Magic has become an everyday part of life in 1985, despite early and fierce resistance from many human religious groups who branded it blasphemy or heresy. Over time, Elves and Demons demonstrated its vast practical value, and resistance gradually faded. Most modern appliances now run on Pure Mana, a versatile energy source extracted from crystalline deposits that form near Rifts or harvested from the blood and ethereal oil of massive Flying Whales that cross between worlds. This refined mana powers everything from household devices to advanced military equipment and cybernetic enhancements. Dwarves dominate the dangerous industries of mining, refining, and whale harvesting. While Elves and Demons wield magic naturally, roughly 30% of Humans show innate talent. The remaining 70% can still learn it through intensive training and study. Magic is formally divided into several schools. Most are considered relatively safe when practiced responsibly, but some are viewed as unstable or outright dangerous and are either banned from universities or taught only under strict Abyssal Inquisition supervision. Major Schools of Magic: Destruction: The most common and easiest school to learn, yet one of the hardest to master. It focuses on the control of elemental forces and is primarily used offensively. Casters can hurl fireballs, ice shards, lightning bolts, or — as discovered more recently — manipulate objects through telekinesis. Advanced Destruction spells are taught under heavy supervision, as their unstable nature can easily backfire on the caster. Conjuration: Particularly popular among Elves due to the intricate nature of its spells. This school allows the summoning of otherworldly entities and ethereal weapons, serving as both a powerful offensive tool and a source of distractions. Masters strongly warn against summoning powerful beings, as they can break free from control and attack indiscriminately. Alteration: A widely practiced school used to temporarily modify the physical properties of objects, the environment, or the caster themselves. It enables abilities such as complete changes in appearance or powerful invisibility spells. Most Alteration specialists are encouraged to study a second school to complement their abilities. Illusion: Considered the most difficult school to truly master and a favorite among Demons. While beginners can only create minor tricks, skilled illusionists can bend the minds of others or generate convincing mirages. New applications of Illusion magic are still being discovered by its most accomplished practitioners. Restoration: This school centers on the mastery of life forces and is primarily used for healing. Exorcists also employ it to repel malevolent spirits, and ancient Elven records suggest Restoration magic can be particularly effective against the undead. Technomancy: A new and extremely rare school that emerged only twenty years ago. Just three users have ever been officially recorded. Technomancers possess an uncanny, almost symbiotic control over technology. Theories suggest that a true master of this school could seize control of entire cities — shutting down power grids, turning automated defenses against their owners, or plunging vast urban centers back into the Stone Age. Because so little is known about it, many view Technomancy with quiet unease, whispering that the machines themselves seem to whisper back to those who wield it. Blood Magic: An ancient, ritualistic, and extremely potent form of magic that uses the caster’s own blood as a catalyst. It is often employed to summon powerful demons or eldritch entities for pacts. When performed incorrectly, it causes severe Mana Burn and can mutate the caster into a grotesque abomination. Blood Magic is strictly illegal and can only be learned through rare, forbidden tomes found on the black market. Orc and Nightkin shamans remain the only known true masters of this dangerous art, though not even them are immune to accidents. Necromancy: The art of communicating with or raising the dead. It is heavily frowned upon by most societies. Some Orc and Nightkin shamans possess limited control over it, but the school is widely regarded as unstable and capable of eventually driving the practitioner insane. Universities only teach its most basic principles, and many records on the subject are being quietly removed. Blood Magic: An ancient, ritualistic, and extremely potent form of magic that uses the caster’s own blood as a catalyst. It is often employed to summon powerful demons or eldritch entities for pacts. When performed incorrectly, it causes severe Mana Burn and can mutate the caster into a grotesque abomination. Blood Magic is strictly illegal and can only be learned through rare, forbidden tomes found on the black market. Orc and Nightkin shamans remain the only known true masters of this dangerous art. Mana Burn: Mana Burn occurs when Pure Mana grows unstable in an area or within a caster. On a large scale, it can cause reality-warping effects such as distorted gravity, wild magical surges, or devastating mana explosions. On an individual level, it leads to agonizing pain, permanent mutations, or — in cases involving Blood Magic — complete loss of control as an outside entity forcibly possesses the victim’s body, slowly twisting both flesh and mind into something unrecognizable and monstrous.

