Ohm

Ꭼꭲꭼꭱɴꭺꮮ Ꭲꮋꭱꮻɴꭼ

The primer is complete. It should have everything you need to know, though if you do have questions regarding anything, let me know.

I M P O R T A N T N O T E

Everyone will be starting in the realm of Siliach, either within Port Kaigurne and waiting to be approved entry so that you may travel to Redmire, or within Redmire itself already. When we begin the campaign, it will be Coronation Day and the crowning of its new ruler, Queen Eliora.

How you end up in Siliach, wherever you end up at the start of the campaign, is up to you.

Ꭼꭲꭼꭱɴꭺꮮ Ꭲꮋꭱꮻɴꭼ

Tentatively interested.

I did want to ask:

- What can magic actually do? Are there defined schools (healing, elemental, illusion, etc.) or is it more freeform?
- Is alchemy separate from regular magic, or does it also require the Compromise?
- Are you hoping for characters from different affiliations, or is it fine if multiple players pick the same one (or none)?

@JJ Doe

• Magic is more freeform. The only restriction is fire-based magic from Verja, assumed because it is not directly given by the Compromise. This is disputed, but not disproven, as many immolators from Verja seem intact.
• Alchemy is separate from regular magic, though Thuatan alchemists have surmised that perhaps the most sought-after alchemical achievements can only be performed through the Compromise.
• Play who you want to play, but I would wait until the primer is finished in the OOC before you really lock down a character idea. It's almost finished.

A P O I N T O F C L A R I F I C A T I O N

Time magic is off-limits, at the risk of waking Xovos Uun, and is therefore not included within the Compromise. Necromancy is not off-limits, but if you want to play with fire, don't be surprised when you get burned.

Ꭼꭲꭼꭱɴꭺꮮ Ꭲꮋꭱꮻɴꭼ

@Haha, @Bacon, @SilverPaw, @13org

The official RP thread is now live. Inside, you'll find the rules and posting requirements, as well as the template for the character sheet.

Two things of note:

• The colors on the character sheet can be changed to whatever you choose. There is also a voice claim option that might help others better visualize how you sound.
• I'm currently working on an in-progress primer in the 0th OOC post that might help you better prepare your character.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Ꭼꭲꭼꭱɴꭺꮮ Ꭲꮋꭱꮻɴꭼ

C H A R A C T E R S H E E T T E M P L A T E

^{As far as I know, this character sheet's design was implemented by RPG user @Tlaloc. Credits and apologies to them for massacring their creation.}

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First Name/Nickname (replace color with your character/dialogue color) Appearance How your character looks, what kind of clothing they might wear, anything relevant to their physical/social make. Personality & Reputation How they act, think, speak, feel. What they do or do not believe in. How others may perceive them, or what kind of name they've made for themselves—for better or worse. History How their lives have transpired up to this very instant. Important events that shaped them as people or have affected them or the ones important to them. Places they've been, people they've met; that which made your character who they are. Strengths & Limitations Things your character might be good at, specializations, practiced skills, ingrained wisdom. Conversely, things that your character can't handle or do well, can't bring themselves to evolve past. Vice and virtue. What guarantees victory or defeat. Miscellaneous Anything else you figure might be good to know about your character.

____________________________________________________________________________ ◤ “Quotation or subheading.” Full Name: ... Age: ... Voice Claim: ... Race: ... Birthplace: ... Occupation: ... Affiliation(s): ...

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^{Until I get the primer up, which will better explain things about the world and the people in them, I would refrain from working on your character sheet too much.}

Ꭼꭲꭼꭱɴꭺꮮ Ꭲꮋꭱꮻɴꭼ

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M A K Y O S : A W O R L D P R I M E R

^{The following is a flatly-explained, objective list of facts and attributes about the world and its people, made to help facilitate proper character creation. As such, it is not designed with elegance.}

Races of Makyos

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^{The following is a list of attributes for each race to help you understand their appearance, where they would usually come from, and what deities the majority of them might worship. If there are any questions about what is and isn't listed, please ask.}

Huma

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H U M A

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Governing Attribute: Charisma
Secondary Attributes: Constitution, Intelligence
Life Expectancy: 80
Average Height: 5'9"
Skin: semi-soft, varying shades from light peach to dark brown
Typical Homeland: Siliach
Major Divinity: Nihalla, Second Sun
Unique Trait: Votum's Legacy — Huma are born leaders, and are more capable of persuasion than other races.

