Since you're curious, I'll indulge you. I've exchanged some PMs with Saber where we discussed the concept of my character. It's most likely going to be a Mage Slayer who happened to be born close to the Dead Cairn. Being conceived in such an ill fated place has resulted in an ill fated future for this character, as they are afflicted with a condition called aberrant magic; in a nutshell, they possess a powerful boon or gift (the nature of which is still up for debate, but will inevitably be something of use to the Vigil) that is granted to them through the eldritch energies that course within the Cairn, but by the very nature of this terrifying artifact, these energies ask an even greater toll from this character. So in order not to be consumed by the curse and die, the character has to regularly end a human life, or become the sacrifice themselves. The character doesn't find this terribly amusing and would rather find a cure to this condition, but the Vigil on the other hand would prefer to keep this blessing within their grasp, so they always keep a watcher near the character to keep tabs on them (basically an NPC controlled by Saber). There, that's the rough idea. As you can tell, it's just a concept so far; I haven't even settled on a gender or anything.

PrinceOfQuills said
However, for the sake of the RP, I think we should all consider that we were meant to be on the hunt for mages (our recruitment rests in this general idea in the first place), and at the same time, it's rare enough as it is to be pro-mage in this universe. What I'm basically saying is, if any wish to be pro-mage in the long run, they should logically be starting with the philosophy that mages are, beyond reasonable doubt, evil, or if not, these people could be relatively indifferent to them (many mercenary-like characters might lean on this ideology; i.e. they care not who to kill, etc.). A little drama and some heated rocky beginnings wouldn't hurt haha.

Yeah, that's one of the central themes in this RP. As I said in the 'setting' section up top. I don't mind some people secretly being curious about mages and all that, but if you're caught consorting with mages...well, it's a death sentence. Being a mage...well, it's a death sentence too. Hahah.

PrinceOfQuills said EDIT: I think this RP has the potential to be one of the very best, and I would really hate to see this die. In my long time as an RPer, I found this to be almost inevitable, save for a certain special few. And this certain few, I've found, had rules implementing that they would kill off the characters of those who fail to respond after a while without prior notice (or some would put them into an inactive spot, then eventually kill them off). I'm not saying anything; it's just that, I want everyone to know how horrible it feels when an RP you've really enjoyed suddenly dies, simply because one member didn't give a damn about it anymore. Just saying. Let's make this fun, guys :D

I'll make sure to add it into the rules once I get the OOC up. I certainly have no problem giving someone's character a quick (maybe even dramatic) death if they're absent for an unacceptable amount of time. Hell, I'm even cool with one of you guys writing it...if it comes to that. Thank you for your kind words and belief in the potential of this roleplay! I'm sure this is gonna be damn fun. ^_^

PrinceOfQuills said
Hi babbysama! Welcome to the party :))) Why thank you for the compliment (I'm starting to blush). And yes, I agree with Saber. Your signature... :DI think your idea of archer-from-the-steppes would work out really greatly. I don't know about you guys, but I've grown so accustomed to having the various niches in the party filled (the ever-protective sword-arm, the hawk-eyed archer, etc.). I mean, variety is one the best things ever in an RP. I would hate to see everyone acting as "the pompous knight" charging into battle with their identical swords and identical stances and identical warcries. So with everyone being archers or everyone being mages. Horrible.Anyway, I think I'm settled in going for the character I described, and I would welcome anyone willing to aid her in her plight. However, for the sake of the RP, I think we should all consider that we were meant to be on the hunt for mages (our recruitment rests in this general idea in the first place), and at the same time, it's rare enough as it is to be pro-mage in this universe. What I'm basically saying is, if any wish to be pro-mage in the long run, they should logically be starting with the philosophy that mages are, beyond reasonable doubt, evil, or if not, these people could be relatively indifferent to them (many mercenary-like characters might lean on this ideology; i.e. they care not who to kill, etc.). A little drama and some heated rocky beginnings wouldn't hurt haha.EDIT: I think this RP has the potential to be one of the very best, and I would really hate to see this die. In my long time as an RPer, I found this to be almost inevitable, save for a certain special few. And this certain few, I've found, had rules implementing that they would kill off the characters of those who fail to respond after a while without prior notice (or some would put them into an inactive spot, then eventually kill them off). I'm not saying anything; it's just that, I want everyone to know how horrible it feels when an RP you've really enjoyed suddenly dies, simply because one member didn't give a damn about it anymore. Just saying. Let's make this fun, guys :D

Totally agree, I think the setting and plot has some great potential. Luckily I just finished my spring semester at college so I have a good bit of free time on my hands now, though I will be taking some summer classes. But yeah, I think if we get some dedicated people and good roleplayers this will be one of the greats,

