Introduction
Nobody knows how the Precursors (Aro, Caius, Darke, Ombre) came to be, even they are ignorant as of how they were created- if that is the case. Civilizations called them Gods and worshiped them under different names and in different ways. How did the humans come to know of their existence? By the interference of the Precursors towards an intelligent species, who in the beginning merely wanted to make their canvas -the world- more interesting. Thus, they granted sentience and full consciousness to a species, which later were called humans. These humans, to the Precursors uttermost horror, immediately engaged in a violence which surpassed by far the instinctive will to survive. The humans also reflected long and hard on their existence, and came to the conclusion that they were put on Occultus -the name of the Realm, according to the Precursors- by something with otherworldly powers. They were correct.

Only a few hundred-thousand years passed before the Precursors noticed their mistake. Granting sentience to a species such as humans had threatened the survival of Occultus. Immediately, they took action. The planet was rocked with seismic activities, volcanic eruptions, and at one point the Precursors even felt the need to wipe out the human race with a meteorite -though the idea was soon abandoned. Surprisingly, their efforts were vain. They only managed to wipe out a fraction of the parasite they created. Without a doubt, they would have to take a different course of action. With their powers, the Precursors created a first creature. One that could rival with the humans and become a natural predator for them. Werewolves, they called them -greatly inspired by Ombre's favorite animal, the wolf. These creatures managed to tip the scale, and gave humans something to compete with. It still wasn't enough for Darke and Caius, though.

The two renegades went against the advising of their brothers, and created yet another species: Vampires. This species was specifically designed to kill, and that was enforced by giving them a powerful thirst for blood. This lust forced them to drain humans of their blood in order to remain alive. Caius advised Darke to halt the creation of vampires, and let them go extinct. But Darke, in love with his creation, destroyed Caius and fully rebelled against the two remaining brothers. Ombre saw it fit to create more werewolves to counter his brother's monstrous creation, whereas Aro wanted to replenish the humans -embracing the fact that they're all different, and cannot be blamed for some of their faults- and give them the means to defend themselves: Magic. The same magic they possessed, but infinitely smaller. He also decided to grant magical powers to a very small fraction of humans. Of course, Ombre fully disagreed. And with that, the three remaining brothers had each sided with their creation and formed three factions in Occultus.

Thousands of years later, Occultus' population in humans, werewolves and vampires had considerably decreased. What had been billions became millions and then thousands. The entire planet seemed to wither away and die, struck by a strange plague which had been created by Caius -now fully replenished and resuscitated. The way the precursors function is quite a mystery. Only the inhabitants of a small continent in a temperate zone had been spared, and left to create three small factions delimited by the races of it's inhabitants. Humans built a settlement called Praeses; Werewolves built one named Umbra; Vampires settled themselves in Cruor.

AWESOME 1337 MAP OF D00MzORZ


Races
Humans are the largest populating race in Occultus, though they're still small enough to live together in one town, Praeses. Humans are physically frail compared to vampires and werewolves, yet their natural defense comes from swordplay and magic instead of physically strength. Though not as agile as a vampire, many humans master the art of wielding weapons. Of course, this isn't what makes them exceptional. Certain humans are born infused with an infinitely small fraction of Precursor power, which allows those select few to move objects with their mind and conjure up certain spells. Magic is quite diversified, it ranges from controlling certain elements to reading the minds of others. Humans are prone to vampirism and lycanthropia, the two diseases acquired if bitten by either a vampire or werewolf, and transforms you into one of their kind. Humans who are bitten and transformed are quite rare, since usually if you are bitten by a vampire you're also prone to being drained of your blood. And if bitten by a werewolf, it's most likely that you're close to being torn to shreds afterwards. In general, transformed humans are rare and they don't usually go and live with their new species afterwards. Humans possessing magical powers who are transformed keep their powers while crossing into their new life, though the effectiveness is considerably decreased.

Werewolves are human-looking creatures who have the ability to transform into massive wolves at will. They're digestive system is accustomed to the raw flesh of humans both in 'wolf' and 'human' form, and that's how they generally feed. They're extremely strong and agile in both forms (though stronger while 'wolf') and they're divided into packs. Alpha males are larger, and they lead the packs of wolves. They have the ability to transform humans into werewolves if they bite one while in 'wolf' form. Werewolves live in a village called Umbra. They are disgusted by vampires, and don't feed off of them. When werewolf saliva poisons a human's blood stream, it'll turn them into a werewolf in a matter of hours.

