Chronicles of Ao
"It was in the 612th year of the Naga that the world changed forever. The magnitude of what transpired is of such enormous proportions that future generations must think us blind that we did not see it coming when it so clearly must have been staring us in our faces, but how could we have known what would happen? How could we understand? Could anyone? And yet, as it came to pass, we all felt it, somehow; the shadow of death slowly growing on the horizon as the sun of our civilization started setting.
Karuna sank into the sea.
A whole continent gone, lost forever. Only a precious few survived the event, but their stories all tell of terrible things; of tremors and the great thunder and rumble from below as the earth suddenly cracked and torn, of the panic and chaos, of the end of a thousand thousand people and their way of life. And now remains only the Tears, the only remaining pieces of Karuna, surrounding the Maelstrom itself.
The Maelstrom. Our adversary. At least that is what it sometimes feels like. Like the phenomenon is not a phenomenon at all, but an entity with a mind of its own. An evil mind, bend on death and destruction. It sits in the Center sea like a cancerous growth, sending anyone sailing too close to their doom. Some say it has grown, that it will some day reach the shores of the lands surrounding it. I shudder at the thought, that we all are living on borrowed time." - Scholaris Galvotas, The Chronicles of Ao
Welcome to the game!
In this here game we will be playing as the dynasties of the fictional world of Ao during the aftermath of a great cataclysm. An entire continent was suddenly sucked into the sea 300 years ago, and some evidence suggests that others might soon come to follow. You will race against time and your rivals as you try to figure out why this is happening, if it can be stopped, and how your dynasty can come out on top. Your nations must in the meantime be managed as panic and mass hysteria slowly takes hold of the populace.
Here is the map we're going to use:
The big maelstrom in the almost-center of the world is... the Maelstrom, and the shreds of island surrounding it are the Tears. You may not claim any of this area for your nation. In fact, even travel through or in the proximity of this place is impossible, forcing people to go the long way around in the name of trade or diplomacy, or (of course) war. Any other place on the map is fine for claims.
When writing your nation, be detailed but keep it short. I don't need a thousand words on every aspect of your civilization, I need the basics and a few facts to keep it interesting. I will also supply you with a few stylistic choices to help shape your dynasty in the world of Ao.
Choice 1
The first choice you'll make is which race makes up the majority of your people. In Ao there are three sentient humanoids which have co-evolved throughout history; mankind, elfkind and orckind.
Mankind, or humans, need no detailed introduction. They're omnivores, live relatively long lives compared to other mammals, are highly adaptable and can live solitary or social lives. Humans are multi-facetted and capable of a lot of things.
Elfkind, or elves, differ from their cousins in several ways. They are strict herbivores, meaning they cannot get nourishment from the meat of other animals. They have also developed a version of photosynthesis, meaning they can get almost everything they need from sunlight and water. They live long lives of up to 300 years, but mature slowly. Elves are naturally solitary creatures, only forming families in order to raise offspring.
Orckind, or orcs, differ from their cousins in other ways. Orcs are strict carnivores and can only get nourishment from the meat of other animals. They are natural predators and have developed sharp teeth and claws as well as hightened senses in order to catch and kill prey. Orcs live relatively short lives of up to 30 years, but mature quickly. They are pack animals by nature, only ever on their own when separated from or cast out of their family.
Once you've decided which one of the three makes up the majority of your people, we can move of to the choice(s) of Choice 2.
Choice 2
The second choice you're going to make is actually a series of choices from a list of Traits and Flaws (borrowed from older NRPs). These Traits and Flaws will have no further impact on your nation than that they'll help set the tone. The Traits are divided into three categories: Kingdom, Military and Economy. You will have ten points (in total) to spend on these Traits. Then you will choose 2 Flaws. You may take an additional Flaw to redeem 1 more point for Traits. This can be done multiple times. You may also invent new Traits and Flaws to suit your nation. Please note, however, that such Traits and Flaws must be accepted by me before... they're accepted, I guess (:P).
Once you've chosen your Traits and Flaws, you will write a paragraph (or two, tops) on each category (Kingdom, Military, Economy, Flaws) to explain how that Trait or Flaw plays out in your nation.
Here's the list:
Almost done!
Now, having made those choices, there is only the small task of compiling your Nation Sheet and submitting it in the thread for approval. Here's a template to inspire you:
Once accepted, you're good to go! I will wait for at least 5 finished (and accepted) applications before starting the game.
Looking forward to playing with you!
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