Sierra

The Sorcerers' Cycle - A Fantasy Tale of Necessary Evils

Oh yay, I love a positive response. I like what I'm seeing so far @Habibi359, seems just shady enough.

The Sorcerers' Cycle - A Fantasy Tale of Necessary Evils

The world of Avalon lives under an unyielding prophecy. As long as intelligent beings can sense and wield the magical powers of the aether, the miraculous energy of the gods that grant mortal beings a mere sliver of their power, then the cycle will continue.

As long as the aether flows, there will rise a congregation of sorcerers taken by the dark powers, united in vision and purpose to upheave and reshape civilization. With their rise, dynasties end.

-- Lord Cairn Christian

King Friedrich Vahlen, third of his name, has stopped at nothing to see the recurrent devastation come to a close. Yet his people resent him. The once-great elven kingdoms of the forests and plains were savagely annihilated half a century ago at the dawn of Johann Vahlen’s reign, and his sights settled on the dwarven people’s of the Siegfried Mountains soon after when the cut off his supply of war gear in protest. They eventually sealed themselves away within their mountain fortresses to avoid a similar fate. The cost of that war was placed squarely on the shoulders of the citizenry as it was a war “for their protection.” Taxes and high demands on the tradesmen of the Vahlens’ kingdom that have not subsided. Now they pay for the tyrannical hunt for any man, woman, or child brave or foolish enough to explore the mystical powers of the aether that are soon to be a relic of a bygone age. Friedrich’s Royal Inquisition listens around every corner and pounces without mercy on those caught.

Now the fifth incarnation of the Sorcerers’ Cycle is upon the world. The Kingdom of Man is poised to finally crush the sorcerers’ rise once and for all. The only obstacle remaining is to find them among the populous. But a rumor is spreading throughout the kingdom: This incarnation of the cycle could undo much of what the Vahlen family has done in its long and bloody tenure; that the races of Avalon long thought extinguished would return to save humanity from its grim fate, whether they deserved it or not. But first the aspiring sorcerers would have to escape the insidious talons of the Royal Inquisition.

Who are you?

You are no one. A commoner, a tradesman perhaps, no one the kingdom would ever really care about as an individual, for now. By a convenient happenstance, dumb luck, or maybe fate, you found something from the sacred library of the old mage’s academy. Most people would rip it to pieces, burn it even. The possession of just a page from an old spellcraft text would have a mere commoner staring down an Inquisitor’s blade. Yet you keep it hidden instead of doing the sensible thing and destroying it. Perhaps given time, you can learn something from it. Prophecy works in mysterious ways, and it is nothing if not relentless. You are now a part of the Sorcerers’ Cycle.

What can you do?

It takes months of study, practice, discipline, and a clear and focused mind to practice even the simplest techniques when conjuring aetheric power in its purest, cleanest form. It takes less than ten minutes and some frustration for a desperate soul to summon power beyond description. The power of the aether is bent and shaped by the willpower of the wielder, but is attracted to and colored by the emotions of its host. This is the danger of the aether’s multifaceted nature. Even an amateur will realize that strong emotion seemingly amplifies their power, and that power feels good. Without formal training, most self-taught magic wielders fall into the trap that is the darker form of aetheric energy, and everyone who wields it is invariably twisted and consumed by the emotions they feed it with, by unrelenting powerlust, or are destroyed by the raw power they cannot hope to contain.

The magical possibilities of channeling the aether are as limitless as the imagination of the wielder. Given enough willpower and aetherial energy to make it so, anything is possible. A great and powerful fighter can defeat dozens of opponents and slay any beast living or undead, but a great and powerful mage can level whole cities in seconds. The capability of a would-be sorcerer is limited only by what they can will to happen, and how much power they can channel and contain within themself without being ripped apart.

What happens now?

It is only a matter of time before Vahlen’s inquisitors find you. They seemingly smell the magic emanating from those who channel aetherial power. Some believe the ancient knowledge of the old academy has been given to the Royal Inquisition to aid in their hunt. Some even believe the mage academy is not shut down but instead trains inquisitors in the ways of magic for themselves. No one dares speak such heresies aloud.

You must avoid the bloodhounds for as long as you can. Whether with dangerously intoxicating power, or with steel of your choice, you must prepare yourself to fight for your life. Sooner or later, you will need to. It will take all of your practiced skills, and no small amount of luck to survive and escape. How far are you willing to go when everything is on the line? How far is too far?