Vampires are also somewhat human-looking, though they have very pale skin and bloodred eyes. Their beauty is somewhat mesmerizing, though they're generally cruel and vicious creatures. They have a bloodlust which can only be quenched by feeding off of human blood at least once every three weeks. It is possible for them to survive off of the blood of animals, though it makes them somewhat weaker. They're very strong, comparing to werewolves, though they're considerably more agile and quick. They live in a massive castle called Cruor. They're naturally averted to werewolves, and they don't feed off of them. The lifespan of a vampire is longer than that of the others species on Occultus, as they can live for up to two-hundred years, whereas humans are werewolves generally live up to the age of ninety. Vampire venom leaves a human writhing in pain for three days before they turn into a vampire.

Occultus
Praeses is the name of the settlement where live the humans in Occultus. It's a town situated in the south-eastern part of the continent, and it's a generally safe place for humans to live without total and absolute fear of being hunted by vampires. Humans usually manage to fend of raids by werewolves and the only ones in risk of vampire attacks usually live outside Praeses or hunt far from the town. A large stone wall surrounds the town, though it doesn't do much good against the fierce predators and natural enemies of the humans. No, in general it is only used as a vantage point of the forest below. If there's a werewolf raid, the guards will either fire arrows or conjure magic to fend them off. In praeses, there are three Guilds of sorts who manage the entire town. There's the Hunter Guild, who professionally hunt vampires. The Guardian Guild, who defend the town from werewolf raids (they all wear pelts of the massive wolfs). And finally, the Cursor Guild, who train people will magical potential.

Umbra is one of the main reasons for increased werewolf attacks, since the settlement has only existed for ten years. Before, werewolves lived with their packs, and each had their hunting ground in the continent. But one Alpha werewolf, Marcus, successfully united several packs and build Umbra. This village is surrounded by a large wooden palisade which forms a perfect circle around the settlement. Umbra is located in the northern part of the continent, near the Northern Mountains.

Cruor is a massive castle which has been turned into the living space of the vampires. They did not build the settlement, it was found in partial ruins long ago and the bloodlusting creatures decided it was a suitable place to establish a settlement. Due to the massive size of the castle, the need for a village was disregarded and the vampire Elders decided that the entire coven should live in the castle. Cruor is located in the south-western part of the continent. The coven is divided into three clans; Fang, Blood, and Venom. A vampire's last name is that of his clan. The Vampire Elders are composed of two representatives from each clan. In reality, the Blood Clan live in the upper portion of the castle; the Fang Clan live in the dungeon and jail areas, and the Venom clan live in surrounding ruins of attached buildings. The Fang Clan is composed of humans who've been infected by vampirism; the Blood Clan are a pure-born family, so they're less numerous than the other clans. They're direct descendants of the first vampires to have colonized Cruor. The Venom clan are pure-born as well, except they're mostly composed of vampires who've came from other areas in Occultus after the founding of Cruor.

A chain of mountains runs along the northern coast of Occultus, and there live some other vampire covens, human tribes, and werewolf packs. It's a largely unexplored area that covers half of Occultus.

Rules

• Long IC posts are encouraged, though not obligatory -especially when it comes to dialogue.
• Everyone can bleed, as usual.
• I'm sorry, but you can't travel across the continent in one IC post. Let alone do it without describing how nice the trees look.
• I don't want this to die. Post frequently. We can all leech off of each other's ICs.
• All other RP rules apply.
• I don't mind character control, as long as it fits the character's personality and if it's not major.

Applying
A lot of people like developing their character as the RP moves along, so you might notice some fields are missing. Don't worry. If you feel something important there is missing, add it in the form.



Character List

Sal's Name: Fake II (Aliath)
Name: Xanebes Fang
Age: 40
Race: Vampire
Gender: Male
Appearance: Xanebes has the appearance of a ninteen-year old, due to the fact vampires age slowly. His longish black hair is pushed back, revealing his clouded red eyes*. He wears a black leather breastplate and leggings. A dagger is sheathed at his hip.
Abilities: Formerly human, Xanebes conserved his mind-reading powers as he crossed over. This helps him anticipate his enemies' next move.
Other: He's a human infected with vampirism. Xanebes was the name given to him when he joined the Cruor coven.

