Red Wizard

Blackguards!

@An Outsider Certainly! Abercrombie is a great author. Best Served Cold is one of my favourite books.

Blackguards!

@BigPapaBelial Looks good to me!

Blackguards!

Holgarth Half-Blood, King o' the Hills and the High Places

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Name

Holgarth Half-Blood, King o' the Hills and the High Places

Race

Half-Giant

Gender

Male

Age

35

Appearance

Hair: Shoulder length, coal black, rough like horsehair
Eyes: Dark and challenging
Skin: Tanned, weather worn, tattooed, scarred
Length: 200cm / 6ft
Weight: 120kg / 265lbs
Build: Heavily muscular, broad chest, straight back
Clothes: Loincloth and boots, all leather

Personality

Say one thing for the King o' the Hills, say he's a hard bastard. Holgarth is focused to the point that he is sometimes percieved as humorless by other people. He's infamous for his fiery temper, judging quickly and harshly. Once Holgarth has set his mind on something it is hard, if not impossible, to sway him from his course. This stubborness of character doubles as bravery in battle, which he persues fearlessly when given the chance. Holgarth is that man that fighting men dread having to face, the kind that smiles and licks the blood of his teeth after you've punched him square in the face.

Holgarths philosophy can be quickly summed up as "Might makes Right". If you can take a thing, it is yours. If you can force an opponent to submit with violence, your position is the superior one. In his mind, violence is the supreme authority from which all other authorities are derived. This belief has bestowed him with a somewhat surprising respect for King Tyronde, whose force conquered Hogarths own. He is not one to submit, however, having vowed revenge and intending to collect Tyrondes head one day. He looks forward to the struggle with all his heart.

Bearing this in mind, one could be led to believe that Holgarth is nothing more than a mindless, bloodthirsty brute. Nothing could be further from the truth. The King o' the Hills and the High Places is a cunning man; perhaps not learned, but in possession of an uncanny guile forged from years and years of wars and battles. Holgarth knows that telling a man you will kill him does not make it so. The true warrior hides his blade in the grass and strikes when least expected. All in all, the Half-Blood is a very dangerous man to count among your enemies.

Background

Holgarth was born to certain stars by uncertain parents under a bloodied moon somewhere in the High Places of the Westerlands. His mother, a human whose name has been lost to history, died giving birth to the giant baby. The abomination was quickly discarded by the tribe she belonged to, put in the wilderness to be eaten by wolves. They had not counted on Holgarths father to care for his offspring, but he did. The stars told of a promising future for the youngling, and the giant took him on to explore what destiny had in store. Not much is known about Holgarths formative years, but the rumor is that his giant father fed him blood instead of the mothers milk he was robbed of.

Many years later, Holgarth returned to his mothers tribe. She had been of noble blood, and the Half-Blood came demanding his position as chieftain of the tribe. They flatly refused, and so it came to be that Holgarth slew the twelve men that dared challenge his claim. The tribe reluctantly decided to accept him for fear of losing all of their warriors, and Holgarths life as a leader began. He wasted no time in demanding submission from the rest of the tribes in the Hills, conquering them one by one in a decade now known to the hillfolk as the Red Years. Finally, with noone left to challenge his rule, Holgarth named himself King o' the Hills and the High Places, and for a short while there was peace.

Not that there wasn't violence, though. The Half-Blood had barely consolidated his reign before he found other things to battle besides rivalling tribes. There were monsters in the hills, and warlocks, and roaming giants, all waiting to feel the bite of Holgarths blade. One of his most noted battles was his duel against the ancient undead giant warlord Geur-Nagh Under-the-Hill, from which Holgarth stole the Underblade; a terrible weapon, forged from Starsteel by the secret blacksmithing of the giants of old.

There came a day, however, when Holgarths reign would come to an end. A new King, Tyronde, was rising in the west, and he wanted the Hills for himself. The Half-Bloods forces met those of the White Tiger in the Valley of Fangs, and for a time they were evenly matched. Holgarth, excited about the strength of his foe, called on the White Tiger to meet him in single combat to decide once and for all who would be the victor, and to his great joy his adversary agreed. Only he didn't come himself. He sent a champion. He sent the Warden.

