RUNE:
"What is Fire?
Courage and strength, the fury of the sun."
"What is Air?
Adventure and agility, the chaos of the storm."
"What is Earth?
Wisdom and endurance, the Immutability of the mountain."
"What is Water?
Intelligent and beautiful, the cold of the moon."
"What is Light?
Kind and selfless, the brilliance consumes all."
"What is Darkness?
Driven and protective, the hunger knows no limit."
~First verse of the hymn of the elements.
Characters and other crap goes here!
Welcome to RUNE! This roleplay focuses on the planet of RUNE, a magical land where both arcane magic and advanced technology reigns, a place where almost any sort of character is permitted, without jumping into mary-sue territory or the realm of Anthros, of course.
PC's will play characters heading to the desert city of Rosa, located in TERRA, to join the adventurer's guild there, to claim fortune and glory! While this OOC exists, there is still some background left to write, but feel free to write up a character and remember that players may assist me in world build if they wish.
IGNIS:
IGNIS is easily the most inhospitable of the six continents, for a variety of reasons. For one thing the landscape itself seems to have gone mad. Plains of jagged, rusted metal, Volcanoes lake of acid, Deserts of rust instead of sand, and worse. Only the very stongest survive the horrors of IGNIS, and here, they thrive. For you see, IGNIS only allows the mightiest warror in the land to rule, because what right does a man hve to command those stronger than him? Every five years, a tournament is held in the coliseum in the capital. This battle takes place between at least a hundred volunteers, and only one man will survive, the new Warlord. For you see, all battles are to the death. Nothing forces the previous Warlord to join the battle, though he can. Those warlords that do decline participating are often respected, for it is wise to know when you are no longer fit to rule. Many former Warlords have served as advisors to the new Warlords in the past, serving to guidethem so the things like the Vulpine Genocide are not repeated. The previous Warlord died recently, and with the tournament approaching that void will likely be filled soon.
AQUA:
In stark contrast to their Ignan neighbors, the Aquans live in a very habitable, some would say pleasant locale. For the most part, Aquan land consists of an enormous amount of tropical islands, with some underwater cities even. However, it is not without danger. Terrible things lurk in the depths, and more than a few islands are infested with cannibals. To the south, there are larger, colder landmasses. The two islands of Lapis and Lazuli are the largest islands, and mostly consist of snowy, though habitable, wastelands. The extreme south is almost completely unliveable however. AQUA's government is Semi-democractic, run by ten tribes. Each individual tribe chooses a representative, and one is elected as their president, elected by the other representatives. Voting for themselves is forbidden, as to prevent a complete stalemate in voting. The Sapphire tribe is in current leadership of the council.
TERRA: .
TERRA is by far the largest continent, and the most geographically (and racially) diverse. If it's not a glacier it can likely be found on TERRA. However, notable features include RUNE's largest Desert, mountain range, and forest. Peculiarly, under the western half of the continent there is an enormous tunnel running all the way through the continent, large enough to allow trade ships to pass through. As for government, an ordered Empire is employed, with succession based on lineage. However each would-be heir must prove themselves worthy in a trial determined by the people. If the family in power cannot produce a worthy successor, the people elect a leader from one of the other families, and succession proceeds normally. The general time period in which a family has control is referred to as a dynasty. Currently, the Jade family is in power. Notably, TERRA has an Empress at present, which by sheer virtue of chance has not happened in at least two centuries. She is also quite young, a mere sixteen years-old, and her leadership capabilities are often called into question because of this.
VENTUS:
While TERRA's lands may feel mundane and IGNIS may seem overly antagonistic, VENTUS is a happy medium. Ridiculous, but not necessarily mean-spirited. No less deadly though. In VENTUS, most of the landscape is rock and iron, however in some areas there is some truly warped gravity, resulting in floating platforms of stone and metal. There are at least three the size of small countries, these just sort of hover in more or less the smae spot, and countless numbers of smaller ones that just sort of roam. Though citizens of another continent havenothing to worry as floating islands that escape Ventus fall into the sea. Other than that, there are huge fields of windswept stone spires, tall and thin, as well as flat fields of iron sand, that are often plagued by windstorms and magnetic maelstroms. Still, it's not all bad as VENTUS is among the most technologically advanced of the civilizations. As for government, the traditional Royal families evolved into Various Merchant Houses over the course of VENTUS' history. Currently, the Topaz family is the dominant profiteer.
