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The Lay of The Land



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Sun Mar 19, 2017 11:47 am
Basil says...



The Lay of The Land



"Peace. Such a fragile concept. What exactly defines true peace? Is that a question anyone can answer?

Hundreds of years ago The Land was a place of blood and war. The elves were divided by hate, the Fae weren't to be trusted, the horned people of The Bass and the bird people of The Reign were trying to rally the other races in their own blood feuds, and the humans were trying to gain control of the marshlands. It was a pointless war that raged over the lands, seeming to go nowhere. Until the dragons were brought into it. The dragons from their home land of the Dragon Isle, larger than trees, with wingspans that could cover an entire village. They were called upon by the races to settle the disputes, yet this divided the mighty dragons as well. Some decided it was better to leave them alone, some wanted to stop the war, and some wanted to take advantage of it. What ensued was something far worse than The Land could have expected. The dragons warred, destroying their island, destroying parts of other kingdoms, and finally ending their own war by demanding peace amongst all. Those that defied the law were sent to the Dragon of Isle, where they had to survive against the charred lands and the dragons that had been banished there. It seemed fair to all, so the races lived amongst each other, some begrudgingly, some happily. Just as long as there was no pointless bloodshed, the dragons would let the races do as they pleased.

And that's how it's been for many a hundred years. Although the fragile illusion of peace is on the verge of shattering. The dragons are beginning to grow restless, and strange whisperings can be heard from travelers and traders that dark things are happening on the old Dragon Isle. Ships that go near the island disappear, no creatures dare fly over the island, and nothing swims in the waters near it. Dark magic simmers around the dead island, but the threat of whatever creatures reside there seems to be only rumour. For how long it will remain a rumour is the real question.

And that's where you come in, my dear friend. You have been living a boring life. You want adventure. Well, here's your chance. Set up a team, I'll give you a ship, and you can go to the island to see if these rumours are true or not."


Plot

Alriiiighty. So, that's the basic plot. And this mission is set up by a shady guy wearing a hood so you can't see his face. Your character has the option of accepting or declining, and then they have to search for a group of people to take with them. This is kind of going to be an open world SB, so your character doesn't even have to encounter this shady guy. They can just be living their life however they want. However as the SB progresses the rumours about the Dragon Isle will spread, and yeah, eventually become a reality. So there is a war coming, but we can decide how long before it strikes. Below are details about the races, some of the dragon types, and a map of The Land. If it's not easy to see, I'm terribly sorry. My phone camera isn't the greatest. But it did take me a few days to draw so no one say anything about the badness of it xD

Anyway, all and any characters are welcome, and if you have any specific questions about the races and places, lemme know!


The Land
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The Races

The Fae (Elengar and Pelweyr)

Pelweyr Fae
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Pelweyr faeries are wild, vicious creatures of all shapes, sizes and colours. They are stuff of nightmares, preying on anything they can get their claws on. With gaunt features and sharp claws and teeth, some will look 'human', some will look more like animals. They are also blessed with magic, so some change their image, tricking prey, and luring them into traps. They rely more on instinct to intellect, and never leave their forest homes.

Elengar Fae
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Elengar Fae are a little more cultured. They're smarter and a little more sinister, able to walk through shadows and alter the minds of their prey with a twist of their cruel lips and flutter of their eyelashes. They do live in stone buildings they craft themselves, living in haphazard societies where the Fae that outsmarts their neighbours holds more sway over everyone in the area. They also appear more elven looking, with ethereal beauty, pointed ears and sharp teeth. However, don't let that appearance fool you, because they are nothing like the pointed eared creatures of the lower continent. A few centuries ago the Elengar Fae found themselves needing more land for their growing populations. And since The Bass was seen as an ally to the Fae, they chose the northern forests of the Mainland. Coming across the 'only heard of, but never actually seen' elves native to the deadly forests, they realised that they had to fight for these new lands. So they started killing the elves off until only a few tribes remained, and became even more elusive. So when people say Fae, there is a higher chance they mean Elengar Fae that also occupy the northern forests of the Mainland.


