Crumbs — Roleplayer Guild

Hi, there. I'm Crumbs. Thanks for stopping by. I decided, earlier, that I wanted to do something that I don't usually try to do. That's high-fantasy. A medieval setting with magic being common. So, I started writing up ideas and finally settled on what I'm calling the "Moonscratch Chronicle". I'm breaking it up into Cycles, in an attempt to make this something of an episodic affair, with Cycle One introducing our primary cast and delving into the first major plot of what could be a long-lasting series of RPs. Below is a flavor intro. Below that will be some more stuff, said by me.

So, here we are again...

 The voice was a feminine purr, resounding through a darkness that pulsed and folded in on its self. She spoke to no one in the void, no one in particular. Yet, she felt the need to speak. Her words heralded the beginning of all things, as they had through countless eons before. Each syllable, regardless of its meaning, was a cog set into motion; filling in spaces that nothing had existed in before. 

 Looking through the same pane of glass, though all the cracks have changed...

 And so it was that what she would know as reality had come to another abrupt end. Somewhere, one of the cogs had worn out...or fallen free of the machine. Those of Aedrasil, the mortals that doubtlessly scurried below, would never understand that machine; why it existed, or why it had such a grand, pointless plan for their lives. She had never understood fate, as a concept or as an implement. It could be reduced to simple, binary logic. Though she had, when in the throes of true nothingness, wondered if the machine even existed. Certainly, the nameless Origin had never seen the machine...but she had been born with knowledge of it; born knowing that she and all things were but momentary products of its ever roaming eternity-mind.

 Soon, this place will cease to be. I will cease to be. He will return. Chaos will fall in great waves on frail Aedrasil.

 That, too, had become a constant. Despite having not existed a 'moment' before, she vividly recalled watching carefully the nation of Delald. A shame, she knew, that observation would be impossible until the darkness growing in Delald became something more tangible. There were several that had been of interest to her. Several of interest to her brother, as well; he who had named himself Kanys. He who had been sundered by mortals, much as he had sundered his nameless sister. 

 Poor mortals, she whispered, that you must be ignorant of how much depends on you.

- - - -

 Countless moments or scant seconds away from the nameless Origin, the city of Vaald was nothing at all like the void. Mortals of all races and creeds had come from Delad's dark corners to take part in a time-honored ritual. Joining a Guild. Most of them were young, spurred from their home town by wanderlust, rebellion, or a desire to make a name for themselves. Others were veterans, soldiers or exiles from other Guilds; looking for a new place to ply their trade. 

 Isyph Al-Delad herself was perched far above the crowd, watching with interest as a seasoned Mage or battle-scarred Warrior shouted at people from behind their rickety kiosks. One could judge the worth of a Guild, some said, by just how grandiose their Recruiter was. Isyph didn't think that was true. The Recruiter she had spoken to earlier was a frightening man, clad in black armor, practically screaming down at her about the Black Adders and how scum like her weren't fit to lick the boots of his leader before finally running her off with a strange bark.

 A cool air drifted through the capital city, though it stank of crowds and horses. An Elf, she knew, might think less of it than she did; which was certainly saying something. Despite the bitter, stinking tinge on the air, Vaald was a well kept city full of white stone on the main streets and a castle that glinted gold, even from afar. She eyed that glint for a moment, making out the domed roof of the Vaaldian Treasury through the midday sun, before turning her eyes back to the street. The Guild Homes, or Enclaves for those who preferred to sound more professional, were each unique; bearing wildly different architechture and adornments, though most of them took up roughly the same amount of space.

 From the balcony Isyph Al-Delad contemplated the city as a whole, trying to decide what she thought of it. The Lunar Festival certainly gave her a different impression of what travelers had told her. Though, this time of year was busy anywhere. For years the Enlistment period and the Lunar Festival had been conjoined; though she had never witnessed anything of the Enlistment before today. It was the first time she had seen a real Half-Ogre...the first time she'd stolen out of a Ewori whore's purse. Today had been a day of firsts for Isyph, and there were more to come.

 Today, she knew, she would be joining a Guild.

Alright, so, there's that. I'm setting us up to start off in the city of Vaald, capital city of Delad, a nation situated on the world of Aedrasil. I've not written out a whole lot of information on things, but I don't plan on excluding any fantasy races (the standard ones, anyway) and I'm willing to work with people for custom races. I mentioned the Ewori. I'll have a small bit up for them, later. 

 For now, I'm just poking out some tendrils to see if anyone is interested in anything like this. Which will have magic, swords, a god of chaos' mask being made whole once more, spacefarers stranded on Aedrasil, former heroes losing themselves to darkness, and just what the Moonscratch is.

