THIS WILL REMAIN OPEN TO NEW PLAYERS INDEFINITELY [url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/4175/posts/ooc]Roleplay Thread[/url] So what I'm thinking here is the usual; a big bad, a group of people attempting to stop said big bad. However, I'd like to tackle things in a more mature fashion. Themes of death, love, sex, poverty, racism and others will be included. It may seem like standard fantasy fair but I'm aiming for the same tone as the Witcher setting. Anyone interested? *********************************** The limited formatting features, meaning a lack of things like coloring, font, size etc make all this info harder to lay out and organise. I'll do my best for now but once the forum is fully functional again I'll be sprucing up this post and any further information. [Hider=Origin Story] Gather round, weary travellers and hear the tale of a land called Enduwin. Aeons old and full of power, Enduwin is a land worth telling of. Long ago, before the first fires of man or elf, Enduwin was ignited. From nothing, sparked something. A vast sprawling plain of land surrounded on all sides by nothingness; still. In the centre of nothingness, creation had been created. In the beginning, the land was small. Enduwin was ne'er more than a patch of rolling plains adrift in the void. Yet, Enduwin had more than just a physical identity. Most of what Enduwin was took a far more concentrated from. Nine great beings walked on Enduwin in the time before time, each a part of the world itself. These nine Gods were the true identity of Enduwin for each contained an equal part of the world's essence. In their youth, these deities were happy to frolic on Enduwin and experiment with the great sway they held over the land. They learned what they could accomplish and sought knowledge from each other, forming bonds and discovering the nature of their existence and their bond to the land. Each learned that by committing a part of themselves to the land that the land grew, it evolved and become more exuberant and diverse. Farriga was the first to ascend, discontent with the void of nothingness' constant encroachment on their everlasting joy of existence. Farriga was a headstrong creature, a powerful mother figure among the first nine. She committed herself to protecting Enduwin and began to transfer her essence to its borders to protect it. Great swathes of ocean were born with each piece of herself that Farriga gave. Thus, the Encircling Ocean was formed, forever to protect Enduwin from the void. The other Deities knew that Farriga would soon give up all that remained of herself and nothing could keep her on Enduwin. Only at the depths of their search for something to save their beloved mother, did Solas and Dúv have the inspiration necessary. They concluded to build a new plane of existence, separate to Enduwin and enable Farriga to exist there after she had committed herself to Enduwin. The brothers disagreed on its construction and set about creating it before each other. The result was two new planes, Neyav, created as a beacon of light by Solas, and Ifreann, a land of silence and shadow created by Dúv. Both believed their creation to be the best place for their mother. The others, however, believed Neyav was more suitable and this is where Farriga was sent as she passed from Enduwin. Dúv accepted the decision but, became isolated and distant from his siblings. Now safer than ever, the deities began to really test their power. Trayig was the next to leave this plane of existence as he gave himself to the land. He had had a brilliant idea, but would not have been able to undertake the task himself. Naduir, his sweet sister, promised to experiment with his idea after his passing. Trayig's commitment to the land left behind vast tracks of sand and earth. From this divine land, Naduir moulded the first animal and breathed life into. Nature had been born. The others immediately became interested in this new creation, this fascinating thing which reacted so vividly to their actions. All began shaping creatures from Trayig's precious remains, and Naduir birthed them all with life. Dúv was the only one who didn't create, he only destroyed. Dúv thought it was a disrespect, these creatures shouldn't walk the land created for them or the land created by them. No amount of coercion or testimony could convince the darkest god otherwise. The others become aware that passing on to Neyav and observing life would be best. From there they could watch and learn, and be together, with all their former power. It was agreed that each of the seven who remained would create as many types of life as they could before they would pass on, by committing themselves to Enduwin. Dúv refused to create but received another request from the others instead. They asked their brother, as a way of reparation, to allow life that passed from Enduwin to move onto Ifreann. Dúv was delighted, this life would pass, and it would finally give his Ifreann a purpose and leave Enduwin free and pure. Deceit is not something that is synonyms with deities but the others had lied to Dúv. They had not informed him that Naduir's passing would commit her gift to Enduwin itself and that life would now create life. Jungles, forests, tundra, mountains