I find roleplaying is a great way to ground myself in the fiction of what I'm playing, and it gives the races and leaders I create context that makes the game that much more worthwhile. If you're of the same mind, read on! Perhaps you'll find inspiration here. Preface This guide is meant for those who want to roleplay or are thinking, "You know, maybe roleplaying would add some spice to things." Those of you who think roleplaying is dumb and would rather just play the game like a gamer, no shade! Just warning that this probably won't help you with anything. As for the lore, I'll touch on it, but I'll assume some of the background basics. Anything you need to know more about can be discovered in the ingame encyclopedia and other places. As for the rest, forgive me if you do know and I explain it like you're five. (And if I have something wrong, do correct me! I only started paying attention to the lore pretty recently in the series.) For now, this guide will only cover the creation process. Later on, if people seem to want it, I may add some sections about exercising this in play, but... By and large, you can probably pick that up naturally off of what i'll be covering here. Getting Grounded The first step to immersing yourself in any game is getting to know at least a little about its worldbuilding and lore. I won't bore you with excessive details, you can read the ingame encyclopedia if you want to learn more. Instead I'll provide a very quick breakdown of the stuff that matters most to us. This is the Fourth Age of Wonders. I confess I don't know exactly what constitutes an Age of Wonders, but I can tell you that the Third Age was something of a renaissance where the magic was less awesome, but mortal realms were thriving in the world of Athla... And the Fourth Age is a time of the Wizard Kings' return, when those mortal societies will be tested by the wills of ambitious sorcerers from beyond the pale seeking worlds to sink their greedy claws into and shape to their own whims. Each age, I must conclude, is marked by being a time of great marvels of sword, spell, and/or ingenuity. Athla was the focus of the first three games, but this time, we reach beyond. Every world you play in Age of Wonders is a realm all its own. Some might not even be worlds proper. Islands adrift in an endless sea of stars would also constitute a "world". Athla was known for certain races. Humans, Dwarves, Elves, Halflings, Orcs... Many races with their own customs and physiology, all used to varying ends by the Wizard Kings of old and the leaders of the Third Age thereafter. What you need to know about races in the Fourth Age is that all races sprung from the Well of Creation in the Astral Sea in which the various realms drift. However, not all went to Athla, and not all developed the same way. Take heed, for this is your first rich opportunity for worldbuilding. Soon you'll be creating your own race to rule over, and the fact I've just stated will be an excellent opportunity to become attached to their lore. All Elfkin are "elves", and all are thus among the first of creation. But not all Elfkin are the same kind of elf. Drow would be a good example of Elfkin who developed quite differently from the High Elves of many a fantasy setting. Humans are no different; a Human in Athla might not be the same as a Human from the next realm over, although they came from the same initial stock. We'll return to this later. In short, we're addressing multiple worlds adrift in the Astral Sea, accessible to us via stable gates in Magehaven, a place where our Pantheon will reside. This is a place where powerful primordial magic prevents any living creature