Introduction
In the far north of the world lies the Vale of Daka-Gorn. It is a frontier of deep woods and wild rivers, encircled by high mountains to the east, west and north, and by the sea in the south. The Vale lies far from the realms and great empires of the world, and has only recently been settled by mankind. Other creatures have lived here since ancient times, from the secretive elves of the treetop villages to the suspicious dwarves of the underground mines, as well as all manner of beasts and monsters; orcs, goblins, ogres, gnolls, and worse.
There are three human cities in the Vale; Kari-Mar by the sea, ruled by a league of Merchant Princes, Korros Tor in the eastern riverlands, ruled by the King Benetzaron and his knights, and Mor Kadar in the utmost north, ruled by the Witch-Queen Arkan and her spellblades. Between these lie villages and farmsteads, each contested by the rulers of the cities in endless border skirmishes and raids. All avoid war for fear of upsetting the balance, but the peace is frail.
In the middle of the Vale lies Crossroads Keep, a settlement that once began as a popular inn for weary travelers, that since has expanded into a fortified hub of commerce. Here rules the Lord Host Netzcaro, a shrewd inn keeper turned noble, who has his fingers in more pies than most can count.
People come to the Vale for many reasons. Some flee war, persecution, or the law. Others seek fame, riches, or a new beginning. Some, however, seek to unravel the mystery of the Daka-Gorn; an ancient civilization whose ruins now dot the wilderness of the Vale. Not much is known about them, and neither the dwarves or the elves have much to say. It is said that heir ruins are haunted, filled with horrid shadows, monsters, and worse. It is however also said that incredible treasures and forgotten knowledge can be won by those who dare brave the darkness of the tombs and dungeons.
The Game
Welcome! In this game, you will take on the roles of a few adventurers who brave the wilds of the Vale in search of treasure, glory, or the chance of a new beginning. There will be quests, dungeons, dangers, mystery and intrigue and, most importantly - hopefully - fun! This is a tale of high adventure, medieval sword and sorcery at its best, with everything that entails.
I'm looking for that special feeling that comes with exploring a strange faraway land, delving into unknown dungeons, uncovering magical mysteries, and fighting for your life against marauding orcs or murderous ogres. Comedy, horror, tragedy, love and other themes have their place here, too, but always within the concept of High Adventure. That concept (that is, the narrative) always comes first.
We were originally going to use the Fate system for this game, but have since reconsidered. We will however use the guiding principle of Fate while we play; banking "points" from failures or from letting your character complicate situations, to use in extraordinary circumstances of difficulty or danger where an extra level of success in necessary. There won't be an official counter or anything like that, but I'd like all players to keep this in mind while writing - to make the story more dynamic and enhance the experience for all involved.
As there were quite a few players in the Interest Check, I will give them precedence before admitting new players. If you're interested in participating anyway, let me know in the thread and I'll put you on a waiting list.
Characters
Every character will begin the game just having stepped of a ship in the bustling port of Kari-Mar. The hows and why's of this I'll leave to you, but it is important to note that this is your characters first visit to the Vale. And, yes, you will all have been on the same ship. As such, you may have developed relations to the other characters in the story even before we begin. I leave it to you to discuss that in the OOC.
Create your character by filling in the character sheet below. If you have any questions about races, magic or anything else in the game world, just ask in the OOC and we'll discuss it!
Once you've submitted a character sheet I'll either accept it right away, or discuss aspects of it that I want changed or clarified. Once accepted, I'll move your sheet to the character roster and you're all set to participate!
In closing
As always, if you have any questions or thoughts about the game, the setting, or anything else that you feel I can help you with, don't hesitate to write in the OOC. Let's have a fun and rewarding experience together!
