-Plot-
In the land of Alagaësia there seems to be an evil... King Galbatorix's rise to power has put many of the countries, and small towns, into a chaos. Food supply cut short in some places, villages mysteriously burnt down or disappear from the map. The population reduces by a fourth. Things just don't look so bright in the land of Alagaësia anymore.
Du Weldenvarden, however, is the forest located in the north of Alagaësia. After King Galbatorix slaughtered the last of the Riders, the elves fled to this forest where they have resided since then. Many cities exist in the forest, including the Elvin capital, Ellesméra. Enchanted by the singing of the elves, these woods, along with their woodland habitants, grow comparably larger than normal trees in Alagaësia. Du Weldenvarden is ruled by the Elvin queen, Islanzadi.
-Towns of Alagaësia-
Boer Mountains
The Boer Mountains are the tallest mountains in Alagaësia, being over ten miles high (nearly twice as tall as Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth). They are located southeast of the Empire, on the side of the Hadaka Desert opposite of it. The Boers are steep, have vegetation only at their bases, and feature an almost maze-like network of valleys and crevices. Beneath these mountains the dwarves have one of their cities, the giant Trondheim, which is located in Farthen Dûr, the largest mountain of Alagaësia.
The region has five species unique to it. Among them are Feldûnost, large goats that the dwarves use for steeds; Beorn, enormous bears for which the elves named the range; Nagra, gigantic boars which the dwarves consider to be a delicious dish, though they are rarely hunted; Fanghur, which resemble dragons, though they are thinner, more agile, and a muddy green color, who use a telepathic shriek to immobilize prey; and Shirr, a gigantic wolf swift enough to catch a Feldûnost and strong enough to kill a Nagra. Of these, all but the Fanghur are stated or suggested to be dragons' prey.
The Spine
Inside the Empire, the Spine runs beside or on the entire western coast of Alagaësia. Although Galbatorix has de facto ownership, he cannot truly call it his own, having mysteriously lost half of his army there. Very few people travel through the Spine, as very few survive. Most of Alagaësia and the Empire lie east of the Spine. Three main port cities of the Empire exist west of it: Teirm, Kuasta, and Narda. Teirm is the one most accessible to the rest of the Empire, as the Toark River runs from it through a valley in the Spine and the Woodlark Lake to Leona Lake. Narda is north of Teirm, and other than going through the Spine the only way to get to it by land it is to follow the Toark to Teirm and then turn north. Kuasta is isolated from the rest of the Empire entirely by the Spine and the sea. Mountains lie to the north, south, and east of Kuasta, and the sea lies to the west. Because of its isolation, the people of Kuasta have strange customs and superstitions, such as tapping a doorway three times every time they enter and exit a room.
Du Weldenvarden
Du Weldenvarden is the forest located in the north of Alagaësia. After King Galbatorix slaughtered the last of the Riders, the elves fled to this forest where they have stayed since. Many cities exist in the forest, including the Elvin capital, Ellesméra. Enchanted by the singing of the elves, these woods, along with their woodland habitants, grow comparably larger than normal trees in Alagaësia. Du Weldenvarden is ruled by the Elvin queen, Islanzadi.
The Empire
The term "Empire" collectively refers to the power dominating Alagaësia in the Inheritance cycle. In the time period of the events of the Inheritance cycle, the Empire is in control of all Alagaësia except for the Elvin-controlled Du Weldenvarden, the Dwarves-controlled Boer Mountains, the uninhabitable Hadaka Desert, and the independent nation of Surda.
Hadaka Desert
The Hadaka Desert is located in the heart of Alagaësia.
The Empire effectively ends at the Hadaka Desert; without the Dragon Riders, it is simply too difficult to maintain a government over the vast tract of desolate earth. In fact, the desert is one of the few things that prevent the king from expanding the Empire to include all of eastern Alagaësia. The Hadaka Desert is the ancestral land of the dragons. Currently, no human lives in the desert besides nomads, a few roaming slavers, and bandits who prey on weary travelers in the area.
Surda
Surda is a small country in the continent of Alagaësia. Created roughly a century before the story of Eragon, Surda shares the southwest border of The Empire; it is south of the Brooding Kingdom, from which Galbatorix rules his ever growing empire.
Surda escaped being annexed into the Empire by seeming harmless to Galbatorix. During the past century, Surda has been using up its resources secretly conducting guerrilla warfare with the Empire and supporting the Varden, a rebel organization created to destroy Galbatorix. Because of the disparity between the power of the Empire and that of Surda, the smaller country remains officially neutral, not daring to openly confront the Empire until the second book of the series. The Surdan king at the time of Eragon is Orrin, son of Larkin, who is well trained in battle even though he initially lacks experience and is given to studying chemistry and physics rather than military strategy. King Orrin rules Surda from the Borromeo Castle at Aberon, the capital of Surda. Borromeo Castle is situated on a high bluff, giving its inhabitants and guards excellent views of the surrounding area. Such views serve as a security measure for the castle's safety. The ballista mounted on Borromeo's battlements (as well as the towers circling Aberon) were especially designed to shoot down approaching dragons, a precautionary measure no doubt installed to fight the Thirteen Forsworn and Galbatorix himself.
Alalëa
Alalëa is a land outside of Alagaësia, from which the elves first came. Little is known about it. It may also be the origin of the Urgals.
South of the Boer Mountains is an ocean, where Dwarves divers are known to have found coral. This discovery has enforced the Dwarves' belief that they were created out of stone. This has created an argument between them and the elves, who say that coral is actually an exoskeleton of minuscule life-forms that somehow cause it to grow. The dwarves, in turn, argue that all stones contain life, but that only their own priests (presumably because of their training) are able to detect it when it is present in terrestrial stone.
-Inhabitants of Alagaësia-
Alagaësia inhabitants include Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and Dragons, although the Dragons are on the verge of extinction. There are also a number of creatures whose origins are hidden and are not understood, such as the Ra'zac. There are also societies that have existed or do exist that deserve recognition, such as the Varden, the Dragon Riders, the Grey Folk, and the Forsworn.
Humans
Humans seem to populate most of the known world of Alagaësía, though they came from across the sea relatively recently. A group of twenty humans came to Alagaësía three hundred years after the formation of the Dragon Riders. They landed in Surda from lands far south of Alagaёsía. The humans began adapting to this new place they had found, and lived in peace. Here they first learned of the existence of Dwarves, with whom they frequently traded with for a few years before they left for isolation. The warriors went northwest and began to settle in an area of isolated land for two thousand years. After two thousand years or so, King Palancar, the current king of the humans from whence the warriors came, arrived in Alagaësia. He and his followers arrived in a valley which was later named after him. Palancar, desiring to expand his boundaries, fought against the Elves three times, and lost.
A group of lords brought a treaty before the Elves, requesting peace without Palancar's knowledge. Palancar was usurped and banished, but he, his family, and his vassals refused to leave the Valley. To prevent Palancar from attacking anyone or rising to power, the Riders constructed the watchtower Edoc'sil (later known as Ristvak'baen) on Utgard Mountain, to watch over Palancar. Eventually, one of Palancar's sons killed his father and usurped the throne. This led to assassination, betrayal, and other such things in Palancar's house, reducing Palancar's once mighty state into a mere shadow of its old self. Anurin, leader of the Elvin Dragon Riders, suggested that human Riders be initiated so as to watch and protect human governments, a choice that was very unpopular and led to a huge argument between him and the Elvish Queen Delanie. Anurin separated the Riders from the elvish government and moved to Vroengard. They could not watch and protect the governments; therefore their purpose waned, until Queen Delanie saw wisdom in letting the Riders be free of any government, and allowed them back into Du Weldenvarden. However, this choice did not please her, as now the Riders' power was greater than her own, and therefore no one could watch the watchers, as the Elves used to do. This negligence is said to have led to the eventual downfall of the Riders (known as The Fall) at the hands of now-king Galbatorix.
Humans make up a part of the Varden, an alliance of men and dwarves who resist Galbatorix's rule. Surda is a human kingdom that aids the Varden but is threatened by Galbatorix's empire.
Elves
The Elvin race dates back to ancient times, when they existed with other creatures that were bound to the land. Their appearance is that of a fair, smooth-faced human with pointed ears, pale skin, slanted eyes, thin brows, and refined facial features. The Elves are usually thin, but have muscular, strong bodies. Unlike the other races introduced so far, Elves use magic freely, often to transform their own bodies to their liking. The Elves love song and revelry.
The ancestors of the elves came on silver ships from a land they called Alalëa and settled in Alagaësía. It is rumored that Teirm is where they first landed in Alagaësía. Nowadays, they have withdrawn to the forests in hopes of distancing themselves from Galbatorix. The Elves are led by Queen Islanzadí Dröttning, who was married to Evander and succeeded Queen Delanie. Islanzadí became Queen after her mate, Evander, was killed in the Elves' last stand against Galbatorix in Ilirea. Should Islanzadí die, her daughter Aria will become queen, unless she declines in favor of another.
