E
EVILGRANDMASTER
Guest
Original poster
for those who are here now, i will assume you have read my request thread and are interested. thank you, and i hope to further your interest with the info i present below. i am open to suggestions and ideas, and if you wish to present a species of your own that is not similar to those i present below, then send me a PM. on the other hand, below lies the info on the species in this rp. grab a drink and a snack, i warn you it is long and detailed. i shall go in order of the factions.
Undying Oath: Honor Calls, Glory beckons, Bravery roars!! now, how will you answer?! - Aldrennar Greatfang, King of fangs.
those belonging to the undying oath reside in the northern terratories of the world. tough, strong and resiliant. these warriors have adapted to a viking like culture mixed with Gaelic and Greek undertones. above all things, they respect the three virtues of courage, honor and respect. they are warlike, and have been known to raid factionless settlements.
Major cities or settlements:
Khazelduur: The famed capital of the dwarves. Located deep within heart of the Fang mountians, it is truly a sight to behold. massive columns inlaid with prescious gems line the sprawling halls of polished stones. here, the sound of hammers on anvil match the chanted song of the mountain as the dwarves mine deep into the roots of the world in search of ore and gems. it is the seat of the current Emperor of Iron, the fabled Forgemaster Thoroden Whitehammer. an anciant dwarf who is said to have created the weapons for the nine heroes on their final, doomed quest.
Lysvaskr: this is the Capital of the slith. buildings built for giants lay in the shadow of the Fang mountains, and directly adjacent to this city is the Bay of scales. this is one of the three major ports of the world, and those who visit it would know what it feels like to be a fae in fairy form. here, the Slith bring the spoils of thier victories, bellying up to bars on stools five feet high to nurse barrel sized flagons of dwarven mead or elvish spirits. Lysvaskr is also the location of the Grand arena, a place for volunteer gladiators or reanactments of glory attract species from far and wide. here, the king of fangs Alndrennar Greatfang watches the coasts of his people, ensuring that the "golden age" of his kind continues.
Valoria: the Last city of the angel's, now known as the Valkyrie. the fall of this once powerful species does not show here, as massive elegant temples of marble hold libraries of wealth and knowledge. yet the msot attractive feature about the city is not for its architecture, but for its view. known as one of the most beautiful locations in the world, this city sits atop the largest sky island in existance, and is widely known as he city of romance. here, the last city is ruled by the six winged valkyrie Novanna Dawn, who searches endlessly for a spell to save her dying race.
economics: the masterful race of the dwarves provide most of this factions goods. the dwarves forge weapons and armor, supplying them to the Slith. the slith in turn, use these weapons in raiding, as mercenaries, or body guards. the spoils of successful jobs and conquests are often traded back to the dwarves for weapons, mead or the like, thus creating a cycle that runs most of the economy in the faction. the valkyrie occasionally provide a boost, doing much of the same job as the slith. however, the valkyrie are much more magically adept than either the slith or the dwarves, and are often employed as runemasters to enchant the masterwork weapons, or provide a much needed magical insight for the two races that generally distrust magic users.
Dwarves: A race known as widely for its Stubborness and Craftsmanship as it is for its never ending lust for gold. widely it is joked that the name of this faction was in fact named after a dwarf's desire for gold. Standing just under five feet on average, dwarves are generally build like small bears. Resiliance and wisdom is treasured greatly amongst dwarven culture, and elder dwarves are looked up to in a sort of awe. the longer a dwarves beard, the more his kin will heed his words and the more he can charge for his crafsmanship. furthermore, never mess with a dwarves beard. or his ale. more than one mischievious sprite or lich has found themselves on the less than friendly side of an axe this way.
Strengths and abilities: Dwarves are tough. a fully grown dwarf can take a beating from a slith if need be, and walk away better off than other species. they also do not get poisoned, or sick easily due to thier harsh diet's. more than one dwarf has eaten rock in order to tell if it is closer to a rich vein of ore or gemstone. furthermore, thier long lives exposed to rock and dirt make them taste nasty to monsters, and unlikely the first target for a surprise attack. lastly, Dwarves are incredibly resistant to magic, and able mage killers.
Weakness's: Dwarves are a greedy race, attracted to shiny objects much like goblins are. albeit, in a much more intelligent manner. gold can change a dwarf if he has too much of it...make him cruel and uncaring. they are also notorioously stubborn, even if they are wrong...this inflexability has caused the dwarves to generally despise other races that do not share thier ideals. lastly, dwarves are incapable of using magic. the winds of magic to not blow for this race, however...such is thier inherant resiliance against magic, that they are able to handle raw runes of magic with no ill effect, allowing them to create wonderous items of magic with the help of those...a little more intuned with magic.
Slith: treasuring the thrill of battle and challenges of all kinds, the slith are a race of half man, half dragon. Slith are one of three shifting races aside from the fae and beastkin. thier human form is most often a tall, muscular being clad in a northern mesh of halfplate armor and furs. general height of a slith in human form is 6-8 feet in height. however, it is not thier human size that gives them notoriety. when shifting, the slith grows, loosing thier legs in exchange for a sprawling tail covered in thick, armored scales and powered by muscles (and often an empty belly). a shifted slith can reach 15-30 feet from tail tip to crown, and if they were to rise up on thier tail, they may reach twenty feet in height! matching monsterous beasts such as Troll, Giants, and the Wendigo. the Slith are well known as the best bodyguards money can buy, and travelling caravans would much rather feed a slith and pay him his or her weight (shifted form naturally) in gold than purchase a whole rank and file of guards. seeing a slith in battle would make this seem cheap, due to thier otherworldly strength. more than one common bar room joke is that of a human knight who descided to seek a mistress instead of coming home to his slith wife. it is said she found out, and such was her rage that she struck him with her tail, and such was the force of the blow it sent both he and his fully armored warhorse ten feet into the air and to the east before he hit the ground. furthermore, Slith have inherited several abilities from snakes, such as the ability to "taste-scent" or go without eating for a long period of time. however, the later is not reccomended.
Strengths: Strong enough to wrestle with a giant, and born with thick skin to repel most arrows and scales thick enough on thier tails to turn blades...Slith's are a nightmare to fight. now, imagining such strength armed with dwarf steel is enough for most...but not all slith are limited to such. some slith are born with "tongues" as they are known...while it has nothing to do with the actual tongue of the slith, having one of these does give a slith another trick up thier very large sleeves.
Dragon tongue: Slith's born with these traits generally have metallic colors to thier scales, instead of having them resemble an actual snakes. furthermore, their scales are edged like those of a dragon. these slith's can breath fire the same color of thier scales.
Hydra tongue: Sliths born with this trait are generally faster and smaller than thier kin...however, they have minor regenerating abilities. a removed limb can heal back in a month if not exposed to disease or fire.
Wyvern tongue: Sliths born with this trait generally have elongated canines, and their bites can be toxic. furthermore, they can spit venom.
Wyrm tongue: Sliths born with this trait generally have dull scales, but grow larger and stronger than thier kin. on occasion, scales cover parts of thier body that they normally would not, and thier scales are often thicker and tougher than those of thier kin.
Quetzyl Tongue: Slith's born with this trait are intune with the winds of magic, and can cast spells. generally they are smaller than the average slith, and have brightly colored scales.
weakness's: Slith are stubborn like dwarves, and are often bully other races. however, most fear slith because they simply do not view other species in the same light. Dwarves and Valkyrie need not fear them, But Slith eat and drink alot...and can eat and drink more. like a snake, Slith can consume things far bigger than themselves, and have been known to consume humans, elves and fae....alive...like a snake. noone wants the last thing they see to be the suffocating innards of a monster...and often, slith loose themselves to blood rages in combat, often making them a danger to both ally and foe.
Valkyrie: The valkyrie were once a proud and strong race, worshipped as gods while they flew through the sky, delivering justice with thier intese magical powers. once, they were known as angels...and once, thier cities would light up the midnight sky's like miniature moons. however, those days have gone. now, they are a dying race. a inexplainable strain of infertility has struck the race, thier numbers dwindling from the frequent battles or other misfortunes. now, there are but a few left in this world. Valkyrie have lost much of thier magic powers, and now it takes many years for a valkyrie's wings to appear. for a valkyrie only is able to "ascend" when he has gained enough magical power, and learned enough in the arcane arts that the wings break free of thier flesh. the valkyrie are a fair race, reknown as much for thier beauty and grace as for thier sense of justice. manytimes, criminals from across factions are tried within the platinum courtrooms of the valkyrie...and none despute the verdicts.
strengths: The Valkyrie are as adept at fighting with a blade as they are casting spells. known for some of the best warmages around, Valkyrie are rare...but a distinct threat when faced. yet none are more terrifying than the archangel's. for when a valkyrie grows more than one pair of wings, so does thier magic powers. Valkyrie can cast spell's while wearing armor, and do not need to focus.
weakness's: A valkyrie's sense of justice will often get them into trouble. and those whos wings have sprouted will find that thier wings are extremely sensative to the touch, and injuring them will cause the valkyrie unable to use her magic until it heals.
Order of the Jade Lotus: go forth into the world. delve deep into the hearts of darkness, and free the light. -Shogun Kinkoro
those belonging to the order of the jade lotus reside primarily in the deep woods of the Gold leaf forest, an immense forest that is forever trapped in a state of eternal autumn, the magic within maintaining this state. distrustful of outsiders, the order generally manipulates the twisting paths in the woods, leading travelers away from the path's leading to thier villages and cities. inquisitive, careful and thoughtful commonly descibe those belonging to the jade order. thier culture's reflect an interesting meshing of asian cultures with undertones of gaelic, most commonly seen amongst the elves.
- Major cities or settlements:
Odayakanaumi no machi: the capital city of the beastkin. the elegant city is built on the side of the solitary jade moutain, on the most fertile soil in the known lands. clean springs burst forth from many locations on this flat mountain, creating slow moving, winding streams between the settlements. known by some as "the city of bridges" for ther prevalence. here, Shogun Kinkoro, also known as the albino sage, rules over the beastkin. said to be the wisest being alive, he is said to have found the way to true harmony, and seeks to share i with those around him, here, matial artists, samurai and those following the path of ninjutsu learn to master thier arts and talents. furthermore, it boasts the biggest library of "light" arts and magic in existance.
Viridium: the fabled capital of the elves. seldom seen by all but thier allies, it i said that this city resides in the canopy of the mother of all trees, the first plant to ever grow and planted by the elder gods. residing in houses and palaces made of leaves and wood, elves keep watch over the surrounding woods from thier high vantage point, thier keen eyes matched only by thier Giant owl mounts as they keep the woods safe from those who would wish it harm. the Mahogany Throne is held by Luinair, The lord of the glade. said to be the best marksman in the world.
Amhrán: The mythical home of the Seelie fae, and one of thier last remianing cities. there is a saying amongst treasure hunters that often the things worth striving for are hidden best from the world. and the city of Amhran is no different. protected by intense magics of concealment, it is said only a fae can find the city. while these rumors may not be entirely true, this kingdom is the hardest to find in the known realm.supposedly lying in the shadow of the great jade mountain, this realm is hidden away in the heart of the wisp wood to the east. here, the trees themselves see to watch wandering travelers...and unfriendly beasts dwell within the deep fog within. once found however, this is a brilliant city to behold. buildings made from elegant crystal float upon the lake, thier inherent magic keeping them afloat. it is from this city that the greatest healers study the ways to thwart death, and bards learn fae music to beguile and boost thier companions. this city is watched over by queen lovella Brightsong, who is said to be able to give life back to even the dead.
Economics: the Jade order funds itself through various tasks and employments, often taking jobs as accomplished mages or guardsman, putting them in competition with the other factions. however, the trade that the Jade order is most well known of is in produce. fruits, vegtables, meats, especially medicine and even cosmetics! the fertile soil on the jade mountain produces the best fruits and vegetables by far, while the elves are expert huntsman. the fae truly add the most to the faction with thier many natural remedies, including the famed "wisps kiss" a potion of minor healing that is a must for all adventurers. further more, the jade order is known for works of beauty, and the artwork and craftsmanship of the jade order often fill the houses of the wealthy, despite thier factional standings.
Beast kin: A semi common race of humanoids in the known world. and yet, the true villages and homes of these people are hard to find. Beast kin look like humans, possessing animal like ears atop their heads as well as tails, many find these beings "cute". however, depending on who you talk to saying such a thing may get your scratched...or bit. Beast Kin are adaptable like humans and elves, and often provide a mulitude of services. Beaskin come in a variety of builds and sizes, from the tall and burly bear luinian and the small and agile dormouse chuchan, but are also the most fertile species in the known world, often producing "litters" of children instead of one or two. this allows the population to explode during times of plenty, but are often hit the hardest during famine.
Strengths: Beast Kin are resourceful beings, much like humans. however, they also have several traits that put them above or beyond humanity. Beastkin are usually born of large families, such as foxes, cats, dogs and the like. these lunians retain all the abilities of the animals they resemble, as well as any weakness's. canine luinians have heightened sense of smell and so forth, feline luinians have incredable grace and the ability to see in the dark. furthermore, all luinians have retractable claws, and most have sharp teeth...meaning that an unarmed luinian, is not exactly weaponless. but perhaps the two biggest traits of luinains are thier ability to shift into the animal they resemble, and the most famous of all, the ability to consume the spirit energy or magic from a fallen foe.
A beast kin can grow in magical power the more "essence" he or she has devored. how magically adept a luinian is can be measured quite simply through thier tails. the more tails a beast kin has, the more of a threat they can be....even developing further abilities as they develop more tails.
