Re: Emoria: World-Building OOC

[Buzzwulf]

Across, it should be a little less than the width of north america.

I'm not so sure in any other direction... north to south, it may very well be something like Asia.

EDIT: Posted! Though if anyone but me can follow Lairelosse's fragmented timelines, I'll be impressed.

[Eternity]

Hey, so I've been whipping up a character, and I thought I'd come here to brainstorm and see if you guys didn't mind the abilities/powers/etc. So I'm going to throw up the basics about my characters' race.

Race: Apahov | "Weavers"
Abilities:
-Element Weaving- The ability to weave water and wind (and possibly other elements with intense training). Now, Apahov cannot use elements in the manner of say, a Mage or Elemental. It cannot be used in raw force, or large bursts. Instead, when they call upon the elements, it is funneled into a thin wire of that element. Elemental threads do not get any bigger than about a few millimeters. Imagine that as, threaded elements cannot grow any larger than the width of a Q-tip's center. Sometimes there are rare exceptions, but even then, it is never recorded than an elemental thread can grow beyond a full centimeter.
-
Threads are breakable by the Apahov, but not by anything else except for interception. Cut the thread, and the knife will break it, but the thread will reconnect. Now, for the period of time that the wire is intercepted, the end of the thread without connection to the person wielding it will begin to weaken it, and within seconds will break and collapse.
-
Threads are not very harmful to others in their natural state. Used to whip at people, they can only do as much damage as say, hitting someone with a whip, and even then, it is not the intended purpose and rarely ever used in such a manner. If ever used in raw threaded form on someone, it is usually as a method of restraint. Only strong Warriors of the tribe are usually good enough to use threads of elements for restraint purposes.
-
The predominant two elements are wind and water. The most common is water. Water is the easiest of elements to weave. It shapes itself to whatever container it is in, and thus when given a form to follow, it sticks and can remain in such a way. The second is wind, because the air around them is ever present. Wind takes more concentration, but is able to be done. Now, other elements including earth, fire, shadow, and light, are far more difficult. Earth is so solid that shaping it into a fine thread becomes nearly impossible. Fire is painful against the skin, and all threads made by a Weaver connect to the skin of the person wielding it. Light and Shadow are harder because finding the elements in raw form or finding a place to practice upon them is rare to the Apahov.
-
Armor and whatnot. Weavers are known mostly for their weaving abilities in armor. Those who do get their armors are usually never disappointed. Woven armor is usually leather, reed, or cloth. Mostly leather and reed. This lightweight armor is then secured by an element which makes it tougher to destroy, and more resistant to certain types of damage based upon the element. Water-woven armor is more resistant to physical damage. Not fool-proof though. If you stab someone while they wear water-woven armor, it'll puncture it and probably stab right into their flesh. But if you slice at that person, the chances of easily cutting through it are diminished by about half. The water in the armor absorbs a lot of a blow, though again, it does not eliminate the force.
Wind-woven armor is more resistant to magic. Magic traveling as an energy is repulsed and slowed by the air constantly at travel within the armor. It does not make one impervious to magic. It simply makes them more resistant to the full effect. As well, Wind and Water woven armors do not burn easily.
-
Battle. I'm about to explain the Beads style of fighting that the Apahov use.
Beads is a weapon. It consists of a leather band that has four hooks equally placed throughout it. These hooks unsnap when the band is jerked hard enough, or if they are undone by hand. Upon this band, are a varying amount of metal, mineral, or crystal beads that are the size of small marbles. Then upon the band's front are usually anywhere between two to eight knives/daggers. The blades on Beads are not handled, and are made knowing full and well that they are not meant to be wielded by hand. Instead, they are usually dual-edged, and are pointed on both sides, without any sign of a handle. The centers are hollowed out to form an oblong hole in the center of the blade. It is by this hole that the band is placed through it and that the blades hang on the band.
Beads are worn around the neck, on wrists, or around the waist. Some have worn them around the ankles, but they tend to fall off more frequently when able to brush against landscape.
In battle, when battle is initiated, one grabs their Beads and jerks them forward or unsnaps them. When jerked, the band breaks. Pulling the beads up into the air, the metal beads and blades are thrown upward or outward. It is then that an Apahov creates threads of wind or water (or another element if they have mastered it enough for battle) and uses these threads to loop around the beads and blades. Then a Weaver make take a few directions. They can curl their wrists and wrap the threads around their hand and use them to swing the blades around. Or they can find a place to remain still and battle from a position of controlling the elements to their fullest to whip around the threads and what weapon is attached to them. Apahov are natural ranged fighters. Some can choose to learn how to wield a sword in a normal fashion, but most don't.

Understand me on this. Apahov are not amazing unbeatable fighters. Not at all, they are like humans in the way that depending on the person, they can be amazingly strong, or amazingly weak.

Now, on to Bloodlines and Ability Transfer:

The ability of elemental weaving is passed through genetics. That means that some family lines have stronger abilities than others. Now, the Sintag is the leader of the Apahov, and his family line is the direct descendants of Sindao, the first of the Apahov. Lesser strength in ability tends to mean a smaller place in society. Sometimes the ability can remain dormant, and thus skip generations. Sometimes a weak ability can be trained to become a stronger one.

Courting:
Three methods of courting comes to be within the Apahov people.

1) Two people can agree with their family's approval to court and be wed.
2) A man can challenge another man who is courting a woman and has not yet wed her. If he does so, a battle to the death comes to be, and if the challenger kills the man, his woman is passed on to the winner.
3) Arranged marriages and pairings, based on family line and power to assure that strong abilities are retained genetically.

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I'll put up more if you want it. Just ask whatever you like, I'm an open book <3

[Bird of Hermes]

Are the threads any different if they are made of a different element?

[Eternity]

Sometimes. Say if a thread is of water, it can be intercepted more easily. If one is of wind, it is harder to intercept and moves faster in battle.

Obvious little things apply. Water threads won't hold up well in hot areas, because of evaporation. Wind threads won't hold up in places where there's a lot of rock or a jagged terrain full of upcoming rocks or boulders that cause a battlefield to be different.

In battle, an element's thread has no effect on the weapon itself (save for fire which would only make the weapon hotter if it was metal and able to absorb heat), unless the thread is directly being used on the enemy. In weaving, the elements each have different effects.

Water = physical resistance
Wind = magical resistance
Earth = physical and wind resistance
Fire = magical resistance, ice resistance, physical resistance to wooden weapons or arrows without stone/metal/mineral/crystal tips
Shadow = light resistance
Light = shadow resistance


In battle, like previously mentioned between wind and water, the only true differences lie in speed of execution and strength in being able to resist interception or breaking. Also, a thread cannot go for football fields in length. Pushing it, a thread can reach out about thirty feet, but the longer it is, the harder it is to control it because it takes a period of time for the actions of the weaver to reach the actual weapon at the threads' end.

[Eternity]

