Elishka Kohrli
Knight
- Local time
- Today 4:07 AM
- Messages
- 39
- Age
- 27
Author's Note 1: A Brief Introduction
Ahem. In the interest of full disclosure, this is an RP idea I've tried before on different sites. However, it has fallen apart a couple of times due to member inactivity, so I was a bit hesitant to try and start it up again. But with how much work I've put into it, I decided to try one more time, just in case it actually works this time. I'm hoping this will turn out to be the right site for it...
This thread is based off a rather extensive world-building project I've been working on for quite a while now. Geography, history, religion, culture, etc. I have it all. Needless to say, this thread is rather long. So, as I don't wish to waste anyone's time, I will explain the basic concept here, so that you can decide for yourself whether you wish to read on or not. I am looking for a group high fantasy action-adventure type RP. In this, your characters would be the main characters, and I am the world. What do I mean by that? All characters outside of yours will be written by me, and I do not have a main character. Rather, I will be all npc characters. Your characters have free choice- I have a basic idea of a plot and will be guiding the RP along, but it will change based on your character's decisions. So, if that sounds interesting, by all means, go ahead and read on!
Author's Note 6: Maps are Awesome!
You like my map? Yeah? Well, I have to say I'm quite pleased with how it turned out myself. However, in the interest of full disclosure, I did not make it entirely on my own. I used a site called Inkarnate. It's still in a beta testing phase, but it's very easy to use, and it produces some great results. So if you're interested in creating a map of your own for whatever reason, I highly recommend the site. Also, since the map is saved on the site and I can edit it at any time, it is what can be referred to as a living document. I will edit it periodically to add any locations the characters visit, or mark the sites of important events so you can track the characters' progress in real time.
Aeria: Aeria is the northernmost nation in Erhi. Ruled from its capital of Valyrin by a seraphi counsel, the majority of this kingdom is made up of seraphi, aurae, and humans. The Cellaedrine mountains are where the majority of Erhi's aurae population is located, and there are several dwarven strongholds running throughout the range. It is not a particularly powerful kingdom, but the mountain range along its border and the storms that ravage its coastline for most of the year protect it from outside attack.
Behaid: This small and heavily forested island nation is inhabited almost exclusively by fae. Multiple attempts to conquer the island have been made by various other kingdoms, but they all end in failure, as the fae are ferocious in defending their home. Although they discourage travelers, they trade with Lemnon to purchase any supplies they may need.
Ironhumiir: This southern kingdom is a desolate and harsh place to live. The Hadrin mountains are populated by daemons, and the open plains that cover most of its land area are inhabited by trolls. The troll general, both a military and political leader, rules with an iron fist from the capital of Erelon. This war-like nation is constantly launching attacks against its resource rich neighbor, the kingdom of Udelle. To the very south of the kingdom lies the Trazbir desert. Most of those who have attempted to cross the desert have had to abandon the attempt and turn back, or risk dying in the barren wasteland. Those who do not turn back never return at all.
Keasia: This kingdom, ruled by a king from the capital of Manilla, is populated mostly by humans. A war-like nation, it is constantly embroiled in wars with its neighboring kingdoms, Sugudohr and Thelaste, as well as periodic attempts to conquer Behaid.
Lemnon: This peaceful nation is the biggest trading power in the world. Extremely wealthy and with the largest and most advanced ships, their sailors sail all across the known world, trading in every type of goods imaginable. In times of war, however, they can convert their merchant fleet into a naval force when needed, and they are widely viewed as the rulers of the seas. The coasts are heavily populated, especially by merfolk and laguna, but the interior is only sparsely populated. They are ruled by a powerful merchant counsel based in the capital, Port Tyris.
Maltis: This tiny nation is located on the same landmass as the much more powerful Lemnon. It was once a part of the other nation, but they broke away after a bloody civil war. They also engage mostly in trade and fishing, but not nearly as much as their neighbor. It is mostly made up of small coastal settlements, and lacks any type of centralized government.
Sugudohr: This kingdom is ruled by a powerful dwarven king, whose seat of power is the city of Elyona, carved out of the foothills of the Iresmon mountains. This kingdom produces some of the finest weapons and armor in the known world. It is involved in constant battles with its two neighbors, Keasia and Thelaste. Although they have the advantage in arms and armor, their smaller military levels the playing field with the other two nations, leaving all three evenly matched.
Thelaste: The third of the warring nations, this mostly human kingdom is militarily the weakest of the three. However, in order to avoid being conquered by its neighbors, the king of this nation, who rules from the capital of Molinka, made an alliance with the king of Ironhumiir. They sent them troll and daemon soldiers to fight for the kingdom, which in return has to pay hefty tributes to Ironhumiir to fund their own war efforts.
Udelle: This is the largest kingdom in Erhi. It is rich in natural resources, and has a very powerful military. And that military is constantly defending against attacks from their southern neighbor, Ironhumiir. Their population is very diverse, ruled by a human queen from the capital of Talnor.
Anyhow, that's all the information you get for the moment. So, anyone interested?
Ahem. In the interest of full disclosure, this is an RP idea I've tried before on different sites. However, it has fallen apart a couple of times due to member inactivity, so I was a bit hesitant to try and start it up again. But with how much work I've put into it, I decided to try one more time, just in case it actually works this time. I'm hoping this will turn out to be the right site for it...
