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Back to Topics Estimated reading time: ~4 minutes Year 18,597 World Time | 597 World Time Abbreviated Plot Valucre is the story of your characters and how they interact with other characters in the world, whether those interactions are epic tales that span the globe or the intimate dramas of everyday life in a local town. What you decide to write, the actions you decide to take, can have as much or as little impact on your personal storyline and on the surrounding world as the effort you choose to put in. Knowledge about Valucre by its inhabitants should be taken as mythological rather than empirical. This means that what a people believe may not actually be accurate, and is subject to ongoing interpretation, debate and modification. There is no indisputable theory for how the universe came to be. Instead there are dominant and recessive theories, myths and worldviews which vary depending on where you are and who you ask. The World Valucre is twice the radius of Earth and, like Earth, is made up mostly of water. For simplicity's sake, Valucre has similar seasons, weather, atmosphere, flora, fauna, etc. Valucre's creatures are also open by design, meaning that while nations may have their own bestiary index, their own unique creatures or versions of existing creatures, players are not limited to these and can create their own as long as they adhere to mild powers. Despite a high level of scientific understanding among its people, the presence of magic has confounded efforts to get an accurate measure of the planet's age, and has complicated cartography and archaeology for eons. Different nations may keep different calendars for religious or cultural reasons but also keep track of a universal World Time. The universal calendar shared throughout the nations indicates that Valucre is in its 18,597th year World Time (WT). Colloquially this is referred to as 597 WTA (World Time Abbreviated, cutting off the millennia digits). For simplified timekeeping purposes, Valucre advances at a rate of 1:1 with the real world, usually in June. The Nations Continents and territories tend to favor a major theme while also participating in the shared game space. This means that while one location on the planet can be high fantasy (like Orisia or Alterion), another can employ magitech and airships (like Terrenus and Genesaris), and another might favor futuristic scifi (like Renovatio). Because of the complex interplay between magic and technology it's difficult to say that one nation is more 'advanced' than another since different means can be employed to similar ends, though that doesn't stop different kingdoms from trying. Keep in mind that these descriptions are not meant to isolate one setting from another and that your character can travel freely between each location, having to surpass obstacles magical and mundane. Also keep in mind that settings have a general theme but are not restricted to that theme. Considering these continents occupy the same world, expect to see some truly odd and wonderful sights. 'Fast travel' is a common plot device; you don't have to play out the travel between locations. To learn more about a location click on the name, and if you have questions visit the Ask Me Anything (AMA) of the location. Language The following is meant to be descriptive rather than prescriptive. This means that you can use it as a stylistic guide to your writing, rather than a rigid formula you have to follow to be accurate. Don't expect things like etymologies and expressions to perfectly match; don't expect to have to write in these languages Unii sounds like Russian. Unii is a constructed trade language designed to bridge communications between people who do not share a native tongue. It is employed most commonly by entities with international dealings, such as trade, diplomacy and criminal enterprise. Terrenus sounds like Spanish Genesaris sounds like German Renovatio sounds like Latin Alterion sounds like Mandarin Terrenus| AMA | Quests | Artifacts Major themes: science fantasy - religion (Gaianism) - birthplace of magitech Board Leader: supernal and desolate Geographic standout feature: Deepest body of water; Ponkapoag lake Genesaris| AMA | Quests Major themes: high fantasy - modern elements - birthplace of airships Board Leader: King Geographic standout feature: Largest desert Orisia Major themes: traditional fantasy - vampiric queen and population - local magic interferes with advanced technology Board Leader: Pasion Pasiva and King Renovatio Renovatio lies between Genesaris and Terrenus and is made up of multiple territories. Renovatio (kingdom) | AMA | Quests Major themes: futuristic scifi - floating landmass 3.7 miles in the air - airship hub Board Leader: Aleksei Geographic standout feature: Largest volcano Alterion| AMA | Quests | Artifacts Major themes: sci-fi - dark horror - birthplace of combat alchemy - home to the Crystal, a being worshiped as a god Board Leader: paradigm and Syncopy Geographic standout feature: Largest canyon The Vortex | announcement This is a gateway into what is commonly referred to as "the infinities of the spirit world", a portal which leads to endless realities and dimensions and through which come travelers from far off worlds. It can deposit you anywhere on the planet, not just near itself. Alternative Not a part of the canon world of Valucre. Alternative is where members can go to host roleplay that wouldn't fit in the world of Valucre. Roleplay that takes place on other planets, on modern-day earth, or that surpass the mild powers limitations of Valucre can be hosted here. Roleplay here must still abide by the code of conduct. As of the introduction of the vortex, characters can freely travel from Alternative to Valucre, and must adhere to the rules of the local realm. Magic and Technology Valucre is a fantasy setting where magic and science have evolved separately but in parallel. This results in areas which vary drastically from one another. In a single nation you can have locations where people use coal and oil, other areas where they use steam and electricity - one area where magic is sacred and divine, and another where it is used for convenience, or doesn't exist at all. You can read more about the laws of magic in its dedicated article. The laws are open by design to allow members to use any ability or system they please, as long as those things adhere to mild powers; actions that observe the laws are considered as having canonical backing. Board leaders may have local systems which will override or supplement the universal system. Like any system, the laws are a 'living document' and subject to change. Back to Topics

