Norsia - Viking Kingdom Game

[BlackBishop]

Kingdoms of Rheagonn: Norsia

Welcome to Norsia, a Viking Kingdom set in a high fantasy world competing against other kingdoms of men, dwarves, elves and orcs. Players will take the role of a Viking Jarl or Jarless, and lead their Jarldom and the kingdom to glory. The game will begin at the outset of a succession crisis with a new king needed to be elected from among the Jarls. Players will have vast control over the lore and events from within their own realm and be a vital part in shaping the kingdom as well as diplomacy with other lands. Cooperate and strive for peace with your neighbours, or dominate the globe, forging a Viking empire to last through the centuries...

The core of the game will take place at the Jarlmoot, a seasonal gathering of Jarls to debate on events facing the kingdom. From succession crises, bandit raids, to war with another kingdom, it is at the Jarlmoot where players can contribute the voice of their character and shape Norsia and the world.

Players can expect,

- Weekly updates representing a season of in-game time to foster a progressing story and reflect player decisions that shape the world
- Simple stats to keep uniformed RP
- freedom to craft your own realm and ruling dynasty so long as it fits within a Nordic archetype.
- Both diplomatic and war orders crafted by you that will change the shape of the kingdom and the world
- NPC kingdoms to interact with, trade with, conquer or destroy
- external and internal threats compelling the Jarlmoot to action, from bandits, evil wizards, to dragons and giants.
- choice of a ruler trait to give a bonus to military, diplomacy, or stealth
- A story derived from the decisions of the players, with a broad history and lore provided with lots of room for player creativity

The age belongs to the Viking Lords, to carve out their kingdom and establish themselves as the power of Rheagonn. Take your power from the blade of your sword, the ink of your quill, or in the dark of shadows. Earn a place of glory in Valhalla!

[SyrianHamster]

Interested. Let me know when it's receiving.

[Crya]

I'm interested. I have an idea for a Half-Orc Jarl.

[Theodorable]

Will there NPC kingdoms? Are we limited to be a Jarl, can we not be more medieval-esque nations? Interested, nonetheless.

[BlackBishop]

Theodorable said
Will there NPC kingdoms? Are we limited to be a Jarl, can we not be more medieval-esque nations? Interested, nonetheless.

yes, there will be several NPC kingdoms to interact with. This is a medieval setting, though players are limited to viking jarldoms. My intent, should the game be a success, is to make this a series of games from the perspective of each kingdom. So though we may be vikings this game, next one we may be roman-esque humans, or benign Elves, shrewd Dwarves, or battle hardened Orcs...

[Theodorable]

How will each nation/jarldom disparity utilized so the nations are varied and not cookie cutters?

[BlackBishop]

Theodorable said
How will each nation/jarldom disparity utilized so the nations are varied and not cookie cutters?

Good question. It will be up to the players to establish their own lore, history and characters that should add their own distinct flavour to the game. Statwise, things will be kept simple and mostly the same at the start of the game, aside from the leader trait players choose, but it is through the IC that the game will come alive. For example, a player that creates a stealth ruler who employs cloak and dagger tactics to rule his jarldom can be expected to play quite differently then an honourable warrior who leads his people through strength and courage. Both would have a vastly different voice at the Jarlmoot, responding differently to events and likely different objectives as the game moves forward.

So in short, the freedom to create your own subculture, along with the traits to your character should make each player's jarldom unique in its own way.

[Theodorable]

I'm on board so far. I feel that a large hindrance to many Nation RP's is that utilizing the very "free form" template ends in most nations being immensely similar. I, for example, want to have a large Jarldom that is poor in resources, but rich in it's population of serfs and servants, as opposed to a smaller, more succintly designed Jarldom that may be wealthier and more literate, or less bloodthirsty.

[BlackBishop]

Theodorable said
I'm on board so far. I feel that a large hindrance to many Nation RP's is that utilizing the very "free form" template ends in most nations being immensely similar. I, for example, want to have a large Jarldom that is poor in resources, but rich in it's population of serfs and servants, as opposed to a smaller, more succintly designed Jarldom that may be wealthier and more literate, or less bloodthirsty.

Your demesne will be yours to craft. I'll have a map posted soon, limiting players to preset borders and some terrain, but for the most part, you will be free to dictate the terrain and society that live within your borders, so long as it follows reason and fits within the Nordic archetype; no deserts for example, but tundra is okay.

On the surface, the Jarldoms will be similar, because they belong to the same culture and kingdom, and depending on how the game goes, they may be cooperating and working together, loyal to a strong and wise king... or splintered into several petty kingdoms and fighting amongst themselves and foreign enemies. Deeper reading, i hope, will reveal stark differences in characters and subcultures that will make the jarldoms varied and exciting to play as and to read about.

[BlackBishop]

Norsia will be opening this evening with the first IC, OCC and a map. As I said, the game will begin at the onset of a succession crises with a new king or queen being needed. So be prepared for a heated debate at the Jarlmoot... Should be interesting to see if this transition to a new monarch happens peacefully or if we get a civil war right off the hop. :p

[gowia]

I am definitely interested.

