[center][h1]The Night Terror of Emulis[/h1] [img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/474x/4a/e8/5b/4ae85b5f3b3f5563bbfcc7f784d61132.jpg[/img][/center] The Kingdom of Emulis has reached out to the Grandshield, a swordseeker covenant that specializes in the paranormal. This is an unprecedented event, for the pragmatic Emulis have isolated themselves from the rest of the world for centuries. The message was delivered with the wax seal of the iron mace and sunflower, proving its legitimacy alongside the bags of gold that came with it. The letter does not elaborate on Emulis' plight, only that discretion and the Grandshield's best seekers are needed. It was written in a hurried pace, but confirmed from the Grandshield's graphologists that the calligraphy belongs to Grand Duke Clairevoi, second to Emulis Kingship. According to the Duke's instructions, the Swordseekers are to meet a scoutsman just outside Emulis territory by the end of the week. Brave and battle-hardened as can be, the heralds sent on behalf of Grandshield still have mixed emotions about their new assignment. Not only are they flying blind into a land no living outsider has ever stepped foot in, but the reason for their services are yet to be revealed. Such is the way of the famous Grandshield Swordseekers -- falling face first onto the devil's horns. [hr] [h2][center]Lore[/center][/h2] [hr] [center][hider=The Swordseekers of the Grandshield][center][img]https://i.pinimg.com/736x/9b/22/8b/9b228b02c34c0d24d6ba9e24d52e2636--high-fantasy-fantasy-art.jpg[/img][/center] The Grandshield was founded by the Three Maidens of Refuge, an Elvish trio of legendary battlemages. Before Tocratia ruled the land, Roviat was being torn apart between noble houses and lesser monarchs. Borders were smeared with blood, blurring the lines between territories. As a result, villages and towns were caught in the middle of the chaos. The Maidens banded together to form the Grandshield as a means to protect the people. They swore allegiances to no one, rescuing innocent lives from the ongoing wars. That was many centuries ago. The philosophical principles of The Grandshield have waned since the departure of The Three Maidens. Under their successors, the Grandshield became a sell-sword organization and was marketed as such. Though the squabbles between royalty have been reined into submission by the Tocratia Empire, there services are still needed - more so than ever before. Perhaps the wars of Roviat have angered the deities of nature, for its wildlife has increased both in size and hostility. Enter the Swordseekers, hunters that have a knack for killing all sorts of monsters. They've become a staple in Roviat simply because they do a job nobody wants to do. With a potential war that could break out at any given moment, Crowns, Houses, and even the Emperor, prefer to send Swordseekers out than soldiers from their own armies. Yet the general opinion about Swordseekers isn't quite as flattering as one would expect. For one good Seeker there are at least ten that are terrible at what they do. It's not so much as their skill as it is their shady ways of trying to game the system that comes into question. Hunts are falsely reported as successful kills, some have even released wild beasts into populated areas in order to get contracts. Counterfeit goods, fake medicines, and handmade items are sold off as miracle cures. The growing number of complaints has forced the Emperor to begin an investigation on the Grandshield and its subsidiary Swordseeker branch. [b]Notes:[/b] - In order to become an official Swordseeker you must pass 3 trials throughout your training: [Minotaur]1. Physical - You must survive 'The Gauntlet', twenty five mile long obstacle course full of traps and mercenaries hired to kill you [Sphinx]2. Mental - You must survive one week in a harsh environment while under a very strong hallucinogenic truth drug. [Chimera]3. The Trophy - claim the head of a powerful hybrid beast. *Our characters will be Sphinx ranked. -Grandshield was formed four centuries ago -Swordseekers were formed one century ago -The Maidens of Refuge stepped down from office just after Tocratia gained control of Roviat [/hider][/center] [center][hider=The Tocratia Empire][img]https://i.pinimg.com/736x/9b/40/2b/9b402baf8d8dbaa013ab1291f4bcedf8--character-concept-character-art.jpg[/img] [b]Emperor Gabritius[/b] [b]Notes: [/b] -Originated from an Eastern Continent. -Invaded one century ago -Emperor Gabritius is the 1st Emperor of Tocratia-Roviat Rulership. -While the idea of a foreign ruler is unsettling, the enforced peace is a welcomed sight for Roviat people. -The Tocratia wear white and silver armor. Their insignia is a dove shaped as the hilt of a sword, whose blade points down with a fiery tip. [/hider][/center] [b]Notes: [/b] -The Swordseekers of the Grandshield are basically a glorified mercenary group of hunters. It is a very corrupt organization. Many Seekers use their status to con people into buying counterfeit goods said to cure ailments or ward off angry ghosts. Only a select few have actually dealt with spirits and demons -- the wild beastiary of the land are often mistaken for paranormal monsters. -The entire continent is called Roviat and there are a bunch of kingdoms and fiefdoms loosely ruled by The Tocratia Empire. -Elves, Orcs, Dwarves, and Humans inhabit Roviat. -Monsters roam the land. Spirits and demonology are questionable ideologies and not generally accepted beliefs. -The Seekers that are experienced with the paranormal use blessed and cursed weapons, items, artifacts, and armor. -European Medieval setting, mild-to-low magic use. -Magic: Properties of magic are ambiguous. Enchanted items blessed by sages and battle mages can create spells. Wizardry through verbal incantation and spell script exists, though rare - mainly used to enchant items. Origin of magic is unknown, but discoverers are believed to have been people of science before converting their titleship to Sages of The Path.