The Noble Scoundrel
The Eccentric
Images: (Source: Google Images - Keywords "Medieval Knights", "Vikings" and "Ancient Japanese Warfare")
Name: Emberi
Homeworld: Avarisk (To be made)
Language: Neubarsch (Similar to Basic, but the Tsuns broke off early from the typical language conventions of their shared, original language and eventually made their own very different version of Neubarsch; of which they call Caito [Kigh-Toe]. Jyorgins have made minimal changes, so there are few mistakes made to understand each other between Aerins and Jyorgins.)
Average height of adults: 6'0" Men and 5'7" Women (Aerin) 6’3” Men and 5’10” Women (Jyorgin) 5’8” Men and 5’5” Women (Tsun)
Skin color (Traditionally): Aerins: White & Black, Jyorgins: White & Mixed, Tsuns: Yellow Tan, Light Brown, Very Light Peach (Asian)
Hair color: Black, Brown, Blonde, Some Red and Grey/White with age
Breathes: Oxygen, just like your typical human
Strengths:
1. Spirit Walk: Whenever an Emberi dies, their body enters a form of Force Stasis and their spiritual link to the Force is tested. This means that their spirit enters a sort of spirit world. What this world consists of depends very much on the location. An Emberi may find themselves walking amongst the standing, shuffling hordes of those killed long ago on a massive battlefield or they may find themselves wandering the fresh structure of a current day ruin, vibrant with the long lost memories of the ancients. Some have even reported strange happenings that eventually took place in one form or another from what they witnessed.
While these Spirit Walks can undoubtedly illuminate the history, future or current disposition of an area, they are undoubtedly dangerous and have a high mortality rate. The youngest to survive a Spirit Walk and not be taken off to become one with the Force was of the age 13. However, even a strapping young male can easily fall prey to the dangers of the Spirit World if he is not wary and capable enough. The elderly mostly prefer to let themselves move on after death, rather than fight to survive. Spirit Ravagers, which are the spirits of dead Blight Marauders, are constantly on the prowl to prevent Emberi from resurrecting. The spiritual tether that remains present to allow the Emberi a chance to resurrect is imbued with essence that the Spirit Ravagers feed on. Once they feed enough, they can use the stored essence to resurrect themselves. It takes a cunning and strong Spirit Ravager at least a year to collect enough essence from Emberi, especially since they’re in competition with each other. To resurrect themselves, an Emberi must find the piece of their soul that was lost in the surrounding geo-spiritual area. Finding it is not easy, but they can hear a quiet call and feel a vibrating in the air when they are about 5 feet away from it.
Upon successfully returning to the physical world, Force Energy fills and rejuvenates their entire body. They are typically bed-ridden at this stage, for the process leaves their personal energy levels drained as their body heals much more rapidly than usual. They appear and will feel to be quite sick during this time. The body also takes time to attune more closely to the Force and their body systems are put through much efficient restructuring. This means that, with each successful Spirit Walk, an Emberi grows stronger in the Force and physically. In between the time of coming out of a Spirit Walk and being rejuvenated by the Force, an Emberi is in high risk. If they are slain during this time of rejuvenation, they are instantly killed without a chance to Spirit Walk. The release of excess energy from disrupting this transitional period has been known to start fires. The more they successfully Spirit Walk, the more powerful they become. Every time they come back into the Spirit World for one of these Walks, their energy signature is, of course, increased. That means that they are a much more lucrative and noticeable target to more and more Spirit Ravagers. Essentially, the difficulty of Spirit Walks WILL increase.
2. No Room For Floaters: On this world, the fight for survival is much harder than you would find on a developed world in the galaxy. Therefore, everyone knows that they must become specialized in one constructive trade or another. While many hold either a competent knowledge or ability to fight, others have found ways to survive without having to live and die by the sword. Everyone must either become strong in their respective path of life or be doomed to perish.
Weaknesses:
1. Underdeveloped Technology (Can be amended with much development later on, though, so not a true weakness)
2. Prone to War/Xenophobic (Hostility of varying degrees periodically takes place between the three established empires of the homeworld, but what ties them together temporarily is the threat of the blight. To discover off-worlders on their planet would prove to be…problematic for the off-worlder….)
