The Chronicles of Irenaea
Premise
In this roleplay, you take upon the role of an ancient chronicler tasked with documenting the exploits of an important individual. This individual may be any manner of folk, although principally the subjects of the chronicles are those endowed with the wealth, charisma, or fame to obtain such a history. No document here is a perfect truth; all are riddled with interpretation and fanciful thought, not to mention outright lies. Even the most scholarly of volumes contains the unwitting biases of the author.
To supply such exploits that the chronicles will detail, a simulation is maintained that dictates how the world progresses. The simulation will dictate how borders expand and contract, how wars and politics unfold, and the lives of individuals.
The simulation will provide a basic outline of events as well as hard records. The IC thread itself is analogous to a large history textbook containing excerpts from the great poets and record-keepers of the day.
To maintain a unity in style that would be found in translated and ancient documents, a style guide is included. The guide contains the optimal provisions for creating a singular format and maintaining the plausibility of a single translator whilst maintaining a vast diversity of voices that contribute to the text.
Over time, as details are fleshed out by chroniclers and poets and the generations advance, a rich history will emerge.
The beauty of this system lies in there being no commitment to write at certain post schedules or even commit to writing more than one post. Players have the option of writing one post and leaving from disinterest, maintaining short bursts of high activity followed by hibernation, and writing to please creative whims rather than being bound to a single story or character for any length longer than a post.
Co-GMs
Currently, I am looking for Co-GMs to help me run the simulation and manage the roleplay. Their responsibilities are threefold:
Counseling
If a dispute ever arises, it would be your responsibility to set up a PM between all GMs and the entagled parties to settle disagreements and reach a mutually satisfactory conclusion. The main element here is not being a dingus.
Community
A Co-GM would have the responsibility to engage in the live chat, OOC discussion, and recruitment efforts as much as possible. Keeping others engaged is key to spawning a community with strong ties to the roleplay, and in the process creating activity. GMs are exempt from the 'low committal' status enjoyed by players.
Creativity
The central role of a Co-GM is to provide creative input regarding the simulation and the roleplay at large. You need not be a math genius or even good with dice or numbers to apply, rather general helpfulness and pleasantness is the quality at play. Making sure that the simulation churns out nicely, updates are posted, and covering each other in the case of absence is included here.
The rewards for becoming a Co-GM are mostly my gratitude, but creative input and the satisfaction associated with growing a project are ample enough incentive (in my experience and opinion) for those willing to put forth the effort.
Setting
The roleplay takes place in a landscape rife with conflict and intrigue. As larger empires develop, great feats of technology and academia compete alongside formidable armies against a rich mosaic of cultures for the glory of the land. Beyond the cradle of civilization lies the wilderness and deserts, untamed and hostile lands home to nomads and exiles. Deep in the hidden pockets of fruit groves, swamps, ruins, and moonlit dunes the edges of legend and fact blur, and the commonfolk whisper strange tales of sorcery and beasts. In the halls of marble and gold, diplomats clothed in silk converse with their equals in status from far-flung lands across seas and oceans as the likes of gods watch over from the carved pillars. Merchant vessels and caravans arrive by the dozen to feed the luxurious tastes of the nobility. This is the land of Irenaea, named for the man who united her and forged the tribes and cities of the fertile plains into a fierce empire in one mighty fire.
In an age long ago, it is said that the likes of faries and demons walked the land in the same numbers as man, but this age has long passed into myth. At most a score of such beings survive to the date, though powerful they are. They opt for recluse in the hidden places of the world, though some opt to join mortal society, often in disguise. Now only man remains to forge his destiny.
