The Elder Scrolls: Vengeance of the Deep OOC

[Dervish]

The Elder Scrolls: Vengeance of the Deep

A Dervish and O|NoSoul Production

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In Character Thread


For thousands of years, we reigned supreme, the masters of logic and progress, the builders of the mightiest civilization Nirn has ever seen. We were mighty! We challenged the gods, our advancement growing so great as to threaten them. Our metal was indestructible; our constructs designed to function for eternity. We have travelled realms outside of Mundus. There was nothing that could stand in our way, and even the arrogant aedra and daedra had grown to fear us.

Nothing terrifies a so-called god more than knowing that their time is finite; that mere mortals will one day cause them to bow at the knee or be crushed under the progress of their superiors, mortals they have for too long looked down upon as insects. But it was not them who had punished us for our audacity; it was ourselves and the treachery of the lesser races we shared the world with. The whimpering, pathetic falmer who crawled to us because they were weak, the crude barbarian Nords who adhere to abhorrent superstitions and achieved their aims by savagery, and the hated chimer alike all challenged our authority and claim to the world. And for centuries, neigh! For millennia, we proved to them our superiority. It is sickening for the three and a half thousand years of our absence, they have inherited the world we had shaped and laid their filthy hands on the masterful cities and defile them!

We were so concerned with securing our dominance over the mortal races of Tamriel and building ourselves to surpass the gods that we forgot to keep our own arrogance in check. Our drive and ambition was limitless, we never stopped to ask ourselves if our own ingenuity could ever be our bane. Our audacity and recklessness into the void of discovery has banished us from Mundus, leaving our once mighty legacy in the hands of those whose minds are too feeble to grasp the very concepts of our accomplishments or begin to understand who we were.

For three and a half thousand years, we have been imprisoned in a realm of our own design. Our weapon to rid the world of the Nords once and for all backfired, instead banishing us from Tamriel when the Red Mountain erupted, due to the treachery of one of our own, Kagrnak, who promised our people enlightenment when he sympathized with the humans and betrayed his own kind. If not for him, all of Tamriel would have been under our rule centuries ago and we would have surpassed the gods. That was our destiny, and it is one we shall reclaim.

Fate has finally dealt us a hand we can, and shall, play right. No longer are we restricted to this world of our own creation. The time has come to reclaim what is ours, and to have our voices heard in Tamriel once more!

_ _ _

Welcome to The Elder Scrolls: Vengeance of the Deep, the successor to The Elder Scrolls: Voice of the Sky. This RP takes place approximately two years after the previous one and will feature a returning cast of characters as well as many new faces. Knowledge of previous events isn’t necessary, but it helps, especially since new characters likely would have had a couple months being enthralled by the spell that was the focal point of the last game.

The TL;DR synopsis of the backstory below was that in the previous RP, the new Emperor had activated a spell of a very large magnitude and power that had enthralled more or less the entire continent of Tamriel, causing almost everyone who witnessed it to begin having their minds altered so that the Empire was seen as a great uniting force and the Emperor was to be the next Tiber Septim.

Those immune to the effects of the spell were hunted down and because of their unique genetic and spiritual make up, were used to power the spell via very magic-intensive sacrifice. The group of player characters the last time around joined together and made their way from Skyrim to Cyrodiil to an epic showdown that resulted in the assassination of the current Emperor, ending the spell (and thus, freeing everyone), and tipping the balance of power to the Emperor's young son, Tactus Mede. These characters are considered heroes and Champions, regardless of their past, and are enjoying something of a celebrity status and prestige akin to the Champion of Cyrodiil during Oblivion, the Dovahkiin in Skyrim, and the Nerevarine in Morrowind.

During one of their side quests into a previously unknown dwemer ruin of such size and scale that it crossed under the Jerall Mountains from Helgen to Bruma, the player characters had accidentally tripped a device while obtaining the Elder Scroll and lexicon needed to disrupt the Emperor’s spell by blocking the auroras. This device was a part of the networked devices that crossed across Tamriel from Hammerfell to Morrowind that resulted in the entirety of the dwemer population to vanish during the battle of the Red Mountain, thousands of years ago. This accidental tripping of the network has had an unforeseen and arguably terrible consequence of allowing the dwemer after three and a half thousand year absence to return from a realm of their own creation.

For those of you who don’t know anything about the dwemer, they’re basically among the biggest assholes who ever existed in Tamriel. They were technologically advanced beyond any other race (the fact that thousands of years after they vanished, their automata are still functioning as is much of the machinery found in dwemer ruins) and they were very conquest hungry and cruel. They had enslaved the falmer (snow elves) and twisted them into the blind degenerate horrors they are today. They also sought to drive out or destroy any of the other races that shared the regions they called home. Given time, they very likely could have. Before their disappearance, it was documented that the dwemer had obtained the ability to enter other realms separate from Mundus (the name of the physical realm Nirn (the name of the planet Tamriel is a part of) inhabits. It isn’t entirely unreasonable to assume that it was one of these realms the dwemer had all vanished to literally overnight, and given enough time, could have freely entered various realms of Oblivion.

And so that brings us to the current RP’s timeline, where Emperor Tactus Mede is hosting an event in the honour of the Champions in Imperial City and it will have been the first time many had seen each other in two years, having parted ways after stopping Felix Mede and ending the spell. New characters will be in Imperial City for one reason or another; I leave that up to players. This simply provides a common starting area for everyone to have a chance for characters to bump into each other or branch out from there.
When the RP starts, there will have been reports of something going on in the North, but nobody really has any solid information. Before long, characters will find themselves fleeing the emergent dwemer war machine, outfitted with technology and weaponry that has never existed on Tamriel as well as some old familiar designs. From there, it will be a matter of a player’s actions. Do you follow rumours of a resistance? Do you try and find out where the dwemer are coming from and put a stop to it? Or for those with a certain ambition, do you take part in one of the main factions and sue for power? Whatever your personal goal, there’s a good chance you can pursue it. You will not be bound to a single group for this RP and will be able to go as you please, although I highly recommend at least partnering up with a few people and keeping tabs on other groups. If you do go off away from GM player characters, you will be expected to be largely self-sufficient and capable of forging much of your own personal story. GMs will likely give these characters major NPCs to interact with, along with player created NPCs of little importance.

Things to Note:

- This takes place 7 years after the events of Skyrim
- The Empire had won the Civil War, Ulfric Stormcloak and his rebellion were crushed
- The College of Winterhold is flourishing and possesses the Eye of Magnus.
- The Mage’s Guild in Cyrodiil was abolished after the Oblivion Crisis and hasn’t existed for some time.
- The Dark Brotherhood has been entirely eliminated; the Night Mother has been captured and destroyed by the Praetorians prior to the events of the previous RP. No Night Mother means no Listener means no Speaker means no contracts. As well, many of the Brotherhood’s sanctuaries had been raided and all members discovered killed.
- The Dovahkiin was killed at the climax of the previous RP, there is no Dragonborn and all thu’um speakers are now exclusively in High Hrothgar.
- The Companions of Jorrvaskr are largely intact and still operating out of Whiterun. However, due to events of the previous RP, all of the members were committed to the Inner Circle and are now werewolves due to desperation. They’ve since expanded their membership a bit and anyone recruited in the past two years is not a part of the Inner Circle, although rumours of their true nature may be more readily known.
- The Fighters Guild is still flourishing in Cyrodiil.
- Morag Tong is enjoying a resurgence of power after the destruction of the Dark Brotherhood, being the only professional assassin organization of its size in Tamriel. However, it still operates almost exclusively in Morrowind with the very seldom involvement outside of that province’s borders.
- The Thieves Guild is alive and well in all parts of Tamriel, some chapters are doing better than others.

_ _ _

The year was 4E 206, five years after the Civil War ended in Skyrim in the Empire's victory over Ulfric Stormcloak's rebellion and resulted in the Empire retaining the province and strengthening its position against the 2nd Aldermi Dominion. It was a time of uneasy peace, where both mighty governments are posing to renew fighting. With the assassination of Titus Mede II by the Dark Brotherhood during the Civil War during his visit to Solitude, his 44 year old son Felix Mede had ascended to the throne in 4E 201 and promised changes.

For the next two years, Felix Mede was seen as an advocate of equality and mending relationships between the Empire and its provinces, as well as former holdings. While his policies regarding the Aldmeri Dominion were more firm than his fathers, he had spent considerable effort on extending olive branches to the Empire's greatest rival and enemy while strictly standing ground against their advances and demands. In addition to striving to prevent another war that wasn't on his terms, the Emperor had set into motion policies to promote equality between all races and dedicating the troops to enforce it. Not only did men and mer share equal opportunity for holding titles, lands, and individual freedoms, but the beast races, orisimer, and dunmer were now protected by Imperial law and for the first time in the Empire's history did argonians, khajiit, and other typically stigmatized races begin to enjoy the right to hold public office, serve as officers in the Legion, and hold land in other provinces. Had he left his legacy at this, he would have gone down in history as one of the most enlightened and benevolent Emperors in the Empire's lengthy history.

However, like most seemingly good things, there's always a dark side.

