Elder Scrolls: Stormfront! Recruitment thread (WANTED! Experienced roleplayers)

Started by Gladiator0161, June 07, 2013, 12:57:06 PM

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Gladiator0161

Hello and welcome! Thank you for taking the time to read/can over this recruitment group app! :D

This rp story will be loosely based off the video game series Elder Scrolls. Since the beta for the Elder Scrolls MMO is coming out, and the wait is killing me, lol, a friend and I came up with this!

I'll be using the cities and countries of the Elder Scrolls series, along with the races and some of the organizations, like for instance The Fighter's Guild, The Mage's Guild, Thieves Guild, The Companions, ect. but, that's where the similarities end. I won't be using a political scene unless it's absolutely necessary (meaning dealing with the political situation between Governors, Kings, Jarls ect. and their territories).

Also, god-moding will not be tolerated, you will get hit, you will get hurt, and your character does have the possibility of dying. However, no one will be allowed to kill another player's character without that player's permission, and I will only do so if someone disappears for a long period of time, or someone gets out of line. In most cases, if someone disappears and doesn't post for a while, I'll most likely have them wonder off somewhere and get lost, that way they can rejoin us if they want to/when/if they return.

The group's current OOC: https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=167595.0

Weapons that aren't allowed

This isn't a roleplay based off the story of Skyrim, and this isn't a video game, so as such limits have to be made. I hope you understand.

Daedric Artifacts, super badass AoE weapons, or other canonical weapons that are named in any of the Elder Scrolls video games, like Volendrung, Sufferthorn, Bloodthorn, Trollsbane, Gauldor Blackblade, Gauldor Blackbow, Chillwind, Dawnbreaker, Mehrune's Razor, Dragonbane, Red Eagle's Bane, Red Eagle's Fury, ect. are not allowed. Characters that start out with the best gear and the most powerful abilities are boring, and there wouldn't really be any point to the story if our characters were that way. There would be no threat of them ever truly being in danger. The more experienced or battle-hardened a character is, the tougher the challenges and opponents he or she faces need to be. Not to mention that it just causes problems, so please, don't ask for those type of weapons.

Also, this is not Dungeons and Dragons (also cool though I've never played), and we don't use dice for damage, save, or finding rolls, lol.

Weapons and Armors that are allowed

You can have any weapons or armor made out of Wood, Iron, Steel, Dwarvish, Corundum (an enhancer for iron), Moonstone (Elvish weapons), Refined Malachite (Glass Weapons), Orchish, Ebony, Bonemeal, Chitin, Quicksilver, or Daedric (all Daedric weapons are is Ebony mixed with a Daedra's heart), Falmer (if you have an idea for a weapon that is inherited to your character that once was forged by the Snow Elves before they became the Falmer, I'll consider it), or Forsworn makes. You can also have a couple of enchantments on the weapons and armor as long as it does not cross the boundaries of the rules stated above. So, I don't want to see replicas of Dawnstar or Mehrune's Razor. Also, if there is an Armor set in Dawngaurd, or the Dragonborn DLC that you really like, and it's not connected to a Daedra, or any other malevolent being that can be used as an excuse to god mode, I'll allow that as well.

Nightingale Equipment is also allowed for those that are either in that group, or have been at one time. If you've killed a Nightingale and taken his equipment, it will also be allowed, or if you had your character know someone connected to the Theives Guild, and paid a pretty penny for a set of Nightingale Armor (b'cause not only is it rare but, they'd charge you as much as possible to get a set for you), that will also be allowed.

Also, I will allow romance/sex scenes but, I don't want that to be the focus of this rp. This rp is strictly story driven, everything else is a bonus. So I don't want two pages of sex scenes and little else, ok? So, please keep to the "fade to black" rule, and keep any smuttiness between characters between you and that player through the use of personal messaging, or IM if you happen to know someone that plays the character you're interested in.

And finally, DO NOT use modern curse words like "fuck" in this rp, and please refrain from posting one sentence replies. I will understand if you can't think of anything else to write but, please write at least a paragraph (5 sentences). The more the better for me and everyone else involved in the story.

Horses

Now personally, I love horses. They're beautiful, majestic, intelligent creatures and riding horses helped me improve my hand writing when I was a kid, because I had seizures when I was really young, and so an after affect of that was that my hands shook. Might have also been the side effects of the medicine I took, I don't remember, lol. So, I have alot of fond feelings and respect for horses. That being said however, for the life of an adventurer and the purposes of this story, horses will just get in the way of things, and so won't be allowed beyond the city of Whiterun.

