[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/JugDRpE.png[/img][/center][center][h2][i][color=#A3A3A3]H[/color] [color=#A9A9A9]e[/color] [color=#B0B0B0]a[/color] [color=#B6B6B6]v[/color] [color=#BDBDBD]e[/color] [color=#C3C3C3]n[/color] [color=#CACACA]l[/color] [color=#D1D1D1]y[/color]    [color=#DEDEDE]S[/color] [color=#E4E4E4]t[/color] [color=#EBEBEB]e[/color] [color=#F1F1F1]e[/color] [color=#F8F8F8]l[/color][/i][/h2][/center][hr][hr]
[center][i]The Warring Lands are no more. Yu, Xiang, Zhuwei, Dongnu, and countless other little empires are no more. Forged from the crucibles of war, the great country of Beinan now stands above all others. United under one banner, unified under one vision, and led by their Heavenly Emperor blessed by the Celestial Heavens themselves, a Black Peace now descends upon the lands. It is a time of reconstruction, of renewal, of the rise of the new from the dead ashes of the old. 

If only it was to last. 

It has been ten years since the end of the Great Unification, and the pains of grudges of yesteryears are not so easily forgotten. Centuries of warfare had led to centuries of grievances between the states of Beinan, grudges which could no longer be swiftly satisfied with blood. And in the midst of it all, the savage Elves of the North have once again started raiding and reaving their way south into Beinan, killing with wanton slaughter as they harvest innocent souls for their dark needs. The Heavenly Emperor, in their divine wisdom, has turned Beinan's focus towards the Elves, bringing to bear the might of armies which had sharpened themselves in the unification of the Warring Lands, and now equipped with the finest arms and armor the world has ever seen.

Whether it will be enough to save the nascent nation from buckling underneath its own weight has still yet to be seen.[/i][/center][hr][hr][h2][color=darkgray]Initial Hook[/color][/h2]
	In the Heavenly Emperor's infinite wisdom, they have commissioned swathes of merchants in sending relief supplies to the beleaguered towns among the northern provinces. You are traveling in one such merchant caravan, headed to one such town by the name of Ssanjuu. A border city that is no stranger to the ravages of the Northern Elves, it is otherwise notable for being one of the many blacksmithing towns situated along the Arcane River which makes use of the water's unique properties in crafting fine arms and goods. Your reasons for joining the caravan are your own, and Ssanjuu is in no position to deny aid from any and all who are willing to give it.
[h2][color=darkgray]Lore[/color][/h2]
[hider=Races][list][*][b]Humans[/b] - The most common race and the one which receives the most attention from the gods, for better or worse
[*][b]Aspected[/b] - Humans which have been blessed, or cursed, by one of the many gods which live in the lands of Beinan. These folk often exhibit some sort of physical characteristic from their patron, whether it be something as innocuous as sharper teeth or tinged skin, or something as radical as a full transformation into something new and terrible which align with the visions of their patron. Most are born already Aspected, either from human families or Aspected lines from those who have the same patron
[*][b]Elves[/b] - Mysterious, carnivorous, and terrifying, elves are a different species entirely from humans and the Aspected, even if there are some visual similarities. Born from the pods of Great Trees which are connected the heartbeat of the world, they are genderless with no distinct sexual characteristics. While there are a few Great Trees littered throughout Beinan, co-existence has not always been easy with their human neighbors, and even less so with their Northern cousins always conducting vicious raids which scar many who have experienced those horrors.[/list][/hider]
[hider=The Great Unification]While the Warring Lands had been in conflict with each other for over five hundred years, it only took twenty for the Heavenly Emperor to bring them all to heel. Starting from the small empire of Fei, a once small state on the verge of being consumed by its neighbors in the never-ending exchange of power that plagued the Warring Lands, it was only by the Heavenly Emperor's boundless wit and charisma did they save the state of Fei from destruction. Allying themselves with what were once mortal enemies, the Heavenly Emperor proved that they were first and foremost a unifier of men. From there, the Heavenly Emperor's vision of a unified nation spread outward, folding in those who were wise enough to follow the Heavenly Emperor. Those who weren't were brought to heel first through fire and iron, and then later on through steel and powder.[/hider]
[hider=Gender Roles in Beinan]While there have been recent attempts in bringing equality between the genders, it is a slow process. For centuries, it has been accepted that men are fierce and conquer, while women are wise and take care of home and hearth. Men would be soldier, hunters, and go out to be foreign merchants and diplomats. Women would be scribes, accountants, or handling the intricacies of internal trade and diplomacy. Those that do not fit this binary must be exceptional, such as the Heavenly Emperor, or face heavy discrimination and scrutiny. That, or they're dirty elves.[/hider]
[hider=Magic in Beinan]Powerful warriors, reclusive scholars, wielders of awesome and terrifying power, magicians have always influenced the history of the world. However, during the Heavenly Emperor's rise a brutal system had been implemented to limit the wrath and destruction of these powerful individuals, a system which has now spread to all of Beinan.

