[OOC] The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

Cast:

Lovejoy (GM)- Father Ragnar Hjálmgrímr
Drakey - Father Rodion Kuznetsov
Sisyphus - Father Hassan Qureshi
deathbringer - Mother Astraea
The Angry Goat - Father Yerokhin Zlatek Stamenkovikj (Stina to his friends)
OppositionJ - Mother Tatiana (Thana) Leviatan
shylarah - Mother Ziotea Elpis Phaidros
Draken - Father Ilya Bjornlie
vietmyke- Father Galahad Quaid
Scout - Mother Viveca
CollectorOfMyst - Father Oren Kanus

PROLOGUE SUMMARY 2/16/2018

Hider

Stina, Hassan & Ragnar @The Angry Goat @Sisyphus

The three have made their way to the Shadow & Storm pub in the Tale's End slums, where they hope to enjoy one final evening of freedom before they travel to Cero City and rejoin the rest of Warband Phoenix. While there, they are asked to participate in a sting operation by lieutenants Lev Dragonov and Rexus Lycaon of the SA to apprehend Rami Kadenza, a smuggler. Kadenza is said to have information on Father Dara, a dangerous summoner and apostate. Stina, Hassan and the SA soldiers fight Kadenza's pirate crew in the pub, while Ragnar chases after a sharpshooter positioned in a building outside the pub.

Before the events of the night played out, the three inquisitors obtained a trio of wolf pups from a Muraadan street girl. Ragnar has decided to care for them and plans to gift them to his warsiblings.

Galahad, Tatiana & Astraia @vietmyke @OppositionJ @deathbringer

After arriving in the capital city of Sapharan, the three Lanostran inquisitors split up and head to their respective homes. Tatiana visits her father's manor, where she finds him dying, slumped against a wall. The circumstances of his death are unclear, but Tatiana decides to keep his death a secret as she rejoins her comrades. Astraia returns home and is greeted with a cold welcome by her father, who has heard tell of her training with Father Antonin and insults her for associating with a non-Lanostran. She storms out after assaulting him and asserting her independence. Galahad returns to his family's estate, where he has a strained, quiet dinner with his mother. She gifts him a new sword.

When the three reunite the next morning, they find the city garrison in turmoil. They are met by Mother Elisheva of Warband Seraph, who informs them that the Black Glacier has undergone a mysterious change and has begin to manifest a strange new breed of demon. The T'saraen garrison, a group of scientists who have kept a research station near the Glacier for decades, have all been slaughtered by these mysterious demons. Her partner, Father Cillian, was also wounded during their preliminary investigation, and Astraia heads to the war hospital to help treat him. Elisheva enlists the three inquisitors to help, but before they can set out, a large band of provincial Lanostrans march into the streets, demanding answers.

Rodion @drakey

Rodion travels to the Imperial Drydocks in the T'saraen capital city, Cero. There, Head Engineer Amir T'sukasa and his daughter, Sheva, give him a tour of the shipyard, which is currently being used to outfit old LW-era warships with Hearth Systems that will allow them to travel to El for the second wave of reinforcements. The T'saraen engineers bring Rodion to the primary research and development center within the drydocks, a place known as The Forge, where they introduce him to the two warships which Warband Phoenix will make use of during their expedition-- the VSS Grace and the VSS Karamzina. In the Karamzina's engine room, Rodion is shown the URA, an incredibly powerful engine which, according to Amir, is able to create Omestrian ether for use as fuel.

Oren & Ziotea @CollectorOfMyst @shylarah

The two Omestrian inquisitors have journeyed to the Corpseland of Omestris in order to visit the ruins of Iddin Mar. On their trip they are joined by Private Andrei Seminov, a young and idealistic soldier who secretly fights for the end of the Omestrian slave trade. They reach the Marian Gate-- the only Varyan garrison left in the Corpseland. After meeting Sergeant Veena and Sergeant Mikhail, the only two soldiers manning the station, Oren and Ziotea make their way down to the entrance to the ruins, where they order Seminov to stay behind.

They explore the silent ruins of the former Omestrian capital city, coming across a great bridge adorned by two statues, one of Omestris and the other destroyed. Ziotea senses a spike of ether energy to the east, and the two inquisitors set out to investigate its source. They find themselves in a subterranean train station, where they encounter Rose, a red-haired teenage girl with ether ability and an old woman revealing herself to be Mother Lyessa al-Nors, a former High Inquisitor of the Varyan Church. Essa, as she now goes by, invites Oren and Ziotea to her solar, where she introduces them to Vahn and Fie, and reveals to the inquisitors that the two children, along with Rose, are all descendants of the deposed royal clans that used to govern the different nations. The three children have escaped a life of prostitution in a place known as the Scarlet House, where rich and powerful Varyan patrons are able to sire royal-blooded heirs.

The two inquisitors also learn that Private Seminov and the two sergeants they met at the Marian Gate are not who they seem, for Essa informs them that the soldiers manning the garrison have all been shipped to fight in the East, and there are currently no plans to replace the garrison.

Ilya @Draken

Ilya returns to his family's grand tower in the Godsreach of Magnagrad, where he enjoys a meal with his family, barons of the Varyan ethertrade. He brings up training alongside his Omestrian warsiblings, and is surprised to hear that one of his comrades might have belonged to his family as a bloodslave.

He retires to his room, wondering who this could be. He also muses on the vision he saw at Culmination, and in which he finds himself alone with Father Ragnar aboard an deck of a ship he's never seen before.

Visions:

I-XVII (pronounced as "One-Seventeen")

The Aspect of Lord Varya that appeared to Warband Phoenix during Culmination. The visions it showed each member of the warband left a mark on them in different ways. Some were perplexed by what I-XVII showed them, others were left horrified, while others were left thinking to themselves in silence. Despite each inquisitor having their own unique experience with I-XVII, each somehow knew its name upon waking, and felt its touch upon their souls.

Like other Divine Aspects, I-XVII has no default appearance, but is perceived differently depending on the individual who sees it.

Rodion

Rodeon was brought to a place shrouded in darkness, where he felt the enormity of the world itself stretching endlessly around him, but found himself completely and utterly alone. The land beneath him was hard iron and his footsteps seemed to echo into eternity. As Rodeon traversed through the darkness, he could glimpse stars steadily coming into view. The stars grew myriad and beautiful until they exploded in an aurora of light and color. There, canvassing the darkness, he watched as they coalesced into a grand constellation of a massive dragon-like creature. When the dragon spoke to him, Rodion heard a woman's voice echoing in his mind.

"Remember me," it said.

Tatiana

Tatiana was back on the darkened ice surrounding the Black Glacier, on the day of her unsuccessful hunt. All was as it was, her father standing there watching, the bitter unnatural wind that manifested around the Black Glacier lashing at her angrily. When the demon closed in on her with fangs bared, ready to tear her apart, she reached out to it, and just as she did on that day, ordered the demon to stop.

Only this time, the entire world stopped. Even the wind ceased. She glanced at her father and saw him frozen in mid-step, rushing to her aid.

It was then that she heard it. The voice of the Black Glacier itself, speaking directly into her soul. When she turned to face it, she found herself standing directly in front of it, close enough to gaze upon her own reflection in the mirrored darkness of the Glacier's shell.

Her reflection spoke back to her, but not in her own voice, but in the language of the Black Glacier-- that mournful rumbling that was as apparent to every Lanostran child as the howling of the winter wind. Somehow, she understood it.

"Love," it repeated. Over and over again, until Tatiana woke from her vision.

Ziotea

Ziotea opened her eyes and found herself... exactly where she had been kneeling in the moments before closing them. When she looked around, she saw all of her companions on their knees with their eyes closed before the colossal doors of the Red Shrine, no doubt experiencing their own visions. Unsure as to what was happening, or if something had gone wrong, she rose to her feet. It was then that she heard the thunderous noise of a million voices crying out together.

Leaving her companions, she turned around and approached the edge of the great platform where the entrance to the Red Shrine stood. Beyond, the surface of the city of Magnagrad stretched onward and from its depths, the roar of a million voices rose up in mechanical unison. With the cacophonous ocean of sound ringing in her ears, Ziotea made her way down the steps of the Shrine to investigate.

When she was halfway down the massive stairwell, she finally saw the source of the sound. Looking upon the streets, she saw them choked with legions of people. All of them stood shoulder to shoulder, every child, man and woman in all the empire seemed to have gathered in every conceivable space-- every street, rooftop, plaza and alley was filled to capacity. She could see the dark azure eyes of native Varyans, the pale blue eyes of T'saraens, the deep emerald of Lanostrans, the cold indigo of Muraadans and the burning gold of Omestrians. Each of those eyes was fixated on her.

"Destroyer," the crowd of millions chanted. Over, and over, and over again. Suddenly, a great explosion of... something encompassed the city and the endless crowds of people disappeared as the maelstrom of golden light washed over them. She felt burning heat begin to cook her alive, it was pain unlike anything she'd felt before. The tempest of golden fire began to swallow her whole when suddenly, a blue circle of light manifested around her, and she felt the burning sensation begin to cease.

At that moment, she woke up.

