Wyrmwood

PLEDGE YOUR FEALTY.

The game is on again! The season of battle and wit has come around, and only one house can be crowed champion in land's annual Arcadian Gauntlet!

〚 20+ ◦ Discord-Based ◦ Medieval Fantasy ◦ Choose Your Own Adventure ◦ RPG 〛

Wyrmwood takes place in a medieval fantasy world that was once ruled by tyrannical dragons and fierce magic. After a harsh war with the dragons, the eldest dragon placed a curse on the land to cause humankind to suffer. The people of Wyrmwood are resilient, and have fought back against this curse to keep on living.You are a knight who is enlisted into the Arcadian Gauntlet, an annual tourney that is designed to let houses from all over the land be recognized by the ruling powers and obtain prizes. It is the centennial anniversary, making it one of the biggest years yet for the tourney.

• ABOUT
• ROYAL ARCHIVES
• REGIONS
• CREATION
• MECHANICS

• Twitter
• Bluesky

About

✦

〚 Rules & Regulations 〛

〚 Timeline 〛

OCT 20, Site & Reserves release.NOV 6 - DEC 4, Preserver period.NOV 16 - NOV 30, App Check period.NOV 23 - DEC 4, Application period.

〚 Frequently Asked Questions 〛

(Q1) Who are the mods behind Wyrmwood?
(A1) Great Question! Asgore, Ryn, and Squid. We prommy we don't bite.

(Q2) What are your inspirations?
(A2) We have a couple of inspirations for Wyrmwood! Game of Thrones, Dungeon Meshi, Ren Faires, Lord of the Rings, Elden Ring, Miitopia, How To Train Your Dragon, Medieval Times… a lot of it came from Medieval Times. Go green knight!

(Q3) Will this RP be text based? Will we use a bot to play our character?
(A3) Yes, this RP will be primarily text-based. We will be using a bot called Tupperbox for you to create your OC bots and play as them, without having to make an entirely separate account.If you happen to not be familiar with how Tupperbox works, we will provide a short guide in the server for those who do not.We will use this OC bot system to separate IC and OOC moments.

(Q4) Will you allow Ride or Dies?
(A4) Yes, but it must be a mutual pair. We will not allow ride or dies that contain three or more (mutual) people. If your ride or die partner does not have you mutually listed, it is not accounted for.

(Q5) Will you allow Kill or Dies?
(A5) Yes. If you believe someone should not be accepted, please forward the details as to why to the moderator team. We want to give everyone a fair shot, but we will always prioritize a space free of abuse.

(Q6) How many people do you plan on accepting?
(A6) We plan to accept 25 people, which will make our roster a total of 31.

(Q7) Will there be activity requirements?
(A7.1) Activity within the preserver is not required.
(A7.2) Activity after acceptance will not be strict, but if we notice a drop off in activity between multiple people, we may do a check-in.

(Q8) Will there be permadeath?
(A8) No. Your character only dies when you want them to.

Special thanks to our beta testers Kira, Spazi, and Smoom!

The Royal Archives

✦

The Royal Archives keeps all information on Wyrmwood, documented in its many scrolls. If you want to view a plaintext document of all of the information listed in these tabs, go here.The only mandated reading is the lore and history tabs. The rest are extra information that you can use to make your characters or just to consume the world information.

Lore

✦

〚 The House System 〛

Wyrmwood operates under a house system. These houses determine someone’s standing in society, ranked by how much reputation, material goods, land, and accolades they have. A house’s lineage and history can also affect how they are perceived on the social ladder, as older houses are more revered than houses that are newly built.At the very top of this system are the Ruling Houses, consisting of the royal family in their country. The ruling houses and their head(s) oversee their country as their ruler. These rulers manage the houses under them, trade, politics, and other matters. Ruling houses also take turns to host the Arcadian Gauntlet. The current ruling house decides the next house that inherits the ruling power, in any event that the current ruling house were to be dissolved for any reason. Houses of higher standing, such as high nobility that are close to the royal family, are often picked for this position.All other houses below the ruling house are considered Vassal Houses, who earn their title upon recognition from the ruling house. These houses vary in wealth and land ownership; not all vassals are created equal. The common terms to refer to the three rankings of vassal houses are high-born, middle-born, and low-born. High-born houses are considered high society, consisting of lords and ladies and other nobility. Low-born houses can range from having little reputation but are good on their feet, to barely scraping by in society. Middle-born houses are found somewhere in the in-between, where they aren’t as revered but they are not unknown; Middle-born houses are the average rank.Those who are born outside of a house or are not recognized officially due to a lack of land, reputation, or material goods are deeply looked down upon. They are treated as peasants with little to no respect, especially from the houses that are of higher standing. Those that are without a house to their name are often laborers or wanderers.

