[OOC] Countries as people: World War One

[Bluetommy]

The Great War is Coming

Premise

It's 1913, and it's been about fifty years, give-or-take, since Europe had its last big war, where Germany kicked France so hard its emperor exploded all the way into exile. Okay, so that's maybe not how it actually happened, but still, things are heating up. The defeated France has allied to England and Russia, and the successful Germany has a laundry list of suitors to choose from.

Dusty old stuff about the real world behind us, let's look up a few inches and realize, oh hey, this is about countries personified, so let's take a step back and talk about that.

In this RP, players will be taking the roles of the major and minor powers of this turbulent time, personified (I'm going to be using that word a lot). Our characters will be given personalities based on how they acted as countries in the actual time period.

Now, this idea has plenty of chance to go horrifically wrong as a result of political arguments or things of the sort, which is a good segue into the...

Rules

1. GM's word is law.
2. No politics allowed. At all.
3. Please post regularly, at least once a week. If you cannot do that, let me know via PM.
4. If your characters are getting frisky, cut to black and take it to the PMs, I know this is kinda a rule all over the guild, but I've seen people forget before.
5. Don't fight in the OOC. If there's something wrong then send a PM, and if that goes nowhere give me a ring.
6. Keep it historical.
7. Even Germany isn't perfect (No matter how much he tries), so no Gary Stus/Mary Sues.
8. Keep it to one character unless you're absolutely certain you can handle it.
9. Have fun, laugh, and make some dank memes. (Ignore that last one)

I'm sure I missed something, but I'll make addendums if it comes up.

Characters

Here's the fun part. Some things to be aware of before you make a character:

-Character age is based on how long the idea of the country has been around. So France will be the eldest European while China will be the eldest overall.
-Characters have no established gender except for a few exceptions, Austria and Hungary. As they are married, they will be opposite genders. France and England may also be of opposite genders, but it's not absolutely necessary. Other than that you should be fine.
-Familial ties are based on historical association, so Austria and Germany are siblings, China and Japan are cousins, England is the US's mommy/daddy, etc.
-When a country is restored (etc. Serbia) after a long time of not existing, it will have aged since it last existed.
-Non-existent countries can re-appear for a time when there is a surge of nationalism or a certain event happens. (Ominous)

With that block of text out of the way, here's a character sheet.

CharSheet

Name: Country name here

Appearance: description or picture

Allegiance: entente, central powers or neither.

Personality: basic info here.

Likes:

Dislikes:

Special Talent: every country has one.

Weaknesses: What are they not so good at?

Familial Relationships:

Other: Anything else that you find necessary.

Conclusion

Here we are, on the eve of... not so much war as a bunch of people getting really mad and yelling at each-other, so you know, all that stuff. I'll see you on the battlefield.

[OfWindAndRain]

Name: United States of America

Appearance:
See above. 6' 3" tall freedom eagle.

Allegiance:
Technically speaking, the Triple Entente, though it took a while for the US to get involved.

Personality:
This freedom eagle is very definitely full of himself. He believes that he is right, and knows most everything. Always makes a point of inserting his opinion wherever possible- because really, America's opinion carries weight. As the victor of the Spanish-American War in 1898, and the establishment of America to be a World Power, really, who would dismiss their opinion? However, America only does this- when he's present. Otherwise, he keeps to himself, trying to enforce a policy of isolationism, only interacting occasionally with a few people. Simply put- America thought it best to keep some distance between himself and all the other people.

America is also very self-centered. Generally, when considering anything someone else asks of him, he looks to himself and wonders- does this benefit me somehow. It's all about the gain, of something.

Enjoys keeping up his reputation, which is also very important, and so will go to great lengths for that as well. And, of course, keeping all things his safe and protected. No one double-crosses America, and gets away with it!

Likes:
Money, not dying, freedom, funny things, bravery.
Trade! Most definitely trade- gaining some sort of benefit from others is always fantastic. There's always something to be gained, even if you're giving a great deal.
Survival! America has had trouble with surviving before- in the early days, when Great Britain is in charge. Staying alive is on the tippy top list of priorities.
Freedom! There's nothing like doing what you want. Anyone who isn't free are scum, and those that are, those are friends. They are allies- they are worth associating with.
Fun! America loves fun, for as long as he isn't the butt of the joke. And even then, America kinda likes those jokes too. America sees humor in everything.
Honor! Courage! These are great things, and are to be rewarded greatly. It was through great courage and bravery that America fought free from the parentals- the UK. And as such, he's willing to applaud anyone and everyone who's got some balls.

