TheLazarus

Fire Emblem: The Eternal Struggle

@Spectral Your character is accepted! Feel free to post it in the character thread.

@CyraniaThat is totally fine, especially since we're still trying to recruit more people. You're also accepted.

I'll also be posting my own character too.

The World of Aerion

@Sedjwick I'd be happy to! There are four religions primarily in Aerion, but the Council of Nine is the main religion everywhere except Miraheim, Rastra, and Palaven. I'll probably post this in the main thread up top. Here's the breakdown:

The Council of Nine

The Council of Nine
Founded: Dawn of Time; or an unknown date in HA
Countries that practice the religion: Ethora, Falke, Ellessar, Mindirion, Miracia
Belief: Belief in "The Nine" is to believe in a council of nine divine beings that had a part in the creation of the world of Aerion. The children of the supreme being Vesmir are believed have created the world in a vision bestowed upon them by Vesmir. Each Council god represents different aspects of the world, both physical and abstract. As a result, each god or goddesses is worshipped in different capacities, and worship is a very personal act. For example, sailors worship Atlantia as she is the goddess of the oceans while aspiring heroes would worship Fortis instead. Lives that are deemed worthy and filled with respect for the Nine are rewarded with passage to the higher plane of Astrum, while lives dedicated to Dabel (more so than the others) were sent to the depths of Infernum.

The Nine include:
Andal: God of order, honor, truth, nobility, light; Ruler of Astrum
Dabel: God of Chaos, corruption, desire, darkness; Ruler of Infernum
Tella: Goddess of nature and peace
Atlantia: Goddess of water/oceans and earthquakes
Makara: Goddess of magic and knowledge
Fortis: God of heroes, courage, resolve, honor and loyalty
Divum: Goddess of storms
Thordain: God of war, violence and conquest
Flamma: Goddess of fire

Other figures:
Tempus: God of the Sun
Lumes: Goddess of the Moon

The Creation Myth
In the beginning there was nothing. The universe as you know it was little more than a black abyss fueled by darkness and chaos. However, a being known as Vesmir, the creator of all, emerged from this chaos and brought with him order and salvation. He shaped the abyss and brought form to the universe. Within this form came the world, the sun and moon, the stars, the sky, the grass, the tress, the oceans, and all life as we know it. The labors put a great toll on Vesmir despite his vast power. To maintain the balance he sought to achieve in the universe following his labors, he created a number of powerful children. These children would continue to shape the world in his absence with the hopes they would honor his wishes and achieve his vision.

His children at the time were 7 in number: Andal, Dabel, Tempus, Lumes Tella, Atlantia, and Makara. And for a time there was peace and order, with each maintaining their domains. They mingled amongst each other, giving birth to new beings of power. From Andal and Tella, Fortis and Divum were born and from Dabel and Atlantia, Thordain and Flamma were born. Tempus and Lumes were absent from this mingling as these two were responsible for the cycle of day and night (respectively).

In order keep order, Andal decided to bring the beings into council. This was when the Nine were born: Andal, Dabel, Tella, Atlantia, Makara, Fortis, Divum, Thordain and Flamma. It was then that the Nine decided to take Vesmir's vision to the next stage.

Tella brought life into the world in the form of nature itself and her dreams of peace. Atlantia created the waters of the oceans, lakes and rivers and her wrath brought earthquakes. Divum became the created of the sky, and her various dances brought weather and storms. Flamma created fire and its many uses. And Makara was the bringer of intelligence, wisdom and magic.

Andal crafted the ideals of order, honor, truth and nobility as well as bringing the light of heaven to the world, which angels acting as the guardians of peace and order. Dabel created opposing ideals of chaos, corruption, desire, darkness as well as being the lord of the underworld, with his foul devils, demons and monstrosities seeking to spread destruction. Fortis created the ideas of heroes which would embody the qualities of courage, resolve, honor and loyalty. Thordain brought with him nothing but war, violence, bloodlust and carnage.