〚 The Arcadian Gauntlet 〛

Every Oldspring, a different country hosts the Arcadian Gauntlet: a tournament between houses from all across the continent to compete for favor and recognition from the ruling houses. The ruling houses and some non-participating nobility may pitch into a pool of material goods to award participating houses and winning knights, such as equipment, food, livestock, and more. Many houses have their own reasons for entering into the Gauntlet, whether it is to boost their reputation, for material gain, or to have fun.Participating houses enlist a “knight” to represent them and compete in games such as obstacle courses, jousts, combat, and more. Each knight enlisted competes in a knock-out style tournament to be able to compete in the Final Hunt: the last game of the Gauntlet that takes all of the finalists and puts them in a competition to catch the White Stag. Various knights in the main games are able to win, but only one house is crowned winner in the Final Hunt when the White Stag is caught by their knight.While houses are not mandated to participate, there is societal pressure to take part. A non-participating house may be taken down the social ladder if they do not keep up with their reputation. There is no official losing house, but shame and societal scorn is unavoidable. Only those enlisted under a house may compete.The host for the 100th year of the Arcadian Gauntlet is Marchland, where the first games were held.

〚 Commerce in Wyrmwood 〛

Wyrmwood functions primarily under a trade and barter system: a system of exchange where there is no medium of exchange (i.e. money) to facilitate the trade of goods and services. There is no established currency, but recently each country has produced its own form of shilling to fill in the gaps of trade, typically valued at a twelfth of the “value” of the item desired. Merchants favor whole goods over shillings, however, as their value does not transfer overseas, and they are significantly less valuable than most goods. Houses rely on the possession of material goods to stay or rise in the social ladder, so trade is a very sought after profession. Bartering does not have to be limited to material goods, as services such as labor and land are just as valuable if not more.

〚 Calendar 〛

Wyrmwood uses a calendar system akin to our own, with seven-day weeks and twelve months fashioned after the passing of the seasons. Each season has three months: New, Middle (or Mid), and Old. Each year is followed by AD for 'after dragons.' Dates are written in the order of month, day, year: for example, “Newsummer 10, 20 AD.”The current year is 100 AD. Every year begins with Newspring and ends with Oldwinter.
Below is a chart listing Wyrmwood’s months and their real-world counterparts:

〚 Notable Celebrations 〛

Magic

✦

〚 Magic in Wyrmwood 〛

The world of Wyrmwood has magic built into its land, channeled through the mystical creatures and phenomenon that spawn from it. The form of magic that humans are able to use is no longer available, as the pillars that once supplied magic through leylines have been dismantled. The only way a human would be able to obtain magic now would be if they were blessed by a dragon, but dragons have been extinct for over a century. The magic that remains in Wyrmwood is wild and untamable by the human mind.

〚 Magic Classes 〛

The magic within Wyrmwood can be categorized under three different classes. Most knowledge of magic has been barred from the general public since the Draconic War, but Mareadan’s Royal Archives keeps extensive records on them. It was these archivists that classified the types of magic.

〚 Elements 〛

Those that studied magic established that there were seven different elements present in Wyrmwood that made up core pieces of the mystical. When the seven dragons came down from the heavens and gave the ability to wield magic to humans, they relied on these seven elements. This allowed for the human receiving this gift to not become overwhelmed with the magic in their body if they were limited on the kind of magic they could take. At least one of the seven elements are present throughout all living things, but not all mystical creatures are able to use the magic in them. The humans that wielded elements were called Elementalists.

Aer

The element of aer is the manifestation of the winds. Aer Elementalists were able to control the direction of the wind and storms, and often assisted out on the seas to direct ships towards their destinations. More adept users could manipulate the currents and momentarily take flight.

Terra

The element of terra is the manifestation of the earth (plants, soil and rock, and life itself.) Terra Elementalists could make roots spring up from the ground and influence the trees to dance and sing. They were favored by mystical creatures and some could even communicate with them.

Ignis

The element of ignis is the manifestation of the hearth of the land. Ignis Elementalists could produce flames from their palms and withstand grave temperatures. The element is not limited to flames and heat, as lava is another component.

Aqua

The element of aqua is the manifestation of water (waves and ice.) Aqua Elementalists manipulated the tides and could freeze water in an instant.

