"Until the end of time do we wait, Wait for the darkness to abate? Nay, nay, for there exists a tale, Warming the hearts of those both strong and frail, A weapon to unite the world. Mortalion, bane of shadow, Hope it may bestow, Allow your banners to be unfurled."
- Words engraved upon an unmarked tombstone, belonging to a forgotten hero
The world of Runix is one in a constant cycle of peace and war. It is the focal point and center of a multidimensional rift that accepts all who wander to it, intentional or otherwise. Its countries and kingdoms are in constant chaos, as any new day could be one in which a new dark overlord, demon or some other such monstrosity falls through the rift and brings with it untold hatred and power. To fight against this evil and defy fate, the gods blessed the mortal races many millennia ago with a logic-defying power known as Discipline. Discipline was an absurd power not fully understood even in the modern day; nevertheless, it allowed mortals to fight against impossible odds and claim victory century after century, returning Runix to the status quo just on the brink of another disaster. Locked in a never-ending struggle, one hero rose above the rest during what was assumed to be the final hours of the planet. His Discipline shone brighter than any other, and wielding a legendary weapon known as Mortalion, struck down Malthus, the Lord of Crows and prince of demons. Mortalion was a holy weapon, powerful enough to purify Malthus in his entirety, leaving nothing left of the demon lord. The mere sight of Mortalion was enough to scatter the remaining demon clans that remained on Runix, hiding in the darkest pits of the realm and never to be seen again.
Or so it was thought to be.
The hero was mortal after all, and eventually passed on into memory - and further than that, forgotten entirely. Mortalion was lost to history, and with the passage of time came forth the demonic remnants, stronger than ever before with their time to skulk and plan for centuries. With the return of demons and the rifts bringing in new creatures constantly, the process of weaponizing Discipline on a worldwide scale began. Institutes and organizations were formed all over Runix, dedicated to the fight against demonkind. The core of these institutes was Mortalion Academy, named so for being founded on the location of the forgotten hero's grave. The school was seen as the greatest hope for Runix's survival, training the best and the brightest to become masters of war and heroes to protect the weak. It has stayed that way for ninety nine years, and the hundredth anniversary celebration of the academy's founding will soon arrive. With new students enrolling as well, it's expected to be the most joyous and memorable occasion in all the world.
The year is 1499 within recorded history, and right at the turn of the century, the world of Runix is at the height of its power. Would these new students step forth to end the demonic threat once and for all, or turn away in the face of overwhelming darkness?
The Academy
Mortalion Academy is the leading institute in the mass production of heroes and productive members of society. Over a three year course they will turn even the weakest souls into confident warriors ready to fight the demonic hordes threatening to overtake Runix. The academy itself is located in the heart of Nordren, the Kingdom of Light and birthplace of the wielder of Mortalion. Forested terrain surrounds the school's outskirts, and beyond that, vast mountain ranges and valleys. Many consider it to be the safest place in all of Runix for its powerful Disciplines and many famous heroes and celebrities that teach and live there. In almost every year since its founding it has been ranked number one in its efficiency and success among all the academies.
The Kingdoms
'The birthplace of hope', some people would call it. It's the location of Mortalion Academy, and home of the Paladin Order of Riverstock. It's the kingdom in which the hero who wielded Mortalion against the darkness fought, bled and claimed victory for his people.
'Where hope goes to die', some would say. History has not been kind to Valcroft, where Malthus and his demonic army began their assault on Runix with the assistance of the king of Valcroft at the time. Malthus, being a creature of sadism, cursed the kingdom to dwell in storms and rot for the rest of their days. Crops rarely grow in Valcroft, and creatures born of magical power feel their strength sapped for merely treading on the soil. To counter this, Valcroft has many ambitious and morally grey merchants and Smiths attempting to save their homeland from disaster through trading with other kingdoms of more bountiful harvests. On the flip-side, there are many Phantoms and dark-aligned Wizards seeking to destroy what little remains of Valcroft's beauty.
Many would call Agni a place made for warfare, and they wouldn't be wrong. Born in hellfire, its capital city is surrounded in the flames of the god Agni, who the kingdom is named for, and is also the creator of flame elementals. Many ambitious Smiths and Steelborn make the journey to Agni after graduating in order to pay tribute to the god of flames at his altar. It's said that the creator of Mortalion was born here.
Surrounded on all sides by powerful wind currents, the entire kingdom of Vesper is at the top of Mount Eclasius, the largest mountain in all of Runix. They are the creators of the Garuda Galeforce, a transit system stretching across Runix that allows for airborne transportation via creatures known as Garuda. Garuda are gigantic bird-like humanoids born from alchemical experiments on birds conducted within Vesper itself, and thanks to their efforts, the Galeforce has become a worldwide organization.
Very rarely do citizens of Girrech see the light of day. Some go their whole lives believing the sun to be a myth, in fact, for the entire kingdom dwells underground. They live many miles deep, surviving off of things along the trails and in the soil, living among earth elementals and fighting against whatever horrors might dwell further beneath them. There are strict policies and procedures to follow for a native citizen of Girrech to leave, and top notch security see to it that without valid reason, many never do.