Astraea

Astraea found herself waking up in what appeared to be a ruined war hospital. She was lying on a filthy old hospital bed, and the ceiling above her was heavily damaged by what she assumed to be mortar fire. Beyond the crumbling stones, she could glimpse a pale sky-- stark in its emptiness-- the kind of sky that only exists above Varya. When she sat up, she ccaught sight of the rest of the hospital, and to her horror, discovered that the ward seemed to stretch onward to a distant point in the horizon. Thousands of hospital beds were lined up in front of her, unending as they disappeared into eternity, all of them empty but hers.

Suddenly, from somewhere deeper in that eternal corridors, she heard the howling of a wolf. Astraea tried to get up from her bed, but for some reason, her body was heavy like a stone. Something was wrong. It's as if she had woken up from a long period of sleep. Nevertheless, she hobbled to the where the sound was emanating from, and soon enough, she found him. A cyan wolf with golden eyes, lying bloody on the tiles before her.

She could still hear its feint whimpering after she awoke.

Ragnar

Ragnar didn't see anything. When he closed his eyes, the next time he opened them was when Tatiana roused him awake. There was no vision, no sound, nothing at all. This lack of any sort of vision weighs on him heavily, and when asked about what he experienced, he makes up a lie about the Aspect transporting him back to Muraad and seeing his family again.

Stina

Stina awoke to find himself standing alone, at the peak of a high tower, somewhere in a vibrant sun-drenched land. Looking around at the distances beneath him, he found that he couldn't recognize where he was, for no place that he had ever laid eyes on was as filled with life and color as the bucolic lands surrounding him. This wasn't Varya, or anywhere else in the empire, but a place beyond where he knew.

Beneath the tower was a great forest, an army of sentinel trees rooted to the brush. He had seen trees before, in the lands of wealthy Varyan military officers, in pictographs of Lanostre, but here, there were more trees than he had ever seen in his life.

Beyond the mountains far from the tower the cobalt sky darkened into shadow. A monstrous storm seemed to enshroud the place beyond those peaks. Mist roiled and lightning struck as black and grey clouds waltzed through the darkness. The storm seemed to be approaching the emerald valley beneath him, and as the clouds grew closer, he found the world was beginning to lose its color.

It was then that he saw it. Hidden behind the storm but only visible through the intermittent flashes of lighting. A massive humanoid shape in the far horizon, shaking the world with its every step. It steadily marched toward him.

He woke to find that the rumbling in his bones had not ceased.

Hassan

Hassan awoke to find himself... nowhere. All was pitch black, there was no sight, sound nor smell. No sensation of air touching his skin or ground beneath his feet. In fact, there was no feeling at all. Hassan tried to wiggle his fingers, his toes, and found that he didn't have any fingers or toes to move. There was just... nothing. This place was nothing. And he was nothing.

His consciousness was the only thing in this place that kept him cognizant of the fact that he existed. Hassan looked back at his entire life, making a mental catalog of experiences, his companions, hurts he had suffered, victories he had gloried in. He was relieved to find that they were all there. He could remember them all. Relief.

It was then that he tried to remember his own name, and couldn't. He then tried to remember what he looked like, and found that he couldn't do that either. Little by little, he began to forget.

When Hassan opened his eyes, he found that he was the last to awaken.

Galahad

When he opened his eyes, Galahad stood in his chambers within the Red Seminary. Immediately, his heart pang with an overpowering sensation of loss and he found himself beset by a burning desire to see his companions. Seized by this sense of overwhelming sadness, Galahad ran out of his chambers and looked around for signs of Warband Phoenix, but instead found the seminary empty and silent. Only the sound of his footsteps echoed across its halls.

While searching, he made his way past a polished mirror and in the periphery of his vision, managed to catch a glimpse of himself. He immediately walked back to gaze upon his reflection, and to his shock, found the face looking back at him to not be his own. The man in the mirror was at least fifteen years older, with light scars adorning his face. There was a weariness to the man's features, as if he had seen and suffered much. While he couldn't recognize how his face had changed, his eyes were still the same. They were cold emerald, the strength and wisdom in them still burning bright.

A voice called out to him.

Suddenly, he was not standing in the darkened halls of the Red Seminary, but in the middle of what appeared to be a battlefield where the dead had accumulated to such a degree that mounds of them rose up around him. The smell of rotting flesh assaulted his senses, and strange dark birds unknown to him pecked at the dead, their lifeless eyes watching on.

A man in black stood over a mountain of bones. His red eyes glared down at Galahad as he smiled at him.

"I'll be waiting," the stranger said to him, his voice barely above a whisper.

By the time Galahad had awoken, he could still hear the man's words snaking through his mind.

The Man in Black

The Visions of Warband Leviathan as shown to them by Aspect I-XIX

Oren

Oren opened his eyes. He was back at Sydon-Mar, the impossible stone globe laying half-buried in the northernmost snows of Omestris. The memory of him standing before the titanic monolith was etched into his subconscious, he remembered everything from when he visited it as a child-- the dry cold wind, the ocean of shadow that it cast upon the snow, the loneliness of it all.

It was different this time.

Oren turned around and saw them. A thousand thousand people stretching into the horizon, their gold eyes burning like torches for as far as Oren could see. They were all smiling, and somehow, he felt their hearts bestowing love upon him. It was then that he noticed it. The sting of frost on the top of his fist. Oren looked at his right hand and there it was-- an azure circle carved upon his pale skin. He grazed it with his fingers and felt it cool to the touch.

The azure circle began to glow, brighter and brighter, its resplendent blue light like a star in that darkness.

His eyes were still half-blinded by its light when he woke.

Ilya

Ilya stood aboard the high spire of a beautiful white ark. He had never seen it before, but in his heart of hearts he knew that this was the VSS Karamzina.

Below him the deck was completely empty, which was strange to him. A ship needs its crew, and where else would they be but on the deck? Ilya climbed down the spire to investigate. The ship's Hearth Systems had cast its auto-aegis around the deck, forbidding the cold from seeping in and killing him. Still, even with the aegis' protection, he felt the frigid touch of the dark blizzards seeping into his blood. Such was its strength that with every step down the spire he became more and light headed. Ilya had never been so cold.

When he reached the deck Ilya looked around and saw nothing but darkness beyond the pale gold light of the ship's aegis. He realized, with both fear and excitement, that he was out there, beyond the Meridian, on uncharted ice. The Karamzina was proceeding through the darkness, cutting through the surface of the ice like a blade. The sound of the ark shearing through the frost was all-encompassing, but there was no life aboard the deck. It was as if he was the only soul on the Karamzina.

Suddenly, Ilya glimpsed a shape in the dark, standing near the edge of the ship.

It was Father Ragnar.

The young man turned to Ilya and smiled sadly. His pale violet eyes were sunken and the beginnings of a beard shadowed his jaw.

"I'm sorry," Ragnar whispered, his voice breaking.

It was then that Ilya woke up and found himself back where he was, standing before the doors of the Scarlet Shrine with the rest of Warband Leviathan.

Viveca

"She was floating on a boundless blue ocean. The waves carried her gently as radiant white birds soared through the endless blue expanse above her. White clouds slowly trailed across it, casting soft shadows on the gentle waves below. She felt... something. A pleasant warmness touching her skin. She saw a halo of light shining down at her from high above but had to turn away when its radiance began to blind her. She marveled at it with squinting eyes, for she had never seen the sun as it wa. All her life she could only glimpse its vague presence shrouded behind the white Varyan sky. But in this place it had revealed itself, shining down proudly upon the world in all its splendor.

There, in that impossible ocean, where the frost that had imprisoned her world was nonexistent, she felt at peace. There was nothing but her, the sea and the birds.

It was then that she noticed it. An ornate blue circle on her chest. It seemed to be branded directly onto her skin, and when she traced her fingertips across it she could feel the strange brand growing frigid within her chest. It was as if someone had suddenly filled her heart with ice. Viveca began to cough. Frigid air escaped her lungs. There was something in her, something cold that was spreading to every inch of her body.

She was still shivering when she opened her eyes. She still felt it. The cold unlike any other."

[Lovejoy]

Introduction:

Welcome to The Last Embers! This is a reboot of an RP that was ongoing before the old site's crash and is now accepting new characters. It is a dark fantasy story focusing more on character and storytelling than combat and the more game-like aspects of RPing. As a GM, I'm more interested in characters interacting and developing and giving players an interesting canvas to tell their own stories as well as guiding the tale with my own hand to produce some hopefully dramatic event opportunities for your avatars, so you'll find that I am extremely open-ended to folks chipping in with ideas wherever applicable-- whether it be fleshing out the world or introducing cool subplots. In the previous version of the RP, plenty of people contributed many incredible ideas that are now 'canon' as far as the story and world go, and I hope that our new members will be inspired to do the same!

Not sure how many people I'll be accepting at the moment. Depending on how many submissions we get, we might end up with a smaller or larger group.

Now, without further ado, on to world info!

The First War

Long ago, before the death of the old world, a divine war shook the earth and tore through the heavens.

Two celestial Titans, one borne of Fire and one borne of Frost, clashed for seven days and seven nights.

