A story driven fantasy with lore and story, political intrigue and much potential (similar to GoT) [LFM 18+]

[Krasnaya]

Feud of Kings

An old roleplay I was revisiting not too long ago and the more I read about it, for the first time in two years, I suddenly got an itch for it. So in case you're a fan of Game of Thrones, like medium level of fantasy elements in the story, like world building building and multiple characters, this might be it for you.

But first... About muah

If our writing chemistry matches, my imagination will have no limits. I am all for sitting down and discussing necessary details (not everything though, I feel like some things should be revealed in roleplay itself, since I love surprises and to surprise) and get into writing hyped and ready for whatever comes. So if we click like this, you have nothing to worry about. I'll literally get to you whenever I have the opportunity to do so. And this is exactly what I look for. If we don't click immediately, don't worry, I'm still your partner in crime who will be just as invested.

So you can expect a lot of writing, like several juicy paragraphs, but there are scenarios when shorter paragraphs would be the best choice. It all depends from scene to scene, sometimes forcing long and detailed paragraphs can kill the flow of the situation. So I follow my creative instinct on this. But one thing is for sure - you'll get nuanced replies from me. My goal is to never give you a situation where you'd feel you hit a brick wall. In case you do, talk to me. OOC conversation is very important to me and the key to keep our roleplay going.

The least I'll post is once a week. I admit I have busy work schedule and active social life, sometimes my energy can betray me. Either way, you'll be informed in case I cannot post that week.

All my stories have NSFW and erotic writing in it. My limits are mainly non-con/rape, sexual abuse and sexual related violence/mutilation. As for other details, ask me in the PM, I have an entire list.

My strong suit is character creation and development. I strive when writing action scenes, mental growth (or even regression depending on what is happening) and writing gut-wrenching emotional scenarios. One of my partners told me that I write the best scenes where I depict emotional pain and agony. You just gotta break my character to get me to that point, though.

I make side characters and give them depth... Don't worry about it, you'll never be the one pulling all the weight.

So yeah, if you think that we can do this, shoot me a message! I'd love to learn about you!

What I look for:

- Writers who understand the process of a slowburn in every sense. In plot, character development, relationships and other scenes, the build up is 70% good storytelling, so the reveal and climax feels like a big deal in every sense
- I don't need partners to match my level of dedication and effort, I just want people to put their own effort and spice into things
- Someone who is good at writing and executing mind games between characters would be preferable, but not outright necessary
- Someone who's more advanced in roleplaying and gives some quality posts and loves character development
- Discussing OOCly with me and keeping up the hype
- Writers comfortable with heavy and adult content as stated in my previous points about me

The plot

If you're looking for a partner where you can build a plot with lots of political intrigue with lots of secrets, character development in a low fantasy setting with active side characters being involved within the story, this might be the place for you to check. The theme is the princess being taken away by force from the king as a tool for the bargain against her own father. However, there's far more depth in this story than this short opening paragraph can lead on. For more information, please continue reading.

Note: I'm a big fan of humanoid/inhuman characters, I would actually PREFER this, so there's a (fantastical) racial conflict and issue with differences in society and such, so whoever makes this offer will have an upper hand. So your character doesn't need to be human. It can be a fantastical race of your own making.

I will personally choose to play a human, but in case you have a preference regarding the race, kingdom's culture, ethnicity, religion and way of life - know that it is entirely open for you to interpret it. So you have complete freedom in making the kingdom, their lifestyle and other aspects. I will do the same to stuff related to MC, as I already have everything settled. So yeah, I just wanted to express that I prefer the idea of YC being of another race altogether, because the theme of fantastical racial differences and possible conflict for that reason with MC being in an entirely different place is something I would be most excited about to explore.

I am also open to discuss the direction of the plot and other elements.