---

Welcome to The Sorcerers' Cycle! If, by any chance, you remember the name Tear the World Down then welcome back friends, I have missed you. This is a spiritual successor/world reboot of my old roleplay, Tear the World Down. The world around you is grim, but you will have to do terrible things to bring about change. This is a roleplay that asks the question "Do the ends really justify the means?" While I do expect a relatively advanced level of worldbuilding, I am more than willing to entertain more casual writers who wish to attempt to grow their writing skills. The character sheet I wish to see submitted is quite simple, though I have a far more complex and thorough framework that I encourage all participants to slowly work through.

Please use this simple version when posting your information publicly. This is for the reference of other players on what their character should know about yours:

Public Sheet

Primary Alias: The name they give when asked.
Appearance: Abridged, but sufficient, visual definition of the character.
Equipment: Any visible equipment (omit concealed) or items the character keeps on their person.
Reputation: The information other characters would be expected to know.
Recent History: A writing excerpt from their relatively recent past. Doubles as a writing sample (under 1000 words please).

[b]Primary Alias:[/b] The name they give when asked.
[b]Appearance:[/b] Abridged, but sufficient, visual definition of the character.
[b]Equipment:[/b] Any visible equipment (omit concealed) or items the character keeps on their person.
[b]Reputation:[/b] The information other characters would be expected to know.
[b]Recent History:[/b] A writing excerpt from their relatively recent past. Doubles as a writing sample (under 1000 words please).

Please submit this version of the sheet to the GM via private message. A few bits of this are not known to other characters and you are not required to reveal them publicly unless you want to. PM sheet submissions are not required until an OOC thread is posted.

Submitted Sheet

Name: Current legal name
Aliases: Any other names used or answered to.
Sex: Needs no explanation.
Appearance: Thorough visual description, including preferred wardrobe & any identifying marks.
Equipment: Whatever items the character may carry with him/her.
Abilities: Physical and magical abilities the character possesses at present.
Recent History: A writing excerpt from their relatively recent past. Doubles as a writing sample (under 1000 words please).

[b]Name:[/b] Current legal name
[b]Aliases:[/b] Any other names used or answered to.
[b]Sex:[/b] Needs no explanation.
[b]Appearance:[/b] Thorough visual description, including preferred wardrobe & any identifying marks.
[b]Equipment:[/b] Whatever items the character may carry with him/her.
[b]Abilities:[/b] Physical and magical abilities the character possesses at present.
[b]Recent History:[/b] A writing excerpt from their relatively recent past. Doubles as a writing sample (under 1000 words please).

This final sheet is my personal Master Character Framework^TM and is extremely thorough. I recommend all persons interested work through this for their character. This is not strictly required, nor will I be checking up on it. However, it will help you flesh out your character incredibly well. This may seem intimidating, so I recommend working through it slowly. This is not required. Do not feel like this needs to be anywhere close to complete to start posting. It does not. Develop it at your leisure.

Master Character Framework

Basic

Name

Name given at birth/legal name.

Aliases

Include both accepted and resented pseudonyms/nicknames.

Sex

Needs no explanation.

Appearance

Physique

Include any relevant identifying characteristics. No amount of pictures can substitute for a well-written description.

Wardrobe

Include signature apparel and general fashion preferences.

Demeanor

Include all non-physical components of general appearance e.g. mannerisms. Focus on baseline rather than specialized interactions.

Psych Profile

Goals/Motivations

Where does this person see themself down the road? What is it they hope to do? What keeps them doing what they’re doing? Section by item and explain.

Fears/Regrets

What is this person running from? What do they wish they could take back? What do they avoid at all costs?

Psychology

Describe more general thought patterns & processes. Be detailed and thorough. Explain in detail why they make the decisions they do.

Daily Routine

Walk through a daily routine. Make note of the (lack of) personal significance of all things.

History

Upbringing

Focus on early history and any relevant events within.

Defining Period/Event

Describe in detail the event that set them on their current path. Clearly show how the events that take place achieve that.

Noteworthy Incidents

Describe any other events in more recent history that are of relevance to the character or their reputation.

Abilities

Best Qualities

Defining positive personality attributes.

Worst Qualities

Defining negative personality attributes.

Strengths

Defining positive skills and physical abilities.

Weaknesses

Defining negative physical limitations.

Ties

Family

Section by relevant family members. Focus on describing perception and relationship.

Friends/Allies

Section by individual. Explain relationships well.

