Not much to say about Almain Rivet, except for the fact that, perhaps because they were mass produced, there are no vambraces, couters, or greaves. Fitting problems, maybe. Though it's probably got more to do with the fact they were mostly made for Pikemen, who usually did not wear that stuff.

I personally like three-quarter armor because of its long, one piece tasset-fauld-cuisse mix.

As for Landsknecht clothing, afaik they dressed as such as to just be conspicuous and show off their independence (said clothing was often of noblemen, and Maximilian decided to bend the peasant-commonfolk clothing laws for them, saying 'Let them have some fun').

After looking it up-no, that picture is largely how they were armored. I'm not sure where I got the vambraces and greaves from-and, logically, they weren't going to be worrying about their arms and forelegs getting struck in same way as a swordsman or even shorter spear user would because of the range of their pike.

The fact that there were too many of pikemen (compared to knights) probably helped. If you were to make sophisticated protection for every single pikeman in a formation, you'd run out of money and resources quick.

Everything you asked for is changed, GM. Hope it is okay now !

"A bad peace is worse than a good war."
"When I go more than ten miles out of the city, the love and loyalty of friends comes to an end."
"All citizens must place the common good before the private good."

Here (at last) is at least one of my proposed characters. We'll see about the rest...

Name: Ghisault Carloman Abou Sayeed Abdoul Tariq Albert
Age: 31
Race: Human
Nationality: Valanian
Allegiance: ???Profession: Duke Averre-de-Gris & Count-Septemvir of Mas-de-Bagnères; semi-retired military officer & statesman

Biography: Born to the Valanian duke of Averre-de-Gris, Guillaume Albert, and Yasmeena, a daughter of famed Sarifen general Al-Tariq over a decade before the War of Sarifen Conquest. Upon his homeland's annexation, his father was rewarded for his fealty to the victors by being raised to the office of Count-Septemvir of Mas-de-Bagnères, one of seven venerated cities rich with culture and commerce on the borders of Valania. It was there where Ghisault spent most of his adolescence and, in time, its rule was passed on to him.

When he came of age, he enlisted in the Valanian Auxiliary Corps, a small but considerably prestigious part of the greater Sarifen army established in order to placate (and inveigle) the conquered nobility. Joining the Chasseurs, a squadron of light cavalry "skirmishers" and colonial law enforcement, Ghisault quickly earned a reputation as an even-(and under-)handed young officer. After learning that a cabal of his fellow auxiliaries were using their position to "punish" local Sarifens for their dubious "involvements" in the war (their heritage, it was insisted, being 'entirely beside the point'), Ghisault set them up to be exposed, handily defusing a political powder keg and winning some accolades for himself in the process.

The more diehard nationalists among his unit saw this as a betrayal and sought to ruin him, but he managed to neutralize their endeavors by leading them in the seizure of a rebellious Sarifen satrap's lands and estate to quench their thirst for Sarifen blood; that this order had anywise come from the Sarifen government was tactfully omitted. As to the idle rumors of secret meetings between the young Duke Averre-de-Gris and those fugitive Hussars who had fled rather than submit during the War, no sources can confirm.

Following his tour of duty, Ghisault established himself anew in Voltas where he became known as a political mediator between the Valanian and Sarifen courts, a patron of the arts and sciences and a generally marvelous host and entertainer. He has dwelt there primarily ever since, occasionally returning to Mas-de-Bagnères or visiting other notable retreats of high society, Orad's in particular.

Notable skills/abilities: Ghisault was raised with a full classical education, is well-trained in the art of rhetoric and debate, use of the spada da lato, mastery of the horse, has kept close study of economic theory and mercantilism and is fond of philosophy, astronomy, anatomy and the other sciences. He has cultivated an impressive network of friends, acquaintances and allies throughout Carcassonne. Displays some talent for the piano, but prefers the rebec or the ney flute. Speaks the Valanian and Sarifen tongues fluently and can carry on limited conversation in a few others.

