[OOC] Our Last March

[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 singing songs of bygone era's while drinking down my fair share of grog. We were well on our way to our drunken stupor when the young lad burst through the front door of 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; it was obvious 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.

Sypherkhode822
Credit to @Sypherkhode822 for this race.

Sunset Islander

Off in the Western Ocean, there is a series of archipelagoes and islands that are so expansive that they are the entire world for several nations. Inhabited only by humans, these island chains are referred to in their native tongue as the Land. Not having contact with the mainland for over a millennia, their culture and magic developed in an entirely different way. Because of the danger of flooding and other natural disasters, magic and the culture as a whole has evolved to advocate maintaining a harmony within nature. Among the archipelagoes, there still exist violent raiding societies that will roam in long boats, threatening the other peaceful settlements. Although resistance to attack is expected, to seek the violent destruction of these groups is considered horrific by the rest of the societies, and rather peaceful envoys occasionally approach the raiding groups, seeking to enlighten them.
Magic is primarily focused on channeling the weather, healing the ill, and other activities that improve the life of others. Combat magic is unheard of, though there are several schools of magic that teach their students how to combat forces of darkness, as well as several games popular with Mages that have been adapted centuries ago from magical combat drills.
The mainland made contact with the Land only 50 years prior, when a deep water Lavas trade vessel was blown off course and was rescued by a group of far flung fishers. Since then, there's been a steady growth in trade between Lavas and the Land over the years. Lavas nobles value the exotic goods the Land sends, while the Sunset Islanders all enjoy the goods made by the Dwarves. Although there are embassy's in major Lavasian cities, and a dedicated port city for Lavasian vessels, the Sunset Islanders have chosen to keep interaction between the two at a minimum, aware that there is a danger in opening the door all the way with these sometimes untrustworthy strangers. Hearing about the Mad King, several dozen of the best Mages began to travel to the mainland

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:

Events that changed the world.
In this section I will be putting events, both current as we write and historical as per our Character Sheets. The more things we accomplish, the longer this list grows!

Historical

The War of Lavas Aggression
-Three years’ prior, a massive war broke out between the Lavas Empire and the Glamhoth Confederation. The war started when a Lavas General named General Jean-Guy Niel led his forces into Glamhoth territory on accident. The General was simply lost, as he had trouble reading maps correctly, and when Jean-Guy was confronted by the Glamhoth Earl of Hildisey, Earl Skuvif, the General confidently, and accidentally, boasted that he was not in Glamhoth territory and was in fact in Lavas territory. Earl Skuvif did not take kindly to that. To her, in her poor understanding of the common tongue, the General had just said he had invaded her territory and claimed her city as his own. A large scale brawl ensued. Earl Skuvif’s army gained the upper hand in this fight, causing numerous causalities and forcing General Jean-Guy Niel to retreat.

When General Jean-Guy Niel told his superiors of the battle, he made sure to emphasis the point that he thought the battle was fought in Lavas territory. The Council believed him, and just three weeks later the War began in earnest.

In the early few months, there was no real traction made by the Lavas army. The Glamhoth Confederations Army was content with defending their own borders and simply fell back to what would be came the First Defensive Line. The Line was a series of Castles, towns, and military outposts that stretched from the top to the bottom of the Glamhoth Confederation. From these encampments the Glamhoth launched counter-offensive after counter-offensive any time the Lavas Generals attempted to siege anything. Surprisingly, this strategy worked. Any time a city came under siege, neighboring Glamhoth forces would converge on the location and overwhelm the Lavas armies with strength of numbers and flanking maneuvers. While a few, smaller settlements, were lost to the Lavas, the big prizes for the invading army remained in Glamhoth hands.

For the first eight months of the war, Glamhoth forces held their line and prevented the superior Lavas army from advancing in towards the heart of their Confederation. Eventually, however, the Lavas came up with a plan to counteract the Glamhoth. Instead of spreading their army’s out, attacking many different settlements at once, they focused their attention on just one city; the city of Wruxvine. This city was a particularly hard city to siege, as it now only had strong exterior walls made out of stone, it had three additional series of wooden walls inside the city. In the middle of the city lay the Temple of Rofella. While most major cities had a temple for Rofella, this particular temple held an important spot in the Glamhoth’s faith. It was here that the Council of Rofella met, and where their Rofella Guard were stationed.