Two years after Felix Mede ascended to the throne, the auroras that prevail in the Northern sky didn't come and go as expected; they stayed, and could be seen across Tamriel and with such luminescence that they could be seen faintly in the daylight. While undeniably beautiful, people had begun to change. Over time, the people of Tamriel had begun to develop more favourable views of the Emperor, and even the enemies of the Empire had begun to see him as a man to admire and to deal with as opposed to trying to overthrow his rule. A time of unimaginable peace washed over the land as more and more people had begun to revere the Emperor, some even comparing him to Tiber Septim, the Nord hero who had ascended to divinity as Talos.

As this spell begun to shape the opinions and minds of Tamriel's people, the Emperor's handpicked divisions of battlemage man hunters called the Praetorians scoured the lands in divisions searching for those who were immune to the effects of the spell. Those they found were sacrificed in ritual to power the spell in hidden cisterns and their bodies and souls were used to spread the intensity and area of influence of the spells. It is unknown how many hundreds, if not thousands, of people were killed in this time frame. Each passing day, as the Emperor’s grasp tightened over Tamriel, hope grew more and more dire. It was to be a conquest without armies, and the end of free will.

A group of adventurers, immune to the effects of the spell, had escaped incarceration and certain death or had avoided capture and by chance encounters formed an uneasy alliance to put an end to the Emperor’s spell and to assassinate him. Knowing they may be the only ones left with the free-will to put an end to the spell, they formed a companionship that would take them to Imperial City knowing that there likely was no chance to survive. A group comprised of many who would be considered criminals, as well as those had not found a place in conventional society were to be the liberators of Tamriel.

After a lengthy quest to free the wills of the people of Tamriel and to redeem themselves, these unlikely adventurers had crossed much of Skyrim and Cyrodiil on their singular mission: to assassinate the Emperor Felix Mede and put an end to the spell. Along the way, hunted by Imperial battlemage hunters called Praetorians, the few remaining dragons of the world, and overcoming powerful necromancers, bandits, and other ill-intentioned foes, the adventurers found themselves in the midst of a colossal dwemer ruin, spanning from Helgen to Bruma, long hidden beneath the Jerall Mountains. However, what was even more remarkable were the occupants.

Christening their underground refuge New Atmora after the ancestral Nord homeland, the Sons of Skyrim were a large group of former Stormcloaks and supporters who had went into hiding after their loss during the civil war, and had over the years put together a sizable community and militia, looking for a chance to reclaim their home. However, the years had tempered their rhetoric, and under Rogvir the Ironheart, had abandoned many of the oppressive views of Ulfric Stormcloak. Envisioning a free and independent Skyrim, Rogvir and his followers acknowledged that their homeland was a home to many people, and that Nordic culture wasn’t exclusive to race. While most of the Sons ranks were made up of Nords, men and women from all races could be found in their midst with the goal of a free Skyrim, all ready to rise against the Empire once more. Had the Emperor not cast his spell across the lands, their uprising certainly would have happened once more. Trapped under the ground in New Atmora, the Sons of Skyrim searched long and hard for a way to disrupt the spell and see the surface again. These adventurers were their key to doing so.

Sent deep into the ruins of New Atmora’s lower levels, the adventurers fought and struggled against the wretched falmer and the ever-present dwemer automations as they searched for the Codex that would enable the Sons’ chief scholar to read one of Ulfric Stormcloak’s Elder Scrolls that would prove instrumental in freeing Tamriel. Many hours of searching later, the adventurers had found a large auditorium-like laboratory with complicated machinery unlike any seen in other ruins. Contained within the machine was the Codex, that after some tinkering was freed, causing the machine to start. Unable to stop the machine and prevent the entire structure’s long dormant machines to return to their functioning state, the adventures fled the lower ruins, dodging the massive battle between the falmer occupants and the dwemer machines as they made their way to safety with the Sons of Skyrim.

Realizing their home was at risk of being overrun, the Sons were forced to act quickly, barricading the entry to the lower levels and setting up the scholar to read the scroll. As the residents of New Atmora gathered what belongings they could to prepare to evacuate, Rogvir the Ironheart marshaled his warriors and prepared to march. Giving the adventurers leave to make it to Imperial City, Rogvir promised the Sons would march on Imperial City as soon as they figured out how to use the Elder Scroll. The adventurers had only managed to get a day and a half into Cyrodiil before a loud crack of thunder unlike Tamriel had ever heard filled the air and the skies began to fill with storm clouds. And so began what history has called the Siege of Storms, where violent thunderstorms, blizzards, wind and rainfall plagued the lands for a solid month without giving out. The Sons had at last figured out the scroll, but at a heavy cost. But for the first time in months, the auroras vanished from sight, unable to pierce the heavy clouds and storms. The spell was disrupted, for a time.

Tamriel was immediately awash in chaos, between the storms and people briefly regaining a sense of their former selves. Even the resurgent Imperial Legions were torn between duty to their Emperor, preserving the peace and coming to terms with the fact most of them had been used as little more than puppets. Internal strife riddled their ranks, and only civilian uprisings kept any sense of devotion to duty in check. They couldn’t have anticipated the emerging forces of the Sons of Skyrim to have swiftly conquered Bruma in a nearly bloodless coup and storming the walls of Imperial City, the first army to do so since the Aldmeri Dominion many years ago.

Amid all of this, the adventurers had long found their way into the city via the sewer system, keeping to the shadows where possible and blending in with crowds the best they could. Even the ruthless and determined Praetorians were too occupied to watch all corners of the city at once, especially with the siege of nearly two thousand Nords outside their gates, and Thalmor agents from the large embassy within their own walls rising up against the Imperials, seeking retribution for the humiliation of their enthrallment and sensing an opportunity to seize power. Between these Thalmor would-be usurpers and the overwhelmed Imperial guards, the adventurers made their way to the White-Gold tower to confront the Emperor.

What they found was not a power-hungry man seeking to rule all, but rather a tired, middle-aged man who was watching his dream of everlasting peace dissolve before his eyes. It was not greed or desire to rule that consumed him, but the idea that Tamriel had suffered enough from countless bloody, horrific conflicts and only more would arise in a fractured, fragmented rule. Long had the Empire been slipping into a decline, once having united all of the provinces under one largely peaceful banner into a torn land where many factions vied for control, and the savagery of the past rulers would become known again. He believed that mer and men would grind each other down to extinction in the wars to come, each trying to regain rule of the lands. The secrecy of the Black Marsh and the argonians was worrying, especially the retribution turned against the dunmer for their ancient oppression of the beast races. Slavery and genocide would become common once more, and like the argonians, the khajiit and orcs would likely fight to rise from their low position in society and try to seize control for themselves. It was already beginning; the argonian conquest of Vvardenfell, the khajiit resistance against the Aledmeri Dominion, and the defiance of the orcs in the North, where whispers of reclaiming their homelands from the Breton were becoming shouts. In essence, the spell was the work of a desperate man who wanted to save Tamriel from itself.

The man was slain by one of the adventurers with an Imperial blade, but the spell was not ended. Entering the highest levels of the tower, a withered Nord man with a shaggy blonde beard and hair was suspended in a large energy field, which fed into the largest black soul gem any of the adventurers had ever seen. In the corner laid the empty casket of the Night Mother, having long been taken from the Dawnstar Sanctuary with the destruction of the Dark Brotherhood. The adventurers were confronted by the Emperor’s steward who explained exactly what they were seeing.

The black soul gem was the very essence and soul of the Night Mother, one of the most powerful and influential souls in history, able to speak to the living through death over the centuries. It was her soul that powered the spell through the massive soul gem, but it needed a conduit. The man was the Dovahkiin, the only living person with a mastery of the Thu’um whose very words could alter the physical world around him. Through his voice, although unheard, the Emperor was able to shape the minds of all who could see the auroras, forcing his concept of peace and prosperity upon the unwilling masses. Binding it all together was an Elder Scroll, the same that he had used to drive his people and the Eastern Jarls into a rebellion. It had only taken the one reading from the Moth Priest to tell Felix Mede of what was to come and what first drove him to prevent the conflicts of tomorrow, a prophesy of terrifying and unimaginable bloodshed not seen in Tamriel for thousands of years. It was only suiting that its twin, the same scroll that the Sons of Skyrim had managed to hide away in Dustman’s Cairn and the other in Ulfric’s former possession, would be instrumental in putting an end to the spell.

The steward presented a choice to the adventurers, it would be possible to take control of the spell and shape it to their own needs should they have the ambition, or to destroy it. They had chosen to destroy the soul gem, destroying the essence of the Night Mother and freeing the Dovahkiin, who had to be slain due to his mind having been long deteriorated and driven to madness from his magic-bound imprisonment, his body used to its very core. He had lashed out, determined to destroy anyone within sight. His Thu’um had destroyed much of the upper level of the tower, nearly killing the adventurers before he was put to rest. The spell had ended, but the wars in the streets continued.
It is unclear what happened next, but the Emperor’s son, Tactus Mede had found himself ascended to the throne and marshaling his loyal guardsmen, appealed for peace in the streets, immediately denouncing his father’s crimes and bouts of madness. After a long, protracted battle, Tactus had crushed the Thalmor’s uprising within his walls and left to negotiate with Rogvir the Ironheart, suing for peace and a compromise that would both save the Empire and give the Sons of Skyrim what they sorely desired.

