You know, I've gotta say, it's always nice to find a group of people capable of actual pleasant conversation. Especially here in Illinois, land of corn and wannabe gangsters.
For what it lacks in corn, California makes up in an abundance of rich white kinds who I would classify as "wannabe wannabe gangsters." I feel your pain.
While I am writing up the OOC, as per request, I will be providing the character skeleton for you guys to start tinkering away with your characters. However, expanding on that, I’ll be giving you guys some world information as well to help you guys work out your backstories and to ween you in to the world of Arilyth.
So, first thing is first, the Order of Cinders and where your characters sit within it. To many of the Hunters and Huntresses of the Order, the organisation is all that they have – it is family, it is security and it is stability. Many members of the Order are raised in the House of Fire (their headquarters), and many have grown up together or have met/are aware of each other and who the other Hunters and Huntresses are. This is not because they have been sent there, but because they are linked to the undead in some form, and are compelled by hatred, vengeance or some other motive to endure the rigorous training to become a Hunter/Huntress and then live a life of peril and danger. How your character ended up there, how they are linked to the undead and what their motivations are behind the life they lead is totally up to you. Since you’re all getting along (much to my delight), it might also benefit you guys to discuss where your characters sit with each other. Are you a younger member that admires an older? Were you raised in the Order together? Were you driven to the Order for the same reasons? So many questions that you could all iron out together and possibly connect and bond over before the RP!
Secondly, the world of Arilyth. Since there is a lot of magic involved here (ebon pyromancy and necromancy), it makes sense to explain where magic comes from and the violent history surrounding it.
At the heart of the world, there is At’aine, the Well of the World. At’aine is the source of all arcane magic, and by extension, blood and daemonic magic as well. All ley-lines flow into the Well, and it is from this that maegi derive their power. In our case, the pyromancers of the Order.
For the human maegi, the Well was a gift, from which 100 members of their race were asked to drink. Upon doing so, they attained the power of gods, and with their power they sought to create and destroy. The waters of the Well were effectively a part of them, and was passed on to each successive generation. However, as each generation was born, their powers were weaker. All human maegi are traced back to the original 100, known as the Primal Sorcerers.
Of course, At’aine had to be protected. After they had lived their lives, a dozen of the first maegi formed The Conclave. As time went on, their mortal forms withered away, but their powers remained to protect the Well. Eventually, they established a kingdom for an indigenous clan of humans, helping them construct fortifications necessary to protect it. The men and women of this new nation were bound to protect At’aine, and once ready, the Conclave departed the world.
This kingdom was called Maltheria.
In Arilyth, there are a multitude of nations and kingdoms, most of them human (don’t let this fool you into thinking they are the predominant race however, as the ithuri are en par with their populations). Below are brief overviews of them.
The Kingdom of Maltheria Kingdom of stone, established six centuries before the events our tale by the Conclave. Originally a tribe of humans indigenous to the Mountains of Maltheria and the Dragonwall, this nation of warriors were seen as the ideal candidates to guard At’aine from the Imyassi Empire.
They tend to be tall and well-built, with brown hair and almond-shaped eyes, an olive complexion and physical strength that often astounds other humans. They are raised to be warriors, and are defined by their resilience, their stubbornness and their proficiency in battle.
The Holy Kingdom of Lorinth Lorinth, and its five vassals, occupy the northern subcontinent of Veldonn. Lorintines are reputed for their zeal and their devotion to the worship of the Saints, the canonised men and women who fought to create the kingdom we see today. Their military and their faith are intertwined, as anointed knights also act as the priests of the realm.
There is some diversity in the north. Lorintines tend to be smaller in stature, with pink skin and dark features, while the Baruvadi are fairer, stockier and have stronger statures. Dumatians tend to be tall and lithe, while the folk of the Coven are short, black of hair and grey of eyes.
Note – the five vassals of Lorinth are culturally dissimilar to Lorinth, bound only by a faith forced upon them. If you would like to know more about the vassals – let me know.