3. Connected to their World (Inhabitants born on the planet Avarisk cannot stay away for more than a year without the advent of declining health and the medical risks therein. Their bond with the Force on their planet is far more unique than found most anywhere else in the galaxy. Spending a week at the least is required for staying away for months and removing most cases of potential health risks.)
4. Use The Farce: Everyone on Avarisk is connected to the Force, but they are not Force Sensitive as the rest of the galaxy can be. Emberi are never able to manipulate the Force through their will. However, they all have an innate ability to resist the Force, much like other Force Sensitives can. The more times they successfully Spirit Walk, the more resistance they gain against the Force. For instance, a Knight level blast that would normally send a group of commoners and children flying would merely make a crowd of Emberi tilt and fall over as though there was a mild earthquake they were not prepared for. Resistance scales up from here based on successful walks, but resisting the Force still draws off your pool of Force energy, just like using the Force would normally do. Essentially, Force Resistance acts as a limited mana pool to draw on.
Weaknesses pertaining to the Spirit Walk ability:
Memory Loss: Whenever an Emberi successfully comes back from a Spirit Walk, they lose all memories of identity, family, friends, memorized lines, etc. They still retain basic memory functions, like how to breath, just like most Amnesiacs.
Fixed Deterioration: No matter how many times you cut it close or how many times you come back to your home planet, your body's biological clock has a set time to go off and become one with the Force. At about the age of 50, deterioration hits hardest for the first time. In most cases, stomach pains are reported and then followed within one or two days by a peaceful death without the chance to Spirit Walk. Because of the lack of proper medical technology, stabilization cannot take place to save them. If saved with the proper medicine from this period of biological instability, they don't have to worry about it happening again. However, there connection is no longer viable to allow for any more Spirit Walks. At about the age of 70, the effect of pain killers and numbing agents are made largely ineffective in their body. At the same time, numerous instances of joint and back pain occur for a long period of time, mostly 'til death. At about the age of 90, bones weaken and start to shrink from osteoporosis. This reduces their height, increases feebleness and seriously hampers mobility. At or even before the age of 120, the body simply gives out and an Emberi will suddenly drop dead.
Don't Lose Your Head: Rapid severing of a major component of the physical (head, heart, lungs, etc.) will cause too much damage to be repaired by regeneration.
Curse You, GPS Location Services: May only Spirit Walk on Avarisk. Not available anywhere else in the galaxy.
Average Lifespan: 125 ideally, 50 current average (due to current tech levels and a lack of galactic health safety standards on this undisturbed planet)
Races:
§ Jyorgn [Yor-gin] (Traditionally white viking-esque culture situated in colder climates. Similar to Mandalorians in that they're open to the admission of other races as long as they do their part and commit.)
§ Aerin [Air-n] (Traditionally white and black medieval-times-knight-esque culture situated in temperate climates. Similar to The Republic in that they strive toward societal unity and peace alongside their drive to maintain a strong, tight knit military)
§ Tsun [Sun] (Traditionally Oriental-samurai-ninja-imperial-japan-esque culture situated in warmer and hot climates. Similar to The Empire in that they are highly disciplined, cunning, organized, traditional and pragmatic.)
Estimated Population: 1 billion around the world. Only located on this world.
Diet: Think Skyrim foods. Pies, bread, meat, mead, apples, etc.
Communication: Foot, Mounted and Bird carriers
Culture: Aerins strive to maintain a balance in the many walkways of life. They are best known for their development of medicinal science, sturdy and grand construction, agriculture and performing arts. Large cities, due to the initial rushed design layout to prepare for a Blight attack, tend to be grand in the center with a stronghold, haphazardly constructed, claustrophobic living buildings close, but separate from that stronghold, and more peaceful, if less protected, surrounding housings, stables farm lands and countryside. This equates to a focus on protecting the inner holdings of a city, a bustling, if not overpopulated, city life and freedom in exchange for security on the outer reaches of any given city. Hierarchy is succeeded almost solely through the family lineage. In the case of no more remaining royal family, the General of Armies shall succeed until the Divines call upon a new ruler.