UMBRA:
UMBRA, the land of darkness. A fitting name, as for whatever reason the sun never shines all that brightly here. In fact, during the day the light level can be compared to sunset or sunrise. As such, UMBRA is quite cold. In addition, the sky seems to be a sort of reddish purple during the day. However, there is nowhere in the world with a more spectacularly clear view of the night sky. There is enormous detail in the starry sky, and the beautiful nights are an oft-cited tourist magnet. As for lands, while no IGNIS it has its dangers. Most of the land is rolling hills with but one mountain. There is a very tall cliff at the northern-most tip of the continent, and quite a few bogs and marshes. However, beware. to the northwest is a hellish nightmare forest, with trees of flesh and bone, with a hunger for things constructed of similar materials. As for government, UMBRA is odd. UMBRA is an Oligarchy, that is an elite few rule over the land (so, a royal family). The odd part is that the exact nature of the law or government is completely up to whatever family is in charge, until they are inevitably overthrown somehow. However, the leader, by tradition, is always referred to as Czar. This way, Rule often bounces between benevolent and tyrrannical. The current house in power is the Onyx house, which is the former.
NOVA:
NOVA, the land of light, also fitting. Nowhere does the sun shine brighter, the snow fall purer. Out of all the Continents, NOVA is said to be the most beautiful. Rolling snowy hills, gentle tundra, shining ice fields, and a truly breathtaking 'forest' that seems to be made entirely of crystalline structures. While there are dangers in the wilderness, they are said to be much more benign than other lands. And when compared to places like Ignis you better damn-well believe them. Novan citizens are fiercely loyal, zealous even, and extremely pious. NOVA is the only continent where demons and devils are unwelcome, for instance. While harsh on lawbreakers it is not an orwellian nightmare by any means. They was a dark time, however... NOVA is ruled by three governing bodies, each with checks and balances against eachother, to make sure the past stays in the past. There is the Archmage, who is simply the best mage in the land, often aged and wise. Then there is the Archsaint, appointed by the remainder of the royal families. He (or she) is mostly a figure-head, but is often the spiritual core of the nation, and does carry weight in decision-making. And finally the Council, which consists of 100 various seats, each member is elected by the public. The current Archsaint is a man of the Silver family, and the current Archmage is a Siren women by the name of Rue-a. Any rumors that the two are romantically involved are unfounded and to be ignored.
Gods And their domains (To be fleshed out later, player input is always welcome!):
Darkness, Progress, Ambition, Greed, Protection, The Stars: ♀ Auna
Light, Charity, Justice, Sacrifice, Vengeance, The Moon: ♂ Adon
Fire, Strength, Courage, War, Passion, The Sun: ♂ Fathaur
Water, Intelligence, Beauty, Love, Magic, The Seas: ♀ Iva
Air, Chaos, Freedom, Chance, Travel, the Weather: ♂ Zynir
Earth, Order, Wisdom, Family, Creation, the Land: ♀ Vaula
Death: ♀ Nyx.
Life: Ait.
Warden of the Nine Hells: ♂/♀ Asmodai
The Void Queen: ♀ Xiri
Note: All deities (except the void queen) do not have genders in the traditional sense. The symbol merely reflects their preferred identity. Ait, however, prefers to appear as a mass of lights, similar to a small galaxy.
If you have an idea for a race, feel free to send me a profile and argue why it'd be a good fit. Keep in mind that any race you make will be rare, so I can explain why none of the PC's have seen one before.
Humans:
Lifespan: A century (though magic may prolong this. Humanity is unique in this regard) with children maturing in their late teens
Humans are the most common race, as well as the race that holds almost all political power. As you are human, I need not go into detail about their physiology, other than the fact that they can in fact interbreed with other races, which is unique. You see, when most raced procreate, the child will be one or the other (For example, the child of an Orc and a Dwarf will either be an Orc or a Dwarf, not a hybrid). However, Human/whatever hybrids are possible. Exceptions are of course noted below. What follows is a list of the general ethnic qualities of the humans of the various continents.
Novan: Tend to blonde hair, grey eyes, fair skin. Their hair goes grey quickly.
Umbran: Dark hair, Dark skin, Violet eyes mostly. Hair grows quite slowly, shorter hair is more common. Facial hair is unnaffected.
Aquan: Tend towards blue eyes and brown hair, northern ones have darker skin.
Ignan: Blonde or red hair, orange eyes, fair skin. Not that you can tell, most are covered head to toe in industrial pollutants.
Terrans: Only Terran unique quality is Emerald eyes, extremely diverse.
Ventan: topaz/gold eyes, as well as dark hair, and darker skin. Mexicans, basically.
Dwarves:
Lifespan: Two centuries, with children maturing at the age of thirty.
