Joos

The Great Hunt - a Wheel of Time RP

Happy New Year everyone, and I owe you guys another major apology. Sorry for letting you hanging. A post will definitely be up tonight.

The Great Hunt - a Wheel of Time RP

Sorry for the delay. The whole of last week has been super hectic. Will get a post out today. I hope everyone is still in. :)

The Great Hunt - a Wheel of Time RP

Very nice. I like the slow and steady start. Now that we are all assembled, let me make a speech and start off the formalities.

Incidentally, do not forget your abilities and skills. At any point, no matter where you are or in what situation, should you require to Search or Spot or Scout or Pickpocket or whatever, you can. Just end your post with an OOC like so: Lord Torin decides to Search the crowd. After this, I will roll the die and give apt responses.

Will have a post up soon.

The Great Hunt - a Wheel of Time RP

The Councilor

"Not too long for a friend," Haron responded, clasping Lord Torin on his upper arm. The man looked quite regal in the black and gold cloak that he himself had gifted. The sight pleased Haron. Lord Torin was increasingly becoming a trusted ally. "Come. We should be on our way and I wouldn't want you to miss seeing Illian in all her glory."

The two of them started walking down the corridor towards the north wing, followed by Haron's bodyguards. Haron noticed that Lord Torin was not accompanied by his manservant or his bodyguard, and felt quite pleased. The other councillors would see a lonely but regal Tairen lord at his side and wonder. The few Tairen nobles in Illian would hear of it too. Was Lord Haron propping up a new High Lord of Tear, they would ask. Or was he after something more? Could there be an Illianer-Tairen alliance? That would make Mayene and Altara tremble and might even give the Queen of Andor a bad day. Haron smiled.

At the end of the corridor, it opened to the Viewing Room. There, his honor guard stood waiting. And his wife, the Lady Elise, resplendent in her morning blue gown and a towering hair intertwined with tiny pearls. She wore a high neck and her face wore the usual cool haughtiness.

"Husband," she said in way of greeting. "Lord Torin." She inclined her head in formality.

"My Lady Wife," Haron said, offering his hand to her. "I am happy you will be accompanying us to the Square."

"It do be an honour," she replied without emotion, taking his hand lightly. The honour guard snapped to attention right on cue, spreading out behind them and Lord Torin. They all wore the sigil of House Gregoras - a seagull with a sword - on their cloaks. Quickly, the party made its way outside the mansion.

A crowd had already gathered outside the mansion. As they mounted their horses, the people started cheering. "Lord Haron and House Gregoras!" they shouted. "Illian and the Great Hunt!" they cried. Lord Haron raised his palm in humble acknowledgement, inclining his head to the crowd. His bannerman rode out in front, clearing a path through the crowd.

Illian was ablaze with colours and excitement. Altara had its festival of birds, but the Illianers really knew the art of revelry. Wine flowed freely and not just in the taverns. The commoners were decked in colours that would make a Tinker blush. Music from a hundred different zithers and lutes mingled to create a cacophony that was not quite music but pleasing just the same.

"Witness Illian with her hair down, cousin," he said to Lord Torin over the rising noise as they moved through the Scented Quarter. The smell of the perfumes was particularly strong as the shopkeepers were perhaps breaking them open for the festivities. The strong smell of roses and white flower sent a tingle up his nose.

Within moments, they were within sight of the Square of Tammaz. The hundred marble pillars bordering the plaza shone in the sun like silver. As they neared the square, the noise gave way to the sound of cheers and laughter. Bards and gleemen were enthralling the people with their lavish stories of heroism and magic. Sasara dancers from Saldaea were making hearts beat faster with their seductive moves. Nobles from different nations rubbed shoulders with adventuring commoners come from as far away as Shienar. Haron's guards flowed around him, creating a wide path to the raised platform where the other councilors were standing in wait, their smiles in place. "Lord Haron and the Council!" rose a cry from the crowd.

"The Square of Tammaz," he said in an awed tone to Lord Torin. "Built by King Wilem Tammaz den Bagin nearly a hundred years ago. Of course, it was the Council's idea to have the square extended in the first place. You see, cousin Torin, the best ideas in Illian have always come from the Council."

The Great Hunt - a Wheel of Time RP

IC has begun.

The Great Hunt - a Wheel of Time RP

Chapter 1

The Hunter’s Oath

A warm but breezy morning in Illian.

The Wheel of Time turns, and ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legends fade to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the third age by some, an Age yet to come, an age long past, a wind rose in the Mountains of Mist. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.

East and south the wind blew, over the thick woods of Ghealdan and into the plains of Amadicia. Carrying with it the moisture of Arinelle, further south the wind blew, clashing with the salty sea breeze over Illian.

