Spleen Jots Down Elemaer Notes

Gods: Krad, fire; Laetha, wind; Trixer, water; Verir, earth; Alexairea, light. Exiled god of darkness, Su'riik, allied with demons during Second War of the Gods. There are also other supernatural beings, including the Heralds (one for each god), the dragons, and a few others.

All Elemaeran characters must be human; no other sentient races exist on the world (demon characters aren't appropriate for most RP, though conceivably certain plotted RPs could be made specifically for them). The cosmology of the setting is fully closed, and no characters can be brought from other settings: if you want to play them on Elemaer, they must be born on Elemaer.

Each Order (one for each element) worships a different god. Soldiers of the Orders have their natural abilities boosted by magic and depending on their Order; for instance, members of the Order of Fire become strong very easily, but members of the Order of Water find it easier to develop a good memory and improve their logical faculties (and by extension, magic). All members of the Orders can use magic, but magic differs between Orders (though is fairly consistent in a single Order). Members of the Orders are given specific ranks that reflect their power and experience. Members of an Order tend to be inducted between the ages of 5 and 8. Different Orders favor different weapons and fighting styles. Though not officially enemies, the Orders don't get along well in some cases (Darkness is the enemy of all the other Orders, however, but exists primarily on the world of Ar'tok). Wars have been fought between the Elemaeran Orders.

Orders:

• Fire (Kradites)
  • Ranks: Initiate of Fire, Embred, Flambar, Flame Warrior, Pyral, Infernal, Burning Master
  • Led by Great Burning Master Keratun Raeyis. A new Great Burning Master is chosen in a fighting tournament (non-lethal, of course) among the higher-ranked Burning Masters when the current Great Burning Master dies or otherwise forfeits the post.
  • Kradites grow strong very easily, and tend to develop sharp senses. Their increased agility, while it has its own magical boost, is largely a factor of their extensive training in single combat. However, Kradites gain little supernatural help with spellcasting and are often bad at thinking logically.
  • Fire magic is best used in direct attacks and to supplement the physical abilities of the Kradite warrior wielding it. It is a difficult magic to use properly and tends to require a good deal of control to use the more complicated spells, which is why true mages within the Order are rarer than in the others. However, the mages that do exist tend to be very effective and highly innovative. Fire magic can also be used to burn and melt objects, which has economic applications.
  • Warriors of Fire tend to trust in their weapons (unless they fight unarmed) when they fight, focusing on techniques especially for their weapon (it is a common jest that the only book a Kradite will study is a book about his weapon). They usually focus on melee combat. Weapons popular among Kradite warriors are swords, claws, shuriken, and crossbows. Unarmed fighting is also fairly prevalent in the Order of Fire.
  • Economically, the Order of Fire, having within its ranks many skilled smiths, often has cause to sell the surplus weapons and armor that their own members don't use. Members of the Order of Fire are also sometimes employed to protect merchants traveling through dangerous areas. Kradites' strength also makes them effective laborers, when the need arises.
  • The Order of Fire has a strong alliance with the Order of Air, is at peace with the Order of Light, and distrusts the Orders of Earth and Water.
• Air (Laethans)
  • Ranks: Initiate of Air, Dian, Thundaran, Gustohran, Wind Guide, Lightning Champion, Stormbringer
  • Led by Arch-Stormbringer Shak’ural Leghtar. A new Arch-Stormbringer is chosen by augurers, who interpret what they perceive to be Laetha's will manifested in certain events in nature. These clues tend to be relatively overt (and often involve lightning).
  • Laethans are able to run farther and faster than regular humans, and most can easily outrun faster members of the other Orders, as well. They also gain supernatural reflexes and impressive flexibility and agility, both of body and of mind. However, Laethan soldiers are often not as tough as soldiers of other Orders.
  • Air magic is the one least destructive in direct combat (at least until the practitioner learns to control lightning), but it is easy to use and highly adaptable (and also very accurate). Air magic allows for flight and particularly impressive increases in running speed, in addition to spells dealing with communication and weather.
• Earth (Verites)
  • Ranks: Initiate of Earth, Sedeyin, Terenar, Er'kiir, Stone Guardian, Daiam, Earthward
  • Led by Gray Earthward Nantur Alavis. The Gray Earthward is always the oldest mentally fit Earthward in the Order (although Gray Earthward Nantur's mental fitness can be called into question).
• Light (Alexaireans)
  • Ranks: Initiate of Light, Glarin, Flazar, Lugir, Ra'tar, Helian, Gazer
  • Led by Chosen Gazer Haki Udiye. Chosen Gazers are chosen in an election (with higher-ranked members of the Order getting weightier votes than lower-ranked ones) every seven years.
• Water (Trixerans)
  • Ranks: Initiate of Water, Dor'pin, Sterem, Condras, Hydiran, Aequar, Sea Knight
  • Led by Sea Lord Telofar Ens. Sea Lords are generally the first-born child (male or female) or - in the case of a childless Sea Lord - the named heir of the last Sea Lord.
• Darkness (Su'riikans)
  • Ranks: Initiate of Darkness, Dimiur, Shadarak, Ob’scrons, Daeii, Aevlen, Fiend Brother
  • Led by Death Bringer Tharcys Shiien. The preferred method of succession among the Order of Darkness tends to be assassination.

As'nar has a good page.

Most of Elemaer's surface is not under the auspices of humankind; unnatural monsters created by the demons of the world of Ar'tok roam the land. One of the Orders' most important goals is to destroy these monsters and destroy the Bane Gates, portals to Ar'tok that dot the wilderness of Elemaer, through which the monsters gain their sustenance and demons and the Order of Darkness can attack Elemaer. Most of the people in Elemaer live near the major settlements on the continent of Azurin, including Elemaer and the stronghold cities (like the oldest one, Tarol Kir).

Ar'tok is not a nice place. It's dark and Mars-dusty and no one likes to live there. The Temple of Darkness is there, as are the underground homes of demonkind, where they breed monsters, create dark artifacts, etc. Demons have strange mindsets, almost like robots programmed by evil beings (which they sort of are, having been created by beings from outside time, known as the Great Demons).