from being harmed, and is thus an excellent place for even bitter rivals to discuss matters in a civil fashion. It also happens to be home to a host of gates to other worlds, which Wizard Kings and Dragon Lords will use to find new realms to influence or conquer. Lorecrafting Your Ruler You play Godir, essentially demigods of tremendous power. Godir do become mighty indeed, but their origins aren't identical. The many Godir who ascend to your Pantheon will come from various backgrounds, and if you want to roleplay, that background is worth considering. The first thing to consider about your ruler is what, exactly, each type of ruler is. In each case, I'll provide lore beats you might consider. Let's start with the pure canon interpretation: A Champion is someone who's risen from the ranks of a race in their world. You can infer that any Champion in a game comes from a race native to that world. Champions rise up from the ranks of the mortals to meet the challenges of the Fourth Age and, if they survive, potentially even rise to become Godir. For the Champion you create, the first world you play in will be their home world. You might use your starting city as a means of fashioning the barest facets of your Champion's backstory. Let its surroundings and situation in the world guide you. Champions aren't Godir. They might not even be aware of the worlds beyond their own. However, all Champions start their journey by uncovering a glimpse of that greater existence: The tome they start the game with. You can use your starting tome as a means of representing what your Champion already knows, or you can be more true to canon and assume they came upon a tome penned by some ancient Wizard King by some means. Champions are men and women of their people, so you'll want to consider your race strongly when determining your lore and course. Of course they don't necessarily need to stay there. Perhaps your Champion has ambitions to rise above his own kin. Nevertheless, to begin with, the culture of your people will influence your Champion. A Wizard King is an ancient and powerful mage from a past Age, previously banished from the lands of their birth. Champions can wield magic, sure... But a Wizard King is a truly frightful caster, capable of casting spells far more freely than lesser mages. Unburdened from your forced exile, you now seek new worlds to make your mark upon... Wizard Kings are ancient and powerful. Although your power has perhaps diminished from what it used to be thanks to your time in exile, you'll regain it overtime and slowly rise to reclaim your former glory. Your gaze probably lies beyond that of mere Champions. Arrogance would not be uncommon, even if your alignment tends towards the good, as you perceive existence in a broader way than mortals. What has your time in banishment done to you? Are you embittered? Have you been locked in the Void so long that your once noble mindset has become corrupted by madness or a desire for revenge? Have you endured with serenity and become that much more unshakable? You won't necessarily be tied to the race you lead to start the game. You can possess any physical form, and the culture of the people you lead is most likely not your own. A Dragon Lord stands at the top of dragonkind. Among dragons, there are wyverns who are the least of the kin. Then there are proper dragons, who are mighty beings that make entire mortal cities tremble with their coming. Then there's you. Dragon Lords are the parents of lesser dragons and possess all the high intellect of any sapient being. More than conquest, you seek to shape worlds. You're a visionary who seeks worlds to form according