If we are marked to die, we are enough To do our country loss; and if to live, The fewer men, the greater share of honour. God’s will! I pray thee, wish not one man more. By Jove, I am not covetous for gold, Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost; It yearns me not if men my garments wear; Such outward things dwell not in my desires; But if it be a sin to covet honour, I am the most offending soul alive. No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England. God’s peace! I would not lose so great an honour As one man more, methinks, would share from me For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more! Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host, That he which hath no stomach to this fight, Let him depart. His passport shall be made, And crowns for convoy put into his purse. We would not die in that man’s company That fears his fellowship to die with us.
Blue wale over a white sea. Common: "Cold ha this is nothing." Offical: "Deadly as Ice"
Ser Rolland Agrond Whitesheet
Heir to Ice Harbor, Black Whale, Iceman
Nobleman
Captain of the Guard
29 (Name day is soon)
Male
Personality: Rolland despite not hitting the age of thirty yet is a very coordinated and drilled man, serious about his duties though he is able to joke and shoot the pile with the guards at the same time. A trait that makes him unanimously loved by most. Raised solely by his mother mostly so granted he has a softer touch than most men of the time period which also sparked his hidden talents for literature and artistry. Perhaps his strongest or weakest attribute is is loyalty and honor, widely knowing as a man of virtue and honest guaranteed to tell the truth. Even if it means disagreeing with his liege lord to make his point, but would care out any given by his superior. Prone to romance as he is one not to visit the brothel, having a sense of longing to have a spouse to call his own. This partial due to his mothers upbringing.
History: Rolland was born to the Lord Garmin and Lady Sesila Whitesheet of of Ice Harbor, one of the furthest northern habitable settlement in the Weade's territories and one of the coldest too. As the saying goes "Those damn Whitesheet's got ice for veins." As a young man before his father's madness he was taught and learned to survive on little to nothing under his father's tutelage. Being taken out on whaling expeditions to understand the family trade as the whale was his family's crest and Ice Harbor's main trade besides walrus ivory. Though his skills under his father would be short lived seeing as madness slowly snuck up and took Lord Garmin Whitesheet into madness over the course of five years. Still a rather touchy subject, one he is either quick to act on or to immediately take offense too.
Rolland's father went completely mad by the time he was thirteen, having to deal with his fathers madness as mother took the mantle to teach him some life skills she deemed would prove fruitful also. Apart from his continuing weapons education, he was also taught in several artistic avenues. Taking largely to artistry and literature. And in so doing gathering a large amount of patience in process. One had to considering his fathers insanity.
Journeying south to reaffirm his father's oath of fealty to the Weades since his father wasn't of sound mind to carry out such a task. Though on his way to Winterhouse, Rolland had come across the late captain of the guard while he'd been hunting. Grievously wounded and with scavenger animals picking at the remains, with a band of thieves still after the man. He didn't think but only put the dying man on the horse, slapped the animals rear for him to get away. Staying as a distraction and to put the would be murderer's to justice, leaving the late lord Rikard to find him wounded but still very much alive. Wanting to see the man that tried to save his mans life. Having to live with a permanent scaring that bothers him on occasion when it gets really cold.
Rikard obviously knowing who Rolland was as his nick name the 'Black Whale' being the only dark haired Whitesheet to be born in three generations. But the former guard captain hadn't survived and had passed of blood loss. Though all wasn't without merit as Rikard had been taken by the offspring of 'Oldman Bear Garmin.' Enough so to make him the new honorary captain of the guard for his self sacrifice and bravery in the eyes of a larger force. The youngest one to date, taking his post at the age of 24.
Skills: Accomplished at most weapons,Excellent javelin/short spear thrower/wielder, adequate bowyer but is a better shot with a crossbow, survivalist and a very enduring person considering his birth place, literate, minor poet, accomplished artist, extremely patient
Dreams and fears: Fears going mad, seeing his father lose his mind has had a profound impact on him. His dreams well since he's a romantic without a wife, well you can figure that one out.
Favored equipment: Most often wielding spear Ice Fang, an heirloom of the Whitesheet house. Though when it comes to the thick of battle he is also seen wielding or using either a spiked flange or a flail. Commonly seen in lamalar or studded leather armor but again can be seen in scale mail with a shield also.
Extra: Often wearing a polar bear cloak clasped with a walrus ivory pin.
Looking good.
