[OOC] Across the Great Sea - A Witcher RP (OPEN / STILL IN INTRO STAGE)

[Fat Boy Kyle]

A Witcher Roleplay - Open - Looking for GMs



<sup>Wolves asleep amidst the trees, Bats all a-swaying in the breeze,
But one soul lies anxious wide awake, Fearing all manner of ghouls, hags and wraiths.

Birds are silent for the night, Cows turned in as daylight dies, But one soul lies anxious wide awake.
For the witcher, brave and bold, Paid in coin of gold, He’ll chop and slice you, Cut and dice you.
Eat. You. Up. Whole. Eat. You. Whole.

-THEME-</sup>

Fan-Fiction | Fantasy | Monsters

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The Setting:

Set roughly fifty years before the events of the Witcher Game Series, and across the Great Sea on the non-canonical continent of Aridia. This RP sees players dropped into the Free City of Telchar, a large medieval metropolis ruled by an authoritarian religion and which is infested with all manner of monsters. One in particular has left a string of bodies in its wake and is causing the public to panic.

Will your character be one of the few Witchers on the Continent hunting monsters? A Warrior of the Church hellbent on chasing another players Witch? An assassin of Lords? Or maybe just a simple guard trying to fight battles way out their league?

This RP will be a mature one, containing strong themes like violence, sex and drugs. It also has a horror element to it. Please be warned.

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Rules/Things to consider:

Not as bad as it looks

• I want this to be as lore-friendly as possible. However I do acknowledge that this is fan-fiction and is set entirely in a non-canonical place. Still, no flame breathing flying Ogres or Lu Bu clones.
• This is listed as "Casual" and "18+", not "Free Roleplay" and "Child Friendly". I expect posts to be at least a couple of paragraphs long, and these should be fairly fleshed out. I would say that this is more 'high-casual', though I know some despise the term.
• The odd grammatical error is fine. God knows that this whole post is probably riddled with them. However posts need to be readable and not detract from the RP. If we're having to re-read sentences to try and make sense of your writing, then this RP is not for you. I tend to operate a three strike rule on particularly bad grammar. If the mistakes are easy to gloss over (e.g. you put "their" instead of "there"), you won't get a strike - it's only if your posts are becoming a chore to read.
• This RP won’t see players forcefully huddled together as part of a single team. Instead players will be given free-reign over what their character does, where they go, and who they do and do not speak to. Your player can form their own group and sit in the corner of the world in a cave for all I care. This not only encourages creativity but means that if someone drops out it can be more easily explained. Also means people can join at will. I would prefer people to stay relatively close to the City for the time being though, purely for the sake of keeping everyone in the same time (if someone makes their character cross the sea and back in one post, they’re not going to be in the same point in time as other players).
• In addition to the above, whilst I will technically have my own character and will be writing for a couple of notable NPCs here and there, I will not be actively be engaging in the RP in the same way as everyone else. This is because: a) I sometimes think when GMs have characters it can become a game of "follow the leader"; and b) because I want you all to be able to make the RP flourish without me holding your hands - I'm just here to moderate more than anything.
• Players should strive for balance and feasibleness. Even if you decide to go Witcher, you’re not Geralt or Ciri. You’re not a witch that can topple the entire city in the blink of an eye.
• I would like your characters to progress, both personally and in regards to skills and weapons. Therefore start with crap armour and stuff please. Depending on what characters people make, there is going to be some imbalance though – I just hope you’re all mature enough to work towards a good story rather than simply trying to make the strongest character.
• You can have followers and create/kill NPCs at your will.
• You can be any of the major races (e.g. Human, Elf, Dwarf). I will allow some monster players, depending on how good/balanced their Character Sheets are.
• There will be multiple plot-lines which I’ll weave in with various methods. One for example will be me posting rumours which you can then have your character hear IC. You can however make your own ones up! You can even be a dick and interfere in other players made-up plots!
• You can fight and kill each other! I encourage your CHARACTERS to be dicks to each other, but not if that means you PLAYERS being dicks to each other. Agreeing to collabing an epic battle OOC = awesome. Not talking OOC and then suddenly shooting another character in the eye = bit of a dick move. And try not to swear or use bad language too much, dicks.
• I am an awful GM. Just awful. I will unexpectedly drop off the face of the Earth for months when adult life requires a degree of adulting. If you are happy to casually go on without me or usurp me then this RP should be fine. If however this is likely to cause problems in your mind, then I suggest you jump out of the nearest window. Really need a good one or two GMs to account for me inevitably dropping off the face of the earth.

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Background Lore

For this RP, you will definitely benefit from having read the books, played the games, or at least taking a look at the wiki. Though I should note as someone who's not read the books, this RP is going to borrow much more from the game series. For those that aren’t too familiar with the series or those that are maybe just a bit rusty, here are some important bits of background lore of the Witcher World mixed with the new lore for this new location.

Lore

Conjunction of the Spheres

"A cataclysm which occurred 1,500 years ago, trapping in our dimension many unnatural creatures, including ghouls, graveirs and vampires. These beasts have no ecological niches of their own and are merely relics of bygone times.

According to elven lore, humans arrived during the Conjunction, their own world having been destroyed. These human ancestors learned how to harness the power of primordial Chaos, and thus the first human wizards were born. Looking for a place in the world, humans took up arms against the Elder Races, who were unable to withstand the barbarians and ultimately surrendered. This is how humans came to rule the world."

Unlike in the Northern Kingdoms, the Elder Races (Dwarves, Elves, etc.) are not prosecuted and live in relative harmony with humans. There are some exceptions to this of course, notably within the Mercean Empire, and there are always racists within every society.

Witchers

" A witcher (or hexer) is someone who has undergone extensive training, ruthless mental and physical conditioning, and mysterious rituals (which take place at "witcher schools" such as Kaer Morhen) in preparation for becoming an itinerant monsterslayer for hire."

“People need witchers, but are simultaneously afraid of them. The itinerant warriors inspire fear because they are mutants and have superhuman powers. A witcher is rarely a welcome guest and contacts with members of this profession are almost always limited to business. Witchers are invariably attacked during pogroms and social upheavals directed against those who deal in magic. Mutagens and magic render witchers' bodies resistant to all kinds of disease, even to the point of outright immunity.”

Witchers are a relatively new addition to the continent. Around two hundred years ago, Witchers from the Bear School went on an expedition across the sea in search of a King’s Son. They never found the son, and it was only by sheer luck that they ever managed to make the voyage to these new lands. The four witchers, dismayed at the prevalence of monsters in these lands, created a new School – The Lost Bear School, as an adaption of theirs. Although some natives have been happy to have these new individuals deal with their monster problems, many look at Witchers with fear and disdain. Their Headquarters is Mossdale Caverns, a caved keep which they share with a pre-existing clan of dwarves, in the Korathi Heartlands (the only state openly welcoming of Witchers).

Mages

"Only rare individuals have the potential to become mages and many of those with this potential are doomed to madness. Unless the individual in question - known as a source - learns to control their power quickly, he or she may end up a half-insane, slobbering oracle. That is why schools of sorcery were created, where talented children study for many years, acquiring knowledge and mastering magical skills. Because of their powers, mages age more slowly than ordinary people. They can extract magical energy from the four elements, transport themselves long distances and heal, as well as kill, in the blink of an eye. They have extensive scientific and political knowledge; in the latter respect, many mages are the equals of rulers.”

Witches and Mages are generally disliked for the same reasons as they are in the Northern Kingdoms and Nilfgaard – they can be very dangerous. Although there are various small secret societies, mages are for the most part isolated from their brethren and often find themselves alone in a world that hates them. Many as a result hide their abilities, or risk being hunted and burned at the stake.

Monsters

The world is full of monsters, of varying sizes, shapes and nature. Each type has its own strengths and weaknesses, many of which have been cataloged over the years in various books. Some monsters are more sentient than others, and not all are evil. Most however are hated. I don’t mind if people want to create their own original monsters or variants of existing ones – within reason of course (again, no fire-breathing flying ogres).

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The Story So Far

Here is the notable history of this RP, including a couple of preluding events. Hopefully this section will make it easier for new blood to join. I'll do my best to update this with key events as the RP goes on. If you think there is anything missing or incorrect, please let me know!

Hider

Around 200 years before the RP starts, Witcher's from the Bear School went on an expedition across the Great Sea in search of a prince. They failed to ever complete this task, but found themselves washed upon this mysterious continent. They would eventually set up a new Witcher School - The Lost Bear School.

Around 130 years before the RP starts, a giant sea monster/god appeared in the Sea near the City of Telchar, causing tonnes of fish to wash up on the shore. This saved a starving population and gave birth to the Church of Manannan.

Around a decade before the RP starts, the Mercean Empire declared war on the Kingdom of Himeria. The free city of Telchar has since been supplying Himeria with an abundance of weapons and armour.

Just before the RP started, the city of Telchar began to suffer from a string of mysterious and gruesome killings. An old Witcher by the name Jaspar was blamed and burned alive by the Church.

At the start of the RP, a local craftsman reported to the town guard that his daughter had been kidnapped by monsters living in the sewers. A contract for her safe return has been put up around the city. A bounty has also gone up for a local criminal.

Some of the characters in the RP have just arrived in the city, and some of these have found themselves drawn to The Jolly Lion Inn.

Kieran (a witcher), Keggar (a dwarf) and Niavak (a sellsword), are currently talking to Guard Captain Monroe about taking on the contract to find the missing daughter. The other characters in the RP are still in the 'intro' stage of the RP and have not yet committed to any particular story line.

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If you are interested then of course say so! Please fill out a character sheet and then post it in the OOC for review! I am an advocate of community review, whereby players review each others character sheets; I think it's good to air criticisms straight away. Don't be too harsh when reviewing a CS. Don't get too defensive when a CS flaw is exposed. And don't go off in a hump if your first CS is rejected. I don't mind if you want to fluff up the sheet a bit.

Character Sheet

[hider=Artorias]
[CENTER][I]Character Theme –[/I] [URL=LINK]TITLE OF MUSIC[/URL] <OPTIONAL<
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[IMG]LINK TO A PICTURE GOES HERE[/IMG] <OPTIONAL<
[color=COLOR][h2]NAME GOES HERE[/h2][/color]
[i]WRITEN PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION GOES HERE[/i]

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[color=COLOR]【[U]Alias[/U]】[/color]
Nicknames? Codenames? Previous names?

[color=COLOR]【[U]Race[/U]】[/color]
Human? Elf? Dwarf?

[color=COLOR]【[U]Gender[/U]】[/color]
Do golems have a gender?

[color=COLOR]【[U]Age[/U]】[/color]
16+

[color=COLOR]【[U]Sexuality[/U]】[/color]
Very?

[color=COLOR]【[U]Birth Place[/U]】[/color]
The womb of misfortune?

[color=COLOR]【[U]Nation/Allegiance[/U]】[/color]
Born in Telhar, but praises the sun!

[color=COLOR]【[U]Profession[/U]】[/color]
Baker? Witcher? Monster?

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[color=COLOR]【[U]Personality[/U]】[/color]
What kind of person are they? Do they have any ticks? Etc etc.

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[color=COLOR]【[U]History[/U]】[/color]
Please tell us about your character's history.

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[color=COLOR]【[U]Skills and Abilities[/U]】[/color]
[b]EXAMPLE SKILL[/b] - Hurls random examples at foes. Was born with this innate ability.

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[color=COLOR]【[U]Weapons/Tools and Magic[/U]】[/color]
Please list your weapons n stuff. Save room for development.

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[color=f7976a]【[U]Other[/U]】 [/color]
Dialogue colour: [color=COLOR]Murky orange?[/color]
AOB

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[Fat Boy Kyle]

Mini-Wiki:

As the lore of this sub-world expands, this section will be populated with useful pieces of information. If you have suggestions for entries then please post them or PM. Sections on here might be marked "tbc", which more likely means that I don't have any ideas and/or I'm leaving it to be done by others.

To help you prioritise reading, I'll label each section as either "Important", "Handy" or "Fluff"

Map and Political Geography (Important)

This RP takes place on a new continent, across the Great Sea to the West of the Northern Kingdoms. For this RP, you can almost say that this is basically a different world wearing a Witcher Skin. There are many countries which I’ve mapped out, although for the most part many have names and geographical positions but little else – I’m happy for you guys and gals to fill in history and culture.

Here is a map that may help. Firstly is the larger map, and secondly is the small zoomed in Map which should be of more help. Because I intend this RP to (for the time being) be set mostly in the city of Telchar, you probably won’t need to look at these. But it might help when making a CS or making up back-stories. These maps are rough and don’t account for things like climate.

Big Map

Zoomed Map

To give you some sense of scale, the journey from Telchar to Turr takes about three days on Horseback, providing the weather is good and you travel light. A journey from Turr to the Mossdale Caverns would take considerably longer (perhaps a week), despite a similar distance, because of the mountainous terrain in-between and because of the Marshlands that one would have to navigate in the Korathi Heartlands.

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City of Telchar (Important)

MAP

Rough Map – Look at Banner for source of inspiration
Bastion Keep:
Built upon a large cliff, Bastion Keep is not actually as big as it looks. Whilst certainly imposing from the outside, most of the inside is rock-face and so very little is actually ‘Keep’. Still, it’s positioning makes it almost impenetrable and it’s dominating of the local scenery has often been praised as the reason would-be invaders have been weary of sieging. The only way in is via the long steep walkway ahead of it; it’s so long in fact that horse-drawn carriages are used to ferry people up and down it. His holiness, Lord Krios lives and sits here.

