You ran across a letter, it doesn’t really matter how, but you did. A most mysterious letter at that. Perhaps it caught your eye from its home on a bulletin board for your town. Usually it only held the ever so boring news from places beyond your home, but just this once there was something else hung on it. Maybe a wide man in a fancy suit walked up to you and handed you the letter in a tiny envelope closed with a wax seel. Before walking away without a word. Maybe you came across this odd little paper as you were walking along. Seeing it fly through the wind before your curiosity got the best of you and you snatched it from the sky. No matter the case you found a letter. A letter addressed not to you, but to everyone that saw it.

And what it said was intriguing.

"Hello Sir, Madam, or Other! I am Maithien Garrett! And I would like to propose an adventure.. Now recently I discovered a map. "A map for what?" You ask my friend? Well a treasure map of course! Now where do you come in? I need a crew. But I don't want some hum drum boring crew. I want different, special, incredible, extraordinary, random people! It doesn't matter who you are! I want you to come and sail with me. You may be wondering what you will get in return. I can already assure that I am a wealthy man, so no matter how this quest ends you will be well paid. But if from this quest we find what we are looking for you will receive a large bonus. If you are at all interested in this offer, come meet me at the Umpalias Docks in Riviqin! You will know my ship when you see it. Then again maybe you won't! We'll see I suppose.

Maithien Garrett. Millionaire and Amateur Treasure hunter."

And this is where your Adventure begins.

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Welcome to the realm of Iperolum.

Long ago the people of the world walked along the earth. For centuries they would reap crops from the ground and fruits from the trees. Though there were many different races in this world they co-existed happily. What brought them all together was survival. Iperolum was home to many savage beasts, diseases, and storms. Only working together were the people able to survive.

The people invented. They built many wonderful things! Swords, armor, weapons, medicine, and tools. These creations among others saved many lives! Sadly, once the people discovered that with these items they could survive by their own devices, they disbanded. Now that the people no longer needed each other their long lasting friendships faded. And when there is no room for love towards others, bitterness grows. Relations grew poorer and poorer until the people nearly stopped communicating with each other. Electing to build vast walls to divide instead of bridges to connect.

Decades later a race known as the Dwarves discovered the possibilities of power and energy: Water, steam, heat, wind! With the right modifications they could be used to power their many tools! They created machines. The entire world marveled at the almost magical power that came from this discovery. Races begged the Dwarves for the knowledge of energy, of how to automate these bothersome tasks. And they were happy to share it! The Dwarves were an ancient race, only being surpassed by the Elves. They did not so easily forget the great bond the people shared centuries before. They only wished to rekindle that friendship, perhaps this incredible gift would do so? Once the information was released all of Iperolum began researching new ideas. Trains, cannons and guns, mechanical lighting for homes, they even created machines to help work the many fields that yielded food! But none of that was enough. Even with these grand creations already making life easier many people were sick of being forced to toil in the dirt to survive. They wanted to live without a care, live their lives in comfort without work. And then it came to them. The sky was calm, peaceful, without danger. The birds seemed content living above! So why wouldn't they?

With dreams of living in the sky driving their minds, these many races of the land began reaching skyward, they created vast ships, lifted by the power and might of machines. Their ambitions grew larger and larger until they created their proudest achievement yet, a city in the sky. Riviqin, the first of many. Many began to leave the dirt in favor of the sky. But there was one thing these people did not take into account, they needed resources. Food, metals for repairs and weapons, fleece and wool for their clothes, coal to burn to fuel their many engines. They had none of these things.

Once these revolutionary colonists had had a taste of the endless freedom of the sky they were not eager to leave it to obtain the items vital to their survival. They had tried trading, but seeing as they did not have much to offer besides residence in their starving cities or fuelless skyships it fell through quickly. And the surface dwellers were not keen on giving away their hard earned goods for free. Agitated by their hunger and greed for which they could not have, the colonists banded together for one purpose: War. If they could not peacefully acquire these things, then they would take them by force.

