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Post by Ashleigh on Nov 24, 2007 23:30:13 GMT -5
Welcome to the Mystic Forest EncyclopediaThis encyclopedia contains information about both the Mystic Forest itself and some of the more important NPC characters your own characters will most likely interact with. It's here to provide background information and give a better understanding of the world your characters live in.
The encyclopedia is constantly being updated and added to, so make sure you check back often to see if anything new has been added or expanded upon.
If there is any information you would like to see added to the encyclopedia, please PM Ashleigh. Updates[03/24/10]: The encyclopedia is undergoing a major overhaul, with information being changed and/or added and the general formatting of the entries improved. The last version was written by a rather incompetent, disorganized and biased person and I'm going through everything and changing anything that favours a certain race too much or is otherwise nonsense. Table of ContentsI. The Mystic Forest II. The Guardians III. Religion IV. Languages V. The Military
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Post by amikwa on Nov 24, 2007 23:38:46 GMT -5
The Mystic Forest About the ForestThe Mystic Forest is a border realm. That is to say, it is a realm created where two other realms cross over each other. These two realms are the Astral and Material Planes. The Astral Plane is where fantasy creatures and magical places reside, while the Material Plane is the world of the mundane and ordinary. We humans live on the Material Plane. Society and ConflictsThe Mystic Forest is home to many creatures from both the Astral and Material Planes. Here, both sides of the worlds cross over and intermingle. Humans coexist peacefully with other races from the Astral Plane, and both magical and mundane creatures reside within the Mystic Forest. This secluded, well-hidden forest seems to be the balance neither the Astral or Material Planes can achieve.
Despite its generally peaceful nature, the Mystic Forest still has its share of problems. Although its inhabitants usually coexist amicably with one another, there are outsiders who seek to do damage to this otherwise pristine forest and the Mystic Forest has waged a terrible and bloody war with a large clan of dragons situated just outside the Forest's boundaries on the Astral Plane. The Mystic Forest has a well trained, organised military thanks to the efforts of Commander Fiera, and this aids the Forest in times of peril. For more information about the Military, see the Table of Contents. For more information about Fiera, see her profile here. GeographyThe Mystic Forest is vast in size. It houses many creeks, rivers, and even a giant lake right in the heart of it, which houses the mermaids of the forest. It is easy to tell where the forest ends in the east and west, as each borders a different realm. The north and south though, by some magic, don't exist. If one were to walk far enough north, that person would end up in the south. No one can explain it, nor has anyone actually attempted it, scared they might end up in another realm, completely foreign to their own. HistoryThe Mystic Forest is so ancient that not even the oldest Faerie can remember its birth nor how it came to be, though stories and legends abound about how this seemingly perfect utopia between two violent worlds came into existence.
The most widely believed story is that centuries upon countless centuries ago, there were two All Beings who breathed life into all the realms on both planes of existence. These two All Beings were known as the Lord and Lady. Together, the two deities created balance and harmony with both masculine and feminine influence that were of equal value and the lands were prosperous and its inhabitants thought of themselves as all equal, regardless of their races or gender.
This peace would not last, however. As the masculine side of existence gained strength and knowledge, so did the idea that femininity was inferior to masculinity and the male inhabitants of the lands began to enslave, persecute and abuse the women they once held great reverence and respect for. Without the gentleness of feminine influence, the lands began to sicken and to die. The precious balance between male and female had been tilted and disaster ensued. Wars broke out, violence was rampant and still, women were enslaved, tortured, raped and oppressed.
The Lady was appalled at the injustice being done to Her daughters and protested to the Lord to make His sons see sense and restore the equal balance between man and woman, but the Lord's heart and mind had been tainted by the misguided ideas of His own children and scorned the Lady. In His lust for dominance and power, He attempted to have the Lady against Her will, seeking to break Her spirit into submission. Infuriated, the Lady escaped and declared that until the Lord's heart and mind became pure once again, She would have nothing to do with Him.
The two deities divided up the worlds between themselves, the Lady taking control of the Astral Plane and the Lord taking control of the Material Plane, and gave the people of both worlds a choice to reside on either plane and live by the rules of that plane's deity. Those who believed in male dominance chose to stay on the Material Plane while those who still held the belief that both men and women were of intrinsic and precious value chose to live under the Lady's reign on the Astral Plane.
