ClocktowerEchos

Kingmakers: The Throne Alone (A Medieval Fantasy Succession Crisis)

UPDATE: Due to irl commitments by the original player, the position of Archduke of the Wildwoods is now open.

Kingmakers: The Throne Alone (A Medieval Fantasy Succession Crisis)

@Dark Light Still am but now there's only vassal houses to the currently existing Great Houses open to take.

Kingmakers: The Throne Alone (A Medieval Fantasy Succession Crisis)

And so the IC begins!

Reminder for everyone to read the rules as well as be aware that character death isn't an impossibility, its just not random (OOC at least).

Kingmakers: The Throne Alone (A Medieval Fantasy Succession Crisis)

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The Cathedral of Twin Heavens

^{Act 1.1 - Mourning}

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Five carts carried five stone coffins rolled through Coronation, towards the Grand Cathedral of Twin Heavens. Men and women lined the streets, some with tears in their eyes, some openly weeping but all could feel their hearts sink as the funeral procession made its way through the Bronze Ward, the golden bells of the carts jangling as the wheels ran over the uneven cobblestone road. On each lid was a carving of the person inside, looking at peace and still. It had been over a week since the assassination and seeing the coffins only deepened the wound. There was the royal carriage driver, the two Crownguard Knights who had accompanied the carriage, the remains of the Mad King Colyt II and finally, with a subtle yet noticeable amount of additional finery and detail, was the coffin of Crown Prince Daymian, the hopes and dreams of an entire kingdom now laying with the beloved heir.

The cathedral doors swung open to let the carts, now simply pushed and pulled by teams of servants and clergymen, in where all of the assembled nobles had come to watch. Everyone from the lowliest Viscount to the Great Houses of the realm stood in solemn silence as the carts made their way through. While the majority of them were able to keep their emotions better hidden than the smallfolk outside, they all felt a worrying sense of dread lingering in the wake of the coffins. Prince Daymian had been the only trueborn child of King Colyt to survive into adulthood but he had never married meaning now the throne was empty and it was unsure who would succeed them.

The church chorus began to sing a dour funeral hymn as a procession of priests and priestesses made their way down the aisle as well, carrying holy icons and burning sacred incense. Each of the coffins were carefully tilted upright to be given the last rites by Pontifex Rulon XI and Meretrix Marnya VII, splashing the lids with holy water and draping blessed white linen over them, everyone quietly noticing how they spent just a little bit more time in front of Prince Daymian compared to everyone else before making their way to the podium to give a speech.

"Today, we are gathered here to mourn and grieve the losses of great men. Marent Hothren, royal carriage driver. Sir Altan Tolhorn and Sir Carcel Flynt of the Crownguard. The honorable King Colyt of House Loyce, Sovereign of Adandion and second of his name. And the beloved Crown Prince Daymian of House Loyce, Archduke of the Crownmark. May the Master protect them and may the Mistress preserve them."

"May the Master protect and the Mistress preserve." The entire cathedral recited back as was custom.

"We would like to let personal eulogies to be delivered by some of the companions of the King and the Throne." The leaders of the church stepped aside and first up was Sir Jorin Longwall, Captain of the Crownguard, who gave a heartfelt speech about the warrior the Prince was and admonished himself for failing to protect the king and prince. Next were some members of the Council Court, followed by close friends and finally, Anyamara and Sharles. In the week since the assassination, there were already factions forming around the two in a semi-open secret, one that was currently being ignored for the purpose of collective mourning.

Anyamara stepped up first, a few whispered about how a "bastard bitch like her" shouldn't speak at such an event. If Anyamara heard any of them, she didn't let it show as she dabbed a few tears with a silken cloth, "Prince Daymian... was the best of us all. The greatest commander of this generation and among the finest warriors ever in the kingdom's history. He was strong of both body and mind, bearing a resolve to see the glory of the kingdom return from weakness and madness for not only did he exemplify the best of virtues we aspire to, but he saw the best in us all. I know... some may find my presence unwelcomed, but I felt duty bound to come and give a final farewell to the man who called himself my half-brother, to return the grace and honor he showed me and all of King Colyt's bastards. Even if death has taken him, then let his memory live on forever more!"

With her final words, Anyamara sniffled into her hand clothe once more before picking up her dress and stepping down to accepting applauds, Captain Jorin Longwall chief among them. It was a masterfully delivered speech, the woman's emphasizes, dramatic pauses and word choice had been chosen well to convey the feelings of many nobles in the crowd, giving Sharles a standard he'd have to now surpass as he rose to the podium. Just as with Anyamara, some nobles whispered about this "pampered country squire" looked out of place, not quite having fully comprehended the gravity of Prince Daymian's death.

"H-, Hello all." Sharles stumbled before clearing his throat, "The sudden death of the Crown Prince, my dearest friend, has shocked us all I know. But also know that he would not want us to cry over this. 'Chin up, the sun's bound to come up tomorrow' he once told me. And now those words are more important than ever. We have seen the long night of madness, suffering and cruelty, but Daymian would not have wanted us to stay in the darkness for he had a heart of light and warmth! The beloved prince's memory will live on forever, his kindness to big and small, noble and commoner, to be a guiding light for the times ahead! And I swear upon heaven and blood that it shall never go out!"

The applaud was more mixed as Sharles wrapped up his speech, but those who cheered did so louder than anyone did for Anyamara. Even some of the small folk in the far back cheered. Some of the nobles however noticed how it was overall less refined than Anyamara's and how it even seemed to imply he saw himself as the crown prince's chosen heir. The claims of both of the speakers were a semi-open secret but to so openly and brazenly imply it at such an event was improper at best and outright rude at worst.

With the Meretrix stepping back up to the podium, she lead one final round of prayers and memorials to the king, to the prince and to the kingdom and with the ringing of the great bells, teams of attendants hoisted the stone coffins back on to hand carts so they may be properly entombed in the catacombs below the Adankeep as where all royals of Adanion. The crowd outside began to disperse, encouraged by the town guard, while inside some nobles rose and left or lingered to share words with their peers. There would be no funeral feast this time, it was simply not planned in the confusion and sorrow that followed.

Summary

The King, Prince and those with them are brought to the cathedral to be given their last rites to among a massive crowd of both nobles and commoners.
Anyamara gave a heartfelt speech emphasizing the strength and resolve of Daymian.
Sharles gave a rousing speech emphasizing the kindness of Daymian, letting slip he intends to follow in his foot steps.

OOC: And so it begins! This is just the opening scene, the part where everyone makes introductions and lays out their thoughts about the two claimants and some of the other characters. Again, there shouldn't be any plots going on since IC the tension isn't quiet there and also its culturally inappropriate given the location and circumstances; OOC its because again, this is just the start of everything. Lay out the start of relationships! Seek out what might be able to convince or blackmail other nobles! If you want to speak to a particular NPC, let me know.

Once everyone has posted/completed their own encounters we can move on to the next "scene" where more active plotting can begin in earnest. If you need ideas on what to write, talk about how your character feels about the whole event and their reactions to the speeches.

Kingmakers: The Throne Alone (A Medieval Fantasy Succession Crisis)

Rules Reminders:
- Characters can die. While it requires consent of all parties involved, just remember that its always a possibility.
- Do not metagame. Any secret plots will be known OOC but IC your character should not have knowledge of schemes and secrets from the other side of the kingdom
- Current plan is for the RP to have a big group event happen first, then split into a "free RP" period where characters can interact and talk to one another in person or via ravens and then have that followed up by another group event

Current Event: The Royal Funeral

Kingmakers: The Throne Alone (A Medieval Fantasy Succession Crisis)

@John F Kennedy Looks good, move it over. Long may you serve House Müller-Hohenstein with duty and honor!

Kingmakers: The Throne Alone (A Medieval Fantasy Succession Crisis)

So I had a burst of inspiration and came up with notable alcohols found in some of the regions. Note that this isn't "canon" and more of a fun thought experiment in worldbuilding so you don't need to worry about remembering it or putting it in your sheet or anything. Consider a minor consolation for my absence.

My Hider

Mistbrew / Fogka

A type of vodka brewed in the Mistlands using their hearty roots and using the waters of the cliffside waterfalls. The highest quality labels use water condensed from the omnipresent fog and mist while aging their mash on the highest steps believing it enhances the final product. It is known for being extremely strong with outsiders who are not used to it being told not to drink more than a few shots unless they want to wake up half naked in someone else's bed with someone else's horse as even the cheapest brews have a high alcohol content than more expensive spirits found elsewhere in Adandion

Mule Ale

Also known as Rider's Ale or (less affectionately) "Ass Ale", this is a type of beer found most commonly in the Western Marches. It has its roots in the practices of some nomadic tribes who lacking a place to properly age the alcohol they sometimes plunder or trade, simply tie it to a horse, mule, donkey or other beast and have it age on their back. Known for its pungent smell and earthy, almost nutty taste, its popular among with the soldiers in the many garrisons and soldiers on the frontier, so much so that every supply caravan has at least a few dedicated animals carrying the barrels.

Winter Gin

Made of wild berries found in the Frostmark, Winter Gin is a popular drink known for a fruity, slightly bitter but strong taste that warms the belly like no other. Many stories have told of men who have survived being stuck outside during a snowstorm by virtue of drinking so much of the gin that their bodies refused to freeze. While most of the berries are gathered from the southern part of the region, many of the distilleries are located in the north by the Cradlespring Lake as its believed that the best Winter Gin with made with the purest, coldest waters of the lake.

Crimson Epolion

A deep red sour wine from the Arbormark, its name comes from the now-extinct House Epolion who once owned the vineyards where the grapes are grown and the wine is aged. Its tartness and slight acidity has found it on the tables of many a feast, perfect for cutting through rich fatty meats and thick stews. While the vineyard has changed hands, its secrets remain a closely guarded secrets with people claiming many wild stories behind its creation from the use of fairy blood to get the color to making the barrels exclusively out of the driftwood from ships made of Wildwood timber that drowned at sea for at least 4 years.

Saurorrak

A traditional drink from the Wildwoods made up of unbloomed flowers, purple roots, special tree bark and the sap and beans of select trees. It is an intensely complex spirit that evolves greatly in the drinker's mouth and whose taste can change between sips. Although it is definitely more of an "acquired taste", those who do enjoy can easily find themselves drinking far more than they can actually handle, often to devastating and regrettable hang overs the next morning so intense that its sometimes called a Saurorrak Divorce because it "hits as hard as an ex-wife".

Kingmakers: The Throne Alone (A Medieval Fantasy Succession Crisis)

@pandapolio Sorry, but @canaryrose's claim as Archduke of the Wildwood still stands, you're welcome to play a vassal house under them though!

@Pagemaster I'll get cracking on one soon, already have an outline. Hopefully should be up by the weekend.

@POOHEAD189 Just replied, thought I did it earlier mbad >_<

As a general @everyone, sorry I haven't been active. A last rush of Finals kept me busy as well as the ability to actually to just have a day off. If you haven't already, I encourage you to join the Discord!

Kingmakers: The Throne Alone (A Medieval Fantasy Succession Crisis)

@sly13 Ahhh, a Warden of the West. Its entirely possible for you to be partially of nomadic blood or a new house. Given how much combat they see, the death of a Great House isn't entirely unheard of in the Marcherlands.

Just as a heads up, playing a Great House of Archdukes will mean your CS will have to be up sooner rather than later.

Kingmakers: The Throne Alone (A Medieval Fantasy Succession Crisis)

@sly13 Still am!