Tella wanted to share this wonderful creation upon its completion. Then the Elves were born. The Elves were a beautiful and fair race with a deep admiration for nature. They were immortal like the Nine if only because Tella envisioned them as a being of nature and one that should live with the earth until the end of times. The Elves lived in the world, alone and at peace. The Elves worshipped Tella, calling her a "God" in their native tongue.

However, Thordain grew jealous and wanted a people of his own. Working his sister, the two created their peoples. Thordian created the Dwarves and Flamma created the dragons. Dwarves were a small but strong race. They were hardy with muscular bodies with strong constitutions. They had a love of valuables, war and drink. The Dragons were a mythic and powerful race, capable of flight and fire. However, these beings were crafted in secret and in due time grew separate from the world. The dragons flew to the north where the dragon kings would unite them as a single race. The Dwarves retreated to mountains and caves, having little contact with the other beings, fueled by their greed and lust for wealth (and the craft of mining was soon born). The Dwarves became a conflict seeking race, often at odds with Tella's Elves. But peace was soon achieved, much to Thordain's dismay.

Dabel grew curious of these creations, but was unable to craft any original beings. He was a god of chaos and nothing is created from chaos. Using his talents of corrupting, Dabel twisted the minds and hearts of Elves, Dwarves and dragons. Thus arose the Orc-kin and the dark dragons. These manifestations ravaged the land. Orc raped and pillaged the land, murdering all stood in their way. Fire rained from the skies as Dragons unleashed their rage upon the world. Elves and Dwarves attempted to fight back, and succeeded for some time. Elves reclaimed a small corner of the world to call their own while the Dwarves had invented weapons to defend themselves from the Dragons of the north. However, both were overrun. Soon the world would be swallowed in flames.

Fortis and Makara looked at the world in pity and with Andal's guidance, they created Men. Men were to be an adaptable race capable of many feats at the cost of short life in comparison to their peers. Blessed by Fortis, the Men drove the Orc-kin into the deep bowls of the Earth. Many dragons were killed following the rise of men and like the Orc-kin, were driven into mountains and caves. Though many are believed to have retreated north, or simply left the world entirely.

This is how the world was born (so say the followers of the Council of Nine).

The Church of One

The Church of One
Founded: 600 FC
Countries that practice: Palaven, Ethora (10%)
Belief System: The Church of One's tenants as outlined in the Book of One believes in a singular god who created the world of Aerion with nothing more than a few words. As the supreme creator, the followers of the One dedicate their lives to the One. True believers ascend to Astrum while non believers burn in Infernum.

The Theocracy of Palaven follow their variation of the Church of One, which was established by followers of the One who fled from Ethora and other countries. Palaven follows the Voice of the One, who is said to be the ‘bridge between the One himself and the world of Aerion’, as said by their holy scriptures. Citizens of Palaven worship the Voice as he himself is thought to be divine, a direct descendant of the One. It is illegal to approach too close to the Voice, speak to him without first being addressed, touch the Voice, speak up against the Voice, or harm the Voice in any way, whether physically or emotionally. All such actions are punishable by death according to the laws of Palaven and those of the Holy Scriptures. The Voice is said to have divine gifts that he could unleash anytime he wishes, and that through obedience, the path to enlightenment can be found.

Shugalism

Shugalism
Founded: Unknown exact date, potentially as old as the Council of Nine.
Countries that practice: Rastra
The Belief: Followers of the Sages of Wisdom. Their religion, called Shugalism and therefore their followers Shugalians, instructs the followers to physically and spiritually embody the qualities of the first Sage of Wisdom, whose name has long since been forgotten, but who is said to be the founder of Shugalism. It is said that the first Sage ascended into the Realm of the Deities (their version of heaven), and followers of his beliefs and values can also ascend into the Realm if they are good Shugalians.

