SETTING/GEOGRAPHY
What's the setting?
Almaser (It's not a vanity title! I took my username from the titular character is all) is an RPG set mainly on a single continent in a created world. This continent, generally referred to as Ullad by its inhabitants, exists in a position on the planet roughly similar to the North Atlantic.

In Ullad, magic is not only common, it is actually rarer for a person to be born without some inherent ability than not. Approximately 65% of the continent's population has some sort of arcane talent, though only a fraction (around 25% of the total population) display abilities that are truly 'magical.'

The continent, which has three major landmasses, is divided between eight major nations, including a few disputed territories and some colonies.

What are the major countries?
The eight major powers are:
Theria
A nation concentrated on the Therian Island, a massive stretch of land seperate from the main continent by, at its closest point, approximately 600 kilometres.
The nation of Theria is noted for its advances in magical science and study, and is home to the Keiman Library, an entire city built as an archive and university. Approximately seven years ago, Theria signed a peace treaty with Ayereth, granting them control of the south-west peninsula on the Ullad mainland, an area now termed the "Theric Peninsula"
Capital City: Thar

Ayereth
A large nation that controls most of the western seaboard of Ullad, Ayereth has traditionally been a major power in the continent's politics. With a abundant resources and access to many major ports (including the easiest passage between Ullad and Theria), Ayereth is also an economic powerhouse.
This said, the country's reputation is now damaged by their humiliating concessions to Theria after the war between the two, which saw the Theric Peninsula, an area rich in mining potential, given up to the Therians.
Capital City: Ayal'ann

Valkas
Heavily forested and decidedly less technologically advanced than their neighbours, the Valkan people are not so much a nation as they are a rough coalition of tribal societies and clans. They occupy the Grimfarst, the second-largest forest on the continent.
Despite conflicts between the clans, all Valkans share a similar animistic religion, and Druddim (Druids) remain the carriers of authority and diplomacy across all groups. The Grimböl, a massive crater grown over with trees, is of particular religious significance to all tribes, and is almost always the site for major meetings between several clans.
Capital City: None, however the Grimböl is something of a national center.

Oltoc
The most technologically advanced nation on Ullad, Oltoc is rapidly approaching an Industrial Revolution, with the harnessing of steam power having been recently discovered. Oltoc is also known for its use of slave labour from the colony of Oltan Tiera, which has allowed for the swift development of new infrastructure to make use of steam technology.
Oltoc is one of four nations derived from the split of the Amseth Empire, and has inherited much of the old Imperial system. A Senate still rules the nation, however there has been a tremendous shift to a more materialistic, wordly view as opposed to the classic theocracy.
Capital City: Eteller

Serolt
Serolt, located to the north of Oltoc, is a powerful theocracy, run by the Starkeepers. The country is primarily agrarian, however it boasts a strong history of skillful artisans, and Serolt works are often prized highly by the rich of other nations.
Serolt is another of the nations formed after the Amseth Empire's downfall, but has broken thoroughly with the Imperial past. The only real trace that can be seen of this history is in their architecture, which still emulates Amseth style.
Capital City: Stasgrund

Tel Amseth
Tel Amseth can be called the remnants of the Amseth Empire. The nation is still ruled by an Imperial Dynasty, and the term Emperor is still used for the ruler. The old Imperial religion is also strong here.
Tel Amseth is currently in conflict with the Kelm Frontier, contesting control of the northeastern lands. Tel Amseth also borders the Grens Forest, a mysterious and massive stretch of forest that has remained almost entirely unviolated throughout recorded history.
Capital City: Amsal, Heart of Empire

Calwind
Calwind is the fourth of the Old Imperial Nations, and has become a politically neutral state since its inception. In part, this is due to the break-down of the original feudalist monarchy with a civil war into a complex web of alliances between city-states, which is presided over by a King who is King in name only.
Calwind is also a nation that has very little interest in trade. Fertile volcanic soil in the west, and wide flat plains in the east have allowed the nation to develop to a point where they are almost entirely self-sufficient.
Capital City: Sersal

Kelm
Seperated from the other nations by the continent-spanning Grens Forest, Kelm covers the easternmost edge of Ullad. Kelm has always been something of a rumour and mystery amongst the western nations, and the west was similarly viewed by the Kelm people as a place beyond an endless stretch of forest. With the attempts by the monarchy to break through the Grens Forest, however, recent generations have seen the opening of the Kelm Frontier.
Not much is known about Kelm yet by the other nations, but its shadow looms large in the politics of Ullad.
Capital City: Kelmar

D'oh. I knew I was missing an important bit of information. Shows what writing while somewhat delirious will do to you.

Okay, so I've added the info. If anyone is interested so far, would they like me to put up a rough description of the magic system?

Here you go, Yasha!

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Magic in Almaser
Magic is a very present force in Ullad. As stated before, approximately 65% of the continental population are capable of using magic in one form or another. That said, the most common forms of magic are very practical in nature, and are called the Minor Arcana.

