[center]
[h2]The Descent into Hell is Easy[/h2][i]"Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here"[/i] - Dante's Inferno
[img]http://i1383.photobucket.com/albums/ah281/Q-C0ntinuum/Mark%20of%20the%20Demons/Valeria_zpsjfif9ifs.jpg[/img][/center]

[h3]50 B.C. (Before Cataclysm)[/h3]
The world was prosperous, people lived in peace. The Kingdom of Valeria hadn't seen a war for the past hundred years after their new seemingly-immortal king took the throne. Cities grew bigger, families doubled in numbers, farms produced triple their yearly production. The seas were filled with boats bringing in fish that had grown in size apparently overnight. The world finally seemed perfect, a heaven on earth; An Eden brought upon them by the mighty gods themselves. Little did they know, their King had offered a dark price for this prosperity. The King wasn't a vile ruler or a bad person. He was an older gentleman, looking as if he was in his late fifties, a dedicated and humble servant of his people. He listened to their needs, and he loved each and every one of them with all his heart. He had even taken it upon himself to learn most of the names of the people living in his home city: Veiron. But when his dark past came to haunt him on the tenth hour of his hundredth year, everything was plunged into a darkness that would never seem to lift. 

[h3]0 B.C. - 1 A.F. (After the Fall)[/h3]
The Demons descended on his tower, the fabric of the world splintering where the King stood. With their gateway to the mortal world firmly entrenched the demons began to pour out. The King had made a deal with the devil. Prosperity and the absence of their carnage for a hundred years in exchange for his soul and his kingdom. The Demons, being greedy fiends, betrayed the King, claiming his soul fifty years before the end of the agreement. Perhaps they had seen his plan to banish them from the world once and for all, or else they were simply inpatient. Whatever the reason the King's foolish meddling loosed horrors known only in myth and legend into the streets, they rampaged through stores and homes, tearing citizens apart from the inside with an insanity and hunger nobody had ever seen in their lifetime. The King laid burnt to a crisp in his chambers, his mouth open in a silent screech of pure agony, as if he knew everything was lost.

The whole city and its surroundings were scorched with unholy fire and even to this day nothing can grow there. Amongst the unlucky few who made it out of the city alive some found that the event had marked them for life. A birthmark they'd never seen before, perhaps a scar, maybe their eyes changed color, or their skin turned black. Some of these people tried to hide their markings and did whatever they could to live on as if nothing had happened. Some embraced them, claiming that the mark would forever remind them of Veiron, and what the demons did there.

Only hours before his death, when the immortal king realized the mistake he had made he gave his people one final order, the formation of a new kind of army, the Stormbringers. They were a band of highly trained and skilled fighters. Soon after Veiron fell a group of strong fighters took the name and now roam free, claiming to follow the last wish of the King. They care little for the lives of the innocent, their only goal is to exterminate the demons that terrorize the land. They are the only ones known to have killed demons.

[h3]10 A.F. Present time.[/h3]
[i]Ten years from the destruction of Veiron.[/i]

We will follow the paths of a few brave men and women as they too will make a difference. Fighters, Mages, Assassins and Scholars. What lies ahead? No one knows. It is up to you to find out.

[h3]Available Races:[/h3]
[hider=Human]Humans are humans, no real flaws, but no advantages either.
The most widespread and numerous of the races.[/hider]
[hider=Elf]Elves are the most mentally evolved of the races, but somewhat lacking on the physical side.[/hider]
[hider=Dwarf]Dwarfs possess great physical strength and a resilience to injury, though they lack the mental capacity of other races they are often good at deciphering and designing complex machines. Critical thinking is not there forte and most lack what would be considered adequate social graces. Dwarfs are the only race in Valeria that have no magical inclination. A dwarf is not even capable of channeling Witchcraft though they can wield enchanted weaponry.[/hider]

[h3]NPRs - None Playable Races[/h3]
[hider=Orc]Unlike the other mortal races of Valeria Orcs worship the demons since long before the fall of Veiron. While most can be classified as religious fanatics and despite their appearance orcs are not in any way stupid. Before the fall of Veiron Orcs were a nomadic people. They are violent towards the other races of Valeria and while often caused problems for travelers were more of a nuisance than a real threat. At the time the orcs were divided into a number of tribes that were constantly fighting among themselves. So busy with killing each other they had no time to focus on the rest of Valeria. 

