[OOC] Tales of Anvellor

[Cotton]

Anvellor. That is the name that we have given to the land we inhabit. Though we do not know how big it is, we call this land home, and it was our ancestor’s home.

Yet, we know little of Anvellor. Sure, we know plenty of our home’s eastern coast, and the regions of Samare, Metia and Umbara, as well as Isilra, Lezin, and Amierre. But we do not know what lies further to our west, or what our world was like ages ago.

Our land is covered in ruins and relics. Tombs and dungeons. Evidence of civilizations long since gone. We inherited this world from our ancestors… but they did not leave us their history. Though we have records dating back a thousand years, nobody knows what this world was like before that. What nation once called itself the ruler of the lands we call home? What became of them?

Did they shatter in a civil war? That would explain why there are so many nations. Did it break due to an external threat? We know little about our ancestors, but not due to a lack of trying. For years, the adventurous and courageous among us traveled west, wandering through the wilderness of Anvellor and finding ruins of both great structures and simple cottages. For as long as our nations have kept records, we ventured into the unknown to uncover our history, and bring back relics of the nations that came before ours. In both war and peace, we have set out to discover our past, to no avail.

But now, some among us have faith that we will soon find out our world’s history. The League of Explorers is preparing it’s many members for a grand adventure westward to lead the way and rediscover our history. The westernmost nations are recruiting settlers to follow them, and international tensions are at it’s lowest. We might be on the verge of discovering what happened to our ancestors.

Perhaps, this is the dawn of a new age of Exploration and Discovery. An age in which our nations and peoples will thrive. One in which all our questions will be answered.

And who knows. Perhaps it could be you that leads us into this age.

Recruitment Poster for the League of Explorers

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Tales of Anvellor

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Welcome, welcome! Welcome to Tales of Anvellor, dearest of readers!

This is an RP set on the continent of Anvellor, a large landmass that, for the most part, is unexplored and covered in ruins. It is home to several different species that have spread themselves out across the eastern coast of the continent, forming several small nations in the process.

Anvellor's Regions

Anvellor's east coast is divided up into 6 regions. From northmost to southmost, these are:

Isilra

The cold lands in the north, dominated by snow and barely inhabited.

Isilra is divided up into three regions. There’s the tundras in the south, the only part of Isilra that is home to civilized nations. To the north of that are the wastelands, a barren land with lots of mountains and caves, inhabited only by hermits and wild animals. Even further north of that are the icecaps, a large sea mostly frozen over.

Isilra is also home to many ruins of temples dedicated to some kind of giant entity. This, combined with how common disappearances can be in the north, has led scholars to believe the north is home to a dangerous entity and cults that worship it.

Isilra Borealis

In the north, once a month there is an Aurora Borealis-like event, which carries magical power, empowering mages in the north.

This event, known as the Isilra Borealis lasts for a day, and during it, non-blessed corpses will decompose into snow, and after it's over, they will be reborn as a Snow Spirit. Snow Spirits carry the knowledge of the previous owner, but not the experiences (so they would understand languages and the like), but cannot use magic typically. Snow Spirits usually cannot venture far from the place of their original death, usually only a mile radius or so, though it varies in small increments between spirits. If the body is destroyed, the spirit tends to revive in about a year, unless the spirit considers its death 'satisfying'. After transformed, the souls experiences cease to be, meaning the person that was transformed will never enter any afterlife, however, the spirit that was born, may enter an afterlife, if applicable (though a spirit both finding their death satisfying, and qualifying for an afterlife, is rare). Any mage in the north will notice a rejuvenating effect, as well as empowered magic, but ice and snow elemental magic is particularly empowered.'

Samare

A temperate land that lies between Isilra and the Lezin Mountains, this is the most populated region of Anvellor.

Samare is home to many different nations of different sizes. Although they each have their differences, there are a few things that are often common between these nations. The majority of the nations are Republics or Kingdoms, and all but a few hold religion in high regard. In places where religion is especially important, non-priest magic users tend to be frowned upon or even mistreated, while in others mages might be treated with respect or just treated like any other person.

The dominant sentient species in Samare is humans, though there are a few non-human nations. Of note is the Anubite Exile Republic, a small nation on the border of the Lezin Mountains that takes in Anubites that have been exiled from their homeland.

Lezin

A large mountain range that separates Samare from the Metia desert. The mountain range is home to a massive cave network that spans the entire mountain range, with every cavern connected through a maze-like mess of tunnels, most of which are unexplored for obvious reasons.

The caves of Lezin are mostly uninhabited, though a few nations of dwarves exist, having slowly converted some caves into livable cities and slowly exploring the other caves in the mountains. How deep these caves go, and whether they’re natural or partially artificial is unknown. Occasionally, ancient structures can be found in unexplored caves, left behind by whoever lived in these caves first.

Most travel through Lezin is done either by traveling directly through the mountain range using dwarven communities, or through the mountain range’s many valleys

Metia

The great desert of the continent, home to the Anubites and the Theocracy of Nubia as it's sole great nation. Most of Metia is uninhabitable desert, with only a single large body of water, the Nubian River, flowing through it, along which the Theocracy of Nubia lies.

After Amierre, Metia is the least explored of the six core regions, and travelers still occasionally stumble across ruins of ancient structures while passing through the deadly sea of sand. Some of these structures are well-known as they make for great shelter when a sandstorm hits.

Umbara

A savanna that lies between Metia and Amierre, mostly flat and only slightly more populated than Metia. Umbara has a large population of dangerous animals, to the point where the region is one of the most dangerous regions to travel through. It is, however, still an important region, as caravans traveling to Amierre - and specifically, the Amierre Iron Mine - have to travel overland through Amierre, as there are no nations in this regionwith big enough harbours to handle enough trade ships to take over for overland travel.

