End + Sleep: A High Fantasy Adventure in Cursed Land

[Life in Stasis]

Hard to trust anyone when the entire world is apparently death trap, I suppose.

[Ferrocerium]

"Every night, we're set upon by a horrible black tide that rises from the woods and waters and swallows those that walk in it. Our king is dead, our nation is in shambles, and we're hanging on to life with the dogged perseverance of a stubborn survivor. So no, I do not want to see you juggle three fucking colorful balls while singing a thinly-veiled song about sex. Piss off."

[vietmyke]

Hmm.. perhaps a historian then.

[Oxy]

Why don't you embrace the despair that plagues this world? Become a tax collector.

Just noticed this but @Oddsbod what happened to Nephilim in the People of Invernier tab?

[Oddsbod]

Hmm.. perhaps a historian then.

@vietmyke

I'm not saying a trickster is a bad idea, like, it'd totally be fun to play and it's a cool concept, you'd just gotta make sure they're good and dodging thrown obects.

A historian would be cool, for like a scholarly character. They'd get along with my character too, since he'll be an archaeologist. If you do wanna stick to something bard-ish, a storyteller or a singer who can read the mood and has songs more fitting for what's basically gloomy rural Scotland would be likable enough to the average farmer.

Why don't you embrace the despair that plagues this world? Become a tax collector.

Just noticed this but @Oddsbod what happened to Nephilim in the People of Invernier tab?

@Oxy

I'll touch on that in the main post, but after thinking about it, I decided to lump nephilim together with dragons and the undead as a known, sentient, but nonplayer race. I feel a nephilim would just stand out way too much, and it might feel too much like hoop jumping to get this quasi-mythic giant to be in the rural middle of nowhere with the other player characters.

[KremeSupreme]

I might play some Crookish Knight, who puts himself first.

[Oddsbod]

screams softly into the void

Almost done I swear. Expect the OOC to go up sometime late tomorrow. In the meantime, a small peak at the post, a part of the section that describes our starting location:

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T H E T E M P E S T A

The Twilight Moors

Rocky, grassy, and gloomy, the Tempesta is a land where the sun filters down yellow and full of twilight, and a gentle, perpetual drizzle is steered across the moors by an endless wind. Old stone shacks and hovels dot the countryside, and it seems every third hill has a tomb from a long forgotten war plugged into its side. The Tempesta is a place of travelers: people looking for a place to hide, or people on their way to something better—if they play their cards right.

Our story begins on the moors of the Tempesta, a land without a queen. The Tempesta was once the great gateway between the south and the far west, though in recent years the old routes have fallen into disrepair, and the September Revolt has scattered warriors, insurgents, heroes, and murderers all across the hidden crevices of the land. The Tempesta is one of the few places were magic is largely tolerated, and charms and superstition have long been a part of the folk-culture of the Tempesta moors.

As our starting location, and as the home of likely most of the cast, this will probably be the most relevant section within the location listing.

❖ The September Revolt ❖

The Revolt was a bloody and drawn out civil war that occurred five years ago earlier, fought between the Army of Heroes and the People’s Legion, with the Legion ultimately triumphant. Though most Tempestans see the Revolt as first and foremost a power struggle, despite the Legion’s insistence on its ideological aspects, the Army is largely seen in a worse light than the Legion. As the losing side, the Army of Heroes is blamed most often for prolonging the war.

The war was ended when General Nostro, commander of the Legion, took control of Castle Miranda, which until that point had stayed neutral. Endangering one of the only remaining Cities of the Sisters was a controversial and unexpected move, and caused no small amount of discontent across the Tempesta, though it was an act that essentially won the war. Though the Legion labels the war as a clash of ideals, ultimately, most people are just glad the fighting is finally over.

During the final few months of the war, after Castle Miranda was taken, a vicious battle of attrition raged across the land, with both the Army and the Legion resorting to brutal strategies to gain ground. The Army forced themselves on towns and delivered brutal punishment to any Tempestan who refused to help, desperate to retain power even after losing their stronghold. The Legion engaged in indiscriminate massacres to combat the Army’s guerilla tactics, and consolidate its rule as quickly as possible. These last months were known as the Unforgivens.

❖ The Army of Heroes ❖

The Army of Heroes had been the near undisputed masters of the Tempesta for over fifty years, founded by the legendary Mauslin Lombardo, a knight who saved the town of Islington after recruiting a small band of normal Tempestans and leading them against a werewolf pack. The Army had long considered itself a protector and preserver of Tempestan culture, and was strongly opposed to changes in technology, economy, or societal structure. They eventually gained a reputation for luxurious living, corruption, and extortion, though were always quite effective at killing monsters and protecting the populace. Generally, they were more professional in the north, and less so in the south, nearest to Quishan, where the region was safer thanks to Quishani soldiers from Everparch Fortress.