That all changed when Veiron fell. Through their shaman the orcs must have been aware of the demons coming before the Abyssal Gates were opened because at the exact moment that Veiron was invaded the Southern Elves land of Norfolk was hit by all twelve tribes of the orcs who for the first time in living memory were cooperating with one another. The Orcs made Norfolk their home and for the first time set up permanent settlements, though wandering raiding parties and orcs who prefer the nomadic lifestyle are not uncommon within Norfolk. Orcs come in all shakes and sizes. The larger variety are referred to by most as Berserkers because of there size and strength. Smaller orcs exist though most stay within Norfolk. Some venture out as spies or infiltrators as they unlike their larger brethren can move quite quickly and quietly. Orcs just like humans and elves can be magically inclined. 

Orcs born with magic are considered holy (or rather unholy) by the community and trained to be shamen who wield powerful magic which they use to summon forth demons from the Abyss. Orc charges are terrifying events. Usually against smaller or isolated towns a large band of Berserker orcs will rush any resistance out of their path without mercy or restraint. Usually a number of the charge dies depending on the strength of the resistance but because of their size, might and near immunity to pain because of their thick hides they almost always claim their target. Those that can boast to killing orcs have only had to deal with small numbers at a time. Various raiding parties are often far easier to ward off as they employ the smaller orcs for speed to disable caravans and only generally have one or two berserkers with them for intimidation and backup.[/hider]
[hider=Demon]Coming in all shapes and sizes demons are a diverse group of beings. They all share one thing in common however, a love of destruction and revelry of bloodshed. For more information on Demons see the [url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/3330782]Infernal Codex[/url][/hider]
[hider=Faery]Much of the lands folklore and ancient stories involve these immortal beings though they are never to be seen in these common days. Most believe that if ever they did exist they were killed off by the demons in ages past.[/hider]

[h3]Arcana[/h3]
[hider=Magic]
Mages use internal magic, they draw energy from their own soul which they manifest in order to alter the world around them. In most cases this manifestation occurs as a particular brand of elemental summoning such as fire, or electricity and so on. This type of magic is also highly unstable for if used improperly can cause the user's magic to consume their own body in the effort to siphon more power from them. Some rare forms of magic do exist though they are generally highly sought after by demons and resulting in the wielders often suffering premature deaths. 

(Custom forms of magic will have to be discussed with GM)
[/hider]
[hider=Witchcraft]
Witchcraft is in effect a poor man's magic. Unlike mages witches draw their magic from their environment. Witchcraft is a little less active than regular magic involving chanting rituals, alters to draw magic from nature and a variety of talismen, potions and charms used to perform their craft. In this world Witchcraft is considered to come from Demons and is also unlike magic very much illegal. Such things as exorcisms fall under witchcraft though these require a great deal of power depending on the type of demon being excised.
[/hider]
[hider=Weaponry]
The art of forging enchantments into weapons is unfortunately a lost one. Before the fall smiths capable of the feat were rare and widely sought after. A tool of their make always came at a steep price. After the fall the demons hunted these smiths down one by one and slaughtered them for enchanted weapons could often be powerful enough to level the playing field between mortals and infernals. It is possible that one or two smiths with the capability to create such weaponry still exist in hiding today but the chances of locating them are slim to none if even the demons couldn't find them. Still in this day and age there are those determined to find the lost recipe to make metal sturdy enough to bear the magic placed within. Weapons made by these novices may at first be stables but it is uncommon for them to last very long. The magic within the blade inevitably turns the tool to slag within a small number of uses. Some of the great houses of Valeria possessed enchanted weapons thousands of years old, old enough to have been created by skilled weapons smiths who made them to last. While not particularly uncommon these heirloom weapons are rare enough to grant a certain prestige to those that wield them.[/hider]

[h3]Technology[/h3]
[hider=Firearms][/hider]
[hider=][/hider]

