"Good can't help but do a little evil, and evil can't help but do a little good."
In Character Info
An old man sits at the tavern's bar, weary and worn down by life. His eye catches yours, and he beckons you over. "Come, sit down, these times have been trying on us all." He says. You take a seat next to him, and he begins recalling something. "This war's been going on for so long. Since I was just a child. It's so sad, children now they'll grow up to this. This fighting, these battles, leaving villages destroyed, and homes fatherless. Doesn't matter which side of the fight you're on. The kingdom's real ruler, Perinne or those Glanz folks tryin' to uproot everything. Even that little upstart thief has a say in the fate of Tenebria.” He pauses to take a drink. Before he's able to continue, a drunk a seat away mumbles “Damn Glanz...” Another takes offense at his statement, remarking that the Glanz Empire is much better than the Perinne rule they're under now. The argument seems to start getting quite heated. Looking over to the old man, he seems to have disappeared. As you look around for him, another drunk calls you over, intent on settling a bet or argument of some kind. “You're with the Thieves right? Neither the Glanz nor the Perinne are righteous rulers!” He asks. The man next to him cuts in. “The Perinne are doing a fine job ruling. You agree, yes?” It seems they won't leave you alone until you reveal your allegiance.
Well? Do you fight for the kingdom? For revolution? Or for yourself?
TL;DR Summary
- This is a story about the three sides of a war that's been going on for almost a century. The current ruling family who were born into royalty, the Perinne family, the Glanz Empire, the almost corrupt rebels aiming to instate a new kingdom atop the old, or the Thieves Guild, a group of bandits turned good (well, mostly good.) They serve neither the King nor the Rebel Crown, instead aiming to end the war by any means necessary, even banditry and assassination of the King's own men.
- I will need a King, a Rebel Leader, and a Bandit Prince/Princess. If you want to apply for the role, speak to me, present your concept, and we'll workshop it. If two people want to attempt the same role, then generally, first come first serve but if one fits the role better, I will choose them.
- Any who are not Leaders may be either part of each group's "main force," Or be someone else generally close to a position of power. (each faction has a council of members who are the second-in-command to their respective leaders and advise them. This is the main force. There are 7 on the King's Council, 6 on the Glanz Legion, and 4 on the Fiendish Four.)
- Communication is key. If you want to plan something with me and the others? Do so! Collab? Generally, I'm up for it.
- Subject to my discretion obviously, but you can have some pretty outrageous character concepts. A slime, spirit, or lich isn't out of the ballpark, and neither is a mutant, a dragonkin, or a werewolf. Just keep it relatively human sized.
Magic is generally only used through small crystalline rocks called "Lapi." Said stones hold magic power, and by stimulating it with a fraction of your own energy, you can use its effects. These range from healing, to manipulation or generation of certain elements, to temporary alterations of your physical form. Some effects can even last for up to an hour, and some almost unheard of ones are even stranger. Lapi are both amazing and odd, and scientists, scholars and alchemists alike can't figure out what makes them produce such outlandish affects, only that they form from even larger crystals deep underground. This makes Lapis production a challenge to all but the most high ranking of the Khint Alchemist Clan, who have excavated a crystal of their own and have found a way to force it to create Lapis at an accelerated rate, though even they aren't sure how to manipulate any other factors of production like strength or ability.
One can recreate a Lapis's ability naturally, but without much practice, familiarity, and experience, it's a dangerous game. Only the most skilled of Magi have even a few Lapi mastered, and even fewer have learned how to manipulate said ability once learned. Another unfortunate side of Lapi is it's effect on humans. If one is around or uses Lapi a lot during pregnancy, a human child can "absorb" its effect, coming out deformed or with uncontrollable magical abilities. Occasionally, one may escape physical alteration and self destructive magics, leaving only useful abilities. Why this happens only to humans, no one seems to know, though studies have been done and this may be linked to humans' propensity to mastering Lapi. It also seems to be happening more often, as more Lapi is used in war time, and the Khint have upped production, putting more Lapi into the hands of commoners.
Though only humans may be mutated by Lapi, other races are blessed with abilities, though this phenomena decidedly different to Lapi magic and is regarded as "Extranatural Talent" by scholars, ET for short. These are generally given to most if not all members of a race, and allow them a leg up on the competition. Demons seem to be the only exception of this rule, who seem to have completely random ETs. They also are unable to master Lapi, though they can use it just fine.
