Yup, three characters xD They're nothing spectacular - one already made who I've wanted to rp for so long and fits, and two brand new characters. And she'll probably be around seventeen, maybe even eighteen, so certainly not below adolescent. I couldn't roleplay a character that age anyway I don't think and they certainly wouldn't survive in a roleplay like this

What kind of military ranks are there? I'm looking to have a character in the Sarifen army who is not the lowest of low but not incredibly high up either - who has maybe had a promotion or two to make him in the middle. Feel free to wait to answer when you have more time

Yup, I'm definitely interested. Most likely gonna use my Adriana character from that other rp, with some changes of course. I already have some cool ideas brewing.

Konica said
Yup, I'm definitely interested. Most likely gonna use my Adriana character from that other rp, with some changes of course. I already have some cool ideas brewing.

Whoaaaa! Welcome, Konica! Didn't know how you'd take in all of this and I'm so glad you could join us! You did put a lot of time and effort inot Adrianna's appearance and I look forward to her debut, a la Renaissance! Feel free to float several ideas my way if you feel like you've got cool ideas for any subplots or story additions. The same applies for the rest of y'all 8).

FernStone said
Yup, three characters xD They're nothing spectacular - one already made who I've wanted to rp for so long and fits, and two brand new characters. And she'll probably be around seventeen, maybe even eighteen, so certainly not below adolescent. I couldn't roleplay a character that age anyway I don't think and they certainly wouldn't survive in a roleplay like thisWhat kind of military ranks are there? I'm looking to have a character in the Sarifen army who is not the lowest of low but not incredibly high up either - who has maybe had a promotion or two to make him in the middle. Feel free to wait to answer when you have more time

Fern, think of the existing Sarifen Armies as feudally conscripted fighting forces with very very heavily drilled men-at-arms. Save the Nezām-e Jadīd, whom are perhaps the most well equipped, professional fighting force with existing surgeon/field hospital detachments, most other Sarifen soldiers are simple commoners pressed into meager fighting or siege detachment roles. Cannons and firearms exist, but they are one shot, muzzle loaders with varying accuracy. Firearms are generally only distributed for existing aristocratic retainers, exclusive mounted noble troops, commissioned assassins, or the crack soldiers of the Nezām Corps.

Regarding ranks; yes! There are exclusive ranks, but I'll need to dig them out of my note pad. Until I find that list, all I can say and promise is that military ranks aren't as retardedly simplified as they are in most other fantasy stories. Yes, that's right! There aren't simply just Generals, Captains, Lieutenants, Sergeants, or Corporals. No, no, no … there is still a crude hierarchy within Sarife's levied armies. These consist of upper, middle, and lower echelons with varying degrees of competency based on how talented the aristocratic officers are. Again, the exception would be the Nezām-e Jadīd, whom are trained from birth and swear an oath of life-long service to the Sarifen Empire. For now, just list the character's position as a mid echelon officer within one of Sarife's many divisions and I will list the hierarchy when I've pulled up my list.

I would like to note that although the Sarifens are not exactly known for their close quarters sword abilities, their Foot Archers, Mounted Archers, and Slingers are some of the most accomplished in all of Altaea. Marksmanship is a highly regarded past time throughout Sarife and even during harsh junctures in life, there are weekly competitions in horseback riding and ranged disciplines. To emphasize further, Sarifen mounted nobility are quite ferocious and do not trail far behind their Vorstan counterparts. Also, given that an immense guerilla war has engulfed Valania's former territories, there are various fortresses and checkpoints through out Southwest Carcassonne. A sizeable portion of Sarife's armies also occupy many locations within Valania, keep sizeable standing forces within major urban centers, and are continually supplied and drilled given that they are constantly harrassed by the Valanian resistance. As always, keep asking away and I'll keep supplying information your way; within reason of course 8).

Edit: Wanted to point out that although there will be heavy geo-political themes and consequences, I intend to make this a very character oriented story centered around a strong narrative and cast. Additionally, subplots are highly encourage aside from the main plotline so long as they don't deviate too far away from the main story's location proximity. An example would be if in the middle existing, plot setup in Voltas, certain characters suddenly appeared thousands of miles away in Orad. An exception would be a flashback of sorts, in which case all is fair in love and war 8)

Okay, a few character ideas (I may play one or a few, depending on approval/interest);

-A swashbuckling Valanian aristocrat/statesman. Very much in the vein of a 'Musketeers' type, with a taste for the good life but also some real-world military experience (as a leading officer, of course). He'll play some part in setting state policy and be working to redirect the more egregious excesses of Valanian aristocracy to the good, in a somewhat 'Scarlet Pimpernel' fashion. I want him to have a more Francophone-sounding name, indicative (at least in my mind) of being from very old Carcassonian stock. He'll probably operate primarily in Voltas and anywhere else high society flocks.

