[B]Witch Hunter: Aldergard[/B]

The Order of Witch Hunters are known across the land of Telathra as a great number things: from guardians, protectors and heroes of the land to murderers, kidnappers and lawless scum that lurk in the shadows. While the many people might hold many differing opinions of the shadowy and dark organisation, there is one fact which is consistent in almost every tale told of the Hunters - that their methods and presence are as fearsome and ruthless as their cause is necessary. While most have never seen a true Witch Hunter in person there are countless stories and legends that spread the tales of their lack of pity or remorse, and while most people might resent or even hate them for reasons both honest and unfounded, none question them openly since Aldergard fell to the taint.

It was near six hundred years ago that the island province was declared a Dead Land - one in which all hope was lost to the taint of magic, after a mysterious event known now only as 'the sundering' left the island under siege from within. The very earth and air warped under the arcane energies that crackled and sparked with unstable power as Daemons and Eldritch monstrosities roamed the lands, killing freely as storms left the skies twisted and cities abandoned or burning. The Witch Hunters had failed to contain the devastation set forth by a handful of mages, and as such the island was cut off from the rest of the world - left to rot and burn in order to protect the other nations. This was the Hunters last resort. 

Now however, the impossible has happened. A ship has been landed claiming to be from Aldergard - claiming that the island is once again becoming safe. The travellers claim that they wish to reopen trade routes - travel to and from the mainland and reclaim their place in the greater world.

The Order of Witch Hunters - weak as they are all this time after the Sundering - have deigned to send not just a single hunter, but an expedition of their apprentices to investigate these claims. Each a worthy inquisitor in his or her own right and worth more than a small army in the right battle, this team of magic-seekers is to be dispached under the guidance of obe true Hunter to confirm or deny these outlandish claims, and to help purify the land. You are one such apprentice: a man or woman who has lived in one of the orders strongholds on the mainland for as long as you remember. Your skills, knowledge and unwavering faith have been brutally beaten into you by sixteen years of intense training and indoctrination, and now you have been granted an opportunity to cast off your status as an initiate and become a true Witch Hunter.

Your orders are simple: as a Witch Hunters always are. Establish whether the island is truely becoming safe, eliminate any traces of magic you might discover and report your findings back to the Order. Within these parameters, you are free to act as you see fit - the authority of the Order is behind you. Question not your faith, Initiate. Magic has already led to the death of more innocents than you can possibly comprehend in this place - it has no place, it is never innocent and it must always be purged.

[hr]
[B]Welcome to Aldergard.[/b]

Since you have read this far, you are clearly at least [i]somewhat[/i] interested in the story of Aldergard. This roleplay will be one that focuses on choice, morality and consequence. The history of the land that your character will discover is seeped in darkness and corruption and more often than not there will be no ideal solution to matters that you will face.

You must be prepared to fail. You must be prepared to be defeated. You must be prepared to accept the consequences of your actions in an unfair world.

For this roleplay, I am looking for four to six players / characters. Ideally, I will select characters based mainly on who I feel will best benefit the story - those with potential to experience the world and grow in it. Please understand this before applying - I will not simply accept characters on a 'first come, first served' basis.

I ask that players can write to an appropriate level of coherency in third person. We all make spelling and grammar mistakes from time to time, [i]bt wen u r writn lyk did is no gud sry.[/I] Content wise, I ask for a normal post to consist of at least a couple of paragraphs - obviously there is a time and a place for shorter posts but those should be the exception, not the norm.

I also ask that each player posts between once and three times a week - I do not want to have folks getting left behind when they don't have time, but I also don't want to have people constantly waiting on each other. If you are going to be missing for a while, [i]let us know[/i] so that we can make arrangements around that. I can check the roleplay semi-regually but might not always have time to reply quickly myself.

Naturally, expect mature themes. If you are sensitive to... well, anything really, you might want to give this a miss. Violence, psychological conflict, horror and anything else that crops up during the story will all be considered fair game. I will always do my best to keep things tasteful and urge others to do the same, but you have been warned.

