[i][h1][center]In the Court of the High Queen[/center][/h1]

In the final days of winter High King Childeric IV of Viexmeur died suddenly, at the age of 52. His reign of forty years, which he had begun as a youth, was largely uneventful. Which is to say it had been a time of peace. The lands under Viexmeurite dominion had prospered, and Viexmeur herself even more so. The cities of the Crownlands had grown rich through trade, and were experiencing a cultural flowering- Arcane lore, scholastic inquiry, and the many arts all reached new heights.

 To many, the future seemed bright as the temple bells of the capital pealed in mourning. Lord Chancellor Vulmar of Anvers, however, set immediately to his unhappy work. For you see, though Childeric was a wise and benevolent king, he had lacked the foresight to declare a successor, and his legitimate children had predeceased him without issue of their own. Who ought to inherit the High Kingship was, from a legal standpoint, rather unclear. There were cadet branches of the Royal House of Meyrovic, to be sure, though which claim was the stronger had yet to be seen.

Vulmar, and his scribal underlings, spent nearly a week following the good king's death scouring genealogical records and historical annals, trying to discern the proper course of action. In time it became clear that of the cadet branches of the Meyrovics that still existed- chiefly, the Chlotarics of Veterre and the Carlings of Montisle- neither could sit upon the Silver Throne of Clovis. They were alike in hereditary dignity, more or less, but the Chlotarics had been destitute and obscure for generations, and the Carlings were glorified merchants. Alas, the high lords and petty kings whose allegiance belonged to the crown of Viexmeur would never accept so lowly a sovereign.

But one other fact came to light, happily enough. While scrounging the Royal Palace for information, a pair of scribes had come to find that the King had not been so careless with the future of his Kingdom as previously thought. He had fathered a bastard by a tavern wench, they learned from a group of courtiers, a daughter named Gisela. He had quietly legitimized the girl, with the blessing of the High Priest, and had sent her away to study abroad. The King had evidently intended to return her to court upon the completion of her education for some sort of surprise, though his untimely death prevented this.

Now, finally, a clear course of action presented itself to Vulmar. It was obvious that a girl of thirteen could not secure a crown alone, however rightful her claim to it might be. The Great Houses of the Provinces would each take to arms, aiming to seize power for themselves. However there was an ancient custom, one not invoked for over two centuries, that might allow Gisela to take the throne. And avoid a bloody interregnum. It was once common practice in Viexmeur for an advisory council to be assembled from the Great Houses of the Realm in the event the heir to the throne was not yet an adult. This helped avoid civil war by forcing each of the Houses to swear fealty and give homage to the new monarch, and placated them with a significant role in the new government.

With this knowledge in hand, Vulmar of Anvers wasted no time in drafting letters to each of the Lords and Ladies of the Great Houses, and sent a ship to retrieve his new Queen.[/i]

[hr]

Thanks for staying with me so far. In this RP, each player will be the head of one of the provincial Great Houses, or a representative sent by them (most likely, but not necessarily, a member of the House) acting as an adviser on the regency council of the newly-crowned High Queen Gisela of Viexmeur.

The main action of the game will involve advising and sometimes educating the Queen, and of course court intrigue. The story will be driven largely by the interplay between the characters themselves, rather than by some external force. Though, I wouldn't rule out an invasion or a rebellion, to keep things interesting. Each adviser will want to influence Royal policy in a direction that favors their House and Province. Many of the advisers may know each other, and will certainly know of each other. Perhaps some are friends, and others enemies.

Please see below for some background ramblings. I'll also post a character sheet template once we have a few people interested.

[hider=The Kingdom of Viexmeur]

Many centuries ago, Viexmeur referred to but one of several small kingdoms. Since then, a succession of Kings and Queens expanded from the Crownlands to build an empire. The rulers of the Provinces, whatever their titles, owe their allegiance directly to the Crown of Viexmeur, and in turn are served by lesser lords and ladies beneath them. The Kingdom is quite large, and is ethnically diverse. The primary unifying factor in the Kingdom is faith. The majority of the populace belongs to the Faith of Naram-Sadai, a monotheistic religion. Other faiths are present, however, and most are officially tolerated under Royal Law.[/hider]

[hider=The Crownlands]

The Crownlands lay roughly in the center of Viexmeur, and are directly subject to the rule of the High Queen. Its capital is Reolus, where the mouth of the Verte River opens to meet the Sea of Stars in the west. It is the wealthiest and most populous region of Viexmeur, and arguably the most illustrious. It can field a formidable army in times of war, and thus has managed to maintain stable control of the Provinces for several centuries.[/hider]

[hider=The Royal City of Reolus]

Reolus has always been the greatest city in the World. At least according to some of its prouder denizens. Scholars say that, in ages long past, it was once no more than a fortified village on the right bank of the Verte River, bounded by wooden guard towers and palisades. From these humble beginnings, the Reolans came in time to grow to a multitude, and their lords became powerful enough to dominate their neighbors in what is now the Crownlands.

Today, Reolus spans both sides of the Verte, and sprawls from the shore of the Sea of Stars to the eastern boundary of the Tassaline Walls. The city is generally divided into five large districts: The Old City, The Merchant's Quarter, The Collegium, The Silver Quarter, and Carline.

The Old City, as the name might suggest, is the original nucleus of the city north of the Verte and is contained within the ancient Walls of Clovis. The district is home to the local Great Temple of Naram-Sadai, seat of the Metropolitan Priest Razo who oversees all activities of The Faith in the capital. The Old City also houses several other temples, including a Lunarium of Bazahk and a Tower of Gorandus. The former Royal residence can also be found in this district, though it now serves as the Mayoral Palace, the seat of city government. It is here that the Court would relocate in the unlikely event of a siege.

The Merchant's Quarter is bordered by the Old City in the east, and lies north of The Silver Quarter. It is here that much of the business in Reolus (and indeed, the whole Crownlands) is carried out. The dockyards along the shore dominate the western end of the district. Near to the docks is the Grand Market, a large paved square ringed by shops, where merchants great and small peddle their wares. There are other, more specific marketplaces, such as Steel Hill where arms and armor are sold. The district also contains a plethora of inns and taverns, with great variety in both quality and description.

The Collegium is the smallest district, just across the Verte from the Old City. Here can be found Reolus University, which originally served as a religious academy to educate postulants for priestly life. Over time, it's function and size expanded, and now young scholars of means are taught about such sundry topics as philosophy, natural science, arcana, and history. This district also houses the Royal Archives, a great library and record depository with texts dating back many hundreds of years.

The Silver Quarter is the pride of the city, taking up its southwest corner. It is dominated by grand palaces and mansions, belonging to the lords of the Crownlands and some of the wealthier freemen of the city. Many provincial lords maintain spacious townhouses in the district for their use when in the capital, sometimes renting them out the rest of the time. There are also specialty shops selling exotic and luxury goods, clothiers and dressmakers catering to the elite, and a number of fine inns and dining establishments. It is said that those who know where to look can also find brothels and other forbidden things in this district, and it is curious indeed that the city guard always fails to investigate these rumors.

The Carline is by far the largest quarter, taking up most of the eastern half of the city. Properly, it should be regarded as two districts rather than one. South of the river, the Carline bustles with industry, and is home to a great many guildhalls and skilled craftsmen. North of the Verte, however, is a sprawling, byzantine slum. No one goes there that does not have to, and no one with any sense goes there unarmed. The northern Carline is also rumored to be home to a 'thieves guild,' but most people regard this as a myth.[/hider]

[hider=The Palace of the High Kings]

To the west of the Silver District of Reolus, across a narrow channel of water, stands The Palace of the High Kings- most often referred to simply as the Royal Palace. Encompassing the whole of a modestly-sized island, the palace can be reached by either boat or by a wide stone causeway which runs to shore. The outer walls are rather high, and the cliffs difficult to climb, but the island is not considered a very defensible position. In times of siege the court generally retreats to the inner wall of the Old City. The palace can be broadly divided into two sections: The outer palace along the curtain wall, and the inner palace, centered on the keep.

The outer palace contains a stable, various workshops, a modest bathhouse, a chapel, and sizable storehouses for food and other supplies. One the greensward there is ample space for practicing men-at-arms, as well as an antiquated shrine to Naram-Sadai and a fountain. The shrine is essentially a rectangular stone slab, with an icon carved in relief on one side. It depicts the one true god, resplendent in heavenly glory, crowning Clovis, the first Faithful King of Viexmeur. Faded paint lends a certain human quality to the two figures, that would otherwise look stern and alien. The backside of the slab is etched with prayers written in boustrophedonic lines. A sizable barracks and armory for the use of the guards can also be found, built into the curtain wall opposite the front gate and behind the keep.

The inner palace, or keep, is large and mostly rectangular, excepting a forward projection which houses the vestibule and atop which is a sizable terrace. Beyond the vestibule is small room which houses the grand staircase, which winds upward to the second and third floors. The stairwell open upon three rooms, aside from the vestibule. To the left is the great hall, which takes up most of the south side of the first floor. The hall contains a number of long wooden tables, each with two long benches. On the west end of the room is another, smaller table, upon a raised dais. There is enough space to feed over two hundred courtiers at once, though there are seldom so many. To the right of the stairwell is the kitchen and the pantries where cooks and serving women are often hard at work. Moving forward from the stairwell, one enters the throne room. On a raised platform, near the back wall, is the Silver Throne of Clovis, flanked on either sides by colorful banners and tapestries.

The upper stories of the keep are largely occupied by bedchambers and private solars, though there is also a library, a council chamber, a small ballroom, and a number of empty rooms given over to whatever purpose is required at the moment.

There is also a dungeon and an oubliette, accessible from a discrete stairway hidden behind a tapestry in the throne room, though neither has housed prisoners for nearly a century.[/hider]

[hider=Law and Order in Reolus]The City Watch of Reolus breaks up mobs and fights, investigates crimes, and generally keeps order in the capital. They number a little over 500, though this fluctuates somewhat. From their base of operations at the Mayoral Palace, they patrol the city and stand sentry at numerous towers and other strong points throughout Reolus. They are generally armed with spears, though may be issued clubs or bows depending upon the nature of their task. Only the Captain and his lieutenants are given the honor of carrying swords. The watchman's uniform consists of a barbute helmet, a shirt of mail, a tunic, trousers, heavy boots, and a brown cloak. They are often called 'browncloaks' informally, and scofflaws have taken to referring to watchmen as 'peahens.' In addition to the standard uniform, officers also carry a sounding horn to alert nearby patrols of danger or to call for reinforcements.

In times of war, the city watch may organize a general muster, press-ganging all free men in fighting shape to help defend the capital. In particularly desperate times, 'fighting shape' has been known to have a very elastic definition. Armories are spread throughout the city to facilitate an orderly muster, though many years have passed since this was last necessary.

The city is also home to the Royal Guard, which is quartered primarily within the Palace of the High Kings. They number about 50. Unlike watchmen, a guardsman generally carries a poleaxe and a sword for close-quarter fighting. A royal guardsman is also much better protected, with a set of plate armor, a plumed and visored helm, and a fine red-and-blue checked cloak. The Royal Guard has a well-earned reputation for discipline and martial skill, and each individual guardsman is expected to lay down his life for his monarch should it prove necessary.[/hider]

[hider=The Provinces]

Each Province, which can be referred to as a duchy, a dominion, a county, or a kingdom depending upon the title of its ruler, operates with a high degree of independence from the central government. Provincial rulers are free to  most of their own internal policies, including raising taxes (of which a fixed percentage goes to the Crown), levying armies in times of war, and promulgating law. The Monarch rarely intervenes directly in the affairs of the Provinces, except in disputes between provinces. The Crown does have the right to strike down Provincial laws which it considers unjust, though this privilege is seldom used.[/hider]

[hider=Neighboring Lands]

Viexmeur is bordered in the west by the Sea of Stars, far beyond which is the Empire of Acirum. Few have been there and little is known of it, though it is rumored to be a fantastical land where honey is produced from reeds and wool grows on trees! The islands of Pridania also lay to the west, and much closer. They are ruled by wizard-kings, and have close cultural and commercial ties to Viexmeur. It is on one of these islands that High Queen Gisela had recently been living.

To the east are the Gallathine Mountains, and beyond them the great forests of Aborim. The Aborimites have a well-earned reputation for violence, though it has been over a century since a clan chief gathered enough strength to threaten Viexmeur. Though trade caravans occasionally pass over the mountains, most merchants feel the off-chance of returning with missing body parts outweighs the potential for profit. It is said they worship a great stone idol carved in the shape of a crowned woman, and offer blood sacrifices at regular intervals.

To the north is Foronia, a hodgepodge region of city states and petty kingdoms which are assembled into an ever-shifting group of leagues and alliances. Chief among these are the Free City of Aldburg and the Kingdom of Arvallia. Many years ago the warlike region was reasonably peaceful, but the Great Schism led directly to a decades-long bloodbath, and relations between the petty states are still largely determined by who was on which side. Many wars have been fought over the centuries to extend Viexmeurite influence into the region, but these incursions have never yielded lasting results. Further to the north are the Frigid Wastes, a desolate and lawless land. It is said the legendary Winter King lived here, before leading his mighty army on a murderous rampage into the southlands.

And finally, to the south is the Great River, which marks Viexmeur's southern border and empties into the Sea of Stars. Beyond the river is Qazad, whose Emperor reposes in the golden city of Qazama far to the south. It is known that the Faith originated in this land, though the majority of its people now worship a panoply of gods and goddesses, the chief of whom is Bazahk, god of the moon. Despite a number of conflicts throughout history, the lords of Qazad are generally amicable toward Viexmeur. Trade flows freely across the Great River, bringing exotic spices and gold in exchange for iron and agricultural products of every description. The Qazadi do hold a rather low opinion of the arcane arts, however, and have been said to execute sorcerers.[/hider]

[hider=Map][img]https://i.imgur.com/C32cSKU.png[/img][/hider]

[hider=Magic]

Many humans have an innate ability to tap into the arcane energies that permeate the world around them. Very few ever develop this ability, however, as even the simplest magic requires many years of arduous study and practice. Magic is generally performed via esoteric hand gestures and the uttering of words, though it is debated whether these actions themselves conjure the magic, or rather if they merely act to focus the mind of the caster. There are many fields of magic, including sorcery, evocation, and alchemy. Most mages focus on a particular field, though some dabble in more than one.[/hider]

[hider=The Faith]

The worship of Naram-Sadai dominates Viexmeurite society. Often simply referred to as 'The Faith,' it is an organized religion headed by the High Priest, who resides in the city of Sacreterre in the Crownlands. Each province has its own Archpriest appointed by the High Priest, as do foreign lands such as Pridania and some of the realms of Foronia. The Archpriests in turn preside over local priests, each charged with ministering to a particular community.

The faithful believe that the universe was created by Naram-Sadai, that he is the only true god (other gods being, depending upon who is asked, either demons or else simply invented), and that living according to his will is essential to a pleasant afterlife. Those that deny his teachings are generally believed to be bound for Hell. Moral teaching, which are believed to have been handed down by Naram-Sadai himself, are fairly straightforward. The faithful are commanded to refrain from murder, falsehood, theft, greed, blasphemy, and adultery, and must give charitably, live justly, and keep true to the bonds of marriage. How seriously most people attempt to live by these strictures varies widely.

Religious rites include baptism by water, holy matrimony, ordination, funerary rituals, and the exorcism of evil spirits.

 A schism in the Faith occurred a few centuries ago, led by Archpriest Heinrich of Aldburg, who was followed by many of the people of Foronia. He came over time to sharply with several minor points of the theology of the faith, and with a number of its practices. After being ignored for several years by the High Priest, Heinrich declared that the High Priest was a heretic, and many, many bitter years of warfare followed in Foronia. After Heinrich's death, the King of Aldburg selected his own Archpriest, rather than allow the High Priest in Viexmeur to appoint one. This new religion called itself 'The Reformed Faith,' and is also sometimes called 'The Aldburgian Confession.' Most Viexmeurites simply call them Schismatics.[/hider]

[hider=Other Religions]

Though in the minority, there are many Viexmeurites that practice other faiths. These other gods include: Gorandus the Wise, an ancient wizard said to have ascended to godhood, Bazahk, the Qazedi god of the moon, and Rosamund, a goddess of nature. Additionally, there are small communities of Schismatics, and while they are officially protected from persecution under royal law, this does little to stop them from being harassed by mobs of The Faithful acting of their own accord.

There are certain sects which are illegal in Viexmeur, chiefly those that worship and seek to contact demons. It is said that some of these cults have succeeded in summoning demonic forces, though there is no proof of this.[/hider]

In terms of writing style, I'm looking for posts of at least a couple paragraphs, but not exactly novel-length. High Casual, I guess. I'd also like to have about six players, give or take.

Oh, and I've borrowed inspiration heavily from Flynn's 'The King is dead, long live the King!' RP.

Alright, I've drawn up some application templates, which you'll see below. Please fill out both a character sheet and a Province sheet.

EDIT (1/20): Added some information about the capital, as well as the royal palace. I thought it might be helpful to describe them a little bit, since the game's going to revolve around them.

EDIT (1/25): Added the map, as edited by Genni.

EDIT (1/27): Added a blurb about the city watch of Reolus and the Royal Guard.

[hider=Character Sheet]

[b]Name:[/b] This should be self-explanatory. You certainly don't have to use funny-sounding Frankish names like I did.

[b]Age:[/b] Minimum of sixteen, which is considered the age of majority. It wouldn't make much sense to help a child run a government by sending more children.

[b]Rank:[/b] 'Noble' would probably be sufficient in most cases, but you can be as specific as you like.

[b]Title:[/b] Is you character a Duchess, Knight, etc.? If your character doesn't really have a proper title, you can just write 'N/A.'

[b]Features:[/b] As in, what your character looks like, sounds like, and so on. I really want a written description, but you can include a picture, if you like. Try to include a bit about how they dress, what they generally smell like, or other little details like that. I feel it helps flesh a character out a little.

[b]Strengths:[/b] Things your character is particularly good at doing. List as many as you'd like, but I would suggest no more than five.

[b]Weaknesses:[/b] Things your character is particularly bad at doing. List at least as many weaknesses as strengths.

[b]Bio:[/b] A short history of your character. You don't really need any more than a couple of paragraphs, though that might depend on how old your character is. I would expect an fifty-year-old to have a longer bio than a twenty-year-old, for instance.

[b]Quote:[/b] A short statement your character might say. Wit optional.[/hider]

[hider=Province Sheet]

[b]Province Name:[/b] Again, pretty self-explanatory.

[b]Province Ruler:[/b] May be the same person as your character, or not, as you prefer.

[b]Position:[/b] Position of your Province relative to the Crownlands. Feel free to be vague (South, East, etc.), since I haven't drawn a map and I've only described the geography of Viexmeur very vaguely.

[b]Notable Attributes:[/b] What is this province known for? Abundance of wheat? Good blacksmiths? Uncouth bards? Mythical cryptids?

[b]Description:[/b] Just write a little bit about your province, its history, its culture, its attitudes. 2-3 paragraphs would probably be sufficient, you don't need to describe every hill and tree branch.[/hider]