[h1]Story[/h1]
[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/Sy0NgQi.jpg[/img][/center]
[b]Auriga.[/b] Our dying star. Our fading cradle. Our moribund haven. Ages ago our planet Auriga was subjected to a civil war among the [b]Endless[/b], an ancient and mysterious civilization who are also said to be the earliest form of intelligent life. Much can be told about the Endless- their advanced technologies, their marvelous societies, and especially the uncountable shards that their nation eventually broke into. The history of the Endless is glorious but tragic- though they were able to master the secrets of space and time, the stars, and life, they were unable to comprehend their own internal strife. All that remains of them now are strange and disjointed traces in the form of seeds or observatories or rock formations or experiments or cities. 

The civil war on Auriga devastated the planet, and the few survivors hid underground or wherever they could for so long that no one could recall when the cataclysm really occurred. When the various tribes emerged from hiding a millenia ago and began to re-colonize the planet once more, all seemed to have recovered. Factions were founded, wars were fought, and civilization slowly found its way back to Auriga. However- it has been observed by many that the planet has been hosting longer and harsher seasons as the years pass- a fact that has led to a single, startling discovery- we live on a dying planet. 

There is a very loose and nervous peace among the major races and kingdoms of Auriga now (save for the carrion-like Necrophages, who seem ever interested in eternal conflict, and the scheming Cultists, who seek only to further their own agenda) to try and engineer a plan to save their home. It was decided that while practical solutions would be debated upon a team of representatives would look to study the Endless- this all-star team of explorers, warriors, scholars, and politicians was dubbed the [b]Tribunal[/b], and contained a representative from each of the major factions whom have created the loose peace: the Vaulters, Wild Walkers, Broken Lords, Roving Mages, Roving Clans, and Drakken. 

[b]You[/b] are one of the six members of the Tribunal, representing your loyalties and your faction's ideals. Will you set aside your own nation's beliefs for the good of Auriga? Will the Tribunal be able to set aside their differences to work together? Can Auriga- your home, be saved?


[h2]Dust[/h2]

"Dust" is the lifeblood of Auriga- a creation of the highly advanced race, the [b]Endless[/b], who existed and traversed the stars tens of thousands of years before our story begins. They had developed technology that was so advanced that they were able to upload their minds and consciousness into computers, thus gaining immortality. 

The Endless had thus created an infrastructure of nanobots and nano-computers to collectively maintain society. Some used these infinitesimally small machines to maintain their biological bodies while others used these nano-elements- known as "Dust"- as virtual bodies once they uploaded themselves. While individual "grains" of Dust had very limited computing power, the ability to talk and network were present, and as a result, "clouds" of Dust were able and available to form extremely complex systems. However, the presence of Dust sparked a debate among the Endless, which ultimately led to the civil war and the Empire's subsequent demise- one facet of society wished to used Dust to maintain their physical bodies and for DNA replication, while the others sought to simply upload themselves into Dust eternally. The arguments between these two sides (The "Concretes" and "Virtuals", respectively) led to the destruction of the Endless, and ultimately, the collective virtual consciousness present in Dust.

The Endless had come to be so reliant on Dust that their society had become nearly symbiotic between lifeforms and Dust- something that remains true of Dust today. While they've-for the most part- lost the ability to understand and create Dust, most of the species of Auriga have been exposed to the vast quantities of it for so long that many-if not all- have developed a symbiotic relationship with it. Though the Endless consciousness is mostly gone, in large enough quantities it can still be used to manipulate both energy and the physical world, though doing such requires talent and training (See: Ardent Mages). This is the observable "magic" that the denizens of Auriga have grown to know and accept.

However, because it is so valuable and easy to find (In a galaxy inundated in the ruins of the Endless) Dust has also become the internationally accepted currency, like gold during the Age of Exploration. It is the one thing that all nations, regardless of other predispositions, always want more of.  


[h2]Factions[/h2]

[b]Note:[/b] So for this RP I am looking for one representative for each faction (except the Necrophages and Cultists)- and since your character would have to have been chosen to represent and speak for the entirety of the nation they probably would have had to agree, above all else, that you embody your nation's beliefs and values. As such, I ask that all characters believe- at least at the beginning, while the Tribunal is in its infancy- that they and their nation have what it takes to save Auriga. That's what I want the RP to be about- a group of vastly differing beliefs struggling to work together for the good of their own planet and reacting to the changing political landscape around them. So onto the factions:

[hider=Factions]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/Gch0b5R.jpg?1[/img]

[h3]Wild Walkers[/h3]- [b]Our planet is changing, and we must change with it. We must learn to adapt.[/b]

The [b]Wild Walkers[/b] started as simple elves living in the forests of western Auriga, and their gift with Dust was to form rocks and trees into great monuments and buildings. This process was called the Sharing, and not only was it the pinnacle of their craftsmanship, but it allowed one to feel and experience the untamed and wild energy of their chosen totem animal. An elf who Shared often, however, carried the risk of having the spirit of the beast burst like a violent flame- losing control of their bodies and minds during moments of stress. However, in spite of this, many Elves sought to bind themselves to increasingly savage beasts in order to feel Sharings of a greater intensity. Stuck between losing their populace to the wild spirits of nature and the civilization of their towers, the Elves forswore the Sharing, renamed themselves the Wild Walkers, and set out to build their towers and monuments away from their darker history. 