The Scattered Peoples of Sivar Velg The northernmost continent of the world is Sivar Velg, the birthplace of vamphiirs, necromancy and the Order of Cinders. Also the location of the House of Fire. Once the home of giants, Sivar Velg has fallen into disorganisation and anarchy. Though many attempts have been made to unite the continent, they have all been unsuccessful.
The men and women of Sivar Velg are a warrior people. Sivar Velg is a harsh and hostile environment, where beasts and barbarians roam unchecked. They are shaped by battle and their ferocious instinct to survive. They tend to be blond or redheaded, with stark blue eyes and pale skin.
The Queendom of Ibzya The whimsical lands of the west are full of all manner of bizarre creatures and queer oddities. Mostly a vast and terrible desert, the Ibzyans are a hardy and hostile people, known for isolating themselves from the world and fighting the neighbouring gnolls for resources. The Ibzyans are ruled by a ruthless queen and her council of sun-dervishes.
Ibzyans are olive-skinned, brown-eyed and sport styles that are comfortable in the heat and durable in the desert.
The Republic of Paerium The most unassuming nation in Arilyth is Paerium. Small in territory and population, yet rich in resources, the Paeric have benefited from the discovery of a substance akin to gunpowder, and the subsequent invention of the rifle. Paerium is an industrious republic, made wealthy by their recent discoveries, yet hounded on all fronts by their competitors - the principalities.
The Paeric are tall and dark-skinned, being the closest relatives to the first humans in the world.
The Jzarean Empire The superpower of the world is Jzarea, an empire that encompasses the entirety of the south. Ruthless, unforgiving and merciless in their quest for expansion, the Jzareans have established a reputation as a threat to other nations. They are the only nation in the world to have slaves and revere a snake goddess.
Jzareans are dark-skinned and incredibly vibrant in their dress, even adorning themselves in stone. They tend to be lithe and athletic, and quite flexible thanks to their jungle abodes. Their agility and dexterity has proven to be an asset to them in their imperial campaigns.
The Duchies of the Revosso Peninsula The Revosso Peninsula, the focus of our story. The duchies of Revosso are autonomous and rule in their own right, yet maintain a plethora of trade agreements that have significantly bolstered their economy and helped them usurp the principalities as trade capitals of the world. Indulgence, extravagance and culture define the people of Revosso.
Revossic men and women are of medium height. Their eyes vary from a muddy brown to a lusty burgundy (an oddity unique to the people of this region) while their hair maintains a subtle scarlet quality to it. Their quality of life and diet means that the stresses of the world do not impact them, and they are known for having youthful olive skin.
The Principalities of the Golden Road Following centuries under tyrants, a lineage of queens rose up against men known as the Sword Kings and established the six principalities of the Golden Road. Since then, the principalities of Aminah, Ezaraj, Kalabad, Sabasar, Varazhyr and Moqorro have enjoyed prosperity, constructing the infamous Golden Road and benefiting from the spoils of trade in the region.
The people of this region are known as the Ashareen, and their appearances differ depending on their origin. Ezarites and Varazhyrans are olive-skinned with manes of brown or black hair and light eyes, some even blue or green, while Aminese, Kalabadi, Sabasari and Moqorron are darker, stronger in stature and better suited for hotter climates.
Character Skeleton:
Name: self-explanatory. Appearance: a picture or a description will do. This does include age. Biography: your backstory. Who is your character? Why are they with the Order? Where are they from? I want every juicy detail. And if you do wish to keep it a secret (as some are wont to do) then please at least PM me your biography so that I can look at it and approve it. Personality: normally I shy away from this part of a character’s profile but seeing as your characters know each other or are aware of each other there are probably some, or many, elements of who you are and how you behave and what drives you (this is linked to your biography) that other members of the Order, and therefore other characters, would know about. This isn’t a psycho-analysis of sorts, merely a way for you to convey what you would like others to know about how your character ticks. I’m hoping this might inspire some camaraderie or conflict between characters.