The Army of Heroes was well trained, and the members who have survived this long are either particularly skilled, particularly lucky, or particularly ruthless. Some still fervently oppose the Legion, though most others are tired, jaded, and hope for nothing more than surviving as long as they can. Many have tried fleeing to the south, in Quishan, which the Army had always been on amicable terms with, though Quishan has been careful to avoid conflict with General Nostro, and has turned back many refugees straight into the arms of the People's Legion

❖ The People’s Legion ❖

Led by General Nostro, the People’s Legion was originally a small town militia operating out of the Prospero Lowlands. Where the nationalistic Army of Heroes wished to preserve the Tempeta’s culture, the nationalistic Legion wishes to see the Tempesta consolidate and unify as a world power. Technically speaking, the Tempesta is a protectorate of the Queendom of Quishan, though King Masbeth is so hands off the region basically runs itself. However, the Legion believes it is imperative the Tempesta make a public break from Quishan and establish itself as a new empire, harkening back to the days of Miranda Newcastle herself.

Their uniform consists of a forest-green cloak and a mud green uniform with shiny gold buttons. Each Legionairre is usually equipped with an iron shortsword, though equipment varies from position to position and duty to duty.

The People’s Legion is significantly more pro-magic than practically any other group on Invernier, save maybe one or two very obscure cults and hunter societies. The Legion believes in restoring the legacy of Queen Miranda, who was considered the mightiest magician of the Sisters, and made notable advances in the Susurrespe, Old Soot, and Majino styles. Many magicians, fearing persecution in their own lands, have travelled to the Tempesta to seek employ with General Nostro, or simple shelter in one of the more tolerant hamlets. Most Tempestans see these folk as intruders and moochers, and visibly foreign magicians are generally shunned.

I might play some Crookish Knight, who puts himself first.

@wxps350

That sounds like a blast. There were plenty of strong but crooked knights in the Army of Heroes, so that could be a neat way to build up backstory for your character, if you want. Or go for something totally different, a corrupt warrior gives you a billion and one different stories to try writing.

[Oxy]

Faline?

Cool old guy???

Gun slingin' Nephilim?????

Been finding tons of art that make me think of this rp

extra

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boy those links betrayed me hold on
there we go, uploaded the images directly to roleplayerguild

[CollectorOfMyst]

@Oxy See if you can find them on google, and wait for the image to fully load in (that little grey bar at the bottom should vanish). Usually works for me.

[Oddsbod]

@Oxy Lol, got there in the end, nice. I actually had no idea you could upload straight to roleplayerguild, how do you do that?

Those're some neat interpretations, I especially love that first extra image with the giant knight. The old guy art is also super pretty, I know Ogo is using it for his Final Fantasy RPG.

I've never played it and don't actually know anything about it, but I've been told that basically everything fantasy-related that I touch turns into Dark Souls, so concept art from that would probs be pretty on point as well.

[Oxy]

@Oddsbod

Go to your profile page and scroll down until you get to images under arena status. Create an album then upload away.

I've never played it and don't actually know anything about it, but I've been told that basically everything fantasy-related that I touch turns into Dark Souls, so concept art from that would probs be pretty on point as well.

say no more

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[Life in Stasis]

@Oxy YES at gun slingin' Nephilim. He looks fantastic.

I have an idea for a Carnelian marksman (bow/crossbow) who recently acquired a beautiful antique harquebus and wants to learn to use it. Your character and mine, given the distrustful nature of their respective races, could have quite an interesting dynamic.

[Oxy]

@Life in Stasis What a coincidence. I've been thinking my character got trained to make guns when he was a kid. Though he doesn't learn anything about guns, falls in love with gunpowder, and decides to make bombs instead, but still.

[Life in Stasis]

@Oxy Perhaps some collaboration will make this interesting. I'll send you a PM.

[Oddsbod]

OKAY so actually nearly finished with the OOC now, should be up sometime tomorrow, for sure.

[Oddsbod]

Many apologies, I know I said the OOC would be up today, but finishing this post has taken much, much more time than I was expecting. It'll be done soon! But probably Friday, not Thursday.

However, in the meantime, I have the fully completed Race descriptions, and a decent chunk of the Setting section finished, and I'll post that here. Feel free to have a look if you wanna see whats coming (I swear I'm really gonna try to wrap it all up by tomorrow though, for real this time).

(Also, bear in mind this hasn't been edited, so it's probably a bit longer than the actual OOC is going to be. The OOC is also going to be split into several posts with a Table of Contents linking to each relevant post, like what Ogo did for his Final Fantasy RP)

Races

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Humans are by far the dominant race on Invernier. Try not to think of this as a Dungeons and Dragons type situation with mass intermingling of elves and humans and all sorts of other, fabulous creatures—for many Invernish, the fae are just as much the weird and untrustworthy stuff of fairy tales they are for us. While it’s not totally uncommon to see elves or carnelians traversing the old human roads and bunking at human inns for the night, the fae generally keep to themselves, and tend to be rather aloof towards humankind. Likewise, fae are largely treated with distrust by most humans, even in regions with relatively positive relationships with them.