Located in a barren desert, Reiz is a place where survival of the fittest takes a deadly new meaning. Their hunters must be quick, their warriors stalwart, and their merchants cutthroat. Beasts lurk beneath the sands, striking as quick as a bolt. Encounters are not typically drawn-out battles in Reiz, but rather quick affairs decided by the first strike. Many Knights can find their livelihoods here, as many are desperate for the protection of armed and armored individuals such that a warrior of true skill would never find payment lacking with a life in Reiz.
The entire kingdom of Selica is located on the back of Leviathan - formerly one of the demon lords under Malthus, but who has remained passive for centuries with the blessing of Mortalion's strike still rendering the aquatic fiend immobile and comatose. Leviathan's back is large enough to support the weight of an entire kingdom, and thus they have turned him into an island for all the citizens to live on. There's a vast musical culture in Selica, with many musicians becoming inspired by the tropical aesthetic and blue ocean waves crashing against their makeshift island.
Discipline
There are many different ways that the world can bless an individual. Before recorded history, the gods granted mortal races a sliver of their strength and imbued it into them as life energy - the power known as Discipline. Disciplines and their various uses became the great equalizer for sentient races, allowing them to fight back the forces that would threaten their existence time and again. Said by some scholars to be minor miracles or wishes condensed into pure willpower, it allows anybody to become what they truly desire to be. Even sentient and mortal races brought to Runix via the rifts may develop Discipline merely by coexisting close to others who possess it naturally.
Discipline Materialization
Disciplines materialize under different forms for different people. Before the academies had developed their teaching methods and explored different theories of Discipline's uses, an individual would materialize their power without any choice from themselves. These would come to be referred to as "Natural" Disciplines. After further study during the initial goal of weaponizing Discipline, scholars found ways to alter a person's Discipline from its natural course, as long as it's before they awakened to their powers. There would go on to be seemingly no differences or negative repercussions for doing so, and thus it would become standard practice to allow students that haven't awoken to their Disciplines to choose from a list of the most known and most common types out there.
Basic Disciplines
These are the Disciplines that make up the majority of the population. Only those with ambition and talent can ever advance beyond this point to an upgraded Discipline. Either through the culmination of years of study, hard work, or an immense emotional reaction to trauma, a Discipline can be awoken in an individual provided they have the ability to do so at all. It has never been fully confirmed what the physical differences are between somebody with the capability to obtain a Discipline, and one who can't, are.
The only definitive evidence that somebody who hasn't awoken to a Discipline has the potential to, is due to studies conducted during the Autumn season. When leaves fall from trees, the fallen leaves will gradually form a perfect circle around the person without touching them; provided they don't move for an extended period of time. One scholar attempted to hypothesize that the amount of leaves that would surround a person was indicative of how much potential and strength their Discipline had, but this was dismissed as an attempt to boost the status and reputation of noble families, and forgotten soon after.
Knight: Fights with swords, hammers, spears and shields. Wears heavy/medium/cloth armor. They are the most defensive of the basic Disciplines, and are relied upon heavily in encounters against heavy-hitting enemies. Knights can fight long after the normal physical limitations of a mortal race, reducing the pain they feel as they fight due to the Stalwart passive.
Archer: Fights with bows, crossbows, and other ranged weaponry. Wears medium/cloth armor. Snipers by trade, an Archer litters the battlefield with a hail of projectiles to subdue or eliminate foes before they can become a threat. Archers have a perceptive eye such that they can more easily detect the presence of others due to the Perception passive.
Magus: Studies apprentice-level magic, and also fights with daggers and staves. Wears clothes. Gifted in attack, defensive and support magic, a Magus' goal is to manipulate the battle - slinging fireballs, casting barriers and mending wounds. Their power is drawn from the blessing of the world, however, and that blessing only permits them to cast a limited amount of times per day. They may learn more spells by studying and reading magical texts via the Scribe passive.
Rogue: Fights with daggers and bows. Wears medium/cloth armor. Less skilled than an Archer with bows, but unmatched in their ability to dexterously maneuver a fight with their daggers. They can also pick non-magic locks with the Lockpick passive and have flexible control over their body such that they can more easily fit in tight spaces and move with acrobatic precision via the Agility passive.
Brute: Fights with axes and martial arts. Wears medium/cloth armor. Aggressive warriors who channel their emotions into fighting power. They care little for defense or for getting dirty, and thus fight with heavy axes. Some Brutes, however, forgo a weapon entirely - choosing instead to fight with punches and kicks. The strength of a Brute defies logic such that they can cleave weaker foes into pieces with their axes or shatter bones with their fists due to their Barbarism passive. The trade-off to this, however, is that they are less perceptive in battle than others, more easily succumbing to sneak attacks or illusions.
Performer: Casts apprentice-level support and defensive magic, and also fights with daggers and instruments. Wears clothes. Where a Magus adopts support and defensive magic, Performers see it as a way of life. A Performer cannot use any offensive magic or heal, but do not rely on the world's blessing to cast their spells. Rather, they use instruments imbued with magic to cast their spells - and may continue to cast these spells as long as they play their instrument. A Performer must be wary, however: their instrument can be damaged or broken, and a Performer without their instrument is as threatening as any random peasant. A Performer may learn new spells by practicing the conversion of magical text to musical notes through the Recital passive.
