[center][i]Our piratepad: http://piratepad.net/housevalens

(This RP idea is roughly based on an old turn-based RPG I played when I was younger called Gladius.)[/i]
[h1][i][color=red]The Gladiators of House Valens[/color][/i][/h1]
[img]https://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/2508/589890-art_021.jpg[/img][/center][hr]
[center][i]Welcome to a world where gladiatorial combat is the most sought after and glorified form of entertainment. The Four Realms have enjoyed an unprecedented period of relative peace, with no major war having occurred in almost two decades. This peace has allowed the world's warriors to hone their skills and win glory, fame, and riches in the many arenas across all the lands. Everything revolves around the arenas: money, power, influence, respect. The greatest gladiators of the most powerful houses sit as heroes at the sides of emperors, jarls, chiefs, and sultans. They revel in unending chances for battle, protected by the ancient magic of the arenas that can restore them from death countless times. They challenge other great heroes and vicious beastly monsters, all for the love of the crowd, and the influence it gains them.

In the far west, in a small coastal town of the Venatrian Empire, a tournament approaches. A humble, small tournament, but every gladiator has to start somewhere. Nobles from far away cities have eyes on these events, searching for talent that can be sponsored for entry at larger events, with greater crowds and grander rewards. You, for whatever reason, have not been able to make your way into a house of gladiators. Perhaps you were seen as too old to have potential, or too green to be worth the risk. Too unpredictable to be trusted. Too ugly to be loved by the crowd. Or perhaps you are of a beastly race, and refuse to be treated as little more than an animal of war. As the tournament approaches, you fear that you will miss this chance to make your start in the arena.

Your opportunity arises when a young woman with an old, respected name announces that she is seeking to build a team to enter the tournament. Her name is enough to get her entry into this small competition, but she is untested and her family has been diminished. Few want to join such a team, with so little time to prepare. But to you, it's your way in. Your chance to fight in the arena, whatever your motivations for that may be...[/i][/center]
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[center][h2][i][color=red]Welcome[/color][/i][/h2][/center]
Hello!

Welcome to The Gladiators of House Valens. This is an idea I've been wanting to try out, and I've finally worked up the courage to go for it. The basic overview of the plot and RP is this: we'll play as a thrown-together team of gladiators looking to make our mark in the arenas, in the hopes of gaining influence, power, money, fame, the works. We start out small-scale, fighting gritty battles in a little coastal town of the Empire, but eventually we will travel far and wide, to many different regions, where we fight all manner of warriors and beasts. Along the way we'll get caught up in intrigues outside of the battlegrounds, with higher stakes as we gain influence, eventually getting us tangled up in a plot that could very well threaten the entire world.
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[center][h2][i][color=red]Rules[/color][/i][/h2][/center]
I'll try to keep this simple. I'm not going to hold anyone to strict limits on post lengths, posting rate, that sort of thing. Just be reasonable. Give us stuff to play off of in your post, engage with other characters, give a fair amount of detail where it's warranted, and length won't be a problem. For posting rate, post when you can, and let us know if you anticipate not being able to post for a significant time (like a week). I want the RP to have a relaxed posting rate, but I don't want people wondering if someone's coming back or not.

Other basic rules of decency. Respect me, respect the other RPers. Be willing to lose. I think you'll find that more character development will arise when we're faced with difficulties than success. And threat of failure makes the success more sweet. I'll go over how I think we should handle fights when we get to the first one, but for now, just know that I don't want incredibly strong characters with no weaknesses, nor do I want players who are unwilling to let their character lose.

I'm probably forgetting something. If you have concerns about anything, I like to think I'm a reasonable person, and willing to discuss whatever either in OOC or PMs. In general just... be cool? Yeah, I'm great at this.
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[center][h2][i][color=red]World Info[/color][/i][/h2][/center]
[center][h3][i][color=red]Realms[/color][/i][/h3][/center]
[hider=Realms][b]The Western Realm: Venatria[/b]

[i]Capital:[/i] Tarracina
[i]Religion:[/i] Monotheistic (Deity known as the Guardian)

The lands of the west have always been coveted by the rest of the world. Miles upon miles of fertile farmland, gentle rolling hills, fair weather, and the bustling towns and cities of the Venatrian Empire fill its borders. Venatria cannot boast the pure wealth of its southern neighbor, but they claim to be the most civilized people in the world, and they have a point. Well-maintained roads and highways connect their cities. The people feast on plentiful harvests every year. Their armies have proven unmatched in war for hundreds of years, despite the best efforts of their enemies. They have superb armor, advanced tactics, and steely discipline.

As a people, they have developed a culture of cunning, and victory at any cost. The nobility, governors and senators and politicians constantly squabble with one another for power, their disputes often settled with the blood spilled in the arenas. Through the glory of their champions the love of the people can be gained, and with that comes real power and influence. It is this infighting that is the only real threat to the Empire's stability, but thus far the Emperor maintains an iron grip. The distrust and feeling of superiority towards all their neighbors keeps the Venatrians united.

Venatrians worship the Guardian, who was supposedly once a human man, now nameless and ascended to godhood. In legend he led the Venatrian people across the sea from a distant and cursed place, and there they fought and claimed their new home, which they have defended from all invaders ever since. In essence, Venatrians believe that every one of them has the potential for godlike glory, if they have the skill and cunning to claim it, and protect it.

[b]The Northern Realm: Torguren[/b]

[i]Capital:[/i] None
[i]Religion:[/i] Polytheistic (A pantheon of nature gods)

Once, the people of the north were united, and nearly had the power to crack the shell of Venatria. Now the Torgureni are fractured, a hundred different clans occupying the thick forests and ominous mountains of the frigid north. Their dreams of conquest have faded, but they remain a proud warrior people, every man and woman in every village or fort capable of holding their own. They have to, as well; the Torgureni commonly war among themselves, little conflicts that go unnoticed by the rest of the world, but deadly all the same to those involved.

Gladiators are among the only foreigners that the Torgureni allow to pass among them, for they value the opportunity to test themselves against warriors from other lands. It's the only true way to earn their respect, as well; those of the north admire strength above all, and respect it even when it is shown by an outsider. Legends have been made in this way.

Their pantheon of gods is as diverse as their clans, as are their myths and legends. Different clans call different gods by different names, but the Torgureni respect the power they supposedly wield over the sky and earth, and seek to perform great deeds in their honor.

[b]The Southern Realm: Sariya[/b]

[i]Capital:[/i] Meroa
[i]Religion:[/i] Monotheistic (Akzum, the God of Death)

The most inhospitable realm in the world is also the wealthiest. In terms of landmass Sariya is the largest, but much of that is made up of uninhabitable desert. In the deep south, however, are the cities of the Sariyans, built along the few rivers that flow through their land, providing them with life. Their wealth comes from Sariya's magnificent mines. The majority of the world's gold, silver, and other precious gems originate in the south. Their people are expert traders, travelers, and seafarers, and have not made war on any of their neighbors for many years, not since the most infamous of their Sultans led so many of them to their deaths in Venatria.

They worship death, and the lord of it, their deity known as Akzum. What better way to honor death than to experience it time and time again in their arenas? Faraway tournaments in Sariya offer wealth like no other, but only the most impressive of foreign champions are invited to participate.

[b]The Eastern Realm: Markoth[/b]

[i]Capital:[/i] Kosren, Resting Place of the Tribes
[i]Religion:[/i] Polytheistic (The Mother and Father)

The Markothi were once part of the Torgureni, but were cast out as exiles in a time beyond remembering. They have made their own home in the vast plains and mountain ranges of the east, and have become their own people. They boast the world's largest city, Kosren, but it cannot be compared to Venatrian or Sariyan cities for splender. The Markothi are nomadic people, tribes that rarely stay in one place for more than a week. Kosren is simply the largest gathering place in their land. The city is impossible to know, for it constantly changes shape with the coming and going of their people.

One place they do tend to gather are their arenas, often little more than circles of enchanted stones to keep the combatants alive, though they have a sort of beauty all the same. There are few ways to rise in standing among the tribes as effective as victory in the arena, and while outsiders might find little of worth to bring back, among the Markothi arena victories can come with great benefits and influence. The Markothi embrace their identity of exile, valuing honor and service to the tribe above all. Men and women from other lands may join with them, no questions asked, and if they prove their worth to the tribe, they can become Markothi, their pasts forgotten.

Markothi revere their pair of gods, the Mother and Father, patrons of parenthood, family, and adoption. This strengthens their culture of accepting outsiders for the betterment of the tribe. They will protect these families fiercely when threatened, and a united force of Markothi on their plains is a fearsome sight to behold.[/hider]
[center][h3][i][color=red]Races[/color][/i][/h3][/center]
[hider=Races][b]Humans[/b]

All of the realms are populated by a vast majority of humans. There was a time when this was not so, but ancient wars drove many of the other races near to extinction, living in a diminished state that most humans regard as savage and uncivilized. Humans come in wide varieties depending on where they hail from. Venatrians are most commonly dark-haired and olive skinned, Torgureni are a large, pale people, Sariyans are dark-skinned and often decorated in jewels, and Markothi are a great mix, with the majority looking more like tanned northerners than anything else.

It isn't possible to confine all humans into a simple description, but they're obviously an adaptable and varied race, seeing how far they've spread. The vast majority of them see themselves as superior to all other races. In terms of power, they have been, for thousands of years.

[b]Beast Races[/b]

The other races of the world are numerous and wildly different from each other, but collectively they are known as the "beast races" to easily imply their supposed inferiority to humans. This helps humans categorize them when they come across something they don't even recognize, which happens more often than you might think. Some of the beast races live in extremely isolated pockets of the world, keeping to themselves out of fear or perhaps just sensibility. Violence against them is rarely punished, on any scale.

The arenas of the world are among the few places they can be accepted in human society, and even then they are typically treated as beasts of war, to be thrown at the enemy for the spectacle and the benefit of the rest on their team. They often reap only a small portion of the glory.

The beast races are too many to go into detail on each, but here are a few of the more well-known ones from each realm, with a brief description attached:

[b][i]Venatria[/i][/b]
[url=https://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/12/124274/2024658-cyclops.png][i]Cyclopes:[/i][/url] Reviled cave-dwellers known to eat humans, cyclopes are only allowed within Venatrian cities to participate in the games.
[url=http://mythicalrealm.com/images-2/minotaur-forgottenrealms.jpg][i]Minotaurs:[/i][/url] Rare, but incredibly dangerous. Minotaurs typically wander alone, but some teams attempt to cage them, to be unleashed in the arena as gladiators. They often prove as dangerous to their own side as the enemy.

[b][i]Torguren[/i][/b]
[url=https://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/12/124274/2024673-yeti.png][i]Yeti:[/i][/url] Tall, fur-covered creatures with glowing eyes wandering the forests of the north. Slow, but incredibly strong. They can be surprisingly compassionate when not threatened.
[url=https://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/12/124274/2024668-saytr.png][i]Satyrs:[/i][/url] Driven out of Venatria long ago, Satyrs are unruly, lustful, and devious. Some develop a lust for bloodshed, and satisfy their desires with whatever team will take them.
[url=https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/8e/c3/85/8ec385e6334dee50127434a1ceea18e6.png][i]Dryads:[/i][/url] Elusive creatures of the northern woods, dryads speak telepathically. Hated as any other outside of the north, but the Torgureni typically respect their privacy.

[b][i]Sariya[/i][/b]
[url=https://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/12/124274/2024670-undead_legionnaire.png][i]Undead:[/i][/url] Powerful Sariyan mages are capable of etching runes into the bones of the dead, the magic reanimating them and binding them to their will. This is typically done with servants and arena combatants, but occasionally an honored loved one will be brought back with no restriction on their will. They cannot speak, but have none of the drawbacks of being alive (hunger, tiredness, etc). Undead are not uncommon in Sariyan cities, but in any other land they will typically be destroyed on sight.

[b][i]Markoth[/i][/b]
[url=https://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/12/124274/2024667-mongrel_shaman.png][i]Mongrels:[/i][/url] A horned, hairy race of the eastern plains, the creatures known as mongrels live in roving bands that typically steer clear of the Markothi. They have a strong affinity for insidious magic, their shamans often finding themselves attached to teams as a way to practice their abilities on humans.
[url=http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/c/cc/Centaur-5e.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20160921034622][i]Centaurs:[/i][/url] Proud warriors of the plains, centaurs occasionally trade with Markothi tribes, or participate in their arenas. Rarely is one seen in any of the other lands.
[url=http://www.aidedd.org/dnd/images/hobgoblin.jpg][i]Hobgoblins:[/i][/url] An isolationist race keeping to themselves in the mountains at the edge of Markothi lands. Distrustful and wary of all magic, which they believe transformed them from humans into what they now are.

[i](More will be added as needed, or as requested. These races are not common in the arena. Many teams have no combatants of beast race, those that do typically only have one. A few rare teams will be entirely beast races, handled by human managers. Playing any beast race will come with severe drawbacks for your character and probably our team to overcome, so keep that in mind. I'm open to having one or two, but probably no more than that. If you'd like to request something specific, either to play as or even just to fight against, let me know.)[/i][/hider]
[center][h3][i][color=red]Magic[/color][/i][/h3][/center]
[hider=Magic][b]Spellweaving[/b]

Combat magic is known as spellweaving. Every living creature is born with some amount of magic in their blood (enough to use items with simple enchantments, for example), but few have enough power to weave spells of their own. Those that do can become trained as mages. Study of magic is a long, arduous process, one that is heavily defined by a user's personal affinities. Most mages weave spells of a single element, such as fire or water, but many can be more outlandish. Force mages, entropic mages, necromancers, light mages... the form of a spellweaver's magic is part of their identity. And as with identities, every spell is unique, its exact properties defined and evolved by its creator. Typically, a human mage at age thirty might have a repertoire of 3-5 different unique spells they can cast.

The act of casting spells requires no words. For the vast majority of mages, hands act as the fountain of their magic. Spells are woven into the air before them, a process which takes time for all but the most elite of mages (for our purposes, you will not be able to cast a spell in one turn/post. It must be prepared, and then unleashed). Unleashing magic is a tiring process, and one that requires a great deal of focus, but the effects of spells can alter the entire course of a fight. A lightning bolt can cause an enemy's entire body to explode. Force magic can temporary paralyze foes, leaving them helpless while the mage's teammates strike them down. For this reason, mages on the field are often the highest priority targets, if only to disrupt their magic long enough to gain the upper hand.

[b]Runic Enchantment[/b]

The other primary form of magic comes in the form of magical runes, etched into physical objects by skilled mages for a specific purpose. Anyone can use enchanted items of a basic level, but the more powerful the effect, the more magic is required. Arenas, for example, are all enchanted with ancient magic that only the most powerful mages could hope to inscribe, but even an average mage could properly work the enchantment to restore the dead to life. Arenas are enchanted with powerful runes that store the spirit and physical state of anyone entering. They can be called upon to return a body to that state at any time. This is done by trained mages at the end of every fight, to keep gladiators from dying permanently, and to heal their wounds so they can fight again soon. Memory is preserved, however, so experienced fighters often have memory of dozens of different painful deaths.

Weapons are the most commonly enchanted items. A bow could be enchanted to spread icy magic across a target's body with each arrow, or a shield could be enchanted to release an electrical discharge each time it is struck. Due to the skill required to make enchanted items, however, they are very expensive. If you possess an enchanted item, you're either quite wealthy, possess a valuable family heirloom, or killed someone and took it from them.

[i](I'm hoping to leave the design of magic here quite open ended as far as what kind of spells can be cast or enchantments could be made. I leave it up to you guys to invent your own spells with their own unique effects if you play a mage. As for enchanted items, most likely you shouldn't start out with one if you don't have a good reason for it. Acquire one as we go.)[/i][/hider][hr]
[center][h2][i][color=red]Character Sheet[/color][/i][/h2][/center]
Below is the character sheet. Delete everything in parentheses as you go to keep it somewhat clean. I'm not the best at making these, but I'm mostly happy with this one. The top image is optional, not required. Feel free to tinker with it if you're looking for a non-gladiator character, or if you just want to mess with it. I don't mind, so long as most of the information is filled out.

A note on beast race characters: I'm sure quite a few people are hoping to play something more out there. I'm open to it, but we'll probably need to a do a bit of work to fit them in properly, considering how intolerant Venatria is. In addition, I don't want the entire team to be non-human apart from my character. I'm okay with two to three of them being that way, and it might make for an interesting struggle for us, but not [i]everyone[/i]. Also keep in mind that there has been a lot of interest shown, and if everyone makes a character, I won't be able to accept everyone.

Here's the sheet. Submit it in a hider (to try to keep things clean) in the OOC when you like, and I'll review it. Only accepted characters may be placed in the characters tab.

[hider=Character Sheet][code][center][h2][i][color=YOUR COLOR]Character Name[/color][/i][/h2]
[img]Optional Character Image[/img]

[color=YOUR COLOR][b][i]"A quote from your character."[/i][/b][/color][/center]

[center][h3][i][color=YOUR COLOR]Profile[/color][/i][/h3][/center]
[b]Full Name:[/b]
[b]Titles/Nicknames:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Race:[/b]
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Sexual Orientation:[/b] (Optional, delete if you feel this is unnecessary.)
[b]Combat Role:[/b] (A two to three word description of their role in a team. For example, Agile Skirmisher or Frontline Brawler or Supportive Mage.)

[b]Hair Color:[/b]
[b]Eye Color:[/b]
[b]Height:[/b]
[b]Weight:[/b]

[b]Appearance:[/b] (One or two paragraphs to overview their appearance, including what they typically wear, how they carry themselves, and anything else you feel like specifying.)

[center][h3][i][color=YOUR COLOR]Personality[/color][/i][/h3][/center]
[b]Overview:[/b] (Should be a few paragraphs, probably. Cover how they are in conversation, what drives them and motivates them, strengths and weaknesses of their personality, hangups and quirks, fears, etc.)

[center][h3][i][color=YOUR COLOR]Combat[/color][/i][/h3][/center]
(Rate your character's attributes on a scale of 1-10, where a 5 represents the average arena combatant. Keep in mind that we want to start out with humble origins, and that these can and will improve over time.)

[b]Strength:[/b] (Ability to win with brute force.)
[b]Dexterity:[/b] (Hand-eye coordination, precision, reflexes, agility, and speed.)
[b]Intelligence:[/b] (Understanding of the flow of battle, ability to keep track of everything happening around you.)
[b]Cunning:[/b] (Skill at deception, trickery, and fighting dirty.)
[b]Magic:[/b] (Overall magical power. Non-mages should leave this as a 1.)
[b]Willpower:[/b] (Ability to resist magic that affects the mind, and determination.)
[b]Endurance:[/b] (Pain tolerance, and overall physical toughness.)
[b]Charisma:[/b] (Charm, ability to play for the crowd, presence on the battlefield, leadership skills.)

[b]Weapons of Choice:[/b] (Briefly detail the weapons your character brings with them into the arena.)

[b]Armor/Combat Apparel:[/b] (What does your character wear into the arena? Note that full-coverage armor for gladiators is generally frowned upon. The crowds are looking to see blood, and the approval of the crowd can mean more than winning, in the end.)

[b]Fighting Style:[/b] (A paragraph detailing how your character will contribute in fights. Will you dive for the enemy's back line? Keep your distance and fight at range? Stand strong and defend allies? Cast debilitating spells? What are their strengths and weaknesses?)

[b]Magical Affinity:[/b] (If a mage, what brand of magic do you practice for combat purposes? Example, Ice or Entropy or Shadow, etc. If not a mage, delete this section.)
[i]Spell 1[/i] - Delete if not a mage. Otherwise, name and give an explanation of each of your character's spells and their effects.
[i]Spell 2[/i] - Delete if not a mage.
[i]Spell 3[/i] - Delete if not a mage.
Add more spells as necessary. They can also be conceivably learned as we progress.

[center][h3][i][color=YOUR COLOR]Background[/color][/i][/h3][/center]
[b]Place of Birth:[/b] (Where in the world were you born?)
[b]Social Status:[/b] (Are you nobility? An exile? A criminal? A retired soldier?)

[b]History:[/b] (A few paragraphs detailing your character's life. If you don't want to be too detailed, that's fine, but I'd ask that you check with me first if you're going to conceal something really huge in their past. Feel free to flesh out whatever part of the world you choose to hail from, or ask me if you have any questions. And lastly, be sure to include how your character ended up on the coasts of Venatria, and why they feel compelled to involve themselves in the arena.)[/code][/hider]