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Aether Wings - Explorers' Guild

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VocalFox Lord Bearfox of Blackwatch from Trapped in the Interweb Since: May, 2015 Relationship Status: Drift compatible
Lord Bearfox of Blackwatch
#126: Jun 4th 2015 at 10:33:59 AM

The City-State of Aetherium: Despite being a highly devout theocracy, Aetherium is on the same level as her neighbors, from both a military and a scientific standpoint. They attribute this to certain "Aspects" of their pantheon guiding them to true strength in these fields.

As previously mentioned, Aetherium is a Theocracy, run by the Chaplains of each Aspect. These Chaplains meet once a year to make decisions in regards to law and policy (both foreign and domestic). The Chaplains have a life term, so their selection process is rigorous to say the least. Traditionally, only priests of the highest order are in the running for Chaplain, but it's not unheard of for those lower on the pecking order to find themselves in the grandest office in town.

In regards to law, much is the same as with any other nation. However, it should be noted that consorting with Daemonic Forces is considered an act of pristine heresy, and is dealt with accordingly. In fact, an entire denomination of the Chapel of Libra is assigned to rooting out such heretics. (Simon was assigned to exactly that task force)

Technologically speaking, Aetherium is on equal ground with the rest of the world, except in the area of augmentations. As good as antivirus programming is, many people hold viral programs on par with daemonic forces, and as such, avoid giving them any route of entry into their own bodies. Similarly, no market for androids has been found in Aetherium for much the same reason.

While the citizenry of Aetherium is primarily human, assorted beastmen are not an uncommon sight, and while no elves permanently reside there, they come and go as they please. True, one or two denominations harbor a strong "pro-human" sentiment, these are only loosely recognized by the church at large. Machine Life, however, gets a slightly colder reception, as most citizens see them as a possible vessel for "cyber-daemons," and are accordingly terrified.

edited 4th Jun '15 10:36:23 AM by VocalFox

Elyzian Dying inside and out. from Somewhere Beyond Since: Jan, 2015 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Dying inside and out.
#127: Jun 4th 2015 at 12:09:25 PM

Here's a short list of a few prominent angels besides Holly. These aren't the only angels around, but they are some of the better known:

  • The Angel of Piercing Radiance: Also known as Roland, this angel has the form of an unusually tall and muscular dark skinned man with brilliant white wings. He is surrounded by an aura of shimmering light and carries a greatsword so massive that the average man could not hope to wield it. Roland is the oldest angel on this list and has a history longer than many nations. He has vanquished many powerful threats including Axurantan, the great dragon that once attempted to eat a continent. Roland has mentored many angels in his time, including Holly. He is respected by benevolent forces and feared by evil ones.
  • The Angel of Tenacious Devotion: Also known as Marie, this angel has the form of a tan skinned woman with long brown hair tied out of her face and a pair of emerald green wings. She wields a longspear and her left arm has been replaced with a cybernetic one. Marie is renown for her dogged refusal to ever give up, even in the face of impossible odds. This head strong behavior given her numerous scars and lost her an arm, but it has also earned her the respect of many powerful individuals. Marie is a protector who seeks to defend those that cannot do so themselves. She often stands alone between helpless innocents and those who would exploit them. Marie is on good terms with most angels. She is oddly fond of Heloise, though her rather aggressive tactics often cause them to clash.
  • The Angel of Righteous Fury: Also known as Heloise, this angel has the form of a short woman with closely cropped brown hair and a pair of crimson wings. She carries a pair of short blades and has her right eye covered by a gray sash. Heloise's ruthlessness and brutality are well known. She has slaughtered entire hordes of enemies, struck down powerful magic users, and put fear into the hearts of evil-doers. Heloise is also called bloodwings due to the color of her wings and her brutal nature. She can be rather indiscriminant, especially when enraged which is often, and this has led her to be regarded as unpredictable among other angels. Holly has a sordid history with Heloise. The two used to travel together when they were younger but went their separate ways after a particularly bloody row with a sorcerer. The two refuse to speak of each other, and they have not seen each other since.
  • The Angel of Carnal Love: Also known as Landry, this angel uses magic to alter his/her form so often that no one remembers what he/she looks like. Landry does remain constant in that whatever form he/she has is very attractive. As a rule, angels do not experience sexual desire. However Landry took an iron bar to that trend and shattered it into a million pieces. There are few races, genders, sapient beings that he/she has not slept with. Landry seeks to break another rule that angels are infertile as well. He/she has not succeeded yet, though not for lack of trying. Landry isn't a fighter, preferring to solve problems through diplomacy. That said, he/she is a powerful sorcerer and can be deadly if provoked. Most angels regard Landry with a hint of amusement and are content to let him/her go about his/her business so long as he/she doesn't do anything too stupid.
  • The Angel of Clear Vision: Also known as Vince, this angel has the form of thin man with long white hair and deep violet wings. He carries a bow and arrows and his pale eyes always seem to be seeing far more than those who meet him. Vince is a hermit who lives in a mountain range not far from Jorgesburg. Many people seek his home in order to ask a question that they hope his unparalleled sight can answer. Vince can far beyond Ethiedes and can often detect major events that occur on its moons. He is one of the wisest of the angels and all his kin value his council.

