VitoftheVoid

Lost Lands - A Medieval Fantasy RP

@ineffable And idea what sorta thing you'd like to play? I have a few potential plotty roles if people ant them, but I don't want to force a particular one on you, haha.

@Natsume Honnaji Most certainly. c:

Lost Lands - A Medieval Fantasy RP

Adella of Yulia (Minor WIP)

Full Name: Adella Darr, Magus Second Class of the Yulian Order of Crows

Nicknames/Aliases: Adella of Crows, The Runt, The Peasant

Age: 24

Gender: Female

Occupation/Class: War Mage, Order of the Crows

[Kingdom of Origin: Yulia

Description: Adella stands at a quite unimpressive height, maybe only 5'0 tall, and possessing a skinny, angular build that seems less than intimidating. She lacks the taller,more stately frame common with most of the mages in the Yulian armed forces, and as such her uniform sits a little large on her. Not by much, but enough that she's somewhat self-conscious about it.

Her features are similarly unimpressive. She has very dark brown hair and eyes, pallid skin, and short facial features that might lead her to being utterly overlooked, if it were not for the uniform she's donned and the power that she represents.

Equipment: Standard Yulian mage garb for combat, to match her class level. Much of Adella's form is covered by a hooded robe-like coat that reaches down to her mid-calf, the sleeves just passing her elbow. A third class mage would have a plain blue coat with only the symbol of their order, second class gain the yulian wings mantle in recognition of their rank. A first class magus will be awarded with a cape to replace the mantle, however not for want of trying Adella has never been able to reach this rank.

The coat is in Yulian colours, a dark blue with the appliqued silver wings of the Yulian griffin retainer wrapped around the back of the shoulders, and the black shape of a rising crow, the symbol of her order, spread across the chest. A dark purple sash is tied round her waist with pockets sewn in to carry a few vital items.

On her feet she wears some doeskin boots that reach her knees, and her arms below the elbow are adorned with leather gauntlets with metal bands, serving at least to ensure that someone might struggle to cut her hands apart whilst she's casting.

The robe coat conceals a jerkin made from studded leather, to add some degree of defence from weapon strikes, though armour is far from a mage's strongpoint.

In line with the Yulian Code, Adella has no blade, or indeed any conventional pieces of weaponry.

Personality: Ambitious, in one word. Adella is very much a product of her home nation, and regards magic as the be-all and end-all of power and prestige. She also possesses something of an inferiority complex from her common blood. This, along with not-unimpressive level of intelligence, are a pretty worrying combination.

Adella comes across as a rather arrogant. She regards her magical ability as something that sets her above most around her, and her Yulian heritage as giving her some moral superiority. She also doesn't have any hesitancy in expressing it. It gives her a propensity for rubbing people the wrong way.


Skills:

-Magic - Adella is distinguished most notably by her power of sorcery. She has an inherent gift to be able to generate magical energy within her body and translate it into sorceries, and has been trained to use it in combat. Her spells are primarily geared towards combat, and either work to attack directly, or work to enhance the destructive ability of others.

- Experience of Scarcity - Whilst she might carry herself like a princess, Adella has known a lot of hardship in her early years. As such, things like lack of food, poor weather, injury and such doesn't elicit any complaints from her. It seems beneath her small frame sits a core of iron. A will not easily broken.

-Magesight - Trained in the usage of magical energies, Adella has been able to hone a skill colloquially known as Magesight, the ability to perceive centres of strong magical energy. She is able to detect the centres of power using this, however sudden burst of strong power nearby (such a a spell being cast closeby) while this is in use is overwhelming and painful and even risks blinding the user, as such Adella uses it sparingly.

Weaknesses:

- No sword. Adella is not only without weapons or education on their technique, but is forbidden by the Code to even lift a blade. As such Adella will not so much as consider the use of a sword.

-Small stature, no defence. Adella's stature and her lack of weapon training leave her very open to hits from melee, to the point that even a well-placed hit to the jaw can send her sprawling. If an enemy can land a serious hit on Adella, chances more than not is that the'yll only need to do it once.

-Magic usage penalties. Magic is a very intensive process. Mages are able to build up energies within their body that they are able to channel into a kind of destructive or creative force, but chanelling it can be very tough on their bodies. Over use will result in some unpleasant consequences.

Fatal Flaw:
Ambition. Adella's own apparently haughtiness masks a deep-seated feeling of personal insecurity, and she wants more than anything to make herself exceptional.



[size=100]Brief History:[/size]

For all the success that magic has brought the land of Yulia, this had not saved their lands from the blight of the world. Adella was born in the small town of of Gour, a remote and miserable place in a wide basin at Yulia's north edge, where the civilized lands of the mage's kingdom gave way to the lifeless wastes that stretched out all the way to the coast miles away. Leaden clouds were the norm and the fetid air that blew in off of the rotten marshes and decaying grassland seemed to leave its residents eternally coughing and wheezing.

