Jeddah was barely in the room and something had already gone flying across the room. How glorious. She did, however, maintain her composure despite wanting to instinctively fall forwards in an attempt to be closer to the ground. Nothing bad every happened when anyone was on the ground, right? She had laughed off her nervousness and reassessed the situation at hand. She had bought two dozen muffins. There were nine at least eight other people in the room. Unfortunately for her, she did not know proper math. So instead, she placed her confidence in herself and spoke to everyone again.
"Yeah! If you want you can have some. Got them for you guys of course. I'll just set them somewhere and you guys can help yourselves." She had said, walking over to a nearby table. "I got banana nut, poppy seed, blueberry, plain, and something special for those of you with sweet teeth."
When Jeddah had learned that she was to meet the other runes, she simply had to make a good impression. In spite of the objections that the Blessed had made, Jeddah had made her way out of the mansion with her bike and was on the move in town. Her first stop was the bakery, where she had procured two dozen muffins for a sheer excess of the price- purchasing a bow and a basket would certainly help cut down her purse's contents. She had considered getting everyone a puppy, but that would entail ferrying nine puppies and a basket of baked goods across town at high speed on a bike. Either the puppies would eat the muffins or the muffins would eat the puppies. Either way, she wouldn't have it. So, instead, she simply returned with the muffins- a handful of them poppy seed, another few blueberry, some of them banana nut, others being plain, and a few of them actually not being muffins at all, for they were cupcakes in disguise. What a pleasant treat indeed for those that would come across the hidden cupcakes.
As she had biked back, Jeddah couldn't help but wonder what the other runes would be like. Perhaps they would be the kind and gentle kind of hero that she had dreamed to be all those years ago in her home. Perhaps they were the kind of people that would plan before going into a situation. It did not matter to her, she was simply glad that she was not alone in her duties. Sure, she had occasionally engaged passerby in conversation, either being shrugged off or ignored entirely, but that meant nothing. Surely they were busy, and had no time to talk, if they even were her fellow runes.
On arrival, Jeddah dismounted her bike and leaned it against the nearest wall. Nobody had taken it yet, so she had taken to leaning it on various surfaces of various establishments. She had no lock after all, so trust in the public would have been her lock and key for the time being. Beginning to walk in, she was plagued by the usual sharp pain of a plant coming from her rune. That time it was a small sunflower. Shaking it off, Jeddah counted the muffins and made her way to the meeting room where she greeted her newfound allies with an infectious and joyous candor.
"Good morning room and all that inhabit it, my name's Jeddah and I'll be your muffin mistress today!"
Full Name: Jeddah Eversome Nicknames: Jed Age: 20 Gender: Female Rune/Location: Berkano, nape of neck Rune Powers: - Jeddah wields the ability to manipulate and grow plants at an alarming rate, and with enough effort, she can cause changes in them as well. Thorns, poison, mouths, tendrils, and many more modifications can be added; if only she was trained to do so, of course. - Another ability of Jeddah's is the ability to generate seeds and buddings of plants almost at random. These blooms stem from the rune on the back of her neck, and can become quite painful when left untreated. However, it simply means that she is never at a loss for plants when training or combat rears its head.
Description:
Jeddah is a lithe and relatively short woman, standing at only 4'8.5" and weighing in at 101 pounds. Like the rest of her body, her face is light and thin, but still looks healthy. Her eyes are a dark brown, and her hair is the same color, cascading over her pale face and stopping just below her chin. Physically, she is not imposing at all, and her real defining feature is this. She is so lithe and elfin that one might mistake her for a tall child or teen.
Style wise, Jeddah truly does not care. She had once lived on a policy of hand me downs and borrowed clothes, but once times began to change, she had moved herself to more casual or modern attire. She often does tend to keep her head covered, be it with a hat or a hood. She does not wear makeup, as it is either expensive or superficial, and she is always seen accompanied by her bike.
Personality:
Jeddah is a rather childish person for her age, but still manages to ground her ways in her optimistic and giving attitude. She is rather patient, and fears for the well being of others more than she fears for her own safety. This comes from her upbringing, and her charitable actions in the past. Jeddah has no issues with sharing or even outright giving objects or information that would normally be reserved for her. In that respect, she is quite naïve and blind to how the world works at large. She also is very personable, and will find any way to root herself into the life of someone in need.