and volcanoes. Enduwin had doubled in size time and time again with each passing of the first nine. Only Dúv remained. He remained to oversee the fall of life. However, it was not long before the treachery of this siblings was discovered. Life was being created anew constantly, and Ifreann didn't house the passed dead, it housed those not deemed honourable enough to join his siblings in Neyav. Dúv was furious, he had been betrayed deeper than he thought imaginable and life was going to pay for it. Rage. Chaos. Destruction. They all rained down upon Enduwin and its inhabitants. Distraught, the others knew Dúv would render Enduwin a wasteland as long as it meant it was empty. Something had to be done, and it was, for the second time, Farriga, who saved Enduwin from ensuing demise. Farriga passed from Neyav into the void. It was not possible to construct another plain, and Farriga knew this. She left herself to the vast nothingness in order to allow her children to temporarily transit back to Enduwin. Without haste Dúv's siblings apprehended him and locked him away. They couldn't force him to commit himself to Enduwin and so they constructed a prison in Ifreann for him where he would dwell for all eternity. Built from a portion of all their essences, Dúv could never escape. Content, the others returned to Neyav, leaving Enduwin for the last time. Life was free to develop, evolve and prosper, eventually leading to the pinnacle of these adaptive processes, the Farrgorm. [/hider] [b]Pantheon Of Nine[/b] [B]Farriga[/B] [hider=Farriga][img]http://wallpaperstock.net/the-blue-ocean_wallpapers_8761_1152x864.jpg[/img][/hider] Farriga is regarded as the All-mother of Enduwin. While each deity was made equal, Farriga assumed a motherly and caring position for them all. She made the first ultimate sacrifice and committed herself to protecting Enduwin. She now resides as much in the oceans as she does in Neyav, beyond the thought of most who now roam Enduwin. She is the embodiment of nurturing and healing, and is treasured amongst clerics and field doctors specifically. [b]Naduir[/b] [hider=Naduir][IMG]http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab206/Sewelljabitch/B30B2977-B9EB-4BAD-979E-678C78706563-9411-0000020774087B37.jpg[/IMG][/hider] The Goddess of Enduwin’s life and nature, Naduir is the progenitor of all life on Enduwin. It is her gift which allows a little bit of divine essence to linger in what are the remains of her brother. Life wasn't her idea, but it was her doing. She is the Nine which has the deepest connection to life and is the one whom observes it with the most tentative gaze. [b]Lasair[/b] [hider=Lasair][IMG]http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab206/Sewelljabitch/6D3F03D7-6CF1-47E0-933A-8AC08B17C371-9411-0000020D27C56528.jpg[/IMG][/hider] God of Fire and rejuvenation, Lasair is the most powerful of the Gods, from a raw power point. Responsible for gifting Awth-gnúth and War to life he is revered by travelling merchants and soldiers especially. Lasair believed conflict was a natural part of evolution and progress. The God of flames was the only one brave enough to forge land in the encircling ocean. While the others spread the coasts of Enduwin, Lasair travelled far out across his All Mother, and with some of Trayig's remains forge a new land in fire. Much smaller than Enduwin, Bolecawn, provided a place of solitude for the god to think his own thoughts when needed. The island of fire, is still there today. A towering rock of volcanic activity. Lasair left much of his essence to life. [b]Gweeha[/b] [hider=Gweeha][IMG]http://cache.desktopnexus.com/thumbnails/545770-bigthumbnail.jpg[/IMG][/hider] Gweeha is the meditator among the other deities. When arguments arise, her subtle airs and graces calm the situation. Capable of the softest of breezes and the strongest of storms. Along with Lasair, Gweeha left much of her essence with the life of Enduwin and its magic users. The goddess of wind still carved large tracts of land. Immensely flat land, where the whispers of her winds are still heard. [b]Solas[/b] [hider=Solas][img]http://static3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111128040861/planet51/images/archive/1/13/20111129235920!Sun-in-blue-sky.jpg[/img][/hider] Solas is considered by most to be the All Father of Enduwin. While initially no different to any of the others. Solas established himself as a firm leader and knowledgeable consult. His saving of Farriga cemented his position as head of the group. Like The All-Mother, the All Father committed himself more to the void than to Enduwin itself. Enough of him resides in Neyav for him to function but most of him hangs in the void about Enduwin, casting brilliant light upon his beloved land for as long as possible. Every day however, Solas needs to rest and as he does plunges the land below into darkness until he rises again. Of all the deities, he is the one most guilt ridden by what happened with Dúv. [b]Dúv[/b] [hider=Dúv][img]http://images.alphacoders.com/283/283723.jpg[/img][/hider] The betrayed and the betrayer. Known by many names, Dúv is most likely the most known of all deities, because he is the most feared. Children are told cautionary tales of being locked in