[OOC] Americhronism [Medieval Post Apocalypse]

[Card]

My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
- Percy Bysshe Shelley, "Ozymandias"

America has long since collapsed, as has the rest of the world. The ancient super power has been quartered: with pestilence goes the growth, with conquest the spoils, with war the glory, and with death the life. Kings, cults, and tribes wriggle in the flyblown corpse. The carrion crows seek to pick clean the meat and leave the bones of the past behind them.

However, the Fates will not leave the past so easily buried. Where men see kings and paupers, pastors and killers, the Fates see colonists. Those that the Fates have blessed will inherit the land of the past and build the nation of the future. Be wary, pilgrim; while the Fates bestow the boat, the wind and the sea are beyond their weave. It will be up to you to make it across the Atlantic.

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Less Pretentious Introduction

Welcome to the Americhronism RP! This RP takes place long after the mysterious and abrupt destruction of the United States and the collapse of the world. No one's sure how we got here, but everyone thinks they have a clue. What is now North America has been divided into a few independent nations and several city states that are now at constant odds with one another. The city states have adapted what little buildings are well preserved enough to be used for their own purposes; the advancement of technology has fallen back severely, indicating that it has been longer than anyone could have imagined. Guns have given way to makeshift swords, bows, and other unconventional weapons fashioned from the rubble of one of history's most powerful nations.

This RP will not be like other RPs: you will not be strung along a sequence of events. You will not be sent on a quest while your characters grumble about whatever along the way. The sequence of events in the RP is malleable, even breakable. Your characters will be major participants in the state of the world around them, and this will be made possible using the Fate system. More information in the Fate section.

Your characters will enter at the wedding of King Dowager Pompey to Princess Julia, effectively making Pompey the new king and deposing the old one. At this wedding, Pompey will announce great plans for the Kingdom of Albany, and anyone of importance and many of unimportance will attend. More information in People and Places.

The Fate System

Before you will be able to write a character sheet, you must PM me and request a Fate. Fates are very vague characteristics that will be applied to your character that you may have to design them around, though they should be vague enough where they aren't obtrusive. These Fates give your character an exceptional talent, circumstance, or even item that will give them the power and influence, either directly or indirectly, to participate in the world's affairs while giving them an avenue of conflict and motivation. While you may have your character follow the sequence of events as much as you'd like, there will be unique sets of events that will happen to your character that will lead your character on their own path.

I have designed about twenty possible Fates, and I may add more (as this RP has replayability). Now, here's the part you need to listen too:

Do not, I repeat, do not tell anyone your character's Fate. When I begin to introduce hiders that contain content only for a specific character, DO NOT open their hiders unless given permission from me that you can screenshot to do so. NO ONE should know your character's Fate. If you break any of these rules, and I find out about it, you will be kicked out (as will anyone who told you their Fate), and I may be inclined to restart the entire RP. Don't fucking do it.

Skill System

There's going to be a very basic skill system that you will include in your character's sheet. There are three tiers of skills: Common, Uncommon, and Exceptional. Common is very basic competence with a skill. Not impressive, but enough to make some use of if your character needs to. Uncommon skills are skills that one has been educated in and trained to use proficiently, and an Exceptional skill is a skill that your character has actively honed to be exceptional at. If you consider your character's proficiency in a skill "in between" (better than Uncommon but not Exceptional), then it will count as the lower tier. Starting from the bottom up, you may have any number of Common skills. Come up with whatever you like as a skill. You may have up to five Uncommon skills, but if you have three or more Uncommon skills, your character will be limited to ten Common skills. Exceptional skills will be represented by an asterisk next to an Uncommon skill. Exceptional is equal to exceptional talent, so you may only have one. If you have one, you will be limited to four Uncommon skills, counting the Exceptional, and seven Common skills.

Fate takes precedence over your character's skills. Don't be upset if your character is an Exceptional tier speaker but is outdone by someone who doesn't have it listed on their character sheet (though they really should have it) and that is their Fate. However, you won't be able to know that's their Fate for certain (but if they're better than an Exceptional tier speaker, you can infer that). Point being, whoever the Fates dictate has done better has done better. You must accept it. Do not argue with me over who does better than anyone else.

Kingdom of Albany

The Kingdom of Albany encompasses the entirety of the Northeast as far South as Virginia and as far West as West Virginia. The Kingdom of Albany is divided into territories that mostly align with the states that make up the area, with each being headed by a Lord that reigns in their capital cities. Those of Albany or anywhere else in New York often refer to themselves as "Romans" for the presence of a small town named Rome in New York that they believe to be the Rome of legend.

The Kingdom is known for rich urban life with the abundance of ruins of old cities, but in fact many less fortunate areas must bear the brunt of the agricultural burden. Crafters, finding an abundance of materials in the ruins of cities, make their best living in the Kingdom of Albany, salvaging anything they can find to make armor, weapons, clothing, tableware, furniture, or anything else.

The Kingdom is currently ruled by King Dowager Pompey, who has oft taken the place of the true King in his absence. The true King, whose name is currently forbidden to be spoken under the Dowager, often prefers to lead military major military campaigns personally as a legendary military leader. Those of the Kingdom of Albany often refer to him as "The Wanderer" for his tendency to leave the throne unattended, or "The Wrathful" for his warlike and stern demeanor. The true King was truly a King if ever there was one, but it has taken him an exceptionally long time to return from this campaign. The time has come and pass for speculation of his return, for it has been for too long for it to be possible for him to return. In both mourning and celebration, the King Dowager is set to humbly take the Wanderer's daughter in marriage and thereby the permanent throne.

The Darkmen of the Underhalls

The Darkmen of the Underhalls are a mysterious people that mostly live underground in the subway tunnels that run across the United States. They are mainly concentrated in and under New York City, but no one but they are certain how far their domain spreads. Many speculate that it is across the entire continent, but surely that's not possible... right?

The infamous King Under the Mountains is also renowned militarily. Many understandably speculate that he simply is unmatched in his natural territory, the enclosed spaces of the mysterious tunnels. Whatever it is, no one has dared attempt to take the Underhalls, nor would anyone seem to want to. They're mysterious, inexplicable stone tunnels that sprawl infinitely in all directions; what could they possibly provide? The people of the Underhalls often come up to collect supplies and conduct trade, but the vast majority of their people live very happily and well underground. It seems they know something others don't.

The Underhalls are strangely loyal to a King that keeps them underground; many of the King Under the Mountains' subjects are poor people from other countries. Many see the Underhalls as a place of refuge for them. Whatever the Underhalls are and whatever the Darkmen are doing, it keeps them loyal to their King, and they have been undisturbed for hundreds upon hundreds of years.

The Gauls

The Gauls were and are a collection of tribes residing in the vast woodlands of what was Southeast Canada. Largely consisting of Northern and Western "Canadians" that moved Southeast, their ancestors had no ability to read the mostly French that they found in Southeastern Canada. They managed to preserve a mostly pure dialect of English, and when the Magisters got to them or they raided cities and found a library, some of them became educated, and eventually a higher social class was formed. The scholarly community of the tribals eventually concluded that where they lived was once called France, managing to identify the French in the ruins of great cities.

The educated then learned of Gaul, a place that contended with a nigh unstoppable entity, Rome. They saw the ruined cities of "France," for all its architectural glory, fallen in disrepair and abandonment, while they read of the enigmatic Gallic Druids. France began to represent the failure of the Old World, while the ancient and fantastical Gaul, filled with spirits and mysticism, became the new ideal. Using whatever material was available, they constructed their own religion and political system based off of the Gauls, and now they stand as a vast threat to the Kingdom of Albany. Tensions rise between them; the Albanians see them as outsiders, and the Gauls see them as a stepping stone to glory.

The Gauls are still mostly separate tribes, each headed by a council of Druids. However, in recent times, a charismatic leader, Vercingetorix, united the various tribes of Southeastern Canada after a time of horrible inner turmoil. The Gauls, led by the Vercingetorix, who is rumored to be allied with the forces of nature, are a rising entity intent on rising higher.

