Castle Grimm
Background
A long time ago there were two lands that had little contact with each other. The main reason for this was geography, the two countries were split by an impossibly large and hazardous mountain range, the Dragon Fang Mountains. There are ways around the mountain range but only through vast swaths of desert, making travel with any large group unsustainable. Despite all this the two lands eventually came into contact with each other thanks to some brave explorers that conquered the desert.
First contact was fine, but after a few years something happened, an incident. Both sides claim the other was responsible for the slaughter of each other's parties and the two lands went to war; however it was virtually impossible for either side to launch a successful assault against the other and so throughout the years really only minor skirmishes have broken out in the desert regions. This stalemate has the potential to all change after a secret path was discovered in the Dragon Fang Mountains. A direct route would finally allow them to go to total war with each other, but after each side discovered this route they were faced with a unforeseen obstacle. Someone lived at the top of that treacherous road.
A great fortress of a castle, Castle Grimm stood as an impregnable bulwark against both armies, and equipped with it's own mountain spring there was no way to effectively siege or starve out the inhabitants. The castle is large, strong, and very dark with gargoyles peppering the outer walls as if to scoff at any who attempted to enter. This castle has caused a great deal of headache to both warring sides who want the castle for themselves so they can launch an invasion of their most hated foes.
A glimmer of hope for these bloodthirsty opponents has appeared when an envoy from Castle Grimm delivered a message to the respective camps. The lord of the castle has requested that the two sides pick their best representatives to enter the castle for negotiations. Little else was said but neither side, willing to waste such an opportunity, quickly selected their best and brightest to enter the forbidding castle to see if they can achieve their heart's desire.
The Roleplay
As members of either the White Rock Confederacy or the Onyx Empire you enter into the inner workings of Castle Grimm. There you will be met by the current Lord and his court. The Lord has a certain dilemma, his eldest children are twins, not identical, thankfully, but one will be the heiress while the other will not. Lord Grimm will offer a proposal to the two parties, help his two daughters fight a proxy war to decide the heir and the winning nation will have his support and be allowed passage through his domain.
The rules will be simple. Eliminate or cause all members of the opposite party to surrender. The method of fighting is completely up to the competitors, anything goes from sabotage, bribing castle residents, assassinations, or even just a typical battle. There will only be a few neutral zones in the castle such as the banquet hall and throne room. Another thing of note is that Castle Grimm has many secrets and not not always inviting to visitors...
The Warring Factions
The White Rock Confederacy.
A group of smaller states that stick firm to their traditions and pride in their local governments. Most of the states are comprised of a few large cities with smaller towns and villages populating the rest of the land. The White Rock Confederacy takes great pride in its diversity of members and takes great pains to keep nature in even their most heavily populated cities. Nature has always had a very important part in the people's lives and many are taught about plants and animals.
Herding is one of the most common jobs in the Confederacy and farms are abundant. The confederacy prides itself on its strong animals, especially horses, oxen, and dogs. Due to its strong animal husbandry programs beasts of burden are abundant making transportation quite easy and fast for many.
The White Rock Confederacy is located West of the Dragon Fang Mountains and enjoys fairly mild temperatures most of the year. The further West one goes the more wooded the Confederacy gets. There are rumors that elves still live deep in the forest near the Confederacy but aside from the occasional sighting there is little proof of those claims.
As a Confederacy, the states do not have standing militaries. There are of course plenty of mercenaries and it is standard practice for citizens to have some military training. Whenever there is a need the call goes out to the states to assemble all those on reserve and who are willing to fight, as a result their military can seem a bit ragged but they can often think outside the box.
The Onxy Empire
A powerful empire to the East of the Dragon Fang Moutains, the Onxy Empire is strong and disciplined. The empire is ruled by Titus Obsidian who rules over the empire and several vassal states to the East. While the rule is strong, Obsidian often gives the lords under him some leeway in their rule, though he has the final say in all matters.
The Onxy Empire is known for its fantastic engineers and strong architecture. Onxyites are masters of stone and ironwork, often creating great artificial cities with working sewer systems, aqueducts, and even public baths. The Onxy empire is home to some of the largest mansions and castles ever constructed and can be a sight to behold.
The climate east of the mountains can be quite harsh, with extreme temperatures in both winter and summer, but the people of the empire are resourceful and adaptive. Mountain ranges are fairly common which means the empire has a lot of mining operations and towns. Mining can be dangerous work but the riches that flow into the empire are many.
In a mountain range to the South was found the ruins of what may have been a dwarven civilization. From ancient notes engineers in the empire are ecstatically working with a new compound, 'gunpowder,' and have starting producing prototype weapons to use with the substance. The work has had mixed results but progress is being made.