Among the fae, goblins are a unique exception to these kinds of relationships, and are generally an accepted part of human society in modern times, and have no issues interacting with them.

The fae are not immortal, and, though perhaps more resilient to physical injuries than other living things, have roughly the same lifespan as a human. However, a fae does not age while sleeping, and it is can be common for them to sleep for long stretches of time, dreaming their time away in this ghostly, ageless state. Elves are particularly prone to this, while goblins, a hard and practical people, greatly frown upon sleeping more than necessary.

❖ Playable Races ❖

These are the available races to be used for characters.

Playable Races

H U M A N S

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Humankind is superstitious and hardy, found on every corner of the continent and braving many kinds of terrain. They are an incredibly divided, varied, and rather bizarre people, and sometimes catch the interest of the fae themselves—even, occasionally, the reclusive nephilim. Much of Invernier’s trade and politics has traditionally revolved around the ancient human capitals founded by the Nine Sisters, though in the modern era only four of the nine remain standing.

The varied and eccentric human cultures of the world tend to revolve around agriculture, farming, and livestock, especially in rural areas, while the urban regions place emphasis on money and government. Humans have a long and rich history of expression through art and writing, something largely unique to their species, and place an unusual emphasis on complex and varied social structures and relationships, a trait that has rubbed off on the fae after the last few thousand years of sharing a continent.

In terms of appearance, humans generally fall between five to six-and-a-half feet in height, with an enormous variety of builds, skin colors, hair colors, and eye colors. Generally, humans of the Isle of Fire have darker skin tones, while those of Redemption and the various mountains surrounding the Horns of the World are lighter. In the rest of Invernier, due to the consolidation of the continent under the Nine Sisters, different skin tones and racial features tend to be intermixed.

E L V E S

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The elves are an eerie people native to the dark and wild parts of the world. No fans of direct sunlight, they generally build their settlements underground, where the sun can’t intrude, or occasionally within thick and shadowy forests. Their subterranean kingdoms are centers for mining, smithing, and jewelry, and elfkind has a reputation for being rather greedy and material. While the elven kingdoms generally keep to themselves, solitary, wandering elves are not uncommon, especially in the west, where elven culture is more lax than in other regions.

Elven settlements fall under the absolute rule of an alfking, though the alfking generally avoids interfering with day-to-day matters, leaving most of the actual management of the settlement to the thanes. Elf cultures tend to revolve around mining, blacksmithing, and the hunting of wild animals around their settlement. Most elves, even within the elf-kingdoms, prefer to keep to themselves.

There are four major elf-kingdoms—Gestalt in the southwest, Magdalene, in the southeast, Morfin in the northeast, and Sin Sinder in the northwest. Gestalt and Magdalene are most similar to human societies (despite Magdalene’s reputation as an archetypal alien faerie kingdom in the woods) while Sin Sinder and Morfin are the most isolationist.’ Gestalt interacts with humans in the most up front way, and despite its bloody history with and lingering distrust of goblinkind, they have much better relations with goblins compared to other elven kingdoms.

Elves are gaunt, greyish-skinned, spindly beings, with long limbs, long fingers, pointed ears, and entirely black eyes with maybe only the tiniest corners of white visible. They can see keenly in the dark, and their hair lacks pigmentation, appearing almost exclusively in black, gray, or white. They generally fall between four-and-a-half to a little under six feet in height.

G O B L I N S

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Goblins have long been the subjects of slavery, cruelty, and oppression. During the first thousand or so years of recorded history on Invernier, goblins fell under mass enslavement by elves and nephilim, who used them as labor in their mines and cities. During the unrest caused by the Nine Sisters’ ascendance, however, the goblins enslaved in the Fosterling Mountains staged a mass revolt, slaughtering and driving off the elves who had long dominated the mountains, and establishing the free country of Patriness in the far southwest.

In a cunning and highly political ploy, the first king of Patriness established strong diplomatic and financial ties with humans shortly after the country was founded, which allowed the goblins to remain independent and avoid vengeance from the western elves. Though it never occurred in the lifetime of the Sisters who had cooperated with goblin empowerment movements, in the last two thousand years the enslavement of goblinkind has largely died out, though prejudices remain—in some places stronger than in others—all across Invernier.

Their culture tends to emphasize solidarity within the immediate community, and hard, practical living. Many goblins, especially those from Patriness and its surrounding areas, seek employment as merchants, diplomats, negotiations, and other professions requiring the use of charisma and fast thinking. Goblins in general have a reputation for cunning and silver tongues, though are also known for being highly distrusting towars magic.

