Meteor - World Info

Valantis
A world much like Earth in its climate. It is populated by humans and many of the plants and animals we know, but also dangerous monsters. Humans managed to thrive by working together to take down powerful enemies, and are now the dominant species on Valantis. Over half of the world's population is a part of...

The Crythanian Empire
Also known merely as "The Empire." The Crythanian Empire has stood for over a thousand years, a ruthless imperial dictatorship where the word of the Emperor is law. They are the only nation on Valantis to possess the secret of creating Anima and Anima Drivers, leading them in recent years to a long campaign of consecutive victories against their enemies (which consist of most of the rest of the world). Beyond the Empire's borders is a mosaic of smaller nations and kingdoms, squabbling with each other but still trying to present a united front against the unstoppable advance of the imperial army.

The Empire is a diverse place, consisting of many of what were once disparate kingdoms, now united under one banner. That diversity is seen nowhere more than in...

Acherys
Also known merely as "The Capital." Acherys is the largest, most powerful city in the world, and home to the imperial royal family and seat of power within the Empire. The majority of the city is a dense urban sprawl known as the Lower City, home to those of lower status. Population is dense, crime rates are high, resources are slim. The government turns a blind eye to these lower citizens and their plights, and they live in miserable conditions.

Standing above the Lower City is the heart of Acherys, the Acropolis. This shining city-within-a-city is a utopia for the nobility that calls it home. Lower citizens are barred from entering the Acropolis, and those who live there have their every need provided for. Lower citizens must obey any orders given to them by nobles, and crimes committed by nobles against lower citizens are all but ignored. At the heart of the Acropolis is the imperial palace, home to the royal family that rules the Empire.

Technology
Valantis boasts a mishmash of advanced and lesser technology. Guns exist, but swords and other melee weapons still see common use. Television exists, but with only a handful of stations closely controlled by the government. People travel by train, with only the richest of the rich owning personal vehicles. Computers exist, and are in some ways quite advanced, but displays are all retro wireframes and chunky pixels, and the internet is unheard of. It's a gritty fantasy cyberpunk world, where individuals can hold immense military might and the industrial revolution has brought with it great innovations and great evil.

In the most advanced parts of the empire, most notably the Acropolis, Anima are used to produce clean energy and miracles that the Lower City can scarcely imagine.

The Aristocracy
Life in the Empire, especially in the Capital, is defined by your social standing. There are clearly-delineated levels of society, with very little social mobility. Your social status is so important that it's a part of your name.

• Commoner: Also known in the Capital as "lower citizens". Those who live below, who have few rights and no power. This is the vast majority of the population.
• Exiled: Those who were once nobility, but had their status revoked. Their standing is equivalent to commoners, but their surname is prefixed with "Ol-" to indicate their disgrace.
• Uplifted: Those who were fortunate enough to reach the Acropolis through the Uplift Project. They are infinitely higher than commoners, but still among the lowest of nobles. Their surname is prefixed with "Ji-".
• Distinguished: Those who were elevated to nobility through great feats or contributions to the Empire. This is often applied to military families, and their surnames are prefixed with "At-".
• Noble: Members of elite families recognized by the Empire, those with wide influence and vast wealth. Noble families are denoted with surnames prefixed with "En-".
• High Noble: Noble families that stand high above others. Many of these families have their origins in the roots of the Empire itself, and their heads are some of the most powerful people on the planet. Their surnames are prefixed with "El-".
• Royal: The Emperor and his immediate family, the supreme rulers of the empire. Their names are prefixed with "Va-".

Monsters
Valantis is a dangerous place. Since the dawn of civilization and continuing into the modern day there have been records of monsters, appearing in the dark corners of every nation to slaughter mankind. They are powerful and dangerous, and the task of exterminating them as they appear is left to professional monster hunters and the imperial army.

Monsters come in an endless variety of shapes and sizes, boasting all kinds of strange powers. However, they can be broadly divided into two categories: Red monsters, and white monsters. Red monsters are about twice as common, and do nothing save for seeking out and killing as many humans as possible. White monsters are a stranger variety - they ignore humans, instead seeking out and killing red monsters. If not killed, both types of monsters will eventually vanish as mysteriously as they appear. Neither type can be reasoned with or communicated with; they carry out their violent natures like machines.

