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Religious reasons (e.g. heretics, heathens, nonbelievers, witches, &c.)

1 (25%)

Political reasons (e.g. an unpopular noble family, betrayal/treason by a faction, a faction was too strong, &c.)

0 (0%)

Economic/Guild reasons (e.g. a group in a guild was not conforming to the guild, a merchant family was outshining the rest, a merchant bought out the slums for a new warehouse(exiling the current residents), &c.)

1 (25%)

Racial reasons (e.g. ancient Bonnleans didn't believe in dwarf-human hybrids, or there were elves.)

0 (0%)

Rebellion reasons (e.g. the rebels lost and were exiled, or won and the rulers were exiled.)

2 (50%)

Other- Post more if you think of them, and I can add them to the list!

0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 3

[endlessblaze]

ohhhh....interesting...

the stench must be horrid though.

[WillowLuman]

A lonely beach. Once every several years, a figure of dark and living coral rises from the waves to speak with another of living tree-wood about the state of the world.

[Delioth]

Updated the OP.
There are a couple decent characters now, and a city that's waiting to have more history/neighbors. Any and all of this is subject to change. If you think that anything presented could be made cooler, more cinematic, or that it just didn't fit with the vein of what you were suggesting, speak up! Any and all discussion is welcome- this isn't my project, it's ours.

[Generally me]

A weak king controlled by his advisors argues with his strong queen about how to run the kingdom. Elsewhere their daughter ignored by both her parents is being manipulated by the Kings advisor so that one day they may take control of the kingdom.

Basically
advisor=greedy and want the kingdom but they fight among themselves as well
Queen= loving and caring of the people and only wants the best for the kingdom but doesn't have time to look after her daughter
Princess= being taught by the advisors to give power to the people i.e them when she rises to the throne. But princess is much like her mother.
King=weak willed and generally seems like a saddening excuse for a king but you should feel pity for him as much as annoyance for his uselessness.

[Urist Mc Dwarf]

In a shadowy underground realm, those who were banished plot and wait as their forces go over stonger.

[Delioth]

Updated OP. We have two more kingdoms- Bonnlean led by Rileg and Altra, and factions in the Caverns of Threig deep underneath the capital where they were banished in the long past.

Also if anyone else wants to do names, it's really easy. Just google translate words associated with the character into other languages and put one or two together. Mortanus is a combination of the Latin for 'dead' and 'healthy' (I think.) You can get some cool names. (@endlessblaze)

EDIT: To avoid double post, putting this here: There's a poll to help define the world's overall structure.

[XXXXYYYY]

I've got another few ideas, so have (another) city. A key trade spot this time. Now with more info!

A city amidst a plain teems with manipulated life. Trade caravans enter with compost and meat, and exit with a variety of plant-based items, from rose-tinted apples to Sea-green rubber that glows with magic power. The people seem to be happy and obedient, though they seem a little off, in a way that people can't quite identify. Perhaps it is the way that news travels just a mite too fast, or how they seem to know what you want just before you do, or how they don't seem entirely there.


Some of the plants common in the city/surrounding area:

Spoiler: Food/Production Plants (click to show/hide)

Fragrant applevines crawl everywhere, serving both the purpose of food production and weather forecasting- if they close up, a storm is sure to arrive in a few days.

Blue-grey lilies are typically grown as a source of jade-colored wine, as they form it rather than nectar. Seeds for infertile versions are commonly sold.

Spoiler: Plants of the Surrounding Wilds - the Hostile/Defective Plants (click to show/hide)

The plants of the wilds, either thrown out of the city or warped by the resident magical energy aren't nearly so benign, however. "Poppyfield" vines, originally planned to serve as a source of sedatives, lie in wait amid the grasses with animal cunning. They ooze with contact sedatives- enough to quickly and easily drive a man unconscious in moments. Unfortunate travelers learn of this the hard way, collapsing amid the plains before the vine winds around them like a snake to consume them.