The Hanging Prison:
The Hanging Prison rests beneath the lighthouse and is only accessible via boat. The structure itself is linked to the Keep, but following its transformation into a prison, the connections were collapsed. Perhaps the location which best illustrates how unforgiving its people are, the hanging prison is 90% comprised of Sky-Cells. In the majority of cases, criminals (from pickpockets to serial killers) are thrown into small cells along the archway with a rope tied around their neck. These cells each have massive holes which give way to the sea and rocks below, and there is only a small ledge of which to stand. Prisoners are rarely even able to lay down without falling out of the hole. As such prisoners will eventually find themselves hanging from the archway alongside dozens of others – a grim sight intended to deter any that would break the law.

The Port District:
The Port District is the only part of the city accessible by water (save for the Prison), and is primarily a trading hub. It is also where one finds the city’s fleet. As such this district has a fairly high guard presence.
Notable locations include: The East Gate; The White-Swan Trading Company’s HQ; The Rusty Anchor (Tavern); The Navy HQ; Customs and Immigration Office.

The Crafts District:
The Craft District is home to many factories, workshops and warehouses. Many of the common folk work here, with the biggest export being cheaply made weapons. Metal and materials are imported in, and standard quality weapons are exported out. It’s fair to say this city owes much of its economy to Arms dealing.
Notable locations include: The William’s Arms Company buildings; The Magic Corset (Brothel); Himerian Embassy.

The Commons:
The Commons is the largest district in the city. It is mostly residential and where is where the majority of citizens live. The area is fairly diverse in regards to quality of housing, with some nice city houses in the northern area, and some small shanty-town-like areas near the Port and Crafts Districts. It houses the South Gate, also known as the ‘Plebs Gate’.

Central:
Central is the heart of the city and is where most visitors like to spend their time. There is very little housing in the area, and instead is mostly filled with public buildings, shops and taverns. It is also where one must go if they want to begin the long trek up to Bastion Keep.
Notable locations include: The Town Hall and Main Square; The Jolly Lion Inn; Dunfire’s Bank; The Swan Theatre; The Bee and Barb; The Marble Fort (Marble Knights Guild HQ).

Northwall:
Northwall, like central, enjoys a lot of trading. Whereas the Port sees a lot of imports/exports relating to arms, Northwall sees a lot of imports/exports relating to agriculture. It has a fair bit more housing that Central, most of which is good quality; many see it as the half-way point between the Commons and Hightown.
Notable locations include: The North Gate; The Telchar Market; The Temple of Manannan; The Stone Abbey (home to priests and warriors of Manannan).

Hightown:
Hightown is the rich area of the city. The houses are large and grandiose. It’s where the nobility and wealthy reside. Here there is only a small city guard presence, as many of the inhabitants have their own security.

Area outside the walls:
Outside of the walls you have mostly farmland. Of course, the further away from the city you go, the wilder the land becomes, giving away to forests, caves, and all sorts of interesting locations. Patrols tend to keep to the roads and the odd watch-points.

Telchar is one of the ‘Five Free Cities’, which once meant that it did not form part of an Empire or Kingdom. This isn’t entirely accurate nowadays, nor important, but historic names are hard to change. It is still ruled over by a lord however, and is perhaps one of the most authoritarian places that you are likely to set foot in. The City has it’s own religion, dedicated to the Sea God Manannan, which most of the population adheres to. They do not tolerate crime (of any level) nor blasphemy (including magic and mutants), and sentence vast majority of deviants to death. Although technically neutral, Telchar is a major Arms Dealer and supplies the Kingdom of Himeria with most of its weapons, which has angered other states. It is divided into various districts, but although each is fairly distinct, each has its good and bad parts. It is one of the largest cities on the continent and since its founding, has never been successfully sieged. The City is ruled By Lord Krios.

Like any place, Telchar suffers from a range of socio-economic problems, as well as occult problems. Recently however there has been a sharp increase in the amount of monster sightings, and there has been a string of deaths which has sent many citizens into a panic.

Ranks

The rank structure in Telchar is very basic, and given that it is a relatively small nation with few settlements, it hasn't needed to be complex.

King - The King is the ruler of the nation and it's Armies. The King is also the head of the Church, though in reality they have little say over it's affairs.

Grand Marshal - The Field Marshal is highest ranking individual in the military and often is reserved to those in the royal family. They are likely the ones calling the shots.

Commander - Commanders are individuals in charge of a singular army or fleet. In the present peace-time they oversee law enforcement and peace-keeping. Currently there are five. Two oversee the city guard. One oversees the Navy. One oversees the Northern outskirts and settlements, and another the southern.

Captain - Captains are placed in charge of divisions or brigades. In the city of Telchar, there are two Captains for each district.

Sergeant - Sergeants are placed in charge of squads and smaller units.

City Guard / Private - The lowest of the low. These individuals are the frontliners in both battle and in keeping the peace.

