The Sons of Sievari [High Casual | Fantasy]

[Varromere]

THE SONS OF THE SIEVARI

SUMMARY You are a member of a party sent to unite the unruly descendants of the Sievari (whom you identify as). The question of why, however, is one that your masters of your home, the city of Arcaith, keep to themselves. The party is originally comprised of citizens of Arcaith, however denizens from across other areas in the north are welcome should they prove useful to the cause. What will you face? The north is incredibly splintered: a silent king in the east is blind to the plight of his people, and the black whispers that pray for his demise, while hundreds of warlords battle for control of the west, leading people desperate to survive the next brutal northern winter. EXPANDED Before I elaborate on the roleplay itself, I’d first like to say a few things about the setting and shed some light upon the importance of Arcaith and its citizens. The Sievari were the first of the Second Children (humans) to emerge in the First Men’s Domain. They surpassed their kinsmen, said to be nurtured by gods who offered them knowledge, power and civilisation. When their cousins rose and began flourishing, their chieftain Loki led them north, where they too began to thrive. Across both sides of the Frostfingers, massive cities were constructed in the manner of fortresses, with architecture that rivalled that of the First Children. Complex systems of law and order, trade and welfare were established, were the young were not only educated in humanities and arts, but the infamous sword-art that became a trademark of the Sievari. Some, however, showed magical promise, and were tutored accordingly. While the stories have been condensed and lost through thousands of years of dilapidation and turmoil, it is believed that the Sievari were herded to the north for a purpose, and they fulfilled this in the form of a ‘great war’. Following said war, the gods departed and the Sievari gradually splintered. The Sievari formed unions with members of the other clans, and over the thousands of years that followed, their blood was watered down. Power-hungry warlords formed their own territories, new divisions were formed, and a once majestic race of humanity descended into war, greed and poverty. No longer are the northerners referred to as the Sievari. To southerners, they are barbarians, but to the last of the pureblooded, they are known as ‘angse’ or ‘sons’. So then, where does Arcaith stand in all of this? In the previous paragraph I made mention of ‘the pureblooded’. These are individuals whose blood has not been touched by the other clans. They are the Sievari, and the last depending who you ask. They are identified by eyes that burn bright and blue like ice, almost transparent, though incredibly intense. Many are also born with white hair. They are the ancestral guardians and custodians of the north, so they make it their business to ensure the northerners are looked after and the warlords of the Winterlands do not cause too much of a fuss. Lately, this task has become quite difficult, as the Sievari dwindle in number. Their authority is no longer respected, and they are seen as a nuisance by many leaders. However, the people of Arcaith are the last wielders of an ancient form of magic and a sword-art passed down through the generations by their ancestors. Now, onto the roleplay! The Archon of Arcaith has sent a group of his most trusted on a ship to the Kingdom of Velgaria to treat with King Granden Velgaron and negotiate aid with rallying the warlords in the west. The Archon desires a united north, and as such, has sent warriors, strategists and mediators alike. The motivations behind the mission are unknown, and while some of you may note the urgency of it, others may disagree with it. However, not all of you have to be from Arcaith. The decision is yours. The roleplay will be open. There is a large checkpoint to reach, but for the most part, I’ll cooperate with you guys and will appreciate input in the overall story, with the addition of side-plots. You have an entire nation to unite – there is a lot that will come with that, which provides us with a lot to work with. The world is also quite fleshed out, however, I will be lenient and provide you guys opportunities for world-building of your own. For example, Velgaria is comprised of eight ‘holds’ led by thanes, who in turn are the ancestral leaders of their own clans. If you were to be a character from one of these holds, I’ll give you the pre-existing lore or you can have the option of creating your own thane/clan/hold. And yeah. Interested? Questions?

[Tatsua Aiisen]

I may as well say that I'm interested. I'll check in further, and maybe add my own input later, but for now I'll just keep it at that~

[Delta44]

So what kind of RP will this be, exactly? A strategy-esque game where we get to, essentially, control entire nations? Or are we playing as simple individual characters? Also, what kind of roleplay do you intend this to be played out as? Story-based? Combat oriented? Perhaps even social, regarding politics and the like? Either way, it seems as though you've got this all fairly planned out.

[Varromere]

You control one individual character with some control over the world (so non-player characters). Story-based to a degree, mostly character-driven with social/political aspects. I want players not to feel too constrained and have some flexibility in making decisions and creating their own sub-plots and cooperating with me and other players.

[Fussiler1]

Sounds good.

[Delta44]

I might be tempted to sign up. I dunno if I'll have time, though I'll try if I can!

[Smooth]

I'm interested. Haven't done too much roleplaying or even writing in general in a while... What kind of magic are we dealing with here? The flashy video game type or a more subtle approach?