YC is a prince, though he is not the only child and he doesn't have to be necessarily the next in line to be the king, but among his brothers, he is well-versed in fighting. He can be the favorite son with a lot of pressure and high standards put on him, or he can be the problematic son who is rebellious and does things his own way despite what his parents want, it is entirely up for you to choose his position in the family. But he has a mission - his father, the king, has started a war with his old friend, another king that happens to be MC's father, for unclear reasons. True, there has been political tension in the past decade or so, but the decision to start a war was quite surprising. Still, nobody can deny king's orders, so his capable sons would be sent off to prove themselves worthy strategists and warriors/knights by conquering the kingdom. However, YC's father made it clear - don't kill the king. One can only be the true victor when the opposing party admits the defeat. There's no victory or honor killing a man by force - that is not the true display of power. And for a prince to bring a king to such a position would heavily boost YC's reputation and credibility in the eyes of his father and the people of his kingdom, as well.

MC is the oldest daughter and second oldest child in the family. Only getting along with her older brother and youngest sister, she hasn't been having too much luck in being accepted in father's kingdom, especially because of the way she looked and what it meant to her late mother's kingdom. Blood red hair and golden eyes were not common features one would find, but in the legends of her mother's kingdom, that was the pure bloodline of extinct dragons and MC is the last woman to have the features that indicated fiery blood, next to her living uncle. And living in cold north in her father's kingdom, she cannot fit in, especially not after her mother's death. Looking so much like his late wife, the king of the north cannot stand his daughter, seeing her as a form of an impostor. Rumors circulated within the castle walls that the king has gone mad, but no one ever confirmed it, given that the symptoms of his madness are unusual. Some even went as far as to blame magic, even though the existence of it is only a superstition.

With her dear older brother being the next in line to be the king and also a knight, he taught her swordfighting in secret, which was extremely frowned upon in the north for women to practice any type of fighting, however, little did she know it'll serve her great use...

When the kingdom is sieged by YC and his army, they will manage to break through and get to the castle to face the king after breaking down his defenses and force him to surrender. But this will be the first time the king will show some form of instability - he will throw his sons into a battle he knew will cost them their lives just so he doesn't admit defeat.

The oldest son steps in to fight YC to protect his own father, the two will match in with their power, but MC's brother will already be exhausted at this point and at a clear disadvantage. This is where MC will storm out with her own sword, without armor, to defend her brother with her life and spare him of their father's madness in mighty rage. YC realizing that he cannot kill the king, given that those were the orders, in the heat of the moment decides its best to (easily) defeat the inferior princess in a spar and take her away, with hopes that the king will drop the act there.

However, YC ends up dragging the angry princess away without the king even bothering to stop him and deciding to present her as an optional bargaining (perhaps even a blackmailing) tool against the king, given that her father would not admit defeat, even after he's been stripped off of everything. It should be easy, right? The king's army was defeated, the kingdom was left in ruin, he just needed to be pushed further in order to finally admit defeat. But things are not the way they seem.

YC could already be prepared for an engagement with another princess he had met in the past, which was done as a custom for the favor of the kingdom. However, as much as the two keep up the appearances, they simply do not seem to work as a couple, and are merely doing it for the favor of their kingdoms. Or perhaps the princess in question had caught feelings for YC, but he simply does not see her that way. Either way, the slowburn romance between our characters would eventually create drama in this scenario.

She's being held captive in YC's kingdom, how she would be treated there is open for interpretation. At first, MC will be absolutely furious with YC for doing what he's done to her, but also for hurting her brother. The princess is a woman with a vicious tongue and fiery anger, and with the position she is in, she's not pleasant to deal with (who would be?) Their dynamic is open for us to interpret. But also, while she is there, truths of their fathers' relationships and reasons to why this war was necessary to start in this way will unfold themselves. Truth about MC's bloodline and the mysteries behind her kingdom will slowly reveal themselves, as well as many other elements we wish to touch on and add! I am more than happy to discuss all the ideas for a very interactive and deep story!

Character sheets and locations

I have fairly detailed information on characters and locations relevant to the idea of the story that I have. I'll include it here.

Characters

Main character

Princess Regina (of the Embers) Elbritt

The second oldest child and the first daughter, Regina stood out from the rest of the family like a sore thumb, even more now with Medea, her mother dead. When a child is born with a striking red hair and golden eyes, it's been said by the people of the Harmodias Empire that the child was gifted the blood of the true royals, that being the ancient dragons that have been extinct for a time beyond counting or so the local legend says. And the mother of the child needs to look at the nearby source of fire and give the title of the newborn based on what she had seen. Regina was born as the fire in the room has died, but despite the coldness in the northern lands, the embers were very hot and they glowed in the dark corner like fiery eyes. And Medea knew that it was the correct name for her daughter.

