The world of Unitatis is comprised of three continents: Fortitudo, Temperantia, and Iustitia. The northeastern land of Fortitudo possesses a powerful crystal, which was gifted by the gods in antiquity to the reigning Elisium dynasty. Temperantia, located in the south, is made up of islands and has been annexed by the Iustitian Empire, which lies to the west and benefits from its advanced technology. The province of Sapientia is under Iustitia's control, but maintains some autonomy due to the presence of the oracle, a priestess who has the power to fight a plague that turns people and animals into vicious daemons. Watching over Unitatis are the divine beings that can appear in the mortal realm, usually as colossal and powerful beings known as the deorum. For hundreds of years Fortitudo and Iustitia have been at war. While many lands have been lost to the empire, the Fortitudan capital of Somnium remains untouched due to the Murus, a barrier maintained by the king and the crystal's magic. Peace talks have begun in hopes of bringing an end to the conflict, one of the conditions being a marriage of Prince Adam and Lady Eliana, the Oracle.
The World of Unitatis
According to the legends of the human population, Unitatis was created by a race of beings that descended from a higher plane. The deorum formed a key part in this creation process. The mysterious beings retreated from the world, while the deorum would remain - in future years, they would become recognized as a race of their own, with their own language and agendas, and a wish to protect the natural world.
The Kingdom of Fortitudo is a powerful nation in the world of Unitatis. It contains Fortitudo's Crystal within its capital, Somnium. It is ruled by the Elisium bloodline that is sworn to protect the Crystal and, one day, hopefully learn to wield its power. Fortitudo is a highly advanced and culturally intact. Fortitudo prospers thanks to the presence of its Crystal. This magical artifact alienates the kingdom from the rest of the world, which has fallen under Iustitia's control. Fortitudo’s Crystal is kept safe from those who would seek to steal it by King Leon Elisium, who ages rapidly because he must use his magic along with the Crystal to maintain the Murus barrier around Somnium. King Leon is widowed with a single son as his heir; Adam.
.Somnium - The capital of the kingdom of Fortitudo and is known as the "Royal City." Somnium hosts Fortitudo's seat of power, and it contains a large Crystal within its walls. A modern metropolis stacked with skyscrapers, the Royal City contains lush areas but is surrounded by a wasteland. The city's seat of power is at the Citadel, from where the Murus barrier that protects the city is projected from, and where the royal family lives.
An island or archipelago spanning nation, Temperantia is to the southeast of the Fortitudan Continent. Its most prominent city is Mutare, a city on water navigated via waterways. It is part of the Iustitian Empire, but has its own government.
.Mutare – The capital of Temperantia, surrounded by water, and being characterized by waterfalls and canals. Mutare is known to be one of the cities closest tied to nature while maintaining the status of a city. Bit is also known to be one of the few places in the world where magic is widely practiced and utilized in everyday life.
The Empire of Iustitia has achieved world domination bar the Kingdom of Fortitudo that has defended itself with the Crystal's power. Sapientia has limited autonomy from Iustitia due to Lady Eliana, said to have the blood of the oracle and has the power to commune with the gods. Iustitia is technologically superior and more advanced than most nations of the world. Automobiles originate from Iustitia, even though the cars made in Fortitudo are seemingly more advanced.
A province under Iusticia's control. The homeland of Eliana Botanica, it maintains some level of autonomy thanks to Eliana's status as an Oracle. Sapientia is a lush, green, mountainous area abundant in castle-like structures. The region is known to have many rare types of plants and flowers.
*More to come*
Deorum
Said to be physical manifestations of the stars' power, deorum are hinted to be connected to the world's creation. They are intelligent immortal creatures that have their own agendas and speak a unique language only understood by those touched by gods. Indifferent to human affairs, deorum behavior cannot be interpreted because their thought patterns transcend the comprehension of mankind. The deorum are depicted as humanoid in ancient paintings and texts, the physical bodies in which they appear to mortals vary, however. The deorum are said to slumber in Unitatis, such as Terra, but also appear to exist in another realm. The deorum are the only beings known to be able to exist in both the mortal realm and in a realm that has only ever been told as the "Realm of the Six." The only time the deorum have ever been known to aid mankind was for one man; the “king chosen by the heaven,” the original king of Fortitudo.