2 tails: the ability to float a foot off the floor can be activated at will. moving requires energy and the luinian will become exausted just as if they were sprinting.
3 tails: using magical spells are not as taxing, elementals are more likely to be friendly.
4 tails: the beast kin can float without tiring except when moving. basic movement speed is increased, (can run faster, longer etc.) wild creatures are more likely to be friendly.
5 tails: The beast kin's "Wild form" can double in size. unlock the ability to cast a single basic spell at no cost. (fireball, thunderbolt, ice spear....searing light...etc. not a heal spell, AOE spell, buff, or higher ranking damage spell. summons can be chosen, but only one summon. once.) humanoids become more friendly around this character.
6 tails: the beat kin's wild form gains legendary status, able to mind speak and able to cast spells in wild form as well as basic attacks being automatically imbued with magic.the beast kin also gains the ability of minor regeneration. elder beings become more friendly around them.
7 tails: can become etherial or even take on an elemental form. freely can select the Divine or Chaos magic's in addition to the three they may already have. can freely use a higher ranking spell in adition to the lower ranking one chosen at the fifth tail. can also fly.
weakness's: Beast Kin carry many unique abilties...but sadly, being part animal has its weakness's...as well as issues of thier own. the animal parts (IE: the Tail and ears) of a Beast kin are very sensitive to the touch. furthermore, it has been said that beastkin were the god's answer for humanity, for if a beast kin tastes the blood of a sentient creature, there is a strong chance he/she may become addicted to it. beast kin's murdering other species out of hunger is uncommon at most, and rare in the best places. however, this "hunger" has created a massive rift between the species, dividing the "luinians" and the "chuchan." a Chuchan despises a luinian, and vice versa. while this relationship is much more based on distrust and waryness than pure hatred....needless to say, please dont put a dormouse chuchan alone in a room with a lynx luinian. that is no different then telling the chuchan to walk down the gullet of a slith.
Chuchan: a classification for a beastkin whos animal form is not inherantly predatory. such as a deer, mouse, rabbit...etc. chuchan tend to also be slightly faster than luinians but not as strong.
Luinian: a classification for a beastkin whos animal from is inherantly predatory or can hunt. such as a bear, tiger, wolf...etc.
if a chuchan or luinian becomes addicted to blood and flesh to the point they can no longer control themselves, they begin to change. the process is slow at first...hair growing in places it shouldnt, teeth growing longer and sharper...however, if a week has passed without any form of arcane help, the luinian or chuchan becomes a Werekin, or "feral". these beasts resemble werewolves and have incredible strength matched only by thier appetite. they have also lost all form of reason. yet for those werekin who feast daily on the corpses of the fallen, may become wnedigo's....giant beasts as large as a troll with massive hooked claws and the ability to regenerate.
Elves: Elves are uncommon amongst the known world, rarely venturing out from the wooded places in the world. known for thier grace and fair features, the elves most people see are either magic scholors, bowmen, or blade dancers for hire. talented with magic and as graceful as luinians, elves are prideful race that treasures natural beauty, art and music.
Strengths: Elves are fast, agile and clever. a well trained elf will dance circles around her opponent, laughing at thier clumsy strikes as they slowly wittle thier opponent down, wether from elegant strokes of a blade, a whispered spell, or the musical note from a bowstring. elves also are able to make use of thier inherant charisma, for most people would much rather speak to a pretty face than the battle scarred features of a dwarf.
Weakness's: when a luinian tell's an elf he or she looks tasty, it may not entirely lead to a good time for the elf. in battle, monster's will usually target the elf first, not simply because they taste good either. elves are frial, thier bones are hollow, allowing the elf to move about quickly and weigh only a portion of other's thier size. however, thier hollow bones in addition to thier silky, thin skin means that they are quite prone to damage...elves take less to kill than any other species...oh, and yeah...theyre tasty to monsters.
Seelie Fae: fairies, Sprites, the Deana shee....the fae come in many names and many branches. for every basic element, there is a fae for them. said to have been one of the first species to exist, they are an anciant race...said to have been the offspring of a god and an elemental. yet life was not kind for the fae, and they are widely hunted for thier body parts and organs which are needed for some dark potions and malevolent sorcery. furthermore, a civil war occured between the seelie and unseelie fae in times long forgotten. this war led to the separation of the seelie and unseelie fae. the seelie chose to remain in the woods, while the unseelie went in search of more power and magic...now, this dying race struggles to survive as best they can.
strengths: The fae are the most magically adept race aside from elementals. there are five races of fae, and these races are each born with an inherant element. fae are autumatically masters at this element, and may choose three others for free. furthermore, Fae can cast spells without speaking. furthermore, fae all have wings, and can fly. the wings can be elemental(leaf wings, snowflake wings, etc) or insect-esque. lastly, a fae can choose to shrink at will, converting every foot of thier heigh into inches. (ex: a 5.07 foot fae can shift into a 5.07 inch fae) this is extremely helpful for fae seeking the path of an asassin or rogue.
Flame Fae: these fae may choose to master fire freely. often they have brightly colored hair and aggressive personalities. these fae are the most likely to abandon the fae capital to try and forge thier own life. wild and free, these fae are the second most common kind to be found in the cities outside the faction.
Wind Fae: these fae may choose to master wind freely. they are adventurous and often mischievious and carefree. these fae often leave the lands of thier birth in search of adventure, and often work as mercenaries for high paying merchants. they are the most common kind of fae outside the jade order.
Earth Fae: these fae can choose to master earth freely. calm, reserved and relaxed. these fae often do not go seraching for adventure, and are instead more content with a more mundane life. commonly choosing the pathof the martial artist, thse fae often make thier home in the beast kin capital.
Wood Fae: these fae can choose to master wood element freely. normally energetic and with a whole range of different personalities, these are the most common form of fae within the faction. these fae are the most often seen within thier own cities and villages, not fully trusting those of other species. furthermore, these fae prefer to live thier live productively, cooking, farming and the like.
Water Fae: these fae can choose to master the water element freely. the rarest of all fae, water fae are known for thier shy and reclusive nature. these fae almost never stay outside the faction, and are rare even within. these fae claim to have the best of all healers.
Weakness's: Fae are a widely hunted race for thier body parts. it is said that the heart of a fae can permanently increase a person's ability to tap into magic. fae blood is said to have de-aging properties...the list goes on. furthermore, Fae MUST shift into thier small form once a day for no less than one hour, or they will wake up the next day unable to cast spells from one of thier branches. after that, every subsequent day without shifting will remove the fae's ability to cast magic from a elemental stream. when all the magic streams have been removed, the fae is forced to shift forms, and remains that size for the rest of thier life.....oh....and without magic.
however, if a fae shifts before the day his last stream has been disabled, he can recover his other streams or magic branches. for every disabled stream, the fae must spend an hour small to recover it.
Eternal Night: You hear often from other's to "follow the light" and may the light from one of their god's guide them. However, one must ponder…why follow the light when every time the light arrives at its destination, darkness is always there first? – Salem BlackWarden, Arch necromancer and the keeper of the black library.
Those belonging to the faction of eternal night are often described as Dark, mysterious, often suspiscious individuals that inspire feelings of discomfort with no true reason. Located far in the southwest, most of those who claim allegiance to this faction reside in the black desert and the neighboring area's. most famous of all locations within are the feared Howling Forest or the obsidian city. This faction has a strong mesh of gothic and Arabic, while some places and species have some French and Germanic cultures. This faction welcomes outsiders, but even those who belong to this faction are wary of many locations within…
- Major Cities or settlements:
Noctvania: a massive, sprawling city located deep within the black desert, its Huge, sprawling buildings and gothic cathedrals blackened by the exposure to the sun are connected to one another through the Black cobblestone streets lined with obsidian and onyx. This city is home to those studying the darker sides of magic…necromancer's, voodoo priests, and the like perfect their sorcery and study deep into the night. most commonly known as "the city of candles" to outsiders, due to the fact that no lanterns or torches light the streets at dark, but are instead dimly illuminated by the cold glow of candles in the windows of the studious mages. The Lich call this place home, living freely and without fear of persecution. Most travelers who visit this place do so to read from the fabled Black library, which boasts the largest collection of knowledge on the more fell things in this world…and none more are more proud of this than the Phantom King Shade NightBlood, A lich necromancer who is said to have command over a legion of the damned, and has seen the after-realm. It is not an uncommon sight to see the dead walking these streets. Furthermore, this city is also the most technologically advanced of the cities in the known world, for while Dark mages study and practice their arts by night, the sound of steam piston's and machinery echo through the city by day as alchemist's strive to create the worlds next greatest invention.
Siluna: this is the city of the demons, and home to the peddlers of the black market. Carved into the side of a deep ravine in the earth known as the mouth of the world, this is the general destination for slavers, faehunters, and escaped criminals. Yet despite this citites bad reputation, it is one of the richest in the known world…filled with massive, sprawling mansions and premium markets. Merchants and travelers with both good and ill intentions venture here to barter and buy goods, but one must be careful in this land. The city is run by the Arch demon Darathorn Fellbane, who is rumored to be the head of the black market, leading the feared "Oni" group. It is said he can grant any person's wish….for a price. Demon's tend to claim this city is their capital, and generally frequent this city more than others.
Lobhadscath: Lorded over by the masked Obsidion empereror, Zerfell Dread, who is said to be the last of the 9 heroes, this is not a city spoken of lightly, nor in good company. This is the unseelie fae capital, known as the "city of oblivion." It is hidden deep within the fog shrouded Hell mire…a dangerous swamp filled with the vengeful dead, madness tainted elemental's or worse. Massive walls of obsidian guard the outer city, which allows scarce few visitors. Generally those who enter the city and who are not of unseelie blood are prisoners, slaves, or have a much crueler fate. This is the city where elite assasin's are trained, and only those chosen at birth by unseelie are allowed to learn the art of death within. However, a second wall blocks entry to the inner city. The entry to the inner city is forbidden to all non unseelie, and guarded by the fabled "Executioners"…elite guardsmen wearing black full plate and wielding massive two handed axes. These soldiers stand silent and unmoving at the gates entry point, their faces hidden within the shadows of their spiked helms. They almost would seem asleep, until one makes the mistake of attempted entry. None but the unseelie know what lies beyond those gates, and they are content to keep their secret.
Economics: For a nation that provides very little exports of its own, it is surprisingly the richest of the three factions. Those within the faction will claim that most of their money is made from the export of powerful artifacts recovered from the many ruins around the desert, or perhaps the new technology created by the alchemist's and many engineers in the city of candles. However, it is not hard to see that the true bulk of their finances comes from the black market in Siluna. Cheap labor provided by slaves helps the economy grow, while luinian tail's, fae wings, as well as potent pleasure drugs and the like are provided by this faction…and although the order of the jade lotus has brought up many complaints against this, the faction of eternal night seems no sighn's of stopping, and the faction of the Undying Oath seems content to turn a blind eye to this.
Lich: in times long past, lich were once hunted throughout the land, believed to be agents of madness. If one knew the things they are capable of, it would not be hard to see why. Liches appear as pale humans, often with stitches on their joints or bandages. Some may even appear corpse like, with pallid skin and the like. However, the appearance of a lich changes gradually as dusk approaches. A liches's eyes slowly begin to change colors the later the hour, eventually causing the blackness of the pupil to seemingly "bleed out" into they rest of the eye while whitening. The result is a complete swap of coloring, giving a lich pitch black eyes with a ring of color surrounding a white pupil. Generally liches stand at the average height to a human, and may have pointed ears like that of an elf or even a bat. Liches generally do not stray out of lands controlled by the faction of eternal night, for they are mistrusted and often feared by the other species for both their often unsettling appearance and abilities.
Strengths: Liches are by far the most versatile of all the species, with a wide arsenal of haunting abilities. However, part of what makes a lich so powerful is their unpredictability. One lich may have abilities another does not, and can be incredibly unsettling.
below is a list of abilities that a lich may be born with. When creating a lich, two may be chosen for free. Any further abilities must purchase in exchange for an elemental stream. (Ex: three abilities means you may only choose two streams.) place any lich abilities in the magic section. Furthermore, keep in mind that many lich abilities cause psychological trauma as opposed to physical. Those abilities will not effect things that have no psychology (constructs like golems) and have less an effect on opponents stronger than the lich, or who are protected by spells.
Necrotic Grip: if a lich attempts an unarmed strike on a target, or even a willful touch, the lich may choose to freely channel the energy of death into their skin. If their bare skin touches the opponents, it will cause the target(s) exposed flesh to rot and burn. The longer the exposure to the liche's bare skin, the worse the damage. If given enough time, a lich can reduce a grappled opponent literally to bones.
Ghost Step: The lich can turn incorporeal, stepping for a brief period out of the material plane. A lich can then walk through solid objects as if they were not there. This requires concentration to work however, as well as brief time where the lich slowly begins to fade from sight. Note, that the lich can choose to go invisible while using this ability, however this will doubly the fatigue that the lich acquires upon using this ability. Furthermore, a lich cannot pass through an enchanted object, and if they pass through a living being that being becomes overcome with nausea and is unsettled, chilled and slowed by the effect. Many describe the feeling as being stuck in a spider's web.
Zombie Flesh: (counts as two abilities) The lich's body does not truly live under the law's of science, or seemingly any other law. A lich with this ability is technically dead by all scientific accounts. They can survive having limbs, organs and the like removed or damaged without any true effect. However, a chopped off limb is still chopped off, and will need to sown back on to function properly or healed using rejuvenation magic. In addition, the lich does not feel pain. This ability does not work for enchanted weapons or other wounds caused from elemental or magical means.