Name: Uriel ('flame/light of god') Le Crosse (Aryanpur)
Age: 23
Race: Human
Nationality: Sarifan-Valanian half-breed
Allegiance: Questionable-if any
Appearance: I will get a piece of artwork here later; until then, of medium height and a thin build and profile. His appearance looks more Valanian (caucasian) with darker skin for his Sarifan heritage. His hair is dark brown with a copper-gold sheen, cut roughly an inch-and-a-half long and his oblong face is clean-shaven.
In terms of garb, he usually sports a red and black leather vest atop a thinly sleeved, hooded black tunic, grey pants and knee-high black boots. At his belt is a bastard sword of a quality far exceeding the rest of his attire, it's gold-colored Sarifen and Valanian designs and massive blood-red gem set into each side of the guard leading many to think it is stolen, and at his back is a satchel and a rather rugged bow and quiver.
Profession: Occasional thief and/or bandit, occasional mercenary, aristocrat, mage-for-hire
Biography: Uriel is, put simply, a bastard. Born of woman from a side-branch who survived the genocide of most of the Le Crosse family, he is one of Emperor Anush Arash Aryanpur I's rumored illegitimate children. This alone damned him as subject to political intrigue and a complicated family ere he was ever born, nevermind the ramifications of his Le Crosse heritage.
Raised early alongside his doting mother, a concubine to the Sarifan Emperor and possessed of an instinctive ambition-perhaps inherited from his father-, he developed a myriad of prideful, arrogant traits so characteristic to royal brats-too, though, a certain level of respect for gentleness and kindness. He, as per his mother's relative wealth and position, was educated extremely well. Particularly of note was his apparent talent for magic bordering on prodigial.
However, such men are want to lose interest in their paramours and whores-and, eventually, Anush did. Uriel's mother's favor began to wane until he eventually lost all interest in her. The funding for raising Uriel evaporated and, over the course of a few years, lost nearly everything-their estate taken in the conquest of Valania, her title given to another and all means of wealth gone, they became little higher than beggars in the street. For all her doting upon her 'little angel', Uriel's pride took more than a blow, having fallen from the son-even if an unrecognized bastard-of the Emperor to an outcast. Even during their time so poor, she idolized him; however, only to her was he the center of the world any longer, thrust into a city that did not care for him any longer. The sheer disparity was maddening and inset a strong doubt in him regarding his assumed place in relation to others. As he entered early adolescence, he began to suspect many things about his mother-and, by extension, himself. He began to respond to her praises and kisses with silence.
Eventually his concerns seemed to be confirmed; she grew ill and soon thereafter died to a disease especially common among prostitutes. His sweet, weak mother had been selling herself to support them. His bitter shame and anger at her festered as he finally was thrown into the street in full, no longer having even the money to stay their landlord.
Effectively an orphan, Uriel fell in with the other children of the street and left to survive a harsh life of stealing and running; he quickly learned to dart and run through the city, to speak with the foul-tongued and fight with what had previously been called 'dirty' tactics to endure.
However, to one born and trained so strongly, he came to dominate within a few years, and his arrogance again began to grow. While generally kind and caring, there was unquestionably a certain self-righteousness in him and an unrelenting belief-and constant need to prove-his own self-worth. He ruled as a king among the other young thieves and orphans for a time.
Yet, never was he content. While he felt much empathy amongst the others, he was always plagued by a sense that he did not belong. Often he would go and listen to traveller's tales of the world beyond the filthy back-streets, of other grand nations, of magic and of the workings of the world. It reminded him of what he had fallen from and of the few happy days he had thought he had belonged somewhere-his rightful place. These feelings weighed on him for several years before he finally heeded his craving. With only brief explanation, he prepared supplies and left the Sarifan city to see the other half of his heritage-Valdania.
It was far, far different from what he expected-the only culture he had seen in full was Sarifan before. The difference was striking-yet, somewhat familiar, akin to his pale, fair mother. It was here that he met a mage, to whom, after a time, convinced him to take him on as an apprentice. For three years, as he neared twenty, he studied under the genial old man-and again his pride was assaulted, for the strange old fool would have none of it. He schooled Uriel in philosophy and morality as much as magic, and Uriel, with such great respect for the man, listened enough to fall into deep confusion again. A certain kindness that had left him when his mother died began to wake again, a softness, a gentleness. It put him at great unease.
So, after three years, confused and seeking answers, he decided to seek audience with his father-to solve the aching madness in him that asked who and what he was. He returned to Sarifan and, surprisingly, was actually granted audience-even a bastard had some of his father's attention, it seemed. When asked, he showed his father his abilities who was much delighted and gave him a title and issued a smith and tailor to garb him as befitting a prince with such promise.
Yet little came of it. While the sword and clothes were tangible, the title itself was effectively worthless, acquiring him neither lands nor vocation nor income, and a mage of the Valdanian sort was in no demand in Sarife, their magic considered foreign or lesser or even blasphemous to some. And his father the Emperor, beyond meeting him, showed little interest in him-it was all pomp. Disgusted and once-again abandoned and his questions unanswered, he left to find the guidance of his mage-mentor-only to find him vanished, left from his shop and leaving no apparent trail.
Once again lost and with so many conflicting emotions, he began to travel Valdania on foot. His purse ran out and bandits were plentiful-he again resorted to thievery or even armed robbery to avoid sleeping in the dirt again. After one bandit attack while he was travelling with another group, he was hired as an escort to their destination-it was easy money and less shameful, if more bloody. He soon found that such mercenary odd-jobs-escorting, retrieving and so on-were a lucrative market that funded his travels well and was soon ensnared in it and, before he knew it, several years had passed, only for him to snap awake and realize that in his search, he had stopped truly searching for his answers. All he had to show for it, in the end, was blood on his hands and unanswered questions. Truly, he seemed damned to this aching emptiness inside him.