This thread is based off a rather extensive world-building project I've been working on for quite a while now. Geography, history, religion, culture, etc. I have it all. Needless to say, this thread is rather long. So, as I don't wish to waste anyone's time, I will explain the basic concept here, so that you can decide for yourself whether you wish to read on or not. I am looking for a group high fantasy action-adventure type RP. In this, your characters would be the main characters, and I am the world. What do I mean by that? All characters outside of yours will be written by me, and I do not have a main character. Rather, I will be all npc characters. Your characters have free choice- I have a basic idea of a plot and will be guiding the RP along, but it will change based on your character's decisions. So, if that sounds interesting, by all means, go ahead and read on!
In the beginning there was only darkness. For ages and ages, it existed alone, and everything was dark, and quiet, and peaceful. And then the light appeared, just a small spark amidst the sea of blackness, but it grew and grew. And the darkness hated the light, and it sought to destroy it. But the light was strong, and it continued to grow. For ages and ages they battled, equally matched. But eventually as the light grew, it gained the upper hand and beat back the dark. But it did not destroy the dark, for light does not destroy- rather it creates. And so it bound the darkness and locked it away. And it created the stars of the sky, guardians to watch over the darkness, forever ensuring it did not escape its prison.
Then, with the darkness subdued, the light began creating. It brought into being the world, called Erhi, and shaped every hill and valley by hand, with tender, loving care, as a mother would treat her child. It created all manner of creatures, great and small, to inhabit the world it had created. It created guardians, each of whom was tasked to look after certain things, to nurture and care for the world that the light had created. And it created the four strongest guardians to oversee the lesser guardians. And finally, the light was satisfied with the world it had created, and it withdrew, falling into a deep sleep, entrusting its creation to the guardians.
For a time, the guardians did their duty, protecting the land and all who dwelt in it, and all was well. But as time passed, the bonds that held back the darkness began to weaken. As much as the darkness hated the light, it hated the world it had created even more, because it knew that the world was precious to the light, and so it yearned to destroy Erhi, but it could not escape its prison. But that did not mean that the dark was powerless. It began whispering in the ears of the four guardians the light had created last. And their hearts were turned against the others, and they began to hate each other. And each of them began gathering members of the lesser races, who had begun to worship the guardians as gods. They gathered their followers into armies, and they went to war with each other. And one by one, the lesser guardians began to side with their chosen among the four, and they rallied their followers to join in the armies. And these wars, which would later be known as the God Wars, raged for generations, and not one corner of the world was spared from the terrible bloodshed.
And even in its sleep, the light sensed the turmoil that raged across the world it so dearly loved, and it was troubled. It dreamed of another guardian, more powerful than the four, who would be able to put an end to the fighting. And so it happened, and the one that the light had dreamed of came into being, and the four feared her. But she knew that while she was stronger than each of them on her own, if they allied against her, she would be powerless against them. And she, in her cunning, saw that she needed to ensure that the four remained enemies. She used their animosity against them, and they were banished to the heavens, forbidden from directly interfering with the world. But she allowed them to communicate with their followers, and they continued to work against each other in secret, not realizing that she knew. And so, they continued to hate and plot against each other, instead of allying against her. And the wars that had raged unchecked for so long finally ceased. And while the four continued to covertly scheme against each other, she took over the role the four should have filled, and looked after the world.
And finally all was well, as it had been meant to be, for many generations. But now, it seems that the period of relative peace may be coming to an end. For the fifth guardian has been silent for many years now, and the four have grown ever bolder in their moves against each other. And recently, the stars in the sky, so constant and unchanging in their watchfulness, have begun vanishing, one by one. And the people have begun to whisper. They fear that the shadow of bloodshed is coming, and the era of the second God Wars is upon them. And they fear that once the stars vanish, the darkness will break free and its rage will consume the world until once again it is all that is left.
It is in these troubled times that our story begins. It is then that an unlikely hero has a mysterious dream, of the world consumed by flame and sea and storm, and there is a mysterious voice, telling them to journey to the ruins of an ancient temple, once devoted to the worship of the light itself. And for whatever their reason, be it concern for the world, the potential for great rewards, or just simply curiosity, they obey the voice and set out. But upon reaching the temple, they discover that they were not alone in being called there. Who is the mysterious girl waiting for them? For what purpose were they called? And where will this journey lead them? But I cannot answer those questions, my friends, as they have not yet come to pass, for this story is, as of yet, unwritten.
Author's Note 2: What's With the Author's Notes?
I'm sure that anyone who has gotten to this point is probably pondering that question- what is with the author's notes? After all, isn't this all written by you, the author? Yes, yes it is all written by me. However, in case you haven't noticed, the rest of the post is in character. And now I'm sure you're wondering- in character? What character? There is no character for you to be in! Ah, but there is. Notice the direct dialogue at the end of my introduction ("But I cannot answer those questions…")? Yep, that's not me talking- it's the narrator of the story. And yes, the narrator is an actual character who will feature in the story. And the rest of the post will be written as a sort of guide book for the world I have created. So these author's notes that I've included are the only out of character parts, which is why they exist. And also, you know, this format just kind of fits my quirky personality, so there's always that...
Author's Note 3: The Importance of Reading
I hope that those of you who reach this point are interested in this RP, in which case, the next several sections have plenty of detailed information about the land, its gods, and its inhabitants. I don't by any means expect you to be experts on this information if you want to join the RP, but I do ask that you read through it all at least once, because it will all be relevant throughout the RP. So if you post here saying you want to have a character whose mother was an elf and whose father was half orc and half human, and who wields a spear, uses a crossbow, and can use fire magic, I will politely but firmly tell you "no." I'm sure you're probably wondering what is wrong with that character type, and my response is simple- if you actually read the rest of this post, you'll figure that out without any trouble.