Smith: Fights with any weapons they create. Wears clothes. Smiths are generally considered non-combatants - all of the power and miracles of their Discipline are directed towards the ability to create, rather than destroy or heal, through the Creation passive. They are able to use any weapon they create as skillfully as a trained warrior of that weapon, but never to surpass them, due to the Weapon Mimicry passive. With enough determination, Smiths can eventually create magical equipment; however, they will require the assistance of a caster able to imbue the spell to the item during the crafting process, and it may only be of apprentice-level.
Jack: Fights with anything. Wears medium/cloth armor. Jack is a formless Discipline generally considered useless by many. Those who attain it naturally are looked down on, and those who choose it via academic study are always met with confused stares and ridicule. A Jack can learn the abilities or spells of other Disciplines with immense time and effort, but otherwise have no outstanding talent or proficiency at anything. Their ability to comprehend combat is not enhanced by their Discipline, such as a Knight's ability to endure more damage or an Archer's enhanced perception; rather, they are a normal person of their race that gains nothing significant naturally. Many Jacks die horrible deaths trying and failing to learn the abilities of others, leaving themselves open to vicious assaults with their durability not enhanced by any Discipline or magic. The process of learning abilities for a Jack is wrought with peril, and many studies have failed to grasp the true requirements of it. Eventually, Jack simply became known as a dead-end Discipline. Their one and only known passive that allows them to copy others' abilities and skills, Mimic, ends up seeming like a curse more than a blessing to many.
Upgraded Disciplines
After an individual has had sufficient practice and understanding of their Discipline, they will be permitted to ascend to an Upgraded Discipline. This concept was not fully understood or believed to even exist until after the founding of the academies and their cultivating of students' Disciplines. Each basic Discipline has a path they may undertake to strengthen their powers under the guidance and tutelage of scholars and a ritual via support magic.
> Royal Knight: Fights with swords, hammers, spears, and shields. Wears heavy/medium/cloth armor. A Knight willing to serve their kingdom and country and uphold honor may become a Royal Knight. A Royal Knight has fully mastered the ability to reduce pain through the Null passive, becoming unable to feel pain whenever they please. In addition to this, their very body has become a shield, no longer staggering from all but the most vicious and deadly attacks through the Immovable passive. They will bleed, bend and twist, but very little will truly break a Royal Knight.
> Paladin: Fights with swords, hammers, spears, and shields, and can cast apprentice-level support and defensive magic. Wears heavy/medium/cloth armor. A Knight who swears an oath under the gods to save the world becomes a Paladin. Paladins may cast support magic, as well as buff their shields with defensive magic to become the ultimate master of defense.
> Gungnir: Fights with spears. Wears heavy/medium/cloth armor. A Knight who gives up their sword and shield and hones their skill with the spear to perfection will become a Gungnir. While still a defensive fighter, their way of defense is different from other Knights - rather than blocking, they prevent the enemy from approaching in the first place, lest they meet the vicious end of a Gungnir's spear. To a Gungnir, the best defense is a deadly offense. A Gungnir knows the existence and exact position of all living things within a ten meter radius of them via a mental map in their mind, due to the Battle Awareness passive. A Gungnir has also received the blessing of the god Odin, elementally charging the Gungnir's attacks with lightning and also rendering them unable to be harmed by electricity of any kind, known collectively as the Blessing of the Storm passive.
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> Marksman: Fights with bows, crossbows, and other ranged weaponry. Wears medium/cloth armor. An Archer who continues on the path of finding the perfect shot will find themselves on the other side as a Marksman. They have gained the agility and acrobatics of a Rogue through their Agility passive, and their perception has increased such that they can detect and see even invisible targets: the Perfect Vision passive. Their Discipline has also increased in power such that they can never miss a target within ten meters or less in distance from them, through the Called Shot passive. The target may still successfully block attacks from a Marksman, but arrows will always miraculously find a way to make contact with a target in some way as long as they are within ten meters.
> Arbalist: Fights with crossbows. Wears heavy/medium/cloth armor. Arbalists solidify themselves within the rigid position of a military formation. Becoming a defensive sentry, they align themselves more with a soldier than a hunter. An Arbalist dedicates themselves exclusively to the crossbow, and due to their rigidity, may also choose to don heavy armor to become a more defensive ranged combatant. An Arbalist can reload a crossbow as fast as an Archer would nock an arrow, and aim just as skillfully. Time seems to slow somewhat to an Arbalist when staring down the sights of their crossbow, giving them time to think and strategize while still taking a careful shot thanks to the Careful Shot passive. They are also more durable and can take pain better than most, inheriting the Knight's Stalwart passive.
> Spellbow: Fights with bows, and can cast apprentice-level offensive, support and defensive magic through their arrows. Wears medium/cloth armor. Archers who value the power and creativity of magic can become Spellbows. A Spellbow engraves runes onto their bow, which when touched by an arrow, can imbue the arrow with spells memorized by the bow itself. Spells that a Spellbow may learn are limited to what a regular Magus is capable of, however. When a Spellbow runs out of arrows in their quiver, they may call upon the power of magic to conjure arrows of light to shoot forth - however, these arrows cannot be imbued with additional magic, and merely act as regular arrows; this is known as the Conjure Arrows passive. A Spellbow may also learn new spells similar to the Magus by studying magic texts and runic symbols through the Scribe passive.