It lasted 4 years, it was bloody, and eventually the colonists won. Though the surface dwellers had control over vast amounts of resources, they were caught unprepared when they were first bombarded by the airships. Because most who had stayed on the ground generally didn't care much for the sky, they didn't bother to put much work into amassing their own fleets of ships. They never thought the colonists would do such a thing in the first place! They caught them by complete surprise, sacking one of the Dwarves’ cities in only two days. Looting to their heart's content!

The Dwarves had begged for assistance with this threat! Their dreams of renewed friendship with the races had blinded them to the threat of war, they had no army! But their pleas fell on deaf ears. The races simply refused to help, the great gifts the Dwarves gave were forgotten. City after city fell to the colonists before there was nothing left to loot from the once kind hearted race. The colonists moved onto the next race, then the next, and the next. Finally when the remaining ground dwellers realized their predicament it was too late to fight back. They surrendered to the colonists, not wishing to have their last few cities razed.

There were few terms to this surrender, but the price was still high. The biggest were most definitely these: The dwellers were forbidden from amassing their own fleets, half of all resources gathered were to be given to the colonists and their cities, and all prisoners taken during the war were made slaves, forced to work the fields the colonists refused. Things had taken a turn for the worst.

Two centuries later, and things have gone unchanged. The colonists, now perhaps better described as the aristocracy, live lavishly in their floating city states. While on the ground those still alive from the war, and those born into it, are slaves. Whoever was fortunate enough to not be forced into labor must scrape by however they can to survive. This bleak time in history is where your adventure takes place. Good luck.

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The Noliq: Most Elves follow a set of rules, the Noliq. No one really remembers who made these rules or when they were put into place, but they still follow them. 
The rules are these. 
The world is a being you do not harm. 
You do not endlessly mine the earth under your feet for minerals, this harms and upsets the earth.
 You do not create vast farms from which you endlessly reap crops, this will ruin the soil and sadden the earth. 
You do not steal from the earth. If you hunger, you only take what you need when you need it, nothing more. This pleases the earth.
 You must tend to the earth, plant beautiful trees and flowers to rejuvienate the land. This heals the earth.
Only tend to the earth, do not bother yourself with the gossip of others, do not interfere with that which does not involve the Elves...

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So originally I was planning on only doing custom races for this, but I got impatient with coming up with ideas. Soooo yeeeah.. You can try doing a custom race I suppose, but there are no guarantees that I will allow it. But I shouldn’t be too strict as long as there aren’t like demons, angels, or like a race with some sort of super power like shooting fire. Also try to keep them humanoid.(Basically no floating brains or stuff.) And you will be okay.

Sidenote: There is no magic. None, never heard of the stuff here in Iperolum. In fact if you started talking about the stuff like it was real people would probably start thinking you were a looney.

Dwarves: The Dwarves were the founders of the now named Automation Revolution, and also the first to fall in the war. Due to this they unfortunately make up a large portion of the slave population. Though you can still find the occasional free Dwarf you are more often than not going to find Dwarves in chains rather than walking freely. The age of the Dwarves being a caring and cheerful race has passed, most hold only bitterness and hate in their hearts anymore. Both for the Colonists that enslaved them and their allies that abandoned them. The average lifespan for a Dwarf is around 150-175 years. So most Dwarves from the war are now dead, having died in slavery. Although there are rumors that some are still alive after these two long centuries, but most discount it as a myth. There are both Male and Female Dwarves in Iperolum. (Whether or not you can find a decent picture of a Female Dwarf is another thing. :3 )

Humans: The Humans made up a fair amount of the colonists and were one of the first factions to push for war. Many of the Humans are driven by emotion and greed. Willing to do cruel acts to survive. Though there were still many that stayed on the surface and even fought against the colonists, many people in Iperolum see the Humans as a wholly corrupt race. Making life for the Men and Women who don’t hold the same power as the aristocrats very hard. While above many of the highest ranking aristocrats are Human. (I pray you know what a human looks like :P

Elves: The oldest race of Iperolum. Few Elves migrated to the sky due to the beliefs of the race, those that left were seen as fools or heretics by most Elves. They were the last race to fall to the colonists due to their lack of resources. And even though they surrendered, few elves became slaves. The colonists tried to force their labor, but the Elves simply refused. They would not break their code merely to save themselves pain. So in a fit of rage all the captured Elves were executed. Leaving only those that escaped or were on the side of the colonists alive. None were left to follow the code. (The Elves look how you would expect, and live to be about 300 by the time of their deaths.

