// The Seventh Tower - Towards The End
Info -
A long time ago, darkness fell upon the castle. A veil was created over the world, upholding the rule of magic. One war ended.... and another silently began.
Tal has spent his while life in the darkness. He knows nothing else of the world. Far below the castle, there lives an icecarl warrior named Milla. Her fate and Ta;ls are irreversibly linked. Together they will discover the secrets behind the veil - and the forces desperately trying to tear it apart.
From dream worlds to nightmare visions, brilliant magic to fierce combat, this is an epic story of darkness, light, and all the shadows in between.
Storyline -
Tal, from the order of orange, along with six friends, attempts to steal a powerful sun stone from the side of the red tower, to help cure his dying mother, as Tal is elected to do so, he soon finds himself at a terrible disadvantage. The group is spotted by chosen from the order of blue and are taken into custody. Being set free, Tal leaves for home to see his sick mother. His father only pats Tal on the shoulder, he enters into his mothers room, explaining what he had done, his mother smiles and kisses him gently on the forehead, she falls asleep.
Meanwhile...
Milla, along with her family of Icecarls, are travelling fast on the ice on their ship, they see that the sunstone that has been lighting their way for years is fading, and they are forced to find a new one. The Elder Icecarl explains that if they do not, that the monsters that fear the sunstones power will not hold back and attack them, being the brave warrior that she is, Milla offers to go out and search for the sunstone, she is accompanied by five of her best female friends.
Story Info -
Chosen
These are the "Masters of Light and Shadow", possessing magical control over Sunstones and shadows. They live in a Castle with seven towers that extend above the Veil. A Chosen is judged by their color level, which shows their ranking in society. In order of superiority, they are: Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red (the colours of the rainbow), and the lowest level is Underfolk. The entire community of Chosen is governed by an Emperor or Empress.
A Chosen ascends or descends color levels by his or her accomplishments and failures. If a person is demoted below Red level, they become an Underfolk, doomed to serve for the rest of their life. There are ways that a person may be demoted directly to Underfolk regardless of their current level, including losing all their Sunstones and losing their Spiritshadow. One tower and specific areas of the Castle are occupied by each color, but there are white levels throughout the castle that are neutral territory.
Underfolk
Underfolk are the servants of the Castle of the Chosen. They are born to serve their Chosen masters until they die, without any chance of promotion. They are not allowed to possess a Sunstone, have regular shadows, and are generally associated with the color white. A Chosen may be demoted to Underfolk level in certain circumstances, including losing their Sunstone and losing their Spiritshadow. A Chosen child can be demoted by gaining seven deluminents.
Shadowguards
Every Chosen, upon being born, gets a shadowguard bound to them in Aenir. These creatures protect their master Chosen until their Chosen binds a much more powerful Spiritshadow when they come of age, at which point the shadowguard is released back into the land of Aenir. Shadowguards, unlike Spiritshadows, may shift their shape to anything. They sometimes appear like regular shadows, and are significantly weaker than a Spiritshadow.
Spiritshadows
Each Chosen, upon reaching the age of thirteen and three quarters, must go to the spirit realm of Aenir and bind a creature to serve as his or her Spiritshadow until the Chosen's death. The power of the Spiritshadow directly affects the Chosen's ranking in society. A law states that Spiritshadows may not harm other Chosen. Spiritshadows are usually the complete servants of their Chosen, but in some rare situations a Spiritshadow may be bound to a Chosen without having their wills bound. This is very taboo.
Spiritshadows may be large or small. They are more powerful than the shadowguard they replace, but after their master's death they fade away. Spiritshadows without a master ('free Spiritshadows') are prohibited from the Castle. A Spiritshadow feels, to some extent, what their master feels, including pain and emotions. The reverse of this is also true. Without light Spiritshadows are quickly weakened; they may also be constrained by gold (solid or mesh).
Day of Ascension
Occurring once a year, this is the official day when every Chosen enters the spirit world of Aenir. For those coming of age, this is their chance to bind a Spiritshadow. It is forbidden to enter Aenir before the Day of Ascension.
Icecarls
The Icecarls are a semi-barbaric population living in a matriarchal society outside the Castle of the Chosen on the Ice. Unlike Chosen, they fear magical shadows and curse anyone who possesses one. Honor is considered of high importance to Icecarls, and they traditionally commit suicide ("go to the Ice") if they have done something dishonorable. They also, unlike the Chosen, are not overly bothered by nudity.
