"And so, like an Aetherial breeze we shall sail to new lands and discoveries!"
That was the tagline that was plastered in large printed letters on the holographic display in front of the large auditorium. The entire space had been rented out by the The Metian Institute, a rather renowned group of either adept and erudite scholars who went to the ends of the earth to find ancient relics and ruins, or a bunch of cultural stealing and treasure hunting profiteers depending on who exactly you asked.
One thing was true, though - they had far more successes then they had failures and were good at what they did.
On the stage stood a lone elvish woman, the thick rimmed glasses sitting on her face hiding her gaze lightly as she'd look over a data slate. The impatient tapping of a mechanical finger against the podium though, was all anyone needed to tell what she was thinking though - this whole meeting was supposed to have started fifteen minutes ago, and there was no sign of the organizer himself.
"Sorry about this, folks. I guess Professor Morra is just late." She'd sigh into the microphone, voice amplified enough for all to hear easily. "I tell him to be here on time and all I get is a headache, geh." A mild complaint as her teeth visibly ground together. "Well, I suppose I can start at least if he's going to play hooky. You may not know me, so allow me to introduce myself. Monique La Liveres. I am Professor Morra's secretary and I suppose you can say the second in command of the Historical society. I once again apologize for his lateness. He likely got caught up with something and should be here shortly, so I'll start things off - I'm sure you are all very curious about our new findings and the dig site between the Thalordreal and the Narsier mountains in Eryndreal-Eek?"
A startled squeal as suddenly the power in the entire auditorium would cut out, the crowd much followed suit until a spotlight would flicker on from above. A length of rope would drop down from the ceiling, and the awkward silence that followed as Monique stumbled over her words and tried to make some manner of sense of this before giving just a defeated sounding, "Oh...no..."
As if waiting just for the elf to realize what was going on, a hearty and boisterous laugh could be heard from above. The spotlight would suddenly shift as it'd swiftly move towards a man in his mid to late thirties, blond hair and an overall stocky, rough appearance with a large, deep scar running from his forehead all the way down to his chin across his left eye.
"Bet you all thought I was going to come sliding down that rope, eh?" He'd say, casually walking down one of the metal support pillars running along near the back wall, small arcs of electricity going from his feet to the pillar in question. "First rule, never do the expected thing! Second rule!" His foot would land on the stage, walking smoothly from one plane of verticality to another. "Don't waste time on meaningly prattle, unless its about my adorable daughter."
"P-p-professor please we paid a lot of money to be here!"
"Ah, Monique!" The man clapped his hands, and the lights would flicker back on. Anyone with a modicum of skill in either Executables or Scripts would be able to tell he was using a quite complicated form of either to play with the lights. "Doing your best impression of a sputtering vehicle, are we? Humorous but we need to move onto business!"
"If someone wasn't fifteen minutes late we could have already been-" The elf was cut off by a one of the professors hands over her mouth.
"I know what everyone is here for! Our recent dig site! Unfortunately, I dont have time to do this any more! Its my daughters birthday today and I am not going to be one nanosecond late!"
"Eh? But the presentation?"
"Instead, Monique! I have a better idea! The society is in need of some new blood recently," He'd swipe the data slate from her grasp, reaching and failing to get it back, for she was far shorter than he was. "So, I have an announcement! As the Curator of the The Metian Institute and well, lead archaeologist and chairman of its services, we need new blood for our museum and endeavors!"
"B-but the budget!?"
"Never mind that Monique! We need some fresh perspectives for this endeavor! Supposing anyone can past these requirements!" The man would take her data slate, pocket it, and then pull out another one and hand it to her. "Now then, I'll be off! I still need to buy that cake and a present and catch that flight back home before Im late. Toodles!"
"Ah..uh...w-well...that was...Curator Rossano Morra of The Metian Institute...ladies and gentlemen? I guess this has turned into a recruitment drive?"
-General Overview-
Now that all that preamble is over- What was even all that?
Well, hello hello, good morning, evening or good night to whoever may be reading this! its your friendly neighborhood alchemist again attempting to start another RP. Havent done it in a good while, but was feeling a bit inspired to actually try this little experimental idea of mine.
To explain as briefly as possible, this will be a sort of science fantasy setting where players will be playing as part of the Metian institute. A group of folks that brave the unknown of their world, delve into old ruins and bring back relics or artifacts for their museum...or to sell them to whatever sponsor gave them the information of whatever location they're currently digging in, whatever it may be. The overall tone to start with at least, is intended to be a bit smaller scale, low power and low stakes. Characters wont be combatants or at least shouldn't primarily be any kind of fighting type. Combat wont be the main bread and butter of this RP, but rather problem solving and skill solving from how to get point A to B in a dungeon. Any physical conflict I would like to be resolved through creative use of character skills or environments.
Now what do I mean by science fantasy? Well, laser swords and suits of iron man armor for knights. Mages use 'Scripts' or 'Executables' for magical feats, and the gods are gargantuan eldritch robots. Generally speaking, think of any fantasy thing and instead try to add a sci-fi spin to it.
-So what will the game be like?-
The game, as previously said is expected to be kind of low stakes. I want to put a lot of emphasis on solving things with skill and ingenuity. A more man vs environment type thing. I cant say that will stay the same through the entire RP if it goes long enough (woo power creep) but overall, your characters should be primarily scholars and not fighters.
The general 'gameplay loop' as it were, will be fairly simple. I make dungeon map. Players travel through dungeon, trying to complete some objective while getting past certain obstacles. I shall do my best to accommodate however people decide to get past said obstacles as well as provide an appropriate amount of danger and consequences to anything the players do.
TL;DR. I make map. You move through map. I attempt to kill you with falling rocks.
I'll be wanting about 4-6 players at most for this.
-LORE-
(did I go overboard? Maybe.)
