Gods & Men: The Ancient Myths - Chapter 1 OOC Thread (D&D/History-based RPG)

[Johnny Blaze]

Honestly, the Magic system having alignment requirements isn't something I'm super-attached to (and is mostly meant for the Masters of the schools), which could negate the need to have the Angelskin armor, but I like the concept of the Angelskin (it also makes Tyrant a sort of badass for that feat). I will say that a Master of Divination would be able to see through it with a True Seeing effect, and people witnessing the wearer committing obviously evil acts wouldn't just stand there and think "Oh how nice that that good person is raping and pillaging us."

Sounds good to me. Consider that Nyg'ril being approved.

Now, it'd be nice if a furry mammal of aluminum would approve my character apps.

So when or if will we be able to improve our magic-scores?

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Transylvania
Transylvania is home to the mysterious Prince Vlad Tepes the Impaler. Vlad Tepes rules his kingdom with a bloody steel fist. Most crimes end up with severely harsh consequences, such as his famously gruesome impalement on wooden stakes. Women receive the very worst of his punishments, especially for crimes such as adultery. Vlad Tepes is infamously ingenious and powerful in war. The secret to his success has often been noted as his excessive brutality and the fear he instills in his enemies. Still, even many of his own oppressed and maimed people see him as the lesser of two evils. Humanoid monsters and sometimes even Persia has been known to threaten Transylvania from time to time, and he has kept them safe from what they see as a cruel foreign super power despite possessing inferior territory.
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Vlad Tepes is rumored to be a very powerful warlock as well as a great warrior. In addition, Vlad is even suggested to be, of all things, a VAMPIRE! Transylvania is an extremely strict, non-criminal country, since doing anything wrong at all earns you torment and an agonizing death, and sometimes, you don't even have to do anything wrong at all to be punished in one gruesome manner or another. It is said that Vlad The Impaler is the "Nice Devil" of Europe's Eastern borders.
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Ironically, the Persians once took away Transylvania from Roman territory. It was only through a mixture of Eastern and Western culture that their traditions could come to pass.
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Transylvania is a very hospitable and moral culture, which has sadly suffered greatly in recent times. It is only because of the past three generations that the land has come to be known as something of the Devil's playground. People here are not quite impoverished, but have a sizable middle class, which is unusual for the world at this time, due to Vlad's intelligent but evil rule. Transylvania is also a patron country of the musical arts. Their music is undeniably powerful, and thus neighbors on the borders of the nation due to their best to emulate the native's music with their own.

Since the magic system is Ferret's baby, I'll let him field that one.

And nice write up on Transylvania.

[ActRaiser]

Thanks Johnny. I got the idea for Transylvania from watching Dracula, Dead And Loving it.

[Zacharius]

Character you have created: Ysvara Tar'Varrick
Race: Menzoberranian (city) Dark Elf
Racial Traits: The evil dark elves possess the abilities of elves as well as: Darkvision (able to see in darkness up to 60 feet, but in black and white only); Possess the innate magical ability to summon a globe of darkness impossible to see through without magical means (only able to use once a day as it is taxing to the Dark Elf's spirit; the globe is not mobile and must be fixed in a specific spot up to 30 feet away from the Dark Elf; globe is only a 10 feet radius and only lasts for a minute) and to call upon a faerie fire (ghostly blue flames outline an intended target within 30 feet from the Dark Elf, but the flames do no damage; as with the globe of darkness, this is usable once per day and only lasts for a minute); Daylight Sensitivity (Sudden exposure to bright lights (sunlight, a daylight spell, etc) blinds a drow for a few minutes, making them completely vulnerable to attacks. Even after a few minutes, their vision is still impaired enough to the point where their attacks, movements, and all other physical feats are slower due to the pain caused by the bright light and the concentration used to push through it. After a half an hour of exposure, the drow's vision has returned and is able to function normally in daylight)

Character Class: Mystic (Wizard/Cleric)

Magic: Phantasmal Magic (3)/Protective Magic (1)

Character Alignment: Neutral Evil (Potentially edging towards Chaotic Neutral)

Personality:

Ysvara is more than the typical rising Dark Elf female, while she may have some typical qualities, being power hungry and willing to go to great lengths to further her position, she does not have such a great contempt of her foes, a fact she attributes to her continual survival, if you don't underestimate your rivals, then they will find it much harder to surprise you. This extends to the other species of the world, while is certainly convinced of her own superiority, this is as much a reason for conflict, as an assurance of victory for her. Her enthusiasm for her tasks, such as torture or raiding, could be mistaken as sadism, instead she is simply envisioning her rise to power, the use of darker practices meaning as little to her other, more honorable means (With a few occasional exceptions). Ysvara sees any surface raids as an opportunity to clear he head, finding odd solace in the simplicity of cross-species warfare, in comparison to the politics back home.

Patron Deity: De jure Lolth, however she is willing, as has so scantily in the past, to call on other sources of power if need be, the majority of her ability coming from her own innate magic, rather than prayer.

Origin Info/Details:


Born the fourth daughter of the third house of Menzoberranzan, Ysvara's early life was a blend of both luxury and competition, driven to succeed over her noble peers, while also benefiting from the boons of such a lofty position, she showed signs of her later sorcery early on in life, one accidentally conjured shove sending a slave crashing down from the higher balconies. Her advancement in magic remained for the full extent of her upbringing, achieving notable success in her education in the training fields of the Priestesses, learning early to dedicate her life to Lolth. She soon worked out that for the Drow, faith was merely a stepping stone to power, not matter what they individually believed, happy to allow her peers to continue in their self-deception, Ysvara committed herself to her studies, although never attempted to depend more upon the gifts of the Goddess than her innate ability with magic.

During the periods of reprieves in which the students were allowed to return to household life, Ysvara opted to prove herself before her mother by taking part in a series of surface expeditions, each time returning with sufficient wealth and slaves to please her backers in the city, although each time she also secretly returned with what surface lore she could gather, expanding her own personal library beyond what the temple would allow her, although she would have to seclude them within her chambers at her family estate before returning for her remaining terms.

Shortly after her education was finished, she was called up to take part in a series of conflicts against the Svirfneblin, the Drow military leaders depending upon her acclaimed successes from the Temple and the Surface. While she did not enjoy the experience so much from a scholastic point of view, the surface holding more unknowns her efforts in these minor wars cemented her place both in her family and dark elf society. This would not last for long however, several months after her return, her house was attacked by an alliance of lesser houses, supported by the Second House whom had grown worried of the success of Tar'Varrick. Combined, the forces of the rival drow houses slowly overwhelmed the house levies and slaves, eventually butchering through the household itself, until only Ysvara and her two younger brothers remained. As the siege began to turn the estate into ruin, Ysvara resorted to the desperate use of both spells and artifacts taken from the surface, unleashing a cascade of phantasmal energy upon the Tar'Varrick estate, plunging it further into ruin, but at the same time, saving it. Those remaining within the halls and gardens other than her direct family were consumed, turned into complacent specters. Mirage soldiers, constructs, slaves and adornments appeared across the estate, large translucent banners of purple light bearing the family crest flew from the two central towers of the estate. Now, Tar'Varrick still stands as a shell of what it was, but an active one, maintained by the weightless guardians, it has become somewhat of a mystery, the three living inhabitants of the household dealing with Dark Elf society as normal, although they have become somewhat of an anomaly, unclear of who actually won the conflict, a compromise was formed. The lesser houses that struck out were punished as befitting a defeat in the eyes of Lolth, while their higher backer remained unscathed. Equally, the Tar'Varrick's remain an important force, although they are not considered a noble house, or at least, not represented in the 'rankings.' All three remaining members have becoming heavily involved in surface operations, leaving their ghostly minions to protect their domain.

Attributes:

Strength: Normal Elf
Speed/Reaction Time: Normal Elf
Endurance at Maximum Level: Normal Elf
Agility: Normal Elf
Intelligence: Genius
Fighting Skill: Expert

Resources: Extreme

Notable Equipment:

She has collected a wealth of arcane artifacts and lore, stored within her private chambers within her household estate, secure from prying eyes. She possess various armor sets and ceremonial outfits, although masterfully crafted, they are still mundane. Her weapons on the other hand, namely an elven composite bow and pair of longswords, are enchanted, the former granted slight homing abilities as well as enchanted arrows (fire, ice, that sort of thing) while her blades strike with considerably more force than she applies, all of this worked upon by her mage brother. She normally carries a set of daggers and poisons, being quite the dab hand when it comes to torture, even of other species.

Weaknesses:

Other than a taste for the finer things in life, she is occasionally plagued by voices whispering within her mind, courtesy of the current state of her estate and her part in forming its current situation, while this does not really distract her anymore, she can occasionally forget their private nature and respond to them, giving others the idea she's gone rather mad.

Supporting Characters:

Her two brother, Izarus and Lysan, the former a mage the later a warrior, are the only remaining members of her household, both her younger brothers they are even more exempt from noble society than she is, spending more time in the Commons then with others technically of the same birth as them. As her only living retainers, they are fiercely loyal (for dark elves) to her, owing their continued survival to her, as well as the fact she treats them with some level of dignity.

What I will Bring:

As an experienced guild roleplayer, I can provide well written posts, as well as providing a character who may start of as quite clearly on the darker side develop towards a more positive role (character development is always nice). Equally, accepting a dark elf character will allow the underdark, and dark elf society, to be fleshed out rather more so, I myself have quite a few ideas to both keep the dark elves in line with the norm, while also providing them with original factors for this rp.