Dislikes:
Not-freedom! If it's not more democratically-inclined, it's BAD. And frankly, America hates not-free. Communism, extreme socialism, authoritarians, fascists- America dislikes dealing with them on principle alone, and more besides!

Special Talent: There's really two
Mass manufacturing of decent quality! America's quite good at manufacturing large quantities of goods that are reliable and efficient, with only a small time taken to shift production from one set of things to another.
Ingenuity! America's fantastic at creating new things, fighting a different way, or combining different things together to be unusually beneficial!

Weaknesses:
Conspiracies are one. Things that might confuse him are halfway deadly- because he can become nearly gridlocked if properly confused with some major moral or mental conflict. Things grind to a halt if something's wrong with some sort of logic, and requires some sort of revelation to break free of.
Surprise attacks. America's never been on the ball about attacking first, and so leaves themselves open to being attacked or targeted first. The only way to negate this is to really piss off America, or to have something America really, really wants.
Burst damage. America can mass manufacture a great deal of things, and has so much resources and industry that small-scale attacks, or trying to wear America down is halfway useless. A shock to the system with a sudden, short-term high-effect attack or the like is most effective, because it's hardest to recover from, and can shock America into uselessness for a short time.

Familial Relationships:
Darth Vader is the United Kingdom/Great Britain. However, America's on good terms with the formerly tyrannical parental. There's lots of trade, and America has built up a good relationship.
Other friendly nations are some of those colonies that he's associated with- Canada, for example.
Most European countries also have some pretty nice relationships, most of them beneficial with trade going back and forth. America's happy to trade.
Someone America doesn't really like, though, is Japan. They've been wanting the Pacific Ocean, and while it may be a long ways away... who says they have the right to it?

Other:
MUUUURICA!
FUCK YEAH!

[Bluetommy]

@OfWindAndRain Okay, I have... quite a few problems with this.

First off, I might need to be slightly more clear. Our characters are supposed to be humans, though the freedom eagle is hilarious.

Secondly, the "Characters have no established gender" line was meant to mean that you could choose whatever gender you wished. (Freedom is not a gender, I know you were thinking it)

Thirdly, there's not enough here. There's the very basics but I am going to need much more in the personality and more meat in some of the other areas. I don't want a bullet-point list.

[OfWindAndRain]

@bluetommy2
Okay, can I make you a deal
Please
can i still be the freedom eagle
I will put SO much more into the rest of it
but i really want to be the freedom eagle
even if it's just like- British Colony Human that revolted and went through a phase and became the beautiful freedom eagle he is now, because of... worms to butterflies or something

LET ME BE FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

[TalijaKey]

Well I will work on my character most likely on sunday. And have it posted up by monday.

Been a bit busy.
Nice to see a america... thought however strange would it be to interact with a eagle, at the moment. lol All the hatch, egg, and bird brain jokes that would come his way. I can only imagine it.

I feel like pointing out, and ensuring the gm, that yes my guy will definitely be human.

[Bluetommy]

@OfWindAndRain Thanks for adding to your sheet, I like what you've put down.

But I'm still apprehensive... eh, what the hell, I'll relent, this isn't going to be a serious RP anyways, accepted, put him in the Characters

[Lady Selune]

@bluetommy2 Please let me be badass Canada. The world needs to see our charging-through-gas-attacks-and-making-the-central-powers-shit-themselves side, rather than the apologetic side.

[Bluetommy]

@Lady Selune Badass WW1 Canada? That gives me the biggest patriotism boner. Throw together a CS for that wonderful, wonderful man/woman.

[Lady Selune]

@Lady Selune Badass WW1 Canada? That gives me the biggest patriotism boner. Throw together a CS for that wonderful, wonderful man/woman.

@bluetommy2

Wait, better idea. Split personality polite/badass Canada.