Username: Eternity
Character Name: Amala Qep'Ze Ehm
Species/Race: Apahov | Pronounced: Apahov (Ah-pa-ōv) | The people call themselves Weavers for the most part
Physical Description:
Body- She stands about 5'6, average human height for a female. Her skin is rather tanned, naturally in the manner of a slight olive tone, though when the light strikes her skin, she has a strange golden touch to her as most of her race does. She is lean, from running and the training that her people go through at an early age to better themselves in survival and aid within their tribe. Her strongest areas are her upper arms and upper legs. Her core is rather untrained, but Amala is in no way out of shape. She has no scars, save for one upon her outer left ankle. Things about her body that differ her people from humans are evident though. One such beyond the Apahov golden and bronze touch, is nails. Her nails grow in golden, and are smooth and glass-like though near impossible to break. Apahov file their nails on stones, and it is usually the best way to find an Apahov's trail is by finding scratched rocks or trees. Their palms and fingers do not bear fingerprints in the way humans do, but instead are engraved with unique symbols into their skin just as deep as a fingerprint and palm marks. Usually these markings on the hands and feet are signs of what family an Apahov descended from. Amala's palms have been tattooed along the deepest ridges of her palms, so the inside of her hands bear a design on the outsides of her palms that curves around the edge of her hand and is echoed through the rest of the lining in her hand. Also, another sign, is that sometimes her skin can appear rippling or as if it is wrapped over coils. Usually this is a sign of illness, weakness, or loss of control over their abilities.
Face/Head- Amala's face is regarded as one of beauty amongst her tribe. Her softer features and gently sloping jaw line are admirable. Her nose is small, with a rather feminine bridge and rounded tip. Full lips are naturally a shade of rich reddish violet, with the upper lip more prominent than the lower. Her eyebrows are thin and black, easily accentuating of her emotions when she wears them in plain view. Her eyes however are probably the most unusual of her features. While human in shape of iris and whatnot, they are unique no less. Her iris' background is dark- like most Apahov. Her own are specifically a shade of dark dark burgundy. Within her iris though, are a series of circles that form a ringlet of small circles within her iris. They circle around the black pupil, and contain the lightest pigments of her eyes. The circlet in her eyes is a shade of bright cerise with silvery flecks along the edges of the circles. But also, her eyelids over her eyes appear almost charcoal gray in color, and the insides of her eyelids are an equal color. this gives the appearance of eyeliner or shadow, but only to a certain degree. Her lashes are also unique, in the manner that they are very feather-like. In that, her lashes like most Apahov are able to stick together and when not messed with create a smooth edge that can collect water or protect the eyes from whatever may fall. If an Apahov ran their nails through their lashes, they would disconnect and look more like a humans. The bottom lashes do not connect as easily and look more human for there are less of them. Amala then adorns a head of long black hair that is somewhat silky and yet tougher than normal hair. Hers is pulled back with one full piece that crosses her forehead and wraps around her left cheek while not once covering her eyes. From the back, it is pulled into something like a high bun, that then drops into a long black braid that hangs down to the middle of her back. Completely undone, Amala's hair falls to be along her thighs. Apahov ears are almost elven in appearance, as her tips are pointed. Her ears also are closer to hear head, and do not stick out much. The edges of her ears are gold, and her lobes appear a bit silvery like her eyelids. The lobes are detached, and almost pointed. Most men wear plugs in their lobes, and women wear smaller plugs, or bars, but Amala instead wears more normal ear embellishments.
Attire-
Base Outfit:
-Beige chest wrap with halter-straps
-Beige shorts that are just shorter than her armor shorts
Over-clothes:
-An outfit that is woven of dyed sienna reeds and leather. Water Woven- it gives it a snug fit against her form and withholds very well from physical damage. It is a pair of shorts that fall to the center of her upper legs, and a top that has a turtleneck and is sleeveless. The appearance and texture is leather, but on the edges and seams the leather parts and the sides, neck, belt-line, and upper back as well as sleeves can be seen as woven pieces of tight reed that has a hint of green to it, and with it one can note that the outfit she wears is rather shiny in appearance, as if always wet. That is the note of water woven armors.
-A dark red water-woven sleeveless jacket of reeds. It ties in criss-crossed fashions over the front, leaving the front of her outfit able to be seen. The back of the back covers her down to just above her knees. Because it is fully woven of thick reed and water, it has a coarser, tough appearance and texture to it.
-A burgundy cloth wrap of sorts that is worn over the head like a bandanna. The edges are woven with small silvery beads hanging from them, the beads which create a diagonal line from the top of her head down to just over her right temple. The wrap leaves her forehead and the back of her hair visible, tying beneath her bun and underneath her braid.
-Dark chocolate colored water-woven bracers that reach from her wrist to the inside of her elbow. Along the top of them is painted her family's print- the design that is tattooed and engraved naturally into her palm.
-Dark chocolate colored water-woven greaves that reach from her ankle within her boots up to her knees. They extend out of her boots, and leave only a few inches between her upper knees and where the bottom of her shorts begin.
Shoes:
-Black leather boots that come to the middle of the shin. They bear a slight heel to them, but nothing large that would make walking or running through tough terrain difficult.
Accessories:
-2 Beige belts of aged leather that hug her waist and have belt loops for a belt or other purpose. One of the belts does not have loops, but instead three pouches- one on each hip and one in the front.
-Bracelet over her left wrist that has an eagle down feathers tied into it.
-A choker over her turtleneck that consists of oblong beads shaped of a panther's ribs. Every other one is painted black or bleached, so it creates a black white pattern.
-Earrings that are made of painted, stained bamboo and unlike normal earrings, are wooden shapes that have a slot for a needlepoint to go through. They are put to the lobe, and then a fine needle of black oak is then slid through one hole, then the lobe, and then the other hole. Because one end of the needlepoint is larger than the other, if inserted correctly, they are secured and do not come undone easily.
Weapon:
-Beads- Beads are a weapon type unique and commonly used amongst the Apahov. It is a strap of leather with several small easy snap hooks that rarely ever comes undone on its own but is easy to undo by hand. There are four hooks throughout the length of leather. On this leather strap, there are fifteen metal beads that are the size of marbles, and then a varying number of daggers. Amala has four small knife-blades on her band. These knives are about six inches in length, and have no handle. Instead, they are pointed on both ends and have an oblong hollowed out center on which they hang on the leather strap. The band goes around the waist, and the blades hang over the waist.
Her beads are made of hematite, fifteen in number, and her daggers are six inches long, four in number.
----
Character Bio: -will edit-
Age: 35 {It's about the equivalent of 20 in human lifespan comparison, as they age slower than normal beings do}
Gender: female
Occupation: Weaver | Medic :
As a Weaver, Amala is an armor maker. She makes leather and reed armor (and some of other things depending on materials given). She provides wind and water woven armor for the Warriors of her tribe, and is easily one of the best at armor making though it is definitely a time-consuming task unless she simply sits and dumps all of her time and concentration into it.
As a Medic, Amala is learning a newer skill that had once been forgotten by her people. She's learning to use her weaving abilities to stitch wounds and halt or slow bleeding. Because she is so new at it, and has not had a lot of practice, she is quite nervous about doing it, but under pressure, she can offer her aid however she can.
Skills:
-Weaving- The ability to turn the elements of wind and water (and possibly others with good training) into threads. Her people can only use elements in the form of threads, but in this, they are able to ''weave'' clothes, armor, sheets, homes, and many other things. The things woven with elements are much stronger and more durable to certain things than normal armor or things.
-Fighting- Amala has learned from her childhood and training how to fight using her set of beads. Fighting amongst the Apahov is an art and a battle all at once. It takes focus, inner control, and their existent abilities. While some Warriors weaker to the ability of weaving choose to fight by hand and sword, most fight using Beads- a far greater challenge than hand to hand or close combat.
-Gathering- Amala has always traveled with the children of her tribe and been a helper of the gatherers. She knows how to find fruits, berries, nuts, and other edibles amongst the wild, though she does not like to hunt unless she has to.
-Outspoken- Amala is fearless in conversation. And while her people tend to differentiate women from men, she refuses to be sat away where her opinion is quieted. She is fiery and loves nothing more than to do all she can for whatever purpose falls before her.
World-space: Miran Isles-
Seven small islands on the inner western edge of Arcona.
Example: Amala lives on the largest of the islands, upon the center mountain. This island is called Ramadi, the Gray Isle. It is known for this for its tall mountain and great amounts of rocks and mineral formations. The homes are all upon a thick shelf that juts out from the side of the mountain and overlooks the western edge of Ramadi, as well as can see just faintly the land of Arcona in the distance. The homes are formed in the manner of elaborate huts that are shaped like domes. The people are very intellectual and yet they are also very strict upon their beliefs and ideals. The society is built around the foundations of tradition and magic, and it is obvious in the way that the center of villages are populated by larger huts or more lavish housing, while the outer edges and scattered homes amongst the beaches and forests are smaller and filled by people who are less likely to have the pronounced or best of their abilities. Amala's home is within a larger hut with the Sintag, the leader of their tribe.



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Allies:
Enemies:
Religion: Sindaoism. The worship of Sindao, the prophet of ages past who was originally a human who made a pact with the Elements. He succeeded in said pact, and thus became the first Apahov. In the belief of Sindaoism, Nature is praised, the blood and flesh of Emoria that offers them power. They believe that Sindao was the first to bridge the gap, and took the world's power and made it so that every Apahov is born with power within them. There are other traditions and habits, which of course I will go into further detail later.
Governing Body: The Sintag. The Sintag is believed to be the direct descendant of Sindao, and the family line of the most pure power. The Sintag serves as the Apahov's leader, oracle, and overseer when guidance is needed. He leads his people with iron will, and tends to be rather merciless when it comes to the crimes of others.

[Fluesopp]

That sounds very much like Blood Weaving, only with all the elements instead of just blood..

[Eternity]

Blood weaving? I didn't see anything about that in the Information section. . .

Also, I can almost assure you there are plenty of differences between the elemental weaving and what this ''blood'' weaving is. Where it comes from, the beliefs about it, and the actual abilities it contains currently and the potential it has.

[Eternity]

Blood weaving, okay, so I searched the site for it because I still couldn't see it in the Information lol.

Okay, Differences in Blood Weaving and Elemental Weaving.

___________________

Armors/Item Crafting: It is sort of similar, but Elemental Weaving is not used to make weapons. The only time Elemental Weaving is used to make a weapon is when it is used to create a band (which for Beads, requires a user who can contain those Beads subconsciously and break them with their ability upon need). The elements do not enhance it with ''magic'' but instead the actual elements. Even then, it does not ''enhance'' the performance, as much as it creates a resistance. Such as wearing chainmail over existing armor makes you a little safer. If you wear Water-Woven armor, you are not going to suddenly have the ability to use your own magic better, or fight with more fluidity.
Also Elemental Weaving must actually be woven. As in, sit down, and an Apahov will use their fingers, holding a cloth or what be it they are weaving, and they must physically sew the item together.

Where does it come from?:

Weaving to the Apahov comes from within. But it is not blood based- though the ability to wield the elements is genetically encoded. So this is something that cannot be taught to a person who does not have the ability. The Apahov people believe that within them lies the chi of Gaia- the earth, more or less. What keeps the earth alive, keeps them alive. If the earth should die, all of the Apahov would disappear with it. Now, their beliefs are not necessarily true. But, we're talking about what they believe right now. They also believe that the blood of Sinbao runs through all of them, and that Sinbao's blood was blessed by the Elements. But why is Elements capitalized here? They believe that in the age of Sinbao, that the Elements were able to be reached by one pure of heart, that they had a conscious entity to represent the elements. They believe that when the Elements blessed Sinbao, they touched his blood with the powers they held over Gaia's body. Thus, how they (or the Apahov with stronger bloodlines) have the powers given unto their people by their prophet and creator, Sinbao.

The truth is... that the power is inside of them. A genetic ability that gives them immense strength within. Their auras reach out in thin wisps, like strands of hair, and can take the form of the elements much in the way a Mage calls upon them. But because their auras are in such a form, they cannot wield magic in the manner of bursts, beams, balls, or etc. Instead, they form fit the ability of magic to the shapes of these threads. The original purpose of this ability was so that the people, adjusted to the mountain's eruptions of lava, could use water and wind to weave a wall that required the entire village, to protect themselves. This also touches on why Ramadi is called the Gray Isle. Lot of lava stone, lot of rock formations, and the now inactive mountain. This power forms inside of them as a ''chi''. Chi being a state of energy that one calls upon in their deepest core, a chi taking lots of strength to master. With this chi, they push their auric hair to take on physical form with the body of an element to encase it. Thus why a Weaver cannot weave something without the thread connecting to their skin.
Their magic cannot be done without their bodies as the literal base where it begins.
The things about Sinbao? Well, they are fairly true. A human man who traveled and taught himself magic, and then upon one day battled a dark warlock that split his soul. With a broken soul, Sinbao was bound to become corrupt, but he refused. He instead trained himself on the elements and used that magic to bind himself, and when he did, he began to change. His soul was woven together with the chi of the elements, and his genetic code was altered by the consistent changes with his body. Soon, he was an Apahov, and he spoke not of the dark beast, but instead of his communion with Emoria.

Okay, so let's jump a little further ahead.

Weaving is their ability: While Blood Magic has several forms, Weaving is their primary form. Even in battle, the elements exist in the form of strands and threads.