The Dwarves are a hardy people. Though short (Averaging at about four and a half feet tall), they tend to be of sound constitution. What this means is that they are strong, durable, and ver, very good at holding their liquor. They lend themselves well to more violent professions, and can often be found as reliable guards in most cities. They also have a penchant for hard labor, such as mining or smithing, among other grunt work. They believe themselves to be Vaula's chosen people, and thus tend to be wise, cautious, and down to earth. They have a bit of a tinkering streak, and most tech not based on the stuff of the ancients that most citizens run into is usually dwarven. Dwares vary as much in skin tone and hair color as humans, though it should be noted that they can occaisonally develop grayish skin colors, and red/orange hair is the most common color.
Elves
Lifespan of all Elves save snow elves: three centuries, with children maturing at forty. Snow elves have the same lifespan of dwarves.
Elves vary in exact appearance, intelligence, size, and even basic anatomy. They can however all be identified by their slim features, almond shaped eyes, and long pointed ears.
High elves are the more magically inclined elves, and tend towards fair skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes, though they occasionally develop greyish-white skin and glowing eyes as they grow in magic power. They are usually quite arrogant, but once one gets past that they are good enough people, just hard to get along with.
Iron Elves Are basically the opposite. A little shorter than most men, they usually have either dusky brown, grey, or purple skin, with the first the most common, along with steel-grey or white hair. Their irises vary in exact color, though they have black sclera. They are quite fond of technology, and are usually suited to understanding it's workings. For whatever reason they are quite submissive, shy, and tend to develop inferiority complexes. that said, they are often extremely friendly.
Wood elves are quite rare, as most were killed by a plague. They are almost exactly like humans in terms of skin color, eyes and hair, but have said elven features discussed earlier. They seem to have a way with animals, and are usually very agreeable.
Sea Elves Odd, rare pale blue elves, with gills, solid black eyes, and gills. They have various fins on their bodies to help them swim, and are able to telepathically communicate with a willing recipient.
Snow Elves are Short elves (roughly the size of a goblin) with pale blue to nut brown skin that live in extremely cold climates, like NOVA or southern AQUA. they are quite adept at feats of incredible dexterity.
Sirens:
Average life span: 400, with children maturing in their mid twenties
Sirens are among the very strangest of all the races. While they aren't too unorthodox in their appearance, they make up in other ways. Sirens typically stand a bit shorter than humans, and may appear similar to elves. They have pointed ears as well, but they are much shorter. They tend toward fair skin, and it seems their hair can be literally any color. They have eyes with bar-shaped pupils, akin to a goat. What makes them special is they are almost entirely female, with only one in two-hundred children born male. Unfortunately, they may only breed with their own race (An exception being one with divine blood, who may basically breed with any race that reproduces sexually) , this means males are a treasured rescource, and are often given preferrential treatment in society to entice them into staying in theit home village, as it goes against their principals to force a living being to do anything against their will.
Their technology is among the most advanced in the realm, though rare and expensive. Found a plasma rifle? It's either recovered ancient tech or siren tech. They are also extremely magically sensitive, with one little caveat that gives them their name: Their magic is activated through song. While powerful if you can pull it off, you better be a good singer if you want to be a mage. Male sirens, however, can perform song-magic about as well as an orc. That being said, they are often very smart and quite handy with their tech.
Orcs:
Lifespan: up to seven decades, and mature in just twelve years.
Honorable, just warriors. Orcs are among the kindest of any race you will meet. Their villages tend to run on a meritocracy, similar to IGNIS. But while IGNIS leaves the weak to die while the strong flourish, the Orcs believe that it is the sacred duty of the strong to protect the weak. It is said that the original Orc community was a small group of rampaging marauders, burning and pillaging everything they came across. However when they came across a temple to Vaula and butchered the inhabitants, they were visited by an aspect of Vaula herself. She demanded that they atone for the sons and daughters they had slaughtered, or be destroyed as well. For the first few years, they didn't listen and continued their path of destruction. But they noticed that it seemed that everything conspired to kill them, as if the world itself wanted nothing more than their destruction. Thanking back to the godess' words, they considered the lives they were ending for the first time. They finally thought of their victims as people, just like they thought of their brothers and sisters.
But how could they atone? They certainly didn't much want to be barbarians anymore, and if they didn't atone Vaula would destroy them. Then, they had an idea. What if their killing aptitude could be put to a better purpose, using their might to protect people from others like them? So, that's what they did. While it is unknown how they originated, this is also widely concidered to be the origin of paladins. In Vaula's name, they slaughtered countless brigands and monstrosities, protecting the various people from any and all threats for little more than a bit of food and shelter in return. To this day, they uphold this tradition in the hopes that Vaula might forgive them.