 I'm looking for a small group of people, maybe three to four, who are willing to communicate and create with one another; I expect two paragraphs out of a post, per character that you play, which isn't much. Mind you, that's the minimum.

Origin; While omnipotent, the Origin is a limited and perpetually broken incarnation of the will of an even higher power. When she 'exists', she has the capacity to observe all events occurring within the mundane realms; albeit with some restrictions, once certain events begin. Often, Origin is drawn to observing certain individuals or objects. She is not worshiped, directly, on Aedrasil; but is represented in some capacity through the facets of the Order Sequential. 

 -Order Sequential; Name for the pantheon, not commonly used by mortals. Includes Kanys, Belme, Ashtus, Gnara and Stieg. Called such because of their power structure. Kanys, being eldest, has more influence and authority than his lesser brother Stieg. All religions possess at least some representation of the Order Sequential; even if the details differ in their origins, structure or function.

 Kanys- Embodiment of Strife, Kanys is the name taken by Origin's foil. Created by the necessity of balance in whimsy, Strife was brought into being in the 'moment' after Origin's first words echoed through the void. His first act was to slay Origin and scatter her pieces into Aedrasil. Mortals, through the years, tell the story not as one of vicious murder, but loving creations. While a war-like god, most mortals see him as the first god and thus attribute to him the qualities of a creator. Often, it is paraphrased that "Kanys reached out and grabbed the Light, breaking it to pieces, scattering them on the heavenly tapestry to allow we small creatures to see. The largest piece, Luna, the night-sun, was a piece of the Light he gifted to Darkness; a pearl in which to gather all of our weakness...all of our sins..."

 He is usually portrayed as a man clad in armor. His worshipers are varied. 

 Many do not know that Kanys was defeated, after being forced into a mortal form, aside from the Order Sequential; nor do they know that Kanys' mask was sundered and scattered across Aedrasil.
 
 Belme- Mistress of Sky, Belme is a goddess of wind, healing and the movement of celestial bodies. She is said to be generous, but tempestuous in her humors. Usually portrayed as a beautiful woman with long, flowing hair. Her followers are physicians, healers and those who travel the sea.

 Ashtus- Eye of Magic, Ashtus is a being said to exist within all mortal creatures; composing part of the force that animates them. It is usually depicted by a sphere, or in the case of anthropomorphism a man wearing a cowl and robe with a featureless face. Those who give praise to Ashtus are Mages and nomads.

 Gnara- Keeper of Seasons, Gnara holds dominion over the wild expanses of Aedrasil. Where Ashtus flows through all things, Gnara is seen to be the force behind their perpetuation; and is usually seen as a fertility goddess. Depicted as a voluptuous woman, clad in a wreathe of leaves about her waist. Her followers are varied.

 Stieg- Silence of Slumber, Stieg is dreams, death and prophecy. Said to impart dreams to mortals, while he himself is in constant slumber; reaching out to pull away the life granted to them without much in the way of thought, sending them throughout the void to be sorted by the rest of the Order Sequential. Stieg is considered to be less interested in the affairs of mortals and is depicted as a sleeping serpent, coiled around its self. Few actively worship Stieg, but he is often given mention in ceremonies involving death.

Moonscratch; When Kanys placed Origin's heart in the midnight sky, he placed upon it a curse...and a curse on all those who would ever be touched by its Light. Those who have an exceptional soul will find themselves Moonscratched, one day, nearly without a doubt. What constitutes an exceptional soul, no one has been able to truly pinpoint. Despite the vagaries, the reality of the Moonscratch are quite grim. First, a scar appears on the Scratched; deep and purple, spreading slowly outward. When next Luna's full embrace falls upon them, they will be wracked with pain; a parallel, inverted existence being pulled from them...and made flesh before their eyes. Usually, the shadow-self will speak...mocking the weaknesses of its former host, prodding at them before moving in to attack.

 If one should fall to their shadow-selves, they will lose control; becoming a shadow in their own mind as the victor does as it wishes with the host's former body. This possession lasts until the next full moon, when another duel will take place between the two; the shadow-self forced out and the host given control once more. However, once the shadow-self has taken over the original it begins attempting to absorb the host's soul. If the host succumbs, the shadow-self will usually set about its own vile goals. 

 The Lunar Festival, despite its seemingly cheery activities is an event that precedes the ritualistic suicide of countless Moonscratched. Usually, those who attend the Festival to meet their end have made the choice to do so. Some, who are considered dangerous, are occasionally executed.

Delad; The largest nation on the largest continent on Aedrasil, Delad has prospered where other cultures and structures of power have failed. This is largely due in part to the Deladish way of acceptance, bred into the land its self long before the first non-natives arrived. Delad is headed by a Vaunted Council, which handles matters by matter of debate, discussion and then voting. There is no standing army in Delad, as the Vaunted Council tends to utilize the Guilds when storms of war stir on the horizon. Vaald serves as its capital.

