Rumours have been stirring around the cities and towns; A mountain, risen from the grave of a fallen empire. Of a dread king and his soldiers - long since defeated – now once again clamouring for war. And of a once peaceful land now overtaken by treacherous swamps and the rotting undead...
Empire Of Bones
Hundreds of years past, a great empire, the Empire of Bones, went to war against the smaller kingdoms scattered around the continent. They were led by the Lich King, a mighty but tyrannical leader who ruled with force and cruelty alone. The war was ended when a small group of mercenaries, warriors and adventurers infiltrated the mountain fortress of the Empire and slew the Lich King and his advisers. Weakened and in a state of disarray, the Empire of Bones soon fell beneath the renewed force of the kingdoms. The mountain fell.
However a power far beyond anything conceivable to humans has summoned the mountain fort forth once more, and transformed the rolling hills and meadows of the Old Country into a twisted land of dark moors, shadowy forests and dangerous swamps. The neighbouring kingdoms, growing ever more concerned, have sent out a request asking for adventurers, mercenaries and fools willing to infiltrate the mountain. They've promised a handsome sum of gold to any who can return alive, though they don't expect they'll have to pay; None who have travelled to the mountain have returned. Yet.
However a power far beyond anything conceivable to humans has summoned the mountain fort forth once more, and transformed the rolling hills and meadows of the Old Country into a twisted land of dark moors, shadowy forests and dangerous swamps. The neighbouring kingdoms, growing ever more concerned, have sent out a request asking for adventurers, mercenaries and fools willing to infiltrate the mountain. They've promised a handsome sum of gold to any who can return alive, though they don't expect they'll have to pay; None who have travelled to the mountain have returned. Yet.
Curse of The Lich
Since the mountain rose from the ground, a curse has fallen on the Old Country that effects both the land, the animals and the people. The country has been transformed into a twisted place of thick shadows, twisted trees and dark swamps ready to devour any fool stupid enough to venture too far off the beaten path.
However that isn't the only thing. All who die while in the Old Country, animals and humans both, are revived within 24 hours of the death to live a torturous second life. Although some maintain their humanity, the majority are driven insane with the experience of being wrenched back from peaceful death, and the constant cold and pain that comes with the second life. The Old Country is pocked with settlements of still sane undead that attempt to continue to live their lives, but outside those settlements the lost undead run free and feral, attacking any living travellers that they happen upon. Undead humans and animals continue to rot as a normal corpse (if a tad bit slower), and are eventually reduced to skeletons.
In the Mountain, however, the curse is stronger. From the moment of revision until the death of the undead, a burning hate for all living consumes their mind and robs them of any hope of maintaining their humanity. They are compelled by an unnatural instinct to follow the leadership of the Liches, and will protect their masters and the mountain at any cost. Any undead who have died previously and then enter the Mountain, however, will not be converted over to the Empire of Bones, and will be attacked by the other undead (as they will be viewed as an outsider and an enemy).
Undead can be killed, if the neck is fully broken and the head removed. They will also be 'killed' if they leave the Old Country, as the curse that sustains them and gives them life does not reach any further than the country.
Quick Geography of the Land
The Old Country, though once a land of rolling hills and lush forests, has fallen under the curse of the Lich King and become a massive labyrinth of hostile landscape. It is dotted with undead settlements, each nestled in shadowy forests and murky bogs. The south of the Old Country is bordered by expansive stretches of shores and uncharted ocean.
To the east lies the country of Bella, a flat land of fields, lakes and gently sloping ridges. It is a nation largely dominated by farmers, where workers of the field go to prosper and live well. The land gives way to golden shores and ocean on the southern border.
Towards the north, the low lying hills from the Old Country gradually rise until they have twisted into mountains that cover almost the entirety of Polarus, the northernmost country in the continent. The mountains occasionally sink down far enough to form deep valleys, and dense forests sprout from the stony roots of the alps. Miners gather in small settlements to dig the precious ores and gemstones from the caves that burrow through the mountains, though some hunters try to make a living by killing and selling the giant deer and hares that inhabit the forests.
Finally, to the west lies the country of Ruritania, home to many diverse landscapes and a wide variety of people and cultures. From dry, rocky moorland on the eastern border to taigas that spread from the north into the centre, many people have made their home in the patchwork country. Forest clad land to the south and west fades down into ocean on the southern and south-eastern side.
(I recognise this has changed since the original RP, and may be a little confusing. If you want a map then I have a very rough one. But I'm hesitant to post it, because when I say rough I mean really, really rough. Differently coloured squares made in paint kind of rough.)
Rules
I apologise in advance, these may seem very obvious, but I'd rather cover everything now instead of having to deal with it later, you know? So, here we go.
- No godmodding, controlling other peoples characters, doing the job of the GM for the dungeon, etc. You should know the drill, I think most RP's have these rules. Of course, if you want to know more, just let me know.
-Try to keep it friendly, we're all here to have fun!
- No arguing in the thread. If you have a problem with somebody, either ask the GM to help resolve it (If it concerns something to do with the RP), or take it to PMs. This doesn't include friendly little debates, which can go in the OOC, but if it's going to get nastier then, well, we don't want it souring the RP or the OOC, do we?
- Follow the site rules as well as any rules in this list or regarding the setting.
- If you see any faults or holes in the setting, let me know. Most of this was written late at night, so I'm pretty much taking it as inevitable that there will be errors (and probably lots of them)!