The elves' natural abilities are said to be immense, to the point that even the weakest, untrained elf could defeat a well-trained human in a battle of swordsmanship. At one point in their history, the Elves once had a horrible misunderstanding with the dragons which led to a massive war. Once a young elf decided to track down and kill a dragon as sport. The dragons retaliated aggressively and a war was started. The two races eventually were able to settle their disputes with the help of an Elf called Eragon (the main character's namesake), who had raised a white dragon hatchling and, in doing so, became the first Dragon Rider. To ensure that there would be no more wars between them, the Elves and Dragons gathered at Ilirea to magically join their races together. The Elves provided the structure, the Dragons the power necessary, and the souls of Elves and Dragons melded together. The Dragons received the trappings of language and other things of civilization, and therefore became less ferocious. The Elves obtained great strength and grace, as well as greater ability to work magic. This bond resulted in the Dragon Riders, who were originally diplomats, but gained authority as their power was recognized by all. The Elfish lifespan increased, until they came to consider themselves immortal. Their skill as magicians took the form of song, wherein their voices became a tool of shaping. As a result, all their tools, including their houses, were soon sung out of the source material.
Before the fall of the Riders, the Elves had many great cities not only located in Du Weldenvarden, but all over the continent; places taken over by Galbatorix during the fall.
It is said they loved the seas more than anything and probably had many cities among the coast. Ellesméra is the Elfish capital city after The Fall, and is located in the heart of Du Weldenvarden. It is protected by arcane barriers that make it impossible to send any item or thought to Du Weldenvarden by magical means - it is unknown if these barriers prevent anything else. To enter Ellesméra, you must pass the Gatekeeper, Gilderean the Wise or it is impossible to enter. He has existed since the Dragon War with the Elves, and is the wielder of the white flames of Vandil and is Prince of the House Miolandra. It is known that the typical Elfish greeting is touching your middle and index finger to your lips and saying a certain response in the Ancient Language.
The traditional greeting is:
Atra esterní ono thelduin.
Mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr.
Un du evarínya ono varda.
This translates as
May good fortune rule over you.
And peace live in your heart.
May the stars watch over you.
Because they speak in this language, the Elves are unable to lie, though they can conceal the truth or imply one thing while meaning something else. In conversation, the person of lesser status speaks first, the one of higher status second. If one is unsure which person's status is higher, one waits for the other to speak, and if he/she does not, one may speak. A higher ranked person may also speak first if they wish to honor a subordinate.
The Elves are known as the "Fair Folk"; their greatest weakness is their vanity. They often use magic to change their appearance to better suit who they really are. The Elves have used their exceptionally powerful magical abilities to create their homes in the forests of Du Weldenvarden by melding the trees and plants in various ways to create a living area. All Elves are vegans, because they value life very highly and they sing their weapons and tools from the trees and plants - using magic to send energy into them and give them certain attributes.
Dwarves
The Dwarves first lived in the Hadaka Desert, when it was a plain. When it transformed into a desert, they migrated to the Boer Mountains, reputedly eight millennia ago. They are short and stocky humanoids with long, dense hair, and have seven toes on each foot. The Dwarves have long lives, but are not immortal. They are polytheistic and devout.
According to the Dwarves’ religion, Günter, King of the Gods, is a warrior and a scholar, but is moody, so they offer sacrifices to please him. They worship him because he used the bones of a giant to create the land. It is said he was born to a she-wolf at the dawn of the stars, battled giants and monsters for a place for his kin in Alagaësia, and then married Kilf, the goddess of water.
Urur is the master of the Heavens and the air, and his brother is the god of fire, Morgothal. The brothers loved each other so much that they could not separate - hence the sun and the stars, and the dependence of fire on oxygen.
In the Dwarves' religion, Sindri is the mother of the earth, and Helzvog is the favorite of the Dwarves' gods. After the giants were eradicated, Helzvog believed that Alagaësia should be populated, and though the other gods disagreed, he secretly created the first Dwarf from the roots of the mountains. Learning of this, the gods created various other things: Sindri created Humans from the soil, and Urur and Morgothal created Dragons. Günter created the Elves, and thus the races entered the world.
The Dwarves' burial rituals say that all Dwarves must be buried in stone; otherwise, so they believe, their spirits will never join Helzvog in his stone halls. If one does not complete the ritual by joining the dead dwarf with stone, they will be banished from their clan and never spoken of till their deaths.
Dwarves and dragons did not coexist easily. Before the Dragon Riders were established, Dragons made a habit of stealing gold from the Dwarves and eating their livestock, causing tension between the two races. As a result, the dwarves refused to be included in the pact between the elves and the dragons; thus, there were never Dwarves Dragon Riders.
The Dwarves are split into thirteen clans. As well as a King who rules over all the Dwarves, there are thirteen Clan Chiefs who elect the new king when the old one dies.
In the course of 8,000 years, there have been 42 Kings, the first being Korgan and the forty-second being Hrothgar, a prominent Dwarf in Inheritance; assuming the monarchy was never interrupted, this apparently means dwarves live for 200 years at least. Volund, the hammer of Korgan, first of the Dwarf Kings, is wielded by the current Dwarf King. In Inheritance, they were led by King Hrothgar before he was killed by Murtagh, as were four other Dwarves magicians who were drained of their life in an attempt to save their King.
The Dwarves are possibly the finest smiths, rivaled only by the Elves. In Inheritance, it is said that Orthiad, one of the Dwarves' abandoned cities, had been the capital Dwarves city before Tronjheim was created in Farthen Dûr. Tronjheim is so large it can house the entire Dwarf nation if facing emergencies, which has happened three times. They have created many marvels, including iron fists, ascudgamln, for which they embed metal studs into one's knuckles and attach spikes to them.
The Dwarves have a form of magic that can be fused with their creations. Humans use the form of rune writing which the Dwarves invented. The Dwarves ally and secretly house the Varden, giving them much aid. They, along with the Elves, have pledged their support to the Varden, and have sworn that when needed, they will march against Galbatorix.
Dragons
Dragons have lived in Alagaësía since ancient times. The skin of a Dragon is nearly impenetrable, though the thin membrane of their wings can be pierced. Their scales glitter like gems. They have eye color identical to that of their scales, and their teeth and neck spikes are usually white. The Dragons start to breathe flame when they are five to six months old. The flames most often share the color of the dragon's scales; some can impressively hold the flame for minutes. They never stop growing until their deaths, making them very large creatures.
Since the Dragons are physically bound to the land, they possess magical properties. They cannot voluntarily use their magic, except for their fire. After the creation of their bond with Elves (and later humans), they gained such things as articulate language and a more calm way of thought. The dragons and riders have a special bond such that they begin to think with one mind, sharing senses and emotions. The dragons will only hatch when someone they deem good enough to be their rider touches the egg, due to an enchantment.
Shades
Shades are sorcerers possessed by demonic spirits; a possession that occurs when a sorcerer allows a spirit to possess them for greater magical strength, or if a sorcerer summons a spirit too powerful for them to control, and the spirit takes possession of them. This creates the Shade; an immensely powerful and diabolically evil magician. All Shades are sorcerers, in that they use the strengths of spirits in order to accomplish magical tasks; but a sorcerer controls the spirits he uses, whereas a Shade controls neither the spirits nor his actions. A Shade can only be killed by penetration of the heart; in any other case, it will vanish and later by resurrected. Only three beings have ever succeeded in destroying one and remaining sane and/or alive.
-Rules-
1. Don’t god-mod. I, nor does anyone else, like it.
2. I’m looking for literate to semi-literate role-players.
3. Usually I’d require you to use real images, but for this one, use anime.
4. There’s no need to ask to reserve spots.
5. Post at least twice or more a day.
6. If you’re going to join, be active.
7. Tell me if you’re going to be inactive for a while.
8. Have fun, this is my number one rule.
-Character Sheet-
Name: [first, last]
Age: [15+]
Gender: [male, female]
Appearance: [picture if you can; anime]
Personality: [paragraph or more]
History: [two paragraphs or more]
Town in Alagaësía you reside in: [chose only one]
Species: [Elvin, dwarf, human…]
Weapons: [no modern weapons]
Armor: [what kind of armor do you wear; opt.]
Extra: [additional information]
Name: Aria Gored
Age: 19
Gender: Female
Appearance:
Personality: Aria is beautiful, charming, and graceful. She has a beautiful smile that could just about get her anything she wanted. She's very gentle and kind. Aria doesn't really take her title to brag to. Aria is strong and brave-not afraid of anything. She will be the one to jump in front of an arrow if it's aimed towards someone she cared for and loved. She is shy and calm, but once you get to know her, she's talkative and fun. She loves to walk through the forest to clear her mind.
History: Aria was born to Queen Delanie and King Evander. Her father was murdered shortly after her birth. Aria grew up, learning all about becoming royality and prepairing for the future. Secretly, she is training and hopes one day to go into battle. Aria is close to her mother and all the other Elvin people. She is usually seen wondering around the forest, dressed in beautiful, casual dresses. Although, sometimes, she wears her good dresses. Aria will become princess once after her mother, Delanie, died. Aria is a little nervous in taking over the throne, but she believes that she can handle it. After all, how hard is it to rule over a tiny kingdom?
Town in Alagaësía you reside in: Du Weldenvarden
Species: Elf (Princess)
Weapons: None
Armor: None
Extra: She’s the only daughter of Queen Delanie, and when her mother dies, she will take the throne.
In the land of Alagaësia there seems to be an evil... King Galbatorix's rise to power has put many of the countries, and small towns, into a chaos. Food supply cut short in some places, villages mysteriously burnt down or disappear from the map. The population reduces by a fourth. Things just don't look so bright in the land of Alagaësia anymore.
Du Weldenvarden, however, is the forest located in the north of Alagaësia. After King Galbatorix slaughtered the last of the Riders, the elves fled to this forest where they have resided since then. Many cities exist in the forest, including the Elvin capital, Ellesméra. Enchanted by the singing of the elves, these woods, along with their woodland habitants, grow comparably larger than normal trees in Alagaësia. Du Weldenvarden is ruled by the Elvin queen, Islanzadi.
-Towns of Alagaësia-
Boer Mountains
The Boer Mountains are the tallest mountains in Alagaësia, being over ten miles high (nearly twice as tall as Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth). They are located southeast of the Empire, on the side of the Hadaka Desert opposite of it. The Boers are steep, have vegetation only at their bases, and feature an almost maze-like network of valleys and crevices. Beneath these mountains the dwarves have one of their cities, the giant Trondheim, which is located in Farthen Dûr, the largest mountain of Alagaësia.
The region has five species unique to it. Among them are Feldûnost, large goats that the dwarves use for steeds; Beorn, enormous bears for which the elves named the range; Nagra, gigantic boars which the dwarves consider to be a delicious dish, though they are rarely hunted; Fanghur, which resemble dragons, though they are thinner, more agile, and a muddy green color, who use a telepathic shriek to immobilize prey; and Shirr, a gigantic wolf swift enough to catch a Feldûnost and strong enough to kill a Nagra. Of these, all but the Fanghur are stated or suggested to be dragons' prey.
The Spine
Inside the Empire, the Spine runs beside or on the entire western coast of Alagaësia. Although Galbatorix has de facto ownership, he cannot truly call it his own, having mysteriously lost half of his army there. Very few people travel through the Spine, as very few survive. Most of Alagaësia and the Empire lie east of the Spine. Three main port cities of the Empire exist west of it: Teirm, Kuasta, and Narda. Teirm is the one most accessible to the rest of the Empire, as the Toark River runs from it through a valley in the Spine and the Woodlark Lake to Leona Lake. Narda is north of Teirm, and other than going through the Spine the only way to get to it by land it is to follow the Toark to Teirm and then turn north. Kuasta is isolated from the rest of the Empire entirely by the Spine and the sea. Mountains lie to the north, south, and east of Kuasta, and the sea lies to the west. Because of its isolation, the people of Kuasta have strange customs and superstitions, such as tapping a doorway three times every time they enter and exit a room.
Du Weldenvarden
Du Weldenvarden is the forest located in the north of Alagaësia. After King Galbatorix slaughtered the last of the Riders, the elves fled to this forest where they have stayed since. Many cities exist in the forest, including the Elvin capital, Ellesméra. Enchanted by the singing of the elves, these woods, along with their woodland habitants, grow comparably larger than normal trees in Alagaësia. Du Weldenvarden is ruled by the Elvin queen, Islanzadi.
The Empire
The term "Empire" collectively refers to the power dominating Alagaësia in the Inheritance cycle. In the time period of the events of the Inheritance cycle, the Empire is in control of all Alagaësia except for the Elvin-controlled Du Weldenvarden, the Dwarves-controlled Boer Mountains, the uninhabitable Hadaka Desert, and the independent nation of Surda.
Hadaka Desert
The Hadaka Desert is located in the heart of Alagaësia.
The Empire effectively ends at the Hadaka Desert; without the Dragon Riders, it is simply too difficult to maintain a government over the vast tract of desolate earth. In fact, the desert is one of the few things that prevent the king from expanding the Empire to include all of eastern Alagaësia. The Hadaka Desert is the ancestral land of the dragons. Currently, no human lives in the desert besides nomads, a few roaming slavers, and bandits who prey on weary travelers in the area.
Surda
Surda is a small country in the continent of Alagaësia. Created roughly a century before the story of Eragon, Surda shares the southwest border of The Empire; it is south of the Brooding Kingdom, from which Galbatorix rules his ever growing empire.
Surda escaped being annexed into the Empire by seeming harmless to Galbatorix. During the past century, Surda has been using up its resources secretly conducting guerrilla warfare with the Empire and supporting the Varden, a rebel organization created to destroy Galbatorix. Because of the disparity between the power of the Empire and that of Surda, the smaller country remains officially neutral, not daring to openly confront the Empire until the second book of the series. The Surdan king at the time of Eragon is Orrin, son of Larkin, who is well trained in battle even though he initially lacks experience and is given to studying chemistry and physics rather than military strategy. King Orrin rules Surda from the Borromeo Castle at Aberon, the capital of Surda. Borromeo Castle is situated on a high bluff, giving its inhabitants and guards excellent views of the surrounding area. Such views serve as a security measure for the castle's safety. The ballista mounted on Borromeo's battlements (as well as the towers circling Aberon) were especially designed to shoot down approaching dragons, a precautionary measure no doubt installed to fight the Thirteen Forsworn and Galbatorix himself.
Alalëa
Alalëa is a land outside of Alagaësia, from which the elves first came. Little is known about it. It may also be the origin of the Urgals.
South of the Boer Mountains is an ocean, where Dwarves divers are known to have found coral. This discovery has enforced the Dwarves' belief that they were created out of stone. This has created an argument between them and the elves, who say that coral is actually an exoskeleton of minuscule life-forms that somehow cause it to grow. The dwarves, in turn, argue that all stones contain life, but that only their own priests (presumably because of their training) are able to detect it when it is present in terrestrial stone.
-Inhabitants of Alagaësia-
Alagaësia inhabitants include Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and Dragons, although the Dragons are on the verge of extinction. There are also a number of creatures whose origins are hidden and are not understood, such as the Ra'zac. There are also societies that have existed or do exist that deserve recognition, such as the Varden, the Dragon Riders, the Grey Folk, and the Forsworn.
Humans
Humans seem to populate most of the known world of Alagaësía, though they came from across the sea relatively recently. A group of twenty humans came to Alagaësía three hundred years after the formation of the Dragon Riders. They landed in Surda from lands far south of Alagaёsía. The humans began adapting to this new place they had found, and lived in peace. Here they first learned of the existence of Dwarves, with whom they frequently traded with for a few years before they left for isolation. The warriors went northwest and began to settle in an area of isolated land for two thousand years. After two thousand years or so, King Palancar, the current king of the humans from whence the warriors came, arrived in Alagaësia. He and his followers arrived in a valley which was later named after him. Palancar, desiring to expand his boundaries, fought against the Elves three times, and lost.
A group of lords brought a treaty before the Elves, requesting peace without Palancar's knowledge. Palancar was usurped and banished, but he, his family, and his vassals refused to leave the Valley. To prevent Palancar from attacking anyone or rising to power, the Riders constructed the watchtower Edoc'sil (later known as Ristvak'baen) on Utgard Mountain, to watch over Palancar. Eventually, one of Palancar's sons killed his father and usurped the throne. This led to assassination, betrayal, and other such things in Palancar's house, reducing Palancar's once mighty state into a mere shadow of its old self. Anurin, leader of the Elvin Dragon Riders, suggested that human Riders be initiated so as to watch and protect human governments, a choice that was very unpopular and led to a huge argument between him and the Elvish Queen Delanie. Anurin separated the Riders from the elvish government and moved to Vroengard. They could not watch and protect the governments; therefore their purpose waned, until Queen Delanie saw wisdom in letting the Riders be free of any government, and allowed them back into Du Weldenvarden. However, this choice did not please her, as now the Riders' power was greater than her own, and therefore no one could watch the watchers, as the Elves used to do. This negligence is said to have led to the eventual downfall of the Riders (known as The Fall) at the hands of now-king Galbatorix.
Humans make up a part of the Varden, an alliance of men and dwarves who resist Galbatorix's rule. Surda is a human kingdom that aids the Varden but is threatened by Galbatorix's empire.
Elves
The Elvin race dates back to ancient times, when they existed with other creatures that were bound to the land. Their appearance is that of a fair, smooth-faced human with pointed ears, pale skin, slanted eyes, thin brows, and refined facial features. The Elves are usually thin, but have muscular, strong bodies. Unlike the other races introduced so far, Elves use magic freely, often to transform their own bodies to their liking. The Elves love song and revelry.
The ancestors of the elves came on silver ships from a land they called Alalëa and settled in Alagaësía. It is rumored that Teirm is where they first landed in Alagaësía. Nowadays, they have withdrawn to the forests in hopes of distancing themselves from Galbatorix. The Elves are led by Queen Islanzadí Dröttning, who was married to Evander and succeeded Queen Delanie. Islanzadí became Queen after her mate, Evander, was killed in the Elves' last stand against Galbatorix in Ilirea. Should Islanzadí die, her daughter Aria will become queen, unless she declines in favor of another.
