[hr] [h1]The World[/h1] [hr] [center][url=http://i.imgur.com/IS4bUcq.jpg?1] [img]http://i.imgur.com/oMfOn1w.jpg?1[/img][/url] This wonderful map was created by the sexy and talented SepticGentleman. Click on the map above to view a larger version which is easier to read and zoom in on. [/center] The name of the planet is debated. The humans call it Creation. The Fairfolk call it Mavara. The Dorak call it Ball. The orcs call it Lutuch. Nonetheless, there is no dispute that the continent on which all of these races live is known as Tithe. Tithe is a continent oriented on its planet with its northernmost point a hundred or so miles north of its arctic circle and its southernmost point approximately aligned latitudinally with North Africa. It is roughly 2500 miles wide and 3200 miles long. It has an approximate population of 100 million intelligent creatures. Tithe contains a multitude of climates. From the harsh, unforgiving deserts of Dorakis to the cool, rainy forests of Concordius to the harsh jungles of Ostraca and Silvestre, Tithe has something to offer for everyone. A few important facts about Tithe: [list] [*] Tithe's currency is the Drune. It is accepted by every nation except for Ignion and Ostraca. [*] The primary business language is Faerspeake. To make things simple, all characters in the rp know how to speak Faerspeake. There are other languages, but I am way too lazy to make languages up for this thing and using only one language makes everything easier. [*] In general, the people of Tithe are accepting of other species. This is with the exception of Valkyries, who are discriminated against in Nepharie and Talbor, and cyclopes, who are generally not welcome in Southern Tithe. Fairfolk are not liked in Talbor either. [/list] [hider=Section 01: The Races] Many sentient beings share the world of Tithe. Nearly every area of Tithe is inhabited to some degree by some group of near-human intellect. [b]Humans: [/b] Average Lifespan: 45-50 years Humans are jacks of all trades, average-sized creatures of average strength. They are one of the most populous sentient species of Tithe, numbering in the millions. Humans are hardy creatures, capable of surviving in nearly any environment and renowned for their resiliency. They primarily inhabit the countries of Talbor, Nepharie, and Haderlock. Average Height: 167 cm (5’6”) Average weight: 70 kg (157 lbs) Strengths: Hardy and well-balanced. Weaknesses: Jack of all trades syndrome; they’re not particularly good at any one thing. [b]Orcs: [/b] Average lifespan: 70-75 years Orcs are Tithe’s most famous warrior races. Big and strong, they are known for their warlike mentalities and brute force. Generally-speaking, orcs specializing in smashing things. Though not exclusively dim-witted, orcs are in general rather stubborn and impatient folks, the kind that prefer beating their enemies with a stick than casting a spell at them. They appear humanoid in shape but are much taller than a human, with an average height of around 6’8”. Their skin appears thick and wrinkled, like the hide of a rhinoceros or elephant. Said skin is quite tough, and is capable of resisting cutting instruments and arrows. Orcs are generally tan or green in coloration, with some northern tribes being grey. They are the primary inhabitants of Jikari, and also make up a significant portion of the populations of Haderlock and Ignion. Average Height: 203 cm (6’8”) Average Weight: 136 kg (300 lbs) Strengths: High physical strength and tough, damage-resistant hide. Excellent warriors. Weaknesses: In general somewhat dim-witted and stubborn. They are known to be very poor wizards. They’re also not particularly agile due to their large size. [b]Gnomes: [/b] Average Lifespan: 75-85 years Gnomes are short, humanoid creatures which inhabit the country of Ostraca. They are known for their intellect and magical prowess, and have discovered many technologies which are integral for the survival of the people of Tithe, such as armor fortifying. Due to a 400 year period of time where their kingdom sealed itself off from the rest of Tithe, gnomish weaponry and magic is much different than that of the rest of Tithe. Gnomes are skilled in enchantment magic, magic where they use the energy of the world around them to bring artificial organisms, golems, to life. These golems have allowed gnomes to create some incredible works of architecture, such as the massive stone wall which makes the border between Ostraca and Nepharie. Gnomes are generally bald, with occasional facial hair. They have long, pointed ears and hooked noses. Their skin is generally brown. Average Height: 122 cm (4 feet) Average Weight: 45 kg (100 lbs) Strengths: Highly agile and skilled in enchantment magic. Often use powerful golems in battle which do not tire and can strike with supernatural strength. Weaknesses: Rather frail themselves and lightweight. A physically strong opponent can easily overpower a gnome. [b]Fairfolk[/b] Lifespan: 150-200 years One of the two original races of Tithe, Fairfolk are small creatures indigenous to Concordia and Nepharie. As the most ancient race and direct descendants of Ma’el, Fairfolk are known to be born with a nack for magic. Fairfolk are the best race at magic, and a well-trained Fairfolk can manipulate their environment from quite a long distance away. Fairfolk generally have butterfly or dragonfly-like wings, and have purple, blue, or pink skin. Fairfolk with dragonfly-like wings have two pairs of narrow eyes and are covered in lots of tiny hairs, while Fairfolk with butterfly-like wings have one pair of eyes and little hair besides on their heads. The former variety of Fairfolk is generally referred to