Tsuns are like Saiyans in the sense that times of peace are just an opportunity to train. Having been hit the hardest during the first recorded Blight, they desire, more than most anything, that they are to always be fully prepared for the next Blight and to come out far better compared to the other nations. They manage and maintain multiple military organizations, both official and otherwise, to carry out their national agenda, whether overtly or covertly. Their food is unique and quite strange in the eyes of foreigners. Where the Jyorgins would stoop to trading and/or stealing agricultural techniques and secrets from the Aerins, the Tsuns are too proud to consult others on how best to farm. They are convinced that their food is good enough for all, but there are certainly the occasional commoner Tsuns that gripe inwardly about the monotony of their daily diet. Aside from the impressive and strict military focus of this culture, there are little nuggets of soul that shine through the cracks. Tsuns understand that there comes a time for the need to unwind. Higher up on the social rung, you can find instrument players of esteemed quality and artists unmatched. Lower down, gambling on any and all things and dueling are prevalent. Hierarchy is usually family succeeded, much like the Aerins. However, if you are of upper class, you may, at any time, challenge the Emperor in a duel of wits, strategy, and finally battle. To become eligible to challenge the Emperor, you must have accomplished a notable act of community service to your fellow Tsuns. The proof of service is awarded by the leader of said town/village/city and verified by the local or high court.
Jyorgins are a hearty people. Preferring the cold, every Jyorgin must work hard and relish the relief of supporting and/or being supported by a caring community or die selfish and alone. Despite lacking on the technological front, Jyorgins maintain an inwardly smug view of the others, claiming that they have, by far, more soul than the Tsuns and more heart than the Aerins. Whilst Aerins have the best singers and Tsuns have the best instrumentalists, Jyorgins just do it. They will belt their favorite battle song while playing whatever they can find to work as instruments and they'll do it with unrelenting gusto. There is little wonder why the Jyorgins have remained a successful community. They don't have room to be anything but accepting, if they want to survive and thrive in numbers. Of course, destructive behaviors like theft and murder are not allowed, but focus is more on helping each other than personal gain. Men, women and children of all races, age and most creeds are allowed to come and be a part of the Jyorgin community. However, you must prove yourself thoroughly before they let a newcomer become a part of raids or integral business matters of the Jyorgin people. Each town and village are overseen by a Jarl and his handpicked staff. An Oberjarl oversees the other Jarls from what would pass as their capital city, Erronshiral. Jarls are usually left to remain autonomous except for when the Oberjarl takes over matters concerning the safety of the entire nation, such as war and wide-spread disaster. The closest thing to fine arts they have is carousing in the taverns with friends, mead and food aplenty. Oh, and brawling? Not sure, but they definitely have plenty of those.
Technology level: Medieval. Jyorgin have the best physical attributes and are best equipped to settle and develop wild land. Aerins are well-rounded with a streak for compassion, focus on the family, and fine arts. Tsuns are military focused and have an edge in crafting, strong loyalty to time-honored traditions and are the first to take steps in understanding and utilizing chemical compositions for explosive report. Currently manifests as simple fireworks, but efforts are underway to utilize it for military application.
General behavior: Although trade exists between nations, that status can change on a whim. Most people stay focused on either advancing or surviving in their culture. Testing your mettle against other nations is smiled upon by fellow countrymen, whether it be through diplomacy, battle or spying. If they’re not fighting each other, the nations are either busy with other problems or focused on banding together once more to confront the unpredictable dark forces that surge forth on their own time table to attack the surface in hordes.
History:
Although the tale is told differently from culture to culture to culture, the scholars of the old age were in agreeance when telling the legend of Avarisk's origin. Even so, a legend is simply a legend...
Long ago, two brothers roamed the barren surface of Avarisk. Each was strong in their own mystic ways but, together, they were able to breath life into the planet. Kahn created the mountains and the oceans; the forests and the flatlands. Abelard created the animals and insects; the birds of the air and the denizens of the deep. Together, they built paradise. However, Abelard wasn't satisfied. He wanted to create something in his own image. He created the first Emberi, whom settled in what is now known as the Valley of the Ancients. Kahn became jealous and his heart hardened against the Emberi.