• Shugalism advocates the pursuit of salvation through personal meditation on the names and messages of the Sages of Wisdom, which is written down in their holy book, the Hilarkan, the combination of the manuscripts of their teachings. Their teachings primarily are open-minded, allowing for pursuit of whatever paths of life one desires, so long as they do not intentionally harm others. However, their teachings do illustrate the need to be moral, as well as humble, good-intentioned, and peaceful.
• Shugalism allows room for the deities and worships of other religions/Gods. They do not find that all other religions are wrong, but rather that the deities and beliefs of others are only an extension of the beliefs of the Rastrans, and that the gods of others are apart of the thousands of those that linger in the Realm of Deities. Shugalism, therefore, is accepting of other religions, even new ones that recently pop up. However, direct denouncement of the Sages is considered highly insulting, and those who do so are considered lost or tormented souls damned to anguish as their spirit is doomed to wander the world until they prove themselves a true Shugalian again.
• The Sages are said to all be a sort of reincarnation of the first, whose spirit ascended into the Realm of Deities, but whose powers were passed on to the next sage. Upon the death of a previous sage, a new sage will be born. It is unknown when exactly the next Sage will be born. It could be a year after, or a hundred years. However, the Rastrans known when that Sage is born, as the eyes of the first Sage's statue, located in the Temple of Truth, (the Sages’ official home), begins to glow. It is then that 3 ‘Watchers’, who are servants of the Sages of Wisdom, scour the kingdoms in search of the new Sage, and once they are found, they are taken to the Temple of Truth, where they are said to be taught their powers from infancy. From then on, the Sage of Wisdom guides the people of Rastra as their leader.
• There have been 11 Sages of Wisdom in Rastra. The current one has been ruling for 12 year.

Ragnel

Ragnel
Founded: Around 200 FC
Countries that practice: Miraheim
The Creation Myth:
It is said that originally there was a chasm, a great abyss known as Ginagap, bounded on either side by fire and ice. When the fire and ice met in the center, they combined to form a great beast known as Rumir. From the void was also said to have created the High God Isir. Rumir, from his mouth, shaped and created the species of dragons. High God Isir created the other gods, and then it is said he created man. Isir and Rumir lived together as brothers, but it was apparent from early on that the two beings' children could not get along, and it was then that the Great Battle had occurred, ultimately ending in the death of Rumir by High God Isir. From Rumir's dead body, Isir created the world. Rumir's blood was the sea; his flesh, the earth; his skull, the sky; his bones, the mountains; his hair, the trees. The new Rumir-based world was named Aerion where mankind would live.

Following Rumir's defeat, High God Isir created separate realms as to keep his children safe. Aerion was the realm of men. Vigard became the home of the Gods, but was also the afterlife for man should he die worthy. Hielheim was the realm of the dead for all others who were not deemed worthy. The dragons were banished to the newly-created realm of Ormurheim, where it is said they still reside forever. Dwarvenheim was said to be created for the dwarves, and Alfenheim for the elves. Travel between the realms could not normally be done, save for the Enebrus, the lightning bridge. It is legend that once a large thunderstorm is present, someone is passing between the realms. Long ago, Isir was said to unleash such a thunderstorm to seal away the dragons, and bring dwarves and elves into the land.

Ragnel also foretells of “The End of Times." It is said that in a certain number of years, a great battle will take place. At this time, the realm containing the dragons of Ormurheim will break, and the dragons would come to invade Aerion. High God Isir will gather the other gods and great men and women who reside in Vigard, and the Great Battle would begin. It is a battle High God Isir knows they cannot win, but it must be done nonetheless. In the process of the battle, every hero and god will eventually die, including Isir. However, it is said that a lone male and a lone female will have survived the conflict to repopulate the human realm, and from the ashes of the battlefield the gods will revive. The worlds will restart anew, and on the back of a black dragon, hope and life is brought into the world, but also pain and suffering along with it. The cycle begins anew.

