Fantasy Guild of Heroes - Lore, Locations, Organizations

[Birdsie]

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MAP OF ALBION
This map only shows major roads and cities. Feel free to think up towns or villages at will.

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS

Spoiler

Spoiler: The Great Forest

The Great Forest is a giant expanse of land covered in a thick, mystical jungle. From the east of Calahar to the south of Trost to the west of Trostenwald. All it takes is to walk but a few kilometers away from these cities to reach the first, innocent trees. The Great Forest follows south and borders the road from Nachtholm to Bowerstone, its other border being a few kilometers away from the shoreline.

No roads go through it in fear that travelers may be hurt. The Great Forest is filled to the brim with legendary beasts, such as dragons, chimeras, trolls, ogres, and other creatures that mortal men never approach without caution. Adventurers exploring it have reported all kinds of things - abandoned wizard towers, dungeons, rare alchemical ingredients, pixie villages, portals to other realms, wood elf settlements. In the center, there is reportedly a huge, sentient tree, thousands of years old. The Great Forest's secrets stand open to be revealed to those daring enough to brave through it.

Spoiler: Sarafan Mountains

Tall and rocky, these mountains are too wide and all-present to build upon and there's more of them the more north you go. The roads that border them are wavy due to the ground's unevenness. Dwarves live in an underground city called Thar Amphala somewhere in the heart of these mountains. Supposedly, dark elves do so as well. Goblin, hobgoblin and giant tribes live throughout the mountains, especially some of the valleys to the east and west sides of the mountains.

Spoiler: The Desolation

Once inhabited by pocket hobgoblin empires, when early Albionians arrived here, they made short work of the goblinoid civilizations and freed their slaves. Nowadays, what remains of these lands are vast steppes and moors that turn into rocky badlands and eventually deserts the further east you go. Not much inhabits them, except for the occassional wyvern, dragon, and vengeful spirit of a dead traveler.

Spoiler: The Dark Forest

A land of secrets, this forest is cursed ground, once inhabited by Turenval and his minions. Its once-lush greenery was permanently scarred by the dark magic performed by its undead inhabitants. The Dark Forest is supposedly sentiently evil and hates any and all life within it, trying to ruthlessly exterminate it. The Dark Forest awaits the day that its master would return to greet him in glory.

Adventurers don't go in, and those who do seldom return and live to tell the tale. Those that do, however, speak of unimaginable horrors, eldritch abominations, and demons. When you step into the forest, you have the feeling that everything around you - the trees, the soil, the air - want to snuff out the spark of life in you and hate the idea of there being something alive in there. There is the ever-lingering, creeping sensation that with each step you take through this blighted land... there is someone watching you.

Spoiler: Sea of Chaos

Granted its charming moniker for the constant whirlpools, storms, water hurricanes, and the... exciting... local, aquatic wildlife, this sea is the only viable water route to the north, which is more than unfortunate. This situation more often than not forces Albion to pass its wares on land through Laurellia, which is no small amount of tax to pay for passing the border.

Spoiler: Verdant Sea

These are calmer, more welcoming waters. Its coral reefs are home to diverse species of aquatic humanoids: the merfolk. Their capital is called "ee-ee-eecreak-ee-creak," and, provided that you have gills or the ability to survive underwater - they are very welcoming to visitors from the above!

Spoiler: Brotton Bay

A bay like any other: It's full of water, trade, ships, and cultural progress. It doesn't have quite the same amount of mythical water-beasts as the chaotic waters to the north or the verdant sea outside, but it does have its charm with numerous, giant turtles that aristocrats have turned into personal islands.

CITIES & OTHER PLACES

Spoiler

Spoiler: Bowerstone

The city holds the great honor of being Albion's capital. It's a thriving, lively community, where one can find adventure, friendship, alehouses, inns, shops of all kind... but those who aren't careful can also find danger nearly all the time. Known as one of the oldest and biggest cities in Gael, and perhaps even Terra. Roughly eighty percent of its inhabitants are humans, with minorities in the form of elves, dwarves, halflings, gnomes, tieflings and other creatures. In the center of the city is the Royal Castle, which is more of a fortress. In it, live the king and his family, and that is where politicians such as the People's Council of Representatives reside.

Spoiler: Fairfax

Fairfax, in all its beauty, has a bloody history. Originally built a hundred years before the first Albionian settlers arrived in the mountains by a mixed civilization of high elves and mountain dwarves, this city has been torn by civil war between its two original inhabitants. Seeing this, the humans of Albion have seized their opportunity and took it over. Since then, the city's ruling family tried to maintain independence from Albion all throughout history, but failed time and time again, until this day when it is still under the king's banner.

It is not quite as much a city as it is a loose collection of extremely closely-placed thorps and hamlets connected by carved bridges, roads, and even public teleports. Fairfax has plenty of blacksmiths and a proud community of battle-mages. It is often called the Jewel of the North, due to its flourishing market of gems and precious metals.

Spoiler: Thay

Known widely as the most magical city in Albion, it was originally founded by a small society of benevolent druids that passed on some of their knowledge to the locals who had trouble living in the Desolation. Since then, Thay has become a literal oasis in the badlands. Lush with greenery and magical shops that offer their services, it is also the main trade-route leading to Espania and back, making it a popular tourist hotspot. Despite that fact, its people are somewhat reclusive and intolerant to outsiders. It has a notable gnome population, with almost a fifth of the city being them.

It is home to an organization of spellcasters called the Red Wizards of Thay who are sometimes mistakenly called the Magic Guild. They are an authority on magic, true, however, the Red Wizards are not a government-sanctioned organization and to call them as such is a mistake.

Spoiler: Tirisgarde

Often called the Great Fortress of Tirisgarde, the city is more of a bastion. With three layers of tall walls, numberless towers, and a private army funded by the local nobles, it is the first and last stop of any crawlies that come out of the depths and center of the Dark Forest. The weapon market (and black market) is thriving like nowhere else, including the sale of magical items. Its officials and guards are constantly suspicious of any necropolitans that may be lumbering around, disguised as loyal citizens.

Spoiler: Xhorhas

Not quite as militant as Tirisgarde and not quite as paranoid as Nachtholm, Xhorhas is referred to as Audron's Retreat by some historians, as it is here that General Audron fought his last battle with Turenval, buying enough time for William Black and his companions to make their way past the undead army and into the depths of the Dark Forest to find and fight Turenval. Xhorhas has a proud history and a large culture of paladins, with there being two knight guilds and three fellowships throughout the city. Its market mostly consists of weapons, furniture and books.

Spoiler: Nachtholm

The citizens beware magic, the local river is full of drowners, and the woods north of the city are full of witches. What else to ask for? Nachtholm isn't pretty. Although far from being as militant as Tirisgarde, it is far more paranoid of possible thaumaturgical threats. It's not quite Salem---no---they do not burn every person that calls themselves a mage. In fact, Nachtholm is the place where one can find an opulent college of magic, where more than one great magician started his journeys into the arcane mysteries of the weave. No, Nachtholm doesn't kill mages, but it is still wary of the threat that magic presents. It has a large population of trained blood hunters that are often treated as a local militia by the people.

Spoiler: Trostenwald

An essential keystone to the country's communication. Without Trostenwald, it is very likely that the northern and southern parts of Albion would fall apart. As such, it is no surprise that Trostenwald is the second biggest city after Bowerstone. It has a large amount of passing travelers and the biggest racial diversity in the country, with humans being a measly half of the people here. In structure, culture, and appearance, the city can be compared to a smaller cousin of Bowerstone - if one ignores the bigger racial diversity, of course. With the Sarafan Mountains on one side and the Great Forest on the other, it also sees quite a bit of trade and tax income, so its local government is rich enough to afford some airships of their own, like Bowerstone.