The elves' natural abilities are said to be immense, to the point that even the weakest, untrained elf could defeat a well-trained human in a battle of swordsmanship. At one point in their history, the Elves once had a horrible misunderstanding with the dragons which led to a massive war. Once a young elf decided to track down and kill a dragon as sport. The dragons retaliated aggressively and a war was started. The two races eventually were able to settle their disputes with the help of an Elf called Eragon (the main character's namesake), who had raised a white dragon hatchling and, in doing so, became the first Dragon Rider. To ensure that there would be no more wars between them, the Elves and Dragons gathered at Ilirea to magically join their races together. The Elves provided the structure, the Dragons the power necessary, and the souls of Elves and Dragons melded together. The Dragons received the trappings of language and other things of civilization, and therefore became less ferocious. The Elves obtained great strength and grace, as well as greater ability to work magic. This bond resulted in the Dragon Riders, who were originally diplomats, but gained authority as their power was recognized by all. The Elfish lifespan increased, until they came to consider themselves immortal. Their skill as magicians took the form of song, wherein their voices became a tool of shaping. As a result, all their tools, including their houses, were soon sung out of the source material.
Before the fall of the Riders, the Elves had many great cities not only located in Du Weldenvarden, but all over the continent; places taken over by Galbatorix during the fall.
It is said they loved the seas more than anything and probably had many cities among the coast. Ellesméra is the Elfish capital city after The Fall, and is located in the heart of Du Weldenvarden. It is protected by arcane barriers that make it impossible to send any item or thought to Du Weldenvarden by magical means - it is unknown if these barriers prevent anything else. To enter Ellesméra, you must pass the Gatekeeper, Gilderean the Wise or it is impossible to enter. He has existed since the Dragon War with the Elves, and is the wielder of the white flames of Vandil and is Prince of the House Miolandra. It is known that the typical Elfish greeting is touching your middle and index finger to your lips and saying a certain response in the Ancient Language.
The traditional greeting is:
Atra esterní ono thelduin.
Mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr.
Un du evarínya ono varda.
This translates as
May good fortune rule over you.
And peace live in your heart.
May the stars watch over you.
Because they speak in this language, the Elves are unable to lie, though they can conceal the truth or imply one thing while meaning something else. In conversation, the person of lesser status speaks first, the one of higher status second. If one is unsure which person's status is higher, one waits for the other to speak, and if he/she does not, one may speak. A higher ranked person may also speak first if they wish to honor a subordinate.
The Elves are known as the "Fair Folk"; their greatest weakness is their vanity. They often use magic to change their appearance to better suit who they really are. The Elves have used their exceptionally powerful magical abilities to create their homes in the forests of Du Weldenvarden by melding the trees and plants in various ways to create a living area. All Elves are vegans, because they value life very highly and they sing their weapons and tools from the trees and plants - using magic to send energy into them and give them certain attributes.
Dwarves
The Dwarves first lived in the Hadaka Desert, when it was a plain. When it transformed into a desert, they migrated to the Boer Mountains, reputedly eight millennia ago. They are short and stocky humanoids with long, dense hair, and have seven toes on each foot. The Dwarves have long lives, but are not immortal. They are polytheistic and devout.
According to the Dwarves’ religion, Günter, King of the Gods, is a warrior and a scholar, but is moody, so they offer sacrifices to please him. They worship him because he used the bones of a giant to create the land. It is said he was born to a she-wolf at the dawn of the stars, battled giants and monsters for a place for his kin in Alagaësia, and then married Kilf, the goddess of water.
Urur is the master of the Heavens and the air, and his brother is the god of fire, Morgothal. The brothers loved each other so much that they could not separate - hence the sun and the stars, and the dependence of fire on oxygen.
In the Dwarves' religion, Sindri is the mother of the earth, and Helzvog is the favorite of the Dwarves' gods. After the giants were eradicated, Helzvog believed that Alagaësia should be populated, and though the other gods disagreed, he secretly created the first Dwarf from the roots of the mountains. Learning of this, the gods created various other things: Sindri created Humans from the soil, and Urur and Morgothal created Dragons. Günter created the Elves, and thus the races entered the world.
The Dwarves' burial rituals say that all Dwarves must be buried in stone; otherwise, so they believe, their spirits will never join Helzvog in his stone halls. If one does not complete the ritual by joining the dead dwarf with stone, they will be banished from their clan and never spoken of till their deaths.
Dwarves and dragons did not coexist easily. Before the Dragon Riders were established, Dragons made a habit of stealing gold from the Dwarves and eating their livestock, causing tension between the two races. As a result, the dwarves refused to be included in the pact between the elves and the dragons; thus, there were never Dwarves Dragon Riders.
The Dwarves are split into thirteen clans. As well as a King who rules over all the Dwarves, there are thirteen Clan Chiefs who elect the new king when the old one dies.
