The Long Road (NC human, Freeform)

[Chloris]

The Long Road

On an Earth much different from the one we know, yet very similar...
Civilisation takes ahold of more and more parts of the known world. In the southern continent of Forts, settlements of rugged men and women start to grow and expand at last. In the western continent of Dai, the unification conflcits start to settle down, after a time so long nobody who was here when it started lived still. Thus giving birth to the Holy Zhuyin Empire. In the Eastern continent, fragmented more than any others, fables of a promised land beyond the seas, or of a path around the globe arise, leading to an international naval race some nickname "the polite war".

All these parties know each other as well. The reason for that is of course mostly driven by the economy. Many settlements, linked together, by ship, when the giant sea snakes, storms and evergrowing corral reefs are not an issue. And, through caravan, bands of merchants, traders and artisans, independant, yet grouped together to face many dangers, like brigands, hunger, wild beast, and perhaps the greatest of all: loneliness.

What is it about, then?
The players will be recent additions to a specific caravan, as it begins a long journey across the continents, along something more or less akin to the silk road. There will be many cultural exchanges and differences involved. The PCs will act independantly, as an integrant part of the caravan, or banded together, depending on the situation and their own preferences. Make money off trade or crafts to finance their travel, and ideally some extra. Discover the members of the caravan itself, and generally enjoy an interesting atmosphere, never remaining too long in the same place.

The game will be played without a system. For a while, FATE was considered, and if there is a strong demand for it, may be considered again. However, I realized that there will be a lot to assimilate for those that want to participate in this adventure, and that adding a game system on tome of that may be discouraging. All gaming elements will not be completely suppressed however. In case situations may prove equally interesting and to add a few surprises, some dice may be rolled behind closed curtains. And, there will definitely be some management aspect, though its exact form is undetermined and will be that way until we have a starting team at least. As for the posting structure, instead of posting topics per places, they will represent mostly focus on time, with in general one topic during travel, one during a camp, and one in a town, with some regular rotation.

Now, the most astute of you may have recognized a similar announcement in the non-adult area, and as such, wonder if this post here is merely fishing in a bigger pool while keeping the intent exactly similar. And, it isn't entirely wrong. However, adult themes will be embraced and not simply brushed over. There will be love, twisted love, interesting species, strange encounters, slavery and magic to some degree, though admittedly it won't be as strong a focus as it may be in other games. A fair warning though, I tend to strongly favor F/F relationships due to personal preference, so unless someone comes to Co-gm, and handles more masculine relationships, I may leave men something to be desired. That doesn't mean they'll be forbidden to participate, or to have sexual activities during that game, but I probably won't intervene in there as much as I could with others.

So, what kind of character can I create?
It's getting a bit late, and for now, I'm mostly gauging interest. But, here, have a proto-sheet. Don't fulfill it religiously for now however, it's meant to change, and only here to give a few ideas here and there.

Name: Should be picked according to your origins. Though since the countries aren't clear-cut yet, simply harmonize it all and feel free to pick whatever.
Age: Is it even necessary to precise the minimal age?
Species/Race: Humans are a given, though there are several subdivisions, depending on skin color, general build and so on. Plus, there are more exotic species as well, from the faceless, whose name reflect both their lack of facial features and their lack of imagination. Meek, which are basically catgirls and catboys. And elves, who are as rare as they are diverse. Others can probably be involved, so feel free to propose some more.
Gender: Males and females are a given. Other genders may happen to diverse species though.
Sexual preferences: Homosexuality, heretosexuality, bisexuality, assexuality? Plus a few ons and offs, while we're at it.
Appearance: Just the most distinctive physical traits, and common accessories. Clothings are fully expected to change a lot depending on the climate.
Personality: A few character traits, nothing too big. Most of the personality should be very clear during play anyway.
Country of origin: People aren't expected to all come from the country they'll join the caravan. For now, simply assume your country exists.
Skills: A few strong points that make your character an asset. He or she may be a good fighter, a great cook, good to tell stories, or something like that;
Profession: The caravan is here to trade. You may be a trader along the caravan, or one of the wheels of that mechanism, from cooks to doctors, entertainers, or carpenters.
Character goal: Why do they take on that travel ? Is it something they hope to attain, or some place they want to reach?
Background: Basically put in there what you couldn't put in the sections before, and/or tie it in nicely.
What you are looking for: as a player, mostly. Feel free to throw in a few more suggestions and the likes. It's a work in progress, make it count!

Update 1: map, members, rules, and various fauna

Biological wonders

For starters, here are the well known sentient races in the world. Those colored green are playable, the ones in red aren't.

Humans: They're the good old masters of most of the known world, as we know them. Two arms, two legs, two eyes, etc. Their features tend to vary a bit depending on the region, but only the most atypical variations (through nature or culture) will be mentionned.
-Westernesse: Dark skin and light blonde hair, the Westernesse are quite striking. They tend to sport a rather large amount of tatoos over their bodies, and to have a somewhat duplicitous nature. They take great care of their appearance, possibly as a way to hide better what lies underneath. Associations with them can be occasionally touchy, but there's always a chance you're not the target of their lastest scheme, but merely a tool that will incidentaly benefit from it.
-Valkyr: The reputation of Valkyrs being an entire race of pillaging overly muscular women is a bit overblown. The fact is that most of the perfectly feminine women tend to remain on their home island, leaving only the strong, aventurous sailor meet other people. They bridged down the gender gap quite a bit more than most humanes, to a point where the ones with dicks (only a 1/5 ratio) are considered shemales, rather than males. But otherwise, they appear as pretty human.
-Heavenlies: Said to be the result of an ancient, powerful pact, the Heavenlies are humans, generally sporting lithe features. Their most striking features, however, is the feathered wings they have in their back. They tend to be lighter than humans, and have at least twenty feet of wingspan. It still doesn't allow them to fly in most conditions, however, seasonal winds allow them to travel quickly, which they use to migrate. They see living too long in one and the same place as very frustrating.

Elves: The elves have mostly unknown origins. Some say they lurk deep beneath the earth, others that they emerge from other dimension. That they are beings of magic, or that they live beyond the outer ocean. The truth, and many other fact regarding elves, is completely unknown. They tend to come and go according to incomprehensible whims. To act where things are unnecessary, and as far as anyone knows, not a single one ever bothered to learn a known language, or teach their means of communication. They are almost closer to a force of nature, than an actual species. It should also be noted that there seems to be some diversity amongst them, with things like stature, skin color, and ear shape varying quite a bit.

Half-elves: Sometimes, a being with some light elven trait is born. Circumstances of these births are often shady. Some say it is a mutation, while others tell the story of elves slipping into the bedroom of beautiful maidens at night to impregnate them. However, it appears elves are also prone to assassinate these half-elves for reasons which are, obviously, unknown. Overall, half-elves tend to be somewhat whimsical and nomadic, rarely meeting their own kind. They are complicated to deal with in more than one manner.

Meek: Physically, meek are lithe humans sporting a few feline features. An additional set of ears, a tail, sometimes darker stripes over their skin too. Centuries ago, meek used their agility, wit, reflexes and afinity with beasts to rein in rampaging warband over a large part of the known world. Now, unable to have organized and adapted in time, their organizations and nations were beaten, replaced, and manipulated until Meeks became what they are mostly known for today. Companionship, and slave labor. Some countries go as far as to only tolerate slavery for meeks. The fact they seem physically unable to hold a grudge longer than a few months certainly doesn't help their stature, but they seem to take it quite well.

Faceless: Huanoid amphibians with reddish skin, and no visible facial features, the faceless use echolocation to read their surroundings. They communicate by a sign language only very few people managed to learn. While the occasional outlier live in a large city, and they have a few settlements in the southern continent, most of them live in underwater cities.


Most animals one can find on our good old player's earth are available, with probably a few anecdotic exceptions. What is cooler, of course, is the additions to the bestiary. Here are some of  the most widely known beasts roaming the lands and seas:
Giant sea snakes: Coiling animals dwelling the inner sea, their favored food appears to be bold ships and the sailors within
Rocs: Gigantic desertic birds, rocs are said to be responsible for thunder strikes in a clear blue skye. They are wise, passive, and virtually unable to be tamed, and it takes a severe agression to anger one.
Wooly Mammoths: Yep. they're totally there.
Dragons: More a category than a specific species, dragons are very large creatures, their skin adorned with scales, and they have the ability to project something in a powerful, harmful way, through their mouth. No two dragons are alike. Some say they are the embodiment of the natural forces in the world, or the planet's ancient guardians. They are a great mystery. One more.

The Caravan

The history of that specific caravan is chaotic like the roads it rides on. It's more fun to pick up informations on the go anyway, so, let's keep it blurry.
Rules:

• Anybody, without consideration of race, gender or country of origin is able to take part in the caravan. The only real defining factor is approval of the caravan master.
• There are two distinctive category of people: the traders, and the personnel.
• Traders ride along the caravan and benefit from its services and protection. In exchange, traders are expected to pay a fee on every profitable transaction they make. The exact percentage shall shan't be announced without a preleminary announcement at least one week beforehand, and cannot go above 22%.
• Personnel are to provide dutifully their services, equally to other personnel, and to the traders. In exchange for these, they are paid a wage, taken from the taxes on the caravan. The exact amounts are to be defined in individual contracts
• National rules apply to wherever the caravan is, and can overwrite them. Exceptions can be decided by a three out of four majority if the situation demands it.
• At any settlement of at least 6.000 inhabitants, anybody can be expelled from the caravan by order of the caravan master, be it for divergeant opinions, commercial malpractice, behavioral issues, image issues, temper issues, or any other reason deemed wise.
• Should harm befall upon the caravan master, the caravan shall collegially endeavor to reach the next step. From there, informations regarding succession or liquidation will be indicated in a chest resting in the master's wagon.

Proeminent members:

Murad Alekhel - The Caravan Master
Murad is someone living between two worlds. On one hand, he is a shrewd businessman, extremely practical, and not only able, but used to take hard decisions, when they're needed, without looking back, for everyone's sake. On the other hand, he kept a bit of a dreamer's attitude. At nearly seventy years old, the man certainly lost some faculties, but a healthy diet and a life of action keeps him away from any hint of senility. The amount of his personal wealth is unknown, but one thing is certain: if somebody needs a contact on the other end of the world, he is the man to know. He remains very elusive, when it comes to family.