-Magic: Executables and Scripts-
The magic in this world comes directly from the Eleven gods, even those who use it without worship. To cast, one must ‘will or instruct’ the power of the latent ‘Mana’ with their voice, directing and giving it shape. Mana is roughly defined as the ‘Will of the Gods’ and often described and seen in mana dense areas as a bluish-grey mist.
A typical chant is a simple ‘Execute: Fire’ will often create a very simple fireball. Longer and more complex chants can be made for more effects - conflicts between high level magic casters often results in what is often little more than a glorified shouting match between who can speak faster, clearer, and stronger. Of course, with skill and knowledge come the ability to shorten chants.
Executables are thus divided into two separate schools.
‘Executors’ - those who follow or worship a particular god and gain access to magic of said particular divinity. These spells are extremely rigid but very powerful, typically having a single effect applied.
'Scripters' - those who instead of following divine teachings, instead learn how the flow of mana and magic work on their own to perform spells. While not as powerful on average as Executors, scripters can often work magic into much more versatile and malleable forms and do not need to rely on rigid executables from gods, but rather can make their own as needed supposing they understand the underlying principles, often requiring years of study compared to years of contemplating and entreating the divine.
Races and Countries
The Continent of Vaeloria
The eastern continent in which the elves call home. From its western shores, stretching all the way to the domain of the god Skadi in the far north, to the eastern islands where they exalt all divine and reject technological advancements. Named after a great Conqueror who at once in history united all of the continent before a terrible civil war and fractured states after her passing which would eventually split the Elves into three distinct civilizations.
Capitol: Vorndral
The Thalordreal consider themselves to be inheritors of the Vaelorian continent, as well as the original, first, and purest blooded elves. Unlike their godless cousins that live in the far northern lands, or their far too conservative brothers upon the eastward islands, they hold themselves to a dogmatic standard of tradition intermixed with desire to brave a path forward.
Possessing typically blond and dark colored hair with an average height of five seven the Thalodreal are fairly typical elves and are usually what people think of when they say 'Elf'.
Thalordreal Elves are proud, arrogant and maybe with every right to be. No longer ruled by monarchs or kings and queens, Thalordreal is instead ruled by a council of twelve. Four premiere religious leaders, 4 of the most prominent nobles and four of the gifted technicians. This balance, in theory, assures that all interests are looked after. The nobles handle civilian and military matters. The religious heads handle divine matters and deals with Liaisons with the church, while the Technicians further their own technology without stepping over the divine authority.
Much of their technology is inspired by their traditional sword and armors of previous eras - laser swords, personal exosuits for Knights. Many elves still prefer to travel via mechanical beasts of burden instead of the more common methods elsewhere in the world such as trains, sky ships, or personal vehicles. Their buildings construction too, merely updates old designs with modern sensibilities. Advanced castles and such are still quite common - and their capitol holds the largest one in their history to date. A nigh impregnable fortress where the council usually resides.
Growing up in Thalordreal depends on what class you are. Nobles typically go into military or research sectors. Civilians, will usually do as either their parents did or into entrepreneurial roles, and rarely, if they show good skill go into the military for a chance at nobility of some sort. The only constant between all, is at the age of 16 all Thalordreal elves are expected to take part in a coming of age ceremony known as the 'Chasse solaire', or the Day Hunt. Mimicking how Solar wiped out the demons at the start of the Solarium Era, they too are expected to hunt beasts in some fashion and return for some glory and renown regardless of ones social station. To not participate is to be labeled or branded a coward - and such participation is public record, as is what one brought back.
Religion, while important in Thalordreal, is not something most residents take too zealously and most keep it to a personal matter, if they worship any one god in particular. The only thing of note, is that each of the eleven gods here both have a cathedral and a city surrounding it that while is technically part of Thalordreal, is typically left to be governed by the cathedral itself and the church.
Politically, Thalordreal is a fairly neutral party except when it comes to their northern kin who years and centuries of conflict have left both parties hateful and bitter towards the others. Though, they do have a fairly friendly, if sometimes heated rivalry with their neighbors to the south, the Tivven and are often good trading partners with the human nation of Orvalis.
Capitol: Tharovain
Eryndreal. Vaeloria's frigid north where elves, following Vaeloria's conquering refused to bow to her rule and the worship of the Goddess Discordia. Cast out for their godless beliefs and exiled, expected to die. Yet, while Vaeloria's empire would eventually crumble the frigid and hostile north would forge the elves that were exiled into stalwart, independent but most importantly - god hating individuals. When one of their kind found a fragment of a nameless, Fallen God buried in the far north and used it to unify them, the nation of Eryndreal would finally take shape.
They possess a similar build to their Thalodreal cousins, though over time their skin has become paler and their hair has seemingly lost much of its color becoming shades of white, grey, and blond, with eye colors being softer blues and browns.
Proud of their origins, they loathe all of their elvish kin for the perceived injustices against during their exile. Ruled by their God-emperor who supposedly ascended to divinity with the remnants of the Fallen God he found during the years of exile, he is the sole ruler of the Eryndreal and commands all authority and respect such a position deserves.
Unlike the Thalodreal, the Eryndreal do not bother with such traditions. They pursue technological advancement no matter the cost, nor no matter the harm it does to the environment around them. As such, they are one of the most technologically advanced nations in the world...at the cost of severe pollution around their larger cities, though efforts in recent years are starting to see a decrease in this.
Living in Eryndreal is a mixed bag. As long as you conform, then you can excel. If you don't conform or buy into the constant propaganda and even so much as think about worshiping any of the eleven divine, you are a social outcast and ostracized from most pleasant company. Otherwise though - it is one of the wealthiest and most comfortable places to live, so long as one doesn't mind getting a little frostbitten on their way to work in the morning.
As expected, then, religion here is not placed upon the eleven divines. Rather, it is placed at the food of their supposed God-King Eryndius who resides in the Ivory Palace. A massive, sky scraping tower that splits into five, and Eryndreal elves refuse to use any magic directly relating to any divine and instead look towards man-made magical theories and expectations, crafting their own spells and devices and becoming quite skilled at it in turn.
