[hr] [h1][center]The Origin[/center][/h1] [hr] [i]From One came the Cast Off and the Seven From the Seven came the World[/i] The tale of this world is a long one, one that is rapidly coming to its end. Much of its history has been lost, forgotten and in many cases destroyed. Much is only known in broad strokes, exact names and details forgotten. It is a world watched by Seven Divines. Long ago, thousands of years, the continent of Jasi rose in power and splendor. Its influence stretched out to rapidly encompass the rest of the world, made up of the larger continent to the north, Vei, and the even larger continent to the west and northwest, Aatroia. The continent of Jasi was much more advanced and powerful than the rest of the world, and with these advantages the Emperor of Jasi was able to keep a solid grip on his rule. The only way his rule would end would be a falling apart on the inside. The sons and daughters of the Emperor stood against him, and together slew him, and split the world among themselves. Though some of these lines died out or just disappeared, some royal families are still believed to be descended from these Jasian sons and daughters. For a long time, the world continued on in a relatively normal manner. Kingdoms rose and fell, power shifted hands, and people grew and died out. However, one hundred years ago, Aatroia erupted into sudden turmoil that went quiet. The instigators of this chaos became known as the God Kings. Any previous rulers were found and slaughtered by their forces, and the God Kings were the ones who claimed power. Their power was beyond that of any mortal, and though some appeared human some clearly weren't, anymore at least. With their power they could "Remake" an individual, shattering their soul and piecing it back together into one that completely worships the God King or Queen. This was how they gained such power and followers, and brought the previously established kingdoms to their end. While the God Kings gained power and made new kingdoms in the west, to the East the continent of Vei was split, for the most part, between three nations: Barcea to the southeast, H'kela to the southwest, and Gurata to the north. Barcea, a green land with plains and hills with mountains to the east, was ruled by the Serio family for generations. H'kela, a desert land with ancient crumbling structures, often changed leadership due to the political struggle for power. Gurata, a cold, rocky land, was split between the various tribes that roamed the land. During this time the struggle between Barcea and H'kela began, rooted within religious reasons. The God Kings kept their rule completely up until fifteen years ago. Finally, a full-fledged Rebellion began to form, large enough to not immediately be destroyed or "Remade", and continue to go. To the east, the then ruler of Barcea, Olain Serio, put his struggle with H'kela on hold to head West as well, to fight and perhaps gain land and resources. It was a struggle, and though the Rebellion gained momentum it seemed that one day they would eventually lose... Until, suddenly, individuals who could not be "Remade" began to appear. This group of people became known as the Gifted, and helped lead the Rebellion to victory. Those God Kings who were not killed were banished or fled preemptively to parts unknown. The forces of Barcea were defeated, Olain Serio terribly wounded, and returned back East. New kingdoms and governments began to rise, led by the people, and many of the Gifted elected to take rewards in the form of positions, land, or power, while some went back to their former lives, and even more just simply disappeared. As this redevelopment happened in the West, things began to change to the East. Olain Serio eventually died of his wounds that he earned in the West, and his oldest daughter became the new Queen. To the surprise of many, including those that would manipulate her, she began immediate reforms, ending conflict with H'kela entirely and bettering the lives of the people to the best that they had ever known. Along with herself, her younger brother and sister became symbols of this rebirth and bettering of the land. In the present, Barcea is still a nation of peace, though H'kela's aggression continues to grow and grow. It is five years before the end of the world. [hr] [hider=On the Matters of Religion] There are many religions within this world, of various sorts. Even the God Kings were worshipped as gods come to the world, after all. However, the most prevalent of these religions is worldwide (though of course suppressed in the West in the days of the God Kings) and well known, concerning the Seven Divines. It is believed that the Seven Divines created the world and all within it, before leaving to a "Divine Plane" made for themselves. They are divided between the "Light" and "Dark" Divines, three each along with one who falls into both categories. Basic information, such as names and themes of each Divine, follows. Ambrosia: Dark Divine, Female, The Depth of the Void, Love The Master: Dark Divine, Male, The Edge of the Void, Power Silvae: Light Divine, Female, The Warmth of Light, Compassion Danmun: Dark Divine, Male, The Grip of the Dark, Control Azim: Light Divine, Male, The Revelation of the Light, Knowledge Yumio: Light Divine, Female, The Brilliance of Light, Freedom The Masked: Dual Divine, Unknown, The Incomprehensible, Secrecy and Mystery Some nations see one or more of the Divines as Patron Divines. For example, in the case of Barcea, they now see Ambrosia as their Patron. H'kela, meanwhile, see Danmun as their Patron. This is just two examples, and sometimes they vary, such as villages proclaiming one over the others, or towns, or even smaller amounts. It is worth knowing that individuals sometimes appear who are considered "Divineborn," with a father or mother as a Divine. These individuals have a unique ability, being that of "Creation;" they are able to "Create" a weapon, object, etc. Furthermore, they can learn to extend this ability even further, into that of armor or forms. However, Divineborn are not common, and very rarely seen or confirmed.