Sal's Name: Ellibereth
Name: Sophie Black
Age:16
Race: Human
Gender:Female
Appearance: Pale skin. Blue Eyes. Medium length brown hair. 5'6". Clothing changes, usually wears jeans. No weaponry. Wears various pendants
Abilities: Ability of total redirection of, and only of nonliving and conceptual items through and vie hands and feet exclusively, i.e. assume someone shoots an arrow at her, if the arrows is blocked by her left palm, it will disappear/translocate for a minisecond and shoot out at the opposing trajectory based on the symmetry with the earth's central axis at that moment in time.
Other: Child of rape, abandoned and has never met mother or father. Very emotional person.

Sal's Name: Silavor
Name: Will Zephias
Age: 17
Race: Human
Gender: male
Appearance: Short brown scruffy hair, light skin, and hazel eyes. 5'11". He usually is found wearing black pants and a black t-shirt, but as Elli has pointed out clothing can be changed. Carries no weapons as of yet.
Abilities: Accelerated cellular regeneration of self, and those he comes in physical contact with. Basically, he can heal wounds.
Other: He's a human, in case you haven't guessed.

Sal's Name: Deimos
Name: Areias Steelclaw
Age: 37
Race: Werewolf
Gender: Male
Appearance: In human form, Areias has a very light skin and the blonde hair and blue eyes to go with it. He has a slender build and stands at about 1.85 meters. He wears a pendant with a strange symbol attached to it, but doesn't remember how he got it. In wolf form, Areias' fur is a bright blonde, almost white colour, making him one of the few light coloured werewolves. Transformed, he is a bit smaller than the average werewolf, but he makes up for this by being more agile and quicker than average. He still wears the strange pendant, as if the pendant's cord increased in length during his transformation.
Abilities: His smaller physique allows for lightning-quick attacks. In battle, he can evade most attacks easily.
Other: Areias has been around for a while. He never rose through the ranks to the position of Alpha male, since he doesn't have the physique to go with it. Instead, he has seen the rise and fall of many packleaders (werewolf reign only lasts until a stronger one comes along) and always kept to the background, willing and able to share his knowledge when asked for it.
Now that his pack lives in Umbra, Areias serves as a chancellor to his packleader in the town's city counsel where Marcus and the other packleaders and their chancellors also take part in.


Sal's Name: John Adams.
Name: John
Age: 16.
Race: Human.
Gender: Male.
Appearance: Six feet. Years of living by himself has put a much older look to his face. Wears a dark black cloak. Wrist length dark blue-green shirt, and ankle length dark green-blue pants. Keeps his hands free of gloves or other hindrances, if at all possible. Has dark green-blue eyes. Black hair, braided, that falls to halfway down his back, thou he tries to keep it tucked between his shirt and him.
Abilities: Ability to control fire and water. John must be actually touching some form of water to use any useful abilities with it. If he attempts to exercise control over a big amount of it, and is not near a source of it, his energy will go away almost entirely and he will either pass out, or barely left standing. If he is in a source of water (actually standing in a lake, or river, for example), then he can use his abilities over water without nearly as much of a drain on him, thou there still is a drain. His abilities over fire are much less limited. However, they still drain him with every use, depending upon the amount of fire summoned, his energy drains away a different amount. For this reason he prefers to use an already existent fire source (a lit torch for example), and simply shape that fire to his will. But if there is no fire, he will summon fire and accept the drain. Also fights with a Katana, if period acceptable. If not, can he use a Rapier?
Other: Last of his tribe. Growing up in the mountains, John's life was one of constantly moving, as his tribe moved: both to avoid the Werewolf packs, and to keep up with the food as it moved *insert animals that rove and live in this world here*. Eventually, when John was eight, the human tribe, unknowingly, moved too close towards where a tribe of Vampires existed. John's entire tribe was easily slaughtered, that night, only John's fledgling powers over fire saved him. As the tents burned down around him, John's power increased, allowing him to kill enough vampires that the rest decided he was not worth attempting to kill. After the vampires left John searched for any more members of his tribe, he found non of them. John did find, and kept his fathers *name of which ever sword is acceptable here*. Over the next eight years John lived alone, learning how to fight as the need arose, and with ever encounter learning how to control his gift a little more. By complete accident John ended up near the human city of Praeses. He has been there for four months, and has kept his abilities over the two elements hidden from the population as much as possible.

