Bunesh
Filled with DETERMINATION
Setting:
The world of Thandria, a place formed when the bodies of many dead gods combined to create a world of fantasy and wonder. Their skin became the soil, their tears became the seas, and their jutting bones became the mountains. But even dead gods can still dream, and they dreamed life into this world, the myriad races now inhabiting a world of chaos. But dead gods can also have nightmares, regrets, and hate and from these dark emotions sprang forth the Fiends: dangerous creatures with dark dispositions who indulge in wanton violence and destruction to sate some vile appetite. Though some can be kind, these are only the exceptions that prove the rule and tend to advise outsiders not to trust their kin.
Magic:
Magic exists in this world, though it is only native to the Fiends, the other races can utilize magic themselves if they pact with a spirit... or in certain, desperate or wicked situations; a Fiend. Spirits are a combination of the lingering memories of the dead gods and the emotions of the myriad races made manifest, but are unable to exist in the material plane without possessing a material entity, either a corpse, an animal, or in the case of a magic wielder; a mortal's shadow. To pact with a creature you must perform a ritual, one designed to gain attention, though having no innate magical properties in and of itself. Then, you sleep and if you are lucky, you will be approached in your dreams by a spirit who shall bargain with you, offering their power for your shadow. How you perceive these spirits in your dream is how they will exist in the material realm, while you will be marked for all to see as one who has made a pact.
For the entity, they receive a name and in possessing your shadow, a body formed by your dreams and perceptions of them, allowing them to exist in the material world and partake of its many joys and hardships; something they are unable to do in the immaterial plane. However, these entities do not have shadows themselves, while the person who bonded with them will find their own shadow changed to that of the one they are bonded to.
Instead of providing access to a wide array of spells, the pact allows a wielder to use a very specific set of magics, though exactly what power it is can be abstract, as not all spirits are strictly elemental.
Races:
The races are numerous but can generally be divided into five categories: humans, Fae, beasts, draconids, and celestials. Humans are the only race to enjoy their own category and are also the most common race to find in all of Thandria, though why is a mystery. The Fae are individuals who are close to humans in appearance, though all have knife-shaped ears. This can include elves, dwarves, gnomes, or other races with an unusually intense connection to the immaterial. Beasts are those who appear to be part human and part animal, ranging all the way from those who only have some animal features such as eyes, tails, ears, and claws right up to those who look more like bipedal animal variants. Beasts or Beastkin as they are sometimes called are the second most numerous race, though they are often at odds with the other races. Draconids are distantly related to dragons, but are not true dragons themselves. They tend to have coloured skin with patches of scales, tails, horns, claws, fangs, and sometimes the ability to exhale certain elements. Celestials refer to the winged folk, those commonly referred to as angels and demons and their various offspring. These two groups were historically enemies but have since developed a mutual truce and now can work alongside each other with ease, some even marry.
The Plot:
The kingdom of Voln Aur is something of a unique one in Thandria, as it's one of the very few places where all races are not only welcomed, but given all the opportunities afforded to the others. Discrimination is not tolerated here, and carries steep punishments depending on the severity of the infraction. Though not very large, it's situated nicely off the west coast, with its capital being Port Fairgold, the largest trading hub in the area. It's their open acceptance of all races and walks of life that makes the port so wealthy, as other ports often discriminate in the form of raised taxes and tarrifs.
All should be a near paradise for the people of Voln Aur and Port Fairgold, but such is not the case, for within the royal family is a single outlier: Princess Kaedra Voln Aur. The youngest of the royal children, she has often acted out, behaving brashly and treating her servants poorly, though being the youngest of five meant that her antics were often overlooked. Tragically, this only bred outlandish behavior until on her sixteenth birthday, she crippled a dark fae serving girl with her riding crop in an act that went far beyond what could be ignored or passed off as childish jealousy.
Her parents were forced to act, as not disciplining their child in an appropriate way would not only undermine the entire founding of Voln Aur, but sew seeds of downfall for the family itself, as they would be seen as hypocrites. So it was that the Princess was publically tried and convicted, her sentence: to be stripped of her titles and forced to live as a commoner to learn empathy.
At least, that was the public declaration.
The true punishment went a step further, as she was taken to a fleshcrafter, a somewhat friendly fiend who worked for the Voln Aur family as a torturer and dungeon master, and under his cruel knife, was transformed into a Dark Fae herself. Grey skin, white hair, violet eyes, and knife-shaped ears, she would learn truly what others suffered. Then, she was taken and deposited on the outskirts of the Voln Aur lands, forbidden from returning for one year. The transformation was not just a punishment however, but also a sort of protection, for those will ill intent would never think to search for her in that form, as the Voln Aur royal family were humans!
You play an agent of the Voln Aur, someone dispatched to keep an eye on the princess from afar and ensure that she doesn't meet her untimely end, or be taken by those with greater political ambitions. All was well for the first three months, until she vanished under your nose. This should not have been possible, and you searched, learning that she had been taken by bandits while trying to cut through a forest. Easy enough, you find the tribe of bandits, only to learn that the former princess is not with them; they sold her.
Four years you chased her shadow, always one step behind, but eventually you find her, now as living game for foreign nobles. These sadists enjoy hunting down slaves like wild animals, finding it more invigorating than simply chasing deer, wildcats, or birds. Now you need to find a way to extract her and bring her home, but nothing is ever easy, is it? Especially when you learn that Voln Aur has been attacked by an unknown enemy, wielding mind-bending, eldritch powers.
