Divide And Conquer

In the wretched land of Xiuri', seven races of creatures dwell among seven rings of cursed earth. Here, there is no joy nor peace - only endless war, death and the darkest of magic. At the center lies the capital city of Xanthus, a sprawling metropolis built upon the bones of the dead. Xanthus is home to Prince Voraz, the cruel overlord who rules Xiuri' with an iron fist. Voraz resides within the Black Tower, an imposing obsidian structure that looms high above the city like a threatening blade poised to strike. Surrounding Xanthus is the First Ring, domain of the Toothed. These vile, diminutive creatures resemble gnarled goblins with ash-grey skin, glowing red eyes and sharp fangs. Imps are known for their s******c delight in t*****e and malice. They serve as Voraz's spies, sniffing out any scent of rebellion among the populace. Toothed swarm the First Ring, harassing peasants and fighting endlessly amongst each other when not fulfilling their duties to Voraz. The Second Ring belongs to the Owlkin, a race of enormous owls with huge, penetrating orange eyes and wingspans of up to 20 feet. Deadly hunters, the Owlkin soar through the gloom-laden skies over Xiuri', snatching up unsuspecting victims in their cruelly hooked talons. When not hunting, they roost in the withered trees of the Second Ring, gazing down with cold indifference upon the suffering below. In the Third Ring dwell the Boar-tis, horrific hybrids of boar and humanoid. Massive and muscular, these mutants walk upon two cloven hoofed legs and utilize their tusks and hooves as weapons, goring and trampling any who stand in their way. Simple-minded and easily provoked, the Boar-tis often fly into b****y rampages at the slightest provocation. The Elfs inhabit the Fourth Ring, though they are nothing like the fair and noble Elves of other lands. The Elfs of Xiuri' are a gaunt, sallow people with sunken features and an innate penchant for malevolence. Masters of illusion magic, they use their spells to terrorize and deceive any who dare enter their domain. Victims of Elf magic are often found dead with looks of utter horror on their faces. In the Fifth Ring lurk the Red Tews, hunchbacked humanoids whose bodies are covered in blood red scales and jagged spines. The Red Tews have claws coated in a deadly venom that paralyzes their victims while they slowly devour them alive. Aggressive and reviled by all, the Red Tews keep to themselves within the bleak confines of the Fifth Ring. The Sixth Ring is home to the Sea-kin, aquatic beings with the upper bodies of gaunt, web-fingered humans and the lower bodies of eels. The Sea-kin prowl the fetid swamps of the Sixth Ring, swimming silently beneath the murky waters to seize oblivious prey. Only their glowing yellow eyes can be seen peering out from the gloom before they drag their victims screaming below the surface. Finally, in the Seventh Ring live the Imps, the common peasant folk of Xiuri'. Gaunt, filthy and downtrodden, the Imps endure lives of abject poverty and suffering. They live in crumbling huts and toil endlessly to scratch out meager livings while also providing slave labor for the other races and their depraved overlord, Voraz. Abused, desperate and hardened by their miserable existences, violence, crime and madness are rampant among the Imps. They know no other lives except those of hardship and sorrow. Above all the races stand the Bornians, selected at birth by the Embodiments to serve as Xiuri''s nobility and enforcers. Bornians are marked with blood-red runes granting them magical powers and physical might. They administer Voraz's cruel laws and control the races through fear and brutality. Their orders are to ruthlessly crush any hints of sedition against Voraz. Bornians report to the Embodiments, each a powerful sorcerer who represents one of the seven races. The Embodiments possess unfathomable magic and advise Prince Voraz in exchange for free reign in pursuing their own malevolent agendas. Each Embodiment wields the magic practiced by their race, granting them terrifying control over Xiuri's inhabitants. At the pinnacle of power sits Voraz, the Prince of Xiuri'. A demon in mortal form, Voraz possesses an insatiable appetite for brutality and anguish. He demands utter fealty from all his subjects, inflicting severe punishment upon any who dare defy him. Voraz revels in watching public executions, t*****e sessions and gladiatorial pits where slaves and beasts fight to the death for his amusement. His magic abilities are unmatched, and his every decree becomes law. None dare challenge Voraz's authority, for to do so invites fates worse than death. Xiuri' seethes with oppression, fear, violence and unrest. Rebellion simmers just below the surface as the races grow ever resentful of Voraz's cruelty. The Embodiments and Bornians ruthlessly stamp out any hint of resistance, though they know the rage cannot be contained forever. Voraz himself prepares for the day when his subjects will finally rise up and attempt to cast him down. When that fated day arrives, untold blood will spill as Voraz unleashes his full wrath upon Xiuri'. For now, the races continue existing in misery and subjugation, the endless cycle of violence and despair uniting them in hatred and mistrust of one another. Xiuri' spirals ever downward into the depths of darkness, its wretched inhabitants trapped in perpetual anguish and suffering.