Saving Siroth (open world, fantasy)

[Jonnyh447]

The Kingdom of Almandria was created on rocky foundations. For hundreds of years those who inhabited the varied ecosystems of the Siroth continent found themselves engaged in violent and barbaric clan wars that would ruin the lives of hundreds and thousands and produce heroes of legend and tales of myth. Then the clans became civilised - fierce, painted warriors became idealistic, power-thirsty nobles donning robes and armour who learned rather quickly that a sword wasn't the only way to kill a man. When a clan found itself on the brink of extinction it would typically surrender to defeat and face either brutal annihilation or unfair integration until centuries passed and eight mighty and influential families found themselves struggling for control in a fierce battle of intrigue, wealth and power. Three of these families have been united under the prophesied "Joiner of Peoples" King Leonidas for the most part of twenty years and if rumours are to be believed the Kingdom that his forefathers dreamed of was due to be joined by the Ocean Lords of Astratyss making it the dominant power across the continent. There's still a lot to do though before the aging king can fully realise the dreams of his ancestors and unite Siroth as one, under his rule. From the north a strange religion is spreading, threatening the Almandrian way of life. From the East a messenger returns with news of a strange land ripe with magnificent creatures and fantastic stone structures and to the west concerns and rumours regarding a renegade group of evil mages calling themselves "The Blackwatch" are beginning to make the people panic. --- When the first guest started to grab and tear at her own throat gasping desperately for air Luther knew that the poison had worked and that he'd have to move quick. As he headed swiftly towards the palace's only open gate the second victim was claimed, a nobleman this time found himself dropping to the floor red-faced, dying. Luther didn't necessarily agree with poisoning the entire bottle of the king's favourite mulberry wine but his guardsmen were clever and loyal to a fault, the king would even be guarded on the privy and his minions were sworn to eat and drink everything that would touch his lips beforehand. Much to their peril. It was Magnus that gave Luther the poison and the idea of going all out and just poisoning everyone. The sneaky, overweight coin-master wormed his way onto the king's council only four days before seeking Luther out and offering a rather handsome reward for the mercenaries services. This was one of Luther's easier jobs in fact, the cutthroat preferred knives and shortswords as he deemed poison to be too easy and this just proved it. Magnus Mattias, the snakeLuther concluded as he caught the eye of his employer, he's even managing to look surprised. The backstabbing antics of politicians didn't surprise Luther, he'd only ever been hired by rich men in robes and wasn't one to ask questions if the price was right. But before slipping past the guards amidst the chaos he had to be sure the king was done by his hand so he could collect his money, he stared patiently at Leonidas waiting for him to drop like the others. There he sat, atop his throne with friends and family slowly choking to death around him, yet the king looked more angry than upset. He didn't seem to notice Luther staring as he glared into the chaos of the bewildered crowd, red-faced and frowning furiously. He knows what's happening Luther realised, stop fighting it you cunt and drop. The harder he prayed the more the king turned red in the face until... "There he is! Guards arrest that man!" Magnus shouted, pointing in Luther's direction. That lying fat fuck. If I'm going down I'm taking that little shit down with me, but before he could see a route to the coin-master Luther found himself being surrounded by the city's seemingly infinite amount of guards. With a shake of his arm a short, slim sword dropped from his long sleeve and equipped Luther well enough to stab the first guard through the neck hole of his suit of armour but as he leapt onto the table and planted a foot hard enough into the chest of the second responder to knock him off balance he caught a glimpse of just how desperate his situation was. Guards were flooding in from every direction and Luther had to do something. 