Vim: Tales from Lumina (Fantasy/Arcanepunk/OOC)

[Naval Monte]

I don't want to waste anybody's time...but I've decided not to join after all. I know, it took me a while to come to this decision but I didn't want to start posting and then make everybody fall behind (i know, i didn't post anyway).

Sorry to hear that you won't be joining. Hopefully if you might change your mind in the future. Until then have a nice day.

[Naval Monte]

After this I hope to move away from Blight Town with the next plot line.

[True Refuge]

I've left a few dates unspecific to allow for changing time frames, ages, dates, etc.

Character Application
Character Name: Everton Tallow T̺͖̦͖̱ͅh̡̲̞͇̭ę̩ ̸G͓̞u̧̬̲a̘̙r͕̖̯͖̠͓̗͜d͔͔͍i͍̼̬̭͉a̠̥͚̯̣̭n͍̯̻͕
Gender: Male
Race: Human+
Appearance:

Of course, that style of suit and glasses doesn’t exist in Lumina. Everton wears the fashionable kind of formal outfit: waistcoat over a collared shirt and a small bow tie, and perhaps a matching single-breasted coat too. That smile’s not a common sight either…

Personality: A long time ago, Everton was a joker who talked smack and walked the walk in a fancy suit, taking the role of both a comedian and an irritation among his colleagues and friends. Those days are long gone, with a combination of close proximity to a runesmith’s abrasiveness and his closest friend and business partner disappearing on him eroding away his jolliness.

Years of fruitless searching, the heavy task of defending an old partner’s home and horrific memories of the attacks of treasure hunters comprising of people he once called confidantes have all left Everton spiteful. On the outside, he dutifully maintains some fragment of his old self, chuckling away at other jokes and occasionally offering his own, and time has healed some of his wounds, but the damage of obsession and the weight of painful secrets is clear and evident. The signs of such cold-hearted memories show occasionally whether it be in his sharp tongue and quickness to snap, or, at the worst moments, his forlorn stares and quiet tones. Only the sight of family and the comfort of their home seems to make it past his jaded edges and break the melancholy. On the other hand, his old apprentice has never brought him anything but joy and smiles, and even his sorrows can’t stop her from having that effect on everyone.
Age: 70 (biological age ~30)
Occupation: Private Magi Security, Protection Agent, Enforcer, Mercenary
Likes: Family first and foremost, the comfort of home but also the allure and distraction of combat, spreading the legacy of Quartz, and the times when he doesn’t have to act happier for the benefit of others.
Dislikes The unreliability of his own abilities, Ruby Ernst and most of her family, negative rumours about Quartz (thankfully, they are rare and mostly founded in suspicion and paranoia rather than fact), along with unjustified arrogance and those with undeserved authority. A major point of contention with him are his derision for the greats of the Vimsmithing field.
Skills:

• Knowledgeable on the runesmithing, Infusing, and Vim Symbology magic-sciences.
• Use of enhancements for intimidation.
• Adept at hand-to-hand combat, especially dirty fights against physically strong foes.
• Reading past others’ facades, seeing true intentions and emotions.

Special Ability(ies) Everton is an adept user of fire first and foremost, having honed that art from childhood. A variety of runic enhancements heighten his ability to manipulate this element, but in doing so results in his magic requiring significantly increased concentration to tap into its power, and often shortens the amount of the time the power can be used before exhaustion takes hold.

Once the source of great power, the runes carved, painted and Vim-tattooed onto his skin over many years started to malfunction after their creator’s disappearance when previously unknown inhibitor rune sequences activated, presumably to prevent Everton from misusing the power he had been granted. However, the fact that their creator’s disappearance took place just before he finished the last of the restricting combinations has caused serious problems with these inhibitors. The result of this incompletion is that the inhibitors lack any sort of safety limiter or consistency, hovering between inactivity and excessive activity. Most of the time, they leave him as an ordinary mage with a particularly impressive aptitude for his art, but occasionally, a misplaced piece of energy either causes the runes’ strength to wax or wane during the tests of battle. During the latter, his ability fades, sometimes to a shadow of his usual power and leaving him almost defenceless aside from the other runes' wards.

On the other hand, when the runes experience a sudden surge of energy, Everton finds himself capable of advanced Elemental techniques such as charged blasts and homing missiles, along flames so hot they threaten to burn even himself in their use, temperature and ability to linger on non-combustible surfaces. The outbursts are not without cost, however, as the energy that empowers these runes and empowered flames must come from somewhere, often Everton himself, and so these periods of strength are followed by extreme fatigue and weakness.

Some of the runes provide defences where his abilities lack, such as wards against physical strikes and guards against various kinds of offensive magic, but the energy required to maintain these protections means only a few can be active at once, and doing so makes the occurrence of his bursts of power less likely. The energy supply can come from himself, artefacts or objects suitable for storing power such as his Cane, and Kiri, due to the similar, complete, enhancements on her own body.

Runic Enhancements

In touch with his fighting style, a vastly impressive array of high-quality runes and Vim tattoos have shaped Everton into a durable front-line fighter, most effective in the centre of a battle’s chaos.

Not all achievements of the Rune Master Quartz Ernst are known. This lack of knowledge was only made greater by his sudden disappearance while working on several important projects. The function of some items, including some sequences of runes on Everton’s body, were not fully explained prior to his vanishing. As such, this list is not exhaustive.

Physical Warding/Magic Warding - Some of Everton’s most basic enhancements control the magical energies around his body, allowing for instinctive and precise protection and deflection against attacks both physical and magical. Physical attacks, being simpler and often less harmful than magical blows, are easier to defend against, and so the runes against them are far more comprehensive and powerful than those designed for magic-based threats. Their creator specifically designed the runes to activate in the blink of an eye in order to be effective against attacks that give little time for reaction, such as bullets or lightning strikes, and as such, those forms of weaponry are the most affected by the warding.

Requires a continuous and conscious input of magical force to be active to its fullest effect (although they are quite good even without such energy), and the magical wards are weak to extremely powerful bursts of magic from single attacks, which can overload the runic sequences and remove their protections in the right circumstances.

Enhanced Stamina – The power required to operate all of Everton’s runes is too great for their sole source of power to be ambient magical energy permeating the world. These enhancements paired with the relevant intensive training offers a significantly increased pool of stamina to draw upon in fighting and exercise.

Energy Transferral (limited) – The compatible nature of the enhancements’ creator’s various creations and the marks left on Everton means that energy is easily and efficiently moved from him to weaponry upgraded by runes and back and also other people sporting runes and Vim artefacts crafted by the same author, if for some unfortunate reason the latter is required.