Gods of Ragnel:

• High God Isir: Major god in Ragnel, ruler of Vigard, and the god of war, battle, victory, death, and wisdom. One of the three gods of creation, who made man, known as “High”.
• Rosen: The god of stone and wood. The builder of the Enebrus, the lightning bridge.
• Ven: god of innocence, beauty, peace, and rebirth. One of the three gods of creation, who helped make man, also known as “Just as High”.
• Dargan: God of dawn, justice, inspiration, fish and the skies. One of the three gods of creation, who helped make man, also known as “Third”.
• Fiera: Goddess of fertility, love, and winter.
• Ullur: God of skill, hunt, anger, and duel.

The World of Aerion

@Timemaster Sounds good, let me know if you need any other help making the CS.

@Doc Doctor Interesting character! But right now I'm asking how he fits into the RP? The RPers need to be either with the Knights of Ekilore or a Mercenary. Having no side and be wandering may not exactly work, unless you have plans to join one of the sides during the RP. If that's the case, I'll need you to adjust and expand upon that, either in your background or just as an explanation to me, and we can try to work something out.

The World of Aerion

@Nevix You character is perfectly fine! Interesting backstory and I think he'd be a great addition. The only thing I would change is the part you mentioned about Welm. But instead of changing the family, you can simply change the Lord's name from Owen to Robert, and it can be added to the character tab. Welcome!

Fire Emblem: The Eternal Struggle

@Spectral Go ahead and go with 5. Sorry for the confusion!

The World of Aerion

@Timemaster Sure thing!

Origin and accessing magic: Magic is drawn from one of two places and subsequently has two names: Arcane and Divine. Arcane magic is drawn from one's spirit and the potential one has to command it is something you are born with. In this regard, not everyone is a candidate to to be a great wizard and a strong spirit to control the Arcane is something you have or not. Think of it as a natural gift or skill. That being said, it is difficult to control and is potentially very dangerous if one does not receive training. This danger has made many afraid of magic and is the core reason for a number of inquisitions and the widespread purging of mages in the land of Aerion (especially in the land of Ethora) leading to is rarity. However, Mage's guilds still exist and many students of Arcane magic go there to learn, control and develop their abilities.

Divine magic is drawn from one's faith in a certain divine being, whether it is an established figure or not (meaning it is does not have to be one of the major figures from Aerion's religions, which I can provide, and could be "made up"). Many Priests fall under this category for example. Divine magic is less dangerous and primarily used for healing and the like, though it can be used to curse others for example (if the patron deity is "evil" or "dark"). Divine magic is still fairly rare as to access it someone must have strong faith in a figure and like arcane magic be well trained.

Staves and augmenting magic: Staves, rituals, and other tools can augment and strengthen magic. Staves are usually used to channel, strengthen and help control magic, rituals and ceremonies can focus or strengthen it and other tools like wands and books do exist and do much of the same as I just said.

Rarity and use: Magic is increasingly rare because being a mage, wizard or any title is a stigma that often leads to imprisonment or worse death. People do not like magic for it disturbs the peace and is a constant threat. Magic is very powerful and power corrupts. Therefore, using magic in a public space is not a good idea for example, as you will likely be captured or killed on the spot by the townspeople or if you are lucky, the local town guard. Magic is often confined to the home or in the case of divine magic (which is generally more accepted), a church or shrine.

However, Raelus is one country where Arcane magic is more accepted, as the government makes extensive use of the offensive properties of Arcane magic in its military conquests. In this regard, mages are more of a resource however. Miracia is another country where magic could be found, as well as Palaven.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.

The World of Aerion

@Leo Khan Yes, definitely still looking for more people, feel free to apply!

The World of Aerion

@Gate KeeperWell hopefully this can help fill that halt! Let me know if you have any questions about characters, or nations or anything in general.

The World of Aerion

I have put up my two characters. Varian will be the leader of the mercenary group, while Sir Roland will be one of the representatives going to Ekilore.

