At the dawn of time, men gave their fealty to the gods, grateful of their existence. In return, the pleased divines bestowed upon few men fragments of their power to use as they saw fit. All civilizations shared in this power, no one priding themselves in superiority over others. There was but one that lost this gift.
Within the nation of Baelwill, men and women reveled in skill and power. To them it was the greatest proof of worth, to exercise their strength in duels and conquests. They flaunted their heroes and achievements, scoffing at other nations. As their revelry persisted, their gods began to see only shame in their behavior. Their gods left them.
Defeated and ashamed, Baelwill nevertheless picked up their spirits and trudged on. A king arose and inspired his people to return to their former glory. Why did they need gods to be great? A great tower was built, a representation of the climb they would soon pursue. For years to come, through their own force of will and drive, the people of Baelwill attained their own divine strength. From deep within the souls of men, an unstoppable power was brought forth. Without gods and gifts, Baelwill forged their own strength to contest with gods.
Then, Baelwill began its first campaign of conquest upon other nations of their world Even those bestowed with divine strength could not stand against them. The gods, fearing for their creations' safety, descended upon the world from the skies. The First King of Baelwill ascended his tower stretching into the skies. Looking over the world, he cut down each and every god that showed.
Their power lost to them and their gods defeated, the world could only surrender beneath Baelwill's might. The nation bore an engineer to imprison the world. The nation bore a cleric that rendered their men immortal. For eons untold, the story of how they had risen to power vanished from minds. To know of the late gods was punishable. To speak of them was to be put to death.
Memory of the strength men could hold was lost, and with it, the will to rise against their captors.
For eons, Baelwill has ruled over the continent with an iron fist. Unrelenting, unbeatable. With the combination of their arms, those nations they subjugated were incapable of mustering the will to rise against them. An ancient arcane cannon loomed overhead, threatening to vaporize any nation deemed too rebellious to bother bringing back into the folds. A barrier of arcane machinery protected the Baelwill capital from even the greatest of assaults. A priestess of divine ability kept her knights invincible and immortal.
Any nation that could defeat these knights would fall into despair when their enemies simply rose up from the mud, none the worse for wear. Any nation that could resist their influence would fall to ashes when the skies rained down hellfire, leaving but a scorchmark upon the ruined earth. Any nation that could march to the capital would be buried in the fields surrounding it, their target unscathed.
And so with time, the world had become complacent, living under the shadow of Baelwill without question or complaint. Over the years, a prophecy had begun to circulate across the lands, telling of a future moment in which the world would be able to take back its sovereignty from Baelwill. The world bide its time.
"When the Beasts of a nation scorned fall those children of ability commanding will lead the World to true peace lest the wounded God return to rule forever"
Eight years ago, their patience was met with a ray of hope.
In an apocalyptic display of fire and brimstone, Baelwill's arcane cannon erupted into flame, brightening the night into day miles above Ollasian lands. A city was decimated by the debris that fell, but it marked the end of an era. Mere days later, the arch-priestess of Baelwill was assassinated, leaving the once-invincible knights subject to the same mortality as the rest of mankind. All at once, the people of Baelwill spread across the globe went into hiding or returned to their homeland, leaving the world a mixture of confused and boisterous.
With newfound freedom, the world collects its will to follow through with the prophecy, and turns to its children for hope.
Hi there! Welcome to Immortality's End: Prodigy Prophecy. This is an iteration of another roleplay I did of the same setting on a different site. Instead of playing as assassins or random folks this time, players will instead take the role of particularly notable young adults that find themselves in important political and/or military positions of their nation. A prohpecy was interpreted to mean that child prodigies are the ones who will guarantee that the world can permanently prevent Baelwill from returning to power. This roleplay will be focused on an overarching goal; command troops, resources, and political power alongside many others on the journey to retaliate against Baelwill while it is weakened. It will be a small group of people (5 or so, depending on how things settle) with a posting deadline of, at most, a week. Because of the nature of player character's roles and powers, I will be strictly selective in who gets positions in the roleplay, so as to avoid "complications". I'll leave it at that.
If wargames, politics, and epic fantasy interest you, submit a sheet!
Immortality's End: Prodigy Prophecy is set on the continent of Yismel, some 5 million square miles in area. Yismel is home to a vast array of peoples, including but not limited to humans, elves, orcs, smallfolk, werefolk, and dragons. Humans and elves make up the majority of the continent's populace.
A mere eight years ago, Baelwill dominated the world from north to south, east and west. With the power bestowed upon them by "artificially-created" god-like knights and kings of legend and the machinations of the mythic engineer Prollont, Baelwill secured its position as an unstoppable force of conquest. Its knights were literally invincible, their cities unreachable, and their far-reaching might unquestionable. An arch-priestess possessing powers never before seen to such a magnitude could remotely revive any and all Baelwill knights from anywhere on the globe, rendering their forces immortal. An aerial arcane cannon circled the continent, primed to vaporize any city deemed "too rebellious" to waste time suppressing. With these powers, Baelwill dominated every civilization in the world for centuries, despite hailing from but a single nation.
To Baelwill's north lies the kingdom of Verdigris. Verdigris, long ago, was formed of the separation of two rightful heirs to Baelwill's throne. A king valuing camaraderie and brotherhood over worship of historical idols exiled himself from the kingdom, followed by countless citizens who believed in his cause. Verdigris, like Baelwill, is a nation of knights, just as fond of aesthetics and power as their estranged brother nation. Verdigris is a constitutional monarchy made up of many duchies, presided over by a ceremonial head of state and an oligarchy of nobles from each fief, the Council of Ten. The nation is primarily made up of human citizens, with a minimal elven population and an even smaller populace of other races. Verdigrisian lands are boreal and taiga, containing the tallest mountain in Yismel, Mt. Lorelettonne.