The millions of devoted men, women and children who worshiped and adored the two Titans perished as their divine conflict brought ruin to the world.

Not one thing mattered to each of the two Titans but absolute victory over the other.

At the end of the Seventh Night, Frost dealt a mortal blow to Fire, and in its hubris, the cold God stood and laughed as its hated foe's death throes began to resonate throughout the ruined earth. Before its final flame was extinguished, the burning god summoned all of its remaining might and dealt a terrifying blow to Frost.

Letting out a terrible scream which spread to the furthest frontiers of the world, Frost was shattered into twelve great remnants, each of them falling to separate corners of the land. It was then and only then that Fire allowed itself to die.

With Fire extinguished, and the divine countenance of Frost shattered, the world began to take on a cataclysmic change as the great elements were thrown out of their delicate balance.

The fathomless oceans of the world rose up and swallowed the earth, plunging all but the tallest mountains and towers deep beneath the sea. Precious few survived the Deluge, and those who did live through this oblivion would in turn face an even greater punishment.

A preternatural winter unlike any before it consumed the already dying world, turning the great flooded oceans and the silent cities beneath them to ice. The last humans and animals left alive fought on bravely in the face of this unholy winter, but in time they too died out.

The world was left a frozen husk, with nothing to remain of the billions of lives that once lived and flourished in it but the ruins of derelict ships half-buried in the ice and the lonely spires of the great towers that once reached toward the sky poking up from the frozen earth.

The divine war between the two titans brought an end to the previous world, and in this frozen and boundless emptiness did it remain until many thousands of lifetimes later, when the Twelve Remnants of the Titan of Frost, now lying spread throughout the regions of the world, suddenly awakened with wills of their own...

The Broken Pantheon

When the Twelve Remnants of the dead god became sentient, they awoke with both a blessing and curse.

The scattered pieces of the Ice Titan, upon drawing breath, found that they had inherited certain traits of the all-powerful being who's destruction brought about their birth.

Each of the Remnants found themselves powerful beyond imagining in their own specific sphere of influence, able to bend the fabric of existence to their will (to a certain degree). They first used this power to change their broken and jagged shapes into less damaged-looking forms. Not soon after this however, the Remnants discovered something terrible.

On the first eve of their awakening, the Remnants were afflicted with a torturous and unending pain. Waves of agony swept through their newly-created bodies, and they could do nothing but endure it. The Remnants then remembered that they were not truly whole beings, but only imperfect pieces of a greater collective.

Each came to the dreaded realization that as long as the Remnants remained free and independent of one another, they would suffer from the existential agony of being un-whole and imperfect, and thus it became the ravenous desire for each of the Twelve Remnants to seek out and devour the other eleven. And so, the twelve lesser gods wandered far and wide through the frozen earth, each on an odyssey to find, kill, and eat the ones who remained.

To do this however, they would require outside help.

As the first two Remnants discovered upon finding one another after years of wandering, they could not wound each other directly, as they were both parts of the same whole. No matter how many blows they dealt to each other, not a scratch would appear on either Remnant. This 'divine rule' would change the Remnants' methods of warring against each other and would in turn lead them to a far nobler destiny than any of them could have imagined.

Using their inherited divinity, the Remnants first revived the ancient apex beasts and animals of the old world and set them on each other. Colossal dragons and massive ice krakens all sprung into existence at the cost of the Remnants' own power, every one of them reborn with the intent to kill the opposing lesser gods and their respective forces. This first step in the war between the Remnants did not work out as intended, for animals and beasts, as fierce and powerful as they are, lack one all-important component that makes them truly dangerous-- intelligence.

And so, the Remnants looked back on the history of this dead world, and found one species of animal that would suit their needs.

Thus, on a day forgotten by time, human beings were reborn. Billions of men, women, and children rose from their icy graves, suddenly populating the once lifeless husk of this world. As they stood there bewildered, the Remnants spoke, and told them of their new purpose.

Humans were to serve as the devoted crusaders of the gods who revived them. Blessed by the Remnants and gifted with a divine flame that would burn in their souls and protect them from the dark cold that froze everything around them, the reborn humans set out to erect great civilizations so that they may wage the Remnants' wars in their place.

These first men and women, reborn and given life by their gods, were our ancestors, and they lived only to serve the patron deity who blessed their frozen souls with the fire to endure the cold of this world.

Since that day, eons have passed, nations have risen and fallen, Gods have devoured and have been eaten in turn-- but the Purpose remains the same. Every boy and girl born in this frozen world is raised to serve their country and fight in the name of their patron deity.

On every nation of this world is this truth perpetuated.

A New World

Human civilization is thought to only exist on the three Known Continents. These massive landmasses have been kept separated by the icy maelstroms that have stormed over the frozen oceans for eons beyond number. On the continents, the deadly ice storms are kept at bay by the Gods of the Broken Pantheon (as the Remnants are known by humanity). so that their flock can serve them without fear of freezing to death.

Life on the continents is hard, but considerably less dangerous than on the open sea. In modern times, great cities of steam sprawl over the snows, filling the sky with soot and ash. Out on the iced-over oceans, the blizzards can kill a human being within minutes, and if they don't, the horrible beasts and unholy demons that haunt the frontiers will likely finish the job.

Because of the unbearable cold and the conditions out in the ice fields, travel between the three different continents is unheard of, and thus there has been little if any contact between the civilizations existing on the separate landmasses.

The story of The Frozen Flame will begin in the Empire of Varya, located on the western-most continent-- a colossal landmass with a long and blood-stained history.

On this continent, the borders were once split between four independent kingdoms-- T'sarae, Omestris, Muraad, and Varya. Each of these great and powerful countries was founded by a god or goddess of the Broken Pantheon, and for as long as anyone could remember, the four kingdoms existed in an uneasy ceasefire, each biding their time to strike.

Two-hundred years ago however, the nation of Varya launched a massive invasion of the continent and after a century of fighting, the god-kings of T'sarae, Omestris, and Muraad were captured and brought back to Varya, where the Ravenous Lord consumed them and erased them from the world.

Varya, now an immense empire after staking a claim on the entire continent, then turned its attention towards the mighty Queendom of Lanostre located on the subcontinent to the south of the Varyan landmass.

Lanostre, a land famed for its deadly soldiers, was a small but powerful nation ruled by their beloved goddess. The ensuing war between Varya and Lanostre was short and bloody, with both sides suffering massive casualties. Still, despite the immense size of Varya's armies, it lost more soldiers in the long and violent campaign than their Lanostran enemies, as the skill of the small kingdom's army military was unrivaled.

After three years of war, Lanostre finally surrendered after its Goddess appeared in the Varyan capital one fateful day and did something unheard of throughout the history of the world--she willingly offered herself to the God Varya. It is not clear why she did this or if the God Varya devoured the Goddess Lanostre, but after that day, the Lanostran Queendom willingly surrendered its sovereignty to the Varyan empire. Its people-- the men and women who were feared throughout the battlefields for their strength and valour, were then accepted into Varyan society

The War Against the East

Having conquered and imprisoned the four gods of the Western Lands, the God Varya turned His eye to the East-- an unknown frontier hidden by ice storms that no Westerner had ever ventured to and returned.

There had always been fantastical tales about the East. Children were told bedtime stories of the Wild Gods that ruled over the Eastern Folk and of the evil demons and frost dragons that prowled those untamed lands. To every boy and girl growing up in Varya or Lanostre, the Lands beyond the Eastern Ice Storms were an exotic fantasy, a frontier of adventure and mystery. Thus, when the God Varya declared to His flock that the empire's greatest engineers had built a fleet of powerful steam arks to carry a great legion of soldiers across the frozen sea to invade the wild and untamed eastern lands, all of Varya celebrated.

Nothing was known of the Eastern Lands, only that there were two continents located across the sea and that on these mysterious landmasses the remaining seven gods of the Broken Pantheon ruled. Furthermore, it was not known if there were even seven gods left. Had any of them been devoured? What manner of gods were they? What kind of people worshiped these gods?

The citizens of Varya had long dreamed of the answers to these questions.

A great army comprised of many of Varya and Lanostre's greatest soldiers, along with an army of slaves from Omestris and Muraad, was formed to establish a foothold on one of the Eastern continents for a possible invasion. This grand legion boarded a great fleet of powerful steam arks (highly-advanced transportation vessels that could withstand the ice storms) and at once set out to face their fate across the eastern sea.

It took many months for the First Armada to reach the mysterious continent which would become known as 'El'. After venturing past the Meridian, the last known frontier of human civilization, all contact twith the First Armada was lost.

After weeks of silence, the Varyan High Command began to grow restless.

For the all-powerful Varyan legion to suddenly end their communication with home was worrying indeed. Had they been defeated? Did the Wild Gods of the eastern lands convert them? The High Command could not know, for they were separated from the legion by thousands of miles of frozen ocean.

It was then that the High Command sent an emergency transmission to two lone steam arks currently making the perilous journey to the Elurian continent. One of these steam arks carried in its hold a group of young war priests sent on a missionary expedition to the mysterious eastern continent, while the other steam ark contained the priests' military support.

