[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/89IWLwr.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/fVwHR6y.png[/img][/center] Alma, the continent of man. For hundreds of years, war has raged between three nations. While their war had raged, the ancients had returned. Beasts of yore, wielding artifacts of untold might. The three nations had managed to band together to repel the foreign beasts. While many of the ancient still exist today, they are no longer a threat to the nations that had once repelled them. The defeat of the ancients resulting in three things: the proliferation of ancient treasures that were empowered, an era of peace between the three nations, and the discovery of ancient dungeons - fortresses of magic that constantly shifted and changed. The peace had allowed for man to realize that in their years of fighting, they had neglected to explore and discover their own home. Thus began the golden age of adventuring. With the three nations allied, man took to both the wilds and ancient dungeons. Eventually, the number adventurers began to soar to record amounts. Lands were being pillaged for loot, highwaymen ambushed hard workers, and the seemingly infinite amount of adventurers were impossible to control. A solution was created: the Adventurer Guild. They acted as leadership for the rowdy adventurers and punished criminal activity while working to build a sustainable environment where adventurers could always find something new. They seemed to solve everything. Well, everything except for the highwaymen. Due to Alma's size, different chapters of Adventuring Guilds fill each city. However, there is one peculiar chapter located in the capital city of Rhode. With a name that reverberates around Alma, the Iron Rose Adventurer's Guild is the most well-known guild. Mostly because of their ever-absent leader whose exploits stretch the boundaries of mankind's borders. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/fVwHR6y.png[/img] [h2][u]Rules:[/u][/h2] [hider=Read this.][h3][u]Bird up.[/u][/h3] Don't be a weenus. AKA, don't mary-sue, bunny, munchkin, meta-game, god-mod, hot-dog, whatever other terms you know. I've seen many. Teamwork makes the dream work. Send me a PM on discord or here if you need anything at all. Unless you need money. This is a dialectic household. I listen to you and you listen to me. While I'm not stringent on post-length, I do expect some content to read. But, if you just can't stretch a post longer, try not to worry about it. Try to tell me if you're going to vanish. I won't be upset. I might add rules. But if I do, they won't be big ones.[/hider][/center] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/fVwHR6y.png[/img] [h2][u]Ranking[/u][/h2] [hider=Ranks][h3][u]Legend[/u][/h3] Recognized by the guild and all three nations, Legends are the strongest mankind has to offer. Everyone knows of their name and exploits. Almost always given posthumously, living Legends are hard to come by. Nations and the guilds allow them to do anything they want. However, due to their power and desires, Legends are almost always absent from Alma. There are only two living legends - The Lord of Iron - Rose and The Lord of Dawn - Alron. Rose charts unexplored islands and continents while Alron secludes himself from the world. [sup][sup]*unable to start as[/sup][/sup] [h3][u]Hero[/u][/h3] Given to those who have completed the Hero's Journey, Heroes are those who have graduated from the Adventuring Guild. They live freely and have free passage to anywhere. Most jobs for heroes are specialized and almost always extremely dangerous. Nations allow them to do anything they want, so long as they don't do wrong. [sup][sup]*unable to start as[/sup][/sup] [h3][u]S-rank[/u][/h3] The strongest adventurers in the Guild, S-ranks take the hardest missions. They deal with the things that no others can. Ancients, dragons, anything that the A-ranks can't handle. They're about as strong as grand champions. They have free access to the Ancient Marsh and most other islands. [sup][sup]*unable to start as[/sup][/sup] [h3][u]A-rank[/u][/h3] Veteran adventurers, A-ranks are prepared for anything. They're experienced with most things and as a result, they take difficult missions such as the subjugation of lords. They're allowed anywhere not extraordinarily dangerous. They're about as strong as grand warriors. [sup][sup]*unable to start as[/sup][/sup] [h3][u]B-rank[/u][/h3] Adept adventurers, B-ranks handle most of the heavy lifting. They deal with invasions, mapping out ruins, and teaching lower ranked adventurers. Their jobs usually are about dealing with hordes and exploring ancient fortresses. B-ranks have free no-questions-asked entrance into most cities, but are heavily restricted in island travel. They're about as