No longer accepting applicantsI stood in front of my pupils, light from the fire illuminating them before me, curious and young faces staring at me in the comforting light of the fire. Tonight was the night of their first mission, and such it was my obligation to tell them what they've surely heard a thousand times by now, yet tradition must be obeyed. "Long, long ago there once was a kingdom by the name of Galvarok. Her citizens were happy and prosperous, her land rich and fertile, and her king kind and courageous. Until one day they came. From the depths of the earth the beasts rose, otherwordly monsters who killed as if it were some game, pillaging and plundering all that stood in their way. The other nations Voro, Nosk, the Midlands and Westland gave everything they could to aid their neighbor.
Yet it was not enough..........The king couldn't bear to see his people suffer any longer and took matters into his own hands. With his most loyal followers he built a gate, a seal that would lock these demons away for the rest of eternity. And so it came to pass, but at what cost? The king had died, or so it is said. Gave his own life to seal the armies plaguing his land away forever. And so his loyal followers, the men and women who stood by their king as he made the ultimate sacrifice, swore to stand watch over this gate and ensure it never be opened again. The other nations vowed to support these knights in their endeavors, and thus the Choosing came to be.
From this oath, from these watchers came, an order of knights, sentinels to stand watch over the gate and to protect those who cannot defend themselves. Sworn to valor, duty, and honor these knights have stood for a thousand years, protecting the weak and innocent, and striking down the arrogant and unjust. You are these knights, you have all been selected in the Choosing and have advanced to where you are now, standing before me. Each of you will set forth, Raiments in hand to do your sworn duty." I delivered the story solemnly, as tradition requires. Yes, soon these young knights would face the world and stand tall, or be crushed underfoot. I couldn't help but hope for the former. Rubbing my bearded chin I feel......hesitant, I can tell something is coming, something will happen soon, I can feel it on the wind, and only time will tell what awaits us.
And here we are, the OOC. Also known as the MASSIVE INFORMATION DUMP!
But first some obligatory rules.
Of course there are rules, but I run a pretty laid-back operation.
-Obligatory no godmodding, metagaming etc, etc, you guys know that one.
-This is Casual so no one-liners please.
-If you disappear for more then two weeks without a word to anyone I will continue the RP without you, so if you have a vacation or something coming up just let me know.
-And finally if you guys start fighting, settle it like adults. If I have to get involved things will get ugly.
Also a re-post of the flavor information in the Interest Check.
Magic besides the Raiments exists, but it's not nearly as common. The Midlands capital Veilron is home to a magic school itself, however one cannot simply learn magic, he has to be born with it. All Knights innately have the ability to learn magic as it is a criteria in The Choosing.
Races that I would allow you to play as amount to Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and Half-Elves. Other notable races though include Goblins, Trolls, Orcs, Myrmydia, and the Slasks.
Tech level would be like the Medieval era. Catapults, crossbows, ballistae, stone walls, etc. Except with the inclusion of magic, making feats of architecture, biology, medicine, and transportation a few hundred years ahead.
The five most prominent nations from west to east are: The Westland, the Midlands, and Voro, which are in a crescent moon shape. Galvarok is a separate body distanced by a strait between the two, and is technically the largest country in Ascalon. Finally Nosk is a island nation off of the east coast of Galvarok, it's size is about equivalent to that of the Westland.
For some culture flavor Nosk is very far north it's very cold and experiences harsh winters and mild summers. It's people are mainly dwarves who hunt the icy plains to survive. They are mainly a tribal people and mostly keep to themselves.
Voro is a rather temperate nation with open plains, large lakes, and a few notable mountains. Actually an expansive and perilous mountain range seperates Voro from the Midlands, as such a great bridge was built in an indent like gulf between the two. It's people are cattle herders and farmers mainly, with a proud standing army and king, as well as a very decent economy allow it's citizens to live pretty well.
The Midlands are a collection of arid plains, nearly dessert like. It's east border are mountains and it's west border are woodlands. It's people are peddlers taking advantage of pretty much being in the center of the known world, or magic users from the great school in Veilron. It's government is a coalition of smaller states within the borders forming a common council of representatives.