Skills: + Excellent biking skills + Cooking + Dishwashing + Laundry skills + Above average endurance + Relentless Optimism + People Skills + Directional sense Weaknesses: - Optimism - Lack of physical strength - Lack of experience in the world at large - Naive nature
Brief History:
Jeddah was not born into the best of circumstances, and was brought up in one of the less fortunate townships in the world. Not only less fortunate in terms of wealth, but less fortunate in terms of safety. People on occasion would go missing and never return; everyone knew why, but nobody dared to say. In truth, the beasts and creatures of the wilderness and dark were claiming lives, and little was done about it. All the while, Jeddah grew up in a home where only she and her older sister had dwelled. However, at the age of twelve, Jeddah lost her sister to the beasts and brutality that had gone unchecked in her town. So, for two years she fended for herself, occasionally having to make runs on her trusty bike and hiding in the homes of those that would offer refuge. Then, one day, something of a miracle happened.
Jeddah had a dream in which she was gifted with an unimaginable power, one that would help save the lives of many. Even as she had gazed listlessly into the hordes of the very same monsters that had taken her sister from her, she had a smile in that dream, a smile fueled by the fact that she would be the one helping instead of needing help. And then, unexpectedly, she had awoken in a cold sweat. After that day, she had put her biking skills and know-how of navigation to good use, and began to deliver the supplies she did not need to those that needed them more. Soon she had amassed enough tithe that she had begrudgingly accepted, and was able to purchase a better bike from a few towns over.
Eventually that bike was her ticket to escaping to a better life, as the town had slowly become deserted until it was only she and the bike, both of which moving at top speed as Jeddah escaped the township. On the way to the next town over, she was nearly pinned down by a determined Warg, but luckily both her bike and the beast were entangled in a thick overgrowth. The foliage had let go of the bike, but left the Warg out to dry. The next day, she was approached by members of the Blessed, and had been with them ever since.
Full Name: Jeddah Eversome Nicknames: Jed Age: 20 Gender: Female Rune/Location: Berkano, nape of neck Rune Powers: - Jeddah wields the ability to manipulate and grow plants at an alarming rate, and with enough effort, she can cause changes in them as well. Thorns, poison, mouths, tendrils, and many more modifications can be added; if only she was trained to do so, of course. - Another ability of Jeddah's is the ability to generate seeds and buddings of plants almost at random. These blooms stem from the rune on the back of her neck, and can become quite painful when left untreated. However, it simply means that she is never at a loss for plants when training or combat rears its head.
Description:
Jeddah is a lithe and relatively short woman, standing at only 4'8.5" and weighing in at 101 pounds. Like the rest of her body, her face is light and thin, but still looks healthy. Her eyes are a dark brown, and her hair is the same color, cascading over her pale face and stopping just below her chin. Physically, she is not imposing at all, and her real defining feature is this. She is so lithe and elfin that one might mistake her for a tall child or teen.
Style wise, Jeddah truly does not care. She had once lived on a policy of hand me downs and borrowed clothes, but once times began to change, she had moved herself to more casual or modern attire. She often does tend to keep her head covered, be it with a hat or a hood. She does not wear makeup, as it is either expensive or superficial, and she is always seen accompanied by her bike.
Personality:
Jeddah is a rather childish person for her age, but still manages to ground her ways in her optimistic and giving attitude. She is rather patient, and fears for the well being of others more than she fears for her own safety. This comes from her upbringing, and her charitable actions in the past. Jeddah has no issues with sharing or even outright giving objects or information that would normally be reserved for her. In that respect, she is quite naïve and blind to how the world works at large. She also is very personable, and will find any way to root herself into the life of someone in need.