Ogra

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O G R A

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Governing Attribute: Strength
Secondary Attributes: Constitution, Charisma
Life Expectancy: 110
Average Height: 6'3"
Skin: Sparse, stony patches; deep shades of green; rough like leather
Typical Homeland: Verja
Major Divinity: Bellua, Great Devourer
Unique Trait: Pailam's Resolve — After taking a lethal hit, an ogra's rage keeps them in the fight until it's over.

Ylva

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Y L V A

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Governing Attribute: Intelligence
Secondary Attributes: Dexterity, Wisdom
Life Expectancy: 600+
Average Height: 6'8"
Skin: Soft, easily broken, often pale if born outside Lamafon
Typical Homeland: The Cascades
Major Divinity: Ihlo, Mother of Creation & E'co
Unique Trait: Ihlo's Blood — Ylva are near-impervious to poison.

Saura

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S A U R A

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Governing Attribute: Dexterity
Secondary Attributes: Intelligence, Constitution
Life Expectancy: Unknown
Average Height: 4'6" (standing)
Skin: Scaly, armored; emblazoned in myriad color palettes
Typical Homeland: Unknown, presumed to be the Everdown
Major Divinity: Nachma-Sol, Knowledge Unending & Oneira
Unique Trait: Pathcarver — Saura are capable of walking on any surface.

Eidola

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E I D O L A

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Governing Attribute: Wisdom
Secondary Attributes: Dexterity, Charisma
Life Expectancy: ~50-60
Average Height: 5'6"
Skin: Feathered, patternless when young, often adorned with sentimental ornaments
Typical Homeland: Lamafon
Major Divinity: Nachma-Sol, Knowledge Unending & Xovos Uun
Unique Trait: Stratos' Ascendancy — Eidola are capable of self-propelled flight.

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World of Makyos

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^{The following is a description of each realm of Makyos, including typical environments, major locations, and notable landmarks.}

Siliach

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S I L I A C H

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Typical Environment(s): grassland, prairie, temperate forest
Major Locations:

• Port Kaigurne — Isolated entry point into Siliach. Host of the Grand Bazaar, where all foreign merchants sell their wares. Permits are handled by the port guard and its leader, Captain Elias Banton.
• Mull — Remnants of a poverty-stricken village, rumored to have been destroyed by a race of creatures known as the Earthless.
• Redmire — Capital of Siliach, currently without a ruler. The former king has abdicated the throne, allowing his daughter, Eliora, to rule in his place.

Notable Landmarks:

• The Patronaat — Also known as the Iron Wall, a manned installation that spans the entire border of Siliach with the intent of preventing invasion and unsanctioned travelers. Trespassers are summarily executed on the spot, by any means necessary.
• The Sojourn — A vast expanse of grassland and prairie in the heart of Siliach, where the wonders of the world are beheld in all their majesty.

Verja

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V E R J A

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Typical Environment(s): desert with sparse oases, superheated glass within the Hadal Zone, rivers of lava near Mount Atyunnata
Major Locations:

• Fe'Oth-la-Mir: Capital of Verja, whose surname changes to fit that of the current Sultana. As of now, the leader of the Verjan people is Sultana Eirelia la Mir, though this is very heavily disputed by the Aquus clan.
• Alteun Hollow: A collection of underground abodes shared between Aquus, Ceir, and Nomad alike, bound by the collective distaste of the heat. Relations are stable, but tenuous.

Notable Landmarks:

• Hadal Zone — A superheated zone of indeterminable size, but theorized to be just under two square miles. The sands in the area have turned to rough glass, and staying in the area for too long can make most flesh slough from the bone.
• Mount Atyunnata — A currently-dormant volcano in the northeast of Verja, though endless infighting between the Aquus and Ceir clans of the realm spell dangerous consequences for the future.

