[center][h3]Other Lore[/h3][/center] [hider=On The Church of Resonance] Since its inception in year 65 of the Solar Calendar, the Church of Resonance has been a stalwart and ever present entity across the globe. Espousing harmony between all the divine, charity work for those less fortunate, and an ultimate goal to keep the peace across all nations and countries. While its history is stained with some less than favorable dark splotches due to some creative interpretations of its missions, it can be expected from an institute as both old and powerful as itself. The Church in its totality, loosely follows Eleven Precepts handed down from the divine to determine its functions and its mission. Nobody is quite sure when the Eleven Precepts originated. Theories suggest they were handed down by the Angels of old before most returned to be with their divine creators. Officially, the Executor Luminary has the power to interpret these precepts for the entire church, however, such a thing is not easily or often done due to many years of precedence and the need for the Primus' approval to make such a sweeping change. The Church of Resonance is present in all countries but Eryndreal in some fashion, with its headquarters being located in Orvalis. Located in Auralux, the Sanctum Resonantia is supposedly the first site where humans and mortals came from, or at least where the divine first touched the planet according to the church itself and scant historical records from the mythological ages. In the greater Primora and Continent of Kassarel region the Resonance has a strong foothold in Orvalis, Dravenmarch, and Tzunara with its own interpretation of its religion. It is present in Corythos, yet its presence is often understated by its more local religion. Its presence in Orvalis could often be considered to be the purest and most classical form of the religion where all divinities are worshiped evenly and openly. In Dravenmarch, though, religion is nothing more than a method of control and the more combative deities are revered with any messages and precepts interpreted in ways that suit them, while those not so tend to be quietly shoved to the side. The church has only a few official holdings in Corythos which they fought very heavily for with the Directorate who wanted no such thing in their burgeoning tech focused society. They mostly do charity work here, and help the less fortunate and use them to keep an eye on the more radical practices they don't approve of. On the continent of Vaelorian and Qeshar, the religion is wide spread. In Thalodreal the church has eleven Cathedrals dedicated to each god, each with a typically small city surrounding it. While a part of Thalodreal, these religious enclaves are often overseen and ran by the church itself, typically an Executor Primus or a Warden if none is available. In Isipharel, the church of Resonance exists alongside their local interpretations of it however it is still distinctly different. The Isipharel only have have twelve major cities in total, each dedicated to each of the divine located in various places across the islands best suited towards said divine. The twelfth located where the ruling class, their Holy Speaker, lives and rules from. [hider=Eleven Precepts of the Resonance Church] [b]Precept of SOLAR:[/b] [i]"Creation of the Future: Build thine own future in harmony with others; Cast not the first stone to destruction. The warmth of the divine is felt through all creations, no matter how small or insignificant."[/i] [b]Precept of TERRA:[/b] [i]"Toil of the Humble Earth: Honor the soil, the mountain, and the earth. Honest work with humble hands ensure an unshakeable foundation that can weather all faults."[/i] [b]Precept of AETHER:[/b] [i]"Embrace Tomorrow: Even the most tumultuous storm can not last forever. Always look towards tomorrow, for the divine wind shall always bring a gentle breeze that blows away the troubles of yesterday."[/i] [b]Precept of SELENE:[/b] [i]"Self Reflection: Reflect on thine own actions, for without self reflection ones true voice fails. Speak the truth in all matters, and let not lies cloud thine judgement and thoughts."[/i] [b]Precept of ANAT:[/b] [i]"Depths of Compassion: Let your mercy and compassion accept all as the sea does. Let it be as bottomless as the sea lest you are consumed by the crushing depths."[/i] [b]Precept of SIRONA:[/b] [i]"Nurture Life: All life is sacred. All life has a chance to do great good, even the most irreverent or dark-hearted individual. Be not cruel. Meet anger with kindness and understanding and protect those who need it the most."[/i] [b]Precept of SVAROG:[/b] [i]"Righteousness: Stand against any injustice. Let not those who would do ill harm the innocent. Strike not with anger, rage, or despondence. Strike with the belief that your blade protects, even in the darkest hours."[/i] [b]Precept of METIS:[/b] [i]"Wisdom of Victory: Seek Knowledge. Turn not away from harsh truths. Act with wisdom. Understand that victory may sometimes come through sacrifice, and that all knowledge and memories are sacred."[/i] [b]Precept of LETHE:[/b] [i]"Accept Mortality: Life ends. That is the nature of it. Face it without fear and celebrate the life that came before, for only when something dies does a new beginning is written. Chase not immortality, or seek to pervert death into an abomination."[/i] [b]Precept of SKADI:[/b] [i]"Balance: Seek balance in all things. Heat can not exist without cold. Life can not exist without death. Chaos can not exist without Order, and Order can not exist without it. To destroy one, would be to destroy both."