Do the relics have any particular powers other than their relic status? I gave Xanatos a sword that has served his family for generations that will turn out to be his relic.
They are weapons that grant powers to their wielders, at the cost of also cursing them. It is 100% not possible for anyone to start with one, as they all have predetermined plot-based locations, and starting with them would undermine the purpose of the roleplay.
@Vonghese I imagine that my OC will be a recent addition to the crew. His status as a deviant religious practitioner means he can't afford to be picky about HOW he got out to sea.
Reposting for @Neo Is Delight review, as I think Draft 1 is complete.
"The Old Gods have one thing that these new ones do not. Compassion. Whether you believe or not, Hiathas does not loathe you. Hiathas does not curse you. You are loved by the Dawnbringer."
Nicknames: The Last of the Dawnbringers, the Pervert Priest
Faction: The Cult of Hiathas, Imperial Citizen
Age: 27
Gender: None (See Character History, paragraph 1)
Character History: Marius Triar was born the illegitimate son of an Imperial Chirurgeon to one of his maid attendants. After his birth, Imperial records register him as a Male- though this would change somewhat in the years to come when Marius became a Cleric of the Dawnfather. To this day he does accept the use of more masculine terms, or feminine ones interchangeably.
Raised in the Cosmopolitan centers of the Empire, Marius was taught to read, write, and make observations of the human body as a matter of course by his father. Though to this day he is not acknowledged officially, the man wanted to maintain a literate household as he valued intelligent conversation and learned folk above all others.
It wasn't until Marius entered his teenage years that troubles began brewing between the two of them. Rather than attending his father as a copier of records, he began taking on more "women's work" and altering his appearance in none too subtle ways, challenging the masculine norms of his father's society. The two would fight often over this, but Marius' father chalked it up to simple teenage rebellion. Marius never told him about the book of the Old Gods he'd found in his father's library, with its stories that seemed to pique his interest and somehow speak to his soul. Here was a Hunter Goddess in trousers and armor. Here was a Sea God, both man and woman. And here was a Sun God Hiathas, with his loving husband of the Forest, who spoke freely of compassion.
By chance or design, Marius found that the only known Cleric of Hiathas, Yvan Trona, was due to give a lecture at the University. Marius went, expecting to find a dotering old man proselytizing before his death to a room of equally aged professors and Scribes. Instead, he found a passionate speaker railing against the unwillingness of the Imperial Church to preach compassion to their worshipers, to an audience of one.
It was love at first sight. And it was reciprocated.
Marius and Yvan carried on their clandestine affair for some time within the city, with Yvan introducing him to the rites of the Dawnfather and traditional stories.
The story of their love's end isn't one Marius cares to speak about, even to the crew of the vessel. Most of the regular crew note that the day he arrived, he paid in Imperial lyra for passage out of the territory, that he wore used robes of a Cleric of an ancient Southlands church, and that he quickly became useful aboard the vessel as a Chirurgeon. Marius keeps his own company, especially after some of the bilge crew assaulted him on the first week. But he is content to forfeit his share of the plunder in order to facilitate his flight from the Empire.
Dogma: The cult of Hiathas in ancient times was a simple one. The Dawnfather, Hiathas, held daylight, athletics, hope, and non-heterosexual love as the domain of his priests and priestesses. His beloved was Braniel, God of the Forests. The priests were often neither male nor female, but took a third gender blending the two. Those who were born with characteristics of both men and women were looked highly upon and could rise highly within the cult.
The Cult gave blessings to marriages between men, women, and those who were neither, pioneered some early healing techniques, and oversaw the harvests in the days of the Southern Republic. Their religious texts mention miraculous healing as well as athletes who could jump so high they seemed to fly and dancers who moved with the grace of flowing water.
The Cult of Hiathas held sway within the Old Republican days of the Southlands for generations, up until the time modern scholars posit the war against the Demon Famerin happened. Many scholars note that this "demon" was actually an interpretation of the Eastern Warlord Famahl of the Haru and the devastation wrought by his hordes on the Southlands. And the Hordes did introduce the cult of the One God to the region, which began the decline of the old cults among the peasants. After all, why pay for eight sacrifices to offer at the altars of different gods when you only need pay for one? It wasn't until the fall of the Republic and the arrival of the first Empress that the cult began to enter a true death spiral. The Imperial Church vied with the Eastern Faith for the hearts of the people, but both sides seemed to agree that it was time for the old cults to go.
