The very concept seemed inconceivable to layperson and philosopher alike, but all were proven wrong alike. The God who had shepherded His people through the tribulations of their infancy and watched from on high like a proud Father as humanity spread its legs and thrived in ever-growing prosperity gave one last sacrifice to his people. He saved them from the jaws of hell-spawned hordes of uncountable hosts braying for the blood of humanity. With a flash that illuminated the sky for three days and three nights, the devils of the north were forever returned to their infernal dwellings. His Paschal Victory should have brought about an era of peace and stability, with Humanity’s ancient enemy vanquished and their safety secured, a new golden age to rival those which had come before. In His last message to His people, save for a secret word given to his closest apostles, the Lord of all the Heavens proclaimed that Humanity was to finally enter its next stage of existence.
Humanity entered its adulthood, but there was no golden age to be found.
Humanity looked for peace, but no good came. The scribes, priests and Paracletes which had studied and server the Almighty were left powerless. The laws of God lost their backing: slavery, theft, conquest, every forbidden fruit was sampled and found to be poisonous. The right to rule of Princes and Kings were torn to shred and set aflame as the God which had appointed them vanished. The power-hungry and ambitious, those who saw flaws in the Divine Order and sought to correct them, all grasped at the promises of glory and might. Meanwhile, the stones which bore his Name failed, and with them the infrastructure of nations fell apart. Animals ceased their annual congregations and changed their paths. Fields lost their bounty, animals slowed their breeding and predators once again swarmed the settled lands.
By 1152, one quarter of humanity lay dead or in chains.
And when those new scholars and kings, who sat atop the ruins of the last age, thought nothing more could hurt humanity, further death came wrapped in silk and sable. Voices from far beyond calling for rituals and sacrifices, perversions of the almost-forgotten sacraments of the Sacrificed Sovereign, came to the needy and the powerful alike. The rituals were completed, and bizarre creatures, perversions of nature and interlopers in the realm of humanity began to manifest. They introduced themselves as Angels, or Watchers, or Gods in their own right, and bore cataclysmic power sufficient to support their boasts. All sought something: power, glory, wealth, and with a whisper and a push the new kings set themselves against each other to prove the superiority of the benefactors who crooned in ears from deep shadows or sat on massive thrones in new-built cathedrals.
The great powers of the world, Iosia, Amburria, Idrez and Mordland, bit into each other with armies numbering in the tens of thousands. It seems humanity still had lives to waste. Doras and Romara beat each other to pieces while Mirkesh watched and waited. Perdon collapsed into civil war as the remaining nations were courted like the finest courtesans with chests full of gold and jewels.
By 1155, hundreds of thousands lay strewn on the fields of battle, and the nations of the world were without exception left without means to fight. The Angels presented their final gift: fragments of their power, their red blood poured from their very bodies. The power of Gods made manifest in Humanity, creating heroes of legends to throw once more into the fields of corpses.
It is 1158. Ten years have passed since the Sacrifice was made. The great ruling Angels have set their holds even tighter on the seats of power, and as their lesser hosts emerge in greater numbers they are either tasked upon the front line or cannibalized for Communion, to power more armies of Nephilim, the warriors imbued with the red liquid’s magic. Armies have shrunk, but the destruction is only growing greater, and slowly the cloying understanding that there is no easy end in sight is beginning to take hold. Armies once again mass to do their terrible battle, and only the wise weep.
OOC Information:
Welcome to The New War! In this RP, players will take control of powerful Nephilim, soldiers imbued with the magical powers of the Communion, who have for one reason or another taken up arms in defense of Mordland in its darkest hour, in a great crusade against the rule of extradimensional interlopers. Dark forces conspire, danger looms, and the ties of family or alliance stretch to breaking points. This game encourages player agency both in the plot and the setting, and active, enthusiastic players are encouraged above all else. Players will be accepted into the game once they produce a character sheet of quality, following the template here:
Name: Naming conventions vary place by place, so creativity is more than welcome.
