[b]The Gods have chosen another...[/b] Existence is built on three principles; Creation, Destruction, and Chaos. All must exist for Existence to sustain. All living things in the mortal plane exist in Chaos, the ever turning cycles of life and death as governed by the Gods of Chaos. Above Chaos, but still within it, is Heaven, a kind of "subplane" within Chaos where the Gods watch over and govern the realities of mortality. Outside of Chaos and Heaven is the Ethereal, a spirit world of sorts where Creation and Destruction battle a never ending war over Chaos. It is from Ethereal that the Emperess Summoner draws her powers, but it is also where the Great Ebon takes his. The Emperess is Creation's avatar in Chaos, and is given powers greater than any God in Heaven; the power to create from nothing. The Empress (or Emperor) is immortal, a Goddess on Earth, and it is through her will and passion that Destruction is kept at bay. The Great Ebon is an evil, mysterious creature, and is Destruction's avatar in Chaos. His powers are ultimate Destruction, the power to erase souls and aspects from existence. The Gods have chosen a new Emperor, a small boy by the name of Evander. Upon his completion of the Holy Pilgrimage, the Gods will ascend the Empress to heaven in her seat as a Goddess, and the new Emperor Summoner Evander will assume the throne. Evander's Council is already in contact with the Empress, and the call to arms has been issued. Evander will not be able to make the pilgrimage alone. It is up to his government appointed guardians to protect him as he crosses the plane of Chaos in search of the three Ascent Jewels. [b]THE WORLD[/b] Chaos is a huge, seemingly endless world, ruled over by the Emperess Summoner Fayla, and her Council. A Council is not a group of people in a traditional sense, but the first summon that a summoner creates involuntarily. In a sense, it is a gift from the Gods. The Emperess' Council is her consultant on the Ethereal, and a general in their war against Destruction. When the Gods choose a new summoner, usually after a great victory by Creation over Destruction, the new Council will contact the current Council and alert the Emperor/Emperess of their arrival. The Emporer/ess lives in the center of Chaos, in the enormous capital city of Augustus. With a population in the millions, its city walls encompass everything from a bustling metropolis to rolling meadows. Its own microcosm, they import very little and are extremely self sufficient. Beneath the Emperor/ess are the Barons, who govern different day to day activities within Augustus. Of most importance are the Baron of Agriculture and the Baron of Safe Keeping. Outside the walls of Augustus, there are small kingdoms scattered amongst Chaos. While they govern the laws over their own subjects, they all pledge loyalty to the Emperor/ess and Augustus. Most notable is the Kingdom of Mer, a port Kingdom bordering the Endless Ocean. Most of Augustus' imports come from Mer, from their excellent seafood to rare ocean minerals used in alchemy. There is a place, unknown and seemingly unreachable, where the Great Ebon resides. It is shrouded in mystery, and anyone clever enough to discover it has never returned to tell the tale. Only the Council can keep eyes on the Great Ebon, but through the Ethereal, and not Chaos. [B]THE RESIDENTS [/B] The Chaos is teeming with life, from humans to beastmen, two legs to four, and everything in between. Across the stretches of land between Augustus and the smaller kingdoms lays savage and untamed wilderness, teeming with a life of its own. The monsters and magic of Chaos are as vast as the plane itself, and some scholars spend lifetimes trying to study and record the thousands of beasts, savages, and demons that inhabit Chaos. [B]THE GODS [/b] The Gods who rule over reality live in Heaven, a subplane of Chaos, that is essentially unreachable by most mortal standards. All Gods, except for the Emporer God, were at one point or another an Emperor/ess of Chaos. When the Gods decide that the current Emperor/ess has completed their duties in Augustus, they choose a new candidate, send them a Council, and initiate the Holy Pilgrimage. Once in Heaven, summoners lose their connection to the Ethereal. It is only through the Emperor God's many Councils that he is able to grant mortals ever lasting life and the powers of Creation. There is currently a pantheon of 12 Gods, all of whom make decisions on the mortal races' reality. [U]Emperor God [/u] The Emporer God created the planes of Creation, Destruction, and Chaos as his kingdom to reside over. The Destruction, however, manifested the Great Ebon in an attempt to dominate all of Existence. In a last ditch effort to keep Destruction at bay, he created the Councils and sent them to trap Creation and Destruction in the Ethereal, losing his connection to both. While the war rages on, Chaos remains mostly unaffected. The Emporer God ultimately decides who the next summoner