@ Nevis and Peik - I'm not familiar with the pros and cons associated with armor types, but you're both absolutely right in that the plated Maximilian and Three Quarters Armor were very effective during their heydays. Firearms were not entirely refine until later and as such, wearing plate armor could effectively offer its users enhanced protection at the cost of mobility. I'm not sure if they still crane hoisted knights onto horses, but to my knowledge, the armors afforded its users great reliable protection. I do have a soft spot for Almain rivet armor, hammers, mauls, maces, and crossbows, due to fact that they did pack a punch and could inflict some plate wielders serious harm, but their expenses (mainly crossbows) largely accelerated their obselescence following greater fire arm developments.

I have great respect for the both the Landsknechts and the Swiss and I agree with you, Nevis, in that Landsknecht fashions were quite overtly pompous and … like you said … clownish 8). I'm not sure I'd wear any sort of baggish, attire myself unless I entered a royal banquet of sorts, otherwise, the clothes would certainly impede my performance, which would likely leave me severely injured or killed 8P.

Since pikemen dominated battlefields enmasse from the early of the 14th century all the way to the early and mid 18th century, I find Almain Rivet and Breastplates to be quite useful given that state sponsored infantry would have at least acquired breastplates and helmet for protections. As such, training able bodied commoners to wage war outweighs heavily trained nobility or fuedal levies, whom often broke when facing cavalry charges.

@ dreamshell, Ivory, and Nevis – Great characters that need slight tweaking. I've sent messages via PM so after you make those finals tweaks, your characters will be approved!

@ Everyone – First IC Post is in the works, bear with me here as I am busy tweaking it. As a warning, expect long and drawn out sections given that there's a ton of content. I'm also a bit rusty so I'm open to feedback as the story progresses 8)

Edit:

@ Aristo - Didn't catch this, but I thought I'd point out something minor since you included the word Sarafid in your character sheet. They're actually termed Sarife 8).

GourmetItalia said I'm not familiar with the pros and cons associated with armor types, but you're both absolutely right in that the plated Maximilian and Three Quarters Armor were very effective during their heydays. Firearms were not entirely refine until later and as such, wearing plate armor could effectively offer its users enhanced protection at the cost of mobility. I'm not sure if they still crane hoisted knights onto horses, but to my knowledge, the armors afforded its users great reliable protection.

