The Last March of the Living - Interest Check

[Nariata]

“I was sitting in a tavern when the messenger arrived. I told myself tonight was going to be a special night, figuring I could make some quick coin there singing songs of ages gone by while drinking down my fair share of grog. I was well on our way to our drunken stupor when the young lad burst through the tavern. Mud had already caked the bottom of his pants, and we all could see a few cuts and bruises taking shape on his arms. A look of exhaustion pained his face and he braced himself against a chair as he strained for each breath; he must have ran for hours to reach us. Somehow, through the crowds of people and loud noises his message was heard by all.

“The great King Baelnorn marches on the Mad King Vyshaan; he has our enemy corned and request that all bards and anyone able to bear witness to his triumph to make their ways to the Fields of Amarillis.”

The kid nearly fainted after he told us his message, and not a second passed after he finished did a loud cheer erupt from the mouths of everyone in the tavern. Everyone scarfed down what alcohol and food they had and made for the door. These were simple folk, they feared the Mad King so much so that they were willing to brave the wilderness and possible encounters with bandits and the Mad Kings soldier just to catch a glimpse of his demise.

But we got more than we bargained for. We all did.

It took most of us only a days ride to make it to the outskirts of the battle and we were all left with a sense of awe in what we saw. "An army, many thousand strong, made up by all the races of Arvandor all fighting under one banner for the first time in recorded history. Even as I crested a nearby hill my eyes strained to take in everything before me yet even as far as I was away from it, I saw the battle being engaged in earnest. On the far edge of the field, where Amarillis met the Cold Mountains, the Mad King as his army were corned. Backed up against the mountain itself, escape was no longer an option for Vyshaan, and my fellow bards and I watched as our forces slowly advanced on their position. Their bright armor shining out in stark contrast with the darkened armor of the cultist before them.

My fellow bards and I were writing down poems and stories when we felt the ground shake.

My first thought was as simple as a siege engine's projectile flying high into the cliff.

And then the ground shook again, this time twice as strong as the first.

Quickly, we all rose to our feet and looked out onto the battlefield below us. The soldiers nearest us were just as surprised as we were, and the sound of combat in the distance was soon replaced by the worried whispers of all of us. The soldiers in the distance were pulled back from the front-lines of combat, they knew something was up but from out vantage point we could not see.

Then the ground shook a third time, even harder than the last. The sound of rocks breaking bellowed out from the mountains in the distance as if itself was being torn asunder. Large rocks fell from the mountains, many bigger than a house. All of us, perched onto of our little hill, could see everything happen ever so clear. We watched as whole squads were crushed under the weight of these massive boulders. Our King Baelnorn himself removed himself from his heated fight with the Mad King and took shelter with his soldiers.

And that's when we heard it. At first it's sound was muffled from the stone prison surronding it. But as more and more rocks fell, the beast bellowed louder until there was no mistaking what was locked inside that mountain.

“Dragon.” I said in disbelief. The others looked at me like I was crazy, dragons were creatures of myth and legend or so they say. But the earth shook once more, this time the side of the mountain broke apart in a storm of stone and fire as the beast burst free from within. The soldiers caught in the massive blast were burried alive, their screams piercing even my own ears. Even from the distance I stood from the beast I could see clearly the crimson scales that covered the beast from head to toe as it crashed down to the battle below. I could even make out the massive muscles shifting under it's armored hide. I stood there for a minute, watching as the beast coiled it's neck back, facing our beloved king, before letting out a sea of fire that melted the flesh from bone of all unfortunate enough to be caught within it's reach. Their screams were louder then the first bout of that dragons victims, but they only lasted a second. Our king, and hundreds of his faithful warriors were reduced to ash.

As it's wings began to raise it's massive body off the ground, speeds that rivaled the worst storms in history gushed out and swept away those unfortunate to be near. And that's when it let out it's blood curling roar. I, and those around me, fell to our knees with our hands covering our ears in a desperate attempt to block out the deafening noise to no avail. As it flew ever higher into the air I swear it looked at me, it's bleak yellow eyes like a snake striking into the very fabric of my being. It was at this moment I ran, as even more monstrous creature poured out of the rift in the mountain. As I looked around I saw many soldiers turn cold and run, could you blame them?

