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[GiglameshDespair]

Once, there was a dark void, full of naught but dreaming gods, immaterial and dormant. Then came the Flame. It lit up the void with it's searing incandescence. Countless gods were burnt into ash, and the ashes fell and became the world. The surviving gods wept for their fallen kin, and their tears flowed upon the ashes and gave them life. And so began the Age of Flames, where the Flame burned brightly in the sky and became known as the Sun.

But the Flame burned too brightly, and began to bake the world free of the life so recently born. So the Gods built the Lantern, a tower that stretched far into the sky. The shutter of the Lantern is endlessly turned around the Flame, giving night to the world. Kingdoms and empires rose and fell as ages passed. Many Gods built the grand city-palace in the West, though the name has been lost to time and the tragedy that befell it.

But now the Flame is fading. It's incandescence burns less brightly, and demons creep forth the dark corners of the world. The Gods are disappearing, one by one, to their city at the base of the Lantern - in the centre of the Ashen Wastes, where no mortal can cross and live. Are these the end times? Soon nothing will be left but embers, and then all will fall into an endless dark, never to return...


Welcome to the world of Liesma. The world is contained within an egg-shaped Edge, with the Flame in the centre and the world towards the base of the egg. The Edge is a super-hard, slightly reflective surface, unaffected by mortal or monster. No one knows what lie beyond the Edge, as none can get through. Shards of the Edge are sometimes found, and are highly sought after for use as devastating weapons -razor sharp and almost unbreakable.

The world is a central landmass, surrounded by seas and separated by the Wastes, mountains, and rivers.

---

The world

Centre of world – The Lantern in the Ashen Wastes. The intense heat of the Flame has cooked that land to ash, and nothing lives there. Uncrossable without protective equipment.

South – Suthrund, human Kingdom. With numerus Cities – The City-In-Two, Suth, Andrunda, Grondunda, to name the largest and most influential - and a royal line with the blood of Gods, it is a prosperous and powerful nation. It is gearing up to war with Ferrikos. Has a problem of a great many elves living in the forests, and has multiple knightly orders dedicated to keeping elf numbers down.

North – land of the tropical giants. From a crack in the Edge pours a torrent of endless water. This has given rise to a mighty river, surrounded by jungle. The giants live within the jungle, rarely venturing out. Pgymy giants - despite being a contradiction in terms - are the most commonly seen outside the jungles, being but eight feet tall.

South-east – Ferrikos, the Iron City. Built from the bones of Jokir, the grand wyrm, the Ironhearts are renowned for their heavy armour, too thick for a normal man to move in. The Ironheart people are scornful of weakness. There are multiple city states that are vassals to Ferrikos, technically separate nations but paying tribute to the Iron City in return for protection. Common throughout the lands as mercenaries. They are mistrustful of magic, but keep a number of soulmages, specially raised from birth to be absolutely loyal to the Ironheart Lords.

North-east – The Free Kingdoms – a medley of chaotic nations, the Free Kingdoms often war against Ferrikos, normally ending the war with a few defeats and some tribute paid to the Ironhearts. All kinds of mages are common in the Free Kingdoms. Various races live here - humans, elves, even the lamia have a small empire in the region.

West – the city of the Gods used to be here. When Soul magic was discovered, a great many Gods turned to it, and descended into daemonhood. Cannibalising other gods or the mortals who lived there, it has become a vile haunt for monsters. Legendary treasures are there for the taking... if you have the ability to fend off the daemons and their servants.

South-west - The Buzkari lands, where the greatest majority of the insectoids live. Constantly in battle against monsters attacking from the lost city, A common place to find adventurers planning to head further north into the ruins. Many do not return.

Various – many small kingdoms and countries exist over the world, some barely more than a single town. Who knows what species or people may live in forgotten corners of the world?

---

Magic

There are several kinds of magic in the world of Liesma.

DIVINE: ”As the Flame burns, so shall you.”
Power from a bloodline that mingled with the Gods. Often the descendants of such unions have unnatural features, such as scales or strange eye colours. Divine magic uses the Flame as a source of magic.
Penalties:
Gain Divine as a type
Soul magic contains new dangers for you

SOUL: ”Everything comes with a price.”
Power from the energy of souls. There are too ways this magic can be powered; by the burning of your own soul or that of someone else’s. Anyone can learn Soul magic, but it is often despised and feared. Souls can be taken from the dead, but the best souls are harvested from the living.
Penalties:
Max Health – (Mag + Att)
 
ELEMENTAL: ”The world whispered its secrets, and so I listened.”
Power from the world itself. Difficult to use – a high magical aptitude is needed. A elementalist can specialise in an element, but by doing so the knowledge of another is lost forever. No man can know all.