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> Wizard: Studies apprentice-level, scholar-level and master-level offensive magic, apprentice-level support and defensive magic, and can also use daggers and staves. Wears clothes. A Magus willing to embrace the destructive potential of magic, for better or worse, may become a Wizard. A Wizard may learn spells from the apprentice, scholar and master classifications of magic; although they may not learn support and defensive magic above apprentice-level, abandoning their studies in those fields. A Wizard has also become somewhat capable at close combat with a dagger, such that they could match and surpass a Rogue in a fight using daggers. Wizards also gain Starsight: a passive ability that allows them to observe the movements and activity of multidimensional rifts by observing the night sky.
> Cleric: Studies apprentice-level, scholar-level and master-level support and defensive magic, apprentice-level offensive magic, and can also use daggers, staves and hammers. Wears clothes. A Magus accepting of their duty to help others and to slaying demonkind may become a Cleric. A Cleric may learn spells from the apprentice, scholar and master classifications of magic; although they may not learn offensive magic above apprentice-level, becoming too pacifistic to embrace such destruction with a clear conscience. Clerics have learned to fight with hammers, becoming skilled enough to competently fight and defeat lesser warriors and to survive long enough to back away and cast a spell. Clerics also gain the Seersight passive: vision that allows them to sense the presence or absence of demonic power within an individual by looking at them, and how potent it might be.
> Spellsword: Studies apprentice-level and scholar-level magic, and can also use daggers, staves and swords. Wears medium/cloth armor. A Magus who trains both body and mind in the pursuit of strength may become a Spellsword. Spellswords may learn apprentice-level and scholar-level spells of the offensive, defensive and supportive types, and are also skilled in close combat with swords such that they could match a Royal Knight or Paladin in pure swordplay. They also gain the passive Riposte: when a Spellsword successfully blocks a melee attack, they may counter with the instant casting of a spell with a wave of their off-hand, the spell not costing anything from their daily spell pool.
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> Phantom: Fights with daggers and bows, and can cast apprentice-level support magic. Wears medium/cloth armor. A Phantom is a Rogue who has successfully come to represent the sin of greed. Using powers treading close to demonic, they whisk about the battlefield wreathed in shadows, assassinating and subduing foes with poison and magic. Phantoms are ultimately not very durable however, and thus may take advantage of the passive Shade Shift to move faster - almost like a blur - when in contact with the shadow of an object that isn't themselves, up until the point they stop touching the shadow. Their ability to wield daggers has also improved immensely, able to rival dedicated close combatants in short intervals by taking advantage of hit-and-run tactics. Through the dark powers associated with a Phantom, they gain the passive Warlock Strike, which allows them access to the Dark element even if they don't naturally possess it, and may create Dark-element skills that conjure magical poisons to inflict upon foes.
> Mirage: Fights with daggers and bows. Wears medium/cloth armor. The most common oddity in day to day life is the feeling that an item has been misplaced with no memory of where it was last left. More often than not it isn't the person's ignorance, but rather a Mirage, that ends up being the problem. They are master thieves, capable of even disarming and pickpocketing enemies in the heat of battle due to the Theft passive. When a Mirage has been discovered, they may also take advantage of their Discipline's blessing to turn invisible once per day.
While they try not to engage in direct combat, they've become skilled enough to in short intervals. They have also gained the ability to become automatically proficient with any weapon they've stolen from another person for up to an hour after their initial theft of the item through the Muscle Memory passive, before it wears off. They also possess the Step Immunity passive, becoming unable to be affected by Step. A Mirage is also precise and agile enough that they can even run across bodies of water or up walls if they aren't too high by making use of the Balance passive. Last but not least, a Mirage can pick and dismantle even enchanted and magical locks and devices through the Soulpick passive.
> Lotus: Fights with swords and bows. Wears medium/cloth armor. Abandoning the ways of a hit-and-run fighter and shadow skulker, a Lotus meets his opponents on the battlefield. They combine the grace of a Rogue with sword skills surpassing even the most powerful Royal Knights and Paladins, and the bow accuracy and deadliness of an Archer, gaining their Perception passive. The speed of their strikes matches even the lightning reflexes of a Gungnir, their striking power surpassing a Brute, and have awakened to the passive of Step: whenever an opponent moves away from the Lotus while in close combat, they may reflexively follow the fleeing individual step for step and movement for movement as long as the Lotus has not been harmed during the enemy's retreat.
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> Berserker: Fights with axes and martial arts. Wears medium/cloth armor. Berserkers fully embrace their rage and hatred, allowing their frustration to power them and keep them moving. A Berserker cannot be budged if they do not wish to be, still feeling the pain of attacks but not allowing themselves to be knocked down by them through the Immovable, Lesser passive. Their axe swings can blow away boulders and trees without the support of any magic.