[/hider] [hider=On the Countries of the East] Barcea The land of Barcea is a beautiful country, with villages and towns spread throughout and the Capitol in the center. The land is green, with plains and rolling hills and rivers throughout. There is a mountain range to the east, which then curves to extend along the north of the country some. The people are kind and have been ruled by the Serio family for generations, but they are more than just a little fearful of H'kela to the west. The land has seen its hardships, which only ended between fifteen to ten years before, with the death of King Olain, which led to the coronation of Queen Kori. She brought reformation, changing Barcea from a nation of forced war to one of peace. Still old and abandoned forts for war litter the landscape as grim reminders of past conflict with their western neighbor. The Capitol itself is surrounded by a circular wall, where the city is within and then another circular wall to protect the castle itself. The queen is named Kori, the Prince Cyril, and the Princess Ayano. While the Queen and Princess typically keep to the Capitol, the Prince is often out and about, involved with the protection of the people within and along the borders. To do so he has gathered together a group of individuals to him, called the Sentinels. H'kela The land of H'kela is hot, filled with sandy dunes. Here and there are oases, where villages often center around, along with one river where the Capitol and other towns are built along to make use of the fertile land. Political struggles from within and constant warring with Barcea in the past has left the land of H'kela quite used to conflict. The current king, Gartian, uses the lingering resentment to drive bandit attacks against Barcea, and to keep the people focused on one goal. Constantly moving troops in aggressive manners along the border of Barcea, it is clear that King Gartian wants war. Gurata The land of Gurata is cold, rocky, unforgiving. Between sets of mountains, the people who live there are made up of nomadic tribes. There are no real villages or towns, save for one place: The Arena. Despite being nomadic people, the Guratans are still prepared to follow a single leader. There is a "ruling family" in charge of the largest and most powerful of tribes: a brother and two sisters. Together they lead across the country, but the Arena is a unique case. Here, anyone can come and fight for their cause, whether Guratan or outsider. Those who win have their requests not only heard, but usually accepted. The brother leader is Kisarin, and the sisters are Seryosa and Yihira. There have been a few squabbles with bandits from the south for the past few years. Kyora Though not a large country, Kyora can be considered a powerful city-state. Located where the borders of the three major nations of the East meet, Kyora is a unique mixture of those cultures. There is a curve of mountains surrounding the city, and a connecting port. Kyora was the only place in the East where the God King War reached, where during the lowest part of the War for the Rebellion some of its members fled east, and were then followed by agents of the God King. Kyora is not the only city-state/nation that exists besides the larger three of Barcea, H'kela, and Gurata, but it is easily the most powerful, successful, and independent.[/hider] [hider=On the West] The West, only fifteen years into its newfound freedom, is still learning to understand how to use that freedom. The continent of Aatroia is large, with environments spanning almost all kinds, if not naturally then thanks to the influence of the God Kings, even after being gone for so long. There are many nations within the West of all different kinds now, from kingdoms to people led governments, these various ideas coming together in this new attempt at life in the West. In some cases, small (or large) chunks of land were given to the heroes of the war, such as some of the Gifted. The Gifted's territory was to the north (before it starts to turn cold), while below that the new countries vary. What follows are some brief details on the more successful nations. [list] [*] Renduit, a kingdom along the eastern shores. [*] Lioay, an attempt at democracy along mountains and plains. [*] Wintubi, a kingdom in a jungle and along rivers. [*] Yejum, a grouping of towns and cities that exist along a desert and even hotter territories. [*] Hitoam, a kingdom in both earthy and rocky areas.[/list][/hider] [hider=More on the Major Players of the God King War] Much about the general strokes of the God King War has already been said, so what is written here are some specifics. Here is some information on the God Kings, such as names, realms of power, etc. Ridat Mazami: Fire (Male) Levinata: Water (Male) Salye: Ice (Female) Ulgom Tynat: Earth (Male) Chrysanta Kokinos: Plants (Female) Ralua: Air (Female) Gamoh Rian: Electricity (Male) Xerym: Will (Male) The greatest of these was God King Xerym, who the others would eventually listen and bow to if necessary. The reasons for this authority concern a matter of extreme power, and how Xerym could Remake again those that other God Kings had already Remade, a feat that the others could not accomplish. On the other side of the God King War you had the Rebellion. Led by the man Iaim Ciua for most of the War, the reason why the Rebellion even had a chance of winning was the Gifted. What follows are their titles and names, and what part of the world each came from. The Void Lord: Kuraihi Linea, Aatroia The Fearsome Phantasm: Joachim Raizen, Kyora