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Background

A long time ago there were two countries who had little contact with each other. The main reason for this was geography, the two countries were split by an impossibly large and hazardous mountain range, the Dragon Fang Mountains. There were ways around the mountain range but only through vast swaths of desert, making travel with any large group unsustainable. Despite all this the two countries eventually came into contact with each other thanks to some brave explorers that conquered the desert.

First contact was fine, but after a few years something happened, an incident. Both sides claim the other was responsible for the slaughter of each other's parties and the two countries went to war; however it was virtually impossible for either side to launch a successful assault against the other and so throughout generations really only minor skirmishes have broken out in the desert regions. This had the potential to all change when a secret path was discovered in the Dragon Fang Mountains. A direct route would finally allow them to go at total war with each other but after each side discovered this route they were faced with a unforeseen obstacle. Someone lived at the top of that secret path.

A great fortress of a castle, Castle Grimm stood as an impregnable bulwark against both armies, and equipped with it's own mountain spring there was no way to effectively siege or starve out the inhabitants. The castle is large, strong, and very dark with gargoyles peppering the outer walls as if to scoff at any who attempted to enter. This castle has caused a great deal of headache to both warring sides who want the castle for themselves so they can launch an invasion of their most hated foes.

A glimmer of hope for these bloodthirsty nations has come up when an envoy from Castle Grimm delivered a message to the respective camps. The lord of the castle has requested that the two sides pick their best representatives to enter the castle for negotiations. Little else was said but neither side willing to waste such an opportunity have quickly selected their best and brightest to enter the forbidding castle to see if they can achieve their heart's desire.

The Roleplay

The idea for the role play is these two sides will enter Castle Grimm where the current lord has decided to create a little proxy war to decide which army they will allow through the pass. The lord has twins whom both want the castle, so instead of having them fight it out themselves the lord has decided to use the two enemy countries to decide it for them. Each side will side with a twin and try to sabotage, bargain, and assassinate the other side until a victory can be declared.

Inside the castle will be a few 'safe zones' where both sides can interact without fear of being killed, such as the throne room and the mess hall. Otherwise, it is completely free game against the opponents where anything goes. Castle Grimm has quite a few deadly secrets of its own and of course the obvious question, did the castle lord invite them really to just fight a proxy war, or is there something else afoot?

Interest?

That's the bare bones of the idea, if enough interest appears I'll expand upon it and flesh out an actual world and deeper setting.

I really dig the idea and might be down to join. One question though, you thinking a more fantasy setting or a medieval? Couldn't really figure that out but I'd be down either way!

Well I wasn't exactly sure at the time when I wrote it, but I think I'll go with a bit of a low-fantasy setting. There are fantastical creatures but in low quantities, magic exists but is rare and barely even seen in civilized society. I am leaning toward more of a high-medieval type period, perhaps even the beginnings of gunpowder use. Castle Grimm will have some ancient secrets that will pop up from time to time but for player characters most will probably have little to no knowledge of things deemed unnatural.

This looks very interesting, I'm down!

This looks promising! I'm totally on with this!

Seems pretty cool. I'm rather interested.

I'm interested! Can't wait for more detail.

Very much interested! Searching for my first RP to get involved in--this looks promising.

Little busy at the moment but I'll try to hash out some more details soon.

I'm also interested!

The Warring Factions

The White Rock Confederacy.

A group of smaller states that stick firm to their traditions and pride in their local governments. Most of the states are comprised of a few large cities with smaller towns and villages populating the rest of the land. The White Rock Confederacy takes great pride in its diversity of members and takes great pains to keep nature in even their most heavily populated cities. Nature has always had a very important part in the people's lives and many are taught about plants and animals.

Herding is one of the most common jobs in the Confederacy and farms are abundant. The confederacy prides itself on its strong animals, especially horses, oxen, and dogs. Due to its strong animal husbandry programs beasts of burden are abundant making transportation quite easy and fast for many.

The White Rock Confederacy is located West of the Dragon Fang Mountains and enjoys fairly mild temperatures most of the year. The further West one goes the more wooded the Confederacy gets. There are rumors that elves still live deep in the forest near the Confederacy but aside from the occasional sighting there is little proof of those claims.

As a Confederacy, the states do not have standing militaries. There are of course plenty of mercenaries and it is standard practice for citizens to have some military training. Whenever there is a need the call goes out to the states to assemble all those on reserve and who are willing to fight, as a result their military can seem a bit ragged but they can often think outside the box.

The Onxy Empire

A powerful empire to the East of the Dragon Fang Moutains, the Onxy Empire is strong and disciplined. The empire is ruled by Titus Obsidian who rules over the empire and several vassal states to the East. While the rule is strong, Obsidian often gives the lords under him some leeway in their rule, though he has the final say in all matters.

The Onxy Empire is known for its fantastic engineers and strong architecture. Onxyites are masters of stone and ironwork, often creating great artificial cities with working sewer systems, aqueducts, and even public baths. The Onxy empire is home to some of the largest mansions and castles ever constructed and can be a sight to behold.

The climate east of the mountains can be quite harsh, with extreme temperatures in both winter and summer, but the people of the empire are resourceful and adaptive. Mountain ranges are fairly common which means the empire has a lot of mining operations and towns. Mining can be dangerous work but the riches that flow into the empire are many.

