Treaty of the Crystal Kingdoms

[cressray]

In a time before history, at the dawn of the age of magic, massive gems were found on the continent of Lodewick and installed in locations that would one day become the royal holds of twelve countries. The countries grew around these gems and the beautiful crystals became symbols of their respective lands. While their original purpose has been lost to time, the modern population believes that these gems are the root of all magic, and the source of each country's unique powers.

Soon after the gems' discovery, the Mortus Empire, a land of undead beings and dark magic, waged war on the other countries only to be swiftly destroyed, vanishing into history. The war waged on, however, between Sathana and Pyrocine, lands rich in the powers of warcraft. 25 years ago, that war began to threaten the destruction of the remaining countries as it reached the Kingdom of Lustere, which had remained neutral throughout the centuries of bloodshed. Admonishing both countries for their actions, the king of Lustere brought forth a treaty between the warring countries, absolving their claims over their conquered lands and finally forcing an end to the war.

At that time, the king of Lustere suggested preventing new wars through an ancient practice, "The Dance of the Gems," a meeting of eligible peoples to court each other across country lines. Though some countries hesitated briefly, the tradition flourished, and the sons and daughters of the lands were invited to attend. Though the treaty called for the participation of all eligible nobility to maintain peace, invitations were sent to commoners with rich ties to their nations as well. Humble blacksmiths from Pyrocine, priests and priestesses from Solstine and Solenia, entertainers from Melodia, and others with more humble lifestyles were just as common in attendance.

Occurring every five years, the Dance offered a month-long vacation for invited bachelors and bachelorettes, ending with a happy, lasting relationship for most attendees. Though those that did not find their "true love" need not fret. Those whose partnerships did not last would be invited to the next Dance, should they still be eligible.

This year is one such year! Eligible candidates are eagerly awaiting the proclamation inviting guests to The Dance of the Gems. As always, this diplomatic gala will be located in the Kingdom of Lustere's High Palace in Lusteria. Before the proclamation, each guest has received a letter containing the official seal of Gem Dance Council. Enclosed in this letter is the following:

"Invitation Letter"

Dear Esteemed Lord/Lady/Liege (Your Character)

The Kingdom of Lustere is proud and pleased to announce your invitation to The Dance of the Gems. This letter hereby serves as your entrance token to the High Palace. Please keep it safe until your arrival. Upon arrival at the High Palace, you will be escorted to your room.

Guests who arrive before 10pm on the 1st of the month will gather in the ballroom to participate in the opening ceremony of the Gem Dance Gala. There you will be introduced to a partner we, the Gem Dance Council, believe will be a grand match for you. You will find your pairing number denoted below. Please be aware that while we have paired each attendee with someone we believe to be a strong match for them, we recognize our process cannot be perfect. Therefore, forging new connections outside your assigned partner IS permitted. The ceremony will conclude at 4am, at which point the palace, grounds, and upper town will open to all guests.

Several formal and informal events have been planned for the remainder of the month, celebrating each country. You will find the schedule attached to this letter. The palace staff will be available to maintain weather conditions and attend to your needs.

"Scheduled Events"

Opening Gala - 1st

Pyrocine - Official Pas d'armes - 2nd

   
• Pyrocinian Council Official will announce the rules of challenges/Reminder of the Gala rules in play throughout the Dance
• Initial Declarations of Intentions will be announced by attendees

      
• Attendees do not have to declare at this time
• Attendees may declare intentions later

Melodia - International Entertainment Day - 5th

   
• Melodian Council Representative is in charge of coordinating the day's events
• Celebrations of entertainment in all its forms

Lagoona - Nereid Jubilee - 7th

   
• Celebration of Lagoona's culture, food, and traditions
• Wear bright, festive colors
• Thanksgiving to the god, Nereid, led by Lagoonan Council Representative

Solstine - Summer Solstice - 9th

   
• Celebration of traditional summer worship
• Presided over by the Solstinean Council Representative

Selenia - Circle Casting/Blessing - 11th

   
• Circle Casting will take place after the moon has risen
• Presided over by the Selenian Council Representative, assisted by Gemstone Council Representatives
• Details are kept secret and will be revealed shortly before the event