Terran Calendar: The current year is 29 AO = 597 WTA. All new threads happen during the current year unless otherwise stated by the creator. Setting elements cannot be ignored or manipulated City maps are guides and not authoritative sources ✪ = City | ✦ = Landmark | ✿ = Independent territory ✪ Ignatz ✪ Casper (Primary sea port) ✪ Martial Town ✪ Last Chance (Secondary sea port) ✪ Hell's Gate (Primary sky Port) ✦ Langley Keep ✪ Blairville (Secondary sky port) ✦ Biazo Isle | Bi'le'ah | ✪ Aspyn ✦ Weland Gorge; Day River ✪ Dougton ✦ Scudder Forests ✿ Selemath ✦ Hills of Noddendody ✦ Blue Hills ✦ Moonwood ✦ Ponkapoag Lake | Gaian Academy; Haunted Glen ✦ Timber Creek ✦ Great Pine Barrens | No Man's Land; Witch's Cave; Herbie's Bed; Peaceful Woods ✦ Forgotten Wood ✦ Black Ridge ✦ Hidden Valley ✦ Dark Forest | The Cedars ✦ Forbidding Hills ✦ Shawnee Glacier ✦ The Wastelands | Badlands; High Desert; Dead Peaks ✦ Blaurg Mountain ✦ Coconino Marsh | Labyrinth Forest; Coconino Creek ✦ Hills of Lost Hearts ✦ Barnstable Coast ✦ Southern Sea ✿ Predator's Keep ✿ Amalia ✿ Yh'mi ✿ Taen | Ursa Madeum ✿ Norkotia ✿ Coth | Temple City ✿ Chesterfield | Aligoria ✿ Nesthome | Anima ✿ Everrun Announcements Newer information at the top; keep up with the latest in the Updates thread. During the events of Civil War - Phase 3, a number of those factions which established themselves in the Wilds have grown in size and successfully established sovereignty over their lands. Notable stewards of their respective regions are Chesterfield and COTH Breaking news from the Symposium Against Doom - body snatchers and volatile loci Visible to the entire continent, the sun burns green for ten minutes. During the events of the Civil War - Phase 2, a number of different factions have established themselves in the greater Wilds of Terrenus and are poised to become enclaves with sovereign leadership. This has added new territories to the map: Aligoria, Chesterfield, Everrun, COTH, Temple City, Nesthome, Anima. Due to the events of the Civil War - Phase 1, transportation across the nation of Terrenus has been crippled and magical availability has been concentrated in the Shawnee Wastelands. Geography Located in the north-east of planet Valucre, Terrenus is approximately twice the size of the North American continent and has a citizen population of approximately 300,000,000 (three-hundred million) as of 24 AO. Climate A dense arcanosphere has resulted in sections of unpredictable climate and terrain. The fluctuating levels of magic also lead to random side effects on plant and animal life, and has been noted to render gunpowder unreliable in greater Terrenus (this is meant to prompt creative alternatives to basic firearms). The tip of Ponkapoag Lake will be used as the central marker for description purposes. The area enveloping Ponkapoag Lake and Coconino Marsh is characterized by warm, dry summers which average 66°F with low precipitation and cool, wet winters which average 25°F and moderate precipitation. Evergreen and deciduous trees, fig, walnut and citrus trees, and bay rosemary herbs thrive in the area. North of the central marker the weather increases sharply in temperature and vegetation becomes sparse as grassland and forest biomes turn into desert, which average around 100°F with pronounced dry periods. The desert biome is expansive but is at its north-eastern section is abruptly interrupted by arctic tundra. South of the central marker, the climate features warm summers and cool winters with a narrow annual temperature range. There is no dry season in this section, precipitation ranging from moderate to heavy, and the forests are temperate, especially in the Great Pine Barrens. In Amalia, Ursa Madeum and Biazo Isle, year round temperatures are consistently a humid 75°F and are dominated by precipitation, especially during monsoon season. Flora and Fauna Terrenus has plant and animal life recognizable to most characters, such as: flowers, trees, dogs, horses, crabs, salmon, etc. and so on. In addition to this standard there are a number of animals and plants unique to Terrenus. You can read more in the Terrenus section of the Terrenus Creature Codex, the Terrenus's Herbology Index and Herbalism 202. Note that users aren't limited to what's included in the present material and are free/encouraged to come up with plant and animal life as long as they adhere to the Mild Powers rules. Users can also make bestiary submissions if they want to formalize information about their creations and make them available for public use. Cities, Provinces, Territories Terrenus has ten megacities (originally 12, two have been lost to major ruin or a shift in politics) and numerous disparate villages, towns, baronies and lordships around the nation. The major cities are population dense and, thanks to magi-tech introduced with Odin Haze's sweeping regime, vary wildly in setting and tone. Outside of the major cities the Terrenus wilderness is mystical, savage and untamed. It is not uncommon for the citizen or amateur adventurer striking out on their own between the cities to find death as to find fortune. Culture Terrenus Quest Index Terrenus Artifact List A citizen living within one of the megacities is literate, adequately versed in magical theory to make use of Terran magi-tech, is aware of common metaphysical phenomena (ghosts, rituals, telepathy, charms, hexes, etc), and is often capable of using magic as a result of scholarly pursuit and understanding. A native from one of the towns or villages is less likely to be literate and have empirical insight into arcana and magical phenomena. Instead, their knowledge of ability to use magic is a result of hereditary traditions and cultural myths. Their understanding of magic is intuitive rather than logical, making them more susceptible to charlatans and superstitious fears. But, with generations of experience springing from tradition, the villages produce more young people capable of wielding powerful, ancient magic. A Terran from any part of the nation tends to be physically robust due to Gaian religious practices and Terran diet. They have a special love for music, having considered music the universal language before they discovered mathematics and magic, and as a consequence also enjoy indulging lavishly in food and dance. Terrans celebrate not just their history, but their art throughout their ages as well. Language Terric is the primary language of Terrenus. It is spoken in all megacities and most towns, though becomes rare in isolated villages and islands, where a pidgin form of modified Terric of varying names (Terril, Terrin, Terrie, etc) is usually the norm. Terric's primary dialects sounds like Spanish (users should treat this as a plot device and are not expected to learn how to write Spanish). Other dialects sound close to Romance-influenced language, such as Italian and French, but will also deviate into Germanic-influenced languages. The rarest language in