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[i]“In this estate, you will find no solace as that corpse hangs there in the trees. Cursed, he stares and affronts us with the singular, damned eye. There shan’t be remorse in the day, as adventurers and brigands alike take forth the perilous quest to remove the Hanged Man and, by extension, the curse. There shan’t be forgiveness in the night as the ruined hills conceal those who wish to bring down the decrepit majesty that afforded us such a curse. You must end this blight, for it all else succumbs to this darkness, there will be no light left for us. As our friend, we implore you. End this reign of terror and advance into the perilous hills that plague us.”
Hedlef Lochborne, Lord of Malcast[/i][/center]

In the Kingdom of Baldock, a curse has swept over the Estate of the Lochborne family as the Hanged Man appeared on the cold rolling hills of the countryside. Once fertile lands have turned to death and decay as the Hanged Man watches over the Estate, dark clouds blocking the sunlight and casting a maddening spell upon those who tend to the estate and the farms that surround it. Cattle give birth to abhorrent abominations, masses of grotesque skin and heads that do not survive their first seconds in the world. Children to the farm hands grow sick, dying in the night as the curse creeps into their stead and cradles them in their beds. None is spared from the curse that has overtaken this estate.  

The Lochborne family has allowed the curse to spread into their stead, not out of their own negligence of duty, but to the curse being far too difficult to dispel with their own mundane grasp of magic. Though, while they are too stubborn to relocate their estate to more fertile soil, the curse is seeping into the city of Malcast as the children too have begun to grow sick and the soil begins to decay. Thusly so, Hedlef Lochborne has reached out to those who he would call ‘friend’ as those who had previously been hired have proved too ill-equipped as cultists and monsters rampage in those cursed hills that continue to mock the noble family. 

Yet, it is those before who have been summoned to the task that have met there most tragic end, driven to despair and madness in those hills of plague. They tell tale of fiends and blights unlike ever have been encountered, that those who fight would meet their end and that those who escape wish only for their own miserable lives to end.  Heed the warnings of the raving madmen who have retreated for it is they that had stared into the eyes of the endless horror of the Hanged Man’s curse and survive, but it is they that would sooner seek the endless embrace of death rather than recount their memories of the Hanged Man. 

Those pagans must be driven out before all hope is lost. 

Those beasts must be slain before death is wrought through the hills.

The Hanged Man must be cut down before life itself loses its will to live. 

May the gods show mercy to those who face his maddening gaze.

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Welcome to The Hanged Man, a dark fantasy roleplay deeply inspired by the game known as Darkest Dungeon in that characters who go to face this Hanged Man run the risk of going mad against the forces they combat. It is in this roleplay that I seek to tell the tale of the Hanged Man, a corpse that has appeared on a hill overlooking an estate owned by the Lochborne family, a family of nobles that rule over the nearby city of Malcast. The mystery here as to who this Hanged Man is and why he is plaguing the land with such a powerful curse and thus finding out how to dispose of it. 

The characters, coming from all different walks of life from various corners of the country, the Kingdom of Baldock, have been summoned by their friend, the Lord of Malcast, to dispose of the curse as all other attempts, even by professionals, have failed. Warriors and monks, doctors and assassins, no matter who the character is, they have a friendship with Hedlef Lochborne and have answered his call to go to the now solemn and despair ridden town of Malcast. With such despair, Hedlef has become desperate to rid the estate of the curse before it spreads further. 

If you haven’t guessed by now, I plan for this RP to be heavy and while I do not generally like to run amok with controlling PC creation, players are expected to create characters that would fit the story and theme of the RP. Now, that does not mean edge-lords or anything like that, but this setting is darker and runs along with the notion that madness and despair await those who seek to fight the Hanged Man. That said, I suppose I should say that I am looking for roughly six characters to embark on this tragic story and if this gets more attention than the slots I am willing to run with I will have to make various choices between PCs on which would be best for the RP. However, if a character is not chosen, that player will be put on a waiting list and if the time comes, they may join if their interest holds. 

Now, onto the story itself. I want to say that there are times in which sand-box will be a thing, namely in terms of exploration or downtime while the ‘Story’ missions are set in how they are playing out, barring player choices and how that would influence the story. In this fashion, it allows plays to do some solid character development outside the expeditions into the hills where the Hanged Man watches the Estate while still staying along with the setting of the story. This is a detailed, collaborative story where the characters are the focus after all. 

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Do note that all the knowledge that I present here is not all the world has to offer, but rather all the necessary information needed to play within this story. Any ideas that a player may have should PM, or openly discuss with me. Whether it be races, notable people, or countries, I will listen and give my opinion, though if I feel it does not belong in the game, I do reserve the power to deny the idea. 

[hider=Races]
Races of this world include some of the typical fantasy races one would find; humans, orcs, elves, dwarves, demons, goblins, etc. etc. However, it should be noted that each of these races are seperate with Orcs occupying the deserts to far south of the continent, elves inhabiting the vasts forests even further south than that, and dwarves generally scattered in their keeps all around the various mountains of the continent. With that said, here is a list of races that are available for players to choose from. 

[b][u]Humans[/u][/b] 
Humans are, perhaps, one of the most adaptable races found throughout the continent and by far more numerous than the dwarves and elves, only rivalled by the orcs. They are primary species of Baldock and have adapted to the harsh cold that persists in that north, showing their determination to survive in nearly any climate that they set their minds to. Yet, they do not boast the strength of the orcs, the perception and dexterity of the elves, or the hardy and long-lived nature of the dwarf. 

[b][u]Orcs[/u][/b]
Orcs are a scattered people, strong and unwilling to cooperate with most other races unless it advances their own honor throughout the world. This has led to a particular rivalry between the imperialistic humans who seek to oppress them and use them as strong labor in their fields. Orcs are proud and live by the traditions of the desert where one must be strong and have the endurance to survive the brutal heat. This has led to a general consensus that the orcs are less learned than the other species, but they hold the same ability to learn as the humans and dwarves. They are the second most common species in Baldock, though still operate as a significantly lesser minority, a majority having been brought in to be used a small workforce. 

[b][u]Dwarves[/u][/b]
Dwarves, perhaps, are some of the most long-lived and least common species to be found in Baldock as they remain as independent nations states within the two mountains that occupy the countryside, Narhoul and Dogrear. They hold and technological edge over the humans, though as of late they have entered into a stagnancy in their development with their plates of armor and weapons, while still better than most of what humans can make, are merely maintained from generation to generation at this time. They are a rare sight outside of their mountain-forts, only coming out to trade or in dire cases, to raid. 

[b][u]Elves[/u][/b]
Elves, like humans, are perhaps a moderately adaptable race, but they find it much harder to get around from their forested south as they are much more frail than even humans. To make up for their frail and sickly nature, they have evolved higher reflexes and have an increased perception, namely in the form of sight and hearing. They are not seen as trustworthy by humans and dwarves as many of them tend to cause trouble, or rather they tend to get blamed for trouble, whenever they are around.  

[b][u]Half-Bloods[/u][/b]
While Half-Bloods are not unheard of between the races, whenever one comes about, it is very prejudiced as they are seen as lesser from both sides of their lineage, being “unclean” and more abomination than person. Whether it be Orc and Elf, Human and Dwarf, they are generally neutered, or what is more common, put to death despite taking on aspects from both of their parents, though in a lesser and more moderate degree. Additionally, Half-Bloods do not have the ability to reproduce, whether or not this is because the gods look down on such creations is up for debate.
[/hider]

[hider=The Kingdom of Baldock]
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[h3][b][u]Notable Locations[/u][/b][/h3]

[i]Dalton[/i]
Dalton is the capital of the Kingdom of Baldock, having a population of nearly 745,000 souls, it is one of the largest cities on the continent and home to the family of Bright, the ruling family of the nation. Being one of the only cities in Baldock with a proper dock, it has grown into a prominent  trading hub in the Northern Sea and is lucrative in supporting the massive population that lives there. This city has massive, stone walls said to be built by ancient dwarves hired to construct such a monument, though the slums of the city have spilled out of the protection of these walls long ago. Additionally, the city is home to the only professional magician school, designed to teach students about the dangers of magic rather than having the students practice their powers.

[i]Malcast[/i]
Long has this city been on such peculiar grounds that the curse that now haunts it was not originally perceived as great a threat as one may think. The city is the home of the Lochborne family, who rules the city with debauchery and sin as their power, reinforced by the King, is abused to increase their own power and not provide for its people. Such autocracy and ruthlessness is assumed to be why the curse came to be, but given the curse affects all, it is still unknown, though it has rallied the peasants and freemen to protest the rule of the Lochborne. Malcast, having no port of its own and only relying on the yearly harvest of the Lochborne Estate, is now suffering a food shortage, adding to the suffering of the people.

[i]The Lochborne Estate[/i] 
Nearly 60 miles away from the city of Malcast, the Estate consists of sprawling farms and a large fortified mansion in a hilly countryside. The weather there now is abhorrent as dark clouds block the sunlight and the curse kills the land of the estate. In the generations of the Lochborne family living there, why now has the curse just came up?

[h3][b][u] Brief History[/u][/b][/h3]
The history of Baldock is a long a tenuous one founded in the blood and rebellion from the Great Empire of Tara nearly a thousand years ago. The Dukes and Lords that lived within the region had been prosecuted for their growing power and eventually, when the now declining power of the Great Empire of Tara had begun to suffer a string of large rebellions that began to pick away at its insides, the nation of Baldock managed to rip free the chains of oppression that held them down, allying with Dwarven Lords, Elven Matriarchs, and Orc Chieftain alike as they toppled the great power. Under such duress, the Empire of Tara collapsed, it’s forces stretched thin and troops being routed on all fronts. Thus was the birth of the proud nation that is still dwarfed in size by the Empire of Tara. 

In the peace that ensued, Baldock expanded south and established a vassal to act as a border against the Empire of Tara, the vassalage of Fenlia. Such a vassal has proved used in deterring the armies of Tara from future wars as it attempted to reclaim what power it could, as the Wars of Deterrence raged after a poultry thirty years after what was supposed to be a great peace. This war, however, did not play out as easily for Baldock as it had in the past as the nation had become the primary focus the Imperial Army. Pitched battles and ambushes raged throughout the countryside of Fenlia and no winner was determined from the war as Empire of Tara was forced to retreat and winter at home, allowing for the new lords of Baldock to lick their own wounds. 

Summer after summer, and winter after winter, the Empire of Tara attempted to break through Fenlia but never have they been able to get the decisive battle that they needed. As such, Bardock was able to reinforce it’s armies and adopted military traditions that improved its own logistical capabilities and tactics to better suit the northern hills that it would commonly fight in. Though, such wars are hardly talked about anymore, as the Empire of Tara eventually consolidated its power and signed a white peace with lords that make up Bardock.  However, with the Empire finding a defeat once more, it was decided that holding onto the northern territories was more of a hassle than it was worth and allowed those nations to be free after its forces were brought back to proper imperial lands. 

The raving orc bands of the deserts declared their own independence from Tara, offering a further buffer between Baldock and the Empire, but making the frontier territories a dangerous land to be. Many expeditions were sent into those orcish warbands to claim more land, but they suffered a defeat that sent the Kingdom reeling. Unknowing true defeat, the King of Baldock has since made such a large invasion into those lands, instead focusing to fight to its east and west with the newly formed nations of Yolotco to its east and Kunizu to its west. 

While wars were fought, little land was gained, leaving Baldock to consolidate its power and make sure that its vassal to continue to stay under the rule of its northern lords. However, such wars were fought many, many times and Fenlia became known as the ‘Land of Rebellion’ as Fenlian lords who desired independence constantly rose and fell making the region all the more unstable. 

[h3][b][u]Culture[/u][/b][/h3]
The culture of Baldock is that of military and pride, much like the Taran culture to the south. The Baldock boy seeks to ready himself to be called to a life of war, lest he be called a coward and ousted from society. Until his honor be regained on the field of battle, or he prove himself worthy in the eyes of a noble, there is no salvation until he has died. The boy will go out to become a man or he will die and rid the nation of a burden that cannot serve to forward the King’s wishes. 

The land rewards the hardworking Baldock, too, of course. They stalk game with bow and arrow; they forage their forests; they net the bogs for iron, and pull up minerals from the skin of the earth: nickel, jet, coal, amber-gold. But these are the realms of old, fearful men, men who have lost their luck and whose spirits have gone to ash. The sea belongs to those with spirits still ablaze. It makes fishermen of the smallest of them. Many again are traders in fat times and plunderers in lean, buying meat or stealing it from other lands when their own has yielded none, taking only enough slaves to see their chores done back home. A decent living is always easy to earn on the lakes and rivers, too: the demand never dries up for young, strong workers to portage ships, loaded with casks and weapons, from water to water. But the greatest of these men, the ones with infernos inside, they go hunting.[/hider]

[hider=The Dangers of Magic]
Magic, within the confines of this setting, is a double edged sword as whatever spells that may be cast by a magician who may be touched with the ability to harness such a power, will touch the caster as well. A healer who tends to a wounded party member may find that those wounds burn into the skin of the healer and cause immense pain until they would be normally healed. A magician who seeks to launch a ball of fire at their enemy would find that they have been set on fire by their own magic and may very well die. However, such drawbacks are often random in their intensity, but the mere fact that such drawbacks exist make many wary of even using the “gift”. 

It is due to this fact alone that there is no centralized magical circle, save for the school in Dalton who only seeks to deter the use of magic rather than encourage it. With such, there are no commonly used spells or knowledge that is passed down from mage to mage as those would want to teach it have likely died from their own spells. Additionally, those who openly use magic in Baldock, are typically seen as fools and are commonly avoided lest they see a fool kill themselves wielding a power not reserved for the mortal being.  

Heed not the fools, for the magician will always die in their youth.
[/hider]

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[list]
[*]Avoid power playing or god-modding. If you're unsure about taking a certain action ask the group/GM through the OOC or in PMs respectively.
[*]Please do not harass or insult your fellow players. If you are running into a problem please message the GMs in a private message.
[*]Consult fellow players before making sweeping decisions about the World State. Choices that change the world or impact multiple characters requires the agreement/consideration of the party.
[*]Secrets among characters are fine, but make sure to message the GM to ensure they can prepare properly.
[*]Try to avoid OOC chat in the IC
[*]When creating characters and posts please stick to the setting and theme as best you can. The World is an ever-updating tool for you to use, and I'm always a PM away!
[*]Please alert the GM if you are expecting to be away for an extended period of time. This is totally okay, but it's nice to know before you head off. Emergencies happen, and the GM reserves the right to use your character and your related NPCs to progress the story forward as to avoid the RP stalling.
.[/list]

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[hider=Character Sheet]
[code][center][h2]C H A R A C T E R N A M E[/h2]
(potential picture here)
[/center]

[b]Gender[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Race:[/b]
[b]Profession:[/b] Are you a mercenary? A jester perhaps? Maybe even a cultist...

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[center][h3]DETAILS[/h3][/center]

[b]Detailed Appearance:[/b] No need to go above 5 paragraphs unless you want to, just be detailed (especially if not using a reference picture)

[b]Detailed Backstory:[/b] Perhaps the most important aspect of this character sheet, make as in-depth and as detailed as possible and feel free to world build through the eyes of your character! Be prepared for me to thoroughly judge this.

[hr]

[center][h3]Equipment[/h3][/center]

[b]Weapons:[/b]
[b]Armor:[/b]
[b]General Provisions:[/b]
[b]Magical Items:[/b] (leave this blank at the start)

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[center][h3]Magic[/h3][/center]

[b]Magical Affinity:[/b] How strong you character has to the forces of magic, if any at all. Due note, I will be keeping an eye on the number of magic users. If there are too many, then I will ask that a character either reduce their affinity or remove it entirely, though I do want to avoid doing this.
[b]Spells:[/b] Limit the amount of spells your character has to three and balance them as best you can, remember that all spells have drawbacks and the stronger the spell, the stronger the drawback. You may create any type of spell you desire as magic is decentralized. 
[/code][/hider]

And finally, thank you for showing interest! If you have any questions, do not be afraid to ask me something!

[i]Be afraid of the cursed lands that haunt us.[/i]