It was agreed that without the Sons of Skyrim and the adventurers who put an end to Felix Mede's madness, Tamriel would have been entirely enthralled and the end of freewill and independence would have gripped the land for potentially decades, if not centuries. A peace treaty was forged and for the first time since Tiber Septim forged the Empire, Skyrim was a free and independent land once more, reducing the Empire's lands to High Rock, Cyrodiil, and the non-occupied sections of Morrowind. Rogvir the Ironheart agreed to the terms, and under the agreement that Skyrim would be independent, hostilities would cease between the Empire and Skyrim and diplomatic ties be established in the form of ambassadors. The Aldmeri Dominion could only watch from a distance with a cold eye. It was all but decided that day that while all of Tamriel had to come to grips with what had happened and the fallout would be severe for the young Emperor Tactus, those responsibile for liberating the land's souls were to be celebrated. Despite their crimes or their low upbringings of their past, the adventurers were celebrated as heroes and statues were comissioned in their honour, to be placed in the city gardens. Each of the adventurers were given a boon, reward, or favour of their choosing as thanks before they parted their own ways, some returning home, others following some other purpose. The Champions of Tamriel departed the city, agreeing to return in two years time to celebrate their triumph.

Two years later, the Empire and the Aldmeri Dominion stand at the brink of war while the other provinces watch from the sidelines. Rovgir has built a formiddable army under the command of his Jarls and has entered a defense agreement with Hammerfell, agreeing to send warriors to the other's aid should the Dominion focus on these Northern provinces. Little do they know that while the South is preparing to shed blood once more, they too will face the wrath of a force that no living being has ever had to face. Life continues on across Tamriel, but the stability and hard earned peace hang teetering near the edge.

RULES

1. No Godmodding or power gaming of any kind. We're telling a story, not having a competition to see who is the biggest badass. Not to say you can't do awesome things when it comes around time for combat, but know your limitations. This includes self-insert characters, backstories that are designed to give the character access to abilities, skills, and equipment that would be considered an unfair or overpowered advantage, autokilling NPCs during fights with virtually no effort put into it, taking on a room full of people single handedly, meta gaming, trying to have everyone treat your character like they’re something unique and special, your character knowing things they shouldn’t, et cetera. The goal here is believable characters.

2. The writing standard is high-casual. Read what you wrote over before you post, and ensure you have acceptable spelling and grammar. That said, I'm not a perfectionist, and mistakes are made by everyone. Just make an honest effort and we'll get along just fine. Posting expectations are at least 2 detailed paragraphs per post, probably more. If you think short paragraphs and single lines are the best thing in the world, than I direct you to the free section.

3. No speed posting. This means give other people a chance to post before you do. There won't be a strict posting order, but if I notice the same two people posting back and forward in a short time span without giving others involved in that group or conversation or whatever a chance to reply, I will not be happy. That said, if you have two characters conversing with each other, feel free to reply steadily back and forward if things are going slow. Just keep in mind posting expectations and if serious actions are taken during those posting, others will have to be taken into consideration.

4. If you are going to be absent for any length of time, please let me know. I’m not going to kill of your character or kick you to the curb because stuff came up. Real life comes first, but that said, do try to be fairly active. Your character will be controlled by a GM until you return. If you vanish without word for an unreasonable amount of time with no notification, there is a strong possibility your character will be killed off. If you’re going to join this RP, be somewhat active. The GMs are putting a lot of effort into making this enjoyable for the players, so please be committed and be in this for the long haul.

5. If you disagree with contents of someone's posts, don't turn the OOC into some horrible flame fest. We're all hopefully mature enough to settle disagreements through logical discourse. If things start to go into flame war territory, I will warn the players. Failure to STFU will lead to your banishment from this RP with nothing more than an angri faec to accompany you and your character being killed off brutally. Probably after through ogre rape.

6. If you want to do something, and you aren't sure, ask in the OOC so it can be discussed. Or, if you want it to be a surprise, PM the GMs. If it's a good idea, we'll work it into the plot. I like to encourage creativity and think that all good RPs involve ideas from all their players. Sometimes this leads to amazing subplots and character development.

7. If you have questions or ideas for events, PM the GMs. Your input will help keep you not only invested, but it’ll give the GMs more fuel to work with for upcoming encounters and plotlines in the RP.

8. As heavy and serious business as this may all seem, the point is to have fun and build a good comradary with your fellow role players. There will be inappropriate screwing around in the OOC, and people will be off topic quite a bit. This is normal. This is fun. It's also a great place to shoot around ideas and discuss how things are going. Keep invested in this and I promise it'll stick in your memories as one of the best damn things you've done on this webpage.

9. If you feel the need to start a romance between characters, that's cool. This isn't exactly a rated role play, and it’s bound to happen. I personally like to graphically describe violence and swear quite a bit, but if you feel the need to indulge in smut, please take that stuff to PM. 4 pages of graphic sex isn't going to save the world; it'll just cause everyone else to feel really awkward and need a cold shower afterwards. It is known.

10. Gary and Mary Sues will have a Morag Tong contract put on them that they will never, ever escape from. Probably because their legs will be eaten by ice wraiths and their body horribly maimed by hordes of angry hornets before the assassin gets to you. He's a local, and his name is Joe. He will ruin your day, Mr. or Miss. I Have No Flaws and Everyone Loves Me.The GMs will be doing background checks to find out if you’re reliable and generally write at an acceptable quality, so beware that even if your character sheet is outstanding, if either Soul or myself discover you’re argumentative, write at an unacceptable level, go AWOL frequently, power game, and so on, there’s a good chance you WILL NOT be accepted.


Game Related Rules

1. Equipment limitations are as follows:

-Iron, steel, and leather: Very common and easy to come by and easy to afford. If your character possesses anything under these categories, you don’t need to justify having it.

-Elvish and Orcish: these are somewhat easy to come by, and both have their unique advantages. They both happen to be fairly expensive and aren’t nearly as common as the previous category. Elvish weapons tend to hold an edge better than steel and are very sharp, as well as being much lighter and more flexible than most metals. Orcish material is very hard, very durable, and very heavy. It’s more difficult to work with and shape, but once it will never fail and requires virtually no upkeep while not being quite as sharp or flexible as elvish works. Please explain how your character came to obtain these items somewhere in their backstory due to their uncommon nature.

-Dwemmer, or dwarven: This is relatively common in Skyrim, Morrowind, or Hammerfell if your character has been in the ruins. Most of their machines and defenses are still working, so chances are, your character is brave and tenacious if they got their hands on this stuff. Stores would sell limited stocks at pretty marked up prices considering how hard it is to obtain it. However, given the recent return of the dwemer crafty individuals will be able to obtain improved weaponry from the invading forces, including some technology never seen in Tamriel before. It will, however, not be easy and the new inventory will only be obtained sometime during the actual game.

-Ancient Nord: Really old weapons that somehow hold up over the years, they're crude and quite common in ancient nord temples, tombs, and ruins. The only problem is you usually have to deal with the drauger. And obviously, they're not nice zombie people. Stores wouldn't sell this stuff (it would be like going to a gun store and asking for a Brown Bess when there's the newest Remington rifle on sale).

-Solstheim Nordic Steel: Weapons made by the Skaal of Solstheim, it’s excellently crafted steel weaponry and armour of the highest caliber, but is quite rare to find outside of Solstheim, given its association with the Skaal.

-Stalhrim: A special, magic ice-crafted set of equipment that can only be forged by the greatest masters using techniques only known by the Skaal. Changes are, your character will have neither access to stalhrim, the equipment to mine it, or the knowledge to do anything with it. It is exceedingly rare stuff.

-Akaviri: Similar to the ancient Nord weapons and gear, this long gone elvish civilization left behind a lot of Cyrodiilic ruins. However, no armour examples are known to exist and what little katanas they had left behind are extremely rare to come across. Please don’t write up a whole backstory of how your character obtained these because ‘lol, Japan is the best’. However, what examples remain are expertly crafted swords that have held up well over the years.

-Falmer and Forsworn: Both sets of weapons are crude but effective, and Falmer gear usually has poison chambers due to being constructed from Charrus chitin and other parts. Forsworn stuff is built out of raw materials from nature, much like how a native American would. You'd only ever obtain either by killing a Falmer or Forsworn, and even then, would you really want it?

-Glass and Ebony: Both of these are high-end, expensive, and extremely well made weapons and armour that you'd be lucky to ever find. Ebony gear originates in Morrowind, so it would be found among the rich and powerful there, and likewise, Glass gear comes from the Aldmari Dominion and is usually only found on their elite soldiers. While some examples find their way into Skyrim and Cyrodiil, it's very uncommon and you are a very attractive target for having them. Would you walk around with a rapper's amount of gold chains around your neck at night in a dark alley? Kind of the same thing. However, their quality is absolutely top-notch and while both weapons require a fair deal more upkeep than other materials (both incorporate types of glass in the construction in addition to metal), they are very desirable and dangerous. If your character possesses anything in this category, I would like a background justified and believable explanation for having it. I will not approve every CS that has glass and ebony in it because people think of it in video game statistic terms and therefore it will give them a competitive edge.

-Dragon: Dragons are all but extinct, and whatever remains are enslaved or in hiding. As such dragon scales and bone are extremely hard to come by. You can only find this in Skyrim, but as such, much of it has been confiscated by the Empire for archiving, equipping their own elite soldiers, or as museum pieces. It is extremely hard to work with dragon scales and bones, so even if someone obtained them, they'd have to be among the best to do anything with it. You very likely will never possess dragon materials.

