RolePlay onLine RPoL Logo

Welcome to Dungeons and Dragons: A Chain of Chaos

03:49, 4th May 2024 (GMT+0)

El Zukar

Appearance
Bald with a face seemingly scrubbed clean of most features the changeling El's default appearance is pale-skinned, faintly underweight for their height without any clear masculine or feminine features and with dull blue eyes that glow slightly in what most could recognise as an active Arcane Sight spell. When given a choice they does not dress in a manner that matches their position instead favouring dull overalls over plain, light clothing usually in assorted shades of brown.

Their uniform attire however is very much a uniform, neat clothing intended to fit under armour if needed consisting of a plain tunic and breeches, both slightly loose, a sturdy belt and pair of boots and some well-made gloves usually tucked into said belt. Onto the left shoulder is a simple emblem made of a pair of clasped hands atop a background of a cross formed of a sword, stave, spade and hammer. It is also attire that would be recognised across the Community as the same worn by the most loyal servants of the nominal ruler of the gathered nations, those known as the Will of the Community, many of whom share the appearance as well as the attire of the leader of that Community

The main piece of attire that distinguishes El from these others is a signet ring adorned with the same emblem adorning their shoulder. Those able to see invisible items can also see the armour and shield worn and carried by the arcanist, both crafted from mirthral and lacking much in the way of adornment, save for the spikes added to provide combative options to the defensive tools. A variety of other invisible items are worn by El, the kind few would be surprised to see on any adventurer ,with an assortment of scattered rings, amulets and similar all of which had the look of a shared origin in their design.

Brief public history
Hailing from the formerly war-torn southern continent of Giphaes El presently acts as the de-facto leader of the largest grouping of nations on that continent, the United Community of Zukar, having brought most of the lands into their unified territory by force of arms following a series of conflicts spanning a decade. While initially someone of little note El's rise from minor mage to major force was something that began, seemingly at least, with their death. A dispute with the lord of the land in which they made their home ended with the arcanists death. Then days later they appeared in the land they held once more leading a force to claim the land of those who had murdered them.

After that they continued to conquer or otherwise bring lands under their sway, reports of their death repeatedly coming only for them to reappear soon after continuing to provide arcane support with the strange living spells they and those who trained under them called forth to destroy their foes. Rumours abounded that they were an undead, a lich that would not die as long as its phylactery yet existed, that they dealt with demonic forces that brought their cursed soul back to continue and that there was no true El, merely a society dedicated to the takeover of the continent who in turn stepped into the shoes of the fallen.

Over time as more lands fell into their sway they began to impose their will upon the territory under their control. While those who managed the land continued to do so but across all parts of society were appointed members of the Will who acted as oversight for all things and, as the final authority shy of the ruler themself. While the Will's decisions would always be proclaimed to be fair this "fairness" was often measured not against the lands they were in but the gathered nations as a whole resulting in many long accepted regional laws being forced out for a more universal standard.

Eventually El controlled enough land that they were able to force if not a general peace then certainly subdue any further actions against the united nations from those that remained, who instead mostly focused their conflict on one another. The closest danger dealt with El consolidated their grip on the so-called community and after a few months of that more widespread political overtures began to come out of the United Community. Figures of significant political power, social standing or general import on other nations received offers to create clones of them at base cost in order to have a last resort should life take an unexpected turn, scholars of all stripes were invited to come to the pacified lands for the opportunity to continue their work in more stable climates at the cost of having to share their knowledge with the wider whole and  artisans of various sorts offered the opportunity to ply their trade.

The Community is also open to requests to others to join them, with individuals always welcome if subject to some background checks and other countries begin considered on a case by case basis depending on the work needed to support them.

Perhaps most worryingly though is that the servants of the Community, often including members of the Will, began to spread to other parts of the world. While they did not enter countries where their presence was forbidden they did not make public declarations of their presence as ambassadors would but instead went about their business quietly and with little desire to draw attention to themselves. Not too long after that rumours sprang up once more relating to El's necromantic practices and indeed evidence seemed to support that as various nations began to be informed that one of their citizen's body had come into the Community Leader's possession and could be returned if wished for base shipping cost (reduced accordingly if existing trade routes existed). Seemingly there was nothing secretive about this, as in many cases this was resulting in near daily missives, but for every message to that effect sent one had to wonder how many were not.