The World of Aerion

Sir Roland of House Grey

Sir Roland of House Grey
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Country of Origin: Ethora (House Reigncliff)

Appearance: Roland is what many would refer to as a handsome man. Standing at five feet and eleven inches, he is lean and well built. His skin, which is a slightly tanned white, is near flawless, having no blemishes, birth marks, or scars. He has short, fair, combed black hair, and bright green eyes. He is usually found wearing heavy armor traditional to Reigncliff, with the traditional colors of red, yellow and brown on them. The sigil of Reigncliff is painted on his shoulder blades of his armor, with the seal of the House of Grey embedded on the front chest-plate.

When he is not wearing his armor, he is found could be found wearing a brown or yellow silk shirt with matching silk pants of high quality. He rarely likes to have himself be touched physically by others, especially those not of noble birth, so he usually wears a pair of brown gloves. Across his waist is a belt that helps holster his sword.

Personality: Roland is known for his apathy and heartlessness. He cares very little for the opinions of those below him, being very close-minded in that regard. He looks down at other races, sexes, and social classes as less than him, and has no problem showing his disgust for them. His bigotry is matched nearly by his vanity. Thought he is fairly skilled, Roland believes himself sometimes to be larger than life, and his ego is often on full display. He is also cruel when it comes to taking into account the feelings of others that he doesn't know. Though he will show respect for his friends and equals, his apathy for strangers and "lesser men" is well known. He cares for no one but the success of House Reigncliff, the safety and security of his kin and friends, and the maintenance of established law and order.

Roland always believed people should understand their place. For Roland, standing is everything. A farmer should grow up to be a farmer, a knight to be a knight, and a king to be a king. Interaction between the social groups that do not belong together should, as he would say, be discouraged. He sees them almost as if they are from different worlds, and believes that is how it should remain. If he sees anything of the sort out of line, Roland has no problem correcting it.

History: Roland was born into the noble House Grey by his mother Elinor and his father Sir Lawrence Grey. At an early age, he was taught all the necessities to becoming a dignified upper-classmen and a virtuous servant of House Reigncliff, one of the major houses in Ethora. Things came easy to Roland. He was both sharp in his studies and articulate in his speech. He took advantage of all of his opportunities into becoming what he believed to be a skilled knight. However, Roland was a pampered man, and only realized it as time went on and squires and others lost to him on purpose by his father's orders. Roland discovered this one day when he bested one of his servants easily, by then seeing that same servant participant in a tournament not long after and win it all, easily.

This caused a change in Roland. He became much more focused on his training and his upcoming knighthood. He demanded many take him seriously and fight him at their best. He began to lose, and through his losses, he trained and trained. Finally, he was actually making improvements, enough to garner some skill. He had participated in countless bouts and jousts. In the beginning, he would lose, but as time went on, Roland found himself winning many.

His finest work came at the participation of the Grand Tournament in Ethora, where he emerged as its winner. He has participated in the tournament a few times prior, but never managed to grab the victory. Though it was difficult, Roland emerged a victor. Little did the knight know, however, the the tournament was purposefully fixed by his father, bringing in only intermediate fighters into the game that year around. To this day, Roland had never known that fact. However, believing his skill to be unmatched, Roland's ego spiraled out of control. Though he is now a skilled enough fighter, he believes himself one of the greatest in the world.

It was largely due to this victory (and his family name) that he was invited to join the Lionguard, the royal guard of the King of Ethora. Roland gladly accepted, becoming one of the youngest members in the history of the Lionsguard. The other older Lionsguard members disliked him, a fact Roland is blissfully unaware of. Their dislike stems from their dislike of the young knight's ego, and his general attitude toward others.

Roland was not with the king when the assassination took place, a fact Roland seems to bring up a lot as a means to defend his reputation and his skill. The attack took place while he was escorting another noble, luckily, as he would put it. Although Roland does not know what happens now that the Monks call for a conference, he knows he must attend as a representative of House Reigncliff, and Ethora. Though he does it for honor and his King, Roland also sees this meeting as a potential way to better his own legend, and his name.

Weapon Preference: Roland is a traditional wielder of a sword and shield. His shield proudly displays the sigil of House Grey in the center, and whose color is a golden-yellow. His sword is crafted in mountains of Bludrock by the finest blacksmiths.