Court of Immortals

    It all started, long ago; discord and disharmony amongst the 4 realms.  The humans, witches, vampires and wolves all vying for land, resources, riches and power.  While each of the nations had their strengths, they each had exploitable weaknesses as well.  When each of the realms became aware of the others, some wanted to get to know and learn from the other realms, while others would be fearful and want to overpower the other realms. Over centuries, spanning times of war, peace and the gray area between the two extremes, each of the realms learned of one another’s strengths and weaknesses.        The vampires are impossibly fast, possess superhuman strength, heal almost instantly in most cases and can compel other living beings to bend to their will.  However, they are dependent on human blood to keep them strong and functioning at their full capacity. If they go too long without consuming human blood, they start to become weaker, slower and unable to heal as quickly.  Even in their weakened state, vampires would still be an incredible threat to witches and humans but wouldn’t stand a chance against the wolves. A wolf's bite was poisonous to vampires, inducing delirium, hallucinations, fever, and if left untreated, death.        The wolves’ strengths included rapid healing, heightened senses, the ability to shift between human and wolf forms, and telepathic communication to other mates and other wolves within their pack. There were also some special wolves that were blessed by the moon goddess who possessed innate magic, special abilities like foresight, having gifts of regeneration and some were even blessed with immortality.  Wolves weaknesses included silver, wolfsbane and a rejection from their mate after they have already bonded.        The witches' strengths were more mental and magical than anything else, as their physical bodies were not any different than that of humans. How each of the casters, sorcerers and cunning folk used their magic varied from coven to coven. Some witches were naturally better able to conjure up powerful spells that could clone themselves, cloak their true identities, and make themselves appear as something other than what they are. Others could cast powerful protective barriers around their homes, land and families by use of charms, amulets or wards. A rarer form of caster was known as an elemental witch; a witch who could harness and bend elements of earth, air, water, fire and spirit. There were as many different paths, practices and specialties as one can think of.  Their only true weakness is being physically weak. Their bodies are just as frail and easily broken as humans, with the only difference being that they usually had a spell or potion to heal themselves if needed.       The humans are the weakest of all the realms in almost every way, because of this they have focused on advancing their technology and weapons in such a way that would give them equal footing in the arena of the supernatural. The strength of the mortals was their ingenuity, tenacity and determination to work toward evolving into something better. Since they didn’t have the benefit of being able to heal rapidly, they developed technology to replace lost limbs with advanced prosthetics that would then allow them to have just as much strength, dexterity and mobility as the limb they had lost. Some of the mortals in the military had elected to undergo multiple series of surgeries, replacing their organic flesh for tech that would help to enhance their endurance, strength, stamina and healing. In an attempt to also achieve immortality, or at least age much less rapidly than normal, the elite and upper ruling classes had infusions of biotech nano bots that would slow their aging, rapidly heal their bodies from the inside out and give them stronger skin. The poor and orphaned, however, would continue to remain the weakest of all realms and all nations.        After many centuries, battles, all out wars and treaties, the four realms finally agreed to try to live in harmony with one another instead of constantly struggling to obtain and keep their own realms at the top of the hierarchy of power. The news of the latest peace treaty had spread to all beings in all lands. Many were overjoyed that they would never again have to worry for the lives of their loved ones. Some were complacent, as they had not been affected by the fighting amongst realms. Yet, in each of the kingdoms, there were also groups of people that opposed unity among the empires. Many opponents of this collaborative movement, that came to be known as the final edict, vowed to never submit, and never rest until their race was the one reigning supreme.        For almost a decade now, there has been peace. At first blush, one would see that each of the four kingdoms had flourished, grown in many ways and advanced their communities. However, during these years of peace, the mortals and witches had merged with each other more than they had with the vamps or wolves.  Since they didn’t have any major differences between them, a lot of mortals and magic folk alike sought out romantic partners and business alliances within each other's kingdoms. Over time, the casters saw that there were special mortals that no one had known about.  Some of the ‘mere humans’ had a knack for harnessing and wielding chaos. This allowed the blessed humans to also practice magic. Thus, finding even less difference between them, two of the four nations had merged.         Now, all three realms have those among them that are immortal, whether by nature or by design. Because of this, another mandated law was proclaimed to all the inhabitants across all the lands. The three empires would form a council made up of their immortals. Thus, the court of immortals was born.        This council of elders would work together, bringing forth input from each of the royal families to make the laws that all nations would abide by. Should there ever be any disputes, the council would go over all points of view, come to a compromise, then advise their respective nations of the outcome. The elders, as many called them, were often the ones to settle disputes and squash uprisings within their own kind. The court of immortals would also be responsible for obtaining, curating and building the histories, legends, prophecies and general knowledge of all species and races within the three lands. If any of the leaders from any of the nations wanted to forge alliances, they would also have to seek approval from the court. Likewise, if the court deemed it necessary for any of the nation's leaders to form alliances, or even arrange marriages, they had to be obeyed.        One such marriage was ordered to occur between the royal families of the casters and the vampires, when one of the members of the court of immortals, a seer, received a vision. They made sure to record and catalog the vision, storing it along with the other prophecies that had been recorded before it. The marriage between Prince Stefan of the vampires and Princess Ciara, a human, was going to be the key to ensuring everlasting peace. It would also spur the birth of another prophecy, but that was yet to be known.