Logrix - Partnership Goals and Expectations - 14th

   
• Presided over by the Logrixian Council Representative

      
• Mediated by Council Members
   
• Building of Relationship Contracts and Agreements
• Providing Guidance for the Enrichment of Strong Bonding

Lustere - Crystal Remembrance Day - 16th

   
• Presided over by King Lustere and Head of the Council
• Yearly event broadcast to all countries.
• A reminder of the treaty
• Resigning of the treaty by each country's Council Representative

International Holiday - Bonding Day - 17th

   
• Personal Holiday - Staff will be limited
• Attendees should plan to give gifts to those they have formed relationships with
• A day to reaffirm bonds of relationships

Verdan - Harvest Festival - 18th

   
• Celebration of agriculture
• Big feast

Zephyria - Forge Day - 19th

   
• In preparation for the final week's activities, blacksmiths, jewelers, and metal workers will be brought in to prepare arms and armor for the tournament and jewelry for the declaration ceremony.
• Blacksmith trainers and open forges will be available for those who wish to attempt to craft their own weapons, armor, or jewelry

Regenus - Healer's Day - 22nd

   
• Presided over by Regenite Council Representative
• Celebration of healers who have supported the challenges
• Announcements and recognition of the healers who will be available during the tournament

Sathana - Tournament Test of Might - 23rd

   
• Various competitions, both combat-oriented and otherwise, test the abilities of intended competitors for their intended tourneys
• Presided over by Sathanan Council Representative (and others)
• Reminder: The intentional killing of other attendees is NOT permitted!

Mortus - Day of the Fallen - 30th

   
• Recognition of those who won the tournament
• Remembrance and introspection of losses
• Official remembrance of the Mortus Empire

      
• Presided over by the Mortus Council Representative
   
• Recognition of those who are not walking away from the Gala with a romantic partner

Partner Declaration Day - 31st

   
• Official Ceremony to Declare Relationships
• Presided over by Head of the Council
   
• Farewell Feast
• Officiant available for immediately desired weddings

Please be sure to adorn yourself with a showing of your country's gemstones throughout the Dance of the Gems. Should you be in need of such adornments, you may seek guidance from your country's nobility or the palace staff before the Opening Ceremony.

Most Endearing Regards,
King Orlan Belfast von Lustere
and
Ezra Nemesis - Head of the Gem Dance Council

"The Kingdoms"

"The Kingdom of Lustere - The Land of Neutrality"

Kingdom of Lustere (Sardonyx) - Lustere sits in the center of the continent, and while it is respected as the de facto leader of the other countries, Lustere doesn't have much power within its borders. The people of Lustere are a friendly folk who value helping others as much as possible, but refuse to take opinions or sides in an argument just to please the people involved.

Lustereans are not permitted to enter The Dance of the Gems, but they make up an overwhelming majority of the staff employed for the event.

Magic: Few magic users are born from Lusterean parents, and those that can use magic rarely have control over their powers. Almost all magic users born in Lustere have the sole ability to negate the magic of other countries.

NOTE: Due to the nature of magic from this nation and certain story elements, writers are not permitted to write characters tied to Lustere without express DM permission.

"The Theocracy of Solstine - The Radiant Church"

Theocracy of Solstine (Jadeite) - Situated in the southeast of the continent, Solstine is Lodewick's religious mecca, blessed by the sun god Helian. The "Land of the Eternal Sun" experiences daylight for over 16 hours every day, even in winter, and many summer days are marked by only a few minutes of darkness.

The country, particularly the capital of Solaria, is a major tourist site. Citizens of Solstine are known for their tanned skin and expensive tastes in jewelry and clothing. The haughty and egotistical nature of even the most average commoners can feel overwhelming to those who are not from Solstine. Solstineans take great pride in their finances, which are often considered to go hand-in-hand with their vanity.

Leadership: While Solstine has a king and royal family, the country is primarily run by the Archbishop. The king and finance minister serve as advisors to the church. The King and Archbishop are determined by birthright, with the firstborn child of the previous Archbishop serving as the new head of the church and the firstborn son of the king as head of state. The finance minister is elected by the unanimous vote of the King and Archbishop.

Magic: Magic in Solstine is revered by the citizens as a blessing from Helian, and as such, mages are a prominent fixture within the church. Solstinean magic is usually focused on the powers of light and the sun, bolstering or healing allies, and divination.

"The Principality of Selenia - The Moonlit Coven"

Principality of Selenia (Selenite) - Lodged in the northwestern corner of Lodewick and heavily obscured by the mountains of Zephyria, Selenia is a land of radiant moonlight that secludes itself from outsiders. The thick forest in the southern half of the country has been enchanted to ward off intruders, though reports of werewolf clans taking up residence in the forest aren't too uncommon. The Selenian capital, Darkside, was built on the coastline and incorporated magnificent black sand into much of its design. This is where many Selenians have made their homes. While the country does get its share of sunlight, winters are particularly lit by the playful glow of the moon. Some days only experience a few hours of sunlight before being replaced by shielding moonlight.

In ancient times, Selenia was split into covens of witches who practiced their arts in separate sects. In the modern era, the witches have assimilated to help benefit the citizens, using their gifts to grant blessings (and the occasional curse) to the people and their industries. Classically, the witches of Selenia have been blamed for disasters that occurred within Lodewick before the destruction of the Mortus Empire. In Selenia, women are generally viewed as societal leaders, while men are delegated to lesser roles. Many Selenians dedicate some of their time to the worship of the moon goddess Selune. However, their worship does not present as zealous much in the way of the Solarian religion. Due to the lack of daylight hours, most of Selenia is nocturnal, providing a vibrant nightlife. While Selenians may not show much emotion to those from outside Selenia's borders, the country has a strong community bond with citizens who are lively and expressive in the sanctity of the Selenian community.

Aside from the marriages resulting from the Dance of the Gemstones, those who are not born into Selenia are rarely given access. Those few who do are usually regarded with disdain for years before being accepted. Once accepted, however, outsiders still never truly experience the same community and companionship as native-born Selenians.

Leadership: The ruling body of Selenia is a Council comprised of respected women, believed to be cherished greatly by Selune. Though cherished, members of the Council need not be blessed with power in order to be elected. The Selenian High Council is led by a Queen whose position is fixed by birthright. This woman is often the eldest daughter of the Darke family. However, she must be blessed with power from Selune in order to serve. Should the eldest daughter not receive this blessing, it shall pass to the eldest daughter of the Darke family who does. The Darke family is believed to have been born from Selune herself and thus, the Queen of Selenia must always have blood ties to the Darke family.

Magic: Magic in Selenia is rooted in both the blessings of the moon goddess and the practices of ancient witchcraft. The magic of Selenia usually focuses on darkness, shadows, the moon, witchcraft, and transformation. Though they rarely speak of it, many Selenians recognize their powers to shift in strength and ease with the lunar cycle while outside of Selenia.

"The Island of Lagoona - The Tropical Tribes"

Island of Lagoona (Aquamarine) - Located on an island towards the south of the main continent, the Island of Lagoona serves as its own country. Here, the old styles of fishing villages intertwine with modern government practices. The capital, like most settlements on the island, is built almost entirely on the water as a sort of floating city circled by docks. These docks are used for both business and pleasure.

The citizens of Lagoona are fairly laid back, and time seems to flow differently on the island. Like their neighbors in Solstine, many Lagoonians are tanned. However, they tend to be more muscular due to their lifestyle being focused on physical labor and self-sufficiency. The tribal customs from centuries ago are still held in high regard within Lagoona. Lagoonians are accustomed to tightly knit communities, nightly cookouts, and seasonal prayers to the water god Nereid.

Leadership: Lagoona is divided into separate tribes, each residing in different areas of the island. These tribes are presided over by village chieftains, who is the oldest child of the village's chieftain. This council, which meets twice a year in the island nation's capital, Oceanview, is presided over by a King. The King, a Cheiftain in his or her own right, is appointed by the Council of Chieftains every 5 years.

Magic: Magic in Lagoona usually focuses on the concepts and legends of water. Naturally, water and ice-based magic are common, but many magic users claim gifts with storms, shifting emotions, and time magic.

"The Kingdom of Zephyria - The Mountain Stronghold"

Kingdom of Zephyria (Iolite) - Considered to be the northernmost country in Lodewick, the Kingdom of Zephyria is mostly comprised of mountains with little habitable land. It is often wracked by strong storms of all manner. Still, many citizens thrive in mountain villages. The capital, Cloud City, is a floating city kept aloft between two major mountains of the realm, Nortos and Enos, which are connected by a massive bridge constructed through the city. Zephyria has contributed a significant amount of resources into providing energy to the continent, working in joint with Logrix to craft a sizable wind turbine system to take advantage of the mountain winds.

