The Muse

The Divine

I was feeling inspired so I decided to get the first post up! :) We are still waiting on a few more character sheets, so no one needs to feel pressured about posting yet if they aren't ready haha Just wanted to make sure I write while I feel the inspiration to :P

Excited to get this kicked off though!

The Divine

---

---

---

---

Snow.

Ariella looked outside her bed chamber window, teal blue eyes looking over the treeline in awe. Within the last week she had experienced many "firsts", but this had been the only pleasant one. Some time over night the snow must have started as there was already a few inches weighing down on the dormant tree branches.

It looks so peaceful...

She marveled, watching as small flakes gently floated down from the early morning sky and coating the kingdom below. Ariella had never seen such a thing before, but her mother had told her about it. On the islands it did not snow, even in winter. The air for most of the year is warm and humid, with rain storms coming often during their "winter." The snow was beautiful, just as her mother had described. It was too bad she had to experience it within this cesspool of a kingdom.

"It's the first snow of winter."

"AYE! Ma'lei hewa!" Ariella spun around, speaking in her native tongue. In the capitals language, she would have something along the line of "What the hell!"

"Don't you people ever knock?!" She hissed, glaring down at the small servant girl who had quietly entered her bedroom undetected. "How long have you been there?!"

"Oh! I- I am sorry, G-goddess. Please, take my apology. Truly, I.. I was only..." The servant girl began to get on her knees, bowing her head deeply and refusing to make eye contact.

Ariella practically shivered at being called "Goddess." She groaned and hurried over to the girl, gently pulling her up and back onto her feet. "Stop. Don't do that. I am not a Goddess."

"You.. you are her. Goddess Aurelia reincarnate."

Ariella stepped away, eyes still glaring as the girl continued to look at the ground in shame. "I said stop! Please." She sighed and turned back to the window. "Just call me Ariella." She had grown so exhausted hearing herself called a "Goddess." The people who believed this were delusional, clearly grasping to anything they could for hope to win the war. Insane!

"What do you want?" Her moments of peace with the snow had been ruined. It was time to start another agonizing day as a prisoner of the Imperial Family. Her heart ached at the thought, her body tense. She has tired... so, so tired. How long would she have to be here until the Emperor decided that she was not some reincarnated Goddess? Would she be allowed to live even if he did?

"I only came to wake you.. but.. but you were already awake."

"So leave me."

"I.. uhm... I am sorry, Godde-... Erm.. Ariella. Upon the first winter's snow, we hold a festival and pray to the gods of season. Do you not know? We give thanks for a bountiful year and ask the gods for a comfortable winter until spring arrives. Great Emperor Ulric has asked that you join the church in this, as you will be a high priestess one day when you have awoken Aurelia."

Ariella heavily sighed, refusing to look at the servant girl now and instead focusing on the snow outside. Even this snow, beautiful and serene, was bringing her pain. Perhaps this was not such a great first experience after all. Nothing here could make her happy.

"Ariella?" The servant girl waited for any sort of response, but Ariella was clearly trying to shut her out. Now it was the girls turn to sigh. "Uhm... The Emperor also would like to introduce you to those he is calling "The Divine." I have heard that they will teach you how to unlock your strength. We must get you ready in your priestess garb now, we cannot have the Emperor waiting on you." The servant girl, hesitant to grab Ariella, began to walk closer to her. "If you could please follow me, Goddess..."

The Divine

Ariella Kaile'a

---

---

_{Ar∙ee∙ella Kie∙lee∙ah}

---

__________________________________________ Ari Kaile'a __________________________________________ 22 | Human | Islander of Kassia __________________________________________ ▼ ✧ Height – 5'3" ✧ Weight – 115 ✧ Build – Small frame; lean ✧ Eye Color – Deep Blue/Green ✧ Hair Color – Raven ✧ Other – Very light freckles along her cheekbones & nose; a small beauty mark below her right eyebrow.