Ashgan said
Since you're curious, I'll indulge you. I've exchanged some PMs with Saber where we discussed the concept of my character. It's most likely going to be a Mage Slayer who happened to be born close to the Dead Cairn. Being conceived in such an ill fated place has resulted in an ill fated future for this character, as they are afflicted with a condition called aberrant magic; in a nutshell, they possess a powerful boon or gift (the nature of which is still up for debate, but will inevitably be something of use to the Vigil) that is granted to them through the eldritch energies that course within the Cairn, but by the very nature of this terrifying artifact, these energies ask an even greater toll from this character. So in order not to be consumed by the curse and die, the character has to regularly end a human life, or become the sacrifice themselves. The character doesn't find this terribly amusing and would rather find a cure to this condition, but the Vigil on the other hand would prefer to keep this blessing within their grasp, so they always keep a watcher near the character to keep tabs on them (basically an NPC controlled by Saber). There, that's the rough idea. As you can tell, it's just a concept so far; I haven't even settled on a gender or anything.

Ashgan. Your name sounds familiar. So with your pic. Not sure if we've RPed together in the old guild before because it's been n years since I've been RPing (I heard of the cataclysm only days ago when I came back). Anyway, I love your character idea :D

PrinceOfQuills said
By the way, would there be a map to complement this RP? I plan on making my character originate from the forests or something similar, and I hate to be making up Forest A or Foothills B when they actually aren't existent or geographically accurate. Or at least, are there any forests/swamplands/places devoid of civilization nearby (by nearby I mean adequate distance so as not to be accidentally ventured upon) Merrifort? I mean, it would only be logical that a mage originated from outside the conventional civilizations.EDIT 2: Oh wait, mage tribes have been mentioned.

Hello, our resident cartographer and Lerayissian geography expert is here to answer questions. There is a map however I'm having issues adjusting it to the Dead Era, I only have A.F* and A.B* era maps finished.

The two major forest areas are Laurosa and Vallake. Laurosa however is a port region along the coast and has trains running all through it, also the Vigil happens to be located there so it's highly unlikely any mages would be living there even if hidden away. The second major forests are in the mountainous region of Vallake, a former proud land with rich natural resources but after the Gods' death the Rahxbrant* moved south into the region as they cannot live in the Godwastes. As such, the region was mostly abandoned, the great underground cities left to decay and fall to ruin. I suggest if you don't want your mage being from the Godwastes, she could be from here though it's a dangerous area now. If she is from here, she will be looked upon as an outsider but far more welcomed than if she was from the Godwastes.

The mage tribes are all from mostly either the Godwates or some, though very few that the Vigil cares about, from the Hattavori desert far to the south.

babbysama said
Thanks! If I have any questions I will definitely shoot you a message. Does anyone have any other character ideas? PrinceOfQuill's idea sounded great. I have a couple of things in mind, one of which is this archer/marksman type character from the steppes. I'd definitely like to see how magic works before that though. Love the setting, been looking for something this rich and unique to roleplay in, and love Planescape, so this is a perfect fit!

Worsenth, sometimes called Western Vallake is a flat plain that might fit what you want. It's a lush grassland though the further south one gets the more inhospitable it is as it touches the Hattavori desert. The local people are generally nomadic herders who have tamed the local horses or small towns dotted along who rely on supplies from the nomads or other areas of the country usually provided from way of Merrifort.

---

A.F: After The Fall, the era in which Lady Yildeane started her uprising and killed the Gods. This era came about after a great war called "The Fall".

A.B: Age of Blood. This was the era in which Pyrrian Transcripts took place. Ancient history now, it is sometimes called the Golden Age of Lerayis though it had little political stability and wars raged. This era was the longest in Lerayissian history and takes up several hundred years.

Raxhbrant: Northern dragons who used to make their home in what is now the Godwastes. Large formidable creatures that are said to live to a thousand years and never stop growing.

Sicarius said
Hello, our resident cartographer and Lerayissian geography expert is here to answer questions. There is a map however I'm having issues adjusting it to the Dead Era, I only have A.T.F* and A.B* era maps finished. The two major forest areas are Laurosa and Vallake. Laurosa however is a port region along the coast and has trains running all through it, also the Vigil happens to be located there so it's highly unlikely any mages would be living there even if hidden away. The second major forests are in the mountainous region of Vallake, a former proud land with rich natural resources but after the Gods' death the Rahxbrant* moved south into the region as they cannot live in the Godwastes. As such, the region was mostly abandoned, the great underground cities left to decay and fall to ruin. I suggest if you don't want your mage being from the Godwastes, she could be from here though it's a dangerous area now. If she is from here, she will be looked upon as an outsider but far more welcomed than if she was from the Godwastes. The mage tribes are all from mostly either the Godwates or some, though very few that the Vigil cares about, from the Hattavori desert far to the south.

Thank you for that, Sicarius. Though I just wanted to ask, who/what, exactly are the Rahxbrant? Are they that dangerous? And how possible would you wager is the existence of a small mage tribe in Vallake? I just keep thinking that my character would not have been able to foster such an ideology if she were gazing at the horrid Godwastes for the most part of her life (and in fact, she would have had harbored a deep resentment for the people of Merrifort), whereas a greener and more nature-attuned atmosphere could have been more conducive to such a thought.

EDIT: Scrap the Rahxbrant question, lol. Ninja'd while making this post haha :DDDD By the way, do you plan on taking part of the RP itself, or just its technical aspects? I mean, the more the merrier, right? :)

PrinceOfQuills said
Ashgan. Your name sounds familiar. So with your pic. Not sure if we've RPed together in the old guild before because it's been n years since I've been RPing there (I heard of the cataclysm only days ago when I came back). Anyway, I love your character idea :D

It's possible I guess; I've been on the old RPG for quite a few years, though granted not as the most active person ever. Probably joined 2-4 advanced RPs a year, with long months of inactivity in between after a roleplay's death. Guildfall was a pretty sad time though, I can tell you that much. Had a short stay on the creative freedom board, where a good few of the castaways from the sinking ship that was the old guild went, and had a reasonably terrible stay there. It's all in the past now, though. I wish I would remember you, but regrettably I don't. ():

Ah, sorry I was in the middle of answering babysama's questions before I could give the explanation of what my precious rahxbrant are. Simple enough, they're dragons. In Lerayis there are two different dragons, the northern and southern called rahxbrant and stritai. While both are dragons, they are two very different species in the same genus.

Raxhbrant are the more traditional dragon. They are generally solitary creatures unless it is a mother with her young. They are incredibly territorial and with aberrant magic running amok, many have turned unpredictable even some pairing off. Formerly they were masters of magic, now with their patron God dead, few can breathe fire. Rahxbrant are large though some have become smaller to deal with their habitat change. Essentially, yeah they're dangerous and even an accomplished mage has trouble taking them down with their armor like scales.

The existence of a small tribe is actually pretty good, especially if they kept to themselves. They won't have an easy life though. Harsh winters, flooding during summers, large animals having taken up home here to get away from the Godwastes and the rest of civilization especially those with connections to the Dead Gods. They won’t be alone and will still have to hide from the Vigil though, some trade routes still run through the land and some native people still live there. Vallakiens are horribly proud of their history and land.
It's a wild land but, it is beautiful and probably the most prosperous place within the continent at this time. I might be a bit biased; Vallake is my creation and has a place in my heart.

I will say though, the Vallakien rams, though large and stubborn, are delicious in a stew ;)

Edit: I took awhile writing that up, oops. I'll keep it up anyway in case anyone wants to see me rant.

I will be taking part, I will be playing two characters. A mage slayer and a Death Touched.

Atheri Syvek; a mage hunter in her late twenties to early thirties. A rather pretty woman, she grew up in poverty in Euphius on the edge of the Godwastes leading her to be a superstitious woman and a devotee of Yildeane. She joined the Mage Slayer’s at an early age and has now become a well-respected individual, though is known also for her greed and extravagance that could be compared to Yildeane’s own striking fashion. She was engaged to a young man but he died many years ago, before their wedding, in the same incident that burnt Morben Risaac’s face. She’s good at close combat as well as fighting on horseback. She is known for her detailed halberd she carries around.

My second, the Death Touched is named Lyhal Nydnia. He is from the Godwastes and former member of a mage tribe. An accomplished archer. He'll be exploring much of how magic works as well as the dead gods. Not much to say about him at this point besides him working with Saber's Nyrris and that he is a rather proud 1/4th Untuillian! Haha.

If there is still a space open, I would love to scratch my name in the wall. Very deep and rich setting you guys have thought up, looking forward to seeing the OOC.

EDIT: One question I do have (I may have missed an answer through my skimming) is, where do we fall on the subject of weapons? You said in the initial post that trains and clockwork etc... are prevalent. So how advanced is the world in terms of mage slaying? Clockwork firearms or bows and arrows for example.

Saber said
While guns exist, they would be a rarity. A large portion of the cities that produced guns were destroyed, as they were in the northern part of Lerayis. However, I am willing to make exceptions for Mage Slayers. As they are provided for by Vigil, it would make sense for them to carry a rifle or pistol.

Most folk, however, carry simple weaponry.

Pleased to meet you, Remnant!

EDIT: I'm excited to see what sort of character you concoct :)))

Hello, you're very welcome to join. Thank you, we both really appreciate all the love for this world.

As for guns:

Saber said
While guns exist, they would be a rarity. A large portion of the cities that produced guns were destroyed after the Gods’ death. However, I am willing to make exceptions for Mage Slayers. As they are provided for by Vigil, it would make sense for them to carry a rifle or pistol. Most folk, however, carry simple weaponry.

I’d personally encourage a clockwork firearm, it sounds rather fun. Though like Saber said it would be rare and the ammunition would be on the expensive side.

Edit: I've been ninja'd.

PrinceOfQuills said
Pleased to meet you, Remnant! :)))

The pleasure is mine. Cheers for the info, I must have missed it.

Sicarius said
Hello, you're very welcome to join. Thank you, we both really appreciate all the love for this world.

As for guns:I’d personally encourage a clockwork firearm, it sounds rather fun. Though like Saber said it would be rare and the ammunition would be on the expensive side.

Thanks, I'll start playing with some hunter ideas.

Just a note for everyone, the map's going to probably take a lot longer because I'm redoing it from scratch.

Sicarius said
Just a note for everyone, the map's going to probably take a lot longer because I'm redoing it from scratch.

That's fair, I understand the creative process of perfectionism all too well.

EDIT: I've been thinking about a hunter concept. How would it be received if I ran a field interrogator? Kind of sadistic in nature, very much enjoys the hunt and prefers the long drawn out kills to the quick painless ones. He'd primarily use a clockwork rifle with specially crafted ammunition that is specifically designed to shatter and break bone at range, rather than kill the target. On top of this he would use a pair of crafted hooks attached to a serrated chain that he would use for 'forceful interrogation' up close.

Still debating a background, but it will explain his sadism and why he has learnt to enjoy his work; rather than suffer through it.

I shall have to drop interest, sorry.

Peik said
Instead of making clockwork weaponry why not just make them early muskets?

Clockwork allows for explainable semi-automatic firing rates, muskets require barrel loading and would be incredibly slow and cumbersome for combat against spell slingers.

Random guy with input, having run a few steampunkish RPs myself, I'd say clockwork is the way to go, more effective but prone to jamming. muskets weren't anything special they had bayonets for a reason. When the gun didn't work you could still stab shit.

Remnant said
I've been thinking about a hunter concept. How would it be received if I ran a field interrogator? Kind of sadistic in nature, very much enjoys the hunt and prefers the long drawn out kills to the quick painless ones. He'd primarily use a clockwork rifle with specially crafted ammunition that is specifically designed to shatter and break bone at range, rather than kill the target. On top of this he would use a pair of crafted hooks attached to a serrated chain that he would use for 'forceful interrogation' up close.

Still debating a background, but it will explain his sadism and why he has learnt to enjoy his work; rather than suffer through it.

Hmmm . . . I think that's a great character idea, Remnant! I believe, however, that he wouldn't get well together with my character at first haha. I kind of find it easy to imagine, too, how such a weakling my character would appear facing combat with your character, unless my character resorted to magic to help even out the odds. But since we're on the same page I assume my character would just try to steer clear of yours as much as possible. At least, until they get to know each other more closely :)

Peik said
I'm also interested.

Welcome aboard, Peik! ;)

PrinceOfQuills said
Hmmm . . . I think that's a great character idea, Remnant! I believe, however, that he wouldn't get well together with my character at first haha. I kind of find it easy to imagine, too, how such a weakling my character would appear facing combat with your character, unless my character resorted to magic to help even out the odds. But since we're on the same page I assume my character would just try to steer clear of yours as much as possible. At least, until they get to know each other more closely :)

Well as I imagine him in my head, he is very loyal to his team. And as much as he would detest the thought of losing out on a hunt and not being able to carve another notch in his rifle, he would rather let a mage escape than lose a member of his squad. Of course, when he finds out you're a closet spell slinger then there might be... tension. xD

I think he would've been trained to hunt from a very young age, maybe at some kind of institution or monastery of some kind? (I'll have to discuss that possibility with Saber) This is what leads him to being so cold and uncaring for the lives he takes while on the job. That would also explain why he has found ways to make it more of a sport, you do a job for long enough and you find ways to make it fun.

~BOING!!!~

Wowwwwws~~!!^^ Look at all the new peeps interested like!! Hiiiiiiiiiii peeps!!! xDDD

We needs to see the charrie sheets! Nows!!!

K, byeeeeeee~~!! ;D