Our Tale ((Welcome!))

[12345678girl]

Thanks
First of all, this roleplay developed during a discussion with my older brother. He has helped me create it, and been a vital part of the roleplay every step of the way. Without him, this would not exist. However, he knows he’s not a frequent enough poster to be involved in the roleplay directly. I give him my thanks for helping me create this, and I hope you guys appreciate it too.  

[12345678girl]

Our Tale

Our tale begins with the tale of Fortissimus’ fall. Fortissimus’ king had been reaching an all time low. He had increased the taxes yet again, resulting in most of his citizens losing their livelihoods, and those unable to pay even lost their lives. As the king and his rich class gained in wealth and property, the low class citizens began to band together. They formed an underground, with the sole goal of usurping this king, and attempting a new government. This underground, whose name has been lost to history, was comprised of all races. The lower class humans, the Beastials, even the few elves and dwarves that dwelled within this nation. It’s strength lay in it’s ability to see everywhere, it had eyes in every part of the nation. As the underground grew in strength, plans began to form.

Not many know what the plan truly was, but history has retained most of what the results were. The king, in all his foolishness, had been persuaded to hold a banquet for all his lords and ladies. A few of which were supporters of the underground. These nobles snuck underground forces into the castle, where the king was murdered by Padriac, an illegitimate human son of one of the nobles, and an unknown Beastial, both of which were the leaders of this underground.

That, I’m afraid, is where our tale goes sour. The underground, for all it’s power and greatness, had failed to unifiy under which type of government they desired before they murdered the king. Some historians believe that the king was planning something that could not be allowed to occur, and thus the underground was spurred into action before they were ready. Others believe that the underground was just too varied to ever come to an agreement.

The Beastials wanted to do away with the monarchy entirely, but many of the others- who remembered the reign of previous kings- believed a monarchy would do fine, if it only had a different person upon the throne. The underground, now in control of the large country, began to split apart. In the end, an agreement was drafted. The province of Fortissimus, now known as Incolumitas, was released from Fortissimus’ hold for the Beastials, and all others who wished for a government away from the new king, Padriac. As Fortissimus lost some of it’s other territory, and the king, those that remained in this area renamed their country Exortensis.

It is the country Incolumitas, and all it’s neighbors, that our tale involves.

~~~*~~~

Five hundred years have passed since the fall of Fortissimus, and Incolumitas has grown in power and influence. It has gone primarily ignored by it’s neighbors, who have been under the impression that the young and oddly- run country would die out over time, but in the last year that has changed.

Within the country of Incolumitas, minerals have been discovered in large quantities that either do not exist or are unavailable elsewhere in this corner of the continent. After careful cultivation of these resources, and the others already tapped into, including trade routes connecting the other countries, the council that runs Incolumitas have found it necessary to seek out allies, in case they are targeted for a war. In an over-eager attempt, Incolumitas sent out emissaries to each neighboring country with an offer of alliance, protection in exchange for less inhibited access to trade routes, lower trade taxes, and claim to a portion of the trade coming from this country. It informed each country of the others approached, and asked for a response as quickly as possible, by the end of the year.

This treaty, sent with the intent to form alliances for protection, is what put this small, valuable country into the most danger.

Those that lead the countries surrounding Incolumitas had become aware of the value locked within this small territory, and for varying reasons, began to target it for a war. However, these countries became paranoid. Overall, they all feared attacking this middle country directly. There was the lack of knowledge over which of their neighbors had signed this agreement with Incolumitas- no country wanted to risk attacking, only to find they were facing an army far larger than their own. Alongside that was the suspicion that if they attacked and won over the land, another country would simply attack once they had been weakened, and take not only Incolumitas, but their territory as well. So these countries turned to espionage and assassinations.

Some countries signed the treaty sent to them with no intention of backing it up- with the sole intent of buying time to take over this land. Others claimed they were still debating, and that it would take time to decide. Even others simply sent no reply, waiting and watching to see what was going to happen. It’s even possible, if unlikely, that there are those that are truly are on Incolumitas’ side. (This will be up to those who play characters leading a country, they can pick which alternative their country took.) As they bided for time, these countries began to hire mercenaries, assassins, and rogues, all with the intent to gain information.

The goal of these spies was often simple; ascertain if a country had honestly aligned themselves with Incolumitas, figure out who was in charge, and if necessary, kill them. At least, when they spies were sent against other countries. Many lesser beings within countries chose to hire spies against their own country, attempting to gain more power within this time of strife, when it could be blamed upon another country so easily. Often, especially in instances such as that, a spies duty wasn’t quite so simple.

