Fantasy ~ Group roleplay: The Magic Within (m+f needed)

Started by Ridcully, May 14, 2010, 06:09:32 PM

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Ridcully

This first post includes 4 major parts:

A. Short summary of the setting - please read this and IF interested, please also read (or at least can through the parts interesting for you in Part D.)


B. Overview of open roles and PCs


C. Character sheet


D. Long summary of the world (please read this if truly interested in the story)



A. Short summary of the setting

In the world of Aliciaan, two opposing families struggle for power: The Harts of the West, leader of the Chosen Kingdom, and the Benetts of the East, Ruler of the Last Empire. Both families find their strength in their ability to use magic, which seperates them from the Commoners, who lack this talent. The ability to use magic is a blessing and a curse. A blessing, since it makes them powerful and respected; a curse, because every magic has an end to it, and for renewing your powers, there is only one way - kill a Commoner, and in the moment of his death, take the unused magic energy in his body for yourself.

No family has won the upper hand over decades of the ever turning wheel of war and peace. Yet, as the Keeper of the Truth summons the families to the forbidden Island Kyros, to enter the Tower of Truth once again, the world's fate is changing: The Donstans, creatures living in the caves in the Mountains, have left "the world without a sky" to claim back the world, and on their way, they are eager to destroy anything built up by humans under the reign of the Harts or the Benetts.

The families might unite to fight this enemy, or they might use the opportunity to attack the opposing familiy at its weakest moment. Either way, they might not foresee that some Commoners are eager to end the ruling of magic in this world. This is the last Great War of Aliciaan, and it can only be decided by the magic within. Within our bodies as Harts or Benetts, or within our hearts as Commoners with courage.

Roles includes:

- Hart family (users of magic)
- Benett family (users of magic)
- Donstans (see the summary of sinoraa on the first page of this thread)
- Commoners, esp. The Unwanted (children of Benetts with Commoners) and the Sage (a political leader of the West); also possible: Soldier, Hunters, Commoners (m/f) seduced by Benetts, Merchants, or anything you can think of coming from a scenario like the Middle Ages.



B. Open roles/taken roles

Hart Family:

King or Queen (open)

Prince William Hart (taken by CrazyIvan)

Princess (reserved for Wistful Dreams)

More Members of the families are open - the Hart Family consists of a larger branch (read D.).

Interested: Aethian


Benett Family:

Emperor (open)

Prince, Princess, and any other member of the Family you want to create - open

>Female characters might consider a possible link to the character Carrace by TackyHillbilly as his mother.



Donstans:

The Golden God - sinoraa
Nobles - open
Warriors, helpers (see sinoraas description) - open


The Unwanted:
Carrace (character by TackyHillbilly)
More Unwanted - open


The Sage:
Open

(Interested: Shores)


Commoners:
Merchants, Hunters, Soldiers, Ladies "of negotiable affection", Victims for the Benetts (or Harts) - all open



C. Character sheet

Character sheet:


Name:


Faction:

Possible roles:

- Hart Family

- Benett Family

- Commoner: e.g. Member of "The Unwanted", Sage of the West - or any other male or female character who might fit into the setting.

- Donstans - with all the freedom these roles bring.


Age:

Remember: The Hart family members usually age like any other normal person, while the Benett family members (who are, by intrigues and murder, smaller in numbers) live longer by the help of magic.

It is not known how old Donstans can become.


Appearance:
Picture or description. Harts, Benetts and Commoners are humans. Donstans look humanoid (see text up there).


Character history/traits:
A short summary of your characters life and/or his/her personal character traits. Members of the Hart family or the Benett family can -  not must  - also describe in which kind of magic their character specialised in and how he/she behaves towards Commoners. Also, relatives, marriages, children etc. can already be named - I'd thankfully add it to the overall summary of the world.
This text is all free - you can already give us a hint at your characters motivations, or keep them a secret for now.




D. Long overview of the world of Aliciaan




Traveler!

Welcome to Aliciaan, and may your path be blessed by Baldur, the God of the Innocent! I am the Keeper of the Truth, and the Truth, I shall tell you.

Oh, the truth is: This is a world in danger. They might not know it, but it is. I saw it in the water. I hear it in the rain. I smell it in the forests. The world is about to change, and they won’t like it.

Well, maybe some will like it. But not the Harts, and neither the Benetts. They rule this world. They rule the Commoners.

Who are the Commoners? Oh, you are a Commoner, I fear. You can’t use magic. You have it in you, traveler, it’s flowing through you. But you can’t feel it, can you? No, you can’t. You can’t use it. But...they can use you.

The Harts. The Benetts. They feel magic. They use magic. It runs through them. They create through it. They kill through it.

They might kill you with it. Oh, don’t worry. Not too much. It’s true: They have to take the magic from commoners in order to supply their own magic, for every time you use magic, you lose a bit of your energy. And new energy...well...this can only come from Commoners. Like you. When you die, they touch you. And then, they take your magic from you, and seldom, they thank you for it. I apologize for telling you so.

However, don’t worry. At least not when you’re living in the Chosen Kingdom. The Hart family has learnt to live with commoners. Yes, the King is a Hart. Yes, the family holds a lot of power. But they don’t use it against Commoners like you.

They rule the country in good spirits. There’s a high culture, oh, there’s even some science. And maybe...maybe when you know you’re about to die, you’ll go to one of the Hart’s family members, and sacrifice yourself for their magic. It’s good to do so. They might even thank you.

Oh, but if you’re living in the Last Empire, well...I fear the Benetts rather consider you a walking magic supply. It’s not that they are bad. A hawk isn’t bad when it kills a mouse, is it? It’s just the things were meant to be, don’t you agree? They might take away your magic, and kill you on the way. But it’s not meant in a bad way. I think. They rule the Last Empire with an Iron fist, and they smell the weakness of the West. They want to overthrow it. They want to...try again.