Psychic Warding - A passive, continual effect that greatly mitigates the effects of psychic magic. Most effective against attacks related to mind control and direct pain infliction. Also provides minor protection against magic that tricks the nervous system into generating painful sensations.

Empowered Strikes - Allows for a voluntary energising of the fists to result in more powerful punches. Most useful when combined with a flashy fire trick. The runic sequences for this are located on the hand amongst others. Unlike some of the other improvements bestowed upon him, Everton’s past penchant for brutality and excessive force meant this gift received a great deal of focus and development, and now is one of his most useful tools.

Slowed Aging – In addition to runes specifically for this purpose, the sheer amount of effort and energy involved in crafting, maintaining and operating his enhancements has invigorated Everton’s very body, slowing the inevitable damage of aging significantly.
Sexual preference: There’s more important things to worry about in Everton’s life.
Identifying features:

• Heavily marked hands with runes and Vim marks on each joint and knuckle.
• Most of the time, the runic patterns are hidden, but when they are visible, such as in combat, the way they cover the entire body is rather striking.

Bio

The story of Everton Tallow’s life is a complicated one, mixing ongoing tales of estranged family, a brush with Alba’s criminal court system, lost friends, pioneers of magic-science and involvement in the intricacies of one of Alba’s most influential Mage families. These days, he doesn’t tell it often, although a woman called Kiri Masaiah is considerably more willing to share, if you can somehow find her.

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YOUTH

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Everton’s childhood was the sort that was comfortable. In the late 1830s, an Elementalist of a decent line of Mages of various arts, gave birth to a boy in a family estate in the hills of southeastern Alba while her anxious, non-magical husband stood by her bed. Raised in the sheltered environment of the upper class, the child was free to develop his skills as any teenage mage would. In time, he picked up a knack for the elements, to the delight of his mother’s family and the worry of his father. To the former, his aptitude and the reputation of his parents made a place in ranks of the public service or any of the major Magi councils quite likely, for the corruption growing in the latter’s heart was just beginning to hit its stride.

The magical side of his family, sure of his future even from his birth, egged him on in all he did, but the enclosed lifestyle that he had been given made him too sure of himself and his capabilities. He took risks with his private training as he grew older and strengthened his power. At one point, he nearly burned down a nearby farmhouse, and it would have fallen if it were not for his Water Elementalist aunt’s swift intervention. These mishaps never deterred him for long, however, for he quickly returned to practise sessions with a genuine smile spread across his face no matter the slight destruction he caused the night before.

Eventually, the day came when his mother announced her retirement from her employment in the local council. To commemorate the end of her long-lasting and committed public service, and the access to her sizeable pension, she prepared a special celebration. A few days before his sixteenth birthday, she called him into her room and, with great pride, presented a very special cane and top hat to him. Those items, mere fashion accessories to others, but also long-forgotten items of power used by an old mage group named the Watchers, who his mother found fascinating. The very material of her gifts, greatly enhanced by all manner of magics and made beautiful by her jeweller husband, channelled the user’s power and defended them from magical harm. Such a wonderful boon made the boy’s breath catch in his throat, but he somehow quelled his surprise when she pushed the gifts into his hands. He accepted them with a swelled chest and pride filling his thoughts, for his mother’s creations was special. Working with her husband and a local runemith throughout months of exceptional work and effort, Everton’s mother had replaced the fine wood with solid diamond that glittered brilliantly with every ray of light.

Alas, the value of the gift was what ruined him. Everton, filled with youthful arrogance empowered by his family’s praise, set off in the night armed with his new weapons without anyone realising he had gone. He trekked to a town close, who at the time found themselves plagued by talk of demonic shapeshifters. He asked around, and when a local girl took him to the forest where the town’s rumours said they lurked, he met them. He didn’t even get the chance to raise a finger against them.

The monsters recognised the marks of a mage and his family immediately, being intelligent enough to be familiar with his mother’s achievements and her closeness to their dens. In moments, they bypassed the protections of the Hat and cut his back open with their bloody talons. While he fell, they killed his guide in front of him, with a swipe to the neck. They tortured him that night, denigrating him and his family, tearing at him only to give him a potion to heal him so that they could do it all over again.

Everton only held out against the pain for half an hour before he became desperate to escape. Begging them to stop had no effect, and his fire were constrained in the cold, humid and deoxygenated air of the underground, so he stopped himself and focused, fuelled by adrenaline and fear. He channelled all the energy he could into his Cane as his captors awed over it, but for a while, it was to no avail. For a moment in which he could feel his energy dwindling and senses fading, he thought he had over-done it and would die from exhaustion, but with the last dregs of his strength, he succeeded.

Unable to contain the raw power within it, for the Cane’s transmutation was a mere cosmetic physical change and no more, the enhancements overloaded the precious material and the Cane exploded, spitting diamond shrapnel in all directions. The shards, being composed of the hardest substance found in the natural world, made short work of all they touched. In moments, all the monsters laid motionless on the floor, arteries and hearts pierced by pieces of the hardest substance found in nature, black blood pooling on the floor and staining his hands.

For hours, extreme fatigue kept him in place, muscles refusing to obey his orders. His mind was barely able to string words together. A piece of diamond had implanted itself in his left shoulder, and he couldn’t feel his left arm. His injuries were great, but, thanks to remnants of the monsters’ healing and the tumultuous energies of the Cane stopping the bleeding, he miraculously survived the ordeal, although it had brought him within a hair’s breadth of death.

The next day, with some of his exhaustion dispelled, he forced himself up and hitchhiked back to his estate, clothes stained and ruined. His mother, worried to the point she had put on a sickly pallor, met him on their front steps, aghast at the sight of his paled skin and glassy eyes. It didn’t show on his blank expression or his slouched shoulders, but she knew him well enough to know what he was thinking. He blamed her, correctly or not, for the night’s events, for not curtailing their pride when it got the better of them, and for not arriving to help him even when she could not have heard. Without a word, he turned and sat on the steps, ignoring her pleading until she gave up and called for medical assistance.

Soon after, the modified ambulance horse and carriage took him away to a special hospital deeper in the countryside, where healers treated his wounds, and mind-workers watered down the memories, but the trauma meant they could not make him truly forget. In youthful spite, the boy forsook his family name, took the moniker “Everton Tallow”, and never looked back.

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THE WATCHERS & DOCTOR QUARTZ ERNST

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Rather ironically, after several years wandering the Alban Isles with no particular goal in sight aside from taking one-off less-than-legal work and later avoiding the tensions of the war, Everton found himself at the doorstep of the organisation his family had so much wanted him to join. The Albian government accepted him hesitantly, worried by how hateful he was of his childhood. Nevertheless, he passed psych and magical competency evaluations and recruited as a founding member of one of many battle-mage groups created in the mobilisation of the Albian military in preparation for a war against Taurica. The group’s superiors watched him closely, but upon the provision of a new Cane-like weapon by his request, he became a valued member of the group nicknamed “The Watchers” after its leader, and found himself fighting back-to-back with his new comrades against evil of all kinds and many strengths. Joining him were men and women like Matthew, the Chief Watcher, Ichiru Hashimoto, a thousand-year-old spirit looking to redeem himself for old crimes, Alicia Cromwell, a Taurican defector, and Hania Seren, a clever thinker whose overly impassive facade made it difficult for Everton to keep a straight face during his first few weeks.

Some of those years were the best of his life, especially so after he and Seren formed a friendly rivalry that led to them passively trying to outdo other whenever they could in a child’s game of imaginary dare points. Their general camaraderie easily forged numerous friendships while they ate and drank together. Nevertheless, even with such revelry in the Watchers’ headquarters within the operating bases of the Albian military, Everton didn’t truly fit in. The Chief Watcher’s carefree nature irked him; he inwardly scowled at the youthful grins, the posh and overly expensive show-off suits, the habit of disappearing, and the eagerness to leap into danger reminded him too much of the flaws of his old self. He hated being forced to deal with Matthew’s niece Lana’s endless snark, insults, and condescension, even though he lashed out at anyone he didn’t like in a similar manner. Such thoughts simmered during the early years of the Watchers, festering as he bottled them up to avoid harming the joyous atmosphere and friendships that let him feel so carefree.

Times changed when he shook hands with the one and only Rune Master Quartz Ernst. Ernst was a full-fledged member of the Watchers at the time, though not a founding one as his enlistment had been part of a high-level government employee calling in an old debt from the Ernst family two months after the start of the war, but not like the rest of them. He was regularly absent, but unlike Matthew he had the reasonable excuse of his advanced age and family politics. When he was not with them, he spent his time working on one project or another in his workshop far away from the frontlines and when he was present via the power of teleportation circles, he was quick to snap and temper at the slightest incompetencies. The Watchers put up with his anger and irritability, as his role as a quartermaster who maintained and improved the group's weapons was invaluable, although most of his effort was spent on running his own business, Quartz's Magical Items & Trinkets.

Part of their tolerance stemmed from the fact that he was a truly remarkable man with a mastery of the language of magic and its many intricacies from many decades of intensive study and rigorous practise. Everton wasn't aware of it at the time, but the grouchy old man that scowled at him like he had glowered at so many others was a pioneer in the Runic Disciplines, who’s products were incredibly sought-after by so many upper-class mages, and were pipe dreams for those more common. Ernst had a seat on the board of the Runic Workers' Guild and on the Runeworkers’ Union, the two largest Runic Council and government-certified bodies in the Runic Disciplines before the Council was absorbed into the state to assist with war efforts. As the younger sister of Ruby Ernst, he had the ear and support of the one of the greatest Mage and business families in Alba, and much of the weaponry that family used had his shop’s logo emblazoned across their glowing surfaces. Indeed, the Ernsts had always had rumours about their long-past links to the old magiks, but confirmation on that couldn’t be found. However, much of the magical public knew him as a hermit who rarely left the confines of his home that he had built from scratch, based off how little he appeared in public, even in the chambers of the Runic Council in his minor councillor’s position.

Quartz’s list of achievements was long and impressive, and Everton, happy to see someone else than Matthew, immediately got along with him at their first meeting. He let the man speak while the others, especially Matthew, interrupted, and held his tongue when the rest of Watchers bantered with a man with no time for humour. The respect was somewhat reciprocated, and so over the months of 1866, the two’s acquaintanceship developed albeit slowly, since the rumours of Quartz’s reclusiveness were not without substance.

In that year, a supply-line sabotage mission went terribly wrong, and they found themselves surrounded by Taurican summoners fighting together against a demon from the fifth circle of the underworld, one of the most powerful adversaries the Watches had ever faced. Moments before reinforcements arrived, the beast lashed out at Everton and Hania, grievously injuring them, and would have forced them to live the rest of their lives in constant pain and immobility from the injury were it not for the runesmith’s quick actions, knowledge and dexterity. His fingers danced for hours, knitting flesh and bone back together, and for once sweat dripped from his temples. While Hania acted indifferent to this rare kindness afterwards, Everton’s gratitude signalled the beginning of a fruitful friendship. As a Christmas present at the first post-mission party Quartz had attended at the respectful insistence of Everton, Quartz granted Everton a visit to his home and workshop, showing him the marvels of his works and creations, although the action was slightly begrudging. Everton soon stopped trying to stop his eyes from widening during the tour.

Four years passed in relative peace within the ranks of the Watchers, as much as the group could be in with the constant Taurican threat and conquests. The Watchers had recruited two members, had one retire, had lost none in combat, and were minor celebrities across Alba, although the various reporters latching onto their story often downplayed Quartz’s involvement and non-combat roles, or even left him unreported. While the group’s fame and influence grew, so did the friendship between its two most spiteful members, to the point that Everton now took Quartz’s workshop-home as his residence after losing his apartment to a Fire Duel between him and an arrogant, slightly drunk soldier from another mage group while he was on leave. As for his friendship with the Rune Master, he managed, with great effort, to erode away the harsh crabbiness. The natural grouchiness never left, but after some time Quartz became pleased to see him and began to speak to him with only a little of his normal restraint, which Everton, understanding of how extraordinarily privileged he was, was always thankful for.

His gracious host later introduced him to several high-ranking members of the Ernst family, previously a taboo topic of conversation. Conversations with Ruby, the prideful and infuriatingly manipulative head of the family and Amber, her bodyguard at major galas and parties that the upper class maintained despite the war became a painful part of his schedule between deployments that usually ended with his cheeks flushed red. Despite the shame, he suffered through the tiresome events for Quartz, who previously went alone. He was happy for the help, but the friendship only took him so far, as an entire wing of the workshop remained off-limits to him. Quartz consoled the restriction with yet another remarkable gift. As part of his endless search for knowledge, the runesmith offered to use his abilities to push Everton further, to make him better than he could ever be, as a sort of case study, practise and mark of friendship all at once. There began many years of tinkering with Everton’s very energy, as layer upon layer of runes made it clear that he was rising above the rest. Even in its early stages, the runes gave him great power and protection, and Quartz acted as his watchful tether to prevent him from abusing his new enhancements. Everton never forgot the kindness; he regularly suggested new upgrades and ideas, and in return, Quartz shaped him into the fighter he dreamed of being, even in childhood.

Living within the workshop, and the close and regular proximity to the wonders of Quartz’s aptitude for his craft it gave, came with unsavoury effects. Quartz’s antisocial nature and beliefs about the supremacy of his profession rubbed off on Everton, for he himself had become evidence for that claim. His tongue grew unnecessarily sharp, his verbal jabs felt more and more hurtful rather than bantering, and he became a proficient user of excessive force, even against creatures that had done nothing wrong besides know a morsel of information about their target. Eventually, even the uncaring Hania began to worry, and the others were preparing to stage an intervention and suspend his combat duties to let his anger burn itself out. However, before that could happen, something wondrous meant it wasn’t needed.

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KIRI

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One day, after being reprimanded yet again for brutally interrogating a prisoner-of-war in 1872, Everton returned to the workshop to find Quartz, with his carving tools out and activated, standing by a bed that looked like it belonged in a hospital and on that bed a young child splayed out, unconscious and emaciated. A confrontation revealed that Quartz was performing what could only be described as a miracle. Days of work had gone into the operation, he said, strengthening and enhancing her useless legs to cure her of whatever disease had given her such a terrible mark.

At first, Everton was taken aback at the display of such an altruistic project, even arguing with him, but Quartz cut him short. He revealed his sighting of monsters raiding an orphanage while he was foraging for plants in Far Eastern Taurica, hundreds of miles away from the franticness of combat. The beasts had laid the bodies out outside, and they had been defaced beyond all recognition. Pushed by revulsion at such a terrible deed even he felt sickened by it, he entered and slayed the monsters, but it became clear in time that he was just too late, for a search found no survivors. But, tucked away in a crawl space, he found a girl, barely four or five years old, shivering in terror, exhausted from dragging withered, useless legs with her. The look on her face when he pulled the floor planks to reach the tiny shuffling noises, a pure mix of fear, adoration and relief caught him right then and there. The only thing she could answer his soft questions with was her name: Kiri. After much uncharacteristic pleading from the old man Everton began to help him, lighting a flame for the girl's warmth and comfort, although after hearing her story his hesitation had all but dried up.

Over the course of many days, Everton stood by the girl, a nurse to the surgeon, as Quartz carried out an endlessly complex operation, covering the girl’s limbs in runes spanning countless categories. Everton missed a combat deployment to be there, but neither he nor Quartz made an effort to allow for it. Instead, they worked away to perform a hidden miracle. When they finished, Everton was the one who insisted they return the girl to wherever she came from against Quartz’s better nature, but it soon became clear there was nowhere suitable to leave her. With no other ethical option available, they decided to take her under their roof and raise her.

The further, specific, details of Kiri’s childhood are reserved for the original creator of the character, (that being ‘MUD’, a friend I RP’d with from a while ago). What else is written in Everton’s bio concerns her as a supporting character and only uses the barest details. After all, I can’t let his app for his own original character be a complete repeat of what’s said here if he ever returns to RPing, or contradict the specifics of what he has in mind. I might get him to help fill this section out if he wants to help out.

Even though Everton and Quartz felt relieved, the war waged on with no sign of ending while they languished. The bodies continued to pile up, and morale amongst the Albians began to fade as war weariness set in. A complaint by the Watchers’ commander triggered a court-martial for Everton not too long after he had beared witness to that fateful miracle, but while the judging officers laid upon him their scathing lectures on military duty and honour, Quartz prepared the young Kiri for her first public appearance.

At first they demanded to know what such a young child was doing in a military tribunal, but when they presented their evidence it didn’t take long for their harshness to crumble before an act of such kindness from the supposed ‘dishonourable soldier’. Despite being an unwarranted and unwanted presence in such a setting, the press quickly caught the story leaked by Quartz to several contacts within the journalist profession. Confronted with a sob story about the impossible moral dilemma of choosing whether to fight for country or save a defenceless child, public opinion quickly swayed against the court. Wary of the waning public and political support for harsh punishments, the tribunal had little choice but to give Everton a light, slap-on-the-wrist sentence.

After the case was resolved, Quartz announced his official adoption of Kiri. In a disastrous twist, the Taurican government and its respective magical authorities saw the declaration as an Albian attempt to embarrass them politically on top of the war, and issued a rebuke to the allies of Alba with a personal comment from Tsar Matthias II that in less tumultuous times would have succeeded in preventing the adoption from going through. However, they could not have chosen a worst time. The public had not yet forgotten shy Kiri, hiding by her guardian’s side during the disciplinary proceedings. Once again, the media machine lurched into action. Even worse, the former members of the Runic Council and Guild, along with the Ernst family, threw their considerable political weight behind Kiri’s cause. Their motives became clearer later when various investigations undertaken after the conclusion to the crisis revealed a slight breakdown in the stereotype of runesmiths as cold and unfeeling correlating with slightly increased profits within the runesmithing industry.

The Tauricans, embarrassed and facing an escalating scandal, backed down, but revoked Kiri’s citizenship as retribution. Statelessness didn’t bother her or her guardians, however, and she settled into her new family quite nicely. This time, her guardians denied all interviews after the matter was resolved, but the story lived in gossip and conversations for a while more. In time, with little to sustain it among those with a higher standard of news, the story faded and withered from the public consciousness, but it has not been completely forgotten.

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THE DISSOLUTION OF THE WATCHERS

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Everton returned to the Watchers soon after while Quartz looked after Kiri, beaming with pride and hoping to receive a hero’s welcome, but instead found himself the subject of Matthew Watcher’s intense disapproval. The high and mighty leader of the Watchers saw it as a terrible breach of Everton’s duty, and against the wishes of most of his soldiers, remained steadfast in his opposition and had even convinced some of his comrades to feel the same. Everton took it remarkably calmly, but Matthew had wasted the chance to reconcile with Everton’s prejudices, and set the Watchers on the course to its unfortunate ending.

One day in the summer of 1873, between yet more missions, a spirit appeared to the group, claiming that it was an agent of a minor god by the name of Liai, revealing that their skill, success and antics had fascinated her greatly. In a remarkable and wholly amoral deal, considering that the war had not yet ended, she offered to grant immortality and great power to them in return for control over the group. Some of the Watchers, including Everton and Quartz, balked instantly at that huge cost, even to the point of cursing the spirit for making such an outrageous offer. The majority of the other Watchers denied with great reluctance, suffering greatly from the temptation of strength and the human dream of eternal life, but stood by their obligation to their military, their people and their country to not subjugate themselves to such a power.

However, two went against their comrades’ grain and broke their soldier’s oath by accepting. Matthew, turned arrogant by the Watchers’ fame and nurturing a dark, jingoist hatred of Alba's enemies, signed the fateful contract in blood in a fit of righteousness. Hania Seren, the recent recipient of another drastic injury and humbling, took the contract with little hesitation. Everton and Quartz suspected selfishness and megalomania tainted her choice, but they never found out the deeper reasons for her acceptance, however, for Matthew forbade questioning about the contract, citing their decision to live without the power meant they could no longer hear the terms and rewards. Liai was happy regardless, having attained the Chief Watcher, and in typical godly fashion, failed to notice the developing fury of her new servants.

