Thinslayer

The Faraway Land: Resurrection

The Hero's Mark

Every so often, an individual will appear with a + cross symbol on their right hand. It's partially heritable, but sometimes distributed irrespective of heritage. The individual upon whom it appears gains immense talent and incredible strength in their area of expertise. They can develop their skills at a supernatural pace, gaining mastery beyond their elders in a matter of months, weeks, or even days. Thus far, the Mark has only been granted to those with strong moral compasses. While its origin is a mystery, a certain white-haired elf is always seen at or around its appearance.

The Mark also sometimes appears upon multiple individuals at the same time. Thus far, there live three people who are known to have it.

The Faraway Land: Resurrection

@Juicy
Those are excellent questions!

Magic is the art of turning soul energy, or "mana," into physical energy. Mana binds the spirit to the body. A spirit is the "spark" that gives you life; it's what makes the difference between a corpse and a person. A corpse has all the ingredients for life, but without that "spark," or spirit, it will remain a corpse. Mana is needed to keep your spirit attached to your body, but most people have enough that expelling some of it won't kill them. Sleep is often sufficient to replenish it.

However, mere humans don't have much mana to spare, relatively speaking. Demons, and Voidspawn to a lesser extent, possess considerably more, enough to destroy whole worlds with nary a thought. So some humans will make contracts with demons to gain access to their great mana reserves and become "witches" and "warlocks" in exchange for letting the demon absorb an equivalent or greater quantity of mana from other people. However, if the seller uses more mana than the demon absorbs and becomes incapable of restoring the balance, the seller's soul becomes forfeit. Most sane individuals would rather not face the moral dilemmas and risks associated with such an arrangement and avoid it like the plague.
__________

The most populous species are humans, elves, orcs, and dwarves. Humans are characterized by their long lives (max 120 years), superior strength, dexterity, and durability. Elves trade strength for improved senses, and they can usually see, hear, smell, taste, and feel with more acuity than most other races. However, they are quite spindly, and their strongest male bodybuilders are little stronger than a typical human female soldier. Thus, the elves rely heavily on magic for their strength, and have developed superior mana reserves as a result. They tend to live in the eastern forests where they can draw upon the ambient mana to boost their powers. Their unnaturally long lives come not from any genetic ability, but from anti-aging spells. Without them, their average lifespan is about 50+ years.

Orcs are the polar opposite of elves. Ordinary orcs are at least as strong as some of the best human bodybuilders in the world, but their senses are about half as good. Big objects, loud noises, pungent smells, and such don't bother them. Magic requires a certain finesse that the dull senses of the orcs usually doesn't allow, so very few, if any, are capable of using it. Most live in the barren Fellmoran desert up north.

Dwarves are a little odd here. They're basically humans, but considerably shorter. Unlike in most fantasy lores, dwarves and halflings are both the same species; it's just that beardlessness is a heritable trait that some dwarven communities gather around. Most dwarves live in or around the dormant volcano out west.

All four major species are ruled by a monarch. Alexander Dragan rules the humans, Erudessa Durvain rules the elves, Innocent Patronus III rules the dwarves, and Throk of Westpier rules the orcs. There are other races in the world, like centaurs, fauns, satyrs, gnomes, gremlins, goblins, and such like, but they are not nearly as populous as the major four.

Technology is a little strange out here. Magic freely intermingles with it, and it's not uncommon to find a swordsman watching a video on his magic tablet while wizards rocket around in experimental steam-driven carriages. Dwarves tend to focus more on the tech side of things while elves focus more on the magic side of things. Orcs have neither the time nor the resources to focus on either, since they're too busy struggling to survive the harsh climates and incessant raiding parties.

So I guess technology is more Renaissance Era than Medieval.

The Faraway Land: Resurrection

"Take this letter and deliver it to one with the Hero's Mark. The fate of the world depends on it. On your life, do not let it fall. Swear to me."

The wheels of fate began to turn when the young pilot took the letter entrusted to him by Immortal Queen. He did not know what the letter was for, or even to whom it was addressed, but he knew of its grave importance. With a solemn nod and salute, the pilot replied:

"I swear it."

He sealed it in a secure box in his Warp Fighter and flew for Midhaven Tower, where he knew it would be safe. But he did not make it, for the hordes of Voidspawn swept in and shot him down. The pilot crashed in the northern desert, where the hordes devoured him and tore apart his vessel.

There the letter sat for years and years, untouched by human hands, until one day, a scavenger arrived to pick up the metal scraps. He found the box intact, and curious as to its contents, he opened it and saw the letter bearing a royal seal.

