Welcome to the continent of Elysium
The Pangaea-like supercontinent is divided by two kingdoms: the Elven Kingdom of Phospholite and the Human Kingdom of Carnatia. Small islands dot the coasts of Elysium. To the knowledge of the public, there are no other landmasses.
For as long as any being can remember, the two kingdoms have been locked in a brutal war. Some say it’s a dispute for land. Others say that the King of Carnatia wants to rule all of Elysium. There are few, even among the royal families, that know the true purpose of the war. Throughout all of that time, neither kingdom could break their eternal stalemate. Three months ago, something changed.
King Rosmund of Carnatia performed a sudden siege upon an important trade hub within Phospholite. It was deep within Phospholite territory, seemingly impossible for King Rosmund’s army to reach. Since then, Carnatia has been pushing deeper into Phospholite territory. The tables are tipping in King Rosmund’s favor. Unfortunately, whatever he did to push into Phospholite territory seems to have angered something. Violent, magical monsters have started to appear all across the land.
These monster attacks are of great concern, as they destroy trade routes and small towns. Not to mention, there is no one who can properly handle them. Before now, monsters were said to be creatures of legend. Ogres and Bugbears, Oozes and even whispers of zombies in the far north. Those who have yet to experience the monsters say that the rumors are false. The nobility, however, know otherwise.
Tucked away on a distant island, a group of monks and high-ranking individuals have gathered together with the intent to stop the monster outbreaks. For hundreds of years, the temple on the island has housed seven dragon eggs, the last of their kind. The temple has been protecting them since before recorded history. They anticipated the coming of monsters and now intend to stop them before it is too late. To do so, they must hatch the dragons. It is an easier task said than done. The dragons must attach themselves to a humanoid partner in order to hatch.
Dragons, according to legend, made a deal with humanoids in order to stop some sort of dark force. The exact specifics have long been forgotten, but victory against the force meant the sacrifice of thousands and the near extinction of the dragon species. The deal greatly strengthened both humanoids and dragons, at the cost of requiring a magical connection. Humanoids of great skill must be brought to the dragons in order to create said connection. A dragon will scan a person’s soul and, if found worthy, they will begin to hatch. When a dragon hatches, they take on aspects of their person’s soul. Whether it be a great artistic skill, skill in battle, skill in sport, or some other skill, a dragon will take on aspects of a person’s destined abilities.
The monks of the island have used their noble connections to search out greatly skilled adults. Now, both kingdoms have sent a total of seven people to attempt to connect with the dragons. Some of these people by force, others by free will. They have not been informed of their mission yet, but the monks eagerly await their arrival. Soon, the people will be presented with the eggs. With any luck, some of the eggs may hatch.
The Two Kingdoms
Phospholite: The North Mountain Region
Queen: Esmeralda Saphros
Phospholite is an ancient kingdom ruled by the Elven matriarchy. The upper class is made entirely of Elves while the lower class is mostly Dwarves, Oreads, Halflings, and the like. Humans are not allowed without extreme restriction due to being viewed as barbarians and/or spies.
The land of Phospholite is mountainous, which the elves used to their advantage when creating castles and cities. Dwarves and Oreads populate the inside of the mountain range. Dwarves treasure the mountains for their precious gems and are known to create beautiful (and massive) works of art. Their cities are mostly made of quartz, though nicer houses are carved from other gemstones. The Oreads prefer the metals, which they craft into fine weapons for themselves and their elven overlords. Dwarves and Oreads do not get along well and often live in entirely separate mountain ranges for that reason.
Halflings make up the majority of the working class outside of the mountains. They are often merchants and many of them travel to human lands (legally or otherwise) to make trade. The elves are strict rulers and elven cities are often heavily policed. Any talk that threatens the queendom is considered taboo. Trade along borders requires multiple permits depending on the seller and metal is never traded over legally.
The fashion of the region varies widely. In the northern areas, gemstones and metal are often used in clothes and accessories. Southern regions value bright colored and silken fabrics. Warriors wear hefty metal armor and favor spears, long swords, and the like. The favorite sport of the people is dueling, often to the death.
Queen Saphros attends duels often and finds her most powerful warriors that way. She has a collection of powerful knights who she keeps close and trains with brutality. They are worshiped as heroes and many dream of joining this elusive group, which tends to make young warriors through themselves fruitlessly into the duels. People pay a lot to watch professional duels and there are even specialized trainers for such events.
Phospholite’s crest is a rapier made of crystal and surrounded by thorns. The royal colors of Phospholite are silver and blue.
Queen Esmeralda Saphros:
Queen Saphros is a brutal and powerful leader, more concerned with the military than much of anything else. She personally trains her highest level guards and is a master of political games. As such, she has even gone so far as to offer up one of her most promising trainees for the purposes of the dragon hatching, though the monks have insisted that there is a good chance the trainee won’t succeed on battle-prowess alone.
The Queen is a tall, muscular woman. She is rarely seen without her rapier and armor. Her hair is long and silver, while her eyes are a striking blue that stares into the soul of whomever she looks upon. Her main hall is full of trophies from her victories. At all times, a servant follows her around. Even said servant is trained heavily in a variety of weapons.
