"War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy is a book I find is an excellent piece that describes the chaos of the upper orders of society facing imminent destruction by the force of a new order. it is a story told many times, in many contexts, and from the point of view from a man who was raised for nothing to gain everything and make the best of it.
In honor, there is truth in the fact that there are those who hold themselves to the highest standards of life, and the meaning of the word has changed a thousand times and means something different now than it did even twenty years ago. But at one point in time, it was fulfilling life and duty and binding yourself to a moral high ground.
In Nobility, those in high regard are often influential individuals through wealth, land, and control. Often they gain their abilities through inheritance and divine right, by being placed there by a higher power than themselves so that they may tend to the world in the stead of that higher power.
These two words are often synonymous with each other, honorable noble, but oftentimes, they are also not. Incompetence and desire, humanity is something that takes away from both of those words. The desire, the innate ability of mankind to improve their lifestyle. War and Peace is almost that story that focuses on the destruction of honor and nobility. Two things are often seen as the peak of human civilization, and it is cast away into chaos when, in reality, it is chaotic.
This Empire stood almost seven hundred years ago; it spanned the sea and across two continents. Almost One and a quarter million square miles of land, over twenty million of the race of man, and vast expanses of many other races. Civilizations said to last thousands of years have fallen to ours, and this empire has almost proven that an empire can live that long.
This RP is focused on the inhabitants of one of the last major cities of a dwindling empire. Similar to the fall of Rome in 1453. New and old enemies are on the horizon as war is once again declared on the desiccating corpse of a failing empire. We will play lords, knights, warriors, priests, and those who wish to reverse this fall, if that is even possible. The players will be mostly minor nobles, knights, servants, household guards, mages, scholars, and the like. Those who have lived a life serving the empire as it was in its ending stages of falling. Watching as hordes of barbarians and horsemen cut swathes through the land, as innovation destroyed city walls like lightning, and as their homes burned as they fled deeper into the last bastions of their homeland.
It will take place in the homes, in the courts, and in courtyards; the individuals will be tasked with solving problems of the Empire as it crumbles in hopes of restoring it, or at least maintaining the status quo with the rest of the world. It will be mostly investigative in nature, though military commanders and the like are also viable as well. You can run a single character or multiple. But you will be people from around the remains of the empire. From it's heartland trying to solve it's problems. What you do can revitalize, usurp, or destroy the remainder of your homeland.
This is a somewhat fantastical world, low-mid fantasy in its style, magic is prevalent but it is often hard to use/be born with.
Most of the world's people are humans/Elves/Dwarves/Hill folk (Halflings/Hobbits and Gnomes); many others exist or existed at one point in time. But have either fallen due to illnesses that are now prevalent with some lesser forms of elves, gnomes, and halfings. Humans seem to be immune, and dwarves seem resistant.
But the world is comprised of primarily human civilizations now. The Empire of Threndel once spanned continents, but now it has since dwindled into its Heartland on the North Eastern Continent of Elmias and several islands off its Western Rock Coast. Its capital is upon its northern boarder, and its trade and newest cultural hub is a coastal hub facing the straight of Revelense.
To its North and Western borders are two states; one is its former territory of Pevvent which is the Western border. To the North is Waltz, a growing Empire that has sprung forth from what was once an ally. Over the past five years, it has destroyed most what is left of Threndel. Across the straight on the continent of Porong, is the Horde known as the Verund, when the beginning of the end of Threndel started, they were comprised mostly of Orcs, but now that they had mostly died off, the humans that remained took over, and continued their wars with bloody ferocity. Guided by religious cults that despise magic, they have destroyed priceless works, from books to scholars' journals, magical spires, buildings, and even gems, some of which were just gems, not even magical ones.
Across the sea to the South, past the islands that stand bastion to the sea and house the most important military force of Threndel, the navy. Is the continent of Yul, once considered barbarians, they were at one point good allies as well. Their trade impressed most of the world, and their rare resources and skilled craftsmen allowed their trade to flourish. When gunpowder was invented, they took off, and in their cool climates, they worked well, industrializing and urbanizing their population. They are the technological wonders of the world, both arcane and traditional. Sadly, over the past hundred years, while others began to adopt gunpowder weaponry, we only started maybe six years ago during a lost war. Much of it was bought from them, and we are now indebted to them. Threndel has been paying them back mostly in agricultural goods. They also send soldiers and supplies often to hold back enemies while our armies grow back and our defenses strengthen. They are good allies, but their patience with us wears thin.
They have others to worry about as well on their continent, and their expeditionary force is often cycled back to their lands when our army is at a decent size. Though we hope to see them soon as we have lost several battles, and with each loss, our manpower pool shrinks.
But within what is left of Threndel are five cities; the Capital city of Threll is the most northern one, founded over a thousand years ago; it is the pride of the Empire and hosts a wealth of artifacts, defenses, and soldiers. It is the last bastion of our heartland.
South of Threll on the Western cliffs overlooking the sea is Yllaren; it is well known for its wine and wear. Growing primarily agricultural goods, and the surrounding countryside being mostly farmlands. It is also the breadbasket of the Empire and has been since its beginning. It is also strong with a growing cloth industry.
East of that in the eastern Ridges is the Wesp, the town of wonders, after the loss of the last cultural and magical hub city, known as The City of Wonders on the far side of the Straight, what remains of the artistic and magical population of the city that managed to escape the destruction of the last city resettled here in the northernmost part of the mountains. It was built overnight in inhospitable and infertile land, thankfully some of the magicians who escaped were chloromancers, able to assist the lands grow food for those in the city, but also to beautify it in hopes of raising moral.
Just south of Wesp is Hildentower. Hildentower was at one point a mining camp of dwarves, but it has expanded into a bustling hillfolk and dwarven city, primarily underneath the mountain range and spanning most of it as well. While not as industrious as other dwarves, these dwarves were known in their forging of Runes. Once before gunpowder, these Runes allowed the Empire's soldiers to walk into battle with the best equipment in the world. While they are still strong, Gunpowder has equalized the normal man, with most mages.
And at the Southern Edge is the last Elven city in the Empire, the city of Quesilani, primarily filled with High elves, this city has also been dwindling due to disease. While many of the elves who become sick leave for colonies, those that remain will likely stay until they, too, wither away or leave. It hosts a variety of elves from across the straight that are refugees from war, and genocide. They have somewhat rebounded the cities population in recent years, but that is also a dying dream. Humans and other peoples have also arrived in charity, mostly those of faith, to assist in finding cures for the plagues that ravish the city's native population.
And just to the East of that is Cultural/Port City of The City of Darkness, once a city that spanned both sides of the straight because of an island that acted as a part of a bridge. It has been separated in two due to the Horde in the East. To keep them from invading the heartland, the bridge on the Eastern side was destroyed once as many people were across as safely as possible. Thousands drowned and died when it was destroyed; many others were slaughtered on its easternmost bank in the City of Light's heart.
Although the cultural hub, it has more or less been phased out due to Wesp. Many of it's artist are exploring new styles of architecture and art. Gothic buildings, and Realism and harshness fill the art that was once romantic in nature. Trade still happens as it is the access way into the deeper see that separates the continents, but those to the West have decided to use their own ports, so customs and tariffs have been a fraction of what they used to be.
Magic is varied, there are no technical schools of magic, but they often are placed in different forms of mancies, or mancy. These can be anything from pyromancy (fire) to, as previously mentioned, chloromancy (plants), and often times, as these mancies are learned or inherited, they can affect other ones as well, positively and negatively depending on the others you know. After some time, your body becomes attended to a form of mancy and benefits from certain other ones depending on how your body treats it. But magic requires a catalyst or conduit, often times this is the magician's body itself or an item of some kind.
The magic is controlled by it's user, gained in one of three ways.
One - The user is born with magical ability. - Sorcerers
Two - The user gains magical ability to - Magi/Runesmith/etc.
