High walls, supported by pillars carved of brilliant, polished stone support a high-arching ceiling, it's canopy embroidered with the visages of the Ten Saints. Wide windows let natural light pour in and fill the halls with a warm, welcoming glow, and the tall, dark oaken doors at the entryway give a feeling of both majesty and security. The hall of the church itself is simplistic yet elegant, with marble floors, red carpets separating the rows of benches and a singular, wide carpet stretching through the middle aisle and down either side. Normally a grandiose church like this would be filled to capacity with fervent worshipers, praying to and exalting one of Adelon's many governing gods and goddesses. Lately however the prayers have all but stopped, and many of the churches within Adelon have become a shadow of their former selves. Where once droves upon droves of people came now only the few faithful remain, yet services continue. The need and desire to worship has begun to wane recently, and as a result the church has begun to focus its resources elsewhere. No longer can it sustain itself through the services it once offered, now it must provide in other areas of life. There is but a single field where plenty of change is taking place, and it is in this field that the church has begun to take a foothold and regain some of its lost prominence; technology.
With the discovery of new ways to channel power, a proverbial technological boom has taken place in Adelon. Where magic gained through worship was once used in everyday life, now machines and devices can perform the same task. There is no longer need for the crystals that once were used to gather and focus magic, and as such the business of selling and trading these crystals is all but vanishing. As it was the Church of the Ten Saints' prerogative before to handle the distribution of crystals, the lack of demand has greatly hurt their profits. While yes, they are ministers of the holy and they share the word of the Saints they are in the end a business, and a business needs to turn a profit to function. Naturally their focus has shifted then, and they now use their influence to back many companies and lay claim to many of the machines now found throughout the world. Though there are indeed governments and even a royal family in Adelon the Church has an immense degree of influence, enough so that even as their power in prayer fades, they remain a driving force in the world. From magic to technology, the Church finds itself benefiting after a brief struggle with the paradigm shift. There are those however, faithful aside, that simply cannot change their way of life. There are some who have relied on magic for generations upon generations, and their lives will only be complicated as a result of the ebbing influence in daily life.
These individuals, known simply as Magi, are beings of all races and walks of life who are capable of commanding magic at will. Magic, formed through prayer, is an intangible and metaphysical substance, and most of the population cannot access it. Crystals were discovered to be a catalyst for the magic, and therein it allowed an everyday man to use it. Magi are individuals who do not need these crystals, who can pull magic from the very world around them and use it to their needs. With prayer fading in Adelon so too do the natural stores of magic, and as a result life for these individuals is becoming harder and harder. With the Church being responsible for the conducting of prayer and worship, naturally these people turn to them for aid, in hopes they can offer a solution to the problem. The Church however is not so keen accommodate such a minority of the population, suggesting instead Magi learn to adapt and forgo the ways of old, to leave magic behind and embrace the changing world. Very few have, yet the majority of Magi cannot fathom changing their very way of life. Most grow complacent and make due with what little power they have left, but others are less content to sit by idly. The Church is to blame, they reason, and they feel abandoned and betrayed by the selfsame organization that was once their protectors. With no real outlet these few Magi have taken up arms, determined to force the Church into helping them by any means necessary.
Magi do have the advantage by wielding magic naturally, but they are very few in number. With the already minute population splintered there were only pockets of insurrection here and there; small but violent outbreaks of attacks perpetrated by Magi began to take place. Powerful as they might be they could not hope to stand against the Church's own forces, especially not when some Magi began to join forces to use their reserves of magic. Coupled with the government's own forces, these Magi were cut down like fodder, even the strongest of those fighting ultimately were met with death. Now fearing discontent and further uprisings, the powers that be have begun to seek out any and all Magi, either forcing them to comply to the Church's instruction or simply killing them on the spot. Men, women, children, it matters little to the Church. For the greater good of Adelon and for their own sake, Magi must be made to fold.
Sitting high atop his throne at the head of the church, an elderly Muran man stares down at the soldiers gathered before him. Dressed in a long white robe, a blue felt lining inside the thin cloth which is decorated immaculately; golden strips line the brim of the robe, with intricate weaving patterns adorning the sleeves and the hem of the piece. A blue vest with two insignias on either breast, one representing the Ten Saints and the other the Church rests over the top of the robe, again sharing the same golden trim of the robe itself. The Muran's brow furrows seeing an individual in shackles set before him, his gray eyes scouring the dirty appearance of the prisoner. His hair is black, long and scraggly, and he seems to be very gaunt. When he lifts his head a set of intense green eyes glare back, a shaggy beard covering most of his face, parts caked crimson with dried blood. Despite the man's appearance one can tell he is a powerful Magi, just by the presence he commands. Or rather, he was once a powerful Magi, as now he seems to be but a shell of a man, beaten and dragged through the mud.
