-last edited on Aug 19, 2018 4:45:04 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Aug 19, 2018 4:44:25 GMT
Background Part 1
Before there was the Castle Roleplay, there was the Forest Band*. Led by Ranwell Arch, they went on many adventures and sang songs about them. When the Castle RP began, they became the Forest HQ, with the other HQs being the Lion Knights HQ, the Dragon Knights HQ, the Shadow Warriors HQ, and the Mercenary Village. The first major event in the Castle RP was the battle against the Dragon Knights where the Lion Knights and Shadow Warriors teamed up against them and destroyed them. The Forest HQ did not participate because Ranwell Arch was missing. During the battle, the Forest HQ went to the Mountains to fight the dragon. They were eventually joined by others, but in the end they were forced to flee. At the same time, the Shadow Warriors were exploring the Abandoned Fortress from the orcs. Shortly after the failed fight against the dragon, the Darkness appeared in the Dragon Knights HQ. The Lion Knights returned to the Mountains and Duke Arthurian found the Crystal of Storms. Ugh the Troll found the Crystal of Fire underneath the Tavern. The Lion Knights made their way to the Plains, where Captain Alice found the Crystal of Wind. The Mercenaries travelled to the Endless Sea, where Diglett discovered the Crystal of Water. As the Shadow Warriors finished exploring the Abandoned Fortress, Amijos found the Crystal of Ice. Darthraxx of the Dragon Knights found the Crystal of Earth in the Forest. The Crystal-Bearers united in the Mountains, where they defeated the dragon and went to stop the Darkness. However, just as it seems the world is saved, they are told they must go to the Tower of Time to recover another Crystal. Everyone went to the Desert where they found the Tower of Time. They battled through eleven floors at came at last to the Creature of Time. It absorbed the hero Egol into itself and disappeared. Amion claimed the Crystal of Time and took it back to the Dragon Knights HQ, and the world at last was saved.
*I think the Shadow Warriors might also have existed before the RP, but I wasn’t a part of them so I can’t confirm or provide information on this.
-last edited on Aug 19, 2018 13:46:29 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Aug 19, 2018 13:46:10 GMT
Background Part 2
Not long after the Tower of Time, Albeis came from the North with news of Civil War in Stennev’avfjellan. At the beginning of the war there were eleven sides in the conflict, and HQs and individuals began to choose between them. The Dragon Knights supported Rudalians, the Shadow Warriors supported Skelar’avwirm, the Forest Band supported Klenan’avbunder, and the Lion Knights supporrted Blalians. Over the course of the war, Stennev’avfjellan convinced each rebellious faction to rejoin them. First Hele’avfeska and Perl’avdyberer, then Gronalians, then Nev’avmena, then Klenan’avbunder and Halb’avhjel, then Blalians and Rudalians, and finally Skelar’avwirm. Because Halb’avhjel, Rudalians, and Skelar’avwirm resisted and fought against Stennev’avfjellan for so long, they are currently under probationary status in the new government. For most of the war, Blalians fought against Rudalians, and with the aid of Nev’avsul, the new Runecannons, and finally Stennev’avfjellan they eventually won. Halb’avhjel initially appeared to be aligned with the peaceful goals of Klenan’avbunder, but when they tried to conquer Gronalians it became clear that their intentions were not so benign and their army deserted. Over the course of the war, Skelar’avwirm conquered significant portions of the Wilderlands with aid from Oruthal. The war increased tensions between Morñornia and Vasίlio, eventually leading to fighting between them. The results of the war are as follows: Vasilio was weakened, Amineza was formed from the territory that Morñornia took from Vasίlio, Stennev’avfjellan’s government was made more equitable to the smaller city-states, and tensions grew in the Wilderlands due to the territory they lost to Skelar’avwirm and Oruthal and the lack of support for them from most nations.
