If that title didn't catch your attention, I don't know what will.
The book was Hawksong by some woman who's name I forgot. It wasn't extraordinary, but an okay read, though all the sequels sucked. And no, you needn't have read it to do this RP because my ideas are very loosely, and I mean very loosely based on ideas from the book. Now you just want me to hurry up and get to the part where I tell you what the role-play is actually about. Okay! Here I go!
Set in a fantasy realm, there are three (major) kingdoms. That of the Dracans, who are dragon shape-shifters; that of the Gryphos, who are griffin shape-shifters; and that of the Alacai, who are unicorn shape shifters (because unicorns are badass and I like them.)
The premise is relatively simple, the Dracans and Gryphos have been at war for so many generations that at this point both sides are simply avenging blood for blood and are far beyond either side "winning". ]Note: I have done this RP once before but I want to do something a little different this time around[/b]. Instead of an arranged marriage in an effort to bring peace (as in the original RP) I thought it would be a fun spin to make it a forbidden romance instead, and because of that, our protagonists (the lovestruck Dracan Prince and Gryphos Princess) struggle to find a way to unite the kingdoms so that they can get married and live happily ever after. (If, by popular vote, you would rather go with the arranged marriage idea, we can do that instead).
Also, expect people to die, could be any of your characters. You'll have to give me your consent first of course, but there's no guarantee your character will make it out of this alive (ooh that sounds so Hunger Games). But seriously, it is a possibility, and solely for plot development, nothing personal.
Now me to explain these three people groups a little more thoroughly, but I'll try to keep this short because I personally hate very long interest checks and start to get very overwhelmed by a ton of information, so feel free to just skim the following sections about the races if you're still undecided about playing a part in it.
The Dracans are dragon shape-shifters, meaning their primary form is that of a human and secondary form is that of a dragon, and their human form bears some similarities to their dragon form (hair color corresponds to scale color and the eyes never change between the forms), they tend to be tall and strongly built, and a way of moving that reminds one of a reptile or serpent. Their society is very military-ish and status is based on physical strength and the ability to influence people through intimidation, e.g. the Dracan king or queen can be challenged at any time for the throne by anyone in a one on one battle to the death, and the winner may take the throne, though it is still common for a particular family to hold the throne for several generations, with the position being passed on to the most promising of offspring (generally the eldest male). Common folk tend to be hunters and gatherers, minimal farming but much craft and they are excellent traders of some of the finest weapons, jewelry, tools, dye, and animal pelts.
The Gryphos are smaller in stature than the Dracans but by no means weaker. They are very inventive, inspired, and very artistic. They have large round eyes and at the base of their necks under their hair you can find downy feathers. As the Dracans, their human and griffin forms share similar traits such as eye color and hair/feather color. As you know, a griffin is generally depicted as being half-eagle half-lion, but in this case it can almost be any bird/feline cross, I've even seen a green parrot griffin and it looked pretty cool, and I'll go into more detail on this in the OOC's OP (if we have OOC's on this new forum… eh, I'll figure it out. Point is, this isn't the final draft.) Gryphos culture is much more agricultural, they raise many crops and animals and are expert weavers and tailors, producing the finest cloth and clothing.
The Alacai (yay all shall be revealed!) are fair and very elf-like, just like the others, their two forms share similarities that distinguish them. Generally flowing hair, fair skin, deep eyes, and all have a star-like mark on their foreheads where their horns would be in their second form. Their culture is surrounded in much mystery, generally they keep to themselves, only a few daring to venture out to other countries and mingle among other races, and that mostly out of curiosity. As a result of this, it is believed there are far fewer Alacai than there actually are, and they have done nothing to refute such rumors. The Alacai are also very deeply rooted in magic (which is seen as underhanded in Dracan society and more fairy-tail in Gryphos society). They are not magical as in study and casting of spells, but more in that magic is an essence which each is born with, and gives them some "unearthly" powers if you will, which differ from person to person. They are not known for trade, though occasionally you might stumble across a trinket or talisman that will bring you good fortune, and you know it must be of Alacai origin. They are known to be neutral and do not take sides.
Okay, so now that's basically explained this is in Casual, but I have some pretty stiff standards this time around so pay attention.
FIRST you will be expected to contribute significantly to the plot, I have a general idea of the series of events in mind, but it's up to you to help me carry them out. I also like to scheme, so expect PMs from me (hooray the PM system is up!) about suggestions on where to take you characters. Yes I said characters, plural, I would like to only have a handful of people, more than 4 or 5 and I have a hard time keeping track of you, so you will be expected to play multiple characters. On that note…
CHARACTERS they must be people of some significance, you can't just be a random peasant/servant going about your day, your character is welcome to have whatever background you want (commoner or nobleman) but at the point you start playing them they must be a person of influence, or at least be involved in some of the decision making or politics etc.
