Emoria: OOC

Your'e right Plague, something else that Silvone mentioned was the potential... confrontations between the North and the South.

Then again, this all depends on how the Tynir and I'nak end up after the war, just as it is with the northern countries.

It seems a little ambitious to worry about the sequel to Emoria when we're still in the first chapter, here. Still, I think that the uniting of talonia, even if it has to be under Vatienne of all things, is a really cool idea. I just think we should expand a little more the actual culture of Emoria before you really start messing with the future politics.

however, I think the most pressing matter to address right now is the way we're going to keep time. I'm going to agree with kalon: seasons seem the way to go. maybe a graphic that we put on the top of posts, with some sort of number to refer to how far along we are in that season? something like this: , except divided up and with a little number in the corner. The number could refer to pretty much anything, though I'm sort of leaning towards weeks in the season or phases of the lunar cycle, so that we don't have to have everything down to the precise day. I'm sure someone artistic could do a much better job, but it's just a concept.

While seasons are a great idea for keeping track of chapters, we run into a small problem when we reach the southern continent. There's no traditional season there, just wet and dry seasons, really. But, I suppose that's just technical, not a really pressing matter. If we do do the seasons thing, to avoid confusion I guess we on the southern continent can just go with the season stamps of everyone else.

I just don't really see how seasons are any easier to keep track of than days. It seems like, in the end, you have to know how many days went by anyway. If you are meaning to check in every season, then we will just check in every 3 months or 93 days.

I love Emoria. The smallest thing can drag on for pages at a time. Reminds me of the council. So realistic. What many of your probably don't know is how typical and awesome we are.

Anyway, as for the time stamps, the seasons will for sure be added, but just as an extra over the actual months. Three months is too much, one is just fine.

We check in every month, say where we are, time stamp post by, say *Month 1, day 4* Month 5, day 6* .

However, I really like the seasons, so it would be like, for every post, *Summer, Month 3, Day 4*. Inside each chapter, those who are concerned will talk with each other to have an understanding and mutual agreement to which season/day/month they are in, and once they hit the one month mark, we wait for the others to catch up and have fun reading what the others post.

So, to recap, the time inside each month will differ for each chapter depending on the participants posting speed. Everyone will be at the same month and season, just not necessarily in the same day. That is obvious and there is no way around it; we are simply too many people to have everything coordinated. It would potentially brake creative juices and slow the whole thing down. There can also be the option, if everyone inside the same chapter agrees, to simply skip a couple days or even not post for the in-game month time, just to go faster. That would probably be an option for those who are lagging too seriously behind IF THEY WANT, of course. They will never be forced to do so. That would just suck for them.

When everyone reaches the end of their month, one person from each chapter, in the OOC, will post where they are (the group of RPers) and what has happened really briefly in their chapter. Then, when Ryona or Silvone give us the go ahead we simply continue on with that very simple system.

Honestly, I hope this is the beginning of the conclusion of this predicament so we can get busy with what really matters and what we are all here for; RPing!

Well I keep saying lets just do it that way and others keep saying "How are we going to do it?" Lol. So apparently I wasn't explaining it right or something...

I haven't been at my house (at my computer) all weekend so I'm behind a little. I'll read over the last few pages, and I need to PM a few people, too.

<3

This works for me. Honestly, I can't think of any other way to do it.

Well yah, I know Ryona Just that I thought we should just put it in one big ol' post, explaining everything very finely, and then be done with it. I just want to get to a general understanding as quickly as possible. Who doesn't, right?

So, then, I believe everyone understands/accepts the way that Ryona was trying to explain since the beginning? xD

Username: Quakernuts
Character Name: Jarileh Ky'ley
Species/Race: Durake (Der-a-key)
Physical Description: Jarileh stands at an imposing 6'5, and weighs around 220 lbs. Short black hair covers his scalp, and a scar running from his right temple straight down to the right side of his jaw is easily visible. His pupils glow a deep red, and tend to gain intensity when he enters battle. Tribal-like tattoos cover his face and body, so much so that barely any of his natural grey skin can be seen. During times of great stress, anxiety, fear, or anger, these tattoos can be seen to glow an unnatural color of red or blue depending on what the situation is. All of Jarileh's teeth are sharpened to points, with the exception of a few back teeth for grinding his food. His tongue is split, much like that of a snake, but he doesn't have a tendency to lick the air. This particular portion of his anatomy is used to taste for poisons safely.