Both men and women fight for Queen Saphros’ hand in marriage. She has taken several personal courtesans, but has yet to be married and produce an heir. Queen Saphros insists that it is fine, as elves live for many centuries. Still, the elven nobles grow nervous at her potential death.
Carnatia: The Southern Forest Region
King: Malfis Rosmund
Carnatia is a forest-filled kingdom with patches of rainforest and swamps closer to the border of Phospholite. It is ruled by the militaristic King Rosmund. Unlike Queen Saphros, he prefers a wider amount of training across more warriors. Most of his army is on horseback and all capable people are forced to enlist in the military for at least four years once they reach adult age. It is considered shameful to find ways to dodge the military. To the point that, if a person is incapable of being enlisted, they are often abandoned or shunned by their family.
Carnatians gain the metal needed for their armies both from trade and from the few islands that surround their land. As such, heavy armor is less prioritized over high-quality weaponry and the Carnatians have a slightly stronger navy. The Carnatians ride horses as well, both for battle and for travel. This means their navy and army is larger and stronger at the price of fragility.
Popular sports within Carnatia include jousting and racing horses. The populace is also quite fond of song and dance as a pastime. The people of Carnatia are mostly Humans, though there is a decent number of Halflings within the forests and Undine along the coast. A variety of Lords and Barons rule the different cities of Carnatia and each is known to fund their own personal army. It is these aristocrats that take on the youth of Carnatia. Religion is also more popular within Carnatia, though the upper class scoff at it. The people believe in a sun god and moon goddess, though the names of each differ depending on the region.
The fashion of the region is divided between those along the coast and swamps, and those within the plains. People within the plains usually adorn bright colors and loose, over the top fabrics. It is also common to see these people walking around in riding gear, as horse riding is used in almost every facet of life. Those within the coast and swamps wear tighter clothing. Along the coast, the brilliant greens and golds of the kingdom are still popular. However, the swamps tend towards browns and blacks to blend in with the environment. Riding gear is slightly less common, though large rubber boots take its place.
Carnatia’s crest is a golden lion with a mane of green petals. The royal colors are similarly green and gold.
King Malfis Rosmund:
King Rosmund is a large man with a big belly and a coppery beard. He puts on a cheery demeanor for the public, often being considered a king who cares about his people. In reality, he is a cruel manipulator willing to sacrifice thousands for the sake of glory and victory. His connections even breach the borders of Carnatia, seeping into Queen Saphros’ court. King Rosmund has swept numerous atrocities under the rug and personally funds secret research. Part of these funds are used for a college which covers up the research. Every noble who is any noble has attended, will attend, or is attending the Carnatian College for Bright Minds.
The King is a copper haired human with friendly brown eyes and a toothy grin. He bears the colorful dress of his people with great pride. He has a potbelly, though he is still quite the capable heavy fighter. He rides a percheron horse. King Rosmund holds three wives, each of which hold a fraction of their own power within the government. He has many sons and daughters, though he is close with very few of them.
What will the RP be?
The rp will take place in a medieval fantasy setting. The world used to be light fantasy, but the war has angered the sleeping magic within the world. Magic creatures have starting attacking the peasantry. Due to this being such a new event, most of the world thinks that these are just wild tales being told to scare people and weaken the war effort. However, the royalty know the truth and fear for the future.
Players will make characters who are particularly skilled in one or two things. They could be mounted combat, acrobats, art, diplomacy, or anything of the like. Dragons are attracted to people of great skill and prowess. A person's soul affects how a dragon will hatch and what abilities it has.
Notes on Dragons
The dragons have no particular out-of-world inspiration. If you have a specific fandom-style dragon in mind, I can be flexible with it. As for in-world effects, I have not hashed out the specifics entirely yet. However, they will have magic/looks heavily themed around their trainer’s particular interesting skill.
An example might be: The Rider might be a talented jouster. As a result, the dragon will be born quite large. It’ll have weaker breath (an element that would match the rider’s personality. Maybe it’s fire because if its rider’s burning desire for success), but its claws, fangs, and tail are stronger. It might move incredibly quickly and with much energy, meaning that its rider’s weapon (probably enhanced in some way by the dragon’s magic) can plough through even well-armored enemies.
A Rider talented in the arts might have a smaller dragon. Such a beast could use its breath to spit ink. The Rider could then use the magic of their connection to cause temporary images to rise from the ink and attack for them. Or perhaps the dragon acts as a sort of pallet. Whatever colors the Rider paints upon it effect the breath it spews or the elements it resists.
During the creation of dragons, I’ll ask if the player has any specific requests. This could be specific ability requests or just specific themes. Additionally, while inside of combat, players will have full control over the dragons (with some exceptions). They will start with one ability and, as the rider and dragon grow, will develop more over time. They are born with crow levels of intelligence but will develop human levels of intelligence over time.
Other Notes
More lore will be added over time. Right now, I mostly want to make sure there is interest. The player count is a minimum of 3 people and a maximum of 7. I have little interest in playing a character of my own. I am more interested in playing the NPCs and world itself. The players will be playing as their trainers. With request, I might consider allowing someone to play as a dragon. However, a player will get to decide their dragon's abilities based off of the trainer they create.