The citizens of Zephyria tend to be very inquisitive and intuitive, many of them becoming scientists, inventors, or philosophers to rival the minds in Logrix. Unlike their book-gifted counterparts, though, many people in Zephyria have very muted emotions, if any at all. While the family is the most important thing to them, few Zephyrians care for others outside their family and close friends. Zephyrian citizens are usually known for being unusually tall and slender, and few citizens have pronounced muscles.

Leadership: Zephyria is ruled over by a King appointed by birthright. Each next King is determined by the birth of the oldest son. Eldest daughters are not entitled to inherit the throne unless the King has no sons.

Magic: Magic in Zephyria focuses largely on the gifts of the mountain, ranging from wind, air, and electricity to magic involving disasters, physics, magnetism, and metal manipulation.

"The Oligarchy of Pyrocine - The Capitalist Paradise"

Oligarchy of Pyrocine (Dragon's Breath Fire Opal) - Buried deep in the eastern desert is the heart of the Oligarchy of Pyrocine, the Shimmering Capital of Elendil. At first glance, the city is always a throng of lively market trade, where it seems virtually everyone is a merchant or craftsman. Behind this thin veil, however, is the corruption that wealth brings with it. Ruled by high-ranking merchants who pay off any nay-sayers and pour gold into the pockets of equally corrupt lawmakers and mercenaries to exact their laws upon the citizens, Pyrocine is a desert hell. Slavery is rampant, and traders do their business in plain sight. Brothels are overwhelmingly numerous after dusk, and even young children are tied up in gambling and drug cartels, be it to pay off debts their parents left them or to try to catapult themselves out of poverty. In Pyrocine, it is not the fittest that survive but the wealthiest, and all else rots under the power of money.

Despite the criminal activity and corruption, Pyrocine is known throughout the continent as one of the two major war powers, second only to Sathana. The citizens of Pyrocine are heavily divided in skill, intelligence, and comfort. The wealthy are able to afford schooling and are usually skilled in negotiation, diplomacy, or any number of "high society" skills. The remaining 99% of citizens are left to survive with only what they are born with. Most Pyrocineans are tall, brash folk who work hard and fight harder, often with an eye-for-an-eye philosophy to life and a penchant for petty crimes.

Leadership: Pyrocine is a merchantocracy with no true nobility. Here, the rich control everything and can easily stamp out rising competitors. However, wealth is just as easy to lose as it is hard to gain. For those lucky few who do reach the levels of wealth necessary to buy their way through life, however, everything is bliss.

Magic: Magic in Pyrocine is largely focused on the desert and the heat. The most common powers are those that involve fire, destruction, or blacksmithing, but powers involving natural disasters and wealth are not uncommon. While many nations gain a slight boost to the strength of their powers through emotion, Pyrocineans' magic is said to be enhanced to a far greater degree.

"The Kingdom of Verdan - The Prosperous Forest"

Kingdom of Verdan (Tsavorite) - The Kingdom of Verdan is the quintessential locale for nature lovers, as the entire nation is comprised of thick forests. Even the captial, Grove, maintains quiet reverence of nature by incorporating a large number of trees and flowers into both roads and buildings alike. Originally a nation made up of various tree-dwelling tribes, Verdan easily embraced living alongside nature as civilization advanced, actively working to protect the forests as cities popped up and expanded. Careful management of urban sprawl has allowed many ecosystems to continue thriving with minimal aid from humans, and conservations exist to protect animals from other nations that have had their homes destroyed for various reasons.

The citizens of Verdan are hardy people with kind hearts and aren't usually afraid to speak their minds on general matters. The people are highly in touch with nature and animals, and even the nation's royalty happily assist with agricultural duties to further their bond with the people they serve and rule over.

Leadership: Verdan is ruled by a partnership, frequently referred to as the King and Queen. Though the support of the people is necessary to maintain the position once appointed, the succession of the throne goes to the eldest child and their spouse(s).

Magic: Magic within Verdan is usually based on nature and the earth, manifesting as earth and plant manipulation, various animal-based powers, the ability to shift between human and animal form, druid craft, mineral and metal manipulation, and survival skills.