When he stared into the Wardens eyes, his gaze meeting those dark pits of cosmic horror, Holgarth knew fear for the first time in his adult life. The duel was over before it even began. The next thing he knew, Holgarth was no longer in the High Places, but in a cold and dark cell inside the Maw. Why they let him live, he cannot say, but he has sworn a sun-oath and a moon-oath for vengeance against those who bested him that day.

Talents

The Blood of Giants: Holgarths veins flow with the blood of his fathers people, the giants. This renders him stronger and tougher than humans, as well as speeding his recovery from injuries and granting him an innate resistance to magic. Unlike other men, Holgarth will never cease to grow, although he will never be the size of a true giant.

Forged from War: The Half-Blood is a monster in all forms of melee combat. The skill and ferocity with which he fights sends even hardened warriors scrambling in panic as their comrades are hacked to pieces by the fury of the madman. Though defeated by the Warden in their duel, Holgarth has never actually yet been bested in hand-to-hand combat.

King o' the Hills and the High Places: Holgarths name carries weight in some parts of the kingdom. Some still revere him with respect, while others cower in fear by the mere mention of his deeds. He still very much regards himself as King, and has the gravitas of character to back it up.

Flaws

Barbarian: Holgarth is not a learned man. He has no academic training of any kind, and is even unable to read or write. He knows nothing of history, heraldry, or any other useful knowledge outside of combat and bushcraft.

Arcanophobea: Holgarth is incredibly wary of magic, to the point that he fears it. The one thing that has ever brought him to his knees is sorcery, and it was not a pleasant experience. This fear is multiplied by a lot where the Warden is concerned. Holgarth hated and fears her like the night does the day.

King o' the Hills and the High Places: Holgarths name is a two-edged blade. It inspires as much hate as it does fear, and there are many grieving widows and orphaned children out there who have sworn revenge for his crimes. Holgarths high thoughts of himself as King also comes with drawbacks of their own; arrogance, for one, and a sometimes unfounded demand for respect and authority.

Equipment

The Underblade: Holgarths most prized possession. The blade is black as tar, and was supposedly forged from Starsteel by giant master smiths in the time before time. It was weilded by Geur-Nagh Under-the-Hill until Holgarth stole it from the undead giant warlord. The blade is seemingly unbreakable and cuts through most armor like a hot knife through butter. It is said that once the blade is drawn, it must have its fill of blood before being sheathed again, lest its wrath be awakened.

Blackguards!

Character Roster

Holgarth Half-Blood, King o' the Hills and the High Places - @Red Wizard
The Immortal Gambler - @Spin The Wheel
Borslev "Bors" Titanstone - @BigPapaBelial
The Cursed Faun - @Rosellangel
Feras the Frail - @An Outsider
Sariel the Necromancer - @Abstract Proxy
Weaves-in-Shade, Moonwalker and Lunatic Witch of the Maw - @Emeth
Gangraena - @A Lowly Wretch
Cian - @Expendable
Sir Brandon the Broken Blade - @Kassarock
Aoife "the Mouse" Shadowclaw, the Mastermind of the Maw - @Blayr17

Interest Check for Blackguards!

OOC is up and ready to go!

All of you who have expressed interest in this thread are invited to participate, regardless of your characters current status. We'll hammer it out in the OOC discussion, no worries. Go ahead and post your CS in the Character Tab.

Oh, and here's the link:
roleplayerguild.com/topics/191204-bla…

Blackguards!

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There’s a place where you really don’t want to be. A place where it’s cold and dark, and where no one can hear you scream. They call this place the Maw, because it swallows people whole and chews them up. Once you’ve checked in, you can never check out.

Unfortunetly, that’s where you are.

But it’s not like you didn’t do your best, or your worst, to get here. They don’t just feed anyone to the Maw. Only the worst of the worst are put here, and you’re worse than most. An enemy of the Kingdom, as it were. A proper blight on the land.

So why aren’t you dead?

It happens all the time, after all. People are killed for all manners of mischief, most of it far less terrible than what you’ve done. They’re hanged, beheaded, quartered and burned at the stake. So why keep you alive?

Because you’re useful, that’s why.

Your sort doesn’t come along every day. You’re smart, capable, powerful, and free of the moral inhibitions that keep the sheep from rising up. Talents like yours are hard to come by, so they have decided to save you for a rainy day.