From what I was told, we lost almost half our army in the first battle. Of those another half were lost in the days that followed. Even now as I finish writing this we are being hunted by many ungodly creatures. The only thing we can do is pray to the gods that we see our next sunrise.”

~Found on a dead Bard, far from the battlefield, early one morning.

What is history?

History

The land of Arvandor has a history shrouded as much so in secrecy as blood. Books are filled with stories of great warriors leading massive armies to victory against the forces of darkness in battle. Demons and their kind have always tried to find ways to pry their way into the realm of mortals, be it through the use of a desperate mages desperation through power or through a weakness in the barrier that separates our realms. Often, these hero's arise when an Elder Demon arises; and together with the people of the land thrust a sword deep into their black hearts and end the conflict.

But often times the stories are not as simple as the books would lead us to believe. Often times the worst conflicts to spill blood was not a war waged against a demon, rather often times the most bloody wars were caused by revenge. The current war that threatens our kingdom has spilled more blood than any in the past, yet the reasons behind the war are shrouded in mystery. Most, even our King Baelnorn ,say the Mad King is a demon himself, ripped from the planes of Oblivion and thrust into our world by the mage cultists that fight and die for him. Yet the question remains, is he really who we think he is? Some have begun to speculate that this problem hits much closer to home than the king would admit.

What are our example races?

These are just some generic races and some possible sub-races. You can have some creative freedom with this. Don't see a race/sub-race that fits you? Create one! Within reason of course

Human Races

Firen

The most numerous of the humans, the Firen pride themselves on their ability to talk their way out of any conflict while being able to back up any words with action. They are different in most physical traits, yet they all are equal under their devotion to the God's as well as their King. Before the Mad King brought death in his wake, they also had the largest army available to any race but have found their core depleted after numerous failed battles. The first loss came when the King and most of his army were felled by the fire of a dragon, followed weeks later by the loss of The Guardians of the Light when Feer la Den fell.

Glamhoth

The humans of the north are called Glamhoth, and they pride themselves on battle and raids. They are a barbaric race of men who fight, eat, drink and make love to pass the time. They value little of outsiders, and their strict religious code allows them to kill those who believe in the new gods. But this is not to say that they are without kindness, or without understanding. Far from it, among their kin they appear to be a friendly and generous race. With each sharing what they have to those in need, and each celebrating the life and death of their friends with drinks and boastful tales of their exploits in battle. Even though they view outsiders with a cautious, and often aggressive eye, they treat every last one of their kin with an air of respect and kindness.

Lavas

The Lavas folk are the most prosperous of all the human races. They are the master shipbuilders, sailors and traders that claim home to most of the south coast, and many islands that dot the sea off the coast. Their ships are fast, and their soldiers well trained in the art of naval warfare. They are a greedy people, often compared to the likes of Dwarves, valuing coin and the parties to any other need. For with coin they can buy food, and at these parties they can gain favor. Indeed, to an outsider they are one of the most judgmental people in all the lands. They like to play what is called the Grand Game, where people's life and fortune are put on the line in a test of wit and charisma. Grand Cleric Orion said it best when he said “I'd rather deal with an angry Glamhoth than a friendly Iavas noble, for at least the Glamhoth will see reason!”

Elevn Races

Lebethron

The Elves of the eastern woods are know as the Lebethron, a race of Elves who claim on the woods have stretched back for as long as history has. Many times have both Humans and Dwarves attempted to lay claim to these woods, for the tree's are strong and the land plentiful, but each and any time an army invaded they were driven back by a fury of arrows from the tree top's, from their rear, and front the front. The Lebethron are a very long lived people, with most reaching around several hundred years old with some even reaching a thousand years. As such, they are the keepers of both history and tradition.

