[OOC] The Elder Scrolls: Heart of Darkness

[Hank]

"The Tower touches all the mantles of Heaven, brother-noviates, and by its apex one can be as he will.
More: be as he was and yet changed for all else on that path for those that walk after.
This is the third key of Nu-mantia and the secret of how mortals become makers,
and makers back to mortals. The Bones of the Wheel need their flesh,
and that is mankind's heirloom."
_{- Commentaries on the Mysterium Xarxes, Book Three}

"Look at the majesty sideways and all you see is the Tower, which our ancestors made idols from.
Look at its center and all you see is the begotten hole, second serpent,
womb-ready for the Right Reaching, exact and without enchantment.
The heart of the second serpent holds the secret triangular gate.
Look at the secret triangular gate sideways and you see the secret Tower.
The secret Tower within the Tower is the shape of the only name of God, I."
_{- 36 Lessons of Vivec, Sermon 21}

---

The Empire and the Aldmeri Dominion slowly circle around each other, eyes locked like competing predators, simultaneously provoking and avoiding another Great War. Tamriel teeters on the brink. Armies mobilize to the heart-thrum of training drums and fell voices sail the air, calling for death and ruin on both sides. All of the prophesied Heroes have gone; to faraway lands, beyond the veil, in hiding. The shrines of the Nine are as silent as ever. Demon-Princes watch with bated breath.

A plea for help has been sent to White-Gold Tower from the coastlines of High Rock. It speaks of a Man and his marauders, zealots, and Daedra that haunt the Abecean Sea, boarding and pillaging with impunity, far away from the Emperor's fixed gaze. It speaks of a Man insane and divine, doom-driven, clutching the very soul of fire in a gauntlet so black and bright it moves between worlds, carrying a Scroll on His back that speaks of death and cannot be read.

Wise and elusive, this Man cloaks himself and his gore-soaked apostles in the impenetrable green shroud of Valenwood, from where it is said blood runs upstream into the rivers and brings bad dreams. Even the elves fear Him. Their whispers spread far and wide; the Prophet of Dagon-Ur has come.

Red Mountain shivers at night. Dragons flee north to Atmora. The Serpent moves. The Emperor acquiesces to the plea.

In northern Valenwood, near Arenthia, one small boat and its crew prepare to sail the streams and rivers of Valenwood south, in absolute secrecy, to Greenheart, from whence the darkness spreads.

To kill Akhar.

---

Welcome to Heart of Darkness! This is a roleplay heavily inspired by the novel of the same name by Joseph Conrad and -- in particular -- the film adaptation Apocalypse Now. Our characters will be part of a small group led by Hector Sibassius, an officer of the Penitus Oculatus, that is sent by the Emperor to assassinate the deranged warlord and sorcerer Akhar in the heart of Valenwood. The story takes place after the events of Skyrim in the summer of the year 4E207. I won't go into much detail about what precisely happened after the Dragon Crisis because it's not really important to our story. To give an example; I won't name the Emperor, since it doesn't matter. The only things you need to know is that the Stormcloak rebellion was defeated and that the Empire and the Aldmeri Dominion are once again at the brink of war. This political tension will provide an analogue for the Vietnam War that's important to the setting of Apocalypse Now. Our characters are, in essence, going to be traveling deep into 'enemy territory'.

That might make this roleplay seem a little simple, so one could ask why I've decided to place it in the Advanced section. That has everything to do with the quality I expect from the submitted characters and the realism (emphasis) of their psyches and their reactions to their situation. Much like the source material, this will be a "Skooma-fueled jungle nightmare" (credit to @Turboshitter for that turn of phrase) and I need people who can convincingly write believable characters. Johnny Two-Blades who doesn't give a shit about the horror that surrounds him and cuts down his enemies with nerves of steel won't be welcome.

That's about everything I have to say. Let's see some characters.

---

Name: Speaks for itself.
Age: If you're not sure what a plausible age is for a certain race, just ask.
Gender: Male or female. No transgenders in Tamriel.
Race: One of the playable races in the games. Keep the political climate in mind; it is unlikely an Altmer would be fighting for the Empire, but we are going after a neutral foe. If you can convince me, go for it.
Birthsign: This is mostly for fun, but it can affect your character a little bit if you want to.
Appearance: Pictures are allowed, but a written description is mandatory.