Although I reserve the right to reject Lapi, you really shouldn't even think about putting these on your character.
And finally, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. ADDITIONAL INFO
Hiro Sura
Gender: Male Age: 17 Race: Mountain Tengu
Equipment
Scarf - An enchanted scarf with small chunks of Lapi embedded throughout that allow Hiro to control his explosive nature.
Pack - A small hip-mounted satchel that can contain numerous useful items.
Machete - Dual serrated machete useful for chopping up plants and people.
Abilities
Levitation - Using their tiny wings, mountain tengu can levitate about 2-3 feet off the ground for about a minute before a quick rest.
Explosive Nature Control - Though most Mountain Tengu are magically bound to explode upon too rough an impact, Hiro's scarf not only allows him freedom from this curse, but also allows him to generate these explosions at will.
Communication - Blessing of the gods? Inherited trait? Who knows, but every member of the Sura tree is able to talk to and understand every race with little effort.
Talents
Excellent at bringing together a team.
Above average stamina and speed.
Good fighter.
Personality: Like most tengu, he's quite lazy and unintelligent, but only relative to other races. For a tengu, he's actually quite motivated and smart, seemingly because of his mother's excursions to towns and villages near the mountains. He also doesn't seem to share his race's love of mischief, though he doesn't take things seriously all the time either. In fact, he seems to be completely unaffected by pressure, always confident and scatterbrained. Still, this joyfulness doesn't come with empathy. He rarely considers how people other than his tribe feel and can be naive. Overall, he's just an average person, and he seems to accept the fact without any pretenses. Seems to always end his sentences with "chum" for some reason.
Biography: Born from a long line of different races starting with his great grandfather, a human turned monster. Hiro had a regular Tengu mother Nana, chief of the tribe actually, and satyr who had inhabited the mountain, the inheritor of the Sura title. Keeping inline with his nature, the satyr was quick to leave Nana once Hiro was born, leaving naught but a loose family history. Nana named Hiro after the progenitor of the line. This fascination with her lover's family history lead her and Hiro to visit many human settlements to ask about a human named Hero. Though not many remembered him, those who did seemed to disagree. Some say he was one of the best chefs in the land, often serving the king. Others say he used to be a knight in the King's Guard before trekking towards the mountain with his wife and never returning. Of course, this didn't matter to the young Hiro. He was much more interested in the human gadgets. Frequently he would be caught absentmindedly holding onto said objects, though his cute nature was enough to escape without much more than a scolding from most.
As Hiro came a bit closer to succeeding his mother, she taught him the two most important facets of being a Tengu chief. Being strong enough to defend the tribe, and the ability to rally the normally docile Tengu. Both skills would prove invaluable to the future, and he thanks his mother every day for the training. Though most Tengu wielded a polearm or a similar easily craftable and long weapon, Hiro trained frequently with his machete instead, both of which his mother had traded for. He was also given the "Chief Scarf," a relic that was passed down to the village chief, and then their subordinates in the likely event of death. Said scarf allowed tengu to control their regularly explosive form. Training was relatively regular, supplemented with a Tengu's natural combat intuition it was enough to make him a good fighter.
Drawing ever closer to the day Hiro would become chief, tengu started disappearing. First it was happening to other tribes, some members mysteriously never came back. Then whole tribes were disappearing, and eventually Hiro's people had been targeted. Some of his friends had taken leave, only to never come back. Nana began limiting her visits to nearby towns, eventually cutting herself off completely when she returned with "Prin Leather," a mysterious substance that felt suspiciously like tengu skin. It seemed that the mountain tengu who disappeared were being poached, something Hiro absolutely would not stand for. He vowed, on that day, to give the tengu a voice, and to stop the murder.
Hiro journeyed first to the capital, only to be denied an audience with the king. He was a simple tengu, and no claims that he was a tribe leader would dissuade them. He would have to gain notoriety, and to do so he joined the [FACTION] Army, rising through the ranks by indicting his own squad into the ranks. Eventually, he would even gain a spot in the [MAIN FORCE]
Other:
Mountain Tengu
Origin Originally a more mischievous offshoot of demons, the mountain tengu staked their turf upon Mt. Lux. They would frequently pick on and harass travelers, occasionally even killing them. Eventually, Recurring Traits
Work in Progress Character. 98% Complete. Considering adding Lapi abilities and a few minor alterations.