as a pixie, and the second a fairy. Fairies are capable of flight and have hollow bones, aiding in their flight abilities. Average Height: 147 cm (4’10”) Average Weight: 40 kg (90 lbs) Strengths: Best race at magic. Weaknesses: They’re probably the frailest race. They can’t take much of a physical beating and hate both wind and fire-based magic. They’re also pretty physically weak, and are incapable of utilizing many weapons used by humans and orcs. [b]Cyclopses[/b] Lifespan: 200-220 years. Cyclopses are the second ancient race and inhabit the land of Ignion. They are larger than humans and smaller than orcs, and are known for their distinctive single, large eye. Their skin is tough like an orc’s, and their skin colors range from greys to blacks to browns. Cyclopses are the most technologically-advanced race in Tithe, utilizing technology such as steam engines and rifles. They are several centuries more advanced than most of the country due to their nearly 1000-year period of exile where they lived exclusively underground. Many cyclopses still live underground under Ignion and the capital of Ignion, the Galloran Citadel, is underground. Cyclopses generally tend to their own, trying not to interact with other races much. They are of decent physical strength, about equal to a human in that regard, but prefer using their technology to fight. Average Height: 182 cm (6 feet) Average Weight: 90 kg (200 lbs) Strengths: Superior technology and are fairly physically strong. Weaknesses: They have very poor eyesight due to living underground for so long, and don’t tend to study magic much. [b]Satyrs[/b] Lifespan: 120-150 years. Satyrs are magical guardians of nature, existing to protect the forest of Robore from danger. They’re roughly akin to dryads, creatures which are tied to the state of their environments and, in exchange, gain exceptionally powerful magic. Satyrs are the second most powerful magical race next to the Fairfolk, especially if they’re in a healthy ecosystem. They appear as half-men, half-goats, with curled horns and the bottom half of a goat. Their fur is either white, grey, or brown, and their skin tends to be olive in color, like a Greek person. Satyrs are quite playful and joyous creatures, spending most of their time caring for their forests, playing lyre, and partying. They very rarely take things seriously. Average Height: 157 cm (5’2”) Average Weight: 63.5 kg (140 lbs) Strengths: Very good at magic, and about equal in physical strength to a human. Weaknesses: Their strength is tied to the environment around them. If the environment is damaged or weak, their magic and strength are both weakened. [b]Minotaurs[/b] Lifespan: 40-55 years. The masters of the north, Minotaurs are a primitive and tribal race known for their brute strength. They are the strongest sentient beings in Tithe, capable of lifting objects nearly double their weight. They are also the physically largest creatures in Tithe, standing at around eleven feet. Minotaurs appear as half-men half-buffalo, with the head and lower legs and abdomen of a buffalo. Their hair is either brown or black, and occasionally white-haired individuals are found. Thick headed and pretty dumb, minotaurs are often enslaved by humans in Haderlock and Talbor to help build large structures and mine ores. Those who were enslaved typically have a brass nose ring. They have a tribal society, with small tribes numbering in the tens or low hundreds scattered around northern Ignion and the unclaimed lands south of Haderlock (unclaimed because there’s a bunch of angry bull-men living there). Average Height: 335 cm (11 feet) Average Weight: 600 kg (1300 lbs) Strengths: The physically strongest sentient species in Tithe, capable of lifting tons of weight. In the days when men hunted minotaurs and captured them to be slaves, it took a crew of seven hunters to take one adult bull minotaur down. Weaknesses: Minotaurs are also about as dumb as a ferret with microcephaly. While capable of language and structured society, minotaurs have made very little development in the way of mathematics or science, and their written language is...sporadic, to say the best. Because of this, minotaurs are very easy to outsmart. Also, they are the only race which is completely incapable of using magic. [b]Valkyrie[/b] Lifespan: 90-120 years. Valkyrie are one of two species of winged beasts which patrol the skies of Tithe. Valkyries are creatures similar to humans in shape, with the exception of their gigantic, feathery wings. Their skin tones are generally that of pacific islanders, with dark tanned skin and black or orange hair. Their wings range in a wide variety of colors, from white to gold to vivid rainbow colors like the wings of macaws. The tribe of a Valkyrie generally determines their wing color (because this is fantasy, not biology dammit) Valkyries live on islands in the southern and eastern areas of Tithe. They tend to keep to themselves, and leave terrestrial races alone at all costs. This has caused Valkyries to become legendary figures in Tithe, figures of good fortune in Ostraca and bringers of death in Talbor and Nepharie. The wings of Valkyrie absorb whatever they come into contact with, empowering their magic and giving them a wide variety of effects depending on what they absorbed. Long ago, Valkyries were hunted by humans due to the magical properties of their wings. Because of this age-old past, Valkyries are fearful of humans and tend to avoid them at all costs. Average Height: 167 cm (5’6”) Average weight: 54 kg (120 lbs) Strengths: They can fly for very long distances and have wings which can absorb magical energy, empowering their attacks (for example, if