Izurich

Saint Valerius Academy - A Knight/Noble Fantasy

As someone who’s been reading a lot of Roman and Greek history lately, I’m cackling at Caesar being your comparison point.

@Fading Memory

Well, it's not called the Holy Roman Empire for nothin'... even though the people aren't even Romans, at least the Byzantines are still Romans by nationality even though they're culturally Greek lol, close enough.

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French revolutions are definitely WAY different than others, especially what Millie has in mind. If anything happens with France in the future, Alpheus might end up being nicknamed the "Red King" because he might lead the bloodiest revolution towards the royal family in France depending on how character development goes and if his family gets worse. Which I doubt they will get better, but god said we need to have faith in the ones we love. Alpheus just struggles with having any faith in the future of the French royalty every single day.

If slaughtering his whole family, extended and close, meant the people of France would prosper. Alpheus will see to it. I imagine France is in ruins in the sense that the majority of their people are currently in poverty, starving, homeless, etc... While the royal family gets to sit in their pretty and pristine estate behind safety from guards and iron-rodded fences.

Though he doesn't care about the royalty at all. He cares about the people.

@The Savant

Oh I see, well, then (Future) Kaiserin Karmilla "Millie" von Feuerstein will definitely be involved in that. So when the smoke clears (and her hands are still technically clean since it'd be Alfi who does all the killing), King Alpheus "Alfi" Pleiades Hoel can kiss her ring finger and swear allegiance to her. After all, it's for the people, right?

<Snipped quote by Izurich>

Perfect! I'm fine with those being part of the HRE. Let me know if the HRE has any beef with any of the surrounding countries.

@HylianRose

Considering everything I've discussed with Savant, I'd say the HRE has always wanted vassalize France because in the long past (8th Century), they used to be under one banner, the Frankish Empire ruled by the legendary Emperor Charlemagne the Great.

Also, I'm getting hella Fire Emblem: Three Houses vibes from this, specifically Edelgard. And daaaamn these kids scary.

@HylianRose

<Snipped quote by HylianRose>

Alpheus going on a murderous rampage for the royal family.
Pran: Look at what you are doing to your family! You just killed your cousin to get to the throne.
Alpheus: I can't see any of this, so I know it won't haunt my dreams.
Alpheus proceeds to kill his dad.

~ Alpheus should always stay in a good mood because he can be a very dark character.

@The Savant

I find it hilarious ironic that even though Millie is more "Edelgardy" by looks and personality, it's actually Alfi who fits the FE character's backstory and methods.

This is gonna get real awkward when the american runefencer that came here for spying and learning secrets shows up...

@Kero

Or he/she/they could go, "Eh, just the Euros and their petty politics, nothing new."

Saint Valerius Academy - A Knight/Noble Fantasy

<Snipped quote by Izurich>

Can I ask what countries the HRE currently has under their rule/as vassals? Just to clarify for the narrative so I know how to work through things lore wise as needed.

@HylianRose

You can use this map as a base to start with, then if you need a country from the yellowed part of the map to be independent (except for Modern-day Germany) simply do so.

<Snipped quote by Izurich>

Character development is the only thing standing between him becoming the king of France or not in my mind. A lot of character development, so we shall see how this goes! It already sounds like a great role-play along with the shadowed friendship of Alpheus and Millie.

I wonder who else will join the revolution - I mean friendship. Totally just friendship. Sunshine and rainbows. No mass destruction to overthrow any governments in their current time line. Not at all.

@The Savant

Hehe, I concur~ excited to see how things will play out IC.

Her revolution is more Augustus Caesar-style than French Revolution-style, she'd be so good at what she does, (most of the) people gladly vow their allegiance to her (and those that do not are taken care of, one way or another).

So yeah, actually no mass destruction, just strings masterfully pulled in the background. All the common people will know is their lives prospering, no civil wars necessary.