They share the same hate for the Thalodreal as the Thalodrel share for them. Surprisingly, though, they do get along with the Tivven for similarly divinely irreverent attitudes towards the Eleven. The Ashvara absolutely loathe them, and their island cousins behave towards them as a disappointed parent would towards their children. The only real human kingdom they have a positive relationship is with Orvalis who often will step in to mediate disputes between Thalodreal and Eryndreal to ensure a positive outcome.
On the eastern shores of Vaeloria, lay the Silvara Islands, named for the trees supposedly blessed by Sirona that sprout silver colored leaves all year round. On these islands, live the Isphirael Elves and is where they call home. The Isphirael elves are an oddly complicated bunch for a nation that forsakes most technological developments, believing that such advancements tread too far into the realm of the divine.
They are slightly shorter then their elvish cousins, and possess black and brunette colored hairs, with a slightly darker complexion.
After the fall of Vaeloria's empire, a clan of elves, seeing the constant warring and chaos that followed could only mourn the loss of their home and the fact that they couldn't stop the strife and to them, needless bloodshed. Instead of trying to intervene, however, they would instead choose to leave, supposedly following the words of the Goddess Sirona on a trek across the continent to lands unknown where they would eventually find a land blessed with silver leaves where they would decide to settle.
Keeping in line with their own pacificist beliefs, the Isphirael spent many years isolated, building temples and eleven cities dedicated to one of each of the divine, shutting themselves off from the world as they believed it would lead to nothing but further tragedy for themselves and others, and as their ancestors did in the Solarium era, would entirely rely on the divine for guidance - and a divinely elected Ruler from among the clergy.
This...has led their conventional technology to fall quite far behind their peers. While they have modern amenities, it is not made with man-made Scripts, but rather with divine powers and Executables. Conversely, this means that their clerics and clergymen are quite well versed and some of the most powerful Executors within religious circles, and they are constantly working to divine new Executables from the divine in an effort to both better understand and commune with them.
Living here is a fairly comfortable life. Pacifistic and socialists by nature, they welcome all into their fold so long as they give the divine due worship. Their cities intertwine nature and artificial beautifully, and while most outsiders will only ever see the surface settlements, their cities extend into the sea floor below. Do not mistake their pacifism for being unable to defend themselves, however. With the divine on their side, they are more than capable of defending themselves with holy fury.
Religion in Isphirael while similar to the Church, is still distinctly different. Twelve cities, twelve temples. one for each divine, and a twelfth that holds the seat of power in Isphirael. They have their own rites, their own clergy, and their own internal workings and after long and lengthy discussions and concessions with the Executor Luminary, are allowed to worship and function as they please, with their Divinely appointed overseer - the Holy Speaker - on paper has just as much power as the Luminary.
They get along fairly well with most other nations, desiring a peaceful coexistence to prevent the bloodsheds that have long plagued the planet in both modern and mythological histories. The only one they truly do not have any desire to work with and see as entirely dangerous is the human nation of Corythos whose philosophy is a direct anathema to their own.
Do ask if you want me to expand on any particular city in any way.
Prominent cities: Solarel A city dedicated to Solar Terrvayne The city dedicated to Terra Selyendral The city dedicated Selene Anathys The city dedicated Anat Sironael The city dedicated Sirona Svardrel The city dedicated Svarog Metriael The city dedicated Metis Lethvaryn The city dedicated Lethe Skadryl The city dedicated Skadi Cordraeylia The city dedicated Discord Erymnsael The seat of governance.
The Continent of Qeshar
Located south of Vaeloria and connected to Thalodreal on a land bridge to the west and sharing a large inland bay with Isphirael, it is named for the ancient Tivven word that roughly translates to 'Home'. The continent of Qeshar is a blasted, sun baked death trap. Myths commonly say that when the old Evil God was finally felled, its body fell to the earth and in a final act of defiance and fury, annihilated the entire continent and leaving it a smoldering, burning wasteland. The continent, thus, has very little in the way of actual civilization and much of it remains unexplored and unmapped. Many ruins remain unexplored and forgotten beneath the sands.
There are only two major settlements in Qeshar. Kvareth, the home of the Tivven...and Mekshar - the place they send all their criminals.
Kavareth. The only major city the Tivven claim to own. They truly need no other city, after all - theirs has everything they need and is one of the most defensible and hard to reach cities in the world for the sole fact...that it flies. Originally the city was landbound, but in the ancient past their ancestors created a technological marvel without the help of gods or without scripts. Indeed - Kavareth flies entirely on pure physical might. Or at least it used to. In recent years some systems have become more automated with the help of Scripts.
Kavareth itself is a sprawling shining metropolis that never stays in one place, constantly hovering over the Qesharan continent, held aloft by a massive system of jet engines and fans requiring constant maintenance and overwatch lest the entire city come to a crashing halt. Not a single Tivven can give you a straight answer as to why they build their city like this in the past, nor do they really care. For Tivven, practicality never usually crosses their mind. If it seems like a cool idea, vaguely plausible, they will do it.
The Tivven themselves a race of short statured humanoids with furry animal ears atop their head and a dark complexion, often sporting unnatural colors of hair typically standing anywhere between 3'5" or 4'5' tall and most tend to be fairly androgynous in appearance.
Their technology is...as some may say, absolutely bonkers. Only a Tivvens naturally adept hearing and precise movements could they achieve such feats. While its generally accepted in other nations that a mix of Script or Executable automation along with energy weapons being a fair standard, the Tivven, still entirely prefer good old physical feedback. This is easily seen in their most iconic bit of technology. Their short stature and somewhat physically weak nature means they have to get creative when it comes to conflict, and when a Tivven gets creative...you get a massive fifteen foot tall walking hunk of Mecha decked out with artillery, machine guns and explosive napalm being piloted by a pint sized arsonist. They do not take kind to jokes about compensating for their short height.