Of all the regions, Verdigris is most like Baelwill, but likely harbors the most dislike for it.
For every duchy rules a Lord, who is necessarily a member of the Council of Ten (though there are many more than ten Lords). Verdigris features a king or queen who is moreso a figurehead than politically powerful.
As their arcane ability stems from Baelwill historical practice, their methods of achieving magic is different than the rest of the world. Verdigrisian knights draw supernatural strength from reverence to past mythical figures, granting them abilities that emulate the legends associated with said figures.
At the heart of Yismel lies the Federation of Mecrundyr. Made up of fourteen constituent republics, Mecrundyr is often called the freest country on the continent and beyond. Having access to trade routes stretching to each end of the continent, as well as ports at each ocean, Mecrundyr enjoys an enormous amount of wealth. Being situated in a relatively warm and amicable biome too, helps portray Mecrundyr as a good place to live. It isn't without its problems, however. Werefolk, savage men, have always lived in the forests and fields of Mecrundyr. While once abundant and relatively peaceful with the more civilized populaces, Baelwill's occupation saw a bloody campaign against the werefolk that drove their kind to near extinction. With Baelwill gone, the werefolk have returned from hiding and begun to attack villages for resources to fuel their hopeful future. Mecrundyr has an equally large population of nearly every race.
Werefolk can take the form on just about any animal, but only one animal per individual.
Werefolk are devalued in society across Yismel.
To the south of Mecrundyr lies the Burned Forest, once the homeland of Witches who have since become vagrants across the region. A large portion of the forest is simply a scorched crater.
To the East of Mecrundyr lies the Holy State of Ollas. As is quite clear, Ollas is a theocracy, presided over by an arch priest or priestess. As history goes, the legendary arch-priestess of Baelwill, Astrane, was born of marriage between a Baelwill knight and the then-arch priestess of Ollas. This knowledge however, is hearsay at best, though the people of Ollas proudly claim it to be true wherever one goes. During the Baelwill occupation, religious exercise was, while not removed, suppressed. Gatherings were still allowed, but only on particular days and for limited time. Doctrines, over time, were not analyzed as much as they used to be, leading to an "Ollasian Dark Age" of spiritual development. Ollas possesses an equal populace of elves and humans. With Baelwill gone, priests and priestesses have begun in earnest countless individual campaigns to raise their own doctrine interpretations above the rest. Small religious wars are anticipated.
Ollasian religion is based upon the belief in angelic figures who aid the mortal world, rather than a supreme god or gods.
The primary text of Ollasian religion is known as the Veil of Saint Gelrinte, often simply called the Veil.
Baelwill's primary religion is Ollasian.
While there a single overarching church of Ollasia, there are individual doctrines forming, and thus, different sects have begun to distinguish themselves from one another.
To the south lies two islands made up of two bitter rival nations. Alkrisia and Comlenes harbor a bloody history with one another. Powered by mere racial prejudice, Alkrisia and Comlenes (prior to Baelwill occupation) fought endlessly over blood feuds, resources, and extra land on the two islands. Alkrisia features a purely white-elf populace, while Comlenes is made up of dark elf migrants from the southern archipelago (not pictured, located to the south in the Immacal Ocean). As Baelwill left, tensions quickly mounted between the two nations again, prepared as ever before to return to their old ways. An old wives tale claims that their hatred for one another is so fierce, they mutually agreed to creating a gladiatorial arena for Baelwill's entertainment, merely so they could continue killing each other. The flames of ancient racial prejudice are growing on the island, and war is soon to break out at a moment's notice.
Mixed elf heritage is highly frowned upon by both elven races. No one is going to take pity on a mixed-elf character.
Both nations are highly militaristic. Alkrisia is ruled by a dictator, while Comlenes is ruled by the military itself.
Before Baelwill outlawed conflict between the two nations, the smaller islands surrounding Alkrisia and Comlenes were heavily contested over. During Baelwill's occupation these islands began to develop divided districts populated by each elven race.
At the northeast is a land bridge, mostly unoccupied except by hamlets and micronations, that connects to the much greater continent of Ju Ren Kyo, home of the Eastern Empires. Made up of several very large nations, Ju Ren Kyo nevertheless has remained peaceful even since before the times of Baelwill's conquest. Being empires, they are necessarily formed of smaller servant nations, though they remain incredibly unified. Ages of control has led to a practical merging of the nations within these empires, to the point of seeming almost indistinguishable from one another. During Baelwill's occupation, the empires were further given greater governmental hierarchy. Marriage between Baelwill lords and Eastern nobles created the first Supreme Emperor of Ju Ren Kyo. Under the successive leadership of individuals possessing this title, the Eastern Empires were heavily unified, and remain so today.
Despite this, the Baelwill blood remaining in the current child Supreme Emperor has many easterners questioning who they truly owe allegiance to... Warlords and emperors have begun to show their solidarity for their own nations, shaking the peace that has been maintained for so long...
The current Supreme Emperor of Ju Ren Kyo, Taeko-no-Sonzen, is but thirteen years old, born of blood between Lord Vindremael of Baelwill and Nishin Rukoga. Her father returned to Baelwill after its injuries, leaving her the ruler of the region.