"Such a sad way to see one so prominent... Know that we take no pleasure in this, my son," the elderly man spoke, his tone flat with only a hint of somberness, "But you leave us no choice, you understand. Violence solves nothing, and we cannot allow Adelon to fall in chaos for the sake of a few."
Still glaring up at the man on the throne, the prisoner scoffs at his words, spitting phlegm and blood at his feed and grunting as someone strikes him in the back. "To hells with you and your Church! Violence solves nothing... How easy it is for you to say that where you sit!" the man retorts, his own voice carrying through a harsh cracking, his throat dry. "You say that as soldiers round my people up, and we're either forced into servitude or killed like cattle! We only wish to leave in peace, it is you who started this war!"
"There is no war my son, and there never had to be any violence. We only seek what is the greater good, that is all. Your way of life is but a relic of the past, the world is changing. If we can adapt, so surely too then can you," the older man retorts, letting out a long, airy sigh as he adjusts himself in his seat. "The Saints know what we do, and yet they raise no hand against us. How then, tell me, can we be in the wrong? Man evolves, man changes, and this is simply an aspect of that evolution. Magic is no longer the driving force in life, this is something we must all accept and acknowledge. I am sorry that you cannot see things for what they are, and are instead stuck in the past..."
"You're a damned fool if you think we can just forsake the Saints like this! Don't you know what will happen?!" This was simply unbelievable, this fossil of a man was completely out of his mind! "We need magic, more than any of these toys of yours! If we completely forsake magic-"
"We are not forsaking magic, don't be absurd. We know full well what would happen if we lost magic. Our priority has simply changed, that is all. Worship will still be conducted, only enough so to keep the natural order of things in check. The world no longer has need for an abundance of it, don't you see? We are standing on the precipice of a new age, and we as the shepherds are simply trying to guide the flock to it. I am only saddened to think that perhaps Magi will have no place in our world, not if every one of you thinks this way." Placing his bony hands on the armrests, the elderly man pushed himself to his feet, grabbing his walking cane from the side of the chair to use for support. "I had hoped there might be a chance to spare you your fate, but I can see that your mind has been set. Very well... Take him out to the grounds, prepare his execution. Let him stand as an example for those who wish to try and halt progress of our people."
A slew of profanities and curses were thrown his way as the prisoner was dragged down the aisle, though ultimately all of his words would amount to naught. Like it or not the world was changing, and with it came a new order. Technology would propel Adelon into the future, and it would better the lives of everyone. Magi were selfish for wishing to retain the status quo, for forsaking the development of others simply to retain their current life. It was a loathsome conclusion to come to, but with more and more dissidence breeding it was the only one the elderly man could reach. Watching as the soldiers and their prisoner vanished from the hall he let out another breathy sigh, turning and glancing up at a plaque of the Ten Saints resting above his throne. Their gods had truly not raised alarm over this change, surely they agreed with it. Worship would continue, it was just no longer the focal point of life, that was all. Bowing his head in reverence, the man closed his eyes, praying for a silent moment before glancing back at the plaque once more. "The world must go on... And if a few must be left behind then so be it..."
So that is the very gist of what this idea is about. Long story short, Adelon is a world that, for generations, thrived on magic. By worshiping the Ten Saints, gods and goddesses of Adelon, magic was brought into the world through the faith of its residents. With a recent surge in technology however the need and uses of magic have begun to fade, giving way to a new way of living. While the vast majority of the population has no issue with the change, the few known as Magi struggle to adapt. Their very way of life is centered around the use of magic, and with the world's reserves running dangerously low it is nigh impossible for them to continue on as they have been. For us, we would be taking the position of one of these Magi in their struggle during this tumultuous time. From any walk of life, or any of the races we'll lay out, it will be our duty to try and restore magic to the world to preserve ourselves and our people. However we go about that will be up to the group to decide, as will the success or failure of our endeavors. We're looking for a moderate sized group, probably 5-6 to get started, and likely have 3 people already. There is more information for the big concepts of the RP, like the Saints and the Church and Magi, but I'm keeping that for now while I gauge interest :)
Member
Manticore
Fetzen
Scout
Candy Cane Elf
Not a Sayan
Hannah