Physically, Orcs stand at about the height of a man, and are often quite strong. They have tusks of varying thickness ranging from one to two inches in length jutting out of their lower jaw, and for this reason they tend to have an underbite. They usually have grey to green to dark brown skin on their powerful bodies, and pointed ears, no longer than a man's. Unfortunately, Orcs for whatever reason are highly resistant to magic. While this may make it difficult for wizards to kill them, they are rarely able to produce magic.
Da Mob (Gurblinz, Koboldz, and Gnomz)
Lifespan for all of them: Same as Orcs, though Koboldz mature twice as fast.
These three races seem to have united, and share a sort of 'mob mentality.' Only a century ago were they able to band together and convince the rest of the world they weren't simple vermin. They are all alike physically in that they seldom grow more than four feet tall.
Gurblinz: (Yes, that is how it's spelled, yes that is how you say it)
Gurblinz are like an Orc. If that Orc was short, and quick with their hands instead of strong. Okay, they're green and that's about it. They have long pointed ears (Longer than elves even) and large noses, and they tend towards dark hair and more 'agile' builds. They are quite good with their machinery, and Gurblinz have an innate curiosity. The spelling of their name harkens back to their days as mostly illiterate tribals, and they found the spelling that they adopted at the time too endearing to correct. They provide tech support to 'Da Mob.'
Koboldz:
Odd specimens, Koboldz are short humanoid creatures with reptilian features. They have long snouts and tails, and as stated are quite short. Do not let their size fool you, they are very strong. Strong enough to challenge Orcs even. However, this power comes at price, as Koboldz are completely unable to perform magic, and their hands aren't constructed in a manner suitable to use most technology with any sort of reliability. That said, they are pretty resistant to magic. The color of their scales (while not always) is usually determined by their affinity. Greens and browns=Earth. Reds and Oranges=Fire. Blues (all shades)=Water. Gold, yellows and Middle grays=Air. white, lighter grays, and silvers=Light. Black, darker grays and purples=Darkness. They are the muscle of 'Da Mob'
Gnomz:
Short, magically capable humanoids. They have odd features. Sort of like a thin dwarf with elven features. The men often grow short beards, and for both genders their hair tends to go grey or white very quickly. Their larger than normal eyes are often solid, softly glowing colors, relevant to their affinity. The colors are the same array as Koboldz. Gnomz are known for their exceptional magical aptitude, though their hollow bones leave them very susceptible to blunt objects and angry people. However, they tend to be pretty agile thanks to their reduced weight and desire to not be bludgeoned to death. They are the magical artillery of 'Da Mob.'
Demons/Devils:
The Demons and Devils that live on RUNE are supernatural entities that were exiled from their homes (The Abyss and The Nine Hells, specifically) for whatever reason and cursed to live as mortals. While the causes very wildly the most common is a desire to renounce their evil ways/become better people. As such, 'Unbound' Infernal/hellish creatures are much, much weaker than their bound kin, but are free to live in the mortal realm. In most places, while most people aren't comfortable around them, they are not seen as automatically evil. In fact, the common belief in NOVA (That they are mindless spirits that are manifested from pure sin) is a myth. They are no more capable of evil than a normal man or woman, though their upbringing tends to make them so. I.E while most Devils or Demons are evil, they aren't always. And nine out of ten Unbound aren't.
While no longer immortal and susceptible to conventional death, Unbound are still ageless When a Demon or Devil is born, they mature rapidly, usually within ten minutes, if not faster.
While Impossible to list all the myriad Demons and Devils, Broad categories are implemented.
Beasts are animalistic Demons or Devils, and are always bound, as evil is coded into them. That means no pc Beast unbound. They are mindless animals, only fit to serve their intended purpose.
Demons are creatures that embody chaos, for good or ill. These are the ones that slaughter and destroy, the ones without control. They dislike rules and regulations, and as such it is very hard to keep them controlled, and is likely the reason they haven't outright taken control of the mortal realm. This is where your Balrogs, your Oni, and your Asura come from.
Devils are the opposite, ruthless and cunning. They prefer trickery and pacts, tyranny over carnage. They love to subjugate mortals, and enjoy positions of power. While very organized, they are bound to guarding the Nine Hells, and keeping their prisoners in line. Devils are known for seven primary varieties of lesser ones, corresponding to the sins. Lust for succubi, Pride for jailers, Wrath for chained ones, and so on.