Saint Valerius Academy - A Knight/Noble Fantasy

<Snipped quote by Izurich>

Millie probably hates Alpheus's cousins then (the true royals of France) since they are petty, shallow, and inconsiderate individuals who see their civilians as pawns to their success. They die. They don't. If people talk about them, what difference does it make? A whole country can hate or love you, but fear makes them behave.

Alpheus is probably the best chance France has unless it's taken over by another country, but he would be the last one to ever be considered for such a role.

Millie "I'm Thanos-ing this bullshit,"
Alpheus: OH!? Are we starting a revolution?
Millie: Of the world, yes.
Alpheus: Can I join? I love being a problem.

@The Savant

Noted! Nice, alright then. I can see her helping* him become the King of France in the future. I put an asterisk because (pending character development via IC progression) Millie as-is will also use that chance to integrate France as a vassal state, expanding the HRE's grip on Europe even more than it already has,

After all, if the French people are better off under her rule than their corrupt sovereign, then it's her duty to do so. Of course, that's what she'd like to tell herself. From a meta-narrative perspective, I - as her writer - know that she thrives on domination and obedience, the reincarnation of Augustus Caesar or Charlemagne.

But again, pending character development. 😛

Saint Valerius Academy - A Knight/Noble Fantasy

Highly recommend checking out the Zeroth post on the IC tab to make sure I'm not royally (pun not intended, but I did chuckle) screwing up your character's background in some way. That stuff is still subject to change and just my attempts at giving the world some background noise.

@HylianRose

Oh, Rose, I couldn't find anything much in the IC Tab, nor a zeroth post (the top post without the poster's avatar at the side). This is how it looks on my end: Screenshot

<Snipped quote by Izurich>

Millie just harboring a journal that can make the whole world burn.

I think in the sense of just her trying to figure out why they stopped bringing Alpheus around. She would figure out Pran curses his son for being cursed and sees him as an abomination. A weak link. She would find out that they stopped bringing him to everyone and they isolated him at the Hoel estate in France to the point where they became so superstitious that Alpheus was isolated from his siblings and parents for the majority of the time. Alpheus only has a singular maid who is to be around him, and he gets pushed into the background. He was treated EXTREMELY differently from how his siblings were treated.

Alpheus's genetic issues being a reason Millie has a core motivation to change things is kind of hilarious.

Other than that, Millie would probably be shocked to see Alpheus in school. He might or might not say something but he was getting close to his younger siblings because he has become such a rebellious and mischievous child. Pran sent him countries away to this private school so Alpheus couldn't have a relationship with his younger siblings because they were worried that his being around their youngest, Elsie, might cause her to have his issues to. She is around the same age when Alpheus was diagnosed.

@The Savant

Oh, that meant she got Pran to prattle on and on about Alpheus with a few not-so-mundane stares. Damn, man must have been seething inside and his subconscious looked for any chance to air out all that bad laundry just for some morbid satisfaction. It's like lighting a small spark to a pool of gasoline, such a teeny tiny thing triggering something big. Ironic, considering he wanted to forget Alfi even existed.

Hilarious, yet sensible haha. She's autocratic but also meritocratic, if someone can prove themselves to qualify for a role, then they should be given that role, and what Pran was doing is robbing Alpheus of even the chance to do that, between that and all the other cases of decadent nobles maintaining the rotten status quo (including keeping her brother as the primary heir even though she's more qualified than him), something snapped in her and she went full Thanos "Fine, I'll do it myself."

She'd be quite shocked yes as she'd fully expect his parents to keep him in house arrest until he dies (or made to "disappear").

Saint Valerius Academy - A Knight/Noble Fantasy

<Snipped quote by Izurich>

I fully understand not wanting to change characters that you have a set image for!

