- Our planet is changing, and we must change with it. We must learn to adapt. The Wild Walkers started as simple elves living in the forests of western Auriga, and their gift with Dust was to form rocks and trees into great monuments and buildings. This process was called the Sharing, and not only was it the pinnacle of their craftsmanship, but it allowed one to feel and experience the untamed and wild energy of their chosen totem animal. An elf who Shared often, however, carried the risk of having the spirit of the beast burst like a violent flame- losing control of their bodies and minds during moments of stress. However, in spite of this, many Elves sought to bind themselves to increasingly savage beasts in order to feel Sharings of a greater intensity. Stuck between losing their populace to the wild spirits of nature and the civilization of their towers, the Elves forswore the Sharing, renamed themselves the Wild Walkers, and set out to build their towers and monuments away from their darker history. Only time will tell if the Sharing still beckons. - Survival is not the same as life. What is more important- our honor, or our bodies? The Broken Lords were once the Lords of the Amber Plains, located in central Auriga. They were an aristocratic society and believed in such things as virtue, honor, and justice. To protect the weak, to champion what is just- these were the ideals by which these noble warriors lived. And yet now they live merely as spiritual beings of energy wrapped in dust-enhanced armor- for their race was fading when it discovered a deadly secret; by consuming the lifeforces-the Dust- of a sentient being they could extend their own lifespan. They now appear to merely be incorporeal energy living in suits of armor that sustain them. These rites of consumption are, obviously, a betrayal of their principles and their history. As such, it has always been a goal for the Broken Lords to develop magic to sustain themselves and their Dust-fueled armor without taking another beings life. But the question remains, and has haunted their thoughts: Even if a cure was found, would they want to give up such a powerful gift? Their morals beg "yes", but their hearts are much less clear. - Courage and knowledge will drive us- we must look towards a better future of invention and innovation. This is a time of great change for the Vaulters. For centuries they lived as loosely confederated clans in the labyrinths and tunnels that littered the subsurface of Auriga. Their skills at mining and crafting had made them comfortable, and their study of ancient artifacts were beginning to unlock the secrets of Auriga's past. Though their own origins are steeped in legends and myth, they had found solidarity and peace in the deeper reaches of the planet. However, an event called the Great Quake shook their very foundations- cracking their walls and crumbling their roads, even entire cities were not pardoned. As their towns fell around them the Vaulters fled to the surface- taking with them technological relics and artifacts that their ancestors had left behind that the Great Quake revealed. As a nation used to tradition and foreign to such change, the surface is a frightening place. Torn between the secrets of the planet, their traditions, and their need to survive, the Vaulters have struggled, but their courage and quest for knowledge will not allow them to fade or surrender. - History will repeat itself- looking to the past is the only way to save our planet. A very old southern faction that are few in number but exceedingly powerful, the Drakken have been around since the cataclysmic civil war that brought life on Auriga to its knees. As such, the Drakken do not seek war, but rather relationships, information, and knowledge. Histories, ruins, and artifacts are highly prized among the Drakken while wealth, military power, and technology are viewed as insignificant. The impending doom of the planet has not escaped the attention of those who know Auriga's rhythms better than any other, however, and they understand that should another cataclysm come that their first duty is to preserve what the Endless left behind, so that one day, maybe in a hundred years, maybe a hundred thousand, their great teachers' creations will still endure. - Embrace Auriga's pain to embrace power. We will make agony our servant. A northern faction of primarily mages and sorcerers, their primary power source comes from pain and anger. Having survived a long history of starvation and slaughter at the hands of the Necrophages, the powers that the Ardent Mages discovered- and that let them survive- are based on pain, Dust magic, and rage. Though they control great powers, they pay a terrible price to do so. To manipulate the powers of Dust, an Ardent Mage must dissociate mind from body. To do this they have developed elaborate pain rituals, for the more they are able to withstand agony and ignore discomfort the deeper their relationship with Dust becomes. Pain has become such a pinnacle of their society that even their children are taught at a young age to withstand it. Stoicism is seen as important as intelligence, and one's tolerance of pain is their way of measuring an individual's worth- be it an Ardent Mage or a stranger. - Commerce and negotiation are what will drive Auriga to stay livable. Traders, explorers, and adventurers, the Roving Clans are nomadic and mercantile. They are seeped to far into trade that hardly a transaction happens in Auriga that the Roving Clans somehow don't get a cut of. Wherever the great beasts of burden the clans built their cities upon traverse, commerce blooms, and the strange and wondrous goods from the strange and wondrous peoples of Auriga are traded. In war they should not be underestimated, however, as their rapid, mounted warriors give them an advantage in speed and make them frustrating targets. Even their cities can move, built on the back of the humongous Setseke Scarabs- a feat matched by no other faction. The Roving Clans bring sophistication-and manipulation- to the peoples of Auriga. - Our will shall be carried out, no matter the cost. The Cultists are led by two beings that are remnants of the Endless- the Queen, seated in her invulnerable throne in the Cultist's single, capital city, and the Unspoken, a wandering and perhaps insane being of great power. Left alone on their planet for countless millenia, the Cultists have sworn to destroy every trace of their former existence on Auriga- so believes the Queen that she will save her planet. The Queen's power from the Invulnerable throne is projected across Auriga through conversion and proselytization of lesser tribes when the heroes and faithful servants of the Cult convince them. Regardless to whom they may have previously sworn allegiance, when a tribe joins the Cultists, it does so until its death. Because of this, the Cult has been met with much distrust, though they claim their intentions are for the good of Auriga, and they have been barred from the Tribunal, or so they'd have you believe. - Auriga is built for survivors- we will consume Auriga and return to our former power. The northern-most nation, being kept at bay by the Ardent Mages. A hive-people that survive by ingesting or converting others as they infect them with their plague, the Necrophages are a nation of scavengers and survivors. The original inhabitants of the planet seeking to return to former glory by consuming all other nations, the Necrophages are a scuttling monstrosity that must be crushed under the weight of one's heel like the mutated cockroaches they are- or so the Ardent Mages, Vaulters, Broken Lords, and Wild Walkers would have all others believe. The Necrophages themselves don't share this view- in fact, they share very little views other than feed, fight, propagate. They have found a niche in their environment, they will win with numbers; by elevating the colony over the individual; by constant warfare. Somewhere between a hive insect and a zombie horde, they produce by laying eggs in the corpses of their fallen enemies. Emotionless, relentless, and driven by biology,the Necrophages do not waste time with diplomacy and commerce.