Three - A god/gods, have granted this individual powers to assist those in their flock. Often times only the highest priests get these abilities to heal and give- High Priests/Priestesses
Magic is also very diverse, sorcerers are more artistic in their abilities, and have a larger range of them. But they are limited to how powerful they are by birth. Oftentimes, sorcerers can only do small things, like lightening their fingers on fire or carrying small objects in mid-air. Often they were used as street performers or in culinary arts, or lived as a normal person. But the strongest of these magic users were deadly, able to wipe armies off the face of the world, and sometimes level mountains and cities. Though the last known one that could level a city was born two years prior to the start date in an old territory of the Empire far away.
Their bodies are also incredibly important, as their body can also limit their abilities, and their strengths. For each person this is different, so the range in body size is varied as well.
Magi typically stick to a single mancy of some form, and most are around the age of thirty. They have no limits to their growth but their age, and sometimes even their body. As Sorcerers have their bodies to produce magic, magi often use another tool to push their magic through or, in the case of rune magics, put their magic into. The magic conduits, or catalysts, vary from powders to staffs. Almost any item can become one, though it typically has to be reasonable to the form of mancy desired. So pyromancers that aren't sorcerers wouldn't use wooden staffs or their bodies because it would burn them or light the staff on fire, however they may use flour or a powder of some sort to use their magic. But, their bodies always are in good condition, and they try to preserve their strength into their elder years, magic does take a lot out of non-sorcerers, and can even kill them if their mind, or their body is not ready. Magic can also be rejected by their body, and it will make them very ill, most races are highly susceptible to this, especially elves, and this may be the cause of the plagues.
High Priests/Priestess are the exception, their magic is not magic, it is more of a gift. It is not bound to the individual, but often times this person is true to their faith, often times these individuals are pillars of the community, or are grand heroes and saints. They are far and few between. Their magics are often those of healing, but sometimes, a god sets aside protection abilities for a stalwart and faithful officer, or soldier to try and sway the tide of a battle or war. These are extremely rare and haven't been seen for several hundred years. Their bodies do not matter, and they are not brought low overtime through the use of their abilities, and often they must follow strict rules of their faith to keep from losing their abilities.
But if we get enough interest, I'll put up the ooc, and some more stuff to flesh this out a bit, as well as try getting a city or at least a regional map.
In honor, there is truth in the fact that there are those who hold themselves to the highest standards of life, and the meaning of the word has changed a thousand times and means something different now than it did even twenty years ago. But at one point in time, it was fulfilling life and duty and binding yourself to a moral high ground.
In Nobility, those in high regard are often influential individuals through wealth, land, and control. Often they gain their abilities through inheritance and divine right, by being placed there by a higher power than themselves so that they may tend to the world in the stead of that higher power.
These two words are often synonymous with each other, honorable noble, but oftentimes, they are also not. Incompetence and desire, humanity is something that takes away from both of those words. The desire, the innate ability of mankind to improve their lifestyle. War and Peace is almost that story that focuses on the destruction of honor and nobility. Two things are often seen as the peak of human civilization, and it is cast away into chaos when, in reality, it is chaotic.
This Empire stood almost seven hundred years ago; it spanned the sea and across two continents. Almost One and a quarter million square miles of land, over twenty million of the race of man, and vast expanses of many other races. Civilizations said to last thousands of years have fallen to ours, and this empire has almost proven that an empire can live that long.
This RP
This RP is focused on the inhabitants of one of the last major cities of a dwindling empire. Similar to the fall of Rome in 1453. New and old enemies are on the horizon as war is once again declared on the desiccating corpse of a failing empire. We will play lords, knights, warriors, priests, and those who wish to reverse this fall, if that is even possible. The players will be mostly minor nobles, knights, servants, household guards, mages, scholars, and the like. Those who have lived a life serving the empire as it was in its ending stages of falling. Watching as hordes of barbarians and horsemen cut swathes through the land, as innovation destroyed city walls like lightning, and as their homes burned as they fled deeper into the last bastions of their homeland.
It will take place in the homes, in the courts, and in courtyards; the individuals will be tasked with solving problems of the Empire as it crumbles in hopes of restoring it, or at least maintaining the status quo with the rest of the world. It will be mostly investigative in nature, though military commanders and the like are also viable as well. You can run a single character or multiple. But you will be people from around the remains of the empire. From it's heartland trying to solve it's problems. What you do can revitalize, usurp, or destroy the remainder of your homeland.
The Setting
This is a somewhat fantastical world, low-mid fantasy in its style, magic is prevalent but it is often hard to use/be born with.
Most of the world's people are humans/Elves/Dwarves/Hill folk (Halflings/Hobbits and Gnomes); many others exist or existed at one point in time. But have either fallen due to illnesses that are now prevalent with some lesser forms of elves, gnomes, and halfings. Humans seem to be immune, and dwarves seem resistant.
But the world is comprised of primarily human civilizations now. The Empire of Threndel once spanned continents, but now it has since dwindled into its Heartland on the North Eastern Continent of Elmias and several islands off its Western Rock Coast. Its capital is upon its northern boarder, and its trade and newest cultural hub is a coastal hub facing the straight of Revelense.
To its North and Western borders are two states; one is its former territory of Pevvent which is the Western border. To the North is Waltz, a growing Empire that has sprung forth from what was once an ally. Over the past five years, it has destroyed most what is left of Threndel. Across the straight on the continent of Porong, is the Horde known as the Verund, when the beginning of the end of Threndel started, they were comprised mostly of Orcs, but now that they had mostly died off, the humans that remained took over, and continued their wars with bloody ferocity. Guided by religious cults that despise magic, they have destroyed priceless works, from books to scholars' journals, magical spires, buildings, and even gems, some of which were just gems, not even magical ones.
Across the sea to the South, past the islands that stand bastion to the sea and house the most important military force of Threndel, the navy. Is the continent of Yul, once considered barbarians, they were at one point good allies as well. Their trade impressed most of the world, and their rare resources and skilled craftsmen allowed their trade to flourish. When gunpowder was invented, they took off, and in their cool climates, they worked well, industrializing and urbanizing their population. They are the technological wonders of the world, both arcane and traditional. Sadly, over the past hundred years, while others began to adopt gunpowder weaponry, we only started maybe six years ago during a lost war. Much of it was bought from them, and we are now indebted to them. Threndel has been paying them back mostly in agricultural goods. They also send soldiers and supplies often to hold back enemies while our armies grow back and our defenses strengthen. They are good allies, but their patience with us wears thin.
They have others to worry about as well on their continent, and their expeditionary force is often cycled back to their lands when our army is at a decent size. Though we hope to see them soon as we have lost several battles, and with each loss, our manpower pool shrinks.
But within what is left of Threndel are five cities; the Capital city of Threll is the most northern one, founded over a thousand years ago; it is the pride of the Empire and hosts a wealth of artifacts, defenses, and soldiers. It is the last bastion of our heartland.
South of Threll on the Western cliffs overlooking the sea is Yllaren; it is well known for its wine and wear. Growing primarily agricultural goods, and the surrounding countryside being mostly farmlands. It is also the breadbasket of the Empire and has been since its beginning. It is also strong with a growing cloth industry.
East of that in the eastern Ridges is the Wesp, the town of wonders, after the loss of the last cultural and magical hub city, known as The City of Wonders on the far side of the Straight, what remains of the artistic and magical population of the city that managed to escape the destruction of the last city resettled here in the northernmost part of the mountains. It was built overnight in inhospitable and infertile land, thankfully some of the magicians who escaped were chloromancers, able to assist the lands grow food for those in the city, but also to beautify it in hopes of raising moral.
Just south of Wesp is Hildentower. Hildentower was at one point a mining camp of dwarves, but it has expanded into a bustling hillfolk and dwarven city, primarily underneath the mountain range and spanning most of it as well. While not as industrious as other dwarves, these dwarves were known in their forging of Runes. Once before gunpowder, these Runes allowed the Empire's soldiers to walk into battle with the best equipment in the world. While they are still strong, Gunpowder has equalized the normal man, with most mages.
