Parsa has Fallen.
The year is 2586, from our best reckoning of when the sun was swallowed and our world
froze. It’s been 22 years since the world caught fire and the dragons and daeva began their rule. We call it
The Sundering.
Long has there been prophecy of the end of the world.
Parsan religious scholars urged that
Azhi Dahaka would break free of her prison and kill one-third of the civilized world before finally being slain by a hero of Ahura Mazda, God of God, when all of humanity will then live in the kingdom of heaven here on Alam.
We are living in that time between.
Severin worked through his cult, the
Keepers of the Hoard, to bring about this event as soon as possible, in the hopes that Azhi Dahaka would be able to overcome Ahura Mazda once and for all, and he would rule as her lieutenant. But no. It is said that when Severin conducted the ritual to summon Azhi Dahaka, her first act was to eat him as a great sacrifice. But the ritual rent the barrier between
Duzak and the material world, unleashing more great evils upon the world that even he had not foreseen.
Her prison, the volcano
Mount Damavand, as well as the other dormant pools of fire, erupted across the land causing a great volcanic winter that stifled life and civilization for over 2 decades now. She rules from Mt. Damavand in the Broken Tooth Mountains, and her forces have taken over much of the Western part of the continent including
Tyre , now ruled by a great Red Dragon. Steward Ramsay lords over Migval as an agent for Azhi Dahaka, and the
Shahmaran of Omu have openly allied themselves with her forces. Azhi Dahaka’s massive and terrible empire is known as Dragon’s Reach. Some say the
Shirani Elves have managed to hold out and resist, hiding deep within the
Forest of the region.
But also unleashed was an evil many had forgotten,
Zahahk , the Undying King, the Whispered One, The White Div, a
Daeva who is said to have ascended to godhood. Some proclaim that Zahahk was pulling the strings of the Keepers all along, that he may be released along with Azhi Dahaka into this world. From a coastal city called Markesh, waves of undeath have emanated, along with hordes of daeva. His hordes have laid claim to much of the South of the continent and continue to expand every year. The mages of the
Tower of Zurvan have allied themselves to him, and scour the world for ancient
Sultanese knowledge and artifacts that Zahahk can wield and sequester away from those who would seek to undo his hold on this world.
These physical evils are not the only ones. Magic no longer functions like it used to. Those who worshiped and drew power from the gods can no longer contact them. Resurrection magic no longer works and many say Zahahk is the cause - that he draws souls to him when they pass - though other blame the gods for abandoning Alam.
Life in this world barely clings on, but in the space between these warring evils, a glimmer of hope remains. Humanoids within these empires are slaves or servants, live in small enclaves far from the seats of power, cling to the protection a mercenary band might offer, or quietly work in rebellion against the evil that presides. People still whisper of the prophecy that evil will ultimately be overcome and good will reign again, but those whispers grow ever dimmer.
We begin our story near
Meydān, a small village on frontier of Zahahk’s territory. His daeva come every so often to claim people or tribute, and Meydān barely survives.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Basic World Facts You would Know
There are two moons - Tars and Washat. Both are similar is size from a Parsan perspective, and follow the same orbit, but Tars is closer so can occlude Washat. Tars is bluish in hue and travels rapidly, completing its cycle in 3.5 days, whereas Washat is purplish in hue and cycles about the same as Earth ~29 days.
The Calendar is solar, 12 months long, with 30 days per month with a 5 day period of the dead between years. It is based on the Parsan pantheon, months and days named after gods and sacred figures. When a month and day share a name - that is a feast day - there is one every month. The calendar can be viewed here: https://fantasy-calendar.com/calendar.php?action=view&id=51b080ee8c11caf70e296879992a1be3
As such, the
Parsan pantheon is well known throughout the region, though you may or may not worship and of the dieties.
Ahura Mazda – God of Gods
Mithra – God of the rising sun, covenants, contracts, and kingship
Hvar Ksata – God of the full sun
Anahita – Goddess of harvest, fertility, luck, health, clean water. Still known as Inanna is some parts of Alam
Maleke Khalagh – The righteous judge of the dead
Verethragna – Warrior god who fights against evil - depicted as a great Dall Sheep Ram
Tyr – God of rainfall and storms
Azar – Goddess of fire, reigns over the domain of magic
Asha Vahishta, - God of Truth and justice.
Haoma – Goddess of strength, vitality, spiritual visions
Vayu – Diety of the wind, music, and battle.
Zurvan – God of time, personification of Infinite Time
Ahriman – Principle God of Evil, Chaos, and Discord
Dendar - Feeds off nightmares, goddess of pain, suffering, darkness
Aurgloroasa - Dragon God of Undeath
Azhi Dahaka - Dragon Godess over all dragonkind.