Meteor - Dramatis Personae

These are but some of the people and organizations you may encounter during your mission.

The Royal Family

The Emperor and his descendants. The pinnacle of the Empire, commanding absolute authority in all things. Their word is law, and none can defy them.

Emperor Zahari Va-Xolani: The face of the Empire, a dictator who rules with an iron fist and demands that the imperial army continue to conquer new lands. He will settle for nothing less than world domination.

Princess Aria Va-Xolani: First in line for the throne. Beautiful and talented, she is known primarily for her brilliance in personal combat. After running out of ways to distinguish herself in combat in the Capital, she left to pursue greater foes at the fringes of the Empire. She has never known defeat.

Prince Fabian Va-Xolani: Second in line for the throne. With the broad assumption that Princess Aria will be the next Emperor, he instead dedicates most of his time and energy to enjoying himself. An infamous playboy and portrait of opulence, he cares about nothing but his own hedonistic pleasure.

The Council of Kings

Nine High Nobles who act as representatives of the nine greater territories that make up the Empire. Some of them are the descendants of former rulers of those territories before they were assimilated by the Empire, but others are Acherysian nobility who were placed to govern those territories in the name of the Emperor. These nine spend much of their time abroad, only occasionally returning to the Capital to discuss important business. They answer only to the royal family, otherwise possessing absolute executive power over their territories.

King Ragna Vo-Hrodulf: A merciless tyrant who oversees one of the Empire's largest territories. His thirst for torment and brutality is spoken of in hushed whispers.

Queen Helena Vo-Siegert: The youngest and most recent addition to the Council. Her home nation was conquered by the Empire just last year, and her parents were killed during the invasion, leaving her as the next in line for the crown. In reality, she has very little power, and even fewer allies within the capital.

The Crown Guard

A group of ten of the strongest, most dedicated warriors of the Empire. Each one is assigned one of the Council of Kings to protect, with the tenth acting as a commander to the other nine. Each one possesses a unique Anima Driver, and each has proved their strength against countless foes.

Reza At-Cizmadia: Leader of the Crown Guard. They are one of the strongest, most deadly Anima Driver users in the world, seeking nothing less than absolute perfection in all martial disciplines. In addition to commanding the Crown Guard, they also act as the Emperor's personal bodyguard and leader of the Royal Guard who oversee the imperial palace.

Animus Industries

An extremely wealthy and influential corporation stationed in the Acropolis. They alone know the closely-guarded secrets of how to create Anima and Anima Drivers. It is said that they have hands in nearly every business in the Capital.

Nethrus El-Solyom: President and CEO of Animus Industries. The richest man in the Empire, he plays his cards close to his chest; very little is known about his personal life.

Lower City Enforcement Guild

The primary law enforcement organization in the Lower City. However, their massive and deep-running corruption is an open secret. Officers of the LCEG are swayed by bribes and politics, and the organization is well known to be cooperating with a long list of criminal organizations. Crimes committed against commoners are of so little significance that there is almost nothing in the way of actual protections afforded to them by the law.

Arcangelo En-Rhyderch: Guild Master. A careless and brutal leader, known less for maintaining order and more for lining his own pockets and killing commoners at the slightest provocation. A name that inspires terror in the common folk.

The Volunteer Labor Union

A crime syndicate that has a great deal of power in the Lower City. Their specialty is human trafficking; if someone disappears, they've probably been taken by the VLU, and you'd best not go looking for them. The LECG turns a blind eye to their crimes.

Cassiel Grieve: The boss of the VLU. Despite being a commoner, he has enough power among commoners to live like a noble. Anyone who displeases him meets a swift and brutal end.

Meteor

A secret organization within the shadows of the Lower City. They use stolen technology to strike at the Empire before vanishing into the night. There is nothing these terrorists won't do to bring the Capital to its knees.

Elethia Ol-Matevos: The enigmatic leader of Meteor. Her past is unknown, but her hatred for the Empire is without equal. Every authority within the Capital is hunting her, and the one that brings her in - alive or dead - will be rewarded handsomely.