Mûl
The Mûl are the Elves who left their ancestral homeland and tried to find a life elsewhere. By customs, any Lebethron who is exiled or leaves without permission becomes a Mûl. More often then not they become one or two things outside their homeland; either they become a sell sword and fight for others or they are captured and forced into servitude for many of the other races. They are more aggressive than their Lebethron brothers, but also more cunning. They are forced, often from an early age to steal and murder. They make perfect assassins and thief's thanks to their light feet and quick hands.

The Half-elf's often fall into this race.

Andrann

The Andrann Elves of the forest and the fortress that bears the same name, Galadhon, are some of the most powerful mages in all of Dalan. The Lebethron hold great fear over magic and it's uses, and often mistreat those who present themselves as such. It was only natural, that three hundred years ago, the Great migration occurred. Angry at being abused by their brothers, five hundred mages and their families moved west and found the abandoned stronghold of Galadhon and claimed it as their own. They rebuilt it, and made the walls stronger with magic. The humans of the area have tried to reclaim this great fortress many times but are driven away at each turn. Their foot soldiers boast light armor fusedwith magic, their swords enchanted with fire and ice, and with more mages than any army the firestorms that they can bring wipe any doubt of their power.

Though they have been forced into a long retreat, their army and people still stand strong. They have the most numerous forms of battlemages around, with the most valuable being the Elemental Archer; who brings exploding fire arrows and ice shots that render you frozen.

Dwarven Races

Dwarven races

Anfangrim

The Anfangrim are a rather large tribe of Dwarves who claim hold over the great Iron Bottom Mountains in the south and the south east and all the fortresses within them. They are a stout and proud people who value gold, and a good story. They spent their days fighting or mining, and spend their nights drinking to tales of Dragon Slayers and other great hero's. Their fortune is only surpassed by those of the Iavas people, and only because their ships carry the Anfagn trade to other parts. They have a close relation to the Iavas, both understand the power of money. Yet both will often mock each other in public, as the Anfagn people value combat while the Iavas loves the game.

Hadhodrim

The Hadhodrim are the Dwarves of of the Middle Range, stretching from the south, all the way into the north. They are not as wealthy as those of the Anfagn, yet they are much better warriors. They pride themselves on their craftsmanship; often being the top of the line from swords to plate-mail. They often fight the Glamhoth in the north over the limited resources, yet they keep a close relationship with those barbarians. Often fighting in the morning, and if the fight was not resolved retreating to great halls to fight again; this time with alcohol. Indeed as time has gone on, less blood has been shed between these two and more ale drunk.

Surface Dwarves

Surface Dwarves are the Dwarves who have, for one reason or another, been forced out of the mountains and banished from ever returning. The other clans of Dwarves never accept an outsider, so often they are forced into many different criminal enterprises. From gangs to murder, to thiveving to assassinations, these Dwarves are often forced to do it all. Yet this is not the only thing these Surface Dwarves find themselves apart of. Depending on which clan they hailed from, some will become great warriors, traders or even a bard. Indeed, they may not be as skilled as others in specific traits, yet they are often the most diverse of all the races.

User created races.

BytheSpleen
- Credit due for @BytheSpleen who created this race during my first attempt at this RP. He gave me permision at the time to keep on using it, even if it is for lore purposes.

Hobgoblin Race

Over the course of thousands of years, countless numbers of demons and otherwise alien creatures have invaded the world. Many bring back slaves from this land, and others are made slaves with a bit o' magic tampering. Others, as soon as the summoner died or something of the like, were loosed in the world, and most were forcibly shoved back into the Hell they came from, if not outright slain.

And then you have leftovers. Orcs, Goblins, Bugbears, the whole mess of things. Some are decent mages, as they descend from unwilling Elves, humans, and Dwarves, and others are decent warriors. 90% of the time, they fit in with the next army and get themselves killed in a big war...or something like that.

Then you got 10%. Half of those are wanderers - hobos, vagrants, bandits, bards, cartographers, etc. They're as hardy as the rest of them when it comes to travelling, but in the face of danger, they tend to panic a little too much. After all, nobody bothered to tell them that bears live in caves. Makes sense as to why they're usually just fodder, right?

