STATUS:
With all the politics and personal crap going on, decided to start a little safe haven for people fileld with salt and vinegar who still retain a sense of humor. facebook.com/SourKnights
10 yrs ago
Current
With all the politics and personal crap going on, decided to start a little safe haven for people fileld with salt and vinegar who still retain a sense of humor. facebook.com/SourKnights
Nobody knows where the titanic beasts known as Azuri came from, but one thing is for sure, they have always been there for as long as this world stood. The first races of the world lived in constant fear of the mighty beasts destroying their tiny lives, and it seemed that this balance would remain unchanged forever. One by one the ancient races perished, by the hand of time, the wrath of gods or the claws of the Beasts. Soon only the crafty Cauhri remained. Hidden in the darkness of the forests and the cold dampness of the caves they were destined to eventually meet the same fate as the one that had befallen the mighty Grato and majestic Fartrey races before them. Or so they thought, anyway. Nobody remembers how many thousands of years ago the first Beastmaster was born – a hero whose name is lost to time, who fought and tamed the first Great Beast. Soon other Beastmasters were born, and finally after an untold number of aeons the world seemingly calmed down.
Or did it?
Using the overwhelming strength of the titanic beasts the Cauhri Beastmasters soon conquered the entirety of the Karadun continent, taming the wild beasts and killing those too wild, eventually building an empire to rival the gods themselves. But great power bears great temptation. As centuries past, the Beastmasters have begun to see themselves as far superior to the normal Cauhri. Their armies and wealth grew at the expense of the lower classes. Eventually they decided that the entire world must belong to them. The eastern continent of Zengar did not stand much of a chance against the overwhelming power of the new Xelith Empire, and was swiftly conquered, despite its massive size. The few lucky enough to escape found their way to the tiny continent of Raveros in the west. Separated from the empire by a violent sea and having no beastmasters of its own it remained relatively safe.
Despite being unable to get their powerful land beasts across the sea, the Xelith Empire still continued to furiously assault Raveros using flying and sea born titans. Forced into an endless war, the kingdoms of Raveros banded together and built a great wall, which lined the entire continent on all sides. However the Empire, convinced of its divine right, never stopped trying to conquer the Walled Kingdom. That assault is still going on even now, a thousand years later.
Alas the wheels of fate have finally begun to grind down on the Empire.
As the war had reached its zenith and thousands of sky and sea born ships besieged the great Walls of Raveros each day, the Xelith Empire found itself fighting an ancient foe on the second front. Two years ago, in a small mountain mining village of Eriur a group of people appeared, wielding the talent of nullomancy for their own sake; and against the Empire. With great ferocity the group of merely five heroes had cut its way through Imperial garrisons and made it to the great city of Sayrn, in the heart of Zengar continent. There, concealed by the millions of inhabitants of all race and ilk, they patiently worked to build up strength and undermine the Empire. All who sought to root them out, be they soldier or marshal – were wiped out. To many in the imperial cities their adventures were but a laughable myth; after all none existed who could train them to such strength.
Well, they were wrong. There was one man. As inevitably as the wind, the news eventually reached the imperial palace – the fearsome group were led by none other than the King of Thieves himself. Arbos Xell – the genius nullomancer who once rivalled even the Emperor himself in power … and who died more than two hundred years ago. Alas it seemed his spirit was back, and was guiding those willing to oppose the Beastmasters’ regime.
Today, unnerved by the resurgence of his ancient nemesis, the Emperor himself authorizes a full scale relocation of troops into Zengar in order to combat the threat and maintain control. The greatest beastmasters of the Imperial Court are being summoned from their war across the ocean; their orders – to cross the Jaw Pass and exterminate Arbos and his disciples at all costs. Meanwhile in Sayrn, the old spectre is preparing to leave the city and finally, after two years, go on the offensive. One final group of trainees is heading his way – recruited by his disciples from around the two continents. As soon as they are trained and ready – the new group would break through the blockade of Imperial Marshals and set out into the world, signalling the start of a new rebellion.
The year is 1249, and the time of Empire’s judgement is close at hand.
The World
The world of HotB is incredibly expansive and varied. A myriad of lesser races and mythical creatures co-exist in a careful equilibrium. No scholar has ever succeeded in recording all of them and as such, even to this day, new creatures and races are being discovered in the far ends of this massive planet. However the only major race remaining in the world is the Cauhri - humanoid people with dark skin and long ears, pointed back or downwards. Many millenia of survival through hiding in shadows and caves gave them an enhanced sense of hearing and ability to see in the dark. Though in these civilized times precious few have retained those talents. Their main strength however is their quick wit, and ability to adapt. it is thanks to that, that Cauhri are the only major race to have survived to this day. Cauhri have the most balanced affinity for Nullomancy out of all the races of the world.
The industry and lifestyle of the Cauhri revolves entirely around the utilization of Null Crystals, and is as such very different from our world. While on the surface it might appear that the world of HotB is that of a pre-industrial old world level, that is not entirely correct. The presence of null crystals removed the need for certain technologies to be invented or become widespread, such as for example electricity. As a result radio waves were never discovered either, and so on and so forth. On the other hand however, many creations that would be impossible even in modern times were created thanks to the crystals, such as perpetual engines and architectural creations possible only in our imagination. One of the shining examples of that is the great Magna Rail - the city sized train that constantly runs across the continents on an electro-magnetic storm, created by its infinite electricity engine.
The Empire
The Xelith Empire is the foremost authority in the world of HotB, flaunting an overwhelming military, industrial, artistic and technological advantage over their only rival - the Walled Kingdom of Raveros. However its reliance on old world standards of governance lead to it being largely corrupt. With any noble of note completely entangled in the endless war with Raveros, only the most slippery, lame or incapable royals remain on the mainland to govern the provinces. As a result many a decision are made with expected short-sightedness, often resulting in bloodshed. That, coupled with rampant nepotism lead to a brutal authoritarian regime that normal folk have to suffer under. Many rebellions were attempted, but the empire's complete monopoly on nullomancers means they were crushed swiftly and incredibly brutally.
The presence of gods in this worlds also means that the imperial city is incredibly fractured between different sects and chruches - something a skilled con man could potentially exploit as a way to hasten the fall of the golden seat. However one must bear in mind, that even the most slippery of nobles and the most devout of zealots still bear their allegiance to the emperor above any deities.
Within the empire Nullomancers are treated with utmost reverence. Those born into the noble houses of Karudun are given officer positions within the Xelith navy or join the Imperial Marshals. While those brought in from outside are given a choice between becoming housecarls for nobility, or apprenticing under a High Craftsman in order to learn to use nullomancy for the purposes of creation. Those who refuse or show signs of anti-imperial tendencies, however, are either banished to remote regions without training, or executed as an imperial risk.
While the Empire certainly commits a great many atrocities due to incompetent governance, many however still view it as a force for good - brining order, peace and industry to a world where nine times out of ten stepping off the paved road means getting eaten by a chimaera. Something any would-be rebel should perhaps keep in mind.
Null Crystals and Nullomancy
The main element of the world of HotB is undoubtedly the Null Crystals - special minerals with the unique ability to store and release virtually anything. From matter and sounds, to force effects and abstract mechanisms - anything can be stored in a null crystal, as long a set of rules are followed. Crystals range from the tiniest H grade dust, to the most common D grade 1x2cm and to the massive S grade 0.5x2m in size, with many of the most common sizes sold freely by crystal merchants.