Land of a Thousand Kings

The Land of a Thousand Kings consists of the Northern Midwest, all East of the Mississippi River. The land extends as far East as Ohio, as far West as Illinois, and as far South of the Southern tip of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. The area consists of independent city states that band together in times of war. They are traditionally warlike, but they became incapable of conquering one another permanently. The city states are centered around the major cities of the Midwest, such as Chicago, St. Louis, and Indianapolis. Although they are starkly different from one another, they have vowed to unite whenever either the Memphites or Albanians attempt to attack them. The area is believed to be unconquerable.

From this area the majority of animals are farmed and raised, and agricultural life is second only to the Free Lands. Each city state is known for their exceptional use of cavalry and horses and seafaring across the Great Lakes. This unrivaled ability to travel is the key to their ability to defend one another in times of war, and never has any of the major city states been conquered for more than a few months before being retaken. From hives of culture and education to beastly masters of war, the Land of a Thousand Kings is varied, but never have they failed to come together.

The Memphites

The Memphites consist of the South that is East of the Mississippi. The Postumite religion has the area firmly gripped, driving the area religiously, culturally, and politically. They may be the most active people architecturally; they have built enormous, black pyramids on slave labor, the material largely salvaged from the ruins of cities. These obelisks, called necropoleis, house their noble dead or serve as monasteries for Postumite monks or temples. Their bannermen carry black banners alongside the banner of their kingdom.

The Memphite Empire is led by Emperor Lee, advised and equaled by the Postumus Maximus, who is sure to lend his spiritually guided political opinion to the Emperor. Tensions rise between the modest Emperor Lee and his fanatic advisor, who insists on shoving his fingers in everything that the Emperor does.The Postumite involvement in the affairs of the Empire have given it a rich unity and culture that it never had before; its warriors dress in frightening ebony armor and clothing, while its buildings reflect the dark nihilism present in Postumite doctrine. Division is clear between the lay people of the Memphite Empire and the nobles that embrace Postumism, though one would be crazy to test the mettle of the Empire in war. While a bubbling pot of political and religious tension, the Memphite Empire, having the largest landmass and population, are not to be trifled with.

The Free Lands

The Free Lands are a largely agricultural land between the Rockies and the Mississippi. It consists of small, fledgling city states that dot the area, but the land is so open that most anyone can start a village, farm, or other shelter there and live peacefully. War is possible, but with the city states being so small and scarce and the land being so open, its difficult for anyone to find one another for battle. It's a land of mystery where anyone and anything can be found, and those that are not savvy travelers may find themselves trapped there... or somewhere else.

The Westernelles, The Westerlands

The Westerlands, called by the locals the Westernelles, consist of the West coast and everything West of the Rockies. Being so far from the lands East, the West is shrouded in mystery. It is filled with opulence and extravagance, and it's exotic goods and trinkets that make their way to the East reflect it. Many stories sprout in the East about the lands in the West, and for all anyone knows, they could be true. It boasts wondrous cities and buildings, including the Spire of Babylon and Vega, the City Alight. Little is understood about its political structure; the prominent opinion is that its government is the color that their travelling merchants wear: gold.

While few know the mysteries of the West, and peasants may have never heard of it, some tanned merchants make their way East to sell their wares, and other, more mysterious travelers seem to come and go of their own accord. Few wish to make the arduous journey from the East to the West, but those that make the journey confirm that it is as exotic as the stories say, though the stories can never capture the glittering gold that lines the cities. Those that return find themselves going back and back again before they never bother returning.

Postumites

The Postumites unknowingly come from Southern Protestant Christianity. The belief that the end of civilization hundreds upon hundreds of years ago was the Rapture evolved into Postumism, the belief that death is now all that matters and that it is time to stop struggling against the god that abandoned them. The core beliefs of Christianity have been forgotten and abandoned, and in their place came a reverence for death and preparation for the afterlife.

Postumite clergyman abandon their names and adopt their rank. They denounce the physical world and find beauty in self harm, mutilation, and suicide. Doing so is a surrender to God, recognizing him as the victor in the conflict between man and God, and reflects hope that they may be taken back into the fold of the holy. Despite these beliefs, many Postumite clergyman have been rumored to defy these beliefs, living in comfort and inviting people of ill repute to share a bed with them. Most of all, murder sanctioned by the Postumite church is seen as the most celebrated act, and peasants cry of individuals being singled out and abducted by the Postumite church.

While many see the men in black as mindless fanatics, the stranglehold on the Memphite Empire is a testament to their influence, and one would be hard pressed to find someone to say so to their hooded faces.

The Magisters

The Magisters are dedicated to education and preservation of what little literature and knowledge still remains in destroyed America. They are centered around places of intellectual and cultural importance. Many families send their second or third sons to the Magisters to undergo any intellectual profession, though the Magisters are lacking in the sciences (as is the whole world). If the parents truly never want to see them again, they're sent to the Magisters to become Magisters. Magisters often become advisers to Lords in the Kingdom of Albany and sometimes in the city states of the Land of a Thousand Kings. Most of them are very old, and many speculate that they have mystical powers or can see into the future.

The Magisters have great difficulty attempting grasp historical events, and they cannot seem to find any text about anything more recent than the Middle Ages. Despite their failings, they have very successfully preserved knowledge of engineering, agriculture, philosophy, literature, and much more; though it seems geography and history have largely eluded them, leaving the rest of the world in the dark regarding the existence of America and the entirety of modern history.

Their most exciting prospect, however, is in Washington D.C. A glorious white building with windows barred, doors sealed shut, and surrounded by a chain link fence, this and every other building and monument in the city serve as the Magisters' greatest challenge. The Pentagon, White House, Capitol, and every other major government site in the country are completely sealed shut. The Magisters believe that confined in these abandoned buildings is the secret to the world's abrupt destruction, though so far, these buildings have produced nothing but rumors and stories. The Magisters, the last hope for education in the post apocalyptic world, are still but only a flicker.

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Player Acceptance Process and Policy
The player acceptance process is fairly simple:
--Do the required reading. There's some important stuff to be read in the Fate and Skill sections, and it's best for you to read about all of the different nations and cultures that are currently known. This will give you perspective on the events taking place in post apocalyptic America.
--Shoot me a PM with a writing sample, a filled out character sheet (probably the easiest and my preferred method), or anything else that makes me want you in the RP. You could choose to not do any of that and just send the PM, but those who already have my trust are more likely to get in than those that do not.
--Receive your Fate. If you sent me a CS as part of your initial PM and your Fate works perfectly fine with it, then you can just post that. Otherwise, you may have to rework your character so that your Fate blends well with them. Try not to make your Fate obvious, but details as to how your specific Fate works will be explained in PM.
--Receive feedback/be accepted. I can be picky sometimes, so I may want some things to be changed, but I likely won't have to weed any of you out (that's what step one is for). Sit tight; at this point, the RP will begin shortly. The first IC post will be up, and depending on your Fate, some of you may have Fate specific content already in. Once again, do not open spoilers with other characters' names on them. The point of this game is for you to /not/ know what's going on with others.

Character Policy
--The golden rule here is, "better to apologize than ask for permission." Do whatever you want. I'll make the tweaks that I want. The CS that you will be posting in this thread will not be weeded out (unless it's really dumb); that's what the application process is for. If you're stepping on something, I'll let you know.
--Nationalities and Naming Conventions: Your character may hail from wherever you want them to as long as it's mentioned in the OP. You may end up with a different starting position; you may even request one if you don't feel your character has any place at the wedding. That means the private stuff starts earlier, and that's where things are more fun. I'll give you something to do.

