The Lucenrai Chronicles: The Fallen Kingdom

[vietmyke]

The Lucenrai Chronicles: The Fallen Kingdom

Lucenrai, a world with lush summers, and harsh winters, the kingdoms of man have made their claim. Lucenrai is a large continental landmass, and one of the only two known continents in the world, flanked by several smaller islands and landmasses. The heart of the continent consists of an expanse of plains, hills, and lightly forested grasslands. To the north are an expanse of tall mountains and tundra, covered in harsh everwinter forests. West of the heartland is Mediterranean and warm. Down to the south, the land gets considerably wetter, and has large stretches of thick forests, and marshy wetlands. Towards the east, the plains become harsh, turning into a craggy, rocky region which then opens up to a large, harsh desert. Across the ocean nearest the western coast, are small chains of tropical islands, these islands are the buffer zone to the continent of Reyen, a lush frontier land, filled with forests and natural resources waiting to be exploited.

For years, the realms of man have lived in relative harmony. This harmony has not always been peaceful, small wars breaking out between the different kingdoms, but there was balance, order. To the North is the Kingdom of Ardel, a hardy and proud people, used to harsh weather and hardtimes. In the Heartlands, the ever constant ally of Ardel is the Kingdom of Edessa. With its fair lands, large mines, and central location, Edessa is both prosperous and diverse and is a generally peaceful nation. To the West is a large mercantile Varyan Empire, famed for their massive trade power and wealth, as well as its access to the rich islands and resources of the new world. To the south, in the great forests is the Kingdom of the Welds. Colloquially known as the Kingdom of the Wilds, the Welds have been rivals of the Edessa for centuries. To the east is no kingdom of man, rather hundreds of clans of nomads and raiders.

Lucenrai is now in a state of turmoil. The Welds, longtime enemies of Edessa have suddenly turned to the kingdom for help, desperately requesting aid against a sudden surge of marauding Orcs. Alongside the influx of Weld refugees, Orcish bands have appeared in South Edessa and have begun pillaging the countryside. To make matters worse, the Varyan Empire has launched a massive invasion of Edessa, seemingly taking advantage of the chaos created by the orcs. With an army armed and armored with the wealth of the mercantile empire and the resources from Reyen, the Varyan Empire has easily swept across the Edessa countryside.

On the brink of defeat, the forces of Edessa have been forced back to its Capital city and the nearby lands. With little hope of victory, Edessa decides to send its refugees- its youth and future, to the north, to seek refuge within the Kingdom of Ardel. In the dark of night, caravans from Edessa are sent northbound, with nothing but a scant few guards, mercenaries and older teens to protect them while the remaining soldiers of Edessa prepare to hold the Empire at bay.

---

Plot

This RP will revolve around one of the final caravans to leave the capital city of Edessa. A ragtag group of old soldiers, grungy mercenaries, youths and children, we will struggle to survive in the wilderness as we flee from the dastardly forces of the Varyan Empire. Along the way we will be beset by hardship and adversity as we make our way through the war torn countryside of Edessa and into the harsh wilderness of Ardel. At times, our story will be light hearted, at other times, it will be dramatic and tense as we attempt to prevail over insurmountable odds. Our characters will face daunting challenges, testing their wit and willpower, as well as their morals as they are pushed to their absolute limits in this struggle for survival. This is: "The Lucenrai Chronicles: The Fallen Kingdom"

Rules

1. This Roleplay will have relaxed standards when compared to most Advanced RP's, though I will be expecting at least a few, well written paragraphs, and absolutely NO ONE LINERS.
2. Be sensible and polite in the OOC. Any arguments should be either taken off to private messages, or brought to my attention to resolve.
3. No Mary/Gary Sues. Your characters are the story's heroes, but they are not perfect.
4. No God-Moding. Your characters are important, but I will not hesitate to injure them if they do something exceedingly stupid. Note, as GM, I reserve the right to God-mod however I like, with the purpose of advancing the plot, or steering it in a specific direction.
5. This will have blood and violence, and foul language is freely allowed, though for the sake of decency, any sexually graphic acts will fade to black (or will be taken to PM) before it goes too far.
6. Player knowledge is not character knowledge. Just because you know something (be it through OOC or another person's post, does not necessarily mean that your character knows.
7. As GM, my word is law. This does not mean I will be unreasonable, nor will it mean I will be unfair, but I will expect you to respect my executive decisions.

Regarding Characters
IMPORTANT: I will only be accepting up to 4-5 characters (not including my own)so it will NOT be first come, first served.

Most characters will also be expected to be novices, relatively inexperienced, or 'low level' in skill. Characters for the most part will be youths and young adults, and can have some skills- though characters cannot be a master at arms. Alternatively I will allow one or two characters to play an older, more experienced and skilled character, provided that they are adequately balanced, for example, A skilled swordsman, who is now old, and no longer the fighter he once was. I am also searching for a player to be play as the child of the monarch

This RP will not play out on a tabletop style system, and treasure, loot and gear will be bountiful in this RP. However, characters will be limited in what they will start with- as it will be what they can carry with them. Starting gear must also be reasonable: For instance, if your character is the son of a baker, it would make no sense for him to have a set of plate armor and a greatsword, likewise it is doubtful that he would have the martial skill of a trained soldier.