All the world's appliances run on crystals - from the stove, to the music player, to the fridge. As such much of the commerce is built around collecting empty crystals and selling charged ones. For example in our world fridges run on electricity - while in the world of HotB they run on a frost crystal. And once the crystal ran out after a week or so - you would take it to a crystal merchant, pay a small amount of coin and exchange your empty crystal for a charged one. Same goes for everything else in the normal household.
Nullomancers are very special people, born with the magical ability to control and recharge null crystals using their own energy. A nullomancer would embed a charged crystal in their body, allowing for the charge to be used repeatedly, instead of running out. With the universal versatility of crystals and the infinite possible charges and combinations available the nullomancers range in power from skilled craftsmen who merely use their talent to create - to absolute godlike monsters who have found ways to extend their lifespan and attained destructive powers beyond those of lesser gods, such as the Emperor for example.
Crystals are incredibly hard and virtually indestructible unless using specialized equipment. Keep that in mind for when someone swings a sword at you - that crystal in your forearm will more than reliably bounce it off!
Below is the reading material pertaining to crystal mechanics and nullomancy, as well as links to several posts from the previous incarnation of this RP for you to see them all in action.
The main element of the world of HotB is of course, the Null Crystals. Magic crystals that can record and store anything they are exposed to. So how exactly do they work? Well, quite simply, really.
A Crystal can store a charge, of whatever it is most prominently exposed to. It can be anything ranging from wind, fire, water and electricity to sounds, winds, shock-waves and, as shown by Arbos, shadows and the Night itself.
Normal crystal acts like a bottle. You fill it up with whatever it is you want, and then once you release the charge - the crystal is empty once again, and needs to be charged. On their own crystals have no magic properties all their abilities come from the charges stored in them.
Nullomancer is a person who can embed the Null Crystals in his body. Once the charged crystal is embedded in a nullomancer, it will recharge on its own in time. Meaning that unlike the normal crystals, the charge of the embedded crystal can be used multiple times. the amount of time it takes for the stored effect to recharge depends on the size of the crystal (smaller=faster) and the complexity of the charge. (So if you stored a bit of fire, it will recharge in, let's say, 3 seconds. But if you (hell if i know how) stored the fucking APOCALYPSE in your crystal, it will take quite a a bit longer. Maybe a few days.) Nullomancers have only three rules about them:
The charge of the embedded crystal cannot be used to charge other crystals.
Embedded crystals multiply the power of their charge 2x compared to normal crystals.
Once removed from the body the embedded crystal will function just like a normal one, and empty out after releasing the charge.
Now how DO you charge the crystals exactly? Well, they follow a set of the most simple rules ever:
The predominant effect will be stored.
Time required to store will depend on the element/effect.
The purity of the charge will depend on the amount of "interference".
If exposed to constant change of conditions the common denominator will be stored.
If suddenly exposed to a new affect it was not exposed to previously, in sufficient amount, the crystal is "shocked" into storing it.
Physical contact>Force Affect>Abstract Effect.
If exposed to several physical elements at once - the one with the highest area of contact will be stored.
The crystals will become "rigid" towards storing affects or elements they were continually exposed to for long periods of time without showing dominance. E.g. the crystals are by default rigid towards storing still rocks and air, due to being always exposed to them in the caverns as they were growing.
Keep in mind that the movement of the element is also part of the equation. So "still air" like the one in the cavern will not be stored on its own. But "moving air" such as wind, will be stored, as it is different.
Now we come to the more complicated part, the interference, concentration and purity. Seeing as the crystals are capable of recording anything, any and all affects or elements it is exposed to during the charging will act as interference. In order to get a charge of 110% return purity one would have to remove as many of the unneeded affecting factors as possible. For example 99% of all chargers include some form of a vacuum chamber, in order to eliminate the interference of air, sound, light and atmospheric pressure. When coming up with your chargers try to eliminate everything, except for the affect you want stored.
If you successfully eliminated all unnecessary interference you should get a crystal with a high purity charge. Why is that important? Very simple - the purer the charge - the more powerful it is and the more of it you can store in a crystal. Purity is determined by the return percentage - the amount of charge released in relation to the amount of charge stored. High purity charges can get up to 145% RCP, due to crystal resonating and generating more of the charge upon release. E.G. You stored 100 litres of water in a crystal, with a 110% RCP, so when you release the water from the crystal you will actually get 110 litres back. This allows you to use one crystal for charging other crystals. Simple!
Concentration only applies to charges of physical elements (ground, air, water.). In order to store water or air, once you removed all the impurities by filtering, you would put it under high pressure (remember that ph.contact trumps the force effect, so you would store water, rather than pressure) thus raising the water's "concentration". Meaning there are more water molecules per square mm of crystal surface. Very simple.
Those are the basic rules for Null Crystals. What you store and, more importantly, HOW you do it is the very point of you growing as a character. Do research, find materials, work towards building that insanely complex charger and in the end you will be rewarded with very rare charge that will break the world!
Hokay, now that we have more or less covered the crystals, time to delve deeper into the principles by which this worlds most awesome magic works. (Don't worry, this part is actually easy as fuck)
Alright, so we all remember that normally null crystals can only be used once before needing to be recharged again, meaning their charge does not replenish itself. Nullomancers don't have that problem.
A Nullomancer is a person who can embed a charged Null crystal in their body and use it's charge several times. The embedded crystal will recharge itself back up after some time (depends on the charge). Awesome, ain't it? Yes, it is.
So why not go around embedding everything? We'll be completely baws, right? Eeehhh... no. Bad idea. Let me explain why.
First of all, in order to use the power boost (explained below) and recharge, the crystal must be Embedded. How do you do that? Simple: You take a knife, cut your arm/leg/back/arse/skin open and then insert the crystal (charged) into the wound. You then Bandage the thing up. It will always take between one and two days for the wound to heal and the crystal become usable. If you use the crystal before it is fully healed in it will expend the charge and won't recharge back up. The process cannot be sped up using medicine. Ugh... not exactly the most pleasant process, now is it?
Well alright, you are one bodaciously badass bro, and some itsy bitsy cut won't stump your manly bro-ness. After all you can always just rip the damned thing out and replace it once you found a better crystal, right? Right? Wrong. Every time you use an embedded crystal it gets more and more "integrated" into your body. Going so far as to form blood paths within itself, much like a tumor would. While the crystal will never cause you pain, unless you stored some kind of parasitic effect, removing older crystals becomes a very hard and painful task. That's why it is not recommended to embed the crystals any deeper than in your skin. So choose wisely what to embed or what not to, after all, there's only so many crystals one can embed before running out of skin.
Well, don't be disheartened, my dear bodacious dude. There's some radical pros to embedding as well. Every crystal, once embedded will significantly increase it's power and capacity. The usual increase to both, once embedded is x2. So for example if you stored 5 cubic meters of fire at 900 degrees, once embedded your crystal will power up to 10 cubic meters of fire at 1800 degrees. Now that is one bigass fireball right there. But you might ask me, Cree, what if my charge does not have the aspect of "power" to it? Good question, kid. Charges used to store physical elements, such as water, rock, or air that only use the "capacity" form, will instead of powering up x2 power up to the power of 2. So if you for example had 100 litres of water stored in your crystal, once you embed it that number will jump to 10,000 Litres. Holy fuck, right?! Just think of the things you could do with this much water!? That would be one massive wet t-shirt parteh!
