[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/RxixWPF.png[/img]

[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdPZ5ee3tF4]♫ Those piled up "failures"...will become the key to "victory!" ♫[/url][/center]
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Welcome to an action-and-adventure-packed, medieval, time-regression power fantasy! If you weren't here for the Interest Check, here's a simple breakdown before you dive into the various hider tabs: You, the Players, will take on the role of the "Failed Generation," given a second chance to change their history! As direct bloodline members of House Kaides, one of the Great Three Clans of the Kingdom of Luzia, in your first life you disappointed the family with your lack of talent. Even though you attended the Collegem Yllustre, an elite school for the aristocracy and a place where future knights are trained in the arts of war, you could not Awaken your Aura before the age of 21. Whether you awakened it after that or not, without the power of Aura, House Kaides would never see you as a worthy warrior...

Then, the Demon War began. Monstrous beasts and evil creatures stormed over the lands, tearing apart everything in their paths! For five brutal, bloody years you fought tooth and nail to survive. Somehow, you remained when others, even those stronger than you, fell to the carnage. But, in the final battle, along with the poor and pitiful remnants of Luzia's army, you saw him: The Demon King.

You, like everyone else, died amidst flame and ruin. But, when next you opened your eyes...You found yourself [b]ten whole years[/b] in the past! Somehow, some way, you've been given a second chance! With all the knowledge you now carry, your experiences from the future, can you alter destiny? Not just for yourself, but for the whole world? Thus begins our tale!
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[center][hider=ORIGINAL PREMISE]
[h3][i][b]Failures, all of you.[/b][/i][/h3]
They told you that yours was "the weakest generation" [b]House Kaides[/b] had ever seen. Your generation was blamed for the fall of one of the Three Great Clans; for all their losses to their rivals in Houses Arkivum and Noxica. Since the time of the first Yllustrian kings, Kaides had served the [b]Royal Family of Luzia[/b] as its strongest, most loyal sword. Because of you, that sword was broken. Because of you, the kingdom fell. Because of you, the [b]Demons[/b] won.

It didn't matter that [b]Luzia acted too late[/b]. The [b]Elven[/b] civil war, the [b]peasant revolts[/b] in neighboring Geviel, and the decimation of tiny [b]Briterra[/b] right across the kingdom's border; none of these events provoked alarm, because the people trusted in the strength of House Kaides to protect them. The strength that your generation lacked.

Before the war, you struggled and suffered just to make it out of Kaides' [b]Collegem Yllustre[/b] alive. From the age of 14, your days became an endless cycle of training, bullying, and failure. As one of [b]direct blood[/b] to the House, you were expected to perform above and beyond the expectations of any [b]Vassal Families[/b]---or, at the very least, better than those riffraff squires seen as little more than fodder to whet Kaides' appetite for battle. Yet even for those of you who came of age, reaching 21 years before the war, you never truly "graduated." You had not even managed to undergo the [b]Awakening of your Aura[/b]. To House Kaides, it did not matter that a common warrior might train their entire lives to unlock that power---you were of Kaides, therefore to be the exception was to meet the standard. Some of you never finished Collegem at all. There was just no point in staying.

[b]But the war came regardless.[/b] Some of you were still in training, others had tried to make ends meet however they could. A few of you were even banished from the House outright---others of you settled for licking boots and bearing the weight of indignity, so that you could keep a roof over your head. Then, in [b]1012 YC[/b], an army unlike anything Luzia had ever seen marched on its borders. For [b]five more grueling years[/b], you went through battles that were more like meat grinders, over and over again. And somehow, where those stronger than you fell...you stayed alive. [b]You lost so much[/b]. Friends, family---even those precious few things you thought you could hold onto, what little dignity the Kaides and other Houses had not stripped from you. The Demons ripped it all away. Still you survived, until the very end.

Until you witnessed the [b]Demon King[/b] himself take the field.

[b]You, and the rest of Humanity, died that day amidst flames and ruin.[/b] As you slipped into darkness, at least there was finally peace. No more hardship. No more pain. No more failure to live up to a legacy you had never asked for. Then you opened your eyes, and found the world to be familiar yet strange. A memory surfaced, yet the image of your past was identical to your present...had everything you experienced been a dream? No...Somehow, you have [b]returned[/b]...

[h3][i][b]Ten years into the past...[/b][/i][/h3][/hider][/center]
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[center][h1]SETTING AND LORE[/h1][/center]
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[hider=HOUSE KAIDES]
To be part of House Kaides is to be part of the three most powerful and most prominent noble families in the kingdom. Roughly a thousand years ago, the "Yllustrian Kings" forcefully unified various "brutal and primitive" tribes in this land, but three of those tribes swore allegiance to him instead of fighting. The three Houses of Kaides, Arkivum, and Noxicana are the descendants of those tribals. [b]House Kaides prides itself on producing strong knights[/b]---which, in this setting's context, can mean any kind of warrior. Swordsmen, mace-and-shield wielding tanks, martial artists, archers, and so forth.

To produce these knights, House Kaides funds and administrates the Collegem Yllustre, which is known as the most prestigious knight training academy/military school/court university in the kingdom (based on [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collegium_illustre#:~:text=The%20Collegium%20illustre%20in%20T%C3%BCbingen,W%C3%BCrttemberg%20between%201596%20and%201688]this[/url] historical ducal academy). There are far more than just Kaides family members in attendance, though. And they teach more than just warfare; there are even Magic classes available, as necessity dictates the Kaides have at least a handful of Wizards in their employ.

All members of the Kaides family are enrolled in the Collegem when they reach 14 years of age. Depending on talent and achievements, one could graduate earlier, but the cut-off for the family's approval is age 21. At this time, regardless of how far they've come, a member of House Kaides would be expected to leave the Collegem and either report to the main house for their duties, or make their own way in the world---with the stern warning that if they ever disgrace the Kaides name, terrible punishment will follow. Unfortunately, those of the "Failed Generation" often did just that. 

One of the greatest stains on your honor as a member of House Kaides is that, by the time you were 21, you still had not Awakened your Aura. The power of Aura (see associated tab) allows a warrior to surpass their physical limits, and perform a variety of supernatural techniques beyond just swinging their weapon. At Character Creation, Players can build their Characters such that Awakening Aura at a later age is possible---it's just that, the first time around, this was a key point in the downward spiral of your life.

While it's relevant by the way: The definition of a "generation" for the purpose of this RP is anywhere between 20-30 years, so not EVERYONE has to attend the knight academy if they don't like the idea. And even those who want to attend the schooling don't have to start as 14 year olds.

[hider=PATRIARCH MARTENOS]
There is no question that Martenos is one of the strongest warriors House Kaides has produced in generations. A man who has attained the title of "Divine Sword," something most believed to be impossible, he can cut down a hundred foes without taking a single injury. The power of his Aura is so vast, some say that to witness it is like watching the stars descend to earth.

Unfortunately, it seems that his offspring did not inherit his ability. The man has had many, many children by multiple wives, and yet, somehow...he produced only a "Failed Generation." Some say he became so ashamed of his children, that it was the reason he began isolating himself from society. He is almost always off training with his troops, or making expeditions to take on the most dangerous missions the Crown has to offer.[/hider]
[hider=LEADING FIGURES]
[list][*]Austenos Kaides - Younger brother of Martenos, has at least 1 wife, maybe 2? Can be a Player Parent if needed.
[*]Fulvya Hastam-Kaides - Middle sister of Martenos and Austenos. Married to a Vassal Family that is a Branch of Kaides (far enough separation for no froggy-business), so by fictional inheritance laws the Main Family Name is kept over the Branch family name therefore her kids are all Kaides. She could also be a Player Parent if needed.
[*]Deividas Kaides - Younger brother of the PREVIOUS Patriarch, now in his 70s, has only 1 wife, but probably multiple adult children who could also be Player Parents if needed.
[*]Sylas Kaides - Oldest adult son of Deividas, most likely has only 1 wife. His children are said to have "escaped the curse," of the Failed Generation. Many of them are your former tormentors that we will now pound into the dirt >:D[/list][/hider]
[/hider]
[hider=THE CONTINENT AND OTHER LANDS]
[hider=KINGDOM OF LUZIA]
Covering roughly ~50,000 square miles in area, the kingdom's population is somewhere between 4 and 6 million. A little under 40% of its wilderness is uninhabited; a mountain range borders it to the north and one large section of a different range peaks at the southern end of its coastline. The sea is to its west; directly south is Geveil, and both Briterra and the Demon Lands each cover half its eastern border. The interior is largely temperate; some taiga can be found to the north, some tropics on the coast, and grasslands across much of the south-east before the south west gives way to marshy riverlands. The largest rivers are in the northeast and southwest corners, but there are many small bodies of water, brooks and streams, scattered throughout the Central Valleys---in that area in particular, the rise and fall of the land is not caused by mountainous terrain, but by ancient riverbeds and what may be prehistoric glacier tracks that are now long dry.