I could see Millie getting upset. They always bring Alpheus with them, and one day suddenly they stop, and they continue to not bring her "friend" to her. That all the adults are making excuses. I permit Millie to use her eyes on Pran. However, that might also cause Millie to figure out how much Pran dislikes his son for the disability even though it's a genetic issue where both parents have to have the recessive gene, meaning that it is Pran and Anuli's fault but Pran and the rest of the family takes it as Alpheus is cursed. Still, he's also the only one in generations that can use magic without it fully backfiring.

So, in short, Millie would know the surface darkness of the Hoel family, unlike others.

@The Savant

Ohooo, now we're cooking some royally - heh - delicious drama here. Yeah, I think due to the nature of her personality and power, she's the type of person who holds many secrets, with a lot of them not even belonging to herself. Perhaps this was also a factor why she routinely writes in her journal, she may be many things, but having eidetic memory isn't one of them.

For this case, if you accept, sure thing. And to be clear, just in case, you decide how much information did Pran spill out. What you said so far is good though. It can serve as one of the events that fostered her particular hatred for the decadence and corruption that's so ubiquitous amongst nobility. But if she wants that to change, the best way to go about it is to be Empress, and voila, core motivation get.

On a related note, no one must peek into that journal of hers. The stuff inside there can start bloody wars I imagine lol 😂

Saint Valerius Academy - A Knight/Noble Fantasy

@The Savant@Izurich

I would go ahead and start drumming ideas for character ideas/connections that might be related to your characters. This could help other writers design characters around those ideas or say "hey, my character could probably do that with yours!"

As an example;

Connections Wanted
- Old Childhood friend who knew Character A back when they were in the institute, someone who knows about his past but likely doesn't know that they're actively trying to hide it.
- A rival from their home town that used to bully them when they were younger.
- A Cousin/Sibling
- Someone that Character A is currently betrothed to via political marriage.

If that's a silly idea and you don't think it would be helpful, please feel free to ignore. That's optional but I think would help others know what you want for your character and the roles that they can potentially fill for them.

@HylianRose

Oh, that sounds neat, yeah. Savant and I are already doing it, but I'll continue to do that as we get more and more CS.

What do you think Izurich? If they knew each other when they were children (or were forced to be around each other during parent visiting each other) and then he just kinda disappeared and wasn't talked about much. Would Millie know that he went blind? Knowing Pran as his dad, he probably only told everyone that "Alpheus is extremely sick," and just left it at that because Alpheus is definitely the curse/embarrassment of the Hoel family.

@The Savant

Hmmmmm... this just gives me an idea and a chance to practice that 'OOC consent' thing. I think Millie can find out the truth if you consent Pran being 'voodoo-eyed' by the princess, hahaha. Maybe he doesn't even remember about it, but Millie sure did make him slip out his secrets about Alpheus.

If not, then she'll likely be suspicious, but never found out the real truth, at least until they meet later at the academy.

<Snipped quote by Izurich>

You could always have Millie see the kingdom falling and everything like that which makes her feel obligated that she has to slip into another royal family to take control of that country. I feel like you could do many things with Millie even if the above was to happen to her country and her family. It would be a power-struggle story for Millie tho.

@The Savant

Mmm, that's a fair alternative, but I'd rather make a new character designed from the ground up with that plot in mind rather than trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

<Snipped quote by Izurich>

Oh, no, not at all. I'm not married to the idea. I can absolutely shift to something else. It's just flavor and not like.. a super important or well thought out plan? Lol. So, no need to cancel her at all! I'm just dumb and didn't realize HRE was Germany. If that tells you anything about how historically naïve I am. I'll make that change and it won't affect much at all!

@HylianRose

Oh, that clarifies things, alright then. Yeah, HRE was Germany (and Austria, and Northern Italy, and-... okay, it was a big empire), but just like the Soviet Union's 'main culture' was Russian, so too HRE's main culture was Germanic.

Highly recommend checking out the Zeroth post on the IC tab to make sure I'm not royally (pun not intended, but I did chuckle) screwing up your character's background in some way. That stuff is still subject to change and just my attempts at giving the world some background noise.