After her mother's death, Regina's fire was killed by the verbal abuse of her father, King Hemmet, who was putting her down, restricting her rights and even at times locking her away. Nobody knew what got into the King and why he had such sudden anger towards his daughter, but many have accepted the possibility of Regina's rebellious behavior as the correct reason and the frustration the King has went through after his wife's death. Regina is severely unhappy in this cold, colorless land made of stone, deeply desiring to leave this place and go to Harmodias, her mother's kingdom and Regina's rightful home where she was promised to be the Queen, but Hemmet would strictly forbid it. And to this day, Regina mourns heavily after the Queen, being so out of her element and feeling homeless, Medea was the only source of love and warmth. And with nowhere else to find it, Regina's fire had died, but there the embers sat, they were too hot to touch and they glowed brightly... Should one be careless and poke the embers, a fire can be set. And Regina hated. Hated as she fed on her anger.

By personality, the best way to describe Regina, compared to her siblings who were mostly influenced by their father, is less reserved and quiet. Like the true royalty of southern kingdom of Harmodias, Regina is passionate, feisty, outspoken and charismatic, one would argue that she's manipulative and perceptive, very argumentative and would not back down from a fight that she cannot win. Regina has a way with words and body language, she always preferred to use her intuition and wit rather than learned discipline and silent calculation - table manners are present, but it's no secret that Regina can drink quite a bit. She has a lot of willpower and energy within her, but she's extremely stubborn and frustratingly so. Nobody can change her mind even if she's wrong and nobody can make her stay. And with the situation that she's currently in, the lifestyle that was forced upon Regina, it is severely damaging to her. And the more she's being pushed to a corner, the angrier she gets. Thirst for vengeance against her father is only growing stronger.

Side characters

Queen Medea (of the Wildfire) Pyristephes - Deceased

Beloved by the people, in the north it is not often that women get such recognition to the point where they're viewed separately from their male counterparts, but with the striking charm of the Harmodias manners and radiance, Medea easily won over the people of the Winthrope kingdom, just as she had won her husband's heart. Not only being seen as an exotic individual due to the nature of her royal bloodline, Hemmet was attracted to Medea due to how different she was to the people of the cold. But the truth was, it was simply how Medea was - she had a way to touch people's hearts with a warm smile and strong word. She was never a timid woman and that shows on Regina, too. Fire is bright and beautiful, but Medea was born during the wartime and wildfires, and people who have been present in such times show their thick skin and intelligence that they've acquired during the hard times. Medea was meant to be the light that attracted attention, but that made her just as dangerous. Winthrope was still a severely conservative country and to have a woman to sometimes overshadow her own husband started riots in the kingdom. Winthrope has went through hard times, and due to those violent protests, the resources fell flat to the point where even the royal family was at a disadvantage. And during those dark, yet short times, Medea has gotten ill.

She lived long enough to give birth to five beautiful children, shortly after giving birth to the last child, Medea passed away due to the difficult nature of her sickness and the pregnancy that has completely worn her off. It was a difficult time for both Winthrope and Harmodias, as they have made a large festival in the Queen's honor and burnt her body on a massive pyre that burned miraculously for an entire week or so, even in such a cold and cruel place. However, nothing was the same after Medea's death. Only then have things started to really change.

Medea had the most closeness with Regina out of all children, but she also was the one who raised their oldest child, Nicholas, more than Hemmet ever has.

King Hemmet Elbritt

One of the most respected Kings of Winthrope to date, Hemmet was a force to be reckoned with even in his teens. He was the youngest son among the three, practically left behind by his parents as they focused on the crown prince, Hemmet could not swallow the fact that he will be nothing more than just a delivery boy or a scout to his older brothers, and a lot of internalized anger built up within him. With the cold discipline of the north and burning desire to be the best, to challenge his brothers, Hemmet has relentlessly trained and studied - he was ridiculously intelligent for his own age and showed impressive physical strength and fortitude, he was still disregarded by the elders as the focus on training the crown prince for what is to come was what completely taken the attention away from young Hemmet.