-Daedric: The Oblivion crisis ended over 200 years ago, and as such, the presence of the daedra in Tamriel is so rare they may as well be myths to most people, and the few that do manage to cross dimensions certainly aren't going to hand it over. Even harder to obtain than dragon materials, a master smith would be hard pressed to find a daedra heart, and likely wouldn't know the process to create daedric metals and shape it into armour and weapons. You very much won't have possession of these, at all.

Any enchantments: Possible, but you'll need to find the soul gems to charge them. Also, they're expensive as hell if you're trying to buy them, and only talented mages know how to soul trap. Best become friends with an enchanter if you're poor. If your character is an enchanter, it looks like you may be popular. Keep your enchantments limited to the level of skill your character has in the skill section.

-Daedric artifacts: No. Just no.

2. You can only carry so much on your person at a time. Think of real life, are you going to be carrying a bow, a claymore, 3 daggers, a staff, 400 arrows, steel plate armour, just as many potions and scrolls, and every book out of the public library? Keep it reasonable, keep it realistic. Collecting loot should never be your goal. You should also specify how your character is carrying around most of their inventory.

3. No matter how strong, talented, and experienced your character is, you're still only mortal. If you're running into 15 bandits, your odds don't look good. A troll is going to be the fight of your life. Herd of mammoths? Run like hell. You sustain injuries; you may die if you encounter a situation that is suicidal. (I'm lenient; I'm not going to kill your character off without your permission, unless you break one of the cardinal rules above or put your character in a situation with no chance of survival).

4. Potions take time to work in most cases, so you're not going to get gutted by an axe and then look brand new by chugging Tamriel Energy Drink. It'll help your body mesh the wounds and heal you, and it takes time for it to eliminate poisons and disease. In short, be careful. On that note, chugging potion after potion isn't going to happen unless you happen to be a whale with the body mass to do so.

5. Scrolls take time to read, so if you're reading one in combat to cast something, make sure you have someone watching your ass and there isn't a group of Falmer looking to rip your arm off ten feet away.

6. Damage is realistic(ish), if you're hit by an ice spike or an arrow; you're going to need some serious medical attention if it hits something vital. But since this is Elder Scrolls, and potions work in ways that a platypus would say, "that's fucked up." People also aren’t going to die of an infection from a blade wound after three days of sickness or something. Point is, your character is mortal and will be taking wounds in combat.

7. Keep in mind that whatever weapons and armour you do have does not reflect how well your character is going to do in a fight or survive, so don’t doctor a CS around trying to make sure that they’re the best equipped person in the game so you have a combat advantage. There’s going to be badass bandits out there running around in fur armour and iron weapons who’ve killed more people than your character has ever met who will not care if your character is decked out in full ebony armour, a shield, and a long sword. He’s light and fast, you’re low and heavy, and experience trumps expensive weapons and armour almost every time. Try to give your character equipment that makes sense for who they are and what they’ve been through.

8. Weapons do not necessarily have to be what you find in the games, but follow it as a template. As such, things like spears, throwing knives, throwing axes, glaives, halberds, javelins, and flails are fair game, even if most of that didn’t appear in any of the Elder Scrolls games. However, that isn’t free reign to try to put something that is high-fantasy or just ridiculous into the game. Do try to keep things lore appropriate where possible, as well.

9. Keep in mind religious symbolism is limited to aedra and daedra. Please leave real-life stuff like crosses out of it. I shouldn’t have to say this, but I’ve seen it happen. As such, lore established divines and other deities are the only things that will be acknowledged.

10. Vampire and werewolf characters are a potential possibility, but this is similar to the weapon rules where it’s going to be based more around role playing than stats. People aren’t going to react well to finding out their companion could turn into a flesh hungry monster at any minute, and many of the religious, paranoid, or sensible types will likely try to kill them for it on the spot. If you do decide to go this route, your application will face higher levels of scrutiny than others because I need to make sure that you can actually properly role play somebody who is struggling to control their disease and accept that if it’s discovered, they face a very difficult road ahead.

11. Keep in mind the age or your character in relation to their physical ability and skill as well as personal experience. Older characters may not be as strong or have the vitality of younger characters, but they have experienced much and had much longer to master skills, as well as they will generally be much more mature and rational, but will take longer to recover from physically demanding situations, wounds, and may be very set in their ways. Younger characters have the raw strength and vitality that comes with being at the peak of your physical prime, and chances are, they are rasher and less disciplined than other characters as well as being susceptible to new ideas and will be generally inexperienced with the world. Basically, just think of how people are in real life. I do not want to see an entire roster of late teenagers to mid-twenty somethings who are master mages, swordsmen, and thieves. If your character is excellent at something at a young age, there better be a damn good reason for it.

11. Please avoid cliché and tried backstories and personalities and go for something a bit more diverse. This is a major reason I will be doing background checks. If you basically make the same story over and over, you’re not getting a pass. Do something interesting and don’t go with some tragedy staple for cheap drama in an attempt to make your character look deeper than they are. This doesn’t mean you can’t go for the dead parent/ orphaned/ mentor figure/ village burned down/ badass loner/ insert something you’ve seen in every RP thread ever, this one not being an exception. It just means I want to see a solid backstory where something like that isn’t used as a weak justification for your character setting out for exploring and never mentioned again or pulled up whenever you feel like your character needs to have an angsty/sad moment. If you actually feel it serves a purpose and makes sense for your character’s development and history, than by all means. Just make sure it’s understandable and a relatively believable subplot.

12. If you are trying to omit something in your character sheet saying that it will ‘be revealed later in the RP’, I expect to be private messaged about it for approval, but chances are something like that will set off a red flag unless there’s a good reason for it. Since nobody’s meta gaming, I expect everything in the backstory section of the character sheet to be revealed there. Most of the time, this comes across as lazy and that you can’t be bothered to write something half-decent.

_ _ _

No longer accepting applications! Final roster pending.


- - -

Character Sheet

Name: Character's name and any alias they may go by

Race: What race they are (Altmer, Argonian, Bosmer, Breton, Dunmer, Imperial, Khajiit, Nord, Orsimer, or Redguard.)

Family Origins: Where was your character born and raised? This may affect their cultural outlook. It can be anywhere in Tamriel, just bear in mind that, for example, a Cyrodiillic cosmopolitan orc will have a different culture and mentality than a Skyrim stronghold orc, or a Summerset Islands born and raised altmer may hold different values than one who was born and raised in Morrowind.

Appearance: A detailed description of what your character looks like and a picture, if possible. Please, for the love of The Nine, no anime. The more people have to reference, the better if is for role playing purposes.
Age: How old your character is. Age brings wisdom, youth brings strength and energy. Keep in mind elves tend to have longer live spans than men and beast races. For instance, dunmer may end up having about 100 healthy, strong years before going into elderly twilight years where they will likely make it for another 20 to 30 years. Wood elves are likely similar, and Altmer may live for a few centuries.

Equipment: Weapons and armour. As you fill this out, ask yourself, if you were your character, would you be able to carry all of this stuff? More stuff= more encumbered. Less stuff= less encumbered, but less resources at your disposal.

Miscellanea: Things like lock picks, food, smithing materials, scolls, potions. The weight thing applies as well. Doesn’t necessarily have to be things from the games.

Favored Skills: This section gets a bit more complicated. Using the main skills of the game (two handed, smithing, destruction, illusion, lock picking, pick pocketing, shield, et cetera) things are rated by proficiency. You may have 1 highly proficient skill, 3 moderately proficient skills, and 3 somewhat proficient skills. You may, however, move up a class at the expense of another skill of the level below it (e.g. you pick 1 highly proficient at the cost of 2 moderately proficient). Likewise, you can gain more skills if you downgrade a skill (1 moderately proficient becomes two somewhat proficient, for example). Explain why your character is good at each skill in a brief sentence.

[SPECIAL NOTE FOR MAGES: For a quick understanding, Highly Proficient skills are equivalent of expert level spells, Moderately Proficient is Adept Level Spells, and Somewhat Proficient is Apprentice level. Keep that in mind when playing your character and picking your proficiencies. Please stick to spells you see in the games, but I’m not against combining some of them if it makes sense, but keep in mind your character would have to be exceptionally talented to do so. Run spell ideas by the GM if you aren’t sure for approval, but if you see it in the games, you should be okay.]

Background and a "brief" history: Explain your character's back story, how they came to be who they are, and so on. Please make this fairly detailed as it really fleshes out who your character is supposed to be. This also will help determine if I think your writing quality is satisfactory for a High-Casual requirement. Be sure to include things like upbringing, important people in their lives, how they came into possession of their skills and equipment, where they’ve been and what they’ve experienced, and how historical events in their life time may have affected them, if applicable. Should be several good paragraphs in length, don’t be afraid to go crazy on this. It won’t be what’s expected for your usual posts, but the more information you have here the better you can play your character and the better invested you’ll be in the RP if you spent a good amount of time working on a character sheet instead of crapping one out in half an hour and expecting to care for your character with a two paragraph bio).

Fighting Style: Explain how your character approaches combat and their particular skills and talents. This will help the group decide who is best suited to deal with particular situations.

Personality: Explain what your character's personality is like, including quirks, faults, and so on. The goal is to make a believable person, not a Mary or Gary Sue. There's a special place in hell for those kinds of characters.