Courage and strength, the fury of the sun."
"What is Air?
Adventure and agility, the chaos of the storm."
"What is Earth?
Wisdom and endurance, the Immutability of the mountain."
"What is Water?
Intelligent and beautiful, the cold of the moon."
"What is Light?
Kind and selfless, the brilliance consumes all."
"What is Darkness?
Driven and protective, the hunger knows no limit."
~First verse of the hymn of the elements.
Characters and other crap goes here!
Welcome to RUNE! This roleplay focuses on the planet of RUNE, a magical land where both arcane magic and advanced technology reigns, a place where almost any sort of character is permitted, without jumping into mary-sue territory or the realm of Anthros, of course.
PC's will play characters heading to the desert city of Rosa, located in TERRA, to join the adventurer's guild there, to claim fortune and glory! While this OOC exists, there is still some background left to write, but feel free to write up a character and remember that players may assist me in world build if they wish.
IGNIS:
IGNIS is easily the most inhospitable of the six continents, for a variety of reasons. For one thing the landscape itself seems to have gone mad. Plains of jagged, rusted metal, Volcanoes lake of acid, Deserts of rust instead of sand, and worse. Only the very stongest survive the horrors of IGNIS, and here, they thrive. For you see, IGNIS only allows the mightiest warror in the land to rule, because what right does a man hve to command those stronger than him? Every five years, a tournament is held in the coliseum in the capital. This battle takes place between at least a hundred volunteers, and only one man will survive, the new Warlord. For you see, all battles are to the death. Nothing forces the previous Warlord to join the battle, though he can. Those warlords that do decline participating are often respected, for it is wise to know when you are no longer fit to rule. Many former Warlords have served as advisors to the new Warlords in the past, serving to guidethem so the things like the Vulpine Genocide are not repeated. The previous Warlord died recently, and with the tournament approaching that void will likely be filled soon.
AQUA:
In stark contrast to their Ignan neighbors, the Aquans live in a very habitable, some would say pleasant locale. For the most part, Aquan land consists of an enormous amount of tropical islands, with some underwater cities even. However, it is not without danger. Terrible things lurk in the depths, and more than a few islands are infested with cannibals. To the south, there are larger, colder landmasses. The two islands of Lapis and Lazuli are the largest islands, and mostly consist of snowy, though habitable, wastelands. The extreme south is almost completely unliveable however. AQUA's government is Semi-democractic, run by ten tribes. Each individual tribe chooses a representative, and one is elected as their president, elected by the other representatives. Voting for themselves is forbidden, as to prevent a complete stalemate in voting. The Sapphire tribe is in current leadership of the council.
TERRA: .
TERRA is by far the largest continent, and the most geographically (and racially) diverse. If it's not a glacier it can likely be found on TERRA. However, notable features include RUNE's largest Desert, mountain range, and forest. Peculiarly, under the western half of the continent there is an enormous tunnel running all the way through the continent, large enough to allow trade ships to pass through. As for government, an ordered Empire is employed, with succession based on lineage. However each would-be heir must prove themselves worthy in a trial determined by the people. If the family in power cannot produce a worthy successor, the people elect a leader from one of the other families, and succession proceeds normally. The general time period in which a family has control is referred to as a dynasty. Currently, the Jade family is in power. Notably, TERRA has an Empress at present, which by sheer virtue of chance has not happened in at least two centuries. She is also quite young, a mere sixteen years-old, and her leadership capabilities are often called into question because of this.
VENTUS:
While TERRA's lands may feel mundane and IGNIS may seem overly antagonistic, VENTUS is a happy medium. Ridiculous, but not necessarily mean-spirited. No less deadly though. In VENTUS, most of the landscape is rock and iron, however in some areas there is some truly warped gravity, resulting in floating platforms of stone and metal. There are at least three the size of small countries, these just sort of hover in more or less the smae spot, and countless numbers of smaller ones that just sort of roam. Though citizens of another continent havenothing to worry as floating islands that escape Ventus fall into the sea. Other than that, there are huge fields of windswept stone spires, tall and thin, as well as flat fields of iron sand, that are often plagued by windstorms and magnetic maelstroms. Still, it's not all bad as VENTUS is among the most technologically advanced of the civilizations. As for government, the traditional Royal families evolved into Various Merchant Houses over the course of VENTUS' history. Currently, the Topaz family is the dominant profiteer.
