A Dance Of Blood

Mea is one of the three worlds in the Radrum universe, along with Vitallia and Pantheon. It is an ancient planet shaped by two powerful forces: the Moon, or Vestia, and the Sun, or Berikan. These two gods exist in perpetual harmony and conflict, defining different eras. Their children are the tribes that inhabit Mea; some tribes carry more of the blood of the Sun, while others carry the blood of the Moon. Thus, the world was divided into Sunborn and Moonborn tribes.

In the early ages, however, Berikan had not yet appeared, and Vestia existed alone. The planet was cold, lacking the warmth of the Sun, and was devoid of life. This Age of Cold lasted for thousands of years. In her loneliness, Vestia chose to create her first children alone: the Verun, or the Children of the Night—later known as vampires. The Verun thrived in the frozen lands of Mea, existing in isolation for millennia.

Thousands of years later, Berikan arrived in Mea, bringing the Age of Light. Like Vestia, he created his own children, the Sunborn Aran, whose blood ran hot. Inevitably, conflict arose between the races. These two eternal powers could never coexist peacefully, and as the ages passed, their conflicts endured. Even when new races arose from the union of the Sun and the Moon—races with blood of both the Moon and the Sun—the divisions could not be bridged.

The Moon has always represented the ancient, the traditional, and the mystical. Magic flowed from Vestia, as did bascule rituals and pagan rites in nature. The Sun, on the other hand, symbolized the new: technology, expansion, exploration, and opposition to the old ways. Over the years, two distinct religions emerged—the Church of Berikan and the Ways of Vestia—and holy wars erupted between kingdoms and tribes. Inevitably, the Sun's influence grew, and over time, the Moonborn tribes dwindled as progress became synonymous with the light of Berikan and the Sun. Magic was replaced by science, alchemy by chemistry, the sword by the rifle, and rituals by prayers.

This story takes place as Exeria, home to predominantly Sunborn tribes such as the Sinkta, Lyva, and Aran, was transforming from a kingdom into an empire, annexing the lands of the Moonborn tribes known as the Gralians. The Gralians, uninterested in expansion or war, would not allow Exeria to seize their lands without resistance. Thus, the annals of Mea are filled with blood, from its creation to the present. Even if one power—the Moon or the Sun—were eliminated, peace would remain elusive, for that is the nature of humanity, regardless of blood.

The Tribes of Mea:

Verun: Moon-born Tribe. Atheim: Mixed Race favored by the Moon. Rava: Mixed Race, slightly favored by the Moon. Aran: Sun-born Tribe. Liva: Mixed Race, favored by the Sun. Sincta: Mixed Race, slightly favored by the Sun.