Fantasy Dragoon (Lore)

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LORE​

Welcome to the roleplay. Before we begin, please note that this thread is for information about the world of the roleplay only so if you have any questions, please ask in the OOC thread, on Discord, or pm me directly. Also, when it comes to creating your character or post, it's not necessary to have read absolutely everything in the lore. Just look for the relevant information here and pick out whatever you may need. Please do check with me first though if there's anything you're unsure about, I might be able to help. You can also contribute to the lore by suggesting your own ideas in the OOC or Discord and if it fits the setting well enough, I will add it here. With all that out of the way, let's get right into it.

Contents:​

1. Overview - History, Setting
2. Dragoons - Ranks, Equipment and Combat Styles
3. Races - Dwarves, Elves, Ferans, Humans, Orcs
4. The Four Nations - Norsinia, Yolta, Avalan, Vaim
5. Magic
6. Abilities
7. Locations
8. Bestiary

Codex:​

• Dwarven Kingdoms
• Ithwood Forest
• Knights
• Priesthood of Gaia
• Underdeep

 

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OVERVIEW​

Lifted straight from the interest check, but it's pretty much everything in a nutshell and it'll make it easier for me to have everything here when writing out the lore, so if you've already read all this then just skip ahead.

History​

Long ago, all of Tirn lived in fear of the dragons. They were the mightiest of beasts, the undisputed rulers of land and sky, and once their numbers were enough to blot out the sun. No matter whether you were an elf, orc, dwarf, feran or human, all had to live in hiding from the dragons for to do otherwise was nothing short of suicide. Only the mightiest warriors and mages could hope to face them in combat, and even then they were often no match. Dragon hide was resistant to the most powerful magics and no steel could pierce them... that was until the discovery of adamantine.

Discovered by the dwarves in the subterranean depths of the Underdeep, this metal was stronger than anything else in existence. Harder than diamond, as unyielding as bedrock and oppressively heavy, such a thing could only realistically be used for battle in the hands of prana users, or ki as it is known in the east. Those able to harness the power of their souls to transcend their physical limits. The dwarves were naturally the first to put their discovery to use, fashioning spears, swords and arrows to counter the wyrms that had long terrorized their underground settlements, and from there the use of adamantine weapons spread throughout all of Tirn. Eventually an order of warriors from every corner of the land was formed to hunt the dragons and for the first time ever, people could live free from their reign of fire. So the Dragoons came to be and no more did dragons rule over the skies.

Over time, many chapters of the order were raised throughout the land. Some were even established in other faraway lands, but as the number of dragons decreased over the ages, so too did the need for Dragoons. As time progressed, many Dragoon fortresses grew emptier and emptier until they were abandoned altogether and fell into ruin. They are few in number now, only one still stands in the country of Nors and the dragons are likewise almost all but extinct. For as long as they exist however, there will always be a need for Dragoons and so they continue to hone their skills, plying their trade throughout the land. Sometimes not against dragons, but others that prove to be a threat.

Setting​

In the land of Tirn there are four nations, five major races, two forms of magic and a deity known as Gaia. The four nations are as follows: Norsinia in the north (people known as Norsinian, mostly humans), Avalan in the west (Avalese, elves), Yolta in the east (Yoltan, orcs) and Vaim in the south (Vaimese, ferans). The dwarves basically live everywhere beneath Tirn and have their own nations in the subterranean world of the Underdeep, so their territories are generically referred to as the Dwarven Kingdoms.

As for races, well, you know the races. They're all pretty bog standard, give or take a few minor twists. The elves are pretty much orcs who have evolved in close proximity to high concentrations of manacite, which in this world is a bit like living close to radioactive... stuff, but very different (more on that in the lore), and the dwarves are basically like humans but shorter, thicker, heavier (and hairier) and stronger pound for pound. Then there are the ferans, groups of different races that used the power of shapeshifting to take on the forms of animals long ago as a survival tactic when dragons ruled the land. The're basically beast people and have become their own distinct race with very many different variations. Some are more humanoid, some are more animal like, some are bipedal and some quadrupedal, but all have the minds of people. The five races can all interbreed, but some would have more luck with a certain kind than others. Eg, elves will have more chances of producing a child with orcs, humans with dwarves, ferans with everyone though it'd be a bit of a crapshoot.

Before talking about magic, I'll have to start by talking about Gaia. Basically, Gaia is the soul of Ith and the goddess of the world. The earth is her body and all living things are fragments of Gaia that will return to her upon death. As the story commonly goes, she once took on a bodily form (human/elf/orc/depends-on-who-you-ask) to travel around the world after creating it. She used giant staves made from the earth to mark her away and everywhere she set one down, a continent formed around it. When at last she could see one of her staves from any point around the world, she returned to the core of Ith to rest and the staves blossomed with leaves, becoming the Ithwood world trees that tower above all else and sowed life wherever the wind blew their leaves (one stands dead centre in the middle of Tirn).

That's the myth anyway. Though there are many different versions of the story, one thing is for certain. Gaia is real and her realm, known as the Aether, can be accessed by mages, which brings us to the two types of magic: prana and mana. Mana is essentially the energy of the world's soul, of Gaia herself, and the souls of all living things come from it. Usually, people's souls become untethered from Gaia upon birth as they form an identity and make their souls their own. The energy of the individual soul is known as prana and with time and dedicated practice, once can use it to affect their bodies and those of others. Enhanced strength, speed, resilience, healing, full control of one's nerves and cells, etc. Essentially, mastery of prana is the ultimate expression of one's presence in the world. All living beings possess it, but for a rare few there are those who maintain their connection with Gaia upon birth, thus gaining access to the world's energy for as long as that connection exists.

Known as mages, these living conduits to Gaia are said to have twin souls, their own and that of Gaia. The fact of the matter is a little more complicated though. As they are born, their souls fail to become untethered from the world spirit and it's a matter of luck whether this causes them to return to it immediately, resulting in a stillbirth, or whether their soul clings to the body long enough to grant life but maintain a single fine thread to Gaia. For the elves, this is the norm rather than the exception with those born untethered being the rare few, though either way, those born with mana will never be able to use the strength of their own souls, their prana, to transcend their physical limitations no matter how hard they try. What they can do however is access the world spirit through dreams and thereby affect reality, calling upon the power of Gaia herself to summon lightning, wind and rain, cause the earth to crack and shake, direct the flow of rivers and lava, or control heat and cold to make fire from air and ice from water. With time and practice, one can learn to call upon these powers freely, though the mage must be cautious as their soul is forever at risk of returning to Gaia at any moment. The greater the power they wield, the deeper they must delve into the Aether to attain it and the further they delve, the greater the chances of losing themselves forever.

