rambler
The Travelling Storyteller
THE LAND OF TERRA HOSPES
There are arguably 40 billion inhabitable planets within the Milky Way alone. This is one of them...
The foreign land of Terra Hospes is a lush, boisterous world full of all natural beauties and phenomena - mountains and forest, deserts and rivers, lakes and oceans of unmatched magnificence, Yet, probably the most exceptional thing regarding Terra Hospes are its dwellers of both heavenly and earthly origin, who over the centuries have seen both war and peace while in the current times they have come together under the rule of 7 countries, brought even closer by the power of a single religion, whose leader has existed since the beginning of time and walks the earth alongside his believers.
Yes, this is a land in which the Gods traverse the same soil as the commoners. A land in which magic exists together with the ancient sciences. A land in which there live different races of both people and mythical beast that have managed to overcome their differences and coexist. A land of various cultures and believes. A land where civilizations prosper.
RELIGION
Each of the 7 nations possess their own belief systems and patron Deities. However, the main God guarding the world is Erevern, a giant winged lion supposed to be the fatherly being of all of Terra Hospes.
Legend has it that back in the time that the earth still rumbled and spit balls of fire in displeasure and pain, out of the dust and vapor of the land this heavenly being was born. And as the cosmos breathed life into the body of this colossus, he exhaled a shattering roar that in a flash froze time and disintegrated all malevolent maladies that had caused the earth to boil.
Then, with the flop of his winds, fresh air breezed over the still heated lands. With another movement, rain began pouring from the sky and thus Terra Hospes was forever relieved. The water from the heavens, though, brought not only healing but also life as it fed the soil until it gave birth to all the greenery on this planet, which then on its part manifested all other sentient entities. And thus life progressed independently on its course, leaving Erevern to marvel at the sight before him.
He had created a domain so beautiful that he was compelled to walk it and, satisfied with the soft grass under his paws, he continued to journey across the world. He saw everything there was to see - each nook and cranny - until he was satisfied with this creation. Yet, the God was feeling lonely and thus he decided for one last time to use his wings and give birth to other Deities to rule over all beings that had been created.
The above is only a small part of what is written in the Caelestis - the holy book of Terra Hospes - which was written by a Demigod child, who was supposedly visited by Erevern himself in a dream and given the task to write down the history of this world. Legend has it that it took her 100 years to complete.
CULTURES
There are many different cultures on Terra Hospes depending on the region. In relation to the ones of Earth, they are very similar - from those of the Far East, to the Middle East, to Scandinavian ones to Native American ones, the planet provides one with everything and anything imaginable.
ANTHROPOI
The most numerous dwellers of Terra Hospes, these creatures are also the "dullest" of them all. With no exceptional outer features nor powers, they are pretty much the equivalent of the Earthly humans. However, as is the case with mankind, that of the Anthropoi hides within itself unimaginable diversity - different skin-colors, genders, believes, behaviors, appearances as well as ranks within society, all of which make it a tough job to generalize this race. Well, taking up the largest part of the population, it would be obvious that these creatures would be found anywhere, doing all sorts of jobs. After all, they hold innumerable positions from the highest classes of society to the poorest ghettos, which makes for a very peculiar hierarchy
Royals - the monarchs - kings, queens, princes, princesses and all other sorts of aristocrats - are predominantly Anthropoi. This is not due to this race being generally suited for leadership, yet it is true that many members of it possess the right qualities or are just born into the luxury of a high-class position. This is the cast of the ruling, whose job is to govern over the people and deal with general politics, wars, foreign relationships. Despite this, their lives are very leisurely and pompous
Warriors - fighters of all sorts that serve under a particular nation's rule. Here Anthropoi are, again, employed in large numbers. The duties that are carried out by this cast are governing over the peace, fighting in wars, carrying out combat training or simply participating in other types of authorities such as the militia
Workers - from the rich merchant to the poor farmer, barely able to make ends meet, in this group are housed all individuals that win their bread and butter through hard and legal work. Any and all occupations aside from political and combat ones fall here - arts and crafts, trade, farming, transportation, education and so forth. As a result, this is the most diverse cast of them all
Rogues - the lowest of low, shunned by society, who, however, govern and rule over the Underground world of Terra Hospes. Here reside criminals and enemies of the government - murderers, drug dealers, forgers,
thieves, traitors - who either work alone or occasionally form their own little organizations, thus breathing life into the giant disgusting organism that is the black market of this land
DEUSI
The beings that govern over this world - Gods. They are wondrous, rare and royal beings with a very diverse appearances that range from animal forms to humanoid ones. However, one thing they all share in common - a divine aura. One, naturally, finds it hard exactly how to describe this shinning presence of theirs, as only the Deusi can perceive it with their eyesight, yet everyone else can feel that they carry a very soothing and wise, yet strong, presence. According to these extraordinary creatures themselves, the various auras possess different colors depending on the ability they carry since Deusi govern over various things - the elements, time, life, death, war. However, this only stands for the most pure Gods as there exist two types in this world
