Maxx

Soldiers of Fortune

@Dragonbud Ur gay, but also that backstory almost made me cry. Accepted.

@Ghost Note Ur a bitch, but you are, also, accepted.

Soldiers of Fortune

@JunkMail @SepticGentleman @Fernstone Accepted.

@Spoopy Scary Ur gay.

...

...

But also accepted.

Soldiers of Fortune

Captain Adam Bradshaw

Name: Adam Bradshaw

Age: 40

Race: Human

Gender/Pronouns: He/him

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Put an image here if you have one.

Appearance: 6’0”, 180 lbs, Adam is a large and physically-fit man. He has a muscular, disciplined physique honed through years of training, though he’s begun to feel the haunting aches and pains of middle age. His body is covered in scars from a life lived on the battlefield, and he has a generally broad, athletic posture. He generally walks with his head held high and his shoulders back, like a noble. Adam has a stern, stoney face with a large, generally furrowed brow. Crow’s feet have begun to set in beneath his intense, dark-eyed gaze, and grey hairs have started to form in his short black hair and beard. He speaks with a deep voice and a British accent (I’d imagine him being voiced by Russel Crowe).

Attire: Adam generally dresses like a commoner, with a tunic (usually red or beige), tan trousers, and brown leather boots. He often wears a brown hood atop his tunic, which he wears with a matching brown robe in the winter, and a thick brown leather belt. He carries a simple arming sword in a marbled leather sheath on his left hip next to his coin purse.
In combat, Adam wears a chain mail shirt that nearly reaches his knees, covered by a tattered white and blue surcoat, cinched around his waist by a leather belt. Steel spaulders, rerebraces, and vambraces protect his arms, while armored greaves protect his legs. In heavy combat, he wears a visored barbute to protect his head and face.

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Outward Personality: Adam is a stern and no-nonsense kind of guy. He’s a strict leader, a utilitarian thinker, and has minimal tolerance for bullshit. Adam sees mercenary work as a job, not some quest for glory, and acts accordingly. Efficiency gets on his good side, and the simplest solution is always the best. He’s confident, with a strong sense of self-worth and a generally optimistic, though pragmatic, outlook. Insults don’t get much under his skin nor to attacks on his character; at the end of the day, when it comes down to what matters, Adam knows who will be standing victorious. Mutual respect is a big part of Adam’s behavior: treat him with respect, and he will show the same to you. Behave rudely, however, and he will stoop to your level.

Despite his commonplace appearance and general behavior, cracks of nobility shine through his facade. Adam is well-educated and sharp. He’s a shrewd tactician and is good at reading a room, and he knows things that you wouldn’t expect a commer to know (history, literature, reading, writing, mathematics). While he talks a big game about mercenary work “just being a job”, Adam can’t help but have a heart for the noble and good in the world. He won’t take jobs that he deems immoral (usually) and when it comes down to it, Adam shows restraint in his behavior. If he can, he’ll seek to wound, but not kill, and he will show mercy to those who prove themselves worthy of it.

Bonds: Adam is looking for redemption, as many mercenaries in his company are. He hopes that through this grim work, he will one day be able to give his daughter a better future than this.

Goal: Adam’s ultimate goal is...a secret, for now.

Character Flaws: Adam can be blinded by his desire for efficiency. The simplest solution isn’t always the best, and Adam will usually wave off a more convoluted plan in favor of a simpler one, even if the convolution gives a higher chance of success. Furthermore, Adam is, much to his own chagrin, a merciful person. More than once, he’s offered mercy to those who didn’t deserve it, leading to his own downfall.

Backstory: You don't know much about Adam, cause he doesn't tell much, but from his behavior and possessions you can piece stuff together. Adam clearly has a noble past from Talbor judging by his accent and weapons, but what led him to become a merc is entirely unclear. You know Talbor has a violent past of overthrowing nobility and civil war. Maybe that has something to do with it. What you do know is that Adam founded the Iron Pride ten years ago with a few human buddies, all of whom have died or moved on, and his child, Amelia, who is still with the Pride. He's a single father trying to raise both a child and an army in a world where folk like him are about as valuable as a steak thrown to a lion.

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Skills:

Martial Training: Adam is trained in a variety of weapons: sword, mace, polearm, lance, and bow. He’s a pretty shoddy bowman (doesn’t even carry one, why bother?) but is an expert polearm user and a first-class swordsman.

Cavalry Training: Adam is also a trained and excellent cavalier, and he has a horse, a solid-black mare named Hildegard (because he’s the captain and also your boss).

Chivalry: Despite his gruff exterior, Adam is accustomed to courtly affairs. He knows what to say and not to say in the company of nobility and is well-versed in proper etiquette.

Tactics: As the captain of the company, Adam is the de facto tactician and leader. He is well-versed in medieval battle tactics at both a small and large scale.

Magic: None

Weaponry:

Partisan: A type of polearm, the partisan is an 8 ft (243 cm) oak shaft with a bladed, hooked head. An advancement over older hook-spears invented by the Dalus, the partisan is a truly fearsome melee weapon, capable of piercing light armor and eviscerating the human body. Tales are told of corpses recovered from battle-sites with their heads cleaved in half lengthwise from this fearsome polearm. Adam brings this weapon into battle against light or moderately-armored foes, and can use it on horseback as a couching weapon.

Pollaxe: A quintessential knight’s weapon, the pollaxe is a 5 ft (152 cm) polearm topped with a three-part axe: a slashing flat axehead, a thrusting spear, and a crushing hammer. This versatile weapon is highly-adept at crushing armor through blunt force, but is not properly weighted for use on horseback effectively. Adam brings it into battle against heavily-armored enemies or horsemen.

Arming Sword: The definitive symbol of chivalry and nobility, the arming sword is the ceremonial weapon of a knight. The sword is 21 inches (53 cm) long, designed to be used with one hand for both slashing and thrusting. Typically, Adam uses this as a sidearm or simply as a symbol of his role as captain.

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Other: Adam’s favorite food is fried eels, though he’ll also go to town on catfish.

Amelia Bradshaw

Age: 17

Race: Human

Gender/Pronouns: She/her

Appearance: 5’8”, 160 lbs, Amelia is of above-average height and weight for a woman her age. She’s fit from a life on the road, with a somewhat masculine-yet-small build. She’s got a fairly athletic and boyish stance, feet shoulder length apart, shoulders thrown back, a broad chest for her size. She’s fairly pale and sunburns easily, much to her chagrin. She has freckles, especially along the brim of her nose and cheeks. She has a serious face with a prominent brow and small round ears that protrude from her mess of brown hair. She has a small, mousey nose and dark blue eyes. Her voice is fairly deep for a woman, and she speaks with a slight British accent (a remnant of her Talbor heritage).

Attire: Amelia dresses cheaply and plainly. She wears a simple brown tunic, trousers, and mid-calf height brown leather boots. She has a brown leather belt around her waist with a bollock knife on it, mostly a tool for cutting meat/cheese/rope, etc, but potentially also a weapon. When it’s cold, she wears a black hooded cloak made of bear fur, a gift from her father.

On the battlefield, Amelia wears half-plate armor: pauldrons, rerebraces, vambraces, gauntlets, armored greaves, poleyns, and a knee-length mail shirt. She wears a grey and black surcoat over her armor. She wears a close helm with a visor atop her head.

Outward Personality: In a word, Amelia’s a bastard. Growing up on the road surrounded by brigands and pirates, she’s developed a tough, rowdy exterior and a brash, aggressive disposition. She curses like it’s her job, drinks like a fish, and generally acts vulgar and irreverently. As a woman in the company of men, Amelia has spent much of her life having to prove she’s just as good as everyone else, and it’s left a serious chip on her shoulder. She has a quick temper, a head harder than steel, and a short leash for insults, especially when it comes to her gender, strength, or prowess on the battlefield. Amelia is someone who thinks actions speak louder than words, with little tolerance for bullshit. The words of nobles and politicians are designed to confound and confuse— bluntness is truth. At her core, Amelia is extremely emotionally-repressed. Her entire life, she’s been taunted for her femininity in the company of men, and such has made her afraid to ever really open up to anyone. In truth, Amelia is as exhausted as she is angry: why does she have to suffer because of a malicious culture outside of her control? Why can’t people accept enough is enough and let her prove herself for who she is?

While Amelia acts like a bastard, she’s by no means a bad person. She has a lot of emotional intelligence and an understanding of people’s limits— she’ll make fun of you for everything she can find, but if she can tell it’s starting to bother you she’ll cut the crap. Amelia has a strong moral compass as well: she despises bullies and malicious folk, and if you find yourself at the blade or fist of a villain she’ll be the first to your side. She loves fighting: while she’s smart enough to not pick fights, she’ll be the first to join them once they start.

Amelia is a lesbian, unable to muster up any attraction to men. On several occasions, she’s been caught flirting with tavern wenches or stable maids, which she’s gotten in various degrees of trouble for. The stigma in some parts of the world against lesbian relationships doesn’t particularly bother Amelia— everyone already discounts and despises her for her gender— why stop there? While she’s flirted with girls a few times, and occasionally stolen a kiss, but she’s never had a long-term relationship.

Goal: Amelia’s goal in life is to prove herself as a great warrior. She’d like to lead her own mercenary company someday, maybe take over the Iron Pride after Adam retires. Knightly roles don’t really interest her much— the pomp and circumstance of noble courts is like vomit in Amelia’s mouth.

Character Flaws: Amelia comes at life with a point of view that everyone she meets is going to discount and doubt her. As such, she has a lot of trouble trusting people, assuming that they will always treat her with the same distaste she’s used to. Furthermore, Amelia has a really short temper and is uncommonly stubborn, a mix that can get violent fast in the wrong context. Determination is one thing— bone-headedness is another entirely.

Backstory: Amelia was born in Talbor, but she doesn’t talk about or remember that part of her life that much. She had an education of some sort, was born in relative privilege, but left at a young age with her father. The circumstances of the Bradshaws leaving Talbor is not a topic Amelia likes to discuss or think of.
From then on, Amelia grew up on the road, traveling the land with her father as he tried to find a better life for them. Amelia idolized her father; he was everything that a knight was supposed to be: courageous, tough, but also kind and chivalrous. He treated Amelia like a queen, always making sure she had enough when times were tough, giving up his own meals or blankets or bedding so she could be comfortable. In exchange, Amelia worked hard to be the perfect child and to live up to her father’s expectations. When Adam went out on missions, Amelia would do exactly as she was told and resented mischief. To keep her safe, Adam taught Amelia basic knifework, just in case. Amelia practiced constantly; she loved being able to defend herself, knowing that it would give her father relief to know she was safe when he did what he had to do to put food on the table.
In those days, the Iron Pride was mostly composed of warriors from Talbor, old contacts of her father’s who had lost their noble titles or deserted, but those days changed. One by one, those men left, killed in battle or gone back to Talbor to fight in the war for this side or that. The men that came to replace them weren’t the same: they saw Amelia as a distraction, not as a person. A child had no place in a mercenary camp, they thought. Amelia was teased and mocked and humiliated for reasons outside of her own control. Several times the teasing got so bad that Adam stepped in, once even beating up a mercenary who had literally attempted to steal Amelia’s underwear from her hamper. For reasons outside of her control, Amelia was a target, and day by day it grated on her.

From the age of ten, Amelia was trained in combat, archery at first but then horsemanship and melee combat. Adam wanted her to be a hunter, if anything. Amelia wanted to be a soldier. She trained every day, rain or snow or blazing heat, with the polearm, axe, and sword, sparring with other mercenaries or Adam when she could. She was so proud to show her father what she’d learned from reading dueling manuals or from watching the moves of the other mercenaries. Amelia’s fighting style diverged from Adam’s pretty quickly; Adam was a knight, trained in honorable combat. Amelia saw no honor in war. She would kick, spit, throw sand, swing for the nether regions with blunted weapons. Once, while sparring an ostaran merc named Sionyn, known for harassing and belittling Amelia, she tackled him to the ground and beat his face in with the pommel of a training sword, breaking his nose and knocking out several teeth. Sionyn...left the company then under less-than-harmonious circumstances. Amelia’s catchphrase within combat became “fight me like a man!”, usually followed by a swift and definitive blow.

For a long time, Adam refused to allow Amelia to fight. He gave all sorts of answers: too impulsive, too young, too disobedient, but in his heart he knew the answer: she was his daughter, the only family he had left, and if anything happened to her, he’d be crushed. The argument went back and forth, Amelia feeling as if her father was treating her as all men did, as a weakling not meant for battle. All that changed a year ago, at what the members of the Iron Pride call The Battle of Cnoc Talamh.

The company was traveling through North Nepharie, guarding a royal carriage containing military implements bound for a fort in the Harvest Mountains. A rival mercenary gang was hired to intercept the shipment and, after careful espionage, ambushed the company while they were stopping to rest. A fight broke out between the two groups; Adam went out to face the enemy, ordering Amelia to stay hidden with one of the other mercs, who was instructed to defend her at all costs. The company was outnumbered; several members died, and Adam was wounded in a battle against two enemies. As one of those two ran to thrust his pike into Adam’s chest, he heard a scream from behind; Amelia had wrestled her way away from the merc ordered to guard her, grabbed the first weapon she saw, a massive zweihander, and ran to defend her father. In one fell stroke, the mercenary’s head toppled from his body. Amelia continued fighting by her father’s side and in the end they were able to repel the mercenaries, though at the cost of several members of their band and a Nepharie government official.

From that day on, there’s been a silent agreement between Adam and Amelia; so long as Amelia proves she is more than capable of defending herself and uses her head enough to keep out of stupid situations, Adam allows her to fight. The two still argue often over Adam’s tight leash on Amelia, but there’s a respect there that wasn’t there before, the kind of respect between a captain and soldier.

Skills:

Martial Training: Amelia has trained as a warrior since she could hold a sword. She’s a determined, skilled, and vicious warrior, trained in a combination of knight swordsmanship and mercenary scrappiness.

Horsemanship: Amelia knows how to ride a horse, though she’s no cavalier. Things such as charging in formation or fighting from horseback beyond basic moves are a bit too much for her. She also doesn’t have a horse.

Magic: None.

Weaponry:

Zweihander: Enormous and imposing, the zweihander is the king of all swords. Boasting a mammothly 40 inch blade, an extra-wide crossguard, ring guards, and parrying hooks before the hilt, the zweihander is designed for combatting polearms on the battlefield. The section of blade between the crossguard and parrying hooks isn’t sharpened, allowing it to be used as a secondary handle for increased leverage. The zweihander is a recent development in Tithe, used often by mercenaries in Nepharie. This is Amelia’s favorite weapon and she brings it into most battles.

Flanged Mace: The ultimate evolution of the club, the flanged mace is designed to bust up armor. Consisting of a spiked steel head on a relatively short wooden shaft, the mace is a close-range weapon designed to focus its considerable weight onto a single point, strong enough to dent plate armor and lower an enemy’s mobility. Amelia uses the mace as a sidearm against heavily-armored enemies.

Rondel: The rondel is a thick 12 inch dagger that tapers to a needle point. The blade itself is triangular and is designed exclusively for stabbing, with the heft necessary to pierce chain mail, though it is useless against plate armor.

Other:

Character Theme: Ambiramus by Eluveitie

NPC: Emrys Prytchard

Emrys Prytchard

Age: 53

Gender: Male

Role: Quartermaster

Appearance: 3’0”, 100 lbs, overweight and jolly-looking. Wide frame, long hair and bushy beard. Wide nose, thick eyebrows, generally earnest-looking. Wears a simple green tunic with a leather belt and a squat red hat.

Personality: Despite looking grouchy, Emrys is generally agreeable. He’s got a positive attitude and is polite, but is also very dedicated to his job of keeping track of everything. He can often be found pouring over spreadsheets and such or performing upkeep tasks around the campsite. Emrys is not-so-secretly envious of the active-duty members of the company, but due to physical restrictions he isn’t of much use on the battlefield.

Backstory: Emrys had a long history as a mercenary before joining up with the Iron Pride. He was born into a large, poor family in western Nepharie and joined up with a band to avoid working the fields for the rest of his life, much to the disappointment of his family and village. Emrys went on to have a long and fruitful career as a mercenary, serving in the Harvest mountains and eventually in the Minotaur War, where he received an injury to his back which keeps him from fighting.

Soldiers of Fortune

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Character Sheet:

Sheet Code

[b]Name:[/b] You can also use a banner from [url=1001fonts.com/]1001fonts.com[/url] if you'd like

[b]Age: [/b]

[b]Race:[/b]

[b]Gender/Pronouns:[/b]

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[center][img][/img]
Put an image here if you have one.[/center]

[b]Appearance:[/b] Physical Appearance. Approximate height and weight, physique, physical, posture/stance, and voice can all go here.

[b]Attire:[/b] What your character wears. You should account for what your character wears both inside and outside of battle.

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[b]Outward Personality:[/b] How does your character behave? What is their disposition/social proclivity/etc.

[b]Bonds:[/b] Why does your character get out of bed in the morning? What drives/motivates them?

[b]Goal:[/b] What does your character wish to accomplish? Are they just into this for the money, or does something else drive their lives?

[b]Character Flaws:[/b] How does your character falter? What weaknesses of personality does your character possess, and what will they have to overcome throughout the arc of a story?

[b]Backstory:[/b] What background does your character come from? How did they get to be who they are today? You don't have to write a book here, but make sure that your character's backstory actually informs who they are.

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[b]Skills:[/b] What does your character bring to the table for a company of mercenaries? Do they have supernatural senses due to their race, or perhaps particularly-well-honed mental faculties or martial training? Don't go crazy here, but make sure it's clear that your character is qualified to be a fighter.

[b]Magic:[/b] Does your character know magic? If so, what school do they follow, and how skilled are they?

[b]Weaponry:[/b] Each character may have up to three weapons in their arsenal, though to keep things realistic they may not have all three on them at one time. What weapons does your character use?

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Other: Any other information we should know about your character? Theme song? Favorite food?

Soldiers of Fortune

@Ghost Note @Fernstone @Dragonbud @JunkMail @SepticGentleman @Spoopy Scary

ASSEMBLE, MY KNIGHTS

Soldiers of Fortune

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<Map WIP>

Tithe is a single continent in a much larger, undiscovered fantasy world, with environments and fauna reminiscent of North America. Within the land of Tithe, many sapient races coexist, from the industrious humans to the naturalistic fey to the subterranean darklings. Many cultures and religions exist within Tithe, and because of this it is difficult to truly summarize its culture in a short snippet. Generally, Tithe is divided into fifteen regions. Most of the world’s population, about 60% or so, can be found in Southern Tithe, typically everything south of the northern border of Talbor, while the north tends to be less populous (and significantly more dangerous).

