Melon Bomb
hi i make bad decisions
INTRODUCTION
Sanctuary.
No kingdoms. No empires. No states. Only little pockets of humanity, isolated between miles of tainted earth. You and many others live in one such pocket: The sanctuary city of Trine, one of the very few havens in possession of a coveted steam airship, held and maintained in the innermost ring of the city where the ruling class reside. In the level beyond that is a world of commerce, education, and divine training. In the outer circle, small villages tend to the fields and corral livestock captured from the surrounding wilds. Finally, at the border, are the walls that defend the city. There, the Guardian roams to protect its residents -- a class of mysterious, colossal beasts that seem strangely protective of these human sanctuaries.
But nothing in this world lasts forever. Your Guardian is dying, and when the time finally comes for it to pass on, the horrors lurking in the outskirts will sense the city's weakness and pounce at the slightest opening. It is up to you and the brave adventurers who join your quest to seek out another Guardian before Trine inevitably falls to ruin.
Then, you may return to your little bubble with this small victory in hand, and be content knowing nothing of this world, whose history has been painstakingly erased and rewritten by forces beyond your control. Whatever it is you saw out there, it's best you forgot about it. Come, have a drink and relax, there's nothing else out there...
THE DETAILS
Chyron, the World: Much of this world's history has been forgotten to time. Its name -- Chyron -- has lasted through the ages, but not much else remains intact. The infested ruins of civilizations before you may hold the key to the past, but such a foolhardy expedition is perhaps best saved for more practical resources...
Tar, the Curse: The curse, only known colloquially as tar, is perhaps the sole reason why all of Chyron has descended into hell. Its origins are unknown, but its effects are well documented. Victims are enveloped in a thick, viscous mold-like growth that permeates the body inside and out. It gradually eats away the flesh and assumes its place, leaving pure bone beneath its oozing mass -- the process, depending on the size of the creature, can take anywhere from several minutes to several days. After the curse has assimilated its host, it wanders sporadically in search of living prey. Not to feed on, but to kill and spread its curse.
Sanctuaries: Sanctuaries are the last mortal territories on Chyron, fortified to ward against the curse and its virulent carriers. They have affiliation to no nation or kingdom, acting solely within their own interest to persevere in a realm rapidly onset with a growing sickness. As each sanctuary is unique, they often specialize in a particular trade or craft such as rune working or beast taming. Supply lines are difficult to establish, so skirmishes often break out over resources in order to seize them first.
Guardians: Each sanctuary is paired with one or more Guardians; a type of gargantuan beast which dwells in nature, seemingly waiting to be found. Their very presence repels the curse, acting as the first and sometimes last line of defense against anyone who would bring harm to their sanctuaries. However, even these majestic beasts can eventually fall prey to the curse -- god save your soul, should you ever suffer the misfortune of facing a corrupted Guardian.
Wards & Sorcery: In the world of Chyron, there exists two classifications of magical energy -- Holy and Arcane, the former gifted by the gods and the latter ever-present in the environment. As far as mankind is concerned, their only source of holy protection is derived from the Guardians. And, should they pass, the divine essence stored within them escape their bodies as wisps known as Wards. These little spirits are formless on their own, but can be attuned to equipment to give them holy properties capable of eradicating curses. An extraordinarily skilled user is even capable of summoning them as minor Guardians that take the shape granted to them by the wielder's subconscious.
Arcane sorcery on the other hand can be learned by anyone, given they have the rare but natural potential for it. While other races are capable of being magically gifted at birth, only humans seem to be stunted in this regard, and must spend a great deal of time developing the ability to cast even a single spell. Though, they do make up for it in other ways...
A ward weapon has these properties:
- Greater Impact: The added magical power causes the weapon to hit things with greater force.
- Curse Eradication: When it strikes a cursed surface, it destroys a small surface area of it from the point of contact; this mostly applies to external excretions though, such as the mold that grows on curse victims, this won't actually cure a person; that said, since cursed creatures are largely composed of this mold, they get blown away pretty effectively by them, save for some of the really tough ones.
- Ward Summon: The ward leaves the weapon as a small guardian-like entity. The original weapon becomes normal until it returns, but the ward is a powerful attacker so it gives the wielder the option of double-teaming an enemy.
Technology: Steam technology exists, but largely as relics scavenged from the old world. They are few in number, and incredibly valuable; especially airships, which are universally considered to be the safest way to travel. Steam rifles, while still deadly, are more status symbols than anything else given their generally low rate of fire and notoriously loud bangs. All other technologies are medieval in nature.
LINKS
[ MAIN THREAD: WAITING ]
[ CS: Fantasy - Lost Sanctuary (CS) ]
[ OOC: WAITING ]
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