to your will. Dragons desire wealth for its own sake. You can't use artifacts, but you can and will be hoarding them. You might consider the bestowing of these upon heroes who serve you as a tremendous honor that would surely give them a reverence for you. After all, they are your treasures, and you don't part with them lightly. Those who follow a Dragon Lord probably view them as Godir even before they ascend to a Pantheon. Wizard Kings might be above the affairs of mortals in mind, but you are above them in both mind and form. Even Dragon Lords aligned to good probably inspire fearful awe in their followers, and might even expect it. Example: Cahaz the Exile

There once was a hero who fell in love with two dragons, bearing a son by each. These sons came from a culture that had no concept of "half-"siblings, and considered one another brothers in every sense. They grew much more slowly than the other children thanks to their draconic blood, and by the time they reached their full measure, their father had left the land of the living. The brothers set out to slay the Great Stampede of the southern valley, the beastmen who cut them off from the world, and raid abroad. Though their successes were great, trouble brewed. When the elder brother went home to recover his strength and left Cahaz to maintain the raiding front, he became embroiled in rivalries and ended up leaving Cahaz a field far longer than planned. Cahaz was resentful, he and his warband barely scraping by for far longer than had been assured them. Eventually Cahaz rose violently against his brother. Cahaz would have settled this the traditional way, with a duel to decide leadership. But times were changing under his brother. Cahaz was the greater swordsman by far and this society did not slay kin besides, so he was instead defeated with his brother's army. Ingloriously bound and disarmed of the magical treasures he'd worked to loot, Cahaz was exiled to the frozen reaches of the Roaring Wastes, where the vicious Beastmen alone dwelled, furious over their somewhat recent defeat at the hands of the men they once savaged for their dark godir. There, his long lifespan would cause him to live for decades in these inhospitable conditions, and his expert swordsmanship would keep the beastmen at bay. The return of the Wizard Kings provided an opportunity for Cahaz in the form of a curious Chaos-aligned Dragon Lord who saw in him an opportunity to revive the havoc that once shaped this world. Gifting him the Tome of Witchcraft, the dragon gave him no wonders. He only allowed a Cahaz warmed by centuries in this hellish place to make his own decision. Now amassing power on par with a nascent Wizard King, Cahaz has cowed the disparate beast herds and set off into realms unseen to stake claims. He takes the title Warking, which is brother once presumed to lord over him, and gathers resources to himself. With these he will one day return to his homeworld and visit vengeance upon that coward... (Yes, leader lore can get quite deep if you really want it to! These are Godir in the making, so why not go all out?) Lorecrafting Your Race The race you play is one of two things: If you're a Champion, it's your people. The people you've risen to lead by whatever means. You are one of them and live among them, although in a position of status. If you're not a Champion, these are people who serve you. Consider how. Did you reach into the Well of Creation to form them yourself? Is it a people you subjugated in a past Age whose descendants have long awaited your return? A people you subjugated immediately following your return? A superstitious lot who serve you in hopes of escaping