Now, this was all written very haphazardly in my one hour break at university so I apologise if there are any errors in grammar, spelling or syntax, or if any of the descriptions are confusing/lax. I promise you that the OOC will be of a much higher standard, and that my writing in the roleplay (most importantly, of course) will be judged heavily by my perfectionist demons.
If you have any more questions or queries regarding this information, or you want to know more about a certain part of the world or culture or whatever, then please do not hesitate to ask me. :)
@Varromere Interesting. But what about magic? You did mention that fire magic is a big part of the Order, but I assume that the members are capable of other types of magic as well? Though maybe not necromancy, for obvious reasons? Or some could study the discipline in order to better their understandings of the enemies?
"Those who think our methods are too extreme have never seen a horde of their dead relatives."
Appearance: Xho is a 26 year old, dark skinned, slender man. His whole body appears to be lacking any fat but is neither a bulk of muscles. He is athletic in appearance and about average in height. His long dark hair is bound to a single long braid, decorated with feathers, rocks and pearls. His clothing is mostly light leather armor of the order, again decorated with the traditional rocks and pearls of his home. His right arm has a red tattoo of a serpent spiraling from Xho's shoulder down to his hand. Biography: Xho was already born into the world a cursed child. His father was a noble of the empire, his mother one of his slaves. And out of one fateful night the young boy was born, unfit to grow up as a noble, but still with noble blood. So young Xho was given away to the temple of the snake goddess. The priests treated him relatively well, him and all the other children no one wanted, bastards and so on. Here he was also trained. Realizing what talent the young boy had he was shipped away again into the deep jungle to become a bladedancer for the goddess. Bladedancer use a strange weapon called the Sāpa,a sort of cross between a whip and a sword. In the jungle Xho was trained every day in the use of the exotic weapon and in general combat. He got bruises, he got scars, he even lost parts of a few fingers but he got stronger and better. But everything changed when he got 17. He still remembered everything. All dead bladedancers were buried in the yard of the temple that trained them. That was the tradition. And they all were formidable warriors. While most undead don't keep the skills they had in their lifetime, the bladedancers that were reanimated by a necromancer through some foul magic somehow did. And they slaughtered the temple to get even more bodies. The only reason Xho survived was because he ran. He saw the hordes of bones, weapons and rotting flesh and ran as fast as he could. It was after he ran three days straight, nearly dying from thirst and exhaustion that a group from the order of Cinders found him. after they explained the were hunting the necromancers, Xho immediately fell on his knees and declared he would join them. Hearing that he already had the fighting training and the motivation, Xho was send for further training to the house of fire. It has been about 10 years that Xho was with the order and he has become a respected member. Even though some of the other members sometimes wonder and laugh at his exotic weapon and looks the have learned not to underestimate him when he does his deadly dance, shredding limbs and cutting bones...
Personality: The years in the Order and the countless near death experiences have changed Xho. He got that sense of dark humor and cynicism that only a member of the order could have who faces death every day. However he also has a fire of rage against undead burning inside him, still feeling guilty that he ran away like a child on that faithful day.
@BurningColdThe Baruvadi form one of the three 'nations' of Veldonn. Colloquially, they are known as Bards due to their celebratory view on life, with a culture that values lore, music, dance and community.
Baruvad, formerly a kingdom and now under the yoke of Lorinth, is located in the heart of Veldonn, surrounded by the Ebenwalde, a dark and dense forest that encompasses the entirety of the country. They are a hard-working people who enjoy brewing beer and passing down their history through poetry and song. This is particularly important to them today, as the Bards suffered the most during the crusade that robbed them of their autonomy. They are a stubborn and enduring people, not accustomed to war or violence, but willing to fight to the death for their lands and for their independence. So when King Charles Adelen and the knights of Lorinth navigated their way to the capital of Stunnenbor, they were met with fierce resistance. Baruvad held out for a decade before Adelen surrounded Stunnenbor and trapped its citizens inside it as it burned.
The Baruvadi maintain their tradition of dissent. Despite the looming presence of Lorinth, rebellions are constant, and the inns and taverns are ablaze with passionate cries for their liberty. Their culture is loosely inspired by Germany.
