"Who could have known how our war would change? How our walls would become raked with barbs thrown from monsters with skin of metal, how our towers would crumble from the fire brought down as their beasts roared in the heavens above. Who would have known? Would it have mattered?
Our fortress lay bare, the once-great walls of the Knife's Edge litter the landscape and her towers broken and fragmented. Our home for a decade had finally fallen, and it wasn't even close. This fight was not a battle we could have won; no, no, this fights outcome was settled the day they began this war. With each defeat, they brought new weapons, with each setback new soldiers, and with each passing year, we found that our enemy was utterly unique, and our strategies were all for naught. And the battle at the Knife's Edge made that clear.
Their beasts on the ground sat too far back for our magic to hit, and the night sky hid the ones above. We lashed out like children as our fire mages illuminated the fields with their red and yellow glow while our force mages launched their boulders into the enemy formation. I don't know if we hit a single one. Yet each salvo sent and fire dropped, claimed lives as if it were a sport. I watched in horror as friends after friend met their fate at the end of a barb or under the crushing weight of our collapsing walls. I watched in shock as my fellow soldiers disappeared in a mist of bone and blood as the fire from above hit and exploded around them. I saw it all. It will be the end of us.
I led a desperate retreat from our home into the forest east and away from the carnage. Of all the commanders, only I and Ardur remain because we knew the battle was lost. Now, we must fight our way across enemy-held land with hunters on our heels, for there is a secret crossing into the Land of Whispers. From there, we can return to our home and prepare our final defense.
"Faith is an addiction.
Blind faith is a disease.
When we crossed the land of whispers, I had faith in my cause. I had hope because we were the last holdout, the final survivor if you will, that blighted the Empire of Aurr and their wicked creatures with skin of steel. I had faith because we have held out for nearly a decade as they threw flesh and metal against our walls and were repelled at each advance with a furious mix of magic and bolt. I held my faith.
But I have faith no more.
How can someone have faith in our ability to win this war after I’ve seen what I’ve seen?
Our leaders tell us to have faith in these strange lands while they sit comfortably behind their tall walls and high up in their durable castles. Have faith? How do you maintain faith in the cause when our castle walls rock with explosions dropped from their birds with wings of silk? How can you keep your faith as you watch your friends disappear into a mist of red and chunks of bone? Our leaders tell us that our magic will always overcome their machines. Have they seen what we’ve seen?
How can anyone have faith in our ability to win this war after they’ve seen what we’ve seen?"
The Basic idea for this story:
Hello all!
A whale here to talk about an idea I have for a story. The premise is we would be from the Saldonian nation and would have been apart of a long, grueling conflict with the Empire of Aurr. I plan to flesh out the details here soon but the general gist of the state of the war is that it is at a stalemate. The Empire, while much more technologically advanced, has had trouble pushing across the natural barriers (the land of whispers) and through the tall, thick walls that block the way through the various canyons that cuts through a dangerous and vicious mountain range. The Empire of Aurr would have some fun tech that would make most encounters dangerous. The weapons I plan to reveal upfront (repeater bows and their full plate armored soldiers, among others) will be what the war has seen thus far. These would come with some details but would still be an unknown as to how they work. I will slowly sprinkle in new and more dangerous elements. They as a race would be considered an invading force with their home being across the sea and unknown at this point. They would be likely a fantasy human race.
Setting for the story:
Our story takes place on the continent of Hal'van, one of the larger and more diverse landmasses in this world. From the tropical coasts on the most eastern side to the cold desert that is the land of whispers, there exists the possibility for every biome and lifestyle therein. This landmass is inhabited by a race called the Saldonians. They are generally around five foot eight inches tall and have a more tan color to their skin. Though there are regional differences, however. The Saldonians who call the Land of Whispers and the capital city their home, for example, are closer to six feet in height and their skin is generally more amber in color. Meanwhile, there exist some Saldonians who call the vast forests there home and have adapted shorter heights to assist in navigating their trees.
Over the past hundred years, many Saldonian nations were forced to retreat from their homes, and ultimately they find themselves across the Land of Whispers in the capital city. Though they are far from their home, those who have magic still retain their unique magic from their homeland.
