[center][h1][color=f9ad81][b]The Burning of Volstryggr[/b][/color][/h1] [img]https://i.pinimg.com/736x/9d/62/a1/9d62a1d2d8196f465cc85738764052ff--post-apocalyptic-art-matte-painting.jpg[/img] [h3][i]"Together, they would watch everything that was so carefully planned collapse, and they would smile at the beauty of destruction."[/i][/h3][/center] The establishment of the grand city of Volstryggr was a pivotal point for relations among the many countries of the world and a major accomplishment by those who shred blood and sweat to see it done. For a century, it has stood as a testament to the advancement of the world through the cooperation of all nations and its peoples. It started with the dream of idealist, Isaak Volstryggr, who spent the entirety of his life advocating peace and his idea of a great capital where all the people of the world could live in harmony and work together to end all suffering. His strong charisma paired with a well-educated background made him very popular with the common-folk and even some of the aristocracy. However just as he was gaining world-wide popularity he met his end while preaching in the kingdom of Ertonia, murdered by an unknown assailant in his sleeping quarters. Isaak's death is still a hotly debated topic even in the current political climate although it is now known he was assassinated by a fringe group not directly tied to one government. Followers of his ideology took up the torch including his own his daughter, Elyssa Volstryggr, who is documented as having "The voice of a goddess incarnate..." by officials over-seeing one of her demonstrations. Elyssa is credited with forming her father's work as a formal, documented school of thought and practice in the book 'The Merits of Peace'. The world would still see many crippling wars and atrocities before it was able to come to the present, where the dream of Isaak was finally made reality under his descendant Alexander. Volstryggr is currently the largest metropolitan area in the entirety of the world with the largest diversity of people as well. The peace is kept in the city by a dedicated group of police and sentinels, autonomous armor suites, along with their handlers. While the nations of the world have established a peace that has gone unbroken for a hundred years, there is still discrimination and inequality. A council involving all nations in charge of the operation of Volstryggr, hand-selected by the current head of the Volstrygr family which is currently Emile Volstryggr. A new terror is lurking undetected within the streets of Volstryggr, a serial killer referred to as the '[i]The Blood Angel[/i]' for the way in which his victims are found. The bodies are found headless with their backs cut open and the skin spread like a pair of 'wings'. As of current, the Blood Angel's victims near 40 total and there are no signs of stopping him. Emile has assigned Chief Vey Katama as the lead in the investigation but a scarce amount of evidence has been found and his methods are not yet understood. It is not the only threat to the residents of the grand capital, a dark force seeks to undo centuries of progress and return the world to its warring ways. How long will the peace that so many fought for last against these rising threats? What other dangers are waiting for the perfect time to strike? [center][img]http://cdn.playbuzz.com/cdn/e9630a61-d15e-44a2-8c38-66e4cf7b939b/f2937338-b489-4c2e-80e3-73b1c903b90a.jpg[/img][/center] =========================================================================================================== You are a citizen of Volstryggr, either born or moved there. Whether you are rich or poor, Human or Orc, mage or merchant; you understand there is something serious brewing in the horizon. Once set upon your path you will be faced with many choices that could lead to surviving this impending crisis, or falling in its wake. Will you save Volstryggr? Or will you let it fall to ashes? [hider=Example Character Sheet] Name: Appearance: (Picture Preferred) Age: 27 Race: Human Country of Origin: Sovereign City of Volstryggr (Other nations will be dependent on your race if you moved to the city) Occupation: Background:[/hider] [hider=Magic in Volstryggr] Magic has existed since the foundations of the earliest civilizations and the more advanced practices reserved to the wealthy elite. In the beginning there existed only four elements: fire, water, air, and earth. Within the last 500 years, the newest arcane elements were discovered including light, dark and the strangest of them all: null. These core elements form the basis of current magical education with the world with none mastering all of them. [h3][color=8882be]Arcane[/color][/h3] Arcane magic requires intense mental focus and requires a great deal of finesse in order to wield its potential. In order to