Goblins tend to have gold, tawny, or brass-colored skin, with pointed ears and thick, dark-colored hair. Goblin eyes are usually some shade of yellow, gold, orange, or amber, and occasionally dark and muddy brown. Their teeth tend to be rather sharp, with large, pronounced canines, though height and build across different goblins can vary dramatically, almost as much as with humans, ranging from as short as four-and-a-half to well over six feet tall. Generally, however, the majority of goblins are on the short side, with about 5 feet being the average height.

Most goblins live in the southwest, in Patriness, Andrea’s Fault, the Tempesta, and Quishan. There are also many goblins in Primaveira and Milos, though humans of the southeast tend to have a less benevolent disposition towards goblinkind.

C A R N E L I A N S

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Where the isolated elves are solitary and alien, the isolated carnelians are quiet and peaceful, and prefer privacy over all else. The spiderfolk of Invernier have never engaged in nation-building the way other races have; instead, their people are scattered all across the continent in small, hidden villages. They feel an immense affinity for water, and are found most commonly by lakes, rivers, and the coast. Many are sailors, fishers, and shipwrights.

Carnelians were especially affected by the early years of the efernight, losing hundreds of colonies across the continent. King Masbeth gave considerable aid to them during this period. However, Masbeth has a tendency to reach out to the Quishani colonies quite often for shipwrights and sailors, and as a result many carnelians who prefer their privacy have moved further west, while the ones who remain in public colonies have a reputation for being distinctly un-carnelian due to their cooperation with humans. Redemption, on the other hand, offered assistance without the kind of interference that Masbeth became known for, and as a result there are many carnelian colonies in the distant north.

Carnelians are tall, lithe, and generally have very similar heights, usually in the range of six feet to a little under six and a half. They are distinctly spider-like in appearance and movement, earning the nickname of ‘spiderfolk,’ and are covered almost entirely by smooth black armor of segmented chitin that grows from their flesh. Only their lower jaw is totally exposed, revealing dark, colorless lips whose corners split into two, like forks in a road, giving their mouth a sort of stretched-out X shape.

The exposed skin of their lower face and around their joints is not dissimilar from humans, and can come in several tones. Carnelian arms and legs have three joints rather than the two of humans, goblins, and elves, and their fingers are long and end in sharp talons.

Carnelian’s have long, pronounced fangs that slide out more visibly the wider their mouth is opened. Though untrue, most rural humans hold that carnelians are people-eaters. Carnelians are, however, exclusively meat eaters.

❖ Non-Playable Races ❖

Parts of Invernier history and society, but very rare and not available for playable races. Often considered fairy tales, moreso than even the fae.

Non-Playable Races

N E P H I L I M

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One of the most reclusive fae races, the nephilim are tall and mighty masters or architecture and engineering. Their cultures have produced strange and ingenious technology coveted by all other races, though they themselves are extremely dismissive, if not hostile, to all magic beyond their own unique style. Generally, architecture and engineering are held in high regard by nephilim, who appreciate the hard and practical arts. They do, however, often have soft spots for the recreational art other races sometimes take part in, especially the human painters and elven jewelers. Their magic and technology involves a kind of living cement, some halfway point between plant and stone, which they freely sculpt into fabulous shapes and structures. The nine great human cities were actually made from a kind of magic uniquely invented by the Sisters based on the nephilim Genosia, and the Sisters are largely disliked by nephilim for corrupting their sacred art (though, of course, during the time of the Sisters, the nephilim people payed great tributes and honors to the nine queens).

The supposed birthplace of the nephilim is on the Isle of Three, where their most ancient city, the fortress of Asir, is also located. Most nephilim have retreated to their homeland since the fall of Oolasheene one hundred years ago, and their people have become increasingly rare on Invernier. No outsiders are allowed within the walls of the nephilim cities, so it's unknown how they have handled the recent disasters of the Age of the Widow.

T H E U N D E A D

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The woken bodies of the departed. Most see them as monsters, or made-up children’s stories, though they are just as sentient and emotional as any human or fae.

Undead are born in countless ways, but they all share certain traits. Brought back, their skin becomes ashy and cold, but loses any traces of serious rotting, while their faces gain a rather starved, skeletal look. Their eyes burn up into white mist, and the empty black sockets gain pale dots of light, presumably for seeing, though the science and magic of undeath is poorly researched.

Each individual undead is said to have the potential for greatness deep inside them. This is often dismissed as rumor, however, and in many places the undead are treated as wild beasts. Julieta, youngest of the Nine Sisters, grew sympathetic to the plight of the undead, and championed their rights as individuals worthy of kindness and respect. This led her into conflict with one of her own siblings, Desdemona, and sparked a military and political conflict that eventually ended in Julieta’s death at her sister’s hands.

There are some who hold fast to Julieta’s belief, later shared by her sisters Miranda, Cordelise, and Viola, that the undead must be treated as equals. Others think she as delusional, and even more feel that, while her heart was in the right place, her involvement with the undead led to many calamities among the Sisters, and that these schisms, and Julieta’s death, were entirely the fault of the undead.