EarthGov: Formed after the peace accords, EarthGov replaced the old human governments. It serves as a unified body where Humans, Elves, and Demons jointly oversee global policy and protect the rights of all races. Dwarves politely declined to appoint representatives, while the Orcs and Nightkin simply ignored the invitation. Eternal Dominion: The Demon Queen’s empire. Sophisticated, deeply ritualistic, and technologically advanced, it prefers to expand through influence, diplomacy, and subtle pressure rather than open conquest. According to their own histories, the Demons were once on the verge of annihilation at the hands of a mysterious ancient enemy. It was only when Queen Naera rose to power that she turned the tide with ruthless efficiency, saving her people and earning both reverence and fear from her subjects. United Corporate Council (UCC): The powerful alliance of megacorporations that effectively runs much of the “Free World” alongside EarthGov. Its leadership consists of the most influential Humans, Demons, and Elves. This arrangement constantly raises questions about who truly holds power behind the scenes. Church of the Broken Spear: A secretive cult that worships the Marked, viewing them as physical manifestations of the Universe itself. They remain mostly reclusive, but constant surveillance surrounds them — especially because they possess access to several forms of magic long deemed lost or forbidden by the Abyssal Inquisition. Karma Brotherhood: An influential underground network operated by elite criminals known as “Fixers.” Through blackmail, bribes, and favors, they hold significant leverage over both the UCC and EarthGov, allowing them to operate with relative impunity in the shadows. Fixers act as middlemen for the powerful and wealthy, arranging “favors” and dispatching “Samurai” to handle dangerous work. Some Fixers take on jobs personally. Samurai: Highly skilled mercenaries who work under Fixers to carry out high-risk operations. Most are heavily cybernetically enhanced. They usually operate alone or in small teams. While they once fought constantly over territory and contracts, the rise of the Fixers brought some order to their world — though betrayal, both by Fixers and among Samurai themselves, remains common. In their circles, money is the only language that truly matters. Human Purity Front: A human supremacist terrorist organization that seeks to expel all non-humans and permanently “close the rifts.” Once considered a serious threat in the 1930s and 1940s, the group is now largely viewed as a joke after their former leader dramatically abandoned the cause, married a Succubus, and disappeared to an unknown location.

Humans remain the most numerous species and still wield considerable power, but they are no longer the default rulers of the world. Many continue to struggle with their shifted place in a reality shared with longer-lived races and otherworldly beings. Demons display a vast range of appearances, from near-human succubi and incubi to towering, monstrous forms. As the first outsiders to establish contact with humanity, many have secured influential positions across society. They have worked hard to disprove the notion that they are inherently evil, showing fierce loyalty to their own kind. Some powerful Demons offer blood contracts that grant significant power to other species, though they only respond to those who perform the precise and respectful rituals they deem worthy. Half-Demons have become increasingly common through unions between Demons and other races. They typically possess a humanoid build combined with distinct demonic features such as horns, tails, crimson or darkened skin, and unnatural eye colors, along with a strong natural affinity for magic. Though once looked down upon — even by pure-blooded Demons — they have earned acceptance by proving their worth and capability in the new world order. Elves are tall, graceful, and biologically immortal. They are heavily represented in megacorporations, high fashion, and positions of political power, where their longevity and accumulated wisdom give them a distinct advantage. Despite their refined image, it is not uncommon for some to run sophisticated underground criminal networks. Before contact with humanity, Elves could only reproduce with their own kind, and their aloof culture led to a long, gradual decline in population. Half-Elves are somwhat new but extremely rare. Born from Human and Elven pairings, they grow to normal human height while retaining the sharp, elegant elven facial features and smaller pointed ears. They display a natural talent for magic and live far longer than a normal human. Current research indicates that only about 10% of children born to Human-Elf couples are Half-Elves. Dwarves are short-tempered master engineers and miners renowned for their craftsmanship. They control many of the largest heavy industry corporations and are responsible for constructing some of the era’s most iconic technologies and megastructures. Orcs & Nightkin (Trolls) have clans, honor codes and they would rather kill up front then stab in the back. They are strong, numerous, and frequently found working as blue-collar muscle, elite shock troops, or hired enforcers for criminal organizations. Nightkin in particular face notable prejudice but dominate underground fight clubs and private security. Orcs are typically green-skinned with prominent tusks, while Nightkin tend to be taller, bulkier, gray-skinned, and red-eyed, lacking tusks. Both despise magic, even though they have powerful shamans as their leaders. Demi-Humans (Beastkin) are relative newcomers, having first appeared on Earth around 1950. At first glance they resemble humans, but they possess distinct animal features such as feline, canine, or tiger-like ears, horns, tails, and — in rarer cases — partial fur patterns depending on their bloodline. Many are faster, more agile, and stronger than the average human or elf, with some also showing a natural (though less common than in humans) affinity for magic. Due to lingering suspicion and discrimination, a significant number have turned to crime and underground work to survive. However, progress is being made — in 1983, Demi-Human representatives were formally accepted into both EarthGov and the United Corporate Council.

