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The Acerbus
Since the dawn of time, both elves and men, when they died, would have their souls transported behind the Veil that separated life from death. The veil provided an afterlife of sorts, though no Acerbus can remember what their existence was like on the other side and possess only incomplete memories of what their first lives had been like. After the cutting of the Veil, thousands of Acerbus escaped before the Veil closed again, blanketing Merith in human-like bodies, though with extensive and unique elemental powers. Their bodies are weak, like the living, and are susceptible to pain, damage, hunger, thirst, desires, and death in all the same way mortals are, though they are sterile. They are a breed that is both feared and loathed by men and, to a lesser extent, elves. Like animals, they have been hunted and slaughtered in droves by an elite cavalry dubbed the Orions, or Orion Knights. How an Acerbii's element was chosen upon their release of the Veil seems to be tied primarily to their personality type, as general personality traits are often seen with each elemental type; however, exceptions are always exist.
- Warrior, builder, leader - Metals are ambitious, self-confident, deliberate, and long-range thinkers. As such, they believe in constant technological improvement. While they make excellent leaders, they tend to lead by example and less by voice. They are known for being a bit aloof, but are incredibly balanced individuals both mentally and spiritually. They believe in cut and dry concepts, especially in cases of right or wrong and winner or loser. Their powers include shaping and creating metals, liquefying metallic substances without heat, building nigh unbreakable weaponry, and manipulating the movement of rock to a lesser extent.
- Moderate, passive, and cultivator - Earths tend to be more concerned about their own problems than the problems of others. They can be a bit stubborn and set in their ways at times, but make great friends to those they trust. Overall, Earths tend to be content with letting life pass them by and don't get wrapped up in the "big picture." As such, they are probably the group with the least amount of individuals captured by the humans because they prefer a hermitized lifestyle. Their powers include controlling and manipulating earth and rock, reshaping landscape, creating earth minerals, growing plants, and healing small animals.
- Vagabond, prankster, adventurer - Air is commonly seen in individuals who are carefree and fun-loving, but known to be a bit disobedient. This doesn't make them necessarily bad or immoral people, but they do like to bend the rules a little. As people go, they tend to have short attention spans and get restless if they stay in one place for too long. As such, they are known for being incredibly nomadic and can be a bit flakey when it comes to keeping schedules. Their powers include manipulating air, wind, and gas, traveling on wind currents, controlling certain extreme weather conditions like tornadoes, and removing oxygen from a a limited area to suffocate a living creature.
- Cultivator, compromiser, and phlegmatic - Waters are calm, "go with the flow" individuals that rarely get swept up in their emotions. They tend to be seen as maternal or paternal figures and are usually very passive, often to the point of being push-overs. Waters have a very clear sense of morality, justice, and custom, but are also very accommodating. Their powers include manipulating and controlling water in any form (although solid form can be very energetically taxing), breathing underwater, dehydrating other animals or plants to death, and mild healing.
- Defender, avenger, and entrepreneurial - Despite what many people think, Fires are not often quick to anger. They are the type with strong emotions that display them as they are felt. That said, they are incredibly passionate and driven individuals, especially when they have their mind set on a goal. They are confident and eager, sometimes to a fault, but make up for it in sincerity. Their powers include being able to start and manipulate flames and heat, melt things, control explosions, and burn things. They can also steal heat from other living creatures to effectively freeze them to death.
- Quiet, informant, deceptive - Shadows are the smallest group in number and the least understood of all the elements. They are incredibly quiet and would much rather keep to themselves than meddle in the affairs of others. While they do tend to have sadistic elements to their personality, this does not necessarily make them outright evil. They enjoy, above all else, spying and have been known to be informants and moles throughout the short history of their existence. Their powers include controlling shadows, animating one's shadow, night vision, blocking out light in a certain area, and teleportation via shadows.
- Peacekeeper, crusader, luminary - Arguably the most humble of all the elements, Lights are incredibly loyal and strongly believe in the goodness of all creatures. They often possess a very abrasive form of self-loathing and tend to be thought of as borderline bipolar. Nevertheless, they tend to be some of the smartest individuals and enjoy spreading their knowledge. They are incredibly effective peacekeepers and will never skip an opportunity to quench a fight. Their powers include manipulating existing energy, releasing energy in the form of heat or light, stealing energy away from other creatures, and doling out life energy formild healing purposes.
The Elves For the extent of written history, the relationship between the Elves and the humans has been a tense one and the two have never entirely lived at peace with one another though no one knows what truly started the tension between them. The elves, an often diplomatic, but harsh society, is renowned for the obedience of their civilians under their former king, which once ruled a glorious elven empire. Unfortunately, under the violent expansion of King Sephiran's armies and a reluctance to let go of traditional weapons and means, the Elven Empire crumbled, leaving behind only remnants of its existence. Pockets of elven communities are draped all throughout Merith, though elves are often treated with disdain and disgust by their human counterparts, and strict rules and regulations against elves have been set in place preventing elves from rising in political power, worshiping their religions, and even visiting certain parts of cities. Like the Acerbus, they often lead lives like refugees, though pride in their purity, race, and self-reliance often prevents them from working together with the Acerbus against a common foe. They once had their own language, identity, rituals, and magic, but most of the Elven culture has been extinguished. Elves live extended lives, some of the eldest being four-hundred years old or older, but only the young can reproduce, ergo, the elves are an aging population that will, most likely, go extinct in time.