As for names, anything traditionally American will do for anywhere in the RP besides the Gauls. If you're wealthy and from New York, you can go Roman (none of the actual Roman naming conventions please, such as the praenomen). Wealthy Memphites sometimes take Egyptian style names, though that isn't necessarily true. The Land of a Thousand Kings varies, whatever will do; same applies for the Free Lands. Those of the Westernelles take very strange sounding names; the more creative and unorthodox the better.
-- Skills: Pick whatever you like as a skill, though your character's Skill section does not have to encompass everything that they are capable of doing. If your character is exceptionally charismatic or seductive, describe them so in Personality, History, or Misc. Once again, it's not a DnD campaign; I'm not going to make you guys roll a d20 to cook and burn the house down if you roll a one. It's a very loose system. In the end, the Fates will decide the fate of your character.
--Appearance: Pictures or description is fine. I like description, personally, but no anime. Anime will be rejected super hard.
--Don't be afraid; use your imagination when talking about where your character comes from. If they're from the Free Lands, make some place up. Again, I'll let you know if you step on anything. If they're from nobility or even royalty, I may allow it.
--Posting Policy: Post when you can; I'll let you know through PM when it's been a little too long. Also, don't feel obligated to write enormous posts. Sometimes, that's simply not necessary, especially in conversation. When I write conversations, one character may ask your character a question with a brief answer; you don't need to stuff your post full of garbage if the setting is established and you're in the middle of conversation.
--Do not put your Fate in your Character Sheet. I will be incensed if you do so.

Character Sheet

Name.
Age
Sex
Nationality/Homeland
Appearance/Equipment
Skills
Personality
History
Miscellaneous

Players: 7/7
Characters:
--Eli Wayne - Jorick
--Pykes - Blitzkrieg
--Alejandra Vanderbuilt - AeronFarron
--Morgan Warner - Sukisho
--Deitrich Bern - Herzi
--Remix - Holmi
--Augustus Wolff - Doivid

CS is up along with everything else. I'll start trimming down the OP and making it make more sense soon enough.

[Jorick]

Name: Eli Wayne
Age: 28
Sex: Male
Nationality/Homeland: Land of a Thousand Kings, Kingdom of Wayne.
Appearance/Equipment: Eli stands taller than most men and has a heavy muscular build. He has medium-length hair that most call blonde, but it is dark enough to be mistaken for brown. His eyes are blue and he has a beard and mustache (same color as his hair) that he keeps neat and trimmed when possible. Eli has a faint scar running diagonally across his forehead above his right eye and a couple more hidden by his facial hair.

Eli's fighting equipment consists of a longsword with a slightly chipped blade and a leather-wrapped handle, a knife that is about half as long as his forearm, a wooden buckler with metal bands running across the face, a set of heavy woolen padding, a chain mail hauberk, chain mail leggings, a steel breastplate, a steel great helm with a chain mail drape to protect the neck, and plate gauntlets and bracers. It's all plain and serviceable, no ornamentation or enamel to color the metal.

Eli also carries a variety of travel essentials: a few sets of clothing, a thick cloak, a bedroll, various foodstuffs, a couple water skins, a set of flint and steel, a fishing hook and some string, rope for setting snares, a roll of cloth to use for bandages, a basic sewing kit with a bone needle and rough thread to maintain his clothing, and a sturdy pack to carry it all in.

Skills: Sword and Shield Fighting* - Eli has trained with a sword and shield since he was a young boy, and he has learned to use them very well.

Heavily Armored Combat - After many years training and fighting wearing a heavy suit of armor, Eli is more mobile and has more stamina than most who don such armor, and he is capable of actually putting it on or taking it off himself without much trouble.

Blacksmithing - About a decade of informally acting as a blacksmith's part-time apprentice, plus some time spent working a forge later in life, tends to lead to some skill at the task.

Diplomacy - One born into nobility is usually taught how to speak to others of all standing. The addition of some basic mercantile acumen and some life experience makes for a passable diplomat, when the need arises.

Horse Riding - Though most nobles of the Land of a Thousand Kings learn to ride from a young age, Eli grew up without such training and only learned the basics later in life.

Wilderness Survival - After many years spent traveling hither and thither and meeting with others who do the same, it's hard not to pick up some tricks for finding or catching food and knowing how to make it from one place to another relatively unharmed.

Navigation - Travelers may find guidance from nature itself in the position of landmarks or the stars, or directions by word of mouth or the rare map, and enough exposure to these things mixed with trial and error leads to a decent skill at figuring out which way you're actually supposed to be going to get where you want.

Cooking - Given enough nights spent in the woods with no civilization in sight, learning how to prepare and cook various wildlife is inevitable.

Tending Wounds - It doesn't take much skill to wrap a bandage around a bleeding wound, but few think to carry such supplies and fewer still know they should cleanse it with water or how to seal it with flame or heated metal to ward off corruption; Eli learned these things the hard way.

Sewing - Clothes do not maintain themselves, as any traveler well knows, and the wisest of them learn the rudiments of sewing and mend holes and tears themselves.

Swimming - Many fear water that is too deep to wade through, and with good reason, but Eli has learned how to at least keep his head above the water and move in roughly the direction he wants to go via coordinated flailing.

Personality: Eli is a reserved man who rebuffs most people with a wall of polite courtesy that holds little warmth. Those who have gotten past that wall or have observed him peeking out of his shell see a nice enough fellow who is introverted and struggles with pervasive sadness; a learned man once described it as melancholy, and that is how Eli himself thinks of it. He does not dislike socializing and being around people, he just has a hard to time opening up to them and letting them see past the pleasant veneer. Eli is well aware of the root cause of his own sad thoughtfulness, and he sees his natural distant attitude as a defense against painful questions, although he was always an introverted person so this explanation is more of an excuse than anything else.

History: I went a little bit overboard with this, so I'll shove it in a hider to save some space.

History

Eli hails from the Kingdom of Wayne, one of the many independent city-states that make up the Land of a Thousand Kings. He was the second son of a secondary branch of the royal family, seventeenth in line to inherit the throne at the time of his birth. There were two other offshoot branches of the Wayne family that preceded his in the line of succession, but the one Eli came from was perhaps the most infamous and widely gossiped about. The previous patriarch of the family had ruined their reputation and frittered away most of their wealth through his hedonistic ways, and they were just finally starting to recover from that ugly period in the wake of the man's death when Eli was born. Those of the city called them the Black Waynes, for black was the local color of shame and it suited them well.

Young Eli grew up learning to fight with a sword and shield, taught to him by a knight, Sir Grover, who had been unlucky enough to get himself greatly indebted to the Black Waynes and thus forced into indentured servitude to pay it off. Later on they added "armor" of cloth with rocks in it to simulate moving about in armor without actually needing to pay to create a child-sized suit of the real thing, which Eli learned was essential to training: the knight told him that if one trained free of constraints, they would falter and fail when restricted by armor on the battlefield. Sir Grover eventually decided to stay on with the family after his debt was repaid, and by this point Eli was twelve and his family (or more precisely Edgar Wayne, his father) had restored a small portion of their wealth through wise trade deals and some of their reputation had come with it. His fighting lessons continued, but around this time they took on a more serious tone since the boy had become a young man, thus he could not just play around like a child any longer. Around this same time Eli's parents hired on a blacksmith to see to the needs of their family and guardsmen rather than having to get the work done by an independent smith in the city, and the young man found himself fascinated by the work. The forge had been a dusty and abandoned building for as long as he could remember, but it came to life with fire and fury when Old Bart moved in to make swords and nails and hinges and all the other useful metal things that those of the nobility took for granted. Eli helped in the forge whenever he could, learning a decent amount of the trade and helping to make his own first suit of real armor.

Over the course of the following two years he went from being best described as gangly to being tall and hefty enough to be properly intimidating to those who didn't already know his kind and quiet nature. Those years had been very kind to the Black Waynes, and though they still lacked the respect afforded to other noble families they had at least attained the wealth expected of their class. With good social standing finally within sight, and thanks to his father being very determined to achieve that goal, new expectations and obligations were piled on Eli's shoulders. He was given regular lessons on what Edgar Wayne called diplomacy, which included everything from how to speak to the king to how to talk to a lady of equal social standing to how to address commoners, plus lectures now and then on how to get the best out of deal for yourself while making the other side feel like they'd gotten a good bargain too. Though Eli was not the heir of the family since he had an older brother, he was still expected to marry well and maintain the family's honor (such as it was), and he was told that perhaps he could pursue his love of swordplay and become a knight sworn to King Wayne. Local noble customs dictated that one could not marry until the age of eighteen, but that did not stop Lord Wayne from seeking to arrange a match when his son was only sixteen, and after another very profitable trading season he managed to convince Lord Cavendish, the head of the third most powerful family in the city, to part with his second daughter for the promise of a mutually beneficial trade agreement.