Sal's Name: Erebus
Name: Ruhk (Haven't thought of a last name that fits well. Hope that's alright, I might add one later.)
Age: 36
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Appearance: A rather rugged looking man Ruhk looks almost as if he was born of the wilderness. With dark hair, a heavy brow, a strong jaw and a strong build that remains surprisingly lithe Ruhk is built as a fighter and a skilled one at that. His eyes are a deep shade of green and hold an almost animal like ferocity to them at times while at other times they hold a strong coldness born of his lifestyle. All over his body a lacework of scars break up his otherwise tanned complexion.
Abilities: Minimal magic ability and what he has isn't exactly directly controllable. It's more of a mindset for Ruhk that lets him basically feel his surroundings letting him know when attacks are coming and allowing him to react. At times he can let loose a blast of power which can easily throw opponents and blast through stone walls but he can't summon the ability at will. This mindset also seems to reinforce his strength and makes him able to make leaps and move is ways impossible for a normal human He is also incredibly able with blades, especially a pair of swords he is never without, one Wolfs Bane is blackened steel and has a hilt made from the bone of an alpha werewolf while his other Blood Claw has a silver sheen to the metal and the handle is made of a particularly large bone from a vampire.
Other: Ruhk doesn't live in Praeses like most humans and he often wanders the wilderness of Occultus. He's very powerful but I hope you can trust me enough to not be cheap with him and he will be dieing before too long. He's also a character test for one of the characters in what will probably be my next role-play.

You called? -sucks in and sticks out chest, fails miserably- ;_;

Ahem, anyway just saw this as I wandered through the Role-Player's Room and I noticed my name in your topic description. After a succumbing to my curiosity, I found that you had taken on the Plot Idea you posted a few weeks back! Hooray for curiosity! Hopefully this role-play will receive more attention and recognition but otherwise, I'll apply later on anyway. We could still do a role-play between the two of us .

Oh and one thing, the application sheet has your character's name already in it.

I doubt anyone else is going to apply.

Doesn't matter, anyhow. If you apply it'll be fine, I guess. It might be enticing to other members, who'll hurriedly follow in your steps. Lol. XD

do i not look at anyone else?



Sal's Name: seriously why u ask look left i you can't see for some reason it's mages pone
Name:Alleria (last name unknown)
Age:17
Gender:female
Appearance:soft face kind of a black widowy spider like person with black hair.
Abilities:can control water quite well but through curiousity, tries to learn mind reading but is
heavily struggling with it
Other: Her mom was a human while her dad was a vampire. when
they married the vampire clan banishied him for life.
weapons? i added this cause i suppose humans have weapons.
well anyways, Alleria has nothing but a bow arrows and a dagger？

Oh, if I were allowed to sum it up in a one-word post.

Declined.

Blergh, why did I not notice this earlier? I'll start thinking about a character and post sometime tomorrow

As soon as you and Life join in, I'll get this started.

That was very biased.

They may be good role players, but that doesn't mean they can't make a bad one just like mages pone. No offense, pone.

If they make a bad application, I'll just make them write up another one.

You see, I accept or decline based on role-playing skill. If you're a good role-player, then I can just ask you to change your application instead of shunning you.

OMG, THAT'S WHY I'M NOT SHUNNED!!!
Since I'm tired as hell, I'll be serious for once now...

Sal's Name: Ellibereth
Name: Sophie Black
Age:16
Gender:Female
Appearance: Pale skin. Blue Eyes. Medium length brown hair. 5'6". Clothing changes, usually wears jeans. No weaponry. Wears various pendants
Abilities: Ability of total redirection of, and only of nonliving and conceptual items through and vie hands and feet exclusively, i.e. assume someone shoots an arrow at her, if the arrows is blocked by her left palm, it will disappear/translocate for a minisecond and shoot out at the opposing trajectory based on the symmetry with the earth's central axis at that moment in time.
Other: Child of rape, abandoned and has never met mother or father. Very emotional person.

You just made my life so much easier, Elli.

Damn it, I forgot the race criteria in the form. I'm assuming you're a human? Or The Hoff, in which case I'll have to shun you.

I'll give it a shot.

Sal's Name: Silavor
Name: Will Zephias
Age: 17
Gender: male
Appearance: Short brown scruffy hair, light skin, and hazel eyes. 5'11". He usually is found wearing black pants and a black t-shirt, but as Elli has pointed out clothing can be changed. Carries no weapons as of yet.
Abilities: Accelerated cellular regeneration of self, and those he comes in physical contact with. Basically, he can heal wounds.
Other: He's a human, in case you haven't guessed.

Accepted, Silavor. Thanks for applying.

As soon as either Deimos or Life joins in, this will start. In any case, I'm fully intending on starting this today.