-last edited on Aug 19, 2018 17:40:22 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Aug 19, 2018 17:40:12 GMT
Background Part 3
After the Stennev’avfjellan Civil War, the Southern Kingdoms became aware of a new threat much closer to home. Investigating the Ruins of the Pine Forest, Lexos discovered it had been taken over by a man called Lord Enguerrand, who planned to go to war with the South. Lexos was captured, and met Alpida Makrinorasi, who helped him to escape. As others explored the Pine Forest, they found that it was hidden in illusionary fog. Eventually, they came face to face with the Xain general Boris, who was lending his aid and soldiers to Lord Enguerrand to help him form his new Bear Kingdom. Also at this time, Duke Arthurian of the Lion Knights was smashed and Alice was captured to be used as a tool to summon a monster. Soon after, Enguerrand’s army attacked the Forest Band at their new stronghold. With help from the Shadow Warriors, Lion Knights, and Dragon Knights, the Forest Band prevailed and decided to take their fight to Enguerrand. When the army arrived at the ruins, the sorcerer Gidie was ready for them, summoning the invincible Tarasque to fight them and clear the Southern Kingdoms for Enguerrand’s conquest. When their efforts to hurt the Tarasque proved futile, many of them turned to the fortress instead, where Demiu learned Gidie’s location and called on the other wizards to help him. Meanwhile, another group found Alice and learned that the only way to defeat the Tarasque was to smash her. The first group captured Gidie and then the groups met up to figure out what to do about Alice. But before they could, they were attacked by Enguerrand, sporting magical powers of his own. He told them he would smash all the wizards, including Gidie, but spare the others. They refuse, and try to fight back, causing Enguerrand to lose control and collapse part of the castle. Enguerrand is seemingly smashed in the collapse, but the others are saved by Gidie’s spellwork. Gidie then dismisses the Tarasque. With Enguerrand’s army defeated, the Dragon Knights took over the Ruins and Gidie stayed there to teach Old Magic to the wizards.
-last edited on Aug 19, 2018 20:29:50 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Aug 19, 2018 20:29:42 GMT
Background Part 4
While at the Ruins, King Darthraxx of the Dragon Knights met and gained the trust of the family of the dragon from the Mountains. The Dragon Knights were confronted by the Kaspik Wardens over their violation of an ancient treaty, but the Kaspik Wardens didn’t have the manpower to stop them. As everyone began preparing for the coming war against the Xains, Alpida took Amion to meet her friend Elowyn, who advised them to seek out Logaire Adarcafad and the Kriatoma. Amion and Aaron went to the Plains to meet the former while Alpida and Karthon headed north to find the latter. At the same time, the first of the Xains arrived: a charming diplomat named Dror, who sought negotiations with the Forest Band. In the Plains, Amion and Aaron found Logaire, who summoned the minotaurs as their Great Chief. Initially, they voted not to help in the war, but were forced to after Aaron beat their champion in combat. Alpida and Karthon hired a crew to take them to the Kriatoma, whom they awoke from stasis and brought to Oruthal to fight off the Xains there. That battle was eventually successful, and they sailed south to fight the Xains. Meanwhile, the Xains had begun their invasion at the Dragon Kingdom. While one group besieged the castle, others tunneled inside and attacked. Demiu was able to capture the Xain general Corellus, but the Xains captured Xavic and Valithor. Demiu went to meet Dror for negotiations and was attacked. Back at the castle, Logaire lost in combat and the minotaur forces would have left if Sairse Pintalit had not then won the title. The castle was evacuated in preparation for a new spell made by Gidie, which leveled the entire area, smashing all the Xains in and around it. The battle moved to the fields as the Kriatoma arrived to lend their aid. Dror, at the Tavern, was captured by Demiu. Eventually, the Southern Kingdoms won, but at great cost. Many where smashed, disappeared, or never recovered. In the aftermath, many Xains escaped north and the Southern Kingdoms struggled to find new leadership. That was one year ago.
