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Hello there! This is the basic kick-start guide to creating and playing a character here on Legends. This is specifically designed to get you going as quickly as possible without bogging your brain down with an overwhelming amount of information.

So, where do we begin? With the important stuff, of course! At Legends we want you to have a fun and creative role playing experience, without weighing you down with too many game rules and overly-complicated, tedious character creation. (Of course if you enjoy making overly-complicated characters, that's fine too.) You can have as many characters as you like, as well. It's important to note that there is no set template or structure for you to use for your character creation; you can create your character however you will, so long as you pay attention to the things in this guide and include the information that's kind of important, although I will ask that you not use animanga face claims. You do not need to wait for your character to be approved; as soon as it's done, you are a go.

I have a few aspects of the game to introduce you to later on, but first, there are three aspects of your character creation that you must absolutely be mindful of when making your character(s) before you cut loose. These three things consist of;

- Race
- Magic
- Home




When making your character(s), you must understand that there are set races in Astraia - so you can't go making up your own on the fly. Now if you want to suggest races to be added in later, that's a different matter.


The most widespread of the Astraian peoples, humans are also the most short-lived. Their abilities are far-ranging, and their culture is immensely diverse from place to place.

appearance - Natural hair/skin colors, and the rest is pretty standard.

lifespan - Normal human lifespan - a little short due to lack of medical advancement.

To learn more about the humans of Astraia, click here.


Descended from the same ancestors as dragons and wyverns, the dragonkin are a tough, fireproof warrior race of the Far North. Big, heavy, and inhumanly strong, they are a formidable sight on the battlefield, considered to be savages by most humans.

appearance - Though they resemble humans, dragonkin are, on average, at least a foot taller than a human, both males and females, and broader as well. Patches of small, smooth, skin-colored scales can be found in varying locations on their skin. They have sharp canines, and cat-like pupils that narrow and widen with their moods. Eye color follows the same patterns as cats and other feral creatures.

lifespan 250-300 years. They age more slowly than humans, so 50 years for a dragonkin is about the same as 23-24 years for a human, 75 years to 36-37 years, etc. Dragonkin also age really well - they only really start to weaken in terms of physical strength in the last decade or so of their life.

To learn more about dragonkin, click here.


Born and raised in the Everlasting, an immense desert and one of the Sacred Lands of Astraia, the kai are a brittle, short-statured people, possessing keen eyes, hollow bones, and long, dexterous furry tails. Though easy to break when things get physical, their light weights and powerful leg muscles give them a fantastic jumping capability, and their archery is nothing to scoff at.

appearance - Kai are shorties - the average male reaches about 5'2", and the average female is about 4'10". They tend to be lean and skinny, with the same hair and eye colors as humans. Aside from their short stature, what really stands them apart are their long, furry tails with feathered tufts at the end, coming in a variety of colors and patterns.

lifespan - About 100 years, give or take. They age at about the same rate as humans.

To learn more about the kai, click here.


Descended from the powerful archmaguses, maguses are the last of a once-great people, the only one capable of generating and utilizing magic power. Though scattered and few, they wander in search of knowledge, both new and old, seeking to further their magic one way or another. As magic is rare and unusable by the other peoples of Astraia, it, and the maguses who use it, are generally regarded with an air of fear and suspicion.

appearance - Maguses look almost exactly like humans, except that their bodies are inked with magical black tattoos that form intricate designs across their skin, and their eyes are always the color of a gemstone.

lifespan - Usually about 150 years.

To learn more about the maguses, click here.




The next aspect which we must discuss is magic. Now, as you may have already guessed, magic is somewhat limited in this game, perhaps more so than you are used to. This is for a good reason - it is too easy to be caught up in the magic-using portion of fantasy role play and forget about the other good qualities of fantasy. If you would rather go make a wizard/sorcerer who unleashes catastrophic power at will, then you're probably in the wrong place. (And I do understand the thrill of catastrophic power.)