50 years of peace since the last big war. Since the last thousands of men and women have died in the name of the Harts or the name of the Benetts. 50 years since the last Hart or Benett family member died by magic. Oh, they die by nature, eventually. The Harts usually sooner than the Benetts, for the Benetts prolong their life by magic. But it’s soon time for another war, one way, or the other.

It’s fifty years now after they came last to the Tower of Truth. Fifty years since I last summoned them to visit me, on the Isle of Kyros, the forbidden island. Only I live here - the Keeper of the Truth, and if I summon them, they must come.

And they will come, this time, and I will summon them. For it is time...because the Danstons return to the surface of the world. You might not get killed by the Harts. You might eventually get killed by the Benetts. But certainly, very certainly, you will get killed by the Danstons.

May your path in Aliciaan be blessed, traveler. If only for a short while, I fear.




Basic Idea:

In the ancient days, the men overthrew the Golden God, a half-god who ruled the whole world in cruel ways. The men were helped by the god Baldur, who appeared for the last time in a human shape back then.

As the Golden God was overthrown, the god Baldur named two fighters: Henric the Brave, called „The Heart of Men“. And Dias the Dark of the Stone Shore, called „Benat“, an ancient word for a man blessed by the gods. With the passing of the Golden God, Baldur granted the power to use magic to Henric and Dias, and every heir they’d ever have.

The god had hoped for the men to have wise and honorable children. However, soon after the two men died, their heirs fought against each other, killing thousands and thousands of men either as soldiers or by drawing magic from their bodies. A terrible war nearly destroyed the renewed world of Men, and Baldur commanded the war to end.

By Baldurs command, the heirs of Henric and Dias built up the Tower of Truth on the forbidden Island of Kyros, and a man was installed there as the Keeper of the Truth. He was given an immortal life by the god, and only on his permission, the heirs were allowed to fight each other. It’s the „War right“; which is given by the Keeper of Truth when he feels its necessary.

Otherwise, the families are not to fight each other; they certainly did it nonetheless, in secret, killing each other; and when too many secret things happend, the War right was declared by the Keeper of Truth until some winner would emerge.

He however made sure that no party would ever win absolutely. Both sides of the heirs had their values. While the heirs of Henric were of a noble and cultivated mind, they also showed weakness and hesitance in times of action; therefor, people loved them with great respect and were eager to fight for them.

The heirs of Dias on the other hand were strong and fierce, yet cruel to the Common people, killing them off for their magic.

Over the centuries and in many wars, the two families emerged. The heirs of Henric are the family Hart, while the heirs of Dias are the Benetts. Their basic attitude hasn’t changed. While the Harts rule the country, but share power with regional Lords and give a lot of freedom to the people, the Benetts are still cruel and fiercely rulers.

The Hart family votes for a ruler when the last king died, and even the women can be voted for. For the Benetts, the oldest male member of the family is automatically named The Emperor. It lead to a lot of killing within the family as well, and this also weakened the Benetts - luckily for the Harts, who might had been overthrown otherwise centuries ago.

The Chosen Kingdom reminds us of England in the 16th centre, on the edge of a high culture, with authors and poets. The people are cultivated, and the Harts are regarded with high respect.

The Benetts still rule the Empire fiercefully. Though they have a strong army, they are not as advanced in war techniques as the people from the Chosen Kingdom, and the Commoners live by simpler rules than the people in the West.

The family members of the Benetts consider theirselves usually to be superior to anybody else, but watch each other with great care, fearing intrigues and murder. The Harts are (mostly?) loyal to each other, love each other and are caring. The Benetts form small groups in the families, and change loyalty quickly if necessary.


II. Marriage
The Harts and Benetts marry in the own family. It’s a rule the families set for themselves, because the children of a member of the family and a commoner would most likely not have magic powers, at least not very high ones.

The Hart family is very large in the meanwhile, and incest hasn’t weakened the branches. There’s actually a chance to even find love in the marriage, yet, you will not marry outside of your family, never.

The Benetts weaken theirselves through murder and intrigues, so it’s common for brother and sister to marry - mostly, because there aren’t much choices. Rarely, strange children emerge from the incest: Very strong in magic, but maniacs at mind, cruel and willing to die young for glory.

The Benetts have a lot of love affairs with commoners though, using them at their pleasure - it’s rumoured they’d also use magic on them to seduce them. The children born through these affairs usually get trained in one of the soldier elite schools, and get high ranks in the army. They are called „The Unwanted“; as this was a curse in former ages, it is not worn by them as a sign of nobility, and there’s even a loose organisation forming among them.



III. Magic
They key to understanding both the Hart family and the Benetts is magic.

As told already, magic was given to them as a gift by the god Baldur. While magic is in any human, it is only possible for the Harts and the Benetts to use it at their will. The magic has no boundaries in itself - the boundaries are set by the energy.

While a Hart or Benett family member is born with high energy in his body, magic energy can’t be renewed if used just by time. Every time you use magic, you lose some energy. There’s just one way to get it back: By taking the energy from someone else.

If a Hart family member or a Benett family member kills a member of the opposing family, he or she wil automatically get all the energy from the other - making it a high motivation at times to kill members of the opposing family.

If they kill a commoner, they can get his unused magic energy - they just have to put their hand on the forehead of the dying man or woman, and draw it out of them at the very last moment. Commoners might bear a high ratio of magic energy, when they have done great deeds - evil or good, since then they had been blessed by Baldur. Killing someone important, or even killing a hero might give you a whole lot more energy than killing just a loving mother or a common peasant (though you still get energy from those as well, and in times of need, a Benett wouldn’t hesitate).

The Benetts usually settle nowadays to kill criminals for power, doing a certain good to the community as well by doing so. However, if needed or in the mood, some of the family would kill innocents as well.

The Harts take gifts from old people or dying younger ones, who sacrifice theirselves for the beloved family. They don’t want to kill - but, alas, sometimes life makes you do harsh things, doesn’t it?