Terrenus is Oldspeak, which is practiced by less than 1% of the population. The language requires line of sight and has no verbal components, instead communicating complete ideas between speaker and receiver. Magic The Terran federal government has published a white paper on the Terrenus laws of magic, an authoritative perspective on the laws, principles and terminology of magic as they apply in Terrenus. Also note that with events between the Wastelands and Shawnee loci during the Safeguard riots, magical availability in Terrenus has been reduced everywhere except the new boundaries of the Shawnee itself. Religion Gaianism: Quick Reference Guide Bible of Gaia The Gaian Church Gaianism is Terrenus's major religion, constituting over 79% (down from 83%) of the total population. Gaianists consider nature, the universe, reality, magic and mathematics to be mortally comprehensible expressions of an inconceivable deific form. Gaianism advocates peace but not blind pacifism, leaving violence as a final solution and a mechanism for self-defense. The notable exception of this rule are Unnatural (any offspring of dark necromancy, such as vampires, zombies, liches, and occasionally Outsiders). Gaians attack Unnaturals on principle unless the Unnatural has taken pains to prove themselves righteous. The Cothic church is a small but growing religion, numbering approximately 5000 faithful. The Cothic religion was born in Coth, in the land between Dougton and Blairville. The Cothic church is a breakaway sect of mainstream Gaianism with worship of a new deity and populist ideals. The Cothic church seeks to underscore the weakness of any mortal being aspiring to power and instead advances taking up a permanent covenant with the Cothic god. Technology and Development Technology in Terrenus is highly advanced, arguably some of the most advanced on the planet. Although this fact not immediately grasped by foreigners accustomed to development in the form of electrical and mechanical contrivances, Terrenus is the historical pioneer of magi-technology on Valucre, democratizing and automating a great deal of otherwise obscure and hidden knowledge. Terran tech is rooted in cores of abstract knowledge, interlacing philosophy, natural and conceptual science, and magical theory to pioneer the current paragon of magi-tech in Valucre. Terrenus has sentient golems where another country might have "robots", rock satellites powered by runes and divination lattices, and crystal-based tactile computing systems instead of console based computers one might find elsewhere. In this sense "technology" is something learned and understood rather than picked up and used. For this reason education, especially developmental and postgraduate education, is of vital importance to the government. The newest generations of children show an adept knowledge of magical theory, a strong grasp of complex mathematical concepts and explore unconventional modes of thought. Like with telecom availability (see below), technology and magi-tech is the most advanced in the cities and attenuates as one goes into towns and then villages. Communications General Information Following the introduction and proliferation of magi-tech in Terrenus, economic concerns shifted to prioritize three new markets: Energy, Information and Transportation. With the explosion of communication methods, primarily in the form of crystal storage devices and photonic relays, came the immediate concern over authentication (assurance of claimed identity), integrity (assurance data has not been altered), and confidentiality (assurance that none but specified parties can read a piece of data). To those ends, Terrenus also pioneered the fields of encryption and hash algorithms, non-repudiation practices with digital signatures, and now with the advent of the Crook, the Public Encryption Cipher System (PECS) to allow civilians and citizens the same capabilities. Military technology and ciphers are known to be highly advanced, though private and public technology is catching up as corporations invest in the Information market. Terran military-grade communication systems use quantum entangled encryption to prevent interception. Systems create entangled photons, beaming one half of each pair to the receiving system, and made secure because the "observer effect" will change the quantum state of the key pair. This would make any interception obvious and also would modify the key, making it useless. A notable outlier demographic to the conventional communication methods in Terrenus are those that are fluent in Oldspeak (.7% of the population), who are limited by line-of-sight but require no material channels for relay. Telecom Availability As with other gifts of the Empire, the most sophisticated technology and methods tend to exist in the megacities and attenuates as one radiates outwards towards the smaller, more numerous towns and villages. One notable exception are the twinned crystal relays created and distributed by the government to any signification population center. These allow for easy, long-distance audio communication between any parties with properly tuned crystal fragments and without the need for complicated training. These simple but effective radios have drastically reduced missing persons reports and increased cultural exchange. Villages: Tribes and villages use magical means to communicate where possible. Examples of this include telepathy, oneiromancy (dream-walking), divinatory practices with water, smoke and mirrors, and shamanistic practices like reading tea leaves and animal guts or bones. Where these means are not available, visual communications rely heavily on beacons, smoke signals, and flags and audio communications rely on coded drumbeats and whistles. Towns: Towns use copper and nth wires run over natural ley-lines, piggy-backing on their natural radiation to power the communications. With this method towns are able to communicate with equivalents to telegraphs and telephones. With the advent of Tia's faux-ton relay system, towns are now able to communicate with line-of-sight-limited laser communications at millisecond speeds. Cities: Communication systems in the megacities make full use of magical theory and the technological capabilities of the nation. Three-dimensional holographic arrays (holo-arrays for short) are used primarily for relay on politics, economics, weather, and criminal activity. These relay systems make use of the military satellites and are capable of radiation communication (radio and microwave). The World Fair introduced three new pieces of technology which greatly influence communications in Terrenus. The first is the LIES (Luminal Illusion Entertainment System), an immersive storytelling platform which is having a notable growth effect on the Entertainment sector. The second is the 