Physically, whenever a mage uses magic, they slip into a trance known as spellcasting, or simply casting, and the more they do it, the more tired they become. Spiritually, this affects their connection to Gaia and there are two negative effects of overusing mana. One is mana deprivation where the connection becomes more and more frayed over time until, without allowing it time to recover, it eventually snaps and the mage permanently loses their connection to Gaia. There are several stages before that point however and numerous warning signs, so this only occurs at the very end of mana deprivation. This can be staved off by consuming special serums made from manacite, essentially raw mana in mineral form, though one should take care not to overdose as manacite is toxic. The second negative effect of using magic too often is spellsleep, a sleep so deep and so long that the mage never wakes up, falling into a coma. This usually occurs when a mage spends too much time in the Aether searching for greater power and after a certain point, they can no longer distinguish dreams from reality. They then fall into a cycle of dreams within dreams and so never return to wakefulness. Only very few have ever actually awoken from spellsleep and usually after many years have passed in real time.

Then there's also enchanting, more details on the nations and races, magic, manacite, beasts, abilities, etc. All of that will be expanded upon further below.

 

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DRAGOONS


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Life as a Dragoon is not as glorious or as well respected as it used to be in the days of yore, but dragons still exist in the land of Tirn so Dragoons do too. Wherever their fortresses still stand, each chapter of the order typically operates in the same way they have since their founding. Wherever a dragon is sighted, a number of Dragoons are dispatched to its location and then report on the results of their mission upon their return. Sometimes this is rewarded by the local lord or mayor of wherever the dragon was sighted, sometimes the Dragoons must resort to harvesting valuable parts from a dragon's corpse and sell them for money, and sometimes a friendly mage or two are willing to offer their services in exchange for a portion of such rewards, though when it comes to actual combat against dragons, only the Dragoons are best suited to the task. This is due to their mastery of select techniques in the prana arts and the use of adamantine weapons, which are not only hard enough to defeat dragon hide but also strong enough to survive the enhanced strength of a prana user. Of course, this also means that all Dragoons are prana users so if one cannot use prana then one cannot be a Dragoon.

Each chapter of the order operates a little differently from each other, it usually depends on their leader at the time, and for the last Dragoon chapter in Nors under their current head, Master Arbo van Lodewitz, theirs is a way of peace. Whatever the feelings of fear and hatred that the early people of Tirn must have held towards the dragons, the Dragoons of the Sunpeak Monastery acknowledge that the dragons are also children of Gaia and have as much a right to live as any other creature. To this end, they try to chase their targets away to the remote expanses of the wilderness rather than hunt them down and slay them, which is usually only done when there is no other choice. They have also sworn to never bear their weapons on any creature except for dragons, unless in self defence, though this is actually one of the first tenets of the order since their founding and so not unique to any chapter in particular. In any case, despite not being a monastic order, the Dragoons of Sunpeak seem unusually pious for an order of dragon slayers. Perhaps residing in an ancient dwarven monastery has influenced them in this way, or perhaps it is the result of Master Arbo's tutelage. Whatever the reason, most will agree that this particular chapter of Dragoons seem to enjoy a highly positive reputation... for now.

It is also worth noting that although the order is generally in decline, they are recognized to be the equal of Knights in terms of sheer martial prowess and so share a somewhat intense rivalry with them, in spite of the fact that Knights would not exist at all were it not for the work of the Dragoons throughout the ages. Knights are essentially counterparts to the Dragoons in that they are elite warriors and prana users of great power. Where they differ is that rather than serving the good of Tirn, Knights will offer their skills and services to whichever lord or ruler might have them, making them glorified mercenaries whose interests lie no further than the decree of their masters and their petty politics. The first Knights were former Dragoons who had split away from the order as their decline began and over time, they eventually changed their ways and techniques to better suit the slaying of men rather than dragons and other beasts. To this day, Dragoons tend to look upon Knights and their concepts of honour in a very poor light and the Knights do likewise, viewing the order as outdated and obsolete. It is not uncommon for Knights to attempt to hunt down dragons themselves, gaining personal glory from the deed and stealing it away from Dragoons. It is also not uncommon for Dragoons to come to a Knight's rescue when they have bitten off more than they can chew.

Ranks
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In order from lowest to highest, these are the primary ranks of the Dragoon order:

• Apprentice - Those not born to the order are usually given to it as children by their parents, or recruited as orphans. In some rare cases, former Knights may be accepted as well. Whatever the circumstances, most Dragoons will take whoever is willing to join them as their numbers continue to dwindle, though depending on the performance of the apprentice, not all will be kept. Even now in their time of near extinction, the order maintains strict standards and those who fail to show enough improvement in any given year will eventually be expelled from the order. As well as performing menial tasks, one of the very first things an apprentice learns is the ability to Leap, using prana to soar many times their own height into the sky with a single bound. If they can't learn to do even that, expulsion is all but certain. For those who do manage to complete their training, they will advance to the next rank...
  
  
• Dragoon - Armed with skills, knowledge and their very own adamantine weapon, the newly sworn Dragoon is ready to leave the grueling tutelage of their instructors and enter the even harsher arena that is the wide open world. As they travel and ply their trade, they learn and experience the follies and foibles of the people they are sworn to protect. They learn of towns and cities, of roads and borders, of nobles and commoners, and the Knights that ride roughshod over them all. They learn of the divide between cultures, classes and races, of justice and injustice, and must remember to refrain from intervening in such matters to focus on the quarry they have been sent to hunt. When the dragon lies slain or takes wing to flee, the Dragoon returns home to share their stories and further hone their skills. After thirty years of living this way, they are then presented with a choice. They may retire and live in peace, their duties fulfilled, or they may stay and bear the burdens of the next rank...
  
  
• Instructor - Once the naive apprentice, the Dragoon is now the tutor whose rebuke they once feared. Their role of course is to pass on their knowledge and skills to the apprentices, as well as teaching them the tenets of the order. They must also be the ones to bury and give funeral rites to any apprentice who does not survive the rigors of their training, for it can be quite brutal indeed. Very few things are worse in life and for the most senior of instructors, they would have had to do this more than once. When appointed or elected as a successor, the chosen instructor becomes ear marked to advance to the highest rank of the order...
  
  
• Master - Responsible for the welfare of their charges, the Master of the order is the one who decides which apprentices will be accepted, which will be expelled, which will earn their adamantine weapons and who will carry out what mission. The Master is also responsible for selecting a successor before their retirement or death. Usually, Masters remain in their position to the end of their life, so if they do not appoint a successor before they die, the instructors will decide among themselves which one would best be able to lead them. Every once a decade, Masters of different chapters from all over the land of Tirn and even beyond will gather at the site of the founding of the order, Kazr Rock, to exchange knowledge, share ideas and techniques, and discuss the general affairs of the order. During this time, either the most senior instructor or one chosen by the Master will take their place in their absence. When the Master returns, it is usually with a plethora of information that can be used to add to the teachings of their chapter, or change its ways entirely.
  
  
• Grandmaster - the only one with the authority to permit the establishment of new chapters of the order, as well as their dissolution. Elected to the position by vote of the Masters, the Grandmaster is the protector of the order's original codex as well as the only one permitted to make amendments to it. Should a chapter fail to adhere to the tenets and spirit of the order, it is within the Grandmaster's authority to strip its Master of their rank and assign a new one, usually from another chapter, or forcibly close the chapter entirely. It is also the Grandmaster's responsibility to adjudicate on disputes between chapter Masters or to simply hear their grievances. When the Grandmaster dies or retires, their successor must also be elected by vote on the next gathering. Once chosen, the Master risen to this rank must leave their old chapter behind and go to Kazr Rock where their administration will be based.

Equipment and Combat Styles


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All Dragoons learn to use the same weapons and techniques as apprentices, but what they choose to equip themselves with is usually what defines their style of combat and what they grow more proficient in as they mature. It is also worth noting that at any point in time, a Dragoon may switch up their style and weapon of choice, though that also requires training in certain areas they may have been lacking in before. Let's begin with the archetypal weapon most closely associated with Dragoons, the spear. Entirely made of admantine or composed of an adamantine head with a shaft of wood or some other metal, the spear can be optimized for either throwing or melee combat. For those of the former, they are known as...

Javelier - as well as being able to Leap, the javelier may also focus on using prana to enhance their eyesight and strength to hurl their weapon and strike their mark with supreme accuracy over incredible distances. Some javeliers prefer to carry a single adamantine spear, others may carry several spearheads and buy or make their own shafts to fit them on. Either way, a javelier is effective in both ranged or melee combat, though once thrown the javelin must be retrieved as adamantine is both incredibly expensive and rare. To this end, some javeliers will imbue their weapons with their own prana to command them to return at will. In this way, javeliers may control the flight of their weapon, but this can only be done temporarily up to a certain distance as the prana imbued within the weapon diminishes rapidly while it is not in the hands of its wielder. It also sacrifices strength for control, so a certain balance must be struck between the two, if the ability to control a projectile mid-flight is a concern at all. For spear wielders specializing more in melee, they are known as...

Lancer - their spears are typically fitted with crossbars behind a stiff triangular sword-length blade to prevent over-penetration, as well as allowing the Dragoon to bear more weight upon the point of impact by standing on it, although this is only practical with a vertical strike from above. For those eschewing such a technique, the crossbar may be neglected in favor of a longer shaft for more reach, albeit at the cost of mobility since a weapon becomes more awkward to handle the longer it is. Others still may yet employ a spear of standard or short length, optimizing speed and versatility whilst sacrificing reach and power. Either way, the lancer seeks to strike hard and strike fast to impale their target with a single devastating blow, usually as a shock and awe tactic during an ambush, or to deliver the coup de grace when a dragon has been downed from afar. As such, the impaler tends to focus on enhancing their raw strength and speed, as well as increasing their body's resilience with prana just to survive the force of their own attacks. Such Dragoons tend to be unmatched in the sheer power of their strikes and their ability to Leap as they turn themselves into living missiles when on the offence. Speaking of strikes...

Striker - wielders of great swords, longswords, battle axes, hammers and even daggers. These are weapons more befitting a Knight than a Dragoon, though some may find them more suited to their tastes for whatever reason. No matter, their goal is very much the same as the lancer, to get close and personal as fast as possible to deliver a single critical strike, or several as the case may be with lighter weapons. For those focusing more on power, they tend to favour large two handed weapons that allow them to cut and bludgeon as well as pierce, though the latter is more effective against dragons. Even so however, what they lack in penetration power, they more than make up for in versatility. Few dragons can escape the assailing blows of a battle axe wielding striker without finding their scales being hacked to pieces, exposing many weaknesses an impaler or javelier may later exploit. For those favouring the lighter one handed weapons though, their priority will undoubtedly be speed. That is to say closing the distance and attaching oneself to a dragon like a tick, never leaving its body whilst slicing, smashing and stabbing at numerous vulnerable points until their prey falls from the sky or collapses on the ground. It may also behoove the Dragoon employing such a dangerous tactic to imbue their reflexes and senses with prana, the better to avoid the snapping fangs, flailing claws, lashing tail and fiery breath of the dragon unfortunate enough to suffer the wild ferocity of a striker. Overall, this style refers to those who choose to employ more unconventional weapons and tactics over the standard spear that all Dragoons are trained to use as apprentices.