These are the minimums for application, feel absolutely free to add sections to the CS as desired. Cities, towns, and to an extent, lore, may be created or modified for creation. Name: Faction: Any of the above besides Necrophages or Cultists. Description: Appearance, age, race, unique physical aspects; any sort of information that would help us visualize your character. Goals/Fears: Things in the future that your character hopes to see come to fruition or not come to fruition, if any. Equipment: Assume your character is out on a quest, what would they bring? Skills: Feel free to simply name a role or archetype. Give us an idea of what your character is good at. Personality: How does your character feel about him/herself? How do they feel about others? You may also want to include thoughts your character may have about the state of things, or about being in the Tribunal. Background: Be sure to include significant moments in your character's background, as well as why and how they were picked to join the Tribunal. If you've invented an original race, be sure to include any information on such either here or in Description.

*The basic roleplay rules we've all come to know and love still apply here. No metagaming, no autohits, no killing off player characters, no godmode, etc. *In regards to posting frequency and length- I think once a week is reasonable, and is what I myself will dedicate to for moving the plot forward. As for posting length, I don't care. At all. A short meaningful post will always and forever be a thousand times better than a drawn out post that is there only to be long. That being said, I highly doubt a one-liner can be meaningful, unless you are a master philosopher. *Posting order also will not apply to anything but combat- I feel it kind of gets in the way of natural dialogue that happens when characters socialize. However, in combat a posting order may help me respond to a bunch of actions being taken at once. *As with most roleplays, please let me know ahead of time if you're going to be away for a period of time so I may make the appropriate adjustments if needed. *As for dropouts, I'd love to not have any, but should such happen I will notify of the open spot in the OOC. The dropout's character will either be taken out of the plot or killed off. *Mention winter somehow in your CS so I can confirm you read these tidbits.

Basic

Name: Faction: Description:

Personal

Personality: Goals/Fears: Background:

Combat/Travel

Equipment:

• A nearly pristine double edged polearm accompanies her during travels, hardly used the blades are in excellent shape.
• A ragged hood conceals half her face when traveling. She is blind so nothing can obscure her non-existent sight. Her armor is minimal and not made of impenetrable material. Simple leather, cloth, and a few pieces of metal here and there for aesthetic reasons but otherwise her attire is archaic and obsolete.
• Pre-made elixirs one in particular for transient sight. This mixture is limited but helps her perceive her surroundings, which will aid her during this journey. Everything is depicted in a wispy blue, like their dust magic.