[/i] [b]Precept of DISCORDIA:[/b] [i]"Righteous Celebration: Meet all of lifes' challenges head on with passionate fervor. Cower not before Demons, sickness and death, and revel in every day of victory." [/i][/hider] [hider= Church Rankings] -General Clergy The general day to day lay clergy. Often those just getting into the church. -Conductor Sanctioned priests that are allowed to conduct sermons and lead the general clergy and people of a town or city. -Coordinator Those who stand above conductors, coordinating with the church proper often overseeing a particular region within a country. -Executor Neophyte The next step up from Co-ordinator is an Executor Neophyte. Those who make a dedication to become the churches eyes, ears, to undertake a deeper understanding of the divine and...act as its enforcers. They no longer have to oversee a region, as instead they are sent for training at Sanctum Resonantia in Orvalis. -Executor A graduated Executor who passed the tests and religious trials. Receives missions and often will be assigned to oversee a county or a wider region in an area. -Executor Theologus Executors who have served with distinction and those who have proven that they understand divine will better than their peers. This, is where most will ever get in their life time. They no longer oversee any church functions outside of the Sanctum Resonantia, and spend most of their time here working for the church in ways that either advance their understanding of the divine or...other, ways. -Executor Warden - Wardens are 22 special individuals who swear oaths to a divine to fully embody them. Here, they start working heavily in political sectors while also ensuring no part of the church is failing in its duties as the luminary ascribes them. Twenty two are ever allowed to exist at a time. Only death or gross misconduct can remove someone from the position. Earning the title means one must prove utter devotion to the deity they swear themselves too. -Executor Primus - The last of the Executors. Only Eleven are allowed to exist, and they are the foremost faithful and learned of their chosen divine. Their words are foremost, only subverted by the Executor Luminary themselves. -Executor Luminary The head of the Church. They who have reached the apex of understanding of all the divine. They who can interpret their will and lead the church following all of the precepts. Chosen from among the Executor Primus. [/hider] [h3]Angels[/h3] Divine constructs made in the likeness of humans. Made to lead, to teach, to protect. Back in the Solarium age they were numerous, and yet, when the gods fell into their slumber after the war with Null, they too, mostly left save for a single Archangel for each god that stayed behind to ensure prosperity and for mortals to be able to reach them, should they have need. Many years have past, and most Archangels however, have decided to take a passive stance on the world. Merely observing. Watching. Protecting it where need be. Only a few still remain behind to directly interact with mortals. [hider=Archangel Status] [i][b]Galatine[/b][/i] Archangel of Solar. A woman with seven halos to illuminate the world and eight arms for creating all of existence. Unlike a majority of her brothers and sisters, as the one created by Solar, the leader of the Divine to serve, she too, takes her role seriously and presumes herself to be their leader. While she does not interact with mortals on a day to day basis, she sometimes has been known to hold audiences in her secluded temple for those who need it. She maintains regular correspondence with the Executor Luminary and Speaker. She is quite troubled by her brothers and sisters shirking their duties so casually. [i][b]Labrys[/b][/i] Archangel of Terra. Depicted with green eyes the colored of emeralds and a divine sword and shield that could merge into a large axe. A stoic sort by nature supposedly. Was tasked into looking into something by Galatine and was never seen again some hundreds of years ago. [i][b]Mjolnir[/b][/i] Archangel of Aether. Described as being clad in Golden Armor with a brilliant sky colored mane and wielding a hammer that could break mountains and summon storms. Never took well to being a mere messenger or simply taking a passive role. Disappeared early into the Vaelorian wilderness to fight beasts. Folks say on particularly stormy days you can hear him fighting to this day. [i][b]Kagami[/b][/i] Archangel of Selene, a black winged angel with a tail dressed in finery. Supposedly, she was what the church modeled their attire after. One of the three Archangels that are still relatively active in daily life. She spends her days in the Sanctum Resonantia, leading prayers and listening to confessionals and helping wayward mortals that come find her. Surprisingly something of a dour and uncaring seeming sort. [i][b]Trident[/b][/i] Archangel of Anat. Depicted as having the legs of a mechanical sea creature and a body black as night. Trident is likely the oldest archangel, surviving entirely since Anat flooded the planet to defeat the demons. She was built and made for one thing - war. At the dawn of the modern age, she had very little she could do. Much to Galatine's protests and words otherwise, she sank beneath the waves, and supposedly has been there ever since. [i][b]Nehushtan[/b][/i] Archangel of Sirona. An angel with large wings sporting pink hair and a bow that could bring down any creature it pierced. During the interregnum years following the defeat of Null, she was tasked with revitalizing the land the demon God Destroyed. Rather than shirking her