Blighted Etherea: The Champions of Hope

[Liotrent]

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"The Gods fell silent in the face of this horror..."

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BLIGHTED ETHERIA

The world of Etheria was once filled with many people. It was a world of dwarves, elves, orcs, beast-kin, and men. It was only natural that the people of Etheria would proudly go to war for many different reasons. Perhaps they would go to war for a difference in belief, simple glory, or even something as petty as race. The people of Etheria would ebb and flow between periods of peace and war as all people do.

War would be waged by steel and magic. The humble warrior were many times assisted by mages or were adept at magic use themselves. Some of these warriors might become champions and heroes after distinguishing themselves on the fields of battle. Each nation may have many of these champions or perhaps just the one. Whatever the case, the nations of Etheria chose to settle disputes through these champions rather than with their armies. This practice was common, but soured agreements and sore losers always ensured that all out war and armies had their place.

However, this way of life would be disrupted by a force foreign from this world. A darkness rose from the north and swept its way to the southern reaches. The lands died to its touch and a cold chill persists wherever it marches. The legion of monsters assisted by enslaved Etherian peoples, their minds lost to the great evil. One by one the nations of the north fell and many who are escape become refugees.

The nations have fought with their armies independently. However, without a united front, these once stalwart and victorious nations tasted defeat after defeat. To make things worse, the nations of Etheria continued in their pointless struggles against each other. It wasn't until several nations of the north were lost and the darkness marched through the southern reaches that these nations realized that a united front was perhaps their best chance.

The nations of Etheria then decided to form a mighty host. A champion and a regiment of chosen men from each nation. Their final stand against the darkness. They fight to free their people and to cleanse their world of this foreign invader.

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"... A champion and a regiment from each nation. A small price for our last hope."

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The Roleplay

ABOUT:

This role-play involves the players taking control of a champion from their nation and leading their regiment into battle against a foreign threat to this world. To those who know the anime trope of "the demon lord", that's basically this.

Players will be allowed to determine what kind of country they're from. How they reacted to the darkness marching through their land and enslaving their people. What kind of champion they have, and what regiment they'll bring.

SETTING:

Etheria is a fantasy world with magic, swords, shields, and bows & arrows. The pictures provided should give a rough idea of what equivalents you should try and set. However, as this is a fantasy world, that is more of a soft rule. Which means, as long as it's something you'd see in a medieval setting its fair game.

RACES:

Humans: Your vanilla human. They're not bad at magic, but not great either.

Half-Elves: A result of humans and elves. They're more nimble than their Human counter parts and are stronger too.

Dwarves: Short and stubborn - your regular dwarf. Masters of the forge, always have the best equipment, masters of earthen and fire magic,

Elves: Tall, pointy-eared, and light footed. The elf. They come in two flavors: the fair skinned Solaris Elves and the dark skinned Lunaris Elves. Solaris elves excel in magic of the sun, light, and fire. Lunaris elves excel in the magic of moon, shadows, and water.

Orcs: Green, tusked, and muscular. The orcish race rival the dwarves in physical strength. They are tribal and shamanistic, thus excelling in wind and spiritual magic. This presents itself as an aura that visibly flows out of a fighter that increases strength and resilience.

Beast-kin: Varried. There are many types of beast-kin. Werewolves, lamias, minotaurs, and more. They practice spiritual magic and are the most diverse in physical distinction of all races.

MAGIC:

• Elemental Magic - The ability to command and conjure: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Ice, Lightning.
• Spiritual Magic - Focuses on the self and nature. Influences growth in both strength and resilience.
• Light & Shadow - Channels the power of the sun and moon. Either harnessing the power of light or the veils of shadow.

THE WORLD:

This is for the reference of all players who wish to see a map when trying to visualize their nation. To give a general idea, the darkness moved in a general direction from North-West to South-East. Keep this in mind when trying to make your nation and backstory.

Etheria World Map

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FOR THOSE INTERESTED

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HOUSE RULES:

• BE NICE - This is a must. If you have a problem, please resolve it outside of the RP or have me mitigate. I'm open for it.
• ASK BEFORE ACT - Before you act, ask first whether it will negatively impact the other players. If so, ask before acting so that everyone's prepared.
• DON'T BE OP - Making super powerful characters, writing impossible scenarios, metagaming, etc. You know what this means, don't do it. It ruins everyone else's fun.
• HAVE FUN - After all these three rules, remember that at the end of the day that this is a game that we all have agreed to play together. Follow the rules and have some fun with what you can do.

SHEETS

Champion

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IMAGE HERE (Optional)

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Name: What do we call them?

Gender: Male or Female?

Race: What are they?

Age: How old are they?

Physical appearance: Height, Eye color, hair, etc.