Lei Fin - Trader of questionable substances
Originating from the Holy Zhuyin Empire, Lei Fin is a somewhat recent addition, having joined the caravan a year ago. She appears to have quite the capital, and is apparently knownledgable in all sorts of plantlife. One asset she can offer is a vast knownledge of various laws in many countries along the Long Road. If she's lucid enough to share her wisdom, that is... Since the woman seems to indulge quite a bit in what she trades...

Oktorne Fisbashar - Quartermaster
Oktorne is a Valkyr with a rather modest stature for her kind. She's still quite strong to say the least by human standards, but you feel she won't break your hand completely if she shakes it gently so that's that.
Having worked as a shipwright for the best of her years, she miraculously emerged alive when a giant sea snake attacked. She woke up on a shore in the Eastern continent, joined the caravan in hopes of returning, but grew accustomed to the lifestyle. In the caravan, she's the go to person when it comes to repairs, carpentry, and even a bit of forge.

Belle - Ritualist
Belle is a bit of a shady westernesse. Like all westernesse some would say. This beautiful girl tends to shy away from small talk. However, she is a wellspring of knowledge. It is unknown how a woman as young as her managed to master so much in so little time. In spite of her flowery appearance, she tends to b e quite grim and melancholic at times.

Flal Elianas - Fauna specialist
A heavenly young man with broken wings, Flal joined the caravan to escape the madness of stillness. Initially lacking much knowledge, he learned a lot about all kind of animals, from the dangerous large superfauna to horses and camels. He's the go-to guy when it comes to animal-related problems, from what they can eat, to sickness and toxic substances.

Virtue Thundershield - Cartographer
Granddaughter of the famous hero Valorus Thundershield, Virtue can hardly repress the aventurous legacy of her illustrous father. But, she is still quite a bit more subdued. So, instead of chosing a life of crusades, defense of justice, or even rulership, she opted to use her agile hands for drawing. Accurate, recent maps are extremely hard to come by, so she has been hired by the caravan for a turn, to have her provide freely a detailed map of the road, in exchange for free living accomodations.

Elizabeth Rovnas - Linguist, wizard
A half elf with a palid complexion, Elizabeth really likes her comfort. She tends to stray away from the caravan in several instances that may be too bumpy, and would probably drag it down if it weren't for her ability to speak seven languages like a native, understand five others sufficiently good, and has enough documentation to read at least twelve others without too much research.
Her knownledge of languages is only a consequence, however, of her great scholarly knowledge upon several esoteric matters, including the form ways of magic. While her actual ritualistic knowledge is lacking many practical applications, she tends to enjoy crafting powerful, but short-lived appliances, according to her whims.

Map

Here is a first map, with a very rough estimate of large terrain features, and the starting point of the adventure.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

NEW AND EXCITING! OOC topic including a link to other topics. [Click here]

[MzHyde]

Interested. Considering playing one of these characters. Works in progress, obviously. Let me know what you think.

Lady Eliza Crosswaithe The Knight

Name: Royal Knight, Lady Eliza Crosswaithe
Age: 24
Species/Race: Human
Gender: Female
Sexual Preference: Lesbian
Personality: Dark and serious, business-like.
Country of Origin: The Scarlet Moon Empire, Eastern Continent
Skills: Excellent swordswoman and leader, diplomatic, very intelligent
Profession: Guard
Character Goal: The caravan is transporting a relic of some import to her homeland.
Background: WIP

Briar Bloodthorn The Valkyr

Name: Briar Bloodthorn
Age: 28
Species/Race: Valkyr
Gender: Shemale
Sexual Preference: Lesbian
Personality: Brash and hot-headed with a thirst for battle (and women).
Country of Origin: The Island Nation of Valkyria, home to an all female and shemale race of warrior women
Skills: Superb swordswoman, expert sailor and survivalist
Profession: Mercenary
Character Goal: Guarding the caravan expressly for the pay and the chance of adventure
Background: WIP

[Malrunar]

I am interested! ^__^ However it's a bit late for me to put time into a character sheet, so I'll be delayed on that, but you can count me in at least.

[Chloris]

Yggdrasil, if I blamed you for being unable to put out a decent character sheet because it's late where you are, I'd be the biggest hypocrite around ;D
Take your time.

MzHyde. I see you're up for a guard kind of character, which is quite neat actually. And, I won't tell you "pick this one" or "pick that one". However, here are some thoughts on both of them, which hopefully, will help you decide which of the archetypes you'll favor in the end.

About Eliza Crosswaithe: If a pay was involved, the caravan would probably turn Eliza down, since her skills would be too much for it to pay. However, if she's on a country's payroll, that makes it more possible. There probably will be more than a clash or two between imperial directives and the word of the caravan leader, but that'll create some play! So that can be interesting. The location of the empire might be a little issue, however. See, the caravan will begin its travel from the southern part of the Eastern continent, cold to temperate, and will ride north, across the entire continent, during the first months. That would mean meeting such an empire would be possible, but that it'd happen quite early. Meaning there'll either be a twist of fate once she's delivered the relic ; or that you'll have to change characters by the end of the caravan's passage in imperial grounds, a possibility I'm quite open about. Or of course, the empire could instead be on the northernmost part of the Eastern continent, or on the Western continent, or even in the southern continent, but that'd involve a change in name and type a bit.

Regarding Briar Bloodthorn: She would be both quite an asset, considering her skills in surivialism, swordsmanship, and navigation ; and a liability, due to her brash attitude that may get the entire caravan into trouble. So, that can create a nice balance, possibly involving somebody here or there deliberately sending her a couple of women to sate her while important negociations are going on. You'll have to determine if you'd like the caravan to go by Briar's origin country, by the way ; it will mostly ride on land, but there will be a moment where seafaring will be almost inevitable. I say almost because in winter, southern waters freeze, linking the three continents together, but you're going the other way initially.

In any case, t hank you for your proposals, and I'll do my best to whip up some more concrete informations as soon as possible, including a more thourough list of species, and an actual map! The continents are currently traced, but not much else.

[TheHangedOne]

I'm interested. My idea is a sort of jack-of-all-trades. He's a merchant's son who wants to see the world, and get a better feel for what foreign markets are like. I'm thinking his father had a connection to get him into the caravan ( a friend that owed a favor, or just a very good associate, or the like).

My character would be well-learned (especially in mercantile areas), mostly curious, fairly young. Good enough with a weapon that he won't go killing himself by accident.

I'll work on a full sheet later on, but, does this idea sound groovy?

[Chloris]

I'd say it sounds pretty groovy indeed.

[TheHangedOne]

Name: Erik Carter
Age: 19
Species/Race: Human
Gender: Male
Sexual preferences: Heterosexual. Preference towards light bondage, and D/s elements (being the 's' in this case).
Appearance:
Personality: A bit nervous and shy, he is generally a good kid who behaves himself, and acts in a mature fashion.  Takes a more logic-fueled approach to most situations, rather than emotionally fueled.
Country of origin: Vulc (a small nation renowned for its philosophers, scholars, other intellectuals, and doctors. pronounced with a hard c sound; Vulk)
Skills: Good cook, great mercantile knowledge, polyglot, horse-riding, spear-fighting, first-aid knowledge
Profession: Merchant. His place on the crew, however, is more-so one of learning, rather than doing. However, he does help around with various tasks.
Character goal: Primarily, his reason for joining the caravan is to get practical, hands on experience with the work. However, he is also hoping to studying foreign markets, and get a better sense of the economy of other countries, and maybe even have a wild adventure or two along the way.
Background: [to be worked on]
What you are looking for: [to be worked on]

[MzHyde]

I'll go with Briar then, and expand her more when some more world details crop up.

[Malrunar]

Name: La'ora
Age: 29 years
Species/Race: Half-elf.
Gender: Female
Sexual preferences: Bisexual. La'ora is attracted to those who show power and confidence, not the weak and meager who easily fall pray to intimidation or violence. Her experiences aren't vanilla, but some of the more darker flavors of the sexual world have yet to be discovered. They're curiosities she's heard about through travelers on the road, but as of yet she remains open-minded to them, yet unexplored.
Appearance:

Personality: Quirky. Quick witted. Has little respect for those who strut around claiming titles and honors through generations, and those calling themselves authorities. To her, those who deserve respect have to earn it, and until its earned you're little more than meat. At the same time, she seems to generally care about her duties, which include acting as a translator and guide for those on the road. Her stubborn behaviors do not make her heartless or insensitive, it's just mix blood and isolation.
Country of origin: Locke
Skills: Ranger. Good with locks and sensing danger. She has a natural talent when it comes to dealing with monsters, and can speak a variety of languages, even those of the more uncommon beasts. Some healing skills through herbs and plants. Excellent night vision. Its rumored that she knows magic, but little truth is based around this tale.
Profession: Technically she's a ranger, but really she travels the length of the caravan trail, protecting those who seek to travel on it, and wards off those looking to use it for their own personal gain.
Character goal: This is the only driving sense of purpose she has; banished for her mixed blood, she replaces that chasm with meeting strangers on the road. Even if she's most often looked upon with the sense of desire one gives rotting meat.
Background: Depends on how the elves are going to be played out. Basically she grew on this path, calls it home, and paces its long-ass length with traveling caravans and those who hire her to act as a guide.
What you are looking for: I'm mostly interested in character interaction; how will she handle large groups compared to small groups? Wealthy lords to poor peasants? How would she handle victimized people with nothing but the clothes on their back if she likes the company of strong, independents such as herself? What's the source of her compassion? What are it's limits? Does her darker side take over more often? I want to explore this character, and see how others react to her discombobulated ways.

[Dashenka]

Count me in. Definately 100% in.

No idea what kind of character I want to play though so I'm gonna have some tea and biscuits over that. Some questions though...

1) Is there room for magic?
2) Will the world be like earth? Climate and size wise?
3) You state you favour f/f, does that mean you will play a female character?
4) Which board will it go to? (If it goes to Non-Adult I probably need to tweak all the characters I have in mind.)
5) What is the purpose of the caravan when it started? Exploration? Commerce?

