You might also notice that I have a hard time coming up with female characters (it's not that I won't play them, I just have a hard time coming up with good roles for them). Hopefully, someone can fix that balance. I'm not looking for someone who can play just one character very well, but who can play an assortment of characters as I will be. I'm also looking for someone who can write maturely; there may be some disturbing things written about
Anyways, I'm itching to get this idea out there and see who is interested in the wall of text I'm about to hit you with! Enjoy the read!
Historians estimate the emergence of the Khadryan race to be about one millennium ago, in the southern frozen wastes. Those who are the subjects of Khadryan lords praise their rulers and their intelligence, but those who meet them on the battlefield condemn them as demons. Confronting soldiers in opposing armies have often described the physical deformity of their face as the revealing of hellspawn through a humanoid mask. Whatever the case may be, it does not discount the tangible success of the Khadryan race to build the Inari Empire.
The Inari Empire grew with the spread of Khadryans, who appeared to be larger, stronger, more intelligent and faster humans with psionic capabilities. Nomadic tribes were beaten and captured, and intimidated and tortured until they finally consented to doing the Khadryans' bidding. We know a man named Lydnus to be the first lord in the Inari Empire, characterizing his race as brutal and calculating. That was eight hundred years ago. It would take another century for his nation to reach out from the southern arctics and begin claiming more palatable land.
There was a growing air of superiority as Khadryans examined themselves and compared themselves to humans or elves or dwarves. Lydnus himself often preached the benefits of being a Khadryan, claiming that some higher being must have sent them down to rule. Being a Khadryan grants you many perks, with some drawbacks. Physically, they appear like humans, but generally they are over six feet tall. Their veins are larger and more abundant, their heart is stronger, and they have more blood to fuel your muscles, granting them more strength. Because they have more blood, they have larger lungs to breathe more air. Their nervous system is more entwined with each muscle fiber they have, and is simply more wired to their brain, granting them faster reaction time and more bodily control. However, with these combination of biological benefits, wounds can be severely detrimental to the condition of a Khadryan. Luckily, most severe wounds can heal within two to three weeks, and up to 90% of their nervous system can heal biologically.
Their psionic minds allow them only one ability in their natural state. Khadryans have an ability to sense their environment by interpreting energy signals from matter. Generally, more powerful warriors sense larger distances. It might also be useful to know that all Khadryans are incapable of utilizing magic, and in this manner, they can't be healed or replenished by magic either.
It was important to differentiate between their natural state and their "supernatural" state in the previous explanation, because their "supernatural" state is often what earns Khadryans the label of "demons" or "hellspawn." When confronted with extreme conditions, a human might be able to list half a ton and tear the muscles in his arms by doing so, or their brain's reaction time speeds up and they can do things twice as fast. But this is truly where Khadryans are set apart from other humanoid races.
When confronted with immediate, life-threatening danger, coupled with the will to live, a grotesque transformation takes place. A dark cerulean ring forms around the dominant eye, and veins begin to bulge in the side of the head, often rooted at the same eye. But these veins not only bulge, but they glow a luminescent light orange, almost gold hue. Physical strength skyrockets and reactions happen almost instantaneously. What's most peculiar of all is that when this supernatural state surfaces, or superstate as many Khadryans call it, a being seems to gain control of one of the ancient elements. Elements like earth, fire, air, water, and also light or dark. The most advantageous trait of this is that once someone has crossed into this superstate, it can be voluntarily However, the longer this state is held, and the more energy released while in it, the longer one will be incapacitated afterwards.
Lydnus exploited these biological advantages and handpicked an elite group known as the Provenance Guard, which still exists to this day; every ruling lord has one such group. They're Khadryans who seem to be devoid of all mortal emotion. They have infiltrated castles, kidnapped princes, and on Lydnus' order, killed his own son for befriending a dwarven king.
As Lydnus' empire grew and expanded beyond his lifetime, and the needs of its people became more diverse, the reliance on a feudal system of governing became more prevalent. In many cases, these Khadryan led city-states of the Inari Empire act more like a coalition rather than a cohesive nation. But each answered to the central city-state, inventively named Inari.
Of these city-states, the territory of Visigoth is the most powerful today. Being only eighty three years old, it has a short line of lords. It was granted to lord Garis as a fiefdom after Garis had conquered a northern human kingdom. Not ever being a ruler before, Garis organized four advisory councils to optimize agriculture, industry, trade, and the military. His son, lord Faeron did much to maintain the status quot, with woodland elves on his record of conquest. When Faeron did not have any male heirs, he looked to one of his two cousins to take the throne.
Artaz and Goraz led two quite separate lives, though they were brothers. Artaz was an adviser on the Military Optimization council. He became quite knowledgeable on strategy, war goods and manufacturing, and propaganda. Knowing of Faeron's predicament, he became quite close with the lord of Visigoth. Goraz chose to be a vigilante of sorts, though he acted within the military. He held the spirits of many soldiers in the army, but he often acted as an independent agent quelling and settling conflicts in conquered countrysides. Unlike most Khadryans, Goraz showed honorable amounts of modesty. While Goraz was the older, Faeron felt more comfortable in picking Artaz as heir to the throne.
There would be many quarrels between the brothers over Artaz's policy. Artaz sought to create something of a totalitarian state. He conscripted all Visigothic Khadryans ages ten and up into the military, regardless of gender. Brutal training to all newly enlisted Khadryans had to be undergone so that each and everyone could achieve the Khadryan superstate. Often, this "training" was senseless beating and abuse, and it wasn't uncommon that children who had become depressed died. Additionally, most propaganda against the military or the throne was destroyed, in order to keep morale for conquest up. In some cases, those who would not cease their acts against Artaz's will were imprisoned or killed. To be consistent, many religious structures from conquered kingdoms have been toppled and exiled from Visigoth. And it's not as if Emperor Kaidman, the current emperor of Inari cares as long as he gets paid a sufficient tithe.
Goraz looked upon Artaz's policies, and did his best to raise resistance against what was going to be a massive campaign for conquest; in four years, three expansionist wars had been won and there didn't seem to be any slowing down. The vigilante argued in front of the courts against Artaz on more than one occasion, claiming that the lord had committed irreconcilable crimes against the living. Ten years into his reign and four wars later, Artaz finally brandished his brother a traitor. A small revolution led by Goraz lasted about one month before Artaz squashed it and executed his brother in front of Goraz's two sons. Artaz would then take Goraz's oldest son under his wing, cultivating Olin to be the Overhead General of the Visigoth army, while Goraz's youngest child was sent to the frontlines as a lowly officer. Goraz's name would be erased entirely from history by Artaz.
It is now twenty years into Artaz's lordship. His grand successes on the battlefield and the spirit of harmonious war among his people have him titled by his subjects the "Divine Lord," a title coined by a popular colonel. The few that silently hold thoughts against Artaz silently wonder if there will be a day his land will be defeated. For the even fewer that decide to act, it will be a long journey...
Congratulation, marathon reader! You made it to the end! You've shown dedication!
That's a lot to take in, but like I said, I've been thinking about this for years. There is opportunity for characters as kings or emperors of foreign lands, or perhaps you'd like to have a Khadryan soldier or maybe you're the leader of an underground rebel network. Hell, I haven't even said anything about goblins and orcs and all the jazz yet either. Outside of Visigoth and Inari, there's a whole open world I hope to form with someone.
Have I any takers?