Wandering Gods - the original Deities and the current true rulers of Terra Hospes. In spite of the fact that royals play all political games, these Deusi control the planet itself as well as different aspect of life. They are so close to this world that they walk it together with the other races (hence the alias "wandering Gods"), albeit hiding their true form behind that of a majestic beast whether it be a lion, horse, dragon or other animal. Rumor has it that their actual appearance strikingly resembles that of an Anthropoi but is far more beautiful. Aside from harboring certain powers, the wandering Gods are also known to occasionally come into contact with people, primarily of aristocratic background, and guide as well as aid them while in need
Demigods - the lower, yet still magnificent, Deities of Terra Hospes that not only live among people but also act like them as well. Although it is known that the wandering Gods have existed since the beginning of time, no one is sure how Demigods came into existence. According to the religion of Terra Hospes, however, all of them allegedly were supposed to be born as Anthropoi but were granted extraordinary powers by the wandering Gods while still in the womb of their mothers. These abilities are that of prophesy, healing, mysticism, magic, knowledge and youth as the Demigods take centuries to age and thus most of them have existed for a long time already. Due to their affinities these entities take on the roles of religious figures like shamans, helping to establish contact with the grander Deusi, as well as doctors and people of medicine
DAEMONS
The cunning, secretive horned people of this land. One might dub them devils and traitors, yet the virtues of Daemons outweigh the flaws. After all, they are probably the closest race to the Deuci that surpass Anthropoi in almost all aspects - intelligence, strength, determination, talent and even beauty. They appearance is very close to that of the "humans" if not for the horns that adorn their heads or the occasional peculiar tint (red, blue, etc) of the skin of some of their brethren. Maybe it is exactly these attributes that give out a the very dual nature of Daemons since aside from being knowledgeable leaders they are also very selfish and sly beings
Royals - the only reason for there being less Daemon aristocrats than Anthropoi is the mere fact that their numbers are smaller. Yet, as mentioned above, this race is renowned for its sharp-wit and leadership skills
Wise-men - knowledge is their specialty and many of them prefer the solitude that the position of an adviser provides. When in trouble, people of all classes always search for a Daemon's advice. Well, some poorer individuals might find it hard to afford the services of the horned creatures as they aren't cheap. Some positions that fall into this category are royal adviser, personal adviser, war strategist and so forth
Guardians - there is a good number of Daemons that dislike the company of others and are avert to being a part of society. However, no government can afford wasting the talent of the horned creatures and thus the antisocial lot of them are generally employed as the guards of great riches, valuable items, treaties, libraries, places of high importance or even people
Malicious spirits - there are, of course, some that refuse to go by any nation's whim and thus oppose it. After all, Daemons are very powerful spirits so they should very well be able to rebel successfully. And this they do... through becoming a part of the Underground and creating criminal organizations that they lead with an iron fist
CONMUTATS
The wolves in sheep clothing, or rather beats in human skin, these beings are the true military force of this land. While Anthropoi do make for a large army and Daemons have what it takes to lead said army into battle, Conmutats possess all the required combat skills. This does make them sound like heartless brutes, and some certainly are, yet their aces do not lie solely in raw force but also in calculation and a good understanding of any opponent. This is mostly thanks to the fact that these mutants of a sort have a close relationship with "the wild", which allows them to tap into their primal instincts and use them. As a result, they make for unmatched generals, special officers and spies. However, some do prefer to hide their animalistic nature and live among the common folk in the working class on Anthropoi. These mainly applies to the first type of Conmutats as one of their forms is that of an Anthropoi. Just watch out to not anger them or the other form may surface and these entities are known to be short-tempered
Shapeshifters - this is the variety of Conmutats that possess a dual nature like the Daemons. However, shapeshifters literally have two forms - one of a most usual Anthropoin and one of an animal of any sort. This also makes for two behaviors in one person - a rational and an impulsive one - meaning they aren't the most well-balanced and reliable people. And yet, their skills - flexibility, instinctive reactions, heightened sense of smell, sight, hearing and so forth - make them suitable for very delicate positions such as officers and political spies. Some find it hard to deal with the pressure of being a Conmutat and instead retreat into a life of solitude and relaxation, residing only within their Anthropoi form and forsaking the animal one
Humanoids - these Conmutats aren't really granted the choice between a "human" and a beast appearance since they were born with both of them. They are the humanoids who possess all of the brute strength of the Conmutats and are infamous for playing important military roles throughout the history of Terra Hospes. Ironically, regardless of being beastly outlook-wise, they are more pacifistic than the shapeshifters