'logical' Crook technology, which allows for the lossless interlinking of disparate crystal computing systems. This allows for the creation of ad-hoc, large-scale networks and what is being termed 'nebulous' storage. In tandem with The Storage Movement's efforts to digitize all written information, the Crook is widening information availability and increasing literacy. The third is the Faux-Ton, a materials transportation system invented by the Tia government which allows for the movement of objects at speeds many multiple that of the Lightning Rails, but limited by line-of-sight. Transportation Transportation varies between cities depending on their magi-tech saturation and biomimicry level. Below are standards found across the nation. Animal Propulsion Often used for inter-city travel. Often ridden alone or attached to a cabby. The maintenance and upkeep of a living transport makes this a largely inefficient form of inner city travel, but because a large percentage of a given city's population are short-term travelers from abroad (international foreigners, inter-city adventurers, non-natives that live elsewhere on the nation, etc), animal propulsion is still fairly common. A lot of infrastructure continues to supports this form of travel. Horses (ground), Imperial Drae (aerial) and Rider Dragons (aerial) are common mounts. Mechanical Propulsion Often used for inner city travel. Automatic wagons with steam-engines produced in Tia and gyroscopically rotating spheres with a stable core produced by Gaian engineers in Hell's Gate are the two most common examples. In densely packed city infrastructure, powered zip-lines are occasionally employed between buildings. Sea-ships and air-ships are common for travel around and between nations. Submarines, which Terrenus invented and introduced into the world as a counter to the Siren menace, are predominantly used to the military but are becoming more popular among wealthier merchants. Magical Propulsion Inter-city travel used to be served primarily via Rail and Gate, until consequences of the civil war combined with supernatural phenomena to cause catastrophic damage to both and bring them offline for several years. Tia's Faux-ton system is growing in popularity but has limited application until more pylons are built, able to serve only Tia and Biazo Isle at the moment. Lightning Rails - used to be magnetically propelled trains capable of traveling several hundred miles an hour. Currently offline. Tracks are used by slower, simpler, privately owned carts and trolleys for now. Warp Gates - used to be stabilized portals and the only reliable method of teleportation in Terrenus. Currently offline. Faux-ton System - Tia patented technology that converts matter to energy to achieve subliminal travel speeds. Currently online but limited in presence. Government and Politics Odin Haze is recognized as the Saint of Gaianism and King of the Terran Empire. Odin's rule is one of enlightened absolute monarchy, and his administration embraces logic and expertise as the driving force for fiats and policy. The arts, sciences, education and social welfare all flourish under Odin's regime, a near polar opposite to the dark ages of King Levas and Zengi. Though Odin Haze rules Terrenus as a whole, the megacities under him are ruled over by individual regents that interpret federal law and administer local policy. Some are federally appointed, some are democratically elected, some are rulers by heritage; political states are a very fluid dynamic in the megacities. Each megacity also has a PeaceKeeper, a high-ranking military official to add balance and division of labor. There are also present in the massive Terran continent enclave baronies and kingdoms, which are independent governments. Examples include Taen, Predator's Keep, and Amalia. The Gaian Academy is a national research university located on Deepview Island, an inland island and part of the Ponkapoag Lake Archipelago. It is the premier education center in the nation, some say even globally, and has also begun to establish itself as a competitive research facility. Law Author's note: I don't have a full legal system written out and likely never will because the complexity of that endeavor doesn't interest me. In terms of what's legal reference real bodies of law for basics, so imagine that things like theft, assault, perjury, slavery, murder and so on are illegal. Each city has a local police force to operate within its limits and the military employs federal investigators who are able to enforce law anywhere in the nation. The Safeguard Act - Prohibits the use of unlicensed magic in specific cities. In each city there's a congress, which is made up of majority and minority leaders from each city. The majority leader is the elected official of a city (usually but not always), and the minority leader is usually the one who lost the elections but still represents a significant portion of the electorate. The king decides on issues which affect everyone. If regents are in conflict about any change, the king is the final word and can supersede any motion. The king also appoints chief of staff for various departments, such as the head of the military, the bureau of science, internal investigations, as well as determines who makes up the supreme court out of nominees put forward by the congress. In criminal investigations Terrenus law enforcement makes use of various forms of divination, in particular retrocognition and psychometry, as well as Gaian candles of truth and clergy to compel honesty. Each megacity has at least one maximum security prison to house the most dangerous local criminals, such as terrorists, political prisoners, the excessively violent or those with gang affiliations. With Terrenus penology skewing towards rehabilitation rather than deterrence or retribution and treating most criminal offenses as mental health issues, the megacities also have a larger distribution of minimum security prisons for non-violent offenders. Minimum security prisons populate the city at the ratio of 1:15 compared to libraries, hospitals, and schools. Terrenus also has one super-max prison in the Dead Peaks, aptly titled the Dead Peaks Prison. The Dead Peaks Prison is the most secure level of custody in the nation, purpose-built towards providing long term, segregated housing for inmates classified as posing a threat to national health (a classification that designates one a danger to people or life rather than to information or infrastructure) or international security risks. Recently the Dead Peaks Prison has gone offline with the loci event that saw the Shawnee Glacier covering most of the Wasteland. Terrenus exercises capital punishment nationwide for criminals that pose an unmanageable threat or show no potential for reform. Military Terrenus Military (Overview; Personnel; Assignments) Terrenus Military is made up of ~2% of the population (approximately 6 million). Odin Haze, as King of Terrenus, is also its Commander-in-Chief, exercising total authority over the military. Edward Brown (5-star General and PeaceKeeper handler) is Odin's right hand man and adviser, the highest military authority other than the King himself. He is involved in the day-to-day responsibilities of maintaining the military, government, and nation. The complex that stores and relays information, innovates military technology and strategy, and is responsible for national security is known as Central. Despite its name Central has no central location. It has a manifold presence throughout the nation, and those few offices that are permanently stationed and open to the public are often underground. Note that this enigmatic and transient nature applies to the most secure aspects of Central and do not apply to the various local agencies found in the cities such as Immigration, Sanitation, Education, local Law enforcement, and so on. The path to citizenship in Terrenus requires a 2 year service in the military (or ranking to Sergeant) and bestows the ability to vote for officials and own and pass down land. Foreign Relations In regards to foreign policy Terrenus is an autarky and practices a modified form of isolationism, declining to enter into alliances and international agreements, and generally attempting to make their economy as self-reliant as possible. Where Terrenus deviates from traditional isolationism is in their support of free trade, travel, and certain, limited, trade agreements with other kingdoms and nations. You can read more about Terrenus political relations in Terrenus Military - Allies and Enemies. Economy A large part of Terrenus's internal economy is dungeon based, with adventurers taking on the high-risk work of crawling dungeons for the high reward of prized cultural artifacts and items of power; although this has led to some legal conflicts regarding ownership of artifacts, these disputes are generally handled in the courts after the adventurer has been paid for his or her legal reclamation efforts. Some towns and cities pivot around this, specializing in crafted weaponry, armor, and healing potions. Others are known to offer tours through cleared levels of dungeons and vaults for tourists. Because the task of increasing the nation's food security was the first and foremost priority of the Haze regime, understanding that one cannot create if one is starving, Terrenus focused its considerable resources on agronomy and crafted several techniques and tools for high-yield farming. This has greatly increased Terrenus's ability to self-sustain without foreign aid even when its economy falls. Terrenus exports a great deal of utility (i.e. non-combat) magi-tech and magical and scientific knowledge to other countries, and supplements its national income with submarine exploration of natural resources throughout the large tracts of Valucre which are underwater. Terrenus's economic and market systems revolve around precious metals. Crystals and other minerals are valuable as spell components but are not fungible. Copper, silver, gold, and platinum are the most common precious metals traded and used for purchase. Value is determined by weight and type, not by design or origin, allowing travelers and immigrants from other countries to more easily integrate. 1 oz of Tin = .25 USD 1 oz of Copper = 2 USD 1 oz of Silver = 10 USD 1 oz of Gold = 50 USD 1 oz of Platinum = 100 USD 1 oz of Rhodium = 500 USD. Each metal currency comes in fractions as well, such as half-ounce and quarter-ounce coins. These prices are not an accurate reflection of real world costs. You can read more about special metals and materials in the Terrenus Materials List. Terrenus population demographics History Condensed Terrenus Timeline Major Historical Periods These events are from most recent to oldest.

Elendaron is a place of magic, danger, and mystery. There are many different lands, underground, underwater, and floating in the air. The creatures residing there are just about as diverse as the land, and each one has made their area fit their lifestyle. It is ruled by a queen, Queen Malia. She is a new ruler, young, and elven. She must prove her worth with the wildness of the land, and against the strength of her enemies. Elendaron Quests Geography: Topography: The land of Elendaron is surrounded by water on almost all sides. In Elendaron there are massive amounts of forests, a few mountains, some desert plains, caves, and gentle rolling hills. Jungles are not unheard of, nor ice lands. Climate: Different areas of Elendaron have different climates, due to magical disruption or location. In the north the climate is more mild, with only rain storms and a possible tornado or two to be disruptive. In the South there are plains and mild weather as well. In the West there are desert lands and jungle. In the East there is snow and wasteland. In the very center of Elendaron there is the Great Forest that has acquired aspects of all the areas climate. Demographics: Population: 50,000,000 50.7% are female, 49.3% are male Species - There are a variety of mixed species in Elendaron. The majority of them are elves, dwarves, human, vampire, demon, and fae. Culture: Having to deal with wildly different climates and environments depending on where they are located, the people of Elendaron are a hearty and enduring people who are as familiar with sailing as they are with making their way through a jungle. They are a henotheistic culture, which means that many different parts of the populace will adhere to one particular god without discounting the possibility or existence of others. The Elendaron people are known for their enchanted gems and jewelry, as their land is covered with crystals known to have magic properties. Until the recent reign of Queen Malia, education in Elendaron has been focused mainly on textiles and subsistence farming; they are now focusing on engineering and magic to poise themselves to enter the global stage. Economy: The trade is fairly good with Elendaron. It’s resources are magical and unique. The crystals that litter the land and inside the mountains have magical properties, as well as can be used for energy purposes. There are flora and fauna found nowhere else in Valucre. Government: Elendaron is ruled by a Monarch. Queen Malia is the new ruler of Elendaron. She has inherited the title after the death of Queen Nylam, her distant cousin. Military: Each area has their own regiment of military soldiers, but they are all loyal to Queen Malia. She can request their services for war time at any time she deems necessary. Some areas have more military than others, and the queen also has her own personal protectors on hand. She also has a special