Take this letter and deliver it to one with the Hero's Mark. On your life, do not let it fall.

Unable to decide whether to obey, the scavenger decided to procrastinate and pocketed the letter. Then a group of bandits ambushed him and stole all his belongings, including the letter. Infuriated, the scavenger followed them back to their lair and devised a clever plan to destroy them. He created an army of scarecrows and set them up in the dead of night, then set them aflame. The bandit army thought they were being attacked and dissolved into chaos. The scavenger slipped in, retrieved the letter, and slipped out.

Then he read the letter. Its purpose, it seemed, was to prevent another Void invasion in the future. What was the Void, and why was it so important to stop it? Intrigued, he tracked down every book he could find on the subject and read it. He realized that the Void possessed limitless power. The young scavenger then made a mistake that would ruin generations to come: He summoned a Voidspawn and merged with it. Drunk on his newfound power, he swept through the land conquering everything in sight. It soon occurred to him that he could use the letter to gain supporters if he pretended that it supported his rise. No one had to actually read it. Using the royal seal stamped on the letter as "proof" of his legitimacy, he created a nigh-unstoppable army to march on the fledgling post-apocalyptic civilizations.

One day, two parents gave birth to a baby boy with a strange mark on his right hand. The boy grew up to become unusually strong and courageous, and his talents at fighting were matched only by his uncommon kindness. He gave to the poor and needy, rescued those in peril, and put away criminals wherever he could. The mark on his right hand became his symbol, the Mark of the Hero. Word of the "Hero" reached the ears of the scavenger. He set his sights on this "Hero" and marched to confront him. Despite all of his otherworldly power, the Hero defeated him and retrieved the letter. He read the instructions on the envelope:

Take this letter and deliver it to one with the Hero's Mark. On your life, do not let it fall.

He had the "Hero's Mark." He certainly qualified. The Hero opened the letter and read the message directed to him. Then he looked up at the sky.

"I cannot fulfill this mission yet."
He pocketed the letter.
"But I can prepare future generations to fulfill it."

On his deathbed, he passed the letter on to his son, and gave him the same speech the letter's author had once given so long ago.
"Take this letter and deliver it to one with the Hero's Mark. The fate of the world depends on it. On your life, do not let it fall. Swear to me."

The boy agreed. "I swear, father."

Years later, war broke out between the nations, and the Hero's son was drafted. The boy became best friends with another soldier, and the two survived many battles. But it was not to last. A skilled spearfighter struck down the Hero's son, and in his final moments, he entrusted the letter to his friend with the words:

"Take this letter and deliver it to one with the Hero's Mark. The fate of the world depends on it. On your life, do not let it fall. Swear to me!"

With tears in his eyes, the boy's friend clutched the letter to his heart.

"I swear it."

The friend survived the war and returned home to his family. He remembered the letter for as long as he lived. When age caught up with him and threatened to take his mobility, he embarked on a quest to find the Hero addressed in the letter. He searched far and wide, through desert and snow, seas and forests, mountains and valleys, until at last he came upon someone bearing the unmistakable mark.

With a weary smile, he deposited the letter at your doorstep and walked away.

It's your turn now, Hero.
What will you do?

The Faraway Land: Resurrection

Interest Check

The Faraway Land: Resurrection

Main Villain: The Black Knight

• Name: Fenix Valderis
• How he got here: unknown
• Background: unknown
• Powers, Abilities, & Equips:
  
  • Aeon Voidblade: A powerful sword stolen from a fallen Voidspawn. It is able to cut through all but the toughest defenses, and only Holy weapons can stop it. Steel, concrete, marble, magic, all fall to the strength of this vicious blade.
  • Armor of the Ancients: A unique set of hi-tech powered armor once worn by an ancient soldier. Its durability, strength enhancement, sensor systems, and light weight make it a formidable weapon, and it is rumored to possess self-modification abilities.
  • Master Swordsman: Fenix is currently unrivalled in the art of swordfighting. He can make a half-dozen powerful strikes in the span of a second, and his strength is second to none among humans.
  • Athleticism: Fenix can run all day without tiring. He can leap higher than men are tall. He can parkour his way over any obstacle with uncanny ease.
• Desired Class: Dark Paladin
• Character Flaws: Fenix has devoted himself single-mindedly to keeping the princess imprisoned in the grip of the dragon, and he will fight tooth and nail to keep her that way. Unfortunately, he is incapable of communicating his rationale to anyone else, which means not only will his enemies multiply like sand on the seashore, but he will not be able to speak his way out of any resultant sticky situations. Without any allies, his life expectancy is decidedly limited.
• Famous Quotes: unknown