[Chloris]

Hanged Man, as I mention, the base idea for your character sounded groovy, and I stand by that opinion after seeing more of him. Like everybody else, a bit of food for thought.
Regarding his personality, do you expect the opposition between his logical approach to thing and his shyness -emotionally fueled most likely- to be presented as a character developpment point, or were words carrying you further than your thoughts?
About Vulc, I'm figuring it could be a small country indeed, with a long history of neutrality and mediation... Basically, something like switzerland. Quite possibly a republic or some other form of democracy too.
About your skills, they are pretty diverse, and I'd like you to remember that, if I have absolutely no problems with your character being a jack of all trades, he'll also be a master of none. Which seems like an integral part of what's needed to your character, since he's basically in the caravan to study. I just mention that when I'm reading things like "great" mercantile knownledge, or "polyglot". At 19, even with good teacher, and with plenty of outdoor interest like horse riding, cooking and medecine, kid's a lil' genius.
Also, it doesn't really fit in a specific section, however, considering your character's status, you'll probably paired with a few people. If you have a kind of NPC in mind, do tell. And, a few PCs might also stick to you for one reason or another.

MzHyde, sounds good to me! I was considering a possible background for a herm/shemale amazonesque tribe before seeing your application actually, so I'll probably run a few things through you, lest we end up with two somewhat similar species. So far, I was thinking southern islanders used to rough currents and cold weather, and going through a four stage life with radical changes involved. The first one would be infancy, and the three others would be in a seemingly random order depending on the individual. The three non-infant stages being one of pleasure, recreative sex, beauty and all that kinda things involved. One of strength, with hormones quite agitated, and needing to be canalized, and one of responsability, care and watchfulness. Does that appeal to you, or would you rather keep it to a more traditional amazon image?

Yggdrasil
Regarding half-elven age, I'm figuring something near-human would be fare, so in her thirties.
If you're seeking to be hunted and feared, I'm thinking we may have at least half your bases covered, with an idea I have. Namely that elves would be excessively rare, apparently coming in individual or small-numbered groups from lands unknown and never revealed. A few join in for exploration, restless and discrete, and some might give in to their passions, leaving behind some children like you. However, for some reason which is, just like so many things about elves, completely unknown... They then send a few of their own to kill the half elves. They can be somewhat unsubtle at times too. Of course, if you're seeking something more twisted, I'm all open to consider things. It's just a hook I thought of, that keeps things simple... Yet quite complicated.
Regarding her job, things seem a bit geographically focused, unless she has traveled the entire world (which I'd prefer not). So, she could very well be a trailblazer, hired to take the caravan through a shortcut that might make a trip between the two first steps at least a week sooner. And then she'd join in some more due to some events, quite possibly tied to her free-spirited nature and/or her half-elven status.

Dashenka
Glad to see such enthusiasm! It's always a great pleasure. Now, regarding your questions...
1) Yes, there is room for magic. It exists in four different ways.
-Ritualism, which tend to take absurdly specific conditions only discovered through a mix of calculation, luck, experiments or dreams. Nothing is instant, and ingredients can be costly and spread across the land, and as such, quite a large source of profit for knowledgeable caravaneers. Effects can range from health preservation to localized incineration, and material tempering. The general idea though is to take the universal mana flow circulating the planet, and provoke an overflow to materialize something in the tangible world.
-Historism, which is a mostly uncontrolled discipline. Items involved in legends acquire traits tied to their legends and become artefacts. A pike that killed a giant sea snake might be just a pike for its user, but ten generations later, it might arouse the fury of waters, or bend around to always find the target's eye.
-Pactisanism, which is handling powers bestowed by otherworldly entities generally considered divine. All attempts at rationalizing it failed so far, and only faith, chance and fate can allow one to wield these powers and exert miracles. The relation is never one-way, and terms of the pacts are seldom understood, even by those who undertake them.
-Universalism, is the magic that ties the universe together. It is the very nature of some creatures, and white possibly of the planet itself, or existance, and of the gods. This fundament is only theoretical however, and nobody ever managed to handle it in any usable form.
So, it's extremely hard to throw a fireball with less than six hours of preparation in the right conditions. Magic is a craft more than a skill, and I'd rather avoid pactisans. I don't have a problem with someone posessing an artifact, or some knowledge, theorical or practical, of rituals, however.

2) Like earth, yes, in many ways. But different in others. The known landmass is more or less entirely in the southern hemisphere. Not all the planet has been explored, but what is is already large enough to justify trips taking up to two years at a good pace. Like the one you'll undertake. There will be temperate forests, arid canyons, lush jungles, sandy deserts, endless stretches of ice, and so on. To give you a more precise idea, here is an early version of the map of the known world, with color telling the basic temperature areas, unmodified by things such as mountains, proximity to the oceans, etc. I'll probably add an inner sea or two.

3) I will probably not play a specific character, and will do my best to avoid doing so. I'll focus on situations more than a specific GMPC. I figure the caravan leader is an old man, and that the caravan should count dozens of NPCs, if only to allow one of these NPCs to suddenly come to life as a PC late to the party. But, if for some reason I fancy getting a character involved in some sexual activity, that character will indeed be female.

4) It will go to Nonconsensual human, freeform. Human, because there won't be furries or monstergirls or really strange things involved, but somewhat humanlike species. Nothing much beyond orcish. At least for the things you can sleep with. And I don't mean "technically" can. There are horses!. Hrm, anyway. Nonconsensual because things like legal punishment, slavery and the likes can very well come into play here and there. And freeform because, well, no system.

5) It's hard to define when the caravan started properly. It takes bits of other caravans here, sheds a few wagons here, change leader occasioanlly. However, since the current caravan leader has been in charge, it's always been about commerce. Anything more ancient than that will probably be unknown unless someone asks him directly.


To no one in particular now
I hate to be stiff in giving directions, but I'd like to put a halt on fight-centric characters. We already have two to three PCs that either guard others, or themselves. If you aren't really sure what else could be of use, by all means, ask with a few hints of what you want to play, and I'll be all too happy to express myself on the matter. Because I'm such a diva.

[TheHangedOne]

I do see it at a development point; it's something for him to work on (and his father is probably hoping that the journey will be enough of a shock to make him get rid of those traits).

As far as your ideas on Vulc, I totally agree with them; that is the feeling I had been going for as well. Maybe I'll remove the polyglot thing, but it stands to reason that an active merchant would know more than one language; all the better for negotiating with foreign markets, you know?

Being great at mercantile just seems like a natural thing; being mathematically inclined, which I did not include, as well. He comes from a merchant family, and is looking to continue the family business, when his father retires. Note, though, he's not a particularly good haggler; I make no mention of that in his skills. That's because he's too uncertain (the shy and nervous part) to try it; though once he finds his back bone, he'll probably give it a whirl.

So when it comes to being a merchant, he's got some serious strengths, and a big weakness. I feel like it balances out in the end. I could short him on the fighting aspect, though, if you think that would make him more acceptable, skill-wise.

No particular NPCs in mind, I will just suggest that the caravan master (which I imagine would be an NPC) is either a friend or associate of my character's father, and that my character has been accepted precisely because of some form of a deal between his father and the caravan master; an old debt, or just a friend doing another friend a solid. I'll let you figure out which works best.

[Chloris]

Well, I feel one precise point would probably help sort a few things out regarding dear Erik here, and his father. Namely, what type of business does Erik's father holds? And I don't simply mean what are the wares he sells, but also, if it's independant or affiliated to a guild, and if he has a store or not. That kind of things might justify some language barriers here and there, though some basics should probably be learned (on the road, why not?)

The way I see it, your character seems like a hard worker, someone with some pretty good theorical basics, but hardly any practice, which is precisely why dad called in a favor to give him a little world tour. Thus prompting interesting happenings, when a language he believes he masters is turned into complete gibberish through outlandish accents and mercantile slang.

So don't worry, it's not a matter of limiting skills here and there. I only want the best for your character and the whole group, and to make it all clear ;)

Oh, one thing I thought could be that you've been given some transport methods (a small horse or ox-drawn cart) filled with some seemingly absurd wares, and you'd be asked to return home with a set amount of money. Just to validate how useful the trip would be in the end. Works for you?

And while we're at it, if you want more freedom regarding the relationship between your father and the one that justifies your freeboating on that caravan, your liaison can also be a PC or NPC merchant, not necessarily the caravan master. Hell, it can even be a dead NPC whose favored got transfered over to the caravan master.

[Dashenka]

I think I have a bit of an idea. Thinking up some details as I'm writing this so don't be too harsh on me (it's been a long day at work and I'm pretty knackered).

Is it alright if I play one (or two) girls that have ran away from their village/tribe/caravan? They could have been whores or slaves or something. With some basic survival skills they managed to survive until the caravan picks them up for whatever role the caravan wants. This could be right at the start of the game?

Or maybe they are sold to the caravan in return of something else?

[TheHangedOne]

That is a good question. Affiliated with the Mercantile And Money-changer's Guild in Vulc; which is really just a catch-all. Merchants of all sorts work there, though independent ones do spring up from time to time. You don't have to be a member of the guild, it just comes with benefits.

I am thinking, as far as wares go, the family business is in clay products; urns, pottery, plates, jugs, so on, so forth.  His family buys the products from the artisans, turns around and sells them for a profit. Everybody involved wins!

Having a small cart (probably big enough for his own single horse to pull along) full of said things would probably be a good idea. Plus, he'll also have a pouch of money with him; his family is one of the more successful ones.

The way I see it, your character seems like a hard worker, someone with some pretty good theorical basics, but hardly any practice, which is precisely why dad called in a favor to give him a little world tour.

Yes! Precisely this. And I am all for the occasional slip up leading to good-drama.  ;)

[Dashenka]

More ideas! How my knackered brain is producing them is beyond me and I will be off to bed after this post but...

if the whole refugee whore idea I presented earlier isn't going down too well, I got some back up plans.


It does require a bit of shapeshifting though (I know it's a long shot). Like a normal girl, perhaps trading something, but she would be able to shapeshift or morph or whatever rocks your boat into an animal. Haven't decided which one yet.


or..

My character would basically be a cook of some sort. Cooking for the caravan and trading supplies like spices and herbs and discovering new things along the way. Have to think of somethings to make it exciting to play her though.

So let me know, I'll read up tomorrow.

