TJByrum

The Confederate Flag, and Charleston

The battle flag was explicitly placed on the SC capitol building in 1960 to promote racism and segregation. It should come down, because that is exactly what it stood for.

And it did, in 2000.

Now it flies over a Confederate memorial to commemorate those fallen soldiers. I don't think anything is wrong with that, personally. A lot of people in the south feel a certain type of respect for those soldiers. No, not because they fought for slavery (which I know, some if not most did), but because they fought for the south. People seem to be proud they had ancestors who fought for the south. I feel for them, I really do, and I agree with the commemorations they want to give.

KKK coming to Columbia, Black Panthers in Charleston, black churches being burnt down, black teens rampaging through Macon, Georgia Walmart, bunch of rednecks riding in convoys with rebel flags in tow, desecration of Confederate monuments, etc is not welcomed at all and will just serve to promote more racism and further divide the line between the two racial groups.

The flag is used for a number of purposes though:
1. Promote racism, hate, and segregation.
2. Represent the rural south.
3. Commemorate fallen soldiers.
4. Symbolize an act of defiance.

All of those are valid, reasonable purposes, and I don't disagree with any of them. I say make a vote. If everyone agrees to fly the flag to commemorate the fallen soldiers, then let if fly. My ancestors were a bunch of Irish immigrants who settled in Georgia during that Irish famine.

The flag will come down July 6th last I read. Que a bunch of anti-black sentiment coming from SC.

I don't know the exact history of its design, other than Confederate generals needed a battle flag that was different from the Union flag, but some tell me it was based off of the Scottish flag's saltire, which defined defiance for them back in the day.

But I'll tell you this much. From here on out, that flag's going to represent a bunch of white dudes who simply "don't give a fuck". It seems the defiance of the Confederacy will never die out. I ain't part of that group. I'm a history buff, and I don't see anything wrong with flying the battle flag over those soldiers' graves.

My Confederate battle flag is folded up in my drawer. Used to have it hanging up over my TV, but took it down when I rearranged my room.

Something interesting: I think Christopher Lee (Sauruman and Count Dooku) is a direct descendant of Robert E Lee, Confederate general.

Two Kings (War, Political)

@Alan Hawke: Alright, friend!

@Earnest Evans: Alright my man!

@Zobozun: Alright, cool, but just so you know everyone will be assuming a role of a military commander in charge of a number of soldiers. If you want to be under the Northern King, that's fine.

@Everyone: I forgot to mention everyone has a Paragon in their force. The Paragon is your most important character. He's a skilled warrior, tactician, and commander. Perhaps he's your king, or the prince, maybe your closest adviser, an old friend, a veteran, what have you. But anyone and everyone can die in this RP. Technically speaking, he could die as soon as the RP starts - just warning you.

The RP might start off with the southern host arriving at Vixen Vinar's hold, a northern kingdom that sits at the Imperial Wall. The Northern Host will be arriving soon, but Vixen would have a few words for you southerners, should you wish to come inside and see him.

Marches of Man: the Black Shields. [ALWAYS OPEN]

Isn't it a coincidence that Warren has a darkly colored sword too? He's gonna be decked out in complete black.

Two Kings (War, Political)

I tried to start off a Game of Thrones style RP recently but it didn't go anywhere; it was convoluted and I could not settle on a system I wanted. So now I'm back with a different idea. It's called Two Kings, in a setting based heavily off of the British Isles. The storyline uses inspiration from ancient Britain, Roman occupation in that region, the construction of Hadrian's Wall, and the conflicts between the peoples there.

The setting takes place on a small Isle, and for the sake of this thread I'll simply call it 'the Isle'. This Isle is very similar to England, and is home to many different groups of people.

Long ago the entire Isle was divided into many small tribes, which grew into small kingdoms who fought for whatever reason (typical Dark Age warlords). Eventually the northern region came to be united under the Northern King, while the south was united under the Southern King. The north is very nordic in nature, while the south is more varied. Since then there has been a strong, heated rivalry between the north and the south; so much so that it is legendary. Eventually however a Southern King managed to pull the north into its fold, when one of the Northern Kings swore fealty to him. This united the entire land, but only for a few generations.

The Empire (*ahem*Rome*ahem*) invaded the Isle and took the south by surprise; it quickly fell and was subdued. By the time the Empire reached the north, however, they were prepared and ready and the Empire didn't manage to make any forays into their land. To separate the more 'civilized' region from the north they constructed a stone wall (Hadrian's Wall?). The then-Southern King fled south in exile, across the sea, and has become known as the 'Exiled King', a humiliating namesake for him.

Imperial occupation didn't last, as the empire soon fell after a few generations. The southerners gradually wrested control from the Empire and this resulted in the creation of multiple kingdoms throughout that region; there was no longer a single Southern King, but many.