[h3]Valeria[/h3]
[hider=Provinces]
[hider=Northern Reaches]
The land of the frost-bound elves. The Northern Reaches, more commonly referred to a Reach, is a frigid land covered in snow. It spans a large mountain range not typically depicted on most Valerian maps (hint hint). Though they may live in mountainous areas the elves of this region having some things in common with their southern brethren. The settlements in Reach are located at lower attitudes where trees still grow. Using nature magic the Elven mages shape the wood into houses and whatever else they might need. They can coaxed forests from the frozen land when they need to make a new settlement, this is only done in special circumstances. This region has made the elves of its land hardy folk, almost immune to the elements with a high tolerance for pain and discomfort.
[/hider]
[hider=Ealdormere]
Covering land from Ashbourne to Servant's hill and from the Northern Reaches to the Granuailian Acres this province's most defining feature is the mountain range of Damerel. It is known to house the cursed city of Veiron. It is far drier than the provinces a little furthur south. The land is hard and solid making it a good place to build cities.[/hider]
[hider=Exilia]
Before the fifty years of prosperity when Valeria was still a patchwork of lands without union Exilia was where those exiled by Valerian law were sent. After the Great Deal was sealed that kind of punishment no longer became necessary and the Exilian Province gradually became a prosperous fishing community.[/hider]
[hider=Morrow Wood]
Spanning from the edges of Exilia to the Azmar Reserves Morrow Wood is the greatest source of Valeria's mined resources: stone, gems, coal, iron and other such metals and valuables almost exclusively come from Morrow Wood given the dwarf's protective nature of their own underground resources.
[/hider]
[hider=Contia]
Since the fall of Veiron Contia is the most populated province in Valeria. It spans from the Broken Shield to the edge of Norfolk and all the way to the Ylissian Ranges. Before the fall plots of land in Contia were often given to soldiers in the king's army after their retirement or honorable discharge as a reward for their services.
[/hider]
[hider=Norfolk]
Before the fall Norfolk was the homeland of the Southern Elves. Though the same people in appearance except for their tans the elves of Norfolk different greatly from the ones of Reach. While Reach focused mainly on survival and thus produced a steady stream of functional tools and weapons for trade to Valeria the Southern Elves were much more relaxed people. They enjoyed dancing and created some of the best instruments in Valeria. However when the demons burst forth from Veiron almost simultaneously all the marauding tribes of the orc people descended on Norfolk. The orcs had been before this a divided people. Many wandering tribes and while they were a danger to travelers on the road no one could have foreseen their unification under the demons. They took Norfolk from the Southern Elves slaughtering a great number of them in the process. Though the Norfolk elves had great number of their people scatter through the rest of the Valeria the slaughter in their homeland left many refugees and still others without a place to return to. Since then the Southern Elves vastly decreased in number have been absorbed into the Valerian population.
[/hider][/hider]
[hider=Landmark Areas]
[hider=Servant's Hill]
A vast plateau between two mountain ranges which formerly was home to the King's Forest, which he often hunted in. When the demons burst free a number of them burned the woods to the ground leaving only an old watch tower left standing. In the years since the Stormbringers have built a sizable settlement around the watchtower which has a perfect view of the City of Scorched Earth. That is where their central command resides, watching the city and sending Stormbringers to the various four corners of Valeria in search of demons and orcs to hunt and kill.[/hider]
[hider=Damerel]
A vast mountain range on one side of Servant's Hill Damerel is the ancestral home of the Dwarfs. Deep within its center is a dwarven city carved out of the earth of many of the mountains. It has tunnels that snake to all corners of the ranges. It is designed in such a way that any exit can be collapsed without endangering the structural integrity of the city. This is so in case of siege Damerel can be seal off from the outside world. It has a number of caverns which use mirrors and glass to bounce sunlight in and underground rivers both of which are used to grow crops. This is also a precaution against attack as they can survive for many years without help from the outside world. Because of these innovations the only Dwarf causalities were those outside of Damerel. After Veiron fell Stone City was sealed off for three years. Even now the Dwarfs remain suspicious of outsiders in their city and rarely allow travelers to enter. 
[/hider]
[hider=Fool's March]
A mountain pass between Norfolk and Contia. It gained this name because after the fall an orc settlement sprung up along the pass ensuring that no one could cross it. The orc's presence on the pass make attempting to get through a fool's errand.[/hider]
[hider=Ylissian Ranges]
Mountain ranges claimed by the Azmar Reserves as the property of the Southern Elves.
[/hider]
[hider=Azmar Reserves]
A number of settlements along the southern edge of Lake Aquarin where the refugees of Norfolk settled. They have tried to maintain their way of life in these new settlements of scars from their displacement still show prominently.
[/hider]
[hider=Granuailian Acres]
A vast forest in the center of Valeria. Even before the fall it had rumors surrounding it about ghosts and goblins. After the fall most Valerians came to believe that the woods were possessed by the ghosts of those that had died at Veiron and any who wandered into the woods would become lost and be unable to find their way out until they died of exhaustion. After the fall a monastery blessed a single path through the woods, consecrated with holy water and enchanted with runes which most people believe will keep the ghosts at bay. The average citizen of the kingdom if they have to cross the woods will do so only along that path.
[/hider]
[hider=Broken Shield]
Once believed to be a full mountain range that completely encircled Lake Aria it is now the name given to a number of small and scattered groupings of mountains in the area.
[/hider][/hider]
[hider=Towns]
[hider=Veiron]The City of Scorched earth. Before its fall Veiron was a prosperous trading city with goods coming in from all the corners of the world, dwarven metal work, the finest Southern Instruments, Elven weapons from the North. In addition Verion housed some of Valeria's greatest tradesmen. After its fall Veiron became a desolate ghost town, only demons and orcs wander its streets now.[/hider]
[hider=Ashbourne]
Situated between two mountain ranges Ashbourne is a town of thieves and criminals. Most people don't know its exact whereabouts and most don't care to find out. In the aftermath of Veiron Ashbourne was formed as a refuge for anyone for any reason. The only thing respected in this town of thieves is power and skill. They don't care where you come from or where you're going to but if you show weakness the citizens will devour you whole. It is one of the few places that where people don't fear those with the Mark of the Demons as they regard it as a sign of survival.
[/hider]
[hider=Burke]
A farming town much like Astoria. Burke is populated in large part by ex-soldiers of the King's army as land in and around Burke was often a reward granted for serving his majesty faithfully.
[/hider]
[hider=Astoria]A town that surrounds the fortress of one of the King's Barons. The Baron's fortress is said to house the largest and most complete library in Valeria protected by enchantments laid down by one of the sacred sages. Demons have on more than one occasion tried to infiltrate the library but while they may get past the guards, and defenses of the fortress the runes of the library stop them fast. The town itself is a farming community. Situated on the shores of Lake Aria all the food grown their is full and nutritious. They are one of the only places that have gone without famine since the fall.[/hider]
[hider=Halber]
Halber could only properly be called a town after the fall of Veiron. Before the demons it housed a local garrison of the king's soldiers to be dispatched to any disputes in the area. After the fall it was commandeered by the Stormbringers. While the town is home to a contingent of highly skilled veteran Stormbringers most of those that claim to carry the title are little more than farmers with some weapons experience. They are far from organized.
[/hider]
[hider=Vi'Zur]
This town sits at the edge of the Granuailian Acres and serves as a way station for those crossing the forest or coming up from Carva Hill. It is about a half days journey to the other towns in the area. It is a town mostly of craftsmen who sell their wears to travelers passing through.
[/hider]
[hider=Carva Hill]
Colloquially called Caravan Hill this town while well fortified being on the edge of Norfolk only has a handful of permanent residents and buildings. The vast majority of people there are traders coming from one area of Valeria or another. They set up for a few days selling their wares and move on. The entire town survives on income from traveling merchants.
[/hider]
[hider=Yarinn]
Situated right on the edge of Norfolk Yarinn is heavily fortified against orc attack. A small contingent of Stormbringers take up permanent residency in this town. It is almost a fortress and serves as the only point of civilzation between Carva Hill and the Azmar Reserves as no one else is willing to form a town so close to orc country.
[/hider]
[hider=Veritas]
The home of the Sheriff of Valeria. While most populated areas had their own law enforcement anyone who had committed a crime was to be brought before the Sheriff. He was empowered by the King to deal with criminals of the land and dispense justice as he saw fit. Veritas was both the Sheriff's home and the court of the royal house. In extreme matters the King or a royal representative could be called in to make a ruling on certain cases however it rarely happened. After Veiron's fall the Sheriff disappeared and Veritas has since been taken over by bandits and other such people that it used to sentence. These are some of the only people reckless enough to live within proximity of the cursed capitol.
[/hider]
[hider=Davenport]
The main port city across Lake Aquarin Davenport was a city of sailors that received shipments from Exilia and Morrow Wood and shipped them throughout Valeria.
[/hider]
[hider=Moors]
A town of warrior tribesmen. Those of the town claimed to follow the warrior Goddess Aquarin and drank of her water from the lake believing it gave them strength and courage. They were a proud people with a strict morale code who even after Veiron's fall would not abandon their town despite its proximity to the demonic capitol. Still in their superstitious ways they fear any that bear the mark of the Demons and drove them from their town with steel when they came seeking refuge after Veiron's fall.
[/hider]
[hider=Erast]
Burned to the ground by demons in the years after Veiron's fall.
[/hider]
[hider=Ivywood]
The original penal colony from several decades back in Valeria's history Willowdale's saving grace is that it is small, under populated and out of the way. Though the demons will likely eventually make their way that far Willowdale's is too far out of the way for so few humans that only a handful of demons capable of traveling great distances have bothered.