Archer - for a Dragoon, using a bow or crossbow is very much going against their strengths since no matter how powerful the weapon is, it is also limited by the strength of its materials. To illustrate, a javelier would be able to throw their spear further with their prana enhanced strength and although weapons may be imbued with prana to increase their durability, that takes away from the user's own strength which could have been otherwise enhanced that much further, the very reason why Dragoons use adamantine weapons in the first place. In any case, the archer's role is much like the javelier's, only they are restricted solely to ranged combat while the javelier also has the option of engaging in melee combat. Indeed, the only advantage Dragoon archers would have over javeliers is the availability of more ammunition as arrowheads and quarrels are quite portable. They are also however easier to lose and being made from adamantine, the archer must take extra care to make their shots count. To this end, they focus their prana on enhancing their accuracy and eyesight, and also as much strength as their weapon allows without breaking. On that note, a popular material for bows among Dragoons is a branch from the Ithwood world tree that stands in the centre of Tirn, the same material mages use to make their staves and wands from, or dragon bone. As for the string, only dragon gut or thundergrass fibers will do.

 

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RACES
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The five major races of Tirn.

Dwarves

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Half as tall as humans, but almost twice as heavy with much thicker bones, muscle, hair and layers of fat, the dwarven folk are second only to orcs in terms of strength and matched by none in terms of resilience. Whether it's a leg breaking pitfall or a collapsing tunnel, a dwarf is likely to survive the inconvenience no worse for wear while others may be seriously injured. Compared to the taller races however, they do not have the endurance to travel leagues upon leagues without frequent rest. They do however usually outperform others in tasks demanding upper body strength such as smithing, mining or hauling heavy loads. With such hardy constitutions they are also able to tolerate the highest amounts of alcohol, so it would be ill advised to try any dwarven liquor as it is literal poison to anyone but themselves.

Like their human cousins, dwarves can be found all over the land of Tirn as their underground tunnels run throughout the entirety of the continent and beyond. This subterranean network is known as the Underdeep and dwarves are generally of two categories: those who live on the surface, known as topsiders, and those who live in the Underdeep, the stonebound. Asides from those living closest to the surface, not much is known about the Dwarven Kingdoms in the Underdeep. Supposedly, they contend with a myriad other subterranean races for dominance and everyday there is some major battle or other, somewhere in the great tunnels. Those who travel to the surface and become topsiders usually agree that life is more peaceful if not less complicated, though the sense of being so exposed without a roof over their heads and walls to protect them give many dwarves an uncomfortable sense of agoraphobia. Most will favour living inside the mountains or in any densely populated city rather than remote areas in the countryside or wilderness.

Another characteristic dwarves share with humans is that their skin and hair colour varies depending on which regions they live in. Those living in the northern half of Tirn tend to have fair skin while those living in the south may have tanned or dark skin. For the most part however, dwarves tend to be fair skinned, especially those living in the Underdeep, though tales abound of blue dwarves that live underneath the ice of Norsinia's frozen shores, and those with skin as black as midnight or as pale as bleached bone in the darkest and most dangerous depths of the Underdeep. If they do exist, they are a rare kind indeed if even other dwarves can go entire lifetimes without ever seeing one of them.

A unique ability common to all dwarves is a heightened sensitivity to vibrations in their feet. This is generally known as stonesense and it allows dwarves to travel by touch rather than sight in the dark. This is more effective in confined areas than wide open spaces however, so a dwarf's stonesense will be more limited on the surface than if they were underground.

The average lifespan of a dwarf is 100-120 years and their sleeping patterns tend to be polyphasic in the Underdeep, but diurnal on the surface.

Elves


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Taller and more slender than humans, elves are physically the weakest of the five races relative to their size and weight due to their lighter bones and muscle mass, though in terms of actual strength the average elf would rank a little above that of the average human due to the sheer difference in size. This makes them the second weakest race, however they are also the most nimble and dexterous, their crafts unmatched in detail by any other and their scouts rightfully feared for their ability to scale the tallest cliffs or trees, shooting arrows with pinpoint accuracy. Like their orc cousins, the elves have long and pointed ears. Unlike the orcs however, elves can live indefinitely and their ears do not stop growing, so the length of their ears is a good visual indication of their age. However, their immortality is dependent on several important conditions and is tied with their relationship to manacite, which will be explained further below.

Another unique physical trait of elves is that their skin colour is very much a direct reflection of the environment they were born in, no matter the skin colour of their parents. An elf born in a tropical forest will have skin as brown as the bark on trees, and another elf born in a temperate or colder climate will have skin ranging from fair to completely pale. An type of elf that could be considered a separate race altogether is the drow, elves living in the Underdeep who have black, purple or grey skin, can see in the dark, have more prana users due to their lack of exposure to manacite and contend with the dwarves for dominance over the subterranean world. However, just like with any elf, a child born to two drow parents would still have different skin colour and physical adaptations depending on their environment. The dark skinned wood elves would be able to see minute details more clearly than others, the fair skinned high elves would have no trouble breathing in higher terrain such as mountainous regions, the ruddy tanned elves of the plains and steppes would be more physically robust (for elves), the snow elves would better tolerate the cold, sand elves the sun and heat, etc.

While the birth of a mana user, a mage, is a rare occurrence in all other races, it is the rule rather than the exception for elves with those born without mana being the rarity. This is due to the influence of manacite, crystal meteors that rained down upon the western parts of Tirn long ago and so gave rise to the elven nation of Avalan. Said to be mana in physical form, hence the name 'manacite', this material is able to strengthen the link between mages and the Aether, the realm of Gaia herself, far beyond what can be considered to be normal, but it is also incredibly toxic and lethal in enough of an amount. It is dangerous even to the elves, although it is more of a case of too much of a good thing more than anything else. The amount of manacite that could kill other races would have more of a psychadelic effect on elves instead, altering their perception of reality and therefore increasing the likelihood of falling into spellsleep, essentially a deep coma that could last for years. Indeed, any mage would be at risk of such an event anytime they dream and traverse through the Aether, and the elves are an entire race of mages. More on mana and manacite in the Magic section.

It is also due to the nature of mana that elves are the most prone to stillbirths, making any successful childbirth a notable occasion for the nation of Avalan. This means that they have the lowest population among the five races and as if that wasn't enough, they lose their immortality if they leave Avalan and its mana enriched lands for more than a year or if they suffer from mana deprivation even once throughout their lives. Physically, elves do not reach adulthood until the age of 30 and stop physically aging thereafter for as long as they remain in Avalan. Otherwise, if they lose their immortality or never had it in the first place, their bodies will continue to age past that point and they will live for another 100 years or so. This means that for elves born without mana, they would have a lifespan of 130 - 150 years. For elves born outside of Avalan, they could retain their immortality if they go to Avalan before the age of 30 and stay there for more than a year, but they would also have to be born as a mage too, the chances of which are greatly reduced outside of Avalan.