What can be created by magic? There’s no limit - whole building can be created, but no Hart of Benett is able to do so, since he lacks the power. Mostly, they can create small things, or use magic as a weapon. The younger ones are trained in the art of magic, since it takes a very shard and focused mind to use it - otherwise, if you don’t focus or if you are untrained, you might just end up setting yourself on fire instead of your foe. It’s a question of will, not a question of word. This is why they all usually fight with swords or bow as well, sometimes combining them with magic.

It is rumoured that you can’t change your own appearance through magic, but this is only a rumour. Neither the Harts or the Benetts had tried so far.



IV. Religion
Baldur is the one god all believe in, but each family claims that originally, only their ancestor had been chosen by the god, with the other ancestor stealing magic. Over the centuries, religion has become of lesser importance to people, and it had mixed up with a people’s cult about the families. The Emperor of the Last Empire claims for himself to be a god, and quite a few people believe it. The Harts still pray to Baldur and ask their people to do the same, but rather modern authors and thoughts weaken the old faith.



V. The Commoners
In each of the Empires/Kingdoms, about the same amount of people are living. Even though The Last Empire has more soldiers and is much larger, it wasn’t ever able to overthrow the Chosen Kingdom. People in the East are more hesitant to have kids in fear of them being used as supply for the Benetts, however, they need them too to work on farms, in mines or in cities, so there’s still a population growth.

People in the west feel safer, and used to have many kids. By focusing more on culture and science, the growth of the population has slowed down lately.

The Commoners are all kinds of people: Peasants, Merchants, soldiers, hunters - anything you can think of living in the Middle Age in our world.

However, there are two special kinds of Commoners:

The „Sages“ are chosen by the Hart family, and there is always at least one in the Chosen Kingdom. His task is simple: He travels over the Kingdom, and learns from the people, letting the Harts know what the Commoners think. The Harts lately underestimated the position: People take great trust in that position, for the sage is the direct approach to the Hart family, and the sage gained more and more supporters. If he’s a supporter of the Hart family, all is good - but if he changes his mind, he can become a dangerous man....


As already told, the Benetts have quite a few children outside of the family tree - the „Unwanted“, who are trained in military schools and usually become officers in the army. They have a love and hate relationship towards the Benetts - they hate them for the Benetts not accepting them, they love them because the Benetts are all they want to be. However, the Unwanted start to form alliances - and by this, they might eventually become a thread to the Benetts as well.


Asking me about the Unwanted, traveler? I thank thee – for not many ask about them.

I can’t say when they first were noted as a group as such, though I am sure the word itself was used for their kind for many, many decades. While the Harts only married within the family branch, the Benetts had love affairs with men and women all over the Empire. And, Baldur bless them, children were born from these affairs. In the old days, the very old days, they were murdered even before they cried for the first time. But times have changed, fortunately...well, perhaps fortunately, as cruel as this sounds. The children of these affairs are now called “The Unwanted”, and are treated with a strange mixture of hate, respect and love by the Commoners.

This is the deed of Karanos the Unwanted, in the War of Fire and Ice, one of the great wars between the families. The Harts and the Benetts were fighting each other with great hate in this war, which had been given the name by the death of Tallie Hart and Robert Benett. Tallie Hart was a young princess, around 20 summers young, with long red hair which seemed to glow like fire at night, while Robert was the Emperors younger brother, around 46 back then, and I remember him as a stubborn yet loyal man. Both of them lead their armies to fight at the Shadow fields in the Last Empire’s West; at that time, the Harts had the upper hand. Tallie destroyed a whole great amount of the army being lead Robert by burning men and cattle alive, while he himself murdered many of her men by freezing their hearts in the battle. When they had run nearly out of magic, the two found the other on the battlefield, and killed each other with the opposing magic in nearly the same second – thus, the War named the War of Fire and Ice.

After the Battle of the Shadow Fields, the Benetts, having in secret recruited and trained many men, soon won the upper hand. The other Harts back then were rather weak in their magic except for the younger brother of Tallie, but he -  who once would be known as “The Hawk”  - was only five years old back then. A final victory was to expected for the Benetts, ending the wars for all eternity.

But you reckoned it already – it did not happen. With Robert’s death on the battlefield, the youngest of the three brothers, Aldric, took the chance and murdered the Emperor, crowning himself the Emperor of the Last Empire, even though there were two other older family members. Those had to turn their men against him, and the Last Empire struggled under a war on the inside for nearly a year, while the Harts regained stability and power, and eventually brought the War far into the Last Empire.

At this time, a man named Karanos united the people of the East. He was an unwanted son of Robert and some peasant’s daughter, around 26 years old, tall, strong, and a öeader at heart. When the Benetts fought against each other, he united those men who were willing to struggle against the Harts under his banner, and in many fights saved the borders of the Last Empire. When Aldric eventually had killed the other older family members and was the true Emperor, he named Karanos general of the troops. Karanos only died two years later; of a disease, the Commoners think, though in secret Aldric had killed him, fearing his power.

This was many centuries ago, and since then, the Unwanted had slowly been seen with different eyes. There’s still hate against them in the East, yet there is some respect too. They seem blessed, for most of them become strong fighters, hunters, or assassins; regardless of their gender, they are taken from their mothers at the age of six, to be then trained in military schools. At about 14, they are given a tattoo to wear on their face – on the right cheek, if their father was a Benett, on their left side, if their mother was one. The Unwanted with tattoos on the right side outnumber the ones wearing one on the left cheek by far. Usually, the tattoos show an animal the Unwanted would associate their characters with; in rare cases, they show a different symbol. Only the Unwanted are allowed to wear tattoos on their face in the Last Empire, making it easy to spot them – for Commoners, but, alas, for the Benetts as well. There’s no hiding from the Benetts if you lost their...interest.

The Unwanted usually make high military ranks and are very loyal to the Benetts, regardless of the fact they are treated often with great disrespect or disapproval by them. Only some Benetts would understand their worth, and make sure the newborn children are closely watched until they are ready for the training. Strangely, none of the Unwanted usually get very old or has a family on his own – they die in battle, or of diseases, and the Emperor himself would call it a great tragedy. Oh, isn’t it one? One of them might eventually become a new Karanos, and wouldn’t this be nice?