Sal's Name: Deimos
Name: Areias Steelclaw
Age: 37
Gender: Male
Appearance: In human form, Areias has a very light skin and the blonde hair and blue eyes to go with it. He has a slender build and stands at about 1.85 meters. He wears a pendant with a strange symbol attached to it, but doesn't remember how he got it. In wolf form, Areias' fur is a bright blonde, almost white colour, making him one of the few light coloured werewolves. Transformed, he is a bit smaller than the average werewolf, but he makes up for this by being more agile and quicker than average. He still wears the strange pendant, as if the pendant's cord increased in length during his transformation.
Abilities: His smaller physique allows for lightning-quick attacks. In battle, he can evade most attacks easily.
Other: Areias has been around for a while. He never rose through the ranks to the position of Alpha male, since he doesn't have the physique to go with it. Instead, he has seen the rise and fall of many packleaders (werewolf reign only lasts until a stronger one comes along) and always kept to the background, willing and able to share his knowledge when asked for it.
Now that his pack lives in Umbra, Areias serves as a chancellor to his packleader in the town's city counsel where Marcus and the other packleaders and their chancellors also take part in.

OoC: I'll continue the following IC later. Hopefully a vampire will join in and participate.


IC: The two Elders of each of the three Clans in Cruor have been summoned to the Council Chamber, as well as their Chancellors. Xanebes made his way up the tower stairwell alongside Ambrose and Uriel Fang, the two Elders of the Fang Clan. As they slowly climbed, the female Elder suddenly tensed and came to a halt. Her two companions came to a halt, and Uriel was the first to speak.

"What's wrong?" he said softly, gently putting his hand on her shoulder. "What is it you feel?" Ambrose had the power to feel other people's emotions, and surely something was wrong with the vibe upstairs, in the Council Chamber. She pushed away Uriel's hand and straightened herself. "They're stressed. Something is going on up there..." her voice trailed off, and she gestured for them to continue their ascension.

As they crossed the threshold into the Council Chamber, the trio were immediately greeted by the stern look of the four other Elders and their Chancellors. Xanebes glanced at them all, one by one. He couldn't read what bothered them, since they were all systematically repeating something out of context in their mind, to prevent Xanebes from reading them like an open book. It was likely they were thinking hateful things of them, in any case. The 'filthy half-bloods' were evidently out of place in Council. The reason the Fang Clan were allowed Elders? Nobody knew. The only vampire who seemed cheerful was the coven leader, Drake, who flashed them a warm smile and gestured for them to sit at their usual seats.

As the Fang Clan Elders sat, their Chancellor stood behind them, scanning the others. Finally, Drake let down his guard. Xanebes' eyes opened wide with disbelief, but said nothing. Let me explain, the Coven Leader thought aloud. He stood and ceremoniously cleared his throat.

"The past year has been quite difficult for our people," he said solemnly. "Food is scarce, as our population grows. Cruor has an almost equal demography as that of the humans settlement; Praeses. We need to feed every few weeks, if we are to quench the thirst which consumes us. The last time I have fed was nearly a month ago. The humans are wary, and rarely leave the walls of their city; whereas we starve. Means have been taken to ration our prey, thus hunting has become less... Thrilling for us. We're forced to imprison the few that we capture, and drain them of their tasteless blood when a hunt is unsuccessful.

"Many of us have been driven mad from this, going as far as drinking the blood of animals. This may keep us alive, but it weakens us... And the thirst is never quenched." he paused, to sit back down. "Venom Chancellor, Llyras, died of an infection acquired after drinking the blood of one of the filthy dogs*.

"Now, let us get to the point. What I am suggesting today is very questionable, but you must all consider it wisely. It may be our only hope. I suggest, Elders of Cruor, that we attempt exploration and colonization of the Northern Mountains. I believe there is something out there..."

________________________________________________________________
*Filthy Dogs = Werewolves.

Care if I join? I have hit a writers block recently, so if you need my application touched up, I can.