Gour had, in times gone by, been made successful by its cattle farming. The flat lands served as grazing for herds, and from the herds came milk, meat and hides. It was home to butchers, tanners and herders and saw trade passing in and out daily. As time went by however, the grasslands began to turn, sinking into swampground and marsh. The livestock began to struggle, crops started to fail, and the economy slowly began to collapse onto itself.

By this time Adella was born, to a poor family squashed into a smallhold on its edge, Gour had been in slow decline for some time...and would only get worse.
Adella was born as one of many children in a family too large for its own good. Space was tight and the child learned quickly that her presence was a burden to those around her, frequently reminded that her existence provided another mouth to feed and the further stretching of meagre resources. As such, she grew up spending a lot of time away from the house. She came to know the broken-down town and the scrub it sat on inside out.

Harvests were few, food was scarce, and life was far from easy. Adella survived and grew up where near enough half those children born would not, but she survived and life continued on as normal.

Kalis of Aressa

Full Name: Kalis of Aressa

Nicknames/Aliases: Bladeless Kalis, The Rabid Wolf, Kalis the Mad

Age: 28

Gender: Female
Occupation/Class: Wolf Knight

Kingdom of Origin: Aressa

Description: A slender, somewhat gangly figure of middling height, Kalis was never especially distinct in her appearance, with light brown hair and hazel eyes rather common to her family. Four years in a dungeon hasn't really done her a lot of good. Clad in filthy prison clothes and having year without sunlight, as a means to make an example of her, Kalis' wrists were chained and her wolf helm locked on over her head, where it's stayed for around three years. The 'jaw' unlocks as a means to allow her to eat and drink, but the result is clumsy and doubtlessly wildly uncomfortable.

Equipment:
Whilst long confiscated, Midgate barracks still holds Kalis' equipment.

Kalis' wolf knight armour is one of her most notable possessions. Made of light but durable metal and leather binding, it is segmented to allow for unrestricted movement in battle. The helmet is metal, and fashioned in a crude sense to resemble the head of a wolf, with a pointed snout and sharp 'ears' rivetted to the sides. Neither bulky nor slowing, this does impact its protection in some ways. Whilst it is adept as blocking sword strikes it will do little to distribute the forces of a blunt strike, and an adept swordsman might find a gap between the segments to stab a blade into the users' body.

Kalis' armour has clearly seen better days, bearing the signs of tarnish and rust, as well as the carbonized scorching indicating fire damage.

Also notable is the knightess' sword.
Or, rather, what was once her sword.

Her commonly known nickname 'Bladeless Kalis' stems from what clearly had once been a two-handed sword, but which is now a blunt and mangled chunk of metal. This ruined weapon still serves its function of fighting, however now in a far more grisly fashion. The blunt sword crushes and cleaves poorly, using its weight and force to devastating and often messy end.

Personality: Amoung Yulians, Mad Kalis is infamous as some rabid, murderous savage.

Kalis is quiet, generally quite soft-spoken and fairly polite to people. She's not one to boast of her abilities. However, when in battle the woman is utterly brutal and ruthless, to the point that it has passed what should have been in keeping with her order. Some people are convinced that her unassuming nature is all a ruse to conceal a bestial nature.

Skills: Kalis, even with the evident handicap of a ruined weapon, is very adept in battle. She's quick and very aggressive in her strikes and shows little fear in the face of terrifying opponents. Kalis also appears to have a good knowledge of tactics, and basic first aid, the sort of skills one would need to organize troops on the field of battle.

Weaknesses: Kalis can be something of a glass cannon, quite easily throw by a strong attack. Additionally she is very averse to magic, even working in her favour, and won't accept and sort of aid from such forces. This often sets Kalis at a disadvantage.

Fatal Flaw: Wrath, violence.

Brief History:

Kalis of Aressa was born into some level of status, as the only child of Knight Voryn, on of the famed Wolf Knights. As such, she was in a comparatively comfortable position throughout much of her childhood. Before the encroachment of other nations upon Aressan soil, the Wolf Knights had served the purposes of dealing with threats to the greater population. Bandit Gangs, barbarous folk, and, more crucially..unnatural things. From time to time something monstrous would emerge from the marshes of the deepest woods and begin stalking or slithering towards one of the villages or farms.

The Knights were charged with dealing with these horrific things, and as such the job was fraught with danger.

In that matter, it was not unexpected when, at age twelve, the young Kalis received grim news, along with her father's sword, and his helmet, charred with fire and smelling of burned hair, along with an order that, as Voryn's sole heir, she was to be delivered to the Wolf's Keep in three day's time to begin her education
in the art of armed combat.

For a number of years, Kalis trained to take up the title, as well as acting as a squire to her uncle, Kerr of Aressa. It was there that she learned how to wield a sword, how to keep on a galloping horse, how to wear the armour of the order, and the fundamentals of military tactics. It was also in that time that she saw a monster for the first time. The first time, it terrified her. For weeks she suffered nightmares about the foul, unnatural thing.

As time went by however, Kalis learned how to face things that were frightening. In time, she also learned how to beat them. By the time of her promotion to a full knight, the young Aressan was well known for feats of bravery in combat. She had earned the respect of her fellows.

