In the Winter Court iron is mined by the goblins as they are the only ones who can touch it without harm. Arys has a stockpile of iron for trade and in case there is an attack made on her the goblins of her realm have iron weapons they forged for themselves. They are too loyal to use it against their Queen.
I approve of the Winter Knight. As for what he failed at she might feel like he failed at protecting her from Feoras. Feoras and Arys were seeing each other right after she became queen, but it didn't last long. There was no war, but Summer and Winter have had no trade agreement since that time. And now that she is feeling conflicted and scared Arys would have a good reason to release her knight from the dungeon to be back at her side.
So he's been down there for 400 years or so? Damn, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, which she delivers on anyone in the immediate vicinity.
In the Spring Court full iron blades are illegal with prejudice. The punishments for having such a weapon, are extreme and protracted.
Iron edged blades are permitted only for the Archon and his close inner circle, Sini, the Captain of the Guard and the highest ranking knights. Owning such a blade is a symbol of status as much as it is a deadly weapon.
Iron flecked blades (those being the ones where a portion of the alloy the blade is made from is composed of iron) are legal but only by permission of the Archon. They require special dispensation to use much like a gun license only the process is more rigorous. Lower ranking members of the guard often have such weapons.
@TemplarKnight07 Have to say, I'm loving the attention to detail and time period. As a point of interest, the Black Death generally referred is usually the pandemic in the mid 1300s. Your character would have been born around 1550, give or take, and while there were still outbreaks, none was quite so bad as the 1346-1353 (roughly) one. It could be anywhere from a couple years to a couple decades between outbreaks, and there are a couple that fit the time frame you're looking at, one in the mid-60s, one late 80s, and one near the turn of the century. However since many people or their parents had already survived one or more outbreaks, the death toll was far less -- one or two in ten died, on average, instead of only two or three out of every ten surviving. The thought of the end of days was long past -- in fact, this was considered a golden age by many among the wealthier members of the population. Peasants had it (comparatively) better as well. Plague had come and gone multiple times, and was merely a fact of life, along with many other types of illness. It's pretty unlikely that decimated villages were so common. It's not necessary to change anything -- it's a pretty minor detail, and likely won't come up. With the details of his past life forgotten, Dagon only needs a reason that he wanted to forget, and you have that done solidly. But since you clearly put in time researching, I kinda wanna discuss it. Granted, it's been a while and I had to look some stuff up. I just *flailing* someone who wanted that sort of historical accuracy! *tackle*
Why is it when I bring up points like this people call it nitpicking but when someone else does it it sparks interesting debate?
@LadyRunic What's the point of having iron if it's not harmful? I mean, it's good for working with, but honestly, fey have other metals that are far easier to obtain and just as good, if not better. The benefit of iron is that it is lethal. I was under the impression that some fey could handle iron, like the...was it goblins? Also, both Nyx and Sini's mother had blades with flecks of iron, though I think Duska gave hers to the captain that followed her. I actually didn't catch the bit about the captain of the guard, or I would have gone with it already for Sini.
To be harmful, the iron must come into contact with the fey or the magic, right? Toxic, but minor injuries will heal eventually, just not as fast, and they get far worse far faster than other injuries, and do more damage. But this means having iron on the blade of a weapon is like coating it in poison. As long as you don't touch it directly, you're okay. Makes maintaining said blade interesting, because it's a contact poison as opposed to needing to reach the bloodstream to have any effect, but I imagine it can be done. Gloves, caution...maybe serious work is handed over to iron-resistant smiths.
Correct me if I'm wrong Runic but I believe that iron infused blades, ones made of another metal with a quantity of iron mixed in to give the wielder an edge are not exactly common but they are not unusual either. I think they are mainly reserved for high ranking knights, and like Nyx, Court Assassins. They prevent healing magic from being very effective making the likelihood of a target or opponent recovering from a deep wound unlikely.
Full Iron blades on the other hand, again Runic correct me if I'm wrong, are about a hundred times more potent. They cut through enchantments and kill fae very easily. I'm not sure about this part but in a lot of lore close proximity to iron makes fae feel seriously ill, sort of like radiation poisoning so having a full iron blade is basically illegal plus being debilitating to both the wielder and anyone else in the area simply by existing.
Name: Gideon Morgan Armstrong Alias: Gideon Race: Human Court: Not aligned Position/Occupation: Student, Avid Fantasy reader and gamer, and a seeker of occult/supernatural knowledge (Actual) Age: 16 Personality: Shy and introverted, Gideon grew up with not having many friends in school and bullied for his "unusual" hobbies for his age, and has ended up lacking in terms of social skills and with few friends outside of a close circle of fellow hobbyists. He likes to over-analyze situations, especially when nervous, falling back on his substantial intellect (for his age) and exceptional memory to recall what others would see as useless or irrelevant information, yet completely forget important dates or events simply because he finds most human social interaction boring. He possesses a curious mind in spite of his social anxieties though, and always loves to learn something new or forgotten by most others. Appearance: Weighing only at 120 lbs, Gideon is a scrawny but not necessarily weak individual, with muscles that lacked definition and a thin frame. His skin slightly more pale than normal due to prolonged periods inside, and having a full head of slightly messy unbrushed brown hair, but always washed and never below his shoulders in length. He has some freckles on his face and a few scars on his face from previous acne, though unlike many other nerds, he was fortunate enough to have been born with naturally straight teeth and no need for glasses. He normally wears jeans, running shoes, and related t-shirt of one of the various fantasy series he was an avid fan of. In short, he's an almost entirely average teenage nerd. Family: Christopher and Mary Armstrong (Parents) Ambition: (Goal) To become a Magician, or at the very least prove for himself that magic and the supernatural were real. Background: WIP
I have no clue if this concept will even work as a character or where it would go in comparison to the Winter Knight, but I figure it could be interesting. Still have a background to write up, but any feedback for the idea is welcome.
He'd get slaughtered in the fae realm. *asks too many questions, has head seperated from body in response*
Firstly role call, some of you I haven't seen in quite awhile.
Secondly I don't feel like I'm doing a very good job as GM. The concept for this Roleplay has a lot of potential but I feel as though I'm not executing it particularly well I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions as to what I could be doing better, differently or should stop doing. Do try to be polite about it but don't worry about hurting my feelings, I'm just trying to figure out a way to get this working as I feel the RP is starting to fail.
Excellent idea, I'll type up a couple and see how they're received. Feel free to check out my Winter App as I work out a Human one that is WIP
CS:
Name: Ser Dagon Feldspar
Alias: The Winter Knight
Race: Winter-born
Court: Winter
Position/Occupation: Knight and Executioner of Queen Arys, though currently is bound in the dungeons in penance for his previous failure.
(Actual) Age: Roughly 950 years old, give or take several decades. He lived during the early middle ages.
Personality: Cold, aloof, and serene, Ser Dagon is the very embodiment of Winter. Neat and simple, he does not possess many desires anymore, nor does he overly care about others, such is the lack of empathy that has harden within him like the ice of his court. He has no purpose to his life beyond serving his Queen's bidding. Proud in his duty and utterly loyal to his charge even in what would otherwise be an accursed fate, he takes solace in the fact that he has earned the grace of a motherly figure even though others call her cold and heartless, and strives to live up to her expectations out of profound admiration of her, and will willfully bear whatever punishment she may desire should he fail. Though he is well-mannered and respectful to most, he's also as stoic and implacable as his Queen when set to a task.
Appearance: (Must have well written description, pictures are welcomed.) Ser Dagon is almost always seen clad in his signature armour, a traditional piece borne by all knights of the Winter Court, an ornate suit of black plate metal fringed by a silver cape across his shoulders, with a helm bearing the resemblance of a wolf. Beneath the armour, Dagon looks like a frozen corpse, his skin looks dark blue and blotchy from frostbite, hair is pale white (though neatly cut short if he's allowed to), and his body bears the marks of dozens of wounds from countless duels, battles and engagements both before and after he entered the service of Winter. His eyes are taken on a light blue tinge, hinting at the ancient magic sustaining him and giving him life and vitality far beyond his years but which also binds him totally. He is also well-toned and strong in body build despite his ghastly appearance.
Family: Forgotten (He most certainly knows he had a Father, Mother, wife and children, but part of his deal with the Queen of Winter was that she removed all memory of the life he had on Earth besides his name and who he was)
Ambition: (Goal) To protect the Winter Queen's interests, vanquish her enemies, and serve her alone in whatever task she wishes.
Background: Born into a lesser noble family in early medieval Europe, Ser Dagon Feldspar was raised as a squire in the family of one of the Norman Knights who accompanied William the Conquerer to England. Though a historian will find no trace of any Knight or house bearing the name Feldspar, it is because the last name was given to Dagon by the Fae of the Winter Court, and nobody human had any living record of who he or his family was. Though the Fae of Winter know his tale well.
For Dagon's father had decided to settle down in England and take a local woman to wife, siring Dagon and many siblings, and establishing a stout house on the edge of the ancient forests of central England. There they lived and Dagon grew up for several years, despite the hatred of many of the locals with Dagon's father's heavy-handedness and what they saw as a foreigner breaking and flouting the ancient traditions and customs of their land. Customs which his mother told to Dagon in secret, of Faeries and ancient powers as old as time waiting in the woods to snatch away children and realms where people could step into without even realizing.