Now, unless you are playing a magus, your character cannot use magic spells. This doesn't mean that they are weak against magic - magic is not all-powerful, and can be dodged, countered, or blocked in a variety of ways that you'll have to figure out for yourself as you go. And not being able to use magic doesn't mean that your character is incapable of doing fantastical things; alchemy and priesthood are two fairly kickbutt options available to them. There are also magical artifacts; as you can probably speculate for yourself, a magical artifact is an item possessing a single magic power that can be used by any race. However, magical artifacts must be earned through a Legendary Feat, which I will explain in detail further on.

If you plan on playing a magus, then please read up on magic here.




The last thing you must keep in mind when creating a character is their home; your character must have a home in one of the playable cities of Astraia. That doesn't mean that your character can't wander around; the best adventures are usually had abroad, in new places with new people. Quite frankly, I don't care if you've got two threads in Aera and five more in Kingshill for the same character at the same time, and your home is in Thourne. Play your character where you want to play it. But your character should have a city out of which they operate, where they can participate in Citizenship and Affiliation events and forge long-lasting bonds between other characters of the same city. Once you've finished your character, it's a good idea to post their bio on their city's Player Information thread so that they can be added to the list of citizens and qualify to participate in any Citizenship events.

Perched on the edge of the Xeran Sea to the south, Kingshill is a thriving port city with never a dull moment. The Elistaran nobles are always up to something, pulling underhanded power-plays and flaunting their wealth and power on a near daily basis. The country's military also has its most important bases of operation here, from training new recruits to strategizing the constant conflicts with Thourne's powerful criminal gangs and keeping a close eye on their sketchy neighboring countries. Boats come to the docks every day with new and exciting people and things - sometimes even pirates - and though dominated by humans, people of the other races manage to find their way here.
To learn more about Kingshill, click here.

Known as “The City on the River,” Thourne is well-known for being built on stilts straight across the river Crux. Though it is a key point on any traveling merchant’s route, Thourne is a well-known underbelly of criminal activity, with a vibrantly thriving black market and a rampant lawlessness that typically goes unchecked by Elistar’s government, due to the tidy sum raked in by the city’s leading gangs towards the government’s leaving them alone. It is not a place for the faint of heart, but it does have its rugged charms, like rivertop inns and a few delectable delicacies found nowhere else.
To learn more about Thourne, click here.

Located at the base of the dragonkin's Mount Valer, Vale is a thriving and isolated settlement, consisting mostly of rugged folk who find difficulty fitting in elsewhere. It relies on a shared, unwritten code of honor to keep the peace, and despite the clash of cultures and personalities, the inhabitants of Vale have no qualms banding together to face threats. Vale also has an active base of operations for the separate militaries of most large nations, such as Elistar and Aera, established in recent years in order to maintain contact with the isolated dragonkin clans.
To learn more about Vale, click here.

Aera is a city of tall, sweeping architecture, built on a large group of land masses floating over the Silent Sea to the west, only a mile or so off the coast. Founded by legendary men and women almost two centuries ago, Aera is considered by some to be a pinnacle of higher learning and progression, with a reputation for producing heroes. It was founded on the ideals of peace, justice, and equality, and is, technically speaking, a democratic republic run by a Council of representatives of the people. Its culture is also heavily based on the use of winged creatures for transportation. The city was built around a wellspring of sacred waters that actually flow up from the sea (like a reverse waterfall) through the land mass to bubble up in the heavily-guarded pool.
To learn more about Aera, click here.

And this concludes the first part of the guide to creating a character! If you wanted to, you could take off right now and go make a character; you have the knowledge necessary to make a suitable character for the world of Astraia and launch into the game. If you'd like to learn more about what Astraia has to offer you and your character-in-the-making, however, please feel free to continue and learn about Character Affiliations, Patron Gods, and Legendary Feats.

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Next, I'm going to talk about Character Affiliations. Character Affiliations are completely optional, but grant your character access to a whole new depth of role play in the world of Astraia. By affiliating your character with one of the groups or organizations found within Astraia, you give them instant connections with other characters of the same affiliation, not to mention the Affiliation's reputation (criminal gangs are scary, knight orders are moral, military personnel have authority, etc.).

Your character's Affiliation may also directly affect what city you want them to call home; your character can't be a member of a gang in Thourne when they live in Aera, for example. It's just common sense. However, almost anything is possible, so while I believe it would be best to be close to the center of your Affiliation's general business, it's completely up to you. Of course, it is possible to switch your character's Affiliation later down the line, and it will require you to play it out, which makes it that much more exciting. It is also possible to start your character as a former member of an Affiliation, to add flavor to their back-story.

So now that I've blabbed my mouth off, let's actually take a quick look at the different choices of Character Affiliation, shall we? (Please note that it is more than likely that new Character Affiliations will be added at a later time.)

- Order of the Dragon Knight This order of knights, who are informally called Dragon Knights, was founded well over two centuries ago by Aev Silverscale, a legendary human-born champion of the Far North. They live by their Oath; "Courage, honor, and unfailing willpower." They are scattered across Astraia, and can be found anywhere, with no central base of operations to call their own. Members are gathered into the Order as Apprentice Knights to a fully-fledged Knight, until they can pass their mentor's standards and are sworn in.

- Elistaran Aristocracy The aristocracy of Elistar, based in Kingshill, are a notoriously snobby, underhanded lot, with a few exceptions. Though a king sits on the throne, he is but a figurehead for the noble aristocrats. They are generally accustomed to cushy living and frequent power-plays.

- Elistaran Military Typically found in both Kingshill, members of the Elistaran military are trained in combat and discipline, among other things, and are frequently involved in ongoing conflicts with various organizations across Astraia, like the Black Gear gang in Thourne or the Cult of Kallivern.

- Wings of Astraia This elite branch of the Aeran military is based out of their headquarters in Aera. Informally known as "the Wings," these individuals specialize in aerial combat and play according to their strengths.

- Red Wolf The best of the best, Red Wolf is a mercenary group acting out of Vale. They have little regard for the law, and answer the call of the highest bidders, rarely known to do anything out of selflessness. They clash frequently with other groups, making more enemies than friends, and they can be a force to be reckoned with when they decide to be.

- Black Gear One of Thourne’s leading gangs, Black Gear is a group of ruthless cutthroats and thieves, founded by the once-infamous “Spider,” who remains something of an enigma. Lawless though it may be, Black Gear thrives on bonds of loyalty, sticking by each other and those they consider allies. Black Gear members also follow a loose hierarchy, with a respected boss on top who keeps the rest in line when necessary.

Before I conclude this section of the guide to character creation, I feel it necessary to remind you that your character does not need to fit the description offered along with the Affiliation to the bill. Your character's story is yours to create; write it however you will.

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The next aspect of the game that I would like to introduce to you is that of the Patron Gods!

The peoples of Astraia all have one thing in common -- their deities. There are eight worshiped gods across the continent, and every sentient creature in Astraia is granted the favor of one of them. This one particular god is called their patron god. A character's patron god is typically more for flavor than anything else, as the gods themselves have detailed and varying personalities that say something about the people they give favor to, but a character's patron god also affects their potential Legendary Feats, and if the character is a priest, then their patron god also affects what kind of power your character can wield.

Now, there are exceptions to every rule, and if you would like to play a character without the favor of any of the gods, that's up to you. I ask that you simply keep in mind that people without a patron god are often considered cursed or an omen of misfortune by others, though only if they actually know that those people have no patron god. It's entirely up to you.

Without further ado, allow me to introduce the gods.

- Elisandra The goddess of destiny and champions, younger sister to Zalu, lover of Gedderin. Elisandra rules over the aspect of willpower and victory. Elisandra is a protector of innocence, an immovable mountain and an upholder of righteousness who knows neither fear nor failure. Elisandra tends to favor the stubborn and the selfless.

- Gedderin God of balance, lover of Elisandra. Gedderin rules over change and the aspect of balance. He tends to stand alone, watching the world shift. His power is dual-sided, and he is thought to be a trickster, changing the course of events at a whim. Gedderin is often a last resort, a force to be reckoned with and a gamble to bargain with, as his moods are ever-shifting and his goal is often unseen. Gedderins favors the sly and cunning, as well as the charismatic with roundabout problem-solving skills.

- Daene Goddess of war and wisdom, twin sister to Veyr. While her brother is the stronger of the two, Daene excels in combat as well, but she rules over the art of strategy and thought. Daene is a merciless opponent whose unnerving gaze sees and knows all, subtly extorting every weakness and manipulating the fight towards her end goals. She believes in discipline and hard work, as failure is not an option. Daene tends to favor keen, disciplined thinkers and hard workers who achieve their goals in any way possible.

- Veyr God of battle and glory, twin brother to Daene. Veyr rules over the art of combat and the aspect of courage, and is said to be extraordinary in it, for a god, himself. He cares little for strategy and battles of the mind, preferring the rush of the fight and quick thinking. He is a fiercely loyal ally and a terrifying enemy who does not know defeat. Veyr tends to favor fierce and honorable warriors who love the thrill of the fight, whatever form it takes.

- Xaen The goddess of love and the sea. Xaen rules over all bodies of water and the aspect of devotion. She is secretive and reserved, quiet in nature unless riled. Her rage is a mighty and fearsome thing, not to be taken lightly. She is a gentle companion, but she is unafraid to spring into action when she is needed. Xaen tends to favor gentle souls who develop strong bonds and do their very best to uphold these bonds.

- Zalu Goddess of fate and truth, older sister to Elisandra. Zalu rules over the aspect of truth and is said to foresee the future. She is knowledgeable in the many nuances of perspective, the way in which one sees the truth, and values neutrality and an unbiased nature in order to see truth in its absolute form. Zalu knows many things and values the wisdom of others. She is dauntless, never truly afraid or concerned, for she has faith in the future. Zalu tends to favor steadfast optimists as well as those who live with humility.

- Farul God of life and death. Farul rules over the gift of life and that which brings it to an end. In nature he is quiet, and is neither terrible nor great. He can be a miraculous healer, giving life to those who truly wish it, with all of its hardships and darkness, or a cold murderer, taking it from those who are carelessly ignorant of it. He does not play judge, deciding all who live and die, but his ears are open to the desperation of others, and in his heavy heart he is compassionate enough to answer. Gader tends to favor those possessing steadfast minds as well as realists and sociopaths who will do whatever it takes.

- Tyrun The god of justice and peace. Tyrun rules over the aspect of leadership and nobility. He is an anchor that holds his comrades steadfast, a well of strength for others to draw from. He believes in justice and equality, giving of himself to those in need. He knows his own limits, and unites the people around him to create a stronger force. Tyrun tends to favor those of strong moral belief and natural-born leaders.

This wraps up the godly portion of this guide! As I said, this is a norm for characters in Astraia, but still optional for those of you who like to be daring. As with the Affiliations, your character does not have to fit the god's description of their favored to the bill; this is your character's story, and so you can write it however you want.

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Last but not least for this guide is the bit on Legendary Feats, which I'm sure some of you are perhaps a little curious about at this point. (Or maybe you're not really, and you just wanna go start playing already, in which case I suggest you do, because this last bit doesn't really have any sort of impact on your character creation or a cultural norm to worry about.)

But what I'm actually going to talk about is a little larger than the Feat itself -- I want to talk about your character's Legend. You've already heard me talk about it in this thread, I've just been using a more common term for it - a story. What does that mean?

It means that your character's story, their Legend, is important here at Legends, hence the duly appropriate name. All aspects of the game, from the racial backgrounds, to the gods, to the past and future conflicts, are designed to give you the tools needed to write a fantastical story. And all Legends have to start somewhere, which is why your character can't start off with a magical artifact to give them an early boost. (And some of you may decide that your character doesn't even need a magical artifact, which is more than fine.)

Magical artifacts are items of history, the remnants of a lost civilization, scattered across Astraia and rather difficult to acquire. To obtain one, your character must earn it by completing a Legendary Feat. To undergo a Legendary Feat, your character must have at least 100 in-character posts; then, you must play it out. A staff member will actively play a being of higher power (i.e. a god or surviving archmagus) to guide you through your Legendary Feat, which is open to anyone you care to invite (because all adventures are better with friends). And by the end of it, you will have acquired a magical artifact suiting your character (or ancient knowledge of more powerful magic if you're playing a magus).

And this concludes the kick-start guide to character creation! If you have questions regarding character creation, feel free to fire away right on this thread, and I will be happy to give you an answer. (Asking your questions right here is better than sending me a message, if you please. That way members with similar questions can look through to check and see if that question has already been answered.)

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