[img]https://images.alphacoders.com/955/955312.jpg[/img]
[center][color=726B99][h1]“I believe, so therefor it is so.”[/h1][/color][/center]
[indent][indent]It has been two thousand years since the death of The Hero of the Glades.

In the wake of her death to free the world from the oppressive chains of the dark wizard, Gand, a world of liberty and sanctuary has flourished from the Viridian Sea to the Sands of Hahral. As a result, there is not one person in the world that does not know her legend. 

Some say the Hero of the Glades was sent from the goddess herself to save the world from the wicked and vile. Others say she was a simple peasant girl who proved herself to the gods by enduring harrowing trials. The conclusion is the same, whichever interpretation one comes to believe; the Hero of the Glades stood against the forces of evil and won. One only has to look at the Kingdom that spawned in her name. [b]The Kingdom of Itenaire[/b].

[center][youtube]https://youtu.be/3G-OIyb4pFw[/youtube][/center]
Whilst Itena gave her life in the final battle, her  allies–the sorcerer [color=6ecff6]Sol[/color], the warlord [color=f7976a]Haur[/color], the hunter [color=fff79a]Antes[/color], the swordmaster [color=7ea7d8]Aather[/color], and the elf [color=8dc73f]Glyndŵr[/color]–all were fortunate to meet the same end. 

Gand had been stopped and purged from existence, but with him so too did Itena suffer a fatal blow. Her passing would become symbolic and the journey she had shared with them left them wondering what world to build in her absence. It is here that the bones of modern society began to form. Sol returned to the enclave of sorcery, which had been decimated since Gand had battled them to near extinction. Antes returned to his tribe in Hahral, fearful of the darkness that lingers in the world. Glyndŵr freed the elven slaves that Gand had taken and looked to rebuild the clanfolk. Haur reunited with the Confederation of Warlords that had aspired to depose Gand, history would recall him as the first King of Itenaire. As for Aather? Seeking no power of his own, he returned to Itena's birthplace and from there would create an order of protectors that would become the first collection of knights.

In the time since then the idea of kingdoms have been formalized, a caste system of lords and underlords have become the standard, the enclave of sorcery has been slowly rebuilt from the bones of what was, and Itenaire has been led by House Haurington, who still maintains its connection to its founding hero. And, of course, the elite guardians of the glade and ever present protectors of order and justice, [b]Order of the Glade[/b], keep a watchful eye over the realm should another mad mage or other unseen threat arise once more. 

And so here you are, peasant, noble, or somewhere in between, traveling to the birthplace of the Hero of the Glades, to participate in a trial that could help define you. Do you have what it takes to follow in Itena's honor? To become a warden?

Let's find out.[/indent][/indent]
[h3]L A C O R R O N:   a   w o r l d   a t   o d d s[/h3][hr]
[indent][indent]Lacorron, or Isradd-Bodolaeth in the contemporary elven tongue, is the world your characters are from. It is an ancient world with two sentient races, humans and elves.

Around two thousand years ago ended the Age of Chaos, a time of upheaval defined by warlords, cruel sorcerers, and everything in between. In two thousand years it has evolved from a wild, war-torn iron age to a contemporary age of ideals, prosperity, and order. If not for the defeat of Gand, who knows where Lacorron would be today. Progress aside, this does not mean it is an age without conflict.

Below are summaries of the great nations of this tenuous “Age of Peace”. Familiarize yourself with them. 

[hider=Grand City of Atutania]
[center][img]https://img.freepik.com/premium-photo/fantasy-city-with-medieval-architecture-castle-overlooking-valley_718924-7989.jpg?w=1480[/img]

[b]Faction Leader:[/b] Lord-Commander Alicia Welrae[/center]
Once a small farming village in the Atutani Glade, a city now rests as a stronghold to serve as an aegis to all. 