What he can be seen to be wearing almost all the time is a vest that looks like it has been blackened by hanging over a fire. It is ratty, worn, and yet completely durable. Pockets appear everywhere, and a couple knives hang from the bottom of the vest for easy access. On his arms, which are also covered in tribal-like tattoos, are a couple of armbands on each limb. Each one black, small, and carrying a dagger within it. On his legs are the only form of armour he has ever come to wear. Black pants, with dulled metal greaves tied closely to the limbs. On his hips rests a sword of straight forward design. it is a simple steel katana, but etched into the blade itself are more symbols that are not yet understood by the rest of the world save for the Durake. On his back rests a mighty warhammer, again straight forward in design, but etched with symbols along the actual hammer itself. Well built and bred for combat and survival, Jarileh is the very core of an illusive Durake male.

About the Durake

Physicality

The Durake are a very hardy, very durable, and nearly indestructible through indirect means. They are bred simply to survive, and through this trait, and this trait alone, have they gotten through the years to gain the wisdom and the knowledge to continue to carry on as a species. Normally the individual Durake is smarter than the average bandit or mercenary, and is an expert in linguistics due to the nature that they fight for anyone and anything.

The Durake have an average height of around 6'0 even, and both men and women are incredibly well built. Their skin varies from a deep black to a light gray, the ash from the volcanoes genetically changing their skin colour through the years. Normally their eyes can take on a variety of colors, but all of them include the ability of limited night vision. They are excellent swimmers due to it being forced on them with their mating grounds being on islands. Both genders of the race are covered in tribal tattoos from birth, and all normally have short hair although there is the one or two exceptions throughout the race's history. A high metabolism and high healing rate actually shorten a Durake's natural life, where the oldest one to ever live expired at an age of 62. A variety of clothing is worn, depending on where a Durake has travelled, so there is no 'normal' attire for a member of this race.

Culture

First off, there is no civilization, period. Their numbers range in the low tens of thousands at best. They are more akin to a species than a race because of a lack of centralized government, land, or even territory. The only thing that could be classified as their own land, would have to be the volcanic Islands of Triarch. It is through these islands that their race as a whole is able to reproduce, and the loss of such a land would catastrophically change their way of life, and most likely wipe them out permanently. Each Durake is incredibly solitary, often one Durake not seeing another until the mating ritual, which happens every ten years.

During the mating ritual, which lasts anywhere between 2 to 4 months, every Durake returns unless they are dead, or their contracts forbids them from leaving. Once the mating is finished, the males all leave to further their own ambitions while a handful of the eldest woment remain to teach the new borns through the first five years of their life. there, they learn the fundementals of their life, named, and painted in tattoos that represent what the elder women will believe will help them through their life. It is very much a psychological interview, as the tattoos vary depending on your personality, fighting style, and fundementals. For example, a Durake which has been seen to be very angry, have a beserker fighting style, and cares for nothing but himself will be painted with tattoos that enhance his aggressiveness ten fold.

The women of the race tend to stay within their own continent, although they are far from the weaker sex. They can hold their own in a fight, and are often hired by hulking bruisers of men as hunters, assassins, or straight up fighters. The reason for the lack of absence from the continent is the high fatality rate from the men that leave the land mass. A little less than half the men that leave come back every ten years, and for a hardy race like the Durake, that number is incredibly high. The women typically invoke tattoos of the self-improvement variety.

The men of the race tend to be more risky, or daring as they would call it. They take contracts that not even hardened killers would consider, and often come out on top. The leading cause of death for a Durake is old age, but with the coming of the darkness, death in battle is quickly climbing the ranks. Normally the males tend to not care who they are fighting for, as long as they are fighting something, and often only employ their brains when tasked on how to kill something. Due to this, their tattoos tend to reflect more towards the aggressive side of things, but some of the males have come across the very dark tattoos of the self-inflicting powers. These normally end in the death of the user, much like a suicide bomber, but are incredibly powerful and are capable of enhancing the user so much that little can stand in the way of one until the enhancement eventually kills them.