UMBRA:
UMBRA, the land of darkness. A fitting name, as for whatever reason the sun never shines all that brightly here. In fact, during the day the light level can be compared to sunset or sunrise. As such, UMBRA is quite cold. In addition, the sky seems to be a sort of reddish purple during the day. However, there is nowhere in the world with a more spectacularly clear view of the night sky. There is enormous detail in the starry sky, and the beautiful nights are an oft-cited tourist magnet. As for lands, while no IGNIS it has its dangers. Most of the land is rolling hills with but one mountain. There is a very tall cliff at the northern-most tip of the continent, and quite a few bogs and marshes. However, beware. to the northwest is a hellish nightmare forest, with trees of flesh and bone, with a hunger for things constructed of similar materials. As for government, UMBRA is odd. UMBRA is an Oligarchy, that is an elite few rule over the land (so, a royal family). The odd part is that the exact nature of the law or government is completely up to whatever family is in charge, until they are inevitably overthrown somehow. However, the leader, by tradition, is always referred to as Czar. This way, Rule often bounces between benevolent and tyrrannical. The current house in power is the Onyx house, which is the former.
NOVA:
NOVA, the land of light, also fitting. Nowhere does the sun shine brighter, the snow fall purer. Out of all the Continents, NOVA is said to be the most beautiful. Rolling snowy hills, gentle tundra, shining ice fields, and a truly breathtaking 'forest' that seems to be made entirely of crystalline structures. While there are dangers in the wilderness, they are said to be much more benign than other lands. And when compared to places like Ignis you better damn-well believe them. Novan citizens are fiercely loyal, zealous even, and extremely pious. NOVA is the only continent where demons and devils are unwelcome, for instance. While harsh on lawbreakers it is not an orwellian nightmare by any means. They was a dark time, however... NOVA is ruled by three governing bodies, each with checks and balances against eachother, to make sure the past stays in the past. There is the Archmage, who is simply the best mage in the land, often aged and wise. Then there is the Archsaint, appointed by the remainder of the royal families. He (or she) is mostly a figure-head, but is often the spiritual core of the nation, and does carry weight in decision-making. And finally the Council, which consists of 100 various seats, each member is elected by the public. The current Archsaint is a man of the Silver family, and the current Archmage is a Siren women by the name of Rue-a. Any rumors that the two are romantically involved are unfounded and to be ignored.
Gods And their domains (To be fleshed out later, player input is always welcome!):
Darkness, Progress, Ambition, Greed, Protection, The Stars: ♀ Auna
Light, Charity, Justice, Sacrifice, Vengeance, The Moon: ♂ Adon
Fire, Strength, Courage, War, Passion, The Sun: ♂ Fathaur
Water, Intelligence, Beauty, Love, Magic, The Seas: ♀ Iva
Air, Chaos, Freedom, Chance, Travel, the Weather: ♂ Zynir
Earth, Order, Wisdom, Family, Creation, the Land: ♀ Vaula
Death: ♀ Nyx.
Life: Ait.
Warden of the Nine Hells: ♂/♀ Asmodai
The Void Queen: ♀ Xiri
Note: All deities (except the void queen) do not have genders in the traditional sense. The symbol merely reflects their preferred identity. Ait, however, prefers to appear as a mass of lights, similar to a small galaxy.
If you have an idea for a race, feel free to send me a profile and argue why it'd be a good fit. Keep in mind that any race you make will be rare, so I can explain why none of the PC's have seen one before.
Humans:
Lifespan: A century (though magic may prolong this. Humanity is unique in this regard) with children maturing in their late teens
Humans are the most common race, as well as the race that holds almost all political power. As you are human, I need not go into detail about their physiology, other than the fact that they can in fact interbreed with other races, which is unique. You see, when most raced procreate, the child will be one or the other (For example, the child of an Orc and a Dwarf will either be an Orc or a Dwarf, not a hybrid). However, Human/whatever hybrids are possible. Exceptions are of course noted below. What follows is a list of the general ethnic qualities of the humans of the various continents.
Novan: Tend to blonde hair, grey eyes, fair skin. Their hair goes grey quickly.
Umbran: Dark hair, Dark skin, Violet eyes mostly. Hair grows quite slowly, shorter hair is more common. Facial hair is unnaffected.
Aquan: Tend towards blue eyes and brown hair, northern ones have darker skin.
Ignan: Blonde or red hair, orange eyes, fair skin. Not that you can tell, most are covered head to toe in industrial pollutants.
Terrans: Only Terran unique quality is Emerald eyes, extremely diverse.
Ventan: topaz/gold eyes, as well as dark hair, and darker skin. Mexicans, basically.
Dwarves:
Lifespan: Two centuries, with children maturing at the age of thirty.