forces unit made up of some of the most dangerous and skilled individuals. Some are public figures, while others wish to remain out of the public eye. Foreign Relations: Elendaron is allied with Athentha, Alterion, and newly allied with the underwater city of Adain. Education: Queen Nylam had always enforced a desire for higher education for her kingdom, and Queen Malia reinforces her cousin’s wishes. The areas are stressed to provide the best forms of education available to them, and education programs have been specially set up for relief for each area that requires it. Transportation: There are many forms of transportation. The most popular is the Obsidian Tear, which is a magical hover train that can transport all over Elendaron. There are also more modern areas in Elendaron, which allow for motor vehicles. And some areas still use horse and carriage. Some magical portals have also been found in or around Elendaron, natural warp gates that can take you to different destinations. These gates move continuously, and are not easy to find. If found the exact destination can not be determined, so most locals never use them. History: (From past to present) Dragon Wars - Long ago, there was a conflict between dragons and the rest of the species. A war broke out, and left many dead upon the earth. The dragons began to take heavy losses and were either slaughtered, or went into hiding. The dragon population had been scarce ever since. Some think that the dragons had died, or their bloodline had been weakened. Others say they are still hidden in Elendaron, in the mountains, or underground. Rosinder Takeover - Rosinder was a great kingdom, built in a savage time and a savage land. The people were warriors. No one knows exactly how the people were conquered or where they disappeared to. One day in the midst of another in a long line of wars, they vanished, and all that is left is the Elendaron you see now. Queen Nylam’s Reign - Queen Nylam began her rule after the Dragon Wars and the Rosinder Takeover. She was a fair ruler, kind and considerate of her people. She was well loved by most she ruled. Queen Malia’s Reign - Present day. Areas of Importance: Seinaru Forven - This is an area abundant in magic and dragons. There are giant crocodiles and hidden magical cities. The elven queen was born here, and many political endeavors take place in this area. Vechynacht - This is a land of darkness as well as cold. You can find horror as well as a comedic nonchalance among its people. Death is not done here, and you might find walking talking clothing items. Draco South - This area has a steampunk theme, with a more modern twist than the rest of Elendaron. Organized crime is common, and it has political conflict due to the distance from the queen’s home of Seinaru Forven. Nar Oeste - This land is harsh and wild, part of it being desert while the other half is jungle. Though as abundant in different species as the rest of Elendaron, Nar Oeste also boasts of a large population of vampires. Athentha - Floating mountainous islands decorate the sky, and its name is Athentha. They are allied with Elendaron, and are populated by a majority of demon species.

What is roleplaying? What is play-by-post roleplay? Roleplaying is the playing of a role. Funny, right? Play-by-Post roleplay, the term for roleplay on a forum, is a mutated form of round-robin writing. Threads take place in a location (in this continent, that kingdom, this forest or teahouse or armory) and players take turns writing and replying to one another as their characters. Or as other characters, usually called NPCs (Non-Player Characters; more on that later). Or as the setting itself. Writing is the primary medium of our kind of roleplay. It isn't the only one, as people often incorporate music or a picture or an animation as part of their roleplay, but it's the largest and most accessible component of roleplay as it happens on a forum. This distinguishes play-by-post roleplay from table-top games like D&D and Warhammer, from video games like World of Warcraft and GuildWars, and from LARP, which is basically Improv Acting + Cosplay. Collaboration is key for roleplay. If you want to control all aspects of a story, all characters, all plot arcs and turning points, you're better off writing short stories and novels. Roleplay is what you do when you want to co-create narratives. When you want to experience a story that is in constant flux and which provides endless opportunity for surprise because you're not the only person responsible for what happens. Where do I play? On the front page, everywhere from Terrenus to Tellus Mater represents the virtual space of Valucre and our World page has the lore for those places. It doesn't matter where you start because your character can go anywhere in the world. Make a thread in the appropriately named forum (Terrenus for Terrenus, Renovatio for Renovatio, etc) and you'll have a place to make a story. How do I play? Create a character. Choose a roleplay and learn the setting. Post. Create a character You can have the character in your head or you can make a sheet. Sheets are optional. Though optional, some members find sheets useful for tracking information, especially if they make multiple characters. If you do make a sheet, post it in User Lore. Characters must adhere to Mild Powers, a ruleset we have to bring balance to the fact that Valucre is a freeform fantasy setting and we want to allow our users a high degree of creative expression. Mild Powers threshold is determined by actual post content, not character sheets. We have blank character templates for those that want to use them, as well as a completely optional Character Creation Guide for more detailed advice. When thinking about a character, here are some things to consider, whether in your head or on a sheet: Appearance: What they look like. Basics, things other characters would notice at a glance such as hair and eye color or visible scars, will give your partners relevant details without being repetitious. Skills/Abilities: Most useful for combat roleplay, like tournaments or adventures, and otherwise not necessary. A lot of roleplay is slice-of-life and this requires very little or no special abilities at all. Occupation: Their job. Usually ties in with the above. History: Just enough to give your character substance, so it isn't as if they came out of nothing. Anything longer written pieces would be better placed in Creativity Showcase, where our members often display their poetry and prose. Choose a role play, know the setting Valucre's lore is immense. Many are tempted to read as much as they can, which is great. That's why it was written. But keep in mind that Valucre's lore is a work which has been added to over a decade by hundreds of members. Don't get scared off thinking you have to