Weaving falls in the alignment of: Neutral magic. It is not light, nor dark, and is primarily good. The Apahov people do not practice dark arts and believe the Arcane is the chains that bind the wicked to the realm of Emoria. Weaving is done in a tribal sense, and it does not pass much beyond its people unless sailors or travelers come by the island's trading port (upon the island of Julhek) and purchase armor. Armor is the primary use of weaving though.

I'm going to try and list off most of the things Weavers craft:
-Armor
-Clothing
-Tarp
-Rafting Reeds
-Bandannas
-Jewelry
-Beads

That's basically the majority of Woven crafts by the Apahov. Their ability is not really used for ''resistance" amongst their own people as much as it is used to strengthen their belongings to endure the weather. Without much to fight about, or any true civil conflict, the Apahov do not transfer their ability to weapons or crafts of destruction. They believe that should they attempt to make items of war, then war will come and the items will gain purpose.

Other purposes of Weaving:
-Medical Weaving: The new training to stitch wounds using the elements. This is harder to achieve, and I'm only going to have Amala train in it, not necessarily be strong in the area of it, while my other characters and people of Apahov are not going to be too familiar with it.
-Combat Beads: The use of the Apahov weapon, Beads, requires their magic. They have blades that are hollow-centered so that a thread may go through them much like a bead. They begin combat full and well knowing they do not intend to be in close enough range to take on battle, though if done, they are well versed in evasion techniques. But their battle style requires their magic to wield beads on the elemental thread's end. Metal/Mineral/Crystal beads upon threads can be used to set traps, to create distractions, or any number of small unconventional uses. The blades however are locked onto the end of a thread and an Apahov may whip the thread around to control the blade at its end. Much like a whip with a dagger at its tip, but in some ways different from that.
-Terrain Travel: Sometimes they can use their magic to scale up rocks, or to make traveling easier for them.
-Traps: Sometimes Weaving can be used to set traps, nothing elaborate or explosive of course. But think that a cavern hole lies in the ground, and that a weaver weaves grass and leaves together in a manner that makes it look like a natural cover to the landscape. Someone walks on it, and it's a classic old-school trap. These traps are not high-tech, or super dangerous. Some can be, but usually the Apahov don't think on trap making so much.

__________________________________________________________________


I hope this has helped better the definition of their abilities.

[Eternity]

Username: Eternity
Character Name: Zafir Qep'Zu Key
Species/Race: Apahov
Physical Description:
Body- Zafir is lean, and toned to quite some definition. Like Amala, he has a natural tan skin tone, save for his skin is bronze in the light. His muscles are wiry, and fits well against his height of 6 feet and 3 inches. His abdomen is long, and his legs are longer, giving him a very limber appearance. His hands are callous from hunting, fishing, and teaching younger boys how to make their Beads. Upon his palm is tattooed the engraving print of his family crest within his palm. The design is like the others, in that it is tribal in shape and design and is marked upon some of his things to show his family line. His fingernails are rather blunt, and not very long, but grow in a shade of copper which is unusual to some degree amongst the Apahov. As far as scars go, he only has a few. A few marks on his lower back from a challenging scuffle he had with a panther, and several along his chest from his lovable mate-to-be, Amala. Tattoos, he has one, and it is the mark of Sinbao upon the back of his neck. He had this tattoo done when the Sintag chose him to be the next Leader and to wed his daughter Amala in the future. The mark of Sinbao is a great honor, and the only other person who has such a tattoo is the Sintag himself.
Face/Head- Zafir has a lean, gaunt face. His eyes are somewhat narrow, and piercing by all means. His eyelids are coppery and his lashes a shade of dark maroon. His iris' background is an off shade of midnight blue, while the circles that ring around his pupil are a shade of brilliant azure. His brows are arched, and form a good amount of strong expressions using the thinner inner brow compared to the slight thickness it gains on the outer edge. The brows are shaded as his hair is, which is a shade of rosewood- or a very earthy dark reddish brown. His nose bears a slender bridge, with a rounded tip and a smooth overall shape. It falls over his lips, full and shaded to be a reddish brown shade of carnelian (imagine a shade of brown with red tints and lightened up enough to be a shade of lipstick). His face bears no dimples or sign of baby fat whatsoever. His jawline is almost Roman in appearance, with a strong and visible structure that makes him rather handsome and again compliments his strength in appearance. His hair is long and the same shade of rosewood as his brows, and is tied up into a ponytail that lets his hair flow down to the center of his back. At his widow's peak, a few tendrils of his smooth hair fall from the ponytail to curtain along his cheeks and dance over his forehead. His ears are peaked like the Apahov, and bear a coppery tint to them. Again, they are close to his head and his lobes are as well slightly pointed.
Attire
Base Outfit-
-A pair of long rust-colored leather pants woven by his mother with water. Thus, they are given that slightly wet sheen to them as well. They have a lace-up spot where the zipper/button would lie, and the ties are tucked into the pants. They also have pockets sewn into the front sides of the outer thighs, where normal pockets lie. They fall in a boot-cut fashion, and are made long for his height and stature.
-A cotton white quarter-sleeve top that hugs his skin very well and has a low "V" neck that goes to the middle or bottom of his chest.
Over-clothes-
-Rust colored vest that hangs open over his front. It is woven of wind, and is leather. As well, it has two pockets, one on each side of the bottom, nearest the hips or sides of the abdomen. The vest's length ends just before the shirt does, and that line falls only about two inches below his pants' belt line.
-Water-woven bracers of leather that are rust colored in appearance. They have the wet sheen to them. As well, they carry Zafir's palm mark on them. They are shorter than Amala's, instead only starting at his wrist and being about four inches in length- like cuffs almost.
-Fingerless gloves of a dark chocolate shade that are woven of wind. The fingers only extend to the first knuckle, leaving the majority of the finger, or at least half of it, unveiled. The glove begins an inch up from the wrist, an unusual starting place, but is secure no less and the palm hooks to the bottom side of the bracer to keep the glove on and in place regardless.
Shoes-
-A pair of dark chocolate leather boots. Flat, and with ridges engraved into the bottom for better grip during running. They come up a few inches above the ankle, with a cut down the center over a piece of leather with a softer cloth inside. The laces come up there, and are wrapped around the boot several times before it is tied over the front.
Accessories-
-Black solid hook earrings made of stained black panther bone
-Loose leather necklace with a single marble-sized bead of amethyst on it's end, having belonged to his elder sister who passed away.
Weapon-
-Beads: Zafir's beads consist of 10 rough, stone beads, and three long blades that reach almost two feet in length, averaging about 20-21 inches. One of the daggers is uniquely shaped like an "S" almost in the manner of saying it has hooks on both ends with a straighter center. He keeps his beads around his waist, the band looped into the back loops of his pants, while the front hangs over his waist.
Character Bio: -will edit-
Age: 50 {Equivalent of 27 in human age}
Gender: male
Occupation: Hunter | Warrior
As a Hunter, Zafir is one of the fastest and strongest of the Hunters. He grew up with the intention of becoming a warrior, but also aiding in the path of his brother Yazo who became a Hunter alone. As well, he was given the path of a Warrior- Warriors being the powerful Apahov fighters who are trained in intense combat to protect their people and themselves using the art of Weaving.
Skills:
-Fighting
-Hunting
-Surviving on minimal supplies
-Being cold when he needs to be (and sometimes when he doesn't)
-Being an idol for the Apahov people to look forward to in a Sintag
-Good speaking skills when he chooses to open his mouth and say something nice
World-space Miran Isles
Example: Zafir lives on the western beach of Ramadi, where he can overlook the ocean. That side of the island is least populated, but as well meant for the less socially powerful people. Zafir chooses to leave in solitude there because he can train next to the ocean and in the crisp cool air freely. He believes that his home is his temple for which he hones his body and mind. His home is a hut that is something like half a dome. It is open, with no door and anyone passing by can look inside. He does this for the feeling of being able to escape should he need to. Also, Zafir grows honeysuckles in the earth where the sand ends. Beyond that, the beach is fairly open and the back of his hut faces the woods and mountain behind on the center of Ramadi.

[Guest]

I've read over your stuff, Eternity, and I have to say I can't wait to see an army of them in battle. That would certainly be quite a sight! Everything you have so far is fine by me.

As far as its similarity to blood magic, I don't think it overlaps too much, in my own opinion. You clarified what you thought were the most similar aspects, and it seems fine to me. To be honest, I think it would be awesome if the two powers of weaving and blood magic had a common origin, but that is completely up to you guys. I just thought it would be neat.

[Eternity]

Hm, it would be interesting, and I'll look into it with Fluesopp if he doesn't mind it. Even then, thank you for your bit, and I'm excited to begin when I can. Now...

<.<

Time to figure out what story to jump into. Is there anything I need to know or anything you can help me out with in that area?

[Guest]

This is where I've always been sort of lost... Opening up the other landmass meant finding a way to incorporate all of the new players into the existing story. Perhaps we may need to expand the scope of the story itself, or just keep going at it the way we have been, with just a few members of each nation currently being present in Talonia and Renjira Krin. If that is the case, you could see about putting your characters anywhere. Or, you could begin your story in the Miran Isles and have them learn about the events in Talonia. They could then decide to travel there for whatever reason.

It is also possible for many of the characters of Arcona to band together and travel there, possibly after having their own council of sorts. Or perhaps you just run into each other on the way. I don't really know.....those are just ideas.

[Gadreille]

You could even just role play with someone in Arcona with a completely unique plot line. The world of Emoria is a very large place, and many things can happen.

[Eternity]

I've actually thought about how to get my characters to the eastern continent through a ritual of their religion, which is called the Prophetic Journey. Which would take place between the Sintag's female born and the mate chosen for her, where the two take a journey to find a purpose and make a name for their people, as well as create the unbreakable bond by becoming allies in combat and companionship.

This could take them anywhere, and could open up a lot of possibilities.

[Guest]

Since there are no major issues, could you post your CS's in the information thread so that I can link them to the Characters post? I'll add the image to it as soon as you have one, but for now I'll just link it to your name.

[Eternity]

No problem. I'm also working on a post for here where I'll be putting up all the information I can think of for the people as a race.

[Guest]

Feel free to post it all there, and I'll pick apart what I need and repost it in relevant areas.