strong as a knight. [sup][sup]*unable to start as without special permission[/sup][/sup] [h3][u]C-rank[/u][/h3] Experienced adventurers, C-ranked deal with most moderate jobs. They deal with the extermination of "pest races" like orcs and goblins - jobs of that sort. They have tolls to get into certain cities and aren't allowed onto islands. They're about as strong as a soldier. [h3][u]D-rank[/u][/h3] Novice adventurers are trainees. They take jobs meant for them to learn the ropes of adventuring and are usually accompanied by higher ranked adventurers. They have no special travel permissions and are about as strong as a militiaman. [h3][u]E-rank[/u][/h3] That's E for Employee. E-ranks are the support staff who make the guild work. Adventurers in name only, they deal with all of the menial tasks. They evaluate equipment, gather jobs, work bars, anything that an adventurer needs in their local guild hall. [sup][sup]*unable to start as unless you hate adventure[/sup][/sup][/hider][/center] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/fVwHR6y.png[/img] [h2][u]Locations:[/u][/h2] [hider=Locations][img]https://i.imgur.com/DEenGK6.png[/img][hr][hr] [h3][u]Rhode[/u][/h3] Rhode is a coalition of cities, and as such, each city is independent. There is no baseline of what a Rhodian looks or acts like. This has left Rhode with a rather negative stereotype. They were once considered savage mutts, but this has since been rectified as the other nations have accepted Rhode's mosaic of culture. Rhode's western coastline is a long forest, turning into plains as it reaches into the interior. Southern Rhode consists of rocky barrens that act as a buffer from the Ancient Marsh. Eastern Rhode is a mountainous wall crossing into Sirris. [h3][i]Swynport[/i][/h3] Located near the coast, Swynport is where the Iron Rose Adventurer's Guild stakes its home. Swynport is a rich town - surprisingly without a port. This has left nearby cities very confused, as Swynport is too far from the sea to have a port. Rather, it's named after a man known as Swymport. Despite having 20,000 citizens, Swymport is considered to be safe. At least, inside of its walls. For the past ten years, Swymport had been dealing with goblins attacks. Nobody knows where the goblins come from, they just appear and attack things. [h3][u]Sirris[/u][/h3] A frigid and mountainous country, Sirris is a conservative theocracy. The church rules everything. Due to the church's focus on selflessness and charity after the war, Sirris had become a dreamland for commoners. While struggles due to religion still occur, the church does its best for the citizens. Sirris is named after Sirris, a priestess during the ancient war. She was the greatest magician they had to offer, but when the country almost fell, Sirris sacrificed herself to protect their homeland. Thus why they practice compassion and charity post-ancient war. The high chapel is located on the tallest mountain. Only two things are inside: Sirris' resting place and the tomb's guard. To even try to climb the mountain is forbidden. All government policy is handled by the Magistrate. [h3][u]Irithia[/u][/h3] As a monarchy, Irithia is rough for the average person. Due to pressure from Sirris, Irithia acts decent to its commoners. They are given land and tools to farm, but are otherwise left alone. The noble circle of Irithia can be called a cesspool of sycophants and nepotists, but the king does an extraordinary job of keeping them in line. Central Irithia is an extremely fertile set of plains, but it quickly turns into a desert as the island of Morburne draws closer. [h3][u]Adagari[/u][/h3] A lush jungle filled with life, Adagari is home to beastmen. Centaurs, lizardmen, it seems like any sort of animal could make its home in Adagari. The culture is extremely tribal. Fighting is constant and the races are almost always insular from the world. Though, it is not a rare occurrence to see them on the mainland. [h3][u]Morburne[/u][/h3] The land of demons. Morburne is extremely dangerous. Open lava pits, volcanoes, rugged rocks, and dead trees litter the island. Only the strongest races can survive here. As such, very little exploration has been made on Morburne. Not even heroes want to venture there - though, that's less because of the danger and more because it is a sweltering hellhole. [h3][u]Ancient Marsh[/u][/h3] A deep marsh, this is the Ancient's last stand. While ancients appear from time to time, they are a common sight here. However, for some reason, they no longer feel the need to extend their land. As such, the Ancient Marsh is a dangerous treasure trove. [h3][u]Silent Veil[/u][/h3] Very little is known about the Silent Veil. The island is covered in a thick mist that causes sickness to those that approach and is thus undiscovered. [h3][u]Hero's Landing and Journey[/u][/h3] Very little is shared about this island. It's a well-guarded secret. What is known is that it's the trial to become a hero.