Font Colour: If you wish to use a font colour for your character's speech and thought, state the colour here so people know what everyone else intends to use during the game

_ _ _

The Wiki Page for everything Elder Scrolls related

Codex:

Nirn: The name of the planet

Tamriel: The continent which the provinces of Cyrodiil, Skyrim, High Rock, Hammerfall, Valenwood, the Summerset Isles, Elswyer, The Black Marsh, and Morrowind are located.

The Empire: A now struggling entity that once governed and ruled the entire continent of Tamriel. Its heart is the cosmopolitan province of Cyrodiil, as well as the Provinces of High Rock, Skyrim, and Morrowind*. It is ruled by the Mede dynasty after the last Septium died in the Oblivion Crisis and the Mede family came out on top of the ensuing chaos.

• The main island of Vvardenfall (primary location of TES III: Morrowind) was invaded and conquered by the Argonians after the Blight (see ‘the Blight: for more information), and many of the dunmer were forced as refugees to the small remaining areas of Morrowind or into Skyrim.

The Second Aldmari Dominion: A powerful nation founded by the altmer of Summerset Isles and the bosmer of Valenwood. Believing in mer (elvish) superiority, they have made a resurgence of elvish dominance in Tamriel and have been very successful in overcoming the Oblivion Crisis and forcing the formerly great empire into the White-Gold Concordat which saw Thalmor (see Thalmor for more information) agree to keep their troops out of the Empire in exchange for the Empire abolishing worship of the god Talos and to allow their agents free reign through the Empire to hunt down Talos worshippers. Other terms of the treaty heavily favour the Thalmor, who would have crushed the Empire had the Great War of the 4th Era continued.

Provinces:

Cyrodiil: Heart of the Empire and homeland of the Imperials, for the entirety of the 3rd Era, Tamriel was ruled and run from Cyrodiil, a large province with a largely temperate climate. Now, the Mede Empire continues to rule from Imperial City and is currently recovering from not only an extensive war with the Thalmor, but the succession of Hammerfell and the failed rebellion of Skyrim. Cyrodiil is covered with ancient ruins of the Aleids, the elvish empire that had at first oppressed or enslaved man but was ultimately overthrown and annihilated.

Skyrim: The homeland of the Nords, and is a cold Northern climate of ice, mountains, and evergreen forests where the first men settled in Tamriel in the 1st age. Covered in Ancient human and dwemer ruins, it is a harsh, old country where tradition is everything and the people are hard. Skyrim has recently had a failed rebellion lead by Ulfric Stormcloak and is under a much more harsh Imperial occupation until it is deemed the remnants of the Stormcloaks are all arrested or killed.

Black Marsh: The swamp-filled homeland of the argonians, the Black Marsh is a land inhospitable to most other races due to the virulent diseases that flourish in its humid and moist climate of almost entirely uncharted and vegetation rich geography. After the Oblivion Crisis that ended the 3rd age, the argonians separated from the Empire and begun to regulate their own affairs. In the Empire’s weakened state, the Argonians invaded Morrowind, conquering Vvardenfall from the dunmer, who were still recovering from the Blight. This is likely a form of reprisals against the dunmer’s ancient practice of raiding Black Marsh for slaves.

High Rock: Home of the Bretons, High Rock is a land of mountains, plains, and mostly agreeable weather. The land is home to the oldest structure in Tamriel, rumoured to have been constructed by the aedra (Gods). The Bretons are a “mongrel” race that descended from half-elf, half-men and as such are a race of men with an affinity for magicka that almost rivals the altmer. Having endured invasions by the Redguard, aleids, Nords, and most notably the Orcs, High Rock had endured and become a highly unified province of well-regarded nobility, a trades based middle class, and peasantry.

Hammerfell: The arid, mostly desert region with mountains and few grasslands is inhabited by the Redguard, a renown warrior culture that have thrived in this harsh climate. Hammerfell separated from the Empire when the Empire and Thalmor signed the White-Gold concordat and had fought the Thalmor for an additional five years, when they beat the Aldmari Dominion to a standstill, causing the Thalmor to abandon their invasion. They are the only nation to defeat the Thalmor.

Summerset Isles: A nation comprises of two major islands, it is the home of the altmer and the heart of the Second Aldmari Dominion. It is an elitist culture that places a high emphasis on magicka and successful warlocks, sorcerers and other mages hold high stations of power, and their King is among one of the most powerful mages in all of Tamriel. It is a wonderous place unlike anywhere else in Tamriel, although anyone but altmer would find it a hostile environment due to the altmer’s perception of superiority over other races and obsession with maintaining a pure bloodline.

Valenwood: The densely forested, subtropical province that serves as the home of the bosmer. It is diverse, with geography ranging from beautiful coastal land to thick rainforests to swampland. The bosmer live in harmony with the natural environment, and their cities exist on giant migratory trees called Falinesti. They are the other province that makes up the Aldmari Dominion, and the two provinces have created what may be the most stable Empire Tamriel has ever known.

Elswyer: A diverse nation that is home to the khajiit. It hold some of the most ancient cities in Tamriel, and ranges from desert badlands and dry plains, to subtropical forests. The khajiit follow the Mane, a leader of which only one can be born at a time under how the lunar lattice works. Elswyer is now a member of the Aldmari Dominion, although the khajiit do not share the same prestige as the altmer or bosmer and are often looked down upon, but often employ khajiit as professional thieves, spies, or assassins.

Morrowind: The homeland of the dunmer, it is a land dominated by a large main island with a massive active volcano called the Red Mountain, which erupted and caused what is now known as the Blight. The dunmer are run by a Tribunal and a King, and slavery was only recently outlawed, after centuries of misfortune to the argonians and the khajiit. The floura and fauna of Morrowind is shaped and twisted by the ash of the Red Mountain, and the landscape can appear alien at times to vistitors. Recently, Vvarnfall, the main island that makes up the bulk of Morrowind, has been conquered by the argonians, forcing out the dunmer natives.


Races:

Imperials: The olive skinned, cosmopolitan people that make up the natives of Cyrodiil and are the race of which each Emperor has descended from. They have an incredible talent for diplomacy and have an ability called Voice of the Emperor which allows them to persuade people that normally could not be swayed. They are an average all around race whose members can be found in just about any walk of life, profession, and discipline. They make up the bulk of the Imperial military.

Altmer: The golden skinned high-elves are the tallest race in Tamriel. They aren’t as physically powerful as other races and aren’t nearly as agile or fast as their bosmer cousins, but they command magicka unlike any other race, and are capable of regenerating it very quickly. They are often the most powerful spell casters to be found, and are very formidable mages. They are typically elitist and xenophobic, and look down on other races believing in elven superiority.

Nord: The fair skinned and haired people of Skyrim, they are strong, powerful people who have a love for fighting, drinking, and song. They are unmatched navigators of the seas, and are generally very devout people. Life is harsh for a nord, and they have a strong belief in doing things without waiting, as you may die tomorrow. They are physically the strongest race, matched only by the orcs, and have a legendary tolerance against the cold. Their battle cry is terrifying to behold, and their blood lust in combat is legendary.

Argonians: The lizard people of Black Marsh are curious as they are nearly immune to disease due to their nearly inhospitable homeland, are able to breathe underwater, and can recover from physical wounds quickly. They are quick, stealthy people and often find themselves employed like their rivals and often nemesis, the khajiit, as thieves and assassins.

Bosmer: The wood-elves of Valenwood are unsurpassed archers and hunters, and while they are smaller in frame than other races, they make up for it in speed and dexterity. They are very in tune with their environment, and are able to speak to animals. This is often used to help with labour, defence, or in many cases, to get wildlife to attack an enemy.

Khajiit: The cat people of Elswyer, the form a khajiit assumes depends on the positioning and phase of the two moons of Nirn, Masser and Secunda. Many of the khajiit that are encountered outside of Elswyer are Suthay-Raht variety (See:
http://www.imperial-library.info/con...ases-and-forms). Khajiit are all able to see in the dark and have sharp, vicious claws that they often use for fighting, even in place of weapons and are a very stealthy race. They often find themselves marginalized by society outside of Elswyer, and as such find themselves as thieves, assassins, and other criminals.

Dunmer: The Dark elves of Morrowind have dark grey to green coloured skin and red eyes, and much more severe appearances than their altmer and bosmer cousins. They are ferocious fighters and have an aptitude for destruction magic. They believe they came into being from a curse from Azura, and they have a strong connection to their ancestors, which may come to their aid as a spirit. They are very versatile and while they are rumoured to be ill favoured by luck and are often discriminated against, they are a resilient and severe people.

Breton: Bretons are the fair-skinned, average magicka adept people of High Rock. They have an aptitude towards spell casting and are very intelligent people, capable of grasping new concepts quickly and mastering even the most complicated spells with relative ease. They are loyalists to the Empire, and often serve as Battle Mages. Only an altmer can put up an argument for being a better spell caster, but Bretons aren’t nearly as frail as the altmer and are capable of withstanding spells cast against them much easier.

Redguard: The dark-skinned desert people of Hammerfell, they are conditioned by a harsh climate and a warrior’ culture. Redguard are among the best swordsmen in Tamriel and are capable of incredible feats of endurance, favouring bladed weapons that are quick and light. They are fierce and independent, and usually aren’t suited for life as a rank and file soldier. They can take a great deal of punishment, but are sure to deal it back much worse. There are no better naturally talented people in Tamriel when it comes to weapons mastery.

