Bodyguard's Tale
Summary
A group of knights embark upon the glorious quest of defending their King, as he makes his rounds about the Kingdom. Though the journey is fraught with peril; nobles conspire to take the throne, and down trodden peasants work the strings of revolution.
This will be a lite RP, with little lore to abide by and we'll make things up as we go. There will be two roles for the players to choose.
A Bodyguard: Royal Knight to his Majesty, King Theowald II, and charged with his Highness' personal defence be it on the battlefield, or a packed market place.
A Conspirator: Someone who wishes the King harm, but sends others (minor characters) to do their bidding, and plays the RP through their eyes.
Anything like this likely to get any love?
A Young Kingdom
The Kingdom of Ahana is a new realm in a continent of patchwork nations, courtesy of the fallen and splintered Empire of yesteryear. Having stood for little over fifty years, its main noble Houses are still in their infancy, and as yet, there is no official power base from which the King can operate from. Rich merchants, the descendants of former Imperial generals, tribal warlords and peasant leaders form an umbrella of special interest groups, all vying for the reigns of power.
Walking the narrow tight rope between civil war and national unity, is King Theowold II, the second King of Ahana. He is a young, but rash man, filling the voluminous shoes of his father, Theowold I, who had ruled behind an army of mailed knights and stout castles. However, with Theowold I's untimely demise at the hands of a pox, Theowold II must now take up the mantle of King in his stead.
Theowold I's death has created a power vacuum. Long had he kept the emerging noble Houses of Ahana in check with his mastery of the battlefield, and deft political maneuverings. Theowold II however, is but a mere shadow of a leader when contrasted with his father. He has no real taste for the wide scale executions, threats and warfare. Instead, he wishes - perhaps delusively - to rule his Kingdom with minimal violence.
The Lords and Nobles of Ahana have seen this as an immediate sign of unforgivable weakness, and already they're pressing home their advantage. Minor fiefs are absorbed forcefully into neighboring Dukedoms and Counties, peasant revolts are surging through the fields, and the drums of civil war are starting to beat as any man of power looks upon his neighbor with hatred and greed.
King Theowold II's answer to all of these problems? He plans to travel his kingdom, so that he can become intimately familiar with the issues at hand. This he does, despite the strong advisement from his council to do the exact opposite, and to restore order with an iron first.
Defending the King as he goes about his mission of national reconciliation, are but a handful of Knights from the few loyal Ahana Houses who have sworn total allegiance to him. In a world of wars, broken nations, deceit, assassinations, fratricide and patricide, this is an issue of suicide.
Looking to make good King Theowold II's rather naive expedition, are the countless Lords, Nobles and special interest leaders who will conspire to murder him and plant a "real King" on the throne.
King Theowold II's courageous bodyguards, painfully aware of their odds and almost certain death, ride on regardless. Honour guides their actions, and in their sacred mission, they will give their lives.
This is the story of an idiot King, brave men who fight on in impossible odds, and those who blinded by their greed, lust and emotions, seek to undo an entire country.
Knights of Ahana
"Fealty with love, valour with honour, oath-breaking with vengeance," - Extract from the Knight's Code.
The Knights of Ahana are high born warriors from noble Houses big and small. They are masters of horse and blade in battle, and are feared throughout the realm for their combat prowess. Many of them are devout believers in the Knight's Code; a sacred text that promotes the ideals of honour and chivalry at all times. They are unbelievably brave, and as it is considered a mortal sin to fail one's assigned mission, many will gladly give their lives to avoid the shame of failure. This makes them exceptionally dangerous adversaries.
Each Knight usually holds some degree of land and power, and they are of paramount importance to the functioning of Ahana's feudal system.
War Maidens of Ahana
"Not many War Maidens remain in Ahana. They are a relic from a Godless time, before our lands knew the glory of the Empire. They live on however, in every bastard daughter of every bastard noble with delusions of grandeur." - Extract from the Histories of Godless Cultures.
King Theowold I outlawed the travesty that allowed women into the Men's world of battle. King Theowold II has reversed this in recent weeks however, and though it was a hugely unpopular decision at court, it's certainly won him some support from every self-respecting woman across the realm.
War Maidens are very few, but those who do live through their trials and tribulations, are exceptional warriors with few equals. Unlike knights, they are bound by no code, and their weapons and armour types vary from woman to woman. Their skills are usually self-taught, which gives their fighting methods a somewhat unpredictable trait.
Unfortunately, War Maidens by the status of their gender, cannot hold land or riches. Generally they are ostracized by the knights, who see them merely as children playing with fire, or decorated whores. It's definitely a Man's world.
But perhaps, by swearing allegiance to King Theowold II, the womenfolk could influence things by their display of valor and skill at arms.
Conspirators
Ambitious lords, wronged nobles, disillusioned peasants and ranting firebrands. The King has many enemies in Ahana, and all of them are at least vaguely united in their aims to murder him.