your wrath or currying your favor? A key thing to consider about race is that it serves as an extension of your ruler. You might think of it in the sense of, "So-and-so AND their..." Consider a narrator speaking of the appearing of Laryssa Mirabilis and her Commonwealth Philosophers onto the scene. Or a rival Wizard King spitefully spitting the name of Karissa the Red and her Enthralled Orcs meddling in his affairs. Even if you're not a Champion, your core race is an extension of your character that will follow you from world to world, so their lore should reflect this in some way. Races need not be confined to the norms of their chosen form. For example, Artica's Gnarled Frostlings are just ferocious Humans who've adapted to cold weather. This is reflected visually by their greenish-blue skin and white hair. Cinren Toliath's Ashborn Hedonists are Elfkin, but with their red skin and occult sense of fashion, they look rather more like demons. This is a reflection of their arcane resistance, which the First Elves of Zaethyl Silverleaf don't possess. Presumably thanks to their exposure to heat, if their name is any indication. Remember what I said about each race developing differently in its own world? Consider the kind of world your race came from. How did they develop as a result of their life there? What sort of situation were they in? If you're a Champion, think about the kind of world you'll do your first run in and let that influence it, or write the lore backwards: Let your race and its presence in your world write some of the world's lore. Finally, let's also remember culture! Culture is as much a part of your race as physiology. Even one minor difference can be huge in the lore. Asgera Spinesplitter's Bloodfang Orcs are identical to the Enthralled Orcs who serve Karissa but for one difference: Where they hunt, Karissa's orcs engage in ritual cannibalism. Magnify such differences when crafting your lore. Let your race's culture be more than just a pair of mechanics. Example: The Alluvian Harbingers

在某个世界里，有一个男人，他是人类英雄与为和平舍弃龙形的龙族爱人的后裔（这个人正是卡哈兹的兄弟！）。这位龙族在奥术方面拥有非凡的力量，这种力量通过血脉传承给了她的儿子。尽管他并非法师，却拥有卓越的魔法潜力，并且对魔法有着极强的抵抗力。这个男人后来征服了他的世界，在长达数世纪的生命中娶了许多妻子和妾室。 那些由龙族母亲所生的人被称为帝国后裔，他们有望在世界上获得一定的地位。然而，绝大多数人都没有这样的机会。这些人被称为“冲积之子”（Alluvians，源自拉丁语“alluvium”，意为流水沉积的砾石沉积物），他们本质上根本不是帝国的正式成员。他们在宫殿外接受专门的课程教育，之后便被释放，自谋生路。许多人成为了雇佣兵或士兵，这得益于他们那位英雄祖父的战士血统，让他们在浴血奋战时能泰然自若。另一些人则过着漂泊的生活，寻找人生的目标。 当某个强大的冲积之子成为一名异常强大的法师时，他开始窥见自己世界之外星海的秘密。当那些觊觎他王国的巫师之王撕裂了通往星海的道路时，他召集了许多冲积之子，决心超越自己的身份地位，踏上征程。他派遣他的冲积先驱者们先行，为他铺平道路。 冲积先驱者是拥有抗性、坚韧和适应力特质的人类。抗性源于他们父亲的龙族血脉，坚韧源于他们父亲的战士血统——这让他们的战斗或逃跑反应倾向于“战斗”，而适应力则与其他许多人类一样。他们在成长过程中形成了封建文化，并像他们父亲的族人一样保持着帝国主义思想，他们曾作为平等的一员生活在这些族人之中。他们还具备多产蜂群特质，正如其文化所期望的那样，也正如他们的父亲在创造他们时所展现的那样，他们倾向于娶多位妻子并培养众多战士。 合二为一 统治者与种族可以合为一体，创造出一种良好的相互作用，为你的背景故事画上最终的句号。以妮梅因·斯卡珊娜为例。她的沼泽溺亡者并非简单适应了沼泽生活的精灵族。妮梅因是一名挥舞着【灵魂之书】的死灵法师！这些精灵族是在他们如今称之为家园的沼泽中被溺死，然后被其主人复活为不死生物的。他们的【坚韧】特性肯定不是生活方式的结果，而是源于他们身为不死生物的本质。同样，在这个阶段，你可以真正明确这些人为何称你的角色为主人。 例如：法妮丝·埃尔克霍恩和她的树生精灵。

在某个世界的茂密森林中，居住着一群精灵族，他们将家园建在高大树木交织的浓密树冠间。这些树生精灵曾是生活在这片森林里的德鲁伊，用他们的治愈魔法照料着森林中的生灵。然而，这一切都发生在“野性狩猎”之前。 这个领域存在着三个生存层面：曾经生机勃勃、物产丰饶的森林地面，如今被因“野性狩猎”而变得狂暴的动物所占据……树冠层，由绳桥连接的木质城市在此安全地繁荣发展……以及神秘而危险的“上方”；树冠之上广阔的天空，那里的飞行生物和种族有着自己的事务。危险常常从上方降临到树冠层，比如寻找猎物的狮鹫，或是保卫领地的巨鹰。但还有另一位存在。她是一条美丽的自然巨龙，名为法妮丝·埃尔克霍恩。她以滋养下方的生命为己任，对这些生命在艰难环境中展现出的适应与繁衍能力印象深刻。当来自上方的威胁降临时，法妮丝会将其击退。当她得知是什么原因迫使这些生命躲入树冠的令人不安的真相后，她决心保护自然的秩序免受狂野狩猎的破坏。她致力于保护这些精灵族，直到为他们找到一个新的家园——一个未被狂野狩猎触及的世界。作为回报，树生精灵将永远感激他们的上空之主。 法妮丝是一位起始拥有【根之法典】的龙领主。她的树生精灵是具有【敏锐洞察】和【锐利目光】特质的精灵族，与他们的同类十分相似……他们还拥有轻足特性，这得益于他们为适应树栖生活而发展出的杂技能力。他们是一个蛮族社会（可能在【原始狂怒】发布后发生转变），具有远古德鲁伊和隐士王国特性。前者体现了他们的过去，后者则反映了他们的现在。无论他们去往何处，都只想不受打扰地寻找自己的应许之地。 例如：沃拉基斯·腐牙和他的泥鳞吞噬者们

