[center][h3]Useful Information[/h3][/center] This roleplay is currently full. However, there is a waiting list. If you wish to join, let me know! This roleplay functions more as a series of 1x1s than as a traditional RP. Please be aware of this! [hider=RULES AND MECHANICS][b]RULES[/b] [list][*]Firstly, all standard RPGuild rules apply. [*]Secondly, respect your fellow players OOCly no matter what happens. Be excellent to each other! [*]Thirdly, respect the mechanics of the roleplay. They're simple and straightforward, so that shouldn't be a problem! [*]Fourthly, try to post once a week if possible, or to hold a roleplay session over Discord with me once a week. I'll be holding myself to the same standard. If you need to take extended leave, just let me know! [*]Fifthly, remember that you should be keeping who your character is a secret. I can't force you to do this, but I'd like you to do this so that people are surprised when they meet each other. [*]Finally, please understand that death can happen. I am not intending to make this roleplay a meatgrinder into which you throw your characters, but there are very real risks of defeat in whatever you do. Sometimes, it is best to heed the better part of valor. [*]Something I forgot initially - let's generally keep things PG13. A lot of people may end up interacting, and I'd rather not worry about NSFW content reaching the wrong people! [/list] [b]MECHANICS[/b] [color=violet][b]Destiny[/b][/color] - Every character in this roleplay has a measure of [color=violet]Destiny.[/color] This is the power of fate, that strange, divine string that pulls the chosen into the places they need to be. Each character starts with a limited pool of Destiny, though more powerful, influential characters have less starting Destiny than more mundane ones. You may invoke the power of [color=violet]Destiny[/color] at any time to do one of several things: [list][*]Get out of a bad situation [*]Narrate a change to the scene [*]Ask for an unexpected intervention, such as from an ally or someone with a common foe [*]Force an encounter with another player (within reason; you must know their identity and you must be in the same area) [*]Do something beyond the normal limits of your character (within reason) [*]Uncover a vital secret or clue if you are lost [*]Activate a powerful magical artifact [*]Cheat death[/list] ...and whatever else may come up during play. That should cover most uses, however. [color=Violet]Destiny[/color] does not replenish easily. In fact, it's very rare that you will recover any during play. Treat your starting pool of [color=Violet]Destiny[/color] as your ONLY pool, because you may not get any more after the game's start. [color=crimson][b]Peril[/b][/color] - Sometimes you may find yourself wandering into an area that spells almost certain doom for your character, or perhaps you will get an uneasy feeling, a warning of some dire event to come. When in such a [color=crimson]perilous[/color] situation, I will code text with crimson so that you are well aware of the danger ahead. This isn't necessarily a guaranteed demise, but it does mean that you should tread carefully, because these circumstances are very dangerous for your character. [b]Music[/b] - You may have noticed that the headers of different sections are actually URL links. They lead to songs on YouTube that I think fit the situation. You don't have to click them, but feel free to do so if you want to get a sense of the mood I'm trying to set![/hider] [hider=Terrain Map][img]https://i.imgur.com/NSsxlPv.png[/img][/hider] [hider=Political Map][img]https://i.imgur.com/dXfuAwY.png[/img][/hider] [hider=Travel Times]Someone in Discord asked me about the size of the region and about travel times. I freaked out and then proceeded to puke some math into the chat. Below is the excerpt from Discord explaining the matter: [quote][b]TRAVEL TIMES AND THE SIZE OF THE REGION[/b] Okay, so I'm going to use Germany as a comparison. This whole region is about 2x the size of Germany, AKA about the size of Texas, in square kilometers. For exact measurements, I'll say that the map's vertical (North/South) is 960 kilmoneters long, AKA 596 miles. Its horizantal distance (East/West) is 720 kilometers or 447 miles. This gives us 691,200‬ kilometers squared / 266874 miles squared, roughly speaking. Going by medieval travel times, you can travel at roughly... - Travel on foot, with luggage: 15 km / 9 miles. (75 km / 46 miles per week with 1-2 days rest) - Travel on foot, minimum luggage: 20-22 km / 12.5-14 miles. (100-110 km, 65 miles per week with 1-2 days rest) - Travel on horseback, no spare horse: 30-40 km, 19-25 miles. (150-200 km, 95-125 miles per week with 1-2 days rest) - Travel on horseback, with a spare horse: 40-60 km, 25-37 miles. (200-300 km, 125-185 miles per week with 1-2 days rest) So, let's say you wanted to go from the center of Burgher's Bay to the center of the Theocracy. That's roughly 1/4 the vertical distance of the map. Assuming flat, level terrain the whole way without any bends in the road, that would be 240 kilometers. Traveling a distance of 240 kilometers by foot with minimal luggage would give you a travel time of roughly 14-15 days. However, there's also swampy terrain, hills, twists in the road, and other such difficulties. Therefore, you're probably looking at something closer to 18-20. Traveling by horseback, depending on the steed and the skill of the rider and the terrain, could shorten the trip to perhaps 9-15 days. If you didn't take a day off, you could shorten travel times further. Also, bear the seasons in mind. This is a cold land - a really cold land. When winter hits, it becomes much harder to travel. Increase travel times by around 50% in winter, and moreover it's just more dangerous. Likewise, spring and autumn rains can turn unpaved roads into muddy messes. Summer is really the best time to do your traveling. Now, specifics as to WHERE you're traveling are important. Going along a road? Easy! (Bear in mind that the roads on the map aren't the ONLY roads/paths. They're just the main roads, and the most likely to be paved in any way.) Going through a forest? Not so easy at all. Traveling to the other side of the mountains? [i]Get ready for a trip.[/i] Now... There is a mountain pass in the mountains. You can probably see it on the map. It's MUCH quicker than going around the mountains. But here be tariffs, matey![/quote][/hider] [hider=Passage of Time]The plot will be moving similarly to IRL. Namely, every 2 weeks IRL is going to be 18 days in the setting itself. (Yes, this is weird, but you'll see why.) Years will be 360 days long. The year is divided into five seasons, each of which is split into two 36 day months, for ten months in the world. So, every two weeks IRL = 1/4 a season in the setting. [b]THE MONTHS[/b] [i]Spring Dawning - Spring Waning - Summer Dawning - Summer Waning - Fall Dawning - Fall Waning - Winter Dawning - Winter Waning - Frost Dawning - Frost Waning[/i] Frost is just an even harsher winter. And yes, this means that whereas every other season only lasts 72 days, winter overall lasts 144 days. Winters are long and harsh in this world. [b]DAYS OF THE WEEK[/b] There are nine days of the week in the human calendar, each named after a hero or leader of the past. They are arranged in alphabetical order: [i]Alnsday, Bjornsday, Brensday, Dolsday, Kormsday, Morsday, Narlsday, Thegnsday, Ulsday[/i] A fortnight is thus two weeks, or 18 days long - exactly 1/2 of each month. [hr] Hopefully this helps everyone understand posting rates and story pacing![/hider]