Witches of Aether
By…uh, somewhat popular demand, Children of Aether, my pride and joy, is getting a reboot. Now, please note that, whilst a lot of the details are the same, this will NOT be the same RP. Much of the storyline and the major events, as well as the villains themselves, I have altered, so this will be a new experience for those who took part the last time…all three of you. Similar, yet different. It’s a reboot, kay?
But what will make this RP different the most are those who will be participating in it. This time, I am going to be extremely strict with whom I accept and who I reject – if you joined the last time and barely posted, then forget applying for this one. You had your chance, you blew it. If you’re going to join this RP, I expect at least one post every three days, perhaps more if you’re RPing with a large group of people and are included in the current conversation. This RP moved extremely quickly last time, and I anticipate it will do so this time as well. I don’t want people waiting on others to post for any longer than that, it isn’t fair to them and it makes it extremely difficult to continue the story. If you just up and vanish, we’re carrying on without you. Simple as that.
Also, whilst those of you who have RPed with me before know I am extremely meticulous in my planning for RPs, I’m not going to be holding people’s hands either. If you’re taking part, then you need to collaborate with other people about where you want to go with your characters, and not just sit back and wait for me to PM you with my ideas for what we could do next. If I wanted to dic-tate the entire plot, I’d just write a story. I’m not asking you to put forward a ton of ideas (although I’d love that) but I am asking you to take a little responsibility and initiative for your own character. The “D” is “SU/D” stands for “discussion” so you should…y’know…discuss. In the thread, by PM, a messenger program, whatever…discuss. Share your ideas. Develop your character. Contribute. Have fun. Make the RP awesome.
I would hope this is all unnecessary, since if you sign on, then you know what to expect – you need to keep up with things and actively take part, rather than just sitting back and letting the rest of us map out everything for you. Why apply if you’re not going to take part, etc etc. I have just had a couple of rather aggravating experiences in the past and with the first version of this and I want to make it absolutely clear that I’m not taking any shit this time around: part of the reason CoA died out the last time is because half the people in it weren’t posting, whilst the rest of us were moving at the speed of light. I’d like it if everyone was on the same page this time.
Premise
There are many stories of the past involving deities, heroes, and supernatural powers, and the destiny that ties all three together in love, war, and unspeakable loss. In this modern world we live in, many have been forgotten; discarded for more “reliable” texts that have withstood the passage of time, or for the discoveries made through science. The deities of the past, the heroes, and the secrets of power have lost their place within the world of mankind…however, just because mankind chooses to ignore the supernatural does not erase its existence, and there is still much that science and religion cannot explain, much that these texts answer…and still, there is much that they do not.
The Goddess and the King is a little-known tale in this day and age, and those who do know it are unsure of its precise meaning and even its origin: some believe it to be the product of a civilisation lost in a war between the two, whilst others think it was invented by some drunken storyteller in a pub one night. There are many versions, across a variety of civilisations: in some, The Horned King is a hero, who cast down a wicked Goddess, dispersing her power across the planet for the sake of generations to come, and thus were the elements mastered by mankind.
In others he is a demon, who smites Her down and takes Her powers for Himself, and thus were the secrets of the elements lost to mankind for eternity. Hundreds of meanings and interpretations plague this particular tale, and those who practice the Occult have long debated: should they worship the Goddess, she who will wear only grey, or should they worship the King, who demands nothing? Who would be humanity’s saviour, and who would be its destroyer?
Time distorts all tales, yet it does not change the true nature of the figures. For, whilst the Grey Goddess no longer walks this mortal coil, the Horned King does. Upon the eve of their sixteenth birthday, maidens possessing certain qualities may find themselves being visited by this deity, and upon them he will bestow a gift: the power of one of the elements of this world, to be wielded as they see fit. The Horned King demands nothing in exchange, yet offers only these words of warning: there are others.
The Horned King chooses well his Witches. There are those who are pure of heart, who will seek no more power than what they have obtained, and seek to use it for a just cause…and there are those who will seek their sisters out to acquire their power, and as any practitioner of the Occult will know: within an individual’s True Name lies the power to control them. With the power of all the elements, one could reign over the entire planet as a Goddess, and the lure of such power is too strong to resist for some…and, in choosing these power-hungry individuals, perhaps this is the Horned King’s intent. Whatever his intent, those who have sought more power have ever been frustrated, for the power of the elements is equal: no sister has ever been able to triumph over another of her kind.
Until now.
With the death of one of their kind, the balance of power has shifted, and suddenly the other sisters find themselves with a renewed sense of both hope and fear. It has been proven that one witch can indeed defeat another, for one has…and that one is now the single greatest threat to them all, for she possesses the power of two elements. Unable to trust their kin to form an alliance to defeat this witch, for they do not even know which of them has the power of two elements, the game between them grows ever tenser and, it seems, that game is drawing to a close, for there has been a convergence. Drawn by powers beyond even their understanding, those who have been gifted power by the Horned King find themselves at London, England, some unaware that their kin dwell in the city, yet no doubt soon to find out. At least one amongst their number seeks their souls…in this deadly game where nothing is as it seems, who can they trust?
It is not just to their fellow sisters that they must watch for, either, for as it ever the case with forces, they have an opposition. The Witches, whether they wished to or not, chose the path of the Horned King. There are others who have chosen the path of the Grey Goddess, and they seek to reclaim the power that, they believe, rightly belongs to their deity. They are skilled and cunning, and care nothing for the intentions of Witches. Guided by their Priestess, they seek to end the game that began centuries ago.
Thus begins what will be the final game between these two forces. Tradition dictates that the victor is decided by force, but there may yet be other ways to win the game…
Setting
This RP is set in present-day London, England, although depending on how the story advances, the location may change. However, to begin with, all characters should be located in the city or the surrounding area.
True Names
What’s in a name? For Witches, to be forced to reveal their true name to another of their kind spells an end to their freedom, and possibly their life with it. A witch who possesses another’s true name holds her soul within her hands, to do with as she pleases. She may choose to take the witch as a slave, for she is bound to obey all commands. Alternatively, she may opt instead of absorb her soul, acquiring her powers and possibly even erasing her existence from every realm, be it living or dead.
A true name that is not your own cannot be told to another. To do so goes against the Higher Law that all, be they God, witch or mortal, are bound to follow, resulting in the erasure of your own ex-istence before you can even speak the words. Traditionally, true names are acquired through besting the opponent in combat, but there are other ways to acquire an opponent’s true name...
To possess another’s true name whilst they in turn possess yours binds the two individuals together, and neither can exert an influence over the other. This is often why witches who win over their kin choose to kill the loser, rather than simply leaving them as a powerless mortal – should the loser somehow discover their true name, they can re-acquire their powers, and the only way to then acquire them would be in a battle to the death, the outcome of which may not be entirely certain.
The importance of true names applies only to witches, or those who possess some form of supernatural power within their very soul. For those who do not, possession of their true name grants but a minor influence, unless they comprehend the significance of their true name. Since the majority of humans use their true names in every day conversation, and they are known by several people, the significance for them is insignificant indeed. For others, however, there may be considerably more significance…
The Horned King and Witches
The Horned King is a mysterious deity, speculated to be a demon by those who are familiar with him, and presumably the heart of all evil; whilst portrayed as a hero in some tales, because of his appearance and his very name, he is synonymous with wickedness in these modern times. However, he is somewhat benign, and is seen only once by his followers: at the moment of their initiation, on the eve of their sixteenth birthday, although should they acquire a second element, he shall speak to them once more, it has been discovered. The Horned King chooses mortal young women based on criteria he alone knows and makes of them witches, with or without their consent, although he does not allow them to choose the element that they will wield. At the end of their natural lives, their power returns to him if it has not been taken by another. Beyond this, little is known of the Horned King.
There are a total of ten witches, each having their own unique powers based around an element of the natural world. No two witches can possess the same element at the same time, although witches can find their powers being interfered with by another, due to their conflicting nature. Each element has its own distinct advantages and disadvantages and, whilst some elements are more physically powerful than the others, their drawbacks have prevented their wielders from gaining victory over another, time and time again.
Whilst witches are capable of a great deal, the greater the feat, the more concentration that is re-quired to attain it, and witches cannot unleash the full potential of their powers often for more than a minute without losing control of it, or passing out from the mental effort required of summoning the forces in the first place. With more elements comes greater power, however, and a witch with elements that complement one another can wield them in tandem to create a devastating force. For all their power, witches are still mortal women, and suffer a mortal’s frailty. They can be wounded and killed by anyone, not just others of their kind.
Below is a list of elements, as well as the abilities that they bestow upon the wielder:
Fire
The destructive power of the Fire Witch is unmatched. By drawing upon her own body heat, or heat from her surroundings, she can create destructive fireballs that she can manipulate at will, changing their direction, size, and even their shape. If she comes into physical contact with any flammable substance, she can force it to ignite, and then utilise it as a weapon, or simply sit back and watch it burn. All she requires is the smallest of flames to create an inferno, although fire spreads quickly once it has been started, and is difficult to control once it reaches a certain size. She can also control the intensity of the flames, making them produce thick, choking smoke, or white-hot and destructive. However, whilst her destructive power is unmatched, the Fire Witch has little else to do with her powers: fire destroys all it touches, she can merely control the extent, speed and direction of that damage.
Water
The Water Witch possesses absolute control over Water, able to manipulate it as she chooses. If sufficiently cloudy, she can make rain fall like bullets, or create a barrier of water that is difficult to penetrate. In the ocean, she possesses power unrivalled, for she has practically unlimited resources to draw upon, and can create extremely destructive tidal waves – although there is a limit to the amount of water that she can control at any one time, so if she starts such a force in motion, she will be unable to direct it how she desires, or stop it once it has begun, making such an act dangerous for herself as well as others. She can alter the temperature to whatever she desires, although she will lose the ability to control it if it hardens to ice or becomes steam. Physical contact with another allows her to even draw water from them, leaving them severely dehydrated and thereby unable to retaliate, or little more than a brittle, lifeless husk if she so wishes. She can also do this with any other object that contains water, although the smaller the amount of water within it, the higher the level of concentration needed to extract it. Water can be found everywhere, making the Water Witch an extremely dangerous foe. However, water’s inconsistent nature means that her powers are not entirely reliable in particular circumstances, or against particular foes.
Earth
The Earth Witch’s power is extensive and ever-present, for it lies within the very ground that she walks upon. She can raise the earth, flatten hills (and given time, mountains) and create earthquakes of cataclysmic force. She can force the earth apart to raise magma from the core to the surface, although she cannot control the flow of the magma, nor withstand the heat. Were she so inclined, the Earth Witch could split the very continents apart, or create an entirely new one by cracking the sea bed apart, to allow magma to rise to the surface. As long as she remains upon the ground, the Earth witch can bend the soil beneath her feet to her will. However, she can only set natural disasters in motion: she can control where and how the earth splits, yet she cannot control the amount of destruction this will unleash, nor is there any guarantee that she herself will not be caught up in the destruction. Whilst she remains its epicentre, it will spread outwards from her, yet she cannot control which way buildings fall…
Wind
The Wind Witch can control the disposition of the winds. She can raise currents of wind from dead air, making the gentlest of breezes into the most ferocious of gales in a matter of minutes. She can conjure destructive tornadoes and storms, or do the opposite and quell them entirely. She can also control the direction of the wind, allowing herself to be levitated up from the ground upon unseen currents, which she can ride naturally, or force her way through with her own currents. As well as increase the intensity of the wind, she can also slow it down, or stop it entirely, making the air stagnant and difficult (or even impossible, if she creates a vacuum, although this requires considerable effort and could backfire) to breathe. The wind witch has control over the winds only, however – if she brings with her rain, lightning or snow with a storm, she cannot control these forces, which could serve to an opponent’s advantage. Like many of her sisters who can tamper with the more violent forces, once these forces reach a certain level, she cannot control them either, and is just as vulnerable as others are to their effects.
Lightning
Whilst the element of lightning sounds somewhat limited, since lightning is found only during storms, due to the modern world we live in, the Lightning Witch has become a particularly dangerous opponent. She is able to manipulate electrical currents and, since power lines run throughout every city, and the earth itself has its own electrical current, she possesses a nearly limitless supply of energy to play with. She can create and control lightning bolts, whether she uses her own body as a conduit or not is up to her. She can alter her body’s own electrical current, turning herself into a battery of sorts (although there is a limit to how much energy she can store) and making physical contact with her painful, if not deadly. Physical contact with another allows her to distort their body’s electrical current, paralysing them, sending electrical signals to the brain allowing her a limited form of mind control (she can implant strong suggestions, but with sufficient strength of will these can be ignored and overridden) or even stopping their heart if she so choos-es…although, unless she is concentrating on paralysis, this is often the effect that she has even if she does not intend to do it. She possesses the power of flight, able to distort the earth’s electromagnetic field to a degree. By doing this, she can also create storm clouds, further fuelling her powers. However, not everything conducts electricity, and gathering sufficient energy to send destructive lightning flying from her fingertips takes time.
Nature
At first glance, the Nature Witch appears to share many similarities in her abilities with the Earth Witch, but her source of power lies within that which flourishes on the planet, rather than the planet itself. The Nature Witch can freely manipulate any and all types of plant, accelerating their growth to turn them into a destructive force that little can stop. She can alter plants to suit her needs, able to survive off as little water and sunlight as possible, or make their pollen deadly to inhale and then force them to bloom. If there exists a single living seed in an area, she can force that seed to grow to maturity how she pleases, create of it more seeds, and have an entire forest around her in a matter of hours. She can also communicate with animals to a degree, manipulating them into doing her bidding, whether that be coming to her defence and acting as a shield, or spying upon her sisters. The Nature Witch is extremely seductive, and can alter her pheromones to enchant humans as easily as she can other forms of life, although her charms only work on men, and women attracted to other women. Nature exists everywhere, even in densely urban areas, making the Nature Witch extremely dangerous. However, plants are reliant upon sunlight and water, and she cannot substitute their need for these things entirely, and if there is an insufficient amount of either, she will need to use her own life force to fuel their growth, which could prove fatal.
Darkness
The Witch of Darkness is the strongest of the sisters at night. Her powers are extremely versatile; she can conjure upon creatures or objects from the shadows, giving them physical sub-stance if she so wishes, although she must continuously maintain these forms through concentra-tion, lest they lose their substance and become the intangible shadows they once were. She can draw upon the darkness and increase it, blanketing the entire area and making it impossible to see. She can travel at will through shadows, be it at day or night, allowing her to disappear in one area and re-appear in another seconds later, travelling through a pocket dimension of sorts. She can take others with her into this dimension however, she cannot leave them there – if she attempts to, they will simply be thrown out of it, and there is no predicting where they will end up. She can also widen the influence of shadows to a degree during daylight, connecting them together if they are close and, if the weather is cloudy, raise them to cover a much larger area. However, during the day, the Witch of Darkness must stick to the shadows if she wishes to utilise her powers, and any shadow that she gives physical substance will lose it the moment it steps into the sunlight, unless she pours her will into keeping its form – difficult, and likely costly.
Light
During the day, the Witch of Light is arguably the strongest of the sisters. Harnessing the power of the Sun, she can rain down destruction through deadly beams of light, literally incinerating anything that stands in her path. She can also harness the Sun’s radiation to a degree, reducing its effects to nothing, or making the levels deadly for a confined space. By bending and refracting light, she can create illusions indistinguishable from reality unless someone comes into physical contact with one, giving her a distinct edge in combat. She can adjust the intensity of light, making it strong enough to blind any who look directly at it – this effect is temporary for witches and knights, but often permanent for others, who may find their eyes burned out by the intensity. If it emits light, no matter how faint, the Witch of Light can manipulate it, although smaller, weaker light sources, such as bulbs or torches or even the energy emitted from fire and electricity, are good for little more than illusions. The Witch of Light also finds herself severely underpowered at night, or in darkened spaces. Her powers are at their peak when the Sun is shining; if it disappears behind a cloud, she will find herself significantly weaker for it.
Blood
The power of Blood has long been seen as an evil thing, used in the blackest arts to raise demons and worse. The Blood Witch possesses the ability to manipulate this liquid, both in herself and others - physical contact with another allows her to control the flow of blood in their body, shutting it off in some places to leave limbs as little more than dead weights, create clots, or extract it from the individual and make of it a weapon. The Blood Witch can also make use of her own blood in this fashion, laying open her wrists and spilling out her life force, which she can then use as a destructive weapon, boiling it to burn like acid through most substances. However, the most dangerous of her abilities lies in her powers of absorption: a single drop of blood from one of her kin allows her, for a short period, to make use of their abilities. Whilst the scale is dramatically reduced, it also renders her immune to her opponent's element for a few minutes, something that could easily turn the tide of battle. The power of the Blood Witch, however, must be used sparingly: the fastest way to draw blood effectively is to slit your wrists, and if there are no others around for her to make use of, the Blood Witch must rely on the blood in her own body for a weapon, and it is not infinite in amount...
Frost
With the power of an arctic winter at her fingertips, the Frost Witch possesses what the Water Witch does not: the ability to control ice. A single touch from the Frost Witch can freeze any-thing, be it water, metal, or even human. Once frozen, a single tap from her can shatter. Drawing upon the moisture in the air, she can create a thick and freezing mist which, whilst others cannot easily see through, is clear as broad daylight to her. Whilst she cannot summon clouds in the same way the Water and Wind Witch are able to, if some exist in the sky she can freeze the water inside them, creating a snowstorm or hailstorm which she can use against enemies, or using the ice within them to form automatons which she can use to do her bidding. The effort of creating large amounts of ice costs the Frost Witch very little, for she is immune to cold, and all of her energy is external: she does not need to feed her powers with her own life-force in order to fuel her powers, and she does not require a huge amount of concentration to control her ice creatures unless they are twice her size and mass. However, the Frost Witch requires some moisture in the air, or a liquid that she can freeze, in order to defend herself. On a hot day, her power will be considerably less than what it otherwise could be.
The Metal Witch
The Metal Witch is a unique creature with an immense amount of potential in this technological age. She can manipulate metal with ease; bending it to suit her every whim, whether that be to raise a powerful physical barrier against enemy attacks – a barrier she can, if she maintains direct contact with it, prevent from rusting, buckling or melting (although the greater the assault, the more taxing it will be to do this) - or use it as a destructive, physical attack, by hurling it at foes, creating metallic monstrosities (although the larger the creature, the more of her attention it will require to control) or shaping it around them, crushing them. She can alter metal density and structure, causing it to rust at her very touch or even melt. She can even control liquid metal, directing it to flow where she wills, shape how she chooses (if she so chooses) and cause metal that has become brittle to regain its strength. The Metal Witch is a great deal like a magnet; she can pull any metal towards her, or push it away with the force of a bullet. She also possesses a form of flight through this attraction and repulsion, although this requires a significant amount of concentration, for she must keep her magnetism constant. Through touch, she can even extract the iron from a person’s bloodstream; and even utilise her own, should she choose. Metal is extremely versatile, and can be found nearly everywhere, making the Metal Witch an extremely dangerous foe. However, her powers are perhaps more limited than the other witches, in terms of the scale of destruction she is capable of unleashing: she could create behemoths of metal that would be nearly impossible to take down, yet in order to guarantee her own safety she would need to build them up around herself, for the larger the body of metal she seeks to control, the more effort it requires, and she would be wide open to an assault if she controlled such a large body of metal externally. There is a limit to what she can lift, as well: she could not, for example, uproot an entire skyscraper and throw it at an enemy. Metal resists, and unless the metal witch has direct contact with it, she would find that tearing out a portion of a building would require some effort.
The Grey Goddess and The Grey Order
The Grey Goddess stands in opposition to The Horned King, ever ready to thwart his every move. Unlike the Horned King, she leaves recruitment to her existing knights and, once new recruits have been deemed worthy, she bestows her power upon them through her medium, The Grey Priestess. The Grey Goddess is concerned, primarily, with the elimination of witches, but she allows her followers a free reign in much the same way as her counterpart does, and encourages them to help others. She does not interfere with the daily activities of her followers unless she perceives corruption within their ranks: she will not have evil committed in her name.
This, more than anything else, leads the Grey Order to believe that their cause is just, for the Horned King puts no such restriction on his Witches, nor does he take responsibility for their actions: he simply grants them power and vanishes. Unlike the Horned King, the Grey Goddess has an organized religion founded upon her.
The Grey Order
A modest religious order by today’s standards, The Grey Order is comprised of Samaritans, scholars, and warriors. The power bestowed upon all worthy followers of the Grey Order is unique to them: the power of Spirit. It manifests itself different in each person, depending upon their calling in the Order, however.
The Grey Priestess
The mouthpiece of the Grey Goddess, the Grey Priestess is the figurehead of the Grey Order. Selected at the age of sixteen to serve until the end of her life – a life which can extend into a century and a half or more - she is regarded as the Grey Goddess reincarnated by her followers, although in truth it is likely that she only possesses a fragment of the Goddess’ spirit, and channels her entire presence only at times of crisis. Whilst the Priestess retains her original personality, she becomes something far more. It is she who blesses those who serve the Order with power…if they are judged as worthy. Whilst she has never once needed to exercise her powers beyond this function, as she channels the essence of the Goddess herself, it is safe to say that only the Horned King could confront her…and he does not seem inclined to do so. The Grey Priestess possesses the ability to look into the hearts of men, to read their thoughts and their very souls, and on occasion she has displayed a limited capacity to predict the future…and for humour. At present, the Grey Priestess resides at the Temple in London, in preparation for the convergence. The Grey Priestess wears plain grey robes, hiding her figure entirely. All that anyone ever sees of her is her eyes, when they gaze upon them for that first and last time; at their moment of judgement.
The Grey Helms
The official name for the Priesthood, the Grey Helms rarely leave the temples they are assigned to, being mostly scholars and priests.
The Nine
The Nine High Priests are the main authority of the Grey Order, the senior most Spiritwalkers of the eleven Grey Order temples scattered across the world. The Nine make many of the decisions in the Order – the displacement of the order’s forces, for example. Veterans from battles and well-versed in ancient lore, they are well-respected and regarded as incorruptible. Originally eleven, two of their number were killed by witches years past, and they have yet to elect two new members: the Law dictates that a new council may only be formed with all eleven are dead. The Nine wear grey robes with white hoods, which are always drawn up, hiding their faces. Once Spiritwalkers, the Nine are considerably more powerful, able to combine their powers together to sense the presence of any witch across the globe – although unable to determine her identity, they can only give an approximate location – and, if necessary, raise a barrier around the entire temple far stronger than those that the Spiritwalkers are capable of. They are able to see into the minds of men without physical contact, stripping away their defences with ease, although they cannot see into their souls as the Grey Priestess can. The Nine often stay in their original temples to oversee its running, rarely convening, and at present they remain divided. Yet circumstances may soon force them together…
Spiritwalkers
The Spiritwalkers are the priests of the Grey Order, answering only to the Nine. Blessed by the Grey Priestess, Spiritwalkers are accomplished mages, and channel her power through the staves that are gifted to them upon passing her judgement. Using these staves, Spiritwalkers are capable of unleashing destructive energy – although this rapidly drains their own life force, and in a stand-off battle against a witch they will find themselves tremendously outclassed – and raising defensive barriers that are difficult to penetrate. Whilst Spiritwalkers essentially only have two offensive abilities: to unleash energy streams and raise a barrier, they can adjust these abilities as they need to, since they control the energy mentally. A Spiritwalker could, for example, raise a barrier around a witch, or design one in such a way that it would reflect attacks, rather than absorb them. Energy attacks can take a variety of forms. However, creativity requires additional concentration and, most importantly, time. Working in harmony, Spiritwalkers are capable of astonishing feats, and two with strong wills can bring a witch to a standstill (although more would be required if the Witch can take advantage of the terrain) and perhaps even force her to retreat. They also possess a sense, as their name would imply, that allows them to quest into the minds of others when they have direct contact with them. This allows them to read the thoughts on the surface of their mind and, if the mind is weak, to delve below the surface and explore the depths of their consciousness. Once a Spiritwalker has come into physical contact with a Witch, he can track her, no matter where she may be, making them extremely valuable on the field of battle. However, unlike their Spiritblade counterparts, Spiritwalkers are quickly drained of their mental reserves if they attempt great feats and, if their staves are taken from them, their power vanishes entirely, for it is the only suitable conduit for their power; unlike Spiritblades, they cannot tap into it directly.
The Grey Swords
The “warrior” branch of The Grey Order, there is, unsurprisingly, a lot of tension and rivalry between the Swords and the Helms. Both see each other as obsolete: the Grey Swords argue that the Grey Helms are obsolete in the fight against witches, whereas the Grey Helms argue that a warrior cult has no place in the modern world. As the Grey Priestess is unwilling to settle the dispute, or simply not interested, the conflict persists and, when a Spiritwalker and a Spiritblade are required to work together on an operation, sparks inevitably begin to fly…
The Witchslayers
As the name would suggest, the title of Witchslayer is awarded to those who have bested a witch by themselves in combat. This is the highest honour that can be awarded a Grey Sword. There are, at present, only three Witchslayers, although they are accorded respect even by the Nine, and often sit in on their council meetings. They wield an extreme amount of power within their blades and are second only to the Grey Priestess herself in power; not even the Nine possess such singular wills, for all their wisdom. Witchslayers are known to possess wills strong enough to turn aside witch attacks and even strike them down if given the opportunity, and as they will often accompany warriors upon operations – particularly joint operations, for the tension between the two sides will vanish entirely under their leaders – if a Witch does not know of their reputation, they will soon learn the hard way.
Knights
The warriors of the Grey Order, Knights exist for a single purpose: to kill Witches. Upon completion of their training as Seekers of Power (usually by the time they are twenty-five, although there are rare cases of talent that allow for earlier graduation) their bodies are imbued with power by the Grey Priestess, thus making them Knights. They can intercept all but the most powerful attacks of Witches with their weapons and return in kind with physical blows backed up by the spirit energy channelled through their bodies...if they possess the strength to do so. It grants them a high level of resistance to witch attacks, yet they cannot project a barrier to shield themselves or unleash a physical stream of energy as Spiritwalkers can. Whilst Spiritwalkers draw more upon their mind for strength and channel it through their staff, Knights draw upon their own strength of will to strengthen themselves and, if their will is inadequate, so too will be their powers. It takes a Knight of exceptional skill and talent to be able to be able to force a Witch back by themselves, and they often travel in groups of three or four. A Knight's is granted a slight increase in their physical strength and stamina, yet beyond this they are mortal men.
The Grey Shields
An unofficial, derogatory nickname for the lower ranks of the Grey Order, there are two types of people who fall into this category:
Seekers
Those who pass the first level of training become Seekers, where they will remain for at least five years under the tutelage of a Spiritwalker or Spritblade tutor. Seekers are often in their mid-to-late twenties, and spend most of their time out of the temple and on the streets, aiding those who are in need in the name of the Goddess. There are two distinct types of Seekers: Seekers of Knowledge, who study the ancient lore contained within the temple, and Seekers of Power, who will spend their time at the temple training with weapons. They will go on to become either Spiritwalkers or Knights respectively. Seekers are not blessed by the Grey Priestess until there are judged ready by their Spiritwalker tutors…and even then, it is not guaranteed, for the Priestess sees much of what the Spiritwalker does not.
Acolytes
The lowest level of the Grey Order, acolytes are either those who are under the age of sixteen who are not yet ready to enter Seeker training, or recent converts. One must serve as an acolyte for at least three years before one can be considered ready for Seeker training. Acolytes often accompany Seekers upon their charity missions, aiding the poor and learning the ways of the Grey Goddess.
Rules
1) Godmodding and metagaming is forbidden.
2) Please, use a decent level of spelling, grammar and punctuation in RP posts. Fail in this and I WILL kick you out of the RP.
3) Please try to keep your RP posts to a minimum of a paragraph (three to five sentences)
4) Be polite. If you’ve got a problem with another member, take it to PM, and don’t clutter up the SU/D thread with it.
5) If you need something clarified, just ask~
6) Exercise restraint when using witch powers, and use your common sense.
Character Notes
For those of you who took part in Children of Aether the first time around who I’ve spoken to about this: if you want to transfer your characters from the original RP over to this one, you’re more than welcome to.
At present, the following members of the Grey Order are unavailable:
- The Grey Priestess
- The Nine
- The Witchslayers
If you’re interested in playing as any of the above, drop me a PM and we’ll see what we can work out.
Application template
Alias: (the name you will use throughout the RP)
True Name: (the True Name of your character)
Age: (no younger than 16 if you’re a Witch)
Gender:
Affiliation: (If you’re affiliated with the Grey Order, state which branch, and your rank)
Weapon: (Spiritblades only. If you’re a Spiritwalker, you wield a Staff. No guns.)
Element: (Witches only. One element, unless stated otherwise)
Appearance:
Personality:
History:
Character theme:
Battle theme:
Characters
Witches
Fire Witch – Crimson [Toni]
Earth Witch - Katyusha [Ringo]
Wind Witch - Freya [Liv Liv]
Lightning Witch – Alyss [Ringo]
Water/Nature Witch – Poppy [Martel]
Darkness Witch – Lily [Martel]
Light Witch – Emily [Martel]
Frost Witch – Jennyver [Raye]
Blood Witch – Tristana [Diar]
Metal Witch - RESERVED [Ness]
The Grey Order
Rosaline - Witchslayer [Martel]
Richard - Witchslayer [Steve]
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My you tube themes didn't work though but I'll fix them up later when I have sometime. 
I wasn't happy with how little I added to Crimson's appearance so I went ahead and edited that bit with more detail. I'm finally pleased with her haha.