Spoiler: Trost

If Trostenwald is Bowerstone's smaller cousin, then Trost is Trostenwald's little, androgynous sister. More of a very big town than a small city, yet it is somewhat of a keystone in communication much like its big brother. Trost is famous for having an alcoholic beverage of the same name, of dwarven origin. A single tankard of Trost is enough to get you nice and tipsy for the evening and a common moniker that people call this ale by is "King of the Mountain," because it is said there is no better beer than it when it comes to taste. This is often true.

Spoiler: Calahar

A beautiful city, a third of which is elven. Its community is being torn to shreds by internal conflict and racism - the animosity between elves and humans is great, and nearly all half-elves that are born in it leave soon after reaching adulthood. For many years, the Guild has been getting quests to investigate acts of violence in the city and the government is constantly trying to suppress the racist activity. The main argument on the elven side is that Calahar was once an elven city and the humans, in turn, claim that since a majority of the people living in it is human, then it will be human, and it will be ruled by humans.

Spoiler: Tristin

A desolate city, far away to the east. It has perfectly fine roads leading to both Laurellia and Espania, however, it doesn't see quite as much trade as you'd expect it to. The cause for this can be pinpointed to the fact that unlike Thay or Fairfax, it has little to offer in terms of resources. Not quite in the mountains where there are minerals, not quite near any forests full of animals, wood and other resources, and not quite on fertile grounds where farming is profitable. The city is in a tough spot and its only saving grace is in its standings with the local goblinoids, which helps with internal diplomacy not just for itself, but partly for the entire country.

Fort Black
Just an hour away from Bowerstone on horse lies the legendary headquarter of the Guild of Heroes. Although not the only of their bastions in Albion and Gael, it is the heart of their operations where the Guildmaster resides. The castle has a capacity to hold five-hundred and ten guildsmen, up to twelve guests, eighty prisoners, and the guild master.

Upon entry through the central gate, one will find themselves in a large courtyard with statues of the Guild's greatest heroes and place for many more. In the middle, there is a large fountain. Off to the right are the training grounds and to the left is the dining hall and kitchen. Going forward, one will find themselves in the central complex with the living quarters, offices, armory, storage room, and the entrance to the underground dungeon and vault.

Gilmore's Glorious Goods
A shop in Bowerstone that caters to adventurers of all kinds. Whether evil, good, or in between, Gilmore is willing to sell to the highest bidder. You will find anything from swords and armor sets of different and often exotic kinds to magical items that could be useful in a dungeon or in a mishap. It has a minor department in Fort Black.

 

[Birdsie]

Anatomy of the Soul

Many magicians have asked themselves: "What is it that lets magic happen?" And through research, they discovered the flow of existence itself. The thing that not only allows for matter and energy to exist but also the thing that allows space and time to harmonize and give birth to the many planes and realms of the world. Everything without exception: minds, souls, bodies, matter, energy, time, space, entropy, creation - everything was made from this existence - and they called it Mana, or more scientifically: Magical energy.

Mana is existence itself. We cannot perceive it with our own eyes, but alchemists that create mana potions and mages who shoot pure energy at their enemies often make it look blue. The truth is that mana is colorless yet it is the entire rainbow at the same time.

However, none of that explains how it lets them conjure fire without flint or tinder, or create lightning without clouds, or water without buckets.

The answer lies in the soul. Nearly everything that lives has a soul. And nearly everything that has a soul can learn to trick it into manipulating the mana around them. This is one through self-hypnosis: a spoken incantation, a movement of the hand, or a very concentrated thought sends a message to the mind. That message passes into a being's unconsciousness, then the unconsciousness further speaks to one's soul. The soul performs the magic by sucking mana into itself then pumping it out in a refined form - a magical effect.

But what is the anatomy of the soul?

The soul is formless. It is metaphysical and exists parallel to a person's body. One could say it fills one's body and that interpretation wouldn't be wrong, however, simply cutting someone open on a surgical table won't let you extract their soul. Inside of the soul is a circulatory system that mages call meridians. That is where the amount of mana that a person can hold comes into being. The more meridians a sorcerer has, the more mana his soul can produce, transport, and turn into magic in a second. Generally, the average human has zero to one meridian, meaning the potential for magic is none or nigh unless they become a cleric, paladin, or warlock and take power from extraterrestrial sources, like gods, angels, or demons.

Much like a person's body grows, it is possible for a person's soul to suddenly develop meridians in the middle of their life even though they had none before. This is often associated with traumatic events that force the soul to grow rapidly to protect its host, but that's not always the case. Meridians can, for example, be transplanted, grown artificially inside one's body, and even gifted by supernatural beings. A common and definitely the most stable way of growing meridians is meditation - by focusing one's mind to do so - one can, over time, develop meridians. This is often the method that wizards who were born without meridians use to gain magic.

Mages are classified by the sources of magic they use.

A warlock, cleric, or paladin do not use their own souls or meridians. Instead, they form pacts or communicate with other beings to gain access to magic.

A wizard is defined as a person without inborn meridians who obtained them through their life by study, meditation, practice, or other sources - they see magic as a science.

A sorcerer is a person who was born with natural, non-artificial meridians and takes very naturally and readily to casting magic - as if it was more like an art of actions to them, then a strict science.

An average human wizard has anywhere from twenty to twenty-five meridians, many of them developed from meditation, rituals, or other methods of growth. An average human sorcerer has thirty to thirty-five meridians.

 

[Birdsie]

Guild of Heroes

Ranks:
Novice - newly-recruited but proven and tested member; trusted and sent on basic tasks and fetch quests.
Apprentice - a member who has been in the Guild for a month or is experienced enough to be granted this rank. At this stage, a member is considered "battle-worthy."
Neonate - a full-time adventurer.
Adept - a trusted and skilled adventurer.
Master - an inspiration to those around them; could probably single-handedly take on a young-to-adult dragon.
Guild Master - the leader of the Guild.

Guild Seals
Each member of the Guild of Heroes is granted a membership seal. This seal can at will teleport them to any major city in Albion and other countries supporting the Guild, back to Fort Black, or to any other Fort across Gael. However, it cannot teleport a member to uncharted territory or in the middle of the road - only certain magic circles that have been programmed to accept these seals can be used. In addition, the seal can be used to communicate with fellow guildsmen and it has other, minor functions like creating a map of the area or teleporting one guild member to another.

 

[Reinhardt]

THE EINHERJAR

The Einherjar is a secret organization made for one purpose - to do the dirty work for Espania. Assassinations, espionage, massacres, and all that dark stuff. Of course, due to the line of work, this organization is composed of only the elite - the best of the best. Anything less than that is immediately declined. And being a secret organization, those who attain knowledge of its existence will be placed in great danger.

This organization has existed for a very long time, it is even speculated that it was birthed the same moment that Espania became a nation of its own. Its true history and origin is intentionally obscured through the passed time, warranting it no official recognition, despite its heavy contribution and importance to the said nation.

Almost a decade ago, the Einherjar was disowned by Espania, for reasons kept confidential, causing its eventual disbanding. However, that didn't end there - the members were branded as traitors and criminals, and were hunted down by the very nation they served upon. Many rumors say that a certain mage, whose power is unlike any other, was the cause of the Einherjar's undeserved fate.

All that's left of this organization are the extremely few surviving ex-members, and their memories of the Einherjar.

 

[The Fluffiest Floof]

Faeridar


The Faeridar are a humanoid race that heritage from the Fae. They are usually around as tall as a human and look very alike to them. They´re skin however oftenly is rather pale and their build dainty. Still, by looks it is near impossible to keep apart Faeridar and human.
Just like the Fae, they are beings of nature. Still, they are very different in culture and mostly appearance as well.

Some, yet only the fewest Faeridar, manage to unlock their true form. It comes a lot closer to what one woukd imagine a fairy like. They look a lot like children. However, the strength they can acess in their true form is immensely greater, than in their human one. Further, every Faeridar that unlocks his true form gets his soul intertwined with a spirit weapon, a weapon gifted to them by nature itself.