Then, with the darkness subdued, the light began creating. It brought into being the world, called Erhi, and shaped every hill and valley by hand, with tender, loving care, as a mother would treat her child. It created all manner of creatures, great and small, to inhabit the world it had created. It created guardians, each of whom was tasked to look after certain things, to nurture and care for the world that the light had created. And it created the four strongest guardians to oversee the lesser guardians. And finally, the light was satisfied with the world it had created, and it withdrew, falling into a deep sleep, entrusting its creation to the guardians.
For a time, the guardians did their duty, protecting the land and all who dwelt in it, and all was well. But as time passed, the bonds that held back the darkness began to weaken. As much as the darkness hated the light, it hated the world it had created even more, because it knew that the world was precious to the light, and so it yearned to destroy Erhi, but it could not escape its prison. But that did not mean that the dark was powerless. It began whispering in the ears of the four guardians the light had created last. And their hearts were turned against the others, and they began to hate each other. And each of them began gathering members of the lesser races, who had begun to worship the guardians as gods. They gathered their followers into armies, and they went to war with each other. And one by one, the lesser guardians began to side with their chosen among the four, and they rallied their followers to join in the armies. And these wars, which would later be known as the God Wars, raged for generations, and not one corner of the world was spared from the terrible bloodshed.
And even in its sleep, the light sensed the turmoil that raged across the world it so dearly loved, and it was troubled. It dreamed of another guardian, more powerful than the four, who would be able to put an end to the fighting. And so it happened, and the one that the light had dreamed of came into being, and the four feared her. But she knew that while she was stronger than each of them on her own, if they allied against her, she would be powerless against them. And she, in her cunning, saw that she needed to ensure that the four remained enemies. She used their animosity against them, and they were banished to the heavens, forbidden from directly interfering with the world. But she allowed them to communicate with their followers, and they continued to work against each other in secret, not realizing that she knew. And so, they continued to hate and plot against each other, instead of allying against her. And the wars that had raged unchecked for so long finally ceased. And while the four continued to covertly scheme against each other, she took over the role the four should have filled, and looked after the world.
And finally all was well, as it had been meant to be, for many generations. But now, it seems that the period of relative peace may be coming to an end. For the fifth guardian has been silent for many years now, and the four have grown ever bolder in their moves against each other. And recently, the stars in the sky, so constant and unchanging in their watchfulness, have begun vanishing, one by one. And the people have begun to whisper. They fear that the shadow of bloodshed is coming, and the era of the second God Wars is upon them. And they fear that once the stars vanish, the darkness will break free and its rage will consume the world until once again it is all that is left.
It is in these troubled times that our story begins. It is then that an unlikely hero has a mysterious dream, of the world consumed by flame and sea and storm, and there is a mysterious voice, telling them to journey to the ruins of an ancient temple, once devoted to the worship of the light itself. And for whatever their reason, be it concern for the world, the potential for great rewards, or just simply curiosity, they obey the voice and set out. But upon reaching the temple, they discover that they were not alone in being called there. Who is the mysterious girl waiting for them? For what purpose were they called? And where will this journey lead them? But I cannot answer those questions, my friends, as they have not yet come to pass, for this story is, as of yet, unwritten.
Author's Note 2: What's With the Author's Notes?
I'm sure that anyone who has gotten to this point is probably pondering that question- what is with the author's notes? After all, isn't this all written by you, the author? Yes, yes it is all written by me. However, in case you haven't noticed, the rest of the post is in character. And now I'm sure you're wondering- in character? What character? There is no character for you to be in! Ah, but there is. Notice the direct dialogue at the end of my introduction ("But I cannot answer those questions…")? Yep, that's not me talking- it's the narrator of the story. And yes, the narrator is an actual character who will feature in the story. And the rest of the post will be written as a sort of guide book for the world I have created. So these author's notes that I've included are the only out of character parts, which is why they exist. And also, you know, this format just kind of fits my quirky personality, so there's always that...
Author's Note 3: The Importance of Reading
I hope that those of you who reach this point are interested in this RP, in which case, the next several sections have plenty of detailed information about the land, its gods, and its inhabitants. I don't by any means expect you to be experts on this information if you want to join the RP, but I do ask that you read through it all at least once, because it will all be relevant throughout the RP. So if you post here saying you want to have a character whose mother was an elf and whose father was half orc and half human, and who wields a spear, uses a crossbow, and can use fire magic, I will politely but firmly tell you "no." I'm sure you're probably wondering what is wrong with that character type, and my response is simple- if you actually read the rest of this post, you'll figure that out without any trouble.
Main God(desse)s:
Aster: God of the earth, titled the Earth Shaker. He is associated with fertile soil, growing things, and
earthquakes. The fae followed him during the God Wars.
Kalyon: God of the sky, also known as the Bringer of Storms. He is associated with the wind and weather.
The Seraphi and Aurae followed him during the God Wars.
Lumeria: Goddess of balance, law, order, and justice. It was she who put an end to the God Wars.
Pelae: Goddess of fire, also called the Inferno. She is associated with volcanoes and material wealth below
the earth's surface. The dwarves, trolls, and daemons followed her during the God Wars.
Zerya: Goddess of the sea, she is called the Tempest. She is associated with the ocean, tsunamis, and
cyclones. The Merfolk and Laguna followed her during the God Wars.