[Varromere]

There is a bit of both, depending on the kind of magic you're dealing with. Magic is a rare talent in this era of the world. Those who wield it are born into it, experiencing a huge surge of power at some point in their childhood/teenage years. Now, in this world, magic is categorised by source. A variety of factors tie a mage to a particular source, and as they grow as practitioners of magic, they become more attuned to the source of their power and are unable to draw from any other source. That probably isn't very enlightening, but feel free to keep asking me questions. Now, your second question. It depends on a variety of factors. Like artists and writers, mages have a particular 'voice' or style, tied in with their own personality. A boisterous personality will evoke a more visual and flamboyant style of magic, whereas a timid personality will likely be less confronting and perhaps more subtle. EXAMPLE: now, take Mayven (a random name, purely for this example). Mayven is a stormsinger, a practitioner of elemental magic. Mayven is silent, cold and brooding, and his style of magic reflects this, finding thunder, lightning and rain too vexatious to call upon and control, he instead prefers evoking the power of a blizzard. He doesn't appreciate large, destructive displays of power, so he's all about plummeting temperatures, harsh gusts of cold wind and creating small snowstorms. Secondly, the concept of your 'power cap'. Magic is exhaustive to the human body. It requires concentration, focus and a great deal of endurance. Some mages have lower power caps, and are therefore unable to perform greater feats of magic (or do, at great consequence to their mental, emotional and/or physical health). As a result, they would focus on smaller and less flashy displays. EXAMPLE: Mayven has a very high power cap, something common for stormsingers and practitioners of elemental magic. However he recognises the consequences of breaching his cap. He has seen other stormsingers driven insane by the stormsong, and some others consumed by the storm and killed by powers they couldn't control. When Mayven was younger and curious about the extent of his power, he called upon a great blizzard, of which he was soon unable to control and as a result lost several fingers to frostbite. Thirdly, the source of your power. Not only does your source of power influence what kind of magic you're dealing with, but also your power cap. There are several main sources including leyline energy (arcane magic), daemons (black magic) and nature (elemental/wild magic). EXAMPLE: Mayven is a stormsinger, who draws his power from the skies, and as such he deals with some pretty badass magic. His brother Yrailan, however, is an abjurer who utilises subtler notes of arcane magic to create protections and wards. And yeah. Another factor is, of course, what you're trying to achieve and the spells you're performing. Not sure if I've helped or probably confused you more.

[Smooth]

It did make things clearer as far as magic is concerned; nothing too confusing. Like somebody said, you've thought a lot of details through. I'm a bit curious about some stuff, but it can wait until later if we push through with this. The lifestyles of the people in this story, social classes, etc.

[Varromere]

Any other questions? Input?

[Varromere]

Working on the OOC now. :)

[Whiskey Business]

Are there other races in this realm like dwarves or elves?

[Varromere]

There are other races, but only three will be playable (humans being one of them). The first of the non-human races are the dvergr, which are this world's answer to dwarves. They are an endangered race forced from their underground citadels by volcanic activity, with stone-like skin. The second are the heksvar - humans who sold their humanity to a witch. They are tall, gangly and lithe, with pale hues of blue for skin and an immunity to the cold. Very brief. I can elaborate more if you'd like?

[Tatsua Aiisen]

Alright, I really like this now. Do Humans have anything special about them, or are we going with the generic "Good at everything, not excellent at anything" approach?

[Whiskey Business]

Thank you for the info. I'd like to know more about the dvergr, as I had a dwarf character in mind.

[Smooth]

Oh, I forgot something. You mentioned in the OP something about the 'true' Sievari having an ancient form of magic. I assumed that this is something separate from regular magic, so do the other races (and other humans) have magic?

[Varromere]

@Tatsua Aiisen It depends on the human. In this world, no race is generalised to a point where they are completely restricted. Yes, there are some limitations, and there are some traits most members of the culture/race share, but generally it falls on you. I will say this though, northerners are fighters. They live in a harsh environment, harsher still depending on where you're from, and many maintain a tradition of teaching their young how to defend themselves. Most northerners also know how to survive. They know their lands and they know how to survive them. The men and women of the north are, to generalise, warriors and survivors. @Whiskey Business The dvergr (singular: dvargr) are one of the five races given the title 'Elderkind'. They have existed since the dawn of the world and assumed dominion over the earth (they refer to themselves as children of the earth). Each of the elder races are said to be moulded from the elements, and dvergr legend describes their race as being 'forged by rock and fire'. They are short, stout, with solid frames and short legs. They have skin and flesh, but their hearts beat slow and steady and their blood runs cold. Their skin is stone-coloured, cold to the touch and hard. They do grow hair and nails, and their eyes mimic the colour of a gemstone (and are also without pupils). The dvergr are expert smiths, creating weapons and armour of ornate designs made from a metal that they covet called 'dunedain'. They are endangered, nearly extinct, and are no longer able to live in their citadels below the north due to a rising tide of lava. This mass exodus from the underground is what they call Dov'kir Agnarok, the beginning of the end for their race. The last of the dvergr reside in Odinnsgate or travel, some to live the remainder of their days in the pursuit of something, others greatly depressed by the inevitable doom lingering over them, their people and their culture. They are believed to be the last of the Elderkind in the world. @Smooth All races have access to magic to some degree. Humans are able to access a greater variety of magical sources due to their nature. For example, thousands of years before SotS, humans were given The Gift of the World by the Primal Spirits (spiritual entities governing nature), giving humans permission to control the elements (this was the birth of wild/elemental magic). However, other races have limitations. The dvergr cannot channel magic in its purest forms, and rely on runic enchantments on their weapons or a medium of sorts. The rare form of magic used by the Sievari is an art that is used by the Archon of Arcaith and only a few others in the city.

[Whiskey Business]

Consider me joined. I was hesitant at first about the dvergr until I read your entry. Your writing style makes reading the lore more of a joy than a chore. I look forward to future entries. Are we restricted to one character?

[Varromere]

I'm working on a bit of a lore page for you guys before the OOC, just so you have a fair idea of everything and things you might want to change/be a part of/mould your characters into. :) @Whiskey Business I think one character is best, although I could reconsider later on in the RP.

[Whiskey Business]

Sounds good. Any idea as to when the ooc will be up?