In the Winthrope country, there were often raids on the villages outside of the kingdom, having been present when the scout spoke to one of the soldiers before even speaking to the King, Hemmet ran away from the castle and went to the armory where he stolen the armor and the sword and ran to the stables. The boy has left the comfort of the castle and went into the battlefield before his time, especially because this was more than just a raid - the barbarians have struck the hardest they ever had, making an alarmingly perfect ambush and trapping the soldiers. The present sergeant recognized the boy in the midst of bloodshed and in panic protecting him with his life. But Hemmet saw this as an opportunity now that he's recognized to order the men in hopes to boost their morale. It was an unexpectedly hard battle, soldiers always underestimating the barbarians being the biggest reason, hence why they came ill prepared, even if Hemmet didn't know what he was doing, the bravery in the youngest present soldier was recognized and praised loudly.

This is what made Hemmet want to challenge his older brothers. To his luck, the second brother, who has been ill since birth, has failed to survive the long, cold winter, which pleased Hemmet, having no love for his siblings whatsoever. And once he had gotten older and had the arranged engagement with beautiful Medea, he challenged his brother, who was just a mere week away from being crowned, to a duel at a large feast with the noble circles present. The man never turned down a fight, both intoxicated and hating one another, they had a public duel for everyone to see. But due to the intoxicated state and deep seeded anger, Hemmet failed to control himself when his brother injured him and Hemmet didn't see anything anymore. He decapitated his brother before everyone. If Hemmet wasn't the only remaining son of the royal blood, he would've been publicly executed for this act. This stained his relationship with his parents indefinitely, but that mattered little, if at all, to Hemmet. He was feared and he showed his power. And with age, he turned that fear into respect, making him a powerful authoritarian figure.

After his wife's death, however, Hemmet stopped feeling like himself. He loved that woman more than he had loved life. She was beyond his pride. Beyond his ego. She was more than he could ever be, yet he saw her as an extension of himself, a part of him, his true other half. And with that, he lost a part of himself, which made the man look older than he truly is. Everyone now felt like a threat to him, potential traitors and bastards who would stick a knife into his back. But seeing Regina, being the spitting image of his woman, would bring out the indescribable rage within Hemmet. She was an impostor. She cannot be Medea. How dare she?

Hemmet firmly believes that she needs to be put back in her place. And everyone else. Using the reputation and power he holds, Hemmet has turned tyrannical and it was not among his people - he did this to both the nearby kingdoms and even allies in the subtlest of ways. Something within the man snapped and no one can tell what it was. Hemmet is unpredictable, yet calculating and plotting, his blue eyes seeing everything and more. He can snap at someone for no reason in the deaf stillness, scaring the daylights out of people. Hemmet was feared before for his skill and smarts, but now that he has snapped, he's more dangerous than ever.

Prince Nicholas Elbritt

The oldest of the five and the Crown Prince, Nicholas has picked up the looks of Hemmet's father, with dark hair and facial features, while still having the icy cold blue eyes of Hemmet. Nicholas is seen as a prime example among the younger generations of Winthrope, his reputation goes far and wide - he's an honorable and loyal knight, skilled and handsome. Boys and men look up to him, while women yearn for him, Nicholas is, ironically, the golden child of the Elbritt lineage. He is loyal to a fault, brave, yet quiet. Most Princes and Knights his age are known to be quite confident and cocky, but Nicholas hasn't been comfortable in his own skin after Medea has died, not after watching his father lose his grip on reality and seeing his little sister suffer for it. He is extremely protective over Regina, countless times has he stood in between Hemmet and her to prevent the woman from getting hurt any more. He has formed a bond after Medea's death with Regina that can only be severed by death itself and the two would be ready to give their lives for each other.

Nicholas has shown his intelligence when strategizing with the experienced generals, in fighting he's even more efficient and the more people watched him, the more he seemed like young Hemmet, but without the bloodthirst and violence his father had. Nicholas has a strong sense of justice and honor, seeing the innocent harmed pained his heart. And because of the way that Nicholas is, he has hard time fighting for his father, but he would never in his life break his word.

The only person he truly looks up to is Medea, having lived longer than all of his siblings, he got to remember and know more for the woman that she was, and no story can truly do her justice. Part of Nicholas hopes that Regina, once she gets her own justice that she deserves, will become more like Medea and not bloodthirsty and mad like their mad father.

