Gather around, little ones, for I have a story to tell.
A long, long time ago, our land, Atlas, knew peace. This was the time of King Cedric and his three princes, when not all of Atlas was yet charted and people thought that the lands to the far east were laden with half-demon, half-human warriors that spun songs with their swords. It was a frightening time for most, as many had not formed bonds with Pokemon as of yet-- and thus, they stayed shut tight in their homes, frightened of the beasts that prowled the wood. Pokemon were all that they had to worry about; united under one banner, King Cedric's kingdom, called Thurne, did not wage war at all-- not even with the mysterious lands to the east. Everyone lived in harmony, and, with time, even man and Pokemon learned how to live side by side.
Alas, during a very hot and humid summer, poor King Cedric fell gravely ill. Wrought with fever and malaise, he fell into a deep slumber from which he would never wake. His three sons, Tomas, Jerome, and Milet, all stated that they had a rightful claim to the throne. What could have otherwise been solved with decency and honor developed into a very bloody war among kin. The war, called the Great War, ended up with a divided, ruined Thurne. King Cedric's beloved kingdom was torn into three. At the helm of each kingdom was a spiteful, sour, and sniffling prince. The three princes had gotten what they wanted. A crown upon their heads. Armies at their feet. Countless people and Pokemon died in their names. Yet, were they sated? No.
During the Reign of the Three Kings, more and more wars were waged. Blood dyed the soil red and rain fell like tears from the heavens. Battles even spilled to the far east, coming to a point in which men and Pokemon fought against strange people from strange lands. The bloodshed did die down, eventually. Whether it was because of the deaths of those three terrible princes or because people had become tired of fighting, squabbles between the five nations of Atlas faded away. Knights, warriors, farmers, maidens of generals... many decided to settle down and start families, build homes. Pokemon were reared beside children, strengthening the bond between man and beast.
Yes, the horrors of the Reign of the Three Kings and the Great War faded away into the past. For those of you who are well-versed in history, you know that this all took place roughly two-hundred and sixty years ago. Now, it is a better time.
... but do the grudges fade away? Do we forget of the blood that was spilled? The lands that were scarred? The kings of the west and the emperors of the east often do not push aside their differences. There is always an argument about religions. Of differences in peoples. They mull over the corpse-ridden past of Atlas. They dream of conquest or label each other as heretics. It may be a time of peace in Atlas, but its five kingdoms are much like a boiling pot. Kindle the flame, just a little, and everything will boil over.
Heed this, children... if I were you, I would not even trust the shadow of a friend. For I see dark clouds rolling over Atlas, and I fear that a storm brews in the horizon...
Our story will begin on the first day of the Firebrand Tourney, a grand tournament that is held once a year in Sher's capital and lasts for three days. The opening post will occur during a celebratory feast in Sher's castle. Our characters will have the chance to interact before the tourney starts the next day. The timeline runs as stated below:
Day One: 1v1s
Day Two: Jousting
Day Three: Pokemon battles
At the end of each day, another feast will be held. The victor of each part of the Firebrand Tourney will receive a sum of money, along with other prizes. The nation they hail from will be granted bragging rights.
Click here to access information on Atlas' geography, peoples, and cultures. Please read through this thoroughly.
Please note that this is a 18+, high-casual/semi-advanced roleplay. While I don't expect novels for posts, I would like for you to please take your time creating your characters and writing your posts. We all make mistakes, and that's fine, but if your post gives me a headache to read, then that'll be an issue.
Do not ghost us. If you need to step away from the RP, please let me know.
I will listen to people's suggestions and ideas for plot development and etc. However, my final decision is law.
Once this OOC goes up, I will create a discord and PM the invite link to those who have already proclaimed interest. Please be active on the discord, as that is the easiest way for most people to get in touch with one another.
Please read the information I put up about each of the five nations, etc.
While we do have a handful of people, I don't want you guys to constantly pump out posts. Thus, we will be running on a semi-cyclic posting schedule. This means you should try to wait for everyone to post first before typing another post. If the person we're waiting for doesn't post in a week or so, then we may move on.
I get that we're all busy at times, but I would love it if players post once or twice a week.
Try to keep characters balanced! This means that if there's four girls and only one dude, then you should probably make a dude.
I'm not accepting certain types of characters. This includes: cute-sy/loli characters, transexual characters, or transgender characters. I'm all for inclusiveness in my RPs, but I don't think these characters fit in dark medieval fantasy RPs. Sorry.
Fill out all portions of the character sheet, please. Also, please follow the format of the character sheet.
I am a fun-loving person. I love it when we talk about things on Discord and make fun of characters, create ships, theories, and relationships. Don't hesitate to reach out to me for anything you need!
Have fun~
