[M] Ilscaria: City of Heroes

[Mr. Rope]

This RP is rated [M], because there will be copious amounts of blood and gore, as well as an indeterminate possibility of drugs, alcohol, and things your grandmother might faint at the sight of.


Ru Is so helpful, isn't she?
IC Thread


Floor Plan of the Iradei

Spoiler: How it all began 

And then we did.

At a scant four years old, the city-state of Ilscaria is the youngest established nation on the map as well as one of the smallest, yet is one of the most notable regardless. While a handful of other countries will accept nonhuman citizens, Ilscaria is the only to welcome them with open arms, eager to have as wide of a demographic as possible within their population. Because of this, Ilscaria is the only human settlement in which there are just as many nonhumans walking the streets as there are humans, if not more.

Most Ilscarians took part in the war that led to its founding, and as such, exhibit ferocious nationalism and loyalty to their leader, Dagan Aretino. While disputes between races are not uncommon, there’s no real feud to be seen, and they are, for the most part, “in it together”.

What makes Ilscaria significant to other nations, however, is the staggering amount of notable figures who have settled down within its borders. There are so many famous names, in fact, that Ilscaria has earned the nickname “City of Heroes,” and despite their small size, even the massive Empire exhibits a reluctance to butt heads with them.

It is in Ilscaria that our adventure begins, as officials from countries across the continent gather in the capital building to conduct diplomacy and enjoy a massive, city-wide masquerade.

The common theme of masquerades, however, is anonymity - an anonymity that will soon open the gates to far more trouble than anyone could have anticipated.

Spoiler: More about the plot 

You're in or around the tower that serves as Ilscaria's castle, enjoying the celebration or possibly moping on the sidelines because you're too cool for frivolities.

All hell breaks loose.

We embark on a grand adventure.

Specifics are going to be withheld for the time being because reasons.

---

About the World

Spoiler: MAP, Courtesy of the lovely Sin. 

Spoiler: Notable Nations (That aren't Ilscaria) 

The Western Empire

Usually referred to simply as “The Empire,” the Western Empire is the largest country in the known world, and until the founding of Ilscaria roughly four years ago, none would argue that it was the most powerful, as well. Consisting of nearly a full third of the entire continent, the Empire’s sheer size has warded off any potential invaders for the past hundred or so years.
The chief tool in the Empire’s arsenal is political power, and its citizens often imitate this: They’ll rarely confront you directly before making every possible effort to exploit a legal loophole or manipulate someone else to get what they want.
The Empire’s population is made up entirely of two groups: Humans and slaves. Anyone who can be easily identified as something besides human can be captured, bought, and sold as property within the borders of the Empire. Because of this, unguarded villages and smaller countries often deal with raids by slavers looking for a new shipment to make some coin off of. This particular policy has spread throughout much of the continent, and a vast majority of nations will dehumanize and enslave anything not human.


Archaea

The purest definition of a warrior nation, Archaea is located in the northernmost reaches of the continent. Between their near-constant state of war and the unforgiving climate of the frozen mountain range that they populate, citizens of Archaea are bred tough or die young. Diplomacy with Archaea always involves a contest of strength, and it’s often said that the best way to make friends with am Archaean politician is to punch them in the jaw.
Archaeans are hardy and rough around the edges. They can survive in all but the coldest of climates entirely naked if need be, and are most comfortable wearing the minimum in terms of clothing, no matter what the environment is. They may not be the kindest of people, but you can always count on an Archaean to be honest and direct – They’re far too proud of themselves to cheat and lie.
Unlike most nations, Archaea has no qualms with non-humans, with the exception of elves. For reasons undisclosed to outsiders, Archaeans harbor a bitter hatred of elves, and their villages and military encampments often display the severed heads of slain elves on pikes as a warning to would-be attackers.



Holt

Holt is a small village located on the eastern end of the continent, well away from the Empire and prospective slavers. Its existence is a secret kept by those few who can be trusted, all established roads are far enough away that Holt is nowhere to be seen on the horizon, and any maps that reveal Holt’s location are kept safely out of the hands of the general public.
The reason for this secrecy is because the population of Holt is made up entirely of Human crossbreeds: Kitsune, Lamias, and Dragon-people are just a few of the sort of people one might find in Holt. As such, were the location of Holt to find its way into the hands of the Empire, the entire area would be swarming with slavers eager to claim the massive fortune available for them. Holt is a haven for those reviled by the rest of the world for what they are, and under the guidance and protection of Makiko Keibetsu, they have managed to thus far maintain their simple, peaceful existence. While they don’t harbor any particular animosity towards humans, most of Holt’s population is extremely distrustful of them, and for good reason.
In recent years, a small handful of Holt’s residents have been venturing to Ilscaria after hearing stories of their inclusive demeanor, eager to finally be able to live in, as they put it, ‘The real world’. For those who enjoy the uneventful, peaceful life that an isolated village can bring, however, Holt is a permanent home.

Spoiler: Notable Races 

Aeternus(<--Henceforth, non-playable.)
Hundreds of years ago, when humans were still minority in the continent’s population, there was another race, all but identical in appearance. What they possessed, however, was a lifespan that has never truly been tested – Whenever an Aeternus met their end, it was through disease or steel, never age. Despite this, their population remained relatively small, and the whole of them resided in a single massive city-state: The first Ilscaria.
The Aretino family had ruled over Ilscaria for as long as their expansive history could measure – nearly ten thousand years, divided among ten generations of the Aretino family. At twenty five years of age, Prince Dagan Aretino was everything one could expect from an aspiring ruler of such a respected family: Powerful, heroic, and arrogant beyond all comprehension. Upon becoming king at such a young age, Dagan expected an easy job: Conflict was rare to the Aeternus. After all, who could hope to best a thousand-year-old warrior in combat? The opponent that would become Dagan’s undoing, however, was not one that could be fought.
In some divine prank, the Aeternus were stricken with two plagues nearly simultaneously: Disease and infertility. The numbers of his people began to dwindle at an alarming rate as deaths began to add up and no new children were born. When Ilscaria’s population fell to no more than one thousand, they were beset upon by a massive raid by a neighboring human settlement, and the last of their population was soundly cut down in what could only be described as a bloody massacre.
Until the reemergence of Dagan Aretino four years ago, this had been the last anyone had heard of the Aeternus.

Rockmen
Their simplistic name reflects their simplistic existence: Rockmen are animated masses of stone, resembling human anatomy in only the most basic, crude manner. Most of them are large, at least seven feet tall extraordinarily heavy. Most Rockmen spend their entire lives underground, burrowing slowly through the dirt and barely possessing any cognitive thought.
Some, however, exhibit a higher level of existence, and their desire for companionship and meaning eventually brings them to the surface. After a painful adjustment to the light of the sun, Rockmen settle into life as best they can. If they’re lucky, the first civilization they encounter is a small village or more accepting nation, and they’re appreciated as labor workers and treated as an equal. Otherwise, Rockmen find themselves to be a common target among slavers, as their ignorance to the ways of the world and massive strength make them ideal victims.
Rockmen can hear and understand speech, but cannot talk themselves. Instead, they rely on gestures and weak, contact-based telepathy to communicate with others. They don’t need to eat, nor do they have a mouth to do so, but when a Rockman is injured, he can mend the wound by replacing the lost stone with any common rocks found on the ground, which will fuse to his body and smooth out to become a seamless part of the central body. Over time, Rockmen will inherit the properties of any stones they are composed of, causing moderate variance in the strength and properties of different Rockmen.


Crossbreeds
“Crossbreed” is the blanket term used to describe any creature who has the traits of both a human and another creature. The most well known of these are Kitsune and Lamias, which are coveted by rich slave owners across the continent for their majestic and exotic appearances. Crossbreeds make up a vast majority of the slave population, with their market values fluctuating as widely as the diversity of the ‘race’ itself.
It’s difficult to describe crossbreeds because they’re simply so varied and numerous that an in-depth description of all of them would fill multiple volumes of textbooks. Their intellect, lifespan, appearance, and strengths all depend on what animal’s qualities they share, and to what degree. Kitsune have a tendency to be frail, but carry an intelligence that increases exponentially as they grow older. Mantis-people, on the other hand, are quick, powerful, and natural killers, but are often unintelligent to nearly comedic degrees.


Humans
Humans are common, diverse, and boring. You know exactly what a human is. Fuck off.


Demons
A rare sight in the civilized world, Demons almost seem to life in a separate plane, living parallel to ours and mimicking our lives in twisted ways – They have their own “people”, their own “beasts”, and their own social hierarchy. That is, they CLAIM to have their own social hierarchy. No signs of Demon society have been seen yet, and every bit of information on them is merely hearsay from what Demons have wandered into human territory.
Despite what most think, Demons are not inherently evil – though they do have a tendency to be. They do, however, seem to live in a much darker reality than the rest of the world, and don’t view most crimes in the same degree of severity as we do; to a demon, the act of murder may be reprehensible, but it’s hardly the unforgivable crime that humans view it as.
Demons come in many shapes and sizes, from the tantalizingly human Succubus to eldritch abominations that even the most unshakable of men would shriek at the sight of. Little is known about their culture, except for what snippets of information that the more forthcoming of their kind have shared. Most, if not all demons, have a strong connection to magic, and some can manipulate it in ways that human mages can only dream of.