Circles dot the plains where entire swathes of grass has been flash-frozen into light green ice. At the center of these patches lie thistles the color of oxidized copper, using pilfered heat as fuel for growth. These have been known to freeze men into what amounts to grisly ice statues in mere seconds- and then freezing anyone who tried to help their friend. Over time, some of these plants have stolen enough heat to grow to immense sizes, and they can prove to be a rather thorny problem to deal with- anything entering within 20 feet of the things is very quickly frozen, and the plants have enough give to survive solid hits.

Spoiler: Special (click to show/hide)

At the very center of the city, a large copse of bamboo positively thrums with magical energy, each individual plant possessing the intellect of a full-grown human. They form mental connections between themselves and are able to link with other beings, though the latter is rare as the sheer amount of mental power on command can easily drive most mortals insane. The constant mental interplay between all of them leads to them adopting a very alien mindset to most outsiders, prioritizing the city over all else, ignoring morals of any kind. At the exact center of the forest is the original creator, whose mind is long gone but serves as an important dump of excess energy, being metabolized to extend his lifespan. His body is typically used as a vessel to speak verbally with outsiders and as a face to the public, as well as a limited source of 'true' magic, in the cases where purely mental phenomena is not enough. They plant suggestions into the mind of the populace and serve as the government, watching through the million eyes and ears of every person, animal, and insect inside the walls.

Might write up how the internal workings of the city work later

[Delioth]

K, not sure whether anyone else wanted to vote, but it's been a little while so I'm closing that one down. New poll for something else will be up shortly (Maybe magic in the world? Post suggestions of things that we need some agreement on for it to work if you can think of something. If I get an idea for one of those things, I'll put a poll up tomorrow probably.)

So, the results are in, and the top 2 parts are a standard continent and floating islands. So our world is a great continent of many names due to the many folks that call it home- some secluded and others bustling. However, all around this absolutely massive landscape both in the sky and in the ocean surrounding its vastness are islands, floating in space or water. Some are large, containing whole civilizations while others are small, maybe only as large as a small hut or a single tree's root space. Some say that beneath the great continent is an equally impressive cavern, open for miles and miles in every direction, weird ecosystems developing in the land under the land- just as there are many oddities in the land above the land.
Time is measured in different cycles on the continent and the sky-lands. The continent measures time based on cycles around the sun, years of time. The sky-lands measure time in cycles- the time it takes for an island to make a full revolution around the continent (The islands revolve in a great circle around the continent, like a disk revolving over a turntable.) Each island technically has its own length of cycle, but regions tend to just use the cycle of the largest or most important island in the region.

The Caverns of Threig lay connected to this vast underground and feel its influence, but the Threigian Caverns are not technically part of the underworld.

What oddities lie in this great underworld (Or in the caverns of Threig)? Setting includes races, flora/fauna, history- whatever! If you think of a creature that you want to be unique or everywhere, put it up- it's probably cool and entertaining. If you have a short story of history in the world, put it up- it makes the world start to come alive even more. Submissions to the setting don't have to be cities or specific people- they can be anything!

With that, I'm submitting a few things of my own, and then updating the OP with a misc. section for setting. (Or I might already have one... not quite sure. These'll go there, though.)

Spoiler: Creature-Stormwings (click to show/hide)

