War on Mythos [Fantasy, Dynasty Warriors-like, Freeform]

[MzHyde]

-The Premise-
Welcome to a fantasy twist on Dynasty Warriors! The continent of Mythos has always been rife with conflict, but the flames of full-on war have always been kept at bay by a single man; Tiberius Septimus, "The God King". Rumored to be an immortal, survivor of multiple assassination attempts, conflicts, battles, and adventures. He united Mythos under a single banner, ushering in an age of peace that has lasted over five thousand years. Seemingly ageless, Tiberius sat the throne for all that time with hardly a challenge to his rule. He was beloved.

Now he's dead.

The God King lay slain in his throne room, literally stabbed in the back by his most trusted advisers. His blood had hardly cooled before utter war broke out across the land. The twelve regions of Mythos were at the mercy of various warlords that have long been vying for power. The vacuum of power left behind by The God King needed filling and anyone with an army and a sword was willing to make a try for it. For the first time in nearly five thousand years, chaos reigns.

-The Game-
This will be a freeform game. You can play any type of character you like, from a concubine to a soldier, all the way up to a warlord. Interact with others as you wish; lust, love, sadness, betrayal, warfare, diplomacy! The story is yours to create. Do you want to explore and see what's out there? Go for it. Want to rally the troops and try to conquer the land? Do it with sword in hand. Want to be a loyal retainer to a ruthless warlord? Yes, master! This will be a large game so there will be (hopefully) many players to interact with, many things going on, and always some new lore to either experience or develop yourself. We can make this land as detailed as we chose. If prose isn't your thing and you're thinking of warfare, we can do that too. Battles can be resolved through OOC discussion, voting, or a roll of the dice bot. I only have one rule; if you are interacting with someone and their progress depends on you, you must post at least once every four days. Failure to do so will result in your character being at the mercy of others!  Check below for descriptions of the land and a sample character profile!

The Regions

1. Crescent Cape: Site of an old kingdom, this region is dotted with plenty of ruins. Ancient keeps and castles dot the rolling hills and plentiful coast lines. Even more surprises await explorers within their depths. The Cape is one of the largest trade hubs on Mythos and it's capitol of Seahaven is a mecca for merchants and traders. The Cape's war-torn history provides a benefit in it's massive wall that blocks off any over land route save through it's massive central gate which is guarded night and day. Crescent Cape is ruled by a human lord.

2. Fovoham Plains: Fovoham and Miella Plains were once a united region called The Green Sea. Their elven rulers kept the peace with a carefully balanced council. When The God King fell, chaos erupted in the council, driving a wedge into it and splitting it firmly into two camps. Battle lines were soon drawn and the people of The Green Sea were divided, all because their leaders couldn't come to an agreement. The people of Fovoham and Miella are nomadic by nature, expert traders, horse riders, and archers. They are often called 'Sun Elves', because of their tanned skin.

3. Miella Plains: Fovoham and Miella Plains were once a united region called The Green Sea. Their elven rulers kept the peace with a carefully balanced council. When The God King fell, chaos erupted in the council, driving a wedge into it and splitting it firmly into two camps. Battle lines were soon drawn and the people of The Green Sea were divided, all because their leaders couldn't come to an agreement. The people of Fovoham and Miella are nomadic by nature, expert traders, horse riders, and archers. They are often called 'Sun Elves', because of their tanned skin.

4. Granbriar: The mountainous north eastern region of Granbriar has always been home to the dwarves because, frankly, no other race can sustain themselves there. The mountains are harsh and have forged the dwarves into a hardy people. They have carved out a network of strongholds in and around the mountains. These strongholds can be dug so deep and so complex that some sections have lain undisturbed for hundreds of years. The mountains are rich with minerals and have provided the dwarves with some of the best weapons and armor on the continent. Granbriar is ruled by a council of the four richest dwarven families.

5. Lede: Once the seat of power of The God King himself, Lede is a perfect mixture of rolling plains, verdant meadows, and clear blue waters. It's capitol, Grandwell, is one of largest cities on Mythos. Lede is a massive trade hub and merchants from all over the continent journey to it's rich cities daily. With the death of The God King, however, the palace is in anarchy. Peace is only held within the cities and capitol by the few remaining generals brave enough to take charge.

6. Tidepool: Certainly the moistest of all the regions in Mythos, it is actually less known for it's lakes and more known for it's ley lines. Ley lines are hidden conduits of magic that run under the ground all across the planet. Many of these lines converge in Tidepool and in it's capitol city of Vos. Tidepool has more or less always existed in a sort of autonomous state. The cities, with their plentiful fish, fresh water, and easy access to magic, have been self-sustaining. The closest it has to leadership is The Mage's College, which is really the only organized body in the region.

