- Posting Speed
- 1-3 posts per week
- One post per week
- Online Availability
- 16:00-20:00 US Central
- Writing Levels
- Adept
- Advanced
- Prestige
- Preferred Character Gender
- No Preferences
- Genres
- Cyberpunk, Sci-fi, Fantasy, and other low-tech/fantasy.
Got a question? Suggestion? Bring them up here!
Other than that - this'll act as the OOC thread and where you'll post your characters.
The Fall
Two hundred and twenty three years previous, by official records, an event known simply known as the Fall came about. Though many critics of the old world claim it was not brought about by the will of the Three, the beings of existence that bound separate natures of humanity (faith, the afterlife, and the power known as Essence), there are few explanations more widely accepted than the one religious texts written after the event provide. While faith has, for the majority, left the world, even a stylized approach to the Fall has proven to be better than none at all.
According to surviving religious texts, and those written after the fact, the three deities that battled against the primordial Chaos were named for their respective domains: Faith, Death, and Mana. In creating the world, each vested a portion of himself into that pocket of creation so that life might flourish. So it was that the power of belief was vested in humanity by Faith, the spirits of the dead halted from leaving the immaterial by Death, and control of Essence supported by Mana. It would be the realm of Essence that would prove to be the undoing of the Three, for they were as flawed as any mortal men.
In greed, Faith, whose task it was to divide the power granted by man's prayers among his siblings, denied his brother Mana a large portion of his power and used the excess prayer to take the power over Essence for himself. Though, as he soon learned, the realm where reality warped and bent on a whim was not an easy facet of reality to control. With Mana's power drained past the point of no return, Faith could no longer default to his brother to control the fibers of what men called magic. After drawing forth all power for himself from mankind and leaving the realms of Death undefended, Faith found that he alone could not control the universe and the Fall came.
Though the records do not explain what caused the Fall in the heavens, historical accounts begin to explain what the theological cannot. A mammoth heavenly body, believed to be the constellation that represented the Essence, struck the surface of the earth and set a host of disasters upon its people. Seas dried up, dust clouds ruined harvests, and magic had lost all forms of control. No longer could humans reliability pull from the Essence to stall the doom before them. While none can say what exactly spared humanity, all agree that luck played a great part in this unforeseen salvation.
In the aftermath of the Fall, the civilized world (if it so ranked the term) was left in utter ruin. Spirits plagued the surviving humans, the world remained covered in ash and debris, and nearly all knowledge had been lost. Caught in the midst of this chaos, the best among mortal warriors sacrificed themselves in the hopes that their spirits could safeguard the world. With the largest threat quelled, humanity could move onward to what it is today: a broken species reminiscent of a time of glory.
The World After the Fall
In the two centuries since, the world has regained a resemblance of order. The ruins of cities long gone have been rebuilt to portions of their former glory, the dried seas have returned to other locations, and even magic has been reestablished, if perhaps less powerful. No more do men believe in gods, but rather in the accomplishments of their fellow man. Though with the rebuilding of some of society's finer traits, those lacking in such refinement have also returned: war, corruption, jealousy, and greed to name a few. With their intents no longer focused on merely surviving, humanity has also looked to more than their fellows' accomplishments: they seek their power as well.
The Essence; Magic
About a generation past, a group of to-be magi attempted to utilize the Essence in a different way. Rather than summon materials and power from the immaterial, they merely changed what already existed: don't create the fire, use the fire from the torch or fireplace. With this change, however, came limitations to the accessibility and power of magic. Without the use of the Essence to fill in the 'gaps' of weaving spells, the understanding of nature required to utilize magic grew. Now, magic is only as powerful as its user's understanding of that element; healing magic would be possible with the discovery of the cell, for example.
With that said, magic's power goes beyond mere destruction. Farmers will learn the lore of Earth to improve their fields, or perhaps learn the ways of Wind to call upon the rain. Blacksmiths will utilize Earth and Fire to strengthen their crafts. Fishermen will use Water to lure out their prized catches. In short, the more intuitive and cunning the user is, the more uses magic will present to him.
Technology
The ways of old have been, for the most part, lost with humanity set from early gunpowder and medicines to swords, bows, and the like. True scientific understanding of nature is utterly lacking with few alters of knowledge left to the world. The only remnants of old society reside in jealously guarded collections picked up by the modern nobility and in the towers of Essence, each dedicated to a separate lore (fire, earth, wind/air/heavens, water, and nature). Whatever blackpowder weapons or other heirlooms have escaped unscathed from the Fall have been likewise taken and used sparingly, with few smiths skilled enough in the Essence or their craft to keep such equipment in shape.
