Hi, there! I'm Saber! I intend to keep this Interest Check brief, because I have a bad tendency of dumping a lot of OOC information in these threads.

Speaking of which...[url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/29871/posts/ooc?page=1#post-863556]OOC is up![/url]

[hider=Flavor] "You wanted that much essence, for this?" 

Death's query was placid, but tinged with disappointment. His voice a dry whisper in the dreamweave, emanating from an unseen crevasse. His lover smirked, tapping her fingers against her chin.

"Nycyd, my love, you do me a great dishonor. Have you ever known me to be wasteful?" 

She sat on her throne of water and ivory, smiling through the shifting silver veil of her hair at the mortal tapestry below.

"No," he admitted, "but if not for them, then what?"

 Cibest, goddess of the moon and keeper of secrets, offered him a wink before speaking. 

 "If it were the lives of those petty men I sought, they would have been delivered to you long ago. The Vyiren are merely a catalyst to set the world in motion," she stood, her gown of night and shimmering constellations twisting about her form, "and those who answer the clarion wailing of their bitter vengeance shall be instruments of my will. I shall sit silent all the while and they will find the truth of their folly...in their own time."[/hider]

[b]Setting:[/b] Mid-summer of the year 202 D.E (Dead Era). A half-destroyed Lerayis, roughly two hundred years after the death of the Gods. High fantasy along with some rather modern technology (trains and the like), with a cultural emphasis on despising magic and praising mortal strength. We'll be exploring ideas about fanaticism against the divine and the persecution of those born with a connection to the old Gods. This is a rather fleshed out world, presented in 'The Pyrrian Transcripts' (though it has been in development for quite some time) roleplay that was in its infancy just before the old guild went down. I will provide specific information when asked for it, though I plan to post a rather large amount of information in the OOC.

[b]Plot:[/b] The staunch city of Merrifort sits on the southern skirt of the Godwastes, a bastion against the terrors that lurch out of the fetid wastelands to the north. While two members of Vigil's Council (the governing body of the largest religion in Lerayis) are visiting, the city is swarmed by creatures believed to be absent from the world. Vyiren, the shadow-servants of Cibest, goddess of the moon and secrets, swarm the city; slaughtering several innocents and claiming the lives of the visiting council members. Humanity sees this reemergence of the Vyiren and subsequent murder of the council members as the first strike in a new war against the remaining Gods. Vigil's remaining council members send out an order to several Mage Slayers and capable warriors to follow the Vyiren horde into the Godwastes and exact revenge for the Gods' slight against humanity. Those who have answered this call gather in Merrifort, three days after the murder of council members Atayr Quinn and Solen Bree, prepared to receive their orders.

I will go ahead and give a few bits of information...to whet your appetite, if I have such a power over you ;)

[hider=Information]
[b]The Dead Cairn:[/b] Forged when then blood of Vysold spilled onto Lerayis two hundred years ago, the Cairn stands as a staunch reminder of the maliciousness of the divine. It is a grotesque thing, jutting up like a broken bone from the rotten flesh of the land. Though it is generally avoided by those who would make their home in the Godwastes, there are some tainted with vile ambition; cruel beings that offer blood to the old stone. It is believed that this arcane growth is the source of all corruption in the Godwastes. While theories on the less obvious effects of the Cairn existing on the mortal tapestry are plentiful; it is whispered that all mages draw their power from this stone.

[b]Godwastes:[/b] The expanse of scarred, fetid land that takes up the northern portion of what was formerly Lerayis. The earth there is cracked and deeply pitted, bearing little in the way of life. There are sparse, gray patches of grass that dot the landscape and an occassional petrified tree in the south; which is furthest from the point of the Gods' impact with the mortal tapestry. Heading north, the land becames ashen and unstable. Great chasms that belch poison line the Godwastes like old wounds. Posing the most peril, however, are the innumerable monstrosities that roam the land; be they aberrant creatures or humans twisted by the Dead Cairn's influence, they are a constant threat to those who dare to enter these pale and cursed lands.

[b]Death Touched:[/b] What once were Immortals are now the Death Touched; those bound to servitude in the name of Nycyd, God of Death. Removed from the former perks that came with immortality, the Death Touched merely can not die; regardless of what wounds they suffer through and will continue fighting even after they have sustained enough damage to kill a mortal several times over. Yet, they must suffer through every wound. Since there are no healing magics left in the world, the Death Touched often resort to stitching themselves back together and waiting for their still living tissue to mend its self. The Death Touched are widely despised and reviled.

[b]Mages:[/b] Those who draw their power from the Dead Cairn. Mages have always been distrusted in Lerayis, moreso in these turbulent times, for their unpredictable and nigh uncontrollable abilities. Once, there was an organization devoted to understanding and practicing magic; hidden away in a realm separate from the mortal tapestry, suspended in a realm of chaos. It was these mages of old that turned upon their Gods, bringing them forth into the mortal realm and laying them low. 