Skills: + Excellent biking skills + Cooking + Dishwashing + Laundry skills + Above average endurance + Relentless Optimism + People Skills + Directional sense Weaknesses: - Optimism - Lack of physical strength - Lack of experience in the world at large - Naive nature
Brief History:
Jeddah was not born into the best of circumstances, and was brought up in one of the less fortunate townships in the world. Not only less fortunate in terms of wealth, but less fortunate in terms of safety. People on occasion would go missing and never return; everyone knew why, but nobody dared to say. In truth, the beasts and creatures of the wilderness and dark were claiming lives, and little was done about it. All the while, Jeddah grew up in a home where only she and her older sister had dwelled. However, at the age of twelve, Jeddah lost her sister to the beasts and brutality that had gone unchecked in her town. So, for two years she fended for herself, occasionally having to make runs on her trusty bike and hiding in the homes of those that would offer refuge. Then, one day, something of a miracle happened.
Jeddah had a dream in which she was gifted with an unimaginable power, one that would help save the lives of many. Even as she had gazed listlessly into the hordes of the very same monsters that had taken her sister from her, she had a smile in that dream, a smile fueled by the fact that she would be the one helping instead of needing help. And then, unexpectedly, she had awoken in a cold sweat. After that day, she had put her biking skills and know-how of navigation to good use, and began to deliver the supplies she did not need to those that needed them more. Soon she had amassed enough tithe that she had begrudgingly accepted, and was able to purchase a better bike from a few towns over.
Eventually that bike was her ticket to escaping to a better life, as the town had slowly become deserted until it was only she and the bike, both of which moving at top speed as Jeddah escaped the township. On the way to the next town over, she was nearly pinned down by a determined Warg, but luckily both her bike and the beast were entangled in a thick overgrowth. The foliage had let go of the bike, but left the Warg out to dry. The next day, she was approached by members of the Blessed, and had been with them ever since.
*This is a second advertisement, for the sake of gathering people.
Greetings, I am Cloudburst, and I am here to bring you my latest creation, though I am in a rough spot in finding a name for it. For now, it will be known as, From When The World Was Full of Wonders. I had designed this to be set in a rich fantasy world rife with lore so thick and convoluted that one could peel it from the very screen they had read it from. Like any world it has many crevices and expanses to explore, but one must know the history of the world they inhabit to experience it to the fullest extent. And so, without any more dallying, I give to you, the lore.
When the Godflame was first lit, sparks were strewn near and far. These sparks were the Allflames, the incandescent fragments of the Godflame that had warded off the Abyss. Most had faded into the Abyss before they could burn away the darkness, and in the end, only four had remained. The Xaerrat, Faan-Do, Irostine, and Odir Allflames each burned fervently, halting the advance of the Abyss. For a time, there was peace, and the Allflames grew restless in the wake of their victories over the Abyss. Without warning, within them rose a thing unlike any other. Each Allflame had produced forms to contain a portion of its warmth, fearsome dragons with an ember of their Allflame within them and names to match their creators. The Dragons then were granted free reign of the unformed world, and in truth, gave it form and life.
Xaerrat, the firstborn named after the first of Allflames, had created the land itself, and named the world after himself. He then created Humans, animals, and other hosts to call the world home. Faan-Do, the eldest of the twins had created servants for her and her kin in the form of the Lamia, a combination of Human and woefully incomplete dragon much like herself and her sister. Irostine, the second and more clairvoyant twin had succeeded her sister, and created not only the Centaurs, but the Elves, Dwarves and Ryaa as well. Last as always, the youngest of the dragons, Odir, had sought to create life just as his kin did. However, Odir was driven to madness in his search, and as such, his creations were as twisted as his mind. He had created the Daimons, and his sons and daughters had soon smothered him and his ember within themselves.
With the smothering of Odir, the Allflame responsible for his creation flickered at the Abyss, and faltered at the loss of a mere ember. The Abyss then advanced on the four flames and the world they had created. Before the world was touched, the embers of the Allflames consumed by the Abyss had been reawakened, and a new Allflame was forged from within it. It was called the Abyssal Allflame by the three remaining dragons, and this Allflame had not created a dragon to safeguard its ember, but an entire legion of forms called Ayen. Within the Ayen, the Abyssal ember smoldered, and unlike the Daimons, they were able to utilize their gifts to safeguard their Allflame.
That, however, was long ago, when the world had not yet been filled with wonders.