Unfortunately, young Eli found himself uninterested in his familial duty of marrying well. Instead his interest was snared by Mary Carr, a daughter of another noble family who were in a similar situation to that of the Black Waynes a decade past. They had been friends for a short while in their childhood when the social standing of their houses had been roughly equal, the Carrs falling and the Black Waynes climbing, until Eli's parents decided that he shouldn't associate with those so far beneath him. They found each other again when they were sixteen and Eli went out on a solitary walk through the woods outside the city, as he was wont to do, and he found Mary doing the same. The romance that bloomed between them was not the fiery affair many young couples had, but rather a slowly built affection that grew into love. Eli had been with women, mostly dalliances in the brothels that were something of a local rite of passage for noblemen when they turned sixteen, but none had captured his heart the way Mary did. He had to sneak around to be with her, since his family would most certainly not approve, but it was an idyllic time up until love clashed with duty. As his eighteenth birthday approached, Eli defied his father and told him that he would not go along with the arranged marriage, that he loved another and would not forsake her. This caused some problems, of course, and Edgar Wayne tried everything within his power to force his son into compliance; he failed, to everyone's great surprise. Eli, who everyone thought of as an amiable and reserved fellow who would never cause any problems, stood firm in defiance against his family's wishes and informed the father of his betrothed that the marriage would not come to pass so long as he lived; his father was forced to publicly apologize and make monetary amends for his family not keeping the arrangement, which only served to make him more livid at his obstinate son.

Life became rather difficult for Eli in the following years, as he was shunned by the majority of the nobility and mocked by the commoners. Still he persisted in following his heart, and Mary seemed very pleased that he had chosen her over his family. While the Black Waynes grew more and more prosperous, Eli was barely even welcome in their house and at their table. Sir Grover and Old Bart were sympathetic to his woes and did not look down on him for his choice, but they were very much in the minority. He planned to take up work as a blacksmith, with encouragement from his mentor, in order to make a life for himself outside of his family's shadow and thus be able to marry his beloved, which he hadn't done immediately because she told him she couldn't marry a beggar and that's what he would become if they wed. Sadly, though he worked and fought for it, the marriage was not to be. Eli had known his father was a ruthless man, but he hadn't been aware of his vindictiveness. Three years after Edgar Wayne was shamed by his own son, he struck a deal with Lord Carr and the same Lord Cavendish that Eli had insulted by refusing his daughter's hand. The deal was equal parts trade and spite, where Lord Wayne took the short end of the trade stick in order to enact his revenge. Edgar Wayne would provide a sizable dowry for Mary Carr to wed the fifth son of Lord Cavendish, plus the other two families would be brought into the strong and growing trade network of the Black Waynes and acquire some very lucrative deals with the noble families of nearby city-states. The lords were all pleased with the arrangement and the deal was struck. To Eli's dismay, Mary turned out to be far more loyal to her family than he had been, and her worries of marrying a pauper had been more selfish than he'd thought. She left him with an awkward apology and told him not to take it personally, but he failed at that.

Lord Wayne had foolishly hoped that his scheme would bring Eli back into the fold, to make him realize that it was long past time for his selfishness to be put away and that it was time to truly be a man and do his duty for his family. The wounded and betrayed Eli did not back down, again surprising everyone with the depths of his resolve by remaining defiant. Rather than kneeling under his father's yoke, Eli condemned the man as scum in a long tirade with many witnesses, saying that his father cared more for wealth than for his family and that he was the very picture of selfishness. This was the last time he spoke to any member of his family, though they said many things to him in turn as he gathered his few treasured belongings and made to leave. He was stopped by Sir Grover and Old Bart, who had heard enough of the commotion to know what had happened. The rest of the Black Waynes thought this meant they were going to talk some sense into Eli, for who could be better at getting through his thick skull than his two teachers that he viewed as friends, and so they left the knight and the blacksmith to take him to the forge and have a talk. There Sir Grover knighted Eli, which he could indeed do under local customs, and Old Bart served as a witness. The blacksmith provided him with a new sword and shield and let him take away his suit of armor, along with a few other essentials that he'd forgotten in his haste to leave. Eli thanked them for their kindness and left with their blessing, turning his back on the Kingdom of Wayne and his family for good.

Eli traveled south and east, seeking simply to get away from his homeland and the painful memories that lurked there. They stayed with him even as he left the Land of a Thousand Kings and entered The Memphite Empire. He traveled throughout the nation without settling down in any one place for long, often selling his sword to traveling merchants to get from one city to another and get paid for the trouble. During this time he developed a bitter inferiority complex, where the thought of his beloved leaving him for a richer man of higher standing just because it was her duty as a noblewoman ran through his head again and again and he eventually decided that he must not have been good enough for her. If he had been better she would have stayed with him no matter what, but his inherent worthlessness had pushed her away. Eli once nearly succumbed to sweet calls of the Postumites, who said that suicide was a good and holy act, but his eventual rejection of this propelled him to leave their land and head north. As he traveled into the Kingdom of Albany at the age of 23, two years after leaving his home, he'd convinced himself that Mary would want to be with him if he was a great and wealthy man. He was nobody of importance at that time, but he could rise above that and prove to her that he was worthy of her. Eli found himself drawn to conflicts, fighting as a mercenary for one lord or another as the whim took him, and he acquitted himself well in most of these fights. He acquired the title 'the Fearsome' in this time, thanks to a lord's condescending joke that such a quiet and polite fellow must be fearsome to behold in battle as he apologized to those he cut down, but it turn from a mocking jest to a proper respectful title amongst other sellswords after they saw that he really knew how to fight and that he did not in fact stop to apologize to the dead and dying.

Eli learned a lot as he traveled through the Kingdom of Albany, much of it from his fellow mercenaries, some from people in the forts and towns and cities he stopped in. He grew somewhat as a person, enough to manage to stop focusing on his enduring heartbreak all the time, though it was still there whenever he let his mind wander. It no longer stung like a fresh wound as it had for so long, but he never liked to prod it to test the strength of the mental scab covering it. Eli went from being lumped in with the mercenaries to become a true wandering knight thanks to a mix of word of mouth, a few lordly edicts proclaiming him an honorable knight who had performed so-and-so act of valor in a lord's service (these were written messages that Eli could not read, but he treasured them and presented them to lords who questioned his claims), and the acquisition of enough wealth to purchase some new armor and repair and clean the pieces he kept. In the year preceding the impending royal wedding, Eli lived well enough that whenever he wasn't in the middle of nowhere he either had a bed in some lord's manor or could easily afford to stay at an inn or tavern, and that was a lot more than many wanderers could lay claim to. Though he was no grand hero by any means, Sir Eli the Fearsome became a name known here and there with a couple fireside tales to his credit, and that too was more than most others could brag about.

Eli decided to attend the wedding of King Dowager Pompey and his predecessor's daughter mainly because he had nothing better to do while the various lords of the land were gone attending the ceremony themselves rather than picking fights wherein his sword would be useful. If nothing else it would be an amusing diversion for a day, but he held out some hope that it would lead to greater opportunities for him to move up in the world.

Miscellaneous: The Kingdom of Wayne was built up from the ruins of Fort Wayne, Indiana. The people who settled there thought the ones who came before had used the place as a true fort, thus the name, so when they became independent and established their own aristocracy they restyled the city into the Kingdom of Wayne. The royal family took the surname Wayne after the city, but after many generations the truth has been obfuscated and locals believe that they are descendents of those who built the grand structures long ago. It is a fairly standard feudal arrangement otherwise, with an aristocratic class ruling above the commoners with very little in between.

[AeronFarron]

I am definitely interested in this RP as well.

[BattleShovel]

Commencing Operation Sit Tight And Wait For Awesome-Sounding RP To Be Fleshed out......NOW.

In case I was being too subtle, Count me in as well.

[VoiD]

Count me in too!

[Herzinth]

Interest. Post about interest. Etc.

[Card]

Thank you to all of you who have expressed interest and have sent me PMs already.

However, I'm not going to take PMs until I have the character acceptance process and policy fleshed out in the OP. I'm not an advocate of first-come-first-served, especially since there may be a limited number of people that will actually get to participate in the RP. As time goes on, I may let others in, but that's a bridge we'll cross when we get there.