Our tale is a tale of many, of a time when there was no evil or good, only existence, survival, and ambition, of love and life lost and won during a time that wasn’t quite war.  

[12345678girl]

Rules:
exclaim PG-13. I encourage romance- it always adds a little spice into a roleplay- and I’m cool with perverted moments, but keep it subtle, kay? Same with violence. This is- basically- a war roleplay, so go ahead and get a little gory, but don’t go all horror story on us please.

exclaim I, and any other crew members, are moderators. You mess up, we’ll mess you up. (Not that I think you will. ^^)

exclaim As a friend of mine put it, Post with proper literacy. Third person, proper grammar, the such.

exclaim Post at least a paragraph per character, okay?

exclaim You can have as many characters as you want, so long as you keep track of them all, and give them relatively equal screen time. I’d prefer if you kept under three characters at first.

exclaim Please use different colors for different characters, and don’t assault our eyes with them. XD

exclaim Post frequently. I can commiserate with those who have issues- personally, I do 99% of my posts on my smart phone- but still, post. I’d like at least once a day, but I require at least three times a week.

exclaim No god-modding, auto hitting, or auto killing. It’s fine if it’s an NPC you’re controlling, but otherwise, please don’t.

exclaim I will edit and add rules as needed

exclaim Post your profiles in the thread called “Our Tale- Our Perspectives (Characters)”. Once they are approved, I will edit them as say as such.

exclaim No one is a COMPLETE master of any fighting or magic styles. You can be extremely skilled, and possibly even the best at it, but everyone needs to have room to grow.

exclaim Yes, kid characters are allowed in this roleplay.

exclaim As is the point of this guild, don’t disappear. If things happen in real life that make it so you can’t post for a while, shoot me a heads up and we’ll figure something out. Just don’t vanish.

exclaim If you are having trouble understanding something or need help, just pm me or chat, and I’ll do my best to help you.

exclaim I will post- both on the main thread and the character thread- when there are enough characters for the roleplay to start. Don’t post before this.  

[12345678girl]

Character Skeleton:
This is the character thread, Our Perspectives

[b]Username: [/b] (You.)
[b]Name: [/b] (Your characters name.)
[b]Age: [/b] (Keep in mind your characters race for this one.)
[b]Sex: [/b] (Fairly obvious.)
[b]Sexuality: [/b] (Fairly obvious.)
[b]Crush/Love: [/b] (Mostly Optional, and editable at a later date.)
[b]Race: [/b] (Only one of the four listed, please.)
[b]Country of Origin: [/b] (Where they were born, or raised.)
[b]Dwelling within: [/b] (Where they currently live, or at least where they start the story at.)
[b]Allegiance to: [/b] (Not strictly necessary, this is which country they feel loyalty towards. None is a perfectly acceptable option.)
[b]Bio: [/b] (At least one paragraph describing their past, but I’d prefer more.)
[b]Occupation:[/b] (You can pick out of the list of the typicals, or you can go off the wall with it. ^^ Feel free to be more than one- a lot of people are.)
[b]Personality: [/b] (At least a paragraph describing how they act.)
[b]Appearance: [/b] (Preferably a picture, but feel free to just describe them. If just a description, must be very thorough, at least a paragraph, probably closer to two.)
[b]Magical Style: [/b] (Look under countries. You can be trained in more than one, but keep it reasonable.)
[b]Weapons: [/b] (Can be as many as you want, and no it doesn’t have to be a complete listing, but keep in mind just how much your character can realistically carry.)
[b]Fighting Style: [/b] (Describe the fighting style, as well as list it’s name. This can be anything you want.)
[b]Family: [/b] (This is only if you’re related to another character in the roleplay.)
[b]Quirks: [/b] (Opt. This is any odd things about your character that wouldn’t fit elsewhere.)
[b]Anything else: [/b] (Opt. This is anything that you couldn’t fit elsewhere.)
[b]Pets/Companions: [/b] (Opt. And relatively straightforward. Picture if applicable.)
[b]Dislikes: [/b] (Opt.)
[b]Likes: [/b] (Opt.)
[b]Theme song: [/b] (Opt.)

 

[12345678girl]

Map
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm157/Novelist_Ninjagirl/extras/OurViewOurTaleMap.jpg
- A Direct link because the map image itself would stretch the page.

Countries


Lacertae(Lizard): Northern Country
Environment:
The terrain here is swampland, and this nation is often plagued by rains. While there is solid land scattered throughout the nation, it’s not enough for any but the simplest agriculture. They mountains bordering their far sides- that of the Iugornus and that of Magnae Silvae- trap the waters from the northern rains, causing the marshy and swampy land, and effectively cutting off all possible trade routes other than mountain passes and the routes through Incolumitas.

