Dear applicant, We are delighted to inform you that you have been accepted into the Alveos Adventure Academy. When I founded this place of learning all those years ago, I had a few goals in mind. I wanted to prepare the next generation to be ready to face the dangers of the world around us. I wanted to bring peace to a troubled land. Finally, I wanted to create a place where the varied inhabitants of our beautiful home could learn to coexist and settle disputes before violence needs to break out. You have been chosen to join that legacy of peace and a brighter world. It will be a tough road, but we are all grateful for who you will become along the way. Welcome. Headmaster Jorgle Shalewater Alveos is a world comprised of elemental planes fused to create a single realm of natural splendor. There is one realm for each element (water, earth, air, fire, wood, metal, lighting and ice), as well as a central neutral realm where the central ruling powers reside. The realms sentient inhabitants include elementals, beastfolk, elves, halfling, and humans. The elves serve as the primary ruling and diplomats while the elementals control each individual realm. Beastfolk serve as the link between higher species and the creatures found throughout the world. Halflings are a short race who promote peace and simple pleasures. Finally, humans, though shortlived, are numerous and house the most religious individuals on Alveos. Alveos is a world rich with mana that fuels the magic of the realm. Most people can use at least a little magic. Adventurers often pick up magic to help supplement their other skills. Some even choose to go so far as to specialize in using magic and becoming great mages. However, not all is well in the world. Monsters swarm the world threatening to to destroy the delicate balance that has been maintained. There are also rumors of something lurking in the shadows, looming a threat over the future of Alveos. Though each realm has its own military, many choose to become adventurers to be free to help without obligations to national interests. The roleplay will focus on young individuals learning how to deal with the world around them and their instructors try to train and encourage the next generation. *Please post characters here for me to review before posting them in the character section. [hider=Races] There are five core races available to play for this RP. There is a variety in the midst of these core races, however. Humans: Humans in this world are similar to humans in most settings. In Alveos, they are the most short-lived of the races. They supplement their relative brevity with faster breeding times and strong convictions. Most humans are a part of the Church of the Twelve Stars. The religion states that there is one creator deity, who mediates the world through the angels represented by the twelve zodiac. See below for more information. Elementals: Elementals are creatures made from pure elemental energy. The most primordial race found on Alveos, the race was originally represented by four subraces: fiery salamanders, airy sylphs, aquatic undines, and the down-to-earth gnomes. However, when their four separate realms fused in the distant past, four new races and planes were formed at the boundaries. The border of water and air founded the plane of wood and their elementals the dryads. Likewise, water and earth created the realm of ice, inhabited by the Yuki. Earth and fire created the plane of metal with its denizens, the dwarfs. Finally, fire and air fused to create the plane of lightning and it's people, the Rai. Elementals can live to be nearly 1000 years old and rarely die early unless they are actively killed. While in their home, they take the forms of beings made of pure elemental substance. However, to travel from their designated locus, they take on humanoid forms with skin tones, hair colors, and markings giving away their true nature. Dwarves have hair made of different metallic filaments, such as copper or gold. A dryad might have dark tan skin and green hair mimicking a tree. A gnome might have grey skin tones and amethyst crystals for hair. Elementals tend to embody the extremes of the personalities of their elements. Salamanders are passionate and emotional. Undines are contemplative. Sylphs love freedom and having a good time. Gnomes are stable and dependable, though they can also be stubborn. Yuki are stoic and blunt. Dryads are nurturing and protective. Rai are full of life and energy. Finally, dwarves are determined and diligent. Elementals of opposite energies often struggle with each other and never form long term romantic relationships and are unable to produce children. Here are the opposing pairs: Fire Vs. Water Earth Vs. Air Wood Vs. Metal Lightning Vs. Ice Elves: The elves were divinely created to serve as the ruling class and the mediators for the races of Alveos. They hail from the central plane of Elwyn, where the Academy is located. Elves are divided into four different subraces based on the seasons, as well as associated with certain elements and aspects of a person. Spring elves mediate for the elements of air and wood and represent the spirit. Summer elves moderate the elements of fire and lightning and represent the heart. Autumn elves advocate for the elements of earth and metal while representing the body. Finally, winter elves govern the elements of water and ice and represent the mind. An elf's subrace is determined by the time of birth and not by the parents' subrace. Elves can live for hundreds of years. Beastfolk: Beastfolk are the race that serves as the link between the sentient, humanoid races of Alveos and the animal kingdom. They are varying levels of bestial, from simply having different ears and a tail, to fully anthropomorphic animals. They often mimic attitudes of the animals they share kinship with. Some examples include kitsune, merfolk, melusines, and butterfly folk (similar to faeries