Application:

Sal's Name: John Adams.
Name: John
Age: 16.
Race: Human.
Gender: Male.
Appearance: Six feet. Years of living by himself has put a much older look to his face. Wears a dark black cloak. Wrist length dark blue-green shirt, and ankle length dark green-blue pants. Keeps his hands free of gloves or other hinderances, if at all possible. Has dark green-blue eyes. Black hair, braided, that falls to halfway down his back, thou he tries to keep it tucked between his shirt and him.
Abilities: Ability to control fire and water. John must be actually touching some form of water to use any usefull abilities with it. If he attempts to exercise control over a big ammount of it, and is not near a source of it, his energy will go away almost entirely and he will either pass out, or barely left standing. If he is in a source of water (actually standing in a lake, or river, for example), then he can use his abilities over water without nearly as much of a drain on him, thou there still is a drain. His abilities over fire are much less limited. However, they still drain him with every use, depending upon the ammount of fire summoned, his energy drains away a different ammount. For this reason he prefers to use an already existent fire source (a lit torch for example), and simply shape that fire to his will. But if there is no fire, he will summon fire and accept the drain. Also fights with a Katana, if period acceptable. If not, can he use a Rapier?
Other: Last of his tribe. Growing up in the moutains, John's life was one of constantly moving, as his tribe moved: both to avoid the Werewolf packs, and to keep up with the food as it moved *insert animals that rove and live in this world here*. Eventually, when John was eight, the human tribe, unknowingly, moved too close towards where a tribe of Vampires existed. John's entire tribe was easily slaughtered, that night, only John's fledgling powers over fire saved him. As the tents burned down around him, John's power increased, allowing him to kill enough vampires that the rest decided he was not worth attempting to kill. After the vampires left John searched for any more members of his tribe, he found non of them. John did find, and kept his fathers *name of which ever sword is acceptable here*. Over the next eight years John lived alone, learning how to fight as the need arrose, and with ever encounter learning how to control his gift a little more. By complete accident John ended up near the human city of Praeses. He has been there for four months, and has kept his abilities over the two elements hidden from the population as much as possible.

~John

The cover of darkness had descended upon Umbra. Candles and lamps were being lit behind windows, shutters were closed to keep moths out. People retreated into the comfort of their homes, a luxury most inhabitants never thought they'd experience. If one of them had gazed into the darkness before closing their shutters, they could have seen several men hurrying towards the center of the town, each coming from a different area of the town.

A lone cloaked figure crossed the town square and headed towards the city hall. He looked at the closing windows and couldn't help shaking his head. If only they knew what goes on inside those walls... Referring, of course, to the 'discussions' in the city council. Discussions. A small chuckle escaped the figure's lips. All but an all out brawl is more like it. Even though Marcus 'unified' the packs, each packleader was still has stubborn and hard headed as before, thinking only about his own pack.

The figure pushed open the great doors and entered the city hall. He flipped back his hood, revealing his blonde hair and two piercing, ice cold blue eyes. He quickly walked to the other side of the grand hall, glancing up at the coats of arms on the walls to his left and right sides, representing each of the packs in Umbra. Reaching the other side of the hall, he ascended the big, marble stairs and pushed open the big oak doors nearest to the stairs. The doors opened with a deafening squeak.

Upon entering, all looked in his direction. Marcus immediately addressed him: "Areias! Come in!" Areias walked to his usual place, on the right side of his pack leader, Gethor. Continuing, Marcus now spoke to all men present.

"With the arrival of Areias, we are complete. Though we're a bit early, I suggest we get this meeting underway." Approving growls could be heard from the throats of the pack leaders.

"You are all probably wondering why I called you here in the middle of the night. The reason is that grave news reached me earlier tonight." Several leaned towards Marcus, as if they were afraid to miss anything.

"One of our own was attacked and killed, by a vampire. A member of the Cruor council, even."

A big Alpha male with long black hair hit the table with his fist. "WHAT?! This is an outrage! We must retaliate!" About half the men present agreed, judging from their furious roars.

"Please Hytar, this is not a time for irrational plans." said Marcus, addressing the big Alpha male. "We have always had a kind of treaty with them, a 'don't touch us, we don't touch you' kind of thing. There's no reason for them to suddenly seek the confrontation with us."

"This town has made you weak, Marcus!" replied Hytor, "And you sound like a coward! There was a time when we punished everyone who dared lay a hand on one of ours. A time before all these 'politics' and 'reason'." Several nodded in agreement.

"Those politics and reason have taken you and your pack from your caves and have given you homes to live in, Hytor! Without them, we'd be nothing more than wild animals!"

"At least we'd be following our instincts! I say we lay siege on Cruor!" Now most of the council was agreeing with Hytor, encouraged by his words.

Areias leaned towards Gethor and whispered: "Marcus is losing them. Propose another approach that will satisfy both sides. Propose a small strike team that will kill one of their council and investigate the reason of the attack." Gethor nodded and raised his voice.

