The world of Oradia is young, and chaotic. Written history only goes back so far before it speaks of times before time itself. While civilization holds influence on the surface world, savagery dominates the world outside these relatively calm cities and towns. Dragons and other terrifying giant beasts populate the outer regions, the fae still dwell in their forests and jungles where they can hide and meddle with men that venture alone too far, and it is said that demons have already corrupted the earth where they have risen out of hell to torment the surface world.
It is a time of myth and legend, where old gods and monsters still hold sway in the affairs of the world. It is a time of war against tribes of old, while tensions grow between split nations. The savagery of this world and the unknowns make it a dangerous place for those who wish to explore it, but it is also a time for heroes to rise to the occasion and carve a safe path for the rest.
The center of the known world for us is the coastal city of Evanhearth, the safest place from the outside world you will ever set foot in. Just the same, it is the technological and magitechnical center of the known world. Of course, it's one of the only known walled cities in all of Oradia to anyone here, let alone the only currently known continent. The savagery of the world has prevented exploration, as nothing short of a small army is enough to travel into the unknown. Or, at least, everyone is pretty sure that is the case.
The humans stay to their cities and towns in the west on the coast and in the plains and forests, while the dwarves stay to the underground and their mountains to the north of them, and the elves stay to their own forest retreats with the fae. Evanhearth tries to bring all three of the major races together through trade and diplomacy, but some are still stuck in their ways and prefer isolationism. It's not to say relations are rocky between the three, but... they could be better. At least they are trying. After all, expansion would be much easier if everyone worked together, hmm?
There is much to be done in this young world. Artifacts left by the gods, waiting to be discovered. Settlers struggling to start their towns further and further away from the cities. Barbarian threats to be quelled, magic to be studied, monsters to be slain... all in the name of progress.
Now on to the nitty gritty.
Q: So then what part are you supposed to play when the introduction leaves the world as open ended as this?
A: That really all depends on what kind of tale you wish to tell with your character, and the tale you may tell depends very much on the character you make.
This isn’t to say that there aren’t events to take part in already happening in the world. The world is young-- not newborn-- so you will find that there are a number of things to take part in. As long as you think to ask. The more specific your questions, the more comprehensive your answers are likely to be! Of course I might just end up babbling on and on for an hour or two for things related to your questions as well. You might get more than an earful. Or, eyeful, I guess. You know, since you're reading it.
Q: But then what is the plot?
A: The main idea is that this world is made to be open, and the plot is created partly from your character’s choices and their history. This is so you won’t feel so bound to sticking with the party at all times, or even having to play nice with them, and have a freedom to drive your story in whatever direction you want.
Q: So then, how will we be roleplaying?
A: We will still be doing play-by-post, but not in the conventional way that you might be used to. Rather than posting back and forth here on the forums, the roleplaying itself will take place on a synchronized writing pad, called Titanpad. Most likely Titanpad, anyway. The reason for this is to make roleplaying a more dynamic experience so that you won’t feel the need to continue writing lines and lines of prose to keep on par with everyone else before you write just a couple lines of dialog. That, and it means you can write in your own character’s actions in between paragraphs. All in all, the end result seems to feel more cohesive.
Q: But, oh gosh, I have so many questions about the world!
A: Well, great. We have tons of answers. The more you ask the more you’ll be prepared when you jump in. Of course, as soon as we can, we will place down general information for things everyone should know about, one of them being how magic works in this universe and another being the most known city on the Western side of the currently only known continent, but you should feel free to ask questions and in turn we will fill you in on the lore. We’re not going to spill EVERYTHING, because there’s quite a lot, but we’ll tell you what we can.
It’s not like your characters would know everything about the world either. You probably shouldn't either.
Q: How much time would players likely have to spend per day/week on this (in hours)? This looks fantastic so I'd love to submit a character or two, but I need to be sure I can commit the time to do it right.
A: Have to isn't really the key here. Even just a few hours a week is enough to get a surprising amount of work done, but you can put in whatever you like as long as we're around to GM the gigs. Asuras and I have done this roleplaying style multiple times, and even the time we had back then was enough to get through a lot more content than most play-by-post gigs get through in several months. The roleplaying I speak of took place over the course of, I think, about a month. We'd love it if you had more time, though.
Q: How much time do we have to post characters?
A: Since we want you to take as much time as needed, while still being able to get this show on the road, I'd say the current deadline for character posts is Wednesday of next week, or 11/4/14. This is subject to change if people want more time or more people submit sheets later on during this week, so you shouldn't feel confined by time constraints.
Sound interesting? Can you dig it? Let us know! Send a pm, respond to the thread; whatever works for you.