Phantom form: (counts as two abilities) here, the lich shifts into a horrifying specter! Their body becomes ethereal, and their appearance changes as if they were truly dead and were rotting in some unmarked grave. Here, the lich can choose to alter their appearance for a brief time straight to something out of a nightmare. However, it must be some form of ghost or undead, a lich cannot use this form to take on the appearance of a dragon or the like. Anything the the lich does in this state is incredibly taxing, but all physical attacks in this form ignore mundane weapons and armor. Furthermore, opponents weaker than the lich can be directly effected by what is known as "terror stacking". In this state, the foe's heart beats so fast he becomes more likely to suffer a heart attack the further he/she is frightened! (Technically all lich abilities can cause terror stacking if used correctly. One must be crafty when using them however, or they may not frighten target(s) further.)
Banshee keen: the lich stops what he/she is doing to channel her energy of undeath (takes a action round) then release it into a heart stopping scream! This scream at the very least startles opponents, but more often causes opponents to run in terror! This scream can also be used to target individuals, and if that individual has an enchantment on his or her person, that enchantment is removed briefly.
Vampiric strength: A lich with this ability has the physical strength equivalent to that of a Slith.
Hungry Souls: A lich with this ability must have at least one elemental stream. At will, the lich can throw a screaming skull of elemental energy at the opponent! Once bitten by the skull, the skull will drain a small amount of spiritual energy from the opponent and transfer it to the lich before exploding in elemental energy! An opponent struck by this attack becomes lethargic, and much more susceptible to fear. The element that the skull is made of is at the character's discretion so long as he/she has that spell.
Spider Crawl: a lich can crawl up verticle objects like a spider, as well as hang from cielings and the like.
weakness's: though it is hard to know what abilities a lich has, all liches have the same weakness's. a lich must drink blood. In addition to the more mundane needs of water and food, a lich requires the magical essence and energy found within the blood of others. Without this, the lich completely looses its lich abilities as well as access to the streams of magic. However, depending on the kind of blood a lich drinks, they can go longer without needing to drink again. Liches can gain this blood by hunting and biting another sentient being, or purchasing blood through vendors or willing donors. The length of time a lich can go without feeding are listed below. A lich must drink no less than one pint for the full effect.
6 hours: animals.
12 hours: mythical animals (dragons, unicorns and pheonix's not included)
1 day: humans, elves, dwarves.
2 days: beast kin, slith, demons, Valkyrie.
3 days: seelie fae, unseelie fae, elementals.
Furthermore, Liches are vulnerable to light magic, and cannot be healed by rejuvenation spells using the light stream. If they chose to take shadow as one of their elemental streams, this weakness stacks. Lastly, Liches exude a very unsettling aura…animals become hostile to lich's if they sense them, and will at the very least make an effort to leave the presence of a lich. Sentient creatures also feel uncomfortable around lich's, and will normally try to avoid them or make a lich go away. As a general rule, stranger's are generally hostile to lich's as well…so if the companions are trying to talk to someone for information or a favor, it is best for the lich to not in the room at the time.
Demons: Once, Demon's and Valkyrie were at war with one another, the two seeking to completely wipe out the other. The great battles between these two races has long since faded into the history books, but the spite the two feel towards one another is still present to this day. Demons are much like Valkyrie, but do not share the valkyrie's love for law. Demon's commonly appear similar to elves or humans, and may have reddish skin. Widespread around the world, generally every location harbors a demon or two, for they are able to fit in quite easily. a young demon may have a long, imp like tail...however, they do not grow thier wings out till much later.
strengths: much like their Valkyrie twins, Demons are just as adept at using magic as they are fighting hand to hand. Furthermore, Demon's also need experience and magical powers for their wings to sprout. However, there is one distinct difference between demon's and Valkyrie…and that is the species has divided into two, the Balith and the Selken.
Raklith: these demons have the ability to shift into a monstrous form, similar to that of a balrog from Tolkien literature. These monsterous demon's boast incredible strength and power. Covered in a thick hide of rocky scales, most weapons have difficulty piercing their hide.Those who choose to be a Raklith Demon must choose fire as well as shadow amongst their elemental options.
Selken: these demons do not have a shifted form, however they exhude a soothing and seductive aura, making those of the opposite sex more open to suggestion. Furthermore, The silken are accomplished caster's, and can cast spell's using the energy around them as opposed to pulling it from their own energy. However, these spells can only be of the shadow element, and the spells that canbe cast is dependant on the availability of darkness.
Weakness's: Demon's are powerful creatures, able to handle most situations and fights that come thier way. however, All demons have a distinct weakness against divine energy, and while being struck by a divine spell does not harm them more than usual, it drains thier physical and magical energy. a demon can be reduced to an unconscious state if they are exposed to divine energies for too long, even those which are not intended to harm. lastly, all demon's must choose shadow as one of thier elemental streams, and must choose destruction as one of the branches.
Unseelie fae: Known as Dark fae, Unseelie fae are almost the exact twins as thier seelie relatives. long ago, a large group of fae disagreed with their seelie breathren. Resenting thier peaceful ways and refusal to explore the darker magic's of the world, these fae fought against thier breathren, trying to force them to change. in time, the seelie prevailed, forcing the unseelie from thier homes. outcasts, they made a pilgramage to the darker wilds and settled there.. thier long exposure to this changed them. unseelie fae despise all seelie fae, and often prefer to fight them instead of talking.
Strengths: seelie fae and unseelie fae have the same strengths, however they have differing branches of fae than the seelie. every fae child is born with an inherant element. fae are autumatically masters at this element, and may choose three others for free. furthermore, Fae can cast spells without speaking. furthermore, fae all have wings, and can fly. the wings can be elemental(leaf wings, snowflake wings, etc) or insect-esque. lastly, a fae can choose to shrink at will, converting every foot of thier heigh into inches. (ex: a 5.07 foot fae can shift into a 5.07 inch fae) this is extremely helpful for fae seeking the path of an asassin or rogue.
Bramble fae: these fae's may choose the Wood elemental stream for free. often mischivious and impish, these fae are the most common of the unseelie fae, most choosing to leave thier forest home in search of quick riches.
Frost Fae: these fae may choose the Water elemental stream for free. often appearing aloof and aristocratic, these fae often choose to remain in thier villages and cities, often beleiving themselves to be the most pure and powerful branch of fae.
Blight Fae: these fae may choose the shadow elemental stream for free. often sporting dark hair and chilling eyes, these fae are concidered the rarest of the unseelie...yet that is debatable, for nearly every blight fae is raised as an assasin...and what good is an assasin if he or she is seen?
Weakness's: Fae are a widely hunted race for thier body parts. it is said that the heart of a fae can permanently increase a person's ability to tap into magic. fae blood is said to have de-aging properties...the list goes on. furthermore, Fae MUST shift into thier small form once a day for no less than one hour, or they will wake up the next day unable to cast spells from one of thier branches. after that, every subsequent day without shifting will remove the fae's ability to cast magic from a elemental stream. when all the magic streams have been removed, the fae is forced to shift forms, and remains that size for the rest of thier life.....oh....and without magic.
however, if a fae shifts before the day his last stream has been disabled, he can recover his other streams or magic branches. for every disabled stream, the fae must spend an hour small to recover it.
Factionless: "do not underestimate the strength of the outcast. One cannot tell at a glance the trials they have been through...and they are often chock full o' surprises." - Loec Everbright.
Those who do not have a faction come in all shapes and sizes, and each has a tale to tell. They are the wanderer's, the mercenaries, the outcasts and outlaws. Perhaps they left thier faction's, seeking to make a living outside the expectations of thier peers...maybe they were forced to leave, a wrongful conviction perhaps? Or even they may have been born factionless, free at birth from any ties. Any species can be factionless, but three are known for not bieng apart of a faction...wether it is because they are too numerous, or simply choose to remain nuetral. Every indiidual factionless person has thier reason's. The two "factionless" species are humans and elementals.
Greywall: also known as the free city. Here, all species are welcome within the massive, dwarf stone structure. Created as a last stand during the last great war, craftsmanship from all the species can be found within. Therefore, while the exterior of the city appears dull, the interior is a mesh of cultures. Located near the center of the continent, greywall is often used as a point of reference for travellers as well as a safe stop for both travellers and merchants. Ruled by the young human king Magnus Dawnstrider, he struggles to gain enough support to declare a fourth faction welcome to all. Many scoff at such an idea, but a growing mercenary guild known as the "Black Lions" is turning heads with both its success and its open species policy. Led By a veteran mercenary Beast kin known Loec Everbright, And his Slith wife Joanne, he boasts that his guild has mercenaries for every job.
Economy: The factionless are an ideal, but broke psuedo faction. the closest thing to a "factionless" faction is the Black lion guild, or other such mercenary guilds. Greywall may be a kingdom, but it is hardly a faction. both the guild and the city of greywall will take what they can get and export what they can.
Humans: the newest of the species. human's arrived when Earth toppled through a rift in dimension's approxamately in the 10th century, smashing into the side of the planet. trillions were killed in the impact and following disaster's. in time, the gods managed to repair the broken planets, using pieces from both to form one whole planet. at first, human's were treated as cockroaches...so numerous were they, that they were hunted for sport. human's eventually fought back, using what they could salvage and make on the run. then, a surging army of madness sweeped across the lands, forcing humans and the other species to unite to fend them off. other species may have scored a victory when the agents of madness were forced back, but humans scored more than that....they became recognized as a true species and were no longer hunted....mostly.
strengths:Human's are the most numerous of all the species, and have foot holds in all three factions. furthermore, they have adapted to the presance of magic quite well, without it truly becoming a part of them. human mages do not stack weakness's by choosing magical streams.
Weakness's: Human's do not have the same magical stamina as other races, and quickly become exhausted if they use magic too much. the cost of using magic for human's is doubled.
Elementals: (those planning on playing a caster with the conjuration branch look here)
Elementals are native to all area's where the veils between the worlds of mortals and the Planes of Magic are thin. They can be found in places where the elements are at their most Pure, Or summoned from the Five Planes of Magic. Elementals can be classified according to their birth Element and their Attunement levels, and are often perfect choices as companions and protectors for summoner's. elemental's come in all different shapes, sizes, personality or even color! although, all elemntal's have some sort of Quirk that hints at thier true form, even when taking on the form of a human. this can be as simple as a flower over an ear or blue skin.
Strengths: The True strength's of an elemental come from thier magic. an elemental of a certain element can draw power not just from themselves, but from thier surroundings as well! furthermore, an elemental is immune to hostile magical spell's that match thier elmental stream, and if an elmental is at least tier three, they can shift into elemental's of a weaker tier, effectively hiding thier powers.
Weakness's: Elemental's cannot access the Conjuration branch unless they are at least T6 or "Tier six" class elmental. furhtermore, an elemental cannot choose more than two elemental streams.
The five planes: aside from the fae realm, The elementals call certain dimensions Home. These dimensions are a land created completely of one element, and are a haven to the elementals. Each of the planes is ruled over by a Elemental of unfathomable power that was created from the raw elemental forces that shaped the planet at its birth. Only elementals can enter these realms or leave them. And no one can enter them without an elemental's blessing or presence..otherwise, such is the concentration of elemental power in these realms, the vsitor's will simply turn into the respective elements upon entering.
Fire: a world filled by only flames. Lava forms blazing rivers between blazing ruby walkways of solid fire, while flames cover everything in a thickness akin to oxygen on earth.
Earth: this Plane is a planet covered in nothing but mountains and valleys. Halls carved deep into the mountain's are lined with Agate while gargantuan crystals light the way to the core of this world.
Water: This Plane is a Planet covered in the dark, fathomless depths of an all encompassing ocean. Currents of water lead to a moving city made completely out of solidified bubbles, located at the very core of this world.
Wood: This Plane is created from a massive tree of impossible preportions. Continents made from roots and leaves rise stretch and grow with every passing year. Deep in the heart of this world tree lies a city made entirely from Amber.
Wind: The final Plane. It is a world of pure air, where solid clouds create castles and cities connected to one another by roads made of lightning.
for those wishing to play an elemental character, they can me at most t5.
Levels of Attunement: this is a secondary way of classifying elementals and the most detailed. A elementals "Attunement" level is a way to gauge how much powerful the connection between the elemental and its home Plane. The more powerful the Elemental, the more power they can draw from their home to themselves. However, this power is not simply in forms of might..but also in appearance and intelligence. There are seven known tiers, as listed below
T1: WISP: This is the lowest and weakest manifested form a elemental can have. They have lifespans of mere minutes and are easily manipulated. Appearing as floating, colored lights, They are attracted to pure sources of their element, and are often used by travelers on Eden to find Food and clean water.
T2: CARBUNKLE: These are weak elementals that take on the form of small creatures with traits of their original element. Ex: a squirrel with a tail of fire, etc. These beings pose little threat and have very limited intelligence and abilities. Often they are used as messengers or children's pets.
T3: THRALL: elementals with various powers. Common amongst apprentice mages for their different abilities. Often they take on the appearance of children or animals of a similar size, with characteristics linking them to their original element.
T4: KINDRED: Popular elementals of reasonable power. They are able to take humanoid form and size. They can complete various simple tasks, and do not have to entirely depend upon being near a source of power to exist once summoned. These beings are capable of higher emotions and communication. Used most often by talented apprentices or journeyman mages, or found protecting regions where their element is at its most pure. these elementals can be dangerous, but can be reasoned with or pleased.
