There Darkness Dwells... (OOC/Fantasy/Character/Mechanics)

[Hinzland]

Heads up, I’ll make some updates and get back to everyone by Monday

[Nagakawa]

So, I have a couple of rough ideas for critters that the PCs could encounter. Was kinda sleepy when I wrote them, so not my best work
Regardless, just wanted to get em out there so I can get feedback and such as I'm very willing to do lots of tweaking and/or expansion. Oh, and I'd like to be asked some questions so I can flesh some things out further

They're both quite weird, hope you enjoy!

The first of the Mishan parasites appeared during the golden ages of the Triad, presumably having stowed away during one of the scientific expeditions to other planes. The species has adapted quite well, carving out it's own niche.

Life Cycle: The Alis Putridum's lifespan consists of several stages, the first of which begins when a Mishan (a species of parasitic invertebrate that resembles a cross between a horseshoe crab and a slug) latches onto a humanoid, usually between the shoulderblades, secreting a paralyzing agent if the host is still hanging on to life. They usually infect the freshly deceased or the dying, but in a pinch are able to parasitize bodies in advanced stages of rot or healthy humans, albeit with severely detrimental effects to the parasite in both cases.

Two to three hours after initial connection, the Mishan will have made a permanent link between itself and it's host and have finished with initial integration. An hour after that, the corpse will open it's eyes and stand. This is the first stage of the Alis Putridum.

Unintelligent, weak, and ravenous, these fresh hosts are constantly on the hunt for carrion with a pack of other newborns. At this point, being merely corpses with slightly swollen backs, they're quite easy to deal with- roughly equivalent to a rabid dog. They are, however, quite dangerous in groups.

Only the strongest of these newborns will survive long enough for the bulge on their backs to slough off and reveal a pair of long, bony limbs. Thus begins the second stage of the lifecycle- the fledgeling. In this stage, the spinal column will begin elongating into a short tail, the canines begin to lengthen, growing sharper, and the Alis will begin to adopt more aggressive methods of feeding, killing prey themselves instead of merely scavenging for scraps. The limbs on their back will slowly begin to grow larger and larger, eventually allowing short periods of gliding. Most Alis who reach the stage of fledgeling will survive to the third- the mature Alis.

The mature Alis, albeit similar to the fledgeling, is still quite distinct- the wings on it's back are now fully functional and large enough to facilitate long periods of gliding and even some lift generation. It has a full set of long, sharpened teeth, greatly lengthened limbs (Alis grow gradually taller throughout their lifespan. Most of the adults are over seven feet), claw-like fingernails and a long tail. The full process can be completed in a matter of days with sufficient food, but it usually takes around three years for a wild one to reach maturity.

Reproduction: Compared to the rest of their lifecycle, reproduction is relatively simple- Alis in their mature phase occasionally "spit" out Mishan eggs. How the eggs are produced is a mystery, but it's assumed that the parasite is laying them inside the host's stomach.

Appearance: Mature Alis are between six and a half to eight feet tall, have enlarged pupils, and are completely hairless. Their mouths are like baskets of knives, placed haphazardly and yet with intent to rip and kill. Small patches of decay dot their bodies and blood stains their wings. The Mishan's presence, the need for strong climbing skills and the wings combined give the Alis a massively swollen, heavily muscled back. Long claws extend from their fingers and toes, both of which are themselves disturbingly lengthy. Likewise, the arms and legs of the creatures are like vines, long and thin yet strong. The greyish tones of the

Behaviors/Environment: Roughly as intelligent as a ten year old when mature, the Alis is a very dangerous creature. However, despite their grotesque appearance, otherworldly origin and bizarre life cycle, they are still roughly equivalent to a bear or wolf, shying away from larger settlements. They generally won't bother humans unless hungry, desperate, or annoyed- while generally not malicious, they do hold grudges. Alis rarely make any sort of vocalizations, but when they do, it's noticeable- the alarm shriek of an Alis can be heard for miles around.

Nowadays they're typically found in very cold arboreal regions, living in nests made from sticks, bones, and fur. They prey primarily on local wildlife, the odd caravan driver and whatever else they can find.

Religion: Interestingly, some isolated northern villages will place their dead on raised platforms so that they might be carried off and parasitized by the "forest angels". This practice allows the Alis to reproduce nonviolently, which they appreciate (less effort). Thus, they bring gifts of elk and fish to the aforementioned villages in thanks. This mutually beneficial arrangement might not have raised any eyebrows if not for the fact that the recently dead would occasionally be seen in the forest, seemingly "reincarnated" by the Alis. In truth, Alis have no memory of their former lives, but this doesn't especially matter to a villager who's just seen a bizarre creature wearing their deceased grandfather's face slash an elk's throat and then fly off.

Understandably, this has ruffled some feathers among the more orthodox wings of the Church.

This magnetic amphibian is among the more annoying inhabitants of the Grey Mire, a chilly, dark, and generally unpleasant swamp a few thousand miles too far of the equator.

The lodetoad is roughly the size of a fist, having knobbly grey skin, striking cyan streaks along it's back and a pair of perpetually alert eyes on either side of it's head. Despite their name, they are in fact a type of frog.

Lodetoads are well-known for their proficiency at attracting metallic objects with the stone inset in their foreheads, but most aren't aware that their trademark skill originally evolved as a way to lure electromagnetically sensitive insects.