-A stoic Sarifen spy. He's one of the informants keeping the Sarifen govt. up-to-date on the movements of the southern nations and the general disarray of the region (refugees, famine, civil unrest, what-have-you). He may or may not be playing double agent, or end up switching allegiances. His POV would focus on the cloak-and-dagger espionage going on behind the scenes as war builds up.

-A merchant's daughter who joins the Holy Sisterhood (if class doesn't bar her inclusion, anyway). 'Cause, hey, you gave me the opening. Her arc would follow the breakout of warfare between Valania and Sarife firsthand, as well as the ground-level effects of the decisions made by the nobility and govts.

I hope I haven't gone too far off the mark with any of these.

Wow, a lot of information. Thank you very much :) I'm certainly glad the ranks aren't the simple fantasy ones and are rather something much better and much more interesting. And it's a good thing I was planning on my character being an archer then! He'll fit right in... I think he is going to be from a low noble family, so not a commoner but not exactly very aristocratic either. Just above the common stock really. And I'm sorry for not replying much to the tons of information you give - just not much to say in reply apart from its great and really helping

Okay, that's quite awesome! Hopefully my characters will bring something to the roleplay then... I'll have to think of possible subplots. All sorts of possibilities could come from all of them. Ooo flashbacks... heh heh.

Also I was wondering when an OOC was going to get up? Understand that it may be a while just that I want somewhere to put my almost finished character sheets xD

Just dropping by to say I am still around, interested and I read everything that is being dropped here as it comes. In fact there is so much being asked and answered that I find myself with no need of asking questions anymore. :P

How advanced is the technology here? More specifically, has the printing press been invented? Or newspapers? I'm curious about methods of spreading information to the masses.

Dream, about those characters concepts ...

- The Stoic Sarifen Spy. - Despicable ... But I love it!!! (I hope you got the reference ;) Just be sure to heavily develop his motivations and be mindful of the surrounding political landscape. Intelligence gathering is as dangerous as it is nefarious and to excel may require more than simply selling out or outright murdering your closest partners or childhood friends. Sometimes the lines of justice are skewed in regards to preserving the state as opposed to performing for the greater good. Can spooks achieve both? Only the best know this answer ;)

- The Swashbuckling Valanian Aristocrat - An excellent character concept that fits well with the current plot! A few things I wanted to mention. Prior to the Kingdom's demise, most Valanian Aristocrats were indifferent to Prince Lucius' ascension despite signs of his promising leadership traits. After the Sarifens utterly crushed Valania's armies, most were ruthlessly hunted and executed to a man and only those forced into marriage, whom fled into the hills to join the resistance, held extremely viable financial leverage, secretly pledged fealty to Sarife prior to the invasion and/or fell into Marquis Richter Von Conqvist's favor survived the savage purges that followed Valania's annexation. Aside from this, I hope he's ready to face Carcassonne's coming storm!

- The Merchant's daughter turned Order of St. Melita - Huge potential for character growth and development! It's plausible that she may likely haven fallen under Knightess Captain Lionheart's mentorship as a shield maiden as well as accompanied the varying aristocrats to police Voltas' post annexation streets and surrounding towns where ever the locally stationed Nezām-e Jadīd cannot patrol due to manpower shortages. I also encourage and approve of the in-field perspective from the varying politics and orders of the upper classes/former kingdom magistrates.

You are way off mark in the fact that I approve of all character concepts so roll with one or write them all!

Fern, you are most welcome about the information and your continued interest brings tears to my eyes, hehehe :'). Don't worry about replying; we're all either breathing life into Altaea or clarifying the unfilled blind spots so no worries if you're feeling content. Speaking from experience, I am quite horrible at being the hermit and will admit to a storied history of silence during intense roleplaying discussions. My friends and story writing partners aren't here to vouch for me, but I speak the truth! So ... with that said; dun worrrrrrrry 'bout eet!

Regarding the OOC, it will be up by late Wednesday or Thursday. The reason being that I am slowly drafting the OOC as we speak, waiting for other invitations from writers, and am caught in the middle of a project fire storm.

Ivory, keep your swords ready and stay tuned for another exciting episode of Altaea: The Age of Revolution.

Konica, again welcome, welcome 8). The Printing Press has certainly not been invented yet! Paper and ink have already existed for eons, however, mass production has not yet arrived so news is spread through oration and word of mouth. To further emphasize, hired news readers are the only form of mass media as shown in this video so information is understandably censored; quite heavily if I may add! (Ivory, you asked about Vectis resembling the Western Roman Empire. There you are ... *nudge* *nudge*.)