The world of Thandria, a place formed when the bodies of many dead gods combined to create a world of fantasy and wonder. Their skin became the soil, their tears became the seas, and their jutting bones became the mountains. But even dead gods can still dream, and they dreamed life into this world, the myriad races now inhabiting a world of chaos. But dead gods can also have nightmares, regrets, and hate and from these dark emotions sprang forth the Fiends: dangerous creatures with dark dispositions who indulge in wanton violence and destruction to sate some vile appetite. Though some can be kind, these are only the exceptions that prove the rule and tend to advise outsiders not to trust their kin.
Magic:
Magic exists in this world, though it is only native to the Fiends, the other races can utilize magic themselves if they pact with a spirit... or in certain, desperate or wicked situations; a Fiend. Spirits are a combination of the lingering memories of the dead gods and the emotions of the myriad races made manifest, but are unable to exist in the material plane without possessing a material entity, either a corpse, an animal, or in the case of a magic wielder; a mortal's shadow. To pact with a creature you must perform a ritual, one designed to gain attention, though having no innate magical properties in and of itself. Then, you sleep and if you are lucky, you will be approached in your dreams by a spirit who shall bargain with you, offering their power for your shadow. How you perceive these spirits in your dream is how they will exist in the material realm, while you will be marked for all to see as one who has made a pact.
For the entity, they receive a name and in possessing your shadow, a body formed by your dreams and perceptions of them, allowing them to exist in the material world and partake of its many joys and hardships; something they are unable to do in the immaterial plane. However, these entities do not have shadows themselves, while the person who bonded with them will find their own shadow changed to that of the one they are bonded to.
Instead of providing access to a wide array of spells, the pact allows a wielder to use a very specific set of magics, though exactly what power it is can be abstract, as not all spirits are strictly elemental.
Races:
The races are numerous but can generally be divided into five categories: humans, Fae, beasts, draconids, and celestials. Humans are the only race to enjoy their own category and are also the most common race to find in all of Thandria, though why is a mystery. The Fae are individuals who are close to humans in appearance, though all have knife-shaped ears. This can include elves, dwarves, gnomes, or other races with an unusually intense connection to the immaterial. Beasts are those who appear to be part human and part animal, ranging all the way from those who only have some animal features such as eyes, tails, ears, and claws right up to those who look more like bipedal animal variants. Beasts or Beastkin as they are sometimes called are the second most numerous race, though they are often at odds with the other races. Draconids are distantly related to dragons, but are not true dragons themselves. They tend to have coloured skin with patches of scales, tails, horns, claws, fangs, and sometimes the ability to exhale certain elements. Celestials refer to the winged folk, those commonly referred to as angels and demons and their various offspring. These two groups were historically enemies but have since developed a mutual truce and now can work alongside each other with ease, some even marry.
The Plot:
The kingdom of Voln Aur is something of a unique one in Thandria, as it's one of the very few places where all races are not only welcomed, but given all the opportunities afforded to the others. Discrimination is not tolerated here, and carries steep punishments depending on the severity of the infraction. Though not very large, it's situated nicely off the west coast, with its capital being Port Fairgold, the largest trading hub in the area. It's their open acceptance of all races and walks of life that makes the port so wealthy, as other ports often discriminate in the form of raised taxes and tarrifs.
All should be a near paradise for the people of Voln Aur and Port Fairgold, but such is not the case, for within the royal family is a single outlier: Princess Kaedra Voln Aur. The youngest of the royal children, she has often acted out, behaving brashly and treating her servants poorly, though being the youngest of five meant that her antics were often overlooked. Tragically, this only bred outlandish behavior until on her sixteenth birthday, she crippled a dark fae serving girl with her riding crop in an act that went far beyond what could be ignored or passed off as childish jealousy.
Her parents were forced to act, as not disciplining their child in an appropriate way would not only undermine the entire founding of Voln Aur, but sew seeds of downfall for the family itself, as they would be seen as hypocrites. So it was that the Princess was publically tried and convicted, her sentence: to be stripped of her titles and forced to live as a commoner to learn empathy.
At least, that was the public declaration.
The true punishment went a step further, as she was taken to a fleshcrafter, a somewhat friendly fiend who worked for the Voln Aur family as a torturer and dungeon master, and under his cruel knife, was transformed into a Dark Fae herself. Grey skin, white hair, violet eyes, and knife-shaped ears, she would learn truly what others suffered. Then, she was taken and deposited on the outskirts of the Voln Aur lands, forbidden from returning for one year. The transformation was not just a punishment however, but also a sort of protection, for those will ill intent would never think to search for her in that form, as the Voln Aur royal family were humans!
You play an agent of the Voln Aur, someone dispatched to keep an eye on the princess from afar and ensure that she doesn't meet her untimely end, or be taken by those with greater political ambitions. All was well for the first three months, until she vanished under your nose. This should not have been possible, and you searched, learning that she had been taken by bandits while trying to cut through a forest. Easy enough, you find the tribe of bandits, only to learn that the former princess is not with them; they sold her.
Four years you chased her shadow, always one step behind, but eventually you find her, now as living game for foreign nobles. These sadists enjoy hunting down slaves like wild animals, finding it more invigorating than simply chasing deer, wildcats, or birds. Now you need to find a way to extract her and bring her home, but nothing is ever easy, is it? Especially when you learn that Voln Aur has been attacked by an unknown enemy, wielding mind-bending, eldritch powers.
Last edited:
