Elementals 3: The White Rose (OOC, FANTASY, OPEN)

[Honghai]

Name: Averlia Argania
Sex: female
Age: 16 (though looking a bit more older - as in her mid-20s)

Appearance:

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse3.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.g4qp_n-1FMDl-VJkAZ_QAAHaLH%26pid%3DApi&f=1

more or less except her hair is black/ravenhaired and longer.

Element: Ice

Skills:

Averlia is very fast-on-her-feet and flexible - being able to easily outrun others or spin in/out of "awkward" situations. Averlia seems very shy, but in those times one could get her to speak, one would notice that she's very good with words and the "art of Diplomacy," though because of her self-consciousness, this is rare.

Personality:

• Playful
• Observant
• Curious
• Childish
• Jumpy/Hyperactive
• Likes Music, shiny things, animals, and collecting things
• Friendly (when one'd really get to know her)
• Loyal (when one'd really get to know her)

Weaknesses:

Averlia (or "Avery," for bref) is very emotional and prone to lashing-out or attacking others. Also, she cannot control her icy powers, so, under/around her feet would constantly be ice (or the soles of her feet would be frozen/icy completely) and her skin would feel cold-to-the-touch. Because she cannot control her element, she is very self-conscious and would run away if one would try talking to her, or if she was in any social situation. Avery is, essentially, the very definition of an Emotional Rollercoaster, going from happy to sad at the drop of a hat.

Avery is loyal and dedicated, to a fault, and is very unflinching in this - being very loyal and trusting, even when betrayed or made fun of.

Equipment, if any:

Avery is an avid collector, and as such, holds a bag on her side - almost-always filled to the brim with useless junk and shiny things. Avery almost-always wears silver or iron bracelets on her arms. Besides this, she owns or has nothing else.

Bio:

Averlia had grown up to a very happy family, her mom was a musician and her dad, a blacksmith. Her dad was a very rich and accomplished blacksmith, working to make swords, maces, breastplates, shields and daggers for armies. Her mom played the flute - and had even taught her how to play, but Averlia hadn't shown any interest in instruments. Averlia had always liked to roam and travel, sneaking off on adventures when she was little - and her mom had no reason to protest it. Averlia had always liked to "play Daggers" with her newly-acquired friends - the daggers usually coming from her dads' smithery - she'd usually steal them and fidget with them or throw them at people. Averlia had almost gotten in trouble a few times, but because of her speed, she'd always find her way out. When she was 9, her element started to manifest.

She had had accidentally and unknowingly frozen her own feet against the ground/floor numbers of times, or touching someone and freezing/wetting their skin or unintentionally blasting them with Water. She was frustrated, because she knew no way of controlling or mastering her own ability. She had even hurt her friends, or broken things because she knew no way of controlling the Ice. She started to gain Infamy - she had stabbed other townspeople with ice daggers and icicles, and because of this, she had to skip town and remain on-the-run. She'd never see her parents again. She never truly matured, but had always looked older than she was. Averlia would get taken in, and would learn Swordplay - instantly taking a liking to it, but then freezing the blade and turning it into ice - then it'd break. This happened countless times and her "teachers" would grow tired of this, deciding to not teach her how to duel anymore.

All throughout this time, she'd collect things, attack people in split-fits of rage - increasing her Infamy, and continuing to run and roam around from place to place.
Theme Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5N7JaURMxQ

RP Sample: I am not new to the NS RPing game, or the RPing game in-general. I had an account on NS sometime ago.

Welcome! It's an intriguing character design you have there. I'm curious to see how a younger, less stable Ice Elemental interacts with two older, more experienced ones, particularly the literal Champion of Ice. I just have a few questions about Averlia.

In the part of her biography where it shows her powers going haywire, you mention Avery splashing people and getting them wet. To clarify, Water and Ice are separate Elements in this setting. From the rest of her backstory I assessed you envisioned her as only wielding Ice, so the water bit would need to be edited out. Unless she can use both Elements; it's a very rare trait even among Elementals (who are already a rare breed). That could explain some of her difficulty in controlling her powers, since it's like trying to learn two different instruments simultaneously, but you certainly don't have to pick that.

Additionally, where is she from? I assume Galllia, the main continent in the setting and the place the characters currently are, but I wanted to make sure.

Okay. That sounds like a good idea. I hadn't actually known Ice and Water were two separate elements - but it sounds cool to have that be a reason.

I was thinking of her being an isolate, so... make-do with that whatcha will.

[Constaniana]

Welcome! It's an intriguing character design you have there. I'm curious to see how a younger, less stable Ice Elemental interacts with two older, more experienced ones, particularly the literal Champion of Ice. I just have a few questions about Averlia.

In the part of her biography where it shows her powers going haywire, you mention Avery splashing people and getting them wet. To clarify, Water and Ice are separate Elements in this setting. From the rest of her backstory I assessed you envisioned her as only wielding Ice, so the water bit would need to be edited out. Unless she can use both Elements; it's a very rare trait even among Elementals (who are already a rare breed). That could explain some of her difficulty in controlling her powers, since it's like trying to learn two different instruments simultaneously, but you certainly don't have to pick that.

Additionally, where is she from? I assume Galllia, the main continent in the setting and the place the characters currently are, but I wanted to make sure.

Okay. That sounds like a good idea. I hadn't actually known Ice and Water were two separate elements - but it sounds cool to have that be a reason.