He forged life of his own, but his skill was nowhere near the same as Abelard. Only being able to copy what he had learned from Abelard, he created a gross perversion of the Emberi. It was far from level of detail and love that was put into the creation of the Emberi, for it was fueled and based off of the hatred and anger festering in Kahn's mind. This dark form of life became known as the Blight. As the Blight charged forth to decimate the small Emberi population, Abelard and Kahn squared off. In each other's mind, the other had betrayed them deeply.
Kahn felled Abelard with a fatal blow. Before he passed away, Abelard whispered something in Kahn ear. Kahn became consumed with grief over what he had just committed. In an effort to seek atonement, he began to use his powers in an effort to forever imprison the Blight far away from where anyone could be afflicted. Sensing this power and purpose from their master, the Blight retreated from the Emberi and came to stop their former master. Before he could finish, they tore him apart. Kahn's efforts were only half-finished. So, instead of causing total banishment, the Blight were, instead, forced to stay long under the surface of the planet and get their chance at domination once every two or three generations.
Jyorgins have always had a history of remaining rogue, independent and having a tight knit, “family” community. They are more daring than Aerins and far more intimidating than the typical Tsun. They focus on the good things in life and raiding their neighboring nations for gold, supplies, experience and fame. They don’t typically engage in trade, but there have been a few outstanding cases. They are largely self-sufficient in terms of survival, but the lack the same level of tech that the other two nations have. In an effort to “keep up with the Jones’ “, Jyorgins engage in stealing and repurposing the other nations’ tech. Jyorgins love their freedom and bash anyone who tries to take it from them.
Aerins see themselves as the apex of civilization. Both cases that this is a true fact and that they are just blowing smoke can be made here, but they are definitely the first to be able to come to terms with and utilize many different aspects of advanced social and farming life. They constantly strive to break a good and proper balance between security and freedom. They often see themselves as the “good” faction and others as either “uncivilized” or “evil”. Cases can, once again, be made for and against this type of thinking. An order of Knights make up the elite fighting force of the Aerins.
Tsuns are strong pragmatists to their core. They hold to strong, traditionalistic values and invest in their military and similar-minded research/development. Their latest exploit has led to the creation of recreational fireworks, but dreams of a military application are being worked on currently. Tsuns view outsiders of their culture as comparatively “undisciplined” and “lacking of true dedication”. The Tsuns believe in running a tight ship, so they have more of a focus on security than freedom. Their pragmatic ways can be downright ruthless, but never without a coherent, intelligent thought process behind such actions. There are different orders of militant combatants that support this nation: Ninja clans, Samurai, etc. However, only the Imperial Guard is the official elite fighting force of the Tsuns.
The Blight are mysterious dark side creatures that have been around since the dawn of known recorded history. Their origin is shrouded in mystery, yet their purpose is clear: to claim the land above through savage conquest. They periodically make a threatening horde resurgence every 200 to 300 years whilst remaining a small, guerrilla thorn in untamed lands for as long as they encroach on established Emberi territory. They resemble shadowy humanoids that wear dark, dirty, ragged clothing and utter guttural sounds in the form of an unknown, dark language. Alpha Blight creatures, known as Blight Marauders, are known to lead the horde forces of the Blight. These are creatures twice as tall, physically imposing for even a Jyorgin and far more cunning than the forces in their thrall. No matter your race, you’ll learn sooner, rather than later, to put aside your grievances and work together (if only temporarily) with whomever can raise a blade and help you put down the hordes once more.
Notable Player-Characters: None yet.
Intent: To create a species that I and others can play with and create cool stories with. More specifically, I wish to make a character who, through much development, becomes an important and legendary figurehead among the Emberi and write the wide-eyed and dumbfounded position of a man discovering there's life beyond the stars.
I want to allow people to be able to write something with a medieval flair while still writing in the Star Wars universe. Also, who doesn't like taking on hordes of mysterious, shambling monsters? Spirit Walk, to me, is a very cool ability that would allow for: creative visions to compound a story on, a way to test the honesty of the writer (whether they show true challenge or brush off self-written opposition) and provide an existential take on risk versus reward. Do you succumb to death to avoid the inevitable or do you fight on to deny the Blight?
For this, I’m drawing inspiration from For Honor, Eragon, Ranger’s Apprentice, Dragon Age, Doctor Who and Saiyans, as well as all of the little things in the far reaches of my mind that have inadvertently drawn inspiration from things I have seen and read.
