[i]“And we will watch the sacred sky fall.” - The Pilgrim[/i]

[center][b]CHILDREN OF THE SKY[/b][/center]
[center][i] PILGRIMAGE[/i][/center]

[hider=CARRION][b]THIS IS NOT ABOUT PIRATES. SORRY I’M NOT SORRY. THIS IS THE DEFINITIVE RP. THANKS![/B][/hider]

[i]Welcome to the world of Adam.[/i] 

This is a sky-based Dieselpunk RP set in the alternate world of Adam. Dieselpunk is a loose term. It takes the atmosphere, thematic elements, and technological advances of Dieselpunk, but puts a futuristic twist on them. Adam is a world split apart by an event known as ‘The Shattering,’ roughly 1,500 years before the events of this RP (see section [b]The World of Adam 1.0[/b]). The history and nature of this world is up for the roleplayers to decide. I will give only the most base information (there is still quite a bit, read at your own leisure…. [b]R[/b] signifies that it is highly recommended, [b]O[/b] signifies optional) and let the players do the rest. This is a sandbox-style RP, with an overreaching plot about the appearance of a political terrorist known as The Pilgrim, who has escaped captivity in the war-torn nation of Ostravos to build an army in Clarendon. He is known by his foresight and his ability to escape any danger that might befall him.

And without further adieu….

There’s a lot of information, but please read as much as you can!

[b]Expandable Encyclopedia[/b]

[b]A. The World of Adam (R, 1.0)
B. The Nations (from largest to smallest) (O, 1.1)
C. Recent History (R, 1.2)
D. Technology (O, 1.3)
E. Clarendon and Altos (R, 1.4)
F. The Arnoan Magi (O, 1.5)
G. The Plot (R, 1.6)

RP Information

A. Rules 
B. Sign-up Sheets [/b]

[Hider= A. The World of Adam 1.0]

The world of Adam is one made of mystery, adventure, and war. Not much is known about ancient history, other than long ago something ruptured open the planet, sending debris and large chunks of earth spiraling into the atmosphere, where they remained suspended. Some religions believe that The Separating, as it is called, happened long before humans first came to Adam and began colonizing the shards of earth now separated by law and country. However, scientific and historical evidence has proved otherwise- that humans lived on earth at the time of The Separating, and have remained ever since.

The center of the earth is now one gigantic ocean, called The Rift. The ocean below Adam is a maelstrom, a whirlpool, and its center a massive black hole. Technically, one ceases to exist in The Rift. The body begins to tighten on the outside, the fingers and toes go numb, then the organs begin to constrict and the body loses tension, and slowly it is unraveled by the millions, into strands of molecules and then into atoms themselves which are then consumed by The Rift and are pulled into the continuum of space, lost forever.

There are two suns and a moon. The smaller sun is Iros, and the larger is Ira. Iros is a small green star, while Ira is a large red star. Iros only appears during the dawn and dusk, casting a wild green light on the earth. Iros is the sun that drives everything else in Adam. Once a year, on a day called The Amethyst, both suns are in the same sky. 

The moon, which is relatively large, is split in half, but due to gravity stays together. They call this moon Ohn. 

The inhabitable world of Adam is a bit bigger than the size of Asia. The distances between the continents, however, make the world of Adam nearly gigantic in scope. Skies between continents can range anywhere from one foot to the size of the Pacific Ocean. 

The world of Adam is surrounded by a gigantic circle of cululonimbus clouds that harbor gigantic storms of which no ships have ever returned from. This barrier, called ‘The Cloudwall,’ marks the boundaries of this world. 
	
There are thousands of islands in Adam, most inhospitable or impossible to land on. However, there are nine continents and two artificially built cities that make up Adam. 

The main religion of Adam is called The Celestials, which originated in Arnoa and radiated outward. Drinn, Ma’Taylo, and Audrius are the only nations that do not worship The Celestials. 