read the history of a continent to write in one of its forests or cities. Just read about that area to get started. The lore is there to enhance your writing, not to get in the way of it. Post Now there's nothing left to do but post. The two fundamental things to keep in mind are: Have fun Put in some effort. Your writing doesn't need to be flawless and no one expects it to be, but people respond better and with more effort if they see their partner is putting in effort as well. Roleplay Etiquette Formatting: Space out your paragraphs. Walls of text are difficult to read and fatiguing to the eye. If you use colored font keep in mind that some users are on Dark themes and others on Light, and it may not carry over well. Player primacy: In terms of the lore, a board leader has final say. In terms of the content of a thread, the creator of the thread (or character) is the ultimate authority. This means that, among other things, a player can decide on the magic, technology levels and abilities for their RP and have the final say regarding the fate of their own characters. Consequences: Actions have consequences. Characters don't exist in a vacuum and the setting isn't there just to prop up character exploits. If your character engages in criminal activity the setting will push back, and any characters who consistently evade IC consequences to an unreasonable extent may be breaking established canon (such as the ability of a police force to track down a serial killer). If so, IC responses on the GM or setting level may follow. Make things happen: Keep in mind that you are one part of a narrative that is interacted with by many players. When you post don't just react to the things that have happened - make something happen. Add to the narrative, push the story forward, include something that gives other players a chance to react as well. Item creation and weighting: Users can create items or acquire them through roleplay. To balance the site's freeform potential against the lore's integrity, Valucre follows a hierarchy system. From top down, artifacts > canon items > readymade items. This means artifacts created by board leaders for their area will always be the strongest. Then items which a player creates through canonized roleplay. Then items users can make on a whim for their sheets or character backgrounds. NPCs: Try your best to be faithful to the source material in your portrayal of NPCs and always presume competence. If the NPCs of an area are known for being strong, then portray them as formidable. If they're known for being intelligent, try not to portray them as easily fooled. NPCs are there to serve various functions in your stories, but whether they win or lose, please be mindful of their intended role in the setting. If in doubt, reach out to the author! Magic: Magic is a common storytelling device used in fantasy of all types. Magic's appeal lies in its mystery, power, and costs. Please remember its use should follow the same rules of good storytelling and cooperation we advance and emphasize everywhere on Valucre -- rules including fairness, respect for other people's agency over their characters, appropriate scale, and consideration for the stories other writers are trying to tell. Magic with a cost, that is unpredictable, that solves one problem but creates another, are all good examples of magic use which increases rather than deflates tension. [also see: valucre's laws of magic] Post order: Replies should cycle through players in the order they join unless otherwise stated. This makes it easier to know who posts when to help manage expectations. Realism vs Verisimilitude: Verisimilitude is the believably of a work of fiction. Generic verisimilitude is the plausibility of a fictional work within the bounds of it own context. A character singing about their feelings all the time isn't very realistic, but inside of the fictional universe of a musical it makes perfect sense. Inside of a free-form fantasy universe, strict realism isn't as useful as verisimilitude. Reply time: 2 days before skipping is the standard. Many members take on multiple threads or request a faster or slower pace, and it's up to you to make clear your expectations to your partners. You can use PMs or the @ mention feature of the site to let people know it's their turn. Tags: Use the tag system to your advantage. Threads that are listed as Open get automatically added to a tag aggregate linked at the site footer and are openly advertised in Valucre's social media. Closed threads let people know your story isn't taking any newcomers. Villains: Antagonistic characters can be very fun to play and serve a purpose towards creating conflict and dramatic tension. However if your villain or antagonist is impossible to defeat then other players will grow frustrated and lose interest in trying to best them; that makes the story serve you rather than you serving the story. Defeating a villain doesn't have to be easy, or without a cost to the heroes, but should remain a distinct possibility. Valucre Role Play Glossary AFV: Away From Valucre. Used when announcing extended absences. Auto (AKA powergame): Taking control of another character or inflicting damage on another character without the owner's permission. Depends on degree and context. Writing someone out of the thread because they're inactive is generally accepted. Dictating another character's reactions is generally frowned upon. Ex: People are fine with an innocent handshake but not if it turns into a Judo flip. Canon: The body of Valucre's lore. The end result of years of effort and collective, creative contribution from the board leaders and all of the site members. Read the Canonization Guide for more information. Strict canon: The actual approved and reviewed canon which gets integrated into the site lore. Strict canon follows the canonization process. Loose canon: The memories of collective events shared by players, and whose content or results are not confirmed by a board leader. Loose canon does not follow the canonization process (ex: Daily Weekly). Flexible time: Flexible time is the concept that your character can participate in multiple threads so long as you keep track of your character's subjective timeline. Threads can't happen in different locations at the "same time", but one thread could come before another, and you only need to keep track of which is "before" and which is "after" for your character. Godmodding: Creating a character, item, ability, etc with no weaknesses, flaws, or limits or that otherwise easily deflates narrative tension. IC: In Character. Mary Sue: Common literary term to mean a perfect character with no weakness aka a godmod character. Metagaming: Taking information you know as a player and unfairly applying it to in-character action despite a lack of grounds for your character