Technology and Magic

Pretty standard Fantasy fare, technology is your typical swords, spears and shields. Steel plates, chainmail, and leather make up the backbone of defensive technology in the world, however fantasy alloys and materials will also be present:

Adamantium, recognized by its high density and brown/bronzed color is extremely durable and strong, but heavy.
Mithril is lighter than steel, but just as strong, and conducts magical energies easily.
Ironwood is a dark gray wood, thick and as tough as iron, hence its name.

Magic is also as you'd expect, magical bolts of varying elements cast through willpower and concentration- though not all possess the talent for magic.​

Character Sheet

Appearance: Your character's appearance. I prefer art images as opposed to real life pictures
Name: Your character's first and last name.
Age: The age of your character, the age range I'm expecting for most characters is 16-19. Old Caravan Guards and Mercenaries will obviously be a little bit older.

Personality: One of the more important parts of your CS, give me a good taste of what your character is like.

Backstory: Important, but not as important as your character's personality, give me a small summary of your character's history and bio.

Skills and Abilities: Here is where you put things your character can do/are good at, as well as what magic abilities they have (if any). Magic is a rare talent and is difficult to master. If you intend on making your character a user of many weapons- chances are s/he won't be a master of magic. Skills and abilities should be presented in list form as Experience level, Skill, Description. For instance:

Novice Woodcutting - this character has been chopping wood for a short amount of time

In general, experience based skills should go: Novice, Journeyman, Adept, Professional, Accomplished, Master, Legendary. Skills that aren't as dependent on experience (such as the ability to wear armor) should just be Untrained or Trained.

Equipment: Here is where you'll give me a list of your character's equipment, weapons, and armor- if any. Remember, you're playing refugees and caravan guards on the run- not a mobile armory. If your character possess a particularly special weapon made of some fancy fantasy metal, there had better be a good reason aside from "It looks/sounds/feels/is cool!" Somewhat similar to skills, equipment should be listed in a format of "name, qualities." Images can be included in hiders. For instance:

Sword, Old, Dull. - this sword was given to example character by an old man in a cave.
Vidofnyr, Adamantium - This mighty battle axe is forged of fine Adamantium and hits like a carriage; a really heavy, fast moving carriage.

Minor equipment, such as waterskins, clothes, and the like don't need to be in as detailed of a list.

My character

Name: Emil Erran.
Age: 18

Personality:
warm and kind-hearted, Emil is a soft spoken young squire with a strong sense of morality and justice. This level headed squire tries his best to stay brave and rational in the face of hardship and adversity, despite his inexperience. Honest and trustworthy, Emil is compassionate and kind, if a little shy and under-spoken. Loyal to a fault, Emil is more than willing to risk himself for the sake of others, and goes to great lengths to defend his loved ones. A very down to earth and grounded individual, Emil's calm and positive demeanor, while bordering on naivety bolsters the spirits of those around him.

Backstory:
Emil, youngest son of the Erran family, comes from a long line of Edessan Knights. Emil, like the rest of his brothers were introduced to the lifestyle of a knight at a young age, and were immersed in their culture from the moment he could walk. The son of a Edessan Knight and his wife, Emil and his brothers were well educated at a young age and were taught manners as well as basic martial skills and knowledges as children. Throughout their childhood, Emil and his brothers would often venture into the town to play with other children. Emil made friends easily, and was known for his gentle and sensitive demeanor, while the rest of his brothers were respected for their various other qualities.

As they Erran children grew older, they were trained in the ways of various weapons, such as the spear and sword, and were trained in horsemanship and riding. After his seventh birthday, Emil was apprenticed to another noble family to serve as a Page, where he would begin to further refine horsemanship and swordsmanship as well as learn the intricacies of reading and writing. A naturally perceptive and intelligent child, Emil was treated well by his host family, and learned much under their tutelage.

The Knights of Edessa, or the Edessan Knights as many know them as. These knights are tasked with serving and protecting the people of Edessa. These stalwart warriors are well known for both their valor and martial skill, despite their relatively small numbers. Every male member of the Erran family had been an Edessan Knight at one point in their life. Emil's brother is among the famed members of the Edessan Knights, and one of the King's personal guards. Each of Emil's brothers has already entered service in the order.

As he turned 14, he became squire to a famed Edessan Knight, where he furthered his training, continuing his work on bladesmanship and horsemanship, as well as learning archery, music, speech, and skills befitting a young knight. Here he learned how to take care of, and maintain armor, how to tend horses and treat wounds. The next several years were difficult, his knight was fair, but strict, and offered him nothing but the most difficult challenges to face.

Now a fresh 18 years old, Emil's journey to become a full fledged knight of Edessan has been cut short by the war. With his lord having sent Emil away with the other youth of the city, Emil is one of the oldest of the youths to leave, and like many of the other older children, has supplemented the sparse number of caravan guards with his own skills.