In terms of culture, think of it like Byzantium slowly emerging into Medieval Europe. Luzia's citizens are Humans by vast majority, though there are two Dwarven colonies beneath the southern peaks. Elves are only rarely seen, mostly along the River Borders due to the Kalygoh flowing south into their own lands.[/hider]
[hider=KINGDOM OF GEVIEL]
Larger in landmass and population, but militarily weaker, Geviel has an uneasy peace with Luzia. The countries have warred in the past, before sealing a truce with arranged marriages among both royalty and nobility on either side. Their major source of conflict now is trade, though there have been some territorial disputes over a set of islands in the western waters. Geviel has a much longer coastline on its west, a smaller gulf to its southeast, and more waterways within its borders. Its navy rules the ocean, being the one place where it has a distinct advantage over Luzia's forces. Though they are often harassed by corsair raiders, merchants enjoy lucrative businesses all over the country.

However, this has led to a trend of nouveau rich among Geviel's courts as the merchants amass more wealth than the nobles and buy their way into titles. Tensions are building between the wealthy and the poor, and their rulers are becoming more and more decadent. Another fault many Luzians find in Geviel is that it isn't so pious towards the church, which many believe has led to its degradation...in fact, some even say there are strange cults gathering power in farflung places.

Most of Geviel's military force is concentrated on the longer border it shares with the Demon Lands, just below Briterra's southernmost point. The fighting has been intensifying lately, attracting many mercenaries wishing to make their fortune, but the citizens of the interior have little idea of what goes on "out there," and have too many of their own problems to bother finding out.

Geviel has a lot of French influence in its design. Their population has a much, much higher number of Dwarves due to a large mountain range near the country's center holding an entire 13 colonies of the subterranean people. They also have more Elves, as they share a border with the elven lands, and have been staunch trade partners with them for years. Half-Elves are often seen here as well, not drawing quite so much stare or scandal as they would in Luzia.[/hider]
[hider=REPUBLIC OF BRITERRA]
This small nation nestled between Luzia and Geviel on one side, and the Demon Lands on the other, is a place born from sheer stubbornness. Those few tribes long ago who did not submit to the Yllustrian Kings fled far to the east, over the mighty rivers. In the early days when Geviel mostly consisted of city-states along the waters connected only by a loose confederation, the tribes of Briterra waged war on the most lonely of them and grew strong enough to hold their own. The Demon Lands were not quite so full of aggressive monsters as they are today at that time, so while they had to carve out a place for themselves in demon territory they were eventually able to expand. In time the Briterrans naturally fell to the course of history only a few more centuries after those they'd left behind in Luzia, but their unification came about differently. Each tribe (now fortified settlements and city-states) sent a representative to a Great Meeting, at which they negotiated for many days. The end result was a public forum established in each of the 5 largest territories, where a primitive form of democracy (really, no better than mob rule) elected two representatives. These representatives, totaling ten plus another three who were the strongest leaders among the separate tribes, then became the first Senate. They voted to select three from amongst themselves to serve as Triune Elected. 

From that point on, Briterra was ruled as a republic, though the separation of powers was very weak. Now, roughly 250 years later, the system has been refined for both better and worse. But more importantly, as of 1007 YC, Briterra has seen an extreme escalation in demon activity on their borders for the last 2 years. They are getting desperate and believe they must soon appeal to their larger brethren if they want any hope of salvation---however, it's no secret that Luzia would love to annex them and complete its thousand-year-conquest of the ancient tribes.[/hider]
[hider=YLF'ETHJYA]
This nation of the Elves is to the east of Geviel and south of the Demon Lands, separated from each by rivers and forests, respectively. The Elves have existed in a state of near constant war with demonkind, and seem to hate them as much as demons hate humans. The fighting on their border grows more intense during winter, as the great forests grow thinner and the demons try to press through the living barrier. But, because Demons have never been united, nor used advanced tactics save in the case of Devils, they have never truly fought on equal grounds with the Elves before...

The architecture and society of the Elves may seem quite archaic to people from Luzia, but it is as grand as any vision of the ancient world seen through paintings. It leaves one with a sort of renaissance feel, as if this place is the last remainder of so much that has been lost elsewhere. The elves often wear simple robes, togas, and tunics, though they often favor bright colors and glitzy jewelry.

Yet, they have precious few great libraries or universities. They have been slow to adapt to the many advancements of Humanity, for their longer age and somewhat passive personalities do not lend themselves well to industry. What knowledge they [i]have[/i] recorded, however, goes back further than any human historian could tell you---past the founding of Luzia, past even the days spoken of in ILA's holy texts.

The main problem Elves face in the current day is that of civil division---Dark Elves and Light Elves have long belonged to two different castes, despite the fact that whether an elf is born light or dark is a matter of sheer chance. It is more likely that two elf parents of the same type will produce offspring like themselves, but there is always a chance that the child may be born of the other type. No reason has ever been determined for this scientifically; the elves merely assign it to the will of their god. If elves do not wish to raise a child of a different kind than themselves, they will pass it on to another family, for elves often go quite long without engaging in reproductive activity and thus there will be a childless couple somewhere willing to take the baby. 

Traditionally, Dark Elves have always been hunters and resource-gatherers (like miners) while Light Elves have always been farmers and rulers. There are a few other roles the two take, and some even that they share like military service, but generally Dark Elves are those expected to "leave the village and return" while Light Elves are expected to "mind the home." After who knows how long, it seems that in recent decades the Dark Elves have begun to resent being the ones under the most occupational risk, as well as the fact that they have very little say in the elven system of (mostly theocratic, but monarchial) government.

The Light Elves' responses to these problems, however, have only caused greater strife. When a protest turned into a riot and was put down with martial force, the Dark Elves began to contemplate outright rebellion...[/hider]  
[hider=DEMON LANDS]
Deep, dark forests. Jungles where insects alone could strip a man down to his bones. Rocky badlands where enormous stones jut out of the earth like the fingers of a titan trying to desperately claw free of its prison. Rivers that run black; lakes where things lurk in the depths. Caves that expand miles beneath the earth, forming endless labyrinths. An enormous volcano, where they say the Demons sacrifice captured Humans and feast on Elf flesh.

Little is known about the Demon Lands, because few have ever survived any expeditions into it. It is known that there are some Demon settlements---Orcs make camps all over the place until they inevitably get destroyed by some other demons, then go make new ones. The Devils supposedly have an ancient city that could rival that of the Elves'. Some fools believe there might even be "peaceful" tribes of demons, living far enough away from Humans that they have no need to fight anymore.

It is only due to explorers on Gevelese and Elven ships that the world knows the Demon Lands even have an end---to the east, they eventually reach the sea, and in the far north the land begins to turn to solid ice where most living things cannot thrive. Were it not for this knowledge, which some don't even believe, it would be easy to think that the forces of darkness might cover all the world save the beacons of Human civilization.[/hider]
[hider=THE FAE ISLES AND THE FARLANDS]
Supposedly far across the western sea, there is a land where fairies dwell. What the fairies are, and what their world is like, no one truly knows. Myth and story abound, but the details are ever changing---are they like the elves, tall and slender, or so tiny they could stand on your fingertip? Do they have wings, or fly by aid of magic? Do they fear iron, or do they make gleaming swords for kings that catch their fancy? Do they even exist at all?