Living in Kavarateth can be difficult for most other races. Aside from the problem of getting there, absolutely nothing is built for the height of other races. Taller than four feet? You're going to be ducking everywhere, though they have recently began building certain areas on their city that could accommodate the tall men. Generally though, its a fairly peaceful if loud life. Kavareth is never silent, with the city always having the sounds of construction or a boisterous party of Tivven getting rowdy over Hover-board racing or a Mech exhibition match.
Their governing body is...well, truthfully, they dont really have much of one. Officially, they are ruled by a person titled "Mechanist Supreme". However, no Tivven wants to do such a boring job and while the title exists, getting them to do any official duties is like dragging a pet to the vet. Generally, though, day to day affairs can be handled by other officials...usually. The Tivven dont have time for such things, so they often make a habit of hiring and paying other races to do such things for them.
A curious quirk of theirs, however, unique to their culture is something known as a 'Bonded-Pair'. When a Tivven is born, they are often paired with another newborn of an opposing social class. A child from a wealthy family will be paired with a child from a poorer family. A child from a mechanic may be paired with a child from a political family. This creates complex interpersonal relationships certainly, but it also has been observed to create an almost inseparable bond between the two, regardless of class or social structure and the pair are usually inseparable for the rest of their life. Rumors about such pairings aside, its really more of just a socially mandated and imprinted best friend. If something were to happen to a bonded pair before the other, it has also been observed the survivor may fall victim to 'Pair Loss Syndrome', either falling into a state of deep depression that will never be cured or a state of extreme, almost feral like aggression occasionally.
Politically speaking, the Tivven mostly keep to themselves, taking a somewhat isolationistic view usually. Its less they're keeping others out, but more thy just by nature don't have much interest in other people. With their society being fairly communal as it is, they have and produce everything they need, and anything they don't they can get it through trade and typically they stay out of conflicts...unless it comes to anyone challenging their engineering skills, hence their rivalry with Thalodreal and respectful comradery for Eryndreal.
I'm sorry, religion? Tivven don't deal with such things, though they may learn Scripts if it suits them.
Mekshar is less of a city, and more of a shanty town created in the shadow of Kavareth. Named for an old Tivven word for 'Bad home', its where they send any exiled criminals and is maybe the only real 'black spot' on the Tivvens record that they are more than still happy to take advantage of. The city itself lays in what is believed to be the giant pit left behind by Kavareth's ascension. A large wall full of automated defenses and a full contingent of mechs constantly patrol the perimeter preventing any from escaping.
Its a bit of a good deal for criminals, really. They get exiled and can live there, and do whatever they want without any government oversight or police force. Other nations too, will often send more undesirable criminals here with a small payment towards the Tivven for transport and processing.
Generally speaking, living here, is not a happy life. Its a place full of murderers, undesirables, and the worst society has to offer, built simply because Tivvens would rather just shove anything bad out of their way and forget about it.
That said, methods do exist for escaping, fleeing, or officially becoming emancipated from here.
The Continent of Primora
Primora. The heartland of the human empires, and as far as they care to tell it - the birthplace of all life. Where the ancients first set foot onto their land and where the divine first descended. Located to the west across the Anatus Ocean from Thalodreal, its a a land of many peoples and of lush fertile plains and large, imposing mountains.
Capitol: Auralux Located on the eastern shores of Primora and situated on the Anatus ocean, Orvalis is one of the wealthiest nations. Rife with natural resources, being a popular vacation and luxury spots due to its relatively temperate and relaxed climates, Orvalis is a powerful trade republic specializing in trade and money. The greater Orvallian region is full of mountains, forests, and the oceans are rife with resources to be harvested and perhaps, exploited for monetary gain.
Orvallians are a naturally friendly bunch, sporting fair skin and often brunette or red colored hairs, they are at heart, entrepreneurs, natural politicians and overall people who prefer dealing with things subtly over brute force which has served them well in mediating international affairs and domestic wealth. Still, they are probably the youngest nation on Primora. Founded a mere three hundred years ago, splitting off from the then Dravenmarch empire in a bloody civil war.
Much of Orvalis tech is focused on industry and resource extraction, having no desire to really spend money on army aside from its impressive fleet of airships to maintain healthy air superiority. While some may see this is a weakness, Orvallians merely see this is a business opportunity. Rather than make their own, after all - all they have to do is negotiate or 'acquire' things through other means and repurpose it for their own needs leading to them still maintaining a roughly the same technology and having a wide breadth of things available to them.
This, is overall supplemented by the way their military usually works - entirely mercenary based. If conflicts arise that threaten their own borders, just pay a highly elite team and provide weapons for a cut of any profit or looting they do. To say nothing of the fact that legally, such groups also can be hired by other parties and nations, as long as the government gets a cut. Obviously, this system does have problems, but it works, for the most part. And its not like the government doesn't have its own elite team to make sure mercs don't step out of line or betray them.
Their government, in effect is made up of elected officials that oversee certain regions of the country.
Politically, they're rather well liked by everyone except Dravenmarch and religion is often left up to the individual even if the churches main seat of power is located here in these lands.
Capitol: Iron Gate
Sandwiched between Orvalis and the Corythos, Dravenmarch is a shadow of its former self. A former military and imperial might that stretched from the Anatus Ccean, to the other end of Primoria to the Aetherial Ocean. Much of the region is a sprawling plains, with few in the way of natural resources, Corythos and Orvalis both taking much of the good land during the interregnum years and after the peace treaty was signed - leaving much of the land rural farms and lacking in most natural resources compared to their neighbors.