Elven sleeping patterns tend to be diurnal or biphasic, depending on the environment they were born in.

Ferans

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Long ago when dragons ruled the land of Tirn, there were generally two different groups of people among all the races: the ones who stayed hidden and afraid of the very shadow of dragons, eking an existence out of valleys, caves and thick canopied jungles; and the ones who did not, living in the unforgiving expanses of the world alongside all manner of dangerous beasts, ever imperiled but free. Ferans are descendants of the latter, tribes of nomadic shapeshifters who took on the forms of animals to survive and never changed back, sharing more in common with the animals over time, but still possessing the minds of people.

The beast folk, as they are otherwise known as, adopted the practice of shapeshifting not only to gain an edge in survival but also to differentiate themselves from one another. A shapeshifter from the eastern parts of Tirn for example could adopt the form of an animal native only to that region, while a shapeshifter from the west would do the same in their own region. However, the shapeshifter from the west could also move into the east and adopt the same animal form as the one over there, making it hard to tell the difference between the two shapeshifters. In this way, feran ancestry became so mixed over time that it was impossible to determine whether any particular group had descended from elves, orcs, dwarves or humans, to the point it was simply easier to group them together as a single collective. Because of this, modern ferans are the most genetically diverse race with both the attributes and flaws of all the other races, as varied as the animals whose traits they mimicked. It is also for this reason however that the other races tend to look down upon ferans in the same regard as half-breeds, as mixed blooded mongrels with no place among their progenitors. This is without also taking into account that they were descended from rogue groups who had abandoned their people to live alongside beasts long ago. This is all well and good for the ferans however as even those of different types will feel more kinship towards each other than any other race.

The average lifespan of a feran is also as varied as every other aspect of their race. It could be anywhere between 60 - 150 years, there is no true way of telling except by how fast they physically age. Additionally, it should be noted that although all ferans were descended from shapeshifters, not all ferans have the ability to shapeshift as it is a matter of one's mastery of prana and not everyone has the discipline, time or will to become a prana user. Ferans do however seem to be able to learn how to shapeshift with much more ease than any other race. Those born as mages however are of course unable to do so and are therefore restricted to the form they already have.

Also of note, shapeshifting only affects one's cosmetic appearances and bodily proportions, so although a wolf type feran may be be able to run faster than all the other races due to the configuration of their legs, they would not be able to grow any taller than an elf or be any shorter than a dwarf. Again however, sizes between ferans could differ greatly just like with any other aspect of their race. A feran with more elven than dwarven ancestry for example would no doubt be taller than a feran with more dwarven than elven ancesty, but if they were both to produce a child together then that child could grow to be of any size between the two parents.

Also, a dragon type feran would not be able to breathe fire or grow as big as an actual dragon as none of their progenitor races could do so either, but they could have scales, horns, claws and tails, and wings to fly with in a limited capacity, although they'd be better suited to gliding. The same could be said of avian type ferans, though they'd maker the better flyer overall.

Most ferans have a diurnal sleeping pattern, though some types may be nocturnal.

Humans

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In the land of Tirn, humans are perhaps the weakest individually of the five races. They are only taller and quicker than dwarves, more robust than elves, more dexterous than orcs and outmatched in almost every other category by all the other races. Their lifespans are the shortest between 60 - 80 years and they do not possess any remarkable physical traits as the dwarves do with their stonesense, the elves with their natural agility and environmental adaptability, the orcs with their immense strength and the ferans with all their various types and forms. They do however have the highest population, the highest birth rate, the shortest period between infancy and adulthood, and are by far the quickest to develop in terms of magic.

Whether it be prana or mana, humans are unmatched in just how fast they are able to learn and master both forms of magic. Even a thousand year old Avalanian sage will soon find a human mage to be their equal in the mana arts within less than a century, and although a human prana user would still be weaker compared to an orc prana user if they began their training at the same time, the human would eventually far outstrip an orc in only a few years time while the orc would need to train harder for a longer time just to keep pace. Despite this frightening advantage however, humans have a relatively low proportion of mages and prana users. Due to the sheer size of their population, there aren't significantly more or fewer of such individuals compared to other races in total, but the fact remains that the average human is simply not interested in pursuing magic. Perhaps it is a cultural matter with magic bearing some kind of social stigma among the common folk who fear its power, or perhaps it's because such a pursuit would demand more time and dedication than a human would be willing to give considering their limited lifespans. Whatever the case might be, humans would undoubtedly be the most dominant race on Tirn if every single one of them were to tap into their natural aptitude for magic.

As for physical characteristics, humans tend to have fairer skin the further north they are in the land of Tirn and darker skin the further south. Humans from the east are notable for their distinct almond shaped eyes and light or dark tanned skin, but in terms of height, muscle mass and build, all humans are generally similar including the ways in which they may individually vary from one another. Human childbirths are almost always successful and only take around 9 months to occur, and another 16 - 18 years to reach adulthood.

Human sleeping patterns tend to be diurnal.

Orcs


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As the dwarves are to their taller but weaker human cousins, so too are the orcs to the elves. The difference being that although an orc might only be slightly taller than a human on average, the orc would have a much heavier build whilst weighing at least three times more with thicker bones, muscle and skin, all of which are only second in density to the dwarves. The most physically powerful of the five races, orcs are unmatched in terms of their raw strength and endurance with each individual warrior worth more than 10 of any other race in hand to hand combat. Due to their bulky frames, their movements are somewhat sluggish and slow compared to the other races, although an orc would still be able to outrun and outmaneuver a human as well as even some types of ferans when pressed to such an occasion, so great is their level of explosive power.

Like the elves, orcs possess long and pointed ears, but perhaps their more prominent feature is their distinctively enlarged lower tusks. Suitable for ripping into and tearing out the flesh of large beasts, orcs are more carnivorous than omnivorous with the rest of their teeth being just as sharp as their tusks. Though how large they can grow and whether it's a single pair, double or none at all varies from orc to orc. As well as having differing sets of teeth, orc skin colours vary from pale grey or purple, to light or dark green, to an ochre yellow, red or brown, to pitch black, all depending on the environment and, most bizarrely, the time of day when they are born.