The Icecarls are separated into clans, each clan having their own ship which travel on runners over the ice. Each clan is headed by a Crone, some clans have more than one, but all have at least one. Clan ships follow the Selski migration around the Dark World. One trip around the world is called a circling, which equals roughly one year.
There are also different "special" clans of warriors. The female warriors are called "shield maidens," and the males are "sword thanes". The sword thanes are usually extremely brave men who are willing to leave their clan and journey across the ice and help anyone in danger. The shield maidens are an exclusive bunch of brave warrors also. They live in the Ruin Ship.
Creatures living on the Ice
Selski are huge beasts that inhabit the Ice, and are the main source of food and materials for the Icecarls. They are described as large terrestrial whale-like creatures - many as large as the Icecarls' Ships - that feed with a baleen type of system on worm-like creatures which drives their migration.
The Merwins are dangerous, snakelike creatures bearing four flippers and a glowing horn, which can be fashioned into swords which shine with light, allowing it to harm the otherwise incorporeal Living Shadows.
Wreska are the antlered creatures that pull Icecarl sleighs across the ice. Their antlers are large, branching wracks and their feet have several sharp nails with which they can grip the ice.
Norrworms are large, predatory worms capable of bursting through the thick ice that covers the Dark World, and are capable of easily killing the most skilled of Icecarl warriors. Sword-thane Wilder Jarek had his skin permanently transformed by the Norrworm's blood into a type of skin that could resist the cold and heat. He dispatched the creature by slicing it in two from the inside after being swallowed.
Shield Maidens
A group of experienced Icecarl warrior women residing in the Ruin Ship. They hunt down dangerous creatures and function as law-enforcers among the Icecarls. Shield Maidens are led by an older, higher ranking, and more experienced warrior known as a 'Shield Mother'. A hand of Shield Maidens consists of 12 warriors led by one Shield Mother.
Sword-Thanes
The male equivalent of a Shield Maiden, although they are less prominent in the Icecarl community and work alone. All Sword-Thanes are heroes, but not all heroes are Sword-Thanes. Sword-Thanes can be female in rare circumstances such as Jarek's companion Kirr.
Wilder
A Sword-Thane who has been injured mentally and unable to keep their anger under control, can also be called a Wilder. Jarek is one such Wilder, whose skin was enhanced by swimming in Norrworm blood. He primarily uses a metallic chain, capable of damaging shadows as well as living things. His anger was controlled by his keeper, Kirr, though he loses his control when she is killed. This ultimately leads to his tragic death as after his initial rampage, the anger leaves him and due to his sorrow does not return when he needs it, thus showing that the rage can be influenced by one's deepest emotions. To some degree a Wilder is different from a Berserker in the sense that he will not randomly attack his allies while his enemies remain.
The Ruin Ship
Housing high-level Crones and Shield Maidens, the Ruin Ship is most important ship of the civilization of the Icecarls, and has been resting for centuries in the foothills of the Mountain of Light. Unlike the rest of the ships, which are made from bone and hide of animals, the Ruin Ship is made of a golden metal called ethren that never rusts. It is five times the size of an average Icecarl ship, and is the model upon which all ships are based.
Aenir
Aenir is a magical spirit world which can only be entered by using a Sunstone and reciting a spell. Unlike the Dark World, Aenir has no veil and is warmed and lit by the sun. It is inhabited by various creatures which the Chosen bind as their Spiritshadows or shadowguards. Because Aenir is a place of magic, not many things are what they appear to be, making the place quite dangerous. Natural features and locations are not fixed in place: valleys, hills, and even ruined cities wander across the land.
Only Chosen enter Aenir on the Day of Ascension although they can enter early. The time spent in Aenir is considered a vacation for all but those young Chosen who have reached the age to bind their own Spiritshadow. While in Aenir, the skin of humans takes on a slight glow, and they are significantly lighter, presumably due to Aenir's weaker gravitational pull.
Among the permanent residents of Aenir is Hazror, a terrifying creature that consumes young Chosen. He is sometimes also referred to as 'Haze Roar'.