Umbra

The element of umbra is the manifestation of shadows. Once thought to be an evil force, people started to accept it as a natural and necessary part of the world. Umbra Elementalists manipulated shadows and could snuff out other elements like fire. They were the protectors of the world when the sun went down.

Ether

The element of ether is the manifestation of the celestial. One of the most prestigious of the elements, those who were ether Elementalists were treated with honor. They could wield sunlight and moonlight, and they could speed up the growth of flora.

Expunged Element

This element has been magically expunged. All records of this element existing are
hidden deep within the archives where no one can reach it.

〚 Alchemy 〛

Before elemental magical practice became widespread in the beforetimes, alchemy was practiced. Alchemy was a niche form of art that combined science, philosophy, and the mystical together. Many conclusions that alchemists had come to help elementalists understand the elements that they would wield. Alchemists correctly theorized that all living things could come from an element. Light and darkness were not in consideration at the time, as alchemists focused on physical matter such as water and earth. Alchemists believed that, with the right combinations, any substance could be created. Extremists believed that alchemy could be pushed far enough to cure illnesses and push out human longevity.Transmutation, the process of changing the form of an element or substance into another, was an art that many alchemists strived to achieve and perfect. However, transmutation is a lengthy process that consumes a lot of energy. Those who have tried to achieve immortality through transmutation have never been successful, and die in the process. The detailed process of transmutation has been stowed away into the archives.Many alchemists during the Draconic War were persecuted for their associations with the mystical. Alchemists in Mareadan were given opportunities in the Royal Archives and other fields to spare them from persecution. Alchemy is starting to become a forgotten art as its practice has been forbidden in many countries following the war.

〚 Magical Poisoning 〛

Humans cannot intake a large amount of magic. Their bodies are not equipped with the same mystical resistances like other creatures. When humans were given the gift of magic by the dragons, they were granted a lower form of magic in the form of the elements to lessen the risk of magical poisoning. Magical poisoning is when a being takes in too much magic and starts to suffer from sickness and corruption. There are three different levels of magical poisoning: acute, moderate, and chronic. Magical poisoning can be a result of wielding too many elements, using magic for an extended amount of time in one session, or poisoning from mystical creatures. Magical poisoning can affect the human body in different ways, from mild illnesses to full body mutations. Nowadays, magical poisoning has become less frequent because humans no longer have access to elemental magic.

Mystical Creatures

✦

• BESTIARY

The archivists of the Royal Archives have compiled a bestiary: a compendium of all of the mystical creatures that originate or can be found in Wyrmwood. The bestiary is not considered complete, as there are likely many creatures that are yet to be found, and many of the entries do not have a lot of information and data. The bestiary is a good resource for adventurers and those who want to work with mystical creatures.

〚 Introduction 〛

Wyrmwood has a diverse population of mystical creatures, ranging from miniature to giant in size, from gentle to extremely dangerous. They are made of the natural magic that is supplied throughout the land, and some of them can use that magic in their everyday life. Mystical creatures are starting to have a bad reputation as they grow in population, and the creatures that terrorize the land are doing more damage day by day. Lindewald is the lead country in an effort to cull the population of mystical creatures in their woods, as they have been met with an insurgence of them after the Earthmaker died. There are still many mystical creatures that are likeable, if not even loved and revered. Those that are more mythical are more benevolent in nature, and it is seen as a grave sin if killed.

〚 A Brief List of Creatures 〛

Here is a brief list of some of the mystical creatures that can be found within Wyrmwood. More entries can be found within the bestiary.

Dragon 〚 EXTINCT 〛
█ TYPE: ???
█ DANGER: ???
█ REGION: ???Serpentine-like beings found with varying features, ranging from limbless to bearing wings. They thrive in any type of environment. Dragons are sentient, and can communicate with humans in any language. Their kind was hunted to extinction a century ago.

Harpy
█ TYPE: Humanoid
█ DANGER: Hostile
█ REGION: Mareadan, Sϋ-Saikhan, VölgordorHarpies are extremely territorial avianfolk that favor cliffsides and mountains. They are bipedal humanoids with avian extremities. Their eye colors can range from pure black, gold, or orange. They have sharp talons at the end of their wings that they use to latch onto cliffsides, and the talons on their feet help pick up prey as large as deer off the ground. Some harpies have been observed skewering their prey on tree branches and pointed rocks. Harpies are a diverse species, featuring a wide variety of plumages. Sub-species found in Völgordor and Sϋ-Saikhan tend to have less colorful plumage, allowing them to camouflage into their environment. Harpies often travel in flocks and are rarely seen on their own.

Saikhanian Whispering Worm
█ TYPE: Fauna
█ DANGER: Hostile
█ REGION: Sϋ-SaikhanMassive, man-eating worms that thrive in the sands of Sϋ-Saikhan's deserts. They have no ears, nose, or eyes, and find their prey through vibrations. Their size makes it easy to distinguish them moving under the sand, but outrunning their gaping, tooth-filled mouths is difficult. Their bodies are able to tunnel through the sand effortlessly without friction. Whispering Worms have been observed to use their momentum through the sand to propel themself up, leaping across the white sands.

History

✦

〚 Timeline 〛

〚 Beforetimes 〛

Once upon a time, the land of Wyrmwood was hostile and unforgiving. The people that lived on the land suffered every day at the hands of a terrifying mystical beast or the ravaging winds of a storm. They fought each other for food and shelter, claiming the only peaceful territory there was. Those who could spare time through their plight used it to pray. They prayed on their knees to any being that could hear them and their plea. They wished for the world to be right, they wished to live in peace, without blight.That is when, one gracious day, the dragons appeared. Descending from the peak of God’s Finger, the dragons touched the heart of the land with their claws and took to each corner of the continent with their magic.

The Stormchaser grasped the winds and directed them away from Mareadan.The Earthmaker quelled and culled the mystical fauna and flora from Lindewald.The Dunwalker cooled the hot sands and protected the people's skin with its shadow in Sϋ-Saikhan.The Icebreaker parted the glaciers that built up on the land of Kodzhoderovo.The Hearthstoker brought warmth to a perilous cold deep within Völgordor.The Sunbringer shined light over the wilted hills of Sulellyn.This entry has been stricken from the record. in Marchland.

Their efforts to cleanse the land of disparity paid off greatly, and all of Wyrmwood celebrated their divine graciousness. From then on, this group of dragons would be known as The Seven, revered across the continent as their saviors. The Seven were established as pseudorulers and allowed the people of Wyrmwood to govern themselves. To keep their draconian magic flowing throughout the land, The Seven and the people worked together in tandem to erect pillars in each country. These pillars acted as conduits for their magic which flowed through mystical leylines. This allowed the people of the land to harness magic for themselves in the form of the elements.It was not long until more dragons descended from above and made themselves at home in Wyrmwood. These dragons sought to help Wyrmwood with their magic and live in harmony amongst people. Many saw the dragons as divine beings and dedicated their lives to serve the dragons. The people of Sulellyn worshipped their draconic savior, The Sunbringer, whom they named “Haul” and built temples to display their appreciation. It was seen as morally wrong and a crime to enslave or kill a dragon.Under the dragons’ rule, the land was ushered into an era of peace and unity. If things had remained the way it was, it would still be. Unfortunately, nothing could be perfect, no matter how many people tried to deny it. The Sevens’ reverence would start to falter as their obligations changed. Many of the dragons, such as The Earthmaker and The Sunbringer, became less involved in their rule and ignored their people’s cries for help. On the other hand, The Dunwalker, presiding over the pillar of umbra in Sϋ-Saikhan, ruled over the Saikani with an iron, tyrannical fist. The cruel dragon restricted their rights and demanded tributes of worship, trapping its people in a world of darkness. In Marchland, this section has been forcefully stricken from records by order of the Sauveterres.. The other dragons in The Seven remained more involved, but they did not speak up on what was happening nor did they intervene. People feared that their dragon would take over their country in the same manner and compromise their freedom. They argued that the dragons brought more harm to the land than the good that they once provided, which included the magic that they had brought with them.

〚 The War on Draconia 〛

The War on Draconia is also commonly referred to as the Draconic War.No one knows how the War exactly started. The history has been stripped from scrolls and books in numerous places, as the content of the War was much too brutal to keep in ink. What the people do know is that, a century ago, The Seven turned on the land they saved.Tensions ran tight between The Seven and the ruling powers. Marchland's ruling house, House Sauveterre, was the first to fall victim to their ruling dragon's betrayal. Marchland and Redacted Name engaged in a skirmish at the pillar of redacted, leading to the death of its dragon and the complete destruction of the pillar. The magic that flowed through Marchland was severed from the other pillars. House Sauveterre took to the horn and warned that draconian magic was dangerous and that the other countries should dismantle it before their dragon turns on them too. Marchland became the first to outlaw all magic within its borders and other countries soon followed, some less willingly. The Dunwalker was next to fall. The people of Sϋ-Saikhan had enough of its oppressive rule and, with the help from Marchland, overthrew it. They killed their dragon in the heart of the White Sea and used its skeleton to build their new kingdom from its ashes.Moved by both Marchland and Sϋ-Saikhan’s uprisings, Lindewald decided to follow in their footsteps and hold their draconic ruler, The Earthmaker, responsible. Some Lindmans believed that taking down the source of earth magic for good would dispel the mystical creatures that terrorized them, thinking they could handle the problem themselves. They tracked down The Earthmaker to its grotto where the pillar of terra stood, and the lazy wyrm did not resist as it was slain.Marchland was a great proponent in the war from then on. It formed an alliance with Sϋ-Saikhan and Lindewald to begin the takedown of draconian magic and dragons. These countries were the most aggressive and radical, and the loudest voices in the war. House Sauveterre threatened House Fontanarossa with war if they did not comply with the new order and encroached on their borders. Mareadan remained undeterred, but their draconic ruler would unfortunately seal its own fate soon after the fall of Marchland’s dragon. The Stormchaser crossed the Mareadan-Marchland border to avenge its family. After a tough fight on both sides, Marchland’s forces successfully shot down the Stormchaser from the sky. Its lifeless body crashed into the water of Alto Bay. Marchland took this as an opportunity to increase the pressure on Mareadan, ultimately forcing them to outlaw magic as well.The Icebreaker, devastated by the loss of its kin, turned against humanity. It attacked the people of Kodzhoderovo in retaliation and sank parts of the land in its fury. The choice to take down The Icebreaker was not easy. Its people adored it, but could not survive its rampaging waves any longer. Kodzhoderovo reluctantly subdued The Icebreaker and dragged it to the mainland to be slain. A massive freeze formed at the site of its death and many Kodzhoderovian people who helped slay it were left frozen for eternity.The war gave way for other groups to rise and take action on their own accord. Sulellyn did not believe in pursuing the war and tried to stay out of it for as long as it could. It did not want to encourage the violence and unintentional suffering that it caused. The general populous of Sulellyn adored The Sunbringer, even if it was absent for a majority of its rule. However, a radical anti-magical and anti-religious collective known as the Eclipse Crusaders sought to take action themselves. The underground group was firmly against everything The Sunbringer stood for and the evil magic it brought with it. Under the cover of night, the crusaders summoned The Sunbringer down from the sky and slayed it, but they did not stop there. They took the body of Haul apart and feasted upon its flesh and organs, keeping or distributing many of its parts as trophies. House Muir quickly discovered the killing of its dragon and imprisoned any of the crusaders that they could find. The death of Haul shook the entire nation of Sulellyn and disturbed them to a horrifying degree after learning what had been done to their gracious savior.The final dragon left standing was The Hearthstoker, draconic ruler of Völgordor. Its denizens were the most outspoken against the Draconic War and protected their dragon fiercely, but The Hearthstoker knew that the age of Draconia was coming to a close. In Arinnheim, The Hearthstoker delivered a message to its people and the land of Wyrmwood. It cursed the land to fall into calamity. It doomed Wyrmwood to terrible disasters and dangerous creatures; the death of humankind. That in a hundred years after the final dragon had taken its last breath, evil sorcery would rise again. The dragons would have their revenge as humanity would turn against each other and fight until the bloody, bloody end. After sentencing Wyrmwood to its fate, The Hearthstoker then crawled deep into the caldera of Chief Helvítis, abandoning its people as it took its own life.After The Hearthstoker’s curse reached the ears of every corner of the continent, the leading countries in the war fought back with even more severity. To fight back against the curse and to stop dangerous magic and tyrannical draconic rule from rising again, the slaughter of the dragon species began. Over the course of three years, dragons were hunted enmasse. Marchland, Lindewald, and Sϋ-Saikhan permitted and encouraged the hunt of dragons, their people often infringing upon other territories to pursue their quarry. Naturally, most of the dragons fought back against their genocide, which only gave more reason for the countries to continue the massacre. Even in the safest countries, some dragons fled from Wyrmwood entirely to avoid being killed and to respect the deaths of The Seven. The rest were slain and pieced apart, their parts used for making goods. Dragons were declared extinct from the continent only 5 years after the War.

〚 Aftertimes 〛

The dragons that once saved humanity were gone and the magical pillars that tied the land together were destroyed. Those who practiced magic, such as Elementalists and Alchemists, in countries that outlawed it were persecuted or exiled. Marchland and Sϋ-Saikhan led witchhunts against any mystical practitioner, driving many to flee and seek refuge in countries like Völgordor where they remained sanctioned.The Hearthstoker’s curse began to take effect on the land, the weather reverting back to the time before The Seven had purified it. Vicious storms and disasters tore through the lands of Mareadan and Marchland, destroying many of their villages in the wake of cyclones and lightning strikes. Lindewald became overrun with dangerous mystical creatures without their pillar to quell them, and the creatures quickly outnumbered their forces. Forests grew rapidly and foliage grew in abundance, covering villages in overgrowth. In the east, without the warmth being supplied from the pillar of ignis, Völgordor and Kodzhoderovo started to freeze. The temperatures dropped severely and they suffered frequent ice storms, blizzards, and freezing rain. Even the cycles of the sun and the moon changed; Sulellyn and Sϋ-Saikhan’s cycles swapped. Sulellyn suffered from an absence of light and its day cycles shortened. Plants and animals died out from the lack of sunlight, and the country entered a period of mass depression. In Sϋ-Saikhan, there was no longer a shadow to protect it from the blazing sun. Its land dried up and bleached white, creating an intensely arid climate. The constant daylight beating down on the desert gave way to heatwaves and sandstorms.Most countries suffered from famines, plagues, and loss of life. Many people believed that the end times had come again, and that the land would return to its inhospitable ways, leading to the eventual extinction of mankind. However, the people of Wyrmwood are strong and adaptable. They learned to prepare for the weather, how to deal with the harsh winters, and studied the creatures that inhabited the land. Eventually, they grew accustomed to this new way of life.To bring the people of the land together, the nations devised a plan to establish the Arcadian Gauntlet: a tournament where houses from all over the land could compete in fun games. It was a peacemaking strategy between the nations, aimed to boost the people’s morale in hard times. Since then, the tourney has grown into something much bigger and has grown more competitive than ever.

〚 Present Day 〛

The year is 100 AD. The Arcadian Gauntlet is about to celebrate its first centennial anniversary in Marchland, where the games originated. The Hearthstoker’s curse is yet to be fulfilled, but there are no signs of any sort of uprising that the curse had spoken of.

Regions

✦

Wyrmwood is set in medieval times around the real-world 14th-16th centuries. In this fantasy world, magic is alive and well through the land itself—though humans have long since lost the ability to wield it since the dragons went extinct a century ago.

〚 Map of Wyrmwood 〛

〚 Notable Landmarks 〛

〚 Countries 〛

There are seven different countries that make up the land of Wyrmwood, each with their own unique kingdom.

Creation

✦

• VISUAL APP
• WRITTEN APP
• ASSETS

〚 Visual Application 〛

!! A visual application is NOT REQUIRED for this RP group !!

If you choose to apply with a visual app:

If you choose to apply without a visual app:

〚 Character Guidelines 〛

〚 Written Application 〛

Here is a completed application that you may view as an example!

〚 Your Character's Role 〛

Your character is a participant in the Arcadian Gauntlet. There are plenty of reasons that they should be in this competition, such as:

And much more! Your character must have a reason that they are in the gauntlet, whether they want to or not!

When creating your character, try thinking about these questions:

〚 Common Character Questions 〛

(Q1) Can I create a character from nobility / royalty?
(A1) Although your character will originate from a Vassal House, your character can be born of high standing. Yes, you are free to create nobility. However, you are not allowed to create a character or house directly connected with the Ruling Powers unless permitted.

(Q2) My house crest is represented by an animal that is similar to the Ruling Power. Is that okay?
(A2) Yes, that is okay! As long as the crest is still distinct from it.
For reference, the Ruling House crests are based upon: Osprey (Mareadan), Badger (Marchland), Wolf (Lindewald), White Dove (Sulellyn), Ermine (Kodzhoderovo), Horse (Sϋ-Saikhan), and Bear (Sϋ-Saikhan)

(Q3) Can my character come from a line of magic users?
(A3) Yes, but magic is not passed down genetically. Sϋ-Saikhan, Lindewald, and Marchland persecute their magic users, even in present day, so if your character's family is from these countries and were open magic users, please keep it in mind! Your character nor anybody in their current family should be capable of magic.

(Q4) Can my character be without a house?
(A4) No. It is mandatory that your character is from some kind of house, even if it is not their own. You cannot enter into the Arcadian Gauntlet without enlisting under a house.