Skills and Abilities:
Adept Swordsmanship - As a squire, and the son of a Knight, Emil has received martial training in various fields, he is capable with many weapons, but shows the most promise with a sword.
Journeyman Spearmanship - Along with his swordsmanship, Emil has received training with the spear and lance, though it is clear he shows a preference to the sword.
Novice Archery - Alongside his other martial skills, Emil has also been briefly trained in the use of the bow and arrow.
Journeyman Horseback Riding- As a knight in training, Emil is trained on how to ride a horse, fight from a horse, and take care of a horse.
Trained Armor use - Years of training have taught Emil how to quickly don and remove plate armor, and can thus move with more dexterity and quickness than one without training would be able to. He is also well versed on the care of plate armor.
Novice Cooking - 'Cooking' would be a bit of a stretch, Emil is capable of preparing meat and raw food to an edible state without causing sickness.
Novice Lute playing - The way of the arts, poetry, and writing are often emphasized amongst members of the upper classes, music is especially appreciated throughout Edessa. Emil has picked up a tune or two on the lute in his free time.

Equipment:

Father's Sword, Worn. - An old sword used by Emil's father. Though it is worn and has seen its fair share of use, it remains a balanced and capable weapon nonetheless.

Father's Sword

Edessan Half Plate. - a cut down suit of plate armor utilized by Edessan knights and soldiers. Plates protect major parts of the body, while the rest is backed with tough leather under a tunic.
Roark, Horse. - A well bred brown horse named Roark ridden by Emil.

In his knapsack, Emil carries a few supplies, some dried rations, flint and steel, and a few other survival items.

[XSilentWingsX]

I would be extremely interested. Should we just post our proposed character sheets here?

[vietmyke]

Yes, proposed characters will go here, I will have my own character up soonish for an example

[Marx]

Hey chief, I'm very interested. I'll be working on a character sheet.

Any chance I could get some information about the world?
What are the varying kingdoms like culturally? Are any of them comparable to the cultures of civilizations in the real world?

EDIT:
Also, what magics are present in the world? Such as; Destruction, Elemental, Summoning, Druidic, Shamanistic, Ritualistic?

[vietmyke]

Hey chief, I'm very interested. I'll be working on a character sheet.

Any chance I could get some information about the world?
What are the varying kingdoms like culturally? Are any of them comparable to the cultures of civilizations in the real world?

EDIT:
Also, what magics are present in the world? Such as; Destruction, Elemental, Summoning, Druidic, Shamanistic, Ritualistic?

@Marx

Culturally, Ardel and Edessa are analogous to your typical fantasy European medieval kingdoms, Welds are like a mix of wood-elvish peoples with some barbarianism in there. Varyans can be thought of as Roman/Mediterranean city states in culture, but with typical European armor and such. The nomads to the east can be thought of as a large mix of Arabian and mongolian, with some japanese weapons and technology thrown in.

As for magic..

Magic is cast via spiritual essence, it is kinda typical final fantasy/tales series spells, what with fire balls, thunderbolts, elemental destruction and the like. It is considerably potent, and dangerous, but the aptitude for magic is only found in select people, and is often traced down bloodlines. The power of spells are based experience as well as natural prowess. Magic is primarily elemental/destruction, though other types such as summoning and ritualistic magic will be present, however summoning/ritualism will be much more powerful and taboo in the case of ritualism.

[Marx]

@vietmyke
Cheers.

Can I get a touch of insight on what precisely ritualistic magic entails?
Also, for the skills and abilities section what types of skills would fall into the Untrained or Trained category as opposed to the Novice through Legendary category? I'm just not 100% confident on what would be a skill/ability with experience and what wouldn't be.

Sorry for the questions, I just like to be thorough!

[vietmyke]

@vietmyke
Cheers.

Can I get a touch of insight on what precisely ritualistic magic entails?
Also, for the skills and abilities section what types of skills would fall into the Untrained or Trained category as opposed to the Novice through Legendary category? I'm just not 100% confident on what would be a skill/ability with experience and what wouldn't be.

Sorry for the questions, I just like to be thorough!

@Marx

Regarding skills... uhh... very few fall into the very binary untrained/trained section. Becuase very few skills are either "you have it or you don't". Untrained/trained means that, if you don't have training in it, you can't use it at all. Most things in life, you can just pick up and try it- you won't be much good, but its not like you're prevented from doing it... let me see.. examples could include.. Trained siege engine usage, trained King's script writer. Idk.

For the most part, if you're in doubt, the skill probably falls into the novice-legendary system.

Regarding ritualistic magic, you can come up with that yourself, honestly. Its not like I have everything set in stone. If you can come up with something that sounds interesting, but is still taboo, I'll let it be.

[Marx]

@vietmyke
Great. Thanks, mate.

[babbysama]

This looks very promising---count me in.

I'm interested in playing one of the older characters, if possible. I'll start working on a CS right away

[Marx]

Alrighhhttyy, here's my character. Please tell me of any corrections I need to make. I may be touching it up here and there too.