Their characters, you ask, traveler? Well, think of being labeled Unwanted by birth...don’t you think you have to struggle all your life for some...acceptance? Or for finding a reason why you’re there? They don’t make friends easily, they keep emotions on the inside, until they fully love or hate. But, there’s rumors that they form alliances lately, that they whisper to each other in the shadows. It’s the truth – for if you are pushed aside at birth, someday




VI. The Keeper of Truth
An old man with no other name but Keeper of Truth, living in the Tower of Truth on the forbidden isle of Kyros. He has the direct link to Baradur, and he is able to summon the Harts and the Benetts by magic to the tower. When summoned, a door will appear at a certain time close to a member of the family, and by stepping through it, he or she will end up in the great Hall of the Tower of Truth. Magic can’t be used there - there, both families are Commoners, and they are not allowed to fight each other there. Here, the great matters of the world are discussed. Since the end of the last war, 50 years ago, the Keeper of Truth had not summoned them anymore - but yet, at the beginning of the story, he whispers in their minds that the time for the summoning is about to come.



VII. The Donstans
The Donstans are the most mysterious people in the world - or, are they people at all? I can’t say, for  here you’ll have to help me and tell me about them, if you may.

This is known: When Baldur passed magic to two men, some men and women protested against his wishes. They were not willing to obey some other men, for they called theirselves free. They were banned to live in the Everlasting Mountains in the centre of the world, deep in caves, to be forgotten by the world. Soon, they would be called the Donstans, the People from the Mountains. It is rumoured in both the Chosen Kingdom and the Last Empire that they show up rarely at the edge of the mountains, to kill travelers or hunt for people. It is rumoured that their skin is grey and that their eyes shine at night, but these are just rumours. Nothing is known about their culture, their numbers or their strength - for now, because soon, they will rise from the darkness, and hunt both the Harts and the Benetts, in order to kill all of them who use magic.

--> please read the summary of sinoraa at page 1 of this thread


VIII. Cities, and villages

All up to you to name them - just two infos:

The Golden Palace is the Palace of the Last Empire, for the Benetts claim it was once the Palace of the Golden God and shows that the Emperor is as godly as he was. It’s a myth, but since the building is large and shines bright at night, people tend to believe it.

The Harts live in the Glas Palace - a palace with magic glass walls. You can see through them from the inside (if you are a member of the Hart family), but not from the outside. From the outside, the glass seems as thick as stone, and neither ice or stone can harm it.


IX. Characters and motivations
Simply, I don’t want to set any boundaries - I gave you a basic plot idea, but what you do with it, is all up to you.

I’d like to write the Keeper of Truth, rather as a narrator in between and a teller of stories of the world. He’d be more a spectator, commenting on what he sees your characters doing, and telling background information to the world. He’ll not interfer with your character and his motivations though, unless we talked about it before and you want him to lead your character in a certain way. Like me, he’s otherwise just interested in what you do, and except for the beginning, when he summons the families and will declare War right, he’ll keep himself out of the main plot.



What characters can you play, and what will they do? Hell, it’s up to you.

Here are three basic plot ideas:

1) The Danstons attack - it will happen, but it can just be an event that sets things in motion. It will lead to the summoning at the Tower of Truth, and to the declaration of the War Rights.

2) Romeo and Juliet story. Classic, I guess - at the summoning, a Hart family member and a member of the Benett family could fall for each other. I sense trouble ahead!

3) Commoners: Commoners could have their own intentions on the way. Maybe „The Unwanted“ plot against the Benetts? Or the sage against the Harts? Who knows...


And don’t think in evil and good terms. I don’t think the Benetts are evil - they are just what they are, right? They take what they need, and they rule the country, yeah, but...hell, it’s who they are. They can actually be some totally kick-ass-bastards who have a lot of fun.


X. Clothing

The West has left behind leather armour and slowly sets for more comfortable clothes - think of clothes at the end of the European Middle Age.

Noble Men could wear something like this:



or this



Women might go for something like this



or this



For formal events, the women of the Hart family are often seen in red dresses, in order to honor Tallie Hart, a heroine of the family with red hair:




The East slowly adapts to this kind of clothing, but still is a bit more barbaric in its way. Think of this



this



and for wars this



Clothes worn by the Hart or the Benett family may be based on the Commoners outfits, but may vary due to the social position and be much defined by the own style.


XI. Language

Under the rule of the Golden God, the ancient people spoke a language called “Plad”. It’s key features are short words, except for anything referring to gods. Benetts and Harts are taught to talk in Plad as children, but they hardly ever make use of it. Spread all over the world are some scrolls and books written in Plad, and it can still be found here and there in cave paintings. Commoners usually don’t speak it though.

The common language nowadays is Baldurian, named after the god. It’s spoken all over Aliciaan; it’s not known if the Donstans use it though.

Though the words are shared, people of different locations may vary it, especially for greetings and goodbyes.

People in the West tend to use terms like “Sir, Lady, Lord, Your Grace, Your Majesty”, when speaking to members of the family Hart or to someone considered to be higher in the social ranking. Especially craftsmen and apprentices are used to say “Sir,” though often it is changed to “Siah” or “Malady” without meaning an insult. There’s various accents all over the world to the language which can show in the way your characters speak.

In the East, people tend to use more inappropriate language in public without being ashamed about it. E.g. “fuck” is a term no one would use in the West, but which can be found in the East. It is said that in some tavers in Hagenah, a harbor town in the Last Empire, your ears would explode after an hour of listening to people speak, but this is only a rumor. Most likely. Well, I wouldn’t go there really.

Because the Benetts keep a certain cult about them, it is wise to use the term “Oh” in front of a title when speaking to them, e.g. “Oh Emperor”, “oh Prince” etc. Only when allowed, you can let go of it.





Alright. This is all a basic idea, and I am more than willing to change anything to your ideas. Does this all lead to a big and final war? Will the families survive? Both? One? Or is it the downfall of both families? I guess only your characters can let us know, folks.