Minor Arcana?
Yes. In Ullad, there exist two major areas of classification for magic: Major Arcana and Minor Arcana.

Users of Minor Arcana can be found everywhere in the world, and their powers range from simple powers that enhance their craft, such as the abilities shown by many blacksmiths, to abilities related more closely to larger social systems (as seen by the Secretarium, a Minor Arcana dealing with documentation and bureaucracy), to the raw and much more dangerous powers of elemental magic.
The former abilities, those relating to social systems and professions, are called Social Magic.
The latter, elemental magic, is given the name Elementalism.

Major Arcana users are, by comparison, rare and powerful. The Major Arcana is still yet to be studied in full, and only a handful of them are recorded in any detail. However, one theme is common across all Major Arcana encountered in Ullad, be they officially recorded or merely the subject of folklore: those who master them are capable of incredible magical feats, of the like that could alter the course of history. Thankfully, such masters are few and far between, and most Major Arcana users are barely aware of the extent of their powers.
Users of Major Arcana are often hunted out by magical academies, as the source of such powers, and their full extents, are still the subject of much academic inquiry and debate.

So how does it all work?
The use of Arcana varies from person to person, however at the most basic level, it is simply an exertion of the will towards a specific goal. Often, this will is directed into the hands or mouth, which, with the use of a gesture or word (This part varies greatly from user to user), releases the energy in its intended form. Simpler magics are often simply willed directly towards the target of the spell, and the more powerful of Arcana users are frequently seen to be able to do this with almost all spells. The use of Arcana draws upon a person's own internal energy, and as such the amount of Arcana someone is capable of using in a day is based primarily on their own stamina.

In gameplay terms, the Minor Arcana are all set up with a system of 'Skill Levels' which indicate the user's relative ability and power in that Arcana. The levels range from 1-5, and it is rare for a person to ever advance much more than one skill level in their lifetime. (Of course, strongly talented but poorly trained individuals are always an exception).

Now, for some basic examples of the Arcana:

Minor Arcana
Elementalism
Fire Element
The ability to control and shape plasma-state matter, in particular fires.
Skills:
Level 1: Can manipulate fire roughly the size of a candleflame, can increase the temperature of objects slightly.
Level 3: Can control fires the size of a house, can conjure small flames, can make metal white-hot almost instantly.
Level 5: Can cause large blasts of fire, easy command over flames in a wide radius, can incinerate wood and metal.

Shadow Element
The power over shadows and darkness, and the negation of light
Skills:
Level 1: Can alter own shadow, darken the area around them temporarily, summon 'pinprick shadows' - small orbs of black energy
Level 3: Can alter shadows in the area, wrap people in darkness, summon larger orbs of energy, can also see in low light conditions.
Level 5: Can blot out all light in a wide radius, capable of seeing even in pitch black, able to create 3d shadows, can use black energy in large amounts.

Other Elementalisms: Light, Water, Earth, Wind, Wood, Metal, Lightning, Frost, Lava, Sound
There's room for very detailed specialisation in Elementalism - people with the ability to influence air pressure (and only air pressure) have even been recorded.

Social Magic
Forgeshaping
A power related to blacksmiths
Skills:
Level 1: Able to stoke forgefires with a thought, can hone the edges of metal with power.
Level 3: Can reinforce metal objects with power, can remove rust, can cool metal quickly.
Level 5: Has the capacity to heat metal with a thought, can inflict rust, can fortify body against burns.

Lovecraft
The power of sensuality. Often associated with prostitution
Skills:
Level 1: Can increase people's receptivity to physical stimuli temporarily.
Level 3: Power to cause an increase in sexual desire of a target.
Level 5: Able to generate an 'aura of lust' which arouses and distracts those nearby.

Other Social Magics: Battlegift, Buildersgift, Deepcraft, Fleshtwist, The Grid, Hunting, Nighthand, Realisation
Similar to Elementalism, you can specialise here - there's plenty of room to come up with your own sort of ability.

Major Arcana
Seawind Flow
An Arcana associated with the line between the body and the mind, and the manipulation of thought.
Skills:
- Able to perceive 'auras' around people which indicate mood, physical state and also can show Arcane ability
- Can influence the auras of people and use a kind of hypnotic suggestion
- Have the ability to manifest their own aura physically as a shield or weapon
- Always proficient (at least level 3) in Air Elementalism, usually the same in one other of Fire, Earth, Water, Metal or Wood.

Forest Speaking
The Arcana of the plant world, users of this Major Arcana can communicate with plants and share in their energy.
Skills:
- Communication with the 'souls' of plants (only present in certain plants, most commonly trees)
- Able to enter the mental plane of said souls physically
- Can draw sustenance and stamina from plants
- Frequently skilled in Wood Elementalism, also show talent in Earth and the Social Magic 'Hunting'

Other Major Arcana: Beast Speaking, Dead Speaking, Breath Weaving, Jade Triad, Handed Thoughts
Less ability to create new things here - the list is fairly well-defined, but that's not to say a new Arcana cannot be discovered...

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So, anything you'd like to know that I missed?

Woohoo!

Oh yes, it occurs to me I didn't post a list of stats... not that they matter hugely, but it's still a guideline to building characters, I suppose.

Statistics
Stamina: How much energy you can exert. Important for using Arcana, just about everything else.
Reflexes: Co-ordination in all forms, especially hand-eye. Important for projectile weapons, etc.
Will: Internal fortitude, and concentration. Important for using and resisting Arcana.
Brawn: Physical strength and fortitude. Important for melee combat and taking damage.
Intellect: Mental alacrity, knowledge and creativity. Mostly important for RP purposes.
Charisma: As the name implies, really. How well you can deal with people. Also mostly important for RP.

Sound good?

The Character Sheet is currently this:

Name:
Age:
Location:
Profession:
Arcana:(if using Arcana)
Arcana Level:(if using Minor Arcana)
Physical description:
General history:
Skill levels:(Allocate up to 32 points all up)
   Stamina: 1 to 9
   Brawn: 1 to 9
   Reflex: 1 to 9
   Will: 1 to 9
   Intellect: 1 to 9
   Charisma: 1 to 9
Special abilities, knowledges: (If your character is unusually talented at making biscotti, for example, or has an incredibly understanding of Valkan geography, that detail would go here)
Items of interest: (Anything important they carry or own)

BioKraze wrote:

I have a question regarding your RP world's social studies, Almaser.

What kind of names do the characters adopt? What is the closest human/Terran dialect for naming a character? Or is it a free-for-all, choose a name and hope it sticks sort of thing?

I am interested in this RP, but I'd like a little more info on naming conventions before I jump in. And I like your magic system. It actually reminds me of the detail I go into!

Ooh, that's quite a good question. Personally, I'm happy to swing with free-for-alls, but I have noticed at least a personal preference for particular naming types in different groups. The further west you get, the more likely you are to hear names that sound similar to Indo-Iranian or Nordic languages. That trend for Nordic names continues up to about Valkas, which has Nordic- and West Germanic-sounding names. The Old Empire countries have some similarity to these, but more resemble Celtic languages.
Finally, Kelm names sound a lot like the Algonquian language group.
Er, that's all probably a little too 'linguistics nerd' and not enough 'clearly explanatory,' but have a click on some of the languages linked to on those pages, there should be some good examples of the sounds I'm talking about.

Still, if you've got a good name, go with that

What I find amusing is that these are exactly the questions I was musing over on the bus this morning

Let's see:

You'd need at least a mediocre (5) Will score, and in such a case you'd be most likely to have an ease with smaller craft, but the highest-power stuff would probably end up less focused/controlled. With a Will of 7 or so, you'd be able to focus your powers very well even for the strong stuff.

The Calendars!
Every country has their own, really. However, that said, the Old Amseth Empire calendar is used in trade, and has a fair bit of recognition as a 'central' calendar.

The Imperial Calendar has eight months, each of 37 days' length. (This means that the normal pregnancy period for a woman is roughly seven and a half months, nearly a full year)

The months are called: Lily, Rose, Iris, Lotus, Snapdragon, Waterlily, Marigold, and Snowdrop. The vernal equinox is on the First of Rose.

The current year on the Imperial Calendar is 1082Q.R (Quvai Raniem, Imperial Year)

In the Old Imperial Countries (Serolt, Oltoc and Calwind), the calendar remains in use, however the year is 119R.V (Ranita Vaili, Fall of Empire)

For the native people of Tiera, it is 1,308. They only refer to years by number, however this year is also associated with The Horned Boy, one of their gods.

Theria and Ayereth have recently adopted this system of months as well, however an older system of fifteen months that ranged from thirty to fifteen days still influences some towns.
The year in Theria is 880T (Theriasimadh, Therian Year)
The year in Ayereth is 256S (Shoul, 'Circle' - refers to the Silver God's journey around the Golden Goddess)

Valkans do not have a system of months, but rather of eight-day patterns of behaviour. Similarly, there is a sixty-four year cycle in Valkan mythology, and years take their name from a complex chart.
The year in Valkas is Sheda'shem Tya Vai'i dri Shoi'u, The 22nd 'Year of Three Swallows beneath Stars'. It is called Shedashem Vi'shoi for short.

In Kelm, there are only seven months, most around forty days, with a shorter month in the early autumn. For Kelm, it is the year 1502Y (Yoma, year).

So, in summary, it's pretty much 1082, though not everyone entirely agrees on the counting of years. Hope that helps!

Absolutely fabulous.

Woohoo!

Profile = later on tonight. Maybe after some boozing.

I hope this RP gets off the ground soon...maybe I'm being too impatient?

Sorry, babe, I got hijacked. It's near the top of the list... the very long list

Aww, don't apologise! I've been buried under life too, until this week, so I've been just as lax about things.

Take your time, and we'll get this game up whenever it gets up