Dúv's Tower at the heart of Ifreann if they don't do what their told. Realistically, most people believe that if they lead a bad life, the Ifreann is where they will end up. Dúv himself is immobile locked at the pinnacle of the tower. His mind races, delirious from aeons of isolation and self-torture. Loathing and spite fume from the locked God. At the base of the tower many of the denizens of Ifreann have constructed a town and a port. Many attempt to sail across the Sea of Death, thinking it is the Encircling Ocean and will carry them back to Enduwin. Many others worship the God that they now conclusively know exists, and are locked away with. [b]Tintrayach[/b] [hider=Tintrayach][IMG]http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab206/Sewelljabitch/E6081457-BDA5-441F-9E42-A5C6271E0FEC-9671-00000221DFF77BB7.jpg[/IMG][/hider] Tintrayach is one of the lesser known Gods. This is rather ironic, considering he is one of the most active in Enduwin. Only a small portion of Tintrayach passed to Neyav, most remained in the skies of Enduwin, controlling and manipulating the climate to keep things stable. For this, his siblings passed some of their essence onto him. One of his most known activities in stirring up storms in the Encircling Ocean to deter any pirate ships travelling too close to Enduwin, and preventing mistaken travelers from venturing too far out to open sea. [b]Oiyaer[/b] [hider=Oiyaer][IMG]http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab206/Sewelljabitch/5E137CB6-6F8D-47D5-9D30-8B9457CB5310-9671-000002271436D5BA.jpg[/IMG][/hider] Oiyaer, is probably one of the most respected deities in everyday life. High in the northern reaches of Enduwin, boreal forest gives way to sweeping tundra and at the end of these white vistas is a solid wall of ice. Oiyaer is the Goddess of ice and snow and the Gatekeeper. Beyond the wall, the impassable barrier made of her essence lies the way to Neyav. Only ice separates the two planes of existence but the wall is a kilometre in height, scraping the sky. This unbreakable curtain, The Gate, has attracted more settlement than one would think a barren tundra would beckon. [b]Trayig[/b] [hider=Trayig][IMG]http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab206/Sewelljabitch/EE2AD47F-A704-49A2-B2D1-81C1B1652250-9671-00000230574FE7DF.jpg[/IMG][/hider] Trayig, is much like Farriga, in that no clear indication remains of what he may have looked like. The god of the Desert, Trayig is the spring of all life, the well form which nature sprung. Life was his idea. Without his entire commitment to Enduwin, life would not have been created the way it was nor diversified into the multitude of species seen today. His essence lives on in every life that exists in Enduwin. Only a small portion of the great god remains in Neyav. A desert is all the remains of the initial sand which Trayig committed to life. [center] [b]Geography[/b] [hider=Map] [URL=http://s864.photobucket.com/user/Sewelljabitch/media/map1_zpsd038e8de.gif.html][IMG]http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab206/Sewelljabitch/map1_zpsd038e8de.gif[/IMG][/URL] [/hider] [i]The Plains of Origin[/i]: White [hider=Plains Of Origin] [URL=http://s864.photobucket.com/user/Sewelljabitch/media/plains_zps195edf43.jpg.html][IMG]http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab206/Sewelljabitch/plains_zps195edf43.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [/hider] Considered some of the most holy ground in Enduwin, to the faithful, The Plains of Origin are the original mass of Enduwin. There is little undulation in these grasslands and other than the desert they are the flattest part of Enduwin. The Plains have often served as a battle ground where tribes and nations from across Enduwin would meet in conflict. Despite the history of bloodshed, the Plains of Origin are still revered by many and are a symbol of the Pantheon to the legions of adherents. [i]Foraiysh Woods[/i]: Light Green [hider=Foraiysh Woods] [URL=http://s864.photobucket.com/user/Sewelljabitch/media/woods_zpse03696de.jpg.html][IMG]http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab206/Sewelljabitch/woods_zpse03696de.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [/hider] These woods are most of what Naduir left to Enduwin. The thick tree brush makes up much of central and mid-east Enduwin. Within these forests lies a bountiful variety of life. The woods are becoming a source of fuel and material as great nations rise up in Enduwin. Although certainly not in danger of disappearing, the woods are slowly shrinking. [i]DuFair[/i]: Dark Green [hider=DuFair] [URL=http://s864.photobucket.com/user/Sewelljabitch/media/rain_zps48b94212.jpg.html][IMG]http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab206/Sewelljabitch/rain_zps48b94212.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [/hider] Although technically a part of the woods. DuFair is a distinct region in itself. As part of Naduir's essence it is rich in vegetation. The land gets its distinction as being the only region of land that was committed to by Farriga before the Encircling Ocean. Lasair also had a hand in this region's creation. This mix of Deities causes the thickest vegetation growth in all of Enduwin. Intense heat coupled with torrential downpours promotes growth of towering trees and ensnaring vines. Only the most adaptable live is to be found in the depths of DuFair. [i]Encircling Ocean[/i]: Dark Blue [hider=Encircling Ocean] [URL=http://s864.photobucket.com/user/Sewelljabitch/media/ocean_zps91bf5169.jpg.html][IMG]http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab206/Sewelljabitch/ocean_zps91bf5169.