The Eastern Church feels the Dawnbringer's message is too forgiving compared to the realities of the world. Only the One God may dispense with hope and compassion, and they must be earned through blood and toil- not given out like flowers at a festival.
The Imperial Church feels the talk of men loving men, of more forms than Man and Woman, of such scandalous talk of life without marriage, to be not only sinful, but unsuitable even for academic discussion. Now universities, the last places where talk of Hiathas and his brothers and sisters happened regularly, are adjusting their curriculum to label the followers of the cult as nothing more than lecherous perverts.
Now the Cult of Hiathas has one priest left. And he knows he can only pray that he will one day carry the Dawnbringer's Torch to keep Hope alive...
Relic:The Dawnbringer's Torch The Dawnbringer's Torch was said to be a sign of divine favor from his domain. The heart of the Torch fell from the sky during the feast of Midsummer near a shrine to the God outside the city of Veralia in the south. For a time it was enshrined as an eternally burning stone, one that held miraculous properties. Day and night, in wind and snow, the fallen stone would retain heat and glow with an otherworldly power. The people
When the time came to seal the Demon away, the Hierarch of the Dawnfather willingly gave up the sacred stone to the greatest smiths in the Republic. Legends say they cut down the entire Forest of Braniel to feed the flames needed to make the stone maleable, forging it as the centerpiece of the Torch. The name of the stave's wielder has long since been lost to time, as has the knowledge of the weapon's unlocked powers, but the stories do note that the stave seemed to blind demons and burn those described as "unworthy" of the Dawnfather's favor. More fanciful tales even state that the Torch would grant its wielder wings- a notion that is quickly dismissed by even the simplest child these days.
In the centuries since the binding of the Demon, the weapon has always been carried by a Cleric of Hiathas. And as the ages passed, with religions rising and falling constantly within the borders of the Empire, the weapon was lost in the Wars of Reformation 183 years ago when the Hierarch of the Cult, Dyna Fomora, was seized by a mob, drawn, and quartered for the crime of buggery with their beloved. From that moment on, the staff was lost to time...
Blessings Where the staff goes, the people begin to enjoy kinder weather- clear skies and cool breezes. Hope comes easily to them. The future seems brighter as if the gods themselves are smiling on them. Travelling Companions with the Torch's wielders have noted that they have been inspired to actions that they normally would not feel capable of doing. Legends say that the touch of the wrought steel from the Dawnbringer's Torch is painful to the touch when pressed against the flesh of demons, and that those who enjoyed Hiathas' favor would be granted flight by him. This last power was last "observed" more than six-hundred years ago and has not been noted since.
Curse The staff brings the sense that those around it are God-touched. And joy for blessings one day quickly turn to fanaticism and factionalism the next. If the staff stays in one location longer than several days, neighbors will take any sign of impropriety as offense against their own patron gods. Those who hold no gods in their hearts will simply assume the worst of their own neighbors. If the staff does not move on, in short order a lovely village will become desolate from religious warfare.
Hey Al. Can you hold a little on some of the God stuff? I have a few lore things I am going to add about the Underworld and the Heavens myself. I been working on them and they are going into the 0th post. I have been busy so I haven't been able to sit down and take the time to actually do that though. I have info of the Sea God, God of the Underworld, a Quadruplet of demons, and the God of the Underworld.
Hey Al. Can you hold a little on some of the God stuff? I have a few lore things I am going to add about the Underworld and the Heavens myself. I been working on them and they are going into the 0th post. I have been busy so I haven't been able to sit down and take the time to actually do that though. I have info of the Sea God, God of the Underworld, a Quadruplet of demons, and the God of the Underworld.
Absolutely! I tried to take the whole "feel free to add stuff" comment and run with it while leaving things vague for others to add on. If you need me to change anything, let me know.
Absolutely! I tried to take the whole "feel free to add stuff" comment and run with it while leaving things vague for others to add on. If you need me to change anything, let me know.
Not a problem. I love it! But I'm also one of those people who spends so much time off site writing stuff. And I don't want anyone to have a conflict in creative interest.
You're good. I have a mild obsession with mythology. But at the same time though it was important to the plot and connections of my badguy. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. So I needed to flesh out the Gods he was connected with.