[Lady Selune]

Samuel De Champlain (Canada, badass)

Name: Samuel De Champlain/Canada

Appearance:

Allegiance: Entende

Personality: Tough as nails and then some, Samuel is a fearsome foe but fanatically loyal friend. Ever since Canada entered the trenches, he's been coming out more and more, and he's only gotten more warlike and viscous as the war has continued. He does have immense respect for those he fights however, and refuses to be the first one to 'fight dirty.'

Likes: Samuel believes in loyalty, even in the face of great adversity, and has high respect for anyone that does so, even if they are his enemies. Similarly, bravery and sacrifice are also things he values highly.

His favourite person other than Anne is his father, England, and his favourite food is cod.

Dislikes: Nature and Samuel abhors a coward, although who hates cowards more is up for debate. Samuel has no lost love between himself and Freedom Eagle either.

Special Talent:

Blindside: Nobody expects the mild-mannered Anne to suddenly become Samuel, not in the slightest. At the start of the war, his sheer ferocity caused the Germans to fear him, and now he's done nothing to stop them from worrying, fighting back against even the harshest of odds.

Weaknesses:

Small Fish: Despite his prowess, Jean simply isn't the biggest force on the frontline, even after the English request. He has much less manpower and relies on getting supplies from the Brits and Americans (much to his ire,) rathet than importing them himself.

Familial Relationships:
Parents: France, England
Brothers/Sisters: America, the West Indies, the Falklands.
Cousins: The rest of the colonies.

Other:
Hates America because: "Those pussyfooted ostriches fucked off and let us do all the hard work!"

Anne Gable (Canada, polite.)

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Name: Anne Gable, Canada

Allegiance: Theoretically, Entendr, practically, neutral.

Personality: Anne is an unfathomably polite and well-mannered young woman, with an over-exitable and childish personality and outlook on life. She is utterly incapable of comprehending war in any form, and hates all kinds of violence, making her far more peaceful than her other half.

Likes: Nature, particularly animals, maple syrup, PL&U, hockey, children's books

Dislikes: Violence of any kind, weapons.

Special Talent:

Unfathomably Polite:
It is impossible to be insulted by Anne. If she even suspects you have been insulted, she'll follow it up with a barrage of apologies and ways for her to make it up to you, to the point where 'sorry' is pretty much her catchphrase.

Prim and Proper:
In truckloads. Anne, as well as being polite, has an air of sophistication that permeates her, even even when she's squealing like a 10 year old over something cute. She never has a hair out of place, and rarely stumbles.

Weaknesses:

Haemophobia:
Anne cannot stand blood or violence at all, and can only change into the warlike Samuel when she feels threatened, or her sense of patriotism is retrived and dangled in front of her. Otherwise, she's helpless in a scrap.

Familial Relationships:
Parents: England, France
Siblings: America, Falklands, West Indies
Cousins: The rest of the colonies

Other: Anything else that you find necessary.

[Zahir]

I'll have a character sheet up soon. Most likely this weekend. I'm sorry. I got loaded with a lot of things this week.

[OfWindAndRain]

@Lady Selune
lol
freedom eagle is amused

[Bluetommy]

It would be nice if we could get some bigger players, Like France and Germany, who are both VERY IMPORTANT. But I won't force anyone to do anything, it'd just be nice.

Also I've reserved Serbia because he's small but has a huge role to play.

[Wernher]

Name: German Empire, Erika von Brandenburg



Allegiance: Central Power

Personality:
Germany is one of the youngest nation in Europe after it spawned from Prussia, getting strong from feeding from what was left of the Holy Roman Empire after France kicked the whole rotten thing down during the Napoleonic Wars. As such, she is eager to live up to the mighty legacy of its ancestors and add on to it, succeeding where the HRE failed and become a new Rome, Emperor of the World by birthright! Still, as a nation born in the middle of war and raised by Prussia, this makes Erika rather... agressive. Oh, the others like to paint her as a total psycho which is... partially true, fact is she's actually more grounded in reality than others. She doesn't fight for honor, a legacy or ideology, but rather to achieve total victory and as such, she's quite rational and able to be negotiated with, providing you can place her in a position where negotiation is an easier option than just taking what she wants by force.

Likes: Real leather jackboots, people complimenting and pampering her, winning at everything, beating up her old bullies, Großdeutschland, Lebensraum.

Dislikes: Being told she lacks experience, status quo, France's army, Britain's navy, Russia's manpower, Kleindeutschland.