Other names: Sky Terror, Skywinder, Boltscale, Aerial Ace (In addition to an ace rider)
Creature type: Large flying bird/reptile
Other features: elemental/magical ancestry (Natural), non-sentient (Animal)
Physical Description: These great creatures are hatched at a size roughly equivalent to that of a small horse, and grow up to three feet wide and fifteen feet long, head-to-tail. Their shape resembles a great snake with a beaked head and between four and eight wings. The most common configuration of their wings is three sets of two relatively thin wings roughly evenly spaced, starting a few feet behind the head and ending as the tail begins to taper. Stormwings with this wing configuration are very agile in the air, able to make maneuvers that are nearly unthinkable to other flying creatures, but their unique configuration isn't as powerful as some other fliers, so they are a little slower in sustained flight than others. However, their ability to use their wings in tandem to give a great push and spin allows these skywinders to have great speed in short bursts. These attributes are exacerbated in breeds with four pairs of two wings and mitigated in breeds with two pairs of wings. However, rare breeds have a single pair of very wide (3-4 feet along the body) wings that each have two pairs of smaller wings attached just a few inches past the body, one on the top and bottom of each wing. The great wings on these magnificent beasts give them a huge amount of power to use, and they are nearly unparalleled in their speed through the air- both sustained and in bursts. The large area of their wings also lets them fly higher than nearly anything else that needs wings to fly, but their great size also limits their maneuverability to be similar to that of less unique aerobats.
Males and females of these great creatures are vastly different- males are scaled while females are feathered. Due to this, males tend to be a little better at complex aerobatics and can dive into water with ease to catch different kinds of prey, while females are a little quicker fliers, can carry a little more weight, and can fly a little higher. As such, eight-winged males are the epitome of perfect aerial mobility, capable of literally twisting themselves around an arrow in flight or making such a tight barrel roll that it releases a burst of air that deflects nearby projectiles. Female broad-wings are nearly the opposite of this, flying faster than anything natural, nearly imperceptible when at their fastest.
Stormwings have a unique organ that sits on top of their throat which collects static charge gained as they fly, and can concentrate the energy into a bolt of lightning expelled through the mouth. Most often it is used as an attack, to either kill or stun their prey before they get to it, or to deter those few creatures that would attempt to kill or eat a stormwing. Another use for this bolt of lightning is reserved for the rare intelligent stormwing, or tame ones under the control of an experienced rider. Shooting their lightning in front of them, the skywinders can create a tunnel of heated air- less dense than other air this tunnel, combined with a strong push before entering, provides the perfect conditions for a greater burst of speed than anything else can muster. In addition, the warm, dry air contains more static, letting them regain their bolt even faster. In the hands of a skilled rider, an aerial ace duo can streak through the air almost as fast as a bolt of lightning by stringing these bolt dashes one after the next.
Personalities: Stormwings have a consistently bad temperament, rarely content and never happy of their own accord. The only pleasure they find is in companionship- their mates, ever-present trainers, or their single rider. When they mate, they mate for life- each stormwing will find a single mate which they make an eternal bond with. If and when that mate dies, the other knows immediately- and their rage is beyond any control.

Spoiler: Race- Auria (plur. Aura) (click to show/hide)

Other names: Sky-elves, skyfolk, syngen (only within the Aura, means 'the kin' in their tongue), airheads (used derogatorily)
Creature type: Normal-sized humanoid
Other traits: elemental/magical heritage, lightweight, high-flier, aerial gliding (short distance)
Physical description: Slim humanoids of average stature, Aura live among the floating islands. Their skin ranges in color from cloud white to a pale blue that resembles stormy skies, and any whites, grays, and blues in between. Their hair ranges from white to black, and grays in between- but no color, always pure gray. Eyes among the Aura are incredibly varied- they can be of any hue, but the aura have no pupils due to the brightness of their world in the sky. The Aura's ears are pointed in a similar fashion to land- or sea-elves, but the Aura's ears curve back before the point, causing their ears to look like a curved teardrop.
Oddly enough, their only major adaptation to their unique surroundings is a rigid, folding crest on the outside edge of their forearms- used to glide very short distances. The crests would be ineffective at anything more than a foot or two on a leap for anyone other than an Aura, but their sharp senses of the air currents and incredibly light weight for their size allows them to glide short distances with their crests, saving many amateur riders from an untimely demise after falling off their mount.
Personality: The Aura are as varied as the winds they ride- each one is unique and ever-changing.