In a mountain range to the South was found the ruins of what may have been a dwarven civilization. From ancient notes engineers in the empire are ecstatically working with a new compound, 'gunpowder,' and have starting producing prototype weapons to use with the substance. The work has had mixed results but progress is being made.

The empire has quite a large standing military. The soldiers are quite well trained though to cut on costs those in the military have to buy their own equipment, meaning the richer and higher up in rank, the better one's equipment will be. The army has the opportunity to give specialized training depending on a soldier's talents so there are quite a few branches in the army one can pursue.

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Castle Grimm People of Note

Lord Morrow Grimm



A large man who gives off the aura of a warrior king, Lord Morrow makes it seem like he’d have quite the reputation, but few know much about him. He likes to go around helmeted for some reason which seems a bit errie to outsiders. Little is known about the man outside of Castle Grimm.

Lady Zecorra Grimm



For someone old enough to have two sixteen-year old daughters she is remarkably attractive. Her figure can seem a bit frail but her demeanor gives off a seemingly unnatural strength. It is quite apparent after observing her for only a short amount of time that she holds sway over every aspect of Castle Grimm, though her husband does have the final say in the matter, if he decides he needs to.

Lady Esmerelda Grimm



Technically the second-born of the twins, Esmerelda Grimm is still considered an heiress to the throne. She appears gentle and kind but that demeanor merely masks her cunning and manipulative side. Quite keen minded she is quite to pick up on subtly and has quite the amount of perceptive abilities. She has a bit of a complex about her somewhat large bust and is worried about gaining weight.

Lady Primrosa Grimm



The first-born twin, Primrosa is, none-the-less, considered only a candidate for the throne. While Esmerelda prefers the indirect approach, Primrosa is a bit more straightforward in her personality and tactics. While not as political as her sister she is still very smart and has trained in the art of war. She is quite adaptable and handy with a blade as well. It would be wise not to underestimate her.

Oh my character is definitely gonna be on the White Rock confederacy side.

I'd like to throw my interest in at this point now

I'd love to be an Onyx gadget inventor if that's cool?

Keepin' me interested, can't wait for this to start!

Castle Grimm Geography

To get to Castle Grimm from either side of the Dragon Fang Mountains one must first find the somewhat hidden path to travel up. The paths is steep, narrow, and has many turns though the closer one gets to the top of the path, the better and wider the road becomes.

After traveling for a while one comes to the outer walls of Castle Grimm. The gate is heavy and firm, guarded by archers, various mechanisms, and stone gargoyles that peer down with intimidating eyes. The outer gate prevents people from entering into Grimm Valley.

Grimm Valley is a narrow, but long, valley nestled at the top of the pass. Due to its location, the valley does not get many hours of sunshine naturally, but a massive mirror has been installed near castle Grimm, that can extend sun hours on certain sections of the valley. The valley is populated by small farms that are protected by Castle Grimm.

The entrances to the valley are located at the North end, while Castle Grimm is nestled into the rock face of the mountain side at the South end. There is of course a castle wall protecting the entrance to the castle courtyard and outer castle facilities. The main castle keep has a thick inner wall so the castle has multiple lines of defense.

Castle Grimm is quite large and boasts various facilities ranging from training to recreational: an arena, garden, baths, small theater, courtyard, and small lake even are some of what is within the confines of the castle walls.

The Incident

The incident that sparked all-out hostilities can be traced back to what was suppose to be a cultural exchange in the desert. Two caravans met together to see if there was anything worth trading and also to get to know the other side of the mountains better. The first to die was a member of the Onyx Empire, a poisoned drink downed the unfortunate soul. Very quickly blame was laid at the White Rock Confederacy's feet who quickly denied such allegations, but then some gunpowder that had been exchanged ignited in Confederacy storage, wounding two guards nearby. After this fighting quickly broke out between the two parties, starting hostilities

The empire claimed the barbaric confederacy attempted to poison and steal everything the empire had while the confederacy cried the sabotage of traded goods because of the explosion. Neither side willing to admit to foul play they kept up the narrative about the evil of their neighbors across the mountains. Skirmishes have transpired quite frequently since then but with no good way to launch an offensive, casualties have been fairly light.

The White Rock Confederacy believes the Onyx Empire to be heartless expansionists, willing to use any means necessary for conquest. As a confederacy they also tend to feel that an empire is inherently evil, untrustworthy, and an affront to free rule. The Onyx Empire believes the White Rock Confederacy to be full of opportunistic barbarians, more concerned with wealth than decency and lacking of a firm foundation of government. The average confederacy citizen is seen as lazy, without morals, and too individualistic to work for the greater good of the country.

I'd love to be an Onyx gadget inventor if that's cool?

I wonder why...*looks at avatar and banner*...hmmm...XD

I don't see why not, although just try not to get too advanced, gadgets are still somewhat unreliable and gimmiky at this point in time so just keep things within reason.

@IceHeartOh believe me, I was planning on having almost everything I make break down in a comical fashion one way or another. I was going for a basic steampunk level of technology, all experimental prototypes

before I make my whole character, how long ago was the incident? Is it fresh enough that a character could have had a sibling in it, or heard stories about "Grandpa was killed by..."?

before I make my whole character, how long ago was the incident? Is it fresh enough that a character could have had a sibling in it, or heard stories about "Grandpa was killed by..."?

My first draft was a generation or two ago but there is little chance they would still be angry with each other that long ago. I'll make it be about 10 years ago. Now updated in the OOC under "The Incident".