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[i]Erane, the birthplace of civilization. The continent and its surrounding isles remained the sole home of life. Explorations beyond the shore of Erane left little discovery but inhabitable volcanic isle and deathly mist. Not to be mistaken for simple ocean fog, the mist claimed the life of those who breathed in the sickly sweet air. A curse that claimed the lives of unwary sailors. Those who survived were left wounded, bone becoming aquamarine and skin turning pallid. Not even the most powerful of magic could cure the ones cursed by mist.

Since records were first written, the peoples of Erane thrived on their bountiful and diverse lands. Kingdoms and countries were born and had fallen. But they remained within their borders of the ocean, none daring to venture near the fog. Not that there was anything of value to find on those volcanic isles.

Then a path cleared. A channel of unblighted air. Expeditions of the foolhardy and curious lead to the discovery of a new, habitable land. Mistlund, as it came to be known. Just as bountiful as Erane, yet unclaimed by any major power. Ruins of an ancient civilization that held bountiful treasures, stronger than what the finest mages and craftsmen on the main continent could create.

With the return of the expeditionary ship, soon every man and woman began to make pilgrimage to the new land hopes of achieving their dream. Riches, a new start, adventure, battle, and everything in between.

It had been 60 years since first contact. The wilds of Mistlund had proved dangerous. Very few cities had been established throughout the land, either destroyed by the native beasts or threatened away by the native inhabitants. The most notable of the cities is Haven. Protected by talismans and the commensal relationship they have to the peoples of Mistlund, Haven acts as the landing point for every adventurer. It's a place where one can get a fresh start, though danger could be found at every corner.[/i]
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[hider=Races]
Keep in mind, this is a barebones framework of the common races of Mistlund and Erane meant as a basic outline to important or notable races that inhabit the lands. By no means is it meant to limit one's character creation.

[b]Humans[/b] form the bulk of Erane's population, intermingling with most sociable peoples across the continent. There isn't much to say about them, besides them possibly the most varied race. They have no special aptitude nor specific weakness.

[b]Elves[/b] are considerably more rare. With long lifespans and a higher capability for magic, the majority of pure elves do not concern themselves with conflicts and events of outside their homes. The elves that do travel, however, are often regarded as aloof without any sense of time. Their immense lifespans often make for a more lackadaisical nature when it comes to any sort of urgency. Elves that are raised among humans and other races do not have this issue.

[b]Iksal[/b] are among the newfound races found in Mistlund. Primarily found on the coasts, they are a deeply spiritual people with a similar appearance to humans, though one can easily tell them apart by the set of horns on their head. In terms of magic, Iksal have zero capability. Instead, Iksal create ornate carvings and decorations that act as a voiceless prayer for their divine powers. Thanks to this ability, Iksal are the sole known race that can cure the curse of the mist. It's even possible for them to repel it. It is due to them that Haven is safe from anything that can bring the curse.

[b]Dragons[/b] are a legendary creature famed for their intelligence and ability with magic. Not to be mistaken for the draconic beasts such as wyverns, drakes, wyrms, sea serpents, etc. It is said that magic was a gift taught to the ancient races by the dragons. It is unknown if dragons still exist in the world. Evidence of there existence can be found in their descendants. While rare, it's not impossible for someone to have a drop of dragon blood within them. [/hider]

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[hider=Magic]
Magic is one's ability to impose their will on the physical world, so to speak. On a fundamental level, all living creatures have an intrinsic tie to magic and its fundamental forces. A race's magical capability is only an average of how well someone from that race can [i]control[/i] said magic. Because of this, all beings have a resistance to being directly affected by other's wills. In other words, to create fire and burn someone with it is easy. To turn someone to ash with a thought is almost unachievable. Fundamentally, it is impossible to do something like stop a heart or exsanguinate a living being without using a created medium to do so, like a big magic rock or dozens of magic blades. 

The exception to these rules are the gods themselves. While most of the divine stay out of worldly affairs, they still have (for better or worse) some influence on the world. By using the prayers, curses, or will of the people, they can influence the world in some way. Healing, buffs to one's body, curses, transformations, druidic power, and more all come from the influence of the divine.[/hider]

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[hider=Gods]
The pantheon of Erane is diverse. Because of the differences in culture between the free-thinking species, different gods could be the same god, but with different meanings and stories ascribed to their actions. As with races, this is not intended to be a rigid list of gods. More of the important gods and lore on why things work as they do.

Gods are separated into two groups. The lawful pantheon are the gods that respond to prayer with their power. They often have unwritten ways of life that worshipers must follow in order to borrow their power. On the flip side, the chaotic pantheon are the gods that don't follow any rules to interfere with the mortal coil. They often govern fundamental forces like nature. As they are chaotic and have no defined method of being invoked, they too can respond to prayer. Though, it is more often than not that said prayers go unheard.

[b]Arlasahn[/b] is a lawful god recognized by most nations and factions in Erane. She is depicted as a woman covered in radiant veils and is one of the few gods that require permanent places of worship. As a result, a network of affiliated churches formed into one of the largest factions in Erane. The beliefs required to invoke her power are simple but rigid. One must live an austere life devoted to her and protect the weak from harm. Very few adventurers actually worship her because of this. Still, the holy wards, radiant smites, and blessed heals that the priests and paladins offer to those in trouble are well loved by fledgling adventurers. However, Arlasahn does require material sacrifice for this healing. Mostly in the form of gold. Austerity for those she blesses, after all.