Name: Emberi
Homeworld: Avarisk (To be made)
Language: Neubarsch (Similar to Basic, but the Tsuns broke off early from the typical language conventions of their shared, original language and eventually made their own very different version of Neubarsch; of which they call Caito [Kigh-Toe]. Jyorgins have made minimal changes, so there are few mistakes made to understand each other between Aerins and Jyorgins.)
Average height of adults: 6'0" Men and 5'7" Women (Aerin) 6’3” Men and 5’10” Women (Jyorgin) 5’8” Men and 5’5” Women (Tsun)
Skin color (Traditionally): Aerins: White & Black, Jyorgins: White & Mixed, Tsuns: Yellow Tan, Light Brown, Very Light Peach (Asian)
Hair color: Black, Brown, Blonde, Some Red and Grey/White with age
Breathes: Oxygen, just like your typical human
Strengths:
1. Spirit Walk: Whenever an Emberi dies, their body enters a form of Force Stasis and their spiritual link to the Force is tested. This means that their spirit enters a sort of spirit world. What this world consists of depends very much on the location. An Emberi may find themselves walking amongst the standing, shuffling hordes of those killed long ago on a massive battlefield or they may find themselves wandering the fresh structure of a current day ruin, vibrant with the long lost memories of the ancients. Some have even reported strange happenings that eventually took place in one form or another from what they witnessed.
While these Spirit Walks can undoubtedly illuminate the history, future or current disposition of an area, they are undoubtedly dangerous and have a high mortality rate. The youngest to survive a Spirit Walk and not be taken off to become one with the Force was of the age 13. However, even a strapping young male can easily fall prey to the dangers of the Spirit World if he is not wary and capable enough. The elderly mostly prefer to let themselves move on after death, rather than fight to survive. Spirit Ravagers, which are the spirits of dead Blight Marauders, are constantly on the prowl to prevent Emberi from resurrecting. The spiritual tether that remains present to allow the Emberi a chance to resurrect is imbued with essence that the Spirit Ravagers feed on. Once they feed enough, they can use the stored essence to resurrect themselves. It takes a cunning and strong Spirit Ravager at least a year to collect enough essence from Emberi, especially since they’re in competition with each other. To resurrect themselves, an Emberi must find the piece of their soul that was lost in the surrounding geo-spiritual area. Finding it is not easy, but they can hear a quiet call and feel a vibrating in the air when they are about 5 feet away from it.
Upon successfully returning to the physical world, Force Energy fills and rejuvenates their entire body. They are typically bed-ridden at this stage, for the process leaves their personal energy levels drained as their body heals much more rapidly than usual. They appear and will feel to be quite sick during this time. The body also takes time to attune more closely to the Force and their body systems are put through much efficient restructuring. This means that, with each successful Spirit Walk, an Emberi grows stronger in the Force and physically. In between the time of coming out of a Spirit Walk and being rejuvenated by the Force, an Emberi is in high risk. If they are slain during this time of rejuvenation, they are instantly killed without a chance to Spirit Walk. The release of excess energy from disrupting this transitional period has been known to start fires. The more they successfully Spirit Walk, the more powerful they become. Every time they come back into the Spirit World for one of these Walks, their energy signature is, of course, increased. That means that they are a much more lucrative and noticeable target to more and more Spirit Ravagers. Essentially, the difficulty of Spirit Walks WILL increase.
2. No Room For Floaters: On this world, the fight for survival is much harder than you would find on a developed world in the galaxy. Therefore, everyone knows that they must become specialized in one constructive trade or another. While many hold either a competent knowledge or ability to fight, others have found ways to survive without having to live and die by the sword. Everyone must either become strong in their respective path of life or be doomed to perish.
Weaknesses:
1. Underdeveloped Technology (Can be amended with much development later on, though, so not a true weakness)
2. Prone to War/Xenophobic (Hostility of varying degrees periodically takes place between the three established empires of the homeworld, but what ties them together temporarily is the threat of the blight. To discover off-worlders on their planet would prove to be…problematic for the off-worlder….)
