Snow (Open. Still Accepting Characters.)

[Soloist]

~*~Snow~*~


Welcome to Snow! If you're lost, then I'm going to direct you to the Chatterbox because I am not a friendly gas station attendant here to give you directions. I will however, offer to you this handy dandy TABLE OF CONTENTS so that if you are a clearer minded thinker, you will be able to direct yourself....TO EXCITEMENT!


TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTAINING EXCITEMENT

I. The Place Where you Are Now: The Table of Contents
II. The Place You Are Presumably Going Next: Setting and History.
III. A Lovely Place To Visit After You're Better Acquainted: Notes on Magic and Technology
IV. Fourth Floor Containing Sexy Lingerie and Also: The Story Now
V. Good Thing We Have a Wonkavator Going Sideways: Final Notes!
VI. A Good Place to Stop and Actually Do Something: Cast of Characters!
VII. For Dessert: Tiny Bitesized Morsels of Storytelling Delicious to Help Keep You Up to Speed With Whats Going On.

 

[Soloist]

Setting and History

Our story takes place in the Kingdom of Zatalia, the only known remaining civilization left anywhere on what was once a lush planet. Zatalia was once an insignificant kingdom buried behind vast mountain walls that made trade and communication impractical. However, circumstances being what they are, most people are very glad that they are Zatalian, mostly because the other option is dead.

Perhaps I should explain. Many thousands of years ago, Zatalia was merely an insignificant kingdom that was left almost entirely to it's own devices. The only conflict it ever suffered from was internal, and all it's developments were made independently, as the landmass econmpassed by the mountain range that rings Zatalia was quite fertile, and self sufficient. Zatalia was content to be isolated, and other civilizations seemed perfectly happy to not communicate, much less invade.

This became more of a problem for Zatalia, where for reasons that are not well recorded in Zatalian history (a problem stemming from lack of communication with the outside world), some other branch of humanity committed a horrible sin against the powers that be, and the punishment was that all humanity was to be purged.

Many fled, but they fled to nowhere as perdition was swift and unflinching as the entire world got covered in snowstorms and icestorms that engulfed existence as the people knew it. However, as the eyes of the heavens passed over Zatalia, they saw that this one nation had commited no sin, and had not even the knowledge of the sin that was commited. And so this tiny landmass (perhaps three quarters of the size of a country we know as Spain) was spared absoulte retribution, but still, the land was to be eternally plagued with harsh storms of snow and ice as a constant reminder that those the challenge the gods will most certainly lose.

Zatalia has existed as such for centuries more, the only remaining bastion of life in the world. It experiences what could be construed as a normal summer, enough time to grow and harvest crops and plantlife, hunt for game, and repair any weather damage done throughout what is Zatalia's winter. Unusually long and harsh, the storms are such that Zatalia has been consolidated into one single city-state expanding outward from the western mountain range, so as to minimize travel needs. Anyone foolish enough to venture outside the warmth of the buildings of the city for very long is almost sure to perish. This unrelenting cold, along with a newfound religious fear for any progress that might challenge the gods, has left Zatalia in a sort of dark age of knowledge, leaving only well recognized weapons such as swords and spears, and well recognized magics such as the power to generate heat from the palm of one's hands (a power most citizens possess at one point in their life or another).

Teetering on the brink of nonexistence has made religion a central figure in Zatalia, wherein the Church of Zatalia prays to the gods (they have neither names, nor figures, not even an exact count, but all are to be worshipped equally) that their final judgment not be passed on the humans who had once proven unworthy of their grace. To this end, the Zatalian Church also has a military wing, the Zatalus Enforcers, tasked soley to seeking out heretical practices and swiftly ending them and their practitioners. The Zatalus Enforcers, however, are left mostly to protect the Church as an institution, as the Kingdom of Zatalia has maintained a standing military for as long as history can record, and they are tasked with normal peacekeeping duties, such as quelling riots, and guarding political figures.

And so, Zatalia stands as it is now, just as it has for centuries, but change is coming...  

[Soloist]

Notes on Magic and Technology.

It shouldn't come as any surprise to you that my preferred setting is medieval fantasy and sine this is my RP, that's what it's going to be. If you're curious, here are some guidelines to follow when considering technology and magic as a factor in this RP


- Technology -

As a rule of thumb, medieval technology is a good place to start if you're considering whether or not something exists in Zatalia. That is not to say that everyone lives in mud huts and there are poor undeveloped fiefdoms everywhere, stonemasonry and carpentry have progressed quite a great deal due to the necessity of warm shelter in Zatalia.

In Zatalia, technology and magic intermingling is forbidden. What few survivors managed to escaped to Zatalia during the apocalypse that such a fusing was how the gods' wrath was incurred, so engineers and arcanists are two different and separate breeds altogether.


- Magic -

Magic is a powerful force in Zatalia, and it is a force wielded by the majority of it's inhabitants, but how it manifests, or how it is wielded differs from person to person.

By and large, magical powers manifest themselves in situations of extreme duress or trauma, there have been recorded incidents where arcanists and magicians were capable of developing magics on their own, but it takes a lifetime of dedication to magic to accomplish such a feat.

On average however, one particularly defining event results in the manifestation of magic, and some are luckier than others. For example, most citizens of Zatalia have the ability to generate heat in the palm of their hands, and in some cases even fire itself, because the cold of Zatalia is extremely bitter, so self-generated heat is common. This is not the only way it can manifest however, someone who suffers extreme mental trauma may find that they have minor telekenetic powers, or someone being chased by a pack of wolves who is desperate to live may find that their ability to sprint is superhuman (although it is much more likely that the person just gets eaten). Be creative, but realize that someone's power scope is limited. If they suffer extreme mental trauma, horrible cold, and get chased by a pack of wolves, one of those things is probably going to kill them, they aren't just going to suddenly develop a magical resilience to every situation that puts them under duress.  