It is unknown if there are any undead colonies or significant undead populations anywhere in the world, and they are generally known to be wandering pilgrims.

D R A G O N S

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An ancient, powerful race, born from the very bones of Invernier itself. Dragons are covered in scaled, metallic armor, with wings that stir up tempests and breath that scalds like fire. They grow incredibly large, though the fables are not very exact—the size of a dragon is expressed less through numbers and more through metaphors. They are not a fae race, and have enormous lifespans, though are, presumably, mortal.

Deep magic surrounds any sort of interaction with a dragon, from combat challenges to simple bartering. The clash between a brave knight and a cunning dragon, a cunning dragon facilitating the ascension of a mighty lord—these are images and tropes woven into the public consciousness of Invernier.

Dragons, however, are a rare sight these days. Most would say they’ve died out, though the few remaining members of the Wise would tell you the dragons have gone far north to the mountains beyond Aránmore and the furthest reaches of Sinderband. It is unknown if they will ever return.

Basic Information, The Tempesta, and Quishan

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This section will go into detail on the different regions of Invernier and its surrounding lands. The Tempesta section will probably be most relevant, as the RPG begins there, and characters’ backstories will probably be heavily influenced by it. For characters that are travelers, or refugees, the other location descriptions should help give you an idea of the different places that could be a part of their backstory, however you want to write it.

One note: Invernier is a big place, this is a lot of information, and you are just one person. There are going to be huge gaps in their knowledge of the world, even of the region they call home. This is just to give you ideas and some framing devices for characters, so don’t feel you need to read all—or even most—of this.

Other note: I know the Tempesta section is fucking ginormous—don’t worry, none of the other sections are anywhere near as in-depth, I just wanted the Tempesta one to be fleshed out enough to give you lots of building blocks to play with for character building.

Note 3: At the end of the Basic Information section is a rough and general summary of the current state of affairs on Invernier, nation-wise.

B A S I C I N F O R M A T I O N

General Setting Info

❖ The Efertide ❖

The curse that began the Age of the Widow. The efertide is an inky mist that rises up from the soil during the night, black and indigo and full of distant, twinkling stars. It is poison to any sentient life, stripping their souls of light and completely consuming their bodies. Rumor says it’s painless—like falling asleep.

The light of day can keep the efertide at bay, as well as heat and fire. The light inside a person can also prove resistant when in large enough numbers, and large cities tend to be safer than most, as well as any kind of dwelling space that is being used as a home. Fires, however,tend to burn out quicker in the mist of the efertide, and only in the greatest cities is it safe to walk the streets at night.

If the mist alone wasn't enough, terrible creatures of darkness—huge, knightly wraiths—also emerge alongside the tide, and even when fully stocked with torches, track at night carries terrible danger due to this malevolent beasts

Since the beginning of the Age of the Witch, wild animals have grown distinctly more wild, and animal, and the rural parts of the word have grown significantly more dangerous than they used to be.

❖ Bonfires ❖

Enchanted fires to ward off the efertide, and keep towns from being washed away during the night. Many small towns or villages have one, with some kind of spell woven into the stones surrounding the pit, or into the kindling, or even within the fire itself. Most Bonfires are quite ancient, and the magic that went into making them may be lost to the town where the Bonfire sits.

Some Bonfires are naturally occurring, and settlements usually form around them. Occasionally, you will stumble upon ancient electric lanterns the size of a person, overgrown with plants and moss but still flickering with a living orange light—leftover Bonfires from the fourth efernight, when the great kingdoms still stood, when industry was strong, and when the nights were not so severe. Unable to support a whole village, but maybe a handful of travelers could take refuge beneath one for a night.

The four great Cities of the Sisters that have not yet fallen into ruin still have powerful electric lanterns as Bonfires scattered throughout the streets, and are some of the only places on the continent where it’s safe to walk outside at night.

❖ The Curses of the Age of the Widow ❖

The efertide is not the only evil to plague Invernier since the beginning of the Age of the Widow, it just had the honor of being the first, and most legendary. Many monsters, from werewolves to wraiths, can be found roaming the wilds. Strange curses follow random townsfolk and villages. Dark towers can occasionally be seen, constructed deep in the wilds by unseen hands, and, though no one quite knows what they do, nothing good ever seems to happen in their proximity.

❖ What’s Still Standing? ❖

The Fib, Oolasheen, Eastern Majulin, and the Brown Lands have seen a near total collapse of society, and are currently considered ‘fallen lands.’ Dark and uncharted, you would only visit these lands if you’re a suicidal adventurer, or if you have something to hide.