More so than any other race, orcs require a high level of nutrition to develop and function. Without eating at least three times the amount a human would need on a daily basis, orcs are likely to lose as much as half their weight and muscle within a single month. They are therefore unsuited for living in cold or arid environments where food is more likely to be scarce. With sufficient nutrition however, the average orc lifespan could be as long as 160 - 180 years. The longest natural lifespan among the five races.

Orc sleeping patterns are diurnal.

Additionally, female orcs have the longest period of pregnancy of the five races, requiring up to a full year or more for a normal childbirth. Like the elves, orcs mature at a slow rate and do not become adults until the age of 30, though even as juveniles they are physically stronger than most adults of other races.

 

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THE FOUR NATIONS
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With the rise of the Dragoon order and the subsequent pacification of dragons, it became possible for people of all races to expand freely throughout the land of Tirn and build their civilizations. As more groups came into contact with one another though, so too did their conflicts grow in scale and size until almost every corner of the continent had seen fighting in some way. With hundreds of individual states all vying for supremacy, numerous empires rose and fell, and rose again, seeing more death over the centuries than the dragons had ever inflicted for millennia. This time came to be known as the Age of Axes - named so for all the rulers whose heads were put to the axe, the most popular method of execution then - and had also seen the rise of Knights, the first of them being former Dragoons who had turned away from the order when there were no more dragons in their region to hunt. Eventually, all the fractious states coalesced into four distinct nations, each ruled by a different race.

To the cold north was Norsinia, ruled by the humans and their Dragon King, long known for their bold and brash ways. To the fertile west was the elven nation of Avalan, its people cleaving close to the manacite deposits there and ruled by an Empress who has not been seen for generations. To the eastern steppes was Yolta, ruled by the orcs and their mighty Shokhanate, stern and uncompromising as adamantine. To the southern deserts and jungles was the nation of Vaim, its various feran tribes united under the Council of Elders. And underneath it all were the Dwarven Kingdoms of the Underdeep, though they are not considered to be a part of Tirn and will therefore not be listed here.

Norsinia


The Dragon King leads his army.

Spoiler

Once divided by North and South, the kingdom of Norsinia became united under a Dragoon named Kormag Rivedain who defeated the kings of both territories and took the Queen of the North, Selica Astorya, as his wife, thus founding a rulership in the Rivedain name that has remained unbroken for 3 centuries and 7 generations. The current ruler of all Norsinia is Lex Rivedain, also known as the Dragon King for his use of elite wyvern riders, the Dragon Knights, who enforce his rule throughout the land as well as serving as his personal bodyguard. In stark contrast to his father, Lowyn Rivedain, who was a mage and had invested heavily into the Magi Citadel of Crosk whilst neglecting the rest of the nation; Lex has focused much of his efforts on developing the nation's military, also at the expense of all else, and has recently declared war on Yolta over control of the Iron Sea, which lies between the 2 nations.

On Norsinia itself, the northern coast of the land is perpetually covered in snow, but becomes more temperate inland and warmer still to the south where a large network of rivers abound. In the west lies the Stormwall Mountains, which forms a natural barrier to Avalan and runs along its border. Running from northeast to southwest, the mountain range is infamous for its population of barbarian tribes towards the north, who are hostile to all outsiders; bandit clans in the south, who target each and every caravan that brave the passes there; and sitting in the centre on the eastern side of the mountains is the Sunpeak Monastery where the last Dragoons of Norsinia reside.

Of Norsinians in general, the people are widely known for being loud, proud and ambitious to a fault with many a merchant seeking to strike it rich in the capital city of Fiore, where the Steine River flows through, the river being a major trading route that is also connected to the Iron Sea in the east. For a general impression of Norsinian culture as a whole, think a blend of Norse vikings in the north, Celtic Scots in the middle and Italian Renaissance in the south; 3 distinct groups of Norsinians, each as bellicose as the other and also firm worshipers of Gaia. In fact, the Priesthood of Gaia has always held much influence on the lives of the common people, though its main function is to check the activities of the Magi Citadel and mana users in general, just as any other Priesthood operating throughout the land of Tirn (more on the Priesthood later).

Regarding Knights and Dragoons in Norsinia, Knights tend to be viewed more positively the higher up the social ladder one goes, but more negatively by commoners and the inverse is true for Dragoons. Knights fight for their lords and masters, and are held to the highest of standards, regarded not as mere warriors but also as nobles in their own right, cultured and skilled in the arts of courtly manner as well as martial arts. Dragoons on the other hand, what few remain in the kingdom, are regarded as either obsolete relics of the past, as Knights often say uncharitably of them, or selfless heroes, beholden to no one but the people they protect in their singular dogged pursuit of slaying dragons, the most dangerous of beasts. To the common people, Knights are a dime a dozen whereas Dragoons are near mythic figures, their deeds the stuff of legends. Any Dragoon is sure to enjoy a positive reception in any remote areas they visit, but lukewarm at best anywhere else where the image of Knights in shining armour hold sway.

Also of note, the southern border of Norsinia ends where the Ithwood Forest begins, meaning that the kingdom only shares its borders with Avalan and Yolta, but not Vaim which lies to the south. At the centre of the forest stands the Ithwood World Tree, which has long been a holy site of pilgrimage and a place of trial for Knights and mages, as the forest is so dangerous that travelling there is considered to be suicide for anyone who is not a mana or prana user. For normal people, simply travelling to the edge of the forest is enough (more on the Ithwood Forest and World Tree Later).

Yolta


The Shokhanate prepares for war.

Spoiler

After the pacification of dragons by the Dragoon order, the orcs were the quickest to flourish and establish their territories. Many ferans that were already living in those areas then were promptly rooted out and, for a time, the orcs were united as they clashed with humans for dominion over the eastern parts of Tirn. The orcs won, thus the nation of Yolta came to be. As swiftly as they rose to power however, their fall came just as swiftly and would only continue to deteriorate for many centuries after. By the time Norsinia became united under a single king 300 years ago, Yolta had become a splintered and bloody mass of many warring states. It was only a century ago that a certain orc from the northern steppe came to unite all the barbarian tribes there and then, in little more than 30 years, the rest of Yolta as well. So the Shokhanate came to be, currently ruled by Oguma Khan, son of Temuro, the first Shokhan who is still alive and living out the rest of his days as a monk.

