z

Young Writers Society


Alfthyrn



User avatar
425 Reviews



Gender: Gendervague he/she/they
Points: 50
Reviews: 425
Tue Jul 26, 2016 4:52 am
Vervain says...



Alfthyrn is a peaceful land -- a fertile valley contained within the harsh mountains of the Fyrgen. No one has attempted to invade it in centuries, since the last dragons were killed by the last heroes; there has been no reason to cross the high stone barrier separating it from the rest of the world. It's a self-sufficient land, made up of self-sufficient people, content with their lot in life and not caring for the world outside one whit.

Four races live in harmony, capitalizing on their talents: Elves focus their energy on the ley magic in the land and the plants that live off of it; goblins, on the animals that come so quickly to their outstretched hands; dwarves, on the land itself and what can be made from it, be it materials or paths; and humans, on protecting those who need it most, with weapons or with words.

But there are threats. Outside the mountains of the Fyrgen, a dark army is amassing on the horizon. Tens of thousands of fighters don their armor and pick up their sharp-edged swords, maces, spears, things that the residents of Alfthyrn have had no need of for hundreds of years. They call themselves the Adla, the Diseases, and their leader has but one wish: to be a god.

If he has to drain the land of all its life to do so.

- - -

The council of lords and ladies has met at the heart of Alfthyrn, speaking over their table made from the split and polished bones of the last dragon. They spoke for a long time, but they finally came to a decision -- to make a sacrifice.

Heroes, the best and most dangerous, will be chosen, one from each of the four regions and races of the land. They will be sent, and they will either destroy the Adla...or they will be destroyed, themselves, in time. The army of Alfthyrn is small, nothing compared to the forces standing outside the mountains, and if the dark warriors come riding through the passes, the next council of lords will sit at a table made from the split and polished bones of the last one.

It falls to the four heroes to save their homes from a force of a hundred thousand.

- - -

Regions of Alfthyrn:
Spoiler! :
Regions are divided by lordholds, largely unimportant but for representation at the council of lords, which is held in Endebyrh for each realm-wide decision. The council held about the Adla and their demands is the first since a drought along the Adrene twenty years ago, and it's the first private council -- no public allowed at the hearing -- in a hundred years.

Endebyrh - The main city at the heart of the land, populated by all sorts of races as they live and work together. All of the classes and elements of Alfthyrn come together here, the buildings hewn from native stone and wood, the animals running rampant, and of course everyone being in need of aid and protection. Any sort of employment is possible here, from the lowest class to the highest, and a hero from here would have a broader cultural view between races.

Berewic - The farmland of Alfthyrn, mostly set on terraced hills that stretch from one side of the Fyrgen to the other. The land is incredibly fertile, kept clean by rivers and streams that cross through the valley, purified by the ley magic in the soil and stones. Most of the inhabitants here are humans and goblins, who work together as farmhands and animal keepers, with a few elves tending to the crops here and there. A hero from here would probably come from a very large family group, and would be employed as some sort of house or farm worker.

Adrene - The central river running through the land, from the north end of the Fyrgen to the south, dotted with rich land, port townships with vibrant communities, and lots and lots of fish -- and forests. Most of the inhabitants here are humans and elves. A hero from here would probably live alone as an adult, unless they had a family of their own; many people along the Adrene travel as performers from town to town, seeking employment by entertaining with music and magic -- gealdormen and -lasses are the life of the towns.

The Fyrgen - A mountain range that almost completely encircles Alfthyrn, protecting it physically and magically from any intruders. It has a large amount of ley magic stored within the stone and flowing rivers below the surface, though it's unattainable from the outside, and would have to be drilled out. Most of the inhabitants are dwarves, who gain meaning to their lives through working with the land and its magic. A hero from here would most likely live alone or with a small family group, and would be employed in the quarries or as a guide through the treacherous mountain passes to the outside world.


On the Adla:
Spoiler! :
These forces come from all over the lands outside of Alfthyrn. Some of them are mercenaries. Some of them are loyal to their leader. It hardly matters which is which when they all serve his purpose, and he's promised them all a share of the land when the war is won -- the largest share to the most loyal. They don't speak their leader's name often, but when they do, they revere him as a god already.

They seek to obscure their true numbers. As long as Alfthyrn believes they have a hundred thousand men, they are safe, and no one from Alfthyrn is about to cross the mountains to count them.

There are three forces in the Adla, besides the leader himself, who are most feared: his Right Hand, his Left Hand, and his Sneak.

The Right Hand is his tactician and general. [Description to be modified when a character is added.]

The Left Hand is his diplomat and bodyguard. [Description to be modified when a character is added.]

The Sneak is his spy and killer-for-hire, the font of all information he gains about Alfthyrn and his own forces. The Sneak's identity is unknown -- but all of the Adla have seen their hand, in men killed at night, screams stopped cold in their throat, with their crimes spelled out in their own drying blood. Anyone could be the Sneak. Everyone could be the Sneak. Most likely, the Sneak possesses some form of clairvoyance, a nearly-dead magic, which allows them to know so much happening so far away from the Adla.


On Magic:
Spoiler! :
Gealdormen and gealdorlasses are entertainers by trade, musicians who control and strengthen the ley magic around them by channeling it through song in gealdorcraft. They're also a sort of hedge-witch -- when not on stage, many are approached by locals seeking common magical remedies for illness. Most of them tend to be elves, though it's not unheard of for a goblin or dwarf to take up the trade, especially in the Fyrgen where magic is focused more on the wildlife and stones. Many a gealdorman and gealdorlass ply their trade along the Adrene.

Balecraft is harmful magic, fallen out of style since the death of the last dragon. Only a select few know any balecraft now, most of them gealdormen and -lasses whose masters taught it to them as a sort of historical record of magic. The last great sorcerer died centuries ago, and most magic now is simple ley magic that anyone can do. It takes a strong soul to perform balecraft and not be badly affected.

Ley magic can be performed by anyone who senses the ley in the world around them. Where they sense it depends on their race and their background; an elf can be trained to sense ley in stones, but it won't come as naturally as sensing it in the trees and grasses. On the contrary, humans have less control over ley than the other three races, but can be taught to sense and manipulate any and all kinds, having fewer restrictions on their simple magic. It can't do much, however, as it's by far weaker than balecraft and even flashy gealdorcraft.


- - -

The Heroes:

1. Human [@Dinosaur]
2. Elf [@ScarlettFire]
3. Goblin
4. Dwarf

The Adla:

1. The Leader [@Lareine]
2. The Right Hand [@TheCrimsonLady]
3. The Left Hand [@Moonwatcher]
4. The Sneak

- - -

Character Template:
Spoiler! :
Code: Select all
[b]Age:[/b] (Please be reasonable; no virtuoso teens.)
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Race:[/b] (Human, goblin, elf, or dwarf?)
[b]Appearance:[/b]

[b]Talents:[/b] (Magical talents, please. What kind of ley magic do they work with? Do they practice gealdorcraft? Balecraft?)

[b]History:[/b] (Keep in mind the history of the world! You can go into your character's family situation and occupation here.)

[b]Personality:[/b] (Include strengths and weaknesses, please.)

[b]Other:[/b]
stay off the faerie paths








cron
Alexa, are there European frat boys
— Carina