There are six elements, divided into three Realms. The Earth contains the elements of Earth and Water. Together, they make life. The Sky contains the elements of Air and Fire. Together, they are spirit Space contains the elements of Void and Sun. From them comes all matter. Those who draw their power from the Realm of Earth are Knights. Masters of their own bodies. Earth is their strength, Water is their skill. Those who draw their power from the Realm of the Sky are Monks. Masters of their own spirits. Air is their peace, but Fire is their passion. Those who draw their power from the Realm of Space are The Ascendant. Masters of reality. They carry the Sun, but will fade into the Void. [hider=Lore] Earth: Strength, solidity, permanence. Water: Precision, skill, luck. Together, they make life, whose applications are obvious. Knights focus their powers into their own bodies, to make themselves unbeatable in battle. Air: Freedom, speed, change. Fire: Passion, power, the purification. Together they make spirit. When balanced, a Monk can reach their spirit out to others and control their own with perfect precision. When unbalanced, a Monks powers are chaotic and out of their control. Sun: The power of a star, fusion. Radiation. Scorching heat and blinding light. Void: Nothing. Absence. Bitter cold and deafening silence. While their Sun powers are radioactive, their Void powers can absorb it safely. When brought together, they can form new matter. An adept could recreate a diamond, but young Ascendants find that they can only create shadowy imitations of solid matter which will sublimate after time. The ultimate expression of the Ascendant's power is for them to Ascend. To fade away and join the cosmos. This is why they are so few in number. The Ascendant closest to this goal is considered the Master of their order. The Knights and Monks criticize this practice, as the Master is constantly being replaced, sometimes multiple times a year. The Ascendant's argue that those closest to Ascension would give the same orders anyway. Young Ascendants are encouraged to weave Earth into their first Raiment. To anchor them so that they don't fade away while still learning to control their powers. The elements are present in the world as crystals, which can be woven into various materials to make the Raiments that are responsible for the powers of Heroes. A Knight would weave Earth into armored plates, and water into a cape or a sigil. The Raiment is the set of clothes that a Hero wears. As they bear them, they gain affinity over time, and become more attached to the elements they chose. The greater the affinity, the greater their power. In this world, heroes are chosen at random, at a young age. Taken from their mothers before they can speak, and raised in the Heroes Consortium, an organization run by the respective heads of the Knights, Monks and Ascendants, and dedicated to the continued preservation of humanity. By the time the young Heroes reach puberty, the Realms start to argue over them. Each wants as many new members as they can justify taking, and they will use whatever means they can to ensure that their force is the strongest. The Knights want glory, the Monks truly believe their path is the right one, and the Ascendant simply always need to replenish their ranks. Human Protectorate: A blanket term for any and all human settlements that have entered into a contract with the Hero's Consortium. These settlements are protected by the Consortium(from outside forces as well as from each other) and in exchange they give their children up in the Drawing, whereby new Heroes are chosen. With the exception of Spire City(which is managed by the Consortium directly) the various settlements and city-states in the Protectorate are self governing, but defer to Consortium decrees. Heroes' Spires: Three towers that lie in a triangle, each taller than the last. The shortest of them still towers over Spire City, but the next is nearly twice as tall still. The last reaches up further than the eye can see. They say it's so the Ascendants can step off of the roof and into space. Each houses one of the three Realms of the Hero's Consortium. The shortest being the Knights, the tallest being the Ascendants. The exact use they make of these towers varies. The Spire of Earth is the Knights Headquarters, and most consider it to be the real heart of the Consortium. It holds the barracks and facilities for the Knights, and the rooftop courtyard is where the heads of the Realms meet to discuss important matters. The Spire of Sky is actually open to the public, and has launching platforms for all manner of aircraft. It is the hub of travel for Spire City. In addition to this service, the Monks are always happy to give advice in spiritual and interpersonal matters(note that this generally applies to the "balanced monks" and not those who rebel). The Spire of Space is largely empty, owing to it's massive size, coupled with the Ascendants' meager numbers. Spire City: The capitol of the Human Protectorate. It gathers around the Heroes' Spires. It forms a rough triangle, with three districts, named after the three Realms. Earth District is full of agriculture, and feeds most of the Protectorate, even those who live outside of Spire City. Laborers and builders also often call this district their home. Earth District locals like to consider themselves the physical backbone of all of humanity. The Sky District is the industrial heart of the city. Mechanics, elemental artificers, that sort of thing. It is always loud, and sometimes vibrates with magic. The corner that is called the Space District is, like the Spire it surrounds, surprisingly empty. A