[Soloist]

The Story Now

Okay, so you've read this far, you're probably wondering why the hell you should care about the goings-on in Zatalia. Well here it is.

Living in Zatalia comes with an expected amount of tension, as life is very hard, death is prominent, and every day is a struggle to survive. Such as it is, for the past twenty years, winters in Zatalia have been growing steadily harsher and more destructive, encroaching on some of the outer rings of the city-state that makes the kingdom, and rendering portions of the land used for the harvest during the summer useless. As this trend has continued, it has become more and more alarming, leaving more and more land unlivable, and leaving less and less land for the mostly static sized population of Zatalia. Finally riots broke out on the outer edge of the city, and the crown was forced to act. Queen Zatalia XXXIV declared that the Zatalus Enforcers, with support from the Zatalian military were to interview the people, deem those fit for survival, and execute those who weren't.

Initially, the Church did as ordered, trying to gauge who among the population would live, and who would die. However, all of the population's outcry was directed at the Church carrying out the order, and not the royalty who'd issued the edict. Leadership amongst the Church realized that this was a golden oppurtunity to seize power from the throne were they to lead the revolt, and so the Zatalus Enforcers were withdrawn from their posts around the city, and mobilized for an assault on the throne. Furthermore, the Church used it's "holy" position to rally many people to it's position, claiming that all those on the side of the Church when they claimed victory would ascend into the favor of the gods.

To worsen issues, there have been whispered reports that beings called "demons" have been slowly flowing into Zatalia from the outer regions beyond the safe bubble of the city state, and even more alarming from beyond the mountains (which are now so frigid, they are considered impassable by humanity). Some of the demons are only humanoid in that they have two legs and two arms, but others appear to be people who were lost to storms of years past and who were thought to have died in unlivable territory. Whatever their appearance, their purpose is singular. All reports of demons have included a rhetoric about how a "religious sacrifice" under a restructured Church will allow the beings of the planet to return to "the gods paradise" and that to see this through, they must claim the land and all it's inhabitants and induct them into this new restructured Church.

And so did the last war of Zatalia erupt, both political and literal, a desperate bid to control the only life-supporting landmass on the planet. Destruction. Ascension. Reconstruction. Where lies the truth?  

[Soloist]

Final Notes

This will be where this RP differs slightly from the usual format of RPs in this forum. I am setting forth pre-made roles and factions for you to fill as you see fit and then write to your tastes. This is done so that everyone participating in the RP is a prominent figure in the story, and to force interaction that leads to progress in the overall story. Due to the nature of the RP, I am totally okay with you having more than one character, and they are more than welcome to be on opposing factions; your characters may even interact on any basis you see fit. The entire story is designed to create conflict and drama you can write your way into. What's more is, characters may live and die by your hand, if you don't like a character, kill him off, consult with a guildmate, write an epic death duel with them, have them trip off a cliff and plummet to their death, whatever suits you. This leads me into the final note about the RP

NEVER BE AFRAID OF PROGRESS. You guys are all good storytellers and writers. You know what makes a fun and interesting read, so never be afraid to push the story along by skipping periods in time and space between your posts to get to more relevant ideas, or killing off characters and writing new ones. Dont get trapped in one place for the sake of linearity of politeness, everyone else will adapt (OR I WILL KILL THEM DEAD, actually if this RP reaches critical mass, I'll make a thread in the OOC forum for us to discuss story ideas). One of my favorite things about RPing is that ideas I have for myself in one post are absolutely destroyed by the next poster's ideas and I get to rethink something completely new and it eventually leads the story to somewhere I never expected it to go. So go nuts. It's ALLL YOU.  

[Soloist]

Cast of Characters

IF, for some reason, you've read this far, and you're still interested, it's time to get involved! Pick a role from the list of characters, write a profile (using the form provided below) you like for that person, and wing it to me in a PM and I'll put it up here whenever I check back in (usually once or twice a day)

Gaia Name: Who're you?
Character Name: Who're you in the story?
Character Role: What role are you filling?
Age and Gender: How old is this person? Are they in possesion of a Y Chromosome?
Physical Description: What do they look like?
Bio: Just who the hell are they and how'd they get to where they are?
Magic and Weaponry: What is it that makes them special, or at least good at killing people?

CHARACTERS AND WHO THEY'RE PLAYED BY

You're welcome to suggest a role if you can show you've got a good plan on integrating them into the story. I'm not opposed to you being a townsperson, I just want you to be a townsperson vital to the story.

- Zatalian Crown -

Queen Zatalia XXXIV - Elizabeth Zatalia (LightOfTheDark)
King Zatalia -
Zatalian Military Commander -Sharde Shanara (LightOfTheDark)
Military General(s)
Court Advisors/Magus -
First Magus Misha Del'Souln (LightOfTheDark)
Advisor Magus Andre Majahual (Lykus)
Advisor Coros A. LaGoupagous (Lykus)

= Zatalus Church =

Archbishop - Archbishop Siofris Lezzantine (Soloist)
Head of the Zatalus Enforcers - Fenrys Mystblade (Soloist)
Zatalus Enforcer(s) -
Wilhelm Godfrey (ValenarrDeMirro)
Sapna Sarasvati (Necathys)

Priest(s) of Zatalus -
Sati Sarasvati (Necathys)