Still, their nationalistic Zeal has shown no signs of wavering. Intense propaganda and mandatory military conscription for all citizens above the age of sixteen sees to that. The people of Dravenmarch, or Marchers as they are referred to more derogatorily, are a hard, short spoken and generally curt people that prefer actions over words and keeping strictly to themselves, and view all outsiders with heavy suspicion, especially any non-human races.
Dravenmarch is led by a dictatorial power for life, often elected however level of fairness that is. They are often supported by a council of military commanders on some level that determines the course of action the nation should take with little thought for anything other than the benefit of the government, and of course, its people. Living in Dravenmarch is a dreary, mundane affair all things considered. Excess is not something to be had for the masses. Work towards the good of the nation, and give your life for the industrial military complex.
Religion here is overall a tool, nothing more that the government uses to further its propaganda. While the Church tentatively and officially oversees things they for the most part keep their hands clean of Dravenmarch, lest they proverbially poke the bear.
Politically, simply put, nobody likes them, and they generally dislike everyone else, especially non-humans.
Capitol: New Solarius City.
On the western shores of Primora lays the country of Corythos. Born out of the fragmented governments and ousted scientist and engineering experts when the old capitol fell, it was originally designed to be a research haven, though today its far, far from its goal. Corythos is likely one of the most technologically advanced nations upon the planet, forging all traditional fire arms and tech in favor of ultra high tech and advanced weaponry from lasers, genetic engineering...but most importantly, becoming one with the Divine.
It would be hard to define the people of Corythos by any stereotype. The general populace is not encouraged to believe in any particular thing, nor does the government push any kind of nationalistic propaganda. The only thing they push, is their particular interpretation of Religion - that in order to transcend the skies and the earth, one must become as gods. And so here, the practice of removing body parts and replacing them with better, faster, stronger, deadlier replacements was born.
Living here is an overall mixed bag. The quality of life is generally good, but you'd be hard pressed to find anyone truly thriving here. Nepotism, Greed, and overall a government that generally doesn't care about the everyday man does not lead well to any lower class thriving well. However, if you go into robotics, theology, or manage to befriend or get to know the right people - you can live in the lap of luxury for the rest of your mortal life.
Government wise, Corythos is typically led by the 'Directorate' A group of supposedly top of the line researchers, scientists, and theologians to preach their own particular brand of transhumanism. And while it mostly works at keeping the peace and generally keeping the nation running particularly well, problems have arisen when perhaps, a handful of those in power decide to do a little human experimentation on swathes of the public.
As such, religion here is a little odd. They certainly worship the gods, but not out of any respect. Rather, most of the upper class and church here believe the gods were once humans, having ascended to such a higher plane and they seek to replicate that. Advancements in prosthetics and robotics have had limited success in copying divine Executables into mass produced and copyable forms and prosthetics. Such limited human engineering always runs into bottlenecks and problems for those that have too many prosthetics or implants ranging from loss of ego, death, psychosis, and problems with executables being incompatible and causing...unforeseen circumstances.
Politically, they get along relatively well with Dravenmarch and Orvalis, though the elves tend to very much dislike them, especially the Isipharel elves who beliefs are a direct conflict with their own, and they are content to leave the Tivven well enough alone. Last time someone decided to antagonize them, a stray nuclear warhead just so happened to accidentally go rogue and land just far enough away for nothing bad to happen.
Accidentally.
Continent of Kassarel
Located to the south and bordering Orvalis and Dravenmarch, The continent of Kassarel is a lush, fertile jungle. It is not a name given to it by the native Ashvara, for they believe land can not nor should be named so easily. The land itself is fertile jungle land, and is probably one of the most undeveloped in the world due to both the trouble with navigating it as well as the fact the Ashvara have no desire to develop it heavily like other nations.
Capitol: Crown Summit Tzunara, they call their country if they had to give it one. An old name among the Ashvara meaning 'Divine land.' Compared to any other nation, the land here is rural, with very little in the way of advancement or urbanization going on, for the Ashvara make a point of refusing to use any huge technological advancement aside from anything to leads basic needs and entertainment being comfortable.
Standing at a tall six feet on average, Ashvara often give an imposing visage. Grey skinned, horns, with a natural tone to their muscles, often with white or darkly colored hair. This imposing visage however, belies their gentle and more pacifistic, spiritual nature.
Living in Tzunara would be a fairly simple life compared to living anywhere else. Honest, hard work during the morning with afternoons of quiet contemplation about the divine and study of both theology and attempting to understand the physical world. Its not that they do not have the technology to make life a little more exciting, but rather, they simply have no genuine desire to.
Tzunara's government is in effect, is led by a Prophet King, who is said to read and hear the divine words of the gods to better lead their people and warn of danger.
Many view the Ashvara as strange and odd, while they themselves view outsiders as strange and odd. They themselves claim to be directly descendants of the divine - given divine bodies that can withstand any physical assault and strength that can rend steel in twain. Indeed, Asvhara can do these things rather easily - at the cost of not being able to use any form of magic, Scripts or Executables.
Religion in Tzunara is a common thing. No god should be valued above the other, and they should all be treated with equal respect. They often hold a number of festivals in their capitol to show their respect.
Politically, they are usually a non-entity. Most don't care to notice them, and they don't concern themselves with the outside world, usually. The only time they do, is when one of their own go on a pilgrimage to learn more about the world around them, something most are encouraged to do once in their youth.
/Other Races\
Non playable, but nonetheless important.
Angels: Beings of metal and wire that are servants of the divine. There are currently only a handful of these beings left in the world, and each God at least has one left somewhere overseeing their domains.
Ancients: Former servants of the divine that perished at the start of the Solarium Era at the hands of the demons, thus leading to Solar unmaking them.
Demons: Ancient beings of primordial chaos. Despite Solar unamking them, some managed to persist in some form. Rare these days, though they are no less still spoken of and some sightings have been seen recently, especially around Dravenmarch.