lot of people feel uneasy around, or openly distrust the Ascendants. Many of the inhabitants of Space District are similarly unwanted elsewhere, though the district is also home to other eccentrics like artists and musicians. The district is full of empty buildings that were built when the Consortium was young, and the Ascendants had only just formed. Over time a lot of people migrated to the other two districts, leaving a lot of derelict buildings for the homeless and social pariahs to appropriate. The Lord of the Knights is constantly pressuring the Master of the Ascendants to repair the district, but he goes unheeded. The Ascendants' lack of attention makes the Space District a favorite hideout of thugs. The whole place is an odd mix, there is both extreme poverty and affluence. The weaving of elements has existed for as long as history has, but for most of humanity's memory there were only four elements. Sun and Void were discovered after a meteor crashed down near what is today Spire City. A curious artificer investigated, and found what he recognized as element crystals, though he had never seen any like them. He experimented, and was the first ever to use Void. The first Ascendants were the artificer and his apprentices, who all started learning to wield Void, and slowly gained affinity. The artificer simply disappeared over time, and today this is recognized as the first Ascension. Early Ascendants traveled to space, and discovered more Void crystals, as well as Sun crystals which seemed incapable of entering the atmosphere on their own. In their natural states, the two elements opposed each other, and reacted violently. But the clever artificers found ways to weave these reactions to their advantage. The Ascendants joined the Monks and Knights who already lived in the land, and formed the Hero's Consortium. Overtime, humanity saw the prosperity that they had, brought on by the advanced technology that Void and Sun were key components to. Today, most of the human race is under the Human Protectorate, which ushered in a golden age for all of the earth. But, starting a century and a half ago, strange creatures, who called themselves the Orsim, appeared. They wielded the Void without needing Raiments or crystals, and they were hostile to humans. Their numbers seem to be growing all the time, forcing them to expand and take more and more land. The Orsim stand head and shoulders over humans, have gray skin and black hair. Their eyes are pure black pits, and their Void powers seem to come from them. When they first appeared, they fought with primitive weapons, but as they've taken human technology, they've made it their own and now fight with more advanced means. They come from the south pole of the planet, where the sun disappears for months at a time. Indeed, they seem to be averse to the sun, only acting at night, and going largely dormant when the sun shines over their domain. They are not brutal or cruel, but they are merciless and unrelenting. They are part of the reason that people distrust the Ascendants. There are those who believe that the two are connected somehow, despite the fact that the Ascendants were around for centuries before the Orsim appeared. The Orsim also seem to have an opposite number in the Altim, who appeared around the same time. They are the antithesis of the Orsim, wielding Sun instead of Void, and doing so without raiments. They shine like the sun, and let off scorching heat and radiation. One can see where they've been by the marks they leave on the earth, and their wake is a dangerous place to be. The Altim descend from the sky, and can be seen among the stars at night if you know how to look. They aren't intentionally hostile to humans, but their presence is dangerous to them. They have been known to help humans survive Orsim attacks, but it is rare. Sun and Void react violently to each other, and the Orsim and Altim are weak to each other's powers, but the Orsim are much greater in number. Only a handful of Altim seem to be around. [/hider] CS: Name: Age: You'll be a young hero, between 15 and 20. Gender Appearance: Weapons: You should have a close range and a long range weapon. Class: Level: This will change, I expect you to keep your own CSes updated. Elemental ratio: You have thirty points to assign(Ascendants have 25) between the two elements of your class. Skills: Please put in a hider, especially later when you have a lot. You may have one skill to start with. [hider=Knight] Might: Swell your limbs with power(has a passive boost to physical strength as well). Elemental Requirements: 8 Earth Bulwark:Harden your body against incoming attacks(also has a passive boost to physical endurance). Prerequisite: Might Elemental Requirement: 16 Earth Juggernaut: Both Might and Bulwark are always active. Prerequisite: Bulwark Elemental Requirement: 25 Seismic Wake: Every step shakes the earth, leaving crags behind you. Elemental Requirement: 8 Earth Geomancy: Launch chunks of earth from the ground(Cannot make earth float). Prerequisite: Seismic Wake Elemental Requirement: 16 Earth Seismic Launch: Launch yourself from the ground with a seismic wave. Prerequisite: Seismic Wake Elemental Requirement: 16 Earth Fissure: Create great cracks in the surface of the earth. Prerequisite: Geomancy Elemental Requirement: 25 Earth Entomb: Command the earth to rise up to swallow your enemies. Prerequisite: Geomancy, level 7 Elemental Requirement: 30 Earth. Detect Life: Sense living things nearby. Elemental Requirements: 8 Earth, 8 Water Heal: Mend bones and knit flesh. Elemental Requirements. 