edited 4th Jun '15 12:51:19 PM by Elyzian

Sleep? Sleep?! Sleep is for the weak!
Elyzian Dying inside and out. from Somewhere Beyond Since: Jan, 2015 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Dying inside and out.
#128: Jun 4th 2015 at 12:40:35 PM

Quintus Mathonus: The self-proclaimed defender of the stars, Mathonus is a rather unforgiving vigilante who patrols popular tradeways and routes in the Aether. Mathonus was originally employed as a captain by the Apex Syndicate but quit after a pirate attack destroyed his ship. He felt that the Syndicate was too lax in dealing with pirates and used his considerable personal wealth to fund the construction of his own Aethership. This ship, The Just Reprisal, is a destroyer bristling with state-of-the-art weaponry and staffed by numerous individuals who are willing to die for Mathonus and his ideals. With the completion of his ship, Mathonus took to the Aether and has only come down to refuel and restock since. His main targets are pirates, smugglers, and other unsavory individuals, but he also distrusts his former employers and the Aether Wings Guild. He has yet to attack them, but he is keeping tabs on their actions just in case. World governments, the Aether Wings Guild, the Apex Syndicate, and other entities have yet to comment on Mathonus' activities. Public opinion on him is rather split, with some calling him a dangerous rouge and others praising his as a virtuous protector. Recently Captain Royce Thrane put a fair sized bounty on Mathonus' head, after he destroyed several of the mocking marauder's ships.

Sleep? Sleep?! Sleep is for the weak!
guyshane Combat mode, engage Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: You can be my wingman any time
Combat mode, engage
#129: Jun 4th 2015 at 7:18:16 PM

Can't let you two have all the world building fun, so here I go tongue

Liches:

"You want to know about Liches, Initiate Rice?!? What in all the universe has given you a desire to know more about those foul things? Well since you've asked and no doubt sparked the curiosity of the rest of the class, I'll give you all a brief rundown of one of the dangers of the power we wield.

The short answer is that Liches are mages who gave up everything for more magic power. The long explanation is that in the course of life certain mages seek to become more powerful, now I must stop to stress that this urge is not inherently evil, this is your craft and everyone should wish to do more with it. However some, instead of practicing and "exercising" so to speak take a shorter path. This method in particular involves draining the magic directly either from magic rich materials or from other mages.

I can see by your disgusted expression you see why we tend to shoot these things on sight.

The lich will start out a a swirling pool of different magics but will eventually gain a preference for one type of magic that begin to consume their bodies, i.e. A fire lich will eventually come to look like a flaming skeleton. Liches are notoriously hard to kill but are vulnerable to a powerful enough of attack of either a physical or a magic type that opposes the type the lich has settled on. Additionally if you can ground out the magic power then a lich does not have much else to go on. Now, class dismissed and never ask me about this again"

-Professor Carmine, Professor of Biomagics at Capital Magic University speaking to an undergraduate class.

edited 4th Jun '15 7:18:49 PM by guyshane

-dramatic music ensues-
Imca (Veteran)
#130: Jun 4th 2015 at 7:25:50 PM

I was actually going to base the government on a monarchy with British influences, should have possibly made that a bit clearer.