"The Matriarchy of Melodia - The Bardic Matriarchy"

Matriarchy of Melodia (Kunzite) - The Matriarchy of Melodia is the de facto nation for anything entertainment, where the party truly never stops. A strong majority of actors and actresses, poets, and musicians hail from Melodia, particularly the capital Artine, and the nation exports hundreds of different brands of both alcohol and cosmetics every year. While the country is rarely awake in the early morning hours, daytime markets and bazaars are a common sight in this trade-rich country. Their unique position with easy ocean access to both Pryocine and Solaria has made the nation's economy thrive through trade routes, and shipwrights from Lagoona are always in high demand. At night, Melodia sees wild parties and brothels dot even the most public areas.

The citizens of Melodia are open with both emotions and sexuality, and even the most prudish Melodians don't shy away from either topic. Polyamory is the norm in Melodia, particularly with the queen and her numerous king- and queen-consorts, as is individuality and the concept of never being tied down in life. As summer approaches, Melodia's romantic venues are swarmed in drove as locals and tourists alike come to view the scenic regions of the nation.

Leadership: Melodia bows to a long line of queens who aggressively maintain basic rights for all citizens, keeping the country perpetually fueled by an air of unbridled freedom. These queens often rule with a council of king- and/or queen-consorts with whom they maintain romantic and/or sexual relationships. This council and Queen are succeeded by the first-born daughter of the Queen and her council.

Magic: Magic within Melodia varies just as greatly as the citizens themselves but still centers on some core traits. Powers manipulating sound, illusions, and emotions are commonplace, while other powers might involve interpersonal skills, entertainment, sexuality, and love.

"The Council of Logrix - The Intellectual Archive"

Council of Logrix (Lapis Lazuli) - Neighboring the great military power that is Pryocine, Logrix suffered greatly during the war. The academic nation's strengths in intellect and invention stood no chance against the overwhelming strength Pryocine displayed and quickly surrendered to prevent damage to the major cities. Now Logrix works alongside Pryocine and Zephyria to provide electricity to the continent through thermokinetic plants and wind turbines, respectively. While still maintaining components of the former meritocracy, Logrix is ruled by a council of seven members randomly selected from eligible citizens every three years, seeking to keep intellectual progress at an aggressively high rate. Formal education is mandatory for all citizens between ages 4 and 20, and students are known to work themselves to the bone to enter highly acclaimed schools.

Unlike other countries, Logrix's capital is a super-massive library covered entirely in a climate-controlled dome that works to prevent damaging the millions of books within the city. Plant life is carefully maintained within the city by hired mages from Verdan, and even the seasons are changed with the utmost precision. This library called The Great Library or The Archive, holds a significant number of historical documents and tomes, and is considered a continental treasure due to how far both original and recreated documents stretch back.

Citizens of Logrix rarely show great displays of emotion and are always embroiled in some great discovery or invention. Due to the difficulty of schools and the expectations of Logrixian society, most citizens become inventors, scientists, philosophers, or doctors. Due to much of Logrixian life being automatically maintained or outsourced to other nations, few jobs involving hard labor exist within the country.

Leadership: Logrix does not have any true leadership. It is maintained by a council of seven citizens who are elected at random by a Random Name Generator. Those citizens serve three-year terms in which they are required to progress the country's academic growth and inventions before being allowed to return to their previous roles in society.

Magic: The magic residents of Logrix wield generally deals with concepts of the mind. Many common powers include illusions, psychokinetics, knowledge, and enhanced learning capabilities, while other powers include scientific aspects, creation, and strategy.

"The Republic of Regenus - The Hospital of Lodewick"

Republic of Regenus (Amethyst) - Generally viewed as a pacifist nation, the Republic of Regenus fought bravely against Sathana in the early days of the war, keeping their brutish neighbors at bay for years before succumbing to military power and working as skilled healers to keep the Sathanian army combat-ready. Regenus imports a great number of medicinal plants from Verdan and trades with Zephyria for their metals and minerals, creating a strong bond along the northwestern nations of Lodewick.

Citizens in Regenus consider themselves to be "normal" compared to other nations, though the definition varies depending on the citizen asked. Many Regenites keep mostly to themselves, with a strong divide between work and private lives. An overwhelming number of citizens are doctors or therapists, and many citizens travel to other nations frequently to peddle their gifts of medicine.