Now a cautios person will ask: "Cree, i remember that a charged crystal can be released by contact with an empty one. That's how all crystal based appliances in this world work. Should i hide my crystals under clothes or armor?" Good catch little dude, but you don't have to worry about that. Once embedded the crystal cannot be released by contact with an empty shard! Moreover as long as even the non-embedded crystal remains in contact with a Nullomancer it cannot be released physically. So nobody is gonna whack you into your fire crystal and make you go BOOM my friend. Also the Imperial Fire arrows won't work on you either, since (say it with me) once the crystal release tip comes in contact with you it cannot be disharged. Woo! Btw, Nullomancer can release crystals at will by contact without using an empty shard.
Another important thing to remember is that a Nullomancer's release cannot be used to charge other crystals. Nullomantic magic gets mixed in with teh charge when you release it and gets in the way of that. So sorry, no imba infinite copying your most powerful charges. Go make a charger, you lazy ass.
HOKAY, now on to control of your bodaciously radical super imba magic known as Nullomancy.
Nullomancers have fairly good control over their released charge. Let's take fire for example. You wouldn't be able to make a tiny dancing fire pony or a fire elemental for you to control. But you can control the release rate and form. So if you want you can release the flames in a stream which you could then control, much like Goku can control his released Kamehameha. Or you could make a fireball. Whatever yo.
With the exception of some contact type charges your point of release can be anywhere within 1 meter of your body. This will of course be different for some charges, but 1 meter is a solid average. So you don't have to release your charge from the embedded crystal. That means you can embed crystals on your back or wherever, without getting inconvenienced it battle. Mind you there are some types of charges that will require to be released ONLY from the embedded crystal and on contact. So before choosing a place to embed your crystal i strongly recommend consulting a professional. He might be a dick after sleeping for 200 years but if you ask nicely he should help you. Or, yanno, you could always bribe him with boobs. And i don't mean in-game only, hyuk hyuk hyuk.
Nullomancers can also use several crystals at once for different combination effects. Play around with that to get the most power out of what you have. But again, i recommend speaking to the spectre first. Wouldn't want to accidentally wipe out your entire team because yout though that mixing in oxygen into your fireball while it's still in your hand was a good idea.
Smaller crystals will hold smaller charge but also recharge much quicker, so as a benchmark aim to embed several smaller shards instead of aiming to get one bigass crystal embedded. Not only will it be more comfortable and less restrictive, but there are also more practical benefits. Let's say you take the standard size shard and charge it with fire. With high enough purity it should hold a sizeable fireball and have a recharge time of roughly 3 seconds. So you take 15 of those shards and embed them. Congratulations, you can now fire 5 fucking fireballs per second. Fucking Radical.
P.S. charged crystals change color depending on charge and also glow as they release it, so you can seriously makes yourself look like a human (cauhri) disco ball, hahahahahhaa.
In the world of HotB gods are not a myth but an acute reality! In the center of the world map you will find a place called The Forbidden Isle - the giant island the size of Australia floating in the air, half a mile above the oceanic void. That place is this world's Olypmus and Valhalla in one. Hundreds of different deities live there, intermingling, scheming, messing around and keeping the world running. Gods of HotB very rarely physically appear in front of mortals - preferring to appear in dreams or as apparitions.
Only one man has ever gone to the Forbidden Isle and returned - I'll let you guess who it was on your own! ..Hint: It's Arbos.
Below is the list of currently written out deities! Pardon the different writing style - each player was welcome to submit their own deity to the pantheon, and this is merely a compilation. All of you are still welcome to come up with your own deities too, just please PM me first so I can make sure it doesn't clash with anything I've got planned!
WARNING: There's a shit ton of them, so feel free to skip anything outside the first 5 (I've put a separator in place for ease of it) - since they're integral to the main plot
Janur - The God of the Sun One of the four elder gods Janur has the second biggest following. Generally unpleasant and wrathful bloke. Supposedly has a big crush on the Moon Goddess, but will melt off your face if you ever mention it. Very rarely appears outside of the Forbidden Isles. His physical form is unclear due to his blinding glow getting in the way of anyone getting a good look at him. According to Arbos, however, he has "the dorkiest freckles this side of Jaw Pass".
Valeria - The Moon Goddess One of the four elder gods. Calm and quiet Valeria has never appeared to any of her adepts, however many claim to have seen her wandering the still nights. She's described as a beautiful woman with long flowing white hair wearing a long black dress. The only mortal ever recorded to have spoken with Valeria is Arbos, possibly due to him using the Moonstone. However details of the conversation are unknown, and the spectre refuses to ever talk about it.
Say - The god of the Earth One of the four elder gods. Very little is known about him, due to him living underground. According to the legends, Say was the one to create the Grato race. Same legends claim that following their extinction he secluded himself underground in disappointment. Say still however continues to watch over miners and diggers, with many stories telling of him saving workers from cave-ins and earthquakes. His physical form is that of a white rock golem, however he''s known to appear as an old man with a shovel, too.
Erios - The God of the Wind One of the four elder gods. Erios often appears a blond kid, flying through the fields and forests. He's very laid back and cheery, often making incredibly lame puns that his adepts religiously document. Arbos says that half the stuff Erios says is incredibly stupid just for the sake of messing with his followers. However despite his appearance and attitude he is actually the eldest of the four gods, and the guardian of Life. Erios was the one to create the race of Fartrey.
Dasius - The God of Beer and Debauchery Although technically a lesser god, Dasius has the single largest following on all three continents. There really is not much to him. He almost never stays on the Forbidden Isles, instead travelling from city to city, visiting parties and getting drunk. If Dasius appears on your party and you tell him a good joke he hasn't heard before - he will reward you with a bottomless barrel of beer, that will never run out as long as you don't try to sell it.
Matal, God of the Kill. He is an ancient god who's obscure lore is scarce and largely ignored. He is a stalker of beasts and a slay of monsters and men and though his iconography seems intimately related to blood and slaughter doesn't seem to lean toward evil or sadism. The motive behind the choice of his prey, though often undecipherable, does not seem to be mere bloodlust and number of his accounted appear to have prevented major disasters. He takes the form of a huge man with snow white skin and extremly long and messy black hair and eyes with dark orange eyes. He is most often represented wearing a kilt and cape made out of the freshly flayed skin of beasts, still dripping with blood and carrying a bladed weapon of any kind. He is also sometimes represened as a large bipedal wolf with the horns of a goat, the fangs of a snake and hawk talons for paws.
Hemat, Goddess of Lust She is the goddess of carnal and carnivorous lust. Often associated with the thirst for blood and sadism she serves as a figure of deity for those too far gone to pretend to any other forms of morality and piousness. She takes the form of a beautiful seductive woman with a porcelain skin, grizzled hair, yellow eyes, wearing black lipstick a fastuous red and gold dress with long black drapes wrapped around her shoulders.
She is sometimes represented as a massive male deer with large blood dripping antlers, fangs, snake eyes, a crocodile's tail and the sharp talons of a carnivorous flightless bird in place of hooves.
Hethus - God of fire, volcanoes and the forge Oh poor Hethus, born to the powerful and popular sun god Janur. But so ugly he was that he threw him all the way from the sun down into the earth. Not only did it mess up his face even more, it created the largest volcano in the world. Mt. Hethus! Here he lives and works his forge. A small amount of pilgrims find themselves a way to this place every year. But one can never hope to meet the god themselves, unless they are capable of descending into the lava pits. For none but those who can withstand the greatest heat are allowed to see the face he is hiding, both ugly and scarred.
Nyxis – goddess of shadows and night Why she is called a goddess is beyond me at times. All she does is help her mother, Valeria, a little by turning the lights out. Other than that, she often keeps tabs on her mother, making sure no mortal shall ever near her unless Valeria herself wishes so. But is her eye absolute? Well why should I tell you, puny mortal? Oh, and some say she creates every shadow cast in the world from her black hair that is many times longer than herself, as a method to pester “uncle” Janur a little.