Culture:
The people within this nation live separated into stationary tribes, finding solid plots of land and settling there. The races living within this country are mostly Beastials, but it is mixed. Humans don’t face as much discrimination here. The majority of the Beastials that live here are water-based lizard Beastials.

Since the land isn’t stable or consistent enough, agriculture isn’t how these people survive. They rely mostly on trapping and hunting, often trading the skins of their prey for extra money.

These people are on the lower end of the wealth scale, left to scrape by more often than not. They often live on a day to day basis, There is a low population.

Government:
The people live in tribes, and each tribe has a leader. In times of crisis, these tribes can call upon each other for air. The leaders band together to form a council. All decisions for the nation as a whole are decided this way. On a tribal basis, the leader- referred to as the Alpha- make the decisions, occasionally calling on advisors or friends. The Latin Leader is a title that goes down a blood line. If a bloodline dies out, the tribe decides the next one, usually based on merit.

Magical Style:
The mages in this area, and those recruited by the government, tend to specialize in necromancy, using the corpses of those lost of trapped in the swamps to their advantage. They developed this type of magic.

Motivation:
This nation wants control of Incolumitas because they desire a more stable environment for their people. They wish for the wealth that this country would provide, in order to raise up their status. They want to manipulate the trade routes in order to maximize their return for the hides they sell.


Iugornus(Mountain/Mountain ash): Northeastern Country
Environment:
This area is, at the least, surrounded by mountains. Not many know what the inner regions of this nation look like, but the mountains that are explored are high and treacherous, with it’s peaks almost always coated in snow. They are near-impassable. There is an overlay of smoke over what portions of this country have been seen, present from the almost constant burning of forging fires.

Culture:
This is the only nation that houses only one race. Everyone who lives in this country is a dwarf. Occasionally, a rare few will be allowed into the city nearest to the border, if the government has some business with them. This is their trading capital, and is set in a small plateau, surrounded by mountains. The mountain pass to the rest of their nation is heavily guarded and at this moment, no outsider has ever made it through.

The dwarves use ores and metals from the mountains to smith weapons, and other metal products. They then send these products with their merchants to sell to other countries, and their inhabitants. They also have slight agriculture, planted in valleys and the plateaus amongst their mountains. They also mine for precious stones and metals.

Government:
This nation is under militia rule, with a dictator controlling the armies, and through them, the rest of the country. The only flaw, is that the dictator doesn’t hold the real power, the religious leaders backing him do. His decisions are influenced by them, as they hold the power to sway the people, including the armies, for or against him.

Magical Style:
Though it was developed across many nations, this nation is where healing magic is the most widely in use. To the dwarves, they have enough offensive power through brute strength. They specialize in healing magic in order to keep up that strength, and save lives nearly snuffed out by the dangers of the mountains.

Motivation:
The dwarves wish to turn the middle country into their own trading hub, using it’s connections to the other countries to establish a greater control over trade. They also wish to claim the land as their “Religious Right”.

Religion:
I will fill this in as things go along


Exortensis(The east, a rising/of a meadow): Eastern Country
Environment:
This region has the most even temperament of the outlying countries, an area marked by it’s sweeping plains, a scattering of trees, and calm meadows. It even has sea on it’s farthest eastern border. The only of the countries in this section of the continent that focuses solely on agriculture, the lands are fertile, and receive enough rainfall for the farms.

Culture:
The last remnants of the old empire, this country is the only one to be rules by, and primarily consist of, humans. They live in settled cities and towns, with grand stone buildings. Society here is very civilized, and the people have been raised to look down on anything that lacks their version of civility.

Though it is mostly humans who inhabit this nation, others are welcome to settle down and attempt to make a life here. They won’t, however, be treated quite as nicely as fellow humans would.

The capital of this country, where the king resides, is the same as Fortissimus’ was, with the same castle in use. It’s located roughly in towards the Eastern side, to provide the king with a view of the sea.

Government:
After the old empire fell, the leader of the rebellion, Padriac, replaced the monarchy with one following his own bloodline. His descendent still sits upon the throne today. The only true monarchy in this area, this government is run through the king and his advisors. A marked difference between this government and the monarchy of the fallen Fortissimus is that Padriac placed forth a law, placing minor limits on the kings power. He stated that there were to be free discussions allowed, even against the government, so long as no rebellious action was taken. These laws are still in affect* today.