Spoiler: Important NPCs 

Spoiler: Dagan Aretino 

Name: Lord Dagan Aretino
Gender: Male
Age: 529
Race/Species: Unknown
Place of Residence: Ilscaria

Appearance: Were it not for his apparent immortality, Dagan would be indistinguishable from a normal human. At 6’4”, with a powerful, muscular build, Dagan is just about as physically imposing as they come. His jet-black hair is kept short, at only an inch or two long in any given place, and his face displays a perpetual frown of someone with far too much responsibility to smile. Most notable, however, are Dagan’s bright red eyes, which serve as the only indicator of his inhuman origins.
Despite his status as royalty, there are few occasions where Dagan can’t be seen in armor while out in public. Pitch-black in color, with jagged spikes protruding from its pauldrons, Dagan’s armor, coupled with his own appearance, leaves him resembling an evil overlord remarkably closely – a trait that his detractors are more than willing to exploit in their depictions of him. A red, ankle-length cape is attached to his armor at the shoulders, but loosely enough where, should it get caught or pulled on during combat, it would simply fall away to prevent any serious consequences.

Weapons/Equipment: Dagan’s heavy armor is constructed of a metal whose secrets were lost along with his people, and is unlikely to falter against any physical impact. He also possesses a two-handed greatsword, though where on his person he keeps it remains a mystery.
Skills, Strengths, and Abilities: Dagan is a born leader, and his voice carries a tone of assurance that makes people trust in his decisions, even when he may not. As a warrior-king, though, he keeps himself in top physical condition, and can effectively handle a sword.
In tandem with his already sinister appearance, Dagan also has a grasp of dark magic that most modern mages would deem to be inherently evil – not the least of which being necromancy.

Personality: With the blood of his race on his hands, Dagan has been left jaded and seemingly incapable of genuine happiness. He rarely smiles, and to see him laugh is nearly unheard of. Dagan operates under a strict policy of “think, then act,” and is never one to jump to conclusions or make judgments without considering their merits. When he DOES act, however, his action is firm, swift, and without mercy.
Dagan’s sense of justice has earned him the trust of many powerful allies, and as such, he is one of the few individuals who have been trusted with the location of Holt.

Bio: When the arrogant young Dagan Aretino’s city-state was attacked five hundred years ago, every single one of its residents were killed in the chaos.
Except Dagan.
Passed out from injuries in a sea of blood-soaked bodies, he had been counted among the dead as his assailants stripped the city-state of its valuables and departed, leaving Dagan as the sole survivor, and the king who had allowed his entire species to be killed in a genocide under his watch.
Wracked with guilt and stripped of any meaning in life, Dagan spent the next several centuries in seclusion. What madness he partook in during this time remains a mystery, but when he emerged, Dagan was a changed man. Finding a nearby human settlement being mistreated by its rulers, Dagan rallied its people under his banner, and overthrew the government, taking the land for himself and giving it a new name: Ilscaria.

Spoiler: Makiko Keibetsu 

Name: Makiko Keibetsu, “Maki”
Gender: Female
Age: 512
Race/Species: Kitsune
Place of Residence: Holt
Appearance: Makiko is fair-skinned with large, green eyes and a slender frame, having the overall appearance of a young woman barely into adulthood. She’s is fairly tall for a woman, at 5’10, and her presence practically oozes a sense of natural elegance. As a kitsune, Makiko possesses two furry, pointed fox ears situated atop her head, as well as a total of nine vulpine tails protruding from her back, just above her rump. Her head of straight, ash-blonde hair flows as far as her waist, its color matching that of her fur.
Exhibiting a staunch refusal to alter her behavior or dress for what she deems to be “pointless human formalities,” Makiko is almost invariably garbed in a white, wide-sleeved kimono, expertly crafted to allow each of her tails to move about freely without any obvious disturbances or openings in the fabric. Despite the fact that she’s barefoot a vast majority of the time, not a speck of dirt or debris can be seen on her feet.
Weapons/Equipment: N/A
Skills, Strengths, and Abilities: Cunning, lithe, and ever-so magical, Makiko is every bit as dangerous as a nine-tailed fox could be expected to be. While not physically powerful or sturdy, she possesses enough speed and wit to evade danger rather than endure it, and enough devastatingly powerful magic to obliterate her opponents just as well, most often with fire. Few can boast the affinity with fire that Makiko has, and fewer still possess the mastery and control over it that she does.
Personality: Lofty and composed, Makiko is unlikely to lose her cool in any situation simply because she views the whole squabble as being beneath her. As such, she has a tendency to be blunt, and views everyone in a highly critical eye, especially humans, for whom she harbors deep contempt for their recent crimes. Oftentimes, her frequently sarcastic nature can make it difficult to tell if Makiko finds you and your actions to be endearing and amusing, or simply irritating.
Despite her proud nature, or perhaps because of it, Makiko considers people of “her kind” to be her responsibility, and will work tirelessly in their best interests when necessary. In a way, she’s almost like a mother figure to the village of Holt.
Bio: Makiko is one of the few alive today who remembers the fall of the Aeternus, though she was barely even a child when it happened. Over the course of her life, Makiko has borne witness, time and time again, to countless demonstrations of the human race using their overwhelming numbers to strong-arm other races into submission. After seeing so much ill-intent in execution spanning entire centuries, Makiko’s optimism eroded down to nothing, leaving her a cynical, distrustful recluse. When the Empire began its slave trade, Makiko, along with a few other crossbreeds, migrated east, far away from the Empire’s grasp. They eventually settled down in the area that would later become the village of Holt.
Originally, Holt was never meant to be a permanent settlement. As its ideal position became apparent, though, and as more and more crossbreeds fleeing the Empire began turning up, it became obvious that Holt would be there to stay, and that it would be Makiko’s responsibility.

Spoiler: Yuiska Ornstein 

Name: Yuiska Ornstein, “The Green Dragon”
Gender: Female
Age: Judging from appearances, one would be inclined to say 20~23, but the continuity of her life has been skewed beyond all recognition.
Race/Species: Human?
Place of Residence: Ilscaria
Appearance:

Spoiler: Do you like pictures? 

Weapons/Equipment: Yuiska almost always has Ignis Caesor, a large spear, slung over her shoulder. While possessing no special properties, it is nonetheless the stuff of legend. Seemingly cleaved from a single block of solid metal, Ignis Caesor is far too heavy for most warriors to swing, even with two hands. Its great weight and neigh indestructibility, however, grants Yuiska an unwieldy power, piercing through all but the thickest of defenses, and in one magnificent, well-organized case, even cleaving through the neck of an adult dragon in a single swing.

Skills, Strengths, and Abilities: Yuiska is a born warrior, and her physical abilities seemingly break the boundaries of what should be human limitations. Strong like a bull, agile like a monkey, Yuiska’s skill on the battlefield is, quite literally, mythical.

Personality: Despite being a petite young lady, Yuiska falls under the Boisterous Bruiser archetype. She laughs louder, drinks more, and hits harder than anyone, man or woman, that she knows. As far as she's concerned, life is one big joke, and every brawl she gets into is another punchline. While generally fun to be around, the frail or weak-of-heart will find that her playfully aggressive attitude is more than they can handle. More cynical or prideful folk, as well, could easily be put off by Miss Ornstein's smug confidence in herself.
Time spent in isolation, however, has given Yuiska a soft spot for companionship and a feeling of belonging. Most Ilscarians who fought in the war can recall her breaking down into a flustered mess of tears and laughter at the joy she felt in being loved and appreciated by the new country’s people.

Bio: There is not a single person who does not know the legend of Yuiska Ornstein, the Green Dragon.

Born a bastard child and given up by her parents, Yuiska was raised in the camp of a large band of mercenaries by her uncle. With little opportunity to pursue more feminine activities, and even less desire to do so, Yuiska was instead drawn to combat, enthusiastically watching the sparring matches of her uncle’s comrades. As soon as she was old enough to properly swing the lightest weapon in the camp, she started rigorously training to become a warrior, and her uncle, relieved that he wouldn’t have to bend over backwards to find a way to make his niece happy, was all too willing to instruct her.
Even before she could lift a longsword, it was obvious that Yuiska was destined for greatness, and by the time she’d reached adulthood, the name Ornstein was already enough to make entire military forces lay down their arms in surrender to avoid facing her in combat, giving her the moniker “Green Dragon” to represent her ferocity in battle. This would prove to be her undoing, however.
Overtaken by boredom and desperate for an opponent that could give her a proper fight, Yuiska took to personally challenging other well-known names to duels, even challenging two or three at a time. Her tactic failed, and in her frustration, Yuiska determined that without a fear for their life, none of her opponents were properly applying themselves.
And so she became a highwayman, ambushing renowned warriors and forcing them to fight for their lives, and as the fatalities piled at her feet, so too did the bounty pile on her head, until Yuiska was the single most wanted criminal on the continent. Unwanted by society and unwelcome in the civilized world, Yuiska disappeared into a massive, sprawling forest, never to be seen again.