duties, its believed she became a great tree somewhere in the land of silver leaves where the Isipharel elves eventually settled. [i][b]Aegis[/b][/i] Archangel of Svarog. Once upon a time, an angel clad in white wielding four lances that could form into an impenetrable shield. Rather than shirking his duty, no, Aegis fell prey to simply the weather and passages of time from a wound inflicted by Null. After the war, he positioned himself outside of the city, his body becoming a permanent fixture, shield raised in protective defiance. A festival is held every year where prayers are offered to the remains. [i][b]Tarnkappe[/b][/i] Archangel of Metis. Depicted as a white humanoid with a particularly devilish face, wearing a long flowing robe. Tarnkappe never showed any interest in mortals. No, much like his own creator he had a desire - to pursue knowledge. Supposedly, he had a hand in creating the Metian institute but such a thing can not be confirmed. He disappeared into his own lab and supposedly erased all knowledge of its location from any records. A single challenged was issued. 'Those seeking ultimate knowledge will find me.' [i][b]Kusanagi[/b][/i] Archangel of Lethe. If anyone tells you they have some idea what she looks like, they're a liar. If anyone says theyve seen her, they're also a liar. If someone tells you they know what shes done, they too, are a liar. As far as any historical records go and as far as even Galatine is willing to say, they don't even know if this particular Archangel even exists. Rumors say this is because if anyone does meet her - they're in for a bad time. She only appears to those about to die, or those about to suffer misfortune. [i][b]Gram[/b][/i] Archangel of Skadi. Depicted as diminutive angel possessing three heads, horns, and a tail. When the Gods fell into slumber she was left alone in the northern reaches of the globe with a task from Skadi to help maintain the balance in the realm. She occasionally has contact with Galatine but for the most part she doesn't concern herself with mortal affairs. [i][b]Excalibur[/b][/i] Archangel of Discordia. One of the three Archangels still active publicly, along with her creator, Discordia. Discordia's youthfulness and nature makes it hard for her to sit still, let alone being able to simply leave mortals alone. Excalibur often spends her time making sure she doesn't cause trouble. The two often travel around quite a bit, with Excalibur making sure she doesn't cause trouble. Much. She can't stop her liege from partying a little too hard sometimes. They at least try and make appearances on an Orvalis beach for a party every year. [/hider] [/hider] [hr] [center][h3]Notable Members of the Institute[/h3][/center] [hider=Curator Rossano Morra] A stocky man in his late thirties with blond hair, a deep scar running across his right eye from brow to chin and a soft and fatherly expression. Often seen smiling, dressed in expensive suits and coats, and often carries around numerous pictures of his daughter, Daphne and will often go on long tangents expressing his absolute adoration and love for the 'most adorable little girl any father would be jealous to have.' A man who has not had an easy life, entirely on his own consequences. At 18, coming right out of basic education, he would end up joining the Orvallian Mercenary company by the name of the 'Orvallian Rose'. Not a bad gig - well paid and at the time, at least, aside from skirmishes with Dravenmarch there werent any huge conflicts...but it didn't last. He would find himself right on the front lines of the Pale War fighting on the side of Thalodreal in repelling the Eryndreal elves past the Narsier mountiains. After the fighting was over, he'd find himself seeking employment and pursuing a true passion that he found during the war - Archaeology and history, and would eventually find himself becoming Curator of the Metian institute. [/hider] [hider=Monique La Liveres, Accountant] [img]https://i.imgur.com/5m95N2r.jpeg[/img] A young elvish woman of about 24 years of age. The standard Thalodreal elf - blue eyes, blond hair, with a slender build but wearing more typically Orvallian clothing. Notably, her left hand has been replaced with a top of the line prosthetic from Corythos. She lost it during her Day Hunt after having an unfortunate accident with the beast she hunted, though she likes to remind people she did successfully hunt it. Monique acts as Rossanos' Accountant and typically acts as the head of PR for the institute. Most consider her the lady that actually gives the green light for deals and handles most of the financial and broad archaeological planning. Nothing gets approved for purchase, use, or travel without her say so, so most try to stay on her good side. She can be rather strict with money and budget. As for why she joined the institute - she never particularly cared much for the snobs at the industries in Thalodreal, and she was never religious so the conservative nature of Isipharel never set well with her and heaven forbid she go to Dravenmarch or Eryndreal. So she'd find herself in Orvalis, and well, when Rossano was hiring for an accountant of a forensic sort to handle some incident involving some stolen funds for the institute she ended up deciding to stay on as the official Financial services. [/hider] [hider=Khalisa Montanari, Mechanic and Demo Expert] [img]https://i.imgur.com/neid9nA.jpeg[/img] A relatively young seeming Tivven standing roughly at 4 feet tall sporting green hair, the usual adept animal ears on the top of her head and constantly wearing a mischievous grin. Khalisa dresses