Somna and Revus Twins.Somna’s appearance is that of a rather fragile girl that only barely reached adulthood. She sleeps eternally on a bed of golden flowers, hidden somewhere in the underworld. The opposite of lively, and very moody during the rare occasions she is awake. It is said that the sound of prayers works as a lullaby for her. However, those with prayers that are not honest or otherwise disturbing, disrupt her sleep. Those who do this are said to sometimes be cursed with eternal insomnia.
Revus is the god of dreams, both good and bad. He randomly appears at the bedside of sleeping people and blesses them with great dreams, or he gives them a terrible nightmare. This depends on the mood of Revus himself. Quite a creepy fella if you ask me.
Thanatos – god of death (Unchanged from greek, for I refuse to rename him xD) Well, with a title like that most things kind of speak for themselves do they? He’s the grim reaper who drags those down to the underworld where they will be judged. He keeps Elios in check when It comes to the protection of life. Now, the real interesting thing is that he has an undying(HA!) love for Somna. Crazy fella once tried to crawl in her bed. And you wonder why death never sleeps?! Marus - messenger of the gods,god of traders and thieves Here’s a fella that spectre guy of yours would like! He is involved with what involves both traveling and speed. He enjoys watching a cat and mouse game between traders and thieves more than once a day. Some say it’s Marus’ hand that guides thieves to their targets and influences their luck. He decides the fate of every thief and therefore you want to befriend him! He also delivers messages from the elder gods to anyone they ask. He doesn’t always seem to like his job as delivery boy though, poor fella.
Aleron- Wisdom, scholars and sanity OH NO NOT THIS SUCKER. He tends to the wise and makes sure that science thrives. Nothing much to say about this one I assure you. He lives in the library of infinity, where one is certain to find the knowledge he seeks. However, some say you are only allowed to seek wisdom here once, and only about one topic. Other than that, this is just your stereotypical old goofy with a long grey beard. Move on.
Seto god of tricks, deceit, conspirations and insanity FINALLY, IT’S MY TURN. Well you see I like pegasi, gorgon blood juice mixed with grapefruit along with some hyrdra eye snacks. … not what you wanted to know? Well all right then, I aid those who seeks to cause chaos in this boring world! I am the one associated with a great amount of trickster spirits and other creatures willing to pesters others for their own pleasure. But I also revel in chaos caused by war and any form of confusion. Those who anger me are to be caught in an unsolvable puzzle, having to try solving it until they go mad. I have a small cult of followers people call the doomsayers. Madmen and madwomen who spout hellish prophecies everywhere they go. One part is truth, the other part blatant lies! My form changes wherever I go. But my face bearing an ever hellish smile never changes. My usual form is that of a blood-covered jester laughing at other’s misery!
Oh, and Dasius and me have this kind of feud going on. I kind of ruin some of his parties.
Nevael, Goddess of the forests Daughter of Erios, Nevael is the Goddess and the protector of all forests, woods and trees, including the creatures that live within. She is sometimes spotted as a young, beautiful woman with oak leaves in her long light green hair clad in a green robe walking among trees with a staff. In most cases she sends the spirits of the trees to talk to her followers. Most think of her as a kind and loving Goddess, however she does not tolerate those who destroy her forests and will curse them as punishment.
Irtha – god of judgement, gatekeeper of hell
The god stationed just beyond the gate of the underworld. Cerberus lies next to him as watchdog. Every new soul to enter must first stand before him on a pedestal. The motionless blind god can only see the life of those standing there. Based on the actions of their life he points them to a specific path into the underworld, leading to different sections. Anyone who tries to go against his decision becomes a snack for the gargantuan dog He also stops anyone from entering the underworld who doesn’t belong there. Remember good boys, go to the bad side of hell, that’s where the bad girls are!
Aluthea – goddess of beauty, Love and birth
This lass is basically the wet dream of every goddamn cauhri out there. She usually does not deal with mortals directly. She has many minions and messengers to watch over her followers. What she does herself... is rather unknown.
Nautilus - God of the ocean The grumpy old guy living in a sea palace, likes his own shack and hates the land. Despises land dwellers trying to traverse the sea. Basically every man eating sea monster out there is his mate. Mermaids are said to be the daughters of this god. They are really kind creatures really, as long as you aren’t a mortal, sucks to be you eh?
Tristers, god of Fair Chance and Balance
-- From the anonymous reports stored in the Great Central Library of Kern, chapter 7 / year 157 --
The first mention of this god was found in the personal diary of a 25 year old woman, found beheaded near the White Caves, at the southernmost point of the Raveros land: She described him as her only friend, who would help her each time she was lucky. For every dangerous situation she found herself in, he would stop the time and come to her, roll a dice, and give her enormous amount of power the value was above 3. The second mention was found inscribed in a plaque, near the grave of a 25 year old man : Do Not Listen to its whispers, Do Not Look at him, and whatever the situation you are in, never let Tristers roll the dice for you Upon enquiriy at his family, it appears that this late man was driven mad in his last year through paranoia (quote : "he jumped at every sound, and kept muttering something about losing his luck and that he was coming for him"), he apparently wrote in his own blood the text found in the plaque.
Several other indication of this god, Tristers, have been found in various place in this continent. The only connection are the age of death, 25 year old, the mention of "Luck running out", the time stopping and the roll of dice.
We are inclined to think it is an evil god, only by looking at the horrible deaths of each person involved. Not one reference to him talk about how it first made contact, and without any more information, we cannot make any real conclusion. Kitanar: Seer of Visionary Whispers
Essentially a forgotten lesser god, he was never worshiped by a huge following in the first place. While not a major player on the world stage, he generally knows anything and everything that will happen. Although he was specifically worshiped only by a few, nobody's sure what fully happened to them or even where they were based.
His followers (if they had his favor) would sometimes have visions of things that hadn't happened yet, or receive cryptic hints on things they may need to know. If it was serious enough, he would sometimes go out of his way to inform them himself.
Nirjhiana -- goddess of Names.
-- From the anonymous reports stored in the Great Central Library of Kern, chapter 8 / year 255 --
Although we are certain this is a lesser god, and younger than the 4 Elders, Nirjhiana must have appeared at the same time the concept of names was created for the mortal races. She is the one who approves the Name chosen for any new born. Several reports indicate that for each time she did NOT approve the chosen name (usually from drunken or irresponsible parents), the new born died in his first year. It appears that, along with the apparition of the goddess, a significant power linked to the Names was created (more information in the chapter 31 / year 220). Upon fervent prayers and a full-time dedication to her, Nirjhiana would bestow upon its priests and priestess the power of the Names, but coming with that, the life force of the priest(ess) would run out many more times faster, and no child could be born from a practitioner. We believe that last fact is due to the hate Aluthea express for Nirjhiana (as evidenced in the memories of the deities, chapter 28 through 35), and thus forbidding any follower of the last to have the blessings of the first.
Between the heavy restrictions accompanied to being a Nirjhiana practitioner, and the open war with the Order of Nature (Shamans and Druids alliance), the sect has almost been eradicated. We suspect that at least two priests/priestesses are within the high rank of Nobility in the Xelinth Empire.
Aluthea's Shepherds Aluthea is a goddess who chooses to do her own thing for the most part. But she does not want to abandon those who pray to her either. That's why she has her servants watching over her faithful 'sheep'. The only thing the shepherds are obliged to do is watch. The shepherd is allowed to decide for himself what kind of future it wishes for it's sheep. If they do choose for some kind of interference, their options aren't limited. Some choose to unconsciously guide their sheep towards their future. Others choose to interfere through dreams. Some may actually dislike their sheep enough to guide them upon a wrong path leading to a worse fate than if the sheep had been left alone. Their actions can be seem as whimsical, irrational or completely illogical at times. Not much is known about the shepherds. If they do choose to appear they take on a form that is not theirs. It can be wondered if they even have a true form. Their numbers are not known either, though there are at least several of them. Their real voice, if they choose to reveal it, betrays their likely gender, which again differs per shepherd. The shepherds are enigmatic beings, only answering to Aluthea herself.
Liarna The youngest goddess. Protector of druids, she governs medicine. According to the legends she was once a forest deity, who was first to give the then young Cauhri race the gift of medicine. Since then her easy going attitude and her love for all things living have earned her hundreds of thousands of devout worshipers. That earned her the respect of Erios, who in gratitude for all the care she gave the world ascended her to godhood less than 150 years ago. She is the only goddess in teh current pantheon to have never met Arbos - for she was not yet a god when he visited the Forbidden Isles.
Notable NPC's
These are the five original disciples of Arbos. At the start of the story you've been discovered as a nullomancer by one of them (depending on your geographic start point relative Sayrn) trained for two weeks in basics and then sent off to the big city to finish training under the spectre. (If you originate from Venoire mountains north of Sayrn - you were recruited by the rebels, since that area is now controlled by the resistance)
• Personality: Ashur is known by many as a young man of virtue. A man well-mannered and helpful in spite of the burdens he carries. The young ones tend to call him “big brother Ashur” because he’s the one they turn to if they run into any problems. He feels the need to take care of those in need of help because of his own background. He is unable to ignore the misery of others, and despises situations where he’d be powerless to offer at least a little help. He’s very headstrong, once he has chosen a path and finishes it in an unwavering manner. He is not afraid to take up arms and kill a man if he is convinced this is for the better.
However, the man is not perfect. He still carries around worries and uncertainties,causing him to be rather silent and absent when not directly engaged with another activity. He has a reliance on the kind words and smiles of others to keep him going. He has a dire need of acceptance and friendship. When feeling these he does truly lighten up. He can also get truly fierce when those he cares for are threatened or insulted. He also hates being distrusted, and can get rather irritated when it happens. He is curious when he witnesses something he has never seen before, usually involving mythical creatures. This, however, also brings a certain lack of caution, that could seriously bring him in trouble.
In the end, he will believe in their victory. No man shall be left behind. They shall stand together, one by one. The courageous Ashur believes that they can truly make a difference in this fight with their newfound powers. By the benevolent gods, the beastmasters of Xelith shall learn the power of Zengar and its nullomancers!
• Appearance: Ashur’s ash-grey Cauhri skin is slightly paler than average. His raven-black hair rests on his shoulders and it’s reach is just a little shorter than his middle back. His eye color is the standard green and usually look at people in a kind manner. He stands taller than the average Cauhri at about 1.86 in meters. (Assumed that Cauhri’s similar-to-human build also gives them the same average length). He has a rather muscular complexity, but not overly so. His clothing is usually made from black cloth and tailored in a way that it’s easy to move in. The most recognizable point is the grey-white scarf he usually wears along with it, and a brown belt from where he hangs his scabbard. This is subject to change if he were to enter warmer climates. He wears a rather simple looking golden necklace with a ruby in the center, his only memento from his mother.
• Affinity: He has a short prayer for every of the greater benevolent gods, Though he has a slight distrust for Elios because of his failure providing a normal life for his sister, and because his prayers towards him regarding this seemingly went unheard. • Special ability: Expert swordsmanship: he hasn’t reached the same skill his father once had. But Ashur is a well-trained swordsman with a great amount of potential still left untapped. Starting weapon: Steel longsword
• Background: Lothar Hadukar was an adventurer for a great amount of years. As he traveled he learned swordsmanship from the masters. He was taught by scholars bearing great knowledge on the workings of the world. But most importantly, he met the woman of his life in the village of Eriuir. Here he would settle down and be blessed with two beautiful children. Ashur, the elder brother was a pretty child with nothing truly crippling. The younger sister, Maluna, was not that fortunate however.
If it wasn’t bad enough that their mother would die when her daughter had barely reached the age of two, there was even more in store for this family.The younger sister was bedridden from the age of 4. A mysterious sickness paralyzed her legs and left her with chronic pains in several areas of her body. She could never be cured, but it was not lethal either. The chronic pains could be taken away by administering a very expensive medicine on a regular basis. Lothar wasn’t a man rich enough to afford that. But their life did take a turn for the better.
The empire’s local sword instructor, in charge of training new recruits in the area, had recently died from a cause unknown. It just so happened that the same day the chivalrous Lothar disarmed one of the empire’s trained men with a single well placed strike, after he saw him harassing a villager. Instead of any consequences for Lothar, the empire wished to enlist him as the new sword instructor. Lothar’s needs didn’t leave him much other choice than to accept this offer. The pay that came with it was rather generous for a lowly civilian of Zengar.
This of course caused a stigma to be burned deeply in the family’s name. They were now working with the empire. They were called traitors, to be spat upon by the other oppressed villagers.But it was for the best of them. The family could live happily with a daughter that didn’t have to suffer. The empire was their only way to survive at this moment. The fate for the young Ashur had already been decided. Lothar had made a deal with the higher-ups to allow his son to take over his job when he was to retire. Therefore Ashur was taught the way of the sword at a young age. Lothar also home taught his son, utilizing the wisdom that was imparted to him on his travels. If his son could not follow in his footsteps, he wished to teach him whatever he could about the world himself.
But Lothar never reached retirement as he passed away when Ashur was barely eighteen. A powerful beast attacked Erluir with ferocity that hadn’t been seen in many years. Lothar ended up sacrificing his own life for that of the rest of the village. By this time the young Ashur had picked up many of his skills. He was capable to teaching the local recruits how to reliably use a sword. But the empire exploited him. The days he had to work were too long and too many. His pay was barely enough to pay for both the medicine, bought from the empire itself, and the food they needed to survive. He was treated no better than any miner was.
The stigma on the family’s name would fade over time, as even in their own hard times Ashur would not lose heart. He helped out the village on multiple occasions when it was in need, fighting of beasts. But he also played with the children in the little free time he had. Eventually the distrust for the boy would wane. Ashur also threw away any hard feelings he may have had for the villagers, he was a victim of the empire's exploits as much as they were now. But the burdens he had to carry did still weigh him down. His tired soul would every night look for a way out of this tyranny that the treacherous empire was forcing upon him ever since his father’s death.
One day, very close to the beginning of the adventure however, he had a free day. And what he happened to stumble across was a miracle. What he found was a small pond. The pond was hidden deep in the woods surprisingly close to the village Why it was never found before he did not know. But in this pond lived a small community of pixies. The pixies promised Ashur that their dust had the healing properties needed to alleviate the pain of the sister just as well as the medicine could.
What Ashur saw here was a chance. No, not a chance for more money as he didn’t need medicine anymore. With this, he was no longer dependent of the empire’s money and medicine. Maybe this was his chance. Could he really hope to start a rebellion in the small village of Eliuir? Were the people that called him friend willing enough to help him in this situation?
Name: Zephyr Solinea Gender: Male Race: Cauhri Appearance: Average build, but agile. Long hair, middle back length, generally ponytailed with a few strands over his right eye. Blue eyed with a habit of wearing a silver chain with a sapphire flame on it. On the back is a tiny inscription that says "Praise Kitanar". Age: 22/24 Origin: Blood family and original birthplace unknown. Lived with adoptive parents on one of the peninsula until he went off to join the military.