---

Races

Human

I hope you know what these are. Utterly generic, they have no bonuses or maluses.

Elf

A savage carnivore creature from the forests, elves are strong, but lack finesse. Their fangs and compound eyes give them a monstrous countenance. Often seen as little more than vermin, they multiply rapidly in the forests, as they do not suffer illnesses like the other races. Many knightly orders dedicate themselves to keeping their numbers down, or else they form hordes that - like plagues of locusts - devour everything as they move on.
+3 str. + 3 vit, - 5 wil,
-5 persuasion

Lamia
The children of Solairi, The Sun Lizard, these beings have a snake tail below the waist. Like their distant ancestor, they often have divine magic and tend towards the worship of fire. Their powerful muscles and mighty tail make them good brawlers. Their scales are often bright reds and yellows.
+5 str, +5 Mag, -5 vit, -5 fin
Automatically have unarmed
Cannot wear leg armour/ boots. Have Tail slot instead

Buzkari

The insectoid Buzkari have a natural affinity for magic, but their physical forms are weak. Their chitinous exoskeleton is unmistakeable. They are the second oldest of the races, exceeded only by humanity itself. The most rare to see outside their lands, those you do see are rarely alone - and almost always on some kind of mission.
+5 mag, +5 aff, -5 str, -5 vit
Natural Armour
 
Earthborn

This mysterious race arose spontaneously from the ground several hundred years ago in an event they call the Birth. Tall, with a stonish texture to their skin, they are surprisingly dexterous, though few at all seem to have any kind of magic. They are renowned for their stubbornness, as if reflecting the earth that spawned them.
+3 fin, +5 wil, -5 mag, -5 aff
Cannot lose Elemental Stone magic if specialising

The Magi Mechanicos

A small, hidden nation of humans, they have the unique feature of augmenting themselves with elemental magical devices. However, each enhancement puts increasing strain on their body. As a people who dedicate much of their lives to magic, they have a ingrained affinity for magic, but their bodies are frailer than most.
+5 aff, +3 mag, - 5 vit, - 3 str
+3 blacksmith
-3 persuasion
Gain two augment slots magic items (rings or necklaces) can be placed into, but each augment in use puts additional strain on the Machanicos' body.

Other?

If you have an interesting suggestion for a race, either post in this thread or PM. I'm always open to suggestions.

[GiglameshDespair]

Character sheets! Looks complicated, doesn't it. Don't worry. I'll do most of the work.

Spoiler: Char sheet (click to show/hide)

Name:
Gender:
Race:
Background:

Description:

Type: [leave this blank]

Health: 80 + (4xVit)+(2xStr)

Statistics: You have 60 points to distribute.

Strength (str):      Needed to use weapons and armour.
Vitality (vit):         Health and resistance to effects.
Finesse (Fin):        Dodging, some weapons. Negatively effected by armour.
Willpower (Wil):     Mental fortitude. Resist pain, mind control, etc
Magic (Mag):        Magical aptitude. How easily you cast and empower spells. Also involves increasing natural resistance to some kinds of magic.
Attunement (Att): Magical attunement. The number of spells available to you at any particular time. Also involves increasing natural resistance to some kinds of magic.
Perception (Per):  spotting. Listening. Accuracy with weapons, but mainly ranged.

Magic(s):

Proficiencies: 30 points to distribute. It costs 5 points for the first level in a skill.

Physical:
Fists
One Handed Blades
Two Handed Blades
One Handed Crushing
Two Handed Crushing
Polearms
Thrown Weapons
Bows
Crossbows
Staves
Light Armour
Medium Armour
Heavy Armour
Shields
Tower Shields

Magical:
Divine Fire
Divine Lightning
Soul Curse
Soul Boost
Elemental Fire
Elemental Water
Elemental Air
Elemental Stone
Elemental Life

Skills: you have 100 points to distribute.  It costs 5 points for level one in a skill.

Monster Knowledge
Magic knowledge
Languages
Persuasion
Intimidation

Stealth
Lockpicking
Medicine
Blacksmithing
Enchanting
Alchemy
Swim
Handle Animal
Hunting
Climbing

Equipment: [leave blank. I'll fill this in from your description.]
Head:
Face:
Shoulders:
Chest:
Back:
Arms:
Hands:
Legs:
Feet:

Belt:
Left hand ring:
Right hand ring:
Neck:

Backpack:

Other:

Current Players:

kj1225 as Kyle Johnson

Scapheap as Adalinda Tamasa

Vorthon as Thrunn Flamecaller

sjm9876 as Aras Stoneskin

swordsmith04 as Jarund Mycaeros

Helgoland as Balthazar Grinberg

Tack as

 Pending:

Remuthra as

[GiglameshDespair]

Index

A repository of information, both widely known and discovered on the course of your adventures.