Unfortunately for Liai, the signings came mere weeks before a series of lucky ad decisive victories against Taurica, driving the enemy’s forces back to the point that the Watchers’ primary objective was no longer necessary. For the eight months from the appearance of the spirit to Taurica's signing of the Articles of Surrender, the group felt underwhelmed as they saw fewer and fewer deployments, and spent more time with little to distract them from their growing internal issues. Matthew Watcher, regularly distracted with his new powers, neglected to control the outbreaks of petty squabbling and growing dissent. When peacetime finally came around, the Watchers had fallen far from grace, and even the medal ceremony in which even Everton was granted acknowledgement for their service did little to lift the mood.

The Albian government decommissioned most of the mage groups after the war ended, and in doing so took away the Watchers’ purpose. Its members were retired from military service, and Matthew lost the authority of a commanding officer. The group limped along for a couple of months, helping to mop up the last remnants of Taurican extremists who believed in fighting to the death, before Everton, Quartz and their allies could take it no more. On the 27th of October 1874, the ninth anniversary of the group’s founding, Everton, Quartz, Ichiru Hashimoto and Alicia Cromwell openly objected to Matthew’s leadership, citing his arrogance, selfishness and neglect as the reason for the Watchers’ deterioration, and called for his removal. In sad irony, they started out with the noble intentions of improving the Watchers, extending its longevity even, but their action only enabled its downfall.

Matthew’s reaction was one of boundless rage, and doubtless divided the already restless group between clearly marked lines in the sand. He labelled the dissidents disgraceful traitors, and issued a counter-demand of their expulsion from the group. His allies in disapproving of Everton returned to his side, and, to the great surprise of the other side, Seren supported Matthew’s supposed attempt to keep the Watchers together even though Matthew employed the person she despised the most to assist him. Everton never discovered the real reason for Seren’s opposition, and lamented what he thought was her decision. His sadness was short-lived, for the strife that followed quickly destroyed all that was left of the Watchers’ camaraderie.

The situation escalated from slinging hurtful insults to physical violence in mere minutes, and then, upon the orders of Matthew, to full-fledged magical violence. Everton’s side fled, and with Quartz unwilling to bring his family into the conflict, they took refuge in the only place they could: Quartz’s workshop. The runesmith’s home had become his fortress. His sanctuary, built from the ground-up with the explicit purpose of keeping all unwelcome visitors as far away as possible. Magic throbbed within every square inch of the place, between its walls and in its very foundations. Anti-teleportation charms, progressive magic barriers, security systems, and so, so much more that it could not be hoped for it to be fully detailed, all formed his unseen masterpiece. Its protections bought them time, and the presence of Kiri kept spirits up somewhat as Matthew’s loyalists started their fervent search.

Yet, the protections failed. It made no sense, for Everton himself had watched Quartz construct a fair number of its practically impenetrable fortifications and had seen their certain, perfect quality, but such doubt was of little importance when their last line of defence. Thankfully, Quartz, well-prepared and having planned for even the most impossible of surprise attacks, erected a barrier between the two sides. The ex-comrades suffered a stare-down, cursing each other to damnation. Matthew and his soldiers slung unrestrained attacks on the barrier, instilling fear in the defenders for the barrier could not last forever against sustained attacks, even with Quartz’s skilful protections. Quartz, however, showed no sign of worry as he sat on a bench, clutching the ten-year-old Kiri to his side. As the shield began to fade, he looked Matthew dead in the eye, and gave one last warning. Matthew refused.

Something awoke in the workshop then. Something summoned, beyond any belief. For many years, what exactly happened there greased the wheels of the rumour mill. Quartz and Everton had forcefully sworn, via Mental rune magic, all witnesses to never reveal anything about what occurred that day. Whatever did happen, it utterly crushed the invaders and expelled them from the workshop, all branded with horrific scars, save, for unknown reasons, Hania Seren, who’s memory of the event was hidden away. That day, the Watchers broke into pieces, never to reunite.

With their friendships corrupted and broken by the conflict and the true sides of some of their characters revealed, Everton’s allies went their separate ways, intending on waiting for the horror of the battles to fade, while Everton remained with Quartz and Kiri. Over the next few years, most found employment within private mage security, or law enforcement under Alba’s government.

Most of them never saw Quartz again.

---

THE DISAPPEARANCE

---

On the 12th of May 1882, a mildly famous date nowadays among gossipers, Everton and Kiri, the latter now fourteen and energetic as ever, returned to their home from a long holiday to the natural wonders of the world to find the workshop empty. At first, it didn’t bother them. Quartz leaving the workshop wasn’t unsual in those years, although it was uncommon. His family often called upon him without warning for events and advice. Everton investigated a little at the insistence of Kiri, who was excited to see her father again after 'so long', but a call to the head of the Ernst family, Quartz’s sister Ruby, revealed that Quartz was not with them, and had actually dropped off their network of spies and bribed police forces throughout Alba ordered to keep a watch on him. The Ernst inner circle was starting to worry and in fact was hoping that he had contacted them about where he was going. Everton, ever pragmatic, pointed out that Quartz had helped design that network, and may have a left a loophole for himself, but Ruby insisted it had never happened before. By the time that Everton looked back at Kiri with worry, she had already vanished into their home’s corridors, looking for a distraction as Everton engaged in grown-up talk. After leaving Ruby on hold, to her indignation, he took part in the playful chase after a few minutes, only to find her clutching a piece of paper in her hand, trembling as if she was still trapped away in her long-gone home’s hiding place.

Kiri was starting at a bundle of papers and a chest organised neatly on her bed several rooms away from the main chamber, all marked with the Ernst family seal and laid to rest with a single white rose. She was the first of very few to cry. Upon arriving and reading the message, Everton soon joined her with quiet shock. For days, they withdrew from the outside world and let out their sadness together in the home Quartz had left behind. Everton had lost his closest friend, and Kiri her father, tutor and gracious saviour. Eventually, Kiri, in-between sobs, suggested that they take it upon themselves to find where Quartz had disappeared to, and so they committed themselves to the search.