The transmission contained new orders for the priests. Instead of their missionary work, they were now to uncover the shadowy whereabouts of the Varyan legion and inform the High Command of whatever knowledge they could manage to gather.

This transmission, unbeknownst to both the officers of the High Command, the young priests, and the company of soldiers accompanying the clergy on this dark odyssey, will change them all and will set in motion events that will bring a cataclysmic change to the world. Whether that change heals the world, or brings it to further ruin...

... Is up to you.

World Information

The Priesthood

...

In all the kingdoms and nations of the world, the clergy are an extremely important cog in the machinations of society. They are the holy soldiers and clerics who answer directly to a country's God or Goddess, and are thus blessed with a minuscule fraction of their patron deity's power to supplement their limited human potential.

In the Western Continent, the Holy Orders who serve the whims of their Gods are given a large spectrum of duties-- they can be cardinals who work in the ruling government of a kingdom, leaders who act as spiritual priests to the common folk, and inquisitors who's purpose is to hunt demons, convert foreign people to their religion, or to simply aid regular soldiers during wartime.

Inquisitors are by far the most feared and respected of all priests. Less spiritual leaders and more elite soldiers, they are trained from a very young age in religious doctrine, magic, physical combat, and war strategy until they reach an elevated plateau of skill and knowledge that regular warriors rare attain.

An Inquisitor's training is brutal and uncompromising-- so much so that few of the trainees survive it.

In Varya, the Red Seminary is where Inquisitors are trained, and in these halls many have suffered for their devotion. Despite this, the Inquisitors of the Red Seminary are known as the most potent in their skill, surpassing even the Priests of Lanostre.

After the Varyan Empire annexed its four neighboring nations, the priests of Omestris, Muraad, and T'saraen were put to death. Only the clergy of Lanostre were allowed to live, as they were capable warriors and were instead placed into the Varyan military.

All humans are born with a substance known as 'ether' coursing within them. Throughout history, 'ether' has been called a variety of names by many different kinds of people-- Divine fire, soul warmth, the inner light, ect-- but in this modern era, where science and technology have taken center stage in society, the term 'ether' is more widely used.

Ether is a gift given to human beings by the gods. It is an unquantifiable substance which exists within a person's blood, cloaking the body and its organs from the preternatural cold which permeates the world. It allows regular people to live their lives without fear of freezing to death.

This 'protection' from the cold only pertains to the continents, which are shielded in a paling of heat by the gods. This has allowed for some small measure of life to return to the continents-- small snow-covered forests and half-frozen rivers dot the landscape outside of the cities, with animals and birds existing peacefully in the revived ecosystems. These naturalistic areas are typically only available to the very wealthy and are typically used as sites for their mansions and palaces.

When leaving the aegis of warmth that surrounds and covers the landmasses, the frozen oceans await, and upon them rage the dark blizzards where the ether in one's blood proves useless against the cold. The storms that dance chaotically over the iced oceans are not natural, and are said to be ancient echoes from the cataclysmic battle between the two titans. It is said that they exist only to steal the heat from the world.

An Unlikely Power-Source

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Apart from supplying extra warmth, ether is also an incredibly potent power source that is commonly used to fuel the massive machines that help in operating the colossal cities of the modern age as well as military vehicles and ordnance. Ether also acts as the sole catalyst which allows the few individuals of the world who've been blessed with the gift of magic to cast their arcane miracles.

Ether can only be harvested by special machines or by magical means. Once a person has lost their ether, they will freeze to death if they haven't died already.

A small volume of ether is enough to power an entire household, and during prior times in history, it was enough for ether to be collected from a dying or elderly family member in order to heat a homestead. However, as technology has grown more sophisticated and massive cities have been erected upon the snows to shelter humanity, the use of ether to power these monolithic urban sprawls has increased.

***GM's Note***
The aesthetic of the world is very much steampunk, but the tech level is more early WWI. Rifles and artillery are proven war-time weapons suited for soldiers. They are accurate and can reload relatively quickly. There are tanks and armored vehicles. I'd say the most advanced technology in the world would be the steam arks, which are basically arctic submarines armed with ether torches that can melt ice. As for automatons, I'd say they would take the form of steam golems given life through magical means. There certainly isn't any AI or anything of the sort yet.

These kinds of modern weapons are used specifically by the Varyan Secular Army (the non-priest soldiers). Inquisitors can use them too, but most favor magical close-ranged weapons. But we can get into that later. This is an aspect of the world that I'd be more than willing to collaborate with players on.

Ether as a Weapon

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Aside from more mundane uses, ether can also be used as a power catalyst for the arcane arts that specialized soldiers use in battle. These magical abilities, or 'spells' as they are often called, are exclusively used by the holy clergyman of the empire (as well as a select few secular soldiers) and manifest in children who have especially deep ether pools. Spells can come in a variety of different forms, and are said to be unique to each individual. Some priests can heal wounds, others can form columns of ice from their fingertips, while others can even call demons into the world, though this ability is almost unheard of. These ethereal spells consume a large amount of ether in order to be cast, and thus the clergy cannot use their own internal ether to manifest these miracles into the world, but instead use an outside source, typically a vial of harvested Omestri ether to supplement their own reserves.

Besides these 'ascended' ether skills, most common soldiers and all priests are taught the ever-important basic skill of 'ether manipulation'. Every human being has the capacity to learn how to control their own ether, as this allows them to augment their own natural abilities by a set amount. Common infantry are all taught to manipulate their ether to augment their strength and reaction time to a level above ordinary civilians. The level of skill in regards to ether manipulation varies by individual, as well as the pooled amount of ether within human beings. It is known that children with a higher pools of ether within them are sought by the church to become priests and inquisitors.

The Broken Pantheon & their Flock

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When the Ice Titan's form was shattered into Twelve Remnants by the Titan of Fire, each of those wayward pieces fell to different regions of the world. Five of the Remnants fell on the Western Continent, and upon gaining sentience, they set out to carve their own power bases in order to eventually consume each other. The other nine remnants' whereabouts are currently unknown, though it is believed that they fell to the East, a frontier shrouded in mystery to the western civilizations.

As each of the Remnants was once a specific body part of the Ice Titan, it is believed that each of the lesser gods has inherited certain traits of the Ice Titan. For example, the goddess Lanostre was once the Ice Titan's trident, and so She is more powerful than other Remnants in matters of war. These "genetic" gifts also spread down to the people, as the ether gifted to human beings is different depending on which patron deity one is born under.

Currently, only five gods of the Broken Pantheon are known to the western humans.

Varya : (VAH-ree-uh)
'The Ravenous Lord'

A Remnant of the Titan of Ice, Lord Varya fell to the western-most region of the Western continent upon the Ice Titan's breaking by the Titan of Fire. There, Lord Varya went on to found the powerful and industrial nation which now carries his name-sake.

Lord Varya was once a remnant composed of the Ice Titan's stomach, but like all of the lesser gods, He has taken different forms throughout the ages. For the past several centuries, Varya has veiled Himself in a human-like form, that of a middle-aged dark-haired man with a prominent beard, which his people have now adopted as his defacto appearance.

Owing to His prior existence as the Ice Titan's stomach, Lord Varya is eternally hungry, and exists to devour and conquer. Due to his constitution, the Varyan Empire has evolved as a militaristic super-power since its founding.

Long ago, the Varyan empire conquered the nation of T'sarae, a country founded by the Remnant of the Ice Titan's brain. T'sarae's people were great scientists and engineers, and their annexation transformed Varya into a technologically-advanced empire. The Varyan capital city, now a sprawling metropolis of steam and steel, shows the fruits of the T'saraen people's scientific acumen.

Native Varyans are pale-skinned with fair features and grow to be above average in height. They are a deeply patriotic race, and common Varyan folk known to be quite boisterous, loud, and gregarious. When it comes to battle they are brave and unyielding and are known to be the best marksmen in all the Western continent.

The people and society of the Varya are loosely based on historical Russia, so names for Varyan characters should be Slavic-sounding-- EX: Mikhail, Vitaly, Sven, Anastasia, Emilya

T'sarae : (ZAH-ray)
'The Lord of Knowledge & Creation'

Lord T'sarae once existed as a Remnant composed of the Ice Titan's brain, and thus He inherited the dead god's intelligence and curiousity. Falling upon the eastern edge of the Western Continent, Lord T'sarae founded a small kingdom whose people evolved to become heralded thinkers and scientists.

Owing to this origin, T'sarae was unlike other Remnants, and instead of seeking war against His brethren, He instead focused his divine will on creating a tranquil land where His people could grow and evolve so that one day, they might heal the world through peaceful means.

This dream could not continue, for the other Remnants were filled with an animalistic hunger to be whole again, and that meant that the law of this world would be written in blood.

T'sarae was the first of Varya's conquests, and now His people have chosen a new God. The newer generation of T'saraens have a high position in Varyan society, as it is their mechanical creations that have allowed Varya's society and military to grow exponentially. Few T'saraens remember the god of their ancestors, instead choosing to focus their efforts on building a better future for the empire under the watchful eye of their Varyan overlords.