Their kingdom is behind the dark forrest, but concealed by a powerful elder spell, that keeps its entrance hidden in a tree, only opening to those that know the right words. Behind it lays the Faeridar kingdom. They life in unison with the nature, eating only what nature offers them. If an animal is old and about to die, they may eat it´s meat. If a fruit is ripe and almost falls, they may harvest it. The houses of the Faeridar are build onto or into trees. The trees here are gigantic, making the faeridar themselves look like ants. All plants here are that humongously huge.

There is a strict hirarchy in the society. Whoever has the better placed house, has the higher social stand. On the bigger, less fruiting trees, there can be up to twenty houses placed on one. While the more blooming and a lot more harvestful tree´s usually have 3 houses at max. The royal tree holds the royal castle and is the biggest and nicest place to live.

The currency for the kingdom is ressouces. They rely on trading rather than money. Sadly, even in the Faeridar realm, there are poor people and those that have to fight for life. A lot less and they are treated a lot better. They exist none the less.

The faeridar are connected to nature. They all have the ability to fly. Further, most of them have at least some magical connection to nature, oftenly by knowing lower magic of a certain element. only the fewest Faeridar are connected to multiple elements. The most common one is the plant energy or earth, the rarest ones are lightning and fire. Further, they all inherit a powerful healing magic.

Most faeridar are very caring and kind. They try to help out a lot, even though oftenly at the expense they do not harm or put back themselves for it. Some of them however are selfish and down right mean and evil. They hide, of course. But they exist. And abuse the kindness of the others.

The Faeridar keep to themselves. You rarely, almost never, spot one outside of their realm and their existence is somewhat know, but still clouded in mystery and rumors.

 

[Graystone713]

Slimes: Field observations.

Slimes are a varied species, but I believe that although individual members can vary wildly, they are all one species, developing from one organism and evolving in order to best take advantage of what they observe. My findings seem to indicate as such, but without taking an entire colony and testing it in a laboratory, I can't be certain.

Classifications: Slimes can be divided in many ways, but I find that the most useful way to classify them is by intelligence and function. While many prefer to list their weight class, and such a classification is tactically vital, the biology and intelligence of slimes does not appear to change with mass.
Low Slimes: Low slimes are by far the most common varietal, and what most adventurers think of when they hear the word. They have no intelligence, and no visible organs, save for a core approximately the size of a plum. They merely eat anything they can perceive, distinguishing little between animals and plants. They do prefer animals, and chase them when the opportunity arises, but they do not need to.
Mimic slimes: Not true mimics, as the name implies, these slimes mimic the traits of animals, monsters, or other creatures in their environment. They mimic the intelligence level of the animal they have mimicked, but to a lesser degree. It is unclear what advantage this mimicry grants, as they only rarely have the solidity to mimic the movements and strength of their chosen creature. My observations indicate that slimes of this type can change what form they mimic early in the development of this trait, but keep a 'set' appearance after a certain amount of time. These slimes are only marginally more dangerous than Low slimes, as they do not have the intelligence or mobility required to make full use of their mimicry. Their cores are slightly larger than those of low slimes, and they may feature mimicked organs like eyes. They are quite rare, and are spotted in the wild less often than higher classes.
Slime people: Possibly an offshoot of the mimic slimes, slime people are very special. Either through mimicking actual humanoids, or through being born of a slime person, these slimes are capable of thought, free will, and feats that have never been recorded in lower classifications of slime. Just like regular people, they can be considered true individuals. As such, they can be reasoned with, and many are friendly. However, this is not universal, and I have personally observed an extremely hostile Slime person engage in direct combat with a group of seasoned adventurers. It nearly won, and many of the adventurers were critically wounded. While I believe that this was due to a high volume of adventurers hunting for slime in the region, it is a clear sign that they are highly dangerous. Though more common than Mimic slimes, these slimes are still rarely seen, largely because many actively avoid people.
Slime drones: If you see multiple slime people, you should run. They are likely slime drones. Drones are born from higher classes of slime (Nobles and Royals) and work constantly to fulfill their parent's wishes. They gather food, fight for territory, and build massive structures. They can share information via touch, and are almost never alone. Individual drones are intelligent, and have some degree of autonomy, but their highest priority is their parent. And more often than not, they are hostile to humanoids on sight. Though drones are a rare sighting, nearly all sightings indicate a large colony nearby.
Nobles: Extremely dangerous. They are highly intelligent, and are invariably of a high weight class, with the shortest known example being eight feet tall. They have incredible control over their form, and can create incredibly complex solid structures with their own bodies. As before stated, they can give birth to drones, but it takes them considerable time and effort. Additionally, it is known that if a noble attains enough mass and drones, they can evolve into royals, but this is rare. Nobles have free will, and are much like slime people in that they are individuals, but most of them either serve a royal, or seek to become one. Many of them directly attack humanoid settlements to gain resources, despite the risk of discovery by heroes. Many nobles have also been seen actively studying and practicing magic, though they more often than not do not have the meridians necessary to make extensive use of it. Finally, their cores tend to be very large, approximately the size of a basketball.
Royals: The most rare kind of slime of all. They can birth drones and nobles, are almost invariably massive, and tend to have a massive colony filled with drones built up around them. Often compared to dragons, most will have trophies from failed adventurers, raids, and in some cases, tributes. Many even carry and use magic items. There are speculated to be less than five true royals on the planet at any time, and so far, only one known example is friendly to humanoids. The smallest known royals measure in at 30 feet high, whereas the largest one currently known measures in at 100 feet, with a width of 150, and growing! Unlike all other slime classes, Royals do not move much once their colony is well-established, and will only move if the majority of their colony is destroyed, made uninhabitable, or no longer has the resources required to sustain them. However, most Royals have their drones set up elaborate farms with bountiful crops and livestock, which are normally easily enough to feed a whole colony. However, many examples of 'Slime food' have never been recorded outside of colonies, and it is unclear if the animals and plants that go into it are themselves somehow slimes, or if they are regular animals, mutated in some way by the slimes. My brief meeting with Slempress Pineappalia of Coladia the first did not shed any light on the matter, save that it was a 'trade secret'. Finally, Royals tend to have meridians that slightly exceed human norms by a fair degree, and they are capable of magic, though they are rarely able to learn any due to the inherent difficulties they have in holding and reading books.


Anatomy of a slime:
Slime: The 'slime' part of a slime is highly gelatinous, and has many alchemical and magical properties, but few slimes can make use of it. How it is moved, shaped, or hardened is unclear. What is clear is that as slimes eat, their slime increases in volume, and if left without food for an extended time, they can begin to feed on their own slime. Perhaps it is like the fat stores of ordinary beasts? However, unlike fat, slimes often lose a small fraction of their mass on every surface they touch, and though it is not enough to significantly impact their size, it makes tracking them extremely easy.
Cores: Cores are generally similar in that they constitute a slime's 'brain' and all other vital organs, and cores from two members of the same weight and intelligence class are quite similar, but their classification greatly impacts the size of their cores, with Nobles and Royals having especially large cores, capable of giving birth to other cores asexually on a regular basis. If a core is extracted from its slime without being damaged, it will produce slime until either it is covered, or it begins to dry out. Slime without a core will slowly settle into puddles as any liquid would, and can be reclaimed by any slime if it is still wet. If the core is destroyed, or left to dry for too long, it will die.
Pseudo-organs: Though low slimes can sense their environments and detect prey without any form of eyes or organs, many slimes of higher classes form eyes, and they are capable of forming other pseudo-organs as well. These organs perform their intended functions, and when inspected, they seem like the real thing, but more often than not, they will completely dissolve into slime once broken or removed, and can be reformed from slime. My current speculation makes me believe this may be related to their ability to make certain structures and materials.
Pseudo-skeletal structures: Highly, HIGHLY rare, even among Queens. Certain slimes use their ability to create structures from their slime in order to create various bone-like structures within their bodies. Though they are not confined to bodies and musculature as normal creatures are, having a false skeleton to support their weight allows for slimes to create much larger, taller, and more elaborate body shapes, in addition to potentially providing teeth, claws, and other hardened structures. Any slime possessing a pseudo-skeleton is often far, FAR more dangerous than others of its type. Thankfully, their bodies digest actual bones easily, meaning that very few slimes can keep and maintain actual, original bones to use. However, the idea of a skeleton made from metal has been passed around certain slime communities...


