Prologue

Mankind's home, Earth, has finally reached its limits. Centuries of exploiting resources and polluting the air have finally rendered Earth a husk of its former glory, and the last vestiges of mankind need a new home. Around the year 2250, humanity took to the stars in hope of finding that home. They had to make some sacrifices, like leave behind most of the old technology, including most firearms, deciding instead to go back to the way of the blade. Generations pass and it seems that humankind is doomed to float in the cold void of space for the rest of its days. However, one day, a strange anomaly drew the ship in and enveloped it in a blinding light. When the crew, the third generation of this particular vessel, awoke from cryostasis, they saw what they could not believe. A planet that was potentially inhabitable; A planet called Neryas. However, the ship's sensors detected that sentient life already exists on the surface, but there technology level was unknown. The crew used the ship's scanners to verify that the air is clean, so there were no pollutants from cars and factories, leading them to assume the world was not industrial yet. The energy readings also detected something strange never before seen by the human history and the crew could not verify what it was. Regardless, the humans sent engineers, scientists, and the defense force down to the planet in order to collect soil samples and get a close scan on the air. Even though initial scans showed the air to be clean, they went down in protective gear just to be safe until they can get a full reading of Neryas' atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Neryas' native beings, the Elves and the Naturan, witness something massive above their planet, just barely above orbit. The Elves, which were like those in ancient Earth's fantasy novels, read their tomes and researched to find out what this massive metal structure in the sky could be. They speculated it could be a vessel for the Spirits, finally arriving on the physical plane. Other's believed it could be a new form of magic that someone far off had perfected. The Naturan, a race of tribal, humanoid animals, simply looked on in curiosity. Were they gods? Were they benevolent or cruel? While the two races argued over what it was, the humans came down in small drop ships. This is where they story of humanity begins anew, alongside the two races of Neryas.

Lore (Please read)

Humans: The current humans have abandoned the use of firearms and have instead taken to the use of melee weapons, such as blades. On their ship, the human crew consists of engineers, scientists, and a defense force who resolves disputes through diplomacy or violence in extreme situations. Their leader is as old as their journey, having frozen himself in cryosleep and hooked his mind to the ship's mainframe, essentially becoming the ship. He can even communicate with the crew through communicators. Other than the captain, the rest of the humans have no idea what living on a planet is like other than what they've read in old books are watched on recordings. The humans on the ship are varied, as their ancestors hailed from different regions of Earth. Despite their situation, they still have a solid educational system for their children, teaching them language and the essentials needed to function in the future.

Elves: The elven civilization has two distinct civilizations around Neryas. One is grandeur and elegant, with towering marble statues and heavily artistic architecture. White and gold seem to be the most common colors used in architecture. Their buildings are often shaped with rounded archways for doors, a large dome at the top, or maybe even a spire, the latter especially true for cathedrals and other places to worship the spirits. Fine art and sculptures are the artistic choice of the city elves. Grand statues and finely designed paintings are the common works one will find in their cities. Their religion focuses on the worship of spirits, celestial beings that are said to watch over all of Neryas. Who the spirits are is left up to the interpretation of different cultures. Their weaponry, when they’re not using magic, consists of slim, long blades similar to rapiers, sabers, and epees. These weapons may be pretty to look at, but they’re efficient in combat. Their magic is primarily control of the elements, shielding magic, and life magic. Life magic is extremely difficult to use as it draws on the life energy of the caster. There is also no known spell to bring someone back from the dead.

The other group of elves is more akin to wood elves, living amongst nature and making sure their interference does nothing to harm it. Their buildings perfectly compliment their area, making it difficult for outsiders to even realize where the cities are. They’re nestled around or in the trees, and their people worship the nature spirits, who in turn give them a good hunt. With their lifestyle, they are more likely to get along with the Naturan than the city elves. Their artwork consists of clay and practical wares, not gaudy statues. They prefer to leave that to the city elves. These works again help strengthen the relationship between them and the Naturan due to trade. The Wood Elves also worship the spirits, but mostly those governing nature and natural order. Their weapons consist of bows and daggers, but they are capable of harnessing magic as well, but not as efficiently as the city elves.

Both cultures of elf are tall and slender and are known to being very polite and courteous. However, some have a tendency of being extremely pompous and get insulted when one points out a mistake. That is an extreme example though. City Elves usually take on an artistic career or hobby, such as painting, sculpting, or architecture. One of the most important days of the year to the elves, city elves in particular, is what is known as the Day of the First Spark. This was the historical moment when elven kind first tapped into the phenomenon known as magic, which was a major turning point in their cultural development. They spend this day to give thanks to those who discovered magic, whose names are lost to history. As such, they are called The Ideal, as they are who every elf tries to become one day. They set up events, activities, and use their magic to create spectacular shows of wonder to captivate and remind their people what magic has done for their culture. Wood Elves celebrate this day as well, but not to the same extent. They're more subdued and subtle. They gather flowers and artifacts to pray to and give thanks. This lasts only one night as apposed to about a week.

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Naturan: The Naturan live in a tribal community most of the time, though there have been rumors of them creating permanent settlements lately. These supposed cities tend to be near rivers and river valleys. There are still some semi-nomadic Naturan clans that live in plains and forests. Their artwork primarily consists of carvings, trinkets and paintings, the style of which varies from realism to abstract. Their weaponry consists primarily of axes, clubs, spears, and are slightly proficient in the use of bows. However, their natural curiosity allows them to learn other skills. They can learn magic, but mostly magic pertaining to nature, such as control over plant-life and the earth.

The Naturan are physically fit and most are expert fighters as well as hunters. The Naturan celebrate grand hunts several times a year. Their best hunters go out and kill the largest prey they can find and compare it to other hunters. The winner gets a bounty of food and the honor of being celebrated for the next few days as a hero. They also participate in annual tournaments to see who's the strongest. They take pride in their strength and live by a code of honor. As such, Naturan always repay their debts and are likely to pledge their lives to those who save theirs. Arguably the most interesting aspect of their culture is their tradition known as the Dance of Scattered Blossoms. This is a Spring event where Naturan throw petals into the air and dance as the wind blows the petals away. It is common for marriages to be planned for these days, as the flying flower petals symbolize a couple's new journey together. This symbolism is thought to bring good luck to the newly weds.

When they come of age, Naturan go through what is known as The Rite of Transformation. This ceremony typically occurs when a Naturan reaches the age of 18. By connecting to the world on a spiritual level, the Naturan can learn to transform into a large, feral version of their animal. It's very exhausting to use, so it's mostly saved as a last resort. Some clans at war, however, use transformed Naturan as the vanguards in battle. It has other uses as well, such as moving items that are usually too heavy for one person to move.

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Magic: Magic is a strange power found on Neryas. It allows the trained to control the elements and the very earth itself. However, without a catalyst, such as a specially made sword, a tome, gauntlets, or other items, magic has the potential to backfire on the user with varying severity. All across the planet is an unseen web of energy that allows the use of magic. One's natural talent in magic is determined at birth, depending on how much energy currently resides in the air. However, this does not mean they are prodigies if they are born at the right time. All practitioners of magic require much training to take advantage of their power.

(More Lore will be added periodically.)