[center][b]"And so they fell, like arrow-stricken birds, from their thrones. The world around them turned to ash, and the skies themselves red with despair." - Aenir Hol-Walker, Second king of Alda-Run'Loth. [/b][/center] --- Welcome to The Verdict of Amenor. This roleplay will be high fantasy and based around a society of elves fighting back an imperialistic human invasion. The elves living on the continent in which this roleplay takes place have never encountered anything from outside of their own lands and, until now, believed themselves and the other inhabitants of the island to be the only living beings. I will do a breakdown of everything you need to know for this roleplay below. I would also like to make a note that if you have any input I would love to hear it, I think a roleplay is much better when the playerbase helps shape it. Before I get started I believe this will be a helpful point of reference when you're reading the histories and other such things. Map of the Game World. (Credit goes to Harbringer for photoshopping it into an Elvish style font and classic looking map.) [img=http://i.imgur.com/PpfhBqW.jpg] [b][u]The Great Cities and Other Areas[/u][/b] [hider=Amenor][img=http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111031002627/depthsofchaos/images/5/52/Dwarven_City_of_Dragon's_Reach.jpg][/hider] [hider=Qael-Masoth][img=http://images2.alphacoders.com/960/96050.jpg][/hider] [hider=Arda-Run'Loth][img=http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120619213250/iceandfire/images/c/cc/Oldtown-Game-of-Thrones.jpeg][/hider] [hider=Mithreal][img=http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130722052134/wyrmrest/images/2/29/Ravensword_expansion_elf_city_concept.jpg][/hider] [hider=The Ruins of Thelleden][img=http://images2.alphacoders.com/162/162730.jpg][/hider] [hider=Hol-Vollum][img=http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/2f/b6/4f/2fb64f58219e17cfc279a3837ddfb021.jpg][/hider] [hider=The Great Tree of Harinus][img=http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/attachments/under-construction-630/57626d1244939402-new-city-gryphonwing-hold-wallpaper_atlantica_online_autumn_02_1900x1080.jpg][/hider] [hider=The Temple of Qael][img=http://onlyfreewallpaper.com/walls/abstract-fantasy-city-HD.jpg][/hider] --- [hider=The Elves][b][u]The Elves[/u][/b] We will all be playing an elf. Elves are immortal, magically and physically gifted creatures. There are different kinds of elves, it may not illustrate so well in the map however the continent we are playing on is large enough for racial diversity. Instead of giving a low-down on the elves as a whole I'm going to break it down so that you can read about different types and decide what type you'd like to be. In addition I'd like to add that you don't necessarily need to adhere to the description of a type of elf. If you choose to play an elf that naturally would be more bulky or hardy and you decide to make them a mage I don't mind. I want to give you freedom to play the kind of character you want, think of these as racial synopsis not character rules for people playing this race. ---- Amenori - The Amenori are the elves which descend from the great kings of Ancient Amenor in the heart of the continent. They are elves which naturally don't excel in anything but are more capable of doing a little bit of everything. During the Marching Years they were known to raise the largest armies, devastate the mightiest enemies, and march the harshest terrain. They're very sturdy and often taller than other elves and in addition wear heavier armor in their militaries. Amenor is home to the Wall of Emris, a towering structure that protects the city from the front and is adorned with two monumental statues. The city is also home to the largest mine on the continent where metals and rocks are excavated and exported to the other regions for crafting purposes. ---- Run'Lothi - These elves are known to be very wise and often inclined toward magical studies. Their ancestral city, Alda-Run'Loth, is home to an ancient citadel known as The Archive, which contains much of the Elves' worldly knowledge. It is guarded by an order of monks who are known to be exceptionally skilled in magic of all sorts. Also these elves tend to be older than most, more survivors from The Marching Years claim Run'Lothi heritage than any other. These elves are known to be dark skinned and to have uniquely or even flamboyantly colored eyes. They also have lightly colored, even white, hair. It is believed that they share more than a geological connection with the Thell, but a physical and ancestral one as well. They were the only race of elves to side with the Thell during the Marching Years. ---- Masothi - The Masothi, historically, were renowned for their skilled combatants. Through the generations they have passed down the techniques for imbuing arms and armor with magical properties. A skill that only after the Marching Years did they share with the rest of their brethren. They are similar in appearance to the Amenor, however one can distinguish a Masothi by his/her intricate tattoos. It is a tradition in Masothi culture that when an elf passes from adolescence into adulthood they receive spiritual tattoos linking them to one of the many ancient gods worshiped on their continent. It was formerly believed that these tattoos provided special abilities to those who received them however if it ever was true it is no longer. The tradition never seemed to fall out of practice. That is one of the many traditions upheld by these very spiritual and understanding people. In addition they have a reputation for being patient, calculating