...Or at least, that’s the story. Written by a famous storyteller, “The Epic of The Green Dragon” is a seven-volume collection of fictional tales depicting a fictional hero’s life, and there are few people born in the last several hundred years who were not read at least one of these books by their parents as a bedtime story.
It came as quite the shock to the world, then, when someone whose name, appearance, mannerisms, abilities, and story perfectly matched that of the Green Dragon made their appearance in the real world, fighting by Dagan Aretino’s side to gain control of what later became Ilscaria.

---

Spoiler: Rules! 

1) I'm not asking for perfect spelling and grammar, but at least try. Run your post through a spellcheck before you reply, and remember to capitalize and punctuate. If I don't see a period until the end of a massive paragraph, there's a problem.
2) We haven't ceased to be on RPA - all rules for RPA, as well as the Mature section specifically, still apply.
3)For the time being, there IS a one character limit. I don't expect this RP to become large enough where you'd need two characters to experience everything fully, and until that changes, you'll need to settle for one character. So, yes, you ARE going to have to interact with other players.
4) Not every post needs to be a book, but I do ask for a minimum of two paragraphs per post. If you can't think of anything, or simply don't think your character has much to do in the given situation, then just mention in the OOC that you'll be sitting that round of posting out.
5) If you're not sure about whether or not you're allowed to do something, PM me about it. I'd rather you not write about killing a major NPC and then have to go back to fix it because you weren't actually allowed to.
6) Find a balance of power. Your character isn't going to be Murder VonMurderson, Death-King of Everything, but he also isn't going to be Strawlegs McWetnoodle.
7) Did you read the rules? Neat! Make sure you put your CS in a spoiler tag labeled "Character Application: [Character Name]" so that I know you read everything.
8) Also by the way guys I'm sort of in charge here because I'm the GM
[Update!]
9) Your character is not immune to death. I won't be knocking them off for tiny mistakes, but they won't be surviving anything blatantly suicidal. Did they just dive into an army of monsters by themselves? Dead. Decided to take a swim in lava? Dead. You stopped posting two months ago? MAYBE dead.
[Update 2: Electric Bugaloo]
10) All IC posts need to be in the third person. So, yes, if your character is genderless, like, say, a magical wisp, you'll have to think of something. In the English language, masculine pronouns are most commonly used for the genderless. Or you could go by the sound of their voice. I dunno.

Character Creation

A note about character creation.

Those few races listed are not, by any stretch of the imagination, the only ones that you are allowed to choose from. Rather, they are simply the most culturally significant races (Excluding your stereotypical forest-dwelling elves). And also the ones I could think of.
The emphasis in character creation here is on freedom. Feel free to make your character any sort of critter that you want, but keep in mind that if it isn’t listed, you’ll probably need to include a description with your sheet.

This same rule applies to countries: If you wish, feel free to create a nation for your character to hail from, keep in mind, however, that you'll need to explain its geographical location relative to one of the listed countries, and give some information about it.

Spoiler: CS 

Name: This is where your name goes, as well as any nicknames.
Gender: Male or female, please. If your character’s species doesn’t have genders, “N/A” will suffice.
Age: If you can’t figure this one out, you need to go home.

Race/Species: Human? Elf? Squid? Where is your character’s place in the animal kingdom? Are they even an animal? Are you some sort of magic wisp?
Country of Residence: Where does your character live?

Appearance: Pictures are nice. Words are also nice. Use either. Or both.

Weapons/Equipment: If your character carries any tools with them, list them here with brief descriptions.
Skills, Strengths, and Abilities: Whether you’re a knight that can wrestle a bull to the ground or a mage who can turn people into frogs, your character’s strengths and any useful abilities they have go here.

Personality: Everyone’s favorite part!

Bio: How has your character gotten to where they are now? Two paragraphs minimum, please. If your character’s race/species isn’t listed or otherwise easily recognizable, include a description of it as well.
Also, unless your character happens to LIVE in Ilscaria, please include an explanation as to what they are doing there. Something as simple as, "They're on vacation" will suffice, but foreign nobles would most likely be attending the gathering as ambassadors for their own country.

---

Accepted Characters

Spoiler: Miles Bellator ~ Mr. Scarlet 

Name: Miles Bellator

Gender: Male

Age: 26

Race/Species: Human/Crow Tengu crossbreed

Country of Residence: Ilscaria

Appearance:

Miles stands at exactly 6 feet tall, somewhat thin for his height, most likely because of his avian parenthood. He keeps the fact that he's a crossbreed a secret from absolutely everyone, opting to wear cloths that cover almost every square inch of his body, save for his face and neck. His dress would be that of a almost modern day military officer, from the black suit with war medals, to the peaked cap and white gloves accompanying them; Miles at a glance is someone who dresses like he means business.

Weapons/Equipment: Miles carries a pair of cavalry swords at his waist. Thin, single bladed swords with a slight curve made for quick slices and stabs. However, a Bellator's true place is in the sky, and while airborne his 'equipment' is his Hyperion Class airship; the Iradei. Armed with three rows of a dozen cannons on both the port and starboard side, the Iradei packs enough firepower to glass the earth below it. The ship itself is a testament to mages everywhere. The steel hull forged by fire and earth mages working together, the ship flies by effort of the wind mages within the crew, the guns arm and fire because of dedicated pyromancers charging and rapidly discharging magic crystals that have energy storing properties. This 600 meter steel beast is the pride and joy of the magical world.

Skills, Strengths, and Abilities: Growing up in an Aristocratic family, Miles has been practising fencing and general swordplay from a young age. While being raised in a family where captaining an airship is a right of passage, he has been put through military academies, officer school, mage associations, alchemy school, blacksmithing; anything that could possibly assist in his studies and move him towards becoming a great airship captain, and leader of his crew. One of his greatest strengths is his ability to lead; a voice that inspires his crew to follow him to the ends of the earth, filled with vigour and confidence. His speeches give courage to those who feel defeat with every fiber of their being, and his enemies; drain it from them entirely.

Personality: In spite of his impeccable leadership skills and nobility, Miles when alone find satisfaction in simple things, namely a cigarette and a good book. Often found in his room reading for his small library he keeps on board the Iradei, Miles prefers not to be interrupted. For being a leader is his job, but not what he wishes to be at all times. His responsibilities are great, his ideas even greater, he'll work to the point of complete exhaustion in the name of his family and their convictions, but once the leader hat comes off, he's hard to get a hold of again unless he deems the situation absolutely necessary that his presence is required.

He is extremely self conscious for his Tengu origins, the need to conceal it literally beaten into him from a young age. Only a stark few know his secret. However, most notice that Miles is at his happiest when in the sky, free to his own devices where his position as Captain of the ship means he is the absolute strongest authority over his domain. There's nothing he values more than his ship and his crew.

Bio: Dominare caelo dominari in proelio .

Rule the sky, dominate the battlefield . ~Bellator Family Motto.
Born as a halfbreed in a country on the southern coast of the Lucent Depths, Miles' existence was kept secret until he was old enough and responsible enough to be trusted on his own to keep his mother's identity and species secret. To the public, the Bellators are known for their exquisite aerial warships. In fact, the majority of the aerial navy in his home country is captained by his family. In order for a Bellator to be considered an adult, they must design and gain the approval of an airship they plan from the ground up. Wanting to be left alone and free from his family, Miles built his airship to function as an extended base that not only is highly mobile, but is capable of remaining airborne for nearly a month at a time before needing to land.

Seeing this as a wonderful way of having a forward base that moves with the battlefield, the plans were quickly approved and went into production. All the while, Miles was rallying mages and alchemists to design it's unique method of remaining airborne; wind magic. While most airships use fire magic as a means of thrust, this ship has wind mages push the ship via wind currents. After a few minor successes, yet no recognition, Miles grew bitter at not only his family, but the Aerial Navy as well. And thus he devised the plan to leave the country, using his unique ship meant he could cross what most believed to be an endless sea to the north, all that left never returned.

In the dead of night we woke his crew. Telling them his plan and informing them that all who wished to leave may without consequence, but will never find the glory that was the new world to the north that had until now been unreachable.

Not a single man left.

However, even the strongest and most loyal men crumble to hunger.

In his haste, Miles could not gather sufficient supplies to feed the number of men that came along with him. Patience wore thin as the food supply became lower and lower. Words of mutiny spread like wildfire throughout the ship. If it wasn't for land coming in sight at the perfect time, there would be one less Bellator in the world, and his ship would be just one more to add to the list of ships that cross the sea, never to return. Well, he wasn't returning anyway. But one of the first things he came across when finally landing after such a long time in the sky, a significant army was on the march; a battalion of men lead my what could only be their leader, waiting on the shore for them. This was the first time Miles met Dagan Aretino.