When the massive Lavas army surrounded the city, it was a common assumption that this siege would last a month or two before the real battle began. The city was in no danger of running out of food or water in the short term, and the Lavas were simply looking for a knockout blow. Yet when a traitor in their ranks sabotaged the gate mechanisms on all but the final interior wooden wall just two days after the siege officially started, did the battle start.

The Battle of Wruxvine itself was fought in a series of smaller battles, scattered all across the city; the bloodiest of which was the Battle at the Front Gate, where countless souls lost their lives trying to take the main gate. In total the Lavas empire lost a quarter of their soldiers in their attempt to take the city but the amount that the Glamhoth paid was even more severe. Fifty percent of their soldiers lay dead and dying, and another twelve percent of their nations military force were reported as missing or injured. The scared Temple of Rofella was razed to the ground, and the Lavas soldiers stole countless priceless relics from within. In the aftermath of the battle, it was clear that there was very little chance for the Glamhoth to recover, and as such the Glamhoth commander, Hrossbjorn, was forced to sign a treaty to end the hostilities and save his people from further bloodshed.

The treaty itself favored the Lavas greatly. Not only did the Glamhoth lose all territory taken by the Lavas, they had to pay a tribute each year to the Empire. A portion of their farmed goods had to be sent. The Lavas empire also restricted the army size of every Earl’s army, effectively making them a non-threat in the future. They also required the Glamhoth Confederation to allow Lavas observers free pass through the country, there to make sure the Glamhoth follow the treaty. The worst part of the treaty was the final provision. Five percent of the Glamhoth population, give or take, were taken as laborers back to the Lavas empire. The Lavas claim to be treating them fairly while giving them wages for all the work they do, the Glamhoth know that they are in fact slaves to the Lavas empire.

The effects of war were terrible for the Glamhoth people. Anger and resentment are at an all-time high, and many commanders are looking at ways to start another war with the Lavas to regain their lost territory and honor.

Other.

CS

Name:

Gender:

Age:

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 any 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. If a massive enemy army and you charge in alone, you will die :)

Death comes for us all in this RP; but if you keep your wits about you, then you may yet live. Better yet, you could lead the counter-charge against the demented army filled with demons, deformed cultists, and their wicked master.

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!

[Nariata]

@Prince of Seraphs@Dulcet@cunfuzzler@Malchivo@Sterling@Lexicon

We are live.

[Malchivo]

I will get to work on a sheet either later tonight or tomorrow.

[Nariata]

@MalchivoSounds good. I can not wait to see it!

[Lady Seraphina]

@Nariata I assume I can post Susanna's sheet to the Character Tab?

[Nariata]

@Prince of Seraphs

Yes, you and Dulcet are already approved!

[Lexicon]

I will have my sheet up by next weekend at the latest. It'll probably be earlier then that, but I want to give myself a little wiggle room. I'm thinking of making an older Mul assassin.

[Nariata]

@Lexicon

That would be an interesting concept that would be very fun to play around with!

I plan to start writing the IC post tomorrow after noon, and will hopefully have it finished around the weekend if not than a week from now. Once we get a few more CS's in I will have a better idea on how we're starting!

[vietmyke]

I have an idea for a mage-knight character, either an older grizzled veteran, or a fresh faced and impressionable youngster - though an elemental archer sounds interesting as well.

[Lady Seraphina]

I miss the old times when half the cast was hiding dark black magic powers from that one light mage on the team.

[Nariata]

@Prince of Seraphs

Well it changes things a bit, that's for sure. But believe me when I say that darkness will try and find a way to corrupt the light throughout this story.

