<aside> 🪴 Hope is a currency. It buys tomorrow. It gives us what we need to survive today.
</aside>
In the first age, the world existed without light. Yet the land was habitable, and humanity endured within that darkness. In that age there arose a man, born of humans like any other. His given name is disputed and no longer recorded with certainty, but what is agreed upon is that he attained great power and restored light to the world. By this act he became known as the High Knight.
After reclaiming the light, the High Knight remained among men. He did not diminish with years, nor was he subject to death. In that age he founded Emrys, the capital raised by his hand, and from it he observed the affairs of the world. Beyond Emrys, the peoples of humanity spread outward and established their own realms, owing him no governance. He walked openly between these lands, bringing hope, inspiration, and peace to his followers. In his honour was the Investitura founded, which served to record and codify his example.
Then, many centuries later and seemingly without reason, the High Knight chose to relinquish his immortality. He provided no explanation beyond clarifying it was his choice and died in due course, living his remaining years as any other ruler. His death was natural, and the light he restored did not fade with him.
Thus came the end of the Years of Restoration, and the Mortal Age began. In the years following, new peoples began to appear in the world. These were not human, nor were they recorded in earlier ages. Their origins are variously attributed to distant lands, hidden places, or realms previously inaccessible. That they emerged after the death of the High Knight is not disputed, though whether this was consequence or coincidence remains a matter of scholarly debate.
The predominant orthodoxy in Eos is the Investitura, which a little over half of humanity actively follows. It formalises rites and teachings in the name of the High Knight, whose memory is both venerated and deified. They are not a religious institution, but many perceive them as such.
There also exist the Gods, aspects said to embody the mortal mind and experience. Most Gods are worshipped sporadically, when a mortal is in need of their specific guidance. However, there are those who follow and preach the teachings of a specific God their entire lives, and temples to these figures can be found across the land.
The most devout followers of both the High Knight and the Gods are capable of manifesting magic, though whether this power is bestowed by an external presence or arises internally and is simply channelled by faith remains unclear.
The kingdoms and towns of Eos all use a common currency called Crowns. These coins are minted in Emrys, where they are smelted from copper, silver, gold and platinum in ascending value. One silver piece represents one Crown.
The two epochs of mortal history are the Years of Restoration (marked as A.R., meaning Anno Recepto) and the Mortal Age (marked as M.A.). The Years of Restoration came to an end when the High Knight passed in 814 A.R., and the following year was denoted 1 M.A..