Age:
Nationality: Though most of the soldiers of the Mordish army are citizens of the Republic, those who have a high capacity for Communion, like your characters, could easily find their way into the upper echelons of Mordish society without trouble.
Appearance: Though a lengthy description is preferable, pictures either alone or supplemented with description are more than welcome.
Personality: The more here, the better. One’s ethics, outlook on the world, goals, fears, proclivities and priorities are all good pieces of information to include, though by no means an exhaustive list.
History: Less here is necessary than personality, though there is no limit. How, when and why the character became a Nephilim is the only real requirement.
Nephilim Specifics: Number of Activations: Somewhere between 15-20, preferably, though I am open to good ideas that demand more or less. Powers: The most important part. Every Nephilim has one and only one power, though these powers are often oblique or complicated, though rarely anything less than very useful. Activations do not change the type of the power, rather the scope and capabilities. Creativity is encouraged here, and a power both fun to read and write about on its own and one which presents interesting scenarios to the character.
Classification: Don’t feel constrained to make a power that falls into the classifications! Classifications should be used to help people both IC and OOC understand the power, rather than shape the power as it is being conceptualized. If you have any questions at all, please do not be afraid to ask either in threads or in PMs.
The boring part: This game will be High Casual, a bizarre designation by which I mean, 'I expect at least one or two paragraphs per post with proper grammar, though am willing to compromise these rules if it serves the story'. Use your judgement, don't be a dick, only direct and write for your character, and try to do the best you can, and everything will be peachy-keen.
Angels
‘Angel’ is the working title for supernatural entities which have come to Earth after the Sacrifice, though few wear the title and fewer attempt to hold its full meaning. They are as varied as the imagination can allow, and find it more difficult to manifest in the world without the help from Nephilim or dedicated humans the more powerful they are. Angels vary wildly in power, from the most common who sit little more powerful than the average Nephilim, to the great Seraphs who command might on par with that of the Sacrifice. Every nation, with the exception of Mordland, has governments influenced by Angels, though many are less than overt in their control. Like humans, their capabilities and goals are difficult to understand and vary wildly from Angel to Angel, though assuming a desire for power is often a safe bet. The only iron-clad rule seems to be that an Angel will not attack another Angel directly. Why this is puzzles Philosophers to this day.
Most importantly to the nations of the world currently is the Angel’s ability to create Communion, a bright red liquid which grants Nephilim their powers. Communion is the essence of the Angel, and any power taken is power lost from the Angel permanently. Angels, especially weaker Angels, are something of an endangered species in the South, as each drop of Communion is a vital military asset. Hundreds of Angels have been captured by either trickery or force, and have been reduced by cruel rituals to puddles of might-granting liquid. In return for their safety, many Angels have agreed to be the servants of human (or Angel-directed-nation) ambitions, though neither party is ever happy with this arrangement.
Nephilim After three years of war, Humanity could no longer carry on its conventional war. It required something else to fight for its new gods, and the gods provided. From their essence, Communion was drawn: a red liquid which, when ingested, killed the unworthy and gave the worthy powers beyond previous imagining. Only so much could be taken from any angel, the power taken and not able to be returned. As such, the interlopers became a valuable resource, and hundreds were drained to powder to create the armies of the future. All those who drank of the red liquid were made stronger, faster, tougher, but all began to manifest powers inexplicable by the natural philosophy at the time. Nephilim only ever manifest one power no matter how many communions they are put through, though many powers are complex enough to appear like multiple different forces to the lay observer. The angels claimed the powers were a reflection of each individual soul, and unique to each recipient. Some souls could take more Communion than others, stronger of will or born with the right blood, or a combination of the two. The lowest individuals, about half the population, could take one sip of the red fluid. The greatest of heroes could take more than twenty. On the fourth day of the New Year’s Day Feast, 1156, two of these such heroes met. It was the first battle that had not ended with a Nephilim cutting a bloody swathe through an army of mundane soldiers. In the exchange, the highest mountain in the Teln range was reduced to powder and the town of Larchspree was burned to glass and ashes, the champion of Doras victorious after ten minutes of terrifying battle. It was said the tremors of their fighting could be heard all the way in Wexlan.