BELUAS
The wildlife of Terra Hospes. Here fall of of the living sentient organisms living on the planet that are not humanoid in appearance. These creatures mostly dwell in the isolated, uninhabited parts of this world. However, it is true that civilization has been able to tame some of them and thus employ them to help further their own growth
Companions - these are the domestic Beluas, who live within the homes of people and provide them with affection and advice. They are capable of speech unlike their kin in the wild and as a result make for good friends. One might think that due to their ability to communicate they could be mistaken for wandering gods, seeing as the deities favor an animal form, yet the companion Beluas are characterized by their small sizes, which on the other hand are unheard of among the Gods. So, with their sentience as well as talkativeness, who wouldn't want one of them as a pet. Fortunately, there are many species to choose from - canines, felines, miniature dragons, sea creatures! The list just goes on
Monstrum - these are the larger (actually, massive) kin of the domestic companions. Monstrum are creatures that reside either in the wild or are forced into manual labor by people. They are known for their strength as well as potential danger since most can easily overpower a mere Anthropoi. It makes one wonder why they would ever be tamed by anyone and then used for work, yet things such as transportation and farming would be unthinkable without the help of these various Beluas - dragons, giant bulls, pegasi and other Monstrum
MUTS
One would suppose that the lowest residents on Terra Hospes would be the Beluas. Yet, they would be wrong since this world is one where breeding between races is forbidden. Not by law but rather by an unwritten rule. However, flings and accidents happen regularly among the poorer classes while forbidden love is something that many aristocrats engage in regularly. Whether through unfortunate mistakes or by the power of true love, the so-called Muts exits - crossbreeds, who have to endure oppression and discrimination on part of everyone else. They are viewed as worse than garbage and looked down upon, laughed at. Some might say that the Muts should attempt to hide, seeing as their appearance isn't too revealing of their mixed origins, yet every single one of them is marked upon birth by something to differ them from the rest - a blemish (deformation or illness). This flaw varies from person to person and in some it might be more dominant, though everyone can point out a Mut from the otherwise healthy population
Servants - the mass of people do hate Muts and don't even view them as living being, yet there are people that actually take sympathy on these poor creatures and attempt to aid them. Of course, most occupations are unattainable for the crossbreeds but that of servants always has open vacancies
Exiles - most mixed individual, however, are not fortunate enough to stumble upon a high-class person to take them into their household and are thus left to live on the streets. What is left for such plagued beings is only to begin dabbling in crime. Well, even the disgusting personages of the Underground detest Muts, yet at least there they can make a living alone or be employed by some organization
MAGIC
Terra Hospes is a land governed by unseen forces. The soil itself is soaked with it - this natural power of life - and once in a while there come along individuals capable of absorbing and then utilizing said life-force. Call them whatever you wish - wizards, mages, witches - but they merely dub themselves "gifted" - students of the art of the aura
The aura is the godly shine that the Deities emit and the "gifted" are capable of training their body and mind in acquiring such an affinity. There are different types of "magic" depending solely on color
White - omnipotent magic - is reserved only for the Gods and grants them the ability to give life or take life, traverse the time and space as well as bend them, immortality and all other heavenly skills
Black - creational magic - this magic grants the user the ability to create inanimate objects of any sorts like weaponry, furniture, food, etc
Red - emotional magic - is one of the hardest types of learn, though it is certainly a strong one since it gives the user the ability to manipulate other's emotions through various means whether it be music, words, gestures, eye-contact, etc
Grey - mind magic - the most difficult one to acquire, there have only been a dozen users since the history of Terra Hospes, yet all of them are seen as the most powerful and dangerous people since their ability is to manipulate what the person thinks or does, give another fake memories and even steal their knowledge just through a simple touch
Brown - elemental magic - the most common type of magic and the beginner level that each aspiring "gifted" is taught, though this does not mean that it cannot have a destructive force since its users are able to manipulate through spells and gestures elements such as water, fire, earth, wind, ice, light, darkness, wood and so forth
Blue - personal magic - this is a very odd type of magic as it does not influence others but rather only the user since through it one can enhance their beauty, intelligence, strength and pretty much everything else as long as others are not involved
Despite there being many other colors, these are the ones that people have been able to figure out thus far
With these many variations of "magic" and many various ways to put them to use, there naturally come some rules and limitations
- One cannot have more than one aura. However, it is possible to begin with the Brown one and then switch to a different type
- One cannot utilize their ability without a "summoning ritual" depending on the type of "magic" they use (chant, eye-contact, gestures, etc.)