The first wonder was the Slumbering of Dragons, wherein the dragons bearing the embers of Allflames had been put into a slumber to safeguard their flickering flames, for all fire would soon fade. Two false dragons were created to safeguard the flames without dragons, for the Ayen and Daimons were not trusted by the original triptych of dragons. The two artificial dragons were granted the names Viodir and Uiodir, and were made from the smothered remains of Odir, with Viodir slumbering with the Abyssal Allflame and Uiodir slumbering with the Odir Allflame. Only, without embers, Viodir and Uiodir soon succumbed to the embrace of the Abyss.
The second wonder was the flickering of the Five Flames, and the spreading of embers. All fire required ample fuel, save for the Godflame, and Allflames were subject to a slow death without tithe to burn. The Five Flames spread a portion of their embers to their dragons' creations and bid them a message with their gifted warmth. Those chosen to bear an ember within their bosom were known as the Embraced, and Daimons and Ayen were forbid from becoming Embraced, for they already held their embers dear. Embraced would then amass their power, and ultimately offer themselves to the Allflame that had gifted them their power, but not before passing the trials of the dragon watching over in slumber.
Following the first two wonders, numerous and untold wonders followed. Secrets and treasures of the Abyss had been revealed after the first Embraced gave their lives to strengthen the Five Flames, and soon, the lesser of the consumed Allflames had created worlds of their own that had been revealed to the peoples of Xaerrat. The Age of Wonders had truly begun. Each of the seven races of the world had turned their eyes to the wonders that had seeped in from the Abyss, and had braced themselves for a world full of wonder.
Within the world of Xaerrat, I would assume there would be much to do. They are essentially in a golden age because of the wonders bestowed upon the world due to the sacrifices of the Embraced and the warmth of the Five Flames. However, this golden age does not translate into peace. Counting subdivisions, there are sixteen species that call Xaerrat home, and not all of them see the wonders in the same way the others might. Not only that, but societal barriers occasionally lead to racism and strife. Speaking of which, it would behoove me to explain the species of Xaerrat.
Humans were the first species created by the dragon Xaerrat, and the species that was the first to receive the power of an Embraced. Even before that, Humans had established themselves as the dominant species of Xaerrat, and had constructed sprawling kingdoms, townships, and other establishments that dotted the tamed wilds.
Compared to other species, they are fairly plain. Humans live to reach an average of eighty years of age, but a fraction of what some other species can live. They also have societal concepts that confound some other species such as Ayen and Elves, such as the concept of inheritance or a "royal" bloodline. However, that is not to say that they do not share qualities with the other species. They too had come from fire, and as such can become Embraced, and learn the basic art of Pyromancy as well as other forms of sorcery such as Witchcraft and Thaumaturgy.
Lamia were the second species created overall, and the only species to be created by the dragon Faan-Do. Taking the form of a Human torso melded with a lower half akin to the malformed bodies of Faan-Do and Irostine. Their serpentine lower bodies also is coated in a slick and poisonous oil known as Faan-Do's kiss, and it can kill within minutes if administered to an open wound, and hours if on exposed skin. Created to tend to the Five Flames, Lamia are cold-blooded, and flock to flame and warmth instinctually. Due to this instinctual flocking toward flame, Lamia had revered the Five Flames and the dragons they had created, and see becoming Embraced as a blessing.
To other species, Lamia are exotic and elegant. They live to reach an average of two hundred years of age, though the signs of advanced aging only truly show after one-hundred and fifty. In their society, honor is prized, and other species share the sentiment of honor over unnecessary facets of society. Like Humans, they have a monarch, but this monarch is not chosen by bloodline, but by a voting process due to the actions they have taken in life. This monarch serves for life unless another individual overrules or challenges them to the Nine Trials. What happens in these trials are a closely guarded secret, and all that is known is that the victor becomes the next monarch. However, the Nine Trials may only occur once every century, for preparation takes that long.
Like Humans and Daimons, Lamia can harness the power of fire via Pyromancy, and typically only learn Pyromancy if they are Embraced. However, magic in general is seen as occult to the Lamia, as only Pyromancy is seen as a true and holy magic granted from the Five Flames and the dragons.