[Eternity]

Sweet.
Thank you, you've been a big help. I'll start talking to other members of Emoria and see what they can offer me in the way of helping to put a story together.

[Dax]

What SIlvone said.

I guess that the whole Part 2 of Emoria after we're down with Morgarath and all the baddies. etc. will have to do with the second Emoria. The general idea will be inter-continental relations, which could be interesting.

Until then, as Silvone and Ryona mentioned before, just some lone of the species could find their way to Talonia, etc.

And, oooh, Eternity, Vatienne is always looking for allies! If you ever decide to come hang with my crowd of ridiculous priests, you are most welcome to!

You just have to get past the "They are all dicks' part. Other than that, you're set. xD

[Eternity]

Image of Emoria Map and Miran Isles

Miran Isles
-Ehm' Ro-
-Julhek-
-Satakh-
-Arkali-
-Ramadi-
-Sinbo-



The Apahov People

Appearance and Defining Features:
Apahov people are of average human height with some variations at times- most of those variations being slightly taller than most. They tend to have a skin tone of being tan, almost exotic in nature, but underneath sunlight or moonlight it can have a slight glow or sheen to it that makes Apahov people appear golden, bronze, copper, or even a pearl tone at times. They have nails that grow in and most often match the shimmer of their skin, and are almost unbreakable. The nails of the Apahov are usually filed down by rocks or stones, and most Apahov build their own beads and marbles using a process of carving rocks, minerals, metals, or crystals with their nails and then using the riverbed nets they set up to let the beads tumble. A lot of times one can spot an Apahov settlement near for young children draw figures in the stone. Another thing is that they unique fingerprints and footprints. The lines running through their palms tends to have a point that is deeper than the rest, and this deepest imprint is a tribal symbol that matches that of the family line. When an Apahov hits puberty, they get their palms tattooed so that the palm marks are more obvious to others.
-
Facially, they are a bit more unique as well. An Apahov usually has lips that come in unique off-shades of normal human lip shades. Their eyes are perhaps the most unique though.
-

Apahov eyelids contain a shimmer of a color, either silver, dark silver, black, copper, bronze, or gold. Sometimes they come in shades of pearl. The inside of the eye is lined with this color much like a natural eyeliner. As well, their eyelashes are reflected with these colors. An Apahov's eyelashes are much like the side of a feather. They can be individual silky strands, or they can mesh together and form a solid shape. The iris is a dark color. Shades of many colors. Then within the iris, creating a ring around the pupil, is a collective number of circles that join at the edges and create that very ring. They are usually a lighter shade of the color in the background of the iris. The pupils are black.
-
Their eyes are closer to their head, but normal in size to a human. The only difference is that the tip is slightly pointed like a half-elf's, and the lobe is slightly pointed as well. A lot of times, Apahov stretch their earlobe piercings for plugs or solid hook rings. Also, their hair texture- though smooth- is just barely courser than a human's. A lot of times this little feature goes unnoticed.



Culture & Society:
The Apahov live on islands, and are very reliant on nature and the land. They live with a purpose, and believe that their purpose is what they are destined to do. At birth, a child is decided what they will become in the future and what they will do for the tribe by their family line, ability outcome, and family history of aiding the tribe. The Apahov believe in hunting, gathering, and gaining through hard work. They know of the luxuries some of Emoria has, but remain in their own way due to the peace, responsibility, and honor it puts upon their people.
-
Apahov trade from the island Julhek, where a port city exists to make trades. Thus is how Apahov gets some things that they find easier to gain because their island is harder to gather those items. Such as blades custom blacksmithed to be hollow-centered and without handles. Also, they get shoes, silks, a unique stone that is perfect for sharpening blades and filing their nails.
-
Several factors break up society. Socially, people are broken up by their abilities. Stronger Weavers are held higher in society, while weaker abilities are not as high up. Stronger Weavers also live closer to the center of the villages, or closer to the resources upon that island. Weaker Apahov live on the outskirts and under less lavish circumstances unless they work extremely hard to work up into society. Again, some Apahov are born with less than remarkable skill over Weaving, but can train themselves to be stronger.
-
Another factor is man versus woman. Men become Hunters, Warriors, Blacksmiths, Journeyers, Map-makers, Builders, and all jobs that require labor and strength. They are seen as the dominant of their species. Women however are known for being Weavers, Tailors, Nurses, Medics, Oracles, Mothers, Gatherers, and many other jobs that require more thought than labor, and can be done from ''behind the scenes'' or with a nurturing nature. The most common gender break is that men are Warriors and women are Weavers. Thus, men fight, and women make their armor and Beads.


Figures and Governing Bodies:
Sintag- The Leader of the Apahov. The Sintag is believed to be of the family line directly descended from Sinbao. The Sintag is chosen by two methods. Either he is born a son to the current Sintag and is the heir of the Apahov people. Or, the Sintag chooses a Warrior for his daughter to wed, and upon betrothal, the groom becomes the new Sintag.
-
Souinda- (pronounced Soon-da) The wife of the Sintag. Believed to be the Oracle of the Apahov, and have the abilities to see into a person's soul. Whether or not this is true is far from proven.
-
Surlo- The guardian of the Sintag, an honored position. This guardian is usually a childhood friend or best friend of the Sintag before he gained his title. Sometimes a brother.
-
Saosi- The daughter of the Sintag. They are often seen as the 'princess' of the tribe, and are expected to behave a very certain why and exude a grace that is often hopeful and praised.

The Apahov Ability

Weaving is:
Weaving to the Apahov comes from within. But it is not blood based- though the ability to wield the elements is genetically encoded. So this is something that cannot be taught to a person who does not have the ability. The Apahov people believe that within them lies the chi of Gaia- the earth, more or less. What keeps the earth alive, keeps them alive. If the earth should die, all of the Apahov would disappear with it. Now, their beliefs are not necessarily true. But, we're talking about what they believe right now. They also believe that the blood of Sinbao runs through all of them, and that Sinbao's blood was blessed by the Elements. But why is Elements capitalized here? They believe that in the age of Sinbao, that the Elements were able to be reached by one pure of heart, that they had a conscious entity to represent the elements. They believe that when the Elements blessed Sinbao, they touched his blood with the powers they held over Gaia's body. Thus, how they (or the Apahov with stronger bloodlines) have the powers given unto their people by their prophet and creator, Sinbao.
-
The truth is... that the power is inside of them. A genetic ability that gives them immense strength within. Their auras reach out in thin wisps, like strands of hair, and can take the form of the elements much in the way a Mage calls upon them. But because their auras are in such a form, they cannot wield magic in the manner of bursts, beams, balls, or etc. Instead, they form fit the ability of magic to the shapes of these threads. The original purpose of this ability was so that the people, adjusted to the mountain's eruptions of lava, could use water and wind to weave a wall that required the entire village, to protect themselves. This also touches on why Ramadi is called the Gray Isle. Lot of lava stone, lot of rock formations, and the now inactive mountain. This power forms inside of them as a ''chi''. Chi being a state of energy that one calls upon in their deepest core, a chi taking lots of strength to master. With this chi, they push their auric hair to take on physical form with the body of an element to encase it. Thus why a Weaver cannot weave something without the thread connecting to their skin.
Their magic cannot be done without their bodies as the literal base where it begins.

Most Common Elements:
-Water
-Wind

It is: Neutral magic, leaning on good

Purposes of Weaving:
Armor/Item Weaving- Weaving armor, clothes, reeds, leather, or other items with elemental threads that strengthen the ability to resist magic or damage within that item.
-
Medical Weaving: The new training to stitch wounds using the elements. This is harder to achieve, and I'm only going to have Amala train in it, not necessarily be strong in the area of it, while my other characters and people of Apahov are not going to be too familiar with it.
-
Combat Beads: The use of the Apahov weapon, Beads, requires their magic. They have blades that are hollow-centered so that a thread may go through them much like a bead. They begin combat full and well knowing they do not intend to be in close enough range to take on battle, though if done, they are well versed in evasion techniques. But their battle style requires their magic to wield beads on the elemental thread's end. Metal/Mineral/Crystal beads upon threads can be used to set traps, to create distractions, or any number of small unconventional uses. The blades however are locked onto the end of a thread and an Apahov may whip the thread around to control the blade at its end. Much like a whip with a dagger at its tip, but in some ways different from that.
-
Terrain Travel: Sometimes they can use their magic to scale up rocks, or to make traveling easier for them.
-
Traps: Sometimes Weaving can be used to set traps, nothing elaborate or explosive of course. But think that a cavern hole lies in the ground, and that a weaver weaves grass and leaves together in a manner that makes it look like a natural cover to the landscape. Someone walks on it, and it's a classic old-school trap. These traps are not high-tech, or super dangerous. Some can be, but usually the Apahov don't think on trap making so much.

Woven Element Attributes:
Water = physical resistance
Wind = magical resistance
Earth = physical and wind resistance
Fire = magical resistance, ice resistance, physical resistance to wooden weapons or arrows without stone/metal/mineral/crystal tips
Shadow = light resistance
Light = shadow resistance

Combat & Beads

Apahov Fighting Style:
The Apahov fight in a very unique and individualized manner. First and foremost, they are ranged fighters. Some who are weaker in the art of Weaving tend to learn hand to hand combat or close quarter fighting just in case. As well, Apahov are good evasive fighters, though if combat comes too close, they will definitely take it upon themselves to make space. As well, Apahov fight using a weapon called beads, and this weapon involves no physical contact to the actual weapon whatsoever.

What are Beads?:
Beads involve three things.
The Band is the leather and sometimes elemental magic strap that the beads and blades rest on. The band has several hooks throughout it so that it can be jerked off or unsnapped easily with a moment of patience.
The Beads are marble-sized (sometimes varying bigger or smaller) beads of mineral/metal/stone/crystal, and sometimes wood. They are placed upon the strap, space the blades, and are used in trap setting and even combat itself.
The Blades are knife/dagger/sword blades that come in different shapes and sizes. Most often the blades are between four to twelve inches, and can be larger for Warriors or smaller for females of the tribe or non-fighters. They are on the center of the band, and on one set of beads there can be anywhere from one to ten. It all depends on the person wielding them. Warriors tend to have more, or larger, and Weavers tend to have fewer, and smaller, or sometimes very small but in a larger number.
-
Beads are worn mostly around the waist, blades in front. Sometimes they are worn over the neck, so that they hang over chest armor or the stomach. Other times, small sets of beads are worn elsewhere.