[Elijia]

Name: Tailin West
Age: 33
Species/Race: Westernesse. Sub-Branch of Human. I may well be rebuked, but it's worth a shot. But I think that Tailin is a Man of the West, a    place of flaxen-haired folk with a penchant for illusion, deceit and betrayal. Naturally predisposed to sleight of hand and intrigue, rumor has it that their republic was wrested from the hands of an ancient empire through blackmail, making it the only modern republic that was built entirely without bloodshed. (I'm totally fine with changing this)
Gender: Male
Sexual preferences: Heretosexual
Appearance: A golden haired giant and the perfect picture of general amiability. He has thin, almost avian, features highlighted by a prominently crooked nose and thick lips that are curled, almost permanently, into a lopsided grin. Covered, head to toe, by an intricate web of swirling, light blue, tattoos of non-descript origin that serve, regularly, as the source of some tall tale, epic ballad, or dirty limerick. Bizarrely, the same tattoo never seems to tell the same story twice.
Personality: Tailin has always prided himself on his ability to draw a smile from even the most dour of companions. His passion for story-weaving is matched only by his proclivity for ale and compulsion for wagers. Perhaps bizarrely, for someone who insists that they were born with a Pactisanic tie to the goddess of luck herself, Tailin would seem to be completely penniless. Also, for all of his general amiability, his stories never seem to involve the same group of companions twice and no patrician, drunk, or whore along any of the worlds major trading routes can ever recall him telling a tale of his family or homeland.
Country of origin: Republic of Horn.
Skills: Tailin insists that he be referred to as a bard, though his actual role with the Caravan is somewhat more complex than that. As a minor celebrity along the trade roads he has carefully groomed a series of connections with prominent traders that he offered to extend to the caravan leaders in exchange for a percentage of the profits. He is an expert musician, orator and tumbler who has spent 25 years travelling the long and dangerous trade roads plying his trade and it would be reasonable to expect that such a man might just have a trick or two up his sleeve.
Character goal: Tailin has always kept his purpose for travelling with the various caravan's close to his chest. It is, however, reasonable to suggest that the only true life for a bard is a life on the road, and the caravan offers a safe and profitable way to pursue it.


Background: Did you know that Joss Whedon's inspiration for writing Firefly was nine people looking into the blackness of space and seeing nine completely different things? It's sort of like that, but not with space...I'm rambling. Basically, I just really enjoy writing and storytelling and working on a larger collaborative story with a host (I'm calling Chloris a host) who seems to have a strong vision is a great way to work out some of the kinks of my story and explore the different ways that individuals can look at a larger story.
What you are looking for: Oh, jeez. Thoughtful characters with an eye for strong plot development and a passing interest in exploring the way that different people view, collaborate on, and eventually reach conclusions on complex problems. But I'll settle for a few warm bodies who can hit a keyboard in an amusing way.

(I'm currently looking for an image for my character, I'll find one too. It'll be awesome, lots of great detail and it will miraculously match my current description. Unfortunately, I have to go to work so the search must be delayed. I hope you'll all forgive the absence and abstain from any particular negative judgement of me for a few hours. )

[Coyote]

Hello! You might remember me, I expressed interest in joining the non adult version of this, happy it is back up in this form!

Name: Jahaari Mund
Age: 30
Species/Race: Human
Gender: Male
Sexual preferences: Bisexuality, Dominant

Appearance: Tall and fairly muscular, with dark skin. He keeps a thin mustache as well as a thin and pointed beard on his chin. He has a long thin face, which emphasize his large dark sad look eyes. He is always  wearing a red sash covered with various markings across whatever he is wearing, a part of his religious order. His thin mouth usually displays a gentle smile and he often wears a round red cap on top of his curly black hair.

Personality: Quiet and reserved, but not in a cold way. The feeling that Jahari exudes is warmness with a twinge of sadness. His quiet and gentles manner come from the genuine respect and interest he has in others. He would rather learn about people and hear what they have t say then speak himself. That being said, he has firm moral and spiritual principles he will not compromise on. Although he will try everything possible to avoid a conflict he believes it is his duty to step up for good and defend others and cannot help but to get involved in those circumstances. He is always seeking new knowledge and new friends, to teach others and to learn from them.

Country of origin: Janos (I’m thinking something that has a Persian/Indian feel? Does that sound fine?)

Skills: A skilled doctor, Jahari has a firm grip on the basics of surgical operation and the medicinal properties of herbs and substances. Jahari can turn his medicinal knowledge to harmful purposes but he has renounced those skills, preferring now to help instead of harm. He also knows the basics of ritualistic practice, which he learned as part of his religious training, although his practical knowledge is quite slim and he has only achieved minor results as of yet. He has a sharp mind for understanding theoretical matters.

Profession: Doctor and Apothecary. He takes care of medical problems that are brought before him, and can serve as an adviser in medical related issues to the caravan.. He also collects materials to create medicines and concoctions built of a range of herbal and chemical ingredients. He has a business selling these and he may create specific things by special order.

Character goal: A journey to help others as much as he can and atone for his past mistakes. Jahari is on a spiritual quest which every member of his religion undertakes, to see the world’s troubles and to understand as much as he can.

Background: Jahari was born the eldest son of a royal physician, the physician to the Sultan himself, and could reasonably have been expected to take over that position himself one day. He studied hard under his father’s tutelage and was given every advantage of a boy of high status. When Jahari was 18 his father was forced into a complicated moral choice which cost his family the royal favor. He was scheduled to be put to death, and his family exiled, but before his death he managed to broker a deal to have Jahari stay and work in the palace, but in a much different capacity. Jahari was transferred to a secretive organization, a group of royal assassins and poisoners, and participated in the assassinations of political opponents of the Sultan. Jahari was trapped in what he believed was an impossible situation, he knew too much and even if what he as doing was wrong he would be killed if he did not comply. Many times he thought about taking his own life but found himself too cowardly to go through with it. Ironically by killing, he was learning how precious every life could be. Eventually the family of one of the people he had killed found out that Jahari was the chief poison makers and organizer of the assassination. They struck at him and nearly killed him, leaving him for dead in a gutter. But luck, or fate, intervened, for a monk had witnessed the whole thing and took him in. Hiding from his enemies, who though he was dead, Jahari slowly attempted to build himself a new life at the monastery. The near death experience brought about a spiritual renewal in him, as the monks helped him to truly understand that there was hope for him to change and become a better person. He resumed his medical practice and study, focusing on helping the poor.  It took eight years of serious spiritual training, which at first he fought every step of the way, to truly rid him of his past, to understand himself and the good he could do. Now, he has entered the next stage of his education, traveling the world and trying to do good where he can, trying to keep the darkness buried deep inside of him.

What you are looking for: Hmm what are your thoughts on what I have so far? I'm not sure how much of the setting you planned out so i kept specifics of the country and religion quite vague for now. As for what I am looking for, I am looking for exploration of the world and being thrown into unexpected and different situations. I’m looking to help build the setting with you and the other players. I would like good character interactions and to form interesting relationships between the characters, and I would like to have my characters ideals and beliefs tested at various occasions.

[Malrunar]

I really liked your suggestion, Chloris.  ;D Adding the occasional assassin-elf into the mix would be a nice bit of flare, and should keep things relatively interesting. I think I'm going to be adopting this.

[MzHyde]

I think the Valkyr would be just a more Amazon-like race. All female, some of them are born shemale. They don't distrust men or anything like that, but are generally wary of strangers unless one proves their usefulness. Their society is kind of like the military, very organized and disciplined. They tend to be athletic and fighters, but not all of them. There are still obviously some females that aren't born for fighting and take up other, more menial jobs. Leadership and powerful positions are determined by raw strength and skill, though. The Valkyr are known for being proficient sailors, thanks to their island home. The Valkyr that leave home to travel more often than not do mercenary work to make ends meet, so they've gained a reputation for being reliable sellswords.

Briar Bloodthorn The Valkyr

Name: Briar Bloodthorn
Age: 28
Species/Race: Valkyr
Gender: Shemale
Sexual Preference: Lesbian
Country of Origin: The Island Nation of Valkyria
Profession: Mercenary

Personality: Brash and hot-headed with a thirst for battle (and women), Briar is the type of person that simply acts on their desires first and thinks about consequences second. While such quick acting and bravery often results in saved lives and won battles, it can also lead to trouble. She's no good at handling delicate situations, her personality too blunt and brash for any kind of diplomacy. Her passions are adventure, fighting, and sex - in whichever order pleases her that day.

Skills: As a Valkyr of some experience and status, Briar is an excellent melee fighter. She is trained in traditional Valkyri Grappling, and knows how to wield most martial weapons with skill and efficiancy. She is most comfortable with a sword or mace and a shield. Her body is honed to perfection and it shows in the way her muscles stand taut against her tanned, smooth skin. She is exceptionally strong and tough. All Valkyr are taught how to survive on their own and Briar is no exception. She knows how to build crude shelters, how to use the stars to find direction, tracking, how to identify edible plants, how to hunt, and live off the land. Thanks to her nation's island home she is also a competent sailor and can stand in for any role on a boat.

Character Goal: Briar's goal is the same as many Valkyr; glory, riches, and honor. She wants to be renowned throughout the world and she wants her name to be etched into history. The caravan seemed like a good stepping stone. It promised adventure and the pay was good. Plus, there were a lot of lovely women..

Background: Briar's upbringing was typical of most Valkyr. While not famous or high-ranking, her parents were both well respected warriors, which gave her a bit of an edge in life. Like all Valkyr, she was pressed into military service at the age of twelve for a mandatory eight year service. She excelled in most fields and made her parents proud. Briar proved to be an excellent combatant and even a charismatic leader (though prone to rash decisions that sometimes led her squad to failure in mock battles). Instead of staying on, however, she sought something more exciting. So, Briar joined the Valkyr's armada of fishing vessels and took up the open sea for a few years. Eventually she bored with this as well and found it was time to head elsewhere for excitement. Leaving her homeland behind, Briar ventured to the continents to travel and take up mercenary work while searching for fame and fortune. She has now been working as a merc for some time and has a reputation for being reliable and skilled in battle. Just don't let her near your daughter.

[Chloris]

What an amount of creativity and enthusiasm. It is truly heartwarming, and promises great things for that game! So first and foremost, thank you for putting your effort and inspiration into all this!