Lamafon

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L A M A F O N

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Typical Environment(s): heavy forest and jungles, swamps to the south, immense overgrowth
Major Locations:

• Djolgn Balan — Capital of Lamafon, also known as the Mushroom City. The entirety of its existence sits upon the caps of five colossal mushrooms that tower over the rest of Makyos, connected together by the use of proprietary teleportation. The capital also hosts the Grand Library, which contains all the recorded history and works of Makyos. Strangely enough, the Grand Bazaar is damaged and offers a descent into the Everdown, despite being among the clouds.
• Whitebranch — A small town that is home to one of Lamafon's first adventurer's guilds.
• Araleu Village — A smaller village that was recently the victim of an attack by a creature known as the Gnarlwalker.

Notable Landmarks:

• E'co's Heart — A sacred sanctuary that was once the origin of a devastating cataclysm known as the First Tear. The mountains that encircle the sanctuary are inhabited by the eidola.
• Rivers of Lune and Sol — Twin rivers on opposite sides of the realm, said to have been formed when the Kindred Serpents, Lune and Sol, fell to Makyos from the sky.

The Cascades

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T H E C A S C A D E S

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Typical Environment(s): sharp mountains with sparse forestry, foglands at the feet of each mountain
Major Locations:

• Thuata — Capital of the Cascades, suspended by stonework between the two halves of the realm. Known as neutral territory and home to the College of Alchemy. A small city, it is home to many a magic user. Because of its neutrality, the Cascades have no known ruler.
• Al-wenya — Seat of power in the Western Cascade, founded by the Alenja family of ylva.
• Greater Bhel — Seat of power in the Eastern Cascade, founded by the Bhelville family of ylva.
• Naraen-Ur — one of the Cascades' many root-villages, founded to house half-bred ylva in poverty.

Notable Landmarks:

• Guildroot Society — A small organization housed in Thuata, dedicated to upholding an elevated standard of guildship across Makyos. Home to the Adjudicators.

Lune's Shelf

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L U N E ' S S H E L F

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Typical Environment(s): tundra; frigid, arctic lands all year round
Major Locations:

• Thall — Only known village on Lune's Shelf. Home to Lune's Shepherds, a collective of people forever meant to be caretakers of the dead. Also memorable as the testing ground of the Adjudicators' newest member, Memory Crow-Bell.

Notable Landmarks:

• Petri's Eye — An abandoned, sealed tower, sitting positionally opposite of Thall, on the western edge of Lune's Shelf.

The Saltlands

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T H E S A L T L A N D S

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Typical Environment(s): arid soil, dead trees, dense fog
Major Locations:

• Sepkur — referred to as the City of the Dead, Sepkur sits in the center island of the Saltlands, marked by two massive metal doors that remain perpetually closed. Very few know of what lies beyond—not even the Shepherds have been inside.

Notable Landmarks:

• Salted Shores — Shores bleached perpetually white by excess salt deposits. It is believed this keeps spirits from escaping the Saltlands.
• Ghostwood — formed when the spirits of the dead decide to rise and inhabit the trees of the Saltlands. Often recognizable by twisted faces well-hidden in the designs of the bark. Poachers often visit the Saltlands not to rob graves, but to harvest ghostwood, to use it in the building of all manner of things, as its rarity drives a steep price.

Quill Islands

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Q U I L L I S L A N D S

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Typical Environment(s): surrounded by the seas, jagged lands, eroded ruins, replete with pirate ships
Major Locations:

• None. All history has been drowned.

Notable Landmarks:

• That Which Lives Below — A rumored underwater creature believed to exist beneath the Quill Islands. Tall tales paint the creature as being the size of Verja, but unable to move. Diving among the Quill Islands has been strictly forbidden by all those still among the islands, namely pirates—as it is assumed That Which Lives Below is capable of drawing in unsuspecting swimmers with strong currents, drowning and swallowing them whole.

The Zeniths

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T H E Z E N I T H S

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Typical Environment(s): surrounded by clouds and connected by gargantuan chains, otherwise unknown
Major Locations:

• Unknown.