3. Connected to their World (Inhabitants born on the planet Avarisk cannot stay away for more than a year without the advent of declining health and the medical risks therein. Their bond with the Force on their planet is far more unique than found most anywhere else in the galaxy. Spending a week at the least is required for staying away for months and removing most cases of potential health risks.)
4. Use The Farce: Everyone on Avarisk is connected to the Force, but they are not Force Sensitive as the rest of the galaxy can be. Emberi are never able to manipulate the Force through their will. However, they all have an innate ability to resist the Force, much like other Force Sensitives can. The more times they successfully Spirit Walk, the more resistance they gain against the Force. For instance, a Knight level blast that would normally send a group of commoners and children flying would merely make a crowd of Emberi tilt and fall over as though there was a mild earthquake they were not prepared for. Resistance scales up from here based on successful walks, but resisting the Force still draws off your pool of Force energy, just like using the Force would normally do. Essentially, Force Resistance acts as a limited mana pool to draw on.
Weaknesses pertaining to the Spirit Walk ability:
Memory Loss: Whenever an Emberi successfully comes back from a Spirit Walk, they lose all memories of identity, family, friends, memorized lines, etc. They still retain basic memory functions, like how to breath, just like most Amnesiacs.
Fixed Deterioration: No matter how many times you cut it close or how many times you come back to your home planet, your body's biological clock has a set time to go off and become one with the Force. At about the age of 50, deterioration hits hardest for the first time. In most cases, stomach pains are reported and then followed within one or two days by a peaceful death without the chance to Spirit Walk. Because of the lack of proper medical technology, stabilization cannot take place to save them. If saved with the proper medicine from this period of biological instability, they don't have to worry about it happening again. However, there connection is no longer viable to allow for any more Spirit Walks. At about the age of 70, the effect of pain killers and numbing agents are made largely ineffective in their body. At the same time, numerous instances of joint and back pain occur for a long period of time, mostly 'til death. At about the age of 90, bones weaken and start to shrink from osteoporosis. This reduces their height, increases feebleness and seriously hampers mobility. At or even before the age of 120, the body simply gives out and an Emberi will suddenly drop dead.
Don't Lose Your Head: Rapid severing of a major component of the physical (head, heart, lungs, etc.) will cause too much damage to be repaired by regeneration.
Curse You, GPS Location Services: May only Spirit Walk on Avarisk. Not available anywhere else in the galaxy.
Average Lifespan: 125 ideally, 50 current average (due to current tech levels and a lack of galactic health safety standards on this undisturbed planet)
Races:
§ Jyorgn [Yor-gin] (Traditionally white viking-esque culture situated in colder climates. Similar to Mandalorians in that they're open to the admission of other races as long as they do their part and commit.)
§ Aerin [Air-n] (Traditionally white and black medieval-times-knight-esque culture situated in temperate climates. Similar to The Republic in that they strive toward societal unity and peace alongside their drive to maintain a strong, tight knit military)
§ Tsun [Sun] (Traditionally Oriental-samurai-ninja-imperial-japan-esque culture situated in warmer and hot climates. Similar to The Empire in that they are highly disciplined, cunning, organized, traditional and pragmatic.)
Estimated Population: 1 billion around the world. Only located on this world.
Diet: Think Skyrim foods. Pies, bread, meat, mead, apples, etc.
Communication: Foot, Mounted and Bird carriers
Culture: Aerins strive to maintain a balance in the many walkways of life. They are best known for their development of medicinal science, sturdy and grand construction, agriculture and performing arts. Large cities, due to the initial rushed design layout to prepare for a Blight attack, tend to be grand in the center with a stronghold, haphazardly constructed, claustrophobic living buildings close, but separate from that stronghold, and more peaceful, if less protected, surrounding housings, stables farm lands and countryside. This equates to a focus on protecting the inner holdings of a city, a bustling, if not overpopulated, city life and freedom in exchange for security on the outer reaches of any given city. Hierarchy is succeeded almost solely through the family lineage. In the case of no more remaining royal family, the General of Armies shall succeed until the Divines call upon a new ruler.