Religion wise, they do not believe in gods, planes, or even the Earth. They believe in one single entity, that being the maker of the Mating Ritual; Geroth. During the very early years of their existance, the Durake were nothing more than wandering husks of survivors. they barely managed to get through their own lives with their body intact, let alone worry about their entire race as a whole. These first years were touch and go with the race as a whole, as the population would dip dangerously, only to spike once the danger had passed for but a moment. Geroth was a Durake who managed to get off of the Islands of Triarch. He managed to find the civilizations of the world, and he saw just what was happening. He saw the people fluorishing, and he knew that in order for his race to survive, he and he alone would have to do something.

So he set off across the continent. He found individual Durake, and he lured them in with the promise of survival and wealth of knowledge. With these words on his lips, he had managed to gather the largest group of Durakes ever assembled, and stood upon the largest Island of Triarch. There, with his new found knowledge and purpose, he labelled things clearly out to the Durake. He pointed out he wasn't going to change who they were, but that he was going to set a ground rule so their race would never come close to extinction ever again. He made the mating ritual, and made every single Durake swear in blood that they would return every ten years. It was here that the security of the race was established, and would be forever held by generations yet to come.

Geroth died of natural causes years later. He managed to oversee the entire mating ritual for a few times before his body finally gave up on him. Due to his nature as being labelled as the saviour of the Durake, they tossed his body in the volcano that rests at the center of the biggest island, and the entire island was renamed 'Geroth' in his honour. Now they worship him as a primarch, and for those who are lost in their path among life, they can be found on top of the volcano talking to it.

Technology wise, they are scavengers. They will gather whatever happens to be nearest, and are currently upgrading for something better when the opportunity presents itself. Some of the Durake have developed mild skill in craftsmanship or smithing, but those Durake are incredibly rare even among the Durake themselves. Normally they rely on their wits and their durability to get them by most situations.

Finally, concerning magic, they have none of the flashy stuff that happens to be around the world. They can't control any of the elements, nor can they manipulate them in any way or form. Instead, they happen to use something that has become known as cultural magic over the years. The tattoos that the Durake are painted with during their first few years of life are more than superstitious icons of their race. They originated among a few of the Durake who were near the top of the volcano on one of the smaller islands. Legend holds that they heard a voice from inside the volcano tell them to create certain symbols on their bodies to unlock their full potential. All of them were incredibly doubtful this would work, but how could they deny that of a talking volcano? So, they started painting themselves with the ashes of said volcano, and found that the ash turned into an sludge-like liquid, which once applied to the skin, is nearly impossible to remove save from tearing that skin off of your body. It was through these that they learned the three cultural enhancements, each glowing a different colour when activated.

Red = Aggressive
Blue = Defensive
Green = Self-Improvement

When these Durake tried to talk to the others of their race, they were met with disbelief in the so called volcano god, and prefered to believe that the few Durake were actually shamans of some sort. Preferring not to argue the whole situation over. Three islands were named after each of them; Krelger, Targren, and Isalda. Over the years, Durake found a fourth cultural magic, but upon usage, was deemed to dangerous to be used on the new borns. the fourth, being the dangerous Self-Destructive magic which glowed an unearthly black when activated. An unfortunate Durake by the name of Fraksa Ju'lita happened upon these symbols, and when he was forced to use them to show the other Durake what exactly they did, he became incredibly powerful but died shortly after use. The Durake named the last island after him for his sacrifice in the name of knowledge, and forever labelled those symbols as forbidden to all but the most desperate of Durake. All of these powers activate during times when adrenaline is pumping through the bodies of the Durake, almost like a dam that is broken when too much water hits it. Over the years, Durake can learn to manually start these powers, but it takes intense concentration, and sometimes doesn't activate the right one if a Durake is infused with more than one type of power.