What kind of bands are there?:
-Leather
-Water
-Water-woven Reed
-Wind-woven Reed
-Hemp
-Bamboo

What kind of beads are there?:
-Hematite
-Granite
-Marble
-Average Stone
-Leopard Skin Jasper
-Tiger's Eye / Cat's Eye
-Bloodstone
-Conelian Agate
-Blackstone
-Snowflake Obsidian
-Malachite
-Lapis Lazuli
-Jade
-Quartz
-Diamond
-Black Diamond
-Garnet
-Amethyst
-Aquamarine
-Turquoise
-Emerald
-Alexandrite
-Ruby
-Peridot
-Citrine
-Sapphire
-Ruby
-Topaz

What kind of blades are there?:
-Straight Blades
-Hook Blades
-Kukri Blades
-Mini-Scimitar
-Wakizashi
-Saw Blades
All come in different lengths

Initiating Battle:
An Apahov gathers a strong stance, until they are prepared. When prepared, one haid is raised to either the hip, or near the shoulder level. Some people do things differently depending on training and comfort. The other hand falls to the front of the beads. When ready, the beads are jerked forward. The back hook unsnaps and the beads are thrown straight forward at the enemy, or into the air. Battle begins immediately.
-
The moment the band snaps and the beads and blades come into sight, coiling wires of water/wind/an element burst forth from the palm and fingertips of the raised free hand. These wires travel in milliseconds until their ends loop into the holes in the beads and the hollowed centers or holes in blades. After wrapping around them firmly, the threads of elements are then like a firm string. Once the strings are connected to the broken Beads, battle is beginning.

Battle:
An Apahov wields Beads like a great bundle of yoyos. The threads can be wielded to raise a weapon without the actions of a wielder, but when an Apahov moves with the threads, it enhances both their readiness and the beauty of battle. Moving their arms, they are able to swing the threads forward and back, spinning them around and launching the blades into the air and at the enemies. This creates many beautiful attacks that are both entrancing to watch but deadly to face. Because of the multitude of beads and blades, it becomes a task of intense concentration to fight an Apahov, especially one intent on winning battle.

Side-Notes of Being a Weaver

Chi Overload:
Power runs through them upon birth. But as a newborn, an Apahov does not feel truly the abilities, and is not truly affected by it. It is upon infancy that an Apahov really begins to feel their chi coming to be. The problem falls then to the parents or guardian. It is the responsibility of Apahov parents to immediately begin training their child to control their powers. There are certain crystals and rituals with other Apahov that are used to drain chi from a child, but it must be done regularly until a child can control themselves. If this is not done, chi overload is the result.
-
Chi Overload is when a child is overwhelmed by their power. The hairs of their aura coils under their skin and inside of their bodies, becoming introverted and welling inside of one's body. Without immediate chi draining, a child will be torn apart inside out when finally these hairs burst out of the skin and free themselves. It is believed that when a child dies of Chi Overload (or an adult though it is not as likely), their chi goes with their soul, who travels to the temple of Sinbao to pray for safe passage to the Afterlife.

Ru'sukile:
This is basically the ritual of people draining the chi from an overcharged person.

Chi Abuse:
Pushing too hard to create power can sometimes cause the wielder's physical body to begin to take the place of the aura. The result of that is gashes, visible injuries, and internal injuries unless one stops or gets help from another via a ritual called Su'jioku.

Su'jioku:
Su'jioku is a ritual done for one of two reasons. It is used to empower someone with sustaining chi if they have used their power to maximum limit and have injured themselves. Or it is used to give blessing to someone about to travel, empowering them and giving them praise before their journey.

Scripts of Sinbao

... And when He came to me, He came with word of wisdom. He spoke of completion and fulfillment, needle by His fingetips. Through the eye of the point lay one thread of gold, as He came to me closer. The seams will last forever, yet the mend's purpose will fade without care. It was then He stuck me, the needle disappearing into my wrist. Soon only the thread remained, one string of pure gold that floated with ethereal grace. A piece of me He'd made, and made me unique. I felt it that day, with the needle in my core. Rebirth. And I was human no more.

~Sinbao : Scripture 13 | Reawakening

Sinbao's Scriptures:
Sinbao wrote a book of his life, from the age of ten years old to the year after he became an Apahov. There are 15 Scriptures. In the first, he writes about his laws of life and the rules he set for himself to live by. The last Scripture he writes about the power. About controlling it, and about how to train it. The Scriptures between are the tales of his journeys and how he found his path and gained the light of the Elements.

Scripture 1: Commandments | Life | The Purpose
Scripture 2: Birth | The Sea of Thirst | Tales of the Sage
Scripture 3: Power | Foresight
Scripture 4: Harmony | Humanity
Scripture 5: Tales of Water
Scripture 6: Prestige | Apprentice | Su'jioku
Scripture 7: Tales of Wind
Scripture 8: The Eastern Shore | Sorcery
Scripture 9: Tales of Earth
Scripture 10: Tales of Shadow | Eternal Night
Scripture 11: Tales of Light | Awakening
Scripture 12: Tales of Fire
Scripture 13: Reawakening | Miran
Scripture 14: Birth | Prophecy
Scripture 15: The Elements of Weaving

Sinbao's Commandments: Simple format
-Humanity
-Ritual
-Loyalty
-Purity
-Rectification
-Relationship
-Be not an Idol
-Be not deceitful
-Be thankful to Emoria for the gift of it's elements

Who is Sinbao?:
Sinbao is a human man who traveled the world in need to learn magic. His tales tell himself as being brave and curious, and seeking the all knowledge of the elements for uses besides war and conflict. It is told that Sinbao learned so much, that he asked the Elements for their power and when he gained it, his body became the vessel for so much power that it altered him and made him beyond human. He then raised forth a village and discovered the Miran Isles, where he upraised his new race. He was the first Weaver, and also the most powerful. Of purest blood, and Master Weaver of all the Elements.

Is the Story of Sinbao different in reality than it is in his Scriptures?:
Yes. Though the Apahov people do not know the truth, it is somewhat different. Sinbao was a human male versed in magic. But when he came to meet his match with a dark warlock, instead of being killed, his soul was instead torn. With his soul shattered, he was left delusional and afraid, and only a tiny sliver of hope existed within his distraught life. With this, he relearned magic, and came to be a master Elementalist. But it did not fix him. So he then shaped the elements into threads, into energy, and used that energy of the elements to weave his soul back together. When he did this ritual to save his soul, his body changed and his powers over the elements with it. Thus he genetically shaped himself into the first Apahov.

How is Sinbao praised in modern Apahov culture?:
Sinbao's direct bloodline automatically has heir to be leader over the people and over the Miran Isles. His descendant that gains leadership is called the "Sintag", from his Scriptures where he refers to an Eastern man who was a great ruler over his lands, and loved by all.
-
As well, Sinbo is an island farthest west of the few Miran Isles. This island is not for living, and bears Sinbao's burial spot as well as his temple. People go to ask for his guidance, power, and a safe travel to the Afterlife.
-
His rules of living keep tradition and ritual sacred amongst the Apahov people, and it also is these teachings that keeps the people strong power-wise.

[Fluesopp]

Hm, it would be interesting, and I'll look into it with Fluesopp if he doesn't mind it. Even then, thank you for your bit, and I'm excited to begin when I can. Now...

Yes, I'd love to. The Vangara are not originally from Selton (as is seen by the names being quite different from their usual language), so they were once immigrants. It could be that they were banished because they used blood magic, and the blood magic changed them into what they are now.

[Gadreille]

I'm so glad you like the idea, Fluesopp. Collaboration FTW!

[Eternity]

We could always try to work something into Sinbao having been taught magic in the style of the Vangara, only using elements instead of blood for the ability didn't exist within his nature to use blood magic. Or we could always say that in the beginning, maybe Sinbao was actually a half-Vangara.

[Guest]

Location: Coastline near Solaria


[quote="Raptorman"]Username: Raptorman
Character Name: Sil-Ril
Species/Race: Shienienarans. (world space name Shienienaran Trading Confederation)

The Shienienarans are a race of humanoid amphibious relatives to Salamanders. They stand between 3 1/2 and 5 feet in height. Those however are the extremes in height. Most are about 4'3 or so tall. They look much like humans though their skin is greenish black with yellow splotches around their eyes. The exact pattern of splotches is one of the ways they can be told apart, aside from the other distinguishing features such as facial and body structure. No two Shienienarans have the same pattern of face splotches and while others may look similar they are the most definitive way to identify a Shienienaran. They also have no hair.Physically as one would expect the Shienienarans are incredibly weak. The strongest among them could be easily bested in a fight of strength by a human female.

Their skin emits a natural paralytic neurotoxin, that while fast acting is not lethal and due to its fast acting nature wears off fairly quickly as well. The exact course of events that the toxin takes is as follows. Upon touching it the being that touched it would experience numbness in the area that it touched. Within a few seconds the being would experience dizziness and spreading numbness. After approximately a minute the organism would be almost completely paralyzed aside from the ability to breath shallowly. The toxin is rendered impotent as it dries and so is only useful as an old evolutionary deterrent to predators.

They breathe through their skin and require it to be moist at all times lest they begin to have trouble breathing and die. The process of killing one in that way is incredibly painful for them and is a slow agonizing death that takes almost a full day of torment. The Shienienarans do not have tails or claws or any other visible natural weapons. Their teeth are sharp but aside from that they lack any sort of intimidating physical features.

Physical Description: Sil-Ril is on the large side for one of the Shienienarans standing at a respectable 4'6 in height. His face is fairly normal for one of the Shienienarans, slightly rounded with an flat nose and slit holes instead of nostrils. His facial splotches are abnormal though and rather than being symmetrical they are not. The right side of his face looks fairly normal with a large yellow splotch around it. However on his left side the splotch only covers the top half of his eye and so the rest is surrounded by the black grey of the majority of their body. His eyes like most of his race are slate grey with similarly grey pupils.