Auria Civilization:

Culture: The Aura culture emphasizes creativity, sportsmanship, and skill. They pride themselves on their art and their athletic competitions. Each dominion of Aura typically holds between three and four athletic competitions each cycle, the victors of which go on to compete at the grand festival, hosted by the champions of the previous year's grand festival. The champions of each year's competition become the head dominion- the seat of power and arbiter of the Syngen.
The Aura have domesticated Stormwings, and a large portion of their society consists of riders, for both defense and hunting. Ace riders use a combination of lances, blades, and bows from wingback, but hunters tend to shy away from blades- they ruin too much of the meat.
For food, the Aura generally eat a variety of meats, hunted by Stormwing riders from land, sky, and sea. In addition, many of the Dominions farm pwyyfs (pronounced 'pwifs'), large puffball-esque fruits- several feet across and encased in a lighter-than-air shell. After this shell is cut off, the fruit inside is versatile. Raw it is light and spongy, filling, and sweet. If cooked directly over heat, it keeps its sweetness but caramelizes and shrinks, transforming into something like a candy. However, if boiled it takes in much of the water and losing much of its sweetness- the boiled pwyyf becomes a savory dish; thick and creamy, similar to the landfolk's mashed potatoes. In addition, some Aura ferment a mixture of rainwater, nectar, and boiled pwyyf to make a sweet and salty drink, named Pwyysky. Many races like the taste, and it is one of the leading exports of the Aura civilization.
Some of the richer Dominions (such as ones that have precious metals in their islands or who raise armies) import spices and other fruits to accent their dishes- pwyyf and meat is good to live on and tasty enough, but colorful fruits and different spices make for grand meals.
Organization: Dominions are the names of the city-states, comprised of between five and fifty islands, depending on the size of the islands. Each Dominion is led by a triumvirate- Garth, Luth, and Ath (The chief priest, best athlete, and a hereditary leader). The Dominions all come together once a cycle- the eve of the last grand festival in the cycle of the winner. A representative from each Dominion comes to discuss the affairs of the Syngen, as well as supervising the athletics. Each member of the triumvirate sponsors one athlete from their Dominion, although the Luth typically sponsors him- or herself.

[XXXXYYYY]

And just when I thought this was dead. Thank you so much for continuing this.
I got a few things for the Underworld. (Deoterrum might be a good name?)

Spoiler: Lutavis (click to show/hide)

These long-time denizens of the great caverns resemble horrid twisted birds. They are coated with whirled grey feathers and look like something from a nightmare. From their pitted underbelly jut near a dozen pointed legs, granting them a way of walking that seems to imitate a grisly dance. On either side of their thick, almost snake-like, necks, four stubby many-fingered arms reach forward to grasp anything that wanders close. They have a head that looks like a mix of a fly and a fish, with green bulging compound eyes straining to catch a glimpse of light that would alert them to a potential food source. Taking up most of the bottom of their head, however, is a maw with long, jagged teeth. In addition to their sensitive sight, they have powerful ears that allow them to hear and hunt prey by sound from around 15 yards away. They are incredibly aggressive, often taking on foes multiple times their size, grasping with their forelimbs and biting.

[Delioth]

.... I'm terrified now...

And yeah, I've been meaning to post for a while, but I've been formulating that civilization and creatures for a while, just figured I'd give plenty of time for anyone who wanted to poll. It also makes a bit more sense when there are islands in the sky- flying around aerobatically is less interesting when the skies are clear.

I also forgot to mention it in the last post I did, but I admire your work, X⁴Y⁴. It's amazing the things that sprout from your head. Everyone here's, actually- you all put out great stuff! Keep it up!

[XXXXYYYY]

.... I'm terrified now...

And yeah, I've been meaning to post for a while, but I've been formulating that civilization and creatures for a while, just figured I'd give plenty of time for anyone who wanted to poll. It also makes a bit more sense when there are islands in the sky- flying around aerobatically is less interesting when the skies are clear.