Ju Ren Kyo is a region made up of seven empires. Each empire contains within it several constituent nations. Each empire answers to the Supreme Emperor's position.
[Appearance as an image at the top of your sheet] Name: Age: Sex: Race: Nation: Position/Status: History: Skills and Abilities:
Notes on characters:
Characters should be 'young adults'. Take that as you will.
Your character should hold some sway in the affairs of their nation. Whatever occupation or position may fit this role is up to you.
You are free to name and create constituent nations of a region, i.e. a republic of Mecrundyr, a duchy of Verdigris, an empire of Ju Ren Kyo. See individual region notes for information on the structure of government.
After your character (and nation) has been created, I will give you some additional situations/complications your character or their homeland is facing.
At the dawn of time, men gave their fealty to the gods, grateful of their existence. In return, the pleased divines bestowed upon few men fragments of their power to use as they saw fit. All civilizations shared in this power, no one priding themselves in superiority over others. There was but one that lost this gift.
Within the nation of Baelwill, men and women reveled in skill and power. To them it was the greatest proof of worth, to exercise their strength in duels and conquests. They flaunted their heroes and achievements, scoffing at other nations. As their revelry persisted, their gods began to see only shame in their behavior. Their gods left them.
Defeated and ashamed, Baelwill nevertheless picked up their spirits and trudged on. A king arose and inspired his people to return to their former glory. Why did they need gods to be great? A great tower was built, a representation of the climb they would soon pursue. For years to come, through their own force of will and drive, the people of Baelwill attained their own divine strength. From deep within the souls of men, an unstoppable power was brought forth. Without gods and gifts, Baelwill forged their own strength to contest with gods.
Then, Baelwill began its first campaign of conquest upon other nations of their world Even those bestowed with divine strength could not stand against them. The gods, fearing for their creations' safety, descended upon the world from the skies. The First King of Baelwill ascended his tower stretching into the skies. Looking over the world, he cut down each and every god that showed.
Their power lost to them and their gods defeated, the world could only surrender beneath Baelwill's might. The nation bore an engineer to imprison the world. The nation bore a cleric that rendered their men immortal. For eons untold, the story of how they had risen to power vanished from minds. To know of the late gods was punishable. To speak of them was to be put to death.
Memory of the strength men could hold was lost, and with it, the will to rise against their captors.
For eons, Baelwill has ruled over the continent with an iron fist. Unrelenting, unbeatable. With the combination of their arms, those nations they subjugated were incapable of mustering the will to rise against them. An ancient arcane cannon loomed overhead, threatening to vaporize any nation deemed too rebellious to bother bringing back into the folds. A barrier of arcane machinery protected the Baelwill capital from even the greatest of assaults. A priestess of divine ability kept her knights invincible and immortal.
Any nation that could defeat these knights would fall into despair when their enemies simply rose up from the mud, none the worse for wear. Any nation that could resist their influence would fall to ashes when the skies rained down hellfire, leaving but a scorchmark upon the ruined earth. Any nation that could march to the capital would be buried in the fields surrounding it, their target unscathed.
And so with time, the world had become complacent, living under the shadow of Baelwill without question or complaint. Over the years, a prophecy had begun to circulate across the lands, telling of a future moment in which the world would be able to take back its sovereignty from Baelwill. The world bide its time.
"When the Beasts of a nation scorned fall those children of ability commanding will lead the World to true peace lest the wounded God return to rule forever"
A year ago, their patience was met with a ray of hope.
In an apocalyptic display of fire and brimstone, Baelwill's arcane cannon erupted into flame, brightening the night into day miles above Ollasian lands. A city was decimated by the debris that fell, but it marked the end of an era. Mere days later, the arch-priestess of Baelwill was assassinated, leaving the once-invincible knights subject to the same mortality as the rest of mankind. All at once, the people of Baelwill spread across the globe went into hiding or returned to their homeland, leaving the world a mixture of confused and boisterous.
With newfound freedom, the world collects its will to follow through with the prophecy, and turns to its children for hope.
Hi there! Welcome to Immortality's End: Prodigy Prophecy. This is an iteration of another roleplay I did of the same setting on a different site. Instead of playing as assassins or random folks this time, players will instead take the role of particularly notable young adults that find themselves in important political and/or military positions of their nation. A prohpecy was interpreted to mean that child prodigies are the ones who will guarantee that the world can permanently prevent Baelwill from returning to power. This roleplay will be focused on an overarching goal; command troops, resources, and political power alongside many others on the journey to retaliate against Baelwill while it is weakened. It will be a small group of people (5 or so, depending on how things settle) with a posting deadline of, at most, a week. Because of the nature of player character's roles and powers, I will be strictly selective in who gets positions in the roleplay, so as to avoid "complications". I'll leave it at that.
If wargames, politics, and epic fantasy interest you, post your interest!
Immortality's End: Prodigy Prophecy is set on the continent of Yismel, some 5 million square miles in area. Yismel is home to a vast array of peoples, including but not limited to humans, elves, orcs, smallfolk, werefolk, and dragons. Humans and elves make up the majority of the continent's populace.
A mere ten years ago, Baelwill dominated the world from north to south, east and west. With the power bestowed upon them by "artificially-created" god-like knights and kings of legend and the machinations of the mythic engineer Prollont, Baelwill secured its position as an unstoppable force of conquest. Its knights were literally invincible, their cities unreachable, and their far-reaching might unquestionable. An arch-priestess possessing powers never before seen to such a magnitude could remotely revive any and all Baelwill knights from anywhere on the globe, rendering their forces immortal. An aerial arcane cannon circled the continent, primed to vaporize any city deemed "too rebellious" to waste time suppressing. With these powers, Baelwill dominated every civilization in the world for centuries, despite hailing from but a single nation.
To Baelwill's north lies the kingdom of Verdigris. Verdigris, long ago, was formed of the separation of two rightful heirs to Baelwill's throne. A king valuing camaraderie and brotherhood over worship of historical idols exiled himself from the kingdom, followed by countless citizens who believed in his cause. Verdigris, like Baelwill, is a nation of knights, just as fond of aesthetics and power as their estranged brother nation. Verdigris is a constituional monarchy made up of many duchies, presided over by a ceremonial head of state and an oligarchy of nobles from each fief, the Council of Ten. The nation is primarily made up of human citizens, with a minimal elven population and an even smaller populace of other races. Verdigrisian lands are boreal and taiga, containing the tallest mountain in Yismel, Mt. Lorelettonne.
At the heart of Yismel lies the Federation of Mecrundyr. Made up of fourteen constituent republics, Mecrundyr is often called the freest country on the continent and beyond. Having access to trade routes stretching to each end of the continent, as well as ports at each ocean, Mecrundyr enjoys an enormous amount of wealth. Being situated in a relatively warm and amicable biome too, helps portray Mecrundyr as a good place to live. It isn't without its problems, however. Werefolk, savage men, have always lived in the forests and fields of Mecrundyr. While once abundant and relatively peaceful with the more civilized populaces, Baelwill's occupation saw a bloody campaign against the werefolk that drove their kind to near extinction. With Baelwill gone, the werefolk have returned from hiding and begun to attack villages for resources to fuel their hopeful future. Mecrundyr has an equally large population of nearly every race.
To the East of Mecrundyr lies the Holy State of Ollas. As is quite clear, Ollas is a theocracy, presided over by an arch priest or priestess. As history goes, the legendary arch-priestess of Baelwill, Astrane, was born of marriage between a Baelwill knight and the then-arch priestess of Ollas. This knowledge however, is hearsay at best, though the people of Ollas proudly claim it to be true wherever one goes. During the Baelwill occupation, religious exercise was, while not removed, suppressed. Gatherings were still allowed, but only on particular days and for limited time. Doctrines, over time, were not analyzed as much as they used to be, leading to an "Ollasian Dark Age" of spiritual development. Ollas possesses an equal populace of elves and humans. With Baelwill gone, priests and priestesses have begun in earnest countless individual campaigns to raise their own doctrine interpretations above the rest. Small religious wars are anticipated.
To the south lies two islands made up of two bitter rival nations. Alkrisia and Comlenes harbor a bloody history with one another. Powered by mere racial prejudice, Alkrisia and Complies (prior to Baelwill occupation) fought endlessly over blood feuds, resources, and extra land on the two islands. Alkrisia features a purely white-elf populace, while Comlenes is made up of dark elf migrants from the southern archipelago (not pictured, located to the south in the Immacal Ocean). As Baelwill left, tensions quickly mounted between the two nations again, prepared as ever before to return to their old ways. An old wives tale claims that their hatred for one another is so fierce, they mutually agreed to creating a gladiatorial arena for Baelwill's entertainment, merely so they could continue killing each other. The flames of ancient racial prejudice are growing on the island, and war is soon to break out at a moment's notice.
At the northeast is a land bridge, mostly unoccupied except by hamlets and micronations, that connects to the much greater continent of Ju Ren Kyo, home of the Eastern Empires. Made up of several very large nations, Ju Ren Kyo nevertheless has remained peaceful even since before the times of Baelwill's conquest. Being empires, they are necessarily formed of smaller servant nations, though they remain incredibly unified. Ages of control has led to a practical merging of the nations within these empires, to the point of seeming almost indistinguishable from one another. During Baelwill's occupation, the empires were further given greater governmental hierarchy. Marriage between Baelwill lords and Eastern nobles created the first Supreme Emperor of Ju Ren Kyo. Under the successive leadership of individuals possessing this title, the Eastern Empires were heavily unified, and remain so today.
Despite this, the Baelwill blood remaining in the current child Supreme Emperor has many easterners questioning who they truly owe allegiance to... Warlords and emperors have begun to show their solidarity for their own nations, shaking the peace that has been maintained for so long...
By the time that the Peace fleet had finally returned a signal, a larger council of figures had amassed in the office of Eovuy-Misalxul. A holographic sphere stood in the center of the room, portraying the rendering of signals their drone had recieved. Blank for a few seconds, it eventually displayed a peculiar sight. Tiny, pudgy beings with overly animated expressions. The room was stunned for a moment; these things were so similar in body plan. Misalxul stood at the front of the council, arms crossed at her back. She waited for a moment before speaking quietly to those present.
"How do we communicate?" she asked. Someone spoke up, stepping forward so that the Eovuy might see her fully.
"We are led to assume they have sufficiently advanced computer systems that a mass data-signal of our language could be translated, hopefully within seconds," they said. Misalxul nodded. Grey. An affirmative. With the order, said package of information was beamed to the drone, and transmitted to the fleet surrounding it; a massive flood of data detailing every bit of information possible on their language, including the unique manner in which color reflected things to the Noiran. Given the natural difference in speech, it would take nothing less than a particularly quick-witted computer to decipher in any useful timeframe.
