"Every world breathes… but not all are free to scream."
There was once a galaxy forgotten by its peers — a galaxy that bore no GOD. Whether its deity had died or had never existed at all, none could say. But unlike the others, it was silent. Dormant. Its light dim.
That silence ended when a new god emerged, not from celestial womb or divine fire — but from within. Born as a mortal, ascended by pain, sharpened by failure, and tempered in the forge of mortal ambition.
He did not stand above his creations. He walked among them. And from his divine seat, he spun galaxies not with thunder or flame, but with intention.
One such creation was World-7 — a planet of scars and silence. A place called: VIRELIA
Virelia — A World in Decay
Centuries ago, Virelia was a thriving civilization — towers etched into the clouds, humanity ruling with innovation. But with that growth came arrogance, and with arrogance came collapse. A mutagenic plague — called simply THE HOWL — reshaped the planet's fate.
It didn't kill. It twisted.
Creatures once human became shrieking remnants. Entire cities vanished under biomass-infested roots. Technology regressed to ruin. Firearms rusted in dirt. Satellite signals were but ghosts in the sky. Mankind was flung back into primitive survival.
Virelia was now ruled by fear, ruin, and evolution.
But unlike other gods who watched from afar, the creator of Virelia bound it in a seal — a cosmic barrier that veiled the world, cutting it off from the galaxy. A cage. A protection. A test.
No one could leave. Nothing could enter.
Unless the world — or someone within it — could earn the right to shatter the veil.
The Hollowbrand System
In Virelia, power is not given. It is earned, carved, and acknowledged by the world itself.
Three paths of power exist:
1. Survivor's Flame – Those who persist against extinction gain increased durability, intuition, and predatory instincts.
2. Mutagenic Adaptation – Those who embrace the infection without being consumed evolve into hybrids — walking the line between monster and man.
3. Echo Forging – Those who unlock remnants of old civilization gain access to ancient knowledge, weapons, and AI relics buried beneath the surfabecom
But once in a generation, the world chooses another path.
4. The Hollowbrand – Not inherited. Not infected. Acknowledged.
A symbol that appears on those the world itself deems as its true heirs. It grants power unique to the individual, shaped by who they are… or who they might become.
The Hollowbrand cannot be taught.
It cannot be stolen.
It is a mirror — of soul, intent, and potential.
A Boy with a Mark
In the far ruins of the city of Meris, beneath a shattered observatory, a boy is born. Or perhaps, reborn.
He does not know his place in the world.
He does not know the veil above, or the god who watches below.
He does not know his future.
Only that he dreams… of other lives. Other deaths. Other screams.
And when he awakens —
The Hollowbrand pulses on his skin.