Askeladden

sans eyepatch, ignore clothing source

Name: Askeladden
Nickname: Ash, Ashy, Askeladd, Ladd, Laddy
Age:Believed to be 19

Personality: One of the more important parts of your CS, give me a good taste of what your character is like.
Being a slave from the time he was a toddler, Askeladden has an inherent work ethic necessary for his survival. If there's a job to be done, he is often the first to work on it, without complaint or mention of it. Askeladden, despite his new found freedom, anticipates beatings from authority figures or those above him at the drop of a hat and will often wince or look away when he is anticipating them. He tends to not speak unless spoken to and even then is cautious of the action. If he feels threatened by someone that he does not see as an authority figure, he will often by the first to strike out of habit.

He lost trust the same day he lost his eye. Kind words and affection are met with great skepticism and if at all possible he will avoid people that he suspects to be trying to lower his guard. He has a love of telling stories and a greater love of hearing them. The way to his heart is to let him tell a story or two, either from his own experiences, or second hand from one of his patrons. Even faster is to tell him a story. His complete lack of education can add a bit of child-like wonder to him when he learns new things or experiences something he's only heard about in stories. Unfortunately, his lack of education also means that social faux pas are often lost on him. At the very least, a life of being dirt poor and having to rely on himself has taught him how to be resourceful.

Backstory:
Son of a whore, he was born a bastard and left with no surname. He was found lying in the dirt behind The Drunken Mare, a tavern on a connecting road between Edessa's capital and one of its southernmost cities. The bastard was brought to The Drunken Mare's master, Thors Brant, by one of the tavern's maids. Brant instructed the woman to care for the infant and have it learn a skill if she wanted it to live. For his dirty appearance, skin gray from the dirt, Brant named him Askeladden or "Ash Lad" in his native language. Askeladden was raised as a regular child for the first few years of his life until the maid began to grow ill. She passed him off to the Tavern's cook and died shortly after. Askeladden can't even remember her face.

The cook was strict, but generally fair. Failures were acceptable once. Any more resulted in a beating, first from the cook, and then from the master. "Everyone fails, only idiots unfit to live fail again," The cook had told him as a young boy. He had learned to take the saying to heart shortly afterward. He first began handling food at the age of four, fetching ingredients for the cook, delivering the small servings and occasionally drinks to patrons. He had begun to admire the cook at that age. The master was his owner, but the cook was the closest thing he had to a father. The cook often spent time speaking to him once the tavern stopped serving food, his words kind and bubbly as he drank himself into a drunken stupor.

He first handled a knife when he was eight, getting to chop vegetables and help with the morning prep-work. Slowly more responsibilities were handed to him until by the age of thirteen he was operating at a level slightly below that of the cook. It was around this age that he was expected to start dealing with the rowdier of guests. Slap them around a bit if they were making asses of themselves or wrestle them to the floor and hold them down until the cook or the master could step in and take care of the guest. The cook had been showing him how to handle himself in a fight after the master requested it. Askeladden also got a chance to learn more about the cook; that he had been a soldier in the Edessa military, that he had been a massive drunkard, that Brant bought him for a nightly allowance of liquor, and that he still was a drunkard. A drunkard that could have trouble controlling himself.

"You think you can fight?" The cook screamed at him one night after Askeladden had broken a man's arm. "This is what they'll do to brats like you!" The cook wrestled Askeladden to the ground and pinned his face against the ground. "I am being generous, boy. Anyone else would take both to teach you a lesson." An object moved into the vision of his left eye and for a moment the touch against his eye was warm and clammy. And then it was just white-hot.

He spent the night curled up in a corner clutching his eye. The next morning he was handed a bottle of alcohol and a handful of bandages and was told to take care of it and get to work. Brant never questioned what happened to Askeladden. The cook never brought it up. Askeladden never walked without a knife again. Two years later Askeladden ran the kitchen alone, the cook dead and left in the woods after he came at Askeladden one night with a cleaver. His tears for killing the cook were beaten out of him by Brant. With the cook dead, Brant took on the role of the punisher for Askeladden's mistakes and did his best to make up for the cook's absence. Over the years Askeladden learned to cook with a broken arm, broken ribs, fractured hands, and a near swollen over eye.

One night Askeladden saw a man writing on a piece of parchment at the tavern and stared with fascination. The man offered him a lesson either out of courtesy or pity and he accepted whole-heartedly. Askeladden went on to practice writing in his free time, despite having no idea of how to read what he wrote. Parchment was expensive, as was ink, so he made do with what he had. Pigs blood as ink and either apron or his skin as parchment. In one of the many attempts to write his own name on his arm, he found himself on the ground clutching his wrist, holding back cries of agony as his skin felt as if it were on fire. The tankard scribbling on his arm began to faintly glow and a sensation grew with him that felt oddly familiar and horribly cold as if he were laying in a bed of snow. Brant entered the kitchen and looked around for him, walking past him, screaming and fuming that he could neither find nor hear the slave. When the strange feeling abandoned his body, he collapsed to the ground and emptied what little content he had in his stomach into the pot. The beating for slacking off and dirtying a pot was almost dwarfed by the excitement of what he just discovered. Almost.