The people and society of T'sarae are loosely based on the ancient Middle East, so names for T'Sarae characters have an Arabian-inspiration- EX: Rashid, Ibrahim, Ahmad, Farrah

Omestris: (ah-MES-triss)
"The Tainted God"

Lord Omestris once existed as the left hand of the Ice Titan, an appendage which suffered a direct attack from the Fire Titan's blazing sword during the cataclysmic battle between the two gods. Upon the left hand fragment's fall to earth after the breaking apart of the Ice Titan, Omestris shared in his brethren's destiny to consume all the other remnants.

Falling in the far eastern mountains of the continent, Omestris was different to the other remnants. The wound he suffered from the Fire Titan's sword had left a residual trace of the burning god's ether coursing through the remnant's broken form, thus it passed on this 'taint' to his followers. And thus, to this day, the people of Omestris have an increased capacity for ether that other races do not have. This "connection" to the Fire Titan has also painted the Omestri race as a nation of heretics, a people who's blood courses with the energy of the Great Enemy.

Following the invasion of this land by Varya, the people of Omestris were enslaved and are now harvested by the other races for their prized and unique ether. They are a hated race seen as little more than cattle by most, who's previous culture and prosperity have been long forgotten.

Before their nation was subjugated and brought to ruin by the Godking Varya, the Omestri people were a race of individual thinkers and philosophers, born with a natural propensity for art, culture, self expression, and a belief in living independently. Their connection to the Great Enemy, as other nations described the Fire Titan, granted them a perspective of both the past and future that other races just did not have. The Omestrians who lived and thrived before the fall of their people believed in complete free will-- Unlike the Varyans, who believed they were born to conquer, the Lanostrans, who believed they were born to battle, the T'saraens, who believed they were born to lead the world forward in peaceful scientific advancement, or the Muraadans, who didn't believe in anything but survival-- The Omestrians who lived and thrived before the fall of their people believed in complete free will, in the obtaining and fulfillment of individual happiness and solace through whatever brought it. Almost nothing is known of the deity they worshiped, or whether it was male or female, save that it was once the Remnant composed of the Left Hand of the broken Frost Titan. This God or Goddess, shrouded in mystery, seemed to want nothing of its flock but for them to live happily, it asked for nothing in return for the power it granted them.

Owing to their great capacity for ether, the first Omestrians were great sorcerers, capable of casting great and dangerous miracles that changed the world around them. Strangely, they never attacked other nations with this powerful magical force. In fact, like their unknowable deity, what Omestrians actually did in their day-to-day existence in the naturalistic pine-shrouded region that was their homeland is a mystery. If one walks through the ruins of Omestris today, they would see beautiful palaces collapsed in the snow, monumental statues of ancient beasts standing sentinel over the high roadways and all other proof of the Omestrians' artistic and beautiful civilization, but nothing else. Did they all just live together peacefully, dancing in their city squares merrily? Who knows? All of their culture is gone, and the remnants of it, of what life was actually like in Old Omestris, of the true identity of their deity, is a closely guarded secret kept by Omestrian slaves, and they aren't talking.

Muraad (mu-ROD)
"The Heart Lord"

The Remnant who once existed as the Heart of the Ice Titan, the Godjarl Muraad once ruled the desolate and yet-untamed land in the northernmost fringes of the continent. The wilds of Muraad, where the temperature is colder than anywhere else on the continent, are legendary for their variety of rare and dangerous fauna, chief among them the ice dragons, which the Muraadans have hunted to the point of extinction.

The Muraadans, known for being a solitary and joyless people, are not soldiers by trade, but are nigh-unmatched hunters and crafters who spend most of their lives on the ice itself, either defending their lands from the powerful creatures native to the wilderness or working in the great mines that dot the Muraadan expanse. Muraadans, who's god was born of the Ice Titan's own heart, are ever-enduring and durable and can withstand the punishing cold more than any other race on the Varyan continent. This inborn strength of will gave the Muraadans an independent mentality which led to their penchant for surviving on their own rather than joining together in groups. For this reason, Muraad has lacked a strong centralized governing body, and instead of forming powerful kingdoms like the other races during the early formative period of humanity's resurrection, the Muraadans instead separated into individual war clans, which throughout history, have bloodied the snows while fighting countless wars against one another. It is said that the Muraadan's splintered society is what led to their eventual defeat against the Varyan empire.

After being conquered, the Muraadan's innate gifts were put to use by the Varyans in the construction of Magnagrad, and it is said that most of the Godsfall (the first central district of the capital) was built by Muraadan hands. For this, the northern race, though conquered, has earned the respect and comradery of many native Varyans in the centuries after their god's defeat. Not that the Muraadans care for the Varyan's respect either way, as even now, Muraadans are a solitary and migrant people. Those who do leave their homeland to venture out into the Varyan heartland never stay in one place too long, and the small Muraadan population of Magnagrad choose to live in scattered enclosed hamlets within the city.[/

Lanostre (lah-NOST)
"The Lady of the Trident"

Lanostre, a powerful Remnant that once existed as the Ice Titan's trident, fell to a subcontinent south across the sea from the Western landmass after the Fire Titan's final, desperate attack. Like all of her brethren, Lady Lanostre abandoned the jagged remnant of ice that was her original physical form and has adopted different appearances throughout the ages. When she was last seen surrendering to Lord Varya, Lady Lanostre had taken on the form of a human woman armoured in azure plate, and this visage is how she has been remembered ever since.

Before its annexation by the Varyan Empire, the Queendom of Lanostre was a nation of warriors who lived and breathed fighting. Lanostran children, boy and girl alike, were trained from an early age in the ways of war, and its men and women were known throughout Varya as a dangerous sort not to be trifled with.

The reason why the people of Lanostre spent their whole lives training themselves for battle was because the Queendom had long fought a series of wars against a race of ice demons which regularly attacked their borders.

After being invaded by the Varyan Empire, Lanostrans were welcomed by their former foes with open arms into Varya's social umbrella. These days, the people of Lanostre live peacefully next to their Varyan comrades in the capital of Varya and are known as fierce and powerful soldiers in the Empire's legions.

Lanostre is based in part on Sparta, and so the names of Lanostran characters should echo this--EX: Agathon, Lysandros, Amaltheia, Eris

The Demons of the Black Glacier

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Centuries ago, primitive Lanostran explorers came across a strange shelf of black ice rising up from the snow. Not knowing what lay beneath their feet, they began to dig. After many long decades they fully unearthed the mysterious object, and to their surprise, the tip of the object ended up being just that, the tip. What lay entombed within the ice was something unlike the resurrected human world had ever seen.

A monstrous black object, humming with an unknown crimson ether, lay alien on the earth. This dark arcane glacier, which stretched for miles across the frozen Lanostran sea and into the bowels of the ancient earth itself, didn't so much as suffer a scratch when struck with their most powerful weapons. Its dark visage across the western horizon of Lanoste would cause it to become a staying monolith throughout the history of the warrior nation, a sight as familiar as home to every child born on the Lanostran subcontinent.

The Black Glacier, as it would be known for the ensuing centuries, would pulse with its red ether like a beating heart, and the machine-like hum of its breathing could be heard from miles away on the Lanostran mainland. Its purpose and origin were unknown to the warrior people until many generations later when a corps of T'saraen scientists, upon hearing word of the strange alien-like monolith, braved the journey to Lanostre and crossed the stretch of frozen ocean (which would become known as the Wounded Sea after the bloody war between Varya and Lanostre several hundred years later) on primitive steam ships in order to glimpse the monstrous colossus with their own eyes.

Upon reaching the Lanostre border and being confronted by the Lanostran guard, the T'saraen science corps immediately dropped their weapons, threw themselves at the feet of the guards, and begged for an audience with the Lady of the Trident, claiming that they were there to uncover the secrets of the Glacier. In an instant, The Lady appeared before them and judged them true. Leading them to the black glacier, she bid them to study it and learn.

"Study and learn".

Those three words alone, spoken to them by the Lady herself, became their life's creed. The T'saraen scientists, swearing an oath to "get the job done by any means necessary and uncover the secrets of the Glacier", denounced their homeland, swore off all their lands, titles and research grants, and became honorary Lanostrans. And so it became that a small scientific enclave was founded on the Land of the Trident, and research on the Black Glacier proceeded with the help of native Lanostrans.

The ordeal to uncover the truths behind the Glacier would last several generations, with the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of those original ten T'saraen scientists taking up the task. Finally, after decades of work and sacrifice, the descendants of the Original Ten published their findings in a formal report to the Lady.

In truth, the black glacier first existed as a comparatively small shard of the Frost Titan that broke away during its apocalyptic battle with the Fire Titan. Unlike the 12 Remnants who would later become the Broken Pantheon, when this "shard" fell to the world, it didn't adopt a living, moving form but was instead entombed within the earth, where it remained for eons. Most fascinating of all, the Glacier possessed a sort of half-sentience, and its own breathing and the pulsing of the red ether that cascaded across its glassy black expanse like a beating heart were the key to understanding its language. Through the long decades of research and study, the Ten and their descendants were able to decipher its "speech", and as a result, were able to accomplish something truly miraculous. They were able to communicate with a piece of the Ice Titan that wasn't an actual part of the Broken Pantheon.

