Post by Alex on Jan 14, 2012 17:22:15 GMT -8
When you create a character, it is generally advised that you get an idea of what kind of character you would like to play; however, if you aren't familiar with the setting, this can be quite difficult. Therefore, it is advised to choose a race first when making a new character. This way, you can get an idea of the different cultures and creatures on Bastion.
There are six races that you can choose from:
Human
The race that needs no description. Humans are numerous throughout Civil Bastion, especially on their home continent of Hallowa. They are a varied sort, with an urge to travel that often leaves them scattered and intermingled with the other races. The Hallowan government has allied itself with the Seraphic Faction, doing everything in its power to assist in the war against the Demons.
Abyssial
A strange, extra-planar race with the form of a shadow. They are solid to the touch, but are pitch-black like the darkest night. They possess no distinct features except for their two elliptical, glowing eyes which vary in color between Abyssials. Abyssials are the original creators of the magic doctrine known as Dimensionism, and that very magic has allowed them to transcend their physical form and enter other realms of existence. In fact, Dimensionism is how the Abyssials got on Bastion in the first place!
Abyssials are fairly rare to find outside of their home continent, Siethe. They tend to stay among their own kind and don't often intermingle with other races. This may be one reason why the Siethean government has remained neutral during the two wars.
Abyssial culture prizes independence and the value of subjective thinking, encouraging their people to follow their goals and dreams. The benefit of the community is second to the benefit of the self. However, this has been slightly modified in modern times, where the value of the Abyssial community particularly is held almost equal to the self.
As mentioned above, the Abyssials have remained neutral in the face of warring factions. However, they have also been constantly constructing a powerful army and weapons of war. Anyone that gets in their business is taken to Siethe and never heard from again. The factions are keeping their distance for now, but just how long the Abyssials will stay passive, no one knows...
Fabrilian
A race of purely mechanical beings that possess a soul and free will. Fabrilians usually look almost identical to humans, and in some cases can barely be told apart. Fabrilians can sometimes be more machine-like as well, usually with the addition of more technological enhancements to the figure, or a synthetic epidermus.
Fabrilians were originally mindless golems created by the Abyssials to fill the ever-increasing demand for physical labor. Then, a group of Engineers tried installing an Aura Generator into the Fabrilians to make them capable of performing more complex tasks. However, when the Generators were activated, an unexpected event occurred; Bastion responded and bound its own Aura with the Fabrilians', effectively granting them a soul. While the Abyssials didn't originally like the concept, the Fabrilians eventually won their freedom as a race.
The Fabrilian territory of [Feratus] is located at the very north end of the Civil part of Siethe. In the wake of the Angels and Demons, the Feratian government remained neutral; however, when far more threatening enemy, the Primordials, appeared, they immediately took action. Now the Feratian military is considered its own faction.
Fabrilian culture is odd and quite unlike what one would normally think of as "society." The Fabrilians cannot reproduce, but instead create new bodies that are installed with Aura Generators at a pace set by the Feratian government. Fabrilians are "born" into their mechanical bodies with functions similar to a protocol bot, and each one spends the first 11 years of their life being educated and learning the knowledge and wisdom of their ancestors. At the end of this educational period, the Fabrilian is sent out on a Pilgrimage to find their place in the world. What this means varies for each individual; some leave and never return, while some realize their place is back in Feratus after only a short time away.
Saven
The Saven are a race of bulky, tall humanoids that have the appearance of weathered barbarians. Ages ago, the Saven tapped into a vastly powerful but dangerously raw Shamanistic ritual, and their people were cursed. When they become angered, Saven can transform into a hulking, bestial form and multiply their deadliness in combat a dozen fold. While in this state, their judgement and complex thoughts are clouded, however. The Saven culture teaches methods of calming down or "quieting the great fire" as they call it; this allows them to bring themselves out of their bestial form or to restrain from ever entering it. Unfortunately, in fits of great anger, these methods have sometimes failed...
The Saven hail from the continent of Denesmier, the home of the legendary Cosmos Tree. Nearly the entirety of the land, save for the coast lining it, is extremely dense forest and jungle. The Saven come from the northern part of Denesmeir, a territory they call Myor Seeg. Other races rarely ever go to Denesmier, and the native Saven are far from friendly to the average foreigner.
The government of Myor Seeg has aligned itself with the Primordial's and created the Primordial Faction. This coincides well with their cultural beliefs, as they are avowed Shamans. The Saven value nature very highly, and will defend it against those who would destroy it. This has caused the Saven to have a stigma against the bulk of technology, as the production of modern goods has caused areas of good nature to be raped for their resources. The Saven that live outside of Denesmier are generally more self-inclined and less against technology in general, though they are still pained to see nature damaged.