7. The Sword Coast: "The Sword Coast" became this region's official name by default. It has long been a haven for the dregs of society; thieves, smugglers, pirates, mercenaries and the like all make their homes here. The few towns are mostly on the cost, as much of the land is dotted with thick forests. The land is more or less lawless, with individual towns being more or less ruled by the most successful or powerful merchants, thieves, or mercenary troupe. If you need anything, it can be found on The Sword Coast.

8. Westfall: Westfall is unique in it's complete lack of uniqueness. It is a simple land, an equal mixture of plain and forest. It is a place that welcomes all races and, somehow, despite a mixture of cultures (or perhaps because of it) has been relatively untouched by strife or war. Westfall is ruled by a council of representatives from each race - except for the demons.

9. Orrenstadt: The deep valleys and high peaks of Orrenstadt have long been home to creatures less welcome in polite culture. It is populated with numerous tribes. Harpies, lizard men, minotaurs, goblins, and other creatures crudely refer to as "monsters". Exiled by the more civilized and intelligent races, these forsaken creatures have made a stronghold of sorts in Orrenstadt. Were one to venture deep enough into the mountains, they might stumble upon Zu, a massive fortress city built into an ancient castle. It is here that most of the intelligent monster races make their home.

10. South Dunwhal: What was once known simply as Dunwhal has now been split in two. Much like The Green Sea, the land was quickly divided when The God King fell. Tragically, however, Dunwhal was not ruled by a council, but a single noble family. A noble house that now stands divided - one side wishes to take power and rule over Mythos, the other determined to find a way to bring The God King back. Dunwhal now wages war on itself, an endless war. Rich with gold mines, Dunwhal is the financial capital of Mythos and this wealth allows for it's ruling houses to purchase weapons from Granbriar, trade goods from The Cape, and mercenaries from The Sword Coast.

11. North Dunwhal: What was once known simply as Dunwhal has now been split in two. Much like The Green Sea, the land was quickly divided when The God King fell. Tragically, however, Dunwhal was not ruled by a council, but a single noble family. A noble house that now stands divided - one side wishes to take power and rule over Mythos, the other determined to find a way to bring The God King back. Dunwhal now wages war on itself, an endless war. Rich with gold mines, Dunwhal is the financial capital of Mythos and this wealth allows for it's ruling houses to purchase weapons from Granbriar, trade goods from The Cape, and mercenaries from The Sword Coast.

12. Hiei: A peaceful stretch of coast and an island, all cut off by the sea and a mountain pass. The lands beyond the pass are a gorgeous mixture of plain and woods, ripe with game and food. It would have surely been overtaken by one of the other regions long ago, were it not ruled by and populated entirely by demons. It's at this point that one must make known the diference between 'devils' and 'demons' in Mythos. Devils love violence and chaos for the sake of violence and chaos. They are monsters through and through. Demons are born from dark and, yes, evil magic - but they do evil and perpetuate violence for personal gain, or to get something. Thus, Hiei has long been ruled by these demons. It is, ironically, one of the most peaceful regions on Mythos. Hiei is home to one of the most formidable, well-trained armies on the continent.

[MzHyde]

Name: Shizuru
Nickname: Goddess of War, Red Devil, Death's Right Hand, Walking Nightmare, etc.
Age: 3200+
Species: Demon
Family: None
Position: Ruler of Hiei
Hair Color: Red
Eye color: Gold
Skin color: White
Identifying Marks: Halo of The Sun on back
Height: 6' 5''
Weight: 150lbs

Personality:Shizuru possesses a mellow and somewhat cynical personality, reflected by her easygoing (and at times bored) facial expression. Shizuru practices a tough love approach with her subjects, causing her to be stern yet caring towards them. The unobservant will think her just a bitch or a hardass, but the more careful observers will see that everything she does is for the honor and glory of her people. Though she usually stays out of other race's affairs, she occasionally takes matters into her own hands, using the same brute force which seems to run in the tradition of demons. She is cool and aloof, a woman of few words. When asked questions, she likes to take long pauses. It might be either to think carefully about what she's going to say - or just to annoy people. Possibly a mixture of both. Shizuru is a lot like a cat, really; she comes and goes when and where she pleases and does what suits her best at the time. Her primary concerns are (1) herself, (2) fighting, and (3) a good drink. While she is indeed mostly concerned with her own affairs, she can be swayed to join a cause with the right persuasion and, for a demon, has a rather strong sense of honor and justice. She will never attack from behind, never strike a downed opponent, dislikes harming innocents, and will handicap herself to make fights more fair and 'interesting'. On the battlefield, she has been known to attach small sleigh bells to her belt, so her opponents know she's coming.