Knights weren't hoisted onto horses with cranes.

Just another link to demonstrate.

Yeah, that it took cranes to hoist up people in plate armor is a myth-yet another one that probably comes out of the Victorian era and fencing.

Full-plate armor was actually more flexible at the joints (except along the back and waist) than the human body and, torso aside, allowed for a greater range of movement than a human's own bones do.
While, yes, full-plate armor weighed an enormous amount, this weight was very distributed across the body. This weight was more an issue for stamina than speed or control. In fact, people skilled enough at moving in it were recorded to be able to run, climb, roll and with enough practice, even swim while in full-plate armor.
I've also linked that same 'armor aerobics' video myself before. The image of someone cartwheeling and handspringing in full-plate is one that I adore.

And not exactly. There were two primary factors that I'm aware of that were the cause of plate armor's decline. One was the increasing refinement of firearms which were able to pierce full-plate at short range, rendering it in fact a liability as it afforded no protection and at the cost of speed and so on. The second is more complicated.
Feudalism was already declining at a rapidly increasing pace because the Crusades had set in place trade routes that made mercantilism much easier and doable. Over the course of several centuries, this gradually fundamentally changed the distribution of wealth within Europe as freemen and merchants rose in prominence and numbers, which had an economic effect that turned the control of few resources that made feudalism work for the nobility on it's head. Retaining wealth by land rights and gaining in through conquest no longer presented anywhere near the same level of fortune as before, which is the economic system that knights were built upon. This alone threw them into decline and falling in prominence and practicality.

Then, there is the case of mercenaries in Renaissance and Early Modern Europe, one of the most misunderstood and important elements in that situation today. Long before, skill at arms was a hard and time-consuming skill to acquire. Drafted armies of peasants sucked because they often had little time to train them-a lot of countries actually had laws regarding how LONG they could be drafted for, and it actually wasn't very long. Comparatively, hiring professional mercenaries-who supplied their own gear, had years of training and experience and skill and could be hired and discharged quickly was vastly more effective. While they weren't elite as, say, heavy horseman knights in full plate armor, they were certainly [i]quite]/i] good at combat.

This all had an economic effect of making the previous means of having power-controlling a very limited amount of resources-increasingly obsolete. Knights became poorer and poorer while better equipment became more and more available and accessible. Meanwhile, guns were making headway and decreasing full-plate armor's practicality as well.

So, um, yeah. I started that half-a-day ago and then I was pulled into something for the rest of the day and it's late and I'm not sure where I was going with that. Anyways, armor-and-mercenar-rant-ish-thing over.

Hey everyone! I can't tell all of you how happy I am to announce the first IC post. It's been overdue for launch and owing to lessons learned from previous collaborative-writing incidents, I managed to throw something together. It's my pleasure to deliver the official IC launch post and I look forward to posting. That last post literally took me a weekend and several entire days as with all ginormous story plot introductions. I will certainly try to shorten future posts, but it's been an ongoing struggle in the face of throwing out additional content.

Bear with me if the quality's not up to par because I'm as much a growing writer as all of you! For considerations sake, I would like to issue a general warning that some of the material is graphic, highly sensitive in nature, and mature so ... just thought I'd throw that out there.

On a side note and for plot purposes, please find creative ways to bring your characters to Voltas and may the gods be with them. There will be many cross plot arc opportunities, character trials, and violent conflicts so I encourage you all to be creative in shaping the world and the many struggles that are plaguing Carcassonne. If you all need clarification, you all know where to find me 8).

@ Dreamshell - Ghisault has been approved!

Amazing! It is absolutely ginormous O.o I will start reading it now however won't get up a reply until later tonight or tomorrow (I'm about to go out). Friday afternoon at latest - I'm kind of going away for a week that evening, won't be back until the next Saturday. I'll have very little internet and it will be on my phone so no IC replies. I will try to keep up. I apologise at how terrible this is - I really don't want to go but I have to.

