Necca
Salty Dog
The Rapier Arias
The world is scorched with steel and smoke,
Split by arcane songs of sorrow.
Ancient empires crumble beneath the changing global tides,
And young nations sing new music that will echo through eternity.
Welcome to an age of contradiction,
Where learning, invention, and refinement lie with conquest and ambition,
Where grand games of politics are decided by the thunder of muskets and the sparks of striking swords,
Where myth and magic twine themselves with reason and blind faith.
Welcome to a world between the legendary and the known.
Welcome to the world of Ariae.
~Rapier Arias Links~
Song I: The Hooded Coachmen (Main IC storyline, group)
Interlude: Shadowed Crowns (Supplemental storyline, 1x1)
Interlude: The Killing Fields (Supplemental storyline, 1x1)
Hooded Coachman Request Thread
Dramatis Personae (Player Character Sheets)
~The World~
The world is scorched with steel and smoke,
Split by arcane songs of sorrow.
Ancient empires crumble beneath the changing global tides,
And young nations sing new music that will echo through eternity.
Welcome to an age of contradiction,
Where learning, invention, and refinement lie with conquest and ambition,
Where grand games of politics are decided by the thunder of muskets and the sparks of striking swords,
Where myth and magic twine themselves with reason and blind faith.
Welcome to a world between the legendary and the known.
Welcome to the world of Ariae.
~Rapier Arias Links~
Song I: The Hooded Coachmen (Main IC storyline, group)
Interlude: Shadowed Crowns (Supplemental storyline, 1x1)
Interlude: The Killing Fields (Supplemental storyline, 1x1)
Hooded Coachman Request Thread
Dramatis Personae (Player Character Sheets)
~The World~
~Races~
Appearance: Humans have a wide range of skin tones, hair color, and eye color, and tend to feature fairer features to the south and darker features to the north.
Mageborn: Approximately one in 1,000 humans are mageborn (exhibit magical abilities).
Appearance: The Faen are taller than humans and lanky, with long limbs and comparatively shorter torsos that belie a surprising strength. Faen eyes are disproportionately large and often strange shades of color, and their untamed hair is either extremely light or extremely dark, always shifting as if being blown by a strong breeze even if the air is perfectly still. Their lobeless ears are pointed at the top. The Faen are not immortal supermodels with ear prosthetics and flawless complexions, but supernatural creatures that hold an otherworldly, unnerving appearance crackling with the essence of magic itself.
Mageborn: All Faen show a propensity toward magic, though the extent of individual abilities varies greatly.
Appearance: Verger are smaller than humans, but broader of build. They have rough, thick skin that seems calloused to humans in a wide range of tones, earthy eyes, and darker shades of body hair.
Mageborn: Though only one in 5,000 verger holds any sense of magical ability, they revere such talents and use magic to supplement their architecture, technology, and daily life (ex: flame-less lanterns).
Appearance: Yunder are short and slight, with disproportionately large hands and long, dextrous fingers. Their coloring tends to reflect the regional skin tones and hair color of nearby humans, while their eyes are often two-toned instead of one.
Mageborn: About one in every 500 yunder shows magic propensity.
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About: Like the Faen, Nugglesprii are a rarity in Ariae, driven to obscurity by the violent conquests of humanity. Never as numerous as the Faen or as resilient as the Verger, they avoided the Ariaen purges by hiding in plain sight, assisted by their innate illusory talents and unorthodox ways of thinking. Hollowed hills, natural caverns, twisted old trees, and billowing plains of tall grasses serve as gateways to camouflaged Nugglesprii communities.
Appearance: Nugglesprii are somewhat shorter than the Yunder, with bulbous, gnarled joints, large lips, and protruding brows. They have creamy beige to loam-brown flesh freckled with gold, blue, anmber, or emerald flecks that glow in the darkness after sundown.
Mageborn: Approximately one in every 350 Nugglesprii is capable of channeling magical energy.
Appearance: Kreen stand significantly taller than humans, with broad-shouldered bodies and a predisposition toward athleticism. Their bodies are covered with a soft fur save their faces, palms, and bottoms of their feet. Kreen hair and fur colors are generally different, with a full range of colors from sable to blue to browns, yellows, and sienna.