The other half bear the most semblance to what could've been their races if it weren't for some meddling eldritch force selling them to the biggest sacrifice. Distinct cultures and exotic weapons come into play here. Among those races that can forge, the Hobgoblins are most righteously deserving of their title.

Hobgoblins are renowned for their expertise with fire, or more specifically, what they can make with it. As coined by their "favorite creatures", the Humans, Hobgoblins are great cooks and ironsmiths, and specialize in various steels from just about every kind of metal you toss at them. This puts them at odds with a few other races (or, did, in the dwarves' case; you don't see too many Hobs for a reason) for the honor of being the best craftsmen, but considering the Hobs (for short) just got their distinction from the rest of their ilk not too long ago, it isn't surprising to say that the Hobs were given the benefit of the doubt when their blacksmiths opened up. Like orcs, they love to use lamellar designs, as they're light, maneuverable, and protective for all their troubles, using as little steel as possible (because from where the goblinoids originated, most iron was refined via iron sand. Large chunks of ore were unheard of.) Their skin tones, unlike those of their greenish-yellowish-rainbowish colored brethren, are always shades of grey, and are a lot more matte because of their hygenic nature. They have eyes the color of gold, amber, and ruby, and stand about the same height as humans, as well as stand in the same weight range. Rumors say that the hobs have a bit o' man blood in them, which might be true, considering there's also a million hues of half-hobs half-men and whatnot running around the world without a surname to stick onto themselves...or well, wherever they came from.

In terms of being assets for war, they boast more dexterity and strength than their run-of-the-mill counterparts, but are best known for being the smiths of the fallen heroes' armors - again, one cannot stress enough that they can manipulate metal as though it were a draught made by dwarves' hands. Hardening, tempering, and honing are children's play to them. It's also why they're one of the most hated races in this land.

Just a forethought : only one clan of these Hobs are truly, truly submissive and friendly - the Aulds. As the name implies, they're probably among the first Hob clans to get around to being smiths, and as such, have developed the most stable culture. To protect themselves from magic that would otherwise enslave them to the will of others, they have developed high-pressure forging of raw iron, as 'cold iron' has the damnably strange property of attracting and deflecting magic. Protection is decent, at best, because they're nomads. Iron isn't always so plentiful at times, and elves willing to accept the coin for protection enchantments are even harder. Traditional forging has become a bit of an uncertainty with the Aulds.

What is our goal in this RP

Our goal is survival. Our story starts with us on the run, being ruthlessly chased by all sorts of monsters and evil creatures. Our only hope is the castle that stands defiant against time, one that has seen dragon fire and survived. We must run to the Sky Bridge, make our way across and find refuge in the Castle Estel. It is here, us fortunate few, will wage one last defiant stand against the Mad King Vyshaan.

Notable people, enemies, and armies.

Notable friends and foes

Notable enemies:

Shamblers:





WIP: With their defeat at the fields of Amarillis, the Combined Armies left behind a number of dead and dying soldiers. The Mad King now corrupted with Dark Magic, lifted their dead bodies off the ground and stripped them of everything that made them who they were. Their flesh was peeled off, their souls forever banished to the darkest reaches of Oblivion, and their will absolute towards the Mad King.

Shamblers are the most numerous adversary that the survivors face today. While they are frail in build, and lacking in skill, they more than make up for this with numbers. Silence is their friends as they can move across vast distances without making a noise. Not one will talk, they do not step with a heavy foot nor do their armor clang. They often creep up on camps and overwhelm the guards with sheer force of numbers before converting the casualties to additional Shamblers.

They are rather easy to defeat, as any blow to their skulls will take them out of the fight for a moment. But eventually, without aid of a Sorcerer, they will find a way to put themselves back together.

Shambler Shock Solider:



WIP: Many great warriors fell when the Mad King Vyshaan played his trump card, and like the common shamblers these great warriors fell victim to the Mad King's magic. These former warriors still poses their great skills in combat yet lack any morals that would hinder an attack. Women and children are not immune to these monsters, many fall to their swift and brutal strikes.

