The Kingdom of Algria: Representing the last major monarchy in the world, Algria once ruled over most of the nations of the world directly or via blood-oaths to each country's ruling aristocracy or theocracy. As the decades pass however fewer and fewer royal families remain in power outside it's domain. Despite this, Algria maintains it's stranglehold as an industrial powerhouse of the world. If you own an airship, electric appliance or perhaps even firearm, there is a very strong chance it came from the Monarchy.

The free states of Jaku: These former provinces of Algria (laying to it's west and south-west across the World's Spine Mountains) represent the very edge of the known worlds. While more sparsely populated due to the difficult of caravans and trade-ships reaching these colonies compared to the sprawling cities of Algria, Jaku still has a number of notable cities where airships can dock in preparation for exploring "The great void" to the west.

The Holy state of Troikus: Renowned for stunningly beautiful and well-kept cities and incredibly devout citizens, the people of Troikus are unquestionably devoted in service to the 4-faced lord Troia. Beneath the surface of all this piety and unwavering fealty to their many-faced god however, lays the may of the most dangerous places within the "Under-road". These thousands of miles of uncharted tunnels, caverns and underground cities were once home to the greatest of Dangh'vah (Dwarf) communities. Many an adventurer has made their claim in such perilous places, where the god's grace does not rest. Indeed, some of the most illustrious noble families can tie their beginnings back to recovering priceless artifacts from the Under-road's darkest corners.

The Great Halls of Golgath: Representing the last remaining cities and settlements within the Under Roads. Golgath is an absolutely gargantuan fortress carved out of the World's Spine mountains. Whilst technically resting within the borders of Algria, there isn't a fool alive whom would dare test Dangh'vah rights to autonomy. While constantly under siege from Ornok war bands, there hasn't been a single falling in over 300 years now. This monstrous city, guarded from the outside by hundreds (if not genuinely THOUSANDS) of cannon batteries from airship and ground attacks has withstood the test of time. Many jokingly consider the world will burn before Golgath finally falls.

The Great Void: Otherwise known as "Terra Incognita", where the explored world ends, The Great Void begins. Stories tell of great nations and cities made of gold and silver somewhere out beyond the never-ending stretches of forests, desert and eventually Ocean. Those that go out however rarely ever come back. Indeed, there are curious reports of ships flying right back into the mountain side from the Void, with all the crew absent. Its as though they just up and vanished as the vessels flew themselves 'back to where they belong'

Dangh'Vah *Pronounced Dawn-gee-vawn* (Dwarf): The Great lords of the Under Roads, Dwarf-folk the oldest folk to exist across the world. Once the most powerful race to roam the earth, Dwarf-folk are still not someone you should cross lightly. Masters of gunpowder (indeed, it's very inventors) and warfare as a whole, it is good rule of thumb to consider any one Dangh'Vah equal to 4 humans (or even 10 humans in the case of Oathsworn) in both martial and physical prowess alike. Whilst average lifespan of a Dwarf is 800 years old, it is not unheard of for some incredibly rare warriors to reach as old as 1,500 years of age. A Dwarf whom has met great failure in a task of great importance may seek to redeem themselves by becoming an Oathsworn, warriors and craftsman whom dedicate their lives solely to the cause of reclaiming the Under-Roads.

Humans: This relatively young race has only existed approximately 6000 years, only 3,000 of which has genuine written records. Believed to have been evolved from the pestilent and repugnant Ornok, humans are staggeringly innovative in comparison to their vile kin. While not as hardy as their predecessors, nor as strong as Dangh'Vah, this infant species has established in millennia what even proud Dwarf-folk could not accomplish. They have pushed out their invasive kin, and established thriving cities (some of which even rest among the clouds). While humans are short-lived (With even the eldest only reaching 80 years), even Dangh'Vah admit a begrudging respect for those these folk whom have mastered the earth so readily.

Aivas: *pronounced Eye-vass* This offshoot of humans has evolved over the thousand years of mankind's climb to the skies. While such individuals are still rare, they are becomingly slowly more common in "Sky-lands", human-based cities lifted into the skies via magical and technological forces. While more frail than even humans, Aivas are known to bear avian (some say even angelic) wings. Such individuals are particularly rare in Troikus, as such, their sightings are typically viewed as a good fortune by the many-faced god. They are often pampered and well cared for and protected fiercely, viewed as being messengers of his will.

Ornoks: *Prounounced Oar-Knock* Ornoks are the second oldest species in existence. One could easily hesitate to call an Ornok a person and more a monster by their appearance alone. They are often grey or dark-green scaled (much like a reptile) normally. While they lack ears or nostrils, they do have slits where such organs would be, akin to a reptile. These monstrous creatures rarely live beyond the age of 40, and exist seemingly solely for the purpose of committing acts of violence and creating clones of themselves. Ornoks are hermaphroditic reptiles by nature, laying as many as 15 eggs in a single breeding season. Estimates suggest 7 to 10 of these will be eaten before hatching or murdered before maturing to become fully grown Ornoks. Rare is the individual of this species that doesn't desire anything but murdering anything and everything that stands in it's way. Despite this, it is theorized that Humans (and thereby Aivas) evolved from Ornoks. These creatures inhabit much of the Under-Roads abandoned by Dangh'Vah.