All magical citizenry in Beinan must submit to receiving an Imperial Mark which tracks them at all times. An Imperial Mark can only be given after passing an Imperial Magical Exam conducted all throughout the land. Most are forced to attend and study in one of several Imperial Circles of Magi set up and maintained by the new Beinan government, though there have been tales of hermits and enlightened cultivators passing through their own study. However, there is an inherent risk in doing so as the citizenry in recent years have become especially frightened and fearful of these rogue individuals, and apostates are hunted down with impunity if they do not comply with these new Imperial mandates.[/hider]
[hider=Religion and Cosmology of Beinan]
The world as envisioned by Beinan is separated into the Three Realms: the Heavens, the Earth, and the Underworld. Like the Earth, Beinan acknowledges that their concepts of the Heavens and the Underworld are but one part of the greater Cosmos as a whole, theirs but one nation in competition with the others.

[b]The Heavens[/b]
[indent]The First Nation, and the one which all nations in Beinan and the Underworld model themselves after. Just like how the Imperial Court now presides over all Beinan, the Celestial Court presides over the Heavens themselves, and thus is a power above even the Imperial Court itself. Like the Imperial Court, those who directly rule in the Celestial Court itself remain aloof to their subjects below, even as they take on the awesome responsibility of protecting and providing for all who lie under their domain. The only communications that come from the Celestial Palace is relayed down to the Earth and Underworld by the Celestial Dragon, First Steward of the Heavens. With the Imperial Court modeling themselves as the representatives of the Celestial Court on Earth, and the Celestial Dragon granting his direct blessings to the Heavenly Emperor themself, the only time dragons should ever be displayed or used are to be in direct relation with the Imperial Family itself.

This causes dragon Aspected individuals to be in an odd spot, though many are given the option of being folded into the Imperial Family whether there is a direct blood relation or not, becoming new branch families. 

The First Emperor was also previously known as the Heavenly Emperor, until the Heavenly Emperor on Earth claimed the title themself. While once sacrilegious, a lack of punishment from the Heavens and the completion of the Great Unification has quieted these concerns for now. There are some who even posit now that the Heavenly Emperor is a reincarnation of the First Emperor, or is the First Emperor themself, again with a lack of retaliation from the Heavens themselves. [/indent]

[b]Gods on Earth[/b]
[indent]Like the Imperial Court, the Celestial Court cannot hope to run the Heavens without its innumerable workers and bureaucrats which make up its inner workings. Granted domains and responsibilities of their own, many of them concerning the Earth below, gods and their representatives of all shapes and sizes come down to the Earth to conduct their work. With the Celestial Court's infinite responsibilities, there are as many gods as there are stars in the sky. Some may shine brighter than others, with Gods of War, Gods of Magic, Gods of Knowledge and so forth standing next to Gods of Grasshoppers, Gods of Reeds, and so on, none of them are any less important than the other in the eyes of the First Emperor. 