I was thinking of her being an isolate, so... make-do with that whatcha will.

Alrighty, glad we could get the Elements straightened out.

I'm still confused by the isolate comment. Do you mean that she isolates herself from people now? Did she grow up in an isolated community?

[Honghai]

Okay. That sounds like a good idea. I hadn't actually known Ice and Water were two separate elements - but it sounds cool to have that be a reason.

I was thinking of her being an isolate, so... make-do with that whatcha will.

Alrighty, glad we could get the Elements straightened out.

I'm still confused by the isolate comment. Do you mean that she isolates herself from people now? Did she grow up in an isolated community?

I was thinking an isolated continent. I don't want to use the main continent - maybe she was from another community that splintered-off (edit: added it to my app. She's from a splinter-community now.)

[Constaniana]

Alrighty, glad we could get the Elements straightened out.

I'm still confused by the isolate comment. Do you mean that she isolates herself from people now? Did she grow up in an isolated community?

I was thinking an isolated continent. I don't want to use the main continent - maybe she was from another community that splintered-off (I really should add that to my app tho)

That could work. The other big, established continents of Sahranjja and Elcrescia are all in contact with one another and travel is fairly frequent between them, so they wouldn't quite work with what you seem to have in mind. Avery could come from an island in the middle of one of the oceans, since it's previously been mentioned that there's assorted other minor countries out there.

Maybe her home is somewhere far to the west of Galllia? That would explain how it stayed isolated, since Elcrescia and Sahranjja are to the east and southeast of Galllia respectively, and the only other great power more westward than Galllia is Halvefor. It also would facilitate her being in the Thin Isles, which are themselves off the northwest coast of Galllia.

[Honghai]

I was thinking an isolated continent. I don't want to use the main continent - maybe she was from another community that splintered-off (I really should add that to my app tho)

That could work. The other big, established continents of Sahranjja and Elcrescia are all in contact with one another and travel is fairly frequent between them, so they wouldn't quite work with what you seem to have in mind. Avery could come from an island in the middle of one of the oceans, since it's previously been mentioned that there's assorted other minor countries out there.

Maybe her home is somewhere far to the west of Galllia? That would explain how it stayed isolated, since Elcrescia and Sahranjja are to the east and southeast of Galllia respectively, and the only other great power more westward than Galllia is Halvefor. It also would facilitate her being in the Thin Isles, which are themselves off the northwest coast of Galllia.

Okay. The far-west sounds like a good place.

[Constaniana]

That could work. The other big, established continents of Sahranjja and Elcrescia are all in contact with one another and travel is fairly frequent between them, so they wouldn't quite work with what you seem to have in mind. Avery could come from an island in the middle of one of the oceans, since it's previously been mentioned that there's assorted other minor countries out there.

Maybe her home is somewhere far to the west of Galllia? That would explain how it stayed isolated, since Elcrescia and Sahranjja are to the east and southeast of Galllia respectively, and the only other great power more westward than Galllia is Halvefor. It also would facilitate her being in the Thin Isles, which are themselves off the northwest coast of Galllia.

Okay. The far-west sounds like a good place.

Cool beans. You can edit Averlia's application accordingly and she should be good to join the IC.

[Ameriganastan]

Eric is gonna love her. Someone from somewhere even he hasn't visited yet? They'll be best buds in no time.

[Honghai]

Okay. The far-west sounds like a good place.

Cool beans. You can edit Averlia's application accordingly and she should be good to join the IC.

Done-deal.

[Constaniana]

To clarify, I meant Averlia could be from an island other than Halvefor. Halvefor is very active in global trade, so it doesn't quite fit with being an isolated realm. Sorry for the confusion, Honghai.

[Hinzland]

Used to Rp as a Cte called the BaRen, and always regretted not joining Elfen High. But I’m back, and was wondering if I could play two chars: one Headstrong, reckless, incredibly lucky Elemental, and a former Desert warlord turned monk who owes the first Char a blood oath he somehow can’t ever repay because the first char always manages to save the second chars life again

[Honghai]

To clarify, I meant Averlia could be from an island other than Halvefor. Halvefor is very active in global trade, so it doesn't quite fit with being an isolated realm. Sorry for the confusion, Honghai.

Eh, it's fine.

[Constaniana]

Used to Rp as a Cte called the BaRen, and always regretted not joining Elfen High. But I’m back, and was wondering if I could play two chars: one Headstrong, reckless, incredibly lucky Elemental, and a former Desert warlord turned monk who owes the first Char a blood oath he somehow can’t ever repay because the first char always manages to save the second chars life again

Welcome aboard! Playing two characters is fine. As far as the desert warlord goes I would say he should be form the deserts of Sahranjja. It's vast, uncharted territory that has all kinds of possible cultures hiding in there. In the past there's been two vaguely Mongolian characters, and one vaguely Native American one from that mysterious part of the world, so you have a lot of flexibility in his origin. It's an interesting twist on the life-debt idea, where the one to whom it is owed keeps perpetually adding to it.

Any ideas as to which Element your first character will use? Currently, in the magic department there's 2 Ice Elementals, a Fire Angelle, a Daemonness disguising her magic as Lightning, a Wind Elemental, an Earth Elemental, a disgraced Nature Elemental with Darkness powers, a Fire Elemental if Tomia starts posting with VIv again, and now a rare Ice/Water hybrid.

[Hinzland]

Used to Rp as a Cte called the BaRen, and always regretted not joining Elfen High. But I’m back, and was wondering if I could play two chars: one Headstrong, reckless, incredibly lucky Elemental, and a former Desert warlord turned monk who owes the first Char a blood oath he somehow can’t ever repay because the first char always manages to save the second chars life again

Welcome aboard! Playing two characters is fine. As far as the desert warlord goes I would say he should be form the deserts of Sahranjja. It's vast, uncharted territory that has all kinds of possible cultures hiding in there. In the past there's been two vaguely Mongolian characters, and one vaguely Native American one from that mysterious part of the world, so you have a lot of flexibility in his origin. It's an interesting twist on the life-debt idea, where the one to whom it is owed keeps perpetually adding to it.

Any ideas as to which Element your first character will use? Currently, in the magic department there's 2 Ice Elementals, a Fire Angelle, a Daemonness disguising her magic as Lightning, a Wind Elemental, an Earth Elemental, a disgraced Nature Elemental with Darkness powers, a Fire Elemental if Tomia starts posting with VIv again, and now a rare Ice/Water hybrid.

Not sure on the element yet, I was thinking lightning. What are all the different elements? And where are we at in the story, and what would be a good way to introduce the chars to the story?

There’s only one laptop in the house right now so I’m waiting to throw up an app for now.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Welcome aboard! Playing two characters is fine. As far as the desert warlord goes I would say he should be form the deserts of Sahranjja. It's vast, uncharted territory that has all kinds of possible cultures hiding in there. In the past there's been two vaguely Mongolian characters, and one vaguely Native American one from that mysterious part of the world, so you have a lot of flexibility in his origin. It's an interesting twist on the life-debt idea, where the one to whom it is owed keeps perpetually adding to it.

Any ideas as to which Element your first character will use? Currently, in the magic department there's 2 Ice Elementals, a Fire Angelle, a Daemonness disguising her magic as Lightning, a Wind Elemental, an Earth Elemental, a disgraced Nature Elemental with Darkness powers, a Fire Elemental if Tomia starts posting with VIv again, and now a rare Ice/Water hybrid.

Not sure on the element yet, I was thinking lightning. What are all the different elements? And where are we at in the story, and what would be a good way to introduce the chars to the story?

There’s only one laptop in the house right now so I’m waiting to throw up an app for now.

The elements you can use are Fire, Water, Ice, Lightning, Earth, Nature, Wind and Metal.

Const's post in the ad thread contains a fairly solid summary of where we are at in the story right now. Anything else you can probably find on the OP (or you can just ask, of course).

[Observation Post 13]

Hello guys, this place seems to be a fantastic high FanT roleplay community! I'd like to join, but I'm a bit confused about some of the lore bits. I would like to apply as an Earth or Metal elemental, but since Metal is technically made from minerals found in Earth, what is the difference between these elements?

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Hello guys, this place seems to be a fantastic high FanT roleplay community! I'd like to join, but I'm a bit confused about some of the lore bits. I would like to apply as an Earth or Metal elemental, but since Metal is technically made from minerals found in Earth, what is the difference between these elements?

Technically metal is its own type of substance

But anyway, to illustrate the difference a bit, Metal Elementals would be able to manipulate iron, silver, gold, copper, etc., whereas Earth Elementals would be able to control things such as rock, soil, gems, and other crystals and minerals. There's still some overlap I figure (impurities in metals, metallic elements in mineral compounds) but we probably don't need to think too hard about that one given this is fantasy.

[Observation Post 13]

snip

Technically metal is its own type of substance

But anyway, to illustrate the difference a bit, Metal Elementals would be able to manipulate iron, silver, gold, copper, etc., whereas Earth Elementals would be able to control things such as rock, soil, gems, and other crystals and minerals. There's still some overlap I figure (impurities in metals, metallic elements in mineral compounds) but we probably don't need to think too hard about that one given this is fantasy.

Thank you for clarifying And I'm glad there's space for 'creative interpretation' with the given magical system

Name: Willis Philips
Sex: Male
Age: 33 (Don't know if this match with the timeline)
Appearance: https://pin.it/5yX7Iw8
Element: Metal-lighting hybrid
Skills: Self-proclaimed "Researcher" who pretends to follow the scientific method and lab safety procedures during experiments. A theoretical degree in engineering and magi-tech development. Knows a little about combat and a little about battlefield tactics.
Personality:

- 'Hope for the best, plan for the worst' (Optimistic + Calculated)
- Friendly
- Determined
- Audacious
- Adventurous
- Probably best if I show some of his personality in a story snippet down below. He's not an edgy guy I swear.

Weaknesses:

Willis H U N G E R for knowledge and new things. If something becomes outdated, he quickly gets bored of it. Views brutal conflicts as an 'opportunity to shine'. When encountered with a problem, he prefers 'cool' or 'insane' solutions even when more practical alternatives exist. Dampened his emotional response to concentrate on his studies and to deal with some of the grim stuff he's seen.

Equipment, if any:
Fully equipped with a self-rationalization mechanism. Willis will cope with any mistake he commits just so he can do it again.
A torc that can teleport books back-and-forth from his personal library.
'The Plan'. Which, as of now, is an empty blueprint.
Bio:

Willis is a special special boy, born in the deserts of Sahranjja. When he was young, he used to use his powers to comb the desert-y sands for gold nuggets and drill for water. He bought books whenever he can, and aspired to become someone cool. The isolated community quickly flourished and became a local center of trade until a plague from the west ravaged the town. When the quarantining force sent by the Sultan arrived, everyone except Willis was dead. A deal was struck, the bodies were burnt, and Willis served under the Sultan in exchange for knowledge and patronage.

Timeskip. (Oh, also through therapy Willis has managed to 'forget' about his past traumas so they don't come back to haunt him.)

5 overly-ambitious elementals met under a shady palm tree; Earth, Lighting, Wind, Fire, and Metal-Lighting-hybrid(that's Willis!). The Sultan wants a floating city; a show of force, wealth, and power. Arrangements were made, supplies delivered, a plan - Project Shamballah - was set in motion. Preliminary testing showed that reversing gravity isn't quite enough to carry Meghrenis to the sky. So here's what they did...

First, the city's foundation was hardened and quartered. A section underneath was hollowed out to make space for the construction of the 'Solis Artificialis'; a large, bouncy volatile power core encased in layers of Damascus steel. To calm the concentrated ball of electrifying magma and prevent overheating, large pipes pipettes water from a reservoir up above the city, while wind turbines spin above the walls, feeding the cogs and circuits. There were a lot of noise complaints during the operation. 1 year passed. Then another. Each time the operation was nearing 'completion', newer technology was introduced, and someone would be adamant about implementing it("guys, it's gonna be so cool!"). The cavernous hull grew in size, its corridors turning into mazes. Slaves and prisoners were sent down to the 'hole beneath the city' and were never seen again. The Sultan died, but the operation continued.

...

It was a grey, rainy day; thunder roared above the heavens. Willis and his fellows, for the first time in a while, stood outside the city walls above ground. The air was musty. No one uttered a single word. The Wind and Lighting elemental exchanged glances, and one of them nods.

"Lucendi!" The words spark out from their lips.

A bolt of lighting *CRACK* through the clouds and struck the metallic tower in the center of the city - a deafening, ringing noise. Willis saw the electricity traveling down the spire, descending, through and through until it hits the core, and felt it synapse into the sleeping engine. There, it awakened.

The ground beneath their feet trembled in fear. The Earth shook up and down at first, then left and right as pebbles and sand bounced around. The people above panicked, screaming, running as the walls of the city split apart like cloth. Then, without warning, THE CITY ASCENDS INTO THE SKY, and they all hear the steady drumming of the engine and some prayed for their life and others cried and hid and begged the mages down beneath to put them back. And the storm above cackled, delighted to have a chance to embrace humanity. The giant's shadow loomed over Willis and he swallowed.

The city hovered above, its tip touching the billow of the cloud, and for a while, everything seemed a-okay. Then, Willis hears a boom, an accident of some sort? but that shouldn't be..., and another, louder *POP*. One of the elementals shouts, their voice tainted with dread - "It's over." A faulty gear of some sorts but no one is sure, triggered a cascading detonation as cracks rippled across the city. The engine stalled, its heartbeat getting weaker and drowned out by the sounds of concussive internal explosions.

A final blast knocked Willis backward, and as he sat there looking at the city being split apart, at the mountains of rocks piled beneath a crumbling city, beams of iridescent light leaking through the scars as the core implodes on itself, watching the city slowly tipping and the buildings on top sliding into dust - his eyes burning with passion. "It's glorious," he muttered.

Part of the city was swallowed by a white-hot ball of fire. The other sank, in slow motion, onto the ground. A temporary setback, but Willis had to escape before the Sultan sends his army and crucify him in the name of Pryastar.

So that's it.

Theme Song (Optional):
RP Sample: none.

As a newcomer I know I don't have a very firm grasp on the lore, so please feel free to correct me if I got something wrong!

Edit: Changed city name.

[Constaniana]

Welcome, Observation Post 13! I like your character idea a lot, and I want to help him mesh with the setting.

Thank you for clarifying And I'm glad there's space for 'creative interpretation' with the given magical system

Name: Willis Philips
Sex: Male
Age: 33 (Don't know if this match with the timeline)
Appearance: https://pin.it/5yX7Iw8

I had a chuckle at his appearance.

Element: Metal-lighting hybrid
Skills: Self-proclaimed "Researcher" who pretends to follow the scientific method and lab safety procedures during experiments. A theoretical degree in engineering and magi-tech development. Knows a little about combat and a little about battlefield tactics.

To clarify, by theoretical degree do you mean that his degree itself is theoretical, as in it doesn't really exist, or that it's a real degree about theoretical stuff? There'd be a limit to real universities doing that, since magi-tech in this setting is generally perceived as tall tales about lost relics from the fallen Galllian Empire, or in Sahranjja's case lost relics from fallen civilisations in their desert. The engineering part of his degree would be fine either way.

Personality:

- 'Hope for the best, plan for the worst' (Optimistic + Calculated)
- Friendly
- Determined
- Audacious
- Adventurous
- Probably best if I show some of his personality in a story snippet down below. He's not an edgy guy I swear.

Weaknesses:

Willis H U N G E R for knowledge and new things. If something becomes outdated, he quickly gets bored of it. Views brutal conflicts as an 'opportunity to shine'. When encountered with a problem, he prefers 'cool' or 'insane' solutions even when more practical alternatives exist. Dampened his emotional response to concentrate on his studies and to deal with some of the grim stuff he's seen.

Equipment, if any:
Fully equipped with a self-rationalization mechanism. Willis will cope with any mistake he commits just so he can do it again.
A torc that can teleport books back-and-forth from his personal library.
'The Plan'. Which, as of now, is an empty blueprint.

Teleportation is usually restricted to Darkness or Light magic, since the principal behind it is descending/ascending to that Element's respective realm, then returning to Gaiaca in a different spot. However, there's some rare instances of wacky artefacts somehow capable of that on their own regardless of the wearer's magical powers or lack thereof*, most notably Eric's Fanny Pack of Wonder. Given that Willis comes from the Sahranjjite desert (or Desert of Damnation, a name I apparently wrote down in my personal extra files about Elementals), a strange land full of wacky and spooky ancient treasures, him having a book-summoning torc is within the realm of possibility. Just be aware most people, even other Elementals, may be very surprised/alarmed/etc. by its bizarre powers.

*Magical items in Elementals, often known as Mageforged artefacts, are generally restricted to usage by an Elemental or other magical being. A Mageforged sword has magic infused throughout it, but that magic will not activate on its own without the stimulus of an Elemental's own magic. Some Mageforged items are restricted to a particular Element, while some can be wielded by any type of Elemental. Mageforging is a complicated, intense process requiring fine craftsmanship, pure materials, and powerful spells. These secrets were generally lost 1,000 years ago after the innumerable wars with Hell (I really should come up with a cool name for them. I seem to coming up with "The Reckonings" in some of my notes but I think I'd like some other, perhaps more grandiose names) depleted the numbers of Elementals knowledgeable in such disciplines and despoiled the land. As such, the vast majority of Mageforged equipment (a rare treasure indeed) consists of items from the 700's or earlier.

Bio:

Willis is a special special boy, born in the deserts of Sahranjja. When he was young, he used to use his powers to comb the desert-y sands for gold nuggets and drill for water. He bought books whenever he can, and aspired to become someone cool. The isolated community quickly flourished and became a local center of trade until a plague from the west ravaged the town. When the quarantining force sent by the Sultan arrived, everyone except Willis was dead. A deal was struck, the bodies were burnt, and Willis served under the Sultan in exchange for knowledge and patronage.

The title for the sovereign of Sahranjja is emperor. However, given that his title would be translated into Galllish and other languages from Sahranjjite, it's believable that people within his country would address him by different words. Sultan could easily be the tribal word Willis's people use to speak of their overlord in the west.

Timeskip. (Oh, also through therapy Willis has managed to 'forget' about his past traumas so they don't come back to haunt him.)

5 overly-ambitious elementals met under a shady palm tree; Earth, Lighting, Wind, Fire, and Metal-Lighting-hybrid(that's Willis!). The Sultan wants a floating capital; a show of force, wealth, and power. Arrangements were made, supplies delivered, a plan - Project Shamballah - was set in motion. Preliminary testing showed that reversing gravity isn't quite enough to carry a city to the sky. So here's what they did...

That's a pretty cool twist! One change I would request is Project Shamballah being constructed in a different city than the capital. Alte-Mehdrus has been the seat of the Eternal Empire for millennia, so they would be very hesitant about harming it. Plus, while Sahranjja is a bit aloof from the rest of the world, there's still plenty of foreigners involved in all sorts of interests in the capital at least, which would make maintaining the secrecy around Project Shamballah very tricky. It could be built in a smaller city though, one more cut-off from the rest of the country and away from prying eyes from home and abroad.

Devising a plan like that as a show of force does make some sense within the geopolitical context of the setting. Galllia is beginning an industrial revolution, with Halvefor and some Elcrescian nations (Garmiccia and Yelhennei, at least) not far behind. Sahranjja has had gunpowder weapons in some form since at least 1040 G.C.C. (also citing from documents I have on my laptop concerning miscellaneous extra lore).

Gunpowder: invented in Sahranjja on an unknown date. Earliest use as weaponry appears to be in 1040's when a Sahranjjite expedition used arrows ignited by gunpowder and a few primitive hand cannons to put down rebelling tribes east of the Iron Wall in the Desert of Damnation. With foreign travellers very rarely having any access to Sahranjjite military technology and the Eternal Empire's isolationist policy at the time, it would be centuries before the weapons spread elsewhere. Not until the mid-1500's did gunpowder first began spreading through the rest of the world after foreign observers discovered them during the course of the War of Beiriu Independence in 1521. Galllia has been the most successful part of the world in developing this technology further.

The rest of the world has only had gunpowder for 260 years at most, as opposed to about 740, and yet Sahranjja has already been surpassed for decades by now. While Galllia and Elcrescria had massive conflicts like the Great Galllian War and the Witch War to spur weapon technology, Sahranjja has remained pretty isolationist since losing her colonies in Beiriuk and Yuelkelu. It helped that their geographical position is very stable, being somewhat distant from the other continents while having complete control of their own. Their main concerns for a long while have been fighting pirates and desert tribes, rather than near-peer competitors. The fact that Galllian muskets are considered the finest in the world is not only embarrassing, but a threat to national security should those muskets and increasingly advanced warships be brought to bear on Sahranjja.

Building flying cities could also be seen as the culmination of their inward perfection view of their society, literally putting themselves out of the reach of any other nation on Gaiaca. It doesn't matter that the foreign devils have fancy muskets and steamships if their weapons can't hit the Sahranjjite empire in the sky. Furthermore, creating such wonders would put the emperor/sultan/padishah on equal footing with his mythical forebears from thousands of years ago.

First, the city's foundation was hardened and quartered. A section underneath was hollowed out to make space for the construction of the 'Solis Artificialis'; a large, bouncy volatile power core encased in layers of Damascus steel. To calm the concentrated ball of electrifying magma and prevent overheating, large pipes pipettes water from a reservoir up above the city, while wind turbines spin above the walls, feeding the cogs and circuits. There were a lot of noise complaints during the operation. 1 year passed. Then another. Each time the operation was nearing 'completion', newer technology was introduced, and someone would be adamant about implementing it("guys, it's gonna be so cool!"). The cavernous hull grew in size, its corridors turning into mazes. Slaves and prisoners were sent down to the 'hole beneath the city' and were never seen again. The Sultan died, but the operation continued.

...

It was a grey, rainy day; thunder roared above the heavens. Willis and his fellows, for the first time in a while, stood outside the city walls above ground. The air was musty. No one uttered a single word. The Wind and Lighting elemental exchanged glances, and one of them nods.

"Lucendi!" The words spark out from their lips.

A bolt of lighting *CRACK* through the clouds and struck the metallic tower in the center of the city - a deafening, ringing noise. Willis saw the electricity traveling down the spire, descending, through and through until it hits the core, and felt it synapse into the sleeping engine. There, it awakened.

The ground beneath their feet trembled in fear. The Earth shook up and down at first, then left and right as pebbles and sand bounced around. The people above panicked, screaming, running as the walls of the city split apart like cloth. Then, without warning, THE CITY ASCENDS INTO THE SKY, and they all hear the steady drumming of the engine and some prayed for their life and others cried and hid and begged the mages down beneath to put them back. And the storm above cackled, delighted to have a chance to embrace humanity. The giant's shadow loomed over Willis and he swallowed.

The city hovered above, its tip touching the billow of the cloud, and for a while, everything seemed a-okay. Then, Willis hears a boom, an accident of some sort? but that shouldn't be..., and another, louder *POP*. One of the elementals shouts, their voice tainted with dread - "It's over." A faulty gear of some sorts but no one is sure, triggered a cascading detonation as cracks rippled across the city. The engine stalled, its heartbeat getting weaker and drowned out by the sounds of concussive internal explosions.

A final blast knocked Willis backward, and as he sat there looking at the city being split apart, at the mountains of rocks piled beneath a crumbling city, beams of iridescent light leaking through the scars as the core implodes on itself, watching the city slowly tipping and the buildings on top sliding into dust - his eyes burning with passion. "It's glorious," he muttered.

Part of the city was swallowed by a white-hot ball of fire. The other sank, in slow motion, onto the ground. A temporary setback, but Willis had to escape before the Sultan sends his army and crucify them in the name of Pryastar.

So that's it.

Very dramatic indeed. I like that it shows the grave peril of meddling with ancient and deep technology. That's something that may or may not come into the story more since Watchtower is delving into a lot of Galllian Imperial ruins in Albrion.

To clarify, this is the last major thing to happen to Willis prior to his joining the party, aye? He can have escaped Sahranjja a few months ago, taking maybe 2-3 weeks to make his way to the coast, hop on the first foreign ship he could find, and sailing west for 2-4 months until he wound up in the Thin Isles off the northwest coast of Galllia. Would he have inadvertently signed on with the expeditionary force going from St. Veowulf to Towraigth, perhaps misunderstanding what they were doing due to language barriers? Or perhaps you were thinking he had made his way to the Thin Isles separately before the the region got locked down by the demonic warship menace?

Theme Song (Optional):
RP Sample: none.

As a newcomer I know I don't have a very firm grasp on the lore, so please feel free to correct me if I got something wrong!

Don't feel bad about the RP sample, we all have to start somewhere. There's also an awful amount of lore for this setting, and even I have to check my notes when I'm writing stuff here sometimes. Sorry for throwing so many questions your way; don't hesitate to throw some back if I need to clarify something more. Having a reckless researcher like Willis would be a very cool addition to the group. His interactions with Erosen in particular should be good, since both of them delved into secrets they shouldn't have and now suffer the consequences.

[Observation Post 13]

Welcome, Observation Post 13! I like your character idea a lot, and I want to help him mesh with the setting.
I had a chuckle at his appearance.

Me too

To clarify, by theoretical degree do you mean that his degree itself is theoretical, as in it doesn't really exist, or that it's a real degree about theoretical stuff? There'd be a limit to real universities doing that, since magi-tech in this setting is generally perceived as tall tales about lost relics from the fallen Galllian Empire, or in Sahranjja's case lost relics from fallen civilisations in their desert. The engineering part of his degree would be fine either way.

Yeah, mostly him doing his own research, occasionally discussing magi-tech with scholars or relic hunters that he's met. Also the reason why he needs a library to store all the notes n stuff. Is there some sort of magi-tech similar to an internet cable that Willis can jack himself into? That would be both cool and convenient

Teleportation is usually restricted to Darkness or Light magic, since the principal behind it is descending/ascending to that Element's respective realm, then returning to Gaiaca in a different spot. However, there's some rare instances of wacky artefacts somehow capable of that on their own regardless of the wearer's magical powers or lack thereof*, most notably Eric's Fanny Pack of Wonder. Given that Willis comes from the Sahranjjite desert (or Desert of Damnation, a name I apparently wrote down in my personal extra files about Elementals), a strange land full of wacky and spooky ancient treasures, him having a book-summoning torc is within the realm of possibility. Just be aware most people, even other Elementals, may be very surprised/alarmed/etc. by its bizarre powers.

Noted. Eric's Fanny Pack of Wonder is such an interesting name lol. Is it a pocket dimension, or does the fanny pack store items in the Light/Darkness realm until the owner needs them?

*Magical items in Elementals, often known as Mageforged artefacts, are generally restricted to usage by an Elemental or other magical being. A Mageforged sword has magic infused throughout it, but that magic will not activate on its own without the stimulus of an Elemental's own magic. Some Mageforged items are restricted to a particular Element, while some can be wielded by any type of Elemental. Mageforging is a complicated, intense process requiring fine craftsmanship, pure materials, and powerful spells. These secrets were generally lost 1,000 years ago after the innumerable wars with Hell (I really should come up with a cool name for them. I seem to coming up with "The Reckonings" in some of my notes but I think I'd like some other, perhaps more grandiose names) depleted the numbers of Elementals knowledgeable in such disciplines and despoiled the land. As such, the vast majority of Mageforged equipment (a rare treasure indeed) consists of items from the 700's or earlier.

Shame not everyone can access these mage forged items I feel like the world of Elementals is a very egalitarian society, where only those who are privileged or know magic thrives. Not saying it's bad, because this just means more juicy conflict

The title for the sovereign of Sahranjja is emperor. However, given that his title would be translated into Galllish and other languages from Sahranjjite, it's believable that people within his country would address him by different words. Sultan could easily be the tribal word Willis's people use to speak of their overlord in the west.

Noted!

That's a pretty cool twist! One change I would request is Project Shamballah being constructed in a different city than the capital. Alte-Mehdrus has been the seat of the Eternal Empire for millennia, so they would be very hesitant about harming it. Plus, while Sahranjja is a bit aloof from the rest of the world, there's still plenty of foreigners involved in all sorts of interests in the capital at least, which would make maintaining the secrecy around Project Shamballah very tricky. It could be built in a smaller city though, one more cut-off from the rest of the country and away from prying eyes from home and abroad.

Devising a plan like that as a show of force does make some sense within the geopolitical context of the setting. Galllia is beginning an industrial revolution, with Halvefor and some Elcrescian nations (Garmiccia and Yelhennei, at least) not far behind. Sahranjja has had gunpowder weapons in some form since at least 1040 G.C.C. (also citing from documents I have on my laptop concerning miscellaneous extra lore).

Gunpowder: invented in Sahranjja on an unknown date. Earliest use as weaponry appears to be in 1040's when a Sahranjjite expedition used arrows ignited by gunpowder and a few primitive hand cannons to put down rebelling tribes east of the Iron Wall in the Desert of Damnation. With foreign travellers very rarely having any access to Sahranjjite military technology and the Eternal Empire's isolationist policy at the time, it would be centuries before the weapons spread elsewhere. Not until the mid-1500's did gunpowder first began spreading through the rest of the world after foreign observers discovered them during the course of the War of Beiriu Independence in 1521. Galllia has been the most successful part of the world in developing this technology further.

The rest of the world has only had gunpowder for 260 years at most, as opposed to about 740, and yet Sahranjja has already been surpassed for decades by now. While Galllia and Elcrescria had massive conflicts like the Great Galllian War and the Witch War to spur weapon technology, Sahranjja has remained pretty isolationist since losing her colonies in Beiriuk and Yuelkelu. It helped that their geographical position is very stable, being somewhat distant from the other continents while having complete control of their own. Their main concerns for a long while have been fighting pirates and desert tribes, rather than near-peer competitors. The fact that Galllian muskets are considered the finest in the world is not only embarrassing, but a threat to national security should those muskets and increasingly advanced warships be brought to bear on Sahranjja.

I hear 'warships'. I need to know if they can fly. Plz!

I'll change the location to a city-fort tucked away from discerning eyes. But not too far from the capital, otherwise, I feel the logistics would further complicate the project. Any specific location you want me to change to, or is 'A city on a Hill' enough?

Building flying cities could also be seen as the culmination of their inward perfection view of their society, literally putting themselves out of the reach of any other nation on Gaiaca. It doesn't matter that the foreign devils have fancy muskets and steamships if their weapons can't hit the Sahranjjite empire in the sky. Furthermore, creating such wonders would put the emperor/sultan/padishah on equal footing with his mythical forebears from thousands of years ago.

Floating Sahranjjite Cities... Giving me highfleet vibes.

Very dramatic indeed. I like that it shows the grave peril of meddling with ancient and deep technology. That's something that may or may not come into the story more since Watchtower is delving into a lot of Galllian Imperial ruins in Albrion.

To clarify, this is the last major thing to happen to Willis prior to his joining the party, aye? He can have escaped Sahranjja a few months ago, taking maybe 2-3 weeks to make his way to the coast, hop on the first foreign ship he could find, and sailing west for 2-4 months until he wound up in the Thin Isles off the northwest coast of Galllia. Would he have inadvertently signed on with the expeditionary force going from St. Veowulf to Towraigth, perhaps misunderstanding what they were doing due to language barriers? Or perhaps you were thinking he had made his way to the Thin Isles separately before the the region got locked down by the demonic warship menace?

