[hr]
[h1][center]The Origin[/center][/h1][h3][center]A Devil Returned[/center][/h3]

[hr]

[i]From One came the Cast Off and the Seven
From the Seven came the World[/i]

The tale of this world is a long one that is rapidly coming to its end. Much of its history has been lost, forgotten or in many cases destroyed. Much is only known in broad strokes, with the exact names and details forgotten. It is a world watched by Seven Divines.

Long ago, thousands of years, the continent of Jasi rose in power and splendor. Its influence stretched out to rapidly encompass the rest of the world, made up of the larger continent to the north, Vei, and the even larger continent to the west and northwest, Aatroia. The continent of Jasi was much more advanced and powerful than the rest of the world, and with these advantages the Emperor of Jasi was able to keep a solid grip on his rule. The only way his rule would end would be a falling apart on the inside, and that is just what happened. The sons and daughters of the Emperor stood against him, and together slew him, and split the world among themselves. Though some of these lines died out or just disappeared, some royal families are still believed to be descended from these Jasian sons and daughters.

For a long time, the world continued on in a relatively normal manner. Kingdoms rose and fell, power shifted hands, and people grew and died out. However, one hundred years ago, Aatroia erupted into sudden turmoil that almost immediately went quiet. The instigators of this chaos became known as the God Kings. Any previous rulers were found and slaughtered by their forces, and the God Kings were the ones who claimed power. Their power was beyond that of any mortal, and though some appeared human others clearly weren't, anymore at least. With their power they could "Remake" an individual, shattering their soul and piecing it back together into one that completely worships the God King or Queen. This was how they gained such power and followers, and brought the previously established kingdoms to their end.

While the God Kings gained power and made new kingdoms in the west, to the East the continent of Vei was split, for the most part, between three nations: Barcea to the southeast, H'kela to the southwest, and Gurata to the north. Barcea, a green land with plains and hills with mountains to the east, was ruled by the Serio family for generations. H'kela, a desert land with ancient crumbling structures, often changed leadership due to the political struggle for power. Gurata, a cold, rocky land, was split between the various tribes that roamed the land. During this time what would become a struggle between Barcea and H'kela began, rooted within religious reasons.

The God Kings kept their rule completely up until fifteen years ago. Finally, a full-fledged Rebellion began to form, large enough to not immediately be destroyed or "Remade", and continue to grow. To the east, the then ruler of Barcea, Olain Serio, put his struggle with H'kela on hold to head West as well, to fight and perhaps gain land and resources. Especially initially it was a struggle, and though the Rebellion gained momentum it seemed that one day they would eventually lose... Until, suddenly, individuals who could not be "Remade" began to appear. This group of people became known as the Gifted, and helped lead the Rebellion to victory. Those God Kings who were not killed were banished or fled preemptively to parts unknown. The forces of Barcea were defeated, Olain Serio terribly wounded, and returned back East. New kingdoms and governments began to rise, led by the people, and many of the Gifted elected to take rewards in the form of positions, land, or power, while some went back to their former lives, and even more just simply disappeared.

As this redevelopment happened in the West, things began to change to the East. Olain Serio eventually died of his wounds that he earned in the West, and his oldest daughter, Kori, became the new Queen. To the surprise of many, including those that would manipulate her, she began immediate reforms, ending conflict with H'kela entirely and bettering the lives of the people to the best that they had ever known. Along with herself, her younger brother and sister, Cyril and Ayano, became symbols of this rebirth and bettering of the land.

The King of H'kela, Gartian, was not so peaceful. He inflamed the passions of his nation, appealing to their bloodlust and desire for revenge since the last conflict with Barcea, and began to aggressively attack the Barceans, slaughtering innocents and quickly inciting all out war. The nation of Barcea was forced to request help from Gurata, and managed to succeed through trial by combat. However, as Gurata prepared to go to war, the forces of H'kela struck, eventually seperating the Queen from many of those who could protect her. She surrendered herself when the threat against innocent life became too great, and was taken into H'kela.

The Prince led a force to rescue her, one that was soon joined by the Guratans. They made an attempt to rescue the Queen, but it ended in failure when a horror created by Gartian's Advisor rose from the ground. Kori sacrificed herself completely to prevent a terrible surrender to Gartian, and the Prince fled with his forces. Upon regrouping they returned to end Gartian once and for all, and were by no means lightly supported by the fact that the news of Kori's sacrifice was causing H'kelan will to crumble.

In the final battle the Advisor, the woman of sinister origin that had done more than enough to cause all of the tragedy, was utterly defeated, crippled, and sent retreating to parts unknown. Cyril fought Gartian himself, and after a brutally long duel brought an end to the H'kelan King's life. Briefly the H'kelan political sphere threatened to swallow itself, but soon Revali, the only child of Gartian who survived and was often forgotten, became Queen of H'kela. The Prince returned, and after the funeral of the Queen he became the King of Barcea.

Currently, all three of the Eastern nations are recovering from the recent war. The new King is becoming used to his position, and a tenuous stability is beginning to form. There are those who would wish to see this stability fail.

It is five years before the end of the world.

[hr]
[hider=On the Matters of Religion]

There are many religions within this world, of various sorts. Even the God Kings were worshipped as gods come to the world, after all. However, the most prevalent of these religions is worldwide (though of course suppressed in the West in the days of the God Kings) and well known, concerning the Seven Divines. It is believed that the Seven Divines created the world and all within it, before leaving to a "Divine Plane" made for themselves. They are divided between the "Light" and "Dark" Divines, three each along with one who falls into both categories. Basic information, such as names and themes of each Divine, follows.

Ambrosia: Dark Divine, Female, The Depth of the Void, Love
The Master: Dark Divine, Male, The Edge of the Void, Power
Silvae: Light Divine, Female, The Warmth of Light, Compassion
Danmun: Dark Divine, Male, The Grip of the Dark, Control
Azim: Light Divine, Male, The Revelation of the Light, Knowledge
Yumio: Light Divine, Female, The Brilliance of Light, Freedom
The Masked: Dual Divine, Unknown, The Incomprehensible, Secrecy and Mystery

Some nations see one or more of the Divines as Patron Divines. For example, in the case of Barcea, they now see Ambrosia as their Patron. H'kela, meanwhile, see Danmun as their Patron. This is just two examples, and sometimes they vary, such as villages proclaiming one over the others, or towns, or even smaller amounts.

It is worth knowing that individuals sometimes appear who are considered "Divineborn," with a father or mother as a Divine. These individuals have a unique ability, being that of "Creation;" they are able to "Create" a weapon, object, etc. Furthermore, they can learn to extend this ability even further, into that of armor or forms. However, Divineborn are not common, and very rarely seen or confirmed.[/hider]

[hider=On the Manu Propria]

While many Divineborn eventually became heroes (or rather, many heroes were thought to be Divineborn after their deaths) or in the opposite case tyrants, many Divineborn went unnoticed through great effort on their part. This secret organization of Divineborn is known as the Manu Propria, and has been involved in the rise and fall of many nations, supplying support or resistance for whatever goal they are working for. This goal is still very unclear to those on the outside, but their current motives seem to be to oppose places like Barcea. Their existence is not widely known, and those who may have heard of it sometimes don't believe in it.[/hider]

[hider=On the Countries of the East]

Barcea

The land of Barcea is a beautiful country, with villages and towns spread throughout and the Capitol in the center. The land is green, with plains and rolling hills and rivers throughout. There is a mountain range to the east, which then curves to extend along the north of the country some. The people are kind and have been ruled by the Serio family for generations, but they are more than just a little fearful of H'kela to the west. The land has seen its hardships, which originally only ended between fifteen to ten years before, with the death of King Olain, which led to the coronation of Queen Kori. She brought reformation, changing Barcea from a nation of forced war to one of peace. Still old and abandoned forts for war litter the landscape as grim reminders of past conflict with their western neighbor. The Capitol itself is surrounded by a circular wall, where the city is within and then another circular wall to protect the castle itself. The queen was named Kori, the Prince Cyril, and the Princess Ayano. While the Queen and Princess typically kept to the Capitol, the Prince is often out and about, involved with the protection of the people within and along the borders. To do so he has gathered together a group of individuals to him, called the Sentinels. However, with the new war against H'kela, the Queen lost her life, and her brother rose to be King, beginning to keep him more confined to the halls.

H'kela

The land of H'kela is hot, filled with sandy dunes. Here and there are oases, where villages often center around, along with one river where the Capitol and other towns are built along to make use of the fertile land. Political struggles from within and constant warring with Barcea in the past has left the land of H'kela quite used to conflict. The last king, Gartian, used the lingering resentment to drive bandit attacks against Barcea, and to keep the people focused on one goal. He constantly moved troops in aggressive manners along the border of Barcea, and it was clear that King Gartian wanted war. He had it, but lost his life during it, and was replaced by his (somewhat illegitimate) daughter, Revali. The capital of H'kela is called the Oasis, and is actually an area of many Oases gathered together, filled with buildings and surrounded by walls, with a large palace where the ruler lives.

Gurata

The land of Gurata is cold, rocky, unforgiving. Between sets of mountains, the people who live there are made up of nomadic tribes. There are no real villages or towns, save for one place: The Arena. Despite being nomadic people, the Guratans are still prepared to follow a single leader. There is a "ruling family" in charge of the largest and most powerful of tribes: a brother and two sisters. Together they lead across the country, but the Arena is a unique case. Here, anyone can come and fight for their cause, whether Guratan or outsider. Those who win have their requests not only heard, but usually accepted. The brother leader is Kisarin, and the sisters are Seryosa and Yihira. There have been a few squabbles with bandits from the south for the past few years. The capital is called the Homestead, the one gathering of buildings there are withing Gurata; it's barely organized, with cobbled together buildings, and it all surrounds a giant arena where many Gurata decisions are made.

Kyora

Though not a large country, Kyora can be considered a powerful city-state. Located where the borders of the three major nations of the East meet, Kyora is a unique mixture of those cultures. There is a curve of mountains surrounding the city, and a connecting port. Kyora was the only place in the East where the God King War reached, where during the lowest part of the War for the Rebellion some of its members fled east, and were then followed by agents of the God King. Kyora is not the only city-state/nation that exists besides the larger three of Barcea, H'kela, and Gurata, but it is easily the most powerful, successful, and independent.

Bellamy

The land of Bellamy is a country of hearty, lionhearted people with a lengthy and war-stricken past. Located in the north-eastern Hinterlands, they’re known for their hot summers and bitter, cold winters, and a surplus of magic to go around. In a way, the country is very strange - it is triadic in nature, split into three Dominions that each house a centric part of the military and serve specific purpose in trade, production, law, and so on and so forth. They’re famous for their ‘growth’ of magic in the form of mineral deposits, but even more so with their undying pact and loyalty to the dragons that lie deep within the Drake Fields, to the point where many wyverns have been bred for use in the Dragoon corps of the army. Bellamy’s people set themselves apart from much of the east in their belief in ‘Patrons’, figureheads symbolizing the founding fathers of Bellamy, rather than the conventional belief of the Divines. Though, this doesn’t affect them too harshly in a political way - they are extremely far off from most major locations in the east, at least a month’s journey north-east from Barcea (or longer, depending on the conditions of the seasons), and several weeks directly east from Gurata. They are closer to more coastal, ocean-bordered places, like the ruins of Cantian. Rumors and old wives’ tales would say that the land of Bellamy was founded on the backs of demons, but no one is really sure about the truth of these stories and claims.

On the three Dominions - all three have their own sort of structure or role in Bellamy society. They effectively form a triangle throughout all Bellamy land. The First Dominion is where the earldom resides, and where the main ‘garrison’ (they’re referred to as Paladins, tanky footsoldier types)  takes their ranks. Much of the blacksmithing for the army happens here, as well as much of the coordinating. The Second Dominion, in comparison, is where the Judiciary system lays. The High Court of Bellamy is made up of the veteran Mages’ on the cabinet, all lead by High Judge Cassandra Zmeyevich, the land’s most prominent - and only - purveyor of the absolute laws of Bellamy and any other township under its jurisdiction. The stadium for the spring tournaments is here, as well, and despite its more serious nature, most festivals and celebrations are held in the Second Dominion. This is also where the Mages and Mage-Knights go for their military training. Finally, the Third Dominion is where much of the agriculture and magic-growth is done. The Third Dominion is supervised by Mages to assure the safe growth of magic crystals, and they are harvested and send to the Second Dominion for refining before being utilized in weaponry or any other magic products. Being nearest fertile, rural land, normal farming and breeding do happen here. This is also where the wyverns that are bred in the Drake Fields are trained and raised by the Dragoons.

Qui’na Bellu

The country of Qui’na Bellu is the culminating and [i]major[/i] capitol for many elves in the world. It borders west of Bellamy, but farther south than Gurata. They are a flourishing forest people with more traditional (or in the eyes of maybe Jasi, or Bellamy, [i]archaiac[/i]) values and means of fighting and living their day-to-day lives. They are pureblooded (most of them, at least) and highly in-tune with the magic around them. However, Qui’na Bellu is secluded from much diplomacy or trade outside of their own borders. They are an ancient and secretive race, and like Bellamy, do not worship the Divines, but rather worship other gods… usually darker ones. They are highly known for cult-risings, and the participating in the First Weeping, the massive and centuries-old war that went on between Bellamy’s beginning structures and the Queen of elves herself, Esmeralda. The border between Bellamy and Qui’na Bellu, because of this famous war, is a magical wasteland. The output of magic used in the war and the sheer force of it all laid it into a barren death trap that is extremely hard to navigate through unless you are a Mage, or some kind of magic user. To go into detail, the border between the two is filled with mutated, monstrous wildlife that was unfortunately sacrificed during the event, and the magic in the air is wild, often playing tricks of the mind on unsuspecting or weak-willed people who dare cross it without a guide of some sort. There are other ways around, of course, but the radius is vast, and it really would be quite the trip to navigate. They are open to any and all visitors that are willing to take audience with their vain Queen… unless, of course, you hail from Bellamy.

[/hider]

[hider=On the West]

The West, only fifteen years into its newfound freedom, is still learning to understand how to use that freedom. The continent of Aatroia is large, with environments spanning almost all kinds, if not naturally then thanks to the influence of the God Kings, even after being gone for so long. There are many nations within the West of all different kinds now, from kingdoms to people led governments, these various ideas coming together in this new attempt at life in the West. In some cases, small (or large) chunks of land were given to the heroes of the war, such as some of the Gifted. The Gifted's territory was to the north (before it starts to turn cold), while below that the new countries vary. What follows are some brief details on the more successful nations.
[list]
[*] Renduit, a kingdom along the eastern shores.
[*] Lioay, an attempt at democracy along mountains and plains to the north.
[*] Wintubi, a kingdom in a jungle and along rivers to the south.
[*] Yejum, a grouping of towns and cities that exist along a desert and even hotter territories towards the center west of the continent.
[*] Hitoam, a kingdom in both earthy and rocky areas to the west.[/list]

What follows here is some information on a few more minor nations, given out of necessity.

Kisoku

The island of Kisoku is fractured and broken, but very, very beautiful. Once settled on a strong tectonic plate, years of earthquakes and wear-and-tear have set it to uneven levels all across the proud province. Kisoku is covered in beautiful flora, cherry blossom trees and water lilies making up most of the population along with a spattering of other species. Essentially, what it lacks in fauna, it definitely makes up for in its blossoming greenery. Its uneven plateaus are surrounded by a watery cage. Long, rocky walls pouring with water into a deep abyss await anyone who may enter at any given time. The province is not rich in animals used for butchery or dairy and the like, but it is thick with frogs and has an extensive bug life of moths, butterflies, and exotic beetles and spiders. As you can imagine, quite a bit of fish trade comes out of Kisoku, while poultry and meats are all imported. Despite their island status, they have a very well-maintained agricultural system, especially with many different types of fruits and vegetables, most likely due to magical influence. They speak primarily Kisokan and Cantian, though the diplomacy was often taught common English, as well.

Kisoku can be traveled to by boat - there are often separate boating systems in place to bring anyone from the east west into its borders. Because of the death of its ruling figureheads, the people are long-awaiting the heiress’s return, and is currently being overseen by extended family of the formerly-ruling Yarinaosu family as a last resort to keep it stabilized. It is closest in the regions of Renduit to the far east coast. Once known for its lush exports of fruits and silks, it only became known for its brutal warrior strength after the death of Yarinaosu Maki.

Bu’zai

Bu’zai is a smaller region in the east, lying south-east to Bellamy’s farthest border, and a little more south of the ruins of Cantian. Bu’zai, like its sister island in the west, Kisoku, is an extremely clean place, and extremely well-maintained. They have an extremely well-off agricultural and meat trade, and are the number one exporters of healing herbs and other medicinal wares. It’s to be expected - they are an extremely pacifistic county, as displayed during the God King war and the border war between Qui’na Bellu and Bellamy when they served only as a haven with open healer doors and Apothecary access. It is willingly part of Bellamy’s judiciary system, and are extremely close allies to the earldom, as well. Bu’zai is lead by Maki Yarinaosu’s brother Hiroshi and his wife, Hui’qing. They speak primarily Cantian and English here.[/hider]

[hider=More on the Major Players of the God King War]

Much about the general strokes of the God King War has already been said, so what is written here are some specifics. Here is some information on the God Kings, such as names, realms of power, etc.

Ridat Mazami: Fire (Male)
Levinata: Water (Male)
Salye: Ice (Female)
Ulgom Tynat: Earth (Male)
Chrysanta Kokinos: Plants (Female)
Ralua: Air (Female)
Gamoh Rian: Electricity (Male)
Xerym: Will (Male)

The greatest of these was God King Xerym, who the others would eventually listen and bow to if necessary. The reasons for this authority concern a matter of extreme power, and how Xerym could Remake again those that other God Kings had already Remade, a feat that the others could not accomplish.

On the other side of the God King War you had the Rebellion. Led by the man Iaim Ciua for most of the War, the reason why the Rebellion even had a chance of winning was the Gifted. What follows are their titles and names, and what part of the world each came from.

The Void Lord: Kuraihi Linea, Aatroia
The Fearsome Phantasm: Joachim Raizen, Kyora
The Relentless Storm: Aavantir, Unknown
The Rose Knightess: Lucara Torria, Aatroia
The Awoken Giant: Eoa, Aatroia
The Silent Butterfly: Veneno, Aatroia
The Brilliant Horror: Mandum Teven, Jasi
The Forgiven Exile: Nivarrha, Aatroia
The Colorful Fool: Luke Ignotum, Aatroia
The Terrible Legion: Mataku, Unknown
The Faithful Duelist: Kamiko, Barcea
The Frozen Order: Levitas, Aatroia
The Devil's Fire: Shisor Yaguar, Aatroia
The Death's Virtuoso: Morchram, Unknown
The Bone Thief: Chikako Momomiya, Barcea
The Contaminated Blessing: Melodie Citar, H'kela

Though a powerful force that certainly helped win the War for the Rebellion, the Gifted did not agree on everything that would come after the War, and even fought over it. The most well-known example of this is Shisor Yaguar, whose radical philosophies led to him being hunted down and disposed of by the Rebellion, towards the end of the War.[/hider]

[hider=On Jasi to the South]

Though no longer an empire and not having been one for thousands of years, the nation of Jasi is still a proud, powerful place. The island nation to the south, though hot, is covered with cities and examples of industry. The land of Jasi is full of technology and magic, and is extremely advanced. Within Jasi, there is always some form of research and inventing going on in all walks of life. The social climate is split between two tiers, upper and lower. The upper class makes up all of the decision making positions and holds most if not all of the power. The government is full of double-dealing, backstabbing, and use of magic for advantages. The upper class has a habit of "adopting" lower class families, enlisting their services and taking credit for their inventions in return for finances and protection. There is definitely a sort of Jasian elitism.[/hider]

[hider=On the Races of the World]

The world is most widely populated by humanity, who are present in all areas. Beyond them are the dwarves in the West and the elves in the East. These are the three largest races, though there are others of various natures, such as reptilian, feline, etc.

There are so-called "nonhumans" that exist in the world. To describe them would be to describe humans with animal-like traits, specifically that of one animal in particular. They are not seen as any lesser of any greater than other humans; racism in this world has come down to a matter of lines on a map, so perhaps it's more nationalism than anything. A general rule of thumb is that if a nonhuman and a nonhuman mate a nonhuman will be born, human and human will mean human, and nonhuman and human will lead to a 50/50 chance of either.

There are also more unnatural races, ones that do not populate the world as much. This includes the race of demons. Demons are classified within "families," where the various types and also allegiances are noted. Where exactly they come from isn't really known, and now there is no real way to find out. The race of demons around the time of the Jasian Emperor suddenly began to disappear rapidly and almost completely. What scholars know is that the ones who survived either bow to or are fearful of one name: Renata. This name can be attached to the Lady of Demons, Karin Renata, who has been a secret supporter and advisor to the Barcean royal famly for many years.[/hider]

[hider=On the Matters of Magic and Technology]

For the most part, this world is one of magic. It takes various forms, almost anything imaginable, but the world reacts to it in different ways. In particular, the strictest is probably H'kela, where magical talents usually mean a forced military career. There are many types of magic: natural magic, sorcery, etc., etc. In both magic and technology though, Jasi excels in comparison to the rest of the world, both knowing and possessing things that are still difficult for the other nations to even imagine.

In a related note, there are also such things as supernatural and extraordinary abilities that are almost magical in nature.[/hider]
[hr][h3]Arcs[/h3]
[b]Arc One: A War Resumed - Five Years Before the End of the World[/b]

[hider=Arc One Summary]

[url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/3044879]It began with war.[/url]

Tensions between Barcea and H'kela grew to the boiling point, and it was H'kela who struck first, simultaneously attacking many Barcean villages along the border. A small group of the Prince, his Sentinels, and then-strangers discovered one of these villages, and rushed back to the Capitol to inform the Queen. After coming to terms with the upcoming war, the Queen sent the Prince and his allies, old and new alike, to Gurata to ask for an alliance. Along with those they had met when discovering the village, "two" Divineborn and former Kingsguard-bandit, the latter of which was only recognized thanks to the Queen, the group soon met up with a man who was later revealed to be one of the Gifted, the Divine Paladin, and the Paladin's student.

In the north they soon met the leaders of Gurata. Two of the Chieftains were more than ready to assist, but the third showed no interest. To gain their support completely, Cyril initated a challenge for trial by combat, and with many of his allies fought against the representatives gathered by the Chieftain. Those who represented Barcea managed to win, and the alliance with Gurata was secured. The group returned to the Capitol, their number slightly bolstered by a few of their opponents who joined their cause.

Upon their return the H'kelans soon made another aggressive move on the border, and the Queen herself went to confront him, along with the Prince and his allies as escort. Once there, they met the King and his Advisor, and the depths of the King's bloodlust were quickly revealed, and violence broke out almost immediately. The Barceans forced a disengage, fled across the border, and prepared their defenses.

Soon after their return an assassination attempt on the Queen's life occurred, and created a night of horror. The Barceans struggled against the assassins that rose again and again after death, manipulated like puppets, and the only reason why anyone was able to survive at all was the appearance of a certain butler named Richard Leto. Loyal to the Lady of Demons, he brought a message from his master, offering her home as a save haven. The offer was gladly accepted, and the Prince and Princess were sent on ahead while the Queen remained behind, so as to not panic the populace with her sudden departure.

On their trip, the Prince's group came across a very strange woman in the middle of nowhere. However, it was quickly revealed through the use of her abilities, the words of the Paladin, and the depths of her knowledge that no mortal would have (along with her general aura) that this woman was, in fact, one of the Divines, specifically Ambrosia. The Divine expressed her explicit support for the Barcean cause, and offered many words of encouragement before sending them on their way, giving them a few pointers when it came to the Lady of Demons and her realm.

The group that left went further into the east, and into the mountains that the Lady of Demons had claimed herself. There they found her impossible mansion, reality blurring in the space in many different ways. However, the Lady of Demons was a gracious host, and even spent her time giving out gifts that could be used in the coming days. However the Queen never arrived, the Capitol being placed under siege soon after the Prince and Princess left. For the sake of her people Kori surrendered, and the news was only brought to the Prince thanks to the efforts of one of the Queensguard and members of her family.

With this dreadful news came an immediate departure. The Prince drove everyone towards H'kela as hard as they could go. On approaching the H'kelan border they met up with the forces from Gurata, and together pressed into the enemy nation. They soon learned that the Queen was going to be executed, and devised a plan to rescue her. Acting on the day of her excution they made their attempt, and they would have succeeded if it werent for Gartian's Advisor. The Advisor, who was known to be a member of the secretive Divineborn called the Manu Propria thanks to the explanation of the Lady of Demons, created and controlled a horror cobbled together of dead things to bring the attempt crashing to a halt.

From up above Gartian called down for the surrender of the Barceans, especially eager to get his hands on the Gift, the Serios' treasure that had been given to them by the Divines. However, the Queen threw herself to the monstrosity before that could happen, and in his rage the Prince tapped into a power that had been yet unused, crippling the creature after the death of his sister. The Barceans and Guratas fled and regrouped inside a region of H'kela called the Kirun, where they negotiated an uneasy truce with the family in control there.

With the Gift taking the form of a sword, the Prince and the rest of the forces once more went south, and met the H'kelan King's forces on the field of battle. Though many H'kelans had deserted as news of the Queen's sacrifice was spread (and inevitably distorted), plenty of men and women were still loyal to their King. The battle was brutal, especially as many of the Prince's allies fought against the Advisor; more the one of them would leave the battlefield crippled in some way, but the Advisor received many more terrible wounds. With her arms and legs destroyed and her torso slashed open, along with other injuries that were a little more "minor," the Advisor was forced to crawl away in retreat.

Meanwhile, the Prince and King fought viciously in the battle, wounding each other constantly simply because they both refused to simply die. The Prince eventually won the battle when he once again tapped into that strange power, and he killed the King then and there. With the battle done, the victorious Guratans and Barceans marched into the Oasis, H'kela's ruling city, and met no resistance. In the day since the King's death the H'kelans tore each other apart trying to establish a new power, but their efforts were halted by the peace treaty talks.

The Barceans and Guratans left after that, and before the "debate" could continue for who would be the next ruler of H'kela the Lady of the Demons appeared. She presented the only surviving daughter of Gartian and a concubine as the next ruler, and before anyone could object slaughtered all those who would have been proposed in one fell swoop, in order to effectively begin cleansing H'kela of the Manu Propria's influence. The new Queen of H'kela was properly crowned after that.

Meanwhile, in Barcea, the funeral for the Queen was held in two seperate ceremonies, a funeral in front of the masses and an entombing that was much more private. Immediately afterwards the coronation for the Prince was held, and twenty-two days after the initial slaughter of the borders he rose as King.[/hider]

[b]Arc Two: A Devil Returned - Five Years Before the End of the World[/b]

With the sudden war with H'kela resolved, Barcea attempts to move on from the tragedies suffered and the lives lost. The nation works towards developing and maintaining new close relationships with their neighbors, but turmoil waits to strike from a figure of the past who never should have made it to the present.

[hr]
[b]Rules and Understandings[/b]

First things first, follow the rules of the site. That's common sense.

Most of the above description is considered "general knowledge," unless otherwise stated. Depending on who you are and what you learn, more of the truth will be revealed, and some of what has been written have been these revelations. If you aren't certain, feel free to ask me.

Please, be active. Post regularly, talk to others in the OOC, get to know each other, the characters, and plan. We're all here to write and have fun, but to do that we have to work together. I'm looking for dedicated writers willing to not only listen to my ideas, but listen to the ideas of others and give their own. The group that we have currently is working well together, and we would love to add more to the dynamic.

You can have "main" characters and "side" characters. For example, I've got a bunch of characters in mind and ready just to tell the overarching story that we'll be going through. However, my main focus for posting will be on a few of mine, with some accompanying characters. You don't have to use every character in every post, and I'm more than welcome to having lots and lots of characters. Just post at least as the ones that need to be posted as first and foremost. 

Post as you can. I'm not going to make a rule like "post twice a week" or whatever, because people do have lives. Just realize that you will have others waiting on you, and they are expecting you to post. Be fair to them. If you get busy and want to either take a leave of absence or drop, please let us know. We'll be understanding. Just please work to sort of "write your character away" so that we're not stuck at a critical point waiting for a post that can't come. And please understand if I ask about how posts are coming along.

For the posts themselves, I prefer quality over quantity, and smooth flow over chunky. When it comes to what I mean by that, it mostly has to do with conversations; too often have I seen conversations between two characters turn into massive internal monologues about some of the most ridiculous stuff, with only a line or two of conversation said between those interacting. Even worse, I've seen people try to cram multiple lines regarding different topics into one post, forming a massive backed up wreck. In those kinds of situations, I understand shorter posts, and in fact welcome them. I want conversations and interactions to feel natural, not long just for the sake of being long. At the same time, I'm more than willing to work with someone to give them a chance to improve.

No godmodding. For real. I don't care if it's in the middle of battle or just a conversation, you do not just control another person's character. Now it's different if you talk with a person and get their permission, actively working together to plan posts, move action, land hits, note things, etc. In fact, if you're willing to work with each other, that will make this run so much more smoothly and coherently.

Third person is heavily preferred, since everyone has been using it so far.

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[b]My Goals and Vision for this Roleplay[/b]

This is a story about the end of a world. Depressing enough, but at the same time it can be considered one last series of great struggles before the end. Heroism shines most brightly in the darkest moments, etc. The roleplay will go through the final stories before the end of the world, and the actions of those who had the greatest impact. I have the overarching story in mind, but things can easily change due to the actions of those within. I also don't want the roleplay to be completely dominated by my story. I would love for there to be events and even arcs centered on what you, the players, come to me with. 

When it comes to the "realism" of the roleplay, I see it as being mixed. By that I mean I don't want it to be too over the top, but things like fighting and the like can be more... stylistic, rather than steeped in pure realism. However, as the roleplay continues, then all sorts of new abilities and powers will be found, so the combat will grow in terms of... "ridiculousness." There will be a point where I feel like too much is too much, though, and I'll speak privately about that. Also realize that the more someone else escalates a situation, the more I'll escalate as necessary in return.

Also, I'm open to all sorts of ideas. This is the world I've made from different ideas and inspiration, but it can be so much more. Different races, smaller nations, types of magic, everything. I'm even willing to extend the list of characters like the Gifted if you give me a really good idea and impress me with it. In terms of organization, I see this as going sort of like a D&D game almost, where (for the most part) the various players come together and work together to achieve a goal, while I provide many of the obstacles and villains, but also some guidance and help. However, again, I'm more than willing to listen to ideas, and if you want to come up with some villains or antagonists I can get behind that too, so long as the proper planning is done.

For this arc, we're still focusing on the East. You can have characters from the West or Jasi, but they should hopefully have made their way over to the East for some reason. If you need ideas, please ask me. There are so many background plans that I'll almost undoubtedly be able to give your character a purpose for being outside of their homeland.

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[b]On Character Profiles and Some Notes[/b]

When it comes to the kinds of characters accepted, I reserve the right to refuse characters I don't see working or fitting in, are too ridiculous, or whatever. However, with that being said, I want a real nice variety of characters so that we have a diverse and intriguing cast. I'm also fine with those with unnatural traits, such as weird hair colors, etc.

Below is what you need to fill out to join. In some cases I include some descriptive information if I felt the need to. When completed, please send me a PM with the sheet in it. I'll look over it, approve it, and then you can post it. All approved characters will be placed in a list in the first post of the CS thread, as a quick guide to those present in the roleplay, and will include links to the post with the characters in them. If you have more than one character, keep it in a single post, placing each character in a hider and editing as necessary.

Consider these character sheets as living documents. Characters will be learning new things, strengthening and gaining new abilites. I want characters to develop throughout this roleplay, so we'll probably be coming back to the sheets to add in new abilities, story, and traits every... Arc or so, perhaps.

[hider=Character Sheet]Full Name: Whether it be just one or twenty four.
Nicknames/Titles: Be sure to specify between the former and latter.
Occupation: If necessary.
Birthday: Month and Day.
Height:
Weight:
Race:
Sex/Gender: Include everything you believe to be necessary
Age: If necessary, what appears to be your age and what the actual age is (rare cases).
Sexuality:
Place of Birth: Nation/Part of the World.
Biography: Some information about the character's history.
Personality:
Likes:
Dislikes:
Skills/Strengths: Include unique abilities.
Flaws/Weaknesses: This part is especially important because being OP is always an issue.
Weapons/Equipment:
Appearance: Feel free to include a picture for a "face-claim" if you so desire, but a worded description would be greatly appreciated.
Theme Songs: A fun little extra I always like to include.
Other: For anything I may have forgot.
Inspirations: What gave you the idea for this character, if you don't mind sharing. This is something I'll remove, but I'm always curious as to where people get their ideas from and develop them.
Main or Side: How prominent you intend for this character to be.
Username:[/hider]

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Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Drama, Mystery, and some minor ("magical") Sci-Fi and Horror when applicable.

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Please forgive for a lack of color and the like. I don't trust myself to handle that. Hopefully the information is good enough by itself to be appealing.

[hider=Link to the Recruitment Thread]
http://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4095524[/hider]