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    1. NefariusDestiny 8 yrs ago

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Gamer, Sci-Fi lover, Engineer

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Paintings of Xeron




|History|

In the beginning, there was Czar and there were Fae. Fae were higher beings who acted as a collective, selectively evolving to enable themselves to harness more flux, the energy that enables magic use. Czar was the only God. He spoke and created the Czarian Coterie, a group of Gods tasked with overseeing the universe in his place. This included Cynthia, Nebula, Porcine, and Xeron. After this, Czar went silent. From these four, many other gods were created to rule the different aspects of the universe. Xeron was given the ability to create inhabitable paintings, the first of which were Y’vera, the Oscuarry, and The Sky to protect his paintings from the void. The goddess of nature, Elk, took favor with the world of Y’vera and gave it life. The flux of the void was too strong for mortal life on Y’vera, so Elk created the Crystal of Balance to keep most of it at bay. Life thrived on Y’vera, but was unable to develop advanced consciousness. Czar saw this, and in combination with his displeasure of his Coterie in ruling the void, killed Cynthia, Porcine, and Nebula, forcing them to be reborn as mortals in each of the paintings: Cynthia to Y’vera, Porcine to The Oscuarry, and Nebula to The Sky.

With the advent of mortals, Xeron took pity on their souls and designated the Oscuarry as their final resting place. Nebula took advantage of the empty painting of The Sky and fractured himself into thousands of shining beings with which he could observe all other paintings. Elk willingly killed herself to be with Cynthia and rule over nature on Y’vera. She seeded Cynthia with the first human, and they became progenitors of humanity.

Those beyond the first generation aged and died. It was at this time that the new Czarian Coterie began to take interest in the affairs of the mortal world. They began exercising their will over humans like pawns in a game of chess. Religions formed, but it wasn’t enough for some Gods. Some radicals decided to join their followers in Y’vera by killing themselves to be reborn as mortals, sometimes creating new races of their own. Tension in Y’vera rose, until Coyote, father to a race of beasts disguised as humans, usurped Cynthia as ruler of the the human continent Ephesus. He attempted to rule from the capital city Delteria, but was met with the resistance of the an army led by two human brothers, Storxx and Rolark. Together they drove Coyote and his followers off the mainland of Ephesus, to The Venison, a desolate desert wasteland off the coast, where Elk’s touch hadn’t yet reached.

Storxx and Rolark established themselves as leaders of the new world, creating two cities on the island ithica, the home to the Crystal of Balance. Odium was Storxx’s city to the north, and Lucre was Rolark’s city to the south.

Around this time the first 100 year cycle was completed and a star fell from the sky marking its passing. This star was the Nebula Vulcure, who chose to fall into Y’vera. His physical form was torn from him during his descent to Delteria. He crashed into the stonework and rebuilt his body using the materials around him. Some called him a golem, but the reality was he was very much living with a crystal core containing his spiritual self. Vulcure became an influential figure in Delterian politics, working closely with Storxx and Rolark.


|Current Day|

Eon 2, Year 95, Week 32

Wormsloe is a seedier town at the peak of the Gloam Delta. Built using the dark wood of the surrounding forests, the city is among the newer cities of Y’vera. It has an eclectic mix of culture and architecture from all races save for the Fae. On a good day you might even spot a Siren if you know where to look.

A new city in the current political climate meant no ruling faction. Wormsloe technically had a council, but it wasn't composed of career politicians. Rather, it had tradesman from several of the city’s largest industries: lumber, herbalism, crops, transportation, brewing, and fishing. By day they worked hard and by night they reaped what they sowed by partaking in whatever pleasures Wormsloe offered. Once every 10 days they met in the river docks (which were honestly quite impressive) to discuss the going ons and problems of the surrounding landscape. They rarely needed to give their attention to a problem as most tradesmen worked out disputes themselves. Occasionally, though, the leaders would need to unite their community to deal with a common threat, the latest of which was an elusive fable: Dread Pirate Xen.

Enter Ivory. The pale red haired girl had recently discovered a 150 year old journal inside her Alchemy Shop (The Sacred Mind) detailing a process for the thistlization of blood: another fable that “experts” (no one thought of them as anything other than insane) claimed would grant eternal life if successfully achieved. The journal called for a rare evergreen plant known as Blood Thistle. The problem is, Blood Thistle was a well known poison. Which brings our story to Wormsloe; someone here must be able to provide it.