Due to the incredible technological creations that came out of Altos, there is no longer a need for diesel or petrol to run planes and gunships and land-based machinery. The creation of The Solar Capacitor, using a special type of crystalline stone that is farmed out of Ostravos and Drinn allowed machinery to be run off of sunlight. Water is also fairly plentiful in most continents, due to the creation of Hydration Conductors, which pull water from the surrounding atmosphere. 

There is no divisions based on race, sexuality, or religion (though there are different religions). Wars are started for other reasons….

The most fought over resource after these technological creations became food. Land space is relatively short on supply, as is weather conditions to grow food. It is because of this that The Great Sky War began. Clarendon [i]was[/i] the largest producer of food before The Great Sky War, as Clarendon is surrounded by constant storms and near perfect hydration, as well as being the second largest land-mass. [/hider]

[hider= B. The Nations 1.1 ]

DRINN -

	Drinn is the largest continent, roughly the size of Russia. 70% of the continent is covered in inhospitable desert. The northwestern part of Drinn is covered with mountains. This mountain range, The Hoam Range, is the longest mountain range in Adam. Its snow covered peaks provide water that run into The Eldris River (the largest, widest, and longest river in Adam), which runs through the center of Drinn. Built along this river are seven kingdoms, which utilize the river for agriculture and commerce. Giant steamboats course the river from one kingdom to the next. The mountains and deserts of Drinn are plentiful in natural resources, such as diesel. They are also full of tribal Drinnese and strange creatures that are dangerous to man. The seven city-states are in constant disputes with one another. The Song of the Seven Empires is an event that calls together the seven kingdoms together in times of war. Drinn is difficult to enter via air due to the gigantic sand storms that occur in the desert regions. Therefore, traders have to fly into Lake Eldris and utilize the steam ships that course the river to retrieve and deliver goods. The tribal peoples are attuned to the sands, and have the ability to control wind, and sand. They are rarely seen outside of the tribal regions, however, and their true powers are often mythologized and exaggerated. 

CLARENDON -

	See [b][i]F. Clarendon and Altos[/i][/b]

MA'TAYLO - 

	Also called The Cloud Ocean Ma’Taylo is roughly the size of China. It is, with the exception of its borders, an entire ocean. The people of Ma’Taylo live either on the bordering landmass, which holds in the oceanic water, or in islands dispersed throughout Ma’Taylo. Ma’Taylo does not have a working air force, but much like Drinn is nearly impossible to invade. Ma’Taylo is united under one Emperor, who utilizes his steam gunships to quell problems. Treasure hunters from all over Adam converge onto Ma’Taylo to search its deep waters, which are filled with incredibly dangerous creatures and lost worlds.

OSTRAVOS - 

	As large as China, Ostravos is one of the three military powers of the world, next to Clarendon and Audrius. Ostravos is a continent with high-UV exposure due to its high elevation. Residents of Ostravos have become accustomed to the sunlight, but those visiting Ostravos have to wear protective clothing and eyewear to protect their eyes and skin. The eastern part of Ostravos has the highest mountains in the world, including Mount Vost, a mountain that is said to literally pierce the atmosphere. The capitol of Ostravos, Inae, is nestled on the fringe of Ostravos. Ostravians were always, before the colonization of Altos, the world leaders in innovation. They created the first intercontinental zeppelin, and led the charge to create Hydration Conductors. They are a proud people, and during a prolonged peace, helped mold the world into what it is today. Currently Ostravos is suffering from a brutal civil war after their stalemate with Audrius in The Great Sky War. The Civil War is caused by extremist groups in the new government against moderate groups in the old government. The Pilgrim is from Ostravos, he was a political terrorist sought by the new government with ties to the destruction of a Class II Titan Gunship. 
AUDRIUS -

	As large as India, and with just as many people, Audrius is made up of two islands: Kartha and Audrius, collectively called The Sisters. The continent is the center of iron mining in the world, and is covered with mountains and caves and giant redwood forests. The military of Audrius is renowned for its speed, aggressiveness, and sheer numbers. The country is ruled by an Emperor, who is oftentimes ruthless to foreign countries as his country is overflowing with people with no more room, and he requires more food and resources for them. Audrius was the first nation to mobilize a military based around fighter planes, utilizing them with success in many campaigns around the world before Ostravos militarized. The two islands of Audrius are connected by a circular tramway that is the first thing to be protected in case of an invasion. Audrius also includes Arnoa, a continent that it famously invaded and still continues to hold dominion over. 

