The land known as Delcar has a past as bloody as her current monarch. Spanning nearly half the known realm, Delcan people are a hardy and diverse group, able to adapt and settle almost everywhere. From the arid deserts of the Stone Belt, to the highest peaks of the arctic Cap of the World, Delcar is a land of wide culture, and severe religious indoctrination. Hailing from a series of Unification Wars that were led by the Enlightened, a handful of men and women that founded the Veiled Church, that brought all the land within land transports reach into the folds of the small nation state that the Delcar of old began as. This wave of violence and destruction left few besides Delcar able to successfully function, and those that did not fall to blade, fell to the political machinations behind each aid offer made by Delcar.

One other land stood against the Unification Wars. Peranor, a nation equal to the current size of Delcar now, was a land of strength through knowledge. This land's people were led by a council, elected from the most powerful prefects within the borders of Peranor. A combination of old fortresses from before the dawn of man and newly created castles had beaten back the Delcar forces. All but two of the Enlightened were slain in these Wars, and the last two withdrew to consolidate the holdings Delcar took. Peranor, however, had not been in any shape to do more than solidify her defenses. Thus was that the last truly free nation remained, her borders battered and near destroyed, the assailant free to rebuild and make ready to strike again.

Fast forward several dozen years, and the Veiled Church has begun rallying the faithful for a new Crusade. Word of this rapidly spread across the borders to Peranor, and the armies needed were being raised to staunch this new wave of hostilities. The old keeps and castles from the Unification Wars reinforced with fresh waves of soldiers and mercenaries, while the Veiled Church and the enigmatic Priestess, the female survivor of the Enlightened, marshaled the Veiled Armies in preparation to march against the heretics of the Peranor. Delcar's real ruler, known simply by his title the Warlord, the male Enlightened survivor, also prepared the general armies of Delcar to march with the Church, in the name of glory and conquest.

It is this that Peranor faces. Religious fanatics and crusaders wielding flame and self righteous fury, career soldiers with cold steel and colder temperments led by the two of the oldest and strongest beings in the realm. Peranor is not helpless, however. The Church shunned magic beyond their holy light magic, and both Delcar and Church arms are outdated. Peranor wields superior arms, their magi and spellcasters practicing whatever they will, so long as it does not intentionally harm the innocent while practiced, their scholars researching newer means of warfare and defense, the banners of the Peranor Royal Guard fluttering in the breeze, contrasting the dull gray of steel and flesh standing upon the walls of the fortifications.

It is upon this backdrop that a group of adventurers will make their name. Who they were before this time will most likely be forgotten, but who they become, and what they do, will be recorded and ensconced within the annals of history for as long as man still remains. As the guardians and champions of Peranor, these men and women will make their names through conflict. They live in the times of what men will refer to as The Black Crusade.

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~Kingdoms and Provinces~

Delcar: Rules fully half the known world with an iron fist, power is shared loosely between Delcar's noble family itself, and the Veiled Church. The current head of Delcar, officially, is the Enlightened called Warlord. Much of her land is bleak, though deserts near the southern coast, and occasional mountains far north, break up the monotony.

Veiled Church: Half the power in Delcar is held by this religious, and arcane, force. They provide necromancers to raise dead soldiers in warfare, calling it repentance for the sins of life. Otherwise, preachers and inquisitors of the Church wield holy light, a thin veil for what Peranor scholars clearly recognize as pyromancy. The Priestess of the church is also one of the two remaining Enlightened, and rally the forces of the church to smash Peranor.

Peranor: Made up of five surviving free provinces, banded together originally in the face of Delcar's expansionism, and remained aligned in case of future aggression. Each province has a representative on the High Council, and provides unique benefits for Peranor as a whole. Each province has a unique terrain, though generally there is a moderate balance between man made constructs and natural landscape. The five provinces are Albaea, Anglum, Ethea, Utum, and Zeelalor.

Albea: The governmental center of Peranor, and smallest of the five provinces. Teachers and other scholarly pursuits are best found here, and is almost completely a sprawling city in its landscape. The five member High Council presides here, being split 3:2 in favor of invading Delcar after the defense of Peranor is seen to.

Anglum: The northern province of Peranor, made up primarily of mountains and subzero temperatures. Natives etch out a living, but are proud to do so. Their representative does not favor invasion of Delcar, but goes along with the council's decision quietly. Winter supplies and horses are provided, more so here than elsewhere in Peranor.

Ethea: Residing east of Albea, the arcane wellspring of Peranor is generally a temperate and green land. Towering libraries and universities, dedicated to various arts of magic, dot the landscape, breaking up the green. The sole female council member hails from here, in support of the invasion of Delcar. Enchantments and legions of magi are provided by Ethea.

Utum: The sprawling dry lands and deserts of Utum call for the second best horses in Peranor. Camps dot the land, with only one permanent city near the coast. This land is almost exclusively cavalry, both by spear and bow, and have been recently mobilized en mass for the counterattack on Delcar. The councilman of Utum opposed this, but had little say, as the vote favored the retaliation. Blades are provided here, as is masonry, due to the unique ores dotting the wastes and deserts.

Zeelalor: The land bordering Delcar, it is partially a blasted and ruined land reeking death, and a well maintained line of fortifications and castles known as the Ebony Wall. Peranor based necromancers, and other magi who wield death magics, frequent the blighted land left by crude attempts to poison the defenders during the Unification Wars, as the death still reeks the land. The most skilled siege defenders and warriors hail from Zeelalor, and often times, the most pragmatic. Their representative recently died, and his second in command supports invading, the reason the gears are turning to invade now.

~The Plan~
The fine folks that take up arms, whether magical or otherwise, would make their way to Zeelalor and prepare for the first battle of the war. Some time for the characters to get to know each other, as they would every so luckily be assigned to serve together, right before the first battle occurs. From there, we shall see what happens! Other ides and suggestions are more than welcome, whether in the OOC thread or PM'd to me works.

~Character Sheet~
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Race: (Most common fantasy races are fine, but anything unusual/hand made run by me first if you don't mind.)
Appearance: (Picture or one paragraph)
Personality:
Skills: (Non magic goes here)
Magic: (If any magic skills are known, they go here. Also, throw in what family they belong to (Necromancy, Pyromancy, ect ect))
Bio: (At least two paragraphs here would be appreciated, they probably won't be known to other characters, but having an idea of their background is helpful.)