Spirits of the Earth

NOTE: If the made up mythlores bore you, skip down to the bottom of this post



Legends tell of a time before man or the plain of existence we call earth, a time ruled by the Elder God of the Void. The Empty Lord Ruled over all the immortal plains, while his three siblings took their own essences to create a mortal plain, something that they viewed as more precious that any of the immortal plains. And while the core of their power went on to create the Realm of Earth, what was left of the three elder gods went on to form into the Realm of Asgarn. A realm of such pure and raw power, that anyone who came to live there transcended to near godhood and continued to become more powerful the longer they stayed. Zenith made his home here, watching as many beings began to flock to the new mortal plain.

The once immortals of the other plains soon found themselves aging, thin angered them and they began campaigns to burn the realm to an unusable nothingness. This enraged Zenith, as they were destroying the conjoined embodiment of his siblings, he waged a great and terrible war against all beings upon the realms, he did however spare the only race that prayed to the Empty Lord as their patron god. The Shadow Hunters, or Shtahl.

Several of the Immortal realms would fell into the nothingness of the void before twelve great warrior kings from the Deathless Race came to do glorious combat against the Elder God. They would eventually destroy him and take up residence on the Realm of Asgarn, or Asgard in their tongue. Eventually, the same would happen to them, but not for many millennia. But they did not realize just how hard it is to destroy an Elder God, none the less, the majority of his power became available for the claiming through the use of Elder Magicks.

Or this is the legend that was passed to mankind by the Shtahl. The Shtahl subsequently seemed to disappear overnight about 1000 years ago, the abandoned ruins of their cities dot the lands near mountain ranges as well as the only known temple to Zenith, which rests on the cliffs overlooking the ocean at an Peninsula northwest of Niahi woods.

The Temple, unbeknownst to almost all living beings, is just the mere tip of something much greater, below the temple is the great Shtahl Master Piece, The Clockwork City. The Expansive and still functional city is home to the Vigilant Shadows, a group of shadow warriors that serve in the name of Zenith, and acts as a gate to Zenith's Grasp a Labyrinth that only the strongest of beings make it out of.



The Vigilant is an evil that is tolerated by the world, mainly due to the fact that the Vigilant hunt criminals and rouges, as well as deal the organized crime lords that couldn't be touched by legal means, most of the hatred for the Vigilant comes from the collateral damage of many operations and the fact every so often, when a Vigilant appears in an area, a teenage girl may go missing, only to return nine months to a year later, if at all. The fact that many of the powers that the Vigilant possess make most guards and prisons unable to contain the members of the guild.

The Vigilant may also chose to indoctrinate people into the guild. The indoctrination process is relatively voluntary, but once the process has started to turn your back on it is to sign your own death warrant, but once they have succeeded as a Fledgling, They Become a Shadow Ranger. A few years back, The Vigilant suffered two major losses almost back to back. The first was the Battle of Blood Moon. A three day all out war between the Vigilant and Cleara Verdad, which hunted them down, it ended in a cease fire. Bother sides were left crippled, but only CV was able to quickly recover, the Vigilant have slowly been reforming, but the death of their leader, the Shadow King, also put a dampen to that. A new leader was chosen and a new king was crowned.



The mere act of failing to do a task that you have agreed to do, is the same as forfeiting your life. Whether you live or die will then be decided by the Shadow King and his Master Shadow, in many cases, those who fail are banished to Zenith's Grasp, the only way to be redeemed is to make it all the way through alive.

There are also a few Edicts that act as the laws of the Vigilant, to break them is to be case into Zenith's Grasp.

I. The Shadows can never overtake the Light.

Meaning the outright murder of innocent people.

II. The Shadows can never spread fear of the night

Meaning fear tactics used En mass

III. The Shadows should be thankful of the Light.

Meaning that innocent people should be aided whenever possible

IV. The Shadows must offer warning of the impending night

Meaning that if the Ranger plans to kill someone, they have to give them a chance to give up and surrender.

V. The Shadows must always Protect Dark Mothers

Meaning the young women that "go missing", who are actually in the Clockwork City by choice, many of whom will go on to mother a Pure Vigilant (Direct child of a Shadow)


The Shadow King has one task, to ensure the prosperity of the Vigilant Shadows, meaning he must be deeply invested in the affairs of the world and the skills of his followers. The Shadow King almost never leaves the Clockwork City, and even then only making public appearances during special occasions such as the coronation of a new Shadow Ranger.