@HylianRose

Okay! Doing that now, boss.

Saint Valerius Academy - A Knight/Noble Fantasy

Part of the background lore I'd been designing involved Germany being invaded and occupied by Poland (mainly because that amused me and I'm not a history person). If you, as the person running the princess of Germany don't mind that, I can keep going with it. Otherwise, I can choose another set of countries to do silly things with.

@HylianRose

Oh damn, should've told me that before I-... nah, nevermind, what has happened has happened. Let's focus on the now.

As things stand, as outlined in her CS, particularly in the personality and history sections, doing that will destroy:
- Millie's background of being the princess of the most prominent country in the European continent.
- Millie's core motivation and goals because it's intrinsically tied to her background.

Obviously, that's not ideal. Though I do agree that such a notion is very hilarious, but perhaps for a different reason than yours, but I'm not going to bother you with it, because...

Ultimately, regardless of my preferences, you have the ultimate authority since you're the GM and this is your world, so if you insist on doing that, then consider Millie cancelled and I'll shift to Maximillian as my primary PC.

Saint Valerius Academy - A Knight/Noble Fantasy

@HylianRose My Knight's CS is up for review!

For the benefit of everyone, I wish to reiterate that he's an optional PC, only to be made official if there's a need for us to double up. If there's not, then Millie will be my (only) PC.

Maximillian Edenheit - 21st Century Paladin

Maximillian Edenheit

Character Summary

Name: Maximillian Edenheit
Aliases: Max, White Knight, Dreamboat
Age: 17
Class: First Year
Gender: Male
Specialty: Swordsmanship
Role, Rank, and Order: Student, Knight, Order of Shield

Attributes

Height: 172cm (5'8")
Weight: 78kg (172lbs)
Build: Athletic, toned
Eyes: Sapphire
Hair: Blonde, short, combed leftward
Skin Tone: Pale
Tattoos/Scars/Piercings: Various faded cut scars and calloused hands from intense training.
Day To Day Attire: Either school uniform or a white formal suit w/ blue accents.

Strengths:

❖ Valiant: Maximillian is brave, there's no other way around it. The blonde barely flinches in the face of danger, maintaining his cool even in situations that'll send the common man to panic. Though he's not completely unable to feel fear, he can reliably channel that fear into focus instead.
❖ Robust: The White Knight matches his stalwart mental fortitude with admirable physical endurance. He can take more blows than the average person before going down and the effects of healing magic appear to be amplified when cast on him.
❖ Kind: Max is one of those individuals who possess a genuinely kind heart, he almost always helps others without expecting any reward even in situations where it's his right to be compensated, and it's exceedingly difficult for him to hold a grudge. Although he doesn't hesitate to punish evil when he sees it, but only because it's the right thing to do and not due to any personal vendetta.

Weaknesses:

❖ Naive: A wide-eyed idealist, a young boy who never quite grew up, a naive fool, so said his detractors, but they may have a point. Maximillian believes that with enough effort, good will triumph over evil and that every villain will always get their dues, except that reality often isn't quite so simple.
❖ Sexist: His fascination with olden tales of chivalry and knighthood may have inspired him to walk the path of a selfless protector, but on the other hand, they also influenced him to put women in a certain light, that they're delicate flowers who must be protected from the evils of the world. Though Max doesn't consciously realize it most of the time, others can see that he's hesitant to fight women and tends to assume that evil women are simply 'misguided'.

Psychology

Brave * Chivalrous * Altruistic * Idealistic

Sexuality: Heterosexual
Relationship Status: Single
Personality: Gallant, chivalrous, brave, and selfless, Maximillian embodies the concept of the 'knight in shining armor'. He believes that it's his duty to help the helpless and defend those who can't defend themselves. There's a certain naively idealistic air about him that endears to some, but infuriates others, however, whether they agree or not with his methods, one will be hard-pressed to deny that for all of his faults, Max is truly a kind person. He truly, genuinely, wishes to bring happiness to others, to fight so they don't have to. Such a character may be commonplace in tales of gallant knights and heroic adventurers, but not so much in the real world.

Unscrupulous individuals, especially if they're women, who know how to mask ill intent behind a cordial mask will find it quite easy to pull Maximillian's strings. The White Knight may believe he's fighting on the side of good and justice, but if he's not careful, his trusting nature may very well be his own undoing.

Habits:

❖ Chuckling and/or smiling to express disagreement.
❖ Opening doors, giving way, and various other "gentlemanly" things for people, especially girls.

Hobbies:

❖ Horse riding, it's an enjoyable pastime as well as a necessary skill for him.
❖ Volunteer work, at least one good deed a day.
❖ Enjoying fiction, especially Epic and High Fantasy, whether in the form of books, movies, or video games.

Fears:

❖ Betrayal
❖ Being manipulated

Likes:

❖ Knights
❖ Heroic fiction
❖ Fair maidens
❖ Altruism
❖ Mountains
❖ Horses

Dislikes:

❖ Tyrants
❖ Tales with a "bad ending"
❖ Manipulators
❖ Oppression
❖ Beaches
❖ Wasps

Skills

A listing of skills, such as horseback riding or cooking. Levels include novice, apprentice, journeyman, expert, master.

• Swordsmanship (Journeyman): From the moment he first held onto the grip of a sword, Max knew that he was born to carry the blade, wield it, and perhaps one day, die by it. Though he himself never thinks of his talents as any special, any fencing instructor worth their salt will recognize the boy's natural aptitude with the weapon. With time and experience, he has a good chance of standing shoulder to shoulder with some of the greatest swordsmen in history.
• Horse Riding (Apprentice): A proper knight shouldn't be a one-trick pony, thus, even though his greatest talent lies with the sword, Max picks up other disciplines to complement his sacred role. He's not as skilled with them yet, but he has no intention of stopping here. Though other faster, more reliable forms of travel are available nowadays, Max won't feel quite right if he doesn't know how to ride these majestic beasts that had served humanity since time immemorial.
• Archery (Apprentice): It's folly to think that a knight can only fight up close as sometimes, certain situations require a more distant approach. Between fighting ‘honorably’ or saving an innocent's life? There's no choice to make because there's only one right answer.
• Hiking (Apprentice): Max's fondness for mountains and physical exercise in general incentivize him to go hiking, exploring the wonders of nature while training his body at the same time, kill two birds with one stone as they say.
• Waltz (Novice): Inspired by scenes of a knight hero dancing elegantly with their princess (or prince) in the tales he saw, Max had an idea to take up waltz lessons, but apparently, being skilled in fencing footwork doesn't immediately translate to the dance floor.

Talents & Powers

A listing of unique talents, magic, or possessions. Teachers may have two majors and two minors. 4th year Knights may have one major and two minors. 3rd year Knights may have two minors. 2nd year Knights may have one minor. Nobles and 1st year Knights may have one minor.
For the Order of Shield, please fill out with specialized attacks/maneuvers/weapons/etc.
For the Order of Twilight, please fill out with magic/artifacts/specialized moves/etc.

• Golden Dawn (Artifact / Minor): An old heirloom of the Edenheit family taking the form of a golden-blue longsword. It's said to be once wielded by one of the Knights of the Round Table. Whether the legend is true or not, one thing is clear, the sword holds some supernatural power as despite possibly being older than a millennium (if the legends are to be believed), it's still pristine as if freshly forged. Aside from being utterly shattered into million pieces, the sword will eventually return to this flawless state.