Dimilus: A few years before the war a new race was created, half Elf and half Dwarf. The Dimilus. No one is entirely sure when this race first showed up, but what happened once they were discovered was unsavory. The Elves branded them mistakes and abominations, casting them out along whoever claimed them as kin for breaking the code. Although the Dwarves welcomed this new race with open arms the Dimilus fled to the outskirts of the known realm. Many see the Dimilus as a savage race now. Cutting themselves off from society has made their social skills rusty. There were very few if any Dimilus on either side of the war due to their exile, they are just now beginning to show themselves again. (A Dimilus is ever so slightly smaller than most humans, faces wide and hard, and have the classic pointy ears of their parents. They usually live up to a hundred years.)

[hider=The Rakash by Pathfinder]Race Characteristics:
-Fast breeders: Large clutches, ranging from 6 to 12 with 8 being the average.
-Vermin: Living as they do, Rakash do not suffer any penalties for living in filth nor are they subject to many diseases found throughout the world.
-Hide: The Rakash skin contains chromatophores, a type of cell that changes color and texture to match its surrounding. Not completely foolproof but works well enough.
-Treasure Hunters: Rakash have a strange affinity for finding and collecting shiny objects, gathering vast hoards of gold, jewels, and weapons.
-Excellent Climbers: Like a spider, the Rakash can climb on nearly any surface save for glass. Easily broken off surfaces like sandstone or dirt are impossible to climb as well.
-Sneaky: The Rakash are quiet by design and suspicious in nature, to gain ones trust is a feat in itself. To gain ones word is nearly impossible.
-Jet Spray: When in a tough spot a Rakash can spray a jet of ink filled with a burning agent from its mouth. Wears off in about thirty minutes.
-Claws: Can claw through flesh fairly easily however leather take some time. Cant claw through metal or bone.

Race Appearance: Your average Rakash is about 3'7 in height with the largest on record being 4'8. The Rakash have internal genitalia, no secondary sexual organs, and they all have the similar high pitched scratchy voice which makes identification nearly impossible for outsiders. When not camouflaged Rakash are a dull gray, like a stone and their skin can be either incredibly smooth or extremely rough, depending on the situation. The heads are dominated by a splitting lip less grin, large round eyes as grey as their skin, and four large horns. Three on the head and one on the chin. Normally the Rakash run on all fours, using their hunched stance and long limbs to their advantage while moving on their back legs when speed is not a factor.

Race History: Before the war the Rakash were your run of the mill, if not infrequent, vermin. People knew they were around but they never were a major problem, rarely stealing anything of true value, petty pranks against cows, and only killing someone when they pursued them with persistence. The Rakash were tolerated because it was far more trouble to clear them from an area than it was worth.

However, when the war started everything fell apart. Done was the simple life of steal and relax, instead there came running and hiding as the airships cleared the forests that the Rakash called home. It was all burned to ash and the Rakash were left lost. With nothing left the Rakash took to the sewers, the only safe haven they could find and hid. With this exile came a silver lining, no one went into the sewers. The Rakash were allowed to flourish in the dark sewers and then expand into dwarven ruins that never recovered after the war. Soon the Rakash were back to their old mischief only now their little pranks were replaced with sinister malice and even death as the "Fire from the Sky" twisted their views as to how the world is.[/hider]