Sil-Ril wears the rich clothing of one of the Viceroys. Ornate red and white robes that cover all save his face and hands. Wearing the color red is a declaration that he is a member of the Viceroy's house and is to be obeyed. The white indicates that he is Consul to the Viceroy. Should he become Viceroy in the future he would instead wear red and gold.

Character Bio: Sil-ril is the eldest of the sons of the Viceroy of MasDettera. As the oldest son of the Viceroy he was slated for the best education available to one of the Shienienarans in the city. An education in the many arts that a viceroy would one day need. He was trained in the great Crafting that all members of the Viceroys' families were required to be instructed in. After the first 10 years of his life he was exchanged with the child of the Viceroy of Ildatch the closest ally of MasDettera among the Federation.

After 5 years of living in Ildatch he was returned to MasDettera. Once there Sil-ril's true education began. He was taught in the ways of leadership and skills in commerce and trade. He was taught to value profit and life above many other things for such is Shienienaran nature. For the last 2 years Sil-ril has been fulfilling the role of Consul, the heir to his father the Viceroy. As consul he is sent do to many things and so to learn about what the day to day business of ruling and what life is truly like outside the shelter of the palaces and craft centers of the Viceroys.

Age: 23

Gender: Male

Occupation: Consul to the Viceroy of MasDettera. (Heir to the Viceroy)

Skills: The Crafting, business deals, politics, the art of ordering golems around

World-space: The Shienienarans inhabit a long is narrow stretch of coastline on the eastern shores of the great supercontinent of Arcona. There are 20 city states the make up the Shienienaran Trading Confederation. These cities are mostly marvels of engineering as they are often built on stilts of sorts in the shallows of the coast. Within each the city the Palace of the Viceroy and the district that surrounds it are central to the city and surrounded are surrounded by a low wall. Each city has a second wall that encloses the estates of the common craftsmen and merchants. Outside of that second wall is the poor section of each city. This poor section despite being comparatively poor is wealthy by the standards of many other nations. In the event of a siege the poor district will be set alight and used to destroy as many attackers as possible.

The land itself is rich and the various areas of coast owned by the Shienienarans have many virtues. Among them are the thick forests that coat the slopes of the coastal hills in many parts of the Confederation. These forests provide the trees that are used in the construction of the massive trading vessels of the Shienienarans. Other resources include the mines in those same hills and the river Deltas that some of the cities sit upon. Those are used primarily for farming and providing the various other city states with food. The Ocean is also fished thoroughly.

Allies: Unknown as yet

Enemies: Unknown as yet

Religion/Deity(s): The Shienienarans are atheistic. They simply believe that things have always existed and always will exist. If they worshiped anything it would be the image of wealth for their society values wealth and trade to an extreme.

Governing Body: The 20 cities are all united under the banner of the Confederation and so are technically of one nation. However all the Confederation truly is is a pledge by all the cities to defend each other should a foreign power invade them. Otherwise the Viceroys and their respective cities compete with each other almost constantly in many theaters. That of economics and that of wars.

Wars between the cities are common and occur with a disturbing regularity. The desire for resources and increased profit is only one of the reason that many wars are fought amongst the Shienienarans themselves. They also fight to insure that no one city becomes too powerful. Often when a city seems to be pulling ahead of the others in the Confederation the alliances will change and that city will find itself under attack and the balance of power will be restored. However this is not fool proof and many of the city states are substantially stronger than others.

Within each city the supreme ruler is a being known as the Viceroy. The Viceroy is much like a king and has absolute power over the city. He is also the titular owner of all the mercantile enterprises that in some way involve the use of the golems of the city. This titular ownership means that an Active Viceroy is capable of running a massive trading empire if he is properly capable. The heir to the Viceroyalty of a particular city is determined by the age and gender of the children of the Viceroy. It is typically the eldest male child that is appointed Consul and Heir when he comes of age. There have been several notable female Viceroy's in history but for the most part the supreme positions in the confederation are held by males.

Many of the Viceroyalties practice a system of sending their youths to be raised with their allies in an effort to strengthen bonds that they know might one day have to be broken. The goal is to gain as much advantage from the situation as possible as a continued alliance breeds continued profit.

The Crafting- The crafting or Craft as the Shienienarans call it is their single type of magic. The Craft is the means by which the golems that serve the Shienienarans are created. The process of the creating the Golems is a zealously guarded secret among the Shienienarans. While all shienienarans are theoretically capable of creating the golems only certain groups know how to do it. The Viceroys and their families alone retain the secret of how to preform the final steps in the Craft.

The actual creation of a golem is rather simple in truth. Even a common shienienaran can craft the body of the golem, though only the families of the Viceroy's can give them life. Crafting the golem first forms a figure made from the material the golem is to be constructed of. They can be made from nearly anything however the time it takes to carve a golem out of stone is much greater than one of wood or clay. After the golem's body has been formed the Shienienaran who created the body can proceed no further without the presence of one of the Viceroyalty.

The Family member will use a ritual of power to transfer energy into a crystal that will serve as the heart of the golem. These crystals are typically made of quartz as quartz is very common in the Confederation. After the energy has been transfered into the golem the golem will be awakened with a word of power and will then do as it has been created to do and serve in its capacity.

Golems must be periodically restored as the energy that powers them dwindles. Typically a golem goes for 5 years before it must be recharged by a member of the Viceroyalty. The time it takes for a golem to run out of fuel varies depending on the amount and degree of activity that the golem was commanded to do and the nature of the golem itself. One that is created for war uses energy much faster as it must perform at a much higher level than a domestic servant golem would have to. Golems can be created in almost any shape which allows them to be tailored for their specific functions.

[Fluesopp]

We could always try to work something into Sinbao having been taught magic in the style of the Vangara, only using elements instead of blood for the ability didn't exist within his nature to use blood magic. Or we could always say that in the beginning, maybe Sinbao was actually a half-Vangara.

I don't think so. Elemental magic is... elemental. There is a reason for why it is called that. Blood magic is then more of a branch of that magic. It really doesn't matter as long as the world stays consistent. What I was thinking is, as I mentioned before, that the Vangara (or rather their ancestors) were once part of that race, but were banished because of their unholy use of the magic. They settled in Selton and took it for their own, and became perverted by their twisted magic.

Also, since someone brought up the need for bad guys in the country, I think I can do that.
But then I require Dragons
Vampires and Dragons! Just need some angles and I got all the current fads.
Nah, Dragon riders are just so passé now. If there should be something, it should be treated as beasts of war or something, controlled by blood magic.
I can also make the blood magic some more evil.
Good idea of bad idea?

~Fluesopp, defiler of clichés and all that is good.

[Eternity]

Okay, I like the idea of Vangara and Apahov having a similar starting point.

[Guilty Carrion]

Username: Plaguewalker
Character Name: Alphonse Ramsden
Species/Race: Sildari
Physical Description: Alphonse stands at 5’10, and a life of work and training has given him an evenly muscled body. Toiling in the fields has left him with a thick even tan, which goes well with his deep red hair, which falls to about shoulder height. He wears it in a low ponytail most of the time to keep it out of his light hazel eyes.
Character Bio: Born into the Ramsden family, Alphonse has know his whole life that he would one day follow in the footsteps of countless generations before him, and serve in the military forces of Vatienne. At the age of 5, Alphonse was enrolled into school, the same as all Vatienne children, although his instructions focused more on militaristic endeavours.

The next seven years of his life was split between his studies to earn his seasons, and work on the Ramsden family farm. Generations of Ramsden have lived in the same home, and worked the same valley that comprises their land. But almost as famous as their history as soldiers, is their rams, and the horns made from them. The quality of their horns is unmatched in Vatienne, and to possess a horn of a Ramsden ram is a honour many young commanders seek to receive.

His days were filled with study and training, his nights with hard work, and sparring with his cousins, but soon, he earned his seasons, and entered the Military. He did well in his training, and showed a blossoming talent with the bow, although it will take both time and practice for him to hone this talent into something beyond simple talent. Just before he completed boot, Alphonse received one of his family’s horns as a present for completing his training, as is tradition. Immediately after the completion of his training, Alphonse was deployed to the Sretin Regiment, where he has served for just under three months.
Age: 19
Gender: Male
Occupation: Infanterie reguliere
Skills: Basic swordplay and shield use, basic archery, basic survival skills, minimal hand to hand combat, minimal navigation.

I have no idea where to actually stick him infothread wise, so fer now, here is ALPHONSE RAMSDEN! Hold your applause, I know how bloody awesome he is.

[Chainlinc3]

Hooookay. I know there are probably a gazillion and one ways that I'm stretching the boundaries of "acceptable" with this, but I'm just going to throw it out here anyway. If there's anything I need to change, just say so, I'm kinda expecting I'll have to change a fair bit. But hey, no harm in trying, right?

Character Sheet-
Username: Chainlinc3

Character Name: Xiana
Species/Race: Fae
Physical Description: She's a Fae. See the race's physical characteristics section for most details. Xiana is an exception to the norm in that she never differentiated; her glow remains the light blue of of youth. She's has yet to earn her wings.
Character Bio: Xiana is a young adult by Fae standards, maybe twenty-something in human years. She has had very little experience outside the Citadel, only having spent a little over twenty years being able to leave it's safety. During this period, she's mostly just be the harvesting the world's latent magic, stockpiling it for future use while she got the lay of the land. She feels ready for a real challenge, to earn her wings, and to find something to relieve her boredom. She's currently affiliated with the Fae Vyron.
Age: 104
Gender: Asexual, like all Fae, but she identifies as a female.
Occupation: Wanderer? The Fae don't have a real concept of employment, other than a few within the Citadel.
Skills: She has the basic Fae abilities of flight, shapeshifting, and teleportation, as well as a sizable amount of mana to bend to her will. She does not, however, have any significant practice in controlling this magic, or efficiency in it's usage. As such, she can unleash blasts of energy and create fields of raw magic, but not much more complicated than that at the moment. She has a moderately detailed knowledge of geography; enough to keep from getting lost, but not so much that she can identify most geographical features..