Eventually, someone had the bright idea to start breeding and training the little fellows to be better at it, eventually becoming able to snatch small metallic objects- keys, daggers, iron coins, etc. In time, they'd become infamous for their usage by professional pickpockets- from twelve feet away, inside a leather satchel, a well-trained toad could steal a wallet full of iron coins with ease. As the toads were exported across the continent by all sorts of lowlifes, the problem would eventually become severe enough for the Minter's Association to begin removing iron coins from circulation. No longer deemed useful, many the thieving little amphibians were promptly turned loose, and can now be found across the land, albeit in a more feral form.

anyways, g'night, hope you enjoyed reading about my weird flying headcrab zombies and magnetic pickpocket frogs

Hmm, these magnetic frogs sound like they’d make pretty interesting early to mid game enemies. I imagine there could also be larger ones that could cause a fair bit of trouble by attracting swords and other weapons made mostly of iron - or, perhaps, baddies who could find a way to use them in battle.

[Honghai]

Name: Alana Firebell
Race: Elven
Age: 403
Gender: female
Appearance:

https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/beautiful-elegant-woman-black-dress-standing-near-floor-lamp-wall-young-lady-heels-professional-make-up-wall-young-skinny-55506950.jpg except her hair should be longer, covering-up her ears - her hair should be Blonde, and her complexion a bit lighter.

Origins/Background: Popular singer
Class: Bard
Vitals (55 Pts. or GM can Roll for you)
-Strength: 4
-Charisma: 15
-Dexterity: 8
-Intelligence: 17
-Wisdom: 10
Total Wounds: 3
Statistics
-Melee Attack (Choose Strength/Dexterity+Class):
-Ranged Attack (Dexterity+Class):
-Magic Attack (Mage Mod.+Class):
-Evade (Dexterity+Class):
-Armor Rating (Dexterity+Type): 0
Melee Weapons: Dagger (1x)
Ranged Weapons: Javelin (1x)
Firearms: Pistol (2x)
Armor: None
Spells Known: Mainly healing, though she does know a few elemental (ice and wind) based and mod (as in body modification, as in "speed, strength, nightvision," etc) - she currently knows some mod spells towards speed (running-speed and fast reflexes)

Alana had always felt odd. She had had many friends, but something about her set her apart. Her Elven ears set-in more, differentiating her from Humans, which caused her to be very self-conscious. She always covers her ears up with her hair. Besides those feelings, Alana knew she could be Musical. She knew she could sing, and it'd drive her to fame. The village she'd grown up in was nothing to her, because the world would be her stage. She'd travel village to village, even being a member of many, many bands. One day, someone had threatened her - and she'd saw that someone left a dagger there. The dagger stayed with her, all throughout these years - but the person who'd threatened her was stabbed, and Alana had stabbed him - and gotten away with it particularly because she was well-liked both off and on the Stage.

[Hinzland]

Name: Alana Firebell
Race: Elven
Age: 403
Gender: female
Appearance:

https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/beautiful-elegant-woman-black-dress-standing-near-floor-lamp-wall-young-lady-heels-professional-make-up-wall-young-skinny-55506950.jpg except her hair should be longer, covering-up her ears - her hair should be Blonde, and her complexion a bit lighter.

Origins/Background: Popular singer
Class: Bard
Vitals (55 Pts. or GM can Roll for you)
-Strength: 4
-Charisma: 15
-Dexterity: 8
-Intelligence: 17
-Wisdom: 10
Total Wounds: 3
Statistics
-Melee Attack (Choose Strength/Dexterity+Class):
-Ranged Attack (Dexterity+Class):
-Magic Attack (Mage Mod.+Class):
-Evade (Dexterity+Class):
-Armor Rating (Dexterity+Type): 0
Melee Weapons: Dagger (1x)
Ranged Weapons: Javelin (1x)
Firearms: Pistol (2x)
Armor: None
Spells Known: Mainly healing, though she does know a few elemental (ice and wind) based and mod (as in body modification, as in "speed, strength, nightvision," etc) - she currently knows some mod spells towards speed (running-speed and fast reflexes)

Alana had always felt odd. She had had many friends, but something about her set her apart. Her Elven ears set-in more, differentiating her from Humans, which caused her to be very self-conscious. She always covers her ears up with her hair. Besides those feelings, Alana knew she could be Musical. She knew she could sing, and it'd drive her to fame. The village she'd grown up in was nothing to her, because the world would be her stage. She'd travel village to village, even being a member of many, many bands. One day, someone had threatened her - and she'd saw that someone left a dagger there. The dagger stayed with her, all throughout these years - but the person who'd threatened her was stabbed, and Alana had stabbed him - and gotten away with it particularly because she was well-liked both off and on the Stage.

If you’re having trouble with the stats, don’t worry, I can help with that as for spells, the only classes that can use magic are the mage classes. Sorry about that, should’ve been more specific. If you want to use a magic character but have a singer background, that could still work as a “bardish spell slinger”, just without the bard abilities “encourage/discourage” and the “speech bonuses”.

Other than that, looks like a good app! The intro doesn’t really mean much to me, as that’ll give your character an opportunity to have flashbacks in IC to flesh out your character without telling us stuff we already know. Like in a movie or a show, we don’t know every characters back story right off the bat, we learn as the story progresses. The intro and background/origins give us something to base our characters off and we can build off of that.

Here are you vital modifiers. These apply to associated d20 and d6 rolls.
-Strength: -3
-Charisma: +2
-Dexterity: -1
-Intelligence: +3
-Wisdom: 0

Here are your stat modifiers
Melee Attack: -1 (went ahead and used dex for you
Ranged Attack: -1
Magic Attack: N/A
Evade: +4
Armor Rating: 7 (base AR is 8 for player characters; -1 from your dexterity)

You can change vitals, class, and race at any point before your characters first IC post, so you have plenty of time to make any changes you want to make the character you want to use.

[Hinzland]

So, I have a couple of rough ideas for critters that the PCs could encounter. Was kinda sleepy when I wrote them, so not my best work
Regardless, just wanted to get em out there so I can get feedback and such as I'm very willing to do lots of tweaking and/or expansion. Oh, and I'd like to be asked some questions so I can flesh some things out further

They're both quite weird, hope you enjoy!