I also forgot to mention it in the last post I did, but I admire your work, X⁴Y⁴. It's amazing the things that sprout from your head. Everyone here's, actually- you all put out great stuff! Keep it up!

I've found that having a sort of seed often helps me come up with ideas. For most of the creatures, I used the Automorphica to give me a baseline, then work from there and develop into a fully-fledged creature. For the Central Mind, for example, I got a mix between seaweed and bamboo with a few mental powers- Mental Link, Mindblast, and Heightened Consciousness. I then tossed the mindblast and seaweed in order to get a basic idea for the creature, and then worked with it in order to get the result you can see as the central governance of Glasaigne.

Heh. I got a few more creatures that I'm working on, one of which is below. This one is nasty.
The Deoterrum is shaping up to be a harsh, deadly place.

Spoiler: The Carnenitus- The Plaguebearers (click to show/hide)

The blinding flashes of light and sounds that precede these horrid things' flock are perhaps the most terrifying sensations in the entirety of the Deoterrum. These pack hunters look like eyeless white ravens, but they trace white ribbons of spores in their wake and hunt using echolocation. They possess a maw full of needle-sharp teeth- if the bite is clean the wound might not even bleed- but the primary purpose of their maw is not to consume, but to reproduce. The spores they emit are parasitic- once inside a living body, they take root and feed until they are fuly grown and prepared to leave and join the flock. Tales abound of people inhaling spores and later coughing and keeling over dead, only for a Carnenitus to bite its way out of their still-warm chest. Often the only way for anyone to survive is for an entire village to seal itself up and relocate amoung underground channels, as a scant handful of spores can easily spell an entire village's demise as person after person gets bitten or breathes in some spores, growing more and more of the beasts, which in turn bite and make more spores for people to breathe in.

I had a few more things, but the sheet I have them on is at home and I'm out of time for now.

[Delioth]

I'll put in a race to inhabit the Deoterrum- and probably another one or two today- it is a massive place, and there would naturally be multiple ways to handle the beasties that lurk in the depths.

Spoiler: Race- Umgra (plur. Umgrak) (click to show/hide)

Other names: Dark Stalkers, Blackguards, Deo-devils
Standard stats: Power (Physical) +5, Agility +5, Intelligence (Logic) -5, Charisma (Cunning) +5 (People skills) -10
General description: Ugly, black humanoids that live in the Deoterrum.
Features: Learned echolocation, darksight, natural climbers, stalking affinity, uncultured, typically illiterate (no written language), aversion to light
Physical description: These creatures have black skin, and any hair they have is very thin and either pure black or white. Their faces covered in wrinkles, alongside their large ears and bulging white eyes, give them a very frightening visage when actually viewed. They stand taller than many other humanoid races, between 6.5 and 7.5 feet tall- and they're broad as well.
Personalities: Stupid but cunning, Umgrak are creatures of impulse and instinct. They live in the darkest parts of the Deoterrum, and as such rarely distinguish between friend and foe- the depths contain many creatures, and it's most often a question of 'them or you.' Umgrak don't like being the one that dies.
Culture: Due to the deadly nature of the Deoterrum, Umgrak culture is nomadic and shallow. Where other cultures have festivals and gatherings, Umgrak hone their blades, echolocation, and stealth skills. They have no written language or calendar- just survival and barter economy; hunters barter their kills, smiths their blades, and others their work.
Their work tends to be based on natural figures- the most efficient methods nature makes, an Umgra smith can make in steel or umbre. Scaled armor is normal, although some of their weaponry seems exotic to surfacers. One of the most popular blades of the Umgrak peoples are the 'rvat' Impressive inventions for their subsistence culture, these weapons are as much utilitarian as they are deadly. A full set consists of two bracers and six claws- however, claws come in several flavors, and are interchangeable. The most common set of rvat is four sharp and deadly talons with two umbre pylons (arranged with the pylons in the middle). Each claw on the rvat is separately retractable, allowing a skilled user of the standard set to easily switch between the climbing configuration and the clawed configuration- or to just retract the blades and execute his prey with his bare hands. Some other claws include sharpened spikes to pierce enemies, steel and flint sparklaunchers (as many creatures of the deep have an immense aversion to light or fire), and even a small contraption that launches chains or darts.