T5: AVATAR: Rare elementals of incredible power, the powers of these elementals can stretch as far as to create a mortal body for themselves, or take on a differing elemental shape. Example: A avatar of flame can appear as a human, with organs and all the fixings. However, they can also change their form into more bestial or monsterous things, such as a lion made of fire or a Golem. Considering they can manipulate their appearance, These Beings are often powerful, beautiful, and intelligent. However, the summoning and binding of a Avatar is incredibly complex and dangerous, resulting in the death of many. The appearance of a elemental avatar is a testament of Power. However, these beings are capable of leaving their plane and entering a realm to wonder of their own power.
T6: PARAGON: An elemental of Extreme power. Often taking forms of colossal humanoids made of their original element, These beings can never be seen outside their respective plane without the abilities of a mage of immense power and talent. Able To summon storms and natural disasters, few in history have ever met the requirements to summon one, and fewer yet have.
T7: ANCIANTS: The Pure embodiment of their elements, There are only five ancient ones to ever exist. Brought to the earth before all creatures, these Biengs are the very representation of their elements. Created from the pure elemental magics the earth mother brought to bear. Such is their might that theyre power's and forms had to be sealed separately. Their power was crystalized into five gems that are hidden and protected throughout Eden, while their forms remain in their home planes. . Elementals revere these biengs as the gods of their planes.
Orwebs: a widely despised species, and one that is solitary by nature. they have no true homeland, and are the closest a sentient being can be to a monster without being truly counted as one. native to the dark places of the world, orwebs appear as attractive men or women with varying abilities and talents. yet all of them share the same, monsterous alternate form.
much like slith, an orweb's monster form is large and half humanoid...but unlike slith, thier lower body is that of a giant spider! it is because of thier alternate form that they are so widely despised, as well as thier appetite for sapian flesh. however, some nations turn a blind eye to orwebs for thier prized silk.
Strengths: An orweb is a force straight out of a childhood nightmare. not only can they shift into a monsterous form rivaling the size of a Slith or raklith, but they retain many abilities that a spider inherently has. the first and most noteworthy is the silk an orweb produces. a healthy orweb can produce a large supply of silk, and can use it for profit or for darker means...in the market, a pound of orweb silk is worth three times its weight in gold, for a single strand is equal to that of steel...essentially making silk dresses and robes give as much protection to thier wearer's as that of a full plate suit of armor! as a result, it is widely coveted by nobles and royalty as a protection against the assasin's knife...as well as battle mages for obvious reasons. the second ability of an orweb is that of its poison.an orwebs bite can be deadly, or used to immobilize. once bitten, the unforntunant soul can either become paralyzed, or slowly die due to internal bleeding as his guts turn to mush. a orweb can paralyze someone 6x a day, or poison 3x.
weakness's: Fire can burn an orwebs threads, and light spells do extreme damage to an orweb. as a result, an orweb is weak against those two elements regardless, and are surprisingly susceptable to poisons. furthermore, an orweb is fragile and can be harmed easily.
The Three Fabled Guardians:
these are intelligent humanoid's who existed far before the other species. known as the old ones, the protector's. and the guardian beast's, each of the three faction's have gained both the blessing and protection's of these mythical biengs, who claim to be favored by the gods themselves...however, if this is so, the gods show thier love in morbid ways, for these three species, The dragon, unicorn, and the pheonix are all but exinct now...thier numbers having dwindled so low that they cannot claim a single village or settlement to host only thier kin. yet if these powerful beings are to leave this world, they will do so fighting till the last breath!
Dragons
dragons are a proud, mighty race. known to be as wise as they are strong. once, the roaring of a dragon could be heard echoing across the wild plces of the world, most commonly the fang mountains, where the fertile valleys offered much sustenence for the great beasts. while thier moster form's have been recorded to reach truly colossal sizes, Dragons have the ability to take on a human form...usually prefering to take the form of a Slith male or female. however, a few dragons have been known to take on the form of an elf or human. it should be noted however, that not all dragon's are good natured...and adventurer's should be extremely weary of approaching a wild dragon...lest they wish to line his or her belly...
Strength's: The average adult dragon reaches close to thirty feet in height, and sixty feet from tail tip to snout, and only continue to grow as they age. needless to say, dragons are extremely powerful, and have the ability to breathe out bursts of elemental energy as well as fly. furthermore, dragon's have a thick hide and are covered in metallic, gem like scales. this acts just the same as if the dragon was wearing full plate armor....with exceptions. an interesting quirk about dragon's however, is that they share a love for gems and prescious metal's like the dwarves, and often collect gemstones or prescious metal's that match thier scale colors.
Weakness's: Dragon's may consider themselves perfection incarnet, but even these mighty beasts have thier weakness's and faults. the stomach and wings of a dragon is more sensative than the rest of its body, and all but the most anciant of dragons do not have scales on thier stomach. also, a dragon must choose wether it wants to cast spells, or take on its monsterous form, for a dragon cannot cast magic in its beast form. in addition, Dragon's share the same blood hunger that slith's do, and every kill a dragon makes, it becomes less aware of the presance of a companion...and like a slith, a fully grown dragon is more than capable of swallowing a human sized creature whole.
Unicorns
like Dragon's, Unicorns are a mighty and powerful race. though maybe not concidered as wise as dragon's. or as physically strong, Unicorns are the most balanced of the three elder races, carrying both equal strength and magic. in times long past, unicorns used to be present in all the wild places of the world...but now, it seems that these magnificent beings can only be encountered in the gold leaf forest. like dragon's Unicorns have the ability to take on the form's of other species, mainly the beast kin or elves. but like dragon's, unicorn's do not gain benefits or weakness's from the species they shift into.
Strength's: Unicorns are powerful creatures, able to cast magic whilst defending themselves from physical attacks. normally the size of a large horse, Unicorns can cast magic while in beast form, and have default access to the divine elemental stream. furthermore, the horn of a unicorn is impervious to harm, and touching tainted objects with the horn purifies them...this counts towards diseases, wounds and poison as well.
Weakness's: Although unicorns are powerful creatures, and often a beauty to encounter, they are widely hunted for thier horn. it is said a single unicorn horn not only posess's the secret to immortality, but gives the holder the ability to cast spell's from the divinity stream freely. as a result, unicorn horn is the single most expensive item on the black market, if it is on sale at all...and fetches a king's ransom. further more, unicorn's are extremely sensative to the chaos magic stream, and are twice as susceptable to injury if struck with offensive spells from that stream.
Pheonix's
with a wingspan of ten feet on both wings, and a body as large as a horse, few sight's can match the pure elegance and beauty of a Pheonix in flight. blazing wings shining like a polished gem and rippling with pure elemental power. Sadly, the sky's of the known world are all but devoid of such creatures. Widely hunted for thier feathers, pheonix's dwindled in numbers until it is beleived that scarecely a handful still survive today. however, able to take on the form's of T5 elementals, human's or elves, many think that there are more pheonix's alive than popular belief's would tell you.
Strength's: where as a dragon's powers mainly come from its brute force, and the unicorn's comes from its balance, a pheonix's strength comes primarily from its magic. A pheonix counts as having mastered three elemental streams, instead of having one adept and one dabbled. lastly, if a pheonix is struck by a mortal blow, it can choose to "die", bursting into a vibrant flash of flame and burning away into ash. if the ash remains intact for an hour, the pheonix can ressurect him or herself....however, it would be wise to change into beast form upon ressurection...for while the pheonix survived the blaze, chances are thier clothes did not...then again, this may be useful for boosting companions morale and distracting enemies......right?
Weakness's: if a pheonix's ashes are disturbed upon death, it takes them a day to ressurect instead of an hour...further more, a pheonix cannot shift into an elmental that does not match the streams chosen by the pheonix. and lastly, if water or any form of liquid lands on the ashes of a pheonix, the pheonix dies permanently.
Opal Blood's
this is another name for those who are born from two different species...perhaps it is as simple as two branches of fae, or as complex as a half lich half slith. these beings are generally a combination of both thier parents, and often have abilities from both.
those wishing to play a "opal blood" character needs to send me PM or chat message so i can walk them through character creation. there are too many possible combinations for me to simply list them.
Magic
magic in this realm is accessible to all races but the dwarves, and can be used to imbue weapons with arcane might and abilities, heal the wounded, summon monsters, or simply to summon a good ol' fireball to take care of all those pesky goblins! magic comes in all kinds of forms, but can be catorgorized in 4 basic branches. A character can choose a branch of magic to major in, and one to minor in, as well as three elemental "Streams" they can tap into. one mastery, one adept, and one dabbled.so two branches and up to three elements unless otherwise stated by DM or species.
Enchantment: this is a form of magic where spells are imbued into objects or people. it can be used as a blessing, as in the cases of giving weapons power, toughening an allies flesh, or cursing, which is generally debuffing or making an opponent weaker. there are three kinds of enchantments however...and these are: Runic : the act of imbuing a symbol with elemental power. this is most often seen on weapons, armor and spell scrolls, the latter of which is destroyed after use. the undying oath most often are the ones to use this form of echantment.
Songweaving: not always requiring a dandy shanty, songweaving is the act of giving an object magical power from spoken mouth. most often this is a temporary, but often more potent form of magic. however, a very powerful mage can make a songweave permanent. this form of enchanting is most often seen within the jade order.
SoulBinding: the act of giving a object some semblence of life, or worse...trapping another's consciouness, powes, and soul in something else. can be temporary (turning that grumpy, hissing slith int a cuddly, wide eyed kitten) or permanent (trapping a fire elemental in a sword). this is concidered a dark form of enchanting and is most often seen in the faction of eternal night.
Conjuration: this is a form of magic where the character can summon up familairs to fight at thier side. this is divided into either Natural or Unnatural conjuration.
Natural: the mage can summon or bind certain ELEMENTALS to themselves. Binding them requires a battle of wills between both the summoner and the elemental. this is incredably dangerous for if the witch or wizard looses this battle, the elemental may harm or even kill them.
Unnatural: the mage can summon the dead to fight for them. unnatural conjurer's must bind the spirit or spirits to them the same way as elementals. however, unnatural conjurer's have bad reputations due to some choosing to dablle into the forbidden magic's of the void and madness...and those sorcer's conjure up much more frightening entities than those of damned souls...
Rejuvenation: a very straight foreward branch of magic. mages talented in this branch dedicate themselves to healing the sick and the wounded as well as removing curses.
Destruction: another very basic branch. those that walk the path of this branch are terror's to face, bringing arcane doom to all that stand in thier wake.
these are the four "branches" of magic. however, there are several streams of magic these "streams" (named for when a person uses magic, they often feel as if they are dipping thier hands in water )are the elements that the mage can tap into, and all mages are weary of a rule known as "the Silver pyramid"...which is a warning to mages not to dabble in more than three elements...lest they loose thier souls and become an elemental due to the strain on the mortal vessel. with that being said, the streams of magic are as follows. keep in mind you may need to select two streams to reach the compound element you may desire for your character.
Fire: flames, smoke
Water: water, ice
Wood: plants, acid
Earth: rocks and earth
Wind: wind, gravity
Light: light
Shadow: shadows
Fire+Earth=Metal
Light+Wind or Fire+Wind=Lightning
Fire+Shadow or Light+Shadow=Chaos: Unholy energy
Fire+Light or Water+Light or Wood=Divine : Holy energy
FURTHERMORE. every element is weak against another, with the exception of the compounds. the elemental weakness's are listed below.
Fire ---> beats Wood
Water ---> beats Fire
Wood ---> beats Water
Earth ---> beats Wind
Wind ---> beats Earth
Light ---> beats Shadow
Shadow ---> beats Light
Character sheets
here is where i will lay out what i want for each character. be descriptive, be creative. the theme here will be a realistic RP, but that does not mean you cannot play characters with blue hair and the like. however, i do not want any supermen and goku's here, so let me give you a power rating and where the characters should be.
joke: small harmless bugs like ants
weak: small animals and the like
normal: weaponless humans and the like. can be a threat in certain situations.
powerful: dangerous creatures that may have some magic, or are armed in some way that can make it easy to harm others.
viscous: very dangerous beings, users of magic or creatures of great strength that is more than a match for one or more.
legendary: beings that can kill groups of others effortlessly, and are told of in stories of heroism or fear.
epic: beings that can lay waste to whole towns or cities, a dire threat that is best avoided whenever possible.
divine: a threat to entire realms and worlds, or he protectors and creators of them.
if possibly, lets try to keep main characters within Powerful-Visciou power levels...and the stronger the character, the more character flaws or weakness's they must have...which brings me to the character sheets themselves.
in one way or another, the characters have to be affiliated with the new mercenary guild, "The Black Lions" more on this later. this guild is accepting people from all factions to handle all kinds of jobs, from healing the sick to killing a certain target.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name:
Species:
Age:
Height:
Weight:
Blood Type:
Eye Color:
Hair Color:
Skin Color:
Magic Branches: (here you post your branch choices. the one you major in, and the one you minor in. the majored branch is the one you plan on using most. these are classifications of your spellstyle. the choices are Rejuvenation, Destruction, or conjuration. you may select 2)
Magic Streams: (Mastered, Adept, Dabbled.)
Primary Weapon:
Ranged Weapon: (optional)
Back up Weapon: (optional, daggers, knives etc)
Character strengths: (can have your character be something above the ordinary or different from the norm. must balance this with the weakness's)
Character weakness's:
Fears: (what your character has nightmares of)
Dreams: (things your character strives for or desires)
Appearance: (if you want to use a picture instead of having others use thier imagination)
Shifted appearance:
Position of the character in the companionship: (healer, tank, support, damage dealer...or give me a class, or purpose...Paladin, Diplomat, Blade dancer...etc)
History of the character:
Sample of your writing while in character: (optional, but preffered)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FILLED POSITIONS WITHIN THE COMPANIONSHIP
Leader-
Tank-
Damage -
Damage -
Damage -
Healer -
Healer-
Support -
Support:
Support -
go ahead and post your characters in this thread, ask questions and discuss things. you can edit them before we officially began if so desired. welcome aboard, Lions. lets get down to buisness.
