[i]In the old days, the forces of magic were held by all, and freely used by all. No one man or creature dared claim it's power all for himself, for the gods would strike down he that became too greedy for power. This was how it had been for untold eons, and how it should have been for years to come....

One man came to undo this balance, however, as like all who had been born without the ability to use magic, he became envious of those who so freely used that power. All around him the varied peoples of the realms used their power for everything from the necessary to the frivolous, and as time went on he became mad with his lust for that very same power. At first, he kept his aspirations simple, stealing the lives of those who needlessly flaunted their powers, and taking their power for his own with an arcane locket, but as he stole their abilities and began to use them for his own purposes, he began to lust for more power. Slowly, he began to slip into the shadows, higher profile people disappearing as he made his moves unseen by the authorities of the lands, until one day, everything stopped. His murderous spree ended as spontaneously as it began, and the guards had thought perhaps he had ended his own life, but the truth was more dangerous.

From a high-ranking magus, he had learned how the world gains its magic, of the pillars of creation, the World-Anchors. Spread across the world, across the infinite ocean and scattered among the varied realms, massive edifices of power stood as the anchoring point of all reality. Each of these points held together their realm and bound it to all others, creating a weave of realms all interconnected by the infinite ocean, and inhabited by myriad races and creatures. A dark plan formed in his mind as he learned more of these World-Anchors, and with the magus disposed of, he began his scheme, buying his immortality with the stolen souls of those he killed, and setting forth to corrupt or destroy the pillars of creation.

It all began with a realm whose name is lost to us, one that had been held by a culture who had become one with their land and flourished in a golden age of technology and magic. These were a people who had long ago lost the ability to consciously alter their environment, but instead subtly molded their lands according to their subconscious needs and primal directives. Inserting himself among these people, the man slowly worked his way up their ranks, watching their society work and whispering in the ears of those who knew would get him higher up, until this prince of lies had become advisor to the Imperial House. It was here that he started to weave his scheme, seeding a thought into the minds of those around him and giving in to the illusion of this false reality. At first, there was nothing, a few small disagreements between clans, political division for the first time in hundreds of years. As time went on, however, his idea took root, and one of the clans broke away from the Imperial House, declaring themselves gods of the people and showing how they could control their abilities.

His duty done, the Lying Man left the realm to ruin, turning only to watch as the people tore themselves apart in civil war and the World-Anchor succumbed to the powers of the people who lived there. Knowing now that his scheme was all too possible, the man made his move and traveled across all the realms, using his immortality and the apathy of the natives towards other realms to insert himself in their cultures and work discord from within. Realm after realm fell to his insidious workings, until only the central realms remained, a land where multiple diverse peoples had developed independent of the other realms and free of the influence of the World-Anchors. They too would fall, however, for the Lying Man used their differences against them, breeding a long war of racism and hate among the civilized cultures and watching them burn the the weaker nations as they tore clawed each other down.

Success was a poisoned fruit, however, for though he had but one World-Anchor left to destroy, the eternal energies of the world had awakened to his interference and these elder gods did not trifle with interlopers. As he stood before the foot of the final pillar of creation, an abomination of flesh and bone rent itself free from the cage of the World-Anchor, staring down upon the mortal being with a thousand-fold eyes and the gnashing of hundred pointed teeth. It spoke in a language that was not meant for the ears of the mundane, breaking the man into a pile of broken bones and sundered flesh as his mind was rent asunder.

"You who meddle, know that you have only created another world just like that which you despise. Know this in your final agony, that it is by your doing that this has been done."

Taking up the essence of the Lying Man, the entity breathed a new purpose into his broken form, and re-knit the world anew. Thousands of realms sprang up across the infinite ocean again, and with them the seeds of new civilizations. The World-Anchors were renewed, as if they had never been broken, and the central realms were restored, albeit still scarred from the wars that ravaged it. Knowing that to simply leave the world be as it was would only invite another such as the Lying Man, the primal entity sent the broken body of the man back down to the mortal plane and invoked it to become the seed for a new form of life. Unlike the other realms, this one would see a World-Anchor in the form of a living, breathing species. A race of demons who embodied the primal forces of reality and bent it to their whim.

In the first few eras of the central realms, the peoples of the realm feared these daemons, and many even went to war with them. Over time, however, they soon came to understand them, and even bargain with them for the use of their powers. Now, magic is once more prevalent among the central realms, albeit at the cost of one's soul...[/i]
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Welcome to Realms, a fantasy NRP that takes place within what is known as the Central Realms. For millennia, the people of the central realms have lived upon the four continents that make up these realms, ever aware of both the need and the threat of the demons which hold the power of magic over them. However, a new power is just now rising, a way of using the magics of the world without bargaining with demons, one from the old gods themselves. This is where your nation comes in, as you, the player, will play one of the nations of the central realms in this new era in which the face of magic will change forever. For which side will your nation fight? That is your choice to make.

[b][u]The Rules[/u][/b]

Since we're a small group and we all know each other(mostly =P), the rules are going to be rather short and sweet. First, don't be a dick. Honestly, you guys know what I'm talking about here. Second, play to weave a story, not a winning game. All of you that have received the invite into Realms are people who I know to put story first, and that's why I've selected you all personally. Really, that's about it, since we're all really in this to have a good time and make a good story.

[b][u]Tech/Magic Overview[/u][/b]

For magic, I'm going to keep it short and sweet: It's technically a mana-based system. You call upon/bind/whatever the demons or whatever, and expend them to cast spells or make others do your work for you. When doing so there's a cost involved, typically physical exhaustion, but higher level endeavors can cost more than that, so be wary. Technology wise, I'm thinking we can play it a bit fast and loose, and keep to a roughly medieval setting, with variation to allow for things that developed afterwards. All in all, when you are adding things to your nation, think of it first as "Does this make sense with my nation and how it operates?" If yes, then by all means. If no, then try again =P.

[b][u]The NS[/u][/b]

I was going to have some big, long and drawn out NS for everyone to fill out, but I think it would be a little easier on every one if we took a more fluid and adaptable approach. Essentially, in a post here in the OOC side, type up your "NS" in whatever way feels best for you, just as long as everyone knows the basics of your nation and is easily able to access what is needed in order to interact with them.

What should be in your NS:

Name
General overview
A history, at the very least recent history
Who lives in the nation
How the nation interacts with the land around them and the people living there.

[b][u]The Wars of Providence[/u][/b]

Figured this time I would take a more interesting approach to the whole "We're going to war with you!" thing that typically happens in NRPs. On the center island is a temple, which once every thousand or so years, opens and allows only one individual from all the lands to enter. This individual must be one who has proven themself against all others of the land, and therefore gained the right to entry. Upon entering the temple, this individual will undergo a series of trials that will weigh their character against that of the old gods, and should they be found worthy, they will be gifted with eternal life for both themself and one other they choose.

So, with all that being said, I think that's about it. If there's anything you guys need me to add, feel free to let me know over Skype or here. I'll post up the map here after work, as I'm currently operating on three hours of sleep LIKE A FUCKING BOSS.