Amierre

The dense jungleland of the south, mostly unexplored, home to a few tribes but no civilized nations. Amierre’s jungles are almost impenetrable, and many exploration attempts have resulted in the loss of all of it’s members, either to hostile tribes, illnesses, or wild animals. That being said, there are stories of great structures deep within the jungle, just waiting to be explored and documented…

On the edge of Amierre's jungle sits the world's biggest Iron Mine. It produces so much Iron and is so big that it has grown to be the size of a tiny nation - it even has a small defense force. This mine is independent, and supplies Iron to anyone willing to pay, to the point where most nations import most of their iron from them.
However, recently all Iron shipments have ground to a halt. No messengers sent to the Mine have returned, and most nations are struggling to secure alternative sources of Iron. The League is likely to send out some members to investigate soon.

Anvellor is also home to a large variety of species, but only six of these are known to be sentient enough to form their own nations. Beyond that, there are various types of wildlife, both passive and aggressive, as well as more dangerous species of monsters in the West.

Species of Anvellor

Humans

Humans, Anvellor's most common sentient being. They mainly inhabit Samare and Umbara, though they also have settlements in Isilra. Many of these human nations are either Kingdoms or Republics, though some nations are slowly giving their people more power to appease their citizens who wish for their nation’s government to be more like Lapuria.

Lapuria

Lapuria is an… unique nation, as it is the sole true democracy in the world. It is smaller than most of it’s neighbours, but is popular among scholars, philosophers, and those exiled from other nations over political reasons. Lapuria is also home to the Council, a gathering of representatives from other nations.

The council, in theory, exists for nations to come together to agree on common laws, how to deal with common issues, and general collaboration. It is housed in the Palace of Nations, a large building with enough rooms to house a representative for each civilized nation and a small amount of accompanying staff, while the debate hall is also big enough to theoretically seat a representative for every nation.

In reality, however, most of those rooms and seats are unused. Only a few nations actually participate in the council, and most of them are small ones. The council has no true authority over any nation other than Lapuria itself, and there’s an almost constant internal struggle over various issues. One of the most common sources of disagreement is the fact that both Nubia and the Anubite Exiles have a representative in the council, and they often get into loud disagreements due to their respective nations’ views on the other.

Raider Clans

The Isilran Tundra is home to several small clans. These clans of humans have learned to live with the cold, and take great pride in physical skill. The cold weather in their homeland makes farming almost impossible, and so the clans are infamous for launching raids upon those who live in the more temperate region of Samare.

Unlike most civilizations, the raiding clans of Isilira do not hold mages in high regard, instead treating most of those who focus on scholarly endeavours as idiots for not focusing more on physical strength or skills, as most clans believe that strength is a more important trait for raiders. There is an exception to this, however, in the form of priests. Priests are given more respect, and so most people with the gift of magic end up becoming priests to one of the many religions in the north.

Due to the Isilran Aurora turning corpses into Snow Spirits, those who live in the north cremate their dead instead of burying them.

Anubites

Hider

Native to the Metia desert, the Anubites are a species of humanoids with tall ears and slender tails. Their skin is usually dark to tan, due to their species being native to the desert, and they often have dark hair colours. Common Anubite eye colours include brown, grey, purple, green, blue and silver.

Within Anubite society exists a caste system. At the top, the High Priests, then the Priests, Mages, Scholars, Merchants and Artisans, Citizens and Slaves. It is possible to climb the caste system through training and education, but your status is also influenced by the size of your ears. Anubite ears are tall and sensitive, and the taller one’s ears the higher their status.

Anubite tails meanwhile are essentially very weak third limbs that was used back when the Anubites were a tribal species to kick up sand in combat. They cannot be used to lift things like one could with one’s arm, but they could still be used to lift up light items. This is, however, uncommon in Anubite society. The upper classes believes it to be below them, using their tails mostly to show off by decorating them with jewelry and such, while the lower class has little use for it beyond doing simple tasks. Only some scholars and merchants really make use of it by learning to write with their tail.

Theocracy of Nubia

The Anubite civilization, known as the Theocracy of Nubia, is the most technologically advanced nation in Anvellor, but also highly religious. The vast majority of it’s inhabitants are worshipers of Kem, an ancient deity, and the nation itself is ruled by the High Priests of Kem. All permanent inhabitants of the Theocracy are members of this religion, or are treated as untouchables; though this does not extend to travellers. Anubites that abandon the religion are exiled and their information is stored in the Anubite Archive. If an exiled Anubite returns to Nubia, they face imprisonment and a potential death penalty for blasphemy.

The Theocracy is a Magitech nation, gathering the power it uses to power its devices using pyramids and obelisks tipped with a magically-created alloy that absorbs sunlight and transforms it into usable power. As a result of the nation’s high reliance on magic, magicians - even foreign ones - are treated with respect, and Anubite Mages that go into politics often have a lot of political influence, topped only by that of the Priests and High Priests.

Peace in Anubite society is kept by the peacekeepers, who act as both a police force and a standing army. They are supported by Automatons. These machines are similar to Anubites in appearance, yet have a dog-like snout akin to the masks the High Priests wear. They are made out of metal, and are based upon ancients designs found in the same ancient structure in which the Anubites found the technology they now use to power their civilization. They are armed with a Khopesh and an oval-shaped shield, but have a small dart launcher mounted in their tail that can be used to fire off low-power darts carrying a sedative.