When the call for the caravans came, Brant forbid it. Brant wanted to profit off of the invading forces needing a place to stay. Askeladden cracked him over the head with pan and beat him until he stopped moving. And then he ran.

And he ran until his feet bled.

And he ran some more.


Skills and Abilities:
Untrained Ritualist - When Askeladden was still attempting to learn to write, he often would use whatever he could to learn. Ink was a luxury for someone like him, so he turned to animal blood when it was available. Parchment being equally difficult to find required him to write where he would not receive a beating for. His apron, his clothing, or his own skin. It was by accident he discovered anything at all when attempting to spell his name on his wrist. The clumsily written letters burned on his skin like metal out of a flame and with that came a new sensation he had never experienced. The manager walked into the kitchen looking for him and passed right by, unable to see or hear Askeladden. The moment the unfamiliar sensation disappeared, he fell ill and expelled the contents of his stomach into a nearby pot. He was beaten severely for hiding from his master and for dirtying a pot.
Novice Reader & Writer - Askeladden was not trained to read nor write and had to make do with picking up whatever he could from patrons.
Novice Storyteller - Every man has a story and in Askeladden's line of work, he often hears every story a passing drunk/traveler/hunter/soldier/mercenary has to share. People tend to get eager to share when good food and flowing mead is at the ready and Askeladden always has an open ear to the patrons. He's also gotten particularly good at remembering other's stories, but he still needs work on telling them.
Adept Brawler - Not every fight in his life has been with a knife and prior to losing his eye, he had fought with his hands. He once used a chair in a fight and was beaten relentlessly by the tavern owner for damaging the owner's property, forcing him to rely on only his own hands in a brawl. He's best when fighting someone larger than him, speed being his biggest asset in fights. If there's not a tremendous difference in size, he would tend to try and pin them to the ground and either threaten to break something or, in some cases, in fact break something.
Journeyman Medic - For someone as prone to beatings as Askeladden, learning how to patch himself up was a necessity. Askeladden can treat most cuts, nurse broken bones, sew wounds, properly clean wounds, and prevent infections.
Professional Knife User - Askeladden understands how to properly and efficiently use and maintain a large variety of knives, ranging from a paring knife to a cleaver and everything in between. His time with a knife has not solely been for cooking and butchering, but for defense as well. Askeladden has been in many fights through his life, a fact of life when dealing with drunkards on the regular. He's been in more knife fights than he's comfortable admitting, but it has left him a competent fighter capable of protecting himself.
Professional Cook - Much of his life has been spent in the back of a tavern whipping up food for travelers. He's well versed in a wide variety of foods, having prepared many game animals brought into the tavern by hunters, as well as every livestock to walk Lucenrai. Askeladden is well versed in making meals from scraps, having to rely entirely on scraps left over from patrons to feed himself, as well as whatever he can steal without drawing the eye of the owner. As long as it's still edible, Askeladden has both prepared and eaten it or can figure out how to.
Accomplished Butcher - When a group of hunters drag in a bear carcass and demand that it be ready to eat by that evening, Askeladden is the one in charge of making that a reality. He's able to skin and hack apart most Lucenrai wildlife with ease. He's learned to navigate around stubborn muscles, how to peel off furs without damage, and how to remove, organize, and prepare every bit and piece of wildlife he's ever had the chance to spend an afternoon hacking up. He highly recommends a dish of his invention involving sheep's stomach, liver, heart, and tongue. To this date not a single person has taken him up on the offer.

Equipment:
Burlap Sack - Two straps have been sewn on. Large enough to hold a horse's head.
Leather Knife Roll Bag - Used to hold the knives Askeladden ran off with. Made by his own hands.
Meticulously Sharpened Varyan Steel Knives - The majority of his knives are made of iron or steel. His selection includes: Chef's, Cleaver, Paring, Boning, Serrated, Butter, Peeling, and Carving.
Honing Bar - Used to straighten knives. Made of iron. Stored in his pack.
Sieve - Used to properly wash herbs and vegetables. Shallow and uses of a mesh of burlap.
Pestle & Mortar - Used for grinding herbs. Stored in his pack.
A bottle of whiskey wrapped in bandages - The alcohol is meant purely to clean infections and the bandages are nearing their third year of age. Washed carefully, they still have some stains from previous wears.
Sewing kit - For maintenance of equipment and maintenance of self. Running low on unused thread. Most is recycled from old wounds. Smells of alcohol.
Eyepatch - Black, sheep's skin leather, soft, aged. Only worn during the day or when before a flame, Askeladden's blind eye being sensitive to light and heat.

[Adorabadass]

This looks interesting. I'll work on a cs now.

Are there any races other than humans and orcs? Also, are orcs intelligent or just like animals or what? Are they all evil to the core?

Are there dragons, demons or other mythological creatures of the sort? If so, how do they interact with the rest of the world and how do most cultures view them?