[/hider][/center] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/fVwHR6y.png[/img] [h2][u]Item Grades:[/u][/h2] [hider=Grades][h3][u][color=f7941d]Legendary[/color][/u][/h3] Objects of insane value, Legendary items are just that - of legend. They are impossibly hard to find and, due to their power, are worth as much as entire nations. [h3][u][color=ed1c24]Artifact[/color][/u][/h3] Weapons, tools, armour, anything that the Ancients had brought with them. They are extremely powerful, enchanted with unknown magic, and enigmatic. [h3][u][color=39b54a]Masterwork[/color][/u][/h3] Great objects made by masters in their field. They are usually enchanted with magic, but are the pinnacle of mankind's creation. [h3][u][color=00aeef]Magic[/color][/u][/h3] Things imbued with magic. The properties vary extraordinary. [h3][u]Common[/u][/h3] Regular objects. Nothing is too special about them. Quality varies from pile of rust to beautiful swords.[/hider][/center] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/fVwHR6y.png[/img] [h2][u]Races:[/u][/h2] [hider=Common Races][h3][u]Human[/u][/h3] The most plentiful race on Alma, humans form the bulk of every population. They are incredibly normal. Their culture varies from location to location. [h3][u]Elf/Half-Elf[/u][/h3] There is very little difference between elves and half-elves. They appear to look like humans, but taller with elongated ears. The main difference between the two is the culture they have. Half-elves live like humans - in cities and towns, while elves hide themselves in elven communities. [h3][u]Orc[/u][/h3] [hider=Orc]A frigid land north of the country of Sirris, Kall-Luan is the home of orcs. It is said that they originated from an isle far to the south, but after generations and generations of nomadism, this is where they have settled. The large, pale-skinned humanoids have spent centuries in the cold hunting, fishing from the great lake Kall, and farming when possible. It is a hard existence, but one they enjoy. Common politeness is odd to outsiders. If one you travel with is working, you work. If one you travel with is drinking while others work, slap them. If one you travel with is drinking and work is done, join them. It is not genuine to smile at strangers, and if you do so they will consider you untrustworthy. However, if you have risked your life with a stranger, they are then to be treated as a friend for as long as they do not prove themselves otherwise, assuming they are either courageous or capable. Those that travel with other races tend to view them in a condescending, protective sort of way, much as an elder sibling would to their younger kin. Physically, the orcs are an imposing people. On average, the men stand anywhere from 5’10 to seven feet tall, weighing up to 450lbs, while the women tend to be slightly taller, averaging six to seven and a half feet tall and weighing up to 500lbs. They all bear tusks of varied lengths for decoration and attracting mates, while their actual teeth are slightly more pointed than a human’s due to their largely carnivorous diets. Most bear pale, grey-white skin, but it is not extremely unusual for dull greens and browns to find their way into the mix, relics of their original, verdant home. All orcs’ skin becomes a bright red when they enter a truly intense situation, however, a state they affectionately refer to as a “Bloodrage.” They call it this due to an old belief that an orc’s own blood grows angry with them in dangerous situations. This is misleading, however, as their skin actually changes hue in response to serious emotion of any type. An embarrassed, or sorrowful orc will look the same as a bloodthirsty one, minus facial expression and presence of a murder weapon. Society is divided into Packs, chosen in adolescence to be trained and raised for common interests and talents. One Pack may be hunters, another Pack is devoted to farming the land, another to weaving, pottery, arcane development, and so on. When Pack members have children, they are raised by the Pack of the father until such a time as they would join their own, around age twelve. This new Pack is trained by the old one of the same nature, passing on the wisdom of elders. After training for six years, the new Pack sets off on a Journeyman project to demonstrate their competence in their respective fields, a showpiece of what they’re capable of after their training. If the old Pack approves, the youngsters are allowed to join. If not, they are cast from the city and into exile. The latter is extremely rare, but individuals have been thrown out from their packs if they are seen as not having