And at the Southern Edge is the last Elven city in the Empire, the city of Quesilani, primarily filled with High elves, this city has also been dwindling due to disease. While many of the elves who become sick leave for colonies, those that remain will likely stay until they, too, wither away or leave. It hosts a variety of elves from across the straight that are refugees from war, and genocide. They have somewhat rebounded the cities population in recent years, but that is also a dying dream. Humans and other peoples have also arrived in charity, mostly those of faith, to assist in finding cures for the plagues that ravish the city's native population.
And just to the East of that is Cultural/Port City of The City of Darkness, once a city that spanned both sides of the straight because of an island that acted as a part of a bridge. It has been separated in two due to the Horde in the East. To keep them from invading the heartland, the bridge on the Eastern side was destroyed once as many people were across as safely as possible. Thousands drowned and died when it was destroyed; many others were slaughtered on its easternmost bank in the City of Light's heart.
Although the cultural hub, it has more or less been phased out due to Wesp. Many of it's artist are exploring new styles of architecture and art. Gothic buildings, and Realism and harshness fill the art that was once romantic in nature. Trade still happens as it is the access way into the deeper see that separates the continents, but those to the West have decided to use their own ports, so customs and tariffs have been a fraction of what they used to be.
Magic
Magic is varied, there are no technical schools of magic, but they often are placed in different forms of mancies, or mancy. These can be anything from pyromancy (fire) to, as previously mentioned, chloromancy (plants), and often times, as these mancies are learned or inherited, they can affect other ones as well, positively and negatively depending on the others you know. After some time, your body becomes attended to a form of mancy and benefits from certain other ones depending on how your body treats it. But magic requires a catalyst or conduit, often times this is the magician's body itself or an item of some kind.
The magic is controlled by it's user, gained in one of three ways.
One - The user is born with magical ability. - Sorcerers
Two - The user gains magical ability to - Magi/Runesmith/etc.
Three - A god/gods, have granted this individual powers to assist those in their flock. Often times only the highest priests get these abilities to heal and give- High Priests/Priestesses
Magic is also very diverse, sorcerers are more artistic in their abilities, and have a larger range of them. But they are limited to how powerful they are by birth. Oftentimes, sorcerers can only do small things, like lightening their fingers on fire or carrying small objects in mid-air. Often they were used as street performers or in culinary arts, or lived as a normal person. But the strongest of these magic users were deadly, able to wipe armies off the face of the world, and sometimes level mountains and cities. Though the last known one that could level a city was born two years prior to the start date in an old territory of the Empire far away.
Their bodies are also incredibly important, as their body can also limit their abilities, and their strengths. For each person this is different, so the range in body size is varied as well.
Magi typically stick to a single mancy of some form, and most are around the age of thirty. They have no limits to their growth but their age, and sometimes even their body. As Sorcerers have their bodies to produce magic, magi often use another tool to push their magic through or, in the case of rune magics, put their magic into. The magic conduits, or catalysts, vary from powders to staffs. Almost any item can become one, though it typically has to be reasonable to the form of mancy desired. So pyromancers that aren't sorcerers wouldn't use wooden staffs or their bodies because it would burn them or light the staff on fire, however they may use flour or a powder of some sort to use their magic. But, their bodies always are in good condition, and they try to preserve their strength into their elder years, magic does take a lot out of non-sorcerers, and can even kill them if their mind, or their body is not ready. Magic can also be rejected by their body, and it will make them very ill, most races are highly susceptible to this, especially elves, and this may be the cause of the plagues.
High Priests/Priestess are the exception, their magic is not magic, it is more of a gift. It is not bound to the individual, but often times this person is true to their faith, often times these individuals are pillars of the community, or are grand heroes and saints. They are far and few between. Their magics are often those of healing, but sometimes, a god sets aside protection abilities for a stalwart and faithful officer, or soldier to try and sway the tide of a battle or war. These are extremely rare and haven't been seen for several hundred years. Their bodies do not matter, and they are not brought low overtime through the use of their abilities, and often they must follow strict rules of their faith to keep from losing their abilities.
But if we get enough interest, I'll put up the ooc, and some more stuff to flesh this out a bit, as well as try getting a city or at least a regional map.