If you see at the bottom of the OP, there's a "0/7" next to Players. I intended for there to only be a maximum of seven players in this RP. I have seven people who have expressed interest to me in some form or another since I put up this thread (which was at two in the morning my time), not counting the people I know who have been begging me to get this up.

tl;dr Sit tight, we'll be boarding shortly.

[Darog the Badger God]

Super interested bro!

[Card]

CS and character acceptance process is up. Have at it.

EDIT: I also forgot the Magisters the first time. They're important.

[VoiD]

Great, I'll start on a CS and PM you when it's finished.

[Card]

Extending max player count to nine.

I think we'll need it, though nine is a bit much.

EDIT: Subject to change, by the way.

[AeronFarron]

I've sent my character

[Card]

A ton of you guys are breezing through the process, so whenever you guys get to making a CS, just drop it here.

[AeronFarron]

Mine as well?

[Card]

Yes, if you could.

[AeronFarron]

Name: Alejandra Vanderbuilt
Age: 21
Sex: Female
Nationality/Homeland: Alejandra, or Aleh as she's is often called, hails from the city state that was once known as Columbus in The Land of a Thousand Kings. She thrives in nearly any type of weather, long used to the snow storms of winter, thunderstorms and windstorms of spring, and the scorching, stifling heat of summer. She is the daughter of the noble family and heir apparent to her City State, but she doesn't let that stop her from running the day to day operations of the family stables. A Vanderbuilt horse is rumored to be the finest steed in all of the lands: powerfully built to brave the harshest winters, floods and battle, swift enough to to be quick footed for most couriers, and mild mannered to even allow a mother and her child to ride comfortably. With enough grazing fields and a river source half a day's ride away, the Vanderbuilt house has established a long line of quality horses and horsemen. The family crest consists of a white sword and a golden lance crossed with one white horse head and one golden horse head facing away from each other on either side of the weapons. One a flag, the crest is shown on a navy blue background.

Appearance/Equipment: Alejandra is a fairly tall young woman with golden tanned skin and faintly rounded, almond-shaped, stormy gray-blue eyes. Her nose is slight and rests about an inch and a half above slightly darker, cupid's bow shaped lips. With smaller ears that are faintly pointed and a rather strong jaw and pointed chin, she gives off an aura of knowledge and authority.

A slimmed neck gives way to prominent collarbones and built shoulders along with toned and defined arms, thin wrists and proportionately larger palms and longer fingers. Her left arm bears a series of snugly bound colored clothes, which signify that she has received her brand (a series of markings on her skin) but has yet to decide to find a mate. Her chest is moderately sized for her age, which only seem deceptively larger due to her perfect posture and elongated, muscled torso. Her waist is thinner while hips flare out to shapely, muscled thighs and calves. She has a flatter foot than most would think, giving her feet a slight "snowshoe" appearance.

Raven colored hair is tightly wound in a pony tail that reaches the middle of her back. In accordance to the customs of her land, her hair is interwoven with bright red, turquoise blue, pale purple, and golden beads and threads to signify herself as a warrior maiden, a horseman, a Vanderbuilt, and the owner of a successful stable respectively.

For everyday clothes, Alejandra normally wears a shirt that consists of linen and leather padding on the shoulders and upper arm. Her pants are typically made with canvas, but again sport leather protection on the knees. Her boots are made of a canvas material lined with leather on the shins and bottom of the feet. A utility sword, a gift from a blacksmith in another city state as repayment for a horse, is always at her side.

In battle, Alejandra dresses in the traditional manner of her land. Bright red paint is smeared around her eyes as well as across her face from left to right diagonally. Red dipped white eagle feathers with black markings decorate her hair along with braids woven with metal beads circle above her ears. Her torso is protected by a plate of leather, fitted with metal along the front, arms, and back of the hands. The gives her mobility while offering more protection than just leather. However, the metal can be discarded, along with one layer of leather should it become a damaging hindrance. Her legs are protected with the finest, hardiest leather with a pant mail of mail beneath it. This is the heaviest piece of equipment, but offers the best protection against sword slashes while on horseback. Her feet are plated in the front and back. For weapons, a heavier sword with a protective hilt is strapped securely to her horse, whom is also armored in a mix of leather and mail, while she carries a wicked looking weapon. Known as a lance, but really a halberd, this weapon was made specifically for Alejandra to use as an all around weapon. The balance of the weapon is maintain with a lighter counter weight on the base of the weapon, which makes it heavier, but easier to swing while maintaining a good stop time. The axe head is incredibly sharp with a slightly serrated edge towards the tip, and sports a piecing head/hook combination counter to it. The reason it is called a "lance" is do to the removable blade at the weapon's tip, which she uses as a spearing weapon while on horseback. Once the fasteners to the blade are loosened and the blade removed, a smaller blade can be used for parrying and stabbing on foot.

For ceremonial dress, Alejandra wears a multi-hued blue silk wrap with golden threads, leather strapped leg sandals and lets her hair cascade down her shoulders. Beads and threads still decorate her hair, and her face is painted lightly to highlight her eyes and lips. A ceremonial halberd, colored blue and black is decorated with a navy ribbon around the shaft closest to the axe head is fastened to her back via a leather belt. This one is much lighter than her battle version, and is not meant to be used for fighting.

Skills:
Common: Cooking, Writing, Reading, Foraging, Basic Math, Running, Hand-to-Hand Combat.
Uncommon: Horse Riding*, Armed Combat Speaking, Animal Taming.

Personality: Alejandra is a proud woman that cares deeply for her people. The flip side of that though, is that she protects what she deems hers with an unsurpassed fierceness that has earned her the nickname of "The Vengeful Horseman" amongst her city state and in the Land of a Thousand Kings. She shows the same love for her herd of horses and is not afraid to fight for their safety. While she is personable and rather friendly to people who and friendly to her, she does not believe in "turning the other cheek" when she's been wronged.

History: Alejandra was born into wealth and royalty in the Spring. She grew up learning reading, writing, and basic arithmetic before she was finally able to go into the horse business. At the same time, she began combat training. In her 13th year, a war broke out between Columbus and another City State. The girl participated in the war and was blooded when she killed a young man a little older than herself. After the battle, both sides celebrated the blooding of the young ones left alive with a communal feast and bonfire. She was then sent with the enemy as a rite of passage to show that even though they were enemies, the Land of a Thousand Kings were still a family that looked out for each other. While in the more barbaric city state, she picked found that she had a natural affinity for the halberd over the sword. Upon completion of her training, she was given a custom made halberd then was sent home. Along the way, she gave her horse to a traveling blacksmith whom's horse was injured. In exchange, she was given the injured horse (at her insistence) as well as a crafted sword in gratitude.

She returned to her home in the summer of her 16th year, the war was over and her home was still standing. She greeted the new warriors that were heading back to their own city state. She clasped forearms in respect to their leader and then lead the horse into the stables to care for. She met with her parents again, and a feast was held in honor of the warrior maiden whom had returned home.

From there, the girl helped the mare to the road to recovers and bred her with her father's strongest stallion. The result was a strong, healthy stallion whom then became her mount. Over the next few years, they both participated in another three wars as well as running the stables. The stallion, named Wildstorm, is a black Vanderbuilt mixed with a Thompson, a built horse that was bred as a workhorse.

After her 21st birthday, she was named heir apparent until she found a mate and married them. She is attending the wedding as the representative for her city state with a gift of the finest Vanderbuilt horse that was bred and trained for the king, and a gift of the traditional garb for a married woman, handmade for the new queen.

Miscellaneous:
Columbus is a rather welcoming city state that allows same-gender matings and has volunteers on hand to give the couple children
Due to Alejandra being heir, if she chooses a same mate, she and her mate will choose amongst any of the males in the city state to father a child with her or mate. The male will then gain status within the community as the child's nanny while the non-childbearing mate becomes the child's father.