In exchange for feeding his crew, Miles would assist Dagan in his planned siege on the walls that would in time become Ilscaria. The magic cannons were a technology that was a few years ahead of it's time on this side of the sea, and because of this the walls were apparently not equipped to deal with them, according to the king to be. And right he was, to a point. The focused fire of the cannons after multiple volleys tore through the walls, allowing the ground troops to rush inside. However, the magic crystal energy cells powering the ship were exhausted when used after the the gun battery supply ran dry. Forced to abandon ship, Miles and his crew were able to survive, but at a heavy cost.

When the walls were taken and the war over, Miles Bellator was awarded a dukedom for his efforts, and a small portion of land inside the city of what is now the northeastern part of Ilscaria. This land would eventually become Bellator Metalworks, a giant factory that incorporated the methods of combining magical elements to forge steel for the city, while housing a shipyard where the Iradei would eventually be built.

Spoiler: B'bliüxe Bblworth ~ Ru 

Name: B'bliüxe Bblworth, though more commonly known as, "Boop," "Bubble," or "Bobbie," due to the sheer fact people can seldom pronounce her name.
Gender: Female, presumably.
Age: Her typical appearance indicates she is anywhere between 20 and 28; however, she refuses to divulge it and it's hard to tell the age of a slime girl without examining her DNA.

Race/Species: S'chölex, aka Slime Person.
Country of Residence: Schwäch, a small, tribal community found north of Holt named after the lake the reside besides. Primarily the S'chölex are found here, though some other oddball creatures have been known to live amongst them and they aren't ones to turn the residents of Holt away — or anyone, really.

Appearance: Reference image, though this isn't the exact appearance of B'bliüxe by a long shot. Naturally she is of a red hue, musing that she is, "cherry flavored," though this has yet to be determined. Her most common appearance results in her with a pixy cut, usually more of a messy bob, of a lighter color than her "skin" tone. The form she chooses to take is rather curvaceous with wide hips, thin waist, and melon sized breasts; though she seldom ever stays in one shape so no one is certain if this is what she really looks like. Large, almond eyes are a toxic green which glow once the lights are out causing her body to illuminate due to its intensity.

The clothing donning her form vary truly on the amount of water contained within her body at the time. If there is too much liquid Bubble prefers to stroll around in nothing, making sure to not make her features to distinguishable to avoid perverts. However, when she is sticky enough she likes to try on frilly gowns made of fabrics that she doesn't immediately seep through and boots. She has an odd obsession with boots.

Weapons/Equipment: Bubble doesn't necessarily carry anything around with her, though she is prone to "borrow" items around her if she deems them worth her time. This happens more often than she would like to admit.
Skills, Strengths, and Abilities: Thanks to being a slime girl, B'bliüxe can transform into anything she pleases with the fun downside that she will always look shiny. With enough concentration she can look like the real deal of whatever she transforms into, however if she is distracted or overwhelmed the form will be lost, or will look like a red hued Jell-O version of it. She is very quick, especially in water, due to her lack of mass.

Varying on the level of H2O in her system effects how well this ability can be utilized, but she can harden parts of her body to act as sharp weapons when she feels threatened. Bubble has only ever been able to accomplish this with her arms and being in a raged state. Otherwise she typically will resort to attempting to drown her enemies inside her expandable body before resorting to turning her arms into swords. Namely because she risks losing her limbs if her attacker manages to cut it off and without enough water it becomes hard for her to get that part of her body to return.

She also has the ability to cleanse water and other liquid substances, making her an ample healer.

Personality: How her persona is viewed really varies on the region she is in. Amongst the other S'chölex? B'bliüxe is a rather intelligent being and held in the highest regard, namely because she is the chieftain's daughter. This is a different story outside her homeland, however.

Loving, childlike, and relatively gullible. Bubble is curious about everything in the world around her, especially if it is shiny. She knows better than to venture towards the Empire or other areas where slavers may be, but even so she can't help but wonder about their civilization and how fun it must be to be a human residing there. Anything and everything must be questioned until she understands the subject completely, including the people she crosses paths with. A very common phrase out of her mouth is, "Why?"

Sweet tooth doesn't even begin to describe Bubble's adoration of sweet, especially the ones she has managed to stumble across in Ilscaria. Many have joked that her red hue is a result of eating too many gummies of the same color.

Childish antics aside, Bubble is undoubtedly loyal to those she chooses to side with and has a tendency to cling to them with little thought to the sticky residue she occasionally leaves behind. Despite her nickname, she does not comprehend what a "personal bubble" entails and will constantly invade it, especially if you squirm away.

She avoids the color purple, though no one is sure as to why.

Bio: B'bliüxe Bblworth was born in Schwäch like anyone from her race is. Being the daughter of the chieftain had its perks, though it wasn't enough for her. Is it ever? She longed to explore outside of the sanctity of their home, well aware of the slave traders who would love to get a hold of her elusive race. It wasn't until rumors of Ilscaria spread across the land that she dared to give into her adventurous heart and head out that way.

As she traveled she met a variety of people whom all could not pronounce her name to save their lives, resulting in the nicknames, "Bobbie," "Boop," and "Bubble," all of which she responds to. Once in Ilscaria she headed to the largest body of water inside it, excitedly jumping into it before asking around where she may acquire residence close to it. The excitement grew once she managed to find a little nook that was within walking distance of it.

It took her awhile to find clothes appropriate for walking around that stayed on her form when her water content was high, but she managed to find a tailor who create some in the style she adore so much. Who wouldn't love a lolita dress made of raincoat material? Thanks to the tailor her closet is overwhelmed by seemingly thousands of boots and dresses.

Spoiler: S'chölex 

The S'chölex are a proud race residing north of Holt in Schwäch. They are notorious for having names most races lack the ability to pronounce, thus gaining a variety of odd nicknames usually sounding somewhere similar to their birth name. They are seldom seen outside of the safety of Schwäch and Holt, avoiding the west hemisphere in fear of enslavement. Some brave souls will dare to go that way in search of information to keep their intelligence up to date, however it is usually those who have mastered shapeshifting who dare to go on such a quest.

S'chölex, in the simplest terms, are slime people. Their forms are seldom solid and presumably originate from ancient algae; at least it is what people guess. No one is 100% certain where the slime people came from, though they are sticky like you would expect them to be. They come in a variety of colors, sizes, and shapes varying on genetics and how they wish to present themselves. Most slimes are green, blue, and purple; though pretty much the entire rainbow exists of their kind. No specific heights, weights, or anything of the sort. What truly makes them vary is their water content and the sticky substances they manage to consume. Many speculate if they dive to the deep depths of the lack beside their territory that they can obtain more slime from the bottom and increase in size; they refuse to confirm if the speculation is true.

A large weakness of the S'chölex, which many have learned to conceal, is that the location of their heart is evident as it floats around in their body. They have the ability to move it around wherever they please, but due their transparent body this does not help them much against predators. This caused their kind to evolve, gaining the ability to conceal their hearts usually by wrapping extra slime around it to make it appear like there is nothing inside them. Some choose to hide it in one of their eyes.

Primarily there are three types of slime people: warrior, stealth, and healer.

Warrior S'chölex excel at transforming themselves into harden weapons and drowning people with their bodies. To harden themselves they have to be severely lacking in water content, otherwise it is rather useless. Drowning usually involves expanding their body around the target, forcing them to stay inside their bodies until they die.

Stealth S'chölex are masters of shapeshifting to the point where they can even change the colors and visible textures of their bodies. It takes a great amount of concentration to manage, otherwise they will appear as a slime version of whatever they are mimicking.

Healer S'chölex can cleanse any form of liquid, especially thanks to toxicity having no effect on them.

Many S'chölex make sure to know at least a little bit of each type for when they go out in the world. All S'chölex know basic healing abilities, namely to protect themselves from contamination. However, it truly varies slime to slime how much one may know about a specific area.

Due to their rarity they attract slavers to them if they are not careful, so only those who are well-versed in the stealth ability will dare leave their homeland.

Spoiler: Sage ~ PROJECT: Rho 

Name: Sage
Gender: N/A
Age: 72

Race/Species: Will 'O' The Wisp
Country of Residence: The Lucent Depths

Appearance: A usually formless creature that has a fondness to take the form of a 3 foot, floating human. Can take any other form it pleases, but unless otherwise stated, Sage remains in the "genderless human form".

Spoiler: Basic Image 

Weapons/Equipment: N/A
Skills, Strengths, and Abilities: A being of pure magic, Sage is an expert of a number of crafts that few people are aware even exist. The forefront of Sage's knowledge lies in “Crafting and Forming”, which focuses on using pure magic to create ethereal objects that it can manipulate. These include, but aren't limited to, primitive weapons, shields and religious or native symbols meant to scare the superstitious. Advanced control over the elements, the ability to strengthen and fortify objects, access to a mental library and healing capabilities also fall under Sage's tree of knowledge.

Personality: Curious to a serious fault, Sage is eternally asking questions to people about anything and everything. This curious personality clashes with people's views on its race more often than not, spreading confusion and hatred about Sage when it shows its presence. This hasn't deterred its goals to form a mental library of the world, however.

Bio: Sage, while born a Will 'O' The Wisp, shares a lot of its interests and emotions with those of humanoids. This was apparently a one in one-million birth that had happened only a few times in the past. Given the name 'Sage' to represent its status, it quickly delved into what limited knowledge the Wisp society already had. While most magic was born into their very cores, there were a number which studied and expanded on that already potent magic base. When what was available to Sage became exhausted, it made its way from its home in the Lucent Depths to the Western Empire.

This trend continued for decades, as what knowledge it could find became dry it moved onto another land to learn their secrets. As the time went by, however, Sage realised that knowledge was never-ending. The goal of creating a mental library that spanned all of the world's knowledge would never be truly complete. Despite the impossibility of the goal, the Wisp continued regardless. As while it had a human-like mind, it lacked some semblance of common sense on topics that mattered to it.

To date, Sage has visited quite nearly every Nation except for Ilscaria. Sage is aware that after its time in Ilscaria is done, it will have to restart its journey all over again. As such, Sage is ready to spend as much time as possible in this last Nation as it possibly can.

Wisps are always genderless and reproduce through magical rituals where one bonds with another Wisp to share their essence and create another from their magic. This ritual allows diversity amongst the species, even though at a glance they all appear to be the same. Every Wisp is capable of thought and speech, but rarely shows it as humanoids are very biased against them. Their intelligence is usually leagues and bounds above that of most people, but again, as they're seen as pests and a danger to society they have no positions in the mortal world. The only thing they require for sustenance is a supply of energy directly from magic, which can be derived in rituals from geysers under the sea-bed or from the moon. Sleep and exhaustion do not exist for Wisps, but if they become injured they must repair their own bodies over the course of hours or days – depending on the injury.

Most Wisps are either emotionless or have very few emotions. These usually encompass a desire to exist and protect the ones that are similar to them, but rarely mean more. Some may have a desire to learn more about themselves and the rarest, like Sage, will share almost all emotions that humanoids have. Their natural connection to magic means that they are technically immortal as long as they have an energy source available, but can still be killed by normal weapons if enough stress is put on their bodies. A rarely known fact is that magic has little to no effect on Wisps, as they can just absorb it. Only magic that is on the level of destroying buildings or armies is capable of bypassing this natural absorption and will likely instantly kill a Wisp.

The society of Wisps has no leader structure and consists of "everything being equal". As most Wisps don't give birth to another Wisp until their early 200's, this means that while the population could increase exponentially it never does. As Wisps get older, they become more and more in tune with their magic and emotions, which has them leave the Lucent Depths and take up residence in another body of water. Thus, rumours of glowing lights near swamps or lakes was born.

Spoiler: Tyrion Dykstra ~ Craze 

Name: Tyrion Dykstra / Valanor
Gender: Male
Age: 42

Race/Species: Human / Elf
Country of Residence: Tyrion is a traveler, though he currently resides in Ilscaria.

Appearance: Tyrion: reference picture -- handsome features, a mildly aged face with several wrinkles here and there. Right eye is brown, the other eye is blue. His hair is black, although it is slowly but certainly turning grey. He has grown a beard throughout his travels and his hair is long and somewhat unkempt, but always tied into a ponytail. He has traveled for all his life - and he has the scars to prove it. As for clothing, I'd rather uses this reference picture than to describe the entire thing. Also, the robes are grey instead of red and he doesn't carry the mask like shown on the picture.

Valanor: reference picture -- appears as a ghost or a wraith. His entire appearance (both outfit and body) is white and transparent, with a blue glow outlining his body. Going into details, his body is almost skeletal. Yes, he does have 'flesh' even though it is transparent and white, but you can see his skeleton and skull through his skin. His eyes are also nonexistent, but he still has his fabulous long hair. An elvish crown is placed atop his head and he is dressed in silver elvish armour as well.

Weapons/Equipment: Tyrion: carries a sword on his back, engraved with Elvish symbols that ensure it can never break. Also carries a dagger for stealth.

Valanor: similar to Tyrion's sword on his back, Valanor carries a quiver with arrows on his back along with an Elven bow. On his side he carries a set of pocket knives.

Skills, Strengths, and Abilities: As Tyrion, he is only a man. He has a strong set of combat skills and knows how to parry and dodge effectively. Tyrion also has a fairly good condition and can run for long amounts of time without having to catch breath. Climbing is also one of his skills.

However, as Valanor, he is given a completely different set of skills. When using his bow and arrows he has the perception of a hawk, even able to make headshots from afar. Valanor's magic also allows him to teleport, and even more interestingly - through physical contact, Valanor can read into people's minds and discover things about their past.

Personality: Tyrion is a very average and simple man, whereas Valanor is a highly intelligent and noble Elf, even a former Elven king. Though Tyrion is not necessarily smart, he is very loyal and humble. He will also give his own life to protect a friend, if there is ever any need to do so. He is not afraid to fight and will never run from a battle. Neither will Valanor, in that regard the two are somewhat similar. But Valanor can also be cruel, ruthless and merciless, perhaps even condescending at times.

Bio: Since he was a child, Tyrion's greatest desire was always to travel. He loved to go through forests alone and discover new paths and places. His parents were never worried, as he always found his way back. At the age of 28, when Tyrion had been a soldier for a long time, he was given the objective to ride out towards the Western Empire in order to deliver a message. He did deliver the message, but on his way back, something very strange happened. He got lost in a sandstorm, and eventually was ambushed by bandits which lead to death. But it seemed this was not meant to be Tyrion's way to go. His soul returned to his body and he came back to life, but he felt nauseous and crippled. On horseback he managed to find an abandoned cottage where he could rest. He fell asleep and awakened the next day.

And on that next day, he discovered he had been cursed - his soul conflicted with that of a deceased Elven king and the two were bound together in the same body. Valanor, a restless Elf ghost that had been drifting around for ages after dying by some unknown cause, had been merged with Tyrion's soul. The two had become one. Tyrion could switch back and forth between his human form - Tyrion - and his ghost form - Valanor. It basically functioned like a split personality, and Valanor could also jump out from Tyrion's body and appear in his ghost form to communicate with Tyrion. However, when doing this, Valanor was not capable of doing any physical harm to anything. To actually do so they had to remain in the same body and switch back and forth between the human that was Tyrion and the Elf known as Valanor.

On a quest for answers as to why this curse had been laid on Tyrion, he traveled for years. Now he has finally returned to his hometown, Ilscaria, where he can catch his breath until he continues along his travels for answers.

Spoiler: Ayla Phesina ~ Heson Shadowbane 

Name: Ayla Phesina
Gender: Female
Age: 29

Race/Species: Mermaid

Country of Residence: Ilscaria

Appearance:

Spoiler: Ayla 

Human looking from the waist up, scaled the way down, just like your normal mermaid. However, Ayla is only part mermaid. Instead of a fin like tail, she has two legs like a human. They are scaled however like a fish. Whatever outfit she's wearing there's always a few things in common. The material is light, smells of the sea, usually just a top and maybe a belt across her waist, and she is always barefoot.

Weapons/Equipment: She doesn't carry weapons upon her often and even when she does it's usually her family's dagger, more for ornamental purposes than actual fighting.

Skills, Strengths, and Abilities: Ayla knows how to fight underwater (not that she's great at it) and she is very skilled with water magic, both healing and offensively. She is also a diplomat, good with speaking with others. Her main weakness though is that she can't go that long without being hydrated.

Personality: At the table Ayla is quite the determined person, showing that her people are not to be messed with. Outside she is rather sweet and kind. She can be even be seen down in the less fortunate areas quite often, doing things to help out the people there. It is known that if you are in need of help for something, you'd do best to approach her first. If she can't help herself, chances are she'd know who could be more helpful than her.

Bio: There was a time when my family was one of the highest noble houses in the waters of Nyrens Cove. We used to be at least. Our house had fallen from graces because of one thing, a taboo. You see I was born.

My mother was set to inherit the house name after my grandfather and as such much of her life was groomed and controlled. She went with it for the most part, even though she didn't always enjoy it. She was a good daughter and she knew the importance of our family. However when she learned the grandfather was planning an arranged marriage for her to have our name gain more power, she rebelled against him.

She disappeared for a week and when she returned she straight up told my grandfather that she had gone to Nikhi where she had someone she loved and mated with him. That man is my father, captain of the Scarlet Rose. She had never spoke about him to grandfather knowing what he would've done. Mating with a human is a taboo act, one that only the commoners do. It's not something a noble lady should do. However, grandfather would not be able to keep this a secret. Although rare, a mermaid can conceive with a human and my mother was pregnant with me.

Grandfather could've put it off as a lesser act of eloping with another mermaid, but when I was born it was obvious that I was part human. I had no fin tail. I had two legs. I was still scaled from the waist down, but my legs were an obvious sign that I had human traits flowing strong in me. Our name fell from grace down to a lower noble house and my time growing up was harsh. I couldn't swim as well as others, I was constantly teased and bullied, and I had almost no friends. I only had two bonuses I got out of this: A higher than average affinity for water magics and the fact that I could walk upon the land if I wanted privacy.

When I reached the age where I could chose my own path in life I left my home. I moved onto the land with help from my father and got a place in Ilscaria. I lived there for a few years, actually moving up in social status fairly quickly. It was about two years ago I got the idea that I had a unique ability that others of my race didn't have. Their voice upon the land was weak and not heard that much. I could be the voice of my people to the beings of the land. I approached the ruling council of my people with my proposal and while many of them despised me, they saw my value and appointed me as the Land Ambassador. Ever since my family name had started to rise in power once again and I've been bringing the voice of my people to the land.

Spoiler: Madame M. ~ NinjaOnTheRoof 

Name: If we had to go with official titles, she is Madame Maxine Augustine Praetora-Drakuul und Deuce von Desgoffe-upon-Blitzberg XXIV, Countess-in-Waiting of the Lutz Highlands, Mistress of Schloss Deuce, and Captain of the Cuirassier Corps, or simply Maxine for brevity’s sake.

Or Madame M. if she is in the mood for it.

Gender: Female

Age: By the standards of her species, she is old enough to be an adult but young enough to be a “stupid child” at the tender age of 67.

Race/Species: Blitz Fae

Country of Residence: The Duchy of Blitzberg

Appearance: Standing at an even 4 feet, Maxine does not really stand out well among other people, despite her species being the tallest Fairies in existence. Her body is slender, in general, but it has a curvature to it that singles her out as very much a developed woman, something that she is quick to remind onlookers. She is also very fit, her body teetering somewhere between muscular and smooth. She facial features are fair yet sharp; thin slightly pointed chin, piercing ice blue eyes, short cropped platinum blond hair. She also possesses an usual amount of canine teeth in both her jaws; her teeth are healthy and straight, it’s just her bicuspids are pronounced and pointed. While she is indeed a handsome woman, she does have a few distinct features that mar her otherwise pretty face, chief among them is the large scar that cuts diagonally across her face, starting from just above her left temple down to her right cheek, with the scar bearing a few small scars left by the stitches meant to mend it. Of course, as a faery, she has dragonfly like wings on her back, translucent and blueish.

Her everyday wear is typical of her nation’s militant gentry. Adorning her head is a tall fur cap with a feathered tassel hanging off the side and a silver badge with the death’s head symbol adorned on the front. A midnight high-collar coat with double buttons adorned with medals and badges, over a stark white buttoned polo, black dress pants, knee length buckled jackboots. She also wears a gold trimmed monocle, though that is more of a stylistic choice.

However, if she is ever compelled to fight and she is afforded the luxury of preparing for a fight, she does dress into more appropriate attire as befitting her rank-title of Cuirassier. She takes off her medal laden petticoat for a simpler black blouse and a half-cuirass with metal gauntlets, and she takes her hat off and puts on her head a helmet her people coined as a Pickelhaube.

Weapons/Equipment: She has two swords, a buckler, and quiver of war darts.

The first sword is her “War” sword, the one she uses with the expressed purpose of killing someone. It is a kilij, a long and heavy saber very adapt at lopping off limbs, it is as long as she is tall and forged in good quality steel.

Her second is her “Dueling” sword, she uses it only when someone insults her and she wants to pound some respect into the transgressor. It is steel rapier with basket hilt, she often uses this in tandem with her buckler shield, also steel.

The war darts are whenever she can’t bothered to conjure a proper ice spark to kill someone long range or where a stealthier approach is needed. She keeps the quiver on right thigh, holding it in place with leather harness.

Skills, Strengths, and Abilities: As a faery, she has a strong affinity for magic, stronger still with ice and lightning magic as per her heritage. But that was always a given, as her flying capabilities, but those were honed in Blitzberg’s Cuirassier Corps, turning her into a daring dive bomber. She ascends high into the air, before diving back to the earth strafing her enemies in a fusillade of of deadly ice shards and lightning sparks.

Her skill in swordplay is nothing to scoff at, anyone who says otherwise will find themselves corrected at once.

Personality:

"Swords, words, and the occasional little dirty trick are the trade tools of Blitzberg's daughters, and we wouldn't have it any other way."

Conversing with Maxine at length will give anyone a good idea of what kind of person she is: not at all a very nice person. While a very articulate and curt woman of obvious nobility upbringing, who can play the "charming damsel" whenever she pleases, she deny her affinity for violence and combat. Of course, she does not seek a fight at every corner, she still has her class to think about, but she will accept a challenge if one were to present itself. Her pride can sometimes supercede her height, as any insult to her family or to her personally will be met with quick anger and bluster if she pushed enough, the insults becoming more insufferable if she is in company she does not want to see her "outbursts".

She holds enough charisma to charm anyone she deems dumb or egoistic enough, she is also not above lying, cheating, and almost any other unsavory acts of intrigues to get her way, but always knows when to back down whenever she's up against someone or something far above her league. She's ambitious but not stupid.

But ultimately, she is a young woman unsatisfied with her lot in life. All the wealth and prestige she can accumulate won't sate that one thing she wants in life, but whatever it is she wants she just doesn't know and that infuriates her to no end. All she knows its something spiritual, and she's actually afraid to figure out what it is. So she spends much of her life in a muck, keeping it lively with some middling intrigue and glory seeking.

Bio: A person could be forgiven for believing being the princess-consort to the Crown Prince of Blitzberg would be easy going and smooth pleasure sailing when it is not. But before we go into that, let us begin with Maxine's origins.

Maxine is the first born daughter (but seventh born child) of one Lord Deuce and one Madame Drakuul, the latter being the matriarch of one of the nation's more prominent aristocrats while the former was mere Captain in the Army. Her parents raised her as well they expected themselves to, making sure she grew up as a "proper" Aristocrat of the Militant Gentry. Her father taught her how to fight with swords and spells, while her mother taught her the finer machinations of the court, everything else she knows she picked up when she joined the Cuirassier Corps at age 40. To put into context, the Cuirassier Corps is the one place where young noble girls when they can't really vie for the chief position in their family but want a chance to rise the ranks of a prestigious organization, or when their families want them out of the way before the destructive and wanton lifestyles brought down the family name and hopefully the military can pound some sense into them.

Maxine was the former, but more often than not she had to contend with the latter. Climbing the ranks was a delicate balancing act of merit and intrigue, always having to stay one step ahead of other women who wanted to drag her down or even humiliate her at every turn while keeping up the appearance of an officer of the Archduchess's best soldiers. And for 15 years she kept this up, and for all her efforts all she could achieve is the middling rank of Captain and a large scar on her face from a duel with a pirate lord. She almost resigned herself to this military service until she had stroke of luck. Participating in what she thought was just another military parade, she caught the eye of one of the few of the Archduchess's sons. He introduced himself to her many days later, and they courted for many months.

Maxine took this opportunity as the greatest challenge of her young life. She used her family's assets to keep away other prospective suitors for the Prince, as well as fending off any suitors who wanted her hand in marriage, and made sure any fool with a sword did not try to duel the her prince for it. She used everything in her power to insure a safe and unhindered wedding. And in the end, her efforts paid off: she would marry the Son of the Archduchess....

....the Bastard son that is.

So focused on her efforts to get married to him, Maxine failed to realize that her Groom-to-be himself is engaged in a dangerous game of thrones with his more legitimately born half-brothers and sisters, far more dangerous than anything she ever done before. Already her groom has been pinned as the killer of two of his younger siblings and already suspected by the upper echelons of Blitzberg's aristocratic elite as an conspirator to usurp his aging mother, the Archduchess, who lacks the courtesy to lay down and die already.

And here she was, a mere Countess (Well, Countess-In-Waiting anyway) stuck in a dangerous spot.

A year passes and nothing has changed, her Prince-husband still butting heads with the other Princes, she still deals with sycophants and petty rivals, and her marriage almost crumbling at the seams. All she worked for up to this is point seemed pointless to her, and now driven almost mad with political intrigue Maxine needed to get away from it all, even if only for a short while. She found that opportunity when the Archduchess called for an ambassador to a new fledgling nation far to the south, and Maxine was quick to volunteer despite her husband's protests.

She didn't care if this "Ilscaria" was the most backwater rabble in the continent or its new cultural epicenter, Madame M. von Desgoffe-upon-Blitzberg was coming as an ambassador.

Spoiler: Notes on Blitzberg 

Blitzbergians are hardly known as keen historians, so objective records of this small nation of Faeries are sparse at best. The most prominent race and the ruling elite of Blitzberg are the Blitz Faes; they are the descendants of an older race of Ice Faes and an almost mythical horde of warrior humans lead by a powerful mage who History only knows as the "Lightning Lord". These two races mingled and coexisted for so long, that their offsprings eventually became their own ethnic group and both groups disappeared because of this, leaving behind a progeny of tall faes to conquer and rule Blitzberg.

The Blitz Faes can described aptly with an old saying "A cynic would call them Childishly Cruel, an optimist would call them Mischievous, a realist would keep his mouth shut". They are touchy, petty, clever, and psychotically determined in all their endeavors and the royal family, the Desgoffe-upon-Blitzbergs, seem to epitomize this the most. Still with their on and off wars with the conflict-saturated Archaea, Blitz Fae are never found wanting in experienced leaders and warriors.

