Fantasy ✵The ℣elvet Ƒray: A Fantasy Mafia RP✵ - Settings/Locations

[ozma]

The Familia

Leon'maire

The Leon'maire family believe that all things with souls deserve equal respect. They live and work alongside animals, who are their loyal companions, hunters, guards and spies. They live simply and amongst nature as much as they can, but they never find themselves lacking. They have master carpenters, farmers, weavers and carvers in their ranks, drawing talent from long-standing craftsmans' guilds that the Family has supported for centuries. They do not tolerate any kind of cruelty towards animals and take direct action against shadier businesses like poaching, dogfighting, or endangered species trafficking. They also oversee regulations on hunting and fishing, as well as tracking deforestation and erosion by humans. The Leon'maire family can always be found fighting against urban expansion, pollution sources and general capitalist endeavors that will do harm to the natural world. Their family secret is the Fauna-Tongue, a communication system that lets them give and receive information from any kind of animal.


Colors: Green, Silver and Black


Symbols: Lion, Tree and Arrow


Motto: We Roar As One

Chronalis

Genius is a natural trait of the Chronalis Family. They are always the pioneers of new inventions, architecture, engineering or weaponry. Members of the Chronalis family are scientists and tinkerers by nature, and always have half a mind on how to improve anything they lay eyes on. The family constantly finances new endeavors in mechanical and magical technology, to the point where most cities in Opheria have all transportation and public clocks run by Chronalis works. Chronalis officials are obsessed with punctuality, and lateness is sin in their line of work. They believe that anything worth doing is worth not doing and instead automating the process with machines. Their family secret is the Spark of Creation, a state of mind in which one can have a flash of inspiration and create new things out of the scraps of seemingly-useless parts.


Colors: Yellow, Gold and Black


Symbols: Gear, Clock and Wheel


Motto: Step in Time, Be in Time

Uvyrdiin

Life is a spectacle, so enjoy the show. This is the motivation behind all actions of the Uvyrdiin Family. They are the largest financiers of entertainment and supports of the arts across Opheria. No festival will be put on without their patronage, and their involvement will guarantee to make things larger, louder and more ostentatious. For those with the money to spend, The Uvyrdiins will spare no expense. Massive traveling circuses, entrancing masquerade balls, sparkling galas in lavish palaces, even shadier spectacles like gladiator matches, underground fighting rings or dangerous creature exhibitions are all in their domain. The family often becomes the patrons of promising orphans, vagabonds, con-artists or those with mysterious powers to add to their performances. Their family secret is The Joy de Vivre, the ability to easily command the attention of any crowd through a creative demonstration.


Colors: Blue, Gold and White


Symbols: Moon, Mask and Feather


Motto: Life is Not Lived Silently

Bloodgard

The Bloodgard Family understand the importance of law, order and the procession of justice. To this end, the family has the largest standing militia outside of what once was the Imperial Army. Members train in preparation for anything. Today it will be taking down a local money launderer and his thugs, the next it will be saving refugees from a landslide. Territories under their control enjoy a strong sense of peace and stability, even if it can sometimes feel a bit oppressive. Even petty crime will not escape Bloodgard watch, and anyone who believes they can get away with something will find themselves very wrong sooner or later. The family also finances the largest network of private investigators, bounty hunters and criminologists to make sure no foul deed goes unpunished. They also ensure a fair and efficient court system for their territories. The Bloodgard Family also has a strong interest in the art of war, controlling many smithies and weapons dealers that make trade in their ports. Peace is always a preferable option to battle, but if the time comes, they are more than ready. Their family secret is The Evil Eye, which allows them to detect a person's falsehoods or deception just by watching them.


Colors: Red, Silver and White


Symbols: Sword, Eye and Hand


Motto: An End to Every Evil

Lost Crown

While they are not an official family in any respect, there are a small group of vagabonds who have gathered together in the name of restoring the old Imperial Family to power. They might be members of the old family who managed to escape capture in the war, mercenaries looking for a cause to support, or a true believer who sees the best future in the resurrection of the old age. There are no family secrets, no symbols or mottos. The most common color they use is Grey, the color of conspiracy and subtlety. As the other Families are busy fighting each other, the Lost Crown will grow stronger, gathering resources and followers until the day comes when they will rise again.

Specialties

Savant (Those Who Tinker with Everything)


Savants are trained to look at something, take it apart, and put it back together into three new, improved things. They have an innate sense of how things work, what they're used for, and what they could be used for. Savants often have their own sets of tools that are never far from their reach, and can build, repair and destroy things on the fly. If you encounter any kind of mechanical problem, it's always good to have a Savant nearby.


Fabera (Those Who Enchant the Vessels)


A Fabera is a person who has studied the nature of Majia long enough to control it with their will. In simple terms, they are mages. However, because of how Majia interacts with the physical world, its power can only be harnessed when it is bound to objects (called vessels). This is the primary occupation of the Fabera- they create magical items, called Majat, by infusing them with Majia. After that, they can be used by anyone who knows how to activate them. Fabera still have a great advantage over anyone who uses Majat like that, however, as they truly understand the workings of Majia, and can create other magical effects by their will.