 -Tantas; The largest continent on Aedrasil. Has widely varying climates and environments. Largely dominated by Delad. Some unclaimed territories lie to the northwest and far south. Somewhat shaped like a hand, albeit missing a thumb.

 -Vaunted Council; Composed of two elected representatives from each race, the Vaunted Council is a forum of debate that forms the ruling body of Delad. They meet regularly in the Resplendent Court to discuss the ebb and flow of Deladish politics.

 -Vaald; Capital city of Delad and by far the most populous and expansive metropolis in the nation. Populated by countless Guilds. Situated in the center of Tantas, many roads lead to and from Vaald. 

Ewori; Created, originally, by Ragar the Mad, the Ewori were once a race of slaves; sent forth from Gnara's Locks in the far north down into a young Delad. Succubi, they are, or were, in the simplest terms. That was long ago, however, and Ragar has long since fallen from his high tower and disappeared from the mundane plane. As such, modern Ewori are less vicious (and voracious) than their ancestors and function much as any other Deladish race would; having representatives on the Vaunted Council.

 All Ewori are women and only give birth to other Ewori. They appear as a human woman would, albeit with vestigal bat-like wings (that they often decorate) and a keen beauty about them, otherwise. The Ewori, being (originally) magically created creatures, have an inclination to become Mages or other magically inclined Classes.

Uquii; A Deladish blanket-name given to the abandoned Half-Fey who appear within the Republic's borders. The Uquii do not have representation on the Vaunted Council, directly, but are allowed to vote for either of their lineage's delegates. Uquii are a widely varied bunch, given their possible parentage, and do not have much of a reputation within Delad; aside from generally being bringers of mischief and raucous revelers. They have no favored Classes, or particular magic inclination; aside from what their Fey blood imparts.

Llangeli; The remnants of a space-faring militant fleet that came screaming into Aedrasil three years ago, the Llangeli find themselves stranded on foreign, uncertain soil. While they appear as human as the natives (when outside of their Environmental Protection Encapsulation System, which is, to simply say, an enclosed bodysuit), these extraplanars find themselves at odds with their very surroundings; if not directly in conflict with the local peoples. They have made a habit of "harvesting" local life for the magic found within it, in an attempt to utilize what they see as a new resource...as a means of escape or a means of conquering, but also as a means for survival. As such, those who have remained loyal to the Llangeli Armada tend to treat all the races of Aedrasil with equal disdain; seeing them as little more than bags of potential. With their advanced weaponry, some of which is kept in good repair, it is no trouble for them to overrun a small or even middling settlement without their being time for reaction.

 Not all of the Llangeli approve of this methodology, however; and believe that proffering their technological prowess to heal and cure is much more civil than using a Valravn Frame to set fire to an Elven Nest. Of course, the Llangeli do not speak any of the native tongues with ease; and rely, assuming they have not had prolonged interaction and sufficient chance to learn, (this is moreso applicable to the deserters, who do not usually capture and torture native life as a means of learning) on their Universal Language Application. The deserters are treated with contempt, if Loyalists happen across them; though there are occasions where particularly useful personnel will be reclaimed.

 As foreign entities in this reality...it seems that the Moonscratch has a deeper effect on the Llangeli as it would on others. They do not possess a shadow self, but instead the Moonscratch begins rapidly spreading throughout their body; causing horrific mutations that eventually consume the afflicted Llangeli, transmogrifying them into an abomination. The Llangeli Loyalists are, in part, harvesting local life in an attempt to better understand this new affliction...though their efforts have yet proven fruitless.

 Encounters with the Llangeli Loyalists have placed a heavy distrust on the Llangeli Deserters, though there is still the Deladish way of acceptance; which usually affords strays (if they can prove themselves trustworthy) a chance at integrating themselves slowly into a society that may well need their ingenuity. Llangeli have no magical inclination, and suffer strange effects from Aedrasil's more esoteric aspects. As such, have differing Classes than most native races. Soldier, Scientist, Engineer and Pilot are the most common.

Forgive my brevity, as I believe some concepts don't need an explanation. Or, rather, I've got a lot that I'm going to have to write out; if this takes off.

 I will answer any questions, however.

 Here is a link to the OOC 

XOXO
Crumbs

1) Some grammatical errors combed out.
2) Added details on stuff to entice people.
3) Added some terms.
4) More grammatical errors.
5) More terms.
6) Changed some incorrect phrasing.
7) Added Unusual Races. (with Llangeli)
8) Changed time Llangeli have been on Aedrasil from six years to three.
9) Added some missing words.
10) Added OOC link.
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