I second @unicorgi's question! What kind of vampiric lore will we be using? Something modern and romantic or ancient and monstrous? I've been fascinated with the latter lately, but it would be interesting to have both; younger vampires that blend in with humans, older vampires closer to monsters of myth, and the conflict that arises. There could be conflict about killing humans, hunting slayers, or living in secrecy.
The vampires of this role play would be a mixture of older and more modern vampire lore and there could even be different clans that possess different qualities, almost like those of Vampire: The Masquerade
Heroism, much like a nation, is not built in a single generation...
Welcome to the wondrous tale of something-something Arthurian (original name, do not steal). Summarizing this RP concept in a few simple words is pretty easy - it's a questy sort of romp set in a fantastical, foreign universe tentatively called "Britain". You will design the knightly head of a noble house under the one true King of Britannia using a very CYOA inspired character creation process. From there, you will accomplish many great feats, and probably die, because men aren't immortal.
But that doesn't have to be the end. Hopefully, through a combination of your actions and chosen features during the "prologue chapter", you will have defined your legacy to such an extent that the next phase of the rp makes a little more sense. That is, managing and controlling your descendants. Furthering the blood of heroes, and protecting Britain to the best of your ability.
You will triumph. You will fail. You, your children and your grandchildren are all likely to die, but it will all be for a worthy cause. To preserve the True and Just flame that is Britannia, and to see its enemies scattered before you. That is your Oath as a knight, and you will fulfill it at all costs, so that you may obtain honour and glory for your noble line.
Such is life in "Britain".
FAQ
1) Wow, this is a pretty cool roleplay idea there Miss Tomato! Totally original. What's the plan? A: Wow, thanks! The co-GM and I are looking for a handful of players before we start rolling things out, so for the time being, the intention of this thread is to garner interest and discuss possibilities with prospective players going forwards. Once we feel like there's sufficient interest, we will begin the character creation process before proceeding to the "prologue chapter", details below.
2) What's CYOA, precious? A: Short for "Choose Your Own Adventure", in this context it typically means a system wherein you are given a series of decisions that determine various traits and qualities of your character and their setup. To clarify, the player will still have total freedom in creating the "character" side of their sheet, such as appearance, personality and backstory. But other aspects of their sheet, such as combat equipment, specialization and potential weaknesses, will be chosen from a pool of options provided.
3) What do you mean "prologue chapter"? A: The prologue chapter will be the initial phase of the roleplay, starring great heroes at the height of their power and standing at the pinnacle of Britannian might. They will embark on a great mission, but unfortunately, all good things must end. Probably rather quickly. Your first character, the great knight standing at the forefront of your dynasty, is meant to be more than just a throwaway character doomed to die immediately. They're the shining ideal of your noble house, meant to form and flavour their descendants, passing along victories, spoils and magical favours, but also failures, curses, and perhaps even blood-sworn enemies.
4) Will the RP be especially long term? A: While the scale of the RP seems to suggest a serious time investment, this is intended to be more of a lighthearted experience than anything else. It's something we're building for fun, to have fun in heading forwards into the foreseeable future. That isn't to say we don't take it seriously, we very much do, but the general goal is something much more relaxed, and hopefully steady. A place to kick your feet up, crack open an ice cold ale and remove some Saxons from our shore.
Hopefully we've managed to perk your interest with the information available so far. More will be added as questions are asked in the thread and as the roleplay's core systems are worked on further by us GM-folk. Before signing off for the afternoon, I'd like to leave the first available choice in character creation here, to give an idea of what we're working with and to hopefully inspire possible character ideas.
Naturally, any thoughts or criticism we will gladly welcome. It has been a while since we've done something like this, so it ought to be a bit of an experience for all of us.
Archetypes
Britannian Knights hold many ideals, and their Oaths become their strength. Dedication to sword and steed are universal, but beyond that, each warrior holds a special vow in their hearts. One that drives them to greatness, and defines them. Choose one from the list below - this choice will decide your Knight's starting equipment and specialty, which will be passed down by example to those who come before you.
Prowess / Master of Warfare, Upholder of Virtue and Strength A true Knight, through and through, possessing great skill in battle matched only by their measured discipline and steady mind. Knights focused on Prowess are paragons of Knighthood, and serve as well-rounded and capable warriors on the battlefield. Fights atop a warhorse or on foot, typically wielding a longsword and shield while equipped with the shining full-plate that is the symbol of their status as a Knight.
Loyalty / Immovable Wall of Justice, Protector of Kin and Kind To be the living, breathing shield for one's brothers and sisters in arms, and to protect the weak unflinchingly. Knights whose focus lies on Loyalty are natural guardians, possessing a great desire to protect others and the capabilities to do so under any circumstance. To serve as the greatest shield, when war comes to bear, they must don the greatest armour - it has no technical classification, as no ordinary man could be expected to wear it and still fight. Each suit is hand crafted for the knight, and represents their unbreaking willpower, the totality of their dedication to the protection of their fellow man. In one hand, they hold a Kite or Tower shield able to block all but the mightiest blows, and in the other, they carry a longsword or spear. Notably lacking only in speed, they are truly the mightiest forces to behold on the battlefield.
Courage / Live without Fear, Confront all Wrongs Dauntless masters of battle, and the natural enemies of insurmountable odds - these are the devotees of Courage, slayers of monsters and heroes and kings, furious champions of all that is right. Their armour is unimportant - they wear what they must, be it heavy or light in load. They carry no shield, but instead, carry either a weapon of great size or a weapon in each hand, every fiber of their being devoted to the destruction of their enemies. They may appear reckless, but they do not seek death. No matter the glory to be won, they will not throw their life away unduly. This integrity, and devotion to their cause is what makes them strong.
Empathy / True of Heart, Humble of Soul To walk on one's own two feet among their subjects, blade in hand, ready to fight and die at their sides. These are the ideals held high by Knights of Empathy, who shun the traditional status symbols of shining plate and horse. They are true champions of the common folk, adored and known far and wide as a kind and true soul. In battle, they carry a kite shield and sword, spear, mace or pike. For armour, they wear a breastplate over chainmail - notably lighter in terms of protection compared to their fellow Knights. Usually make for skilled leaders.
Faith / Devotion to Truth, the Light against the Darkness Those that follow the virtue of Faith are champions and paragons of their chosen religion, which is almost always Romano-British Christianity. They are a staunch bulwark of their religions values. Typically they wear common plate armor, and their choice of arms is dependent on their religious alignment. Their unique mentality is typically what sets them apart from others, and they have a crusading zeal unseen elsewhere. Mentally focused, they strive to practice their faith at the same level a Saint would. It isn't unheard of for the most radical to wear nothing but cloth robes and wield blunt weapons such as quarterstaves, maces, flails, and morning stars to prevent the shedding of blood on Christian land.
Franchise / Virtue by Choice, Selfless Noblesse Oblige To be Noble is to stand on a perch above more common folk. To use this freedom of choice correctly for the common good is the the primary focus of Knights following the Ideals of Franchise. Not quite as warlike as other Knights, they make up for this in their diplomatic skill and charismatic magnetism. It is quite common to see "the look of eagles" in the eyes of Knights following this path. Their weakness on the battlefield is made up by their capacity to gain allies easily enough to win a battle before it even begins. Typically surrounded by retainers and squires, they are an imposing force to come up against.
Stoicism / Steady of Mind, Pursuer of Action While others hold themselves to lofty ideals and values, those devoted to the vows of Stoicism understand practicality, and subtlety. They seek to change the world directly, taking initiative to better the situation of themselves and others. Their job oftentimes goes unnoticed, but they make stalwart companions and contributes to society beyond just their combat abilities. They consider no weapon beneath them, often being the only knights to learn the art of Archery on foot or on horseback. In combat, they favour a shield and arming sword in addition to a terrifyingly powerful Britannian Longbow. They may alternatively use a spear, warhammer or pike - their skilled and versatile nature lends itself to many weapons. Are often tactical experts.
Joust / Master of Pageantry, Ride ever towards the Horizon Flamboyant, surely, but far from ineffectual - Knights focused on the ideals of the Joust are masters of many Tournaments, winning glory and widespread affection through honourable duels and, most commonly, competitions on horseback. They are expert riders or expert duelists, commanding either peerless skill on horseback or in the regulated environment of single combat. Their unusual weapons and varied armour sets them apart, typically wearing plate armour with no helmet and carrying into battle a lance or cavalry spear, as well as a quick blade - normally a rapier or arming sword plus accompanying buckler.
Name: Νέαιρα (Shortened True Name), Enna (Pet Name) Titles: Shadesight (for her Curse), Inheritor of Light (for her Mother), Highest Daughter of the Isles (for her political rank), Arkherald (for her rank as a Mage)
Race: Alv Gender: Female Age:(Having lived most of her life on the Timecrushed Isles of Lilies, time has ceased to have meaning to Enna. Considering her age before living on the Isle, and recent events, she is at least a thousand years old, but it could easily have been two or even three thousand years.)
Personality: Enna is a caring, and incredibly affectionate woman: akin to a doting mother in regards to her Isi, or anyone she views as a child. Which, as it turns out, is most people. She holds no ill-will towards those younger and more ignorant than her, but it can be irritating for others, especially those who consider themselves adults, to be treated as children.
Despite her arrogant behavior and the intelligence and wisdom of countless years, she is surprisingly... naive. She has lived her life mostly in a world without deception, and being an Alf, is slow to change her ways when presented with a new situation or environment. Because of this, and her curious and excitable nature, she must be carefully watched in the modern world lest she wander off and get herself into the kind of trouble only she seems to ever attract.
As you can imagine, this is very frustrating for Isi.
She in many ways embodies the image of a mother. While she is kind, she can be as stern or protective as she must to keep her charges safe. When roused to war, she is as indomitable and fierce as the mother she herself takes after. And that is something to be feared.
Prone to random clumsiness, despite her skill.
Brief Backstory: Enna is the firstborn daughter of Αδραστεια and an high ranking Alven warrior-prince, whose name has been more or less forgotten to the people he fought to save. Out of all of her life before they left the world, Enna only clearly remembers the last few moments - a side effect of the High Magick her mother weaved together around the Isles. Those few moments, which in reality only lasted a couple of seconds, seemed to stretch out infinitely in her mind's eye.
Her mother, wisps of raw mana clinging to the curvature of her flesh, standing highlighted against the vast maelstrom of power she was commanding to free them. She allowed herself to be distracted for just this moment, and looks at Enna from across the clearing with eyes filled with cold, hard determination. Yes, she saw every detail of this scene. She could never un-see it.
For just this instant, she could see.
"My most darling Enna... hold your sister. Take care of her. I step now - into the void beyond worlds."
That was how Ατλαντίς (known colloquially as the Isles of Lilies by the Alves) became what it is now. Timecrushed. And in this far-away Alven paradise, they lived for eons with little to no contact with the outside world. It was a land without the evil the younger races brought, a timeless haven where they could be true to themselves and one another, and engage in peaceful studies of Magick and the Arts.
For them, it was Home.
Timeless days and nights. Studying magic, dancing and laughing in the starlight with her younger sister Isi. Life was happiness. She can't quite say how much time actually passed, to her it felt like an eternity, but she does know that things have gotten darker in recent times. Recently... she thinks, there were invaders on the island. This almost never happened. A man had washed up on their shore, and they cared for his wounds and gave them what help they could, before sending him off to sea on a raft.
The man came back later, accompanied by a vicious band of brigands, intent on carrying off as many Alves as they could get their hands on. They had no magick, though, only weapons of war that were no use against the crushing might of the Alven archmages.
But it was then that things on the Isles began to darken.
Her beloved, adorable Isi, a changed girl after the harshness of the invading humans, began to take up the combat arts. Whats more, the great Arktree that her mother had become after the ritual seemed to be sickening by the decade, the woven barrier surrounding the Isles wavering ever so slightly.
This was why Enna, together with her sister, left the Isles, in search of an ancient medicine that might bolster their Mother, and protect the peace of the Alves for further endless years. It was their duty.
Abilities: Enna is a true Alven archmage, through-and-through, and master of magic from an age where it was the dominant force on the field of battle. Her mind is like a library, containing an eon of magical study and practice, and including a vast array of spells both learned from her ancestors and created by herself for her own exclusive use. Her magical affinity is Shadow, which can be added to any spell she casts to modify the effects. Spells aligned with Shadow are naturally stronger at her hands.
The Curse of Shadesight(A rare magical trait among Alves, which Enna was born with.) -Positives (Enna's eyes blur the lines between light and shadow, allowing her to see certain, specific apparitions not visible to normal people. When she is touching something, she can see it in perfect clarity.) -Negatives (Enna has, frankly, awful eyesight that can't be cured through healing or assisted through technology such as glasses. Close objects appear blurry to her, and faraway things can hardly be seen at all.)
General/Utility Magic(Non-Elemental Spells for general use.) -Telepathy (In Short-ranged or Long-Ranged communication modes respectively. Allows for two-way communication, even with nonmagical beings. Can't read minds, but she can vaguely detect sentient life when she's focusing.) -Read Magic (A sixth sense able to detect and analyze the properties of nearby magical energy. Effectiveness degrades with distance and physical or magical obstructions. Since Enna can't see very well, this is very important for her usefulness in combat.) -General Enchanting (The power to imbue physical objects with magic to produce a desired effect. A time-consuming process, more for creating genuine, lasting magical artifacts than for quick use. Can draw from any spell Enna is familiar with.) -General Enhancement (Simple physical enhancement, strengthening of the limbs or the senses by coursing magical energy through them. Can also be applied to objects to make them stronger.) -Warding (The power to create magical defences, usually in the form of barriers. Wards for creating alarms or defensive boundaries are also known.)