The Bass people (Horned creature things)
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The Bass people live in the trees, high up in the branches, building their civilisations. They were once like the people of Seraglio with crystal castles and sparkling cities, but after the war the dragons of The Bass destroyed everything, forcing the people into the trees. The Bass and the dragons don't live together on good terms, and sometimes The Bass will force dragons out of the forest and into the canyons in the south just out of spite. The Bass are tall, with grey or red skin, patterns tattooed onto their arms, chests and faces. They have horns that grow from atop their heads, ranging in size and shape. Some have large, thick horns that don't quite grow very far, some have small, stubby horns that cover their foreheads, and some have horns that grow long and curl around the backs of their heads. The almost look like dragons as well, which just adds to their hatred for the scaled beasts they have to share their territory with.


The Reign People (bird people)
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The bird people of The Reign live in rocky burrows dug into the sides of canyons by the dragons they live happily beside. The bird people groom the dragons and fly with them, and in turn the dragons protect the bird people from the rogue dragons from The Bass, or any other possible threat from the many savage beasts that roam the canyon floors. The bird people live in tight-knit communities, where family chores are shared with anyone that is willing to do them. The bird people enjoy flying with dragons, and see themselves as mighty warriors of the sky. They might come across as arrogant to some of the other races, but they're not. Just very proud to fly alongside the powerful, scaled beasts they share their homes with. The bird people are tall, slender and delicate looking. Not all of them are delicate, though. They all have large, feathered wings and bird-like feet which help them grip to rock and roots growing from the sides of the canyons. They have very soft facial features, although they can very quickly turn hard and cold when they become mad, which doesn't seem to be very often.


The Elves (The Mainland)

Windris
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The grassland elves are very nomadic, travelling across their kingdom in large clans. They are tall and lean and don't require mounts to take them across the vast distances they travel because the Windris are lean and well-built for long travel and speed. They aren't very religeous, but some Windris believe in old spirits that they believe used to walk across the grasslands, making the grass grow and shaping the valleys. The dragons that live in the same kingdom as the Windris are small and not exactly a danger to the elves. So the Windris live with these dragons, thinking nothing of them. The Windris do enjoy their patterns and clothes, though, often painting their faces to depict their roles. Each swirl and pattern means something unique to the wearer, and the colours usually match their clothes. The Windris are very different to their cousins, with shorter, sharper ears and more human-like features. This could be because the Windris are descended from an old elven race that mixed with humans in the war times, adapting to their environment very quickly. This doesn't make them any less of an elf race, though, and their cousins don't see them as anything other than their cousins. One thing that does make them look very elfy, though, are their sharp teeth, which they don't share with the Sadri.

Sadri
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Desert thriving elves, the Sadri worship earth gods, and use the landscape to their advantage. With their thick frames and dark skin, the Sadri are warrior-like elves that look very scary with the many tattoos that cover their faces and bodies. Unlike the Windris, they have long ears, although their ears aren't as long and pointed as their forest cousins. They hunt desert creatures while astride their tall, clay-red mounts with long necks and sloping backs, striped rumps and thighs. The sand horses, as the Sadri call them, have cloven hooves and can run across loose sand. The Sadri usually leave them to breed wildly, and a young rider will have to sit amongst the herds until a sand horse chooses them. They don't break the sand horses, they work with them. Sadri build their homes in sand dunes, turning the sand to stone, and bringing water up from deep within the earth to cultivate their farms and livestock. The dragons that live in the deserts are vicious and more on the wild side, so the Sadri have to be careful not to end up alone in the desert. They don't hate the dragons in their kingdom, but trying to commune with them is a really bad idea. Some Sadri will leave their villages to try and become a friend of the dragons, although that usually ends with a dragon no longer hungry.

