ravenDivinity

Book Recommendations

I need some book recommendations because I'm looking for something new to read. I'm familiar with the classics and mainstream/highly popular works of fiction, but I want to read something that doesn't land exactly in those categories.

I particularly like books with:
- Fantasy. Fantasy fantasy fantasy. I love it. Both contemporary and original. Magic is a plus.
- Revolutions or uprisings. Any of those are always appreciated.
- A diverse cast.
- Races and politics and religion. I like developed worlds.
- LGBT characters and protagonists. Those are awesome, since I've yet to read a fantasy novel with an LGBT protagonist.
- Powerful vocabulary and a mature prose style that avoids redundancy, purple prose, and cliches.
- Tragedy is sometimes cool. Watching characters suffer and characters supporting the characters that suffer make my heart sink.
- Developed romance. Ordinarily, I avoid romantically-focused novels, but if you have a recommendation that has a romantic side-plot that isn't shallow or boring, that I can actually get behind, then please, show me.

Also, I'll go ahead and leave this thread open for other people who also want to find a good read, so please, if you need book recommendations, it's fine to ask here alongside me.

A Bid for Power [Fantasy/Political/War/Adventure]

I've corrected my previous entry using the new bio format. Anything else I need to work on?

Is RPGuild dying?

ThatOneGuy said Nothings going to be done. No communication but "Oh yeah I'm here"

Mahz didn't promise anything. He didn't say, "I'm going to do nothing."

Mahz said - It's always been hard for me to scavenge free-time to work on the Guild. I haven't spent much time here since I was seventeen and invested the first year trying to bootstrap the community into something more than me and my two friends talking to ourselves. Maybe I blew the entire free-time budget that year. I'm twenty-six now.

He's not saying he's abandoned RPG. he's not saying he's quit working. Mahz is matter-of-factly saying that he just has a difficult time finding the resources to work on the Guild. He isn't always working on RPG, like literally everyone with a life. He didn't say that 'nothing is changing,' he said nothing has changed. There's still work being done to maintain the Guild. Even the header of the front page says it:

Mahz said I'm aware of the Guild's issues right now. I'm working on it.

This was updated recently. He's fixing issues and problems. There are planned changes to the Guild that Mahz is actively working on whenever he can make the time to work on them. Stop trying to hijack the discussion and say "oh see I told you so even Mahz agrees" when he didn't say or support any of your claims.

Mahz said - People have always been "migrating somewhere else", and the Guild has always been "on the brink of death" and "not like it once was".

Yet, here we are.

The reality is that those things don't really matter that much. We just deal with them in the same stride we deal with stop lights and breakups and cold days when we forget our mittens.

Thinking about this, the analogy is actually pretty good. Stop lights always change from red to green. People break up and get together. The next day we remember to bring our mittens. Change is inevitable. We are never finished. Maybe it's slow and unnoticed, but it's there and it happens whether we disregard it or not. People have always been saying the Guild is in a state of decline, but has it really? No. It's been the same as far as activity and membership goes. Features have changed. The overall appearance is (slowly) changing. Stop using absolutes as if they strengthen your point.

ThatOneGuy said Don't expect anything to happen.

And yet, things still happen. You're a moron for thinking you could argue your 'point' with any sort of sound logic. Everyone's disproved you so far, and you haven't fought it.

A Bid for Power [Fantasy/Political/War/Adventure]

TJByrum said See Raven, in your case I will concoct a human kingdom who has been trying to encroach on the Atheran lands.

Also, I need to know who your character is. I should probably put up a bio form, but maybe later. It is good you have me the representatives as required, but I also need to know your personal character.

That's what I wanted and expected from someone else.

Yeah, I'll totally flesh him out more, I just didn't know what you wanted from it. What information is required for our personal characters?

A Bid for Power [Fantasy/Political/War/Adventure]

Name: Darthor Andoran
Age: 20 - Race: Elf - Gender: Male

Appearance:

The darkest brown hair, with bangs that cover most of the forehead and are swept to the left and with layered and trimmed sides, tops his head; deep brown eyes like amber dance in their orbitals with emotion and examine every intricate detail. His skin is lightly tanned, like desert sands, and his delicate and soft hands are capable of tasks both onerous and scholarly. Darthor stands at five feet and nine inches, a short height for elves, but an average height for men. Andoran shows the typical muscle of your average man, but nothing indicative of pure destructive physical power.

Armor/Clothing:

On normal days, he wears a dark-blue cloak, clipped by the left breast and exposing the front of his body but none of the back, over a regular tunic and brown pants with a leather belt, sometimes holding pouches, tools, or weapons. On business, he'll have a green, hooded robe with a belt at the waist and dark-brown, leather boots underneath. When he is undergoing important rites or ceremonies, he covers himself with the same regular tunic and brown pants, and a red cape will hang from his shoulders.

Weapon(s): Anything's a weapon if you use it right. Darthor is aware of this, but even then, he only carries obvious weapons when caution or protection is necesary. You'll find on his person a bow, and sometimes a staff which amplifies spell control.

Skills:

Darthor is capable of speed-reading within elven capabilities, almost 800 words each minute. He can provide in-depth analysis of things quickly and of people with early impressions, albeit not with 100% accuracy and only with the intent; therefore, he will not analyze everything just for the hell of it, but only when it is important that he do so. Andoran can contribute many ideas and suggestions for strategy and planning, and he is only limited when he is feeling discouraged or anxious. He isn't exactly skilled in combat, since not much in the way of fighting is expected of him, and since it isn't imperative that he train for battle. He does know a few tricks in the magic department; after all, he must when he has limitless access to a library with a dedicated magic section.