Centaurs were the first creation of Irostine, and the third species to be created on Xaerrat. They take the form of a Human torso melded to the body of a horse, and are one of the more physically powerful species on Xaerrat due to this. They, like the rest of Irostine's creations, were brought to life to spite Faan-Do and Xaerrat, and other than that, they served no purpose in regards of the Five Flames. However, like the rest of Irostine's creations, they have an unnatural longevity to them. As the first of her creations, they are ageless, but can only reproduce once.
Due to their endless lifespans, Centaurs are nomadic and sagely by nature, and often seek to either have new experiences in life or seek to teach others. Due to this, they do not have a true society, and in truth, do not congregate as oft as the other species of Xaerrat. Also unlike the other species, they have no proficiency in Pyromancy, but can use Thaumaturgy to augment their already potent skills, or Augury to prevent catastrophes from unfolding.
Elves were the second creation of Irostine, and were the fourth species to be made overall. They simply appear to be lithe Humans with pointed ears, but like Irostine's other creations, they bear an unnatural longevity along with another oddity to set them apart. The oddity of Elves is that they can communicate with creatures beyond the ken of normal language without the use of Thaumaturgy or Witchcraft, and it was with this revelation that they had abandoned their faith within the Five Flames.
Elves tend to congregate where mass amounts of life, be they plant or animal, are situated. It was in this environment that the Elves had learned that fire could not only escape, but was destructive in nature. They had then forsaken the Five Flames, and dedicated their long existences to serving life instead of fire. However, these traditions had faded just as the Five Flames did, and some had returned to their ways of tending to the flames. Due to this schism, only Elves devoted to flame, or at least related in blood to one that is, may become Embraced.
Elves live long lives, with the eldest living to be over two-thousand years old, and the eldest recorded dying when the Five Flames had started to fade. Unusually, Elves also possess unnatural beauty, but nowhere near that of a Succubus. In terms of magic, they can only use Pyromancy if they are Embraced, and Witchcraft is a commonly accepted form of magic for self defense.
Dwarves are the second to last species created by Irostine, and were the fifth species to be created by a dragon. They assume the form of a short Human, often being half the height of a Human counterpart. Dwarves revere the concept of fire differently than other species. Where the Lamia respect it, the Ayen and Daimons harbor it, and the majority of Elves despise it, Dwarves seek to master it like the dragons. They live underground, away from the prying eyes of all but the Ryaa and Drow, for the Ryaa and Dwarves are allies, and they and the Drow are bitter enemies.
Dwarves are somewhat odd in comparison to the other species, for they had directly inherited a trait from their dragon-creator. They had the clairvoyance of Irostine, and used such gifts to usher themselves into a new era of technology and innovation. Sadly, these innovations did not seep onto the surface world until the Five Flames had began to fade. Due to their longevity, however, Dwarves had ample time to think of excuses on why the world at large was not ready for their technological gifts. They did not need magic where the others did, for technology had handled most of their problems for them, and as such, they had never learned to use magic.
Ryaa are the last species that Irostine created, and the sixth species created by a dragon. They are towering masses of muscle and blubber than have strength and durability far surpassing that of a Centuar. The Ryaa, unlike the other creations of Irostine, had a purpose, for Irostine had seen visions of the Five Flames fading, and had created the Ryaa to be the optimal candidates for becoming Embraced. However, they had one fatal flaw. Ryaa of sufficient age would grow horns that would eventually come to impale their brains, leaving them little more than instinct-driven bodies of fat and muscle. One day, the Dwarves had come across a Ryaa in the middle of this process, and had created a method of preserving their brains in the form of devices they called Spires. With the Spires embedded within their skulls, Ryaa would never again fear being overwhelmed by insanity, and had joined the Dwarves in their underground kingdom.
Aside from the Dwarves and Drow, the Ryaa have had little contact with the other species of the world, and most had assumed that the Ryaa had started to die off due to their malediction. In addition to that, the lifespan of a Ryaa without a horn was doubled, and one can live to see a thousand thanks to the Dwarves. Just like intended by Irostine, the Ryaa make excellent Embraced due to their size, but due to their nature as living kindling, they can only use Pyromancy.
