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Dragonslayers

The Story Of The Gallowblades




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The Story


For nearly two centuries, the small northern island of Avadon has slowly evolved into a country of considerable significance to the continent of Hathaia. Detached from the rest of the continental landmass and acting as the easternmost country of Hathaia, Avadon has, over the years, developed its own identity, with a culture based heavily on the seas and oceans that surround it. Sailors and fishermen are among some of the most popular career paths for those who call Avadon home, and even those that take up lives on the land tend to rely on the success of those who brave the seas.

However, Avadon’s history is not completely riddled with tales of fearless sea captains and daring trawlers. Before the development of human culture began to overtake the rolling hills of Avadon, great winged reptiles known as arachs called the island home. The creatures, though little in number, sat at the top of the country’s food chain, living long lives in caves at the peaks of Avadon’s tallest mountains. For decades, the arachs put an end to the humans’ early attempts at invading their home, sinking ships before they had a chance to reach land, or wiping out entire armies before they had the opportunity to scale the mountainside.

Cunning as they are, though, the humans found a way. Through an alliance with the buchens – a species of humanoid creatures native to the island – the humans discovered a means of nearly eradicating the arach threat. Using weapons crafted from the horns of unicorns, the humans managed to slay the arachs during their annual hibernation that took place during the cold winter months.

As years passed, the alliance between the humans and the buchens continued to prosper. Together, they built several large cities that scattered the surface of Avadon. Between them, small villages popped up here and there, and a highway was constructed in order to connect the major landmarks of the island. Progress had been made, and it had come at a much faster pace than almost any other country of Hathaia.

However, the arach menace had not come to a complete close. Every now and then, a group of arachs would burst from the depths of their lairs, having been either missed, or forgotten, during the human raids of winters past. Though their numbers had dwindled to minuscule amounts, the massive, green-scaled reptiles still posed a significant threat to the well being of the civilized folk of Avadon. Capable of tearing down entire cities and slaying humans by the hundreds, the domesticated folk of Avadon feared the arachs, and for good reason.

As a means of self-preservation and protection of the future of Avadon, the humans and buchens, alongside anyone else who had immigrated into the well-developed country over the years, formed The Gallowblades – originally a band of warriors and knights trained specifically in the art of slaying arachs. These courageous few would dedicate their lives to the preservation of Avadon, and risk death in the name of their country as they plunged, weapon-first, into battle against the hulking reptiles.

Now, in modern day Avadon, there are chapters of The Gallowblades stationed in every major city, be it the capital city of St. Isaac’s, or the port city of Farr Harbour. The Gllowblades can be found wherever there are people to protect, ready and willing to face off against the seemingly immortal threat of the arachs.

However, it has been nearly 50 years since the last sighting of an arach. Gallowblades, both young and old, have lived their lives without every laying eyes on one of the beasts they have sworn to kill, and are a mere a shadow of what The Gallowblades once were. With numbers of willing recruits dwindling over the years, The Gallowblades have been given the rite of conscription, allowing them to forcibly grow in numbers, even if the wont is no longer there. Alongside this, their ranks are no longer restricted to swordsmen, as was once the case. Now, Gallowblades of all walks of life exist - Some practice the misunderstood art of magic, some avoid the death penalty after lives as criminals, and some even hide from their fate as ex-pirates. These sorts, and more, are what The Gallowblades have become, though one could argue that any and all efforts to exterminate the arachs is a commendable one, regardless of one’s personal history.

Rumours have begun to swell across the country of another family of arachs laying deep beneath the Long Range Mountains in northern Avadon. Word of mouth seems to suggest that eggs have hatched, and the young arachs have matured in underground lairs, feeding on the creatures that dwell beneath the surface. The pale-scaled beasts have allegedly made only a few appearances above ground, but if the rumours are to be believed, they pose a significant threat to the well being of Avadon, and its future.

Recruiting season has begun for The Gallowblades, and with the rumours of these white arachs spreading quickly across the island, veterans among the ranks of The Gallowblades have taken a much more serious approach to their training programs. The people of Avadon are once again looking to The Gallowblades for protection against what could possibly be the return of the infamous creatures.

This is where you come in. You’ve been recruited – by your own free will or not – into the ranks of The Gallowblades. You are stationed in the southernmost city of Belclare, where your chapter of The Gallowblades has only recently been sent word of the rumours. The Long Range Mountains are far to the north of Avadon, a good week long journey for anyone looking to travel from Belclare to the northern city of Allemore without interruption, but your life as a Gallowblade may very well require just that. You have yet to be properly sworn into the ranks, and have only spent a little under a week in your chapter’s guildhouse. You and the rest of the new recruits are soon to begin your training, and wherever your life as a Gallowblade takes you from there is anyone’s guess.

It’s not like you have much of a choice in the matter, anyhow.

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Rules


- This is set in a medieval fantasy universe, with a relatively primitive feel, compared to popular settings like those seen in The Elder Scrolls or Dungeons & Dragons (I’m looking at you, Forgotten Realms.) Magic is not nearly as prominent as it tends to be in other places, so things like teleportation, telekinesis, and other such magical workarounds won’t be present. Please keep that in mind, and please remember the basics of magic. If you have questions or concerns, feel free to ask me, I’ll be glad to help!

- No godmodding. Your characters are meant to be run-of-the-mill mercenary types, not all-powerful gods. Frostbite can be just as deadly as a sword.

- Please try and be as detailed as possible, but I understand that real life gets in the way. If you find yourself strapped for time and can’t dedicate the time to the game, just let me/us know. Real life always comes first.

- Settle any beef with another player elsewhere, please.

- One character per player.

- I’d appreciate if you read through the “further reading” section if you’re serious about playing this. It will really help you out in the long run.

Your Character




Your character is, as I mentioned before, a new recruit in the ranks of The Gallowblades. Perhaps they were conscripted after showcasing significant talent with a bow, or maybe they joined willingly in an attempt to avoid the death penalty, or to honour a family steeped in a history as Gallowblades. It’s completely up to you as to how or why your character is in Belclare, serving under The Gallowblades, so be as creative as you want.

As for your character’s class, The Gallowblades recruit anyone, from all walks of life. I haven’t listed any specific classes in an attempt to let your creativity flow, so have fun with it. Be a pirate, or a travelling bard, or a chef for all I care, as long as they have a good reason for being among the ranks of The Galowblades.

Your race is slightly more restricted. I’ve listed nine below that I know I’d be comfortable with, and given them proper societies and whatnot. However, if none of them tickle your fancy, and you want to be something else, just ask. But please ask. Some races or species may already have a different role in Illora, or I may simply prefer that they not exist at all. In the same breath, I’d like to avoid half-races as much as possible. For now, at least.

Here is the character sheet. If you have any questions, feel free to ask, as usual!

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Name: Anything you want, within reason.

Race: Any of the listed races, or one of your own choice, as long as it’s been approved.

Sex: Pretty self-explanatory. Male or female.

Age: For the sake of simplicity, most races have fairly common lifespans for the most part, and mature at the same rate.

Class: This is up to you, just give a title to the character’s particular skillset.

Appearance: Describe what they look like. Feel free to add pictures throughout the character sheet.

Story: Talk about your character’s past, prsent, and personality, and why they’re a member of The Gallowblades.

Skills:
Major: List their major skills, such as what school(s) they focus on if they’re a wizard, or how they fight if they’re a warrior, or whatever pertains to them as a person.
Minor: List their minor skills. Maybe they have an affinity for the culinary arts, or maybe they have a particular interest in music. Those could also be major skills, depending on the character, though. Just list anything they do as a side-job or a hobby.

Strengths: List their strengths. Does not have to be about their skills, but instead could make note of their exceptional memory or charismatic personality. Whatever they use to get by in day-to-day life.

Weaknesses: Brandon Sanderson once said that weaknesses are much more interesting than strengths (or something like that). Maybe your character has poor eyesight, or poor hand-eye coordination. Maybe they have some rare disease, or maybe they’re just downright dumb. But give them something to remind yourself that they aren’t gods. Just Gallowblades.

Equipment: Provide a brief description of what they carry on their person. Weapons, bedrolls, foodstuffs, you know the drill.

Races


There are hundreds of thousands of creatures, big and small, that call Illora home. However, very few have managed the seemingly impossible feat of coming together as one to create a true identity - a society. A culture.

There are only a few that have managed this accomplishment, and in modern day Illora, those creatures are the ones that reign supreme in almost every aspect of life. They construct large cities, they govern the lives of lesser creatures, they create both peace and war, they retain a sense of right and wrong, and, above all else, they survive.

The following races are available to you as a player. If you wish to play a character of a different race, I’m always open to suggestions, but please run it by me first, as I may have other plans in mind for that species, or they may just simply not fit into the universe.

Also worth noting is that all of these races are capable of being any sort of character, with any sort of lifestyle, personality, or job. What is listed under each race is more of a general outline of the species, and not a strict guideline. If you want your aeoc to be a calm, studious wizard-type that’s never stepped foot in Yupall, or a tuvul barbarian raised by dwarves, by all means, go for it. I want to see creative characters, and I know you’re all capable of creating interesting characters.



















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Other


If you're interested, feel free to discuss characters with me in the OOC section, or via PM if you wish. Then, after I give the go-ahead, post away in the Character Sheet section. Likewise, if you have any questions or concerns regarding this game, or the setting, I'll try and answer them as best as possible, so ask away in the OOC!

If you're very serious about joining, or already have a character approved, I highly advise reading through this following section, titled Further Reading. Although a bit lengthy, it may asnwer some of your questions, especially in regards to magic.

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Further Reading








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Other than that, I hope to see some interested folk! I look forward to testing your characters against the wrath of the arachs.
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Cube
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There we go. Had a few issues with posting, but all should be good to go now!
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by A Man Is No One
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@Cube

Well... I'm not sure where I'm going with it at this point but I am still definitely interested. I'll try to get something up in the next couple of days.
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@ELGainsborough Looking forward to it!
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Ferrocerium
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I'm interested. I'll try and write something up this weekend.
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Oni_
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I'll start writing something up, might take me some time though, I have a formative review next week.
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Cube
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Pumped to see some interest sprouting in here. Looking forward to seeing what you guys (or girls) come up with, @Ferrocerium and @Oni_!
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by vietmyke
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got my character in the works too.
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Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Cube
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Glad to hear it @vietmyke!
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Cube
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How are those characters coming along? No rush, of course. Thought I would also mention that I'd be happy to get this roleplay going once/if we hit around five people. I think that would be a good place to start.
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by A Man Is No One
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@Cube

I'm not going to lie. I really like the idea you've come up with. However, I find myself at a loss when it comes to creating a new character for any thread. Hell, I'm having difficulty piecing together an idea for a 1x1 role play or even a post for the Allaria chapter I'm participating in. But maybe if something comes to me within the next day or two I'll get something together for you.
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Kronshi
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Yo, sorry I didn't get your notification until now. My deathwish dragonslayer is still a thing. I'll read through the wall of text and have a character up by tomorrow. I hope this gets off the ground.
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No worries, @ELGainsborough. If you want some help coming up with something, feel free to hit me up. I'd be happy to help!

Looking forward to it, @Kronshi! I hope so as well.
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Oni_
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Sorry I haven't gotten anything up! Not started anything yet to be honest. My formative review is on Thursday so after that; I'll knock it out. Every spare moment I have (all three of them) is getting spent on my DnD campaign right now.
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Kronshi
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@Cube

Is it possible for someone to have a minor skill in magic? Enough so that he could ignite his weapons with little care for his well being?

And if so, would it even be beneficial to have a flaming weapon against the Arachs with how high there defenses are?
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@Cube

I'll keep that in mind. But as previously stated, its not the idea. I'm just at a loss currently. I have ideas but quite frankly everything I write looks disgusting to me when it is regarding someone elses idea. I'll try to start something in the morning. Maybe if I can get some ideas actually down on paper that I like I may be able to get somewhere.
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No rush, @Oni_! Real life always comes first, haha.

Hm, it could be a possibility, @Kronshi. Want to elaborate a little? Wrapping oneself in a cloak of flames would be possible, so I can't see why a weapon would be any more difficult, though keep in mind the armour restrictions and casting process when it comes to casting spells in this game. As for the arachs and their defenses, the group likely won't be running into a ton of them, so when it comes to fights, it'll be against monsters/people more often than arachs. The arachs would be more on the level of a boss fight, for lack of a better term.

Gotcha, @ELGainsborough. I totally get where you're coming from - it took me almost a week to finally be satisfied with the first OOC post here, after all. All the best with it! My offer is still open, if you need any pointers for fitting the character into the lore.
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Kronshi
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@Cube I definitely see the idea of wrapping the weapons in flames. I'd like to do that if it won't detract from his main warrior aspect. Since he has a death wish, I thought it'd break character if he bothered with armor and wanted to go with more of the, just enough clothing to be modest, fantasy Viking look. Since he wasn't wearing armor anyway, I thought why not give him a little magic. Give him fire wrapped weapons and a little fire to keep that poorly dressed body warm.
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by boomlover
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interest in slaying dragons.
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I like that idea, @Kronshi! Feel free to give him some other minor fire spells, if you feel like that would fit as well. Fire vikings are the best vikings, after all.

Glad to hear it, @boomlover! Definitely looking forward to seeing everyone's ideas.

Once/if/hopefully we get to the goal of five players or so, I'll post the first IC, which will introduce the master of the southern Gallowblade chapter, as well as give a little life to the city of Belclare and the southern portion of Avadon, where the first parts of the roleplay will take place.
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