will be and when. [U]Sera [/u] A fire god, Sera was the first Emperor of Augustus. Seductive and playful, he identifies with a ram. Much of the modern culture in Augustus is based on his teachings. [u]Saurat [/u] The second Empress of Augustus, Saurat was responsible for the cultivation of the massive farm district, allowing Augustus to be self sufficient. She identifies with an ox, and is an earth goddess. [u]Negimi [/u] The third Emperor of Augustus, he instituted the Baron system, allowing for better control over the rapidly growing capital. He is associated with the crow, and is an air god. [U]Canner [/u] A Goddess of water, she lead expeditions into the wilderness to irrigate canals into Augustus and expanded the city's borders. She identifies with the crab. [U]Oleo [/u] A god of fire, Oleo led the first great attack against the forces of Destruction. With the help of his Council, and the support of the Barons, he conquered the distant kingdom of Grolin from the forces of the Great Ebon. He identifies with the lion. [U]Vogri [/u] An earth goddess, Vogri was the longest living Empress of Augustus, an lived for over 2,000 years. after 2,000 years of peace, the Great Ebon's forces rose again, and stronger than ever. The Emperor God chose to ascend her, and put the burden of war on the shoulders of the next Emperor/ess. She associates with the owl. [U]Balir [/u] An air god, Balir is responsible for the construction of the massive wall the surrounds Augustus. They were able to repel a massive attack from the forces of Destruction, and he earned his ascent. He associates with the hawk. [U]Poscrio [/u] A water godess, and perhaps the most cruel of all the Summoners. Poscrio was an insane Empress bent on the total annihilation of Destruction from Chaos. She enstated strict curfews and massive drafts, and launched hundreds of campaigns across Chaos, claiming many of the modern Kingdoms from the Great Ebon. Her rule was fierce and violent, but made an overall positive impact in the war against Destruction. She is associated with the scorpion. Some of the further Kingdoms worship her as their patron diety, but she is feared as a monster in Augustus and the surrounding Kingdoms. [U]Tigarius [/u] A fire god, he brought about an age of enlightenment after the bloody centuries of Poscrio. Opening many academies across Chaos, he made huge advancements in technology, art, and the arcanes. *Still working on it, sorry guys* [B]Aspects, Essences, and Elements [/b] Every thing, living, inanimate, or oherwise , in Chaos has invisible attributes that only a summoner can see through their connection to the Ethereal. These attributes are known as aspects, essences, and elements. Summoners pull these attributes through the Ethereal and into Chaos in the form of Summons. Below are the breakdowns for each of these attributes. [U]Aspects [/u] The most basic of the three, your Aspect is essentially your soul as connected to Ethereal. While the soul exists in Chaos, your aspect is your Ethereal soul, so to speak. This plays the largest part of the summon, as it is your most primal building block. They fall into the following categories: [i]Cardinal [/i] Those with a Cardinal aspect are initiators, and like to come up with ideas and take action. They may sometimes be too scatter brained and excited about their next idea to keep up with old ones, and lack focus. [I]Fixed [/i] Those with a Fixed aspect are preservers. Strong willed, they keep things going, and are great motivators. Their inability to handle change tends to make them stubborn. [I]Mutable [/i] Those with a Mutable aspect are resolvers and peace makers, and are able to handle most things that come their way calmly. Often too passive, however, they can be easily manipulated to do things they don't want to. [U]Essences  [/u] Your character's essence will be based on the classic scale of Chaotic Evil to Lawful Good. I will provide that scale for those of you who are unfamiliar. It is pretty self explanatory, but if you have questions, just ask. Keep in mind, this is your character's essence, not necessarily how they act IC. [I]Chaotic Evil Neutral Evil Lawful Evil Chaotic  Neutral Neutral Lawful Neutral Chaotic Good Neutral Good Lawful Good[/i] [U]Elements [/u] There are four primary elements with secondary elements beneath them. Some of the secondary elements share a name with the primary, so don't get confused.  None are better than any other, and this is probably the most "cosmetic" of all three attributes. [I]Earth [/i] -Stone -Nature -Venom [I]Air [/i] -Wind -Lightning -Sound [I]Water [/i] -Water -Ice -Fog [I]Fire [/i] -Fire* *There is only one element for fire, as it is usually frowned upon as an element of Destruction. This is not to deter you from using it, and there will be small, if any, consequences IC. [B]Character Sheet[/b] Name: Race: Class: Aspect: Essence: Element: Weapon(s): Personality: Image: (Picture or description) History: (No novels, please) Add'l Info: