[Center][h1]The First Law: Path of Blood[/h1] [img]https://www.joeabercrombie.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/FIRSTLAW_BLADEITSELF_VOL1_COVER_jpeg_rev3.jpg[/img][/center] Information will be added if interest is shown. Apologize in advance for horrible formatting, just not good at that. [hider=A Withered Northman's Reflections] A chilling night 'round the fires, this one. Birds long gone south to warmer, more hospitable lands than this bloody North. Wind rattling the trees, and he'd be damned if he didn't vision ghosts of men long gone back to the mud in the omnious shadows of the flickering flames. By the dead, he was going mental. Stories of old rising from th'graves, or shadows of your old self comin' to haunt ya', gave this man the shivers. No questions asked. How could he not, he who speaks with spirits when they care t'answer his calls? He who'd seen devil bloods wander freely? Who'd seen men get eaten by other men? He who'd fought countless flatheads just t'keep his home safe, with poor results? He'd seen the world for what it truly was, the Great Leveller's little playground. A playground were men like King Scale ruled th'North, where men like Black Dow tyrannized it before him, where men like th'fucking Bloody-Nine himself terrorized any in his path, friend or foe. A playground which rewards th'killers and throw those not into the mud. "How I long for the old days, when I stood side by side with Rudd Threetrees himself. When you did the right thing matter how hard it was. When there was no king o' the bloody North. Simpler days. Politics were solved in the circle by proud Named Men, offering their lives t'save thousands. Aye, it wasn't always perfect, what with the constant fights. The struggle for survival. And was no such thing as good roads. True enough. But you did the right thing. Chose your path and bloody did it. No skulking about in no house o' too much rock for one man t'call home with foes he call friends. Shame I played a part in making it so." The old man told the children around him. The villagers close by said he once was a Named Man hisself, he was. Said he'd fought in every single war the North been part of the last thirty years. Said him being the last real straight edge on the fields o' battle. No more, now a retired man. Just an elder telling tales to young ones while tending the fields of crops instead. Tales of the sieges of Uffrith came every now and then, every time with new aggressrs and defenders. Who held the city now, few knew. He was sure not even King Scale hisself knew, and he sure as hell was certain the King o' the Union didn't know Uffrith was theirs at some point at all. Atleast from what Hardbread told him. Apparently Scale had gotten himself into some alliance with those black skins from far South. No idea how that happened, but he guessed that brother o' his, Black Calder, had a part in it. Good with a tongue he was. That, the old man knew better'n most. He practically raised him, after all. Mayhaps that woman with th'bandages he remembered Black Dow befriended, if one could call it that, had it arranged. That witch, she was. One thing he knew though, after that alliance was forged, more and more news of constant battles over Uffrith arrived. Ah, how he longed to go back to the mud himself. Too old for it all. [/hider] Well, recently I've been reading the book series The First Law by Joe Abercrombie, and I can hardly say anything else than I absolutely loving the entire thing. His writing is so splendid that even when I put the book away I still can see everything going on in my mind's eye. It is brilliantly cold. And, of course, like any fan of fantasy I imagined myself amongst them. Which is why I want to make a roleplay based of it. Luckily you don't need to know much about the series to participate, as I'll place this roleplay ~25-30 years after the events of the book. And I'll do my best to give apt information regarding the various parts of it all. As for now, though, I'll just put up an interest check. See if any wants to journey in this cutthroat of a world. Be wary though, it is going to be a bloody mess. Some quick rules -Mid-Casual to low-advanced writing is preferred, atleast good grasp of grammar and spelling. I won't be an ass about it though, I'm prone to make many a blunders myself. One hand and all. -Don't be an ass yourself. Just don't. I'm open to critcism though. I ain't perfect, and ideas are appreciated. -Atleast a post a week, eh? Give me a heads up if you can't, otherwise I'll assume you don't care to be in it. Speak up, and no problems will arise. -Be curious. Ask questions. I've hardly covered jack all so far here, so if there's something you wonder about, ask it! Not only will it help you get an answer, it'll help me to add in more details that could help others. And so, here's some information on what will actually happen as well as the various factions and their specific role in this roleplay. [hider=General info] A new war between the Union and the North has broken out. Lasting for years on end, it has proven to be mightily different from the previous few thanks to King Scale of the North's great love for war and his brother Black Calder's clever mind. The city of Uffrith has been in constant siege from either side lasting almost a decade, and it has helped little that Gurkhal has moved to support the North. The Union armies are basically camped close by the city, with almost hundred thousand troops at the ready. Scale's army is mighty smaller, but mighty more homgrown and uses the territory to hinder any movements from the massive host. And as always, this is a puppet war schemed by the Magi. At first, the final battle for Uffrith takes place, and depending on which side the players choose as well as the victors, the following routes will be North.. or South. [hider=Factions] [hider=The Union] Once founded by Harod the Great and his second Bayaz, the First of the Magi, the Union is now the second greatest nation in the world. Owning all of Mitterland, Starikland, Angland and the mostpart south of the river Whiteflow, it has quickly expanded into a nation of great pride. Within its capitol Adua in Mitterland resides King Jezal the First and his Closed Council, as well as the noblesmen's Open Council. Now enemy to most of the world, and puppeteered by Bayaz, the Union is in a very poor state socially, economically and militarily. Wars has taken it's toll on the great nation. Imagine a typical feudal state like England, France and the like from the 1300's. [/hider] [hider=The North] In Skarling's chair sits King Scale, ruler of everything North of Whiteflow and West of Crinna. Beside him sits his brother Black Calder and his closest Named Men and War Chiefs. A nation of savages-turned-civilized in recent times, it is stil in its infantile life. Scale's father, Bethod, was the one to make it all come together and gather the clans under one banner. Luckily thanks to the youthful state of the nation, and Calder's sharp mind, they have avoided the puppeteering strings of the Magi and is mostly on their own. In the North, the strongest and most brutish of men rule, and thinkers are thrown aside. It's a bloody world, and only the Great Leveller can cast judgment on men's actions. Not that it does. Think Scandinavian Vikings or Scottish Picts. [/hider] [hider=Gurkhal] The Gurkish Empire is the largest nation in the world, controlling the massive amounts of land in the South. Ruled by Emperor Uthman-ul-Dosht and the Prophet Khalul, the Empire is known for handling slaves, slaughtering ethnic tribes, and having constant wars with the Union lasting many centuries. Khalul is the real leader and with his army of Eaters called the Hundred Words, he seeks the power needed to best his old foe Bayaz. And it sure helps to have an endless army of slavesoldiers at ones disposal, all following his commands like they were God himself's words. In fact, God is a mighty important part in Gurkhal's everyday life. Many prayers, no responses. Think of the Ottoman Empire short after discovering gunpowder. But with black people instead of tan ones. [/hider] [hider=Old Empire and Styria] Two nations that will be sidelined modt of the time in this particular roleplay, the Old Empire is a nation born and bred for civil war, treachery and pointless hope. Every year several new men claim to be Emperor after others die, and all visibly disappointed once life is robbed from them. One magi travel these lands in hopes of restoring the glory of Old, but every century leaves just disappointment. Styria on the other hand is a land ruled by no one in particular, instead an island rife with citystates. The constant powerstruggles between the various citystates holds the lands in balance, yet it is the perfect home for any seeking wealth. Trades, arts, merchantry, it is also held to high standards, and rich and poor all stand with opportunities. Old Empire is kind of like Italy shortly after the Roman Empire broke, while styria is Italy ala Rennaisance times. [/hider] [hider=Map] [img]https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/firstlaw/images/5/5d/Circle-of-the-world-new2.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20160503204508[/img] [/hider] [/hider] [/hider]