Only time will tell if the Sharing still beckons. 

[img]http://i.imgur.com/B8zfcTg.jpg?1[/img]

[h3]Broken Lords[/h3]- [b]Survival is not the same as life. What is more important- our honor, or our bodies?[/b]

The Broken Lords were once the Lords of the Amber Plains, located in central Auriga. They were an aristocratic society and believed in such things as virtue, honor, and justice. To protect the weak, to champion what is just- these were the ideals by which these noble warriors lived. And yet now they live merely as spiritual beings of energy wrapped in dust-enhanced armor- for their race was fading when it discovered a deadly secret; by consuming the lifeforces-the Dust- of a sentient being they could extend their own lifespan. They now appear to merely be incorporeal energy living in suits of armor that sustain them. These rites of consumption are, obviously, a betrayal of their principles and their history. As such, it has always been a goal for the Broken Lords to develop magic to sustain themselves and their Dust-fueled armor without taking another beings life.

But the question remains, and has haunted their thoughts: Even if a cure was found, would they want to give up such a powerful gift? Their morals beg "yes", but their hearts are much less clear.

[img]http://i.imgur.com/nhvlvRq.jpg?1[/img]

[h3]Vaulters[/h3]- [b]Courage and knowledge will drive us- we must look towards a better future of invention and innovation.[/b]

This is a time of great change for the Vaulters. For centuries they lived as loosely confederated clans in the labyrinths and tunnels that littered the subsurface of Auriga. Their skills at mining and crafting had made them comfortable, and their study of ancient artifacts were beginning to unlock the secrets of Auriga's past. Though their own origins are steeped in legends and myth, they had found solidarity and peace in the deeper reaches of the planet. 

However, an event called the Great Quake shook their very foundations- cracking their walls and crumbling their roads, even entire cities were not pardoned. As their towns fell around them the Vaulters fled to the surface- taking with them technological relics and artifacts that their ancestors had left behind that the Great Quake revealed. As a nation used to tradition and foreign to such change, the surface is a frightening place. 

Torn between the secrets of the planet, their traditions, and their need to survive, the Vaulters have struggled, but their courage and quest for knowledge will not allow them to fade or surrender.

[img]http://i.imgur.com/A9laOAh.jpg?1[/img]

[h3]Drakken[/h3]- [b]History will repeat itself- looking to the past is the only way to save our planet.[/b] 

A very old southern faction that are few in number but exceedingly powerful, the Drakken have been around since the cataclysmic civil war that brought life on Auriga to its knees. As such, the Drakken do not seek war, but rather relationships, information, and knowledge. Histories, ruins, and artifacts are highly prized among the Drakken while wealth, military power, and technology are viewed as insignificant. The impending doom of the planet has not escaped the attention of those who know Auriga's rhythms better than any other, however, and they understand that should another cataclysm come that their first duty is to preserve what the Endless left behind, so that one day, maybe in a hundred years, maybe a hundred thousand, their great teachers' creations will still endure. 

[img]http://i.imgur.com/SrpmYI3.jpg?1[/img]

[h3]Ardent Mages[/h3]- [b]Embrace Auriga's pain to embrace power. We will make agony our servant.[/b]

A northern faction of primarily mages and sorcerers, their primary power source comes from pain and anger. Having survived a long history of starvation and slaughter at the hands of the Necrophages, the powers that the Ardent Mages discovered- and that let them survive- are based on pain, Dust magic, and rage.

Though they control great powers, they pay a terrible price to do so. To manipulate the powers of Dust, an Ardent Mage must dissociate mind from body. To do this they have developed elaborate pain rituals, for the more they are able to withstand agony and ignore discomfort the deeper their relationship with Dust becomes. Pain has become such a pinnacle of their society that even their children are taught at a young age to withstand it. 

Stoicism is seen as important as intelligence, and one's tolerance of pain is their way of measuring an individual's worth- be it an Ardent Mage or a stranger.

[img]http://i.imgur.com/SrtrRyk.jpg?1[/img]

[h3]Roving Clans[/h3]- [b]Commerce and negotiation are what will drive Auriga to stay livable.[/b]

Traders, explorers, and adventurers, the Roving Clans are nomadic and mercantile. They are seeped to far into trade that hardly a transaction happens in Auriga that the Roving Clans somehow don't get a cut of. Wherever the great beasts of burden the clans built their cities upon traverse, commerce blooms, and the strange and wondrous goods from the strange and wondrous peoples of Auriga are traded. In war they should not be underestimated, however, as their rapid, mounted warriors give them an advantage in speed and make them frustrating targets. Even their cities can move, built on the back of the humongous Setseke Scarabs- a feat matched by no other faction. 

The Roving Clans bring sophistication-and manipulation- to the peoples of Auriga. 

[img]http://i.imgur.com/c6zVplG.jpg?1[/img]

[h3]The Cultists of the Eternal End[/h3]- [b]Our will shall be carried out, no matter the cost.[/b]

The Cultists are led by two beings that are remnants of the Endless- the Queen, seated in her invulnerable throne in the Cultist's single, capital city, and the Unspoken, a wandering and perhaps insane being of great power. Left alone on their planet for countless millenia, the Cultists have sworn to destroy every trace of their former existence on Auriga- so believes the Queen that she will save her planet. The Queen's power from the Invulnerable throne is projected across Auriga through conversion and proselytization of lesser tribes when the heroes and faithful servants of the Cult convince them. Regardless to whom they may have previously sworn allegiance, when a tribe joins the Cultists, it does so until its death. Because of this, the Cult has been met with much distrust, though they claim their intentions are for the good of Auriga, and they have been barred from the Tribunal, or so they'd have you believe. 

[img]http://i.imgur.com/daKOjdH.jpg?1[/img]

[h3]Necrophages[/h3]- [b]Auriga is built for survivors- we will consume Auriga and return to our former power.[/b]

The northern-most nation, being kept at bay by the Ardent Mages. A hive-people that survive by ingesting or converting others as they infect them with their plague, the Necrophages are a nation of scavengers and survivors. The original inhabitants of the planet seeking to return to former glory by consuming all other nations, the Necrophages are a scuttling monstrosity that must be crushed under the weight of one's heel like the mutated cockroaches they are- or so the Ardent Mages, Vaulters, Broken Lords, and Wild Walkers would have all others believe. 

The Necrophages themselves don't share this view- in fact, they share very little views other than feed, fight, propagate. They have found a niche in their environment, they will win with numbers; by elevating the colony over the individual; by constant warfare. Somewhere between a hive insect and a zombie horde, they produce by laying eggs in the corpses of their fallen enemies. 

Emotionless, relentless, and driven by biology,the Necrophages do not waste time with diplomacy and commerce.[/hider] 

[h2]OOC[/h2]

So what I'm looking for is around six others, one for each hero from a playable faction. Your character is part of the Tribunal put together to investigate other non-conventional means of saving Auriga- first and foremost, that means studying the Endless as well as searching for any artifacts in ruins they left behind. I'll pit the planet itself against our party, and with the Necrophages ever encroaching on the Ardent Mages in the north, and the Cult of the Eternal End conjuring more power every year, the Tribunal will certainly have its hand full.

[h2]CS[/h2]
*Post sheets here in the OOC, please. Upon acceptance, you may move them to the character tab. 

[hider=Character Sheet]

[i]These are the minimums for application, feel absolutely free to add sections to the CS as desired. Cities, towns, and to an extent, lore, may be created or modified for creation.[/i]

[b]Name:[/b]

[b]Faction:[/b] Any of the above besides Necrophages or Cultists.

[b]Description:[/b] Appearance, age, race, unique physical aspects; any sort of information that would help us visualize your character.

[b]Goals/Fears:[/b] Things in the future that your character hopes to see come to fruition or not come to fruition, if any.  

[b]Equipment:[/b] Assume your character is out on a quest, what would they bring?

[b]Skills:[/b] Feel free to simply name a role or archetype. Give us an idea of what your character is good at. 

[b]Personality:[/b] How does your character feel about him/herself? How do they feel about others? You may also want to include thoughts your
character may have about the state of things, or about being in the Tribunal.

[b]Background:[/b] Be sure to include significant moments in your character's background, as well as why and how they were picked to join the Tribunal. If you've invented an original race, be sure to include any information on such either here or in Description.[/hider]

[h2]Rules & Expectations[/h2]
[hider=Clicky]*The basic roleplay rules we've all come to know and love still apply here. No metagaming, no autohits, no killing off player characters, no godmode, etc.

*In regards to posting frequency and length- I think once a week is reasonable, and is what I myself will dedicate to for moving the plot forward. As for posting [i]length[/i], I don't care. At all. A short meaningful post will always and forever be a thousand times better than a drawn out post that is there only to be long. That being said, I highly doubt a one-liner can be meaningful, unless you are a master philosopher. 

*Posting order also will not apply to anything but combat- I feel it kind of gets in the way of natural dialogue that happens when characters socialize. However, in combat a posting order may help me respond to a bunch of actions being taken at once.

*As with most roleplays, please let me know ahead of time if you're going to be away for a period of time so I may make the appropriate adjustments if needed.

*As for dropouts, I'd [i]love[/i] to not have [i]any[/i], but should such happen I will notify of the open spot in the OOC. The dropout's character will either be taken out of the plot or killed off. 

*Mention winter somehow in your CS so I can confirm you read these tidbits.[/hider]