Smoke and Steel is a character RP set in a low fantasy world, taking place in this world's equivalent on Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, a region known as the 'Circle Sea'.

You will play the part of someone from one of several royal courts vying for control of a crumbling Empire... or perhaps multiple characters – having unconnected characters in multiple courts is keenly encouraged! There will be Alliances, betrayals, and not everyone is coming out of this one alive...

This is a low fantasy RP. Magic does exist in the setting, though your characters are not magically gifted. The one exception I will make to this is if you want to make your character a healer, because magical healing is a great way to allow injured characters to participate in the next scene.

In terms of non-magical tech and societal development, the part of the world you are in will have tech approximately equivalent to the mid 17th century. So think, pikes, muskets, pirates and knights with guns.

If that piques your interest, take a look at the factions, see if you like a look of one of them and then take a look at the info for the cultures that make up that faction. There is a wee bit of lore here but you definitely aren’t expected to know all of it to get involved! If you’re interested, we’d love you to join! You can always read the lore later. If you want to.

And if you aren't too sure about why this is the best period of history to set anything in, watch this educational video:




There are five competing factions aligned to one of two Royal Houses in the RP. Your character may be a merchant, a soldier, a noble... or anyone else really that you think could form part of the inner circle of one of the five claimants. You can be a human of one of many ethnicities, or you could be an elf, one of the ruling class of the crumbling 'Haltian Empire'.

The RP will mostly focus on the character drama though there will be battles. Characters commanding in battle will be asked for orders and we'll run a quick simulation in the discord before RPing it out. Not every faction will be busy all the time so if you do want to write multiple characters in different factions, that's cool.

You will advise your liege, maybe switch sides and your actions will have an impact on who eventually wins this war. And hopefully we'll get some fantastic stories written against the backdrop of a massive war. Romance, intrigue, betrayal etc etc...

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200 years ago, the world was a very different place. Human Kingdoms dominated the coast of the Circle Sea. Of those Kingdoms, none was finer than the Inburian Empire. Then the blight came. Out of the East, poured strange and brutal creatures, which came to be known as Goblins and Orcs. They appeared in vast hordes, destroying and devouring everything in their path. The Eastern Kingdoms fell, one by one, until the horde reached the great fortress of Grendell, strategically placed to control the narrow neck of land that connected Inbur and the Eastern Kingdoms. The horde laid siege to the citadel for two months, launching one futile assault after another, coming within a hair's breadth of breaching the fort before finally a relief force arrived. The relief force of the time consisted of the bulk of the Inburian army along with the allied contingents from all the other human Kingdoms and there, at the gates of Grendell, the horde was halted, though the Inburians paid a heavy price.

Off the back of the horde, another enemy arose in the West: the Haltians. The Haltians were nomadic Elven people, known for their fine Cavalry. Led by their fearless leader, Voron Corfina, they descended on the weakened human kingdoms, carving out their own Empire, completely swallowing the Inburian Empire in the process. The Emperor, Dakis III Hasikos, was killed, along with most of his close family, although some branches of the Hasikos family escaped the killings and live on as subjects of the new, Haltian Empire.




In the last days of the Blight, the Eastern Kings had forged a weapon of extraordinary power that sages had foretold would be wielded by the one to finally destroy the Blight. In the hands of a worthy wielder it would glow with blinding light. It had been sent to the Inburian Emperor as it became clear the Eastern Kingdoms were doomed and wielded in the siege of Grendell, where the armies of the Blight had finally been halted... but then the Haltians had struck.

The weapon had vanished from the pages of history at that point, sent into hiding away from the Elgafolk who were liable to misuse its power… only to reappear a couple of hundred years later in the hands of a young woman named Aonène Alzina La Noue de Bellièvre, who has it happened, was a close friend of Andronika Hasikos – the White Wyvern.


In the world as it is today, the Inburian Empire is consigned to the history books and the Haltian Empire holds the line against the Blight though Haltia has begun to look a little shaky.

Internally, many of the more traditional elves in the West, who continue to live a more nomadic lifestyle, have become mistrustful of the ‘decadent’ Eastern Empire.

Meanwhile, in the East, many have begun to agitate to slowly dismantle the systems of slavery that keeps the fields tended and factories running, seeing this as the only way to stave off a catastrophic revolt from the enslaved human peoples.

150 years ago one of the secondary powers, the Calarian Republic, successfully crossed the otherwise impassable Evig Ocean to an area now known as the 'Calarian Main', rich in spice and precious minerals. The Kingdom of Brendahl and Doel Union were quick to follow and a number of wars have been fought over control of the area aided on all sides by the local ‘Iktani’ tribes. All three have become wealthy off trade from the West – particularly the Calarians, although none is capable of remotely threatening a united Haltian Empire.

Everything changed two months ago though, with the assassination of Emperor Voron. Voron’s two sons, Voron II, a prominent leader in the Eastern ‘Reformist’ Faction blamed his younger brother, Orrian for the murder. Orrian, the leader of the Western ‘Traditionalist’ Faction, blamed Voron. With Imperial guards sent to arrest him, Orrian fled the capital and raised his banner in the West.

Orrian and Voron’s hastily assembled armies met at the Battle of Lysfelt where Orrian’s force of 7,400 troops drove Voron’s 9,700 troops from the field (with around 756 of Orrian’s troops killed to 1,476 of Voron’s with an additional 2,400 taken prisoner). The defeat had the knock-on effect of encouraging several other revolts to break out, including three led by humans with claims to the ancient Inburian throne. With the Empire in flames, the Calarians have taken the opportunity to invade from the South and the other human Kingdoms may, or may not, have similar aspirations. Voron is still in control of the largest army, on paper, but his forces are divided and fighting fires all over Empire.

And just to make matters worse for Voron, a massive force of 52,000 orcs assaulted Grendell. Voron's forces drove it off with only 696 soldiers lost (to over 7,000 orcs) but this is only the Vanguard of a much larger army and a large number of Voron’s best troops must be kept in place at the Grendell, holding the line of fortifications against the Blight.

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The last two centuries have seen the Elgafolk who make up the Empire diverge quite considerably from one another.

In the West, the Elgafolk still largely live in nomadic clans with elected Chieftains who serve for a fixed term between elections (which goes some way to defusing intergenerational rivalry in the long-lived species). They mostly leave the Sahalky and Pobryn to their own devices, allowing the client Lords and cities to pass their own laws and administer their territory as they see fit in exchange for the payment of an Imperial tax and the provision of Imperial levies. It is not unknown for disputes between clans and settlements to come to blows but this is fairly rare – the groups tend to keep themselves to themselves.

Slavery is practiced in the West, mostly the enslavement of captives taken in border raids, though the actual numbers are fairly low. Most end up doing menial labour though senior Clan Chieftains will also keep concubines. Educated or magically gifted slaves can be worth a considerable amount of money and are generally treated relatively well.

In the more densely populated East, however, the Elgafolk have adopted human feudal customs, with Lords controlling vast estates which Voron I handed out to favourites following the conquest. Slavery is also heavily practiced and around 1/3 people in the Eastern Empire are enslaved. Slave status is hereditary and people can be judicially enslaved for even relatively minor crimes. Slaves tend the fields, construct buildings, work in factories and form the regiments of the elite ‘Owned Men’.

The number of Elgafolk in the Eastern Empire remains fairly low compared to the number of humans and a large underclass of wealthy but largely politically excluded humans has gown up, particularly in cities such as Inbur. Many of the wiser elga nobles in the East have realised that this combination of large numbers of slaves, combined with a growing amount of wealth amongst the human population is a recipe for largescale revolt and a reformist faction has grown up, calling for a gradual disassembly of the system of slavery (gradual, so as to avoid any unnecessary financial hardship) combined with limited citizenship rights for humans, seeing this as the only route to a secure the Empire’s future.

Voron I opposed reforms, being largely blind to the growing problems in the East and, unfortunately for the reformist faction who now control the Eastern Empire, the long-predicted revolts erupted so close after his death that there was no time for any legislation to be passed.

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210 years ago, Voron Corfina led his horde around the North of the Morktree to conquer the Inburian Empire and form the Haltian Empire in the ashes. Now Voron is dead and his two sons both blame each other for the murder.


Voron II, son of Voron is 220 years old and, as a teenager was sent to live with and learn the ways of the newly conquered human subjects in the East. Like many of the younger elgafolk in the East, Voron learned to enjoy a settled, human lifestyle, as an adult taking on the trappings of a human Lord and becoming a leading figure in the party at court calling for reforms within the Empire to improve society for the Inburians, Mittelvolk and other enslaved and downtrodden human groups, seeing this as the only way for the Empire to safeguard against a largescale human revolt in the East. Unfortunately, for Voron, the succession Crisis brought on by his father’s assassination led to widescale revolts before he had the chance to announce, let alone begin implementing the reforms he believes in.

Voron, uniquely, among the many leaders, knows just how big the threat from the Blight actually is. Recently his forces held off an attack from 52,000 orcs, but from what his scouts indicate, this is only the vanguard of a much larger force and if they get past the fortifications at the Grendell there may be no containing them and all the petty rivalries between humans and elgafolk will mean nothing. Victory is necessary not just to maintain the integrity of the Empire, but to ensure the survival of all people on the Western continent.

Voron still commands the largest body of troops in the Empire, currently around 90,000, though they are divided, fighting numerous enemies and many armies are in disarray following a series of defeats, to the ‘White Wyvern’ at Trefgodwig, the Western Empire at Lysfelt, the D’Ambois Expedition at Sidskold, the Calarian Republic at Hjodfelt and the ‘Red Wyvern’ at Rodelkog.

The defeat at Lysfelt was particularly disastrous and Voron made the call to retreat with his forces, abandoning the capital of Alveby to regroup at Elvesland.Voron is a cautious and thoughtful leader who does actually care about his subjects and, more than most of the others is very aware of the danger presented by the increasingly active Blight in the East.

Voron is a careful and thoughtful leader who is generally popular with his inner circle, though he lacks the charisma of some of his rivals.


In comparison to the Eastern Empire, where most of the human population is enslaved or otherwise oppressed, the humans in the West in relative symbiosis with the elgafolk, paying tribute in exchange for safety and security. The Sahalky cities are prosperous trading hubs while the Pobryn hill folk are allowed to live in relative isolation on their rugged coastline.

Orrian Corfina, now aged 190, unlike his older brother was raised in the West on the vast open plains, amongst the nomadic elga tribes who were, even then, beginning to become suspicious of the Easterners abandonment of the ancient nomadic lifestyle in favour of ‘decadent’ styles of human Lordship.

While commanding, at most 40,000 troops, and enjoying almost no support East of the Morktree, Orrian’s victory at Lysfelt, which he personally commanded, has given momentum to his cause. While many of the Western Empire court believe in abandoning the lands East of the Morktree and some even favour abandoning Maceataby and Elvesland (Mittelvolk cities), Orrian is aware that if his brother is able to deal with the other threats to his rule and bring the full force of the Eastern Empire’s armies to bear, he will undoubtedly be defeated.

Commanding from the front, Orrian is a handsome, inspiring and brave figure as well as a competent tactician who has the trust of the men under his command.


210 years ago all the lands between Grendell and the Morktree were the domain of the Inburian Empire with the Kings of Favis, Calaria and the Mittelvolk all paying homage to the Hasikos dynasty. It was Dakis III Hasikos who halted the Blight at the Grendell, though his forces were so weakened by the battle that he was unable to stop Voron Corfina when he invaded from the West, sweeping through the Mittelvolk Kingdom and Inburian heartland. The surviving descendants of the old dynasty have been allowed to live on, provided they don’t cause unrest. However, in the shattered Empire, two Hasikos Sisters have reemerged to claim the old throne of Inbur and drive the Elgafolk into the West, flying under the old Inburian Wyvern banner.


Andronika Hasikos at 19 is the elder of the two Hasikos sisters and potentially the biggest threat to the Empire of all of the rebel groups.

Raised on a farm in central Inbur, Andronika developed the Gift of Healing which led to her arrest for a crime she didn’t commit, allowing the local Lord to sell her into slavery, at an enormous price, given her rare talent.

Andronika, however, is a manipulative little thing and convinced one of the guards to help free her and the other slaves in the caravan she was in. One of whom, Aonène de Bellièvre is now believed by many to be the prophesied ‘Dawnbringer’ to save all peoples from the Blight. Andronika escaped to the town of Tregodwig where, after two failed attempts on her life, she began raising a force with Aonène in opposition to the Empire.
Voron, the late Emperor, dispatched an army to lay siege to the town and bring Aonène back to the capital of Alveby, but the army was defeated outside the town by the small force fighting under the banner of the ‘White Wyvern’, the town garrison and a relieving force from the King of Carnelfenney.

Andronika is a charismatic, moderate figure who counts elgafolk and humans of many races amongst her inner circle. While known as brave, compassionate and undoubtedly cunning, Andronika also has reputation for ‘brazen’ behaviour which does not endear her to some of the more pious members of the population.

While Andronika currently commands just over 2,000 troops, a very low number, she is in the process of negotiating an Alliance with Carnelfenney, potentially bringing a further 10,000 under her banner, enjoys substantial support amongst the Inburians and Mittelvolk and, most importantly, is also supported by the ‘Dawnbringer’, who acts as something of a magnet for adventurers.


Ariana Hasikos, at 18, is the younger of the two Hasikos sisters and the supposed leader of a large revolt from a mixture of Inburian peasants and slaves, wealthier burghers and retired Imperial veterans.

This revolt has been particularly bloody and elgafolk captured by the rebels have inevitably been tortured and murdered regardless of gender or age. Ariana, herself, is retiring figure without the natural charisma of her older sister. In theory her rebels ought to swear allegiance to Andronika as the elder sibling, and the rebellion maintains lip service to the idea of doing so if she makes it to Inburian lands. Privately, however, many of the rebel leaders view Andronika’s known fraternisation with elgafolk with suspicion and have a preference for the more malleable Ariana (who tends to acquiesce to the views of her advisors without protest). By all accounts, the two sisters are quite close though Ariana is little more than a figurehead and the odds of the two forces eventually coming to blows is fairly high.

While the Empire expected Ariana’s revolt to be easily crushed, their outnumbered army was surprised by a charge at the battle of Rodelkog and routed in vicious hand-to-hand fighting, though not before inflicting serious casualties on the rebels. Unfortunately, the Imperial forces abandoned all 32 of their field guns in the retreat. Currently, the ‘Red Wyvern’ controls no major settlements, though these guns will now give them the capacity to breach the defences of walled towns. While only currently mustering a force of just over 13,000 soldiers, victory at Rodelkog has proven to the local population that Ariana’s army has the potential to drive the Haltians from their lands.


Coralie D’Ambois has a connection to House Hasikos through her mother, though in reality her claim to the throne is laughably slender. A Vichian noble, Coralie D’Ambois was disowned by her family for eloping with a pirate captain and eventually turned to piracy and privateering herself. Despite the dubiousness of her claim to the throne, Coralie managed to convince a number of corsairs and other mercenaries to join an expedition to the Inburian Coast, more as an excuse to loot Haltian manor houses than actually establish Coralie as Empress.

The force was swelled by local peasants and slaves though Coralie expected them to inevitably be routed by the Empire and had plans in place to flee back to her ship in the event of military collapse. Coralie’s forces were surprised by an Imperial army outside of the village of Sidskold. While numerically inferior, the Imperial forces had advantages in training and cannon, though through a series of poor decisions, squandered both of these advantages (attacking ahead of the artillery arriving on the field and attempting the move the left wing of the cavalry through a swamp to surprise the Expedition… which it did not). The Battle of Sidskold was a slaughter, with nearly 900 imperial soldiers killed, and a further 2,700 captured along with 4 batteries of ordinance, out of an initial force of 6,500. Just over 350 rebels were killed or missing, and a further 670 wounded in the fighting. Coralie, by all accounts, personally took command of a unit of shot in the village itself.

With news of the victory spreading, Coralie’s army has swollen to close to 13,000, though her position remains precarious. There are, including the survivors of Sidskold, around 8,000 Imperial troops to the North and 12,000 Calarians to the West. Both forces are well equipped and trained while Coralie’s forces are lacking in armour, horses, arquebuses and training. The Calarians harbour a particular hatred for her (she captured a treasure galleon a few months ago) and would gladly see her hanged. Coralie will need to make her next moves very carefully.

Coralie is ambitious (some might say greedy), bold, unafraid of risk and (perhaps surprisingly) a competent and inspiring military commander to rival Orrian Corfina.

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In order for you to create a character, and for some basic info on the peoples you will encounter, here are some of the more common peoples who will appear in the RP. Feel free to have a chat on the discord if you want to create someone from a different race.

So you don't need to go plodding through huge amounts of lore, I've split the races into Major (people who live where the action is and/or are very directly involved) and minor, who are a bit more peripheral to the story.

In respect to language, you can assume each of these peoples has its own language though, with the exception of the Iktani, most people will also have a reasonable grasp of 'Inburian', which has existed as a lingua franca in the circle sea since the time of the Inburian Empire. Incidentally if you do create an Iktani character, I’d suggest saying they speak ‘Inburian’ just so you can talk to everyone else!

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The technology of the world is broadly similar to that of mid 17th century Europe:

Firearms: Firearms come in a variety of sizes from pistols to arqebuses and the even larger 'muskets' (which require a rest). Pistols are nearly all flintlocks though a lot of long guns are still the cheaper matchlock variety (which is fine, provided it isn't raining). Arquebuses are lethal out to 400 yards, muskets to 600, though a well-trained soldier can’t reliably hit a target beyond 100. The best troops, operating under ideal circumstances can reload and fire in around 30 seconds.

Firearms have mostly replaced bows and crossbows, though these do get used in some backwaters, particularly in the Western Empire where horse archery is still practiced and the Pobryn hill tribes occasionally mix longbows into their foot formations.

Melee Weapons: In a standing army, the pike is king, though people will often carry a secondary close-ranged weapon like a sword, axe or club. There are a variety of different swords in use. Some people might carry a short 'hanger' for slashing at close quarters. Officers are more likely to carry a long, slender 'rapier' (which can cut and thrust). Cavalry will have something bigger and broader, which can cut or thrust like a 'mortuary sword' while nobles are likely to carry the Rapier's, smaller, lighter, thrusting only cousin, the 'small-sword'.

Body Armour: Most body armour in this period is cheaper mass produced 'Munitions Armour', though nobles do have access to heavier, better gear. Contrary to popular belief decent armour will stop shots from guns, particularly at longer ranges, though the larger muskets will punch through anything someone is wearing. Helmets like the morion, cabasset and lobster tailed pot helmet are all pretty common. Officers often wear a floppy hat... but that's usually hiding a 'secrete' or small iron or steel skull cap hidden under the hat.

Magic: Magic in this world is rare and usually subtle in its effect. Healing magic is particularly sought after in this day and age as, provided the practitioner has the right herbs, they can save lives and limbs that would otherwise have been claimed by musket balls.

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In summary, 'don't be a dick'. But here they are if that comment is confusing:

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The moment you have been waiting for!

Feel free to app anything you think your character might do. If you’re apping a soldier I’d recommend a Colonel as these people were the ones in charge of Regiments. Otherwise write a courtier, a guard, a spy, a merchant or, really, anyone else you can dream up!

Additionally, feel free to write up a number of characters but try to spread them out between the courts.

When filling in an application form, please delete everything in parentheses.

Courtly intrigue? Pikes and pistols? Shenanigans?

Putting a pin in this!

Name: Skotinódasos aka "The Stonebreaker" aka "The Mad Priest"
Species/Race: Mixed race ancestry, presents as Human Inburian-Morktree native
Sex: Male
Age: 40
Court Alignment: Red Wyvern
Role: Colonel / Warrior-Priest
Appearance:

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we gon' crash out like the fuckin stock market

@Demencia@Tesserach

I'm going to stamp these apps as accepted

It's a good start!

Was in the old thread as you know, but for the benefit of new players knowledge;

Name: Alberic Thorel
Species/Race: Monchian
Sex: Male
Age: 30
Court Alignment: White Wyvern + The Dawnbringer
Role: Captain & Personal Guard of the Dawnbringer
Appearance:

Strengths and Weaknesses

Skills:
Combat Expertise: Alberic is a seasoned fighter, skilled in the use of various weapons such as swords, firearms, and naval tactics. His Corsair background has honed his abilities in both skirmishes and larger battles, making him a valuable asset in combat situations. He is also capable of swimming, as most Monchians are.

Loyalty and Dedication: Once Alberic gives his loyalty, he is unwavering. His commitment to Aonène and the cause of the Dawnbringer is steadfast, even when faced with personal challenges or competing goals like his quest for vengeance.

Unconventional Fighter: Alberic is an experienced strategist, especially in unconventional warfare. His time with the Corsairs taught him to outmaneuver larger, better-equipped forces, which translates well to land battles.

Resilience and Endurance: Alberic’s difficult past has made him physically and emotionally tough. He can endure harsh conditions and recover from setbacks quickly.

Weaknesses:

Revenge-Driven: Alberic’s fixation on finding Warin Montfault can cloud his judgment and lead him to prioritize personal vendettas over the broader goals of the cause, putting himself and others at risk.

Reluctant Diplomat: While capable of inspiring those under his command, Alberic struggles with the more delicate aspects of diplomacy, often favoring bluntness over tact, which can alienate potential allies though it may have an positive effect on certain individuals.

Haunted by the Past: The trauma of losing his family and his inability to save his sister weigh heavily on him, sometimes leading to bouts of self-doubt or impulsive behavior.

Background:

Backstory: Born 30 years ago in the bustling port city of Vich, Alberic Thorel was the son of humble merchant parents. His early years were spent learning the intricacies of commerce and seafaring, skills passed down from his father, a seasoned trader navigating the Circle Sea. Alberic’s childhood brimmed with the clamor of docks, the salt tang of the sea, and bustling trade with distant lands. His father taught him the art of ship handling, haggling, and discerning quality goods—a foundation for a promising future in trade.

Fate, however, had other plans. On a routine voyage, Alberic's family ship was ambushed by the notorious pirates of Emiddley, long-time enemies of Vich. Despite their valiant defense with limited weapons, they were overpowered. Alberic's father fell first, protecting his son, while his mother and younger brother were ruthlessly gunned down. Alberic fought fiercely to protect his sister, Meli, but was overwhelmed. He watched in horror as the pirates dragged Meli away, their leader—Warin "Grey Beard" Montfault—mocking him with a chilling promise: "The seas shall bring you no mercy, boy."

Left for dead on the sinking vessel, Alberic felt the cold embrace of the sea pulling him under. Yet, as darkness encroached, he awoke aboard another ship. The Corsairs of Vich had intervened too late to save his family but in time to save him. Towering above the injured boy stood Gerart of the Corsair League, an imposing figure with white hair, a scarred face. Despite his intimidating appearance, Gerart's voice was kind. “You have spirit,” he told Alberic. “Join us, fight for justice, and bring honor to Vich.”

With nothing left to lose, Alberic accepted the Corsair’s offer, setting him on a path of vengeance and transformation.

Under Gerart’s mentorship, Alberic grew into a formidable Corsair. He fought against Emiddleyan raiders, Orcs from the Blighted Lands, and even encountered Filipanasans from the mysterious east. Each victory sharpened his skills and brought him closer to avenging his family. His ultimate target was Warin "Grey Beard," the man responsible for his family's demise, but Montfault had vanished, rumored to have fled to the mainland.

Determined to track him down, Alberic proposed a reconnaissance mission to the Inburian coast, ostensibly to scout Haltian shipping routes. Gerart, though suspecting Alberic’s ulterior motives, approved the mission. Alberic’s ship, however, was ambushed by the Halthians. Their caravel was destroyed in a fiery explosion, and Alberic was captured, bound for the Haltian-controlled mainland.

Alberic’s captivity ended when he was freed by two unlikely individuals: Vassos, a deserting Haltian Owned Man, and Andronika Hasikos, a sharp-witted peasant girl revealed to be a descendant of the old Inburian dynasty. Together, they liberated a group of prisoners, including Aonène de Bellièvre, a fellow Monchian. Their escape marked the beginning of a rebellion against the Haltian Empire.

As the group faced numerous trials, Aonène’s true identity emerged. Her sword glowed with a divine light, revealing her as the prophesied Dawnbringer, destined to save the world from the Blight. For Alberic, the revelation was transformative. No longer driven solely by revenge, he saw Aonène as the Uniter of the Circle, capable of ending the centuries-old feud between Vich and Emiddley and leading the Isles to greatness.

Despite his newfound purpose, Alberic’s quest for vengeance against Montfault lingered like a shadow. The two paths—duty and revenge—pulled at him, forcing him to confront the man he had become and the man he wished to be.

Alberic fought alongside Andronika and Aonène to repel a Haltian army at Tregodwig. The victory was hard-won, solidifying their status as a force to be reckoned with and most importantly fortifying Alberic's faith in Aonène. Following this triumph, Alberic was dispatched to the coast to secure an alliance with Coralie D’Ambois, the cunning, powerful yet unpredictable Corsair empress. As Alberic approaches the sprawling Corsair encampment, he reflects on how far he had come. From a boy seeking vengeance to a man standing at the crossroads of history, he knows the stakes havd never been higher and with the war barely beginning the question remains: can he reconcile his personal quest with his duty to the Dawnbringer and the future she promised?

Two characters apps for now with two more in development

Name: Loan Klodig
Species/Race: Human - Quinian
Sex: Male
Age: 29
Court Alignment: White
Role: Captain, Official Liaison between the White Wyvern and the King of Carnelfenney
Appearance: Stands at 6 feet and 1 inch

Skills: Loan is a trained soldier and is well versed with various contemporary weapons. A man of great stature and strength, he can also hold his own in hand to hand combat, but would prefer to have a blunt or bladed weapon if placed in such a position.
Weaknesses: Can't swim

Backstory: Loan Klodig was born to a minor noble family in the Kingdom of Carnelfenney, near the city of Trefgodwig. Well, it would probably be more accurate that he was born to a merchant family, but his widowed father did marry a lady a few years after Loan's birth so the family is technically of minor nobility. Plus, Loan had attained officer status when working as a mercenary employed by northern lords in the Quinian-Haltian border against Haltian raiders.

The last year has been quite an eventful one for Loan. He and his men were ambushed by a Haltian raiding party that ended with him captured and transported with others deep into Imperial territory. He and a mismatch of others managed to escape the slave caravan with the help of a sympathetic guard and a princess who was also held in the caravan. The group broke out some individuals from a castle and fought off an orc scouting party at the Morktree. Somewhere in th excitement, one of the members, a peasant Monchian girl, was revealed to be the prophecized Dawnbringer and one member of the party tried to take the life of the princess and kindnapped the Dawnbringer before the girl was retrieved back. Lives were lost along the way. Then, the group took a trek to northern Carnelfenney, to home.

However, the excitement didn't end once they reached Trefgodwig. War was being prepared now that the Haltians wanted to take the Dawnbringer in a gilded cage for their own use and 10,000 Imperial soldiers attacked the city. Loan was quick to protect his home from the Empire and he and the others fought long enough for royal reinforcements to arrive and relieve the city from the Empire. For his effort, Loan was rewarded handsomely and was appointed by the King himself as the official liaison between the Carnelfennian Royal detachment and Andronika's regiment.

Name: Stefano Bene (real name Astartus Nicolau)
Species/Race: Human - Shariq
Sex: Male
Age: 31
Court Alignment: Black
Role:
Appearance: Stands at 5 feet, 7 inches

Skills: Being a legal expert in the maritime laws of many countries in the Circle Sea, Stefano is educated and is often used for taking part in negotiations with many organizations. Add to that, he is known for his charisma coming from his friendly, flamboyant, and laid back attitude; often used for diplomacy and swooning women.
Weaknesses: While he had trained with weapons for self defense, conflict is not his forte and he’s not one to be looking for a fight. When the fists start throwing, he's finding a table to hide under. He also can’t swim, considering it to be bad luck and tempting the sea spirits.

Backstory: Astartus Nicolau was born in a small imperial town to a Shariq blacksmith family. Despite his father's attempt to instill the value of honest living, Astartus had little interest in blacksmithing and would fall in the wrong crowd of pickpockets and scammers as a child, getting in trouble with local authorities over petty theft. As part of lashings given by his father and older brother, he would wise up and focus on his education, taking some interest in studying imperial laws. Part of it was a genuine effort for him to reform himself from his teenage years of being a troublemaker, part of it was because he wanted to leave the small town. He made his family proud once he passed the necessary requirements and tests to became a business attorney and was able to move to Inbur.

However, trouble always seems to follow Astartus as he was under suspicion for possible involvement in a smuggling ring (which he was). He was able to flee the imperial authorities and bribed some Calarian trader for him to flee to Calaria. While escaping, Astartus threw some of his personal items overboard. Hopefully, officials in search of him would have written him off as having drowned in the sea.

At Calaria, Astartus grew out his hair and beard and had taken a different personality. The quiet and reserved Astartus Nicolau is no more, now he's the flamboyant Stefano Bene, a legal expert from Calaria. Stefano worked for various merchants and lords, seeking the opportunity to finance his lifestyle of making more money and love to women. He even founded himself within the service of Coralie D’Ambois and her fleet of corsairs, using his words rather than fists to help out the Hasikos pretender. However, something is screaming at him from the back of his mind that this venture may be more than he bargained for.

I'll be able to start working on this character sheet on Friday, finish it through the weekend. Glad to see the other factions are getting some love!! Should make for an enticing opening board.

Indeed!

And I know there is quite a bit of chatter about potential characters in all factions so I'm feeling quite positive.

@InfamousGuy101@Badarby

All these characters look grand, though when you put them into the character sheet can you please split them out into individuals so I can make court-specific lists at the top?

Character Description

Name: Elandär Lopfison
Species/Race: Elgen
Sex: Male
Age: 27
Court Alignment: White
Role: Just looking for his friend
Appearance: Short, dark hair. Around 6 ft 7 in, wears generic woodsman's clothes. Generally has a bow and knife. Carries himself with a distinct lack of pride.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Skills: Archery, survival, general knowledge about plants and animals, handling animals
Weaknesses: Firearms, money, politics, social stuff

Background:

Backstory: Born to a Elgen forester's family, he grew up from a young age knowing how a forest functions. At around age 16, he found himself on a hunting trip with a friend of his. This was fairly routine, although they were doing more talking than actual hunting. Eventually, they came across an abandoned bear cub. Elandär didn't want to kill it, although his friend seemed dead set. Elandär stopped him multiple times, before growing angry. As his friend leveled his weapon to kill the bear, Elandär drew his sword and killed his friend. Without thinking, he picked up the bear cub and quickly ran into the forest, exiling himself from society.

For years he lived in the forest, watching the bear grow and learning how to survive out in the woods. After many years, he and the bear were close friends, and even had a form of communication between the two. Some may call it a language, others probably wouldn't. They probably did. But some things just don't last. Eventually, folk nearby became afraid of a large bear and its mysterious trainer living in the woods, and despite avoiding capture for some time, Elandär was eventually put on a show trial and put into slavery. Hilandar, the bear, was purchased by a nobleman and sent somewhere distant. Elandär swore to find his friend again.

Eventually freed from his bonds, he joined a group headed by Andronika and a few others. There, he tried his best to keep up with everything that was happening, but found it hard. He had tried training to use firearms, but always found himself preferring his bow. He had managed to defend Andronika a few times before, but it never really felt like he had done much. At Trefogdwig, he stayed in the city and didn't participate in the fighting. He purchased a new bow, using some funds he'd scrapped around. He also began work on a small clay statue of a bear, to remind himself of his mission. With the end of the siege, he now wishes more than ever to go find Hilandar.

guess who's back

@Tackytaff

@Pangolin333

All looks good to me!