The birthplace of the hero, Itena.
[/hider]
[hider=Kingdom of Giellnal]
[center][img]https://images4.alphacoders.com/640/thumb-1920-640384.jpg[/img]

[b]Faction Leader:[/b] Overlord Odirus Kenagas[/center]
The oldest city in the world. The cradle of humanity. The city of dragons.

Giellnal. 
[/hider]
[hider=Hahral Triumvirate]
[center][img]https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/a042aa76-34ba-492b-a1a8-650324745d83/df2uvlg-66786048-a6fb-4001-8853-270141497a53.png/v1/fill/w_1280,h_582,q_80,strp/desert_port_city_rework_by_ravirr17_df2uvlg-fullview.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9NTgyIiwicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvYTA0MmFhNzYtMzRiYS00OTJiLWExYTgtNjUwMzI0NzQ1ZDgzXC9kZjJ1dmxnLTY2Nzg2MDQ4LWE2ZmItNDAwMS04ODUzLTI3MDE0MTQ5N2E1My5wbmciLCJ3aWR0aCI6Ijw9MTI4MCJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.fssNQchlI9a-UttgvDRpfGcK8Lg-7fyHwivXXTzn3V0[/img]

[b]Faction Leader:[/b] Patron Alal Sassi of Akoth, Grand Prince Hisham Siada of Atuunis, and High Priestess Lior of Dranabris[/center]
In the Sands of Hahral stand three cities on three corners, all in union to the collective strength of the humans who descend from the sand riders who once were the most divided of all men.

An imperfect alliance.
[/hider]
[hider=Ienarich Confederation]
[center][img]https://dropinblog.net/34244460/files/featured/42450812_Valhalla_Cover_Final.jpg[/img]

[b]Faction Leader:[/b] High Chieftan Yngvar Nordavind[/center]
Those in the far north live a life unlike those in the greenlands beneath them, a testament to a life confronted by the dangers of the wilds of the Endless Sea.
[/hider]
[hider=Kingdom of Itenaire]
[center][img]https://preview.redd.it/medieval-cities-i-made-with-midjourney-v5-v0-2cc46wyuoota1.png?width=1014&format=png&auto=webp&s=b8fc6277d30afd04a5e9f57ec9e4a8b7365b5e1f[/img]

[b]Faction Leader:[/b] King Audric II Haurington[/center]
From the warlord Haur’s own two hands came the consolidation of the lands west of the Great Chasm in honor of the death of the hero, Itena. 
[/hider]
[hider=Roengaar Dominion]
[center][img]https://image.tensorartassets.com/cdn-cgi/image/anim=true,plain=false,w=2048,f=jpeg,q=85/posts/images/627098223722545001/98effda2-cf4b-4aef-95bf-fa926b8cdfc3.jpg[/img]

[b]Faction Leader:[/b] Empress Iglika Duuldain[/center]
The marriage of Giellnalian and Ienar traditions and beliefs, Roengaar was established well before the Age of Heroes, as a protective buffer between the great unknown and the cradle of civilization.
[/hider]
[hider=Clanfolk of the Viridian Sea]
[center][img]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GVG-kTmXkAAStj8.jpg:large[/img]

[b]Faction Leader:[/b] Glyndŵr[/center]
‘Unedig-Dynion gan Gwŷdd’. 

Roughly translated: The United People of the Forest.

For much of the world’s history, the elven people have been native to that of the “green sea”–a stretch of wood that stretches across most of the westernmost lands of Isradd-Bodolaeth.
[/hider]


[hider=old write ups]
[b]The Kingdom of Itenaire:[/b] The former lands of various warlords dating back to the Age of Chaos, most notably Haur of the Black Hills. It has since become arguably the strongest Kingdom in all of Lacorron, and has since named itself after the Hero of the Glades. Each of its noble houses (and undernoble ones) descend from a Lacorron warlord who survived the rule of the dark sorcerer, Gand. They have become a people who transformed themselves from a “might makes right” society to… well, a might makes right society disguised as a sophisticated noble hierarchy. The caste system can be simplified as a pyramid with peasants at the bottom, merchants in the center, undernobles near the top, and nobles above them with the royal family at the peak. The traditions of Itenaire are that in service to the art of war and of service to those that sit above you.