Undying Oath: Honor Calls, Glory beckons, Bravery roars!! now, how will you answer?! - Aldrennar Greatfang, King of fangs.
those belonging to the undying oath reside in the northern terratories of the world. tough, strong and resiliant. these warriors have adapted to a viking like culture mixed with Gaelic and Greek undertones. above all things, they respect the three virtues of courage, honor and respect. they are warlike, and have been known to raid factionless settlements.
Major cities or settlements:
Khazelduur: The famed capital of the dwarves. Located deep within heart of the Fang mountians, it is truly a sight to behold. massive columns inlaid with prescious gems line the sprawling halls of polished stones. here, the sound of hammers on anvil match the chanted song of the mountain as the dwarves mine deep into the roots of the world in search of ore and gems. it is the seat of the current Emperor of Iron, the fabled Forgemaster Thoroden Whitehammer. an anciant dwarf who is said to have created the weapons for the nine heroes on their final, doomed quest.
Lysvaskr: this is the Capital of the slith. buildings built for giants lay in the shadow of the Fang mountains, and directly adjacent to this city is the Bay of scales. this is one of the three major ports of the world, and those who visit it would know what it feels like to be a fae in fairy form. here, the Slith bring the spoils of thier victories, bellying up to bars on stools five feet high to nurse barrel sized flagons of dwarven mead or elvish spirits. Lysvaskr is also the location of the Grand arena, a place for volunteer gladiators or reanactments of glory attract species from far and wide. here, the king of fangs Alndrennar Greatfang watches the coasts of his people, ensuring that the "golden age" of his kind continues.
Valoria: the Last city of the angel's, now known as the Valkyrie. the fall of this once powerful species does not show here, as massive elegant temples of marble hold libraries of wealth and knowledge. yet the msot attractive feature about the city is not for its architecture, but for its view. known as one of the most beautiful locations in the world, this city sits atop the largest sky island in existance, and is widely known as he city of romance. here, the last city is ruled by the six winged valkyrie Novanna Dawn, who searches endlessly for a spell to save her dying race.
economics: the masterful race of the dwarves provide most of this factions goods. the dwarves forge weapons and armor, supplying them to the Slith. the slith in turn, use these weapons in raiding, as mercenaries, or body guards. the spoils of successful jobs and conquests are often traded back to the dwarves for weapons, mead or the like, thus creating a cycle that runs most of the economy in the faction. the valkyrie occasionally provide a boost, doing much of the same job as the slith. however, the valkyrie are much more magically adept than either the slith or the dwarves, and are often employed as runemasters to enchant the masterwork weapons, or provide a much needed magical insight for the two races that generally distrust magic users.
Dwarves: A race known as widely for its Stubborness and Craftsmanship as it is for its never ending lust for gold. widely it is joked that the name of this faction was in fact named after a dwarf's desire for gold. Standing just under five feet on average, dwarves are generally build like small bears. Resiliance and wisdom is treasured greatly amongst dwarven culture, and elder dwarves are looked up to in a sort of awe. the longer a dwarves beard, the more his kin will heed his words and the more he can charge for his crafsmanship. furthermore, never mess with a dwarves beard. or his ale. more than one mischievious sprite or lich has found themselves on the less than friendly side of an axe this way.
Strengths and abilities: Dwarves are tough. a fully grown dwarf can take a beating from a slith if need be, and walk away better off than other species. they also do not get poisoned, or sick easily due to thier harsh diet's. more than one dwarf has eaten rock in order to tell if it is closer to a rich vein of ore or gemstone. furthermore, thier long lives exposed to rock and dirt make them taste nasty to monsters, and unlikely the first target for a surprise attack. lastly, Dwarves are incredibly resistant to magic, and able mage killers.
Weakness's: Dwarves are a greedy race, attracted to shiny objects much like goblins are. albeit, in a much more intelligent manner. gold can change a dwarf if he has too much of it...make him cruel and uncaring. they are also notorioously stubborn, even if they are wrong...this inflexability has caused the dwarves to generally despise other races that do not share thier ideals. lastly, dwarves are incapable of using magic. the winds of magic to not blow for this race, however...such is thier inherant resiliance against magic, that they are able to handle raw runes of magic with no ill effect, allowing them to create wonderous items of magic with the help of those...a little more intuned with magic.
Slith: treasuring the thrill of battle and challenges of all kinds, the slith are a race of half man, half dragon. Slith are one of three shifting races aside from the fae and beastkin. thier human form is most often a tall, muscular being clad in a northern mesh of halfplate armor and furs. general height of a slith in human form is 6-8 feet in height. however, it is not thier human size that gives them notoriety. when shifting, the slith grows, loosing thier legs in exchange for a sprawling tail covered in thick, armored scales and powered by muscles (and often an empty belly). a shifted slith can reach 15-30 feet from tail tip to crown, and if they were to rise up on thier tail, they may reach twenty feet in height! matching monsterous beasts such as Troll, Giants, and the Wendigo. the Slith are well known as the best bodyguards money can buy, and travelling caravans would much rather feed a slith and pay him his or her weight (shifted form naturally) in gold than purchase a whole rank and file of guards. seeing a slith in battle would make this seem cheap, due to thier otherworldly strength. more than one common bar room joke is that of a human knight who descided to seek a mistress instead of coming home to his slith wife. it is said she found out, and such was her rage that she struck him with her tail, and such was the force of the blow it sent both he and his fully armored warhorse ten feet into the air and to the east before he hit the ground. furthermore, Slith have inherited several abilities from snakes, such as the ability to "taste-scent" or go without eating for a long period of time. however, the later is not reccomended.
Strengths: Strong enough to wrestle with a giant, and born with thick skin to repel most arrows and scales thick enough on thier tails to turn blades...Slith's are a nightmare to fight. now, imagining such strength armed with dwarf steel is enough for most...but not all slith are limited to such. some slith are born with "tongues" as they are known...while it has nothing to do with the actual tongue of the slith, having one of these does give a slith another trick up thier very large sleeves.
Dragon tongue: Slith's born with these traits generally have metallic colors to thier scales, instead of having them resemble an actual snakes. furthermore, their scales are edged like those of a dragon. these slith's can breath fire the same color of thier scales.
Hydra tongue: Sliths born with this trait are generally faster and smaller than thier kin...however, they have minor regenerating abilities. a removed limb can heal back in a month if not exposed to disease or fire.
Wyvern tongue: Sliths born with this trait generally have elongated canines, and their bites can be toxic. furthermore, they can spit venom.
Wyrm tongue: Sliths born with this trait generally have dull scales, but grow larger and stronger than thier kin. on occasion, scales cover parts of thier body that they normally would not, and thier scales are often thicker and tougher than those of thier kin.
Quetzyl Tongue: Slith's born with this trait are intune with the winds of magic, and can cast spells. generally they are smaller than the average slith, and have brightly colored scales.
weakness's: Slith are stubborn like dwarves, and are often bully other races. however, most fear slith because they simply do not view other species in the same light. Dwarves and Valkyrie need not fear them, But Slith eat and drink alot...and can eat and drink more. like a snake, Slith can consume things far bigger than themselves, and have been known to consume humans, elves and fae....alive...like a snake. noone wants the last thing they see to be the suffocating innards of a monster...and often, slith loose themselves to blood rages in combat, often making them a danger to both ally and foe.
Valkyrie: The valkyrie were once a proud and strong race, worshipped as gods while they flew through the sky, delivering justice with thier intese magical powers. once, they were known as angels...and once, thier cities would light up the midnight sky's like miniature moons. however, those days have gone. now, they are a dying race. a inexplainable strain of infertility has struck the race, thier numbers dwindling from the frequent battles or other misfortunes. now, there are but a few left in this world. Valkyrie have lost much of thier magic powers, and now it takes many years for a valkyrie's wings to appear. for a valkyrie only is able to "ascend" when he has gained enough magical power, and learned enough in the arcane arts that the wings break free of thier flesh. the valkyrie are a fair race, reknown as much for thier beauty and grace as for thier sense of justice. manytimes, criminals from across factions are tried within the platinum courtrooms of the valkyrie...and none despute the verdicts.
strengths: The Valkyrie are as adept at fighting with a blade as they are casting spells. known for some of the best warmages around, Valkyrie are rare...but a distinct threat when faced. yet none are more terrifying than the archangel's. for when a valkyrie grows more than one pair of wings, so does thier magic powers. Valkyrie can cast spell's while wearing armor, and do not need to focus.
weakness's: A valkyrie's sense of justice will often get them into trouble. and those whos wings have sprouted will find that thier wings are extremely sensative to the touch, and injuring them will cause the valkyrie unable to use her magic until it heals.
Order of the Jade Lotus: go forth into the world. delve deep into the hearts of darkness, and free the light. -Shogun Kinkoro
those belonging to the order of the jade lotus reside primarily in the deep woods of the Gold leaf forest, an immense forest that is forever trapped in a state of eternal autumn, the magic within maintaining this state. distrustful of outsiders, the order generally manipulates the twisting paths in the woods, leading travelers away from the path's leading to thier villages and cities. inquisitive, careful and thoughtful commonly descibe those belonging to the jade order. thier culture's reflect an interesting meshing of asian cultures with undertones of gaelic, most commonly seen amongst the elves.
- Major cities or settlements:
Odayakanaumi no machi: the capital city of the beastkin. the elegant city is built on the side of the solitary jade moutain, on the most fertile soil in the known lands. clean springs burst forth from many locations on this flat mountain, creating slow moving, winding streams between the settlements. known by some as "the city of bridges" for ther prevalence. here, Shogun Kinkoro, also known as the albino sage, rules over the beastkin. said to be the wisest being alive, he is said to have found the way to true harmony, and seeks to share i with those around him, here, matial artists, samurai and those following the path of ninjutsu learn to master thier arts and talents. furthermore, it boasts the biggest library of "light" arts and magic in existance.
Viridium: the fabled capital of the elves. seldom seen by all but thier allies, it i said that this city resides in the canopy of the mother of all trees, the first plant to ever grow and planted by the elder gods. residing in houses and palaces made of leaves and wood, elves keep watch over the surrounding woods from thier high vantage point, thier keen eyes matched only by thier Giant owl mounts as they keep the woods safe from those who would wish it harm. the Mahogany Throne is held by Luinair, The lord of the glade. said to be the best marksman in the world.
Amhrán: The mythical home of the Seelie fae, and one of thier last remianing cities. there is a saying amongst treasure hunters that often the things worth striving for are hidden best from the world. and the city of Amhran is no different. protected by intense magics of concealment, it is said only a fae can find the city. while these rumors may not be entirely true, this kingdom is the hardest to find in the known realm.supposedly lying in the shadow of the great jade mountain, this realm is hidden away in the heart of the wisp wood to the east. here, the trees themselves see to watch wandering travelers...and unfriendly beasts dwell within the deep fog within. once found however, this is a brilliant city to behold. buildings made from elegant crystal float upon the lake, thier inherent magic keeping them afloat. it is from this city that the greatest healers study the ways to thwart death, and bards learn fae music to beguile and boost thier companions. this city is watched over by queen lovella Brightsong, who is said to be able to give life back to even the dead.
Economics: the Jade order funds itself through various tasks and employments, often taking jobs as accomplished mages or guardsman, putting them in competition with the other factions. however, the trade that the Jade order is most well known of is in produce. fruits, vegtables, meats, especially medicine and even cosmetics! the fertile soil on the jade mountain produces the best fruits and vegetables by far, while the elves are expert huntsman. the fae truly add the most to the faction with thier many natural remedies, including the famed "wisps kiss" a potion of minor healing that is a must for all adventurers. further more, the jade order is known for works of beauty, and the artwork and craftsmanship of the jade order often fill the houses of the wealthy, despite thier factional standings.
Beast kin: A semi common race of humanoids in the known world. and yet, the true villages and homes of these people are hard to find. Beast kin look like humans, possessing animal like ears atop their heads as well as tails, many find these beings "cute". however, depending on who you talk to saying such a thing may get your scratched...or bit. Beast Kin are adaptable like humans and elves, and often provide a mulitude of services. Beaskin come in a variety of builds and sizes, from the tall and burly bear luinian and the small and agile dormouse chuchan, but are also the most fertile species in the known world, often producing "litters" of children instead of one or two. this allows the population to explode during times of plenty, but are often hit the hardest during famine.
Strengths: Beast Kin are resourceful beings, much like humans. however, they also have several traits that put them above or beyond humanity. Beastkin are usually born of large families, such as foxes, cats, dogs and the like. these lunians retain all the abilities of the animals they resemble, as well as any weakness's. canine luinians have heightened sense of smell and so forth, feline luinians have incredable grace and the ability to see in the dark. furthermore, all luinians have retractable claws, and most have sharp teeth...meaning that an unarmed luinian, is not exactly weaponless. but perhaps the two biggest traits of luinains are thier ability to shift into the animal they resemble, and the most famous of all, the ability to consume the spirit energy or magic from a fallen foe.
A beast kin can grow in magical power the more "essence" he or she has devored. how magically adept a luinian is can be measured quite simply through thier tails. the more tails a beast kin has, the more of a threat they can be....even developing further abilities as they develop more tails.
2 tails: the ability to float a foot off the floor can be activated at will. moving requires energy and the luinian will become exausted just as if they were sprinting.
3 tails: using magical spells are not as taxing, elementals are more likely to be friendly.