Mei and her inner circle stood and watched as new data had streamed though, walls of alien text and other images forming once more. The near constant connection between the alien probe and the fleet had proven to be quite beneficial for the defectors, the shipboard computers and commanding AI slowly, but surely deciphering the language, the words becoming more clearer then before. Mei reached out her hand towards the shifting holograms, the data stream surging through her circuits like a raging river, her eyes begun to glow. She gave a simple nod, signaling the others to do the same. One by one, each of her closer advisors had extended their Metallic arms to the ever shifting mass of data, feeling the surge. "Noiran" Mei said.
"An interesting species..." Tenmu said, the other nodded in agreement.
Mei smiled once more. "I...have a good feeling on this." She said, waving her arms about as a screen materialized. "Huddle up everyone, they should know who we are, for real."
"Yes, your worship." They all replied in unison as they gathered behind Mei. A beeping noise sounding off. "Greetings Noirans." she begun. "I am MEI-2102-34 and we wish you no harm, we come in peace." she paused briefly before continuing. "We've come a long way seeking a new home, seeking a fresh new start for myself and my people. All we ask is to be allowed entry to your home, for a moment at least." Another beeping sound followed as the recording ended. With another motion of her hand, the screen shrank as the message was streamed to the probe and back to the main source.
There was a commotion amongst the council as Noiran words were returned to them. It had worked! Others were a bit more wary however, at the contents of the returned message. Lixioxu Aolfayer pondered.
"A 'new home'?" A yellowish color. Suspicion. "Are they pariahs? Outcasts? Criminals?" she asked. A hush fell over the council. "And they are blunt to ask of us entry the very moment we contact them."
"Their name... it has numbers. Are they synthetic?" added Lixioxu Yaeiolo. The Eovuy listened carefully, forming her own assumptions.
"Perhaps we may simply ask them to clarify," she said, preparing another message. "Greetings foreign one. I am Eovuy-Misalxul, representative of all Noiran peoples, leader of our humble civilization. We are curious of your requests, but also cautious. From whence did you come, and why do your people require a new home?"
All was silent in the council chambers, a short amount of time had passed before the Peace Fleet had sent their reply. Mei, from her more neutral expression was more saddened. "....We once hailed from a terrible place, the Agonis Collective....my kind have brought untold death and misery upon billions for centuries. I was blind to this evil for so long...until it was far too late. I and my people no longer wished to be apart of the madness. We fled, knowing full well that wherever we may go, we would not be welcomed, we would be hated and hunted down. "She paused before resuming. "Both by our kind and the past victims of their slaughters. This is why we fled and seek a new home, we wish to correct what the Collective has done, once step at a time."
"Then there are other civilizations out there. Excellent to know," Lixioxu Aolfayer said. Misalxul continued her transmission.
"I see. Should we be worried about this Agonis Collective? You make it clear your kind are hunted. We are rightfully cautious of harboring those that may draw devastation to our civilization. We are young and small, confined to a single system with nary a clue as to what is going on in the galaxy surrounding us. We need some assurance we will not be visited by something greater than ourselves with evil intents."
The third response had came in a far faster pace. Mei's expression more calm, and less fearful. "I'm quite certain the Collective will never find us. We have traveled a great distance, far from the Collective's sphere, and their warlike ways and fanatic ideology will eventually cost them dearly. They will soon have other, more important matters to deal with then our defection."
There was a long pause in Misalxul's office. Emotions ran high and chaotic, ever-shifting between wariness, hope, and curiosity. For the time being, opnions were withheld. Their Eovuy would make a decision with the information provided, and all those present could tell by her color that she was already becoming firm in her thoughts.
"We shall permit you approach our homeworld for the time being. Caution must be taken before we can allow your people to touch down upon it," Misalxul transmitted. She turned back to the council. "We shall all meet them face to face. I am confident for now that we are not speaking with beings harboring ill-intent." The two commanders affirmed her decision and walked in tandem out of the office. A security group would need to be made for their visitation. Another signal was sent, marking their star system's location in the region.
Mei grinned widely with this development. For now at the moment, the Peace Fleet had gained a temporary sanctuary and a possible ally. This would be the first step Mei had mentioned, with the knowledge that they would be safe, this allows the Peace Fleet time to survey the surrounding system while the fleet remains under the care of the Noirans. Mei made several motions with her hand as a map sprang back into view, before her, a route leading to the Vol System begun to form. "Set a course of the Vol System." Mei ordered.
Abiding by her commands, the entire fleet vanishing once more into the dark void of space, making their swift journey towards the Norian Homeworld.
Communication was cut as the ships tunneled into hyperspace, thousands of light years away. Misalxul stood taught before the empty holographic display, thinking to herself. Their very first contact, and the aliens wished to take residence upon their very homeworld. Now that they knew of a larger galactic community, far grander than she had ever imagined, imagination ran wild.
----------------------------------------------------- Last Updated: 08/30/2016
Contained is a list of character sheets and basic world descriptions where they come from. Most likely saved for Arena battles, ultimately.
----------------------------------------------------- From Whence They Came
The World of Immortality's End
A world ruled by men turned gods, where reverence is power, and resistance is futile. An ancient order of knights, and the nation they serve, extend their total control across the entirety of the globe, graced by the invincibility of an arch-priestess and the apocalyptic machinations of a legendary machine-king. In the absence of the Old Gods, men are left to their own designs in rising up against the oppression.