Orsimer (Orcs): The sophisticated barbarian peoples of the mountains, orcs are prized for their skills as armourers as well as heavy soldiers in the Imperial ranks. Interestingly, the Orcs are actually relatives to the elves. They have a strict tribal nature and often stick to their clans, although many leave to see the world and employ their skills where they feel they can make the most of them, although they are not always welcome back by their tribes once they leave. They rival the Nords in size, have green shades of skin, course black hair, and carry heavy weapons and armour with ease. They are unshakably brave and are famous for enduring hardships, and while they were initially feared and hated across Tamriel, they had earned acceptance amongst the Empire and are considered some of the finest soldiers and warriors in the continent.

Other:

Dragonborn: A hero born out of Legend, the Dragonborn was a Nord man who had no idea of his destiny until the Civil war and the return of the dragons. He defeated Alduin, the dragon known as the World-Eater, and saved the very souls of the people of Skyrim, and all of Tamriel. He was able to use the dragon tongue, called Thu’um, and was the only person able to truly kill a dragon by absorbing the souls of those he had slain.

Alduin: The most infamous dragon in Nord lore, Alduin is said to have rose and attempted to bring the dragons into the world. He was defeated before, but he returned with the dragons millennia later and was rumoured to have feasted on the souls of the dead. He was slain once and for all by the Dragonborn, forever ridding the world of that menace again.

Dragons: Once thought to be mythical creatures, dragons returned during the Stormcloak Rebellions in Skyrim and attacked everything they could find. After Alduin’s fall, the remaining dragons were progressively hunted down by the Dragonborn and the Imperial Legion and are thought to be extinct now.

Stormcloak Rebellion: A civil war fought in Skyrim between the Stormcloaks, a group wishing to break free of the Empire and gain independence, and the Empire, who are attempting to keep Skyrim as a part of the Empire. The Rebellion ended with Ulfric Stormcloak’s death at the hands of the Dragonborn and the Imperials.

Emperor Titus Mede II: The Emperor during the Stormcloak Rebellion, he signed the White-Gold Concordat and was assassinated by the Dark Brotherhood during the Civil War.

Nightmother: The long dead spiritual leader of the Dark Brotherhood, the Night Mother is now nothing more than a well preserved corpse that is capable of communicating to the ‘Listener’ of the Dark Brotherhood, the only person alive that can hear her speak. She hears the ‘Prayers’ of those who perform the Black Sacrament to enlist the services of the Brotherhood, and relays this information to the Listener, who is the de facto leader of the Brotherhood.

Dwemmer: While technically elves, the dwemmer are best known as dwarves. Long extinct, they were centuries ahead of their time and created masterful and advanced machines that still function to this day, including automated robot warriors, spiders, and other contraptions that still roam their ruins as if their masters were still alive. They enslaved the falmer and paid for it with their lives when the falmer uprising happened.

Falmer: Formerly a race known as Snow Elves who were forced into slavery by the dwemmer for centuries, eventually rebelling against their former masters after being twisted into a twisted, blind, and hateful race. They are found underground, and often around dwemmer ruins. They hate surface dwellers and wish for them all to be killed.

Approved Characters

Zaveed, khajiit privateer - Dervish Zaveed
Gorzath the Wanderer, orc scout –Rtron Gorzath the Wanderer
Elayna “Ellie” Ferris, Breton alchemist - Fallout Elayna “Ellie” Ferris
Sevari Sev’Ahmet, khajiit Rawlith’Kharj monk – O|NoSoul Sevari Sev’Ahmet
Isabella Cosma, Imperial merchant – Vanquished Isabella Cosma
Hralvar Fire-Blade, Nord court wizard – Psyker Landshark Hralvar Fire-Blade
Qara’Sion, khajiit College of Winterhold student – Cairomaru Qara’Sion
Melancholius Arturo, Breton thief - Captain Jenno Melancholius Arturo
J'ram-Kai, Argonian Naga - CommunistZed J'ram-Kai
Wets-His-Blade, Argonian Gladiador - Voltair Wets-His-Blade
Cirwin, Bosmer Hunter - Merle Cirwin
Marcel Ducreaux, Breton College of Winterhold student - Capt. Kiwi Marcel Ducreaux

[Tzun]

RESERVE SO MUCH RESERVE!

[Dervish]

Since this isn't first-come, first serve, applications are taken by the ones that Soul and I feel will fit in best for the game, so don't panic! Take your time to work on your character sheet and feel free to hang around the OOC, ask questions, and what not. We'll help you get where you need to be! Your enthusiasm is noted, however.

[OlNoSoul]

Oh, man, making the revisions to Sevari's CS as we speak.

[Psyker Landshark]

Making revisions to Hralvar's CS.

[Tzun]

Name: Tzun Lajn

Race: Bosmer

Family Origins: Had lived in Valenwood for many years of his life, but when he came of age, Tzun had dreams of living a lavish lifestyle. Being one for traveling, he set off for Cyrodiil with his best friend. Whilst in the wilds traveling they had set up camp for the night, but all of the sudden, the two were caught and attacked by a sabre cat somewhere near Cyrodiil. Tzun was able to kill the beast, bust hid friend was heavily wounded, Tzun abandoned the camp and ran to what he thought was going to be the nearest town, but was merely just more forest, a while after carrying his partner, he found a pathway made of stone and was able to successfully get him to the town that it led them to. However, the most skilled doctor in the town was unable to save his life, as the blood loss was too much, he then returned to his course and set off to Cyrodiil, he had practically nothing on him, as it was all left at the camp.

Appearance: Tzun has long blonde hair, reaching halfway down his back. His face is slightly tanned, and his build is quite agile, but he has some apparent muscle. His nose is stout and points slightly downward, this matches his eyes that are slanted towards his noes, his eyes are colored blue, the rest milky white. His eyebrows are clearly trimmed and not too apparent, due to them being the same color as his hair. His mouth is very small, but stretches along most of his face. His feat are quite large and bony, but his legs are strong.
Age: 49

Equipment:
A small green cloth hood
Leather chestplate that is slightly worn
Cloth leggings
Leather strapped sandals
Leather bracers
Long Bow
37 steel arrows

Miscellanea:
Long Elvish bow made of Cedar Wood
Basic cooking materials
Assortments of berries
Bread
A small leather backpack
Lantern
16 fluid oz of oil
37 steel arrows
Small vial of basic poison
Leather straps
A waterskin (Full)
A spyglass
His armor
A small tent for one
30 inches of rope
2 goat furs
A small iron knife
3 potions of healing
1 potion of minor stanima

Favored Skills: Archery is his best skill, as most Wood Elves are, he was taught how to command an animal and be a successful hunter. His moderate skills are smithing and enchanting, two basic things that were taught to him while in training. His lower skill is sneak, a trait that he picked up while hunting.

Background and a "brief" history: Tzun was raised in Valenwood with his sister, Malink and his mother and father. Tzun's parents wanted nothing but the best for him, they had the mindset that if they put their son to hard work at an early age, that he'd learn to be responsible and strong. All this had done was peeved off Tzun, he hated the work, but was forced to do it, he knew inside that this would all help him some day, and the work, did in fact make him stronger. He was a better person for it. The harder part was being able to make friends with others. When all he could do was work with his parents in the shop, or hunt with his teachers, there was little time for him to make conversation with the children that were his age. Instead, he was very mature, only dealing with adults, either by handling them at the shop, or speaking with the other students that were in his classes. He was far more advanced than any others and was able to complete his training for Valenwood's militia. His father was the one that had pushed him to join, he figured that a bit of battle would only help fortify him even more. He was much younger than the others that were officially a part of the military force, he had trouble interacting with them and was continuously harassed for being lesser than the others. He was much shorter than the rest in the group and the work was difficult for him. After time, he began to slack off, skipping training and his drills, he did not know the consequences that lie ahead for him. He was beaten harshly whenever he failed to meet the requirements. After three years of training, he was finally battle ready. He was never able to actually go to battle because he and his only cohort were worried what lie ahead, his ally had introduced the idea of deserting and running to Cyrodiil, they gathered what they could and left the military encampment, leaving nothing but a note for his parents. He could no longer bear the humiliation of being tortured everyday, felling as though his only use was being a machine used by military figures. He wasn't against killing, just not for matters that he didn't believe in, a cause that he was not involved in, nor supported. This agitated him, everything was quite miserable, until he met Delayn, the only one that he will truly care about.

His mother and father had practically abandoned him at this point, they didn't care if he was happy or not, they cared that he made it through life as a peon, just like everyone else. Tzun wanted to do something with his life, go to school and learn things about the world and the wonders that it holds, all of the excitement that is to be had, but his parents denied that, they wanted him to be better than everyone else, just in their own way, how they saw fit. His sister never talked to Tzun much, the two were so unalike it was a wonder that the two were even related. His sister didn't care what was going on in the world or if anyone she cared about died, if she did care about anyone but herself. As long as she got her way, she was pleased. His parents may have said they cared for him, but it didn't matter either way, his parents didn't talk to him much, except about the essential things. They never asked for his input, they just decided what would be best for them in the long run.