Sir Galan of Fordsen
Gender: Male
Age: 43
Race: Human
Equipment, Abilities and Talents
Equipment
The Hulk of Fordsen (Lapi-Imbued Kite shield)
Steel Lance
Redeeming Edge (Lapi-Imbued Longsword)
Bulwark of Regret (Lapi-Imbued Full Plate Armour)
Destrier
Abilities
Redeeming Edge (Longsword) - Galan can lend his energy to his sword, covering the blade in a shimmering wave of electricity which will transfer itself to a target by touch, thereby electrocuting them. Whether this attack is fatal, depends entirely on the constitution of Galan's adversary. I.e, weaker opponents might be outright killed by it, where as stronger ones, such as other characters, might only be dazed by it. Galan can perhaps use this attack three or four times per combat, before exhausting himself.
Bulwark of Regret (Armour) - Before riding into combat, Galan will lend energy to his armour in what is an hour-long ritual. Once complete, the Lapi-imbued metal of his full plated armour becomes protected by an invisible barrier capable of warding off some magical and physical attacks, or reducing their effectiveness. How much damage or magical attacks his armour can sustain before the barrier fails is entirely dependant on how strong the attacks are. For example, a Wizard casting a lightning bolt at Galan would severely weaken or perhaps outright destroy the barrier; however, an arrow fired from distance by a lowly archer, would do little, and it would take a dozen more to break his barrier and make him vulnerable.
This Lapi ability is designed to keep Galan alive when he heads cavalry charges or fights in the front of any combat situation, as opposed to giving him some kind of "advantage" over other characters.
The Hulk of Fordsen (Shield) - The Hulk of Fordsen is an ancestral kite-shield that has long been held by the Fieflord of Fordsen, which in this case is Sir Galan. The shield, like his armour and sword, is imbued by shards of Lapi. By placing his shield in front of him, and lending his energy to it, Galan can cast an invisible wave of kinetic energy which will knock his opponent over or stumble them backwards if they are strong enough to withstand it. Think of it as an extra heavy shield bash. It has a range of about six feet, before the energy dissipates.
Talents
Expert Swordsman
Renowned Jouster
Expert Rider
Capable Commander
Personality, Biography and Other
Personality:
Sir Galan is a sober man of middling years, who appears bitter and jaded, and will often lament the years of his sullied youth. Typically, he is an honourable man, and the very personification of the ideals of chivalry, but his morals and ideals are flexible when the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Ever a sound advisor, he will always stress caution before action, and action before complacency.
Biography:
Sir Galan of Fordsen is of common stock, and his rise to the Kings Guard is nothing short of a fantastical story of which the whole realm is more than aware of.
Beginning life as a blacksmith's son, Galan was brought up in a world full of poverty, hunger and grief. His mother passed when he was only seven years old, much to his father's anguish, and his elder brother was murdered by a would-be-thief when he was barely a man.
Embittered by what he saw as a world full of misery and chaos, Galan spurned his father's love, and turned his back on the blacksmithing tradition of his family. Isolated and cut off from all those he once loved as a young boy, Galan found himself drawn to the ranks of the King's army, where he was able to take out his frustations on a world that had treated he and his family so unfairly.
An unruly soldier, Galan doused himself in several dishonourable acts. Rape and murder were his bread and butter to begin with, until he one day found himself dangling a mere babe from the ramparts of his Lord's castle. As the infant screamed and squirmed in his iron grip, something from the World Beyond touched him; it brought him instant realisation of his sins, of his guilt and his unforgivable deeds.
Galan's mind would have shattered there and then, and he'd of thrown himself from the ramparts instead, were it not for the timely intervention of a passing chaplain, who urged Galan to hand the infant over, and to repent for his misdeeds immediately.
Over the coming weeks, Galan transformed from a lowly foot soldier to an idealistic warrior of chivalrous intent. He immediately sacrificed his wages in aid of the poor, and of those he had wronged (who still lived, that is), and devoted himself to the Church.
