Vorn (OOC)

[Lily]

Vorn, A World in Upheaval

The game thread is here.

Recruitment Dependent on Player/Character/Interest
We are currently at our character limit, but if you've run across this and are very interested, we'd still love to hear from you! Dropouts happen all too frequently and I'm willing to accept a couple extra players if you're willing to bear with me and my intermittent posting.

Don't feel like you have to read all of the OOC or game thread-- all information is in these first two OOC posts, and we can catch you up about anything important that has happened in the game to date.

Introduction
This is a group RP for 4-7 players in an original fantasy world. There is a framework of history and geography, but everything else can and will be developed by players / plot as we go.

If you've ever played a table top RPG, I'll be running this similarly, though without an explicit system. In this way, I have a plot in mind, but if your characters would rather talk with the pirate than the knight, well hell, you might end up on a ship instead of saving a damsel from a dragon. To this end, I'm really not going to tell you anything about what I have in mind, just expect there to be adventures grand and small, trickery, betrayal, camaraderie, laughter, bloodshed, magic, intrigue, and, quite possibly death. By no means is it certain that our carefully crafted protagonists will live, but you'll have to trust me to orchestrate that.

I have a plot in mind, but will be heavily weaving character plot into it, which makes character development really important! We're in casual because I'm not looking for obscenely long posts, and I don't need to know your family history back 5 generations, but I do want realistic, well thought out characters and posts. Aridus is my co-GM and the world was originally his, but I modified it. We do a lot of behind the scenes conversing.

We have no system in place for combat / events: This means that any consequences will be decided by the players involved & the GM. So. Like. If your character does really stupid shit, he might die or come close to it. <.< There should be a lot of conversing over PMs or here in the OOC when deciding this stuff. Unless otherwise decided, it is always the receiver's choice if they take a hit.

Our aim is to have fun in an original world where players have a lot of free reign for their creativity. We'll have a couple GMs to keep the plot rolling, as we don't just want to dissolve into exclusively character interaction, but also want to be group-writing a story. I'm just facilitating this world around you, you make all the important choices.

World Information

Welcome to the world of Vorn, a land composed of one continent, Maestra, made up of a wide, and varied terrain. The land is politically separated into three countries, the largest and most prominent being the Empire of Talvaria, spanning most of the known world, except for the lands claimed for Kessad and Krond.

Talvaria lies sandwiched between Kessad to the east and the monster island chain of Krond to the west. The Empire is composed of multiple mountain ranges, including the Titan's Spine, crawling over much of the northern portion of the continent, which then disperses into fingers of smaller mountain chains, some of which delve into Kessad. Climates in Talvaria range from near-tropical along the southern coast where there are sandy beaches, to vast grazing plains, to icy mountain paths beyond the treeline along the Spine.

Kessad is primarily a desert, the Hand mountain chains diverting much needed rains to the more lush western portion of the country. Walking through Kessad from Talvaria, the verdant grassy plains begin to grow sparse and eventually give way in entirety to a grey desert, with slate-toned dunes slowly enveloping any plant life. Despite this harsh climate, the ecosystem thrives and like Talvaria, Kessad's deserts have wide biodiversity.

To understand Krond, one must learn its history. Previously the Greiden Republic, the country was a large landmass jutting out into the deep Agrarian Sea. Following much political upset and extensive use of technology and high explosives, the country was torn apart, literally causing upheaval on a massive scale. Earthquakes and volcanos abound on this now-broken island chain, where gargantuan divits in the earth separate previously common lands. Some lands have been swallowed by the sea, others rose forth, supplying new sources of shelter and food for the few living inhabitants. Since then, a meager fifty years have passed and the land still shudders with emotion, leaving a very unstable and unruly country.

Vorn has one sun, simply The Sun or Terina, and five moons named Antheris, Agraron, Therm, Fontos, and Delina, in the Talvarian tongue.

Maestra is inhabited by a large variety of creatures and races. Kessad is composed largely of humans, tan in complexion and fierce in attitude. These people have defended their borders for thousands of years, fighting a defensive war against the too often warmongering Talvarian Empire. They are deeply entrenched in their land and over time have developed rituals and a religious connection to nature. Their government is composed of a merchant council, economy holding providence over all other issues. A single merchant is elected to Grand Vizier who does not have singular power over judgment or law-making but holds more sway than lower ranked officials and generally leads the country. It is not overly unusual to find Dwarves and some sects of Elves who have taken to living as nomads among the dunes.

The Talvarian Empire began as a small country, spanning only part of the coast on the northern side of the Spine. Over time and with military dominance, the minor country grew and established paths through the Spine which offered yet more support as trade routes for their speedily expanding economy. Eventually Talvaria grew so large that passive force was all that was needed to encourage countries formed previously of predominately one race (Elves, or Dwarves, or Gnomes) to accede to create a yet larger empire. Now, Talvaria is composed of many races, a melting pot of variety and interbreeding. There is a distinct lack of 'monster' races in the Empire as for hundreds of years these folk were seen as blights on the land and an offense to the many Talvarian gods. There have been some recently established (~30 years ago) laws stating equality for all people, however racism is still widespread and sometimes systemic across the country (particularly near the Krond border).