Creative ways to get then to Voltas... Right. Will do that. Shouldn't be too difficult I don't think. Dae and Corisande are relatively easy - I'll probably wait until after Peik posts to do Ash, since he is in Korkud's retinue. I am quite looking forward to this, though! With slight tense and nervous anticipation xD

I apologise for the atrocious reply that I got up - it truly is terrible. Neither really does anything. They are in Voltas, though. Ash will come later...
I just wanted to get it up why I had the motivation really

FernStone said
I apologise for the atrocious reply that I got up - it truly is terrible. Neither really does anything. They are in Voltas, though. Ash will come later...I just wanted to get it up why I had the motivation really

We all will get the chance to stick our foots on our keyboards dont worry

@ Fern Your writing's fine! Don't worry about an atrocious reply because it's not. Just do what you do best and write, write, write. Doesn't matter if it's 12 paragraphs or just 2. There are stories waiting to be told and an entire world rife with conflicts and politics worth exploring! As always, don't hesitate in challenging yourself as a writer, but don't stress out on one upping another writer's skill or content. I hope you enjoy your weeklong escapades.

@ Everyone - I just wanted to clarify that invitation letters have been delivered to each character regarding the next evening's dinner banquet so don't hesitate to include their reception and delivery.

Posting wise. I don't, by any means, expect posts to exceed or match the introduction so don't feel pressured to post or write a bajillion paragraphs. If you think you could offer a different perspective to the unfolding conflicts, post or write away!

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I also wanted to say thank you to Peik, Aristo, and especially Nevis for clarifying plate armor mobility and I stand corrected! It's incredible how versatile plate armor knights were and also emphasizes just how wrong some historical sources are. Some years ago, a cocky former friend once claimed that chainmail could not be worn in conjunction with plate armor given that it'd be too damn heavy and likely negate mobility. I can say for certainty how much an imbecile he was and just how effective chain mail - plate armor truly was! I did read somewhere that bodkin tipped, longbow arrows couldn't penetrate full plate, but I would like confirmations as to their effectiveness.

Regarding plate armor, Nevis, you're right in the sense that fire arms were solely the reason for the decline in plate armor owed to a user's increased danger. Trained and well equipped mercenaries could afford themselves armor, experience, and training not granted towards most other feudal levies and yes their presence made a huuuuge difference on the battlefield. That they contributed to the decline of plate armor isn't actually true per say but the fact that they changed how others fought their wars! As time went on and nations began to professionalize their armies, they did emulate the way certain mercenary groups fought and trained so there's that too. Yes, Feudalism was already declining, but wearing plate armor was still very much effective up until gunsmiths initiated greater firearm refinements.

As gunsmiths refined firearm potency so did production costs and as they took an increasing role on the battlefield, it became much cheaper to train equip, and utilize firearm wielding conscripts than it was to craft increasingly obsolete armor and weapons to select few landowning knights. I'll reemphasize in that the point to firearms wasn't necessarily accuracy, but in the economics of production and training. Training became much easier and superseded the years of training required for bows (crossbows, composite, and longbows alike). Application wise, firearms were remarkably successful in punching through plate armor and made wearing full plate very dangerous.

The decline in Feudalism itself can be attributed to the Crusades, but also the rise in Absolute Monarchies owed in part to the fact that Monarchs consolidated their power through centralizing and reorganizing administration towards their effective rule. The Crusades and their effects did diminished certain ranks within many aristocratic hierarchies while allowing others to seize land and authority back towards their respective domain. On the other hand, it's in fact argued that the Hundred Years War effectively diminished the French Monarchy's grip on the nobility. Most of the Ancien Regime's goals prior to the French Revolution involved recentralizing the aristocratic ranks and administration, thereby attributing to France's delayed industrialization and in some respects feudalistic ways. The French, of course, were super ceded by the Russians, whom further delayed industrialization and serfdom until sometime in the late 19th century!

