The Last War: End of an Era

SETTING:

Our story takes place in the world of Ganarus. Many races exist, but humans are absent. Prominent races include Elves, Lamia, Centaurs, and similar ilk. The world is somewhat advanced; firearms are beginning to be used regularly, although bows and crossbows are still common. Magic is wielded; but only by the most wise and powerful people of Ganarus, and it consumes their age. 

Wars have happened in the past, but the world has been experiencing an uneasy peace for the past few decades. Every nation stayed relatively within their boundaries, trade was prominent, and military power was rarely used beyond being a backup for police forces. 

As of late, tensions have begun rising. A great nation in the southern lands of Ganarus; the Dragonfolk, have been preparing for war. As their armies of countless soldiers prepared to march across the land, the Golems of the north sent thousands of emissaries to bring people north, to protect them from the coming war. You are among these people.

A Golem has come to your village, warning you of an approaching threat of Dragonfolk armies, and telling you that they will lead you north, if you wish to survive. Your journey will take you across the continent, and there will be many dangers you face: hunger, disease, Dragonfolk scouting parties, threatening you and those in your travelling party. 

You will see the world, perhaps in its last moments. Will you be remembered?

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RACES

Created by a powerful elven mage many years ago, just before his death. The Golems are a mysterious, but usually friendly people. They never tire, hunger, or suffer, but they do feel emotion and think. They suffer from being unable to replenish their numbers, and their population is far from what it was a few centuries ago. All Golems have the same age, being around 300 years old. They celebrate their collective "birth" every year in their home city of Stonehelm, in the northernmost reaches of the world.

No two golems have the same shape. Some are about the size of an Elf, and some tower above most buildings. For the most part, they average out to about nine feet high. They tend to have great strength and endurance, as they do not feel physical pain and are comprised of stone. They possess the ability to speak, but tend to be very literal in their vocabulary. If they are broken far enough, they will die, but minor breakages can usually be repaired.

They began numbering at exactly one million, but due to war, as well as accidents and disasters, the Golems now have about 200,000 people to their name, give or take a few thousand. They tend to have a habit of keeping inventory, and most Golems have a very close guess as to the amount of Golems left in the world. They are very careful, and are vehemently against pointless waste, be it of resources or lives.

They are excellent smiths and architects, and are known for their excellent weapons and armor. The Gelfad made a deal with them, that persists to this day, where they will protect them in exchange for weapons and armor, allowing both people to become a powerful military force in Ganarus. They lack the nimble fingers to handle a gun or bow, but are skilled with hammers. They are also known for using massive shields as weapons in battle.

Example Names: Gothan, Margon, Rellnath

Living in the mountain ranges just south of the Golems; the Gelfad are known not only for their military prowess, but also their sense of pride. They have a fierce rivalry with the Hawkeleves, who inhabit the same land as they do. Early in their history, the Gelfad were believed to be a bipedal cousin to Centaurs, whose ancestors were somehow pushed away from the fields and into the cold northern mountains.

Gelfad are usually similar in appearance; hoofed feet, a cover of fur, and a goat-like head with horns. They are slightly smaller than Elves, averaging at about 6 to 6 1/2 feet tall. Female Gelfad are slightly shorter than males, but they are equal in strength and endurance. At one point in history, Gelfad women were not allowed to fight, but this changed shortly after a female Gelfad mage rebelled, her allies using enchanted crossbows in battle to prove their prowess, alongside maces, axes, and even bare fists.

They make their homes within mountains, carving out massive fortresses of stone. They are herbivores, and although they grow some of their own food, they make trade with Centaur farmers to get the rest of what they need. They also trade military services with their northern neighbors, the Golems, in exchange for powerful weaponry. 

Gelfad are known to excel in mountain climbing, mostly due to their ability to jump rather high, and keen sense of what is and isn't a good thing to hold onto dear life with. They, along with adventurous Centaurs, are known as explorers throughout the world. 

Gelfad usually live to be about 60, and it is rare for a Gelfad to die of old age, given their warrior lifestyle and risky lives.

