As far back as man can date, Aran has been a land ruled by beasts. The first embers of mankind were nothing but scattered tribes, clawing desperately for survival amidst bloodied camps and crumbled walls. In the eleventh hour of mankind's rebellion against extinction, an event occurred that entirely rewrote the trajectory of the human race: The Impact. An impossibly colossal object, one resembling a sword, pierced the planet at its center and angled itself toward the Sun. From its point of collision, an arcane pulse swept across Aran. Aside from irreversibly altering its flora, fauna, and geography itself, the Impact left behind the Axis, which inexplicably drew the most feral of monsters toward the swordlike entity. Eventually, a band of four Cardinal Heroes traveled to the far South where it had landed - the Bottom of the World - and discovered an otherworldly power, Mana, which they could channel through their weapons. Spreading this knowledge - as they understood it personally - to their respective homelands, the four cardinal regions of Aran absorbed these differing iterations of Mana as foundational pillars of their cultures.

Today, Aran is in a prosperous Martial Age, wherein man has all but driven back monsters from their most notable cities & villages. Still, monsters are not the only thing to threaten the people of Aran - rampaging hysks, vengeful vagrants, the cannibals of Carna, and the rising tensions between the North, South, East, and West are all prevalent concerns for anyone living in Aran. Plus, the Axis still lingers at the Bottom of the World, largely unknown, untouched, and waiting for its next band of Heroes to tap further into its potential.

At Cardinal Sword, we offer: 　⚔️　A community of literate, experienced roleplayers who are always looking to improve and help others do the same! 　⚔️　Functioning exploration - in Cardinal Sword, your roleplay fills out the bestiary and discover new locations! 　⚔️　Over 100 distinct roleplay locations! 　⚔️　A cohesive list of "skills" that keep combat regulated, but also allow for people to create their own moves and techniques! 　⚔️　Combat & survival roleplay vs both the GM'ed environment, as well as other player-controlled swordsmen!

So, the choice is yours: Would you draw your sword, or would you let the beasts & warmongers ravage your home?