Abandonment Series: The Unknown Heroes
An RP based off of a book series I’m writing
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Some people may recognize this from the original RP. It also bears resemblance to the Int Chk in ways.
The Varzia-Honara War
A while back, a few Varzian carpenters were working on building a bridge that would connect Varzia to the Elven forest in Honara. This act of unification was yet unknown to Honarans, even the Elves. However, there were few forests in Varzia thick enough to use for this project, and the few areas that were heavily enough forested were far from close enough for use in the project, so the Varzians crossed the short expanse of sea to tear down trees from the Elven Forest for use as lumber.
Now, Elves aren’t normally a violent race, but they don’t take kindly to people harming their forest, even if they have good intent. It just so happened that a few Elven scouts saw the Varzians “vandalizing” their forest, and decided to chase them down.
The Varzians returned to their home country, closely pursued by the Elves. However, the Varzians weren’t fast enough to outrun Elves for long, and were quickly cut down. When word of this incident reached the king of Varzia, having not heard the entire story, he took it as an act of war by Honara, and promptly declared war on the country, gathering his forces to strike in the Elven woods and against the main body of Honara.
It is only shortly after that an Elf arrives at Gerathia to inform its king of the incidents that have occurred. Sadly, she is the only person to this point to have made it from the battlefront to Gerathia, and therefore the only report of this the king has received, and the king is in disbelief of this at first, but regardless forms a small squad of people to meet the oncoming Varzians, and if what she says holds true, then he will declare a full-scale war on Varzia.
Now the fate of Honara is in the hands of the people who call it home…
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This game takes place in the same world as my book (In which the main character is named Rethel and is the source of my username), during the same time frame. Well, actually it starts closer to 3 weeks prior, and there’s no telling how long it may last (possibly long after the series finishes out), but in any case. In this game you will play as unique characters of your own creation. Some of you will come face to face with characters of great importance in the series, while others will not. Some of you may create characters that are special enough to gain a seat in the cast of the series, some may not. It is all a matter of creating the right characters that show up in the right places at the right times.
I’ll be playing as all major characters of my book, and when one is introduced, I’ll give an intricate in-game description of the character so that you may become familiar with the goings on. I’ll not place a limit on number of possible characters for you to create. However, if the number becomes too far out of hand, then I may ask for you to please not create anymore characters, and I will expect this to be followed. I’m not going to be rude as a GM. I’ve seen too many instances of people with power becoming power-hungry, and I don’t want to be one of those people.
On this continent, there are three existing countries. The first is called Honara, the country from which a good number of my main characters are from. The second is Varzia, the country from which a smaller, yet decent number of our major characters come from. The final is Sylvaran, a country that very few of our main characters are from, but you may find yourself involved with some interesting posts if you begin there.
In the country of Honara, there exist the great capital city of Gerathia, the small farming village of Athet, the buzzing merchant city of Jardet, the warrior village of Rolandis, the Elven outpost town of Arane, the Elven capital city of Vergollde, and the dwarven city of Greld.
In Varzia, the looming capital city of Ilbain, the minute town of Caelis, the titanic prison city of Odengard (one of the most impressive architectural feats in the series, second only to Gerathia, at the moment. Coming in behind Odengard would be the Varzian Wall, which covers the entire Varzian border), and the border city of Barasid, which sits on the border between Honara and Varzia, but is mostly loyal to Varzia, and is the only path, other than sea travel, that can be used to enter Varzia.
In Sylvaran, there are only a couple cities that possess names at the moment. There’s the near impenetrable capital, Illumari, the independent Vorr (I’ll explain what those are later) city of Ruldar, and a much smaller town called Vondir.
As the current version of the map is a somewhat older version, some of the city/town markers are missing names. Just know that Rolandis is the town located in the corner of the rivers northeast of Gerathia, Greld is the Diamond shaped marker toward the base of the northwest mountains, and the southernmost town is Ruldar. Other unnamed points are spots that I have marked for future use.
The mountains around Athet are referred to as the Ienr Mountains, just for reference, and the Varzian Border/Wall extends all the way to the base of the Ienr mountains, and continues along their edge, up along the edge of the forest, and ends at the sea.