[vietmyke]

@Nariata What is the level of technology in this RP? Is there any gunpowder or flintlock firearms possible in this RP? I was also toying with the idea of a Dwarven engineer

[Lady Seraphina]

@Nariata What is the level of technology in this RP? Is there any gunpowder or flintlock firearms possible in this RP? I was also toying with the idea of a Dwarven engineer

@vietmyke

Aliya Montcarre

That's the CS of someone who should be joining us shortly. The only mentions of gunpowder esque technology exist as part of his character's backstory.

[vietmyke]

much appreciated. It also appears that the character was armed with a pistol and shot. Excellent.

[Nariata]

@vietmyke

There is!

It will be explained in the incoming CS, I will make a quick mention on the tech level regarding firearms.

@Nariata What is the level of technology in this RP? Is there any gunpowder or flintlock firearms possible in this RP? I was also toying with the idea of a Dwarven engineer

@vietmyke

Right now the most common form of a firearm is found exclusively inside the Dwarven Anfangrim kingdom, and that is the matchlock based weapons. There are rumors, however, of wheellock based weapons. Though most people outside of the Anfangrim people do not know much about these gunpowder based weapons, and their use would come at a bit of a surprise.

[vietmyke]

@Nariata Curses... I did not see this... and I just finished writing up my Hadhodrim Dwarf... urk

[Nariata]

@vietmyke

I did say most. If you can write a compelling reason for having it, then you can have it. PM me your idea.

[vietmyke]

Odran Stormweaver

Odran Stormweaver of the Ironborn Free Company

Name: Odran Stormweaver
Gender: Male
Age: 46
Race: Dwarf - Hadhodrim

Physical Description:
Odran is a stout and sturdily built dwarf, with a bold stance and an intimidating disposition for one so short. Forged by wine, battle, and song, Odran's girth and thick trunk of a body belies a surprising amount of deft and dexterity in his hands and fingers. Standing at a height of four and a half feet, he often stands no higher than the chest of other mortal beings. Despite his diminutive stature, he's often denser than most humans, and certainly weighs an amount comparable to a human upwards of six feet in height.

His body is composed mostly of muscle and bound within the diminutive frame of his race, and his face is adorned with a short, rough beard, and the ruddy orange hair over his head is shaved into a mohawk. This thick dwarf dresses in a combination of padded cloth, chain, leather and steel, and his short legs stomp on the ground with purpose and weight as he walks. Upon his face sits a wide, fat nose, with a crooked angle from many a fistfight, and hard eyes of steel gray. His face is often adorned with a broad toothy grin, and a camaraderie-filled twinkle in his eye.

Personality:
A loud and boisterous soul, like many a dwarf of the Middle Ranges, Odran much like other dwarves is a stubborn, but honorable, hard headed bloke who prefers ale and song to politics and trickery. Blunt, straightforward and to the point, Odran is rarely afraid to speak his mind and tell things exactly as he sees it. Untrusting of magic and the unnatural, Odran will not hesitate to express his unease over the use of such elements but nevertheless admits their usefulness in many situations. Despite his jovial demeanor, Odran has surprising amounts of depth to his thoughts, his loud cheers and alcohol laden breath a visage for a more logical, intrinsically calculative mind. Odran has a very solid understanding of architecture, engineering, and warfare, and a well developed moral compass.

While Odran is vocal and friendly, and quick to throw the title of comrade around, it isn't until another's character has been demonstrated does Odran truly begin showing trust. Odran carefully observes those surrounding him, judging the character of others even whilst he makes jokes and exchanges story and drink. Odran honorable and relatively unselfish, though if given the choice, he would prefer him and his own success over others.

Despite his carefree attitude, Odran fears what the future has in store for his lot, the Mad King's armies suddenly turning what he thought would be assured victory into near total route. His thoughts often drift to his family, his wife and daughter hiding in the mountain ranges, and his son and comrades, burned to ash by dragonfire. He does not take insults to his family lightly, and even in these trying times, can be easily brought into a fury at the condescending mention of his son's death.