Tsuns are like Saiyans in the sense that times of peace are just an opportunity to train. Having been hit the hardest during the first recorded Blight, they desire, more than most anything, that they are to always be fully prepared for the next Blight and to come out far better compared to the other nations. They manage and maintain multiple military organizations, both official and otherwise, to carry out their national agenda, whether overtly or covertly. Their food is unique and quite strange in the eyes of foreigners. Where the Jyorgins would stoop to trading and/or stealing agricultural techniques and secrets from the Aerins, the Tsuns are too proud to consult others on how best to farm. They are convinced that their food is good enough for all, but there are certainly the occasional commoner Tsuns that gripe inwardly about the monotony of their daily diet. Aside from the impressive and strict military focus of this culture, there are little nuggets of soul that shine through the cracks. Tsuns understand that there comes a time for the need to unwind. Higher up on the social rung, you can find instrument players of esteemed quality and artists unmatched. Lower down, gambling on any and all things and dueling are prevalent. Hierarchy is usually family succeeded, much like the Aerins. However, if you are of upper class, you may, at any time, challenge the Emperor in a duel of wits, strategy, and finally battle. To become eligible to challenge the Emperor, you must have accomplished a notable act of community service to your fellow Tsuns. The proof of service is awarded by the leader of said town/village/city and verified by the local or high court.
Jyorgins are a hearty people. Preferring the cold, every Jyorgin must work hard and relish the relief of supporting and/or being supported by a caring community or die selfish and alone. Despite lacking on the technological front, Jyorgins maintain an inwardly smug view of the others, claiming that they have, by far, more soul than the Tsuns and more heart than the Aerins. Whilst Aerins have the best singers and Tsuns have the best instrumentalists, Jyorgins just do it. They will belt their favorite battle song while playing whatever they can find to work as instruments and they'll do it with unrelenting gusto. There is little wonder why the Jyorgins have remained a successful community. They don't have room to be anything but accepting, if they want to survive and thrive in numbers. Of course, destructive behaviors like theft and murder are not allowed, but focus is more on helping each other than personal gain. Men, women and children of all races, age and most creeds are allowed to come and be a part of the Jyorgin community. However, you must prove yourself thoroughly before they let a newcomer become a part of raids or integral business matters of the Jyorgin people. Each town and village are overseen by a Jarl and his handpicked staff. An Oberjarl oversees the other Jarls from what would pass as their capital city, Erronshiral. Jarls are usually left to remain autonomous except for when the Oberjarl takes over matters concerning the safety of the entire nation, such as war and wide-spread disaster. The closest thing to fine arts they have is carousing in the taverns with friends, mead and food aplenty. Oh, and brawling? Not sure, but they definitely have plenty of those.
Technology level: Medieval. Jyorgin have the best physical attributes and are best equipped to settle and develop wild land. Aerins are well-rounded with a streak for compassion, focus on the family, and fine arts. Tsuns are military focused and have an edge in crafting, strong loyalty to time-honored traditions and are the first to take steps in understanding and utilizing chemical compositions for explosive report. Currently manifests as simple fireworks, but efforts are underway to utilize it for military application.
General behavior: Although trade exists between nations, that status can change on a whim. Most people stay focused on either advancing or surviving in their culture. Testing your mettle against other nations is smiled upon by fellow countrymen, whether it be through diplomacy, battle or spying. If they’re not fighting each other, the nations are either busy with other problems or focused on banding together once more to confront the unpredictable dark forces that surge forth on their own time table to attack the surface in hordes.
History:
Although the tale is told differently from culture to culture to culture, the scholars of the old age were in agreeance when telling the legend of Avarisk's origin. Even so, a legend is simply a legend...
Long ago, two brothers roamed the barren surface of Avarisk. Each was strong in their own mystic ways but, together, they were able to breath life into the planet. Kahn created the mountains and the oceans; the forests and the flatlands. Abelard created the animals and insects; the birds of the air and the denizens of the deep. Together, they built paradise. However, Abelard wasn't satisfied. He wanted to create something in his own image. He created the first Emberi, whom settled in what is now known as the Valley of the Ancients. Kahn became jealous and his heart hardened against the Emberi.
He forged life of his own, but his skill was nowhere near the same as Abelard. Only being able to copy what he had learned from Abelard, he created a gross perversion of the Emberi. It was far from level of detail and love that was put into the creation of the Emberi, for it was fueled and based off of the hatred and anger festering in Kahn's mind. This dark form of life became known as the Blight. As the Blight charged forth to decimate the small Emberi population, Abelard and Kahn squared off. In each other's mind, the other had betrayed them deeply.
