Roleplay / Syrellia

Syrellia is a roleplaying group located on DeviantArt. Based in the chaotic fantasy world of Litvantar, as citizens of Syrellia, the capital city of the Republic of Melssentenia, players must uphold the honour of the city and permit it to rise to power to be recognised by other civilisations in the region.

The roleplay is based off a Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game style, with RPG Elements such as Classes and a preset plotline with optional side stories and NPCs. It follows a main plot in which Syrellia becomes involved in chaotic and epic events that could possibly change the world for the worse if the city does not intervene or the players do not make the right decisions.

Syrellia is based on the concept of a city that is part of a revolution for "technology" development in Litvantar that goes past beyond the most basic form of magic (known as Deeper Magic). The three Technologies that the city has chosen to research are Magitechnology, Natural Magic (or alternate forms thereof) and Industrial. Players must choose a Technology, live in the district that supports it, and contribute to the development of their chosen Tech over the course of the story.

The group can be found here. On October 19 2013, Syrellia announced the Long Sleep, in which it finally closed down after several years of running.

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Syrellia provides examples of:

• Beast Man: All races in the roleplay need to have a human form to deal with other races by default (excluding humans themselves).
• Black Magic: Two of the Dark Arts, Infernomancy and Necromancy, are classified this way - but only because of the social stigma that comes with researching these two.
• Carnivore Confusion: Addressed in that most of the animals do not have non-human intelligence; those who do are recognisable by having a humanoid form by default.
• City Guards: The various inhabitants take it upon themselves to protect the district walls on their own accord. There are city guides, but they don't do the job.

• Cool Train: Dieselpunk trains as the main transport system in Illudois.

• Crystal Spires and Togas: While Sinkamma doesn't have crystals (apart from the one city crystal above the Spires) and Sinkammans don't wear togas, the district itself is mostly silver, distinctly sleek and full of elegant elven architecture.
• Diesel Punk: While the fashion of Illudois is definitely Steampunk, the Technology in the district is this. It provides a dirty, industrious contrast to the wild forest of Talathir and the sleek elegance of Sinkamma. The Illudoi aren't too worried about pollution, though, because the Halaian trees next door clean the air as well as the soil and water. Despite its appearance, Illudois is the most progressive.
• Elemental Powers: Known as Storm Magic in Litvantar and encompasses all the elements.
• The Empire: Faros Empire certainly seemed to be this way until they were pretty much revealed to be trying to change things. With the recent Episode Nine, Faros Empire is definitely on the good side of the Syrellians now.
• Enchanted Forest: The entire district of Talathir. The trees grow extremely tall, have living "cores" that glow within them, and as well as being completely fire-resistant, they also flourish when fire is around.
• Expansion Pack: Insofar as it is actually possible to do this in a Play By Post Game, Syrellians Abroad can be considered as this. While it is still based in the original world, Chapters Three, Four and Five take players outside of their home city to other continents as a continuation of Chapters One and Two.
• Exposition Fairy: Sometimes the Nar'akhrim necromancer A'idhul Rahman is this. Because he was assigned to keep an eye over Syrellia by his superiors, and has been doing so before the fall of the Melssentenia Empire.
• Fantastic Fruits and Vegetables: The Halaian tree fruit is the only one seen so far; it looks like a fat silver peach with a blue seed. Has multiple beneficial uses as well as just being a delicious fruit to snack on, and only ever appears in autumn.
• Fantastic Racism: Canonically, the xenophobic races who choose not to join the Syrellians. Many of them decline to work with other races for this reason alone.
• Fantasy Character Classes: Replaces the city jobs. When not fighting, players use skills that they've learned to do mundane tasks. Each district has all three types of Fighter, Mage, Thief classes; depending on the Technology, each district is more predisposed to a certain specialisation and has an extra class for it.
  • Sinkamma: Of the Magic Knight inclination for all Classes. Knight, Gladiator, Summoner and Duelist.
  • Talathir: Purely magic, with some physical thrown in. Hunter (also trappers), Druid, Elementalist and Warden.
  • Illudois: Prefers the Combat Pragmatist approach. Corsair, Engineer, Gunslinger and Rogue.