The Westland is a wooded, wild frontier, and is also the youngest nation. It's a bit rainy and wild animals are pretty prevalent. It's people are trappers and foresters, trading fur and meat as well as other plantlife. Elves are a very common race in the Westland. The government there is mostly non-existent. Much like Nosk it's pretty much a council formed of the oldest and most experienced among the people.
Galvarok is the largest nation and home to the Knights of the same name. It's climate is foothills and plainland at it's southern region and becomes more mountainous and eventually downright freezing the farther north you go. It's economy is mainly based off of the enormous amounts of fishing and herding that's done, with a little farming in the south. The knights are the main form of government and they are an enclosed organization who's leadership is composed of a council chairman-ed by the Commander. There are also three great bridges leading from Galvarok to each nation on the southern crescent.
Knights can hail from any of the 5 main countries, that is the oath they swore. To provide their children in gratitude and support for what the king did. Also if one of your parents was a knight you are guaranteed to also become a knight. However all of your characters would have been chosen to become knights at a very, very young age and will likely have never been to their homeland.
And now to some new stuff. First off eventually there will be a crude map, as soon as I get around to drawing it. But until then if you have any geographical questions just ask.
The Choosing The Choosing is the ritual that symbolizes the pact the 4 nations made with Galvarok to support their cause of standing watch over the Gate. Every 4 years every child from infants to 4 years of age in the Westland, Midlands, Voro, and Nosk are gathered and brought to the Knights Citadel in Galvon. In the next few weeks each child is examined in a magic rite to detect favorable traits in the child. If they are detected the child is taken and trained to eventually become a knight. If they are not, the child and it's parents or caretakers are free to leave. The child of a Knight will always become a Knight, such is the will of The Choosing.
Knight's Raiments A Knight's Raiment is a symbol of Knighthood. A Knight's Raiment is his own personal sigil and varies from knight to knight. Knight recruits are taught to project their Raiment at about age 9, the act of actually projecting a Raiment comes with weeks of meditation and soul searching, one must truly be in tune with himself in order to project a Raiment for the first time. Afterwards though it never goes away and will never fade from it's wielder until the knight himself dies, in which case it enters into a dormant state.
The Knights of Galvarok The titular faction of the RP. The Knights of Galvarok act as a sort of Peace Corp, seeking to end wars, protect the innocent, and promote the general welfare of the entire known world. The Knights are governed by a council of 10 which is lead by the Knight Commander. The council consists of the most prominent knights of the order, who have made themselves known by being exceptional or are old and wise enough to have earned a seat with their knowledge. The Knight Commander himself holds no power aside from the governance of the Knights Citadel itself and overseeing the council. Now the council will develop policies, laws, and review quests sent from the other nations. These items are then brought to the assembly which consists of every knight present in Galvon. There the policies and laws are read and voted on. Quests are announced and a Champion is called as a volunteer to lead the quest.
A short recap of notable events in recent history. Note that the current date is 1343.
The states of The Midlands erupted in a civil war over the magic "School" in Veilron. The war started in 1328 and was finally ended by the Knights of Galvarok after thousands of casualties in 1331.
The MIdlands council questions the necessity of the Magi Keep in 1325.
The island people of Slask invade Voro in 1325 and are repelled by a combined defense of the Knights and local militia.
In 1318 Iskandaar Elius Voro takes the throne of Voro at age 18, a week after his father Noctus Verinus Voro passed away due to illness after his reign of 35 years.
Alright, I think that about does it as far as information goes. So on the the piece de resistance, the CS!
Name:
Age: (Between 15 and 20)
Gender:
Race:
Personality:
Appearance: (A written description is a must, you can add a picture if you so desire so long as there is an actual description to go with it)
Backstory: (Well you all have more or less the same backstory, but you can put notable events and stuff here.)
Knight's Raiment: (Describe your Raiment and it's abilities. Just remember that your Raiment is your own personal symbol and belongs to you and you alone.)
Skills: (Can you cook? Or perhaps operate a forge? Maybe you're a natural linguist. Things like that go here.)
Magistra: (A magistra is a standard type of spell that all knights are given the option to learn. If your raiment is of the particularly magical based then your character likely knows just a few magistra.)