The grove is a fantasy setting inspired by classics like Lord of the Rings, Dungeons and Dragons, Goblin Slayer, and other medieval stories with a party dynamic. The RP will feature combat, but it's just as much about social iterations as it is slaying monsters.

Society has lost its war on the wilds, and all of humanity's cities have been consumed by a wild grove. Communities only exist as small tribes, and the worlds knowledge is largely fractured and distributed all over the world. There is little separating the remaining humanoids from other wild animals. All live together in the endless grove that makes up the world. And now those very same wilds are asking for help, offering everything they have as compensation.

A new force has manifested itself, one dark and unwholesome. It spreads quickly and without mercy, in no small thanks to the fact that it holds the princess of the world. The great fairy has decided to enlist any creature willing to help retrieve her daughter. She has offered up many prizes to those brave enough to go forward. A kingdom to call their own, More food than anyone could ever eat, even her own hand in marriage. This quest has caused a return to the days of adventuring. Not all of the adventurers will survive the journey. Some wonder if they will be able to recover the princess. Beyond the dangers, many of the adventurers might find what they seek before the quest is completed.

As per the course of any good adventure story, you will traverse many different locations. Burning desserts, frozen mountains, subterranean catacombs, ruined cities, ancient temples, humid jungles, and maybe a dimensional plane or two. But all of these locations will be centered in a place called the grove. The grove is simply an expanse of land cultivated by the great fairy herself, and is mostly made up of lush forests that overrun the once industrialized (by medieval standards) world. The grove's influence has been pushed back by the new entity, so the entire world isn't a sprawling forest. Yet.

The world is wild. There are many strange creatures, and that's without addressing the unknown entity that has the princess. There are all manner of creatures from fay to demons. Creatures macabre and wondrous. You've read about them in fairy tales and myths, and they're all here.

Humans as we know them no longer exist in this world. What humans remained were changed by the grove, a way of making sure the humans never forgot their loss to the wilds. Some have been marked in small ways. Like the elongated ears of elves, or the short stature of the bearded dwarves. Other tribes were influenced in a much stronger way, more closely resembling beast than man. There's a tribe of "Centaur" who's lower body is that of a horse, and "Lamia" who have the lower body of a snake. Most tribes find these new additions to the human shape strange if it is not present in their own tribe, and has been known to be the cause of many wars. Perhaps this is the wild's way of making sure humans never rise to civilization again. But not all tribes quarrel with each other. Some do share what little technology they know, trade, and form alliances when there are mutual benefits.

While the tribes have divided knowledge, They are hardly depraved beings that live in mud huts. Very few tribes aren't at least at the stage where they are making use of early medieval technology. They make houses out of processed lumber, are capable of working with metals, and wear cloth outfits instead of animal skins. Most choose to live off the land rather than control it.

One of the few things the great fairy gave the tribes was magic. The power to perform tasks without the use of tools or earthly means. This has kept the tribes more content than they would normally be. Perhaps this gift was only given to the tribes to prevent them from perusing technology or cooperating with other tribes. Only she knows.

The flora within the grove pump out mana along with oxygen. Like oxygen, mana can't be seen, but tribe members know when they are taking it in. Even casting the simplest of spells requires practice, and using mana to it's full potential is practically impossible. The strongest mages are often tribe chieftains who have had their entire life to practice with magic.

The actual feats possible with magic are far and wide. Most spells are used for everyday situations, with the occasional spell to throw fireballs or ice shards. More common uses of magic are spells to start camp fires, purify water, and anything that improves the quality of life. Most people only know a handful of spells, and only two or three are used on a daily basis. The one rule with magic is that it can't break reality. That is to say it cannot create things that do not already exist in the area. If you cast "create water," you are pulling water out of the air to fill a container. If you cast fireball, you are pulling thermal energy out of your surroundings to make a ball of fire. Spells that change weather or cause cataclysmic events are impossible to cast or take a long time for this very reason. You're not going to cause a volcano to erupt in the middle of a glacier.

The quest is simple: Venture into enemy territory, rescue the princess, and return her to the great fairy unharmed for a reward. The reward can be virtually anything you desire, provided it doesn't hurt the well being of the grove. So no asking the great fairy to kill herself or restore human civilization. But you can have your own country, bountiful feasts, a long sought revenge finally executed, or lay with anyone you desire. She really wants her daughter back.

You know virtually nothing about your opponents, only that they are bad, and evil, and unwholesome. Basically everything the great fairy said about civilization. You are encouraged not to spend too much time outside the grove, as your magic will eventually wain and go out. You are asked to ignore the wonders that they will try to trick you with. For many have undertaken this quest, and none have completed it. Not because they were beaten in battle, but their desires simply got the better of them, and they had no reason to finish. You must remember what you're doing this for, and you must remember how important it is.

1: ~ Nothing that would break the setting will be permitted.

2: ~ This is a contest. While it would be most ideal to have a bunch of characters that are all different from one another, no one will be omitted for filling the same “archetype.”

3: ~ While a CS will be provided, you may edit it however you see fit.

4: ~ New characters are mandatory.

5: ~ Simply post your submission in this thread once it is completed. Deadline is the 16th at about 7-9 PM GMT.

6: ~ Feel free to ask questions in this thread as well. I could use the feedback.

Short description of your character. Pretend you're trying to describe your character in as few words as possible. Something a GM could load onto a banner if he should chose to.

Notable physical features.

Doesn't need to be novel length, just needs to be long enough to where we know what they are and how they act. Maybe mention a few character quirks while you're at it.

I'm not too picky about length. Just make sure it's a solid foundation for your character.

A description of your abilities