'I didn't kill him alone!' He protested as he leapt from table to table, taking every precaution to not be toppled off by the angry guests. 'I'm only the...' But before the assassin could finish explaining he felt the most horrendous pain shoot through his jaw and up to the very core of his mind. Luther found himself looking over to Magnus from his hands and knees and watched helplessly as the politician loaded a second bolt into his crossbow. When he moved a hand to inspect his injury Luther knew it wasn't good, his right hand felt his teeth about three seconds sooner than it should've and from all the blood it was obvious that he'd been shot in the face. As he desperately tried to collect his thoughts Luther could feel consciousness slipping from him and as he extended an arm in a last desperate effort to reveal the identity of the king's true killer he noticed Leonidas slumped down, motionless in his throne and a greedy, lying pig with a fully cocked crossbow at the ready. Eventually he heard the second thwang before his arms grew too weak to carry his weight and everything went dark. --- The World Siroth is a landmass roughly the same size as North America with roughly the same sort of climates you would expect to find there, albeit a bit more extreme. Magic has been outlawed throughout the land for hundreds of years, it still exists but if a citizen is caught or suspected of using magic they'll find themselves facing the consequences in the courts of Almandria. Magical creatures have mostly been driven to extinction by the human populace although strange and peculiar sightings still occur throughout the known world. ... But why? After the king's assassination doubt and fear spread throughout Siroth. The prophesied uniter of the land was no more and those that remained were left without an obvious leader and no answers to the questions surrounding the killing of their beloved king. The integrity of Almandria is vulnerable, at the mercy of the powerful and noble families it once vowed to conquer. Will the great nation prevail and realise the ambitions of the late King Leonidas? Or will the outside influences of others tear apart the essence of what Almandria stands for? In a world where everyone wants to be on the winning side, religions are being founded, magic is being revived and lands are being discovered the future of Siroth has never looked so unstable. Magic? As magic has been outlawed only a small portion of the populace would have access to the materials required to learn it. Magic is read from typically bulky, enchanted spell books (most of which have been destroyed by the Kingdom of Almandria) with only the most powerful mages being able to recite spells without such books. Powerful spells ALWAYS require the sacrifice of life and usually make the user weak afterwards. Less powerful forms of magic like basic alchemy and potion making don't require such energy and sacrifice but won't really have a huge effect on the story either. Tasanua This is almost like the equivalent of South America and is the continent that's discovered days before the king's death. The people that inhabit this land are equally as advanced and ambitious as those that live on Siroth but little is known about their culture or history other than that they build complex stone structures and pyramids and worship the sky. Interactions with this land will occur throughout the first acts unlike the third continent that will be revealed later on. --- Basically Siroth is the largest of 3 continents but the inhabitants have been so busy fighting each other that they haven't even discovered the other two. If you're interested let me know and I'll continue world building and hopefully have an OOC that's a lot more in-depth especially in terms of direction. This RP will end up hopefully end up feeling like a more far-fetched game of thrones; royal families, mythical creatures, magic, religion, etc. where everyone fights each other and alliances mean nothing. Animals play a pretty big role in this RP. If you imagine the world before humans started killing everything it was a pretty dangerous place to live - Siroth is much the same and you're equally as likely to be killed by a territorial bear as you are another human...

