"And in the child's forehead was the Chim-el Adabal,
alive with the dragon-fires of yore and divine promise,
and none dared obstruct Sed-Yenna when she climbed the
steps of White-Gold Tower to place the babe Reman
on his Throne, where he spoke as an adult, saying
I AM CYRODIIL COME."
- the Remanada
It is the year 4E 211. One decade has passed since the tumultuous start of the third century of the fourth era, when the Last Dragonborn brought down Alduin, the Emperor was assassinated by the Dark Brotherhood and the Thalmor were unexpectedly overthrown by Daedric usurpers on the final day of Evening Star. All of Tamriel's dominions, empires, provinces and kingdoms have been thrown into chaos as the former major powers have been shattered in one way or another, their hold on the continent broken.
In the midst of all this strife the Ruby Throne sits empty without a worthy successor. The Starry Heart of Nirn is far from united as several Imperial warlords raise armies and skirmish against each other, each preparing to lay siege to the barred gates of the Imperial City behind which the Elder Council and a few loyal Legions have barricaded themselves. It seems trivial compared to the other events in Tamriel and, for the first time in thousands of years, the Imperials are mostly left to their own devices. It is in this theater of war that our story begins.
The rise of and the power struggle between countless kings and lords all over Tamriel has created a highly lucrative opportunity for mercenary companies and soldiers-of-fortune to make a killing. Some of them are entirely homogeneous, composed of a single race, while others are defiantly multicultural, electing to ignore the racial power struggles. Perhaps they are disillusioned Nords, refusing to bend the knee to the cruel Dragonborn, wandering Altmer without a home to return to, Argonians that fear what might have happened to Black Marsh and prefer not to find out, Bretons that couldn't care less about petty, squabbling kingdoms, Dunmer that would only be cursed and called 'outlander' in Morrowind -- men and women from all walks of life brought together by greed and brotherhood.
We are a small group of such individuals. Not even a company, really, more of a band of specialists in our respective fields that sell our services to the highest bidder. Right now, that happens to be a promising Nibenese warlord who wields the Daedric katana Goldbrand and calls himself Thaddeus Sibassian. He and his forces have occupied and restored the ruins of Sancre Tor and it is rumored that he has been blessed by Talos himself. True or not, he has the air of destiny about him. None of us are so special but perhaps we can make our mark by following this Sibassian and, well, if not, at least the septims are good.
INTRODUCTION
Hello and welcome to Swords & Septims. This is a roleplay about a mixed-race mercenary group of specialists that has recently been hired by a Nibenese warlord in his bid for the Ruby Throne during a period of violent upheaval in Tamriel, the Second Stormcrown Interregnum. It takes place ten years after the events of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in a fictionalized timeline of which I am the eclectic and mercurial mastermind. As such, I will provide a fairly detailed summary of recent events in Tamriel that I expect players to incorporate into the backgrounds of their characters. Fear not -- there will be plenty of room for creative freedom as long as everyone colours between the lines.
I will accept (up to) six other players who are expected to create a character that adheres to one of several archetypes, provided by me, to ensure a varied and colourful cast that is equipped with the necessary skills to tackle any situation. That said, if you have a great idea for a character that doesn't fit into any of the provided archetypes, feel free to run it by me in a private message. I might be persuaded to change my mind.
My standards for grammar, spelling and syntax are relatively high compared to some of the writing I've seen around Advanced lately. I don't expect total and absolute flawlessness but be aware of this while writing your character sheets and posts. I would also like to see interesting characters with a little depth to them -- flaws and shortcomings are the spice of any persona. I will do my best to create such a character and I expect the other players to do so as well. Gary/Mary Sue characters are absolutely haram.
Standard rules apply. No powergaming, godmodding, yadda yadda. My word is final. You're Advanced players, I shouldn't have to go into detail here, so let's get to the fun stuff! Below you will find a description of what has happened in my fictionalized timeline, sorted by province, and below that is the character sheet and the list of roles I want players to fill.