Biography: A summary of their past. Doesn't have to be very long. The main purpose of this section is to give your character a plausible reason to be sent on this mission; ask yourself "why has Hector Sibassius selected them and how does he know (of/about) them?" and provide a solid answer.

Personality: This is where you show me you can create a believable, three-dimensional character with strengths and flaws.

Skills: This covers everything, from combat to magic to stealth to miscellaneous. I'll be pretty free-form about this but none of our characters are prophesied Heroes. Restrain yourselves. Your character can't be an expert in everything. This goes double for mages, so restrict your character to one or two schools of magic.

Equipment: List everything they bring with them, not just weapons and armor.

Other: Anything I forgot that you want to mention.

Please submit your characters in this thread. After I've approved of them, you can post them in the Characters tab. Don't rush yourselves. It's highly unlikely I will start the roleplay until next weekend.

[Hologram Prose]

One Breton sorceress with a history of summoning undead and Daedra coming right up. :3

[Turboshitter]

One Breton sorceress with a history of summoning undead and Daedra coming right up. :3

@Hologram Prose

And also her grumpy dad lol.

[Oak7ree]

Well, I am interested.

[Asura]

May throw my lot in with a Nord/Orsimer sellsword.

[Turboshitter]

@Hank I had a few questions about magic-focused characters. Which game's rules will we be using for magic, and which spells are available? I just wanna avoid making a character who loves using, say, Bane of the Undead and then finding out that we're not using Skyrim's rules for magic, or that the spell is too high-level for them, or etc.

[The Dow Dragon]

Name: An-Ze Xemlures, The Dragon-Slayer
Age: 26
Gender: Male
Race: Argonian
Appearance:

An-Ze

An-Ze stands at 5 feet and 11 inches with a broad, muscular build. His scales are a murky/green with sand colored highlights around his neck and face and along some parts of his body. He has black dots along his cheekbones and uniquely, bright green highlights under his yellow eyes. Horns adorn his jaw and chin and two large horns sprout out on either side of head. A small plume of bright green feathers sprouts on the top of his head. He has three large scars on the left side of his face from a flanged mace.

An-Ze wears a set of armor designed and built by himself using the bones of the dragons he has slain. The green spotted fabric that binds the armor pieces together allows him to move more freely and comfortably through the water while wearing his armor. He got the inspiration for such a design from his own webbed fingers and feet. His shield is made of dragon bone as well. He wields a classic one handed nordic war axe.

An-Ze's werewolf form is incredibly unique and rare, as not a lot of Argonians have the ability to transform. His transformation combines his reptilian elements with the elements of a beast.

An-Ze's Transformation

Biography:
An-Ze was born in Black Marsh on the 181st year of the fourth era. His tribe were travelers of the coast, only going inland via rivers and marshes to hunt and trade. From an early age, An-Ze learned to love the ocean and the water. He felt at home in the water more than anywhere else. An-Ze had many brothers and sisters who he loved and hated on different levels, as siblings do, but at the end of the day he always managed to put aside whatever issues he had with them to stand by their side. Life wasn't easy at times, but it was a good one and An-Ze was content. But his love of the water ended up being his downfall. At ten years old, An-Ze was swimming farther out in the ocean than he ever had. It was dusk and he was too preoccupied to notice the Dunmer slave ship cruising up silently behind him. There was a few moments of intense struggle before everything went black. When he awoke, he was in the brig, sailing to a land that was cold, hard, and bitter.

Skyrim.

They arrived in Skyrim in the late summer, in Winterhold. An-Ze sat in the ship for a whole day before he was dragged out by large white creatures with yellow hair. This was the first time An-Ze had ever seen a man or mer, for that matter. All of a sudden, the young Argonian was a dockworker for a trading company who was paid next to nothing. An-Ze learned to fear and hate the nords quickly, the city guards always keeping an eye on him and the other Argonians as well as the dunmer. An-Ze also learned to fight street style quickly, as the streets of Winterhold are dangerous for a young Argonian. He always carried around a cheap knife he used to clean the scales off of fish. Despite these measures, he never had to hurt anyone, perferring to talk his way out of a sticky situation. An-Ze knew if he hurt a nord he'd be killed without trial or ceremony either by a mob or the winterhold guard themselves. He lived this way for 6 years, saving enough money to get out of winterhold without the trading company sending men after him.