The uses differ in accordance to their names. Aggressive enhances reflexes and strength to untold levels. Stories tell of Durake taking ogres on in hand to hand combat and winning. Defensive hardens the skin, making it impervious to all but the sharpest of blades or the hardest of thrusts. Self-Improvement heals the user of their wounds, and when used properly, can be used on others through physical contact. Self-Destructive grants all of these traits for a short amount of time, the time being when the Durake dies due to the stress on their bodies from the excess amount of energy running through their bodies. They simply can't take it, and their entire body shuts down and dies. These powers also have some side benefits other than these, but these are the main benefits from the powers. Durake can only stand to have two different powers, because much like the Self-Destructive power, their bodies can't handle all of that energy running through their body.

Character Bio: Jarileh had the same beginning as the other Durake. He was born during one of the Mating Rituals, and there started his five years of life lessons. He was given the name of Jarileh Ky'ley, roughly translating into "Possesed One" in Durake dialect. His name was given to him because of his calm and reserved manner during anything but battle, when he would turn into a savage animal and rip apart his opponents with brutal effeciency. Jarileh was a rarity among the Durake for his thinking of the race as a whole rather than just himself and his obligation to the Mating Ritual.

Once the five years of learning was up and he had reached maturity, he was off on his own quickly, as was the Durake custom. He started working for the random factions of his home continent first, earning himself some spare coin, equipment, and reputation. There, he lasted ten years, and went to his first mating ritual. When he arrived, he was sorely disappointed what he saw, and what he was forced to confront.

The Mating Ritual was an obligation to their race, but that was it. There was no idle chatter, no sense of wonder or excitement. In fact, had he not seen the bodies with his own eyes, he would have guessed the island to be empty. His way of thinking led him to the fact that they couldn't live like this. They couldn't simply be brainless zombie killing machines. So, after several unsuccessful attempts to talk to some of them, and a couple of death threats from the more aggressive ones, he made a decision that would forever mark him as either a deserter, or a creator of ways.

He left the Mating Ritual, and his native land, and has not gone back since.

Over the course of his life, he has fought, killed, saved, and destroyed more people than any roving band of mercenaries, and his reputation grew to the level of underground. If you needed him, he was there, and when you didn't want him there, he was there. However, a pattern emerged over the years for those who frequently worked with him. He wasn't asking for money, equipment, or even supplies, he kept asking for favors. When asked to do a task, he would simply say; "I do this, you owe me a favor."

Why he is collecting favors, no one knows. It is worrying a few people, as they know he is usually not the most subtle of creatures among Emoria. A few have deemed it to suspicious, and have hired other mercenaries to either find out the reason he is being paid in favors, or kill him before he can collect. One way or another, no one knows, and he refuses to tell anyone about them.

Age: 29
Gender: Male
Occupation: Wandering Mercenary
Skills: Jarileh is accompanied by an assortment of skills that he has managed to hone over the years.

Linguistics: Jarileh has learned all but the most illusive languages in his short life due to a promise to himself to never let himself be counted out of the conversation.

Fighting Prowess: Jarileh is fluent with all close combat weapons. Things such as elemental magic and archery are not among his armory.

Poison-Tasting: A skill that all Durake are born with. Their forked tongue allows them to taste for poisons safely, but not ingest them.

Cultural Magic Red: As stated before, enhanced reflexes and strength along with several side effects/bonuses, such as enhanced situational awareness and increased temper.

Cultural Magic Blue: As stated before, the hardening of the skin along with several side effects/bonues such as clarity of thought, and serenity.

Swimming: Living on islands, a Durake has to be a good swimmer lest they be dragged out to sea and forever forgotten.

High metabolism/Healing rate: High metabolism means they can process foods and other chemicals in their body at twice the rate of a regular human's. The healing rate is accelerated as well, to about half the time it takes a human to heal. Due to these conditions, a Durake's natural life only reaches 55 on average, and they need to eat twice as often as other species in order to keep up with said metabolism.

