The world of Balance. A fantastical world filled with magic and mayhem, where there's always something to do and somewhere new to explore. Monsters roam the lands even while the people pave their roads, and many travelers find their hands full simply staying alive out in the wilds. How does one even survive the many dangers of the realm...?

Enter the mercenaries. Vagrant sellswords and wandering mages, mercenaries engage in all sorts of activities, whether it be protecting merchants along their trade routes, killing bandits for the local lord, or even doing the odd job around town; all for a good amount of coin, of course. Where there's a job to be done, expect them to be there, money pouches held open at the ready.

Our story, in particular, focuses on a certain group of mercenaries, the Greywood Company to be exact. Although they were once a proud group of veteran problem solvers, their ranks have been thinned, lately, and indeed, only a few of their number remain. Still, their current leader has yet to give up hope, and has recently started a recruiting drive to bolster their man-power. And although many of their veterans are now long gone, the remaining members still cling to the hope that they will once again be able to make a name for themselves in this world.

However, even as the Company hang up their recruitment flyers, a dark wind stirs in the east. Monster activity is at an all time high, and reports of a Red Sun hanging high in the sky over certain parts of the world worry many who hear the news. There are rumors of a higher power orchestrating all of this recent chaos, but any attempts to discern that power's source has been met only with disappointment. The wind steadily makes its way west to the Lion's Coast, and whether they know it or not, the Greywood Company is fated to get swept up in it all...

Will our heroes in the Company rise above the growing turmoil and help save the world from this mysterious darkness? Or are they bound to failure, just another casualty to something far greater?

Well, looking at them now, they probably need a little help...

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Alright, OOC time! I'll put information on the world and some more in-depth mechanics of the game here, so be sure to give all this a read when you have the time.

World Map:
[img=http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/q599/Arkaeis/0a9cd5dd-e9e7-4b07-b2d4-34bd07777003.jpg]

This'll be where most of the action takes place.

Races: (Shamelessly ripping images from Class of Heroes, I don't think I could compile all the races just from digital art >.>)

[hider=Humans]
[img=http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/q599/Arkaeis/Human.png]

Humans are the most average of the average amongst the races, at least in terms of accomplishments. While not too many of them become spectacular legends in whatever fields they may pursue, they do have the reputation of not being tied down to any one belief or ideology, making them the epitome of freedom and choice. The most common of the races inside city boundaries, its not hard to find a human with the skills you may require, if help is indeed what you're looking for.
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[hider=Elves]
[img=http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/q599/Arkaeis/Elf.png]

Elves are a spiritual folk, aloof and distant with a mystical vibe. They are in constant communal with their ancient ancestors, and so great is their spirituality that some say they even share memories with one another. The race is also known for their swiftness, and many of their number are often employed as scouts and messengers. They tend to get along well with any race, if only because they interact with each other so differently than everybody else.
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[hider=Dwarves]
[img=http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/q599/Arkaeis/Dwarf.png]

Stout Dwarves, children of the earth. Despite their childlike appearance, Dwarves are actually a very hardy race, with sickness almost unheard of and an underlying strength that defies their small frames. They tend to be very frank and take a no-nonsense approach to most everything, working hard to be taken seriously in light of their underwhelming presence. 
[/hider]

[hider=Zenkari]
[img=http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/q599/Arkaeis/Zenka.png]

The Zenkari are an energetic race of beast-like humanoids, given life by Nature, itself, and many are strict naturalists when it comes to politics and lifestyle. They are the most populous of races outside of cities, and take an almost instinctual pleasure with all things natural. Their males and females are distinctly divided, the females taking on more animal-like features such as fur, while the males only have animal-like ears and a tail, at most.
[/hider]

[hider=Dreamwalkers]
[img=http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/q599/Arkaeis/Dreamwalker.png]

Dreamwalkers are a mysterious race of semi-ethereal beings, similar to ghosts and spirits. Some experts say that they are the manifestations of memories and dreams, although there is no concrete proof that this is true. In any case, their personalities differ greatly between each individual, although they all share that same blank look and daydream-like smile when they feel nobody's watching.
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Locations for Reference:

[hider=Forest City of Ark]
[img=http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/q599/Arkaeis/Anime_city_166842.jpg]

The city of Ark is a bustling trade center, en route of a large highway system through the Greywoods. A refreshing mix of civilization and nature, Ark is as popular with tourists as it is with merchants, and you will find a plethora of both within the boundaries of its walls.[/hider]

[hider=Ostia Martin]
[img=http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/q599/Arkaeis/454425.jpg]

Ostia Martin is the capital city of the Jaris Confederation, one of the major powers in the Lion’s Coast. Made splendid by the Confederation’s wealth, this city is a gathering place for a huge variety of people from many different walks of life; from the lowly mercenary to the foreign prince, you’ll find just about anybody walking down its streets.[/hider]

[hider=Fjelhorn]
[img=http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/q599/Arkaeis/329829.jpg]

Nestled high within the mountains, Fjelhorn is the biggest outpost to be found along Frosthelm Pass. That’s not saying much, though, as it is barely the size of a small village in its entirety. Still, it grants much needed reprieve to weary travelers who feel the need to shave a few days off their journey, and sellswords flock to the outpost by the dozen in the hopes of finding work as bodyguards.[/hider]

[hider=Kiraisha]
[img=http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/q599/Arkaeis/150181.jpg]

Deep within the Shensui Steppes lies the hidden city of Kiraisha, home to a clan of warrior monks who find solace in training in the harsh environment of the steppe. Many know of its existence, but very few are able to find their way there. Those who do make it are usually only those who have some sort of interest in training under the monks’ tutelage. Still, a small number of simply curious fanatics do somehow find entry into the fabled city, if only to bathe in its splendor for even a little while.[/hider]

[hider=Elentielle, City of Magic]
[img=http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/q599/Arkaeis/Anime_city_176788.jpg]

A city of mages and the arcane arts, many of Elentielle’s tall, elegant buildings were only made possible by the magics of those who lived there. Known for its isolationist policies and peaceful nature, not many nations bother with it or its inhabitants, choosing to leave them and their power alone. For even though one holding the power of Elentielle’s mages would have the strength to conquer kingdoms, they would be hard pressed to bring that power under theirs, in the first place…[/hider]

[hider=Port City of Anendale]
[img=http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/q599/Arkaeis/234819.jpg]

High atop a cliff that is both natural and man-made, Anendale thrives as a central port along the Lion’s Coast. Unfortunately, that also means that the waters surrounding it are prime hunting grounds for pirates and raiders, alike. The city Navy works hard to keep the area safe, but many merchants and seafaring travelers like to employ the work of mercenaries, just in case.[/hider]

[hider=Makinaki Village]
[img=http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/q599/Arkaeis/113264.jpg]

One of the few remaining pockets of civilization situated within the haunted Giza Plains, the people here are superstitious to a fault, and outsiders are usually not welcomed. Not many can blame them, as the plains [i]are[/i] haunted. Because of their superstitious nature they are very suspicious of magic, and because of that they’ve reached a level of non-magical technology rarely found in other places. However, their paranoid nature makes it hard for these new technologies to spread, and the lack of renewable resources in the plains is slowly taking its toll.[/hider]

[hider=Old World Ruins]
[img=http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/q599/Arkaeis/DestroyCity_by_ThierryCanon.jpg]

The last remaining shadow of the Old World, these ruins stand as a black behemoth over the fey forests of Balance, a testament to what once was and a reminder of what should never be. Old legends and fairy tales tell of the destruction the previous inhabitants of this once-proud city brought upon themselves, but now, only scavengers and scholars roam the streets of these ruins, looking for anything of value, both monetary and intellectual. The place holds a sort of taboo for the world overall, however, and not many dare set foot in the desolate ruins.[/hider]

In-Depth Mechanics:

[hider=In-Depth Stuff]
[b][u]1. Character Stats[/u][/b]

