The Laachtalian army needs officers, and only the sharpest, the boldest, the most capable may graduate through those gates and into the venerable ranks. For over a hundred years have they stood, attracting young warriors from heartland and hinterland alike to test their mettle, destroy the Prince-Electors' enemies, and bring glory unto their houses. Girl or man, noble or common, the Academy obliges all who can pay its steep tuition; admitting them like raw iron, separating the steel from the dross, and forging them for greatness who survive its many tests and rigors. Or so it goes.

Hloรพhilde de Guillarmes, daughter of an impoverished and ambitious earl, knows the truth: โ€˜tis her elder sister, heir-apparent to the county of Rodon, who will taste all the adoration and praise she has so deeply coveted since girlhood. She has been discarded, never to inherit, never to bring her father the pride and renown he so craves. That is, until discontent begins to brew along the southern marches, and war becomes not merely an empty slogan but an inevitability...

Hloรพhilde and 49 other secondborn from across Laachtalia will never be earlsโ€”nor dukes, nor princes. But to be anybody at all, they will not only have to impress their ruthlessly demanding teachers but likewise navigate the delicate and dangerous ecosystem of the Kriegsschulen. Because once caught somewhere between insults, honor, expectations, and the razor-sharp smallswords carried at all times by every student in uniform, a single mistake could mean far worse than just expulsion...


Welcome to Honorguard, an interest check about unlikely camaraderie, bitter rivalries, high-stakes duels, and great expectations! My name is TokyoPewPew and I love all things historical, dramatic, and romantic. All of which are present and accounted for in this game.

The setting: a war academy, widely considered the best of its kindโ€”feeding dozens of fresh, fine lieutenants per year into the war machine of the Laachtalian Empire, a Franco-Germanic styled entity in its final, waning years, given to decadence, corruption, and infighting. (Think a little late-period Holy Roman, a little Prussian, with a heavy dose of Victorian medievalism.) Even though I tagged this game as historical fiction, that mainly describes the vibes and atmosphere I'm aiming for; in actuality this game takes place in a Secondary World, albeit one broadly mimicking a real-world Germanic nation in the first half of the 19th Century (muskets and sabers and cannon). 100% fictitious though. So no research necessary to inquire, and no need to worry about anachronism or "inaccuracies." While I have, true to my nature, prepared lore for this rp, I encourage your ideas and your passion to emerge during play as well.

Heavily inspired by the practice of Mensur (academic fencing), Ridley Scott's The Duellists, and the troubled and Byronic figures of various Brontรซ novels, the school in question, and the society wherefrom it arises, place massive importance on personal dignity, courage, and strengthening through adversity. However, the real Mensur is/was heavily ritualized, more so for demonstrating personal valor than resolving disputes. I thought it far more interesting for the bouts fought at this school to instead be proper duels: quick, vicious, and sometimes, depending on the severity of the insult, deadly.

As for what I want from your character: a wealthy child, probably, but not necessarily, aristocratic in origins; 16 to 20 years old (the typical Prussian military education, post-Frederick the Great, lasted for three years), and either male or female, of either or any "preference"; someone with deeply personal reasons to graduate into the junior staff of the Imperial Army. Which could be anything from proving him/herself, escaping the duties which await him/her back home, finding love, advancing some scheme or plot on his/her family's behest......maybe even exacting vengeance. After all, the grounds of this elite academy will quickly prove themselves rife with longstanding desires and grudges, hierarchies and intrigues.

A quick word about me as a roleplayer: I'm 30 years old, and have been doing this hobby for at least, by my reckoning, 18 years (even if I didn't know at the time what it's called). In real life I am both very married and very content with that, so I'm not here to fantasize about our characters, or pursue an online or IRL relationship, or in any way get my rocks off. Sorry. I can maybe depict graphic sexuality if I feel like its thematic or literary merits justify a scene?.....but considering this game is gonna star barely-legal young adults/teenagers, maybe we shouldn't. Romance is super welcome though.

Anyway, I'm a native English speaker who makes few grammatical/spelling mistakes; an Advanced to Novella-level writer, both in style and in post length; ghost and hiatus-friendly (though preference will be given to people with strong communication skills, ie. people who seem like they'll let me know what's going on in their lives so I'm not waiting around for a post which never comes); and on the whole, eager to find someone who wants to play around with some juicy gothic, dark academic, Wagnerian/Byronic melodrama vibes!

Oh, and by the way: if you speak German in real life, I am so sorry. ๐Ÿ˜ญ

But! If you're a High Casual to Advanced-level roleplayer, and this check did anything to pique your interest or inspire your creativity, then here I am, on the edge of my seat, looking forward to hearing from you!

I will field any questions or general engagement posted in this thread; but to actually attempt to set up a game with me, please send a PM. :)