[hider=The Caxerion by Darkwolfsoul010]The Caxerion:
Race Characteristics:
Loners: Most Caxerion’s will travel in groups no bigger than 2 or 3, but it is not uncommon for them to travel alone for their entire lives.
Quick: Due to the structure of their hind paws, the Caxerion are literally always on their toes. They can dart side to side quite easily, and it is said that one from this race holds the title for fastest runner.
Secret Weapons: The Caxerion, despite being mostly humanoid, still retain some outstanding feline features. Hidden behind their warm smile are a set of very sharp fangs, which they will use if the fighting gets dirty. And behind their white gloves, a set of claws.
Chivalrous: The Caxerion are known throughout the land for being incredibly polite, and kind towards others.
Nimble: These feline fighters use their lanky bodies to their advantage, being able to avoid attacks by simply bending out of the way. This skill also lets them climb trees, or sneak in the dark as well.
Tails: The tail of a Caxerion is strong. Strong enough to hold them upside down if need be, but also strong enough to deal a deciding blow in a close combat battle.

Race Appearance: The Caxerion are a very diverse race, and usually anyone can spot them in a crowd. They range between 5’6 to 7’6 feet tall, and are all extremely lean and lanky. This does mean that they are weaker than many races, but also a lot faster. The Caxerion’s soft layer of down fur ranges in many colors and patterns, and their triangle noses are almost always pink or black. Their voices are regal and calm, and getting a Caxerion angry is a challenging feat. Most members of their society work with their hands, and skills such as sewing, beading, cooking, crafting, sculpting and painting are common. Most Caxerion young, called cubs, are trained in the art of sword fighting or hand to hand combat, and aren’t good at ranged weaponry. Their eyes give them the ability to see in the dark, and the ears atop their heads let them hear for long distances. Their tails are commonly very long, reaching the floor in most cases, however on occasion a Caxerion can be born with no tail, or with a very short one. This race is known for being elegant and formal, with most males wearing fancy dress coats and formal pants, and the women wearing blouses or dresses. A signature for this race is the white gloves that each member of their society receives once moving away from home. 

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/EFCgwr9l.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/40uESXzl.jpg[/IMG][/hider]
_____________________________________________
The Rules

[1] No godmodding, powergaming, all those other words. I you know all this stuff, so don’t do it.
[2] Listen to the GMs..
[3] No Gary/Mary sues.
[4] Do your best on your post. Pretty please? :3
[5] Have fun!
[6] Just… You know.. Don’t be stupid? 

_____________________________________________

There will be timeskips in this Roleplay. (Mainly because there are portions where you will be on a skyship, and I don’t really think it’s possible to properly roleplay weeks of time while confined to that small an area.) What I think I will have happen is after a while of people posting and talking I will make a post basically telling everyone that once they wrap up whatever they’re doing to stop posting until the timeskip. So if say you have been exploring the ship with another crewmate, I will make the post telling you to wrap things up, you will eventually get done exploring the ship,(I don’t plan on totally rushing you just try not to take a long time) and once you are done you will simply stop posting until the timeskip. I will post it once everyone has finished doing whatever they were doing. I may let you guys help decide how long each time skip will be.

_____________________________________________

And finally I am going to be doing something slightly weird with the apps. All that will be posted on the OOC is your Character's Age, Race, Appearance, and Name. That is all everyone but me and any Co-GMs will see. Now before the smaller app is posted I want you to PM me the full one. If I accept you then I will post the less descriptive one. The reason I am doing this is so it is sort of an experience when you find something out about someone. So you have to learn about your new crew-mates over time. Sooo.. Yeah.

Full App.
(One you PM to me.)
Name:
Race:
Age:
Appearance:
Personality:(Don’t have to do this one if you prefer to develop it in IC..)
Former Occupation(s):
History:

Race App.
(PM to me to try to make a custom race.)
Race Name:
Race Characteristics:
Race Appearance:(Picture allowed if you want.)
Race History:(Both before and after the war.)

_____________________________________________

I'm not the best at running these things so try and bear with me as I get the cogs moving.. Also if you have any questions go ahead and ask them!