However, bravery could only take you so far when faced with the might of other nations, especially Yulia.

Aressa held out for two long years against the invasion, and the Knights played key roles in the defence. They were fast and mobile, and would outflank Yulian shieldwalls on horseback to descend upon the weaponless mages behind with swords. Kalis was not exactly overjoyed at such...unseemly tactics, and the losses were quite terrible but it spared their men from the death those accursed magic types rained down on them.

Whatever the Knights did however, it was not enough to hold back the tide after the death of the King. The armies began to collapse into disorder and split apart, and Kalis, still young and relatively inexperienced, found herself cut off from here fellows, holed up in some small defensive tower with a small band of soldiers. With no contact and no way out they had no idea that most had long surrendered as they attempted to wait out a siege by Yulian forces in vain hope of rescue. Soon they were left starving. Anyone so much as peeping their heads over the parapets would be set aflame by Yulian magefire.

It was at this time that the young knight earned her name, and the infamy that came near it.

Knowing that the game was up, and knowing they all faced imprisonment or death at the hands of the invading army, Kalis sent out one request.

They would hand themselves in willingly.

If she was permitted to duel the Yulian Brigade's leader in single combat.

The leader of the Brigade, the imposing General Garech, a well-known and respected Yulian Knight, was highly amused by the outlandish request. He was, after all, known throughout his lands for his skills with a sword, and saw no reason why some young whelp was going to defeat him. Especially not a woman of all people.

However, as he awaited the duel at first light, Sir Garech became...concerned, and decided that perhaps it was important that such a duel was held in accordance with the Yulian Code. Would not do after all for a man of his station to face a woman shamelessly swinging a blade. So, he awoke the brigade's smith and asked for a favour.

As such, when Kalis arrived for her battle, she discovered her beloved sword had been ruined, the blade ground nearly flat, the tip broken off and hot iron poured over it to leave some irreparable mess that could never be called a sword.

General Garech stepped forward and explained that, of course, it would be unseemly for a woman to take part n a battle with swords, and that he had done her the service of avoiding inquisitional inquiry into her breaking of the Yulian Codes. Of course, if in these circumstances, she would like to cancel the duel then he would, in his benevolence, gracefully allow her to do so.

The Yulians were laughing at their lord's ruse, and were laughing even harder when Kalis politely refused to withdraw her challenge.

They were not laughing, however, when as soon as Garech drew his sabre Kalis smashed him across the face with the ruined sword, flinging off his helmet and knocking out two of his teeth, before knocking him to the floor with another heavy sweep to the neck. From there the Wolf Knight, living up forever to her animalistic title, sprang onto his chest and smashed the hideous piece of iron again and again into the Knight's head, until there was little left of Sir Garech's head than a pool of blood and jagged chunks of skull.

Inquisitor Kovera of Yulia

Full Name: Inquisitor Orin Kovera of Yulia

Nicknames/Aliases: The Bastard, The Heartless, Slip of a Girl

Age: 22

Gender: Female

Occupation/Class: Inquisitor

Kingdom of Origin: Yulia

Description: A model of Yulian efficiency, the Inquisitor, despite age and stature, is an intimidating figure. She stands at 5'9, and possesses an angular figure, wrapped in the uniform of the Inquisition. Black coat with silver borders, with a griffin badge embroidered to the chest on one side. She even appears to follow the colour scheme well, with long, black hair and eyes a silver-grey sort of shade.

High cheekbones and tall bearing seem to indicate some kind of noble background, along with the stiff posture...though that could also by the result of being a constant enforcer of the codes.

Equipment: As a female inquisitor, bladed weapons can be thought of as unseemly, unfit for usage. As such for their female staff the Yulian Inquisition has had to come up with ways in which they might defend themselves whilst circumventing the ban. She rarely rides out without the addition of a crossbow, and retains something else for self-defence.
A weapon taken from nations far to the east and developed by the Yulians, the kakute, as they were known in the east, or 'griffin teeth' as they're called in Yulia, are a set of three iron rings worn on the fingers, with iron spikes pointing inwards, making the user's grip enormously painful and debilitating, and allowing for deadly precise strikes on an assailant.

Personality: Kovera is a cold and apathetic creature, someone who appears on the surface to have very little in the way of emotion and even less in the way of conscience. It's won her great career advancement, but very little in the way of friends.

Highly intelligent, Orin knows exactly what to say in order to keep up appearances. Unlike many of her peers however, one would struggle to call her a 'true beleiver' in the Yulian ideal. She has no great investment in her nation's apparent morals and feels no personal dislike for the 'crimes' listed. However she enforces them all the same, not out of some frothing nationalistic zeal but out of a calculated wish to retain her position. In many ways, this makes the young Inquisitor more dangerous than her predecessor.


Skills: Highly Intelligent and Educated - Orin has a level of intelligence and scholarly education that outstrips what most of those around her could dream of. She's well-read and can easily hold a conversation on most academic subjects. She's also well-versed on human physiology...albeit for rather sinister reasons.