- The Families of Siroth -

Leonidas - The Leonidas family are a stoic, proud people who can trace their ancestors back to the Liomo Clan and hail from the eastern mountain region of Halakia. Throughout their ambitious and far-reaching campaigns the family have worked diligently to prohibit the use of magic throughout Siroth and are fundamentally opposed to users of it. They aren't particularly religious people, instead they focus on technological advancement and creating useful, carefully chosen alliances in an effort to unite the people under their firm but fair rule. Being the ally of two other large families the Leonidas' military strength is unmatched, their soldiers fight with advanced and varied tactics whilst carrying black banners bearing the golden mountain lion of Liomo. Newell - The Newell family are renown for their diplomatic and negotiating skills, a clever and resourceful people who's affluent past stems from the legendary trader Solomon. They descend from south east in the sandy desert plains of Sissili and were the first to pledge their loyalty to the Leonidas family in 1028. The Newells aren't to be underestimated in their warring capability though and fight using some of the most advanced siege equipment of the time. They march into battle under a banner with the black scales of Seagard on a plain white canvas. Winter - The Winter family have spawned many fierce and widely recognised warriors, their ancestors; Awinaka Clan, lived just west of Halakia in a mainland jungle region called Mazua and were known for worshipping the great grey rhinos that roam the land. Due to being surrounded by other clans the Mazuan people were constantly at war with one neighbour or another which meant they rarely had a scientific or technologic advanced people. They excel at guerrilla warfare and the men born here are typically physically superior to those born in Siroth's other regions, if they have to carry a banner to battle they fight under a frontal-facing, charging rhino coloured a dark grey on a green canvas. After thousands of years of fending off foes and providing for their own people the Winter's were eventually conquered and made to surrender to the Leonidas-Newell alliance in 1035. Astratyss - The ocean lords of Astratyss are a diplomatically elected family; the people who inhabit the north- eastern tundra region of Essien have an annual vote whereby the twelve members of the Astratyss family are altered by the volition of the people. Two can be voted out, two can be voted in and it's often the historically proven, renown nobles that are offered as candidates to enter the family and those with vested interests that are rid of. The ocean lords usually make peaceful decisions with outcomes that favour their people and use all available measures to avoid war despite having the most capable sailors and warships in Siroth. Their sails and banners display a sky blue shark on a deep, royal blue canvas. Zanzibar - The Zanzibar family control the southwest of Siroth, their ancestors were known as the Zabi; a nomadic clan that decided to finally settle their homes in the vast grasslands of Fasildur in the year 201. Since settling the family's empire has risen to something powerful and their uncanny ability to acquire gold allows them to strive economically and afford to field massive armies and erect enormous, seemingly impenetrable castles and fortresses throughout their land. Ambitious and idealistic this family are political beasts who would sooner get a mercenary army to fight a battle for them than risking the bloodshed of their own valuable people. They carry to battle a bright turquoise and tan chequered banner that doesn't bare any symbols. Mickelson - The Mickelson family spawn from the Fasildur grasslands in the west but have been forced inland through years of Zanzibar and Samigoth militaries claiming and fighting over the west coast of their homeland, as though it was theirs. The Mickelson family have experienced more hardship and suffering at the hands of other families than anyone else in the realm and the population of their lands has been diminished due to other families pillaging and raiding the peaceful, farming folk over the centuries. They have the smallest military strength and are believed to only still be in control of their territory because it's the stretch of hard, infertile land that divides Fasildur and Sissili and only the Mickelson's know how to survive and work the land there. An increased knowledge and expertise of archery says otherwise but without an army of men protecting them the Mickelson archers can't fight sustained battles very well and are quick to turn tail and run if they're taking heavy casualties. A lot of their history was lost in the Samigoth sacking of their coastal libraries. Their banners show a white owl soaring above a sea of rich purple. Samigoth - The Samigoth family originate from three small islands just off the coast of northwest Siroth called the Tanzian Isles. From the islands their forefathers; the Igoths, conquered other clans along their way into Siroth until they found themselves stone-walled by the armies of Zanzibar. The Tanzian Isles have access to the best available metals and as a consequence the Samigoths wear the highest quality armour to battle and have very capable and highly-trained heavy cavalry units. They have both a sizeable army and navy that are commanded by some of the most strategically astute generals in the known world. The Samigoths battle under a banner of blood red displaying a black, roaming wolf. Volaki - The Volaki family inhabit the most northern regions of Siroth where the forests meet the tundra plains. They call their homeland Lassily and have managed to keep both it's land bountiful and it's people strong and prosperous throughout the Samigoth invasion of the mainland. Even though this family protects what's theirs they try to have a peaceful attitude towards their neighbours and have a natural affinity for nature and animals. They are bold and just politicians, clever traders and tactical warriors and are widely regarded as the most powerful magic users that ever existed. Their people unite under an emerald green banner with a crudely drawn crystal ball being represented in purple. The Volaki family have been the hardest hit by magic being outlawed; etched in their history are stories of conquering almost half of Siroth with the use of magic, that is until the Leonidas family put a stop to their advancements. With the help of a young Winter family noble and the growing family that was then compassionately referred to as 'The council of Zanzibar' the Winters incited rebellion through all the land that the Volaks had conquered and the armies amassed were brainwashed into believing all magic and its users were evil and consequently committed all kinds of atrocities to the magic population. These armies named themselves and some of the more notorious names to pop up were 'The Magi Banishers' and 'Company X', the latter of which strives as a mercenary group to this very day.

