As long as anyone can remember, life has been governed by the unstable flux of arcane energy. Humans have always striven to unlock the hidden potential of the arcane through any means possible, from scientific extrapolation, to innate application through blind talent. It has pushed many to look for potential in areas which most thought to be dangerous, unnatural, or outright horrifying. Despite the many doubts that still linger in the minds of the masses, mages, both traditional and professional, have pushed their boundaries, birthing magic and technology that has shaped the structure of life as we know it. Regardless of the positive influence of their progress however, curiosity and perseverance ultimately acted as a catalyst for conflict and disagreement between factions, both big and small, across the scope of the entire world.
Thankfully, due to the combined efforts of the Arcadian nation, and their allies within the super continent of Thorisa, peace has been present for the past 120 years, and shows no real signs of waning any time soon. Despite disagreements between traditionalists and scientific methodists, life has never been better for civilians, and progress continues to flourish in both fields of arcane study. Even so, the tension between factions remains high, giving rise to very strained relations between the capital nations of Thorisa. Even though there's a mutual understanding to keep the peace, and none have been foolish enough to contradict this ideal, very few stable connections between nations exist outside of the Quadra-Power of Arcadia, Hyznia, Illon, and Teknoh. Towns, Cities and small Countries are completely separate from one another, spread unevenly across the continent, and physically divided by large, unclaimed expanses of land. Dangerous creatures, and untapped magics lay scattered across the empty recesses of no-man's-land for the strong of heart to discover, at their own risk, of course.
Very few actually choose to venture outside the borders of civilization, hunting for relics, nodes, and knowledge to further assist in the progression of arcane resources, all for different reasons. Some study independently from the conglomerates in any given city, developing or deconstructing magic in their own way, while others sell what they find to avoid the troubles of prolonged labor. Regardless of the intentions that these treasure hunters harbor, they're all looked upon as filth, and carry a horrible reputation alongside their profession. Thus, they have been labeled as 'Divers' akin to their habit of diving into the dangers that present themselves out in the mysterious wilds of no-man's-land. Although they put their lives at risk for the greater good of progress, there aren't many who respect their sacrifices at all. After all, bravery is idiotic in Thorisa, or at least that's what the governments would like the general populace to believe. Why? Nobody really knows.
There's one advantage that Divers have over even the most esteemed mages and scientists of the Arcadian order, though. They're the only ones who have the slightest idea of what's going on in no-man's-land. If Arcadia is the power mediating the largest civilizations across Thorisa, Divers are the power that mediate no-man's-land, effectively turning it into the 'Diver's paradise' for the experienced, and turning the ill-thought title of 'Diver' into a badge of courage to wear with pride. Some think that the Divers have established something of a rogue nation within no-man's-land, but information on their habits is sparse, and nobody is willing to leave the safety of their home nations to look into this theory any further. In that respect, Divers are safe from the eyes of Arcadia, and the nations under their supervision.
Now the world of Thorisa is waiting for you, fellow Divers. Are you ready to traverse no-man's-land for fame, fortune, and glory beyond your recognition- among your fellow Divers, anyways, haha!
Recent History ~
Joint in harmony with their sister nations, the conglomerate of Arcadia's Arch mages and head scientists have brought promise of a new golden age as a potential fruit of their labors over the past 15 years. News has spread like wildfire throughout Thorisa due to the combined efforts of popular Divers, and the limited relationships shared among nations directly connected to the Quadra-Powers. With the support of their government, the Council of Magic and Arcane Science have been approved to begin construction on a synthetic Arcane node. Based on the limited reports that have been drifting throughout Thorisa, news states that construction is thought to be going well, and the node will be ready for planting within the next few months. With enough arcane nodes, and man power, the nation of Arcadia is predicted to triple in size over the next five years as they colonize the surrounding territory with these manufactured Nodes. The reasoning for this decision to expand has been attributed to the population density in Arcadia and Teknoh reaching critical levels. Sustaining civilization has proven to be difficult, even with all the advancements in Arcane science over the past 100 or so years. Furthermore, the government has voiced their concerns regarding the well-being of Divers, and claim that this expansion might be able to save them a great deal of trouble in scavenging through the infinite expanse surrounding their nations.
In light of this new expansion project, the government has approved a new bill known as the 'Survey Initiative' which allows the CMAS to organize survey teams that mostly of Divers who hold vastly different capabilities and levels of experience in No-man's-land. With their assistance, the CMAS is confident that colonization will be highly optimal for the nation of Arcadia. This faith placed in Divers has brought tension in Arcadia to an all-time high, and any who have accepted the generous offer of employment from the CMAS have acquired a bad reputation in no-man's-land. Most of the more experienced Divers think poorly of Arcadia's new expansion plan, and have voiced their concerns rather audibly. However, the government has paid no mind to the concerns of Divers in light of the expansion project, aptly titled 'Scattered Shades' or S-S, holding far too much potential to cancel, or limit in any way. The CMAS have begun sending out 'licensed' Divers to survey the most suitable patches of land for expansion. These licensed Divers are referred to as 'Junkers' by any who look down upon their decision to work for the Arcadian government. Needless to say, Divers around the world have mixed feelings about this plan of action, and have gathered en'mass near Arcadia's capitol to either peacefully protest their ideas, or enroll in the Survey Initiative willingly for profit.