[vietmyke]

Orcs are intelligent in that they can build things, and have societies and are able to communicate amongst one another. But they are also highly aggressive and carnivorous, and consume the flesh of humans as well as animals, so it can be assumed that they generally don't get along well with humans. I'm not going to give a definite 'no' to other fantasy races, but it can be assumed that they are generally rare or hidden- not for general play.

The closest equivalent to 'Dragons' would be Wyverns, and yes, there are indeed Wyvern Riders- a integral part of the Varyan army. Demons and other D&D or fantasy style monsters also exist in the world, and are essentially integrated into the world. Such creatures are generally accepted as a facet of wildlife, similar to something like wolves- though admittedly much more dangerous than wolves.

That being said, Monster/Demon Hunter is a valid- if not highly dangerous and uncommon, profession.

[vietmyke]

@Marx, overall a good character, personality was very descriptive and detailed. Though if you're accepted I'll trust that you won't actually start striking at other pcs (unless they give you permission of course).

Background is tragic but nice, no major notes for that part.

I was a bit iffy about the sheer number of high level skills, but most of them make sense so I'll leave them. That being said I wouldn't consider him a novice ritualist, since he stumbled upon that by accident, and hasn't had any actual practice with it. And for a generally timid seeming person who tends not to speak unless spoken to, I find it hard to see him as a story teller of much note.

Not that I'm against it, but would his master be able to afford mithril- and use it for something so simple as a kitchen knife? And would he so easily gift it? Mithril is a fairly rare and expensive material.

[Marx]

@vietmyke
Definitely. Unless they are making him feel threatened and he has a back against a wall, he's not going to lash out at them. If a character is threatening him, then it would be expected that the player is aware of the potential consequences. That being said, Askeladden is also more interested in getting as far away from his old life as possible, so he would do his best avoiding attacking another player character. The player would really have to want him to attack their character.

Super. I wanted to keep it as feasible as I could for the life of a slave. It could use some work on the writing though which is admittedly a bit poor.

Instead of novice ritualist, would he be, say, an untrained or sub-novice ritualist? He has a vague understanding of what he's capable of and has discovered some aspects of his magic such as the freshness and type of blood having to do with the potency, the method of writing influencing the duration, and the power/duration relating to how hard the 'hangover' is. If need be, I can just cut the magic portion of Askeladden given the large amount of magic users in the applicant pool.
I've bumped down Storytelling from Adept to Novice and mentioned how he's gotten good at remembering stories he's head, but struggles with the act of telling them.

The tavern has been a fairly successful business and the the slaves are expected to live on the scraps, the master being a penny pincher when it comes to the quality of life for his slaves. I thought about the mithril knife and figured that it would be a reasonable purchase for the master, the food of the tavern being one of the big selling points. A finely weighted knife with a particularly sharp and durable blade would do wonders in how quickly Askeladden can butcher game brought in by hunters, allowing them to take in more. It's something that would be seen as an investment and it was less a gift to Askeladden and more a gift from the master to his business. The knife was never meant to leave the kitchen and the master was fully confident that he would have Askeladden under his thumb for the rest of his life. The only act of aggression Askeladden had ever shown against him was at the very end when he, likely, beat him to death in the dead of night. Buying a knife of such a high quality is an investment to his business.
All that being said, if you want I can nix it.

[vietmyke]

@Marx, I guess untrained would work, he has knowledge of the skill, and is aware of it, but has yet to put in any considerable amount of practice. At the same time, you are correct in that the applicant pool has a lot more magical talent than I had expected/liked. In the end, I'll leave it to your discretion. Novice storyteller sounds fine.

Those are all very good reasons, but again, Mithril is known for its magical properties, and is highly valuable- unless you were an 'old money' type of business, or had a nobleman for a patron, it'd be unlikely that you'd be able to afford mithril. Also keep in mind the idea of the 'prestige' of Mithril, very few blacksmiths who pride themselves in being able to forge mithril- and afford to obtain mithril, will settle for making a little kitchen knife.

This being said, Mithril, Adamantium, and Ironwood, arent the only fantasy materials in play. Just as well, there are plenty of other stronger-than-regular-steel materials as well (that I had admittedly failed to mention). I leave a lot of lore very open so players can come up with things as they please. To throw some more examples out: meteoric metal, Orihalcum, Varyan Steel (Overal superior steel from the the Varyans), black-steel. To name a few.

If your character's tavern wanted to invest in high quality knives, they might invest in Varyan Steel knives, not the cheapest purchase, but quite durable and sharp- and more commonplace than mithril, and the tavern would probably be able to afford Ash's entire set of knives to be forged of Varyan Steel.

(Also, I intend on introducing the more valuable materials, such as mithril and adamantium throughout the story- so I feel as though it would feel more impressive if fewer players had access to such material.)

[Marx]

@vietmyke
Sounds good. I'll put the skill as Untrained for the time being. I'll keep the ritualism for now and depending on who you accept, if I get accepted as well of course, I may or may not remove it.

I wasn't aware that there were other varieties of RPG metals out there, so I went with the one from the list that most suited the task at hand. I think I'll switch the entire set to Varyan Steel then.