Magical Style:
The style of magic developed by the old empire, summoning is regarded highly here, and considered to be the only “true” magic. They specialize in this kind of magic because these humans rely on other, stronger beings to fight for them. A commendable strategy, so long as the stronger beings are willing.

Motivation:
Enough time has passed that many in this country have forgotten the reasons the old empire was broken apart, and the promises made by Padriac. Now, this country desires to reclaim the middle country, in an attempt to rebuild the old empire, and retain some of it’s former glory.


Auster-Stri(the south wind): Southern Country
Environment:
This nation is entirely desert, with small oasis’s scattered around. There are high temperatures, and frequent sandstorms. Surrounding the roaming oasis’s are lush plant life, but as the oasis’s are hard to track, and hard to find, those plants often aren’t utilized. When the sun sets, the area is over come with gritty, freezing winds. No one knows just how far or deep the desert goes, as no one has ever made it through it, so there is no southern border to Auster-Stri, it is simply assumed that where the desert ends, so too does the country.

Culture:
Similar to the Northern country, this area is populated and divided into tribes. The difference, though, is that they are nomadic tribes, moving to follow the water, and the animals. They often hunt by night, when most animals are out and about. Though humans do live- and struggle- in this nation, most of the population are Beastials suited to this type of environment, more often than not, desert-based lizard Beastials.

They work in trade, using their sand in the art of making glass. They have mastered glass-blowing and shaping glass to levels that no other nation has yet reached, and use these wares to fund their society.

There is a capital- both trading and government- near the northern border. In this large city is where most of the citizens of this nation live, choosing to spend their time and life in the most stable environment. They dress in light layers, covering as much of their skin- or scales- as possible, to both protect from the suns rays, and diminish the effects of it’s heat.

Government:
It’s capital is it’s only stationary city- though there are many unmapped towns- in this nation. It is placed next to an expanse of water at the border, and it is to this town that the tribes report, either yearly, or more frequently in times of crisis.

Each tribe has a leader, usually self elected by merit or a fight. These tribes are ranked every year by importance and influence, based on population. According to the rankings, the tribes leader has authority of the tribe leaders ranked below them. Most decisions are made by a collaboration of the higher ranked leaders.

Magical Style:
Based on and inspired from the mirages that plague the desert, the art of illusions were developed here. It’s often used to lead enemies into the depths of the desert, where they get lost and eventually die. A fairly simple magical style at first, Illusionary magic gets increasingly difficult with increasing complications in the illusion, requiring more mastery of the magical art.

Motivation:
The entirety of the water that roams this nation originates in Incolumitas , and if they were to dam them up, Auster-Stri would be completely at their mercy. They hope to take over before that occurs to those in Incolumitas, partially for that, but also for the trade routes, the water, and most importantly the stable land, away from the heat and sand.


Magnae Silvae (Great forest): Western Country
Environment:
This land is filled with forests, with mountains on the farthest western border, wrapping around up towards the north. The trees range in denseness throughout the nation, at some points so thickly dispersed that it’s impossible to see a foot in front of you, yet at others it’s open enough to display a meadow. The weather is usually temperate, but occasionally the western winds will get trapped by the mountains, resulting gin furious thunder storms that can tear at the land across multiple nations, and lightning that can start dangerous fires. The mountains along the western border mark snow country, always tipped in snow.

Culture:
It is within this nation that the honorable, nature-bound elves live. They have built large cities hidden within the trees, and some of the craftier elves have homes hidden within the treetops. They regard their homes, both below and within the trees, as the epitome of elegance, and “above the crassness of human influence”.

Though all elves know the location of the towns, cities, and gathering spots hidden in this nation, the secret is regarded as sacred, and kept from outsiders at all costs.

The elves are the master craftsmen of this area, almost on par with the dwarves. Unlike them, they craft using wood, and “It is an elven wood bow that gets the farthest shot”, is a common saying among those of this nation.

Despite the high populace of elves, and the prejudice present against most other races, elves are not the only ones who live here. Humans, Beastials, and a dwarf or two also inhabit this nation. They live as little more than 3rd class citizens, but they do exist, often used for menial labor or dirty jobs.

Ages beyond centuries ago, outcasted humans lived as slaves in this nation. Though the slavery ended long enough ago that none of the elves who lived through it remain, the humans are still regarded with distaste. Humans who live in this nation are often unable to find homes elsewhere, for reasons of their own, and tolerate the prejudice for some small measure of stability.

The Elven people are separated into clans based on their families, and nine of these families are known as the high nobles, often for their longevity and wisdom. These clans, and the minor noble clans below the high nine, are known as Noble Houses. These Houses hire lesser elves as servants, and hold the most prestige. They often hold parties for each other within their homes, with the purpose ranging anywhere from spending time aimlessly dancing, to discussing politics, literature, and other such intellectual pursuits.