An-Ze finally escaped the city when he was 16 years old. He paid off a middle manager to erase his name from the ledger and bought an old sword, a cloak, and some clothes. An-Ze left in the dead of night, determined to make his way in the world. He knew he couldn't go back to Black Marsh, it would take years to find his family and who knows if he would even survive the trip there. No, his fight was here in Skyrim. He would make something of himself and shove the nord's faces in it. An-Ze hated them, but he had to adopt their ways to succeed in their backward society. So he began to do odd jobs, slowly learning how to fight as he worked. More years passed and one day An-Ze was traveling to Whiterun after completing a bounty job when he happened upon The Companions fighting a dragon. At 20 years old, An-Ze had never been more terrified in his life looking at that hulking monster. But as he drew his blade, he felt liberated and he charged into the fray. Dodging spurts of fire and razor sharp claws, he had never face something so fearsome. When he plunged his blade hilt deep into the dragon's eye and it fell to the ground, An-Ze never felt more powerful and alive. Upon seeing the young Argonian slay the dragon, he was promptly offered a position in the companions and was taken to see Kodlak. An-Ze was accepted into The Companions.

From then on, An-Ze sky rocketed in his martial prowess. He took on all kinds of jobs and excelled in them, but the fights he looked forward to the most was the dragons. He went out of his way to seek dragons wherever they may be found, long after the dragon born had defeated Alduin. There certainly was no shortage. When he was 23, a skilled warrior struck him in the head with a mace, giving him the scar he has toady. Needless to say, that warrior was paid back in full. An-Ze's reputation began to spread as he killed more dragons, leading him to be invited to more 'elite' events by the 1% of Skyrim and the empire. He detested the events, but he knew the need of contacts so he went occasionally. It was at an Imperial state party that he met Hector Sibbassius. An-Ze found that he enjoyed talking with the man, clearly another warrior unlike the stiffs that usually attended these parties. He left feeling he had met someone who could do something worthwhile. Another year passed and An-Ze was allowed into The Circle, the greatest warriors of The Companions, where he received the beast blood. However, he was a unique beast as an Argonian and was more reptile than wolf.

Regardless, An-Ze was accepted into The Circle with open arms. Now An-Ze had even more personal power to combat his enemies and with such power he took on more dragons. By his 26th birthday, An-Ze had slain 12 dragons by himself and three with the help of the companions or others. The now seasoned warrior recieved a letter from Hector Sibbassius about a special mission, high pay and legendary status. It would take them to Valenwood, now practically a war zone. Something inside An-Ze jumped at such an opportunity and three days later, he was on the road to meet Hector...

[WIP, Will tag when finished. Writing in spurts to avoid burning out.]

Personality:

Skills: This covers everything, from combat to magic to stealth to miscellaneous. I'll be pretty free-form about this but none of our characters are prophesied Heroes. Restrain yourselves. Your character can't be an expert in everything. This goes double for mages, so restrict your character to one or two schools of magic.

Equipment: List everything they bring with them, not just weapons and armor.

Other: Anything I forgot that you want to mention.

Please submit your characters in this thread. After I've approved of them, you can post them in the Characters tab. Don't rush yourselves. It's highly unlikely I will start the roleplay until next weekend.

[Hank]

@The Dow Dragon Don't bother finishing that sheet, your character is immediately rejected. We are not prophesied Heroes. None of our characters could slay a dragon. I know that the balancing of Skyrim makes it seem like just about anybody can do it, but that's for gameplay purposes and holds no weight lore-wise.

He's also far too powerful in general. I specifically said to restrain yourself and instead you have gone all-out.

@Turboshitter Good question. I'll get to that later.

[Dismas]

Well now this looks interesting.

I'm especially drawn to the note on making characters be aware and affected by the horrors around them. Reminds me of the game Darkest Dungeon. I've always been a fan of making characters flawed in some sense. Whether it be through cowardice, greediness, selfishness, or any other combination of undesirable traits as it always helps make a character feel that much more real and makes them so much more interesting.

I'd be interested in submitting a character if you're still taking people on.

Something along the lines of a common Imperial thief as far as professions are concerned but from a character perspective an emphasis on cowardice and anxiety when put in certain uncomfortable situations that I could extrapolate on later. Oh and we'll throw in an addiction of some kind while we're at it for unpredictable mood swings and lapses in judgement brought on by withdrawal.