Sunstones
Stones which have their own light and heat. They are grown from crystals, or sun seeds, originating in Aenir. They are "charged" by exposing them to sunlight for extended periods of time. The "charging" is done above the Veil in large nets. The larger a stone is and the longer it is exposed to the sun, the more powerful it will be. They are a part of everyday life for the people of the Dark World, used in everything from giving light to cooking food. Chosen children are given weaker Sunstones, compared to the Primary Sunstone which older kids and adults use. A person may have more than one Sunstone. However, a Chosen who loses all of their Sunstones is demoted to Underfolk status.
Sunstones are used in many ways, mainly by providing light or heat. Uses described in the books include healing, fighting with deadly light beams, greeting superior Chosen respectfully, binding Aenirans as Spiritshadows, teleporting to Aenir, creating solid walls or objects of light, telling time, playing music and sacrificing the stone to absorb a light-based attack.
Some of the Icecarl Ships have a single, large and ancient Sunstone which provides the ship with light by which they can navigate the surrounding Ice. Some stones go out, due to age, and must be recharged by another Sunstone. These large stones are mounted atop the masts of the ships, a great height from the deck of the ship and an even greater height from the Ice below. A fall from such a height would be, and often is, fatal.
The Veil
The Veil is a shroud of darkness that covers the world from the sun, resulting in eternal darkness in which only the Sunstones can provide light. It was created to protect the people of the Dark World from the creatures of Aenir, and is generated by the seven Keystones in the seven towers. The Veil is presumably quite thick, as it takes many moments to cross. Inside the Veil, there is absolutely no sunlight. The darkness of the Veil is so intense that it not only blinds anyone within it for the duration of their presence within, but also leeches all heat from them and prevents breathing, causing a drowning sensation. The Veil is also so dark that Shadows with no source of light energy will be destroyed, as Shadows can only exist if there is light. This is how it provides defense from Aenirans, as they always take the form of Shadows when in the Dark World.
Keystones
Keystones (which are large Sunstones) are emplaced in each tower (e.g. the orange tower has an orange keystone) and maintain the Veil. A Chosen from each Order is assigned as a guardian to protect their Order's Keystone. The Keystones must be unsealed for periodic renewal or tuning by the guardian, and if all Keystones are unsealed at one time the Veil will shut down. A single Keystone can power the Veil for a short period of time. The Red Keystone (the weakest of the seven) can power the Veil alone for seven days, though not at full strength. The Violet Keystone is the most powerful and is in the charge of the Emperor or Empress of the Chosen - possession of the Violet Keystone gives the bearer the right to take the throne.
The Hall of Nightmares
Dreaded by the Chosen, the Hall of Nightmares is a room used for punishment in the Castle. It is run by a man named Fashnek, a man who was badly wounded and whose Spiritshadow now forms part of his body. The victim is placed inside a glass globe powered by Sunstones. Sleeping gas knocks them out and puts them into a dream state. Fashnek enters and controls the dream, turning it into a nightmare from which the victim cannot awake until Fashnek allows it. Those who have been to the Hall of Nightmares are forever changed. The victims often twitch uncontrollably, cease to laugh and smile, or lose the ability to communicate altogether. Ironically, the glass globe used for the nightmares was originally created to help people with bad dreams.
Crones
Wise leaders of the Icecarls. There are crones for each Icecarl clan. As crones age, their eyes appear to become cloudier or give off an unnatural light. Crones are aware of the Chosen, but the Chosen believe that there is nothing beyond the castle. There is at least one crone in each clan of Icecarls. They share their knowledge in a powerful mind link established by their ancestors at the beginning of time. Younger crones have blue eyes and older crones white eyes.
Characters -
If you'd like to take part in this RP. You only need to send a PM with your Characters name and affiliation (Chosen or Icecarl) Make sure to specify if you are a friend to either Tal or Milla depending on which side you choose. You'll not be allowed to decide which order you are from if you decide on Chosen, a response to your PM will decide that by myself. You can decide what rank you'd like to be if Icecarl, however, their are only 12 shield maidens/wilders. Keep that in mind, each of which is equally matched in strength and ability.
Taken Characters -
Tal - Taken
Milla - Taken
Starting Off In The RP -
To start off, simply have your character walking/sitting ect in your orders or, walking/sitting on the Ruin Ship of the Icecarls. Again, if you are friends with either Tal or Milla, wait for a post by either character, then proceed to have your character going to meet them.