These seizures and the rise in absolute monarchies allowed for more effective law drafting methods and application/policing while also refining taxation. This in turn changed life and as you stated, allowed for greater education, which in turn yielded more merchants, which in turn spurred for greater exploitation of resources and infrastructural development. Bear in mind, commoners didn't owe their allegiances to their local noblemen or knights, they fought for the state. This was huge because instead of petty regional squabbles, people began to fight for their country as a whole. In much later conflicts, men from differing regions fought together instead of company or regimental confinement towards respective regions!

I'd also like to point out that the desire to repeat the Late Republican/Western Roman Empire also brought about feudalistic decline given that instead of each commoner supplying their own arms, the state supplied the weapons, arms, and training. You all probably already know this, but the rise in professional armies and long conscripted service, owed in part to changing draft and service laws. Centralizing the state's taxes levied for a budget to supply arms, training, drill instructors, officers, and armor for a country's army. Some centuries down the line, we certainly see War Colleges and Military Academies appearing, where select individuals studied and refined war deployments, geography, tactics, strategy, logistics, and military theory, but I'm certain this more widespread during the 18th century and onwards.

We can also attribute the Church's Decline as another reason for the rise in absolute monarchies and feudalism's decline along with the religious reformations that brought the rise of Protestantism.

---

Now I think I've already drafted another historical, classroom lecture and as such, would like to inform all of you that not only is another post on the way, but that if any of you need writing introduction assistance, I would be more than happy to collaborate to bring all of your characters into the mix!

@ Romaneck and Skulls - Don't know if you remember interacting with Mr. D, but I'll quote him for old time's sake .

On Tue Mar 29, 2011 7:32 pm, Mr. D said
"Hey Mr D you could totally reply to your own RP."

"Hurr, no I'd rather sit around and waste my time looking at pictures of cats on the internet."

---

Again don't feel any posting pressure, everyone, and just have fun introducing your characters! Just remember these words and heed them well: Conqvist knows ...

Haha, yeah, I was figuring I was going to bring up that exact point about firearms and state armies-that what made them viable again was firearms which took an extremely short amount of time comparatively to become proficient with. What made mercenaries so valuable before was that the amount of skill (and thus training) necessary to use arms previously was just so much rarer and more time-consuming to obtain that nations couldn't hold such large numbers on their own-they had to be hired. With the advent of firearms, though, this reason for hiring mercenaries en masse evaporated, which soon lead to the decline of mercenaries not too long after that of knights.

As for the nationalistic loyalties-yes. This is a reason why Machievelli's 'The Prince' garners much more respect now than it did within its own day as it dealt with the situations and politics of a region extremely divided by smaller local loyalties and how to deal with it-it applies perhaps more to modern America than it did to Renaissance/Early Modern Italy.

Anyways, I'm off to read the IC post and edit my cs.

Thank you! And I will try to enjoy them - though I've a lot to do while there so it will kind of ruin the relaxation. Hopefully it won't be too bad, though.

That clarifies about the invitations - I thought they would be for the characters but I really wasn't sure. I will most likely write it into my next post (which won't be until after I come back I don't think - apologies). That should be easy enough I think.

Priorities first, Fern! Enjoy the reads and then the following week! Apologies on post length all, but I had to throw it out there. Ball's in your court, Fern, but others are welcome to join or observe from the sidelines 8)

Yup! That is an absolutely massive post! xD I actually have time at the moment to get up a reply, so I'll do that right now. Might as well get in all that I can before disappearing for a week

So I replied, even if it is short - I had to seriously consider for a while what Dae would do. Part of me was sure she would just continue walking and ignore it, the other was arguing for her taking action. Both were justifiable actually. Ah, I love characters that make me think :)

I was considering adding a bit with Corisande at the end, to do the whole invitation letter being given thing but I don't have enough of a clear picture for that post yet. I may actually manage to do that tomorrow so that it has actually been done before I leave - that is if I have time

Also Ash doesn't even have one post up xD Whoops...