Religion – Most humans believe in one god, the Season Keeper. Depending on how someone lives their life, their essence either ends up in the Summer Garden or the Winter Woods.
Breakers – Breakers are the only humans capable of magic in Ellosia, however Breakers are not born, they’re made. The process to become a Breaker is grueling with a high probability of death and must be undergone by a child no older than ten. The child is repeatedly injected with sourcer blood over a year’s time until they either die or manifest abilities. If they’re one of the few who make it, they spend the next 8-10 years learning to hone their abilities.
Any family with a successful Breaker is handsomely compensated, making it common practice for poor families with too many children to donate to the cause. Troublesome orphans convicted of a crime and noble families looking to add honor to their names also feed fresh candidates to the Breakers.
By touching a sourcer’s forehead, Breakers can Break a sourcer’s mind, removing their free will and their capability to resist. There’s no known cure for being Broken, although there are rumors of a sourcer who managed to escape the shackles around their mind. It’s also said that when a Breaker dies, all the sourcers he’s Broken go insane with the loss.
Most Broken are sold as slaves to Drezaar and as indentured servants to Athren.
Kingdom of Athren – Nestled in the far North of Ellosia. Ruled by Queen Commander Phaedra Rosepike who resides in the capital of Three Rivers. The next Queen is hand-selected by the incumbent Queen, not through birth or bloodlines. Once selected, the Queen must drop all ties to her past and take up the Rose mantle, assuming a last name with the word “Rose” in it reminiscent of the country’s motif of a sickle wrapped around three roses.
Although the Queen has final say if she desires, the main justice body, The Council of Fate, handles most criminal affairs.
Athren views sourcers as an annoying necessity. While slavery is not permitted, many of the wealthier households have a Broken sourcer servant or a sourcer just as shackled by crippling debt. Those few free sourcers brave enough to stick around and seek work in the capital are regulated to a dirty shantytown near the main gate.
Drezaar, on the other hand, is despised by the people of Athren. They’re viewed as cruel, warmongering, and beholden to their Grand Prime.
Drezaarian Empire – Far South, Drezaar is ruled by Grand Prime Aloysious Tarkington, a powerful Breaker, who sits on his massive throne in his massive palace housed at the highest point of the capital of Crulmond. The next Grand Prime is the eldest Breaker by blood. Since most children don’t survive the trials, it’s the Grand Prime’s job to take multiple mistresses to increase his chances for a viable heir. Drezaar’s motif is a slithering serpent trapped between two crescent moons.
The Grand Prime’s word is final in all decisions. He may appoint a trusted noble to handle a specific job, but he oversees everything.
Anyone of importance has their family crest tattooed on their forehead, declaring to the citizens of Drezaar where they rank in society.
There are no free sourcers in Drezaar, unless they’re disguised with an appearance enchantment. Sourcers are valued only as high as they’ll sell in the slave market. Broken sourcers are more common and typically sell for more at the auctions. Because of this, Breakers are highly sought after, and their families enjoy bragging rights. Every noble family willingly donates most of their children to the trials, hoping they’ll have one of the lucky few who survive.
Drezaar views Athren as a country of weaklings, too meek to grow their territory like Grand Prime Tarkington has done. Grand Prime Tarkington has his sights set on one day conquering all of Ellosia and bringing it to heel under his boot.