Three Ages ago, a war was waged between three brothers in the sky. The eldest of them was Vorakkis, a mighty Dragon Lord with fiery breath and a thirst for violence. So often did he bring violence upon the denizens of the world that his younger brothers saw it necessary to intervene, lest he bring the wrath of every creature in the realm upon their lair. Enlisting the aid of a powerful mountain sorcerer, they warred with Vorakkis and eventually buried him deep beneath the earth. Sometime during the early stages of the Fourth Age, Vorakkis was uncovered by a primitive race of Lizardfolk who had made the underground their home. Starved and furious, Vorakkis struck out against the Lizardfolk and immediately won their fear, but he saw in them a violence that resonated with his own heart. He quickly turned the Lizardfolk to his advantage and used them to navigate his way to the surface, which had become overgrown by a massive forest. Liberated from his long imprisonment, Vorakkis sent his Mudscale Devourers into the vast forest to slaughter and devour any creature they could find. Vorakkis' desire for violence had spent three Ages dormant as he lay buried underground. Even a dragon's lifetime would not be enough to satisfy it now. Animals not slaughtered became vicious and bloodthirsty, adapting to their new ecosystem by way of osmosis. The once vibrant forest began to twist into a malignant shell of itself. The Savage Hunt had begun, and it would not soon end. Indeed... It may not even end at the edges of this realm. Vorakkis Fleshfang is a Dragon Lord starting with the modded Tome of Hunger. His Mudscale Devourers are Lizardfolk with the Underground Adaptation, Cold Blooded, Overwhelm Tactics, and Sharp Eyes traits. This is a race heavily adapted by its master to their new purpose: Although Underground Adaptation is natural to them and their Overwhelm Tactics are rooted in their clutch-driven instincts, they became Cold Blooded and gained their Sharp Eyes as they adapted to the Savage Hunt with the blessing of their chaotic benefactor. They have a Barbarian society who are Prolific Swarmers and Ritual Cannibals. The former is innate to their former culture, while the latter was imparted to them by Vorakkis. [NEW!] Primals, Oathsworn, and Eldritch Sovereigns The Primal culture type is tied to various animal totems, this we all know. But the way that manifests? That's up to you. Sure, maybe your people worship an animal spirit and get powers off of that. You can even come up with all kind of lore for what form their "mini-godir" takes. Is it literally a nature spirit, or some trickster godir wannabe that your people buy into? Maybe your Champion becomes the true godir of your people after uncovering this spirit's trickery, stealing its powers, and ascending to the pantheon. But you can also take a different direction. Making your civilization a druidic circle that embodies a specific totem animal more than any other is one way to go. Another is to say that your people naturally embody the traits of their chosen animal. You're not nature-worshipers, you're primal barbarians who bear the bloodline of a great mammoth (don't ask how) and channel your ancestral power when raging. Or your people have some ancient blood ritual that ignites bloodied weapons and uses them to set enemies alight. Get creative with it! Honestly, even if you worship a spirit animal, you need not actually be nature worshipers or even nature dwellers. It could simply be a unifying religion for your otherwise "mundane" people. In this case, your chosen totem animal affects your visuals, so make use of that in your lorecrafting! The same can be true of Oathsworn, which as far as I'm aware are a