4 tails: the beast kin can float without tiring except when moving. basic movement speed is increased, (can run faster, longer etc.) wild creatures are more likely to be friendly.
5 tails: The beast kin's "Wild form" can double in size. unlock the ability to cast a single basic spell at no cost. (fireball, thunderbolt, ice spear....searing light...etc. not a heal spell, AOE spell, buff, or higher ranking damage spell. summons can be chosen, but only one summon. once.) humanoids become more friendly around this character.
6 tails: the beat kin's wild form gains legendary status, able to mind speak and able to cast spells in wild form as well as basic attacks being automatically imbued with magic.the beast kin also gains the ability of minor regeneration. elder beings become more friendly around them.
7 tails: can become etherial or even take on an elemental form. freely can select the Divine or Chaos magic's in addition to the three they may already have. can freely use a higher ranking spell in adition to the lower ranking one chosen at the fifth tail. can also fly.
weakness's: Beast Kin carry many unique abilties...but sadly, being part animal has its weakness's...as well as issues of thier own. the animal parts (IE: the Tail and ears) of a Beast kin are very sensitive to the touch. furthermore, it has been said that beastkin were the god's answer for humanity, for if a beast kin tastes the blood of a sentient creature, there is a strong chance he/she may become addicted to it. beast kin's murdering other species out of hunger is uncommon at most, and rare in the best places. however, this "hunger" has created a massive rift between the species, dividing the "luinians" and the "chuchan." a Chuchan despises a luinian, and vice versa. while this relationship is much more based on distrust and waryness than pure hatred....needless to say, please dont put a dormouse chuchan alone in a room with a lynx luinian. that is no different then telling the chuchan to walk down the gullet of a slith.
Chuchan: a classification for a beastkin whos animal form is not inherantly predatory. such as a deer, mouse, rabbit...etc. chuchan tend to also be slightly faster than luinians but not as strong.
Luinian: a classification for a beastkin whos animal from is inherantly predatory or can hunt. such as a bear, tiger, wolf...etc.
if a chuchan or luinian becomes addicted to blood and flesh to the point they can no longer control themselves, they begin to change. the process is slow at first...hair growing in places it shouldnt, teeth growing longer and sharper...however, if a week has passed without any form of arcane help, the luinian or chuchan becomes a Werekin, or "feral". these beasts resemble werewolves and have incredible strength matched only by thier appetite. they have also lost all form of reason. yet for those werekin who feast daily on the corpses of the fallen, may become wnedigo's....giant beasts as large as a troll with massive hooked claws and the ability to regenerate.
Elves: Elves are uncommon amongst the known world, rarely venturing out from the wooded places in the world. known for thier grace and fair features, the elves most people see are either magic scholors, bowmen, or blade dancers for hire. talented with magic and as graceful as luinians, elves are prideful race that treasures natural beauty, art and music.
Strengths: Elves are fast, agile and clever. a well trained elf will dance circles around her opponent, laughing at thier clumsy strikes as they slowly wittle thier opponent down, wether from elegant strokes of a blade, a whispered spell, or the musical note from a bowstring. elves also are able to make use of thier inherant charisma, for most people would much rather speak to a pretty face than the battle scarred features of a dwarf.
Weakness's: when a luinian tell's an elf he or she looks tasty, it may not entirely lead to a good time for the elf. in battle, monster's will usually target the elf first, not simply because they taste good either. elves are frial, thier bones are hollow, allowing the elf to move about quickly and weigh only a portion of other's thier size. however, thier hollow bones in addition to thier silky, thin skin means that they are quite prone to damage...elves take less to kill than any other species...oh, and yeah...theyre tasty to monsters.
Seelie Fae: fairies, Sprites, the Deana shee....the fae come in many names and many branches. for every basic element, there is a fae for them. said to have been one of the first species to exist, they are an anciant race...said to have been the offspring of a god and an elemental. yet life was not kind for the fae, and they are widely hunted for thier body parts and organs which are needed for some dark potions and malevolent sorcery. furthermore, a civil war occured between the seelie and unseelie fae in times long forgotten. this war led to the separation of the seelie and unseelie fae. the seelie chose to remain in the woods, while the unseelie went in search of more power and magic...now, this dying race struggles to survive as best they can.
strengths: The fae are the most magically adept race aside from elementals. there are five races of fae, and these races are each born with an inherant element. fae are autumatically masters at this element, and may choose three others for free. furthermore, Fae can cast spells without speaking. furthermore, fae all have wings, and can fly. the wings can be elemental(leaf wings, snowflake wings, etc) or insect-esque. lastly, a fae can choose to shrink at will, converting every foot of thier heigh into inches. (ex: a 5.07 foot fae can shift into a 5.07 inch fae) this is extremely helpful for fae seeking the path of an asassin or rogue.
Flame Fae: these fae may choose to master fire freely. often they have brightly colored hair and aggressive personalities. these fae are the most likely to abandon the fae capital to try and forge thier own life. wild and free, these fae are the second most common kind to be found in the cities outside the faction.
Wind Fae: these fae may choose to master wind freely. they are adventurous and often mischievious and carefree. these fae often leave the lands of thier birth in search of adventure, and often work as mercenaries for high paying merchants. they are the most common kind of fae outside the jade order.
Earth Fae: these fae can choose to master earth freely. calm, reserved and relaxed. these fae often do not go seraching for adventure, and are instead more content with a more mundane life. commonly choosing the pathof the martial artist, thse fae often make thier home in the beast kin capital.
Wood Fae: these fae can choose to master wood element freely. normally energetic and with a whole range of different personalities, these are the most common form of fae within the faction. these fae are the most often seen within thier own cities and villages, not fully trusting those of other species. furthermore, these fae prefer to live thier live productively, cooking, farming and the like.
Water Fae: these fae can choose to master the water element freely. the rarest of all fae, water fae are known for thier shy and reclusive nature. these fae almost never stay outside the faction, and are rare even within. these fae claim to have the best of all healers.
Weakness's: Fae are a widely hunted race for thier body parts. it is said that the heart of a fae can permanently increase a person's ability to tap into magic. fae blood is said to have de-aging properties...the list goes on. furthermore, Fae MUST shift into thier small form once a day for no less than one hour, or they will wake up the next day unable to cast spells from one of thier branches. after that, every subsequent day without shifting will remove the fae's ability to cast magic from a elemental stream. when all the magic streams have been removed, the fae is forced to shift forms, and remains that size for the rest of thier life.....oh....and without magic.
however, if a fae shifts before the day his last stream has been disabled, he can recover his other streams or magic branches. for every disabled stream, the fae must spend an hour small to recover it.
Eternal Night: You hear often from other's to "follow the light" and may the light from one of their god's guide them. However, one must ponder…why follow the light when every time the light arrives at its destination, darkness is always there first? – Salem BlackWarden, Arch necromancer and the keeper of the black library.
Those belonging to the faction of eternal night are often described as Dark, mysterious, often suspiscious individuals that inspire feelings of discomfort with no true reason. Located far in the southwest, most of those who claim allegiance to this faction reside in the black desert and the neighboring area's. most famous of all locations within are the feared Howling Forest or the obsidian city. This faction has a strong mesh of gothic and Arabic, while some places and species have some French and Germanic cultures. This faction welcomes outsiders, but even those who belong to this faction are wary of many locations within…
- Major Cities or settlements:
Noctvania: a massive, sprawling city located deep within the black desert, its Huge, sprawling buildings and gothic cathedrals blackened by the exposure to the sun are connected to one another through the Black cobblestone streets lined with obsidian and onyx. This city is home to those studying the darker sides of magic…necromancer's, voodoo priests, and the like perfect their sorcery and study deep into the night. most commonly known as "the city of candles" to outsiders, due to the fact that no lanterns or torches light the streets at dark, but are instead dimly illuminated by the cold glow of candles in the windows of the studious mages. The Lich call this place home, living freely and without fear of persecution. Most travelers who visit this place do so to read from the fabled Black library, which boasts the largest collection of knowledge on the more fell things in this world…and none more are more proud of this than the Phantom King Shade NightBlood, A lich necromancer who is said to have command over a legion of the damned, and has seen the after-realm. It is not an uncommon sight to see the dead walking these streets. Furthermore, this city is also the most technologically advanced of the cities in the known world, for while Dark mages study and practice their arts by night, the sound of steam piston's and machinery echo through the city by day as alchemist's strive to create the worlds next greatest invention.
Siluna: this is the city of the demons, and home to the peddlers of the black market. Carved into the side of a deep ravine in the earth known as the mouth of the world, this is the general destination for slavers, faehunters, and escaped criminals. Yet despite this citites bad reputation, it is one of the richest in the known world…filled with massive, sprawling mansions and premium markets. Merchants and travelers with both good and ill intentions venture here to barter and buy goods, but one must be careful in this land. The city is run by the Arch demon Darathorn Fellbane, who is rumored to be the head of the black market, leading the feared "Oni" group. It is said he can grant any person's wish….for a price. Demon's tend to claim this city is their capital, and generally frequent this city more than others.
Lobhadscath: Lorded over by the masked Obsidion empereror, Zerfell Dread, who is said to be the last of the 9 heroes, this is not a city spoken of lightly, nor in good company. This is the unseelie fae capital, known as the "city of oblivion." It is hidden deep within the fog shrouded Hell mire…a dangerous swamp filled with the vengeful dead, madness tainted elemental's or worse. Massive walls of obsidian guard the outer city, which allows scarce few visitors. Generally those who enter the city and who are not of unseelie blood are prisoners, slaves, or have a much crueler fate. This is the city where elite assasin's are trained, and only those chosen at birth by unseelie are allowed to learn the art of death within. However, a second wall blocks entry to the inner city. The entry to the inner city is forbidden to all non unseelie, and guarded by the fabled "Executioners"…elite guardsmen wearing black full plate and wielding massive two handed axes. These soldiers stand silent and unmoving at the gates entry point, their faces hidden within the shadows of their spiked helms. They almost would seem asleep, until one makes the mistake of attempted entry. None but the unseelie know what lies beyond those gates, and they are content to keep their secret.
Economics: For a nation that provides very little exports of its own, it is surprisingly the richest of the three factions. Those within the faction will claim that most of their money is made from the export of powerful artifacts recovered from the many ruins around the desert, or perhaps the new technology created by the alchemist's and many engineers in the city of candles. However, it is not hard to see that the true bulk of their finances comes from the black market in Siluna. Cheap labor provided by slaves helps the economy grow, while luinian tail's, fae wings, as well as potent pleasure drugs and the like are provided by this faction…and although the order of the jade lotus has brought up many complaints against this, the faction of eternal night seems no sighn's of stopping, and the faction of the Undying Oath seems content to turn a blind eye to this.
Lich: in times long past, lich were once hunted throughout the land, believed to be agents of madness. If one knew the things they are capable of, it would not be hard to see why. Liches appear as pale humans, often with stitches on their joints or bandages. Some may even appear corpse like, with pallid skin and the like. However, the appearance of a lich changes gradually as dusk approaches. A liches's eyes slowly begin to change colors the later the hour, eventually causing the blackness of the pupil to seemingly "bleed out" into they rest of the eye while whitening. The result is a complete swap of coloring, giving a lich pitch black eyes with a ring of color surrounding a white pupil. Generally liches stand at the average height to a human, and may have pointed ears like that of an elf or even a bat. Liches generally do not stray out of lands controlled by the faction of eternal night, for they are mistrusted and often feared by the other species for both their often unsettling appearance and abilities.
Strengths: Liches are by far the most versatile of all the species, with a wide arsenal of haunting abilities. However, part of what makes a lich so powerful is their unpredictability. One lich may have abilities another does not, and can be incredibly unsettling.
below is a list of abilities that a lich may be born with. When creating a lich, two may be chosen for free. Any further abilities must purchase in exchange for an elemental stream. (Ex: three abilities means you may only choose two streams.) place any lich abilities in the magic section. Furthermore, keep in mind that many lich abilities cause psychological trauma as opposed to physical. Those abilities will not effect things that have no psychology (constructs like golems) and have less an effect on opponents stronger than the lich, or who are protected by spells.
Necrotic Grip: if a lich attempts an unarmed strike on a target, or even a willful touch, the lich may choose to freely channel the energy of death into their skin. If their bare skin touches the opponents, it will cause the target(s) exposed flesh to rot and burn. The longer the exposure to the liche's bare skin, the worse the damage. If given enough time, a lich can reduce a grappled opponent literally to bones.
Ghost Step: The lich can turn incorporeal, stepping for a brief period out of the material plane. A lich can then walk through solid objects as if they were not there. This requires concentration to work however, as well as brief time where the lich slowly begins to fade from sight. Note, that the lich can choose to go invisible while using this ability, however this will doubly the fatigue that the lich acquires upon using this ability. Furthermore, a lich cannot pass through an enchanted object, and if they pass through a living being that being becomes overcome with nausea and is unsettled, chilled and slowed by the effect. Many describe the feeling as being stuck in a spider's web.
Zombie Flesh: (counts as two abilities) The lich's body does not truly live under the law's of science, or seemingly any other law. A lich with this ability is technically dead by all scientific accounts. They can survive having limbs, organs and the like removed or damaged without any true effect. However, a chopped off limb is still chopped off, and will need to sown back on to function properly or healed using rejuvenation magic. In addition, the lich does not feel pain. This ability does not work for enchanted weapons or other wounds caused from elemental or magical means.