Anubite Exile Republic

The Anubite Exile Republic, also commonly referred to as the Anubite Exiles, is a small nation in Samare that borders the Lezin mountains. It is home to the largest population of Anubites outside of Metia, as the nation takes on those exiled for turning away from Anubite Religion. It is a mostly peaceful state, though it has strained relations with any nation that has good relations with the Theocracy of Nubia.

Half-Beasts

Half-beasts are a rather unusual species in the world, as their origins are considered to be artificial by some scholars who claim to have proof that half-beasts were originally a mage’s experiment that were set free to spread through the world. Half-beasts are, in essence, a mix between a human and a type of animal, and are visually identical to humans - though they have animal ears, tails, and sometimes even teeth and nails. Half-beasts inherit traits from their animal ‘counterpart’. Cat Half-Beasts are good climbers and have excellent darkvision, Rabbit Half-Beasts can jump further, Wolf and Dog Half-Beasts have excellent noses, things like that. Half-beasts are capable of reproducing with not only half-beasts of their own race, but also with humans and other half-beast races. In terms of genetics, a 'pureblood' half-beast will have a 100% chance to pass on its traits if mating with a normal human, but its offspring will have about a 50% chance with each trait.

Nereids

Hider

Nereids are a species of amphibious humanoids capable of breathing both underwater and on land. Most Nereid communities live below the waves in lakes or oceans, though some can be found on the coast as well. Due to their nature as a mostly aquatic species, Nereids are carnivores, living primarily on fish. They are great swimmers, and are capable of talking and seeing underwater the just like humans can do the same on land, though they risk drying out if they’re cut off from water for extended periods of time or if they’re in hot, dry climates. Furthermore, they asphyxiate faster than humans in situations where there is no oxygen. Nereids are easily distinguished from humans by their skin tones - ranging from blue to green - as well as their fin-like ears and partially webbed hands and feet.

Dwarves

Dwarves are a relatively common but reclusive species famous for it’s great mines and underground structures. .Dwarves are short but strong, allowing them to quickly delve large mines that don’t have to be as tall as human mines due to the Dwarves’ low height. Having evolved underground, Dwarves have natural darkvision that allows them to see well - though not perfectly, and without colour - in the dark. Dwarves primarily eat food that can be found underground, with other sources of food - like animals - being rare and often reserved for the rich and for special occasions. The primary food source of the Dwarves are mushrooms that grow underground, specifically the Dwarfshroom, named as such because they are primarily farmed and eaten by Dwarves. Dwarfshrooms are a good source of food, but also have the added side-effect of intoxication, and eating a lot of them causes the consumer to get drunk. This is one of the many reasons why Dwarves are so often associated with alcohol, though they do often intentionally get drunk on beer and other alcohol as well.

Elves

Elves are the world’s primary inhabitants of forests. Tall, and with pointy ears, they are otherwise almost identical to humans, but their behaviour is quite different. Elves live alongside and are attuned to nature, to the point that they live far longer than humans. Elves’ tall and slender frames grant them great agility and nimbleness, ensuring that elves are good climbers that can easily get around in rough terrain such as dense forests. Their pointy ears, meanwhile, give them better hearing that humans. Their attunement to nature means that Elves make great Pathfinders, Hunters, Foragers, Herbalists and Rangers. Not only that, but they can also move surprisingly quietly and stealthily, meaning that they could great Rogues and Thieves as well.

Magic & Mana

In this world, magic exists. Some species have a special organ, known as a Mana Heart, inside their body. This organ is responsible for creating Mana, which flows through one’s body. Unless one lacks this organ, they are capable of using devices that consume Mana. If one were to run out of Mana, they’d lose consciousness for up to sixteen hours.

The size of the Mana Heart varies from person to person. Usually the organ is smaller than the normal Heart, but in rare cases it is bigger. If that is the case, the person is capable of casting magic without the need for devices specifically built to let people with smaller Mana Hearts (known as Laymen). This allows those with bigger Mana Hearts to become mages, and study the art of Magic. The size of one’s Mana Heart can be determined using either a spell, or by certain magitech devices. Nubia is the sole creator of the former, though they sell such devices to other nations.

It is possible for a Mana Heart to be enlarged or shrunk after birth to allow for the ability to use magic later in life, or the removal of said ability. This, however, requires use of either an expensive, painful ritual, divine intervention, or a risky organ transplant. Because the latter is an option, there is a black market for Mana Hearts…

Magic is taught at magic academies to those who have a big enough Mana Heart in some of the wealthier nations in Samare, and in Nubia it is a mandatory education provided by the state for those born with a big enough Mana Heart to cast magic, as mages are important to keep their nation’s tech functional. If a magic academy is not available, there is always the option of an apprenticeship with another mage, though not all mages are willing to take an apprentice.

When it comes to casting spells, the requirements to succesfully cast a spell can vary, depending on the caster's skill and the specific spell. Those with less experience need to first spend time charging up a spell before they can cast it by saying the spell's name, while those with more experience do not need to charge up and can sometimes even skip the incantation itself entirely if one is skilled enough.

For some spells, however, charging in the form of a chant is required. Usually this only applies to rituals and other large-scale spells, however.

The charging can be sped up by using wands or staves, as those help channel the caster's Mana. Wands and Staves can also be attuned to specific spells, allowing said items to be used to cast specific spells with very little effort. Attuning is a time-consuming ritual however, and attuning multiple spells tons single wand decreases it's effectiveness.

Wands attuned to specific spells can also be used by those without a Mana Heart big enough for the user to cast spells on their own. When used in this way, the caster can only cast the spell the wand is attuned to. (So someone with a wand attuned to Fireball can only shoot fireballs if their Mana Heart isn't big enough).