It also should noted that Blitzbergian culture is very matriarchal, this being the result of Blitz Fae males being few and far between in the nobility, and because of their heritage it's not irregular for a Faeish noblewoman to wed to human of considerable reputation. In fact, it's quite fashionable to have a human beau, provided he is something to boast about.

As the title of this nation would imply, the Duchy of Blitzberg was once a vassal state to the Archaea before the more turbulent moments in the nation's history allowed the Duchy to branch off in bloody revolution. The nation's border have it nestled on the mountain ranges outside Archaea's northeastern most borders.

Spoiler: Mordus Derhund ~ Mr. Rope 

Name: Mordus Derhund
Gender: Male
Age: 26

Race/Species: Human
Country of Residence: Ilscaria

Appearance:

Spoiler: A visual aid, for visual aid. 

On the rare occasion that he happens to remove his helmet, Mordus reveals a face wracked with the scars and stress of a man twice his age. Crows feet have formed prematurely at the corners of his eyes, and his otherwise handsome, masculine features have been marred by countless lines of thin, white scar tissue.

Weapons/Equipment: Aside from his durable, finely-crafted armor, Mordus carries two falchions, sheathed at either hip. Both are imbued with the element of fire, and burn their victims with each successful strike.
Skills, Strengths, and Abilities: Mordus has been compared to an attack dog for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which being his relentless persistence and incredible stamina. Once he’s found a target, Mordus will relentlessly run them down, simply outlasting his opponents in combat.

Personality: Cynical and grumpy, Mordus is not one to make friends easily. Ever distrustful of everyone and everything, he took up the mantle of Guard Captain in an effort to cut as much evil out of his corner of the world as possible.
Still, his blunt nature is often respected by those with the confidence to avoid beating around the bush, and once someone – like, say, Dagan Aretino – manages to earn Mordus’ loyalty, his dedication to them is unmatched.

Bio: Mordus’ early childhood was spent in a small village, unprotected by any city-state. It had survived as long as it had by simply being of no interest to major powers: They had enough manpower to fend off petty bandits, and no organized military would stand to gain anything by attacking them.
This security was shattered quite violently one day. As a teenager returning home from a brief hunting expedition, Mordus found his entire village reduced to burning wood and crumbled stone, with bodies littering the ground. Horrified, as well as stripped of family, friends, and home, Mordus salvaged what supplies he could find from his destroyed home and fled, biting back the tears as the reality of what he’d seen began to truly sink in.
Jaded, and with his faith in humanity shattered, Mordus spent most of his next several years as a sellsword, working as a guard or as a bounty hunter for enough coin to buy himself a room at an inn and some food. It wasn’t until he fought by the side of Dagan Aretino – a man who could truly understand the feeling of complete and utter loss that had burned a hole through Mordus’ heart – in the war for Ilscaria that Mordus finally found himself surrounded by people that he could believe in and trust.
While he’s no longer the bitter mess he once was, Mordus nonetheless harbors all the tender-sweetness of a seasick crocodile, and when the time to build a new society in the wake of the war, Mordus immediately offered to take up the law enforcement end of the work, determined to make sure his new home would never face the dangers that had brought an end to his old life.

Spoiler: Clementine ~ Sinderella 

Name: Clementine » Clem • Tintin • Lemon «

Gender: Female

Age: Human standards 25; Fae standards 72

Race/Species: Demi-Fey

Country of Residence: Forest Blythe

Appearance: Reference picture. Clementine is a blue-skinned Demi-Fey with transparent wings similar to a cicada. She stands approximately 5.45 inches tall and weighs a whopping 5.05 ounces; ranking her as average within her court. Her hair is a deep chestnut that falls in waves to just past her chest, and is held back at the top by a single piece of grass.

She isn’t one fond of fabrics like other Fae of the Unseelie and Seelie courts. She sticks to dressing in leaves, flower petals, berries and bark, much like the other Demi-Fey. She’s been known to use hollowed out mushrooms and petals as foot wear, fastening them with a stem or even grass. Her makeshift apparel ranges and varies depending on her surroundings; for one so small, she needs to be able to blend in well so she can vanish at the drop of a dime.

When the urge for her to switch into ‘life size’ occurs, she stands at 5’6” and a half and weighs 112lbs. Aside from her height and weight, nothing else changes when she switches forms.

Weapons/Equipment: N/A

Skills, Strengths, and Abilities: Naturally, Clementine is easily able to hide herself. With the assistance of her chosen clothing, it makes it hard to spot her unless the viewer knows what to look for. In addition to this, she is gifted in the following:

Speed of Flight: All Demi-Fey rely on their wings more so than any other ability or skill. They’re known as speedy fliers due to their constant need to use them and their refusal to walk anywhere. The only time you’ll see a Demi-Fey not flying is when they’re life sized.

Life Size: After a Demi-Fey hits a certain age in their life, the ability to alter their size is suddenly accessible. At will, Clementine can switch from her natural form of 5.45 inches to a leggy 5 feet and 6 and a half inches. With this, whatever chosen clothing that is presently worn prior to the switch grows to accommodate the size. When in this state however, a Demi-Fey’s wings cannot support the weight of a full body and are rendered useless until they switch back.

Pixie Punch!: Why? Because why the hell not. The Pixie Punch is Clementine’s only source of offensive skill, and it isn’t an easy one at that. In order for it to effectively cause any ounce of damage requires a massive build up over time. Usually, she’ll start off in her natural form, flying towards the target as momentum builds. Once she is a yard and a half away, she’ll quickly switch forms and connect her fist to its intended mark. This is always accompanied with her shouting “Pixie Punch!” otherwise; it’s just a normal punch. (How lame)

Personality: Clementine is a curious and adventurous little Fey, especially when it comes to life outside the Sìthean. Due to having never met another Fae, and the stories she had been told at a young age, she holds a slight aversion to them. This does not however, include other creatures outside of her world.

For those not classified as Fae, she is borderline nosy and annoying when it comes to first meeting them. She'll constantly ask questions about their race and what all they have seen in their lives. Her curious nature strays into the different places she is told about, as she has a free spirit and wishes to travel to lands past the Essen Waters mark. She is protective of the Sìdhean Sluaigh and of her people, wishing nothing but peace for both.

She portrays a few nervous quirks that include but are not limited to: gnawing on her nails, worrying her lower lip, and pacing while flying. These attributes also occur when she is extremely upset or around those she is uncomfortable with.

Bio: Growing up, Clem stuck to the hidden hills that the Demi-Fey’s Sìthean was tucked away in. When young, she worried what would happen if she ventured farther out past the safety of her home. Having heard stories of how other Fae viewed those of her kin, she feared coming across one alone. Throughout the years, she heard other tales; tales about vast lands and all of their inhabitants. Her fear soon faded and in its place grew something else - curiosity.

From then on, her interest only flourished until one day, she decided to challenge herself. Each day that past, she pushed herself to go farther. First, it was by a few feet past the Sìthean’s line, and then a few yards farther, until she hit the end of the forest. It was then that she realized she shouldn’t allow fear to overwhelm her as much as it had.

Not long after that, she managed to travel to the shores of the Essen Waters without any form of trouble. Though her worry of happening upon another Fae still bothered her, she refused to dwell on what would happen if she did. She occasionally met a few other creatures and enjoyed most of them, listening as they spoke about places she had yet visited, or species she had never heard of. It was one of those few that she met who brought the events taking place in Ilscaria to her attention. The idea of Ilscaria had her so intrigued that she soon found herself in the nation.

Spoiler: Unseelie, Seelie and Demi-Fey: 

Spoiler: Brief Court Lore and Logic of the Unseelie and Seelie 

It’s common knowledge that the Fae world is broken into two courts; Unseelie and Seelie. Of the two, the Unseelie is viewed to be inhabited by malevolent creatures that have no place elsewhere. Their ways of living are unwelcomed to that of the Seelie court.

Each court has its own hierarchy, legends and protocol.

The Seelie Court or the ‘Blessed court’ are depicted as friendly towards humans, and believe that beauty is to be held above all else. To belong and to be claimed by the Seelie meant that the fae had to be beautiful. If they did not possess the beauty in which was desired, the fae would be cast aside and banned from the court – even if they were born of Seelie blood.

The Unseelie Court or the ‘Unblessed court’ contains those depicted as ugly, malicious and evil within the fae world. The Unseelie view every creature, no matter their appearance, as beautiful. For that, the Unseelie is described to be home to a number of monsters of horrible appearance and fearsome abilities. They believe that change is good, passion ruled all, and that you honored thine word.

Within the Unseelie it is told that there are a handful of smaller courts that dwell; the Demi-Fey makes up just one of those few.

Spoiler: Demi-Fey 

Though Fey can be found throughout the lands, the Demi-Fey usually sticks to a separate Sìthean within the far reaches of the forest Blythe. Their exact whereabouts are unknown to anyone besides the Unseelie monarch and themselves.