Illian. The land of tradition. A place where myths and legends turn to rituals and ceremony. The wind blew across the narrow winding streets and the famous canals of Illian, the city. It blew into the Scented Quarter, accumulating the collective scents of the perfumes on sale. It blew into a stately courtyard in the middle of a large mansion, swirling around the marble fountain.

The wind caught Lord Haron’s silk cloak and ruffled it slightly as he walked along the sumptuous corridor of his mansion, feeling completely in control. His boots echoed richly from the vaulted ceiling several feet above. Behind him, two of his guards followed. They were too far to be of any actual use. But the mere idea of someone deciding to attack Lord Councillor Haron Gregoras in his mansion was laughable.

He really wanted to laugh with joy, but that would be not very becoming of a respected councillor. He wanted to go back to his chambers and laugh till he cried, for today was going to be the culmination of ten years’ work. He wanted to step out on the balcony and throw coins and jewels out on the street, like the mad kings of yore.

It all started with the Whitecloak War, when the Children of the Light decided that they wanted their border with Altara readjusted. Illian rode out in defence of Altara, with its king Mattin Stepaneos den Balgar at the head. They won some victories, but were ultimately humiliated in the Battle of Soremaine, the lowest point in Illian’s history. The king was held for ransom! The shame! That event made Lord Haron’s decision for him. That decision had brought him here, to today.

In a short time, he would step on to the stage on Tammaz Square. In a short time, he was going to make history by reinstating the Great Hunt and swearing in hundreds of Hunters. The very best gleemen and bards were in the Square, juggling and singing and dancing and eating fire. Ogier from as far as stedding Shangtai had already arrived in the city to witness and chronicle the great event. And the best part was, the king was sulking in his castle. It would be Lord Councillor Haron Gregoras, not King Mattin Stepaneos, who was going to officiate the Hunt.

Lord Haron entered the east wing of his house - the one where the guests stayed - and addressed a curtsying servant. “Have Lord Torin’s horse saddled,” he told him. “He will want to ride with me to the Square.”

He liked Lord Torin. The fact that the man was a Tairen had already set many tongues wagging. Lord Haron’s Tairen connections were already a source of contention between Mattin Stepaneos and him, but the presence of an actual Tairen lord was making mountains out of molehills everywhere. They said the Cairhienin were skilled in the Game of Houses, but Illianers were no less. Despite Lord Torin’s presence having its political uses, Haron really enjoyed the man’s company. Pomposity was a sign of most nobles, but Lord Torin was also a sincere man.

Haron stopped outside Torin’s room and a servant knocked on the door for him. “Lord Haron, come to see the Lord Torin,” the servant announced.

Haron hoped Torin was ready to go. He wanted to be late, but not too late that the other councillors would start muttering. He also wanted to ride slowly through the streets, to bask in the excitement. Normal life was temporarily stopped for festivities and a festive Illian is truly a sight to behold.

You have two posts to make your way to the Tammaz Square, should you choose to.

The Great Hunt - a Wheel of Time RP

Well, I don't want to mess up your style too much. Even I write mostly in past tense. So we'll stick with past tense then. Maybe in the future, we can have some present.

The Great Hunt - a Wheel of Time RP

After you guys are happy with the way your CS looks, put it up on the Characters tab. Be sure to put down your attribute points, hit points, skills and saidar weaves (if applicable).

Another point I want to clear with all of you, @Eklispe, @solokolos, @Vor and @POOHEAD189. Is it okay if we have the entire RP in present tense? Like Lord Torin unsheathes his sword and prepares to meet the Halfman instead of Lord Torin unsheathed his sword and prepared to meet the Halfman? I feel it gives a much better sense of action, but it can be quite tricky if you are used to past tense in your writing. I will assume you are okay with it unless you are not, in which case, let me know.

The Great Hunt - a Wheel of Time RP

Lord Haron Gregoras

Name: Lord Haron Gregoras
Age: 43
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Nationality: Illianer
Class: Noble

Appearance: Lord Haron stands slightly less than 6 feet tall, with a fit frame and an erect posture that belie his age. His deep-set black eyes and his curved nose give him the appearance of a bird of prey. He wears his facial hair in the classic Illianer way, a stubby grey beard and a shaved upper lip. His greying hair has also started receding, reinforcing the image of a hawk.

Background: Lord Haron was born to Lord Eamon and Lady Eltema of House Gregoras, the first of three boys. House Gregoras is an illustrious Illianer house with ties dating back to Artur Hawkwing himself. Before the establishment of the Council, there have been two kings of Illian from the House Gregoras. Since then, there has been at least one Gregoras Councillor every generation.