Mages with greater skill will tend to be able to be more conservative with their Mana, while inexperienced mages often use more Mana than is needed for the spell they're casting. This leads to inexperienced mages running out of Mana and losing consciousness faster than experienced mages. If a mage is running low on Mana, they will begin to feel drowsy.

The League of Explorers

Within the world, adventuring and exploring are both completely reasonable occupations. As most of the land is unexplored and littered with ruins that could contain valuables, there is always the possibility of making a fortune if one is lucky. Because of this, one of the few multinational organizations - The League of Explorers - has been set up.

To join the League, one must pay a monthly fee. In return, you are allowed to make use of the League’s services in towns where they have a building. Non-League members may only make use of certain services at increased cost. However, in addition to the monthly fee, the League demands you pay 15% of what you make from selling loot to them. If one refuses to pay, then the League sends other League Members after them.

Common League services include a room and food for the night, like an Inn but safer, cheaper medical and blacksmith services if a healer or smith is available, and a courier service for sending messages and packages between League establishments. The courier service is safer than most, as packages are usually escorted by other League members.

The League does, however, have some laws. Those that break either a League law or National law are immediately kicked out of the League, and handed over or reported to the authorities if possible. The League Laws are as follows:

• Necromancy is Forbidden.
• Theft is Forbidden.
• Murder is Forbidden (Self-Defense Exception).
• No lying to the League about your profits.

Religion in Anvellor

Religion plays an important role in Anvellor, and while there are various smaller religions and cults in the world, there is one main religion. Simply known as the Anvellan Faith, it has a Pantheon of ten gods, after which the months on the calendar are named. People either worship the entire pantheon, or a selection of deities that best fit their personal beliefs (or desires). The deities of this religion, and the length and order of their corresponding month, are as follows:

• Thera, Goddess of Magic & Knowledge. 37 Days
• Lucian, God of Life & Protection. 38 Days
• Archor, God of Creation & Destruction. 37 Days
• Briar, Goddess of Love & Peace. 38 Days
• Hestus, God of Revenge & Justice. 37 Days
• Belphus, God of Death & Disaster. 38 Days
• Vinia, Goddess of Harvest & Plenty. 37 Days
• Rava, Goddess of Artisans & Merchants. 38 Days
• Mentu, God of the Elements. 37 Days
• Tanti, Goddess of Luck & Wealth. 38 Days

There are, of course, many cults and smaller religions, though none of these enjoy the widespread popularity of the Anvellan Faith. The one exception to this is the Anubite religion. They worship the God of the Sun and the Goddess of the Moon, Khonos and Virtune, as the Gods responsible for all life, and view the 10 gods of the Anvellan Faith as servants of Khonos and Virtune.

The days of the week in Anvellor are named after Elements, the Moon, and the Sun; Igni, Terre, Aer, Aqu, Mun and Sol. For most religions, the week starts on Igni, but for Anubites it starts on Sol (which they call Khon) and ends on Mun (which they call Virt).

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Rules

• 0: The GM has the last word in case of disputes.
• 0.1: DM approval does allow one to get around certain rules, but only express permission.
• 1: No invincibility, immortality, invisibility, psionic powers (these just tend to be generally powerful with few drawbacks), or flight. Use common sense, and ask if you're uncertain if something is allowed or not.
• 2: This is common sense, but no godmodding or metagaming.
• 3: Unlisted abilities or equipment are assumed to not exist. If you want your character to have an item or ability you did not list on your character sheet, ask me for permission first.
• 4: One character per player, PM me if you want more characters.
• 5: If you wish to keep parts of your character sheet secret, PM the full sheet to me for approval.
• 6: If you want a character that isn't one of the primary races, ask.
• 7: Really, just ask on the thread or in a PM if you want to do unique things

Character Sheet

Name:
Gender:
Species:
Age:
Nationality: (Optional, either pick an existing nation or create your own)
Appearance: (Image or Description, or both!)
Equipment: (If Any)
Backstory: (Optional)
Abilities: (Physical, Magical, or Both)
Other: (Optional)

[DELETED08740]

Sounds like an interesting region! Is there any sort of template we should follow for our character sheets?

[Cotton]

Sounds like an interesting region! Is there any sort of template we should follow for our character sheets?

@PigeonOfAstora

There should be a character sheet in the Character tab, unless I messed up. Or is that not what you're referring to?

Also, it's more just a basic guideline, you don't have to stick to it, as long as you get the important information across in a way that I can easily read it.

[DELETED08740]

<Snipped quote by PigeonOfAstora>

There should be a character sheet in the Character tab, unless I messed up. Or is that not what you're referring to?

Also, it's more just a basic guideline, you don't have to stick to it, as long as you get the important information across in a way that I can easily read it.

@Cotton

Oof, sorry. I'm so used to seeing character sheets in the OOC that I forgot to take a look in the characters tab.

[ShiningSector]

-raises hand- how do spells work? Do they require chanting (charging) or are the casted immediately after saying their name or verse?

[NoriWasHere]

Speaking of magic! Is there a system tied to a mage's ability and stamina? Like an athlete can only do so much before they break down, is magic the same in this universe? Do time and practice hone skills with the random savant still existing make sense here?

[Cotton]

-raises hand- how do spells work? Do they require chanting (charging) or are the casted immediately after saying their name or verse?

@ShiningSector

It varies, both based on the caster's skill and the specific spell. Those with less experience need to first spend time charging up a spell before they can cast it by saying the spell's name, while those with more experience do not need to charge up and can sometimes even skip the incantation itself entirely if one is skilled enough.