So, usually characters in Fire Emblem start off with some base stats and stat growths, but we're doing away with that, here. Every character will get 30 stat points upon creation that you can distribute wherever you like (no more than 8 points in a single area, though), and you will also gain 3 stat points every level up, also to distribute as you like (Only one point per stat, though, and points into HP increase it by 1.5). To clarify, each character starts with a 0 in all stats, except HP which starts at 20, and you then distribute points as you wish. To further clarify (bear with me, here, I wanna make sure this is as clear as possible xD), I'll post a before and after of some character's stats:

HP: 20
Str: 0
Mag: 0
Skl: 0
Spd: 0
Lck: 0
Def: 0
Res: 0

And after:

HP: 24 (24.5) (Points in HP increase it by 1.5, but it’s effectively rounded down)
Str: 8 (Remember to add your racial stat bonuses)
Mag: 0
Skl: 4
Spd: 3
Lck: 7
Def: 7
Res: 2

And before anyone comes asking me what the stats actually do, here's a list explaining them (they're slightly modified from the game, so read them even if you've played it!):

HP - How much damage you can take before you die. If it hits zero, you're dead!
Str - How much damage you can do with physical weapons. Each point in Str increases your physical damage by 0.5.
Mag - How much damage you can do with spells and the like. Each point in Mag increases your magic damage by 0.5.
Skl - How skillful you are in attacking. Each point in Skl increases your Hit by 2, and your Crit chance by 0.5. Also, for every point in Skl, you get a 2% chance to ignore half the enemy's Def, rounded up.
Spd - How fast you are. Each point in speed increases your Dodge by 2, and if you have more speed than your opponent, you can attack twice! (Also slightly modified from the game, 3 more speed lets you attack twice, with the second hit doing half damage, while 6 speed over your enemy lets you do full damage with the second attack.)
Lck - How lucky you are. Each point in Lck increases your Dodge, Hit, Crit evasion, and Crit chance by 1.
Def - How good you are at defending yourself. Each point in Def increases physical resistance by 0.5.
Res - How resistant you are to magic. Each point in Res increases magical resistance by 0.5.

Also, all damage is rounded down. If you would do 3.5 damage by these calculations, in reality, you would only do 3.

And that should be it for stats. Don't worry too much about calculations and stuff, I'll handle that. As long as you get the general idea about what stats do, feel free to distribute them with impunity and let me handle all the number crunching. xD

[b][u]2. Armor and Mounts[/u][/b]

So, when you make your character, you're going to need to determine what kind of armor your character will have. This will determine your defense bonus and your base movement.

None/Light Armor: +0 Def, 6 Mov
Medium Armor: +2 Def, 5 Mov
Heavy Armor: +4 Def, 4 Mov

You can also choose to have a shield, which will increase your defense at the cost of skill and speed.

Buckler: +1 Def, -1 Skl
Kite Shield: +3 Def, -2 Skl, -1 Spd
Tower Shield: +5 Def, -3 Skl, -2 Spd

Be sure to include these bonuses when you distribute stats. Now that we've gotten into armor, this character, who uses medium armor and a kite shield, will have stats that look like this:

(Place base stats in parentheses next to the actual stat)
Armor Type: Medium
Shield: Kite
HP: 24 (24.5)
Str: 8
Mag: 0
Skl: 2 (4) (Note: If your stat would go into the negatives with penalties, keep it at zero)
Spd: 2 (3)
Lck: 7
Def: 12 (7)
Res: 2
Mov: 5

And as for mounts, you choose whether or not you want a mount when you make your character. This gives you a bonus to Movement, but at the cost of a few skill points. Pros and Cons are as follows:

Horseback: +2 Mov, -4 Base Stat points
Pegasus: +3 Mov, -8 Base Stat points, Flying
Wyvern: +2 Mov, -6 Base Stat points, Flying

Now, let’s say this character rides Wyverns:

(Note: You don't need to put base stats or anything in parentheses when accounting for mounts; just subtract from your actual stats until you have the required amount of penalties)
Armor Type: Medium
Shield: Kite
Mount: Wyvern
HP: 23
Str: 6
Mag: 0
Skl: 2 (4) 
Spd: 2 (3)
Lck: 6
Def: 10 (5)
Res: 1
Mov: 7 

And there you have it. If it's a little complicated... tell me, and I'll see what I can do. >.>

[b][u]3. Weapon Skills[/u][/b]

In Fire Emblem, units have differing skills in weaponry, denoted by a letter grade with E being the lowest, and S being a master level. You need a high weapon skill level to use better weapons, and in this game, going up weapon skill levels will also net you a nice Hit bonus.

