[center][b]The dark ball[/b][/center]

[center]The dark ball, the first night, takes place on the lunar eclipse of the year, when the sky, and the world underneath, is pitch black, and you needed candles and other such things to see when roaming about, regardless of whether you were within or outside the walls. The ball was held every year by the dark one, the king who ruled them all. Every so many years this ball would be held as the start of a right to succession ceremony. There would a festival and perhaps a competition. Basically, at the end of the ball, on the last night, the king would decide who would succeed him, which one of his children would inherit the throne. 



Side story:
During the ball, and during the ceremony and everything else, there shall be those pursuing the heirs, usually for marriage of some kind. Whether it is for the wealth, the titles, or simply the power, or perhaps actual romance, that is up to those pursuing them. Those are their' reasons and theirs's alone. They are among those in attendance, and they are not just citizens from the towns surrounding the castle. Like everyone else, they come from all over. Whether or not they are successful in those pursuits, that is up to the heirs, the possible successors. 



Back to the main story:
There will be fighting amongst the heirs, outside of what has already occurred. Each one desires the throne for themselves. All of the kings' many children, all grown of course, the youngest around 18, want to succeed their' father. Some may just want the power, or the title. There could easily be some, or only one, who desire(s) to simply change things for the better for their' land, that kingdom. Some may think they are better than the others, due to parentage, and that having to do with most of them having a different mother than the others. Some of the children, if not most, or all, are halflings, half of one species and half of another. They could easily be half human with something else, or half of something else entirely, mixed with something else. Some of the heirs, the kings' children, could be the same as their father, if the king, at one time or another, had married someone the same species as himself. 





Chaos eventually ensues. When, and if, a chosen heir is not selected right away, those who are impatient may try to take matters into their own hands. War may end up being declared against the others, each forming their own clan, their own little tribe of supporters, and fight amongst each other. However, they may not try to fight in front of their father or during the ball, within the castle and the castle grounds, for obvious reasons, as none of them could be selected if their' father saw them. There is constant squabbling amongst the heirs, each one staking their claim to the throne, or trying to. They are all, if not only some, demanding that they be selected, demanding their right to the throne, saying they should be the successor. At one time or another, they all hate each other, or at the very least, simply dislike each other or simply not get along with one another, for, once again, obvious reasons. What is one to do with heirs like this? Will any of them be chosen? If anyone is chosen, what kind of successor would they be? What kind of ruler would they be someday? 



The beginning focus is the ball though. That is where the story begins, where it first takes place. That first night, the night of the eclipse, is where this story shall start. Guests arrive from all over. The heirs are waiting, and they are all patient at first, at least around the king and the others. There are guests, especially nobility, and royals from other lands, who bring gifts for the king and his heirs, his children. Dancing, food, and music would all be enjoyed, or so one would hope considering the situation. However, a sort of darkness would hang in the air, the kind that is not easily shaken off. Part of it may be due to the hidden anger and other such negative emotions, negative feelings. Part of it is the obvious visual darkness due to the lunar eclipse. Another part of it? That may be due to the evil that hung around somewhere, felt but not seen, not yet. No one could tell what it was though, and still could not. They all try to put those thoughts behind them though, at least for the time being. 




This is a story of anger, family, completion, royalty, darkness, fantasy, perhaps a true evil, and many other such things. If there is a villain, who are they? If they are not a physical being, what are they? And is there more than one of them out there? There are no answers for such questions just yet. Time would tell. We will have to wait and see, won't we? The answers shall, and will, come soon enough, as the story progresses, moves along so to speak. That aspect of this roleplay shall be up to you all, the players. What kind of characters will you have? What shall they be like? Everything of that sort shall be decided by YOU. This is a roleplay, a story, where you simply jump into it. Have fun! 



Side note:
It would help to keep track of characters if a description and/or brief character sheet is put in the character sheet tab. This is not mandatory, but it would help a lot and would be greatly appreciated. Thanks ahead of time. :sun[/center]