Leadership: Regenus elects their leader every 10 years from a pool of willing candidates, though few citizens actually desire to take up the responsibility of running the nation. The elected officials are considered Barons or Baronesses throughout their time in office. Should their lives come to a unexpected end during their time in office, a new election is held.

Magic: Magic within Regenus tends toward aspects found in medicine, and most citizens have some gift with healing powers. Other magic found within Regenus includes manipulating and understanding emotions, self-regeneration, and intuition.

"The Empire of Sathana - The Blood-Soaked Arena"

Empire of Sathana (Hematite) - The Empire of Sathana is always at war, even in the current peace. Down to the pettiest of arguments, dueling is the preferred way to resolve any dispute, and arenas for such duels are sometimes as common as actual housing. Frequent festivals involving gladiator fights and spars keep the warriors and mercenaries of Sathana's army ready for true combat.

Citizens of Sathana are often a hot-headed and stubborn bunch, and even women and children display both pronounced muscles and combat scars with pride. While families are rarely close, brothers-in-arms are seen drinking together at all hours. Wildly protective of their chosen groups, Sathanans seek revenge and retribution with demonic vigor, even against the smallest perceived slights.

Leadership: Survival of the fittest is the one true law of this blood-soaked land. Sathana's Emperor is decided like all other matters in this warrior's country; battle. If one should intend to succeed the throne, they can call a duel which must be picked up by the sitting Emperor. Should the Emperor never be challenged, they will be succeeded by the winner of the Empire's next tournament upon death. Usually, the winner comes from the Emperor's family as they generally have the most extensive training and the greatest arms and armor available. However, there are no blood ties necessary to sit on the throne.

Magic: Magic within Sathana rarely involves outward displays of power. Common magic involves mastery and/or the creation of weapons, self-regeneration, and physical enhancement. Other powers may include destruction magic and retribution. Like their rivals in Pryocine, Sathanans' powers are largely fueled by their volatile emotional states.

"The Mortus Empire - The Immortal Darkness"

Mortus Empire (Black Diamond) - The Mortus Empire was erased from much of history thousands of years ago, surviving to the modern age solely through ancient texts documenting their crimes against the rest of the continent. The ruins of this once powerful nation reside on the border between Selenia and Lustere, as does the castle that protects Mortus' crystal, now guarded by knights from Lustere.

At the height of their reign, citizens of Mortus sought out power above all else. While some citizens were human, many of the higher ranking citizens were vampires and other supernatural beings, and sacrifices to both these beings and dark gods were a common practice.

Magic: Magic within Mortus generally dealt with death and destruction. Necromancy and black magic were common, as was magic focused around decay and disease.

NOTE: Due to the nature of magic from this nation and certain story elements, writers are not permitted to write characters tied to Mortus without express DM permission. DM permission is highly unlikely, but you may still plead your case.

General Rules:

   
• No metagaming of any kind. If you would like your character to know something about someone else, please ask the writer first.
• Godmodding, auto-hitting, and auto-dodging will not be tolerated. While some types of magic may give characters better accuracy or reflexes, please try to keep an atmosphere of in-world realism.
• Do not lore break. If you wish to add or change something to a country's lore, please reach out to the GMs for approval.
• OOC interactions should be kept respectful and courteous. Antagonizing,  character disputes, and fighting will be permitted in game. However, we are all adults here and we expect personal disputes to be resolved respectfully. OOC conflicts might be cause for dismissal from the game, depending on circumstances.
• Posts should be written in the 3rd person narrative style. Though you may play any character you like, we expect you to write like you know the difference between your character and yourself.
• Writers should be able to maintain a minimum of a paragraph per post. While we hope you are driven to write more, please recognize the difficulty other writers may have in responding to a post of less than the length of a paragraph. We prefer quality over quantity so be sure to write enough details for others to respond to your post.
• Writers should strive to post at least once per week per character. We would like for the game to move at a steady rate across the timeline we intend, and posting quickly during scenes will help facilitate that. If you have any schedule conflicts, please reach out to the GMs.
• Once they go live, please keep OOC and IC interactions in their separate spaces.
• Feel free to reach out to the GMs at any time. We welcome feedback, comments, or concerns where it may rise. We also pledge to support the respectful resolution of conflicts if it is brought to our attention. So please do not be afraid to utilize us as resources in your enjoyment of this game.
• While we are the GMs for this game, we are also people. We enjoy and welcome personal interactions with our players. Please do not be afraid to reach out to us for a chat either.
• Respect GM decisions. The GMs have put a lot of time and effort into preparing this game to be shared and (hopefully) enjoyed by you and other writers. Still, there may be times when we must step in as GMs to handle certain situations. Please recognize the hard work that goes into creating and running a game for multiple writers and respect and official call a GM makes.
• We also want to recognize that both GMs are still human and therefore, flawed. That is why we work as a team. Should you have any concerns directly related to either GM, we welcome you to reach out solely to the other GM. We, as GMs, pledge to maintain as much impartiality as we humanly can should this situation occur.