The king must also decide the punishments for those that break the Edicts, aided by the Master Shadow, he must seek out the truth in the accusations that deliver a punishment accordingly, be that an execution, or a banishment into the Labyrinth below the city.

The king can also give specialized tasks for the Master Shadow to carry out.


The Master Shadow acts as an intermediary to the Shadow King. He assigns tasks to Shadow Rangers and insures the happiness of the Dark Mothers. His word is law and to disobey his orders is to risk banishment into the Labyrinth should he so desire. He is also in charge of rationing supplies in emergencies and making sure that the Dark Mothers are happy and well cared for.

His other task is to administer the Rite of Shadows to any Fledgeling that feels that they are ready to become Full members of the Vigilant.


The Rangers make up the vast majority of the force of the Vigilant, they can do a wide variety of jobs, anything from tasks assigned by the Master Shadow, to regular maintenance of the Clockwork City, to keeping company with the Dark mothers, if they see a need then they fill a need.

They also have regular patrol duties in the City, around the temple, and at the only exit of the Labyrinth


Where Rangers have patrol duty, the Fledgelings meals. Fledgling are in charge are preparing meals for the entirety of the Vigilant. Aided by the tools of the kitchens in the Clockwork City, a group of ten can easily prepare the meals for the the entire city all day. Every Fledgeling must serve kitchen duty once a week, they also can be made to clean. Mainly clean the kitchen and the many facilities used by the Occupants of the city, as well as the laundry for Dark Mothers and Rangers.

The other great task is to spend their free time preparing for the Rite or Shadows, whatever it may be. Those that have taken it are not allowed to talk about it in the presence of a Fledgeling. Whenever they feel that they are ready, they can request an audience with the Master Shadow, and if he accepts, they head into the Labyrinth to complete the Rites.


The Dark Mothers are young women that have asked a passing ranger if they do anything to help the Vigilant. The Ranger will never respond, but when she goes to sleep, she will wake up in the Clockwork City. From there she is expected to either help with the Upbringing of the Children of Shadows, or bare one themselves. After a year's time, or after giving birth, they are offered once and only once if they would like to return to their home. If they agree, then they wake up the next morning in the home of the family they left behind, with no recollection of their time in the land of shadows.

Those that stay, are official members of the Vigilant Shadows, with the same amount of pull as two Rangers. They however are not allowed to leave the city and they cannot train in the ways of Rangers. If a Female Ranger become pregnant, she become a Dark Mother. After giving birth, she is given the choice of returning to Ranger Work or staying as a Dark Mother.

The Children of shadows are raised in the Clockwork City, many of whom will develop the powers often associated with Rangers at an early age. When they come of age, the Shadow Children become Fledgelings, they are referred to as a Pure Vigilant.


Any full member of the shadows is able to do quite a bit. Here is a complete list.

• Short Range Teleportation 6-75 feet
• Blending into Shadows
• Shadow Spirits (animals that act as companions and guardians to the Vigilant)
• Greatly Extended lifetime
• Heightened Senses
• The Shadow Barracks (The ability to bring forth weapons out of mid air)
• Heightened REflexes

Shadow King: Koraq Nauticus (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=16390.new#new) Played by Zozee9

Master Shadow: Alucard Leohalt (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=16407.0) Played by Sir Zane

Shadow Rangers: [ALWAYS OPEN]
Jacob Vari (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=16383.msg178230#msg178230) Played by Wicked Basket
Kenneth Kent (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=16405.new#new) Played by GoblinFae
Tershal Nallvir (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=16439.new#new) Played by Zero
Tesha Nallvir (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=16440.new#new) Played by Zero
Atlas (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=16617.new#new) Played by Sir Zane
Keltros (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=16315.new#new) Played by SanguineBlade
Zander Warshaw (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=16733.msg189229;topicseen#msg189229) Played by Zero

Dark Mothers: [ALWAYS OPEN]
Rowan Alvar (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=16402.new#new) Played by GoblinFae
Xiana Clova (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=16463.new#new) Played by Zozee9
Kaliko (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=18553.new#new) Played by GoblinFae

Fledglings: [ALWAYS OPEN]
Dagrun Baarda (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=16403.new#new) Played by GoblinFae
Shula Ashia (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=17188.0) Played by Sir Zane

NOTE: Shtahl characters are off limits, Alucard is the only Shtahl for plot reasons

Shadow Rangers make up the main force of the Vigilant, the Master Shadow and Shadow King are the two leaders, Kind of like a ships Captain (the king) and the first mate (Master Shadow), There is actually somewhat of a power struggle betwixt the two, but we will get into that much later.

