When it comes to being introduced to a completely new world, it takes some time to piece together all the fragmented information you might be receiving into a clear picture of where you are. This guide hopes to better inform you on the generalities of the world, giving you a baseline for you to better understand Heveron as a whole.
What is Heveron?[]
Heveron is the name of a fantasy continent with a long history, covering a good portion of the world. In Heveron you can find all manner of creatures and beings, from Elves to Dwarves to Dragons and beyond, spread throughout the realm, and involves Knights, Mages, and all manner of strange, wonderful people. It is a world heavily influenced by a resource called Crystal, which powers and fuels most technologies and is an integral part of daily livelihoods.
In short, Heveron is a fantasy-esque setting with various modern implements, though such things have been adapted and adjusted to fit the setting. For example, whilst trains, airships and guns exist in the world, they are powered and designed around Crystal rather than coal or combustion.
So what's Crystal, exactly?[]
From a visual standpoint, Crystal is as you'd imagine it to look - formed in a large gemstone-like structure of varying colours and sizes, usually found sticking out aboveground or found in caves beneath the surface. It is the main resource of Heveron, fuelling homes and vehicles alike, though not in the same way coal would be used.
Crystal is heavily tied to the Magic of Heveron. Magical energy can be stored inside it, and can similarly be released simply by willing it to be. By storing lightning magic inside a crystal, for example, you can use it in the place of an electrical battery. By storing fire magic inside a crystal, you can use it to heat a home or boil a pan of water. Ice-infused crystals can be used for Fridges and the like, you can see where this is all going. Crystal is a casing for magical energy, and that magical energy can then be applied to all sorts of tasks and functions depending on the crystal's type, size and shape. For more details on Crystal types and functionality specifically, please see the full article on the subject.
So, with Crystal explained, the mystery that remains is -
Where does that magical energy come from?[]
Technically speaking, Magical Energy originates from a realm known as the Aether, which exists separately yet connected to the physical world, though few people actually know what the Aether is anymore. It doesn't naturally flow through, however. Mages need to bring forth this power by casting spells, willing it into a particular form through technique, talent and study. This power can then be stored in a Crystal for later use.
In present-day Heveron, 1 in 1000 Humans are born with the ability to cast magic, and can use the Fire, Lightning or Water/Ice elements. Dwarves are completely incapable of utilising magic in any way, and all Elves are able to use their own Nature Magic (Wind and Earth) to a certain degree, however most if not all Elves exist very separately from other societies.
If there are such a limited number of mages to bring forth magical energy, why is Crystal such a widely used resource? Why would it be so heavily used in the Dwarven-Human joint kingdoms, when one of the two races can't even utilise magic? Such a question forms the basis for why Crystal is so important to modern Heveron:
Once magic is stored in a Crystal, it can be used by anyone, regardless of whether they were originally capable of using magic or not. This means that Crystal allows the Dwarves to utilise magical energy, which is often traded to the Humans for their technology and inventions. It also makes Human mages all the more important, as they supply the magical energy that other people use, giving them a naturally higher place in society.
To see more about the individual races and their relationships with one another, please view the articles on Humans, Dwarves and Elves. Whilst other creatures and races have not been detailed as of yet, the topic is open to discussion at any time if you have an idea.
Ages of Heveron[]
As you might have spotted, what you have just read is referred to as the 'Present' state of Heveron. Like most places, Heveron has both a past and a future, and we're quite happy to explore both to a certain degree, especially as they allow for vastly different settings to be utilised if the feeling ever arises, or a story wants to be explored. These periods of time are free to explore, but must be done so on their respective boards on the official forum.
The Age of Kings[]
Set in the very distant past, over 2000 years before the present day, the Age of Kings had no Crystal. It is a very traditional fantasy setting with little magic to speak of, where one must hold to their blade and shield, till their fields and look to traditional heroes to fight monsters and beasts. Though events that happened in the Age of Kings may have importance or affect things happening in the present, there are very few records of this age and almost no-one knows the specifics of any recorded events.
The Age of Gods[]
Set after the age of Kings and just before the present, the Age of Gods was a period of around half a century where god-like beings known as The Chosen, who bore magical powers beyond anything ever seen before, began appearing to perform the will of Gods from the Aether. It is an age of strife and conflict, and has a lot of direct influence towards the present, though due to the mass destruction of the Holy War there are very little records left of this age or the age prior.
The Age of Crystal[]
Otherwise known as the 'Golden Age', this is the present and recorded history starting from the year 1.C up until the year 2409.C - the current year being used for the present is 1882.C. It is in this age that Humans suddenly gain access to their magic and Crystal mysteriously appears. In the early crystal age, humans forma new kingdom from the ashes of the Holy War before they begin a new war on the dwarves, until they strike a pact that involves the trade of their goods. Human infighting then causes the kingdom of Termina to split into the three kingdoms we know of today - Termina, Alaestus and Astrolia. Eventually, peace is struck between the three in the town of Helbury, now known as Kingsmeet, and that state continues to this day.
The Age of Iron[]
In 2409.C, a cataclysmic event occurs causing all remaining crystal to be destroyed and the connection to the Aether lost, seemingly forever. Humans lose their magic, and because of the lost of the main worldwide power source, Heveron falls into a post-apocalyptic state of panic and chaos. Thankfully, due to research into non-crystal technology in the centuries before the collapse, small towns and cities begin to appear and flourish, attempting to bring the world back to order through the use of fossil fuels and digital tech. With the loss of influence from the Aether, traditional magic and mysteries from the Age of Kings begin to return to Heveron.
How to Roleplay in Heveron[]
Heveron is a hybrid-type roleplay that utilises a lot of forms to allow people to roleplay as they want to, at the speed they want to. Our main RP location is the Scattered Shards Official Forum , where there are a number of boards for the different locations found in Heveron, as well as individual boards for the different Ages (the majority of the roleplay takes place in the Crystal age).
If you want to pursue a particular story arc, location, mission or situation without interference from other factors, this is the place to be. Simply find the board for where the story takes place and create a thread, in which you and fellow roleplayers can write stories how you like. Please bear in mind that you cannot upload images directly to the forum, but you can host them elsewhere and use them either as reaction images or to set the scene in your posts.
To use the Official forum, you'll need an account, but these are easy to set up by registering. If, however, you would prefer a slightly more freeform approach to get you started, we have an option for that as well, which completes our 'hybrid' status.
Welcome to Kingsmeet[]
Though the Heveron canon has an official forum where roleplay can take place at a steady pace in different threads and locations, we do have a thread on mlpchan.net called 'Welcome to Kingsmeet' which serves as a hub for inspiration and idea forming. The thread takes place in the town of Kingsmeet, located right in the center of Heveron, home to a great many people of all different backgrounds. There you'll find the Mercenary Guild 'Wolves of Kingsmeet', one of a great many Merc groups in the three kingdoms, who take on requested jobs from citizens across Heveron.
Whether you'd like to involve yourself with the Wolves or not, Kingsmeet offers a huge variety of situations and new beginnings, so if you'd like to take a dip into the world of Heveron before diving in, this would be a great place to start.