Ilks
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Living in the dense forests in the north of the Mainland, these elves are feral, wild creatures that fit into their environment perfectly. They're tall and wiry, with senses honed to surviving against the harsh animals they share their home with. Living in small tribes made up of several families, the Ilks very rarely encounter other tribes. And that isn't just because their numbers have been diminished to four tribes from the Fae of Elengar that have been extending their territory. The Ilks are different to their elven cousins of the open areas, also, because they have a second form. They're also not as "civilised". That just means they live like wolves, where the strongest are the hunters and the protectors, the youngsters are closely guarded, and the tribe is ruled by an Alpha that earns that title by killing the previous Alpha in a fight. And this isn't a pretty fight, because it takes place with them in their second forms. When an Ilk evokes the spirit of the forest (their wild hearts) they grow taller, leaner with sharper features. Their skin hardens to almost invincible, their claws grow to thick talons, and their mouths become the home of large, sharp, needle-like teeth that can tear through bone. Their throats also grow "scales", meaning they can't talk, but when they make sounds, they come out as singsong growls, made from the vibrations of the scales and their vocal chords. The dragons that live in the forests are also just as dangerous, so the Ilks keep their distance. Some Ilks that are either exiled from their tribes or are lost in the forest will find themselves following one of the giant beasts, some even daring to speak to them. Although most of the time the two species keep their distances, because a fight between the two would probably destroy the forest. And Alpha Ilks are very, very territorial.


Elkidrae (Island of South)
Elkidrae is actually a general name for the two sub-species. There are marsh Elkidrae and mangrove Elkidrae. There aren't a lot of differences between the two sub-species except the mangrove species is a little more brutal and hardy, standing a head or so taller than the other species, with hair that contrasts with the colour of their eyes. Apart from that, they are almost impossible to tell apart. They're tall and lithe, with hard bones and sharp senses, able to find a crab in the bad-smelling environment they grow up in. Young Elkidrae are very delicate, and easily susceptible to permanent damage and death. Their have soft bones and delicate insides, which means they are often guarded closely by their parents, and don't usually get to leave the safety of their homes. When they mature at eighteen years, their bones are almost unbreakable, and their senses are honed to survive in their harsh world. They are formidable hunters, with golden, grey or pale skin, long, ratty hair, feline eyes, flat, triangle noses and pointed, protruding ears. They have sharp canines and flat maulers so they can crush shells, grip slimy flesh, and chew bark and tough meat. They also have amazing body regulation, able to sleep in almost any temperature, making it near impossible for them to die from exposure.


Humans (From the Island of Death)
Ranging in size, humans are, compared to all the other races as soft boned, soft skinned and soft bodied much-sticks. They live in ever growing cities, and are subtly moving around the other kingdoms, making homes, building towns and villages. Sneaky. They're population growth doesn't seem to bother them since they have other continents and islands to branch onto, just like the Elengar Fae did in the Mainland. Humans don't exactly live side-by-side with the dragons of their homeland. They try to tame them and use them for work. Although the dragons have an understanding with the humans. Endure them, and they don't have to fight each other for food and territory. The humans are also accepted into the other cultures because, let's face it, they wouldn't stand a chance against the other races.


The Dragons

The Reign Dragons
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Large, usually around 12 metres long and 5 metres tall (wings included). Breathe fire, but don't rely on it. They use their claws to dig through rock and compact sand. They have very keen eyesight, but not very good night vision. Fast and agile flyers, and very vicious. Rely heavily on the presence of the bird people. Rough, leathery skin instead of scales, patterned to blend in with the rocks. Prey mostly on other creatures, but sometimes eat roots and large bugs when food is scarce.

Mainland forest dragons
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Range in size, mostly around 14 metres long and 3 metres tall. Not much for flying. Spit a toxin that burns flesh and bone, but doesn't damage plant life. See better in dimmer light, so have excellent night vision, but can become blind from too much light exposure. Territorial and aggressive, although they live in small groups of up to four dragons at the most. Covered in hard scales, and usually a shade of white to warn off other dragons and predators to their presence. They will eat anything if they're hungry enough.

Island of Death dragons
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Relatively large, they are about twice the height of a human and about 4-5 humans in length, rely on attacking from above with an element (wind, water, fire or electricity). Average eyesight, can see over great distances, best suited for daylight. Quite territorial, but also group animals, their flocks ranging from 20-50 dragons. Covered in a mixture of plated scales and rough skin, ranging from hues of green to dark brown. Eat meat mostly, although since they're mostly caught and 'tamed' by humans, they eat whatever is given to them.

