[OOC] Adventures of Aldholt (Always Open)

[Huscarl]

Welcome to Aldholt!

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This is a worldbuilding game set in a medieval fantasy world, in which we'll create a city and play as characters living in or visiting it. Apart from your own character/s, you will get to create factions such as guilds, orders, noble families, criminal organizations, and religions, just to name a few. You will also get to create species of your own design, be they sentient or beast. I'm all for common tropes and clichés, but try to avoid too general and bland-sounding names for your factions (thieves guild or fighters guild, for example). I have the last say in any application, so try not to weird it out too much (even though I'll try to be lenient).

There will be no glorious main quest or storyline for you to complete. The game will be about the lives and interactions of your characters. If you wish to introduce a plot for others to follow, go right ahead. Just don't make it all-encompasing, forcing players to participate against their will. This is a free game. You'll all do what you like within the limits of the game (and reason).

Anyone can join at any time, and drop out whenever they choose. You can't begin posting until I've accepted your application, though, and it's considered good form to alert your fellow players if you're planning on leaving the game. Having said that, you're always welcome back (unless I've kicked you out). The one requirement I have for all players is to write more than a single paragraph in each IC post. I'm not looking for novels, but one-liners are not accepted. Decent grammar is also highly reccomended.

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Basic Palette

Aldholt is a big city located in the Dancing Bay on the west coast of the land of Swebia. It is ruled by the Duke and Duchess Tyronde, who are beloved by some and hated by others. The city is encircled by a great wall with six gates; two to the west (the docks), one to the north and south (along the shore), and two to the east (inland). The city has a central castle which is separated from the city by another wall. The city is divided into four districts (not counting the castle): the docks (by the harbour), the slums (where the poor people live), the commons (where the artisans and mercheants live), and the graces (where the rich and noble live). Aldholt also has a big central square called the Square of Bells, named after the great belltower in its midst.

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Applications

Below are examples of how your Applications could look. You're free to use them or make something up yourself, as long as you provide about the same amount of information if you choose to do it your own way. Be creative, but don't go over the top. The three words of inspiration you're looking for are: Medieval Fantasy Town.

Faction Application

Name: (The name/s of your faction)
Type: (What kind of an organization is it? If you asked people to describe it in one sentance, what would they say?)
Business: (What does your faction do, more specifically? How does it conduct its business?)
Organization: (What is the structure and/or hierarchy of your organization?)
In/famous members: (Who are the most notable members of your faction? Why are they in/famous?)

Place Application

Name: (The name/s of the place)
Type: (What kind of place is it? A shop, a guildhouse or perhaps a market square?)
Location: (Where in the city is it?)
Appearance: (What does your place look like?)
In/famous events: (What in/famous events have taken place here? You may leave this slot empty if you wish)
In/famous inhabitants: (Who are the most notable inhabitants of your place? Why are they in/famous?)

Species Application

Name: (The name/s of your species)
Appearance: (What does your species look like?)
Behaviour: (What does your species do? How do they function?)
Traits and Abilities: (Does your species have any special abilities, like flight, long lifespan or weakness to sunlight?)
In/famous members: (Who are the most notable members of your species? Why are they in/famous?)

Character Application

Name: (The name/s of your character)
Appearance: (What does your character look like?)
Behaviour: (What is your characters personality? How does it function?)
Background: (What is your characters story?)
Skills and Flaws: (What is your character good at? What is it bad at?)
Inventory: (What does your character own? What do they typically carry with them?)

Post your finished Application in the Character Tab and await my judgement. You may post several of each Application.

[dndragons]

I think I am going to work on the main religion of the land, a location for the religion, Possibly a race (most likely elves of some sort), and some economics of the land along side general structure of the nation. I'm more of a broad ideas and economics over specific locations I think. So also I would like a small vote on the countries main economic resource and a unique resource to discuss to help build the land, because of they say have iron, well I better include some places in the nation where the iron is mined and such!
Main economic resources:

Glass (I love this as it adds the fact you can expect glass windows on most homes, glass sculptures, stain glass becomes more commonplace, items and a personality to the culture as glass is a most beautiful over militaristic resource.)
Iron (Love and hate since Iron is so common, but it can lead to many items being commonplace as well)
Gunpowder (Canon technology if it exists, fireworks)
Silver (Jewelry, dinner utensils, statues, possible high class silver weapons or common enough even their military has silver. While IRL silver is a worse weapon than iron and steel, fantasy lets it keep it from really mattering to much unless the DM cares to say so.)
Dyes (Much more color in their fabrics and such, even poor towns would have more than just brown outfits.)
Cotton/Wool (Goes well with dyes)

Also if you have a preferred use to a resource, feel free to add. (If you want fantasy glass weapons to be a thing, say so if you want glass! If you want Iron to mainly be made into armor, Say so!) Also, suggest your own economic ideas I may have forgotten, but be known I am going to make this rather soon so if you have an idea after I pick it, you could associate it with a specific town or faction.

Then the unique items list
Special Weapons (Silver was an example of this, perhaps they have a special resource as well to make things such as adamantine or mithril. Perhaps Cold Steel from a resource or another. I'll ask for what kind of ore or addition to iron we want if this wins. Also could be applied to armor if we want.)
Gems
Magical Ore of some sort, properties tbd
Iron Wood (name tbd if we want another) Basically, it's wood that is fire resistance and as strong as iron in durability. Doesn't make a good edge in terms of a weapon, but makes formidable shields and such.
Ice 9 (name tbd) A form of ice that doesn't melt unless superheated. Basically they would have a northern region where this is found or a mountaintop which could make permanent sculptures, rare ice weapons, and such.
Special ore (Like mentioned in special weapons, if the special weapons are specific to an ore this would go with it. Adamantine, mithril, etc.)

That's the ideas I brainstormed down in a few minutes. As for the religion, I am going to model it after what a friend did once and I enjoyed it very much. Sneak peak: It revolves around the True Flame (A single fire at the center of it's main cathedral. The flame represents power, heart, passion, and such which is the idea behind the religion. The True Flame will be special of course, not just a fire than a child could dump a bucket on. If it wasn't, people wouldn't have worshiped it. TBD if the sun will be involved in worship, probably not. Most likely a single god (or the fire in this case) or two god religion. One of light and one of darkness. The gods won't likely be real (as in gods don't show up in the world literally) unless people want them to actually appear sometimes for guidance.

[Huscarl]

Wow, that was not expected!

I thought players would go on creating stuff for what's in the city, not outside it.

But it's ok, you can do that. Just remember that the focus for this game is Aldholt. Don't make detailed descriptions of other cities (and leave room for other players). We're not going to walk about the nation in this game, we'll remain in town.

I do have a little gripe though. You say "main religion". I'd like to change that to "one of the major religions". Also I'm not too sure about gunpowder technology. Isn't that more renaissance than medieval?

[dndragons]

I wasn't fully sure of the level of tech, but that's why I made a list.

Also, economics deal with what is inside the city, but I will forget the other places I might need to include.

As for religions, in a a city and if we think of it as part of a nation, there usually is one largest religion. In older societies religion was closely tied to the government and such after all.