Those who live here regard nature as the most important thing in live, cultivating both it and their connection to it. Much of the prejudice against humans originates in the Elven distaste for the sloppy way humans disregard nature’s importance and influence.

Government:
The elves operate under a “Council of Nine”. The Elder from each of the nine High Noble Houses gather into the Council of Nine, which make the decisions for the country. The highest House is the Head House, and it’s this leader who, when the other eights’ votes tie, holds the deciding vote.

The Council is always in session, with each of these nine elders always living in the capital of Magnae Silvae. Their off-time is spent training their successor. The government’s goals are to preserve nature and the elegance and civility of their nation; to keep it from human influence, and other such “lesser beings”.

Magical Style:
Most all elves experience a natural affinity for nature, and a close connection to it. This results in Elven “magic”, such as speaking with plants or animals, or having a green thumb. Beyond this, some elves and humans living within this nation took it a step further, shifting into the animals themselves. It was these who developed the art of shape shifting magic, and it has become the major magic type of this nation.

Motivation:
Beyond the simple distaste for humans and other races “lowering” themselves to cooperation, this Elven country also believes the humans, and those who work with them, will destroy this land, and that they must intervene to protect nature.


Incolumitas(Safety, Preservation): Middle Country
Environment:
Located in the middle, this country has the most diverse of the environments. Patches of small forests are scattered throughout the western side, and the northeast corner has a slight touching of mountains. On the eastern side there are plains, and long grasses form meadows within the center.

The most remarkable feature of this country is the abundance of water. Rivers flowing from the mountains at the Northeast side, as well as through the neighboring country to the west, prove to be the source of the many lakes and rivers that have formed across this tiny nation. More water flows in the northern swamplands, purified naturally by rocky rivers and waterfalls.

Due to the presence of the lakes and the rivers, large sources of minerals have been discovered throughout the nation, minerals found no where else in this corner of the world.

The easy to cross terrain, and the waterways, have resulted in the pleasantly packed dirt paths that have become the common trade routes.

Culture:
This country is populated by the outcasts and refugees from the other countries. Those that have no where to go come here and are accepted more often than not.
Since this was once the territory of the human-run Fortissimus, the buildings often mimic that of the eastern country. Still, as time has worn on, the buildings are developing their own style from the mix of cultures.

In the Eastern part of Incolumitas, there are a small scattering of farms that provide agriculture for the nation. The produce grown varies, but is nurtured carefully. Those that live here were often without land or a home, so they take very good care of the land in everything they do. They stagger the harvests to allow the land to recuperate, they return the land to it’s original state after they’ve mined, and they’re very careful about how many trees they cut down, sure to plant more when they do so.

This area was once a province of Fortissimus, and after the war, the rebels who were no longer sided with the new king demanded this land as compensation. Facing an army of angry rebels, the king agreed. Since then, anyone fleeing another of the countries has headed here to be accepted in the diverse culture.

Anyone who wasn’t wanted elsewhere lives here, resulting in a mix of races. There is no rhyme or pattern to the races here, and this is one of the few places where half-breeds and mixed bloods are present without prejudice or hate.

There is an equal number of those who have lived here for generations, and of those who have moved here recently in an attempt to escape some aspect of their past. Those who have lived here for a long time remember the times of persecution, whether or not they lived during those times. Parents and grandparents keep the memories of pain and abandonment so that the children of new generations will grow up grateful for their home and land, and take care of it.

Government:
Incolumitas quite easily has the most complicated government of the six nations. Similar to others neighboring it, Incolumitas is run by a council. It is comprised of a representative from each race that has arrived and settled here, the council is remarkable in that every decision is voted on and no one has a stronger vote than another. In cases of a tie, the floor is opened up for further discussion, and if possible, the topic is shelved for a week, then voted on again.

The unique facet of Incolumitas’ government is the methods with which the representative’s are picked. Each race is allowed to use their own system for picking their representative. Though it occasionally changes, Elves tend to pick their leader based on who of them is the oldest and wisest. It’s a nomination method which is then voted on, and majority rules. Humans tend to pick based on achievements, like being a successful mayor of a town, and also use a nominating system. Dwarves often pick normal people who have experienced the most of life’s hardships and are known to think of the oppressed people.

Each race gets only one representative with the exception of the Beastials. Since most Beastials consider themselves separate races from each other based on which animal they call kin, there is considered to be countless subspecies of this race. In an attempt to placate them- after all, what lion Beastial would feel fairly represented by a falcon Beastial- the Beastials are separated into three “races”, which each have their own representative, based off of their kin animal’s habitat, or where they spend the most time.