Thanks for all of your input, chief. Anything else that I should take a look at?

[OneEyedChurro]

Interested, almost have an application ready, but have a couple questions-

How long ago did the surge of cataclysmic events for Edessa happen, and in what order? How long has Edessa been fighting the Varyan Empire, would you say?

[vietmyke]

Interested, almost have an application ready, but have a couple questions-

How long ago did the surge of cataclysmic events for Edessa happen, and in what order? How long has Edessa been fighting the Varyan Empire, would you say?

@OneEyedChurro

very recently, probably only a few years at max. The Orcs began raiding the Welds and began pouring into Edessa, maybe a half a year to a year later, the Varyans launched their invasion. The war between the Varyans and Edessa probably lasted about a year to this point in time.

[Adorabadass]

Working on a cs

[OneEyedChurro]

Thanks, here he is:

Dalsarad

Dalsarad is a young man of average height and build, featuring the toned muscle pertinent of a man who has worked in nearly every trade Edessa has to offer. He takes after his father with his dirty blonde hair and blue eyes, and is starting to grow in a short and rough beard like most of the men in his family had around his age. He uses a combination of blade oil and grip wax to style his hair, and doing so has become such a part of his morning routine that even now he upholds the hobby with an almost ritualistic integrity; odd considering he's not one to seem worried about his appearance.

Name: Dalsarad Erborum, though some just call him 'Dal' (Pronounced like 'Doll')
Age: 19, fast approaching 20

Personality: Having grown up first in a woodcutting village, then a fishing village, and then a farm, Dalsarad has a very "get it done" mentality, something his father hadn't so much as taught him as he did exemplify for him. He looked up to his father quite a bit growing up, regardless of his father's tough attitude towards him, and Dalsarad doesn't find it unsettling in the slightest that he considers himself to have grown up in his shadow.

One of the more easily defined traits that Dalsarad carries is passion. Whatever the young man sets his mind to doing he does it to his fullest ability until he deems it complete. Stemming from that comes a sort of tunnel-vision, however, and many have observed that there are times where Dalsarad seemingly can't move on with his life over trivial things that he saw as "incomplete". It's also been noted that he has a deep-seeded fear of both ridicule and failure; all of this comes from his father's harsh treatment, but Dalsarad does his best to remain positive about them, saying they're more like "motivators" than "fears".

Because of that, Dalsarad struggles to not take himself too seriously, but to let his actions speak for him, thus eliminating any chance of ridicule or (ideally) failure. This comes off as an almost relaxed or carefree demeanor to others featuring a down-to-earth sarcastic humor. As Dalsarad himself puts it: "I don't care until I do." All in all he could be seen as an ideal person for tedious gruntwork, like running a farm, as he doesn't mind doing it, applies himself at doing his best, and relishes results more than anything.


Backstory: Dalsarad is admittedly well traveled, though not by choice. He was born in a small woodcutter's village named Rowanwood in southern Edessa, and it was here that a small towheaded boy would spend the first seven years of his life. His mother was a housewife while his father was a woodcutter, as was expected of him. As soon as Dalsarad was able to hold an ax, his father had him working, hacking at smaller trees or having him climb them to cut off bothersome branches. He would establish small quotas for the boy to uphold weekly, and should he not fulfill him, his son would meet his heavy, calloused, workman's hands. Dalsarad's mother would often protest this, saying it would lead to problems in the future, but the boy swore that he loved his father, no matter what.

After those first seven years the Erborum family moved farther north to central Edessa to live Dalsarad's uncle in a laketown creatively named Blue Lake. To this day Dal can't remember exactly why they moved, but he vaguely remembers his mother acting strange a few months prior. It was in Blue Lake that Dalsarad and his father began work as fishermen under his uncle, who owned a small barge made for lake fishing. More importantly, it was during the weekends where he wasn't on the barge that Dalsarad discovered his love of athletics. He and a few other boys from the town would regularly get together for a few rounds of "boxing" on the beach when the water from other barges soaked the shore. The damp sands- not too soft but not too hard- made for a great arena. Dalsarad feels he practically grew up on that beach. Occasionally the boys wouldn't "box", but would rather play a game they called "Cribbich", wherein stones were thrown at a target with three different sized holes in it for varying values of points. Dalsarad had good aim. He remembers that when he was in danger of losing, he'd often take the other boys' stones, throw them into the lake, and say it was a draw.

When the barge overturned and Dalsarad's uncle was nearly killed, his family relocated once more, even though they had spent nearly seven years at Blue Lake. They traveled towards the capital and his father used the money he had saved working for his brother to purchase a plot of land to farm. It is here that Dalsarad has lived ever since, not only tilling the fields, but helping his mother with her garden, as well. The young man found he enjoyed the life of a farmer. However, his relations with his father were worsening. He had recently taken up his son to teach him how to really fight, having been a marshal earlier and his life and claiming proud membership to the local militia. He taught Dalsarad how to correctly wear and use armor, as well as a sword and shield, and even on weeks where the training was particularly intense Dalsarad was still expected to fill his quota, no matter how badly his arms were bruised.