The term "Goatelf" was once used to describe Gelfad, but it is now considered a derogatory term and an insult, and usually results in a fight after being said. 

Their largest fortress is a few miles south of Stonehelm, known as "Haafengaether."

Example Names:

Male: Mogr, Griss, Fasolt

Female: Yrsa, Alette, Alfhild

The Elves of the mid-western forests of Ganarus have been a very populous civilization; though they mostly reside only in wooded areas, living with nature instead of owning it. They average out to about six to seven feet tall, with pale skin and pointed ears. Elves who reside in the forest cities tend to be slender, while those who reside on the plains farms alongside Centaurs tend to be more muscular, given their work load.

Elves are known throughout the world as defenders of nature, and typically oppose heavy industry, instead making their technology work alongside nature. Their homes are built on trees, in such a way that they will not harm it. Anything that may poison the air is done far away, or in lifeless underground caves. 

The Elvish government is a "diarchy," in which there are always two rulers, and both must agree on an issue before a decision is officially made. Though this does result in some issues remaining in stalemate for quite some time, it also allows the people to make their voices heard to both rulers, one of which may support them.

Elves are fast learning how to use the new golem-made firearms, but most of their ranged infantry relies on powerful handcrafted bows, those who belong to high-ranking archers usually have an enchantment of some sort. 

As Magic relies on age, Elves are commonly users of it, seeing as the average elf can live to be about 200 years old, though a few long-lived elves, mainly those who reject magic, have lived to be almost 500. When war would come to their people, many mages abandoned peaceful study and care for nature, learning spells of fire, lightening, and terror, which brought many mage-less armies to their knees.

Despite their powerful mages, the Elves are a relatively peaceful people, living in tandem with Centaurs, and usually keeping to themselves. Some Elves seek adventure outside of their towns and cities, and many young elves leave their homes at the age of 40, never settling down.

The Elvish capital city is Farastra, found in the center of the Ganarusian continent, surrounded by miles of mostly untouched forest. It is here that the diarchy, currently Gelva and Starus Ashenfell, resides and rule with a gentle touch over the Elvish people, who are now preparing for a devastating war. 

Example Names:

Male: Theodnum, Elred, Naesala

Female: Nym, Naesala, Rina.

*It should be noted that most Elves have an androgynous appearance, and gender is usually subject to choice. Whether or not an Elf uses magic to alter their sex to coincide with their current gender is a personal choice.

The Hawkelves are a mostly primitive and relatively young race. Living in isolated villages that pockmark the mountains of the Gelfad, they are harshly violent towards outsiders. Being carnivorous, most Hawkelves are brought up as hunter-warriors, trained from youth that their talons are the one thing between them and death.

Hawkelves are seclusive for the most part, and rarely venture beyond the boundaries of their village, but many adventurous Hawkelves will form hunting parties, hunting both animals and Geldad caravans. Hawkelves are fierce rivals with the Gelfad, and are infamous for raiding their caravans for weapons, or just for sport. Their flight allows them to attack Gelfad from above, where they would last expect. 

Using their razor-sharp talons, few Hawkelves rely on weapons for combat. Some Hawkelves have had talons sharp enough to cut through armor, and their talons are often sought-after in black markets for their capability to make deadly additions to a bludgeoning weapon.

Hawkeleves are unfortunately short-lived, only living about 40 years. They lay eggs at 20 years of age, and care for their young until they are 30, living the rest of their life either as a defender of their village or a hunter.

Hawkeleves live as usually seperated tribal communities, rarely establishing towns or villages with other races. Hawkeleves have no capital city.

Example Names:

Male and Female: Thunder, Justice, Gale, 

*Most Hawkeleves are named in their youth, usually after an act they performed or a trait they exemplify.

The Centaur are a people that have inhabited Ganarus for millennia, residing the the plains and the rivers that cut through them, living in towns and villages that rely on the rivers for agriculture. Centaurs are herbivorous, and farms in their land are usually larger than those of other races.

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I will be adding more to this later! Don't worry, I wouldn't post this much and call it a day, just short on time and eager to get this idea out there, lol.
scifidude47

scifidude47