History:
A career soldier, engineer, siege specialist, and tinker, Odran was born the 6th child of the Stormweaver family, a powerful crafts-family of some repute, well known throughout the north for their weapons, with many Hadhodrim, and even Glamhoth warriors seeking pieces of armor of weapons crafted by his family. With little to look forward to in the form of inheritance, Odran and many of his siblings instead went about a different way to seek their fortune. Some took to trade, others took to craftsmanship, and one even took to exploration. Odran took to the sciences- the military sciences, to be precise. His childhood was hectic and loud in the great halls of his clan, and Odran spent much of his early days learning what many other Hadhodrim dwarves learned in their childhood. Letters and basic craftsmanship, as well as drinking, fighting, and the importance of honor. Apprenticing himself to a workshop belonging to distant relative of his clan, in the Afangrim Kingdom, Odran learned what made a weapon deadly, and how to best apply different types of weapons to different types of defenses.

Of all the types of weapons Odran learned, he took most to the handgun. Rarely seen outside of Anfangrim, the weapon operated in similar fashion to a crossbow, yet with the ability to cut an armored man in half, Odran honed his marksmanship from a young age, and built his first gun by the age of 17. However, Odran never forsook his practice with more traditional weapons, and while his skill with the gun and crossbow gleamed above all, his proficiency in hand to hand combat was not something to be taken lightly, easily besting his Anfangrim cousins in single combat. In the workshop Odran spent most of his teen years, building, training, and bettering different weapons, machines, and inventions. Upon finishing his apprenticeship, Odran, had taken the Anfangrim matchlock design, and made his own variation of it- resulting in his prized weapon, named Thydris. At the end of his apprenticeship, Odran was a talented craftsman in his own right, and could have easily opened his own forge had he sought a life of trade and building. But instead, Odran sought a life of adventure and battle, like the stories of the warriors of the clan halls. So with his family's blessing Odran joined the Ironborn Free Company.

The Dwarven Free Companies were founded long ago in some of the earliest centuries of recorded Dwarven history. These were bands of warriors whom had developed intoxicating thirsts for battle and as a result became mercenaries, usually hired out by the one of the many Merchant Houses to escort the Dwarven caravans across the realms to the other Dwarven Cities for trade. They repulsed invaders, fought off monsters and bandits, and often engaged with Glammoth barbarians to the north. For many a dwarf joining a free company was a last option if all other plans failed and they still wanted to preserve even a single shred of honor in their blood. This was because the free companies were regimented and orderly, adhering to a strict code of morals and discipline despite their battelust. As the centuries passed they proved their skill time and time again and even if the profession was not as glorious as say one of the king's royal guards, it was still better than cleaning up the shit after the mules.

The age of the Free Company changed drastically as the dwarves increasingly began interacting with man and elf. The Free Companies began to find much more work being hired by both sides in their constant wars and generally more people went more people that wanted other people dead. They readily interacted with Mûl mercenary companies, and often times fought against or fought with their elven counterparts, and even began taking some into their ranks, along with humans, and even the redeemed surface dwarf. They were some of the first groups on the continent to accept members of all races, genders and outlooks into their ranks, following in the tradition of persisting off of volunteer service that they had started in the Dwarven cities. All that mattered was that you could hold up a sword - one didn't even need to know how to swing, as they would teach you all of that, and a deathwish. But as time progressed and more professional armies were established, the Free Companies started to slowly fall apart. They were either assimilated into the ranks of new armies, killed to the last man in combat, their standards forever forgotten on old battlefields long since grown over into fields and forest, or turned to thievery, marauding and banditry to survive as jobs became more and more hard to come by. By the age of King Baelnorn, the ways of the Free Companies were near forgotten and their stories mostly left to legends and tales of the histories.

The Ironborn Free Company stood an the exception to that rule. Somehow through the perilous grind of history they had persisted- if a little worse for wear. The last recognized Free Company, their ideals and culture remained intact and they stood as a living relic of a time long since gone by. A time where mercenaries and sellswords held common blood with one another and followed codes and regulations as opposed to being your standard mercenary rabble that many see these days. But the years had not been kind a force that in its height measured 12,000 strong had now been reduced to a mere 2,000. Still, they remained a small but brutishly effective force moving with a vicious professionalism of warriors trained over the years. If you needed a job done and you needed it done right the first time the Ironborn were the people to call. People still join mostly through volunteer service- peasants who would rather die by the blade than starve in their village or city dwellers looking for adventure and finding it in the grim faced individuals reeking of blood and sweat.