@Partisan PM'ed you, my good man :D Anyhow, I've already thought of several ways for an assassin to make good with the setting, which is why I asked if it was possible to make one.
@Partisan What are your thoughts on an assassin for a character? I have one patterned out after Vlad Taltos of the Draegara series, however I'm unsure what the use of an assassin could be in your setting or if it's even allowed. What do you think? :D
I am... generally against assasins. The assasin type that you are most likely going for (I have NO idea who Vlad Taltos is) is the sneaky, stealthy, swordmaster who can do insane amounts of crazy stealthkills and escape any situation?
While these could appear in the Falkhalls (the desert-ish area, red sand, beautiful beaches, lots of sailors) in a less-awesome, more realistic version, the Whitelands is not really the right place for them. Whitelands feature mostly norse men, harsh environments and direct challenges. Assassins are seen as low, and if anyone finds out you used one you'd probably be shunned by everyone.
I'm not sure who Vlad is as I said so if that's not the type, then feel free to explain here or in PM what you're going for. :P
Also I'm not sure about the use in the plot, given that we'd be going for a lot of political drama and military shit, large armies fighting eachother (well, I say large, but ''large'' is 1500-2000 men per side in this region) and an assassin would fall into negligence in all this. Ofcourse that adds extra challenges if we find a way to make him work!
@Valhalla I am impressed. I like the added touch of the appearance section.. I might have to steal that from you and put it in the base skeleton. So far so good, I like that she's a bastard but I wonder if this is known, and what the relations are compared between her and her half brothers? Bastards are always a bit shabby, especially since they can revolt and press a non existant claim on the throne in some cases.
Would it still be applicable for me to create a smaller house under the Weade's? If not I would like to take the captain of the guard.
It depends on whether you'd want to hold estates or not. If so, then it'd be a bit of a hassle, where as if you are a noble family that lives in the area around Wintershouse it'd be pretty possible. Either way, even a nobleman can be captain of the guard, there is nothing stopping him from that and it's quite a prestigious position.
The OOC is up, I have added 2 of my characters into the char bin and will be adding a third most likely, pretty soon. Maybe even more, but those would be mostly flavor character to add backstory to some of the less frequently played characters that still have a semi important role.
Full name: Joakim Mirke Weade Titles: Young Lord Regent of the Whitelands, 'Mir' Social rank: Nobleman Job or societal position: Regent over the lands of the Northern Demesne Age: 16 Gender: Male. Appearance: Reference picture above. Personality: Joakim is a young man who has been trained in the northern version of etiquette. As such he can be seen as rude, straightforward and unsubtle by those in the more southern regions. However this bring up has given him a thorough understanding of hierarchy, and more respectably a large dose of respect for hierarchy. As such he can be considered one of the most loyal people in the realm of Borhilon. Along with this respect also came a natural affinity for all aspects of combat -- archery, swordsmanship, architectural designs and logistics are things that he has learnt to become skilled enough in. Being the third son, he was never meant to be a leader, nor was his older brother. That as it may be, this means that he might fall back on his military knowledge rather than diplomatical skills or economical know how to solve the incoming conflict. Besides that he is caring, generous and infinitely prepared for self sacrifice for the good of his people. History: Joakim was born as the third son to his father, Rikard Weade. This means he has barely any right to the throne of the Whitelands. His older brothers, who were twins, Janus and Gregar, were both destined for greater things according to his father. Janus died early in his infancy as he was born sickly, and the healmaster could not do anything for him but pray to the Old Trees. Gregar however was born healthy and sound, and grew into a strong boy. It helped him that he was pretty in his face, as many noble girls swooned over him as soon as they heard his name. Being the first in line, he was not destined for war as much as Joakim. Instead he learned to govern from an early age. Economics, governship and reading and writing were things that Gregar learned, and in his spare time he learned how to properly use shield, sword and armor, as well as the horse and lance. When Gregard was 8, young lord Joakim was born, just as healthy as his older brother was born.
This is not the sobstory that other noble third-born sons would tell, but rather, the story of a young man who had a strong role model in the form of his older brother. Gregar was not the stern, strict older brother that other families had, but rather was kind and caring as much as his father and mother were. Joakim fit right into the family with ease. From the age of 8, he started learning how to wield a sword, shield, and all other assortments of weaponry. Being the third born, second-in-line heir, he was meant to be a commander of forces for his brother, and whenever possible a personal bodyguard, too. Enjoying the company of his brother, he had no remorse about this fate, and embraced it with open arms. This resulted in Joakim becoming quickly familiarized with large amounts of weapons, strategies, tactics and personal combat skills. This is not saying he is a master of the blade, but pit any common soldier of the duke against him and he will emerge victorious -- with remarkable grace, too.