During a fight, Berserkers can enter a rage state via their Enrage passive that can't be concluded until all enemies have been defeated or the Berserker is knocked unconscious or killed. During this state, their speed grows to match that of a Phantom, and their strikes create air ripples to blow enemies away. While enraged, a Berserker will also passively emit steam from their body via the Burned World, Lesser passive, burning those that get too close to them. However, a Berserker will lose any ability to defend themselves, their mind one of pure aggression no longer seeing the need to block or dodge.
> Monk: Fights with martial arts and staves, and can cast apprentice-level defensive magic. Wears clothing. When a Brute has found a way to make amends with their rage, they become eligible to fight on as a Monk. Doing away with weapons that relieved their anger such as axes, they have instead refined their martial arts to become powerful enough to destroy stone structures with ease, even without the assistance of magic. With an emphasis on precision instead of blind violence, Monks can target specific areas of an opponent's body and disable them temporarily via the Focused Strike passive.
Unlike other casters who usually require specific movements to use their spells, Monks may cast their spells freely during regular movement or even while attacking through the Kata passive. Monks have also awakened to the passive ability of Step: whenever an opponent moves away from the Monk while in close combat, they may reflexively follow the fleeing individual, step for step and movement for movement as long as the Monk has not been harmed during the enemy's retreat. Monks also lose the perceptive weakness of Brute, no longer being tricked or caught off guard easily.
> Beastblood: Fights with axes, martial arts and bestial limbs. Wears cloth armor. A Brute who has accepted their monstrous nature may drink the blood of a vicious beast, gaining the ability to transform parts of themselves into the beast of which the blood belonged to. With enough mastery, a Beastblood eventually learns the abilities and spells that the beast had when they were alive, and even how to become the beast in its entirety at will. A Beastblood will need a strong will, however, or else the monstrous soul within them could take over their mind and body permanently. A Beastblood loses all prior passive abilities gained for their Discipline, instead gaining the beast's passive abilities as they grow in experience.
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> Bard: Studies apprentice-level, scholar-level and master-level support and defensive magic, and fights with daggers and instruments. Wears medium/cloth armor. A Bard continues the spoils and lyrical genius of a Performer with more flair and flamboyance than ever before. They have become a master of their instrument, such that no magic of apprentice or scholar level may harm their instruments at all. Even with attacks that would damage it, such as physical attacks or master-level magic, it will likely still take multiple hits to shatter the powerful protective blessing on the instrument itself. A Bard has also attained speed and skill with daggers surpassing a Rogue, and gain Step Immunity while playing their instrument, becoming immune to the Step ability.
> Dancer: Studies apprentice-level and scholar-level support and defensive magic, apprentice-level offensive magic, and fights with daggers. Wears clothes. A Dancer forgoes an instrument, instead dancing to the tune of their soul. Their swift movements are illusory in nature, mesmerizing the most perceptive of combatants into a trance before slicing them open while they're caught off guard. Dancers can cast spells as a Performer would, but rather than play an instrument, they can cast and maintain spells by staying agile and by moving at all times to their own rhythm via the Dance passive. If a Dancer is staggered, knocked down or otherwise rendered immobile, their spells are dispelled until they can begin moving once more. Their skills with a dagger rivals a high-end Rogue, have gained the Rogue's Agility passive, and when combined with magic, make for a deadly assassin on the battlefield.
> Poet: Fights with daggers. Wears clothes. Some Performers realize that their specialty is not in entertaining others, but by giving hope to others by passing on the stories of those who inspire. A Poet gives up the ability to cast spells naturally or with the assistance of an instrument. Instead a Poet witnesses, memorizes, and writes. With a day of time dedicated to it, a Poet can create a tome of a spell they have witnessed before; assuming they know the name of the spell, the exact effects of the spell, and the first name of the person they saw casting it. It will be a perfect replica of the original caster's spell, with as much or as little power as it may have had. Going along with this, Poets have the Photographic Memory passive and can bring up the smallest details from their mind as if it happened seconds ago. A Poet has no limit to the amount of tomes they can carry, although they must spend a day per creation of a tome and the tome will crumble to dust after a single use. They must also bring something with them to transport their tomes in.
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> Steelborn: Fights with any weapons they create. Wears clothes and any armor they create. Smiths that have decided to continue their passion for weapons of war will inevitably become Steelborn. A Steelborn can instantly recognize the composition and structural strengths and weaknesses of any metallic object, and assuming they can get in an attack on those weaknesses, deal damage to those weak points surpassing a Berserker's strikes through the Deconstruction passive. Despite this, they are still very much non-combative. A Steelborn may now enchant a weapon with a scholar or master spell assuming they have the assistance of a caster able to apply it during the crafting process, gaining the Advanced Enchanting passive.
> Alchemist: Fights with daggers. Wears clothes. Once a Smith tackles the daunting task of herbalism and learning the properties of which plants mix with which, they may become an Alchemist. Forgetting their teachings as a weapon maker, they instead devote their time to medicine both natural and magical - potions and poisons of varying potency through the Alchemy passive. With enough time and experience, an Alchemist may even 'transmute': the process of converting an object's material composition from one type into another.