The largest supporter of S-S is the nation of Teknoh, whose population density has been on the verge of rupturing for nearly a year now. Most of the licensed Divers hail from Teknoh and her surrounding territories in No-man's-land, making up nearly 70% of those who have signed up for the Survey initiative. Being the closest sister Nation to Arcadia, this shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. Teknoh's branch of the CMAS has been working on a massive transport vessel as a part of project S-S to support Arcadia's expansion, but production is rumored to be delayed significantly, to a point where it might be a major factor in delaying the execution of the project. Due to the faltering economy, Teknoh has been heavily mediating access to their city, making its borders a haven for civilians and Divers alike, as dangerous as it may be.
Meanwhile, there have been rumors mucking about the people who predominantly live in the expanse of no-man's-land of a particular group of individuals who target powerful Divers and murder them without reason. It is assumed that bounties have been issued, or that this group of individuals simply find the Diver's way of life too disgusting to allow. Details on this rumor are vague, and there is no evidence to support this, aside from the rise in Diver deaths over the past few weeks.
There have also been reports from nations that border the infinite ocean that surrounds the Super-continent of Thorisa regarding a strange race of humans with emerald green eyes, and strange magical abilities that supersede the current understanding on Arcane manipulation, who have landed on Thorisan shores en'mass. These individuals are considered extremely dangerous, but there is no confirmation that they harbor any violent intentions. They have been labeled as 'Eel' people by many who have heard of this story. Some call them 'Emerald Fish' or 'Swimmers' but there is a consensus that they are far too secretive about their origins to be trusted.
Arcane energy is abundant in most nations, and sparse in others. Notably, the central expanse of Thorisa has suffered from a severe drop in node production, forcing several smaller villages to migrate into larger territories. This has created a lot of variety in southern villages, including the super power of Illon. There hasn't been much investigation into why this is happening in the continent's center, but it's considered negligible for the most part.
All in all, life is swell for most civilians, but Divers are usually concerned with the new expansion, or involved in it. Relations in no-man's-land are unsteady, and continue to grow weaker by the day.
Where you come in
As Divers and Junkers, you will be thrown into the world of Thorisa just as the survey Initiative begins, becoming intertwined in the developing conflict that Project S-S has created. Throughout the course of the RP, you'll be forced to traverse the never-ending hell-scape of no-man's-land alongside each other, out of necessity, curiosity, or an urge for adventure. Working together (Or against one another) you'll come to witness more than most ever dream of witnessing. Things aren't always as simple as they seem, though. There's more going on in No-Man's-Land than meets the eye. Will you end up falling into a path you can't stray off of too easily, smack dab in the middle of rumored conflict? Or will you try influence project S-S for the good of Divers everywhere? Hell, there's only one way to find out!
With the survey initiative about to go full throttle, head Diver Luke Juuno has alerted some of the most trusted Divers in Thorisa to report back to Diver’s paradise, with the help of his telekinetic mage partners, Laura Juuno, and Tinon Frez. A widespread psychic message has been sent out in order to assemble a small force of the most powerful Divers in order to sabotage the survey initiative before it even begins. His reasoning is simple, but it’d be better to hear it straight from his mouth, to avoid confusion.
Meanwhile, the current head of project S-S, Joshua Minet, has enlisted the commanding talent of Yvette Eridal to lead the newly founded ‘Survey Group Alpha’ into no-man’s-land. Yvette demanded the assistance of Karida Arconis, and with her help, they will be leaving with 10 other licensed Divers as soon as possible.
All the while, the head of the CMAS, Arch mage Sydney Duvell, has brought to the attention of his fellow head council members the behaviour of previous S-S founder Sulfrax Lauchlin. The former head’s reckless behavior and poor mental state are cause for alarm, and lowering his authority has not mitigated his negative impact on the project whatsoever. therefor he must be forced to take a leave of absence posthaste, Sydney Says. The council agrees that taking action would be in their best interests, so they have called Sulfrax to the council-chambers in order to give him the news.
The survey initiative has finally been set into motion, but Yvette's crew has met conflict in the Xena Rock fields. Luke Juno and his 24-man team have assailed the Junker ATV, and immobilized it entirely. Yvette's team was forced to defend themselves, making for a bloody battle that favored nobody involved.