Magic, nevertheless, remains in the world, at least to a degree. Principally, unless great power or great sacrifice is present, it is only capable of doing things that could have possibly been done without it, often referred to as thaumaturgies. Almost all magic comes from a religion, and nearly all sorcerers are therefore Holy Men. Most villages of decent size have at least one that may bless pregnancies and extent lives to mitigate the historical effects of child mortality and extremely short lifespans. The average lifespan adjusted for this magic is around sixty to eighty depending on the area, or seventy to ninety if you reach forty unharmed. Battles are also blessed by Holy Men on both sides, usually cancelling the efforts of their counterparts. Holy Men are also charged with protecting the harvest, a fundamental struggle in agrarian communities. The most powerful Holy Men are able to manifest their power in the form of a physical transformation - glowing eyes, increased stature, or in extremely rare and unconfirmed cases, levitation. Rumors say the the priestesses and witches of the Western Cults use magic to increase their bodily appeal, which in turn fuels their magic.
It is worth noting that this setting will be thematically authentic to human history - sexism, xenophobia, racism, societal injustice, and a whole host of other nasty things are a part of this roleplay. Use these aspects of life wisely to draw emotion from the modern reader, but balance this with the fact that the character's views and the historian's views on the matter are likely totally divorced from your own. The rule on maturity (and sensitivity) applies doubly here.
For reference, use the year 300 BC/BCE for technological comparison. Irenaea is significantly more fuedal than this, but most principles of warfare from that time period apply. As time progresses in the roleplay, so will technological advancements.
The Powers of Irenaea
These are the seats of power the roleplay will chronicle. Details are intentionally light and designed to be filled in by the players. As time moves forward, new powers will be added and some will die out.
The Ascendant Houses
The Imperial House Irenaea - The House of Aedrius Irenaeus the Ascendant, who took all of the continent within twenty years. A mix of fortune, valor, and strategy allowed him to forcibly seize nearly all of the Goldsea coast through pacts of union, or failing such measures, incredible force. After his death, a considerable power vacuum emerges, and it is the role of his successors to reign over the glorious empire he devised. In the event his successors are overpowered, it is very likely that his realm will simply fracture into the domains of the natives and Irenaeus's generals.
The Noble House Sunwalker - The Lord Governor Dalleio Sunwalker is the oldest of Irenaeus's generals, and was appointed to replace the rebellious local ruler that Irenaeus originally left in control of Paledune. The Sunwalkers are considered very loyal to the house and title of Irenaeus.
The Noble House Eriokles - The Lord Governor of the Greenfall and the predominantly Aedrian populations of the southern Treewall. Although Seretenes Eriokles was given the largest territory, most of it is dense jungle and very difficult to effectively manage.
The Noble House Haedulus - The Lord Governor of Bylleseus. They are vonsidered a line of philosopher kings, and their founder was more loyal to Irenaeus himself than his house. Ilyseuco Haedulus was a childhood friend of Irenaeus.
The Ancient Houses
The Royal House Thanesrow - This bloodline is the ancient Kings of Meadland, who swore an oath with Irenaeus that allowed him passage through the Greenmountain into Treewall. Irenaeus saw this pact as one of submission, whereas Gurog Thanesrow saw it as a mere travel pass. This later led to arguments between the two and later the effective autonomy of Thanesrow and the Meadland, however much Irenaeus claims that Thanesrow is in the empire.
The Great Clan Horselord - The clan is a line of chieftains in the Great Steppe. They control a fair amount of territory, and are rumored to conspire with witches. Their clan is a nomadic band. Like other clans, they were never officially conquered or interacted with by Irenaeus, but rather simply claims.
The Great Clan Bronzespear - The clan is a line of chieftains in the Great Steppe. They are more stable and agrarian than the other clans, but twice as bloodthirsty, and known for torturing trespassers. Irenaeus admired this particular clan, and named the Chieftain Gultuk Bronzespear Lord Regent of the Great Steppe, although this title was never formally accepted and carries little weight.
The Tollscythe Chiefs - The tribal warlord in the Deadman Mountains and Witch's Haunt. They barely control any territory, but compensate by charging exorbitant fees for lucrative safe mountain passage.
The Royal House Oakwarden - King of the land between the Treewall and Meadland. House Oakwarden claims control of all of Treewall but Irenaeus favored House Eirokles in the dispute. With Irenaeus dead, they will likely strike back.