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Sample Post:

Darkness hung over the great pine forests of Germania, even during the best of nights, the foreboding depths of the infamous woods were deadly, well known for the trading and military expeditions which simply went missing overnight, paying the final price for desperate shortcuts. This was not the best of nights.

A local leader had once attempted to secure this particular passage through he forest by constructing lantern posts along the way, maintained by a Night's watch, they provided some measure of visibility along the road, although failed to illuminate any of the overbearing pines along each side. The convoy was made up of several traders carts and two carriages holding their owners, front and rear guarded by heavily armored cavalry, their armor Eastern and alien, they had come a long way. A long way to die. Mercenary footmen lined the flanks, keeping nervous eyes on their fellows and the dark. They were not arrogant foreigners, they understood where they trod.

At once, the lights closest to the convoy died, the fledgling fires simply vanishing in the dark, raised shouts and panicked voices shot down the procession, coming immediately to a halt, the spear men bumping into each other as they attempted to form protective barriers between the dark and their charges, the whining of horses evident as the cavalry attempted to watch over the dark. All was silent for a long minute.

A gradual scream began to arise out of the trees, not one of terror, but unbridled rage, a banshee's call that seemed to claw at the humans from every direction. The horses bucked as they attempted to escape, some of the pack mules escaping from their carts into the darkness, the warhorses of the guards being kept under the barest of control. The spear men, still terrified, made some effort to provide a brave front, banging their shields and yelling war cries in response.

"Orcs!" Screamed one lookout as hulking figures emerged on the right flank.

"No, Dwarves!" Yelled another as stocky but powerful figures swept in from the other side.

"Pēykaḷ!" A foreign voice bayed out from the front of the column, menacing figures charging them from up the road.

In the chaos, the true threat struck. Darting lines and the whitseling of the wind was all any of the spear men could perceive before arrows sprouted among them, some clean deaths, others lying, gurgling in a growing pool of their own blood. Just as phantasmal shades hit the convoy and forces rearranged to face them, the Dark Elves struck from the new gaps in the enemy lines, lithe figures darting out the forest, throats slit with blades of shining silversteel, catching the moonlight as they struck. Larger elves, armed with powerful two-handed blades struck out at the cavalry, trapped without the room to charge, their heavy eastern army did little to aid them. As the combat raged around, three figures stepped forth from the dark, seemingly ignoring the carnage around them as they approached the middle of the convoy. All three robed, the two either side of the middle figure wore silversteel deathmasks, illuminated by a faint light with no perceivable source. Any human which approached them was struck down by a bolt of elemental fury, or the dart of a blade, the central figure never lifting a finger to her own defence, seemingly intent on a particular cart. Raising one hand, a faint purple glow eminated from a particular chest, moments before one of the traders, desperate to escape, bustled out of their carriage, snatching the chest and attempting to sprint off into the forest. He didn't make it far, a green mist descending across his eyes, he smashed straight into a tree.

"Bring me the chest, kill them all, divide the rest of the loot among yourselves."

[SuperFerret]

Sounds good to me. Consider that Nyg'ril being approved.

Now, it'd be nice if a furry mammal of aluminum would approve my character apps.

The lich and the ranger are approved.

Since the magic system is Ferret's baby, I'll let him field that one.

And nice write up on Transylvania.

It's not something I had considered when coming up with the system, but I guess if you find an in-story reason to improve your mystic abilities, and it's well written, not just "Scallor drinks from the enchanted lake and suddenly realizes how to shoot lightning from his earlobes!" I wouldn't think that it would be too much to ask that we don't improve a character's ability with more than one school at a time, and only one degree at a time, for balance reasons.

[Johnny Blaze]

Sounds good to me, and makes sense.

Character you have created: Ysvara Tar'Varrick

Approved, and looking forward to reading your fleshing out of drow society in the game.

[ActRaiser]

When will Transylvania be looked over?

[Meeky]

Should I go ahead and make my future character concept now, or would it be better to wait?

[Johnny Blaze]

When will Transylvania be looked over?

If by "looked over" you mean added to the rundown, it'll be edited in a bit when I update the roster.

Should I go ahead and make my future character concept now, or would it be better to wait?

Depends on when you wish to jump in as a second character, really. Though it can't hurt to get a jump on things, regardless.




On a general note, since there's a good amount of PCs, I'll put up the IC thread within the hour or so.

[GMRPG]

Roster has been updated, and the IC Thread is up!

[Meeky]

I'm going to start writing a post tomorrow morning. I'd love to have Blu post first, so his tribe can be doing something that my character can interrupt... But if not, I plan to be in the forests of France, where I can surely bump into his character.

Also, a suggestion: Perhaps the world's backstory information could be more cleanly organized? I'd be willing to help do that, if wanted, either by use of Hiders or by use of underlines and bold font.