History: What have they done? where did they come from? How'd they become a champion?

Equipment: What are they equipped with? Javelins? Slings? Spears and shields? Do they wear armor? Etc.

Abilities: Both Physical and Magical

(Feel free to customize and be as brief or lengthy as you wish.)

Regiment

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IMAGE HERE (OPTIONAL)

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Title: What are they called? For example, Alexander called his elites the Silver Shields, or Leonidas and the brave 300.

Number: Limited to 500

Specialization: What are they and how do they fight? Heavy infantry who engage their enemies in a phalanx? Elite shock cavalry who swiftly break their enemies with cycling charges? Fast and agile skirmishers who pelt their enemies with arrows, javelins, or stones?

Description: What do they look like and how are they equipped?

History: What have they done? Who are they? What made them what they are?

Country: You can designate where they're from and even describe what kind of nation it was or still is depending on where they're from. You can be as brief or as lengthy as you want here, just as long as I can sort of see what kind of nation it is. (Please note that the large island south east is

[Timemaster]

Popping my head here :)

[RoboCat]

I like what I'm seeing

[Gunther]

This roleplay is in my wheelhouse.

[RoboCat]

I read over it and instantly got the idea of a displaced union comprised mostly of beast-kin and lead by ruling tribe of powerful kraken-type beast-kin that helped organize the nation into something of a massive nomadic fleet through the use of their floating capitol city. I'd have it to be where when they were still in their original lands, the union would hold a massive set of tournament games for the various champions to settle things in terms of who would lead politically. I'd have it to where the kraken beast-kin have won the games consistently enough to have a floating capitol city, and would have their regiment be comprised the failed would-be champion kings that got to a certain point in the competitions. They'd basically be a tremendous naval power and filled with formidable fighters of great variety, but with a structure that'd leave some things to be desired, as the glue keeping them together would be the shared loss of their homelands. It'd be lit. I'd probably have their place of origin be the area just at the tip of that great lake on the north-west end of the map, where it meets the ocean.

[Liotrent]

Glad that this is still within your interest! I was half expecting you two not to like this one cause it wasn’t what I had promised in my other Interest Check. Thanks for checking it out and giving it a chance!

[Gunther]

Flexibility is synonymous with Gunther. ;)
Besides, anything military related is in my wheelhouse.
I've been reading history for ever and played AD&D when I was a kid.

[Gunther]

@LiotrentDo you have an age range for the various races? Aren't most of the fantasy races somewhere close to a thousand years or 500 to a thousand years?

[Liotrent]

@LiotrentDo you have an age range for the various races? Aren't most of the fantasy races somewhere close to a thousand years or 500 to a thousand years?

@Gunther

Elves live up to 1000

Dwarves and Beast-kin live up to 500

Half-Elves and Orcs live up to 200

[Gunther]

I'm going with Elves, this go around.

[deia876lat]

Are you still accepting people?

Are the Solaris and Lunaris the name of the elven races or are we free to play around with it as well and it merely how they are named by those of other races?
Are we free to fiddle around with it as well or are we to adhere to the DND idea of High Elves and Dark Elves?

Are all the races separate or are there places where they live together?

And how much time has passed since the first sightings of the dark forces?

[Liotrent]

Are you still accepting people?

Are the Solaris and Lunaris the name of the elven races or are we free to play around with it as well and it merely how they are named by those of other races?
Are we free to fiddle around with it as well or are we to adhere to the DND idea of High Elves and Dark Elves?

Are all the races separate or are there places where they live together?

And how much time has passed since the first sightings of the dark forces?

@deia876lat

Answers in order:

1. Definitely

2. Solaris and Lunaris elves are what they are named. You are free to fiddle as to what they name themselves as a nation of people.

3. The Solaris and Lunaris are somewhat different to DND elves in the sense that they don't really harbor anything against each-other culturally. They understand that they are two sides of the same coin. One worships the light of the sun and all it bestows, the other worships the moon and the peaceful respite of the night. Respectively, they both gain power during a certain time of day.

4. There are plenty of places where they live with each other. A nation I plan on inhabiting the south west island is actually one of these places. This nation will serve as the coalition's hub.

5. It has been at least a year and a half. The dark forces covered kilometers tirelessly. There's a sense of urgency as once they reach the coastlines, there's no telling what will happen. The champions and their regiments are to spearhead the reclamation of their lands as the army regulars follow a little behind them to maintain a baggage train.

[Timemaster]

Bump :)

[Liotrent]

I'll start making an OOC because honestly, I don't need many to start and we can get the ball rolling fairly quickly. I've also made it so that people can come and go as they please so it's fairly easy for me to introduce new people every now and then as well as make up explanations as to why they become absent in a few events with how I've structured things.