(I'll probably add characters for the leaders of the three Fae clans, but I just don't have the inspiration for them quite yet)

World-space: The Fae Citadel is the center of Fae civilization, and it's only settlement. Geographically, it's in the middle of the ocean between the two continents. It's precise location is variable, however- the enchantments that form it cause it's position to drift around at random without it ever really "moving" by any measurable means. So, someone could float a boat at harbor for days and the Citadel isn't drifting away from it, but if they sailed away and returned to the exact same spot, it probably won't still be there. The easiest way to get there is to have one of the Fae transport you there.

Citadel (the city) is wide, blue and white platform of metal and crystal. In the center of the platform is the actual Citadel (the building and namesake of the city). It's rather fluidly shaped, something like this handy picture:

At the top of the tower is the meeting chambers for the Fae Ring, the Citadel's governing body. Most of the rest is academic-- the Fae have acquired quite a bit of knowledge over the years, and have documented most of it in their libraries. On the ground floor is a marketplace, the only one in the Citadel-- Known only as the Bazaar, it hawks the many and sundry rare goods that the Fae have either acquired or crafted over the years. Radiating outward from the Citadel, various residences, workshops, and meeting halls fill the platform, though none come anywhere near as tall as the Citadel. Surrounding the platform are four, verdant islands, referred to only as the Isles. The Northern Isle holds livestock that the Fae breed for their own entertainment, and for usage on the South Isle. The Southern Isle is an arena of sorts; a wilderness where the Fae release animals they've bred to see what survives. Initially, it was supposed to be a sort of nature reserve, a place where the Fae could commune with the natural world. Now, however, it's closer to a gladiatorial arena, particularly favored among the Fae Nocturne. The Eastern Isle is a fishery, catching and cleaning fish for consumption. The Western Isle is farmland, made fertile by the blessing of the Fae.

The food produced by the Isles is necessary due to the Citadel's large non-Fae residential population. Over the years, the Fae have brought many mortals to the Citadel whom they were fond of. The Citadel's magic elongates most lives by up to 50%; enough time for some of them to breed and lay the foundation for what is now a thriving community with representatives from almost every race and culture. While the mortals are not bound by Fae law in the same sense that the Fae are, they must still obey the core principles; violence in the Citadel is not tolerated, which has, over the years, resulted in a remarkably homogenous society. There are minor schisms between those of differing beliefs, and lingering racism effects a small minority, but it's far better than most places.

The Citadel was created over the years using the waste mana from the creation of new Fae. As energy radiated off, the Fae recaptured as much as they could and used it to support the construction of the Citadel. It's a slow process, but the expansion continues to this day.

Allies: While the Fae don't particularly have allies or enemies, due to the fact that each Fae is allowed a fair amount of freedom in picking it's own allegiance, most of them are on good relations with:
The Veloran- The Veloran practically worship the Fae due to their high levels of magical power, which makes it a rather pleasant place for them. As a result, many Fae would support this nation in battle if the need arose. While the Veloran are not a particularly evil race, most of the Fae enjoy having their ego stroked, which means that even the fickle Fae Nocturne tend to be friendly with them.
The Apahov- Many of the Fae are intrigued by the style of magic practiced by the Weavers. Some have experimented with the style themselves, to little success. Nevertheless, the Fae do harbor some affection for the Apahov people, if for no other reason than curiosity regarding the magic they wield. Furthermore, the Apahov are on good relations with the Veloran, which strengthens the bond along the premise of "My friend's friend is probably my friend." The Fae Nocturne are the exception to this relationship, considering the Apahov to be too "good" for their own tastes.

Enemies: Similar to how the Fae have factions they are mostly on friendly terms with, they also have factions they are more antagonistic towards. Namely:
Shienienaran Trading Confederation- The Veloran are hostile towards them, and a sub-faction of the Fae who are friendly with the Veloran also share this hostility. While this group has of a higher-than-average percent of Fae Nocturne (genocidal wars are right up their alley) it contains representatives of all three clans. To the Fae, this hostility is nothing personal, simply just that "the enemy of my friend is probably my enemy."

Religion/Deity(s): They are strictly atheist, preferring to take matters of morality into their own hands, rather than leaving them to some superior being.

Governing Body: They are ruled by the Fae Ring, which is described below!


The Fae Children (Aka: the Fae)-
Quick note, the race as a whole is called the Fae Children. If I mention a Fae child, I mean a young Fae, not just a singular Fae. So,
Physical Characteristics:
The Fae technically fall into the category of "non-living," with no actual matter as a part of them. Matter is to normal creatures as magic is to them; they are composed entirely of magic, and they derive all sustenance from it. This makes them rather vulnerable to magical disturbances, like direct spells (fireballs, lightning, etc)-- they have to counter the spell with one of their own, because taking even a small amount of magical damage will destabilize them and cause the mana they've stored up to erupt outward in a large explosion, killing them in the process. On the same note, they are magical powerhouses, able to unleash devastatingly powerful spells at a moment's notice, and able to overpower most indirect spells (shields, glamours, etc). Because they have no true physical form, they are highly resistant to physical weapons (unless they are enchanted), but also very weak-- lifting a walnut is about the extent of their physical prowess. The Fae typically appear as little more than a small, glowing, humanoid figure-- roughly three inches tall and silhouetted against the brightness of their own magic. Due to the fact that only their silhouette is really visible, and that their body is consumed in a flare of magic on their death, very little is know about anatomy that their magic presents. The color with which they glow reflects their favored type of magic, which in turn reflects their personality. In their youth, their glows are not differentiated, and thus are a generic light blue. Despite these physical similarities, the Fae can recognize each other using each other's unique magical signature. Wing-like projections of energy protrude from the back of the Fae, and match the color of their glow. These wings are theorized to function like magical batteries, storing magic for future use. The number of pairs of wings varies according to certain events, see the Life Cycle section. On a final note, they (obviously) do not suffer from hunger, disease, old age, and only need to sleep after exerting themselves.

Origins:
Basically, they came into being the same way natural life did. Just as an interesting chemical was formed in some puddle somewhere that was able to make copies of itself, the Fae were formed as a side-effect of a spell cast centuries ago, an enchantment that was able to reproduce itself. From there, it multiplied and mutated until it achieved sentience, thus creating the first Fae. It's evolution, but with magic!

Clans:
Fae Vyron-
The Vyron are the first and largest clan of the Fae, and represent a sort of balance. They are mischief-loving, but also compassionate; destructive, but also creative. They support the status quo, almost regardless of what the status quo might be. Typically, they pass their time harassing mortals, and tend to bond with roguish types-- people who aren't inherently bad, but definitely aren't good.

Fae Illus-
The Illus are the smallest clan of the Fae, representing purity and honor. They are the typical do-gooders, and tend to side with like-minded mortals. The concepts of pain, death, and suffering are not only alien to them, but represent blasphemy against everything they hold true. They can often be found helping the helpless, defending the defenseless, saving small woodland creatures; you get the drill.

Fae Nocturne-
The Nocturne were initially formed by members of the Vyron clan who recognized how the Illus clan was throwing the world out of it's natural balance, and sought to balance it. They represent basically every vice and pleasure of the flesh imaginable; anger, lust, greed, gluttony, envy, it's all under the banner of Nocturne. Ironically, although they were formed in the name of balance, they now more than counter the influence of the Illus, and threaten to tip the scales in the other direction. They typically bond with criminals and murderers-- if there's a famous criminal or outlaw, it's a solid bet that there's a Fae helping him or her.

Life Cycle:
The Fae life cycle is relatively simple. From the moment they leave the Citadel to they day they are slain, they do nothing but meddle with the affairs of mortals. Depending on their affiliation, they may wish to hunt, help, or just harass the other denizens of the world, but they always are in search of bonds. When one of the Fae find someone they take a fancy to, they often decide to tag along-- the different clans of Fae obviously would take a liking to different kinds of people, but, nevertheless, they want to associate themselves with a mortal, for only by developing this relationship can they earn their wings. Every bond formed by the Fae, if it reaches sufficient strength, will grant them a pair of wings and allow them to stockpile additional magic in their bodies. The more experience one of the Fae becomes, regardless of it's number of wings, the more efficient it becomes at using it's magic-- so the Fae can become stronger by practice, or by bonding with mortals. The Fae also have a tendency to whisk those they have bonded with away to the Citadel when their life reaches an end, using the Citadels' latent magic to prolong their life.

Abilities:
Several abilities are "core" to the Fae. Namely, these are the ability to fly, to teleport (both themselves and others), and to shapeshift. Flying is the easiest of the three, as it is the normal means of short distance transport for the Fae-- it is practically instinctive. Teleporting takes a large amount of energy, and leaves the Fae in question exhausted for about 24 hours afterwords. Shapeshifting has no such side-effects, but it takes unusual power for a Fae to be able to switch forms within three hours of taking on its current one.

Reproduction:
The Fae are entirely asexual-- many believe them to be female because they often have very effeminate characteristics, but any gender identification is entirely the choice of the particular Fae. Reproduction is a long and arduous process for the Fae-- they need to mass an enormous amount of magic, enough to easily level a small city in the blink of an eye. After the month or so of harvesting raw mana necessary for a small team of Fae to acquire this quantity of energy, it must be "ignited" -- seeded with the enchantment that gives the Fae form. As the enchantment takes form, waves of magic burn off, causing massive devastation to the surrounding areas, meaning that the process is typically handled at sea. This phase continues for a little over a year, during which the existing Fae must keep feeding the reaction with mana or else risk elongating the procedure by months or even years extra. As the oceans became more and more populated by seafaring vessels, the Fae constructed a chamber for the process to safely take place in (this chamber was the first structure of what would eventually become the Fae Citadel). When the reaction finally settles down, a new Fae is born, but it will take another three decades before it is able to take on the form of a human or other species and is ready to leave the Citadel. This newborn Fae typically contains an infinitesimally small fraction of the energy that went into it's creation-- the rest was radiated harmlessly away. usually takes another fifty years before one of the Fae has fully differentiated and is considered full grown. There have been attempts to create more reaction chambers, but all the Fae powerful enough to create one respect that if the Fae bred more rapidly it would cause an imbalance of power and jeopardize their fragile position in the workings of the world. Currently, roughly five hundred Fae are in existence, and with less than one "birth" a year, every death is sorely grieved. Most unnerving is the fact that the reactions seem to be taking longer and longer; if the problem isn't addressed, it could spell doom for the Fae.