Minor Deities:
Amitnka: Goddess of wild creatures
Araen: God of agriculture
Azmadine: Goddess of music
Beniiya: Goddess of revenge
Celthwe: Goddess of literature and poetry
Daynonia: Goddess of travel
Friedel: God of thieves
Josina: Goddess of love
Januneshi: God of disease
Kaonji: God of luck
Kaum: God of war
Nukhu: God of trade
Saehaun: God of blacksmithing and metalwork
Saemae: Goddess of destruction
Shakhbir: God of death
Tayeunia: Goddess of wild beasts
Wyther: God of famine
Zashia: Goddess of misfortune
Author's Note 4: Taking Sides
Yes, the gods and goddesses will play an important role in the story. They truly do exist, and they can take physical form to interact with the world. While they do not die from natural causes, they can be killed in battle, although that is not an easy thing to do. And as a bit of a hint as to what the RP will hold, it will eventually compel the heroes to take the side of one of the five main gods. Which one is completely up to you, so you may want to think of it as the story progresses.
Aster: God of the earth, titled the Earth Shaker. He is associated with fertile soil, growing things, and
earthquakes. The fae followed him during the God Wars.
Kalyon: God of the sky, also known as the Bringer of Storms. He is associated with the wind and weather.
The Seraphi and Aurae followed him during the God Wars.
Lumeria: Goddess of balance, law, order, and justice. It was she who put an end to the God Wars.
Pelae: Goddess of fire, also called the Inferno. She is associated with volcanoes and material wealth below
the earth's surface. The dwarves, trolls, and daemons followed her during the God Wars.
Zerya: Goddess of the sea, she is called the Tempest. She is associated with the ocean, tsunamis, and
cyclones. The Merfolk and Laguna followed her during the God Wars.
Minor Deities:
Amitnka: Goddess of wild creatures
Araen: God of agriculture
Azmadine: Goddess of music
Beniiya: Goddess of revenge
Celthwe: Goddess of literature and poetry
Daynonia: Goddess of travel
Friedel: God of thieves
Josina: Goddess of love
Januneshi: God of disease
Kaonji: God of luck
Kaum: God of war
Nukhu: God of trade
Saehaun: God of blacksmithing and metalwork
Saemae: Goddess of destruction
Shakhbir: God of death
Tayeunia: Goddess of wild beasts
Wyther: God of famine
Zashia: Goddess of misfortune
Author's Note 4: Taking Sides
Yes, the gods and goddesses will play an important role in the story. They truly do exist, and they can take physical form to interact with the world. While they do not die from natural causes, they can be killed in battle, although that is not an easy thing to do. And as a bit of a hint as to what the RP will hold, it will eventually compel the heroes to take the side of one of the five main gods. Which one is completely up to you, so you may want to think of it as the story progresses.
Aurae: The aurae are slightly smaller than humans, and very slender. Well suited to high altitudes, they are typically found living in the mountains and hills. They are for the most part a peaceful race, preferring to keep to themselves. They are generally inclined toward magic, and a wide range of abilities can be found even among the smallest of communities. During the God Wars, they sided with Kalyon, god of the sky.
Daemons: Daemons are very varied in appearance. Some appear human, while others have various non-human characteristics. It is fairly common for them to have horns or wings. They are traditionally found near the volcanoes scattered about the Hadrin mountains. They worship fire, believing that they themselves were formed from it. They are very magically inclined. During the God Wars, they sided with Pelae, goddess of fire.
Dwarves: Dwarves appear as shorter versions of humans, with five feet being extremely tall for them. They live underground, digging entire cities inside of mountains or beneath plains and forests. They dig deep to mine metals and gemstones from within the earth, and they are excellent metalworkers and jewelers. Very rarely is a dwarf able to perform magic, and tend toward melee combat styles. During the God Wars, they sided with Pelae, goddess of fire.
Fae: Fae are typically taller, stronger, and faster than the average human. With pointed ears and elongated canine teeth, they are a more violent race. They tend to live in heavily forested areas, staying close to the earth. They often form clan-like groups with strict rules and harsh penalties for breaking those rules. Those outside of cities often live a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, and the use of ranged weapons among them is extremely common. During the God Wars, they sided with Aster, god of the earth.
Humans: Easily the most populous of races, humans can be found just about everywhere. They are a very varied species, with many differing strengths and abilities. However, what is by far the humans' greatest strength is their resilience and ability to adapt to different environments and situations. Because they are so scattered and diverse, they did not take one side during the God Wars. Rather, different groups chose to side with different gods.
Laguna: Smaller than the average human, the laguna are mostly human in appearance, with the exception of their webbed fingers and toes. They can hold their breath for a long period of time under water. They often live along the coastline, and their primary occupations are fishing, sailing, and trading. They are a very proud people, and while for the most part peaceful, they will attack if they feel as though they've been insulted. During the God Wars they sided with Zerya, goddess of the sea.
Merfolk: Most merfolk live in underwater cities along the coastline, as they are able to breath underwater. They are human in appearance from the waist up, but from the waist down they have a scaled tail. They can leave the water, and on doing so their tail changes into legs. However, they are easily distinguished because their legs still retain scales. They are generally a peaceful people, and are somewhat magically inclined. During the God Wars, they sided with Zerya, goddess of the sea.
Seraphi: The seraphi are similar in appearance to humans, with one major difference- they have bird-like wings. They can fly, and often live in small family groups, often settling in high places, although more and more of them have moved toward mingling with other races. They are not very magically inclined, instead preferring ranged or melee weapons. During the God Wars, they sided with Kalyon, god of the sky.
Trolls: While humanoid in appearance, trolls are extremely tall, often over seven feet, and are usually heavily built and well muscled. They are very war-like, and very rarely mingle with other races. They are often lacking in intelligence, relying on brute force in most scenarios. Often they live in natural caves or other such formations that provide protection from the elements, although they will build shelter if they must. During the God Wars, they sided with Pelae, goddess of fire.