[Gunther]

I think it is real easy to just say, "I have 500 soldiers in my unit." But having been there and done that I know the numbers rarely come out that pretty. I think Lio's intent is to set 500 as a max. With that in mind, I made dice rolls to determine the numbers in my unit. I am content with how things turned out.

Title: The Nymerean High Guard

Heavy Infantry 180
Mail Infantry 136
Rangers 52
Battle Mages 34
Total: 402

Organization:
2x Heavy Infantry Companies of 90
2x Mail clad infantry companies of 68
1x Ranger Company of 52
1x Battle Mage Battery of 34

I don't mind taking a hit, in fact, taking a loss is better writing than winning all the damn time. OP units in RPs like this are boring.

[Liotrent]

I think it is real easy to just say, "I have 500 soldiers in my unit." But having been there and done that I know the numbers rarely come out that pretty. I think Lio's intent is to set 500 as a max. With that in mind, I made dice rolls to determine the numbers in my unit. I am content with how things turned out.

Title: The Nymerean High Guard

Heavy Infantry 180
Mail Infantry 136
Rangers 52
Battle Mages 34
Total: 402

Organization:
2x Heavy Infantry Companies of 90
2x Mail clad infantry companies of 68
1x Ranger Company of 52
1x Battle Mage Battery of 34

I don't mind taking a hit, in fact, taking a loss is better writing than winning all the damn time. OP units in RPs like this are boring.

@Gunther

This is fine. This makes sense if your nation is one of the few that had to make a fighting retreat. I am okay with units that are fresh and well equipped but you'd have to make a good reason for me to accept that.

[Liotrent]

Also, to add, @Gunther your signature is so god damn good! I can't stop watching it!

[Gunther]

Muhammed Ali v. George Foreman, October 30, 1974. Foreman is defending the Heavy Weight Title. Ali had previously held the title. Foreman had knocked out both Frazier and Norton previously, both of whom had defeated Ali. The "Rope a Dope" display on my signature is Ali getting into Foreman's head. He was famous for head bobs and weaves, ducking punches as well as dancing in the ring. I think he dodged something like 21 punches in that gif? In the 8th round, Ali knocked out Foreman and took the title from him.

[Dead Cruiser]

Pretty interested in this.

My concept is basically for a tribe of savage Beastmen that have been driven out of more "civilized" lands, but the other nations have accepted a begrudging truce/alliance with them in this time of crisis. They do a lot of weird shit, like worship something called the "Red God" and obey only "the law of swords."

My champion is an Elephant-Beastman, a people normally regarded as being gentle giants, he's the black sheep among his people because he's a barbarian-warlord. Fifteen feet tall, eight tons, and hundreds of years of life-or-death martial struggle. He's very dangerous not because he's an unthinking brute, but has all of the intellectual and philosophical tendencies his people are known for, but has bent them toward warfare. To what end, none are sure.

His regiment are just called "Red Knights," a semi-ironic title. They swear oaths and practice bizarre (usually sacrificial) rituals in the name of their Red God. The only way to become a Red Knight is to kill your master that trained you, and then withstand the presence of the Red God, which is usually an ordeal that leaves one maimed for life. Their motto goes something like, "If it has a pulse, take its skull. If it builds a house, smash it flat. I will cut God to see if he bleeds, and if he fails me I will kill him too."

Thoughts?

[Liotrent]

Pretty interested in this.

My concept is basically for a tribe of savage Beastmen that have been driven out of more "civilized" lands, but the other nations have accepted a begrudging truce/alliance with them in this time of crisis. They do a lot of weird shit, like worship something called the "Red God" and obey only "the law of swords."

My champion is an Elephant-Beastman, a people normally regarded as being gentle giants, he's the black sheep among his people because he's a barbarian-warlord. Fifteen feet tall, eight tons, and hundreds of years of life-or-death martial struggle. He's very dangerous not because he's an unthinking brute, but has all of the intellectual and philosophical tendencies his people are known for, but has bent them toward warfare. To what end, none are sure.

His regiment are just called "Red Knights," a semi-ironic title. They swear oaths and practice bizarre (usually sacrificial) rituals in the name of their Red God. The only way to become a Red Knight is to kill your master that trained you, and then withstand the presence of the Red God, which is usually an ordeal that leaves one maimed for life. Their motto goes something like, "If it has a pulse, take its skull. If it builds a house, smash it flat. I will cut God to see if he bleeds, and if he fails me I will kill him too."

Thoughts?

@Dead Cruiser

Interesting. I was expecting to see savage tribesmen and barbarian tribes. It will be interesting to see how they'll fair in this last alliance of Etherean people.