Prince Benedict Elbritt

A year younger than Regina, Benedict has always been in a strange position where he had all the attention he wanted, but is also severely underestimated when he stood next to Nicholas. History seemed to repeat itself - the parent only paid attention to the oldest child of the family due to their position. Out of all children and looking at the personality, Benedict was most like his father - crass, confident, egotistical, daring, but very damn good at what he does. Public appearance was always the same, showing the cold stature and discipline, but by nature, he's everything his father was. While Nicholas is that distant dream for women, no matter how much they want his attention, Nicholas looked elsewhere, Benedict took full pleasure in taking those women to "convert" them from Nicholas onto himself. He took great pleasure in putting Nicholas down whenever he could, and having arguments with Regina whenever she's in a bad mood was his favorite hobby. It was like Nicholas and Regina were two different people - Benedict took the other three siblings under his wing, whispering and turning them away from the two older siblings.

Benedict enjoys being in the center of attention and he can be quite theatrical when he no longer needs to keep up the appearance. Hemmet sees him as young as reckless as he was in his young age, but sees him unfitting, even though Benedict is a skilled fighter, nobody compared to Nicholas. Regina, on the other hand, absolutely hates Benedict, because he's always been the one to add salt to her wounds, even going to speak ill of their mother, just to provoke a reaction out of her. Nicholas had his fair share of fights with Benedict, both in training and ones out of anger and frustration, but he never hated Benedict. Such indifference drove the golden-haired man, which only makes him want to dig at Nicholas further.

Benedict suffers from the lack of parental attention, hence why he's acting so recklessly. He never saw Medea as his mother. She always held Regina and Nicholas, but him? He always came later. And Benedict didn't want to forget that. He still wants to be a King and not just a general in the army, even though he gets morbidly excited at the thought of battlefields and bloodshed.

Prince Tavros Elbritt

Out of all the siblings, Tavros is the most stand-offish because of his personality. He's representing everything that the Winthrope stands for - reserved nature, cold intelligence and strict discipline. But he was unlucky enough to be born with the same disease as Hemmet's older brother. His condition left Tavros frail and with bad immunity to colds and sicknesses, but he's been standing tall. Unlike the other two brothers, Tavros cannot fight. Instead, he's armed himself with knowledge and logic, his condition has made him severely apathetic and detached from emotions. Hemmet values the intelligence that Tavros has, and despite being in his teens, the young son has been an invaluable asset, if nothing but a hard critic against any plans made by Hemmet and the others.

Despite Benedict's efforts to turn him against Nicholas and Regina, Tavros is severely disinterested in any form of emotional commitment or thought process. He's seen often with Benedict because he is dragging Tavros around and using his smarts, otherwise being so quiet and disinterested in other people, Tavros doesn't form any relationships whatsoever. Just as much as he could be a valuable asset to any situation, Tavros is incredibly unreliable, because of his apathetic nature and having no sense of loyalty whatsoever. If he sees fit to push someone off the cliff, he would do that, be that a family member or an enemy, people don't understand Tavros' thought process and he's the unknown that unnerves them.

Princess Lorelai Elbritt

The youngest out of all children and below 15, Lorelai has yet to understand the complex nature of her family, let alone the world. The blonde-haired girl is pretty like a doll, innocent and playful, she is being raised by nana to be the timid lady that Regina failed to be. With such features, she is meant to be Winthrope's classic Princess to inspire other women of the kingdom on how to think and behave, Lorelai on the other hand yearns for spring and just wants to play.

Even though everyone behaves in her presence, Lorelai has seen bad things a couple of times, that mostly being Nicholas and Benedict fighting, Hemmet yelling Regina and Regina breaking into tears behind closed doors which nobody else got to see, this has slowly been staining the innocence of the young girl.

She's being spoiled by Benedict who is very protective over her and Hemmet showing more gentle nature towards the youngest, Lorelai feels the most love for Regina, being the only true feminine hand of warmth and familial love. While Regina doesn't show it openly, seeing the acts of gentleness as weakness, whenever she spends time with her sister, Regina is warm and affectionate, giving her the love Medea should be giving her daughter. Lorelai has the same spot in Regina's heart as Nicholas, although she is extremely worried what will happen when this young and innocent child grows up.