What they learned from it however, filled them with a dark dread.

Filled with power but without the means to use it, the shard had lived in silent solitude for countless ages, watching by as the dead world around it froze and was in turn resurrected, with no purpose but to seethe with rage at its imprisoned state. It continuously spoke one word to the science corps.

"Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate."

Upon hearing this, the Lady smirked.

She appeared before the Glacier, and spoke these words to it.

"You are naught but a speck upon the world, a splinter of our Father's might. You will act as you resemble, an iron anvil to forge my people into the weapons they needs become."

With that, The Goddess Lanostre placed her gauntlet-ed hand on the mirrored black surface of the Glacier.

"I can feel your malice, little one. Stoke your hatred. Unchain your wrath upon my people. They will fight back and sharpen their steel against you."

A brilliant emerald glow then flashed from her palm, resonating across the monstrous expanse of the Glacier in calm ripples of jade light.

"Tis' my Will."

The Goddess then disappeared, leaving the shard alone once more.

From then on, to this present day, the Queendom of Lanostre has been beset by periodic invasions of strange magical beings. These strange, inhuman entities, known as "demons" by the Lanostrans, were first pitifully weak, taking the form of small imp-like creatures. But as the decades have marched on, they have become steadily stronger and more vicious and cunning.

It has become a Lanostran tradition for children to slay one of these demons as a rite of passage, and though not many are successful upon their first encounter with a demon, those that are victorious are christened with the title "R'heon" (Lanostran for "demon hunter") and are then branded with a unique tattoo to mark their triumph.

After Lanostre's annexation by Varya, imperial Inquisitors have toyed with the idea of subjugating demons for use as soldiers, but this experiment has not been widely successful. In order to truly enslave a demon and be able to summon it to serve at will, an Inquisitor's ether pool must be extremely deep and their skill in its manipulation must be greater than normal as well. Because of this, "summoners" are nigh unheard of the Church, with only one Inquisitor, the legendary Mother al Sayed, having mastered the skill.

Still, the ability to summon demonic thralls is highly appealing to the Church, and thus the Red Seminary has introduced the Demon Pilgrimage to its curriculum. On the tenth year of training, young pupils who have shown the potential for having exceedingly great ether pools are given the choice to go on a harrowing journey to the Black Glacier, where they attempt to enslave a demon. Though they may bring three trusted companions along with them, the act of subjugating the demon must fall to the would-be summoner alone. Since the practice was introduced fifteen years ago by Mother al Sayed, no more than three pupils out of hundreds have successfully managed to capture a demon, and many more have perished in the attempt.

General Ether Abilities (Physical Strenghtening, Palings & Spellblades)

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"Besides these 'ascended' ether skills, most common soldiers and all priests are taught the ever-important basic skill of 'ether manipulation'. Every human being has the capacity to learn how to control their own ether, as this allows them to augment their own natural abilities by a set amount. Common infantry are all taught to manipulate their ether to augment their strength and reaction time to a level above ordinary civilians. The level of skill in regards to ether manipulation varies by individual, as well as the pooled amount of ether within human beings. It is known that children with a higher pools of ether within them are sought by the church to become priests and inquisitors."

So, the amount of ether you need to do this is minuscule, since even soldiers can do it. A soldier for instance can focus his ether to be able to run a lot faster, or to help steady his aim when it's freezing outside. This will cost a bit of ether, enough that they'll be a bit winded and sluggish afterward, but it wouldn't require a vial of Omestrian ether, which is only used for really powerful magic.

In addition to these common ether skills, there are some that are slightly more specialized, like the personal aegis, or "paling", and the spellblade (I swear I was gonna talk about these eventually!). These two are the most common in the specialized category, and are among the first things that children learn how to conjure in the Red Seminary (ordinary soldiers have the capability to learn these as well, but it would be much more difficult for them). The paling is a small ethereal shield (which covers your whole body, but only yours) that an Inquisitor can conjure at will. Depending on how powerful a warpriest makes it, it can withstand anything from bullets to actual spells from other magic users. Even the weakest paling can stop bullets and melee attacks from common soldiers, but when fighting against a rival inquisitor, a stronger one is needed. Think of the paling as a suit of armor that negates damage, but shatters after taking too much. Real talk? It's what makes it so that we can have cool magical battles without the combatants dying immediately in this RP!

Pieces of armor can also be enchanted to continuously have a magical paling, like Stina's shield and helmet, but repairing them and re-enchanting them after they become damaged takes a decent amount of time.

The spellblade is a streak of ethereal light made physical and honed to extreme sharpness that a warpriest can summon and then wield as a melee weapon. Spellblades are considered an Inquisitor's traditional weapon (the crest of the Red Seminary itself is a spellblade and paling interlocked within a red circle), as it is what the inquisitors of antiquity used to wage their battles. These days, inquisitors typically choose to fight using their own chosen weapons, and only resort to using their spellblades in battle if they lose their other armaments. Spellblades are also typically used in ceremonial duels, as it most strongly symbolizes an inquisitor's power. For instance, the strongest inquisitors can summon spellblades that can easily cut through the strongest paling.

For a trained inquisitor who has achieved a certain level of mastery in etheric control, spellblades and palings don't require all that much ether to summon. While they do require a level of intense concentration to keep them manifested, it is no difficult thing for graduates of the Red Seminary.

Divine Aspects & Culmination

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On the Day of Culmination, after the graduation ceremony, the priests journey together to the Steps of the Red Shrine, the Divine Throne of Lord Varya, where He is said to reside. The Inquisitors then march up the steps, ascending the massive tower which rests at the base of the Shrine as a unified group. Upon reaching the summit, the titanic doors of the monolithic scarlet shrine await them.

The Inquisitors are forbidden from actually entering the Shrine, thus they kneel at its entrance, where they then commune with Lord Varya himself.

Now, this is how the Church describes it, but in actuality, no priest actually speaks to the Ravenous Lord directly. Instead, there, on those steps, they are contacted by an Aspect of Lord Varya. These aspects, or Angels, as the Church describes them, are divine beings who possess some measure of independence, but are bound to carry out His Will. These Aspects form a spiritual connection to each warband and act as their personal attachment to the Lord Varya, a "patron saint" of sorts. The Aspect watches over each Inquisitor of the band, and is said to lend them aid in times of crisis. Whether Lord Varya even notices the Inquisitors who kneel at His doorstep or even cares for their existence is unknown, but his Aspects are said to exist for the sole purpose of protecting and guiding an Inquisitorial warband in Lord Varya's stead, and is said to mold itself according to the spirits of each individual member.

The Aspects themselves have their own quirks and personalities, and it is known that its appearance changes depending on whomever glimpses it. Thus, one Inquisitor might see the Aspect as an ordinary plain-faced soldier, while another might see it as a demon. Others might not even glimpse the Aspect at all. This is all dependent on an Inquisitor's spirit, personality, and faith.

What an Inquisitor sees upon kneeling at the steps is a deeply personal experience, and they are not compelled to disclose it to the Church or anyone else if they don't wish to.

Inquisition Hierarchy

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Acolyte: A title given to young children who are brought to the Red Seminary to undergo training to become inquisitors in the Varyan church. At this beginning stage, they are put through six months of brutal training. Those who cannot keep up with the regiment are either transferred to the Holy Academy (where they will study and train to join the clerical branch of the church) or are judged to be unfit to join the clergy and are removed from the Seminary. After six months, the children must pass the First Milestone, a test of extreme physical duress. Not many survive the First Milestone unscathed, but those who pass are given the title of "Brother" or "Sister".

War Priest: Five years into training, and after surviving through two more Milestones, acolytes are officially ordained as war priests of the Varyan Church and are given the title of "Father" or "Mother" are then recruited to join different Warbands, battle groups which they will remain in for the rest of the Red Seminary's curriculum and beyond. At this point, they start training and competing against other Warbands.

Inquisitor: After twelve years of training and the completion of the final Sixth Milestone, warpriests achieve Culmination and are ordained as inquisitors of the Varyan Church.

Warleader: The squadron leader of an inquisitorial Warband. This individual is elected by the warband itself, and is in charge of commanding the group. Their authority is not without its limits, and a Warleader can be replaced if the warband deems them unfit for duty.

*GM's Note* I think shy came up with this idea and I sort of love it? It'd make sense for warbands to have a defacto leader. Now, how to decide who will be the leader of Warband Phoenix? Should we vote? Maybe we can have it be anonymously? This could be fun! Let me know what you guys think!