and pixies that you usually see.) Beastfolk live about twice as long as humans. Halfling: Halfings are the shorter, more stable cousins of the humans. Halfings love nothing more than the simple pleasures in life. One might think this would make them poor adventurers, but the halflings also have a deep appreciation for a good story and the desire to experience them sometimes drives the simple folk to travel to see the world. Halflings live about twice as long as humans and eat about twice as much as well. NPC Races Monsters: Monsters are the preeminent problem on Alveos. Chaotic and destructive, they seek nothing short of destroying the life that is maintained on Alveos. A key role of the Academy is learning to use your talents to fend off these beasts. Variations include savage chimeras and manticores, cruel hags, mindless goblins, and a plethora of other foul and offensive creatures. However, the most feared are the Hara. These monsters were once the very inhabitants of Alveos that make up the playable races. However, at some point, a powerful curse plague was unleashed upon the inhabitants of the world. It transformed the inhabitants into bloodthirsty creatures of the night. Shortly after their discovery, the angels were forced to intervene and quarantined the creatures to a separate plane. Whenever spotted, they are quarantined until heavenly help arrives. The corruption affected each race differently. Elves were transformed into graceful but bloodthirsty vampires. Humans decayed into zombie hordes. Their cousins the halflings transformed into gluttonous ghouls. The elementals, so tied to the land, became ghosts that haunted their homes and corrupting the very earth around them. Finally, the beastfolk transformed into lycanthropes, forced to separate the civilized sapient forms and the savage animals underneath. Lycanthropes transform under the new moon, when the angel Selune's power is at its weakest. Angels: The divine servants of the creator, their home is the heavenly realm of the stars. They serve as the mediators between creation and creator. They are represented by the twelve zodiac constellations. The two most powerful are the king and queen, Solarion and Seluna. Solarion controls the sun and is the head of the angelic hosts. Seluna rules the moon and has made it her mission to contain and hopefully cure the Hara. [/hider] [hider=Major] Warrior: Warriors are fighters who focus on strength and melee fighting. They may supplement their attacks with magic, but they primarily focus on strong, straight forward melee attacks. Examples: Fighter, Paladin, Samurai, Dark Knight Light Armor: This includes classes that prefer dexterity based approaches, either through ranged attacks or strategic precision attacks. Examples include: Rangers, rogues, archers, monk Mage: Mages specialize in utilizing magic to its fullest extent. Most mages choose to specialize in one of the primary magic types. Some types, such as elemental magic, may produce even further specializations. See the magic section for more details. [/hider] [hider=Magic] Magic is pervasive in Alveos. The leylines of the plane stretch everywhere and mana is abundant. To utilize magic in Alveos, people take the raw mana of the leylines and channel it through their souls, refining it into the desired form, before releasing it back out. Magic in Alveos falls into eight categories as follows: Elemental: Elemental magic draws from the elemental powers surrounding the plane. Created by the elements, the magic is divided amongst the eight elemental types: water, air, earth, fire, wood, lighting, ice, and metal. Cosmic: Cosmic magic manipulates space and time. One of the two magics created by the angels, it is very difficult to achieve advanced ranks that allow for large scale manipulations. However, spells that affect very local areas can include speeding up or slowing down time for an individual, inverting gravity in a small area, or teleporting a short distance. Divine: Divine magic contains the primary healing magic as well as the holy offensive spells used to fight of the monsters and evil forces of the world. This is the second of the two magics created by the angels. Summon: Summon magic was created by the beastfolk to call for their animal allies in their time of need. This magic allows the user to conjure beasts and beings for a short time while giving the ability to give limited commands. Arcane: Created by the elves, arcane magic is the purest form of magic. Arcane magic abilities include countering other spells, enhancing other spells, and blasting foes with pure mana bursts. Alchemy: Alchemy is the magic of materials. Created by humans and halfings, it includes transmutation, the enchantment of magic items, and even the enhancement of one's own body. Illusion: Created by the Hara, but since adapted for general use, illusion magic manipulates the mind and feelings of the target. this includes creating false sensory experiences, charming a foe, or even reading someone's mind. Necromancy: It is unknown who created the dark magic known as necromancy, but this forbidden magic is rarely performed by the average citizen of Alveos. It can be used to siphon life force, debilitate foes, or most heinously, spread and manipulate the Aracht curse plague that creates the Hara.[/hider] [hider=Familiars]Familiars are magical pets that bond with their owner. They can range from regular creatures with some small magical capacity to mythical creatures like phoenixes. Some familiar users enter tournaments where they pit their companions in friendly contests to determine who is the strongest.[/hider] [hider=Character Sheet] *For teachers and staff, place subjects that they teach or their role in the major role as well as the word Staff in front. Name: Gender: Race: Age: Major (Primary/Specialization): Familiar (optional): Appearance (Pictures and/or descriptions are acceptable.): Bio: Personality: [/hider]