Mageborn: Approximately one in 100 Kreen are Mageborn.
~Nations~
Government: Loose affiliation of twelve city-states ruled by noble families.
Capital: None; each city-state is self-sufficient and considered independent from the others unless united for war.
State Religion: One Faith (Purist)
Appearance: As a remnant of the Renjuguese Imperium's glory days of old, those from the Principalities have darker skin tones and hazel to brown eyes. Each city-state has its own fashion sensibilities.
Overview: Once part of the Renjuguese Imperium, the Balazzi Principalities were abandoned nearly a millennia ago when the Kreenish incursions sapped the old empire's military resources. No longer defended by well-organized legions, the remaining city-states retreated inwards for centuries, becoming self-sufficient entities with increasingly distinct cultures and local linguistic flourishes and slang. As Ariae recovered from the devastating incursions, the Principalities were slowly rediscovered. Though not a true nation, the Princes and upper nobility within the area can muster an impressive combined military force in times of great need. However, they are equally comfortable fighting skirmishes with one another. The twelve Balazzi Principalities include Tempetua, Ardena, Veron, Montelet, Rombusta, Padon, Moccua, Aladanzza, Lurio, Bausa, Piecchi, and Ilaria.
Attitude Toward Magic: Generally speaking, the city-states shun Mageborn, who are forced to live solitary lives in the forests and marshes between the city-state borders. They are often sought after as mystics, and have created a sort of fraudulent culture taking monetary advantage of desperate city-dwellers.
Linguistic Inspiration: Italian
Government: "Constitutional" Monarchy (King Raef, Queen Consort Lilana)
Capital: Crownwall
State Religion: One Faith (Revisionist)
Appearance: The Cirrish have pale skin and light eyes (amber, grey, green, light blue). Hair colors range from medium brown to frost blonde. Cirrish fashions favor simplicity and functionality, and their clothing is often accented with fur and leather. Men generally sport cropped beards and long hair, while women wear their hair up or tied back. Ostentatious opulence is frowned upon.
Overview: Consisting of a peninsula surrounded by several dozen islands, the Cirrish Empire has recently exploded onto the world stage due to its rapid exploration of far off lands and the ensuing colonization of locations claimed in the name of the crown. Though not as wealthy as the Renjuguese Imperium, as technologically advanced as Galdoris, or as powerful as Lutrice, the Cirrish Empire has amassed an enormous naval force. Many believe they will soon challenge the Renjuguese for supremacy of the seas. Their land armies are small but exceptionally well-trained. King Rafe's royal line has been unbroken for centuries, though his most drastic decisions must be approved by a council of nobles.
Attitude Toward Magic: The Cirrish view magic as an affront against nature and the Deity, a way for the Devils Below to show their faces in the world and influence the living. All mageborn children are burned in a purifying fire when their powers manifest at puberty, their parents put to the sword to sever the taint of their bloodline.
Linguistic Inspiration: English
Government: Elected Kingdom (King voted upon by Provincial Dukes)
Capital: Klifspann
State Religion: One Faith (divided evenly between Purist and Revisionist; civil religious war ongoing)
Appearance: Fire-red hair is common in the Provinces, and men often grow thick beards. Eye colors vary significantly, though dark brown to black shades are uncommon. Evolving fashions to differentiate Purists from Revisionists see rapid changes in clothing and hairstyles.
Overview: The religious war raging within the Corrmlandt Provinces is a serious political, religious, and humanitarian crisis for the continent. As the Revisionist movement stemmed from the Provinces, intense pressure from the Most Beneficent High Pontificator has been placed on its kings and dukes to quell the "heretical" interpretation of the One Faith. Unfortunately, several dukes have converted, and regional fighting between the Revisionist south and Purist north threaten to shatter the nation entirely. Corrmlandt, once the crown jewel of southern Ariae and a center of invention and art, is now a burning heap of warring provinces.
Attitude Toward Magic: Mageborn have suffered far worse than any others from the civil war, and are often blamed by both sides for the nation's woes. While Mageborn were once tolerated by the general Corrmlandt populace, they are more often the victims of mob mentality and are frequently executed without trials.