Author's Note 5: Character Races
Your characters can be any of these nine races. In fact, if you want, they can even belong to two races. For example, a character could have a seraph mother and a laguna father. Or a fae mother and a father who was half fae and half troll. Or they could be human, but at some point had a daemon ancestor and some of those traits show up in your character. I really don't care, as long as there are a maximum of two races. Yeah, remember my example of a no-go character from earlier? I bet you're starting to understand that now… Also, the inclinations of your character's race do not affect what abilities they can have later on. For example, just because your character in a seraph, a race that is not magically inclined, does not mean that they cannot use magic abilities. Race and abilities are completely independent when choosing your character. These distinctions mainly serve to help you know what to expect when meeting npcs of that race.
Daemons: Daemons are very varied in appearance. Some appear human, while others have various non-human characteristics. It is fairly common for them to have horns or wings. They are traditionally found near the volcanoes scattered about the Hadrin mountains. They worship fire, believing that they themselves were formed from it. They are very magically inclined. During the God Wars, they sided with Pelae, goddess of fire.
Dwarves: Dwarves appear as shorter versions of humans, with five feet being extremely tall for them. They live underground, digging entire cities inside of mountains or beneath plains and forests. They dig deep to mine metals and gemstones from within the earth, and they are excellent metalworkers and jewelers. Very rarely is a dwarf able to perform magic, and tend toward melee combat styles. During the God Wars, they sided with Pelae, goddess of fire.
Fae: Fae are typically taller, stronger, and faster than the average human. With pointed ears and elongated canine teeth, they are a more violent race. They tend to live in heavily forested areas, staying close to the earth. They often form clan-like groups with strict rules and harsh penalties for breaking those rules. Those outside of cities often live a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, and the use of ranged weapons among them is extremely common. During the God Wars, they sided with Aster, god of the earth.
Humans: Easily the most populous of races, humans can be found just about everywhere. They are a very varied species, with many differing strengths and abilities. However, what is by far the humans' greatest strength is their resilience and ability to adapt to different environments and situations. Because they are so scattered and diverse, they did not take one side during the God Wars. Rather, different groups chose to side with different gods.
Laguna: Smaller than the average human, the laguna are mostly human in appearance, with the exception of their webbed fingers and toes. They can hold their breath for a long period of time under water. They often live along the coastline, and their primary occupations are fishing, sailing, and trading. They are a very proud people, and while for the most part peaceful, they will attack if they feel as though they've been insulted. During the God Wars they sided with Zerya, goddess of the sea.
Merfolk: Most merfolk live in underwater cities along the coastline, as they are able to breath underwater. They are human in appearance from the waist up, but from the waist down they have a scaled tail. They can leave the water, and on doing so their tail changes into legs. However, they are easily distinguished because their legs still retain scales. They are generally a peaceful people, and are somewhat magically inclined. During the God Wars, they sided with Zerya, goddess of the sea.
Seraphi: The seraphi are similar in appearance to humans, with one major difference- they have bird-like wings. They can fly, and often live in small family groups, often settling in high places, although more and more of them have moved toward mingling with other races. They are not very magically inclined, instead preferring ranged or melee weapons. During the God Wars, they sided with Kalyon, god of the sky.
Trolls: While humanoid in appearance, trolls are extremely tall, often over seven feet, and are usually heavily built and well muscled. They are very war-like, and very rarely mingle with other races. They are often lacking in intelligence, relying on brute force in most scenarios. Often they live in natural caves or other such formations that provide protection from the elements, although they will build shelter if they must. During the God Wars, they sided with Pelae, goddess of fire.
Author's Note 5: Character Races
Your characters can be any of these nine races. In fact, if you want, they can even belong to two races. For example, a character could have a seraph mother and a laguna father. Or a fae mother and a father who was half fae and half troll. Or they could be human, but at some point had a daemon ancestor and some of those traits show up in your character. I really don't care, as long as there are a maximum of two races. Yeah, remember my example of a no-go character from earlier? I bet you're starting to understand that now… Also, the inclinations of your character's race do not affect what abilities they can have later on. For example, just because your character in a seraph, a race that is not magically inclined, does not mean that they cannot use magic abilities. Race and abilities are completely independent when choosing your character. These distinctions mainly serve to help you know what to expect when meeting npcs of that race.
Author's Note 6: Maps are Awesome!
You like my map? Yeah? Well, I have to say I'm quite pleased with how it turned out myself. However, in the interest of full disclosure, I did not make it entirely on my own. I used a site called Inkarnate. It's still in a beta testing phase, but it's very easy to use, and it produces some great results. So if you're interested in creating a map of your own for whatever reason, I highly recommend the site. Also, since the map is saved on the site and I can edit it at any time, it is what can be referred to as a living document. I will edit it periodically to add any locations the characters visit, or mark the sites of important events so you can track the characters' progress in real time.
Aeria: Aeria is the northernmost nation in Erhi. Ruled from its capital of Valyrin by a seraphi counsel, the majority of this kingdom is made up of seraphi, aurae, and humans. The Cellaedrine mountains are where the majority of Erhi's aurae population is located, and there are several dwarven strongholds running throughout the range. It is not a particularly powerful kingdom, but the mountain range along its border and the storms that ravage its coastline for most of the year protect it from outside attack.
- Alarera- Small city built on the Kyrin lake, near the edge of the Verel forest. It ='s main industry is from lumber, and it is a stopping place for travelers and merchants heading to Aeria's capital.