The first of the Mishan parasites appeared during the golden ages of the Triad, presumably having stowed away during one of the scientific expeditions to other planes. The species has adapted quite well, carving out it's own niche.

Life Cycle: The Alis Putridum's lifespan consists of several stages, the first of which begins when a Mishan (a species of parasitic invertebrate that resembles a cross between a horseshoe crab and a slug) latches onto a humanoid, usually between the shoulderblades, secreting a paralyzing agent if the host is still hanging on to life. They usually infect the freshly deceased or the dying, but in a pinch are able to parasitize bodies in advanced stages of rot or healthy humans, albeit with severely detrimental effects to the parasite in both cases.

Two to three hours after initial connection, the Mishan will have made a permanent link between itself and it's host and have finished with initial integration. An hour after that, the corpse will open it's eyes and stand. This is the first stage of the Alis Putridum.

Unintelligent, weak, and ravenous, these fresh hosts are constantly on the hunt for carrion with a pack of other newborns. At this point, being merely corpses with slightly swollen backs, they're quite easy to deal with- roughly equivalent to a rabid dog. They are, however, quite dangerous in groups.

Only the strongest of these newborns will survive long enough for the bulge on their backs to slough off and reveal a pair of long, bony limbs. Thus begins the second stage of the lifecycle- the fledgeling. In this stage, the spinal column will begin elongating into a short tail, the canines begin to lengthen, growing sharper, and the Alis will begin to adopt more aggressive methods of feeding, killing prey themselves instead of merely scavenging for scraps. The limbs on their back will slowly begin to grow larger and larger, eventually allowing short periods of gliding. Most Alis who reach the stage of fledgeling will survive to the third- the mature Alis.

The mature Alis, albeit similar to the fledgeling, is still quite distinct- the wings on it's back are now fully functional and large enough to facilitate long periods of gliding and even some lift generation. It has a full set of long, sharpened teeth, greatly lengthened limbs (Alis grow gradually taller throughout their lifespan. Most of the adults are over seven feet), claw-like fingernails and a long tail. The full process can be completed in a matter of days with sufficient food, but it usually takes around three years for a wild one to reach maturity.

Reproduction: Compared to the rest of their lifecycle, reproduction is relatively simple- Alis in their mature phase occasionally "spit" out Mishan eggs. How the eggs are produced is a mystery, but it's assumed that the parasite is laying them inside the host's stomach.

Appearance: Mature Alis are between six and a half to eight feet tall, have enlarged pupils, and are completely hairless. Their mouths are like baskets of knives, placed haphazardly and yet with intent to rip and kill. Small patches of decay dot their bodies and blood stains their wings. The Mishan's presence, the need for strong climbing skills and the wings combined give the Alis a massively swollen, heavily muscled back. Long claws extend from their fingers and toes, both of which are themselves disturbingly lengthy. Likewise, the arms and legs of the creatures are like vines, long and thin yet strong. The greyish tones of the

Behaviors/Environment: Roughly as intelligent as a ten year old when mature, the Alis is a very dangerous creature. However, despite their grotesque appearance, otherworldly origin and bizarre life cycle, they are still roughly equivalent to a bear or wolf, shying away from larger settlements. They generally won't bother humans unless hungry, desperate, or annoyed- while generally not malicious, they do hold grudges. Alis rarely make any sort of vocalizations, but when they do, it's noticeable- the alarm shriek of an Alis can be heard for miles around.

Nowadays they're typically found in very cold arboreal regions, living in nests made from sticks, bones, and fur. They prey primarily on local wildlife, the odd caravan driver and whatever else they can find.

Religion: Interestingly, some isolated northern villages will place their dead on raised platforms so that they might be carried off and parasitized by the "forest angels". This practice allows the Alis to reproduce nonviolently, which they appreciate (less effort). Thus, they bring gifts of elk and fish to the aforementioned villages in thanks. This mutually beneficial arrangement might not have raised any eyebrows if not for the fact that the recently dead would occasionally be seen in the forest, seemingly "reincarnated" by the Alis. In truth, Alis have no memory of their former lives, but this doesn't especially matter to a villager who's just seen a bizarre creature wearing their deceased grandfather's face slash an elk's throat and then fly off.

Understandably, this has ruffled some feathers among the more orthodox wings of the Church.

This magnetic amphibian is among the more annoying inhabitants of the Grey Mire, a chilly, dark, and generally unpleasant swamp a few thousand miles too far of the equator.

The lodetoad is roughly the size of a fist, having knobbly grey skin, striking cyan streaks along it's back and a pair of perpetually alert eyes on either side of it's head. Despite their name, they are in fact a type of frog.

Lodetoads are well-known for their proficiency at attracting metallic objects with the stone inset in their foreheads, but most aren't aware that their trademark skill originally evolved as a way to lure electromagnetically sensitive insects.

Eventually, someone had the bright idea to start breeding and training the little fellows to be better at it, eventually becoming able to snatch small metallic objects- keys, daggers, iron coins, etc. In time, they'd become infamous for their usage by professional pickpockets- from twelve feet away, inside a leather satchel, a well-trained toad could steal a wallet full of iron coins with ease. As the toads were exported across the continent by all sorts of lowlifes, the problem would eventually become severe enough for the Minter's Association to begin removing iron coins from circulation. No longer deemed useful, many the thieving little amphibians were promptly turned loose, and can now be found across the land, albeit in a more feral form.

anyways, g'night, hope you enjoyed reading about my weird flying headcrab zombies and magnetic pickpocket frogs

Hmm, these magnetic frogs sound like they’d make pretty interesting early to mid game enemies. I imagine there could also be larger ones that could cause a fair bit of trouble by attracting swords and other weapons made mostly of iron - or, perhaps, baddies who could find a way to use them in battle.

Are you telling me… frog grenades?

