On the grand island nation of Veretta, the country is ruled by the Senate, and order of nine individuals, three from each of the three original races: Fenrir, humans, and imps. The Inquisition watches over the populace with an eagle eye, searching for mages and hunting demonologists, those foul mages who would dare try to enslave the spirits at the will of daemons. Mages are taken to the Tower of Magi, where they are educated on their gift, and are then either integrated into the Guard or Army, or allowed to roam the Southern Island to eek out a normal life, let out for business purposes only. And under it all are the "noble" families, rich or old families that date back to the founding of the Republic, that wage secret wars against each other to boost their own power.
You are simply a person wishing for something more. A government funded expedition into the center of the mainland has begun, and is recruiting new hands. Any man or woman may apply, but only the strongest and bravest may join the ranks. These mercenaries will be traveling into the center of the mountains, and record what they find inside. Their findings are to be returned to the Senate upon return. Supplies are to be given, able to last the group approximately three months. However, the group may return at any time with their findings, and will receive just compensation.
The expedition will be run by Sir Roland Grover and Sage Romanov. Applications will be taken at the Sleeping Nymph Inn in Upper Karlathine.
---
Humans: Humans make up the second largest population in Veretta. The humans that live on the island are light skinned, with hair ranging from blonde to black. Eyes are generally some variation of blue, green, or brown. Height is normally between five and six feet by adulthood, though there are exceptions to this rule. They are numerous, but less so than the fenrir. Humans have an average lifespan of eighty to one-hundred years.
Fenrir: The fenrir are large humanoids that seem to be a mix of wolf and human. They stand tall, most standing between seven and eight feet, though the rare one known as an "alpha" gain become upwards of nine feet by adulthood. Their fur ranges between white and black, while their eyes are normally blue or yellow. Their temper is usually short, and they are quicker to fight first and ask questions later. They are rely on emotions rather than thoughts more often than not, and so make poor politicians. However, their streak in military success attributes to their keen intellect. Many become members of either the guard or military some time in their life, or become a member of the Inquisition. Fenrir have an average lifespan of roughly two-hundred years.
Imps: Imps are small, white skinned creatures that once inhabited the mountains in the center of Veretta. They generally have curly brown hair, and a mouthful of sharp teeth. They have pointed, angular features, and grey eyes. They're height is low, generally between three and five feet. They are most often merchants, though they still have their old warrior spirit from their days as warlords of the mountains, and as such their numbers are seen in the military almost as much as the fenrir. Imps have an average lifespan of sixty years.
---
Magic works in a way similar to energy. Every spell you cast drains some energy from you, much like running or lifting something heavy. It will tire you. The more powerful the spell, the more energy it will require. Some spells even require enough to kill a man from exhaustion. The way many mages have found ways around this predicament is to make themselves physically fit to counteract the draining effect, though that can only go so far. Others, however, have opted to store reserves of energy in objects, such as rings, pendants, and other such items. This allows the energy to be used at a later date. Of course the storing process also drains a man, and is not advised of anyone who is in a combat heavy zone. To be a mage one must be born with the natural ability, though this does not become apparent until around five or six years old.
Enchanting is a fairly rare art, and is not used very often. It is a secret kept among a small guild of impish mages, and is extremely expensive. Enchantments can range from anything, as simple and mundane as a glowing ring or something as powerful as a sword blazing with fire. Considering the rarity of such items, it would be near impossible for any common man to have access to one, for lack of funds or the heritage to own one. The only "common" enchanted item would be staves mages use, which are commonly enchanted with basic spells. These are charged with an amount of energy, determined by the wielder, and will work until that energy is used up, at which point it will need to be "recharged." This is why basic spells are most commonly used in staves.
Technology is a fickle thing in Veretta. In a land that is heavily biased against mages, they do not forward themselves too greatly in the department of technology. Their ships are masterfully crafted, and their masonry is unparalleled, but overall they are not too far ahead. Crossbows, catapults, and ballista are the height of their military weapons, though swords and bows are still prevalent in the Guard. Alchemy is becoming more and more popular amongst those who would have knowledge but not the capabilities to be a mage.
---
There are a vast number of organizations within Veretta, the most prominent being the Guard, the Army, and the Inquisition. These three make up the military branches of the nation, the former pair being obvious in their use. The Inquisition, though, may need some explaining. The Inquisition is an order of warriors that is tasked with keeping the peace of matters of religious differences and mages. Their main use is for the latter, hunting down mages, whether old or young, and taking them to the Tower for education. While this may seem like a heartless job, ripping apart families because one child is a mage, it is a necessary precaution to keep the child from harming or even killing their parents in their ignorance. This does not mean that some still see it as a heartless job, but it must be done by someone. The Inquisition also hunts down mages that have gone "rogue," ones who ran away from the Tower for whatever reason without proper education, or escaped from the dungeons below. These mages are seen as a danger to society, and are more often than not executed on sight rather than recaptured. Inquisitorial Hunters are often equipped with a ring enchanted with a barrier spell, which aides them in capturing the rogue mages. These are provided by the enchanters in the Tower, free of charge.
