official website of Erin M. Klitzke, historian and author of Awakenings and Epsilon: Broken Stars
The key is the green of the leaves of high summer, their depth and purity. It is a key crafted to be used by a healer of no small skill—it seems to me that if there were a key that could possibly counter the Gatekeeper’s Key, it might be this, though I could be overstating its power. It is for certain the Key of Healing, once held by the legendary Naria, Mistress of the Houses of Healing at the Basilica del Mare, who was said to be able to work miracles.
This key is more blue than Libraes is, though not quite truly blue—an indigo color, if you will. The tales woven of this key seem to indicate that it enables the bearer to read minds. After some discussion with experts in the field, it seems more feasible that it enables the use to read minds more easily with already extant gifts.
The golden key is another powerful, potentially dangerous key. It is said that many a tragic figure was amongst the ill-fated bearers of this key, a key of heroes. Scholars have not been able to document any confirmed bearer, rumored or otherwise, that lived to see grandchildren. Even as it is a key of heroes, it also seems to be some kind of key of Tragedy. It seems that this key may possibly be able to grant the bearer the ability to do great, even impossible things, but it seems as with all things there is a price exacted—the scales, after all, must balance in the end.
This key is made of a vibrant Imperial purple gemstone in a simple, almost delicate design. It is unadorned except for the wheel-shaped ring at the end of the key. Libraes is said to be the key of balance, of centering, and of wise counsel. Legends say that when the counsel of past carriers of this key was not heeded, the end result was disastrous.
The keys of power are drawn and bound to particular carriers.
The Gatekeeper’s Key is a black moonstone key with silver veining that seems to have the power over life and death. Tales also have it being known as the Assassin’s Key or Silentus’ Key. A very few stories have it listed as Shadowen’s Key, but these do not seem to fit the tales of the man known as Shadowen. Most refer to it as the Gatekeeper’s Key for various reasons, amongst them a particular tale that seems to indicate that the key’s true power is to open or close the gateway to the world beyond, to the heavens or the flames of the Hells. It has been passed down the generations of a single family for at least the last five hundred years.
Arcadius, god of the earth, is often forgotten in the worship of those living in the “civilized” world. The continent of Arcadia is sacred to him.
In truth, the elves largely worship the pairing of Immeria and Arcadius as the Goddess and God, the Divine Equals. Many of the shrines and ruins in the wilds of Arcadia bear strong elven architectural features and were in fact crafted thousands of years ago by a combination of humans and elves that once lived on the massive continent).
Principle organizations: Kami no Kyoudai (Brothers Divine)
Immeria is the goddess sailors pray and sacrifice to, but only rarely, as much of Maraeternum are fairly irreligious in practice, though the belief is strong—enough sailors have seen her power at work to know that she is still a force in the world. A shrine to the pale-haired goddess exists in every major port, usually tended by either a member of the Sorores Maritimae or the Kami no Kyoudai. The Immersea is said to be sacred to her.
Principle organizations: Sorores Maritimae (Sisters Maritime), Kami no Kyoudai (Brothers Divine)