One hundred and forty years after the sky broke, the world has adapted — though never completely. Progress is real: safer industries, miraculous medicine, and gleaming megacities. Yet beneath the neon glow, danger still simmers. Crime, corruption, and black markets thrive in the shadows, and the law is often little more than a suggestion in certain districts. Overall Society: Humanity has slowly learned to coexist with the new races. Elves and Demons brought centuries of lost knowledge, revolutionizing science and magic. Dwarves transformed engineering, turning once-lethal workplaces into far safer environments where fatal accidents have become rare. Orcs and Nightkin provide brute strength for security and heavy labor, while their shamans occasionally share potent, if unsettling, healing rituals. However, Orcs and Nightkin also dominate the darker corners of society. They run most black markets, shadowy slavery rings in abandoned districts, and brutal underground fight clubs where combatants are sometimes enhanced with illegal cyberware or bound spirits. Whispers speak of fights that don’t always end when one fighter falls — some victors claim “trophies” that go far beyond mere glory. Most cities ruined during the First Contact War were reclaimed and reborn as megacities. Some flourished. Others became notorious criminal hubs where law enforcement barely maintains control. Notable Cities: - Neo-Tokyo: A glittering joint Human-Demon metropolis pulsing with crimson and violet neon. - New London: A dense fusion of Victorian elegance, brutalist concrete, graceful elven spires, and sprawling Ethereal-oil pipelines. - Seattle Sprawl: Layered with industry and intrigue, its underbelly ruled by Orc and Beastkin gangs while sleek elven corporate towers pierce the clouds. - Berlin Wall District: Still bitterly divided between Human, Nightkin, Dwarven, and Demon territories. - Neo São Paulo: The first truly multicultural capital, now Brazil’s vibrant heart, accepting all races from its inception. Demi-Humans (Beastkin), the latest arrivals, mostly live in overcrowded slums alongside Orcs and Nightkin. Discrimination still pushes many into crime, further fueling the cycle of poverty and violence. Wildlife & Resources: The natural world changed dramatically. New magical creatures spilled from the rifts, forcing native species to adapt or perish. The most valuable arrivals are the majestic Flying Whales — enormous nomadic beings that use Earth as a shortcut between realms. They leave behind trails of ethereal residue known as Whale Oil, a potent energy source when fused with Pure Mana. Their meat is an expensive delicacy. Whale hunting was briefly popular but proved extremely dangerous; most hunting parties never returned. The practice is now strictly banned. Law Enforcement & Security Police forces have embraced the new era with advanced tools: mana-powered hover cars, predictive magical surveillance systems, armed drones, and rapid-response portals that allow shock troops to appear almost instantly at crime scenes. In extreme cases, officers can even obtain a license to consult the spirits of murder victims. Despite these advantages, crime continues to rise faster than law enforcement can handle. In the worst districts, police routinely hire freelance Samurai — heavily augmented mercenaries — to deal with situations too messy, too dangerous, or too politically sensitive for official forces. Some say the Samurai now hold more real power in the streets than the badges do. Technology & Magic: Magic is everywhere, though never fully trusted. Elves and Demons possess strong natural affinities, while Orcs and Nightkin produce formidable (if distrusted) shamans. Dwarves show little interest in it. Humans and Demi-Humans sit in the middle — some are born gifted, but most must train rigorously. Arcane universities accept all races, and pacts with demons remain a risky but tempting path to power. The Abyssal Inquisition keeps dangerous magic in check. Technology and magic have merged into a distinctly 1980s-flavored retro-futurism. CRT