Welcome to the world of Vorpum, a world very much unlike our own. Upon first inspection, the sky of Vorpum shares many similarities to that of our own. The blue daylight streams forth during the day, and the night is filled with stars and darkness. This, however, is where Vorpum differs. Amongst the many celestial bodies, one reigns supreme. Celestia is a large gas giant planet that resides constantly in the sky, reigning over the lives of those that reside in Vorpum. Celestia causes shadows to spread across its sister planet, causing 3/4ths of the land to be shrouded during the day. This inevitably causes food to be incredibly difficult to cultivate by traditional means. Thankfully, however, Vorpum is not a traditional world, it is a land of magic and sorcery. As the day transitions into night, true magic rears its powerful head, in the form of Brilliance. Brilliance is an incredibly powerful energy source, causing a pool of magic to be collected in every soul living in Vorpum. Those born under these stars are known as Starborn and may access these pools of magic within themselves and shape them according to their will. Those who are born under Celestia and the sun, however, are not entirely mundane. These Celestials, while not having direct access to their pool of magic, may use artifacts and magical items, and power them using their own pool of magic. Using both the innate power of Starborn, as well as the ingenuity and intellect of the Celestials, the people of Vorpum are able to magically alter crops in order to grow under the totalitarian oppression of Celestia. However, the sentient beings of the world are not the only ones affected by Brilliance and Celestia. While many of the small creatures of this world are able to survive on the meager grasses the plains of Vorpum are able to provide, many of the large creatures have evolved to either be completely carnivorous or survive on Brilliance for sustenance, thus causing the drastic shift of many animals becoming nocturnal. Hunting these creatures, while possible for Starborn, is incredibly difficult due to the nature of the Brilliance. Under the stars, magic becomes incredibly powerful but incredibly dangerous to attempt to shape. As many Starborn tend to rely on their magic for day-to-day life, many Starborn stay indoors for safety, as well as Celestials for hunting and other twilight activities. Only the bravest, most-skilled, or foolhardy, Starborn risk shaping spells directly under the stars.
The world of Vorpum is divided into three continents, only interrupted by the large bodies of water that span the distances between the landmasses. The largest continent, centered in the middle of the map of Vorpum, is known as Umbarium. Umbarium is named after the night sky and the stars that grant its power and is the most populated continent in the Realm. Umbarium is home to the Umbral Ascendency, the reigning governmental body that keeps the peace as best it can throughout Umbarium, however, due to the primal nature of raw Brilliance, it may seem impossible to keep law and order to some. Others welcome the challenge.
North of Umbarium, lies The Twilight Lands. These lands used to be the head of what would come to be called the Umbral Ascendency. The Twilight lands used to be very similar, if not identical to Umbarium, however, things seldom stay the same in Vorpum. The Twilight lands are covered in slag, bedazzled with star-like shines scattered throughout. This slag is imbued with pure, unadulterated Brilliance, capable of the most awesome things beyond comprehension. The Twilight is a result of an experiment that, long ago, ended in a catastrophic failure. Many have attempted to understand the nature of Brilliance, both through philosophical and scientific means, but neither has succeeded on their own. Long ago, an experiment was proposed, one combining both aspects in order to attempt to understand Brilliance as a whole. This incredible devastation was the sole result of this experiment. This is the sole reason that the Umbarium Ascendency has outlawed any attempt to understand the true nature of Brilliance, thus creating a true dark age.
To the South of Umbarium lies the desert continent of Miragum. This continent’s defining characteristics are made up of vast stretches of glass sand. Due to glass’s reflective nature, the Brilliance is exceptionally powerful in this region of Vorpum. For the Celestial tribes who live amongst the dunes, this provides a safeguard against any Starborn, who they view as heretics being punished by their god, The brother planet Celestia. Due to the inherent chaos of the magnified Brilliance, many strange creatures call Miragum home, such as the maleficent Sand Leopard, or the enormous Desert Squid. All in all, the land of Miragium is a place one should avoid at all costs.
Upon this land, many different trials and tribulations occur on a daily basis. Noble folk fight for their opportunity to rule over Umbarium. Commoners struggle with the challenges of a world fraught with danger and magic. Adventurers charge into the dangerous Twilight Lands in search of glory and fame, many of which are never heard from again. For many, the danger has become part of their way of life. Others seek to change that way of life, for better or for worse.