As of the death of his father, lord Rikard, he has been forced to take over day to day command of the estate, waiting for his brother Gregar to return to the Whitelands to assume his rightful position on the throne. Skills: Proficient in swordsmanship, personal combat, maces and hammers, horseriding. Above average tactician and strategist. Dreams and fears: Joakim lacks any higher aspirations, other than to serve in a prestigious knighthood. His fear is however to lose the families lands, his family members, close friends and subjects. Favored equipment: A bastardsword, wooden shield, chainmail leggings and hauberk, with a surcoat over the hauberk. His right arm (sword arm) has a metal plate shoulderpiece and a metal plate elbow piece. His shieldarm has only a hardened leather shoulder piece and no elbowpiece. On both his hands he wears metal gauntlets. His leggings have metal kneepieces. His footwear is rather simple compared to the metal armor, as he wears rather simple leather boots which are tightly strapped. Extra: His insignia is the Weade's insignia, the Old Tree. The family dog is 'technically his' he claims, as he was the one that paid the smith for the dog. The dog does not confirm this.. but he sleeps in Joakims' room an awful lot.
Gregar Weade 'To God and his Sons, the world'
Full name: Gregar Weade. Titles: Duke of the Whitelands, Master of the Hunt of Borhilon, 'The Oakheart'. Social rank: Nobleman. Job or societal position: Captain under the banner of king Etwine the Stout, commander of the 3th regiment of heavy infantry, duke over the Whitelands and rightful heir to Rikard Weade. Age: 24. Gender: Male. Appearance: Reference above picture. Personality: Gregar is a kind man that can be described as harsh but fair. Being trained as a lord he has learnt that this position is not one of fun and pleasure at all times, but rather a position of making hard decisions time and time again. Over the years the smile has faded from his face because of this. However he is utmost prepared to make these decisions for the greater good of his people. Truly, he is the pinnacle of God's virtues, being temperate, chaste, and content with what he has. He is also very trusting, which can be seen as a good thing. It is, however, not a good thing for a lord. Numerous times he has unknowingly invited people into his halls, who seemed to be down on their luck, only to find items missing. His father's scoldings were often not enough to stop this happening again. History: Gregar lost his twin brother Janus early on, but didn't realize this until much later as his brother died in infancy. It was said that his brothers will lives on through Gregar, something that's always pushed him harder to do well for some reason. From an early age the notion that he would be the image of the Weade family was instilled into him, forcing him to abide etiquette at all times, even when nobody was present. The youth of a first son is relatively harsh, but once they get older, they can slow down and take it a bit more easy. As it did for Gregar.
When he was 16, and came of age, his mother and father had to find a suitable bride for him. Being the famed 'Gregar Oakheart' did him much good in this regard and he was married to the daughter of king Etwine in order to form an alliance between the two families. The lady he was married to, lady Elisandre, was a lady fair and beautiful. She took up residence in the Wintershouse and lived there for two years, until she became ill and died of the cold weather and other nasty effects the illness had upon her. No child was birthed from this marriage however, as Gregar mostly found himself away from the Wintershouse to fulfill his duties to his liegelord king Etwine which caused him to be unable to consume this marriage. Luckily king Etwine wished the alliance between the families remained intact and issued a decree that stated that the two families were still bound, although the families would never be as close as during the marriage. As of yet, Gregar is still unmarried and his time spent in the army of king Etwine has not done this fact any favors. Skills: Gregar has become skilled in the art of managing his estate, although the economics often go unnoticed by him and the slack would be picked up by the local scribe and his ward. He is inspiring for his troops and can hold his own in combat, however he is not a skilled fighter in the sense of being a legendary warrior. He is about as good as is expected of a nobleman. He is quite charismatic and a sort of symbol for the Whitelands, however how much of this he can make true is another question. Dreams and fears: His dreams are to explore the regions East of the mountains when the time comes. His fears are the fall of his estate, family, or the death of the King due to intrigue or political struggles. Favored equipment: For the armor, reference the picture. As for weapons, he prefers to wield an arming sword and a wooden shield, painted with the sigil of the Weade family. On horseback, he would wield a lance where possible. Extra: Logically, his sigil is the Old Tree of the Weade family.