As said I love the fact Al did so. We much prefer when someone is going to take initiative. And then we work around it. I just need Al and I to work together.
The area: While pirates are found in most areas, they prefer sunny and mild climates. The islands of the Onar Archipelago are a favorite cruising ground, with territories and areas that are in a constant state of flux. In general, pirates will not attempt to crowd an area or compete directly for prizes. However, chases frequently lead to more than one ship being involved in the taking of a prize, and when this happens conflict can often turn bloody.
Settling disputes: Nobody wants to risk their ship being damaged too badly to outrun pirate hunters, and ship engagements are never a sure thing among pirates. Similarly, a captain cannot allow a crew to divide itself over an issue. Therefore, whenever there is a dispute that cannot be judged fairly by a third party, it is settled on the spot with single combat. Ships and crews may choose a champion to represent them, but personal quarrels must be settled personally. Thieves are not tolerated, and in a culture where reputation is everything, an accusation of theft is always followed by a fight to the death.
The culture: Pirates live and die by their names and reputations. In their world, there is very little written news. Theirs is an oral tradition, a surprising but necessary thing when surrounded on all sides by nations who would see them hunted. While friendly insults are often exchanged between comrades, strangers are viewed with careful distain. They may be rough men, with little or no formal education, but they are surprisingly polite in their own fashion.
Taboos: Even the most barbaric of cultures has its share of taboos, and pirates are no exception to this. In general, violence against children is frowned upon regardless of their circumstance. Anyone of age taken as part of a prize, though, is considered fair game. Surrender is usually honored, though exactly how much behavior that restricts is usually determined by the captain.
The Free Cities:
There are multiple free cities in the Archipalego and up and down the coast. Pirates are fiercely self-regulating in these cities, as they want to continue to be welcome. In general, there is a district or area set aside where they are left to their own devices.
Notable ranks: Captain: His word is to be considered law in the day-to-day running of the ship and in action. Orders must be carried out swiftly and precisely in order to ensure the safety of the ship and its crew. Quartermaster: The administrator of the ship, the quartermaster served as go-between to the captain, representing the wishes of the crew. They alone had the power of veto, but usually used this sparingly and behind closed doors in order to keep the crew's confidence in the captain's judgment. Of course, the extent of this differed from ship to ship. The quartermaster was also in charge of managing the ship's hierarchy and answerable for the books and division of plunder. Lieutenants: The first and second lieutenants represented the chain of command on board a ship. In general, it went Captain, First and Second Lieutenants, Quartermaster, Bosun. Their presence promised stability and sure guidance to the crew in the event of a calamity befalling their captain. They were considered future captains in their own rights, concerned more with the management of operations on board the ship than the administrative duties of the Quartermaster. Bosun: This man was answerable for the ship's tackle and sails. He directly managed the operations on deck, kept the crew organized, oversaw maintenance and damage control, and otherwise tended to the minutia of running a ship.
Settling disputes: Nobody wants to risk their ship being damaged too badly to outrun pirate hunters, and ship engagements are never a sure thing among pirates. Similarly, a captain cannot allow a crew to divide itself over an issue. Therefore, whenever there is a dispute that cannot be judged fairly by a third party, it is settled on the spot with single combat. Ships and crews may choose a champion to represent them, but personal quarrels must be settled personally. Thieves are not tolerated, and in a culture where reputation is everything, an accusation of theft is always followed by a fight to the death.
Pirates had a system of hierarchy on board their ships determining how captured money was distributed. However, pirates were more egalitarian than any other area of employment at the time. In fact, pirate quartermasters were a counterbalance to the captain and had the power to veto his orders.
Pirates had a system of hierarchy on board their ships determining how captured money was distributed. However, pirates were more egalitarian than any other area of employment at the time. In fact, pirate quartermasters were a counterbalance to the captain and had the power to veto his orders.
@AngelofOctober@Neo Is Delight Sorry I think I will leave. Thank you for your advice on how to create a character. It really help me a lot. Thanks to it, now I truly see what you meant previously. Well, again sorry for causing troubles for you. But I think I will leave. Thank you.
@AngelofOctober@Neo Is Delight Sorry I think I will leave. Thank you for your advice on how to create a character. It really help me a lot. Thanks to it, now I truly see what you meant previously. Well, again sorry for causing troubles for you. But I think I will leave. Thank you.