Hidden 8 yrs ago 8 yrs ago Post by Life in Stasis
Raw
GM
Avatar of Life in Stasis

Life in Stasis pretentious jerk

Member Seen 1 yr ago

The Absent King


The golden kingdom of Areta, shining jewel of the Eretolian deserts.



The Aretan Knights


Nicknamed the Absent King of Areta, this is what our country’s monarch has become known for. Now, I feel for the lad, I truly do. After King Leonard passed suddenly, his only son Alonso was coronated as his successor at the tender age of thirteen. Ever since then he has been known for his rebellious… escapades and impudent escapes from the palace. It was endearing when he was a youth, but he’s come upon his twenty-third year, and now it’s just embarrassing.

I could forgive him if times weren’t so dire now. Areta faces the makings of a massive conflict with the neighboring nation of Vicenna, and if that weren’t enough, savage elven warbands have been spotted at our borders. I worry for our nation’s future should anything happen to King Alonso, who has yet to produce any heirs.

Viceni diplomats are due to arrive for a meeting with the Aretan court for an imperative treaty signing that could prevent all out war, but if the king isn't present to speak with them—I dare not imagine. And there is no need to.

The king will be there. Once again, it is my duty as Knight Captain to see to it. I have selected you specifically, out of all the king's knighted men, for your outstanding loyalty. And for your discretion. For god's sake, no one needs to know that Alonso is off galavanting again.




The Ytharien


And I meant it. Ularien is a brother to all of us, even if he is an elf. The Mummers of Merry Andrew don't bother with the trivialities of race or politics. They've accepted me and other humans, with no thought to nationality, social standing, or creed—we've even got a dwarf. Since my own life and comfort were ripped from me, since my father was murdered, they've become the only family I have now. It's a laugh, isn't it? A band of jolly actors staging plays and performing acrobatic arts as we travel from village to village.

And i-it's also, ah, a warband.

They call themselves the Ytharien in their own language, and they have a mission. An important one. The performances they put on are only to lift spirits and refill their coin pouch, but that doesn't mean they don't have a passion for entertainment.

The mission must carry on. It's larger than Ularien. It's larger than all of us. But I swear, I will get him back, or I'm not the King of Areta.


Overview

The setting will be the country Areta, a medieval-style nation that somehow flourishes in the arid Eretolian desert. I'll be assembling two parties: the Knights and the Mummers. They won't be separate for long, but they'll start out that way. Although originally they'll center around Knight Captain Serona and King Alonso, who'll be played by me, I'll be creating the world around the characters you submit and placing a focus on them, their decisions, and how their actions affect the world.

I promise themes revolving around politics, conspiracy, gunpowder, treason, and—no, wait, that's... that's guy fawkes, we're not doing that here. Uh. Mostly politics and conspiracy and probably enormous emotional upheaval.

One important detail: I will be giving secret information to the Mummers that the Knights won't have, and vice versa. What you guys do with it is up to you.


I'll take up to 3 applicants for either party.

The Aretan Knights:
  • Applicants must be human and a minimum age of 18 IC (plus a few years before that of training).
  • Must be at least partially Aretan (or claim to be). Heritage from other countries is okay if it's mingled in.
  • You can be young or old, male or female, experienced or new. Choose any weapon skill.
  • Aretans are generally very racist. Not only against elves, but all foreigners. There are exceptions, but they're usually quiet about it.
  • Remember, you're a knight because you follow orders, not question them. Above all, you swore your oath to the King.
  • Magic exists but it is BANNED in Areta, as it is considered blasphemy against the Aretan god. Severe punishment befalls magic users, including dismemberment, imprisonment or even death.

Get ready to kill some elves.

The Ytharien/Mummers
  • Most Ytharien are elves, but there are some humans (of any nationality) and one dwarf. There are about twenty-five members.
  • You have no loyalty to anyone except each other, to Lothren (the warband's leader), and your own heart.
  • Little known to humans, elves aren't really savage.
  • You're a competent fighter and probably a good actor, dancer, or singer. If you're not good at performing, you're probably good at building sets or tending horses instead.
  • Even for foreigners, magic is BANNED in Areta. You can know it, but don't let anyone important see you use it.

Get ready to kill some Aretans.

Please feel free to ask any questions. I'll be building the story and the world around the people who sign up, but there's a general direction it will be going.




Lore Rundown







Primary NPCs


Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by FantasyChic
Raw
Avatar of FantasyChic

FantasyChic Poptarts and Glitter

Member Seen 3 yrs ago

I'd like to express interest. I'll begin working.
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by Life in Stasis
Raw
GM
Avatar of Life in Stasis

Life in Stasis pretentious jerk

Member Seen 1 yr ago

Terrific.

Just an FYI, there are 2 slots left for Ytharien, and 3 still for the Knights.
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by FantasyChic
Raw
Avatar of FantasyChic

FantasyChic Poptarts and Glitter

Member Seen 3 yrs ago

Then I better claim a spot then.

I'd probably go Ytharien.
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by Minato Namikaze
Raw
Avatar of Minato Namikaze

Minato Namikaze The Yellow Flash of the Leaf

Member Seen 7 yrs ago

making a knight character
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by Minato Namikaze
Raw
Avatar of Minato Namikaze

Minato Namikaze The Yellow Flash of the Leaf

Member Seen 7 yrs ago



Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by ZB1996
Raw

ZB1996

Member Seen 3 yrs ago

I'm interested and I would like to make a knight character. I'll have it up as soon as I can.
Hidden 8 yrs ago 8 yrs ago Post by Life in Stasis
Raw
GM
Avatar of Life in Stasis

Life in Stasis pretentious jerk

Member Seen 1 yr ago

Two knights and two Ytharien so far. Looking good.

A good character, Minato. Go ahead and add it to the char list. Let me know if you want to plot out his history to tie it in with the main plot. Although I did say no photos, the attire looks quite appropriate, so it's fine with me. Mostly I just didn't want any pictures of Loki or Daenerys or Robert Pattinson on the red carpet.

I'm very glad to see a racist character so soon in the sign up. I'd hoped for at least one. Hell, they can all be flagrant bigots. This RP could end before it starts because we'll have all killed each other, and I'd consider it a success.

In the morning, I'll be adding some basic world information to the first post in this thread about Areta, Vicenna, elves, and a few other things. It'll help fill in the gaps for anyone who is worried about breaking the setting.

As a reminder, I am building the world around the people who sign up. There aren't many wrong steps you can take as long as you keep classic fantasy in mind.

Knights are a caste of their own, by the way. Some were nobles, and some were commoners. Elves are not common in Areta, and dwarves are almost unheard of except along the border of Vicenna.

More to come!
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by JulienJaden
Raw
Avatar of JulienJaden

JulienJaden Advanced Roleplay Machine

Member Seen 3 yrs ago

That's one Mummer charsheet in the bag. :P

I'm curious to see what the others come up with.
Hidden 8 yrs ago 8 yrs ago Post by BrassOtter
Raw
Avatar of BrassOtter

BrassOtter That dapper otter

Member Seen 7 yrs ago

Considering joining. Pondering the idea of a court-jester-gone-knight, one that has a... Kinship with the king, though wether he's the only one that feels it is yet to be seen. Could also go turncoat, should he feel for the Ytharian.
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by Life in Stasis
Raw
GM
Avatar of Life in Stasis

Life in Stasis pretentious jerk

Member Seen 1 yr ago

Very workable, depending on how the transition from jester to knight was made. Jester could've been an informal word for it, he might have held some other position in the castle, like a steward who knew how to juggle. Blood relation's not out of the question.

Alonso was a lonely child after his father died, so I'm sure there were some willing to be a friend (and source of entertainment [and someone to help him sneak out]) in his time of need. Someone personally close to the king will make the reunion all the more gripping.

PM me if you have any specific ideas or want some of mine!
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by StoneDogg1
Raw
Avatar of StoneDogg1

StoneDogg1

Member Seen 8 yrs ago

I would totally love to be a knight. CS coming up in a few minutes lol
Hidden 8 yrs ago 8 yrs ago Post by Life in Stasis
Raw
GM
Avatar of Life in Stasis

Life in Stasis pretentious jerk

Member Seen 1 yr ago

Alright!

Your character looks perfect, StoneDogg1. Damn, all of you guys are just making exactly the things I was hoping for. It's making me nervous.

So far four people have asked to play Knights (which is a pleasant surprise, because I feared they sounded too boring). To keep it fair, I'm just going to have to say that it's first come, first serve for the remaining slots. Once your characters are submitted, and APPROVED, the slot's yours. Until then, it's fair game.

Current Ytharien:
JulienJaden, playing Annara en'Sammat

Current Knights:
StoneDogg1, putting the RAD in Konrad Falkenburg
Minato Namikaze, playing Gerald the Colossus

oh man I'd hate to be an elf when these guys roll up

One knight and two Ytharien slots left.

ALSO, I've added a Lore Rundown to the top post in this thread. Comes with convenient, clickable buttons. This is not required reading, just for reference if you guys want it. I'm making it all up as I go along, based on what you come up with as much as possible, so that it's personally relevant and familiar to you. But I'm writing it down because I am still dedicated to creating a consistent and realistic setting with structure and rules.
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by StoneDogg1
Raw
Avatar of StoneDogg1

StoneDogg1

Member Seen 8 yrs ago

Konrad will show these whipper-snappers a thing or two!
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by ZB1996
Raw

ZB1996

Member Seen 3 yrs ago

Since you have filled the spaces for Knights, I'll switch to the Ytharien.
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by Life in Stasis
Raw
GM
Avatar of Life in Stasis

Life in Stasis pretentious jerk

Member Seen 1 yr ago

Sure, up to you! That space is still technically open. No calling shotgun here. I only reserved the Ytharien spot earlier because he shot me a PM with his bio all ready to go, and I approved it before he posted it here.

I'm flattered when people show interest, but I also need to know they can be timely with posts too.
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by ZB1996
Raw

ZB1996

Member Seen 3 yrs ago

Name: Juna Hakallerva
Age: Physically 25
Gender: Female
Race: Elven

Appearance: Juna has in possession great natural beauty, and many men have fallen for her for this reason in the past. She is about 5’2 in height, with green eyes, and not very muscular, with gentle and graceful features. She has fair and clear skin, with golden blonde hair. She usually wears a set of brown leather armor, but in times of comfort she will wear lighter cloth or wool clothing.

Brief Character Concept: Juna, despite her gentle appearances, is far from gentle. She is quick in combat, and surprisingly strong as well. She skillfully wields her sword, and uses her many knives as further support in battle. Her personality, at least on the surface, is that of a carefree, if snarky, individual. She lives a life full of independence, and is known to be loyal to no one except Lothren. She has two true goals in life, and that is to kill Amon Serona and see that Alonso lives out his life peacefully.

History: Juna was born to a pair of normal Elven parents on the border of Areta. She had a normal youth, where she lived as a carefree, youthful spirit, with her childhood friend Ilias. Then she met greatest love of her life, Hadrian, a young human man. They would often play the harp together, and he taught her how to sing. Yet when they had finally grown close, Hadrian succumbed to a sickness that he had long held secret. Hadrian passed away from Juno seemingly as quickly as he had come, and although her heart healed in time, a deep scar would remain in her heart. She grew close yet again to Ilias, and in time the two of them were to be married. Yet it was not to be, for on the day her wedding was to be held, the Aretan Knights came. Illias and Juna’s parents were killed, and only Juna survived. She cried, mourned, and cursed her fate. She remembered the face and the name of the one she saw as most responsible, Amon Serona, and Juna swore to herself that every future day of hers would be dedicated to hunting him down until one of them was dead. Juna, over the years honed her skill in fighting mostly through experience. She does not hesitate to speak of how she has murdered. Before she was among the Mummers, she was caught in a human village while chasing down Amon. She found herself having a hard time escaping, and she slew a few knights, and a few people who shouldn’t have died did die as well. Juna never refers to this event in any detail, only saying that it makes her a murderer. She would not have gotten out alive were it not for Lothren, and for this Juna offered him unflinching loyalty. When she met Lothren, and he offered her a place as one of the Ytharien, Juna was hesitant, but accepted. With her impeccable skill at both the harp and her beautiful singing voice, as well as her personality, Juna was a natural performer, and as the years passed she grew into the role.
Hidden 8 yrs ago 8 yrs ago Post by Life in Stasis
Raw
GM
Avatar of Life in Stasis

Life in Stasis pretentious jerk

Member Seen 1 yr ago

Oh man that's quite the paragraph. Got your PM too. Feel free to leave that information out of the bio, it'll stay between us.

Character looks good to me, please add it to the list. But I am personally requesting that you do use more paragraphs in the future! These big chunks of text make me go crosseyed. I'm really going to enjoy her history with Amon, it's going to be so much fun.

Officially:
Two Ytharian and Two Knights now signed up. Two slots left. When they'll filled, I'll put up the IC post.
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by ZB1996
Raw

ZB1996

Member Seen 3 yrs ago

But I am personally requesting that you do use more paragraphs in the future! These big chunks of text make me go crosseyed.


My mistake. I usually am fairly good with paragraphs, I think, but I usually write my bios in one large chunk.
Hidden 8 yrs ago Post by Shorticus
Raw
Avatar of Shorticus

Shorticus Filthy Trickster

Member Seen 8 yrs ago

I... Hm.

I've been watching this thread and want to know how often you want updates. The frequency you want players to post is very important to me. I'd rather not join something I can't keep up with.

There's another thread that I'm interested in, but if it doesn't kick off I may try joining another thread (such as yours). Four threads is the maximum I'm letting myself participate in.
↑ Top
© 2007-2024
BBCode Cheatsheet