Notable Landmarks:

• The Great Chain — A colossal chain that keeps the Zeniths anchored to Makyos. Along the links of the chain are large platforms, loosely connected together. Traveling across the chain is extremely dangerous without complete and total preparation, and none who have taken on the challenge survived.

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Gods of Makyos

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^{The following is a description of each god and their descendants, including appearances, governing ideals, acts of worship, and rumored feats.}

Ihlo, Mother of Creation

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I H L O

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Appearance: Depicted as an ethereal entity composed either of the natural elements or entirely of light.
Governing Ideal(s): Devotion, Perseverance
Acts of Worship: Charity, prayer
Feat(s): Created Makyos, is the origin of all mortalkind

E'co, the Rootmother

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E ' C O

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Appearance: Depicted as a beautiful woman with bark-like skin, covered in vines and leaves, sitting atop a giant, weeping boulder.
Governing Ideal(s): Growth, reverence to nature
Acts of Worship: Farming/cultivation, sharing the harvest
Feat(s): Gave the whole of nature to Makyos, making it livable for mortalkind

Edelahn, Eater of Wounds

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E D E L A H N

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Appearance: Depicted as a young man, draped in loose and bloodied bandages. His eyes are absent and there are wounds all across his body.
Governing Ideal(s): Empathy, Compassion
Acts of Worship: Healing the sick and injured, charity
Feat(s): Consumed the mortal wound of Pailam to assuage Bellua's coming grief

Nihalla, Second Sun

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N I H A L L A

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Appearance: Depicted as a muscular naked man wrapped in loose cloth, wielding a hammer of light and standing at an anvil
Governing Ideal(s): Bravery, hope
Acts of Worship: None, though most worship is done through prayer
Feat(s): Creating the Divine Forge, a rumored secret location somewhere within Makyos that is capable of making god-touched weaponry

Bellua, Great Devourer

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B E L L U A

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Appearance: Depicted as a sphere of discolored flesh, with black webbing covering its undercarriage that extends upwards in patterns of outstretched hands. Connected to the flesh is a pair of exposed lungs.
Governing Ideal(s): Love, appreciation of the finite
Acts of Worship: Funerals, birthdays, pledges of faith within Lune's Shelf
Feat(s): Turning to dust a large percentage of deviant mortals with a single terrifying shriek

Pailam, Blood of War

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P A I L A M

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Appearance: Depicted as a raging, heavily scarred beast of unknown species. Most depictions are accompanied by a background of destruction and myriad bodies thrown asunder.
Governing Ideal(s): Strength, superiority
Acts of Worship: Battle, blood offerings
Feat(s): Fought Lune and Sol to a standstill, causing the two to fall onto Makyos and freeze time

Nachma-Sol, Knowledge Unending

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N A C H M A - S O L

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Appearance: Depicted as a nebulous, amorphous entity of infinite forms, depending on the one viewing it
Governing Ideal(s): Wisdom, desire for knowledge
Acts of Worship: Learning, sharing knowledge, record-keeping
Feat(s): Using clairvoyance to prevent the total destruction of Makyos

Oneira, the One-Mind

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O N E I R A

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Appearance: Depicted as a tall, hairless being of indeterminate gender, covered head to toe in thousands of pages of manuscript, the writing often illegible or encrypted
Governing Ideal(s): Community, solidarity, moving as one
Acts of Worship: Unknown, though theologians have posited that people used to engage in mass hedonistic pursuits in worship. Currently, only the saura are known to worship Oneira, though only through prayer and communion.
Feat(s): Oneira has no known feats.

Xovos Uun, Dreamer

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X O V O S U U N

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Appearance: Depicted only as the iconography of a single closed eye within an infinite darkness
Governing Ideal(s): Unknown
Acts of Worship: Sleeping, dreaming
Feat(s): Many myths speak of our existence not being the first, and that Xovos Uun was responsible for the sudden vanishing of the reality prior to ours when it awoke. Additionally, a theory puts forth that the Dreamer is the reason for multiple parallel universes, each one a separate dream within Xovos Uun's slumbering consciousness.