Pugilo (Those Who Trade Steel For Blood)


pronounced "pyuu-ji-lo", these hardy warriors are always a few inches of steel away from death on a daily basis. They make their living as mercenaries, knight guardians, assassins, and any other line of work that requires brawn to overcome brains, or other brawn. Some fight with martial arts alone, while others employ any type of weaponry, or even guns.


Umbra (Those Who Fill the Shadows)


The Umbra are an elite class of agent, valuable pieces in the massive strategy games that all the Families play with each other. Umbras are experts in stealth, subterfuge and espionage. Some focus on disguise and infiltration, others prefer the more old-fashioned B&E work. Whatever their tactics, the ultimate goal is to not get seen till it's too late for their victims. Most spies and deep-cover agents have been trained as Umbras for their whole lives. And the best of the trade are never known, as those who live in the shadows die in the shadows too.

Lay of the Land

Edichor: The Capital City. Largest city by far in the old Empire, probably in all of Opheria. All four major families share power uneasily within this city, generally considered a "free" city for all since it is so big. However without the influence and financial support of the Imperial Family it is quickly falling into ruin.


Fort Gynar: A fortified base built within the deep woods of the north-west of Opheria. Predominantly controlled by the Leon'maire family.


Termitet City: A haven of steampunk machinery and shops amongst the ore-rich mountains of the north-east in Opheria. Predominantly controlled by the Chronalis Family.


Grand Yasgal: A lavish oasis city in the midst of the sandy deserts of the south-east of Opheria. Predominantly controlled by the Uvyrdiin Family.


Port Dosaris: A well-kept and orderly port city by the sea that is a bustling hub of trade. Predominantly controlled by the Bloodgard Family.


(These are the biggest population centers in Opheria. There are dozens of smaller towns and villages of course, too many to name. However, the four below are worthy of noting.)


Howling Gorge: a deep ravine with settlements built into the shallow walls leading down to a river rich with clay and limestone. The Leon'maire and Chronalis families have about equal sway here and often have territorial disputes.


Kite Ridge: A wide, windswept plateau where windmills and giant kites are the major trades. The Chronalis and Uvyrdiin families have about equal sway here and often have territorial disputes.


Turtleshell Island: A large island near the coastline that got its start as a pirate port and boat-racing harbor. The Uvyrdiin and Bloodgard families have about equal sway here and often have territorial disputes.


Under-Root: A complex of caverns and tunnels that used to be a mining operation, now home to a revitalized gemstone trade. The Bloodgard and Leon'maire families have about equal sway here and often have territorial disputes.

Majia

The major unseen force in Opheria is called Majia. It flows through the air, breathes through flames, streams through water and seeps through the ground. Those who spend many years learning to attune their soul to the presence of Majia can learn to control it with their will. Those who devote their time to this are called Fabera.


When a Fabera controls Majia, they can produce a wide variety of magical effects; however, even the strongest Fabera can't use Majia to do flashy things like throw fireballs, teleport or fly through the air. Majia is much stronger when it is bound into a specially-prepared object. This object can be anything without a soul, hereafter called a Vessel. Once a Fabera has chosen the desired effect of a Majia spell and cast it into the Vessel, it becomes a Majat. (plural also Majat). From there on, anyone who knows how to activate the Majat can use its magical effect.


People buy and sell Majat that are used for daily tasks, trinkets or tools that are one-time use or wear off quickly. More expensive and rarer Majat are higher quality and last a lot longer, often used for commerce or warfare. There are even legends of Majat that never run out of power, with their internal Majia being so strong that they have developed a soul of their own.


Within the game, Majat are ranked in three tiers: Minor, Moderate and Major. These tiers are fairly broad and are used to refer to the general power or usefulness of the Majat. Below are some examples of each Tier.


Minor Majat: A candle that lights on command, a key that melds into your clothing, capsules that create small flashes of light, a compass that always points to a preselected location, powder that can erase footprints when it is sprinkled, eyeglasses that have a magnification setting, a paintbrush that can be used like a pen and changes to any color, a talisman that gives warning if someone passes by it, a whistle that will attract nearby animals of a certain type, a cape that produces a burst of feathers when swung about.


Moderate Majat: A dagger that can be wreathed in flames upon activation, a mask that disguises the wearer as the person who they last touched, boots that allow limited vertical movement up surfaces, a rope whose entire length can be controlled by the wielder, marbles that grow into orbs of light that float and move about at the user's command, gauntlets that greatly increase the wearer's arm strength, a broach that shrinks the user to a quarter of their size, matching pendants that form a magical communication network between the wearers, a potion that instantly freezes into ice when exposed to air.


Major Majat: A greataxe that can cleave a house in half, a headdress that can read surface thoughts, a cauldron that collects memories, a cape that becomes wings for the wearer, gloves that allow the wearer to pass through solid surfaces that they touch, a key that opens any lock it is touched to, a bow that fires endless arrows of pure Majia, boots that can travel seven leagues in a single step, a fan that can create a strong gale when swung, a bottle that can hold an elemental spirit at your command.