Spoiler: Major Gods and Daemons (click to show/hide)

The major Gods and Daemons – the most widely known and also the most powerful. They played integral parts in shaping the history of the world.

Solairi, the Sun Lizard
A huge, golden lizard woman, her offspring became the Lamia. She sits on top of the Lantern, commanding her servants, ensuring that night follows day. Her servants, the Sunlight Walkers, are often seen among the mortal kingdoms, praising the sun and the goddess above. Her symbol is a golden lantern.

The Maiden-In-White
The twin of the Maiden-In-Black. Her form is that of a young woman, clothed in white. She used to travel the land with her sister, judging wrongs. After the fall of the city of the Gods, she fled to the Lantern. Only her knightly order, the Whiteshield Justicars, still travel the land, passing judgement upon the wicked and the injust. Her symbol is a white feather upon a blue shield.

The Maiden-In-Black
She used to travel the land with her sister, healing the sick. Her appearance was that of a young woman, identical to the Maiden-In-White, but clothed in black. Caught in the fall of the city of the Gods, she is either dead or fallen into daemonhood. The Crow's Sisters, her knightly order, were once seen as a force for good and mercy, but are now feared for raiding villages and dragging captives off to who-knows-where. Her symbol is a black feather upon a red shield.

Ashan
The most powerful God in Divine magic. Took the form of a insect with a dozen limbs, each ending in a hand. Resided in the Library of Ashrund to the north, a huge repository of magical knowledge. Despite his lust for knowledge, he recognised the danger of Soul magic, and never dabbled in such things. Not long after the loss of the city of the Gods, he sealed the doors to the Library, and none may enter. His symbol is an blue, eight pointed star within a black circle.

Suth, the Steelskinned
The Steelskinned God, the Ironhearts claim to be his favoured people. He could take the form of a large knight, and granted his favour to those who impressed him in a show of arms. He took his legions with him when he heard of the city of the Gods' fall. Though he went to rescue the gods and mortals still there, neither him or his knights have been heard from in centuries. His symbol is two swords upon a shield. The colour is irrelevant.

Zandel, the Fallen
It was Zandel who discovered Soul magic after Ashan. Without the wisdom of Ashan, he boasted of his new magic far and wide, and was the first to fall into daemonhood. He was killed by Thraeth, the Reaper, and his soul devoured. His symbol has been lost to time.

Thraeth, the Reaper
One of the first daemons, Thraeth was always cruel and cunning. She learned the tenants of soul magic from Zandel before she betrayed and murdered him. She instigated the fall of the city of the Gods. Her symbol has been repressed and thus lost to time. While her form was that of a tall, pitch-black woman, daemonhood often warps the bodies of the Divine, and so her appearance now is unknown. She has not been seen for centuries.

Spoiler: races (click to show/hide)

Humans

The oldest race, they were the first to form from the ashes, so many gods took their forms from them. They are the most widespread, perhaps save for the elves, and can be found in almost every land. Their widespread nature means they have many different cultures. Beings with dual natures, they can be savage warriors or peaceful philosophers, and sometimes both.

Lamias

With an upper body similar to a humans, but a thick snake tail instead of legs, Lamia are the descendants of Solairi.  As a consequence, many have Divine magic from the blood in their veins, and they tend towards the element of fire with elemental magic. Once much more widespread, their southern Queendom was conquered by humans several centuries ago, becoming the Kingdom of Suthrund. A high proportion of the Sunlight Walker order is, unsurprisingly, composed of Lamias, who spread the worship of Solairi.

Buzkari

These are fragile, insectoid beings. Rather than living in separate buildings - one for each family, etc, they tend to construct huge, sprawling complexes they refer to as either colonies or hives, which all of them live in. Villages are often a single, large building, that is living space, storerooms, livestock pens, and defence all in one. Part of the reason for this is, living close to the lost city of the gods, they face regular attacks from monsters and daemons looking for souls. As a consequence, they are highly militarised - physically frail, they have huge numbers of mages that compose the ranks of their armies. There are very few divine spellcasters among them - and only those magically strong enough to demonstrate their bloodline without tuition are noticed, but those that are occupy high ranks in Buzkari society.