contributed to the good work of the Pack as a whole. Two duties are not allowed to be chosen by a Pack, instead taking children and raising them into the purpose: Priesthood and Rule. Priests are chosen roughly once a generation, the orcs of Kall-Luan worshipping the constant Storm which swirls over the Great Lake Kall, what they believe to be the embodiment of their ancestors. When orcs are still children, they are taken to the lake and hold large, iron rods over their heads. Whosoever is struck by lightning is chosen as the next Priest, assuming long as they survive. If they do not, the Storm swiftly selects another soon after, and so on. The whole process takes, at most, fifteen minutes. So far the fatality rate is relatively low, with the most destructive year only taking three children before a sturdy enough Acolyte was chosen. Following the Choosing, the child is then taken to the Priest for training, becoming an Acolyte and learning tradition, magic, and how to convene with the spirits of old through the Storm. When the Priest perishes, their favored Acolyte takes up the job, while the other Acolytes continue duties of arbitrating disputes, issuing judgements, and tending to the Temple of Kall. Orcish morality is largely based around scarcity of necessary resources. If one cannot contribute in any way to the city, it is considered right and good to commit suicide. To be a beggar is the highest sin an orc can commit, equal to infanticide. Both ultimately will result in the end of a life more deserving than that of the one who lives. An ugly, mean, horrible bastard is still all of those, but so long as he does his job and doesn’t make life hell for his Pack, he is tolerated. He would not mind if you insulted him based on his intelligence, appearance, attitude or abilities with the opposite sex, but a backhanded comment on his Pack is fighting words. That being said, if one member of a Pack picks a fight with an individual, it is considered a private affair, and the Pack is to stay out of it. If one orc feels insulted beyond the point of recompense, they may challenge the defamer to a Blood Duel, wherein they fight to the surrender with their bare hands. It is not uncommon to kill in these duels. A duel within a Pack is never allowed, as this would be fratricide. There are no revenges for Blood-Duels. It is seen as horrifically disrespectful to fight with ranged weapons, and as such warriors are raised to close with their enemies as swiftly as possible, dispatching them with their bare hands and armor. Magic is the exception to this rule, as magical combat is always perilous for both the user and the target. Anyone who seeks to strike at Lake Kall is the other exception to this rule, however, as attacking the heart of Kall-Luan where children sleep is considered evil to the point of demonic. Weapons, magic, and dirty tricks all become valid in the face of war with such foes. Children are seen as little balls of potential, and as such are always fiercely protected. There are few worse wrongs in Kall-Luan’s culture than harming an able-bodied child. Crippled, disfigured, or disabled children are left beside the shore of Kall for a night at birth. If they have not perished by dawn, the Storm favors them, and they are taken in as Acolytes. While Priests are chosen of the Storm, the King is chosen by a coalition of the Twelve Eldest Packs. When the old King perishes, The Twelve convene and each nominate a new King. After nominations, there is a week of discussion, followed by another week of competitions between nominees. These are generally festive events, the competitions ranging from tests of Strength and Wisdom to Kindness and Patience. The entire city watches, judging. Then, finally, one month after the death of the old King, all Packs in the city vote between the nominees. The winner is then King until death. It is not uncommon for incompetent Kings to be… corrected. Permanently. With assassination. Despite their frigid home, the orcs are still a festive people, devoted to living in the moment while they still can live. This results in a great big number of parties and celebrations ranging everything from the election of a new King, the death of the old King, the Coming of Age of a generation’s Packs, harvest time, solstices, birth days, anniversaries, births, Blood Duels, half-anniversaries… you get the idea. [/hider] [h3][u]Sahuagin[/u][/h3] Colloquially known as "Ass Fish", Sahuagin are the largest coastal scourge in Alma. They range in height, from three feet to seven feet. They tend to appear like bipedal fish with webbed hands and feet. Despite some of their imposing sizes, they are surprisingly not durable. Their bones are clear and pliable - something that bones should not be. Their scales are an exception and can