Now, one by one, once again. Dashenka: I like the idea of one, or a couple of slave girls joining in. However, they'll have to pay their ride or prove their usefulness to the caravan if they don't want to be marked as a liability to leave behind. The way I see it, three main solutions shine through. Either they're not free at all, and property of one of the caravaneers -even though some country the caravan's passing through frown severely on slavery-, or, in their escape, they managed to steal some goods they intend to sell along the road here and there, thus improvising themselves merchants (I have no idea hy I'm constantly assuming two characters while it's only a possibility by the way) or, they could manage to have a sufficient number of caravan members vouch for them, in exchange of personal services. I leave the interpretation of "personal services" to you.

Not fond of shapeshifting. I think amongst all kinds of shapeshifting, what you proposed would be the most acceptable one, but it's still a stretch so, yeah. You can't be Erik's horse, sorry :v

As for the cook idea, that's certainly an acceptable role. Especially mixed in with a bit of a survivalist or a hunter (though Ai'nkh/Lau'ra would probably fit that role as well) in there. Another good point that could be thrown in could be to have her work as an appraiser of sorts for foodstuffs. Knowing how much is a fair price for this spice, or that berry, etc. And of course, the slavery idea and this idea aren't entirely incompatible.

TheHangedMan, I hereby declare your father is a hairy potter.

Hilarious (it was!) joke aside, I can see Vulc's guild not only as an association for commerce in the country, but also as a bank. Meaning you could have only a little bit of change, but also some credit letters for some faraway banks.
As for the contents of the cart, pots and plates certainly seem like they could be part of it, yes. But, I intend to throw some other stuff inside... A few surprises and confusing things. Does that work for you?

Elijia, Regarding your character's race, I like the westernese. Of course, contrary to what their name could indicate, they don't span the entire western continent, but you hail from there. Instinctively, I'm leaning towards the north of the western continent. Sunny, somewhat tropical. Dark skin, but light blonde hair. And yes, the idea of separatists from the empire that managed to settle nicely without a war sound nice to me!

However, there is something that bothers me a bit after that. If he's been on the road since eight, for a long enough time to have been left and right, all around, twelve times... First, he'll be completely disconnected with his country of origin, which may be interesting. Secondly, he'll know it all already, thus dulling the sense of discovery, which is, I feel, key to this game. Something that isn't quite as interesting. Now, of course, he'll have to have traveled, if only because he comes from the other end of the known world. Considering his knowledge of many tales, and quite possibly several languages, how about he navigated the outer seas with various crews for a more reasonable ten or twelve years? Knows several languages decently alongt he Eastern continent, plus his home language, and even some songs in tongues he doesn't know at all.

And I trust your character picture will be perfect. Completely. If only because divine thunder shall befall upon you if it doesn't fits. That's the rules!

Coyote: Of course I remember you. Glad you see you're joining us here. Especially with such a character.
A persian/indian country was already being considered, so it's perfect to have someone hail from there. I see it as the northern edge of the western continent, basically. Of course though, returning there might be... Problematic, considering your character is officially dead, a traitor and a deserter.
Regarding his skills, I'm figuring if you want to throw in some basic ritualistic knownledge, the simplest way to do it would be alchemy. Which is basically ritualism meets chemestry. Of course, most of your practice would actually be mundane.

So, yeah, over and all, a doctor/traveling apothecary that finances himself, with a sinister assassination background works nicely to me!

Yggdrasil Glad you like it! There'll be plenty of tension at times, don't worry. If t hat's any reassurance, elves don't have a super-elf-vision that'll allow them to spot who you are, as long as you keep a few hints hidden.

MzHyde, that works nicely for me. I figure the Valkyrs would be one of the few daring to regularly sail on the inner seas, and even then, not everywhere. I feel obliged to ramp up the inner seas' dangers, because if it isn't completely unreasonable to sail there, naval commerce becomes much more logical, and caravans can't have the importance I intend them to have in this game.

However, regarding your background. If I may throw a couple of suggestions your way. Considering your character's thrillseeking, adventuring demeanor, and the Valkyr's militaristic society, it could be interesting to have your character act as a caravan guard not merely out of taste, but also because of perhaps some legal problem, a great shame that befell onto her, a boon she was denied, something like that?

[TheHangedOne]

Hahaha. That was a good joke.  Having letters of credit makes sense, yes; that would work similar to  real-world bearer bonds, right?
Sure, some odds and ends works.

Edit: And yes, the Guild is also the banking system. My idea is that in the countries history, there used to be two guilds, but they eventually merged; partly because it made it easier for everyone in both guilds to get more favorable deals, and for some additional political clout.

I'm also thinking Erik will have a signet ring or emblem of some sort to mark him as being a guild member.  Which, given the fact that Vulc loves to trade with everybody, many countries would recognize it (and of course, thieves and the like might recognize it, too, and think he's a great target).

[TheHangedOne]

Name: Erik Carter
Age: 19
Species/Race: Human
Gender: Male
Sexual preferences: Heterosexual. Preference towards light bondage, and D/s elements (being the 's' in this case).
Personality: A bit nervous and shy, he is generally a good kid who behaves himself, and acts in a mature fashion.  Takes a more logic-fueled approach to most situations, rather than emotionally fueled.
Country of origin: Vulc (a small nation renowned for its philosophers, scholars, other intellectuals, merchants, and doctors. pronounced with a hard c sound; Vulk)
Skills: Good cook, great mercantile knowledge, polyglot, horse-riding, spear-fighting, first-aid knowledge
Profession: Merchant. His place on the crew, however, is more-so one of learning, rather than doing. However, he does help around with various tasks.
Character goal: Primarily, his reason for joining the caravan is to get practical, hands on experience with the work. However, he is also hoping to studying foreign markets, and get a better sense of the economy of other countries, and maybe even have a wild adventure or two along the way.
Background: Erik was born to Jelanda and Ivan Carter; like most in the merchant caste of Vulc, both of his parents are business owners.

His mother oversees grain plantations, and trades in dried grain good, while his father has associations with the clay artisans, buying their finished products, and selling them for a profit both locally and in foreign markets.

Erik's youth was spent being schooled by a professional tutor, who taught him the fundamentals of reading and writing (in a few languages), mathematics, the history of their country, the history of the guilds, and, later on, the fine art of mercantilism.

He also liked to pester the cooks with questions, and watch them. Consequently, he knows a bit about working in the kitchen.

His teen years were spent with more active hobbies, which included horse-riding (by and far, the most common mode of fast transportation in their land-locked country), and spear-fighting; this last bit was seen as something of an eccentricity, since the Merchant caste typically employed other people to protect themselves.

While his training occurred with a member of the Warrior caste, he also picked up some basic knowledge about treating injuries from his instructor.
What you are looking for: Action! Adventure! A big bit of comedy and a small bit of tragedy.

[TheHangedOne]

And ehre's what I got for ideas of Vulc. Feel free to make use of this as you wish, Chloris.

About Vulc

Vulc is a parliamentary monarchy; there is a king, however, said king at all times has a council of 12; a 2/3rd's majority council vote can overturn the king's ruling.  Most council members have guild affiliations and backings, which are openly displayed.

The Caste System
Vulc has, as far back as their recorded history goes, used a Caste system to divide people. It is exceedingly rare for someone to marry outside their Caste, or to take on a new Caste. The Caste are:
Philosophers
Diplomats/Politicians
Merchants
Doctors
Craftsmen
Warrior
Farmer
Probational Worker (indentured servants)

While Vulc used to slave trade, it abolished the act about 60 years ago; the slaves in the country at the time were freed and slowly incorporated into other Castes.

Originally, high crimes (rape, murder, pilferage, etc) would result in someone being enslaved; now they are put into the Probational Worker Caste for their crimes. Probational Workers are second class citizens; they have limited rights, but they're not full on enslaved any more.

Culture
Vulc has always valued patience, intellect, honesty, and diligence,  as well as creativity. Philosophy is an important aspect of their culture as well, and their are several common schools of philosophy (based on the Greek ones of Cynicism, Stoicism, and Epicureanism).

(some of the) Known Guilds
Mercantile And Money-changer's Guild (Merchant caste)
The Swords and Shields (Warrior Caste)
Guild of Nature's Bounty (Farmer Caste)
Clinician's Association (Doctor Caste)
The Gathering of Crafters (Craftsman Caste)
The Free-thinkers (Philosopher Caste)
The League of Gentlemen (Diplomat/Politician Caste)

Fashion
Every year, there is a new fashion trend in Vulc, typically keeping some elements of the previous years fashion.  In this year, the most popular color is red, and the favored accessory is a half-mask. The half-mask is a carry-over from last year's fashion, although the Craftsmen, whom are the ones who typically set the fashion, are already talking about getting rid of them for next year.

[Dashenka]

Another question.... What's the tech level going to be? No tech at all? Steampunk-ish? Modern world?

[Chloris]

Dashenka, the tech level is rather low. No steampower (because trains would render caravans more or less obsolete) no modern vehicles, and only a couple of countries started to consider gunpowder usage.

TheHangedMan
Considering your character is not a shop owner, no guild signet. Besides, no matter how to turn it, this game really isn't about accumulating advantages from the get go, but about creating them during play. The limitations I put here and there are for the sake of the game in general, and character progression in particular. I mean, I could accept that your character is expected everywhere, knows all the languages, has huge amount of money stashed around and gets a free paid scavenger hunt, but that wouldn't be quite as interesting. And, of course, there's the fact I could nod at all the initial whims, and then smack you down ridiculously hard at some point. That'd be a bad DM's way to balance things out as far as I'm concerned, so I'd rather filter out a bit of frustration here and there, rather than smack it all in one bit and make you feel like you can't do anything.

Now that this has been said. I must say I don't know how I like the cast system fits in Vulc's concept. Would a country of wise men and philosophers really favor intrinsicly such a rigid, deterministic system? It seems more in line with a strong religious theme. Plus, it'd give your character even more prejudices, and really, he doesn't need that. If only to avoid piling up too many traits in the beggining. Vulc won't be crossed before quite a hefty bit of time, so it the details don't matter all that much anyway. A parlimentary monarchy supporting a highly culture society in a small, landlocked country is really enough to get going at that point.


Alright then, now it's been said, expect in the coming hours some more clearly defined elements. I'd like to finish at least a more precise map, races and a few caravan elements (NPCs, structure and rules) before starting out the first threads beyond that one.

[TheHangedOne]

No worries, it's all groovy with me, Chloris. I'm just throwing ideas out there; and with the signet idea, as I mentioned, it could be just as much bane as boon (I like double-edged things like that).

I'm also groovy with your ideas on Vulc. In the end, I'm giving you all this stuff to do what you will with it. 