a Valkyrie’s wings absorb fire, they could be able to manipulate fire well or, by flapping their wings, create twisters of flame). They are skilled mages as well. Weaknesses: They’re highly vulnerable to wind magic and are fairly frail. [b]Name of Species:[/b] Dorak Brief Description: The dorak are nicknamed "mole-people" by the rest of Tithe for vary obvious reasons. They are made of rough hides and leathery skin, with extended snouts and heads full of thick, natural dreadlocks. They possess four black eyes, though their eyesight isn't as good as most other races'. Thus, they rely more on their other senses. Both their hands and feet possess three appendages, and they have naturally large claws perfect for digging through and scooping up dirt. All of their aesthetics are comprised of browns, beiges, yellows, and in some rare cases, blacks and reds. Normally, dorak are completely incapable of utilizing any magic whatsoever. Somehow due to their evolved physiology, they cannot stomach the blood of gods. However, [i]extremely[/i] rare cases exist whereupon a dorak is born with a body of stark white, and eyes of pure red or purple. This subtype is known collectively as the vala, and are treasured by the dorak. Average Height: 6-7 ft Average Weight: 200-300 lbs Strengths: The dorak are naturally sturdy, resilient to heat, and possess great levels of stamina. The majority of them build up considerable musculature as a result of spending years digging burrows and wrangling bugs. Their range of equipment manufacturing is short, but everything they make out of insect remains is exceptional - bladed pincers, flexile webbing, tough shells, and potent venom coatings are all very common among their forces. Weaknesses: The dorak are a completely mundane race, making no use of magic whatsoever (save for the vala). Their four eyes do not owe well to their vision, and near-sightedness is common amongst them. They live relatively short lives, averaging up to sixty years. They don't do well in rain or snow, and possess a natural aversion to open waters, being completely unable to swim due to their bodily composition. And while they are normally in favor of being under the beating sun, the vala are pained by it, and prefer to travel under moonlight. Non-playable races: [b]Icemen:[/b] In the Icemen States far north live the Icemen, a peculiar bunch of creatures which tend to keep to themselves. As their name implies, Icemen are men made entirely of ice, about the same size and shape as a human. While most Icemen are confined to the far north, some of them, known as Glacial Knights, are capable of moving south limitedly. The Glacial Knights are icemen who cannot melt. They are famous for being some of the best warriors on the continent. Icemen are a proud warrior race and have kept intruders out of their lands for centuries. Icemen generally live to be about 40-50, though Glacial Knights are technically immortal. [b]Dragonkin:[/b] In the Frozen Wastelands of the north live the Dragonkin. Dragonkin are half-man, half-dragon, possessing scales, long reptilian snouts, tails, and wings. Once a dominant force in control of a sixth of Tithe’s landmass, the combined forces of Ignion, Nepharie, and Talbor drove them north around one hundred-fifty years ago. Capable of breathing fire and manufacturing near-indestructible steel, they are a force to be reckoned with. Dragonkin are the most long-lived race in Tithe, with some of them living to be 1000 years old. [b]Gorgons:[/b] In the swamps of Silvestre lie the Gorgons. Gorgons are truly frightening monsters, all-female with green skin, serpentine tails instead of legs, and snakelike teeth. The stare of a gorgon is paralyzing, and their venom, which they can spit like a cobra, is so corrosive that it can eat through iron and melt flesh. Gorgons are part of the reason why nothing lives in Silvestre, and they’d like to keep it that way. Gorgons are solitary creatures, giving birth occasionally to unfertilized eggs and sending their children off into the wild at a young age. They are the second most long-lived race in Tithe, living to be up to 300. [b]Avianes:[/b] Avianes are the gods of Tithe’s sky. They are bird-men with wings, sharp talons on their hands and feet, feathers on some parts of their bodies, and sharp, curved beaks. They are quick, agile flyers who utilize their speed as well as their powerful magic to hunt prey and defend their nests. Avianes are unique in their abilities to control the weather, a power which curiously does not require them to consume the magical blood required for other races to perform the same feat. Avianes tend to live up to fifty years. [/hider] [hider=Section 02: The Background] So this is a short-form origin story for Tithe. It is a story which is both true in the context of the world and is a direct cause of magic in Tithe. So it is believed by the people of Tithe that the world was created by Ma’el, the Mother Being. At the dawn of time, an unspecified amount of years ago, Ma’el descended upon a barren world and breathed life into it. She carved the world with her fingers, paved valleys, flattened plains, crimped together mountains, and then sowed the seeds of all living things. She created all plants, animals, and sentient beings. She originally created two species of beings; the Cyclopes in the north and the Fairfolk in the south, the two first beings from which all other beings hail. She gave them the gifts of technology and science, to further their building, and for a long time descended upon Tithe in a physical form to hand-guide the Fairfolk and Cyclopes. Unlike her father, who ruled a different race on a different world, Ma’el wanted to