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Religion – Church of Manannan (Important)

Nearly a century and a half ago, during a great famine, a giant sea monster appeared just off the coast. According to reports from the time, the monster looked vaguely like a Kayran, but tens of times larger. Witchers at the time said that it would take an army of mages to kill such a beast. Fortunately for the city, the monster did not appear to be hostile although it did cause a small tsunami due to its size and proximity to the short. It only stayed in view for around half an hour before disappearing again.

The destruction the waves caused, although inconvenient, was very minor. Moreover, locals rejoiced as a ridiculous amount of fish was washed up on the short and city streets – a saving grace during such hardship. People began to call the monster a god, saying that it was Manannan – the Sea God. They claimed the waves it sent were both a warning of its power, and a token of its love (for it fed a starving population).

The Religion has grown considerable since and now has a Church and Abbey in Northwall. The vast majority of the population adheres to this religion. Although led by a council of five bishops, the Lord of Telchar is technically the head (although they rarely pass laws specific to the Church). They believe that all crime needs to be harshly punished, and believe that mages and mutants (including Witchers) need to be burned and fed to the sea.

A small sub-order called the Warriors of Manannan act like a secret police, seeking out and prosecuting the occult. Somewhat ironic principles given that they worship a literal monster. These Warriors typically will have to fork out for their own armour and weapons, or else take what scraps the Church is willing to bundle together for them. More prestigious members of the Church, including Inquisitors, may be supplied with fancier armour. The only consistent uniform for the Warriors is a dark blue featureless mask, which serves to mask their identity and instill fear.

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Important NPCs (Handy)

King Krios

His Holiness, King Krios of Telcar and Lord Protector of the Church of Manannan. Krios is the current ruler of Telchar and resides in Bastion Keep. He is known as an impatient and gluttonous, man who cares more about enjoying the finer things in life than he does about running his country. Instead he leaves the matters of state to his close advisors and leaves the Bishops to run the Church. He has a young son (Barry) and daughter (Lilly), both of whom he loves dearly.

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Bishop Eunarch

STUFF

Unnamed 2nd Bishop

STUFF

Unnamed 3rd Bishop

STUFF

Unnamed 4th Bishop

STUFF

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Unnamed Witcher

STUFF

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Count Rourke

Count Rourke serves as an Ambassador to Telchar. He tends to spend a lot of his time in the Himerian embassy in the Crafts District of the city, liaising and arranging deals with local arms dealers. He is often invited as a guest to Bastion Keep. As the main link between Himeria and their source of weapons in the war against the Empire, it's fair to say that Count Rourke is considered a very important person and thus is very well protected.

Prince Lorcan

Prince Lorcan is the third son of King Greagoir of Moorwind, the large country to the South of Telchar. He is also married to Princess Mary, the eldest daughter of The Emperor of Mercea. As such, he is only a few accidents away from being the heir of two giant countries. It's perhaps not too surprising then that Lorcan is a somewhat arrogant individual. Lorcan is known to be deciptful and cruel to his subjects, and is the kind of person that you hope you never have to come across (regardless of your station). Rumour is that he has been sent by his new leige/in-laws to Telchar in a bid to halt their aid to Himeria, and that he will be arriving some time in the next couple of weeks.

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BLARG

STUFF

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The Lost Bear School of Witchers (Handy)

Witchers are a relatively new addition to the continent. Around two hundred years ago, Witchers from the Bear School went on an expedition across the sea in search of a King’s Son. They never found the son, and it was only by sheer luck that they ever managed to make the voyage to these new lands, washing up on the shore of the Lilia Kingdom. The four Witchers, dismayed at the prevalence of monsters in these lands, created a new School – The Lost Bear School, as an adaption of theirs.

Understandably, most looked at Witchers with fear and skepticism. Rumours of child snatching, cruel experiments and magic, all added to the fear of the unknown. Although citizens of this continent have started to warm-up to Witchers over the last couple of centuries, they are still subject to discrimination. The only people openly accepting of the Witchers are the citizens of the Korathi Heartlands, who had previously been blighted by monsters. Now the Witchers share a home with the Dwarves of Mossdale Keep, an ancient underground keep.

Notable Witchers:

• BLERG MC BLERGSON - LURDER OF WERCHERS
• Jaspar (Deseaed) - An elderly Witcher recently burned alive in Telchar.
• Kieran - A young Witcher currently travelling in Telchar with his Werewolf accomplice.

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Other Countries and their inhabitants (Handy/Fluff)

So many places

Not all the nations mapped out have any lore, and even those that do still have a lot of gaps to be filled. Please feel free to fill these gaps yourself! You can submit entries to me, or simply refer to things in the IC. As long as you're not going too silly, there shouldn't be any issues (e.g. no robot nations).