May your paths be blessed in Aliciaan, traveler!





Wistful Dream


Wolfy

Count me in as a male!....Maybe. Reserve the spot for me while I read over the info? D:

Aethian


Shores

I've read through it, sounds really exciting. Full of political intrigue.

I would probably like to play as Danstons or Unwanted. Or a sage. Or commoner. In that order, probably. I'll see what everyone else is interested in and fill in the gap.

Ridcully

Quote from: Wistful Dream on May 14, 2010, 08:56:34 PM
Count me in after finals :)

I didn't expect anything else. A Hart family member, right?

Quote from: Wolfy on May 14, 2010, 09:34:31 PM
Count me in as a male!....Maybe. Reserve the spot for me while I read over the info? D:

I added a short summary in the beginning :)

Quote from: Aethian on May 14, 2010, 09:53:03 PM
Would love to join in as one of the Harts.

Certainly! Princess, Queen, or just a minor Hart family member with great ambitions, it's all up to you.

Quote from: Shores on May 15, 2010, 02:07:29 AM
I've read through it, sounds really exciting. Full of political intrigue.



I would probably like to play as Danstons or Unwanted. Or a sage. Or commoner. In that order, probably. I'll see what everyone else is interested in and fill in the gap.

The Donstans (or Danstons - what does sound better really?) offer the biggest freedom, since you could create their culture all for yourself. I'd be interested to learn more about them myself - even the Keeper of the Truth knows little about them.

I think though that the Unwanted have a lot of potential. They are birn with a label to them - "Unwanted". This makes life kinda miserable from the beginning, doesn't it? Quite up to you what you make out of it as an Unwanted. They could really become complex characters who change the fate of the world a lot, since they'd be in the front row of a war. I think I'll focus a bit on them later :)

Thanks for the interest so far :)


Ridcully

*1. Post updated*

sinoraa

Im interested in playing a Donstans. NOW IM OFF! To invent a religion!

Ridcully

That's the spirit :)


*I added a character sheet to the first post - at the end*









sinoraa


Name: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Title: The Golden God
Position: Ruler over the Donstans
Weapon of choice: Soul reaver. Known as the only weapon to ever have drawn the blood of a god, its said to the greatest weapon forged, even rivaling the phoenix edge, the weapon used by Baldur.

Bio: Dating back beyond anyone's memory, the Golden God ruled over the world, with a iron grip, until the day he was defeated by Baldur. Although this was not the end of the Golden God. Tough it is unknown to anyone still alive, as how he survived, he escaped into the mountains with his followers. He now lie in wait, for the right time to resurface. By far the most powerful magical entity known, his very wings are made of pure magic. Tough he was not born with this power, like any magic user, he has to draw the magical energy out of another life form. Due to this, he demands no less then a hundred sacrificed, per day. While this seem like he would quickly run out of sacrifices, the Dontans breed much quicker then humans. After two months, a pack of ten to fifteen Dontans are born, from a single female, always making sure he'll have fresh sacrifices for the taking. By now, he has gathered a near infinite amount of magical energy.

sinoraa

Donstan drone

While most Donstans are stripped of their wings from birth, a few numbers are allowed to keep their wings to maintain the temple, which is built in the roof of the main cave, beyond the reach of any human. This type of Dontans is relatively weak, compared to its other kind, as its mostly assigned to cleaning duty and maintenance.

Donstan brute

Stripped of their wings at birth, so that they may never rise against the noble class, the Donstan brutes are reduced to manual labor, such as digging, building, hunting, and fighting. Due to generations of hard labor, they've evolved unusual thick skin,  and the strength to lift boulders.

Donstan warrior

Donstans pride themselves in superiority, the two most obvious examples of this being, the weak Donstans getting eaten by the stronger, and soldiers only being allowed to mate with other soldiers, which eventually lead to the evolution of the warrior. Despite the bestial appearance of the warrior, their intelligence is equal to that of humans. The average warrior, is ten times the size of a average Dostan (not counting legs and arms), and is at least a hundred times stronger, capable of shattering rocks with its bare hands. Despite of their obvious combat superiority, very few actually leave the caves, due to them being more light sensitive then any other of its kind, leaving them to guard the caves from intruders.

Donstan noble

Unlike the rest of their people, the nobles have remained most of their human appearance, aside from the obvious change in pigmentation, and birdlike wings, unlike the rest of their people, who carry a more batlike appearance. Unlike the Hart, and Benetts, the nobles received their magical abilities from the golden god, for their ancestors loyal services. All nobles live in the temple, on top of the roof, of the main cave. (They don't all have blue skin)

Tackyhillbilly

I'm interested. Maybe as an unwanted.

I'm almost tempted to ask if one of the Bennet's wants to be his direct relative. Sister, Brother, Father or Mother.

Also, can unwanted use Magic? Would their 'excess magic' so to speak, be higher then that of a normal commoner?

Ridcully

Sinoraa,

thank you for working on the Donstans :) I like it very much what you created there. I'm very excited to learn more about these creatures who seem forgotten by the world.

Quote from: Tackyhillbilly on May 15, 2010, 02:37:47 PM
I'm interested. Maybe as an unwanted.

I'm almost tempted to ask if one of the Bennet's wants to be his direct relative. Sister, Brother, Father or Mother.

Also, can unwanted use Magic? Would their 'excess magic' so to speak, be higher then that of a normal commoner?

It's a very tricky question if Unwanted can use magic. First of all, it is certain that a child of a Benett and a Commoner would have a much higer "excess magic", making it "attractive" to maybe kill them eventually.

I'm not saying they can't use magic - at least, they have Benett blood in their venes. Yet, if they are able to use magic, they'd hide it. Showing it openly would mean certain death. It could well be a reason why they make career in the army - they might use magic to move faster or strike harder than others. However, if they are able to use magic, it is beyond the power of the Harts and the Benetts, and it is much harder for them to control it.