[Blargleyarg]

Hmm, these magnetic frogs sound like they’d make pretty interesting early to mid game enemies. I imagine there could also be larger ones that could cause a fair bit of trouble by attracting swords and other weapons made mostly of iron - or, perhaps, baddies who could find a way to use them in battle.

The possibilities are endless- swamp-dwelling salamander-people, bandits, swamp-dwelling salamander-people bandits!

[Hinzland]

Quick question for everyone: do any classes seem underpowered or overpowered to you? Should I make the bard and Druid classes a little bit more combat able?

[Nagakawa]

Quick question for everyone: do any classes seem underpowered or overpowered to you? Should I make the bard and Druid classes a little bit more combat able?

Personally I think they seem fine, but I suppose the only way to find out would be to start playing and see how they work in live battle.

[Ceystile]

I've been speaking with the OP for a couple days, so I'm gonna slide a lil taggy tag here (char concept in the works). I'm not very good with worldbuilding myself but I'll do my best to help out.

[Nagakawa]

Say, OP, I'd like to ask a question. With regard to Elvish lifespans, what is the equivalent between their ages and those of humans, and roughly when do they enter adulthood?

[Nagakawa]

Hmm, these magnetic frogs sound like they’d make pretty interesting early to mid game enemies. I imagine there could also be larger ones that could cause a fair bit of trouble by attracting swords and other weapons made mostly of iron - or, perhaps, baddies who could find a way to use them in battle.

The possibilities are endless- swamp-dwelling salamander-people, bandits, swamp-dwelling salamander-people bandits!

Now you've got me thinking of a story arc where our group gets lost and ends up in a swampy Dead Marshes kind of place where the village, populated primarily by salamander people, encircle and trap the group in there and force them to try and do their bidding, kind of like a Woman in the Dunes kind of deal.

[Hinzland]

Say, OP, I'd like to ask a question. With regard to Elvish lifespans, what is the equivalent between their ages and those of humans, and roughly when do they enter adulthood?

Elves have the normal aging of a human, reaching adulthood/physical maturity between 16-21 years old. The major divergence is that their aging suspends around 35 years old, up until they’re about 150, where aging resumes normally, usually reaching about 200-230 years old before dying of age related causes. The oldest recorded elf was about 300 years old, and by the end, was a decrepit old woman, suffering dementia, blindness, and general physical disability.

Btw, I haven’t ignored your apps or added lore, I’m just reading through the details of them and deciding upon any tweaks. Thanks for the patience dawg

[Nagakawa]

Say, OP, I'd like to ask a question. With regard to Elvish lifespans, what is the equivalent between their ages and those of humans, and roughly when do they enter adulthood?

Elves have the normal aging of a human, reaching adulthood/physical maturity between 16-21 years old. The major divergence is that their aging suspends around 35 years old, up until they’re about 150, where aging resumes normally, usually reaching about 200-230 years old before dying of age related causes. The oldest recorded elf was about 300 years old, and by the end, was a decrepit old woman, suffering dementia, blindness, and general physical disability.

Btw, I haven’t ignored your apps or added lore, I’m just reading through the details of them and deciding upon any tweaks. Thanks for the patience dawg

Aight, thanks for the info boss. I'm gonna continue working on my characters' apps.

[Blargleyarg]

Further ideas:

History: From deformed animal remains found at several Triad ruins and accounts of a "twisting sickness", it's been hypothesized that the more magically inclined of the three nations was struck by a variant of the Boneripple that attacked cattle- particularly bovines such as cows and oxen. While the former had no widespread impact, apart from ruining the odd feast, the latter ground much agricultural work to a halt. Thus, until a cure for the sickness could be found, the Balam were needed to do the job. However, there was an unexpected outcome: the beasts interbred with the more generic cattle, permanently enshrining magic into the local cattle. The majority were slaughtered for fear of the danger they could pose, but a few survived. Their progeny aren't much better off, though- they're hunted for the healing properties their bodies offer.

Appearance: Belam resemble oxen with purplish-black hair, bright orange eyes and barbed horns. They're roughly 1.50x the size of their natural cousins.

Medical Benefits: The Belam's magical heritage has bestowed it's species with a number of health benefits, many of which are co-opted by humanoids. The bones in the spine can help with all manners of mania, a fried liver, insomnia, the heart can heal an infected wound and so on and so forth.

Armor: The skin of the Belam is thick and tough, but more importantly, somewhat magic-resistant, resisting or even deflecting some spells. Furthermore, this effect is retained after the animal's death, allowing for the creation of magic-resistant leather. However, this textile is extremely difficult to come by due to the Balam's rarity and the fact that the material's magical effect gradually dwindles without being regularly refreshed by a magic user- if left alone for long enough, the material will soon become mere leather, unable to be restored. Thus, it's usually found in the possession of high class wizardhunting mercenaries, kings with magicians among their court, and on occasion especially wealthy sorcerers.

Creation: A skilled sorcerer, upon placing an enchantment upon an animal still in utero, can with the right incantations alter the animal in any way they see fit (to a degree, that is). The stronger the sorcerer and more precise the weaving, the greater the alterations made.

Information regarding the spell was heavily restricted in the days of the Triad due to it's potential for abuse (the basilisk, manticore, etc), and as such is now practically unheard of. There are rumored to be some still capable of utilizing it's power, but such ability is few and far between.

Although nearly extinct and treatable in most cases, this sickness is still greatly feared for the devastation it wrought during the Bone Plague, in which untold numbers died in excruciating pain as their bodies became far too twisted to fit into coffins.

The disease causes the bones in the afflicted's bodies to bend out of shape. Now, while this usually isn't fatal, it is extremely grotesque and occasionally results in an open wound that quickly becomes infected. What kills is the aforementioned bone malformation wreaking havoc on the production of healthy blood cells. The effects of this deprivation include hallucinations, spasms, choking sensations, chronic fear, numbness and eventually total organ failure.
(WIP)

Now you've got me thinking of a story arc where our group gets lost and ends up in a swampy Dead Marshes kind of place where the village, populated primarily by salamander people, encircle and trap the group in there and force them to try and do their bidding, kind of like a Woman in the Dunes kind of deal.

Er, sorry, I'm not especially familiar with what you're referencing, but I did some googling and read a couple WP articles. Though I feel they probably didn't do it justice, as is the norm for wikipedia articles- not a comprehensive summary and explanation, just an outline
Anyways, glad I've stimulated some ideas.

[Hinzland]

@nagakawa Just a couple of things about the two nations that you’ve come up with, and I’d be happy to include them in the geography, religion, and faction sections.

Ruottian Confederation
-

Location: The Barrens is an inhospitable place with no permanent humanoid habitation. I think it would make more sense if it was located on the western part of the continent, on the coast of the Encompassing ocean. It’s about the same amount of distance from the barrens to the Far East as it is from the West coast of the continent to the Far East.l, so thatd still give them and Wado a good naval rivalry, and a land rivalry with the Kingdom of Oxvaal, another militant religious state. At the current state of affairs, although Oxvaal’s military is of average size, the Orthodoxy’s military arm gives it a considerable boost, but has stopped expanding as they’ve reached a point where Oxvaals nobles almost refuse to engage in any more offensives until Prince Subay returns. The current political environment is one of a Cold War, where the other smaller kingdoms wait for Oxvaal to continue its expansion (mostly done with diplomacy ie “we won’t come with our swords and slaughter everyone if you just swear fealty). Mostly outright war is of a last resort in the western kingdoms, due to scarcity in populations being observed in the Borderlands, with the Barrens being a prime example of what the west could turn into if the total war policy combined with strong magic could turn into.

-Size, Population: The largest state in the world is Oxvaal, which would be considered tiny today. If the continent was the size of North America, Oxvaal would be about the size of New Jersey. The size of Ruo would be insane if it could cover the barrens, reach across the north, northwest, all the way to the west to reach the borders of Oxvaal. Every state in the world right now is pretty much confined to their region, and I’m intentionally leaving out a real map and real descriptions of political geography as I view these countries as more of a setting. It doesn’t really matter what the exact borders of Oxvaal is, just that it’s in the west, landlocked, and bigger than average. Also, the largest city in the world is going to be Brymcyr, a major Free City on the largest island in the great sea. I’m writing a description now and should have it up in the OP tomorrow. It’s probably going to be about 500000ish, although it’s exact number doesn’t matter, just that it’s huge compared to the relative population of the world. The largest I’ll allow a population of a western kingdom is just enough to support a city of, say, 100000ish, with the larger metros being the Free Cities.

-Military: lastly, the military size. I see this rp as nations usually having smaller, more elite militaries. I’m fine with the professional soldiers of Ruo being of the highest class. Hell, they’d have to be with having to deal with rebels, invaders, bandits, and, you know, the occasional world ending entity some cultist just casually summoned into the Kings backyard XD but for the most part, I’d like to keep populations and military sizes down, and make the world feel unexplored, vast, empty, and most importantly, dangerous as hell.

-Summary: other than those nitpicky things, dude, well done. I’m the OP and I didn’t even think about a calendar, naming conventions, or even putting more than the church’s background other than “they do good stuff for da poor”. All the lore, the religion, and the nation itself is considered ACCEPTED, so long as we can edit the stuff above.

Wado

As long as the population, major cities, and military size stays decently low…
I like it, ACCEPTED

Both countries I think are unique, and add a mix to the RP. I like the addition of the “heretic” religion, and even though Tendo may seem pantheistic, it actually subscribes to a lot of Druidic ideals in that The One can manifest himself in everything in nature at once, and lives and breaths through us all.

As for the characters, just let me know when you’re done writing them and I’ll give them a look.

[Hinzland]

@blarg

All four of the ideas I have yet to respond of yours look great! We might be seeing a resurgence of the Bone Plague eventually. Sounds like a cool non combat storyline, maybe as a one shot.

[Hinzland]

I've been speaking with the OP for a couple days, so I'm gonna slide a lil taggy tag here (char concept in the works). I'm not very good with worldbuilding myself but I'll do my best to help out.

Welcome to the Ooc! Feel free to app whenever, no pressure, and if you need help with stats, vitals, or coming up with spells, feel free to ask!

That goes for everybody else too, I’ll always try to get back to you guys as fast as possible.

[Nagakawa]

@nagakawa Just a couple of things about the two nations that you’ve come up with, and I’d be happy to include them in the geography, religion, and faction sections.

Ruottian Confederation
-

Location: The Barrens is an inhospitable place with no permanent humanoid habitation. I think it would make more sense if it was located on the western part of the continent, on the coast of the Encompassing ocean. It’s about the same amount of distance from the barrens to the Far East as it is from the West coast of the continent to the Far East.l, so thatd still give them and Wado a good naval rivalry, and a land rivalry with the Kingdom of Oxvaal, another militant religious state. At the current state of affairs, although Oxvaal’s military is of average size, the Orthodoxy’s military arm gives it a considerable boost, but has stopped expanding as they’ve reached a point where Oxvaals nobles almost refuse to engage in any more offensives until Prince Subay returns. The current political environment is one of a Cold War, where the other smaller kingdoms wait for Oxvaal to continue its expansion (mostly done with diplomacy ie “we won’t come with our swords and slaughter everyone if you just swear fealty). Mostly outright war is of a last resort in the western kingdoms, due to scarcity in populations being observed in the Borderlands, with the Barrens being a prime example of what the west could turn into if the total war policy combined with strong magic could turn into.