Quishan and Redemption are still standing as fully unified nations, with Quishan the only land to still hold a monarch in power with direct authority descended from the time of the Sisters. The People’s Legion is currently trying to unify the Tempesta into a world power to rival Quishan, though the Tempesta has always been rather loose and rural, even during its golden era. All other governments and societies are confined to tiny nations, villages, or city-states.

Of the Cities of the Sisters, Castle’s Juliet and Desdemona have been reduced to ruins, while Castle Cleopatra and Castle Ophelia, while more or less intact, have been abandoned, and taken over by dark forces. Castle Titania was devastated during events several hundred years ago, well before the Age of the Widow, but is still often frequented by travelers. Castle Miranda, Castle Viola, and Castle Cordelia are still in use as major cities, while Castle Inger Biot remains the high seat of King Masbeth, the sole remaining monarch on Invernier.

T H E T E M P E S T A

The Twilight Moors

Rocky, grassy, and gloomy, the Tempesta is a land where the sun filters down yellow and full of twilight, and a gentle, perpetual drizzle is steered across the moors by an endless wind. Old stone shacks and hovels dot the countryside, and it seems every third hill has a tomb from a long forgotten war plugged into its side. The Tempesta is a place of travelers: people looking for a place to hide, or people on their way to something better—if they play their cards right.

Our story begins on the moors of the Tempesta, a land without a queen. The Tempesta was once the great gateway between the south and the far west, though in recent years the old routes have fallen into disrepair, and the September Revolt has scattered warriors, insurgents, heroes, and murderers all across the hidden crevices of the land. The Tempesta is one of the few places were magic is largely tolerated, and charms and superstition have long been a part of the folk-culture of the Tempesta moors.

As our starting location, and as the home of likely most of the cast, this will probably be the most relevant section within the location listing.

❖ The September Revolt ❖

The Revolt was a bloody and drawn out civil war that occurred roughly five years before the RPG, fought between the Army of Heroes that had long controlled the Tempesta, and the People’s Legion, who ultimately proved victorious over the old regime. Most Tempestans see the Revolt as first and foremost a power struggle, despite the picture painted by the Legion as a noble battle of ideals.

The war finally ended when General Nostro, commander of the Legion, seized the ancient city of Castle Miranda, which until that point had stayed outside the conflict. Endangering one of the only remaining Cities of the Sisters was a highly controversial and unexpected move, though it was an act that essentially won the war.

During the final few months of the September Revolt, after Castle Miranda was taken, a vicious battle of attrition raged across the Tempesta, with both the Army and the Legion resorting to brutal strategies to gain ground. The Army forced themselves on towns and delivered brutal punishment to any Tempestan who refused to help, desperate to retain power even after losing their stronghold. The Legion engaged in indiscriminate massacres to combat the Army’s guerilla tactics, and consolidate its rule as quickly as possible. These last months were known as the Unforgivens.

As the losing side, the Army is most often blamed for prolonging the war, and is usually seen in a worse light than the Legion, though this can vary from town to town and person to person.

The Legion likes to label the war as a clash of ideals, but, ultimately, most people couldn’t care less about ‘ideals,’ and are just glad the fighting is finally over.

❖ The Army of Heroes ❖

The Army of Heroes had been the near undisputed masters of the Tempesta for over fifty years, founded by the legendary Mauslin Lombardo, a knight who saved the town of Islington after recruiting a small band of normal Tempestans and leading them against a werewolf pack. The Army had long considered itself a protector and preserver of Tempestan culture, and was strongly opposed to changes in technology, economy, or societal structure. They eventually gained a reputation for luxurious living, corruption, and extortion, though were always quite effective at killing monsters and protecting the populace. Generally, they were more professional in the north, and less so in the south, nearest to Quishan, where the region was safer thanks to Quishani soldiers from Everparch Fortress.

The Army of Heroes was well trained, and the members who have survived this long are either particularly skilled, particularly lucky, or particularly ruthless. Some still fervently oppose the Legion, though most others are tired, jaded, and hope for nothing more than surviving as long as they can. Many have tried fleeing to the south, in Quishan, which the Army had always been on amicable terms with, though Quishan has been careful to avoid conflict with General Nostro, and has turned back many refugees straight into the arms of the Legion.

❖ The People’s Legion ❖

Led by General Nostro, the People’s Legion was originally a small town militia operating out of the Prospero Lowlands. Where the nationalistic Army of Heroes wished to preserve the Tempesta’s culture and see nothing change, ever, the nationalistic Legion wishes to see the Tempesta consolidate and unify as a world power. Technically speaking, the Tempesta is a protectorate of the Queendom of Quishan, though King Masbeth is so hands off the region basically runs itself. However, the Legion believes it is imperative the Tempesta make a public break from Quishan and establish itself as a new empire, harkening back to the days of Miranda Newcastle herself.

Their uniform consists of a mud-green cloak and a forest-green uniform with shiny gold buttons. Each Legionairre is usually equipped with an iron shortsword, though equipment varies from position to position and duty to duty.