Following the great explosion ending the Greidan Republic, the various monstrous races found themselves in a unique position. Having been ousted from their own lands in Talvaria and driven towards the western coast, the Orcs, Goblins, Bugbears, Kobolds, and other groups formed a union to take control over the Greiden land during the confusion. Since then, a loose coalition of tribes has been established in which a representative from each vouches for their people's interests. In this way, Krond has formed a parliament of their own. They hold a transient peace with both Talvaria and Kessad.

More recently, in the capitol city of Iresti, the streets tremble with unrest. The Emperor's health dwindles, and with no immediate legitimate heirs, the country waits with bated breath for the inevitable bloodshed that follows such a passing. Surina Sotaisa, first daughter (and singular offspring) of the late brother to Rorin Sotaisa, current ruler, has the rightful claim, but being merely nine years of age would only warm the throne while others ruled in her stead. The Sotaisa family have held the throne since the beginning of chronicled history some hundreds of years ago, barring the time a Melhurst sat the throne for ten days before another Sotaisa was born and Errin Melhurst met an unfortunate and mysterious end.

The Ebon Eye: Assassin organization based out of Kessad. Very hush hush.
Church of Those Below: A faith organized around the worship of demons and the underworld they inhabit. (This is not a commonly accepted practice.)
Pantheon of Virtue: Belief system focused on the good emotions and actions of the mortal races. Each of the virtues is believed to be derived from a sentient force that embodies the concept. The virtues are compassion, honesty, sacrifice, humility, valor, honor, justice, and spirituality.
Fettlewick Crime Syndicate: Maestra's largest and most powerful crime cartel. It is currently run by Aldus Fettlewick, a gnomish nobleman who lives in Talvaria.
Way of the Soaring Leaf: A pacifist religion/philosophy that originated in the Greiden Republic.
Church of the Iron Lady: One of the most dominant religions of Maestra. It worships the Iron Lady, who is commonly claimed as part of the royal Talvarian lineage. An unyielding and fierce goddess, she expects stoicism and hard work from her followers and rewards her followers with minor divine favors. Her most devoted followers are sometimes fortunate enough to be imbued with a conduit to her heavenly power.
Animism: A belief that all creatures and things in the world have a spirit inside of them. Animists frequently construct communion shrines ranging from small roadside stone gatherings to massive obsidian pillars atop volcanic mountains. Primal magics are derived from communing with the spirits of the world.

Rules & Expectations
Once we're rolling, I will do my utmost to post once a day or two, I won't lag beyond that. (Worst case, if I had to, I would give you notice).

I won't ever post less than a paragraph, I will always read my posts before I post them (and care about typos/spelling/etc), I won't mind constructive criticism, I won't play your character for you. I will never post anything OOC in the IC thread, I won't linger too far off topic in our OOC thread. (Even if I'd love to get to know you guys.) I post in third person, except for minor character thoughts.

If something drastic is about to happen to your character, I will PM you and we can discuss it. I will try my best to say YES to your ideas, because that's why I'm here.

Finally, if I am uncomfortable with another player, their post topic, or pretty much anything, I will politely let them know and we can work it out or part ways. If I'm bored (doubtful), I will try to get un-bored through planning and discussion, and never ever just leave you hanging.

I expect the same of you and your interactions with others. :3

Violence - Yes.
Suspense - Yes.
Romance - Yes.
Swearing - Yes.
Sex - ... Okay. But fade to black, and I'll be really grumpy if your romance isn't reasonable and realistic.


Character Creation

If you have some secrets you don't want other players to know, but want to establish, you can PM me.

Name: Including titles and nicknames. D:
Appearance: Please make a written description, and you can choose a picture/photo if you like, that's up to you.
Personality traits: Likes, dislikes, how they act in difficult situations, are they honest, etc. etc.
History: Their family history as well as they know, as well as how they came to be where they are in their lives now.

Alignment: We're talking vague and based on D&D alignment system. This is optional.
Strengths: Things they're good at, situations in which they thrive.
Weaknesses: Likewise, times they struggle.
Religion/Association: Your character's thoughts on religion, magic, and whatever houses or factions they may be associated with.

Has he/she killed before?: If yes/no, why? How?

Known races are:
Human - As varied as 'real-life' humans are.
Elf - Similar height to humans, characteristic pointed ears (these can be minimal to extremely long), skin tones ranging from lighter human tones to pale grey, blue, green, and red. Elves have a particular inclination towards natural magic.
Half-Elf - The likely offspring of Elves and Humans. With intermediate features of both, they are generally well accepted in both societies.
Orc - The most intelligent of monster races, Orcs stand an average of three to six inches taller than humans. Their features vary greatly, though their skin tends towards darker Human tones and more colors (red, green, grey).
Half-Orc - In considering the rough history between Orcs and Humans, Half-Orcs are more often the result of force and so may expect mixed reactions from others.
Dwarf - Dwarves are short and stocky (taller than halflings), strong with a low center of gravity. They tend to have more blunt facial features.
Half-Dwarf - Dwarves have had the most connection with Humans, of all the other races. The inevitable result is of a moderate height with strong features and mixed acceptance in the culture of both parents.
Gnome - Gnomes, having dwelled primarily underground for much of their evolutionary history have large eyes, pale skin, and keen senses. They are of a similar height to Dwarves but depend on much more lithe figures for maneuvering in caverns.
Halfling - Average height of three feet with particularly hairy feet. They share proportions with Humans, they're just half the size.
Lizardfolk - Known in their own tongue as 'R'leen', these humanoids are scaled and tailed, standing about half a foot taller than most Humans. They, like Orcs, have been pushed into Krond.

We are extremely open to other fantasy style races / alternative traits, so just ask!

[Lily]

FAQ

You said table-top gaming, but you're accepting characters that wouldn't fit in with D&D at all!
That's true, absolutely, but this isn't the D&D world, but a creation of our own. I wanted all the freedom that a new world would give us, as opposed to playing in someone else's well-established universe. Still, we're going to try to make sure that characters are balanced and most importantly, fun.

Which races are considered 'monster' races?
These would be pretty much any race except Humans, Elves, Half-Elves, Dwarves, Half-Dwarves, Halflings, and Gnomes. Right now, this pretty much just means Orcs, Half-Orcs, and Lizardfolk, but (spoiler!) we might bring in some other scary people in the future.

I'm still waiting on this plot of yours to make my character...
I suppose this is going to be run differently than many RPs, but your characters come first and the plot will follow. Technically, you shouldn't need to know the plot to make your character, since you're given at least a little background information to work with.

How does magic work in this world?
There is Divine magic which comes only from worshipping the Iron Lady. Following the Pantheon of Virtue is not known to grant any powers. Arcane magic comes from multiple sources; the demonology school of arcane magic, the draconic bloodline source, and through devout arcane studies. Most 'wizards' are merely researchers with an innate sensitivity to the land's natural energies who have since studied and learned how to channel this power. Animism grants primal magic, though you don't necessarily need to be an Animist to gain this magic. This magic is granted by natural spirits and is only gained by communing with these spirits. Most anyone can have some small skill at magic, but very few have truly powerful control over it.

What currency is used in Talvaria?
Currency in Talvaria is similar to Pathfinder in proportions, if you've ever played that. People use copper, silver, and gold coins. Gold coins are formally known as crowns. Usually a mug of ale will be a few copper to a silver. If someone is charging you a gold, you should be outraged. A very nice inn would cost two gold a night, but a sleazy one may only charge you a few silver. There are 10 copper in a silver, 10 silver in a gold. There is a lot of bartering and goods for services trades, so if you find a fancy necklace the innkeep might be willing to accept that in lieu of gold. You can just make up coinage costs, ask, or reference that Pathfinder page, if you aren't sure and want to be specific.

Cast
So far...
Jorr (Aridus)
Izuriel (Elemental River)
Alaye (GreenGoat)
Illian (bardontheriver)
Sepp (Shadow501)
Jaden (Zhaeth)
Trésger (Superfly)

Past / Limbo
Natsu (GenericUser)
Asterix (TatsuaAiisen)
Avo (FullM00n)
Jenna (Stock)
Corrin (Gamerdude369)
Amara (makiaka)

[Gravislayer]

Interrested^^ Nice ideas, lovely described world. I am eager to create a Cs where i have many different charakter is mind.
Here´s some bait^^

1)A Desert-tribe warrior from Kessad who is all wrapped up into bandages and who uses his blowgun and his knowledge about herbs to discover the landscape beyond his home.

2) A Pirate from Krond. The unstable political state and the many island which pop up and perfect for the commom pirate. Well but bad luck when you decide to have a little.... fun time with the captains daughter who´s now mad as hell and swore that he will fed you to the sharks when you ever see him again. Now he´s forced to stay at land, a little more rich than before because the captain was blinded in his rage and forgot to chek his treasure-chest.

3)(put any possible non-human race here i get something interresting out of it)

[Lily]

Hahaha, fantastic. Haven't even finished this thread or posted an interest check yet, so awesome timing! I'll have the intro stuff finished tonight and I'll post some CS guidelines for you.

I like all of your ideas. I'll be adding and cleaning up the race descriptions too, so check back on that for your non-human race idea.

[blaze7333]

interested!

[Proper Gent]

Soooo interested.

[FullM00n]

Am very interested too.

[Stock]

Interested

Will probably make a (Royal guard) battlemage or an Orc marauder

[Pillz]

Pillz here!!! Which only means one thing... I am interested!

Will be PMing you my character when I am done and hopefully, we all post at least once per day or two, too many inactive, get what I mean?

And... waiting for the plot xD

[GenericUser]

I am very interested