May your road lead you to warm sands, traveler.
RECENT EVENTS
Skyrim
After the Last Dragonborn heroically ended the Dragon Crisis in 4E 201 by journeying to Sovngarde and defeating Alduin the World-Eater, he was attacked by cultists that worshiped Miraak, the First Dragonborn. Miraak was just as resoundingly cast down as Alduin had been but the Daedric Prince Hermeus Mora, the Demon of Knowledge, saw an opportunity here and managed to plant a seed in the mind of the Last Dragonborn, hoping to corrupt the Hero to his service. It took a while for this plan to come to fruition but the first steps were made when, later that year, the Last Dragonborn became involved with the newly-reformed Dawnguard. In a horrifying turn of events that would shape the future of Tamriel's northernmost continent for the decade to come, the Last Dragonborn accepted Lord Harkon's gift and became a Vampire Lord. He obtained Auriel's Bow, destroyed the Dawnguard and killed Lord Harkon. A power-hungry madness had gripped the Dovahkiin and he returned to High Hrothgar, sword in hand and the Thu'um in his throat. There, he slew Paarthurnax and the Greybeards, determined to seize dominion over the remaining dragons for himself.
The Stormcloak Rebellion, ignored by the Dragonborn until now, became a dangerous struggle for both sides as the vicious Dragonborn and his mind-controlled dragons, Odahviing chief amongst them, turned against both the Empire and Ulfric Stormcloak. He blotted out Magnus, the sun, with cursed arrows dipped in the blood of a Daughter of Coldharbour and laid waste to the disparate sides that opposed him. This continued throughout 4E 202 until the Empire collapsed, courtesy of the assassination of Emperor Titus Mede II and all his heirs. The Stormcloak Rebellion ended and most of Skyrim united against him. In the end, it took him nine years to completely subjugate the Nords and raise an army of his own. The Dragonborn achieved this by killing every jarl, general and warlord that opposed him, including Ulfric Stormcloak. The cities of Dawnstar and Riften were completely razed to the ground. The Companions and the College of Winterhold also resisted -- the Companions were completely eliminated and Jorrvaskr destroyed. The College eventually bent the knee and now its tutors and students are forced to serve the Dragonborn as battlemages for his army.
Now that the province belongs to him, his rule enforced by roaming bands of bloodthirsty soldier-bandits sporting ominous black banners, the Dragonborn has set his sights on the east and challenges his most powerful rival, the recently returned Nerevarine.
Morrowind
The devastation wrought by the Red Year and the subsequent Argonian invasions from Black Marsh have left Morrowind in a sorry state ever since. The Great Houses and the Temple were focused on rebuilding and Morrowind was, as a political entity, unable to participate in the continental stage until the Nerevarine unexpectedly returned from Akavir in 4E 209. This Hero had not fallen to depravity and madness, unlike his Nordic counterpart, and was able to immediately assume full control over the Dunmer people by virtue of reputation and an appeal to Morrowind's growing sense of unease at the ravages of the Dragonborn to the west. Corprus makes the Nerevarine immortal and his power is based on many powerful magical artifacts he has gathered over the years, exotic magic learned in Akavir, and the experience that comes with longevity. Even without the Thu'um, the Nerevarine is powerful enough to go toe-to-toe with the Dragonborn.
The authority of the Great Houses was dismantled by the Nerevarine and he abolished them, instead uniting the Dunmer people beneath a single banner, the moon-and-star of Azura, and brought back the ancient name of Resdayn. Now the armies of the Dunmeri and the Nords, both meager from years of devastation wrought in their respective provinces, clash beneath the long shadows of the Velothi mountains. Precious little news makes it to the rest of Tamriel and the continent holds its breath (while they deal with their own issues) to see who will emerge as the victor.
Black Marsh
Black Marsh, also known as Argonia, has become an enigma. No one has seen its Argonian inhabitants for years and of all those who have crossed its border, none have returned. The invasions into Morrowind ceased entirely in 4E 202... and after that, only silence. Rumors are plenty, of course, especially among the diasporic Argonian populations in the rest of Tamriel, but none are verified. Some say that the Hist trees have come to life and wade through the marshes now, strangling everything in their paths with long, twisted vines. Others say that the floating city of Umbriel has returned once more and Black Marsh is overrun by the undead. Whatever the truth may be, the rest of Tamriel is too preoccupied to mount an expedition into the marshes.
Alinor
On the very last day of 4E 201, the 31st of Evening Star, the Thalmor were unexpectedly assaulted by Daedric cults that desired control over the Dominion. An initial stream of refugees managed to escape the island-province until enormous storms, conjured from the hellish depths of Oblivion, ravaged the Abecean Sea. These storms have failed to dissipate over the past decade, preventing all travel to and from the Summerset Isles. The Altmer refugees landed all across Tamriel's west coast, though mostly in Valenwood, and have been unwillingly forced to integrate and settle down over time as a return to their homeland has proven impossible so far.
This was, of course, catastrophic for the Aldmeri Dominion's hold over their mainland territory and the Dominion has effectively collapsed. That the Empire simultaneously fell to pieces after the assassination of Titus Mede II is the only reason this didn't result in an immediate, unconditional victory for the Imperials. The war is over and nobody won.
Valenwood
Realizing the Dominion was dead, the Bosmer of Valenwood ousted the Thalmor from their province and effectively closed off their borders. They retreated deep inside the darkness of their forests and have since done nothing except bide their time. None of the forces around Valenwood have made an attempt at an invasion and for good reason, as none of them are in any state to do so. Some of the Bosmer living outside of Valenwood saw this as a good opportunity to return to their ancestral homelands and wait out the turmoil that has gripped the rest of the continent, but all other races are denied entrance. It is a haven of tranquility amidst chaos.
Elseweyr
The Khajiiti kingdoms of Anequina and Pelletine were formed as client states of the Aldmeri Dominion after the Thalmor claimed responsibility for bringing Masser and Secunda back from the two-year period known as the Void Nights. Now that the Thalmor have been overthrown, the Kahjiits have turned on each other in a fit of (no doubt sugar-fueled) madness and Anequina and Pelletine are at war. The rest of Tamriel is content to let the beastfolk battle out their internal disputes -- the sands of Elseweyr have never been a particularly appealing piece of territory for the other races. Perhaps amusingly, the most significant consequence of this war is that the export of moon sugar to the other provinces has been significantly diminished, leaving thousands of addicts without their fix. Khajiiti caravans continue to travel throughout Tamriel and these cats will, if asked, merely shake their heads in despair at the sate of their homeland.
High Rock, Hammerfell and Orsinium
I grouped these three provinces together because the same fate has befallen two of them and the third is taking advantage. Following the fall of the Empire, the Redguards and the Bretons have fractured into hundreds of warring city-states, kingdoms and caliphates, as was their way before the miraculous Warp in the West that happened hundreds of years ago. The most significant players in this region are Daggerfall, Sentinel, Wayrest, and Skaven. In High Rock, knightly orders have taken control of most of these city-states and kingdoms and battle each other for supremacy. In Hammerfell, a similar situation exists as the descendants of the Forebears have assumed militaristic control and finally settled the old scores with the Crowns.
And that leaves us with Orsinium. Settled between Cyrodiil and Hammerfell, the Orsimer have started an aggressive expansionist strategy into the Redguard lands. They currently control Elinhir and Dragonstar and are moving north in order to conquer Breton territory as well. Cyrodiil has been spared so far as the Orcs are obsessed with taking revenge on their historic rivals first and foremost. Their military seems to be headed by a massive, bare-chested Orc known as the Hand of Mauloch who challenges enemy commanders to single combat and mercilessly butchers them with twinned orichalcum longswords. Such is the Orcish way.
