ChainBreaker – World Synopsis
Warning: ChainBreaker is an entirely original fictional setting. It draws inspiration from multiple sources, but it is not based on any real mythology or religion.
The Realms
Existence is divided into four realms, each woven together by the mysterious energy known as Kinju. Death, as mortals know it, does not truly exist here. Instead, life is a cycle: when a body is destroyed, the soul reconstructs itself at a later point, stripped of all its prior Kinju — forced into a complete restart.
But resurrection comes with risk. Each "death" leaves scars upon the soul, and over time, one risks losing their mind entirely. When a soul departs, the body goes Hollow — a grotesque, ravenous beast driven only by hunger for Kinju. The freed soul drifts back to Earth, continuing the endless cycle of life → death → afterlife → rebirth.
The Heavenly Realm
A domain of divine beings — angels, lords, and the Creator itself. Few humans are permitted here, deemed unfit by the heavenly order.
Reapers serve as enforcers and guides, escorting new souls and exterminating Hollows.
Every 5–10 years, heaven deploys a Ravenger to cull the Nether's population, fearing the unchecked growth of Kinju there. Yet, in recent centuries, these purges have faltered.
Earth
Set in the year 2800, Earth is a technologically advanced society spanning much of the solar system. Disease and aging are rare, and lifespans stretch for centuries.
Powers do exist on Earth but are rare — often the roots of myths and legends.
Humanity thrives in science, while whispers of Kinju remain as half-forgotten folklore.
The Nether (Main Setting)
This realm is what mortals would call hell. It is split into two layers, both chaotic and war-torn.
Dix (Realm One) – The inner city, heart of the Nether.
A sprawling cyberpunk metropolis, dense with crime, corruption, and constant violence.
No central government exists — only warlords and Demon Lords who have mastered Kinju. Over 1,000 Demon Lords exist; the top 200 are revered as beings closest to godhood.
The Outer Rim (Realm Two) – Born of war.
Formed when Supreme Kinju wielders clashed with Heaven's angels, unleashing catastrophic energy.
A chaotic wasteland wracked by natural disasters and crawling with abominations fueled by blood.
Hollows not cleansed by Reapers are cast here to contain their threat.
Many warriors willingly seek the Rim, risking death for strength, glory, and forbidden Kinju growth.
Adma Chlula (Land of Hollows) – The forbidden outskirts.
A nightmare realm swarming with millions of Hollowed.
At its end lies the Staircase to Purgatory, the sole escape from the Nether. Only five beings — the Demonic Saints, the original Creator Kinju wielders — have ever reached it, sparking their infamous war against Heaven.
What is Kinju?
Kinju is the fundamental energy of existence — the soul's rebellion against its own chains.
Every being contains it, breathes it, consumes it in food and drink. But mastery is rare, often taking decades just to reach the first stage without self-destruction.
Kinju manifests when a mortal is pushed to their breaking point. It is not magic, but a reflection of the self:
The wielder's deepest wound.
Their strongest conviction.
The chain they refuse to break.
In essence, Kinju is a mirror of truth — one's soul externalized into power.
The Structure of Kinju
1. The Core Principle
Every wielder's Kinju is born from a singular truth, shaping all their abilities.
This principle is both strength and weakness, revealing the psychology and arc of the wielder.
2. The Three Expressions
Outer Kinju (Enhancement):
Amplifies the body, weapons, or aura. The foundation of combat — speed, strength, durability, reflexes.
True Kinju (Technique):
Unique abilities tied to the wielder's Core Principle. These are specialized techniques requiring strategy and timing.
Kinju Rite (Domain):
The ultimate expression — reality itself bends to the wielder's truth. Their soul becomes the battlefield.
Powerful but dangerous: prolonged use risks destroying one's own body
Final Stage of Kinju: Anathema
Definition
Anathema is when a wielder's soul completely rejects not just their chains, but the laws of existence itself.
It is the ultimate rebellion — the fusion of the soul's truth with the fabric of reality.
At this stage, Kinju no longer "bends" the world In a domain. It rewrites the world around it entirely.
4. The Toll
Kinju demands a price for its use — preventing reckless abuse of power.
Physical Toll: Strain, blood loss, shattered bones.
Mental Toll: Headaches, hallucinations, obsession, memory erosion.
Spiritual Toll: Fragments of the soul breaking away, accelerating hollowfication.
The greater the defiance of one's limits, the heavier the toll.
Laws of Kinju Combat
Clash of Truths: Kinju battles are collisions of ideals. Two Core Principles may cancel, distort, or create paradoxes in real-time.
Chain-Breaking: Growth is achieved only by confronting and shattering inner chains — fears, traumas, denials. Each breakthrough deepens one's Kinju.
Overextension = Death Spiral: Battles are wars of endurance. Prolonged conflict can force an opponent into collapse as tolls accumulate.
Exploitation: Every Kinju carries flaws. Reading an enemy's Core Principle is often the key to victory.