First Journal!

This is an idea that’s been floating around in my head for awhile- a setting at least, with the intent of one day producing a story in it starring one of my characters- the Dragoness Tovera Vashini. (I presume, if you see this, it means you followed me cause you’ve seen the art I’ve commissioned) At this point, I think my best approach is to start things off at the Inquisition academy, with Tovera as a new recruit, and explore her troubled past only in flashbacks.

Everyone at the academy has a notable past, or they wouldn’t have been selected as a possible inquisitor. As an Inquisitor-cadet, each cadet’s Imperial Boon has already been granted… and they are now the legal property of the Emperor. This is pretty much the highest form of slavery in the empire- Inquisitors are expected to be the Emperor’s eyes and ears, and sometimes claws. Some of these recruits are magical hybrids- such hybrids are almost always recruited or destroyed, and their creators are almost always destroyed.

The Inquisition Academy teaches magic theory and magic combat, racial fighting styles (including flying combat for winged races) and Imperial History, races and Cultures. It is a Water Empire, with military control of every spring and dams on every river- If a province should be so lost as to rebel against the empire, then they will find themselves getting thirsty. This usually ends any conflict in less than a week... and everyone knows it. Water magic of any kind is banned by the empire, and most associated magic systems (4 elemental magic, Taoism, ect) have been purged by the empire.

Magic itself is life energy- usually stored in a mineral called Leystone, a handful of which can store more magical energy than a score of living sentients. That’s not to say you can cast spells forever with it- most mages have a hard time with a basic light spell without an external source of magic power, though more experienced and practiced mages can use the mana more efficiently.

Every peasant in the empire is taught how to charge depleted leystone, and magical energy is collected as part of the Empire’s taxes. (and, like taxes, allowing for a notable amount of sticky fingers at each level of the bureaucracy). It is said that the Emperor Himself, and his inner circle, receive enough magical energy each year to keep themselves eternally youthful, to control the weather across the empire, and to pierce the veil of time- the Imperial government does not comment on such speculation.

Races of the empire tend toward predators and scavengers, and the personalities of such tend to show through. Prey species are usually slaves taken from outside the empire. Long distance transportation is airborne, whether by flying courier (Dragon, Avian, or Bat), Kites (A cross between a chariot and a biplane, pulled by flying slaves or beasts) or the newest development, Personal Gliders. (Like RL hang gliers, with a touch of wind magic)

I'm looking for comments, questions about the setting, and suggestions for other Inquisitors and Inquisitor Cadets- Though if I mangle your fursona for the setting, it's your fault for offering. :p