Although the boundaries had been clearly set and the people separated, the Lady still feared that the Lord would one day tire of the Material Plane and attempt to take control of Her own plane as well. She created a secret world nestled between the planes, a safe haven She and Her people could retreat to if ever the Lord invaded the Astral Plane. This secret haven became known as the Mystic Forest and it is believed that the path to it only opens itself to those of the Lady's choosing, the rest of the time seeming to disappear entirely from existence and to this day, the Mystic Forest remains nothing more than a myth to outsiders, continuing to be fiercely protected by the Lady in the hopes that the Lord will never discover this small piece of utopia. The WarAlthough many inhabitants of the Mystic Forest have no knowledge of how the bloody war between the Forest and the dragons began, the older Guardians of the Forest still remember when and why the war started.
Tharion, the General of the Mystic Forest's army, stumbled upon a meeting between the Guardians many decades ago when he was a young boy and overheard the now deceased Duvessa Nightstone's recount of the history of the war. He has been kind enough to relay the Guardian's story word-for-word here for this encyclopedia. The following is the story of how the war began in Duvessa Nightstone's words and was spoken roughly two decades before Commander Fiera arrived in the Mystic Forest and rebuilt the Forest's defenses:
"As all of you are aware, this war with the dragons does not appear to have an end in sight. This battle has raged on for centuries and it is only by the Lady’s saving grace that our home has survived this long.
"No longer than seven centuries ago, the Forest-dwellers lived in harmony with the dragons. They were our protectors and allies. This friendship was nurtured and treasured by both the Forest-dwellers and the dragons and it was a strong bond indeed.
“Sadly, a time of great famine arose. Those who lived within the boundaries of the Mystic Forest were able to thrive; however, the dragons who needed a much larger supply of food to sustain themselves began to starve. It wasn’t long before the dragons reached such a desperate state that they began to hunt the Forest-dwellers. Enraged at the betrayal of trust, the Mystic Forest appealed to King S'rebeir, the dragon leader, but his heart had been hardened by years of watching his people starve and he would not listen to our pleas. He declared war upon the Mystic Forest, claiming that we were deliberately starving his people by not allowing them consumption of the creatures within our boundaries.
"This war was long and bloody; the Forest has been utterly destroyed many times over and rebuilt by our strong, persevering hands. Over time, our numbers began to dwindle; many of us either slaughtered in attacks, struck down in battle, or fled to other parts of the Astral Plane in order to spare the lives of their families. Our army was dismantled; our defenses weakened and still, the dragons attacked ever more ferociously. Our once-beautiful, glowing home has never known peace since,” - Duvessa Nightstone, former Guardian. Now deceased.
The forest has become better protected since Fiera was instated as Commander, but the threat of attack is still ever-present and the forest is often in danger. History Versus MythMany would say that the concrete history of the Mystic Forest and its war with the dragons disproves the commonly-believed myth of how the forest itself was created, pointing out that if the Lady had sought to create a perfect world safe from harm by creating the Mystic Forest, She had failed, since the forest is often under attack from threats outside of its boundaries.
Believers of the myth argue that legend and history do in fact coexist without conflict and even compliment each other. They argue that the reason the realms fell into chaos in the first place was because the tender balance between male and female had been tipped, causing imbalance and destruction in the realms.
Just as having a male dominant world creates disorder, so would a female dominant world. The only way to ensure peace and prosperity is by having an equal balance of masculine and feminine. Despite the Lady's best efforts to restore peace on Her own realms, without that balance, even the worlds under Her reign suffered. While the Mystic Forest is a mysterious and hidden place of peace, safe from the violence and chaos of the Lord's Material Plane, there is still imbalance without an equal male influence to compliment the female influence.
Many believe that although the Lady has only good motives and intentions, She shares the same fatal flaw as Her male counterpart. Neither deity recognizes that the balance must be restored in order to truly have peace again, and there will not be true peace anywhere in any realm on any plane until They do recognize this and reconcile.
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Post by Ashleigh on Nov 25, 2007 0:31:09 GMT -5
The Guardians DescriptionThe Guardians are a group of leaders hand-chosen by the Lady Herself to act as the council and political leaders of the Forest. The Guardians have traditionally always been a group of seven faeries of varying personalities which, when combined, balance and compliment each other to allow fair judgement to be reached about the many issues in the forest. How the Guardians OperateThe Guardians act as police officers of the Forest. Their job is to keep the peace between the inhabitants of the Forest. They act as a High Council and are given a high amount of reverence and respect by the Forest.