wield a specific element, one must understand the nature of its power and feel the emotions tied to them. It is for this reason that no one can fully master all the elements, as mastery of an element requires years of research, meditation, and reflection. Those who have are considered masters of their element are called [i]Magisters[/i] and hold a great deal of influence and respect within most corners of soceity. Those who master more than one element have the title of Grand Magister and are considered the most powerful people in the world. There are only eleven total Grand Magisters in the entire world. An example of a fire magister's power would be summoning large fire-balls or pillars of fire. [h3][color=white]Spiritual[/color][/h3] The common citizen often refers to this as one's 'soul' or 'spirit', while not entirely wrong it is a incomplete definition. All living being possess a measure of spiritual magic however it is not equal across all members of one race. It is very unlikely that an untrained individual could directly use but there have been cases where extreme stress or trauma has brought forth its power. The first step in utilizing spiritual magic is intense physically training of one's body and senses. It is through this training that one's spiritual magic increases and starts to use the most basic of abilities. Spiritual magic increases one's natural, physical abilities beyond what their body could do alone and is most often used by elite soldiers but a market for recreational fights has begun to attract civilian users of spiritual magic. Masters of spiritual magic are referred to as 'Champions' and often teach their ways to the next generation in the later years of their life. [h3][color=7ea7d8]Vindictus Arcane Institute[/color][/h3] The most elite college dedicated to the magical arts in the world owing to the diversified staff of various nations and races. Entry is restricted to those with the skill to pass their entrance exam regardless of wealth or stature. The most prestigious grand magister in the world, Malaya Shadow-fang, operates as headmaster for the college. It is also one of the only places in the world that teaches a discipline using both arcane and spiritual magics. [/hider] [hider= Important People] [h2][color=662d91]Emile Volstryggr[/color][/h2] - The current holder in the Volstryggr family of the title 'Global Peace-Keeper'. Likes to behave more like a 'hero' than a diplomat [hider=Portrait][img]https://i.pinimg.com/736x/1d/58/37/1d5837eddbc6f1551fc89f455a8206b6--prince-of-thorns-fantasy-male.jpg[/img][/hider] [h2][color=c4df9b]Malaya Shadow-Fang[/color][/h2] - Her understanding of magic is unparalleled and was the first to master the dark element of magic. Education of others is her life's work. [hider=Portrait][img]https://pre00.deviantart.net/cb9f/th/pre/i/2013/184/4/5/akordia___dark_elf_combat_mage_by_bigcman321-d6bolts.jpg[/img][/hider] [h2][color=f7976a]Vey Katama[/color][/h2] - A were-wolf female who uses her execellent senses to track down criminals as the second in command of Volstryggr's police force. [hider=Portrait][img]https://i.pinimg.com/736x/b9/e3/3f/b9e33f6f8eecd47d183281e1e5c82356--anime-wolf-girl-dark-anime-girl.jpg[/img][/hider] [h2][color=fff79a]Renal[/color][/h2] [hider=Portrait][img]https://i.pinimg.com/736x/2f/9c/23/2f9c230c1bf49c5a9eba1527e22f532b--character-creation-character-ideas.jpg[/img][/hider] - The head of Volstryggr's security. Despite his tough exterior, is a rather jolly fellow dedicated to the safety of everyone. [h2][color=ed145b]Vocere[/color][/h2] [hider=Portrait][img]https://i.pinimg.com/564x/f0/2d/22/f02d22b3e0bb468869fd71ef7b09bc4a--character-concept-character-art.jpg[/img][/hider] -A prominent celebrity in Volstryggr, known as the [b][i]Patron of the Five Senses[/i][/b] for his diverse art. [h2][color=silver]Catherine St.Claire[/color][/h2] [hider=Portrait][img]https://artfiles.alphacoders.com/446/thumb-44648.jpg[/img][/hider] - Leader of the largest crime syndicate in the world. Protects her sisters Isabella and Helene from all threats. [/hider] [hider=The Pantheon of Gods] -[color=6ecff6]Satelle: Queen of the Gods and the Goddess of Peace & Order[/color] -[color=6ecff6]Arun: King of the Gods and God of Justice & Retribution[/color] -[color=6ecff6]Ilyana: Goddess of Love & Creativity[/color] -[color=6ecff6]Croan: God of Smithing & Strength[/color] -[color=6ecff6]Rosen: God of Wisdom & Understanding[/color] -[color=6ecff6]Volker: God of Learning & Knowledge, twin to Rorsen[/color] -[color=6ecff6]Nalissa: Goddess of War & Ambition[/color] -[color=6ecff6]Arcadia: Goddess of Harvests & Weather[/color] -[color=6ecff6]Damascus: God of Shadows & Trickery[/color] -[color=6ecff6]Malaya: Goddess of Prosperity & The Afterlife[/color] -[color=6ecff6]Arcanus: God of Magic & Mystery[/color] -[color=6ecff6]Silena: Goddess of Death & Dreams[/color] -[color=6ecff6]Tyris: God of Medicine & Mercy[/color] -[color=6ecff6]Naviro: God of Communication & Haste[/color] -[color=6ecff6]Celesta: Goddess of the Unseen[/color] -[color=6ecff6]Temis: Goddess of Time, twin to Celesta[/color][/hider] [hider=Sentinels and Mana-cannons] [h2]Sentinels[/h2] Autonomous suits of magically enhanced armor containing artificially developed souls created upon Volstryggr's foundation. At the center of each Sentinel resides the [i]Magnus Core[/i], a powerful vessel that contains the soul of each unit. The Sentinels are programmed with four core functions: the safety of the Volstryggr family, the safety of Volstryggr, safety of the people, and safety of their handlers. There have only been two reported cases of the constructs going rogue: one was due to the capture of its handler by criminal elements, and the second was due to extensive damage to its frame and core. The process to create the Magnus core was lost soon after the city was built, leaving the 100 Sentinels the only ones of their kind. Over time some Sentinels became unaccounted for as time grew on leaving a total of 76 officially documented. As of now, those with a strong sense of peace and soul are often chosen as handlers for the Sentinels regardless of age since it is often the Sentinel that choses them. Handlers, after a short ritual, may call upon the large mana pool of their Sentinel. Sentinels are also hosts to a large quantity of information that handlers may call upon for convenience, like a portable library. When a Sentinel chooses a handler, a invisible bond is created that allows the Sentinel to know when its handler is in danger and where they are. This bond is also the reason why a Sentinel's original handler much be deceased before a new handler is chosen. [h2]Mana-Cannons[/h2] A development that occurred shortly after Volstryggr's creation, a mana-cannon is a hand-held ranged device that focuses a mage's mana into a beam, dependent on the type of magic cast, instantly thus bypassing the casting time needed for most spells. However it comes at a cost as the weapons are very mana intensive, costing about double the mana normally needed for an equal power spell. Attempts to bridge this inefficiency gap have met with little success though recent prototypes have been developed for a model that uses charged mana crystals for power. While the mana crystals have been proven to be unstable and often unreliable, it promises to one day exchange raw mana use for exchangeable components. [/hider] [hider=Magical/Important Items] [h2][color=a2d39c]Elixir of Life[/color][/h2] A incredibly difficult and expensive potion to make, the ingredients alone prevent many creations of this elixir from being made. That isn't to say that the results of a successful brewing isn't worth it. It can cure almost all forms of disease and ailments and can revive a person who has died within 30 minutes. A current, unproved theory exists that a stronger variation of this elixir could even reverse aging. It does however have unique effects based on the race who drinks it. The main ingredient is phoenix feathers due to their regenative properties. [h2][color=f6989d]Staff of Guidance[/color][/h2] A remarkable artifact once wielded by the great Isaak Volstryggr, it has remained sealed inside secure vault underneath the Volstryggr compound. Wielding this delicate and dangerous object takes a incredible deal of mental discipline and those weak-willed will find themselves going mad for the duration they possess it. The staff creates multiple personas of the host inside their mind, like hearing 'voices', giving them direction to the goal they currently seek in their mind. However, if there are multiple goals they are seeking within their active thoughts it clouds and muddles the message, often overloading the host's brain. A few seconds of enduring this condition will leave the user with an incredible migraine that will subside over a couple day. A few minutes and temporary psychosis will envelop the user along with temporary short-term memory loss. More than an hour and the user risks permanent memory loss and other irreversible mental conditions. It is recommended that, if it should be used, guidance only on simple, single, and short-term goals be tried. The more complex and longer-term the goal is, the more the user risks permanent mental scarring and personality detachment. [/hider] [center][h2]Rules[/h2][/center] 1. Guild's Laws are the RP's Laws 2. Please PM your characters so I can look them over before posting them here. 3. Posts are expected to be around 2 to 3 paragraphs but if wish to write more that's fine. 4. If you are going to be absent for awhile, please notify send me a PM 5. Romance is fine but any 18+ material is not allowed 6. Enjoy yourself!