The Illustrious House Baldug - Elder Chief of Baldugtagee and Windbeach. Due to an ancient alliance with the kings of Aedria, they were left mostly autonomous in exchange for a pact of loyalty.
The Faiths
The Treefaith - A collection of zealots throughout Meadland and the Treewall, mostly comprised of Easterners. They are animists and shamans that pray to oak trees and sags and perform blood sacrifices to keep vengeful spirits of illness and famine at bay. A group of Treefaith druids maintain a large holy site at the peak of the Greenmountain and the surrounding area.
Church of Dragonslaying - A Church based in Baldugtagee dedicated to the eradication of dragons. The church claims that dragons walk among the world in the form of agents of deceit and vice, and they furthermore hold the virtues of purity, chastity, humility, and righteousness to be critical to gaining the favor of the angels and heavens.
The Pantheon - This temple encompasses the common faith of Aedria and Bylleseus. The Major Pantheon, mostly universal in the regions that practice, is comprised of the Crone, the Judge, the Warrior, the Maiden, the Tempest, the Bachelor, the Father, and the Messenger. Interpretations of the roles of these deities vary wildly. The temple also accepts an uncountable variety of local gods and goddesses that collectively form the Minor Pantheon. The adaptability of this religion has made it widespread throughout Irenaea. The gods of the Pantheon are collectively referred to as 'the Ascendants'.
Hammerchurch - This faith worships Heavenhammer, an agent of divine will and flame. He is said to be equal parts Judge, Vindicator, and Father. The church calls upon all members to carry out his will, mainly that all men obey the Code of the Hammer (comprised of various tenets regarding lifestyle and behavior). This religion is mainly practiced in Paledune and the Shimmering Coast, with its main holy site being located in Paradise.
The Western Cults - Animistic and occultist religions from Witchhaunt to Baldugtagee fall into this category. Common Western Cults worship ancestors, demons, sky spirits, tree spirits, monsters, elves, or some combination. They all tend involve pacts for power in the material world in exchange for carrying out certain deeds and religious duties, and very few make any mention of afterlives.
Stylistics
Generally, stylistics come down to reconciling that all posts are translated documents, that they were translated by the same person, and maintaining a common format. To that effect, here is a quick checklist to make sure your post complies:
- Make sure your post only uses metric units. Google has an excellent conversion tool. [This rule maintains transnational consistency, since the same translator would not use different systems.]
- All words that have English meanings are spelled out. For example, the characters King Friedrich Fischer and Lord Hans Muller should be King Friedrich Fisher(man) and Lord Hans Miller, because these meanings are clearer to English readers. [This rule maintains formatting consistency, since as much information as possible is given directly to the audience.]
- Format your posts like the post below.
Note that is is an excellent example of the type of post that fits well here: selective biographical histories and tall tales. That said, obviously the actual writing here does not comply with the style guide. The things to note here are:
- The (In Character) author's name is noted in the quote, as well as the year it was written (no abbreviations; here we will just be using negative years should they apply (-382 instead of 382 BC/BCE)), all of which is properly bolded.
- Each excerpt from a longer work has it's own quote (I didn't actually cut anything between the quotes here but it exists for example purposes). [It's worth noting that all posts are presumed to be excerpts, and regardless of whether or not yours is, the body of the text should be completely within a quote.]
- The header lists the individual the biographer is talking about, as well as dates of birth and death in the proper format.
- The post has an italicized title at the top.
- The folklore post includes a 'ca.' (circa) denoting an approximate date of publication.
[This rule, somewhat obviously, maintains formatting consistency.]
- Check that your post is free of wordplay, rhyming, and other tricks of the English language. Translated documents should not include these since these tricks only apply to one language. Real world examples include The Internationale, which had to go through quite a bit of revision to attain any amount of cadence in English and other langauges, as well other ancient epics such as Homer's works and the Bhagavad Gita (which is why the Oppenheimer quote sounds so queer). [This rule maintains the illusion of a translated document.]