Self-Defence - Somewhat unusual for a woman in Yulian service, the Inquisitor is quite capable of defending herself in a physical fight. This will often take potential attackers by surprise...which suits her fine.

Weaknesses: Bound by the code - As one of the poster children for Yulian values, the Inquisitor has to rigidly adhere to the codes. This means she is bound not to take up a blade, even when it would benefit her position and to dress a certain way. This can often by a hindrance.



Fatal Flaw: Fear.



Brief History: Inquisitor Orin Kovera hold the honour of being, not only one of the few female Inqusitors in the Yulian force, but also the youngest to reach the prestigious level of office.

How did she rise so quickly so fast?

By handing her own father' name over to the Yulian Inquisition.

The illegitimate child of a minor noble, Orin grew up with his great resentment of her existence. At a young age she was sent off to the Inquisition for training to be one of their staff. Evidently that was not enough for the young woman however. She showed great skill in her work, seeming to have a near boundless memory for facts and figures combined with an utterly unflinching ability to face unsavoury things. She rose up the ranks quickly.
And eventually came the point when she called an Inquisitor to confess something, that she had seen her father, the lord, practising magic.
Soon he found himself before a Yulian court.
His unwanted daughter on the other hand, found herself promoted to Inquisitor. Her willingness to betray a family member was read as an undying dedication to the cause.

A few months after her promotion, the acting Inquisitor at the Midgate Garrison, died. As such she was selected as the next to take up this role. She set out for Midgate immediately, acutely aware of the importance of the position. An awful lot rested on her shoulders.

Lost Lands - A Medieval Fantasy RP

@VitoftheVoid Just out of curiosity, what would happen if one would break the Yulian code?
I have my eyes set on a convict, and would like to tie it (at least partly) to the code.

@Halvtand

If someone, either in Yulia or in the conquered kingdoms, was caught breaking the code, they would be visited by an inquisitor. Mild infractions might get them a more minor punishment, such as heavy fines and public humiliation like the stocks, but any severe breakages of the laws are likely to get people locked up, either as a custody sentence, or as a means for the inquisition to 'reform' them...something that's most likely highly unpleasant.

EDIT: Also sounds like a good concept that'd work very well!

Lost Lands - A Medieval Fantasy RP

C-can I be a plague doctor?

@Azazaa

You could, though the region concerned doesn't have an active epidemic going on at this moment, (other places in northern Yulia have, that relates to my character's backstory to some degree) so keep that in mind.

Lost Lands - Dark Medieval Fantasy Interest Check

roleplayerguild.com/topics/165750-los…

And it's launched, because I got keen.

Lost Lands - A Medieval Fantasy RP

The Fading World

The world is dying.

Anyone can feel it.

From the Kings in their castles to the most ragged vagrant on the roads.

A slow and creeping decay has been edging its way over the lands with plagues and famines. So many crops fail. So few plants will grow. The days are shorter. So many places are now overtaken by barren waste and foetid swamps.

Magic is leaving, leeching out of the fabric of the world, and the life force of the land is leaving with it. Dragons and other creatures died out years ago, and magic has become more and more scarce. The lands that remain fight over what resources remain..and from that one nation has risen to a position of superiority, Yulia.[/font]

The Risen Power

The nation of Yulia. Once a small, mountainous kingdom in the north with little influence on the world, Yulia nevertheless held its own rigid laws and conventions even then.

• Only a man may lift a sword, even in defence.
• Only a woman may learn the ways of magic.
• Neither will disguise as the other.
• No man may take another man as a lover, nor any woman take another woman.
• No man nor woman may hold any worship for the gods. Clerics are committing crimes against the people by encouraging them to have faith in nebulous forces and not in themselves.
• Obey the Inquisition at all costs.

This nation might have remained relatively obscure, were it not for one great factor that changed the balance of power in the lands. Whilst most Kingdoms lost any trace of magical abilities in their bloodlines, Yulia's mages remained. They were strong, and dangerous. The Wizard's Guild and the Royal Inquisition made devastating use of battle-magic and blessing of weapons and armour.

Bolstered by this power that no-one else might possess, the Yulians began an aggressive campaign of expansion and conquest, pushing their borders out and absorbing the surrounding lands.

Pradus, land of stalwart soldiers and renowned smiths was overrun, people forced down the mines and into the forges to fuel the war machine.

Miriand, kingdom of clerics and the Great Church, burned as Yulia's hatred for the gods was turned upon those who attempted to call on their power.

Aressa, land of the fearsome Wolf Knights held out for months under the onslaught, but was eventually brought to heel.

Yulia held superiority over the continent.

But this would not save them, or anyone else from the creeping decay. Quietly the wizard school and the inquisition plotted and schemed within the walls of the fortresses, seeking out a way to turn the tides of destruction.

---

The Setting

Midgate.
A large, drizzly border town between Pradus and Aressa, once a trading post where Pradians came to sell their wears to the Aressan citizenry, the place has become filled to the brim with Yulian Troops as they've taken over Midgate Fort, a once seldom-used castle along the walls.