Location - Winthrope

Kingdom of Winthrope

This is the location where the roleplay would start.



A fortified kingdom in the north, surrounded by the evergreen forests and high mountains, veiled in snow like brides, Winthrope is a fort more than it is a kingdom. Most residential buildings, including some of the shops, look more lived in, with warmer colors and wooden structures. But the rest of the kingdom is mostly made out of the grey stone, including the castle which is actually a massive stronghold. The climate doesn't help to make this place feel any more lively - nearly the entirety of the year in Winthrope is spent in cloudy endless hours, cold winds, incredibly heavy rains during spring and autumn, and the winter lasts two months longer in this area, the snow easily can reach the knee height. Summers can be bright and pleasant, unfortunately that is only for two, barely three months. To say that this place is uncomfortable is an understatement and it reflects against the people of Winthrope.

Winthrope is a fairly visited kingdom, especially during the winter when travellers and traders need to stay somewhere. The winters in this part of the world are incredibly cruel and not fit for travel and whatever unprepared fool dares to tread the north without at least two sets of fur and enough resources to drag after themselves will surely be taken by the night and the snow, if not by the hungering wolves who are just waiting for any breathing prey to come out of the corner. Other times of the year, the visitors who come to see the kingdom for what it is, would find it quite disappointing that there's not much there to see - except for the impressive fortified wall and architecture of the castle.

Brief History

Winthrope is easily known for its conquering and military strategies, the cold discipline shows on these people and it reflects in their history, as well. They're known to be better at offensive strategies when reigning hell upon their enemies, but it's typically the element of surprise that tends to really trick the Winthrope forces and that's where all the losses originate from. The soldiers are trained to follow the pattern and plan, but once that is stripped away from them and they do not have plan B, they're at a disadvantage.

This is what happened to a good number of conquered towns and villages that were under the Winthrope's grip, which resulted with King's anger and more wars. Winthrope has seen plenty of bloodshed and it will be bathing in blood for years to come, because it has always been a King's code to be stubborn and never allow someone to just take what is his.

Structure of the kingdom

There are three wall circles and sections within the kingdom - the first circle is right at the entrance through the first fortified wall and this is where the hard security resides, as well as the barracks, where soldiers are attending their training and switch their shifts. They're walking on the walls, patrol through the rest of the kingdom and keep an eye out. This is also where the homeless and the poor live, in the dark corners and oppressed by the guard. Their life is miserable and short, unfortunately. The second circle is the city and commoner area, where all the markets and shops are present, typically during the summer and spring they're displayed outside which brings more life to the place. All the inns, taverns and more interesting spots are present in this circle. The third and final circle is the area where the noble houses and castle is located, commoners are not allowed to cross those gates except for Sundays or other festive events so the people go to the church. It is definitely the nicest area in Winthrope, overall it is nothing spectacular, aside the architecture of the castle and the church.

Outside of the massive fortified walls of the kingdom, are plenty of farms, which are the lifeblood of the kingdom, they bring the crops, the fur, the milk, the meat and the wood. All of them are closed during the long winter.

Lifestyle, occupation and style

The people of Winthrope hardy, stubborn and hard-working people who tend to mind their own business. They're far from a pleasant bunch, they can be quite crass, not outright rude, but not easy to hold a conversation with. Winthrope people will understand each other perfectly, but if you're an outsider, you will not be spared the unwelcome stares and rude presence. Most of the lives of these people are spent working and fighting the odds against the weather. Truth be told, hardly anything can move these people and they will never hide the fact that they really dislike the outsiders. Especially those who lead different lifestyles or come from different cultures. They are not open-minded and one should never expect acceptance from the people of Winthrope.

However, inns and taverns of Winthrope are the most colorful and cheerful places to visit, with large fireplaces around which the most of the positives come from. These places are always filled with banter, bards and songs, including some bar fights, where betting is not so out of the ordinary, a common working class man can always use a gold or two extra during his off work day.

Most men of Winthrope, if they're not soldiers or guards, are farmers, lumberjacks, smiths, hunters and builders. While trade is considered very important, nothing will be accomplished if it weren't for these people.