Personality: Generally easy going, tends to like making light of serious situations. Enjoys using sarcasm and easing tension, usually through nonsensical comments. Generally doesn't go out of his way to cause issues, but might go out of his way to make a point. Despite being laid back for the most part, he isn't exactly sociable to anyone he hasn't known for a while or is stuck hanging around. Even then it sometimes takes a bit of time, mostly due to just not liking people in general while also not wanting people to know more than necessary about him. He would however try his hardest to help anyone he is traveling with, actual friend or otherwise in any group he's in, if only because the amount of danger in the world is far less worth dealing with than an annoying mouth. While he's never known what it meant or if there was a point, he's followed the "advice" of his necklace and chooses to pray to Kitanar over all other Gods.
Affinity: Kitanar Nullmancer: Yes Special ability: Due to the God he worships, once in an age he may get a hunch or vision of an important event, or extremely dangerous situation. He also sometimes gets very minor cryptic hints that might help him do something useful, and while they're more common, they aren't always obvious and normally don't effect his "destiny" or overall happenings. Other: Drinks Tea. Loves Tea. Sometimes enjoys Tea. Usually carries some Tea with him. Tea tea, tea tea tea tea tea, Tea.
Background: Found roaming near the capital as a child, he was picked up by a couple leaving the capital, on their way back to a somewhat distant village on one of the peninsula. Originally only picking him up to avoid leaving a child roaming alone in the world, the woman of the two eventually convinced the man to take him in. The two then began raising him as their own. Growing up fairly normally, he just did what he could as he had to trying to repay his adoptive parents kindness over the years. While he had never known much about it, the necklace he had made him grow up praying to whoever the hell Kitanar was. It did manage to pay off a few times, so he figured there was some use to it at the least, and as such fully trusted in "Kitanar". After reaching adulthood, he decided joining the military was likely the easier way to get a steady meal and pay, and so he did.
Name: Kron Gender: Male Race: Cauhri Age: 21/23 Origin: Eriur Personality: His behaviour, on a first impression, seems similar to that of a wild predatory beast. He is aloof, rarely shows himself in front of crowds and can mostly be spotted at night, in the forest or on the outskirts of town. He seems to show little interest in honour and principles nor does he seem to care about pride and decorum. Though he is an outsider to Cauhri culture and society he is still very much Cauhri in nature, those traits being the result of his life experience. Affinity: (If applicable, use the list of pre-made Gods and deities or come up with your own (preferable). As always don't forget to add your deity to the Gods thread.) Nullomancer: Yes Special ability : He is a skilled hunter and is profficient in stealth in nature. He also has ample experience in the use of a number weapons having used knives, daggers, spears and wrestled animals barehanded. His most distinctive trait is perhaps his fast, practical and ruthless hand to hand combat style.
He is capable to communicate with a variety of animals with growls, movements and facial expressions.
He has rudimentary knowledge of herbal medicine. Other: Appearance : He is tall, muscular and lean. He has very messy black hair half way down his back, some of which is tied in bunches with shreds of pale, reddish brown cloth. His partial beard is of an inch in length. His skins harbors many scars, mostly bite and claw marks but also a few burns and marks of blade cuts and stabs. Background :
Born in a very ordinary family of Eriur, he was blessed with relatively balanced and loving parents, living in the furthest houses from the center of the village. His father, though not an influential figure in the village, was a proficient hunter and fighter and a passionate savant for nature and as passionate a learner he was, as passionate a teacher he was. His mother as he remembers her, was a calm and gentle person. For harboring and caring after a man he and his father found lying, wounded, in the forest who turned out to be a fugitive from the Empire both his parents were summarily executed on the town square. Spared as an act of mercy, he was left alone, in the empty house, anyone in the village being afraid of attracting the Empire's attention stirred clear from him. The image of a child biting off the raw flesh of dead birds and rats was enough to drive them further away. His hiding in the shadows and hunting at nights made his presence increasingly eerie to the villagers. Being spotted dragging the corpse of a wolf larger than him, its head under his arm, back to the village at night was what owned him his reputation as a monster. Called an evil spirits by a few, he was a story parents told their children to keep them from wandering off at night. As he grew, his reputation as a monster started fading slowly as a handful of random encounters with villagers cleared him of this assumptions, but he remained seen as both an outcast irreverent to the ways of his own people and an ill omen.
Name: Unknown, responds to Kali-En
Gender: male
Race: Cauhri
Age: 24/26
Appearance: He is bland, boring, and plain. You wouldn't look at him twice, which is the entire purpose of his appearance. His body is the one you would find in a man used to run – for his life most of the time. He is agile and swift, but not strong (nor strong looking). His clear blue eyes, in contrast to his black hair, always make him looks down to avoid bringing attention to his face. He always manages to wear clothes that fit. Meaning that in presence of an upper-class group of people, he will look like a server, a disposable guy and in front of a group of thieves, he will look poor, sick, unworthy of attention.
Origin: Sayrn slums
Personality: [spoiler]He lives by two rules: His survival first, highly influenced by his background. The principle of fair exchange (if you give him something, he will give you back something of equal value, always.), this is due to his relations with Tristers.
Because of, or thanks to, his first rule, he never trusts or grows attached to anyone, preferring to shut his mouth and listen rather than complaining or voicing his opinion. Also, he is intelligent. He thinks and acts the same way a scholar will in front of a complex problem, drawing conclusion and always acting upon weighing down the consequences of his action. But instead of being frozen in fear when something unexpected happen, he will use his critical, and fast, thinking to get out of the way.
Affinity: Tristers
Nullomancer: Yes
Special ability: He would be seen a master at throwing daggers, as well as a master martial artist, if only he was famous. The other slums knows he is a deadly thief, not to be messed with.
Background: Everything, including his memory, his path and his personality, begun on that fateful day. He was around 10 years old, and his sister, older by 3 years, was getting raped by his father for the 67th time. What changed that day? He wasn’t sure, and never will be. Was it due to the fact that she wasn’t making any sound? The previous times, she was always screaming, defending herself. Then, as time passed, she only cried. But she never had this reaction, or rather this lack of reaction. She had given up, and he snapped because of that. Or maybe was it because he knew what would come after, the beating, the humiliation. Again. Or, maybe it was this new thought, new idea. That his life was unfair, too unfair.
So he killed him. Using a crowbar he found nearby and strangling him. Then he looked at his sister, and will always remember her dead eyes, not even wondering why her father had stopped. He looked at her, and killed her too. You can’t blame him for that, I mean, how could he provide protection for him and his sister? How could he provide food? He didn’t even know how he would survive, and he had too, his father at least taught him that. Then began his transformation. At first, he only stole what he needed to stay alive, contenting himself with sleeping outside, even during rainy days. One day he got caught, and beaten so badly that he swore to learn how to defend himself. Too much time passed without him talking to anyone, and eventually, he forgot his name. After those first years where he honed his survival and combat skills, he discovered other kids going to school, talking, smiling, reading. Inevitably, he was drawn to them, and being who he was, he began stealing their books and pens. He learned by himself, and loved that, so much that he went from stealing everything he could to choosing the books he wanted. His intellect allowed him to go from the grade school books to very complex mathematics and philosophic ones. Today, he has a house full of deadly traps, in the outskirts, just before the slums. He survives, alone, as it is inscribed in his deepest instincts.