Shae'Hallam *Prounced Shade-Hall-alm* These particular individuals are extremely rare. While the rapid use of magic as a whole is incredibly rare, Shae'Hallam are unique. Their powers allow them to raise the dead (or pull souls from beyond) for several minutes at a time. Most view them by being touched by the veil-faced goddess Dakkus, the goddess of death and despair. Shae'Hallam aren't any one race, but rather are unique individuals, they can easily identified as they are albino in appearance (pale white skin and hair, usually red or pink eyes). While Shae'Hallam can indeed raise the dead, those whom lack proper training struggle to control their undead charges, and may even summon them reflexively in moments of great stress. While this tends to breed a certain stigma towards such individuals, they have been known to be called upon to bring back the souls of recently deceased if their death was suspicious. Such individuals are often marked as "Jakal Oath" or "Soul Judges" among the Dangh'Vah.

The world as we know it is bound by very primal words of power. The ability to conjure fire or create a mountain of stone or iron is bound by runes of power. Such things cannot be quickly inscribed, and even then, require an equal exchange of power. One can easily create a small fire with the proper runes and a few sparks to ignite the rune, but to conjure fireballs to be flung at a moment's notice is unheard of outside of the few incredibly powerful mages of the world. With the proper runes of power however, one can easily lift mountains into the sky (Given enough months) or change the weather with the right materials and runes....Such knowledge, however, is carefully guarded by the ever-jealous colleges of Magicks across Algria and Troikus. To even violate such basic laws of the world requires intense training and understanding of these runes.

TL;DR If you plan on making a mage, you're almost definitely going to be limited to party tricks and distractions unless you have months or even years of time to prepare. Even then, you're going to have one shot to make that spell count, so use it wisely.

So you're likely wondering "How do floating cities work" or "How do airships" work for that matter. The answer is quite simply a careful balance between magic and technology for one, and almost exclusively magic for another.Larger airships operate via magic runes inscribed at various (mostly random) locations across the ship. It is the crew's (and captain's) duty to know where these words of power are inscribed and protect them respectively. These runes lighten the ship's overall weight, while the balloon above helps provide lift for the (considerably) lighter load. Such locations are often guarded with metal plating (inscribed as well), which offers increased protection to the ship, as well as ensuring heavier loads can be managed.

"Sky lands" (airborne cities) on the other hand are often absolutely saturated with runes, and are kept afloat almost exclusively by such devices. While there ARE alternatives in an emergency (engines have slowly been fitted into place on certain Sky Lands's bottoms and sides), they exist solely to keep the city from crashing to back to the ground for the weeks or month's time it would take to re-inscribe the runes that keep it afloat.

The meat 'n potatoes, the stuff everyone really wants to see. Melee weapons are, while still notably common in rural/untamed lands, fading out of use in most modern cities. With the growing popularity of repeating firearms and cannons, the age of the castle has pretty much ended as well. The go-to weapons for up-close 'n personal work are often daggers, broadswords and rapiers along with the occasional club or hand-axe (The last 2 of which are especially popular when boarding another airship, rare as it may be)

Human firearms tend to be revolvers and lever action rifles or shotguns...Dangh'Vah firearms on the other hand tend to be less about single-shot weapons and more about throwing as much red-hot metal down range as possible.

This is made extremely obvious by the infamous "Deck-Gun", a monstrous 8-gauge quad-barreled shotgun that can easily fill an entire room with whatever shards of scrap iron, coins or other metal stuffed into each shell. This is in fact it's very purpose! It is generally advised however (indeed typically inscribed into such weapons) that your average human not attempt to operate one of these firearms if they enjoy having functioning arms.

They are also particularly fond of hand-cranked "Machine Guns". These massive weapons which, while require a carriage to use properly, can demolish small buildings in just under a minute if used properly. Such weapons are becoming incredibly popular to mount along the decks of airships.

More primitive communities favor straps of numerous single-shot pistols or an accurate single shot rifles. The former captain of the "Bastard's Bastion", Matthew Stanton, was known for having no less than 12 such pistols on his person at any given time, even as he slept.

Armor is also rare due to the growing use of firearms which can easily punch through steel. Despite this, some still wear the occasional metal cuirass or leather armor to turn a blade and keep light on their feet. Nobles have a tendency to wear exquisitely engraved armors for special occasions.

Remember to delete all items (in Parentheses)

Character Name: (Pretty obvious.)

Sex|gender: (Really obvious.)

Race: (Dangh'Vah, Human, Aivas or Ornok, Shae'Hallam can be any of these 4 but are albino in appearance, if you have an idea for another race, add in "Additional Information" at the bottom of your app.)

Appearance: (A picture will work, A good description will work as well)

Distinguishing features: (Any notable scars, tattoos, things that would make them stand out?)

Age: (30-400 for Dwarf 15-30 for humans, 15-50 for Aivas, 5-10 for Ornoks)

Occupation: (What'd you do before you ended up in prison?)

Crime: (What got you locked up? Get creative, did you actually do it?)

Starting Equipment: (What gear did you find when you came aboard and during the breakout? The are no named weapons manufacturers yet, so be as creative as you like)

Personal Items: (Things that hold sentimental value, lockets, lucky charms, religious texts etc.)

Personality: (The life blood of your character.)

Character Quest: (what does your character want most in life? revenge for an old slight? wealth? fame? This will be your goal if/when the plot slows down too much for your taste)

Bio: (If personality is the lifeblood of your character, this is its heart. No length requirements. Go as short or long as you want.)

Theme Song: (For those aurally minded, or just dramatic like me, a song is always nice. Gives ambiance and adds atmosphere to your character. ENTIRELY OPTIONAL)

RP Example: (If you don't have any threads you'd like to present, write me 2-3 paragraphs of your character looking back on their old life.)