~ The Demons ~

Head of the Demonic Resistance - Ardus Lycaon (Lykus)
Prophet(s) (Religious Preachers) -
Vaizar (Necathys)

Harbinger(s) (Military operatives) -
Raaz (ValenarrDeMirro)
Lirikka Niels (Yvris)

ACCEPTED CHARACTERS

Soloist

Gaia Name: Soloist
Character Name: Fenrys Mystblade
Character Role: Captain of the Zatalus Enforcers
Age and Gender: 34/Male

Physical Description: Even though he's Captain of the Zatalus Enforcers, Fenrys is a long way from looking like the ideal knight. Standing only 5'9, his face is weatherworn beyond it's years, his hair windwhipped into a constant mess. Even his eyes show the strain that are his waking hours, a flickering chocolate brown that is almost painful to stare at. It doesn't help any that he almost stoutly refuses to wear the armor issued to the leader of the Zatalus enforcers. Shrugging off the regal silver platemail with gold trim, he retains only the cloak (royal blue, embossed with the symbol of the church), and instead opts to wear several layers of black cloths and leathers to keep warm.

Bio: Fenrys is one of the many souls whose life has been made into permanent misery by the storms every year. While good natured and kind hearted, he's long been a bitter soul contending with great loss.

Ten years ago, he'd completed a lifelong dream of joining the ranks of the Zatalus Enforcers, and overjoyed at the news, he ran to tell his wife and child, who were, at the time, living on the outskirts of the city. Only moments from his home, a storm rolled in and struck with awe-inspiring force. Fenrys had no choice but to seek sheleter in the nearest building and watch out the window as the gods consumed everything he loved in life. When the storm cleared he searched frantically through the wreckage for any sign of his family, but there was no trace of either his wife, or his young son.

Embittered and disenfranchised, Fenrys returned to the inner sectors of the city to swear off the religion that had betrayed him so spectacularly, only to realize it was the only thing he had left in life. With that one thought, Fenrys pursued his new career with zealous fire, even though his faith had been shattered.

Now, he stands as Captain of one of the most respected bodies in Zatalia, and he absolutely loathes his job, and the faith it represents, but still he performs to the best of his ability, realizing that were he to fail in his duties, other families like his may very well be torn asunder.

Magic and Weaponry: Most practitioners of the Church are charged with caring for the sick and wounded, so it is natural that Fenrys is endowed with very basic healing abilities. He is capable of slowing bleeding and cauterizing wounds (this is much more attributed to his ability to generate heat in a very specific and special manner, which is not uncommon), but little else. His most extraordinary talent is that he needn't carry his weapon (a beautiful crystalline looking longsword) anywhere. He is so fiercely trained for combat that no matter where it is, if Fenrys' concentrates hard enough, his blade will materialize in a flash in his hand. He can even wield the blade without actually touching it by repeatedly summoning it to various positions in front of him. The flash that occurs when he summons appears as a greyish blue in the winter, and thus, the blade has earned the nickname "Azuresteel"

ValenarrDeMirro

Gaia Name: ValenarrDeMirro
Character Name: Wilhelm Godfrey
Character Role: Zatalus Enforcer
Age and Gender: Male/21
Physical Description: Being one of the youngest Zatalus Enforcers, Wilhelm is not exactly up to snuff with the other Enforcers. He is a bit more slender than simply bulky, but is built instead for speed. This doesn't sit well with most of his more muscular compatriots, but it suits him well enough.

Wilhelm is a tall individual, standing at about six feet and three inches. His hair is brown, long, and kept back in a ponytail, which dangles down to his mid-back. He is almost always wearing a heavy cloak (standard of the Zatalus Enforcers) and wears, instead of platemail, small amounts of studded leather armor over many layers of clothing. He generally wears dark blue leggings and black leather boots.

As far as features go, Wilhelm is by far one of the more attractive people alround. Some would say his features are supernaturally fine; his cheekbones level, his chin strong, his nose perfect, etc, and his eyes are as brown as his hair.
Bio: Ironically enough, there are no records of 'Wilhelm Godfrey' in any institution within Zatalia until one year ago. All that is known is that when he made himself known, he petitioned to become a Zatalus Enforcer and easily made his way in.
Magic and Weaponry: None have seen any magical capabilities that Wilhelm may have, though plenty have seen his weapon. His weapon of choice is a rapier, a blade that he has learned can get around even platemail. His skill with the weapon may not be as great as his captain's, but he is, nonetheless, a deadly foe, able to best some of the older Zatalus Enforcers in duels. Some have even said that his speed is 'unnatural,' while others suppose that it is his magic that gives him the edge. Wilhelm has said nothing to support either statement.

ValenarrDeMirro

Gaia Name: ValenarrDeMirro
Character Name: Raaz (He had no name, and he gave it to himself)
Character Role: Harbinger
Age and Gender: Uknown/Male
Physical Description: Nobody has actually seen Raaz's true form. All they know is that it is a hooded man, clad in a dark blue cloak, alarmingly similar to that of a Zatalus Enforcer's. Every time he is seen, none see his face or any actual distinguishing features. He is assumedly slender and sleek-looking, though the cloak makes it sometimes difficult to tell. He wears midnight blue leggings and black leather boots, but other than that, the cloak obscures all.
Bio: Raaz came down from the mountains naught years ago, knowing that it was time. He now secretly works to destroy the Church of Zatalus by any means necessary.
Magic and Weaponry: None have seen Raaz's magical capabilities. It is assumed that he may have none, or simply they are constantly in action, giving him enhanced speed and strength. Along with that, any other arms that he bears are unknown.