Enemies

Section by individual. Explain relationships and the causal circumstances.

Trinkets/Paraphernalia

Any physical object that holds meaning to the individual.

[h3]Basic[h3]
[indent][b]Name[/b]
[indent]Name given at birth/legal name.[/indent]
[b]Aliases[/b]
[indent]Include both accepted and resented pseudonyms/nicknames.[/indent]
[b]Sex[/b]
[indent]Needs no explanation.[/indent][/indent]
[h3]Appearance[/h3]
[indent][b]Physique[/b]
[indent]Include any relevant identifying characteristics. No amount of pictures can substitute for a well-written description.[/indent]
[b]Wardrobe[/b]
[indent]Include signature apparel and general fashion preferences.[/indent]
[b]Demeanor[/b]
[indent]Include all non-physical components of general appearance e.g. mannerisms. Focus on baseline rather than specialized interactions.[/indent][/indent]
[h3]Psych Profile[/h3]
[indent][b]Goals/Motivations[/b]
[indent]Where does this person see themself down the road? What is it they hope to do? What keeps them doing what they’re doing? Section by item and explain.[/indent]
[b]Fears/Regrets[/b]
[indent]What is this person running from? What do they wish they could take back? What do they avoid at all costs?[/indent]
[b]Psychology[/b]
[indent]Describe more general thought patterns & processes. Be detailed and thorough. Explain in detail why they make the decisions they do.[/indent]
[b]Daily Routine[/b]
[indent]Walk through a daily routine. Make note of the (lack of) personal significance of all things.[/indent][/indent]
[h3]History[/h3]
[indent][b]Upbringing[/b]
[indent]Focus on early history and any relevant events within.[/indent]
[b]Defining Period/Event[/b]
[indent]Describe in detail the event that set them on their current path. Clearly show how the events that take place achieve that.[/indent]
[b]Noteworthy Incidents[/b]
[indent]Describe any other events in more recent history that are of relevance to the character or their reputation.[/indent][/indent]
[h3]Abilities[/h3]
[indent][b]Best Qualities[/b]
[indent]Defining positive personality attributes.[/indent]
[b]Worst Qualities[/b]
[indent]Defining negative personality attributes.[/indent]
[b]Strengths[/b]
[indent]Defining positive skills and physical abilities.[/indent]
[b]Weaknesses[/b]
[indent]Defining negative physical limitations.[/indent][/indent]
[h3]Ties[/h3]
[indent][b]Family[/b]
[indent]Section by relevant family members. Focus on describing perception and relationship.[/indent]
[b]Friends/Allies[/b]
[indent]Section by individual. Explain relationships well.[/indent]
[b]Enemies[/b]
[indent]Section by individual. Explain relationships and the causal circumstances.[/indent]
[b]Trinkets/Paraphernalia[/b]
[indent]Any physical object that holds meaning to the individual.[/indent][/indent]

---

Some additional lore bits have been put together into coherent sentences from my piles of scratch notes, for your reading pleasure.

The Magic of Avalon

The aetherial energy that flows through the world is a manifestation of the very forces of Creation and Annihilation themselves. Its potential is limitless, but the limits of those who bring it to bear are very real. The bigger the goal, the more energy it takes. The laws of thermodynamics still apply; the human body can only contain so much energy before the wielder suffers irreparable internal damage. For tasks that demand more than a single being’s potential, multiple sorcerers can channel their strength through another, briefly granting them the combined power of everyone. Alternatively, carefully refined crystals can be used to store and to focus magical energies and enhance the power of an individual.

Once power is held, it can do whatever its wielder desires it to do. Directed casts are often guided with simple hand gestures, though sheer force of will is sufficient for the task if the caster is up to it. The limits of its uses are the limits of the caster’s imagination and the fundamental laws of the universe. Matter, energy, and souls cannot be created nor destroyed. The flow of time cannot be altered. The player characters have been touched by fate, and possess a natural affinity for the aetherial arts. They will learn quick and can bring incredible power to bear, but even they are not infallible.

The Lost Races

Avalon was once home to many peoples, most well in tune with its magics. In their unholy crusade against the magical forces, the Vahlen Dynasty has seen all others cast into unreachable exile, or hunted to extinction. The dwarven forge-cities once ran the world with their mighty output of goods. The great elven kingdoms once ruled over half of Avalon. Now one is barricaded in isolation within their mountain fortresses, and the other is believed long destroyed. Rumor has it that the last elven bastion resides deep within the forests of Khabbirack, though none have been seen by the likes of men for nearly a century.