-Size, Population: The largest state in the world is Oxvaal, which would be considered tiny today. If the continent was the size of North America, Oxvaal would be about the size of New Jersey. The size of Ruo would be insane if it could cover the barrens, reach across the north, northwest, all the way to the west to reach the borders of Oxvaal. Every state in the world right now is pretty much confined to their region, and I’m intentionally leaving out a real map and real descriptions of political geography as I view these countries as more of a setting. It doesn’t really matter what the exact borders of Oxvaal is, just that it’s in the west, landlocked, and bigger than average. Also, the largest city in the world is going to be Brymcyr, a major Free City on the largest island in the great sea. I’m writing a description now and should have it up in the OP tomorrow. It’s probably going to be about 500000ish, although it’s exact number doesn’t matter, just that it’s huge compared to the relative population of the world. The largest I’ll allow a population of a western kingdom is just enough to support a city of, say, 100000ish, with the larger metros being the Free Cities.

-Military: lastly, the military size. I see this rp as nations usually having smaller, more elite militaries. I’m fine with the professional soldiers of Ruo being of the highest class. Hell, they’d have to be with having to deal with rebels, invaders, bandits, and, you know, the occasional world ending entity some cultist just casually summoned into the Kings backyard XD but for the most part, I’d like to keep populations and military sizes down, and make the world feel unexplored, vast, empty, and most importantly, dangerous as hell.

-Summary: other than those nitpicky things, dude, well done. I’m the OP and I didn’t even think about a calendar, naming conventions, or even putting more than the church’s background other than “they do good stuff for da poor”. All the lore, the religion, and the nation itself is considered ACCEPTED, so long as we can edit the stuff above.

Wado

As long as the population, major cities, and military size stays decently low…
I like it, ACCEPTED

Both countries I think are unique, and add a mix to the RP. I like the addition of the “heretic” religion, and even though Tendo may seem pantheistic, it actually subscribes to a lot of Druidic ideals in that The One can manifest himself in everything in nature at once, and lives and breaths through us all.

As for the characters, just let me know when you’re done writing them and I’ll give them a look.

Alright, I've made some edits to the lore of Ruottia per your pointers:
- Significantly downsized Ruottia's borders, such that it is located as advised
- Added population figures: Ruottia's total population is now 110,000 - the vast majority of this number, roughly 85,000, resides in the capital city of Idunia and in the capitals of Qimranuth, Iweleth, and Chemdah.
- Military figures: the Idunian Military's total head count is 5,000 and the militaries of the individual three kingdoms, in total, comes to about 3,500, each kingdom having a roughly equal number of troops


I've also set Wado's total population at 42,000 - 10,000 of which reside in the capital city Omi. Wado's military has a head count of 3,500; the vast majority of these 3,500 are part of the naval forces.

Edit: I should also note, for the record, that I won't be playing either of the two countries or their militaries, unless OP wants me to do so at some point or another.

[Ovstylap]

Weighing into the discussion on population, how similar is food production to our world? For instance for much of human history, especially around the medieval period, you'd be looking at around 90% of the population having to be involved in food production- is this the case in much of the world today? In which case if there were say 10,000 people in a city you'd be looking at around 100,000 in the surrounding hinterlands assuming there's plenty of other towns and still other roles being fulfilled?

A few questions to build from this:
So, how much of the population is involved in farming?
Is there a major reliance on hunting or fishing, which provided the stocks don't run out, is less labour intensive?
Does magic have a role in producing food?
Is food easy to access?
Do most people have access to currency, or is barter preferred?

[Hinzland]

Weighing into the discussion on population, how similar is food production to our world? For instance for much of human history, especially around the medieval period, you'd be looking at around 90% of the population having to be involved in food production- is this the case in much of the world today? In which case if there were say 10,000 people in a city you'd be looking at around 100,000 in the surrounding hinterlands assuming there's plenty of other towns and still other roles being fulfilled?

A few questions to build from this:
So, how much of the population is involved in farming?
Is there a major reliance on hunting or fishing, which provided the stocks don't run out, is less labour intensive?
Does magic have a role in producing food?
Is food easy to access?
Do most people have access to currency, or is barter preferred?

There is a huge reliance on hunting and fishing, and the majority of workers are engaged in hunting and fishing.
Maybe magic has a role in producing food? Maybe that’s one of the jobs of an areas mages, to make sure the food is grown and preserved?

Money: The free cities have a united monetary system based on coin. The majority of major guilds, towns in other countries, dwarven strongholds, orcish tribes will accept it, with the exceptions of Ice Raiders from the Glacial Isles, and the people of the Borderlands, as they value grain and meat above good, due to the war causing a lack of food.

@nagakawa The location still doesn’t make sense to me. If Ruo was to border the Barrens, they’d have to be located in either the North, or the Borderlands ( the Huge inland sea prevents countries in the west from directly bordering the Barrens, it would have to take a land route through the Northwest and the North, which would be a massive distance). Since the north can’t easily access Wado, I suggest placing Ruo on the west coast of the continent, where through the encompassing ocean, can reach Wado, trade with the Isles of the Rising sun, And attempt missions to the south eastern jungles. Think of the continent as a massive donut, with a huge sea in the middle of it. This sea is bigger than the encompassing ocean. The Risong Sun Isles sit in the encompassing ocean between the West Coast of the Continent, and the East Coast of the continent. West and East are relative based on the city of Brymcyr, in the middle of the inland sea

[Blargleyarg]

@blarg

All four of the ideas I have yet to respond of yours look great! We might be seeing a resurgence of the Bone Plague eventually. Sounds like a cool non combat storyline, maybe as a one shot.

Awesome, glad you likey!