Free City of Turr

Free City of Turr - TBC

Lilia Kingdom

Lilia Kingdom - A Kindgom ruled by King Unicas. This is where the Witchers from the Bear School landed two hundred years ago.

Korathi Heartlands

Korathi Heartlands - Mostly a mixture of marshland and forests, the Korathi Heartlands are still a relatively wild place. The Country is ruled by the Heartland Council which is comprised of elders from each of the villages and towns. The Council actually rarely meets, with most villages acting relatively autonomously. Only in the case of war or serious issues do the council meet and decide on coordinated action. To the east, by Loch Moa, is Mossdale Caverns - a dwarven keep situated in a cave complex which homes both the Mossdale Dwarves and the Lost Bear School of Witchers. Due to the devasting monster problems that the Korathi once had, Witchers were thought of as a god send when they first arrived and have helped bring stability to the country. As such the Korathi Heartlands are the only state that are really openly welcoming to Witchers.

See the Witcher Entry for more info.

Moorwind

The Kingdom of Moorwind - TBC

Free City of York

Free City of York - Also known as the 'pirate city' to some, the city of York is run mostly by 'private companies' and shady groups of individuals. It is a rather capitalistic nation, and believes heavily in survival of the fittest. It's thought that many notorious pirates have and continue to take shelter in this nation. As such, it's not on the best diplomatic terms with other states.

Free City of Bein

Free City of Bein - Due to the terrain to it's east, this city state is actually very hard to reach by land. Most travel by sea. As such this state, which is mostly populated by elves, has gained a reputation as being a rather mystical place. It is said to ruled by priestesshood of Vestal Virgins, with the more senior priestesses forming a small council. Being chosen to join this group is a great honour and they are held in the uttermost regard. Harming or (god-forbid) sleeping with one will result in some harsh punishment. The nation is mostly covered in lush forest.

Harshbruk

Kingdom of Harshbruk - TBC

Oceanic Tribal Lands

Oceanic Tribal Lands - This large mass of land and collection of islands are often referred to as the Tribal Lands. Despite many groups trying, there has never been any real unification. Holds and towns are overthrown or abandoned too quickly for any smaller states within to be recognized. The tribes that inhabit this land are incredibly spiritual and often adopt a warrior culture. Whilst looked down upon by other nations is being barbaric and unrefined, the people of this land should not be underestimated.

Mercean Empire

Mercean Empire - One of the largest nations on the continent, the Mercean empire has gained a rather dark reputation. The fascist state, dominated by humans, openly prosecutes the other races. It has been slowly expanding over the last few years, making some gains in the tribal lands. It is also currently at war with the Kingdom of Himeria and La Firence.

Himeria

Kingdom of Himeria - The Kingdom of Himeria is currently at war with the Mercean Empire. It is on very good terms with the Free City of Telchar, who currently manufacture many of it's weapons. They are thought to have a very impressive navy, but struggle to match the Empire's armies.

La Firencé

La Firencé - A very aristocratic country. Said to produce the best wine on the continent. TBC

La Lament

La Lament - Yet another very aristocratic country. It's music festivals attract wealthy citizens from all over the continent, although the recent wars in the neighboring countries has deterred some. TBC.

Free City of Saph

Free city of Saph - Notable for it's sapphire mines, though it also produces many other fine exports.

The Kingdom of Greyreach

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Long had Greyreach been a mystery to those who may call it their neighbor, having shut its borders to all but a select few nations for almost a century, supposedly due to a reform which the nation had begun to undergo as its new Queen took the throne. None can say for sure if the stories that those few who left the kingdoms as supposed refugees are true; the stories of a rising of a dark God which they were forced to worship. However, when their borders reopened in the last twenty years, the Free City of Saph found that little had truly changed in its neighbor, the most major change being the creation of the Sisters of Virtue. The Sisters were an Order of Knights loyal to the Queen or Lord they were assigned to and took a vow of chastity and poverty.

The Cult of Tibur supposedly took root during the time in which Greyreach was cut off from the rest of the world. They are said to worship a ‘Dark God’ named Tibur who descended from the Reach in the weeks after Queen Shassa took the throne. IT is said that he whispered of visions of a world united under his blood, united to worship his children in the Reach. Those who told stories of the Cult never gave a single, unified answer though. Some said he was a monster which had long been asleep in the Reach, woken by the Dwarves mining and having descended to claim his rule over the Kingdom of Greyreach. Others claimed he was a man from across the mountains, from a far away land, who used lies and trickery to make the people believe he was a God.

Summary: Greyreach is a mountainous Kingdom filled with all of the races. Ruled by Queen Shassa and her human husband, King Aidak. Supposedly worships a Cult of a dark god. Had been shut off from the world for almost a century, having recently opened in the past 20 years. During that time, the Sisters of Virtue were established to serve Queen and Country, thus allowing women to serve as Knights in battle.