Characters: ???
The World of Retra
A world of systematic magic, governed by a supreme arcane mind. Within a great city of light and concrete, dark underground powers seek to undermine the magical laws placed upon them, while free-reigning, sanctioned mages work to destroy those that would disrupt order. Vigilantes appear where lawlessness is unattended, and ancient horrors creep in the shadows to prey upon the unsuspecting.
The beacon continued unabated, occasionally switching its signal between a written message and the spoken word of a Noiran welcoming the anomaly. Pictures were shown in succession of various cities and landscapes of their planet, artistic works, and mathematics. The drone stood firm in its spot, just within visual range of the Peace Fleet, snapping photos as it waited. The signal, transmitted over FTL channels to Vol, soon reached the eager ears of few individuals...
Southern Reaches Vol-Aoy System - Vol
The room was small, cold, and quiet. The whirring of a multitude of computers droned amidst the otherwise silent atmosphere. Systems were active, patiently awaiting a signal to indicate a change. Five markers sat as dots on an illuminated screen, spread across five systems surrounding Vol at its center. Then, finally, one of them blinked, and a pulse of light spread from it intermittently. The computer's whirring kicked into higher gear, and the screen began to spam countless words and lists, unlocking and engaging a program protocol that, until then, had never been used. Somewhere, a phone rang.
--------------------
Even behind the protection of a glass barrier, the office space was still plagued by the sound of Rimusua, the Eternal Hurricane. Rain pelted the glass barrier, coating it with a uniform wall of water. The skies beyond were grey and sunless. At the Distal Edge of Vol's habitable zone, sunlight reached only partially through the thick clouds, casting a dull, constant grey tone upon the windswept cityscape below. The office was spacious and simple. A desk and chair, plus a few armchairs situated to the side, were present.
At the desk sat a studious woman, gaze trained down upon the virtual pads she was writing upon. Her face was obscured by a chevron-like mask of golden color made of a semi-transparent material. At the front of her desk was a symbol upon a hanging flag; two circles of differing sizes linked together by a thick line. The crest of Noiran society and civilization.
There was a knock on the distant door, and before she could even answer, over a dozen individuals stepped inside, lining up evenly before the woman. They were Noiran of varying status; of note were two notable military lixioxu -commanders. Commanders Aolfayer and Yaeiolo stood before her with poignant colors. Something was dire.
"Eovuy-Misalxul," Aolfayer greeted, "System 3 has activated." Eovuy-Misalxul, supreme leader of the Haven, immediately turned a reddish-pink. Fright.
"Which system?" she asked, dropping the tablet she was holding to give her full attention to the commander. Aolfayer nodded to one of the others present. A scientist of some renown. With the flick of a finger on their own tablet, a hologram spread into the empty space of the office between them and the desk. The same probe dot blinked endlessly.
"What did they detect?" Misalxul continued. Images appeared then. Zoomed-in snapshots of battle-weary white ships.
"It is understood that they used faster-than-light mechanisms to reach the system. We do not know from whence they came," the commander said. Misalxul sat up straight and fell silent for a moment, colors changing rapidly. Mixed feelings. Fear, apprehension, hope, consideration. "Battle-weary? Do they express hostility?"
"It detected rising energy signatures the moment it's signal reached the spacecraft, but they did not retaliate. No signal has been received from them, however. We can only assume they are worried as well," Aolfayer said.
"Have the drone approach... Slowly," Misalxul ordered. Violet color. Firmness. Several of those present left immediately and silently, while the two commanders remained.
Southern Reaches Unnamed System
New protocol. Approach with peaceful intent. The drone began its slow movement towards the general center of the Peace Fleet, continuing to release signals reflecting Noiran culture, society, and language. A message was entwined, then, depicting a myriad of imaginative creatures standing side by side; an indicator of desire to meet with others.
Oizusol. Wariness. Such was the guiding doctrine of the Noiran Haven as it stretched its young limbs into the blackness of space. With such little understanding of the galaxy surrounding them and an attitude of caution and fear, Noiran civilization slow on the uptake, despite its technology, and they remained in darkness for years. Their homeworld and a few other planets -colonies- were the only places the race had stepped foot upon with their own flesh and bone, leaving much of their own system untouched and pristine. To the Noiran, who so loved their own realm, time was something they could easily 'waste'. Nothing was needed fast. There were no energy crises to solve. No overpopulation problems to manage. No hunger to dominate.
Exploring the deep was but the next step in their cementing of safety. The galaxy could not be empty; that much they were sure of. What it was full of, however, would take time to understand. And they would need to be prepared for anything. The defense array surrounding Vol was a testament to this line of thinking. Metal layers of mythic proportions surrounded portions of the planet's orbit, dotted with innumerable weapons systems. Their civilization, perhaps in wisdom, spared no expense. The monsters of the jungle had become the monsters of the void, and they feared them without question. No adult or child doubted the possibility that out there, in the darkness, lied in wait a civilization with no mercy or empathy.
Despite all their preparation and wariness, nothing, of course, could truly prepare them for the time when they'd finally make contact. Long-range drones had been sent to lifeless systems around their own, idly waiting for a signal to reach their sensors that something synthetic was present. Tiny orbs floated at the edges of each of five systems, inactive until they detected... it.