and honest (perhaps even brutally so). Their ancestral city is home to the Temple of Qael where elves today still learn the ancient techniques of hand to hand combat and sword-play. --- Mithreli - The Mithreli are the guardians of Hol-Vollum, the great forest. They often tame wild animals to keep as pets and the older, more prominent ones have even been known to summon familiars and other beasts. During the Marching Years they provided the Amenori with the finest archers that elf-kind had ever seen and the stereotype stuck with them. Mithreal is a city of trees and spirits, and the land around it is kept in excellent repair. In the forest the trees are connected by bridges and tree-huts which allow the Mithreli to travel long distances without touching the ground and, for the more skilled acrobats, without being seen. Mithreal is home to the Great Tree of Harinus, a spirit tree which many believe to contain the soul of an ancient woods-god or nature-spirit. These people tend to have skin tinted all colors of green and red, with eyes a pure shade of purple. --- Thell - (REQUIRES SPECIAL PERMISSION TO PLAY) The Thell are an ancient people. Their home, Thelleden, was entirely destroyed during the Marching Years. All that remains there now is scorched earth and the burnt out husks of trees long dead. The land is littered with the ruins of their grand halls, the towers of Gyth fallen to the earth, and dried up streams where no fish swim. These people are notoriously dark skinned with long ears and white-colored hair with deep red eyes. These people were famed for their sorcerers, capable of conjuring waves of destruction, it took the combined might of Amenor, Mithreal and the Masothi to defeat them during the Marching Years. There is still some bad blood between the Thell and the rest of their brethren, specifically the Amenori, however although they are a grudge-holding people, they have integrated into society very well and have become important members of society in all the regions of elvenkind. --- Overview - You can play any of these (special permission required to play Thell, as I said.) and to reiterate in case you forgot, you do not need to adhere to anything in the description except for their appearance. If you want to make a Mithreli that wears armor and uses a staff then by all means. Also, I may not have been entirely clear on this issue, elves are immortal. However Elves are basically split into two groups, survivors from the Marching Years, and those born after the Marching Years. (I'll explain what the Marching Years are shortly.) If you want to play somebody who was alive during the Marching years you need to discuss it with me personally and get permission. The reason for this is that during that point in history there was a lot of fighting, and I want out characters to know how to fight but not really have any experience with real combat. I want them to be out of their element so that the ground is even and the humans actually stand a chance to fight back. If you really want to be an elf from the Marching Years then talk to me personally. Lastly, all elves have an appreciation for nature. That is what brought an end to the Marching Years, so keep that in mind.[/hider] [hider=History]The Beginning - Elves are immoral, however no known elf that is alive today remembers where they came from or even the founding of the great cities. The oldest known elves are thirty thousand to fifty thousand years old and live scattered across the landscape. These elves are very difficult to find and often seclude themselves from society, spending their days meditating. --- The Founding Years - It was during this time that the great cities were founded. The oldest, Thelleden was founded by the great hero Gyth. Second was Alda-Run'Loth, their descendants. These cities lasted alone for several thousand years before the founding of Amenor and Qael-Masoth who introduced the idea of warfare to their brothers. Lastly, the elves of Mithreal came. They did not come from the other great cities and they did not come from across the sea, it seems that even the Mithreli themselves have forgotten their heritage. All they know is that for as long as any of them can remember they have been the guardians of the great forest and until the day that the forest burns to nothing they will continue to protect it. --- The Marching Years - The darkest era in Elvish history. There had been conflict since the founding of Amenor, however nothing matched the scale of the warfare brought on by the Marching Years. The conflict lasted for two thousand years, cost thousands of lives, and resulted in the destruction of Thell. It began as a conflict for resources. The Amenor refused to share the fruits of their mines and the Masothi refused to share their knowledge of enchantment. This led to the Thell and Amenor war, which never officially ended but eventually drew in the soldiers of all of the great cities. The fighting never truly seemed to take a break, as soon as one battle ended news would reach the leaders of another ensuing in another location. Near the end of the fighting the Mithreli refused to march through Thell pass into Thelleden and instead returned to their home to continue safeguarding Hol-Vollum. The Amenori and Masothi, however, continued. They defeated the Run'Lothi in Thell Pass and moved into Thelleden where a region-wide battle took place. The battle itself lasted an entire year before the Amenori set fire to the landscape. They defeated the Thell and their allies and their victory was so total that they destroyed the country in the process. --- The Recovering Years - It was during this period that the Amenori seemed to realize the error of their ways. They offered a peace to the remaining few Thell and to the Run'Lothi, ending the centuries old conflict in the name of environmental preservation. Over the course of several hundred years they opened up their mines and shared resources, the Masothi followed with their magical techniques and the Archive in Alda-Run'Loth opened to the public. It was also during this period that the Elves united under the Edict of Amenor which brought the regions under the rule of the Kings of Amenor. --- The Peace - All the time between the Recovering Years and present day. (13,000 - 15,000 years). --- The Invasion - The Setting of the Roleplay.