block most downwards strikes. However, upwards strikes can easily break through the scales. They are also immune to most sickness and poisons, a result of them eating anything that looks like food. Another odd feature of Sahuagin is their breeding cycles. The vast majority of Sahuagin are infertile. Those females who are fertile grow to gargantuan size. These females sleep for years before waking up to eat and lay thousands of eggs, then sleep for years more. While a threat, Sahuagin are more known to be more of a pest. They are highly territorial. Outside of their territory, however, they flee at the first sight of danger. Surprisingly, they are not hunters. They are solely scavengers. As a result, their caves are almost always filled to the brim with useless and destroyed weapons, half-eaten carcasses, and any sort of thing that looks shiny. Sahuagin in their territory are considered to be a C-rank threat. However, outside of their territory, they are considered to not even have a ranked threat, as even a child could best a fleeing Sahuagin. [sup]This section is actually a work in progress, and as such, will be updated as races are created.[/sup][/hider][/center] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/fVwHR6y.png[/img] [h2][u]Timeline:[/u][/h2][hider=Timeline]All of the information in this timeline is common knowledge. [h3][u]Forgotten Age[/u][/h3] ??? - Humanoids wage war with beast races. ??? - Beast races are routed to Aldmari ??? - Aldmari is founded [h3][u]Legendary Age[/u][/h3] ??? - Alma is assaulted by demons, but are routed by legendary weapons created by the precursor races. ??? - Irithia is founded ??? - Irithia and Remus go to war. [h3][u]Age of War[/u][/h3] 32 AW - Irithia and Remus begin to pillage independent southern villages for supplies. 38 AW - Southern villages band together and form Rhode to try to repel their invaders. 45 AW - Stalemate is reached, resulting in the stockpiling of resources and periodic campaigns against each other. 95 AW - Ancients arrive. [h3][u]Age of Ancients[/u][/h3] 97 AW - Remus assaulted by ancients, Rhode agrees to help defend. 99 AW - Remus falls, survivors flee southwards. A priestess known as Sirris sacrifices herself to protect her people. 104 AW - Irithia assaulted by ancients. Rhode and Remus survivors defend Irithia. 107 AW - Ancients are repelled. 110 AW - Rhode assaulted by Ancients. Remus survivors and Irithia defend Rhode. Ancients are repelled to the marshlands, humanity is unable to pursue. 124 AW - Remus survivors found Sirris. 126 AW - Adventuring begins. [h3][u]Golden Age[/u][/h3] 12 GA - Adventurer's Guild is created. Aldmari 23 GA - Hero's Trial is found. 30 GA - Hero's Trial is completely scouted for the first time, the scout is declared to be a hero. 44 GA - First living Hero is promoted to Legend, given the title Lord of Dawn 49 GA - Morburne is found. 51 GA - Ancient Fortresses begin to pop up and vanish. 56 GA - Second living Hero is promoted to Legend, given the title Lord of Iron 56.5 GA - Iron Rose Adventurer's Guild is formed. Guild Leader instantly vanishes. 71 GA - Current Time. [/hider][/center] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/fVwHR6y.png[/img] [h2][u]Almanac:[/u][/h2] [hider=Loose information][h3][u]Currency[/u][/h3] Copper Coin < Iron Coin < Silver Coin < Gold Coin < Crystal Coin 1 Copper Coin are equal to about $1 USD. 10 copper coins are equal to 1 iron coin. (10 USD) 10 iron coins are equal to 1 silver coin. (100 USD) 10 silver coins are equal to 1 gold coin. (1000 USD) 10 gold coins are equal to 1 crystal coin. (10000 USD) By crushing a crystal coin, magic becomes empowered.[/hider][/center] [hr][hr][hr] [code][centre][img]https://i.imgur.com/Db9zwKb.png[/img] (use [s]weeb[/s] anime art because i need to pretend that there's a cohesive style) [.hr][.hr] [b]Name:[/b] (Self-explanatory) [b]Alias(es):[/b] (Any nicknames or such go here. Most low ranks would have nicknames only known to friends) [b]Gender:[/b] (Stick or no stick?) [b]Race:[/b] (If you use a non-common race, just PM me some information about them and their culture.) [b]Age:[/b] (How old are you?) [b]Rank:[/b] (Usually people will be D or C ranked. PM me if you want special permission. We would need to work something out.) [b]Personality:[/b] (Make it good) [b]History:[/b] (Your character's past. How did they become an adventurer? I don't expect a novel, just a little framework.) [b]Magic:[/b] (If any. Delete if unnecessary.) [b]Skills:[/b] (Anything relevant here) [b]Equipment:[/b] (General items, armour or weapons. Note that items are graded based on their strength and magical properties. The list is as follows: Common-grade, Magic-grade, Masterwork-grade, Ancient-grade, Legendary-grade.) [b]Anything Else:[/b] (Miscellaneous stuff) [/centre][/code]