LightOfTheDark

Gaia Name: LightOfTheDark
Character Name: Elizabeth Zatalia the XXXIV
Character Role: Queen Zatalia XXXIV
Age and Gender: 37, Female
Physical Description: Long black hair hangs to her waist, falling in a cascade of lusturous locks. Her intelligence hides behind eyes so brown they could almost look black, as if contemplating. Full lips hardly ever smile, though when she does it seems to make her eyes sparkle. A pale complexion and slim figure allows her to wear royal clothes well. Always the modest one, she tends to keep her wardrobe to high-neck dresses with skirts that often drag on the ground.
((She basically looks like this))
Bio: As Queen of Zatalia, she was raised from birth to be a queen, she ate, spoke, dressed, and acted like a queen, she always had. Eliza is a strict queen, very concious of her own laws as well as that she herself maintains them as well. She advises her husband, and is the real brains behind the ruling of the city.. though, lately, her husband has been making many decisions without even consulting her first.. and they have turned out to be very poor decisions..
Magic and Weaponry: Having been under horrible mental stress as a young child, with her parents dying so suddenly and having to be married away and become Queen all at the tender age of 15, she has since had the ability to see into the minds of others, as well as she is one of the few that can actually produce flames in her palm as well as heat. Eliza also carries a very ornate dagger at her waist, which, while most would think would be a decoration for an outfit, is actually what she keeps on her at all times, and while she's usually surrounded by Guards, she is her own last line of defence should they fail her.

LightOfTheDark

Gaia Name: LightOfTheDark
Character Name: Sharde Shanara
Character Role: Zatalian Military Commander
Age and Gender: 27, Male
Physical Description: Sharde (or more commonly just called 'Shard') Is a smaller man, just barely making 6' tall and not very buff or heavy (A mere 180lbs). Though he's extremely toned, he looks almost lankey. Though he looks very thin, he has the bones and muscles of steel. He has close-cropped, blonde hair, and deep, blue eyes. Multiple scars on his ruggedly handsome features enhance his face as that of a warrior, even more set off with his stoney countenance. He is never seen without his Zatalian armor or his sword.
Bio: Sharde is the General of the Zatalian military, and is almost blindly loyal to the Queen. He grew up under his father, Jerald, the old commander, and is skilled in strategy as well as the finest swordsman in the army. Some might say that he had inhuman speed when it came to fighting, his sword slicing or moving so fast that you could hardly blink before he had disarmed his opponent and dispatched of them.
Magic and Weaponry: His weapons are a pair of odd looking short-swords. On one edge is the regular, razor sharp edge of a sword, but the other side is notched and spiked, tearing out chunks of his opponents, leaving them almost impossible to be healed by the jagged wounds. He is also extremely fast, being able to move and fight with an extreme ammount of stamina and speed.

LightOfTheDark

Gaia Name: LightOfTheDark
Character Name: Misha Del'Souln
Character Role: First Magus
Age and Gender: 35, Female
Physical Description: Long Black hair hangs to her waist and is usually kept in a tidy braid, though a few long bangs arn't held in, and frame her dark skinned face. Inky black eyes seem to have no pupils because they are so dark in color, though a little glimmer can be seen in them every now and then. She is fit and somewhat muscular, well proportioned and thin. She wears comfortable clothing, though every now and then she goes and wears something tight, or revealing. Thick silver hoops adorn her ears and a silver nose stud pierces her nose. On a fine silver chain, a pendant that looks like a ruby embedded, silver spider, curled about a platinum sword, hangs from it. Multiple scars marr her skin, one on her face especially. A thin, pale line goes from just under her left eye down to her jaw, on the other side a crimson tattoo of a sideways moon sits on her right cheekbone, the points of it facing upwards. Her hands are slim and unadorned except for a few scars, there is a puckered scar on her right palm that looks like a cresent moon as well. Another tattoo is hidden by her pants usually on her right hip, a snow white rose with thorns and a brilliantly red chinese dragon curled about it.
Bio: Misha was one of the rare people that through multiple points of high stress and urgency, has developed a multitude of powers. Lets just say she did not have a very pleasant childhood. And upon the former Queen hearing about this special child, had her taken in and raised her with her own daughter, raising her to be Eliza's protector as well as helping her harness her powers. It wasn't long after Eliza took the throne that Misha was made First Mage of the Royal magus.
Magic and Weaponry: She can teleport at will, as well as manipulate and command the elements. Need a roaring fire? No problem! An enemy is running away? Just freeze them in place with an ice spell! She is very talented with her gift now, having had years of practise with it. She is a warrior in much a different way, since she carries no steel or blade on her. The woman is armed wherever she goes.

Lykus

Gaia Name: Lykus
Character Name: Andre Majahual
Character Role: Court Advisor/Magus
Age and Gender: 26/Male
Physical Description: Andre has piercing, light blue eyes that perpetually betray a tone of absolute seriousness. His skin is a soft peach color, marred in several places on his torso and arms by intricate markings as a reminder of failed runology and magic experiments carried out under his duties as a Magus. He wears his ruddy red hair short and swept back, and his circle beard is neatly trimmed, despite his bushy eyebrows.

His body is unusually healthy for an average person, given the state of the world and the less viable methods of conventional medicine, and especially so for someone so deeply involved in the workings of magic, exclusive to physical labor. However, by modern standards it is average, although more leaning towards gaunt.

Bio: Andre is atypically young for a Court Advisor, but as the only remaining representative of his family (his mother and father having been killed in a particularly brutal winter) and as a result of his family's nobility, he has an essentially guaranteed spot in the Royal Court. That is not to say that he is not a valuable asset, however, since his unique gifts have proven to be useful on more than one occasion.