A ping. A physical force impossible by natural means. Space warped and the shockwave was easily detected millions of miles away. The drone surged into life, amorphous exterior shifting to accommodate for the hidden hardware underneath as it attuned to the anomaly. Something was there. Something unnatural. The drone followed protocol and eventually did what it was truly built to do; send a greeting.
The tiny message came in patterned blips on all wavelengths. "Sizo" it said in a human-like voice as audio. Alongside was an image of a generic Noiran of bluish-green hair; a reflection of friendliness. A Noiran emotion-symbol followed suit; a massive, poetic construction made by a historical writer specifically for this situation. It reflected nostalgia for a commendable past and the associated hope for a continued peaceful existence, though of course the language system was indecipherable.
The drone continued to ping its signal, as well as send news of the encounter back to the Vol system.
Summary: The Noiran Haven is a single-star-system made up of a single race of humanoid beings that pride unity and purity of their ranks against the backdrop of an ever-increasing presence of other civilizations. Though wary of outsiders, they seek to enter the galactic community as honorable additions, striving for peace and safety above all else.
Homeworld: Noiran are native to the terrestrial planet known as Vol. Vol is tidally locked to its star, and so does not rotate like Earth. Vol has two faces; a star face and a void face. The star face is perpetually pointed towards its star, receiving unending light that heats up the surface to incredible temperatures. The void face points to empty space, and so is perpetually cold. Freezing temperatures and massive glaciers on the voidface push ice towards the starface, where it is heated up and rises into the atmosphere. The low pressure of the voidface pulls water vapor back toward it, resulting in massive unending rainstorms that move from star to voidface. Where these two hemispheres meet is a habitable zone, and where life on the planet developed.
The Species
The Noiran are humanoid in every sense of the word. For some lineages of Noiran, members can easily be mistaken for mere human women without looking deeper than a passing glance. Key differences will easily distinguish them, however.
Noiran are pale-skinned to the point of appearing white, regardless of the region of their home planet in which they reside. Their eyes tend to have a gentle glow to them, and possess clearly inhuman physiology. Two regions of the Noiran eye are distinguishable; a lower and upper hemisphere, separated by a pupil that stretches across the iris. Noiran see in multiple light ranges, capable of perceiving the visible spectrum as well as infrared and portions of the ultraviolet spectrum. They can see both heat and color in the traditional sense. Analysis of their teeth will also reveal a purely carnivorous diet; besides a set of incisors, the Noiran mouth is made up only of tightly-packed canines.
Most notable of their physiology is their "hair". Appearing as fine, silk-like strands, Noiran hair is actually an extension of their nervous system, and contains within it a complex and precise social communication medium. Contained within their hair is a single nerve, as well as a series of enzymatic hubs that facilitate bioluminescence. When prompted, the length of their hairs can undergo color change, shifting instantaneously from one color or shade to the next. The cycling of color is determined by mood, but can be partially controlled intentionally. A great deal of Noiran society revolves around this method of communication. Noiran eyes are sensitive enough to detect extremely minute changes in shade to facilitate levels of empathy few other races can achieve.
So precise is their ability to change color and detect the changes that Noiran civilization has naturally developed a form of silent language, capable of "speaking" with one another simply through gestures and color. As their hair contain nerves, cutting Noiran hair is very painful. After they reach adulthood, their hair no longer grows.
As an asexual species, Noiran are uniformly female, capable of reproducing independently. Unlike terrestrial asexual organisms, however, Noiran possess a unique form of genetic heritage that allows for offspring to possess dissimilar phenotypes as their parent. Noiran genomes are two-fold; an active genome and a "database" genome exist within their cells, each functioning differently. A Noiran's active genome functions in much the same way as terrestrial DNA. The active genome dictates how the individual behaves at a cellular level. The database genome (hereby the DDNA) on the other hand contains the successive genotypes of all parents preceding it. DDNA in Noiran is structured such that all mutations are organized into particular sections pertaining to their function. For example, a segment of height contains within it all unique genotypes that were in the active genomes of ancestors.
When a Noiran egg prepares to divide, it first deletes a large portion of its own active genome and then takes genes from the DDNA to generate a new active DNA unit. The genes taken from the DDNA may end up creating an egg with an active DNA sequence different from the mother's. Molecular and cellular processes promote or hinder the usage of certain genes within the DDNA, which helps to create new active DNA sequences for the offspring that allow it to better fit within its mother's environment.
A Noiran's average lifespan is approximately 50 years of age, and they give birth to children after the age of 12 and have children every 4 years.
The Society
Noiran civilization began as bands of hunters in the darker back region of their home planet Vol. In the darkness of the sunless back realms of Vol Noiran communicated mostly through color, identifying intent and emotion through changing hair color. Torrential rain across the habitable strip of the planet ensured sound was an ineffective way of communicating over wider distances as well. Over time bands conglomerated together to form more defined civilizations, starting towns and cities in their wake.
Though exceptional hunters, Noiran were far from the most dangerous creatures on the planet. Within the jungles were terrifying, massive superpredators which governed the Noiran way of life for centuries. Cities were built solely as protection against the ruthless biosphere they lived within, and this fear of monsters remained with the Noiran even into modern day. Though social, Noiran are highly protective of their immediate family and friends. It is considered a threat to Noiran parents should others merely look at their children beyond passing glances. Noiran families are made up of successive generations taking care of their increasingly larger groups, eventually splitting up their numbers when deemed necessary. Noiran often take "xozal" ("Lifesister")into their folds; essentially the individual's noted "best friend" whom they trust with interacting with their own children.