Gidja Jorvsdottir For the White!
Full name: Gidja Jorvsdottir Titles:'Giddi' Social rank: Lowborn courtier. Job or societal position: Castle guard. Age: 21 Gender: Female. Appearance: Personality: Gidja is a typical Northern woman. Cold and warm at the same time, she seems to omit an aura of tranquility, order and peace. Outside of battle she smiles often, atleast when she is not on duty. When on duty or in the heat of combat, her face grows stern, authoritarian and holds a respectful gaze on those above her. She is one of the few women in the entirety of Borhilon, save the few such as the duchess of the Forklands, who is in a combat role and is accepted as such in more or lesser degree. As such she has grown to become slightly more than a castle guard, and holds an esteemed position within the dukes militia even. History: Gidja was born on September 18th, which was coincidentally the name of one of Gods' children, the lady Gidja, fierce housemaiden. As such it seemed appropiate to name her after the child of God. Her father was Jorv, a strong man who served in the dukes army, and her mother was Herietta, a scrawny woman who served in the dukes castle-keep. She was supposed to become like her mother, a servant in service to the duke, but her strong believe that her name was given to her for a reason led to her requesting audience with the duke at the mere age of 14, when she was appointed to become a servants' assistant to learn the trade.
What followed was a shock, namely the duke accepting her request of audience. She got called in by her father, who told her to watch her tongue as she spoke to the duke, more so for her own safety than theirs. Her mother teared up, thinking that she would run her mouth and face punishment. But duke Rikard wouldn't be called the Just if it weren't for his friendly demeanor. Gidja approached the duke slowly, bowing slightly before standing straight again. What followed was a barrage of pleas, reasons and promises about her becoming a warrior, just like Gidja, the daughter of God, the Father of Earth.
Many objected but the Duke raised his arm, the hall deafening with silence. Then he granted her permission to become part of the castle guard, as she wasn't the first female to join a military group, and she certainly wouldn't be the last. Besides that, she had the spirit of Gidja in her, and he deeply believed that she was right when she said Gidja lives in her.
After that she spent most of her years until now guarding the castle from thieves, bandits, and guarding the halls during festivities. Skills: She is capable at fighting with a spear, this being her preferable weapon. As a backup weapon she uses a sword that's sheathed on her left side. Her skills with a shield are also quite good, to the point where she knows how to actively use it to force an enemy into certain positions, guarding her sides and is also able to use it offensively to good effect. Dreams and fears: One day she hopes to be lifted into a noblemans status, which would allow her to become knighted, or at the very least become part of a more prestigious order than being a castle guard. She fears death deeply, as any sane man does. Favored equipment: For her armor, see her appearance. For weapons she has a medium sized spear, and a sheathed sword on her left. Her shield is also on her left arm. It's a round wooden shield, with the castle guards insignia on it. Extra: She owns a cat, but he mainly roams the courtyards and her quarters.
“Atop a hill, born from pebbles, serene and still, the Wintershouse settles.”
“He cannot do this, he may not!” The old man smiled eerily, his white blinded eyes staring into the darkness in front of him. His old wrinkled hands grabbed a hold of the walking cane in his laps and he raised himself from his seat, turning to face towards where he last heard Joakim's voice. “If he cannot, then why has he already?” A loud thump broke the silence as the young adult slammed his fist on the wooden round table in front of him, shaking it heavily. Footsteps followed, the blind man staring at the direction of their sounds. Finally, the door opened and slammed right after. “Such bravery.” the old man said, slowly walking over to his bed, the cane clicking against the cold stone floor as he used it to hold him up. “Such a shame he would die. Such a shame.” The old man got into bed and slowly slipped into a calm peace, an eerie prelude to the chaos that would follow.
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The locations inside the kingdom
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In the lands of Borhilon there are several demesnes, reaching from North to South, East to West. This kingdom signifies the unity of a region, seperated from the others by oceans, mountains and plains uninhabited by any civilized kingdoms.
There is the most northern demesne known as the Whitelands, formerly held by the late duke Rikard Weade, also Rikard 'the Just.' Here the summers are cold, and the winters are colder. Ice frequently breaks off the trade with any other demesnes, leaving the people to their own devices and trade by land. This demesne is easily the largest of all, but its cold and unforgiving environment means there is little progress in the means of populations and living standards -- most people are content with just a wooden cabin and a fire. To the north and east are the Icy Plains, however they are not as much 'plains' as they are fields of ice that occasionally thaw into the Icy Sea. To the west are the Mountains of Chesfield, named after the first man to find a passage to the eastern lands -- large grassy plains where tribes of horsemen live. Even beyond these grassy plains there are more kingdoms like that of king Etwine, some more grand than even Borhilon, though none of the Borhilonians have ever seen these kingdoms.