- Lyneleane- This small town in located at the base the most commonly pass, the Pyrinis pass, through the Cellaedrine mountains. There are other passes, but they are all more dangerous, and thus not commonly used. The town caters to travelers across the mountains, selling necessary supplies and offering guides to lead groups safely through the mountains.
- Natori- Dwarven stronghold located along the edge of the Cellaedrine mountains.
Behaid: This small and heavily forested island nation is inhabited almost exclusively by fae. Multiple attempts to conquer the island have been made by various other kingdoms, but they all end in failure, as the fae are ferocious in defending their home. Although they discourage travelers, they trade with Lemnon to purchase any supplies they may need.
- Huriopa- The only major city in Behaid, this is a trading port where goods are brought in from Lemnon.
Ironhumiir: This southern kingdom is a desolate and harsh place to live. The Hadrin mountains are populated by daemons, and the open plains that cover most of its land area are inhabited by trolls. The troll general, both a military and political leader, rules with an iron fist from the capital of Erelon. This war-like nation is constantly launching attacks against its resource rich neighbor, the kingdom of Udelle. To the very south of the kingdom lies the Trazbir desert. Most of those who have attempted to cross the desert have had to abandon the attempt and turn back, or risk dying in the barren wasteland. Those who do not turn back never return at all.
- Elyonira- This city, build on the slopes of Mount Harathon, the largest volcano in the region, is a ceremonial city where the daemons gather to worship Pelae.
- Rahmay- This town is a military stronghold where the bulk of Ironhumiir's army is located. It is where many of the attacks against Udelle are launched from.
- Zalaju- This city, located along the edge of the Trazbir desert, is a lawless town of criminals. All kinds of illegal activity occurs here, and those who are wanted for crimes in various nations flee here to avoid arrest.
Keasia: This kingdom, ruled by a king from the capital of Manilla, is populated mostly by humans. A war-like nation, it is constantly embroiled in wars with its neighboring kingdoms, Sugudohr and Thelaste, as well as periodic attempts to conquer Behaid.
- Amyni- This city is known for two distinctions. First, it is known for its skilled craftsmen, especially in woodworking and carpentry. Secondly, it has a large temple devoted to Kaum, the god of war, and many warriors and military leaders make pilgrimages here to worship him.
- Mexel- This underwater city along Keasia's coast is known for its fishing industry. It also trades with the underwater cities along Lemnon's coast,
and many goods pass into the country through this city.
Lemnon: This peaceful nation is the biggest trading power in the world. Extremely wealthy and with the largest and most advanced ships, their sailors sail all across the known world, trading in every type of goods imaginable. In times of war, however, they can convert their merchant fleet into a naval force when needed, and they are widely viewed as the rulers of the seas. The coasts are heavily populated, especially by merfolk and laguna, but the interior is only sparsely populated. They are ruled by a powerful merchant counsel based in the capital, Port Tyris.
- Casea- This is the largest and most influential of the underwater cities. It considers itself independent from any land kingdom, and is ruled by its own counsel. This view often brings them into conflict with Lemnon, whose coast it is located along.
- Fyri- This underwater city is devoted almost entirely to trade, especially when it comes to seafood and pearls. They cultivate seaweed farms, and have pens where they trap and raise fish.
- Kwanki- This city is locatedd along the border of Lemnon and the recently formed Maltis. It is a source of contention among the two nations, and they are constantly fighting over who it belongs to.
Maltis: This tiny nation is located on the same landmass as the much more powerful Lemnon. It was once a part of the other nation, but they broke away after a bloody civil war. They also engage mostly in trade and fishing, but not nearly as much as their neighbor. It is mostly made up of small coastal settlements, and lacks any type of centralized government.
- Shimiti- This is the largest city in Maltis. It is ruled over by a powerful pirate lord, who is the one who encouraged Maltis to break away from Lemnon. He and the other pirates prey on trade ships across all the known seas, making sea voyages dangerous.
Sugudohr: This kingdom is ruled by a powerful dwarven king, whose seat of power is the city of Elyona, carved out of the foothills of the Iresmon mountains. This kingdom produces some of the finest weapons and armor in the known world. It is involved in constant battles with its two neighbors, Keasia and Thelaste. Although they have the advantage in arms and armor, their smaller military levels the playing field with the other two nations, leaving all three evenly matched.
- Doliash- This city is devoted to the worship of Saehaun, god of blacksmithing and metalworking, and is known for the many talented metalworkers who live and work here.
Thelaste: The third of the warring nations, this mostly human kingdom is militarily the weakest of the three. However, in order to avoid being conquered by its neighbors, the king of this nation, who rules from the capital of Molinka, made an alliance with the king of Ironhumiir. They sent them troll and daemon soldiers to fight for the kingdom, which in return has to pay hefty tributes to Ironhumiir to fund their own war efforts.
- Kazil- This city is home to one of the most prestigious magic institutes in the known world. Students come from all corners on the world to be taught in their chosen magic discipline.
Udelle: This is the largest kingdom in Erhi. It is rich in natural resources, and has a very powerful military. And that military is constantly defending against attacks from their southern neighbor, Ironhumiir. Their population is very diverse, ruled by a human queen from the capital of Talnor.
- Bharmar- This dwarven stronghold is along the Celladrine mountains. Rumors speak of tunnels dug all the way beneath the perilous mountains to the other side, saving those who live here from the dangerous trek across the range. But those who live here discourage visitors, so if such a route does exist, it is known only to the city's inhabitants.
- Paresh- This underwater city is the only one of any size located in the Braonan Sea. The inhabitant are loyal to the ruler of Udelle, and their spies watch the coast where Udelle meets Ironhumiir, warning when the other warlike kingdom launches attacks across the border.
