Forum Thread

This RP is based of the Keeper of the Lost Cities series by Shannon Messenger. No knowledge of this series is required for this RP, though it would come in handy at times. If you haven't read the books, I truly recommend you read them. They're amazing!
On the surface, the Lost Cities are anyone's dream home. Travel by light leaping, fancy mansions, all thought to be extinct species. Everything is sparkly, perfect, polished down to the last detail. But is it? Not all is what it seems, there are rumors bubbling. Rumors about rebels, dangerous ones. Very very dangerous ones. They have been surfacing more and more so. Your perfect world is about to be shattered. And what are you going to do about it?

1. All PH rules apply.
2. Romance is allowed, just don't make it the main focus.
3. 3 characters per person. (As many supporting characters as you like, but please sign them up as well. Supporting characters are like NPCs controlled by you.)
4. Hate the characters, not the RPers, show respect to everyone.
5. Keep this child appropriate, slight swearing is allowed, try to censor it.
6. Max of 2 abilities per character.
7. Hmm... Why is that particular bit of text a different color? Could it possibly be... The password?

Insert inspiring character quote here
Username:
Character Name:
Species:
Gender:
Age:
School/Level:
Special Ability(ies) (Only elves have special abilities):
Strong Skills:
Personality:
Appearance:
Backstory:
Palpad:
Password:
Other:

"The teachers still don't know."
Username: AthenaLuminiaLediana
Character Name: Athena Luminia Lediana
Species: Elves
Gender: Female
Age: 12
School/Level: Foxfire, Level Three (Skip da grade)
Special Ability(ies) (Only elves have special abilities): Telepath, Guster
Strong Skills: Telekinesis, Levitation, Channeling/Outward Channeling
Personality: Surprise surprise! I'm just going to make her normal Athena - x, simply because I want to see how Athena would play out in the KotLC world.
Appearance: *Yawns*
Backstory: Perfect student, all out amazing person, probably one of the most popular yet also most teased girls in school...
Palpad: Yep, already made!
Password: Read da rules
Other: Why would I have anything other to say?

Beguiler - An elf with the power of persuasion who can manipulate others by using the tone of their voice to affect someone's emotions (rather than affecting their actions, like Mesmers). In order to ensure the ability isn't abused, Beguilers have restrictions on when and how they can use their power.
Charger - An elf who can sense and manipulate electricity (and electron particles), allowing them to create and control everything from static to bolts of lightning.
Conjurer - An elf who can sense the threads connecting everything together and use them to pull objects through the void (though the ability only works if they already know where the item is). Conjurers can also hide things in the void to retrieve later, and help others place things there as well.
Descryer - An elf who can sense the "potential" inside of someone - though the person still has to live up to that potential in order for the reading to become accurate. Only one Descryer has ever been recorded, and he rarely uses the ability because his readings were causing contention.
Empath - An elf who can sense the emotions of others through physical contact (though the strongest Empaths can sense emotions through the air). Translating what they're sensing can be challenging (since strong emotions often feel the same) and Empaths are at the risk of going numb if they don't focus on their training. They can also sense when someone is lying (but are terrible liars themselves).
Enhancer - An elf who stores energy in the tips of their fingers, which can amplify the strength of someone else's ability. Enhancing happens automatically through touch, so Enhancers often wear gloves (or in some cases, special gadgets) to allow themselves some control over when and who they help - though it appears that special mental exercises may be effective in training the mind to switch the ability on and off.
Flasher - An elf who can sense and manipulate light - most often by gathering it into glowing orbs or beams of a single color on the visible spectrum. Uses for flashing range from entertainment to medicine to battle tactics.
Froster - An elf who can sense and gather particles of ice in the air and use them to freeze things, create snowfall, or form any shapes they desire. They can also cover themselves with ice as a disguise.
Guster - An elf who can sense and manipulate wind, creating everything from breezes to storms. The ability is elemental, and the wind is always calling - which tends to make Gusters more powerful than other elves (and, at times, slightly unstable).
Hydrokinetic - An elf who can sense the presence of water (whether it's invisible particles in the air, or a nearby lake or ocean) and manipulate the water in any way they choose (lifting rivers, draining pools, making it rain - or drying something off - or even bending it into shapes or forming tidal waves). Like other elemental abilities, the pull of water is relentless, so without training (and constant vigilance), Hydrokinetics can cause floods.
Inflictor - An elf who can gather their emotions into tangible mental energy and launch the force at others. In the case of negative emotions, the ability can cause tremendous pain and even incapacitate someone. And in the (rare) instance when positive emotions are inflicted, the ability can heal a broken mind. As a result, Inflictors are closely monitored by the Council.
Mesmer - An elf who can sense someone's will and manipulate it, putting them into a kind of trance and controlling their actions and behavior. Someone being mesmerized remains conscious but can rarely resist the Mesmer's command, which is why those with the ability are often mistrusted (and are closely watched by the Council).
Phaser - An elf who can sense the bond between their cells and temporarily break it down, allowing them to slip through solid barriers like walls, doors - anything they want. Some can even delay re-forming, allowing them to hide their identity from others.
Polyglot - An elf who instinctively speaks any and all languages, including those of the other intelligent species (and human dialects). In rare cases, the ability even allows them to communicate with animals. Polyglots' accents are flawless, and with practice, they're able to perfectly mimic the vocal tones and inflections of others on a level far beyond a convincing impression. Polyglots also often (but not always) have more than one special ability.
Psionipath - An elf who can sense and manipulate energy, shaping it into charged force fields around themselves and others. Psionipaths are often unstable - and can seem unstoppable in battle situations (though their force fields can be broken down by Flashers and Shades).
Pyrokinetic - An elf who can sense and control the heat in the air and use it to spark anything from a tongue of flame to a raging inferno. Like with the other elemental abilities, a Pyrokinetic's hunger for fire can be insatiable, and that craving eventually led one of them to call down Everblaze. When he attempted to teach others, the lesson tragically resulted in five deaths (which is what caused the Council to ban pyrokinesis). Since the ability is now illegal, Pyrokinetics are forced to live as Talentless.
Shade - An elf with the ability to sense and control darkness, either by focusing on shadowvapor, or (in the case of the strongest Shades) by focusing on shadowflux. Shades can also use their shadow to carry their voice into someone's mind (shadow-whispering) and can read a person's potential for darkness. Given the focus on light in the Lost Cities, Shades are often mistrusted and ill-spoken of.
Technopath - An elf who can communicate with technology through its inherent "language", and can use that knowledge to create new inventions or manipulate gadgets to their will.
Telepath - An elf who can sense the thoughts of others and shield their own mind. Telepaths have a code of rules to follow (to prevent them from abusing their power) and are extremely important to the Council, serving as Keepers, Washers, and Probes. If they find another Telepath they trust, they can even become Cognates (which gives the pair a greater level of power).
Teleporter - An elf or alicorn who can use momentum to build a unique type of energy that can create a crack in the void for them to skip through. Once inside the void, they can travel to any location they desire (so long as it's not underground). All alicorns are Teleporters, but only one elf (Sophie) has manifested this ability, because her DNA was based off of alicorn DNA.
Vanisher - An elf who can sense the light making contact with their skin (or clothing) and allow it to pass through their cells (instead of bouncing off), rendering themselves invisible - even when they're moving (though the length and quality of their vanish depend on their training).
Vociferator - An elf who can manipulate the volume of their voice to an extreme degree, making earsplitting screams that force everyone to pay attention to them and can even be incapacitating.

Elves - When they take part in violence or do something particularly cruel, guilt consumes elves so much that their minds may break from it, whereas humans may do horrible things without any guilt at all. Elves can manifest special talents that make them able to do things humans never could like to read minds, control the elements, and turn invisible. All elves have natural abilities that humans don't, like levitation, regulating their body temperature, and telekinesis. All elves have blue eyes. Elves haven't died of old age so far, though they can be killed. Many humans eat meat, while all Elves are vegetarian. Elven females know immediately when they have conceived a child. They see birth as a mere milestone in their child's development, not any more significant than their first breath or their first steps. Elves also do not feel pain, only discomfort, when they give birth. Because of their views on life and the lack of uncertainty surrounding childbirth, elves count age from the date of conception, contrary to humans who in some cultures wait several days after birth before giving their baby a name, for fear they won't survive through their newborn days. Because they are biologically immortal and have an infinite number of them, elves do not celebrate birthdays. ALL MAIN CHARACTERS ARE ELVES.
Goblins - Goblin lifestyle can be noted to focus on a form of strength, and also strategy. They often seem to feel like it is important to have something/someone to protect. Their city Gildingham is constructed of gold, a metal quite weak, that inspires awe, which is worth fighting for. Many Goblins wear gold as well, which they believe not to hinder their abilities, as they are strong. If there is a guest in the city, it is traditional for the queen to meet with them and have dinner on the night they arrive. In the case that a warrior is lost, a few traditions take place. It is a night of reflection for the queen in such a case. The warrior is escorted back to the city, where any passengers beside them offer the crowd a solemn wave. Aurification happens afterwards, a process in which every cell is turned to gold. It is presented in the Hall of Heroes.
Ogres - They are tall, with lumpy skin, claws, and pointed teeth. They are very violent creatures, with ogre children trained to fight from a very young age. They are currently ruled by King Dimitar from the capital, Ravagog. Ogres are great microbiologists. They have developed an enzyme called aromark, a tracker, which can be revealed using reveldust. They engineered the gnomish plague, which could only be cured with Panakes blossoms. Apart from that, ogres also have prodigious strength. All ogres can phase-shift, a method that, after falling, can be used to launch themselves to safety using a special device. Ogres also can use an ogre mind trick that brings most telepathic elves to their knees in pain by transmitting a high-pitched frequency known as the Grusom-daj.
Dwarves - They are fuzzy brown creatures. They're rarely seen above ground because the light is far too bright for them, but their tunneling skills are unmatchable. They can also sense magsidian, a very rare mineral they mine from the deepest recesses of the earth, which has many important properties.
Trolls - Trolls, unlike the other intelligent species, age in reverse. They are grouped into stages depending on how old they are, the highest being Stage Seven. Each side of the spectrum come with advantages and disadvantages. The youngest are the trolls' best fighters and possess immense strength, particularly the Stage Ones. They are the most animalistic and act on pure instinct. Lower stages are more brute than brains, and are fierce, uncontrollable killers. However, they lack proper intelligence. Meanwhile, higher stages are the opposite. They have reduced strength and lose most of their fighting skill. Brutal strength slowly degrades, and is then replaced by keen intellect. The oldest trolls are at the peak of their wit, since their minds are fully developed. Due to this process of losing strength and gaining intelligence, the best bodyguards are Stage Fours, the prime age of the trolls, where their strength and wit are about even. Trolls give birth similar to marsupials. Their babies are born before they are fully developed. As a result, these babies are transported to a hive, where they'd continue to grow, then would later hatch. Over time, transport pods were created by the trolls' scientists, so not as many of their young would perish before they got a chance to be incubated.
Gnomes - They are a very peaceful species of plant-like species that assist the elves in day-to-day life. It's a symbiotic relationship, with the elves protecting the gnomes and the gnomes assisting the elves by growing plants and attending to any tasks that interest them as they do not need sleep. They can manipulate trees roots to carry them or make them grow. Since the ogrish plague, the gnomish species recognizes no official leader. When represented in diplomatic caucuses, they select an ambassador to represent them.

Non-speaking Intelligent Creatures:
Alicorn: The rarest creature on the planet, with only four in existence (Silveny, Greyfell, Wynn, and Luna) — and that number is a recent development. Alicorns have shimmering silver fur, feathered wings, brown eyes, a wavy silver mane and tail, and a white-and-silver-swirled horn jutting out of their foreheads. Alicorns can teleport, inflict positive emotions, and track thoughts to their exact location.