[b]The Kingdom of Giellnal:[/b] Across the Great Chasm is a kingdom that has been at odds with Itenaire for the past six hundred years. Giellnalians claim lineage to not only Sol and the Enclave of Sorcerer, but also Gand, who was one of the enclave’s most prolific members prior to his descent into madness. Giellnal claims itself as the “oldest city in the known realm” and it is a claim that is difficult to contest. The people of Itenair see their neighbors as innately wicked and the perspective of those of Hahral descent are divided–for many the world tear is enough proof to remember history. The sad truth is Giellnalians don’t trust anyone, especially not themselves. It is an air of paranoid anxiety its people will never break free of, it seems. In terms of its society, it is not that different from its neighbors to the west with a monarch (or in this case Overlord and Overlady) who operate over a motley assortment of lords, lesser lords, merchants, and commoners. 

[b]Hahral Triumvirate:[/b] The Sands of Hahral is the largest desert on Lacorron. Over time the roaming bands of hunters and craftsmen elevated their people to create three of the most treasured cities in the world (Atuunis, Akoth, and Dranabris) colloquially known as the [i]Free Cities[/i]. The people here are shrewd and arrogant, and their archers are said to be equal to any elf, though the elves in the Viridian Sea would rightly take offense at such a belief. Each city is independent of one another and have often feuded, but have aligned with each other in times of outsiders committing hostile acts against them. They have fought as well as allied with the Kingdom of Itenaire on several occasions since both nations spawned following the dawn of the new age.

[b]The Grand City of Atutania:[/b] Two thousand years ago, Atutania was a collection of villages in a space between a dense thicket of woodlands. Nobody would ever imagine it would become a powerful independent city ruled by an order of knights. The birthplace of the Hero of the Glades and now host to the wardens that protect the realm from threats seen and unseen, Atutania is in a particularly unique situation. It is a mediator of disputes between nations, independent of their rule, but it is also self-sustainable. Outside of the grand temples devoted to the gods of elves and man alike, it is probably the most venerated place in the known world. It is ruled in unison between the merchant’s guild’s representative, an elven envoy, and the lord-commander of the Order of the Glade.

[b]The Clanfolk of the Viridian Sea:[/b] Sometimes called the Viridian Kingdom or [i]Unedig-Dynion[/i] (united peoples) in the elven tongue. The elven people have always called the massive expanse of woodlands west of Itenair their home, to which humans have called “the Viridian Sea” for centuries. In contrast to human society, the elven people do not stick to rigid structures of society, preferring small, mobile communities that are led by familial clans. It is here that they commune with the gods, ward off dangerous creatures, and live their lives in relative peace. They are wary of humans, but not hostile, and for the most part the human nations of the world have left them alone as thanks for defeating Gand. If there is any sort of conventional leadership of the clanfolk, however, it would be their spiritual leaders–the Ysgaw Derwydd (elder druids)–who convene at the Viridian Sea’s world tree.
[/hider]
[/indent][/indent]
[h3]C H R O N I C L E:   e v e n t s   o f   r e l e v a n c e[/h3][hr]
[indent][indent]
[hider=rough draft]
[b]Age of Chaos | -???[/b] - The two oldest remaining cities in the world are constructed: Giellnal and Dranabris.

[b]Age of Chaos | -??[/b] - The Warlord of the Atutani Glade, Atutan, comes to power.

[b]Age of Chaos | 0[/b] - Itena is born in the Atutani Glade.

[b]Age of Chaos | +19[/b] - Itena defeats Gand, ending the Age of Chaos.

[b]Age of Heroes | 0[/b] - Haur consolidates the warlords into a kingdom named in Itena's honor.

[b]Age of Heroes | +??[/b] - Roengaar wins the Great Roenian-Giellnal War.