Spoiler: Material- Umbre, the shadow's steel (click to show/hide)

This dark, unreflecting metal is always cool to the touch and seems to have mildly malleable properties. However, it is consistently as strong as steel but has an odd weight- it weighs down objects or the rare ship it's on just as heavily as steel, but blades and armor feel, to the wearer, as light as shadows. Notably, the metal seems to be able to alter its texture to some degree- enough to fool someone just lightly touching the material, as well as its ability to dampen sound. When it's wearer is concentrating on it, even full platemail made from umbre is silent- the owner's breathing is louder. In addition, a skilled wielder can make blades slightly ethereal, phasing through metal, bone, and flesh all the same- but a blade materializing inside one's heart isn't good for one's survival chances.

[micelus]

Spoiler: The Querach (click to show/hide)

Other names: Bugs, Qeerav (for non-ruling castes), Qaran (for ruling castes), Queracham (for breeding castes)
Creature type: Six-legged arthopods. Exact body features differ depending on caste.
Other traits: Incredibly strong and agile. Exact traits differ depending on caste; Queran are long-lived while Qeerav are short-lived and often non-sapient.
Physical description: Arthopods with an average height of 6m, the Querach differ greatly in shape depending on their cast. The Qeerav castes are often shaped to their purpose; a scout is built to be slender and quick while a farmer is built to be hardy. The Qaran on the other hand are mantid-like in appearance, save for their head, which resembles a pinecone in shape. Skin tones can differ greatly depending on habitat but the Qaran matriarchs often mark their broods with a particular colour or symbol. Each Querachi excretes pheromones for communication with other members of the species, although the Qaran and Queracham have unique pheromones allowing them to control the Qeerav.
Personality: The Qeerav, for the most part, are unthinking creatures used to carry out the demands of the Qaran and as such lack personalities. More intelligent Qeerav, those capable of independent thought, have are utterly loyal to their duty and their masters but are usually friendly to those that speak to them. The personalities of the Qarani and Queracham can differ significantly like any other intelligent race, although most Qarani feel an intrinsic respect for the Querachams.

Spoiler: A Tale of the Querach (click to show/hide)

When I was a child, an elderly Querach came to our village one day, asking for shelter for the night. All the neighbours shut their doors, save for my dear father. He was a good man. I was scared at first when I saw him; an ant the size of the tool shed, who could imagine such things existed? I still remember it's head; mangled and throttled as if he had been through a slaughterhouse or a great battle.

The creature stayed with us for a few days and I soon became quite fond of his stories, which he told me in that raspy garbled voice that I strained to understand. He told me of long dead cities and colonies the Querach once ruled throughout the Continent and how during that time, us humans were still animals. I didn't believe him at the time and to this day I wish I had asked more. Still, my ignorant youthful self eventually asked what happened to the cities of his people, why they were so few and those that people heard about were monsters or killers. Although his face was unreadable, even then I could tell that he felt great sadness when I asked him.

This is what he told me, from what I remember.

"Young child, I have told before of our great civilisations, of monuments made in the sky and our very names enscribed on the oceans of the world. It was a time when the world was perfect, when all could enjoy without suffering. It was a Paradise on earth. Or so it seemed.

The lords of the time were rich, loved and proud; who could not be when they had made the world perfect? And yet, they thirsted for more. They fought, sending the servants and scholars to war simply to gain yet more sandy lands or useless sea. For the people of that time, it came to be known as the End Times. Lords fought, emptying the cities of their peoples, ending generations of perfection for yet more power. And each one accepted their fate for it was in their blood; the Querach followed their lords from cradle to grave without one hint of disagreement, so very unlike your people.