Of course, there are other organizations around. The mercenary group, Occido, often takes up the jobs of lower class citizens and villagers for a small fee. They are unruly and crass, but skilled nonetheless. They are known to take up "guard duty" in smaller villages, often in return for supplies for the main body of the group.
The Society, a group of assassins, runs the underside of Veretta, though is kept a secret from all but the highest members of the government. This doesn't keep other prominent members of Veretta to find out about them, nor keeps them from using them to take out competitors. The Society has yet to be exterminated for its extreme skill and secrecy. If one met a Society member outside of their work, one would never know. Or would not live to tell about it.
(Players are free to make up more organizations, these are simply canon examples.)
---
The main religion of Veretta is the worship of benevolent spirits. They are seen as powerful creatures that float inbetween worlds, their own spirit world and Veretta. The spirits dictate all that happens in nature, and punish those that would take more than their share from the world. This is seen as the reason why ships sink at sea or why there are droughts by many fenrir, who are the main practitioners of this religion. The religion itself revolves around trying to please the spirits through rituals and festivals, along with making sure you are pleased with your own life. For what one does in this life, affects what will happen in their next reincarnation. It is practiced by the vast majority of fenrir, along with a number of humans.
The other religion held by the rest of humans is a worship of dragons, who they see as the creators and destroyers of the world. The four dragons in particular that they worship are: Kharne, Dragon of Chaos; Akbal, Dragon of Destruction; Zehrn, Dragon of Creation; and Leokul, Dragon of Order. The latter two protect the world from Kharne, who would see everything ripped apart back into chaos, while Akbal sees over the end of everything, including death, and judges whether or not you are worthy of the afterlife. If not, you are cast back to earth to try once more. Fail too many times, however, and your soul will be cast to Kharne to be torn asunder. The only form of worship there is are prayers for guidance and the occasional festival for Zehrn or Akbal, normally in celebration of great inventions for the former and the putting down of useless objects for the latter. There are cults for Kharne around that focus on murder and destruction, but they are few and swiftly put down. Worshipers of Leokul in particular normally try to get into government in order to make a "perfect" society.
---
The Republic of Veretta is a cluster of three islands, the center one known as Veretta. It is the main hub, and is where the majority of people live. It is mostly lush forests surrounding the circle of mountains in the center of the island, degrading into a beach at the edges of the island. Many cities dot the island, most built from the great amounts of wood located on the island. Some of the higher end homes in the cities are built from stone imported from the mountains. Smaller villages dot the island, of course, but they generally don't get much attention, with only the spare guard here and there to watch over them. The southern half of the island is a cool area for the majority of the year, only becoming truly cold in the late months of the year, while the northern half remains cold for the majority of the year, only defrosting during the hot months of the year.
Just south of Veretta is the Tower, an island roughly one fifth the size of the main island. It serves to house the majority of the Inquisition, as well as serve as a home for many mages. It is known as the Tower because the Tower of Magi is located in the center of the island, serving as a place of education for mages and a headquarters for the Inquisition. A large city is built around it, the actual home of many mages and Inquisitors, known simply as Tower Town. Most ordinary people see the Tower as a necessary precaution to shield them from what mages could do, and to educate them. Some mages share the view, while others see it more as a way to try to brainwash young mages and rob them of their childhood, while the Inquisition just waits with a sword to their throats.
Finally, east and just north of that island, lies the Island of Dryads. It is very small island, on that could be traveled from one end to the other on foot in just over two days. It is lush and untamed, teeming with wildlife. Normally, this would be a paradise for loggers and hunters, but the few expeditions sent over have never return, the boats disappeared and the people simply vanished. It is rumored to be the last home of the Dryads, ancient beings whose dominion is nature, and once benevolently led the fenrir and humans in a golden age of harmony. At least, that is the myth. Few outside of the fenrir truly believe that they exist, but many humans think the island cursed and so avoid it, while the imps keep away out of respect... and for the lack of profit on the island.
The capital city of Karlathine, the City of Stone, is carved directly out of the mountain face. It is sectioned into three parts: The Lower District, also known as Lowtown; the Upper District, also known as Hightown; and the Palace, which houses the Senate and their servants. Each district is separated by a large wall, the Lower District walled off from the outside world to seal in the city. Homes in the Lower District are situated around the middle of the district, while shops and inns are closer to either wall, becoming less quality the closer to the outer wall one is. In the Upper District, shops and Inns are situated along the wall to the Lower District, while homes are closer to the wall to the Palace.
---
[hider=Character Sheet]Name: (Forename and Surname.)
Age: (Be reasonable, please.)
Race: (Simply a formality, so that we know what to expect.)
Skills: (Why should you be hired over other applicants?)
History: (A brief synopsis, so that we know who we are hiring.)
Equipment: (What will you be bringing with you? Food and drink will be provided, along with bedrolls and tents.)
Other: (Any other information you wish to give about yourself.)[/hider]
---
This is where my NPCs will go. There will be a total of six or eight, depending on how many others come in.
---
The roleplay will begin in the city of Karlathine, and will quickly progress to the Sleeping Nymph, preferably in your first few posts. If you have something in your character sheet that would need my approval, please send me a PM about it rather than posting it first.