- Tazarnes- This is Udelle's main trading city, and the Rashdi river is wide enough that ships can sail all the way up it to the port city. It also has a large military encampment on the other side of the river to defend against attacks from the nation's neighbors to the south.
- Vyasan- This city is devoted to higher learning. It teaches, among other things, medicine, law, and the humanities. It also has a strong affiliation with Celthwe, goddess of literature and poetry, as well as Azmadine, goddess of music, and some of the most talented bards and writers can be found here.
- Zarae- This underwater city is best known for its ornate temple dedicated to Zerya, goddess of the sea, and is a popular pilgrimage site for merfolk, who come seek guidance from the goddess, for there is a supposed oracle located here.
Author's Note 7: Combat and Your Character
It is probably unnecessary for me to say this, but seeing as how this is an adventure RP, there will be fighting, so your character must be prepared. So, they must have at least one combat skill. The combat skills that are available will be listed below. Your character will have one main combat skill, and they may also have up to two secondary skill. However, keep in mind that, as is logical, if a character has secondary skills, their main skill will be weaker than that of another character with the same main skill and no secondary skills. There are some skills that may only be practiced as a main skill- this will be specified in the description. And there are some skills that are not only main-only, but cannot have secondary skills, which will also be specified. There are three possible combat styles: melee, range, and magic. Between your main and secondary skills, you can have skills in up to two of these combat areas, but you cannot use all three. So secondaries can be either in the same style as the main, or in one different style. Remember my explanation of a non-allowed character earlier? Guess how many combat styles that character used.
Melee Styles:
Assassin: Assassins typically wear little to no armor. They rely on surprise, and typically use small weapons such as knives and short swords.
Berserker: These fearsome fighters wield heavy weaponry such as battle axes and broadswords. They typically only wear light armor.
Brawler: These lightly armored warriors fight with short swords, knives, steel claws or knuckles, and their bare hands.
Knight: These warriors are heavily armored. They often fight on horseback, and use heavy weaponry such as lances, maces, battle axes, and broadswords. *Main Only*
Paladin: These warriors fight in a similar style to knights. However, the title of paladin is only granted to those who complete rigid training. As such, the title carries with it a great deal of prestige and respect. *Main Only, No Secondaries*
Range Styles:
Crossbowman: These rangers use a crossbow. This weapon requires less training than a longbow or shortbow. It is a slow weapon to fire, but it inflicts heavy damage and is accurate for mid- to long distances.
Dart Thrower: This type of ranger throw darts. These small weapons don't inflict much immediate damage and are only effective over short ranges, but they are fast and are often poisoned to inflict long-term damage. Those who focus mainly on this skill can learn to use an atlatl or blowpipe to increase the range and damage of their darts.
Knife Thrower: These rangers use can throw knives. They are only accurate over short distances, but they inflict very heavy damage.
Longbowman: These range warriors use a longbow. This is a medium speed weapon, which deals heavy damage and is accurate over long distances. *Main Only*
Shortbowman: This type of ranger uses a shortbow. It is a fast weapon, but inflicts less damage than a longbow or crossbow, and is only accurate over shorter distances.
Magic Styles:
Aeromancer: These types of magic users can control the air, using it to knock over enemies or block attacks. Skilled users who focus mainly on this art can even deprive enemies of the air they need to breath.
Geomancer: These magic users manipulate the earth. They can reshape the ground to their will.
Healer: These mages can heal their allies, but not themselves. Most can only heal minor injuries, or lessen the severity of more serious injuries. However, those who focus mainly on this magic can heal more serious injuries, and those who focus solely on this magic can even gain the ability to not just heal injuries, but transfer those injuries to their enemies.
Hydromancer: These mages use water-based magic. They can not only create their own water, but can also manipulate it into specific forms. These attacks do not inflict as much damage as others, but it is an incredibly versatile type of magic.
Necromancer: These magic users can summon and control dead beings, and use them for everything from attacking enemies, blocking attacks, and even menial tasks. *Main Only, No Secondaries*
Pyromancer: These mages use fire-based attacks, creating their own fire. This inflicts heavy damage, but has very low defense applications.
Shadowmancer: These types of magic users use magic based on darkness. It is a purely destructive magic, often involving making objects or creatures simply cease to exist. It is a forbidden magic, and by the agreement of all governments, anyone caught practicing it will be executed. *Main Only*
Shape-Shifter: These mages can take on an animal form in order to fight. If they focus mainly on this magic, some can even master multiple animal forms, and those who focus only on this magic can learn to take on not only multiple animal forms, but the forms of higher races as well.
Thaumaturge: These mages can summon the power of storms. They can use wind, rain, hail, and lightning to attack their enemies. *Main Only, No Secondaries*
It is probably unnecessary for me to say this, but seeing as how this is an adventure RP, there will be fighting, so your character must be prepared. So, they must have at least one combat skill. The combat skills that are available will be listed below. Your character will have one main combat skill, and they may also have up to two secondary skill. However, keep in mind that, as is logical, if a character has secondary skills, their main skill will be weaker than that of another character with the same main skill and no secondary skills. There are some skills that may only be practiced as a main skill- this will be specified in the description. And there are some skills that are not only main-only, but cannot have secondary skills, which will also be specified. There are three possible combat styles: melee, range, and magic. Between your main and secondary skills, you can have skills in up to two of these combat areas, but you cannot use all three. So secondaries can be either in the same style as the main, or in one different style. Remember my explanation of a non-allowed character earlier? Guess how many combat styles that character used.
