Five Gods. Five Magics. Five Thrones.
From the sparkling cities of the Ensollian basin with their spires and minarets that soar into the burning sun, to the vast golden fields of Crisia and Perrence glistening with morning dew and the promise of bountiful harvests, to the proud stone keeps and snowcapped peaks of Eskand in the South, the land of Constantia is one of balance, peace, and time-honoured virtue, bound together by magics gifted to the Firstborn by the Gods themselves. Honest lords and just kings preside over a loyal, beloved, and industrious populace. All is well.
Except that it isn’t.
Following the collapse of the Avincian Empire a thousand years ago at the hands of howling Eskandish hordes, no single entity has been able to unify the disparate peoples of the continent. Petty nobles, conquerors, and greedy kings have fought for the scraps, ruthlessly exploiting the common people and squeezing everything that they can from the land itself. Under their rule, Constantia has bled.
Their grip on power has been maintained through the stranglehold they have over magic. It has been regulated, controlled, studied and, most importantly, monopolized. The ability to use it manifests in arcane and unpredictable ways, but first and foremost, it’s in your blood. If your ancestors used magic, it is likely that you will be able to use it too. If they didn’t, then your chances are slim.
Yet, the march of social progress necessarily follows that of technological. As Constantian culture, learning, and religion have spread across the globe on the sails of caravels and galleons and a wealthy new class of merchants and artisans has emerged, there have been stirrings. Potent new paths to power and prosperity have revealed themselves, and those of common blood have increasingly bought their way into the use of magic by ‘marrying up’. With or without the approval of those in charge of it, the world is changing. Some people warn that the gods are stirring. Others dare whisper that the gods are not real.
Into this potent mix of burgeoning opportunity and lurking peril steps you: a first-year student at the Ersand'Enise Academy of Thaumaturgy. As a member of the storied establishment's newest cohort, you bring your hopes, your fears, your background, and considerable power in 'The Gift' with you. It is said that your group, aged fourteen to eighteen and born during the double ascendance of Shune the Learner, is the strongest in a century. That strength will be needed. Representatives from the world's great nations will be gathering at Ersand'Enise mere weeks after your arrival for the Conclave of the Five Thrones, and tensions are high.
This time, however, the delegates will need to be protected not only from each other's political machinations but from three new and novel threats. Over the past handful of years, aberrations have begun appearing in increasing numbers and this pattern seems unlikely to reverse of its own accord. Holes in the fabric of reality - shapes of man, beast, and object alike formed of the purest blackness - coming into contact with them can empower the magic of those skilled in The Gift at the cost of addiction. However, it can also drive those not as blessed to insanity or even death. For reasons unknown, but perhaps related, the mysterious yasoi have turned precipitously away from human society. The only other sentient species on the planet, they have been shy friends and unconventional allies for most of history, but the past few decades have seen them become fiercely insular and even hostile. There is talk of them closing the mountain passes that sustain trade and travel for much of the Western half of the continent. Into this scene steps the Traveler: a shadowy but charismatic figure who has been harnessing the power of the aberrations and stirring up class conflict. He preaches a revolutionary message to the common people that threatens war at a pivotal moment. It is clear that he seeks to tear down the existing order, but what he intends to replace it with is as yet unknown.
Of course, you, dear young student, have nothing to worry about. Heads older and wiser than yours have matters firmly in hand. Still... it pays to be vigilant, doesn't it?
Laws of the Land
One: Our OOC and IC are now live and I'm looking for a group of give or take eight twelve players. You will all be first year students at the Ersand'Enise Academy of Thaumaturgy and, if we have enough people, you'll be divided into four groups (each with an NPC). You enter the school at a time of considerable intrigue, but there's no definitive 'big bad' yet (or is there?). Aberrations are popping up everywhere and it's certainly alarming, but you can always just not touch them and you'll be okay, right? Then, there's the Traveler and his followers who rove about the countryside, preaching revolutionary ideas, exposing people to the dangerous magic of aberrations, and seeking to enflame tensions. Finally, there is the increasing withdrawal and hostility of the once-common yasoi from human society. It definitely feels like this won't be a normal first year at Ersand'Enise... Try to take into account how your character might interact with some of these factors when designing her or him.
- TL;DR: Basically, think Harry Potter meets Game of Thrones meets Naruto and Avatar TLA.
Two: Be active but have a life too. Try to post every couple of days but at least once per week and try to post a meaty paragraph or two at a time. We'll use discord as well for things like conversations where long paragraphs would be impractical. If you're going inactive for a while, tell me and I'll work something out. Otherwise, your character becomes an NPC and being an NPC sucks, right?
- TL;DR: be active and write quality posts, but there aren't any super rigid guidelines.
Three: Characters should be human or (in special cases) yasoi. They should be between ages fourteen and eighteen. Design your character to be interesting to RP and to play a role in the story that we'll be co-constructing, not to win the game or be more awesome than everyone else. 'Chosen One' types are boring. Real life isn't all about main characters. There's a lot of lore, but reading the relevant parts will help, so I encourage it. The most essential rule here is: be a good-faith actor.
- TL;DR: humans only, make sure they fit the setting, and be creative instead of lazy.
Four: To the end stated above, powerplaying is no bueno here. As for metagaming, a general rule is: RP based solely on what your character knows IC and what she's like IC, not what you know OOC and what you're like OOC. Character development is a good thing and characters can get stronger, but your character can't suddenly pull some temporal magic out of his ass when he's in a tight spot. That's lazy writing and subverts the stakes we're trying to build in a good story. Basically, if you're only looking to play a cataclysmically powerful edgelord necromancer, I feel you, but you can do it somewhere else.
- TL;DR: don't be cringe or a dick, cool?
Five: As for reading the lore? I know that there's an utterly intimidating amount of it on the next few slides and in the OOC, so of course you're not expected to read it all (though you can if you're cool like that). Just make sure that you read the Essential Lore in the three posts below and look up anything that specifically pertains to your character. Also, ask questions on discord if you're not sure.
- TL;DR: you don't have to read all of the lore, but read the basics and the stuff relevant to what you wanna do.
Essential Lore
Student Applications
The Academy selects its students from among the best and brightest that the finest families of Constantia and Severa have on offer. To make it into these hallowed halls, you will have to provide a compelling case. Be it exceptional wealth, political clout, raw magical talent, or good old-fashioned hard work, you will have to have done something - at some point - to stand out. Otherwise, there are lesser academies for people like you. They aren't bad places by any means; they just... aren't Ersand'Enise. In addition to social, political, monetary, and ability factors, when assessing your application, our admissions council will take into account your understanding of the world, your ability to work with others, a balance between your uniqueness and ease of integration into our system, your literacy level, and your strength of character and dedication to your craft.
Discord Link & OOC
Don't be shy! Join up if you're interested or even if you just have questions or wanna watch this coalesce. Discord
OOC
Welcome to Ersand'Enise!