Tzun had run from the encampment with Delayn, his most trusted companion, the two had drills concerning long distance running, so getting away in the middle of the night wasn't too hard of a task, the actual challenge was getting past the guardsmen that protected the borders. They were heavily armed and were not to be trifled with. These men wouldn't mind taking anothers life, it was all just a part of the job, though, Tzun had thought to himself about how that was what he planned to do in the military, then he remembered why he ran... It wasn't all about his fear of fighting and death, no, it was much more than that, he cared about Delayn, he was Tzun's only friend, and could possibly be his last. Delayn had always been at Tzun's side, even when he was beaten or ridiculed by the others for being much younger. It was a harsh world out there, and Tzun knew it, but Delayn helped ease the pain away. The two stayed up for hours speaking to each other about past experiences and how their day had gone, Tzun learned of his parents, his past, it was even more dysfunctional than his own. Somehow, he was able to do what Tzun could not, stand up for what he believed in. Delayn definitely didn't want to be in the military, or to learn to hunt, he was a bit soft, he wanted to teach and cure others, help people, instead he'd be doing the exact opposite of what he was destined to do, he was trained to take another's life. He was very prepared for it too, unlike Tzun.

As they got towards the borders, a large stone wall surrounded the place, with small wooden gate doors protected by guards. Both knew that there was no hope of getting by during the night, where the guards would be expecting them, expecting people to run. At least the two of them were far enough away from the town that they could make a small camp until day break. When the guards were changing shifts with the others, and were occupied with other duties, the two were able to slip by almost undetected. A guard had been sitting not too far down, but was unaware that the two had any business getting past. They had finally reached the forest, the hardest task was over, or so they thought. There were still the horrors that reside inside of the desolate forest. As the two traveled by day, they grew much closer, talking about their fears and their thoughts of losing the ones that they loved. Both felt guilty and ashamed, like they had desecrated the oath they took upon entry to the military, but it had to be broken.

On the second night of walking to the Imperial City in Cyrodiil, the two of the men made camp near a pond for fresh water. The flames were bright and the night was cold, but the two of them had each other, and that's what they felt mattered. As they slept under the small single tent, there was a roar, neither had cared too much, it was a general part of camping in the wilderness. They would soon regret their laziness. It was a bear, a large one at that. The beast took the two by surprise as they slept huddled close for warmth. They were both freightend, but Delayn was the most courageous of the two and drew his sword. He took a generous swipe at the bear while Tzun readied an arrow. The creature was about to act once more, but Tzun had shot it in the chest, with a final act, the bear fell towards Delayn as he stared Tzun in the eyes, amazed at his swift shot, he smiled, and a glimmer of love in his eyes was seen before the beast took a final swipe, cutting open Delayn's neck and parts of his chest. Tzun fired two more shots at the bear, even though he knew it was dead.

In tears, Tzun took Delayn in his arms and carried him for miles, leaving all of his supplies behind, he cared not for material possessions, as his emotions were enough. He had finally reached a cobble road, he followed it for a few more meters until he reached a town of 6-7 Altmer. By then, he was covered in blood. Even the best of the curic in the town were unable to save him, the loss of blood was just too much for Delayn's body to handle. Tzun was given a free room at the local inn for a few days, until he could get his bearings. He merely sat and sobbed away, he never had a friend before, and death took him away for no reason, he was a good man, and strong at that. He fell into a spiraling depression, blaming himself for the loss, that if he hadn't of gone, he would still be alive right now, talking with Tzun. Tzun tried to take his own life many times, but was unable to murder, even if it was himself.

After getting himself back together, he thanked the people of the town for burying the body and giving him a proper ceremony. Tzun set off for Cyrodiil, he didn't want Delayn to die for nothing, he wanted to at least fulfill the mission that Delayn had risked his life for. Once Tzun reached the Imperial City, he had to play it cheerful to get a proper job us a fisherman, it supplied him with food and income, so he was at least alright with his existence now. He still felt as though he had no meaning, but he felt the same way when he was in teh military, so nothing had really changed, until now...

Fighting Style: Tzun prefers to take the back of the group and provide offensive support at a range.

Personality: Tzun is quite depressed, as he has feared making any new friends, in fright of them being lost again. He does have a playful side, and shows it while he is at the market, or strolling around town. His charitable ways can sometimes be his downfall, however. Tzun depends on others for basic support, but ends up giving a larger amount than given in the end. There aren't many things that you can do to displease him, as he doesn't care much material possessions, as long as his emotions and feeling are intact, he tends to be in a normal state.

Font Colour: Blue.

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Took me an hour and a lot of lore reading, but I really hope it was worth it.

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I was sadly not in the last RP, is it required to be able to join?

[Dervish]

Name: Zaveed

Race: Khajiit, Cathay

Family Origins: Senchal, Elswyer

Appearance: As a swift, roguish young male with lean, corded muscles, Zaveed has many reasons to be confident and fearless. While he doesn't have the brute strength of the Nords or Orcs, he makes up for it with agility and sure footing with a 5'08" frame. Both his ears are pierced with gold hoops for good luck, and he keeps his mane in a mohawk. His fur is predominantly dark grey with black stripes, while around his mouth and chest are a lighter shade of grey. He has intelligent pale blue eyes, honed by his charming, unflappable disposition and he carries himself in a confident, determined way that is second nature for a man whose life is often spent on rocking ships on the unforgiving seas.


Age: 26

Equipment:
-Elvish Dagger, sapphire pommel
-Imperial bow
-Steel arrows (15)
-Woven, hardened leather armour with steel laminar reinforcement and arm plates, embroidered with a dragon motif. A gift for his efforts in the liberation of Tamriel. The set includes boots and gauntlets and is designed to be strong enough to withstand all but the most determined attack, but still remain light and flexible enough to not encumber the wearer and still allow them to swim.
-Two Ebony war axes, Masser and Secuna

Miscellanea:
-10 lock picks
-Aldo wine
-Nord mead
-Leather
-Leather strips
-Smoked Venison
-Smoked Salmon
-3 minor healing potions
-2 stamina potions
-Repair hammer
-Sewing kit
-Large coin purse
-A handful of precious gems
-Small travel pack to carry most of it, as well as utility pouches mounted to his belts

Favored Skills

Highly Proficient
One Handed: (Zaveed favours dual war axes, and the Ebony axes he had obtained during a raid in Morrowind had earned him the weapons he considers extensions of his own arms. He is also quite a spectacular knife fighter.)

Moderately Proficient
Archery: (All members of his cosair crew were well versed in using archery to both defend their ship and attack the enemy)
Sneak: (Being a khajiit and being able to see at night made it natural for him to be able to avoid detection during several raids)
Smithing: (One of Zaveed’s duties before becoming a corsair was to mend damaged weapons and armour)
Light armour: (A hard life of battle and plunder has made light armour almost like second skin for the khajiit)

Somewhat proficient
Lock picking: Somewhat proficient (can only open simple locks he can unlock quickly)

Miscellaneous:

Background and a "brief" history:
Zaveed was born to a weathly family of moon sugar plantation owners he had long forgotten in Senchal, and until a couple of years prior, he had no idea existed. When he was three years old, ship-born raiders, clients of the Thalmor, attacked his town and he was one of the children taken by the crew to be raised on their ship, the Iron Reaper, as a thrall. The crew was made up of various races of Tamriel, including an Orc captain who grew rather fond of Zaveed. Over the next several years, Zaveed was raised and conditioned to a life at sea, at first fetching food for the crew and cleaning the decks, to eventually being taught how to mend armour and weapons, and eventually being shown how to use various weapons and fight. He was a quick study, and enthusiastically took to it. It wasn't long until he had completely forgotten Elswyer and the family he was torn from.

Although he was living on a corsair ship, raiding settlements along the Empire’s provinces’ coastlines, he was taken under the wing of the 1st Mate, a kindly Breton who taught him how to read and write, as well as various educational crash courses that he and the other children who were taken from their hopes were instructed in. Even after the 1st Mate was killed during a raid, Zaveed continued to read and better himself when he wasn't sparing with other crew members, repairing damaged equipment, or cleaning the ship. Making the most of a bad situation, the young khajiit came to terms with the fact that the only way to improve his lot in life would be to earn it from his new masters. Honing his body, as well as his mind, Zaveed quickly became a rising star among the thralls and stood out from the others, embracing the life he’d been forced into. After all, what choice did he have?

Zaveed was 12 when he was sent on his first raid in The Black Marsh, and subsequently killed his first man. The captain, Grogash Brudher, had a few simple rules about raiding: You never kill anyone who doesn't pose a threat, you only take what is valuable, you leave enough for the victims to be able to survive off of, and you show honour to the foes you fight. The captain's logic was that while they were doing violent, cruel acts against innocent people, if you kill them all, then not only will the settlement likely be abandoned, making it harder to conduct raids, but if you did return, the people remaining would fight to the death knowing they have no chance at survival, instead of potentially becoming submissive, hoping it would spare them. Zaveed was terrified, but determined. He spent as much time as he could around the older, experienced men, and listened to their tales. While most of it was fables and tall tales produced from too much drink, the young man took each word to heart, hoping to find the key to survival. He was resolved to do well, as a life of scrubbing down the deck, preparing food, and acting as a servant boy to the corsairs was not a life he intended to live long. The captain gave him a chance to become a man, he intended to seize it.