At an early age, Andre was fortunate to have an excellent education. His family lived on a vast estate that, despite its size, was situated relatively near to the center of Zatalia, leaving it mostly unharmed by the disastrous climate changes. Unfortunately, his parents were lost in an especially harsh winter, leaving him the entire estate and the sole heir to the family name.

Shortly thereafter, his land was appropriated by the Zatalian government as it represented some of the little remaining arable land available to the survivors. The Royal Court approached this with indecision, not wanting to drive an orphan into poverty and eradicate an entire family name overnight (a humanistic view that has since been largely abandoned by the majority of its members) but they changed their minds immediately when Andre himself threw support behind this motion, as he saw the need for farmable land in coming times.

Andre frequently dissents with the opinion of the Court, especially the recent motion to kill off weaker citizens. Regardless of this and the fact that he is so unusually young, it is far from likely that his position will ever be removed due to his unique power of prophecy. Still, he only attends Court meetings enshrouded in a hooded robe so as to dispel any question of authority that might be raised by his relatively youthful appearance. It is during these court meetings that his opinions regarding the absurdity of belief in "the gods" is frequently made known, although he is wise not to suggest abolishing a symbol that can provide people with hope and unity in troubled times.

Magic and Weaponry: Andre possesses the power to call upon prophetic visions (albiet vague ones, the messages of which require some time to interpolate) as a result of the need to learn of an attempt on his life in order to avoid it. Unlike most, he is incapable of conjuring heat or fire. However, he is in complete control of his metabolism at all times, and, although this ability has many more applications, he can alter it to more efficiently and effectively control his body temperature if exposed to the elements. As a result of his body's extreme condition of homeostasis, his skin complexion. has not changed in years, nor has his hair grown, although he has not determined whether he is unable to allow it to do so or whether this has simply not happened because he has not yet tried. This is theorized to be a reaction to the extreme cold of winter, but why he has not simply manifested the ability to conjure heat as others have is unknown even to him.

Necathys

Gaia Name: Necathys
Character Name: Vaizar
Character Role: Prophet
Age and Gender: Unknown/Male
Physical Description: As most demons, Vaizar conceals himself in ample black robes and a hooded ghostly mantle, frayed and constantly flowing. He is seemingly over six feet tall, and the broad bulges of his shoulders under the fabric make a fair appraisal of his hulking stature. What distinguishes him from his demonic brethren is the unusual mask he wears when he preaches: in such occasions, a featureless surface of dark gold, welded with countless alchemical patterns, emerges from his hood and captivates those who peer into it, for the face they see within in is not the prophet’s, but their own.
Bio: It is believed that he was once a prominent figure in Zatalia’s nobility, but the only evidence to support this conjecture is the lack of evidence thereof: unlike sighted demons of lost Zatalians, he masks his face, making it impossible for anyone to recognize him, if he does indeed have a face.

It has now been a year since he has come from the mountains yonder, a lone black speck in the dead of night. He is, of his kindred, neither the first nor the last to set foot upon the snow-cursed kingdom of Zatalia. The time has come for the demons to carry out their plans: his task is to spread word of salvation, by any means necessary.
Magic and Weaponry: Though ample clothes habitually entail hidden armament, Vaizar is, in fact, physically defenseless, save for the peculiar mask he dons. This, however, does not stop him from leaving many corpses behind after his demonic orations. How an unarmed man can leave bodies slashed, lanced, hewed and ridden with bleeding holes is a mystery.

Necathys

Gaia Name: Necathys
Character Name: Sati Sarasvati
Character Role: Priestess of Zatalus
Age and Gender: 27
Physical Description: Her comely sight has been the source of a many dissensions amongst the religious ranks of Zatalia. It was common misconception that aesthetically gifted women lacked any other substantial gift, and such women were expected to marry rich or go down other paths that are far more unsavory. “How sweet her long, supple hair of smooth russet, pouring down her back like a sinuous river and the deep, crimson highlights that would dance like sundown waves in the wintry wind,” were the unadulterated words of a man turned poet at her sight. She had made a habit of tying the tip of her mane with a wispy white ribbon and throwing the bunch over her left shoulder, not because of the longing glares of free men and priests alike, but because it was quite a hassle in breezy days. Little did she know that this accentuated her beauty manifold, contrasting with the peachy complexion of her skin and her deep, almond-shaped eyes of cerulean, of which the left one was hidden by a cluster of hair that ran down her flushed cheek and curled ravishingly near polished lips. Otherwise, she has a thin neck and a svelte figure, her curvaceous features only hinted at under the customary robes of the priestesses, bland and dull of whiteness when worn by any other than Sati. Around her waist hung a leather belt, yielding with the weight of many herb-crammed pouches and powder-filled pockets, as well as various tools and vials, empty or filled with draughts of her own making.

Bio: Why Sati chose the way of the cloth still flummoxes her fellow priests and priestesses. It wasn’t mindless devotion to nameless gods, nor was it a thirst to rise through the ranks of the Church. It was for and only for her and her sister's protection.

Of a set of twins, Sati was born the youngest. She and her sister, Sapna, were born unto a noble family: but as all nobles, their parents had enemies. They had both been kidnapped in their youth by the people who sought the demise of the Sarasvati clan, and there they were forced into subservience, tortured, until the gruesome day of her sister’s rape. She had been shackled to a clammy wall, forced to watch the desecration of her own sister, knowing that all the horrors she witnessed would be done unto her. Their parents never came for them.