Technology wise, Carcassonne is still barely scraping past the Late Middle Ages and this link should provide an insight into the current technological developments. I will, of course, quote a line in this article that perfectly sums the technological progress levels, "...the adoption of gunpowder, the invention of vertical windmills, spectacles, mechanical clocks, and greatly improved water mills, building techniques (Gothic architecture, medieval castles), and agriculture in general (three-field crop rotation)."

This looks amazing! Just the kind of thing I want to sink my teeth into. Are there still spots open?

Welcome, babbysama! Yes there are indeed still open spots and plus extra baggage room. PM me if you have any questions and don't hesitate to chime in anything you think might enhance the story. I'm all ears and as I said earlier, you are welcome to join us in writing an epic tale! Come late Wednesday or Thursday, I will be launching the OOC so just grab a seat and we'll be sailing shortly 8)

I may be interested in this. I'll keep an eye out for it and try to read up on what has been established so far. I was actually looking for an RP similar to this.

Good day to you, Pepper 8). Nice of you to stop by, hahaha. We're an assembling crew and there's always room for more so if this story picques your interest, don't hesitate to hop on board. If you need any pointers or are just naturally curious about some aspect of this story, float something my way and I'll be happy to clarify and help as best I can.

-Disregard this-

Pepperm1nts said
Okay, I'll bite. How will the game play?

Well, I'm not sure if I would really call this a game as as much as a collaborative story-telling experience since there are zero game mechanics. The OP and first several posts do explain my intentions as do most of my other posts, but to re-emphasize, Altaea is more about plot driven arcs with rich, undiscovered/lost histories, breath taking landscapes, civil unrest, extremely selfish, albeit ruthless individuals, and a multitude of other intriguing tidbits. Characters will certainly be forced to brave insurmountable odds that are almost despicably stacked against them and will act and converse as closely to their personalities as possible and not necessarily what the writers themselves would do in real life. Call me crazy, but the aim is to build and portray believable characters with believable emotions and personalities with a touch of cinema added in.

Pepperm1nts said
I'm getting the feeling it'll be the classic 'A few heroes get together and fight bad guys'. Am I right in assuming that? If so, will there still be a chance for players to separate from the main group?

You're right in the sense that the heroes will face certain villainous types, but I do aim at exploring the world and for the characters to follow a main plot. Again, the opening and subsequent post covers everything, but no hard feelings given your situation and such. The characters are free to separate from the main group so as they don't deviate too far from the main story's varying location radius. As a matter of fact, for however far we push the story, some future situations will demand separation and reunification. I highly encourage fitting subplots that fit in conjunction with the main one so long as they within the group's proximity.

Pepperm1nts said
That brings me to another questions. How will the story be handled? Will it be freeform, or do you have something written down that we'll be following?

The story will be broken into Episodes and Chapters and at the end of Episodes, other Episodes will unlock and the active writers are free to pursue newly unlocked Episodes through a democratic vote. I do have a strong direction with which to take the overall story, but I am willing to make concessions and allow certain free form opportunities during varying plot moments. Again, the story is very plot driven with a strong emphasis on characters and their decisions having serious impact on their survival, their surroundings, and the ongoing plot arcs.

Pepperm1nts said
I apologize if any of this has been asked before, or if the OP itself answers it. I skimmed through some parts of the RP because it's currently very early where I am and I haven't gotten any sleep. I'll definitely go back and read it more carefully before the RP starts though.

I've been up for 16 hours answering questions while simultaneously finishing university homework so don't worry about it, hahaha. I'm just humbled you've stopped by and taken an interest in this up and coming story!

Regarding participation and activity, I am generally very flexible and would not mind you including a reoccurring character. As I mentioned previously, this story doesn't need a large cast and I am willing to continue the story so long as there is at least one other writer. I encourage frequent participation, but I can't force anyone to dedicate their time primarily to Altaea so participating writers are here by choice to contribute as much or as little to the plot as desired. Of course, after a certain period of time though, if there is infrequent and sparse posting contributions, I will keep the story going by summarizing the existing incidents and moving the plot. That won't necessarily involve killing off characters because I'm not that big an asshole, but ... I will move the plot chain after a certain period of time!

I hope these answer your questions, but feel free to keep asking if you need any clarifications 8)

Ah, you caught the post before I removed it. I went back and read more carefully after I had breakfast and ended up clearing my own doubts.

By game, I meant the RP. I understand there are no game mechanics. I'm a 'tell a good story without aiming to win' kind of guy myself.

I guess I should ask what the current status of the military would be. I am interested in playing a character themed along the lines of a Hussar, so I'm wondering if that would be possible. I would of course try to find a way to fit in with the revolution aspect.