- One cannot overthrow the laws of nature which were set by Erevern at the beginning of time, meaning that if the situation in which the "gifted" has found themselves doesn't allow for the magic to be used then it is truly impossible (for example using Black magic when there is not enough space for the object of your choice to manifest itself or using Brown magic for the water element when, in reality, there are no liquids nearby)
- Before using their abilities outside of a special academy for the arts of aura, a "gifted" has to have been practicing for at least 10 years. Otherwise they endanger themselves as well as everyone around them and may end up dead
- If one should decide to use their powers against the government then by the hand of Erevern they shall be stripped of all aura and life-force, becoming a walking shell of their former self
TECHNOLOGY AND THE SCIENCES
In a world governed by Gods, where magic takes up a central part of everyday life, there has never been a need for technological advancement but rather a spiritual one. Thus, people still mostly traverse via carriages pulled by horse-like creatures, hot-air balloons and bicycles. It is true that magic has maid teleportation possible but that's about it
One thing that does co-evolve and coexist alongside "aura" is science - Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Philosophy, Mathematics - and there are many Universities across the land that specialize the young in these and many other subjects. These aspiring professionals are taught by the best of the best wise-men, primarily Daemons, and continue to help the land prosper
- One cannot have more than one aura. However, it is possible to begin with the Brown one and then switch to a different type
In short, this is how I expect the game to work - there will be 7 nations in total, each with their own unique laws, flag, trades, culture, religion, patron God, traditions, monarch and so forth. Due to the number of countries there will be 7 IC tab including an additional one for Terra Hospes on a whole, meaning there shall be 8 simultaneous storylines in total.
Right now 6 roleplayers may reserve a nation for themselves (first come first serve), seeing as I have already taken one up for myself, and will then have to fill in a specific CS in the official thread. All rpers in the game can play as many characters as they want from any nation, however it would be better if the nationbuilders would recruit other people to take on different personages.
So, you don't have to have a country of your own to join the RP - you can just play a character from one of the nations or maybe a rogue living outside of society and opposing all governments. While on the topic of personas - one can choose to create a character belonging to any of the races mentioned.
A little warning now - I will be judging your countries as well as characters very very harshly (not in a destructive sense but rather a constructive one) so be prepared for that
Hopefully I have picked your interest
Hello there, prospective roleplayer. I certainly hope that the little world I came up with has got your attention. I don't know if this RP on my mind world work, yet giving it a short is totally worth it.
I want to create a world together with you guys on which there will be 7 nations in total (meaning that there are 6 spots free, seeing as I will be taking one) with varying religions, cultures, laws and so forth. This implies that many people will have to be involved in order to play various people from aristocrats to Muts. For that reason I will not be setting a character limit per roleplayer, though I do have some specific requirements regarding any possible participants - this will be an advanced game so I am looking for people willing to write a lot and delve into character creation wholeheartedly. On the topic of characters, I will be judging your personages harshly if you actually wish to join in. Also, one favorable feature would be commitment - don't quit in the middle of the RP or, if you do, inform me beforehand.
That's pretty much all for now. More rules will be posted in the original thread if anyone actually decides to participate. Lets create this world together.
Hello there, prospective roleplayer. I certainly hope that the little world I came up with has got your attention. I don't know if this RP on my mind world work, yet giving it a short is totally worth it.
I want to create a world together with you guys on which there will be 7 nations in total (meaning that there are 6 spots free, seeing as I will be taking one) with varying religions, cultures, laws and so forth. This implies that many people will have to be involved in order to play various people from aristocrats to Muts. For that reason I will not be setting a character limit per roleplayer, though I do have some specific requirements regarding any possible participants - this will be an advanced game so I am looking for people willing to write a lot and delve into character creation wholeheartedly. On the topic of characters, I will be judging your personages harshly if you actually wish to join in. Also, one favorable feature would be commitment - don't quit in the middle of the RP or, if you do, inform me beforehand.
That's pretty much all for now. More rules will be posted in the original thread if anyone actually decides to participate. Lets create this world together.