care for her people more directly, so she worked with them as an equal, using her magic to help them construct brilliant temples and castles towering to the sky. For hundreds of years, the Fairfolk and Cyclopes lived in peace and harmony, until a Cyclops king named Gallor rose to power. Gallor was an immoral and vicious man, one who lusted after women and thirsted for power. He achieved the throne through trickery and assassination, but was clever enough to convince Ma’el that he had overthrown a king worse than he. Willing to believe him, she allowed him to rule. Gallor was jealous of Ma’el’s power, however, and so he schemed to have her killed so that he could use her magical blood to make himself a perfect being. He began to rose an army more fearsome than any other ever seen by man, with iron-clad warriors and vicious, fire-breathing dragons. Before he sent his mighty silver army to kill Ma’el, who resided in a temple at the border between the Cyclops and Fairfolk kingdoms, he sent an assassin to kill her. Fearing her power, the assassin attempted to shoot Ma’el with an arrow, but instead shot the queen of the Fairfolk, who was meeting with Ma’el to discuss a possible removal of Gallor, in the heart, killing her instantly. The arrow scratched Ma’el’s arm and a drop of her pure, green blood fell into the wounds in the woman’s heart. Immediately, the arrow dissolved and the wound healed. The blood of Ma’el stayed in her heart and gave her magical power. The queen’s name was Vara. Once Gallor learned of the queen’s magical powers, he became livid with rage and sent his army to conquer Ma’el’s temple. The Fairfolk defended her, forming an army to fight off the cyclopes. The war raged for centuries, with Vara and Gallor both eventually consuming enough of Ma’el’s blood to become near-immortal: Ma’el gave Vara a chalice of her blood and Gallor sent hundreds of assassins to collect small drops of Ma’el’s blood over time. Millions died in the war, soaking the ground with blood and making the rivers of the land go red. After many years, Ma’el finally realized the error of her ways and attempted to leave the world. Gallor wouldn’t have that, though, for deep in his castle under Mount Phoenix his blacksmiths forged a weapon strong enough to kill Ma’el, a blade made of iron, drops of magical blood, and laced with the most powerful poisons in the land. It was known as Godbane, and as Ma’el attempted to ascend into the heavens, Gallor appeared and struck her with the blade. Vara ran to her defense, and a divine battle ensued, with Vara and Ma’el fighting Gallor. As they ascended, Gallor struck both of them with Godbane, causing drops of Ma’el’s and Vara’s blood to fall to the land. He was struck as well, and his black blood dropped over other areas. Eventually, after a long battle, Ma’el released her full power and defeated Gallor with a single blow of her staff. She struck him down bloodlessly, however, knowing that his blood contained magic, and placed his body in the magma chamber of Mount Phoenix. His body burned forever, and it is said that he still dwells in the depths of the magma today, eternally burning. She then took Godbane in her hand and attempted to destroy it, but was unable to. So much of her blood had soaked into the blade that she was unable to crush it. So she dropped it into the deepest ocean to never be seen again. It is said that as she dropped it, the magic-soaked sea foam bubbled up and created the Avianes. After Gallor was defeated, Ma’el turned on the silver army. She smote the armies of Gallor, toppled his castle, and destroyed most of their empire before Vara was able to calm her rage. Embarrassed, Ma’el walked the world that she had created and was gone for several hundred years, leaving Vara in charge to clean up the world. Using her nigh-divine powers, Vara cleaned the rivers of blood, rebuilt cities, and moved the many bodies to a funeral island high in the north. When Ma’el finally returned, she saw how well vara had cleaned the world and decided once and for all to ascend to the heavens. She forgave the cyclopes, knowing that they only did Gallor’s wishes, and then ascended into Heaven, leaving Vara to govern the world as she once had. Vara, however, had no desire to rule eternally as a goddess. She built the Fairfolk kingdom, established a strong government, created a set of rules still followed by the Fairfolk to this day, and then left the kingdom in the charge of her great great granddaughter. She walked into the ocean, dove to the depths, found a deep underwater cave where her blood wouldn’t rise to the surface, and committed suicide with Godbane. [/hider] [hider=Section 03: The Magic] Tithe’s magic system works like this: The magic system in Tithe is based on divine blood, namely the blood of Ma’el, Vara, and Gallor. All magic stems from the blood of Ma’el, which contains incredible power, but Vara and Gallor both consumed enough of her blood to become deities in their own right. If a mortal being consumes the blood of Ma’el, Vara, or Gallor, they gain magical ability based on how much and how potent the blood is. The blood is found in one of two ways, either a drop will be found in a vein in the earth or a well will be found. The drops are often found by miners and are sold to wizards and kings for incredible fortunes. The wells, meanwhile, are extremely rare and riddle areas with intense magic. Wells are where many drops of the same immortal’s blood fell during the divine battle, creating a divot in the earth filled with magical blood. The animals and plants around the wells tend to contain powerful magic, and are often incredibly dangerous. Only three wells are aboveground, and