Professional Valanian Hussars existed prior to the Kingdom's fall and although it's been nearly two decades since Valania's Armies crumbled, most of the Hussars escaped unharmed. Prior to the Kingdom's Annexation, the Hussars were spotted retreating near the forests bordering Vorst rather than risk defend Voltas, Valania's doomed capital. The Valanian Hussars' officer corps were primarily aristocratic, however, the mid echelons and below composed of enlisted commoners. Portions of remaining Hussars and Mounted Regiments have since waged an aggressive campaign against the Sarifen occupation with varying successes so your character's existence is certainly plausible!

Edit: Going to Hibernate now. I'll be up in 8 or 9 hours for more questions so feel free to drop more through PM or here and I'll be happy to help 8)

That sounds very accommodating, actually. I would not mind playing a young, inexperienced Hussar that somehow finds himself involved in a losing guerrilla war.

Wonderful! So I do need to read up a bit on the setting and lore which you've already posted, but I have three ideas for characters already:

--A mercenary captain (or pirate king, not really sure how nautical things are) hellbent on carving out carving out his own kingdom. Think Griffith from Berserk mixed with Kurtz from Heart of Darkness kind of deal. Ruthless, ambitious, manipulative. Kind of cliche, but could help underline themes of power, hubris, and class. That, or I could RP a character in the captain's band. Not sure.

--Some kind of spy/intelligence officer who works as a double agent against Valanian interests to fan the flames of war. Could be interesting if there are other spy characters.

--Some kind of merchant who defaults on his loans and is forced by his debtors into some kind of service (mercenary work, bloodsport, something, not quite sure yet)

So those are just some very nebulous and vague ideas; I'll read up on the background and tinker with them a bit later.

I'm glad my continued interest is doing so :) I'm already very into the roleplay and there is even an OOC up yet xD I can be quite the hermit as well... I try but I'm actually pretty bad at talking to people OOC (bar a few people I've been rping with for three years). I'll try not to worry about it xD

Awesome, I look forward to late Wednesday or Thursday!

I'm just going to post the kind of basic concepts for my characters - probably a good idea to actually make sure they're okay xD And a few other people are doing it so you know

- Amoral (pretty much) and seductive assassin: everything she does is for personal gain. Quite likes money and fond of sleeping around. Valanian but doesn't feel a tie to either country. Manipulates just about everyone and lies more often then. She's actually my most well developed but hard to describe without posting a massive personality I wrote out ages ago xD

- Sarifen Archer/Soldier: Not quite a commoner, from a low noble family. Skilled archer and has a deep allegiance to his country however is very kind hearted ect. and has a lot against poverty and the way commoners are treated.

- Blacksmith Apprentice: Around 17 and a young woman disguised as a man. Was often mistaken for a boy so used her boyish figure to become an apprentice blacksmith to escape being forced into marriage by her father. Very intelligent and inventive, great at thinking up all sort of new ideas.

Pepperm1nts, that's fine; the OOC will be up sometime Thursday because it would give me time to finish the OOC and Character Sheets. In the mean time, keep developing that character and we'll soon see his debut 8).

babbysama, I like all three characters concepts, but I'm not sure if the antagonistic mercenary captain, pirate king or the intelligence officer would fit well since they seem more like villainous types capable of murdering the protagonists and becoming counter-productive to the main story. These tales do not need more prevalent main antagonists as there are plenty of them, but the mercenary captain and bankrupted merchant are promising as long as they are protagonists and help progress the story line. I could certainly see a mercenary captain and merchant inspired by real life privateers such as Jean Lafitte or a Robin Hood of the seas.

Hell, you could even combine the all characters types into one single character; just don't base them entirely off of anime characters because no offense to anime, but uhm ... I find a lot of anime characters very wooden, cliche, and without depth. I mean, love watching animes as much as anyone, but from my past roleplays, I've seen writers included cheap, anime-esque characters and the amount of one liner god-moding seriously disrupted the story. That being said, I encourage you to do some research on various historical figures and to incorporate those themes you listed.

Also keep in mind that nefarious characters would likely be on their own when facing against other nefarious foes and I can tell you for a fact that you don't want assassins on your character's ass or frequent betrayals at every turn. Carcassonne is volatile for a reason and moving alone as an antagonist will likely accelerate their own deaths very early into the story .

With all this being said, keep throwing ideas my way!

Edit: Ack! Didn't see your post, Fern. All character ideas are perfectly acceptable, but I'm a little worried about the Amoral Assassin's motivations so send me a PM and we'll work on her 8).

Edit 2: I encourage you all to collaborate with one another for inter-related character back stories and possible plot arcs!

Edit 3: I'll be with limited internet access between now and late Wednesday, but keep sending PMs and posts and when I return, I'll try to answer everything with greater clarity ...