Linguistic Inspiration: German
Government: The Dremanian Highlands are ruled by twenty or so feudal lords who are loosely allied by virtue of proximity.
Capital: None
State Religion: The Old Ways
Appearance: Dremanians have a fairly diverse gene pool, with all but the lightest and darkest hair colors exhibiting themselves. Eyes tend toward light browns, ambers, and grays. Dremanian fashion is about 100 years behind modern trends, and many lords and knights choose to sport armor at all times. Men grow thick beards and long hair, while women wear their hair on the shorter side, often covered with an elaborate hat.
Overview: Situated between the Elder Wood and Verger Republics, Dremania was once a kingdom that bridged the divide between the three races. Indeed, Dremania's greatest legacy, spellforged suits of armor, were created in tandem between human, faen, and verger. Indeed, when other human nations waged a genocidal war against the Faen, the Dremanians remained neutral. The manufacture of their spellforged suits has long been lost, but most noble families still maintain at least one for their greatest leaders and warriors. After milennia, the once-great kingdom of Dremania has fallen into several small, loosely affiliated fiefdoms that maintain the Old Ways in the face of the drastic changes that have swept across Ariae.
Attitude Toward Magic: Dremanians embrace mageborn, though like any other members of society, they are bound by the same laws as non-mageborn.
Linguistic Inspiration: Gaelic
Government: Republican Oligarchy (Arvo Wrendt, Klus van Dremple, and Wenda Rothschtenn, Council of Three). Full details HERE
Capital: Sterrk
State Religion: One Faith (Revisionist)
Appearance: Galdorans tend toward light to medium skin tone and may exhibit all shades of brown hair. Eyes are often hazel, dark blue, or light brown. Galdoran fashion is functional, and incorporates the extensive use of pockets. Men wear their hair at various lengths, but tend to be clean-shaven. Women tend to wear ponytails. Both genders are often seen wearing broad-brimmed hats in case of rain.
Overview: Having driven away its monarchy long ago, Galdoris is a nation of invention, industry, and growing economic power. The invention of many technologies (refined gunpowder, complex winding gears, clockwork large and small, wheellock firearms, shipbuilding improvements, architectural breakthroughs) within its borders means Galdorans are slowly integrating themselves across the continent as essential merchants and intellectuals. The ruling body, known as the Council of Three, is elected from a pool of land-owning Counts who can afford the steep campaign fees. Votes are cast by representatives of each village and city, who are in turn voted upon by the regional populace.
Attitude Toward Magic: Galdoris holds no national law regarding mageborn, with great inconsistency not simply from Countship to Countship, but even from town to town. Neighboring villages might hold entirely contradictory laws about mageborn. Due to this unique situation, mageborn are granted the right for free and unmolested passage throughout the nation, so long as they do not use their powers.
Linguistic Inspiration: Dutch
Government: Absolute Monarchy (Dacarde II, Crowned Royal and Isbeau, Crowned Royelle)
Capital: Verdeaux
State Religion: One Faith (Purist)
Appearance: Lutricians have the largest range of skin tone, eye color, and hair color when compared with other human nations. Those farther south tend toward lighter hues, while the northernmost folk tend toward mocha skin and black hair. Lutrice is considered the fashion capital of Ariae, and is filled with eccentric embellishments and opulent embroidery. Lutrician men sport meticulously maintained facial hair. Medium to long hair is considered the norm for both genders. Women wear their hair in elaborate designs unless functionality is of paramount importance.
Overview: Cosmopolitan, educated, and exceptionally powerful, Lutrice is the pinnacle of an increasingly enlightened world. Though they have few overseas investments, their Grand Army is second to none, composed of elite troops, conscript fodder, and brilliant tacticians. The Lutrician king and queen, called the Crowned Royals, rule with absolute authority, assisted by the presence of the Tower of Magnificence in the capital, residence of the Most Beneficent High Pontificator of the One Faith.
Attitude Toward Magic: Despite a fierce devotion to the Purist ideology of the One Faith, Lutrecians are extraordinarily tolerant of Mageborn who use their powers to benefit the state. Indeed, the Crowned Royals employ an Arcane Advisor, and the Grand Army employs elite corps of mageborn to devastating effect. However, mageborn who defy the state or use their powers against the general population are swiftly executed.
Linguistic Inspiration: French
Government: Imperial Monarchy (Emperor Laudigus IV and Empress Gonega)
Capital: Renjus
State Religion: One Faith (Purist)
Appearance: Darker shades of skin, hair, and eyes are dominant throughout the Imperium, though bright green eyes are fairly common recessive traits. The Renjuguese prefer simple elegance in their clothing, with an emphasis on sharp lines and a militant flavor accented with ornamental armor. Men tend to keep their hair on the shorter side and wear shorter beards of various styles. Women wear their long hair down, often braided into intricate patterns.
Overview: Many say humankind originated somewhere in the Imperium, and indeed the nation is steeped in ancient history. The three prophets of the One Faith all hailed from ancient Renjugal, and the nation is deeply tied to the Purist teachings. Over the past century, the Renjuguese sailed across the world and discovered vast riches, in many cases through force. As a result, the nation is exceptionally wealthy and prosperous, with a peerless navy and exceptional cavalry, including mounted pistoliers. Emperor Laudigus is withered from age, crippled from scores of past battles, and losing his mind to a disease of the brain. His young wife, Gonega, has assumed de facto rule of the nation and proved a ruthless, efficient, and wildly ambitious leader.
Attitude Toward Magic: When their powers manifest, Renjuguese mageborn are immediately taken from their families to serve the State. Though provided with every luxury and comfort, they are essentially slaves, never permitted to leave their assigned dwellings, raise families, or become independent citizens. Each Renjuguese mageborn is assigned a Handler, an elite, specially-trained soldier tasked with assisting their charge or slaying them if they attempt escape or resistance. Unknown fact: Empress Gonega is an extraordinarily powerful mageborn, gifted with Dominion and Domination powers.
Linguistic Inspiration: Spanish
Government: Absolute Monarchy in times of war, Meritocracy in times of peace
Capital: Varda
State Religion: The Old Ways
Appearance: Dark hair, varied eyes, and fair complexions are the hallmark of a Vardan lineage. Additionally, Vardans are very tall and naturally lean, which is only enhanced by the rigorous training all citizens undergo. Men often have cropped or shaved heads, as do women who serve in the military.
Overview: Varda was a militant, isolationist city-state that survived throughout millennia, predating even Old Renjugal. Its influence spread during the Age of Collapse, when the Krinnish incursions scarred much of northern Ariae. Varda was instrumental in the defeat of the Krinn, organizing the disparate fiefdoms into a force capable of stemming the Krinnish tide. In the millennium since, Varda has annexed or defeated a significant portion of southern Ariae. No longer a city-state, the Vardan Supremacy is a thriving example of a true meritocracy.
Attitude Toward Magic: Vardans hold an enlightened view of magic, and permit its use for the betterment of the nation.
Linguistic Inspiration: Old Norse
~Religion~
The One Faith:
The main religion of Ariae, the One Faith stems from the words of three prophets during the height of Old Renjugal's empire. It's once-benevolent message has been altered through the centuries at the whims of the ruling Hierarchy, or whatever Speakers preach its words. This has obvious parallels to Renaussance/early modern Christianity, but I'm hoping we can finish out ways to make it unique.
Purist: Follows the original clerical Hierarchy and doctrine set forth by the direct followers of the Three. Led by the Most Beneficent High Pontificator, whose word is considered reflective of the Deity. Currently, the politically brilliant Alexandre Gloudot holds the title. He has forged a close friendship with the Lutrecian Crowned Royals.
Revisionist: Follows the Text as dictated by the Three, but rejects the authority of the Hierarchy. Wars have been waged over this rejection of Faith authority.
Logistism: The emerging belief that reason and logic can explain the existence of everything when provided with the proper amount of time. Does not discount the ultimate discovery that a deity exists. Popular among academics, the emerging merchant middle classes, and the more philosophical nobles.
The Old Ways: Beliefs held throughout the world before the emergence of the One Faith. Players have liberty to sculpt these older religions.
Shanna: The primary religion of the Kreen.
~Organizations~
The Epines Noir: Elite bodyguard of the Lutrician royal family, the Epines Noir also range beyond the palace to enforce the will of the king and queen. Equipped with the finest blades and cutting-edge wheellock firearms, the Epines Noir are also known for their long, striking black tabards embroidered with cloth-of-gold roses, and the scarlet-feathered hats they receive upon completion of their training.
The Nameless: The intelligence arm of the Renjuguese Imperium, the Nameless have agents and informants throughout the known world. All records of one's past are destroyed upon initiation, with each agent assuming a different identity for each mission they are assigned. Several mageborn are employed as Nameless, alongside their handlers.
Baravian Trading Company: A business compact of nautical Mercantile companies, the BTC has a vast fleet of trading vessels that sail to the far-off Baravian Sea, bringing back exotic goods and treasures to accumulate immense wealth. They are headquartered in Galdoris.
The Clockmaker's Guild: A powerful association of clockwork engineers and artisans with significant financial and political clout. Rumors swirl as to the source of the Guild's vast fortunes, most of which are unsavory at best.
Lightbearers: Purist missionaries pontificating the One Faith to the "godless" denizens of the Baravian. They often perform acts of great charity to convert the most desperate cases.
Order of the Ravencloak: Cirrish mage hunters who are tasked with ridding the world of the corrupting influence of magic.
Kei'in Aerthula'an: Roughly translated from Faen as "Those Who Wield the Glaives of Blood," Kei'in Aerthula'an is a sect of Faen who continue to seek vengeance upon humans. Genocidal and extraordinarily dangerous, they have made significant progress in infiltrating the human nations through the use of magecraft, and are frequently responsible for reprehensibly merciless assaults on those traveling through any of the Faenwoods.
Other organizations may be created by participating writers, just check with me first.
~Magecraft~
Magecraft is academically categorized into two separate domains: the Elemental Arts, which involve manipulation of the natural world, and the Eldritch Arts, which involve manipulation of life forms and the mind of one's self or others. Magecraft is a recessive genetic trait, and is proportionately taxing based upon the intensity of the spell being used. Those with the ability to use magecraft are called "Mageborn".
Elemental Arts:
Earth: Ability to manipulate stone, soil, vegetation, and vibrations within the earth. Some minor side effects include chapped skin, bruising, and allergy-like symptoms. Some severe side effects include petrification, bruise-induced internal bleeding, and the inability to breathe oxygen. Common power.
Air: Ability to manipulate wind, air pressure, electricity, and external temperature. Since minor side effects include fever, headache, and difficulty breathing. Some severe side effects include aneurysms, stroke, neurological damage, and electrocution. Uncommon power.
Fire: Ability to spark and manipulate flames and heat in any capacity. May speed up or slow down the rate of molecular reactions. Some minor side effects include fever, sunburn, and dehydration. Some severe side effects include 3rd degree burns, massively dangerous body temperature, and severe scarring. Uncommon power.
Water: Ability to manipulate and control water in any capacity. May change the temperature of water and liquids. Minor side effects include fatigue, congestion, and the inability to control bodily functions. Severe side effects include water logging, drowning, and the bends. Common power.
Eldritch Arts:
Death: Ability to stop or slow death through healing and prevention. Ability to cause death through illness and internal wounds. Ability to bring new life into the body of the freshly deceased. Ability to bring forth a portion of a long-deceased person's essence and reanimate a corpse. Minor side effects include contusions, bruising, and topical rashes. Severe side effects include heart attack, arterial ruptures, and rapid mortification of flesh. Rarest power.
Deception: Ability to create convincing illusions. Ability to convince another that a lie is true. Minor side effects include forgetfulness, hallucinations, and color blindness. Severe side effects include dementia, schizophrenia, and blindness. Common power.
Dominion: Ability to use telekinesis to physically manipulate the surrounding world. Minor side effects include numbness, reduced spatial awareness, and migraine headaches. Severe side effects include loss of the sense of touch, inability to process distance, and nerve failure. Uncommon power.
Domination: Ability to use telepathy and possession on another mind. Minor side effects include headaches, nosebleeds, and burst capillaries. Severe side effects include stroke, intense epilepsy, and self-lobotomization. Rare power.
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