Character Creation

Forenote

I have attempted to gather together all the elements of character creation into one place here, it's a lot of information so I don't expect everyone to read everything but please read anything that's relevant to your character. As always, if you have any questions I'm always willing to hear them and do my best to answer.

Etharis as a Setting

From its deep and forbidding forests, where horrible beasts lurk, to the hulking and impenetrable mountains ranges where lost legacies lie, the landscape of Etharis is formidable. However, the true monsters of this land can be found in the degenerating cities of old, where humanity clings to survival.
Large swaths of Etharis are shrouded in darkness, but the darkness shrouding the lands of Ostoya is far more sinister and magical in origin. Civilisations dot through the lands as islands of light surrounded by the unforgiving terrain of shadowy forests, rough mountainscapes, and sinking bogs. Relentless threats assault humanity, vicious creatures hunt children and armed travellers alike, and sinister forces seek to twist mankind's nature to their whims, leaving them forever changed. Travel is perilous, especially at night, and travellers caught in the dark are forced to lodge at remote roadside inns for extortionate prices, unless they wish to stand against the darkness outside.
In their never-ending struggle to control Etharis, the deities of the world fought what they could not defeat, and ultimately turned on and destroyed each other. The Godfall is a defining moment in Etharis' history, and all know about it. Now, remnants of their reign, Arch Seraphs and Arch Daemons, have been forced to ascend to a shred of their master's former power in an effort to impose order on a land thrust into chaos. Calling upon all who would be powerful enough to join them in ruling over domains. The new pantheon is underexperienced and their powers wane vastly if compared to the former Gods, but they do their best, and many in Etharis have welcomed them with open arms. There are even rumours of God Trials, unknown challenges that can allow a mortal to surpass the bonds of their form and ascend to the pantheon, this fills many an adventurer with hopes and ambitions of greater things.
Superstition and prejudice run deep. In most towns and villages across Etharis, magic is seen as both wondrous and frightening. Whether understood or not, the arcane is mistrusted and often blamed for problems ranging from the failure of a season's crops to the success of a rival's business. The fear of magic runs deeper in some parts of Etharis than others. In the southern region of Castinella, this fear has manifested into an organized crusade against the arcane: The Arcanist Inquisition. The inquisitors are dedicated to destroying the arcane and anyone who stands to defend it. Not all of Etharis despises spellcaster though. Many cities house great colleges dedicated to the art of magic. Within these cities' walls, spellcasters can apply for a permit to practice. These permits dictate where a mage can cast spells, what type of spells they can cast, and other specifics. The process to apply for such a permit is frighteningly bureaucratic, and many spellcasters choose to hide their abilities instead.
Etharis is not meant to be relentlessly bleak and depressing, or to wallow in cruelty for its own sake. Small victories become heroic when they take heroic effort to achieve. No one in Etharis is safe by default, so any safety the characters win or give to others is a true blessing. No one in Etharis is good by default, so moments of genuine grace are worth celebrating, and can come from unexpected places. Amid profound darkness, even the smallest lights have value.