Lifecycle of a slime: Coming soon!

Other slime traits and abilities: Coming soon!

A brief interview with Slempress Pineappalia of Coladia the first: Coming soon!

 

[Ms. Sparrow]

Blackfire Witches are a species of witch created by the mating of demons and Fae said to take after the more of the Demons genetics. Blackfire witches all share a retractable set of chromium teeth, nails and a clear eyelid for flying.

There are three clans of Blackfire Witches. Blackblood, Yellowfang, and Redbeak. The Yellowfang Clan are known to have yellow chromium teeth, or at least, somewhat tinted yellow, almost somewhat looking like polished gold, and the Blackblood Clan prize black eyes flecked with gold only seen in the Blackblood Clan above all others, the rest of their witches have no physically distinctive characteristic.

The Blackfire witches are human only in shape, they are immortal and predatory in every other sense. The Blackfire witches are born weapons with their chromium teeth and nails, they possess superior senses to that or mortals, able to smell out their prey and they are much stronger and faster than any human. Their strength and agility are enhanced as well. After they have reached maturity they will stop aging completely.

Despite that, witches do not possess magic usually, unless they have an interesting parentage.

The only magic they can unleash is called the Submissing. Once in a witches life she can summon great power to unleash upon her enemies. The cost is that she is burnt to a crisp in the blast, and ultimately dies, her body yielded to the Darkness. As the Blackfire witch yields life to the Darkness, its power fills her and unleashes from her in an ebony wave, a manifestation of what lies inside.

The Blackfire society/Coven is ruthless, cruel and strict; their culture is based around raising their witchlings to be heartless, loyal and bloodthirsty warriors, but many see them as monsters. Once, only some witches became warriors, called sentinels. However, since the witch wars between the clans, and an unknown hatred for elves began to sprout which causes the two races to clash every now and then if tensions become high, every witch born has been trained in violence. Their culture is hierarchical, each Clan is ruled by a High Witch and the High Witch’s appointed heir; every witch of the clan belongs to a Coven, no lone witches exist. Within each coven there is a hierarchy, first a leader, and then the leader’s Second Command and Third Command. It is the duty of the Second Command and Third Command to protect their leader against all threats, even if it dying for them. While the bonds between the witches of each coven are usually stressed upon as it is, the leaders of the covens are raised to see their subordinates as expendable, and if they ever become insubordinate they are to be dismissed, or even eliminated entirely.

Among the Blackfire witches, witchlings are rare and sacred; from the time of conception to the age of sixteen they are protected. For a witch to harm a pregnant witch, their unborn witchling, or their daughter it is the greatest crime and they are punished with enormous suffering in a very, very worthwhile and long execution. There is no greater pride than to bear a witchling for your Clan; and no greater shame than to lose one.

To the Blackfire, humans are seen as only good for two things; bedding, killling and bleeding, for Blackfire witches drink the blood of mortals like water, though they do not need it to survive, they thoroughly enjoy it. While witchlings are prized by the Blackfire, relationships with mortal men are a “weakness” and will most likely result in your clan gutting you. Although it isn’t rare for witches to have intimate relationships with each other. And when it comes to religion, they believe it’s just petty and ridiculous to believe in such things such as gods or goddesses.

 

[Reinhardt]

LEGENDS OF ESPANIA
Part I

Espania, an especially large nation, is full of various legends and myths, some merely fiction, and some refer to the truth. This is but one of many articles that will contain and reveal such.


Aergundias

In many legendary tales, known as Espania's greatest mage, Aergundias is supposedly capable of performing feats that even the best mages from distant lands are unable to do. It is said that Aergundias was one of the many pivotal figures that gave rose to the glorious nation of Espania.

These stories aren't exactly accurate, but they speak of the truth in one way or another.

Aergundias, in truthful history, is a powerful mage that indeed helped Espania to be realized. However, Aergundias is not a person - it is an honorary name given to the one who possesses a legendary artifact called "Ring of Aergundias".

There can only be one Aergundias, as there is only one ring. And each Aergundias is always siding with Espania's ruler, the Emperor/Empress, and will aid them with their powerful magic.

Ring of Aergundias

A ring made from a rare metal, Adamantite, and has a magical green gem embedded upon it. According to the legends, the first ever Aergundias, who actually owns the honorary name, forged this ring in an attempt to defy fate.

Whoever possesses this is granted a tremendous amount of magical power, in terms of knowledge and capability.

Though it may be a ring, it is worn as a necklace instead. No one knows why it isn't and shouldn't be worn as an actual ring, but there are heavy implication that doing so would cause dire consequences.

The ring grants magical power beyond imagination, through the use of borrowing the accumulated magic of those who had possessed the ring before. Any knowledge, and magical capability that its previous possessors had will be given to the current owner.

However, such power comes with a cost - when the ring leaves the possession of its current owner, all of their magical power will be taken from them, regardless of it being originally from the ring or not, as well as a portion of their life span.

Countless attempts to destroy the ring, as ordered by the rulers of Espania, has proven it to be indestructible.

Ring of Bethislea

Another magical ring - just like the artifact above, it is made from the same material, but the gem embedded upon it is of a dark red color.

In the legends, the first Aergundias initially made the ring as a gift to his beloved, Bethislea. However, somewhere down the line, the ring was cursed when Aergundias committed an atrocity with his magic - turning it into a powerful artifact.

This ring, while not granting supreme magical power like Aergundias's, still has its uses - speculated to be the "curse" from the legends. And unlike the previous ring, this one is worn as an actual ring.

Whoever wears this ring gains the ability to control the bearer of Aergundias's ring - whatever they command to Aergundias will be done, and it will be as if Aergundias does it due to his/her loyalty.

Not only that, but Aergundias cannot bring any form of harm to the one who wears this ring. While the ring comes with no drawbacks, it can be destroyed - but it will eventually reassemble itself, as long as Aergundias's ring is intact.

For as long as it has existed, it has only been worn by a single kind of individual - the ruler of Espania.

 

[Fable]

Lecethian Speech
High Formal
Speakers no longer identifies themselves by their name, referring to themselves as “this one.” It it meant to remove the vanity of individuality and to show respect to those they are speaking to. Speaker may address others by their title (Sir, Dame, Lord, Lady, Elder) and surname, but never their first given name. Words spoken or written are never contracted.

Low Formal
Low formal allows the speaker to self identify themselves, referring to themselves as “I” and others by their given names and chosen pronouns. The speech tends to remain very formal. Low formal is usually the form spoken between close friends and families.
Words spoken or written are never contracted.

Informal
Informal is rarely used and is just a step below low formal, where the speech is no longer spoken as formal. Words spoken or written may be contracted. Speakers can openly use given names, nicknames, pronouns, and refer to others and themselves as they please. While it’s not considered vulgar, speaking to a Lecethian informally has a chance to be viewed as disrespectful and possibly even offensive.

Lecethian Hierarchy
Elder
The wisest and usually older in age of the Lecethian that lead the clan. They are the only ones with allowed access to the forbidden archives in the library.

Lord/Lady
Those who have a higher position, not because of wealth or power, but because of achievements; whether in a specific trade or skill. Those who generally put others before themselves and work hard to better the Lecethian community.

Sir/Dame
Generic titled greeting that can be used for most of the Lecethian when addressing others.

Lecethian Lore
The Lecethian Elves are a reclusive race, preferring to stick to their own and are generally very distrustful towards outsiders. Due to the training and rumors of ruthlessness, the Lecethian Elves have a notorious reputation. The Lecethian themselves are not malicious, but that does not mean that they are above killing.

To outsiders, Lecethians do not openly express emotions due to multiple beliefs. Firstly, that emotions were meant more for those close; family and friends. Emotions were like precious gifts, exposing a vulnerable side showed great trust.

This cultural practice made them appear apathetic and merciless, fighting and killing without the slightest expression. This appearance of heartlessness worked well as a deterrent, for the most part. There were those who would occasionally come into their territory, trying to challenge them, to push them from their lands. Each attempt was met without success and the Lecethian remained in their homeland.

They aren’t known just for their combat skills and apathy, but for their unique physical characteristics as well. Unlike other elves, Lecethians generally only have white hair, fair skin, and light colored eyes. Most can easily identify an Lecethian elf by their hair color and ears alone.

The Lecethians explain this physical characteristic in the lore of their origin. They believe that the first of them were borne from a sentient tree, emerging from its large blossoming white flowers, the fruit of the Driaish Tree. They believe where their territory is claimed, the roots of the Driaish Tree remain deep under the ground.

 

[Birdsie]

The Death Knights of Turenval

EXPLICIT LETTERS WITH A WEIRD FONT AND COLOR ARE BEING USED TO MAKE THIS AS VISIBLE AS POSSIBLE

Spoiler

Verraketh (M), Human, Death Knight Leader, Magic Knight - wears enchanted armor, mighty warrior, a powerful spellcaster, earned his liege's trust by being Turenval's bodyguard in life and he continues this duty in death as the leader of his elite.

Jaeyna (F), Human, 1st Death Knight, Fighter - calm, cool, collected, lacks passion but is resolute in her work, proficient with all melee weapons, dabbles in archery - has a romance with Silvanus

Martin (M), Eladrin, 2nd Death Knight, Berserker - very physically imposing, batshit insane, Leeroy Jenkins in all but name and race, instead of speaking; he emits grunts

Yrdraxxas (M), Dragon, 3rd Death Knight, Dragon - is a dragon, acid and lightning breath, capable of astonishingly swift flight, Turenval sometimes uses him as a steed

Korluxa (F), Medusa, 4th Death Knight, Medusa & Archer - dexterous archer, acrobatic like a circus star, can petrify victims with eye-contact, snake hair extends up to three meters and individual snakes are fully independent and very poisonous

Akbal (M/F), Tiefling, 5th Death Knight, Swashbuckler - agile and intelligent, incredibly skilled, capable of shapeshifting, no definite gender or form, uses shapeshifting to pretend to be other people or even objects and spy on enemies, then attacks out of nowhere

Abominigar (M), Beholder, 6th Death Knight, Beholder - eyestalks capable of emitting various kinds of magic; capable of slow flight, or rather "hovering"; very abominable and cruel towards his opponents, sick sense of humor

The seventh seat is vacant, but there are several contesters that wish to claim it among Turenval's minions.

Oghma (F), Alu-Fiend, 8th Death Knight, Temptress - strong enchantment and illusion magic, as well as mind-reading, toys with her opponents by showing them their desires and fears and using them to get what she wants, thinks of sentient beings as playthings

Ennael (F), Fallen Angel, 9th Death Knight, Anti-Paladin - extremely hateful but exercises self-control, curse magic, strong in melee, capable of flight with wings regenerated through negative energy, twice as vulnerable to radiant damage as the other death knights

Silvanus (M), Human, 10th Death Knight, Eldritch Knight - versatile, both spellcaster and warrior, resourceful, gets the job done, trusted by Turenval despite being the newest of the death knights; replaces the last 10th member - has a romance with Jaeyna

Invidia (F), Drow, 11th Death Knight, Ranger - insane (in a Joker-ish kind of way), excellent archer, good trap-maker, loves explosions, has numerous spell-like abilities inherited from her ancestors, very acrobatic; feels comfortable in a jungle or urban jungle environment, thinks of sentient creatures as prey to be hunted

Kakarot (M), Duergar, 12th Death Knight, Magic Rogue - agile and stealthy despite being a dwarf off-shoot, carries around lots of fancy and magical one-use gadgets that he builds himself, many tricks up his sleeve, traditional shadow manipulation magic

 

[Noble Scion]

The Apiana
The Apiana are a small, interesting race found solely in a large hive to the north-easts of Fort Black, far enough from the paths between areas to not be seen, but relatively easy to find. They are a surprisingly aggressive people, and although they will leave you alone as long as you are outside the hive, going so far to say as those situated outside the hive being rather pleasant and having conversations, the moment you attempt to enter, you would be lucky to get out with your life!
They seem to know and care little for anything outside the hive, and their defensive nature of the hive makes it difficult to learn anything about them, although the biology has been documented from the little we’ve seen.

The race appear as humanoid bees, primarily comprised of females, with large eyes and two antenna that seem to be used for smelling. Although we have yet to seem them in use, they also appear to have wings on their back. They seem to be a light-weight race due to their thin body-shapes, although this may be due to their diet, but that too has been left undocumented due to the aforementioned difficulty to enter their hive. The males seem to be a bit bulkier and stronger in comparison with the females, but are rarer to see defending the outside of the hive. As long as nobody attempts to enter the hive, they seem to be relatively peaceful, I do recommend we keep a close eye on them however, as accidentally instigating a war could lead to heavy damage in Throstenwald or Thay, depending on which direction they take.

May it also be documented that they appear to have an ongoing war with the antiana, located somewhat to the south-east of the apiana’s hive

Threat level: 2/5

 

[Swire]

Blanche Family Magic Inheritance:
While the Blanche family are capable of creating magic other than fire magic, generations of tradition had led the families to teach the youth the same fire magic that has been used in the past. Also while the technics are used only by the Blanche family, it could theatrically be used by other mages. However, no one outside of the Blanche family knows how to use it.

In the past there was only one type of fire, however as people became better at specific types of magic, the Blanche family began to break the original fire magic into the separate specific class of fire. It’s said Selene de Blanche was one of the last to use the pure original fire.

Basic:
Creating a flame on its own requires the user to both have the magic capability to create the family, and it must be induced by a feeling. Like a spark of the person's soul. After they create it the first time it becomes easier to use it. Additionally, each fire is used differently, while Black fire is more about just releasing explosions, red fire is casting spells.
Much like the Blanche family, their magic is a hierarchy. If you can use the most difficult and powerful magic(black fire) you can learn how to use the others. Likewise, if you can only use the lowest, you will not be able to make the higher magics. However, they cannot use the different fire magics at the same time. For this reason, it can be very difficult to fight with them. For instance, if someone was being forced to use blue(defensive) fire, they couldn’t switch to offensive fire without dropping their defense. There are rumors of skilled Blanches that have been able to use all the fire's at the same time, however, no one to date can make such an achievement.

Tiers:
from strongest to weakest

Black Fire:
Offensive magic. Rarest of all the fire magic. Only once in several generations is someone born with the ability to use this magic. It’s all about consuming and spreading. The fire itself is extremely flammable and will instantly catch fire and spread on anything it can, on things that aren’t flammable it will still sit and burn for several minutes afterward, before disappearing. The fire sucks the light from around it, which helps it stay burning for longer, in turn, it reduces vision. Enough fire can make it impossible to see in an area. Fueled by rage. In this form of magic the user doesn’t cast spells, they simply create the magic from their body, they can extend the fire to other objects if they are touching it. Gains strength during the day.

Blue fire:
Defensive magic. This is far more common. This magic is about defense and intelligence. While the fire itself does protect against magic attacks, say covering your body in blue fire as a shield, it is far more effective to use spells. While the fire doesn’t seem to be solid, as people can pass through it, when it contacts magic it resists the magic, acting as a shield. However many advanced users completely drop the blue fire in favor of ice magic, as the blue fire can transition into a version of Blanche ice magic that is accepted in the family. It has the same properties of resisting magic, but people cannot pass through the ice magic. (Avaline uses this type of magic.) It is fueled by Strength. Gains strength during the night.