Phantom form: (counts as two abilities) here, the lich shifts into a horrifying specter! Their body becomes ethereal, and their appearance changes as if they were truly dead and were rotting in some unmarked grave. Here, the lich can choose to alter their appearance for a brief time straight to something out of a nightmare. However, it must be some form of ghost or undead, a lich cannot use this form to take on the appearance of a dragon or the like. Anything the the lich does in this state is incredibly taxing, but all physical attacks in this form ignore mundane weapons and armor. Furthermore, opponents weaker than the lich can be directly effected by what is known as "terror stacking". In this state, the foe's heart beats so fast he becomes more likely to suffer a heart attack the further he/she is frightened! (Technically all lich abilities can cause terror stacking if used correctly. One must be crafty when using them however, or they may not frighten target(s) further.)
Banshee keen: the lich stops what he/she is doing to channel her energy of undeath (takes a action round) then release it into a heart stopping scream! This scream at the very least startles opponents, but more often causes opponents to run in terror! This scream can also be used to target individuals, and if that individual has an enchantment on his or her person, that enchantment is removed briefly.
Vampiric strength: A lich with this ability has the physical strength equivalent to that of a Slith.
Hungry Souls: A lich with this ability must have at least one elemental stream. At will, the lich can throw a screaming skull of elemental energy at the opponent! Once bitten by the skull, the skull will drain a small amount of spiritual energy from the opponent and transfer it to the lich before exploding in elemental energy! An opponent struck by this attack becomes lethargic, and much more susceptible to fear. The element that the skull is made of is at the character's discretion so long as he/she has that spell.
Spider Crawl: a lich can crawl up verticle objects like a spider, as well as hang from cielings and the like.
weakness's: though it is hard to know what abilities a lich has, all liches have the same weakness's. a lich must drink blood. In addition to the more mundane needs of water and food, a lich requires the magical essence and energy found within the blood of others. Without this, the lich completely looses its lich abilities as well as access to the streams of magic. However, depending on the kind of blood a lich drinks, they can go longer without needing to drink again. Liches can gain this blood by hunting and biting another sentient being, or purchasing blood through vendors or willing donors. The length of time a lich can go without feeding are listed below. A lich must drink no less than one pint for the full effect.
6 hours: animals.
12 hours: mythical animals (dragons, unicorns and pheonix's not included)
1 day: humans, elves, dwarves.
2 days: beast kin, slith, demons, Valkyrie.
3 days: seelie fae, unseelie fae, elementals.
Furthermore, Liches are vulnerable to light magic, and cannot be healed by rejuvenation spells using the light stream. If they chose to take shadow as one of their elemental streams, this weakness stacks. Lastly, Liches exude a very unsettling aura…animals become hostile to lich's if they sense them, and will at the very least make an effort to leave the presence of a lich. Sentient creatures also feel uncomfortable around lich's, and will normally try to avoid them or make a lich go away. As a general rule, stranger's are generally hostile to lich's as well…so if the companions are trying to talk to someone for information or a favor, it is best for the lich to not in the room at the time.
Demons: Once, Demon's and Valkyrie were at war with one another, the two seeking to completely wipe out the other. The great battles between these two races has long since faded into the history books, but the spite the two feel towards one another is still present to this day. Demons are much like Valkyrie, but do not share the valkyrie's love for law. Demon's commonly appear similar to elves or humans, and may have reddish skin. Widespread around the world, generally every location harbors a demon or two, for they are able to fit in quite easily. a young demon may have a long, imp like tail...however, they do not grow thier wings out till much later.
strengths: much like their Valkyrie twins, Demons are just as adept at using magic as they are fighting hand to hand. Furthermore, Demon's also need experience and magical powers for their wings to sprout. However, there is one distinct difference between demon's and Valkyrie…and that is the species has divided into two, the Balith and the Selken.
Raklith: these demons have the ability to shift into a monstrous form, similar to that of a balrog from Tolkien literature. These monsterous demon's boast incredible strength and power. Covered in a thick hide of rocky scales, most weapons have difficulty piercing their hide.Those who choose to be a Raklith Demon must choose fire as well as shadow amongst their elemental options.
Selken: these demons do not have a shifted form, however they exhude a soothing and seductive aura, making those of the opposite sex more open to suggestion. Furthermore, The silken are accomplished caster's, and can cast spell's using the energy around them as opposed to pulling it from their own energy. However, these spells can only be of the shadow element, and the spells that canbe cast is dependant on the availability of darkness.
Weakness's: Demon's are powerful creatures, able to handle most situations and fights that come thier way. however, All demons have a distinct weakness against divine energy, and while being struck by a divine spell does not harm them more than usual, it drains thier physical and magical energy. a demon can be reduced to an unconscious state if they are exposed to divine energies for too long, even those which are not intended to harm. lastly, all demon's must choose shadow as one of thier elemental streams, and must choose destruction as one of the branches.
Unseelie fae: Known as Dark fae, Unseelie fae are almost the exact twins as thier seelie relatives. long ago, a large group of fae disagreed with their seelie breathren. Resenting thier peaceful ways and refusal to explore the darker magic's of the world, these fae fought against thier breathren, trying to force them to change. in time, the seelie prevailed, forcing the unseelie from thier homes. outcasts, they made a pilgramage to the darker wilds and settled there.. thier long exposure to this changed them. unseelie fae despise all seelie fae, and often prefer to fight them instead of talking.
Strengths: seelie fae and unseelie fae have the same strengths, however they have differing branches of fae than the seelie. every fae child is born with an inherant element. fae are autumatically masters at this element, and may choose three others for free. furthermore, Fae can cast spells without speaking. furthermore, fae all have wings, and can fly. the wings can be elemental(leaf wings, snowflake wings, etc) or insect-esque. lastly, a fae can choose to shrink at will, converting every foot of thier heigh into inches. (ex: a 5.07 foot fae can shift into a 5.07 inch fae) this is extremely helpful for fae seeking the path of an asassin or rogue.
Bramble fae: these fae's may choose the Wood elemental stream for free. often mischivious and impish, these fae are the most common of the unseelie fae, most choosing to leave thier forest home in search of quick riches.
Frost Fae: these fae may choose the Water elemental stream for free. often appearing aloof and aristocratic, these fae often choose to remain in thier villages and cities, often beleiving themselves to be the most pure and powerful branch of fae.
Blight Fae: these fae may choose the shadow elemental stream for free. often sporting dark hair and chilling eyes, these fae are concidered the rarest of the unseelie...yet that is debatable, for nearly every blight fae is raised as an assasin...and what good is an assasin if he or she is seen?
Weakness's: Fae are a widely hunted race for thier body parts. it is said that the heart of a fae can permanently increase a person's ability to tap into magic. fae blood is said to have de-aging properties...the list goes on. furthermore, Fae MUST shift into thier small form once a day for no less than one hour, or they will wake up the next day unable to cast spells from one of thier branches. after that, every subsequent day without shifting will remove the fae's ability to cast magic from a elemental stream. when all the magic streams have been removed, the fae is forced to shift forms, and remains that size for the rest of thier life.....oh....and without magic.
however, if a fae shifts before the day his last stream has been disabled, he can recover his other streams or magic branches. for every disabled stream, the fae must spend an hour small to recover it.
Factionless: "do not underestimate the strength of the outcast. One cannot tell at a glance the trials they have been through...and they are often chock full o' surprises." - Loec Everbright.
Those who do not have a faction come in all shapes and sizes, and each has a tale to tell. They are the wanderer's, the mercenaries, the outcasts and outlaws. Perhaps they left thier faction's, seeking to make a living outside the expectations of thier peers...maybe they were forced to leave, a wrongful conviction perhaps? Or even they may have been born factionless, free at birth from any ties. Any species can be factionless, but three are known for not bieng apart of a faction...wether it is because they are too numerous, or simply choose to remain nuetral. Every indiidual factionless person has thier reason's. The two "factionless" species are humans and elementals.
Greywall: also known as the free city. Here, all species are welcome within the massive, dwarf stone structure. Created as a last stand during the last great war, craftsmanship from all the species can be found within. Therefore, while the exterior of the city appears dull, the interior is a mesh of cultures. Located near the center of the continent, greywall is often used as a point of reference for travellers as well as a safe stop for both travellers and merchants. Ruled by the young human king Magnus Dawnstrider, he struggles to gain enough support to declare a fourth faction welcome to all. Many scoff at such an idea, but a growing mercenary guild known as the "Black Lions" is turning heads with both its success and its open species policy. Led By a veteran mercenary Beast kin known Loec Everbright, And his Slith wife Joanne, he boasts that his guild has mercenaries for every job.
Economy: The factionless are an ideal, but broke psuedo faction. the closest thing to a "factionless" faction is the Black lion guild, or other such mercenary guilds. Greywall may be a kingdom, but it is hardly a faction. both the guild and the city of greywall will take what they can get and export what they can.
Humans: the newest of the species. human's arrived when Earth toppled through a rift in dimension's approxamately in the 10th century, smashing into the side of the planet. trillions were killed in the impact and following disaster's. in time, the gods managed to repair the broken planets, using pieces from both to form one whole planet. at first, human's were treated as cockroaches...so numerous were they, that they were hunted for sport. human's eventually fought back, using what they could salvage and make on the run. then, a surging army of madness sweeped across the lands, forcing humans and the other species to unite to fend them off. other species may have scored a victory when the agents of madness were forced back, but humans scored more than that....they became recognized as a true species and were no longer hunted....mostly.
strengths:Human's are the most numerous of all the species, and have foot holds in all three factions. furthermore, they have adapted to the presance of magic quite well, without it truly becoming a part of them. human mages do not stack weakness's by choosing magical streams.
Weakness's: Human's do not have the same magical stamina as other races, and quickly become exhausted if they use magic too much. the cost of using magic for human's is doubled.
Elementals: (those planning on playing a caster with the conjuration branch look here)
Elementals are native to all area's where the veils between the worlds of mortals and the Planes of Magic are thin. They can be found in places where the elements are at their most Pure, Or summoned from the Five Planes of Magic. Elementals can be classified according to their birth Element and their Attunement levels, and are often perfect choices as companions and protectors for summoner's. elemental's come in all different shapes, sizes, personality or even color! although, all elemntal's have some sort of Quirk that hints at thier true form, even when taking on the form of a human. this can be as simple as a flower over an ear or blue skin.
Strengths: The True strength's of an elemental come from thier magic. an elemental of a certain element can draw power not just from themselves, but from thier surroundings as well! furthermore, an elemental is immune to hostile magical spell's that match thier elmental stream, and if an elmental is at least tier three, they can shift into elemental's of a weaker tier, effectively hiding thier powers.
Weakness's: Elemental's cannot access the Conjuration branch unless they are at least T6 or "Tier six" class elmental. furhtermore, an elemental cannot choose more than two elemental streams.
The five planes: aside from the fae realm, The elementals call certain dimensions Home. These dimensions are a land created completely of one element, and are a haven to the elementals. Each of the planes is ruled over by a Elemental of unfathomable power that was created from the raw elemental forces that shaped the planet at its birth. Only elementals can enter these realms or leave them. And no one can enter them without an elemental's blessing or presence..otherwise, such is the concentration of elemental power in these realms, the vsitor's will simply turn into the respective elements upon entering.
Fire: a world filled by only flames. Lava forms blazing rivers between blazing ruby walkways of solid fire, while flames cover everything in a thickness akin to oxygen on earth.
Earth: this Plane is a planet covered in nothing but mountains and valleys. Halls carved deep into the mountain's are lined with Agate while gargantuan crystals light the way to the core of this world.
Water: This Plane is a Planet covered in the dark, fathomless depths of an all encompassing ocean. Currents of water lead to a moving city made completely out of solidified bubbles, located at the very core of this world.
Wood: This Plane is created from a massive tree of impossible preportions. Continents made from roots and leaves rise stretch and grow with every passing year. Deep in the heart of this world tree lies a city made entirely from Amber.
Wind: The final Plane. It is a world of pure air, where solid clouds create castles and cities connected to one another by roads made of lightning.
for those wishing to play an elemental character, they can me at most t5.
Levels of Attunement: this is a secondary way of classifying elementals and the most detailed. A elementals "Attunement" level is a way to gauge how much powerful the connection between the elemental and its home Plane. The more powerful the Elemental, the more power they can draw from their home to themselves. However, this power is not simply in forms of might..but also in appearance and intelligence. There are seven known tiers, as listed below
T1: WISP: This is the lowest and weakest manifested form a elemental can have. They have lifespans of mere minutes and are easily manipulated. Appearing as floating, colored lights, They are attracted to pure sources of their element, and are often used by travelers on Eden to find Food and clean water.
T2: CARBUNKLE: These are weak elementals that take on the form of small creatures with traits of their original element. Ex: a squirrel with a tail of fire, etc. These beings pose little threat and have very limited intelligence and abilities. Often they are used as messengers or children's pets.
T3: THRALL: elementals with various powers. Common amongst apprentice mages for their different abilities. Often they take on the appearance of children or animals of a similar size, with characteristics linking them to their original element.
T4: KINDRED: Popular elementals of reasonable power. They are able to take humanoid form and size. They can complete various simple tasks, and do not have to entirely depend upon being near a source of power to exist once summoned. These beings are capable of higher emotions and communication. Used most often by talented apprentices or journeyman mages, or found protecting regions where their element is at its most pure. these elementals can be dangerous, but can be reasoned with or pleased.
T5: AVATAR: Rare elementals of incredible power, the powers of these elementals can stretch as far as to create a mortal body for themselves, or take on a differing elemental shape. Example: A avatar of flame can appear as a human, with organs and all the fixings. However, they can also change their form into more bestial or monsterous things, such as a lion made of fire or a Golem. Considering they can manipulate their appearance, These Beings are often powerful, beautiful, and intelligent. However, the summoning and binding of a Avatar is incredibly complex and dangerous, resulting in the death of many. The appearance of a elemental avatar is a testament of Power. However, these beings are capable of leaving their plane and entering a realm to wonder of their own power.