For the most part, I've tried to keep the surrounding setting blank of detail so that you can have a part in creating the look and feel of the world. Feel free as part of your posts, character backstories, or details to create content that isn't explicitly stated here - if you do take this option, do slide it by here or via PM.
Rules and Expectations, General Setting, Characters
Rules and Expectations:
1. For now, I'm limiting characters to two per player. This may increase (or decrease) as people come and go, but two will be the starting number. In taking a second (third, fourth, fifth, etc.) character, understand that you are still responsible for propelling the story with that character: please don't take more than you can handle!
2. No godmoding; pretty simple here, just remember that this applies to situations outside of combat as well. Just because your character isn't swinging a sword, hurling fireballs, or shooting arrows doesn't mean they aren't subject to consequences for their actions.
3. Be able to post at least once a week with the necessary amount of content necessary to propel the story a good amount. All 'action-heavy posts' (dialogue, combat, other tense or short-actions) should be done collaboratively to avoid a series of eight or nine posts covering what one can - if you don't want to use something like Google Docs or Iwaku's PMing system, there is titanpad.com for easy collaborative writing. If you can't make the deadline, please give forward notice!
4. All character sheets are subject to my discretion, but I will always tell you what (if anything) doesn't work - my goal isn't to deny you on a whim, and I'll be glad to help out with whatever I can.
5. Be active! I believe the plot lies as much (if not more) in the hands of the players as it does the GM. Always feel free to give input and put up some ideas for the plot.
6. Right now, I'm taking five players total. This, too, may change. After initially showing interest, you have three days to either post a character or extend the deadline or your spot will be lost (should that be an issue).
As a final note, this RP's plot won't really be set in stone before we get characters laid out. It's better to have characters influence the plot, not have the plot force people's hand when making a character.
General Setting:
You all come from, reside in, or have recently moved to the town of Broybrook. It is a fairly isolated community on the Vinionian house's eastern fringes and is built upon the edge of a basin, which in older times was known as the Red Sea where the constellation was said to have struck. Now, the basin left is more of a desolate canyon with mountains outlying its edges. Broybrook itself is situated in a serene river valley that formed from redirected waters from the northern ocean. Save for a densely populated town center, wherein the bulk of its two hundred residents call home, Broybrook sprawls into a series of farms, orchards, and forests.
To the opposite side of the square lies the basin, which extends well out of sight and vanishes into the horizon. Few dare go further than the edge of the closest walls just to claim it can be done. Rumors of strange beasts, remnants of the raw magical energy that struck the world, lurking the basin spread like wildfire every few weeks and no one seems willing enough to prove them false.
About a two day's ride from Broybrook lies the closest city, Leriathel, which was rebuilt from the ruins of a city whose name has been lost to the annals of history. The way to the city is perilous, with several terrors of man haunting the solemn road through the mountains and into the foothills and few save hardened woodsmen or warriors make the journey frequently. Not far north from Leriathial lies the border between Vinionian and Forlionian lands, two houses locked in a silent war of politics and assassinations, not that any of those momentous events affect Broybrook much, but disquiet and unrest for those with a spirit for adventure often settles in not too long after realizing the town's insignificance.
Characters:
When creating a character, remember where they are. If they came here in later years, make sure you have a reason why!
NAME:
SEX:
AGE:
APPEARANCE: Written required, picture optional; link sources for images.
OCCUPATION:
MAGI: Y/N; remember that you'll have to have received training from somewhere and Broybrook is not the best place for anything beyond basic spellcasting.
Lore: Fire, Water, Earth, Air/Wind/Heavens, Nature
GENERAL 'CLASS': Describe their general skillset; can be anything from a warrior to a farmer, just be sure that some skill they possess is valuable to an adventuring party.
Other than that - this'll act as the OOC thread and where you'll post your characters.
Near two centuries ago, a constellation fell from the heavens and Man lost Order.
---
From the Fall returned Chaos, the primordial being quelled for so long by the Three.
---
Faith, Death, Mana they were known in the tongue of mortals.
---
Faith drew power from the prayers of Man and shared it among his siblings.
---
Death safeguarded the spirits of passed souls, ensuring none that would do Man harm escaped.
---
Mana gave structure to the realm of Essence, the realm of the supernatural power that dwells in all of Man.