Name: Lae'Naya Gender: Female Race: Selkie Age: 19/21 Origin: Snow leopard village, just outside Eriuir Affinity: Nevael. She follows her fathers strong belief in Nevael, saying her prayers every day and often giving offerings to the kind Goddess. Nullomancer: Yes
Personality: She seems quiet to strangers and often speaks rudely to Empire citizens unless they're friends. She feels that she has follow in her fathers footsteps as the protector of the village, even if it is not actually her position. She cannot stand the mistreatment of her family and becomes easily angered by it. To her friends she is kind and supportive.
Appearance: She is from the snow leopard tribe so her fur has snow leopard patterns. In the summer her fur is a light tan colour, in winter it turns pure white. She has blue eyes and a piercing in her left ear. Her clothing varies depending on the weather. In summer she wears a short, tight sleeveless hide jacket, with hide shorts. Wears various bows and a quiver on her back, also keeps a knife at her hip.
Weapons: She is proficient with a selection of bows, including recurves and short bows. Mostly used for hunting however, she has practiced on hand made Cauhri straw dummies dressed in imperial colours... y'know, just in case. Many of the bows from her collection were orginally her fathers but she has a few that she made herself. Each bow is blessed by Nevael and is very long lasting and durable.
Background: My mother died when I was very young. I was raised since then by my father and the women of the village. My father was the chief of our village; he was considered the strongest and the best of our men. He protected us from the Xelith Empires soldiers and brought in extra money for the village, there were even rumors that he had the long lost ability to talk to animals. He was considered the strongest because he was the only Selkie capable of working in the crystal mines. He was a master archer and taught me everything I now know.
When I was 15, there was a collapse in the mine and my father was trapped. The Selkie villagers joined the Eriuir villagers in trying to dig him out but by the time they did, he was already dead. They called it an accident but I think differently. How could it be that when the mine collapsed there was only my father in there? My hatred for the Xelith Empire, who owned the mine, started that day.
After my fathers death, I made contact with the village Shaman. For 4 years I have sneaked into the village to take lessons from her so that one day I will become a Shaman myself. While studying under her I discovered my ability to listen and communicate with all animals, much like my father had.
A new chief was chosen from the men, but I will follow in my fathers footsteps and protect my village in anyway I can.
Special ability (if any): The ability to understand animals. (Race abilities also but I didn't think I needed to put those.) Apprentice shaman, can communicate with tree and animal spirits mostly (for now anyway) Other: I have a tail! yay!
Character Sheet
Please note that the following template is only a guide, not a strict directive, so if you want to add something (or leave something out for some reason) it is your choice. I understand that for some people the character creation is the most interesting part so there is no length limit on any aspect of your character sheet. But if you write more than two paragraphs at 10 lines per point please put it under hider. Enjoy~
Name:
Gender:
Race: Cauhri by default, if you come up with your own race remember to keep it small - within the limit of a single city-state/tribe, no more than 10,000 specimens. Please PM me beforehand.
Age:
Origin: Geographically will decide who trained you prior to game start (details above in the NPC section) All points of origin will be added to the world map once everyone submitted their characters! :)
Personality:
Looks:
Affinity: If applicable, use the list of pre-made Gods and deities or come up with your own (preferable). As always don't forget to PM me about your deity beforehand.
Nullomancer: Yes/No
Special ability (if any):
Background:
Other:
I'll be looking for upper-casual lower-advanced level of posts, so 3-4 paragraphs or so, however if you want to have a conversation with someone IC it's perfectly acceptable to go shorter. Basically do whatever feels right, I'm not strict about it :) ...Though if you're completely shit and don't show any signs of improvement/don't respond to critique I reserve the right to kick you out with a god damn smile on my face.
Alright let's all have some fun! As usual feel free to PM me with any and all questions - I'm always happy to help! Please do let me note if I forgot anything or if you think something needs to be added in here!
ABout 70% done with the post but gotta run to work now - in the meantime do you guys want me to add a section about more advanced nullomancy techniques, or would you prefer to do that IC?
Alrighty, with that we should have enough players to start :D I'll be making a proper thread with the extended info within the next day or two, but will have it up before christmas for sure. Don't work out the backstories yet unless you've read the first RP that was linked here earlier! Events of that rp will stay canon and be incorporated into the story of this one when i make the post! :) Other than that feel free to ask me any questions regarding race/nullomancy/setting/empire/technology/cool shit on here, through pm or Skype: creep921 :D
"Oi, John, get yer ass over here! I found sum'ting!" - The thin, scrawny man cried as he struggled to pull on bits of the big pile of debris at the far end of the cavern. "Aye? For fock's sake Pim, ther ain no nut'ing o'er there but trash!" "Just shut yer yammerin' and get over here, I need a a light!" John sighed, grabbed the rusty lantern and stood up from the campfire. He was a big man in his late thirties, with a club nose and a weary, weathered face. A cheap rusted over shortsword was tucked through the old mouldy rope he wore in place of a belt.
"Aye.. Billy ye watch the pot so soup don' boil out. I'mma go help tha' retarded brother a'yous." - John spat through his teeth to the burly cloaked man who was snoozing on the ground, lit the lantern with the ember from the fire and headed off towards Pim. This day was really going to the wolves. They hoped to find some good loot in the old ruins, but all they found was some scrap and a whole bunch of moulded over rock. And if that wasn't bad enough a blasted rain storm darkened the skies and trapped them in this wet hole of a cave. Tch, ah well. Better than trying to brave the Grey in the dark.
"Aye aye... whad'ya find ya twat?" "Fock off! And Come come, get tha' light o'er here!" - Pim hissed and waved his hand. John sighed and raised the lantern. As dim as the light from the old thing was, it revealed what looked to be a half-collapsed archway that was further blocked by all kinds of junk blown into the cave by errant winds. A small opening could be seen past the rubble, so John Moved the lantern even closer to let the light in. The moment he did Pim screamed out in glory - inside, despite the thick layer of dust, shined a tall suit of exquisite armour.
"Would ya look at tha'! With tha' ting we's gonna be the best gang on this 'ere road! Haha! I knew tha' map to tis place was worth tha' coin!" - Pim rattled out triumphantly and began ripping at the rubble with renewed vigor. "Nay, we's no trained to wer tha' kind of armour anyways. Bett'r sell th'ting ta some noble. Get some good coin an' leave tis hole fer good. B'sides, look, the's all kind o' baubles o'er there!" - John moved the lantern a bit revealing a complex menagerie of bronze levers, tubes and plates surrounding the armour. "Yer'right! Wait up, I can reach one now, methinks!" - Pim scurried up the junk heap and stuck his arm in through the opening. After a few seconds of rummaging about his hand finally found an ornate bronze lever and grabbed on to it. - "Got it!" - Pim exclaimed and yanked on the lever as hard as he could...
Voices? Was that what he heard? Voices in the darkness. Guess the maintenance was over... But why? Why did something felt just so completely and terribly wrong? With a reserved click the maintenance clamp detached and fell away and suddenly he could see again. Except there wasn't much to gaze at - darkness still surrounded him completely, with the exception of a small opening through which a dim light shone. It was unstable, jumping all over the place, as if coming from a hand held lantern... Yes, that's what it was. He could see two men on the other side. They were tearing at the edges of the darkness - making the opening larger. Perhaps soon it would large enough for him to get th- Him? Who's He? What was his name? What was going on...
The light jumped again and for a brief moment it touched his arm. It was for but a fleeting instant, yet it was enough to make out four letters carved into the steel: Ares.