pretty clean slate lore-wise. I've only been playing since Shadow Magic, but I don't remember another faction with this kind of society. There are all kinds of ways you might imagine these folks. They could simply be a society with incredibly strong ethics, or a religious society bound to a specific ancient godir. Could go the full-blown samurai route, of course, even though they're only a touch samurai in aesthetic. But I'd like to discuss a fun little route I plan to take, which I'll use in my examples. I'm a bit fan of a genre called xianxia. Short explanation: It's a Chinese high fantasy genre in which people try to cultivate immortality and basically become gods, gaining tremendous power along the way. Like-minded cultivators often form sects, and it's not uncommon to see these sects war with one another for resources and even territory. This sort of thing could also apply here. If you don't wanna go all in, dial it back Mists of Pandaria style: Make your people an upstart martial arts sect, becoming an empire. Or even just an empire that uses martial arts in war. Plenty of movies and such with examples of this. Now Eldritch Sovereigns... From what I understand, the story here is that you came upon some ancient forbidden magic and became an elder god in the making. What's your story? Are you a cultist who followed your occult ways into the Umbral Abyss, transformed into something "more"? Or are you fallen from the chambers of umbral power, seeking to reclaim your former glory? However you came to be, you now have a cult forming around you. Your tangible, visible faction – the units you field and the cities you build – likely represents your "chosen". The cream of the crop among your cultists who are worthy to be more than mere thralls. You trust them with responsibility. Power. They follow you with unflinching loyalty, and you reward them by changing them. Molding them to better extend your twisted will to the worlds you infest. None of these loyal few are so few, so loyal, or so capable as your heroes. You can think of heroes of all stripes as the leaders of your cult. You don't lead, your ways are too lofty for that. You go and do as you please, and your people follow. It's your heroes who coordinate these efforts, being those who understand your desires best. The faction itself can come in one of two broad flavors: Those you already shaped to suit your desires, or those who serve you seeking a transformation. In general, they're probably going to be loyal and willing followers, but do you! If you have a compelling idea for something a bit more iron-fisted, by all means, embrace the spark of creativity. Either way, those who you haven't already molded to suit you needn't be anything in particular. You can make anything work pretty easily. You can even have a Good-aligned faction, believe it or not! Either your aims somehow serve a greater good, or your faction believes they do. Or maybe your faction's leaders are trying to do good by borrowing power from an evil abomination. Let me stress though, you do not need to be evil! In fact, you're likely to be a neutral sort. Your goals stretch beyond good and evil into unknowable realms. How the masses interpret them... Well, why should that concern one so beyond as yourself? [NEW!] Updated Examples Example: Saruneh-Kahet the Scalebinder and her Queshari