Seeing a likewise sickness in his comrades - the same sickness that had driven him to commit such evil - Galan focused his energies on bettering the men he fought alongside, and in doing so, caught the attention of an aged Knight; a Sir Jalsir of Bhron, who became enamoured with the young soldier's story of redemption. Sir Jalsir took Galan under his wing, and tutored him as a squire for little under a decade.
By the time Sir Jalsir passed on from old age, sir Galan had become a knight in his own right, with both land and wealth to his name. He established himself as a competent commander and warrior in the King's various campaigns on the Kingdom's borders, and steadily rose through the ranks.
Now he is of the Kings Guard, and his name is flaunted by the loyalist cause for its reference to honour and redemption. Though despite his success, sir Galan finds himself increasingly polarised by a world and a Kingdom that is rapidly changing around him, and he struggles daily to conform himself to the belief that his part in the brewing civil war will bear any positive fruit.
Other:
Notable Information
Fieflord: Sir Galan of Fordsen
Population:
Humans - 527
Services Offered:
Blacksmithing
Horse Breeder/Stable
General Goods Market
Garrison Size:
67 Men-At-Arms (Based at the Castle)
21 Town Watch (Based in the town)
Places of Interest
The Missing Boot Tavern
Located down the central thoroughfare. A well kept thatch roofed structure with an adjoining stable. Inside, one will always find a roaring central hearth, a bar well stocked with the realm's ales and wine, and a kitchen that boasts some of the finer tasting meat pies in this area of the realm.
Fordsen Market
Lining the central thoroughfare of Fordsen, one will find several stalls selling various common goods. From foods and spices, to cloths and tools, an adventurer will find all they need here when it comes to the basics.
Fordsen Smith
The town's blacksmith can be located down the central thoroughfare, alongside the Missing Boot Tavern. Equipped with a simple forge, it is enough to service and create weapons made from common ores.
Fordsen Castle
Located on the hill at the rear of Fordsen, one will find Fordsen Castle. Currently the residence of Sir Galan, it is a simple and squat yet robust structure of stone and iron. Five turrets and strong ramparts form the structure's defences, and within, one will behold the generously sized banquet hall and living quarters. Though by no means an impregnable fortress, it has been three centuries since the Castle has fallen to a siege.
Owing to Sir Galan's love of horses, and of the cavalry charge, the Castle is well stocked with destriers. If one is in need of a horse, then they could perhaps seek out the Castellan and purchase one for a few gold coins.
People of Interest
Bulnar the Big
Bulnar is the landlord of the Missing Boot Tavern, as was his father before him, and his father's father before that.
He is named 'the Big' for a reason that is immediately obvious. Six feet tall, and seemingly six feet wide, everything about Bulnar's stature suggests that he is not designed to fit through normal sized doorways. Nevertheless, despite his somewhat gluttonous nature, Bulnar is known as a decent man who treats his customers fairly and with respect.
It is rumoured however, that he has connections with the Thieves Guild, which is something he is always eager to stamp out. The town watch have never acted on these suspicions however, possibly because Bulnar is beloved throughout Fordsen.
If you're looking for Bulnar, then head to the Missing Boot Tavern, and find the large bald man with several missing teeth behind the bar.
Lord Commander Kellan Stormwater
Castellan of Fordsen Castle, Lord Commander Kellan is Sir Galan's second in command, and is in charge of maintaining Fordsen's affairs in the Fieflord's absence. Best described as a handsome man, with thick brown hair and daring blue eyes, Kellan has a jubilant temperament and is known as an honest and just man.
As far as his combat prowess goes, then Kellan is a renowned swordsman and a skilled commander, and the men respect him for these abilities. Cross swords with him only if you are confident that this mere mortal cannot best you in a feat of arms.
@Footman A character this early? Awesome! Though the lack of Lapi will probably put you at a disadvantage, other than that I see no issue with the character. Mind putting him in a hider though?
@Footman A character this early? Awesome! Though the lack of Lapi will probably put you at a disadvantage, other than that I see no issue with the character. Mind putting him in a hider though?
I'm considering the Lapi at the moment, but I'm unsure of how to go about it... as in, what he might specialise in. Healing, perhaps would make sense... but I'll think about it. This is just a draft, and my way of showing you that whilst I'm very new here, I can at least knit a few sentences together! He'll likely change a bit by the time you get this boat out of the harbour.
A hider? Errrr, yup - literally just learned how to do it. I'll have him packed away nice and neat in a second.