Nations of Tithe

Concordius: The homeland of the fey, Concordius is a natural haven filled with some of the most unique environments in the world. Much of the western part of the country is filled by the Great Fairy Forest, a misty temperate rainforest where the fey trace their origins to. Concordius is a true theocracy, the government run by the leader of the Maelen church and the law directly informed by the law of the Maelen religion. The land is patrolled by warrior-priests called Faerie Knights, who keep the peace, enforce the law of Mael, and preserve the environment. Many fairy courts exist in Concordius and while they have no direct authority, many government officials sit on them and their influence certainly alters government policy.
Government: Theocracy, run by the High Priest of Maelen. All land is property of the church.
Primary Inhabitants: Fairies, Auguries

Dolorod: Dolorod is a vast, dry desert which spans much of southeastern Tithe. Few people actually live in Dolorod, and no central government actually holds the area together, save for the eastern region of the area where several merchant city-states facilitate the exchange of goods and services from the south to the north of Tithe. In the center of Dolorod is High Hill, a religious monument sacred to Maelen worshippers as the site of the origin of creation. High Hill is inhabited by the mysterious Droal, beings of carved rock who seldom interact with outsiders.
Government: Monarchal city-states in the east.
Primary Inhabitants: Humans, Fairies, Orcs

Frozen Wastes: Basically uninhabited, the Frozen Wastes is the coldest place in Tithe. A supernaturally-cold wind current runs across Northern Tithe called Fathach’s Wind, and this current is responsible for keeping the ice states from melting. The current, however, also runs across the mostly-flat wastes, becoming colder and colder until it hits an absolute low around -130˚ F. Most of it is unexplored and, quite frankly, unexplorable.
Government: None.
Primary Inhabitants: None.

Haderlock: Spanning much of the northernmost region of Tithe, Haderlock is a cold and harsh nation with a great deal of instability. Most citizens live in the central valley and southern cities of Haderlock, while the mountains are barely inhabited if at all due to the frigid temperatures there. Haderlock is constantly at war with its neighbors the Icefolk, who believe Haderlock belongs to them, and as such the nation is constantly battered by small groups of guerilla fighters who freeze agricultural land and destroy government buildings. The Haderlockians would probably just leave if it weren’t for the fact that 70% of all the gold in Tithe and 80% of all the silver can be found in the mountains.
Government: Feudal monarchy, with various duchies controlling various lands under a single king.
Primary Inhabitants: Humans, Orcs

Ice States: The northwestern point of Tithe is inhabited by the Ice Folk, strange humanoid creatures composed entirely of ice. Due to the 1000+ years of isolation the ice folk have enjoyed as being Tithe’s sole indigenous inhabitant of the north, ice folk culture is completely alien from the rest of Tithe and the ice folk seldom interact with any other races.
Government: Feudal democracy, a collection of many feudal lords with independent states who vote on policy.
Primary Inhabitants: Ice Folk

Ignion: The massive land of Ignion stretches from Talbor in the south to the Frozen Wastes in the north, yet encompasses vast stretches of nigh-uninhabitable desert. Beneath the ground, however, the darklings have built themselves an enormous, technologically-advanced empire. Tunnel systems run beneath the surface at various depths, connecting subterranean colonies to one another. Life in the dark is difficult, but the darklings’ combination of superior senses and high intelligence have allowed them to flourish for many centuries in isolation. In addition, the Phoenix Mountains, which run the length of Ignion’s western border, is the homeland of the orcs and the adopted land of the hobs, both of whom constantly fight against the few aboveground darkling cities (and each other) for the resources of the fertile valley.
Government: Imperial monarchy, a sprawling empire controlled by a central bureaucracy around an emperor.
Primary Inhabitants: Darklings, Orcs, Hobs

Jikari: Jikari is separated from the rest of Tithe by Dolorod, and similarly has a dry climate. However, where Dolorod boasts nothing but rocks and sand, Jikari is home to a sprawling savannah filled with bizarre creatures: dragons, pegasi, griffins, cockatrices, and basilisks all originate from Jikari, as well as many magical plants and shrubs which are used by alchemists. Jikari sits atop the richest vein of Tears in the world, its mines able to pull a dozen or so of them from the ground each month. The entire government and society of Jikari revolves around this trade, with extreme measures in place to keep the process of mining and processing the tears secret.
Government: Aristocratic monarchy, consisting of a king and a series of officials from both governmental and business positions.
Primary Inhabitants: Humans, Fairies, Ostarans

Minotaur Territories: The great plains in the center of Northern Tithe are home to the minotaur. While not all minotaur recognize this area as exclusively their property, governments of Tithe do after a relatively recent major war between Haderlock and Ignion caused upheaval across the continent. The minotaur territories are vast and green, filled mostly with fields of rolling grass. The minotaur travel with the seasons, grazing upon the grass and living in relative peace.
Government: Individual tribal authorities.
Primary Inhabitants: Minotaur

