Hello all! As part of my effort to get back into the wonderful world of role-playing, from which I'd taken an extended leave of absence, I'm interested in starting a new character RP. As the title might suggest, the setting is medieval fantasy. I say "low" fantasy, because while magic and fantastical races certainly do exist, in these particular lands they are rare, and generally not something that grown folks believe in. The aforementioned land is Provinka, a sub-continent similar to India in that it is surrounded by the ocean and generally kept isolated from other lands by extensive mountain ranges to the West.

[hider=Unnecessarily Lengthy Background Material]Provinka itself is a lush land characterized by vast grasslands, rolling green hills and meandering rivers. As you go further West the land becomes progressively more wild. The hills become harsh and jagged, and large untamed forests dot the land. The mountain range is young, filled with towering peaks and unforgiving passes. To the South the weather begins to warm, at first pleasantly so. The farther one walks, however, the hotter it gets, until you reach the Northern edge of the great desert that spreads out beyond the southern reaches of the mountains.

The Eastern coastlines are the most densely populated region of Provinka, inhabited by a loose patchwork of independent city states. The population, while far from unified, is generally homogenous in nature, and with a few exceptions they are at least united by a shared culture and ethnicity, and are broadly referred to by scholarly types as the Turizi people. While specific traditions and beliefs will vary from city to city, the Turizi do considers themselves part of a commonly held culture superior to most others.

Central Provinka is dominated by a strange, semi-nomadic people distantly related to, but quite distinct from, the Turizi known as the Viorla. While the Viorla do have a few permanent cities, some of them actually important trade hubs, the majority of the population are herders who follow the migration patterns of their herds. Viorla life is dominated by a monotheistic religion wholly foreign to the native population. This religion, focused around worship of the God Gonoter, commonly perceived by other peoples as a Sky God, has it's roots in the desert to the south.

Inhabiting a long, wide strip against the fringes of the western Mountains live the newcomers to Provinka, the Dalrians. The Kingdom of Dalria, as it is now known, was once populated by the westernmost branch of the Turizi family. Less than a century ago, however, an invasion force by King Beor the Old (quite young at the time, despite his eventual nickname) carved out a new realm for himself and his followers. The Dalrians either displaced or absorbed the majority of the native Turizi, though it is still common to see a couple Turizi families in a Dalrian settlement. While Beor himself died five years ago after 73 years of rule, he left a strong, energetic Kingdom that, despite a brief civil war following his death over the matter of his succession, is perhaps the most unified nation in Provinka.[/hider]

After a long period of calm and peace in Provinka, things are beginning to become rather more interesting. A savage, unknown people in dragon ships are appearing off the Northern coastlines, raiding and pillaging coastal communities. Noone knows the origins of these raiders, noone knows the style of their uniforms or their language. They are a thoroughly alien people come to terrorize Provinka. They have thus far been seen only a handful of times, but each time they come they come with steel and flames. They have a couple times been fought off, but they strike without warning and with a surprising ferocity, so it is difficult to mount an effective defense.

In response to the recent raids, King Geralt of Dalria has ordered the fortification of the Dalrian coastline. He has ordered the local lords to garrison coastal communities, and has sent a troop of his own men to assist with the defenses. As a result, however, the Dalrians have made a very interesting discovery. Just on the fringes of the western mountains, close to the northern coastline, lies a vast, tangled forest. While sometimes used for hunting and gathering by the locals, the forest has been left undisturbed in the sparsely populated area. However, while on their way to reinforce the coast, a force of Dalrian soldiers stumbled upon a surprise. Nestled deep within the woods lies a massive city, noticeably ancient and unlike any other in all of Provinka. Composed of once graceful towers and crumbling structures of unknown architecture, the city is a tantalizing hint of once grand, now forgotten past for the people of Provinka.

While generally ignored by the Dalrians themselves, the discovery of the city made quite a buzz throughout the rest of Provinka. The Turizi Dalrians, weary of their foreign overlords, have claimed it as proof of their inherent superiority over the Western Barbarians who dwell in ugly stone castles. The Viorla think it the site of a once grand Temple to the Sky, and the scholars of the Eastern cities believe it to be the remnants of a previously unknown civilization. An obscure cult amongst the strange Lorelae people, a minority population in some Turizi cities, have proclaimed it to be the city of the Gods before they abandoned the world to humanity. Regardless of the cities true origins, it has already begun to attract a variety of adventurers. From explorers and treasure hunters to scholars, the city is soon to have it's depths plumbed and it's secrets exposed.

Which, naturally, is where you folks and your characters would come in. Anyone interested? :)

[url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/17779/posts/ooc?page=1#post-439737]OOC[/url] is up!!!