to know that information. NPC: Non-Player Character - Any other character in the game world, such as a guard or a bartender. Some NPC's require special permissions to control. It is more acceptable for a player to NPC a bartender than it is to NPC a mayor. OOC: Out of Character. OP: Original poster PC: Player Character. A character controlled by a player. Readymade (AKA shake-n-bake): A story element (character, item, setting, etc) quickly put together for story purposes rather than taken from existing canon. A readymade village is not a legitimized piece of canon, hence has no map placement or sub-board, but players are free to create villages for plot purposes. T1: Interchangeable with "turn based combat". Collaborative: Choreographed to various degrees, from completely scripted to loosely plotted. Also known as "T1 Story", this requires only that players decide between themselves how combat should go Competitive: Unscripted combat. Requires a third-party method (such as a judge, a scoring system, or dice) to settle differences in objective fashion. Note that administration does not enforce character death

The below has been replaced by thew new member guide What is Roleplay? How do I roleplay? Paraphrased from the Roleplay FAQ: Can you explain Valucre in three sentences? Valucre is both the name of the forum and the name of the planet that hosts most of the roleplay. The different continents and areas are represented by named boards. You basically pick an area you want to play in, like a city or a forest, create a thread in that area, and you have a roleplay thread that you can invite people to or advertise in the Water Cooler. What if I'm a total newbie? You'll probably want to visit the Tavern of Legend. The ToL is watched over by staff and appointed ToL Mentors, and is a great place for new members to write and roleplay meanwhile they get accustomed to the site. There are usually a lot of pages in the tavern of legend thread but since it is a static setting you don't have to read all of those pages, just the last few posts to see what's going on and then you can hop right on. Since the Tavern of Legend is limited to members that have been on the site for 3 months or less, it's also a great place to fraternize with other members new to the site. Roleplay Based Approach (Action) If you want to get directly into the roleplay and read up on the lore as you go, then visit the water cooler. The Valucre Twitter also has curated interest checks and events. A number of members have had some success in making characters new to the world, so they can learn about Valucre as they roleplay. The Water Cooler is where members post advertisements for their Valucre roleplays. Quests, artifact hunts, plot-lines created by members, by board leaders, 1x1, group roleplays. You name it, that's the best place to either find it or to let people know you're looking for something. If you're itching to write right now, aside from the tavern of legend, any of the threads listed in the Open Roleplays is a thread looking for people to join. Open Roleplays is an aggregate list of all the threads that are tagged as Open. Tagging a thread as Open is a conscious decision on behalf of the thread creator to announce they want more people. If you see something you like, jump in. Lore Based Approach (Research) Keep this in mind: the lore is here to enhance your play and immersion, not to create obstacles between you and the page. If you're feeling overwhelmed by the amount of lore, start by writing in the Tavern of Legend, and read the lore at your own pace. Valucre is the name of the in-character planet. On the Valucre planet there exists major continents: Terrenus, Genesaris, and Tellus Mater, each of these hosting a number of nations and territories within their borders. You can learn more about Valucre the planet and its nations in Valucre - An Overview. Most people pick a location they find interesting and roleplay in a specific section/continent of the site until they get more familiar with the world. Then they branch out. In the Overview article you'll find links to the articles for the various nations, to the Mild Powers article, and the Ask Me Anything threads so that you can ask questions directly to board leaders. Do I have to read all of the lore to be able to play? Nope! Valucre is a planet. If you want to roleplay in a forest or a mountain, you'll want to know a little about that setting so you can describe it accurately, but you don't need to know about the history, culture, language, and so on, of every country or nation that makes up the planet. Very often members make characters new to the world of Valucre and set them to explore through roleplay so that they can learn about the world as players at the same time their characters do. What if I want to play something outside of the Valucre canon? We have something for that too. The Alternative section. In Alternative, you have nearly unrestricted freedom. You'll still need to follow the Code of Conduct, but you'll be able to create any fictional world or internal rules that you want, or play in areas that don't exist on Valucre. What if I have more questions? The Valucre FAQ was written for those members who are new to the site but not new to roleplay and answers Valucre specific questions. If you have any questions you can contact administration via the Contact Us Form. If you have questions about the different locations you can contact board leaders directly or post in the relevant AMA

WELCOME, TRAVELER . . . to the promised land - of roleplay! Valucre is a forum roleplay site. The fact that we have no central plot and don't separate our member base into silos of experience makes us a little different than your average roleplay site. We take things a step further by providing a unique and persistent global setting. A full planet capable of supporting most themes and ideas, with dozens of plots all happening at once, some large and encompassing, others small and intimate. There's so much to do and see on Valucre you could spend hours for days on end going through guides, sheets, and lore. But don't worry. No one expects you to catch up on over a decade of history just to jump in and start creating with us. Think of Valucre's body of work less like a guidebook you have to read just to make sense of where you are, and more like an encyclopedia or a reference guide that you can look to when you want to add immersive details to your post, such as the political climate of one area or the visuals of another. Below are a number of tiles which cover different topics. You can visit the page by just clicking on the tile that you want to learn about. Give our guide 15 minutes of your attention and you'll be starting on a strong foundation. If you have any questions about the site at all, ask the Outreach team!