E: +0 Hit
D: +5 Hit
C: +10 Hit
B: +15 Hit
A: +20 Hit
S: Same as previous Hit bonus, but allows you to use legendary weapons.

That should be it for this... At character creation, you will get one weapon skill point to spend at your leisure on any of the weapon types (unless you take on a certain feat, explained later), and you get another weapon skill point every five levels, also to spend at will. Here's a list of weapon types:

Swords
Axes
Lances
Bows
Knuckles/Gauntlets
Elemental/Anima Magics (Pick an elemental specialization: Earth, Wind, Fire, Lightning, Ice)
Light Magics (Also implements healing spells)
Dark Magics
Arcane Magics
Daggers (Note: Everyone starts with an E in Daggers)

[b][u]4. Magic[/u][/b]

Magic will be handled a little differently than in the games. Although you still have a weapon skill for the different types of magic, characters will not actually use tomes to cast, instead learning magic and being able to use them inherently (your weapon skill determines how powerful a spell you can learn). All of your spells will have a set number of charges, and these charges return in between fights (weapons can also be repaired in between fights, though this will cost gold). There will also be a number of utility spells and such you can learn, so keep all this in mind if you want to play a mage. Also, if you use Elemental/Anima magics, you need to choose an elemental specialization. The elements are: 

Ice <-> Wind <-> Lightning <-> Fire <-> Earth.

The elements have a relationship with each other, and go from neutral to opposed based on the above (sort-of) diagram. The two elements closest to your chosen are 'Neutral', and you have your weapon skill rank in Anima - 1 in those element. The two elements furthest from your chosen are 'Opposed', and you get your weapon skill rank in Anima - 2 in those elements. For example, if you have C in Anima and specialize in Earth magic, you would have a D in Ice and Fire magics and an E in Lightning and Wind magics.

[b][u]5. Terrain[/u][/b]

Since we'll be using Fire Emblem maps for our game, we'll come across a wide variety of different terrain panels. These panels give various bonuses to dodge and defense, and some heal HP when you end your turn on them. Flying units ignore the terrain (for both offense and defense, to clarify), except for the healing effect. Here's a table of the bonuses terrain gives.

River: -10 Dodge, 6 Mov to cross
House/Village: +10 Dodge
Ruins: +10 Dodge, +1 Def, 2 Mov to cross
Pillars: +10 Dodge, +1 Def
Forest: +20 Dodge, +1 Def, 2 Mov to cross
Fort/Castle: +20 Dodge, +2 Def, Heals 20% HP per turn, 2 Mov to cross
Mountain: +30 Dodge, +1 Def, 3 Mov to cross
Peak: +40 Avoid, +2 Dodge, 4 Mov to cross, Impassable to most

[b][u]6. Critical Hits[/u][/b]

Just thought I'd need to clarify what Criticals will actually be in this game. If you get a critical, your attack strength will double, and you will also ignore half the enemies defense, rounded up. (For example, if you would do 2 damage to an enemy with 9 Def, with a crit you would ignore 4 Def, bringing your damage up to 4, and then double it for 8 damage)

[b][u]7. Supports[/u][/b]

Basically, supports are how well your character gets along with the others, going from C, to B, to A, and, finally, to S (If the two characters in question would be lovers). There are various bonuses to stats based on the affinity of the two characters, but we'll get to that once we actually have some supports. Here's a list of affinities for those who are curious:

Earth
Wind
Ice
Fire
Thunder
Light
Dark
Anima

As for how you actually get supports, just interact with each other! If you feel like you've gotten enough interaction to go up in support levels, just let me know and I'll see about it.