COLDHARBOR - 

	Coldharbor is a huge continent (about the size of Alaska) that is in the northernmost part of Adam. The continent is inhospitable, and home to bizarre and frightening creatures. Under the ice of Coldharbor are ruins of the past world. Excavators and archeologists go to Coldharbor at least once a year, during a two week period when it is warm enough to dig. So far, not much has been retrieved. 

ARNOA -

	Arnoa, about the size of Wyoming, was a nation full of people known colloquially as ‘The Magi.’ Covered in marshlands with an incredible amount of freshwater, Arnoa was a mysterious land full of wonder. Roughly three hundred years ago, Audrius suffered a massive drought. Without water, they had no choice but to invade Arnoa, although they had attempted diplomacy first. The Arnoans would not give up any of their land or water. In the ensuing invasion, much of their culture and peoples were wiped out. They were once known to be able to call down lightning from the sky, and monsoons that would demolish enemy forces. However, even with their ability to bend nature at will, they were no match for the firearms and overwhelming Audrius employed. Thousands of Arnoans fled Arnoa to places like Ostravos, Altos (where they were most welcomed), and Clarendon. The rest remained in Arnoa under Audrian rule.

THE BROOD ISLANDS - 

	A chain of islands that harbor the mysterious ‘winged men’ called The Krhis. These are human creatures whose arms have formed into wings. Completely barbaric, and aggressive, only a few explorers have gone to The Brood Islands and come back to tell the tale. The islands sit on the fringe of The Cloudwall. 

EVERGREEN - 

	Also relatively unexplored, but without human presence what-so-ever. About the size of Great Britain, this continent is covered with an immense rainforest, with creatures and mysteries that are yet to be seen. 

ZEPHYR - 

	Zephyr is a small city located off the borders of Drinn. It is, next to the Ostravos capitol of Inae, and the Clarendon city of Fallcrest, the largest trading hub in the entire world of Adam. It is also home to pirates, smugglers, bandits, and all acceptable violence. It is about the same size as the entire metro area of L.A. It sits on man-made structures built on a cluster of islands. They say that if you want vice, go to Zephyr. The Great Pirate Lords all call Zephyr their home. [/hider]

[hider=C. Recent History 1.2]

	The 4th Epoch (Year 501) began at the end of The Great Sky War. The Great Sky War was waged between Ostravos, Clarendon, Audrius, Drinn, and Ma’Taylo. It was started when Audrius created a civil war in Drinn and spiraled out of control when a Titan II Gunship of Ostravos was destroyed over the deserts of Drinn. The war peaked when Audrius invaded Clarendon to get more land for food production. Clarendon, which did not have a military comparable to Audrius or Ostravos, fought back but lost many of its people to battles in the sky. Ostravos fought valliently in support of Clarendon against The Audrian Horde, but were unsuccessful….

	During the invasion, the Clarendon capital of Altos, which contained hundreds of able-bodied pilots and soldiers and technology that could have driven back Audrian forces, migrated off the continent. The people of Clarendon continued to fight for three months, knowing that they had been abandoned.

When victory was all but certain for Audrius, they decided to attack Altos…. however, when attacked its defense capabilities activated, wiping out the majority of Audrius’ airforce. This marked the end of the war. Audrius and Ostravos retreated to their continents, empty handed, and incredibly wounded. The nation of Clarendon, however, was forever changed. They began to build their military to prepare for another war.

	Forty years (4E 239) after the war Ostravos began its descent into madness. A great civil war broke out, mastered by a coup against the government and orchestrated by a fringe-political party that believed Ostravos held claim to Adam. This political war sent refugees spiraling into an already weakened Clarendon.