Daimons are the only species to be made by Odir, and the last species created by a dragon. Daimons once had form, but when they had smothered Odir's ember within themselves, they had burned away and became incorporeal. For ages, they watched the other peoples of Xaerrat from a safe and unknown distance, until the Five Flames had began to flicker at the Abyss, and fade. Having the power of Odir's ember within them, the Daimons challenged the Abyss, and were rewarded thusly with the retrieval of another Allflame's ember. They had smothered it just as they did to Odir's, but this time, the ember had given them both domain and power. Soon, their descendants, the Demons were born of the ember and the chaos it had sewn.
Demons were Daimons that had used their ember to create life not unlike Odir, and just like them, their creations were twisted versions of preexisting forms. The Drow, twisted and darkened Elves. Arachne, Centaurs warped by the chaos of their ember. Gorgons, Lamia deprived of their beauty and honor. Succubi and Incubi, facsimiles of Humans perverted by lust. Oni, Dwarves corrupted by chaos and avarice. Wendigo, chaos-bound Ryaa marked by their insatiable gluttony. And finally, Drakes, imitations of the very dragon that had given them life.
Out of all the species, Demons had to create their own home, the city of Bedlam. However, the Drow detested the ember within them and the Five Flames, and fled underground only to be met with the Dwarves and Ryaa. The species soon entered a war that still rages on. The other Demons, however, had stayed within their grand city, and ruminated on their place in the world.
Ayen are the only species created by the Abyssal Allflame, and never had a corresponding dragon to their ember. Instead, the Ayen have pieces of the Abyssal Allflame's ember buried within themselves, though they pay heavily as a result. Born of the abyss, the Ayen are strange creatures, having purple skin, empty white eyes, ram-like horns, and a lack of any indication of sex. Indeed, Ayen have no need to reproduce, as they simply are brought into existence, fully grown, ready to bare themselves upon the Abyssal Allflame.
Ayen pay dearly for their conception and holding the raw embers of the Abyssal Allflame within them, as their bodies are short-lived, and they only truly die when the ember within them is lit no more. The average Ayen's body lives for three decades before they are burnt away and reformed in a new body a short time after, without the memories of the prior incarnation. Due to this, Ayen have no concept of childhood or parenthood, but do have a semblance of royalty for those Ayen that had strengthened the Abyssal Allflame with their ember.
Ayen have a unique outlook on the Five Flames compared to the other species of Xaerrat, and also have a unique connection to the world in general. They can access the powers of Witchcraft without worry of death, and naturally know how to use a unique form of Pyromancy, Abyssal Pyromancy.
Within the species synopses, I had mentioned forms of magic. Magic is not a prevalent part of this world, but it does shape the ways the peoples that live on it interact with themselves and the wonders bestowed upon them. In truth, the peoples of Xaerrat using anything but Pyromancy was in and of itself, a wonder. After magic was bestowed upon the world, there were six forms of magic, Pyromancy, Abyssal Pyromancy, Thaumaturgy, Witchcraft, Augury, and Etchcraft.
Pyromancy channels the warmth of the Five Flames into a tangible and malleable flame, and the Embraced can utilize this even further by using their own ember to help fuel the flame. Abyssal Pyromancy burns from the Abyss, and produces a white and black flame that is cold to the touch, but burns what is unworthy. Thaumaturgy is the manipulation of the energies from wonders and leftover energy from other magic. Witchcraft is magic that pulls energy from the Abyss, but harms those not versed in its secrets. Augury is the gift of being able to manipulate time to an extent, and renew or ruin things temporarily. Finally, Etchcraft is the art of etching runes and trapping the energies of the other magics within it.
Now, onto the rest of the information.
In this roleplay, you would be taking the role of adventurers gathering to enter the biggest wonder yet, which will be determined upon the creation of the IC thread. You are able to choose from any of the species listed except for Drakes, as they are the only non-playable species. More information will be added when or if this ever sees the light of day.
Most excellent. That would make three if @Life in Stasis is interested as well. Regardless of number, I thank you all for at least turning an eye to this thread.
