Prologue
With clear blue skies as far as the eye could see, the people on board The Stalwart were free to marvel at both the skies above and the land below. The airship, modest though it was, soared swiftly through the skies as though it was water. To many, such a marvel would have been unthinkable a few decades ago, but the dedication of inventors, it seemed, was not to be underestimated. Flight was no longer the domain of birds and dragons—now, too, could one fly without magic, and the revolution that such technology had brought forth was unparalleled.
But musings about the possibility of man mattered little to those on board—after all, they were but passengers on something that had since become rather "normal" (though not commonplace quite yet) en route to the kingdom of Merridan. The Stalwart was, in the end, a vessel meant to move people rather than goods—a bit of a rarity in and of itself—but so long as the people on board paid their fare, no issues would arise.
At least, so everyone believed.
The sudden turbulence that shook the vessel on such a clear day was immediate cause for alarm, and more than a few people began to mill about in panic, seeking answers from the staff on hand—staff who also had no response to their questions beyond the requisite placations required of them.
Then came more. Then an explosion from the back of the airship—and another. Slowly, the entire vessel leaned forward, barely held aloft by what remained of it's engine, before that too began to sputter and fail.
There was a deafening silence before those on board realized what it was that had happened—and what was going to happen. As the ground grew closer and the burning airship began to spiral towards the ground, a deafening silence seemed to take those on board, until——————
Elyreia
The continent of Elyreia is rather expansive and plays host to a wide range of biomes; the sunscorched Pella Desert, the treacherous Heavensfall Mountains, the ever-flooded Thousand Rivers, and the windswept Sakaran Plains are but a few features that mark the landscape, and in these lands have people lived and thrived. The millennia of history that has destroyed and reshaped the continent has since been tamed by the hands of people—though much still remains untouched, and elsewhere simply unreclaimed.
(For the sake of this RP, this section will be updated as more nations become relevant to the narrative.)
Merridan
The nation of Merridan, situated within the center of the eastern half of Elyreia, is now mostly known for it's presence as a major trade hub across the continent. As the home of the Tessen Airship Company, a majority of goods—and people—pass through on their way to another part of the continent.
Agadia
A maritime nation nestled between the Thousand Rivers and the eastern seas of Lemeire, Agadia has a history marked not only by naval travel, but also sea monster slaying—so much so that there is an entire industry of hunters that travel out to sea to hunt the beasts (or die trying). The lucrativity of hunting such creatures and returning with the spoils of battle has led to it becoming a land known for both the brave and foolhardy alike, though where that line may be drawn seems to depend on the person.
Weien
The lands of Weien reach from the southern edge of the Heavensfall Mountains to the center of the Sakaran Plains, but Weien itself is more of a coalition of city-states than an actual nation. Each region is led by it's own leader, and decisions regarding the region as a whole are made by a council formed by such. Of course, such a choice in governance is not without conflict, but the system has worked well enough for them thus far.
Thryn
Claiming a vast section of the Heavensfall Mountains and the nearby Falefen Forests of the north, Thryn is fairly cloistered as far as the nations of Elyreia go. Seldom do it's residents travel abroad, after all, and visitors are rarely received within the capital, be they foreign dignitaries or otherwise. Trade only occurs within the outskirts of the nation closest to it's neighbors, and their low supply often makes many commodities from within desired by the rich and elite.
Diomenne
The inhospitable Pella Desert was not always such, and the remnants of the nation that once ruled over those lands eventually reformed into the country of Diomenne. Proud fighters and golden-eyed travelers, the residents of Diomenne are just as apt to search the sands for remnants of their lost legacy as they are to travel abroad and make names for themselves in other lands. "Mercenaries" or "treasure hunters", some might call them, but the people of Diomenne care not. Despite their disparate goals, the hearts of the people are often aligned, and their sense of camraderie in spite of their presumed goals makes them a sort of oddity to less-traveled folk.
Magic
For the most part, "magic" is the result of converting mana (be it mana in the atmosphere or mana within the body) into a different form. The form that this mana can take hinges upon a variety of factors—the form that the caster shapes it into, the method by which it is shaped, and even the inherent nature of the caster can all play a factor in what the results of that magic are. The categories of magic are few and far between; things from strengthening magic to reinforce the body, to elemental magic that harnesses the forces of nature, to even magic of a more abstract nature that seems to warp the rules of the world itself are all within the realm of possibility. However, magic is by no means boundless; even placing aside the restraints of the mana within a system, not everyone will be able to cast the same types of magic, if at all.
By nature, people have a magical "affinity" that is, initially, defined at birth. Said nature is not absolute, and with sufficient time and effort replicating magic from other fields is possible, but it has since become common sense to learn what one excels at (assuming that they can find it). Over time, however, it is possible for an affinity to shift or change. The circumstances behind such phenomena are yet unknown, however, but with documented cases throughout history, it becomes a matter of "if" it happens rather than "when" to most people—for better or worse.
The People of Elyreia
Though there are a variety of inhabitants within the lands of Elyreia—both sapient and not—there are three main races that have since spread across the continent and made it their own.
Humans
The most populous of the three races, humans are a mainstay regardless of where in Elyreia one may travel to. Their appearances may vary based on the region to which one travels, but fundamentally they do not stand out in a crowd, so to speak. With that said, they do have an uncanny ability to learn a variety of skills so long as they put their minds to it—or, at the very least, to a greater extent than the other two races usually would were they to put in the same amount of effort.
Kinjo
The kinjo are somewhat foxlike in nature—though more literally than figuratively. Their vulpine ears and tails set them apart from the other two races—traits which give them more sensitive hearing and a higher capacity for magic—but beyond those, they appear rather similar to humans in terms of appearance. They tend to be more lithe than their human counterparts, but their frames generally lead to them being slightly frailer as well.
Nehen
Compared to the humans and kinjo, the nehen are rather diverse (and occasionally more imposing) in nature. The exact origins of the Nehen are somewhat nebulous—their features imply a long-lost relationship with the great dragons, but some claim that a demonic contract is to blame for the bodies they hold, and other still claim some conspiracy as the cause. Regardless of what the truth may be, though, the varied nature of the Nehen causes them to stand out, and not only because of the draconic scales that often line their limbs. What causes the Nehen to stand out more than anything, though, are the variety in which those same lizardlike-features arise within them. Though all of them have horns, tails and scales, the colors and shapes in which they manifest often differs. Beyond those traits, though, the Nehen appear rather similar to humans, if not tending slightly towards the taller end of the height spectrum.
I suppose the best way to describe the RP would be "a JRPG-esque fantasy RP inspired by a variety of games and sources". A lot of information about the world will be revealed as the players explore (or as requested), and ultimately the events that occur should be in service of that. Hopefully.
Given the style of RP that I intend this to be, though, I will likely be a bit pickier with forms than usual, and at the very least the start of this story may have a slightly smaller cast than the final size I would intend it to be... And so in other words, if you don't make the first cut, there's always a possibility to join in the future. With that said, I will be trying to pick characters based on personality dynamics if there are too many people for the opening of the RP, but that's under the assumption that we have enough people applying to warrant that. As always, though I reserve the right to deny characters out of hand—though I will always attempt to at least explain my reasons for doing so if that ever happens.
As always, I'm posting this as an interest check to gauge interest first and foremost, but here's a form in case people want to get started. As always, feel free to ask about questions or concerns if you're interested in joining.