The Farlands, on the other hand, are a real place with real people---both humans and something else. Full-blooded Farlanders in the flesh are an even rarer sight in Luzia than the elves, but no one from the kingdom has ever seen this other race. The Gevelese have, and describe them as "animal people," but what that means seems to change with every telling from every sailor. Their merchant ships sail from the eastern coasts, past the ends of the Demon Lands, and have found ports of trade with other nations. Farlanders have a very distinct culture completely different from Luzia and Geviel...and yet, some have noted with disturbance that there have been sightings of Demons with weapons and clothing that seem [i]very[/i] similar to those of Farlander-make.

House Kaides and many other knights, however, have become rather curious about these elegant, single edged blades the Farlanders call "katana."[/hider][/hider]
[hider=THE INHABITANTS]
[hider=ENLIGHTENED RACES]
[hider=HUMANS]
The strength of humanity lies not in what advantages they have over other beings, but in their ability to persist despite disadvantages. Though they are not as strong as monsters and animals, they endure and find clever methods of compensation. Though they are not as magically inclined or as long lived as the Elves, they record their knowledge and compound it with every generation, while maintaining an intense drive to constantly innovate and improve. While they lack the hardiness and craftsmanship of Dwarves, they will make homes anywhere and use anything they can get their hands on, never stagnating in one place or limiting themselves. Some forms of demon may breed much faster than humans, but humans are at heart---despite their conflicts---a social species. Where orcs war among themselves and wulvers will consume the first member of the pack to fall, humans make peace treaties and trade agreements and thus their numbers prosper.

[hider=HYBRIDS]Humans are capable of cross-breeding with some other races, but by and large stick to their own. Half-Elves and Half-Dwarves are rare, and face some slight discrimination due to cultural differences, but wouldn't be outright shunned save by the most conservative of individuals. Demon-hybrids of any kind (not all demon-races can interbreed, but those that can are all vile creatures) are never accepted, but more often than not they wouldn't be born among human society unless a human mother was lucky enough to be rescued before her captors took her life. Only in the case of Half-Devils are the hybrids "human enough" to even try to hide what they are.

Half-Elves aren't really that much different physically from their human side, but have unusual hair/eye colors and, of course, knife ears; other than that, they heal unusually quickly and don't start showing their age until much later in life---their lifespan still tops out around 150, though. Half-Dwarves, on the other hand, show more traits of their dwarven heritage and are just a foot taller, at most, than the average dwarf. They're stronger, heavier, and more resistant to poisons than a full-Human, but if they're not careful they'll get a lot fatter and unhealthier than a full-Dwarf, too. Their eyes also tend to be more sensitive to light, but not so much that they can't stand being out in the daytime. Half-Dwarves will typically live as long as a normal human would, but seem to stay pretty strong even well into old age.

A Half-Devil would be equally likely to inherit eye, hair, and skin colors from either the human victim/parent or the devil, sometimes even both in combination. Devil eyes range through red, yellow, orange, indigo, and purple; they are like bird-of-prey eyes in their shape. Hair ranges through the kind of unnatural, pastel or vivid colors humans have to use dye to get. Skin ranges from gray through shades of blue/purple with heavy de-saturation. They will always, however, have horns, but never have the devil's near-vestigial wings nor their tail. Horns (at least two of them) grow much like nails, typically near the temples or straight out of the forehead, but the smallest they ever get would be the width/length of a finger. Cutting them off, filing them down, or even surgically removing them IS possible---but causes the kind of pain that could drive a human being into shock, and even after healing leaves behind scars that are so sensitive the poor creature will get brainfreeze every time they step outside on a winter's day, or headaches when the rain brings barometric changes. If you're a magic user, you would also experience an extreme dip in your sensitivity to environmental Mana---but, you'd actually be no different from a full-Human in that regard.

Half-Devils also tend to suffer more from undesirable psychological issues, trending towards what we know as Cluster B Personality Disorders. This is a world where psychiatric medicine is far from our own, so it is unclear if they develop these issues because of how they're treated by society, or by their demonic nature.

A Half-Devil that manages to survive long enough to somehow have children can produce Quarter-Devils, in which case they only seem to inherit the chance for devil's eye/hair colors and a single horn; if this horn is removed while they are young, they have a much better chance of the previously mentioned sensitivity issues clearing up as they age---but it is still very traumatically painful for the child, and may be a cause of the same psychological issues their parent had. Past Quarter-Devils, the demonic blood seems too diluted to influence phenotype past the occasional instance of heterochromia, but other non-visible traits are still present.

Some say, however, a Quarter-Human is somehow worse than a full-Devil...[/hider]
[hider=HUMAN RELIGION]
Humans believe the nature of god, whom they call ILA, (always written in all caps out of respect) to be omnipotent, omniscient, male in personage, and possessed of "infinite capacity" for "Peace and War." What this boils down to is that they believe ILA performs both acts of absolute peace (self-sacrifice, pacifism, etc), and acts of absolute war (genocide, natural cataclysm, etc) without contradicting his own nature (whereas a human who claimed to be pacifist, then committed a murder, would clearly be a hypocrite). It should be noted that the "capacity for Peace" is different from the Christian beliefs in "mercy and forgiveness." To "forgive" someone, you have to overcome a wrong that they did to you. ILA's "infinite capacity" for Peace is interpreted to mean that no mortal creature is CAPABLE of "doing wrong" to him. Some believe this is simply because he "takes no offense" from mortals, others believe that it's because the other side, War, makes him metaphysically invulnerable the way an idealized fortress would be physically invulnerable.

Humans do have a concept of "sin," because ILA's infinite capacity still demands infallibility (if you can never be a hypocrite, you must be right all the time), and the official scriptures/history of the church tell of instances where he gave mankind direct orders. Thus, going against these orders is "sin." The idea isn't that you seek repentance for sin because you've angered or offended ILA, but because if you're not in lock-step with ILA, by extension YOU cannot be "right" because your evil actions, selfish beliefs, etc will almost invariably always make a human being a "hypocrite" in some fashion. And if your soul is not in right standing with ILA when you die, then you go to hell because you have become his enemy, and an enemy is destroyed by the infinite capacity for War.

It is believed that ILA's "thoughts and will" produce Angels in the way that humans codified their thoughts into language and expression---the acts of writing letters, painting pictures, etc, multiplied by divine providence, is the same as the creation of Angels. Thus, they are beings that perform a singular function and then cease to exist once ILA's expression has been carried to its destination. Unlike humans they are not fully "willed" creatures, and attempts to communicate with them by human religious figures are limited because the angel will eventually go into a Chatbot Death-loop of "I cannot do/understand that," or similar AI behaviors.

Humans believe that ILA created them in his image, and originally gave them dominion over all of Creation. Every animal, fish, and bird had to come submit to human authority. But the animals were created by ILA with different natures so that Mankind could show their own capacities for Peace and War; it was intended that they handle each animal differently to showcase proper use of authority. And the "Primordial Demon" was created to test Mankind's ability to, basically, crack down and issue punishments because it would never submit. Mankind failed because they allowed the demon's arguments against their authority to sway them into "only" banishing it from the land, instead of killing it. As a result, it multiplied and convinced other animals to rebel. These rebels against human authority were the first Monsters, and because Humans weren't aligned with ILA's will they couldn't appeal for his direct help. This first battle between Humanity and Monsters "broke" the world, and from there the descension of society pretty much follows most monotheistic archetypes--society is corrupt, we're our own worst enemy, we were originally closer to heaven and have degenerated, etc etc.[/hider]
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[hider=ELVES]
Elves in this setting are mostly Tolkien/DnD-standard, with the caveat that they're actually an offshoot of early humans who were shunned away until they formed their own societies, then eventually made peace with humans again. They live roughly 300 years if not killed by something, with unconfirmed legends that claim individuals that reached 500. There are Dark Elves and Light Elves (guess what that civil war was about), and because they're longer lived and their country is resource-rich, they have a laid back culture without much technological/competitive drive. They've been slow to adapt ideas like "school" because an elf lives long enough to pick up a hobby and just experiment until they become experts at it. 

