Hollow Monarch - Riftborn

1. The Rift & Its Origins

No one knows exactly when the Rift first appeared. Some claim it was the result of an ancient war between forgotten gods, while others whisper that it is a wound in reality itself. What is certain is that the Rift is both a curse and an opportunity—an ever-expanding abyss that corrupts everything it touches.

Cities, noble houses, and entire kingdoms have crumbled beneath its influence. Yet, from its horrors, power can be taken. Those who survive an encounter with the Rift may awaken with a Rift Sigil, a mark of power etched into their very being. But this power comes at a cost.

2. The Rift Sigil System

A Rift Sigil is more than just a brand—it is a pact. Those who bear one are forever changed, their fates intertwined with the chaotic will of the Rift.

Acquisition:

A Rift Sigil can only be obtained by surviving direct exposure to the Rift or through a ritual sacrifice.

Not everyone survives the process. Many are consumed, their bodies twisted into horrors or erased from existence.

Stages of Growth:

Rift Sigils evolve, granting greater power but deepening the holder's connection to the Rift's madness.

Lesser Sigil – A minor mark with weak abilities. Often unstable.

Greater Sigil – A refined and potent power, but with harsher consequences.

Ascended Sigil – The bearer begins to transcend humanity, gaining godlike abilities at the cost of their sanity.

Monarch Sigil – The ultimate stage. Only a handful in history have ever reached this level. At this point, the bearer is no longer human, but something… else.

The Cost of Power:

Every use of a Rift Sigil erodes the bearer's humanity.

Bearers experience whispers, hallucinations, or intrusive thoughts from the Rift.

Some become monstrous, losing all sense of self.

The more a bearer uses their abilities, the closer they come to something worse than death.

3. Riftborn & The Horrors of the Rift

Those who fail to control their Rift Sigils may transform into Riftborn—twisted abominations that exist only to spread chaos. These creatures vary in strength, from mindless beasts to near-immortal horrors that haunt the depths of the Rift.

Some Riftborn retain fragments of their past selves, whispering to their victims, luring them into madness. Others are pure hunger, devouring everything in their path.

4. The World of Blackreach

Blackreach is a land built on the edge of the abyss. A city of ambition and despair, where nobles and warlords wage silent battles for power while Rift Zones threaten to consume all.

The Noble Houses – Ruling families who control Blackreach through wealth, power, and dark secrets.

The Rift Hunters – Mercenaries trained to navigate the Rift Zones and harvest its deadly resources.

The Cults of the Rift – Fanatics who worship the Rift as a god, seeking to become one with its madness.

5.The Path of Kael

Kael is no ordinary Riftbearer. His Sigil is different—deeper, more insidious. The whispers in his mind do not simply demand blood; they guide him, tempt him, challenge him.

He is not just marked by the Rift.

He is being shaped by it.

And in the end, the question remains—will he master the abyss, or will it consume him?