Background: Shizuru is thousands of years old. She was born in the underworld with the rest of demon kind, but it didn't take her three thousand years to find the concept of remaining there distasteful. Hell is a place of fire, brimstone, screaming, nightmares, and blood. It is filled with all manner of beasts both humanoid and monstrous, some the size of fleas, others stories tall and quaking the ground with each step. It was not a place to be. She was forged in these fires, fighting every day for survival and gradually growing stronger and stronger. So when the opportunity arose, Shizuru made her way to the surface world. Unfortunately the portal she stepped through was created by a human band of cultists named The Children of Helios, worshipers of fire demons seeking to 'cleanse' the planet in 'holy flame'. As she stepped through she was cursed with a mark called The Halo of The Sun, an intricate tattoo on her back that seals the lion's share of her magical powers. Shizuru overcame the cultists with brute force, but has yet to break the curse. With her magic sealed Shizuru could easily be one of the most powerful demons the world has ever seen. Sealed, however, she's merely just a nigh-unstoppable swordswoman. It's probably better for the world if her power stays sealed.

In any case, after slaughtering the cult, Shizuru started a life on the mortal plane. There she continued her training. Below, she trained under the strongest demons she could find. She did likewise on the surface, both training under and then training herself, a number of heroes and heroines. Her name is writ in human history books many times, some mistaking her for a Goddess of Fire, others for death incarnate. She has seen thousands of battles in her time and fought for causes too numerous to mention. On the battlefield she is a peerless combatant, literally able to hold her own against entire companies of men single handed. She kills not by the man, but by the hundreds. It's said that the reason she never made war on Mythos is out of a respect for The God King, as he too is rumored to be a warrior of similar skill. Septimus, in his wisdom, saw and returned this respect and left the demons alone.

Weapon/Magic:
-Elder Demon: Shizuru is a demoness in the prime of her life and exibits all the traits of such creatures; supernatural speed, strength, stamina, and resistance to mortal weaponry.

-Koryu: Shizuru's sword ("Little Dragon") is her pride and joy. From a demon, one might expect some elaborate and misshapen cutting device adorned with skulls or some such nonsense. Not in her case. She wields a simple katana. Forged by a human sword master and tempered with her own blood, the blade is sturdy enough to stand against anything shy of angelic weaponry and can cut mortal and supernatural creatures alike. She is a master of combat and has reached such a level that most actions in battle seem to be reflex, the sword an extension of Shizuru herself.

-Unnerving Gaze: Shizuru's has a way of looking at people with those golden eyes of hers. It's as if she stares right through someone and into their very soul. To look into her eyes is to gaze upon the Reaper himself. Direct eye contact with her inspires pure terror in the weak-willed and cowardly. Even some stronger-willed people have trouble matching eyes with her.

-Shape Shifting, Minor: Shizuru can change her body in minor ways to accommodate her needs. Mostly this just involves changing the outfit she's wearing, but she can also dispel her wings, horns, and claws to give her a more human appearance. With her magic sealed, she cannot change shape completely. Powers unlocked, she would be able to shift into her 'True' self, a dark reflection of the demoness with all of her magic and combat skills intact.

-Fire Control, Minor: With her magic sealed, Shizuru can no longer bring down firestorms and summon torrents of white hot flame. She can, however, still start small fires with a snap of her fingers and is immune to heat and flames. Powers unlocked, she would be able to call down hellfire and set entire rooms ablaze with a mere thought. Thankfully that is no longer the case.

-Object Summoning, Minor: Again, her magic pales in comparison to what it used to be. Simply put, Shizuru can store physical objects in a kind of 'Thought Space'. It must be an object she owns, she must be able to picture it completely in her mind, and it can only be simple objects with little or no moving parts.

Ons: Women, Sake, Fighting
Offs: Noise, Idiots, Boredom

Shizuru's Theme

Oki's Theme (Okami) Guitar Cover

Shizuru's Soldiers

Shizuru's Personal Guards

Halo of The Sun

[catherinehellfire]

Definitely interested in this roleplay.  Though I really have to go to bed right now, so I'll ask questions when I wake up.

[Countdown0]

Throwing my hat into this one. Have to read up on the regions and then I'll start work on a character :D

*edit* So, what are the rules and limitations on characters? Are we limited to the races listed in the regions or can we go out of those for something a little more "out there", so to speak?