War changed forever. War became the fights and maneuvers of heroes and their supporters, the greatest battles now amounting to scores rather than thousands. The old ways of war-making were useless: those who were unable to change were replaced with less squeamish actors willing to accept the new way of things. Casualties decreased massively during battles, but the damage warriors could inflict increased by uncountable orders of magnitude. Populations still mattered, of course: those who could accept large quantities of the communion numbered one out of scores of thousands. And, since the communion did not discriminate by gender, those who did were forced to fight women whose powers are undulled by their minor physical differences.
The reasons for the variation in Nephilim powers are still unknown. The angels who guide the nations of the world guard their secrets well, and the philosophers of the world are left guessing why some can accept more communion than others, or why a twins will have one sister gain the ability to teleport small distances and the other the ability to gout noxious fumes from her mouth. While the philosophers languish, the generals and marshals have learned hard-fought lessons, and have begun to develop strategies and tactics in wielding soldiers who can run miles every day and level fortresses with a hostile gaze.
The only thing that can be agreed upon by all, however, is that this war is in no way finished with its surprises. There have, however, been some attempts at categorizing the Nephilim and creating models for predicting their categories. Power designations have been created for them, based on how many Communions the Nephilim has taken. The order is as follows, using the titles of the old religious order, now defunct:
The types of powers, which are variable and almost entirely unique, to greater or lesser degrees, have been categorized too, for the ease of generals and planners. There are 12 categories ranked between 0 and 10+, and many Nephilim fall into multiple categories, in each of which they are ranked differently. For example, the first ever Cardinal, once activated, had the power to cover himself in a variety of protruding metal blades, earning him a ranking of Knight 7, Shifter 3.
Messenger – A Messenger has the ability to transport themselves and/or others to different locations more quickly than would otherwise be possible by any means, including flight, teleportation or enhanced speed.
Eruptor - An Eruptor has the ability to affect a broad area and assert control over it through various means and with various effects, either deleterious or benevolent
Knight – A Knight boasts increased strength, durability and endurance. Knights are the most common form of Nephilim, though it is important to note that while all Nephilim exhibit some level of increased physical capabilities, only the extraordinary are classified as Knights.
Judge – A Judge has the ability to break the laws of nature as understood by humanity. They can affect an area, an individual, or themselves, and the classification is seen as the most broad of all, in addition to the rarest. It is often used as a miscellaneous category for truly bizarre Nephilim.
Prince – A Prince has the ability to control others at various ranges, levels of influence and number of targets. It most often manifests as some form of pseudo-telepathy, but can include mind-affecting gasses, sounds or other stimuli.
Summoner – A Summoner has the ability to summon help of one form or another from far corners of the world or the realms beyond the physical. Usually, the Summoner is able to exert control over their summoned entity, but this is not always the case, and next to Judge the Summoner is seen as the most variable class.
Archer – An Archer has the ability to do damage at long ranges through either mundane or supernatural means. A low-level Archer might be seen as the world’s greatest bowman, or a high-level Archer might summon lightning from the heavens or even more esoteric means of harm. Archers are the second most common form of Nephilim.
Philosopher – Philosophers boast enhanced knowledge, skills or other perceptions beyond the scope of humanity. Precognition is not unheard of, though extremely rare, and more common manifestations include excellent senses, learning ability or mental processing power. It can also include extreme inexplicable knowledge or the ability to understand or generate knowledge
Duelist – Duelists have the ability to apply some effect by touch or at extreme close ranges. This effect can be either harmful or helpful, and many Duelist powers are able to be either depending on circumstance.
Shifter – Shifters may alter their form, appearance or natural abilities by manipulation of their own, bodies. The forms a shifter may be able to change to may be pre-set, or the Shifter may be able to make modifications at will.