To their south lay the green grassy plains of the Rossric family. They rule the Forklands, named after the two rivers that form after their source forks into two seperates. Due to the fertile lands, and large areas suitable for agriculture, the people here have flourished over the years and made a name as the most wealthy region of the kingdom, as the agricultural overflow is partly redirected towards stockpiles for the remaining populace, and the surplus is traded off. The plains of these lands have given them a reason to invest heavily into cavalry, giving them a natural advantage in horseriding skills and cavalry numbers, and as such they provice both the best horses and the men to ride them to the king.
West of the Forklands are the Iron Hills, which have a comparable geography to the Whitelands however do not quite share the same weather as the people living in the Iron Hills deal with a more temperate weathercycle and only face a bitter winter rather than a bitter life-time of weather. They mainly produce unrefined products such as logs, stone and ores and sometimes provide weaponry and armor as well. Their lord is the duke Perris of Harrighfield however their cities, keeps and villages enjoy a high level in autonomy and really only ever deal with their lord for taxes or to provide levies for his armies.
South of the Ironhills and Forklands are the Falkhalls, home to the family of Athos. Their lands are named after the characteristic falk on their banner, a sigil recognised far and wide, even in lands outside of the kingdom. The desert-like surroundings are not quite as inhospitable as you would first think, as there are plenty of grassfields useable for agriculture. Anything they cannot produce is imported from the Forklands. There are plenty of villas found in these lands, even those owned by noble families that are not even from this area -- owning such an estate is a sure way to gain prestige in the eyes of other lords and ladies. South of the Falkhalls is the Screaming Sea, named after the seamen that go down screaming during the storms that occasionally happen here as they crash their ships into the many uninhabited islands in the coastal region of this area.
A small region in the north-east regions of the Falklands have been claimed by the king, forming it into his royal demesne. Here the grandest city of all was built around the strongest keep in all of Borhilon. The Great City as it is called by the peasantry, or 'Volynia' as the more etiquette familiar nobles call it, is a big city in all manners of the word. The economy is booming and ever growing, bringing wealth to the Volynians. Well, most of them. There are areas of the city where mercenaries and thieves roam the street while waiting for a new job or a new location to go steal from. Here king Etwine reigns and rules his kingdom of Borhilon.
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The Whitelands
~~~~
In the Whitelands the ruling family houses in their keep atop a hill. Directly outside is a small village surrounded by a wooden palisade, which connects to the stone walls of the keep. Over the centuries these Whitelands have seen many things, from combat to interesting meetings with foreign people from the green steppes across the hill and beyond. But recently lord Rikard fell in the war against the Harrighfields, a war declared to settle a dispute between king Etwine and lord Perris of Harrighfield. The war was about who owns the rights to a certain iron mine in the soutnern Ironhills. His death signals a time of troubles for the Weade family. The rightful heir to the throne of the Whitelands is currently away from home, serving under king Etwine in one of his many ongoing campaigns. Soldiers are returning back from the war in the Ironhills, defeated and lost, mourning the death of their lord, and taking with them rebellious and warlike sentiments. Rikards wife, Catryn Weade, is incapable of leading the lands after the death of her beloved husband, and she has shown signs of growing slightly disturbed, mentally at least. And now, the peasants and lords of the Whitelands are beginning to grow angry, restless without a lord to lord over them, no iron fist holding them in place. They are beginning to see what power they truly have in relation to the Weades. Then again, they have more pressing matters to attend to, compared to rebelling against their lords.
The way hierarchy works in the Whitelands is a top down approach, with a large amount of autonomy for the vassals. At the top is the Duke of the Whitelands, currently a position that has to wait, as the heir is fighting in name of the King. Below him are the lordships, with ranks varying from earl to marquis. The meanings come down to a different intent for these ranks, where an earl manages their own hold, which is almost always a castle and a castle-village. And below the noblemen like these, there are the highborn commoners, such as knights, family members of respective noblemen, and ladies in waiting or ladies. Below them are the middle and lower classes, combined into 1 for the sake of simplicity, as there is not a large stratification in the Whitelands, especially when compared to the other areas. This bottom class is often referred to as the peasantry, but consists of anyone that is not of noble blood. That is not to say they can't rise above themselves, but it would be especially hard and would require them to be adopted into a noble family, to be married into it, or to be granted papers that state they have been uplifted into a noblemen position.