Tackyhillbilly

Name: Carrace

Faction: Unwanted, Guardsman of the Benetts

Age: 24

Appearance:


Character history/traits:
Carrace was born in the Golden Palace, though he cannot remember it. His mother, Illia Bennett, close relative to the Emperor and skilled in the use of magic, never revealed who his father was. Carrace does not truly care. He has never met the man, and doesn't plan to. Illia had no interest in raising him of course, paying a small stipend to a Peasant woman who had lost her babe to take care of Carrace. Alar, as the woman was known, did her best to make the child feel loved, but Carrace was a strange child, even from the beginning. He laughed and smiled, but he was prone to just staring off, and preferred to be alone, rather then spend time with Alar's other children.
At age 6, he was taken. Alar wasn't sad to see her strange, almost son go. Carrace has never gone back to visit her. For the next 8 years, he trained with the blade. He grew skilled quickly, besting opponents he should not have been able to. Carrace had an edge, one he wasn't supposed to have. Magic. Not the flashy external kind, that he had see the Benett's do. His was strange, presumably the result of his commoner blood. It expressed itself in small things. He just seemed to always be lucky. His foe would trip on a rock at just the wrong time. The perfect card would be dealt to him. It got him the nickname of 'Fortune' back in the academy, and his cheek bears the sign of the Rabbit, an odd animal, but an appropriate one for the man who survived in the embrace of lady luck.
Just whatever he needed. It took him a long time to figure out just what it was. Not luck, not some skill. Magic. It would express itself whenever he needed. He couldn't shape it, couldn't control it. It would just react, protecting him when he believed himself in danger. The Blade that would take his life, the card that would leave him broke. It only struck at times of high emotion, when Carrace knew the stakes were real. And Carrace also discovered the price of it. If he let it continue to happen, it would kill him. So how was he to keep himself alive? He learned to steal the magic, as the Benett's do. It wasn't hard. And the Battlefield is full of dying men.
Carrace serves in the guard of the Benett's. He does his best to keep his head down, and avoid attention, but word of the man who Lady Luck seems to be taken with gets around. Carrace is worried. But he doesn't know what else he could do.
Relatives:
Illia Benett- Close to the Emperor, a lovely woman. She's at least 60 years old, but appears to be in her late 20s. A skilled user of magic, but a better politician. She has few scruples, even for a Benett. Her goals simply seem to consist of increasing her own power, even at the expense of the well being of the Empire.

(If one of the PC's wants to take on the role of Carrace's mother, or his sibling, just give me a heads up. I'll probably be interested.)

---

I hope the description of his magic was something like what you had in mind, Rid.

Wistful Dream

:) You know me well, perhaps a Lady, close to the throne or something....I'll be playing around with ideas and catch you on IM Monday.

Ridcully

@Tackyhillbilly: Excellent character sheet in my opinion for an Unwanted. Carrace seems like a very interesting character. I hope we find a "mother" for him.

@Wisty: Deal.

Tackyhillbilly


CrazyIvan

#17
Hey looked at this game at it seems to be very interesting and I hope if you still have room I can join. I also figured I would also just come up with my character as well. I can adjust things or add things if I need to.

Name: William Hart

Faction: The Hart's family Prince

Age: 20

Appearance:


Character history/traits:
William was born the eldest son of the current king and queen of the house of Hart. He has always been raised to take the place of his father, to be part of nobility, and to be the king. Since he was little has been taught the past of his house and of the country and how they came to be as a house. He has also been trained to crave and seek out knowledge in all forms and to be an observer and not to blindly rush in to things without getting all the information. He had a lot of friends most of which were from the noble house, though he did have some friends that were commoners. He managed to play with them when he got the chance and could sneak out of the palace, which did end him up in a bit of trouble. Yes he was a smart boy and craved knowledge but he was also a bit of a trouble maker as a young boy. He has also been trained to be at least be a soldier and know the field of battle as well as military tactics so that he might not only lead the country in terms of economic, domestic, and foreign policy, but also can lead the army to battle and win.
The main reason why most of his friends were that of the house were to strength his bonds with them and maybe even pick out a bride for him, which so far he as refused to do, against his parents and some of his families wishes. Though as he gets older he is leaning more and more to getting married, though he has not found the one he loves, he doesn't just want to marry anyone. He was allowed to explore and experience anything he wanted so long as it was in the city, he was not allowed to leave till fairly recently and then it was only when with his father. He has not left the city till now alone let alone met a Benett he has only heard about them, and how they are at war with his family.
He lived a good childhood free of most types of pain and misery though he did see it around him sometimes in the commoners and in other families. He could almost feel their pain when he looked at them and wanted to help them in anyway to relieve their pain if he could. This like his trusting nature lead him sometimes into trouble that he should learn from, but still he looks to help people. It is just part of who he is and why his friends like him and others respect as he cares a lot for those around him. Whether they be noble or commoner they all are important to him, as they all are vital to country and as friends.
He is a friendly person one that may be a bit to trusting of others for his own good though. He likes to smile and to have a good time with pretty much anyone and is not big on such a big void between the nobility and the commoners, understands it though. He is a bit of idealist and likes the idea of peace more then war, though that doesn't mean he will not fight back, when he needs to he will, though it takes more then a bit to make him angry enough to actually want to fight. He is very passionate about his search for knowledge and always wants to learn more and he loves music and art in almost all of its forms. He is one that likes to see others happy and is very loyal to those who he considers to be his friends, though if you make an enemy of him, he is the type to hunt you down and make your life miserable. Though that side of him doesn't come out much as he keeps it pretty well controlled, even if he is hesitant at times. He hates the idea of kill the innocent for their energy and instead only does it when they are willing and give themselves.
His magic is more that of life, emotions, and the mind that he is focused in. They noticed his mind and emotions ability the earliest of all in that he had the ability to sense peoples motives and feelings in almost empathic way. He just always had a sense of when something was wrong or right, though as he has aged it has changed and so has what he can do with it. It allows him to feel what someone is feeling sharing with them pleasure or pain, or even taking it away from them and bringing upon himself. In this way he can choose to radiate a kind of joy that can spread through the room or fear that can settle into the hearts of men on the field of battle. Though the more people he tries to effect the more energy it uses and if he wants to set it to not effect others that takes more. It is easiest to use against one person as he can also focus more and it has a better chance of holding and setting in against someones will. He can not control a person just implant thoughts and suggestions it is up to them to follow them or not. Though the emotions and feelings are also implanted making it more likely to work and to feel more nature or to help those who are in pain. He mainly uses this for good and not hurting or manipulating others though that is not always the case.
His other specialty is that of life or rather the of the body, though the two are really one they split it up into two. They both effect only living things they have to have a mind or body to be effected and they, they might not even have to be alive he has never tested anything on a dead body. His overarching specialty is that of the mind and body is what is magic effects not the elements or anything else, at least as far as he has never tried and mainly just sticks with what he knows. His body magic has the ability to both accelerate the healing process slow it down. It messes with the body much like it messes with the mind both for good or bad depending on what he wants to do and like with the other the more he wants to effect the hardier it is. He can make things grow fast or wither and die, though messing to much drains more energy and he has never tried to bring someone back from the dead as he doesn't know what will happen. His magic is also one reason why he dislikes killing for magic as he can feel the pain of them dieing and their thoughts almost and why he will only do it if he most. He is trying to learn to turn it off, which is harder then turning it on, and requires mediation daily to maintain it in its off stage, though sometimes it does resurface.