The Guardians act as a democratic unit when disputes arise. When a dispute between the inhabitants arises, they hold a court hearing to settle it. They deal with all kinds of issues and problems between civilians, from paternity arguments, trade disagreements, theft, domestic abuse. They hear all sides of the argument and then vote on the solution to the issue.
Apart from settling disputes, the Guardians also oversee Handfastings (marriages), Handpartings (divorces), adoptions and they also document births. Handpartings are not often performed in the forest. It is believed that once you are handfasted, you are handfasted for life and handpartings will not be granted for frivolous or otherwise petty arguments. In order to have a request for a handparting granted by the Guardians, a person must be able to prove that their spouse is abusing him/her or his/her children or that their spouse is unfaithful.
The Guardians can be seen patrolling the forest during the morning and evening hours, looking out for disturbances to settle, much like modern day police officers here on the Material Plane. During the day, they attend to their above duties. The Curse of the GuardiansWhile being a Guardian comes with great power and influence in the Forest, it also comes with a hefty price to pay. The people of the forest call it The Curse of the Guardians, though the Guardians themselves dislike this term, as it implies that they are slaves to a cruel Goddess. They insist that this is not the case. They entered into Guardianship willingly, knowing the cost and the burden.
As stated above, the Guardians are hand-picked by the Lady to watch over the forest. When the Lady chooses a Guardian, She transfers a part of Her to that Guardian and the Guardian acts as a vessel of the Lady while keeping their own thoughts and will.
The Guardians are bound to the Lady by powerful, unbreakable magic and because of this, when a Guardian is removed from the forest or killed, a part of the forest dies along with that Guardian. The Guardians are crucial to the very life of the forest and the Lady Herself, which is why the loss of a Guardian is so devastating to all who dwell within the Mystic Forest.
The Guardians are vessels of the Lady but retain their own free will. Due to this bond, if a Guardian were ever to betray this bond by going against their duty to the forest or causing harm to the helpless, they are branded with a mark that stays with them forever, as a reminder of their disobedience and cruelty. Choosing GuardiansSeven is the most powerful, magical number, which is why the forest has seven Guardians. When a Guardian dies, the Lady will choose a new Guardian to take the previous one's place, but it is not instantaneous. It can take up to a few centuries for a new Guardian to be revealed as the Lady does not choose just anyone to watch over her precious, hidden forest. List of GuardiansLiving
Pierce Rockwood: A fun-loving, joking faerie who aligns himself with stone. He was Duvessa's childhood friend and hasn't been his usual cheerful self since her death.
Jarlath Harem: A flirty, ladies' man who aligns himself with lightning. This faerie enjoys drinking, festivals and steamy nights with many different women. He was Duvessa's former lover, but she left him when he couldn't remain faithful to her. Jarlath never got over the rejection and still pines after Duvessa even after her death.
Murdoch Falkor: A quiet, compassionate faerie who aligns himself with water. He loves children but doesn't seem in a hurry to have any of his own, as he has never taken a lover.
Murdina Falkor: A cold, abrasive faerie who aligns herself with ice. She is Murdoch's twin sister. While not heartless, she is more concerned with procedure and tradition than the feelings of others.
Chepi Doli: A very young, bubbly faerie who aligns herself with air. She's often accused of being brainless and an airhead and the other Guardians tend to treat her like a child, which frustrates her. She's very naive and gullible. Se recently had a steamy love affair with Jarlath, believing in her foolish innocence that he would change his ways for her and was brokenhearted when he disappointed her. There is still friction between the two faeries.
Crevan Elmhart: A rather reclusive faerie who aligns himself with plants. He appears to be level-headed with a good balance of compassion and detachment, though no one is ever quite sure what's really going through his mind.
Deceased
Kangee 'Raven' Dara: Kangee was mysteriously instated as the eighth Guardian of the Mystic Forest, much to the outrage of the other Guardians, but his title didn't last long. He was a Guardian for little less than thirteen moons before being killed in battle trying to protect his lover, Duvessa. He was a faerie who aligned himself with night and seemed to have a mysterious past that no one will ever know now that he's gone.
Duvessa Nightstone: A bossy, confrontational faerie who aligned herself with fire. She was the self-proclaimed "leader of the Guardians". The other Guardians allowed her to believe this as they did not wish to get in the way of her ferocious temper. While seemingly rude and loud-mouthed, she loved the forest dearly and died trying to protect it. She was Commander Fiera's best friend.