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [/hider] The great protector, the never ending mistress of water. The Encircling Ocean is Farriga made corporal. Waters lap gently on the shores of Enduwin but further out to sea, the waters are ferocious. Great waves and relentless swell represent Farriga's endless battle with the void. Tintrayach causes minor storms closer to land to deter any would be explorers getting caught up in this monumental struggle. [i]Fuaere[/i]: Light Blue [hider=Fuaere] [URL=http://s864.photobucket.com/user/Sewelljabitch/media/boreal_zps837cb452.jpg.html][IMG]http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab206/Sewelljabitch/boreal_zps837cb452.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [/hider] Fuaere marks the boundary of greenery and ice. The southern parts have more foliage than snow whereas further north, the trees are scattered. Fuaere is said to be where Solas rests at night. During the long hours of darkness, a multicoloured luminescence appears in the skies above Fuaere. This phenomenon is said to be Solas recovering and gathering strength to bring the coming day. Fuaere features a larger variety of life than one would expect in a boreal climate. [i]Uacteir Balla[/i]: Blue [hider=Uacteir Balla] [URL=http://s864.photobucket.com/user/Sewelljabitch/media/tundra_zps3b024d3b.jpg.html][IMG]http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab206/Sewelljabitch/tundra_zps3b024d3b.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [/hider] Home of Oiyaer and the Gate, the frozen wasteland of Uacteir Balla is the least densely populated area of Enduwin. The area however, is the modern site of most pilgrimage. The Gate is the divide between Enduwin and Neyav, between mortal and God. Uacteir Balla is home to only a few scattered towns and cities which are built vertically up upon breaks in the ice. [i]Zephyr Plains[/i]: Orange [hider=Zephyr Plains] [URL=http://s864.photobucket.com/user/Sewelljabitch/media/plains1_zpsf5448aa6.jpg.html][IMG]http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab206/Sewelljabitch/plains1_zpsf5448aa6.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [/hider] Vast tracts of land carved out by Gweeha. These blank lands had sand and grass carried from the south and north, respectively by their creator. A mix of tall grasses and sandy soil, these plains take their name from the breeze of Gweeha which still blows there today, continually. While climatically nearly as hot DuFair and The Soul, Zephyr is much cooler thanks to this breeze. Wildlife here is ruthless, an exhibition of eat or be eaten. [i]Trayig's Soul[/i]: Brown [hider=The Soul] [URL=http://s864.photobucket.com/user/Sewelljabitch/media/desert_zpsad3db398.jpg.html][IMG]http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab206/Sewelljabitch/desert_zpsad3db398.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [/hider] The Soul was a once flat uniform layer of pure sand. Over millennia and use it has worn down, not least by the creation of life. Often referred to as the Cradle, even those non-believers agree that this is where life began. Stretching from the equator to the souther coast, Trayig's Soul is still a large part of Enduwin's landscape. It is lower set than much of Enduwin and the surrounding savannahs and forests feature steep inclines into the desert. Large outcrops of rock are now exposed, due to the erosion and use of soul sand. [i]Ju'ra[/i]: Purple [hider=Ju’ra] [URL=http://s864.photobucket.com/user/Sewelljabitch/media/island_zps1dd41ac2.jpg.html][IMG]http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab206/Sewelljabitch/island_zps1dd41ac2.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [/hider] Said to mean 'tear' in an ancient dialect, Ju'ra is the name given to the collection of islands off the West coast of Enduwin. Formed from the weeping of Tintrayach as Dúv was locked away. The storm god was upset at what things had come to pass and how one their own had acted so foul. The islands are inhabited today, and feature some of the rarest resources in Enduwin. [i]Bolecawn[/i]: Red [hider=Bolecawn] [URL=http://s864.photobucket.com/user/Sewelljabitch/media/Volcano_by_AndreeWallin_zps7b9cb99d.jpg.html][IMG]http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab206/Sewelljabitch/Volcano_by_AndreeWallin_zps7b9cb99d.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [/hider] Known to many simply as the island of fire, Bolecawn is dotted with several active volcanoes. The climate itself isn't overtly hot but the presence of the volcanoes, secondary vents and geysers certainly make the island feel like a furnace. Treacherous to say the least, only the most hardened explorers venture to Lasair's haven. Often, though, those that do take the risk, are rewarded with the rich mineral deposits that the island has to offer. [i]Olc Cairn - The Black Mountains[/i]: Black [hider=Olc Cairn] [URL=http://s864.photobucket.com/user/Sewelljabitch/media/mountain_zps1493d331.jpg.html][IMG]http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab206/Sewelljabitch/mountain_zps1493d331.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [/hider] A mark of pure rage left on the land. The Olc Cairn, the black mountains, are the only thing which Dúv left behind. As the betrayer was banished to Ifreann he rent the land around him and heaved it up at his siblings. Scarring the land, Dúv's work remained as the other deities left. These mountains are the most inhospitable part of Enduwin, a physical representation of hate. Devoid of soil and with almost no flat land, Olc Cairn is a permanent mark on the face Enduwin. Still, that hasn't stopped some settling there. [/center] [b]On The Topic Of Magic[/b] [Quote=Arcania For The Mundane by Gregarious Fogs] When quizzed on the matter of magic, most people will respond with some wish-wash such as 'Lucas down the square can make vegetables grow bigger'. When pressed further they will usually, most of them, not the dim ones mind, get to crux of the matter, the actual question. And they'll answer, they'll tell act as if I'm an idiot for asking such a seemingly obvious question. The sand of course I'm told! Yet when I ask how, what, when all I'm told is to quiet myself. It's the sand of Trayig. However, in the past two decades of my life I have devoted countless hours, all of them in fact, to getting a deeper understanding of magic, not least of which my own. Indeed, as the common folk proclaim, it is the sand of Trayig. Or rather it was. The magical ability displayed by living beings is as a result of the original beings having been made out the very essence of the god. They were imbued with great power, sharing the power of Trayig. However, that power hasn't grown in the untold years since. Nor has it itself waned. Yet, with each successive generation, with more members of a race, the amount of magic in a single member of the race is diluted. The same power that the first men had still exists today but is spread across all men. Importantly too, the spread is not even. Best described like the waves of the ocean lapping on the shores of the Soul itself, the pattern of the distribution of magic seems to have crests and troughs, but mostly a calm steadiness. In my own studies I have accounted for a thousand people. Nine hundred and seventy two of these displayed what I am terming 'mundane' ability. Simple things often mistakable for parlor tricks seem to be in the repertoire of most people even if they don't know or need to use them. Of the remaining twenty eight that I have examined, twenty three exhibited well above average ability. Basic pyromancy, cloaking, water walking and enchantment were all easily accessible by these individuals. Interestingly, all of these individuals had also at some stage connected with another deity other than Trayig. They certainly were not the servants of the gods or even know to them that much. They had just reached out or been reached by a deity, by one of a vast variety of methods it seems. It usually an accidental connection due to the sand acting as a conduit. Whether they would have been as powerful without this or the new connection simply enhanced the power they had from Trayig remains unclear. I have as of yet found no correlation between heritage and magic and it would seem the continued distribution is random, or else the pattern is too large for me to understand with only a thousand subjects from a single time. The five left unaccounted for provided some very troubling information. It would seem that these five, from the thousand, were completely devoid of any magical ability, innate, latent or otherwise. These people exhibited severe learning issues and primal behavior. Two of them, after the study, became completely unhinged. The conclusion I have drawn from this is very very worrying. Life is magic. We only have life because of magic and when we are born we inherit a piece of that magic. It would seem that the continued dilution of sand has lead to individuals being born without any magic at all and thus almost no connection to life. The worrying part is that populations are constantly increasing and the dilution is continuing. It may be hundreds if not thousands of years, but it seems it is only a matter of time before magic starts to die and along with it, life. [/quote] Gregarious Fogs was murdered shortly after writing this, the introduction to his life's work, for being a nosey busy body who asked too many questions. ******************************************************* [b]Character Sheet[/b] [i]Essential Information[/i] Name/Aliases: Sex: Age: Appearance: Personality: History: [i]Optional Information[/i] Equipment: Faction (If any): Marital Status: Magic (Mundane or Arcane): Skills: [b]Faction/Organization Sheet[/b] [i]Essential Information[/i] Name: Location: Purpose: History: [i]Optional Information[/i] Key Members: Advantages: Disadvantages: Ranks: Rules/Laws: These are just the sheets I came up with. If there's other things you want to include or a different format you wish to use then feel free.