Special Talent:
Military Inovation: Its understandable, other nations have been there for long so in war, they have 'their thing', the tactic that defines them. Germany is young and hasn't quite found what satisfies her yet. Something fast, but also armored with a big gun maybe? Bah, until then Erika will surprise her enemies at every turn with new innovations!

Weaknesses:
-My way or the highway: Viktoria isn't a team player and she certainly isn't anyone's subordinate. Stubborn as hell, either things will go the way she says or she'll pout until she gets her way.

-Flatterers: Germany is overeager to see people groveling to her, complimenting its righteous might and incredible culture! As such when someone actually bends the knee to butter her up without having force them, Erika can't get enough of it.

Familial Relationships:
-Austria: They call the two of them brother and sister, but the truth is Austria is Germany's uncle, one who should have shut up, died and joined a Großdeutschland! Erika is still mad that Austria is still a thing and finds his wife is a total bitch at that. She really feels the need to force him on his knees and under her orders.

-France: Distant relatives, its... complicated. Since France formed the Rhine Confederation that formed the basis of a united German nation, France is partly Germany's adoptive mom but she and dad (Prussia) hated each other's guts. Really, Erika considers France to be an old nemesis that she's over with after she trashed it in 1870, but its always fun to bully France just out of spite for the whole Napoleon thing.

-Italy: The Holy Roman Empire adopted Italy's grand-dad's name because it was badass so now Germans act like if they are part of Italy's family even if they have nothing to do with it. In Erika's mind, Italy's just another lackey to command around like Austria.

Other: EEEEEEEEEEEERRRIIIKAAAAAAAAA!!!

[OfWindAndRain]

@Wernher

[Bluetommy]

@Wernher I like it, accepted.

@Lady Selune Good so far!

[Lady Selune]

Anne of green Gable has been added as polite Canada.

[OfWindAndRain]

@Lady Selune
I can already imagine Freedom Eagle throwing maple syrup at angry Sam, shouting "GIMME BACK NICE ANNE, I WANNA DEAL WITH SOMEONE REASONABLE"

reasonable: someone who's nice

[Dannyrulx]

John Westminster Percival Bullton

Name: The British Empire



Allegiance: Entende.

Personality: Regal. Powerful. Commanding. The British Empire doesn't have a lot of time left on the clock, but you wouldn't guess that by looking at him. There is nobody who doesn't know him, few that don't fear him, and he can use this to his advantage, domineering any room that he enters, and when it comes to the fields of war...

Likes: Oddly enough, Britain firmly believes in a sense of playing fair and not using dirty and underhanded tricks to get an advantage. He also has his eyes set upon a permenant legacy born in glory, and, of course, can find no fault with a nice cuppa tea.

Dislikes: If there's two things Britain can't stand, it's the growing sense of powerlessness he has from his colonies escaping his grasp, and the incorrect pronounciation of 'scone.' (It should be said sc-O-ne, not sc-on.)

Special Talent:

The Warmaster:
Britain has several million men from across the globe to call on, some of the best professional soldiers in the world, one of the hands-down most powerful navies ever to sail the seas, and some of the most venerable institutions of educating officers in the world. In short, he oozes military prowess.

Respected:
It takes a special kind of country to dare to stand up to the full might of the Empire, even in the wane of the glory days.

Weaknesses:

Traditional:
Britain is slow to take up new tactics and equipment, and slower still to implement them in a way that allows for mass production. He regards machine guns as nothing more than parlour toys, despite the usefulness of the maxim gun, and scorns the idea of semi-automatic sidearms.

Professional Army:
The Empire does not enforce conscription, and instead relies on a small traditional army. Whilst effective, until DORA passes and conscription is enforced, he simply doesn't have the same amount of troops.

Familial Relationships:
Litterally everyone in the world. The Enpire is known as the 'Empire on which the sun never sets' for a damned good reason, and he has family from North America to sub-saharan Africa, Asia to Australasia. The only continent he doesn't have some sort of relation in is the Antartic, and he wad the second person to get to the pole anyway.
Special mentions:
France, as his longstanding partner. Despite their arguments and spats, the two love each other really.
Canada, America and Australia as his favourite children.

Other: Anything else that you find necessary.

[Dannyrulx]

Tally.
Motherfuckin'
Ho.