Red fire:
Utility magic. The most common form of magic, and because the higher tiers can also create this magic, anyone within the Blanche family can learn to create it. This magic is about construction and recreating things, enchanting or enhancing. Everything in this magic uses spells, the fire on its own will do minor healing, but in order to create things, or use advanced healing, a spell must be cast. It can also create fire spell traps, enchant weapons to light things on fire, or fire resistance, or strengthen a person's body. At the highest level, it could do immunity to spell effects, for a short time, and spell reversal. Fueled by passion. Gains strength during sunrise and sunset.

 

[Reinhardt]

Ragna's WorksThe Product of Magic and Science's Combined Efforts, Part 1

1. The Anima Core - Ragna's most significant work. A small cube-shaped container forged with specific undisclosed materials, allowing it to be sturdier than most metals. Inside it, one's soul would be stored - through magic. A combination of various alchemy techniques and advanced arcane spells transfer the soul of the living and preserve it in this container - essentially acting as a phylactery.

Once within a body, this container will allow the soul to regain of it's mortal properties without losing it's immortality, allowing it to feel once more, unlike liches. However, the body may wither through time - and the container shall require yet another body to "live".

2. Ragnadoll Model 17 - The perfect homonculus body (for now, until Ragna decides it no longer is), specifically crafted to contain Ragna's Anima Core. It's as sturdy as mithral and hits as hard, but feels and moves just like a lightweight human body. Of course, the regular features of a human body is essential to this - and being a female-version model, it comes with all the benefits without the drawbacks. Yes, ladies, Ragnadoll Model 17 does not experience the monthly predicament you're all having.

3. Homoncu-maid Version 3 - Lower grade homonculi, mass produced for Ragna's benefit (and sometimes for others' too). These homonculi are crafted for two purposes - as maids, and as combat units. They all contain a weaker version of Ragna's Anima Core - theirs contain "fake souls", which can be altered and modified - effectively changing their personality, and in some cases, their appearance.

4. Fake Soul - A replica of the thing we call soul. It's a culmination of various kinds of energies and alchemic substances, that appears like a ghastly form of gas. It can be altered and modified, but the process is rather too complex for the mind of an average scholar/mage. Since this is not a real soul, it does not have the ability to utilize magic.

5. The Glory of Science, and The Beauty of Magic - A 1000 page book which contains random ramblings about magic and science, and how they can do unbelievable feats together. Written by Ragna himself. Can be found on various libraries throughout Gaia, but most copies are stored on the Guild of Heroes' library. Pretty much useless. Quite entertaining, to some minds.

6. Rocky's Blueprints - Blueprints on how to make a functional golem - this includes ingredients, schematics, instructions, etc. Even some random commentary as well. Ragna handed this over to Cyrus to pay an old debt.

7. Sila - The voice behind the Guild Seals. Originally made as an alarm to wake up Ragna on his off days, but ended up being developed as a body-less consciousness stored in the Guild's defense systems. For some reason, Ragna placed a way to commune with "her" on the receptionist's desk.​

 

[Yahhah]

Excerpt of the Islands of the Verdant

The Cat people of Verniir

General​

The cat people of Verniir, are bipedal felines in appearance, and primitive in nature. There are three different distinctions (Or tribes as they call themselves). The Tigaran, The Leonine, and The Jage. The tribes each have different colonies that act like towns, or groups. They are constantly fighting each other for territory, food, and simple wars of religion. They fight with similar weaponry, although with differing strategies. They're homes are slightly different. But there is barely a distinction in clothing. They all are polytheistic, although most of their worship falls back to the king of the gods. Who's name differs with the tribe. They are all primitive in the means of technology and they have a limited bit of magic they call the blessing of the gods. It is imbued into the leader of a tribe giving them supernatural strength, and speed. Which is why the leader of the respective tribes is seen as a living god. Tribe leadership is not hereditary it is won through a challenge. When a leader is killed the two most capable fight to see which of them would be better suited to lead the tribe.

The Tigaran
​

The Tigaran are the largest and most physically strong of the three tribes. They mostly live in the more swampy areas of Verniir. living in huts made of clay.

Appearance: The Tigaran are at its simplest bipedal tigers. The males and females wear the same bits of clothing. Leather kilts, and chest pieces embedded with shells, and stone. Those in high standing such as war chiefs often have gauntlets, and helmets made of bone.

Diet: The Tigaran have a diverse diet. They do not farm but they do collect mushrooms, and shellfish from the swamps in which they live. They also regularly hunt crocodillians for their tough hides, and teeth. A favorite feast food is the flesh of sharks.

Language: The Tigaran language is mostly raspy, slurs, gurgles, and gestures. There are a few Tigarans chosen to be translators that speak the tongues of other tribes.

Domestic Life: The Tigaran each have different jobs. The jobs are gender neutral. Males and females can share the same duty.

ColoniesThe names translated of course) The Pikehead, Snapper, Shellbone, Sharkfang, Clayhide.

Religion: The Tigaran believe that the king of the gods is called Tigarivar. And build temples for his worship.

Warfare: Tigarans are straightforward in warfare charging straight into battle. With little care or need for guerrilla tactics.

The Leonine
​

The Leonine are the most bloodthirsty of the three tribes. They lead nomadic lives around the central grasslands of their island home.

Appearance: The Leonine are bipedal lions. Their clothing consists of leather loin cloths. They paint themselves with blood.

Diet: The Leonine are completely carnivorous. They hunt giant bovids that roam the grasslands. They have been observed eating the remains of other tribes.

Language: The Leonine language is made up of guttural growls, deep barks, and whoops.

Domestic Life: The Leonine males spend their days hunting, and searching out new territorial areas. The females mostly stay around the temporary camps tending to the young.

Colonies: The Tuskclaw, Bloodbone, Bushspike

Religion: Leonine call the god king Leonivar. They hold sacrifices in his name.

Warfare: The Leonine have two different sorts of warriors. The first class are the less skilled ill equipped scrawnier individuals that act as meat shields for the stronger second class.

The Jage
​

The Jage are the smallest of the three tribes. They make their homes in the jungles along the western coast of Verniir. They live in treehouses

Appearance: The Jage are bipedal Jaguars. Their clothing is more of a second skin. The Jage wear a mixmatch of feathers, leaves, flowers, leather, and mud. To work as a sort of camouflage.

Diet: The Jage are the only tribe that farms. They keep small groundbirds in hutches along the treetops. They also grow a sort of vegetable along the ground and harvest tree fruit.

Language: The Jage language is very shrill. Full of whistles, squeaks, chirps, and howls. The Jage understand the other tribal languages.

Domestic Life: The Males of the tribe mostly stay in the villages tending to the fowl, and crop. While females patrol the jungle making sure the savage Leonine stay far from their settlements. The Tigaran, and Jage have interesting enough been witnessed trading.

Colonies: Their are two main villages. The Figwood, and The Feather

Religion: The Jage believe the god leader is called Jaguarivar, and they burn crops in his name. Although they worship other gods more than Jaguarivar.

Warfare: The Jage mostly fight from treetops and cover. The Tigaran, and Jage have been observed teaming up against the Leonine. Although it doesn't seem to be a set in stone alliance because Tigaran, and Jage have been witnessed battling each other.

 

[Reinhardt]

Order of Avalon
A holy order hidden among the paladins of Xhorhas, dating way back before the existence of many civilizations. Unlike most paladin orders, the Order of Avalon has no specific deity to worship. Rather, they recognize the existence of all gods and goddesses, and are tasked to preserve their existence by spreading the many religious sects belonging to each deity. Although few in number, the paladins of the Order of Avalon are far stronger compared to the average paladin, not because of their higher calling, but because of the intensity of their training and the firmness of their polytheistic faith.