This scarred Sati for life, and the taint of it, though unseen by the Church, had dangerously poisoned her mind. What she would have become if the ordeal had actually come to pass, no one knows. When they came to take her, to break her, she had cried out and rushed them, smashing her little fists against their hirsute skin. At first, they laughed, their perversion only enkindled by the debacle, but soon they fell, stunned. Poisoned.

She had paid more than she had for her powers. Soon after, she learned she could cure as well as she could injure; yet it was no secret that she couldn't fend off her foes on her own, now that her parents had vanished from Zatalia. Thus, Sati joined the Church, where she found asylum and a semblance of peace. She trained to become a priestess, learning doctrines and becoming well-versed in various fields of non-magical healing, such as herbalism. Today, she is one of the Church’s best healers, and, unbeknownst to the establishment, the Church’s only poisoner.

Magic and Weaponry: She can concoct healing draughts as well as poisons when given the components to do so, but Sati possesses no actual weapon, save for small sickles that are normally used to collect plants. Her healing magic, however, is of top-notch: with a touch of her hand, she can regenerate skin, mend bones and cure minor to medium ailments. When mixed with her herb lore, she can cure someone of grave poisoning and can temporarily stave off lethal maladies. She is also capable of secreting various poisons through her skin or worsen wounds and sicknesses.

Necathys

Gaia Name: Necathys
Character Name: Sapna Sarasvati
Character Role: Zatalus Enforcer
Age and Gender: 27
Physical Description: Sapna is a mirror to her twin sister, Sati. They are equally beautiful, but Sapna, as opposed to Sati, is quite aware of this gift – and curse. She can feel a man obsessing about her from a mile away, can feel yearning glares creep up her skin; this sickens her beyond measure. Sapna deals with this by tying up her hair into a ponytail or a bun and by wearing high-collared clothing, bland tunics that are barely form-fitting and a hooded cape that she can pull over herself in case none of her safety measures work to attenuate her appearance. As an Enforcer, she often wears hardened leather armor, plated at choice regions to protect vital organs, but not enough to reduce mobility and speed. The harsh and dreadful aspect of her armor soothes her, for those who lay eyes on it usually dismiss the person inside.
Bio: Like her sister Sati, Sapna decided to join the Church, but not as priestess: not only did she lack healing abilities or the patience to learn about herbal medicine, but she was irresistibly drawn to the path of arms. Amongst the Enforcer trainees, she was one of the fastest and the nimblest. When she became an Enforcer at the age of seventeen, many of her associates looked down on her youth and gender, which only served to motivate her further. She couldn’t stand idle inside the walls of the Church, fearing the assault of her olden captors if she walked out into the real world. All she wanted was to protect Sati. If it meant being humiliated daily by her superiors and colleagues, then she would gladly make the sacrifice. Nevermore would those who ravaged her lay hand on another.

After the dreadful nightmare of her childhood, she had been unable to utter a single word for months, thoroughly broken by the pain, the humiliation and the revulsion she felt. She would never shake off that creeping feeling, that invasive sensation inside her. When a semblance of life returned to her, she would retch and twitch frenetically. She was prone to high fevers and delusions, and would often scream at night. She would only speak to Sati, the one person who could fathom the debilitating horror she was going through. Sati had healed her. Sati had made the bleeding, the horrible bleeding stop. Her sister was the only thing that kept her from falling into insanity.

Somehow, when the agony had taken its toll, Sapna’s mind did not shatter but, rather, split. She had inadvertently partitioned her mind, sealing off the insanity, the cruelty and the grisly memories into one of the fragments, now hidden away in the nethermost recesses of her psyche. What remains is a seemingly stable Sapna, valorous and empathetic. She retains knowledge of the event, and often feels a crawling filth upon her body, but she is otherwise unscathed. What more, as the split occurred, she had discovered powers of her own. Sati would oftentimes enter Sapna’s room and screech as she could find her nowhere (or find that they might not be twins, but octuplets). Rarer were the instances when Sati would go blind, deaf and lose all tactile and olfactory senses, but they occurred, nonetheless. This later gave Sapna the edge required to become an Enforcer… but one could say that when her dormant side awoke during the yearly examination for Enforcer aspirants. Some have heard rumors about this test, and though they are quite certain the contents were just that, rumors, they still tread softly around her.

Magic and Weaponry: Sapna wields two black daggers, each a foot long and their tips incredibly tapered for optimal penetration. Two light weapons, teamed with her natural speed and dexterity, can be rather deadly, though a bit unorthodox for Enforcers. To top it off, Sapna can turn invisible or create shadows of herself to bedazzle her pursuers or facilitate kills. When she is overcome with strong emotions, she can also scramble the sensory organs of one or many foes at a time. And if her dormant side ever awakens again, the word ‘illusion’ will take on a whole new meaning.