The empire has quite a large standing military. The soldiers are quite well trained though to cut on costs those in the military have to buy their own equipment, meaning the richer and higher up in rank, the better one's equipment will be. The army has the opportunity to give specialized training depending on a soldier's talents so there are quite a few branches in the army one can pursue.
The Incident
The incident that sparked all-out hostilities can be traced back to what was suppose to be a cultural exchange in the desert. Two caravans met together to see if there was anything worth trading and also to get to know the other side of the mountains better. The first to die was a member of the Onyx Empire, a poisoned drink downed the unfortunate soul. Very quickly blame was laid at the White Rock Confederacy's feet who quickly denied such allegations, but then some gunpowder that had been exchanged ignited in Confederacy storage, wounding two guards nearby. After this fighting quickly broke out between the two parties, starting hostilities
The empire claimed the barbaric confederacy attempted to poison and steal everything the empire had while the confederacy cried the sabotage of traded goods because of the explosion. Neither side willing to admit to foul play they kept up the narrative about the evil of their neighbors across the mountains. Skirmishes have transpired quite frequently since then but with no good way to launch an offensive, casualties have been fairly light.
The White Rock Confederacy believes the Onyx Empire to be heartless expansionists, willing to use any means necessary for conquest. As a confederacy they also tend to feel that an empire is inherently evil, untrustworthy, and an affront to free rule. The Onyx Empire believes the White Rock Confederacy to be full of opportunistic barbarians, more concerned with wealth than decency and lacking of a firm foundation of government. The average confederacy citizen is seen as lazy, without morals, and too individualistic to work for the greater good of the country.
This all occurred roughly 10 years ago...
Castle Grimm Basic Geography
To get to Castle Grimm from either side of the Dragon Fang Mountains one must first find the somewhat hidden path to travel up. The paths is steep, narrow, and has many turns though the closer one gets to the top of the path, the better and wider the road becomes.
After traveling for a while one comes to the outer walls of Castle Grimm. The gate is heavy and firm, guarded by archers, various mechanisms, and stone gargoyles that peer down with intimidating eyes. The outer gate prevents people from entering into Grimm Valley.
Grimm Valley is a narrow, but long, valley nestled at the top of the pass. Due to its location, the valley does not get many hours of sunshine naturally, but a massive mirror has been installed near castle Grimm, that can extend sun hours on certain sections of the valley. The valley is populated by small farms that are protected by Castle Grimm.
The entrances to the valley are located at the North end, while Castle Grimm is nestled into the rock face of the mountain side at the South end. There is of course a castle wall protecting the entrance to the castle courtyard and outer castle facilities. The main castle keep has a thick inner wall so the castle has multiple lines of defense.
Castle Grimm is quite large and boasts various facilities ranging from training to recreational: an arena, garden, baths, small theater, courtyard, and small lake even are some of what is within the confines of the castle walls.
Castle Grimm People of Note
Lord Morrow Grimm
A large man who gives off the aura of a warrior king, Lord Morrow makes it seem like he’d have quite the reputation, but few know much about him. He likes to go around helmeted for some reason which seems a bit errie to outsiders. Little is known about the man outside of Castle Grimm.
Lady Zecorra Grimm
For someone old enough to have two sixteen-year old daughters she is remarkably attractive. Her figure can seem a bit frail but her demeanor gives off a seemingly unnatural strength. It is quite apparent after observing her for only a short amount of time that she holds sway over every aspect of Castle Grimm, though her husband does have the final say in the matter, if he decides he needs to.
Lady Esmerelda Grimm
Technically the second-born of the twins, Esmerelda Grimm is still considered an heiress to the throne. She appears gentle and kind but that demeanor merely masks her cunning and manipulative side. Quite keen minded she is quite to pick up on subtly and has quite the amount of perceptive abilities. She has a bit of a complex about her somewhat large bust and is worried about gaining weight.
Lady Primrosa Grimm
The first-born twin, Primrosa is, none-the-less, considered only a candidate for the throne. While Esmerelda prefers the indirect approach, Primrosa is a bit more straightforward in her personality and tactics. While not as political as her sister she is still very smart and has trained in the art of war. She is quite adaptable and handy with a blade as well. It would be wise not to underestimate her.
Rules
- 1. No God Mode, Power Play, etc. Make it fun for everyone.
2. Casual-Advanced only posts. Two paragraph minimum is the golden standard though one paragraph is acceptable in rare cases. Grammar and spelling should be good as well.
3. Death can occur to player characters. No, people won't be dying as often as in Game of Thrones, but be aware that if you purposefully put your character in harms' way they may not make it. Also if you have to drop out for whatever reason try to make a death scene on your way out, makes things more fun that way.
4. Be kind and considerate to your fellow roleplayers in the OOC, we are there to have fun and work things out from time to time.
5. Try to post at least twice a week if possible.
6. If you read and agree to the rules, once you make a character put at the bottom of the character sheet, "Today, I Entered Castle Grimm".