[b]Merkava[/b] is the god that the Iksal worship. Little is known about the god, as the Iksal state using anything other than the strange language of their decorations to describe Merkava is sacrilege. Merkava is one of the few gods able to interact with the mist.[/hider]

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[hider=Factions][b]The Church of Arlasahn[/b] is among the largest factions on Erane. Devout worshippers of the god, they are affiliated into two arms. The church arm which creates places of worship and aids those in need. The military arm actively campaigns against the terrors that adventurers are unable to face. While found in every nation, they are technically unaffiliated with any state. Despite their current action, groups have formed that reject the church due to the church's storied past. In Mistlund, the presence of the church is significantly less. They still have places of worship that anyone can visit for help and their paladins crusade against beasts and monsters that threaten the settlements, but they are nowhere near as prolific as the main continent.

[b]The Adventurer's Guild[/b] is possibly the largest faction in Mistlund. As the majority of Mistlund is unexplored land filled with treasure, the adventurer's guild is busier as ever. They act primarily as a middleman between merchants, artisans, adventurers, and mercenaries. They primarily are a resource for every adventurer, as they handle every single request in relation to Haven. In terms of structure, the Adventurer's Guild has holdings in every possible business that an adventurer would need. They have receptionists across the various settlements in Mistlund, but the majority are simple outposts. Their headquarters in in Haven.

[b]The Grey Feather[/b] are a faction of nobles and their supporters. In their native country of Parnvall, a brutal battle of succession happened as the previous king failed to name a successor. As a result, the royal family and their allegiences had fractured between the group that supported the first son and the second son. A third faction involving the eldest daughter sought peace, but had since been attacked by the first prince and second prince factions They escaped to Mistlund, with nowhere else to call their home. They do take issue with the paladins of Arlasahn, causing some contention within Haven.

[b]The Circle of Arcana[/b] are a group of mages dedicated to studying the mist and the odd magics that have cropped up in Mistlund. They are often are in contention with the native Iksal, as their rampant study conflicts with the introverted nature of the Iksal spiritualists. 

[b]The Iksal[/b] are a coastal group of spiritual pacifists. Despite their aversion to speak about themselves, their ways or any part of Mistlund itself, they quickly allied themselves with the races that came across the sea. In Haven, Iksal command high respect because of their talismans placed on the walls of Haven that ward off danger. It is not uncommon for someone to be defeated by beasts on the outskirts of Haven, only to wake up inside the walls covered in talismans. They are the only known group of people that can cure the mist's curse.[/hider]

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[hider=Locations][b]Erane[/b] is the mainland that was once considered to be the sole habitable continent. With great size and diverse landscapes, Erane is host to dozens of nations and factions as distinct as can be.

[b]Parnvall[/b] is a landlocked nation near the center of Erane. Claiming numerous mountains, it controls a significant number of paths that make it a center for mercantilism. With the sudden death of the most recent king and without a named successor, it is currently on the verge of civil war.

[b]Mistlund[/b] is the recently discovered land found after the mist had cleared. It is known to the mainlanders to be a place where anyone can have a new start, away from the politics of Erane. Despite this, it's still a highly dangerous land with pockets of dangerous mist and beasts stronger than on Erane.

[b]Haven[/b] is the coastal city and largest settlement on Mistlund. Ruled by a council consisting of the Church of Arlasahn, the Adventurer's Guild, and representatives of the citizens, Haven runs surprisingly well. Great stone walls painted in talismans surround the city and its 5 districts.
[b]The Hillside District[/b] contains the Arlasahn church and is primarily residential.
[b]The Ports[/b] are, well, the ports. They contain mostly fishing businesses, open markets, and the smell of salt water.
[b]The Town Centre[/b] is the busiest district. It contains the vast majority of shops and services. The Adventurer's Guild is located here, as well as town hall.
[b]The Sunken Horns[/b] is the least developed district, named after the horn-like rock faces one sees while inside. One could consider it a slum and refuge for the less reputable people in Haven. It is a natural ravine and cave system with a complex maze of bridges that connect and bridge any gap. Strangely, the Iksal choose to live inside the sunken horns rather than anywhere else. It is host to a much less reputable market than above.
[b]The Highland District[/b] is located beside the hillside district. It is the most developed district in Haven, with manors and luxury businesses. The land of the highland district is divvied up by the wealthiest people in Haven and their businesses.[/hider]

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[hider=The Curse of the Mist]Even though the most dense of the mist has faded, the risk of breathing in the sickly sweet air still exists. Unlike the ocean's death sentence, Mistlund's corruption is far less intense. It has a tendency to build up rather than instantly inflict the full extent of symptoms. At first, one experience's fatigue and their magic becomes more difficult to control. Then, their skin becomes pallid and dry with cracks forming at joints. The fatigue will then become more volatile as the cursed will occasionally become unconcious. Finally, the death sentence: one's bone turns to aquamarine and their blood vanishes.

While incurable by magic and most prayer, the capabilities of the Iksal mean that it is still curable. Relics and curatives that can prevent or cure the ailment may exist in the wildlands.[/hider]

[b]Character Sheet[/b]
[code][img]characterimagehere[/img]
[b]Name:[/b] (and any other things your character is called)
[b]Description:[/b] (think of this as a mixture of personality, history, and how others see them. Try to include why they travelled to Mistlund/became an adventurer.)
[b]Capabilities:[/b] (What your character is good at. Also includes things like magic. I don't mind lists or general descriptions of what they can do.)
[b]Equipment:[/b] (What important things they hold. Could be weapons and armour, could be keepsakes. Anything of note, really.)[/code]