[/hider] [hider=Magic]Magic is a very tricky subject. It is very easy to make magic very overpowered or very underpowered, I'm trying to go for more of the middle ground here. In Thelleden, thousands of years ago, they possessed an artifact known as the Obelisk. It was a working conduit, linking the realms of the living to the realms of the dead. It was through his obelisk that magical energies were channeled into the world. Those who wished to control these magical energies did so with the use of a catalyst. Be it a crystal in a staff, a pendant, a ring, or something different entirely. However the Obelisk was destroyed during the burning of Thelleden and thus it no longer channeled these energies. Though the Obelisk is no longer active, these catalysts still retained some of the energy that was passing through them and therefor can still be used to channel magical energies. Any conduit currently in existence is ancient and predates the Marching Years (no new catalysts were made after the destruction of the Obelisk) so their owner must either be very old and get special permission to play such a character, or have inherited the catalyst by other means. Types of Magic - - Healing Magic (heal wounds, purge poisons, etc.) - Elemental Magic (Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, Lightning, Ice) - Alchemy (Changing the shape of something or its properties. For example, changing the shape of a wall so that a door appears in front of you. Compare to Fullmetal Alchemist.) - Summoning Magic (Primarily for Mithreli, summon familiars or nature spirits) - Mysticism (Alter the world around you, conquer minds and bodies) If you play a magic type character I would expect you to pick a profession. This means there is one type of magic you are a pro at. However you'll still be allowed to dabble in the other arts.[/hider] --- [b][u]The Character Sheet[/u][/b] Name: Age: (Over 10,000 needs permission) Race: Appearance: Combat Type: Arms/Armor: (Mages cans till have swords and other things, remember your catalyst doesn't have to be your weapon) Character Bio: ===Mage Only Below This Line=== Catalyst: Catalyst Description: Familiar: (If summoner) Magic Proficiency: [hider=Example CS]Name: Anorath Tel-Thennes Age: 12,000 Race: Amenori Appearance: Anorath is 6'10 with short pointed ears, light skin, blue eyes and brown hair. He possesses a medium build with semi-broad shoulders and weighs 200lbs. His face is pointed and his jawline is well-defined, his eyes shaped like almonds and his teeth as white as snow. [img=http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/252/4/f/elvish_armor__by_kailyze-d6lnm45.jpg] Combat Type: Warrior (medium-weight/speed) Arms/Armor: Anorath wears a set of armor forged in his ancestral city, Amenor. It is an intricately styled half-plate armor which provides protection to the chest, shoulders, forearms, and shins while leaving the thighs and biceps exposed to provide a nice balance between protection and mobility. Under this armor he wears a regal blue cloth fringed with gold from the mines of Amenor. In addition to his regal armor he wields a longsword which has been enchanted by the smiths of Qael-Masoth. The blade is inscribed with elvish writing which reads: "And so they fell, like arrow-stricken birds, from their thrones. The world around them turned to ash, and the skies themselves red with despair." Character Bio: Anorath Tel-Thennes is the son of the king of Amenor and appointed master of swords in his royal court. He was born in the early centuries of the peace and, like most elves seeking to learn the ways of swordplay, spent much of his adolescence training at the Temple of Qael. Spending decades learning his trade there and centuries honing his skills after his departure he became a very worthy fighter. His father chose him over his brother to take the role of Master of Swords for the entire kingdom, this meant that the responsibilities of making sure that the royal soldiers were in peak condition although it was never expected that they'd have to fight. It was a meaningless position, but it still held value and esteem in the community and Anorath became somewhat of a celebrity to the Amenori and Masothi people. He held parades and hosted parties and made rounds of the city and other settlements in the country to show his face and earn the loyalty of his father's subjects. Eighty years ago Anorath made a pilgrimage to the Ruins of Thelleden to pay his respects to those his forbears destroyed. From there he entered Alda-Run'Loth and studied in the Archive for several years before finally returning home. In the last year Anorath has been guiding the cargo lines toward Mithreal, ensuring hat shipments of metals and stone reach them to help repair their homes and other structures in the wake of a great earthquake. The repairs have nearly been completed however, and Anorath has been expected to return home shortly however for some reason unbeknownst to his father or friends he has remained stationary in Mithreal for some time.