- Invitation Status
- Posting Speed
- 1-3 posts per week
- Writing Levels
- Intermediate
- Adept
- Advanced
- Adaptable
- Preferred Character Gender
- Primarily Prefer Male
- Genres
- Fantasy, Sci fi, anything in which the world itelf is extremely interesting.
THE DRAGON HUNTERS
LORE
STORYLORE
It is the year One Hundred Thirty Four in the Age of the Hunt;
The streets of Doxa are no strangers to hustle and bustle, being the capital of the mighty Doxan Empire, it sees massive amounts of activity every day as near countless people rush across the streets to and from their jobs and events. But on this day, the amount of Hustle and Bustle is multiplied by the inclusion of a single factor, and that factor was called The Beowulf. As the ship lowered gracefully to the ground, a side hatch opened with a sharp hissing noise, swinging down and clanking onto the metal ground. Down stepped the captain of this prestigious vessel, John Caine, as his mysterious first-mate watched from within. As John Caine met the crowd, he made his intentions clear; He was looking for his new crew. As the next short hours passed, they gathered one by one into the ship, mercenaries, hunters, and aspiring adventurers from all over the world. As the day closed, her engines roared and the Beowulf soared into the colorful dusk sky.
The story of the Dragon Hunters takes place on or, above, a continent known as Teramagos, a land of ancient forests, tall mountains, plentiful islands, vast flat lands and strange creatures. But none are so strange or so fearsome, as the Dragon. Since an era long forgotten, the scattered tribes of Teramagos worshiped the dragons as gods and demons, with equal measures fear and reverence. But some three hundred years ago, the City-State of Doxa grew powerful, and expanded across the majority of the continent. Thus the Doxan Empire was born. With this Empire came technological advancement, and as the industrial age came about, advancements in technology allowed the creation of weaponry strong enough to hunt and kill Dragons. Soon, the source of their power could be obtained; A strange material which would be named Philosopher's stone, which could be used in it's raw state for use in machines, or refined into fuel. And thus we are taken to the present day; in year one hundred and thirty four the Age of the Hunt.
"As the never ending hunt continues, the dragon population remains seemingly unaffected."
DRAGONS
In this setting, a Dragon is best defined as a large reptilian creature with four legs and two wings. While remarkably intelligent, they are merely animals, and incapable of higher thought or communication. Additionally, their large size, territorial nature, and solitary lifestyle make them almost impossible to tame. They are a single species, but have countless permutations that almost ensures no two dragons are quite alike. Finally, the source of the Dragon's "magic" breath and flight capabilities is the Philosopher's stone that grows within the Dragon. It is believed that the Dragons have an ability to tap into the true potential of this material unlike any way a human can, allowing them to even alter gravity itself enough to allow them flight despite their large size. Due to their unique appearances, particularly powerful Dragons are often given nicknames by those they've terrorized. The average dragon is roughly seventeen meters long, and has an "elemental" breath ability that affects the properties of it's Philosopher's Stone in it's unrefined state.
"As the weak dragons fall to the guns and blades of the Hunters, the strong survive and prosper..."
PHILOSOPHER'S STONE
Philosopher's stone is the lifeblood of the Doxan Empire, being used as everything from a fuel source to an alchemical catalyst. It is only found naturally in Dragons. It can be found naturally in two forms, an elemental form present in adult Dragons, and a rare pure form found only in the inner linings of Dragon eggs. Pure or elemental can then be refined into a crystalline fuel, or the elemental form can be refined into stable elemental forms for practical use.
Elemental Philosopher's stone appears in the following forms:
-Red- Produces Extreme Heat
-Yellow- Produced Electricity
-Green- Produces Highly Potent Acid
-Blue- "Produces" Extreme Cold
-White- Affects Gravity
-Black- Explosive
"A small amount of Philosopher's stone can power an immense machine."
OTHER CREATURES
The fauna of Teramagos differ from our world in that the age of mega-fauna has never quite ended, and many creatures have taken interesting evolutionary paths. Though in their current state, Dragons are the super-predators.
"Dragons have no known evolutionary relatives or ancestors, and only they can produce Philosopher's Stone..."
THE DOXAN EMPIRE
The Doxan Empire is ruled by the most powerful City-State to the west, Doxa. The government is headed by an Emperor elected out of the selection of Nobles, and each city-state within the Empire can elect a Governor and a Representative from the populace. Life in the Doxan Empire can vary from city-state to city-state, though a powerful upper class is often a constant, and is often a source for instances of political unrest. The Church is established within the government, but their power is merely symbolic.
"In the tunnels beneath the cities, rats and thieves flourish among the creaking cogs."
RELIGIOUS PRACTICES
Religion in Doxa varies across the continent. Doxans generally belive in a single deity known as "The One" with various blessed saints chosen by the church. Many are atheistic. Some are cultists of various levels of insanity. Outside the Doxan Empire, various other faifths from the less "Civilized" areas are still in effect. In the far north, Dragons are still worshiped as gods and demons.
"The Church is considering sanctifying the act of Hunting Dragons..."
"As the Dragons grow in ferocity, the Northerners grow desperate to appease their gods..."
"Cults spring like weeds, worshiping devils, precursors, people, you name it."
GEOGRAPHY AND PEOPLE
In the "Center" of the world is Doxa, and the Doxans thus refer to other regions by their direction from Doxa.
- Doxan Lands- Temperate climates hills and mountains with a western coast.
DRAGON HUNTERS
Dragon Hunters are the beating heart of the modern day Doxan Empire, as the steady flow of dead Dragons is what keeps the wheels of progress turning. Dragons are generally tracked with an airship, then forced to the ground and hunted there. Please note; If the Dragon is struck with sufficient force, such as military grade artillery or face planting into the ground at terminal velocity; the Philosopher's Stone will overreact, and the Dragon will explode. As such, the Dragon must be dealt with carefully while still in the air. Higher class airships may use fighter planes to lure the Dragon closer, or distract it from the airship. There are high rates of serious injury and death. For official Dragon Hunting Vessels, they receive the prefix "DHV" before their name.
Lifetime Dragon Hunters have in fact created their own culture, which is an odd blend of knight and sailor.
"Without the Hunters, Doxa would crumble beneath it's own weight."
TECHNOLOGY
The level of technology is late 1800s/early 1900s with a massive increase in scale, a slew of crystalline glowy bits, a dash of wooden finishes, an unhealthy attachment to polished brass, and a hell of a lot more umph. Exceptions to this are steampunk gadgetry, and robotic limb replacements made by incorporating philosopher's stone into nerve attachment points to control the machine. Though advancement beyond new technologies for Dragon Hunting is rare.
"Doxa no longer advances, only expands."
THE PRECURSORS
And, of course, if one wanders long enough, they may find ruins of an ancient civilization that puts the scale of Doxa to shame. Though any formation beyond their impressive stone-cutting ability and some connection to the Philosopher's Stone is lost to the ages. Many theories exist though...
Last edited:
