the Past
Aegea is in a dire state. The precarious peace established will not last. I feel this in my bones. We are waiting for a power to spearhead society into war, though none of us have the strength to be this power. The Elves in the east are licking their wounds, biding their time. To the west, we humans assert ourselves rapidly, however, no leader of ours can compete in terms of charisma and power with those of the other races. Furthermore, we ourselves are fractured as a race, caught up in small struggles for power. In the south, the desert is as menacing as ever. When the beast is quiet, it is only because it is thinking of a new, more terrible way to devour you.
To comprehend why we are on the brink of war, we must look at the past. What I am about to recount is in part myth, in part history. In most cases, it is hard to draw a sure line between the two.
Millennia ago, Aegea was ruled by elves, the only truly intelligent species. Under them, the arts flourished: music was elevated to the theoretical, schools and movements rose; architecture became ornate and garishly colorful; the written tongue was also brought to be considered an art, and those who wrote for a living emerged, tales of love and great deeds were spun; the land was blessed with peace.
Peace, however, could not last. At the height of elvish development, there was an elf now known only with the name of Pharaoh. His beauty and strength were unrivalled, as was his magical prowess. It was so great, in fact, that wherever he walked, flowers bloomed more brightly and the vegetation lived more vivid. Pharaoh understood the nature of magic in a way nobody had before, and to share this, he founded an Academy devoted to these studies. It too flourished.
And then, Pharaoh and his students attempted the ultimate task: to bring back the dead. Illness had already been conquered, and old age did not touch the elves. This would have been the greatest triumph of magic. The technique seemed perfect, and on paper, it was brilliant. When applied, things went wrong. Horribly so. What Pharaoh accidentally called from the Black Gates was no human soul, it was something far, far darker, darker and more savage. It was a demon.
And so the world was plunged into the Age of War. The demon, calling himself ‘Satan’ (a name which meant ‘Divine Justice’), summoned his brethren, and the statues of the elves crumbled in fire. The elves were pushed back, incapable of contending with such a foe, and their extinction seemed nigh, until, from above, salvation descended. It had wings, and called itself Gabriel. Gabriel was an extraplanar being known as an angel. It summoned others, and they fought the demons.
From these Angels men originate. It is said that one angel, known as Eve, gave up on its wings to seal her formidable opponent, the demon Snake. This new being, an angel without wings, now possessing gender, lived among the elves, and had children, and her children had children, somewhere in-between angels and elves. They were eventually known as humans. It is this way that we bear the appearance of our ancient saviors.
The demons, too, attempted evolutions to combat the angels. Some fused their souls with fierce animals, and they were known as Aberrations, which still plague us to this day. Others developed a taste for blood, and grew sharp fangs to draw it out more easily. They were called, and still are, Vampires. Some demons, instead, gave up on the war entirely, and settled down in this new realm they had discovered. They had children with elves, or sometimes humans, which were known as Halflings. They were shadily regarded at the time, and alas, the hatred for them has not diminished throughout the ages.
The demons were defeated, but the cost was great. The elves had lost much of their power, and now there were other races to share the world with. The magical forces released in the great battles spawned new life, shaping even some landscapes. Thus, the elves retreated to their forests, while the humans claimed whatever land was inhabitable. Now, there are no demons, they are but night-time stories to frighten children. There are no angels either, though their legacy lives on. Whenever we look ourselves in the mirror, we must remember to thank and praise their sacrifice.
Alas it is a sacrifice, I fear, that will go in vain. A new age of war is upon us. Maybe in ten years, maybe tomorrow, something great and terrible will once again happen, and for some, it will be the end.
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the Present, and a glimpse into the Future
Grim as such talk may be, I am old, very old, and it is expected of me. You, however, are young, and the future is still bright and full of promise. Talk of war does not concern you. And it pleases me to say, not only are you young, but you are also all promising youth, in one way or another. I have high hopes for all of you, that you may change the world as it is, and make it a better place to live in. Ah, I’m rambling. Perhaps my age does show... I will let Rex speak now. I’ve never been one for exposition.
~
SUDDEN CAPS WHAT’S THIS. Ha. You were skimming, admit it. Ahem. Greetings and welcome! My name is Rex, and you won’t be hearing much from me, I promise. This here though is some important information you’ll need on the roleplay, such as, what the hell am I supposed to do?! and other favorites.
As you might have noticed, this is a fantasy roleplay. In it, you will play youths who have recently completed the basic training required to be sent on field missions in an organization known as Angel. You have no actual experience, however, and thus you will be taking many different missions.
Now, this bit here is very important, which is why it’s getting its own paragraph. I encourage, nay, demand, collaboration with everyone else when creating your character. Depending on the number of players, teams will consist of three (or more, or less) player characters + one npc mentor (played by me). Therefore I’d like the teams to be as balanced as possible, not only in terms of characters with different skills but also (especially) personality-wise. Therefore, use this interest check to toss character ideas, and then you, other player, when you see something you think you’d have good synergy, or fun writing, with, SAY SO, and bam, dynamic character making! I will of course be present to help and offer suggestions.
Below, there will be setting information, and then, if this gets interest, when the ooc goes up, I will offer more details with which you can flesh out your characters and so forth. As for the plot, I do have a larger idea in mind, which I will elaborate on at later notice, but I also intend on creating something tailored to your characters. You'll see.