Other Future Positions to look forward to is plot related so I kinda wanna keep it a secret for now. BUT! We will need lots of Shadow Rangers, and Fledglings as well, the more the merrier!

Just a quick little update to address a few questions I have gotten.

Are the Dark Mothers Playable?
Dark Mothers are playable, the absolute youngest these characters can be is 15-16. This is a character that is either has been with child, is with child, or is going to eventually be with child. That is of course up to you the player. Also remember that in the eyes of the public, they have been kidnapped, but Dark Mothers usually are willing members of the Vigilant.

Does gender play a role in Fledgelings/Shadows?
While Fledgelings and Shadow Rangers can be either gender, female will have a much more difficult time as a fair many of the Vigilant believe that the Fifth Edict extends to all women, as such the roles seem more natural to be filled by men. It has not happened that a Master Shadow or Shadow King have been female.

What is the most probable age of a Fledgling?
Between 13 and 17. This would be in human races, elves and other long lived races would be an age of emotional and mental equivalents.

If you have any questions about the Vigilant, all you need to do is ask

Where is this located? Since I need to know where to place my characters

If you look at the SotE Map. It is on the peninsula northwest of Naihi Woods. Wanderers and Independents would probably be best. I just PM'd Rhi about getting a sub forum

Excellent! I'll just finish these little dustbunnies up then and post 'em.

*_* my character concept is quickly building *_* anyway, two questions regarding their powers.

1. The shadow animals. Does each person have their own animal, like a spirit animal? And, if so, do people automatically have knowledge of what it is or is it something people discover with time?

2. Weapons! Does everyone have the same weapons or do people each have their own set/sets?

1) The Shadow Spirits are optional. But the animal can see and interact with the world or vice versa. The Shadow who is in ownership of the spirit will see what the Animal sees and can use that to gain an advantage. Such as, Alucard's Shadow Spirit is a Falcon and he mainly uses it for recon. Shadow spirits cannot be slain. And once a member of the Vigilant is made aware of the Spirit, they slowly form a closer bond with it.

2) The Shadow Barracks are a place within the Clockwork City. Every Vigilant can place weapons into their designated area and then summon the weapon at any time. It is impossible for someone to get a weapon out someone else's Shadow Barrack. And it is impossible to summon a weapon then pass it to someone else.

1. You answered a lot more than I asked but tbh I probably would have asked those all eventually. So thanks. One more thing though--do the animals look normal, or are they actually formed by shadows? Oh, and is the animal constantly in exhistance? And does it have its own personality, or is it just like an extension of its owner?

2. Awesome.

The look normal. They can leap into and out of shadows. But while in a physical form. They look like the animal normally would, just with a shadow like color scheme of dark greys and black

I want a panther. *_* probably not for the big guy, but if I make another... then there shall be a panther.

Lol I started (Koraq! (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=16390.new#new)) and then I realized I can't do much until your profile is up, Zane. xD But there's the link for him? ;D

Introducing Dark Mother Rowan Alvar (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=16402.new#new)

Introducing Fledgling Dagrun Baarda (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=16403.new#new)

And last but not least, introducing Shadow Ranger Kenneth Kent (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=16405.new#new) And YES he is the last one I'm making for this guild I swear! xD

Alucard Leohalt (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=16407.0) is our master shadow. I literally just realized that is you reverse Alucard the you get Dracula. This was not intented. This plays no part in his character. .-.

Tershal Nallvir (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=16439.new#new) and Tesha Nallvir (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=16440.new#new)

Father and daughter Shadow Rangers!

Xiana! (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=16463.new#new) She will become a dark mother... I think I would like to start from before she joins the guild, though. I also want her to have an amazing love story. *_* Anyway, she might end up with Kenneth, but that isn't set in stone so message me if you guys have a ranger to pair her up with!