More stuffs:

A traveler walks a lonesome path through a ravine. Suddenly, they hear an old man's cries for help. Being the decent sort, they stop and search for the poor fellow amidst the nooks and crannies of the canyon, to no avail. As they begin to lose hope, they hear the old man whispering pitifully from under a sizeable stone, a single hand outstretched from beneath it. Using all their strength. the traveler lifts the stone and heaves it to the side only to find that the hand was attached to a shredded corpse. Shrieking in horror, they take a step back and suddenly feel a piercing, burning pain in their chest. In their final moments, they see the dark, twisted spike sticking through their clavicle and hear a coarse, heartless laughter.

Such is the life of the manticore, a vicious and highly intelligent vocal mimic.

Appearance: Manticores generally take the form of a large, dark red, shaggy-haired cat with a grotesque human head in place of the more natural feline one. This head bears a permanent grin, showing off it's three rows of shredding teeth. The apparent age of the head appears random and unchanging. Like with the head of the beast, the back legs are those of a human, albeit larger and more muscled than would be natural. The tail is long and prehensile, ending in a tapered point that is capable of being launched at foes at a distance or thrust at close range. The effectiveness of a melee or ranged attack is primarily based on the sting's shape- an aerodynamic one will be better at distance, for example. Notably, some manticore have bat-like wings capable of flight, but this trait is quite rare.

Abilities: In addition to the sting's directly damaging effects as a sharp instrument, it often contains venom. What sort of venom is usually determined by what the creator selected. Scorpion, serpent or spider venom are the most common of these, but more exotic ones aren't unheard of. The manticore also has an uncanny ability to mimic voices which they've heard, much like a parrot. Most are intelligent enough to put this to good use.

Behavior: Lonesome, malicious, and extremely sadistic, the manticore takes great joy in stalking small groups of travelers, tormenting them for the fun of it. Over days, weeks, or even months, the manticore doggedly follows their chosen prey, torturing them all the while through a variety of means- killing beloved pets, sowing discontent among the group, destroying vital supplies, whispering malicious things in the night and leaving the remains of previous playthings about, all to cause their victims mental, physical, and emotional pain before devouring them.

More often than not, those who survive being a manticore's object of interest don't escape unscathed- the mental trauma of the experience could remain for years. In fact, most of those who escape aren't even aware they've escaped anything at all- they think they've simply gone mad, and then they do.

History: Being wholly artificial creatures, the first of the manticore were created in the days of the Triad to guard the treasures of wealthy sorcerers. However, they were found to be defective after several incidents involving the deaths of their creators and as such the spell invoked in their creation was banned. The spell has been rediscovered on occasion throughout the centuries by various wicked sorcerers, most of whom were promptly devoured by the beasts they'd hope'd to command.

Possibly the cuddliest of all giant centipedes, the giant scolopendra, or "ki'rup" as it's more commonly known, is often used as
a beast of burden by merchants due to it's hardiness and ability to traverse all manner of environs.

Appearance: The picture at the top of this article is pretty much what I'm going for, but sized up so that each body segment is around the size of a large barrel.

History: Giant scolopendra are widely regarded as the premier way to transport large amounts of goods over land due to their ability to carry a few thousand pounds of cargo with little difficulty. The first of their kind were gifts from the gods to the kings of old, who used them as mounts in battle. Over many centuries, though, they've become smaller, more docile and far more common.

Among the tropical forests of Mount Kapet and the depths of Hel, one can find these demonic creatures in abundance.

History: The Demon Apes originate from Hel, where they exist solely for manual labor and the entertainment of their superiors. They were used as cannon fodder when the veils between worlds were thin, and occupy a relatively similar role now, albeit with less supervision. When the Soul Bomb was released, the gates to Hel closed, abandoning thousands of the Apes in the mortal realm. While most perished, a few survived and were able to flee to more inhabitable locales, namely the ruins of a temple at Mount Kapet, which has been their lair for decades.

In recent times, however, they've begun venturing out farther from their home and attacking settlements en masse. While nearby villages have always had to deal with the occasional raid, the beasts have suddenly begun utilizing unorthodox tactics completely unlike the typical suicide rush. Misdirection, ambush, siege- real stratagems. A few have even been spotted using crude weapons and throwing stones. How or why they've suddenly gained this knowledge is unknown, but some have hypothesized that a dark power has risen in the ruins of the mountain's ziggurat...

Appearance: Their external physiology is much that of a orangutan, albeit one the size of a gorilla. Uniformly dark haired, pale-skinned, and red-eyed, they often have horns on or near their foreheads of varying size and shape. Unlike their vegetarian terrestrial kin, however, they have maws full of sharpened teeth and claw-like nails.

Behavior: Demon Apes are essentially mindless, murdering any and all life they can find when possible with little to no self-preservation. They ​don't require food or water, instead sustaining themselves through violence and destruction. They don't consume that which they kill, instead leaving it to rot and dragging the remains to any sources of fresh water they can find in order to pollute them. They exist solely to destroy and are quite adept at it.

Hierarchy: Demon Apes are placed firmly near the bottom of Hel's social ladder due to their stupidity and mindless obedience, taking care of much manual labor. The feral ones inhabiting the mortal realm are less submissive, but will usually fall in line when confronted with any mid-ranking and somewhat authoritative devil.

[Hinzland]

@blarg

All four of the ideas I have yet to respond of yours look great! We might be seeing a resurgence of the Bone Plague eventually. Sounds like a cool non combat storyline, maybe as a one shot.

Awesome, glad you likey!

More stuffs:

A traveler walks a lonesome path through a ravine. Suddenly, they hear an old man's cries for help. Being the decent sort, they stop and search for the poor fellow amidst the nooks and crannies of the canyon, to no avail. As they begin to lose hope, they hear the old man whispering pitifully from under a sizeable stone, a single hand outstretched from beneath it. Using all their strength. the traveler lifts the stone and heaves it to the side only to find that the hand was attached to a shredded corpse. Shrieking in horror, they take a step back and suddenly feel a piercing, burning pain in their chest. In their final moments, they see the dark, twisted spike sticking through their clavicle and hear a coarse, heartless laughter.