In the winter months, when their farm could reap no harvest, Dal's mother taught him how to read and write, having only recently learned, herself. The young man also frequented the taverns on the outskirts of town, where the boxing rings were to give the angry drunks something to swing at. With those men and women being most of his opposition, Dalsarad managed to become a somewhat accomplished boxer, renowned to at least the frequent patrons of those inns.

When the Varyan Empire invaded Dalsarad's mother moved into the city while he and his father stayed at the farm to continue their work and defend it from any stray sappers or spies looking to damage Edessa's infrastructure. Some months later Dal's uncle showed up at their door- the very same who had nearly drowned back at Blue Lake. He brought with him a large crate which the horse seemed too ready to get rid of. His uncle explained that men and women of the Welds were moving north, masquerading as refugees and that he didn't trust them; he'd been moving north and planned to enter the capital but wanted to drop of an old "marshal's cache" to his brother, Dal's father. Contained within were useless badges, rotten sundries, well expired writs and warrants, and an old set of armor.

When things quickly got more intense, Dal's father forcefully moved him into the city with his mother. He hasn't heard from him since. With the presence of the Varyans, though, he wasn't expecting much, and was making plans to lie about his age and join the military when his mother forced him to join the caravan headed into Ardel. It took a great deal of convincing and consoling, but eventually, Dalsarad accepted and was on board.

Skills and Abilities:

Novice Woodcutter- It was the early part of his life, so Dalsarad had only taken to the profession for a few years before he and his family moved to Blue Lake.

Journeyman Fisherman- Dalsarad was old enough to be taught how to fish from the get-go, so his father had him fishing out on the barge with him four or five days a week. He was never very fond of it, but he still remembers most of what he was taught.

Adept Farmer/Gardener- The life Dalsarad enjoyed most was that of a farming family. Having also been his most recent profession, Dal is good at crowing crops and has some knowledge of flora from helping tend to his mother's garden.

Trained in Armor Use- Though he has never personally owned any, Dalsarad is trained in the proper use of armor, thanks to his father, who have served as a marshal for a small southern town before Dal was born.

Trained in Shield Use- Anyone can pick up a shield, but it takes training to know when to throw that punch block or how to plant one's self to take a heavy blow.

Novice Swordsman- A facet of his father's training, Dalsarad has been taught some sword techniques, though he hasn't yet had the opportunity to use any of them.

Journeyman Brawler- A hobby that Dalsarad has kept to this day has been boxing. It had kept him occupied during the winter months, and with clever bets, earned him a little coin.

Novice Thrower- Coming from his time spent playing his brainchild-sport of "Cribbich", Dalsarad found he was good at throwing things hard and accurately. To compliment this, he sometimes practiced with small sharpened branches he improvised as javelins when his father was training him.

Equipment:

Small Shield, Ironwood w/ iron boss- It had been his fathers, but Dalsarad had trained with it so he relinquished it to his son. It's not large enough that one could "turtle" behind it, but not so small that it's useless.

Sabre, Steel- A step up from the wooden weapons his father trained him with. It's your regular run-of-the-mill sabre, featuring a knuckle guard and a curved blade intended for slashing. When Dal and his family first moved towards the capital, on their new farm, Dalsarad met up with one of his old friends from Blue Lake, who was in a similar situation. However, him being of a very wealthy family meant he was moving into the capital. Nevertheless, the two often went for rounds of Cribbich when they could (Went by faster than boxing), and often would place friendly bets with one another. Dal's friend's father was a retired knight and cavalry instructor, and Dal won his old saber after his friend had bet it on Cribbich. He could probably afford ten more, anyway.

A padded jack- Featuring metal reinforcement at the elbows and hands. The accompanying gauntlets are a tab big for Dalsarad's hands, as this armor had once belonged to his uncle, who had been nicknamed "Bearhands". It was this uncle whom had been moving steadily north following the influx of Weld refugees whom he had grown paranoid of; this paranoia lead to him delivering a cache of old marshal supplies to his brother, Dal's father. Included among the useless old writs and warrants was this set of armor- probably the only useful thing in the box. Being too big for him, Dalsarad was the one to receive it, allowing the boy to put his armor training to a practical use.

Bag of small javelins- Dalsarad purchased these himself. Weighing 700 grams allows the wielder to throw these hard without sacrificing too much power.

Leather pack, containing your average travel supplies as well as the following:

• Carrot,tomato, potato, squash, rhubarb, rosemary, thyme seeds. Brought at the behest of his mother.
• Small fishing spear. Unscrews into two "halves" for better portability. It's not as good as the actual thing, and it could never be used to harm anyone, but it catches fish better than empty hands.
• Small gardening tools, with which Dal could plant the seeds he brought.
• Several pairs of leather boots, in which Dalsarad could (theoretically) use to plant some of his seeds in. Not all of them, certainly, but some of the smaller ones.
• Blade oil and grip wax, which Dalsarad likes to put in his hair.