The Relentless Storm: Aavantir, Unknown The Rose Knightess: Lucara Torria, Aatroia The Awoken Giant: Eoa, Aatroia The Silent Butterfly: Veneno, Aatroia The Brilliant Horror: Mandum Teven, Jasi The Forgiven Exile: Nivarrha, Aatroia The Colorful Fool: Luke Ignotum, Aatroia The Terrible Legion: Mataku, Unknown The Faithful Duelist: Kamiko, Barcea The Frozen Order: Levitas, Aatroia The Devil's Fire: Shisor Yaguar, Aatroia The Death's Virtuoso: Morchram, Unknown The Bone Thief: Chikako Momomiya, Barcea The Contaminated Blessing: Melodie Ellanore Citar Though a powerful force that certainly helped win the War for the Rebellion, the Gifted did not agree on everything that would come after the War, and even fought over it. The most well-known example of this is Shisor Yaguar, whose radical philosophies led to him being hunted down and disposed of by the Rebellion, towards the end of the War.[/hider] [hider=On Jasi to the South] Though no longer an empire and not having been one for thousands of years, the nation of Jasi is still a proud, powerful place. The island nation to the south, though hot, is covered with cities and examples of industry. The land of Jasi is full of technology and magic, and is extremely advanced. Within Jasi, there is always some form of research and inventing going on in all walks of life. The social climate is split between two tiers, upper and lower. The upper class makes up all of the decision making positions and holds most if not all of the power. The government is full of double-dealing, backstabbing, and use of magic for advantages. The upper class has a habit of "adopting" lower class families, enlisting their services and taking credit for their inventions in return for finances and protection. There is definitely a sort of Jasian elitism.[/hider] [hider=On the Races of the World] The world is most widely populated by humanity, who are present in all areas. Beyond them are the dwarves in the West and the elves in the East. These are the three largest races, though there are others of various natures, such as reptilian, feline, etc. There are so-called "nonhumans" that exist in the world. To describe them would be to describe humans with animal-like traits, specifically that of one animal in particular. They are not seen as any lesser of any greater than other humans; racism in this world has come down to a matter of lines on a map, so perhaps it's more nationalism than anything. A general rule of thumb is that if a nonhuman and a nonhuman mate a nonhuman will be born, human and human will mean human, and nonhuman and human will lead to a 50/50 chance of either. There are also more unnatural races, ones that do not populate the world as much. This includes the race of demons. Demons are classified within "families," where the various types and also allegiances are noted. Where exactly they come from isn't really known, and now there is no real way to find out. The race of demons around the time of the Jasian Emperor suddenly began to disappear rapidly, and almost completely. What scholars know is that the ones who survived either bow to or are fearful of one name: Renata.[/hider] [hider=On the Matters of Magic and Technology] For the most part, this world is one of magic. It takes various forms, almost anything imaginable, but the world reacts to it in different ways. In particular, the strictest is probably H'kela, where magical talents usually mean a forced military career. There are many types of magic: natural magic, sorcery, etc., etc. In both magic and technology though, Jasi excels in comparison to the rest of the world, both knowing and possessing things that are still difficult for the other nations to even imagine. In a related note, there are also such things as supernatural and extraordinary abilities that are almost magical in nature.[/hider] [hr][h3]Arcs[/h3] [b]Arc One: A War Resumed - Five Years Before the End of the World[/b] Tensions between Barcea and H'kela grow day after day. Bandits believed to be influenced and even hired by the H'kelans constantly attack within Barcea, and movements within the desert nation has the Barcean authorities on edge. Conflict is brewing, and it seems as if nothing will keep it from bursting over, much to the despair of the peaceful nation. [hr] [b]Rules and Understandings[/b] First things first, follow the rules of the site. That's common sense. All of the above description is considered "general knowledge," unless otherwise stated. Depending on who you are and what you learn, more of the truth will be revealed. Please, be active. Post regularly, talk to others in the OOC, get to know each other, the characters, and plan. We're all here to write and have fun, but to do that we have to work together. I'm looking for dedicated writers willing to not only listen to my ideas, but listen to the ideas of others and give their own. You can have "main" characters and "side" characters. For example, I've got a bunch of characters in mind and ready just to tell the overarching story that we'll be going through. However, my main focus for posting will be on a few of mine, with some accompanying characters. You don't have to use every character in every post, and I'm more than welcome to having lots and lots of characters. Just post at least as the ones that need to be posted as first and foremost. Post as you can. I'm not going to make a rule like "post twice a week" or whatever, because people do have lives. Just realize that you will have others waiting on you, and they are expecting you to post. Be fair to them. If you get busy and want to either take a leave of absence or drop, please let us know. We'll be understanding. Just please work to sort of "write your character away" so that we're not stuck at a critical point waiting for a post that can't come. For the posts themselves, I prefer quality over