These three subspecies of the Beastials are Air Beastials, Land Beastials, and water Beastials. A hawk Beastial would fall under Air, and the lion Beastial would fall under land. Any fish Beastial would be Water, as would any amphibian, such as a frog Beastial.

Once someone moves to Incolumitas, they register themselves and any of their children within a government-posted record building. The main one, which stores all the records, is in the capital in the center of Incolumitas, but minor outposts are scattered around the rest of the nation for those who can’t make the journey. These outposts send the records to the main record building. This building is heavily protected by any magic at their disposal, and there are copies of each of these records hidden elsewhere. It is once someone has lived in Incolumitas for five years that they are considered a citizen, and invited to join in to the rally’s and discussions their races’ party holds. For those who are born here, they are invited to do so once they have reached the age of maturity for their race, which varies. (Check Races)

Those of mixed blood either go with whichever race they have more of, such as a ¼ elf, ¾ human going with humans, or if the exact ratio is unknown, or even, they are counted by their mothers race. If none of these are known, it’s decided on based on which race they most resemble.


Magical Style:
Well aware of their diminutive size, and the likelihood that it was only so long before they were attacked, the citizens of this country have trained in secret. Though developed elsewhere by a rare few, in many different forms, it is in this country where sorcery was perfected and is practiced. This is the art of using magic while attacking with a melee weapon simultaneously. It is extremely difficult due to the level of concentration one must sustain to both control the magic and wield the weapon.

Each citizen uses what magic they- or their ancestors- were taught in their homeland, and combines it with a fighting style. A rare few are beginning to combine magic with ranged weaponry. Those that don’t possess magical ability often train instead to become masters of their chosen fighting style, often teaching it to those that do manipulate magic.

However, to prevent word from leaking out of their style of magic, Incolumitas also specializes in elemental magic- magic in it’s most basic form, the easiest thing to mix with sorcery- and lets it’s neighbors believe this is their only main magic.
(Note: The reason magic isn’t often used with ranged weaponry is because most figure if they’re going to stay at a distance and use magic, they might as well train solely in magic for the greater power.)


Fortissimus(Steadfast): Old Kingdom
Environment:
As this kingdom covered what are now several other countries, this kingdom had all the different climates that these now have. These countries include: Exortensis, Incolumitas, the northern portion of Auster-Stri, and the southern portion of Lacertae.

Culture:
This kingdom was run by a monarchy, and near when it fell, the king had been overtaxing it’s people. The rich were supremely wealthy, and the poor were living in the streets. There was no middle class. There were almost no elves or dwarves living in this kingdom, but there were an abundance of Beastials, as they were accepted no where else. However, they weren’t exactly accepted in the Fortissimus. Instead, they were regarded as monsters, and tools. The Beastials were used for menial labor, and often weren’t paid or were unfairly treated. The rich saw them as nothing but tools, and the poor resented them for taking their work.

Government:
In Fortissimus, all of the power rested with the king. There were no limits, nothing he couldn’t rightfully do. This government led to resentment, but the King was backed by the church and by his army.

Magical Style:
During the time this kingdom existed, most magic was still in it’s most basic, archaic forms. At the point when Fortissimus fell, the mages had begun to master the technique of summoning that is still utilized in Exortensis.

*Did I use the right affect/effect? Help!  

[12345678girl]

Races
Note: These are generalizations, the average of the race as a whole. Feel free to take a little artistic license with it, just so long as you don’t go too wildly out there.

Elves:
Elves are an ancient race, having existed in civilization while humans were still a primitive race incapable of such. They are more finely featured than humans, with slightly slimmer builds. They are, on average, at least a head taller than an average human, with the males reaching a few inches taller than the women. Their ears are pointed, but the degree of point is often dependent upon the elf itself. The length or severity of the point is not a way to determine if an elf is full-blooded or not. Though a feature elves to admire in each other, much as humans admire each others hair or smile, the point of an ear is not a basis for judgment.

Traditionally, Elves wear their hair long, with intricate braids. They rarely grow any facial hair, and when they do, it’s very minimal. They are trained in the arts, and make a piece of art out of every tool. The Elves greatly respect and connect to nature, choosing to protect it with everything they do. When they die, Elves are buried in the ground holding seeds, often those of their favorite plant, so that new life may come from their death.

Elves are often more reserved and composed than the other races, relying upon composure to mask anything they don’t want others to know.