History

Parents:
❖ August Edenheit (Father, Private Accountant, 40)
❖ Vishka Edenheit (Mother, Florist, 43)

Siblings:
❖ Erina Edenheit (Sister, Student, 14)
❖ Erio Edenheit (Sister, Student, 10)

Childhood:

The eldest child of three siblings, Maximillian was born to a happily-married middle-class family in the United Kingdom, specifically England. Being the oldest and only boy amongst his siblings had acclimatized Max to the role of a protector and guide, the one his younger sisters depended on whenever his parents weren't available. Perhaps this was why tales of chivalrous knights resonated greatly with him; whether it was the legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table or Emperor Charlegmane and his Holy Paladins, the blonde boy had been fascinated by such stories of stalwart chivalry, unflinching in the face of evil.

And indeed, there are evil in the real world as well, whether it took the form of bullies trying to hurt his sisters or tyrannical dictators oppressing the people, the real world is full of villains who must be punished so that the good may live peacefully. A daydreamer, a wide-eyed idealist, a naive little fool, whatever his peers chose to call him, good or bad, Maximillian knew one thing, that he was born into this earth to be a crusader of justice, to be the defender of the defenseless, and helper of those who can't help themselves.

Thus, between his regular education, Maximillian began taking fencing classes, and this was where he - and his family - discovered his talent. It was as if Sir Gawain himself was reincarnated as him. Speaking of which, perhaps there was some truth to the legends behind the old family heirloom, an enchanted longsword that has been passed down from generations to generations, once said to be wielded by one of the Knights of the Round Table.

Adolescence:

As it turned out, one of his father's most prominent clients, a nobleman of the Harcourt family, heard news of the accountant's eldest son. Intrigued by the boy's vision and talents, the nobleman offered to sponsor his enrollment into the illustrious Saint Valerius Academy. Honored by the generous proposition, Maximillian graciously accepted and vowed to do his utmost best, he shall be a full-fledged knight, crusader of justice!

If there are billions of good people on this world, then he's one of them; if there are only a million or even a few thousands, then he's still one of them; if there's only one, then he's that person; finally, if there's none left, then that means he's no longer alive. He'll defend all that's good and well in the world until his very last breath.

Special Moments:
❖ When he first wields his family's heirloom sword.
❖ When he received sponsorship from the Harcourt family to enroll in Saint Valerius Academy.

Current Events:
❖ None at the moment.

Relations

* ☠ Enemy * ⚜ Unfriendly * ☯ Neutral * ☮ Friends * ღ Ally * ♥ Crush/Significant Other *

• Name: Description
• Name: Description
• Name: Description

Extras (Optional)

❖ Character Quote: “With this blade, I offer thee an accord; Stand by me and thou shall naught fear a thing.”
❖ Theme Song: Silver Sky Knight
❖ Aura Color: Gold
❖ Scent: White Lily
❖ Partner: TBA

Saint Valerius Academy - A Knight/Noble Fantasy

Hm, thinking it over, I actually probably don't have the time to do this RP after all. Dangerous thing to be juggling so much when I need to be job hunting instead.

Good luck with it though, y'all!

@ERode

Awwww, shucks, alright then, good luck hunting those jobbers, fam!

Saint Valerius Academy - A Knight/Noble Fantasy

<Snipped quote by Izurich>

Yes, that was the sort of map I was looking at actually. Though.....that makes sense. Okay maybe I'm overthinking this a little bit. Maybe.

The reason I had the idea I had was because I thought there was like a full-on HRE that made it to modern day or something. Definitely am overthinking again on my end then. So I am definitely going to rethink this now, and find something else then. XD

Thanks for the clarification! And sorry for the sudden ping there.

Also Millie is 10/10 cool, tbh!

@Crusader Lord

At least, you're not overthinking in the part where most monarchies in this Not!Earth survive and thrive to the modern day (also magic existing, etc.) unlike IRL. But who's to say that the HRE has to remain that size permanently? OOCly, as long as it has Modern Germany, I'm good, anything else is extra, nice to have but no skin off my back if not.

Also thanks!