[Chloris]

Glad we're on the same line then! I stand by my decision regarding the ring though. The entire caravan is a target for emboldened thieves. That makes such liabilities' effects rather minor.

[Elijia]

Off to sea it is.

Also, and I suppose I'm not technically part of this conversation but I can't help myself, TheHangedMan, did you fashion "Vulc" after Plato's Republic? It's a dead-ringer for "The Republic."

[Dashenka]

Name: Zasha Snowbourne
Age: Mid twenties
Species/Race: Human from the frozen southern lands.
Gender: Female
Sexual preferences: Very rough and frequent....  :-X
Appearance:


Personality: Friendly girl and despite what her name suggests, a very warm but careful and shy person.

Country of origin: Cassurya
Skills: Zasha does not have many skills other than being very nice and being very good company in more than one way.
Profession: Entertainer in a way, but will help out whenever is needed. Can also do menial tasks like, cooking, cleaning (how is she going to do that?), etc.
Character goal: To get as far away from her old life as she can and maybe find out if there is some legitimacy about the claim of her being descendant of the Lord of Ice.
Background: Zasha is said to be descendant of the Lord of Ice, Yvveron, a giant ice dragon. Yvveron was the only God for the people in the small villages in Cassurya and before anybody could investigage the claim, Zasha was sold off by her family to a wealthy lord as soon as she reached maturity. The lord used her as a slave. She learned to cook, make clothes, make beds and soon enough learned the other ways to please the lord.

What you are looking for: A pleasant, interesting journey around the world.

[TheHangedOne]

No, I didn't, Elijia. Though, I love studying philosophy, so some of that does end up rubbing off onto my RP ideas.

[MzHyde]

Hmm. I don't know about Briar having legal troubles or anything like that. Maybe her family line just isn't what it used to be and she's seeking to bring new glory to her name. Perhaps her parents and grandparents and so on have gotten complacent, less thrill-seeking and adventurous.

[Chloris]

Dashenka, I was unsure on the possibility of dragons being a thing, well I guess it's clearer now. Gotta love decisions taken amidst the comfort of others.
So yeah, if I saw that sheet out of the blue, I'd question your character's ability to get accepted into the caravan, but considering past exchanges in here, I trust you'll finely maneuver your way into the "hearts" of some other members.

MzHyde Slightly disgraced family works nicely for me! Besides it makes it less redundant with Jahaari, so that's actually quite well!


And, I got a little sidetracked, so I fear I'll have to leave these little updates to another day. So far I've established a few rough outlines of some NPCs, caravan rules, races/species, and a few bits of unusual fauna. But I'd still like to fix a map with at least a few initial countries drawn out, mountains, rivers and stuff, before calling it an update. Hope you don't mind the delay too much. Sorry if you do. Or even if you don't. Apologies ahoy.

[Dashenka]

The character is a work in progress :) There might or might not be a dragon. Just a bit of added depth and mystery to an otherwise simple slut :D Along the game she will find out more about the dragon and all. She won't have any special powers. At least not at the beginning.

Still unsure if she's already at the caravan at the start of the game or that she might be picked up at the start of the game. I'll leave that decision to you :)

[Chloris]

If the decision is mine, then picking her up at the start of the game is what I'll favor. People aren't expected to have been in the caravan for more than two weeks anyway.

Now, in t he opening post, I posted a little spoilered update which includes a few informations. So, read it if you're bored!

[Dashenka]

I prefer that too :)

[Elijia]

I love the colour you added to the intro post. It looks like this is going to be a fun little world to travel through!

[IrishWolf]

Hey Chloris,

Wolf here, been stalking this thread since you put it up but haven't had the time to put up a post, mostly because I was at Anime Boston and didn't have the time. Anyways, this is looking like its going to be a fun game. Had a character brewing in my mind, figured I'd throw the basics passed you and see what you think. If I missed any details that you posted, forgive me, I'm in a redbull fueled attempt to force my body back into my normalish sleep schedule.

I was thinking a Bounty Hunter joining the caravan, in an effort to travel back to Land X, with a wanted man's head, inside a keg of brandy. He managed to catch his mark, as the man was trying to hid out with family and now there are a large number of relatives, trying to kill him in revenge. He's not riding with them as a guard or as a bounty hunter but rather as a merchant of spirits, with a wagon filled with casks (kegs, barrels and bottles) of wine, brandy and other hard liquors.

He comes from one of the islands north of the eastern continent, a member of a sub set of humans (need a name, when I'm not so tired), who's old kingdom was destroyed many generations ago, when wizards caused a vast amount of their land to sink beneath the ocean. Instead of horses, they ride thousand pound dogs. He brought s number of them with him, to ride as remounts, so he could travel fast but is currently using his pack to haul the wagon. Most of his weapons and all of his armor would be hidden in his wagon.

[sinfultictac]

Name:Brent Bullwood
Age: 46 o
Species/Race: Human (Independent Island Nation of Maelstrom)
Gender:Male

Sexual preferences: Heterosexual, D/s, has knack for cruelty

Appearance:Brent is  middle aged with black cropped hair that is slowly every year becoming more grey. He is a solid man about mid height and a fair weight. He tend to dress in the clothes of his people, often of fair make, He  his eye was badly scarred when he was younger when he lost his ship to a horrible storm .He walks with sense of purpose and solidity. Though when sitting or standing for long times his age is truly shown and he can be shown to slow down a bit, he's never without his pipe and often reeks of smoking. When on water or in a boat is when Brent is seen to be truly his strongest.
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Personality:Brent is like many Maelstrom citizens: a pirate or more politely a privateer. Living in an economic trading hub his whole life, he has acquired a taste for adventure and eye for a good bargain. He remembers when he was a boy when he was called up by his father to to man the cannons to help win Maelstrom's independence and is fiercely loyal to the Island Nation, all others who threaten the Island are Fish food to him. He loves the smell of new food, new places and any kind of substance that can he stuff into his pipe to smoke. He loves women of many kinds and mixes as Maelstrom women( and men) are fascinating mix of different peoples. He's also can be cruel like pirate often pushing people farther than they ought to go, he has a firm hand when he is Captain. He's a salty sea dog with nasty mouth and tiny, tiny,heart of gold which harbors his love of women,gold,his Island and adventure.


Country of origin: Maelstrom Island, a large Island between West and East continents. Originally a colony of the  Holy Zhuyin Empire, it has past hands to many empires until it claimed its independence in a decisive naval battle. Now Maelstrom is independent hub of economic activity. The "Polite War has made all Maelstrom folk happy and sad, happy from the profit, sad that their island stands to lose the most if things go really bad.

Skills: Sword fighting(cutlass and daggers), shipwright,Naval,bookkeeping, navigation, cartography, trade,

Character goal: Brent is on the caravan to acquire lost maps and to map out large rivers and other passageways for Maelstrom Trading and Navigation Guild (often times called Navigated or The Guild by agents) .A body of the Maelstrom government . He also wishes to acquire enough money to buy a new ship. His was lost in a storm years ago.


Background: Brent was raised on Maelstrom under a fairly wealthy colonial family, who made their wealth in slave trade and other goods. Sometimes the family made extra dealing and were known for their less than honest trading and dealing, many other families spoke little of it
because they too were involved in cutting purses and necks. After helping win independence for the Maelstrom. Brent spent years learning more of the trade, book keeping and of course naval and privateering. Later in his life he acquired a ship of his own and did trade, and defended Maelstrom from small attacks. On a fateful day a large hurricane came on his ship and crew, the ship was lost and much his crew. He vowed to acquire wealth again and get another ship. He put his services to his Island, which he fiercely loves and became an agent of the Maelstrom trading and Navigation Guild. He now walks with the landlubbers finding new ports,beaches and large rivers which Maelstrom can reach out with his economic trade.

What you are looking for: some experience in RP on E. Also to play a salty,sassy, smoking pirate.

[Drake Valentine]

Hmm, I see you are limiting fighters, but on the other hand may you allow a limited type of fighting character? I always enjoy restrictions and characters who are restricted in some shape or format of their full abilities.

Name:
Gorgrim
Age:
Human years unknown, appears in late twenties.
Species/Race:
Nomadic Orc. He hails from a warrior tribe who places finesse in combat above all else. At a young age children are often taken from their mothers and thrown into the dangerous bowels of the wilderness to survive alone, before being scouted for. Those who are not devoured by the monstrous beasts are accepted into their new life. Those who may be found amongst the carcasses of such beasts earn greater rewards and receive the utmost training to prepare them for leadership in their journeys or to serve as elite warriors under the Chieftain. The tribe also does not discriminate against gender, both men and women are treated as equal combatants and go through the same phases as children. They also have a tendency to avoid all contact from other civilizations, unless in the rare instances of trade.  They value strength above all else and see those in power as rightful rulers.  All Nomadic Orcs always adorn a mask unless in private settings and despite their wild nature, are considered honorable individuals with their own moral codes in and out of combat.
Gender:
Male
Sexual preferences:
Heterosexual
Personality:
It is hard for any to take him for a warrior, for those who spent time traveling with the caravan may easily take him for an everyday slave. Gorgrim appears to lack backbone, he does nothing in his defense when confronted with animosity; whether it is from his master or other members of the caravan.  He also does not appear to carry any willpower of his own or maybe he has comfortably settled into the life of slavery? He serves his master without question, although there has been instances of refusal where he has been outright beaten as a result.
Country of origin:
Unknown, his tribe tends to travel, plus he lived a high life of slavery afterwards.
Skills:
Hand to hand combat. Although he does not show it often, he knows how to move his body enough and make use of his former training into a makeshift fighting style despite his bindings.
Keen eye observation. He takes note of everything outside and inside of combat alike. Details, details, details, that is his way of life and the only way he may achieve his freedom and maintain his survival.
Endurance. His body is able to take as much as a beating as it is in dishing out. Also he is no stranger to abuse as his life outside of arena warrants such ridicule and punishment from his master and others of higher social status than him.

The rest of his skills are limited given the shackles along his arms and legs, however for those that may know of him may be aware of his combat prowess.
Dual Wielding.  Weapon preference - Scimitars.
Throwing. 
Acrobatics.
Other skills.
Trap Making, hunting, scavenging, and tracking.
Noticeable duties
Manual labor around the caravan.