In Game Rules:

   
• This roleplay is primarily a fantasy romance game with a set timeline, but combat elements should be expected at various points in the story.
• While your character doesn't need to have a combat-oriented power, their power should be capable of use in combat, even if it's just to aid allies.
• Please remember that your characters were allowed to opt out of attending the Dance of the Gems, and as such, all characters should be attempting to find a partner in their own ways.
• In addition to being a matchmaking event, the Dance of the Gems exists to celebrate the different cultures and peoples of the continent. Characters are recommended to participate in as many events as possible to promote diplomacy.
• The personality traits and magic available to each nation is not an end all be all, but should be treated as a strong guideline. Some attendees may have been born from matches made in the first two Dances, and may have inherited one or both parents' magic, or been gifted with a totally unique power blending the two nations their parents hail from.
• It is perfectly okay to end the game with one or more characters not finding a partner.
• Writers are encouraged to have more than one character. Please try to avoid running more characters than you have time for.
• Sexual acts are likely to happen in game. If you do not fade to black for a scene and would like to roleplay it out, please put the scene behind a spoiler.
• Characters may challenge other characters to weapon- or magic-based duels at any time. No character or writer should feel pressured to accept a duel that character wouldn't normally accept.
• To be invited to the Dance of the Gems, your characters must meet the following minimum requirements.

      
• Be between ages 18-30 (inclusive) before the first night of the Dance.
• Must be capable of using magic.
• Must be currently single.

Please note your interest and/or any questions in this thread or in PMs (cressray or Dragongoddess).

[Dragongoddess]

Well, you know I'm in.

[Yukina]

I'm tempted to make a humble dork of a blacksmith from Sathana with a mother of a Logrix heritage and a buff dad of Sathana blood. She's honestly average in form (underdeveloped compared to the traditional muscly populace of her home nation), but works on these steampunk/clockwork-like contraptions and weapons to help her breach the gap. She's currently come to The Dance of the Gems to not only possibly spread knowledge of her wares, but hopefully find a lady she can love after being inspired by how the event brought a pair as different as her parents together. :)

[cressray]

Sounds interesting. Once we get some more writers interested, we'll kick out character sheets.

[Yukina]

Cool :)

[Alleron]

This could be pretty fun!  I've got an inkling of an idea for a Pyrocinean mercenary prince who's both respected and despised for the fact that he'd sell his souls, and those of his family, neighbors, neighbor's dog, and the neighbor's dog's goat's friend for the right amount of gold, but once he's been bought?  He stays bought to the bitter end, damn it, making him a hell of an inconvenience to whoever didn't lock down his services first.  Rumor has it he wasn't so much invited to the Ball on his own merits and finagled into a spot in hopes of getting him to move somewhere else and take his nominal ethics with him.

[cressray]

Looks like we're getting some traction, so characters sheets will go up with a few more writers.

We'll be limiting things to two characters per allowed country to start with and balance from there. That should provide a good mesh of opening partners and keep the game moving at a good rate.

[AribethAmkiir]

Very interesting idea. 

Where's the information on the various countries?  Is everything already fixed, or is there some room for the writers to help with the world building?

[cressray]

Where's the information on the various countries?  Is everything already fixed, or is there some room for the writers to help with the world building?

All of the major information is in the "The Kingdoms" spoiler. Players are always welcome to pitch ideas for world building, but a lot of larger concepts are set in stone already.

[AribethAmkiir]

Sorry, was reading from my phone.  Missed that

[cressray]

It happens to the best of us.