In any case, consider this my formal dedication to this RP. I only tend to take part in one at a time, so I wont be disappearing on you :D
I'm considering the Lapi at the moment, but I'm unsure of how to go about it... as in, what he might specialise in. Healing, perhaps would make sense... but I'll think about it. This is just a draft, and my way of showing you that whilst I'm very new here, I can at least knit a few sentences together! He'll likely change a bit by the time you get this boat out of the harbour.
A hider? Errrr, yup - literally just learned how to do it. I'll have him packed away nice and neat in a second.
In any case, consider this my formal dedication to this RP. I only tend to take part in one at a time, so I wont be disappearing on you :D
Well if you're looking for Lapi to supplement his physical fighting, you could have a buffing Lapi, or a Lapi that enchants your weapon. Also, your dedication is much appreciated, and I'm happy to have you on board.
Kafka! I haz found you >:D I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't remember moi, but I know you ^-^ Got an idea for a character (well, two), though not sure if I wanna put them on the same side or not.
Alright, I'm certainly interested in participating in this, perhaps as the Perinne Empire's king if nobody else wants that role; a bit of a miscommunication-based palaver happened last time I attempted to sign up for a codified role in a game, so before anything else, I'd like to ask whether there's anything specific you'd want me to include in the king's profile, and whether there's anything specific that he in particular would be unable to utilise or otherwise be forbidden from being, e.g. a race other than human or something. Along similar lines, what other races even exist in this world? Elves, dwarves, dragons, that sort of thing?
@iHxzardx Lapi is basically Materia from Final Fantasy 7. Rocks that allow one to use magic. As for you character's objective, it depends on which side they rep. Perinne? Uphold tradition, protect the kingdom from the Glanz Empire. Thieve's Guild? Destroy the Glanz Empire at any cost. Glanz Empire? Bring about a revolution by taking down the Perinne kingdom.
Alright, I'm certainly interested in participating in this, perhaps as the Perinne Empire's king if nobody else wants that role; a bit of a miscommunication-based palaver happened last time I attempted to sign up for a codified role in a game, so before anything else, I'd like to ask whether there's anything specific you'd want me to include in the king's profile, and whether there's anything specific that he in particular would be unable to utilise or otherwise be forbidden from being, e.g. a race other than human or something. Along similar lines, what other races even exist in this world? Elves, dwarves, dragons, that sort of thing?
For specific things to include in the King's profile, some sort of glaring flaw or two that would allow or facilitate corruption in the kingdom. Justice seeking to the point of ignoring the citizenry or making mountains out of mole hills. Or maybe a touch of greed or pride. Basically, give the Glanz a reason to want to fight you. As for limits, I'd generally prefer a more humanoid race, Human, dwarf, elf, or halfling. Maybe something heroic like a half-dragon, too. Just clear the idea with me first.
As for races regularly, you can be just about anything pretty humanoid. Basically if it stands upright and has arms, you're good. That character I'm writing up is a mountain tengu that looks like this for reference.
If you're asking for races that, for certain, exist, than;
Human
Demon
Satyr
Tengu
Slime
Of course, that's just the species already directly mentioned either in the OP, or, again, that character I'm writing up. Expect him soon by the way!
If any of you have any more questions, feel free to ask.
@iHxzardx Who can you be a queen for? Well the only true queen would be the Perinne empire's leader, but the Thieve's Guild leader is often called the Bandit Prince/Princess and the runner of the Glanz can call herself whatever she wants. General Glanz/General [Firstname], Admiral Glanz/[Firstname] Or even Kaiser or Queen Glanz/[Firstname]
If I'm not mistaken you were a player in my Corpse Party RP I did roughly two years ago, I believe :D
Hot damn that was a long time ago. Sucks that it burned out, Yosuke was a very interesting character, as were his interactions with Naomi.
@iHxzardx Not really, If they do, I guess it's up to the leaders to decide. If they don't want to, I guess these could work. Perinne; White and light blue Thieves; Grey and brown Glanz; Black and gold/purple
@Kafka Komedy Yeah, I really enjoyed the two of them. I was thinking about starting it again, seeing as a lot of RPs lately haven't been getting off the ground, though then again I have other ideas which would take precedence :D Regardless, I look forward to being a player in one of your games now, Kafka! ^-^