Queen Shassa Faerl, first of her name and Ruler of Greyreach

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Beastiary

In addition to the already impressive Bestiary of the Witcher series, below you can find some new variants as well as original monsters that appear in this RP.

grrrrr

THINGS

[Fat Boy Kyle]

Only taken 7 months

@MrDidact @SantosGabriel77 @BlackSam3091 @POOHEAD189 @Riaxh @Mag Lev @Inertia

[POOHEAD189]

Not decided yet, but considering a Dwarf.

[MrDidact]

I'm also considering a Witcher, but a young and relatively inexperienced one.

[An Outsider]

I'm also considering a Witcher, but a young and relatively inexperienced one.

@MrDidact

If Didact goes that route then I think I'll be making a cowardly werewolf con-artist who serves as his companion/handicap.

[MrDidact]

@BlackSam3091 Haha, great.

Any other team-ups you thought might be good?

[DeletedUser9Gh7]

I'm thinking of a non human witcher but when the RP starts that will be his 6th hunt so he is new he does not know how to hunt something more dangerous than 1 ghoul.

[MrDidact]

@SantosGabriel77 Actually there are indications that there are or have been elven witchers. It may be redundant to have two newbie witchers though, so I might have to go with something else.

[Fat Boy Kyle]

While you lot are busy making characters and fighting to be America's Next Top Geralt, I'll be working on some NPC sheets.

[DeletedUser9Gh7]

[MRDidact]
Okay so i guess it makes sense.I'm gonna be the one who is not a newbie

I just gotta read enough lore to make a good character.

[Mag Lev]

Currently an idea which has been floating around my head is a disgraced knight turned mercenary/bounty hunter. Probably human. Might look into the idea of an Elf though.

Edit: If possible, I'd like to hear a bit more about the Free City of Bein and Greyreach. Mostly as to the culture of Bein and what it would take for a knight to become disgraced and stripped of their title.

[An Outsider]

@MrDidact Honestly wouldn't presume to tell you what character to play in a duo, but I'll fire off a few of my different ideas for my own character, and if you can think of a CS of your own that you think would play off them nicely then we can see what we can work from there.

• The Witcher: The Witcher I have in mind would be experienced, having been at monster slaying business for fifty+ years. He was skilled, talented, and mostly hard working, but years of seeing the worst of what the world has to offer has left its mark on him. He responds to the world with a detached, warped sense of humor that alienates most of those around him, has a severe drinking problem that has began to interfere with his work, believes that his swords 'speak' to him, and has found himself growing more and more prone to violence. He still finds joy in the hunt, but it's a savage kind of pleasure, the kind that once would have filled him with shame.
• The Guardsman: The Guardsman is a the youngest scion of an impoverished noble house. When he realized that the writing was on the wall for his families fortunes he traded what little influence they had left for a mid-level post in the city guard. He cares very little for religion or civic order, but the job security makes up for that, and the work was largely unobtrusive, allowing him the opportunity to follow his real passions; wine, women and song. However his superior officer has given him the unenviable task of solving the current influx of monster attacks, a job that a foppish wastrel like him is woefully unprepared for.
• The Aen Elle: The third would be an Aen Elle, banished from his own world. Other than him being a warrior, I haven't put much thought into this one, just like the thought of playing a banished elf.

Thoughts?

[Fat Boy Kyle]

Currently an idea which has been floating around my head is a disgraced knight turned mercenary/bounty hunter. Probably human. Might look into the idea of an Elf though.

Edit: If possible, I'd like to hear a bit more about the Free City of Bein and Greyreach. Mostly as to the culture of Bein and what it would take for a knight to become disgraced and stripped of their title.

@Mag Lev

No lore on Greyreach. Feel free to make something up.

I've not thought too much into Bein either really, other than it being 'mystical'. In my head I have images of vast overgrown forests and settlements hidden in the trees (you know, stereotypical elf stuff). I also thought it could be ruled by a council of Vestal Virgins, much akin to the priestesses of Vesta in Ancient Rome. I suppose a Knight could be disgraced by sleeping with a vestal virgin? Or insulting one? Harming or failing to protect one? Those are just some ideas. If you have something in mind and want to expand upon Bein, feel free to do so.

[MrDidact]

@BlackSam3091 All of those concepts sound pretty interesting, I think the old shellshocked Witcher is probably the most compelling followed by the idea of an outcast Aen Elle. The guardsman idea is cool too, but I have a bias for oddball characters.