It is for that reason that Elves seem much more proficient at magic than humans do, because they have simply had the time to memorize more Formulas and thus have access to more spells. However, it is also true that Elves are more sensitive to Mana---they can tell much more easily what types are available in their environment, how much magical energy is present, how much risk of Miasma there is, and so forth. 

When Elves use Aura, however, they are not much more proficient with it than Humans. Despite having a longer life with which to train and practice---allowing them to become very skilled warriors if that is what they dedicate themselves to---it seems as if Elves cannot generate quite as much auric energy as humans, and their development of it often plateaus sooner than that of a human. In this capacity, the two races are roughly equal in their combat potential while humans simply have more stamina.
[hider=ELVEN RELIGION]
Elves ALSO believe in ILA, roughly, but they call him Jya'Sabath and believe speaking/writing the actual name is disrespectful. They interpret god as non-gendered, referring to Jya'Sabath only by name or by "god" in all contexts, and interpret the infinite capacities not as peace and war, but as "Chaos and Order." They see this nature not as a spectrum of extremes but as a sinuous infinity. Even if an ordered system becomes completely chaotic, the elements of that system will eventually entropy to a point at which they can no longer undergo change---at which point a new "order" has been reached. If a chaotic system is forcibly brought under order, the elements of that system will eventually become so ordered that a single random factor can spark a chain reaction, creating "chaos." This belief kind of influences how passive they can sometimes be as a society---if you don't like something, just wait a little while and the situation will change. Of course, that's not true for every situation in life and even the Elves acknowledge that.

Elves also believe that ILA specifically chose their race over Humanity to inherit "authority over creation," during the long-lost-to-history conflict that caused the original elves to split off from mankind. It's kind of a "Abraham's sons Isaac and Ishmael," situation, as elves were originally just humans with some different traits due to the "degeneration" brought about by the Primordial Demon's rebellion. When the populations split, Elves breeding among their own differentiated them further, and so on until the present day.

As a side note, Elves believe longer ears are a sign of sophistication, purity, etc and many of their priestly class have "higher" (literally) ears, thus bringing about the belief that their features changed from those of normal humans due to supposedly being able to better "hear god's voice from heaven."[/hider]
[/hider]
[hider=DWARVES]
Dwarves are also mostly standard, except that they came from somewhere over the seas originally before they dug under the mountains, and only arrived on the continent in the last 500 years or so. Not much is known about them because they're very private, and they have no real "nation," just strings of "Colonies" throughout the mountain ranges. They don't cause much trouble for humans, and don't much like venturing above ground if they don't have to because they're sensitive to daylight, weather, lots of things. They live between 150 to 200 years, but they remain very healthy until the last 20 years or so of their life and then go downhill extremely fast. They don't build tinkering contraptions, although they do maintain their smithing stereotype; however, lots of weird underground agricultural stuff is also something they're known for. 

Dwarves avoid magic almost religiously, viewing its use as something twisted and unnatural, and it seems that they are much less sensitive to both Mana and Miasma than the other races. They can, however, use Aura---but two types of it, Augmentation and Shaping, seem to come to them almost naturally compared to how hard Humans and Elves have to work for it. Dwarves are also the ONLY race who can imbue their Aura permanently into an object; Humans and Elves can CHANNEL Aura, but as soon as you stop providing it, your weapon/focus is no longer covered in the auric energy. Dwarves, however, can somehow make the aura's enhancements to a material last forever. Dwarven Mythril, then, is thus not a new form of metal by itself, but is what the dwarves call Auric-Infused Silver (as a final sidenote, it seems that different metals and materials conduct Aura better than others, and among them, raw iron seems to be the worst while turning it into steel makes it slightly better).
[hider=DWARVEN RELIGION]
Dwarves believe in a creator deity, but the closest thing to a name it has in their language translates to human languages as "Archaic-Anvil-Strike-Hot-Steel." Some of the modern era have taken to just calling it "the Maker," and this is often how it's translated by non-dwarven scribes. They believe this deity created everything in the world, and then simply left it to its own devices, though there are some sects who believe it will return to "pull the world from the furnace and quench it into its final form." They put certain Monsters, geologic structures, and other things into categories of "Great Creations," because they believe the original creator imbued them with some kind of meaningful purpose; Dwarves themselves, Humans, and Elves are considered "Less-Great Creations" because while being higher functioning, they determine their own life-motivations. 

They see their deity as a higher being divorced from mortal thinking, as different from them as they are from ants, and thus unconcerned with matters like morality. They sometimes make offerings to try and appease it in times where creation seems to be "going wrong," (unusual weather, disasters, etc), but they do not typically pray to it. Instead, the Dwarves get their concepts of good and evil from a sort of craftsman-slash-monk known as Gabhiram. The legend goes that he dug deep into the center of the earth until he could "go no further," then sat contemplating "where to go next." He supposedly brought back enormous stone tablets he'd made in the depths of the earth, detailing an entire school of philosophy that would be further developed by Dwarven society over the centuries. It has elements of stoicism, Nietzche's original ubermensch (not nazis), and a hint of Ayurvedic meditations, mindfullness, etc. Dwarves are also big on "It's not that I don't value your life over my stuff; it's that you value my stuff over your life" mentality when it comes to ideas about weapons, justice, etc.

There are a small handful of sects (even the dwarves disagree on the exact number, but it's no more than 7 and no less than 3 depending on how you separate them) who have their own tablets they claim to be accurate copies of Gabhiram's teachings. All dwarves agree, however, that the originals were destroyed in "the Calamity" that destroyed their original homeland. It is a matter of great sorrow in their culture, and one of the things you DO NOT talk about, along with the Calamity itself.
[/hider][/hider][/hider]
[hider=DEMONS AND MONSTERS]
As far as Monsters and Demons go:[list][*]"Monster" refers to any organism that, in addition to just being plain meaner, stronger, and often bigger than others of its clade, does not have an inherent fear of Humanity, fire, or other things that the animal kingdom has generally learned to avoid. They see humans as prey and will actively hunt them regardless of territorial behavior. While possibly clever and vicious, they are non-sapient. An Ogre, for instance, is like a particularly volatile gorilla in terms of intelligence (no offense to Koko and Harambe) and a Goblin is like those chimpanzees that are starting to learn how to use spears and rocks. Wyverns, giant centipedes, the parasitic plants that can substitute themselves as musculature to move a human skeleton, etc all count.
[*] "Demon" is a more arbitrary term, and refers to anything that is NOT a Human, Elf, or Dwarf that also shows hostility towards the "enlightened races," along with some level of civilization. They could be primitives like Orcs, or near-humanly sophisticated like Devils. They are sapient and capable of self reflection, but have cultural and biologically driven differences that make them by and large incompatible with humans. By occupying many of the same niches as the enlightened races do---being omnivorous, using wood, stone, and metal to build, etc---there simply does not seem to be enough room on the continent for the both of 'em. (Response to a Player Question: Frieren's demons would be a pretty good comparison to some of them, but not all---Frieren's come across to me as wonderful examples of socio/psychopathy, narcissism, and "masking" behavior, but some demons in this setting would be the opposite of those extremes; all impulsivity and escalating emotions with no ability to de-regulate would pretty well describe an orc, for instance.)[/list]

Luzia has been, in many ways, inattentive of certain happenings on the continent. Until the war begins in 1012 YC, they consider "demon armies" to be species-specific. They sometimes target them for suppression, either by the border nobles or by requests to Adventurer Guilds, but the idea of a "unified demon society" seems impossible based on everything they've known about the creatures thus far. The biology/ecology of many demons and monsters is well known, but the biggest mystery surrounding them is how their unique abilities and magics seem to work, their relations to miasma and each other, and what among Humanity's religious mythos/history regarding them is actually true. Demon religion is also unknown, but many speculate they believe in a pantheon of some sort or worship their own ancestors based on what little anthropological evidence has been discovered in their camps, settlements, etc. All that is known about their interactions with Miasma is that it invariably attracts them, and some types---especially Devils---seem to be able to perform an unknown type of Magic, colloquially referred to as Curses, that allows them to direct the Miasma from its origin point. In rural areas, some people believe that "bad winds" are caused by a cartoonishly-stylized devil holding a comically large fan and "blowing" the miasma their way.