Kahn felled Abelard with a fatal blow. Before he passed away, Abelard whispered something in Kahn ear. Kahn became consumed with grief over what he had just committed. In an effort to seek atonement, he began to use his powers in an effort to forever imprison the Blight far away from where anyone could be afflicted. Sensing this power and purpose from their master, the Blight retreated from the Emberi and came to stop their former master. Before he could finish, they tore him apart. Kahn's efforts were only half-finished. So, instead of causing total banishment, the Blight were, instead, forced to stay long under the surface of the planet and get their chance at domination once every two or three generations.
Jyorgins have always had a history of remaining rogue, independent and having a tight knit, “family” community. They are more daring than Aerins and far more intimidating than the typical Tsun. They focus on the good things in life and raiding their neighboring nations for gold, supplies, experience and fame. They don’t typically engage in trade, but there have been a few outstanding cases. They are largely self-sufficient in terms of survival, but the lack the same level of tech that the other two nations have. In an effort to “keep up with the Jones’ “, Jyorgins engage in stealing and repurposing the other nations’ tech. Jyorgins love their freedom and bash anyone who tries to take it from them.
Aerins see themselves as the apex of civilization. Both cases that this is a true fact and that they are just blowing smoke can be made here, but they are definitely the first to be able to come to terms with and utilize many different aspects of advanced social and farming life. They constantly strive to break a good and proper balance between security and freedom. They often see themselves as the “good” faction and others as either “uncivilized” or “evil”. Cases can, once again, be made for and against this type of thinking. An order of Knights make up the elite fighting force of the Aerins.
Tsuns are strong pragmatists to their core. They hold to strong, traditionalistic values and invest in their military and similar-minded research/development. Their latest exploit has led to the creation of recreational fireworks, but dreams of a military application are being worked on currently. Tsuns view outsiders of their culture as comparatively “undisciplined” and “lacking of true dedication”. The Tsuns believe in running a tight ship, so they have more of a focus on security than freedom. Their pragmatic ways can be downright ruthless, but never without a coherent, intelligent thought process behind such actions. There are different orders of militant combatants that support this nation: Ninja clans, Samurai, etc. However, only the Imperial Guard is the official elite fighting force of the Tsuns.
The Blight are mysterious dark side creatures that have been around since the dawn of known recorded history. Their origin is shrouded in mystery, yet their purpose is clear: to claim the land above through savage conquest. They periodically make a threatening horde resurgence every 200 to 300 years whilst remaining a small, guerrilla thorn in untamed lands for as long as they encroach on established Emberi territory. They resemble shadowy humanoids that wear dark, dirty, ragged clothing and utter guttural sounds in the form of an unknown, dark language. Alpha Blight creatures, known as Blight Marauders, are known to lead the horde forces of the Blight. These are creatures twice as tall, physically imposing for even a Jyorgin and far more cunning than the forces in their thrall. No matter your race, you’ll learn sooner, rather than later, to put aside your grievances and work together (if only temporarily) with whomever can raise a blade and help you put down the hordes once more.
Notable Player-Characters: None yet.
Intent: To create a species that I and others can play with and create cool stories with. More specifically, I wish to make a character who, through much development, becomes an important and legendary figurehead among the Emberi and write the wide-eyed and dumbfounded position of a man discovering there's life beyond the stars.
I want to allow people to be able to write something with a medieval flair while still writing in the Star Wars universe. Also, who doesn't like taking on hordes of mysterious, shambling monsters? Spirit Walk, to me, is a very cool ability that would allow for: creative visions to compound a story on, a way to test the honesty of the writer (whether they show true challenge or brush off self-written opposition) and provide an existential take on risk versus reward. Do you succumb to death to avoid the inevitable or do you fight on to deny the Blight?
For this, I’m drawing inspiration from For Honor, Eragon, Ranger’s Apprentice, Dragon Age, Doctor Who and Saiyans, as well as all of the little things in the far reaches of my mind that have inadvertently drawn inspiration from things I have seen and read.
