What is the Pact of Sanctum Cruor?  It is an agreement between you the creator/s (players and/or GM) and Tiamat.  Satiate Tiamat's and her brood's hunger by placing mankind on the worlds ate bare by the wyrms and your immortal blood in the belly of Tiamat.  It is agreement fueled by the desire of survival for both the wyrms and mankind.  Why did you agree to the Pact of Sanctum Cruor?  Only you know the answer to that.  

Five distinct worlds representing the habitats of each of the chromatic dragons were mankind rebuilds on the ruins of the ancient inhabitants.  Over time the cultures of mankind have blended with their environments.  These are the footholds on the worlds of the dragons and these are the Five Houses of mankind:  House Geist on the world of Hor Fraust (white dragon), House Goth on the world of Ladyspit (black dragon), House Wardin on the world of Hala Costik (green dragon), House Sultin on the world of Blyster (blue dragon), and House Utze on the world of Nipalm (red dragon).  The worlds are connected by the Nexus Bazarre, market place of the Houses.  In the center of the Nexus Bazarre lies the halls of the Mercantile Commorancy, the banking establishment setup by Tiamat to manipulate human affairs, and the halls of the Vindettis Cota, a force setup by you (the creator/s) to battle the opposition of mankind.  

The Vindettis Cota is divided into two distinct groups, the Enlisted (human classes) and the Sentenced (demi-human classes).  Enlisted are those who have joined the Vindettis Cota willingly and the Sentenced are those who have comitted crimes against the Houses.  Summed for brevity.

Enlisted Classes - Elite from the War Colleges.

Bashar (fighters)- The war masters.  
  Ordus Samarit (Paladins)- Bashar color guard sworn to the forces of life.  Distinguished by a white scar over their left eye.
  Ordus Partis (Knights)- Bashar color guard sworn to one of the Five Houses.  Distinguished by a red scar over their left eye.  
  Ordus Canis (Avengers)- Bashar color guard sworn to the forces of death.  Distinguished by a black scar over their left eye.
Shaido (Thieves)- The intelligence masters.
Fo'Kai (Magic-Users)- Demon chainers.  
Nemesai (Clerics)- The unliving.  Counter-point to the undead.
Feyd (Mystics)- Special forces.

Sentenced Classes - Elite from the Prison Farms.  

Symbaal (Elves)- Prisoners prepared to use armor or weapons inscribed with symbols by the Fo'Kai.  
Diahun (Dwarves)- Prisoners prepared by fighting in pitfighter arenas.
Cerberun (Halflings)- Prisoners prepared by fighting in the House prison farms.

Miscellaneous

Acir (Druids)- Nemesai who decide to become hippies after their term of enlistment in the Vindettis Cota.

neat!

but why are clerics "the unliving"?

funny how mystics get to be "special forces" but druids are stuck with being "hippies."  i would've flopped 'em, IMO :keke:

how does the pact thing work between players & ref?

Quotebut why are clerics "the unliving"?

In order to combat undead forces left from conflicts between the wyrms and the ancient inhabitants, the Vindettis Cota formed the Nemesai.  The Nemesai ritually kill themselves using blades to explore the nature of life and death.  Using blades causes the scars of their indoctrination to bleed.  It is commonly believed that the Nemesai have sold their souls to grant them their abilities, hence the unliving.  

Quotefunny how mystics get to be "special forces" but druids are stuck with being "hippies."

9th level is where the characters are given the option to leave the Vindettis Cota.  The Acir are Nemesai many believe are soul searching.  Mystics have been trained to kill with only their bodies as weapons.  Depending on the circumstances of House cultures that could prove helpful.  

Quotehow does the pact thing work between players & ref?

The concept is to give only the bare bones of the campaign.  With each character made and each scenario created, the players become the creators of what the Pact of Sanctum Cruor is.  For example, if you create a Diahun sentenced to the Vindettis Cota for helping slaves escape from House Sultin, you are assisting in establishing the culture of House Sultin.  With each scenario developed and played, the GM is developing the nature and history of the worlds.  I wanted it that way so the GM duties could be shared/round-robined if desired.

Gunslinger, that's a wicked cool set-up.

Quote from: jrientsGunslinger, that's a wicked cool set-up.

Thanks jrients.  I'll put that as a recommendation in my little black scaled Pact Journal.   Pact is my fantasy heartbreaker.  6 years off and on of refining and concept drawing with only the slightest of interest from the groups I play with.  It has taught me how much power setting can have over system and playstyle but obviously I have a blind spot in implementation.