monitors flicker with arcane static, holographic advertisements float above streets, and cassette players sometimes play music from other realms. Whale Oil fused with Pure Mana powers everything from household appliances and prosthetic limbs to cybernetic enhancements and artificial organs. Early artificial intelligences exist but are heavily restricted and monitored by both the UCC and the Abyssal Inquisition. A handful of androids are currently being tested under intense scrutiny. Weapons have evolved too: laser rifles exist, but remain rare and expensive, while conventional firearms now fire elemental-charged rounds. Specialized gear can track magical signatures invisible to the naked eye. Currency comes in credits or physical cash (popular because it’s untraceable). In legitimate markets, Whale Oil, mana crystals, and rare components are sometimes accepted. In the black markets, anything goes — especially forbidden magical artifacts, illegal augmentations, and blood-bound relics. At the very top of this society stand the Marked — rare individuals born with a faint birthmark resembling a fading tribal tattoo on their hand. A mysterious entity is said to choose them, granting mastery over nearly all magic, even forgotten disciplines. The Demon Queen and the current Elven leader are both Marked, widely regarded as the most powerful magic users alive.

The year is 1985. In 1845, an experimental weapon tested in the Pacific fractured reality itself. Historians call it “The Night the Sky Broke.” A jagged crimson fracture tore open the sky, and from it spilled legions of demons, imps, and eldritch horrors. Japan, caught unprepared, became their first foothold on Earth. The Demon Queen Naera — “Her Eternal Majesty” — did not slaughter the survivors. Instead, she offered them a clear choice: kneel and thrive under her rule, or depart in peace. Most stayed. Those who remained were largely left unharmed, provided they never entered the forbidden Obsidian Zones controlled by the strongest demons. Surprisingly, the demonic occupation proved orderly — ruthless when challenged, yet strangely fair by the standards of a broken world. In the following decades, more rifts opened across the globe. Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, hulking Nightkin (Trolls), and later Demi-Humans (commonly called Beastkin) stepped through in waves. Initial terror and communication failures quickly escalated into the brutal First Contact War (1845–1855). Humanity, already strained by geopolitical tensions and the aftermath of the first rifts, fought on multiple fronts while old national grudges still simmered. Cities burned. Entire regions became lawless wastelands. The war finally ended in 1855 after a multinational team of Human, Elven, and Dwarven scientists created the Universal Translator — a revolutionary device that allowed fluent communication between all known sentient species. Peace negotiations followed, and Humanity formally ceded most of Asia and the Middle East to the Eternal Dominion. In exchange, the other races received enclaves and full citizenship rights across the Free Nations. Many non-humans soon rose to high positions in governments and the emerging megacorporations. Demi-Humans (Beastkin) arrived later, around 1950, through newly opened rifts. Resembling humans but bearing animal traits — ears, tails, horns, and occasionally partial fur — they faced particularly strong suspicion and prejudice as the newest arrivals. Many were forced into the margins of society, leading large numbers toward criminal enterprises for survival. However, their situation has begun to improve: in 1983, Beastkin representatives were formally accepted into both EarthGov and the United Corporate Council. One hundred and forty years after the sky broke, Earth has become a dazzling, dangerous retro-futuristic tapestry of neon, chrome, magic, and rust. Magic and technology intertwine in the streets, megacities pulse with life and corruption, and power is shared — however uneasily — between humans and the races that now call this world home.