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What to expect?
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You can expect a reasonable GM, who is willing to listen to suggestions and can be very lenient (too much, at times) and open minded to certain ideas. Expect a GM who will do his best to maintain a fun and tight community surrounding the RP (and if any wish, outside too as I don't mind friendly chatter about our real lifes).
You should expect an RP that will do it's best to attain a certain degree of realism in it, attempting to keep in line with many medieval characteristics while being more lenient to others in order to make sure that anyone can participate with any kind of character and can have fun with it in relative consideration of their roles in medieval society. Expect a realistic sense of combat (no super-assasins that fly through the air and stab 3 people whilst doing so in order to escape by jumping off a castle and living. Rather, hired archers that honed their skills with many years of hunting, who are given a few coins to 'hunt a prized human' rather.) Expect no magic! (Herbalism disguised as 'magic' is alright and logical. Outright shooting fire from your hands? Nuh-uh.) Looser female roles are gonna be a thing, though they would still have a slightly less easy position in society, they will be allowed to take up positions in knighthood (though do not expect to see many of them).
The Great Tree, sigil of the Weade's. “Root to Top!”
Please, press view raw in the top right corner of my post to see the codes for the sheet. It would look much nicer if every sheet follows the same BB codes. Thank you in advance.
What kind of characters do we need?
Weade family members
Other noblemen, preferably 1 family only.
Commoners, courtiers, knights, other such thing.
If you really want, peasant who will be pressed into service.
(CHARACTER NAME HERE) (PERSONAL MOTTO)
Full name: [include middle names and such] Titles: [these can be royal titles if they are former nobility, or nicknames] Social rank: [peasant, lowborn courtier, nobleman, any variations you can think of] Job or societal position: [job, or for the nobles, what do they do daily?] Age: Gender: Appearance: [picture or description] Personality: History: [no 'I'll tell it in the IC' please, write 2 solid paragraphs minimally] Skills: [these should be somewhat noteworthy] Dreams and fears: [can be whatever, just for flavor] Favored equipment: [armor, weaponry, other equipment] Extra: [this can be like an insignia if your character is a (former) noble, or a pet, or whatever.]
Very interested. I would be curious about what other families exist and whatnot, unless this is going to focus exclusively on the Weades. (Though my interest is there either way)
There are other families. I have to admit this is an old RP I did before, that I just reposted as it didn't work out last time. However that also means I learned some things about what to do and what not to do.
For that reason I'd like to primarily focus on the Weades and their direct surroundings, with nephews and uncles and stuff, courting in the Wintershouse. However I feel like it's a good thing if we have other families though, I think it'd be really cool if we could coordinate it in such a way that those families are not dominated and played by 1 person, but rather theres multiple people playing characters within that respective family.
As such it should have a pretty Game of Thrones-ey feel, wherin the genealogical records are quite extensive, and you probably haven't met a lot of your kinsmen.
---
I'm gonna throw up the OOC now, and hope to see many of you and probably some others too, in that thread. If anyone has questions you can ask them here or PM me, either is fine.
[center][IMG]http://i68.tinypic.com/2i275ae.png[/IMG]
[i]If we are marked to die, we are enough
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God’s will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires;
But if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England.
God’s peace! I would not lose so great an honour
As one man more, methinks, would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart. His passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse.
We would not die in that man’s company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.[/i][/center]
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><div class="bb-center"><img src="http://i68.tinypic.com/2i275ae.png" /><br><br><span class="bb-i">If we are marked to die, we are enough<br>To do our country loss; and if to live,<br>The fewer men, the greater share of honour.<br>God’s will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.<br>By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,<br>Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;<br>It yearns me not if men my garments wear;<br>Such outward things dwell not in my desires;<br>But if it be a sin to covet honour,<br>I am the most offending soul alive.<br>No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England.<br>God’s peace! I would not lose so great an honour<br>As one man more, methinks, would share from me<br>For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!<br>Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,<br>That he which hath no stomach to this fight,<br>Let him depart. His passport shall be made,<br>And crowns for convoy put into his purse.<br>We would not die in that man’s company<br>That fears his fellowship to die with us.</span></div></div>