Our story will start at the onset of winter in the westernmost area of the Saldonian Nation. We are one week removed from witnessing the destruction of our fortress and are running for our lives, trying to make it home. Behind us their hunters stalk our movements while ahead; we may encounter their soldiers and their beasts with skin of metal.
Enemies:
Our enemy is a very diverse force in terms of capabilities and threats. Our most commonly seen threat are the various footsoldiers that form their ranks. Covered head to toe in dark plate armor and with thick tower shields, their numbers will always be higher than ours. They are not very skilled, and their morale tends to break rather easy. The next, and most dangerous group, are their ranged core. They too are often armored in the same plate armor but they are equipped with a weapon that has claimed many of our comrades. They come with a repeater bow, a simple name for such a devastating weapon. While it remains an unknown to us how it works, its effects are made clear as bolt after bolt leaves the chamber of this weapon until their magazine is cleared. It appears to resemble a very large crossbow with a strange circular apparatus near the release. They first showed up for war about a year ago and have begun to change the tide of the war. Open fights are no longer an option and we have been forced into our castles and behind our walls.
It was dark when our enemy first revealed their monsters, not much is known at this time.
How magic works in this RP
Magic works on a similar system to that of strength in this RP in the sense that the more training one has, the more powerful they can become. On the same note, there are rare prodigies that are naturally good and whos power can rival masters with less training. The magical talent would reveal itself to the mage at a young age in a way that is reminiscent of their magic. A fire mage would create sparks or accidentally burn something while a force mage would levitate or move something. Early on the power of the mage would be highly unstable so seeking out proper training is a must for any would-be mage.
Magic use drains stamina. Prolonged use of magic in a short period will tire out the mage, much like a warrior in battle. Furthermore, over-casting is a real problem that mages are taught to avoid. A mage can break through exhaustion and keep using the magic, but it comes with the aforementioned risk of over-casting. Over-casting is a fatal condition where the magic of the user consumes them, often detonating in a grim explosion in relation to their power (a fire mage would be consumed by flames, a force mage would be crushed into the ground, and so on and so forth).
The Saldonians as a whole are naturally adept at wielding magic while the Empire of Aurr has reportedly never seen a mage born to their race.
Fire magic is, in essence, as the title suggests. A mage would draw from their latent magical abilities, focus it, and unleash a variety of different firey spells. A young mage may only be able to send sputtering sparks, a more advanced could summon a torrent of flames, while a master would be able to direct it in a focused and tight beam. The result, however, would be fire all the same.
The fire could only be controlled as it exits the arm. Its destructive powers know no equal in the magic of Saldonian people. The fire magic can burn through structures, melt armor, and ravage whole sections of an enemy's formation. Yet those who want to master the inferno need to seek control of themselves. A fire mage who lacks it can cause significant harm to both themselves and everyone around them.
With a lack of control, comes a lack of restraint. A fire mage who burns too bright runs the risk of their magic consuming them. When a mage sends forth their magic, their hand cracks and gives way to lines that glow vibrant colors of red and yellow. As their magic use prolongs, the cracks spiral and spread, heading up their arm. As it reaches their elbows, their magic begins to take a toll on their health. Every burst darkens the skin around the cracks and saps the strength of the mage. In turn, the flames dull with each cast, and soon enough, the mage will be on the verge of losing control. Their arms looking more akin to charcoal at this point, the fire magic will burst forth from the mage, consuming both the caster and all near.
The fire that burns the brightest burns the shortest. A fire mage is taught this from their earliest lessons. Therefore, if a fire mage wants to survive the horrors of war, they must learn to control the inferno, and act strategically, to starve out the fire.
An adept fire mage will be a gentle but powerful force. They will strike when the moment is right and save their magic strength when it matters the most.