Odran joined the Ironborn Free Company as a combat engineer in its service. With his technical prowess, as well as his skill in combat, it was only natural that Odran advanced rapidly through the ranks, becoming a trusted sub-leader of his squad commander by the end of his first campaign in the north. By the end of his second campaign, Odran was given command of his own squad, and by the end of his fifth campaign, he was the commander of the Ironborn Company's Corps of Engineers, and a notable veteran in his own right. Between these campaigns, Odran also wooed a beautiful She-dwarf named Rurora Stonehardt and eventually married her, bearing a stout son, and an intelligent daughter. His son would eventually join his father's trade, and joined the Ironborn Free Company as well, while his daughter joined his wife as a nurse.

Eventually, King Baelnorn called upon the Great Dwarven King Bofkral, and the Ironborn Free Company were among one of the first Dwarven military units to be mustered to join the fight against the Mad King. The Ironborn Free Company became well known throughout the combined forces for their valor and efficacy in combat, despite their dwindling numbers. Fighting alongside human and elven armies, the Ironborn Free Company were among many of the combatants present at the Battle of the Fields of Amarillis. When the Mad King's dragon and monsters poured forth from the mountain, the Ironborn Free Company were among those near the front. Holding the line as they aided their allies in retreat, the Ironborn Free Company perished in waves of dragonfire and monster claw. Witnessing the death of his own son, Odran and little more than a dozen of his comrades managed to escape the slaughter. Their forces routed and their standard lost, the Battle of Armarillis marks the end of the last Dwarven Free Company.


Equipment:

• Thydris

  
  Thydris is Odran's prized possession. A variation on the Anfangrim matchlock, Odran's Thydris is shorter than the standard matchlock, and is capable of serving as both a carbine rifle or a shotgun. Capable of firing both large ball ammunition as well as buckshot, the weapon itself is finely crafted wood and steel, with brass inlays on the stock and barrel. In addition, the bottom of the barrel has a rod for Odran to attach his dirk, allowing him to transform his gun into a short spear in a pinch. In his pack, Odran carries tools for cleaning and maintaining his weapon, kit with a mold, among other materials for crafting ammunition, and a stock of saltpeter, charcoal and sulfer for mixing more gunpowder. In a separate satchel, Odran keeps a supply of generally fifteen paper shot-and-buck cartridges, along with another five buckshot cartridges.
• Hand Axe

  
  A gift from Odran's older brother is painstakingly crafted hand axe. Useful as a tool and a weapon, the axe has a straight edge along the top and a point in the back for piercing plate, as well as a leather wrapped handle for comfort and control. The blade of the axe is engraved with a design, and is made of some of the highest quality steel in the middle ranges.
• A steel breastplate over a shirt of chainmail and leather lamellar
• A plain dirk
• A light crossbow with a container of 20 bolts
• A leather rucksack containing travel supplies and rations, alongside his firearm kits and other supplies.

Other:
- Odran's family name, though not necessarily his own name, is well known throughout the men and dwarves across the north for their acclaimed craftsmanship of both weapons and armor.
- A capable engineer, able to accomplish a variety of tasks, from designing siege engines, to bolstering fortifications to mending weapons- given the right resources of course.
- Odran is fluent in common and dwarvish, and has an impressive understanding of Glamhoth language, though is better at understanding the language than actually speaking it.

[Nariata]

APPROVED: Get it over to the CS.

[Lady Seraphina]

@Nariata I made some mild alterations to Susanna's CS. Mostly just aesthetic to the writing itself but I gave her some musical talent in guitar and vocals to explain how she finances traveling the country and expanded her equipment list. Let me know if they's a problem.