Who are they, anyway?

They’re the King and all his men, or the tyrant and his cronies, depending on how you look at it. Rumor has it that he killed his brother and usurped his throne, and has been ruling with an iron fist ever since. No rebellion, coup or assassination has ever been able to topple his reign. Not that people haven’t tried. But he’s not the one who gives the orders. That’s the Warden.

She’s a piece of work, that one.

The Warden is scary, even to people like you. She’s… Different. Alien. She might look like a person, but she’s not. There’s something behind those dark eyes that makes your skin crawl and stomach churn with terror. She gets inside your head, somehow. Makes you do things you normally wouldn’t. No matter how much people try to avoid, cheat or kill her, they always end up doing what they’re told.

And now, it’s your turn.

You don’t know what it is, but they want something done, and you’ve been selected to do it. Could be a daring rescue. Could be a nefarious murder. What’s certain is, it’s probably going to get you killed. And in the unlikely event that you make it, the Maw will be waiting to swallow you up when you’re done…

…Unless you can do something about it.

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Welcome to Blackguards!

This is the medieval fantasy version of Suicide Squad, in which a crew of colorful criminals get sent to their deaths trying to complete an impossible and sometimes (mostly) immoral mission, or quest, or thing. We will each take on the role of one of the inmates of the incredibly infamous prison the Maw, all terribly dangerous individuals, and portray their story as they do everything in their power to escape, survive, and possibly, but improbably, actually complete their mission.

The game is currently full. Every user who participated in the Interest Check is invited to join here, but I'm afraid I must ask newcomers to refrain from applying unless I for some reason open the game up again.

A Little Lore

The King

His Majesty King Tyronde of Vortigern, alias the White Tiger, is the current ruler of the Westerlands. He is celebrated far and wide as a hero for having defeated his evil older brother, the Fallen King, who consorted with demons and preyed upon the populace. Under his reign, the people of the Westerlands have enjoyed peace and prosperity like never before throughout history. Together with the Temple of the Sun, he has ousted the old false gods of the heathens and unified the kingdom under one faith and tradition. Truly, there has never been a King like him.

If you believe the official story, that is.

Another, less tolerated, version claims that Tyronde conspired with the Heliarch of the Temple of the Sun to murder the old King and usurp his throne. In this version, the Westerlands used to be a diverse place of wonder where peoples of all creeds could live together in peace and harmony. The Tyrant and his Temple have demolished this society, forcing cohesion on the populace and banishing or outright slaughtering any and all who resist. Taxes are higher than ever, public executions are up, and children are sacrificed on massive pyres to the burning deity of the sun-worshipers.

The truth? Who knows. But you certainly know which version you subscribe to.

The Westerlands

The Westerlands, or the Sunset Lands as they’re sometimes called, is a realm with a long and complicated history. The Kingdom, now unified under His Majesty King Tyronde of Vortigern, was once a sprawling mess of minor feuding territories where a multitude of races and cultures coexisted in an uneasy balance. Dragon riders kept watch from the snow capped peaks of the Boreal Mountains, elven druids danced in the moonlit groves of the Sylvan Forests, dwarves delved deep into the dark caverns of the Underworld, and giants roamed the rocky Highlands in search of fallen stars. A thousand gods and spirits, great and small, rivalled for worship in an unending cycle of conflict and peace. The chaos (or freedom, if you’re so inclined) ended with the death of the old King and the purging fires of the Unification Wars. Under the Sigil of the Sun, the King (by some referred to as the Tyrant) brought law and order (or death and destruction) to the Westerlands. They proclaimed One King, One God, and One Tradition, casting everything else aside. Today, remnants of the old ways linger in faraway corners of the world, hiding from the scorching light of the Holy Sun in the shade and the dark.

The land itself is still the same, with its rolling hills, high mountains, deep valleys, flowing rivers and calm lakes. The ruins of the old world linger, teeming with secrets and mysteries, and the old magic still permeates everything, no matter how hard the King and his Temple tries to smother it out. Civilization is spreading, however, one day at a time, threatening to overtake the wilderness as time goes by.