• Fetch Quest: During Episode Seven, the Syrellians were forced to retrieve their Leaders from a pocket dimension inside the timeless space by locating three precious items that are "timeless" to the Leaders. One Leader did not make it.

• Fog of War: For Syrellians Abroad, the continent maps are covered in fog until the Syrellians visit the next area.
• Functional Magic: All forms present in Litvantar, especially as part of a campaign to discover alternative magics that do not damage the world. Nature magic is called Earth Magic, and has more uses than it would be if lumped together with Storm Magic.

• Giant Enemy Crab: Giant crabs exist in the Talhar Sea.

• The Gods Must Be Lazy: There has been no mention of religion or pantheons whatosever in Litvantar, apart from the presence of one god who just goes around playing tricks on everyone. It is implied that what deities that do exist as Litvantarian gods aren't actually interested in doing their job.
• Gone Horribly Right: The time spell the Farosians cast onto Syrellia. It was meant to send Syrellia into a timeless dimension where it could be safe when Lord Zennebar came to claim his end of the bargain, but it worked too well and accidentally sent the Leaders themselves into another dimension while screwing up time around the city. The Syrellians were not pleased.
• Horned Humanoid: Demons, of course, and (in humanoid form) dragons, satyrs, unicorns, qilins, and even sea serpents thanks to Author Appeal.

• I Shall Taunt You: Lord Zennebar attempted this on the Syrellians during Episode Nine. A few came close to falling for his trap, but ultimately he lost out.
• Jack of All Stats: Summoners depend on their Avatars for their strengths and weaknesses, so this is one of the paths if a Summoner has an Avatar that is well-rounded and not specialised. Like overspecialisation, though, it has its strengths and weaknesses, so being this is not a bad thing.
• Land of One City: The state Syrellia is in is also called Syrellia. Justified because the city is so big it takes up the entire state by the time the urban sprawl slowed down. The city no longer expands its boundaries.
• Law of Cartographical Elegance: Used to keep maps neat, separate the World Regions and prevent players from coming from other Regions. Doesn't apply to the continent maps.
• Layered World: Litvantar has three Astral Planes.
• Left-Justified Fantasy Map: Only applies to the maps of Eduria and the Mindaladiss Archipelago, because it's easier to focus on the land mass. The Islands of Rinmoria and Sylenndor are more Right Side and Bottom of Map.
• The Legions of Hell: Invoked when Lord Zennebar arrived with his army, consisting of Airborne Mooks, Hellhounds, Oblivion warlord Lord Zennebar, and [[Our Monsters Are Weird Hydras that use corrosive vomit as a projectile weapon.

• Magic Knight: Sinkamma's set of Classes. All Sinkammans are less skilled in magic-casting than the Talathirans, though.
• The Magic Versus Technology War: Although Syrellia is a mixture of Technologies, this is subverted. While the Syrellians may prefer the Technology they've chosen to support, all three districts ask for help from each other if they need to.
• Medieval Stasis: Subverted. The Empire of Morragane is credited with inventing Magitek, and Syrellia itself is driven to make advancements in each of the three Technologies it chose to support. There is a lot of advancement present, and over the course of the roleplay the world is affected by this.
• Mother Nature: Talathirans pay their respects to her. Whether there is an actual goddess or Litvantar's magical nature simply responding is unclear.

• Necromancy: In Litvantar, this is not necessarily a bad thing, only how it is used.

• One-Man Army: Averted. Episode Nine had teamwork between the Syrellians because there was no way one person could take on the invading demonic army.
• Optional Party Member: Certain NPCs are this in Syrellians Abroad; players can choose to help recruit them or leave them be. It does have an effect on what happens later - certain quests and events will become harder if they are not around.
• Our Demons Are Different: The Kushalyur demon species - they were apparently banished from the demonic Astral Plane for not being conventionally evil like everyone else was. In a more general sense, Litvantarian demons in the roleplay are more or less against being actually evil. Being mischievous or sarcastic lies within their moral obligations, at least. The Astral Plane demons are more stereotypical.
• Our Dragons Are Different: Can be pure animal or highly sentient to the point of having their own culture, are highly magical and can assume human form.
• Our Elves Are Different: Players are free to create any type of light or dark elf, which leads to some interesting subversions of general elven expectations.
• Our Fairies Are Different: The race is referred to as the Fae, and only three species are willing to join the Syrellians. Satyrs are not considered part of the Fae in this roleplay.
• Our Gryphons Are Different: Can assume human form and arrange themselves in "clans" depending on the bird half.
• Our Liches Are Different: The Nar'akhrim, a benign if indifferent Proud Scholar Race that doesn't care about social stigma on certain magics. The Farosians could be considered liches as well since they're technically "not alive".
• Our Spirits Are Different: The Summoner Avatars, spirits of various objects who make a pact with their owner in order to manifest a physical form and fight alongside their caster. They don't fight for the caster, only give them an edge.
• Our Werebeasts Are Different: Werebeasts are mundane creatures who have gained the skill to turn human due to hundreds of years of magical saturation. They can end up as Beast Men.

• Player Character: All active, player-controlled Syrellians are referred to as this.

• Prestige Class: A Prestige Class for one of the Classes in each district is introduced post-Third Chapter, each being a variant of the Class it is based on. To the Syrellian Veterans it functions as a hero character similar to the Death Knight in World of Warcraft in that they can create one once they reach the status; it is only available in limited slots to the ordinary Syrellians if their district gets enough research points to make it available to them.
• Prestigious Player Title: With the introduction of Syrellians Abroad, the Syrellian Veteran title is available to those who choose to stay in the roleplay after successfully completing a Chapter. It rewards the players with their characters being "more experienced" than newcomers, and is a thanks to the players who choose to continue.
• Proud Scholar Race: The Nar'akhrim. They don't ever want to fight, preferring to study the more riskier magics in the solitude of their homes.
• Pure Magic Being: The Farosians. They require the use of bandages steeped in nether extract to keep themselves together and not die by diffusion.

• Rule of Three: Three districts within Syrellia, each supporting one of three Technologies.
• Sand Worm: The wyrms of Rinmoria. However, they don't live in sand; they prefer heavy moist soils that don't collapse when they pass through. They are also carnivorous and extremely rare.

• Sea Monster:
  • The Leviathan slumbers deep in the Estinia Sea and was responsible for breaking up the continent of Rinmoria. It takes the form of a giant sea serpent; the current race of sea serpents are descended from the Leviathan.
  • The race of sea serpents themselves.

• Shout-Out: Happens whenever someone feels like making one.
  • The Dragons Everywhere! side event is one to the "X, X Everywhere" meme.

• Space-Filling Empire: The Kingdom of Dulhan was this until the founder decided it had no use anymore and it was consequently assimilated into Faros.
• Standard Fantasy Setting: Syrellia is mostly High Fantasy with elements of Low Fantasy - Mythopoeia is present, as well as epic-scale events and Functional Magic, but it's not black and white, there are events that focus on the trials of the individual players, and victories are gained through hard work and strategy, not moral superiority.

• Stuff Blowing Up: Whenever a player with the Engineer or Corsair class is out on the battlefield.
• Trash Talk: While Lord Zennebar taunted the Syrellians to get a rise out of them, he only did this to Emperor Marfath. Despite being weakened by continuously channeling his own power to defend the city, the Emperor stood up against this incredibly well.
• The Trickster: Canonically, the most well-known is Svengaran, a god who wanders the world playing tricks on mortals for his own entertainment and to give some variety to the world once in a while so that he doesn't get bored.
• Tunnel Network: The Catacombs underneath the city. Created as a defensive mechanism by the city to protect the second crystal, it is full of odd animals from the waste magical extract Sinkamma once produced. Only accessible through Illudois.
• The Undead: The Nar'akhrim is pretty much this as they were brought back to life. Unlike most examples of the trope, however, the Nar'akhrim are benign if indifferent. The Farosians may be considered this as they are not technically "alive"; they are also not on the bad side.
• Urban Segregation: Syrellia looks like this at first from a distance because of the clear distinction between the three districts. It turns out that the only reason why the districts appear that way is because of their chosen Technologies; there are no slums in the city at all.
• Void Between the Worlds: The Netherworld. It isn't a void so much as what appears to be an incubator for new world seeds, but can be guaranteed to provide much Mind Screw whenever it gets involved.
• The X of Y: The title of Chapter One, Ghosts of Syrellia.

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