Nepharie: The Grand Nepharie Empire once covered almost all of Southern Tithe, controlling every nation except for Talbor for many hundreds of years. Several revolutions and religious schisms broke the empire apart over the last few centuries, but you couldn’t tell based on how the imperial government behaves. Nepharie still manages to be the largest country in Tithe, possessing nearly 40% of the continent’s population. The nation represents the best of human-fairy cooperation, possessing beautiful human architecture (thanks to its rich veins of marble) and stunning landscapes preserved by the fey. In the west, the east ostarans produce much of the nation’s produce and live in relative peace under the aegis of Nepharie protection, though their rather disgruntled western neighbors are none to please about this arrangement. Despite no longer having the blessing of Concordius, Nepharie prides itself on its divine providence and justice, and its imperial courts are touted as the single shining light of justice in all the land. That said, their judicial system actually is quite advanced, reminiscent of modern court systems with a judge, jury, prosecutors, and universal legal coverage for defendants.
Government: Imperial monarchy, with an array of appointed satraps who report directly to the emperor.
Primary Inhabitants: Humans, Fairies, Ostarans, Auguries

Ostaria: Separated from Nepharie by the Harvest Mountains, Ostaria is the homeland of the ostarans. The north is mostly rugged grasslands divided by tall hills, while the south becomes wetter and wetter, eventually giving way to swamps and tropical rainforest in the far south. The ostarans are incredibly wary of outsiders given their fraught history of conflict with Nepharie, and few non-ostarans ever get to see this land. Much of the culture of Ostaria is different from that of the rest of Tithe, with their different language, religion, and crops due to their more tropical environment.
Government: Feudal monarchy, a loose collection of duchies united under a single monarchy.
Primary Inhabitants: Ostarans

Robore: Robore is one of the weirder lands of Tithe. While technically owned and governed by Concordius, the condition of Robore is so that most Tithans consider it separate from Concordius. The outskirts of Robore seem normal: coastal temperate forests, mountain grasslands to the east. The center of Robore, however, is cordoned off from the rest of the world by an endless wall of Robor trees, trees with bark harder than steel that are about the height and diameter of giant sequoias. This impassable barrier insulates Robore from the outside world. The inside of Robore is filled with bizarre plants and animals found nowhere else in the world, from humanoid frogs to gigantic fire-breathing moths to bioluminescent centipedes the size of wolves. Somehow, the forest of Robore’s depths is magically-animated and behaves in a way unlike any other place in Tithe. Due to its uniqueness, travel in and out of the forest through a single winding path is heavily-restricted by the mysterious Cernunnos, a powerful arcane entity reminiscent of an ent or treant.
Government: None, though the theocracy of Concordius claims the entire place as a nature preserve.
Primary Inhabitants: Fairies, Humans, Minotaur (occasionally)

Stellona: The fallout from the corruption of Sylvestre, Stellona is a sparsely-populated region of Tithe constantly menaced by their neighbors to the north. Ever since Grand Nepharie collapsed, Stellona has been a sort of wild west of Tithe, home to societal outcasts and dark magic-users outlawed from their old homes. Much of the land is unclaimed, save a few small and heavily-guarded city-states. Other areas, meanwhile, possess ancient castles or cobbled-together dwellings inhabited by mad, or simply evil, wizards.
Government: Anarchical, with occasional small monarchies.
Primary Inhabitants: Humans, Orcs, Minotaur (occasionally)

Sylvestre: Only legends tell of the wicked monstrosities that lie within the haunted marshes and forests of Sylvestre. For millennia, Sylvestre has been inhabited by the hags, beings of incalculable arcane potential who seek to spread chaos and havoc across the world. Hags are the most ancient creatures in Tithe and have lived in Sylvestre for an untold number of millennia (though of course the Maelens date their existence to a few years after the date of creation). While not all hags are pure evil, many of them deal in arcane arts far beyond the scope or understanding of the rest of the world, giving them untold power that they rarely put to good use. Few people ever enter Sylvestre, and those who do often end up at the bottom of one of the land’s many swamps of bubbling hot mud, pulled down there by the many wicked creatures of the land or first toyed with by the bizarre machinations of the hags.
Government: Hag-led despotism
Primary Inhabitants: None

Talbor: The homeland of the hobs and adopted homeland of the humans, Talbor is a land of equal parts industry and corruption. Run by five separate consuls representing five rival clans, Talbor is near-constantly at war with itself. Control of the fertile central Maceron Valley and the role of king is decided by a tournament between the five consets, a tournament which is almost always filled with political engineering and corrupt business dealings. Despite all of this constant strife, Talbor manages to be a fairly productive nation; much of the world’s iron deposits can be found in Talbor’s Trapjaw Mountains and the iron tools and weapons manufactured in the forges of Maceron are high-quality and universally sought-after.
Government: Feudal monarchy, where the five consuls and the king decide the law of the nation.
Primary Inhabitants: Humans, Hobs (occasionally, though they seldom stay long)

