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[center][h1][color=1e90ff]In Search of Gaea: A Seafaring Fantasy Adventure[/color][/h1] [/center]
[img]https://img00.deviantart.net/86b4/i/2014/333/2/4/fantasy_ocean_landscape_by_jjpeabody-d882n8b.jpg[/img]
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[center] [i]A long, long time ago, mankind lived on the land. Man built great cities which climbed to the heavens. Man was beholden to the earth and sky, but they could not control the mother sea. Man grew greedy, and coveted more and more, until he was finally punished for his greed. The mother sea took the land and sky from man, and brought all life back to her bosom. The technology and power mankind held before was lost, but mankind survived. People were forced to live in harmony with mother ocean, and while many built villages on the small islands remaining, some took out and built great floating cities. 

The Imperial City of Galma is one such place. In 1652 AF, Crown Emperor Gaius Starwind set the world ablaze with adventure, promising untold imperial riches to those who could find the lost city of Gaea, the old capital city of mankind, long lost and buried under mother ocean’s waves. [/i] [/center]   

[indent] Hello! Welcome to [b]In Search of Gaea![/b] This rp is based off of many fantasy stories and games that deal with a more beautiful post-apocolypse: the waterworld theme! Of course, we won't have any Kevin Costner walking around with gills or any Dennis Hoppers with eyepatches in this RP. I mean...maybe. But this is more inspired by JRPGs and anime than by famous Hollywood flops. Go ahead and click on the hider to get an info dump on the world and how it works![/indent] 

[hider=World Info] 

[u]The World[/u]
This is the world of Aruth, a world almost entirely submerged in an endless ocean, named by the people “The Mother Ocean” for all life came from her and all life shall eventually return to her. People live in either small villages, large man-made floating cities, or constantly traveling in their ships across the endless Mother Ocean. One major difference of the Mother Ocean is of her “Water Boundaries” which divide much of the world. Different sections of the Mother Ocean are blocked off by giant waterfalls, and are impossible unless the proper routes are followed or if you find an Aether Canal, which can rise or lower your ship into the new waters.  

Flora and fauna have changed with the world as well. Floating forests, new creatures and giant beasts all roam this changed world alongside humanity. 

While “countries” are few and far between due to the lack of enough land to connect people together, several governing bodies are recognized through the world. These bodies are separated by the Water Boundaries that divide the Mother Ocean into seven “Seas” 

[u]The South Sea[/u]
A large archipelago of small islands in the southern seas of the Mother Ocean. This tropical area is home to many small villages, farms and small barge colonies. The Free Islands are in the most shallow part of the Mother Ocean, and the safest waters in the Mother Ocean. Each island village is run by a chief, and all the chiefs on the South Islands meet at the Chief-Moot every full moon to discuss politics in the islands. 

[u]The Imperial Sea[/u] 
The most populated seas, commanded by the Crown Emperor Gaius Starwind, these seas are a huge military might in the Mother Ocean. The capital city is Galma, an incredible man-made floating city that is said to be built upon a great ancient city. The empire is constantly warring with the other seas, always vying for more power.

[u]The Frozen Sea[/u]
The frozen northlands, these seas are home to a giant glacial continent where many people live. These waters are known for their extreme dangers, both from beasts and the climate, and many well respected Divers have hailed from the Frozen Capital of Windkeep. 

[u]The Dragon Sea[/u] 
A dangerous sea of storms and monsters to the far east, those who hail from the small islands of the Dragon Sea are well known artisans, warriors and merchants. The capital city is Xian, home of an imperial dynasty amid a thin archipelago of islands. 

[u]The Sea of Stars[/u] 
The westernmost sea, this sea is home to ancient floating shell colonies where people float on the backs of giant ancient creatures. Legends state that it is from these cephalopods that mankind learned how to wield the magic of the aether. 

[u]The Lost Sea[/u] 
The tallest sea in the Mother Ocean and one covered in thick, deadly fog. Many adventurers do not return from the lost sea, though old divers tell of ancient treasures and rich cities that lie hidden under its deadly waters. 

[u]The Sea of Ancients[/u] 
The second highest sea and one home to researchers of ancient machina, the Sea of Ancients is a dangerous but lucrative place and the home of the Diver’s Guild, the foremost adventurer’s guild in the Mother Ocean. 

[u]Aether[/u] 
In the time after the Mother Ocean took back the world, people learned a new power connected to this changed world: Aether. Those who wield aether are either tied to the Sun, using magic based on the ocean winds, or to the Moon, using the magic of the seas themselves. Aether is also used in forging Aetheric Weapons, which have elemental properties and are useful fighting some of the deadlier monsters of the deep. Many ships have an Aether Engine, which is all but required in the deepest waters to keep moving in places with no wind, but also to protect the ship from giant beasts. 

Using Aether can be a valuable tool. For example, Moon Aethers can use water to heal wounds, wind aether users can use the winds to cleave through enemies. But these powers are limited, due to the human body being a fragile thing. Aether is limited, and the more a person uses their power, the weaker they grow. Use it too much, and you could become comatose. 

[u]Divers[/u]
Divers are the adventurers of the world. Divers travel in parties via ships, helping others, searching for treasure, and the greatest Divers search for the lost city of Gaea, the ancient capital. The Diver’s Guild is in the city of Forres, in the Sea of Ancients, though smaller Diver’s Guilds are found throughout the seven seas. The Guild Master of the Divers is a famous adventurer known as Jerrah Shieldshell, a powerful warrior and wielder of Aether. 
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[indent]I hope that my info dump helped! If you're interested, go ahead and drop a post! If you have questions, and I expect there to be a lot, go ahead and ask! I'm always happy to help ease out the wrinkles of world-building and make this a more understandable world. Just consider this: characters on ships sailing the seas, searching for ancient artifacts, learning magic and battling huge and sometimes horrifying sea monsters. The landscapes, the places we visit, will be alien, awe-inspiring or nightmare inducing. And that's half the fun![/indent]