Yes, these are a lot of rules / requests, but please remember that this is a story that I have thought long and hard about, and I want everyone involved to enjoy being a part of it as much as possible.

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[B]Character Sheet[/b]

Please be aware that your character is talented, but undeveloped. A blank slate. Quirks, skills and traits can be developed as the story progresses - do not overload your character with absolutely everything you can think of from the start.

[Hider=Character Sheet]
All Initiates share similar pasts - growing up in one of the orders strongholds, rarely even seeing the outside world and being subject to countless hours of torturous training. That said, they are still unique people and now that they are leaving to enter the true world for the first time, it is important that they come to terms with who they are.

[B]Name:[/B] (Your Hunters name)

[B]Age:[/B] (Must be between eighteen and twenty five)

[B]Gender:[/B] (Do I really need to spell this out?)

[B]Apperance:[/B] (Images are welcome, but a detailed written description is required.)

[B]Personality:[/B] (What motivates your character? Are they cynical or idealistic? Do they take pleasure in what they do or do they act out of necessity? This covers likes, dislikes and all other aspects of their personality which you deem important to share.)

[B]Strengths:[/B] (Is your character particually capable with a specific weapon? Did they prove a fast learner or do they have great endurance? Are they able to hold their breath for an exceptional amount of time? [I]Strengths should be SLIGHT - natural edges or small learned skills.[/I])

[B]Weaknesses:[/B] (Does your character have an injury that hinders them? Are they incompetent with technology or is there a specific skill that they simply cannot grasp? Do they have poor eyesight or hearing, or are they simply a poor judge of character?)

[B]Equipment:[/B] (All Initiates are issued a black leather greatcoat as a mark of their status, but while some find this enough and like to rely on their mobility, others wear leather or even additional chain or scale armor beneath. Also, Initiates are permitted to take up to three weapons from the armoury, though most take only one or two. [I]Finally, every Initiate is granted a small, silver knife etched with a blue rune, supposedly able to harm almost anything that a normal weapon cannot.[/I])

[B]Other:[/B] (Is there anything else we should know about your character?)
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[B]Lore[/b]

This section serves as a running record of various bits and pieces of Lore known about the land. It may be updated during the RP.

[Hider=The Order of Witch Hunters]
[Color=f5deb3][U]The Order of Witch Hunters[/u]

The order of Witch Hunters have existed for as long as anyone can recall, even if most knowledge of them is shrouded in myth and mystery. Across the land, Witch Hunters are viewed mostly as the stuff of nightmares - ungodly apostles that appear in the night, spreading death and destruction in their wake in their unwavering pursuit of even the slightest trace of the  unnatural. Most understand that they serve a necessary purpose, but this does little to alleviate ones fears when they know not which of their neighbours or family will be be missing when they next awaken.

In truth, a supprisingly large number of these assumptions are mostly correct, if exaggerated and sensationalised. Witch Hunters are few and far between witg rarely more than twenty operating at any time. They are taken at young ages - typically between four and seven -  to live at one of the orders two remaining strongholds and study the ways of the Witch Hunters. These new recruits are chosen carefully and never have any trace of magic in their blood. They begin their training immediately: Combat, tracking, survival and above all the Hunters most powerful weapon: faith.

Hunters must be able to survive in the wilds, be able to deal with society and be able to find his prey through some means. While every Hunter is taught to utilise force, diplomacy and guile, they receive specialist tutorage in whatever methods suite them best.

Witch Hunters are all trained to use as many kinds of weapon as possible, and receive specialist training with the most common weapons that they excel with. Swords, spears, axes, maces, bows, crossbows... even rare and dangerous flintlock pistols are among the orders arsenal.

While a Witch Hunter is taught to wield almost any weapon with skill and how to do battle with a mage, it is a Witch Hunters unwavering sense of righteousness that gives them a supernatural edge over the arcane realm and those that would use it against them. While little is understood even within the order, Witch Hunters sinply ignoring illusions, sensing magic through solid walls and even standing back up with little more than a singed coat after being immolated by hellfire is a more commonn occurance than it has any right to be - especially among veteran Hunters.