While his father was busy with matters of court and his mother with matters of nobility, the young Haron found love in books. He devoured his father's study, then proceeded to the Council's collection. By 17, the boy knew more about the world through books than some men did traveling. Every time Ogier stonemasons visited the city, Haron would pester them with questions and pay exorbitant money for books.

It was around this time that his father sought to educate his son further. Haron was sent to the Fortress of Light in Amador, to study under the Children of the Light. It was a calculated move on the father's part. The Children didn't care for marriage alliances, but they did care for indoctrination. By sending young Haron to study with the Whitecloaks, he was forging a relationship that would define Haron's life in the times to come.

Initially, Haron hated the martial environment. He longed for the quiet gardens of Illian, for an afternoon filled with books. Instead, the young man was forced to learn to fight, to ride, to wield a blade. Haron took to it kicking and screaming. But one day, he discovered the works of Lothair Mantelar. The Children prohibited any other books but his. But his books awoke something in Haron. He started contemplating on the idea of Light, on how to define it better. The mental exercise calmed him, and allowed him to ease into his surroundings.

For six years, Haron studied with the Whitecloaks. During that time, he had become a Blademaster and was asked several times to stay and be anointed as a Captain. But Haron had different ideas. His time with the Whitecloaks had opened up something in him, an obsessive desire to define the concept of Light, to understand the nature of the Creator so that man can seek to govern his realms better.

When Haron returned home, it was a different son that greeted the father. Haron was itching to be part of a power group like the Council, to try his new ideas. He was appointed ambassador to the Whitecloaks. With the help of his friends among the Questioners, Haron managed to forge a non-aggression pact. His successes won him many admirers and a few detractors. Using the same Questioners, Haron cast aspersions on their character, quietly eroding their authority in the background.

For six years, Haron toiled in the background. When his father passed away, he effortlessly moved in to full his position. People called him ruthless, the way he did away with the competition. But among commoners, Haron was something of a hero. By ensuring trade with Amadicia and Tarabon, he had ensured the well-being of his people. He was known as a man who did not set much store by class or rank, only of a person’s worth.

Haron married the Lady Elise when he was 30. To him, marriage was just another alliance. Haron never really preferred women and their marriage was purely a political one. With her as his wife, he had also become the son-in-law of the oldest and most respected Councillor. The position gave him an enormous influence over the voting of the Council.

Over the past decade, Haron has constantly consolidated his power in the Council. Now, the council is mostly filled with his supporters or cronies, including one of his two devoted younger brothers. Several times in the past, Haron and the King have had a showdown regarding Haron’s Tairen connections. While Haron has so far stood down, nobles are already muttering that Lord Haron plans his counter-attack. Of late, several rumours have been flying about regarding Haron’s own kingly ambitions and his vision of a Council-ruled Illian.

Haron's crowning achievement so far has been the calling of the Great Hunt. For years, Haron has talked about reviving the glory of Illian. After months of bribing and cajoling councillors, by using the strongarm tactics of the Questioners and the subtle political maneuverings of the nobility, Haron has brought about the Great Hunt of the Horn, to be held in two days' time in the Tammaz Square, presided over by the Lord Haron himself.

Level 6 Noble.

Attributes
Strength - 16
Dexterity - 17
Constitution - 15
Intelligence - 18
Wisdom - 16
Charisma - 18

Skills
Ride (8)
Knowledge of Nobility and Royalty (7)
Knowledge of the Karaethon Cycle (6)
Diplomacy (7)
Concentration (8)
Listen (6)
Gather Information (2)
Sense Motive (4)

Feats (available from 3rd level):
Lightning Reflexes, Mounted Combat

The Great Hunt - a Wheel of Time RP

So that's everyone. One Aes Sedai, one warder, one noble and one wolfbrother. That's quite a nice collection. Too bad we don't have a bard yet, to pen the adventures.

I will start the IC sometime today or tomorrow.

Some rules to remember:
- Only post in white color in the IC.
- When you see me writing in gold, it is in my role of narrator. This will contain atmospheric effects, results of your actions, actions of monsters and so on.
- In combat scenarios, you are only allowed three types of action: a standard action (typically attacking with a weapon or channeling), a move action (jumping, pouncing, retreating etc) and a full-round action (typically intense acts like healing, battle fury, jump attack etc). You can either do one standard action and one move action, or two move actions, or one full-round action. So you can either "run and attack the trolloc" (standard and move), "run and jump over the trolloc" (two moves) or "power attack the trolloc with your sword" (a full round action).
- The outcome of your actions will be judged by a die roll. I will post result of die rolls like this: Raurfen's Hide check succeeds with a throw of 17. Raurfen is now hidden from the enemy's eyes. Following this, Raurfen will now be allowed to observe the enemies without intrusion.

If I remember any other rules, will update the first post. Please finalize your skillsets in a couple of days.

Now, let the Hunt begin.