In one on one combat, this monster will beat even the most seasoned of warriors with ease. Feeling no fatigue, these beasts will keep coming at you with strong strikes until your guard is broken, you run out of energy or you simply give up. The ease of killing a normal Shambler is lost on these creatures, with most boasting their strong armored helmets and chest-plates to protect from errant strikes.

The past few days have shown these creatures, while imposing in a one on one match, will fall with relative ease when two or more soldiers attack it at once.

Wraiths:



WIP: Wraiths are former assassins of the Mad King corrupted into something far worse. While shadows were the friends of their mortal self, these creatures thrive in the darkness. Able to move from any shadow, dark corner, or dimly lit space with ease and without notice, these creatures are almost impossible to detect before they launch their assault. Once they do, however, blood will flow. Their daggers are often coated in a Dark Magic poison, making even the smallest scratch a near fatal blow if not treated.

The Mad King Vyshaan - Post-Corruption



WIP: The Mad King Vyshaan's origins are as big a mystery as the man himself. It is common knowledge that he and a small following of cultist appeared in the south around five years ago. Within a month they had sacked the Lavas city of Trealo, and defeated the Firen general Atrimus and his massive army in battle. It was after the second month did his first infernal Black Crusade start.

He was once a human man, standing near six foot four with a fierce reputation as both a skilled fighter and powerful mage. He has since been exposed to the corrupting influences of the Dark Magic used in the spell to release the Dragon and his body reflects this. Under his custom armor, featuring the skulls of many soldiers he has bested in one on one combat, his skin changed to an Orkish color. Green skin dominates his body with black lines running the length of his body where his veins once were. Under his hood and mask, many speculate that there is no face to this creature.

Notable humans & armies:

King Baelnorn:



The great King Baelnorn is a man who has seen everything under his long rule. From a prosperous golden age, to a famine that ravaged his country, to the current war against the Mad King. He has seen it all and more often than not, he has triumphed in the face of adversity. He was the one who brokered a deal with the Dwarven King Bofkral, bringing riches for not only the Firen people, but the Lavas as well. The Lebethron Elves broke an age old war with the Firen with his help, and supplied the Firen people with food in their time of need. It was also Baelnorn who bested the Mad King's army on numerous occasions and ground his first Black Crusade to a halt.

With his defeat and apparent death at the Fields of Amarillis, his soldiers and his people have lost a lot of faith in the war. His soldiers flee without direction from the approaching monsters, and some of his people have pledged their loyalty to the Mad King in the hope that their lives will be spared.

The scouts of the Lebethron armies have reported an ominous sight. At the side of the Mad King there has appeared a man chained from head to toe. Their description matches that of the king.

Lavas Soldiers:



The soldiers from Lavas are some of the better armed and armored soldiers found in human ranks.

Glamhoth Wall Crushers:



The Wall Crushers from Glamhoth have a reputation that proceeds them.

Firen Shock Soldiers:



Firen Man at arms:



Notable Elves and their armies:

Lebethron Foot soldiers:



Mûl Sword company:



WIP: A group of Mûl who have banded together and formed a mercenary company. They are not the most skilled in combat but they make up for it with high quality weapons and armor and strong leadership from their commander.

Andrann Mages:



Andrann Elemental Archers:




Notable Dwarves and their armies.

High King Bofkral:



Anfangrim Dragon Slayers:



Hadhodrim Bone Crushers:



Surface Dwarves Forsaken:

Other.

CS

Name:

Gender:

Race: (I will allow custom races, but I need a thing or two from you. First you'll need the culture and religion of the race, provided with a location of where they call home. Next I need a basic history of your race, what wars they fought etc. On my go, this will become an official race that others can join if they see fit.)
Appearance: (Descriptions are preferred, but if you find a picture I'll take it. Just no anime pictures.)

Personality: (Who is your character? What do they fight for? Don't make this part bland or cliche, but not overly long either. Enough detail for us to know your character but leave enough for us to uncover in the story.)