In recent years, however, a young man claiming to be the descendant of the Exiled King (and has proof, as he has the family armor, sword, dedication, and charisma the Southern King's have wielded for generations); we will call him Will (William the Conqueror?). 'Borrowing' a large army from the foreign kingdom (France?) that sheltered the Exiled King, young Will sailed back to the Isle and gathered the support of several kingdoms; he then set about conquering and subduing the other southern kingdoms, which was rather easy since he had a very large army. King Will, the 'new' Southern King, sets his eyes on the north now, since it technically belongs to him by oath (remember, the Northern Kings swore fealty to his family before the Empire invaded).

The Northern King, who we will call Edward for now, has heard these tales. The north does not want to be ruled by the south again, and does not want the Southern King, King Will, to reign over them - whether or not his bloodline permits it. Two great armies have gathered near the Empire's Wall and prepare to face off.

You will fight for the north or the south. Or you might fight for yourself. You may choose to remain neutral, or destroy your enemies. Betray your allies, befriend your foes - it's up to you.

The North believes in individualism, a localized government, and believes the King should only be called upon when absolutely necessary. They're not obliged to do anything the Northern King does, but by honor, nobility, and tradition they do it anyway. The Northern King may say "I ask for 500 soldiers from my vassals"; the Northern Vassals are not required to send anyone, and will not be punished for it; but by honor, they may end up sending the good king 1,000 soldiers. These kingdoms may worship anyone freely, pass their own laws, live their own way, and make their own decisions.

The South believes in a strong, centralized government, where the King says and does whatever he wants for the good of the realm. His vassals are required to do as he commands, or be deemed a traitor, tried for treason, and can be promptly executed. The Southern King may say "I require 500 soldiers form my vassals"; the Southern Vassals are required to send exactly 500 men (or more), and if they refuse they can and will be punished for it - usually by having their entire family executed for treason. The kingdoms are required to worship the King's religion, must strictly follow the King's laws, and are required to follow everything the King says.

Marches of Man: the Black Shields. [ALWAYS OPEN]

Not necessarily. Most of my characters tend to have some sort of deep loyalty that goes beyond anything else. Just something they develop.

EDIT: He feels he's obligated to treat her correctly.

Marches of Man: the Black Shields. [ALWAYS OPEN]

I was referring to Anne though, the daughter.

To Warren it looked like some bastard came up with this huge intimidating army, marched to the capital and took the throne. Even if the queen gave it up willingly, Gregar still brought the host of mercenaries, so that kind of says he would have taken the throne by force. You could argue that the queen was forced to give up the throne, as why else would she refuse when Gregar has the backing of the mercenaries; there's no way she'd have argued with him.

Back on track though. So Warren still kind of sees it like Gregar waltzed right in and effectively 'stole' the throne (in Warren's eyes, mind you). This forced the queen to step down and marry her daughter off to Gregar. Yes, the queen offered the idea of marriage, but she would not have done so if Gregar didn't want the throne.

Warren might look at it like Anne was forced into her marriage; he'd prefer to have her marry the person she wants to marry, rather than marry some bastard who took the throne from her mother. I think he'd harbor a little resentment to Gregar, as he wanted to serve the royal family - not a Bastard King. But since he wants to faithfully serve Anne, he'll do the same for her children, and anyone she cares about.

But that's Warren's twisted view on things, not necessarily mine.

Marches of Man: the Black Shields. [ALWAYS OPEN]

I feel like, if someone does try to kill Dorran, Warren might not intervene. I mean, he could always blame it on his poor health. Then again, they're the children of Anne, and he'd never do anything to hurt her. I feel like, when Warren comes into contact with the queen, he'll fall to his knees and plead "I'm not worthy". Nah, he won't humiliate himself like that... but I can't help but feel he has some sort of burning passion in him that forces him to serve her without faltering. He'd kill everyone in the world, if only she commanded it.

There's no real reason to hate the Grochain's... but goddamn Warren seems to hate them.

I also don't know if I want his health to get persistently worse, or better.

EDIT: "Just give the order, my Queen, give it! I'll send Gregar's head rolling down the steps!"

Marches of Man: the Black Shields. [ALWAYS OPEN]

That's fine Partisan.

You know how some characters start to have a personality of their own? I cannot help but feel that Warren has some sort of subconscious never-dying hatred for Gregar and Dorran. When writing him, Warren just felt so hateful to Dorran.

Almost as much as the fucking sand-eating savages most know as the Sawarim.

Marches of Man: the Black Shields. [ALWAYS OPEN]

Warren Wyk

---

Warren had been spending a few minutes in his small room to clean the dirt and grime off of his new heater shield, which it had collected during the march to the Hoffburgt. Black was the most obvious color, and even if no one knew the company by name, at least they'd call them 'the ones with black shields'. Warren himself preferred a round shield, but a heater shield would still serve the same purpose. If ever he had the time, he'd personalize it with his own custom sigil. He took the time to let one of the company's tag-alongs dye his surcoat a combination of black and blue to match the 'uniform' of the Black Shields. The helmet... Warren never was a fan of helmets.