T6: PARAGON: An elemental of Extreme power. Often taking forms of colossal humanoids made of their original element, These beings can never be seen outside their respective plane without the abilities of a mage of immense power and talent. Able To summon storms and natural disasters, few in history have ever met the requirements to summon one, and fewer yet have.
T7: ANCIANTS: The Pure embodiment of their elements, There are only five ancient ones to ever exist. Brought to the earth before all creatures, these Biengs are the very representation of their elements. Created from the pure elemental magics the earth mother brought to bear. Such is their might that theyre power's and forms had to be sealed separately. Their power was crystalized into five gems that are hidden and protected throughout Eden, while their forms remain in their home planes. . Elementals revere these biengs as the gods of their planes.
Orwebs: a widely despised species, and one that is solitary by nature. they have no true homeland, and are the closest a sentient being can be to a monster without being truly counted as one. native to the dark places of the world, orwebs appear as attractive men or women with varying abilities and talents. yet all of them share the same, monsterous alternate form.
much like slith, an orweb's monster form is large and half humanoid...but unlike slith, thier lower body is that of a giant spider! it is because of thier alternate form that they are so widely despised, as well as thier appetite for sapian flesh. however, some nations turn a blind eye to orwebs for thier prized silk.
Strengths: An orweb is a force straight out of a childhood nightmare. not only can they shift into a monsterous form rivaling the size of a Slith or raklith, but they retain many abilities that a spider inherently has. the first and most noteworthy is the silk an orweb produces. a healthy orweb can produce a large supply of silk, and can use it for profit or for darker means...in the market, a pound of orweb silk is worth three times its weight in gold, for a single strand is equal to that of steel...essentially making silk dresses and robes give as much protection to thier wearer's as that of a full plate suit of armor! as a result, it is widely coveted by nobles and royalty as a protection against the assasin's knife...as well as battle mages for obvious reasons. the second ability of an orweb is that of its poison.an orwebs bite can be deadly, or used to immobilize. once bitten, the unforntunant soul can either become paralyzed, or slowly die due to internal bleeding as his guts turn to mush. a orweb can paralyze someone 6x a day, or poison 3x.
weakness's: Fire can burn an orwebs threads, and light spells do extreme damage to an orweb. as a result, an orweb is weak against those two elements regardless, and are surprisingly susceptable to poisons. furthermore, an orweb is fragile and can be harmed easily.
The Three Fabled Guardians:
these are intelligent humanoid's who existed far before the other species. known as the old ones, the protector's. and the guardian beast's, each of the three faction's have gained both the blessing and protection's of these mythical biengs, who claim to be favored by the gods themselves...however, if this is so, the gods show thier love in morbid ways, for these three species, The dragon, unicorn, and the pheonix are all but exinct now...thier numbers having dwindled so low that they cannot claim a single village or settlement to host only thier kin. yet if these powerful beings are to leave this world, they will do so fighting till the last breath!
Dragons
dragons are a proud, mighty race. known to be as wise as they are strong. once, the roaring of a dragon could be heard echoing across the wild plces of the world, most commonly the fang mountains, where the fertile valleys offered much sustenence for the great beasts. while thier moster form's have been recorded to reach truly colossal sizes, Dragons have the ability to take on a human form...usually prefering to take the form of a Slith male or female. however, a few dragons have been known to take on the form of an elf or human. it should be noted however, that not all dragon's are good natured...and adventurer's should be extremely weary of approaching a wild dragon...lest they wish to line his or her belly...
Strength's: The average adult dragon reaches close to thirty feet in height, and sixty feet from tail tip to snout, and only continue to grow as they age. needless to say, dragons are extremely powerful, and have the ability to breathe out bursts of elemental energy as well as fly. furthermore, dragon's have a thick hide and are covered in metallic, gem like scales. this acts just the same as if the dragon was wearing full plate armor....with exceptions. an interesting quirk about dragon's however, is that they share a love for gems and prescious metal's like the dwarves, and often collect gemstones or prescious metal's that match thier scale colors.
Weakness's: Dragon's may consider themselves perfection incarnet, but even these mighty beasts have thier weakness's and faults. the stomach and wings of a dragon is more sensative than the rest of its body, and all but the most anciant of dragons do not have scales on thier stomach. also, a dragon must choose wether it wants to cast spells, or take on its monsterous form, for a dragon cannot cast magic in its beast form. in addition, Dragon's share the same blood hunger that slith's do, and every kill a dragon makes, it becomes less aware of the presance of a companion...and like a slith, a fully grown dragon is more than capable of swallowing a human sized creature whole.
Unicorns
like Dragon's, Unicorns are a mighty and powerful race. though maybe not concidered as wise as dragon's. or as physically strong, Unicorns are the most balanced of the three elder races, carrying both equal strength and magic. in times long past, unicorns used to be present in all the wild places of the world...but now, it seems that these magnificent beings can only be encountered in the gold leaf forest. like dragon's Unicorns have the ability to take on the form's of other species, mainly the beast kin or elves. but like dragon's, unicorn's do not gain benefits or weakness's from the species they shift into.
Strength's: Unicorns are powerful creatures, able to cast magic whilst defending themselves from physical attacks. normally the size of a large horse, Unicorns can cast magic while in beast form, and have default access to the divine elemental stream. furthermore, the horn of a unicorn is impervious to harm, and touching tainted objects with the horn purifies them...this counts towards diseases, wounds and poison as well.
Weakness's: Although unicorns are powerful creatures, and often a beauty to encounter, they are widely hunted for thier horn. it is said a single unicorn horn not only posess's the secret to immortality, but gives the holder the ability to cast spell's from the divinity stream freely. as a result, unicorn horn is the single most expensive item on the black market, if it is on sale at all...and fetches a king's ransom. further more, unicorn's are extremely sensative to the chaos magic stream, and are twice as susceptable to injury if struck with offensive spells from that stream.
Pheonix's
with a wingspan of ten feet on both wings, and a body as large as a horse, few sight's can match the pure elegance and beauty of a Pheonix in flight. blazing wings shining like a polished gem and rippling with pure elemental power. Sadly, the sky's of the known world are all but devoid of such creatures. Widely hunted for thier feathers, pheonix's dwindled in numbers until it is beleived that scarecely a handful still survive today. however, able to take on the form's of T5 elementals, human's or elves, many think that there are more pheonix's alive than popular belief's would tell you.
Strength's: where as a dragon's powers mainly come from its brute force, and the unicorn's comes from its balance, a pheonix's strength comes primarily from its magic. A pheonix counts as having mastered three elemental streams, instead of having one adept and one dabbled. lastly, if a pheonix is struck by a mortal blow, it can choose to "die", bursting into a vibrant flash of flame and burning away into ash. if the ash remains intact for an hour, the pheonix can ressurect him or herself....however, it would be wise to change into beast form upon ressurection...for while the pheonix survived the blaze, chances are thier clothes did not...then again, this may be useful for boosting companions morale and distracting enemies......right?
Weakness's: if a pheonix's ashes are disturbed upon death, it takes them a day to ressurect instead of an hour...further more, a pheonix cannot shift into an elmental that does not match the streams chosen by the pheonix. and lastly, if water or any form of liquid lands on the ashes of a pheonix, the pheonix dies permanently.
Opal Blood's
this is another name for those who are born from two different species...perhaps it is as simple as two branches of fae, or as complex as a half lich half slith. these beings are generally a combination of both thier parents, and often have abilities from both.
those wishing to play a "opal blood" character needs to send me PM or chat message so i can walk them through character creation. there are too many possible combinations for me to simply list them.
Magic
magic in this realm is accessible to all races but the dwarves, and can be used to imbue weapons with arcane might and abilities, heal the wounded, summon monsters, or simply to summon a good ol' fireball to take care of all those pesky goblins! magic comes in all kinds of forms, but can be catorgorized in 4 basic branches. A character can choose a branch of magic to major in, and one to minor in, as well as three elemental "Streams" they can tap into. one mastery, one adept, and one dabbled.so two branches and up to three elements unless otherwise stated by DM or species.
Enchantment: this is a form of magic where spells are imbued into objects or people. it can be used as a blessing, as in the cases of giving weapons power, toughening an allies flesh, or cursing, which is generally debuffing or making an opponent weaker. there are three kinds of enchantments however...and these are: Runic : the act of imbuing a symbol with elemental power. this is most often seen on weapons, armor and spell scrolls, the latter of which is destroyed after use. the undying oath most often are the ones to use this form of echantment.
Songweaving: not always requiring a dandy shanty, songweaving is the act of giving an object magical power from spoken mouth. most often this is a temporary, but often more potent form of magic. however, a very powerful mage can make a songweave permanent. this form of enchanting is most often seen within the jade order.
SoulBinding: the act of giving a object some semblence of life, or worse...trapping another's consciouness, powes, and soul in something else. can be temporary (turning that grumpy, hissing slith int a cuddly, wide eyed kitten) or permanent (trapping a fire elemental in a sword). this is concidered a dark form of enchanting and is most often seen in the faction of eternal night.
Conjuration: this is a form of magic where the character can summon up familairs to fight at thier side. this is divided into either Natural or Unnatural conjuration.
Natural: the mage can summon or bind certain ELEMENTALS to themselves. Binding them requires a battle of wills between both the summoner and the elemental. this is incredably dangerous for if the witch or wizard looses this battle, the elemental may harm or even kill them.
Unnatural: the mage can summon the dead to fight for them. unnatural conjurer's must bind the spirit or spirits to them the same way as elementals. however, unnatural conjurer's have bad reputations due to some choosing to dablle into the forbidden magic's of the void and madness...and those sorcer's conjure up much more frightening entities than those of damned souls...
Rejuvenation: a very straight foreward branch of magic. mages talented in this branch dedicate themselves to healing the sick and the wounded as well as removing curses.
Destruction: another very basic branch. those that walk the path of this branch are terror's to face, bringing arcane doom to all that stand in thier wake.
these are the four "branches" of magic. however, there are several streams of magic these "streams" (named for when a person uses magic, they often feel as if they are dipping thier hands in water )are the elements that the mage can tap into, and all mages are weary of a rule known as "the Silver pyramid"...which is a warning to mages not to dabble in more than three elements...lest they loose thier souls and become an elemental due to the strain on the mortal vessel. with that being said, the streams of magic are as follows. keep in mind you may need to select two streams to reach the compound element you may desire for your character.
Fire: flames, smoke
Water: water, ice
Wood: plants, acid
Earth: rocks and earth
Wind: wind, gravity
Light: light
Shadow: shadows
Fire+Earth=Metal
Light+Wind or Fire+Wind=Lightning
Fire+Shadow or Light+Shadow=Chaos: Unholy energy
Fire+Light or Water+Light or Wood=Divine : Holy energy
FURTHERMORE. every element is weak against another, with the exception of the compounds. the elemental weakness's are listed below.
Fire ---> beats Wood
Water ---> beats Fire
Wood ---> beats Water
Earth ---> beats Wind
Wind ---> beats Earth
Light ---> beats Shadow
Shadow ---> beats Light
Character sheets
here is where i will lay out what i want for each character. be descriptive, be creative. the theme here will be a realistic RP, but that does not mean you cannot play characters with blue hair and the like. however, i do not want any supermen and goku's here, so let me give you a power rating and where the characters should be.
joke: small harmless bugs like ants
weak: small animals and the like
normal: weaponless humans and the like. can be a threat in certain situations.
powerful: dangerous creatures that may have some magic, or are armed in some way that can make it easy to harm others.
viscous: very dangerous beings, users of magic or creatures of great strength that is more than a match for one or more.
legendary: beings that can kill groups of others effortlessly, and are told of in stories of heroism or fear.
epic: beings that can lay waste to whole towns or cities, a dire threat that is best avoided whenever possible.
divine: a threat to entire realms and worlds, or he protectors and creators of them.
if possibly, lets try to keep main characters within Powerful-Visciou power levels...and the stronger the character, the more character flaws or weakness's they must have...which brings me to the character sheets themselves.
in one way or another, the characters have to be affiliated with the new mercenary guild, "The Black Lions" more on this later. this guild is accepting people from all factions to handle all kinds of jobs, from healing the sick to killing a certain target.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name:
Species:
Age:
Height:
Weight:
Blood Type:
Eye Color:
Hair Color:
Skin Color:
Magic Branches: (here you post your branch choices. the one you major in, and the one you minor in. the majored branch is the one you plan on using most. these are classifications of your spellstyle. the choices are Rejuvenation, Destruction, or conjuration. you may select 2)
Magic Streams: (Mastered, Adept, Dabbled.)
Primary Weapon:
Ranged Weapon: (optional)
Back up Weapon: (optional, daggers, knives etc)
Character strengths: (can have your character be something above the ordinary or different from the norm. must balance this with the weakness's)
Character weakness's:
Fears: (what your character has nightmares of)
Dreams: (things your character strives for or desires)
Appearance: (if you want to use a picture instead of having others use thier imagination)
Shifted appearance:
Position of the character in the companionship: (healer, tank, support, damage dealer...or give me a class, or purpose...Paladin, Diplomat, Blade dancer...etc)
History of the character:
Sample of your writing while in character: (optional, but preffered)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FILLED POSITIONS WITHIN THE COMPANIONSHIP
Leader-
Tank-
Damage -
Damage -
Damage -
Healer -
Healer-
Support -
Support:
Support -
go ahead and post your characters in this thread, ask questions and discuss things. you can edit them before we officially began if so desired. welcome aboard, Lions. lets get down to buisness.