Aristocles

Magic RP (Open to new players)

Aerta had gotten wind of the "aggressive tolls" being collected by Rughoi's fledgling kingdom. While it amounted to little more than banditry covered in a sheen of officialdom, it wasn't worth going to war over. After having contacted the various dracon kingdoms, she advised them to issue a warning to their merchants to stay clear of the kingdom for now, and to treat his own merchants in the same manner if they should ever venture into their lands. It was enough to mollify the rulers for now.

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Kali rapped her hand against the wall again. "Kutur? You there? There's some things I think we should discuss. Important things." There was a pause. She didn't really have much to say, but she had to say something. This was a social call, but she needed it to sound official. "There's going to be a shortage of wood. I've heard that merchants are going to stay away from our realm because we keep collecting 'fines' from them. This is gonna delay our city's construction by..." she had no idea what it was going to do, and the topic was even more tedious when spoken aloud than it was when she thought about it.

"I'm coming in, Kutur." She stepped into his hut, finding it to be far more decorated and well-built than her own, and she wondered where he had acquired so many books. They weren't all stolen from Traeton, as some were specifically kobold-sized and were written in a style of draconic writing specific to kobolds. Granted, it was a far cruder style than the dracons had mastered, and several letters were missing, but it had marks to indicate certain sounds made more readily by kobold mouths, so there was always that to consider.

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Mazdak had some time to figure out how to repair the city of Traeton, as he had been given rule over the city by the major dracon states. His mandate over the city was for a year with an option to extend it another two if conditions merited. He wasn't king, but he was given the honorary title of viceroy, a ruler in place of the legitimate king while the government was reconstructed. He had no power over the laws, but he could issue edicts in their place, to last as long as he needed them to withing the length of his mandate.
As for the laws themselves, they were technically the same as they were before Rughoi's conquest, although they were all legally considered to be suspended for the length of his mandate, apart from some very basic rules against theft, murder, and violent crimes. Anything else had to be handled by an edict. This left Mazdak with a pile of paperwork as high as a dragon's eye, or so it seemed. He was in the middle of dealing with this paperwork when he received a very special guest.

"Approval for a well in the southern district... granted. Reinstate prohibition on open fires in public... denied. Requirement that all animal owners curb their-"

"Do you always talk to yourself when you write?" A brown-skinned dragon with broad gray horns emerged from the doorway, dressed in a black tunic with a purple sash running down its length from the left shoulder. His vestments wwere simple by design, not necessity, and a closer inspection of his clothes would have revealed that the tunic was made of the highest-quality silk.

"No, I- Prince Ternoc!"

"Grand Prince, thank you very much"

"M-my lord-"

"Former lord, my friend. There's no need for that kind of ceremony. I'm not even officially here, and my ride leaves in an hour, before he's missed at Hekaga's magic guild. I swear, you remind me of my father filling all that stuff out."

"R-really? Is that a good thing?"

"Considering that they needed his approval before the next murder could take place, no. He also regulated drug deals, rapes, and the destruction of the unborn in their shells. Made quite a profit from it too. Selling licenses to commit crimes helped fund his secret police, you know. The Fifty-Seven Hells take the old fiend... but I'm getting off track."

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this- this non-visit?"

"In a word, I want peace. It's no surprise that Hekaga's image as a city and kingdom has been tainted over the years. We sided with Dememoras in the war, much to my shame. Hekaga hasn't been allowed to have a king since then."

"But, you rule it like a king, don't you?"

"I rule the city as if I was one in most ways, but there are many limits to my rule in the rest of the kingdom. Many of the lords have privileges which can only be overruled by a king, and many important magical and religious ceremonies specifically need a king to do them. Also, many of Hekaga's treaties are inoperable without a king on the throne, as they specify an agreement between Hekaga's king and that of another city. If you help me, I can make you a king in a sense. King of sacred things, a new priestly position. I've consulted with the temples and they are alright with it. Eager, in fact. They want a king to perform many of their high-end rites. That's my offer to you. In return, I need you to second a peace treaty I have planned with Rughoi's kingdom."

"That fetid little piece of- why, Ternoc? Why do that?!"

"To prove that Hekaga can be dealt with and is willing to make peace with anyone. And to get rid of the kobolds in my city. They're very poor. And basically dead weight, apart from those serving in the palaces of the wealthy. Anyway, I need a king to second my proposal to make peace with Rughoi, and absolutely no other realm will do it apart from some dukes and below. Your title of viceroy will do in this case. I specifically checked that out. In that way, you technically outrank me."

"And why should I do this again? I never wanted to be a priest."

"The training is minimal, the duties would keep you busy on a few days of the year at most, and to sweeten the deal, I've attached a large estate to the office, as well as a very high salary. Didn't you once have ambitions to live the life of a lazy noble?"

"Once, but once I became a general who started actually doing things, I-I left the ambition to be lazy behind. If that makes any sense." Mazdak admitted. There was a long an uncomfortable pause. "I will help you, Ternoc. But what guarantee is there that Rughoi will actually accept a treaty?"

"Common sense would dictate it in this case, but if that doesn't work, I've put together a package of things that I know he'll need. Wood, stone, some food for his construction crews, and some blueprints for a bathhouse."

"A-a bathhouse?! What's that going to do?"

"Kobolds may work hard, but they are notoriously hedonistic too, if given the chance. I suppose the two extremes balance out at some point. Anyway, I get the feeling that they will enjoy it, and that it will tip the deal over into being accepted if it's on the fence. So, if you would reach out to Rughoi with a peace offer, I shall do the same."

Mazdak sighed. "Alright, done. Just give me a bit of time to deal with this paperwork... let's see... regulation stating that all public statues must be at least a meter away from the street..."

Magic RP (Open to new players)

Traeton was indeed a miserable wreck. Most of the buildings had been burned down, and the few still standing had been gutted, looted, or both. The royal palace was relatively unscathed by the flames, but it hadn't been in great shape to begin with. Mazdak had delivered his armies a victory as promised, but it felt rather hollow. Still, the land the city stood on was of some strategic value, and the city needed to be rebuilt as it was. Within days, many of the refugees who had been driven from the city when the kobolds attacked began to come back in. The old ruling dynasty was declared to be defunct, although some members of the old royal family still pressed their claims in vain. Mazdak was placed in charge of the city pending the selection of a new ruling family drawn from the ranks of the remaining citizens. Preferably someone of noble descent or from the city's military.

Adykon went home after the city's recapture. For him, it was just another quest in what seemed to be a never-ending adventure. He entered his farmhouse after the seventh trip to Traeton and set his sword aside.

"Hi, honey, I'm home!"

"Really, Ady? I know you we're aiming for normalcy, but isn't that a little... trite?" Aerta sat cross-legged on a cushion next to one of the round tables they had in the living room, cutting some vegetables.

Adykon removed his shirt as he began to change into his usual clothes at home. "Well, I figured, why not? Just this once." He gave her a hug from behind, but they soon had to resume their tasks. She had to finish preparing the food, he had to get on with some correspondence. "I swear, there are too many parties involved. Every ruler of every city has been demanding my input into this matter, and every one of those kings wants my support and blessing. Think of it! Me! What did I do to deserve this?"

Aerta turned towards her husband for a moment, giving him a look. "Are you whining about fame and fortune again, my dear?"

"I just want to be left alone, Aer. Seriously, we've got a farm to look after, kids to raise, crops to grow... not to mention the herd of goats. I'm raising more than one kind of kid these days."

"Of course. So, what of our long-lost farmhand? How's he doing?"

"Oh, that ungrateful- Rughoi has set himself up in the Xigyll River Valley, along with Kali, Krakas, and the others we know."

"Yes. I've been in contact with her. So far, his little 'Empire' is just a hillfort with some huts surrounding it. Maybe they'll have a city soon enough, but it'll never be a real danger to the dracon realms. They'll kill him if he acts up a second time. Best to just let him live and put him out of your mind for now, love. He may even be an ally someday, if he gets over whatever's bothering him."

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Kali had wanted to be Rughoi's mate for some time. While she still held out some hope for this, she understood that it was unlikely. Ardasa had him in her grasp, and Kali wasn't jealous enough to try and remove her from the picture. Of course, she still needed a mate, and although she hated having to settle for the next best thing, she still had the task of bowing to the inevitable and deciding who the second-best mate was.

She lay in her brown straw hut, on the mat she used as a bed, her head propped up on a pillow taken from Traeton's palace. Her possessions were piled up in a heap next to her, and they weren't much to speak of. Some spare clothes, a few pieces of religious paraphernalia (such as holy symbols, necklaces, and even a bronze chalice), along with a couple of books and scrolls, plus a pouch containing her cash. Kali looked up at the ceiling, in thought, one leg crossed over the other as she lay on her back, pondering her options for mating. Kutur was intelligent and held significant prestige in Rughoi's court. His armies were badly weakened by the battle against Meerat's abominations, Arjun was still missing, and the promised human reinforcements were nowhere to be found. As such, the few major court figures remaining gained in power and influence, and Kutur was one of them. On top of that, he was good-looking and an intellectual like herself. Smiling, the stood up as she made up her mind. Kutur would have to be the one.

The city of... whatever they would choose to call it... was still very small. 'Xigyll' was a name that had been suggested for it. Although there was much work going on, the place was still extremely rudimentary. Fortunately, everything was close together, and this included the huts. She walked over to Kutur's place and knocked on the wall. There was no door as of yet.

Arcane Orphanage

@Joker892

Cool. That's me, you, and Solaris. I think we can begin setting it up, but we should keep the door open for others.

Magic RP (Open to new players)

@bloonewb

Sure. We can do a timeskip, but keep the amount of time skipped vague so as not to necessarily throw off other players... when they return, that is.

Arcane Orphanage

Any other takers?

Arcane Orphanage

@Solaris

Glad to have you! Now, I'll wait a bit before making some characters. Any questions, suggestions, etc, feel free to send them my way.

Arcane Orphanage

OOC Thread: roleplayerguild.com/topics/167011-arc…

Heroes aren't born, they are made. Usually, this means a reasonably normal family life cut short when tragedy intervenes. You know them; Batman's parents were gunned down, Spider-Man's uncle was killed by a crook he chose not to stop earlier, Luke's aunt and uncle were killed by the Empire, Superman's planet blew up, etc. But what about those whose family dies when they are too young to go adventuring? They may dream of greatness, but realistically, they cannot go adventuring at age 10 or 12. While anything can happen in a fantasy story, there are certain breaks from realism which should be avoided. A knight slaying a dragon after years of training is one thing; an eight year old killing the same beast is just plain stupid and breaks the suspension of disbelief. How then do we avoid this conundrum? How can we have young would-be heroes portrayed in a fantasy world with at least some element of realism and responsibility in the picture?

Enter the Arcane Orphanage. In a darkening world, people need heroes, and children need someone to look after them. In an age where empires have fallen, safety is a rare commodity, and endemic warfare stalks the lands. As with any war of great scale, the unending conflicts have left countless orphans in their wake. To deal with this problem, a group of retired adventurers have established a facility to care for those without a family. Here, young sentient humanoids of every race are welcome to care and hospitality, be they human or halfling, elf or dwarf, goblin or kobold, it doesn't matter. Practically unique in this era of war and strife, the orphanage represents not only an oasis of calm, but a bastion of tolerance for all races.

But it is not a place for the lazy or foolish. Indeed, the Arcane Orphanage runs on a strict schedule, complete with education, exercise, training, and rules which are to be carefully observed. For the orphanage doesn't just care for the young, it does its best to prepare them for the challenges which are sure to come, giving them all at least some physical training as adventurers themselves, with the option to learn a craft if the life of a fighter, mage, or "rogue" (although not a criminal!) doesn't appeal to them. Very young orphans (under age six) would be cared for separately in a nursery owned by the staff but outside of the orphanage itself, to simplify matters of having to deal with very young characters. It would be a separate building, not really relevant to the RP unless we decide otherwise later.

The RP is going to need at least two players, with at least one character for each category: staff and students. One can play as many characters as one can handle, but I would recommend one or two main characters plus a small number of side characters if one wants to have them. Staff include (among others) teachers, trainers, and the headmaster, plus some miscellaneous workers. The orphanage comes equipped with separate dorms for the young males and females, some storage spaces, private rooms for the staff, a school with classrooms and a library, a mess hall which doubles as a meeting hall, some training rooms, a chapel, grounds outside for playing around, and a few other rooms. We can work out specifics later if we have to. I'm also working out the schedule and dress code, although the latter may vary a bit for some species.

Classes taught at the orphanage would cover the same range as the orphanage: ages 6-18. At first, they would learn how to read, write, and do basic math, along with some history and very basic magic for those interested in it. As teenagers, they would pursue advanced studies which would divide them along their chosen paths: fighter, mage, rogue, and vocational tracks. Fighters would engage in more physical training, including weapons, strength-building, running, etc. Mages would choose which paths of magic to pursue, although much of their training would have to be handled as adults in apprenticeships arranged with mage guilds outside of the orphanage when the orphan turns 18. Those training for the rogue path would not be taught actual thieving skills, but they would learn about stealth, gymnastics, scouting techniques, and how to evade capture. Vocational training is simply learning how to work in a trade, such as blacksmithing or carpentry. Not sure if we will have any players go down those paths, but they are open to those who don't want to train their student characters for the life of an adventurer.

There are no restrictions on races, but it would probably be best if we only had one or two of a given race per each category (student or teacher). I suppose that I'll be the headmaster and a student, but the former will only play a hands-on role when he has to, to give me a way of keeping things in order in-story without resorting to arbitrary methods ("rocks fall, everyone dies"). There can be trips away from the orphanage at times, but they have to be cleared by the headmaster, who is responsible for their safety. As this is in a public forum, I ask that you keep it all decent. Tasteful romance is fine (although not the real point of the RP), but please be mindful of what you post, especially since this involves characters under 18. I would imagine that most of these characters would be teenagers or getting close to it. Sort of like Teen Titans, if that helps.

Finally, this RP is a sort of remake of private one I had earlier with someone from this forum. As such, I will respect her wishes not to reuse certain elements or characters (or reuse them with minor tweaks). Specific rules (dress codes, conduct, consequences, etc) can be worked out before we begin the RP, as can anything else I missed here. With all that said, any takers?

Magic RP (Open to new players)

"No, no I wouldn't have. As for what more could I want? For you to disband your army, abolish your so-called 'empire', and go home. But that's not going to happen, is it?" Adykon explained, simply, losing his patience. "Killing innocents and committing evils worse than what you claim to fight against does nothing to help anyone but yourself." Angrily, he grabbed Rughoi by the throat and lifted him up with one arm. "You don't seem to understand, so let me make this crystal clear: you are very lucky to escape this with your life, and it is by my will alone that you survive this encounter. You are in no position to make demands. You can find wood and stone yourself, and if you are to get any food at all... it will be the most anyone can manage." Adykon unceremoniously dropped Rughoi to the ground.

"But seriously, I could have cut you in half with my sword right now and no one would have spoken against me for it. For someone whose forces killed thousands of civilians, you are getting off very easily. No imprisonment, no corporal punishment, no penalty apart from leaving a city you can't hope to defend anyway. I don't like the nobles either. While I cannot stand their wealth and arrogance either, at least they aren't actively making war on dracons. Now, cross me again... cross any dracons again without provocation... and I will have to put you down for the good of not just the dracons, but for your kobold followers as well. You start another war, they'll all die as long as you are still in command of them. If not for my efforts-"

"-Mine too, love."

"-and Aerta's, your people would be put to death and enslaved. I'm treating you far better than you deserve. If you can't realize that, it's on you. Now, if you wish to get back to your people, I won't stop you. If you have anything to say, go ahead and say it now. And don't get arrogant on me, it won't work. Believe me, I've been talked down to by half a dozen kings, not to mention Dememoras himself. No amount of appealing to a fine-sounding ideal or vainglorious posturing will work or get you a better deal."

Magic RP (Open to new players)

Adykon sighed. The kobold hybrid still didn't understand. "Reparations? Rughoi, you are lucky that you escape with your life. If anything, you are the one who has reparations to pay. Taking over a city, overthrowing its king, looting its treasury, terrorizing tens of thousands of people, and wrecking dozens if not hundreds of buildings is something to demand compensation over. Now, odds are your followers are going to loot whatever's left to take from Traeton-"

"Like vultures picking meat from the bones of-!"

"-Thank you, Mazdak. As I said, odds are your people will take as much plunder with them as they can carry. That's your 'reparations' right there. Now, if you don't want to be teleported, I can have Aerta find your mother and bring her to you, once we get back to safer area. Battle's not over yet, but the tide has definitely turned."

мυdвlood'ѕ ιnтereѕт cнecĸ

Would you be interested in a fantasy RP? I am a man, 18+. Should I PM you?