	Audrius, meanwhile, rebuilds its forces. There are rumors that it is building a giant Class III Titan from information gained by spying in Ostravos. If true, it could only spell trouble for the rest of the world. 

	In Clarendon, the seat of the government in Altos fights against a separatist movement that wishes to overthrow the government for failing to provide substantial aid in the war. In 4E 247, a massive blight struck Clarendon, putting its food production on hold…. And, an escaped political prisoner from the eight-year war in Ostravos has entered Clarendon, hoping to unite the separatist movement under his claim. 

	The year is 4E 248. The people of Clarendon are starving and the government and people of Altos watch without glancing. A civil war continues in Ostravos, threatening the region once more. The world still feels the repercussions of a huge war. 

	Who are you in all of this? [/hider]

[hider= D. Technology 1.3]

	Technology in Adam is most basically subscribed to our version of WWI and WWII models of transportation and weapons. The two major inventions that changed the world were the Hydration Conductor, which is a long rod that points into the sky and pulls down moisture for drinking water, and The Solar Capacitor, which was created by The Arcanist and Mechanist Guild in Altos. The latter allows planes, gunships, and pretty much anything that is motorized to be self-sufficient, without the need of petrol or diesel which is becoming rare. However, these machines can only run sufficiently during the day, or in sunlight. The gunships, which fly all the time, don’t utilize sunlight to fly (they divert sunlight to auxiliary and weapon units), but rather have armored helium balloons beneath them that give them the ability to fly for incredibly long periods of time, although they are incredibly slow and can take months to get places. 

Weapons include anything from the musket rifle, to the semi-automatic pistol and rifle and small sub-machine guns. Also, technological advances have allowed for sun-powered gauss weapons and power weapons, which are essentially electrically ran weapons that cause devastating damage to whatever they are used on. So far gauss weapons are only outfitted on people, and are range-to-range weapons, though are not entirely reliable. Missiles and rockets are used in very finite quantity, and instead bombs and armor piercing bullets are used to take down personnel or other aircraft. Gunships and the like, that cannot be penetrated by small arms, must instead be boarded and conquered or fired upon by other gunships, which use large and immense cannons and gatling guns to lay waste to their enemies. 

Elevators are common and so are radios and radio systems. There are no televisions and cameras are outdated and barely beginning to catch on, though are becoming popular. Terrestrial travel is facilitated by horses, trains, elephants (in Ostravos), giant albatross in Clarendon and Audrius, striders in Drinn, trains, transport zeppelins, and motorcycles. Automobiles don’t exist (why use 4-wheels when you can use 2?). 

Lights and other electric-powered items are ran off of wind-generated power at night, and sun-generated power during the day. Sports are plane races. Seriously. [/hider]

[hider= E. Clarendon and Altos 1.4]

	Being the setting of this RP, you should know more about Clarendon and Altos than anything else. Clarendon is about the size of Canada. It is circular shaped, surrounding a secondary landmass called The Crest of Clarendon that is connected to the rest of Clarendon by bridges of land. Altos is a mysterious city that was made before The Separating. It houses the governing seats of Clarendon, although they are more preoccupied with political discourse in Altos to pay attention to the rest of Clarendon.

	Clarendon is notable for its incredibly fertile lands. Its fruits and vegetables have been used to feed most of the world. This makes Clarendon wealthy, especially before The Great Sky War, although their military programs were fledgling and did not make a difference in repelling the invasion by Audrius. The land is at the perfect elevation and is surrounded by constant moisture, meaning agriculture output can be gleaned all year round. There are four cities in Clarendon; Fallcrest, Clearmist, The Palisade, and Altos. Fallcrest is probably the largest trading hub in all of Adam, next to Inae of Ostravos. Clearmist is in the center of a lake located near the Verdant Valley, which houses the largest producers of wheat, corn, rice, and beans in Adam. Most towns and villages around the Verdant Valley are of farming people, who live modestly when and where they can. The Crest of Clarendon resembles Scotland. It houses a city called The Palisade, that is the base of operations for Clarendon’s military. Above The Palisade is the floating city of Altos, which resides there nine months out of the year, except on its pilgrimage where it makes rest above the other cities. In this RP it is currently going towards Fallcrest, the first city in its pilgrimage. 