As soon as He read that word the dim light of the lantern turned blindingly bright. So bright it engulfed the whole world in a sea of white. And out of that white, like an unrelenting mountain stream, in flooded the people, the towns and the hills. Leaf by leaf every tree took its place; brick by brick - every house took its. Note by note the music flowed into his mind. The brass of victory and the choirs of triumph. The golden light of the sun shining high above his town - bathing all in it's warmth. the faces of children and the voice of the Precept... and with that Ares remembered.
With a moan of ageing metal Ares ripped himself free of the remaining restraints and struck out at the darkness that bound him. The force of Ares's kick blew the barricade of rubble away as if it were made of straw, taking the two vagabonds with it. For the first time in a thousand years, Ares stepped out of the shadow of his maintenance room, his metal skin, now free of dust, burning in the campfire's light. Three people jumped up and were circling him, their mouths opening as they talked to one another with terrified expressions. Seems his hearing was not back yet. Let's see if his voice was...
"Filthy scoundrels! The Precepts chambers are off limits to your ilk! Leave at once!" - Ares's voice boomed throughout the cavern. Good, at least he still had that. The men shouted something to eachother then one of them threw down his lantern, drew his sword high and rushed at Ares "SO BE IT BANDIT SCUM!" - Ares roared and raised his arm to block the strike. The cheap, rusted metal of the sword cried out in a thin voice and snapped in half on the warforged's forearm. The man stumbled back, shocked. Ares threw a quick glance at the other men - on was entangled in trying to load a sling with some stones off the ground, while the other was fumbling with his cloak, drawing a heavy blacksmith's hammer. Without hesitating Ares stepped in, grabbing the dazed swordsman and raising him in the air high above his head. "YOU SHOULD'VE LEFT WHEN I TOLD YOU!" - Ares gave one last shout and hurled the swordsman with full strength at the thin man with teh slinghshot. The two men collided and went tumbling into the opposite wall with a meaty sound of cracking bone.
By this point the last man finally got the upper hand on his cloak and drew the hammer - rushing at Ares with a twisted expression on his face. For a moment everything seemed to slow down as Ares examined the man. He was big, for a human. the way his muscles were developed and the way he held that hammer... a Blacksmith it seems. Means he's not used to wielding it in combat... good. As the third man swung down Ares sidestepped him, coming up on his side. No matter how much muscle one has - a human always has a great weakness. Ares's steel fist struck out with well practised speed - hitting the blacksmith squarely in the jaw. Again there was a sound of bone shattering and the burly man went down.
Ares was now the only one left standing in the cavern. Slowly he walked to its entrance and looked out on the forest that lay before him. Only an occasional rough cut stone overgrown with moss showed any signs of a city that once stood there. Even the steps he used to guard were gone. Inch by inch dread and confusion began overtaking Ares. What could have happened? Just how long was he shut down? He promised the children to continue his story today. Are they... still- Wait. Ares's eyes pierced through the darkness and caught a thin clearing running through the trees - must be a road. He turned around to look at the bandits once more. Little to no clothes. No provisions. Light weaponry. They wouldn't dare go far from civilization so ill prepared. Someone must be near.
Setting his mind firmly, Ares relieved the balcksmith's limp body of his cloak and put it over his shoulders. Seeing no knife in sight, he then picked up the broken sword and used it to crudely slash out a long strip of fabric from the man's pants and tied it several times around his waist like a sash. Gods, I hope this cloth won't smell as bad as they looked. Next - the lantern; glass was mostly broken and it was extinguished, but there was still some oil inside. Good, he might need that eventually. Ares hooked the lantern to his sash, and slid the broken sword in as well beside it. Lastly he picked up the blacksmith's heavy hammer and tucked it in at his other side.
"Well. I'm as ready as I can be. Time to get some answers." - Ares spoke out softly to himself, before kicking the pot of bandits' soup over to put on the campfire and heading out into the blackness of the night.
Name: Ares Age: N/A Race: Warforged As eons pass, stone, steel and man will wither and fade from existence, bound by the law eternal entropy. Alas, memory is no exception to that rule.
Not much remains in the old machine’s mind of the times long forgotten, but glimpses and flashes, and faces long gone. Before the Grey Tide, before Fallion, in times withered and gone him and his kind stood guard. Perhaps he was human once? A warrior that fell and was brought back as a machine? None are alive to answer that question. Only a word etched into his arm: Ares. So that was to be his name.
He remembers battles, the rush of air as his comrades and he formed the tip of the spear – clearing the way for their mortal allies. He remembers great victories filled with glory and the weight of corpses on his back he carried home from devastating losses. But most of all he remembers his town.
Ah yes, the town he guarded from the high steps of the Precept’s academy. The smiling faces of children that would dance about him as he would tell the stories of his long adventures. Their laughter as he easily lifted them into the air. Yes, what better way to retire than as guard in a small, peaceful town? He was telling them a story of how he once fell off a ship and had to walk along the bottom to the shore, when the Precept called him inside. Some maintenance had to be done on the old joints. Kids tugged at him, pleading to continue the tale, but Precept’s orders are absolute. He remembers promising them to continue tomorrow, and then heading inside. And then he remembers waking up… alone, in a ruin, surrounded by thieves. A thousand years had passed. What was this place? Who were these men? The Precept? The kids?... Were these memories real? Were they truly his? Only one way to answer that - he had to continue his tale…
Appearance:
Ares is a 7ft tall 600 pound metal humanoid, built of steel, stone and materials beyond his knowledge. He once wore the garbs of an ancient city guard, but they turned to dust the moment he started moving. The only things he has with himself are those he took from the thieves that woke him: An old dusty cloak, a blacksmith’s hammer, a rusty sword broken in half and a shattered lantern filled with oil.
Personality: Ares might not remember who he was, but he is a warrior through and through. His outlook on life is seemingly naïve by Fallion standards: Evil never prevails for Justice and Honour will be his sword and shield to protect the innocent. He will not allow injustice to pass in any form and will leap into danger to save the innocent without a single moment’s hesitation, often falling prey to tricks and being taken advantage of by less than scrupulous individuals. He is a man of few words and tends to speak in slightly disjointed sentences, perhaps due to the damage to his memory; however that doesn’t mean he won’t join in an attempt to sing a cheerful song to raise the spirits of those around him. Even if he will most likely fail at it spectacularly. His dedication and determination are beyond words, though it must be said – so is his stubbornness. Ares is decidedly a man of a different era but, perhaps, that is exactly what these dark times need the most.
Skills: Being a warforged comes with its own benefits: Ares is virtually invulnerable to light physical damage such as daggers, slashing strikes from swords or arrows. However a skilled swordsman or archer could exploit the gaps in his natural armour to deal massive damage or disable him. Heavy blows from blunt weapons can still break his limbs however, and armour piercing weapons such as crossbows and spiked mauls will punch through his metal skin, with the exception of his skull. He has two crystals inside him – one in his chest and one in his head. Destroying the chest crystal will render him immobile – while destroying the one in his head will kill him for good. Thankfully a solid steel skull makes that a difficult task to achieve.
As a warforged he cannot be healed, and any injuries dealt to him must be repaired by a highly skilled blacksmith, which could prove to be troublesome in the world of Fallion. Furthermore he is very vulnerable to elemental magic, electricity in particular will knock him out almost instantly.
As a veteran frontline warrior with the strength of a tank he is an extremely formidable close quarters fighter, particularly adept at using a warhammer and shield. However Warforged’s three clumsy fingers make feats of dexterity next to impossible – as such even tasks like shooting a bow or throwing a knife are beyond him. He’s an exclusively close combat fighter so your best bet would be to fight him from a distance. Plus his metal constitution and extreme weight make shoddy bridges and water his natural enemies.