Ivory’s arrival was timed terribly (or wonderfully, if you think getting involved in a political drama that ultimately results in the creation of a vampire is “wonderful”). She arrived in Wormsloe at the height of Dread Pirate Xen’s most egregious plot yet: he intended to turn Wormsloe into the Underworld hub of Y’vera. His title had amassed a following over the past 150 or some odd years, and he schemed to use it to plant seeds in the council as well as in every trade network moving through the river city. Ivory was just unfortunate enough to ask one of Xen’s plants for information regarding Blood Thistle.


|Races|

Human
Descendants of the Goddess Cynthia. Inhabit most of Y’vera, but mainly Ephesus.

Ashen
Dark, ashy skin. Mixed race of all races on Y’vera. Mainly live in the Darkshire as outcasts. Humanoid.

Ogre
Descendants of the Gods Ocan and Ogren. From the islands Ocan and Ogren.

Nebula
Descendants of the god Nebula, mostly live in The Sky as stars. One selectively falls to a painting of their choice every 100 years. Body is made up of inorganic matter. (If you pick this let me know. There are not many Nebula in the world of PoX)

Fae
Descendants of evolved Fae. Live in a Fae city named Tarver built in the middle of the ocean.

Small humanoids with wings. (¼ size of humans)

Naga
Descendants of the god Tiamat. Females take snake-like form. Commonly referred to as Sirens. Males take lizard-like form. Lives in Silent-run and The Venison.

Male: Rough scaly skin. Lizard-like Humanoid. Thick long lizard tails.

Female: Snake-like and smooth scales from the waist down. Waist up normal humanoid with dark colored skin (purple, grey, etc). Some born without cavities for nose, mouth, ears, or eyes.

Golems
Artificial race created through clever use of flux and crystals. Arguably not really sentient. Inhabit Feyere. Composed of inorganic matter, besides their crystal cores.

Lycan Variants
Originally descendants of the god Coyote. Disguise themselves as humans. Lycanthropy affects different races in different ways.

Vampiric Variants
Beings infected with vampirism. Don’t age.


|Character Requirements|

Name:
Race:
Appearance (description):
Age (<50):
Personality:
Occupation:
Brief history:
Aspiration:
Inventory:
Speaking Color:
`“I dunno, darling,” the raspy voice of the scarred Naga-Ashen half-breed began, “Blood Thistle is mighty hard to grow, even in a region as rich as Gloam. It takes 50 years to bloom, which is when the leaves become particularly... potent.” He spared no words trying to conceal the fact that Ivory was seeking a poison.

“I didn't travel all this way to be told it's not possible to acquire.” Ivory was persistent. She ran a shop in Delteria and knew how to haggle. She decided to be more direct with the creature’s criminal tone. “You must know where I can find some.”

“I’ll tell ya what, love. I'll ask around. See if anyone's got any still lying around.” He scrawled something on some parchment and shoved it in his satchel. “Not likely, though. The stuff was hoarded decades back and nobody has the heart to grow it. At least if they do they don't much care to tell anyone.”

“Thank you. It is much appreciated.” Her tone was almost too formal for the rundown apothecary.

The floorboards creaked as the half-bread’s weight shifted. “You don't look the part of a killer. But I supposes that's the idea...”
Xen






Xen walked the streets of Wormsloe, confident that anyone who did recognize him wouldn’t have the courage to approach him. He was armed to the teeth with ornate but functional weaponry, jingling with each confident step. He entered the back door of an apothecary, The Empty Bottle, and hungrily licked his lips. Inside, a muffled conversation could be heard coming from the front, but Xen paid it no mind. The only things on his mind was refilling the empty flask he carried on his belt, and wetting his parched lips. He opened a cellar door and descended.

Inside was a gruesome sight. A female Naga lie dead, pale as a Naga could be, in a dimly lit corner. Her tail had been detached, and thrown hastily across her lifeless body. Xen quickly twisted the cap off his flask, crossed the room, and held it under the spigot of a small barrel surrounded by a splotches of blood. He twisted the valve quickly and precisely as a steady stream of thick, red liquid poured into his metallic flask. He took a swig, sighed, then topped it off. It had been a long day for Xen, putting the pieces into place for his greatest scheme yet. He normally worked out of his hideout, but disliked having guests there. He still needed a center of operations, however, if he wanted to carry out more elaborate plans. Wormsloe was an ideal location, being in the middle of the North-South trade route. He could recruit and influence from the shadows here if all goes according to plan. The only piece missing was what he would do next to draw the eye of the public away from Wormsloe.