Mage – Magi are the second-rarest form of Nephilim, and have the unique abilities of being able to manipulate the Communion-granted powers of other Nephilim: altering, granting, strengthening, weakening or removing them entirely.
Rogue – Rogues boast powers that aid them in infiltration and stealth, helping the Nephilim not be seen, or bypassing defenses, or avoiding conflict entirely.
The World of Vaniya
Before the Sacrifice, the world was in the nascent stages of a great technological revolution. New ships, new methods of farming, new tools and instruments and weapons of war poured from the universities which spread across the land like a beneficent plague. The technological stamp for the world pre-sacrifice is 1630 in terms of Earth. Now that the sacrifice has come, some technologies have atrophied while others have sprung forward, but with the chaos of the world information no longer travels at the lightning-speed it did when the Sacrificed God's name kept roads clear and peace in place.
It is February 3rd, 1158, and war is poised to break out once more. The fighting never truly ceased, but a two year detente fell on most of the world as the nations licked their wounds and prepared for further conflict. The battle lines are drawn differently than they had been before. The great powers are split down the middle, with Mordland and Doras fighting Amurria, Idrez and Iosia. The Eastern Powers are reluctant to commit, though they are being squabbled over by the various allies, while the north fights its own smaller war over regional matters. A coalition army has entered Mordland with the intent to conquest, and only the naive predict anything besides all out conflict.
Mordland
Mordland, before the Sacrifice, was the richest and most powerful of the nations, holding sway over the whole East and enjoying massive prestige. As a result of this wealth and status, it was the greatest victim of the wars directly following the sacrifice. Idrez broke from it entirely, formerly a suzerain dominion of the great Kingdom, and across the rivers and mountains of its borders, armies ravaged it, while the beasts of the South Forest emerged for the first time in centuries to tear into the countryside. It was a nation of traders and farmers, with a strong connection the sea and a fondness for music and dance. Its jewelers were renowned around the world, and tenant farmers held a great deal of power in the countryside
As a result of these tragedies, it is unsurprising that it was the first nation to give their government to an Angel, the one which called itself the Healer, Simikiel. It pioneered studies of the Communion, and with the help of the first generation of Nephilim the forests were pacified and the enemies driven from its borders. Meanwhile, Simikiel tightened his grasp on the government and slowly pushed agency from the hands of humanity.
In a lightning-fast change which caught all off guard, on the first day of 1158, the Apostle-class Nephilim Wolfgang Kempf overthrew Simikiel and returned power to the people in the form of an elected Senate, with Kempf as the first Consul. This was prompted, and allowed, by a massive feeling of discontent with the “Healer’s government, and the new leadership enjoys almost full support as it promised changes from the low servitude and indignity the Healer put the people through, and to liquefy the privileged lesser Angels who roam the country to create more Nephilim to server Humanity. Kempf has pledged to the people of the world that he will free Humanity from the taint of Angel domination, and his armies mass to prepare a crusade against the hostile nations. However, with the Coalition attack into Mordland, the aspirant crusaders first need to repulse the invaders before they can continue their great mission.
Amburria
A land of powerful aristocracy and massive agriculture before the Sacrifice, Amburria is still the breadbasket of the south. A gentry held and still holds the land, and the mountains and hills which break up the plains of the large nation hold mineral wealth which fills admirably the coffers of the King. Without significant threats from the Sacrifice, and with its neighbor Mordland dealing with a war of rebellion in Idrez, Amburria came through the sacrifice on top, though its success could not save its people from Angel domination. Raziel, which claims the title of Councilor and hides itself from all but the highest echelons of Amburrian power, whispers in the ear of King Carol and directs his policies in subtle ways, bending the man to his will. His dominion over the nation is the worst kept secret in the world, but the political repression of Amburria, enacted by her new Commissariat, is strong enough to tamp down talk of the matter within the wide borders of the rich land. Seeing Mordland as a threat to both regional power and Angel domination, Amburria along with her allies Idrez and Iosia have launched a pre-emptive strike, banking on superior numbers if not superior quantities of Communion to carry the day.