the others have sunken underground over the millennia. The three above-ground are the Pool of Origin in the center of the Fairfolk kingdom, the Pool of Clarity in the center of Robore, and the Pool of Overlords in the hills of Mount Phoenix. The others are deep underground, and their magic leaks up to the surface. Wells are controlled generally by heavy militaries, as they contain so much magic that they can make men gods. The Council of Sorcerers posts guards at the wells to prevent anyone from abusing their power and has a team of sorcerers who search for new underground wells. Generally speaking, the most powerful blood is the blood of Ma’el, with blood of Gallor in second (though not much less powerful), and blood of Vara in third. Ma’el’s blood is green, Vara’s is blue, and Gallor’s is black. All beings must drink the blood of one of the three to gain magic. Once a person has drank the blood, they contain its magic for the rest of their life and it is impossible to remove the magic from them. By consuming the blood of an immortal, a person gains the ability to manipulate aspects of nature. One who has consumed immortal blood will find themselves feeling more at harmony with their environment, though using magic requires an understanding of how different things in an environment work. In order to use stone in combat, for example, a mage needs to know how stone acts and how to change the shape of stone. They then will their soul to make a connection with nature and the stone does as they wish. In addition to understanding nature, one must also understand how to control their movements and emotions to make the stone do what they want. It’s one thing to pull a giant block of granite out of the ground, but another entirely to create a shield of that granite or throw granite spears at an enemy. This is why magic is something which requires years of training to be able to harness, as four different components need to be dealt with. (1) the mage must tap into the environment and sense what is around, (2) the mage must know how certain elements in the environment act, and what aspects they contain, (3) the mage must be able to control the movement and shaping of the thing that they wish to control, and (4) the mage must make a spiritual connection with what is around them and then will it to do what they ask. In order to do more complex tasks, one must understand how various things connect and then use that connection to create a desired outcome. Enchantments and potions are very important because of this, as they add new objects to a system and allow for more magical effects to take place. Enchantments are essentially like potions, where parts of a thing are incorporated into another thing so that the thing can exhibit different properties. This is generally done by mixing objects with divine blood and then spreading the mixture onto a thing, imbuing it with magic properties. Potions can be used to imbue people or animals with specific properties, though their effects wear off. Very good wizards keep up a constant connection with their environment, allowing them to interact with any component at any time. Skilled wizards also have the ability to combine various elements in order to create varied spells, such as mixing fire and water to create fire constructs that are fluid. The more a wizard trains, the wider their manipulation range is and the better they get at combining aspects of their environment. This makes the magic of Tithe incredibly varied, as there is a near-infinite number of combinations one can make in their environments. Most wizards specialize in one specific form of magic or one aspect of the environment and become very good at manipulating specifically that object. It takes years to master an element, so wizards who can manipulate anything in their environment into any form are few and far between. Generally, wizards are instructed in a specific system. This system was created by the School at Venera, an ancient and now-nonexistant academy in Nepharie where mages of old were trained. Nowadays, the system is attributed to the Academy of Sorcery. It goes like this [list][*]A student enters whatever institution at the age of ten. The best wizards generally started at the National Academy of Sorcery, though other academies exist (Ostracan mages, for example, are trained at the Royal School of the Arcane in Lychellon) [*] When they enter the school, a student picks an element which they wish to learn how to use. These are the four classical elements; fire, water, earth, and air. [*] For five years, in addition to receiving education in fields such as mathematics, literature, writing, history, and philosophy, young trainees learn how to use magic and manipulate their element. If they have not been given magical blood before, it will usually be given to them, though rarely for free, as the blood is very expensive. The young trainees also learn other basic magic, such as making objects float and basic alchemy or apothecary (the words are synonymous). [*] At the age of fifteen, the trainees are tested by the Council of Sorcerers in their element. If they pass the exam, they can move on. If not, they have to retake a year of classes and then retest. [*] The trainees then pick a secondary path. Depending on where one was trained, these paths can vary, but the Academy of Sorcery uses the following paths: healing, combat, research, utility, seal-crafting, apothecary, and enchanting. [*] The trainees then learn these specialized paths for the next five years. generally, this process also requires learning how to limitedly manipulate other elements. [*] At the end, the trainees then take another set of examinations to test their mastery. If they pass these exams, then they become official sorcerers. [*] At some academies, some wizards can then enter another specialized tertiary path. These paths allow someone to become a member of a magical order such as the Order of Mordane, the Council of Sorcerers, or the Ostracan Eternals. The wizards can also attend a graduate program to become a research wizard, called a sage. Sages are powerful wizards who do research for a magical academy or have some other sanctioned role (Ravencloak, for example, is the Sage of the Starlight Path, and so protects the path from intruders and trains some wizards instead of doing research) [*] Some wizards can also become apprentices to certain sages. In these apprentices, the wizards are taught how to use certain forms of magic in exchange for helping wizards with their research. [/list] Though Tithe magic is extremely strong, there are some drawbacks. Firstly, objects infused with divine blood cannot be manipulated by magic. Basically an object counts as being infused with divine blood if it has been soaked in divine blood. The blood soaks into any object and not only makes it nigh-unbreakable, but makes it immune to magic. Essentially, it makes them blessed weapons. This also means that living things cannot be directly magically damaged, as the combination of a body and soul is a form which was blessed by Ma’el and cannot be undone. Necromancers get around this by separating the body from the soul (death) and then manipulating each independently of the other. This rule also makes medical magic difficult, as a wizard doctor cannot do anything which breaks any part of the body in order to repair something (such as removing a tumor or re-breaking a malformed bone to re-set it). This, of course, doesn’t mean at all that magic cannot be used to damage a body, but that the body itself cannot be the thing which is being manipulated to make a spell. Every well is guarded by members of the Council of Sorcerers, a band of wizards who exist to protect any one person from consuming too much divine blood. In addition to them, every well has a magical guardian created by Ma’el which oversees it, preventing any one being from drinking too much blood. Wells exist in Concordius, Robore, Ignion, Sylvestre, The Icemen States, Jikari, and Ostraca. There is also one well underwater in the Southern Isles, but it’s kind of inaccessible. No one knows how that one got there. The three biggest wells are the Well of Origin in Concordius, the Well of Clarity in Robore, and the Well of Overlords in Ignion. Those three are above-ground and are [b]heavily[/b] defended by the Council of Sorcerers. All of the others are underground, be it from tectonic shifting or simply from the blood soaking into the ground over the millennia. Some spellcasters wield magical objects through which they channel their spells. Be it a staff, wand, spellsword, or instrument, these objects act to amplify magical attacks and concentrate attacks into a smaller range with the same power, making them more accurate and less likely to cause collateral damage. Using a wand or magical artifact is not required, however, to cast spells. Consuming divine blood has many health benefits and causes witches and wizards to live longer than their non-magical counterparts. Some witches can look like they are still in their thirties while in their seventies, and a few powerful wizards have been able to live for hundreds of years through consuming divine blood and through rejuvenating potions. [/hider] [hider=Section 04: The Nations] Tithe is generally organized into fourteen different regions, or “nations”. These are Talbor, Nepharie, Jikari, Ostraca, Dorakis, Concordius, the Southern Isles, Robore, Ignion, Sylvestre, the Minotaur States, Haderlock, the Frozen Wastes, and the Icemen States. The Northern Islands also exist, though these are generally considered part of the Frozen Wastes. (I’m about 80% sure these links will work, but I can’t be certain. Please let me know if there’s an issue in accessing them) [b][u]Southern Tithe[/u][/b] [b]Talbor[/b] Talbor is a cloudy, mountainous nation. It is the northernmost nation in Southern Tithe, bordering Ignion to the north, Nepharie to the west, and Concordius to the south. Known for its excellent military, Talbor is a warlike nation, often skirmishing with nearby nations for territory until recently. They contain the best cavalry unit in Tithe; the Knights of the Ram. Talbor is split into five shires, each with a thane. The king is the thane of one of the nations, and so receives two votes in meeting on laws for the nation. At present, King Victor of Draco is the king. He is an unpopular king, one who has a very low approval rating with other countries and whose vicious attacks on Valkyrie islands have made him appear to be a warmonger. [url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cL_b7cYHdTiGHyO77iR1zqZcOOmDL6HN6U0QpqsSCwc/edit?usp=sharing] More on Talbor [/url] [b]Nepharie[/b] The largest nation in Tithe, Nepharie is a long nation with three very distinct climates: North Nepharie, South Nepharie, and Central Nepharie. It is a vast empire, containing nearly a quarter of the citizens of Tithe within its borders. It contains the Council of Sorcerers, a group of wizards who protect the Wells of Tithe, as well as the Order of Mordane, a group of magical knights who protect the world from powerful wizards. Southern Nepharie is currently in the process of having a technological renaissance, using the discovery of Ignion gunpowder to bring about a new age of warfare. It is a monarchy, with an emperor ruling over the kingdom. [url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TJmSezq98DVMISU1cJvpElk5IVwpZY3Zolt63vxfdJE/edit?usp=sharing] More on Nepharie [/url] [b]Jikari[/b] The homeland of the orcs, Jikari is a warm, dry savannah filled with all assortment of vicious magical beasts. It is a harsh landscape which only the orcs have been able to tame over the millennia. It is a home to many monster-hunters because of this, many of which travel to the Lonesome Valley to the north to fight the dragons and bellows (gargoyle-shaped creatures who fire concussive shockwaves from their mouths) of Tithe. It is administrated by a council of chieftains who meet to make decisions in the capital of Marisson. Jikari contains the strongest navy in Tithe, as well as a powerful army, though they are currently at peace. [url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LBY2wet4aoEMchghio2NWcNGtF5UmKFJxmLQVR8jBlw/edit?usp=sharing] More on Jikari [/url] [b]Dorakis[/b] (created by SepticGentleman) A vast, unconquerable desert, Dorakis is home to some of the most terrifying monsters in Tithe. Its insectoid creatures have a strange case of gigantism, causing mile-long centipedes, spiders the size of SUVs, and mountain-sized beetles to be a regular occurrence there. Its primary sentient inhabitants are the Dorak, a race of mole-men who are just crazy enough to tame the ridiculous creatures that inhabit their desert. [url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ttaxYTwIcTSKd-C7GXlYfF_mKDYY5IRz6KNtTTs54Tc/edit?usp=sharing] More on Dorakis [/url] [b]Concordius[/b] Also known as “The Living Forest”, Concordius is the homeland of the Fairfolk and home to a variety of strange creatures seen nowhere else in Tithe. It gets its nickname from the trees there, which occasionally move themselves around to other locations. This makes travelling through Concordius a pain, as the road you went down this morning might not be there tonight. Nearly the entire nation is covered in thick temperate rainforests, with canopies so thick that little light reaches the ground. It is the location of the Well of Origin, a well of Ma’el’s blood which is controlled by the Concordian Servants, a religious organization which rules the nation. [url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uDfItDvODGlLAcOwOvZUtpDXQe0s68e90p9AJm3UgA8/edit?usp=sharing] More on Concordius [/url] [b]Ostraca[/b] A land far west, Ostraca is a humid, jungle-infested land which is separated from the rest of Tithe by a fifty-foot wall of enchanted stone. It is an economic powerhouse of Tithe, a land containing many rare resources which make a pretty penny at market. It is controlled by an emperor, like Nepharie, as well as a board of advisors which inform the emperor’s opinion on issues. Passage into and out of Ostraca is possible, though there are tolls for entering and leaving the country. It is home to the infamous Ostracan Eternals, gnomish warrior-mages who ride golems into battle and are experts at martial arts. [url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pEdwF44sRlm-D8Ta7LYXI3cmd71dlZfjthBqQBrRDUo/edit?usp=sharing] More on Ostraca [/url] [b]The Southern Isles[/b] To the southest of Jikari stretches the Southern Isles, an archipelago of roughly seventeen islands which are controlled by Jikari, Nepharie, and Talbor. The Southern Islands are a very laid-back place, home mostly to traders and fruit farmers who enjoy its pleasant, tropical atmosphere. It contains many massive trading hubs, and so is known to be a home for some of Tithe’s nastiest pirates. The pleasant, warm waters there are home to many strange ocean creatures, such as water horses (loch ness monster type things), hippocampi, warm-water whales, and krakens, massive octopus-like creatures which occasionally pull small trading ships into ocean crevices. [url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1biS-nJsUTtCe8UoriqIIlQ1KV-VXldZwK813s4KE8vo/edit?usp=sharing] More on the Southern Isles [/url] [u][b]Northern Tithe[/b][/u] [b]Robore[/b] North of Nepharie is Robore, a fantastical place where things tend to stop making sense. Robore has several underground wells, and this has caused certain areas of it to be incredibly warped from the rest of reality, existing almost as Wonderland-like fantasy realms. The middle of Robore is surrounded by a thick ring of trees (this is where the nation gets its name) through which no one can pass. The only way in or out of Robore is a winding path called the Starlight Path, which is guarded by the ancient sage Ravencloak. The land inside is governed by a council of Satyr sages who protect the environment there from threats, but make no actual laws. Robore contains the Poor of Clarity, the second-largest well in Tithe. Lore on Robore is WIP. Please PM me with any questions on it. [b]Ignion[/b] The Russia of Tithe, Ignion is the country that nobody can beat but everyone loves to hate. It is home to the cyclopes, a race of one-eyed highly-industrious creatures who are a few hundred years more advanced than the rest of Tithe. Ignion is a vast, treacherous desert mostly, covered in lava flows and ash fields from the nearby Mount Phoenix. Though it is somewhat northern, its southern regions reach the hottest temperatures in Tithe, ranging from 110-120 degrees F in summer. The Cyclopes mainly live underground in long, complex burrows that are connected by steam trains. Their capital, Citadel Daedal, sits on a massive lake of lava. The lore page on Ignion is WIP. Please PM me with any questions on it. [b]The Minotaur Territory[/b] The minotaur states are a vast grassy plain covering a large portion of Northern Tithe. These plains are controlled by the minotaurs, creatures