---
Then came the Fall, and Man was left alone.
---
But Chaos would always be there.
---
From the Fall returned Chaos, the primordial being quelled for so long by the Three.
---
Faith, Death, Mana they were known in the tongue of mortals.
---
Faith drew power from the prayers of Man and shared it among his siblings.
---
Death safeguarded the spirits of passed souls, ensuring none that would do Man harm escaped.
---
Mana gave structure to the realm of Essence, the realm of the supernatural power that dwells in all of Man.
---
Then came the Fall, and Man was left alone.
---
But Chaos would always be there.
The Fall
Two hundred and twenty three years previous, by official records, an event known simply known as the Fall came about. Though many critics of the old world claim it was not brought about by the will of the Three, the beings of existence that bound separate natures of humanity (faith, the afterlife, and the power known as Essence), there are few explanations more widely accepted than the one religious texts written after the event provide. While faith has, for the majority, left the world, even a stylized approach to the Fall has proven to be better than none at all.
According to surviving religious texts, and those written after the fact, the three deities that battled against the primordial Chaos were named for their respective domains: Faith, Death, and Mana. In creating the world, each vested a portion of himself into that pocket of creation so that life might flourish. So it was that the power of belief was vested in humanity by Faith, the spirits of the dead halted from leaving the immaterial by Death, and control of Essence supported by Mana. It would be the realm of Essence that would prove to be the undoing of the Three, for they were as flawed as any mortal men.
In greed, Faith, whose task it was to divide the power granted by man's prayers among his siblings, denied his brother Mana a large portion of his power and used the excess prayer to take the power over Essence for himself. Though, as he soon learned, the realm where reality warped and bent on a whim was not an easy facet of reality to control. With Mana's power drained past the point of no return, Faith could no longer default to his brother to control the fibers of what men called magic. After drawing forth all power for himself from mankind and leaving the realms of Death undefended, Faith found that he alone could not control the universe and the Fall came.
Though the records do not explain what caused the Fall in the heavens, historical accounts begin to explain what the theological cannot. A mammoth heavenly body, believed to be the constellation that represented the Essence, struck the surface of the earth and set a host of disasters upon its people. Seas dried up, dust clouds ruined harvests, and magic had lost all forms of control. No longer could humans reliability pull from the Essence to stall the doom before them. While none can say what exactly spared humanity, all agree that luck played a great part in this unforeseen salvation.
In the aftermath of the Fall, the civilized world (if it so ranked the term) was left in utter ruin. Spirits plagued the surviving humans, the world remained covered in ash and debris, and nearly all knowledge had been lost. Caught in the midst of this chaos, the best among mortal warriors sacrificed themselves in the hopes that their spirits could safeguard the world. With the largest threat quelled, humanity could move onward to what it is today: a broken species reminiscent of a time of glory.
The World After the Fall
In the two centuries since, the world has regained a resemblance of order. The ruins of cities long gone have been rebuilt to portions of their former glory, the dried seas have returned to other locations, and even magic has been reestablished, if perhaps less powerful. No more do men believe in gods, but rather in the accomplishments of their fellow man. Though with the rebuilding of some of society's finer traits, those lacking in such refinement have also returned: war, corruption, jealousy, and greed to name a few. With their intents no longer focused on merely surviving, humanity has also looked to more than their fellows' accomplishments: they seek their power as well.
The Essence; Magic
About a generation past, a group of to-be magi attempted to utilize the Essence in a different way. Rather than summon materials and power from the immaterial, they merely changed what already existed: don't create the fire, use the fire from the torch or fireplace. With this change, however, came limitations to the accessibility and power of magic. Without the use of the Essence to fill in the 'gaps' of weaving spells, the understanding of nature required to utilize magic grew. Now, magic is only as powerful as its user's understanding of that element; healing magic would be possible with the discovery of the cell, for example.
With that said, magic's power goes beyond mere destruction. Farmers will learn the lore of Earth to improve their fields, or perhaps learn the ways of Wind to call upon the rain. Blacksmiths will utilize Earth and Fire to strengthen their crafts. Fishermen will use Water to lure out their prized catches. In short, the more intuitive and cunning the user is, the more uses magic will present to him.
True 'battlemagi' are few and far between, for often the necessary components serve more as a liability than a true aid. Massive torches, containers of water, and the like are necessary for a magi to properly turn his power to raw destructive force. These magi are at the peak of their ability, able to control elements far more efficiently than their peers, but are often wholly dedicated to their chosen lore. That is not to say normal magi are incapable of turning their gift to destruction, but few can call upon such power as those few dedicated to the art of war.