On the subject of the map: The listed towns aren’t going to be the only available cities throughout the game. Trust me that there will be many more. I just need to name them before they can be added. The towns/cities without names that I didn't name above are a spoiler as to where some of the new cities/towns will be located.
Alright so, on to races. In fantasy such as this, it’s fairly common to see multiple races and mythical creatures and such along those lines. Well, mine is no different. Allow me to explain the four major playable races. First up, I’d like to formally introduce you to a race that I came up with myself. These were mentioned in a description of a Varzian town, and I think you deserve to understand what these are.
The Vorr. These are a bipedal impish species that reach almost the same heights humans do (their average is about half a foot shorter than an average human). Vorr are naturally much redder than humans in their skin tone. In fact, they kind of look like an elf got sunburnt, if that’s even possible. The reason I say elf is because they have very little hair other than on their scalps. They also have pointed ears that actually stand about a quarter -inch to a half-inch taller than an elf’s (it varies from person to person). Their teeth are much sharper than those of other races, as they are a carnivorous race. They do have their own language, but a few do know how to speak human English, and the same applies for the elven language as well. Some are magicians, but not all, with a magician percentage of 72.4%. For those of you who want to know, there are humans who are sexually attracted to Vorr (and vice versa), and it is possible for the two species to mate (Half-Vorr), as is the same with Vorr and elves (Ummm…Imp?). Their lifespan is about 300 years.
The Elves. Everyone knows about these. They’re Santa’s little helpers, right? Actually, those are the wrong elves. I’m talking about D&D or Inheritance Cycle type elves where they have an average height just a bit shorter than humans. They’ve got pointed ears (derp), and have very little hair anywhere outside of their scalps. They do have a language of their own, though a fair number can understand English. They are the biggest producers of magicians in the continent, with a magician percentage of 89.6%, so an elven non-magician is fairly rare. Some are sexually attracted to Humans (resulting in Half-Elves) and Vorr (Imp), but more frequently it is the other way around, resulting in the Human or Vorr leaving with his/her heart broken. They live for approximately 450 years. They are normally considered adults around 75-85 years of age.
The Humans. Thank goodness we’ve finally reached something normal. These are the bipedal species that I hope everyone playing this RP is in Real Life. Their population consists of 48.3% magicians, so by no means in the competition for the most magical race. They speak English (not that that needed saying, as it has been mentioned in BOTH of the above race descriptions). And they are sometimes sexually attracted to Elves and Vorr, which can both be mated with to produce offspring. They live 60-75 years on average.
The Dwarves. These guys are those tiny muscular midgets who crush your bones with giant hammers. It’s completely disproportional, but who cares, right? Like every other race, they do have their own language (Who would’ve guessed?), but given that the common trade language is English, yes, some of them speak it. They have a magician output rate of 21.7%, so they are the least magical (sounds a bit odd, seeing as they aren’t found in RL) of the four races. Dwarves are not sexually attracted to other races, and they take pride in their purity, saying that the half-races disgrace the races from which they are born. These live anywhere around 125-150 years.
The Vialas. This is an awesome race that Raptorman came up with that will be playable in this RP. They, with the exception of a few bizarre aberrations, are capable of working magic. This means they are 99.9% magicians. Their skin is the palest white, nearly the color of snow; scars of theirs heal blue and glow brightly when one is using magic. Unlike many races they have the capacity to save up magical energy as they literally excrete concentrated magic in a crystalline form. They are capable of using this before drawing on their own bodily reserves. Notably these crystals are heavy, so even with that they are still mostly limited to their internal reserves of energy. They have a very elaborate and detailed religion that includes the practice of ritualistic scarring that leads to their typically interesting appearance. Their lifespan is rather long, as they can consume their own magical excretions to sustain life. However, the older one gets the more is required steadily. The limit for an age that one of them can reach by him or herself is 500ish years old. Some live much longer due to having access to other sources of the energy, but the vast majority do not.
Now on to the Minor Playable Races list. There are five of these. Hopefully, most of these descriptions will be shorter than the Major ones.