Force magic is magic that can control or manipulate objects. It can move a sword into someone's side or remove their helmet to open up a new avenue of attack. Force mage's power range must more dramatically than the other magics. A novice may be able to nudge an object along, whereas a master could life a whole battalion off their feet and crush them in their armor. Though the force mages found on the battlefield can do something in the middle. They can often lift a group of soldiers off their feet, but that would require them to expel a great deal of their magic. Instead, most force mages work in tandem with other mages to supplement their strengths, such as launching pots of flaming oil into enemy ranks.
A force mage can manipulate most objects. They can fling a spear with high power, throw rocks and boulders, and even fight a swordsman with a levitating sword. Force magic is seen as a jack of all trades type of magic and is seen as less skill-intensive than a fire mage. Make no mistake, a force mage that masters their magic is a mighty mage who can control whole battlefields.
There are limits to this magic. If a mage tries to lift an object that is too heavy or exerts too much power on a throw, they run the risk of running out of magic and even the magic consuming them. Much like a fire mage a force mage will show signs in the forms of cracks that form in the palm of their hands and spread outward and up the arm. The cracks are a grey color and seem to pulsate with the beat of their hearts. If a mage uses magic as their stamina drops, they run the risk of their body subject to the same force they are exerting. Sometimes a leg will snap, or they could be forced to the ground. Exert too much magic after this, and the spell can consume them, crushing their bones and collapsing their chest.
Nations:
There will be two nations that will be the focus of our story; The Empire of Aurr and the Saldonian Nation
The Empire sailed to the shores of this continent some hundred years ago and since then has waged a constant, bloody war as they conquered nation after nation. Many smaller Saldonian countries have found a safe haven behind the walls of the Saldonian Nation, leaving their homes behind in the process. Throughout the now conquered lands, cities and towns have sprung to life as citizens of the empire move to their new homes. Their soldiers appear to be of the same race, each standing around six feet tall with broad shoulders and muscular arms.
The Empire has advanced across three-quarters of the continent over the past hundred years, but the lines have remained almost static over the past ten. While they bring forward new weapons to try and push through the Saldonian Nation, the defenders have held the line.
They are a quick-lived species, and it is understood few make it past sixty years of age. Though, many have claimed that there exists those who age are closer to a hundred years old.
The Saldonian Nation is a kingdom that was born out of the waste that is the Land of Whispers. The cruel winds and vast expanse have caused many a traveler to lose their life in the desolate plains. The Saldonian's have long used natural formations in their defenses. The gorge before the desert is heavily fortified with castles and fortress covering the crossing points while a mountain range, the Fangs of God, offer only one way through which is walled off by the massive and thick walls of the Fortress of Sal'vear.
The native Saldonians of the Nation are tall and amber skinned. Still, over the past century, they have become a diverse culture filled with the survivors of the Empires' steady advances. The Saldonian nation beyond the wall is filled with numerous oasis, and even fertile farmland found along the river Val. Near the eastern coast, the desert gives way to another mountain range and beyond that a thick forest.
The native Saldonians here are fierce fighters and even more aggressive fire mages. They enjoy long lives of nearly one hundred and thirty years being common while many can make it to three hundred years of age.
The Saldonian, unlike the Empire of Aurr, has a very diverse and uniquely powerful military force. Mages are a plentiful occurrence for the Saldonian nation and as such, their army revolves around protecting and keeping their mages safe. Their footsoldiers are all dressed in matching fashion, usually covered from head to toe in plate armor with a focus around shields and long weapons such as spears. The mages tend to wear much lighter armor, such as leather or even cloth.
Rules:
1.) No controlling another players character in any shape or form. Pretty standard but it has to be said.
2.) Combat is usually free form, meaning that you can write your character killing most enemies. Sometimes I will throw out specific or special enemies that you cannot kill so simply. We can either write a collab post or possibly roll a dice to determine the success of the fight and/or action.
3.) Stupid decisions can lead to bad results. Don't charge at the enemy alone. Your character can die if there are repeated offenses! Per rule 2, combat is free form but that does not mean charge at 10 enemy soldiers and expect a good time.
4.) Our enemies called you stupid, are you gonna take that? Write me your response when you post your CS so I know you have read these
5.) No arguing in the OOC, take it to a PM or to discord.
