Rise Lore
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Since its discovery millennia ago magic has always been an endless source of fascination and a focus of experimentation. The signs of this fixation are everywhere- stories of legendary figures that rise up by virtue of their skill with magic, accounts of knights that have left their mark on history slaying monsters in the defense of others; grand mages and heroic magical creatures banding together to create incredible spells. Stories of these times are told and retold endlessly throughout the years, written down for historical studies, even in plays enacted by school children.
Today, elves and dwarves, crossbreeds and creatures of all kinds- all live alongside humanity with as much friction as humans have with each other, and while one might come across bigots or the odd-muttered slur, life in Rise is peaceful so long as the cardinal rule is followed:
ALL MAGIC IS PROHIBITED.
The stories told are more cautionary fables than epics, despite how much the various races have given to protect the people. Centuries ago, it was discovered that for all the power magic might grant its user, it also came with a grave drawback. The more it was used, the more likely it would create a monster somewhere. Mindless, grotesque creatures with no discernible purpose beyond simple destruction. These engines of catastrophe were impossible to predict- some chewed up the earth, or only devastated buildings, while others carved their way through plant-life. More commonly, however, monsters targeted people. There was a time when all of the world lived in walled cities for their safety, for worse than their destructive tendencies was the fact that no weapon could bring them down- save magic.
They were trapped in a vicious cycle; each hero that rose up to defend them did so knowing that it only damned them further. Their efforts, in the end, accomplished little more than a temporary peace before they were forced to reckon with a new onslaught of Monsters. Those with foresight recognized how tenuous peace was so long as magic was necessary, and so they sought out a different solution to their problem. Like many great advancements, they happened upon it by chance.
In the process of searching for the reason why some were born with magical affinities while others lacked them, scientists discovered that all magical creatures held a substance they dubbed “Aether” within their blood. Further testing showed that it possessed astounding properties: weapons, ammunition, even ordinance bathed in the stuff could kill monsters just as well as any spell but without the danger of spawning more.
Less than a decade later, the first R-Corp building sprang up and began marketing “Aether-laced” ammunition for the military defense force, to wild success. These proved so effective that it went public and R-Corp became a profit machine, monster defense relegated to police and emergency responders instead. Monster attacks became simpler to deal with, dropping to just over forty-five percent the national homicide rate. R-Corp further solidified their standing by patenting a method of extracting aether from reservoirs underground. The centuries of death magical creatures had endured resulted in pools of aether, providing the very weapon to combat the monsters that had killed them.
With so ample a supply, aether became commonplace and ingrained in daily life. Electricity’s varied uses meant it remained dominant, of course, but it wasn’t odd to see the multicolored glow of aether employed in street décor or at home. While the odd magical child accidentally casting a spell or a drunken mishap wasn’t uncommon, the use of magic went by the wayside, its utility usurped by the practicality of aether. The once ever-present fear of losing their lives or homes to monster attacks seemed poised to end as society moved into the modern age of cellphones, laptops, and social media.
Not everyone took to this change. The Believers, a group of pro-magic radicals, sprung up on conspiracy sites, news-feeds, and any other channel that they could find. They saw aether as a danger to everyone, or rebelled against any attempts to curtail the use of the magic they saw as their birthright. They organized protests and demonstrations of magic in public, one resulting in large loss of life. The supporters of aether saw their chance and seized the moment, circulating videos of the monster attack and distraught Believers failing to justify their actions.
With public opinion behind them, they used this momentum to enact a law worldwide, banning the use of magic. Now treated as a capital offense, children who cast spells above the age of ten were sent to correctional facilities to curb their powers and adolescents who persisted were given treatment akin to them being mentally disturbed. Adults who continued down that path could even face the death penalty, as it was too dangerous to allow them to exist. After all, who would use magic knowing the potential ramifications for the world?
The Aether