[/hider]
[hider=Lotus]
A small fishing town on the edge of Lake Aquarin. Though they are fisherman and regularly go out on the lake they do no possess large ships capable of reaching Davenport and so must export their fish to Orilon if they wish to trade with the rest of the kingdom. Since the fall of Veiron Exilia mostly keeps to itself.
[/hider]
[hider=Willowdale]
Main exporters of lumber from some of the eastern forests Willowdale houses some of Valeria's best carpenters.
[/hider]
[hider=Orilon]
Davenport's eastern brother Orilon in the days before Veiron's fall served as a shipping town between the east and western edges of Lake Aquarin. After the fall of Veiron trade between the two cities all but dried up and now Orilon functions as a stronghold keeping demons at bay. Though the Stormbringers have little presence in the east what few soldiers have been sent reside in Orilon.
[/hider]
[hider=Far Haven]
A mining town that produces the best of the human mined gems, ores and minerals. Those that live their are strong and hard and fight to protect what is theirs.
[/hider][/hider]
[hider=Water Bodies]
[hider=Lake Aria]
This lake was named after an ancient Valerian Goddess of the harvest. While very few people believe or worship her anymore it is a commonly held belief that the waters of this lake provide a rich harvest. This seems to be substantiated by the fact that both the farms of Astoria and the underground groweries of Damerel are fed from this lake and both grow rich.
[/hider]
[hider=Lake Aquarin]
Much like its sister this lake is named after another Goddess. This one being a warrior goddess. Just like her sister lake it is thought that drinking the water of this lake over time will give any human warrior like attributes. The people of the Moors follow this almost religiously having bred Valeria's greatest warriors for centuries.
[/hider][/hider]

