Scribbles (Incomplete Notes)

The Dream And the Nightmare

The First Elves awoke in the dens under the great forest that surrounds Olympus Mons. Their minds fully developed, but only a vague memory of what it was before they awoke. Images of great forests and immense plants and great rivers and the sounds of the wind in their elongated ears, the Elves set forth to explore this new world, based on the scraps of memory that had been left for them.

They remember a place of perfect balance, where the land and the animals and Elves who lived there were able to achieve a state of perfection unlike anything else before. The reverence of life, and the strict unerring accuracy of the world around them. But they do not remember exactly how they accomplished this, or even if they truly did.

Others remember a force that sought to end this world, a corruption that came down upon this world like a child having a tantrum and destroying his playthings. Was it the gods of their dream who ended the paradise that the elves remember?

The Elves traversed from their homes, discovering that they were not the only creatures who inhabited this world. Initially there were troubles with these other races, and even the other elves they encountered.

The Elves do not sleep, for they have dreamed long enough and are now out in the world.

The High Elves

The Oldest of the High Elves dreamt of a world where they were at peace, living in sprawling citadels of stone and wood, a sublime


The Wood Elves

The great forests of the Dream were a place of great balance for the Wood Elves. Lush green forests full of life and vitality.

The Dark Elves

Of the Elfkin, the Dark Elves believe that they were targeted most directly by the Nightmare, their dreams having been the worst there. They were once Elves before the Great Light set their dreams afire and flame, burning their skin black and driving them into the dark places of the world, such as caves and under mountains. Most equate the Light That Burns with Apollo and the Sun. Their world is harsh, living off of the land, and not in the forests of their kin.

Variant Gladiator Matches

Ankheg Pit Match
For this match, two special 10-foot-square pits, 20 feet deep, are installed to replace trap doors that are under most arenas. At the bottom of each pit are two ankhegs, which are trained not to attack anything on the arena floor. Anything, or anyone, who falls into the pit is fair game.

Caltrop Match
A bag of caltrops is taped under every spectator's seat before a match. During combat, the arenamaster calls out a section number, and the fans in that section go wild as they get to toss their caltrops onto the arena floor. This resuls in one 20x20 foot square of the floor being filled by caltrops every round.

Platform Match
Two 5-foot square platforms are raised 10-feet high and 30 feet apart in the arena. The first opponent to touch the arena sands loses. This is usually for casters.

Ziggurat/King of the Mountain Match
A seven-step ziggurat is placed in the center of the arena (each step is five feet wide and five feet high, the top being a 10x10 foot square). The winner is the combatant who stays on top for five consecutive rounds.

Development of the Sword in Remia

"The Old School"
The combat styles as taught by Ares and Athena have never really gone out of style. The weapons used are heavy and hard, which make them efficient killing weapons, but the combat tactics used were more practical in a battlefield situation. Contrary to what some feel, fighting with armor and shields is quite mobile, relying on active footwork, not just standing behind a shield and then bashing.

The Katana

Elven School
At the birth of the Empire, the Elves recognized that civilian combat was a world unto itself, with features distinct from the military conflicts of the Legions. Combined with Elven sensitivity to personal distinction, this led Elves to develop the earliest schools of the rapier and refine their techniques specifically for civilian encounters.

The Imperial School
This school became quite popular among Academics, and especially among students, as it would incorporate their education in geometry and natural philosophy, which they deemed vital for understanding efficient timing and methods of attack and defense.
Elegance of execution is as important as technical effectiveness.
The "Imperial School" and it's weapons have never become popular among the Empire, as it lacks the battlefield pragmatics for open warfare as well as lacks the exciting spectacle for the Arena. It is popular among duelists from acadmia or civilian nobility, as the style lends to helping with the style and grace that they reinforce.