10 Earth, 10 Water Revive: Return the freshly dead to life. Prerequisite: Heal Elemental Requirements: 15 Earth, 15 Water Skill: Your strikes hit more accurately, and you react more swiftly to enemy attacks(also has a passive boost to accuracy and speed). Elemental Requirement: 8 Water Parry: Expertly block and evade all incoming attacks. Prerequisite: Skill Elemental Requirement: 16 Water Strike True: Your blows land only where your opponent is weakest. Prerequisite: Skill Elemental Requirement: 16 Water Rapid Flow: Rush as water, gliding gracefully and untouchable between enemies. Prerequisite: Parry, Strike True. Level 7 Elemental Requirement: 30 Water Hydromancy: Control water from your environment. Elemental Requirement: 15 Water. Water Breathing: Can breath under water as if you were in air. Prerequisite: Hydromancy Elemental Requirement: 20 Water Water Walking: Can walk on top of water as if it were solid ground, but can also walk through it as if it were air. Prerequisite: Water Breathing Elemental Requirement: 20 Water. [/hider] [hider=Monk] Aeromancy: Control the air currents around you. Elemental Requirement: 8 Air Wind Blade: A quick burst of highly concentrated air in a straight light. Powerful enough to cut through steel. Prerequisite: Gust Elemental Requirement: 10 Air. Thunder Storm: Change weather patterns to create a thunder storm. The lightning strikes are concentrated on a targeted area, but the Monk has no control over them. Prerequisite: Gust Elemental Requirement: 17 Air. Hurricane: Change weather patterns to create a full blown hurricane. The eye is formed at a targeted area, but the Monk has no control over the storm after creation. Prerequisite: Thunder Storm, Level 7 Elemental Requirement: 30 Air. Levitate: Raise and hold an object into the air. The object will remain levitated without any further input from the Monk until the spell wears off. Elemental Requirement: 13 Air Speed: Run like the wind. Elemental Requirement: 7 Air Glide: Prerequisite: Speed Elemental Requirement: 15 Air. Flight: Prerequisite: Glide Elemental Requirement: 17 Air. Mind Link: Can establish a link to the minds of non-Monks. Elemental Requirements: 10 Air, 10 Fire Familiar: Can tame and establish a bond with an animal. Prerequisite: Mind Link Elemental Requirements: 13 Air, 13, Fire. Sense Aura: Can see the spiritual aura of living things. Can be used to see their emotional state, and predict movements. Prerequisite: Mind Link Elemental Requirements: 13 Air, 13, Fire. Aura Strike: Extend your own spirit as a weapon to harm your opponent's. Prerequisite: Sense Aura Elemental Requirements: 15 Air, 15 Fire. Pyromancy: Summon and manipulate fire. Elemental Requirement: 10 Fire. Torch: Creates a "blade" of fire hot enough to cut steel. Blade is held in the hand and short range. Prerequisite: Pyromancy Elemental Requirement: 15 Firestorm: Calls a rain of fire upon the field. The storm starts in a targeted area, but the Monk has no control after releasing it. Prerequisite: Torch Elemental Requirement: 17 Fire Eruption: Molten lava bursts from the earth, altering the landscape and filling the sky with ash. Prerequisite: Firestorm, Level 7 Elemental Requirement: 30 Fire. Purify: Remove those things that poison and corrupt. Can be literal toxins in a body, and also pollution in the environment. Elemental Requirement: 7 Fire Rebirth: Remake the dead and the frail and sick into young versions of themselves(can be used on older dead than the Knight's Revive, but targets will be reverted to infancy). Prerequisite: Purify Elemental Requirement: 13 Fire Phoenix: Upon death, the Monk will be reborn as a child. Skills are reset, Raiment is destroyed, but they will have five innate points of Fire in addition to thirty that can be reasigned(upon next visit to Spire City). Has previous knowledge, but not episodic memory. Prerequisite: Rebirth Elemental Requirement: 17 Fire [/hider] [hider=Ascendant] Plasma: Throw bursts of radioactive heat. Elemental Requirement: 10 Sun Plasma Aura: Surround yourself with an aura of radioactive heat. Prerequisite: Plasma Elemental Requirement: 12 Sun Vaporize: Reduces solid objects to gas(Cannot affect biology or machines) Prerequisite: Plasma Aura Elemental requirement: 15 Sun Fusion: Starts a non-sustainable fusion reaction, devastating large patches of the battlefield. Prerequisite: Vaporize, Level 7 Elemental Requirement: 25 Sun Refraction: Bend light to shift visual perception. Elemental Requirement: 10 Sun Illusion: Bend light to appear in whatever shape you please. Prerequisite: Refraction Elemental Requirement: 15 Sun Null Matter: Creates a shadowy imitation of solid matter. Sublimates over time(time depends on level), cannot replicate biology or machines. Elemental Requirement: 5 Sun, 5 Void Matter: Creates real, solid matter from nothing. Cannot replicate biology or machines. Prerequisite: Null Matter Elemental Requirement: 10 Sun, 10 Void Sunder: Break heterogeneous objects apart. Prerequisite: Matter Elemental Requirement: 12/13 Sun, 12/13 Void(one must be thirteen, but can be either). Kinesis: Move objects at your whim. Elemental Requirement: 10 Void Force Field: Create an unpassable barrier of Void Prerequisite: Kinesis Elemental Requirements: 15 Void Fade: Become intangible for short stretches of time. Length of time depends on level. Elemental Requirement: 12 Void Blink: Teleport Distance depends on level. Prerequisite: Fade Elemental Requirement: 15 Void Vanish: Make solid matter vanish from reality. Cannot vanish biology or machines. Prerequisite: Fade Elemental requirement: 15 Void Black Hole: Summons a non-sustainable black hole, irresistibly devouring matter. Prerequisite: Level 7 Elemental Requirement: 25 [/hider] If you have any questions feel free to ask!