Starset: INFORMATION

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Starset was the name of a mountain in the Tramhein Voralls where a shrine to Nanoven was being constructed ten years ago. The mountain winter was particularly harsh, but the humans building the shrine were forced to continue work, despite the scarcity of food and warm clothing. Injuries and deaths were common, daily affairs. It was known to be a miserable, dangerous job, but the people were not given a choice.

The seeds of rebellion were planted. Why sacrifice one’s life serving an indifferent god? Nanoven didn’t care for the lives that were lost, only for his great shrine at Starset. The more deaths that occurred, the further they got behind the schedule-and the harder they were pushed to catch up. With little to lose, the people rose up and fought their oppressor.

This was the beginning of the revolution, though it did not seem that way at the time. The rebellion was crushed brutally by Nanoven’s loyalist forces, and thousands lost their lives. Only a handful of them had been actively involved in the rebellion, but few survivors were left among the workers at Starset.

Although this struck fear in the hearts of people across the continent, it also sparked resentment at the injustice of the affair. Still, the people knew that they did not have the power to face a god. Other tiny rebellions sprung up in different parts of the world-most of them led by mages, weak but not powerless-but the rebellions were suppressed with the same brutal efficiency.

The prayers of a young priestess who saw her town lying in ruins attracted the attention of the goddess Valode, who realized both the human’s plight and their potential for great accomplishments. She pleaded with Nanoven to set the humans free, but he would not listen. Although she would have been willing to fight, war among the gods was forbidden, so she had to tread a different path.

Rather than granting just a bit of her power to a human, as the other gods did for their mages, Valode bestowed powerful gifts on twelve humans, one from each of the twelve nations. There were no rules forbidding war between humans and gods, but the nations would all have to cooperate if they wanted to throw off Nanoven’s yoke. Called the Gifted, these warriors were chosen for their strengths and potential, although their strengths may not be obvious at first. In return, Nanoven bestowed special powers on nine of his strongest, most devout warriors, naming them the Zodiac Chosen.

Although Nanoven’s godlike (well, duh, but I couldn’t think of a better adjective) powers seem to give him the advantage, the gods are only the children of Creation, but within each living thing dwells a spark of Creation itself. The power of one spark seems insignificant, but when many are together they can outshine the power of the gods. The Gifted are just beginning to learn about their capabilities and the extent of their power. Most have never met or worked as a group before, and some have never fought. They may be male or female, of any age or race, and must overcome their own differences before they can defeat Nanoven. Meanwhile, his Chosen set out to destroy the Gifted before they can ever find their footing.

Alician, the priestess who had contacted Valode, set out to unite and train these twelve warriors, but she was captured by Nanoven’s forces before she could awaken more than a few. She was executed, but her spirit escaped and acts as a sort of guardian to the Gifted.