Venera: Formerly part of Nepharie, the land of Venera contains the highest population of non-fairy magic-users in Tithe. In the pursuit of greater knowledge of the machinations of the world, the Venerans founded the Magical Academy many centuries ago, an institution which studies both magic and the natural sciences. Many of the ways Tithans understand the universe were founded here, and many more secrets are yet to be revealed. Veneran society revolves around magic, with those rich and powerful enough to obtain a tear making up the ruling class. This makes Venera a sort of magistocracy, where only those capable of the arcane arts have any particular power in government or society. As the supply of magic in the world decreases, however, the Veneran aristocracy grows smaller and smaller, and attempts to increase the supply of magic in the world become more desperate than ever before.
Government: Magistocratic republic, run by a ruling class of wizards.
Primary Inhabitants: Humans, Fairies, Ostarans, Auguries

Current Events in Tithe

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Eight races make their homes in the land of Tithe: humans, fairies, ostarans, darklings, orcs, hobs, auguries, and minotaur. Some races are widespread across the continent, while others are concentrated in specific locations. Nonetheless, each of these races have their own cultures and abilities that could make them helpful on the battlefield. Below, you fill find a brief summary of each race followed by a link to a google document containing more information on them for interested players.

Races of Tithe

Humans: The most common race in Tithe, humans are industrious, resilient, and highly-adaptable. They are the most well-rounded race of Tithe in terms of physical abilities.

More on Humans

Fairies: The oldest race in Tithe, the fairies are smallish winged creatures known for their potent magical abilities. They are fairly physically-weak, but are the only Tithan race capable of casting magic from birth.

More on Fairies

Ostarans: The ostarans are another common race of Tithe, small and hairy folk reminiscent of halflings or hobbits. They are swift and nimble on the battlefield, using their superior dexterity to their advantage.

More on Ostarans

Darklings: Relatives of the fairies, the darklings inhabit the deep tunnels and caverns beneath the deserts of Ignion. Their advanced technology and superior senses give them advantages over other races, though they are blinded by the sun.

More on Darklings

Auguries: The Auguries are one of two kinds of beast-folk within Tithe, crow-people who live in a loose collection of treetop rookeries across Southern Tithe. They are highly dexterous and have perfected the art of necromancy, often charging into battle with vicious bone homunculi.

More on Auguries

Orcs: Native to the harsh mountain climate of Ignion, the orcs are enormous, muscular creatures known for their penchant for warfare. Orcs are the most durable sapient creatures in Tithe, capable of shrugging off hits that would kill other creatures.

More on Orcs

Hobs: Once the inhabitants of the now-human Talbor, the hobs are a martial race of goblinoid folk without a home. Hobish warriors are some of the best in Tithe: strong, well-trained, and bringing the most masterfully-crafted steel available into battle with them.

More on Hobs

Minotaur: Inhabiting the lush plains of Northern Tithe, the minotaur are great and powerful bison-men known for their pastoralism. Minotaur are the strongest race of Tithe, able to lift incredible weights and pull three times their body weight.

More on Minotaur

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Tithan magic is based around a phenomenon called The Pulse, a web which connects the life force of all living things. Through manipulating the pulse, one can alter the behavior or physiology of living things. Only fairies can utilize the pulse from birth, while all other races must consume a very rare artifact known as a Tear to use magic. Several schools of magic exist based on types of living things: animists, who study animals, botanists, who study plants, myconists, who study fungi, and somists, who study specifically the biology of sapient creatures.

More on Tithan Magic

Soldiers of Fortune

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“The devil would be powerless if he couldn't entice people to do his work. So as long as money continues to seduce the hungry, the hopeless, the broken, the greedy, and the needy, there will always be war between brothers.”
- Suzy Kassem

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The diary of Abbot Edward Westerfell

Year 5061 of the 23rd Roc

Plenmos 18, Malza

The spring crops have begun to be planted. The brothers spent the last nine days distributing the abbey's seed reserves to the peasants and watching as they plowed. The peasant crop is good this year; they are hard workers with strong backs. Only one faced the whip for improper planting behavior. I should probably take the whip authority from Josiah- he enjoys it far too much.

As I left my morning prayers, I happened to notice a band of mercenaries traveling past down the old grain road. What a strange lot they were, creatures of all kinds: fairies and orcs and an augury with its most revolting charge. Indeed, I even saw one of the accursed ones with them, a cave-dweller strolling in broad daylight! My goodness, the monstrous have gotten so cavalier! I remember the days when such monstrosities would be chased back to their burrows beneath the sand! Now, these rowdy bands of outcasts will even approach a holy place such as this, their minds blank save for their wanton lust for blood and power.

We live in a time of such strife. Each day, one hears of another revolution quashed or another lord cutting down his brother in the name of reckless greed. Lords throw more money now at building armies than they do at tithes for the church or even the adornments for their own great halls. By the time most people hear of these affairs, it is on the lilting tongue of the bards who troupe from town to town, spreading stories of knights and heroes and warrior-princes smiting evil from the land. If only half of that was true...