Lykus

Gaia Name: Lykus
Character Name: Ardus Lycaon
Character Role: Head of the Demonic Resistance
Age and Gender: 32/Male
Physical Description: Ardus has a truly frightening countenance. Unlike most demons, he does not conceal his appearance unless absolutely necessary. He is a giant, standing easily at 8 and a half feet tall, and weighing a representatively significantly larger amount. Most notably, his head is canine in shape, with fiery orange eyes, and his entire body is covered with rough, short dark brown fur. Ardus has powerful limbs that bristle with uncanny strength beyond that of any typical human. His body is extremely muscular, seeming as if it would actually limit his movement, but this is never reflected in his fluid motions. From his head sprout a pair of bull's horns, seemingly out of place as they are disproportionately small as compared to the size of the rest of his body, and because of the more obvious fact that dogs don't have horns.
Bio: Ardus detests his body, as it is probably one of the most mundane forms that any demon has had, but he recognizes its power as a symbol for his people, and as such never conceals himself in front of them. What records the demons even have prior to his ascension to their leader are either completely secret, absent, or destroyed. As the winters grew colder and harsher, the demons continued to push for the sacrifice of Zatalia to the gods, an action strongly supported by the majority of the demonic religious leaders.
Ardus, being very faithful himself, was initially behind the annihilation of the humans, but the demons are not as unified as the humans and have allowed their hatred to boil to an extent that they would just as soon raze what remains of fertile land. His attempts to quell the resistance and refocus their efforts towards destroying the humans and not the land have met with failure, and he dares not continue with these attempts, lest a coup remove him from power.
Ardus has a very "do-it-yourself" mentality, only reinforced by the loss of many agents he had sent to infiltrate the church and crown. As such, he has often taken to accomplishing various objectives on his own, rather than sending others into Zatalia or going with help.
Magic and Weaponry: Ardus has skin like steel and supernatural agility and strength. He also has the ability to alter the perception of others, but only to the end of making him appear as something other than his actual appearance. He can, for example, disguise himself as a human townsman, but not disguise someone else as townsfolk, and he cannot make himself invisible. This ability has the nasty habit of breaking if someone comes into contact with his real self in a place where his (likely smaller) illusory self is not.

Soloist

Gaia Name: Soloist
Character Name: Archbishop Siofris Lezzantine
Character Role: Archbishop, Zatalus Church
Age and Gender: 59/Male

Physical Description: The Archbishop's true height is impossible to tell, as he spends his days draped in lavish robes of black and red, and adorns a ridiculously prominent hat, but even without such enhancements, it is believed he is (or was, in his younger years) still exceptionally tall. Although he claims only to be a preacher for the gods, his attire suggests that he would, in fact, prefer to be one. His robes are extravagant even by a royal's standards, and his hat is trimmed in gold and silver threads. Everything is to highlight his face, which, although it begins to wrinkle, is one that portrays kindness incarnate, and caring for every soul it sees.

Bio: Like many of those in power in Zatalia, Siofris is much more politician than religious practitioner, and those who are intimately familiar with him are of the believe that his wish is not to lead the church, but instead the whole of Zatalia. If that is the case, he has done a superb job of hiding his desire, as even dating back to his childhood, he was a devoted altar boy and committed child of religion. Even his actions to date dictate that his wish is to protect those that remain of the human race, creating and maintaining nearly a hundered churches and cathedrals, and several hundered shelters for homeless or impoverished Zatalians. It is strange, however, that his workhorse has always been the Zatalus Enforcers and not, as would be expected, his priests and priestesses. Little is known about how he came to be chosen as the next Archbishop and rumors abound about theories ranging from demonic intervention to royal favor. In any event, his current campaign is one proclaiming that all of the citizens of Zatalia must be protected, and that he will use the Zatalus Enforcers to personally ensure that the throne cannot decide who lives and who dies. Unsurprisingly, the populace is hesitant about this claim, as it was the Zatalus Enforcers who were tasked with carrying out the interviews in the first place.

Magic and Weaponry: Siofris has long claimed to be a pacifist, although he does carry a decorative staff with him wherever he walks. The staff nearly matches him in height, and is made of a mixture of a platinum base and a gold head. The head is an ornate ring of gold, topped with a beautiful emerald, and has been called the "Ring of Miracles" as the sight of it has caused miraculous good news for any citizens. Outside of mediocre healing skills, Siofris has no known magical skills.

Lykus

Gaia Name: Lykus
Character Name: Coros a la Goupagous
Character Role: Court Advisor
Age and Gender: 55/Male
Physical Description: Coros A. LaGoupagous is very noticeably overweight. He is not so much so that he is clinically obese, but the effect is certainly enough to make him stand out in a crowd of gaunt Zatalians, emaciated from lack of food. He is balding significantly, although he frequently wears hats to conceal this. Always he can be seen with a full, neatly trimmed beard, hair graying with age from its original dark brown color. His face has not yet begun to wrinkle, but his skin is sickly pale from lack of exposure to the sun, so the effect is similar. He has very bright eyes with light brown irises.

LaGoupagous is often seen wearing several layers of opulent clothing, eating or drinking high quality food and wine in what few ostentatious venues remain in Zatalia, pontificating towards his fellow advisors and noblemen, or doing all these things at once. He always speaks with an air of undue pomp.
Bio: Coros A. LaGoupagous was born the first and only child in a family descended from a long line of Zatalian nobility. While the LaGoupagous family was not at all prominent, barely hanging to their noble title at the time of his birth, in no time at all the young Coros became friends with the boy who would in the future become the Archbishop. With him as a contact, and having been born into nobility, LaGoupagous meticulously crawled his way through to the top, forging new friendships and using them to propel his political career forward. He never once attempted directly to control the shape of things, preferring instead to proffer suggestions to those who could control them, thus giving him the maximum influence with minimal accountability.

LaGoupagous' steering himself through politics to power, riches, and access to all the greater, and expensive, luxuries life has to offer, has made him the ideal effigy for the religious to target, as he represents the callous, ignorant noble, enjoying himself without helping others, but his deeply rooted connections that pervade throughout the populace have kept this from happening. He has supported those whom he felt would succeed such that they might remember his help at a later date and contribute back. Most notably, he has been an informant for the Archbishop, and was the one who informed him of the mass execution decision of the crown before it became public knowledge, although the escalating conflict as of late has prevented him from being as reliable as usual. He has also been of assistance to Andre Majahual in providing him with access to certain "forbidden" texts so that he could further his research.
Magic and Weaponry: LaGoupagous has no overt magical abilities and no combat training or experience. He does not even exhibit the common heat-generating ability that most people have. It has, however, been suggested that his uncanny ability to find and forge connections and contacts might be a result of an innate, passive, but nonetheless supernatural intuition, though no evidence of this magical origin has come to light. He also claims to possess various magic items, artifacts, or relics, a word choice that changes depending on his mood and circumstance, although he has not publicly made use of these things, if they exist at all.