@RedDuskPyromancy, particularly ebon pyromancy, has been found to be the most effective tool against the undead - particularly vamphiirs. Necromancy and blood magic are strictly forbidden, though there have been cases in the past of members using blood magic. Of course, necromancy is studied as much as it can be without one actually dabbling into it, but again, there are some who have taken a more 'fire-with-fire' approach to the hunt, though the penalty for such is death by fire.
In short, pyromancers are capable of studying other kinds of magic, but their studies under the Order have honed in on ebon pyromancy and how to wield it effectively as both a means of offence and defence. So, maybe you were a maegi of some other faction prior to your induction to the Order or what have you.
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If you guys want to post your characters here, that is fine. However, I won't be accepting them until the OOC has been posted as you guys may change your minds about something based on new info presented or what have you.
@The NarratorLooking good thus far! I'll have a more detailed look when I wake up and inbox you. :)
Name: Locust Highland Appearance: Colour Image Locust is a 25 year old man of a lean build. His most notable feature is his left eye, which has been blinded and is completely white. His hair, which is almost kept covered by his hat, is short and brown, and is almost always kept unstyled. His armour detracts from the usual style of the order as he has chosen instead to wear his family's traditional garb, despite being disowned by them. This includes leather armour, stained dark purple with a matching cape and feathered cap along with similarly colored boots and white leggings. Biography: Locust's history starts a century or two back with his ancestors. They were Dumatians, tired of the abundance of religion within their kingdom who moved out from the city and created a settlement just outside of Maltheria. For years they grew the settlement and began training their offpsring to defend themselves. At some point, the settlement changed from a small farming village into a training camp for some of the best archers in the kingdom. It's hard to pinpoint when and who did it, but many point to Wasp Highland, the first to adopt the new naming scheme. Males of the Highland clan would be named after an insect, while females would be named normally. From that point on the Highland clan was expressly dedicated to archery.
By the time Locust was born they had become known throughout the lands among military advisers and generals for their skill in archery. They would often be hired for crucial battles and sieges, and have been present at some of the most historic battles in Arilyth. Locust was raised just like any of the Highland clan, going through rigorous mental and physical training until he was molded into a clone of his brothers. However, Locusts' path would take a different turn while on an assassination job at the young age of just 17. As he drew back the string of his bow he spotted something, darkness moving behind his target before a glimmer of light plunged itself into the man he was sent to kill. Obviously, if the assassination was done through any other method than arrow it wasn't a member of the Highland clan who had done it and, knowing the repercussions if he didn't get the murder weapon, Locust set on following the other assassin.
The chase took over half an hour, leaping over gaps between buildings, ducking under knives thrown his way and finally cornering his target in a dead-end alley. A struggle ensued in which the assassins mask fell off. It may sound cliche to say it was love at first sight, but it certainly stopped the fight. Over the next few months, Locust made an effort to track down the girl who had stolen his kill and, after a rocky start befriended and eventually made her fall in love with him. A few months later they had a secret marriage, but it was not to last. Males of the Highland clan could only marry with the patriarch's permission, and to someone he chose in most cases. Of course, Locust's little midnight escapes did not go unnoticed, and the marriage was discovered.
Locust found his wife's body filled with arrows the next day, before he was disowned and banished from the Highland clan at just 18. With little knowledge of the outside world and how to survive in it, he was bound to turn into some sort of mercenary or thief. However, that was when he met a now deceased member of the order in a pub. The member took Locust with him on a job to kill some zombies, before advising him to join the order. Locust did just that and has been a member ever since. Personality: An outside might describe Locust as serious and stoic. Those who know him better know this only to be half true. While his upbringing impaired him somewhat to social convention, Locust has adapted to the outside world and, while still often quiet and earnest, he has been known to make a joke here or there and even engage in 'banter' at times.
Can I have you elaborate on the topic of Daemons? What do people know about them and do they roam freely around the world? Are they spirits or are they physical monsters? And how does the linking to a Daemon work exactly?