Ridcully

#18
Very good, CrazyIvan. You're in.

Thanks for all the effort so far, folks :)

I'll add a summary of taken roles to the top in a bit. Every faction is still open, but we especially need:

Hart Family:
King (or Queen - if we can't find a King, hell, the Harts are ruled by women too)

Benett family:
Emperor (must be male; the Benetts just go for males as Emperors, however, he of course might be controlled by his wife)
Queen
Sons and daugthers

--> Female Benetts might take notice of the possible link to the character of TackyHillBilly

Other possible roles:
- Commoners
- More Unwanted
- Donstans
- The Sage of the West


Greatest urge are the Benetts. I know the Harts seem to have all the glamour, but boy, I think the Benetts have a whole lot of fun in being bad at times. But as I already said - please don't think in categories of "good/evil" for the Harts and the Benetts. They just have different point of views and a different family culture.


Ridcully

*Major update to first post with overview of taken/open roles*

Ridcully

Alright, as interest has slowed down a bit, here’s maybe a quick overview how I would have started the whole thing, with giving characters as much freedom as possible:


Starting off with:
- A short prologue/introduction scene by the Keeper of Truth telling about the world (1 post)
- An attack of Donstans on a village/peasants/etc. close to the Mountains. Sinoraa hinted at Donstans capturing humans, which makes sense. A beginning focus on the Donstans seems fit (maybe 1-2 posts.)

From there on, the characters could settle in. I’d say for about 14 days, every character can do what he or she is up to. Within this time period, the Keeper of Truth calls out for the Summoning which will happen on the 15th day.

15th day: Summoning – The Keeper of Truth will tell them about the Donstans, but not much and certainly not all details. He’ll declare War Rights, making it possible for both factions to arm themselves and prepare for war, may it be united or not. He also – and this will be the last touch he has directly with the big storyline – ask for all of them to find a certain book on their ways, giving hints. What your characters make out of it and who finds the book, that’s all up to you.

From there on, your characters are back on their own and can go their way. It would make sense for both factions to prepare for war and for family members discussing what exactly they should do, however, no must there.  Your characters can start roaming the world which you can just build up more in your own way, mess around with others, have own motivations etc. I guess sinoraa will have the Donstans move along with war a bit more, so I would think your characters might have to react to it, or even ally.

I’d also consider the possibility of characters dying in the story.  Not at the beginning. Not necessarily at the end. But why not? And if they die, come back with someone else. Hint at other characters in your own posts (like, at any other family members who are far away), make your character die, and come back with another, if it suits the story.

It’s really an open world, with a certain background plot and a certain conflict that would force the characters to move in a certain direction, but beyond the rough scheme, you’ve got all time in the world to add your own idea of the characters, the people, the cities, the buildings etc.


Shores

Name: Prince Alvare and Princess Idone,

Faction: Benett Family

Age: Alvare is 28, his sister, Idone, 20

Appearance: The Alvare siblings both have jet-black hair, with coal-black eyes. Both are tall of stature. With nobility blood running through their veins, they have the likeness of Dias; strong, powerful, commanding features. They would be deemed beautiful, if not for the harsh air that hangs around them, honed through centuries of fighting and warfare. Afterall, in their kingdom, it is survival of the fittest. Their father is Emperor Rythorn Benett, the elder of a pair of twins.

Character history/traits: Either due to inbreeding or upbringing, the Benett royal siblings have a slightly cruel edge to them, relishing in the torture of their enemies. They have a slight brother/sister complex, growing up together. Alvare has a thirst for blood, chaos and is known for outright confronting his enemies head-on, while Idone is a skilled manipulator and master of strategy. Together, the two aid their father in ruling over the Kingdom, exerting their influence through fear and skill.

Alvare's magic is more explosive, powerful and dependent on his emotions, while Idone's is more focused and directed. Alvare is more skilled in manipulating the elements and has more to do with affecting the physical environment. Idone's skills and interests lie in the reading and manipulation of people and surprisingly, animals.

They have a trusted servant and bodyguard, Tesio, an Unwanted who has served them from young.




I was thinking of having Tesio and Carrace either meet up early on or Tesio could have been his superior, if Tacky wants to.

Ridcully

Shores persuaded me to take an active role in the play. I’m going for the Emperor of the Benett Family, as long as no one claims the role for himself/herself.



Name: Rythom Benett; Emperor of the Last Empire

Faction: Benett Family; Emperor

Age: 55

Appearance:
At 55, Emperor Rythom Benett still appears like a man in his thirties – magic prevails youth on the outside, while on the inside, he grows into what old men tend to grow after a certain life: Pure bitterness. His hair is as black as those of his children, his eyes have an even deeper black to them.