The Men While physically the weakest of the three humanoid species, men have wrought the world in the most pain and bloodshed. Ruled by a long string of merciless rulers, men have waged war against anything and anyone who can be described as "not us." By far the most advanced in terms of military technology and warfare tactics, the kingdom of man has dominated Merith. King Sephiran of Merith grotesquely expanded his area of rule by crushing the last of the elven royal kingdom and resistance, effectively pulverizing the weak nation to dust and stripping elves of their identities in the process. With the elves reduced to rubble, King Sephiran has scapegoated the Acerbus for prolonged poverty, starvation, and illness of his people, allowing him to assemble and train an elite cavalry for the sole purpose of seeking and slaughtering the Acerbus: The Orion Knights. Humans have built incredibly formidable fortified cities that dominate the Merith landscape though only the select few live lives of luxury as the common, uneducated man lives in squalor, fighting starvation, and blaming Acerbus for their unfortunate situations.
The Veil
The Veil, an object of an ancient prophecy, has been given many names and descriptions over the years. Hundreds of cultures, societies, and religious bodies have proposed a similar prophecy over centuries of history, and while all were different in their own unique way, they all drew the same conclusion: the Veil between life and death was to be broken and from the opening would emerge new wealth and power. Many individuals sought to find the Veil to control the wealth and power rumored to be within, while many more wished to fight against the opening of the Veil and did what they could to stop the prophecies from coming to fruition.
Ultimately, no prophecy was correct in the little details, but the Veil was summoned and cut in a small, quiet, sleepy town called Duncaster. The circumstances surrounding the opening of the Veil are hazy and forged in rumor, lies, and false testimonies, but the only thing known for certain is that the opening of the Veil did exactly as promised: it unleashed wealth, but even more than wealth, it unleashed power. The rip, in a fire storm, shot thousands of nodules of energy and magic all across landscapes both near and far. These balls of energy, touching down on soil, on water, on all of Merith, began to take shape. Emerged from them first the heart, the eyes, the fingers, the toes until they took the form of what would soon be known as an Acerbii.
King Sephiran of Merith, battling surges of uprisings and revolts of his people around the same time as the Veil breaking, used the Veil's creatures, the Acerbus, as scapegoats for the failing economy, crops, and the heated violence simmering between the haves and the have nots. Racism against Elves and other magical species had been running rampant for centuries before the breaking of the Veil, and the newly-born Acerbus merely incited again a flame of hatred and distrust among men. Under King Sephiran, Merith united anew against all those they deemed 'others.' To solidify his position as a King of the people, King Sephiran ordered for the creation and training of an elite group of soldiers he named the Orion Knights. Their job was to hunt and to kill
And hunt and kill they did.
But not all is as it seems. King Sephiran, eager to seize what shreds of elven resistance remain has employed the Orion Knights not only against Acerbus, but against all of his foes, men, women, children, and elves. The Veil has, indeed, unleashed new power—but the greatest power of all rules the throne.
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The year is 1519. The Veil was cut in 1514.
An overwhelming cold climate, Merith is gripped in long winters and short summers. The long, cold, dark winters choke out the land with heavy snowfalls, thick ice, and dismal temperatures. Spring and summer are mild, but short, though allow for cultivation of a variety of grains, fruits, and vegetables. Winds are prevalent and heavy year around with frequent precipitation, whether that be in snow or rain. Cities are most common along the central belt of the kingdom where the climate is most predictable and humane. The far North is blanketed in ice year-round, making it a harsh and hospitable land and the far South is prone to intense and unpredictable weather patterns.
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[bg=#727e59]Map of Merith[/bg]
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Sorvan City
Sorvan City once belonged to the Elves and existed under the name Ehlark, but was burned to the ground in a territorial spat between King Sephiran's army and the elves of Ehlark. The men rebuilt the city on top of the rubble, dubbing it Sorvan City. While now under the control of King Sephiran, the elves have continued to reside in Sorvan City, often alongside refuge Acerbii. The city of starting for our roleplay, Sorvan City will home most of Merith's remaining Acerbus. The city is ideal for refugees because the original Ehlark sewer system still exists below the city, allowing for passage or escape. Most of the Acerbus have flocked to the safety of Sorvan City, often living below the good graces of elven families willing to harbour them... for a price. Sorvan City is also home to the infamous pub: The Golden Scribe, which is rumoured to be ground zero for a revolt beginning to simmer against the reigning monarch.
The Golden Scribe
An elven pub, the Golden Scribe is the North Star of Sorvan City. A large, old building brimming with strong, Sutton vodkas and flowing ales, it certainly does not possess a healthy reputation. The Golden Scribe booms with entertainment, ranging from card games, Jongleurs playing their instruments, and women selling themselves for an evening. The pub, doubling as an Inn, was built on top of an entry point to the original sewer system back when the city was still Ehlark. For this reason, the pub has been rumored to have grassroot movement settling within it. The original pub that existed prior to the great Ehlark fire was the scene of a revolt against a wealthy baron choking the elven city and citizens often rumor that another movement is cooking below its roof: a revolt against King Sephiran. Though that is just hearsay, right?
Brandkast
The royal city, Brandkast is an impressive fortress that houses Merith's king and most elite. The walled city is the hub of all political and military action in Merith and it is generally believed that it hosts more jail cells than it does pubs. An ominous hum rumbles all throughout the city, especially in recent years as public hangings become increasing prevalent. The walled, royal city is plopped dead-centre in the heart of the Merithian Kingdom and hosts the extravagant royal palace. Elves rarely venture into the city walls, claiming the streets thirst for blood. Likewise, Brandkast is a place Acerbus fear to tread for the city is a hub of activity for the Orion knights. Once captured by Orions, Acerbus are often transported to Brandkast to be hanged in the public square. Their corpses are left to dangle and rot as a reminder of the laws against harboring and being an Acerbii, and the punishment for breaking those laws.
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[bg=#727e59]Other Locales[/bg]
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