Taureesia - Land of Legends

[i] Many a tale has been told about great heroes and dark villains. About weapons of legends and dark creatures from the pits of the Void. Tales of old warriors who rose against the armies of evil, and stood victorious. Tales of ancient creatures so vast and powerful, that many would call them children’s tales. But what if it is all true?
A time forgotten, a time lost. A time of legends. [/i]

The official RP thread is up and running!

Welcome, welcome to Taureesia, the child of my questionable imagination and YOUR new playground! 

First of, a disclaimer: This RP will contain darker topics. If you are not comfortable with topics such as violence, racism and death, this might not be the RP for you.

Now that we have that out of the way, it’s time for vast amounts of informative text for those wanting a taste of the world. 

[b] Gods of Taureesia [/b]

[b] Kyank and Mahvan [/b]
[hider=Kyank] [img=http://images2.alphacoders.com/233/233832.jpg] [/hider]
[hider=Mahvan] [img=http://images.alphacoders.com/139/139541.jpg] [/hider]

When the ancient stars burst into existence on the night sky, two great beings were placed at the centre of our universe. Set to govern the start and beginning of all things, even the universe itself. Kyank, the God of Life takes the shape of a pure white dragon, symbolizing the start of all things, and the force that keeps them alive. Her twin brother, Mahvan, the God of Death takes the shape of a black dragon, so dark that even the blackness of the universe beyond seems bright. He symbolizes the end of all things, and the force that will inevitably take away what Kyank gave. These are the first of the Divine, the nine Gods ruling the world. They are also the two most powerful, yet the two rarest encountered. The two have both taken new forms on Taureesia, appearing from time to time.

[b] Neró [/b]
[hider=Neró] [img=http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BLiqz46I3qg/Th3K_mGZcsI/AAAAAAAABF0/M6Mz027i1zU/s1600/whale.jpg] [/hider]

As the planets formed and cooled, water, the substance that is essential to most life was willed into existence by Kyank. To govern the watery depths and everything within, a great whale appeared, one dwarfing even the Great Whales of Marau. Neró is one of the most known Gods, and a large island filled with lush forest and plenty of wildlife grows on his back. Only once has the great creature submerged, during the War of Dragons. Fishermen have tried catching the God several times, even reaching to the arts of dark magic. All attempts have failed and ended disastrously. Neró's children, Saru and Uras follow by his side at all times, guiding lost sailors to the safe shores of his back. He is known as both a merciful and ruthless god.

[b] Mori [/b]
[hider=Mori] [img=http://images.alphacoders.com/180/180663.jpg] [/hider]

After the sea had settled and the great Neró took to the waters, plants began to grow on the islands, large and small alike, that dotted the planet. A creature rose from the very ground itself, forming from grass and bushes. Shaped like a lion with horns, the God used to be a calm and gentle leader of the plants and animals of the forests. After the Dragon Wars and the destruction of the Greatwoods, home to the most ancient of trees, Mori turned to insanity. Ever since, the forests of Taureesia have become very hostile places. Encounters with the forest God are rare, and accounts of them are even rarer. It is told that when one meets the great lion, they will hear the sound of heavy breathing, and their final sight in this world shall be the two blue eyes, filled with an insanity unlike any other. Mori was known as a loving god before insanity, and an unpredictable one after.

[b] Oro [/b]
[hider=Oro] [img=http://images4.alphacoders.com/183/183774.jpg] [/hider]

The clouds gathered as the bright star above Taureesia made the waters of the sea evaporate. Large drops of water fell from the clouds that formed, returning the water to its place of origin in an eternal cycle. From a particularly dense cloud burst a grand, flaming, eagle, blotting out the sun with its wings. The Windswept are direct descendants of Oro, having been made to rule the sky for all eternity. Oro is the most animal-like god, and is the only one unable to speak. Shrieks and gestures are his only way of communicating with the mortals. The God of the Sky was once caught by a pair of human sorcerers set on harnessing the powers of the eagle, and proving that gods were not immortal. Their actions sparked a war like no other, dwarfing even the Dragon Wars ages past. Every nation declared open war on them, and after eighty years of war, Oro was released. He has not been seen since that day. Oro is seen as an animal to be feared, but not much more, as he has started to fade into myth and legend.