At the time of his 14th name day, at the beginning of a new winter with the first snows already fallen, Dagon's life was thrown upside down. The locals had grown tired of his father's heavy-handed and foreign leadership, and in a great mob they stormed the stout keep he had built, killing his men, setting it ablaze, and boiling his father alive using molten silver that lined the roof of the keep. His mother, viewed as a traitor and a whore for her love, was murdered and raped, and her children killed in their sleep, save for Dagon, whom had awoken in the night and ran as fast out of the keep as he could and into the woods, far away from the flames and angry mob and death.
It was only after his feet could carry him no further that the young squire-to-be fell down and wept in despair. He had lost everything and everyone he'd every loved, and possessed no power to undo what was done, let alone take vengeance. He considered throwing himself on his own stolen sword, but feared damnation in Hell for committing suicide and lacked the will to do it. So, finding himself in a stone circle, and beside his rapidly freezing state and possessing a conviction borne out of childish certainty and his despair, he invoked the rites his mother had spoken of, calling out to any being who might hear his pleas and grant him a wish.
His cries and calls were answered, with a silence more complete than anything, before he was struck dumbfounded by a being of ethereal beauty unlike any he had ever seen before appear before him. The air felt even colder than before even though no wind even stirred. The being did not smile, and Dagon almost felt like he should be afraid, but in that moment as he peering into her piercing icy eyes, he felt nothing but odd kinship with this being, as she had felt similar pain and loss in the heart of a similar scale before in a time far removed from the present but no less forgotten in her everlasting mind. Yet she bore such pain with such a stoic grace that those unfamiliar with such a thing would never notice.
She introduced herself as Arys, the Queen of the Winter Court of the Fae, and merely asked Dagon what his wish was, and what he would offer her should she deem to grant it. Dagon's was simple: To be taken far away from this place, and that he could be made to forget he ever had a family as he thought it better to forget than to live with the pain of being the last member of his house, with the power to do nothing in the face of a cruel fate. In exchange, he offered his body, soul, and servitude to the Queen for all time, in whatever faculty she desired. The Queen, showing no outward signs of interest or disinterest, merely replied by telling Dagon to give her his full and true name if that was truly his desire. Knowing vaguely of the power of names, Dagon cared not of the cost, he had resolved that whoever this being was, he adored her, and gave her his true name freely and willingly there in the stone circle, and blacked out.
He would awake in the Fae realm of Winter, both parts of his wish granted, and the Queen informing him that he was to continue his training as a Knight under the tutelage of her and her court. They would raise him and give him more power than he ever could dream, but she reminded him of his deal, he would be hers for eternity, and would not tolerate any slights against her or her court's honour from her "adopted" son.
The centuries blended together as time flowed in its strange ways within Fae lands, and Dagon became an infamous Knight of Winter, officially dubbed by his beloved Queen and "Mother", his loyalty to her was absolute, for he relished the oblivion and mercy she had granted him when nobody else would or could. The Queen of Winter had been there for him in his darkest hour, and in the mind of an infinitely short-sighted human by comparison to the machinations of the eternal Fae, that made her worthy of his complete devotion, and to do the same for her should she called upon him to do so. He would take up any task, or bear any amount of pain for her if only to consider himself truly worthy of the attention which this great and terrible being had bestowed upon him.
Just so you know as it might not be clear in the OC, the Name category is for the true name while the Alias Category is for any names he is commonly addressed by. Since you said the Fae gave him the name Felspar then it is not his true name.
Also it says he is in the Dungeon for some failure but that is not elaborated on?
Out of curiousity, in Family it says he is certain he had a wife and children but in the Bio it says he was driven out at age 14. I know at the time youth marriages were often done but usually it was the girls that were around that age while the boys were in there twenties and up. Was wondering if you could elaborate.
On an unrelated note @Belle When did Feoras and Arys start dating and when did they break up. Was there some sort of war that followed?
"He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster. And if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee." - Friedrich Nietzsche
Wouldn't that go against your rule of "things have to make sense in a cohesive manner?" It wouldn't make logical sense to be stuck in the standard RPG move system. Unless I wouldn't be limited to just 4 moves each.
Though from a realistic perspective there is very little wrong with the Pokemon format. In a VR setting the battles would become more... brutal but otherwise there isn't actually all that much there that doesn't fit into a realistic setting. The command bar doesn't count for all that much because if it were real it would simply be the trainer yelling what comes up on the prompt instead of it being displayed. As for the move limit it could be looked at as an animal being unable to remember certain tricks it is taught when they become irrelevant while learning a move like Flamethrower could be seen as the Pokemon becoming more adept at what used to be Ember.
I think the original quote is something along the lines of "He who fights evil risks becoming evil. If you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back." or some such. I could look it up but I'm lazy.
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