Why Whiterun? Because eventually our adventuresome path will take us by there, so, if you want your character to have a horse, they can bring it to Winterhold, join the meeting, and leave with it from Winterhold and take it with them to Whiterun. If you want to, the College of Winterhold has been modified to have their own stables, so you can leave your horse there too if you wish. Leaving a horse in Winterhold is a death sentence otherwise, because of how cold it is there, realistically, the horse would freeze and die in such a freezing environment.

Reasons against horses in this rp...

1: Your character will have to to take care of them.

Yes, like real animals in real life if they get hungry, sick, or wounded, your character will have to take care of those needs.

2: Horses, like other animals, have limited intelligence.

So, if your horse gets frightened, or you get ambushed by say, a Sabre Cat? You will most likely get thrown off and injured yourself. If there is a Necromancer cave that just spews an evil aura/feeling, and your horse is nervous and does not want to move, or go anywhere near that place, you run the risk of getting thrown off and losing your horse anyway, because it will run off to get away from whatever is frightening it. Also, you run the risk of getting your character seriously hurt, or killed by being trampled by your own horse, or another players horse.

3: They die easily.

Now, I'm not saying that if you have a horse that was raised around battle, that it'll scare easily, or won't put up a fight but, let's face it, Elder Scrolls is not known for it's weak enemies. Will a horse kill a bandit? Yes. Will it kill a Wolf, Mountain Lion, or small Daedric monster like a Scamp, or Imp? Most likely. Will it kill a Daedric monster like a Fire Atronauch, Frost Atronauch, Storm Atronauch, a small Daedra Lord, or Xivillai? No. Will it kill Werewolves? No, not if they're healthy. Vampires? Same thing. Not if they're healthy. What about Ogres, Minotaurs, or Mages? No, and definitely no. As for the Mage, it depends on whether he's distracted by something.

4: They're a hindrance. Plain and simple, they can't go everywhere that a player can, and realistically, they can't go straight up the side of a cliff like they can in the game.

Reasons for horses...

1: They decrease travel time. This is the single biggest reason that I could think of when contemplating whether or not to disallow horses.

Example of what I mean: Walking distance from Winterhold to Whiterun on a straight path, will take you 4 days to travel. Riding a horse from Winterhold to Whiterun will take you a day and a half at a run. And that's if you run them most of the day. Really though, the whole point of the story is to have fun and explore things while you try to find the instigator behind the rampant destruction. So, having a horse is still a bad idea.

2: They will keep your character warm at night.

3: Should your character start to starve, they are a source of food.

Now, onto the good stuff!

Playable Races

Argonian- Lizard-like humanoids
Altmer- High Elf
Breton- Human
Bosmer- Wood Elf
Betmer- Beastfolk- Vampires, Werewolves
Dunmer- Dark Elf
Imperial- Human
Khajiit- Cat-like humanoids
Maormer- Sea Elves- Mermen and Mermaids- apparently requires some kind of sea snake to move around on land?
Nord- Human
Orsimer- Orc
Redguard- Human

Racial Lifespans-(This is just what is generally accepted. The number of years each race lives is actually still being debated to my knowledge, so, if you want your character to be a little older than what's on here, it should be fine. I'll say something if anyone goes overboard, lol.)

The general consensus is that Nords, Bretons, Imperials and Redguards live for around 150 years.
Elves live around 500 or more, with High Elves being the longest lived of the Elf races. I think it's been said in Skyrim that Altmer (High Elves) have been known to live around 1,000 years but, don't quote me on that. Argonians and Kahjiit live at about the same life span, around 300 years. 

Oh, and this is what I imagine a Survival Bag to look like, in case you were curious : http://www.guntia-militaria-shop.de/catalog/popup_image.php?pID=1067&osCsid=dia4evrhff3dpbvof081gbnia4

Character Sheet-I know it's a bit annoying but, please fill this out to the best of your ability. I have my reasons for wanting this.

QuoteName:
Race:
Class/Occupation:
Archetype:
Alignment:

Age:
Height:
Weight:

Appearance:
Personality:
Biography:
Gear and Weaponry:

Ok now that all of that is out of the way let the telling of the story behind this rp commence!

STORY

The Story Date: 4E 50

It's been 50 years since the Oblivion Crisis and though the world is no longer in danger of being over run by the Daedra, rumors have started to spread about a mysterious terror that has gripped the land. All over Tamriel towns and villages have been burned down in a single night, people mysteriously disappear, or are killed by being burned alive in most cases but, according to some of the Mage's involved in the autopsies, magic was not involved. In response to this new and unseen threat, The Fighter's Guild and their rivals, The Blackwood Company, have banded together to discover and hopefully conquer this threat.

(Instead of the Blackwood Company disbanding because of the destruction of the Hist Tree, they simply went inactive for a time before a new Guild Master rose up and brought the surviving members back together, and started training new recruits. Ofcourse, the destruction of the Hist Tree was still a mighty blow and they still take on some jobs that the Fighter's Guild won't touch, such as paid assassinations, so the bitterness between the two guilds remains.)