Pelweyr/Elengar dragons
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Relatively small, about the size of a thoroughbred horse, and twice as long. They have a sharp, icy breath that freezes whatever it touches. Agile flyers, using it as their hunting techniques sometimes. They see in infra red (heat sensory vision) so have little concept of day and night. Not very territorial, with males living in large groups and females (which are generally larger) living solitary. Their bodies are covered in bark-textured plates to help them blend in with their surroundings, although don't let the texture fool you, because almost nothing can break through their scales. They prey mostly on Fae, although sometimes eat plant life as well.

Mainland desert dragons
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Smallish dragons, around 1-2 metres tall, with a wingspan of twice that, and around 3 metres long. Fast flyers, with very strong wings. They are not often seen on the ground as their bodies are more designed for being in the air. They spew molten lava that will burn through anything. With leathery skin and dense fur growing around their necks and backs, they are designed to withstand the heat of the day and the cold of the night, being the only warm-blooded species. They live in large flocks of around 100-200 dragons, and though not relatively aggressive, provoking them will have the entire flock attacking. Eating mostly bugs and small animals living in the sands, they don't require a lot of food to survive. They will eat cacti if food is low, though.

Island of South dragons
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Usually standing at around 2 metres tall and 4 metres long. They fly as much as they walk on the ground, and are able to move very fast on their legs. A mixture of normal eyesight and infrared, these dragons and choose how they view the world. They are very much like snakes as they have a very venomous bite that can kill a creature of roughly the same size within five minutes. Covered in intricate scales that are quite soft, they rely heavily on their claws and venom to stay alive, and will fly away before attacking. They live in very small groups of around 15 dragons, although will often hunt alone. Quite docile, attacking only when cornered, and will fly away at the first sign of danger. They eat mostly fish and crustaceans, but don't prey on larger animals.

Mainland grassland dragons
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Mainland Grassland dragons are quite small, standing around 1 metre tall and about a metre and a half long. They never fly, and use their wings to glide across the landscape to move faster. They like to hang around hills and can glide off at any time. They can see over large distances, and have very wide-set vision, although it's a little more average. These dragons have tiny scales, with spines growing on their heads and back. These dragons also live in large groups of above 100 dragons, and are a lot friendlier than other dragons to the point where you can walk through a whole group and they won't pay any heed. They're more prone to run away before fighting, but if a whole group were to attack something chances of survival are pretty slim. They eat a lot of small creatures.

Bass dragons
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Bass Dragons are relatively large in height (around 14 metres tall) and very long (up to 20 metres long). They don't have wings, therefore don't fly, although they are very fast moving on their feet and are able to climb trees and burrow into the base of tree trunks. They don't have very good eyesight, although light has no effect on them. Their skin has a sort of rocky appearance to it, and they have spines growing off their backs that look like certain plants in their forest homes. They are extremely aggressive and territorial, living in groups of up to 50 dragons, and sometimes end up eating their own young when food becomes scarce. Coming across one of these dragons and living is a rarity unless you know how to kill them, which isn't an easy thing to do. They are very instinctual and easily agitated, and will eat just about anything that moves.


Of course, anyone can add dragons. These are just the main ones. Also, feel free to add more onto the races, but run it by me first. Please. Oh, and when it comes to the wildlife, go nuts. Create whatever you want. Let me know before you put them in, of course, but it's kind of a free-for-all here. This SB is as much yours as it is mine ^^


Character info

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[b]Place of birth:[/b]
[b]Race:[/b]
[b]Occupation/role:[/b]
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[b]Up for Romance:[/b]
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Rules

Typical SB rules apply
No changing or adding of creatures without consulting me first
No major plot changes without discussing it with the group
No god-modding, please. Every character is going to have flaws.
Crossbreeds are allowed, but PM me about details please.
Cursing is allowed, but nothing excessive. As in, no dropping the 'f' bomb every second sentence or so.
Sex scenes are going to be a 'fade to black' thing. Implications are allowed.
Dorian, are you the one adding all the spices to our food?
Of course I am.
Why?
Because frankly the food here tastes like poorly cooked sawdust. It genuinely tastes how Solas looks.








I see no reason to celebrate the random timing of natural events by eating poison and singing.
— Dilbert