History: (Give us the basics, a paragraph or two will be sufficient. I want our characters to find out about each other as we would in real life. Put frankly, I want us to learn about each other as we go and allow us to grow our characters as we learn more about them.)

Equipment: (Anything that you carry. No detail is needed unless it warrants it. Sword, shield and backpack with supplies? Have them in a simple, bullet point list. A family sword with a special and beautiful design? Best explain how it looks ;) )

Other: (Anything else we might need to know. Be it special skills, such as you character being able to play a musical instrument, random bits of information to small to include elsewhere, what have you.)

Rules.

Thou shall not be a dick. Seriously, no arguing here or in the IC thread. Take it to a pm.

Thou shall not be caught godmodding. No explanation here, the golden rule so to speak of an RP.

Thou can die. Don't make stupid decisions ;) If you think i might have placed a few wraiths in the shadows, get close to both friends and a light source.

Thou shall have fun. If we don't have fun, than what's the point?

Hello, potential participants in this RP. My name is Nariata, formerly The_Silence and Zeoul, and this is an RP I have been trying to get going for a long time now.

The basics of this story are that we are the remaining few soldiers from an ill-fated attempt at killing the Mad King and his forces. We are currently attached to a small army, but through the course of the RP we may find ourselves cut off and alone in our quest to reach the Sky Bridge. It all depends on you. I may present situations that could change the course of this RP, situations like risking your characters life to save a civilian or things of the sort. I may use an online dice roller for these situations, but for general combat you should keep it reasonable.

A lot of the lore is still a WIP, but if you'd like to contribute I will update it :)

As always, any questions please ask!

[FantasyChic]

Hmm, this sounds like the setting of a really good RPG and I am down with this

[Nariata]

Awesome. I am looking for 3-4 people in total,including your interest, but I can adjust if we get less.

[BayRat]

Interested, I'll make a racial sheet first soon enough.

[Nariata]

Interested, I'll make a racial sheet first soon enough.

@dragonmancer

Awesome! PM me if you have any questions.

[Nariata]

Small update. Added in a Hobgoblin race created by "@BytheSpleen" back when I first attempted this RP for the sake of lore and options. Currently thinking up another two races that could factor into the RP as a whole. I will be working on adding in some more lore here soon.

[Sypherkhode822]

This sounds pretty freaking rad. I'm down.

[Snagglepuss89]

Tentatively interested as well.

[Nariata]

If everyone here would commit, then we have enough to start.

Once you know, let me know. I will start getting ready for the OOC.

[FantasyChic]

Pretty sure I committed.

Also I am definitely going Elven Battlemage

[Nariata]

If I stand with my current character, I will be a human "Glamhoth". Though I do have a few decent character ideas in my mind right now, so it might change.

[Snagglepuss89]

Is this going to be first come first serve? I just usually don't like to commit until the OOC and GM's character are up. I'm fine competing for a spot.

[Nariata]

Is this going to be first come first serve? I just usually don't like to commit until the OOC and GM's character are up. I'm fine competing for a spot.

@Snagglepuss89

I reserve spots based on inital interest, but if you are not ready to commit I understand. You can wait until I get my character up, as the OOC is not all that different from this interest check, to decide.

[Sypherkhode822]

I'm committed. I'm ready for my socks to be blown off.

[Nariata]

I'm committed. I'm ready for my socks to be blown off.

@Sypherkhode822

Alright! OOC will go live tomorrow, will try and get my character up as well.

[Sypherkhode822]

Radical, can't wait

[A Heretic]

Heyo is this still open?

[Nariata]

Yes! You would have the last potential slot.

Update: Stayed late at work yesterday and had to wake up very early today. when I get home, OOC will be up and I will work on my CS

[A Heretic]

Cool I'm making my CS now and waiting for it the ooc

[Nariata]

@FantasyChic@A Heretic@Sypherkhode822@Snagglepuss89@dragonmancer

Glory, or peril await. Make wise choices ahead.

OOC is up. I have a few hours to write so my character will be up either sometime today or tomorrow night.