The Winter Ball - A 19th Century HP-verse AU

Started by Primarch, April 22, 2018, 09:07:57 AM

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Primarch


A 19th Century AU Harry Potter RP

Some time ago I was part of a very lovely site set in the 'Harry Potter' universe, the site was an AU where the ratio of Wizard to Muggle was shifted in favour of Wizards. They were now the ruling elite across the world. The site itself was a mix of 'politics, intrigue & scandal' with a delightful mix of the tongue-in-cheek humour of Harry Potter. It had a wild and charming cast of characters that varied from the Kings & Queens of the major super powers to the downtrodden muggles with a heart of gold (and some with a heart of coal).

I would like to attempt to re-create some of that 'magic' here on E. That being said for now I am not looking to create a big grand politics game (at least not yet). I am looking to start an RP that just focuses on a snapshot within the setting:

The Winter Ball. An enchanted castle of ice & snow that can be raised anywhere. From all around the world people will travel (which is relatively easy, thanks to the floo network!) to enjoy one night, just one night where borders, trade deals, conflicts and old rivalries can be forgotten and instead everyone can just put their best foot forward and dance the night away.

The enchantments on the frozen castle make it so the physical 'building' is the same every year beyond that however the host country are free to decorate as they see fit. It is not surprising this is often a lavish affair with tremendous expense being put to work making the finest event that can be arranged. The great & renowned will be summoned to entertain the guests! Chef's will create culinary arts to delight the tongue, conjurers will display vibrant & colourful wonders, Muggle acrobats will swing from enchanted ceilings on ropes of animated silk! 

Everyone wants to look their best of course and it would simply never do for the designated nation to throw an event that was not as impressive as their predecessor. Just imagine it!

Of course just because the Winter Ball is intended to be a night of good clean fun with no hostility, there no guarantees. Being caught performing any malicious deed and attempting to abuse the night is considered a tremendous taboo. Should someone attempt to murder another guest it would no doubt have serious ramifications on the political arena. The offender would certainly put a black mark on their nation, discouraging others from associating with them. This does not mean there is no room for mischief, there is no shortage of privacy in the Frozen Palace and it would be silly to assume deals are not made behind closed doors. The peace may last for tonight but come tomorrow, who can say?

A few notes concerning the setting!

  • It is the year 1872 in the month of December
  • The ruling classes & nobility of the world is occupied by the Wizard & Witch population. Muggles are generally restricted in social status and opportunities.
  • Unless otherwise stated, world history is assumed to have followed the same course. Details may change (such as a historic figure being replaced by a magical counterpart or were simply magical themselves)
  • In line with JK Rowling’s depiction of Wizards & Witches being highly socially progressive, historic prejudices such as race, religion & gender are largely non-factors. Blood purity & capability for magic are the main cause of discrimination in society.
  • In line with JK Rowling’s depiction of Wizards & Witches being significantly more prone to varying faiths there are no religions that dominate the landscape such as Christianity in Europe during the period. Vatican City (and similar major religious centers) still exist but serve as multi-faith spiritual sites.
  • As an RP that largely deals with world Monarchies & aristocracies, it is important to note the different views on gender mean that most inheritance is based on 'Absolute Primogeniture.' A Crown or title that is hereditary will be inherited by first born, regardless of gender.
  • Many nations now operate under some form of Constitutional Monarchy or Republic, some form of ‘Ministry of Magic’ has become a regular part of administration with a Minister of Magic serving as a first Minister to the nation's Head of State.

FAQ's!
In games like this, I like playing the 'normal person' on the ground. Do I need to play as some fancy rich person?
As a RP that will mainly deals the Royalty & Nobility of the world you may have some difficulty plotting, that being said you are not limited to one character. With that in mind you make your first character someone who can directly be involved in the main plot. Beyond that please feel free to take up someone outside the intended character base.
Let me just get this clear, if I want to play as the King of the Britain who is gay...would he face any problems?
The character may need to marry for political reasons and in many political marriages siring an heir is often very important but in relationships for love he would face absolutely no social taboo for being homosexual or engaging in homosexual relationships. A rival may speak poorly of him for taking part in an extra-marital affair but only in the way a rival will always try and frame what you do poorly.
What are the options for Muggles in this setting?
Muggles are second class citizens almost universally across the board. Very talented muggles who can provide a skill set the Wizarding community generally lack (like Muggle engineering) may be favoured at court and turn their fortunes around. The vast majority however will fill the role of peasants & commoners.
So in this game set in 19th Century Europe or world wide?
Worldwide! The Floo Network makes the world very small. A Nation's Ministry of Magic will often serve as a network for foreign visitors. So a guest from the Ottoman Empire would arrive in the Host Countries MoM and then travel internally to the event.
So I can play as a member of Royalty/Nobility from any country in the world?
I got dibs on German Emperor but yes.
Do I need to be a history expert to take part?
Heavens no, I'm certainly not. If you want to play as the Queen of Britain or Emperor of Japan it may be worth doing a snippet of research just so you have a rough idea on what was going on at the time but if you want to tweak details based on how your character may have handled events or just to keep things clean & easy that is perfectly fine. Just don't invent a Crown/Title that covers chunks of territory not associated with your nation at the time.
You mention this is not a big grand politics game 'yet' what does that mean?
If this game does well or at the very least I find a few people interested in some world building and carrying on the story, we may continue on and create a larger game. If that is the case I suspect we will make use of Discord & Google Docs to plot/arrange everything and then do the actual RP on E. But that's for later and we will cross that bridge when we come to it. 

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That is my big. If you are interested please let me know, if you have questions please feel free to ask. If I get sufficient interest I will set up a character sheet and begin preparations. Thank you!     

LamentingQuill