It is commonly believed that the Celestial Court records the actions of every soul on Earth in order to determine whether they ascend to the Heavens and take their place in the Celestial Court, whether they are reincarnated anew onto the Earth, or whether the need to be unformed and remade in the Underworld.[/indent]

[b]Spirits on Earth[/b]
[indent]Spirits are a different classification of beings from gods. Whereas the gods come down from the Heavens themselves, spirits are creatures which come from the Earth and the Underworld. The manifestation of rivers, the souls of mountains, the beasts which hide themselves in the night and the winds which move the sky, they are the caretakers and wardens of their realms. The greater machinations of the Heavens often does not concern them, the lives and whims of the mortals which cross their path oft even less so.[/indent]

[b]The Underworld[/b]
[indent]A primordial abyss, the Underworld is where everything can be unmade, and where everything can be made anew. Like the Heavens and the Earth, the Underworld has its own court and systems. Even less than the Heavens however, the courts of the Underworld are even less concerned with the inane machinations of the Earth. Responsible for the care and guidance of new souls which are birthed from the Abyss, they are just as responsible for the souls which are cast back down from the Earth and Heavens, those who hold too much Evil at their core and must be remade under the harsh punishments enacted by the Underworld Courts. They are not a perfect system, but they are nevertheless the wardens which hold back the greatest Evils the Cosmos has birthed.[/indent][/hider]
[hider=Technology]The Warring Lands had seen both eras of Bronze and Iron, but under the Heavenly Emperor's divine direction, the Great Unification had signaled a new age of warfare of Gunpowder and Steel. At first arming only their most trusted cohorts, the secrets of steel-making has slowly started to disseminate throughout the population, and the deadly effectiveness displayed by the simple muskets the Heavenly Emperor's legions had made use of ensured its rapid research and adoption. Beyond that, the rice-cement has still proven to be the most steadfast ally of the growing nation, as it had been for its many forbearers, but the new proliferation of trade and ideas has seen a renaissance of melding the many disparate styles spread across Beinan into something unique and new.[/hider]
[hider=Foreign Culture in Beinan]While there has always been an interest in far-off lands, the instability of the Warring Lands had made it difficult for any sort of reliable trade or exchange of ideas to flourish. Now however, under Beinan and the Heavenly Emperor's infinite wisdom, concerted effort has been made to court dignitaries and trade from all across the world to come and be awed by the beauty of a unified Beinan.[/hider]
[hr][hr]
[hider=CS][code][COLOR=BFAFB2][CENTER][h1][COLOR=Silver]( your character's name )[/COLOR][/h1][/CENTER]
[table][row][/row][row][cell][IMG](your character art/face-claim)[/IMG]
[CENTER][SUB]________________________________________[/SUB][/CENTER][CENTER][SUB][COLOR=Silver][b]
(character full name)
[/b][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#807B84] (character gender) [/COLOR] | [COLOR=#807B84] (character occupation) [/COLOR] | [COLOR=#807B84] (character race) [/COLOR][/SUB][/CENTER][CENTER][SUP]_______________________________________________[/SUP][/CENTER]
[hider=// PERSONALITY][indent][SUB][b]P E R S O N A L I T Y[/b][/sub]

[sup][COLOR=SILVER][b]Character Trait[/b]
[COLOR=#807B84]Explain a bit about your character's personality.[/COLOR][/COLOR]

[COLOR=SILVER][b]Character Trait[/b]
[COLOR=#807B84]Explain a bit about your character's personality.[/COLOR][/COLOR]

[COLOR=SILVER][b]Character Trait[/b]
[COLOR=#807B84]Explain a bit about your character's personality.[/COLOR][/COLOR]
[/SUP][/indent][/hider]
[hider=// SKILLSET][indent][SUB][b]S K I L L S E T[/b][/sub]

[sup][COLOR=SILVER][b]Skill Trait[/b]
[COLOR=#807B84]Explain a bit about your character's skills and abilities.[/COLOR][/COLOR]

[COLOR=SILVER][b]Skill Trait[/b]
[COLOR=#807B84]Explain a bit about your character's skills and abilities.[/COLOR][/COLOR]

[COLOR=SILVER][b]Skill Trait[/b]
[COLOR=#807B84]Explain a bit about your character's skills and abilities.[/COLOR][/COLOR]

[/SUP][/indent][/hider]
[/cell][cell][b]Physical Description[/b]
[color=#807B84][indent]What's their normal attire? Any identifying marks? Anything that might not be readily apparent from a glance at the image?
[/indent][/color]
[b]Motivation[/b]
[color=#807B84][indent] How did your character come to be today. What has happened to them, what drives them, why would they think syrup is baby food, etc.[/indent][/color]
[b]Other Information[/b]
[color=#807B84][indent] Anything else that might not have been covered above

[/indent][/color]
[/cell][/row][/table][/COLOR][/code][/hider]