- A few general notes, remember to write out whole numbers between one and ten (weird rule but it exists), not to use contractions (this is considered bad form in longer writing), and use the Oxford comma (for the sake of authorial consistency). As well, using any kind of slang is heavily discouraged, and all prose should present dialogue in nonfiction format, not script or novel dialogue. Poetry is exempt from some of this, although aspiring poets should be wary of the spirit of the guide.
- Including graphics in your post may be helpful, but it's a good idea to PM a GM ahead of time if you plan to. Generally, graphics are more the role of the GMs. This isn't always the best case for things like portraits though, so if you have a strong interest feel free to PM. Note, though, that only classical styles that would have been available before or during roughly 0 AD/CE (excluding anime, almost any digital drawing that isn't quite convincing, or pretty much anything on paper) is off limits. Note that this excludes graphical styles which weren't common as well. Meaning, if you find some source that says anime was being embryonically developed in Japan in this time period and we have one drawing with suitably large eyes in the entire historical record, I still won't let you. If you are you using graphics, only images you made yourself and for this roleplay are acceptable (certain generators may have exceptions). The primary exception here is modern reconstructions, namely maps, diagrams of battle tactics, and infographics. Graphics do not necessarily need to be posted from the perspective of a historian. Contact a GM for instructions on formatting. [This rule maintains the illusion of a translated document by making sure that art has a common theme.]
- Don't use bolds, underlines, italics, or any other such formatting in the body of your post, unless you are referencing another work in the simulation (which is likely rare), in which case you should italicize that title. [This rule maintains the illusion of a common translator, as the same translator would apply the same formatting to all works.]
If you have any questions about the style guide and/or would like a GM to check it over, send a PM and we'd be happy too!
Note that if your post doesn't meet these guidelines, we will ask for you to fix it, but that does not mean you are banned or that your post was bad or anything of the sort. We understand that these guidelines can take some getting used to, and so long as you're willing to work with us, we'll generally be a lot nicer about it.
Perspectives and POVs
To clarify what is said in the premise, you are writing as people within the simulation. Specifically, your accounts will be published as primary sources documenting the events happening in the world. This isn't always the case though if you are writing about far off events (for example writing a secondary account of Irenaeus's conquests in the year 200). All posts must be written before the current simulation year. To see what simulation year it is, check the [Characters] tab. Beyond this, you have broad authority on what you'd enjoy posting. You may post about an event, a character, a whole dynasty, a piece of folklore, anything. Traditionally, chronicles would tell the entirety of of one life story, but you're welcome to play around with this. Beyond that, your post may be poetry, songs contemporary to the events, articles, declarations, transcriptions of the edicts of the rulers, really anything you'd like. Just follow the style guide and you'll be fine.
Rules
I. Be mature. There are themes in this roleplay that are, frankly, vile. The historians you are playing as don't usually think that. That is acceptable, but these themes should be handled with sensitivity. There is no reason to be more graphic than the extent you need to convey emotional detail.
II. Follow the style guide. Consistency in style is very important to his roleplay; the IC should seem like one volume translated by the same person, like one massive digital library formatted uniformly. This isn't because that is more loyal how history works, but rather because makes the IC look nicer and maintain consistency. Being hostile about this will see you removed (although feedback and criticism, if civil, is absolutely acceptable).
III. Go with the flow. Work within the simulation. You have wide latitude to outright lie and at times this is appropriate, but try to base your lies on things that happen in the simulation. As well, the more you reference (even if you don't corroborate) the chronicles of other authors, the more the world feels fleshed out and real. Most characters provided by the simulation will intentionally be tied to other characters to prompt you, but you need to do the heavy lifting. Remember, nobody 'owns' a character, a nation, or a culture. Godmodding doesn't apply.
IV. Try to stay active in the OOC even if you aren't writing. I know I said this wasn't mandatory, and it isn't, but it helps keep things alive through low activity-periods.
V. Don't be a dingus. Pretty self-explanatory.
This sounds interesting...
Great! The best thing to do is either start writing if you're feeling creative and you've read through all the material, or (the more recommended option) post in the OOC asking for some help getting caught up, and join the live chat to speak more fluidly. Happy writing!