Cyrodiil
The Starry Heart of Nirn is where our story will begin and, as such, recent events here are the most important of all. The Dark Brotherhood assassinated Emperor Titus Mede II in Skyrim in 4E201, followed by a violent year of infighting among prominent members of the Elder Council. The Imperial City's hold on the rest of the province faltered and all of the other cities had denounced whatever remained of the Imperial authority by 4E 203. As is Imperial tradition during periods of upheaval, several warlords have established themselves throughout Cyrodiil and are now vying for control over the Ruby Throne. The remnants of the Elder Council, once again united in 4E 211, still occupy the Imperial City with a few loyalist Legions. None of the warlords are currently powerful enough to conquer the city by themselves and so the conflict drags on. The Fighters Guild still exists, though fractured, and various factions are backing various different individuals. The Synod and the College of Whispers watch from the shadows, waiting to see which candidate seems most promising before dedicating themselves to any one side. Backing the right warlord would guarantee their status as state-sanctioned organization -- but their rivalry will almost inevitably have them supporting different claims to the Throne.
Now that the Empire no longer exists to unify the province, the cultural differences between the Colovians and the Nibenese peoples have become more pronounced. In the west, the Colovians are the more militaristic and pragmatic of the two, resulting in heavily fortified cities, nightly curfews, drafts and other draconic measures. It was initially expected that it would be a Colovian warlord to eventually conquer the Imperial City, as has always been the case, but the recent failure of the most promising one, the Anvil-based Vlanhonder Pinder, has cast doubt on that theory. He attempted to siege the Imperial City from the west and was repulsed. The village of Weye was burned down the ground during this siege and it is there that Pinder met his end. Now, all eyes are on the Nibenese warlord Thaddeus Sibassian.
Nibenay, to the east, has always been more colourful and cultured than Colovia. The esoteric and philosophical attitude of the Nibenese, focused on elaborate ceremony, has led Thaddeus Sibassian, a warlord hailing from Cheydinhal, to relocate his base of operations to the ruins of Sancre Tor. It's a symbolic move designed to appeal to the nostalgic hearts of the Imperials and it has garnered a lot of popular support for the man. Rumor goes that Talos himself has blessed Sibassian and wishes for him to take the Ruby Throne and he wields the Daedric katana Goldbrand into battle -- the same thing was said about the first Titus Mede, who many Imperials remember fondly.
Sancre Tor is located deep in Colovian territory, however, and it's of paramount importance that Sibassian expands his territory, lest he be surrounded and eliminated by his Colovian enemies. Sibassian currently prepares to lay siege to Chorrol, aiming to wrestle control away from count and aspiring warlord Kastav Urilek. We have been hired in order to help facilitate this event.
THE PARTY
Below I have outlined the roles I would like people to fill. The races and classes listed after each role are strong suggestions but not necessarily hard requirements. Like I said before, feel free to message me if you have different ideas, but I hope that all feasible character types are covered one way or another. The only reason this role system exists is to ensure the cast is varied and skilled in every way.
The Chief - Nord - Warrior/Barbarian
This role will be taken by myself in order to guide the roleplay. Expect a burly, good-humored Nord skald in his early fifties, clad in ancient Nordic armor and wielding a large greatsword. He founded the company two years ago. I hope to have his sheet ready this weekend.
The Recruit - Imperial - Knight
Newest member of the company. Young, inexperienced, driven. This role will be played by my partner-in-crime Hood.
The Mage - Any race - Elementalist/Healer/Battlemage/Enchanter
Because every company needs some lightning tendrils, fireballs and healing hands. The Mage has been around since the beginning and will have enjoyed a classical, arcane education in the various schools of magic, possibly at the College of Winterhold, the Synod or other, comparable institutions. They are intelligent, perceptive and (for whatever reason) dissatisfied with a quiet life, but the rest of the personality is completely up to the player.