The Dwarves are a hardy people. Though short (Averaging at about four and a half feet tall), they tend to be of sound constitution. What this means is that they are strong, durable, and ver, very good at holding their liquor. They lend themselves well to more violent professions, and can often be found as reliable guards in most cities. They also have a penchant for hard labor, such as mining or smithing, among other grunt work. They believe themselves to be Vaula's chosen people, and thus tend to be wise, cautious, and down to earth. They have a bit of a tinkering streak, and most tech not based on the stuff of the ancients that most citizens run into is usually dwarven. Dwares vary as much in skin tone and hair color as humans, though it should be noted that they can occaisonally develop grayish skin colors, and red/orange hair is the most common color.
Elves
Lifespan of all Elves save snow elves: three centuries, with children maturing at forty. Snow elves have the same lifespan of dwarves.
Elves vary in exact appearance, intelligence, size, and even basic anatomy. They can however all be identified by their slim features, almond shaped eyes, and long pointed ears.
High elves are the more magically inclined elves, and tend towards fair skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes, though they occasionally develop greyish-white skin and glowing eyes as they grow in magic power. They are usually quite arrogant, but once one gets past that they are good enough people, just hard to get along with.
Iron Elves Are basically the opposite. A little shorter than most men, they usually have either dusky brown, grey, or purple skin, with the first the most common, along with steel-grey or white hair. Their irises vary in exact color, though they have black sclera. They are quite fond of technology, and are usually suited to understanding it's workings. For whatever reason they are quite submissive, shy, and tend to develop inferiority complexes. that said, they are often extremely friendly.
Wood elves are quite rare, as most were killed by a plague. They are almost exactly like humans in terms of skin color, eyes and hair, but have said elven features discussed earlier. They seem to have a way with animals, and are usually very agreeable.
Sea Elves Odd, rare pale blue elves, with gills, solid black eyes, and gills. They have various fins on their bodies to help them swim, and are able to telepathically communicate with a willing recipient.
Snow Elves are Short elves (roughly the size of a goblin) with pale blue to nut brown skin that live in extremely cold climates, like NOVA or southern AQUA. they are quite adept at feats of incredible dexterity.
Sirens:
Average life span: 400, with children maturing in their mid twenties
Sirens are among the very strangest of all the races. While they aren't too unorthodox in their appearance, they make up in other ways. Sirens typically stand a bit shorter than humans, and may appear similar to elves. They have pointed ears as well, but they are much shorter. They tend toward fair skin, and it seems their hair can be literally any color. They have eyes with bar-shaped pupils, akin to a goat. What makes them special is they are almost entirely female, with only one in two-hundred children born male. Unfortunately, they may only breed with their own race (An exception being one with divine blood, who may basically breed with any race that reproduces sexually) , this means males are a treasured rescource, and are often given preferrential treatment in society to entice them into staying in theit home village, as it goes against their principals to force a living being to do anything against their will.
Their technology is among the most advanced in the realm, though rare and expensive. Found a plasma rifle? It's either recovered ancient tech or siren tech. They are also extremely magically sensitive, with one little caveat that gives them their name: Their magic is activated through song. While powerful if you can pull it off, you better be a good singer if you want to be a mage. Male sirens, however, can perform song-magic about as well as an orc. That being said, they are often very smart and quite handy with their tech.
Orcs:
Lifespan: up to seven decades, and mature in just twelve years.
Honorable, just warriors. Orcs are among the kindest of any race you will meet. Their villages tend to run on a meritocracy, similar to IGNIS. But while IGNIS leaves the weak to die while the strong flourish, the Orcs believe that it is the sacred duty of the strong to protect the weak. It is said that the original Orc community was a small group of rampaging marauders, burning and pillaging everything they came across. However when they came across a temple to Vaula and butchered the inhabitants, they were visited by an aspect of Vaula herself. She demanded that they atone for the sons and daughters they had slaughtered, or be destroyed as well. For the first few years, they didn't listen and continued their path of destruction. But they noticed that it seemed that everything conspired to kill them, as if the world itself wanted nothing more than their destruction. Thanking back to the godess' words, they considered the lives they were ending for the first time. They finally thought of their victims as people, just like they thought of their brothers and sisters.
But how could they atone? They certainly didn't much want to be barbarians anymore, and if they didn't atone Vaula would destroy them. Then, they had an idea. What if their killing aptitude could be put to a better purpose, using their might to protect people from others like them? So, that's what they did. While it is unknown how they originated, this is also widely concidered to be the origin of paladins. In Vaula's name, they slaughtered countless brigands and monstrosities, protecting the various people from any and all threats for little more than a bit of food and shelter in return. To this day, they uphold this tradition in the hopes that Vaula might forgive them.
