The Virian Chronicler

THE MASK OF MARTIUS The death mask of the Varathusian Warrior God Martius is an artefact of power dating back to the earliest times of the Carpathian Movement.  (See Carpathian Movement for more details)  It was widely believed to be only a myth until an archaeologist discovered it and delivered it into the hands of Sean Donovan, a distant relative of the founders of the Donovan Institute.  (See Donovan Institute for more details) Martius was born an ordinary mortal, a Carpathian by the name of Lord Marco Entrevi. Due to his heroics in protecting Varathusia from many enemies, the other Gods granted him ascension to Godhood at the time of his passing. His tactical and fighting skills were superb and he passed on his knowledge to many others. Varathusia would not be the flourishing planet of today without that knowledge and skill. Made from obsidian with eyes of Elediyaan crystal, the mask contains vestiges of its creator's life essence, often referred ...

CARPATHIAN MOVEMENT The Carpathian Movement (also known as the Carpathian Way) was founded by the Cesario family millennia ago.   Through cunning and diligence, they gathered power and established a set of rules which formed the basis for the Carpathian Way.   As with all large families, schisms occurred and different offshoot families were formed. These offshoot families prospered and multiplied, becoming the earliest incarnation of the movement.   The ten families with the greatest power and influence established themselves as the Inner Circle.   The rest became known as the Echelons, decreasing in power from the First to Tenth Echelons.   Over time, other families outside the Echelons adopted Carpathian principles but they remain obscure and lack the influence of the more well-known names. In those early days, the ordinary Varathusian citizens (known as the Varahs), used the term Carpathian in a derogatory sense.   It was derived from ...

THE VYRDIGAAN ORDER An ancient cabal of sorcerers dedicated to the study of crystal bonds.  The pioneering Malvanian alchemist Drusyt Retnik was among the first to perfect the technique of artificial crystal-bonding.  Together with his colleagues Judaas Fendor (Malvanian), Reginald Levereton (Virian) and Wilfred Trahern (Virian), he conducted many experiments on unbonded test subjects until the four sorcerers discovered the best way of introducing crystal fragments into the DNA of those without crystal bonds.    Judaas Fendor   Drusyt Retnik Reginald Levereton Wilfred Trahern Their techniques were considered blasphemous throughout Viria.  They were forced into hiding and eventually relocated their laboratory to Malvania, where their experiments were revered instead of reviled. The four men became known as the Crystal Mages.  It was only later that they adopted the term Vyrdigaan — an ancient word meaning "mixture" or "combination...