Other than his children, he clads himself mainly in white, or, prefered, a golden robe, a small allusion to the Golden God to whom he considers himself an official successor. Don’t mistake the look in his eyes: It’s not kindness you see for yourself in there. Or, wait, maybe it is. It’s the kindness a man shows to a dog on the street, for a small moment when passing him by. The kindness a soldier shows to his wounded enemy, knowing the other man is about to die. Because, if you aren’t a Benett, or at least, a Hart, you do not matter to him more than a dying, unprivileged creature.

Character history/traits:

Asking me, his loyal servant, about his character traits, of the Emperor, you do, traveler? Me, old Ridono, me, who had served his father before, and now, at the dawn of my 74 years, you ask me about his character? I thank thee, for I shall tell; but keep it a secret, for I do not wish yet my energy to flow into his.

When he was a child, not more than seven years old, this I do remember: He fell into a well. Ah, such things even happen to the Benetts, don’t they. He had stolen himself away at night, also from his twin brother Traro, for he had always been the wilder one, the more adventurous one, the one who’d take...risks. Even though even at this age, he was powerful with magic, an older brother had persuaded him that a Danston would be living at the bottom of the well. Rythom wanted to kill it, and present it as a gift to his father; yet, when he tried to climb down, he lost balance, fell, hit his head, and laid there for many hours. The well was outside of the Golden Palace, and not used anymore for years. Rythom would have died out there, even though his family and people were already searching for him.

Now, what happened there, I can’t say. But it was me who looked after the kid as it healed, and here is what the boy told me, this I swear: he said he had dreamt strangely after hitting his head, and in his dreams, there was a big summoning; he had images of a war, of great armies marching, and...well, of the end, right? The end of all things, except his own life. For he, and this I swear the boy told me, would eventually rise to become a true god, rise above his people, rise above the Benetts, eventually understanding the myths and secrets of this world and all others.

Back then, I didn’t tell anybody, and Rythom never talked about it again. But, I think he still believes in it, or he starts to wonder if it ever happens. His move to power was short, ruthless and a demonstration of anything which makes the Benetts who they are. At 23, only three men of the family were left who were older than him. The Emperor himself and two of his older brothers; for his twin, Trato, was five minutes younger and showed less ambition than Rythom.

Did he kill the Emperor? Do I know? No, and yes. We all found the Emperor, dead, and he looked like he had passed away happily. Perhaps he had done, but with some help by poison, I fear. For Rythom had a strange talent in changing things in food, water, or in other elements; this is his talent, and it is so easy, isn’t it? Just a move with the finger, and the apple you’re eating will still taste delicious – but, alas, it will also be your last one. One nod, and the wine you’re drinking will still be red, but soon to be mixed with your own blood spilling from your mouth. Such an innocent way to kill people; for they already are given a last, a very last, meal.

The other two older men of the Benett family...well, they both became Emperors. Short term Emperors, if you get my meaning. One died while having his way with a woman, a Commoner...they say she poisoned him with her body, and indeed, she died soon after, and I had seen her...she was young, 19, beautiful beyond imagination before, but now, when she laid there in the dust in front of the palace, it looked like...her inner parts wanted to creep out of her body, as if she just...poured out from the inside. The image haunts me at nights. The Emperor had died, and the last man opposing Rythom raised to power.

Can’t say how many times he tried to kill Rythom. 10 times? 20? A hundred? The elegance of this family in doing so is beyond imagination. He tried to shoot him by assassins with arrows or crossbows, stab him; freeze him; poison him, which was, overall, a strange attempt; burn him. And all in such harmless innocent ways, without much fuzz. We all wondered back in the Palace these days what he’d try next, and still, Rythom would wander around in the open every day.

I think at this time, he lost boundaries in any way. Boundaries in life, boundaries in love; perhaps when someone tries to kill you every day, you lose them. Maybe it would have worked if he had just attacked Rythom on the open someday. Burn him by a magic fight. Destroy his head in a fight. But that’s not the way of the Benetts, is it? Well... at least not usually. The little game continued, with various attempts Rythom could foresee, evade. For he was in some way smart, very smart...he married first, Elana the Beautiful, the daughter of the former Emperor. He let the other man reign, while he made sure he would have children; two, this is, a boy and a girl.

And after the girl was born, it happened. For the Emperor would have a look at the girl, and when he picked the baby up and held her in his arms, the little girl -  so innocent, so beautiful  - spit in his face, as babies do. The Emperor fell down to the Earth, flat on his face, and was dead. Oh, Idone, sweet child. Could it happen you just killed the Emperor? I fear so. And furthermore...your mother picked you up right after it, didn’t she? Oh, and there was still some spit...and...your mother...aye, she just passed away.

How strange. Some say your mother had become...tired of Rythom. And...demanding. Demanding things from him. Oh, this couldn’t lead to a good end. Oh, here the children were left with no one but their father.

And he, did he care? Not that I remember. About none of them. Servants raised them. They raised themselves to...what they are today. I tried to raised them, me, poor Ridono. And the Emperor, for now Rythom was Emperor...well, he went to strengthen his power in many ways. Officers are very loyal to him, for they still want to eat and drink something. Guards, wise men, all are loyal to him; especially the wise men, for all he does now is read, in old, nearly ancient books, study the old wars and myths of this world. He seeks for an answer: When will he become a god? When will the thing foreseen as a child about to die will eventually happen?

Reading, studying, and playing with people like they are small dolls in a big game, this is his way. And women...oh, women. Commoners, for his pleasure. The woman with him there? I can’t recall her name. He had seen her on a trip to the Harbor towns, and liked her, and took her with him. She is his, for now, and will probably be dead by the end of next week? Poor little thing. But he doesn’t even mean it in a bad way. She has served her way, and in the end, by giving him her energy, she had even served him more. What a good little girl.

For this is the key to survival around Rythom Benett: If he feels you serve him, you will live. And if you don’t serve him anymore, well, you will still do so.
Just in a different way, right, traveler?