Monsters found in the kingdom are sometimes left alone, being that they are still considered "part of nature" to an extent, but the more violent/invasive ones like goblins are usually kill-on-sight. Demons, however, aren't tolerated to any extent unless they hold some essential advantage that forces humans to risk negotiations. 

The physical comparison between Demons and humans largely depends on the particular type. Orcs and Wulvers would be stronger than most Men, Lizardmen and Merfolk are about the same unless you're in the water with them, Devils are typically physically weaker. The number of Demons and Monsters the Kingdom is aware of is quite large. Rattling off some, but not all, without repeating the kinds I've already mentioned would include: Drakes, Wyrms, Trolls, Hobgoblins, High Orcs, Cockatrice, Satyr, Wargs, Boogbears, Harpies, Sirens, Dryads, and Lamia/Naga.

As for Demons of note besides the Demon King, there are many wanted posters in the Adventuring Guilds for particularly known individuals---the names given to them, however, are not always their real personal names, but just convenient monikers for identification. During the war, however, those names that most humans came to know and fear were the Four Demon Generals---Melusine, Yaku, Myrddin, and Bagradas. The Merqueen, Beast King, Frozen Heart, and Living Fortress.
[/hider]
[/hider]
[hider=DEMON WAR EVENTS]
[hider=BATTLES]
[h3]This list is not all inclusive; there were many other battles in many other places.[/h3]
[hider=SOLVAH - WAR'S START]
[list][*]In 1012 YC, this town (pop. ~3000) was attacked in broad daylight by the Demon Army. It's unknown for sure how the horde escaped being spotted until their attack; it seems likely the demons moved under night cover and gathered up in a nearby forest, camping without fire and limited noise until all of their forces were in position. Such a strategy would've been inconceivable for barbaric races, but ogres, goblins, and orcs were all present and apparently behaved with discipline. Solvah was completely destroyed; the number of claimed survivors seems to have been less than two dozen. The demons tore down what few structures were left standing and repurposed the material to build seige engines and other equipment---another activity completely out of sorts with their usual behavior.
[*]Due to its proximity to both Briterra and the Demon Lands, pre-war Solvah saw a larger-than-average number of Adventurers traveling through the area on various quests. Even simple errands like letter delivery were considered too dangerous for normal folk due to the dangers of the frontier.[/list][/hider]
[hider=FALL OF LAGENTYM]
[list][*]Six months after the invasion began, this fortress (pop. ~14,500) in Luzia's Central Valley was beseiged by a force of demons roughly 10,000 strong. Despite being one of the most well protected cities in the kingdom (historically built during the early years of the Yllustrous Founding), they were unprepared for the level of coordination shown by the Demons. Aerial assaults from Wyvern-and-Fulgalos (thunderbird) riders overcame the artillery on the walls while the Demons used seige engines to gain entry. Over the course of a week those who had not been able to evacuate---the entire garrison and at least 1,000 citizens---were killed to the last. The Demons occupied the city, even repairing some of the damage to the fortress, and used it as a forward base for their expansion. Humanity attempted a counter seige on two different occasions as the war continued, but they were never able to take the fortress back as its powerful defenses were used against them.
[*]Before the war, Lagentym was a bustling place. The Central Valley is prone to flooding from the south and mudslides from the north, and much of the landscape is thickly forested. The fortress provided a hub for protection and trade, and had an entire row in one of its residential districts designated by the city-consul as the "Refuge," for the use of those fleeing natural disasters. It had its own Adventurer's Guild and army barracks; its city watch, however, was considered by many to suffer from corruption. There was, supposedly, a rather large black market being run somewhere within the walls. The Merchant Guilds competed a great deal here, and not all of it was above board. Craftsmen also did well here, as while the Central Valley can be quite dangerous, it is also abundantly resource rich.[/list][/hider]
[hider=KALLYVA OCCUPATION]
[list][*]In the summer of 1013 YC, this city (pop. ~9,800) was occupied by the Demon General Melusine. As a result, her forces dominated the entire River Border from Briterra to Geveil and eventually reached the coastline, completely cutting off the majority of waterways in Luzia. This blow to the kingdom's logistics as well as the wedge it created between other nations who might have helped them, is thought to be one of the biggest losses during the war that ultimately might have been the downturn for humanity.
[*]Kallyva's position at the place where two large lakes drain into the Kalygoh River, leaving dense sediment behind, made it one of the most solid and defensible cities in the Border Fens region, where the ground is otherwise waterlogged. As almost half the trade from up and down the rivers and across the kingdom's borders is prepared for overland shipment here, it was a crucial lynchpoint for Luzia's economy. It was home to multiple small Adventurer's Guilds, between whom competition was fierce, and many Merchant Guilds also had branches here if not headquarters.[/list][/hider]
[hider=YLLIASTRUM LOST]
[list][*]The Royal Capital (pop. ~51,700). It was not the final stand for Humanity, falling during the winter of 1015 after a year-long stretch of constant battle. Almost literally every day, another town or village was being razed; every week another fortress fell. Some of the worst slaughter of the war, until the end itself, was seen during the three months leading up to the capital's desperate defense. The King, First Crown Prince, and both Royal Mothers all died defending the city to the last. The First Princess and her younger siblings were able to escape with the help of the Royal Guard, but even their most powerful knight, a member of the previous generation (not yours) of Kaides himself, was crippled and half the guard lost.
[*]The demons didn't just destroy the Capital, they tortured it. In a display of their cruelty that had become almost rare during their well-disciplined campaign, they captured and enslaved as many survivors and war prisoners as possible. From then on, whenever they besieged another fortress or marched out to battle on the fields, they brought victims with them. They used these poor souls in shows of torture so inhuman, the Luzians often ordered their archers to try and put the people out of their misery as soon as the saw the demons raising them up on crosses. This was the point at which humanity truly began to break, in every sense of the word.
[*]Before the war, this was...well, the Royal Capital! One of the largest, the most beautiful, the most historied, the grandest places in all the Kingdom. One can simply imagine the most grand place from their dreams, and Ylliastrum would have surpassed it. Of course, it had its dark side too...but you didn't talk much about that if you knew what was good for you.[/list][/hider]
[hider=KAIDISYUM'S LAST STAND]
[list][*]The home base of House Kaides, and the Collegem Yllustre (pop. ~12,000). Though not quite as well defended as Lagentyum or the Capital, one would have to be a complete fool to even attempt attacking it. And yet, in early 1017 YC, it fell nonetheless. Your generation, of course, was forced to shoulder the blame by the rest of the kingdom. But this, too, was not yet the final nail in humanity's coffin. And the Kaides, true to their reputation, bled the demons harder than any other battle over the entire course of the war. Demon Generals Yaku and Myrddin fell here, and they say if the Demon King had been there that the war might have even been won, for the Patriarch of Kaides surely would have killed him---it was entirely a pyrrhic victory for the dark hordes. And yet, their victory it was as humanity was forced to retreat.
[*]Only two Adventurer's Guilds have had the guts to stake their claim in Kaidisyum, but they sometimes struggle to turn a profit because House Kaides gives its up-and-comers plenty of monster slaying and dungeon delving missions. This has led to some bad feelings between the factions, but the Adventurers would never be dumb enough to openly provoke the House (unless they were bullying losers like your generation). There is also an Alchemist Guild here that, despite misgivings by some, works closely to provide medicines and other things to the House (there were some issues with the practice of Alchemy as it began developing roughly 100 years ago, and many people still deeply distrust the practice; even the Royal Capital places strict requirements and regulations on practitioners).
[*]The city has the lowest crime rate in the Kingdom, one of the largest metallurgy industries, and a booming construction sector that seems to be most active in making constant repairs to the Collegem and Kaides Estates---because even a light spar between Aura-users is apparently ridiculous. In 1007 YC, however, it is currently trending downward in its population and business for the last several years...some say that Patriarch Martenos has neglected the actual day-to-day governance of the city, and that a housing crisis has been building along with a widening wealth gap between the social classes. There are also claims that the "low crime rate" is simply because there's a lot going on that just never gets reported...[/list][/hider]
[hider=HADRUM - DEATH]
[list][*]A small port city on the western coast of Luzia (pop. ~5,600). Though it has a thriving trade center and a variety of interesting festivals and other cultural aspects it picked up from foreign sailors, the local geography is difficult. The lower section of the city is practically carved into the side of ancient limestone cliffs, and at least once every year there's a risk of high waves flooding or eroding parts of the infrastructure. Yet it was here that Humanity made its final stand.
[*]What few ships were left after the attacks by Melusine's forces had gathered, to take Luzia's remaining citizens somewhere, anywhere, else. But somehow, the Demons got wind of the escape plan. They circumvented the remnants of the human army that had gathered for one last, desperate defense, and made a bee-line for the harbor instead of trying to secure the town first. The ships were burned even though the demons took a hit to their flanks---but then, it was over. The last of mankind were rounded up and slaughtered as the monsters cackled with glee and had their fill of flesh and blood.[/list][/hider][/hider]
[hider=DISCOVERIES]
[h3]These are subject to change between now and launch of RP[/h3]
[h3]Between 1012 and 1017, some events of the past ten years became more clear to everyone...[/h3]
[list][*]After the civil war of the elves, many Dark Elves joined the Demon Army. Their knowledge seems to have contributed greatly to the Demon's coherent behaviors, but is it the only cause?
[*]Demons had some kind of involvement in the cults that developed in Geveil.
[*]The cults in Geveil greatly contributed to the building of anti-noble sentiment that cause the peasant revolts, which drew Gevelese military away from the Demon Land borders.
[*]Demon forces blindsided or countered Luzia too many times to be coincidental. A mole, or perhaps multiple traitors, were suspected...but who? Why? What could a human possibly gain by helping demons?
[*]Some of the spoils taken from demons after Luzia's more successful battles included weapons made from Obsidian, a not-often seen material in the kingdom---but some of them had been infused with Auric energy, something that should only be possible for Dwarves...
[*]New methods of both Awakening and further developing Aura were discovered, along with at least one completely new Type.[/list][/hider][/hider]
[hider=GAME ELEMENTS]
[hider=WARRIOR RANKS]
In this setting, Players and NPCs alike can compare their general attributes by a system of ranks that denote overall skill in a given category. PHYSICAL STRENGTH, as seen on the Character Sheet, denotes not just one's actual muscle mass or lifting capacity, but also their speed, reflexes, martial arts skill, and so forth. AURA is the measure of both HOW MUCH Auric energy you have, and how efficient you are at using it. MAGIC is the measure of how educated you are in the magical arts, and thus shows the LIMIT for the spells you can have. At Character Creation, you'll have to spend EXPERIENCE to get spells, but during the actual game if you acquire a spellbook or some other means of using magic, so long as your Magic Rank is high enough you'll be able to learn it.