	Most people that live in Clarendon live in the Verdant Valley or cities. Altos is the exception to this rule, and although thousands visit it everyday, only about two million are permitted to live there. Recently, with the influx of political refugees from Clarendon (after The Great Sky War), and Ostravos, the city has been unable to remove the thousands of refugees pouring into The Warrens. 

	The city of Altos is made up of three parts; The Heights -- which is the seat of the government and the heads of the guilds; Median City, the main city where the guilds, businesses, and the wealthy reside; and then the The Warrens, which houses the poor, and downtrodden. It is a giant slum. 

	The government is a polyarchy; it is made up of one leader from each guild, a religious leader, a military leader, and a peacetime leader. The religious leader heads the entire government during disputes in the government; the peacetime leader and military leader only lead whether or not there is a war going on. 

The city itself is a mystery--it was settled a few hundred years ago and the secrets within allowed the guilds to begin their work. It is an artificial, self-sustaining city that can withstand years of punishment. To this day the machinery that makes the city work is still studied closely. 

	There are five guilds in Altos--The Arcane Guild, which was created after the fall of Arnoa. The Arcane Guild is the smallest guild, with only around fifty members present at any given time. Beneath The Arcane Guild is The Gardens, which houses around two-thousand Arnoans who are considered ‘pure’ Arnoans (more on this in the next section). 

The Mechanist Guild creates innovative technological creations. They are currently working on creating a self-sustaining warrior robot, and there are rumors that others are attempting to create artificial intelligence. They are responsible for some of the greatest creations in the world, including the gauss rifle, the solar capacitor, and so on. They are closely aligned with The Arcane Guild to perfect their creations. Their base of commands is The Clockworks, a giant building made out of gears. 

The Alchemist’s Guild attempts to create anything that requires special ingredients--many residing in The Alchemist Guilds are closely aligned with The Explorer’s Guild, who map out the world and are scientists of everything unknown. They are both housed in The Halls of Exploration. 

The final guild are The Curators. Secretive, and incredibly powerful, they are the keepers of Altos. They closely guard the secrets of Altos in order to preserve its legacy. They are solely responsible for controlling Altos’ defense systems and mobility. They also employ many agents to the world, scouring for untold knowledge of the old world to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. Curators are considered among the best combatants in all of Adam, and spark fear in many. They do not, however, take part in conventional wars or disputes. They are given the discretion to carry out any activity wherever, whenever to collect information on the old world. [/hider]

[hider= F. The Arnoan Magi 1.5]

Arnoans have magical attunement. They are able to bend the very nature of the world to their every whim. On Arnoa, where they were entitled to a solitary environment, they carried on generations of magi, some more powerful than the last. After Audrius invaded Arnoa, this was disrupted. Arnoans that fled to the rest of the world became one of two classes: pure Arnoans, and displaced Arnoans. There is a big difference.

Outside of The Gardens in Altos, no other pure-society of Arnoans exists. Displaced Arnoans either breed with other men and women, creating offspring who lack the power of one of their parents, or they belong to small, segregated groups of familial Arnoans who inbreed to continue on their powers. There are rumors of Arnoans in parts of Ostravos and Drinn who have inbred to the point of excess power, in exchange for deformations, mental instability, and so on. These Arnoans are not respected.

Most Arnoans only have a sliver of their power left, due to the fact that they are no longer having offspring with other magi. Arnoans you meet in the street still have powers, but are very limited compared to the magi of The Gardens. 

Arnoan powers are limited to what they can do with their mind. Some have the ability to sense the future, while others can control the very elements of fire and lightning. Others, on the other hand, can move objects with their minds. Arnoans are very fragile by nature, meaning that a skilled gunman will kill an Arnoan nine times out of ten. [/hider]

[hider= G. The Plot 1.6]

The plot is simple. It is the end of September (way too lazy to create names for months) and Altos has left its place above The Palisade and has begun to go to Waycrest. The three months it is traveling around Clarendon are full of festivities for the rich and opportunities for the poor. 