Since all of the continent of Tamriel is in possible danger, and there is sufficient evidence to perceive it as such, though ofcourse most are doubtful at best, The Companions also join the collaboration and team up with the other guilds under the order of the Jarl of Whiterun Hold in Skyrim. Warriors from all over Tamriel have gathered for this historic meeting between the guilds for the promise of adventure, treasure, power, and renown.

Will you be one of them?

Currently revealed in the story


After spending some time in Winterhold's only tavern, The Frozen Hearth, and some friendly association accompanied by food and drink, the meeting between the various guild factions has started.

Medora Alawaen, the Altmer Guildmaster for the Fighter's Guild, has revealed that the rumors about Necromancers being the source of the murderous rampage might have some merit, as she describes what she thinks to be a misshapen centipede based on survivor accounts but, how she admitted to obtaining the information has shocked the audience into silence as everyone absorbs the information, and decides how they should react to it.

Even more confusing though, is her affirmation that she felt no presence of magic in the destroyed houses, or on the corpses of the slain villagers.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now, obviously, you don't have to know the Elder Scrolls games in order to play in this rp but, the link below goes to the Elder Scrolls Wiki in case you want to learn more/have any questions about the world, Nirn, or the "mortal plane" (that's new to me and I played Marrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim, lol).

http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/The_Elder_Scrolls_Wiki

THE STORY THREAD IS UP! PLEASE TALK TO ME BEFORE JUMPING IN IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING!

Story Thread: https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=169700.0

Now, it doesn't matter to me how many people join. All are welcome but, please specify which guild you want your character to be under, and what race you would like to play. If I left out any guilds you think would be relevant for this rp, please mention them! 

I haven't had the pleasure of playing Daggerfall or any of the other games before Marrowind, so my knowledge of the world isn't perfect by any means.

Last but, certainly not least, the current stars of the story.

Character List:

Asher: Male Half Elf (Bosmer and Breton). Occupation: Rogue/Wanderer. Played By: Asher17

Rune: (NPC) Male Kahjiit. Occupation: Archmage of the College of Winterhold. Played By: Asher17

Medora Alawaen: (NPC) Female Altmer. Occupation: Guildmaster of Cheydinhal's Fighter's Guild in Cyrodiil. Played By: Aadreal

Brathus Alanil: (NPC) Male Dunmer. Occupation: Guildmaster and owner of the Blackwood Company. Played By: Gladiator0161

Skjoldr Bear-Claw: (NPC) Male Nord. Occupation: Harbinger of the Companions. Played By: Gladiator0161.

Illindale Folvyn: Male Dunmer. Occupation: Ranger/Scout. Played By: Gladiator0161.

Zurik Theldyn: Male Dunmer. Occupation: Mage. Played By: Gladiator0161.

Galamar the Wanderer: (can be replaced) Male Nord/Werewolf. Occupation: Warrior for the Companions of Whiterun. Played By: Gladiator0161

Minella Alexandra Vallarius: Female Human Imperial. Occupation: Theif/Assassin played by KingMaster1

Hunter Pheonix: Male Human. Occupation: Mage played by Hunter Pheonix. (Player dropped out)

Whiteguard: Male Redguard. Occupation: Mercenary played EvilMegaCookiee

Halsnek: Male Half Orc (half Orc, and half Elf). Occupation: Mercenary played by Vengurd. (Character currently in stand by)

Gladiator0161

-Bump-

Still looking for more players if anyone is interested! :D

Corrected a few things, and added some allowed armors :)

AngelicBlade


Aadreal

Pretty sure Gladiator is still looking for new players.  I'm just a friend running a NPC for him.  I know he can get pretty busy though so I thought I'd pop in.  Here's the IC Thread if you wanted to take a read. 

steelsmiter

the fact that you are using no system for a game that runs on a system befuddles me.
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Gladiator0161


Hey guys, thanks for taking an interest in this thread.

Yes, AngelicBlade, I am still looking for players! I hope you'll be one of them :D

Steelsmiter, I've sent you a PM. Just a heads up. :)

steelsmiter

There was a very crucial "not" left out in my response. I'm still confused though. sorry.
I don't play in PMs
Who wants to join an incest registry?
O/Os
Download RPGs I wrote on my Discord!
So anyway I guess I'm steelsmiter on fetlife now. Hit me up and tell me you're from E!