For some spells, however, charging in the form of a chant is required. Usually this only applies to rituals and other large-scale spells, however.

The charging can be sped up by using wands or staves, as those help channel the caster's Mana. Wands and Staves can also be attuned to specific spells, allowing said items to be used to cast specific spells with very little effort. Attuning is a time-consuming ritual however, and attuning multiple spells tons single wand decreases it's effectiveness.

Wands attuned to specific spells can also be used by those without a Mana Heart big enough for the user to cast spells on their own. When used in this way, the caster can only cast the spell the wand is attuned to. (So someone with a wand attuned to Fireball can only shoot fireballs if their Mana Heart isn't big enough).

Speaking of magic! Is there a system tied to a mage's ability and stamina? Like an athlete can only do so much before they break down, is magic the same in this universe? Do time and practice hone skills with the random savant still existing make sense here?

@MagratheanWhale

Mages with greater skill will tend to be able to be more conservative with their Mana, while inexperienced mages often use more Mana than is needed for the spell they're casting. This leads to inexperienced mages running out of Mana and losing consciousness faster than experienced mages. If a mage is running low on Mana, they will begin to feel drowsy.

Does this answer your questions?

[Ypnosi]

So the difference between an inexperienced mage and an expert mage would be efficiency, if they were both casting the same spell? Like, a mana:result ratio would be much better on a good mage than a bad one. Outside of that, I assume that elements are the easiest, and the further you get into specific fields, thr harder new spells are to learn?

[Cotton]

So the difference between an inexperienced mage and an expert mage would be efficiency, if they were both casting the same spell? Like, a mana:result ratio would be much better on a good mage than a bad one. Outside of that, I assume that elements are the easiest, and the further you get into specific fields, thr harder new spells are to learn?

@Ypnosi

Yep, pretty much spot on, here. Elements are not always necessarily easier (though they can be), but they are quite popular, leading to there being more mages willing to teach Elemental Magic than other fields of magic.

[ShiningSector]

@Cotton Thank you for your reply! I think I have an OC in mind I could convert over here though knowing how the mechanics would make it easier to write in to the bio. Speaking of, when will the character sheet be up. Also, dare I ask what spells are we allowed to use or is it up the imagination (such as summoning, illusions, support, or anti-mana)? I think everyone here knows better than to use anything OP.

[Cotton]

@Cotton Thank you for your reply! I think I have an OC in mind I could convert over here though knowing how the mechanics would make it easier to write in to the bio. Speaking of, when will the character sheet be up. Also, dare I ask what spells are we allowed to use or is it up the imagination (such as summoning, illusions, support, or anti-mana)? I think everyone here knows better than to use anything OP.

@ShiningSector

Character sheet is in the Char tab, though I'll be moving it to the OOC tab since you're not the first person to ask where it is >.<

As for spells, that's up to you! I always enjoy seeing variation and creativity, instead of people being limited to only doing things in a specific way. Plus, it makes more sense for mages to have unique methods of casting and preferred types of magic in my opinion.

[ShiningSector]

Understood! I'm actually surprised to see the CS can now be embedded into the Char tab...I've been gone for too long it seems. ^^'

[Ryteb Pymeroce]

Took some time, effort, and plenty of bodies, but finally got my CS done.

Jack Thorne

Name:
Droigheann / Jack Thorne

Gender:
Male

Species:
Half-Beast (Panther)

Age:
29

Nationality:
Lezin

Appearance:
Standing at 5'7", he has a naturally lithe build. His body is covered in a layer of dark grey fur with black spots. His hair is black, and forms a shaggy mane, with his ears sticking out the side. His face looks mostly human, though with a cat nose instead of a human one and catlike green eyes.
His left hand has an amulet made from a diamond encased in silver embedded in his palm, and some of the fingers on that hand are crooked like they've been badly broken in the past.
His legs are digitigrade, like that of a cat, and he refuses to wear shoes.
In terms of clothing, he wears a pair of brown pants that are cut off below the thigh, a green long sleeved tunic, and a brown cloak, with a belt holding his bolt quiver, his hand crossbow, and his sword sheath. His armour consists of a pair of knee pads, a leather cuirass, a pair of leather shoulderpads, a leather bracer, and the Gauntlet of the Hunt. The cuirass also has a bandolier to hold his knives.

Equipment:
-Artificial Mana Heart: A coin sized amulet found in a ruin that stores magical power which the wearer can then draw on, similar to a Mana Heart. Due to circumstances involving an idiot and a crushing trap, the Artificial Mana Heart is now embedded into his left hand.
-Gauntlet and Sword of the Hunt: A paired set of magical items, a silvered shortsword with a design of a wolf's head on the guard, and a steel gauntlet with a mechanism to stab the user. By drawing blood from the user, via the gauntlet, the sword becomes imbued with a magical aura that increases the damage it deals.
-4 Regular Daggers
-Silvered Dagger
-Hand Crossbow
-Quiver with 20 Regular Bolts and 5 Silvered Bolts
-A Set of Leather Armour with Metal Reinforcement
-A Set of Travelling Clothes
-Spellbook
-Backpack
-Rope
-Lockpicks
-Crowbar
-Coinpurse