Elemental Magic(Referring to the six, distinct forces recognized by Alven mages as the forces of nature.) -Touch Elements (A special self-enhancement that allows the caster to physically interact with the forces of the six elements, so long as the subject being interacted with is willing. This imposes several strict rules to the spell. Firstly, natural forces can't be interacted with this way. This is because they are not aware, and thus cannot consent to being touched. Secondly, magically produced elemental forces can be interacted with, but only if the caster actively wills it. Thirdly, elementals can be interacted with physically only if they want to. Which is always a risk.) -Elemental Binding (Spells to bind forces known as elementals, which are minor children of the Primal Elements that can be called upon to serve a skilled elemental mage. Enna can call them from any of the six elements, or any combination of the six so long as the number of elements is not greater than two. The elementals summoned vary in strength based off of the magical energy offered in exchange. Rituals and High Magic are required to summon and bind the greatest of the elemental forces, known as the Primal Elements.) -Elemental Transfiguration (The power to transform summoned elementals into a desired form. Because their bodies are in a constant state of flux, this is much easier to do than normal physical transformation. This can be used to shape elementals into a war form, or to make them into armour or weapons temporarily. Can't be done on the fly, as it requires contact and a moment of quiet meditation.) -Mastery of the Elements (Enna has a general mastery of Fire, Water, Wind, Earth and Light Magics. She can preform basic, directed spells using these elements, such as a fireball or wind blast. There are enhancement spells that utilize the elements, allowing one to feel vibrations in the ground, move quickly with the help of the wind or even breathe and act normally underwater. High Magick forms of her elemental spells can be assumed to cause massive devastation, or reproduce incredibly complex natural phenomenon such as ice formation or dense fog. The mastery expected of an archmage.)
Shadow Magic(Deserving of its own section because of Enna's affinity. Shadow is the inverse of light, and represents spirits and the darkness of the unknown.) -Directed Magic (Simple blasts of shadowy magical energy, the conjuration of magical chains out of darkness, creating clouds of shadows that obscure sight. These are examples of directed Shadow Magic.) -Enhancement Magic (Obscuring oneself from sight using a cloak of shadows, travelling quickly as a mass of darkness, seeing or allowing others to see in complete blackness, summoning shadowy appendages to grab objects. These are examples of enhancement Shadow Magic.) -Illusions (Simple illusions created from the shadow of the unknown in people's minds. Produces images meant to distract or scare individuals. Less useful against those trained in magic, who depending on their skill might reduce or nullify the effects.) -Doppleganger (An incredibly advanced technique that calls upon the shadowy double of a person or object. The resulting double will simply be an intangible mess of shadows until it is willed into being, after which it must shortly disappear as the world rejects its existence. When in its shadowy state, the Doppleganger can still act - it just may not interact, physically with the world. Dopplegangers of people or things that Enna is intimately familiar with are virtually identical to the originals in every sense. However, doubles whose subjects Enna isn't familiar with are mere shades of the originals, convincing at a glance but truthfully resembling the originals only on the shallowest level.) -High Magic (The highest form of Shadow Magic, usually requiring special rituals and/or lengthy chants. Enna can create a zone of darkness within which she can completely alter the terrain. She can create great portals of darkness that lead to other locations she is familiar with. She can conjure a massive number of shadowy appendages to bind many opponents at once or lift up large objects. She can also inject the Shadow element into any other High Magic ritual she preforms, for a variety of effects.)
Skills: Like most Alves, Enna has utilized her long lifespan, sharp mind and casual grace to master a collection of minor and combat skills of her choice.
Mundane Skills(Day-to-Day things) -Reading & Writing (Archaic Alvish, several archaic forms of the languages of other races, and certain Runic Scripts.) -Crafting (Applies to Basket-weaving, Woodworking, Cooking, Sewing, and the general concept of crafting a variety of helpful everyday objects. She's familiar enough with structures to create a shelter, but by modern standards, her knowledge of engineering is basic at best.) -Climbing/Swimming (Strong skills in these categories are necessary for daily life on the Isles. She can climb most rock faces without much effort, and often spent her spare time freediving to the ocean floor in search of pearls) -Gardening/Herbalism (All of the denizens of the Isles of Lilies keep gardens of various sizes and compositions. Enna is no exception, having kept a magnificent grove of carefully managed trees, with an under-bed of flowers and a wide variety of herbs and mushrooms. That said, she isn't especially familiar with the sorts of herbs and plants that exist beyond the Isles.) -Musical Composition/Performance (She can play the lyre, the lute and a form of Alvish wind instrument, and knows much about the theories behind music and poetry as well as how to write them in their Alvish forms. An excellent singer.)