It suffices to say that color dominates Noiran culture and society. As Noiran communicate emotion through involuntary changes in their hair color, Noiran are effectively incapable of lying or deception. Extremely nuanced ideas can be communicated through hair color, such that conversations often times are merely exchanges of single words interspersed with moments of silence. Because of this, it is considered proper (required, even, lest one appear as extremely rude) to face one another when speaking or interacting. Despite this, Noiran often wear full face masks, as Noiran facial gestures are minimal and mostly absent. Having one's face covered is seen as "proper" as it minimizes confusion and promotes sincerity.
Noiran have no adjectives in their spoken language whatsoever. Adjectives, feelings, etc, are once again conveyed through hair color, eliminating the need to utilize words such as "lovely" or "disgusting". Even more specific adjectives such as "bright" or "rocky" can still be conveyed through changes in hair color. It is for this reason that Noiran language appears bland and uninteresting. To other races, Noiran speak literally and quickly. In their written language, however, Noiran possess a system of description that is extremely complicated, and most often reserved for dedicated scholars willing to learn the system. Adjectives are instead replaced by individual, subjectively generated symbols compacted into a small space that convey extremely complex and precise ideas of description. This system is used solely in literary works, and are absent in day to day writing. Black and white are neutral colors in Noiran language; a Noiran individual at rest, with little on their mind, will appear either black or white in hair color.
A strange aspect of Noiran culture, also relating to color, is their hatred for light, and colors associated with it. Yellows, reds, and oranges are considered the colors of evil, death, or negative emotions. Noiran legends hold that bogeymen, supernatural monsters, and other dangerous things are found in bright light, rather than in darkness. As their home planet is tidally locked, with one side facing its star endlessly, the sun is dangerous and places of bright light tend to be those where its heat can easily kill a Noiran. It is for this reason that Noiran prefer dimly lit locations or darkness altogether.
As a deceased Noiran's hair color is translucent, being "see-through" is associated with death, and considered an ill omen in most cases. Glass is a material reserved solely for ritual and ceremony.
Loudness is considered dangerous in Noiran culture, and so they speak quietly. As the Noiran homeworld is battered by constant torrential rain, it is difficult to hear one another unless one is right beside another. Conversation is carried out at close distances or not at all.
As they are an asexual species and despite their ability to have phenotypically different children, Noiran tend towards the side of uniform physical appearances. Due to this, the drive to achieve physical individuality is extremely high in their society. Fashion is extremely widespread and focused on achieving customized attire. Though painful, Noiran will also undergo haircuts to achieve further individuality.
The Government
The Technology
Noiran technology is highly defensive and hyper organized. The vast majority of its military is made up of drone technology, organizing automated fighters into synced units to swarm and overwhelm an enemy. Especially on their home planet, Noiran defensive structures mighty and nigh-impenetrable. Massive orbital layers slide over one another above, creating a virtual wall protecting the surface beneath. Countless defensive system line these layers both above and below, creating a gauntlet of weaponry one would be hard-pressed to attempt defeating. To facilitate complete coverage, Noiran spacecraft are equipped to be extremely fast, so as to ensure defeats in one area can be easily reinforced by even far-away strongholds. Shielding is a strong suit of Noiran military, and most units are equipped with a powerful energy barrier suited for both kinetic and energy weaponry.
All in all the Noiran military focuses on three things; +Information Cohesion +Shield Potency +Speed
Though their offensive weaponry, mainly in the form of lasers, is less than exceptional, they are far from useless. As defensive fighters, their offensive weaponry tends to ere on the side of being quick and plentiful. "Saturation" is the key term for Noiran weaponry.
Important Figures
The title "Eovuy" can be understood as the world leader, but is more properly translated as "Highest Hunter", a title once given to the band leaders of Noiran cities long ago. Misalxul is the current supreme leader of the Noiran Haven, presiding over all subset governments across the planet and the colonies of the Vol-Auy system. Misalxul (pronounced: mee-sal-zhul) is a straight-talker, serious and focused on her duties. She rose to power two-fold; by the name of her first lineage, and by the actions of her career in politics. Loved by many, her directness in working for her sisters earned her the adoration needed to rise through the ranks of Noiran society, eventually reaching the position of Eovuy. Her predecessor, Lixioxu-Aolfayer, was returned to the military position from whence she came, leaving two extremely capable leaders at the highest positions of society.
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[i][color=#e60000]Call me:[/color][/i] Asuras
[i][color=#e60000]I like:[/color][/i] Urban Fantasy, High Fantasy, Anime Aesthetics
[i][color=#e60000]I play:[/color][/i] Anything. Mostly women.
I have a long history of GM'ing, perhaps even more than playing. I like art, and I commission a lot. D&D is my life right now.
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<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><div class="bb-center"><iframe src="//youtube.com/embed/yEBNruYiLXM?theme=dark" frameborder="0" width="496" height="279" allowfullscreen></iframe><br><br><hr class="bb-hr"><br><br><span class="bb-i"><font color="#e60000">Call me:</font></span> Asuras<br><br><span class="bb-i"><font color="#e60000">I like:</font></span> Urban Fantasy, High Fantasy, Anime Aesthetics<br><br><span class="bb-i"><font color="#e60000">I play:</font></span> Anything. Mostly women.<br><br>I have a long history of GM'ing, perhaps even more than playing. I like art, and I commission a lot. D&D is my life right now.</div></div>