Every Witch Hunter wears a heavy greatcoat of brown leather, inlaid with a thin layer of chain. Whether the Hunter in question wears armour beneath this is largely up to personal preference. Initiates (including you) are issued and expected to wear a similar coat of black leather - though without the chain inlay. Aside from their practical purpose, these coats identify the wearer as a Witch Hunter and act as a symbol of authority.

The life of a Witch Hunter is one of complete sacrifice: they are taught to seek one battle after another, and as their foes are so dangerous, few ever reach the age of thirty. The oldest recorded Hunter is known to have lived to the age of fifty three before meeting his match: ancient by the orders standards.[/color]
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[Hider=The Land of Telathra and the fate of Aldergard]
[Color=E0EEE0][U]Telathra - The Great Alliance[/u]

Telathra is the name of the collective landmass of three great nations: the great fields and forests of the lush Hawksmoor, the deserts and mountains of the nation of Es'tha and the now dead island of Aldergard. In ages past, these nations united under a common banner in the name of shared peace and prosperity.

This would not last.

Relations began to break down between the provinces as differing laws led to each drifting away from the union to act on its own accord. These were small things to begin with - appropriate punishments, laws of rightful ownership and so forth - until Aldergard disbanded the Witch Hunters order and dubbed the practice of magic valid for the first time in recorded history. This colossal shift in political power led to further breakdown between the three nations. Es'tha became much more isolated: technically still an ally to the both of the others though secretly shifting the laws of its own lands how it saw fit. Hawksmoor however declared itself no ally to a nation that would jeprodise them all and vowed to send no aid to Aldergard in the future. The three nations were divided.[/color]

[Color=f5deb3][U]The Shattering and the fall of Aldergard[/u]

Exactly what caused the Shattering, nobody is certain of. All that is knows is that several years after the vanishing of the Order of Witch Hunters from the island, a great surch of Arcane energy struck without warning. The effect was immediate and catastrophic, but would prove to only be the beginning.

The skies twisted and contorted above the island nation as the air, ground and water were polluted with Arcane power. A great shockwave pulsed across the land leaving cities shaken and towns destroyed in its wake. Those that dies then were the lucky ones however - withing weeks sightings began of otherworldly creatures stalking the land - preying on the native population and growing in numbers by the day. Es'tha sent aod even when Hawksmoor would not, but these soldiers proved hopeless against the magical foes that they faced.

Even when the Witch Hunters of the mainland nations arrived, there was little they could do. The threat had simply grown too great for fifty of so Hunters to halt, and they were forced to resort to the only option that remained. The remainder of the Witch Hunters and Es'tha's armies retreated back to their own lands. Between the two surviving nations, a complete blockade was established - no ship was to leave Aldergard under any circumstance. After a few years, they stopped attempting to.

The island was dead, and to this day serves as a testament to the importance of the Witch Hunters Order.[/color][/hider]

[B]Races of Telathra[/b]

[Hider=Living Races]
[Color=E0EEE0][U]Humanity[/u][/color]

[I]"After the Shattering, we all knew Aldergard was doomed. We knew, but year after year men and women threw themselves without a second thought at an enemy they could not hope to defeat. Defiant to the bitter, bloody end, [b]that[/b] is the spirit of mankind."[/i]

[Color=E0EEE0]By far the most common sentient species cross the land, humanity has grown prosperous and strong over the course of its development. Moderatly long lived, strong willed and with a generally weak connection to the Arcane realm, humans have imposed regulations on themselves over the years which have led to their continued existence. They have spread across most of the known land and shown little signs of slowing their spread into uncharted territory.