It was fortunate that, of all the men and women he'd run across, he actually got the chance to speak to Floure, an old acquaintance from Coedwin. He'd been hired to escort her and her company down through Redsand, spoke to her a few times even. He liked the girl, but there was some disappointment as to why she was here. Surely she wasn't offering pleasure to these men. It was an acceptable profession for sure, but Warren himself always hated the idea of woman degrading themselves in such a manner. Still, always nice to see and speak to a familiar face.

Terryn himself was an acceptable commander. He was to-the-point, hard, and just - the type of commander Warren preferred. Those men had the balls to get dirty, and it made them all the more better in Warren's eyes.

A few more wipes of the washcloth and the shield shined like new. Proud of his 'work', Warren lifted the heater shield and let is sit on his knees, holding the top with his hands. Not round, but still a shield.

"Ekhm," Warren coughed, feeling blood spray through his mouth. "Ekhm, ekhm." Warren swallowed the collected blood and shook his head, clearing his throat. "Monarch be damned," he proclaimed as he saw blood splattered across his shield, throwing it over to the side.

“WARREN! SAEWINE! LAURENCE," yelled Terryn. Warren sparked up, heeding the call. "Get your asses in uniform and meet me outside!" Grudgingly, Warren threw on the annoying helmet.

It didn't take long for the disabled veteran to pull his shield back up and whip into the hallway. The world began to turn as the sudden movements caused him to feel sick. Damn this illness, he thought. Fortunately, he managed his way in front of the commander with Saewine and Laurence - trying his absolute best to stand at attention. “Listen up scumbags! We're tasked with protecting the kings son, Dorran, and that's what we'll do! Me and you, we're the ones who will be with him at all times! Do you understand me, idiots?”

Warren took in the orders as he always had. Not that big of a deal. The son of the king was going to be vulnerable here soon, and Warren and his allies would need to protect him with their life. He'd done these jobs a thousand times, albeit with whores and peddlers. Another day, another job, he thought. Personally, he wanted to be out there, fighting enemies of justice, and putting the heads of the followers of Sawarim on pikes.

---

Warren remained silent, as expected no doubt, as Terryn led them through the Hoffburgt, showing them around. Warren had been here before, when the current King, Gregar, took the throne from the Queen. Of course he didn't do it forcefully, but Warren never liked the idea of some new king coming in and taking the throne from the queen like he did, especially since he attempted to intimidate her with his mercenaries. There was no foul play, and there was always a chance Warren's original mercenary group could have been hired by Gregar, but it still didn't sit well with him.

But if protecting Dorran made everyone happy, then so be it.

It didn't take to reach Dorran's chamber. Along the way Warren had subconsciously been wiping the dry blood from his shield, though it still remained pretty obvious on it. After being introduced by Terryn, Dorran approached Saewin and spoke to him. Noble this, noble that, pretty usual stuff. But then he looked at Warren. “Ah.. and is this.. the famous Wyke? I've heard lots about you and your bands of raiders. Not all good things. But atleast those bad things happened to the Sawarim following Sultanate scum and not honest and hardworking Broacienians.”

There was no way Warren was about to disrespect Saein, Laurence, Dorran, and especially Terryn by blatantly calling the Sawarim out. He bit his tongue and refused to say a few choice racist words. At least we're on the same page, he thought, fucking sand-eating savages.

“Very well, I am not really that interested in your former professions" Dorran continued. "That's just a formality my father told me to ask you, but frankly I don't give a rat's arse what you did before you joined the Black Shields. But I am interested by something else.. please, tell me your motivations for joining the company.. is it money? Greed? Or were you running from something.. truly, I am interested in your stories.”

Warren stepped forth and removed his helmet. Ooh, that feels better, he thought. "I'm here doing what I've always done, Prince Dorran." To kill fucking sand-eating savages. "I'm a fighter, a warrior - always have been, always will be." To kill fucking sand-eating savages. "I served your mother-in-law because to me that was the right thing to do." To kill fucking sand-eating savages. "I serve your father, because to me that is the right thing to do." To kill fucking sand-eating savages. "Perhaps one day, should you be a good and just king, I shall serve you, under the command of Terryn of course, and in the service of the Black Shields." To kill fucking sand-eating savages. "I'm just a man trying to make my way in the world, doing what I do best." With a gentle bow, obviously one Warren didn't want to give, Warren backed up and stoof beside Laurence and Saewine again.

To kill fucking sand-eating savages.

Marches of Man: the Black Shields. [ALWAYS OPEN]

@dreamingflowers I suppose our collaboration will need to be put on hold, but we can keep the content there for a future collaboration.