[BlackBishop]

Game Mechanics
My goal here is to make a simple game that will be IC focused and last a long time, giving players the feeling that they are shaping a fantasy realm through their actions. For the most part, things will be decided by the luck of the die, others by player's choices. The direction of the kingdom is at the hands of the players, whether it shall remain strong and united or fall to petty kingdoms locked in civil war.

The King and Council
Overall it is in the best interest of the Jarls to maintain a united kingdom. Not only does this protect the Jarldoms from outside threats, but it also allows for a royal treasury and council to administer the kingdom. The royal treasury is separate from the personal wealth of the Jarls and even the king, though the king is the de facto administrator of the treasury. The king may use this wealth to aid the Jarldoms through disasters, hire mercenaries in times of war, conduct good will missions to allied kingdoms, or anything else they will. Typically the treasury is known only to the king or queen and their council, though they may disclose this information to the Jarls if they wish.
Aiding the King is the King's Council. A small group of trusted advisors that aid the king in administration of the realm. On the council is the Marshal, The Steward, and the Spy-Master, with a fourth seat given to a special advisor that I will control, but more on that when the game starts. Each councillor is given a special council order as well as their regular war and diplomatic order. They may choose to use this order for the betterment of the kingdom, or use it for their own needs. The King may give councillors their order, though it is up to them to follow through. It is up to the king who sits on this council, it can be their own characters for greater control or other players to foster alliances among the Jarls and make use of ruler traits.

It should be noted that the treasury is susceptible to thefts by outside threats and the Jarls. If a Jarl is planning a revolt, you can bet their first move will be to raid the treasury to mitigate the power of the king...

The Marshal
Though the king is the realms chief general, the Marshal is the top military advisor and second in command. It is often the Marshal who oversees the defence of the realm in the king's absence, or leads assaults upon enemy lands. The Marshal is also the commander of the Hirdmen, a special warrior order that carries out the will of the Council.

The Steward
The king's chief administrator. The Steward oversees the kingdom's coin counters and is chiefly occupied with the finances of the realm. This councillor has an opportunity every turn to bolster the funds within the treasury at the behest of the King. In addition to finances, the steward is also the chief diplomat of the realm, and is expected to be the face of peace representing the king to the outside world.

The Spy-Master
This Councillor's main concern is intelligence gathering and clandestine operations with the aims of furthering the King's peace. A very skilled spymaster will operate with such a deft hand, that his operations remain known only to the king and the council

More on game mechanics to be posted later...

[gowia]

This looks like it will be really good, Bishop are you going to have a character? Also with the debate should we do it on titanpad or something? So we can all speak quickly and easily etc.

[BlackBishop]

I will have a character, controlling an order of warrior-monks that will advise the Jarls and the king, as well as host the Jarlmoots.

As far as the debate, they will be done here in IC. For example,

Edrik leaned forward in his chair among the Jarls, wiping mead from his chin before he addressed the moot...

"I call the actions of Jarl Alfdor a travesty, and borderline treason. I reject his claim on the crown of Norsia, and put forth my own name, to lead this kingdom to glory once again!"

This way we will have a varied IC of quick short posts during debates, and the more meaty story driven posts done at your leisure.

We will also have an IRC channel as well for quick OOC conversations.

[gowia]

Okay, that sounds fine.

[SyrianHamster]

Liking the council idea, and the emphasis on unity of the realm. However, if we all do put down our axes and park up our longships in the garage, would we be likely to come up against a significant NPC threat from outside? Or would we just be RPing the running of the kingdom until someone decides the King needs replacing?

Personally, I think I'd have a lot of fun playing a Jarl even if there was no war to be fought. The sheer amount of political scenarios are almost limitless in number during peacetime, and for me it's about writing a quality story rather than winning a game of any kind.

Anyway, looking forwards to this. Should be a good run; I'd advise asking Meeky if he's interested if you need to make the numbers. He likes NRPs, and can write like a banshee on crack.

[BlackBishop]

SyrianHamster said
Liking the council idea, and the emphasis on unity of the realm. However, if we all do put down our axes and park up our longships in the garage, would we be likely to come up against a significant NPC threat from outside? Or would we just be RPing the running of the kingdom until someone decides the King needs replacing?

There will be NPC threats stirring up trouble, mainly in the form of a historical enemy who will be making you guys nervous. As for the rest of the kingdoms, four in all, they will begin the game feeling neutral toward Norsia, and grow close or hostile depending on your actions as a whole. Aside from the threat posed by the other kingdoms, you can expect lots of internal threats keeping you busy, but not so overwhelming that your guys won't be able to do your own thing.

Players can expect the majority of the game to focus on conflict created by the players, rather then the source of NPCs. So if the players are largely peaceful, the world will reflect that. If you are war mongers and wish to create an empire by the tip of your sword, expect an action packed game.

[GreivousKhan]

I'm interested too, not normally a fan of restrictive settings, but I think i can give this a shot.

[Duc de Canard]

This looks very interesting to me also.

[BlackBishop]

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