Magic displaces time in a localized area, causing dysfunction in most complex machines. As such, mages are often discovered by their effects on their surroundings. Currently, mages are killed if discovered in a community. Be they formerly innocent or not, there is no greater sin than to offer a piece of yourself to the dead Gods. 

[b]Yildeanic Faith:[/b] Founded by Lady Yildeane, in the bygone ages of Lerayis' glory days. Originally a group devoted to enslaving Vysold, they were inevitably turned away from their founding goal through increasingly radical actions. Spurred by Yildeane's fear of losing the fervor of her followers, she began to warp their minds; turning those who followed her completely against the Gods. While the she succeeded in pushing them into the final stages of her plan, Yildeane was made a martyr by her cult; her blood offered as a catalyst for the most destructive spell ever wrought by mortal hands.

 After the culling of the Gods and Yildeane's 'sacrifice', she was raised up as a hero to the people who survived. So widespread was her influence at the time of her death that what remained of Lerayis quickly adopted the worship of human qualities that she taught. Now, two hundred years after her death, Lady Yildeane is seen as a goddess to those who would follow her false faith. She is immortalized through the words she left behind and the golden images cast of her by the faithful. Every prayer spoken aloud in Lerayis is offered to Yildeane. 

 Currently, those who worship Yildeane are vast and varied; but all share a common hatred of magic and fierce sense of loyalty to humanity. These people are often strong of arm and sharp of mind, driven by strict tenants of self-discipline and an untarnished belief in mankind's continuing glory.

 The Yildeanic Faith is a force of political and economic relevance within Lerayis, built atop the ruins of the city of Wyverncliff; a symbol of new growth from the decay of an old world. It is from the sprawling fortress of Vigil and its surrounding towers that Mage Slayers are sent into the world. Mage Slayer deployment and other important matters fall into the hands of the city-fortress' council; a reclusive and mysterious group of six that governs much of Vigil. They primarily survive by the income produced by a tax placed on the people that live within the city, though several wealthy benefactors often 'donate' to the church when they have need of discreet assassins.

[b]Merrifort:[/b] Situated in basin of a large valley, on an island in the middle of the Merriweather Lake; Merrifort stands as staunch sentinel, reminiscent of the days of wanton bloodshed in Lerayis. A military outpost and stronghold, Merrifort is a bit removed from the implications of its name. Sitting atop an outcropping of stone, elevated above the muddy shores and large docks, the stronghold appears to be, at least partially, carved from the very rock of the island. Heavy towers rise above the bulk of Merrifort, where guards often keep watch on the distant Godwastes, encircling the sprawling city within. A quiet city, there are no trains or loud machinery; though there is an elevated platform near the easternmost tower to accommodate incoming zeppelins for trade and transport.

 There is a relatively small population that actually lives on the island, though they often receive visitors for trade from sky or water. Zeppelins are seen drifting lazily over Merrifort during the summer seasons; leaving bloated and slower than they arrived; weighed down with supplies for the winter months. Fishermen or farmers from outlying, smaller villages in Euphius often take their small skiffs or canoes through the turbulent river that connects Merriweather Lake to the rest of Euphius to trade for goods and occasionally seek aid from the well trained Euphian Guard Corps of Merrifort. 

 Despite being so isolated, Merrifort has an extensive and vested interest in lumber and steel. Many of those who make their residence in Merrifort often spend their time harvesting one or the other, contracted by the city to engage in their labors for a fair price. The lands surrounding the valley in which Merriweather Lake sits have been almost completely stripped of trees, giving the land a harsh and battered look; with the towers of Merrifort overlooking much of the eastern part of Euphius. Zepplins are the main method of transportation for their goods, which are shipped out to several cities in exchange for food and other necessary goods. Merrifort houses, also, a derelict industrial weapon manufacturing facility. Rumor has it that the de facto leader of the city, Commander of the Euphian Guard Corps of Merrifort, Lord Orin Norath, has been seeking skilled laborers with a plan to reinstate the manufacturing of weapons in Merrifort.

Inside of the city is peaceful, with a low crime rate and friendly community. Dominating the plaza beneath Gryphon's Keep, the base of operations for the Guards, is an open air market, full of traders making stops before proceeding on to Vigil or Lightlea; making it a different scene every day, with a variety of different goods available to those with something to trade; though, solid coin always works as well. Beyond the market are various alleys and smaller open areas where tradesmen can be seen plying their craft. Most of the homes in Merrifort are low to the ground and constructed of stone, being partially underground and in orderly rows near the heart of the city; though it is not immediately obvious from the outside. [/hider]