For the veteran somewhat psycho Witcher, I think my younger newbie Witcher would be a good foil. He'd be new relatively with only a few years at most of Witcher experience, and is still largely idealistic and not jaded. Still finds satisfaction in protecting people and fulfilling contracts. He's also a bit of a maverick among other Witchers but largely because he tends to try and spare as many monsters as he can instead of killing them, and often gets involved in matters other Witchers might ignore such as bandit attacks. The young witcher hopes that with his efforts he can really change things for the better and show people that Witchers can be trusted. He's also the rumored bastard of some lord or knight. Perhaps he could chance upon this Veteran in the field and decide to team up to track down the mysterious monster, hoping that he can learn something from his older comrade.

However I think another interesting companion to that Veteran would be a young Mage, well he's really 50 but he's young for a mage, who comes from a noble family and is smooth-talking and genteel. He's an ardent believer in scientific advancement and enlightenment but is also kind of arrogant and superior. Has a lot of power but not as much refined control and discipline as older sorcerers. Hates the leadership of the free city and hopes to change things to allow toleration of magic. Perhaps he's been one of the Veteran's few companions, accompanying him along to research the beasts he kills and help him with equipment, and persuades him to take the contract on the mysterious beast.

For the Guardsman, I think an interesting foil might be a female elven thief. Young but skilled, and is slowly gaining enough money to buy her way out of the forsaken city. She is a relative newcomer but has never been caught and is making a reputation for herself as a skilled professional among the underworld. Has numerous contacts and even bribes a few guardsmen to stay inconspicuous and out of a cell. The guardsman might bumble his way into one of her heists and the guardsman decides to enlist her help in ferreting out leads on the monster by asking around in the city's seedy underbelly.

A good companion for the banished elf might be another outsider. A female warrior with telekinetic powers, used to be a lord's daughter but left her home after being betrothed to a man she did not love. She isn't as strong as a mage or more experienced psionic, but has as much strength as a Witcher using a basic Aard sign and was training at swords since she was a child, to her father's disapproval. Now she's a travelling female knights errant who rights wrongs and tries to make an extra bit of cash taking jobs from merchants and lords. Perhaps the two can decide to partner up as sellswords and track down the monster for some money.

Of course, the Young Witcher and my Mage idea could both be good foils for the Aen Elle as well depending. What do you think?

My young witcher and your conman werewolf could still be a great duo too.

[Mag Lev]

<Snipped quote by Mag Lev>

No lore on Greyreach. Feel free to make something up.

I've not thought too much into Bein either really, other than it being 'mystical'. In my head I have images of vast overgrown forests and settlements hidden in the trees (you know, stereotypical elf stuff). I also thought it could be ruled by a council of Vestal Virgins, much akin to the priestesses of Vesta in Ancient Rome. I suppose a Knight could be disgraced by sleeping with a vestal virgin? Or insulting one? Harming or failing to protect one? Those are just some ideas. If you have something in mind and want to expand upon Bein, feel free to do so.

@Fat Boy Kyle

Alright, thanks for the information. I'll likely do work on Greyreach since I feel it may fit the idea I have more. Greyreach is a Kingdom, yeah? Also, that bit of land below Greyreach belongs to Bein or some other country?

If anybody else wishes to be involved in Greyreach then you can go ahead and message me here about it. Or find me on the Guild Discord where I'll be doing work.

[Fat Boy Kyle]

Forgot to name the bit of Land below Greyreach haha. It can be a new country or part of Greyreach, I don't mind. Greyreach can be a Kingdom if you wish. It's one of the places that's a complete blank slate.

Added some ranks to Telchar. Added my CS, but as I previously said I'll be more focused on moderating and doing NPC stuff that actually roleplaying myself. I'm also going to update the CS template to something a little less awful.

[MrDidact]

@BlackSam3091 What catches your fancy, Sam?

[An Outsider]

@MrDidact I've been going over it for like two hours now, and I'm still swithering between the guardsmen and Elf thief, the young witcher and werewolf con-man, or the older witcher and whichever character you want to pair him with (I actually think any of the character concepts you offered up would work with him, even the elf thief and telekinetic warrior.)

I'm happy with any of the above pairings (I've abandoned the renegade Aen Elle, just wasn't feeling it as much as the other) so if you want to make the final decision, I'd be very happy. I'm spoiled for choice, and will probably keep going back and forth on which I want to do most for the next week and a half.

[MrDidact]

@BlackSam3091 Let's go with our original idea and have the young witcher and conman werewolf. I can shelve all the others for now, and perhaps your Veteran witcher can show up later with my mage or any of the other concepts. However, if Santos doesn't want to do his own Witcher, perhaps the Veteran and my guy could be a mentor/apprentice team.

Plus, I already started working on my young witcher and I'm too lazy at the moment to start anew on another sheet :P