-last edited on Aug 19, 2018 21:50:44 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Aug 19, 2018 21:50:23 GMT
History Part 1
Little is known about the days before the Graylings came, other than that humans, elves, and dwarves all first arrived on the continent during this time, but many hold them up as a time of prosperity. Humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, goblins, trolls, hill giants, frost giants, minotaurs, and dragons all inhabited the continent, and it is believed that all races had their own land. Eventually the Graylings sailed from Oruthal and everything changed. Their numbers weren’t great, but each was a fierce warrior as strong as a troll and as nimble as an elf. It wasn’t long before they had conquered most of the continent. The only parts that remained were the far north, held by the frost giants, and the southwest, held by the dragons. Though they fought for decades, the Graylings were never able to break either of these two groups and they came to be bitter enemies. In the rest of the continent, the Graylings were harsh but fair rulers, but they were still conquerors and the people longed to be free. What happened to weaken the Grayling empire is still debated today, but the most likely explanation seems to be a great sickness that only affected them, smashing many and weakening more. In any case, with the empire weakened, the other races were able to rise up and eventually drive them back to Oruthal entirely. Unfortunately, it was not the happy ending for all that it might seem at first. For once the Graylings were gone and the dragons and frost giants retreated to far corners of the continent, the humans, elves, and dwarves turned on their allies- orcs, goblins, trolls, and hill giants- and subjugated them, turning them into second-class citizens and largely ignoring them. From there they divided the spoils of the conquest- to the dwarves went the north, called Kalsteroskirasval; to the humans the south, called Regna Disud; and to the elves what was in between, called Lucidaboria. The plains and desert in the southwest remained in the hands of the dragons and the minotaurs, for none dared to face them and the land served no particular use, and the frost giants controlled the far north for the same reason.
-last edited on Aug 20, 2018 7:05:40 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Aug 20, 2018 7:05:31 GMT
History Part 2
If a golden age of peace had ever existed, the Graylings had broken it. Humans, elves, and dwarves were not content to coexist with their own peoples. Thus, war was inevitable. The first to break was Regna Disud. The territory known as Nacinazélo consisted of areas of between the two mountain ranges, including a substantial section of the great southern forest. With the aid of the hill giants, to whom freedom was promised, the people of Nacinazélo rose up against the rest of Regna Disud and won their freedom in a war. They established a new kingdom, but in doing so turned their backs on the hill giants. As soon as a proper government was established, they drove the hill giants over the mountains and into Lucidaboria, a decision which would eventually come to haunt them. Seeing Nacinazélo’s success, other groups in Regna Disud attempted to dislodge themselves. The seat of power in Regna Disud was far to the south. Because of this, areas farther north often felt neglected, and this was what prompted the great forest to rebel. They used a similar tactic to the people of Nacinazélo, enlisting the forgotten races of the forest to help them. The result was a long and costly war that left both sides weakened for many decades, but in the end, the great forest broke away from Regna Disud and became Granforê.
Not long after Nacinazélo won its freedom, Lucidaboria began experiencing troubles of its own. A group known as Fractaboria sought to sow the seeds of war. They began by whispering false rumors in the ears of various leaders, causing them to become mistrustful of one another. Then, they smashed most of the leaders working toward peace. Lucidaboria was hurled into war. Everyone believed everyone else responsible for the smashing and a short but terrible war ensued. When it ended, the country was split in twain- into Auraboria to the west and Arginaboria to the east. Fractaboria was eventually destroyed, but they damage they had done never healed.
The dwarves never collapsed into civil war in those days because their numbers were simply too small and their home too harsh for division to be viable.
-last edited on Aug 20, 2018 14:26:37 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Aug 20, 2018 14:26:18 GMT
History Part 3
In the days after Lucidaboria broke apart and the two nations were still weak, Nacinazélo decided to expand its territory. Instead of marching on Arginaboria, however, as would have been the obvious choice, they went around the mountains and into Auraboria. And there, to the surprise of most other kingdoms on the continent, they won a decisive victory and claimed a large swath of land as their own. Unfortunately for them, that land was the very same land that had banished their one-time allies the Hill Giants to not so long ago. They would have faced a second war, one they likely would have lost, had their king not passed. His son, a man much more inclined to diplomacy than to war, and very good at it too, took the throne. He was able to negotiate a treaty with the Hill Giants that left both parties more than satisfied. From then until its demise, the Hill Giants were fast friends with the people of that kingdom, and even the elves of Auraboria soon came to call them allies.
