A new age has dawned in the world of Hethras. An age of blood, fire and tyranny. In the petty Kingdom of Gennebeuge, the monarchy has been brutally deposed, and after years of devastating civil war and ceaseless bickering amongst the now-divided revolutionaries, one man has risen to power. His name is Zalheidas Vos'Kapraai, and with a combination of ruthless efficiency and unholy magical powers, he has united Gennebeuge under his rule and rapidly expanded into neighbouring countries, unifying these small nations into a single sprawling entity known as Zal Drudakk.
At first, the greater nations thought nothing would come of these petty kingdoms fighting amongst themselves, and were content to leave them be. Surely, Zalheidas' ambition would be sated soon, they thought. The realisation of their mistake came far too late; his ambition had no end. Troubling rumours began to arise - rumours of infernal pacts and unholy experiments, and before long Zalheidas met with the first resistance against his rule. Attacking from their home in the desert, a disorganised band of djinni - who took offence at Zalheidas' false claim of being half-djinn - assaulted Zal Drudakk. Met by the full force of Zalheidas' Legions, the djinni were slaughtered to a man, and through sorcery taught to him by his fiendish friends, Zalheidas claimed their souls for his own nefarious purposes. It was then that he began to be known as the 'Dark Lord', a title he eagerly embraced.
With the souls of the slain djinni, the flesh of the races he had subjugated, and a plentiful supply of fresh souls delivered to him by a traitor Djinn named Raadia, Zalheidas forged a new race in the dark depths of his capital, named in honour of himself and designed to be the ultimate soldiers. While the Dark Lord did not succeed in creating the master race he desired, he managed to create a formidable race of warriors to serve as the backbone of his legions. No longer would he have to rely solely on mercenaries, allies, and undead to do his bidding.
However, the Dark Lord was not content with the hideous and flawed Zalheiders. Turning upon his demonic former friends, he wrenched their souls from their bodies and tore them asunder before placing their rearranged essence into corpses. Yet these new beings were not his dream of a master race either. Rather, they were to be his agents, and more importantly, his assistants in creating and improving life. These 'Carrion Doctors', as they would come to be known, are rare outside the dark citadel, but their potent magical abilities make them a force to be reckoned with if challenged.
As Zalheidas and his allies in the Twilight Crags and the Slumbering Cities strengthened their iron grip over the continent of Meithra, the remaining great powers of the world moved to oppose them, finally responding to the threat the Dark Lord posed to their very existence. The proud elves of Zimska'avrat - ancient enemies of the Arachnae - were the first to mobilise, and their wise men uncovered a long-forgotten prophecy from olden days; one that quickly gave hope to their nation, and rallied others to their cause:
"There comes an age of blood and fire;
Of nations' fall 'pon blazing pyre.
Yet have no fear, for from it all,
One shall rise while all else fall.
Of humble blood, auspicious birth;
A master of the skies and earth,
Comes forth to conquer blackest night;
End ancient war 'twixt dark and light.
And peace shall reign throughout the lands;
The world within his guiding hands."
Sure enough, the elves produced a champion from their ranks. A peasant by the name of Lovrenc Amadeji proved himself to be extremely competent with sword, spell and leadership. So unusual was his skill that the sages agreed that he must be the Chosen One foretold by the prophecy.
With him at the head of the elven army, valiantly resisting the dark legions' encroachment on his lands, others aligned themselves with the elves, forming a mighty alliance they called the Bond of the Covenant. Al-Qazvin and the Dogiate of Cantazzaro, city-states in the southern lands, have raised their banners, along with rebel undead from the Slumbering Cities. Meanwhile, the nations of the Western Isles prepare for battle and to the east the Sacrum Imperium Hominis, exercising its supposed claim to rule over all mankind, has already sent soldiers to fight on behalf of the free peoples.
The fate of the world hinges upon the outcome of this war and legends walk the Earth. Zalheidas would give anything for Amadeji's head. This is where you come in. You have somehow caught the attention of the Dark Lord's underlings, and been recruited to a squad of killers said to be without rival. Your mission is to kill Amadeji and break the Covenant's will to fight.