Midgate Fort now serves both as a barracks for the troops of the Yulian Army, and a prison for the Yulian Inquisition. Many who have broken the strict moral codes of their new empire have found themselves facing the rest of their life within those dark, dank walls...alongside those who found themselves on the wrong side of the war with Yulia. The Inquisition is brutal, merciless...and up to something behind closed doors.

Meanwhile, in the town itself, there is activity in hidden places. A group of rebels from the four kingdoms have setup an underground network within the town, working towards one purpose...the liberation of Midgate Prison. Rumours have it that within its walls are some very high profile prisoners...including, perhaps, the heir to the throne of Aressa.

But to do that, they will have to get in, and defy the force of magic itself.

---

The OOC

Hello and welcome to Lost Lands. I am Vit, your GM for the evening.

Lost Lands is a medieval fantasy-type RP with a dark setting, inspired in part by Berserk and things of a similar, based on a setting I created for a tabletop campaign a while ago. This on the other hand, is more broad and freeform in its approach rather than setting a specific quest for players.

A rebel looking to break in?
A prisoner looking to break out?
A Yulian soldier, mage, inquisitor, there to uphold the will of the empire?
A neutral party out to save their own skin?

The choice is yours.

---

Rules and Additional Reading

Rules and Guidelines

• This is fantasy, but not in a tolkien sense. There are people, there is magic, and there are monsters. You will get many kingdoms with many cultures, and you will find many strange and horrific creatures in the wilds, but the two do not intersect much. The only creatures that one might truly call civilized would be humans.
• Magic is rare and is difficult.
  Magic exists only in much frequency within Yulia, and there those with that talent are very tightly controlled. To be able to manipulate the forces of the cosmos is extremely difficult and can be likened to extreme physical exertion. As with Yulian tradition, most magic users would never have been educated in weapon use. Magic is a very powerful thing in the right hands, but does not necessarily mean a mage could lord it over other characters. Much like wolves, they're far more dangerous in groups.
• Images are fine. (But I won't think less of you if they're not there.)
  Anime images are perfectly fine, as are more classical fantasy illustrations. Would prefer art to photographs though, as we're going for a fantasy feel.
• Whilst I'm trying to go for kind of a loose feel rather than pre-set roles, please mention if you'd like a role as something prominent (e.g The Aressan Heir, a Rebel Leader, Midgate's General etc so everyone is aware of this. Also please post your character sheet in the OOC first, so I can ensure it fits the setting. c:
• Fantasy means you don't have to make things utterly accurate.
  Female knights. Peculiar weaponry. Outlandish deities and belief systems. All are fine.

Additional Info: Kingdoms

Yulia

The ruling power in the fading world, the Kingdom of Yulia is a monarchy that has risen to great power through its command of magic. It maintains the only remaining school of magic, and the only properly militarized magic users.

It has also conquered many other Kingdoms and imposed upon them its strict 'moral code'.

• Only a man may lift a sword, even in defence.
• Only a woman may learn to fight using magic.
• Neither will disguise as the other.
• No man may take another man as a lover, nor any woman take another woman.
• No man nor woman may hold any worship for the gods. Clerics are committing cries against the people by encouraging them to have faith in nebulous forces and not in themselves.
• Obey the Inquisition at all costs.

Within this framework, they remain a terrifying force. Both of their branches of fighter are conditioned for utter loyalty.

Yulian soldiers' armour and weapons are blessed with magic, often trailing fire or light behind them as they swing, much the same as their enchanted armour may allow them unholy speed or steadfastness. Often charms will alow them to feel no pain, and to continue laying into enemies until they fall lifeless, a horrifying spectacle to behold.

Yulian battle mages are all female, and have been trained practically from birth to channel magical forces. The intensity of the training and the imposition of the Yulian ideals means that most will live their lives as little more than puppets for the regime, whose bodies will eventually fail under the strain of constant casting.

Yulia is ruled by the King, up in his lofty castle, and The Inquisition, the doers of his will. The Inquisition are the arbiters of the law in Yulia and all the conquered nations. Killing and torture is daily business for them, and they gleefully track down breakers of the codes.

In recent years though, Yulia has struggled to hold onto power in its bloated empire. Unrest at the edges combined with its mages dying and few being born to replace them has made their power unstable...and they have countered this with even greater brutality.

Pradus

A storm-beaten land rich in minerals and ores for mining, Pradus has long been known for both its hardy folk, and its greatly superiour crafts. The mines brought out ores to the forges who brought the strange metals of the earth to the master smiths. Some of the most legendary weapons were put together by Pradian smiths... and most have learned to use weapons, able to make deadly tools even from crude items of toil.

No shock then that Yulian hold on the small kingdom was often upset by popular uprisings, with miners facing more and more dangerous conditions with the demands for more weaaponry and armour for the mages to enchant. The Inquistion came down fast and hard upon the workers each time however, making an example of leaders that was, to say the least... frightening.