The People

The Westerlands have always been a vast and diverse place, home to a plethora of more or less civilized races and peoples. The predominant race of the New Order under King Tyronde are the humans, who’s civilization previously ranked among the lesser ones of the land. They have expanded a lot in the decades since the White Tiger ascended the throne, and keep pushing the boundaries of other peoples territories.

Along with humans, the Westerlands are populated by elves, dwarves, orcs, and halflings, to name a few. These races are often divided into separate clans and peoples, derived from differances in culture and creed. Wood Elves, for instance, live in close connection with nature in the great forests of the world and see themselves as separate from the High Elves, who construct high towers and concern themselves with the skies and stars. Grey Dwarves, masters of stone and steel, have little in common with the Hill Dwarves practicing Runic Magic in the highlands. The Clan Orcs, who perfect the arts of martial prowess in secret fortified monasteries, want nothing to do with the Wild Orcs who pillage and burn along the coasts. The Hobbits, living in hidden close-knit communities in the wilds, can’t understand the nature of the Gnomes, solitary halflings who live as caretakers of mills, farmsteads and such in other peoples settlements.

There are other, less widespread races and peoples, too. The Naga of the Underworld waters, the Giants of the Highlands, the Fauns of the Forests, etc. Who knows what other beings are out there, among the forgotten places of the world?

Rules for Posting

There is one general rule that all players of Blackguards! must adhere to, and that is the Hierarchy of Content. Every post and actions within said post should strive to uphold this hierarchy. It goes as follows:

• The Story comes first. Try to keep your post in line with where the story is right now, and where it is going. Don't post a development that breaks with the story, like one-shotting an apparent Big Bad or going off on an own adventure. Be smart. And, if you're uncertain as how to proceed, just ask. We can discuss it in the OOC.
• The Group comes second. This isn't a one man show. We're collaborating a story here, so let's try to make sure that everybody has fun and gets something out of it. Our characters might turn into rivals, and perhaps even fight, but we as players should always strive to find solutions that work well for the group. Bear in mind that the group needs to prioritize the story.
• The Character comes last. Stay in character. What would it do, given the current circumstance? Remember, you're not playing yourself. Your character might have moral inclinations and goals that differ from your own. Use this to your and your fellow players advantage. Don't, however, go against the group. And don't go against the story.

If you follow this hierarchy, there should be no problems. You will have lots of freedom in this game; I will try to interfere as little as possible. My role as GM will be to introduce you to the quest and eventual obstacles to overcome, but I don't want you looking to me for every NPC interaction or story development. Again, if you're unsure, just ask and we'll discuss it. Most NPCs are free game to do with as you wish. The more important ones will be obvious, and may require a bit more finesse in dealing with. If your character acts against another PC, however, the rules are slighty different. You may not control other PC characters. Instead, you must describe a) what your character tries to do to them and b) what it hopes to accomplish with that action. It is up to the other player to decide how their character reacts. Remember the hierarchy.

I expect every player to contribute a minimum of 1 post per week. If you know that you're going to miss the mark, I expect you to communicate this in the OOC. An unannounced absence of two weeks will result in forfeiting the character, which will be written out of the game by the GM. Similarly, if a player wants to, or has to, opt out of the game for any reason, I would strongly like to encourage making a final post in which the character is written out of the game, lest I have to do it for you.

Let's make this a fun and memorable game! I'm really excited about playing with you guys; we have so many great characters, and I think this could be a really cool experience for all of us. Let's keep it tight, and don't be afraid to ask questions or raise concerns in the OOC. We're doing this together!

Ye Olde Laboratory

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There’s a place where you really don’t want to be. A place where it’s cold and dark, and where no one can hear you scream. They call this place the Maw, because it swallows people whole and chews them up. Once you’ve checked in, you can never check out.

Unfortunetly, that’s where you are.

But it’s not like you didn’t do your best, or your worst, to get here. They don’t just feed anyone to the Maw. Only the worst of the worst are put here, and you’re worse than most. An enemy of the Kingdom, as it were. A proper blight on the land.

So why aren’t you dead?

It happens all the time, after all. People are killed for all manners of mischief, most of it far less terrible than what you’ve done. They’re hanged, beheaded, quartered and burned at the stake. So why keep you alive?

Because you’re useful, that’s why.

