Lennon79 — Roleplayer Guild

Warlords of China

With the collapse of the Qing dynasty in the early 1900s, the new Republic of China slowly began to push in reforms with the goal of centralising power. However weakness within the government coupled with endemic corruption in the armed forces crippled the RoC's ability to enforce these reforms beyond the capital of Nanjing. As a result, dozens of warlord states rose across the country as different provincial governors and generals carved out their own petty kingdoms. These warlord states vary in organisation, from military dictatorships and cliques of weaker warlords, to ancient feudal houses holding on to land their families have owned for centuries.

You are one of these warlords, fighting with every trick in the book to maintain your new place in the world. Be your weapon the pen, the sword, marriage or cold hard cash, you will wield it for the glory of your family and in defence of your place as a Warlord of China.

1898 - Empress Cixi issues an Imperial Decree as part of a new long-term modernisation program, stipulating that regional armies can no longer be led by local officers and effectively outlawing feudal armies.

1899 - General Yuan Shikai meets in secret with various malcontents, including Sun-Yat Sen and many of China's top military officers, to discuss deposing the Empress to maintain the old status quo. Over the next few years, Yuan Shikai and Sun-Yat Sen travel across the country to gather support for a coup. These meetings lay the groundwork for fall of the Qing dynasty and the rise of the Republic of China.

1905 - Empress Cixi is assassinated by Han extremists, giving Yuan Shikai and his compatriots the opportunity to overthrow the government. Many regional governors and military leaders join the coup, resulting in a almost bloodless transition of power and the formation of the Republic of China in Nanjing. Sun-Yat Sen is named President. The Qing Royal Family flees and is granted sanctuary in the court of Emperor Meiji of Japan.

1906 - Despite initial unity in the RoC, many regional leaders begin to voice dissatisfaction with central government. Old enmities resurface, leading to minor skirmishes between regional armies.

1908 - Amid increasingly instability in the Republic, President Sun-Yat Sen dies in a freak accident, leaving the nation confused and leaderless. Yuan Shikai steps forward to assume control but despite his best efforts, regional leaders turn their backs on Nanjing. Across China dozens of regional governors and generals break away from the Republic, forming a patchwork of petty states across the country.

1910 - After two years of constant war between the RoC and rebellious warlords, Yuan Shikai withdraws all Republican forces to Henan province and the capital. Declaring himself lifelong President, Yuan Shikai passes a law to reorganise the Republic after a federal system, granting every province the right to self-governance under the central government. Despite this attempt to nomalise relations, the RoC has no power outside of Henan. The Warlord Era begins.

Welcome aboard.
This RP is based in an alternate history China during the early 1900s. Attempts by the Republic of China to unify the country have backfired in the worst possible way, giving rise to the Warlord Era. We will each control a warlord and their holdings during what is essentially an undeclared civil war. There are many enemies that China's warlords must be watchful for; the Republicans have been beaten back for the moment, but their crusade to unite China could resume at any time. Across the sea another threat looms, for in the court the Japanese Emperor live the last surviving members of the Qing dynasty, eager to reclaim their birthright. But the greatest threat of all comes from within, as every warlord knows; trust not thy neighbour, for he is more likely to stab you in the back than anyone else. European influence is also starting to leak into the country through Hong Kong and Macao; whether the exotic culture and religion they offer are a blessing or curse is up to you. Despite putting this thread into the NRP section, I'd rather it not flow as your average NRP does. Instead of having news bulletins or political summaries, I'd rather have a full-blown roleplay following the lives of our warlords as they rule their fiefs.

I never particularly enjoy writing rules but the forms must be obeyed.

1. Treat one another with respect. I will treat you all as adults, so please do the same.
2. No God-modding. This includes controlling people's characters without permission, having your army be all-powerful and never lose, or having your tiny mountain state in Sinkiang produce enough resources domestically to be self-sufficient. Common sense please.
3. I like to RP slowly, but if you have to take an extended leave of absence please notify me beforehand. Similarly, if you want to leave just tell us and we'll work around it.
4. A no brainer, but please abide by all RPG site rules, especially in relation to scenes of an adult nature. Kill, maim, do drugs, no problem. But none of the sexy stuff in my thread please.
5. Insult me when you post your CS to prove that you read all this. Be personal.

Appearance
Preferably a picture. Any style is fine, though something relevant to the setting would be preferred.

Name

Age

Ethnicity
Han, Manchu, Tajik, Uyghur etc 

Military Rank
If applicable

Government Position 
If applicable

Personality
Just a few details on their psyche and leadership style; one paragraph is fine.

Biography
How they came to power.

Other
Any special quirks that don't fit in anywhere else

Province Name

Location
Ideally shopped into this map. Feel free to add a description of the area too.

Population
No need to be true to life, but be realistic
Major Exports
Again, realistic. No massive arms factories on a mountain.

Military Forces

Army

Size of Army: Rough number of soldiers 
Standardisation and Professionalism: This will be a stat system controlled directly by the GM and co-GMs. It begins as 25% and will rise or fall dependant on your actions. This represents your Army's progress from being a local irregular militia to becoming a full-fledged professional Army.
General Arms: Weapons used. In the beginning mainly simple bolt actions imported from third-rate suppliers, but that can change over time.
Organisation: A rough outline of your Army's organisation, such as unit numbers/names and where they are deployed. Does not need to be an exhaustive list.

Navy (coastal only)

Size of Navy: Rough number of sailors
Standardisation and Professionalism: Same as above, but separate
Number of Capital Ships: Any large cruiser or above. No more than one capital ship in the beginning.
Number of Escort Ships: Destroyers, subs and light cruisers
Ships/Squadrons: Same as Organisation for Armies, but include every ship/squadron.

Other
Anything that doesn't fit in above.

Feel free to modify the CSs to suit as long as the information requested is given. Post your completed CSs to the OOC first, then once accepted move them to the CS tab.

News

I'm looking to recruit a co-GM and someone who can do maps. Any potential takers, please PM me.
Lennon79 Member

Senpai

Status

Recent Statuses

Bio

Most Recent Posts