Important Notes:
At first, the greater nations thought nothing would come of these petty kingdoms fighting amongst themselves, and were content to leave them be. Surely, Zalheidas' ambition would be sated soon, they thought. The realisation of their mistake came far too late; his ambition had no end. Troubling rumours began to arise - rumours of infernal pacts and unholy experiments, and before long Zalheidas met with the first resistance against his rule. Attacking from their home in the desert, a disorganised band of djinni - who took offence at Zalheidas' false claim of being half-djinn - assaulted Zal Drudakk. Met by the full force of Zalheidas' Legions, the djinni were slaughtered to a man, and through sorcery taught to him by his fiendish friends, Zalheidas claimed their souls for his own nefarious purposes. It was then that he began to be known as the 'Dark Lord', a title he eagerly embraced.
With the souls of the slain djinni, the flesh of the races he had subjugated, and a plentiful supply of fresh souls delivered to him by a traitor Djinn named Raadia, Zalheidas forged a new race in the dark depths of his capital, named in honour of himself and designed to be the ultimate soldiers. While the Dark Lord did not succeed in creating the master race he desired, he managed to create a formidable race of warriors to serve as the backbone of his legions. No longer would he have to rely solely on mercenaries, allies, and undead to do his bidding.
However, the Dark Lord was not content with the hideous and flawed Zalheiders. Turning upon his demonic former friends, he wrenched their souls from their bodies and tore them asunder before placing their rearranged essence into corpses. Yet these new beings were not his dream of a master race either. Rather, they were to be his agents, and more importantly, his assistants in creating and improving life. These 'Carrion Doctors', as they would come to be known, are rare outside the dark citadel, but their potent magical abilities make them a force to be reckoned with if challenged.
As Zalheidas and his allies in the Twilight Crags and the Slumbering Cities strengthened their iron grip over the continent of Meithra, the remaining great powers of the world moved to oppose them, finally responding to the threat the Dark Lord posed to their very existence. The proud elves of Zimska'avrat - ancient enemies of the Arachnae - were the first to mobilise, and their wise men uncovered a long-forgotten prophecy from olden days; one that quickly gave hope to their nation, and rallied others to their cause:
"There comes an age of blood and fire;
Of nations' fall 'pon blazing pyre.
Yet have no fear, for from it all,
One shall rise while all else fall.
Of humble blood, auspicious birth;
A master of the skies and earth,
Comes forth to conquer blackest night;
End ancient war 'twixt dark and light.
And peace shall reign throughout the lands;
The world within his guiding hands."
Sure enough, the elves produced a champion from their ranks. A peasant by the name of Lovrenc Amadeji proved himself to be extremely competent with sword, spell and leadership. So unusual was his skill that the sages agreed that he must be the Chosen One foretold by the prophecy.
With him at the head of the elven army, valiantly resisting the dark legions' encroachment on his lands, others aligned themselves with the elves, forming a mighty alliance they called the Bond of the Covenant. Al-Qazvin and the Dogiate of Cantazzaro, city-states in the southern lands, have raised their banners, along with rebel undead from the Slumbering Cities. Meanwhile, the nations of the Western Isles prepare for battle and to the east the Sacrum Imperium Hominis, exercising its supposed claim to rule over all mankind, has already sent soldiers to fight on behalf of the free peoples.
The fate of the world hinges upon the outcome of this war and legends walk the Earth. Zalheidas would give anything for Amadeji's head. This is where you come in. You have somehow caught the attention of the Dark Lord's underlings, and been recruited to a squad of killers said to be without rival. Your mission is to kill Amadeji and break the Covenant's will to fight.
Important Notes:
- The technology level is quasi-Napoleonic rather than the standard medieval tech that often accompanies fantasy. However, this is not steampunk. Automatons and robots will not be accepted.
- Amadeji is not actually the Chosen One the prophesy is about. The Dark Lord Zalheidas is. You know this, your character(s) do not.
- We are playing the baddies. Feel free to make your character truly despicable, but please be mindful of other players' comfort levels.
- Collaboration with other roleplayers is encouraged. We have a Discord and use a site called PiratePad to write collab posts.
- Applicants are expected to read the entire post before making a character.