The Half-Elves. These are the offspring of Humans and Elves, and most of their traits are halfway between the races they were born from, able to speak Elven and English, though the latter is more common. They possess a bit more hair than normal elves, but it is not thick like humans. They are sexually attracted to Vorr (resulting in Half-Vorr offspring), Elves, (resulting in nearly normal elven offspring), and Humans (resulting in nearly normal human offspring) (Not to mention other Half-Elves like themselves).
The Half-Vorr. These, like the Half-elves, possess traits that are halfway between Humans and Vorr, can speak both languages, and are sexually attracted to all three of the major races that reproduce with one another, as well as other Half-Vorr.
The Imps. These are a cross between an Elf and a Vorr, and aren’t exactly calm. They are one of the most hyperactive (And fast) bipedal races in existence. Otherwise their traits are in between those of their parents, like the two afore mentioned Half-Races. They usually only reproduce with Vorr, Elves or other Imps, though Imps are the most rare of the three Half-Races.
The Shifters. These are Elves who have the ability to change their form to look like an animal. If you play as one of these, let’s try to refrain from transforming into things like Dragons, Wyverns, and Granogs (see pet/steed section). This trait is genetic, and as it is recessive, it is not a common occurrence. However, this trait is attached to magic, so anyone who chooses to be a shifter must be a magician as well. Each can only change into one animal, so no “I’m gonna be a cat, then change into a dog, then change into a Phoenix!” Just…no. Choose one to transform into and leave the rest alone. These can be off of the pet list or you can surprise us and do something completely different. I’d prefer to keep away from the bipedal races with these. An Elven spellcaster can transform to look like a human or half-elf, so that is no feat in a shifter.
The Phantoms. (Not available as starting race. Rarely available as transformation.) I’ve been waiting for this one. This is one of the most interesting (though possibly longest) race descriptions on here. These are people, usually magicians (and can be any species), who have absorbed somewhere around a hundred, if not more, souls of others, (whether the souls be dead or alive). They undergo a transformation in which their eyes turn blood-red, their hair turns jet black, their skin turns bone white, their ears form points (if they did not already have them), and their teeth become dagger-sharp, with four upper teeth becoming slightly longer than others. Phantoms never refer to themselves as “I” or “me,” but instead as “we” and “us.” After all, a Phantom is technically multiple people, just stored in one body. A Phantom’s mind is usually impenetrable, given the amount of power it has behind it. A person does not have to be willing to become a Phantom. They could be trapped and forced into becoming one. However, such is only useful if you can control one, as they are not ones for working for others. They can transform as a freak accident of some spell they cast. They have power, but it is never enough to them, and they always want more, often absorbing even more souls to feed their quest. They are always magic wielders, whether they were before the transformation or not. They can speak virtually any language fluently, due to the mass knowledge from the many souls. They only make up 1/2% of the population, as they are very rare occurrences. You’ll almost never see two Phantoms in the same place at the same time, and if you do, you’d better run like hell (not to say you’ll outrun them. You likely won’t, but it’s better to try), ‘cuz they will either fight an epic, yet horribly destructive, battle against each other to the death, or they will destroy everything around them while working together. Either way, you won’t likely live to tell the tale, unless you are at a great distance. They are not sexually attracted to any race, even to other Phantoms, and once they undergo the transformation, they are not able to reproduce, so sexual attraction would be pointless.
And also on the Phantoms, think about their power this way. On average, a Phantom is the equivalent of an Inherishade+HPDementor times 3, depending on the original person's strength and the number of souls consumed. This is why I'm a bit uneasy on allowing these in.
Okay, that was the longest description yet. Sadly, there’s still more. Next, I’d like to discuss some of the possible pets you may have (either begin with or join you later on) during this RP. Before continuing, I do want to say that I don’t want each player having a bunch of different pets. The number of pets you may have will be partially decided by their size. First, I’d like to explain what types of non-mythical pets would be possible.
Dog/Wolf. Man’s best friend, right? This could be quite a useful partner in a fight, as they have the ability to tackle and eat the faces off of your opponents. They’re fairly quick, but one of the slowest non-mythical pets available.
Bobcat. I’m not going to allow a plain old housecat follow you into battle. It just ain’t gonna happen. If you want something like a cat in battle, you’ll have to settle for the Bobcat. Don’t lose hope because of that, though. They are one of the fastest and most agile companions on the battlefield, making them dangerous adversaries, and evenly valuable as a pet.