Miriand

Sat within a large basin of low hills is Miriand, once the centre for the Great Church, and the clerics and paladins from within it. The kingdom was once a theocracy, dedicated to everything in the glory of the gods. In many ways t could make the folks within it haughty and intolerant, but it also meant they focused on acts of charity ad benevolence. Miriand produced some of the most talented doctors and medic, many of its clerics training as such in order to ease the suffering of the sick and injured.

The invasion put pay to that however. While Yulia desired the medical knowledge of Miriand, they despised the clerics, and such people were subject to brutal punishment for 'leading the people astray'.

Aressa

In the forested river valleys along the edges of the wall stands Aressa, a people that if they lacked the hardiness of Pradians or the talents of Mirians, made up for it in bravery and unwillingness to bow. Raised on codes of chivalry and honour, the armies of the nation had no qualms in defending their land to the bitter end. The Aressans and their wolf knights, elite lines that dressed in helms resembling wolf heads, held of the Yulian advance for two years.

It was not until the Inquisition was able to steal into the Aressan capital, steal the only heir, and plunge a dagger into the back of the monarch, that the lines of defence began to breakdown. Rudderless, without a figurehead, the morale was broken, and it was only a matter of time until the nation fell, removing the last barrier between the Yulians and the wall.

The heir to the throne was spirited away to the Yulian capital, never to be seen again, and the wolf knights made an example of to those that might get ideas about showing insolence to their betters.

Gods and Goddesses

Tinon

God of Sunlight, Natural Fire Death and Birth. 'Father' of the Gods
Patron of Ends and Beginnings

Tinon is often portrayed as a man with white hair, or a man with the head of a white eagle, and inspires the crest of Miriand. His domain is to oversee the actions of the other Gods, and fulfil his duty as maker and remaker of the world. Miriand doctrine says that Tinon formed the world from white flame, and that upon the ending of the world he will descend once more as a great bird and destroy all that is rotten and corrupt in flames once again so that the world might renew.

Adherents appeal to Tinon for guidance in both losses and starts. Both burials and baptisms tend to be carried out by clerics of Tinon, for all that's born will one day die.

---

Ahl (Credit to Raidose)

The God of Mercy, Justice, and Light.

Patron Saint of Clerics and Healers.
Divine Guide to the Road of Peace.

Ahl is a genderless entity, with it's followers never referring to it as "he" or "she", simply "Ahl". Ahl serves as a peaceful God, but not a naive one. A lesson strongly implemented in Ahl's followers. Many Soldiers, Generals, Arbites, and Constables abide by the worship of Ahl, all following under a very strict teaching: "Never seek violence as a solution, but rather prepare for it as an inevitability. In an Age of War, one must pray for Peace. In an Age of Peace, one must prepare for War."

The Warriors of Ahl are the protectors of Miriand and her people, best represented in the classic Arthurian Knight's Code.

But with all things built upon good intentions, the worship and faith in Ahl has at times been twisted to serve less charitable and more personal agendas.

---

Oros

God of War, Combat and Strategy.

Son of Tinon, often depicted as a figure in a horned helmet and battle garb, holding a greatsword. Despite his status as a god of war, Oros is not seen as one of mindless violence and destruction, but also as one of cunning and strategy, and as such is often depicted wearing a fox skin on his belt.

He is often invoked by soldiers, fighters, and those undertaking some kind of intense challenge. It is said that Oros honours those who act with bravery, even when the odds stand against them.

---

Ris

God of the Forge, Craftsmen and Smithing.

Often depicted as a strange, troll-like figure in statues, stories tell that Ris was once a beautiful God, put poured all of his light and soul into the weapons that he forged.

Pradus, with its many smiths, honoured this god especially, and in Pradus he is often depicted with a boar's head, the symbol of the kingdom. Many smiths, prior to the invasion, had small shrines to Ris in their forges.

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Vesyt

Goddess of Nature, the Hunt and Untamed Places.

Depicted in numerous forms Vesyt is the goddess of the hunt, and wild places, both venerated and feared by those who venture out into the untamed wilds. She is said to be a goddess who exists in a duality, sometimes depicted as a dryadic figure with leaves and roots to represent the beauty and bounty of nature, and sometimes depicted as a savage figure wreathed in fur and bones, to represent the ruthlessness of the wilderness. Hunters will often pay tribute to Vesyt, as will those out in the wilderness, whether hoping that they will be rewarded with the riches of the wild, or spared from its dangers. Often alters to Vesyt, with scattered offerings, can be found before dangerous stretches on the roads, as travellers leave something to appeal for protection from the tempestuous goddess.

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Athira

Goddess of Night, Darkness and Secrecy

Patron of thieves, spies, and those that lives their lives in darkness and subterfuge, Athira is a god more often venerated in small shrines than large churches. She is a goddess of obfuscation and is often called upon by people in hopes that their action, whatever is might be, may go unnoticed. The fact that this lends itself well to criminal or immoral activity has led some in places like Miriand to regard Athira as a negative influence, but it is certainly not an all-encompassing ideal. Many feel that Athira allows for some things best left hidden to stay as such.