In Waycrest The Pilgrim has something planned to bring the separatist movement, into his sphere. Meanwhile, the separatist movement clashes with military forces in the northern reaches of the Verdant Valley. Within the next year, all the crops will be dead, and the stockpiles hoarded by the rich in Altos will only go so far. 

In Altos, guild members are starting to disappear mysteriously. The guild leaders believe that the military leader, General Peter Van Huss, wishes to allocate power in his direction, or that there are Audrian or Ostravian spies among them. 

The Pilgrimage has begun, and the days will continue to get more red.... [/hider] 

[center][B]RP Information[/b][/center]

[hider= Main Rules IMPORTANT]

There are two [b]primary[/b] rules: your players [b]CANNOT leave Clarendon/Altos[/b], except in flashbacks. This is so that players can shape this continent, which is in a state of uncertain peace after The Great Sky War that ripped it, and the other continents, apart. 

Something interesting about this RP is that you can have up to [b]two main characters[/b], and an unlimited number of secondary characters (they cannot be ones I’ve set as off-limit). Being a dangerous world, a character can die at anytime. I give you, and other players, the option of doing this when you see fit. 

The second rule is that [b]YOU CANNOT KILL OFF SOMEONE ELSE’S CHARACTERS[/b] unless you work it out beforehand. Period, end of discussion. If you unexpectedly injure/kill off another player’s character, you’re out. If you have worked it out beforehand, then I’m perfectly okay with that. [/hider]

[hider=General Rules:]

1. Don’t be a dick. If you have a dispute with someone, take it to the OOC. I will play middle-man to all disputes…. and speaking of that…. 
2. Whatever I say is final. When in complete doubt, ask me. However, I want you to take over the reigns of this RP. The world of Adam is your oyster. So when in slight doubt, go for it. 
3. No Godmodding, Mary Sues, etc. This one is my biggest pet peeve. You don’t have to gimp your character, but making him a pure-blood Arnoan, who is also a highly-trained assassin, and so on. I won’t allow it, before and during the RP. 
5. Do not take control of another player’s characters. I’ll let you all work out the details.
4. The world is your gotdamn oyster… but please, collaborate in OOC or over PMs. 
5. Gotdamn oyster.[/hider]

[hider= Plot Rules:]

1. You cannot take control of any major plot characters (I will denote them in the OOC).
2. If you are an Arnoan, you MUST be a displaced Arnoan, either part of a family that does each other (and therefore are powerful, but have other issues), or an Arnoan who is because of genetics, has diminished powers. 
3. Your main characters cannot be members of a guild, or training to be members of a guild. Guilds are supposed to be mysterious and scary and unknown, and are important to the plot. I will reveal things about the guilds the more we go along. You can be: a former guild member, a wannabe guild member, and so on. 
4. Magi are rare, not everyone can be a magi.[/hider]

[b]Sign-ups[/b]

There are three options for signing-up for this RP. 

1. Write me a sample with quick character descriptions (preferred for two characters).
2. Complete dossier (for one character, please don’t do this for two).
3. Writing sample.

[hider=Main Character 1:] 

Name - (nothing ridiculous please)
Age -
Sex -
Brief Physical Description - (picture is preferable)
Occupation/Trade - 
Magi - (Y/N)
Type of Magi/Powers - (ignore if you’re character isn’t)
Birthplace - 

Sample - 

Repeat for second character [b](please use the same sample)[/b][/hider]

 [hider=Dossier:]

(PICTURE)

Name: 
Known Aliases: 
Sex:
Age:
Height: 
Weight:
Eye Color:
Hair Color:
Magi? (Y/N): 

Occupation(s): 
Known Relatives:

Criminal Record: 
Posted Warnings: 
Skillset:
 
Known Ties to Organizations/Other: 
Extra Information: [/hider]