[b]Age of Peace | +?? (+2000 since Itena's death)[/b] - Present Day
[/hider]
[/indent][/indent]
[h3]D I V I N I T Y:   g o d s   o f   h u m a n i t y[/h3][hr]
[indent][indent]Seleistia[/indent][/indent]
[h3]M A N A   A R T S:   m y s t i c i s m   a n d   m a g i c[/h3][hr]
[indent][indent]Sorcery is the reaction when mana is transmuted into physical matter. A combination of the innate, spiritual, and primordial elements that make up terrestrial existence. 

Like blood in the pathways to the heart, Mana is the pathway to the soul, the foundation of living essence. The soul of a human or elf is the gateway to the cosmos and the most pure thing of all, whether it is innately on the axis of harmony (light) or chaos (darkness). Once someone’s powers are awakened they open the door to what is known as sorcery, the art of controlling mana–sometimes referred to as the mana arts by those too haughty for a term such as sorcery.

For humans, their mana is rigid and often hard to control, often described as not as free as an elf’s mana. It is, however, far more potent and virulent, as human sorcerers are capable of higher volumes once they do find a pathway to awaken their abilities and control such sorcery. As such the mana produced by a human holds only one element of sorcery, contrasting with elven mana being a thread of multiple elemental energies. The first human sorcerers found this unfair, viewing the elves as arrogant in the favour given to them by the universe, but soon they found that elves lacked the same potency as they did and that they couldn’t even manifest their mana in the same way. After all, a human could create a fireball from the very essence of their mana and an elf could only control what was around them. 

At the rawest, simplest stage, this is what it means to control the mana arts.

But applications of such magicks does not start and end there, for there are those unknown to history that have tampered with things well beyond the mana produced by one’s soul. Such forbidden arts are mostly unknown, though unlike them the art of magecraft persists as something a little more conventional of an option. Within the Enclave of Sorcery, scholars of the mana arts explored the idea to transfer mana into items, researched ancient words of power left behind by the gods, and with the aid of master weaponsmiths crafted the first magical weapons known to man.

Such weapons have become a staple to factions like the Order of the Glade.

[hider=Spiritual Affinity + the Elements][center][h3]s p i r i t[/h3][/center]
[b]Light:[/b] The soul of a harmonic individual. Magical awakenings are typically one of protection or compassion.
[b]Dark:[/b] The soul of a chaotic individual. Magical awakenings are typically one of retribution or anger.
[center][h3]e l e m e n t s[/h3]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/0ejSUJf.png[/img][/center]
[/hider]
[/indent][/indent]
[h3]C O N C E P T U A L I Z A T I O N:   m a k i n g   a   c h a r a c t e r[/h3][hr]
[indent][indent]First of all, welcome to Wardens of the Glade: a Light Fantasy RP. 

In an attempt to return to my roots, overcome a fourteen month drought of writing anything new, and create something engaging I have pulled together an idea I’ve had an inkling of for some time now. A few years ago, Feyblue created the very first variation of their light fantasy story revolving around a group of knights. I really liked this idea and wanted to do something that was in the same kind of spirit, but wholly different. 

Thus we have this game.

In Wardens of the Glade you will play an individual in the world of Lacorron, a setting ruled by kings, warlords, and sorcerers.

It is in your character’s purview to travel to the Grand City of Atutania and rise above their station through an open invitation to participate in a trial to become an initiate warden. They could have awakened their magical abilities, or perhaps those are still latent, but they are sure of themselves. They can be from any nation currently listed in the section above and come from any role in their societies: peasant, merchant, noble; any of the three major categories does not matter. The wardens do not ignore people based on lack of status or station.

I expect an understanding of basic English grammar and the ability to conceptualize and work with me without banal argumentation. I am just looking to have a fun time. The posting schedule will be flexible but while I am recovering from a great writing burnout, I will try to keep us on task. Basically, be cooperative and understanding. Don’t waste other people’s time. We’ll be good.[/indent][/indent]