After that war, the continent settled into a time of relative peace. Regna Disud made a short-lived attempt to invade the Plains. There were several minor skirmishes that soon evaporated. A series of rebellions by orcs, goblins, trolls, and other oppressed peoples took place, but all were put down quickly. This time is also known as the Age of Heroes because it is widely believed that many of our legends transpired in this time. Indeed, if such people as the Princess Anexa and Baj the Little Giant ever existed, this is likely when they did. It has been speculated that the legendary hero Egol also lived during this time, as tales of him began to spring up near its end. Moreover, many legendary figures that have a definite basis in reality were known to live during this time. Cinead the Immortal, for example, first rose to power shortly after the war between Nacinazélo and Auraboria, and disappeared not long before the end of this period. The travels of Jhaanus Farstrider are also known to have happened in this timespan.
-last edited on Aug 21, 2018 0:29:22 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Aug 21, 2018 0:29:13 GMT
History Part 4
This peaceful age eventually came to an end Granforê concluded that it would be relatively easy to crush and absorb Regna Disud. For centuries, Regna Disud had been fractious, made up of various Houses all vying for power. And yet, they managed to unite to combat Granforê. Nevertheless, the war was long and costly, especially for the aggressor. Even when it became clear they could not win, they continued to fight until all of their resources were totally drained.
Next came the Long Winter. This was the result of a climatic shift that lasted for centuries. The Dwarves in the far north were the first to feel the effects. Realizing their home was quickly becoming inhospitable, they fled south, eventually settling in the mountain range that today forms most of Stennev’avfjellan. Many, however, feared that the cold would continue to spread and so they moved farther south, into Arginaboria. Because the dwarves were numerous and well-armed, the elves saw them as a threat, and so they attacked with a contingent of armed troops. Outraged at this violence against a peaceful group searching for safety, the dwarves went into hiding for many years. During that time, they whispered dissent into the ears of the oppressed peoples living in Arginaboria, as well as various groups in the forests. When all was ready, the newly united coalition of dwarves, orcs, goblins, trolls, and creatures of the forest attacked Arginaboria. Their tactics were brutal but highly effective, and they eventually succeeded in destroying the kingdom. That task completed, they divided up the territory they had won. The orcs, goblins, and trolls formed the Wilderlands, the dwarves formed Aardhemir, and the others formed Sylvania. The dwarves and forest creatures were greedy for more land but were far too afraid of their onetime allies to attack the Wilderlands, so they turned to Auraboria. After another long and awful war, the dwarves and forest creatures were victorious, and each took large areas of land west of the mountain range. Thus, the splendor of the elven kingdoms of old was lost and its like has not been seen since.
-last edited on Aug 21, 2018 12:24:50 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Aug 21, 2018 12:24:38 GMT
History Part 5
The human kingdoms were having their own troubles due to the change in the climate. This affected Granforê more so than the others. It was in bad shape from the war with Regna Disud and the climatic shift caused great difficulty. This was compounded by the recent defeats of Arginaboria and Auraboria, Granforê’s most important trading partners. As it collapsed into economic decline and political instability, Granforê’s leaders tried to unite the country by attacking Nacinazélo. Granforê was defeated quickly and thoroughly. Soon afterwards, the kingdom collapsed into utter ruin. Most of its citizens migrated to Regna Disud or Nacinazélo, leaving the bulk of the Great Forest uninhabited and open for an influx of trolls, marsh giants, and orcs.