Hawk. Yes, a hawk. These birds are incredibly helpful in many ways, as they can fly about the battlefield clawing your enemies and tearing them to shreds. They aren’t the fastest companions, but nor are they the slowest. Their ability to fly makes them a versatile pet.
Horse. Even though these cannot fight, it helps to have one as a mount. A good sturdy charger gives its rider the high ground in a battle, as well as an advantage of speed. All in all, a horse makes a great pet to have on a battlefield.
If there’s another animal that you can think of to use as a pet, just let me know. Now, on to MYTHICAL CREATURES! You may encounter some of these, or you may have some as pets, who knows?
The Dragon. Everyone knows what these are. Giant ferocious fire-breathing monsters that eat you alive. These will be western dragons, in other words, dragons with large torsos and four limbs, a distinctive tail, long neck, and wings, as well as numerous talons and body spikes. If you raise one from birth, there’s a good possibility that you can have one, but it is unlikely that you’ll be able to tame a wild dragon.
The Phoenix. Ah, yes, my personal favorite mythical creature. They can burst into flames by will, and burn up when they die, being reborn shortly after from their own ashes. The Phoenix is a rare breed, and doesn’t mate often, as they usually can’t find mates, making their eggs a very rare sight. Their tears can heal the most grievous of wounds (except they can’t bring people back to life) and have incredible strength. It is unlikely that you should find one, but in the case that you do, consider yourself lucky, indeed.
The Griffon. A proud species that possesses parts of both Eagles and Lions. They possess powerful limbs, a lethal beak, and their ability to fly makes them all the more dangerous. To have one of your own that does not attempt to gouge your eyes out when you come near is most definitely a feat to be proud of.
The Granog. (Not available as pet, though you may encounter some) This cousin of the dragons lives underground. It cannot fly, as it lacks the wings that its cousin holds, though the fire it breathes is much hotter, reaching a temperature even greater than that at the center of the sun. Its hide and scales are the strongest of the dragon family, and are nearly impossible to penetrate with conventional weaponry. The only race known to have raised these is that of the Dwarves.
The Wyvern. This cousin of the dragon loves the sky, and while it can’t breathe fire like its cousin, it possesses many traits that make it formidable in melee combat. This two-legged, leather-skinned (no they don’t have scales), winged creature has a spear-like tip on the end of its tail that allows it to stab opponents, and then rip out their insides while still injecting a poison into their bloodstream. Each talon has a poison gland that can be used to slay its prey. However, when used on its cousins or other beasts of equal or greater size, it cannot kill unless dealt in great amounts, only serving enough to weaken it. All their fangs are sharp, with two snake-like fangs protruding from its mouth. It is similar to the dragon when it comes to taming, being difficult to tame when wild, while relatively easy when raised from birth.
The Umbrowl. These are giant owls that are dangerous when approached, as they attack whenever hostility is sensed, or whenever they’re hungry. To catch and tame one, a person must be a master of nature and their feelings, or face the possibility of being eaten. Their tongue is long and whip-like, and their saliva is toxic, able to paralyze nearly anything with just a touch. If it enters your bloodstream, you’d be lucky to survive, as it would likely cause your heart to stop for quite some time. They are most commonly kept by elven spellcasters, though the occasional Vorr has been able to tame them.
If there is a mythical creature that you think should be included on this list, then let me know and I might add it. (Please, no Unicorns [especially] or Pegasi, people. Just settle for the horse.)
As far as magic goes, I don’t have a full-fledged magician’s glossary just yet, so you guys will have to tell me what type of spell you want to use before you do so, and I’ll let you know what the incantation is. Remember this, though: Magic is genetic (and a recessive gene at that). Please consider the percentages when deciding whether or not you are a magician.
Also on the topic of magic: Magic consumes energy from the one generating it. The more powerful the spell, the greater the amount of energy that is consumed. This can lead to a person's death if they aren't strong enough. Magic is something that takes a combination of strength, patience, knowledge, and discipline to master. Without one of these, magicians often find themselves in precarious situations.
Magic is commonly seen in the form of the four elements: earth, fire, water, and wind, but can also be used in other ways, such as lightning, light, dark, necromancy, etc. It should be noted that most magicians learn to wield fire magic first, as it is a branch of magic that requires some of the greatest amounts of patience and discipline. If one should master fire magic, then one could learn other fields of magic without much trouble.
I feel that I should also mention this even though it is not common knowledge in my book (of course every magician knows it): the term "magician" (mage for short) refers to ameteur spellcasters, while the term "sorceror" ("sorceress" for females) refers to those more experienced spellcasters. The term "Great Sage" is only used when speaking of a spellcaster who is a master of all forms of magic (except maybe necromancy). Note how I say "master," meaning they can wield each form of magic perfectly. Referring to them as sorcerors may or may not be considered offensive to the person, as it entirely depends on the person, and it is a title that is earned through many years of practicing and perfecting. There is also the term "necromancer" which is refers to those who study the forbidden art of necromancy. These are usually the types of spellcasters who accidentally turn themselves into Phantoms.
Now on to Character Sheets!
Character Name: (Try to have this sound Old English-y or Latin. I'm also willing to accept names that sound a bit Norse.)
Race: (Any of the races mentioned above, Major or Minor, except I would rather not have anyone starting out as a Phantom. It’s just a bit overpowered. The Phantom may not even be available at any point, I don’t know.)
Home: (Town/City, Country. Where was your character born and where does he/she begin the journey? If different places, please specify. This is optional.)
Age: (Anything you think would fit. Remember that non-human Races actually have longer life spans, so if you’re an elf, for example, you’ll likely be quite a bit older than a human companion you travel with.)
Gender:
Professions/Hobbies: (Make this a short paragraph or two. It doesn't need much.)
Weapon(s): (A list or 1-2 short paragraphs.)
Other Equipment: (Just like with the weapons. A list or 1-2 short paragraphs.)
Magic Specialties (if any): (Not everyone can wield magic, but if you can, then let’s hear your area of expertise. Fire, Lightning, Wind, Earth, Water, Ice, Necromancy? Just list them. If you want to explain a bit, you may.)
Other Skills: (1-3 paragraphs.)
Personality: (1-3 paragraphs.)
Appearance: (If possible, I’d like a picture and a few sentences. If not, 1-3 descriptive paragraphs.)
Pet Type (if any): (You can have almost any of the pets listed above as long as it’s reasonable.)
Pet Name: (Again, something with Old English/Latin/Norse origins. Just so long as it isn't some cheesy name like Fido, I'll probably be fine.)
Pet Age: (Be realistic, please.)
Pet Appearance: (Same guidelines as with the Character Appearance)
Pet History: (How did you come to receive this pet or steed? This is optional with the common pets, but for the mythical ones, you will be required to fill this out. Then what have you gone through together so far, or what has it gone through on its own? Make this interesting. Make this 2+ paragraphs, based on how long you've had the pet.)
Character History: (5+ Paragraphs on your Character's background. I think that since this is advanced, everyone would be able to pull this off.)
I won’t be too picky about how these are ordered, as long as it’s fairly easy to follow. And just so you know, no characters will be involved in some “Ancient Elven Prophecy” or anything like that. Anyone trying to pull that off will not be accepted.
When the IC is posted, I would like for your posts to be a minimum of 5 paragraphs, but an occasional 3-4 paragraph post might be okay. You should be able to muster that much, I'd think.
I think that's all for now. Since my first book is still unfinished (and therefore unpublished) as of yet, I figured I'd give the description as detailed as possible. If there are any questions even after this, please feel free to ask. And remember to have fun!
Accepted CS's:
Sabretooth1: Malthus "Scales" Greenwood
LJCOMICS: Astarte Starsworn
Rethel34: Adhelm, Elvina, Marciana, and Njord
Deamonbane: Orm Half-Elven
ANate: Gregel Lanthar
Raptorman: Elthric
Mercenary Lord: Alan Saersson
DotCom: Vidae and Kiyanna
You may or may not find a bit more information on my forum (as long as you register. info isn't open to guests for specific reasons.): http://rethel.forumotion.com/ (That link is also in my sig.)
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