<hr/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 16pt;"><strong><em>WINTER CHILLED STEEL<br/>INFORMATION AND SHEET THREAD </em></strong></span></div><div style="text-align: right;">In Character thread (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=114778.0)<br/>Out of Character thread (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=114779.0)</div><hr/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><em>Setting and History</em></strong></span></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button"> “LOCATIONS AND RACES”</div><div class="spoiler_body"><strong>Lyonesse Empire</strong>    -     <em>Human, Deva, Genasi</em><br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li type="disc">The largest nation on the continent, taking up most of the western landmass. Split into counties governed individually for easier management and control over the populace while the collective number are under the thumb of the Imperial Crown. Currently in an eight-month long war after the death of the previous Emperor for control of the crown. This includes the Emperor’s young son and his daughter working to keep the throne in control of the lineage. He remains in the Capital’s walls while she takes great pleasure in leading her father’s armies.</li><li type="disc">The scholars of Biblio have surmised that if an heir is not established soon, the whole country may be torn apart and overrun by its neighbours to the north and east. </li></ul><strong>Aesir</strong>            -    <em>Goliath, Dwarf, Genasi</em><br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li type="disc">The northernmost land, a vast section was separated from the mainland by earthquakes during the Hadron disaster two hundred years prior, leading to the formation of the lands of Midgard on the continent, home to the Norse (comprised of dwarfs and goliaths) and Asgard further north ruled by the mostly female Valkyrie (goliaths and air genasi), attached by the great bridge Bifrost.</li><li type="disc">While the Aesir are seen as violent and war-like by their neighbours, particularly Lyonesse, a majority of the populace are farmers doing what they can in their cold lands while defending themselves from attacks by frost and storm giants.</li><li type="disc">Aesir is ruled over by the strongest of its inhabitants and the most likely to be able to defend the land, decided upon the current regent’s wishes when he or she feels they have become too old, frail or injured to carry on their duties. The ceremony known as the Holmgang tests a warriors strength, intelligence and cunning, the winner receiving the title of Allfather, no matter the gender. Allfather Odin currently rules Aesir.</li></ul><strong>Hadron</strong>            -    <em>Revenant, Shardmind, Warforged</em><br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li type="disc">Now known as the Land of the Black Sand. Two hundred years prior the land was said to be a paradise of science and magic, ruled over by a council of magi. However, when one attempted to seize power for himself and his peers responded it resulted in a vast war, culminating in the detonation of Hadron’s source of power, Heaven’s Heart. The devastation was vast, turning the country into a wasteland unfit for survival, forcing mountains to move and the earth to crack and shift.</li><li type="disc">Hadron’s people survived however, in forms of undead flesh. Those whose bodies became rotten over the years eventually dug up humanoid puppets of ceramic, metal and crystal and fused their souls to the devices to become Warforged and Shardminds.</li><li type="disc">Hadron is currently ruled over by a centuries-old lich, a necromancer who took her place upon the Hadron council long before the Heart exploded and wracked the land whose body is forever trapped in the form of a sixteen-year-old girl.</li></ul><strong>Hy-Brasil Isles</strong>        -    <em>Human, Dragonborn, Shifter, Genasi</em><br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li type="disc">At the southmost of the continent lie two tropical islands covered in lush forest, the largest of which is known by locals as Hy-Brasil, though both are generally grouped together under this title similar to how Aesir is comprised of Asgard and Midgard.</li><li type="disc">Not truely a nation unto itself, the Hy-Brasil Isles are made up of small tribes of humans, shifters and fire genasi (living under a matriarchal rule) along with a populace of the reptilian dragonborn. The human tribes tend to be Matriarchal in organisation, their women seen to be faster, more lithe and athletic than their males and more suited to hunting in the jungle environs. The lizards tend to be more advanced, more organised with better technology and arcane proficiency. </li></ul><strong>Farron (upper)</strong>    -    <em>Human, Half-Drow, Kenku, Changeling</em><br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li type="disc">Farron as a whole is a vast City State lying upon the borders of Aesir, Lyonesse and Hadron Known in Lower Farron as planters, the people of Upper Farron are survivors of the Hadron disaster, and then only because of the proximity away from the blast. They were, however, eventually welcomed and the factions of Upper and Lower Farron still work to expand their City State. Offspring of the drow and humans are able and prefer to live in the upper city as their eyes aren’t as prone to darkness as their elven forebears.</li><li type="disc">Upper Farron is home to the Carnival of Chaos, a cult which calls its bright, canvas tents a holy temple, their amusements sacred rights and their jesters holy converts. It’s sometimes easy for the populace to forget they they are, at heart, a cult devoted to anarchy.