Regna Disud also faced many problems after the war with Granforê and the climatic shift. The divisions between the Houses became stronger than ever, and it was no great surprise when Regna Disud finally split apart. However, rather than simply being divided amongst the many houses, the four largest houses- the House of Lions, the House of Dragons, the House of Shadows, and the House of Stags- split the kingdom among themselves, each one incorporating several smaller houses. There was relative peace, until the Kingdoms of Lions, Dragons, and Shadows began to worry about the Kingdom of Stags. The latter kingdom had claimed territory nearest to the forest, and the other kingdoms feared that the Kingdom of Stags intended to claim what had once been Granforê, vastly increasing its power. It was true that the Kingdom of Stags had received many of the refugees from Granforê and those refugees provided the means and the reasoning for the Kingdom of Stags to re-form Granforê. To prevent this, the other three kingdoms formed a temporary coalition to march to war against it. In the end they were successful, and the Kingdom of Stags was destroyed utterly. The three remaining kingdoms signed a treaty that prevented any of them from claiming land in the Great Forest and peace reigned in the south for the next few decades. Nacinazélo was the only kingdom that was not changed by the climatic shift.
-last edited on Aug 21, 2018 20:46:27 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Aug 21, 2018 20:46:01 GMT
History Part 6
During the time after the Age of Heroes, Oruthal came into existence. It was a diverse group that sailed away from the mainland to settle the islands once home to the Graylings. It was a group that wanted a fresh start, with a new home and new lives for all. The leader of the group was known as Artir Alaquil. Under Alaquil’s banner the ships sailed forth and landed on various islands. Artir Alaquil’s ship, however, kept sailing past the islands. To this day no man knows what became of him. Only one thing is certain: his ship never returned.
Unfortunately, the world was not quite yet at peace. A few generations after Artir Alaquil and his fleet left the mainland, Nacinazélo became embroiled in a civil war. The conflict initially arose after the capital was moved into the hills on the opposite side of the mountains, into the territory that had been won from Auraboria. Many of the citizens on the other side of the mountains were outraged. The most outspoken and persuasive critic was a minor nobleman named Valsarius Cincordelra. He rallied an army and declared himself the new king of Nacinazélo. Naturally, the king was furious, and he declared war on Valsarius. Though the king’s army was better equipped, Valsarius had managed to gather the support of almost everyone east of the mountains, and his “people’s army” was able to hold its own. While the king’s army laid siege to Valsarius’s fortress, many of his followers attacked them from the surrounding fortress. The king was forced to split his forces- half continued to lay siege and the others fought a brutal guerrilla war not far away. The fighting lasted for multiple years before both parties had had enough. The king met with Valsarius and the two of them formed a treaty that forever divided Nacinazélo in half. Everything west of the mountains, and sliver of land on the eastern side, remained under the control of the king, and the rest went to Valsarius. Furthermore, neither nation could retain the name Nacinazélo, so the king’s lands became Morñornia and Valsarius’s Valsaria, later Vasίlio.
-last edited on Aug 21, 2018 23:43:38 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Aug 21, 2018 23:42:08 GMT
History Part 7
Since the Wilderlands was formed, it has been an ever-shifting, chaotic land with few permanent settlements and fewer strong governments. This is not because orcs, goblins, trolls, and others there are too simple-minded to create order, but because they have never been allowed to do so properly. People often forget that these species are not one and the same. Just as in any land shared by multiple species war is constantly a threat. There will always be disagreements between them and oftentimes these result in wars. Furthermore, the dwarves of Aardhemir and the humans of Vasίlio have regularly made raids into the territory, sometimes taking sick pleasure in smashing those they see as beneath them, and only adding to the chaos. Nevertheless, many in the Wilderlands strive for peace and stability. It was a few hundred years after the division of Nacinazélo that a group of goblins came to the conclusion that a nation could not be formed in the Wilderlands. They decided that the only way to make this dream a reality was to seize land from those nations that had long abused them- Aardhemir and Vasίlio, and, to a lesser extent, Morñornia and Auraboria. Over several decades and multiple generations they gathered their forces until they felt their army formidable enough to take on these kingdoms. Secretly, they formed an alliance with Oruthal, allowing the island nation to establish colonies in the Wilderlands, a practice that had, until that point, been prevented by the combined might of many in the Wilderlands. The army marched on Aardhemir and Vasίlio and, to the surprise of many, defeated both with relative ease and seized a large swath of land between them. The humans and dwarves had gravely underestimated the might of a united goblin army with decades of preparation behind it and the aid of the fearsome warriors of Oruthal. Seeing this, Morñornia and Auraboria chose to cede small amounts of their land to the goblins in order to avoid their aggression and, most likely, greater losses. Thus, the Goblin Nation was formed, and it has remained ever since, despite near-constant animosity from Aardhemir and Vasίlio.