_____________________________________________

Accepted characters.

nostrebor68
Name: Garick Yndren
Race: Human
Age: 26
Appearance: About 5'11” 
[hider=Appearance][IMG]http://i.imgur.com/iZYsjjc.jpg[/IMG][/hider]

Darkwolfsoul010
Name: Rena ‘Ren’
Race: Caxerion
Age: 23
[hider=Appearance][IMG]http://i.imgur.com/tfV3u9f.png[/IMG][/hider]

StarCatcher
Name: Anisa Burton
Race: Human
Age: 22
Appearance:Anisa stands at a tiny 4'10", and has a thin yet healthy looking figure. Her skin is relatively pale, somewhere between fair and porcelain, with pink cheeks sprinkled with a few freckles. Her face is heart-shaped, with prominent cheek bones. Her eyes are of average size, with long eyelashes, and her irises are a stunning dark blue, that almost looks purplish in certain light, with emerald flecks. Her nose is of average size, but a bit pointy. Her lips are full, but pale, almost the same color as her skin. Her hair is a chestnut color, but streaks of dark blonde show in certain light. Her hair goes all the way to her hips, but is constantly pulled up in a messy bun on top of her head. A faint tattoo of the number 22 is on the side of her neck, and burn scars are evident on her arms and legs. She most commonly wears knee- length gray dresses with mid-length sleeves, and black work boots.

Dark Angel
Name: Aria Merker
Race: Human
Age: 21
Appearance: Aria is rather short, but don't tell her that or you will get hit. She is quite proud of her long ginger hair and blue eyes. 
[hider=Appearance] [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/iFzGlof.jpg[/IMG][/hider]

Mokley
Name: Simnia
Race: Dwarf
Age: 30
Appearance:
Dwarves tend to be short, stout and thick-boned, and Simnia is proudly among them. Her weathered and ragged dust-blonde hair, which might've been a source of pride to her ancestors, is now nothing but an annoyance and is kept out of her face by leather ties. Her hands and the soles of her feet are rough and calloused, and she has a few minor scars whose origin is of no particular importance. As a slave, she gives no thought to her dress or shoes as long as they keep her warm and acceptably free from harm.
[hider=Appearance][IMG]http://i.imgur.com/X5rrxfJ.jpg[/IMG][/hider]

Pathfinder
Name: Sakar
Race: Rakash
Age: 20
[hider=Appearance][IMG]http://i.imgur.com/olpIU5D.jpg[/IMG][/hider]
Standing at 3'8, grey, and a shit eating grin plastered on his face nigh constantly, Sakar is the very picture of what a Rakash should look like.

Deth Glitch
Name: Daliq Maelvon
Race: Elven
Age: 166
[hider=Appearance][IMG]http://i.imgur.com/KDdqf1Hl.jpg[/IMG][/hider]

Korigon
Name: Katewyn Tully
Race: Human
Age: Twenty-seven.
Appearance: [hider=Katewin Headshot][IMG]http://i.imgur.com/o7ZnYu3.jpg[/IMG][/hider]

the book of bad juju
Name: Elani Cleavenshield.
Race: Elf
Age: 35. Barely past adulthood in elven terms.
Appearance: [url=http://imgur.com/kbKBQar]this, except without the sword.[/url] Elani has heard of the recent rococo fashion trend of putting brass and clockwork on garments, and has decided she wants no part of it. Excess metal around is an annoyance.

FuzzyFly
Name: Professor Arturos Ertines
Race: Human
Age: 59 
[hider=Appearance][IMG]http://i.imgur.com/OBuw07El.jpg[/IMG][/hider]

Your Faithful Captain and GM
Name: Maithien Garrett
Race: Human
Age: 56
[hider=Appearnce] Ignore that writing at the bottom of the picture! That is obviously Maithien Garrett!........obviously.. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/BSe1BF0l.jpg[/IMG][/hider]

[url=http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20131110205045/lookout/images/c/cc/Enterprise_DS_Opening1.jpg]The Compass![/url]