"Tell me the story again. Please Mamma, tell me the story!"

"Your mother is tired, child. You can do without for tonight.

"I am quite able to spare a few minutes for my little girl. Which story are you talking about, my love?

"The one about the queen and the high priestess! They don't tell it in the village like you do."

"Ugh, haven't you heard it enough times already? I think you must know it off by heart by now."

"Oh, please Mamma. Don't listen to Amy. Just one more time. Pretty please?"

A mother's soft sigh. A teenager rolled their eyes. A husband's bemused smile as he turned back to the fire.
"Okay then. Just once more..."

This land has always been a great place of wealth, peace and happiness. This kingdom was forged not on war and bloodshed like so many others, but on a truce and agreement between four clans. Two were left childless after a great war, and the last two, the Elmwood and Calhoun clans, were left with one son and one daughter respectively. Tired of bloodshed, they arranged that upon their deaths, the Elmwood's son and the Calhouns last daughter would be wed, and their combined lands left to them. In the years that followed, the two fell deeply in love anyway, and when the last of the Calhoun clan died, the newly-weds set out to forge a great kingdom in their ancestor's names. They controlled the land from the Great Western Sea to the highest mountains of the Aulay Mountains in the East, and all the forests and pastures and villages in between. The worked hard and gained favor with the people; by the end of their lives, they had forged a great kingdom unlike any other. The King and Queen were not chosen by any invisible force or divine right; the first King and Queen were chosen by the people for their pure hearts, strong minds and welcoming, obliging spirits.

Magic has always run deep in this landscape. It is evident if you were to pay attention to the world around you. Magic was born to improve the lives of others, meant only for those that would use it for the good of their neighbors, and never themselves. When this kingdom was born, those blessed with the gift of magic were not shunned. Even when I was your age, those open with their magic were treated with the utmost respect and welcome. Their gift was an equal mixture of learning and practice, but also with elements of the spiritual. They did not worship as such. They practiced good deeds, meditated in their temples, and continued to preform good deeds in the world. Eventually certain chosen ones became leaders of their local temple; those who had truly dedicated themselves to a life of magic and of charity to others. Young magicians would be taken if, if they wished, to be taught about their gifts and howAs time went on, an entire hierarchy developed, much like the royal court, with the High Priestess at the top. Men were free to climb to the very top of this structure, but they never made it to the end. Only those with the strongest gifts and the purest of souls could ascend.
Of course, as time went on, there were days of unrest, and days of conflict. In time those who chose to corrupt their gift of magic appeared as well. The few that used magic for their own gains, or to harm others, even to cause misery and destruction, but, like those that went before them, the rulers of this land were understanding. There were men with good in their hearts, and men with naught but evil in their souls. The Druids, Magicians, Witches, Warlocks, whatever they called us, were obviously no exception to this rule.

We will skip forward to a time a little before yours, my dear. Our King and Queen were quite happily married, and the kingdom was prospering more so than usual. It was a happy time for all; even the dogs on the street were enjoying themselves. However, a problem had arisen inside the court. The Queen had been an only child; her mother, the previous Queen, had suffered a tragic incident in which she lost a child and her ability to have any more. Now, after five years of a happy marriage, there was no sign of any heir to the throne. The King and Queen both wished to have children, to become parents as well as to secure their kingdom's future. Yet, there was nothing. There was no physician in the land who could figure out why they remained childless. It was simply a fact that despite their relative youth, they were a barren couple.
It was after receiving this news that Her Majesty went to see one of her dearest friends, who so happened to be the High Priestess at the time. She felt her friend's pain; she was the eldest daughter of her family, and yet was the only one not to have children to call her own. The Queen begged her friend to help her in any way possible, and after a while, she reluctantly agreed to attend a session of the royal court.

It was there that the High Priestess was to be quizzed on the options available to the royal couple. She brewed potions, cast spells to increase the chances of conception, tried every chant that she had at her disposal, and many more, to no avail. Out of desperation, the King suggested one final option. He is a learned man, His Majesty is, although it doesn't always seem like it. He had read once that it was within the power of a High Priestess to let another woman conceive a child directly through magic.
The High Priestess at first denied that it was at all true, but at seeing her dear friend in such a state, slowly admitted that it was true, but it was against her oath. No magic, not even that of a High Priestess, could create a life from nothing. It was upset the balance of life; a life would have be taken back, and as the High Priestess admitted, she did not know who it would be, and neither could she have any control over it. Still, they begged her and begged her until she gave into them.

At first, nothing happened. Nobody suddenly dropped dead, and as nine months passed, nothing could have gone better. A son, strong and healthy was born to them exactly nine months to the day when the Priestess cast the spell. However, as soon as the Prince was placed in her arms, the Queen had enough time to bless the child and name him, before she passed away with the smile on her lips.

The kingdom was plunged into a state of deep mourning. All but the royal family, and two or three of the court's most trusted advisors remained unaware of the spell. In the depths of his mourning, the King turned on the High Priestess. Despite her warnings, he blamed her for the death of his wife. Within a year of the death of his wife, the King announced that his wife had been murdered by the Priestess and her people. A conspiracy ensnared all those possessing magic; it became a crime to use magic. Temples were torn down. Shops ransacked. Books burned. By the time you were born, it was a capital punishment to be found possessing magic. It remains so to this day. They say that magic has died out now, and that the world is a better place without it. It is a dangerous weapon after all, and can easily corrupt those not ready for it.

"How do you know how she died?"

"What?"

"You said she died with a smile. How do you know that?"

Silence from the mother. The husband shifts uncomfortably.