The Faraway Land: Resurrection

The Faraway Land: Resurrection RP thread

The Faraway Land: Resurrection

To join this RP, please provide the following information:

Name:
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The Faraway Land: Resurrection

Once upon a time, there was a Faraway Land. It was a land of magic, a place of mythical creatures and dangerous monsters, the home of mighty heroes and deadly villains. It wasn't always that way, though. Many eons ago, it was a desolate place, whose simple inhabitants struggled endlessly for survival. Then, great vessels appeared in the sky and deposited humans upon the earth. These humans scattered abroad and remade the world to their liking, and in so doing, made it a better place. For the first time in millennia, the natives flourished, not merely scraping by, but truly living and enjoying life. Humans, too, lived in harmony with the planet, and in blissful isolation from their home culture, they advanced further than ever before.

But the peace didn't last long. One day, a hole appeared in the sky, and through it poured millions upon millions of black monstrosities from the underworld. They swept through the planet, killing and terrorizing everything in their path. The humans hastily constructed five mighty fortresses, called Havens, throughout the continent to repel the invaders, and a great battle ensued. But they were sorely outmatched. With billions of invaders piling along the edges of the continent, each one more than a match for any human soldier, the fortresses fell in a matter of hours. Humanity came to the brink of extinction on the world.

Then, from the dust of the ground, twelve tremendous beasts rose to existence. Bearing immense power over the elements, they fought the invaders and drove them back to the hole whence they came. The humans called them Guardians. The beasts sealed the portal and retreated to the furthest corners of the earth, where they would remain in case the invaders ever returned. Before they left, however, one Guardian gave to humanity power over magic. Using this newfound power, the survivors sought to rebuild their war-torn world. The environment had taken a turn for the worse, and the creatures that once lived in peace had turned violent. To facilitate survival in this new world, the survivors turned to genetic engineering. They designed the tough, hardy Orcs to live in the desolate north, the agile, perceptive Elves to live in the treacherous forests, and the short, durable Dwarves to live in the western caves. More importantly, if the invaders ever returned, they would have to reckon with the new and improved humanoid subspecies specifically tailored to defeat them.

Centuries passed. The memory of the war faded into legend, and thence into myth. The subspecies forgot their common heritage and began to see each other as aliens. War broke out, and it wasn't long before the entire continent was embroiled once again in a bloody struggle for superiority.

Map of The Faraway Land

You will begin this story as a resident of this world. Whether you arrived here from the modern world through a portal or grew up here from your youth, you're here now. A dragon, one of the Guardians, has kidnapped the Princess of Dragan and holds her at the center of Stonehune Volcano, in Westhaven Tower. The King of Dragan has summoned All Able Adventurers to come to his palace to prepare for her rescue. On the way there, you'll receive a letter that changes everything...

The Faraway Land: Resurrection

Skytown

An ancient fighter carrier repurposed as a city. Home to all kinds of races, the futuristic starship is a veritable goldmine of technology. While it is ostensibly ruled by representative government, its true rulers are an oligarchy of guildmasters. They're...not the easiest bunch to deal with. The previous monarch of Dragan, Queen Solorfainiel, once managed to shut them down with corruption investigations, but that was a hundred years ago. Thankfully, these guildmasters don't try to interfere much in the normal business on Skytown, but by the same token, they don't do much to stifle crime either. With the local government in their back pockets, things have gotten a little out of hand. If a hero or two were to set things straight, it could improve the lives of thousands for years to come.

Daily life is one of the brighter parts of Skytown. Most people live on nearby airships (propelled by the same fusion rocket technology found on the carrier), and people transport themselves by plane. Right now, airplane technology is a bit crude - they're little more than wood & fabric wings with a propeller, but it's miles more than what the surface dwellers have. As long as you have a trusty semi-automatic crossbow and your wits about you, you'll enjoy your time on Skytown.

If you live long enough.

The Faraway Land: Resurrection

NPCs:
* The Black Knight, a mysterious warrior who fights the player characters every chance he gets, with every fiber of his being. He is thought to be incapable of communicating (except with maps, drawing, and hand signals); magic may be playing a role in this. Either way, he is a devastating opponent.

* King Alexander Dragan, reigning monarch of Dragan who summoned the players to his aid. He has a greater agenda that may be revealed in time. He seeks what is best for his kingdom, but there are a few skeletons in his closet that may come back to haunt him and force him to do otherwise.

* Carad'Loki, the dragon Guardian. He is older than dirt and wise beyond comprehension. Why he'd do something so foolish as to capture a princess is beyond the greatest minds of this generation.