萨鲁内-卡赫特是一个小贵族家庭的女儿，她天生就是一名技艺娴熟的工匠，十几岁时就掌握了家族的鳞甲编织技艺。这种独特的技艺借助瓦杰塞特——被奎沙里人尊崇的鳄鱼女王——的祝福，将自然死亡的鳄鱼材料与魔力编织在一起，打造出锋利的骨制武器和强大的长矛。她的母亲被称为“迷雾使者”，是一位传奇的鳞甲编织师，传闻她的作品蕴含着鳄鱼女王本人的精髓。按理说，萨鲁内-卡赫特本该继承母亲的衣钵。但这一切都随着“瓦杰塞特之怒”而改变。这场巨大的洪水夺走了许多人的生命，摧毁了奎沙里首都内马塞特的经济。萨鲁内-卡赫特非但没能为继承做准备，反而发现自己失去了所有家人。她的弟弟们被洪水吞噬，但夺走她母亲性命的却是这片被改变的土地——母亲染上了一种在死水潭中滋生的可怕疾病。 统治奎沙里的远方国王在整个事件中始终缺席。当奎沙里人穿越沙漠执行危险任务向他求援时，他却将他们赶走。萨鲁内-卡赫特怒不可遏，而与她有同样感受的人不在少数。她再次拿起母亲的手艺……这一次是为一支战团打造装备。奎沙里人以复仇为战吼，宣布摆脱这位漠不关心的旱地国王的统治，他们追随萨鲁内-卡赫特前去推翻他。他们将通过祭司与瓦杰塞特对话。拥抱这片泥潭。随后，他们将怒火降临于干旱之地，在那里建立起全新且更为辉煌的定居点。他们开始用天然伪装覆盖全身，在深色皮肤上涂抹泥浆，待其干涸后形成一层薄薄的防护层，抵御武器攻击，助他们在战斗中毫无顾忌地灵活移动。如同他们所骑乘的鳄鱼一般，他们会潜伏在泥潭中，不被察觉，时机一到便迅猛出击。奎沙里人不会被视为迷失于泥潭者，而是在泥潭中找到自我的人。 萨鲁内-卡赫特是一名凡人勇士。她是奎沙里人的缚鳞者——在战场上是一名防御者（使用手斧与盾牌），在法庭上则是一名革新派外交官。她的志向是成为劫掠者，因为她要向那些对他们的苦难视而不见的家伙复仇。她的第一本魔法书是《附魔之书》，这反映了她的鳞缚者背景。 奎沙里人是具有潜行（熟练的伏击战术和伪装技巧）、难以捉摸（移动时硬化的泥浆可抵御擦伤攻击）和防御战术（他们围绕鳞缚盾牌的叠加构建防御策略，且偏好列阵移动）特性的人类。他们是一个原始社会（沼泽鳄鱼），拥有伟大建造者和奇迹建筑师的特质，说实话，这纯粹是因为我在构思他们时融入了许多埃及元素。我一看到鳄鱼，脑子里就想到了埃及。 例如：巢母诺武和她的深渊白蚁。

在太初之世以前，存在着一种名为诺武的深渊恐怖——在阿卡尼亚人的语言中，意为【吞噬者】。她降临在阿卡尼亚人的领域，用作为下半身的巨口吞噬了整座整座的城市。在尝试了所有已知方法都无法消灭她之后，一位阿卡尼亚贤者设计了一个代价高昂且复杂的封印，牺牲了众多阿卡尼亚人的生命，将诺武封印在一名自愿的阿卡尼亚人体内，从而为找到消灭她的方法争取时间。为了防止她与散落在领域各处的自身 essence 碎片融合，这位阿卡尼亚宿主被放逐到了另一个完全不同的领域。她在那里生活了整整四个纪元，只是看着那个世界的变迁。她所见证的故事，足以填满世间所有的图书馆……最近，一群过度繁殖的白蚁困扰着这片领域，它们侵蚀城市，并将俘虏蛹化为新的白蚁。英雄们在第三纪元挺身而出阻止了它们……但到了第四纪元，那些英雄早已离去，白蚁却卷土重来。 这些白蚁将成为诺武的逃生之路。要知道，它们并非这片领域的原生生物。白蚁挖掘了广阔的隧道来繁衍后代，同时吞噬着周围的世界，而在它们之前的世界里，它们偶然间触及了一股星界能量流。随着诺武的宿主年事已高，日渐衰弱，这些白蚁将成为她的出路。诺武运用被遗忘的魔法，将自己与白蚁蚁后绑定，改造其身体以容纳自己的形态……并成为了白蚁的巢母。她循着星界的流动，回到了那个早已被白蚁摧毁的世界，而奥秘法师们已无力追踪。诺武终于获得了自由，尽管只是昔日自我的一道影子。但她的新族群对她忠心耿耿，甚至到了盲从的地步。她会让它们不知疲倦地挖掘，直到找到通往暗影深渊的道路。借助深渊的力量，她将改造它们，使它们顺从自己的意志，成为传播暗影瘟疫的载体，去侵染那些它们觊觎的世界。在族群的开路下，诺武再次踏上征程，决心重获曾经拥有的禁忌知识，并找到那些将她封印的奥秘法师。 育母诺武是一名法师（宇宙遗物）。她是一名阴险的间谍，有着探索者的野心——她希望她的白蚁挖得更宽，找到能让她重获力量的宝藏。她的初始魔法书是《触手之书》。 深渊白蚁是具有压倒性战术（它们擅长以数量优势击溃敌人）、凶猛（它们强壮且为战斗而生）和地下适应（它们栖息于地下，挖掘广阔的隧道网络作为家园）的昆虫类生物。它们拥有黑暗社会，因为它们之所以能形成社会完全是因为它们的新女主人。它们具备多产蜂群（化蛹）和暗影信徒（诺武对其物种的提升）的社会特质。] 示例门派 我发誓上次制作指南时并没有这个字符限制，但内容被截断了，所以我不得不将其单独放在一个部分。 示例： wyrmking yehuo 与他的黑曜石之牙门派

Among cultivators, there are two broad categories: Orthodox, denoting those with some semblance of a code of honor who cultivate through self-discipline, spiritual enlightenment, or harmony... and Heterodox, those who are utterly ambiguous with their morals and use forbidden, often evil techniques to cultivate. Zhong Baizhi was in the former camp. A core disciple of the orthodox Radiant Sun Sect, he was gifted with pure spirit roots attuned to primordial yin. The sun always casts a shadow, and there was a branch of his sect which dealt with the inverse of bright, warm yang. He was the personal disciple of the Grand Elder in charge of that branch. Baizhi was a dutiful member of the sect, and prodigal. He formed the Nine-Phases Lunar Core after only fifteen years, establishing his foundation more swiftly and more comprehensively than anyone since his shifu had before him. He was a capable wielder of lightning techniques who personally defeated six enemy cultivators before reaching his next bottleneck. But all was not well. The Moon Shadow branch was seen by many to be an afterthought. The arrogant elders of the main branch dismissed the Moon Shadow branch, rarely considering their members for promotion and casting them only scraps as far as cultivation materials were concerned. This stifled Zhong Baizhi's growth and infuriated not only him, but many other members of the Moon Shadow branch. Worse, his shifu would do nothing about it. He had lived in the shadow of the main branch for 230 years and saw value in not rocking the boat. When Baizhi formed his Golden Core, some of his Moon Shadow juniors and even seniors began to look to him as their leader. Their future. Baizhi began organizing secret missions, unsanctioned by the sect elders, to search for immortal caves and other sites of power to find cultivation materials that would not be announced to the sect. Instead, they would be hoarded for use by Baizhi and his dissidents. One of these treasures would be the