Unbeknownst to those outside of Fae, these little creatures are viewed as lesser in stature. They once were often called upon to do the dirty work for the monarch in power at the time, but are now overlooked as too small to do much of anything. They seclude themselves from most others of their world, refusing to let their secrets surface in fear that they would be used as tools once again. Despite their aversion to other Fae, the Demi-Fey is considerably adventurous and curious by nature.

To the untamed eye their glamour initially shows them as insects zipping all around lands, unless a second look is given. When it comes to humans, most are blind to the little creatures’ company unless the Fey deem it fitting to show their selves.

The Demi-Fey varies in appearance and height; the tallest of their kin being recorded at a measly one foot even. That case however, was a rarity of its own; they usually grow no taller than eight inches. They often use leaves, flower petals, berries, grass and bark as clothing, allowing them to better blend in with their surroundings should the need arise. There have been times where wild mushrooms have been hollowed out to use as shoes.

Their abilities have been speculated by other Fae as having abandoned the race and has been brushed off due to their size. “They’re too small to hold any sort of power.”

Despite their size however, they do have power. Upon hitting fifty years old, a Demi-Fey is granted the ability to switch from their small forms and into ‘Life Size’ ones at will. Though when in their life size forms, they are unable to fly; their wings being too fragile to withstand the weight of a full body. Due to this, they are prone to sticking to their smaller size.

Spoiler: Six ~ Duke 

Name: Six

Gender: Presumed Male

Age: 87

Race/Species: Rockmen

Country of Residence: Ilscaria

Appearance: Reference Picture: Six
Similar to the picture, Six does have chains bolted into his stone body, broken and hanging off of him. Much of his body looks to have red staining on it, a result of oxidization of the iron rich minerals that compose most of the original rock that formed his body. Six stands at nearly 8 feet tall and weighs so much that he is incapable of entering all but the most stalwart buildings, or he would be at risk of falling through the floor into the ground below or a basement, if there is one.

Etched into this back is a 3 foot tall number "6"

Weapons/Equipment:

Lodestone Fingers: Six has absorbed Lodestone into his left hand. Lodestone is a naturally occurring magnet and he has incorporated it into his fingers to help him pick up metal tools since his rocky fingers lack dexterity.

Chains: Six always has chains wit him as they are bolted to his body. He has never used them as a weapon but often finds use for them as a tool for gaining leverage when pulling or carrying heavy loads.

Skills, Strengths, and Abilities:

Physical Strength: Like nearly every fellow rockman, Six is very physically strong and extremely durable. Since he has far more in common with inanimate rocks than he does with any known life form, he seems to have limitless stamina. Really, how do you tire out a rock? However, being made of such heavy minerals makes him move almost agonizingly slow. Six gets about at the pace of a slow walk or if in a hurry, a slightly less slow walk.

Stone Empathy: With a simple touch Six can identify the composition and integrity of any rock. While an architect would be able to use this ability to find the best materials and build the strongest buildings Six primarily only uses it to make sure the ground he walks on is firm enough to hold his weight. When injured he will also use this ability to find the most suitable minerals to reform his body.

Tunneling: As most of the stone that composes their body is segmented, Rockmen can actually shift them around at a rapid pace to push and move soil without tools. In reality, some Rockmen dig faster than they walk. For Six, the pace is about the same.

Personality: Despite his intimidating size and appearance, Six is cautious and often gentle around other creatures. Compared to most sentient creatures on the surface, he is rather unintelligent, but compared to most rockmen, his is very bright. Though it may never seem so, Six is almost always studying, attempting to learn the ways of the surface world no matter how difficult it is for him to comprehend what he is studying.

Six is very trusting as he is yet to understand the concept of deception or imagination. The world around him that he can see, touch, or hear is all that he has refer to when others communicate to him. He uses the poor logic that if he only knows what is real then that is all anyone else can know. This makes him very gullible and further fuels the perception of his stupidity.

Bio: A rarity and a prize, Six emerged from the ground one day to experience the crippling brightness of the sun, the spirited songs of nature, and the cruelty of man. At the time, he didn't even have a name. It was a slaver that first labeled him "Six" as he was the sixth item up for auction at the end of his first week on the surface.

Six could do little to understand the world he emerged into and so in an effort to get by in this new environment he did as others told him, making him a prized and reliable servant. Six was chained, imprisoned, and subjected to endless work mining iron ore for wealthy entrepreneurs in the Western Kingdom. As he was forced to do the same monotonous work for nearly two decades Six began to think there was little difference between life above ground and live below.

Although Six didn't understand what was happening at the time, some of the other slaves born of more intelligent breeds staged a bold revolt at the mining camp. Six found his chains broken from the several iron posts that kept him from wandering away from the dig site and so many various creatures attacking the humans and calling for the others to fight or flee.

Six did not fight. He would have followed the new instructions since he could see so many others were, but the humans easily stayed clear of him and during the revolt none were bold enough to attempt to restrain him. With the option of fighting out of the question Six followed the other command. He fled, ever so slowly, and managed actually managed to make it to free, ungoverned territories.

Moving at a very slow pace for several months Six found himself at Ilscaria, having learned much on the way. He learned about trees, rivers, animals, and so many other things he never would have encountered underground. This new freedom only encouraged his thirst to learn so he chose to remain above ground.

When he arrived at Ilscaria it was still a relatively new, yet rapidly expanding state. He was welcomed here and given the choice to work, and upon that he was given the choice on what to work on. He was convinced that with so many different species of creatures living in this city it was the place where he would learn the most. He has spent nearly three years in Ilscaria now helping to move materials and construct the many buildings. He doesn't socialize much but since he is a hard to miss figure much of the city/state is aware of his presence here.

[Ru]

I'm in but I won't be done with work for another hour ;c You'll see a sheet from me sometime after that, mayhaps.

[Sinderella]

I'll do what I can as far as a sheet goes sometime this weekened.

[Heson Shadowbane]

I might figure up a character. Juggling ideas between an ice fae/fairy or a mermaid with scaled legs instead of a fin/tail.

[Ru]

Still thinking on a character, but I finished the banner that was requested of me~

[Juicesir]

Spoiler: Character Application: Anthea Blaer 

Name: Anthea Blaer
Gender: Female
Age: 312

Race/Species: Half-Aeternus on her father's side
Country of Residence: Ilscaria

Appearance: She has a rather commonly uncommon look about her. Her preferred dress is as regal as possible. Large, extravagant dresses are her bread and butter, and she prefers to wear her hair down. She is somewhat taller than an average human, and her features are subtly striking.

Weapons/Equipment: Her only true possession is a very thick diary of her life which she keeps well guarded.
Skills, Strengths, and Abilities: She is a consummate charmer, and delights in music and the lore of her people.

Personality: Tempered like a blade, she is sharp when she needs to be but overall elegant in her conduct. She is ceremonial, and delights in ritual and ceremony. She is somewhat reserved and may occasionally come off as fake in her attempt to please and placate. This could also, however, be due to her attempts to keep a strong face in spit of the genocide of her people. In private, she is weary and kind.

Bio: As only the second returned Aeternus after the race's fall but also as one of the first halfbreeds, not much is known about her. How a three hundred or so year old Aeternus managed to even be born is something of a mystery, and she is thus far ill to speak of it. From what little she has said, she was raised in the wilds after her mother escaped the invasion of Ilscaria.

She has all the bearing of someone of her kind. She seems to have an affinity for court and aristocracy, which may mean that her mother may have been a part of the upper class in old Ilscaria. As of this time, she has yet to announce her true lineage, and has instead passed for a commoner. But with the masquerade coming up, she sees it as time for her to reveal herself again to the small and growing nation. It is time to take her place as the second of her kind, the first female, and the first half-breed.

[Mr. Rope]

Ru -

HNNNNNNNG


Juice -

NEAT. I'd meant to label the Aeternus as unplayable, but since I forgot to actually label them as such, I'll allow it. Mind you, though, there will be combat in this RP, so you may want to give her a means of defending herself.

The only issue I'm actually seeing is her mother: The reason the Aeternus' population drooped low enough for them to be killed off is because of the spread of disease among their population and the sudden infertility of their women, which would make Anthea's conception rather difficult. So she'd have to be half Aeternus, coming from her father's side.

Change that one thing, and you're accepted.

[Porcelain Doll]

I am very interested
I will get my CS up in a day or two, I have work today and I'm busy most of the next day.
So excited ^.^

[Froggy]

Hello there, it looks like you’re off to an amazing start! Here are a few links that will help you get your game noticed! Have fun and happy RPing!

__________________________________________________
The Roleplay of the Week thread is a great place to get others to advertise your RP for you!

The Banner shop is a great place to ask someone to make a graphic for your RPotW submission!

The Roleplaying Games Directory is full of interesting roleplays, why not put yours there too!

Wanna know what's up with all the Staff Siggies?

The RPA Tribune is full of entertainment, why not submit your roleplay to be featured?
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Good luck!!!

[Juicesir]

That's fair. I can change that up.