Centuries of battle without end saw the world sundered beyond comprehension; the earth was changed and blasted far into the sky, the seas boiled and the skies hidden by eternal clouds. In time, the last battle was fought with one prince left amongst the ruins of our great cities. Maddened with the glory and pride, he did not see what he had caused. He did not see the destruction, the apocalypse he and his peers had wrought. Without enemy to compare, he settled to watch over his armies fight amongst themselves to determine those who would rule the world under him. These savages would in time lose mind and soul, becoming the murderous beasts we know today. For that Prince's sin, my people have forgotten his name.

But even as the world died, there was still good amongst our people, those who had thought better. Lost in the deserts that had been created by the End Times, Queracham Etraja asked the heavens for guidance, asking the gods why they had let the world die.

We worshiped thousands of gods in those times, and none answered her call. She beckoned each day, offering sacrifice after sacrifice, but no aid came. We had been abandoned by the gods.

And yet, just as her brood was dying, Etraja heard the Voice. A voice like that was light incarnate; a stern father and gentle mother in one. It was nothing our people had ever known. The Voice spoke to Etraja for 50 days and 50 nights, memorising all the Voice told her. She knew now that the ways in which my people had lived was sinful and that the End Times were their reward. As such, while the Princes warred, Etraja journied the world looking for those she could persuade to join her cause. 500 in total, these Apostles would found the first holy colonies, ruled in the way of the Voice of the Sands.

To this day we still abide by the Voice, its mysteries and its rules for without them we would fall into the same fate as our ancestors. It is for this reason true Querach are in so few number; the Voice commanded us not to spread in great multitudes or dispose the Qeerav without thought. It is because of the Voice that we honour but are not obedient to our Mothers and Fathers and why many of us leave our colonies in search of a home elsewhere. That, my child, is why I am traveling through your village and why my face is as damaged as it is."

The day after he told me that story, the creature had left, for parts unknown. I never knew if his tale was in any way true for who was there to tell me it was? Other Querach I have had the pleasure of speaking to are silent on the matter, as if I did not need to know. Whatever the case, adventurers returning from the deserts of the south occasionally bring me ancient artifacts or sketches of ruins they find and they often seem to resemble the stories that elderly Querach told me all those years ago...

-Heinrich Volderg, Chancellor of GrunbergUniversity.

[Delioth]

Nice micelus! History, a race, and a small civilization- really interesting way to tell the story as well. I feel like that Querach might be a character at some point? Also someone now needs to write up that Grunberg University is/was a thing. What do they study? Where is it? &c. &c.

And as promised, another race for the Deoterrum:

Spoiler: Race- Luxant (plur. Luxai) (click to show/hide)

Other names: Lightbearers, Antrosol (meaning 'cavern sun'), Firehair, Deep seers
General description: Average-sized humanoids who all have magical power from their ancestry
Descriptors: magical ancestry (bred), Deoterrum life, magical affinity
Standard stats: Power (Magical-Fire, Light, or Raw focus) +10, Intelligence (Logic) +5 (Memory) +5, Charisma (People skills) -5
Physical description: Luxai look like regular humans with a few remnants of their magical heritage- their hair comes in any color one can think of, in varying levels of brightness, and a their eyes tell a similar tale (However, their hair and eye colors tend to gravitate towards each other over time). Their ears are rounded. They can manifest with any regular color of skin, from ebony to pale, but they tend to gravitate towards a deeply tanned color- as though they worked in a forge for long years. The Luxai people don't need food or water- they subsist purely on magical energy, most often provided by their artificial suns, which power themselves with the natural flow of magic through the land.
Personalities: Luxai personality fluctuates just as much as most sentient creatures, but their culture and heritage tends to shape their minds towards quiet, scholarly practice- due to this aversion to social gatherings, many Luxai grow up without a huge amount of interaction, and tend to be rather awkward and overly logical when dealing with non-Luxai. However, both behaviors are learned, and Luxai who must deal with outsiders on a regular basis figure out the ways of others, and are relatively good speakers.

