Hidden 7 yrs ago 6 yrs ago Post by Fat Boy Kyle
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A Witcher Roleplay - Open - Looking for GMs



Wolves asleep amidst the trees, Bats all a-swaying in the breeze,
But one soul lies anxious wide awake, Fearing all manner of ghouls, hags and wraiths.

Birds are silent for the night, Cows turned in as daylight dies, But one soul lies anxious wide awake.
For the witcher, brave and bold, Paid in coin of gold, He’ll chop and slice you, Cut and dice you.
Eat. You. Up. Whole. Eat. You. Whole.


-THEME-

Fan-Fiction | Fantasy | Monsters




The Setting:

Set roughly fifty years before the events of the Witcher Game Series, and across the Great Sea on the non-canonical continent of Aridia. This RP sees players dropped into the Free City of Telchar, a large medieval metropolis ruled by an authoritarian religion and which is infested with all manner of monsters. One in particular has left a string of bodies in its wake and is causing the public to panic.

Will your character be one of the few Witchers on the Continent hunting monsters? A Warrior of the Church hellbent on chasing another players Witch? An assassin of Lords? Or maybe just a simple guard trying to fight battles way out their league?

This RP will be a mature one, containing strong themes like violence, sex and drugs. It also has a horror element to it. Please be warned.




Rules/Things to consider:





Background Lore

For this RP, you will definitely benefit from having read the books, played the games, or at least taking a look at the wiki. Though I should note as someone who's not read the books, this RP is going to borrow much more from the game series. For those that aren’t too familiar with the series or those that are maybe just a bit rusty, here are some important bits of background lore of the Witcher World mixed with the new lore for this new location.




The Story So Far

Here is the notable history of this RP, including a couple of preluding events. Hopefully this section will make it easier for new blood to join. I'll do my best to update this with key events as the RP goes on. If you think there is anything missing or incorrect, please let me know!





If you are interested then of course say so! Please fill out a character sheet and then post it in the OOC for review! I am an advocate of community review, whereby players review each others character sheets; I think it's good to air criticisms straight away. Don't be too harsh when reviewing a CS. Don't get too defensive when a CS flaw is exposed. And don't go off in a hump if your first CS is rejected. I don't mind if you want to fluff up the sheet a bit.



Hidden 7 yrs ago 7 yrs ago Post by Fat Boy Kyle
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Mini-Wiki:


As the lore of this sub-world expands, this section will be populated with useful pieces of information. If you have suggestions for entries then please post them or PM. Sections on here might be marked "tbc", which more likely means that I don't have any ideas and/or I'm leaving it to be done by others.

To help you prioritise reading, I'll label each section as either "Important", "Handy" or "Fluff"


Map and Political Geography (Important)

This RP takes place on a new continent, across the Great Sea to the West of the Northern Kingdoms. For this RP, you can almost say that this is basically a different world wearing a Witcher Skin. There are many countries which I’ve mapped out, although for the most part many have names and geographical positions but little else – I’m happy for you guys and gals to fill in history and culture.

Here is a map that may help. Firstly is the larger map, and secondly is the small zoomed in Map which should be of more help. Because I intend this RP to (for the time being) be set mostly in the city of Telchar, you probably won’t need to look at these. But it might help when making a CS or making up back-stories. These maps are rough and don’t account for things like climate.






City of Telchar (Important)


Telchar is one of the ‘Five Free Cities’, which once meant that it did not form part of an Empire or Kingdom. This isn’t entirely accurate nowadays, nor important, but historic names are hard to change. It is still ruled over by a lord however, and is perhaps one of the most authoritarian places that you are likely to set foot in. The City has it’s own religion, dedicated to the Sea God Manannan, which most of the population adheres to. They do not tolerate crime (of any level) nor blasphemy (including magic and mutants), and sentence vast majority of deviants to death. Although technically neutral, Telchar is a major Arms Dealer and supplies the Kingdom of Himeria with most of its weapons, which has angered other states. It is divided into various districts, but although each is fairly distinct, each has its good and bad parts. It is one of the largest cities on the continent and since its founding, has never been successfully sieged. The City is ruled By Lord Krios.

Like any place, Telchar suffers from a range of socio-economic problems, as well as occult problems. Recently however there has been a sharp increase in the amount of monster sightings, and there has been a string of deaths which has sent many citizens into a panic.





Religion – Church of Manannan (Important)

Nearly a century and a half ago, during a great famine, a giant sea monster appeared just off the coast. According to reports from the time, the monster looked vaguely like a Kayran, but tens of times larger. Witchers at the time said that it would take an army of mages to kill such a beast. Fortunately for the city, the monster did not appear to be hostile although it did cause a small tsunami due to its size and proximity to the short. It only stayed in view for around half an hour before disappearing again.

The destruction the waves caused, although inconvenient, was very minor. Moreover, locals rejoiced as a ridiculous amount of fish was washed up on the short and city streets – a saving grace during such hardship. People began to call the monster a god, saying that it was Manannan – the Sea God. They claimed the waves it sent were both a warning of its power, and a token of its love (for it fed a starving population).

The Religion has grown considerable since and now has a Church and Abbey in Northwall. The vast majority of the population adheres to this religion. Although led by a council of five bishops, the Lord of Telchar is technically the head (although they rarely pass laws specific to the Church). They believe that all crime needs to be harshly punished, and believe that mages and mutants (including Witchers) need to be burned and fed to the sea.

A small sub-order called the Warriors of Manannan act like a secret police, seeking out and prosecuting the occult. Somewhat ironic principles given that they worship a literal monster. These Warriors typically will have to fork out for their own armour and weapons, or else take what scraps the Church is willing to bundle together for them. More prestigious members of the Church, including Inquisitors, may be supplied with fancier armour. The only consistent uniform for the Warriors is a dark blue featureless mask, which serves to mask their identity and instill fear.




Important NPCs (Handy)



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The Lost Bear School of Witchers (Handy)

Witchers are a relatively new addition to the continent. Around two hundred years ago, Witchers from the Bear School went on an expedition across the sea in search of a King’s Son. They never found the son, and it was only by sheer luck that they ever managed to make the voyage to these new lands, washing up on the shore of the Lilia Kingdom. The four Witchers, dismayed at the prevalence of monsters in these lands, created a new School – The Lost Bear School, as an adaption of theirs.

Understandably, most looked at Witchers with fear and skepticism. Rumours of child snatching, cruel experiments and magic, all added to the fear of the unknown. Although citizens of this continent have started to warm-up to Witchers over the last couple of centuries, they are still subject to discrimination. The only people openly accepting of the Witchers are the citizens of the Korathi Heartlands, who had previously been blighted by monsters. Now the Witchers share a home with the Dwarves of Mossdale Keep, an ancient underground keep.

Notable Witchers:
  • BLERG MC BLERGSON - LURDER OF WERCHERS
  • Jaspar (Deseaed) - An elderly Witcher recently burned alive in Telchar.
  • Kieran - A young Witcher currently travelling in Telchar with his Werewolf accomplice.




Other Countries and their inhabitants (Handy/Fluff)





Beastiary

In addition to the already impressive Bestiary of the Witcher series, below you can find some new variants as well as original monsters that appear in this RP.

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Hidden 7 yrs ago 7 yrs ago Post by Fat Boy Kyle
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Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by POOHEAD189
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Not decided yet, but considering a Dwarf.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by MrDidact
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I'm also considering a Witcher, but a young and relatively inexperienced one.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by An Outsider
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I'm also considering a Witcher, but a young and relatively inexperienced one.


If Didact goes that route then I think I'll be making a cowardly werewolf con-artist who serves as his companion/handicap.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by MrDidact
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@BlackSam3091 Haha, great.

Any other team-ups you thought might be good?
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by DeletedUser9Gh7
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I'm thinking of a non human witcher but when the RP starts that will be his 6th hunt so he is new he does not know how to hunt something more dangerous than 1 ghoul.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by MrDidact
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@SantosGabriel77 Actually there are indications that there are or have been elven witchers. It may be redundant to have two newbie witchers though, so I might have to go with something else.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by Fat Boy Kyle
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While you lot are busy making characters and fighting to be America's Next Top Geralt, I'll be working on some NPC sheets.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by DeletedUser9Gh7
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[MRDidact]
Okay so i guess it makes sense.I'm gonna be the one who is not a newbie

I just gotta read enough lore to make a good character.
Hidden 7 yrs ago 7 yrs ago Post by Mag Lev
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Currently an idea which has been floating around my head is a disgraced knight turned mercenary/bounty hunter. Probably human. Might look into the idea of an Elf though.

Edit: If possible, I'd like to hear a bit more about the Free City of Bein and Greyreach. Mostly as to the culture of Bein and what it would take for a knight to become disgraced and stripped of their title.
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Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by An Outsider
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@MrDidact Honestly wouldn't presume to tell you what character to play in a duo, but I'll fire off a few of my different ideas for my own character, and if you can think of a CS of your own that you think would play off them nicely then we can see what we can work from there.

  • The Witcher: The Witcher I have in mind would be experienced, having been at monster slaying business for fifty+ years. He was skilled, talented, and mostly hard working, but years of seeing the worst of what the world has to offer has left its mark on him. He responds to the world with a detached, warped sense of humor that alienates most of those around him, has a severe drinking problem that has began to interfere with his work, believes that his swords 'speak' to him, and has found himself growing more and more prone to violence. He still finds joy in the hunt, but it's a savage kind of pleasure, the kind that once would have filled him with shame.
  • The Guardsman: The Guardsman is a the youngest scion of an impoverished noble house. When he realized that the writing was on the wall for his families fortunes he traded what little influence they had left for a mid-level post in the city guard. He cares very little for religion or civic order, but the job security makes up for that, and the work was largely unobtrusive, allowing him the opportunity to follow his real passions; wine, women and song. However his superior officer has given him the unenviable task of solving the current influx of monster attacks, a job that a foppish wastrel like him is woefully unprepared for.
  • The Aen Elle: The third would be an Aen Elle, banished from his own world. Other than him being a warrior, I haven't put much thought into this one, just like the thought of playing a banished elf.


Thoughts?
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Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by Fat Boy Kyle
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Currently an idea which has been floating around my head is a disgraced knight turned mercenary/bounty hunter. Probably human. Might look into the idea of an Elf though.

Edit: If possible, I'd like to hear a bit more about the Free City of Bein and Greyreach. Mostly as to the culture of Bein and what it would take for a knight to become disgraced and stripped of their title.


No lore on Greyreach. Feel free to make something up.

I've not thought too much into Bein either really, other than it being 'mystical'. In my head I have images of vast overgrown forests and settlements hidden in the trees (you know, stereotypical elf stuff). I also thought it could be ruled by a council of Vestal Virgins, much akin to the priestesses of Vesta in Ancient Rome. I suppose a Knight could be disgraced by sleeping with a vestal virgin? Or insulting one? Harming or failing to protect one? Those are just some ideas. If you have something in mind and want to expand upon Bein, feel free to do so.
Hidden 7 yrs ago 7 yrs ago Post by MrDidact
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@BlackSam3091 All of those concepts sound pretty interesting, I think the old shellshocked Witcher is probably the most compelling followed by the idea of an outcast Aen Elle. The guardsman idea is cool too, but I have a bias for oddball characters.

For the veteran somewhat psycho Witcher, I think my younger newbie Witcher would be a good foil. He'd be new relatively with only a few years at most of Witcher experience, and is still largely idealistic and not jaded. Still finds satisfaction in protecting people and fulfilling contracts. He's also a bit of a maverick among other Witchers but largely because he tends to try and spare as many monsters as he can instead of killing them, and often gets involved in matters other Witchers might ignore such as bandit attacks. The young witcher hopes that with his efforts he can really change things for the better and show people that Witchers can be trusted. He's also the rumored bastard of some lord or knight. Perhaps he could chance upon this Veteran in the field and decide to team up to track down the mysterious monster, hoping that he can learn something from his older comrade.

However I think another interesting companion to that Veteran would be a young Mage, well he's really 50 but he's young for a mage, who comes from a noble family and is smooth-talking and genteel. He's an ardent believer in scientific advancement and enlightenment but is also kind of arrogant and superior. Has a lot of power but not as much refined control and discipline as older sorcerers. Hates the leadership of the free city and hopes to change things to allow toleration of magic. Perhaps he's been one of the Veteran's few companions, accompanying him along to research the beasts he kills and help him with equipment, and persuades him to take the contract on the mysterious beast.

For the Guardsman, I think an interesting foil might be a female elven thief. Young but skilled, and is slowly gaining enough money to buy her way out of the forsaken city. She is a relative newcomer but has never been caught and is making a reputation for herself as a skilled professional among the underworld. Has numerous contacts and even bribes a few guardsmen to stay inconspicuous and out of a cell. The guardsman might bumble his way into one of her heists and the guardsman decides to enlist her help in ferreting out leads on the monster by asking around in the city's seedy underbelly.

A good companion for the banished elf might be another outsider. A female warrior with telekinetic powers, used to be a lord's daughter but left her home after being betrothed to a man she did not love. She isn't as strong as a mage or more experienced psionic, but has as much strength as a Witcher using a basic Aard sign and was training at swords since she was a child, to her father's disapproval. Now she's a travelling female knights errant who rights wrongs and tries to make an extra bit of cash taking jobs from merchants and lords. Perhaps the two can decide to partner up as sellswords and track down the monster for some money.

Of course, the Young Witcher and my Mage idea could both be good foils for the Aen Elle as well depending. What do you think?

My young witcher and your conman werewolf could still be a great duo too.
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Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by Mag Lev
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<Snipped quote by Mag Lev>

No lore on Greyreach. Feel free to make something up.

I've not thought too much into Bein either really, other than it being 'mystical'. In my head I have images of vast overgrown forests and settlements hidden in the trees (you know, stereotypical elf stuff). I also thought it could be ruled by a council of Vestal Virgins, much akin to the priestesses of Vesta in Ancient Rome. I suppose a Knight could be disgraced by sleeping with a vestal virgin? Or insulting one? Harming or failing to protect one? Those are just some ideas. If you have something in mind and want to expand upon Bein, feel free to do so.


Alright, thanks for the information. I'll likely do work on Greyreach since I feel it may fit the idea I have more. Greyreach is a Kingdom, yeah? Also, that bit of land below Greyreach belongs to Bein or some other country?

If anybody else wishes to be involved in Greyreach then you can go ahead and message me here about it. Or find me on the Guild Discord where I'll be doing work.
Hidden 7 yrs ago 7 yrs ago Post by Fat Boy Kyle
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Forgot to name the bit of Land below Greyreach haha. It can be a new country or part of Greyreach, I don't mind. Greyreach can be a Kingdom if you wish. It's one of the places that's a complete blank slate.

Added some ranks to Telchar. Added my CS, but as I previously said I'll be more focused on moderating and doing NPC stuff that actually roleplaying myself. I'm also going to update the CS template to something a little less awful.
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Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by MrDidact
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@BlackSam3091 What catches your fancy, Sam?
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by An Outsider
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@MrDidact I've been going over it for like two hours now, and I'm still swithering between the guardsmen and Elf thief, the young witcher and werewolf con-man, or the older witcher and whichever character you want to pair him with (I actually think any of the character concepts you offered up would work with him, even the elf thief and telekinetic warrior.)

I'm happy with any of the above pairings (I've abandoned the renegade Aen Elle, just wasn't feeling it as much as the other) so if you want to make the final decision, I'd be very happy. I'm spoiled for choice, and will probably keep going back and forth on which I want to do most for the next week and a half.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by MrDidact
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@BlackSam3091 Let's go with our original idea and have the young witcher and conman werewolf. I can shelve all the others for now, and perhaps your Veteran witcher can show up later with my mage or any of the other concepts. However, if Santos doesn't want to do his own Witcher, perhaps the Veteran and my guy could be a mentor/apprentice team.

Plus, I already started working on my young witcher and I'm too lazy at the moment to start anew on another sheet :P
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