When referring to another character within the narrative, it should be referenced alongside whatever their primary means of fighting is, i.e, "He is a 1st Rate Swordsman," or "His skill with the spear is that of an Expert, but his Aura is only 2nd Rate."

You can write your character however you'd like to justify their Ranking---if two characters have the same ranking in Physical Strength, one of them might still be faster than the other because the two characters are played and written differently. Fighting against a named NPC with an equal ranking to yours will always be a give-and-take situation; let's create some interesting scenarios and dramatic twists by figuring out how to make our characters and the way they fight unique!

The Rankings for Physical Strength and Aura are, from lowest to highest:
[center][h3]3rd Rate > 2nd Rate > 1st Rate > Expert > Master > Grandmaster > Saint > Divine[/h3][/center]
[b]For Magic Ranks, see CIRCLES in that section.[/b][/hider]
[hider=AURA]
In this setting, when a warrior attains a certain level of physical/mental/spiritual balance and a certain level of mastery in their chosen art, they can "Awaken" their Aura. [b]It takes the form of a colored (unique to individuals) gas-like "energy" that coats their bodies.[/b] Once one is able to Awaken their Aura at will, they can enhance their physical attributes to become stronger, faster, more durable, etc. However, the amount of Aura one possesses is much akin to cardiovascular fitness---it takes further training to develop it, and overuse of Aura not only tires a person out, but can put dangerous levels of stress on their muscles and bones.

After Aura has been Awakened, however, it can be further refined into a number of specialized [b]Types[/b]. Before the Demon War, it was generally considered impossible to use more than one Type of Aura---those incredibly rare few who could perform such feats were considered irregular existences or legendary prodigies. However, war tends to drive innovation, and when humans learn something is no longer "impossible," it tends to rapidly become more prevalent. After Players begin their Second Life, they may very well reach heights far beyond what was possible before!

