“Hearken to the tolling bell, for in their silence does madness dwell.”

The sun casts an ashen hue over the Giant’s Trail that winds between the Peaks of Broken Divinity. Spanning up to 1000 feet wide, the ancient road is mostly a ruin of a time long past. The only remaining section lies to the far south of what little land remains. Here a massive bridge spans a great chasm of nothingness, connecting one side of the continent with the other, rebuilt from the fires of chaos into a great wonder of technomantic engineering. The Giant’s Trail continues on to the north through a great petrified jawbone and past the ruins of an ancient city before crumbling into the desolate Badlands.

When the world was young, a massive explosion of fire, rock, and ash split the continent in half and the Pyrodean people came together to see it saved. The ruins of Cartias (Car-tee-us) now stand as a bleak testament to a time when the continent was once whole. The lingering effects leave the land hostile and nature vengeful. It was here that Sthume (Ss-thoo-m) first emerged, and with it swarmed hosts of Desecrated minions, their presence casting a blighted shadow across the world. Small hordes roam freely over the vast rocky terrain. It is only by the chimes of bells or seasoned blades that they may be held at bay.

The history of the Peaks of Broken Divinity has been all but lost, carried on through orated myths and old journals passed down over the generations. The Consecrated keep to the faith of Pyrodeus (py-roh-dee-iss) and their saints, the saviors of the Great Rift. The Cobalt Consortium seeks knowledge, science, and discovery fueled by their curiosity. The Striders roam the furthest and most remote areas of the continent, seeking the start of the Giant’s Trail amongst the broken aqueducts, partially collapsed towers, and foundational footprints. All Pyrodeans converge and live at the Bridge of Unity, refuge to all, protected by the Sentinels and the Bright Legion.

Not everyone ascribes to the conventional beliefs of faith or science. The Inquisition and the Lights of Reason tend to have more fanatical views. The Inquisition abhors the use of technology and technomantic instruments while the Lights of Reason consider the faith a form of mental insanity. Still, every Pyrodean watches their back for a sign of the Hidden Thorns: a black rose upon the corpse. The rise of extremist sects only compound the surmounting problems of scarcity, overcrowding, and failing infrastructure. On the horizon, the Desecrated remain a ceaseless threat, and a constant reminder of the fall of the last giant.

The Testaments of the Blessed Martyrs are the parables and sermons of legend. Anointed by Pyrodeus as the most devout in the darkest times, the divinity of the last giant was passed on to them. Through faith and good will, only those that truly believe in the virtues of the saints can partake of their blessings.

Packet color: Gold

Nearly all Pyrodeans value discipline in the pursuit of enlightenment, though it may take different forms. Members of the Cobalt Consortium find this path through advanced mathematics, schematics, discovery, creation, and technomancy. The Consecrated endeavor to imitate the words and deeds of their saints. Striders look to the land itself through meditation and traveling the lost road of the Giant’s Trail, seeking its beginning.

Note: any usage of modern religious iconography or offensive symbols will not be tolerated, and is not in line with the setting. Extremist Sects are not playable characters. These groups are split factions or zealots and hold the most irrational and fanatical views. Genocidal and hostile ideologies and such will not be tolerated.

When the last giant still walked the Trail, the Pyrodeans climbed from the ashes bearing their white markings. The Consecrated will attribute them to the blessings of Pyrodeus, while the Cobalt Consortium documents it as evolution in the face of desolation. Players from the Peaks of Broken Divinity have white indecipherable arcane symbols on all exposed skin. This can be worn in larger patterns of symbols that are not part of an alphabet, nor offensive. The markings do not need to be symmetrical and must be all one color. These symbols are not a real language for the purposes of Gift of Tongues.

The clothing aesthetic for the Peaks of Broken Divinity is inspired by Magepunk. Pyrodeans are resourceful and scrape together their clothing as well as any mechanical device. Material possessions aren’t just thrown away, but recycled into new things. Clothing often has a handmade quality to it, with unique patterns, embroidery or patches, asymmetrical designs, and mixed materials. Garments that have been mended aren’t “patchy” but rather evolved into something new. Pockets, belts, clean lines, leathers, and hardy fabrics are widely favored by Striders and Cobalt Consortium. The Consecrated favor inner pockets or parcels, flowing garments, unstructured construction, brass or gold simple jewelry, and a more muted palette. Any Pyrodean fashionista will flaunt brightly dyed colors, elaborate accessories, and detailed embroidery.

Ordained members of leadership can be formally identified by simple linen robes in pale and natural colors tied at the waist with a belt or cord in gold or red and the holy symbol of the seven pointed star. Stoles are only worn by higher ranking members or plain ones for very important occasions and will correspond to rank and ceremony. Mantles and hoods are often worn for travel and colder weather, in muted tones or matching their robes. If out in more casual settings, a prominent holy symbol is worn and a bell is commonly holstered within the belt.

Names take their inspiration from Latin and Old English roots. Pyrodeans will often give themselves nicknames or shortened versions of their own, reserving full and complete names for close company only.

Pyrodeans from the Peaks of Broken Divinity descend from a long line of great engineers as evidenced by what little architecture remains. While some recreate the past and others pave the way towards the future, Pyrodeans receive a 5 CP discount on Tinkering. Coming together despite polarizing world views, Pyrodeans also receive a 5 CP discount on Diplomacy. Pyrodeans who wish to be formally inducted into the faith may learn the Testaments of the Blessed Martyrs, an ability that costs 10 character points for characters from this setting instead of 15 character points as normal. Additionally, Pyrodeans with white symbolic markings on their flesh are resilient in the face of daunting odds, so they receive one Mental Resist per day. Note: this cannot be refreshed by any means.

Players may choose to start their first event Consecrated or not.