He returned the leather-bound flask to its holster, then walked back upstairs. He was curious what type of visitor would go to an apothecary in Wormsloe.
Just a heads up. I will be posting once a week regardless of whether everyone else has posted or not. I'll try my best to control your actions consistently if you haven't posted at that time. If you need extra time for whatever reason, let me know. The next post I make will be on this upcoming Saturday or Sunday.
Post is up! Instructions for this next post:

Get your character outside, and come up with a reason for them to approach Caeleo or each other. If you need any additional plot details feel free to ask me.
Caeleo





Igneous was sitting against a wall in Lower Bethany, which was surprisingly quiet save for the Church of Midway. He was staring at the sky while feeling the parts of his body that had chipped when he was thrown from the golemsmith’s forge, a building overlooking Bethany from the wealthier district of Barion. It wasn’t uncommon for broken golems to be thrown here and salvaged for scrap, but it was unusual for one to still be alive.

As he scanned the constellations of The Sky with the eyes behind his visor-like face, a shimmer caught his attention. It was slight at first, but then he noticed four more surrounding the first one. They all split off almost simultaneously: one each to the north, south, east, and west. The final one headed straight down. Igneous was too caught up in the spectacle that it didn’t register that the Nebula was falling straight for his position. He barely moved as it crashed loudly into the Church of Midway. Curious, he made his way there.

Inside, the once elaborate symbol of The Archaeon was now a glowing, swirling, molten mass. Vulcure’s booming voice could be heard above the noise of the audience: “EVERYONE STAY BACK!” His guards were already blocking off the stage and keeping the curious at bay, one of which was a Naga armed with an axe and… a chair?

The mass began to take a humanoid shape. It was as tall as a large Naga, but with a build more similar to that of a human. The Nebula finally took shape, body still red with heat. Some pieces floated, setting him apart from the golems created by mortals. The cathedral fell silent as he turned to face Vulcure…

"Brother!" Caeleo’s voice sounded slightly metallic. Vulcure scanned The Sky through the now open ceiling, trying to discern who had fallen. He hid the shock on his face well when he realized all of Archaeon was missing.

“Caeleo? But you-”

"Someone else will take up my role. If it’s still needed, that is."

“You don’t mean the Crystal is in trouble?” Vulcure stepped forward, his cape flowing behind him.

"There’s a conflict brewing in ithica. The brothers. I sent the others as a precaution." He looked up toward the now empty spot in The Sky.

Vulcure suddenly realized now was not the time nor the place to discuss the Crystal of Balance. He turned to the crowd and motioned Caeleo to step up beside him. The room was filled with murmurs that came to a halt as Vulcure’s voice boomed once more: “People of Delteria! This is Caeleo!” He raised Caeleo’s arm high as the crowd erupted from the tension.

Sometime later, the church had been emptied and a few remained outside: A Naga, golem, and some Ashen dwelled in the shadows of a nearby alley; Vulcure, Caeleo, his guard and some individuals from Veracity discussed politics by the entrance; and a small group of humans and Fae gossiped nearby.
Just a friendly reminder: in Y'vera, the Fae are formally known as Fae, not fairies. Fairies would be slang. Inconsequential, but I figured I'd throw it out there.
Oh...none of us used the header for IC. We'll start next round of posts.


You know we can edit, right?
I'm going to have us assume that Ivory told Sapphira her name while they were walking to the church.


Or maybe in the store. I left out most of the dialogue for you all to fill in yourselves.
The mood in Delteria is ecstatic. People from all over Y’vera have come in droves to partake in the festival of the century. Even Ashen are partaking in the celebration. Ivory stands behind the counter in her shop, the Sacred Mind, in Upper Bethany, listening intently to the chatter going on inside. She was always open during festivals, selling mixtures, herbs, and sometimes even drinks. A seedy looking Naga had wondered in along with a human she recognized from Veracity. She immediately started putting together Alex Stravier’s usual order while listening in on their conversation.

“When Vulcure crashed down 100 years ago, the city was unprepared. It had just been the focal point for a rebellion, an uprising, and two rapid changes in leadership as Cynthia was killed and Coyote and his cult were driven off. Most people alive at the time were grateful for the ordeal; Cynthia was a tyrannical ruler. Being the first one on Y’vera made her think she had power over everyone else. Apart from some residual god-like power, she was no more fit to rule than any of us. But enough of that.