</li></ul><strong>Farron  (lower)</strong>    -    <em>Drow, Gnome, Tiefling, Genasi</em><br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li type="disc">The original site of the city of Farron lies beneath the soil, built long ago by a coalition of Elven tribes to avoid a plague that wracked the surface. Over generations these tribes became the Drow and Tieflings as they’re seen today, both adapting in their own ways to the dark environs. They were, of course, spurred along in their development when the wave from Hadron wracked their subterranean land.</li><li type="disc">They were later joined by the secretive and cunning gnomes who lived underground through preference rather than necessity, and the Earth Genasi.</li><li type="disc">Lower Farron is home to Midnight Steel, a militia which acts as peace keepers and law bringers in the society. Despite their name, they have little to no connection to the local Merchant Lord. </li></ul>Both Upper and Lower Farron contain a range of attractions and marketplaces, boasting one of the greatest ranges of available products mundane and magical any other city might offer. In addition to the Upper and Lower sections, the city is further divided into districts. Each have markets, residential and warehouse areas, though it should be noted that the seedier red light district known as “Firelight” to the locals is located in Upper Farron rather than the Lower section.<br/>Plans have also recently been drawn up to expand the city, digging deeper into Lower Farron and obtaining the magic or mechanisms of Biblio to grant Upper Farron a “sky sanctuary”.<br/><br/><strong>Biblio</strong>            -    <em>Deva, Tiefling, Human</em><br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li type="disc">A collection of islands floating in the sky, Biblio is a site of learning and knowledge. Its civilisation is built around organisation, with each community built around one aspect according to where they lie on the caste system. For example, one community may be comprised entirely of agriculturists, while their neighbours may be engineers or military specialists.</li><li type="disc">The ruling castes have for an age believed this helps them focus and become the best at what they do. Marriage or relations between castes and especially outsiders is strictly forbidden. Before the Caste system was introduced, Biblio was ruled over by a single, immortal king, still alive to this day and completely devoted to secluded study.</li></ul><strong>Jotun Archipelago</strong>     -   <em>? ? ?</em><br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li type="disc"> Little is currently known of Jotun apart from its location on the north-eastern ridge of the continent, though it’s speculated that this is the land where the frost giants who plague Aesir originated. Explorers who venture into the frozen lands never return.</li></ul></div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">”DEITIES and POWER SOURCES”</div><div class="spoiler_body"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><strong>DEITIES<strong></strong></strong></span><br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li type="disc"></li></ul><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><strong>POWER SOURCES<strong></strong></strong></span><br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li type="disc"><strong>Arcane</strong> - The most widely known power, but not the most trusted. Many have heard tales of wizards prowling the land, or the idiocy of the Magi of Hadron in their final days. Though able to pacify the common folk with simple tricks it takes great feats for an arcanist to earn respect rather than fear or doubt.<br/></li><li type="disc"><strong>Divine</strong> - The holy man, the healer, the defender of the downtrodden, these are examples of how people view divine power. Only occasionally misunderstood as the arcane power source, people are much more accepting of the divine source due to its positive reputation. That said, there are probably as many evil users of divine power as there are who abuse the arcane. Divine users are especially common in Lyonesse.<br/></li><li type="disc"><strong>Martial</strong> - The most widespread of power sources, the tool of the everyman, the loyal soldier and nefarious brigand. Any who can hold a weapon can channel martial power. Due to its comparative mundanity, martial characters are easily accepted in any society.<br/></li><li type="disc"><strong>Primal</strong> - Primal talent is regarded in much the same way as divine, however most believe it to be inferior, only of use to barbarous tribes of Hy-Brasil or the meat-heads of Aesir. That said, any would welcome a practitioner of this power source to give a goodbye to a deceased relative or save an ailing crop.<br/></li><li type="disc"><strong>Psionic</strong> - “Mind over matter” is the mantra of those who manifest psionic power. Similar to its arcane cousin in nature, while that affects the physical world psionics affect the mind. People, especially commoners, are as distrustful of displays of this power as they are of the arcane.<br/></li><li type="disc"><strong>Shadow</strong> -  The least known power source, it’ can sometimes be mistaken for arcane or martial prowess, however upon closer inspection those mistakes can easily be corrected. Favored in Hadron, but incredibly rare elsewhere. Believed to originate from Hadron’s Black Sand.</li></ul></div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">"HISTORY"</div><div class="spoiler_body">Archival ongoing</div></div>