In the course of 8,000 years, there have been 42 Kings, the first being Korgan and the forty-second being Hrothgar, a prominent Dwarf in Inheritance; assuming the monarchy was never interrupted, this apparently means dwarves live for 200 years at least. Volund, the hammer of Korgan, first of the Dwarf Kings, is wielded by the current Dwarf King. In Inheritance, they were led by King Hrothgar before he was killed by Murtagh, as were four other Dwarves magicians who were drained of their life in an attempt to save their King.
The Dwarves are possibly the finest smiths, rivaled only by the Elves. In Inheritance, it is said that Orthiad, one of the Dwarves' abandoned cities, had been the capital Dwarves city before Tronjheim was created in Farthen Dûr. Tronjheim is so large it can house the entire Dwarf nation if facing emergencies, which has happened three times. They have created many marvels, including iron fists, ascudgamln, for which they embed metal studs into one's knuckles and attach spikes to them.
The Dwarves have a form of magic that can be fused with their creations. Humans use the form of rune writing which the Dwarves invented. The Dwarves ally and secretly house the Varden, giving them much aid. They, along with the Elves, have pledged their support to the Varden, and have sworn that when needed, they will march against Galbatorix.
Dragons
Dragons have lived in Alagaësía since ancient times. The skin of a Dragon is nearly impenetrable, though the thin membrane of their wings can be pierced. Their scales glitter like gems. They have eye color identical to that of their scales, and their teeth and neck spikes are usually white. The Dragons start to breathe flame when they are five to six months old. The flames most often share the color of the dragon's scales; some can impressively hold the flame for minutes. They never stop growing until their deaths, making them very large creatures.
Since the Dragons are physically bound to the land, they possess magical properties. They cannot voluntarily use their magic, except for their fire. After the creation of their bond with Elves (and later humans), they gained such things as articulate language and a more calm way of thought. The dragons and riders have a special bond such that they begin to think with one mind, sharing senses and emotions. The dragons will only hatch when someone they deem good enough to be their rider touches the egg, due to an enchantment.
Shades
Shades are sorcerers possessed by demonic spirits; a possession that occurs when a sorcerer allows a spirit to possess them for greater magical strength, or if a sorcerer summons a spirit too powerful for them to control, and the spirit takes possession of them. This creates the Shade; an immensely powerful and diabolically evil magician. All Shades are sorcerers, in that they use the strengths of spirits in order to accomplish magical tasks; but a sorcerer controls the spirits he uses, whereas a Shade controls neither the spirits nor his actions. A Shade can only be killed by penetration of the heart; in any other case, it will vanish and later by resurrected. Only three beings have ever succeeded in destroying one and remaining sane and/or alive.
-Rules-
1. Don’t god-mod. I, nor does anyone else, like it.
2. I’m looking for literate to semi-literate role-players.
3. Usually I’d require you to use real images, but for this one, use anime.
4. There’s no need to ask to reserve spots.
5. Post at least twice or more a day.
6. If you’re going to join, be active.
7. Tell me if you’re going to be inactive for a while.
8. Have fun, this is my number one rule.
-Character Sheet-
Name: [first, last]
Age: [15+]
Gender: [male, female]
Appearance: [picture if you can; anime]
Personality: [paragraph or more]
History: [two paragraphs or more]
Town in Alagaësía you reside in: [chose only one]
Species: [Elvin, dwarf, human…]
Weapons: [no modern weapons]
Armor: [what kind of armor do you wear; opt.]
Extra: [additional information]
Name: Aria Gored
Age: 19
Gender: Female
Appearance:
Personality: Aria is beautiful, charming, and graceful. She has a beautiful smile that could just about get her anything she wanted. She's very gentle and kind. Aria doesn't really take her title to brag to. Aria is strong and brave-not afraid of anything. She will be the one to jump in front of an arrow if it's aimed towards someone she cared for and loved. She is shy and calm, but once you get to know her, she's talkative and fun. She loves to walk through the forest to clear her mind.
History: Aria was born to Queen Delanie and King Evander. Her father was murdered shortly after her birth. Aria grew up, learning all about becoming royality and prepairing for the future. Secretly, she is training and hopes one day to go into battle. Aria is close to her mother and all the other Elvin people. She is usually seen wondering around the forest, dressed in beautiful, casual dresses. Although, sometimes, she wears her good dresses. Aria will become princess once after her mother, Delanie, died. Aria is a little nervous in taking over the throne, but she believes that she can handle it. After all, how hard is it to rule over a tiny kingdom?
Town in Alagaësía you reside in: Du Weldenvarden
Species: Elf (Princess)
Weapons: None
Armor: None
Extra: She’s the only daughter of Queen Delanie, and when her mother dies, she will take the throne.
No canons, though, this is after Eragon. But go ahead-do whatever you want.