Yvris

Gaia Name: Yvris
Character Name: Lirikka Niels
Character Role: Harbinger
Age and Gender: 29 / Female
Physical Description: Lirikka tends to hide herself under a cloak the color of snow, and from a distance she can be mistaken for a human. Under the cloak, there is no way she could be seen as human. She stands at about five feet, with unusually long, goat-like legs making up most of that height. Lirikka's head is vaguely feline in shape, with the fangs and copper slitted eyes that are characteristic of them, but with a longer snout and rabbit-like ears. She is covered in a thick coat of silky white fur that would protect her against the cold, if she felt any.
Bio: She came from the land beyond the mountains quite recently, and has taken the position of a scout in the Demonic Resistance. Lirikka Niels is not particularly religious, but she has a vicious nature and quite enjoys killing the humans of Zatalia.
She is quick to anger, but cannot hold a grudge for more than ten minutes at a time. This tends to be because those she would hold a grudge against are usually dead before then.
Magic and Weaponry: Lirikka is not exceptionally strong for a demon, but she is quite likely the fastest. She attacks from a distance with arrows, or if that is not an option, she attacks with a short sword. Lirikka heals quickly, but unfortunately not quick enough to be of use in the middle of a battle. She is not particularly proficient in magic, but she is mostly resistant to many spells, and temperature based spells do not affect her at all.

 

[Soloist]

Tiny Bitesized Morsels of Storytelling Delicious to Help You Keep You Up To Speed With What's Going On

Pages 1 and 2

Fenrys Mystblade went to the castle for an audience with the queen where he hoped to deceive her out of waging war against his now rebellious Zatalus Enforcers. Wilhelm Godfrey was to accompany him, steal his way into the archives, and steal any useful information he could find. Things went swimmingly until Wilhelm was caught. Fenrys was exposed, and Sharde Shanara and Misha Del'Soun were swiftly dispatched to capture Wilhelm. Things only got stickier as Sapna Sarasvati appeared to save Wilhelm, and Andre Majahual wandered into this entire chaotic scene seeking a bottle of ink. Of course, Fenrys made it worse by rushing to save Wilhelm, bringing with him a hundred castle guard and a giant trail of violence.

Pages 3 and 4

Wilhelm, Andre and Fenrys, with aid from Andre, all make a narrow escape from the castle and return to the Grand Cathedral to recover from battle. Andre also makes his way here, seeking access to his family's mausoleum and healing from Sapna's twin sister Sati. Fenrys, whose plans to avert war now lay in ruins dismisses Sapna from the Enforcers and goes to formulate a new plan, speaking to Archbishop Siofris Lezzantine in the process. Their conversation is interrupted when Ardus Lycaon magically disguised as Sharde breaks into the church. Siofris, mistaking Ardus for Sharde, welcomes him into the church to take Sapna, having struck a political bargain behind Fenrys' back. Enraged, Fenrys rushes to battle Ardus, but is caught off guard by the illusion and Ardus' quick movements to kidnap Andre. Meanwhile, Sati discovers that Sapna has been abducted (presumably by Vaizar) and flies into a berserker rage and runs to execute Siofris for his treachery. Seeking answers, Fenrys defends him, but doesn't succeed in stopping Sati from knocking him out. Fenrys orders all Enforcers and Church priests to garrison Fort Zeakden where he plans to hold out against the Zatalian Military whilst he seeks information to reveal everyone's intent in the oncoming war.  

[LightOfTheDark]

The mood in the city was... different today. It was a cold day, as always, and that day found the Queen of Zatalia standing at her private balcony, watching the city her husband controlled. In all honesty, it was her that really ran the great (and only) empire, and her husband was a mere figurehead of the patriarchial system that had been in place for eons. Men just always seemed to think themselves better suited for ruling...

Chuckling at the notion, Eliza knew far better than that. She watched the city with an anxiety that she could do nothing to quell. Something in her mind nagged at her that something was amiss, but she could not tell what. Upon hearing footsteps behind her, the Queen reached out her mind, just skimming the surface so as to know who it was.

"Hello Jerald.. what is it?" She asked in her melodious voice, deepened from age, but still feminine. She was a handsome woman for her age, a beautiful young lady that had matured into a ripe womanhood.

"Your highness, I've come to inform you that Fenrys Mystblade has requested an audience with you. I took the grace of making sure your husband did not know.." The man was her father's old adivser, and dearest friend, he was in his mid fifties, and still strong and proud as the young warrior he used to be as a young man, except instead of dark hair, grey whisps covered his head, and wrinkles softened his usually stoney expression.

"That is well, please inform the servants to prepare the west conference room for the meeting." She affirmed without turning around. Jerald was a smart man, making sure her husband was uninformed of the meeting. She was having to take more into her hands as of late. Her and her husband were a match through politics, she did not love him, and never would. The man was spineless and cowardly, a puppet on her strings. But he had been avoiding her of late, making decisions without her approval.

"It shall be so, Highness.." He answered with a curt nod, leaving just as briskly as he had entered.

Maybe this meeting would change things..
Her decisions these past months had been trying, with the winter ever encroaching upon their city. She prayed every day to the Gods for guidence, and prayed that her latest choice would be understood..
Some must perish, for the majority to survive..