-On the Divine-
Though most of the eleven divines are no longer taking an interest in mortal affairs after the Era of Discordia, they still answer prayers and give answers to faithful that ask and bestow powers to those worthy.
SOLAR - The God of the Sun, Alchemy, and patron of Builders and creators. The First Divine, Crown of Gears, and Old Gearhead. The leader and first of the divine, often depicted as a shirtless man with a sun for a head surrounded by innumerable spinning gears and cogs. A friendly, humble divine being that wants nothing but the best for mortals. He bestows Executables relating to changing the physical world, commonly referred to as Alchemy and Alteration.
TERRA - The goddess of the Earth, Iron, and patron of Miners, farmers, and smiths. Many-armed smith, Earth Dancer, Leveler of Mountains. A Goddess depicted either as a woman with many mechanical arms or a being with the upper body of a woman and lower body of a mechanical spider. A friendly but quiet Goddess who prefers not having the spotlight. Often depicted quarreling with Solar. She bestows upon worshippers Executables relating to changing and moving the earth and shaping metal.
AETHER - The god of the skies and bringer of favorable weather and storms. The boisterous wind, sailor of the skies, and harbinger of storms. Aether is a god depicted as a four legged winged beast with a body of lightning. Often seen as something of an unserious god who would prefer to party and drink all day rather than perform his duties. A patron of explorers, inventors and any other who keeps their head turned towards tomorrow. He bestows upon followers Executables relating to to Magnetism and Plasma/lightning. SELENE - - The Goddess of the moon, Messenger of the Gods, Confessional Mother and speaker of Prophecies. The Goddess of the Moon who relays all prayers and words from the divine to mortals and from the mortals to the divine. Often depicted as simply a woman holding a large circular mirror or dish that relays things to the divine realms. Though her ability is that of a messenger, it is said she herself is a quiet sort and only speaks when delivering prophecies or messages...consequently, delivering them in song. Long often thought to be a patron of musicians, singers, and actors. She bestows Executables that allow one to nullify or amplify sound.
ANAT - The God of the oceans, slayer of demons and the first giver of life. The God of the Oceans who first stood against the demons in the Mytheria age, dying and allowing enough time for the Ancients to flee before they were all killed. One of the friendliest Gods and one of the few who remain in contact with the mortals to this day via his Archangel. He has no particular people he favors, and gives those who worship and he deems worthy Executables relating to water and gravity manipulation. Often depicted as a large mechanical fish inside of a sphere, presumed to be the earth.
SIRONA - The goddess of Life and beginnings. Mother of the Men and Elves both, despite their differences. Often depicted as a large mechanical serpent or a woman with various serpentine features, Sirona seen as a motherly and friendly figure who nurtures life and promotes growth and healing. A patron to medics, health workers, and those who otherwise wish to heal. Bestows Healing and physical strengthening Exuctables upon followers.
SVAROG - The first guardian, protector of the innocent, and defender of the Righteous.
The first guardian made during the Era of Discord, built by Solar to ensure the protection of mortals. Often depicted as a man holding a shield and wielding a flame in another, or less often as simply a pair of hands holding a shield and flame. Legends say Svarog protected an entire city from the Evil God for a fortnight just on his own - buying just enough time for the other gods to show up and evacuate the citizens. Often seen as a serious sort who takes injustice and crime very seriously. A patron saint of law enforcement officials and those who seek justice and protection of others. He bestows executables that bring forth divine flame and those that protect others.
METIS: - The Keeper of Records, Saint of Memories, and the Grand Strategist. Made during the Era of Discord to record, formulate prophecies and a guide the forces of the divine against the Evil God. Seen as a cunning god that secures victory no matter the cost, pursuing the ultimate path to victory even if such a path is hard walked. If a sacrifice has to be made, then so be it - its calculations are perfect. A god favored by scholars, historians and the military all. Often depicted as a jellyfish like creature with its tendrils reaching all over the world. Bestows executables that allow scrying, extrapolate past events from information given and other similar magics.
LETHE: - Lady of death, the Pygmy of Ill Omen, Invoker of Death. The Goddess of the underworld, Lethe. Created specifically to bring death to the legions of the Evil God, Lethe despite her importance is never widely worshipped, and is often only appeased in hopes that she and her diseases and decay will stay away. Its said she's the patron of troublemakers, thieves, and other of those that engage in perhaps light mischief. She herself has a handful of tales where she got up to no good. A particular tale says she stole an ever-flowing wine goblet from Discordia that never stopped flowing and filled up her domain with rivers of alcohol that she spends her days drinking with the unmourned and lost dead. Often depicted as a small girl, and bestows Executables relating to accelerating Decay and Weakening objects or things.
SKADI: - The Goddess of the frozen north, bringer of balance, and the organizer of Chaos. One of the first of the divine to land in the mortal realm alongside the ancients, and the first killed by the demons before being revived by Solar. She commands the frozen winds and brings stabilization to the primordial Chaos. Often depicted as a young woman on a snowy field, or a mechanical rabbit. Its said after her resurrection she never remembered her previous life, and though she had a long history with the others before then she never was able to reconcile with her past, and thus was one of the first divine to leave the mortal world after the Discordia. Still, she does answer prayers if prayed too and will bestow certain people with Executables relating to her control over the frigid north and Spatial magics.
DISCORDIA: - Goddess of Revelry, the Divine Sword, The Unstoppable Blazing Sword of Divine retribution. (Self titled) The youngest of the Divine, Discordia was the last made to fight against the Evil God. A purpose made Divine for one thing - slaughter and to remove the evil gods corruption. Often depicted as a dark skinned woman wielding a blade in one hand and a goblet of wine in another or simply just a large blade. A patron saint of combat, soldiers, warriors, and those who seek glory in battle and perhaps, those who party a little too much. Gives worthy soldiers Executables that relate to enhancing ones owns physical abilities and purifying 'evil' or 'corruption' from areas or people. One of the few gods that still actively desires interaction with mortals. She gets bored.