As a disclaimer while I have played Skyrim and Oblivion I've never delved too deeply into the lore so I may make the odd misstep.

[Asura]

As our characters are fairly mundane on a world scale, but exceptional enough to go on this assignment, are there standard rules in terms of what equipment is acceptable? Obviously running around in Dragonbine or Daedric armor is off the table, but what of things like elven equipment? Or orcish weaponry?

[Peik]

Would an incarnation of Balen have a place in the RP, @Hank, or should I go for a completely different character?

[Iuniper]

Interested! I appreciate the appropriate moderation. edit: Of unbalanced characters.

[Hank]

@Turboshitter Alright, about magic. I'm not a big fan of adapting the system of the games with clearly identified spells with codified effects to the art of prose. I prefer to leave the actual functioning of the magic a little more relaxed and vague; instead of "casting Wall of Flames", your character "sprays the ground with liquid flames that eat away at the rotting undergrowth fiercely, flaring up as tall as a man and forming a fearsome barrier of heat and light". Use the spells of the videogames as an inspiration for the kinds of things that can be done with any given school of magic. As for power levels; think no further than Expert-level stuff in the videogames. No blazing infernos and bone-chilling blizzards.

Two more things I want to note. Some things in the game don't make any sense when translated to the 'real world'. Being resistant to frost as a Nord doesn't actually help you resist the physical damage caused by being impaled with a spike of solid ice, but it could definitely help you shrug off less corporeal frost magic. Try to apply that kind of logic when determining what magic can and cannot do. The other thing is that I would like for healing magic to be less effective in this roleplay than in the videogames. In the heat of battle, Restoration can close shallow wounds, reduce severe hemorrhaging or set a dislocated shoulder, but it cannot mend broken bones or sew organs back together -- unless you have a team of dedicated Temple Priests at the ready or something like that. The same goes for treating illnesses. It always bugged me that everything can be cured with a single potion or a quick visit to a shrine. Why is there even a healer in Kynareth's temple in Whiterun? Stuff like that.

@Dismas Every group needs a coward. The only comment I have is to remember the cardinal rule: why are they with the group?

@Asura Yeah, expensive and rare materials are off-limits. Cultural equipment like elvish and orcish is allowed if it makes sense for your character to own it. An Altmer or a Bosmer is more likely to have an elvish blade than an Argonian. I'll judge that on a per-character basis.

@Peik Balen is more than welcome to make a return, but once again: why are they with the group? That matters most.

@Iuniper Your appreciation has been appreciated.

PS. I added Birthsign to the character sheet. Can't believe I forgot that.

[Peik]

@Peik Balen is more than welcome to make a return, but once again: why are they with the group? That matters most.

@Hank

Depending on if Sibassius is the same Sibassius, maybe he could end up as a sidekick after some scarywacky dungeon adventures.

[Hank]

@Peik You know, that's not a half-bad idea. Let's run with it. I'm going to write Sibassius' sheet right now and I'll definitely incorporate that in the history somewhere.

[DepressedSoviet]

@HankI missed the Interest Check for this, so I hope I'm not too late to apply. I have an idea for a wilderness scout/ranger Khajiit, based on someone I used in a real-life campaign. I'll need to hammer out the details pertaining to this specific campaign, obviously.

[Hank]

@DepressedSoviet Not to detract from your idea in any way, but it would be prudent to inform you that Jbcool will (probably) be playing the group's Bosmer scout and pathfinder. I don't mind characters with overlapping roles in the group at all but I know some people prefer for their characters to have distinct and unique roles, so I thought I'd mention it. And yes, you're more than welcome to apply.

[DepressedSoviet]

@HankIn that case, I have a completely different character I can use. Namely an overly bureaucratic, eccentric Dunmer explorer/researcher.

[Hank]

@DepressedSoviet I'll say to this to everybody once. Anything can work, but you have to remember the mantra of why are they here? every step of the way. This is, essentially, a covert military undertaking by the Empire entrusted to Sibassius. Creating a plausible reason for him to take your Dunmer bureaucrat with him is key.

That said, it just occurred to me that disguising the whole mission as an eclectic treasure hunting expedition isn't a bad idea.

[DepressedSoviet]

@HankI was literally just about to PM you for a discussion regarding that. But you seem to have found a good solution, so I'd like to go with that, assuming the others are fine with this.