The Fifth Cycle of Sorcerers

The rise of great and powerful sorcerers touched by the hand of fate has come every three hundred years for over a millennium. In the second cycle, those who rose saw it as an opportunity to remake the world in their image, rather than serving the world as it was. Their apocalyptic conquest redefined the world order, and forever vilified the fateful sorcerers of the cycles. Fate does not make the sorcerers good or evil. But without fail, men of power have seen them as a threat to their continued rule and sought to control or destroy them, and they have fought back with equal fury. The Vahlen family has gone further, demonizing the very magic that Avalon once thrived upon, for without magic there can be no sorcerers. Now Friedrich seeks to snuff out the fifth cycle in its infancy, securing the dynasty for centuries to come and finally ridding Avalon of the aetherial powers he so disdains. The sorcerers of the fifth cycle have a terrible choice to make: see the end of magic in Avalon and the continued tyranny of the Vahlen Dynasty for centuries ... or become the villains they are made out to be and tear the Vahlens’ world down.

The Order of the Inquisition

The Order of the Inquisition is relatively young, having been established not long before Friedrich’s reign began. Though predating him, Friedrich Vahlen has wielded them with uncompromising ruthlessness, and they have since become associated closely with his reign, more so even than his father who created the order. Inquisitors of the order, in the utmost cliche, adorn a witch hunter’s top hat and sleek, menacing black armor. They are well trained, well equipped, merciless, and relentless. If the Order of the Inquisition wants someone’s head, the only question is how quickly they will get it. Perhaps most terrifying is just how subtly they can operate, often working swiftly and quietly under cover of night. While many have never seen an agent of the Inquisition, most imperial citizens know better than to attempt to lie to one if they wish to keep all of their fingers.

What attracts you about an interest check?

@Odin I am of the belief that dealing with people who have not read, or do not care about, your standards/limits/wants/etc., is (unfortunately) inevitable irrespective of how you write the thread. My personal policy for that is to not even grace it with a response (since it's clear they did not put in the effort to fully read that to which they were responding).

What attracts you about an interest check?

Now some of this is obviously rooted in subjectivity as I have my own personal valuations of different bits of information that not everyone shares. Nonetheless, this is the basis by which I design my threads. I wrote parts of this with second-person pronouns but these are undirected pronouns not intended to reference any one specific individual (though I can think of specific examples in the 1x1 checks section for every single one of these).

The Turn-Offs:

Excess Personal Info

While it may sound callous, I don't care who you are, what's between your legs, or how long you've survived on this planet. You are merely a screen name to me and I don't need your life story. I don't even care for commentary about one's literacy level, as I find "show" much more revealing than "tell". I will click off a thread immediately if I see multiple paragraphs going on about personal details.

Pairing/Fandom/Genre Lists

Okay great, you have the most bare minimum idea for what you want to play. I've been burned in the past with people not willing to put in the worldbuilding work and instead only care about shoehorning their pairing idea at any cost. I firmly believe the worldbuilding comes first, the character building comes second, basic plot structure comes third, any any pairings are relegated to quaternary importance. These always get scrolled past in a search for actual, fleshed-out ideas.

Big Rules Section up Front

I get that rules and limitations matter, but I've come to consider this part of the negotiating process with prospective partners. Thus, I find it in poor taste to lay all of it on someone up front before you've even pitched any ideas. Now I can understand if there's one or two things that are absolute deal-breakers (or content warnings) that must go up front, but I vastly prefer if the bulk of it to come after you've got me interested in an idea or two.

The Turn-Ons:

Straight to the Meat

If I see a check with a scant six lines of text before its throwing plots/settings/characters at me, that's a good sign in my book. That's what I came here to see and getting straight to it lets me judge very early whether or not there are any ideas being presented that I am interested in pursuing. If there are I can read on and if there are not I can leave without wasting any time sifting through irrelevant content.

Detailed Pitches

I describe the showcases of plots/characters/settings/etc. as "pitches" because in an interest check you are pitching them to prospective partners (or group members in those cases). This is where I go to judge whether or not someone is putting in the writing effort to carry their share of the weight, and also to get an idea of what they're after and if that's something I would enjoy pursuing with them. I want to understand the premise, initial plot direction, world, themes, and apparent character motivations of both who I'm playing against and what I'm playing myself. I'm not looking for more than ~200 words here, but I've never once complained that a pitch was too long. Getting these right is the single most important section in my opinion as this is where my foremost judgement of you as a prospect comes from.