Character Profile

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Full Name:

Nicknames/Aliases:

Age:

Gender:

Occupation/Class:

Kingdom of Origin:

Description: (What do they look like? Even if you've got a picture, a bit of writing would be nice.)
Equipment:

Personality: (A brief outline of their demeanour.)


Skills:

Weaknesses:(Achilles' Heels that can be exploited by enemies.)

Fatal Flaw:



[Brief History: (Any notable events in their background that might have shaped them. If you don't want to reveal too much, that's fine.)

Other:(Anything else you think everyone needs to know about your character.)

Lost Lands Discord - discord.gg/Fx6K2sS

Lost Lands - Dark Medieval Fantasy Interest Check

@QueentzeGlad to hear it! :)

Lost Lands - Dark Medieval Fantasy Interest Check

Have a couple of characters left over from my old usage of this setting, though not a firm commitment to them yet.

Adella of Yulia

Full Name: Adella Darr, Magus Second Class of the Yulian Order of Crows

Nicknames/Aliases: Adella of Crows, The Runt, The Peasant

Age: 22

Gender: Female

Occupation/Class: War Mage, Order of the Crows

Kingdom of Origin: Yulia

Description: Adella stands at a quite unimpressive height, maybe only 5'0 tall, and possessing a skinny, angular build that seems less than intimidating. She lacks the taller,more stately frame common with most of the mages in the Yulian armed forces, and as such her uniform sits a little large on her. Not by much, but enough that she's somewhat self-conscious about it.

Her features are similarly unimpressive. She has very dark brown hair and eyes, pallid skin, and short facial features that might lead her to being utterly overlooked, if it were not for the uniform she's donned and the power that she represents.

Equipment: Standard Yulian mage garb for combat, to match her class level. Much of Adella's form is covered by a hooded robe-like coat that reaches down to her mid-calf, the sleeves just passing her elbow. A third class mage would have a plain blue coat with only the symbol of their order, second class gain the yulian wings mantle in recognition of their rank. A first class magus will be awarded with a cape to replace the mantle, however not for want of trying Adella has never been able to reach this rank.

The coat is in Yulian colours, a dark blue with the appliqued silver wings of the Yulian griffin retainer wrapped around the back of the shoulders, and the black shape of a rising crow, the symbol of her order, spread across the chest. A dark purple sash is tied round her waist with pockets sewn in to carry a few vital items.

On her feet she wears some doeskin boots that reach her knees, and her arms below the elbow are adorned with leather gauntlets with metal bands, serving at least to ensure that someone might struggle to cut her hands apart whilst she's casting.

The robe coat conceals a jerkin made from studded leather, to add some degree of defence from weapon strikes, though armour is far from a mage's strongpoint.

In line with the Yulian Code, Adella has no blade, or indeed any conventional pieces of weaponry.

Personality: Ambitious, in one word. Adella is very much a product of her home nation, and regards magic as the be-all and end-all of power and prestige. She also possesses something of an inferiority complex from her common blood. This, along with not-unimpressive level of intelligence, are a pretty worrying combination.

Adella acts out of desire to increase her own knowledge and power of the magical arts, and perhaps make herself the saviour that restores life to the world. More immediately however she seeks to ascend her own abilities.

Adella comes across as a rather arrogant. She regards her magical ability as something that sets her above most around her, and her Yulian heritage as giving her some moral superiority. She also doesn't have any hesitancy in expressing it. It gives her a propensity for rubbing people the wrong way.

Skills:

-Magic - Adella is distinguished most notably by her power of sorcery. She has an inherent gift to be able to generate magical energy within her body and translate it into sorceries, and has been trained to use it in combat. Her spells are primarily geared towards combat, and either work to attack directly, or work to enhance the destructive ability of others.

- Experience of Scarcity - Whilst she might carry herself like a princess, Adella has known a lot of hardship in her early years. As such, things like lack of food, poor weather, injury and such doesn't elicit any complaints from her. It seems beneath her small frame sits a core of iron. A will not easily broken.

-Magesight - Trained in the usage of magical energies, Adella has been able to hone a skill colloquially known as Magesight, the ability to perceive centres of strong magical energy. She is able to detect the centres of power using this, however sudden burst of strong power nearby (such a a spell being cast closeby) while this is use s overwhelming and painful and even risks blinding the user, as such Adella uses it sparingly.

Weaknesses:

- No sword. Adella is not only without weapons or education on their technique, but is forbidden by the Code to even lift a blade. As such Adella will not so much as consider the use of a sword.

-Small stature, no defence. Adella's stature and her lack of weapon training leave her very open to hits from melee, to the point that even a well-placed hit to the jaw can send her sprawling. If an enemy can land a serious hit on Adella, chances more than not is that the'yll only need to do it once.

-Magic usage penalties. Magic is a very intensive process. Mages are able to build up energies within their body that they are able to channel into a kind of destructive or creative force, but chanelling it can be very tough on their bodies. Over use will result in some unpleasant consequences.

Fatal Flaw:
Ambition. Adella's own apparently haughtiness masks a deep-seated feeling of personal insecurity, and she wants more than anything to make herself exceptional.