Timeline - not done

100 - The Ocean Lords of Astratyss are elected to protect the tundra people of Essien. 201 - Zabi tribe settles in Fasildur Grasslands and berths the Zanzibar family in the following years. 321 - The Volaki family launch a campaign to unite Siroth under their rule, they successfully conquer a large portion of the Mikkelson and Astratyss lands throughout this movement. 350 - The Volaki campaign through Siroth is stopped by a Zanzibar/Winter/Leonidas alliance and the rebellion of conquered peoples. 354 - Magic is prohibited throughout Siroth, mercenary armies enforce the law created by the alliance. 888 - Under the rule of Hamil Samigoth the Samigoths launch a campaign that sees them gain control of northwest Siroth from their homelands of Tanzia. 900 - After over ten years of war the Samigoth and Zanzibar families agree to peace and divide the lands that used to belong to the Mikkel clan amongst themselves. 902 - The Mikkelson family is created from what remained of the Mikkel clan. 1026 - Leonidas family claim that the land should unite under the fair and just rule of Oscar Leonidas, who is made king. 1028 - Leonidas and Newell families create an alliance whereby the Newells swear fealty to King Oscar Leonidas 1035 - The winter family surrenders in it's war against the alliance, recognising King Oscar in the face of defeat and beginning to integrate with their conquerors under an unfavorable peace treaty.

[UltikanaRe]

What is the paragraph posting requirement? How many posts per week?

[Jonnyh447]

At least once a week would be preferable, if you can manage to get your character on their own then you can take longer between posts because you're not slowing anyone else down, so to speak. How much you write is up to you, I guess I'll put the limit at 2 paragraphs minimum but if you plan on writing only two paragraphs at least take some time to make 'em good. This is still a work in progress too, I'm currently writing about the 8 families of Siroth and will then make a character sign up and do bits and bobs to improve the story. Planning on just chucking up an OOC hopefully the finished product will attract more attention...

[rextremendum]

I'm interested - this sounds cool

[orichalk]

I'm interested too.

[Jonnyh447]

Nice to see some interest, welcome both :) I've added the eight families - don't panic if something's not clear yet or you don't remember stuff, hopefully I can get pictures up soon that'll make everything make a little more sense. Also the way I'm writing at the moment is pumping ideas out to keep you guys interested and hopefully get a few more people interested, the actual quality of writing in the OOC we will be improved as I review it. I also tend to work late at night so some of my writing is just plain awful sometimes - please try to ignore that I'll always fix my posts :) Still to come: Pictures, Map, Timeline, CS sheets, making everything tidy and some other shit. Oh yeah and don't forget to ask questions, I don't bite :) also if you have a cool idea you want added in let me know - I don't want to be the set-in-stone type of GM and am always open to new ideas.

[UltikanaRe]

I am afraid I must revoke my interest. Too many things to juggle, Sorry!

[Jonnyh447]

That's okay there's a lot of good RPs up at the moment, I'll continue improving this RP and if there's not much interest I'll wait a few months and try again when it's finished. :)

[UltikanaRe]

Ye, I understand. Times are slow.

[Jonnyh447]

Oh it's you haha! Yeah this RP will probably released in a couple weeks when it's done - I'll PM you guys that've shown interest when I do the OOC

[Darcs]

Interest Interest Interest

[Smig]

This is looking good. Interested!

[Orior]

I'm interested in this as well!