While the first Shokhan turns to a life of peace however, Oguma's mind is ever geared towards conquest. Hoping to match the achievements of his father, he marches the army of Yolta upon the borders of Vaim almost every year since the beginning of his reign, seeking to claim more territory and power. Lacking the charisma or strategic brilliance of his father however, this usually results in nothing more than a futile match of tug-and-war, the borders ever shifting back and forth with much sacrifice for little gain. Now the Dragon King of Norsinia has declared war for control of the Iron Sea, so Yolta must fight on 2 fronts: a naval war in the north and a war over land in the south. The Shokhanate stands strong however and their army is fearsome.

Before the rise of the Shokhanate, humans existed in Yolta either as slaves to the orcs or within their own tribes in the north-eastern steppes where the first Shokhan hailed from. Indeed, it was one of those human tribes that had raised an infant Temuro, child of a rival tribe of orcs, to adulthood rather than kill him in his crib, thus inadvertently uniting the entire nation and elevating all humans from a second class minority to equals, with some holding the highest positions among the Shokhanate. Humans from Yolta are recognizable by their distinct almond shaped eyes and accents, but apart from these they are no different from any other.

Yolta has its own version of Knights known as Keshirai, who serve the Shokhan and no other. Unlike Knights of other nations who follow a master and apprentice style of tutelage, the Keshirai is an elite branch of the Yoltan military trained to the strictest standards from groups of veteran soldiers with at least a decade of battle experience for each individual member. They are as stern and uncompromising as the rule of the Shokhanate itself, so they are said to lack character but more than make up for it in sheer martial prowess. The downside to this however is that they are fewer in number compared to their Knight counterparts of other nations and lack variety in their tactics and training, which may work against them in combat or indeed outside of it.

In terms of geography, the northern reaches of Yolta consist of arid deserts and steppe lands, while the middle heartland bears forests and rivers, a few of which are connected to the Iron Sea, and in the south are entire swathes of towering thundergrass, so much that the areas they grow in are virtually uninhabitable. They are known as the Thunderlands for the perpetual rumbling noise of the thundergrass as they rustle in the wind. Due to the presence of the Ithwood Forest to the west, Yolta shares borders with Norsinia and Vaim, but not Avalan.

Culturally, Yoltans place much importance on the cultivation of prana. In any aspect of life, they seek to achieve absolute perfection and mastery in all things, thus achieving mastery of themselves. Almost a third of Yolta's population are prana users in some way, their arts and crafts second to only the elves, and their soldiers more individually powerful than any other. Gaia is acknowledged as a deity but not so widely worshiped as the veneration of ancestors and the power of the individual soul takes precedence, so mages and mana itself is regarded as little more than a curiosity at best, and looked down upon at worst. The Shokhanate holds positions for official sorcerors, if only to counteract the mages of other nations.

Dragoons enjoy a positive reception wherever they go in Yolta, but like in Norsinia there are very few dragons and therefore very few Dragoons. There are only two chapters of Dragoons left in Yolta and unlike other nations, the Shokhanate contributes directly to their maintenance, granting a portion of the national budget to them.

Avalan


A moment of tranquility in the fields of Avalan.

Spoiler

Quiet, peaceful, fertile and absolutely isolated. None but the elves and some types of beasts are able to thrive in the mana enriched lands of Avalan due to the toxic nature of manacite, crystal fragments of a meteor that struck into the western parts of Tirn long before the discovery of adamantine and the rise of the Dragoon order. For this reason, the Avalese are the least involved in the affairs of the rest of the continent except for their trade in manacite, enchanted items and fine crafts.

Time seems to stand still in Avalan, especially since its unseen ruler, known as the Hermit Empress, has not been seen outside of the Woad Palace for entire centuries. Therefore, the various noble houses and lords rule their territories autonomously in all but name. The worst enemies of the Avalese are perhaps themselves as they constantly vie for control over manacite deposits throughout the land. Were they not so few in number and reluctant towards open warfare, they would no doubt currently resemble Yolta before their unification under the Shokhanate. As this is not the case, most conflicts are restricted to skirmishes and duels between champions.

A land of meadows and hills, forests and swamps, rivers and lakes, and of course manacite, the entirety of Avalan is perhaps the most verdant region in all of Tirn. To the northeast where the Stormwall Mountains lie, the snows of Norsinia spill across the border and into the vast taiga forests there, giving rise to moon pale snow elves. In the western highlands, the fair haired high elves bicker among themselves for control over this hill and that grove. The wooded areas of the east where the Ithwood Forest has encroached past the border is, naturally, where the wood elves reside. And somewhere in the Underdeep are the drow.

Central to Avalese culture is the practice of the mana arts and the production of enchanted items. In some ways, the mana based technology of Avalan is more advanced than other nations, if only because of the presence of manacite. For example, a lantern enchanted to glow during the night will typically deplete its store of mana within a week, but they may last almost indefinitely in the mana enriched lands of Avalan, only needing to be replaced due to some fault with the material. There are also personal transports known as floaters that any elf may use to travel in any direction, albeit for a short duration as this would require the active use of mana from the users themselves, depending on the model.

Due to most elves being born as mages and having experienced travelling through the Aether, the Avalese do not worship Gaia as a deity so much as they regard her as an actual mother to all. Their relationship with Gaia is therefore an intensely personal one, so the Norsinian and Vaimese styles of community worship are viewed as somewhat boorish, akin to public displays of affection. The few elves born as prana users are especially pitied as they are cut off from Gaia and are often referred to as blunt or orphaned, despite not actually being orphans though many elven parents would be quick to disown such a child. They are also known as half-life due to their limited lifespan, though such a term would be considered a slur and generally not used unless to inflict great insult.