Melee Styles:
Assassin: Assassins typically wear little to no armor. They rely on surprise, and typically use small weapons such as knives and short swords.
Berserker: These fearsome fighters wield heavy weaponry such as battle axes and broadswords. They typically only wear light armor.
Brawler: These lightly armored warriors fight with short swords, knives, steel claws or knuckles, and their bare hands.
Knight: These warriors are heavily armored. They often fight on horseback, and use heavy weaponry such as lances, maces, battle axes, and broadswords. *Main Only*
Paladin: These warriors fight in a similar style to knights. However, the title of paladin is only granted to those who complete rigid training. As such, the title carries with it a great deal of prestige and respect. *Main Only, No Secondaries*
Range Styles:
Crossbowman: These rangers use a crossbow. This weapon requires less training than a longbow or shortbow. It is a slow weapon to fire, but it inflicts heavy damage and is accurate for mid- to long distances.
Dart Thrower: This type of ranger throw darts. These small weapons don't inflict much immediate damage and are only effective over short ranges, but they are fast and are often poisoned to inflict long-term damage. Those who focus mainly on this skill can learn to use an atlatl or blowpipe to increase the range and damage of their darts.
Knife Thrower: These rangers use can throw knives. They are only accurate over short distances, but they inflict very heavy damage.
Longbowman: These range warriors use a longbow. This is a medium speed weapon, which deals heavy damage and is accurate over long distances. *Main Only*
Shortbowman: This type of ranger uses a shortbow. It is a fast weapon, but inflicts less damage than a longbow or crossbow, and is only accurate over shorter distances.
Magic Styles:
Aeromancer: These types of magic users can control the air, using it to knock over enemies or block attacks. Skilled users who focus mainly on this art can even deprive enemies of the air they need to breath.
Geomancer: These magic users manipulate the earth. They can reshape the ground to their will.
Healer: These mages can heal their allies, but not themselves. Most can only heal minor injuries, or lessen the severity of more serious injuries. However, those who focus mainly on this magic can heal more serious injuries, and those who focus solely on this magic can even gain the ability to not just heal injuries, but transfer those injuries to their enemies.
Hydromancer: These mages use water-based magic. They can not only create their own water, but can also manipulate it into specific forms. These attacks do not inflict as much damage as others, but it is an incredibly versatile type of magic.
Necromancer: These magic users can summon and control dead beings, and use them for everything from attacking enemies, blocking attacks, and even menial tasks. *Main Only, No Secondaries*
Pyromancer: These mages use fire-based attacks, creating their own fire. This inflicts heavy damage, but has very low defense applications.
Shadowmancer: These types of magic users use magic based on darkness. It is a purely destructive magic, often involving making objects or creatures simply cease to exist. It is a forbidden magic, and by the agreement of all governments, anyone caught practicing it will be executed. *Main Only*
Shape-Shifter: These mages can take on an animal form in order to fight. If they focus mainly on this magic, some can even master multiple animal forms, and those who focus only on this magic can learn to take on not only multiple animal forms, but the forms of higher races as well.
Thaumaturge: These mages can summon the power of storms. They can use wind, rain, hail, and lightning to attack their enemies. *Main Only, No Secondaries*
Author's Note 8: RP Style
This RP will be a forum style RP. There are no dice rolls and other such things. You are free to decide how your character uses their abilities, as long as it fits within their combat classification. This will be a group RP, most likely a small group, since that's what I'm generally more comfortable with. However, the size will depend on how much interest. Also, please bear in mind that I will close sign-ups before the in-character writing starts, so no one else will be able to join after the story kicks off. This RP will include violence and war, so by applying to join you are acknowledging that you are okay with that! I also ask that all characters are 18+. Romance in terms of flirting and/or expressing feelings for each other is allowed. Because this is a group and I'd like to keep things moving along, I will request you not post long romantic scenes and whatnot between characters in the main thread. However, you are more than welcome to take things to an individual thread if you want to get more in-depth with this, as long as both writers agree to this.
Author's Note 9: Putting it All Together
Now that you understand the geography, gods, races, abilities, and RP style, it's time to put your character together. So, for that, here's a form for you to use when creating your character:
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Race:
Appearance: (Can be an image or a written description)
Main Skill:
Secondary Skill(s): (Optional)
Personality: (Doesn't have to be too detailed, but at least have something)
Backstory: (Optional)
This RP will be a forum style RP. There are no dice rolls and other such things. You are free to decide how your character uses their abilities, as long as it fits within their combat classification. This will be a group RP, most likely a small group, since that's what I'm generally more comfortable with. However, the size will depend on how much interest. Also, please bear in mind that I will close sign-ups before the in-character writing starts, so no one else will be able to join after the story kicks off. This RP will include violence and war, so by applying to join you are acknowledging that you are okay with that! I also ask that all characters are 18+. Romance in terms of flirting and/or expressing feelings for each other is allowed. Because this is a group and I'd like to keep things moving along, I will request you not post long romantic scenes and whatnot between characters in the main thread. However, you are more than welcome to take things to an individual thread if you want to get more in-depth with this, as long as both writers agree to this.
Author's Note 9: Putting it All Together
Now that you understand the geography, gods, races, abilities, and RP style, it's time to put your character together. So, for that, here's a form for you to use when creating your character:
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Race:
Appearance: (Can be an image or a written description)
Main Skill:
Secondary Skill(s): (Optional)
Personality: (Doesn't have to be too detailed, but at least have something)
Backstory: (Optional)
Anyhow, that's all the information you get for the moment. So, anyone interested?