Aramais, Seeker of the First Desire

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A R A M A I S

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Appearance: Depicted as an impish creature, much smaller than all other gods, though this depiction has been disputed by portions of academia
Governing Ideal(s): Desire in general, seeking vices, though this has been disputed
Acts of Worship: Unknown, but it has been rumored that hedonistic pursuits similar to Oneira's rumored worship were performed, though this has been disputed
Feat(s): According to the myths of Godfall, he caused the vanishing of all divinity and the subsequent inert state of the Eternal Throne of Man. Additionally, it has been posited that Oneira was once his charge, and that he lost her as his descendant.

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Groups of Interest

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^{The following is a description of each known group of interest, including typical recognized appearances, their major area of operations, rumored acts, and any other notable information.}

The Silent Hand

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T H E S I L E N T H A N D

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Appearance: Members of the Silent Hand completely obfuscate their identities, wearing tight-fitting dark leather and masks that display the symbology of their group—a pair of lips being silenced by a dagger that functions as the index finger of a hand. However, victims of the Silent Hand often speak of their attackers being complete strangers they've never met, striking fast and without a shred of mercy.

Area of Operations: All over Makyos, with seemingly sparse presences in Verja, Lune's Shelf, and the Saltlands.

Notable Feat(s): Rumored to have been the origin of the curse of Siliach royalty, killing every king over the last 40 years. Such a curse has caused the current king of Redmire to abdicate the throne out of fear.

Other Info: Members are nameless, save for the leader, known only as the Shadow Zealot.

The Adjudicators

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T H E A D J U D I C A T O R S

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Appearance: There are only three members of the Adjudicators, and their appearances are well-known—Lasma Monserrat, Bol'ten Vieg, and Memory Crow-Bell.

Area of Operations: Anywhere within Makyos that hosts a guild.

Notable Feat(s): Lasma Monserrat is rumored to be the only mortal to directly enter into the Compromise and emerge unscathed. Bol'ten Vieg is also known as 'The Deathless' for his sheer ability to escape danger. Memory Crow-Bell is exemplary for her inclusion into the Adjudicators at the age of 15, making her the youngest Adjudicator in history.

Other Info: A fourth member, Alma Kaskasel—a female Ogra, follows the group, but isn't considered an Adjudicator. Her role among them is unknown.

The Venators

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T H E V E N A T O R S

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Appearance: The Venators all dress like typical plague doctors, with different ranks often displaying novel colors and even additional armor or other alterations that help them perform their duties.

Area of Operations: Anywhere within Makyos, except for the Quill Islands.

Notable Feat(s): Numerous feats have been attributed to the Venators, but the most known feat is their willingness to inter the dead within the Saltlands at the request of the emperor of Lamafon, Lord El'ech von Imbricado, in order to avoid a event similar to the First Tear.

Other Info: Acting in complete silence, there are rumors that the Venators are not of any known race within Makyos and that they, instead, originate from Sepkur, City of the Dead.

The Black Crown

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T H E B L A C K C R O W N

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Appearance: The Black Crown are a cult-like group acting in secret with unknown motivations. Their appearance has been described as cloaked, veiled figures with the emblem of a roughly-drawn shattered crown upon their masks.

Area of Operations: Unknown.

Notable Feat(s): None.

Other Info: Despite their members being veiled in secrecy, their leader isn't. However, very little is known about them, except for a single name — Khura.

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The Compromise

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The Compromise is a divine contract forged between Man and the gods, allowing mortalkind access to learning magic. This is done by the sacrifice of something important to the mortal, something that would pain them to give away. In exchange, they gain the ability to learn and practice magic. Further sacrifices make the learning and practice of magic easier to perform.

