Hidden 4 yrs ago 4 yrs ago Post by Reia
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Long has it been since Man first arrived on the shores of what is now Burgher's Bay, fleeing cataclysm and plague in their homelands overseas. When First King Ulrain viewed this vast, empty realm, he claimed dominion over the land in the name of his people. And so was Ulrania born, a realm that marked a new beginning, a beacon of hope on frozen shores.

But the land was not so empty as Man first thought, and those that dwelt in Ulrania first did not take kindly to strangers in their midst.

As King Ulrain's people laid claim to the cold, wood-covered expanse, they clashed with the great giants, with the elves and the dwarves, and with the grayskins as well. They fought with the land itself as they tore down whole forests to make their cities and their spears. Still too they battled the long, terrible winters and the creeping dark of that season. And, just as importantly, Ulrain's people battled themselves.

It was not the elves nor dwarves nor grayskins that rent the kingdom in twain. No, it was the greed of Man that broke the realm. Ulrain the Fourth, the great grandson of the First King, died a sudden and unexpected death in his sleep. He left two sons who each coveted the throne. Neither would bear the thought of letting the other rule, and so each rallied followers to their banner to wage war with the other. The fighting was terrible, and it gave the enemies of Ulrain's descendants a chance to strike. It took but a single generation for the one kingdom to become several.

Even as the civilized world fell apart, so too did the almighty Wizards duel over the broken land. Though they were few in number, as they have always been, the practitioners of magic had their own conflicts and relations to the petty lords of the realm. Their conflicts marred the face of Ulrania. The Beastshaper, the Necromancer, the Frost Queen; none were innocent, and their deeds reverberated throughout history. Ultimately, it was wizardry that saved humanity's light from being extinguished, but also wizardry that left the whole of Ulrania in an apocalyptic shock.

As the War of the Wizards came to a close, a quiet, solemn peace fell over the land. Each of the peoples needed time to recover from the horrors of yesteryear. Elves, dwarves, grayskins, humans, and now the beastkin focused on rebuilding. It was not a permanent peace, but it allowed them all time to recover.

It is the year 943 of the New Dawn. Change is coming once again to Ulrania. The largest successor states to the old order - the Reunited Kingdom and the Theocracy of Stennar - stand poised for war with one another, neither willing to deliver the first blow without a distinct advantage. The petty lords of the south watch them with bated breath, ready to pounce on them or on each other should there be an opportunity to do so. Meanwhile, the Elven Realm has closed its borders to humans, and the dwarves of Thal Burzak whisper of dark prophecies.

Rumors abound in the north that the grayskins are raiding more fiercely than ever, and the tales have arisen that say the Wildwood is overtaking the fields of Larisar's farmers. News has slowed to a trickle from the border forts overlooking the Graylands, and banditry has become commonplace. Perhaps the most dire news of all is that dark clouds have begun to gather over the Nightwood, much as they did during the reign of the Beastshaper...

It is in this hour of peril that the strands of fate are woven around the special few. Heroes and villains, serfs and lieges, Wizards and warlords - all can feel the tug on their hearts. Ulrania shall be shaped once again by the deeds of those who feel...

Destiny's Call
Tales from a throttled land






Welcome to Destiny's Call, a roleplay where you play whoever you want (within reason) in the world!

This roleplay is what I'll be labeling 'Grand Fantasy.' It's set in Ulrania, a region of the world colonized by humans over a thousand years ago, and it's a land of mystery. It's so mysterious, in fact, that you don't know who the other player characters are!

Let me repeat that: you don't know who the other player characters are. Yes, really!

I'll be acting solely as the narrator and GM in this adventure. You can play... really anyone that you want. You want to be an adventurer? Ulrania's got plenty of those. You want to be a noble? Of course! A monarch? Absolutely! You want to be a goblin warlord, a dashing highwayman, a runaway princess, a beggar, one of the Wizards, an actual freaking dragon? Yes, yes, and yes to all of those things.

Essentially, the OOC section of this roleplay is largely for players to chit-chat with each other, and the IC section is for me - and really only me - to post in. The IC section will be filled with rumors, major events, and so on and so forth. I'll probably look like I'm talking to myself. I do that anyway, so that's probably fine.

So, you're probably thinking something along the lines of: "Reia, what the heck? How are you going to run this roleplay if people can't even use the IC section?" Well, friend, the answer is simple: we'll be handling individual character arcs privately. Whether it be via 1x1 threads, private messages, or scheduled Discord roleplaying sessions, I'll be interacting directly with the other roleplayers.

"But wait!" you might be thinking. "Why even make it a group roleplay if, like, people aren't actually interacting with each other?" Well, they WILL be - if they find each other. When one player finds another, I will hook them up so they can interact directly. Moreover, the actions of one player may affect another even if they're not at the same location. If Darius the Conqueror, y'know, conquers something and enslaves the populace, you can be darned sure that Irelia the goodly elven adventurer is going to shove her nose into that hot mess.

So, without further ado, let's go over the rules and mechanics of the roleplay. They're actually quite simple!



With the rules and mechanics out of the way, let's discuss the setting. I'll keep it as brief as I can!




Ulrania, the Throttled Land
The Big Picture


Ulrania is called the 'Throttled Land' because it is choked by wilderness on all sides. When First King Ulrain and his people arrived, they carved out a home from the thick, wild forests that covered his domain, but the wilds still stretch out to the south, the east, and the west.

This is a cold land. The northernmost part of Ulrania is almost eternally covered in snow, and the sea to the north can be dangerous to sail due to glaciers. Winters take up two fifths of the year rather than a mere quarter, and the wildlife has adapted accordingly.

This is a ruined land. Empty shells of cities and villages dot the landscape, remnants from the old wars and the machinations of the Wizards. Adventurers will find no shortage of strange places to delve, and would-be colonists sometimes take up in one of these ruins and use the foundations of a previous, prouder people.

This is a dangerous land. Wandering monsters, bandits, capricious fey, werecreatures, beastkin, warlords... Many threats exist in this land (some of which may be controlled by another player!). Some regions are more dangerous than others, but no part of Ulrania is truly safe - not even the cities.

This is a feudal land. Technology is comparable to Dark Ages Europe, or Viking Age Europe, whichever you would prefer to call it. You will not find plate armor, crossbows, or guns here. You will find mail armor and shields, knights and their lieges, peasants and serfs...

This is a diverse land. Many kinds of people sailed across the sea to colonize Ulrania. Some were light-skinned; others were dark-skinned; and now you can find all sorts of people in the realm. The demihumans - elves, dwarves, and littlefolk - are similarly diverse.

If you're ever in doubt what the aesthetics of the roleplay should be - what sort of music is played, the kind of food that's cooked, how people dress, etc. - think of the broader culture as being a mish-mash of real world Germanic, Celtic, Slavic, and east coast Native American cultures. Bear in mind the previous note on technology - 8-10th century Europe should give you a good idea of where the world is in most things.

Species of Ulrania


There are many species that live within Ulrania. The most common humanoid beings are listed below, but note that this is not a comprehensive list. If you wish to play something that isn't listed, just let me know and we'll see if we can make it fit!













The Landscape







Below you will find quick descriptions of Ulrania's regions. You don't have to read all of them, though you certainly can! When creating your character, you can reference these regions to get an idea of their homeland.

There is more lore than what is written here, but this is all common knowledge.































Magic in Ulrania


Understand that the practice of magic is not a common affair in the realms of mortals. Spellslingers don't march around throwing fireballs. Clerics don't wield the power of the gods to heal wounds. Magical phenomena might be common enough, especially where creatures such as faeries are concerned, but you don't really see mages running around.

Wizards are rare. Wizards are, in fact, incredibly rare. They can come from virtually any intelligent species, but most commonly are of human stock. There may be perhaps seven or eight wizards present in the known world at any given time at most. However, they wield incredible powers, not unlike Merlin from Arthurian myth or Gandalf from Tolkein's works.

While actual spellcasters may be rare, magical items are less so. Elves and dwarves both create magical trinkets and minor artifacts, and sometimes they have worked in concert to create truly amazing, powerful pieces. Artifacts can come from other sources, too. Wizards have been known to craft them, for instance, and dragons somehow seem to get their claws on them...

Finally, understand that magical creatures are much more common than magic users, especially in the wake of the Beastshaper, the Necromancer, and other such powerful wizards.

It is worth noting that you can potentially play a character who begins play with a magical artifact or trinket, and you can even play a wizard. It's also worth noting that you can play someone that was cursed by magic, perhaps turned into a different form. Perhaps there is some truth to the idea that beastkin were made from humans? Or perhaps the faeries played some sort of devilish trick on your character?

Religion in Ulrania


There are several religions in the world of Ulrania. Most minor religions are heresies of one of a major one, but there are also various cults to be contended with as well.

It is noteworthy that not all people worship with the same fervor, nor do they always embody the virtues of their religion. Some, in fact, pay only lip service to their faith, believing that in the end prayer matters little. Perhaps it is true.

Below you will find the most common religions in Ulrania. However, there are certainly more than these.













Submitting a Character


Submitting a character is actually fairly straightforward:

Firstly, make sure to send me your character sheet with a PM that begins with the words Destiny's Call. This is so that I can easily organize my inbox. (I intend to move conversations related to the roleplay into my Archives so I can handle them all in one place separate from other PMs.)

Secondly, just fill out the following:






If you've made it this far, I hope I haven't bored you to death. Hopefully you have some ideas in your head.

I got this roleplay written up quicker than expected because my brain was going absolutely freaking bonkers thinking about it and I couldn't sleep. Speaking of, I probably need to catch an hour or two of shuteye.

Post here or PM me if you're interested! Remember, title your PM as Destiny's Call: blah blah blah or whatever and stuff.

If you post here, just please don't reveal your character concept to everyone! We want it to be a surprise when you meet another player, right?

Feel free to ask if you have any questions about the setting. I know I didn't fill out everything (such as religion); my take is "less is more."

EDIT: One last thing!

If anyone wants to play with a group of other players - such as if you have a friend or two you really want to participate with - remember that you can reach out to me with a group PM and say "Hey, can we roleplay as a group?"

For instance, you might do this if you want to form a team of adventurers, or if you want to be a group of nobles serving the same liege-lord. Or perhaps you're a young couple in love running away from home, or... etc.
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Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by Reia
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@BangoSkank@Calle@Aviaire@A Lowly Wretch@Fetzen@Stas@Skwint@Afro Samurai@stone@Ollumhammersong

The thread is up! I've pinged you both in the thread itself (here) and in the interest check, just in case.

EDIT: Oh, and by the way - I intend to start the roleplay on 2.20.2020. You can always jump in late if you're not ready then!
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Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by Reia
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Triple post, but I completely forgot to add a VERY important thing to the character sheet. It's this line:

Ambition: Make sure to define in whatever length you wish what your character's overarching goal is. It can be a few words, a few sentences, a paragraph... Why does Destiny tug at your character's soul? What is their ambition?


It's on there now, of course!
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Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by stone
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THIS IS SO SICK YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I'm fuckin ready to have some fun. Question! Can you have two characters if they're a pair?
Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by Reia
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I'm fuckin ready to have some fun. Question! Can you have two characters if they're a pair?


Absolutely! Essentially you'd still only have one Destiny pool, so 'mechanically' you would be one character. Roleplay-wise, however... yes. Two characters!
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Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by Pupperr
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Interesting concept. Is there ample opportunity for players to accidentally meet up or what not to allow interaction between them? And if so, what does that look like if there isn't a traditional IC thread? Is Discord mandatory?
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@Pupperr

iirc Reia said group pm or somethin
Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by Reia
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Interesting concept. Is there ample opportunity for players to accidentally meet up or what not to allow interaction between them? And if so, what does that look like if there isn't a traditional IC thread? Is Discord mandatory?


Accidental meetups will definitely be happening. Discord is optional, not mandatory.

Here's how I imagine it working:

- Player 1 is a Faerie witch working out of the Everbloom Forest.
- Player 2 enters into the Everbloom Forest, specifically in a way that would put them near Player 1.
- At this point, I will either make clues that someone is doing things nearby OR if it feels fitting I will have them meet directly.
- If they meet, I create a Conversation via the forum that includes both of them. Now they can decide whether they want to roleplay out an encounter via collaborative writing, PMs, or what-have-you!
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Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by GingerBoi123
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Room for more? This looks really cool!
Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by Reia
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@Pupperr

iirc Reia said group pm or somethin


Correct! Group convos - or Discord convos - can be used for people that decide to form groups.

Happenstance will probably begin with PM Convos on the forums, though!
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Room for more? This looks really cool!


I think so! My player cap is going to be about 15, I think. I can't imagine myself being able to work with more players than that.

At present I've had... 14 individual people express interest, I think, between the Interest Check, posts here, and PMs. However, nobody's sent me a completed sheet yet.

I will note, of course, that the more players there are the more I may have to slow down. I'll be trying to include as many players as I can.

Ultimately, I want it remembered that players of any writing skill level can apply. I don't mind if someone writes at a casual level or is even brand new to roleplaying, nor do I mind if they consider themselves advanced. I'm hoping I won't have to deny anyone, but if I do I'll try and make sure there's a waiting list for people that don't get in. Honestly, I didn't expect to get this much interest, so I'm working out how I will decide who to keep as players and who to put on the waiting list.

I will add this - if people want to form official roleplay groups, that might give me less threads to focus on and would be more manageable, meaning I can work with more total players.

Of course, despite all the people PMing me and posting, I'm worried the roleplay will look very much like me yapping at myself in the IC section. But it's okay if people think I'm talking to myself.
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Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by GingerBoi123
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@ReiaJesus, your limit is 15 xD More salutes to you because I don't think I could manage this with five people :p

Do you want us to DM the character sheets and is the discord link available?
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@ReiaJesus, your limit is 15 xD More salutes to you because I don't think I could manage this with five people :p

Do you want us to DM the character sheets and is the discord link available?


DM the character sheets, yes! I'll give my personal Discord if you wish when you private message me.

I wasn't thinking of making a Discord server originally, but I'm definitely getting the sense that some people would prefer that I did. I won't have time to organize it properly until late tonight at least, but should I make a proper Discord server?
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Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by GingerBoi123
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@ReiaI would say a server might be the best format. For example, you could have multiple rooms and use roles to lock people out rather than keeping track of individual PMs. This could be a way to keep stuff centralised for you. As well as having general chat or/as well as an OOC chat specific for the RP. That's my two cents
Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by Reia
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@ReiaI would say a server might be the best format. For example, you could have multiple rooms and use roles to lock people out rather than keeping track of individual PMs. This could be a way to keep stuff centralised for you. As well as having general chat or/as well as an OOC chat specific for the RP. That's my two cents


If I do create one, it will be optional. I want people to feel free to roleplay with me via whichever of the presented mediums they prefer - RPGuild or Discord.
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Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by GingerBoi123
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@ReiaI get ya! Just a spitball idea of how it could be used, y'know?
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Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by Slamurai
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Tentatively interested - not entirely convinced about the ‘multiple 1x1s inside one setting’ format. I think there’s a lot of pressure on you as the GM to keep plots moving and to feed players quality NPCs to work with. Otherwise, characters are sort of running around like headless chickens.
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Hidden 4 yrs ago 4 yrs ago Post by Reia
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Tentatively interested - not entirely convinced about the ‘multiple 1x1s inside one setting’ format. I think there’s a lot of pressure on you as the GM to keep plots moving and to feed players quality NPCs to work with. Otherwise, characters are sort of running around like headless chickens.


Entirely understandable concern. Thankfully, my burden will be somewhat alleviated by the presence of other PCs as plot hooks in and of themselves.

I do have the time and energy to handle this for the foreseeable future, but trust me when I say that I don't blame you for your worry. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little worried myself!

EDIT: This is also why I'm making the 'once a week' minimum posting rate guideline. If needed, I can move it to 'once every two weeks.' This is to give myself some time to get to everyone involved.
Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by Reia
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Hey guys, I just noticed I didn't mention this in the opening post:

I'd generally like to keep content PG13. As we're going to have a lot of different people potentially interacting and I don't know everyone, it's best to keep it PG13 because you will be interacting with other players.

We can touch on serious topics and show violence, but let's make sure it's measured and doesn't turn into NSFW content or gorefests.

I'm adding this to the rules now!
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Hidden 4 yrs ago Post by A Lowly Wretch
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@Reia - Definitely a good idea. You never know what people and/or characters this rp'll see.

By the way, I'm reasonably flexible in terms of how I'll conduct my posting so I was just curious if you'd rather hold the exchanges via PM back-n-forth or by Discord.
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