[b][u]8. Experience[/u][/b]

Experience is what you need to level up. Below is the formula for experience gained for attacking and counter attacking. For simplicity's sake, it doesn't matter if you hit or not. Experience gained for kills is tripled. If you are promoted and the enemy isn't, subtract 5 Exp. If the enemy is promoted and you aren't, add 5 Exp.

Exp gained = 10 + Enemy level - Own level

Using healing magic gives you 15 Exp + Staff Rank (5 for E, 10 for D, so on…). Picking locks earns you 20 Exp. Receiving or evading an enemy attack gives you 1 Exp. You need 100 Exp to level up. And that's about it. ;D

[b][u]9. Leveling Up and Promotion[/u][/b]

Leveling up in this game nets you 3 stat points that you can spend on any stat, albeit only once per stat. Every five levels, you gain a weapon skill point that you can use to either increase your skill with the weapon you already have, or spend on unlocking another weapon type for you to use. Every 10 levels, you get another feat.

Promoting will be done automatically once your character reaches level 20, and will give you 10 stat points, a weapon skill point, and also a special, promoted feat (explained later). This doesn't reset your level like in the video games, though. The level cap is 40, and the stat caps are all 35, except for HP which will be 75.

[b][u]10. Feats/Abilities[/u][/b]

You can choose from 2 of these at the beginning, and you get another one every 10 levels (plus one when you promote). Have a list:

[u]Armsman[/u] - Taking this feat immediately grants you another weapon skill point.

[u]Bloodlust[/u] - Once per turn, after you kill an opponent, you can start combat with another enemy in your attack range.

[u]Healthy Constitution[/u] - Gives you fast healing, restoring 10% of your HP at the start of each turn.

[u]Blinding Speed[/u] - Your speed now factors in to ignoring enemy defenses. For every point of speed you have over the enemy, your chance to ignore half their defense, rounded down, increases by 4%.

[u]Adept[/u] - Your attacks have a new Spd chart. 3 Spd over your enemy still gives you another half attack, but you now only need 5 Spd over your enemy for a full double, and 7 Spd over your enemy gives you an additional third attack at half damage.

[u]Danger Reflex[/u] - If an enemy's attack would do a third of your health or more, you attack first.

[u]Heavy Stander[/u] - You protect the area immediately surrounding you, and enemies must stop on squares you protect unless they can go around. The area you can cover goes up as you level.

[u]Magic Flare[/u] - Spells that you cast are now 1.5 times as strong, but they also consume twice the amount of charges.

[u]Deep Reserves[/u] - Your spells have 1.5 times as many charges.

[u]Necromancy[/u] - Allows you to take spells under the Necromancy school of Dark Magic.

[u]Divine Favor[/u] - Allows you to take spells under the Divine school of Light Magic.

[u]Inspiring Presence[/u] - Rally Command. All allies in a 3 square radius around you gain +10 to Dodge and Hit, plus 0.5 for every character level. You and all allies will also gain a +0.5 bonus to damage and defense for every 5 character levels. Lasts 3 turns.

Promotional Skills - These feats can only be obtained at the moment you promote (which means you can only get one).

[u]Luna[/u] - Your chance to ignore half of an enemy’s defense now becomes 3% for every point in Skl instead of 2%. You also get a chance to ignore ALL of an enemy’s defense with a chance of ((Skl/2) + (Str/2)).

[u]Sol[/u] - Grants you a chance to restore your health by the amount of damage you do to an enemy at a chance of ((Skl/2) + (Lck/2)).

[u]Aegis[/u] - Halves damage done to you at a chance of ((Skl/2) + (Def/2)).

[u]Astra[/u] - Gives you the chance to attack 5 times in a single round at half damage. Chance is equal to ((Skl/2) + (Spd/2) - 5).

[u]Assassination[/u] - Instantly kills the enemy. Chance is equal to ((Skl/2)).

(Note: This list is definitely not a final, and I will probably be changing it as we go along. Don't worry about taking something you won't like later, I'll let people switch around their feats if I add or change something they like. Feel free to give me suggestions and such, as well.)
[/hider]