Skills:

• Prime: Most of the Dust that finds its way into the hands--and bodies--of the races of Auriga is but a mere drop in an ocean. Through extreme pain rituals, Ardent Mages can begin to unlock more of these vast untapped resources.
• Inclination: This branch of Dust magic is focused on bending the will of others. Through such understanding, allies may champion your causes more readily, and enemies will fight with less passion.
• Creation: By ingesting a unique Dust-concoction that brings on searing pains, Mages can dedicate themselves to the art of awareness, and learn how the mind can overcome the limitations of the body.
• Effortless: Ardent Mages can more easily manipulate the magic properties of Dust, changing them into powerful spellcasters.
• Restorative: Ardent Mages are rightly feared for their mastery of the destructive aspects of Dust magic, but it is less well known that intense study of the properties of Dust can lead to curative abilities.

not done yet but i <3 winter.

Name: Zayth Arielan Description: Zayth stands at 6’3” and has the build and features of a warrior; Strong, broad shoulders and chest, a chiseled face. His skin, unlike that of his pale fellow Vaulters, is a light tan; the result of his 37 years battling the necrophage horde. His eyes are a deep green, and his short-cropped hair a dark brown; almost black. He has a scar running from the bottom of his jaw to his right side, the ugly remnants of the battle with a humanoid necrophage that lead to his elevation as a Dawn Officer. Goals/Fears: The destruction of Auriga would be a bad scar left upon the history of the Vaulters. As a hardcore traditionalist, his love for his people is surpassed only by his hatred for the necrophage blight, and hopefully in saving Auriga he can destroy the necrophage at the same time. Equipment: Zayth tends to travel rather heavily. Though his power armor, shield, greatsword, and various explosives tend to get him through most situations, he often finds himself in the need for one tool or another. In his mottle grey pack he carries a basic medical kit and various tools and bits of materials that give away his Vaulter background. A constant need to tinker, design, and build means that Zayth’s gear rarely stays the same. A rail rifle can be found strapped to his pack. Preferring being up close to his enemies, Zayth rarely uses it but is proficient with its use. Skills: As an officer, Zayth tends to think before he acts. A mistake on his part tends to cost his marines their lives. He is an excellent tactician and a fierce warrior. Regarded as the best swordsmen in his company and possibly the best among all Vaulters, his skills with the blade are surpassed perhaps only by his skill as a commander specializing in small-team tactics. Personality: Being quick to laugh and tell a joke made him quickly loved among his men, and his ability to separate his emotions from facts even more so. He was ruthless, yet kind. He is fierce, yet calm. It was because of his quick wit and personal discipline that he was chosen to be a part of the Tribunal, and he believed that it was the best way to save his planet and his people. Background: Raised among the underground Vaults and tunnels of his people, Zayth was instilled early on with a passion for knowledge and was commonly seen tinkering; altering his gear or whatever gadget he had come across at the time. Though his family were scientists, he found his own path lay with the blade and rifle; fighting among his people to find peace and defend his home. He was charismatic even at a young age and the younger boys flocked to him as they would an idol, even when he was causing mischief and landing himself in trouble. Little changed as a teenager, except for his preference for the more physical aspects of Vaulter society became apparent. Mock sword fights and las-gun battles became his hobbies as he established himself on top. When he joined the Marines at eighteen he rose through the ranks quickly and grabbed hold of his own command at twenty-four; the youngest squad commander ever. His men loved him, that boyhood charisma treated him well in command. He was promoted to Dawn Officer on his thirtieth birthday and given command of a company of Marines. His first battle was a slaughter; his company brought from two-hundred to near sixty in a matter of hours by an ambush by the necrophage horde. Though no fault of his own, he took the loss of men personally and retaliated. The winter snows hiding their movements his sixty men ambushed the fiends two days later. They ripped through four-hundred necrophage in vengeance, cutting down a hundred of the horde before they could react. None of his losses ever approached that of his first engagement as Dawn Officer.

"We thought restoring the temple of the Concrete Endless would do away with our terrible need to drain the vitality from others. I oversaw the construction of the Channeling Altars and the Penitent Temples myself, and the scepter and my own research foresaw our salvation. I was there when my lord master descended to the Core of Auriga. All that came of that day were flames and despair, leaving nothing of our dreams but ashes...and Dust."

Name: Vinchus Auleus Enlil Affiliation: Broken Lord Archivist and Duke of the estate of Palunbajo.