An elf’s max lifetime is 250 years old, though it used to be longer. Many Elves believe it is the slow destruction of nature that is shortening their lifespan. They reach the age of maturity at 55, and in noble families, it is at this age that an elf is allowed to leave their family home and live on their own. In lesser families, the age that an elf leaves depends upon circumstance.


Dwarves:
Dwarves are a race of builders, all practicality and reality. At their tallest they go to the shoulder of an average human male. Their build is stocky, thicker than that of a human or elf. They tend to be sarcastic and snaky, tough with their speech and their compliments.

Dwarves are taught to be productive and practical with everything they do, so their creations are some of the sturdiest and most useful, but not always pleasing to the eye. They discard pretty stuff as frivolity. Most male dwarves have long beards that are often plaited as intricately as an elf’s hair. The women plait their hair as well, but not as intricately, mostly in a productive, containing manner.

Dwarves live in a caste society, strictly separating the miners from the blacksmiths, the blacksmiths from the nobles, etc. they are trained in their castes art or skill from a young age. Dwarves live to reach 150 years old, and reach full maturity at 33, though the beards begin to grow in on the men at 20. They begin their training as young as 10, as soon as they have enough mobility and coordination to do so correctly.


Humans:
Possibly the youngest race, humans only developed widespread civilization a few thousand years ago. However, their sheer numbers and quick adaptation have made it so that they have overrun and driven out most of the rest of the other races. They now control most the countries of the world, not just our continent, except where Evles or Dwarves have held their ground with all their strength, such as in Magnae Silvae and Iugornus.

Humans reach average height, taller than dwarves, but shorter than elves, and are of a medium build as well. They typically are trained in whatever their parents practiced, but are usually free to choose their own trade. Their hair is worn in varying lengths, colors, and hairstyles.

Humans live the shortest lives, aside from Beastials, possibly the reason their societies change and adapt so quickly, reaching the age of 100 at the max. They reach their maturity in the early twenties, specifically at the age of 22.


Beastials:
Beastials are a race of humanoids with animalistic features. Their features can range from looking barely like an animal to barely like a human. Though they live in society, and don’t speak to the animals whose traits they have- referred to as their kin animal- Beastials’ natures tend to mimic certain facets of the natures of animals. They have less control over their tempers, act on a more primitive basis, and often are over-protective of their things or loved ones.

Many misunderstand the Beastials’ primitive nature as a lack of intelligence. Beastials are just as cunning as other races, and as it is with all races, some members are just smarter than the others. Their cultures often mimic their animals, as do their natures. Wolf Beastials tend to stick in packs, whereas a Beastial of another kin animal may be more likely to remain by themselves, such as a Fox Beastial.

Beastials do not regard all Beastials as their kind, considering only those that are of the same kin animal to be of the same race as them. Beastials very rarely refer to themselves as such, instead choosing to refer to themselves by their subspecies’ name. (Note: see below for how to form your Beastial’s subspecies name). They are often a mouthful, but it’s how Beastials prefer to be referred as, rather than as a, say, Wolf Beastial. In general, they are still spoken of in the simpler form anyway.

A Beastials lifespan is similar to that of a human, typically reaching 80 years old at best. Often, though, Beastials reach the age of maturity much sooner, in their teens, and are occasionally on their own as children. In Incolumitas, they are considered mature at the age of 17.

(note: I am open to consider Beastials of extinct or mythological animals.)


Beastial Subspecies’ names:
The name is created by adding the scientific species name of their kin animal, then human in Latin (Hominum), and then beast in Latin (Beastia).
Ex: A Gray wolf Beastial would be: Lupus + Hominum + Beastia, or Lupus Hominum Beastia. It’s a mouthful, but it’s how Beastials prefer to be refered as, rather than a Wolf Beastial.

Here is a list of already-created Beastial Subspecies names, and some of the more common ones.
Gray Wolf: Lupus Hominum Beastia
Red Fox: Vulpes Hominum Beastia
Brown Falcon: Berigora Hominum Beastia
Lion: Leo Hominum Beastia
White-Breasted Hawk: Chinogaster Hominum Beastia
Golden Eagle: Chrysaetos Hominum Beastia


These are animals I found surfing the web that I think would be interesting to have a Beastial with- feel free to look them up and see if you’d like to. ^^
Assassin Spider
Thylacine: the Tasmanian tiger
Lammergeier: gyrates barbatus
Portia spider, portia genus
Giant otter: perinea brasiliensis  

[12345678girl]

Common Occupations
Leader of a country
This depends on the country, but if you want to, look up the government of where you live, and figure out what you would need to be- dictator, high noble elf, Alpha, etc.