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Elements, Skills and Spells
Elements: Every creature has a natural element to them. Fire, wind, earth, lightning, water, light and darkness are the basic elements that make up the world of Runix. Some magical creatures are naturally attuned to a particular element, but with some races such as humans or elves it's more ambiguous. For those not born with an element, it will awaken to the individual after receiving their Discipline. Unlike with Disciplines, there is no way to choose one's element - a person is simply born with their element, and it cannot be altered through the academy's methods. The only way for one to control multiple elements not belonging to themselves, is for a person to make use of magic items or become a magic Discipline such as a Magus which can use all elements. Typically, however, people find the greatest success using their innate element; even those capable of using multiple through magic. Non-magic Disciplines may still make use of their elements, by imbuing their attacks and techniques with their element through a type of ability called a skill.
Elements also have weaknesses and strengths against other elements, as listed below:
Fire > Wind > Earth > Lightning > Water > Fire, and Light <> Darkness
Skills: Those without the ability to use magic learn to instead draw power from within, using skills to increase their damage or defense. An example would be a Knight with the element of fire setting their blade ablaze as they slash, creating a skill that would be commonly known as 'Flame Slash'. Disciplines capable of casting spells must instead choose whether to learn a new skill or study a new spell. Those starting out with their Disciplines start with two free slots to allocate to either skills, spells, or one of each. Skills, unlike spells, do not share daily uses; rather, each skill has three uses per day.
Spells: Those who can cast spells may draw from their natural element, or from another that they have studied. Unlike with skills, all spells share a daily usage pool from those that they know. Magic Disciplines at the start may choose any number between two skills, two spells or one skill and one spell to know. At the start, a caster has a daily spell pool of four, gaining more through study and combat experience. A caster also starts with an extra element known for the purpose of casting spells using that element.
There are three types of spells that casters may use depending on their Discipline.
Offensive: These spells damage and destroy, leaving nothing but dust in their wake. The original magic of demons, introduced to the world during their invasion of Runix.
Defensive: These spells reinforce and protect, as well as strengthen the physical or mental abilities of allies.
Support: These spells heal and rebuild, as well as anything miscellaneous that might not fit into either of the other two categories such as magical sleep, paralysis, blindness, etc.
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Name: Race: [Can be any race that is mortal, and that lives to a maximum of 300 years without magical interference.] Gender: Age: Discipline: [You can start with none if you'd prefer to get it IC.] Weapons: Armor: Misc. Items: Element: [Fire, Wind, Earth, Lightning, Water, Light, Darkness. If you're a Discipline with magic, choose two. Natural element first.] Skills: [Start with two if a non-magical Discipline, or your choice of zero, one or two allocated between skills and spells if a magical Discipline. Basic abilities like adding your element to your weapon for an attack, etc.] Spells: [Start with your choice of one or two allocated between skills and spells. Basic spells like shooting a fireball, mending minor cuts and bruises, etc.] Racial Abilities: [Any racial-based abilities or passives that might be natural to your race. Normal humans receive no racial abilities, but will instead start with two character-unique passive abilities.] Passive Abilities: [Non-racial passives, whether they be related to your character's Discipline or even unique to the character themselves. Characters start with any Discipline passives they might have, and one unique character-exclusive passive.] Personality: [Minimum 1 paragraph please.] History: [Minimum 2 paragraphs please.]
Name: Caelis Wolff Race: Human Gender: Male Age: 18 Discipline: Jack Element: Light Skills:
Flash: Caelis found out, much to his surprise, that he has some magical ability tho it seems to be very minimal. One day, he was startled by something moving in the forest while he was camping at night. Next thing he knew, a quick, bright light burst out of his hand and blinded him for a few seconds. The spell isn't very powerful or long lasting, meaning it couldn't be used as a light source, but it can blind people around him (or himself too if he's not careful) for a few seconds.
Distract: Caelis is able to draw attention to himself through various means whether it be saying something outrageous to anger a person, tell a really good story, or even flirt a bit.
Racial Abilities: N/A
Passive Abilities:
Silver Tongue: Caelis has been educated and brought up in a business environment. Needless to say, he seems reliable and cordial to most sentient beings that he meets for the first time, giving them a more positive disposition towards him than towards a complete stranger.
Bookworm: Caelis is a very quick reader and well read. While he might not be the most talented fighter, he could tell you quite a bit about some of the most renown sword masters in history or the theory and development of the mordhau.
Personality: Caelis believes in two fundamental principles. One is that the wealthy and powerful have an obligation to take care of and treat those who work for them like family. Two, to always treat others cordially despite any differences. While it may come off as privileged at times, he does genuinely hope to use his abilities to make positive changes for all, and is rarely ever rude or malicious in his interactions as he believes that everyone has their own circumstances and being cordial to all makes life a lot more easier for everyone involved.
History:
The Wolff family is an a relatively well off merchant family that has its history tied to the Academy. The Wolff Trading Co has long been a contractor for the Academy, getting the school whatever it is that they need. Need Ice Phantom Ectoplasm for a lecture in two weeks? The family will get it in 10 days. Need to find out the location of someone who is being smuggled/on the run? Well... the Wolff family does know some people in Valcroft who might be able to help the Academy find this person.
Caelis himself was brought up to continue the family business and began participating in caravans and trade envoys ever since he was 13. By 16, he was leading one himself and meeting all of his family's acquaintances as his parents wanted to slowly give him more responsibilities to eventually take over the family business. Then on one caravan trip, it had happened. The Flash. Caelis, who never had any magical ability suddenly emitted a burst of light from his hand. Knowing that his discipline had manifested itself, Caelis finished the long trip and returned home to attend the Academy.
Little did he know that he was a Jack, which was a disappointment. But even in these circumstances, he found a way to be closer to the Academy than ever before. Determined to help the Academy and his family, Caelis continues his studies to better learn how the Academy operates and what more that he and his family can do to make positive changes in the world.
With the splaying of her hand, Askefye can manifest an orb of flame in her palm, before launching it towards a target within her visual range. Upon impact, the flame orb explodes, setting the targeted individual on fire. Though lacking in front-loaded destructive force, Firebolt has a homing quality, enabling it to chase down its targets so long as Askefye can keep an eye on them.
Thundercrack
With a flick of her wrist, Askefye can whip out a tendril of lightning from her index finger, firing it off towards a target of her choosing in a 120 meter radius. Highly accurate, this bolt causes a concussive blast upon impact, followed by a paralytic numbing upon the affected area, and is most effective when used to target weapons. Quick to cast, Thundercrack is primarily used to disarm enemies before the melee fighters come in for the kill.
Racial Abilities Desire For Destruction
No matter what profane, taboo acts they witness or are subject to, the hearts of Fiends will not be moved to fear, disgust, or despair. Violence excites or angers them, but will not cow them. After all, what do monsters have to fear of monstrous acts?
Infernal Blood
Birthed in the fires of hell, there exists no fiend so pathetic as to fear what made them. Their bodies are resistant to flame, and their body temperature can rise to feverish heights without any affect upon their organs or cognition.
Arcane Immolation
As creatures predominantly made of magic enables fiends to empower the destructive potential of their spells with their blood. Wreathed in self-immolating flames that sear out from their veins, they rain unmatched destruction upon the battlefield.
Passive Abilities Scribe
The arcane arts are obtained not through talent or instinct, but through persevering study. New spells can be gained through the analysis of magical scripts.
Archfiend’s Successor
The blood of the Archfiend runs thickly through Askefye’s veins, and her inheritance grants her might enough to overcome mortal death. Upon being slain, she enters her final form, her body burning incandescent as her clothing and weapons disintegrate from the year. Assuming the form of a fiery elemental, Askefye regains a portion of her lost magical power and will burn anything that she physically comes in contact with. After she has vanquished all enemies or five minutes has elapsed, she will revert back to her physical form, unconscious and comatose for one day, and will be unable to trigger her final form until a week has passed.
Askefye stands at 5'5 and her weight is a secret. Her fluffy ears can swivel in any direction, and are remarkably silky to the touch. Though her expressions are often benevolent and charming, she stands naturally with an air of superiority. It appears to be a subconscious posture, however; when asked about this, Askefye's rather confused as to what they're even talking about.
Personality
Askefye is, despite being completely at ease with violence, a rather caring individual. She speaks in a soft, gentle tone and is very physically intimate, the type of person who would stroke someone’s head or give them a spontaneous hug, regardless of who they are. Whether it’s listening to people vent about their terrible day or celebrate their niche interests, Askefye is always willing to make time for them, offering a shoulder to cry on or a fist to bump with. The Fiend, for all her destructive instincts, loves to socialize and discover what exactly makes other people tick, viewing the differences between individuals as something much more interesting than any other form of entertainment. But all this kindness, all this virtue, is founded upon a twisted core: Askefye doesn’t see anyone as equal to herself. To her, they are all either pets or pests, and though it’s no good to treat them cruelly, that’s only out of fear of punishment from brutish pests more powerful than herself, not out of moral obligation. After all, she may enjoy pain, both onto others and onto herself, but sleeping on a cold floor and having to clean toilets? That's not painful, that's just unpleasant.
For now, Askefye settles for unleashing her suppressed instincts upon monsters and demons, alongside the occasional training dummy and misfortunate boulder.
History
Askefye was born to be the next Archfiend within the realm of Ainzolf, the child of the Inferno Aflame and the Sunset Conflagration. She would be heir to the Hellhordes, and she would be the one to finally vanquish the Citylords of Geradia, ushering in a new era upon the continent. With such expectations placed upon her, Askefye probably would have had a very unfulfilling, suppressed childhood, if it wasn’t for the fact that, as a three year old child playing hide-and-seek with her pet hellhound, Askefye accidently walked into a rift in space and time, got stretched out like pizza dough, and was summarily dropped into the world of Runix. Alone, terrified, and literally just a toddler, the little girl stumbled around the dark, gloomy forest she was in, crashed into a tree, tripped over a rock, fell off a cliff, and subsequently plopped into a river, cracking her head open on the riverbed stones.
Thus, she died. Thus, she entered her final form.