B I O G R A P H Y As far as Ariella knows, she was born somewhere among the islands of Kassia. Unfortunately she was abandoned as a toddler but fortunately was adopted by another human islander couple who discovered her and raised her as one of their own. Her adoptive parents had always made it known that she was adopted to avoid any surprises down the line; not to mention that Ariella looked nothing like her adoptive parents or her siblings. Knowing this, Ari has always been incredibly thankful to her family. Without her parents, she would have surely died as an orphan. The islands could be beautiful and serene but they were also dangerous and teeming with creatures who would gladly jump at the opportunity for a small human snack. Ariella lived an average life with her adoptive family on Pai'Rua; the smallest of the Kassian Islands. She had a father who fished for a living, trading with the other islanders as a way of providing the family with everything they needed. A mother who taught her how to craft jewelry, clothing, and pottery. An older brother, and two younger twin siblings; one boy and one girl. Life was simple in her small village, aside from the occasional threat of hurricane, tsunami, or sea serpent lurking near by. There weren't many people in her village, but they all took care of each other as if they were family. She had been happy. This serenity had been shattered on the day an Aerowyn knight arrived to her island in search of a criminal who had been rumored to be hiding among them. The day started off with the village unsettled by this visitor from the capital. They rarely, if ever, experienced meeting new people who were not from another Kassian island; especially on the small island of Pai'Rua. If there were ever any visitors, they typically would arrive and stay on the main island of Kassia and never venture further than that. The fact that his ship had made it there in one piece was something of a miracle. In fact, this knight was Ariella's very first experience with "an outsider." The knight and his entourage had been making rounds within the village to interrogate people in order to find this so-called "criminal" hiding among them. They would pull a person into a hut, alone, and question them until they were satisfied with the villagers answers. When it had been Ariella's turn, she had never been more nervous in her life. Her heart had been racing as she stood in front of such a powerful man with a strange accent and eyes of steel glaring down at her, surrounded by other powerful people listening to her every word and watching her every move. At first the man had been stricken by her beauty and thought to say this to her, which caused her to feel more panicked. Shortly thereafter a woman that had traveled with him, presumably a mage, had gasped and beckoned her group to view a visible aura that Ariella was supposedly producing. With all eyes on her, and the panic setting in, Ariella fainted. When she awoke a few hours later she found herself on a massive ship, laying on a cot with several capital soldiers watching over her. She panicked and tried to leave, but they refused to let her - even threatened to shackle her if she did not sit back down and relax. They then told her that they were already on the way back to the capital, so returning to her village was not an option. When she demanded to know why they were kidnapping her, they claimed that she had shape-shifted into the elven goddess Aurelia when she had been unconscious. The Emperor had to know about her; about how she was the goddess reincarnated in order to save Aerowyn from the evil beginning to plague their lands.

_{P E R S O N A L I T Y}

<sub>Previous to being taken from her village, Ariella had a bubbly personality and loved making other people happy. She could be quick-witted and if she could make someone smile, she was happy. She enjoyed taking care of her younger siblings and being a helpful part of her village community. She had been rather naive to the world because of her sheltered life on the islands, like most people there. All that mattered was life on the island and nothing else concerned her outside of her small bubble of life.

She had aspirations to be a mother one day and continue the way of life that her adoptive parents had shown her. She was happy doing this and enjoyed learning about new crafts and trades that other islanders could show her. She does have a feisty side, however, most likely due to her adoptive mother who taught her how to speak up for herself. Ariella had never been one to hold her tongue. On the island, the risk of this had never been high. Now, however, it could mean her life. Obeying a higher power who did not respect her or even care for her had never been something she had experienced before.

Currently, she has become withdrawn, extremely stubborn, and depressed. Her once lighthearted fire-cracker personality has manifested into something more angry and seems to only grow with every day that she is forced to live within castle walls.</sub>

---

---

Pai'rua Village

The Divine

@Jeyma Awesome! I would love that :)

The Divine

@Amore I spent probably far much more time than I should have on it, so I'm glad you like it! Haha I'm super excited to see what everyone comes up with. I'll be getting the reincarnations character post up soon. :)

The Divine

The RP has been posted! :) Here: The Divine

The Divine

The RP has been posted! :) Here: The Divine

The Divine

The once harmonious empire of Aerowyn is in complete disarray. Over the last decade, peace over the land has begun to unravel due to a previously allied king who has grown in strength with every year that passes. The imperial family of Aerowyn, The Blackwoods, have allowed King Fiske Ormund to live out of hope that their prior "friend" would come to his senses. Until recently, he had not done anything to directly attack the people whom live within the capital that Emperor Ulric Blackwood's directly rules.

Rapidly, famine and disease have spread from King Ormund's kingdom of Barovia. War has been declared upon neighboring kingdoms as he seeks to overthrow their royal families and create his own empire. Rumors have spread to The Blackwood's that King Ormund has been possessed by a powerful demon and monsters run rampant across his kingdom.

Those who have begun to fear for their lives have started praying to an ancient Goddess by the name of Aurelia. Several centuries ago, an elven priestess was said to have saved Aerowyn from a similar plague of evil. She was consequently named a Goddess among men after the fact. As the story goes, she possessed an incredibly powerful soul which was coveted by demons and men alike. Her power was immeasurable and those who could harness her soul would be able to use that for whatever their heart desired; good or evil. Relics lost to time were said to have been activated by her presence alone, creating high-powered magical weapons. The temptation to destroy her or manipulate her was ever so tantalizing. She was depicted to be an elf, though through legend she is said to be a shapeshifter of sorts. She knew her way around magic and was a skilled archer. However, this Goddess was never said to be a saint. Often times she would struggle with the dark side of her own power and some would even label her as a demon or a trickster god. Many refused to worship her, even forbid it. Nonetheless, Aurelia warded off demons from the empire and settled down there for quite some time.