quantity, and smooth flow over chunky. When it comes to what I mean by that, it mostly has to do with conversations; too often have I seen conversations between two characters turn into massive internal monologues about some of the most ridiculous stuff, with only a line or two of conversation said between those interacting. Even worse, I've seen people try to cram multiple lines regarding different topics into one post, forming a massive backed up wreck. In those kinds of situations, I understand shorter posts, and in fact welcome them. I want conversations and interactions to feel natural, not long just for the sake of being long. No godmodding. For real. I don't care if it's in the middle of battle or just a conversation, you do not just control another person's character. Now it's different if you talk with a person and get their permission, actively working together to plan posts, move action, land hits, note things, etc. In fact, if you're willing to work with each other, that will make this run so much more smoothly and coherently. [hr] [b]My Goals and Vision for this Roleplay[/b] This is a story about the end of a world. Depressing enough, but at the same time it can be considered one last series of great struggles before the end. The roleplay will go through the final stories before the end of the world, and the actions of those who had the greatest impact. I have the overarching story in mind, but things can easily change due to the actions of those within. I also don't want the roleplay to be completely dominated by my story. I would love for there to be events and even arcs centered on what you, the players, come to me with. When it comes to the "realism" of the roleplay, I see it as being mixed. By that I mean I don't want it to be too over the top, but things like fighting and the like can be more... stylistic, rather than steeped in pure realism. However, as the roleplay continues, then all sorts of new abilities and powers will be found, so the combat will grow in terms of... "ridiculousness." Also, I'm open to all sorts of ideas. This is the world I've made from different ideas and inspiration, but it can be so much more. Different races, smaller nations, types of magic, everything. I'm even willing to extend the list of characters like the Gifted if you give me a really good idea and impress me with it. In terms of organization, I see this as going sort of like a D&D game almost, where (for the most part) the various players come together and work together to achieve a goal, while I provide many of the obstacles and villains, but also some guidance and help. However, again, I'm more than willing to listen to ideas, and if you want to come up with some villains or antagonists I can get behind that too, so long as the proper planning is done. To begin with, we'll be starting in the East. You can have characters from the West or Jasi, but they should hopefully have made their way over to the East for some reason. If you need ideas, please ask me. There are so many background plans that I'll almost undoubtedly be able to give your character a purpose for being outside of their homeland. [hr] [b]On Character Profiles and Some Notes[/b] When it comes to the kinds of characters accepted, I reserve the right to refuse characters I don't see working or fitting in, are too ridiculous, or whatever. However, with that being said, I want a real nice variety of characters so that we have a diverse and intriguing cast. I'm also fine with those with unnatural traits, such as weird hair colors, etc. Below is what you need to fill out to join. In some cases I include some descriptive information if I felt the need to. When completed, post in the character thread under a hider and send me a PM to make sure I know to look over it and approve (or just send it to me in a PM, if you prefer that). All approved characters will be posted by myself in the first post of the CS thread, as a quick guide to those present in the roleplay. Consider these character sheets as living documents. Characters will be learning new things, strengthening and gaining new abilites. I want characters to develop throughout this roleplay, so we'll probably be coming back to the sheets to add in new abilities every... Arc or so, perhaps. [hider=Character Sheet]Full Name: Whether it be just one or twenty four. Nicknames/Titles: Be sure to specify between the former and latter. Occupation: If necessary. Birthday: Month and Day. Height: Weight: Race: Sex/Gender: Include everything you believe to be necessary Age: If necessary, what appears to be your age and what the actual age is (rare cases). Sexuality: Place of Birth: Nation/Part of the World. Biography: Some information about the character's history. Personality: Likes: Dislikes: Skills/Strengths: Include unique abilities. Flaws/Weaknesses: This part is especially important because being OP is always an issue. Weapons/Equipment: Appearance: Feel free to include a picture for a "face-claim" if you so desire, but a worded description would be greatly appreciated. Theme Songs: A fun little extra I always like to include. Other: For anything I may have forgot. Inspirations: What gave you the idea for this character, if you don't mind sharing. This is something I'll remove, but I'm always curious as to where people get their ideas from and develop them. Main or Side: How prominent you intend for this character to be. Username:[/hider] [hr] Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Drama, Mystery, and some minor ("magical") Sci-Fi and Horror when applicable. [hr] Please forgive for a lack of color and the like. I don't trust myself to handle that. Hopefully the information is good enough by itself to be appealing. [hider=Edit: Link to the Interest Check] http://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/86473-the-origin/ooc[/hider]