[Elendra]

A completely reasonable conversation

[9:58:43 PM] Jorick: The person with the long appearance has similar skills as to what I was planning, for the uncommon ones at least. Though my exceptional is gonna be combat (and a particular style) rather than horse riding.
[9:58:45 PM] Quinn: All your messages appeared like a minute late
[9:58:53 PM] Card: Do what you will
[9:59:01 PM] Card: Is everyone coming from the Land of a Thousand Kings?
[9:59:09 PM] Jorick: I am indeed.
[9:59:10 PM] Quinn: Jojo, chances are your Fates will differentiate you guys
[9:59:20 PM] Jorick: Yup, most likely.
[9:59:29 PM] Quinn: Oh, if everyone is coming from Land of a Thousand Kings, I'm gonna slightly change my history
[9:59:32 PM] Jorick: Also just skimming their sheet, gonna be rather different.
[9:59:38 PM] Kammy: I can't follow this convo at all
[9:59:49 PM] Quinn: We're talking about Card's RP
[9:59:54 PM] Jorick: I could also change my stuff pretty easily too, but the 1k Kings place was most suitable for my idea.
[10:00:02 PM] Jorick: I could drop horse riding entirely, actually.
[10:00:04 PM] Jorick: And I might just do so.
[10:01:17 PM] Kammy: Card has an rp?
[10:01:27 PM] Elendra: I literally can't think of a good enough character
[10:01:57 PM] Quinn: think of an evil character then
[10:02:00 PM] Jorick: Elendra, make someone who uses midgets as weapons.
[10:02:13 PM] Alex: yay my aar thread is popularz
[10:02:15 PM] Alex: ^^
[10:05:13 PM] Quinn: ...Would knights be a thing in Albany?
Or a broader question: Is it's society dark age-esque or roman?
[10:05:50 PM] Quinn: oh, I keep forgetting the forgiveness > permission rule
[10:05:54 PM] Jorick: lol, I feel like we're gonna have a lot of fighty types :P
[10:06:06 PM] Quinn: shh jojo, I'm tossing around ideas
[10:06:15 PM] Alex: no he'll be a quixotic knight
[10:06:27 PM] Quinn: I have the origins and basis down, now I'm just figuring out more current stuff
[10:06:28 PM] Jorick: I don't have a problem with it, my dude is gonna be a knight of sorts.
[10:06:29 PM] Alex: actually horrible at combat because he's too busy attacking the titan that is a fallen skyscraper
[10:06:50 PM] Jorick: Best kind of knight imo, Sora.
[10:09:07 PM] Alex: ok time to continue on with my mod election farce
[10:09:17 PM] Alex: should I allow the mods to continue on into the voting
[10:09:17 PM] Jorick: I can't think of any more common skills I want, and I only have 4 out of the 7 that I can have. :<
[10:09:34 PM] Alex: sewing is always useful jorick
[10:09:59 PM] Elendra: Blacksmithing
[10:10:09 PM] Quinn: whoring, rapping, gold digging
[10:10:14 PM] Jorick: I have extra good blacksmithing already, Elendra.
[10:10:27 PM] Jorick: Sewing or something like that could probably be good though. Gotta maintain dem clothes.
[10:10:28 PM | Edited 10:10:37 PM] Alex: make it extra extra good blacksmithing?
[10:10:45 PM] Elendra: how about
[10:10:45 PM] Alex: but yeah, things like sewing
[10:10:51 PM] Alex: fishing sounds useful
[10:10:51 PM] Quinn: rubbing your tummy and patting your head
[10:10:52 PM] Elendra: uh
[10:10:54 PM] Elendra: yes
[10:10:58 PM] Jorick: But I already have extra extra good fite skillz with sword and shield, and I can only have one extra extra good skill.
[10:11:02 PM] Sukisho: Whatcha working on Jorick
[10:11:03 PM | Edited 10:11:08 PM] Alex: if you're in the north-east
[10:11:08 PM] Jorick: CS for Card's RP
[10:11:18 PM] Quinn: Dancing?
[10:11:18 PM] Alex: have lobster trawling be a skill
[10:11:26 PM] Alex: and make jokes about being a lobster with all your armor
[10:11:26 PM] Elendra: navigating
[10:11:30 PM] Elendra: reading omens in the stars
[10:11:35 PM] Quinn: Reading in general
[10:11:35 PM] Alex: Knowledge (arcana)
[10:11:36 PM] Elendra: interpretive dance
[10:11:39 PM] Jorick: Sora, I'm being a shitter and including food acquisition under a catch-all of Wilderness Survival. :P
[10:11:40 PM] Elendra: interruptive dance
[10:11:44 PM] Jorick: lol
[10:11:53 PM] Jorick: Nah Herzi, fuck reading, my dude is gonna be illiterate.
[10:11:56 PM] Alex: no that's fine
[10:11:58 PM] Elendra: Just break out into dance during the wedding
[10:12:04 PM] Jorick: That could be a thing.
[10:12:06 PM] Alex: It isn't about food acquisition, it's an /art/
[10:12:11 PM] Elendra: juggling
[10:12:14 PM] Quinn: reading maps?
[10:12:22 PM] Alex: is social interaction one
[10:12:23 PM] Elendra: oral sex
[10:12:34 PM] Alex: http://paizo.com/PRD/skillDescriptions.html
[10:12:38 PM] Jorick: Where am I going to get a map in post-apoc-land?
[10:12:42 PM] Elendra: Uh
[10:12:43 PM] Quinn: cartography
[10:12:46 PM] Elendra: it's been post-apoc for a long time
[10:12:47 PM] Alex: petty thievery!
[10:12:50 PM] Elendra: maps probably exist
[10:12:51 PM] Jorick: I have social interaction (Diplomacy) as a good skill.
[10:12:53 PM] Jorick: lol petty theft
[10:12:54 PM] Alex: ~stealth!
[10:13:00 PM] Alex: animal training!
[10:13:00 PM] Jorick: I AM A KNIGHT, I DO NOT HIDE
[10:13:02 PM] Quinn: Yeah, maps probably exist
[10:13:04 PM] Elendra: intimidation
[10:13:06 PM] Elendra: Chivalry
[10:13:09 PM] Jorick: eh, okay, maps probably do exist
[10:13:14 PM] Elendra: Putting on your armour by yourself
[10:13:17 PM] Jorick: hahaha
[10:13:20 PM] Elendra: Because that would be a SUPER USEFUL skill
[10:13:20 PM] Alex: no jorick you need stealth
[10:13:23 PM] Jorick: I have that covered actually.
[10:13:26 PM] Sukisho: Elendra, lol a real skill indeed
[10:13:34 PM] Alex: that way you can suddenly appear behind the non chilvalrous people in the group when they're doing bad
[10:13:38 PM] Jorick: One of my gooder skills is Heavily Armored Combat, and I'm totally counting putting it on myself in there.
[10:13:40 PM] Quinn: Teleporting
[10:13:42 PM] Alex: and loom over them "STOP RIGHT THERE CRIMINAL SCUNM!"
[10:13:48 PM] Jorick: hahaha
[10:13:56 PM] Quinn: Meta-gaming
[10:14:00 PM] Elendra: The ability to make fart noises with your armpit
[10:14:01 PM] Quinn: Reading other people's hiders
[10:14:02 PM] Alex: best skill
[10:14:05 PM] Jorick: :o
[10:14:13 PM] Elendra: Swimming
[10:14:15 PM] Jorick: Performance Art - Armpit Farting
[10:14:17 PM] Elendra: Climbing trees
[10:14:23 PM] Sukisho: Elendra, Swimming in armour
[10:14:26 PM] Alex: Hypnosis
[10:14:34 PM] Elendra: Bondage
[10:14:42 PM] Alex: Inspire Courage - Belching
[10:14:45 PM] Elendra: unlocking chastity belts
[10:14:53 PM] Elendra: unlocking chastity belts with your tongue
[10:14:56 PM] Quinn: High Alchohol Tolerance
[10:14:59 PM] Alex: Take a skill in Arrogance
[10:15:03 PM] Jorick: oooh, gotta be able to get hte chastity belts off of the maidens I "rescue"
[10:15:06 PM] Quinn: Littlefingering
[10:15:09 PM] Jorick: :o
[10:15:13 PM] Elendra: falconeering
[10:15:15 PM] Alex: ...
[10:15:20 PM] Quinn: Fertility
[10:15:22 PM] Alex: littlefingering
[10:15:28 PM] Jorick: I should take a skill in Badass.
[10:15:32 PM] Alex: sounds like something that would happen in littlefinger's brothels at least
[10:15:36 PM] Jorick: That's like taking a level in it, right?
[10:15:39 PM] Quinn: [10:15 PM] Alex:

<<< littlefingeringIt can be taken two ways and both work
[10:15:45 PM] Alex: Exactly!
[10:15:46 PM] Elendra: puns
[10:15:49 PM] Sukisho: stop making me laugh... I don't have a voice and it jsut makes me cough instead
[10:15:59 PM] Quinn: Skill" Laughing
[10:16:06 PM] Sukisho: Evil Laughing
[10:16:07 PM] Elendra: Skill: Interior Design
[10:16:10 PM] Quinn: Cackling
[10:16:12 PM] Alex: take a skill in something very basic
[10:16:13 PM] Elendra: Skill: Gaydar
[10:16:17 PM] Quinn: Exterior Design
[10:16:20 PM] Quinn: Gardening
[10:16:20 PM] Alex: because then it will imply that those who don't take it are horrible at it
[10:16:24 PM] Jorick: lol
[10:16:26 PM] Elendra: Skill: Manscaping
[10:16:27 PM] Quinn: Skill: Eating
[10:16:28 PM] Jorick: Someone took a skill in Running already
[10:16:30 PM] Alex: ahahah
[10:16:41 PM] Quinn: Parkour
[10:16:44 PM] Elendra: Skill: getting rid of hiccups
[10:16:50 PM] Sukisho: Jorick: Walking
[10:16:53 PM] Quinn: Skill: Doing the Cup Song
[10:16:55 PM] Jorick: oh damn
[10:16:55 PM] Alex: Skill: Monologue Time Displacement
[10:16:56 PM] Jorick: walking skill
[10:16:58 PM] Elendra: Moonwalking
[10:17:03 PM] Jorick: Sora, fuck, I need that.
[10:17:06 PM] Alex: omg herzi
[10:17:09 PM] Elendra: Skill: 80s Montage
[10:17:20 PM] Alex: Skill: Theme Music
[10:17:21 PM] Quinn: sorry, messed up
[10:17:27 PM] Quinn: Uncommon Skill: Doing the Cup Song*
[10:17:29 PM] Jorick: Skill: Sulking Brooding Dark Sulky Loner
[10:17:36 PM] Alex: Skill: Having skills
[10:17:38 PM] Elendra: Skill: Pimpslap
[10:17:46 PM] Elendra: Skill: A genie
[10:17:48 PM] Alex: Skill: Skill: Skill: Skill: Skill: Skill: Skill: Skill: ...
[10:17:55 PM] Quinn: Skill: Brothel management
[10:17:59 PM] Jorick: huehue
[10:18:03 PM] Elendra: Skill: Orgiophanting
[10:18:09 PM] Elendra: Skill: A nice hat
[10:18:11 PM] Alex: Skill: Finding the general term of a taylor series
[10:18:12 PM] Sukisho: Skill: Bitches and Hoes
[10:18:25 PM] Quinn: Skill: Quantam Physics
[10:18:25 PM] Card: To answer your question, Herzi
[10:18:27 PM] Alex: Skill: Tragic Backstory
[10:18:29 PM] Elendra: Skill: Distinguishing hoes from garden tools
[10:18:30 PM] Card: There are knights
[10:18:34 PM] Quinn: k
[10:18:35 PM] Card: They don't know Roman culture that well
[10:18:40 PM] Jorick: Skill: Being a Dick
[10:18:46 PM] Alex: but
[10:18:48 PM] Card: Which is why they have a king
[10:18:49 PM] Alex: is it roman themed
[10:18:52 PM] Elendra: Skill: Being a Butt
[10:18:52 PM] Card: No
[10:18:55 PM] Elendra: Combined
[10:18:56 PM] Card: They /think/ they're Romans
[10:18:58 PM] Elendra: Skill: Being Dickbutt
[10:18:59 PM] Alex: needs more whores
[10:19:00 PM | Edited 10:19:09 PM] Card: But they're not
[10:19:02 PM] Jorick: No, no, Elly
[10:19:06 PM] Alex: everything can use more whores
[10:19:08 PM] Jorick: That would have to be uncommon skill
[10:19:10 PM] Jorick: Maybe exceptional
[10:19:18 PM] Quinn: [10:18 PM] Elendra:

<<< Skill: Being a Butt
Combined[10:15 PM] Quinn:

<<< Littlefingering
[10:19:22 PM] Alex: the quality of a setting is proportional to the number of prostitutes
[10:19:28 PM] Card: If they knew anything about Roman culture, they would despise the concept of a king
[10:19:44 PM] Elendra: Skill: Being exceptional
[10:19:54 PM] Elendra: Skill: Having infinite common skills and 2 uncommon skills
[10:19:56 PM] Quinn: Skill: Being useless
[10:20:02 PM] Elendra: Skill: Enui
[10:20:06 PM] Alex: Skill: Chisiled Features
[10:20:12 PM] Quinn: Skill: Innuendo
[10:20:12 PM] Jorick: Skill: Engender Ennui
[10:20:23 PM] Jorick: Wait no, that could actually be useful
[10:20:28 PM] Quinn: Skill: Control Weather
[10:20:29 PM] Jorick: Skill: Cartwheeling
[10:20:36 PM] Quinn: Skill: Full Party Revive
[10:20:37 PM] Elendra: Skill: Making wheels for carts
[10:20:42 PM] Alex: Skill: Pathetic Fallacy Aura
[10:20:49 PM] Jorick: Skill: Becoming a wheel for a cart
[10:20:52 PM] Elendra: Skill: Circular logic
[10:20:54 PM] Quinn: Skill: Magic Missile
[10:21:08 PM] Koka: Skill: Jorick's Wall
[10:21:12 PM] Elendra: Skill: peeing while standing
[10:21:17 PM] Alex: Skill: Tautology
[10:21:19 PM] Quinn: Skill: Throwing knives at twitchy giants
[10:21:22 PM] Jorick: Skill: Pooping while standing
[10:21:30 PM] Elendra: Skill: Pooping while farting
[10:21:41 PM] Sukisho: ...................
[10:21:41 PM] Alex: Flaw: Have to pee while sitting
[10:21:43 PM] Quinn: Skill: Eating and crying at the same time
[10:21:45 PM] Koka: [10:21 PM] Quinn:

<<< Skill: Throwing knives at twitchy giants*twitchy giants with explosive
[10:21:52 PM] Elendra: Skill: Pooping and eating at the same time
[10:21:53 PM] Jorick: Skill: Crying and masturbating at the same time
[10:21:57 PM] Kammy: Skill: Winking both eyes at the same time
[10:22:03 PM] Elendra: Skill: Throwing up and eating at the same time
[10:22:05 PM] Koka: Skill: Pooping while eating in your sleep.
[10:22:06 PM] Alex: Skill: Constant Erection
[10:22:06 PM] Elendra: Skill: Anorexia
[10:22:10 PM] Quinn: [10:22 PM] Kammy:

<<< Skill: Winking both eyes at the same timeahaha
[10:22:14 PM] Alex: ok
[10:22:15 PM] Quinn: Skill: Being ace
[10:22:21 PM] Alex: this is getting to be too much for me
[10:22:24 PM] Jorick: lol
[10:22:24 PM] Elendra: Skill: Being Ace of Spades
[10:22:28 PM] Koka: Skill: moving your ears.
[10:22:28 PM] Elendra: oh we're done
[10:22:30 PM] Elendra: okay
[10:22:34 PM] Alex: ok
[10:22:36 PM] Card: But yeah Kammy, I have an RP now
[10:22:39 PM] Jorick: It's fine, I got ideas for my skills. :P
[10:22:40 PM] Alex: being able to wiggle your ears is a sign of being a witch
[10:22:50 PM] Elendra: so is being made of wood
[10:22:54 PM] Elendra: therefore all ents are witches

[Jorick]

Alright, edited my sheet into the post I reserved for that purpose.