[b] Pat’thara [/b]
[hider=Pat’thara] [img=http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/226/8/4/anna_and_the_stone_giant_by_lynntendo-d46kequ.jpg] [/hider]

Below the domain of Oro, Mori and Neró, deep down in the darkest caverns, a mass of stone formed into the god Pat'thara. Vaguely shaped like a dragon, he is the father of the Dwarves. Twice in history has this great god risen from the depths of the planet, during the Dragon Wars and moments after his creation. Miners across the planet tell tales of meetings with Pat'thara, and describe him as a very curious god. The strange claw sticking out of his lower jaw is one of Daemon's teeth, stuck there after the two were locked in a ferocious fight.

[b] Daemon [/b]
[hider=Daemon] [img=http://hqdesktop.net/wallpapers/l/1920x1080/32/people_digital_art_artwork_chains_daniel_dociu_1920x1080_31438.jpg] [/hider]

A god was once roaming the planet, a god whose heart had been darkened by the desire for chaos. Daemon, she was called, and she was the spark of the Dragon Wars. Corrupting the minds and hearts of the once noble Firebred, she caused them to go insane and turn on their brethren. In the end, the gods themselves joined the battle and managed to lock up their fallen sister. Daemon now stands on the barren plains of Haram, strong chains keeping her in place until the end of time. A few foolish adventurers dared venture to the plains, but none returned. Nothing is known about this god, other than the fact that she is the mother of the hellish demons roaming Taureesia.

[b] Tid [/b]
[hider=Tid] [img=http://digital-art-gallery.com/oid/11/640x364_3713_Grumpy_Owl_2d_illustration_mouse_forest_owl_fantasy_picture_image_digital_art.jpg] [/hider]

At the same instant the universe was created, an old owl formed from the grey strands of time. Tid he was named by the first of talking creatures, and the name stuck with him from then on. Nothing has ever mattered to the strange creature, as he sees what will be and what has been. Conversation with Tid is impossible, as the god will tell how the conversation ends, and then how the person in question ends. He is known as a very strange and very wise god. Most ignore him if they happen by the ancient owl who will scowl at any and all.

[b] The Dominant Races [/b]

[b] Humans [/b]
[hider=Humans] Humankind is the youngest of the races, coming forth three millennia ago. They were lead by the great sorcerer Datayka, a regular human to mortals, but to those that view the world in other ways, he appeared in his true form, as the demon Akyatad, a very powerful demonic lord and one of the sons of Daemon. Through the power of his mother, the demon accelerated the development of the humans, and within their first millennia they had established the foundations of Liaryn, the nation that was to become the biggest on Taureesia.

The humans are ruled from Liaryn by Shardkeeper Santo Vallar. The Vallar family, and in extension the Shardkeepers, claimed the throne of Liaryn from King Toran Harga three centuries ago, ending the War of Kins, a war that split the Hargarian Nation in five.

During the Vallarian rule, Santo's father, Tasonto Vallar, gathered the five nations into a single, powerful human nation. He let the kings and warchiefs stay in charge of their nations, but only after they swore fealty to Liaryn and the Vallarian bloodline. Peace spread throughout the human lands, but peace never lasts, and when the city of Thar, the capital of Ghart, was attacked by the native giants, Liaryn called for its armies for the first time in almost three hundred years. The giants would have been defeated, had it not been for the Mytati, a race of powerful magic wielders hailing from the mysterious nation to the east.

Humans are currently considered the rulers of Taureesia. [/hider]

[b] Elves [/b]
[hider=Elves] Elves are one of the older races of Tarueesia, originating from the now extinct tree sprites of Mori's realm. These ancient creatures, believed the sons and daughters of the mad god, found themselves unable to continue their immortal lives without the Greatwoods binding them to the eternal trees. As a last resort to keep their bloodline intact, they spawned the Elves. The elves, nimble creatures, much like humans in appearance, quickly made the forests their homes, and within a few centuries they had become completely accepted by Mori, the god of the woodland realms, as part of the forest. 

