It is said there once was a time when the laws of magick were so that the children of man and the creatures of magick lived side by side. It was not harmonious, for the creatures of magick were fickle things and danger and chaos abounded.
In time, though man had less strength than his supernatural brethren, he banded together with all his brothers and pushed back the magickal creatures. He sought them through fields, and villages, and valleys, he pushed them to the edge of the world, and then he pushed them over.
And so it was that the Realms of Man were founded, and so it was he built a wall to keep that which had been forbidden from spilling back into this world.
But the creatures of magick were long-lived, and clever, and angry, and vengeful. And one morning there was a gate in the wall that yesterday had none, and there were creatures in the dark where only shadows once lived, and the bell tolled for the children of men.
It tolled for their souls, it tolled for each man, woman and child, and so it would take back that which was stolen from it and damned the lives of all. It would take it in blood, in madness, in suffering and in toil.
And so a dark age fell over the Realms of Men until, many years hence, a bargain was struck. In time the Realms of Men would pay the toll, they would pay it with the blood of their First Borns, with their children, they would send them as tribute through the Gate That Never Was to live at World's End with the monsters and the beasts.
And there were monsters. And there were beasts.
And this is your story.
• Surreal Fantasy: Lots of weird stuff will happen. Regularly. You live literally at the edge of the world. Wonder, beauty, magic and the macabre is all around you.
• Dark Undertones: Think old school legends and myths. Those are the sort of creatures that are your new neighbours. Bad things can happen.. and do. Often. You might get magical powers, you might get wounded, you might go mad or even die.
• Survival: For the humans among you, you will have to build up an abandoned village to survive. You'll need to befriend the supernatural creatures who live with you, without letting them take advantage of you and without giving them a desire to mess up your mortal life. A supernatural friend is a boon: but you take one at risk, for they are fickle creatures indeed.
• Mystery: It isn't safe Beyond The Gate That Never Was. Someone among you has been enchanted by the Tolling of the Beast, the bell that sounds solely to bring misery to those who hear it. All the people in your village, and you yourself, hold dark secrets. It's up to you to find out what those are, who's calling the Beast to your doorstep, and why you were brought to these lands anyway... before it's too late.
• Chance: Every event will be determined randomly. There is a chance of character death. By joining this roleplay, you accept you are at the mercy of the dice. This also applies to any characters the GM might own. For these reasons, it could be wise to make more then one character.
• Dark Undertones: Think old school legends and myths. Those are the sort of creatures that are your new neighbours. Bad things can happen.. and do. Often. You might get magical powers, you might get wounded, you might go mad or even die.
• Survival: For the humans among you, you will have to build up an abandoned village to survive. You'll need to befriend the supernatural creatures who live with you, without letting them take advantage of you and without giving them a desire to mess up your mortal life. A supernatural friend is a boon: but you take one at risk, for they are fickle creatures indeed.
• Mystery: It isn't safe Beyond The Gate That Never Was. Someone among you has been enchanted by the Tolling of the Beast, the bell that sounds solely to bring misery to those who hear it. All the people in your village, and you yourself, hold dark secrets. It's up to you to find out what those are, who's calling the Beast to your doorstep, and why you were brought to these lands anyway... before it's too late.
• Chance: Every event will be determined randomly. There is a chance of character death. By joining this roleplay, you accept you are at the mercy of the dice. This also applies to any characters the GM might own. For these reasons, it could be wise to make more then one character.
When the bell tolls by itself, you know bad things are coming. Board up your doors and windows and pray it hasn't chosen you.
A myriad of different things can happen when the bells toll: a character is suddenly gripped by madness, a Ghoulish Army marches through town, the Blood Moon rises and calls in the payments of all debts owed... whether you are ready to pay or not. The worst of all is the Tolling of the Beast, for when the beast is nearby death and destruction are soon to follow.
It is possible to climb the bell tower and toll the bell for one's own ends. You might do it for revenge, to get back at an enemy, in grief of a lost love, or because you have been gripped by madness. Perhaps you'll even call to the skies and beg for a specific outcome: and who knows, perhaps whatever is out there will listen to you.
But there's a price. There's always a price.
There are many kingdoms that send Tribute beyond the Gate That Never Was.
The Old Lands: A kingdom that never fully recovered during the dark age, it is a medieval civilisation with a few tribal cultures living on it's borders that often ransack the outlands of the kingdom. The ruins of many great castles and cities scatter the realm and some have been reclaimed and built upon. Since the Dark Age, many towns and forts have been rebuilt.
The North Kin: People who origionate from the North Kin are, for lack of a better word, neanderthals. Huge beasts hulk around the land and they are no strangers to fighting for survival. While they have no education they learn quick - but understand little of the more modern kingdoms, and typically default to their brutish, instinctive ways.
The Empire: Covering it's own continent in the western sea, the Empire is a place of Progress. Here the steamboats and steamtrains clog the skies with smog that could block off the sun. Despite producing many sickly children, and being a very strict continent, they are a proud people with many factories and technological advancements.
The Lawless: Bordering the Old Land, the Lawless is a rough place to grow up. A series of tribal groups live in the wasteland that was first targetted by the revenge-filled Magickal creatures. Little is left and less then little is safe, with one as likely to die to a ravage beast as they are to a nomadic group.
Veldamar: A technologically advanced Civilisation that is famous for it's neon lights and glittering sky walkways. It takes an ambivalent stance on it's neighbouring kingdoms, and let's nobody in who is not a Veldamar citizen, and certainly does not let their own kind out... except for toll payment. Still, it is said these pristine streets are not as clean as they sound. In the underbelly of the city are addicts addicted to virtual technology highs, to syringes that promise memories belonging to others. The people who live here are usually quite jaded and emotionally dulled.