"My brothers! Both are right. We cannot allow this to go unpunished, but at the same time we cannot allow an all out war between us and the parasites. Both races would perish and the humans would reign supreme. I suggest a small strike team to take out one of their council and investigate the attack."

Hytor and Marcus looked at Gethor, and then at each other. "Very well" said Marcus. Hytor gave a nearly unnoticeable nod and sat down.

Areias rose from his seat. "If you'd allow me, I am willing to lead this team. It needs to be someone who can think rationally, not someone who would go on a killing spree at the first sign of blood."

Marcus looked at Areias, sizing him up. "Agreed. It's settled. Areias will assemble a small team of warriors and head for Cruor."

And so, during a hurried meeting in the middle of the night, events that no one could have foreseen were set in motion.

OoC: Nice, Deimos.

IC:

The meeting lasted several hours, as the Cruor Council continued discussing the pros and cons of exploring -and possible, colonizing- the Northern Mountains of Occultus. The Council of Fang and Venom agreed unanimously, whereas the Blood Council was torn; Drake wished to go on with it, being his idea, and the two others -Blood Council has three Council Members, since Drake is technically in Blood Council, yet he's the leader of the coven- were whole-heartedly against it. The Chancellors of each Clan stood patiently behind their leaders, thinking up new words for the mouths of their respective representatives to speak. Though Xanebes continued reading the thoughts of the others, while thinking about what Drake said earlier.

Suddenly, his eyes were wide-opened in shock. "The wolfs!" he shouted, interrupting the debate that had ensued. All eyes turned towards him.

"Lord Drake said that Venom Chancellor Llyras tried to feed off one of the mutts!" he continued, his voice tainted with worry.

"Yes, your point being?" inquired worriedly Drake.

"Did it die!?"

"Llyras? Yes, I already said-"

"No! The werewolf! Did it die!?"

"Of course it did. It was drained of it's blood. What's your..." Drake's voice trailed off. "Damn it! The wolves will retaliate to this! We have to-"

"Send a diplomate to solve this right away. We'll explain everything." interjected Ambrose. "I say we send Xanebes."

"And why should we?!" shouted Councilman Gar Blood.

"He can read a person's thoughts, Gar," said Uriel in his usual gentle voice. Everyone calmed down. "He's the best diplomat in the room, you know. What better is there than someone who knows what answer the wolf will expect?" he paused. "And that's exactly why we should send him. The wolves will be eager for bloodshed, as barbarous as they are, and will ask trick questions. Xanebes will give them what they want. They'll break the treaty if they attack us afterwards..."

"So, it is settled," announced Drake. "Xanebes Fang shall leave this evening. For now, he should take the time to rest. It's almost morning."

And so, during a hurried meeting in the middle of the night, events that no one could have foreseen were set in motion...

OoC: See how I ended that IC post?

OoC: Ya, I saw what you did thar.

Sal's Name: Squiggle
Name: Vincent Puequench
Age: 34
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Appearance: Simple, black leather armour, iron dagger and leather boots. Blonde hair, blue eyes and a wide nose
Abilities: Can cause fires when angry
Other: Immune to fires? (If this is overpowed, tell me and I'll change it to something different)

First Role-play :-)

Declined, Squiggle.

Sal's Name: Erebus
Name: Ruhk (Haven't thought of a last name that fits well. Hope that's alright, I might add one later.)
Age: 36
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Appearance: A rather rugged looking man Ruhk looks almost as if he was born of the wilderness. With dark hair, a heavy brow, a strong jaw and a strong build that remains surprisingly lithe Ruhk is built as a fighter and a skilled one at that. His eyes are a deep shade of green and hold an almost animal like ferocity to them at times while at other times they hold a strong coldness born of his lifestyle. All over his body a lacework of scars break up his otherwise tanned complexion.
Abilities: Minimal magic ability and what he has isn't exactly directly controllable. It's more of a mindset for Ruhk that lets him basically feel his surroundings letting him know when attacks are coming and allowing him to react. At times he can let loose a blast of power which can easily throw opponents and blast through stone walls but he can't summon the ability at will. This mindset also seems to reinforce his strength and makes him able to make leaps and move is ways impossible for a normal human He is also incredibly able with blades, especially a pair of swords he is never without, one Wolfs Bane is blackened steel and has a hilt made from the bone of an alpha werewolf while his other Blood Claw has a silver sheen to the metal and the handle is made of a particularly large bone from a vampire.
Other: Ruhk doesn't live in Praeses like most humans and he often wanders the wilderness of Occultus. He's very powerful but I hope you can trust me enough to not be cheap with him and he will be dieing before too long. He's also a character test for one of the characters in what will probably be my next role-play.