The Rogue - Breton/Khajiit/Argonian/Dunmer - Assassin/Thief/Nightblade/Scout
Helps the company get in and out of wherever they need to be, charm those who need charming and sows chaos and discord from the shadows during battles. Has also been around since the beginning. A certain amount of cynicism and casual disregard for the rights of others is necessary to have acquired their skills. Their weapon of choice is up to the player as long as it's discrete, but the Rogue cannot be the company's most skilled archer -- that position is reserved for the Ranger.
The Occultist - Breton/Altmer/Dunmer/Imperial - Conjurer/Necromancer/Sorcerer
The darker side of magicka. The Occultist will have received their education at the hands of a hedge wizard, necromancer or maybe even a Hagraven, far away from the prying eyes of civilized society. They are unlikely to be a friendly, empathetic sweetheart due to the nature of their unsavory skills. Daedric conjurations, undead thralls and curses are the Occultist's bread and butter. Can either be a founding member or a newer addition.
The Soldier - Redguard/Imperial/Nord/Orc - Warrior/Crusader/Legionnaire
While the Chief is a great fighter, he has never been part of a real army and the Soldier was recruited soon after the company's founding to add a little bit of legitimacy and discipline. They will have been part of an army, be it the Imperial Legion or another, and are skilled with the sword & shield, experienced in long marches, tireless in combat and good at following orders (or barking them). Might be a blacksmith. The reason they no longer serve is up to the player.
The Ranger - Bosmer/Nord/Breton/Imperial/Argonian - Archer/Scout/Beastmaster
You think the wilderness is your ally? The Ranger was born in it, molded by it, and leads the company whenever they're out in the boonies. Archery specialist, knows everything there is to know about tracking and hunting, might be a skilled alchemist. The Ranger definitely did not grow up in the city. Can be an old member or newish, but not a fresh recruit. Personality and history is mostly up to the player.
CHARACTER SHEET
Role: One of the above.
Name: Please try to make it lore appropriate.
Age: Adhere to your race's lifespan.
Sex: Male or female.
Class: Knight, warrior, mage, rogue -- that sort of thing.
Appearance: Written descriptions are mandatory, though supplementing that with reference images is allowed.
Background: Where did your character come from and what events shaped them into who they are today? I don't expect an entire novel but don't rush this part -- it's where you can impress me the most. Make sure it's believable and try to make it interesting & give it a unique twist.
Personality: Your character's psychological profile. Traits, quirks, likes, dislikes, disorders, delusions, beliefs; it all goes here.
Skills: This is an important section because this is where you risk making your character overpowered. We're specialists but we're not the demigod Heroes from the videogames. List your skills in descending order from most to least proficient. And not just the name of the skill, either; I want to know how your character applies these skills. Try to adhere to having one or two skills your character is really good at, roughly three things they're competent at and a couple of miscellaneous knacks (like sewing or chess).
Equipment: General outline of your character's gear. I don't need to know everything that's in their pockets but armor, weapons, consumables and tools should be mentioned here. Exotic materials like ebony and glass are out of the question and a nimble acrobat that wears heavy armor doesn't make any sense. Err on the side of poverty.
Dialogue colour: Some people like to colour-code their character's dialogue. I'm not a huge fan of it but I'll allow it on the condition that you use light, pastel shades. Think this instead of this. I think bright, harsh colours are too jarring, personally.
Thank you for reading this far! I hope to get a nice, balanced, varied, colourful cast of characters. There's no official deadline for character submissions but I would like to get this show on the road within the next nine days or so, at the latest. Send your character sheets to me in a private message; do not post them in the thread until you're accepted. Then they go in the Characters tab.
If you have any questions, fire away and I'll answer them all.
I would like to credit @gcold and the boys & girls over at the Fruits of Contention for several of their ideas that I've handily stolen for myself, like the Dragonborn and the Nerevarine returning to lead their respective provinces. Cheers.
1x Like