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Beliefs and religion

Winthrope is a conservative country where the best appearances in the public is what matters more than what happens in the comforts of one's home - god forbid any scandals come out of those doors, otherwise you've prepared yourself a social suicide. Being raised by the cold and none-too-loving embrace of the cold north, discipline and full control over one's life - be it a life of a lowlife or life of a noble - is more important than anything. And this type of behavior is expected out of men, who are seen as the main pillars of the society and the superiors in all contexts, women are seen as lesser, even though the same standards of discipline and full control over themselves is far more stricter.

Women need to dress in a way where they don't reveal anything past the collarbones (even though showing collarbones is only allowed among the nobles and higher ups,) they must wear layered clothing and must not in any way act liberally, compared to men who are obligated to show their discipline and capabilities, women are expect to stand back, support their men and keep quiet.

When it comes to their religion, they are monotheistic, the people believe in one creator, and only one god, that their lives and well-being is in the hands of this all creator. All the societal standards and rules are heavily implied in this religious way of life, where only men are the priests, while women can only occasionally be the dutiful sisters where a feminine touch is needed. Winthrope does not have an open mind and they do not welcome other and opposing views. The cathedral that is in the third circle of the kingdom easily rivals the architecture of the castle, with it's massive arches and columns, being the most important place of Winthrope where every man and woman on Sundays are obligated to visit, pay their respects to their creator and cleanse themselves of all sins.

Those who do not do this will be seen as a possible threat to the society, their faith questioned and as well as their loyalty to their King.

Location - Harmodias

Harmodias Empire wouldn't be a location we'd play in until a later point, however the lore of the empire is quite interesting and somewhat important in the grand scheme of things

Locations

Harmodias Empire

Far in the south, tucked behind the mountains and resting on the coastal area, is the beautiful kingdom of white stone known as Harmodias Empire. It is not an easily accessed place, given that it was built on the mountain levels, close to the sleeping volcano called Harmonia. In order to access Harmodias, one would have to travel for a month at least (longer, depending from where one is traveling,) given that the path is quite steep, but it would take far less time with a ship, given that there's an access to the docks. The climate always between crisp and clean. Mornings can be chilly, especially for those who live on the elevated parts of the town on the mountain, but after the noon, it is quite warm, with the sea breeze blowing through the streets, while in the elevated areas the air is fresher, albeit not as warm as it is on the coastal area. They tend to be hit by hurricanes once or twice a year, but only the villages higher up in the mountains tend to be exposed to a bit of snow during the winter months, but it never lasts. In Harmodias, it's never exactly cold.

However, one does not go to Harmodias to simply visit and sightsee. The first reason is that they would have to pay quite a lot of money for the privilege to be there and the second reason is that the Harmodias people aren't quite trustworthy of the outsiders in their own space. It is a known fact that there is not a lot of Harmodias denizens leaving their home to live elsewhere. These people in general were known to be quite open, warm and welcoming. But given the connection the people have to Harmodias, outsiders are always seen as the potential threat or uneducated people who don't know how to respect their home. Most people who got to see Harmodias are political figures (allies of the Emperor and the Empire), rich travellers and merchants. All who came to Harmodias would fondly speak of the beauty of the city, the many impressive statues gracing the streets, the colorful bazaar alleyways and the beautiful views of the sea and mountains alike.

Brief History

The history of Harmodias has oddly enough followed the very root of the name of the city itself, that being harmony. This Empire is not known for military power, but it was the location that makes this place hard to reach and also because of the unique resources.

They have only been hit once by the war several decades ago, which has resulted in a wildfire that has reached the people of Harmodias. It was one of the most important events of the city, and it was when Medea was born, in the heat of the growing flames that threatened to consume the entire city.

Structure of the kingdom

Harmodias has different villages: one fishermen's and one farmer's, three miner's villages on different levels of the mountain and one outsider's village who are further away from the mountainous area, but it's where the security post is located with ready scouts to rush to the heart of Harmodias to announce someone's arrival on the land.

They have a large temple close to the coastal area that is dedicated to the gods of elements and it also serves as a city hall. The biggest building is the royal temple higher up on the elevated parts of the city, as a sign that gods should always be closer and interact with the people, while royalty is obligated to be above and look after the people they have sworn to protect.