Master Inquisitor: Inquisitors generally serve within their Warbands until they are granted the rank of Master Inquisitor, at which point they are then given command of entire companies comprised of different warbands and SA platoons. (Mother Indira and Father Antonin are of this rank)

High Inquisitor: The highest rank most inquisitors can reach, only given to those who've proven their valor and strength countless times over through many years. They command entire divisions comprised of soldiers and warbands. It is said that High Inquisitors are chosen by Lord Varya himself. (Father Creid and Father Gregoroth are of this rank)

Bishop: A legendary title that has been bestowed to only a scant few inquisitors throughout the empire's history. Bishops are known as "Varya's champions" and wield power and authority over not just the inquisitorial branch, but over the clerical branch as well. The ordination of a Bishop by Lord Varya is a tremendous thing indeed, as it disrupts the divine hierarchy of the Church itself, and throughout history, the rise of an inquisitorial Bishop has caused much chaos within the clerical branch. It is believed that Varya chooses His champions in order for them to play a very specific part in His designs, as they are gifted with eternal youth and other mysterious powers. Curiously, all of Varya's previous Bishops have met with mysterious ends. The Bishop of the current age, Aleksandre, currently clashes with the clerical branch, and it is rumored that his powers are diminishing.

Glossary

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LW: Lanostran War.

Virrika: A cheap liquor distilled from virrigo, one of the few plants that can grow in Varya.

Volska: A style of traditional Varyan folk music. Mostly rhythmic and bereft of melody. It is encouraged to yell along to the lyrics, which typically take the form of patriotic retellings of old Varyan war victories.

ISA/SA: Shorthand for Imperial Secular Army, or just Secular Army. It acts as the standing military of the Varyan empire. Comprisedd of non-Church soldiers who've received training in combat and ether manipulation. Mostly made up of conscripts.

The Faith: A term used by T'saraen science corps officers to refer to the Varyan church.

Clerics: Term used for non-military priests, those who wield considerable sway over scripture and government.

Gant: A mysterious plant that began circulating within the Magnagrad slums in recent years. It has potent healing properties, but when infused with other chemicals, it can be alchemized into a potent drug that can illicit psychological altering effects.

Gunlance: Traditional weapon wielded by Lanostran soldiers. Can fire a powerful concussive blast that can be damaging from medium-range.

Knight: Secular Lanostran soldiers who through lifelong training and extreme conditioning wield strength rivaling that of a Varyan inquisitor. Are typically equipped with magically-enchanted weapons and armor.

Divine Lance: An elite order of Lanostran Knights who were once the premier fighting force in all of Lanostre. Now serve Varya as one of the strongest fighting units in all the empire.

Veshi'maru, Vashi'mara: One of the few surviving phrases of the ancient Omestrian language. It translates to "Come in Darkness, Proceed in Light". In modern times the phrase has been adopted by Omestrian slaves as a signal, its runic form used to denote safe havens and places of safe passage. This phrase is taught by Omestrian slave parents to their young so that they might recognize its meaning if they ever attempted to escape.

Mar: The Omestrian word for "home".

Ashe'ran: The Omestrian word for "grandfather."

Varya vese, Varya enoth, Varya t'saris: A common adage in Varyan society, warning of the Ravenous Lord's omnipotence. Translates to "Varya sees. Varya hears. Varya knows."

Coffin Ship: Ceremonial ships used to ferry the dead eastward into the dark blizzards, where they will reach a final resting place out in the unknown. These ships were originally used by primitive Muraadan clans to honor dead chieftains and warleaders, but in modern times, the practice has been appropriated by rich Varyan nobles as a fashionable alternative to being buried in the grand cemeteries of Magnagrad.

The Narrow Gates: For the vast part of human history, the East has been closed off to the empire due in part to the strange, unnatural blizzards that violently dance across the frozen oceans as well as the colossal ice barrier beyond the Meridian (the easternmost point of land where Varya's explorers have ventured). Six years ago, a breakage in the monstrous eastern ice shelf had been predicted by the T'saraen MUSE Academy to occur on the summer of ME 130, the year our story takes place. This breakage would be the first time in history that a passage would open within the shelf. This passage, dubbed the "Narrow Gates" coupled with the advent of modern Hearth Systems which allow steam arks and their crews to survive out in the storms, has allowed the Varyan empire to finally journey eastward through the ice shelf and into the unknown eastern hemisphere.

***

Character Information

...

We will be playing as a group of young Varyan inquisitors who've been sent on a missionary expedition to the mysterious continent of El, where they are to learn of the Gods that are worshiped there and if possible, convert the natives to the light of Varya.

Our characters, a group of recently ordained inquisitors, are powerful but inexperienced. They are barely out of their teens and are being given command of two powerful steam arks as well as a large force of common soldiers and support personnel to aid them in their mission.

Our group have known each other since childhood, and have bled and endured together through their years at the Red Seminary, the holy academy where the inquisitors of the Varyan Empire are trained. They can come from whatever background or be any race you desire.

Through their years training together, they have formed bonds and rivalries. Some of you may see each other as brothers, hated enemies, or even lovers. Nothing is off limits.

Our characters are going to be priests, but they can have whatever kind of background and personality you want. They can come from noble houses, be orphans, former slaves, ect. They could be anything from mad zealots who would kill for their gods without question to conflicted individuals quietly wrestling with their faith. Remember, these will be young adults, so just because they're priests doesn't mean that they have to conform to what you typically think priests are like. They're human beings first, and should have their own specific character quirks.

The story shall start on the eve of the night before our mission, where our characters will be waiting eagerly in the capital of Varya for their expedition to start. We will be have a short introductory sequence where we might interact a bit and go into the backgrounds of our characters and how they know each other. After this, we will skip forward in time to when our characters as well as their soldiers are in the middle of their journey to the Elurian continent. At this point, our characters will have built certain relationships with the soldiers under their command (and we can skip all of the introductory stuff).

I don't have a set number for how many folks will be accepted into the final cast. I won't be accepting everybody, but there will be plenty of space. I'll post a list of Accepted Characters after a few days.

Character Sheet

...

Name: Depending on where your character is from, this will differ. If he/she is a native of Varya (as in their ancestors are Varyan), you must have a Varyan name (Slavic-inspired). If your character has the blood of Lanostre, T'sarae, Muraad, or Omestris flowing through their veins, they can have a non-Slavic inspired name which will be their 'birth name'.

Also, keep in mind that as priests, our characters will be referred as "Father" and "Mother" by those not in their personal circles. For instance, if a character is named Tristan, anyone but his closest friends and family would refer to him as "Father Tristan".

Age: (No younger than 19, no older than 22)

Height/Weight:

Race: They can be native Varyan, or assimilated T'saeren, Muraadan, Lanostran, or Omestri. *note: If you choose to be Omestri, be prepared to think up a good background story for how a slave was able to escape their life and be accepted into the Varyan clergy.

Appearance: Write an in-depth description of your character's appearance. You should also post a picture of what your character is supposed to look like (for quick reference). This can be an illustration, photograph, ect.

As far as clothing is concerned, Varyan inquisitors wear a black form-fitting coat, with light armour covering the shoulders and chest. Smaller armoured pieces are worn over the wrists and boots. There is subtle red stitching lining the cuffs and outer flaps of the Inquisitor's black coat. Lastly, the symbol of Lord Varya, a red phoenix, adorns the breastplate. Males and females wear the same uniform.

Personality: A description of your character's personality-- their strengths, flaws, religious views, ect.

Background: A summary of your character's background prior to their training in the Red Seminary. As mentioned, you can be as creative as you want with this. You can go into as much detail as you want.

Talents/Ethereal Abilities: A description of your character's abilities, both mundane and magical. More information on ethereal skills can be found in the "Ether as a Weapon" section of the opening post.

Personal Seal: This seal is your character's "emblem", a sort of unique symbolic crest that all ordained Inquisitors have. This personal symbol is used to represent individual inquisitors within the church, and most often graces a war priest's battle standard. It could be of anything, but most Inquisitors tend to use simple iconography that is immediately identifiable as their own unique seal.

Character Relationships: Once the cast is chosen, we're going to collaborate on creating the shared histories between the different people of our group. Your characters can be anything from friends, enemies, lovers, ect. Remember, you've all spent your time years training in the Red Seminary together and have suffered and bled throughout your time there, so your relationships must be forged of your experiences during that time together.

Rules & Suggestions

- No godmodding.
- Follow all of RPGs rules.
- I know I don't have to mention this, but there should be no seniority between any of the older members and the new folks. Everyone is here to have fun RPing, so if I see anything like that, we're going to have a problem.
- I'm a pretty cool and chill gal, but as GM if I see something I don't like I'm going to talk to you about it.
- Be cool! Be friendly and cordial. If you have an issue with someone or with anything regarding the RP, please hash it out respectfully.
- This is the kind of story that will necessitate a lot of participation and discussion, so if you're the kind of person that hangs back in the shadows and doesn't contribute to our discussions in the OOC then this RP probably isn't for you.
- If you have to leave or are unable to post for whatever reason, let us know! Don't just disappear on us. If you let us know and give us a timetable of when you're able to return, we'll then be able to plan accordingly how to handle your character.
- Don't be shy! Make sure you let me know of any cool ideas or suggestions you might have for the RP. :)

[The Angry Goat]

yo this is cool AF and I'd totally be down to enter some sort of gigantic dude with a magical shield, if that's the kinda thing y'all're looking for

[shylarah]

@Lovejoy Count me very intrigued! This looks like a fascinating world, and I have a few ideas rattling around in my head....I need to make sure I have enough time to commit, but I definitely hope to join. ^.^ And I've been thinking about a few new fighting sets for chars, so this could be good! *wiggles*

What are the odds that Omestrian slaves -- or freefolk, before being captured in the wake of Omestris's fall -- might escape to Lanostre? And I'm seeing a quirk in the timeline. Two hundred years ago Varya attacked the other nations. ONe hundred years were spent subjugating them. Then Varya went after Lanostre, which surrendered after three years. Now they turn their attention to the east.