Physically, Orcs stand at about the height of a man, and are often quite strong. They have tusks of varying thickness ranging from one to two inches in length jutting out of their lower jaw, and for this reason they tend to have an underbite. They usually have grey to green to dark brown skin on their powerful bodies, and pointed ears, no longer than a man's. Unfortunately, Orcs for whatever reason are highly resistant to magic. While this may make it difficult for wizards to kill them, they are rarely able to produce magic.
Da Mob (Gurblinz, Koboldz, and Gnomz)
Lifespan for all of them: Same as Orcs, though Koboldz mature twice as fast.
These three races seem to have united, and share a sort of 'mob mentality.' Only a century ago were they able to band together and convince the rest of the world they weren't simple vermin. They are all alike physically in that they seldom grow more than four feet tall.
Gurblinz: (Yes, that is how it's spelled, yes that is how you say it)
Gurblinz are like an Orc. If that Orc was short, and quick with their hands instead of strong. Okay, they're green and that's about it. They have long pointed ears (Longer than elves even) and large noses, and they tend towards dark hair and more 'agile' builds. They are quite good with their machinery, and Gurblinz have an innate curiosity. The spelling of their name harkens back to their days as mostly illiterate tribals, and they found the spelling that they adopted at the time too endearing to correct. They provide tech support to 'Da Mob.'
Koboldz:
Odd specimens, Koboldz are short humanoid creatures with reptilian features. They have long snouts and tails, and as stated are quite short. Do not let their size fool you, they are very strong. Strong enough to challenge Orcs even. However, this power comes at price, as Koboldz are completely unable to perform magic, and their hands aren't constructed in a manner suitable to use most technology with any sort of reliability. That said, they are pretty resistant to magic. The color of their scales (while not always) is usually determined by their affinity. Greens and browns=Earth. Reds and Oranges=Fire. Blues (all shades)=Water. Gold, yellows and Middle grays=Air. white, lighter grays, and silvers=Light. Black, darker grays and purples=Darkness. They are the muscle of 'Da Mob'
Gnomz:
Short, magically capable humanoids. They have odd features. Sort of like a thin dwarf with elven features. The men often grow short beards, and for both genders their hair tends to go grey or white very quickly. Their larger than normal eyes are often solid, softly glowing colors, relevant to their affinity. The colors are the same array as Koboldz. Gnomz are known for their exceptional magical aptitude, though their hollow bones leave them very susceptible to blunt objects and angry people. However, they tend to be pretty agile thanks to their reduced weight and desire to not be bludgeoned to death. They are the magical artillery of 'Da Mob.'
Demons/Devils:
The Demons and Devils that live on RUNE are supernatural entities that were exiled from their homes (The Abyss and The Nine Hells, specifically) for whatever reason and cursed to live as mortals. While the causes very wildly the most common is a desire to renounce their evil ways/become better people. As such, 'Unbound' Infernal/hellish creatures are much, much weaker than their bound kin, but are free to live in the mortal realm. In most places, while most people aren't comfortable around them, they are not seen as automatically evil. In fact, the common belief in NOVA (That they are mindless spirits that are manifested from pure sin) is a myth. They are no more capable of evil than a normal man or woman, though their upbringing tends to make them so. I.E while most Devils or Demons are evil, they aren't always. And nine out of ten Unbound aren't.
While no longer immortal and susceptible to conventional death, Unbound are still ageless When a Demon or Devil is born, they mature rapidly, usually within ten minutes, if not faster.
While Impossible to list all the myriad Demons and Devils, Broad categories are implemented.
Beasts are animalistic Demons or Devils, and are always bound, as evil is coded into them. That means no pc Beast unbound. They are mindless animals, only fit to serve their intended purpose.
Demons are creatures that embody chaos, for good or ill. These are the ones that slaughter and destroy, the ones without control. They dislike rules and regulations, and as such it is very hard to keep them controlled, and is likely the reason they haven't outright taken control of the mortal realm. This is where your Balrogs, your Oni, and your Asura come from.
Devils are the opposite, ruthless and cunning. They prefer trickery and pacts, tyranny over carnage. They love to subjugate mortals, and enjoy positions of power. While very organized, they are bound to guarding the Nine Hells, and keeping their prisoners in line. Devils are known for seven primary varieties of lesser ones, corresponding to the sins. Lust for succubi, Pride for jailers, Wrath for chained ones, and so on.