The goddess of the earth and land, is said to have caught a crystalline meteorite when it fell to Unitatis in ancient times from the heavens. She is said to sleep while carrying the land on her back.
The god of storms and knowledge, said to have gifted man with the power to learn magical arts. He is said to look down upon humanity from the heavens.
The god of the sea and waters, is said to have little affection toward mortals. He is said to take out his wrath on the mortal world when not pleased by his “subjects.”
The goddess of beauty and snow, is said to be the messenger of the heavens. She has a great affection toward humanity and is depicted to care for humanity similarly to a mother.
The god of war and virtue, is said to have fought alongside the “king chosen by the heavens.” He is said to be the king of the deorum.
The god of fire and wrath, is known as the Wicked among the deorum. He is said to have betrayed his own kind and has turned his back on humanity.
Magic
Magic is a mysterious force in Unitatis, but it is also one that is heavily studied and used. There are not many that have the abilities to use it, but those who do can use their skills to study and master all sorts of magic and spells. In the end, though, a great deal of mages will fall into a specific “class” or “types.” It is rare for a mage to be able to decide their own type of magic style, for most magic and the kinds that one can use depends on the person’s nature themselves. In a sense, the study chooses the student, not the other way around.
Magic Types
Elemental magic, in most studies, is considered the fundamental breakdown of all magic. Most studies can break all magic into at least four key elements; air, earth, fire, and water. There are several other studies that will often focus on a fifth element, different depending on which type of magic you study (spirit, void, aether, etc). This Fifth Element differs from the four fundamental elements that are derived from nature and instead is found within the mage themselves and requires the use of their own magical energy. It is important to note that none of these studies are better than the other, and at the same time, none of them are more correct or incorrect in their studies. Magic is a very fluid force that exists in all sorts of places and can be used in a variety of ways.
-Air/Wind – This type of magic focuses on the key fundamental element of wind, using it in the form of power gusts of wind, or even focusing it into razor sharp gales. Of all the elements, wind magic is considered to be the most “free spirited,” making mastery of it difficult to those with a more serious or rigid nature.
-Earth – This type of magic focuses on the key fundamental element of earth, used in all sorts of uses ranging from defensive and architectural styles, though it has been known to be used in both offensive and healing styles as well. Earth is the “level headed” element, often easily studied by those with a more stable and serious natures.
-Fire – This type of magic focuses on the key fundamental element of fire, often used more in offensive styles than anything else. Fire is the “passionate” element, often easily studied by those with emotional or irrational natures.
-Lightning – This element has been to consider to be a used of both wind and fire magic, though in some studies it considered to be its own fifth element, independent of nature. It focuses of the use of lightning in offensive magic, often used in studies of battle magic. Depending on the mages style, it can be both summoned or generated from raw magical energy, being the key reason why it is a mystery whether it can truly be considered a Fifth Element or not.
-Water – This type of magic focuses on the key fundamental element of water, used in a range of offensive as well as defensive styles. Water is considered to be a very “fluid” element that can be used by many types of natures, making it both easy and difficult to learn depending on the student.
-Aether/Light – The Fifth element of light that is often used in healing styles as well as dispelling Daemons, curses, and other dark forces. Being a Fifth element, it has no true nature it can be used by, and the reasoning for mastery is unknown.
-Void/Dark – The Fifth Element that is often used in offensive on destructive styles. Being a Fifth element, it has no true nature it can be used by, and the reasoning for mastery is unknown.
A magic style that uses sound waves as a basis of their spells, often used by those with a higher affinity to wind magic. This type of magic is often utilized in offensive or ailing styles, though sometimes used in hypnotic ways.
This type of magic focuses on the use of magic to summon weapons, tools, or (though it is not as common) living creatures. More times than not, this style of magic relies heavily on a Fifth Element affinity, usually Void/Dark.