Your sort doesn’t come along every day. You’re smart, capable, powerful, and free of the moral inhibitions that keep the sheep from rising up. Talents like yours are hard to come by, so they have decided to save you for a rainy day.

Who are they, anyway?

They’re the King and all his men, or the tyrant and his cronies, depending on how you look at it. Rumor has it that he killed his brother and usurped his throne, and has been ruling with an iron fist ever since. No rebellion, coup or assassination has ever been able to topple his reign. Not that people haven’t tried. But he’s not the one who gives the orders. That’s the Warden.

She’s a piece of work, that one.

The Warden is scary, even to people like you. She’s… Different. Alien. She might look like a person, but she’s not. There’s something behind those dark eyes that makes your skin crawl and stomach churn with terror. She gets inside your head, somehow. Makes you do things you normally wouldn’t. No matter how much people try to avoid, cheat or kill her, they always end up doing what they’re told.

And now, it’s your turn.

You don’t know what it is, but they want something done, and you’ve been selected to do it. Could be a daring rescue. Could be a nefarious murder. What’s certain is, it’s probably going to get you killed. And in the unlikely event that you make it, the Maw will be waiting to swallow you up when you’re done…

…Unless you can do something about it.

---

---

Welcome to Blackguards!

This is the medieval fantasy version of Suicide Squad, in which a crew of colorful criminals get sent to their deaths trying to complete an impossible and sometimes (mostly) immoral mission, or quest, or thing. We will each take on the role of one of the inmates of the incredibly infamous prison the Maw, all terribly dangerous individuals, and portray their story as they do everything in their power to escape, survive, and possibly, but improbably, actually complete their mission.

The game is currently full. Every user who participated in the Interest Check is invited to join here, but I'm afraid I must ask newcomers to refrain from applying unless I for some reason open the game up again.

A Little Lore

The King

His Majesty King Tyronde of Vortigern, alias the White Tiger, is the current ruler of the Westerlands. He is celebrated far and wide as a hero for having defeated his evil older brother, the Fallen King, who consorted with demons and preyed upon the populace. Under his reign, the people of the Westerlands have enjoyed peace and prosperity like never before throughout history. Together with the Temple of the Sun, he has ousted the old false gods of the heathens and unified the kingdom under one faith and tradition. Truly, there has never been a King like him.

If you believe the official story, that is.

Another, less tolerated, version claims that Tyronde conspired with the Heliarch of the Temple of the Sun to murder the old King and usurp his throne. In this version, the Westerlands used to be a diverse place of wonder where peoples of all creeds could live together in peace and harmony. The Tyrant and his Temple have demolished this society, forcing cohesion on the populace and banishing or outright slaughtering any and all who resist. Taxes are higher than ever, public executions are up, and children are sacrificed on massive pyres to the burning deity of the sun-worshipers.

The truth? Who knows. But you certainly know which version you subscribe to.

The Westerlands

The Westerlands, or the Sunset Lands as they’re sometimes called, is a realm with a long and complicated history. The Kingdom, now unified under His Majesty King Tyronde of Vortigern, was once a sprawling mess of minor feuding territories where a multitude of races and cultures coexisted in an uneasy balance. Dragon riders kept watch from the snow capped peaks of the Boreal Mountains, elven druids danced in the moonlit groves of the Sylvan Forests, dwarves delved deep into the dark caverns of the Underworld, and giants roamed the rocky Highlands in search of fallen stars. A thousand gods and spirits, great and small, rivalled for worship in an unending cycle of conflict and peace. The chaos (or freedom, if you’re so inclined) ended with the death of the old King and the purging fires of the Unification Wars. Under the Sigil of the Sun, the King (by some referred to as the Tyrant) brought law and order (or death and destruction) to the Westerlands. They proclaimed One King, One God, and One Tradition, casting everything else aside. Today, remnants of the old ways linger in faraway corners of the world, hiding from the scorching light of the Holy Sun in the shade and the dark.

The land itself is still the same, with its rolling hills, high mountains, deep valleys, flowing rivers and calm lakes. The ruins of the old world linger, teeming with secrets and mysteries, and the old magic still permeates everything, no matter how hard the King and his Temple tries to smother it out. Civilization is spreading, however, one day at a time, threatening to overtake the wilderness as time goes by.