Realising the danger to their people, Buzkari officials send out groups of mages they call Questors. These have missions to seek powerful artefacts, knowledge of daemons and their weaknesses, and foster alliances with the powers on the mainland continent. The Buzkari 'nation', such as it is, typically trades silk and spices for mercenaries in their war, though the particularly dangerous nature of such a taste and the alien nature of the Buzkari mean that few quality mercenaries take them up on the offer.

Elves

Typically seen as vile savages, the elves are a uncivilised race. Similiar to humans from a distance, their legs are digitigrade, their ears long and pointed, mouths full of fangs and eyes are glittering compound eyes.

Their immunity to diseases, long natural lifespans, and fast breeding cycles, combined with their lack of knowledge of agriculture, mean they quickly grow in numbers far beyond what the area can support. If this happens, a elfmarch occurs: a horde of elves descend out of the forests, stripping the land before them bare, often requiring a swift response by the lords of the land to quell. As a consequence, multiple knightly orders have been established for the hunting of elves, who can be deadly and cunning opponents, despite their lack of advanced weaponry.

Despite their bestial nature, elves are quite intelligent, and could be civilised if their rapid multiplication could be controlled.

Earthborn

A mysterious race. Millennia after the other races arose from the ash of the forming world, the Earthborn emerged from the ground in an event they call the Birth. Even the Earthborn do not know what spawned them, and many wander the world, seeking answers. Tall – six to eight feet – and notoriously stubborn ,the Earthborn can be forces to be reckoned with. They rarely settle down for life, and thus have no nation they can truly call 'Earthborn'.

Giants

The tropical giants of the northern lands are rarely seen outside their jungles. Pgymy giants – the smallest of them – are eight feet tall, the tallest giants thirty feet in height. Little about a giant resembles a man – their bodies are covered with short, wiry hairs, the skin below thick and tough as leather. Their heads are thick wedges, with deadly beaks that can bite off a man's arm with ease. The jungle rings, day and night, to the raucous calls between giants in a tribe.

The few giants that do trade with the outside world tend to trade the hides of monsters, teeth, gold jewellery, and sometimes their services in combat, in exchange for food, alcohol, and weapons of steel, a alloy unknown to the giants.

Spoiler: Orders (click to show/hide)

There are many orders within the world of Liesma, and not all of them are friendly.

The Sunlight Walkers

Followers of Solairi. Mostly a peaceful order, they live in communes they call Sunlight Shrines, where they praise the sun and tend to injured or sick brought to them. However, the Sunlight Paladins of the order are highly trained, well equipped, and powerful Divine casters, and they punish those who would commit a grievance against the servants of Solairi. Paladins have an intense hatred for daemons, and can often be appealed for assistance against such foes.

Whiteshield Justicars

Wandering judges. They follow the laws of the Maiden-In-White. In many rural areas, they are the only law the peasants see. They are are sworn to right wrongs and to enforce the law. Have the power to declare someone outlaw, and often form parties to hunt notorious criminals or outlaws. How much the law can be negotiated depends on the Justicar - some believe in the spirit more than the letter, and vice versa. A useful ally - and a dangerous enemy.

The Crow's Sisters

The servants of the Maiden-In-Black, they are the subject of many rumours and not much fact. What can be established is that they have returned, they wield soul magic, and often capture innocents to drag away to who-knows-where. Exclusively female, they once healed the sick and protected the weak, but now they appear in the company on daemon-thralls and worse. It seems likely you'll find no friends in this company.

The Forest Brothers

A knightly order dedicated to fighting the elves. They shirk the heavy plate preferred by many knights, relying on lighter chainmail against the elve's crude weaponry.

The Knights Othrand

A knightly order dedicated to protecting the realms of men. While their duties nominally involve hunting daemons, most spend their lives in the never-ending battles against the elves in the deep forests.

[kj1225]

So... Where's the sheets?
*ninja*
Oh, guess I'll check this out.

[kj1225]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Name:Kyle Johnson
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Background: Kyle is a pirate that has spent most of his adult life working under a pirate captain until he became first mate, the day he became first mate the captain... bit the dust. It was a sad time. Kyle Continued raiding and pillaging for a few more years before the current day.

Description:  Tall and imposing with black hair and green eyes. He has a deeps voice but is fairly quiet.

Type: [leave this blank]

Health: 118

Statistics: You have 60 points to distribute.