Everton is reluctant to speak of what happened afterwards, but the runesmith was notable enough that the closure of his business drew some attention, and the Ernst family issued numerous official statements on the matter to quell the press. Officially, there were six papers delivered to them that day as the final writings of the great Rune Master Quartz Ernst. The first, which Kiri grasped with such firm conviction, was a detailed farewell letter, written over the course of many weeks with a forlorn, knowing hand. Out of respect, Quartz’s family always left its contents private. The second contained instructions for the Ernst family for announcements of his departure and severance of relations with his clients. The third was a glowing letter of recommendation for his nephew Peridot, his apprentice of several years. The fourth contained the documents needed to transfer all of his immense wealth and property in his name to Everton and Kiri. The fifth informed them that his numerous duties had now transferred to them, namely the guarding of several extremely important artefacts. The sixth and last contained information specifically for Everton and Everton alone, which will not be repeated.

Two of the statements are above are incorrect, and two are not what they seem.B̗̳̯͉͎e̟̱̻ ̼̜̹̝͉s̠͕̝͇̤͢u҉͎re ̻̮͓͝t̶͉̻̻̲̗̤o͏͇̰ ̺̖̜r̺̫̭͉ḙm̧̜e̦̲͔͟m͉͘b̖̺e҉͚ṛ̝͚ t̡̠̙̣͖̟̯͉h͔̜a͖̻̟̲̼̯t̤,̢̖̖̬͚͇̬ ͢c̰̜h͚͕̝̭̰͎i̶͈̱̲̖͓l̠̝̠̟̼̣͉d̦̩̫̬̙̠̜r̲͙̜͔͖̝͔͘e͖͍ͅǹ̯͕̲̣̬̭.̙̭͙

---

TO PRESENT DAY

---

Everton raised Kiri until adulthood by himself, denying all offers of help from Quartz’s family. He lived frugally; never rising above decent comfort despite the mountains of riches he had been given. He arranged rune tutoring for Kiri, and taught her the necessary combat skills, but he was not set out to be a teacher, and her unique, emotionally-driven style of magic confounded him too much for him to be a useful instructor. To make matters worse, five years of searching revealed only information too sensitive for them to give it to any authorities, and wholly insufficient in even beginning to find Quartz. The old man had covered his tracks too well for him. Everton, dejected and tired of it all, cut his losses and quit.

Once Kiri had outgrown the need for his protection, Everton began wandering the world, taking odd jobs for the Ernst family, honing his magic and learning just enough runic knowledge to maintain his enhancements. He and Kiri remained very close throughout the years, even though Kiri had continued the search for Quartz even when Everton had left her by herself, to the point that she started pursuing methods labelled esoteric even by the magical community. To her sadness, he shrunk further and further from the boisterous larrikin he used to love being.

He now founds himself drifting between the cities of Alba, running errands for the Ernst family. Perhaps he’s looking for a change. If so, he’ll certainly get one.

Do̗n̜̣'҉̘ͅṯ̨̦̼͔̣̠͍ ͚̳̗̦͈͚̮l̝̭͔i̡͈̬̝̜̮̗͕s̝͇̤t͉̹͚ͅe̹̼͙̫͕͉̪n̸ ͍͉͎̪͎͇t͉̘͓̼̯̯̱o̹̮̞ t͔̜̬͈̗̣̱͢h͖͎͓̪e̟̲͕͢ͅm̹̱͔͙̘,̰̩͇̳͉͚ ̰̦͎P̘̣͇r͢i̻̮̙͖n̮͍̘ͅc̮e̼s̩̻̤̰̦͇̞͟s͏̝,̗͎͕͈͈̹͉͡ ̪̫̰̱̲͝ţ̞̺̤̙he̘̪͓̦̫̻y̥͔̖̯'̮͔͉̲̲̱̠r̺̣͇̖̮̱͝e̦̼̼͇̳ ̼̖l̬̠y̬̲i̕n̟͖͇̲g͈̬̪̹͉̣ ̝̲̤͓t͉̹̲̙͉͞o ̨̬̞͉̱̮̭ͅy͉̤̼̘̙̪o̶̖̖ú̱!̪̮̣̝͘ ̩̩̘͖̜͉
̡̜̥͓̼̞͚̻
̜̫̘̭̤̭̩Y̡̤ò̻̹̖̰ú'͔̠͘v̖͔́e҉̥ ͉͈a̮͈̝͉̠lw̷̫̻̪ͅa͉ͅy͏͙̣̦̹͙̟͍s͔̺̭̱̞̮ͅ ̯̭̳͉ͅk̦̜n͇͎͜o̢̮ẃ̩̯̫͙̮͇n͕̟ ̫̭s̨͙̠̯̝͙̙o̫̹̦̗͢m̵et̼̺͚̯͔͡h̶̝̻͇i̧̫̯͖̰̟ͅn̛̳̗̰ǵ̙̫̜͍͚'s̱̟͖̞̩ ̧̮̫͖o̙̩̗̙̮͜f̻̭̻̖̳ͅf ̝̺͇͔͓̭̀ͅa̡b̧͍̰̝ọ̜̱̞̩̯ú͔͈̦͇̘t̻̱͠ ̴̠͕̩̣̘ṯ̸̳h̙̬̫̫͟o̠͈̪s̮̙̲̗̥̗e̠ E̟̣̖̜͚͓͙ṛ̜̗͎͚̬n̖͔̳̯͚s͚͘t͏̩̣s̸̜̲̫̮.̷ ̦͇
͙̤
̰̀D̠̰̳̱͘o͕̤͍̟ͅn̪̦̠̖̬'̩̹̪͎̼͠t̜̖̺̪̕ ̯̖t̗̻̗̜̟r̲us̰̰͎̙̖t̟̣ ͉̝̘́aǹ̘̺̝̩y̷̘̻̜ ͖̭̜̟ͅo̜f̰͕̮͕̜͚͍ ̣t̘̮̩͍͍͢ͅͅh̝̭̣̫͈͜e̛͔̗͇̲̲̦m̺̻̦͖̪̣̗,͉ ͏̘̤͍n͓͇͓͇̬͇̯ot̤͙̳̖̫̙́ ̙̟͍e͔̟̳̥͡v͈͙̀e̻͈͎n̡͇̱̳ ͎̣̣͙̰t̗̥̫͓͍h̖͇͉̮̟͇͎͠e͙̫͚͓̣̣͘i̵̺̰̺̥̰r͚̙͖̩̲̦̭ ̜͚̬̬͔̭ͅa̫̬̖̩̦͕̦u͈̤̝͓͟ͅx̴̞͓͓̱i̶̻̠li̗̮̘a͏̹̮̯̭r̻i̴ès̲̬̳͍͞.̷͕̺̝
̱̥̮̹̘
̶͚͉̬̖̺̖S̷͇͔͚̝͍̬o̱̞̰̖m̟̭͍͇̺ͅe̴̹̳͙͚̞t҉̯͔̠̦hi̘͇͍͇̳͖͉n͓̬̼̗͕g̞̬̞͠'̻͖͍̭͓̟s̝̙̬ ̞̝v̨e͓r̯̀y̲̱͚͚͡ ̱̦̗̤w̷͎r̖͙̯̮̞̮o͓͕͉̪ņ͇̤̠͓g̛̣̪̬͉̖̼ a̺̕b̴̩͇͖̝̠o̡̤̜̞̮̤̪̠u̬̻̬̞̠͡ͅͅt͙̤͔̠ ̤̱͕͟à͇̖͖l̵̙̪̰̣̹̱l̟̫̻̣͕͘ ̷̥̗̬̜͚o̯̟͇̦̣̺̹f̣̞̜̫ ̧̖̖̲̙t̳̪͕̤̙̀ḥ̬̙͉̲̻͓͘e̱̻̘͚̤͙͢m̭͓̀.̮͖͇̜͙