But that is not what makes them special.

Due to the nature of their sacred duties, they are able to earn the favor of the gods - which in turn, grant them a form of holy magic that is unattainable by any means (without the intervention of a high-tier deity). This holy magic allows them to channel the power of the gods - to wield powerful weapons that only these divine beings can use. Of course, using these divine weaponry has a great cost - at most cases, it would require a huge amount of the caster's mana reserves, but when things come for the worst, it can cost them their soul instead.

Although most paladins of this order can wield one divine weapon for their entire lifetime, due to having stronger connection to a certain deity, there have been some exceptions - a few iconic individuals who were able to wield more than just one divine weapon.

Unfortunately, this order was destroyed along with the rest of the once proud city of Xhorhas.


The Divine Treasury
An intangible vault located in a different plane of existence that only the gods can reach. Stored in here are the weapons of the many deities of Gaia - as long as they've existed, and have used/created a powerful artifact that is essentially used as a weapon, it will appear here. The paladins of the Order of Avalon are able to access this vault through the privilege granted to them by the gods and goddesses, allowing them to channel and create a replica of these divine weapons, carrying the same level of power on its origin, on their plane of existence.

While there are supposedly uncountable amount of divine artifacts stored in the Divine Treasury, only a countable few had been conjured to the mortal realm of Gaia, namely:

Hauteclaire - Divine Sword of the Holy Emperor Charlmagnus. It is said to grant it's wielder the strength of a thousand armies. Channeled once by the paladin Kreynil, to fell the dreaded lich of the north.

Labrys - Divine Axe of the Sky King Zeus. It is said to be capable of calling powerful thunderstorms. Channeled twice by the paladin Brena to drive the beasts of the sea back to the depths on her trips to other lands of Gaia.

Gungnir - Divine Spear of the Warfather Odin. It is said to be capable of hitting its target when thrown, regardless of the consequence, as well as obliterate even the greatest of evils. Channeled once by the paladin Mikhel, albeit only in an incomplete form.​

 

[Kiyoko Tomoe]

The Dark Forest
PlacidusDeep within the Dark Forest resides a family of demons, named the Placidus Family. Currently lead by Sara Placidus, has existed within the forest since about the time the forest was overrun by Turenval's dark magic. The Placidus Family had ties to Turenval up until the day he left the forest, at which point the Placidus Family became the strongest residents. When the former leader of the family, Rey'Leth Placidus, left the family under Sara's control, the family regained ties with Turenval through Sara's joining of Turenval's forces.

Placidus is also the name of the Placidus Family's residence, which acts as the base of operations of Sara's group, the Black Diamonds. There are four different branches of the Placidus Family residing here, being the main Placidus Branch, the Vovai Branch, the Liala Branch, and the Acila Branch. The Vovai Branch is headed by Indra Vovai, and the Liala Branch by Lycus Liala. There is currently no leader of the Acila Branch, the two eldest brothers of the previous leader battling for control.

Black DiamondsA group of murderers, thieves, and other self-centered beings, the Black Diamonds were formed by Sara Placidus and her two companions, Aqua and Akemi. The group currently hosts around 100 or so members, mostly demons and humans. One thing all members of the group share in common is a mark of a diamond somewhere on their body, which is Sara's contract symbol. The group is mostly run by Akemi, the All-Seeing, though Sara's word is supreme in the Black Diamonds. The base for the group resides in the easternmost portion of the Placidus Family residence.


Sara's Companions
Aqua, The Water Mage

Name: Aqua
Aliases: N/A
Age: 15
Gender: Female
Race: Human
Class: Water Sorcerer
Sexuality: Asexual
Character Alignment: True Neutral
Personality: Aqua is a reserved and quiet girl. While not shy in any way, she often decides avoid much conversation as it simply does not interest her. She tends to think of herself as observing the world from her own little corner in it, only ever leaving that corner for those she cares deeply for, such as Sara. Aqua dislikes most forms of conflict, especially combat, deeming it something that one shouldn't be forced to be around or partake in in order to live, but not something one should disallow the existence of. This philosophy of hers is contradicted by her dedication to Sara, so much so that Aqua is willing to fight alongside Sara in battles that have no purpose other than to satisfy Sara's desire for conflict.

Backstory: Aqua was born with an immense amount of magical energy within her body. As a child, this magical energy became very problematic to her and those around her. One day her magic might cause something she touches to freeze over, another day she there might be a perpetual rain above her that soaked everything and anything that came near her. One day, Aqua got so mad that her magic just blew up and flooded the entire village in which she lived. Fed up with the girl's inability to control her magic, Aqua's village sent her off to another village filled with sorcerers and wizards alike that could teach her how to control her magic. On the way, however, Aqua and her escorts were attacked.

During the attack, Aqua had gotten knocked out by one of the attackers. When she woke up, her escorts, as well as her attackers, were all dead, and crouched beside her, lifting her up, was a golden-haired girl. They introduced themselves as Sara Placidus, telling Aqua that she was safe now, and begun asking her a few questions, such as her name and where she was from; to which, Aqua had no answers. Her mind had gone blank; everything she'd previously known was gone, and she hardly even remembered that she'd been attacked. She did know, however, that this Sara person had saved her, and that she didn't have anywhere to go. When Sara offered to take Aqua with her, Aqua accepted the offer, becoming Sara's first companion.

Weapons & Armor: N/A
Items & Personal Belongings: Wisp-Girl Crystal ( Noble Scion )
Skills & Abilities: Aqua has no real notable skills. She can tend to flowers and other plants fairly well due to her water magic, but that's about it.
Spells & Magic: Aqua is capable of creating, controlling, and turning into water. Her magic is useful in that she can use it at any distance necessary, capable of using water as a physical substance that can hold others and objects, sending water at high enough speeds to cut into skin (although not very deep), and even form protective walls and barriers out of water.

While turned into water, most physical attacks are useless against Aqua, as for instance, being punched or stabbed at would just result in the fist or sword going through her body, meanwhile a person cannot grab onto her body. Also, while you would think lightning/electricity would be strong against her in this form, but because her body's completely water, it doesn't hurt her at all, and in fact might make her more dangerous as anything she touches for the few seconds after the lightning hits her will get git by it as well.

Weaknesses: While in her water form, Aqua's body is susceptible to poisons, acids, and other liquid-based substances that harm a person, as they remain within her body when her body returns to a physical state. Additionally, Aqua is physically weak, even for her size, which while not really reflected if she were to grab on to you while in her water state, shows heavily in her normal, human state. In her human state, Aqua is incapable of lifting things with two hands most people can lift with one, such as a water jug. She is easy to get sick, especially so from poisonous substances, and due to the overwhelming amount of magical energy her body possesses, often times cannot fully control her magic. Her body is often coated by water due to her magic, meaning that while her water form is pretty much fine through lightning, her human form is especially susceptible to it.


Akemi, The All-Seeing

Name: Akemi Acila
Aliases: N/A
Age: 26
Gender: Female
Race: Demon
Class: Necromancer
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Character Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Personality: Akemi is, without a doubt, psychotic. She loves torturing and killing others for fun, finding special pleasure in ripping a person's eyes out and making them see themselves through a place upon her own body. Akemi has no sense of respect for anything or anyone other than Sara and their fellow companion Aqua, breaking rules and laws intentionally to piss people off and see them struggle to catch her. The only rules she'll ever follow are those set by Sara; which, as far as Akemi and Sara herself are aware, are none.

Backstory: Akemi was born the third child of Lycus Acila, the former head of the Acila Branch of the Placidus Family. Her childhood was rather normal for that of a demon's, although at around the age of fifteen, Akemi deemed her father not fit to lead her family, and herself not belonging under the rules of the family. Following these ideas, Akemi killed her father and stole his eyes before leaving the Placidus residence, never to be seen again by her fellow demons; or, so she thought.