CONTENT of your posts is important. Length does not equal quality, I would prefer three sentences that move the story forward over a wall of text that just kind of rambles but doesn't really make your characters do anything that moves the story along (that is the worst, let me tell you). So, quality over quantity, I don't care how long your posts are as long as they meet Casual standards (grammar and spelling is important) and react to the situation as well as move the story forward, take initiative, and if you can't think of anything to do with them when it's your turn to post, PM me and I'll give you a task, or else forfeit your turn until you feel that the situation is relevant to your character's role.
OKAY well I don't think we have to go over all the rules right now so here's a reference list for the kinds of characters I am looking for, and you can start thinking about what you want yours to be. Some of these characters are vital to the story, but you're not limited to these examples so feel free to come up with your own as long as they remain relevant to the story.
Dracan Characters:
Prince and heir, obviously required, and since I like being the hero of the story I call dibs on this character
King/Queen - current ruler(s) of the Dracan kingdom
General/captain of the Guard - self explanatory
Personal guard/servant of the Prince
Court advisor - gives brilliant advice, also has the possibility of becoming an antagonist
Possibility of a jealous sibling - antagonist
High ranking soldier(s)
Gryphos Characters:
Princess, the one getting married to the Dracan Prince, up to you to determine her character
King/Queen - rulers of the Gryphos kingdom
Captain of the Guard
Advisor
Personal bodyguards/servants
Wealthy traders who spend time in the court
Alacai Characters: (Note: there will only be a few Alacai involved in the beginning, so if you have your heart set on being one you may be disappointed)
Member of the Dracan court - someone who takes an interest in the affairs of the Dracans
Member of the Gryphos court - like the other but for the other guys
REMEMBER to use your imagination. Also remember that showing interest does not guarantee you a spot in the RP and just because you post your CS first also doesn't guarantee you a spot. You must be able to handle multiple characters, up to three, plus NPCs, and may post separately in the story for each one. DO NOT post more than one CS until you have been officially accepted into the story.
So basically that's it. Questions/comments/suggestions?
The book was Hawksong by some woman who's name I forgot. It wasn't extraordinary, but an okay read, though all the sequels sucked. And no, you needn't have read it to do this RP because my ideas are very loosely, and I mean very loosely based on ideas from the book. Now you just want me to hurry up and get to the part where I tell you what the role-play is actually about. Okay! Here I go!
Set in a fantasy realm, there are three (major) kingdoms. That of the Dracans, who are dragon shape-shifters; that of the Gryphos, who are griffin shape-shifters; and that of the Alacai, who are unicorn shape shifters (because unicorns are badass and I like them.)
The premise is relatively simple, the Dracans and Gryphos have been at war for so many generations that at this point both sides are simply avenging blood for blood and are far beyond either side "winning". ]Note: I have done this RP once before but I want to do something a little different this time around[/b]. Instead of an arranged marriage in an effort to bring peace (as in the original RP) I thought it would be a fun spin to make it a forbidden romance instead, and because of that, our protagonists (the lovestruck Dracan Prince and Gryphos Princess) struggle to find a way to unite the kingdoms so that they can get married and live happily ever after. (If, by popular vote, you would rather go with the arranged marriage idea, we can do that instead).
Also, expect people to die, could be any of your characters. You'll have to give me your consent first of course, but there's no guarantee your character will make it out of this alive (ooh that sounds so Hunger Games). But seriously, it is a possibility, and solely for plot development, nothing personal.
Now me to explain these three people groups a little more thoroughly, but I'll try to keep this short because I personally hate very long interest checks and start to get very overwhelmed by a ton of information, so feel free to just skim the following sections about the races if you're still undecided about playing a part in it.
The Dracans are dragon shape-shifters, meaning their primary form is that of a human and secondary form is that of a dragon, and their human form bears some similarities to their dragon form (hair color corresponds to scale color and the eyes never change between the forms), they tend to be tall and strongly built, and a way of moving that reminds one of a reptile or serpent. Their society is very military-ish and status is based on physical strength and the ability to influence people through intimidation, e.g. the Dracan king or queen can be challenged at any time for the throne by anyone in a one on one battle to the death, and the winner may take the throne, though it is still common for a particular family to hold the throne for several generations, with the position being passed on to the most promising of offspring (generally the eldest male). Common folk tend to be hunters and gatherers, minimal farming but much craft and they are excellent traders of some of the finest weapons, jewelry, tools, dye, and animal pelts.