Luxai Culture:
One would think that in the harsh world that is the Deoterrum, culture would always be stifled. However, the Luxai culture has flourished over the last several centuries due to their unique method of protection from the denizens of the Deoterrum- they craft artificial suns, keeping the cave-adapted creatures at bay with brightly lit caverns, as well as large-scale magical purifying barriers. The Luxai trade with both each other and surfacers when they get the chance, which highly depends on the position of the Luxai bubble in the Deoterrum- if they are near an easy path to the surface or friends, trade flourishes. However, they are relatively self-sufficient, as they need no food and have a rich, scholarly culture. Their largest imports are typically surface trees- not natural to the Deoterrum, surface trees can, however, survive within the lit, purified bubbles that the Luxai form around themselves.
Luxai establish grand universities in their deep homes, with scholars coming all the way from the skylands to study arts, magics, and sciences in their halls. Scribes and scholars flourish in these cultures, but festivals aren't very popular- they are considered relatively frivolous and take many resources the scholars aren't willing to give up; their trees for paper or wagons and oils for burning that they enjoy burning for focus rather than festival, among other things.
When Luxai are called to defend themselves or their homes, they almost always turn to their innate magic- and their magic is potent. Due to its nature- distilled from the raw magical energy that naturally flows through the lands through their artificial suns, most Luxai magic tends towards two ideas- the manipulation of raw magic, or the manipulation of magic in the form of fire or light (the magic they take in from their suns is naturally configured to fire and light due to the fact that it's filtered through a sun).

[Delioth]

Bump. Also, a character:

Spoiler: Zlobnosti, Will of the T'ma (click to show/hide)

Power (T'ma corrupted magic) +35
Agility -5
Intelligence (Memory) -10
Charisma (People Skills) +10

"Bow, sniveling wretches! Let the T'ma infest your mind- unmake you! Give yourself as tribute before the T'ma rots this world!"
- Zlobnosti, prophesying in Bonnlean. 400 converted and sacrificed.

The prophet and physical manifestation of the T'ma, Zlobnosti does not even remember who he was before the T'ma came to him- claimed him. He wanders the world, immune to time's ravages and powerful enough to bat aside most dangers and directed by the T'ma.
He prophesies the T'ma as the blackness within the souls of all men- as the darkness that overtakes the minds of wizards and sorcerers. He sees visions of the T'ma conquering, and he sacrifices new disciples to the Force- increasing its power whilst also appeasing the T'ma's hunger. All practitioners of magic are susceptible to the T'ma, but those who practice dark arts and necromancy are closer to the T'ma- and thus more easily forsaken. In particular, many of the powerful Death Knights from Vivirex have been overcome by the T'ma and never returned, forming a small army following Zlobnosti.
Personality: Overcome by the T'ma, Zlobnosti does everything for its will- and it gives him an air of power (In addition to his own actual air of power). He is very persuasive when he is prophesying for his dark master. His power makes him very arrogant, and he will not take 'no' for an answer if the T'ma wishes it.
Physical description: Zlobnosti is a relatively tall, slim human figure clad in a flowing black robe embroidered with threads made from twisted Umbre and silver. His dark eyes have pure white pupils that leave trails in the air as he moves. They seem to be ancient- his eyes look as though he has seen more horrors than most could count, more years than most can imagine. His face and frame are both youthful, however. His features are sharply chiseled, giving him a beautiful face aside from his piercing, reverse-colored eyes. His sable hair is parted in the center and flows straight down to his shoulders, silky and smooth.
With his raw power and the T'ma behind him, Zlobnosti never sets foot on the ground, maintaining a hover a few feet above the ground and feeding his body with this power- he neither eats nor sleeps.