In present day, King Ormund has directed the army of his kingdom to attack anyone leaving or entering the capital. The Blackwoods, at their wits end, have taken this as a declaration of war. Just when all was beginning to feel lost, a human woman has appeared. Dragged into the emperor's castle by a knight who has claimed her to be the reincarnation of Aurelia. Undeniably, she appears to be the spitting image of the goddess. Those who believe have found hope, while some believe this to be an omen of destruction. The girl dragged in, however, wants nothing to do with the empire and does not believe herself to be a reincarnation. Still, the girl brought a resurgence of morale to the emperor's people and as such, he has decided that his eldest son is to be married to this woman - whether they liked it or not. If she is the reincarnation of the goddess, all the better for the Blackwoods, though those who believe Aurelia to be a demon goddess are displeased and continue to fear for their lives under Blackwood rule. Now, if only they could find a way to awaken the reincarnations power...

In an effort to do exactly that, the Emperor has ordered those he has hand chosen and considers to be at the top of their specialty to train (and watch over) this girl. Each of them range in different abilities from sword work, magic, archery, and more. He has named the group as "The Divine" and tasked them with activating the girls power, no matter how difficult.

The Aerowyn Empire

Map

The empire is made up of 6 total Kingdoms, including Aerowyn itself.

Aerowyn

The name of the empire and the kingdom of which the Emperor directly rules.

Z'Rosa

The kingdom of Z'Rosa has been ruled by the Elven family of Vanlithe's for centuries. Due to the marriage between the Ulric Blackwood and Saphia Vanlithe, Z'rosa has been Aerowyn's closest ally for nearly four decades.

The nature of the elven royals, however, is typically very private. They are incredibly strict on who is allowed to enter their tropical kingdom and have mainly remained neutral during times of war as they prefer to keep to themselves.

Kassian Islands

The Kassian Islands are under Z'Rosa rule, though they are left to their own devices due to how difficult it is to reach the islands. Sailors claim that massive sea serpents roam the nearby waters and they will often take down ships, which has resulted in many ship wrecks along the Kassian coast.

Few have dared to venture out to the Kassian Islands due to this and not much is known about the people who live in various hidden villages among the islands.

Lyros

Lyros, unlike other kingdoms, has traded royal families many times as their king or queen is elected by the people who live within the kingdom. They are typically more liberal and welcoming than other kingdoms and provide a home for a vast range of different races.

Lyros makes most of their income from fishing expeditions, as they have a large port in their kingdom and trade these goods with others.

Viggrum

The people of Viggrum live in a rough environment within the Vail mountain range. Their income mainly comes from mining for precious gems and ore within the mountains and trading this with other kingdoms.

Viggrum has typically held either dwarven or orc rulers, as these races hold the majority in the kingdom and seem to be most suited for the type of lifestyle that Viggrum demands.

Barovia

Barovia has always been known as the "black sheep" of all the kingdoms. Over centuries they have been known as a hideaway for criminals and the hub for a black market. Previously, a King had ruled Barovia peacefully for several decades before being assassinated by Fiske Ormund. Emperor Ulric Blackwood had known and been friends with Fiske when they were growing up in Aerowyn, so he did and said nothing during this time. Barovia had always had a brutal culture and he saw nothing out of the normal with an assassination in order to usurp the throne there. However, due to the assassination, many kingdoms refused to do business with King Fiske despite Barovia's wealth of farmland goods to trade with.

However, since King Fiske's betrayal a plague has been gradually expanding through the kingdom territory which has caused their farmlands to become barren and the surrounding forest to die off. Much of their population has left the area, being forced out in order to save their lives, though there is still many who thrive in the chaos and believe in their King.

Krona

Krona is the smallest of all kingdoms, living on an arid and remote island to the west. They are one of the few kingdoms who have worked with Barovia consistently, as they too have been rumored to hold a smaller black market of their own.

They are known for their traveling merchants who often sell rare and mystic items, as well as training up excellent mercenaries. Their royal family has always been a family of tieflings, who seem to suit the dry and hot environment.

The Imperial Family

The Blackwood family has held rule over Aerowyn for as long as anyone can remember. Throughout history they have been brutal conquerors who have fought for everything they now own. Within the last few generations Aerowyn's rulers have become less like dictators and more gracious instead. The current Emperor, Ulric Blackwood, has been controversial in comparison to his father before him who had been the most adored of any Emperor. The Blackwood's have always been a human-only type of family, looking down upon bringing other races into their bloodline. However, Ulric Blackwood married an elven woman, much to the chagrin of the rest of his family. Those who did not welcome the addition of an elf to the Imperial Family believe that the Empress will outlive the Emperor and will then overthrow the family for a new era of elven tyranny.