Backstory:
Jack was orphaned at a young age. His family were travelling merchants, but on their way through Levis they were caught in a rock slide. He only survived due to the actions of his mother, who threw him under a thorn bush which prevented him from getting crushed.
Later he was found by the dwarves who were clearing the road. Seeing as he was an orphan, one of the dwarves in a happy, but childless, marriage decided to adopt him. They named him Droigheann, or Thorn in their tongue, after where he was found.
Raised in the dwarf way, a lot of alcohol and fighting, Thorn grew up with both a high endurance and an appreciation for the past.
For a time, he tried becoming a priest of Rava, but the wanderlust he inherited from his birth parents made staying in one place unappealing to him. The head priest informed him of a job he could take, that of a treasure hunter. Retrieving fragments of the past and shedding new light on it. He was 15 at the time.
Over the next 14 years, he made a name for himself as a Treasure Hunter. He began to refer to himself as the Jack due to the size of his magical heart being too small to be more than adapt in magic. Due to some errors in literacy, The Jack Thorn became Jack Thorne when he signed up to the League. Seeing as dealing with the paperwork would be too much effort, he decided to keep the name. He felt it suited him.
During one of his excursions, he came across an artifact designed to mimic a Mana Heart, allowing him to be a more effective caster. It became a permanent part of his body during a delve into a ruin with a greenhorn. The idiot activated a crushing trap, killing him and trapping Jack's arm. Though he managed to disarm the trap with his Legerdemain spell, his hand had been crushed and the amulet forced into it. While not the first time he had failed, it was the closest he had come to death so far, and it wasn't even down to his actions.
Since the incident, he has been working alone, unwilling to put up with the bullshit of other people.

Abilities: (Physical, Magical, or Both)
As a Panther Half-Beast, Jack has the natural bonuses that come with his race. Namely he has enhanced reflexes and flexibility, claws that allow for easy climbing, and enhanced night vision. He is also ambidextrous.
His constitution is higher than average for his species, due in no small part to being raised by Dwarves and their lax stance on alcohol.
He was trained to play to his strengths, being weaker but more agile than the Dwarves, coming up with an aggressive style that aims to keep opponents off balance.
As a treasure hunter, he has a wide knowledge of history, able to identify the purpose and the builder of most ruins he enters. He also has a vast knowledge of magic, born out of necessity considering the sheer amount of magical bullshit he finds himself encountering in his profession.
Initially he had some training as a Priest of Rava, but with his decision to become a treasure hunter he moved into learning more generically useful magic. He has a series of spells he can cast, along with a few rituals. His magical heart is about 70% the size of his heart, with the artificial one he has being about 33%. Combined, he has enough power to be considered a magus, but he lacks the training of others with a naturally larger heart.

List of Spells:
-Spare the Dying A spell designed to stabilise a wounded person. It won't cure the wounds, but will prevent death by bleeding out.
-Legerdemain Summons a green spectral hand that can turn invisible, work lockpicks, and lift up to 10lbs.
-Chill Touch A borderline necromancy spell. Creates a ghostly hand that drains vitality, dealing damage and preventing healing on the target temporarily.
-Prestidigitation This spell is a minor magical trick that novice spellcasters use for practice. You create one of the following magical Effects.
• You create an Instantaneous, harmless sensory effect, such as a shower of sparks, a puff of wind, faint musical notes, or an odd odour.
• You instantaneously light or snuff out a Candle, a torch, or a small campfire.
• You instantaneously clean or soil an object no larger than 1 cubic foot.
• You chill, warm, or flavor up to 1 cubic foot of nonliving material for 1 hour.
• You make a colour, a small mark, or a Symbol appear on an object or a surface for 1 hour.

[The Following are more Energy Intensive and can only be used a few times a day]

-Cure Wounds Imbuing holy magic into a person, the caster enhances the users healing ability, allowing them to more quickly recover from injuries. This magic does deal damage against creatures who are unholy, such as undead.
-Feather Fall The Caster causes up to 5 targets to slow their descent to a quarter of their speed and acceleration.
-Shadow Blade The user forms a blade out of darkness. This weapon deals more damage than a regular weapon.

List of Rituals
-Identify Takes ten minutes to complete. When used on a magical item, it can reveal what it can do.
-Detect Magic Takes ten minutes to complete. Creates a magical pulse that heads out 300 meters. For an hour, any magical items and spells within the range are revealed to the caster.
-Find Familiar Takes an Hour to complete. Binds either an elemental or a demon into the form of an animal that is bound into the service of the caster. The user can telepathically communicate with the familiar while it is within 100ft and can share it's senses.

Other:
Edgar: Jack's familiar, a minor demon trapped into the form of a raven. Practically indistinguishable from a normal raven save for the fact that instead of cawing it goes "SOULS".

[Infinite Cosmos]

Expressing interest.
Edit, sheet is done. please let me know if I left something out~

**Avala of Jord**

╚══════════════╝

"Folding Was Never An Option"

[ Mid 20s, persumably | 6'3" | Isilra/Human | 205 Pounds ]

[Revenge]

APPEARANCE

"A man of imposing stature."

Avala, standing at 6 feet 3 inches, is built more like a bear than man. Born into the harsh North, he learned at a young age that if one was to survive, they have to be stronger than the elements. Thus he trained, and trained, and trained. Taken in by the Winter's Claw, he was put through intense physical and metaphysical trials. Having triumphed through them all, he returns to the known world a changed man.

PSYCHOLOGY

"Reserved. A man of focus, and commitment."

MAIN GOAL ⫻ To seek the truth..

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ The world isn't fair. The strong can pick on the meek with little to no consequence.

SECRETS ⫻ He doesn't believe in keeping secrets

SEXUALITY ⫻ Heterosexual.

FEARS ⫻ Losing control of his life.

BACKSTORY

Not much is known about him prior to his time training with the Winter's Claw. All that is known is that he is rumored to have been born a prince of the Kingdom of Jord (Yord) in Isilra. Their crown jewel, named aptly the Frozen Heart, has been passed down for generations and is rumored to be the frozen heart of a god-like primordial giant.