-last edited on Aug 22, 2018 1:07:13 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Aug 22, 2018 1:06:42 GMT
History Part 8
Even after the Goblin Nation was formed and recognized as a sovereign state, Aardhemir continued to wage war against it, sending small contingents of soldiers to cause minor annoyances. Some of these contingents launched attacks from Auraboria, and while the elven kingdom discouraged this practice it initially made no real attempts to stop it. This changed when it was discovered that the dwarves had begun attacking merchants, elves and goblins alike, travelling between Auraboria and the Goblin Nation. The people, their anger inflamed by historical animosity towards Aardhemir, demanded war, and that was what their king gave them. For nearly two hundred years the war raged on, without large-scale battles, but instead using the same types of petty raids Aardhemir had been making against the Goblin Nation. Because of this war, Aardhemir all but stopped attacking the Goblin Nation and trade with Auraboria was greatly increased to fuel the war effort. Indeed, this war is likely the main reason the Goblin Nation still exists today. However, not all were happy with the situation. As the war dragged on, many in Auraboria began to tire of near-constant fighting and public support shifted ever further away from the war. When the war had been going for nearly two hundred years, the most vocal and radical supporters, a large majority of whom had moved to the northern reaches of Auraboria, decided they had had enough and declared their home the new country of Harmonia. Auraboria flew into a panic, ending the war immediately, and putting all their efforts into reabsorbing the new kingdom. In this, they found no success, and eventually chose to let Harmonia be.
All major events in the known history of the continent, or at least all those that changed the national boundaries in any significant way, have now been described. It has now been approximately two hundred years since the beginning of Harmonia, and the next time of change is now upon us.
-last edited on Aug 22, 2018 12:39:03 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Aug 22, 2018 12:38:51 GMT
Ancient Magic
Whenever a time of great change is on the horizon, the world initiates a self-destruct procedure that can be expressed in a multitude of ways. However, there is always a way to stop this apocalypse. The world needs assurances that there are capable people who can guide it through the difficult events to come, so it gives them a challenge. Between four and eight elemental Crystals – Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Ice, Storms, Time, and Souls – are scattered for the worthy to find. The magnitude of the change determines the number of Crystals used. Possessing a Crystal allows the user to wield immense ancient magic tied to their respective element. When a Crystal is returned, that power is lost, but this was not always the case. The Crystal-bearers all retain some lasting effect from possessing a Crystal. However, each time a Crystal is used, the power retained is less.
Many thousands of years ago, some people were able to partially harness these ancient elemental powers without the aid of the Crystals. These abilities likely marked the first time magic began to proliferate. In most places, the elemental abilities eventually gave way to other forms of magic*- what we now call Old Magic, and eventually New Magic. However, on the continent of Kahltrain, in a place that would eventually become the Xain Empire, this form of magic never went out of practice. The Ancient Magic requires no knowledge of spells or specific technique, only training for an extended period to master these abilities. It also takes less of a toll on the body in the short-term, allowing it to be used continuously. However, in the long-term it can be very damaging and its users often live much shorter lives because of it. Users of the Ancient Magic have access to Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and sometimes Ice and Storms, but never Time or Souls. They cannot create elements, only control them.
*It is believed that the Frost Giants of the Far North still practice Ancient Magic, specifically that of Ice and Storms, though there have been no confirmed sightings of them in thousands of years.
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