This is a fickle type of magic, often used with an affinity to a Fifth Element, to manipulate the flow of time whether it be speeding up, slowing down, of bringing it to a halt. This magic is often uses to speed up one’s reflexes and movements, or even slowing them down on a target. This is an extremely rare type of magic, and though use of helping accelerate one’s reflexes is relatively common, the affect can only last for a few moments.
A type of magic that allows one to absorb magic and use it as their own (see Mage Breaker).
Common Mage Classes
A magical style that focuses on the use of sound in its spells, which can be used through voice, instruments, tools, etc.
A study of magic that specializes in the use of elemental magic in an offensive style. Often, Black Mages will study several teachings in order to get a grasp on multiple elemental styles as well as a handle on multiple types of Fifth Elements. However, it is extremely rare to master all, let alone more than one Fifth Elemental teaching, which is why most Black Mages are considered to be “users of many, masters of none.”
A study of magic used to summon weapons/tools at will, most mages either specializing in the summoning of a certain type of weapon or learning a small range of varying types.
A study of magic that uses magical energy to enhance physical strength, speed, and other aspects to enable the user an edge in physical combat. If skilled enough, the user may even be able use other types of magic to enhance their attacks (ex. Using elemental magic or other types of magic to perform things such as strikes of fire or electricity), though most turn to this use when having a low affinity for the key fundamentals of magic.
A study where the user calls upon servants to offer aid or fight alongside/for the mage. This is a very difficult study of magic to master, and can be used in a variety of ways depending on the user. Similarly to Artillery Mages, Summoner’s often specializing in summonings of a certain type or learning a small range of varying types of summonings.
A study of magic that specializes in the use of elemental magic in a defensive style. Similarly to Black Mages, White Mages will often study several teachings in order to get a grasp on multiple elemental styles as well as a handle on multiple types of Fifth Elements. White Mages also specialize in healing spells as well.
Someone who can absorb magic and turn it into raw mana, storing it within themselves using elemagnetism. This ability can be used to cast spells of their own. In a sense, a Mage Breaker acts like a magic battery, even passing the magic onto others to give them boosts of mana energy. Only the Eldritch Knights were known to be able to use this technique.
*Magic styles are not limited to what I have above, these are merely what I could think of at the moment and will probably be added upon throughout time. If you have more to add or something you would like to discuss or question, feel free to ask!
Technology
Technology in the world of Unitatis is on par with modern day technology (ex. cars, guns, cellphones, etc.). There have been a few technological advancements through the integration of magic into military technology such as advanced prosthetics, magic powered weapons, and advanced airships.
Daemons and Monsters
Daemons are beings that thrive in the dark, and are damaged by light. They lurk in old ruins and caves, and emerge out in the open at night. If they are out when the sun rises, black mist begins to emit from their bodies as they take damage from sunlight. Daemons are thus also repelled by the bright lights of inhabited areas, and even the strongest headlights of cars, so long as they are the right brand. Outside of daemons, there are also some monsters and beasts that commonly appear at both day and night, though most are not nearly as dangerous and savage as daemons.
This is a WIP, but I wanted to get some feedback on, well, mostly the backstory.
Name: Edmund Mitchell McCormac
Gender: Male
Age: 28
Appearance:
Likes: Exploration, music, feeling important
Dislikes: Staying in one spot, being underground, feeling unnecessary, “all-business” types
Personality: Edmund is a bit of a cynist. The way he sees it, a pessimist is either always right, or pleasantly surprised. He hopes, sure, but he understands that false hope can be unhealthy. “Expect the worst, hope for the best” is an old saying, but a true one.
That isn’t to say that he’s a grumpy old fatalist. Far from it, in fact. His sense of humor might be a tad too sardonic for some folks, but he’ll joke until he’s dead, the way he figures. Reverence and solemnity are boring too him. He loves joking around with friends. Speaking of friends, he cares deeply for those he calls his friends, even if he’d never admit it. Ever.
He’s also a bit of a wanderer. Staying in one place for too long unnerves him. If he had it his way, he’d be on the move his whole life.