Their influence is widespread, and their courage should not be doubted. Killing Kings is not a weak man's business. Even if they are successful, the future would be uncertain, and only the most deft politicians and skilled military commanders could hope to survive a post-Theowold II world.
Nevertheless, multitudes from every walk of life have decided that their grievances with the King, or want of his throne, justifies their actions in taking his life and is worth the risk.
But which one among them, will be so lucky? And will their cunning and ambition match the valour and courage of the King's bodyguards?
Time, it seems, will tell.
Rules
1) No God modding. Knights and War Maidens will be considered superior to the conspirator's minor characters, however, and may slay them at will. Conspirators can attempt to injure or kill the bodyguards, but it is ultimately up to their players as to whether or not they fall victim to the attacks.
2) No arguments. Period. You got beef with your fellow player, then state your concern politely, let them reply, and let me wade in to stop you from murdering each other.
3) Things are a bit gritty in this world, so there will be plenty of blood and guts and coarse language.
4) The King's word is final in most matters, as far as the Bodyguards are concerned. If any knights decide to disobey any of his orders, they can expect serious repercussions!
5) Pay deep attention to the conspirators' posts. I wont hesitate to let the King die if the knights all ignore that small excerpt whereby an assassin was sneaking up on him.
6) Though sexism may be rampant in the game world, as per the realistic medieval setting, I wont be having any of it in the OOC.
7) Have fun!
Knight Character Sheet
All nights are male, and some may have served the King's father. They all come from noble Houses that have sworn loyalty to Theowold II.
Name:
Age:
Appearance (Without Armour):
Appearance (Armour): Include the helm! And the boots! Never forget the boots.
Weapons: Remember these need to be carried. No bows/crossbows for Knights, as these are deemed dishonourable. Will allow a cheeky throwing dagger or three though.
Horse Name: Optional.
Horse Type: Typically, destriers are used by knights as war horses. However, coursers and rounceys are also used. Do a little research on them if you're unsure what type suits you.
Renowned Acts: Instead of filling out your character's history, as you normally would, instead I want you to list some of the actions that would have gotten them into the King's bodyguard. Though the King may appear naive, he wouldn't just hire any ordinary Knights, instead he'd of been looking for the best.
Duels, heroic actions on the battlefield, deeds of valour - all that jazz.
House Name:
House History: The Empire collapsed 50 years ago, and Ahana was founded at that time. The noble Houses of the nation are relatively young, but most stem from Imperial Generals of yesteryear, wealthy merchants or were created by King Theowold I during his reign.
House Banner:
War Maiden Character Sheet
War Maidens are as the name suggests, all female. Please note, that typically women are weaker than men and have less stamina. Consider this when deciding their combat style, as they would have probably trained to negate their natural weaknesses - especially when fighting men. Speed and agility would probably favour them more than strength.
Name:
Age:
Appearance (Without Armour):
Appearance (Armour): Include the helm! And the boots! Never forget the boots.
Weapons: Remember these need to be carried. Include shield if she uses one. War Maidens can use any kind of Medieval weapon they wish.
Horse Name: Optional.
Horse Type: Typically, destriers are used by knights as war horses. However, coursers and rounceys are also used. Do a little research on them if you're unsure what type suits you. Women, being lighter than men, might find themselves better off using the faster and lighter coursers.
History: Women that swear by the sword don't often get far. Most get killed, and others collected as slaves by victorious adversaries. The harsh, brutal world of Ahana leaves little room for tears, weak hearts and soft sword arms. Tell me how your War Maiden started life, tell me why she decided that fighting was better than childbearing, and tell me how she came to be known by the King.
Conspirator Character Sheet
Unless the conspirator is looking for an early death, he or she will use others to carry out their bidding. These minor characters can be conjured as and when the player decides there is an opportunity to do so. By the nature of the RP, it is unlikely these minor characters will be successful in most of their attempts - otherwise things will end very quickly. Players who want to play as a conspirator, are chiefly committing themselves to the Villain's role. Lots of plotting, lots of assassination attempts, lots of evidence hiding and other stuff - with a slim chance of victory.
Conspirator Name:
Conspirator Age:
Conspirator Gender:
Conspirator Type: Noble, Peasant Leader, Lord etc.
Conspirator Appearance (Without Armour):
Conspirator Appearance (With Armour):
Conspirator History: Has she or he always been against the King? What has happened in their lives that has brought them to their current dislike for him?
Goal: Why does your character want the King dead? What do they ultimately hope to achieve?
Faction Name: Examples - House Blahblah, The Free Peoples, The Holy Hand
Faction Type: Noble House, Peasant Revolt, Religious Order etc
Faction History and Lore: The Empire collapsed 50 years ago, and Ahana was founded at that time. The noble Houses of the nation are relatively young, but most stem from Imperial Generals of yesteryear, wealthy merchants or were created by King Theowold I during his reign. If religious, give a bit of an overview of their beliefs. If peasants, give an overview of how they came to revolt.