[hider=The Siege of Veiron]
The Siege of Veiron was the most bloody disaster ever to befall Valeria. Inside the King's Citadel when the Abyssal Gates were unsealed the first to emerge were the Djinn, the incorporeal demons. They blew across the capitol in an infernal smoke, any human out in the open didn't stand a chance. Those that were not immediately possessed by the Djinn burst into flames, their bodies unable to withstand the strain. The first wave alone crippled the city but their was more to come. The corporeal demons emerged next from the Citadel. Some were mindless beasts that tore through the streets killing anything in their path that wasn't of their own kind. Some were smarter than that. The sentient demons ordered that the gates of Veiron be sealed. 

To achieve this the demons had to fight their way through the city's garrison and royal guard but by the end of the first day Veiron was shut from the outside world, anyone still inside the city lost to the infernals. Perhaps one or two thousand escaped the initial attack. They fled to the surrounding towns but the demons were guileful and crafty. Their prey within the great city was secure for now and so those that had a mind within them departed the city to hunt. Stained with the disfiguring marks of the Abyss and with creatures of nightmare on their tails no town would welcome the survivors of Veiron. They ran with no support from their neighbors to find whatever shelter they could. When the demons finally gave up the chase their were only a few hundred of them left outside the city walls. 

Then the demons returned to Veiron to continue the hunt. It was almost a full week before the creatures of night had drunk their fill of Valeria's capitol, the lives of everyone within expended the demons opened the gates once more and spread across the land. Veiron was a city of a hundred and fifty thousand people but when the demons were through with it only a few hundred survived the carnage.
[/hider]

This will be a game full of exploration and development. Apart from what is above there is no prepared story, no prepared events, locations, dialogues. Nothing. From now on we're in uncharted territory. Each player can create their own story within this world, or travel with other players and create the world together. I will try to keep this thread updated with any information relevant to the main story. 

Ingenuity and creativity are encouraged but bear in mind the world we are building. If something seems radical as you are writing it I would prefer it be ran by me or my Co-GM rather than me having to issue a retraction or edit order.

[b]Current Co-GMs:[/b]
Elections are currently being held.

[hider=Character sheet]
Name: (obvious)
Age: (Everyone will be a Veiron-survivor, bear in mind the 10 year time gap)
Gender: (Boy or girl)
[i]Arcana: (A section for mages and witches only, all others remove this category)[/i]
Race: (Race options not listed above might be considered on a case by case basis)
Mark of the demon: (Birth marks, scars, eyes that don't match...)
Profession: (What do they do in this world)
Appearance: (Decent paragraph of description including height, weight and build, pictures appreciated)
Personality: (give an impression of what this character is like on a normal day.)
Bio: (Important background information including how they ended up at Veiron, at least two paragraphs)
Equipment: (What they usually carry on them, including weapons, provisions, type of clothing and the like)
Notes: (anything relevant that does not fall under another category)

(Please please don't include the bracketed text in your CS. It is just meant to guide you.)
[/hider]
[hider=A Remembrance to Our Absent Soldiers]
[@Halvtand][@Vladimir Grimm][@Krodin329][@megarandom][@Melkor]
[/hider]
[hider=Call to Arms]
[@Laue][@Saint Girralo][@Tojin][@2b3heart][@Minato Namikaze][@OldManWong]
[/hider]