What happened to the rest of the second century between the start of the Varyan invasions and today?

Is magic only in blood, then? None at all in the air/fabric of the world? ...Do they have a plan for where they'll get ether from when the supply from other Remnants runs out?

[BingTheWing]

You had my curiosity

But now you have my attention

[Drakey]

@Lovejoy

Hey Lovejoy, just wanted to let you know, weekends are a no-go for me. As such, if character relationships are being planned out this coming weekend that you help with them for mine. Just keep in mind that while he does have relationships, he is terrible at showing them.

[Lovejoy]

@The Angry Goat Yay thanks for showing interest! As for your character idea, yes, that's totally viable. Actually, the group will need a character who can maintain an "aegis" for them while they're out on the icefields and away from the protective barrier that enshrouds the continent (the one that keeps people from freezing to death). This aegis would be a mini-barrier so to speak, similar to the massive barrier protecting the Varyan homeland but much smaller, only large enough to protect a hundred people or so. Just an idea!

@shylarah Aw thanks for the kind words! As for your questions:

- Yes, Omestri slaves could have made the perilous journey south to Lanostre and there could be half-blood Omestrians with Lanostran parents. Though they did suffer prejudice from all the races, not *everyone* subscribed to the idea that Omestrians were heretics, so there were definitely places in all the nations where Omestrians could live freely and intermingle with the local population. These days, half-blooded Omestrian children serving in the Varyan military or priesthood isn't considered a big deal, just as long as they can pull their weight. There are also "free" Omestrians, be they pure-blooded or half-blooded, who were granted freedom by certain individuals (usually well-meaning nobles and the like).

- In the second century after Varya conquered the nations of T'sarae, Muraad and Omestris, the empire focused all its attention on building their monstrous steam city, Magnagrad, and with it, a massive army capable of surviving and conquering the deadly soldiers of Lanostre. They used the scientific acumen of the T'saraen people to modernize their armies, developing mechanized and armored weapons and vehicles to combat the comparatively primitive Lanostran warriors. Basically, their battles looked like tanks and infantry versus armored knights, only in this case the knights were so much more skilled and powerful than the infantry that they actually made a fight out of it.

- In regards to ether running out when all the other Remnants are captured... well, it actually won't run out. As long as captive populations continue to breed, then there should be enough ether to last. Ether can also be harvested from the beasts in the wild. I should mention that a slave who's ether has been harvested doesn't die immediately (as long as they are within the protective barrier that shrouds the continents from the magical cold that instantly freezes people). The process does leave them severely weakened though and they would require immediate medical attention to survive the extraction. All in all, it's pretty terrible, as you can imagine-- only living to have your blood drained time in time again, existing in a perpetual state of weakness, all while being imprisoned. Being an Omestrian ether slave sucks!

Hope that answers your questions! If you have any more, fire away!

@Drakey That's fine, though I think this process will continue past the weekend, so you can take part then.

[Drakey]

@Lovejoy

Oi Love,

I added a hider in my CS for Madrys, which is Rodion's War Golem. She currently has two forms. The first is a wolf, the second is a motorcycle.

Secondly, I want to add in a NPC from Rodion's past. An Omestri child that he had bunked with on the streets. He hasn't seen him after entering the Red Seminary. I was wondering if this Omestri could have showed up among the assets that will be given to the team of Inquisitors.

Or, if anyone wants to play an Omestri, then they can take this kid's place.

[Lovejoy]

By the way, here's a bit I posted in the Interest Check in regards to tech-level. I'll also add this to the OP under the "An Unlikely Power-Source" heading. :)

"The aesthetic of the world is very much steampunk, but the tech level is more early WWI. Rifles and artillery are proven war-time weapons suited for soldiers. They are accurate and can reload relatively quickly. There are tanks and armored vehicles. I'd say the most advanced technology in the world would be the steam arks, which are basically arctic submarines armed with ether torches that can melt ice. As for automatons, I'd say they would take the form of steam golems given life through magical means. There certainly isn't any AI or anything of the sort yet.

These kinds of modern weapons are used specifically by the Varyan Secular Army (the non-priest soldiers). Inquisitors can use them too, but most favor magical close-ranged weapons. But we can get into that later. This is an aspect of the world that I'd be more than willing to collaborate with players on."

[shylarah]

@Lovejoy I didn't realize the slaves were kept for ether reserves. That's /nasty/. And now I know my character, more or less, if I can join. Probably Lanostran but possibly Varyan, with Omestrian heritage in there. Rather hates the Varya, but didn't get a choice about their path in life. Actually, @Drakey, I /could/ possibly end up as that kid. I mean, a half-blood would be harder to do, unless Varyan...hm.

Lovejoy, think there were any early raids to test the Lanostrans, before the full war started? Say, twenty or thirty years ago?

[Lovejoy]

@shylarahYeah, definitely! That'd make sense. There would definitely have been some border skirmishes throughout the years, as well as some prodding attacks by Varya into Lanostran territory.

[Drakey]

@shylarah

If you want to be half-Omestrian then that would be great for me. Your character and Rodion would have known each other since before the Red Seminary and would most likely be nearly inseparable. Let me know about any ideas you might have.

Like:
Rodion -> the brain (Still strong, but an absolute genius)
your character -> the brawn (still smart, but is a whole lot better at hand-to-hand or physical feats than Rodion)

[Scout]

I need to re-read all of this when I land back home on Sunday but I'm so excited for the reboot. :) I missed this RP so much - I think about what it could have been more than I care to admit. So I will return! Thanks, Love, for being accommodating with my schedule. I'll need to brush up on world info again.

Can't wait to see what everybody brings to the table this time!

[shylarah]

@Drakey I'm still feeling out the idea. I get the idea that yeah, this one's less a genius, though certainly clever. But...I'm thinking she? She rather resents Varya as a whole, and the priesthood in particular. I think she's particularly good with magic...

@Lovejoy I notice that there's no particular background for the Omestrians. What are they supposed to be?

I've no idea if Irin even fits as a name anywhere, since I can't remember what I used to make it. X.x

[Drakey]

@shylarah

a she is great. Also, Rodion is distrustful of the gods in general.

[shylarah]

@Drakey oh that works nicely!

[shylarah]

@Drakey@Lovejoy I might have some suggestions for resolving the critiques on Rodion's sheet, possibly.

@scout HOLY CRUD LOOK WHO I SEE! And @Vena Sera too?! *flailing*

waitwaitwait Scout you were in the original? AAAH!

[Drakey]

@shylarah

critiques?

oh, the info from Love. PM me the ideas but I think that Love and I have already sorted them out.

[Lovejoy]

@shylarahI did include a bit about them under the "Broken Pantheon and their Flock" heading, but nothing beyond them being slaves and seen as former heretics. I'll add on a bit to that now.

***

Before their nation was subjugated and brought to ruin by the Godking Varya, the Omestri people were a race of individual thinkers and philosophers, born with a natural propensity for art, culture, self expression, and a belief in living independently. Their connection to the Great Enemy, as other nations described the Fire Titan, granted them a perspective of both the past and future that other races just did not have. Unlike the Varyans, who believed they were born to conquer, the Lanostrans, who believed they were born to battle, the T'saraens, who believed they were born to lead the world forward in peaceful scientific advancement, or the Muraadans, who didn't believe in anything but survival-- The Omestrians who lived and thrived before the fall of their people believed in complete free will, in the obtaining and fulfillment of individual happiness and solace through whatever brought it. Almost nothing is known of the deity they worshiped, or whether it was male or female, save that it was once the Remnant composed of the Left Hand of the broken Frost Titan. This God or Goddess, shrouded in mystery, seemed to want nothing of its flock but for them to live happily, it asked for nothing in return for the power it granted them.

Owing to their great capacity for ether, the first Omestrians were great sorcerers, capable of casting great and dangerous miracles that changed the world around them. Strangely, they never attacked other nations with this powerful magical force. In fact, like their unknowable deity, what Omestrians actually did in their day-to-day existence in the naturalistic pine-shrouded region that was their homeland is a mystery. If one walks through the ruins of Omestris today, they would see beautiful palaces collapsed in the snow, monumental statues of ancient beasts standing sentinel over the high roadways and all other proof of the Omestrians' artistic and beautiful civilization, but nothing else. Did they all just live together peacefully, dancing in their city squares merrily? Who knows? All of their culture is gone, and the remnants of it, of what life was actually like in Old Omestris, of the true identity of their deity, is a closely guarded secret kept by Omestrian slaves, and they aren't talking.

***

[shylarah]

@Lovejoy I /like/. A lot. ^.^ This works so well.

[The Angry Goat]

@Lovejoy sick, expect an uncompromising bastion of Varya to carry the aegis and have a giant axe or something along that line within the next few days. I should probably do my actual homework first tho :P