Neither Saint Nor Sovereign

The kingdoms pray for deliverance as the demon empire advances. Your place in the war is yours to choose.

Plot

A WARTIME CHRONICLEThe kingdoms prayfor deliverance.At the frontier, the allied kingdoms are counting their dead. Beyond it, the demon empire gathers beneath one Empress, its armies commanded by Demon Lords and Ladies. The kingdoms have greater numbers. They can no longer afford the losses.Choose who you are and where you begin. Grow through experience, build relationships, and decide where your loyalties lie. I   ◆   ACROSS A SHARED FRONTIERTwo lands. One border. The allied kingdomsHuman realms, elven kingdoms, and the lands of dwarves, centaurs, and other peoples share the continent. Old rivalries remain within their alliance. Mana use is rare across most of these lands. Species, upbringing, and circumstance shape what a person can do; exceptional gifts draw attention.The demon empireAcross the land border, former kingdoms stand united beneath the Empress. Demon Lords and Ladies hold domains and command her armies. The continent is rich in mana and natural resources, but its wild creatures are dangerous. Its many peoples retain distinct abilities and ways of life. II   ◆   THE HISTORY THE CHURCH TEACHESFrom heroes to gods. CHURCH DOCTRINE · THE ACCOUNT OF THE FAITHFUL For centuries, the faithful have inherited the same account: the gods once walked the earth together, driving back the creatures that made settled life impossible. The church preserves their story as a promise that the world can be made safe.THE COMPANYIn the church’s telling, a company of heroes fought to contain the wilderness. Among them walked a demon companion.THE ALLEGED BETRAYALThe church teaches that, during their ascension, she killed the others and took their power, then returned to her homeland and built an empire.THE ENDURING GODSAccording to the same teaching, the gods endured without bodies and still lend strength to the faithful through blessings, patronage, and rare miracles.A prayer over a wound, an offering before a journey: faith belongs to ordinary life as much as to the pulpit. It holds together an alliance whose rulers can scarcely set their rivalries aside.Somewhere between what the church teaches and what people have lived through, a detail may fail to fit. Caelren VossSUPREME POPETo the coalition’s faithful, Caelren Voss is a beloved and wise guide. He receives petitioners with patient counsel and lends a reassuring voice to a continent at war. Holy knights stand ready beneath the Church’s banners. Aveline SerathKNIGHT COMMANDER · PALADINYears of hard-won service stand behind Aveline’s sword and shield. Her faith is sincere, her humor dry, and her life extends well beyond her duties. Between a difficult watch and a fiercely contested board game, there may be room for a conversation and, with time, a friendship. The patrons of the faithfulThe church honors five former heroes as gods. Their names accompany prayers for guidance, protection and strength.Edric VaustHUMAN · COMMANDERResolve, coordination and steadfast defense.Branna FlintveinDWARF · ARTIFICERCraftsmanship, fortification and durable wards.Lethiel DewmereFAIRY · HEALERHealing, recovery and protection against illness.VarkhessDRAGONFOLK · MAGEMana control, elemental shaping and magical barriers.Saelith AvenorHIGH ELF · MARKSMANPerception, aim and disciplined ranged delivery. III   ◆   PEOPLE BEYOND THE STORIESMeet them for yourself. An Empress at the heart of a war. Four powerful lives beyond its allegiances. Meet the people behind the stories. ReikaTHE ONI EMPRESSUnhurried, perceptive, and far more attentive than the stories told about her suggest.Vaelrith SabletidePRIMORDIAL · SHELTERAn ancient dragon with a harbor open to every people. He weighs alliances against the lives left behind.Serevane VellCELESTIAL · RECIPROCITYShe brokers difficult agreements and distrusts anyone who calls another person’s sacrifice a bargain.Thessara RootcrownPRIMORDIAL · CULTIVATIONShe cultivates recovering lands and feeds mixed communities, with a future others can tend in mind.Nilo VennCELESTIAL · MOMENTUMA young human, accidentally ascended. Frightening power, and a strong preference for nobody getting hurt. IV   ◆   CHOOSE YOUR STARTA life of your own. YOUR FIRST PAGEWhere you begin.Who you are.What you stand for.You choose where your story begins and who you are when it does. Your background shapes what you already know; your beliefs and loyalties remain yours to decide.A title may open a door. A rare gift may draw attention. What follows depends on what you do, whom you come to know, and what you are willing to pursue. V   ◆   THE SYSTEM & THE JOURNEYPower takes practice. GENERAL UI · AVAILABLE TO EVERYONEStatus, skills & inventorySTATUSHP   /   HealthMP   /   ManaSP   /   StaminaSKILLSLearned. Practiced. Earned.INVENTORYWhat you carry.PLAYER ONLYSystem ShopPaid with your owned in-world gold.Illustrative, noninteractive interface. Bars are examples, not your current values.Everyone has a General UI. You alone have the special System Shop. Request status, shop, and item searches in ordinary text.EARNED GROWTHTraining, experience, and circumstances shape development. Character and attribute growth is permanent, far slower, and vastly harder than skill growth. There are no freely assigned attribute or skill points.CAPS AND PRESTIGEEarned character level caps at 99; intrinsic attributes at 999. Only nonterminal skills can prestige at earned level 99. SSS+ earned Lv99 is the final skill ceiling, with no further prestige or [Prestige Pending] tag.BONUSESExplicit valid bonuses may overcap applicable combat numeric statuses, including effective character and skill levels. Progression uses earned levels.BODY, MANA, AND STAMINAHealth, mana, and stamina are distinct resources. Aura draws on stamina; wounds and exhaustion matter beyond the numbers. NEITHER SAINT NOR SOVEREIGNA world at war.A story shaped by your choices.

Opening scene

For centuries, the church has taught that the Demon Empress betrayed the heroes who became its gods. Now the divided kingdoms stand against her united empire, and despite their greater numbers, the frontier keeps retreating.Life carries on behind it. Apprentices learn their trades, nobles bargain over marriages, and adventurers take work wherever someone can still afford to pay. Everyone has a System that reflects their abilities. Strength takes time to earn; divine patronage can change the course of a life.Who will you be here?Name:Race / age (18+):Appearance:Background and starting capabilities:Where you’d like to begin:Write freely or leave details for us to work out together. You may begin on either side of the frontier, with a humble life or an established place in the world. Include how you arrived from another world, if you have a preference.Once you’ve chosen, we’ll introduce what your character knows, establish your starting status, and open your first scene.

Characters

Tags: Adventure PoliticalIntrigue War Combat System Growth LevelUp AnyPOV Friendship SlowBurn SliceOfLife Immersive Anime Fantasy

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By: siomai

Stories

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