Tales of Lucenrai: The Fallen Kingdom
Lucenrai, a world with lush summers, and harsh winters, the kingdoms of man have made their claim. Lucenrai is a large continental landmass, and one of the only two known continents in the world, flanked by several smaller islands and landmasses. The heart of the continent consists of an expanse of plains, hills, and lightly forested grasslands. To the north are an expanse of tall mountains and tundra, covered in harsh everwinter forests. West of the heartland is Mediterranean and warm. Down to the south, the land gets considerably wetter, and has large stretches of thick forests, and marshy wetlands. Towards the east, the plains become harsh, turning into a craggy, rocky region which then opens up to a large, harsh desert. Across the ocean nearest the western coast, are small chains of tropical islands, these islands are the buffer zone to the continent of Reyen, a lush frontier land, filled with forests and natural resources waiting to be exploited.
For years, the realms of man have lived in relative harmony. This harmony has not always been peaceful, small wars breaking out between the different kingdoms, but there was balance, order. To the North is the Kingdom of Ardel, a hardy and proud people, used to harsh weather and hard times. In the Heartlands, the ever constant ally of Ardel is the Kingdom of Edessa. With its fair lands, large mines, and central location, Edessa is both prosperous and diverse and is a generally peaceful nation. To the West is a large mercantile Varyan Empire, famed for their massive trade power and wealth, as well as its access to the rich islands and resources of the new world. To the south, in the great forests is the Kingdom of the Welds. Colloquially known as the Kingdom of the Wilds, the Welds have been rivals of the Edessa for centuries. To the east is no kingdom of man, rather hundreds of clans of nomads and raiders.
Lucenrai is now in a state of turmoil. The Welds, longtime enemies of Edessa have suddenly turned to the kingdom for help, desperately requesting aid against a sudden surge of marauding Orcs. Alongside the influx of Weld refugees, Orcish bands have appeared in South Edessa and have begun pillaging the countryside. To make matters worse, the Varyan Empire has launched a massive invasion of Edessa, seemingly taking advantage of the chaos created by the orcs. With an army armed and armored with the wealth of the mercantile empire and the resources from Reyen, the Varyan Empire has easily swept across the Edessa countryside.
On the brink of defeat, the forces of Edessa have been forced back to its Capital city and the nearby lands. With little hope of victory, Edessa decides to send its refugees- its youth and future, to the north, to seek refuge within the Kingdom of Ardel. In the dark of night, caravans from Edessa are sent northbound, with nothing but a scant few guards, mercenaries and older teens to protect them while the remaining soldiers of Edessa prepare to hold the Empire at bay.
Plot
This RP will revolve around one of the final caravans to leave the capital city of Edessa. A ragtag group of old soldiers, grungy mercenaries, youths and children, we will struggle to survive in the wilderness as we flee from the dastardly forces of the Varyan Empire. Along the way we will be beset by hardship and adversity as we make our way through the war torn countryside of Edessa and into the harsh wilderness of Ardel. At times, our story will be light hearted, at other times, it will be dramatic and tense as we attempt to prevail over insurmountable odds. Our characters will face daunting challenges, testing their wit and willpower, as well as their morals as they are pushed to their absolute limits in this struggle for survival. This is: "The Tales of Lucenrai: The Fallen Kingdom"
Rules
1. This Roleplay will have standards in the ballpark of high-casual to low-advanced, I will be expecting at least a few, well written paragraphs.
2. Be sensible and polite in the OOC. Any arguments should be either taken off to private messages, or brought to my attention to resolve.
3. No Mary/Gary Sues. Your characters are the story's heroes, but they are not perfect.
4. No God-Moding. Your characters are important, but I will not hesitate to injure them if they do something exceedingly stupid. Note, as GM, I reserve the right to God-mod with the purpose of advancing the plot, or steering it in a specific direction.
5. This will have blood and violence, and foul language is freely allowed, though for the sake of decency, any sexually graphic acts will fade to black (or will be taken to PM) before it goes too far.
6. Player knowledge is not character knowledge. Just because you know something (be it through OOC or another person's post, does not necessarily mean that your character knows.
7. As GM, my word is law. This does not mean I will be unreasonable, nor will it mean I will be unfair, but I will expect you to respect my executive decisions.
Regarding Characters
IMPORTANT: I will only be accepting up to 4-5 characters (not including my own) so it will NOT be first come, first served.
IMPORTANT: I will only be accepting up to 4-5 characters (not including my own) so it will NOT be first come, first served.
Most characters will also be expected to be novices, relatively inexperienced, or 'low level' in skill. Characters for the most part will be youths and young adults, and can have some skills- though characters cannot be a master at arms. Alternatively I will allow one or two characters to play an older, more experienced and skilled character, provided that they are adequately balanced, for example, A skilled swordsman, who is now old, and no longer the fighter he once was. I am also searching for a player to be play as the child of the monarch
This RP will not play out on a tabletop style system, and treasure, loot and gear will be bountiful in this RP. However, characters will be limited in what they will start with- as it will be what they can carry with them. Starting gear must also be reasonable: For instance, if your character is the son of a baker, it would make no sense for him to have a set of plate armor and a greatsword, likewise it is doubtful that he would have the martial skill of a trained soldier.
Technology and Magic
Pretty standard Fantasy fare, technology is your typical swords, spears and shields. Steel plates, chainmail, and leather make up the backbone of defensive technology in the world, however fantasy alloys and other materials will also be present including, but not limited to:
Adamantium, recognized by its high density and brown/bronzed color is extremely durable and strong, but heavy. It is found in the deep mines of Edessa, but is hard to work and requires extremely high heat to forge.
Varyan Steel is a high quality steel produced exclusively in Varya, characterized by its unique banding patterns that are reminiscent of flowing water. Overall superior to normal steel.
Mithril is lighter than steel, but just as strong, and conducts magical energies easily. Rarely found, and hard to properly work, this metal is quite expensive and hard to obtain.
Ironwood is a dark gray wood, dense and as tough as iron, hence its name. Harvested from Ironwood trees in the deep south, it is a valuable export from the Welds.
Orichalcum an uncommon metal that has the appearance of steel, but reflects a pinkish/red when light is shined on it. This, and the fact that monstrous creatures seem to have an aversion to it makes Orihalcum a valuable commodity.
Magic is also as you'd expect, magical bolts and manipulation of matter/energy of varying elements cast through willpower and concentration- though not all possess the talent for magic. Magic for the most part grows exponentially more difficult the more powerful the magic gets. What causes individuals to have the propensity to use magic is unknown, but is generally believed to be passed down through bloodlines. Alchemy is generally not considered magic, but rather, a practice that uses magical techniques in combination with different elements and ingredients.
Character Sheet
Appearance: Your character's appearance. I prefer art images as opposed to real life pictures
Name: Your character's first and last name.
Age: The age of your character, the age range I'm expecting for most characters is 16-19. Old Caravan Guards and Mercenaries will obviously be a little bit older.
Personality: One of the more important parts of your CS, give me a good taste of what your character is like.
Backstory: Important, but not as important as your character's personality, give me a small summary of your character's history and bio.
Skills and Abilities: Here is where you put things your character can do/are good at, as well as what magic abilities they have (if any). Magic is a rare talent and is difficult to master. If you intend on making your character a user of many weapons- chances are s/he won't be a master of magic as well. Skills and abilities should be presented in list form as Experience level, Skill, Description. For instance:
Novice Woodcutting - this character has been chopping wood for a short amount of time
In general, experience based skills should go: Novice, Journeyman, Professional, Adept, Accomplished, Master, Legendary. Skills that aren't as dependent on experience (such as the ability to wear armor) should just be Untrained or Trained. To put skill levels into perspective, use the following:
Using Swordsmanship as an example:
- Novice: You've been shown instruction on how to hold a sword, swing it, parry with it. You have a year's or less worth of experience with this.
- Journeyman: You've been trained in the use of a sword, or have direct experience using it. You've learned a few complex techniques. You're roughly the equivalent of a town guard or common mercenary. You're capable of besting untrained or inexperienced warriors.
- Professional: You're around the level expected of a skilled mercenary or soldier, you've had extensive training or years of experience. You're well versed with different techniques and can hold your own in many combat situation.
- Adept: You have the skill expected of an accomplished Knight, you're proficient to the point that you are capable of instructing trainees. You know many stances and forms, as well as counters to different techniques.
- Accomplished: You are the Elite of the Elite, and few can hold their own against you alone. You've reached the top of your prime at this point, and your physical prowess may begin to wane sightly, but due to your knowledge and skill you still remain superior.
- Master: You're as OP as Yoda, but probably taller. Few know of your art as well as you do. You've likely grown old by this time, but even with your waning physical stature you can easily defeat those with lesser skill than you.
- Legendary: You've probably made some pact with a magical or godly force and are virtually untouchable.
Equipment: Here is where you'll give me a list of your character's equipment, weapons, and armor- if any. Remember, you're playing refugees and caravan guards on the run- not a mobile armory. If your character possess a particularly special weapon made of some fancy fantasy metal, there had better be a good reason aside from "It looks/sounds/feels/is cool!" like skills and abilities, weapons and armor should be listed in a format of "name, attributes". Images can be included in hiders.
Sword, Old, Dull. - this sword was given to example character by an old man in a cave.
Vidofnyr, Adamantium - This mighty battle axe is forged of fine Adamantium and hits like a carriage; a really heavy, fast moving carriage.