Strength (str):      5
Vitality (vit):        7
Finesse (Fin):        10
Willpower (Wil):     8
Magic (Mag):       10
Attunement (Att): 8
Perception (Per):  8

Magic(s):  Soul

Proficiencies:  points to distribute. It costs 5 points for the first level in a skill.

Physical:
Fists 1
One Handed Blades 1
Thrown Weapons 1
Light Armour 1

Magical:

Soul Curse 1
Soul Boost 1


Skills: you have 50 points to distribute.  It costs 5 points for level one in a skill.

Monster Knowledge
Magic knowledge 1
Languages 1
Persuasion 21
Intimidation 6

Stealth
Lockpicking
Medicine
Blacksmithing
Enchanting
Alchemy
Swim 11
Handle Animal 16
Hunting
Climbing 26

Equipment: [leave blank. I'll fill this in from your description.]
Head:
Face:
Shoulders:
Chest:
Back:
Arms:
Hands:
Legs:
Feet:

Belt:
Left hand ring:
Right hand ring:
Neck:

Backpack:

Other:

[Helgoland]

Spoiler: Char sheet (click to show/hide)

Name: Balthazar Grinberg
Race: Earthborn
Background: Originally a hunter, he had to leave his hometown when the villagefolk burned down his house. Again. But he's gotten used to that kind of stuff. He has no family, no friends, no aquaintances, and he prefers it that way. Very little is known about his past, and he's very proactive about preserving that status. He's the guy you turn to for the occasional odd job, especially if that involves a bolt in someone's head. Balthazar is not exactly picky with his methods.

Description: A tall, lean humanoid with a stony grey skin, piercing emerald eyes and a groowling raspy voice. Dislikes talking, especially when it is required of him; despite or maybe because of this, he's surprisingly good with people of all kinds and backgrounds. Completely lacking in magical ability.
Even though he's a sight to be remembered, he prefers camouflage and ambush tactics to heavy armor. His weapon of choice is a steel crossbow inscribed with ancient runes; only he himself knows what they stand for. In close combat he uses a sabre with a midnight-black blade, but any one-hand weapon will do in a pinch.

Type: [leave this blank]

Health: 80 + (4xVit)+(2xStr)

Statistics: You have 60 points to distribute.

Strength (str): 10
Vitality (vit): 11
Finesse (Fin): 14
Willpower (Wil): 12
Magic (Mag): 0
Attunement (Att): 0
Perception (Per): 13

Magic(s):

Proficiencies: 30 points to distribute. It costs 5 points for the first level in a skill.

Physical:
Fists
One Handed Blades Level 6
Two Handed Blades
One Handed Crushing
Two Handed Crushing Level 4
Polearms
Thrown Weapons
Bows
Crossbows Level 8
Staves
Light Armour
Medium Armour
Heavy Armour
Shields
Tower Shields

Magical:
Divine Fire
Divine Lightning
Soul Curse
Soul Boost
Elemental Fire
Elemental Water
Elemental Air
Elemental Stone
Elemental Life

Skills: you have 100 points to distribute.  It costs 5 points for level one in a skill.

Monster Knowledge 6
Magic knowledge
Languages 11
Persuasion 12
Intimidation 10

Stealth 11
Lockpicking 6
Medicine
Blacksmithing
Enchanting
Alchemy
Swim
Handle Animal
Hunting  8
Climbing 4

Equipment: [leave blank. I'll fill this in from your description.]
Head:
Face:
Shoulders:
Chest:
Back:
Arms:
Hands:
Legs:
Feet:

Belt:
Left hand ring:
Right hand ring:
Neck:

Backpack:

Other:

Sorry about the delay. I hope those numbers add up right...

[Vorthon]

Is this gonna be play-by-post, or via roll20, or what? And what times will it be run at? (Time zone included would be nice. e_e)

[kj1225]

Since this it says this is the OOC thread I'd presume this is play-by-post.

[GiglameshDespair]

PBP.

[kj1225]

Is my sheet fine. I mean besides still needing to fill out the description.

[GiglameshDespair]

I'd prefer for you to put the level rather than the number of points in each stat, but yes, it's alright.

[kj1225]

Okay, I wasn't sure about level conversions for the stat points.

[Vorthon]

With regards to that: Is it only five points for the first level, and then one point/level aftewards, or is it five points for each level?

[GiglameshDespair]

Five points for the first level and one for each after that.

[sjm9876]

Hmm.... what is the lifespan of the earthborn? And roughly how tall is tall?

Also, how much will we get in the way of starting equipment? I assume full custom plate would be too much to ask?

Also, reserve