The Gryphos are smaller in stature than the Dracans but by no means weaker. They are very inventive, inspired, and very artistic. They have large round eyes and at the base of their necks under their hair you can find downy feathers. As the Dracans, their human and griffin forms share similar traits such as eye color and hair/feather color. As you know, a griffin is generally depicted as being half-eagle half-lion, but in this case it can almost be any bird/feline cross, I've even seen a green parrot griffin and it looked pretty cool, and I'll go into more detail on this in the OOC's OP (if we have OOC's on this new forum… eh, I'll figure it out. Point is, this isn't the final draft.) Gryphos culture is much more agricultural, they raise many crops and animals and are expert weavers and tailors, producing the finest cloth and clothing.
The Alacai (yay all shall be revealed!) are fair and very elf-like, just like the others, their two forms share similarities that distinguish them. Generally flowing hair, fair skin, deep eyes, and all have a star-like mark on their foreheads where their horns would be in their second form. Their culture is surrounded in much mystery, generally they keep to themselves, only a few daring to venture out to other countries and mingle among other races, and that mostly out of curiosity. As a result of this, it is believed there are far fewer Alacai than there actually are, and they have done nothing to refute such rumors. The Alacai are also very deeply rooted in magic (which is seen as underhanded in Dracan society and more fairy-tail in Gryphos society). They are not magical as in study and casting of spells, but more in that magic is an essence which each is born with, and gives them some "unearthly" powers if you will, which differ from person to person. They are not known for trade, though occasionally you might stumble across a trinket or talisman that will bring you good fortune, and you know it must be of Alacai origin. They are known to be neutral and do not take sides.
Okay, so now that's basically explained this is in Casual, but I have some pretty stiff standards this time around so pay attention.
FIRST you will be expected to contribute significantly to the plot, I have a general idea of the series of events in mind, but it's up to you to help me carry them out. I also like to scheme, so expect PMs from me (hooray the PM system is up!) about suggestions on where to take you characters. Yes I said characters, plural, I would like to only have a handful of people, more than 4 or 5 and I have a hard time keeping track of you, so you will be expected to play multiple characters. On that note…
CHARACTERS they must be people of some significance, you can't just be a random peasant/servant going about your day, your character is welcome to have whatever background you want (commoner or nobleman) but at the point you start playing them they must be a person of influence, or at least be involved in some of the decision making or politics etc.
CONTENT of your posts is important. Length does not equal quality, I would prefer three sentences that move the story forward over a wall of text that just kind of rambles but doesn't really make your characters do anything that moves the story along (that is the worst, let me tell you). So, quality over quantity, I don't care how long your posts are as long as they meet Casual standards (grammar and spelling is important) and react to the situation as well as move the story forward, take initiative, and if you can't think of anything to do with them when it's your turn to post, PM me and I'll give you a task, or else forfeit your turn until you feel that the situation is relevant to your character's role.
OKAY well I don't think we have to go over all the rules right now so here's a reference list for the kinds of characters I am looking for, and you can start thinking about what you want yours to be. Some of these characters are vital to the story, but you're not limited to these examples so feel free to come up with your own as long as they remain relevant to the story.
Dracan Characters:
Prince and heir, obviously required, and since I like being the hero of the story I call dibs on this character
King/Queen - current ruler(s) of the Dracan kingdom
General/captain of the Guard - self explanatory
Personal guard/servant of the Prince
Court advisor - gives brilliant advice, also has the possibility of becoming an antagonist
Possibility of a jealous sibling - antagonist
High ranking soldier(s)
Gryphos Characters:
Princess, the one getting married to the Dracan Prince, up to you to determine her character
King/Queen - rulers of the Gryphos kingdom
Captain of the Guard
Advisor
Personal bodyguards/servants
Wealthy traders who spend time in the court
Alacai Characters: (Note: there will only be a few Alacai involved in the beginning, so if you have your heart set on being one you may be disappointed)
Member of the Dracan court - someone who takes an interest in the affairs of the Dracans
Member of the Gryphos court - like the other but for the other guys
REMEMBER to use your imagination. Also remember that showing interest does not guarantee you a spot in the RP and just because you post your CS first also doesn't guarantee you a spot. You must be able to handle multiple characters, up to three, plus NPCs, and may post separately in the story for each one. DO NOT post more than one CS until you have been officially accepted into the story.
So basically that's it. Questions/comments/suggestions?