I'm going to be making a character from Sivar Velg that grew up in the order, and is now fiercely dedicated to it, if anyone wants to synergize or something.
@The Narrator He's going to be based off of another character I made for an RP that never took off, which puts him at around 25-30. They could be friends, perhaps. Or rivals, but Denric doesn't exactly see the point of infighting when there's a greater evil to slay in the form of shambling corpses and blood suckers.
@BurningCold Friends sounds like something, Xho would not care for a real rivalry. Maybe something like Gimli and Legolas in Lord of the Rings? They would be friends, but in friendly competition with each other?
Magic is the ability to control, to bend and to change. The definition varies between the four types of magic, but they all agree that magic is the essence of change. Some even go far enough to say that magic is the manifestation of chaos in the world. That being said, however, magic is a part of the world. It is a natural force, and as such it exhibits qualities that are both benevolent and malevolent.
In Arilyth, the source of all arcane magic is At’aine, the Well of the World. It is a font of power and the meeting place of the world’s ley-lines, rivers of energy that flow freely beneath the world. The ithuri are connected to the Well of the World (fuelling their belief that they created it, and that they are entitled to it over humanity), and as such all ithuri are born maegi. This is different for humans. In the Dawning Age of Arilyth, 100 men and women were invited to consume its iridescent waters, and through it attained power equivalent to a gods. The first maegi are known as the Primals, or Primal Maegi, and it is from them that all maegi are descended. All human maegi are part of the Bloodlines. However, they do not have the power of their ancestors, as their hallowed blood has been muddied by non-maegi and the natural decline of magic over the course of generations. There are two families that claim to be pure, however, and they are the Vaetharians of Maltheria and the Quelanthans of Ibzya.
Physiologically, magic acts like a muscle. To cast magic, one requires a source to draw from, and a great deal of concentration and focus. Every time one uses magic, he or she strengthens their potential. However, that being said, magic does take its tolls. Physically, over-use can result in tiredness. In extreme cases, it can result in internal damage or even comatose and death. Emotionally and mentally, magic can damage your thinking patterns or severely alter your persona. Both cases apply most definitely to those who dabble in black magic (also known as daemonic magic). Warlocks in particular are prone to corruption of mind and body.
Age is also a factor in magic. The fitter and younger you are, the more potent your power is. That being said, it is possible for energetic elders to also channel powerful magic, but this is often with the aid of a medium such as an orb, a staff or tool, anything to reduce the full impact of the arcane. Another factor is power cap. Every maege is born with a different power cap that generally doesn’t expand. Your power cap determines how strong your magic will become and how much you can channel at one time. Unfortunately, most people with high power caps die very young.
There are four types of magic.
Firstly, there is arcane magic, which is derived entirely from the Well of the World. Pyromancer of any sort is a form of arcane magic. Practitioners of arcane magic who delve too deep into the energy of the Well are able to access the daemonic world of Maexarran and link (either forcefully, or voluntarily) with a daemon. The powers they wield are otherworldly – this is referred to as black, or daemonic, magic. Then, there is blood magic. Blood magic is any kind of spell that the maegi invokes using the power of their own blood, which allows maegi to perform feats of magic impossible with other forms. This includes necromancy.
The final kind of magic is an outlier to the others, in that it is not derived from the Well of the World. In the south, humans and fey mingled, and the result were people capable of commanding the forces of the wild. These includes Jzareans.
Now, pyromancy works exactly like any other form of arcane magic. The differences between ebon pyromancy and normal pyromancy are few, but they are that:
Ebonfire is an almost unnatural red colour and emits an intense heat
It is a sorcery exclusively developed by pyromancers of the Order FOR pyromancers of the Order
It kills undead a lot quicker than normal fire
It is more malleable than normal fire, and is used in devices used by the Order
Ebonfire will develop distinct streaks of black when near the presence of undead; these streaks darken the closer you are to any source of undeath or dark magic
@Varromere May I ask to know more about religion in general around the world and more specifically in The Holy Kingdom of Lorinth as well. I have a neat idea about a preist-archtype kind of character