Profession:
Slave
Character goal:
He has no choice in the matter of the travels. His master merely seeks to sell him off for high profit or find another suitable arena to exhibit him in. Though Gorgrim’s goal is his freedom.
Background:
Gorgrim’s childhood was no different than the other orcs from his tribe. At a young age he had to fend for himself alone within dangerous and unfamiliar territory. There has been many instances where he narrowly escaped death, although the same could not be said about some of the other potential tribesmen and women who undergo this same ritual in their lives.

Blessed or cursed, he was gifted with a natural talent of survival, eluding would be predators and safety keeping enough distance to study them and their habits. He never once made an attempt to escape the forest, what remains he came across he only warranted as dangerous territory and avoided it above all else.

He too had to fight and struggle for his survival, it was the only way to stay alive. In the end he was finally found cooking one of the many giant snakes that inhabited the forest. For his survival feats and prey he was acknowledge as a potential leader candidate and given the utmost training.

All tribesmen and women receive the basics of combat training upon their recognition, despite being foreseen as a leader material or not. Hand to hand combat was the starting  steps and years of it was drilled into the growing, young lad. From there he received the honors of weapon handling and like all recognized warriors he was given a choice of weapons that his people acquired through trade. His pick was a twin set of scimitars.

For the next several years he honed his skills, preparing for the test of leadership at adulthood. Unfortunately, before the name day of the mock tournament that is held amongst his people, they were invaded by an advanced nation. Even as a warrior tribe they had no chance against the technology of the attackers. The fine use of gunpowder and explosives was more than enough to dominate the nomadic Orcs.

Those who were not killed in the skirmish were enslaved, Gorgrim was amongst them. He has little idea of what became of his people, many of them were auctioned off to different masters; some of them were sent to other countries as high commodity items. He himself was put to good use in the arena, having to fight for his survival every day, till inevitably he was deemed far too skilled for the arena that his master made him compete in and thus the two of them were soon driven from that city.

Currently he accompanies his master and now the two of them have taken part with the caravan. His owner seeks to sell him off as merchandise or at best take him to another arena so that Gorgrim can compete in once more. In compensation for these travels he has offer a suitable fee reduction from the profits of any selling of the slave and to sweeten the deal he has made Gorgrim to help around with the caravan as far any muscle work is needed.

What you are looking for: Merely fool around with limitations in combat experiences/character development. Just exploring and testing waters here. Would also like to see racial differences in the sense of him being looked down on given his heritage/slave status.  In hindsight, mostly character building/something to play around with on the side, without him ever going ‘beast mode’ freed. So yea, pretty much him staying shackled throughout the roleplay, unless certain scenes warrant otherwise; but I am strongly aiming for a 'handicapped' character.

[Chloris]

Hello.

Sorry for the little lack of updates and presence as of late, there's been a few complications, and I don't have quite a lot of time to spend online, I should be back to a more active presence in maybe a day or two, thank you for your patience in the meantime.

[Chloris]

Doublepost ahoy!

So, yeah, getting back to it, sorry for the delay. Now let's see, first, answers:

Dashenka: Good!

Elijia: Thank you!

IrishWolf: Hello, dearest stalker. I like your character concept. Using a pretense to tag along, which is entirely legitimate. I can see him with a nice mix of level-headedness sometimes bordering on laziness, and feistiness still. So, a colorful character!

sinfultictac: I like Brent! If I knew you'd make such a character, I probably wouldn't have put in the cartographer amongst the NPCs, but the way it is, it should make for some nice collaboration. Both with that specific character, with the two other character having a naval background, and so on. Beaches and shores ahoy.

On a side note, I find it both nice and funny that assuming mid twenties as 25, and late twenties as 28, the average character age so far is slightly under thirty. I'm pretty sure some MILF-themed games have lower results. I find that pretty cool personally! More on the dramatis personae later.

Drake Valentine: I am absolutely not opposed to the concept of your character. It's interesting, thoughtful, sensible, open to interractions, and can lead to interesting times. Fun ones too! However, there may be some alterations you'll have to make I fear. I hope your love of constraints won't give in for these few little things.
The first and most obvious one is that there are no orcs in this game. The closest I can allow is a typed ethnicity that are nicknamed that way. But it'll basically be a human still. If you worry about the lack of racial prejudice this might entail, just read a newspaper or two. Of course, if it's the contrary, that the proximity between real-life racial prejudice and in-game interhuman racial prejudice that worries you, just say so and I promise I'll consider more comfortable options. The second little issue is regarding your master. It's an important part of your character, so I'd appreciate a few guidelines since, unlike Zasha, you still depend on him or her. Or for that matter, how much freedom do I have with the creation involved.
I think thee was some other thing but I forgot, and a re-reading got me nothing, so let's go with that already  ;D




So, let's review our characters so far.

Briar Bloodthorn, Valkyr guard, shemale, lesbian, sailor.
Erik Carther, human trader, male, straight, salesman.
La'Ora, half-elf scout, female, bissexual, trailblazer.
Talin West, Westernesse bard, male, heterosexual, rumormonger.
Jahaari Mund, human apothecary, male, bissexual, doctor.
Zasha snowbourne, human maid, female, unknown, "entertainer".
Brent Bullwood, human sailor, male, heterosexual, mapmaker.
Gogrim, TBD slave, male, heterosexual, pit fighter.
Unknown, TBD liquor dealer, male, unknown, bountry hunter. Unknown.

Six males, two females and a shemale. Which is quite surprising for a game where I said I wouldn't myself  handle erotic relationships involving the bearded gender. But, in a way, that means I can put all the more efforts exploring both the sense of wonder, adventure, trade, and interpersonal relationships that don't involve intercourse. Because they totally exist!

So, if there are still lurkers, or just people that noticed this thread, you're welcome to opt in and pitch your character, but for now, I'd like to try to at least set up things with the present cast. Of course, if half of the cast got bored of the idea in the meantime, or if you're offering a Co-GMing role, that's different.

So! I'll create an OOC chatter thread and a character thread, most likely tomorrow. And I probably will start a first thread about as soon too. Either relating to small bits of personal stories, or directly the first travel thread... I'll ponder that on my end. Of your end, keep being awesome! And feel free to chime in just because.

[TheHangedOne]

Actually, Chloris, I no longer feel able to dedicate myself to this game, so I'll have to bow out. I do hope you all have fun, though.

[Chloris]

Erik will be missed, but I perfectly understand the kind of situation, and salute your foresight.

Do have fun as well in whatever endeavor you devote yourself to! ;)

[Malrunar]

I can't wait to get things started!  ;D

[Florence]

I might be interested and have an idea for a character, though I have no clue how well the character would interact with the others. I realize there may be little interest in this type of character, but if there is, I'll put in more detail.

Name: Akansha Mishra

Age: Older than he looks.

Species/Race: Half-Elf

Gender: Male

Sexual preferences: Bisexual

Appearance: 'Pretty' would be the first word that comes to mind. He is lithely built with a delicate face, and lightly sunkissed skin and long blond hair, generally done up into a ponytail or bun. He also wears a pair of spectacles over a pair of vibrant green eyes that give him a scholarly appearance. He also has long pointed ears that mark him as a half-elf.

Personality: Gentle and kind, Akansha is also firm and direct when it is needed. He loves knowledge, both gaining it and spreading it and believes that education is the most important thing in the world. He's also got a playful streak, tough only when it doesn't interfere with his pursuit of knowledge.

Country of origin: not yet decided

Skills: Scholar, Scribe, Historian

Profession: Book and Artifact Trader, Seeker of Knowledge

Character goal: Akansha is always looking for more knowledge, whether is be in books or historical artifacts. I'd be happy to work out some sort of specific tome or artifact he is seeking.

Background: Akansha is a half-elf, though he knows as little about his father as anyone else knows about elves. He's gathered from his mother that it wasn't non-consensual, but she never said any more than that. He became fascinated in not only the elves, but the nature of the world due to this mystery, and has dedicated his life since to collecting all the knowledge he could muster. He's since set out to collect tomes of knowledge and artifacts of the ancient world, becoming a trader in such things, selling what he no longer desires to buy new ones.

What you are looking for: Simply a fun, frankly adorable, character, who isn't a pushover or overly generic or cliched. Though it may be hard to fit such a character into group rps, depending on the interests of the others. :o

[Dashenka]

Six males, two females and a shemale. Which is quite surprising for a game where I said I wouldn't myself  handle erotic relationships involving the bearded gender. But, in a way, that means I can put all the more efforts exploring both the sense of wonder, adventure, trade, and interpersonal relationships that don't involve intercourse. Because they totally exist!

More 'entertaining' for Zasha :D

[Drake Valentine]

Sorry, but actually I have to pass as well. Currently I am dedicated to another group game, wasn't sure when you may be popping back on.

I would love to partake in this one too, but with my work schedule and life routine I can only generally balance out one group game at a time activity, two is too much for me.

I wish you the best with your game, just wanted to give you the heads up.

[Dashenka]

Chloris if you need/want more female characters I'm still up for playing two characters. They'd have the same role in the caravan only they escaped together. If that would help you out, just gimme a shout and I'll make a second character.

[Sussurus]

I'd be interested in playing a female human trader. Would it make sense for her to have her own wagon? Are there beasts of burden besides horses? Is there some secondary trade route she could have traveled in the past, so as to have experience traveling, without knowing anything much about her current route? Is there a list of possible countries of origin somewhere?

Sorry for the barrage of questions.  ::)

[IrishWolf]

Alright Chloris, how does this look?