Ille'ren
Fit, pale blue-ish humanoids with pointed features. Hardened by the cold, Ille'ren have an extremely keen survival instinct. Along with being physically agile, Ille'ren also possess respectable intelligence and magical capability. In fact, the icy-people are among the leading forces driving the development of technology and several of the Magical Doctrines. Seraphism in particular is somewhat unsavory to the Ille'ren, while Necromancy is viewed as vile and evil. Ille'ren territories will imprison Necromancers without trial.
The Ille'ren hail from the continent of Ille'se Ur far to the south. It is a land that is perpetually icy all year round, and also one of the only two continents to be partially in Uncivil Bastion, along with Siethe. Considering the combination of cold and the horrors that spill out from the Uncivil side, Ille'se Ur is usually avoided by even the most daring of adventurers. However, those that do go there see that the Ille'ren know their lands very well. The cities of the Ille'ren are actually among the safest havens in all of Bastion; Magical and technological defenses keep their enemies at bay.
The Ille'ren have not aligned themselves with any faction, instead remaining neutral, similar to the Abyssials. Because of this the Ille'ren have been feeling an economic boom that has sped up their contributions to magic and technology.
Sseshvek
Scaled reptilian humanoids with a mouth full of razor sharp fangs and sharper insults. Sseshvek are a tribal people, and are generally very wary to trust those that they don't know. In their mind, its easier just to avoid others, or kill them if they get in your way. However, when it comes to members of their tribe or those who have earned their trust, Sseshvek are loyal allies. Many Sseshvek relish physical activity and so are quite muscular due to their naturally toned structure. However, there is also a variant of Sseshvek that has developed great agility and stealth, usually when forced to live outside of their homeland. Sseshvek are not very good with magic but intelligent enough to operate most technologies.
The Sseshvek are originally from a territory in Uncivil Bastion they call Norkahsr, meaning "Swamp Kingdom" in their language. There, they are constantly at war with the land and its inhabitants; namely, the Demonic Faction. Early on in the Faction Wars, the Demons came seeking an alliance with the Sseshvek. They promised to treat the Sseshvek well in turn for their allegiance in the war against the Angels, and pay them handsomely. The Sseshvek rulers were leaning towards accepting this offer when an ancient Sseshvek Shaman, one who had went into seclusion centuries earlier, re-emerged and gave council to the rulers. Her name was Gisilsa Noresh, and she told them that the Demons would betray them and destroy or enslave their people if they ever won the war they fought. The rulers promptly denied the Demons offer, launching them into war with the faction.
Accordingly, the Sseshvek aren't really aligned with any Faction, but tend to assist the goals of the Seraphic Faction, if unwittingly.
The Sseshvek in Civil Bastion especially don't like to take sides, but still harbor a hatred for Demons.
There are six races that you can choose from:
Human
The race that needs no description. Humans are numerous throughout Civil Bastion, especially on their home continent of Hallowa. They are a varied sort, with an urge to travel that often leaves them scattered and intermingled with the other races. The Hallowan government has allied itself with the Seraphic Faction, doing everything in its power to assist in the war against the Demons.
Abyssial
A strange, extra-planar race with the form of a shadow. They are solid to the touch, but are pitch-black like the darkest night. They possess no distinct features except for their two elliptical, glowing eyes which vary in color between Abyssials. Abyssials are the original creators of the magic doctrine known as Dimensionism, and that very magic has allowed them to transcend their physical form and enter other realms of existence. In fact, Dimensionism is how the Abyssials got on Bastion in the first place!
Abyssials are fairly rare to find outside of their home continent, Siethe. They tend to stay among their own kind and don't often intermingle with other races. This may be one reason why the Siethean government has remained neutral during the two wars.
Abyssial culture prizes independence and the value of subjective thinking, encouraging their people to follow their goals and dreams. The benefit of the community is second to the benefit of the self. However, this has been slightly modified in modern times, where the value of the Abyssial community particularly is held almost equal to the self.
As mentioned above, the Abyssials have remained neutral in the face of warring factions. However, they have also been constantly constructing a powerful army and weapons of war. Anyone that gets in their business is taken to Siethe and never heard from again. The factions are keeping their distance for now, but just how long the Abyssials will stay passive, no one knows...
Fabrilian
A race of purely mechanical beings that possess a soul and free will. Fabrilians usually look almost identical to humans, and in some cases can barely be told apart. Fabrilians can sometimes be more machine-like as well, usually with the addition of more technological enhancements to the figure, or a synthetic epidermus.
Fabrilians were originally mindless golems created by the Abyssials to fill the ever-increasing demand for physical labor. Then, a group of Engineers tried installing an Aura Generator into the Fabrilians to make them capable of performing more complex tasks. However, when the Generators were activated, an unexpected event occurred; Bastion responded and bound its own Aura with the Fabrilians', effectively granting them a soul. While the Abyssials didn't originally like the concept, the Fabrilians eventually won their freedom as a race.