The jewel shone with brilliant light, no matter the surrounding condition. It is rumored to be so cold that prolonged touch can render one's limbs completely frozen. It is also rumored to be the key of re-summoning and thus subjugating the primordial giant.

One day, during his youth, it was discovered that he was born on of his clans' Si Xiang. A shaman-like figure that can invoke the primordial animal spirits. He was in the throne room, like usual, just playing around. He happened to sneak past the guards as he does and entered the Jewel Guard. There it was, the Frozen Heart. He has always been a curious boy and that day his curiosity peaked. He reached for the Frozen Heart, feeling it's call. Upon holding it, the boy felt a sharp cold unlike any he has felt before and his arm slowly turned an unnatural black. The boy was frightened and dropped the jewel. The colors did not return to his arm as he started panicking. Approaching the guards outside the Jewel Guard, he was immediately taking to his father the king, and then to a healer. The healer, tried as they might, could not cure him. His arm remained the same color as the darkest obsidian.

When medicine did not help, his parents enlisted the help of spirits. They called upon the high shaman, and she approached the boy. With one look, she knew what had happened. Using her own powers, she channeled the Cloak of the Tortoise into the boy's arm. Color, and function, returned almost immediately. The high shaman then spoke to his parents in private as he recovered.

-The boy is special. His arm was black because the Cloak of the great Zhu was coursing though it. He held onto to the Frozen Heart for far too long. His arm should have been frozen to its core. But, alas, it wasn't. If I may be so direct as to suggest you allow him to be trained at The Winter's Claw, it would be of great benefit to the boy, and our Kingdom.-

With those words, the high shaman left the palace. His parents were left to contemplate for themselves.

Ultimately, they decided that the boy's mana is better left trained. He was sent off into the Northern wastelands, to the home of The Winter's Claw.

In the temple, the boy became a man. Training, trials, tests and tribulations were a daily occurrence. In the beginning, he resented his parents for doing this. For sending him from the comforts of the palace to the harsh world. Slowly, he adapted. He learned to live on meager rations. To find sustenance through prayer and to embrace the spiritual world. His body grew strong, and his mind grew sharp.

His grasp on the art of invoking the Great Spirit was such that he learned them, one at a time, with relative ease. Understanding their meaning, their principles, and their purpose came naturally to the boy. Through daily prayers and meditations, he opened his mind to the spiritual world, and peering within was all that he needed to be engulfed by it.

One day, the grand maester of the temple took him aside and said to him

-Pupil, your understanding of the spiritual world is at a point where my words and the words recorded on these tomes can no longer satisfy your hunger for knowledge. You have my permission to enter the inner sanctum, to seek the knowledge you crave. A word of warning. The inner sanctum is unforgiving. One misstep, and you may never be the same.-

With those words, the grand maester gather a torrent of mana onto his right fist and sent it towards an unseen doorway. With a shake and a booming echo, a doorway slowly revealed itself to the pair. The grand maester then inhaled a deep breath and revealed his true image. At first, he looked no more than 60 years old, grey as he should be, but otherwise in good physical form and health. However, as his true form is revealed, his warning rang ever more true in the mind of the boy. A weathered, beaten old man, barely a husk of his former self, holding himself together with incredible strain.

-Enter, and prepare yourself for the harshest of truths.-

Was all that the grand maester said to him. He bowed deeply and strode through the gates.

How many years have past? Decades? Centuries? Eons? One could not say. As he emerged through the Gate Of No Gates, his physical appearance has not changed much. The outside world, however, could not be more different. The temple is essentially a ruin. The shamans and maesters were no longer. The tomes seemingly burnt. With a worried look, he channeled the Cloak of the Great Voli and moved with such speeds that an untrained man would not comprehend. He charged ever forth, heading towards the Kingdom that once was.

Upon his return, he found similar sights to what he had witnessed at the temple. Ruin, and desolation. Was this an act of war? He could not tell. It seems like it had been so long since he had been back that even the bones have faded to nothingness.

This is where his story begins. The Frozen Heart is missing. His home is in ruins. His bloodline missing. He is out to find truth to all of this.

Equipment

Prayer beads⫻He keeps these with him, though it is never actually seen being used during combat.
Blessed Faulds⫻About the only piece of armor he wears. These are rumored to have been forged by the legendary Norse blacksmith Orrn using volcanic metal and Norse magic. Lightweight, unassuming but very durable.
Gauntlets of The Moonlight Vigil⫻A set of gauntlets he wears if he was to enter physical combat, but want to refrain from using his spiritual power. Rumored to be forged by Orrn as well, these gauntlets are attuned to magic that without precise control, it can drain one of all of their mana.
Staff of Voli⫻An unassuming walking stick made of twisted Isilra wood. There are runes inscribed into the staff that despite the weathered look of the staff, looks as if they had just been inscribed hours ago. He can channel his magic through this staff, as a source of amplification but he rarely does so.
Pouch⫻Nothing special about this. Just a pouch where he keeps his medicinal herbs and ointments.
Coin Purse⫻As spiritually attuned as he is, one cannot get around this world without some coins.
Leather pack⫻A leather pack he sewn together himself. He keeps his pouch, coin purse, emergency rations and various other items in it. The symbols 'XIV' is scratched onto one of the straps.

Abilities

"Its funny. My powers are so warm yet the world is so cold."

-Note- He does not invoke the names of these skills when he casts. These names are used for academic purposes only and are not accurate translations from his language.

Five Flashing Lock⫻ The caster overlaps their palms, facing them towards their intended target. Five orbs of green light is generated on the inside of wrists, the ankles, and the center of the target's chest, sealing most major magic ports and limiting the use of of their mana lest they are willing to immolate from the inside out because of it.