Zaveed was given a crude iron war axe for the raid, and while attempting to break into a house on the outskirts of the besieged down, he narrowly dodged having his head caved in by an argonian with a warhammer. Using his agility, and in a panicked luck, he struck a lucky blow into the argonian's neck when he raised the hammer for another blow. Zaveed used the hammer to break the door's lock, and found himself in a wealthy manor of Hist Tree Plantation owners. He grabbed every bit of jewelry and gold he could shove into the pillow cases he stole from the bed, and came back just in time to catch the ship leaving, and just as the argonian soldiers had begun to arrive to defend the town. This elevated him from a thrall to a full blooded crew member, signified by the sapphire encrusted silver ring he received for his contribution to the ship, and the elvish dagger with the sapphire pommel for his first kill. The celebration and drink that night was enough to make the boy forget the man he had killed. From that day forward, he felt conditioned to believe that doing well during raids would gain him favour and rewards, first of gold and eventually of weapons and flesh, the innocent, scared boy had begun his transcendence into the brave, charming man who did not lack for confidence or conviction.

No longer responsible for cleaning, he continued his studies and had free choice of whichever weapons he desired, and he began to train with two steel axes and an Imperial bow he had pulled from the ship stores. He trained hard for the next seven years, in which the Iron Reaper had moved on from the Black Marsh to Morrowind, striking as many settlements as they dared and taking refuge in grottos and coves as temporary bases of operation when no suitable ports could be found. Home for the corsairs was not a far off land, but the ship under their feet that carried them from one raid to the next. It was during a daring raid on Necrom, a large Morrowind coastal city, in which Zaveed came across a blacksmith shop in the wealthy district. Fighting his way through the guards, and killing anyone who took up arms against him, the khajiit took what would become his most prized possessions; two Ebony War axes he called Masser and Secuna after Nirn's moons.

Months later, reaching Skyrim, the Iron Reaper's luck had run out when an Imperial naval patrol had finally located the ship and attacked, crippling the ship and killing most of the crew before a terrifying cry filled the night air. Unfortunately for both the corsairs and the Imperials, the dragons had returned to Skyrim and they were unfortunate enough to be caught by one before any of them knew what was happening. Countless bodies lay dead across the decks of the ships, and Zaveed was able to escape by diving into the frigid Northern waters, swimming under the ice that the ships had to navigate around by the coast, and resurfacing for air when he had swam far enough from harm. His crew mates who preferred heavy armour over his leather sank to the bottom and drowned.

Shivering, wet and cold and fighting off hypothermia, Zaveed collapsed a few kilometers from the shipwreck, he set down to die in an old ruin when a Nord couple found him and brought him back to health. After recovering over the course of several days, the couple took him to the Ratway in Riften. The couple turned out being members of the Thieves Guild, who quickly accepted him due to his skills gained as a corsair, and in turn, he found refuge in a strange land along with a source of income. He remained with the guild until he felt he had repaid his debt, and taking what earnings and belongings he had, set out to find ways to get back to sea. It finally occurred to him that he was a free man and capable of making his own choices; the khajiit, for once, was entirely lost. Countless nights were lost in taverns, by the dancing fires and the voices of bards, where Zaveed struggled to discover exactly what to do with himself. The women whom he paid a fair deal of coin to bed offered no clues, only comfort. While a man of his skills and disposition had little difficulty finding enough wealth to get by comfortably, something was missing from his life. He just didn’t know what, exactly.

Fate would answer his uncertainty in the form of the beautiful auroras that came one evening and never left, and the people of Skyrim suddenly behaving strangely. It wasn’t long until he was deceived and captured by a mage that had intended to slaughter him to power some sort of spell, forcing the khajiit to make a daring escape with another survivor and set out to find out what was causing the auroras that were enthralling the people of Tamriel, and who the men hunting them were. Before long, Zaveed had freed several other prisoners kept in a similar manner to himself and set out to find answers. What was to follow was a long, dangerous quest where Zaveed and his companions had discovered they were immune to the spell by birthright, and had no choice but to go to Imperial City to slay the Emperor and free the souls of nearly every person in Tamriel.

Over the course of the journey, Zaveed had developed as a man, finding himself cast as a leader responsible for the lives of several strangers who were prepared to give their lives to do the right thing. His ambitions changed, and he had begun to realize the life he had been raised in was paid for with countless others. He vowed to do better, and even came to love one of his companions, something that no doubt came difficult for a man whose only real interactions with the fairer sex were the whores in the port towns and had no idea what a healthy, normal relationship was supposed to look like.

Among the more alarming and life shaking instances to occur for the corsair was the chance encounter with the sister he never knew he had. Marassa, as she called herself, had spent years searching Tamriel’s coasts for signs of her brother’s ship with the singular goal of bringing him home. Despite initial friction due to his adamant refusal to follow this strange woman and give up his quest, as well as a life-threatening fight with the great sword wielding warrior that had wounded several of Zaveed’s companions, Marassa became a steady presence in the march to Imperial City, putting aside her own personal mission to help the others with theirs. Eventually, she would come to realize just how important that was.

Completing their task, and losing several friends along the way, Zaveed and his companions were revered as heroes, a title he personally never felt appropriate. The new Emperor, a likeable young man not much older than the khajiit corsair, made every effort to accommodate the companions and reward them for their services not only to the Empire, but to Tamriel as a whole. Each were rewarded well according to their wishes, and Zaveed had a new set of armour commissioned for himself as well as a request to offer his services to the Emperor as a privateer, being given a recently decommissioned Imperial galleon and the resources to assemble his own crew. Zaveed bid his friends and allies farewell as he set out into a life of hunting down the pirates and corsairs that plagued Tamriel’s seas, but not before rejoining Marassa in her voyage home to reunite with his long-lost family. While he did not remain for long before heading back out to the seas, Zaveed promised to return when he could to visit the strangers who brought him into this world, and the sister who he had forged bonds with in battle.

Now, two years later and with quite the reputation as a captain, Zaveed returns to Imperial City to reunite with his former comrades, unaware of what dangers lurk ahead.

Fighting Style: Zaveed is a fast, ferocious fighter who welds two war axes as well as most warriors can weld one. Conditioned from a life of hit-and-run attacks, Zaveed has incredible endurance and speed that few warriors can match. Confident and sure footed, he tends to use one weapon to prevent an enemy from using their own while striking from his free hand, as well as striking at any openings that present themselves with ruthless efficiency. Even without his axes, he is a nimble and talented knife fighter who can bring down even heavily armoured foes by exploiting their vulnerabilities and encumbered weight. Finally, he is a proficient shot with a bow, a skill he learned to use on the deck of a rocking ship. While by no means a master, he can give most Imperial archers a run for their Septims if put to the test.

Personality: Zaveed is an approachable, charming, and surprisingly loyal individual with an easy-going disposition and a ready grin on his face. While he has made efforts to put his criminal past behind him, he still has a taste for money and combat, and will not shy away from a fight. He is comfortable at sea and by the coasts, and he enjoys telling stories to fellow companions, crew members, and tavern patrons about his exploits and things he has witnessed. He has developed into something of a leader, fitting his recent role as captain nicely, and he is a dedicated friend to those he bonds with. While generally honest, Zaveed has been known to lie or stretch the truth to get out of unpleasant situations, and he is a man who is fond of theatrics and flourish, viewing his amble abilities as a fighter, a sailor, and a lover as a dance of sorts. It is hard to break his spirit, and while he is generally an amiable spirit, he has a cruel, ruthless side when faced with enemies. While his threats against his foes are often colourful, they would do well to pay heed; Zaveed will do exactly what he says if given the chance, no matter how morbid and horrific. He certainly is not afraid to do the hard things when the time comes, giving the khajiit a cold, ruthless air to an otherwise warm soul. He is not the kind of man to run from his demons, but rather, embrace them. Because of this, Zaveed makes an excellent friend and companion, but also a terrifying enemy.


Font Colour: Sea green

[Tzun]

Oh god, mine looks terrible now.

[Rtron]

So...much..reading....revising...Gorzath...now....

[Dervish]

Oh god, mine looks terrible now.

It's actually not a bad start. Keep in mind, mine's been built up over the course of a couple RPs, and I'm a stickler for making back stories.

It's a very good set up for a character, especially given that Tzun has a cultural perspective from the Aldmeri Dominion. It's uncommon to see that, and I think you can really do a lot with it, especially since everyone associates the Dominion with the Thalmor, so a bosmer perspective in Valenwood is quite unique! You could always ask yourself what his family was like, and kind of flesh out his childhood and upbringing more, the village he was from, the relationship with his friend, how he got good at hunting.

Another thing you can look at is what his militia service was like, even if he didn't fight, he still received the skills and training, I would assume? It would make him rather capable. I like the premise of what lead him to desert, you may want to have something about him being discovering by Imperial forces, because the borders between Valenwood and Cyrodiil are heavily fortified due to the hostilities of the previous war and the fact that a new one is looming. Also, small detail, but sabercats aren't that far south. Wolves and bears are. If you've ever played Oblivion, just think of the wildlife you encounter there. If not, check it out on the Wiki page.

Participation in Voice of the Sky isn't a requirement in the slightest to participate and enjoy your time in this game, but you probably should mention how the auroras effected your character. Chances are, he was enthralled and just carried on living, only finding himself more sympathetic towards the Empire and the Emperor himself. The effects and changes are largely subtle in people, it's mainly those in Cyrodiil and certain individuals who eventually became violent zealots determined to root out those who would challenge the Emperor's legitimacy.

But don't be discouraged! You have a couple weeks to fine tune everything, so take your time on it, and if you need a hand, let myself or Soul know. We're here to help!