-On Religion-
The main religion in the various lands is The Church of Resonance as in the olden days before the church and blessings of the gods were truly understood or codified, to access a divine Executable, one had to 'Resonate' with a divine entity, becoming in tune with a divine sacred frequency. Spread across the various continents, The church of Resonance is a dogmatic but ultimately altruistic institution that seeks both harmony between all mortals and the divine. They have presence in all countries save for Eryndreal who do not take kindly to their so called 'proselytizing prattling'. The church is led by the 'Executor Luminary'. A person electing from among those directly under the position. Achieving the position is a feat of greatness, showing a preternatural understanding for all the divines.
A lesser known religion, only popular in Corythos is the Synthesia Convergence. The main religion of those in the region that espouses merging of flesh and machine to become divine.
While officially the Eryndreal Elves call him a god king, worship itself was never officially sanctioned though there is a small fanatical following that still do. Some say they actively encourage this fanaticism.
-Mythology-
The Mythology and general creation history of the world can roughly be described in five parts.
The Chaotic Era - The Era detailing the scant few stories from before or near the time the Ancients and the divine arrived. Most stories here are considered heretical and unfounded, said to be spoken by demons to lead others astray.
Mytheria Age - The Era detailing the first of the Divine descensions and appearance of the Ancients. Anat, Skadi, and Selene were the first three of the divine to descend upon the earth and details the first conflict with the Demons. Skadi and Anat were killed, and Selene, in her lofty throne monitored and relayed the events to Solar and the other Divine as Anat's divine flood swept across the planet, ensuring all demons were at least, if nothing else temporarily incapacitated.
Soon after, Solar would lead Aether, Terra, and Sirona with their angelic servants and their Ancient comrades to return, bringing life in the form of animals and other forms of life. Anat and Skadi were eventually rescued, and a second war with the demons was started but quickly ended as it suddenly began as Solar used his divine powers to quite literally unmake them. Sadly, though, the last of the Ancients would perish in this war.
Solarium Era - An Era of unprecedented peace. Gods walked along humans and elves ancestors. Mortals learned from them, they were guided by their principles and technology to even greater heights than the modern day, even walking along Selene's Divine body, yet such a peace would not last.
Era of Discordia - From the heavens a great, evil thing descended. An Evil God that would simply later become known as 'Null'. Leading legions of its own angels and destroying any technology that it would come into contact with, the divine waged a brutal and bloody war against it. Solar would even forge four new divines to combat their incursion. Svarog, Lethe, Metis, and Discordia. After a long, long war, most of the gods agreed to enter into a period of dormancy.
Sironum Age - Named for the Mother Goddess Sirona and her healing abilities in hopes that the world would recover from the technological collapse and the brutal, bloody conflict. The Tivven and Ashvara make their presence officially known to the world here. The current age.
-Timeline and Recent History-
Solar Calendar Year 2164 The world, is generally peaceful these days. Aside from occasional demon sightings in the fringes of society and the usual Dravenmarch aggression, there hasn't been many conflicts aside from the Pale War between Eryndreal and Thalodreal. A long period of conflict lasting fourteen years and ending roughly four years ago now, with Eryndreal losing quite a bit of territory in the fallout.
The only few other notable events would be rumors of numerous demon sightings in Dravenmarch A virus of some sort that completely shuts down machines and electrical equipment in Corythos. The government denies this, of course. A deadly plague spreading in Tzunara And a handful of skirmishes from Kavareth along the Thalodrel and Orvalian borders. They have a flying city after all, they are not bound by traditional land combat.
-????? Chaotic Era Mytheria Age Solarium Era Era of Discordia -Solar Calendar Year 0 Sironum Age -The Tivven and Ashvara make their prescence known to the world -Humans and elves split into various cultures and tribes after the Era of Discordia and proceeding technological collapse. -(Estimated) Solar Calendar Year 50 Humans migrate to Primora. -(Estimated) Solar Calendar Year 65 The Resonance Church is assumed to have first been founded by Saint Anaren, guided by an angel of Solar. Dravania, the ancient ancestor to Dravenmarch is founded in the central plains. -Estimated Solar Calendar Year 143 The elves settle permanently into their current day heartland of Thalodreal. Dravania begins its conquest of the surrounding lands. -Estimated Solar Calendar year 200 Dravania's expansion reaches a breaking point and is stopped by a coalition of humans. Dravania fractures into a number of warring lords and city states. -Solar Calendar Year 1000-1100 Vaeloria begins her conquest in the name of the Goddess Discordia and a prophecy foretold by Selene. The ancestors of Eryndreal are exiled. Vaeloria's conquest concludes, uniting the lands under her banner. Vaeloria is assassinated by her most trusted advisor, causing the collapse of her empire. Elves migrate from their homeland. -Solar Calendar year 1001-1200 the Long War starts officially in Vaeloria. Isphirael elves reach the Silvara Islands. Eryndius finds the remains of the fallen god. -Solar calendar year 1209 - 1267 Eryndius starts the unification of the north The Long War official ends with the treaty of Sirona. Eryndius unifies the north, creating Eryndreal and before old age claims him he ascends to divinity and becomes the God-King. -Solar Calendar year 1313 Kavareth Ascends into the skies Modern day Thalodreal starts taking shape -Solar Calendar year 1343 The fractured human clans finally reunite, calling themselves Dravenmarch now. -Solar Calendar Year 1423 -Dravenmarch begins ramping up and prepares for expansion once again. -Solar Calendar Year 1450 Dravenmarch conquers all of Primoria -Solar Calendar Year 1460-1600 Small scale skirmishes between Dravenmarch and Thalodreal are common in this area until a full scale war breaks out and Dravenmarch attempts an invasion in what is known as the 'Bitter March' for the seemingly endless attempts at Dravenmarch to gain a foothold in Thalodreal. -Solar Calendar Year 1603 - 1686 Eryndreal takes the opportunity to launch an invasion of Thalodreal while they are occupied with Dravenmarch. Kavareth launches an assault on Isipharel for unknown reasons. Kavareth ceases hostilities a few years later having seemingly completed objectives. Eryndrea secures objectives and makes Thalordreal retreat and lose much occupied territory past the Narsier mountains. Dravenmarch Attempts expanding into Kassarel but are summarily and swiftly rebuked. -Solar Calendar year 1687 - 1700 Dravenmarch pulls out of Thalodreal as a rebellion is taking place. Corythos has officially been founded by scholars fleeing Dravenmarch, and aides the rebellion. Rebels win the war of freedom, and Orvalis is officially founded. -Solar Calendar year 2146 The pale war starts between Thalodreal and Eryndreal. Dravenmarch continues to make small skirmishes between Corythos and Orvalis mercenaries. -Solar calendar year 2160 Pale war ends, with Eryndreal's borders being pushed back towards the Narsier mountains. -Solar Calendar year 2164 Current Year
-Misc Things-
A handful of small, but important things. -No space travel or even low space orbit travel. Laws are in place to prevent this due to an accord between the church and the divine before they left. If others like the Evil God Null exist out there, then it would be best for now not to attract their attention. The only places this isn't strictly illegal is Dravenmarch, Kavareth, and Eryndreal, but the church would quickly send Executors after whoever did such a thing were it to become known.