World-space: The Durake derive from the Islands of Triarch. These islands are primarily volcanoes with little vegetation, but dense in volcanic-dwelling beasts. Ash often clouds the air and soil, and the only real liveable areas of the islands is near the coast where sparse trees and vegetation grow along with the small wildlife. The plants are nearly all poisonous, and the animals have parts in there that are lethal if ingested. The islands are hard to look upon, let alone live on, and kill off those who are not accustomed to the ways of the climate. It takes a special build to survive on these islands, with the heavy mix of ash and poisonous clouds from toxic plants that are disrupted. Barren, destructive, ugly, and home to the Durake.

Allies: TBA
Enemies: TBA
Religion/Deity(s): Geroth the Ritual Maker

If you guys have any problems/issues/cake then let me know.

Wow, that was awesome, Quaker. (Soo much for the pink squirrel monstrosities of DOOM, but its still good, xD)

Welcome aboard! Can't wait have Jean leave a bad impression on you. lol

I read through it, and I don't have any problems with anything. I encourage everyone to read through his sheet so that we don't encounter any problems we've already experienced.

Once you have a character icon and reverse signature, I will link your character sheet to the CS page in the Information thread. Welcome aboard, Quakernuts!

I've very much looking forward to running into a Durake or two at some point. If I get this straight, essentially, they don't have a worldspace, but just go everywhere taking mercenary contracts?

Badass.

I think that if we could all come to the agreement the running into a Durake in the course of our travels is rare, but not unheard of, that would be pretty cool.

Yeah, that sounds good to me. And they do have a world-space. The islands on the eastern edge of the new landmass. I believe he already marked it on the most recently posted map.

His race though comes from the other continent. Why how would they have gotten over to the main ones?

In answer to your question Raptor, ships mainly. They are strong swimmers, but not enough so to cross an ocean by such a means.

Why they would leave their own is mainly due to curiousity and the fact that many more races are present on your landmass, leading to more contracts and supplies.

That is something he will have to come up with. OR he can role play with someone who is currently on that land mass. -edit- Or what he said ^

I'll use this spot to mention that Silv and I will be out of town tomorrow while getting some free spa treatment: I'm talking sand and saltwater scrub down, some ocean wave relaxment, and some sunshine to warm up the soul. Otherwise known as the beach for your everyday average sand and surf excursion.

Quaker, Jarileh can always be working for a pirate crew..

:: shrugs ::

Welcome!

I am going to go ahead and assume that it is summer.

So, for my first post, it will have Summer/Month 1/Day 1 written on its top left corner, right under my portrait.

Dax

It is spring.

I know this for a fact because it was decided on the first page of the OOC thread

Hah, ok, thanks. I forgot about that.

It is spring, then! Awesome, I love spring. And Fall. In fact, I love those two seasons more so than winter and summer because it isn't too warm, nor too cold. It is also, I find, the most beautiful and wonderfully smelling seasons of them all!

Not sure why I said that... ok, sorry. I will go back to posting....

Glad I could help

And that was a rather funny rant thing. lol

Silly Dax.... I didn't remember that either.

@ Raptorman Yah, well, it happens. I rant alot in real life. I often speak to myself for no apparent reason. Especially when I am working, I speak to myself ALOT then. I guess I like the sound of my voice/need consant noise. Regardless. Oh wow... I am doing it again....

@ Silvone Apparently Dark lords have good memories... hmm...

That's why they are evil. They hold an eternal grudge that is never lessened by the passing of time.

Of course, why didn't I think of that... and I guess the good guys are just too stupid to remember anything which is why they are nice? They are simply clueless? No, wait...

Ok, now I am still posting here while I am supposed to be making an IC post... if I show my face here again before that IC post is up, you have a right to throw sand at me.

Kalon Ordona II wrote:What season is it? Spring?

Ryona Noel wrote:Since no one has stated otherwise, we'll go with yes, it is spring.

Here we go. Quotes from the first page.


I remember lots of things.

There, a short filler post.

Buzz, I do believe you forgot your Character Portrait icon at the beginning of your post.

Do I need a character icon thingy before I can post anything in the IC's?

You can start posting. Just make sure to tell Kalon you need one.