which are half man, half buffalo. The minotaurs recently won their new land from Haderlock and Ignion by uniting with the Dragonkin and Icemen, and have an alliance with both races. The territory is perfect for the herbivorous minotaurs, containing wide fields of grass and wild grains and sparse forests of fruit trees. The minotaurs live in nomadic tribes covering the states. They move from pasture to pasture like herds, grazing on the local herbiture. The lore page on the Minotaur Territory is WIP. Please PM me with any questions about it. [b]Sylvestre[/b] A practical hell on Earth, Sylvestre is the place where all of the creepiest monsters of Tithe roam. It is primarily jungle and swampland, with vast forests of dead trees to the south, byproducts of a magical fire which raged across the land a century or so ago. Very few brave the untamed wilderness of Sylvestre. Most of them are either monster hunters hoping to discover some horrible creature, gorgon witches who wish to experiment on the monster hunters, or fugitives who have nowhere else to go. Few who walk into the chilly jungles of Sylvestre are ever seen again (how jungles can be cold is unknown to Tithean meteorologists. Seriously, they have no clue). [url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w61e8BxvdZJWFAC2jh38IR3IrCxxfnNDpglNN-f2rzs/edit?usp=sharing] More on Sylvestre [/url] [u][b]The Northlands[/b][/u] [b]Haderlock[/b] A cold and desolate place in the Northlands (the Northlands are considered to be Haderlock, the Icemen States, and the Frozen Wastes), Haderlock is the last bastion of civilization in the north. Forged in a frigid and harsh environment, the people of Haderlock are as tough as they come. They are a highly aggressive nation, constantly at war with the minotaurs to the south and the Icemen to the northwest. Their military is adept at taking down fortified structures, utilizing war dragons, cannons (a new discovery), and assassins known as the Shadow Corps to dismantle their enemies’ defenses. [url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f8mr1tp-iKg_dMtafOLn-Qu3yUdGjL6t5Vle38rgIWA/edit?usp=sharing] More on Haderlock [/url] [b] The Icemen States [/b] Defended for millennia by their namesake, the Icemen States reside on a cold, uninhabited plain of the Northlands. It snows there year-round, even in summer, and it never goes above freezing. It is inhabited by the icemen, a race of sentient ice sculptures. People of other races are not allowed in the Icemen States, though many warriors of Haderlock have fought there. The Icemen here live in peaceful societies, mostly free of crime and devoid of disease. They have a communist society, where everyone is given what they need to survive and the wealth is spread exactly evenly. [b]The Frozen Wastes[/b] No one is quite sure why the Frozen Wastes exist. Some say they are a byproduct of the divine war, a situation caused when Gallor’s sword scraped across the northlands, destroying everything in its path. Others say it’s the incarnation of Hell, a symbol from Ma’el to show the potential torture that one might find in the afterlife. Still others attribute it to the Starchildren which are mentioned in Icemen mythology, beings of divine power who bathed the northern part of the continent in flames. Nonetheless, the Frozen Wastes is an absolute hell. It is a barren, mountainous wasteland, unclaimed by any nation. Basically nothing lives in the Frozen Wastes except for the Dragonkin, who burrow themselves down in caves in the mountains. The Frozen Wastes are wracked by blizzards and thunderstorms constantly, and the wind that whips off of the permafrost can travel at nearly 150 mph over flat areas, blowing horses flat over. Not even the hardiest northern monsters live in the Wastes, for they know that death is soon to come there. [b]The Northern Islands[/b] These are usually considered part of the Frozen Wastes, but they have their own distinct features. The Northern Islands are a small group of islands directly north of the Northlands. They are the northernmost point of Tithe and, thusly, are the coldest. The seas here are in constant flux, and storms can tear ships to shreds with ease. The sea is quite rocky, so there are many shipwrecks jutting out from the ocean. The islands themselves are generally barren and deserted, though some of them have taken up populations of undead creatures. One such population, known as Deadtown, is an actual civilization of undead creatures. Though the seas force them to keep to themselves, the people of Deadtown are quite jovial and love meeting new faces. The town is run by a lich who allows the undead to act like the people they were when they were alive. [/hider] [hider=Section 05: The Technology] The technology of Tithe varies greatly depending on where you go. Ignion, for example, uses steam engines, cannons, and muskets. The minotaurs of the Minotaur Territory, however, are not very advanced technologically, and some still fight with bronze or iron weapons. Generally-speaking, most of Tithe has early-to-mid Renaissance technology. Sabers, pikes, and crossbows are becoming common, and many noblemen now carry rapiers or falchions. Gunpowder has just recently been introduced to the rest of Tithe through war with the Cyclopes, and many nations now utilize cannons in both defensive and offensive forms. Another invention, the flintlock pistol, was also brought back, but so far they are exceptionally rare, with only a few noblemen able to afford them. Mass production of firearms is still a few hundred years away, so right now armies still primarily utilize pikes, halberds, longswords, axes, and other generally medieval weaponry. [/hider]