Name: Osip Voloshin, real name Aleksei Denikin 
Age: 32
Species/Race: Human
Gender: Male
Sexual preferences: Heterosexuality, dominate with a thing for bondage
Appearance: Aleksei is a shining example of a Suvorovain male. Standing just a few inches short of six feet, he is bandy-legged from a life time in the saddle, with a proud stare. His hair, what little he has on his head and in his flowing mustache, is naturally a fair blond but he has recently taken to dying it a pitch black. His face is somewhat angler but still good looking to most, with sharp blue yes, which are always watching. No scars mar his face but his arms are crisscrossed with old wounds, standing out against his lightly tanned skin. Calluses on his palm and strong wrists mark him was a swordsmen, with rough finger tips the sign of an archer but he currently explains those away as coming from manhandling wooden barrels and holding reins.
Personality: Like most of his kind, Aleksei finds it hard to trust those who are not Suvorovain but it has been known to happen. Its not that he thinks everyone is lying or trying to trick him, its just that their not of the people.He just can't rely on them, to go out of their way, like his fellow Suvorovains would, to help him. As a hunter of men, he is both patient and dogged in his pursuit, with a cold burning anger. However, outside of his hunts he tends to relax, enjoying a taste for strong drink and willing women.
Country of origin: Suvorovain Remnants

The Suvorovains are an interesting people. They are both nomadic, traveling the world in family bands (although lone wanders aren't uncommon) and tied to the land of their birth. No matter where they roam, they are always drawn back to the either one of the two islands in the Northern Sea, laying above the great Eastern continent. There are few settlements but what there are, focus on the production of rare liquors, most noticeably, Ice Wines. These are sold to the visiting bands and very rarely to outside merchants, visiting the islands, should the strangers bare a letter of introduction from a Suvorovain.

When not acting as wandering merchants, Suvorovain bands often hire out as mercenaries, serving as cavalry archers or lancers, mounted on massive dogs.They prefer to charge  Both men and women of a band are trained to fight, so that they can defend the wagons but it is a disparate band that chooses to let their women serve as hired soldiers. As a rule, each warrior carries a reflex bow or nine foot lances, with a shashka and a straight bladed knife.

Suvorovain men dress in wide, baggy trousers, which are tucked into calf high boots, with loose fitting blouse like shirts. Sashes wrap around their waists, holding up trousers and pinning down the bottom of their shirts. Young and middle aged men trim their facial hair into long, flowing mustaches, as only elders grow beards but no matter what age, they all shave their heads, save for lock of hair in the front. Women wear the same style of blouse with skirts, which are always divided for riding and long, uncut braids. 

According to their oral histories, the Suvorovains once ruled a large empire, which was ripped apart by civil war and then truly ripped apart by magical weapons and powerful magic users, which sank nearly all of their lands beneath the waves, leaving only the two islands behind. It is said that wizards who destroyed their realm, created the several breeds of massive and incredibly loyal dogs, to carry the remnants through their roaming. Wither the stories are the truth, it is very hard to steal the riding dogs of the Suvorovains, even as pups. Most have at least four dogs, if not more and only outcasts go without the thousand pound canine companions.

Skills: Dog riding, archery, tracking, swordsmanship
Profession: Bounty Hunter but currently posing as a trader in spirits
Character goal: To lay low until the family of his latest bounty either give up or until he gets close to the lord offering the bounty.
Background: Like so many others, Aleksei was born into a wandering band of traders. As a child, he learned to ride almost before he could walk and was quick to pick up on the stories of his people. His father and uncles taught him to shoot a bow from dog back and how to weld the slightly curved shashka. As a teen, he rode as an outrider for the band and was learning the art of deal making, up until the age of sixteen. Unfortunately, half way through his sixteenth year, the band was set upon by bandits in the night. Most of his family was either slain or scattered to the winds by the time the fighting was over, with their wagons burned. Most of their goods were either carried off or destroyed in the flames.

Gathered several injured dogs, he roamed in the wilderness for several days before finding his way to a nearby village. Luckily, the villains did not have family in the village, so his life was spared from a knife in the dark. Recovering from his own wounds, he returned to the site where his family's wagons still lay as burnt out husks, recovering a bow, his father's sword and as many arrows as he could find. Using the noses of his pack, he tracked down several of the bandits, killing them and carrying their bodies to the villages in the area, receiving rewards for their heads.

Without his family or their goods, Aleksei took to a new profession, bounty hunting. In the sixteen years since, he has tracked down scores of wanted men, sometimes returning them alive for justice and sometimes returning with a head. His latest hunt, hasn't gone as well as it could. Oh he managed to track down the man and killed him but what he didn't know, was that he killed the target within sight of his family's patriarch, his very large family's patriarch. For the past several weeks, he's been the hunted for once, hounded by men out to kill him. He's slain a handful but it only seemed to enrage his pursuers even more. Luckily, he was able to come across a traveling band of Suvorovains, who gave him a wagon load of spirits, to help hide him and even offered him shelter among them. He refused, not wanting to draw killers down on the family but took the gift of the wagon, pretending to be a lone merchant to throw off pursuit.
What you are looking for: Just some fun and a great story

[Chloris]

Finn MacKenna: A walking, traveling library can be pretty interesting. I had an NPC with a close role in mind here as well, just in case, but apparently now, accident can happen to that NPC! Which is nice. I'll just ask that you put in an actual age, and precise in his appearance section if there is any strong difference between his looks and his date of birth. Which can be pretty large, considering what some rituals can do!

Drake Valentine: Perfectly understandable. Do have fun in the game that has the luck to count you amongst its players! And thanks for the heads up.

Dashenka: Your character can work pretty neatly on her own. And if there aren't many females involved, so be it. You're free to keep your slave girl alone... So to speak.

Sussurus: Your questions are quite welcome, along with your interest!
It would indeed make sense for a trader to have her own wagon.
The main beasts of burden are horses and oxes in the areas the game will start in. Various others, including camels, elephants, or mammoths are more relevant to other parts of the world, but here, the horse reigns as king. If you have a specific proposal in mind though, I'd be happy to hear it.
There are plenty of other trade routes. The Long Road is one of the very few that basically goes around the entire known world. But there are many, many other trade routes involving going from a coast to another, joining big cities and smaller towns, or going across countries.
Finally, there isn't currently a definitive list of countries set. So you're welcome to invent your own, or pick one that exists in another character's sheet!

IrishWolf: A solid character. I like him already. And his mustache too.


Now, to kick it towards the next step, here it is: the OOC thread! For all your general discussion needs. And somewhat redundant with this current threads, because obviously I don't know how to differentiate threads properly. :P

[Sussurus]

Name: Vivian Saltseller
Age: 27
Species/Race: Human
Gender: Female
Sexual preferences: Bisexual, prone to brief but passionate affairs rather than long-term relationships.
Appearance: Five feet tall, warm golden skin, black hair worn short.
Personality: Friendly, eager to see new sights, will try anything once.
Country of origin: TBD
Skills: Good at reading people, skilled at math, reasonably good shot with a crossbow.
Profession: Trader.
Character goal: Vivian has a driving curiosity about other places and peoples. She also enjoys the game of buying and selling that makes up her livelihood.
Background: Vivian is the daughter of a pair of merchants. She started a shop similar to theirs in the next town over, but eventually grew restless. She sold the shop and bought a wagon and a pair of horses, and has been on the road ever since.
What you are looking for: Vivian's goals are my goals, really. Let's go see the world!

[Chloris]

Seems like a perfectly acceptable character. Simple and effective. Fits a good role in the game. Regarding her country of origin, it could be pretty much anything so you can wait for someone and get in the same country. Limits fragmentation.

[Mist]

So, It would appear as though this has lost a bit of steam or has moved somewhere else.  I'm very interested and would like to know if there is even still a game happening at all still before I up and create my character sheet.

Thanks!

[IrishWolf]

Are you a necromancer?

Just kidding Mist. Well we did get an OOC and an IC thread open but I was only one to post and    Chloris, the game master hasn't been on the site since the end of June. So this game is rather dead.

[ElCapitan]

Pity, I read through all that and got excited.  Maybe it can be resurrected?

[IrishWolf]

Hmmm, well I have regretted not getting to use Aleksei much, however this is Chloris's universe and even though it looks like he has left for good, I wouldn't be comfortable using it without his permission.

[raptorlady80]

Name: Nadya Jaelle
Age: 22
Species/Race: Human
Gender: Female
Sexual preferences: heretosexuality with a tad bit of bicurious nature when drinking heavily. 
Ons: Strong men who can handle a strong natured woman.  Likes light s&m (giving and receiving) but nothing too extreme.   
Offs: Child abuse, slavery
Appearance: Jet black medium length hair, black eyes as dark as the deepest night and olive tinged yet pale skin.  She is always bedecked in wristfuls of bangles, earrings, necklaces, rings, you name it she loves it.  She favors the typical gypsy woman attire, flowing full skirts, off the shoulder blouses enhancing her curvaceous figure. 
Personality: A spitfire when angered however very funloving most of the time.  She tends to be very seductive and sensual in her mannerisms.  She is extremely protective of her freedom.  She's extremely superstitious as well.
Country of origin: (I don't know the countries - couldn't find the reference material or I've overlooked something)  I'm thinking something similar to eastern europe.
Skills: Jeweler, Jewelry/Gemstone appraisals, Dancing and Divination (is there room for that?), herbalism
Profession: She is a Jewelry merchant and also fortune teller by trade.
Background: She grew up in a gypsy outpost that resided in the outskirts of a valley town.  She was born breech and sadly the birthing process killed her mother.  Subsequently she was said to be unlucky by the rest of the superstitious folk.  To make things even worse for the babe, she was born with a caul covering her face. Trying to save the family stigma, her grandmother taught her the ways of divination and herbalism.  Her father crafted the finest pieces of jewelry and knew how to best cut and polish valuable gemstones.  Growing up with an unlucky association contributed to her fiery nature.  She was treated with fear and loathing, and she rebelled many times when others tried trample on her ego.  From a very early age, she learned that men often-times couldn't refuse her charms though as she was a very pretty girl turned woman.  It wasn't long before she'd go into the town and flirt with the boys and men in the village as well as with those in her outpost in order to get whatever things would make her feel happy.  Eventually, she attracted the eyes of a married townsman and began having a secret affair with him.  But as with most small towns, secrets are hard to keep hidden and he eventually cast her out of his life when his wife found out.  During this time a blight came through and started affecting small farms and quickly there were whispered rumors that she was practicing witchery and was cursing the town due to the breakup.  The wife of the townsman was the loudest accuser and soon even the whole outpost got caught up in the hysteria.  She was forced to leave the only home and people she ever knew in order to not be burned for witchcraft.
What you are looking for: I really enjoy the fantasy setting and am having a blast at attempting to tell a story via my characters.  I hope all looks ok and that I may join in the game.  This looks very much like my kind of environment to game in.  I'm looking for others to collaborate with and to read and participate in an awesome story.  Quite frankly I'm interested also in learning how to be a better writer as it's not my strong suit lol.

[Mist]

Well, If he doesn't make an appearance shortly, I think we could handle creating something similar by committee.  I'll try shooting him a PM first though.