Politician
Either a leader of a country, someone trying to be as such (Think of someone trying to be picked to be a representative in Incolumitas, but isn’t one). Also an assistant or advisor to anyone who is in power.

Noble
Someone of noble birth that isn’t automatically a politician or leader of the country.

Soldier
Soldiers are warriors, fighters, or mages employed by the government of a country for the protection of said country. Some do go AWOL.

Assassin
An assassin is someone that kills another person for money. This is all they do, and they are often trained in stealth.

Spy
A spy is someone trained in looking like they belong anywhere, and is hired to gain information.

Mercenary
Someone hired to capture another person, often bounty hunters. They are also hired to do simple jobs that require brute strength, such as an escort, or guarding something.

Rogue
A rogue is someone who is hired to steal things, and often is a simple thief as well.

Thief
A thief is someone who is steals for their own profit, without being hired to do so.

Farmer
A farmer is someone who actually owns the land

Doctor
Doctors come in two forms in this world, both wielders of magic and those with traditional knowledge in the anatomy of the bodies of the races. There are few doctors such as these who know how to treat a Beastial patient.

*These are just suggested occupations. Feel free to come up with your own ^^  

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Magical Styles
Shapeshifting
Developed in Magnae Silvae, shape shifting involves someone with an emotional connection to nature- usually an elf, for they are born with such a connection, but occasionally a human or dwarf who has developed one- shifting forms into an animal. The lower shape shifters shift into one animal, but as their abilities are trained or developed, they can change into more. All but the most powerful of shape shifters must have seen or met an animal in order to change into it, to study it’s soul, and to know how it lives and breaths. When in their animal forms, many powerful shape shifters can understand the speech of the animal they’ve changed into- such as a shape shifter wolf being able to speak and understand wolf while he was one.

Illusionism
Developed in Auster-Stri, illusionism is the art of manipulating the senses to present an image that isn’t there. Each illusionist is of different levels, the more powerful their magic, the more complicated an illusion can be created. The stronger a grasp of illusionism a mage has, the more senses the mage can manipulate. A lower-level spell caster may just be able to present a picture that isn’t there- manipulating sight. As they train, they can manipulate hearing so that the picture can speak, or sing. Then smell, then taste, and finally, in the cases of the strongest illusionists, touch. Only a handful of illusionists have mastered the art of tricking the sense of touch.

Healing
Developed and used across the entire continent, healing magic has several different methods of use. A healer can either manipulate the body of the wounded, speeding up the natural healing process, and essentially uses the victims own ability to heal. Another is empathic healing, where a healer can take an illness or wound within themselves to either get rid of it, or diminish it. Many low-level empathic healers simply move the wound from the victim to themselves, with it diminished and healed only slightly. The third is the most complicated, it’s soulular healing. The healer uses the victims soul- as opposed to their body- to speed up the healing process, or they use their own soul. Because of the strain on the very soul of these beings, many soulular healers die young or lose their emotions.
One rare thing healers that are also offensive fighters learn, is the ability to dispell magic, by 'healing' the magic in the area, restoring it to it's natural, and dormant, state.

Summoning
This magic style summons the spirits and souls that are around us into physical forms. The lower level summoners simply summon small animals, such as wolves and foxes. Gradually, they learn to summon larger animals, such as bears. The strongest summoners can summon mythical beings, can even summon creatures no one knows the name of. Over the ages there have been whispers of a summoner who can summon humanoid beings with great magical power themselves.

Necromancy
Necromancy is sometimes referred to as summonings counterpoint. Necromancy is a magic that forces life back into corpses and skeletons. Masters of necromancy can force lost souls into things never meant to carry life. Necromancy, because of it’s darker materials, is looked down upon by those who carry themselves pure.

Sorcery
Sorcery is the difficult blending of melee and magic, a balance not many can maintain without losing control, or losing their minds. Those with less mastery or magical potential stick with combining their fighting style with elemental magic, but as they get stronger, they incorporate higher, and more complicated styles of magic.

Divination
Divination is the one magic that can’t be taught, that is in fact rumored to not exist. It is the art of looking into time itself, to see what will be, what has been, and what is being. This gift can take many forms. Some can read what will happen from dreams described to them, others see the future, the past, and the present in still water. Some merely open their mind and soul and receive visions. The only way to hold divination magic is to be born with it, though one born with this ability can train and hone it to a higher form. This art includes the art of divining where a person is, so long as they live.
(Note: Only the first three characters that ask for it- that’s counting any of mine- can have divination powers. As the roleplay goes on, I may add more.)  

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