Until the Demon War, only a few methods were known for Awakening and using Aura. The Kaides were far from the only knights of the realm, and there are as many methods of fighting as there are fighters. However, due to Aura's rarity, most users find imitating the methods that came before difficult enough without trying to innovate on top of it. In the demon war, however, countermeasures for countermeasures had to be developed for the sake of survival.
[hider=AWAKENING]
By and large, the original methods of Awakening boil down to physical training, academics aimed at understanding one's own body and the fundamentals of nature, and breathing exercises with self-introspective practices. Most practitioners followed at least one of three strategies:
[hider=KAIDES METHOD]Though outsiders aren't allowed to learn all the techniques of the family's personal "Incarnate Will" fighting style, their Aura development is available to any who make the grade at Collegem Yllustre. Rigid and exhausting exercises create stable, rooted stances and linear, explosive movements are emphasized; both evasion and attack make use of angles rather than arcs. Giving one's energy a direct path, while preparing oneself to absorb recoil, teaches the user how to safely expel Aura by using weapon-work as a sort of metaphor. Stamina training mirrors the strategy of accumulating large amounts of Aura, then releasing it in a steady stream when the body reaches its limit.[/hider]
[hider=KASTELL METHOD]Derived from the teachings of Kastell Blackwood, a famous wandering swordsman who lived roughly 300 years ago. A very spiritual practice, this method involves submerging oneself in water; first, a saltwater bath that must be very carefully heated with a low fire. The bather must do so in a secluded, dark place, until they lose all distinction between the water and their own body. When they are able to "find themselves" again, they progress to moving rivers and waterfalls---the faster and heavier, the better. When they can once again "find themselves" despite the water battering their body, they should supposedly be able to Awaken their aura. Kastell Blackwood's actual sword style differs based on his age; he wrote three treatises, and passed each down to a different student. Some claim there's a fourth yet undiscovered.[/hider]
[hider=ANATOMIC CHAIN METHOD]The most recent form of Aura training, created only 45 years ago. Based on an extensive study performed by the Royal Institution of Natural Research, which tried to find the most objective and efficient methods of Awakening Aura. Exercises from across several different styles, including the Incarnate Will, were boiled down into a training routine and diet plan. They also discovered that Aura itself does not manifest from any natural organ or tissue within a human being, which brought many theories about the "Subtle Body" to the forefront. Many traditionalist warriors do not believe the Anatomic Chain Method is worth using---it seems to make people very healthy, which helps a great deal in other aspects of training, but requires too much academia and provides almost no combat training. No one yet has claimed to Awaken Aura solely through this method---they have always incorporated it into the practice of an existing martial art, which will usually have its own methodology mixed in.[/hider][/hider]
[hider=AURA TYPES]
The types are:[list][*]Augmentation: The most common type. Coating anything in Aura makes it more durable, better at its function, etc. A sword becomes sharper, a shield can absorb more damage---even a wooden stick could become like a bar of steel. The Aura [b]crystallizes[/b].
[*]Sensation: The least exhausting type, but also considered to be the weakest. One's five senses become superhuman in nature, but one of the five will also become able to detect "life" and Aura, even from a distance. Users of this type can also suppress their own Aura, which makes them supernaturally harder to detect. The Aura's [b]center[/b] becomes a [b]dark shadow[/b].
[*]Shaping: The second rarest type, equally as exhausting as Augmentation. The Aura itself becomes malleable and stronger. Once one has "fixed" a shape in their mind, their aura will take on that physical quality. It could be used to extend the reach of a sword, or to add a dense ball of spikes to the end of a chain, and so forth. [b]Note that a fixed shape can't be changed[/b]. The Aura's [b]texture[/b] matches that which it imitates.
[*]Projection: The second most exhausting type, as rare as Sensation. From a channeled object, the Aura is released over a distance. Using this type with a sword could create a crescent shaped wave of cutting force, or if you covered an arrowhead in Aura you might cause it to release a sort of explosion on impact. The Aura's [b]center[/b] brightens like a [b]white-hot[/b] flame.
[*]Conversion: [b]The rarest and most exhausting type of Aura[/b], it converts one's auric energy into another type of natural phenomenon. One might cause icy frost to cover their weapon and spread from contact, or it might burst into flames. Like Shaping, [b]only a single phenomena can be "fixed"[/b] by the user, but its uses are quite versatile. The Aura takes on the [b]physical qualities of the phenomenon[/b] while maintaining its color.[/list][/hider]
[hider=FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS]
During the Demon War, the following practices were discovered that demonstrably aided in Awakening and developing Aura regardless of what other method one used:
[list][*]The paranoia and need for constantly rotating watchmen triggered the discovery of what we, OOC, would refer to as the "Wake Back to Bed" method of Lucid Dreaming, and dissemination of this knowledge led to further study of the psychological phenomenon. If one can take control of a Lucid Dream, and tries to visualize their training and Aura within the dream itself, it seems to greatly speed up the process. If one could somehow know the actual color and qualities of their Aura before they Awakened it, perhaps it would enforce the dream's reality even further...
[*]Some Monsters have always been used in gourmet cuisine, but many of the foul creatures are either too disgusting, too difficult, or simply too unnerving for most humans to consider eating. However, desperate times called for desperate measures as supplies dwindled. And yet, it seems that certain "rare ingredients" promote the development of Aura within the body---even in individuals who have already Awakened. There have been legends before, about heroes in the ancient past, some even before Luzia's founding, who bathed in dragon's blood or ate the flesh of merpeople to gain great strength and long life. Maybe a Wyvern's heart wouldn't be that different from a dragon's...although you'd have to do something about the poison...
[*]Aura can be [b]Purified[/b]. Even before the War, it was known that after one Awakens their Aura, if they don't maintain their training they will suffer from "Aura Stagnation." Like a mountain stream that becomes blocked by detritus, Aura that isn't being used seems to somehow become blocked and clotted. Attempting to use stagnated aura intensifies the already existing negative side effects of aura strain, and can make one's techniques "sputtery" and harder to control. Using Aura consistently eventually removes the blockage and smoothes out one's power. But during the War, a method was discovered to actually cleanse stagnated aura within the Subtle Body---and in so doing, it was discovered that ALL of a person's Aura is "stagnated" to some extent. Only by cleansing one's entire Subtle Body with the newly discovered purification method could a person Purify their Aura---and those who developed pure Aura were the ones who found the possibility to use more than a single Aura Type![/list]

[b]Furthermore, due to the increase in the number of Aura users and the practice of Aura Purification, it is known that at least one completely new Type was discovered...[/b][/hider][/hider]
[hider=MAGIC]
[hider=AN OVERVIEW]Magic does not use Aura to fuel itself. Aura comes from the body, but the energy used for Magic comes from the energy of the World, or Mana. The amount and nature of ambient Mana makes casting magic more or less difficult; casting a spell to produce fire in the midst of an arctic snowstorm would be near-impossible, while the same would be true of a spell to condense moisture in the desert. In order to harness Mana at all, however, a human being has to learn the proper "Formula." Magic spells do not exist as malleable concepts; they cannot be bent to Mankind's will the way one can adjust the flow of their Aura or choose what they will have for breakfast that morning. Instead, one should think of Magic as one thinks of Mathematics.

How many formulas do you remember from your time in school? How many of them could you solve for, without putting a pencil to paper or using a calculator? That's likely the number of magical spells you'd be capable of using in this world, but in addition to that you have to consider that the more complex/advanced math formulae are akin to the more powerful/effective magics.

One of the most basic spells taught to any beginner is the "Kandyla" formula, which produces an unimpressive candle-flame at the tip of one's focus, whether that be a fingertip or a wand. Compared to mathematics, this is the equivalent of doing long division with 3-digit numbers in one's head. The "Naphthalm" spell, which produces a jet of dangerous flame over a distance from the focus, is like a quadratic function by comparison. "Orbys Pyre," a devastating ball of flame that explodes with lethal force, requires the magical mirror of advanced calculus. 

Thus, becoming a proper mage requires many years of study and practice. "Spell books" are really more like texts containing various proofs, tables of numerous variables made necessary by the environmental shifts in Mana or the need for fine-tuned control, and other necessary academia, often for only a single Formula. Mages can be powerful assets in warfare, but the time it takes them to cast their spells and the Mana they require means that positioning and protecting them is that much more difficult. It is difficult to incorporate magic into every-day life advancements, because if spells past a certain magnitude are used too often, the Mana in that area becomes depleted.

Depleted Mana not only causes plantlife to wither, animals to become lethargic, and the spread of disease, but it can even cause what is called "Miasma." Areas under the "miasmatic effect" are areas of low Mana that become like a beacon to Monsters and Demons for some reason. They can detect it from long distances---even the least sensitive seem to detect it within a mile. Some say Devils can feel Miasma literally days away. Monsters will often hurry to reach areas affected by Miasma, because any weakened animals there will be easy prey to fill their bellies. Higher Demons seem to make use of Miasma in some way---they, too, are capable of Magic, but many of their Formulas are quite foreign to human and elven knowledge alike.

Elves are more sensitive to Miasma than Humans, while Dwarves seem relatively unaffected by it. Humans tend to simply find being around Miasma "dreadful." It's true they are at risk of illness given how diseases seem to proliferate more quickly in miasmatic areas, and the plants and animals they eat from these places are less nourishing. But the most powerful effect of Miasma is psychological, not physical. Passing through it for extended periods of time deeply lowers morale and unsettles the nerves. In the worst cases, people become terminally depressed and seek to harm themselves, or go insane. For this reason, much of the research that has been done on Miasma can't always be considered trustworthy. As long as it remains a danger, the widespread usage of Magic in society doesn't seem possible.[/hider]
[hider=CIRCLES]
It is much harder to judge the quality of a Wizard, as unlike Aura users, magic has far more uses than simple combat. Due to the fact that intelligence is the defining feature of a wizard, and thus one's spellcasting ability depends on their ability to understand more complex Formulae, it has come to be that magic users are ranked by the highest level of spellcraft they have achieved. Those who are uninitiated to Magic at all could, in this regard, be considered of the "0th" Circle.

A wizard of the 1st Circle can likely do anything with magic that could just as well be done by any mundane servant, however the use of Mana for such tasks is often far more convenient. Lighting fires, boiling water, cleaning clothes... Perhaps, at its most advanced, 1st Circle magic could be used to move small objects over short distances or analyze common household structures for repairs.

