn out good. Exceptions to this are when Free Magic is bound up with Charter Magic, the Charter Magic outweighing and purposing it. The Abhorsen use this to their advantage in their tools and practice, as Death is a place of Free Magic, so it's use cannot be avoided. One of the telltale signs of Free Magic is the acrid stench it produces, which burns the senses and chokes at the lungs of those not used to it.

Charter Stones

Different from the Great Charter Stones, the regular Charter Stones that dot the Old Kingdom act as conduits of charter magic, their presence strengthening the presence of the Charter and inhibiting the powers of Free Magic users and the dead, as well as helping shut the doorways to death. These stones may be forged through the use of blood from the Great Bloodlines, though not necessarily at the cost of their life. As such, it is often the Wallmaker's calling to erect new stones in places where they are needed, most notably in new settlements and towns.

The Great Charters

The story of the Five Great Charters is known across the land, ancient lore of the creation of the charter. It is handed down through a simple children's rhyme as follows:

Five Great Charters knit the land,
Together linked, hand in hand,
One in the people that wear the crown,
Two in the folk that keep the dead down,
Three and Five became stone and mortar,
Four sees all in frozen water.

This rhyme of course refers to the great bloodlines, and hints at which of the charters became them, though Three and Five have no direct descendants. Instead, their bloodline has reappeared thousands of years after their sacrifice to make the Wall and Stones.

Lore

The Bright Shiners

I'll sing you a song of the long ago,
Seven shine the shiners, Oh!
What did the Seven do way back then?
Why, they knit the Charter then!
Five for the warp, from beginning to end.
Two for the woof, to make and mend.
That's the Seen, but what of the Nine-
What of the two who chose not to shine?
The Eighth did hide, hide all away,
But the Seven caught him and made him pay.
The Ninth was strong and fought with might,
but lone Orannis was put out of the light.
Broken in two and buried under hill,
Forever to lie there, wishing us ill.

This poem tells the story of the Nine most powerful Free Magic beings of the before time. For many ages, Orannis traveled across worlds, destroying all life he came across. At long last, the Seven decided to put an end to his destructive path, and as he settled upon this world, they worked their binding, creating the Charter with which to do so and using it to spell him into submission, then break him into two halves, which were then placed under the earth where he could not come free. All of this at the cost of Astarael's life. Astarael, forevermore sorrowful, whose name lives on in the most dangerous of the seven bells. However, of all of the great shiners, Yrael, the Eighth, alone chose not to side one way or another. For his defiance, he was hunted down and bound, made to serve the charter forevermore, and in the wake of the creation of the land, he was put into the service of the second, the Abhorsen. Of each of the Seven, some remnant remained, and during the release of Orannis 300 years ago, it was revealed that Kibeth had remained, in the form of Lirael's lifetime friendthe Disreputable Dog. Durring the binding of Orannis, Kibeth sacrificed her life this time, to re-bind the destroyer, saving the life of Lirael, who had intended to deal the blow to Orannis herself. All of this could not have been done without the help of the released Yrael, who redeemed himself by lending his power to those binding Orannis when their own fell short. For his actions, he was released from servitude by Sabriel herself, free to wander the land once more, and enjoy life, the presence of which he had come to love.