Technology
The ways of old have been, for the most part, lost with humanity set from early gunpowder and medicines to swords, bows, and the like. True scientific understanding of nature is utterly lacking with few alters of knowledge left to the world. The only remnants of old society reside in jealously guarded collections picked up by the modern nobility and in the towers of Essence, each dedicated to a separate lore (fire, earth, wind/air/heavens, water, and nature). Whatever blackpowder weapons or other heirlooms have escaped unscathed from the Fall have been likewise taken and used sparingly, with few smiths skilled enough in the Essence or their craft to keep such equipment in shape.
For the most part, I've tried to keep the surrounding setting blank of detail so that you can have a part in creating the look and feel of the world. Feel free as part of your posts, character backstories, or details to create content that isn't explicitly stated here - if you do take this option, do slide it by here or via PM.
Rules and Expectations, General Setting, Characters
Rules and Expectations:
1. For now, I'm limiting characters to two per player. This may increase (or decrease) as people come and go, but two will be the starting number. In taking a second (third, fourth, fifth, etc.) character, understand that you are still responsible for propelling the story with that character: please don't take more than you can handle!
2. No godmoding; pretty simple here, just remember that this applies to situations outside of combat as well. Just because your character isn't swinging a sword, hurling fireballs, or shooting arrows doesn't mean they aren't subject to consequences for their actions.
3. Be able to post at least once a week with the necessary amount of content necessary to propel the story a good amount. All 'action-heavy posts' (dialogue, combat, other tense or short-actions) should be done collaboratively to avoid a series of eight or nine posts covering what one can - if you don't want to use something like Google Docs or Iwaku's PMing system, there is titanpad.com for easy collaborative writing. If you can't make the deadline, please give forward notice!
4. All character sheets are subject to my discretion, but I will always tell you what (if anything) doesn't work - my goal isn't to deny you on a whim, and I'll be glad to help out with whatever I can.
5. Be active! I believe the plot lies as much (if not more) in the hands of the players as it does the GM. Always feel free to give input and put up some ideas for the plot.
6. Right now, I'm taking five players total. This, too, may change. After initially showing interest, you have three days to either post a character or extend the deadline or your spot will be lost (should that be an issue).
As a final note, this RP's plot won't really be set in stone before we get characters laid out. It's better to have characters influence the plot, not have the plot force people's hand when making a character.
General Setting:
You all come from, reside in, or have recently moved to the town of Broybrook. It is a fairly isolated community on the Vinionian house's eastern fringes and is built upon the edge of a basin, which in older times was known as the Red Sea where the constellation was said to have struck. Now, the basin left is more of a desolate canyon with mountains outlying its edges. Broybrook itself is situated in a serene river valley that formed from redirected waters from the northern ocean. Save for a densely populated town center, wherein the bulk of its two hundred residents call home, Broybrook sprawls into a series of farms, orchards, and forests.
To the opposite side of the square lies the basin, which extends well out of sight and vanishes into the horizon. Few dare go further than the edge of the closest walls just to claim it can be done. Rumors of strange beasts, remnants of the raw magical energy that struck the world, lurking the basin spread like wildfire every few weeks and no one seems willing enough to prove them false.
About a two day's ride from Broybrook lies the closest city, Leriathel, which was rebuilt from the ruins of a city whose name has been lost to the annals of history. The way to the city is perilous, with several terrors of man haunting the solemn road through the mountains and into the foothills and few save hardened woodsmen or warriors make the journey frequently. Not far north from Leriathial lies the border between Vinionian and Forlionian lands, two houses locked in a silent war of politics and assassinations, not that any of those momentous events affect Broybrook much, but disquiet and unrest for those with a spirit for adventure often settles in not too long after realizing the town's insignificance.
Characters:
When creating a character, remember where they are. If they came here in later years, make sure you have a reason why!
NAME:
SEX:
AGE:
APPEARANCE: Written required, picture optional; link sources for images.
OCCUPATION:
MAGI: Y/N; remember that you'll have to have received training from somewhere and Broybrook is not the best place for anything beyond basic spellcasting.
Lore: Fire, Water, Earth, Air/Wind/Heavens, Nature
GENERAL 'CLASS': Describe their general skillset; can be anything from a warrior to a farmer, just be sure that some skill they possess is valuable to an adventuring party.