Clear & Concise Formatting

I despise the frequent usage of hider tags. I vastly prefer to see threads organized with headers with catchy titles to highlight each pitch. Colors can be good here for added visual distinction but that is up to personal preference. I personally favor a very quick introduction that provides a general overview of any common themes (my checks often tend to be collations of ideas with certain common themes) and any important ground rules/content warnings that absolutely must go up front. I immediately follow that with centered H3 headers titling each pitch section. I also like to separate the collection of pitches from the non-plot content with horizontal lines. I conclude with mentions of important rules/limits, an explanation of preferred contact protocol, and then thanks and salutations.

World of Nations - A freestyle Nation RP

@Arko This thread was last posted in over 1 year ago. It is therefore what we consider dead. You will not find anyone active here to interact with.

The Last Laugh

@Archetype Zero You do not get to speak to me about being unreasonable. Not after you misrepresented half of what I said in my original post about FTL a few days ago in the discord chat.

@Sigma You have never been among the individuals I have had issue with. Not even Oz has a place on my permanent shit list (such spaces are a grand dishonor to hold). It is unfortunate that it only takes so little to bring a good thing to an end. It will be my pleasure if our paths cross again.

The Last Laugh

@Ozerath The most implausible of space fantasy is still entirely capable of coexisting alongside the most rudimentary level of physics. The existence of things that tell the laws of physics to screw off in no way precludes things that dutifully comply with the laws of physics, or requires that physics itself be thrown out the window and its textbooks burned in holy fire. I assumed, perhaps incorrectly, that a collaborative writing exercise would be capable of catering to both of these categories equally and effectively. I am no stranger to ignoring breaks from reality in the name of narrative or coolness or what have you, but I expect the barebones skeleton of the universe to work correctly when I need to rely on it, not be disregarded simply because the scales do not work out conveniently. I also do not consider it too much to ask that those who throw around real scientific terms have at least cursory knowledge of the context behind them. It is never undesirable to be aware of what the reality you are opting to discard actually is.

That said, your inference that this is a deal-breaker is not entirely accurate. I am entirely capable of mentally transforming the rule-as-written into something that both complies fully with its intents and also does not shatter the basic framework of physics upon which I rely. I completely understand the purpose and goals of the ruling, and at no point in this entire argument did I ever hold any objection to the spirit thereof. I simply wanted to see the number attached be revised to something less outlandish so that I would not have to jump through the mental conversion hoop. The context of the discord conversation around the decision strongly suggests you did not intend the monolithic reach your current numerical value has.

The primary motive behind my decision to withdraw is the apathetic and dismissive response I received to a politely phrased, reasonable criticism, where virtually any alternate tone would have been a superior option. I would have found the choice of tone to be in relatively poor taste coming from any player irrespective of rank, and I strongly believe that the GM should uphold a higher standard of behavior than his/her players in order to lead by example. You are thus about to lose a player to a conflict that did not need to happen. I would encourage you to reflect on that.

I will see to removing my faction from the table and tying up any loose ends to the best of my ability. I would like to apologize to those who are now being left hanging for my error in judgement. I will see that I am more scrupulous picking my RPs in the future.

The Last Laugh

I just want to be sure I completely understand this. You are not planning on reevaluating the number value assigned to the FTL ruling, and you intend to ignore many of the fundamentals of astrophysics in a science-fiction world because it clashes with the ruling as currently written.

Is that a valid description of the situation at hand?

The Last Laugh

Meh, there's no specific numbers on anybody's sublight speed or weapon ranges so it doesn't particularly matter in my mind. It's a completely arbitrary number and it makes no sense for it to be the same size for every celestial body, but I don't especially care.

For narrative purposes, everyone needs 'a good chunk of minutes' to approach or depart a planet. No jump in, deploy drop pods, jump out.

@Ozerath

I am at a complete loss for words ...

The Last Laugh

I'll just contextualize the "1 light-minute" distance for everyone: ~18 million km. The extent of the gravity well for 1 Earth gravity: 1.5 million km ... or about 1/12th of that. Carrying that through to its logical conclusion has some pretty disastrous consequences for narrative & gameplay.

That number seems just a few orders of magnitude more severe than intended (which is why I used planetary radii earlier).