Black Chain Fire Sealing Destruction⫻ With the index and middle finger of either hand, the user draws a circle in the sky, summon several thick black chains. The chains are seared into the body of the target, binding them to the nearest solid surface. The chains and the surface are then essentially melted together, causing the target to be bound to the surface completely.

Purple Lightning⫻ With the index and middle finger of either hand, the user draws a circle in the sky. A channel of mana swirls around user's arm. Lightning is then channeled through the same index and middle finger.

Hundred Steps Grand Wheel Frozen Heaven Blast⫻ A beam of frozen mana is summoned from the palm of the user. Any target contacted by the beam has their mana frozen from the inside out, slowing taking away their ability to channel it for a time period.

Hand-to-Hand Combat prowess⫻ Having relied on his body to survive for so long, his survival instincts will show through when engaged in combat.

Spirit Cloak⫻ Perhaps his most important skill, he can call upon the primordial spirits of the North to aid him.
-Bear- He invokes the great Voli, the spirit bear of the North. This cloak grants him enhanced mobility overall and his physical attacks are enhanced as well.

-Tortoise- He invokes the sturdy Xuánwǔ, the black tortoise of the North. This cloak give him enhanced durability against physical attacks.

-Phoenix- He invokes the mighty Zhu, the fire bird of the North. He is typically in this form. This cloak allows him to channel mana throughout his body, warming it from the inside out and invigorating his body and soul.

-Dragon- He invokes the ferocious Aurelion, the dragon that rules them all. This cloak combines the previous three and grants him all three at once, for a short period of time.

OTHER

"You can't outrun the sunrise"

He plans on joining the League of Explorers, using their considerable resources to find the ones responsible for the murder of his village.

[Stitches]

Also interested! Bringing a friend with me.

[Cotton]

@Ryteb Pymeroce@Infinite Cosmos

Two really interesting characters, and they're both accepted! Welcome aboard!

[Ypnosi]

Well, I don't have any fancy formatting like that other guy, but I do have a sheet!

Hider

Name: Unknown. Perhaps she had one at one point, but it is lost to time.

Gender: Female

Species: Snow Spirit, previously descended from a halfbeast (cat).

Age: Appears to be in her mid twenties or so. Actual age unknown.

Nationality: A bit of a wanderer, though her current life started high up in the mountains of Isilra

Appearance:

Equipment: She wears a mixture of fur and leather armor, frosted over, lending it to just a bit more impact compensation than typical, although anyone who examines the armor would find that it's clearly not been well maintained for years, though it isn't breaking down either, frozen in moderate wear.
In terms of weaponry, she carries a heavy metal greatsword, and a small steel shield. Though she can wield them with either hand, she tends to prefer to wield the shield in her left hand, and sword in her right.
Greatsword: Once a well maintained and sharpened weapon, it has since been encased in several inches of ice, leading to it losing a bit of its edge. Still just as heavy (heavier, actually) than it was, though the nature of the icy shell encasing it lends to the weapon being more of a heavy club than a sword.
Shield: Nothing really to speak of, like the sword, it has since been encased in ice, which does protect the shield from wearing down over time. Primarily used to deflect blows, given that the small size doesn't lead to absorbing blows particularly well.
She also holds a shattered pendant around her neck, only one large piece of the previous design visible, which holds a strange warmth contrasting the rest of her.

Abilities:
Physical: As a snow spirit, she does have a somewhat otherwordly strength, allowing her to wield her greatsword easily in one hand. She does have resistance to the ill effects of being in cold environments, but she can feel every second of it, leading to a rather miserable existence. Her senses have been dulled, leading to her being nearly unable to taste or smell, while her touch is numb from the constant cold that surrounds her. While her hearing has been dulled, her nature as a Halfbeast still leads to it being slightly sharper than a normal humans. Unique among snow spirits due to strange circumstances surrounding her death, she is able to move freely around the world, though this comes at the cost of being unable to float, and she does require food and water, albeit at a much lower rate than most mortals. Additionally, while her body is resistant to damage from constant exposure to bone-chilling temperatures, she can still be hurt as usual, and nonmagical healing is rather slow, unless she has a source of snow or ice, which can be used to speed the process.
Magical: Though in life she had no skill with magic, nor a large enough Mana Heart to use magecraft, her nature does bring with it...
Isilra's Chill: In a sphere around her, about five feet in radius, there is a constant chill in the air, slowly freezing things that remain around her too closely, leading to objects sometimes being covered in a thin layer of frost when she leaves. This chill is certainly below freezing, approximately 0°F (-18°C), and absolutely constant, remaining that precise temperature whether atop the highest mountaintop, or in the heart of a volcano. This aura does not, however, protect her in the slightest from any fire, only slightly weakening it before it would reach her, and she holds a certain fascination with the warmth of the fire, and its flickering motions.

Backstory: While the events before her death are an unknown to her, the events afterwards are not particularly interesting, mostly wandering aimlessly around Isilra for years, before eventually happening upon a raiding nation of humans, living with them for a few years, never taking on an identity, but learning of how the world has changed, and heading to the south, to explore, and potentially find... why she had lived. Who she had been before. Or perhaps even discover secrets before even her.

[Cotton]

@Ypnosi

A sheet you possess indeed! Accepted!

[Infinite Cosmos]

@YpnosiSince both of our characters are from Isilra, perhaps they have some prior history?

[ShiningSector]

I'll have a completed CS soon. Shooting for a tomorrow release.

@Ypnosi Noticed the image don't seem to be working in the CS.