The Jord is largely controlled by 3 human kingdoms that are heavily influenced by The Church of the Holy Sword. The culture of The Second Children is isolated to their floating kingdom.

Major Religions: The Church of the Holy Sword ; Saulism; Animism

The Word flows through Jord and can be harnessed to create magical effects on the planet. The most natural usage is by Embers who are born with the innate ability to manipulate and absorb the raw power, the energy of the universe around them. Other magic users in the Second and Third Children do not have a natural connection into the system and most use tools and incantations to draw from its power. Continued usage of the Word can destroy the life of the living things in the immediate area and will attract an Aphotic to kill the being that is consuming too much energy from the system and an Embers to heal the damaged grid.

More of a species than a type of magic user, Embers can harness and manipulate the energy of the Word to great effect. They are cloistered and trained in isolation as fervent worshipers of the Sun goddess, Saule, only leaving their monasteries and convents to hunt Aphotics and heal the Word.

This animist order live on the island nation of NAME and harness the power of the Word through physical expression of martial arts. The Shin-Te¹⁾ are considered masters of hand to hand combat and deliver devastating attacks through the release of gathered qa (their term for energy from the Word). They believe that life belongs to the one that holds it and cannot be taken away, leaving only the choice of life or death. To surrender to despair is to accept and choose death. They use special bracers and greaves made from Heartstone to gather and store qa. They violently oppose the Followers of Mara, as they feel their magic is unnatural and wrong.

The followers of Mara worship the death goddess, Mara and utilize the energy of dying things and blood to harness the power of The Word. These magic users attract Aphotics the most easily. They use daggers fashioned in the shape of Mara covered in a black patina made of a WEIRD METAL to unless the magic of death. They are scattered throughout Jord and are in opposition to the Shin-Te, finding them naive.