Background: Edmund was born in Mutare, though to him, that means very little. His parents were mercenaries, and he was most definitely an accident. To their credit, they loved him as they would love a wanted child, but to say that he didn’t complicate their already-complicated lives would be a lie. As a child, he traveled with them, learning the ways of war as he grew. He could proficiently wield a sword by age ten, and fire a gun by age eleven.
He knew, from a somewhat early age, that he was magically inclined. With no teacher to help him understand the fundamentals of magic, Edmund directed his power towards what felt natural. As a mercenary, weapons and medicine were always needed, so he taught himself to conjure and to heal. He later found out this made him an Artillery Healer. He also found out that meant his magic was mostly of aether and light, but like “Artillery Healer”, they were meaningless words. Having already progressed as far as he has without proper application of magical training, he’s reached his limit.
At age sixteen, his parents met the end that typically befalls lifelong mercenaries, dying on the battlefield. Without their leadership, the mercenary band dissolved, and he was left with nothing but his mother’s pistol. Combat and healing were his only marketable songs, and it wasn’t long before he found himself in the employ of Untiatis’s greatest warmonger, Iustitia. He fought, and he killed, but he soon felt purposeless and bored. When he turned 18, he defected to Fortitudo and enlisted as an honest-to-god soldier. He hated it, but he couldn’t exactly leave. Desertion was a crime, after all. So he stuck with it, and he was good at it. Very good. He slowly, but surely rose through the ranks, and came to lead a unit in battle. Eventually, his prowess for physical combat came to the attention of King Leon, who was looking for someone to train his son in the ways of traditional combat. Initially, he resented it. Teaching, while being cooped up in the capital was practically his idea of hell, but he soon grew to care for the prince. Besides, it paid a helluva lot better than soldiering.
This newfound enthusiasm was short-lived, however. He had grown to see Adam as a sort of pseudo-younger-brother, but staying in the capital was killing him. He had been contemplating desertion, before this sojourn to meet Eliana came as a godsend.
Weapons/Tools:
Inheritence: The pistol that belonged to his mother. Not magical in any fashion, but solid and dependable.
Magic:
Artillery magic: Edmund is extremely skilled at conjuring weapons and tools, and, having dedicated most of his life to furthering the art, is capable of conjuring almost any weapon. Weapons that he’s more familiar with can be sustained for longer amounts of time. -
Lol! I was noticing that too, but I do have some small character ideas that'll pop in here and there, like surviving soldiers and escapees from Somnium.
@SaberClass4242 Sounds interesting, plus survivors from Somnium would add a bit more depth to the attack. Btw, I was going to add a little more detail to my bio, namely that he's been the prince's advisor for about a year and a half now
@Jinxlynx@Fisticuffs Any ideas on how our characters feel about each other? I'd guess and say they're all quite close friends, but any other specifics?
@Rice Porridge Nice to see you're still tagging along, I look forward to seeing your character :)
Despite his somewhat shorter stature of 5’2” and lithe build, Sigurd seems to have a ridiculous amount of strength, based on the bulging, oversized leather rucksack that he carries around constantly. He wears a black hooded cloak on top of his dark green shirt and black cargos, and usually walks around in thick-soled, leather boots. His eyes hold an intense, unblinking gaze.
Likes: Studying, Cooking, Food
Dislikes: Waiting/Doing nothing
Personality: Silent and largely expressionless, Sigurd’s thoughts are generally conveyed through gestures and pantomime. He has a genuine curiosity in learning everything about everything, which plays a part in his abnormal perceptivity. Although he gets bored in the instant that he's not doing anything, Sigurd is surprisingly patient when it comes to teaching and trying to communicate with others. He is surprisingly competent in a variety of fields, but can be somewhat of a perfectionist, correcting any mistakes that he sees as soon as possible. He never compromises when it comes to food.
He is obsessed with machinery and magic, spending his free time creating unimaginably intricate devices that combine the two. They can perfectly imitate the actions of living creatures, which is a feat in of itself, but he considers them incomplete since they do not have any thoughts. His greatest dream is to create a machine that can think on its own and has emotions--artificial life.
Background: The second-born son to an noble family of mages, Sigurd's inability to use magic disqualified him from inheriting the position of house head. Despite this, he was still held in high regard due to his innate talents. Sigurd completed his education early, and was left with an excessive amount of spare time which he used to delve into a variety of topics on his own, including the subject of mechanics. At some point during those days, he decided to watch the house's servants do their jobs. Interested by it, he began to help them with their work--cooking, cleaning, gardening, etc--and reached an incredibly high level of perfection. He also began to mimic the manners and movements of the servants, carrying himself gracefully. Seeing an opportunity, his parents used their connections to send the 10 year-old Sigurd over to the castle as a servant.
During his stay at the palace as an incoming recruit, Sigurd's skillset widened even more. He became a curious sight at the Royal Guard's training grounds, visiting on his rest days from the royal servants' training in order to copy the training of the knights. When jokingly asked if he wanted to spar as well, the knights were shocked when he actually did so. Sigurd's weapon experience was developed there, along with his unexpected strength.
As a servant, Sigurd quickly caught the eye of the head butler, and was eventually requested to act as an attendant to Prince Adam. Their relationship started somewhat distant, but the two quickly became close friends due to their shared interest in books.
Weapons/Tools: A spear short sword Morningstar Kusarigama and a pair of heavy, clawed gauntlets.
He’s also basically carrying an entire cooking station inside of his bag(pots, pans, knives, portable grill, etc).
Magic/Abilities: Sigurd has monstrous perception speed, essentially seeing everything in slow motion; he can move with a higher degree of accuracy, and reacts incredibly quickly. He can learn, if not improve upon anything after seeing it just a few times.
However, he lacks the ability to use magic.
Other Items: Textbooks, writing journals, cooking supplies, various medicinal herbs, and a box of jumbled metal parts.
@Fisticuffs Yeah, that sounds like it would work. They probably worked together back when Daedalus was still part of Blackwatch. I mentioned that they work with Fortitudio a lot in the past, so maybe they worked together during the diplomatic trip I mentioned in my bio?
Dislikes: Staying in one spot, being underground, feeling unnecessary, “all-business” types
Personality: Edmund is a bit of a cynist. The way he sees it, a pessimist is either always right, or pleasantly surprised. He hopes, sure, but he understands that false hope can be unhealthy. “Expect the worst, hope for the best” is an old saying, but a true one.
That isn’t to say that he’s a grumpy old fatalist. Far from it, in fact. His sense of humor might be a tad too sardonic for some folks, but he’ll joke until he’s dead, the way he figures. Reverence and solemnity are boring too him. He loves joking around with friends. Speaking of friends, he cares deeply for those he calls his friends, even if he’d never admit it. Ever.
He’s also a bit of a wanderer. Staying in one place for too long unnerves him. If he had it his way, he’d be on the move his whole life.
Background: Edmund was born in Mutare, though to him, that means very little. His parents were mercenaries, and he was most definitely an accident. To their credit, they loved him as they would love a wanted child, but to say that he didn’t complicate their already-complicated lives would be a lie. As a child, he traveled with them, learning the ways of war as he grew. He could proficiently wield a sword by age ten, and fire a gun by age eleven.
He knew, from a somewhat early age, that he was magically inclined. With no teacher to help him understand the fundamentals of magic, Edmund directed his power towards what felt natural. As a mercenary, weapons and medicine were always needed, so he taught himself to conjure and to heal. He later found out this made him an Artillery Healer. He also found out that meant his magic was mostly of aether and light, but like “Artillery Healer”, they were meaningless words. Having already progressed as far as he has without proper application of magical training, he’s reached his limit.
At age sixteen, his parents met the end that typically befalls lifelong mercenaries, dying on the battlefield. Without their leadership, the mercenary band dissolved, and he was left with nothing but his mother’s pistol. Combat and healing were his only marketable songs, and it wasn’t long before he found himself in the employ of Untiatis’s greatest warmonger, Iustitia. He fought, and he killed, but he soon felt purposeless and bored. When he turned 18, he defected to Fortitudo and enlisted as an honest-to-god soldier. He hated it, but he couldn’t exactly leave. Desertion was a crime, after all. So he stuck with it, and he was good at it. Very good. He slowly, but surely rose through the ranks, and came to lead a unit in battle. That, he liked. Eventually, his prowess for physical combat came to the attention of King Leon, who was looking for someone to train his son in the ways of traditional combat. Initially, he resented it. Teaching, while being cooped up in the capital was practically his idea of hell, but he soon grew to care for the prince. Besides, it paid a helluva lot better than soldiering.