Despite many misgivings towards the Legion, they are generally seen positively due to being the winning side, as well as avoiding the extortion and extravagant living the Army became known for.

The People’s Legion is significantly more pro-magic than practically any other group on Invernier, save maybe one or two very obscure cults and hunter societies. The Legion believes in restoring the legacy of Queen Miranda, who, though not as great and influential as Cleopatra Kingslayer herself, was considered the mightiest magician of the Sisters, and made notable advances to the art. Many magicians, fearing persecution in their own lands, have travelled to the Tempesta to seek employ with General Nostro, or simple shelter in one of the more tolerant hamlets. Most Tempestans see these folk as intruders and moochers, and visibly foreign magicians are generally shunned.

❖ Castle Miranda ❖

The great city founded by Queen Miranda Newcastle, third eldest of the Nine Sisters. Her rain magic still haunts the surrounding land, casting the area into an eternal heavy rain. Miranda’s old gardens still bloom all across the city, curtains of ivy, flowers in every color, proud old trees sporadically casting shade on the streets below. The air here is fresh and clear, and smells of growing things. You can’t help but feel a little less heavy walking through the city streets, like some invisible weight is being washed away by the rain.

The city has a tangled, asymmetrical feel to its streets, and it can be difficult to find your way at times. Most buildings in the city are around two stories, and the stonework is covered over by white, waterproof plaster. Windows tend to be large and great in number, while streets are wide, and never terribly claustrophobic. The city slopes upward, with the castle proper constructed high on the slope of Mt. Insuretta.

❖ The Causeway ❖

The Causeway is the northern region of the Tempesta, marking the border between the gloomy moors and the bright, grassy scrubland of Andrea’s Fault. The towns of the Causeway tend to be the poorest in the Tempesta—this is a transition-place, and in-between, a region only visited by travelers on their way to brighter pastures and new starts. People here are less distrustful of strangers than elsewhere in the Tempesta, but are much more private, and communities are less tight-knit.

❖ The Prospero Lowlands ❖

The border between the Tempesta and the Queendom of Quishan. This region is sunnier, warmer, and has more agriculture compared to the livestock emphasis in the north. Prospero was originally a rather multicultural region, distinct from the rest of the Tempesta due to its interactions with Quishan and the Wainwaters, though this has changed in the decade or so that the People’s Legion has been active. Tempestan qualities have been emphasized, strangers more ostracized, and Quishani citizens have become increasingly unwelcome. Generally, these changes have become supported by the Prosperans, though there are, of course, some exceptions.

❖ The Wainwaters ❖

Though technically a province of the Tempesta, the Wainwaters are a distant and curious place, and most Tempestans avoid it if possible. A marshy wetland, where villages stand on stilts above the ground, the Wainwaters is known to be a rather dangerous place. Sandwiched between the fallen lands of Oolasheene and the witch forests of Brujeria, the Wainwaters tend to see many monsters and dangerous strangers, and its people mostly decide that hiding and obfuscating is a better solution than outright combat.

The cultures of the Wainwaters have a long-standing history of magical practice, earning them no small amount of dislike and distrust from many other regions.

❖ Calibad Forest ❖

The Calibad Forest, stretching across much of the Quarttomarch Mountains, was once a massive woodland created by Miranda Newcastle herself. Centuries ago, the Calibad was nearly three times its current size, augmented by Miranda’s magic. However, in the years after the Age of the Queens, woodsmen and foresters chipped away at the old woodlands heavily, especially during the third efernight that followed the passing of the Sisters. By modern day, it was devastated to a shadow of what it was during Miranda’s time; however, the Army of Heroes, passionate about the culture and history of the moors, placed the woods under heavy protection, a policy that has been continued by the Peoples Legion.

However, years of abuse have not been forgotten by the trees, and many strange, dark powers still lurk in the woods, especially as you move closer to the mountains. Rumor says that, the deeper you go in the forest, the more vengeful it becomes.

Q U I S H A N

The Last Queendom

The realm of King Masbeth is a warm land of rolling hills, strange boulder-formations, and scattered wildflowers. Trees grow thick and green. The coast rises high on great rocky cliffs. Streams and ponds full of clear bright water constantly interrupt the landscape, as though the land is riddled with cracks into another world. There are thousands of ancient roads meandering through the land of Quishan, remnants of a lost, magical time, and they can lead a person further than they ever expected to travel.

Though there are three other great cities from the time of the Sisters that remain in use, the land of Quishan is the only one to have remained a single, powerful queendom since the time of its founding Sister. King Masbeth rules from the capital city of Inger Biot, maintaining a complex system of farms, villages, and ports, and order upon order of knights to keep this sliver of civilization intact against the eroding forces of the Age of the Widow.

Quishan’s culture and economy focuses largely on farming and trade. As the undisputed master of Full Moon Bay, the country is an important business center, even during the stagnation of the current Age. Fat, arrogant, and spoiled, some might say of Quishan, though never within earshot of its cold and fearsome knights.

All Quishani magicians are required to register with the House of Wisdom in Inger Biot, and can be called on at any time in the service of the country. They must also check in with the House once every two years, unless given special leave to go travelling.

❖ The Haguewatch ❖

An elite order of knights that protects Quishan and represents its interests in foreign lands. Unlike the rest of the country’s government forces, the Haguewatch is personally overseen by King Masbeth himself. These soldiers are generally taught rudimentary spells to supplement their power, and have a reputation for being cold, stoic, and ruthless. Their helmets, never removed in public, are always made to fully cover up their face. No knight wears the same armor as another.

Haguewatch knights generally fall under two different divisions, the Witnesses and the Heralds. Witnesses patrol Quishan, while Heralds represent Quishan in distant lands, and are occasionally dispatched to kill monsters on behalf of foreign nations, or to act as bullies or reminders of Quishan’s overwhelming diplomatic and military power.

❖ King Masbeth MacDowenmarch ❖

The King Eternal, Masbeth has ruled Quishan for nearly 2000 years, having ascended shortly after the death of his daughter. He is the original husband of Queen Inger, the Sister who created of Castle Inger Biot and the eldest sibling of the Nine.

Masbeth’s will is generally executed by his Thanes, and he himself is rather hands-off when it comes to the management of the country. He is a distant, mythic figure to Quishanis, and the source of much dark and amusing gossip. Because Masbeth is so reclusive, it is exceptionally fun and easy to create a wide variety of rumors about the King and his secret plans. Most, despite common sense, are believed with great fervency. Some of them might even be true.

❖ Castle Inger Biot ❖

The capital city of Quishan, a city with high walls and strong red tiles along the roofs and streets. Inger Biot is known for its many cramped streets, making the city feel much, much larger than it is. Many walls and buildings feature beautiful and arcane geometries carved into the walls, most of them following a rather unsettling eye motif.

The city’s walls are nigh impenetrable, and the central citadel rises far, far higher than any other building in the city. Inger Biote is built on top of the mouth of the Red River, and is a bustling port city that sees many strange faces in its vast marketplaces.

❖ Gran Sléinn ❖

A port city on the outer coast of Quishan. Gran Sléinn is infamous for its blackmarkets and criminal trade—however, its continued existence is essentially sanctioned by Inger Biot, to allow for all deals and trades that otherwise can’t happen in the light of good and respectable company, and to give the King an easy way to keep an eye on the coming and going of criminal elements.

❖ The House of Wisdom ❖

A research institute and academy located in the inner walls of Castle Inger Biot. The House studies and regulates magic, and is where all magicians are required to register. It is known for its beautiful vaulted ceilings and patterned mosaics. Though few outside Quishan’s magical community are aware of this, the House was designed and built by Inger herself, who, among other things, had been a skilled architect and artist.

❖ The Dolwarden ❖

The Dolwarden was once its own independent state, although Masbeth conquered and subjugated the ancient forest over a five hundred years ago. However, about 200 years into the Age of the Widow, as things went from bad to worse across the continent, the Dolwarden successfully revolted and split off from Quishan, only to be brutally reconquered about fifty years later by an elite legion of Haguewatch knights. There is still strong resentment towards Quishan among the populace of the Dolwarden, and the capital at Bancrow is known to have made several diplomatic outreaches to Viola and to the elf-kingdom Magdalene. People from the Dolwarden tend to be highly skilled hunters and woodsmen.

[71452K]

They feel an immense affinity for water, and are found most commonly by lakes, rivers, and the coast. Many are sailors, fishers, and shipwrights.

Spiders that swim? What nightmarish underworld is this!?

But ...I still like it. :(.

[Life in Stasis]

Oh you CAN'T play Nephilim? Ah well.

Thanks for the update and sneak preview.

[BingTheWing]

@Oddsbod My sincere apologies if I'm being inconsiderate, but do you have a CS ready yet? I usually take eons to make a decent character.

[Oddsbod]

@Oddsbod My sincere apologies if I'm being inconsiderate, but do you have a CS ready yet? I usually take eons to make a decent character.

@BingTheWing

I'll try and get a proper skeleton up tomorrow, and a sample character as well, but it'll be your bog-standard basic personality/appearance/history kind of sheet.

I've never used this format before, but it's pretty popular on this website so I think I'll try it with you all. I'm thinking the personality section can be a set of bullet points, then with a small paragraph or so beneath the points to tie it all together. Appearance and history will just be the usual couple of good paragaphs to give a picture of who this character is. If you're starting ahead of time, for reference, the average (though not required) traveling clothes on Invernier is usually a big windbreaker-ish cloak and hood that covers up most of the body and makes it clear you'd like to be left alone, thanks.