But I guess you could also work a monarchy into an American style government, which might actually be even more interesting. >.<

Rest is all very good though. :D

Aquatica1000 Since: Oct, 2012
#131: Jun 4th 2015 at 7:34:54 PM

Aw man, everyone has made some pretty cool worldbuilding. And here I am with a blank brain. sad

VocalFox Lord Bearfox of Blackwatch from Trapped in the Interweb Since: May, 2015 Relationship Status: Drift compatible
Lord Bearfox of Blackwatch
#132: Jun 4th 2015 at 7:41:41 PM

"Now, I assume you're all at least vaguely aware of the ever-present dangers which Daemons present. Gods know we've lost some good Inquisitors to the threat. This course will not only tell you how serious the threat is, but hopefully show you how to eliminate it.

Now, going on a bit of background, Daemons are a type of magical spirit which have been charged with malevolent energies. They only feel hate, sadness, anger, and a variety of other negative emotions. Some say they're corrupted angels, others claim they're made in a manner similar to gods. Whatever the case, they have an innate talent for magic, and are incredibly dangerous in a fair, stand-up fight.

As for methods to kill them, they're commonly resistant to fire, acid, dark, and necrotic magics, highly susceptible to water, air, and light based magics, and for reason's we'll explain later in the course, the only physical attacks that seem to do any good are with Cold or Meteoric Irons, or with Silver. Specific tactics for specific Daemons will be discussed throughout the course, but these rules of thumb remain constant. Any questions?"

-Father Inquisitor Phillip Jenkins, Daemonology instructor for the Aetherium Chapel of Libra

RhymeBeat True colors from Eastern Standard Since: Aug, 2009 Relationship Status: In Lesbians with you
True colors
#133: Jun 4th 2015 at 7:46:56 PM

So are anyone interested in dragon world building maybe?

The Crystal Caverns A bird's gotta sing.
Elyzian Dying inside and out. from Somewhere Beyond Since: Jan, 2015 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Dying inside and out.
#134: Jun 4th 2015 at 7:52:05 PM

The Towers of Carson Nive: Carson Nive was once an extraordinary mage. His raw magical power and vast intellect made him an unparalleled scion of the art. Carson threw himself into the study of magic and neglected all other things that were not immediately relevant. Of particular interest to him was the mysterious, magic-granting realm of the Rift. He came to develop a risky ritual that could draw a tiny portion of the Rift into the physical plane where it could be studied. Carson performed this ritual multiple times, growing more and more powerful each time. When he attempted to demonstrate this to an audience, something went wrong. Just as he was drawing the Rift piece, the energy suddenly started to flow into him. In an instant his skin became black and glassy like cracked obsidian with electric like trails of magic leaking from the cracks. His eyes now burned with a pulsating magical light. What was once Carson Nive stood before the terrified audience, then vanished in a flash of light that left many observers blind. Over the next few weeks, a number of tall towers composed of an obsidian-like material began appear across the land. Explorers report that these towers have appeared on other moons as well. What lies inside is unknown as almost no one has ever returned from exploring them and those that do are completely, violently insane.

Sleep? Sleep?! Sleep is for the weak!
LeChuck4 Since: Feb, 2010
#135: Jun 4th 2015 at 7:52:32 PM

[up][up]I am, but IIRC Imca told me we aren't supposed to know stuff about dragons until we encounter one.

edited 4th Jun '15 7:52:44 PM by LeChuck4

Imca (Veteran)
#136: Jun 4th 2015 at 7:57:01 PM

No, knowing things about them is fine.

I would just prefer for them to be.