This newfound enthusiasm was short-lived, however. He had grown to see Adam as a sort of pseudo-younger-brother, but staying in the capital was killing him. He had been contemplating desertion, before this sojourn to meet Eliana came as a godsend.
Weapons/Tools:
Inheritence: The pistol that belonged to his mother. Not magical in any fashion, but solid and dependable.
Doctor’s Bag: A satchel full of all sorts of medical supplies, used for injuries to severe for his magic. Includes a field surgery kit, but no anesthesia. Patients are advised to not get hurt in the first place.
Magic:
Artillery magic: Edmund is extremely skilled at conjuring weapons and tools, and, having dedicated most of his life to furthering the art, is capable of conjuring almost any weapon. Weapons that he’s more familiar with can be sustained for longer amounts of time. The weapons he’s most familiar with, and thus, the ones he summons most often are… -Lightbringer: Somewhat of a frankenstein blade, the Lightbringer has the hilt of a rapier, the blade length of a long sword, and the blade thickness of a hand-and-a-half sword, with a bit of leather wrapped around the base of the blade to allow for wielding with two hands. It’s light, sharp, and strong. The real Lightbringer belonged to his father, but it was lost when his father died. Fortunately, Edmund was quite familiar with the original blade, and his conjuration is as faithful a reproduction as there ever was. Being the weapon he is most familiar with, a conjured Lightbringer can usually last for a few hours, or one very intense duel, before dissipating. -Harmony and Discord: When Edmund was still commanding a unit in the Fortitudian Army, there was some contention among his men as to whether Harmony and Discord were long knives or short swords. Edmund doesn’t care, so long as the pair of blades gets the job done. They have thick, leather hilts and broad, short blades. -Verdict: Verdict, visually, isn’t all that impressive. It looks like a fairly basic throwing knife. In all actuality, that’s kind of the point. It’s simplicity makes it easy to summon. Edmund often throws one, and immediately lets it dissipate. This allows him to throw many in short succession. Unfortunately, throwing knives are challenging for Edmund to land when both he and the target are standing still, so these are less used as a deadly weapon and more as a method of creating chaos during a fight. -Edmund, as stated, can summon practically any weapon, but any weapon outside of those three will likely not maintain its form for very long, or will dissipate when put under much stress. This makes most weapons inefficient to conjure, as he’d be constantly switching weapons. Guns are especially impractical, as he’d only be able to fire two or three shots. However, there are circumstances in which it’s beneficial to rotate weapons every few moments, or in which he only needs to shoot a few bullets.
Healing: Edmund is fairly-competent with healing magic, but “fairly competent” only goes so far. Given a few hours, he could heal a fractured bone. In a few minutes, he could heal a non-vital gash or a grazing gunshot wound. For grievous wounds, say, a rifle bullet to the chest, the best that Edmund can do is slow the bleeding to buy time. Luckily, he knows how to mend wounds in a more traditional, non-magical manner, but his expertise in that field, once again, only goes so far. Sometimes, it’s fair to say, there’s nothing he can really do.
Other Items: Edmund has a pocket watch with a bullet embedded in it. Edmund changes the story every time he tells it, and it usually grows more bombastic and exaggerated with retelling. What is known is that it stopped a bullet while he had it in his pocket.
Other Info: N/A (might add a theme, if and when I think of one)
@Rice Porridge Hmmm, good question, although it will be interesting having a relatively younger member of the group as well as a relatively older member. I guess it depends on what kind of upbringing you'd want him to have. Maybe he could be the son of a noble or a member of the royal guard? Sigurd and Adam could have met through growing up in the same vicinity/manner?