I do have some stuff planned for her (plot-wise) that I'm keeping a secret... though Zane knows 'cause I had to make sure it made sense, lol. Anyway, it's nothing huge like she's secretly a spy or anything. But if your character ends up being paired with her and you want to know, just ask. ^^

Her profile shall be finished asap. I also did finish Koraq's profile, for those of you who are interested.

That's the case with Koraq, too. Sorry if I didn't make that clear enough.

Their personalities would still clash. :P

Some additional info:

What is a shadow spirit?

Shadow spirits are an anomaly wrapped in an enigma, know one knows where they came from or what they were. We do however know that they always take the form of an animal are almost unkillable, they also have a strong affection towards those who have taken the Rite of Shadows or those with close ties to someone who has (dark mothers, some Fledgelings, mainly Pure Vigilant Fledgelings).

What purpose do they serve?

In game, they are servants to their paired ranger and complete their tasks posthaste.

As a writer, I would suggest using them as something to drive the plot foreword

Anything Else?

Shadow Spirits are a completely optional part of ranger life, They can embody the character's personality or be a foil to it. Your choice.

Atlas (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=16617.new#new), A new Ranger joins the ranks

WE NOW HAVE A SOCIAL THREAD FOR THE GUILD!

http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=16634.msg186234#msg186234

All members of this guild are welcome to join! In this thread you can expect to learn alot about the nature of the bond between the Shadow Spirit and a Ranger, as well as many other surprises. There may even be friendly duels if two people are willing*! I also have a few more surprises which I have told no one of that may or may not be relavent to the overarching plot for the guild.

Other things that you can expect from this thread is to learn alot about the layout of Clockwork City, as revealed in the first post, there are three districts in CC.

* Note: if your character has a duel with another, keep it short and sweet, Alucard will be Proctoring over all matches, If I feel that a match has gone on long enough, I will have Alucard break up the match. So please bear that in mind, these duels should be friendly duels as well, no bloody death matches, that is not negotiable.

Zander Warshaw (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=16733.new#new)

Lots of awesome Fledgling Instructor in a little package.

NEW INFO!

So, two things to this update. First and foremost. Rangers have been revamped.

There are now three classifications of Shadow Rangers; Antumbra, Penumbra, and Umbra.


Antumbra are the Rangers that make the gears of the city turn round. They are foragers, hunters, gatherers, protectors. They do the things that keep the Clockwork City running like the well oiled machine it is. Antumbra Rangers may occasionally go on low-profile missions, small risk stuff, missions that could be completed within a few hours to a day or two at the most. They have tasks assigned to them. Every Antumbra Ranger works 4 days a week. All Fledgelings that become Rangers are first filtered into Antumbra, after 6 months, they can test for Penumbra or Umbra.

Examples: Tesha Nallvir, Kenneth Kent


Penumbra Rangers take on the bulk of all missions. All of their missions come from Alucard himself, while not on missions, they are expected to assist Antumbra when they can. This is on a work scale of 3 workdays a week. When a Penumbra returns from a mission, they have one week of recovery before they can be sent out again, during this time they are expected to file a mission report and deliver it to Alucard in the Clockwork Tower. Their Rest period can be revoked in a time of emergency, in those times, missions reports are delivered orally as opposed to written.

Examples: Jacob Vari, Zander Warshaw


Umbra are the elites. Maybe not always the strongest, but they know their shortcoming and work hard to cover them. Umbra take on Super Critical Missions, missions that could take months, years, at a time. Umbra Rangers understand that what they do is so extremely important, that until the mission is complete, they do not come home. Failed missions are not an option for Umbra Rangers. When home from missions, Umbra Rangers are required to give an Oral Report of the mission as soon as they return. They are then allowed, at a minimum, a month of rest before performing other duties within the Clockwork City. Other Duties often include teaching Fledgelings, and seeing certain tasks done for the Shadow Master.

Examples: Atlas, Tershal Nallvir

---

Second thing. Sometime soon, I hope to get a Plot thread underway for our guild here. Plot threads differ from Social Threads as Plot Threads are Invitation Only. I repeat Plot Threads are Invitation Only. Meaning, Unless I personally invite you, please refrain from posting in those threads. If you want me to consider your character(s) for a plot thread, PM me and ask. It's a tight plot ahead of us with very cool things planned, and I want people to get the most out of it.

More on the first Plot thread to come later. Until next time.

Have a good one!

Dark Mother: Kaliko (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=18553.new#new)