As the elves are so few in number, dragons are more abundant in Avalan than they are in other parts of Tirn. Although considering the low population of dragons overall, that is not saying a lot. Still, there are as a result more Dragoons with 6 chapters spread throughout the nation, at least half the number they had at the zenith of their time which is more than any other nation can say. Their techniques are vastly different from other Dragoon chapters though as they fight almost exclusively with mana, despite the use of adamantine weapons in the hands of skilled prana users being far more effective. Instead of personal weapons, the Dragoons of Avalan make use of adamantine in the form of ammunition for mana based weaponry such as enchanted bows, cannons and firearms, the latter two not requiring gunpowder or fuses for firing a projectile but simple mana. Occasionally, an elf born as a prana user would find their way into a chapter in Avalan and employ more conventional tactics with spear and Leap.

Like anywhere else in Tirn, the Priesthood of Gaia serves in Avalan to monitor the use of mana and limit excess. This is an especially exasperating task for the priests here however, considering the sheer volume of mana users and proliferation of enchantments. Therefore they simply seek out the absolute worst offenders, so as to stave off the inevitable wrath of Gaia if only by a little bit.

Vaim


The Vaimese defend their borders.

Spoiler

Before there were Dragoons, before the rise of all the other races and nations, there was only one and Tirn had a different name then. Vaim. Though must of its past has faded away into the antiquities of time, what is known from the stories and songs passed down through the ages is that the ferans at the time walked freely across the land, moving with the seasons undaunted and unafraid of the dragons. Rather than hide in some cave, valley or forest, they chose to live free and the key to their success was the ability to shapeshift.

As a prana art, shapeshifting is an incredibly dangerous thing to even attempt or learn. It required not only being able to control ordinarily involuntary functions, but the very cells of the body itself, commanding it through sheer force of will. Using prana to modify bones and muscle, reforming skin into tough scales or hide, growing hairs into thick fur or horns, nails into claws, teeth into fangs, rearranging entire organs and blood vessels, if even a single misstep among a thousand tiny details occurred, the results could be disastrous and many who attempted such an art would only bring about great injury or even death to themselves. But the ancient ferans were masters of this art.

As they lived alongside the animals of the wilderness, the ferans studied their chosen creature in every conceivable way, the shape of their limbs, the configuration of every joint and sinew, the thickness of their flesh and skin, their habits, their behaviours, indeed their very minds. When they had learned everything there was to know about the animal, taking their forms was as simple as slipping into a second skin and they used this to better suit themselves to the environment they lived in, their skills in survival so great that not even dragons could so easily threaten them. Some would even gone so far as to take the forms of the dragons themselves, studying them as closely as any other creature. A true test of courage if ever there was one.

At any given moment, one could take the form of an animal that could burrow into the earth to escape danger, or take to the water and submerge beneath the surface for as long as necessary, or become a fearsome predator and take their pick of any available shelter, or hear, see and smell the threat before it ever came near. These were not things they couldn't do already with other prana techniques, but by taking certain traits and forms of creatures better suited to the task, they could be much quicker than ever before and remain so their entire lives, passing these traits down to their descendants.

The ways and identities of the numerous feran tribes are as varied as all the living creatures of the land. All that can be truly said for them as a whole is that when the Dragoons began slaying dragons in earnest and the other races had come out of hiding, the ferans were no longer the masters of the land. As the humans, elves and orcs flourished, the world of Vaim shrunk until all that was left of it were the jungles, deserts and savannas of the south, and the name of the continent itself had been changed to Tirn.

In the current situation with Yolta waging war along the eastern borders, the Vaimese have all banded together as one to defend their nation under the leadership of the Council of Elders, the oldest and wisest among their tribes. With the magics of their shamans and the strength of their warriors, they fight to protect their way of life and what little of their world remains. The Yoltan forces are strong but with Gaia's blessing, the defenders of Vaim have held firm so far. May they continue to do so for as long as they can.

Whether it be the order of Dragoons or Priesthood of Gaia, these are foreign institutions and not welcome in the land of Vaim. Still, they do maintain a presence here and there, and try to stay out of the way of the numerous feran tribes. Of the Dragoons, 4 chapters exist in Vaim and operate in near complete isolation, depending on their relationship with friendly tribes for food and supplies, and being as self sufficient as possible.

 

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MAGIC​

 

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ABILITIES

For the abilities section in your character sheet, please choose from here only. If you wish to make your own abilities, run them by me first and they may be added to the list. Generally speaking, the more self explanatory the name of the ability is, the better.
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• Prana
• Mana

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  I = Inflow, ability affects self.
  O = Outflow, ability affects objects or other characters. Requires physical contact.
  F = Focus, requires time and concentration. Ability does not take affect until next post.
  
  
  • Enhanced Reflexes: (I) Boost reaction time, allowing you to dodge attacks or respond to rapid movements.
  • Enhanced Senses:(I) Boost one of five senses. Add 1 stamina cost for each additional sense enhanced. eg. -5 stamina for all 5.
    • - Eyesight
    • - Hearing
    • - Smell
    • - Taste
    • - Touch
  • Enhanced Speed: (I) Boost movement speed, allowing you to reach or escape a target.
  • Enhanced Strength: (I) Boost physical strength, allowing you to pull, push, lift, carry and attack with more power.
  • Enhanced Toughness: (I) Boost defensive power, allowing you to resist physical or elemental damage.
  • Feel No Pain: (I) Fight through injuries that would otherwise render you incapacitated.
  • Guide Projectile: (O) Control path of arrow or thrown weapon for a brief amount of time.
  • Heal Self: (I, F) Heal wounds and recover from injuries.
  • Heal Other: (O, F) Heal wounds of another being.
  • Imbue Armour: (O) Transfer prana to armour, increasing its durability and resistance to damage.
  • Imbue Weapon: (O) Transfer prana to melee weapon, increasing its durability and resistance to breaking.
  • Leap: (I) Soar high into the air to gain distance or deliver an almighty attack.
  • Shapeshift: (I, F) Change your body on the cellular level, allowing you to take on the form or traits of another creature. Permanently if desired.
    • - Full
    • - Partial
  • Share Power: (O) Sacrifice own stamina to replenish others. Add 1 stamina cost for each point of stamina given to other character.
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• 
  M = Manipulation, use telekinesis to control element within vicinity.
  C = Casting, requires time and concentration. Ability does not take effect until next post.
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