Many years down the road, Akemi had wandered into a small village alongside the Verdant Sea. The village had just been massacred shortly before her arrival, something she wasn't pleased at all about seeing as her goal was to have fun killing the people there herself. Looking around for just a few moments, Akemi found that the person responsible for this massacre, still present within the village, was another demon by the name of Sara. Akemi attempted kill Sara, knowing full well she was from the Placidus Branch of the Placidus Family, deeming that it was either kill Sara or be killed as a traitor to the Placidus Family. This battle, even with all of the corpses lying around her for her to raise as undead, was won easily by Sara. Rather than killing Akemi, however, Sara requested the girl to join her as her companion, to which Akemi hesitantly, but still willingly, accepted.

Weapons & Armor: N/A
Items & Personal Belongings: N/A
Skills & Abilities: Akemi is capable of torture and interrogation, being highly persuasive when she needs to be.
Spells & Magic: Akemi is capable of raising corpses and skeletons as undead under her control, as well as she can link her vision to the eyes of corpses that still have them, or to eyes that are detached from other living beings. She can also embed these eyes into her own body anywhere she wishes, such as in her palm, making it a permanent eye through which she can see in addition to her normal pair of eyes.

Akemi can also temporarily link the vision of a living being to an eye that she can see through, which is very handy in torture by forcing a person to see their own bloodied and bruised body. This ability of linking another's vision to an eye she can see through though is very limited, as most other beings' brains can't comprehend the strangeness of the different angle and the visual movement that doesn't match the body's, which can severely disorient a person, and potentially even make one go insane from their inability to process the information if exposed to this means of sight for too long.

Eyes that Akemi links her vision to change to become red eyes like her own, though those not embedded within her body (or at least within the skull of an animated corpse) within a few minutes of being linked are turned pure black, albeit still function if embedded into her body.


As a demon of the Acila Branch of the Placidus Family, Akemi's eyes are capable of seeing things as they are, regardless of what magic may try to blind her. Akemi can see through vision-obscuring effects, and she cannot be blinded, whether it be by light, magical darkness, or other magically-blinding effects. This trait is extended to her additionally-linked eyes.

Weaknesses: As a demon, holy magic is quite the deterrent for Akemi. Additionally, Akemi has no real ranged combat capability outside of her undead, nor is she much of one for weapon usage, putting her at a disadvantage when presented with a weapon user while she has no undead left to summon, or dead bodies to animate. There's also fire, which is a big issue for her undead.


Hina, The Fire Demon

Name: Hina Placidus
Aliases: N/A
Age: 22
Gender: Female
Race: Human (Demon)
Class: Pyromancer
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Character Alignment: Chaotic Good
Personality: The easiest way to describe Hina is spiteful. Hina constantly directs words of hatred toward her sister Sara, and is capable and willing to hold a grudge till the day she dies. Hina does have a human sense of right and wrong, deeming all demons as wrong and cursing herself and the rest of her kind for existing. If presented the chance and ability to do the right thing, Hina will take it, and when not allowed to by her sister Sara, will become obviously annoyed by her inability to do so. Hina has bad standings with anyone that's a demon or of similar kind, and hates anything bad that is out of the control of her or the people that it affects. Something Hina always tells herself, as well as will tell others if given the opportunity and the circumstances to which it's relevant, is that if she had the choice, she would rather kill herself than be forced to do the evil deeds of her sister Sara.

Backstory: Since as long as Hina could remember, she's hated being a demon. She never got along with her family, with her "fellow" demons, often getting into arguments and fights. She was always compared to her older sister Sara, and even compared to her younger brother on occasion, treated as the failure of the family. One day, Hina had enough with it. She attempted to leave the Placidus Residence for good, getting to the edge of the residence before being stopped by her mother. In her refusal to cooperate with her mother, Hina unleashed the full of her hatred through her magic, killing the woman and placing the full of the Placidus Family on her back. She was almost immediately caught and imprisoned, scheduled for execution upon the return of her older sister Sara.

Hina didn't believe she could hate demons more than she already did after being imprisoned, but once Sara returned to the family residence and declared that Hina would become her servant rather than be executed, Hina's hatred grew to an all-time high. With Sara's mark placed upon her right cheek, Hina is forced to obey Sara's commands and wishes, though even so she still resists as much as she can. Even with this life of forced service, Hina shows her hatred for demons through refusal to ever make use of her demon form unless forced to by Sara.

Weapons & Armor: N/A
Items & Personal Belongings: N/A
Skills & Abilities: Hina is capable of one thing and one thing only; hating all other demons. Well, she can cook, technically speaking, but that's more related to magic than skills and abilities.
Spells & Magic: Hina is a demon with control over fire. Hina can produce and control fire, including size, shape, and, to an extent, even color, by controlling the heat of the flames.

As a member of the Placidus Family, Hina has the ability to turn into a human form, which changes her physical appearance to become virtually unrecognizable to those who don't already know what she looks like. Seeing as she's more often in human form than not, however, for her it's more like the ability to turn into a demon than to turn into a human.

Spoiler: Demon Form

Weaknesses: Hina is susceptible to holy magic while in her demon form, and, like Sara, loses her capability of flight as well as loses access to a good portion of her magical energy while in human form, although at the benefit of the loss of weakness to holy magic. Water is also a huge counter to her, being a user of fire.


Sara's Monstrosity

A vile creature found in the deepest parts of The Dark Forest, this creature took the full effort of Sara's companions to hold down long enough for Sara to form the contract with the monster. About twice as tall as a normal person while in its crouched position, this monster is extremely strong and able to jump very high, very far, and very fast, although walks very slowly. Its saliva is highly acidic, and its vitals are protected by a red plating that's hard as steel.

This monster is the very reason why Akemi has a pure-black left eye rather than a normal eye, as it had clawed the original eye out during the group's struggle against it, forcing Akemi to use a spare, already-blackened eye.

While contracted by Sara, and thus technically under her control, this creature barely listens to orders given by Sara, its only true compulsion being to kill everything around it, including Sara herself if given the chance.

 

[Fable]

WIP Lore for my Demon-Not-Demon

Dæmon are a race brought about due to an odd union between fey and demons, resulting in this unique race which are both and neither regarding their ancestors. They are easily mistaken for elves by most others, at least until their tail is noticed. They have pointed-ears, tails, fangs, and the males have horns. Originally they resided within the Lower Abyssal Plane, though due to their odd origins, they weren't exactly a welcomed nor considered a native race.

A small part of Limbo broke away and took some of Arborea with is and created this separate mini-plane of existence where they reside.

 

[Reinhardt]

Ragna's Homoncu-maidsHaha yes

1. Louren - One of the youngest homoncu-maids in servitude of Ragna. Her innocence of the world beyond her home, Ragna's Workshop, has made her a rather curious and naive figure.

Spoiler: Appearance

2. Gisela - Ragna's homoncu-maid whose main role is to aid him on his business transactions with various clients. She has this refined aura, and would often act formally.

Spoiler: Appearance

3. Natalie - A homoncu-maid who prides herself as Ragna's bodyguard. Vigilant, and almost acting paranoid - assessing various things as threats despite them being the opposite.

Spoiler: Appearance

4. Reya - The anti-Ragna, as some of the mage scientist's former colleagues would say. Extremely clingy to her creator - flirting and seducing Ragna nonstop until he either snaps and puts her somewhere "safe", or gives in to her allure.

Spoiler: Appearance

5. Nanna - Ragna's first ever genetically modified homonculus. She has attained some cat attributes, such as fans, tails, the stereotypical whisker-marks, and even those fluffy cat ears. She speaks rather strangely, generally adding "nyan" at the end of her speeches.

Spoiler: Appearance

6. Len - A small-framed homoncu-maid, whose combat capabilities are quite unbelievable. Fast and with unexpectedly tremendous strength, she wields two greatswords with ease. She appears to be rather emotionless and would often speak monotonously.

Spoiler: Appearance

A bunch more to be introduced as time goes on.