The 2nd Circle of spells could accomplish things that humans could do IF they had the correct tools and training, or if natural phenomena aligned "just-so." This is where one would find the beginnings of combat spells, elemental manipulations, and so forth.

The 3rd Circle and above is the rank at which one who studies magic is often considered a "real wizard" by their peers, as by this point they should have accumulated more than a couple of spells and at least one of their formulae will probably be either complex or powerful, serving many possible purposes whether for combat, construction, or other things.

So on it goes, until one attains the 6th Circle. At this point, spell formulas are often so complex even the great professors may spend their careers trying to decipher them. Those who have attained the coveted 7th Circle are even more rare than those who have Awakened their Aura, and have likely been studying for far longer than those warriors have been swinging their steel. Though an even rarer few have claimed to have reached the 8th Circle---putting them on par with legends spoken of in ancient texts---some don't even believe this level of power is possible in practical terms, placing it squarely within Metamagical Theory.[/hider][/hider][/hider]
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[center][h1]Character Sheets[/h1][/center]
[hr][hr]
[hider=CS WITH INFO]
[center][INSERT IMAGE, USE HIDER IF BIG]
[INSERT THEME SONG URL LINK IF YOU'D LIKE][/center]
[h3][b][i]Insert Name[/i][/b][/h3][hr]
[b]Age:[/b] 2nd Life [1st Life] | [b]Height:[/b] | [b]Voice:[/b] (Tenor? Bass? Etc)[hr]
(NOTE: Characters died in setting year "1017 YC." Demon War starts in 1012. Your Second Life starts in 1007. Children of House Kaides are sent to the training academy at age 14, and regardless of whether they "graduate" are sent out by age 21. Keep this in mind when figuring out how old your character is and where they might be when the RP starts! Remove this blurb.)

[h3][i]First Life[/i][/h3]
While you create this backstory for your character, it might help to keep a few of these questions in mind. You don't have to answer every one of them, but at least two or three should really help flesh out your character![list][*]Biggest Failure: As we age it's natural to look back at things and objectively realize when WE are the ones who messed up; it's our own fault.
[*]Biggest Regret: Whether it was your fault or not, whether you realistically could've done anything differently, there's always something we wish would've turned out differently.
[*]Biggest Obstacle: There was someone or something in your way. You lived with ridicule all your life, but THIS was the person/thing you HATED the most, that made your life that much more miserable.
[*]Greatest Achievement: Even as the "Failed Generation," there had to be ONE good thing that happened to you. Maybe it was stolen away, but at least for one brief moment...You were happy.
[*]Driving Hope: There had to be a reason you didn't off yourself until the Demon King took your life. You were living for something---what was it?[/list]
NOTE: I will be taking liberties with elements listed in character backstories to develop plots! If there's an NPC, Event, etc that you aren't comfortable with me taking control of, let me know!
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[h3][i]Equipment[/i][/h3]
(You can give yourself something nice for the scenes before you die if you'd like, lol. Different materials conduct Aura/Mana to greater degrees.
Aura-user Equip: Iron Weapon > Steel > Mythril > ???
Magic-user Equip: Bone Wand/Staff/Deco > Gold Deco > Wooden Wand/Staff > ???
Remove this blurb.)
[list][*]Preferred Weapon Type/Magic Focus/Important Tool
[*]Other armor, accessories, etc to be added--you won't have it when you Regress.[/list]
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[h3][i]Abilities[/i][/h3]
You have [b]4 Experience[/b] to spend here, which would've been gained over the course of your First Life. Ranks are 3rd Rate > 2nd > 1st > Expert > Master; for Magic it's 0th - 3rd Circle.[list][*]Physical Strength: 3rd Rate (Represents pure athleticism. Speed, muscle, endurance, etc. YOU MUST REACH 1ST RATE TO AWAKEN AURA)
[*]Aura: 3rd Rate (Represents the sheer amount of Aura you have or how efficient you've become. You can raise this even if you never Awakened it at a later age in your first life.)
[*]Magic: 0th Circle (Because Magic would be harder to learn, your Experiences won't take you as far. However, for each Circle beyond 0th, you may add 1 Spell to your Skill list that matches the Circle's power. You may customize as you like, I'll review it case-by-case.)
[*]Skills: (You don't add Experience to this directly. In a Sub-List, you may add 1 "special move" per Experience, OR upgrade an existing Skill per Experience, OR add a Spell corresponding to your Magic Circle. Reviewed case-by-case)
[list][*]Skill/Spell Name (E.g, "Quick Step") - Skill/Spell Description (E.g, "Footwork that produces a sudden burst of speed, covering up to 2 meters in a second.")[list][*]Sub-Sub-List for Upgrades. E.g, "Range increased to 4 meters."[/list][/list][/list][/hider]
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[center][INSERT IMAGE, USE HIDER IF BIG]
[INSERT THEME SONG URL LINK IF YOU'D LIKE][/center]
[h3][b][i]Insert Name[/i][/b][/h3][hr]
[b]Age:[/b] 2nd Life [1st Life] | [b]Height:[/b] | [b]Voice:[/b] [hr]
[h3][i]First Life[/i][/h3]
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[hr][h3][i]Equipment[/i][/h3]
[list][*]Preferred Weapon Type/Magic Focus/Important Tool
[*]blank[/list][hr][h3][i]Abilities[/i][/h3]
You have [b]4 Experience[/b] to spend here
[list][*]Physical Strength: 3rd Rate
[*]Aura: 3rd Rate 
[*]Magic: 0th Circle 
[*]Skills
[list][*]Skill/Spell Name - Skill/Spell Description [list][*]Sub-Sub-List for Upgrades.[/list][/list][/list][/hider]
[hider=EMPTY CS CODE]
[code][center][INSERT IMAGE, USE HIDER IF BIG]
[INSERT THEME SONG URL LINK IF YOU'D LIKE][/center]
[h3][b][i]Insert Name[/i][/b][/h3][hr]
[b]Age:[/b] 2nd Life [1st Life] | [b]Height:[/b] | [b]Voice:[/b] [hr]
[h3][i]First Life[/i][/h3]
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[hr][h3][i]Equipment[/i][/h3]
[list][*]Preferred Weapon Type/Magic Focus/Important Tool
[*]blank[/list][hr][h3][i]Abilities[/i][/h3]
You have [b]4 Experience[/b] to spend here
[list][*]Physical Strength: 3rd Rate
[*]Aura: 3rd Rate 
[*]Magic: 0th Circle 
[*]Skills:
[list][*]Skill/Spell Name - Skill/Spell Description [list][*]Sub-Sub-List for Upgrades.[/list][/list][/list][/code][/hider][hr][hr]
[b]NPCS ONLY[/b]
[hider=NPC CS][center][INSERT IMAGE, USE HIDER IF BIG][/center]
[h3][b][i]Insert Name[/i][/b][/h3][hr][hr][h3][i]Summary[/i][/h3]
Include all pertinent information about the NPC here. This can include a written description if you didn't use an image, their basic age-height-personality-etc, and their history insofar as it pertains to what the Player Characters would actually need to interact with them. Feel free to go further than that and fluff things up if you really want to, but make sure the things that are relevant to Plot and Character Events are easy to see.[hr][hr][h3][i]Equipment and Abilities[/i][/h3]
[list][*]Preferred Weapon Type/Magic Focus/Important Tool, along with Rank (e.g, "1st Rank Swordsman)
[*]Other notable equipment
[*]List them as "Non-Awakened, Awakened, or [Insert Aura Type]-user" depending on their abilities.
[*]If they have any very notable skills or magic spells (maybe something they taught a Player Character, or that they're known for on the battlefield) include it here, using Sub Lists as necessary. DON'T MAKE THEM CRAZY STRONG UNLESS WE'VE DISCUSSED IT VIA PM.[/list][hr][/hider]

[center][h3]Subject to change upon review, ask questions if you have them, feel free to send PMs for spoilery stuff, etc etc![/h3][/center]