Combat Skills(Anything relevant to battle) -Military Strategy (While her knowledge is over a thousand years old, Enna still knows enough of the principles of warfare that she would be able to hold her own as a moderately skilled general. Completely ignorant of modern warfare.) -Riding (Can ride a horse or similar animal to a sufficient degree of skill. There are no horses on the Isles, so she's rather out of touch with these skills, but they're still there.) -Martial Arts (Practiced in using the martial weapons of her era, mostly all forms of swords, spears, axes or daggers. Can fight mounted, two or one handed, with a shield, or even while dual wielding weapons she is familiar with. While she understands the principles of archery, her poor eyesight prevents her from being a master of it. Vaguely familiar with enough hand-to-hand to fend off an opponent of little to moderate skill.) -Armour Skill (Can wear and fight wearing anything from light armour to full plate, and with all of the necessary knowledge for armour maintenance. Doesn't necessarily mean she has the physical abilities to fight in ANY armour, but armour specially made for her physique, she can wear effectively.) -Magic Dueling (Master of the ancient art of combat between mages. Broken into three core disciplines, Spellcraft, Counter-Spelling and Warding. Spellcraft is essentially the creative application of magic to avoid enemy counter-spells, and the tactical knowledge to circumvent an enemy's wards.
Counter-Spelling is the art of negating opponents spells by using a spell of your own, usually with an equal and opposite effect, essentially stopping the spell from having the desired effect.
Warding is the art of preparing specialized defences against what the duelist thinks the opponent will cast, with the idea of preventing them from directly affecting you with magic too fast to counter-spell.) -Magic Theory (Master of the practice of magic, the essential skill for any Alven archmage. This applies to the ability to understand the spells of others, read concepts such as magical potential or magical auras, and most importantly the skill for creating effective magic rituals for executing High Magic.)
Equipment: Enna left home with little more than the clothes on her back. The only item she took with her from the Isles was the ancient bow of her family. She hopes it will keep them safe on their journey.
A powerful magical artifact from before the Isles. A bow without arrow or string, drawn with the spirit and released with magic. Transforms any magic into arrows, which it fires, and can use a variety of special modification and targeting methods depending on what the user wishes. Made of a special material, like moonlight given form - nearly unbreakable by mundane means, and seemingly light as air in the user's hands. Vulnerable to magic.
Those marked with an * take a special amount of time to charge. Modes(Arrow Mods) -Standard (The arrow is fired as normal, and the magic that forms it is cast upon arrival at its destination, or when it strikes a ward.) -Hydra (The arrow splits mid flight, showering an arrow with projectiles and casting minor versions of the imbued spell. Equal in power to a standard shot, spread evenly across all of the arrows.) -Comet* (The arrow shines with an awesome power, trailing magical energy behind it. Carries no greater penetration, but the imbued spell has roughly twice the ordinary power.) -Dragon* (The arrow flies with vast speed and power. The imbued spell is consumed without being cast, and the penetrative power of the arrow is increased sufficiently to harm even the most armoured of targets. Has no special abilities, save its great physical damage.) -Chimera* (The arrow is imbued directly with the spell's power, taking on unusual qualities. Versatile, but the power of the shot is not actually increased in any direct way.)
Modes (Targeting) -Standard (Launches the arrow in a similar manner to ordinary bows, although much more quickly and accurately.) -Long Ranged* (Minor scrying is used to pinpoint targets across long distances, and the arrow is launched with the assistance of several magical systems to guide it more or less accurately to wherever its targeted. User loses sight of their surroundings.) -Lifehunt (Tracks targets based off of the heat signatures inherent to all life. Guided, but vulnerable to being blinded by large heat signatures. Not necessarily precise.) -True Strike* (Tracks the target based off of a magical signature, usually from a special tracer arrow fired by the Ark Aetherion. Guided, and more or less independent of the user's actual aim. Can be jammed by a well-timed burst of magical energy. Can't actually acquire targets on its own.)
@Pyromania99 Hey, I'm sorry to mention this but, you realize that mountains are probably one of the most abundant sources of freshwater on the planet right? They're even called nature's water towers in some places, because of the sheer abundance of it.
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