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Post by Ashleigh on Nov 25, 2007 0:59:43 GMT -5
Religion [/size][/b] [Under Construction]
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Post by Ashleigh on Dec 4, 2007 13:55:38 GMT -5
Languages [Under Construction]
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Post by Ashleigh on Feb 2, 2008 9:53:49 GMT -5
The Military DescriptionThe military plays an important role in the Mystic Forest's survival. There is also a great need for the military since the Forest is often under seige by dragons and other enemies. Here is a quick breakdown of things you should know about the Mystic Forest's military. Forest AlertsThese are alerts issued by the Commander to let the forest-dwellers know if they are in danger and to what degree.
State of Calm: This is the usual state of the Forest. It means everything is safe and secure. There is no need to worry.
State of Caution: The Commander will issue a State of Caution if she feels the Forest needs to be aware of possible threats. However, it is not serious or imminent and the citizens are asked to just be aware and use proper judgement when it comes to their own safety.
State of Alert: If the Forest is threatened by a possible attack at some point in the very near future, the Commander will issue a State of Alert. Under a State of Alert, the army will prepare for a surprise battle and the citizens are asked to stay close to their homes unless absolutely necessary to do otherwise. Citizens are also asked to keep children within arm's reach at all times and to be safe in their homes by nightfall.
State of Emergency: The Commander will issue a State of Emergency if an attack is immediately upon the Forest or if a citizen has gone missing for longer than twelve hours. If under an attack, all citizens are to seek shelter underground immediately and hide until the danger has passed and the Commander has issued a State of Calm once again. The army will follow whatever orders the Commander gives them. In the case of a missing citizen, the army is sent out to scour every square centimetre of the Forest and citizens are asked to keep a sharp lookout for the missing person. They should report to a nearby official (Guardian, Commander, General, troop, etc) if they are spotted. RanksThe military has different ranks. Here are the ranks from highest to lowest (spellcasters, healers and warriors are all bunched in the middle. They are all equal in status).
Commander: The Commander is in charge of and leads the entire army. Their duties include training troops, appointing ranks, and planning and carrying out battle strategies. Currently, the Commander of the Mystic Forest is a strict elf named Fiera who was chosen by the Lady to lead the Mystic Forest's army.
General: The General acts as the Commander's replacement if ever the Commander is unable to carry out her duties. Tharion is the Mystic Forest's General, however few people realize it, since he hardly ever uses his title.
Spellcasters: These are troops who are experts in offensive and defensive magic. They usually back up warriors in combat. Many of them specialize in protective barrier spells. Faeries, nymphs and gnomes make good spellcasters.
Healers: These are troops who only deal with healing magic. It's their job to stay on the sidelines and heal any injured troop who is brought to them. Although not in the thick of battle, healers are integral to any army and can make the difference between winning and losing. They save many lives and Commander Fiera holds healers in high regard. Pixies are most commonly healers.
Warriors: Warriors deal mostly with physical combat, either with ranged or melee weapons, aerial or ground combat. It's their job to hurt the enemy as much as possible with physical attacks. Humans, elves, and half-elves are usually warriors but there are also many faeries who are warriors due to their ability to fight in the air.
Helpers: Helpers are people who clean and repair armour and weaponry, maintain the armoury and transport bodies to the Mourning Tree after a battle. They are not actively part of the army and are more like grunt workers. Usually, a helper takes on the job in the hopes that the Commander will notice them enough to promote them into the army. Most troops were once helpers who worked their way up. Combat TypesThere are different types of combat within the ranks of the Mystic Forest's military. Two people of the same rank could hold two different combat type positions. Here are the different types of combat:
Spellcasting: Spell-casting involves magic. Spellcasting use both defensive and offesive magic in order to fight, no combat involved. Obviously, spellcasters do well with this style of fighting.
Aerial Attack: Arial attacks use a mixture of magic and combat in the air, usually done with range weapons. Faerie warriors and spellcasters usually take up this combat type.
Range Combat: Range combat is done from the ground using spears and arrows, and rarely uses magic but in some cases is accepted. Elf, human and half-elf warriors usually take this combat style.
Hand-to-Hand Combat: Hand-to-hand combat strictly uses fists and brute strength to fight, no magic or range weapons involved. Any race of warrior can assume hand-to-hand combat style.
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