[MzHyde]

Define 'out there'.

[Countdown0]

Like, what is the limit on more unusual things we can be? Half-elves (or other half-and-half things)? Giants? Can someone have a dragon as their character? Or something semi-intelligent like a yeti?

[Biles]

Ooh nice. This could look interesting to join, especially if you're given powers to command vast armies and magic and stuff. I'll keep an eye on this one. For now though, I was wondering if you could add a bit more detail on the island such as color-coding mountains, deserts, and other vegetations. Anyways, I'm considering forming a faction of my own comprised of Orcs who come from a different island continent and whose leader is mulling on the idea of conquering Mythos while it's in a state of chaos. >:3

[MzHyde]

Like, what is the limit on more unusual things we can be? Half-elves (or other half-and-half things)? Giants? Can someone have a dragon as their character? Or something semi-intelligent like a yeti?

It has to be sentient, intelligent, and not giant. Try to stick to humanoid races.

[Google]

Honestly I think this could be a lot of fun, especially working with a Trickster god Archetype

[Sussurus]

I'm not familiar with the source material, but assuming no prior knowlege is required, I'm interested.

With regards to beings who are 'out there': I have a species of female spiderish humanoids -- well, four-legged, four-armed humanoids -- who might be suitable residents of Orrenstadt. Let me know if that might be acceptable, and if so, how much you'd want to know about them. I don't want to swamp you with unnecessary lore if you don't care about the details.

I'd also be interested in playing a henchperson/minion type, if someone wants one of those. Not so into orcs, though, sorry. :/

[Biles]

Oh wait, is this based on some sort of game, or is this kinda completely made up? Cause if this is based on some canon game, then I probably don't know enough of this universe to fully participate in this RP :<

[Countdown0]

It has to be sentient, intelligent, and not giant. Try to stick to humanoid races.

Alright, sounds good :D

[MzHyde]

Oh wait, is this based on some sort of game, or is this kinda completely made up? Cause if this is based on some canon game, then I probably don't know enough of this universe to fully participate in this RP :<

There is no source material, this isn't based on anything. I only said it was 'Dynasty Warriors-like' because you have numerous warlords vying for control over a country in chaos.

And yes, you can make a spider-woman.

[Silk]

I'd be interested in this as well :)

[Biles]

Good, I guess I can knock myself out on this :3 I'll be defining the Orc race as well as whatever factions exist.

[Sussurus]

And yes, you can make a spider-woman.

Awesome, thanks! I'm thinking a tavern-keeper in Zu. Monsters need to drink too!

Anyone else interested in playing a weaver (aka 'spider-woman') is welcome to contact me for more details on the species. :)

Also... anyone interested in playing my weaver's mate? Looking for a female human(oid), ideally a warrior-type who can play bouncer at their little establishment.

[Sussurus]

Hmm... pondering a harpy warlord. Who's in charge of Zu?

[MzHyde]

Whomever wants to be. That's why I didn't mention it.

[Joslyn]

I'd also like to express interest here.  I have an idea for a demon military officer, good with archery and asymmetric tactics, who leads a unit in Shizuru's army. Very professional on-duty, but pretty wild when she goes on leave.  ;D If that sounds good let me know, I'll get to work on it and PM you the background.

[catherinehellfire]

I'm thinking on making a leader of a large town on the Sword Coast.  She'd probably be a cat person. (not Neko, more like a Khajit from the Elder Scrolls series.)

[MzHyde]

I'd also like to express interest here.  I have an idea for a demon military officer, good with archery and asymmetric tactics, who leads a unit in Shizuru's army. Very professional on-duty, but pretty wild when she goes on leave.  ;D If that sounds good let me know, I'll get to work on it and PM you the background.

Perfectly fine with me.

[Silk]

Lot's of different ideas of which species to be a part of/lead going through my head :( Although quick question, do you have anything planned in regards to the fey or is it free claim?

[Oldknight]

I also would like to try this though at the moment I am not sure what type of being I will use

[MzHyde]

Lot's of different ideas of which species to be a part of/lead going through my head :( Although quick question, do you have anything planned in regards to the fey or is it free claim?

The fey? Are you using that as a fancy word for 'elves' or do you mean some new species?

[Sussurus]

Whomever wants to be. That's why I didn't mention it.

...tempting. Very tempting.


I'm thinking maybe harpies are shapeshifters. They're kind of an awkward hybrid species, otherwise. And that would give them a reason to have regeneration, which would make the idea of them being the (currently) dominant species in Zu more plausible...