At the Edge of an Empire


The fangs of winter have released themselves from the Akras Valley, a desolate frontier of the Valtish Kingdom. The snows have finally melted in the spring sun, swelling the rivers and blooming the flowers once again. Birds chirp amongst the forest of pines and seeds are planted for the coming summer's harvest. 

The town of Nelhm, the only settlement in the Valley has woken from its winter slumber. Hunters have began the spring hunt for the wild stags and boars, the alchemist now travels out to collect herbs and minerals, the constables patrol with less layers and a bounce to their step, and the bards now sing songs of warmth and happiness. Indeed, even though the village is many days travel from the nearest city, on the most remote frontier of the Kingdom, the spring's magic has empowered these people. 

But there is a menace lurking in the pines, high in the crags and bluffs of the surrounding mountains. Bandits, outlaws, brigands- ex-soldiers and mercenaries, escaped convicts and lowlifes who have banded together into a single bloodthirsy clan, intending to loot, pillage, murder, and torture. With the humble village of Nelhm being the only settlement for miles and miles, they clan has set their eyes on its idyllic homes and farms.

The bandit clan cannot just walk into the town and claim it as their own, however. The people there are hardy folk, many of their own retired soldiers and veterans, not to mention the strong presence of guards and the Church Marshall. If they are to make Nelhm their own, they must rely cunning and strategy, and they must do it before the arrival of next winter, if they hope to survive in this harsh frontier. Equally, the oblivious people of Nelhm must remain strong when the Clan descends upon their homes, or they may not survive until the winter, or even through it.


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In short, this is a character driven faction RP- a small clan of Bandits versus a small village set in a Dark Fantasy universe of my own creation (which I have taken to calling the Fragmenting of an Empire Mythos, based on my previously failed RP on these forums some time back). The fantasy is gritty and realistic, with magic being very, very rare. Rules on magic are going to be highly regulated and limited- I don't want a bunch of super powered mages running around in this RP (see the magic section for details(will be posted in the OOC thread)).

You can play any character you like, in either group (bandits or townsfolk). The town will need a Mayor, a guard captain, a blacksmith, and innkeeper, a priest, an alchemist, and any other profession you can dream up. The bandits will need a strong leader and unique characters. I encourage creative characters- don't want to see any Ned Starks. 

Be aware that your characters can and will die, or possibly even be tortured. I expect solid communication between Rpers here concerning such things. Remember- the objective is to create a story, and have fun while doing it. If players become hostile towards one another for whatever reason, I will address and attempt to resolve the situation in the fairest way possible. If hostilities continue I will not hesitate to remove the players in question.

This is just an interest check. If positive feedback is received, I'll open up an OOC and character sheet submission. [b]Sheets will follow an application process, and characters will be accepted based on how well written and realistic the character is. Do not submit character sheets yet.[/b]