Such is the life of the manticore, a vicious and highly intelligent vocal mimic.

Appearance: Manticores generally take the form of a large, dark red, shaggy-haired cat with a grotesque human head in place of the more natural feline one. This head bears a permanent grin, showing off it's three rows of shredding teeth. The apparent age of the head appears random and unchanging. Like with the head of the beast, the back legs are those of a human, albeit larger and more muscled than would be natural. The tail is long and prehensile, ending in a tapered point that is capable of being launched at foes at a distance or thrust at close range. The effectiveness of a melee or ranged attack is primarily based on the sting's shape- an aerodynamic one will be better at distance, for example. Notably, some manticore have bat-like wings capable of flight, but this trait is quite rare.

Abilities: In addition to the sting's directly damaging effects as a sharp instrument, it often contains venom. What sort of venom is usually determined by what the creator selected. Scorpion, serpent or spider venom are the most common of these, but more exotic ones aren't unheard of. The manticore also has an uncanny ability to mimic voices which they've heard, much like a parrot. Most are intelligent enough to put this to good use.

Behavior: Lonesome, malicious, and extremely sadistic, the manticore takes great joy in stalking small groups of travelers, tormenting them for the fun of it. Over days, weeks, or even months, the manticore doggedly follows their chosen prey, torturing them all the while through a variety of means- killing beloved pets, sowing discontent among the group, destroying vital supplies, whispering malicious things in the night and leaving the remains of previous playthings about, all to cause their victims mental, physical, and emotional pain before devouring them.

More often than not, those who survive being a manticore's object of interest don't escape unscathed- the mental trauma of the experience could remain for years. In fact, most of those who escape aren't even aware they've escaped anything at all- they think they've simply gone mad, and then they do.

History: Being wholly artificial creatures, the first of the manticore were created in the days of the Triad to guard the treasures of wealthy sorcerers. However, they were found to be defective after several incidents involving the deaths of their creators and as such the spell invoked in their creation was banned. The spell has been rediscovered on occasion throughout the centuries by various wicked sorcerers, most of whom were promptly devoured by the beasts they'd hope'd to command.

Possibly the cuddliest of all giant centipedes, the giant scolopendra, or "ki'rup" as it's more commonly known, is often used as
a beast of burden by merchants due to it's hardiness and ability to traverse all manner of environs.

Appearance: The picture at the top of this article is pretty much what I'm going for, but sized up so that each body segment is around the size of a large barrel.

History: Giant scolopendra are widely regarded as the premier way to transport large amounts of goods over land due to their ability to carry a few thousand pounds of cargo with little difficulty. The first of their kind were gifts from the gods to the kings of old, who used them as mounts in battle. Over many centuries, though, they've become smaller, more docile and far more common.

Among the tropical forests of Mount Kapet and the depths of Hel, one can find these demonic creatures in abundance.

History: The Devil Apes originate from Hel, where they exist solely for manual labor and the entertainment of their superiors. They were used as cannon fodder when the veils between worlds were thin, and occupy a relatively similar role now, albeit with less supervision. When the Soul Bomb was released, the gates to Hel closed, abandoning thousands of the Apes in the mortal realm. While most perished, a few survived and were able to flee to more inhabitable locales, namely the ruins of a temple at Mount Kapet, which has been their lair for decades.

In recent times, however, they've begun venturing out farther from their home and attacking settlements en masse. While nearby villages have always had to deal with the occasional raid, the beasts have suddenly begun utilizing unorthodox tactics completely unlike the typical suicide rush. Misdirection, ambush, siege- real stratagems. A few have even been spotted using crude weapons and throwing stones. How or why they've suddenly gained this knowledge is unknown, but some have hypothesized that a dark power has risen in the ruins of the mountain's ziggurat...

Appearance: Their external physiology is much that of a orangutan, albeit one the size of a gorilla. Uniformly dark haired, pale-skinned, and red-eyed, they often have horns on or near their foreheads of varying size and shape. Unlike their vegetarian terrestrial kin, however, they have maws full of sharpened teeth and claw-like nails.

Behavior: Devil Apes are essentially mindless, murdering any and all life they can find when possible with little to no self-preservation. Devil apes ​don't require food or water; they are sustained through violence and destruction. They don't consume that which they kill, instead leaving it to rot and dragging the remains to any sources of fresh water they can find in order to pollute them. They exist solely to destroy and are quite adept at it.

Hierarchy: Devil Apes are placed firmly near the bottom of Hel's social ladder due to their stupidity and mindless obedience, taking care of much manual labor. The feral ones inhabiting the mortal realm are less submissive, but will usually fall in line when confronted with any mid-ranking and somewhat authoritative devil.

I like all three, just the name of the devil ape should be “demon ape”, as devils are mostly humanoid, with the ability to shapeshift into elves, dwarves, etc. they are intelligent, with their true form resembling red skinned satyrs.

[Blargleyarg]

I like all three, just the name of the devil ape should be “demon ape”, as devils are mostly humanoid, with the ability to shapeshift into elves, dwarves, etc. they are intelligent, with their true form resembling red skinned satyrs.

Okie dokie, will do! Any other thoughts, suggestions or questions?

[Hinzland]

I like all three, just the name of the devil ape should be “demon ape”, as devils are mostly humanoid, with the ability to shapeshift into elves, dwarves, etc. they are intelligent, with their true form resembling red skinned satyrs.

Okie dokie, will do! Any other thoughts, suggestions or questions?

Nada. What character you thinking of making?

[Blargleyarg]

Okie dokie, will do! Any other thoughts, suggestions or questions?

Nada. What character you thinking of making?

If I'm being honest, I have no idea