Theme Song "Goodbye Old Friend"
Relationships: Tenuous links with the Rune Council, the Runeworkers’ Union, and the Ernst family.
-Kiri Masaiah (adoptive daughter).
-Lumina Police Commissioner Dornan: Fought together for a short time in the Aqyar War against Taurica. Saved each other from death a few times and together helped prevent a disastrous ambush on the rear of advancing friendly supply lines.
-Lapis Ernst: Security Executive for the House of Ernst, an Alban noble family and Everton's employers. A man of great diligence, Lapis occasionally serves as Everton's handler and more regularly as a line of communication between Everton and the Ernst leadership.

[Naval Monte]

---

A few mistakes but otherwise it is very good. Accepted

[Cappuccina]

So can fairy races (elves, orcs, pixies, etc) not use magic naturally? They need to use vim too?

[Naval Monte]

So can fairy races (elves, orcs, pixies, etc) not use magic naturally? They need to use vim too?

It depends for some. Elves can use magic naturally while magic using dwarves are rare. As of now magic comes from Vim and you either use Vim based items, mutations, enchantments, infusions or implants, or you manipulate the energy released by the usage of Vim.

Also the fairy races are less of true faes and more of races who are descendant of the anicent unions of mortal and true fae, or creatures changed or made by the true fae. The name got around because of their origins and because fir a long time the true fae wrre largely absent in the world.

[Cappuccina]

So can fairy races (elves, orcs, pixies, etc) not use magic naturally? They need to use vim too?

It depends for some. Elves can use magic naturally while magic using dwarves are rare. As of now magic comes from Vim and you either use Vim based items, mutations, enchantments, infusions or implants, or you manipulate the energy released by the usage of Vim.

Also the fairy races are less of true faes and more of races who are descendant of the anicent unions of mortal and true fae, or creatures changed or made by the true fae. The name got around because of their origins and because fir a long time the true fae wrre largely absent in the world.

Ah, ok. Not an issue, I was just curious how that worked. I should have an app up in a day or two. This is very intriguing.

Also, what is the political structure of the city-state of Lumina like? Is it a republic, a constitutional monarchy? Are there a noble/aristocrat class?

[Naval Monte]

It depends for some. Elves can use magic naturally while magic using dwarves are rare. As of now magic comes from Vim and you either use Vim based items, mutations, enchantments, infusions or implants, or you manipulate the energy released by the usage of Vim.

Also the fairy races are less of true faes and more of races who are descendant of the anicent unions of mortal and true fae, or creatures changed or made by the true fae. The name got around because of their origins and because fir a long time the true fae wrre largely absent in the world.

Ah, ok. Not an issue, I was just curious how that worked. I should have an app up in a day or two. This is very intriguing.

Also, what is the political structure of the city-state of Lumina like? Is it a republic, a constitutional monarchy? Are there a noble/aristocrat class?

Politically Lumina is a semi-autonomous city state. It is own by powerful nations like Zigar (which is close by the city state) Alba, and Thersmilla. The city has its Chief Minister chosen by those powers and they rule for life, a new minister being picked until the death of the old one. Domestically the Minister can decide on things for the city like administration, economic plans, and defense organization.

[Naval Monte]

Sense there was a demand for these there are now apps for groups and nations.

[True Refuge]

Second post up. Hopefully I can get Everton in with the main group soon enough.

[Prusselanden]

Group/Organization Name: Kòk Nwa
Type: Secret Society/Clan
Purpose: To regain status and power.
Mission: Usurp other mage clans
Motivation: Banishment, Humiliation, and revenge.
Race(s): Humans, may employ some orcs
Home: Unknown
Leader(s): Unknown at the moment
Members: 500
Language: Creole, English
Religion: not applicable,
Examples of Previous RPs: (Sorry don't have any)
Relationship with Governments: Unknown to government, hostile to state.
Description of Group: A mage clan banished for mysterious reasons, forced into hiding and mediocre day jobs. They strive for revenge against their enemies and high status in society again.
Relationship with other Groups: Mostly work separately from other groups and are hostile, but will ally in exchange for taking out certain difficult people. They will hand out favors of wealth and position in return.
How you fit into the world: They're a secret mage group much like an underground mafia planning to surface soon enough

[Naval Monte]

---

Mind putting a but more info about these guys on the app?

[Prusselanden]

---

Mind putting a but more info about these guys on the app?

Really want to keep them secretive

[Britanania]

Nation Name: Pontifical State/Status Ecclesiasticus
Government Type: Elective Absolute Theocratic Monarchy
Race(s): Mostly elves and humans, although some goblins and dwarves live within its borders
Demonym: Cadian
Capital: Cadia
Leader(s): Manga Pontifex Julius X
Motivation: To strengthen, grow, and enrich the worship of the Sacred Ecclesiarchy of Una
Population: 20 million
Language: High Cadian (official); Low Cadian (vernacular)
Culture: Cadian
Religion: Sacred Ecclesiarchy of Una
Economy: Mostly rural and agrarian, primarily the growing of olives and grapes and the manufacturing of olive oil and wine. There is light industry in the cities but in general the economy lags behind more modern and industrial states.
Currency: Pontifical lira
Military Size: 1 million soldiers, half of whom are reservists.
# of Population fit for military service: 1%
Description of Nation/History: One of the successor states to the Cadian Empire, the Pontifical State controls the capital and name place of the eponymous empire. It controls most of the Cadian peninsula and emerged as the strongest state in that region of Adra in the centuries after the loss of magic. The Pontifical State is more or less the secular power of the Ecclesiarchy and the Ecclesiarchy's leaders reside within the nearly impenetrable walls of Cadia. While it has engaged in warfare in the past, the Pontifical State in the past century has largely taken a non-interventionist route and instead tries to act as a mediator between other factions on Adra and abroad
Relationship with other Nations: *For now ignore this, we can establish that here in the OOC thread. However talk to the other players to know what sort of relationship that you want your nations to be in.
How you fit into the world: The equivalent of the old Papal State in our history