The Fabrilian territory of [Feratus] is located at the very north end of the Civil part of Siethe. In the wake of the Angels and Demons, the Feratian government remained neutral; however, when far more threatening enemy, the Primordials, appeared, they immediately took action. Now the Feratian military is considered its own faction.
Fabrilian culture is odd and quite unlike what one would normally think of as "society." The Fabrilians cannot reproduce, but instead create new bodies that are installed with Aura Generators at a pace set by the Feratian government. Fabrilians are "born" into their mechanical bodies with functions similar to a protocol bot, and each one spends the first 11 years of their life being educated and learning the knowledge and wisdom of their ancestors. At the end of this educational period, the Fabrilian is sent out on a Pilgrimage to find their place in the world. What this means varies for each individual; some leave and never return, while some realize their place is back in Feratus after only a short time away.
Saven
The Saven are a race of bulky, tall humanoids that have the appearance of weathered barbarians. Ages ago, the Saven tapped into a vastly powerful but dangerously raw Shamanistic ritual, and their people were cursed. When they become angered, Saven can transform into a hulking, bestial form and multiply their deadliness in combat a dozen fold. While in this state, their judgement and complex thoughts are clouded, however. The Saven culture teaches methods of calming down or "quieting the great fire" as they call it; this allows them to bring themselves out of their bestial form or to restrain from ever entering it. Unfortunately, in fits of great anger, these methods have sometimes failed...
The Saven hail from the continent of Denesmier, the home of the legendary Cosmos Tree. Nearly the entirety of the land, save for the coast lining it, is extremely dense forest and jungle. The Saven come from the northern part of Denesmeir, a territory they call Myor Seeg. Other races rarely ever go to Denesmier, and the native Saven are far from friendly to the average foreigner.
The government of Myor Seeg has aligned itself with the Primordial's and created the Primordial Faction. This coincides well with their cultural beliefs, as they are avowed Shamans. The Saven value nature very highly, and will defend it against those who would destroy it. This has caused the Saven to have a stigma against the bulk of technology, as the production of modern goods has caused areas of good nature to be raped for their resources. The Saven that live outside of Denesmier are generally more self-inclined and less against technology in general, though they are still pained to see nature damaged.
Ille'ren
Fit, pale blue-ish humanoids with pointed features. Hardened by the cold, Ille'ren have an extremely keen survival instinct. Along with being physically agile, Ille'ren also possess respectable intelligence and magical capability. In fact, the icy-people are among the leading forces driving the development of technology and several of the Magical Doctrines. Seraphism in particular is somewhat unsavory to the Ille'ren, while Necromancy is viewed as vile and evil. Ille'ren territories will imprison Necromancers without trial.
The Ille'ren hail from the continent of Ille'se Ur far to the south. It is a land that is perpetually icy all year round, and also one of the only two continents to be partially in Uncivil Bastion, along with Siethe. Considering the combination of cold and the horrors that spill out from the Uncivil side, Ille'se Ur is usually avoided by even the most daring of adventurers. However, those that do go there see that the Ille'ren know their lands very well. The cities of the Ille'ren are actually among the safest havens in all of Bastion; Magical and technological defenses keep their enemies at bay.
The Ille'ren have not aligned themselves with any faction, instead remaining neutral, similar to the Abyssials. Because of this the Ille'ren have been feeling an economic boom that has sped up their contributions to magic and technology.
Sseshvek
Scaled reptilian humanoids with a mouth full of razor sharp fangs and sharper insults. Sseshvek are a tribal people, and are generally very wary to trust those that they don't know. In their mind, its easier just to avoid others, or kill them if they get in your way. However, when it comes to members of their tribe or those who have earned their trust, Sseshvek are loyal allies. Many Sseshvek relish physical activity and so are quite muscular due to their naturally toned structure. However, there is also a variant of Sseshvek that has developed great agility and stealth, usually when forced to live outside of their homeland. Sseshvek are not very good with magic but intelligent enough to operate most technologies.
The Sseshvek are originally from a territory in Uncivil Bastion they call Norkahsr, meaning "Swamp Kingdom" in their language. There, they are constantly at war with the land and its inhabitants; namely, the Demonic Faction. Early on in the Faction Wars, the Demons came seeking an alliance with the Sseshvek. They promised to treat the Sseshvek well in turn for their allegiance in the war against the Angels, and pay them handsomely. The Sseshvek rulers were leaning towards accepting this offer when an ancient Sseshvek Shaman, one who had went into seclusion centuries earlier, re-emerged and gave council to the rulers. Her name was Gisilsa Noresh, and she told them that the Demons would betray them and destroy or enslave their people if they ever won the war they fought. The rulers promptly denied the Demons offer, launching them into war with the faction.
Accordingly, the Sseshvek aren't really aligned with any Faction, but tend to assist the goals of the Seraphic Faction, if unwittingly.
The Sseshvek in Civil Bastion especially don't like to take sides, but still harbor a hatred for Demons.