Abilities:

The magic, that which Darthor is familiar with and capable of, is bound by energy and locked by ability and knowledge. He may use spells on the condition that he knows how to use them or is following instructions, that he has the resources physically or within himself, and that he is of reasonable skill level to use them without exhaustion. For instance, he may draw energy from within himself, or in the way of alchemy and rituals, he may consume physical objects to perform spells. To replenish these abilities, meditation, sleep, and food are necessary. Energy cannot be created or destroyed; thus, he may not conjure energy from nothing or destroy energy in his possession, but he may store energy within something and take it out later. Of Andoran's capabilities are:

• Ignition — From his finger, Darthor may light a spark. Nothing will catch fire unless there is fuel present, of course. Fun for pranks and great with kids.
• Hover — Perhaps for brief moments in time, Darthor may suspend an object or person in air. Directed flight is not possible, but slow elevation via this method is. This comes in handy when one is trying to reach the book on the top shelf, and some other bastard has the ladder.

Personality: Honest, dependable, humble, quiet, unassuming, sometimes gullible, usually intelligent (of course), submissive to allies, stubborn to enemies, sentimental, and sometimes childish and anxious.

History:

Darthor met Larina when he was young, and he lived under a normal elven household two generations after the elven migration. He spent around 4 years in high academy (similar to college) and worked as a normal librarian for two years, until Larina's second term as the Voice, when she appointed him Keeper of Knowledge, in line with his occupation. Many early embarrassments and harassments in his youth tempered him to humility and benevolent diplomacy. Lost loves and changing friends engendered self-loathing, depression, and anxiety. Andoran is no stranger to the racism of mankind and stigma surrounding mankind, but he feels further conflict with mankind will only worsen, and the only way to end tension is to make peace and extend the olive branch. Because of this, he has chosen to use his tenure in office to expose the history of the elves and their relations with mankind in order that he may increase his wisdom on the subject and persuade the elves to make amends with the men in a great display of forgiveness. Darthor is also a likely candidate to succeed Larina after her third and final term allowed under the law.

Faction Name: Democratic Nation of Athera

Faction Rank:

Keeper of Knowledge, who maintains records, oversees the largest library in Athera which houses old Atheran texts from the pre-migration era, collects intelligence, and manages sensitive and confidential information related to the affairs of Athera; member of the Council of Keepers, a group similar to the presidential cabinet. Darthor was only appointed to this position several months ago.

Faction Description:

The southern nation of Athera seeks to defend the land from men who seek to encroach on the forests and claim the land for themselves. Athera's citizens are relatively divided over reclaiming land that once belonged to the elves, but the most prominent view inclines many Atheran elves to seek the maintenance and security of the existing border if it allows peace and to expand the size of the country if neighboring nations make the offer. A miniscule fraction of Atheran elves are supremacists and feel humans are corrupt heathens who seek to exploit the other peoples of the world, while the nation at large believes that humans are their allies and should be considered friends if they do not steal or rape the people of Athera. Even then, human kingdoms damage relations with Athera if they portray Atherans and other elves as savages. The main goal in these peace talks for Athera is clear: keep Athera's current border or give it more land, but Athera will not accept less. Athera merely wants peaceful relations to allow for trade and commerce and mutual assistance. Its main role in the war has been defending itself from attacks from any neighboring lands.

Faction Members:

• Larina Eralin - Elected leader and Voice of the People of Athera. Accompanying Larina to the negotiations are her advisors. Age 26. Mysterious, pretending, manipulative, kind, generous, and adamant.
• Faris Corthersi - Keeper of State (Deals with foreign affairs). Age 28. Befriended Darthor during Larina's first term, befriended Larina in their high academy years. Sharp tongue, analytical, former general of the military, strategist, protective, headstrong.
• Reineth Gastil - Sentinel (Leads the highest appointed personal guard for Larina). Age 25. Trained in the most advanced physical combat known in Athera, best friend of Larina sometimes overshadowing Darthor. Tactician, neophilic, vocal, assistive, artistic, hostile and protective, armed to the neck, distrusting, and aggressive (especially about being separated from Larina in dangerous times).

(Indented for readability.)

A Bid for Power [Fantasy/Political/War/Adventure]

So, in other words, each race is fragmented into different factions, all of which have different goals based on their standing in the world, their history, their identity, and their beliefs, and the factions come together to negotiate peace. But the attempt at peace talks is going to inevitably fail, for as well as divisions between groups internationally, there are further divisions between groups within the factions themselves.

I think I have one of the nations for the elves to the south.

A Bid for Power (Political, Fantasy, Adventure)

Aspidochelone said Also, John Egbert is awesome.

Yasssssss.

Napoleon said What time period will this be set in?

TJByrum said This roleplay takes place in a fictional world, on a fictional landmass.

There's part of the answer. I don't know about technology level, and I don't know if the world has magic or not.

A Bid for Power (Political, Fantasy, Adventure)

I like this idea. I might join.

Seven Years [Biblical End Times RP]

The Yeshuite Coalition is holding an assembly underground in secret to discuss the next operation. Above ground, the 'Prophet' Ira Mankato's hologram is delivering messages and propaganda to the citizens of the GWC.

Biblical End Times RP?

MatParker1711 said fuck it yolo

Hope that means we have more members. It'd be cool to have more.