---

Group/Organization Name: Sacred Ecclesiarchy of Una
Type: Religion
Purpose: To strengthen, grow, and enrich the worship of of Una
Mission: Continue the work of Una
Motivation: Religious fervour
Race(s): Most known races, but primarilly elves and humans
Home: Pontifical State, in particualr the city of Cadia
Leader(s): Manga Pontifex Julius X
Members: 200 million
Language: High Cadian (official); various vernacular languages
Religion: Worship of Una
Relationship with Governments:
Description of Group:
The History of the Sacred Ecclesiarchy of Una: In Brief

Three millennia before the present era, on the continent known as Adra a great empire emerged. By subjugating its neighbours, the city-state of Cadia became the dominant power. The citizens of Cadia had a major advantage over its rivals: its mages were skilled in magic, and the Cadians accepted non-humans into its ranks. As a place where Humans, Elves, Orcs, Goblins, Dwarves, Gnomes, Trolls, Pixies, Centaurs, and Satyrs lived as one, who all believed in the dream that was Cadia, they became a might force that conquered almost the entire continent in a few short centuries.

At the height of the Cadian Empire's power, the god known as Una descended upon Numina and, according to the historians and theologians of the Ecclesiarchy, became the Empire's ruler. Una taught the Cadians many things, and their empire became unparalleled for its advances. Before the barrier that cut off the secular and spiritual world formed, Una gave the people of Cadia a prophecy: one day He would return and bring again the golden age.

When the old magic failed and civilisations crumbled, the Cadian Empire could not long sustain itself and splintered into various successor kingdoms. But despite this, the faithful of Una remained true and the Ecclesiarchy was born. The Ecclesiarchy maintained what little order remained on the continent of Adra and served as a source of continuity between the old world and the new one they found themselves its. Its preachers proclaimed that these dark times were temporary and that faith to Una was all that could save them. While they could not prevent the fracture of the Cadian Empire, the Ecclesiarchy could maintain its culture and the successor kingdoms and states looked to the Ecclesiarchy as a symbol of legitimacy. As the dominant religion on Adra, its influence became unrivalled and soon spread as contact with other peoples, kingdoms and continents resumed.

With the Vim Revolution, the philosophers and theologians of the Ecclesiarchy could not ignore its power. Initially, the Ecclesiarchy cautiously welcomed the use of Vim and merged science and faith. However, as its use became prevalent and people have become addicted to its use in all facets of life the Ecclesiarchy routinely denounces such use and reminds its faithful and the world salvation can come only through Una, and anything else is folly.

Structure of the Ecclesiarchy

The Ecclesiarchy is based in the ancient city-state of Cadia. After the fall of the Empire, as the Ecclesiarchy asserted its dominance, it came to dominate the city and its surrounding area carving out a powerful realm in the centre of Adra. Its head and absolute authority is the Magna Pontifex, who according to their sacred texts, is the successor of the man Una appointed to lead His faithful before His departure. The Manga Pontifex has absolute doctrinal authority in the Ecclesiarchy and appoints all episcopi.

The Manga Pontifex serves for life and is elected by the Concilium Pontifices, the Council of Pontiffs. The Pontiffs are appointed by the Magna Pontifex, made up (usually) of the most senior episocpi, and the Council also serves as an advisory board to the Magna Pontifex. Assisting with the day-to-day operations of the Ecclesiarchy is the vast bureaucracy of the Cadian Curia composed of several Secretariats, Congregations, and Councils.

The Ecclesiarchy is divided into regional districts known as Sees, which originally corresponded to ancient divisions of the Cadian Empire. The head of the Sees, the episocpi, are authorised to teach doctrine and govern in the name of the Ecclesiarchy. Each See has its own Curia modeled on the Cadian one.

Sees are sub-divded into Chapters, headed by a Sacredos, or regular cleric. Their duties are to serve thegeneral public in the worship of Una.

Organisation and Structure of the Cadian Curia

Broadly speaking, the Cadian Curia is the administrative institutions of the Ecclesiarchy. With the Concilium Pontifices serves as an advisory and elective body and the Concilium Episcopi meets occasionally to assist the Manga Pontifex, the Cura acts independently of both councils and conducts the Magna Pontifex's business on a day-to-day level.

The Curia is composed of two main bodies: The Secretariats and the Congregations.

The Secretariats is further composed of the Secretarius Major, which oversees foreign affairs, the Secretatius Economia, which handles the internal workings of the Ecclesiarchy, in particular, the city of Cadia and its surrounding area that is directly controlled by the Ecclesiarchy.

The various Congregations, each headed by a Pontiff, serve various functions. While most handle smaller matters, such as education, by far the most important and powerful Congregation is the Ordo Inquisito. Headed by the Generalis Inquisitor, its primary role is to promote and safeguard the doctrine on faith and morals within the Ecclesiarchy. In a stricter sense, its role is to root out heresy by performing inquisitions. In a formal sense, this involves an investigation, a trial, and a verdict by an Inquisitor, but in a looser sense, it can also involve less tangible actions such as reconnaissance gathering. The inquisitors have no strict hierarchy and answer to no one save the Generalis Inquitor or the Magna Pontifex himself. In their service to the Ecclesiarchy, they wield immense authority, respect, and fear.

Relationship with other Groups: (Same thing with the nation state app for now)
How you fit into the world: Basically the equivalent of the Catholic Church in our world

[Naval Monte]

---

Than TG it here or DM me on Discord for the full info on the group.

---

Accepted

[Naval Monte]

---

After talking it out privately they are accepted

[Prusselanden]

---

After talking it out privately they are accepted

Yay!

[True Refuge]

Everything's still chugging along over here.

In other news, Naval Monte and I are working on a collab post to get past the back-and-forth. Hopefully that's done soon and I can get to having interactions with everyone else

[Britanania]

Everything's still chugging along over here.

In other news, Naval Monte and I are working on a collab post to get past the back-and-forth. Hopefully that's done soon and I can get to having interactions with everyone else

[True Refuge]

Collab post is up.

[True Refuge]

May I suggest that the group applications people have put up so far be linked in the OP? It'd make them much easier to find if they come up in the story.

[Naval Monte]

May I suggest that the group applications people have put up so far be linked in the OP? It'd make them much easier to find if they come up in the story.

Good idea. They have been added.

[True Refuge]

When I put my post up, I'll leave some time for Sibyl to have a short talk with Venusta about whatever before joining in the conversation.

[True Refuge]

And another post. Now Everton can have an interaction aside from talking to Sibyl for another page

[Luminesa]

Is this still going?