Dragon's Maw Scripture... A cultivation manual containing a forgotten forbidden cultivation method. By devouring the essence of demonic beasts, Dragon's Maw enabled the cultivation of the powerful Obsidian Dragon Constitution and a plethora of other abilities, all with the goal of transcending human limitations. Baizhi and his sect began cultivating this method in secret, and before long, Baizhi was ready to retreat into the cave and step into the next realm of cultivation. That is, until the elders discovered their trove of materials. A group led by Elder Hong Luo came to seize Baizhi while he was in seclusion, forming his Nascent Soul, with the goal of destroying his cultivation as punishment for leading the dissidents. His adherents fought hard to hold them back, knowing that if Baizhi could break through, Hong Luo with his mid-grade Golden Core would be no match. At the critical moment, the barrier protecting the cave shattered and a dark, overwhelming pressure vented out across the site of the battle. Out walked Baizhi, his body reshaped, his aura dark and oppressive, to utterly destroy Hong Luo and his followers. They would not return to the Radiant Sun. That day was the birth of a new sect – the Obsidian Fang Sect – dedicated to scouring the world for cultivation materials and rare artifacts, even... No, particularly if they must be taken from the ashes of other sects. With the Balefire Forge Art contained in the Dragon's Maw Scripture, they could refine these artifacts into something greater and use them for their own climb up the ladder. They had been denied a seat at the table long enough. It was time to flip the table and take its bounty for themselves. Baizhi would soon discard his name and take on the moniker of Wyrmking Yehuo; "Wyrmking Night Fire". The cultivation world would come to fear this name as he amassed more and more power to himself, his terrible magic coming for sect after sect like a storm of tribulation. Wyrmking Yehuo is a Wizard King Mage (Lightning Orb). He is a Demon Warlord with the Collector ambition. What else? His starting tome is the Tome of Evolution, embodying the core principles of his Dragon's Maw Scripture. I could have just as easily chosen Disciple again for Monks, and indeed it's probably the second tome I'd get on him. The Obsidian Fang Sect are Ogrekin with Tough, Strong, and Hardy, all traits gained through the core practice of their cultivation. Theirs is an Oathbound society focused on Strife. They are Ancient Wise Ones (long-lived cultivators seeking forbidden knowledge) and Reclaimers (they refine captured artifacts into more powerful forms) as far as their society. Afterword Thanks for reading to the end. Hopefully this inspires you for your next run or three. Forgive any typos (I make them often and my patience for proofreading is almost nonexistent), and if this inspires any lore, I'd love to read about it in the comments. Happy conquering, friends! Speaking of conquest, did you know Christ conquered death for all men? That's right, all, not just those who believe! Sure, there's a special (and early) salvation for those given (not drumming up) the faith to believe now. But verses like 1 Timothy 4:10, Colossians 1:20, and 1 Corinthians 15:22-28 make pretty clear that eventually, all will come under the glorious effect of God's grace. This includes atheists and pagans! Judgment won't be any fun, but it's corrective and eonian[www.mercyonall.org], not unending (which would be ἀτελείωτος, not αἰώνιος). I won't derail the topic too much but I just like for people to know that. It really is great news. Blessings from the God and Father of my Lord Jesus Christ to you all.