To the contrary, the face of war should be this rowdy lot, these blood-soaked outcasts bathing in the crimson pool of another's greed. No one will tell stories about them, how they died for a cause they did not believe in, how they bled to assert political power unjustly derived. They serve no crown or master or philosophy, only their own desires for carnage and glory. Perhaps it is best they die a forgotten battlefield death. I'd shudder to think what such folk could do if they left a mark upon this world...

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Soldiers of Fortune is a fantasy RPG set in the world of Tithe, a setting developed over many years by myself and several collaborators (some of whom are in this RP). This RP will follow a company of mercenaries as they navigate the contentious political landscape of Tithe's many governments, seeking fortune and glory on the battlefield. Tone-wise, the story will likely be similar to a slightly darker Fire Emblem, with a focus on the themes of comradery between outcasts and the struggle of personal power versus the greater good.

This is a closed, invite-only RP. The format is pretty causal— there's no minimum or maximum post length and no posting order. I'd prefer that writers try to post at least one per three days.

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The Iron Pride Mercenary Company is in its tenth year of operation. Founded by Adam Bradshaw, the company is of relatively average note, known by some, but not all, in the business. They primarily operate in the human-occupied territories of Southern Tithe, such as Nepharie, Talbor, and Dolorod. In the past, the company has performed rather perfunctory and apolitical jobs: guarding caravans, hunting bandits or pirates, and occasionally capturing bounties. The company tends to be small for mercenary bands, but has been known in the past to be highly efficient for their size, making some of the more frugal government officials in Tithe fond of them. An Iron Pride mercenary can expect to make 5-6,000 Mona a year, roughly equivalent to $50-60,000 USD, counting for inflation.

Recollections: The Othergrounds [Complete]

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Recollections: The Othergrounds [Complete]

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The danger seemed to have passed. Trent no longer felt the searing power of the apparition, and the only entities he felt now were Odessa and Finn. He let go of Isla and sat down on the ground with his knees close to his chest, just listening. These people seemed to know what they were talking about, Odessa especially, and that put him at some sense of ease. Trent covered his face with his hands to shield the sun from his eyes. His head still pounded; he felt like he was going to throw up at any moment. Where...was this place? It was grey and empty, but the sun still streamed down to bleach it all.

"<Everything they're saying about The Hound is right, far as I know,>" Saint Jimmy said, considerably quieter than usual. "<Let's hope we don't meet him.>"

"You...think they're right about the dream?" Trent whispered.

"<Fuckin' feels real to me,>" Saint Jimmy replied. "<But it's possible I guess. Let's hedge our bets though and not try to jump off buildings or anything.>"

"Wasn't planning on it," Trent whispered. He noticed that Finn had approached, the only friendly face he knew in this freaky place. He leaned his head against their leg. Familiarity gave him a bit of comfort. A tear dripped down his cheek, but he was silent. There was no way he could contribute— best let the "adults" do the talking.

Recollections: The Othergrounds [Complete]

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Everything spun. Trent's head pounded. His stomach was twisted by nausea. Somewhere in the mental static and blunt trauma, Saint Jimmy whispered:

"<Fuck...fuck...fuck...we're going to die here. Get up, kid. Come on.>"

There was struggling outside of Trent's head too: fighting and banging and dust welling up along the ground. A piece of asphalt shrapnel bounced harmlessly along the ground in the dust in front of Trent's head. Dust and smoke drifted into his limited view. As he slowly pulled his head up, Trent heard screams.

"GET OUTTA THERE SQUIRT."

There was an unnatural sound: a squishing, ripping, horrible sound. Then another scream.

"CAELA!"

Saint Jimmy's voice erupted in Trent's head like thunder.

"<HOLY SHIT!>" it roared. "<KID, WE NEED TO GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE.>" Trent cried out in pain, and his vision went white. He blinked, and there was a hand at hiss back. Slowly, Trent rose to his feet, supported by the girl in the yellow hat. The kid with the guitar was helping Finn, who too seemed out of sorts.

"it's going to be alright, we just need to get away, so help me out here."

"Okay..." Trent said. "I can...I can stand...I think." He stood under his own power momentarily, staggered slightly, the world spinning, then leaned on Isla again, though less weightily. Part of him wanted to ask what had happened, having not seen it himself, but another part knew: there was a powerful spectral presence behind them, where he'd heard the ripping and screaming. It was like nothing he'd ever seen before, stronger than any graveyard phantasm, even stronger than the faceless creature on the boat. All of them together had no chance of fighting it; they had to run.

"I might be able to teleport us outta here if that thing tries to follow us."

Trent fought the urge to mention his aura: if they didn't get away from that thing, it could follow them and they'd all die. These were good people...he couldn't let himself be a burden to them-

"<Forget it, kid,>" Saint Jimmy said. "<You met these teenaged fucks an hour ago. All that matters is that we get away from this thing alive and in one piece."

"I guess..." Trent mumbled under his breath. He looked up at Isla "How far...can you teleport us?"