Idrez
Idrez had always been the lesser of Mordland, despite government claims to the contrary. Idrez was a poorer, more agrarian nation, and in the fused state, though Idrez boasted one of the two crowns of the old Kingdom, it was ruled by Mordish governors and sucked dry by Mordish taxpayers. When the Sacrifice came, it took the opportunity to free itself from Mordish dominion and launched an eventually successful war of rebellion, putting the new Queen Ava on the throne and strengthening ties to Amburria, the historic enemy of the Mords. A cabal of Angels serve as Ava’s Small Council, guiding her actions though she prates her own independence and self-determination. Unsurpringly, an Idrez expeditionary force joined the Amburrian invasion of the north, all while armies muster in the south, preparing for conflict.
Iosia
While Mordland no doubt received the deepest scars from the wars that followed the Sacrifice, Iosia was the greatest victim of the sacrifice itself. Split between smallholders, craftsmen and sailors, Iosia was proud of its maritime tradition and held national ideas of exploration, trade and discovery. It was the technological heartland of the world, but all the designs for fishing boats or aqueducts or more accurate cannon could not save her as the great archstones which held back the sea failed and the monsters of the deep came ashore in search of revenge. Northern Iosia was entirely lost, and the capital of Coreal was all but leveled. The great exodus of people south was remembered with uttermost sadness, but the people found salvation in Gadreel, who proclaimed itself an Emperor, in a break from normal greater Angelic policy. It led the people back to their homes and threw the beasts back into the sea in the greatest display of power before the advent of Nephilim, and was installed as absolute ruler with very little reluctance. It is reclusive, only speaking to its Council of the Hand and entrusting the execution of its will to them, but it is frequently seen wandering Iosia. Iosia has put its whole effort in with Amburria and the Coalition in its war against Mordland, though its Nephilim are slow to arrive due to logistical complications.
The Eastern States: Romara, Doras, Inderinon, Asrinon and Mirkesh
The East has never held the power of the West, despite their best efforts. It is a varied place, full of ethnic tensions, cultural differences and factionalism, but also a great breadth of culture, artistic output, and novel thought. The wealth of the land has never matched that of the West, with worse soil and less aggregate mineral wealth, but that is not to say that the East is helpless or has not enjoyed times of plenty or success.
The Sacrifice changed things. Romara and Doras decided that with the death of the Sacrifice their ancient grudge should be settled, and the short, sharp conflict drove Romara into the embrace of the Mirkesh-Perdon league while Doras tied itself to Mordland’s successes. Angels control, to greater or lesser degrees, the governments of the nations, and while all the provinces hold themselves out of the wars in the West, besides Doras, it is entirely inevitable that the nations will have to take sides and declare for one axis or the other. Neutrality is the word of the time, on the lips of every farmer and scholar and prince, but all see its flickering and fading promise of safety.
The North: Aronbor, Rydony and Northerond
The north has always been harsh, and while culture and life has flourished there the demands of the land encourage experimentation and variance. The Sacrifice took place in the Ruhks, but proximity to the event ironically kept the northern nations safest at first. Aronbor manned the Colden Wall, but were never challenged, and though conflicts raged in the passages between Rydony and the larger Republic to the west, the bloodshed never reached the levels that it did in the south. With the ingress of Angels, this changed. Arbor’s king reformed the Republic to allow for joint rule, and while Rydony resisted the rampaging Greater Angels which drove a mass exodus from Northerond forced them to the arms of Friend Asbeel’s gnarled, extradimensional form. The displaced masses of Northerond who shelter in Rydony demand work or purpose, and while the northern Kingdom cannot give them all farms, they can direct them towards enemies, once enemies are decided. As the South dives headfirst into its own war, the North roils as it prepares for a smaller, more personal conflict.