Hope I didn't miss anything.

Xanebes will probably encounter you while trying to reach the werewolves. Accepted.

The human race feels ignored.
I don't want to mistake the whole setting of the area.

I'm going to draw out a map, now.

Remember that Occultus is a rather cold area. You get full winters and a lot of pine trees.

That should be a fun encounter, I look forward to it. And thanks. Now I have to read the other IC posts so I can make my own.

I didn't mean location, I meant the general mood and working of Praeses. (Guilds, population morale, etc.) Preferably you could make an IC with some random NPC in Praeses.

Too late. Here's the map. The awestruck feeling is normal; I'm that good.



Humans are uncomfortably comfortable. They're fine, I guess. It's a half-decent-small-city with walls and st00f made of stone. They're generally well-fed. A little frozen.

Vampires are just starving.

Werewolves live in a very comfortable and warm village made of logs.

OoC: Very short, I know. I don't know how the whole Cursor's guild (which I assume she would be part of ) is setup so I couldn't really do anything important. Not to mention my complete lack of inspiration for that likewise.
--------------------------------------
Cold
The girl was lying on the icy sidewalk staring at the sky, absentmindedly picking at a frozen evergreen needle.
Not really cold, everyday was cold, but today is just cold cold.
Sophie Black did this most mornings, either walking, sitting, or lying around outside waiting for something to happen this early in the day. The sun would always have barely risen, most of the other peoples would still be indoors asleep with more warmth.
It's funny how evolution works isn't it? A few years ago I bet humans would have just died out in this weather.
The 16 year old girl, stretched her arms high and accompanied it with a yawn. Slowly, she steadied her sense of balance as she stood up and surveyed the light orange sky, a product of sunrise.
"Well now." Sophie stopped for a second; she was now speaking aloud. "A few more hours before I have to go over the Cursor's Guild…might as well go for a walk around."
And off she went.

OoC: Be original, Elli. You can make the Cursors guild what you want it to be.

Satisfied, Areias headed home through the cold night.

Another pack war prevented, but it was surely not the last time they had a difference in opinion like that. Too many think like Hytor, longing for the good old days. Still, if our race is to survive, Umbra is the solution. They just need to see that."

Contemplating his future and the future of his race, he reached his house sooner than he thought. As he entered and closed the door, he took of his cloak and hung it next to the door. He was just about to walk further into the house, when he heard a loud knock on his door. Curiously, he turned around and opened the door. There, in the door opening, stood a cloaked and hooded Marcus. "Evening Areias, mind if I come in?"

Areias quickly let him in and took his cloak, hanging it next to his own. "Please, sir, come on in." gesturing Marcus to follow him. Marcus sat down in of the two big, comfy chairs near the fireplace, as Areias attempted to get a fire going. It wasn't long before a warm fire was blazing, and Areias sat down next to Marcus.

"Now, you might be wondering why I came here, right after the meeting. My reason is simple. It was obvious that it was you who came up with the idea Gethor proposed. I came here to discuss the details with you some more."

Curiously, Areias looked at Marcus' face. In the light of the fire, Marcus seemed much older, as if the years of trying to keep the packs together weighed much heavier on him than he let on. "Go on..."

"I realise Hytor wants revenge for the slaying of one of our kind, but if we want our race to survive, we cannot allow such barbaric ways to take over. I came here tonight to ask you to refrain from killing one of the vampire's council."

Areias was hardly surprised. The thought had crossed his mind as well. In his mind, they would first find out the reason why the parasite had attacked a werewolf. Then, only if the reason was truly malignant, they would kill a vampire as a warning.

"Very well, sir, but I promise you this though: should the parasites truly have bad intentions towards us, we will not hesitate to kill one of their own."

"I'd expect no less." replied Marcus, as he got up, "as long as you make sure they truly want this war."

Areias showed Marcus to the door. As Marcus stepped out into the cold night, he turned around. "And Areias... Thank you." With that, no more words needed to be spoken. The town's leader walked into the darkness, as Areias closed the door.

In a few hours, I'll assemble a team. Two, maybe three others, and me should be enough.

OoC: I see warz approaching. I'll make an IC soon.