[/hider] [b][u]Accepted Character Sheets[/u][/b] Harbringer: Eltharion Tevinter TheBigJon: Caildir Dimaethor Psychomachy: Iorelle Reour'noe [b][u]Other[/u][/b] [hider=Creatures]I would like for this roleplay to be grounded and realistic, however I don't want us to forget that it IS fantasy, so here's a list of some of the creatures that can be found on this continent. Spriggans: These fairies live in the great woods of Hol-Vollum and Hol-Haelem. They are very mysterious and even the wisest elf can honestly claim little knowledge of who they are or where they came from. They are known to guard ruins and trees which are believed to be their homes. Some legends speculate that the Spriggans arrive at the place where somebody was killed and are meant to guard their soul from corruption until their worldly business is concluded. Wights: These are the grotesque creatures that are often the minions of summoners. They are heavily frowned upon in the Elven community and are considered unnatural and evil. However, wights are not exclusively summoned. The soldiers that were close to the Obelisk during its destruction were known to have risen from the dead. Though they have since been wiped out on occasion those passing through the Ruins of Thelleden have reported sightings of Wights walking the charred earth. Wraiths: Wraiths are spirits of individuals who passed away without completing their important worldly business, however these are only the spirits that were not protected by Spriggans. They can be warded off with the use of spells and holy objects or even a piece of silver and tend to be seen in the Ruins of Thelleden. Wyverns: Wyverns are essentially smaller dragons which, rather than having four legs, have two. They are wild and roam free across plains and mountains searching for sheep and goats to eat. They have been known to be tamed by powerful wizards or hunters though it would not be likely that you would ever see one being paraded around in some civilized place by a person who had captured one. Griffins: These are wild yet docile and beautiful creatures which roam the Mar-Thellem Mountains in search of prey. Legends say that ancient elves used them as mounts to fly into battle though it is likely that these are just rumors. Imps: These tiny creatures roam the forests, primarily Hol-Vollum, and are often playful and energetic creatures. They love interaction with others although they have been known to cause mischief. Stealing small items and playing jokes on the Mithreli. In the end, however, they are just happy playful creatures akin to immortal children. Wil O' the Wisps: These are strange, unexplained lights that lead travelers off of their paths, sometimes to fortune and other times to their demise. They can be found anywhere, though since they are not necessarily corporeal many believe that they are little more than myth. Nixies: These are mysterious horse-looking creatures that inhabit the swamps east of Qael'Masoth, they are said to trick helpless people into coming to their aid or attacking them and then drag them down below the swamps to devour them. If you have ideas, shoot. [/hider] [hider=Religion]Religion plays an integral part in Elvish culture. All the great cities possess temples and some contain other monuments or landmarks (such as the Great Tree of Harinus) to show their dedication to the gods. The elves do believe in gods, however they primarily worship the spirits that they believe the chief gods created to uphold their laws on earth. ----- Gods Mar - The chief deity, it is believed that he created nature and the universe itself. It is also believed that when he was done creating the earth and other realms he shed his physical form and ascended to the heavens and that from his body came the first elves. The Mar-Thellem mountains were named for him by the first Thell. Nixxus - It is believed that Nixxus created the natural beasts that roam the world. However it is also believed that Nixxies, the horse-creatures of the swamps, are his children. Aedin - The goddess of time, death, and the natural order. She is charged with keeping balance in the universe. ----------- Spirits Harinus - The spirit of nature, he is the spirit which preserves nature and keeps natural beast populations in balance. He is the most widely worshiped spirit. Selenus and Maentellus (The Ferrymen) - The spirits of death, they ferry souls between worlds. Selenus carries souls to heaven while her brother carries them to hell. It is believed that Maentellus, being the more malevolent of the two, sometimes leaves souls behind to become wights though this belief has somewhat dwindled in the past centuries. These are the least widely worshiped and considered to be the weakest spirits, as an elf is sometimes capable of defying them and becoming a Wraith. Aenys - The spirit of the sun. It is said that the sun is the tip of his glowing staff which he uses to illuminate the world as he passes between the realm of the living and, at night, the realms of the dead. Carina - The spirit of the moon and wife of Aenys, she follows her husband on his path with the moon acting as the tip of her own staff. She is never far from his side. The Gyth - It is believed that there are numerous Gyth whom work as agents of Aedin, maintaining order and luck. It is sometimes believed that the Gyth can attach themselves to an Elf and guide them, providing them with luck and shielding them with illness. Many elves believe that wearing a pendant as a sign of faith will forge a stronger bond between them and the gyth.[/hider] (I will update this post as needed)