The Elven society was formed with the mentality that all are equal, with the one exception of the Lady, a female elf chosen at birth to venture deep within Newood to meet Mori and receive his blessing. If the signs had been read wrongly, as has happened in the past, the young girl would not return to the elves. The process of selection is based on marks on the child, eyes the colour of silver and finally an affinity for magic. In times of need these signs were ignored and the elven numbers dwindled rapidly. In times of peace, the process can take several years. The Lady leads the elves by tutoring the young and healing the sick and wounded. In times of battle she is with them as well, using the forest to defend her people. A governing system, such as the human's line of kings does not exist. [/hider]

[b] Dwarves [/b]
[hider=Dwarves] Possibly the oldest of the races, with the exception of the Angeli and the Demons, the Dwarves are children of Pat’thara. Not much is known of their origin, only scattered myth still exists. Some say, that the great god was simply bored and wanted company, others that it was divine planning and foresight that sparked their creation. Whatever the truth, since their birth the Dwarves have managed some of the greatest feats of engineering and architecture. 

Deep beneath the Titan’s Fall, one of two titanic mountains on Taureesia, lies the city of Rothtran. From here, the Dwarves are governed by the Council of Two. One female, one male, as it has been since the dawn of their civilization. Currently, Gillian Dgrain holds a seat, representing Clan Anvilforge. The other is held by Sarg Tvagain, of Clan Darkspire. As is tradition, both will be seated in the Council of Two for two hundred years. Gillian Dgrain has been seated for a little over a hundred, and Sarg Tvagain is the heir after Bran Grog, of Clan Hammerfall, and is newly elected. Many whisper in the dark, that Tvagain did not win the election fair and square and that the Darkspire lineage of dark sorcery and demonic affiliations might have influenced the final result. 

The Dwarves are the third largest civilization on Taureesia, narrowly surpassed by Elves and dwarfed by Men. On market days, there is always a vast crowd near the Dwarves, as every noble, knight and wealthy lady seek to purchase their exquisite wares. Anything from the finest steel and strongest plate, to delicate jewels, carefully woven into necklaces of silver and platinum can be found and purchased, for a hefty price. [/hider]

[b] Magic [/b]

[b] [i] From the Compendium Magica [/i] [/b]
[i] Where does magic power come from?
Magic is one of the primal forces of the world, and the one keeping the universe itself together. The Veiil and the Twin Gods are direct offspring of this force. 
Willpower is used to wield magic by humans and dwarves. It is possible to conjure spells of unlimited potential, though at almost certainty of the spell killing the conjurer before it is completed. The stronger the willpower of the wielder, the more powerful spells can be without risk of personal injury. For the elves, the lifeforce of flora around them determines their power, as well as how long they have practiced.

What things can magic not do?
Magic has no real limit, but some things are much more difficult to accomplish than others. Bending time, resurrection and summoning (also known as plane-bending) are among the most difficult.

 How do magicians try to get around these limits?
Magicians can brute force the restraints of magic, breaking the rules of the world for a moment, to go against natural law. Necromancers and Paladins alike do this, for resurrection, healing and summoning. Certain artifacts can help as well.

What is the price magicians must pay in order to be magicians? 
For humanity, studying is all it takes. But to truly become powerful, one must push their own will to the breaking point over and over again to fully control magic.

For elves, it is a rite of passage. When an elf comes of age, they are taken, by The Lady, to Mori, who, after a series of tests, decides which branch of natural magic they are going to be allowed to wield. At the moment, shamanism and floramancy are the most widespread, with druidism being a rarity, due to the immense power it allows the wielder, and the few who pass the tests well enough. Without flora, the elves cannot perform magic.

For dwarves, few are born with the ability, but those who are wield it as warriors or craftsmen. Artificers and Battlemages are rare and far between, but very powerful.

The price is a shortened lifespan. Usually half the norm, though there are exceptions.

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[b] Character Sheet [/b]

 Essential Information 
Name/Aliases: 
Sex: 
Race: 
Age: 
Appearance: 
Personality: 
History: 

 Optional Information
Equipment: 
Marital Status: 
Magic (Able to use/not able to use, what kind): 
Skills: 

This is my idea of character sheet, if you have a better one you like to use, please feel free to do so!

[b] Your ideas! [/i] [/b]
Feel free to share your ideas with me for what could happen next, or something in the world in general! Taureesia is an ever-expanding world of almost limitless possibilities, and your input and ideas can help make it something much greater than I first imagined!