  1. Western Styles.
  2. Treated a lot like dragons in shadow-run (Any one played that?)
  3. Big scaly fuckoff beasts.

Elyzian Dying inside and out. from Somewhere Beyond Since: Jan, 2015 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Dying inside and out.
#137: Jun 4th 2015 at 7:57:17 PM

[up]X7 How's this: Due to the unruly nature of the legislative houses, it was decided that a strong executive leader would be necessary to wade through the chaos of their actions. So officials whimsically appointed a royal family bound by legislative law to ensure they would not over step their bounds. The monarch serves as an enforcer of laws and a defender of the nation. The current monarch is the Queen Eliza Quantinum the Golden.

edited 4th Jun '15 7:58:31 PM by Elyzian

Sleep? Sleep?! Sleep is for the weak!
Raidouthe21st Cool Dude from Whacking trick-or-treating punks Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
Cool Dude
#138: Jun 4th 2015 at 8:19:18 PM

I made a thing. With the elves. Sorta.

Mentioning it here since while Imca gave me the okay to do whatever, apparently Rhyme said her gnomes were related to elves, so want to know if anything I have to do to change it or whatever.

edited 4th Jun '15 8:21:39 PM by Raidouthe21st

We Are Our Avatars Forever (Now on Discord by invitation, PM)
Pentigan Fwomph from The Underverse Since: Apr, 2010
Fwomph
#139: Jun 4th 2015 at 8:20:11 PM

A'right, so I'm gonna have a crack at this worldbuilding thing now. tongue

"So I'd like to turn the conversation to a rather personal cause of mine, the subject of Warp. Warp is what some might think of as a mental condition, a simple case of a fractured mind, I think differently and I've put in research where others haven't. Warp itself... It isn't really a malady of the body, the physical corpus, it's more... More like a problem with the metaphysical, a cancer on someone's aura or mana or whatever you wanna call it. It's causes are reasonably well documented, that being exposure to massive amounts of raw magic. But it's not like "huge spell" raw magic, people can get Warp simply by exposure at the wrong place and the wrong time; A mage scholar pouring over forbidden lore in search of power is as susceptible as any who invoke the wrath of veteran battlecasters. The symptoms are pretty constant across the cases I've been over and at the lowest level do in fact resemble the mental conditions people assume it is. Those afflicted suffer nightmares, delusions and hallucinations usually of a disturbing or frightening nature; Common themes seem to involve shadowy apparitions, tiny spiders and whispers that can cause sudden inspiration. It's when the Warp is left to fester that things get worse, I'm gonna call this Stage 2 for now, but really most of the symptoms can happen at any time as the victim is left untreated. At Stage 2, victims find their hallucinations more frequent, but also more real; The whispers might contain legible sentences and secrets, the tiny spiders only they can see can leave frighteningly real wounds and bites on the victim, stuff like that. That's not the worst that it gets though, when Stage 3 rolls around, things become frighteningly real; Something about the victim's personal aura fluxes and manifests as spectral but real events that can be observed and interacted with by others. Usually these events prove hostile to the victim and those around them, leading many afflicted with no knowledge of treatment to lead a hermetic existence to battle their "inner demons" personally. There is treatment of course, for about as long as we've known about Warp we've had simple alchemical treatments ranging from potions and tonics to even specialty bath salts being available from those that deal in them. But I want a cure, maybe not this year maybe not in 10 years, but I want a cure and I want the medical community to take this affliction seriously. For too long those afflicted had to deal with antiquated ideas of Warp being a punishment for those dealing in the taboo or the touch of death on their shoulder. Warp is real and it affects many, and the sooner we can realize that and take steps to a cure the better." -Frank Charles, speaking at the Summit on Supernatural Health

edited 4th Jun '15 8:20:23 PM by Pentigan

It's clearly a case of backroom political albumizing.
LeChuck4 Since: Feb, 2010
#140: Jun 4th 2015 at 8:35:23 PM

Oh okay nevermind then. Throwing out some ideas in that case:

  • Dragons, or at least their ancestors, are native to the Rift. Because of that, almost all dragons have a strong affinity to magic, granting them spellpower far beyond what almost any humanoid could ever hope to achieve.
  • Most dragons are solitary and very territorial. They see the borders of the land they claim as their own as practically sacred, and tend to have big disputes with "neighbouring" Dragons about which lands are part of whose front lawn and goddammit Dinkleberg I put that massive wall up there for a reason you can't just fly over and steal from my peach orchard you green-scaled son of a bitch. >:|
  • In a similar vein, Dragons not only like owning lots of land, they also love owning lots of valuables. "Valuables", however, is a term with a definition that varies depending on which Dragon you ask. Most of them would agree that gold and other objects of monetary value are the best things to hoard, but there are quite a few dragons who instead consider knowledge far more valuable and thus hoard books and scriptures, or dragons that just like having fun and therefore have a hoard of video games and consoles (including copies of the elusive and fabled game Fight Frogs).
    • Touching or even approaching a Dragon's hoard without explicit permission is the single most suicidal thing a person can do short of flying straight into Heracles.
  • The role of any individual dragon in a given society can vary greatly. There's Dragons that act as respected rulers of entire countries, Dragons that protect villages and small towns from external threats, Dragons who enslave communities and force them to do their bidding, Dragons who cooperate with Universities and act as renowned scientists, Dragons that just like staying in their cave all year watching Space Netflix, and so on.

Good so far? If yes, I'll post some individual, well-known Dragons next.

edited 4th Jun '15 8:38:08 PM by LeChuck4

Elyzian Dying inside and out. from Somewhere Beyond Since: Jan, 2015 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Dying inside and out.
#141: Jun 4th 2015 at 9:47:57 PM

[up] I like it. I'll add dragons to the race list on the first page.

So when is this madness starting tomorrow, or is the time a bit vague?

edited 4th Jun '15 9:54:44 PM by Elyzian

Sleep? Sleep?! Sleep is for the weak!
Imca (Veteran)
#142: Jun 5th 2015 at 7:46:24 PM

.........................

I just tried to put up the opening post, went to correct a mistake, and backspace went back a page.

...

I lost the whole thing. :/

guyshane Combat mode, engage Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: You can be my wingman any time
Combat mode, engage
#143: Jun 5th 2015 at 7:51:03 PM

No worries, we're patient. We can wait.

-dramatic music ensues-
Raidouthe21st Cool Dude from Whacking trick-or-treating punks Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
Cool Dude
#144: Jun 5th 2015 at 7:53:08 PM

It's even more frustrating when you accidentally refresh the page to have the same thing happen >.>

We Are Our Avatars Forever (Now on Discord by invitation, PM)
Kosjurake The Wildest of Ronins from Tokyo LOCCENT Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: I like big bots and I can not lie
The Wildest of Ronins
#145: Jun 5th 2015 at 7:55:44 PM

[up][up][up]If you're using Firefox I know how to fix that so backspace will no longer make you go back a page when you accidentally click outside a text field. It won't bring the post back, but it should lower the odds of something like this happening again.

Click Click Boom Boom
Imca (Veteran)
#146: Jun 5th 2015 at 7:59:42 PM

That would be nice please, I only really use the buttons. >.<

Next time I am typing the thing up in a text document. ._.;

Elyzian Dying inside and out. from Somewhere Beyond Since: Jan, 2015 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Dying inside and out.
#147: Jun 5th 2015 at 8:12:11 PM

Hey take your time Imca; we'll wait.

Sleep? Sleep?! Sleep is for the weak!
Kosjurake The Wildest of Ronins from Tokyo LOCCENT Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: I like big bots and I can not lie
The Wildest of Ronins
#148: Jun 5th 2015 at 8:32:09 PM

[up][up]

  • Enter about:config in your URL bar.
  • Take heed of the warning but go past it anyway.
  • On the search bar for the config screen type in backspace.
  • You should see browser.backspace_action
  • Change the value on it to 2.
  • Profit!

Click Click Boom Boom
Imca (Veteran)
#149: Jun 5th 2015 at 8:57:03 PM

I am just gonna type things back up when I get done with family things tomorw, I gotta get up early...

probaly around 3-4pm EST is when I will do it...

I apologize, I was just really not expecting TVT to eat the damn intro when I actually had free time. >.<


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