Emperor Ulric Blackwood

Age: 56

Empress Saphia Blackwood

Formerly Saphia Vanlithe.

Age: 200 (40 in human years)

The first non-human to enter the Blackwood family which has been very controversial among the kingdom. She has provided Ulric Blackwood with half-elf, half-human sons and daughters to carry on the empire.

Along with this controversy, she is widely known for her skill in magic. It is said that she is somewhat of an oracle, often having visions of events to come.

Goddess Aurelia

To this day much is unknown about Aurelia and her personal life. The legend that has been passed down through generations is that she masterfully commanded an army against demons as well as heroically fighting on the battlefield herself. Many said that death followed her wherever she went, and somehow she seemed to guess every move of the demon army, thus creating the belief that she was a demon herself.

Aurelia was said to have lived for over a century due to her elven origins. However, her story quickly ends a few years after she took a human lover. A priest of a renown church had fallen in love with her, and she him. The man by the name of Roddric Holt had resigned from his place in the church to be with her, though only two years later he was succumb by the temptation of her power. Roddric began planning and three years into their relationship he would take her on a walk into the surrounding woods - alone. She had trusted him, blinded by her love for him, but Roddric shattered that by thrusting a poisoned dagger into her abdominal aorta.

Roddric attempted to use a spirit ring to capture her soul, but Aurelia was quick to cast a spell to seemingly teleport herself somewhere else. It is unknown where she disappeared to, but she was never seen again and is presumed to have died from Roddric's treachery. Roddric went on to live after that, claiming to have escaped the demonesses wicked spell and slain her. However, the rest of Roddric's life was extremely unpleasant. Many believe that it was Aurelia who had cursed him and his bloodline with her dying breath.

Please PM for approval

_{You may style this however you wish, but make sure to include the information below.}

[img]Character image here. No real pictures, please.[/img]
Full Name:

Age:

Appearance:
Include things like height, build, eye color, hair color, etc.

Personality:

Race:

Origin:
Where they were born and/or where they grew up

Residence:
The area they now live in

Position:
Where do they fit in society? (Part of the Imperial family, a royal of another kingdom, a noble, a peasant) If you would like to be one of "The Divine" please include that here as well. Note: The Emperor is not likely to choose someone of low birth to be part of The Divine, unless you can convince me with a very good argument.

Occupation:
Prince/Princess, Knight, servant, merchant, etc etc.

Bio:

• Regular site rules: No Godmodding, No perfect characters, No cybering... etc, etc.
• Let me know if you're going on a hiatus - Try to be active but I don't expect daily posts. We all have lives.
• Quality over quantity - Both Advanced and Casual roleplay but I don't want to see one liners.
• No pictures of real people, please.
• PM character to @The Muse for approval before posting in the Character tab.
• There is no set posting order, but please wait a post or two before posting again.
• Unsure about something? Go ahead and message @The Muse :)

The Divine

Hi everyone! I'm getting close to finishing writing everything up, I am working on the map now and then I will be able to post it.

I do have the character sheet ready if anyone wants to get a jump on their characters. Once I get the map up, you will better be able to choose your character origin/residence. Anyway, here you go!

Please PM for approval

_{You may style this however you wish, but make sure to include the information below.}

[img]Character image here. No real pictures, please.[/img]
Full Name:

Age:

Appearance:
Include things like height, build, eye color, hair color, etc.

Personality:

Race:

Origin:
Where they were born and/or where they grew up

Residence:
The area they now live in

Position:
Where do they fit in society? (Part of the Imperial family, a royal of another kingdom, a noble, a peasant) If you would like to be one of "The Divine" please include that here as well. Note: The Emperor is not likely to choose someone of low birth to be part of The Divine, unless you can convince me with a very good argument.

Occupation:
Prince/Princess, Knight, servant, merchant, etc etc.

Bio:

The Divine

Hi everyone! I'm getting close to finishing writing everything up, I am working on the map now and then I will be able to post it.

I do have the character sheet ready if anyone wants to get a jump on their characters. Once I get the map up, you will better be able to choose your character origin/residence. Anyway, here you go!

Please PM for approval

_{You may style this however you wish, but make sure to include the information below.}

[img]Character image here. No real pictures, please.[/img]
Full Name:

Age:

Appearance:
Include things like height, build, eye color, hair color, etc.

Personality:

Race:

Origin:
Where they were born and/or where they grew up

Residence:
The area they now live in

Position:
Where do they fit in society? (Part of the Imperial family, a royal of another kingdom, a noble, a peasant) If you would like to be one of "The Divine" please include that here as well. Note: The Emperor is not likely to choose someone of low birth to be part of The Divine, unless you can convince me with a very good argument.

Occupation:
Prince/Princess, Knight, servant, merchant, etc etc.

Bio: