"The city of Andeave, on the eastern end of the new continent, Altera," the man said, pushing up his glasses. "The only proper foothold the Jeaulian Empire has managed to wrest away from the natural residents of this land."
He leaned back slightly, raising his right hand for one point, and his left hand for another point.
"If you believe the world is round, this is on the other side of the world from the mainland. If you believe the world is flat, this the last landmass before you reach the world's end."
The last statement was made with no small scorn, before he sat straight up again, eyes searching for the next 'pupil'.
A dark brown liquid trickled down the mouth of the bottle, rising up on the tumbler until it nearly reached the brim. Holding it carefully, the man brought it to his lips and sipped, feeling the fiery warmth scar his throat. A more pleasant sensation than that girl-boy's voice, to be sure.
"It's a recruitment office. Put the pieces together. Next?"
I'll be keeping an eye on this. With the Tabletop tag, does that mean you're expecting to have RPing sessions, rather than post by post? Or do you mean to simply incorporate dice elements to it? Also, how fast do you expect activity to be?
A blue slime that has integrated the skeletal structure of a wolf into its form. Wanders the western forests, close to sources of water. Bounty: 1 Silver Lives Claimed: 3 Warnings: Shoots bones.
Skull Faced Goblin
A spear-wielding goblin, the flesh of his head damaged to the extent that his countenance was absolutely skeletal. Resides within the ruins of Rugome Fort, west of Andeave. Bounty: 5 Silver Lives Claimed: 7 Warnings: Utilizes poison and smoke.
Red Striped Toad
A large toad with a black-and-red striped back. Can often be seen in the southern plains and meadows, and has caused great damage to grazing livestock. Bounty: 7 Silver Lives Claimed: 4 Warnings: Exceptionally skilled at escaping.
Undead Adventurer Party
A group of undead consisting of three Warriors and one Mage, all of them formerly Iron-class soldiers. Wanders south-west of Andeave, near the discontinued Redstone Mines. Bring back their ashes. Bounty: 5 Silver Lives Claimed: 0? Warnings: The Mage uses Ice Magic. Undead can not be killed without a Priest's magic.
Man Eating Bear
A massive bear that stalks the mountain forests of Andeave, occasionally broaching upon the Ranger's Reserve. Can be identified by its dark red coat of fur. Bounty: 12 Silver Lives Claimed: 10 Warnings: Stealthy.
Tithemal Dragonscar, the Dragon's Dervish
A skinny, blue-haired orc with dragon-shaped scars over the entirety of his body. Dual-wields warhammers, and has a belt of throwing knives around his waist. The Champion of the Dragonscar Tribe. Bounty: 2 Platinum Lives Claimed: 30+ Warnings: Master-class duelist. Breathes fire. Defend backline, as lapses in protection will end with a thrown knife between your priest's eyes. Heavily-armored warriors should not engage if they're not confident in their parrying technique. Has noticeable resilience to magic. Does not appear to rely on sight in combat.
Mathers - Cold, blue eyes. Pale, sickly skin. Black hair, combed back. Bespectacles. The surly, perpetually displeased receptionist of the Silver Moon Recruiting Office.
Etono - A fair youth with a warm smile. Silver hair is tied back in a short ponytail, with red streaks running through them. Dark chocolate eyes. A Silver-class Thief who likes acquiring favors.
Old Bear - Thickly built, with a drunkard's red nose. Dark tattoos line the left side of his weathered face, and his eyes are small and black. He's got a scruffy beard and crew cut hair of the salt-and-pepper variety.
Gavriel - Paladin of the Silver Light. Long, blond hair. Conventionally handsome face. Burly and tall.
Darius - Paladin of the Silver Light. Medium length curly brown hair. Sorta chubby, with dimples and freckles. Thickly built, with a bit of a stomach. Very good chef.
The Kebab Man (???) - Master (?) of the Ranger's Guild. Bald, with a black, wiry beard. Quiet, communicates with grunts, and likes (?) to cook meat.
Rahere - Member of the Ranger's Guild. Blond with a cropped beard, moustache, and short hair. Beady, blue eyes. Ruggedly handsome and very tall. Wears a parka and muddy boots.
The Receptionist at the Mage's Guild (???) - Long, light blue hair. Smouldering blue eyes, with a monocle on the right. Pale skin. A face that could be seen as 'dangerously' beautiful. A sadist (???).
Seaweed - Member of the Thief's Guild. Red eyes, a comely face, and brown hair cut shoulder length. Modern day woman with modest assets but a capricious, fiery personality.
It fell like a droplet of rain, rippling through consciousness and pulling the displaced youths from their slumber. For a moment, they were in damp darkness, the stench of mold pervading their minds, death abound in the catacombs. Some spoke up and heard their questions echoed through the cavernous chamber. Others felt the ground around them, feeling cold, grainy stone. Still more breathed in deeply, and could smell the rust and the salt that lingered within this strange place. But the darkness did not linger, and with the creaking of gears, the crackling of sifting dust, warm light spilled out into the cold room, bringing with it the crying of distant gulls, the whispers of the far off tide.
Two men, broad-shouldered and brazen, peered into the shadows with torchlight. One of them was dressed in plate armor, the other in chainmail, but it was clear from both their gazes that neither were particularly surprised by the appearance of these otherworldly strangers. No, the plate-armored guard almost looked irritated as he turned to his companion. They exchanged a few terse murmurs, before he nodded at the group, one hand gesturing them to follow, before marching off.
There were looks exchanged, but soon, most of the group followed in, tracing that armored man’s steps down the dirt path and into core of the rustic city.
Those that chose to walk off on their own, without following the guard, were paid no heed.
Though it felt as if it were late in the evening, the streets were still filled with bawdy drunks and promiscuous women, burning streetlamps casting warmth and light to chase away the nighttime chill. The clanking of mugs mingled with prayers and toasts, while a rooftop musician played the fiddle, pushing a feverish atmosphere upon the merrymakers. Overhead, the twin moons burned with red light, while the stars themselves aligned themselves in foreign fashions, masked only by the steam that rose from vendors plying their cheap eats. But the small crowds parted in the presence of the armored man, and though a few merrier drunks waved at the ones amongst the outsiders that were cuter, they were left largely unmolested as they trudged through the narrow streets.
Slowly, merriment gave away to silence, until they found themselves standing in an unremarkable plaza devoid of decoration. The buildings around, perhaps belonging to grocers, seamstresses, smiths, were closed today, leaving only a single two-story building glowing in the night’s umbra. Above oak double doors, a sloppily painted sign read ‘Silver Moon Recruiting Office’, while one of the walls of the building was coated with flyers. It took a few moments for any curious youth to decipher it, but despite the foreign script, the meaning was clear soon enough: each flyer was a bounty for monsters and criminals that somehow flew against the ‘common’ sense that they had.
But the armored guard cared not for such details, marching up to the door and pulling it open.
“Get in.”
An order, one backed up by the steel of his gaze and the steel of his blade.
The man himself did not enter, and for good reason. The room, where a receptionist may have been sitting or standing, was filled with disorderly stacks of paperwork, no doubt an immense fire hazard considering all the torches that lined the brick walls. The stench, the aroma of tobacco filled their lungs soon after, and behind them, the door was closed, leaving the displaced, confused youths with the only other individual within.
Seated behind a desk rife with miscellanea, a bespectacled man with crystal blue eyes peered at them. Even in incandescent lighting, his skin was a sickly pallor, blue veins stark beneath translucent flesh. Unlike the armored guard that had deposited them here, this man was dressed in a comfortable, perhaps even sloppy, set of robes. He looked at the motley gaggle of strangers, ran a hand through his combed back hair, and smothered his cigar.
The grandfather clock rang, chiming out midnight.
The silence that followed brought a heavy sigh.
“Well,” he spoke, voice firm despite his sallow frame, “I’d provide you with brochures, but children have the attention span of gnats, and it’s just a waste of good paper anyhow. You’re all kids with functioning minds and an understanding of math and philosophy, yes? Ask and I shall answer.”
From the desk, he pulled a crystal tumbler and a dark brown flask.
“But keep it curt. The talkative ones always die the fastest.”
The clock ticked once more, a pendulum swing for each wretched second.
In the darkness, the only recollection you grasp is a name.
Your own? Or someone else’s? It’s uncertain.
Your body is your own. Your mind is your own. And yet, you are bereft of all that you once had.
The memories are displaced, leaving you only with a sense of emptiness.
An emptiness soon forgotten, as the darkness is split open by light, and you…
“Awaken.”
Altera ; Of Departures and Deliverance
Three generations have passed since the destruction of the King of Corpses by the prophesized hero, and yet, the continent of Altera had not yet been claimed by the Empire of Mankind. Fractured as they are, the demihumans that once banded under the Corpse King’s banner have stayed strong in their respective territories, pushing back all attempts of liberation to this date. Of humanity’s many conquests, only the Seaside Fortress-City of Andeave remains stalwart against the monstrous nations, a frontier town guarded by thousands, housing those drunk on imperial propaganda, those holding delusions of grandeur, those without a home on the fatherland.
But this is not a story about the patriots, the fortune seekers, the outcasts.
This is about those without pasts, without memories, without families, without friends. Those who awoken in the catacombs of a church, who, with no futures to work towards, were conscripted into the Volunteer Army and tasked with the slaughter, the pillaging of the inhuman.
None of them are heroes, and this is not a fantasy.
But no matter how dreadful the circumstances, no matter how painful the departures, how far off deliverance was, life goes on.
And they must live on.
Feel free to format the CS however you wish. As a note, characters should be young ones. Parts that are denoted with an asterisk should be PMed to me, rather than posted in the Int Chek. In general, I prefer to have all sheets made and players accepted before launching the OOC.
Moniker: What you would like to be called? Does NOT have to be the name that you recall. Sexuality: Male or Female? Based off genitalia, not what they identify as. Countenance: If you opt to use an anime picture, slap it on the top of your sheet. Include all easily spottable outward details. Include height and weight. *Stigmas: Physical marks upon their body that may be hidden by clothing or makeup, blemishes that may have stories or significance attached. Tattoos, scars, birthmarks, etc. Facade: One paragraph minimum. Your character's outward attitude towards others. *Depths: Their inner selves, the part that shows when they crack under pressure, when they scream internally. *Vestiges: Their past. The less you write here, the more pleasant the surprises will be in the future. A common factor in every character's history should be 'unhappiness'.
Competence These serve as general 'stats' for your characters. Assign each stat with a letter grade from A to E, with A being 'excellent' and E being 'incompetent'. Add + or - as you wish. There is no limit to how awesome or terrible your character is. Be my guest if you want to have a character who has A+ in everything. You'll be judged by the rest of the players.
Vibrance – The brilliance of the soul. Courage and nobility that shines through in the darkest times. Gestalt – Fragments of otherworldly knowledge guide your hand, even though you know not how it comes about. Conformity – Adapt and consume. The ability to grow accustom to the horrors and irrationalities that plague this realm. Physique – The might of meat. Strength, dexterity, and fortitude, united in a single body. Composure – Poise and confidence. A steady, focused mind, so that one can act with alacrity even under the gaze of a King.
The Divinity of Mankind Ain-Mala, The Woman Within the Gourd
The goddess of the harvest, of festivity, of fertility, of beauty, Ain-Mala is the most beloved of all, and warriors especially toast to her on a nightly basis for being able to enjoy her gifts once more. However, there are no shrines built for her, and she is a goddess without priests. Her worship is found in honest, physical work.
Alri-Qua, Keeper of the Sun
The god who exercises his power the most upon these realms, Alri-Qua's symbol is that of a sun-shaped hexagram, and he shares his powers of life-giving light to all those who offer their prayers to him. It was by his influence that the King of Corpses fell at the hands of the prophesized hero, and for that, many banquets are toasted to his name.
Kur-Inuus, The Jaws of the Eternal Cycle
The beast-god who presides over the cycles of nature, whether it be life and death, drought and flood, feast or famine, and the elusive patron of those who devout themselves to the wilderness. Kur-Inuus's servants take the form of silver wolves, mysterious reapers who punish those who do not properly respect the bounties of the land.
Vyr-Nilil, Lawmaker and Ringholder
A nebulous god-child born when civilization was created, Vyr-Nilil is the watcher of those who tread the gray spaces of the law, whether it be thieves or businessmen. Their symbol is that of balanced scales, and those who wish to avoid karmic retribution will do well to ensure those scales remain balanced.
The Seaside Fortress of Andeave
The central plaza of Andeave is ringed with many shops that are meant to appeal to Silver Moon soldiers, from smiths to grocers to travelling supplies. Many important facilities are also present here, and owing to the amount of high-value buildings, the Central District is the most well-guarded.
Silver Moon Recruiting Office - The general office for the Silver Moon Corps. A two story building with one of the front walls plastered with flyers of monster bounties. The Imperial Academy of Practical Wizardry - A grand building carved of marble, that's perhaps a bit too spacious for the amount of furniture and decorations present within. Silver Moon soldiers usually take Combat Magic classes, skipping over the basic lessons that are taught to children.
Andeave's port. Overlooks a coastal inlet and has a pleasantly sandy beach. Fishermen can often be seen off the side of the piers. Many warehouses for storing goods are also present here.
A high-end residential area, home to manors and guild houses. Many more well-known Silver Moon soldiers live here, and associations affiliated with the Church of the First Light can be found as well. Generally the only place that aristocracy from the fatherland would reside in.
Order of the Silver Light - A bold building with a coat-of-arms painted over its grand oaken gates. Houses the warrior-priests who have took up iron weapons to defend the faithful. Their motto is 'Salutis Ad Lucem', and their heraldry is decorated with lances, unicorns, crescent moons, stars, and a silver-and-blue theme.
A sheer clifface that serves as a natural defence for the northern side of Andeave. The Church of the First Light is built inside the mountain, halls carved in. The climb up to the Church is steep and painful, but the sight on top, when first light breaks onto a new day, is breath-taking.
The Church of the First Light - A massive set of stone doors leads to large carved caverns filled with wooden pews. Painted murals featuring six gods, all connected to a single, abstract creature, is illuminated by flames burning in black iron stands. At the pulpit, a large sun-shaped hexagon stands, emananting with a strange, white light.
The Northwestern District is populated by butchers' shops and the like, a community of meat-producers supported by hunters who travel out to the forests of the mountain range to bring back game meat. Due to proximity of the Western District, many quieter restaurants are located here as well.
Ranger's Guild - A non-descript mud hut helmed by a taciturn man. Serves as a general meeting point for rangers, rather than an actual base where anything happens.
The Western District is home to Andeave's main gate to the rest of Altera's monster-infested wilderness. It's also the liveliest district within the city, home to various taverns, restaurants, and muscians, as well as the Warrior's Guild. The theory is that any enemy from the west will have to go through the thickest concentration of warriors.
Roselia's - A higher-end bar helmed by many pretty waitresses and a muscular bartender. Delicate timberwork makes the place look more spacious than it actually is, and colorful flowers hang from the rafters.
The pleasure district that doubles as the slums. Brothels, cheap alcohol, gambling dens, and all the other stuff associated with seedy subjects can be found here. Drunks from the Western District inevitably find themselves here, ready to lose even more of their money. The Thieves' Guild cracks down on the greatest offenders, however, and their justice is swift and brutal.
Thieves' Guild - An unmarked, inconspicuous building. Most likely not even the real Thieves' Guild.
A district devoted to those with odder faiths, abnormal beliefs, or eccentric interpretations of the gods. Filled to the brim with strange shops advertising less-than-reliable occult-ish items. The Temples of the Fiend Knights can be found here, as well as a smattering of other warrior-centric Guilds.
Bladedancer's Academy - Located high up on the rooftops are the acrobatic Bladedancers, who are generally nuisances to everyone down below. Their gold-and-red banner billows dramatically from the penthouse they rent.
An extension of the shipping docks that line the coast. More warehouses can be found here, and many sweaty men are always working here. Some small houses have been built to accomodate merchants from the fatherland while they sell their supplies to the locals in Andeave.
Accounts Payable
Hospital Fees - Due to the Church of the First Light. One week grace peroid. After that, 1 silver every three days, with a total of 1 silver due.
The Price of Information - Due to Etono, for sharing information about guilds and such. Unknown debt. Filling the Guild Fee - Due to Etono. 1 silver due at a random time, or a favor. Hospital Fees - Due to the Church of the First Light. One week grace peroid. After that, 1 silver every three days, with a total of 2 silver due.
Filling the Guild Fee - Due to the Bladedancer's Academy. 20 silver owed. Every week that passes, 1 silver will be collected. Every month that passes, the debt owed will be increased by one-tenth. Bloodbound. 1/20 silver paid. Hospital Fees - Due to the Church of the First Light. One week grace peroid. After that, 1 silver every three days, with a total of 5 silver due. Ash's Kindness - Due to Ash. 1 silver.
Stats aren't numbers, if that's what you're asking. Physique also encompasses endurance and dexterity as well. Imagine the stat as the sum of those parts, perhaps.
Yankee,
Altered Tundra,
Alisdragon911,
stone,
VitaVitaAR,
Animal,
LanaStorm,
Ohm,
Haha,
Shovel