Demonic warship menace???
Anyways, this is perfect! Accidentally going on an expedition Willis didn't sign up for seems just like what he would do Where are the other players at the moment?

Don't feel bad about the RP sample, we all have to start somewhere. There's also an awful amount of lore for this setting, and even I have to check my notes when I'm writing stuff here sometimes. Sorry for throwing so many questions your way; don't hesitate to throw some back if I need to clarify something more. Having a reckless researcher like Willis would be a very cool addition to the group. His interactions with Erosen in particular should be good, since both of them delved into secrets they shouldn't have and now suffer the consequences.

I am looking forward to interacting with Erosen and anyone else! Gracias!

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Where are the other players at the moment?

Currently, the player characters are at the town of Mithsbow, about a mile off of Towraigth, local seat of power in the Thin Isles (and the place where the player characters first landed). Most of the party is currently together heading to a restaurant for breakfast after fighting and winning a pitched battle against demonic forces the previous day, though there's a few (Katya and Erosen, played by Lazarian and Kassaran respectively) whose whereabouts are currently unknown.

[Observation Post 13]

Where are the other players at the moment?

Currently, the player characters are at the town of Mithsbow, about a mile off of Towraigth, local seat of power in the Thin Isles (and the place where the player characters first landed). Most of the party is currently together heading to a restaurant for breakfast after fighting and winning a pitched battle against demonic forces the previous day, though there's a few (Katya and Erosen, played by Lazarian and Kassaran respectively) whose whereabouts are currently unknown.

Got it.

[Constaniana]

Welcome, Observation Post 13! I like your character idea a lot, and I want to help him mesh with the setting.
I had a chuckle at his appearance.

Me too

To clarify, by theoretical degree do you mean that his degree itself is theoretical, as in it doesn't really exist, or that it's a real degree about theoretical stuff? There'd be a limit to real universities doing that, since magi-tech in this setting is generally perceived as tall tales about lost relics from the fallen Galllian Empire, or in Sahranjja's case lost relics from fallen civilisations in their desert. The engineering part of his degree would be fine either way.

Yeah, mostly him doing his own research, occasionally discussing magi-tech with scholars or relic hunters that he's met. Also the reason why he needs a library to store all the notes n stuff. Is there some sort of magi-tech similar to an internet cable that Willis can jack himself into? That would be both cool and convenient

Nah, no magical digital technology. Best I can do is a telegraph cable.

Noted. Eric's Fanny Pack of Wonder is such an interesting name lol. Is it a pocket dimension, or does the fanny pack store items in the Light/Darkness realm until the owner needs them?

I'm unsure, you'd have to ask Ameriganastan. It seems like it's a pocket dimension, but I'm not certain how he was envisioning it.

Shame not everyone can access these mage forged items I feel like the world of Elementals is a very egalitarian society, where only those who are privileged or know magic thrives. Not saying it's bad, because this just means more juicy conflict

I think having anyone be able to learn to use magic would have made it less impressive. Plus with Gaiaca's magic coming from gods rather than just being a generic energy source, I figured they would be more selective about who gets to wield a portion of their power.

I hear 'warships'. I need to know if they can fly. Plz!

I'll change the location to a city-fort tucked away from discerning eyes. But not too far from the capital, otherwise, I feel the logistics would further complicate the project. Any specific location you want me to change to, or is 'A city on a Hill' enough?

The warships in this setting don't fly, I'm afraid. The more advanced ships I was referring to were the ironclad steamships in service in the Galllian and Halvefori navies. I did muse about the fate of hot air balloons a while back, but I figure they're not currently a thing.

I didn't have a specific location in mind for the other city, but your point of it not being too far from the capital makes sense. Using a random name generator I came up with the name Meghrenis. You can use that if you want.

Demonic warship menace???
Anyways, this is perfect! Accidentally going on an expedition Willis didn't sign up for seems just like what he would do Where are the other players at the moment?

Yes, demonic warship menace. For several weeks now shipping along the northwest Galllian coast had been attacked by unknown assailants. The official story was that there was possibly some new pirate syndicate operating there, but messengers from the Thin Isles revealed it was actually an ironclad built for the demons by Watchtower responsible for all those attacks.

I am looking forward to interacting with Erosen and anyone else! Gracias!

You're welcome! I'm glad to have a fresh character enter the story. Aside from changing the location of Project Shamballah I think Willis is good to go.

Accepted!

[Zarkenis Ultima]

I think having anyone be able to learn to use magic would have made it less impressive. Plus with Gaiaca's magic coming from gods rather than just being a generic energy source, I figured they would be more selective about who gets to wield a portion of their power.

Oh yes, so selective Aerion of all people has superpowers

[Woodstovia]

I think having anyone be able to learn to use magic would have made it less impressive. Plus with Gaiaca's magic coming from gods rather than just being a generic energy source, I figured they would be more selective about who gets to wield a portion of their power.

Oh yes, so selective Aerion of all people has superpowers

Hey! he has his uses

[Kassaran]

Oh yes, so selective Aerion of all people has superpowers

Hey! he has his uses

AUGHHGASJH! It's a zombie!