~Character Sheet~
Now for what everyone has been waiting for I assume~
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Race/Place of Origin:[/b] Are you from one of the elvish countries? Or maybe A Tivven from Kavareth.
[b]Appearance:[/b] Give me a little written something even with a picture, please. [b]Scripts or Executables:[/b] If you are a Scripter or an Executor let me know. If your a scripter, I don't need a detailed list but I would like some descriptions of what your character is generally good at. If you're an Executor, give me some specific examples of whatever boons you have from a divine. Start with only maybe five spells from at most two gods.
[b]Equipment:[/b] Any gear your character carries with them on expeditions. Keep it reasonable, please.
[b]Academic Qualifications:[/b] The institute doesn't take just anyone. You need at least some scholarly pursuits under your belt. Name at least two things that make you stand out from among your peers and as to what you've accomplished. It can be simple or as complicated as you like. Perhaps your a Tivven that has a burning passion for archaeology or studying ancient divine mechanisms so you tried to replicate one. Perhaps your an extremely gifted member of the Resonance Church that seeks to discover more history. Theology is always welcome to help add context.
[b]History:[/b] Add any other history here. Maybe give some motivation for why you joined the Institute.
Appearance: Theo is an 5'7 (170 cm) tall human male with a scar on the lower left of his face and a prosthetic left arm. While his eyes are blue his colored lenses make them look golden. He typically wears blue robes Scripts or Executables: Executor Lethe
Execute Embrittle: Makes objects more brittle.
Execute Dryrot: Causes and/or accelerates dry rot in wood.
Aether
Execute Charge: Provides charge to electrical powered devices.
Execute Magnetize: Magnetizes metal objects.
Execute Shock: Delivers an electric shock.
Equipment:
Lenses: Specially made to work in dark environments, these lenses amplify light and turn themselves automatically off if it is too bright.
Data Slate: Used to record findings and take pictures.
Prosthetic arm: A prosthetic limb with a metal casing, stronger and tougher than it's rightside counterpart.
Spare Prosthetic: A back up of for his left prosthetic left arm.
Basic toolbox: A small hammer, several pliers and various sizes of flathead and Philips screwdrivers.
Academic Qualifications: Theo is a skilled mechanic and has created working replica's of minor Ancient relics whose blueprints are available in Corythos, his lenses being one such replica. He also unsuccessfully tried to recreate relics from incomplete blueprints which resulted in his facial scar. Since he wants to know more about the technology of the Ancients he has studied their language and while not fluent can read it with some difficulty.
History: Theo's family was lower class and his parents were pressured into having him test a prosthetic when he was younger. While he has gotten used to the missing arm, he also gained the goal of becoming influential enough to end such "voluntarily tests" on anyone not already missing a limb. Since that requires him becoming a member of the Directorate he hopes to join The Metian Institute and learn enough about Ancient Technology to minimize the side effects of Corythos' prosthetics and implants.
I am very impressed with this setting! Unfortunately I have been too inconsistent to feel like I am worthy enough to participate in this project. I am trying to get my feet wet again on another game, and if I can get momentum going there, I can submit a character here if you will be willing to have me.
Notably his lenses. They basically read as just night vision binoculars or something? Because thats...not something super impressive to make. Something like that exists pretty easily, either through tech or Executables. You'd basically be going up to an inventor and saying you made a home made flashlight. Impressive, but not particularly something the institute would be interested in of itself. Now, if you can expand how you got these blueprints and maybe add a little something special to it, that might be a different story. Ancient tech is usually pretty hard to come by and any blueprints would likely be in the hand of private sellers/collectors/museums.
Secondly, the intent with Corythos was to create a somewhat more cyberpunk-ish society and vibe. Ideally, his Prosthetic would actually be useful for something. Maybe it has a wireless uplink or can connect with machines otherwise. Maybe it has a built in multitool for welding, soldering, etc, that kind of thing. Or maybe its just as simple as it gives him more physical strength or ability - but I would like a rough estimate of what it can do strength wise if so and if he has any other implants that could aid with helping his organic body lift otherwise impossibly heavy things.
Thirdly, I would like you to expand on his family a bit more. You say they were poor and pressured to give him a prosthetic, yeah? That would likely mean they were approached by someone from the Church of Synthesia Convergence. Or maybe the bought into the whole religion themselves. I would just like a bit of expanding here on the characters backstory in question.
basically, the main thing is really I just want you to expand a bit more on a few aspects here.