Humans are considered 'the norm' and are the default to which other races are compared.[/color]

[Color=f5deb3][U]The Sha'[/U][/color]

[I]"Ser, I dunno how else to say it. They was there, but they wasn't. They was fuzzy round the edges - like tryin' to focus on someone after a night of boozin' even when we was stone cold sober..."[/i]

[Color=f5deb3]The Sha' (Sh-ah) are a widespread species even if their numbers are few. Exactly how closely related to humans they might by is yet to be discovered, thiugh they do merit a similar appearance. The Sha' are best described as ghost-like figures - typically slightly shorter and much more slender than humans, they sport smooth, grey skin and hair of various shades of black and grey - which moves slightly as if caught in the slightest breeze, whether in still air or a storm. The Sha's most noticable difference to a humans however is that their form 'shimmers' in a disorienting and almost incorporeal way - as of the edges of their bodies were only loosely governed by the laws of nature. This has led to them being associated with spirits, demons and shadows by fearful humans, but this bad reputation has little basis in fact.

Sha' do tend to have a disproportionately strong bond with the Arcane realm. Because of this, many have been hunted by the order and are relitivly few in number, however many are also perfectly mundane and function much like humans. They are most certainly not magical creatures.

Little is known of Sha' history - even to themselves. The eldest offer have no idea how old they are or where they were born, suggesting that age related memory loss runs in the race much more significantly than humans. There are no records of the Sha' in old history and no ruins that can be traced to them - it is as if they simply appeared from nowhere.[/color]

[Color=E0EEE0][U]The Elder Blooded[/u][/color]

[I]"In the distance, we saw smoke. A fire and log huts sunken beneath the snow - an Elder village. After weeks lost in the cold and with no food to speak of, we turned around and headed back into the blizzard: better to take our chances there than have our hearts offered up as tribute to some primal God, we figured."[/i]

[Color=E0EEE0]Elusive and hardy, the Elder Blooded (or Etaal, as they call themselves) are known to live outside civilised lands. Savages and barbarians, they are a race that puts tradition and spirituality ahead of progress and culture.

The Elder Blooded typically stand both taller and bulkier than humans, with even the weakest of the race sporting significant muscle mass. They are strong, stubborn and proud by nature, and natural warriors. The Elder Blooded are typically slightly more receptive to magic than humans, but as it is such a minor part of their culture there are few recorded instances of it ever being used. 

As tradition dictates they do not cut their hair it is not uncommon for them to by noticed by their large manes and beards. They tend to reside in colder climates where humans have fewer settlements, but are known tobhave tribes scattered across the lands. Few speak the common tongue.

While the culture of the Elder Blooded is clearly more ancient that of humanity, there are strong similarities which suggest that they may be closely related.[/color]
[/hider]
[Hider=Ancient Races]
[Color=f5deb3][U]The Elves.[/u]

The Elves were once a race that resided in Hawksmoor, before humans had even come to exist if the stories are to be believed. The most widely accepted version of their history is that they managed to wipe out their entire civilisation and species through uncontrolled magic much in the same way that Aldergard did, and that the precious few that had little to no connection to the Arcane realm would survive and later breed to eventually become the first humans.[/color]

[Color=E0EEE0][U]The Seraphim[/u]

The Seraphim - or Seraph - are widely regarded as little more than  legends, though there are some small traces of evidence that suggest they might have truly existed. Stories tell of angels - celestial being that ruled the land in a golden age, long before the three nations were divided. The most common stories are that they grew too noble for their mortal world and ascended to another, greater plane ld existance.

While this is of course absurd, there have been a very small number of skeletons located in the darkest corners of Es'tha Telathra which display certain avian features which may explain where some of these legends evolved from.[/color]

[Color=f5deb3][U]The Nesaka[/U]

Unlike most other long dead civilisations, the Nesaka are fairly well documented. Reptilian-blooded humanoids with hard, scale-like skin, the Nesaka held a flourishing civilisation not long before Es'tha was colonised by humans. Beautiful, strong and valuing intelligence and art above all other traits, their downfall was a sad but long predictable tale - due to a genetic flaw, each generation saw fewer and fewer females born. Eventually their numbers simply dwindled to nothing. 

As a relatively recent race who had forseen their fate ahead of tijme, a large amount of ruins, inventions and texts survived and have been recovered in their homeland of the Es'tha deserts. Many complex contraptions can have their origins traced back to Nesaka roots.[/color]
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