It might read a bit wonky because I wrote most of it while very tired, but I'll fix that up if necessary after sleep. I could also blame the obnoxious length of my character's history on sleep deprived writing, but that would not strictly speaking be true.

[Cpt Toellner]

Character Sheet

Name:
Pykes

Age
19

Sex:
Male

Nationality/Homeland:
Blackwater, of the Thousand Kingdoms. (Modern day Wisconsin, parts of Lacrosse, Monroe, and Jackson Counties.)

Appearance:
Pykes stands 5'7", he is thin and lean, looking underfed and much less bulky compared to most from Blackwater. He has wild reddish/brown hair shaved on both sides and patches of ginger facial hair. His eyes are piecrcing blue/green, and his tan skin is dotted with tattoos. These include 14 cross tattoos on his left arm, three black ring tattoos around his right bicep, a fox's head tattoo on his left shoulder, and various symbols on his legs/back.

Equipment:
-Black leather head, chest, leg, and arm armor
-Steel spear
-Brown scarf
-Green/black outfit under armor.
(Armor, scarf, and outfit are adorned with the sigil of Blackwater.)

Skills:
--Common:
- Polearm combat
--The spear is the traditional weapon of Blackwater, all soldiers are raised with one in hand.

- Running speed
--Pykes has always been faster than most, but when in a thick forest, jumping over and around roots, trees, and rocks is when he is the fastest.

- Stealth
--Being an outsider in his own culture and a mute has made Pykes very good at being unnoticed. He does not make much noise and only moves when necessary.

- Herbology
--Pykes loves plants, and despite having no formal training in herbology, he has come to know much about them through personal experimentation. He knows of secrets hidden within nature that no one else notices.

- Hand-to-Hand
--Come with the military lifestyle, at the loss of your weapon you must fight in a more personal fashion.

- Camouflage
--Pykes can disappear in the wildlife, his love of plants and his reclusive nature help him to remain hidden. Pykes will hide and watch someone before making any move, good or bad.

- Military doctrine
--The common citizen of Blackwater must obey a strict code system and adhere to a structured society, the soldiers of this nation are even more regimented. Pykes knows how armies work and operate.

--Uncommon:
- Archery
--Considered a coward's weapon by the people of Blackwater, archers are deemed a necessary evil. Despite training being minimal, Pykes showed himself to be a natural with the bow. The equipment his people use is of poor make and condition, if given a good bow, Pykes could truly prove himself.

- Animal expertise (taming/identification)
--Pykes enjoys the company of animals more than people, be it the Whitetails and Rabbits he hunts to the dogs he hunts with. He has a way with animals, they seem to be calm whenever he is near them. Pykes also knows how these beasts behave and think, as well as their uses.

- Survival*
--Were it not for his loyalty to Balcwater, Pykes would disappear into the night and live on his own. He knows how to live on his own and how to carve his own existence in the wildlife, far from the rest of the world.

- Orientation
--With or without a map, Pykes always seems to be able to get to where he wants to go. He is able to recognize areas by their features, even when he hasn't been there previously.

Personality:
Pykes is a mute, he has never been known to speak. What is known about his personality is assumed by the people around him as a gentle, calm, and non-combative person (compared to most from Blackwater at least). That being said; he is entirely obedient and loyal to his people and only remains with Blackwater due to that sense of loyalty. He views other cultures with curiosity, but also caution, and he will never go out of his way to meet someone. Wherever Pykes is, you get the feeling that he would rather be somewhere else.

History:
Pykes is a product of Blackwater, he grew up in the military without knowing his parents (as is custom). At the age of 15 he was in a hunting party that was tracking down a caravan from the Westerlands. They set an ambush but the few raiders soon found that the convoy had hired very well equipped mercenaries and all raiders were killed except Pykes who ran off into the woods. That night, the caravan made camp atop a hill known as: Pykes Peak, with a young boy following them quietly. Over the next week, the caravaneers were haunted by Pykes who had effectively trapped them on the hill with scare tactics, traps, and late night raids, picking the mercenaries off one by one. Eventually, another Blackwater raiding party came to investigate smoke and found Pykes sitting in the middle of the mercenary camp with a burning pile of bodies and a massive stash of loot.

Pykes name was earned during a coming-of-age ceremony shortly after, but his true parents never showed themselves. Since then, Pykes has been mostly involved in scouting, hunting, and tracking operations with little actual combat experience due to his thin stature. Less than 5 months ago, High Counciler Ells chose Pykes for his personal guard, a collection of the most unusual but effective soldiers in Blackwater.

Pykes is one of 6 guards accompanying Councilor Ells to the Royal wedding.

Blackwater

A city was once constructed along the Eastern shores of the Great River (Mississippi), a place of peace and trade, acting as the gateway to the East for Westerland travelers and a network of trade for those of the Free lands and the Thousand Kingdoms. As the city grew, so too did their influence on the land. They pushed local tribes out of their homelands and expanded greatly growing a great nation, swatting the native away with their strong walls and their mercenary armies.

A collection of 5 displaced tribes put away their differences and disputes and held a conference on the shores of the Blackwater river. The 5 tribes chose to join their forces and strike at the city and it's stolen lands. For the next 35 years, the Blackwater alliance harassed the city, slowly drawing their people back to the high city walls.They sent sellsword companies to end the assaults and the raids, but the natives always overcame. The longer this went on, the more tribes flocked to the Blackwater alliance, all eager to take down the mighty city. Eventually the fight came to the city walls, and the people there found themselves besieged.

The war came to a standstill until the day a Blackwater hunting party came upon a strange metal in the woods. This curiosity led to a large-scale excavation of the area, discovering the ruins of Fort. McCoy and it's store of old military vehicles. The armor made from these vehicles was akin to the knights of the East, but it was lighter and far more durable than iron or steel. Using this new weapon, a legion of armored warriors broke upon the gates of the city and it finally fell.

After months of celebration and looting, it looked as if things were to revert to normal and the tribes would fragment and fight eachother once again. The quick thinking of an young chieftain led to the attention of the Blackwater tribe being turned to the East, to the various communities that once traded with the great city and the other nations hidden among the hills and planes. As the alliance focused on the conquest, this young leader was able to dissolve old tribal traditions and leaders through hidden alliances and key assassinations, eventually forming all leadership under a unified council of wise men. The conquest turned South, the Blackwater Alliance now a horde of well-equipped savage fighters. The large city-sates along the shores of the Great River were not weak, but they fell one-by-one to the alliance.

As the years passed, tales of destruction reached all across the thousand Kingdoms, fear of this brutal army led to an ironic twist of fate as multiple nations pooled together their forces to stop this menace. The fighting was brutal, more blood was spilled in these clashes than any of the burned cities, but the Blackwater lines eventually gave in, and a slow, gruesome retreat back North was initiated. The other kingdoms perused, but found that a last line of defense had been constructed around the area where the alliance was formed all those years ago. The fighting eventually settled down, the chieften who had united all tribes under one flag and identity had died off, and a truce was formed with the other nations.

This was the first time that the people of the Thousand Kingdoms had to unite against a threat, it would not be the last. However, ever since this treaty was made all those years ago, the proud Blackwater army would come to the aid of any Kingdom in danger, reason enough for most to stay away.

Blackwater would eventually form into a productive nation, keeping a tight grasp on their lands and moving any aggression across the river to the Free Lands. Their numbers are nothing of what they once were, but they still retain a warrior culture and are still regarded as some of the most brutal fighters in the Kingdoms. However, there is still a pride in the Blackwater people, they still think that they could take the entire Midwest if they were to assemble once again, but they are satisfied acting as peacekeepers and protectors for now.

Military training begins at a young age and every segment of life in Blackwater is controlled by the High Council, leaving a regimented society. Children are taken from their mothers shortly after birth and raised by the army. You are not given a name, you earn it through an act or behavior. Earning a name is the way a child becomes an adult, and this is when the adults are finally able to introduce themselves to their children.

[Card]

Blitz, could you change his age from sixteen to eighteen or nineteen, and alter his history accordingly? Aeron's is fine, I've seen it already, but I just saw this that I'd like changed; change the history on yours about being sent back with the enemy and the Land of a Thousand Kings being a family. I'd like that bit removed.

EDIT: Yours is fine, Jorick.