"The King thought I valued my word to him more than I did the life of my wife."

It has been twenty years since the law was passed that saw magic outlawed, ten years since an incident that destroyed one section of the castle resulted in magic becoming a crime punishable by death. The king is resolute. Magic only destroys; a dark force that must be wiped out at all costs. The people who witnessed the days of magic and the work of the High Priestesses still remember them fondly. There isn't many that believe the story that the Queen was murdered, but nobody dares to step out of line. Defending one of magical blood has often led to the person sharing the same fate as the witch.
The children of the past twenty years have been told to fear magic. Magic leads to no good. Magicians passing through, the dwindling few oblivious to the strictest of all laws, have been arrested, or once or twice, lynched by the blood-thirsty and ignorant mob.
Despite the loss of magic, the kingdom has not suffered any major disasters. Corruption runs through the kingdom, but it is rarely obvious. Most of the populace remain happy; there is still enough food, water, wealth and land for all. As long as you are not one of them that is.

Over time, a grudge has developed in parts of the magical community, especially within the younger sect. They have been run from their homes, many forced to wander aimlessly or live in the dense forest or mountains in order to escape persecution. The High Priestess is believed to be alive, but her existence only adds to the bitterness of many; why does she sit and do nothing while her people suffer? Their numbers are few, and their resources are limited as of yet, but a force of young magicians is living in the forests that surround the capital city of Burgeness. Waiting and watching. Mingling occasionally with the people. Trying to win back not just their rights, but trying to take the kingdom for themselves and rebuilt a haven for all those of magical blood.
Many, including the High Priestess herself, believe that this will pass. The Prince has a good heart and a pure soul, and that one day, he will see reason, and restore all of his people to their rightful place. Letting this gaggle of youngsters wage war against the ordinary people will tip the balance against them once and for all. Their reputation as being evil and corrupt will be cemented, and magic will truly die out.

Invisible tensions are growing beneath the happy and peaceful exterior of the kingdom. War is heading towards the horizon at a frightening pace, and it is your decision that could swing the outcome.

CHARACTER CLASSES:

Characters in bold are characters that need to be filled. Other characters may be NPC ed at a later stage and their position here will serve simply as a reference.

Royal Household:

King:

Name || late 50's || username

Prince:

Name || Twenty || username

Knight:

Name || Late teens-early 30's || Onuwa

Knight:

Name || Late teens-early 30's || elidor495

Paige:

Name || Late teens-early 20's || username

Prince's Manservant:

Name || Early 20's|| username

Maid:

Name || Late teens-early 40's || username

Magicians:
[Magicians are not all the same. Magic expresses itself in different forms, and is affected by the natural strengths of the person wielding it.
Witches: Typically, not always female. All-rounders at magic, focusing on potion creation. May have ability to scry or gifts of precognition. Often trickers and delight in double meaning.
Warlocks: Typically, not always male. Offensive magic users, once used to help human soldiers in combat. May be gifted with increased healing capacity or mental communication. Tend to be stubborn and a little hot-headed.
Druids: Defensive magic users, although powerful offensive if provoked. Specializing in healing and nature spells. Magic is inherited, and so druids tend to stay in large family groups. Records have shown that some Druids are mind-readers and can communicate solely through thought.
Priest/Priestess: A rank attained by much training and studying. Priests are powerful all-round magic users, who have gained the ability to weave their own spells. They are not found amongst the new generation of magicians, many of whom have not had the time to complete the arduous study needed to become a Priest. They tend to remain isolated and alone, or if pushed, may group together in groups of two or three. May have abilities of all of the above.

Pro-Magic:
[more spaces/variety/ranks can be added!]

Leader:

Name || Late teens - mid 20s || Warlock || username

Lieutenant:

Amelia Smith || Nineteen || Witch || Saint Crash

Witch:

Name || Late teens - mid 20s || Witch || username

Warlock:

Name || Late teens - mid 20s || Warlock || username

Priest[ess]

Name || Mid 20s - early 40s || Priest[ess] || username

Pro-Human:
[more spaces/variety/ranks can be added!]

Witch:

Name || Late teens - mid 40s || Witch || username

Warlock:

Name || Late teens - mid 40s || Warlock || username

Priest[ess]

Name || Mid 20s - early 40s || Priest[ess] || username

Character Profile

Code: Select all

[b]Full Name:[/b]

[b]Age:[/b] (Let's keep it within the 17+ range. Please choose your age carefully, as I will be critical on how you portray it...)

[b]Gender:[/b]

[b]Appearance:[/b] (both an image and a written description would be great, but if you could only do one, I would prefer the written description, a good paragraph at least. Oh, and try to keep hair color and eye color realistic. I'm not going to buy that your character has naturally blue hair and purple eyes that change color according to mood.

[b]Allegiance:[/b] (Who's side are you on?)

[b]Strengths:[/b] (If your character is good at something, put it here. Any knowledge of weapon use would go here too.)

[b]Weaknesses:[/b] (Same with the strength. Average human weaknesses go here. Put in your character's fears, physical limitations, etc. What would break your character?)

[b]Personality:[/b] (Go all out. I want to know exactly what this person is like, how they tick, etc. Give me a good two paragraphs, at least.)

[b]Likes:[/b] (Pretty straight forward)

[b]Dislikes:[/b]

[b]Bio:[/b] (Another favorite. Go all out on this one too. Let me know where your character is coming from. Elaborate on familial relationships. Are their parents magical as well? Or do they have normal human parents? Anything else?)

[b]Other:[/b] (If there is anything else you want to add, put it here.)