Lost Lands - Dark Medieval Fantasy Interest Check

Great! :)

Lost Lands - Dark Medieval Fantasy Interest Check

The world is dying.

Anyone can feel it.

From the Kings in their castles to the most ragged vagrant on the roads.

A slow and creeping decay has been edging its way over the lands with plagues and famines. So many crops fail. So few plants will grow. The days are shorter. So many places are now overtaken by barren waste and foetid swamps.

Magic is leaving, leeching out of the fabric of the world, and the life force of the land is leaving with it. Dragons and other creatures died out years ago, and magic has become more and more scarce. The lands that remain fight over what resources remain..and from that one nation has risen to a position of superiority, Yulia.

The nation of Yulia. Once a small, mountainous kingdom in the north with little influence on the world, Yulia nevertheless held its own rigid laws and conventions even then.

[+]

The Yulian Codes

Only a man may lift a sword, even in defence.

Only a woman may learn to fight using magic.

Neither shall disguise as the other.

No man may take another man as a lover, nor any woman take another woman.

No man nor woman may hold any worship for the gods. Clerics are committing cries against the people by encouraging them to have faith in nebulous forces and not in themselves.

Obey the Inquisition at all costs.

This nation might have remained relatively obscure, were it not for one great factor that changed the balance of power in the lands. Whilst most Kingdoms lost any trace of magical abilities in their bloodlines, Yulia's mages remained. They were strong, and dangerous. The Wizard's Guild and the Royal Inquisition made devastating use of battle-magic and blessing of weapons and armour.

Bolstered by this power that no-one else might possess, the Yulians began an aggressive campaign of expansion and conquest, pushing their borders out and abosrbing the surrounding lands.

Pradus

A storm-beaten land rich in minerals and ores for mining, Pradus has long been known for both its hardy folk, and its greatly superiour crafts. The mines brought out ores to the forges who brought the strange metals of the earth to the master smiths. Some of the most legendary weapons were put together by Pradian smiths... and most have learned to use weapons, able to make deadly tools even from crude items of toil.

No shock then that Yulian hold on the small kingdom was often upset by popular uprisings, with miners facing more and more dangerous conditions with the demands for more weaaponry and armour for the mages to enchant. The Inquistion came down fast and hard upon the workers each time however, making an example of leaders that was, to say the least... frightening.

land of stalwart soldiers and renowned smiths was overrun, people forced down the mines and into the forges to fuel the war machine.

Miriand

Sat within a large basin of low hills is Miriand, once the centre for the Great Church, and the clerics and paladins from within it. The kingdom was once a theocracy, dedicated to everything in the glory of the gods. In many ways t could make the folks within it haughty and intolerant, but it also meant they focused on acts of charity ad benevolence. Miriand produced some of the most talented doctors and medic, many of its clerics training as such in order to ease the suffering of the sick and injured.

The invasion put pay to that however. While Yulia desired the medical knowledge of Miriand, they despised the clerics, and such people were subject to brutal punishment for 'leading the people astray'.

, kingdom of clerics and the Great Church, burned as Yulia's hatred for the gods was turned upon those who attempted to call on their power.

Aressa

In the forested river valleys along the edges of the wall stands Aressa, a people that if they lacked the hardiness of Pradians or the talents of Mirians, made up for it in bravery and unwillingness to bow. Raised on codes of chivalry and honour, the armies of the nation had no qualms in defending their land to the bitter end. The Aressans and their wolf knights, elite lines that dressed in helms resembling wolf heads, held of the Yulian advance for two years.

It was not until the Inquisition was able to steal into the Aressan capital, steal the only heir, and plunge a dagger into the back of the monarch, that the lines of defence began to breakdown. Rudderless, without a figurehead, the morale was broken, and it was only a matter of time until the nation fell, removing the last barrier between the Yulians and the wall.

The heir to the throne was spirited away to the Yulian capital, never to be seen again, and the wolf knights made an example of to those that might get ideas about showing insolence to their betters.

, land of nobility and chivalry, the fearsome Wolf Knights held out for months under the onslaught, but was eventually brought to heel.

Yulia held superiority over the continent.

But this would not save them, or anyone else from the creeping decay. Quietly the wizard school and the inquisition plotted and schemed within the walls of the fortresses, seeking out a way to turn the tides of destruction.

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Hi there! Vit here. I've made this topic as something of an interest check/idea bouncing thread, as I've been wanting to make use of this setting for some time that was originally just a framing device for a quest thing I wasn't so keen on, but I've not been certain how best to frame the actual progression of the plot, and what people would like most to play. So I figured I'd throw the setting up on here and see what sort of thing people would like to see, what kind of characters they'd like to use, and maybe work from there.

A few possible ones have occurred to me:

-Yulian Prison, prisoners are excavating something mysterious. Possibly a number of characters staging a prison break.
-A rebellion, uprising sort of story.
-Something round an occupied town.
-An attempt to recover the Aressan heir.
-Something very loose and character-driven, throw a bunch of characters in a setting and see how it progresses.

Ideas are welcome.