“Bethany is the focal point to the festivities. Vulcure landed here when he fell, so it's only natural we expect the next Nebula to land close by. Speaking of, you know the of performance at the Midway Church? I've heard it's breathtaking, with all the mages from the Arcane Heights showing off their magic. You should check it out if you haven't. Vulcure himself will be attending the next showing. Oh, and there’ll be plenty of rich folk there.” Alex winks at Tarkus. He had assumed he was the roguish type while drinking with him at the Drunken Lady on Barion Square. He picked up his order, which was bundled nicely on the counter, and left a small bag of gold in its place. Ivory was taking care of another customer and gave him a nod as he waved and walked out with Tarkus.

“You can come visit me Veracity’s guild hall sometime. The place is a wonder of architecture up in Barion Square. I'll give you a tour. That is, if this next Nebula doesn't come crashing down on the place.” They went their separate ways, Tarkus towards Lower Bethany and Alex towards Barion.

Inside Sacred Mind, Ivory was wrapping up a discussion with a curious Fae, Sapphira. “...so I use this mix to enhance the flux channeling abilities of blood. There’s ones that blocks it t-” Their conversation was cut short by the bells of Midway, signaling that only two hours remained until midnight. “Are you going?” Ivory asked, referring to the performance that the rest of the shoppers were leaving to go see. After a short conversation, the two were walking down to Lower Bethany.

At the Church of Midway, Vulcure is standing at the door greeting everyone as they arrive. Next to him are two golems, outfitted in full armor, decorative enough that their crystal cores are still visible. They were designs of Vulcure’s own making. Ever since he showed up on Y’vera, humans have experienced a technical renaissance. He brought with him knowledge of harnessing flux through crystals, which the Fae have adopted wholeheartedly (especially in their Port City Tarver), and a special form of magic that captures disembodied souls in crystals. It was as if Vulcure’s arrival was intentional, coming at a time when they needed the technology to recover from war.

Vulcure greeted each character, shaking their hands with his large stoney ones. From a distance Vulcure looked to be a very large human, but upon closer inspection you can see he is made of the very same stone that Delteria is crafted from. Somehow, you can tell life courses through him.

Inside, the performance is just beginning. Musicians changed from their festive jingle to a dramatic song. Several Fae fly out onto the stage, circling each other and leaving trails of sparkling light in their wake. Sapphira could fully appreciate the skill it took in flying so deftly while channeling the flux to create the magical trails. Fae naturally have more precise control over flux due to their size, but the trick still requires bouncing flux off their wings to help in flight while creating the vortex that makes the scintillating effect.

Out came several human magii. Humans have an affinity for magic, but only because their blood flow pattern is so perfect for channeling it. By carefully manipulating their airflow and heart rate, they can cast specific spells. Everyone's spells were slightly different from each other's as a result of biological differences as well as technique. The wizards all carefully conjured up fireballs to throw at each other while another came stomping across the stage in a Werewolf costume, pretending to be Coyote. A tyrannical woman, representing Cynthia, was struck down by the wolf, but soon after two wizards created ethereal swords and shields and charged shoulder to shoulder towards the wolf, striking him down in a magical explosion of color all over the entire cathedral. The crowd went wild with applause. As the magical dust cleared, Cynthia’s soul rose up into the sky and the injured werewolf hobbled away. The two brothers stood tall amidst more Fae gliding around them.

Then, in the large window behind them, a star sparkled bright, and began streaking across the sky. As the mages began casting another spell, everyone in the room got silent in anticipation of the re-enactment of the fall of Vulcure. Even the normally loud (but abnormally huge) Ogres in the back quitted down. The light behind the window got brighter and brighter before it finally broke through the metal framed glass in a fiery ball of destruction. It continued its rampage through the large gold plated symbol of The Archaeon before finally crashing into the stage where the two mages stood.

Most of the crowd is cheering on the performance, but in a moment clarity Sapphira, Ivory, and Tarkus realize this wasn't part of the play. An actual Nebula had fallen a couple hours early of midnight, choosing this cathedral to land in. Vulcure is sprinting across the Cathedral with his golems close behind. He runs up to the pile of metals, which is slowly taking shape….
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