When villagers from Norden came to investigate the pillar of steam they saw rising from one of the rivers that irrigated their fields, they came across a small, naked child instead, with strange ears popping out from her head. This being Runix, famed for such occurrences as strange children showing up in strange places, the villagers followed protocol: they fished the child out of the river, pushed the water out of her lungs, tended to her injuries, and nursed her back to health. Askefye, of course, still had no idea what was going on, and didn’t know all the way until she found herself living in an orphanage in the capital of Norden. The food wasn’t too good, and she always got in trouble for punching, biting, clawing, or otherwise being physically unpleasant to people who were verbally unpleasant to her, but as the fiend grew up, she began to stabilize as an individual, learning that violence wasn’t the answer to everything. She no longer remembered much of anything from her life in Ainzolf, only fragments of warmth and parental affection, and when she does, Askefye buries it deep within her heart. Heroes pass into Runix, but they rarely pass out of it.
When proctors from Mortalion Academy came over to test the children for Discipline potential during one auspicious autumn, Askefye was one of the ones who passed, and was subsequently offered a spot in the Academy.
She accepted, of course. The orphanage was a nice place, and she did like having a big family, but gosh, there was something about the living conditions in orphanage that she simply couldn’t agree with. It was a sad winter for all involved, but by the time spring arrived and Askefye was striding through the great halls of Mortalion Academy, she was pretty damn happy.
Meat every day and no chores, what a novelty!
Armor: Crimson Robes Weapons: Ashen Staff & Ritual Dagger Misc. Items: A small flask of alcohol.
Weapons: About eight knives, four short swords, two hammers, two hatchets, and one spear. It is important to note that every single one of these weapons all have small stones fixated onto their handles.
Armor: A long coat with a night infinite amount of pockets. Suitable for traveling.
Misc Items: A miniature anvil, a large backpack suitable for carrying ore, and two small bear traps.
Element: Earth
Skills:
Whetstone Faber improves upon the tool he is wielding for a set amount of time, allowing him to "maximize" his tool's effectiveness temporarily. Swords become the sharpest they could possibly be, hammers achieve the perfect balance between weight and force, etc. Stronger tools allow for higher improvements, allowing even artifacts to shine their brightest. Currently at Faber's level, he is able to keep this skill active for a maximum of one minute per instance. It should be noted that rather than simply "sharpening a sword", this skill instead "raises the sword's existence to the peak of what it could reach."
Throw Rock Faber throws a rock with a decent amount of force. A simple, but highly accurate projectile skill, its range depends entirely on the weight of the object being thrown as well as Faber's ability to lift it. In other words, large rocks such as boulders cannot be thrown with Faber's current level of strength. While the skill itself may first seem mediocre, Faber has learned of a way to "maximize" this skill by attaching unprocessed stones to his weapons.
Passive Abilities:
Creation The primary blessing given to Smiths, the ability to create. Faber uses this ability mainly toward the creation of weapons and other tools of warfare, but has also dabbled in a bit of sewing in order to make himself clothes and other accessories designed to help him carry his tools around.
Weapon Mimicry The ability to be trained in all matter of weapons so long as the wielder has created them with their own hands. However, such training cannot surpass natural mastery. Faber makes full use of this blessing by forging and utilizing a multitude of different weapons, in order to both vary his own fighting style as well as understand the techniques of his opponents.
Pack Mule An ability that allows its user to carry a larger amount of tools without the worry of encumbrance through the maximization of space. Also increases the chance of successfully smuggling smaller weapons on one's person slightly. It is through this skill that Faber is able to carry large amounts of weapons on his person at any given time without looking the least bit tired. This is accomplished through a mixture of spatial awareness, upper body training, and the meticulous creation of many pockets.
Single-Minded Concentration A superhuman degree of focus achieved by immersing one's self into a task. Faber is capable of raising his efficiency level to an insane degree, changing the result of "1" to "10". This ability is mostly made apparent in Faber's creation process, allowing him to craft an entire personal arsenal in the span of a few hours to an entire day. This ability can also be used to perform calculations or formulate plans quickly, but utilizing this ability in the midst of battle is ill-advised due to the amount of focus required to maintain it.
Personality: The strong, silent type. Calm, efficient, and calculating, all that Faber really cares about is perfecting his craft and reaching the zenith of his Discipline. However, due to Faber's mentality, his idea of perfection is far different from the average Smith. Rather than aspiring to craft the greatest weapon, Faber's wish is to become a "living forge". In other words, a believer of quantity over quality. Wants friends, but has a hard time understanding others.
History: Hailing from the Kingdom of Earth, Faber had never experienced the luxuries of the surface folk, not that it mattered much to him in the first place. Raised in a rather poor community, Faber learned from a very young age that every member of a community needs to do their part to keep it functioning. Whether it was gathering food or keeping watch, Faber always managed to keep his focus onto whatever specific task he has at hand. It was through this environment that Faber developed a strong work ethic and a desire to serve others. At some point during his early teens, Faber's skills with crafting was discovered, and soon he was assigned to crafting tools and traps.
One fateful day, a wandering Steelborn dwarf came across Faber's community and took notice of his skills as a craftsman. While Faber's creations were ""mediocre", they were still produced at a speed that was surprising to the dwarf. It was at that point that the dwarf realized that at some point, Faber had awakened his discipline as a "Smith". Believing that the boy had potential, the dwarf used his leverage to escort Faber out of Gerrich so he could develop his true potential in Mortalion Academy.