The Fae Ring:
The Fae Ring is the closest thing the Fae have to a governing body. They represent the elder Fae, those who have lived long enough and absorbed enough energy to pass the barrier in the entranceway to the Ring's chamber. If your confused, just roll with it-- I'll explain it in a second. The Fae Ring, when working together, is powerful enough to utilize the oldest relic the Fae possess-- the Crystal Crown. Legend says that the first Fae, after witnessing the growing schisms between fellow Fae, sacrificed itself to create the Crystal Crown. The Crown is a channel by which the Fae Ring can edit the spell that holds all Fae in existence. As such, rules enacted by a majority of the Fae Ring become unbreakable by any Fae-- they literally cannot break them in any way, unless the rule in question is later repealed. The Fae Ring is led by the three members of the High Council, who are the leaders of each of the Fae clans. They set the discussion topics for the Fae Ring, and can halt debates with a two-thirds vote if things are getting too tense. They are also the only Fae who can initiate the usage of the Crystal Crown; without at least one of the High Council backing it, it doesn't matter how many Fae Ring wish to pass a law, it's automatically denied. The first eight laws passed by the Fae Ring are referred to as the Sanctified Code, and are the most core laws of Fae civilization. They are:
1. No Fae with the power to single handedly cause irreversible damage to the outside world are permitted to exit the Citadel and it's surrounding Isles without forfeiting the excess power to be regained upon their return.
2. Fae will not attempt to band together in an attempt to violate the First Law.
3. If one of the Fae should come in violation of the First Law while outside the Citadel shall have it's power drained and stored until it is in compliance without he First Law.
4. Fae will not band together in groups of greater than 13 outside of the Citadel, no matter the cause.
5. No Fae shall turn its power against another Fae.
6. No Fae will violate the sanctity of life by creating lifeforms of their own.
7. No Fae will use magic within the Citadel and it's surrounding Isles with the intent of damaging or destroying the Citadel and it's surrounding Isles.
8. Any Fae who harbors ill intent against it's fellow Fae shall be confined within the Citadel proper.

[Crazy Hobo]

Edited in a character

Username: Crazy Hobo

Character Name: Allister Breaux
Species/Race: Veloren
Physical Description: Allister is of a normal height for one of the Veloren, standing at 6'1". His eyes are slightly abinormal, being a light hazel color rather than the dominat eye color of green. His hair is a strawberry blond color that is cut short and groomed well, but often times darkens to a more auburn color during the winters. He has a soft looking face, with the traditionally pale skin of the Veloren yet the skin around his eyes creates a harder look in his eyes. Allister is a thin man, having almost no use for manual labor, but he in no way looks too thin, just a bit lanky. Allister usually wears the uniform of a ballistic mage, although you could find him wearing a variety of different clothes while off duty. The uniform of a ballistic mage is thus: Royal blue slacks with a chaimail backing just incase, an average looking white tunic and an ascot that bears the marks of rank, a royal blue jacket that is also lined with thin mail that has marks of rank on the cuff, and a pair of goggles that help protect the mages from the bright flashes of light that usually accompany balistics.
Character Bio: Allister's childhood was nothing too particularly interesting. He was raised by a middle class family in Dyara and had very few issues during the earlier part of his life. Just as every child once they reach the age of ten, Allister was administered a large series of magical tests in order to gauge magical ability and figure out a place for the child in the army if that child ever chose to join the military. Allister's magical ability was gauged at above average, and a place was saved for him among the ranks of balistic mages.

He had to wait untill he was sixteen, but he eagerly took the spot that was saved for him among the balistic mages. Balistic mages were often regarded as a very holy and honerable position in the military, so Allister was glad he would be allowed to join them. His military career hasn't been all that interesting. Usually simple border skirmishes with the demons that stalk the borders and diplomatic missions to the Fae and Apahov. Even so, Allister tried his hardest to excel in his military career, and this attitude gained him the position of Balistic Lieutenant, a position in which he feels great pride. This position also comes with the command of his own squad of balistic mages as well as a larger focus on completing diplomatic missions rather than be absorbed into small skirmishes.
Age: 26
Gender: Male
Occupation: Balistic Mage Lieutenant
Skills: Basic command training
Long ranged balistic magic
Basic diplomatic training
Knowledge of siege weapons
Incredibly basic swordplay.

World Space: https://s559.photobucket.com/albums/ss40/Mrdoom123/?action=view&current=NewMap.jpg
The country of Arad Toman, the Veloren homeland, is predominantly a rolling grassland punctuated with small, dense forest. The capital city of Bael Shala lies nearly in the dead center of the country. It is a very architecturally stunning city with lofty towers inlaid with gold, and every building designed to be aesthetically pleasing as well as serve a function. A large white wall reacing a good 15 meters surrounds the city, and the famed golden plains of Arad Toman stretch forth as far as the eye can see. There are two other major cities in Arad Toman, both of which are ports. Dyara lies on the north eastern shore, directly west of the Miran Isles. FInally, Mur is situated in the south west on the shores of the Bay of Storms. Both these cities, while not as large or as beautiful as Bael Shara, are beatifully built ports that house hundreds of merchant ships each, seeing as the Veloren have almost no navy to speak of.

Physical Characteristics: While a sub-race of human, the Veloren look much different than the average human. First off, they are on average taller than most humans with the men standing an average of 6'2" and the women 5'10". They are mostly pale skinned, but the farther south you move the darker their skin becomes. The most common eye color in Arad Toman is green, and the most common hair color is brown, although both eye and hair color can change drastically from person to person. They Veloren also have slightly shorter lifespans on average than other humans, usually living to 70 years of age.

Culture and Society: The entire basis of Arad Toman society is based around the usage of magic. It is so deeply engrained into their lifes that there is practically never a child that is born without some latent magical ability. The Veloren devote most of their time towards the fields of art, music and philosophy, although plenty of Veloren do normal jobs like farming and the like. It's seen as a quite honorable thing to enter into a field of art, music of philosophy, but the Veloren are in no way pushed to focus on those areas, it is just something greatly enjoyed in their country. The Veloren are also by nature relatively peacefully. Although they do have a fully functioning military, they only enter into war or fighting if it is truely deemed neccesary.

Government: Arad Toman is governed by a group of twelve appointed officials that come from diverse backgrounds. They are chosen based upon magical ability as well as general skill in leading the country. They serve a life term, but can be replaced if they break a core law. Each official, or Councilor, has equal weight in the Council of Twelve, and all laws must be passed by two thirds vote. Also, the Archmages of the military conviene with the Council of Twelve once every six months to hold a meeting that adresses any issues that come to mind, usually being about laws that were passed in the last six months.

Military: Commanded by ten "Archmages", the military is one that consists of purely mages. They assign mages different battle groups based on their magical strengths. Battle mages are mages that specialize in magic that works best in close quarters, they are a last ditch effort and number the fewest in the entire military. Ballistic mages handle the sensitive opperations of catapults and other long distance siege weapons. They also function as the equivalent of archers. General mages are the majority of the Veloren military. They are your basic mid distance mage that assaults the enemies with spells as they begin to charge. They would be the equivalent of infantry but they don't opperate well in close combat. Earth mages are tasked with the job of slowing down the enemy so the other mages have time to attack with spells before the enemy draws too near. They generally pool their powers to create rifts in the ground or turn the ground into mud. Defensive mages are there as a shield against arrow fire and must work in unison to create a shield that can stop most arrows for any extended amount of time. Their shields are in no way Impenetrable, but they do decrease the potential casualties from arrow fire. The Illusion mages are used to create large scale illusions to confuse enemy troops to help turn the tide of battle. They can also double as general mages if it is necessary Finally there is the healer who comes into play during and after the battle to refresh and heal wounded mages.

Religon: The Veloren religion is based on the idea that magic is the holiest off all things. It created the world and continues to flow through it now, keeping it running. Using magic is considered the holiest of things, and the military is greatly respected for their frequent use of magic. The greater the skill in magic the holier a person is until they are so skilled that the people practically treat them as gods. Those who use little to no magic are unholy heathens in the minds of the Veloren, and must be exstinguished from the world in order for Emoria to remain pure.

Skills: As I think you have come to expect, the Veloren heavily rely on magic usage. Their style of magic is not without it's limits, however, for to use magic without limitations would make you a god. The first large limitation on Veloren magic is the fact that it must be spoken. In order to cast any spell words must be chanted in order for the spell to work. The second is that when a Veloren speaks these words of power he or she draws upon the life energy of either themselves or the life energy of non-sentient life around them. This is why the Veloren often live shorter lives than many other humans. The Veloren's find nothing wrong with drawing upon the life energy of surrounding non-sentients, because as they view it every form of life has a destiny, and if you draw on something to use magic that is simply the destiny of the form of life in question. It is also often viewed that converting something's life force into raw magic is a holy event for the life form. There is a third limitation on Veloren magic, that being energy drain. Casting a spell uses up some of the caster's energy and eventually they will tire. A mage tires even more quickly when they cast larger and larger spells.

Courtship and Mating: Courship is actually handled by the woman in Veloren society. She must woo the male of her choice and lay a bridal wreath at his feet before the couple in question can get married. Mating is an incredibly private affair for the Veloren. They have no mating rituals and harld ever talk about the act in public. The gestation period for a Veloren female is, like all humans, nine months.

Allies: While only technically friendly at this point, The Apahov. Also the Veloren view the Fae as divine beings and would follow them to the gates of hell.

Enemies: The Veloren view the Sheineinarans "Craft" as something harldy magical at all, and therefor veiw them as heathens that must be destroyed.

[Guest]

All right, I've read all of the most recently posted character sheets, and I have only one thing to say: I want a Fae over my shoulder screaming "Hey! Hey! Listen! Watch out!" every 5 seconds

I have no issues with anything, really. I had a couple of questions with the Fae Children, but as I read they were all addressed. They are all well-balanced and acceptable as far as I'm concerned. I will admit that the interactions of the Fae have the potential of getting out of hand, but I do think the limitations you put on it should keep them in check.

So I'm assuming that the bonds they form happen even when they are in another body (such as shape-shifting to human to bond with one)?

Anyway, hooray for new players and world-spaces!

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