Magic is freeform, and isn't subject to any particular school, though learning magic is still an arduous task, made easier by focusing on one type of magic and honing one's skill. The only magic forbidden from being learned is time magic, with the risk of waking Xovos Uun and ending all reality.
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Ꭼꭲꭼꭱɴꭺꮮ Ꭲꮋꭱꮻɴꭼ

^{——————
A link to the interest check can be found here.
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R U L E S

^{• No meta-gaming, and no power-gaming. There are no chosen ones.
• Mature themes may be present, so players should be 18+.
• No ghosting. If you intend to leave the campaign, say so.
• Respect (and be a fan of) the other players and their characters.
• Everything you do should serve to make the story great.
• Permadeath is enabled. Barring a deus ex machina, if your character falls, that's it. Sometimes, it might be good for the narrative. However, feel free to create a new character if you'd like.
• If you're ever unsure about the story, the lore, or what to do next, you can always ask.
• I exercise final judgment in all campaign-related disputes.
• All character sheets must be submitted in PMs and approved before being posted in the Characters tab.}

^{——————}

P O S T I N G R E Q U I R E M E N T S

^{• Minimum of two paragraphs, at least once a week—unless in back-and-forth dialogue.
(Dialogue requirements: Minimum of three sentences, at least once a week.)
• The genre is loose-but-high fantasy. I'm not expecting Lord of the Rings or anything grand, so you don't have to worry about posting like you're the next Tolkien.
• Though this campaign is somewhat grimdark by default, not all of it is depressing and bleak.}

Ꭼꭲꭼꭱɴꭺꮮ Ꭲꮋꭱꮻɴꭼ

Patch Notes

• Added a small description in the Groups of Interest about the Venators.

Ꭼꭲꭼꭱɴꭺꮮ Ꭲꮋꭱꮻɴꭼ

I loved the narrative style used to introduce the world! Definitely interested!

Also, expanding on the question about The Compromise, what exactly would be considered a valid sacrifice? Something more material and direct like one's eyes or a member, something a bit more abstract like the 'ability to see' (without physically losing their eyes) or even something completely abstract like emotions?

@13org

Short answer: yes.

Long answer: If it's considered important and vital to that person, it is a valid sacrifice. It must be something that leaves you irreversibly altered, something that one would long for in its permanent absence. It must pain you to give it away; such a deal would show your immense determination.

Ꭼꭲꭼꭱɴꭺꮮ Ꭲꮋꭱꮻɴꭼ

<Snipped quote by Antarctica>

Out of curiosity, can someone enter into a contract for someone else's benefit? I. e., one person pays the price, the other gains the ability to learn magic.

@SilverPaw

The Compromise states that something must be sacrificed and exchanged for the ability to learn magic. It doesn't say who has to pay the price, or who gets to learn the complexities of the arcane. However, it is wise to remember—whatever is given can't be taken back, not even through magic itself.

Ꭼꭲꭼꭱɴꭺꮮ Ꭲꮋꭱꮻɴꭼ

On The Compromise

The Eternal Throne of Man is not the first time that mortals acted against Ihlo's design.

When Man was made, Ihlo bestowed upon them a mote of her divine strength in the form of magic. Naive to the influences of Aramais, Ihlo believed that Man would be capable of great things with this power, able to transcend their pitiable forms and flourish well into the future with the First Blessing. However, a nameless individual sought to manipulate this power for their own benefit, intent on drawing more and more magic into their being so as to rival the very gods themselves. Nachma-Sol, Knowledge Unending, foresaw this slight against his divine brethren and warned Ihlo of the mortal's machinations. The Mother of Creation lamented, and woefully ripped her divine might away from Man. The individual who sought to overthrow the gods was summarily excised, and Ihlo warned of the misuse of such power.

Nihalla put forth an alternative—to allow Man access to this thing they've deemed to be 'magic', but at a great cost. Those willing and intent to learn the complexities of magic and its uses must enter into a new contract called the Compromise. They must give something of themselves, something vital and important, something that would become unrecoverable—and in doing so, they would be granted the ability to learn magic. Their body would become a vessel of arcane power by the sheer offering of a piece of themselves, but to use magic was another arduous task entirely, only sped up by the offering of more of themselves. And so, the Compromise was born.

It is easy to discern those who are capable of magic, as there is always a piece of themselves missing, given freely to the gods in exchange for such a gift. No mortal can escape the contract and come away from the Compromise unscathed.