a bit more formally then her kin, for a reason she never really explains aside from 'bitch im cute' (her words). Khalisa is the primary technical assessor and mechanical worker. Any machinery on a dig site? She's usually the one working on it and repairing it...or modifying it. Shes always working on something. Simply put, like any Tivven her small frame, sensitive ears, adept eyesight and natural knack for 3D spaces means shes a natural at most things mechanical in nature and she definitely knows it, and isn't afraid to let any long-legged individual know it. As for how she is currently employed by the institute...well, she doesn't talk about it. The only one who seems to know is Rossano. She often deflects with teasing if asked about her history or gives some outlandish story about how she was born from a pile of scrap, or came out of the womb with a mech suit. Her Mech in general, lovingly named 'Lizzie', is a general purpose heavy duty construction unit. Designed for heavy lifting, drilling, and similar projects. In a pinch, its pretty good as a battering ram and at smashing things, if need be. [/hider] [hider=Sasami Karamatsu, Doctor and resident Theologian] [img]https://i.imgur.com/svAxb5l.jpeg[/img] An older Elvish woman in her late thirties dressed in the typical fashion from her homeland, often smelling of herbs and smoke. With vibrant nature colored hair and standing at six feet tall she can come off as a little imposing, but truthfully shes more akin to a lazy beast that would really rather just spend all day doing anything but work. Hailing from Isipharel where she once held the position of Priestess of Sirona, Sasami is first and foremost, the resident Theologian possessing a deep knowledge about a great deal of the divine as well as being well versed in healing Executables. Shes often consulted on anything that may have deep religious ties, or anything that directly relates to the divine as well as often ends up taking care of folks if they end up getting hurt in some far flung ruin and is such, is often present on most dig sites as a priority. She joined the institute merely because she was tired of the stuffy religious lifestyle, but couldn't quite give up her desire to keep learning about the divine or helping others. And lets face it, this position allows her to mostly kick up her feet, enjoy a drink and relax a bit. Rarely do people get seriously injured enough for concern. [/hider] [hider=Bianca Fielder, Technology Expert] [img]https://i.imgur.com/XHNDGWJ.png[/img] A human who's undergone significant modification in Corythos not out of want, but out of necessity. Truthfully, the only remaining organic parts of her is her upper torso, left arm and neck - and even her neck has had to be reinforced. Possessing white hair and pale blue eyes with equally pale skin, she comes off as a bit otherworldly to most. The resident Technology expert as her modifications give her unique ways to interface and wirelessly connect with modern technology and even understand more ancient tech if given enough time. Despite her body failing, her mind is as sharp as ever when it comes to technology and usually she's the one setting up relays and running logistical support for most dig sites. Her life in Corythos was not happy. Born with a degenerative disease, Bianca should have never lived past the age of 6. Yet, the church of Synesthesia Convergence is nothing if not altruistic if it funds their agenda and she didn't have a choice, after all. That was her parents. So they cut out the weak flesh and replaced it with the certainty of divine steel and wire. She was kept alive, to be certain because of it - but replacing over 50% of her body with mechanical parts has certainly has its adverse effects. She makes no attempt to be happy. Shes a rather dour, short spoken and a tad bit unfriendly, but constant excruciating pain as her body is forcibly kept alive wears on ones mind rather often. Not to mention the other side effects including occasional blackouts, irritability, and general lethargy some days. Eventually though, she was able to pay off the debt the Convergeance put her parents and herself in thanks to help from Rossano. Shes stayed employed here ever since. [/hider] [hider=Otelius Brynte, Historian and Scripter] [img]https://i.imgur.com/nj1aGwA.jpeg[/img] A young looking man hailing from Dravenmarch, Otelius would not initially give that impression. Dressed in more scholarly robes with soft features and long red hair, he looks more like a typical Orvallian wealthy merchant or Thalodreal noble. Despite his gentle appearance, however, belies a fairly sharp wit. The chief historian and a skilled scripter who studied at one of Dravenmarches premier academies, Otelius from an early age took well to academic studies, fascinated with both unraveling the mysteries of the historical records as well as delving into how humans can wrestle with the divine language that is Scripting and Executables. And as such a student of history, he must admit, his home country of Dravenmarch is in quite the pitiful state. Which is primarily the reason he joined the institute. A scorned scholar and one who dared to speak against the grain. He was lucky he was merely given the 'option' of self exile. So, showing both his deep understanding of history skill with scripting (particularly favoring Spatial and those that amplify or nullify sound) he was welcomed easily into the institute. Some say he keeps his youthful appearance thanks to custom scripts. [/hider] [hr] [center][h3]Character Roster[/h3][/center] [hr] [center][h3]In Game Timeline[/h3][/center]