Lifestyle, occupations and style

The main thing that makes this Empire as famous as it is is their trades and resources. Harmodias is known for their excellent trades and resources that one cannot find so easily. Especially when it comes to their fabrics. They offer the most colorful silks with golden threading for both men and women to wear, including metals that were mined out from the volcano area that have strange shifts in color, different types of gemstones and constant supply of fish.

They live openly and freely compared to some other kingdoms, where societal rules aren't exactly restricting because of genders, instead of it gives them different benefits. Female traders are far more desired by the funders and a charismatic bartender will be respected like a noble lady would be if she does her job correctly. Men are still desired to be the warriors and do most labor work, but they're the most successful brokers and support women in their occupations, as are women expected to do the same. There is no tension between the genders, even though there's a slight preference for women leading the finances.

The clothing mostly consists of long flowy and layered clothing, and colors are all the rage in Harmodias. White is worn by the priests and priestesses in the temple. Golden embroidery and threading is very common in clothing, so are sandals. Those who leave on higher ranges of the kingdom tend to wear more layers and fur, if they're successful farmers, given that farming is not an exactly common practice in Harmodias. It is mostly something that they get from trades with other kingdoms, including the wood.

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Beliefs and religion

Harmodias is easily known as the land of storytellers, myths and legends that seem to only live on with these people. They speak of all kinds of creatures and mystical people who are the reason why the world is the place that it is today. It always bore a certain type of mysticism with them.

Despite living relatively close to the sea and not being too far from the cold mountainous area, fire has more meaning than any other element among these people. The fire cleanses, purges, transforms and sends into the mystical land. The wildfire that nearly has consumed the city of Harmodias was marked as the day when the god of fire and god of death decided that they needed the souls back in the spirit realm before the large awakening that would change the fates of everyone involve. Indeed, it was a tragic time, but the Harmodias people nearly have seen this as a message from the gods above and below.

They have several festivals in a year, all including the presence of fire one way or another. All funerals are happening publicly with dressed bodies placed comfortably on the stacked dry wood with sentimental belongings for them to carry in the spirit realm to reunite with the gods and ancestors. This also includes the death penalties of criminals. Everyone present will gather to watch the person be burned alive at the pyre. Denizens never speak ill of those, they all need to reunite with the original place where they come from. The indescribable pain of being burnt alive is seen as a necessary process. Few haven't cried as they're being consumed by the flames and the people remember those names. People have the right to announce that they don't want to live anymore in this realm - public suicides are only encouraged if the person states valid reasons and these volunteers will be escorted from this life with love and support, wishing them well in reuniting with the gods and ancestors.

There are many massive torches across the kingdoms that are lit up every time the sun goes down, illuminating the city. The sun is a fiery orb that brings the light and fire, nights are dark and cold, and the people of Harmodias feel very uncomfortable without the presence of the fire.

Aside from that, the people are polytheistic, and they believe that for every element and earthly trait, there's a divine being responsible for the existence of these things that work in their own way. Whenever something terrible happens, it's the gods having these cosmic conflicts. But when nothing is happening, that must mean that everything is in harmony. If there's a miracle that graces the world, Harmodias will jokingly say that the gods have a courting or courting (intimate one) with each other and that it bears fruit.

The sleeping volcano is named after the first dragon and royal ancestor ever to exist, and her name was Harmonia. It has been said that the volcano is where it was the main resting place for all ancestor dragons. Dragons are believed to be the the direct bloodline to the Pyristephes - the founders and royalty of Harmodias. While not all of them had these physical traits, some sons and daughters of the royal bloodline were born with blood red hair and golden eyes, just like Harmonia, whose scales were blood red and her eyes golden like the sun. They're considered to be the true heirs to the throne and every blood haired and golden eyed royalty needed to produce children until they have the same traits, for only they can sit upon the throne, be they male or female.

Political situation

Currently on the throne sits Medea's brother, Mateos (the Ignited) Pyristephes, with the same royal traits, who has been wounded during the war, which left him unfit to have a child, though he did marry for political reasons, him and his wife have adopted six children. The true heir to the throne is, after all, Regina (of the Embers), being the one born with the traits that would be validated only by the people of Harmodias.

Temple and castle