The People

The Westerlands have always been a vast and diverse place, home to a plethora of more or less civilized races and peoples. The predominant race of the New Order under King Tyronde are the humans, who’s civilization previously ranked among the lesser ones of the land. They have expanded a lot in the decades since the White Tiger ascended the throne, and keep pushing the boundaries of other peoples territories.

Along with humans, the Westerlands are populated by elves, dwarves, orcs, and halflings, to name a few. These races are often divided into separate clans and peoples, derived from differances in culture and creed. Wood Elves, for instance, live in close connection with nature in the great forests of the world and see themselves as separate from the High Elves, who construct high towers and concern themselves with the skies and stars. Grey Dwarves, masters of stone and steel, have little in common with the Hill Dwarves practicing Runic Magic in the highlands. The Clan Orcs, who perfect the arts of martial prowess in secret fortified monasteries, want nothing to do with the Wild Orcs who pillage and burn along the coasts. The Hobbits, living in hidden close-knit communities in the wilds, can’t understand the nature of the Gnomes, solitary halflings who live as caretakers of mills, farmsteads and such in other peoples settlements.

There are other, less widespread races and peoples, too. The Naga of the Underworld waters, the Giants of the Highlands, the Fauns of the Forests, etc. Who knows what other beings are out there, among the forgotten places of the world?

Rules for Posting

There is one general rule that all players of Blackguards! must adhere to, and that is the Hierarchy of Content. Every post and actions within said post should strive to uphold this hierarchy. It goes as follows:

• The Story comes first. Try to keep your post in line with where the story is right now, and where it is going. Don't post a development that breaks with the story, like one-shotting an apparent Big Bad or going off on an own adventure. Be smart. And, if you're uncertain as how to proceed, just ask. We can discuss it in the OOC.
• The Group comes second. This isn't a one man show. We're collaborating a story here, so let's try to make sure that everybody has fun and gets something out of it. Our characters might turn into rivals, and perhaps even fight, but we as players should always strive to find solutions that work well for the group. Bear in mind that the group needs to prioritize the story.
• The Character comes last. Stay in character. What would it do, given the current circumstance? Remember, you're not playing yourself. Your character might have moral inclinations and goals that differ from your own. Use this to your and your fellow players advantage. Don't, however, go against the group. And don't go against the story.

If you follow this hierarchy, there should be no problems. You will have lots of freedom in this game; I will try to interfere as little as possible. My role as GM will be to introduce you to the quest and eventual obstacles to overcome, but I don't want you looking to me for every NPC interaction or story development. Again, if you're unsure, just ask and we'll discuss it. Most NPCs are free game to do with as you wish. The more important ones will be obvious, and may require a bit more finesse in dealing with. If your character acts against another PC, however, the rules are slighty different. You may not control other PC characters. Instead, you must describe a) what your character tries to do to them and b) what it hopes to accomplish with that action. It is up to the other player to decide how their character reacts. Remember the hierarchy.

I expect every player to contribute a minimum of 1 post per week. If you know that you're going to miss the mark, I expect you to communicate this in the OOC. An unannounced absence of two weeks will result in forfeiting the character, which will be written out of the game by the GM. Similarly, if a player wants to, or has to, opt out of the game for any reason, I would strongly like to encourage making a final post in which the character is written out of the game, lest I have to do it for you.

Let's make this a fun and memorable game! I'm really excited about playing with you guys; we have so many great characters, and I think this could be a really cool experience for all of us. Let's keep it tight, and don't be afraid to ask questions or raise concerns in the OOC. We're doing this together!

Interest Check for Blackguards!

@Sadie It's a good start! I would like you to work a bit more on it, though. Specifically, I would like you to describe how she came to be a threat to the kingdom, how she eventually was caught, and why it was decided that she be put in the Maw. As it is, she doesn't really stand out. Maybe develop her talents a bit? Just to give her that badass feel. But, like I said, it's a good start! Looking forward to seeing what you do with it :)

Interest Check for Blackguards!

@Abstract Proxy@Rosellangel Looking good, I like the updates!

Interest Check for Blackguards!

@BigPapaBelial No worries, take your time! I think the character looks good overall, just needs some tidying up.