Gladiator0161


Ok.. I still don't see what you're confused about. It's a story. You write your characters perspective, and your characters background determines how successful you are at your actions. It's just like any other roleplay thread out there, except the fact that I'm using the world of Elders Scrolls for my setting. I dunno how else to put it help you understand. :/

Sorry if that sounded snarky/rude or antagonistic, that wasn't my intention.

steelsmiter

Well... yeah sure but only in broad terms that don't really have a set meaning. They are subject to player whim. Not just my whims but yours as well. especially with you being the GM

If I told you my character was born under the sign of the shadow, and spent several days eating rats and sneaking through tunnels shootiing traps with arrows what concrete thing does that get me in your game. Am I great at

In Oblivion it got me leaving the tutorial with 74 stealth, 28 alcemy, and 40 archery. Those stats don't matter when we're talking about story and dialogue and I'll admit, this is something we absolutely agree on 100%. They had a place in Oblivion though, and at the heart in Elder Scrolls itself. Part of the games is knowing that the level cap in Skyrim is 81 or 82 (can't remember which) or that you can skip the entire main quest of Morrowind and beat the final boss in less than 20 minutes, or that you have to answer a certain question a certain way to get the Ebony Dagger in Daggerfall, etc. I'm not trying to argue you out of using freeform, more power to you. but yeah, your PMs and responses here really do help me understand on some things, but the death thing still eludes me.

Oh and I forgot, thanks for your well wishes for my family, but you could say I'm over it by now ;D
I don't play in PMs
Who wants to join an incest registry?
O/Os
Download RPGs I wrote on my Discord!
So anyway I guess I'm steelsmiter on fetlife now. Hit me up and tell me you're from E!

Gladiator0161


QuoteIf I told you my character was born under the sign of the shadow, and spent several days eating rats and sneaking through tunnels shootiing traps with arrows what concrete thing does that get me in your game. Am I great at 

In Oblivion it got me leaving the tutorial with 74 stealth, 28 alcemy, and 40 archery. Those stats don't matter when we're talking about story and dialogue and I'll admit, this is something we absolutely agree on 100%. They had a place in Oblivion though, and at the heart in Elder Scrolls itself. Part of the games is knowing that the level cap in Skyrim is 81 or 82 (can't remember which) or that you can skip the entire main quest of Morrowind and beat the final boss in less than 20 minutes, or that you have to answer a certain question a certain way to get the Ebony Dagger in Daggerfall, etc. I'm not trying to argue you out of using freeform, more power to you. but yeah, your PMs and responses here really do help me understand on some things, but the death thing still eludes me.

Well, the fact that your character only spent days and not years honing those particular skills, would make me answer no to that particular question. It takes years for us as humans to learn a trade/job, and how to do it well, to the extent that we can say that we do a "perfect" job, even if we have a knack for it. Video games such as Oblivion and Skyrim bypass this "rule" or fact, if you will, because we live in a fast paced world where we need to earn money to live, and we don't have years to spend sitting around playing a game, lol.

Like i said in my pm to you, you would have complete control of the lethality to your character, which is why I have the "No Godmodding" rule in the first place. :D

Oh also, you're welcome and I'm glad you're over it. xD

steelsmiter

The rationale of the question still stands, even if I have to tweak the explaination such that I use the term years instead of days in order to justify such high marks. let's say I do tweak the explaination. Maybe I did spend years trying to find a way out and eating rats. Someone's bound to be excellent at stealth evading all the guards that go through the tunnels. Obviously since we're not specifically using Oblivion I won't have met Uriel Septim in those tunnels, but am I a "Master sneak" or nearly so? 

What if I personally could shoot the ropes that disabled traps from the full draw distance away. Does that get my character say... Journeyman skill? Are there specific yardages that you find suitably impressive to shoot ropes from (or at least impressive enough to justify "Journeyman" skill)?

What if I say that dice rolls are the justification for my character being hit and by extension, also the degree of damage? I'd send you the link.  No one else has to. Heck, I'd even stick to your caveat about how I shoot at people, and they decide if I hit, for me that is a non-issue.

I'd even give plusses for well thought out posts others made against me. I'd be the one making the roll, and I'd be making the link public. The only concession anyone else needs to worry about is the occasional spoiler with the link to my roll so people can see it.
I don't play in PMs
Who wants to join an incest registry?
O/Os
Download RPGs I wrote on my Discord!
So anyway I guess I'm steelsmiter on fetlife now. Hit me up and tell me you're from E!

Aadreal

If I might try to help?  While I don't play video games I started with tabletop gaming (specifically d20) so I understand the need for numbers.

With freeform the numbers are handwaved and the element of awesome is in place.  That's a vague statement so allow me to try to explain.  All challenges are broken down into two camps.  Those that are meant to be beaten easily/aren't much of a challenge and the players are allowed to write out the defeat of the challenge.  Then there are challenges that are far more difficult and the GM and player dance back and forth describing the challenge and how the character defeats the challenge.  This is what I mean by the element of awesome.  The characters are special, more than just some commoner.  They have special skills, talents or just inner awesomeness that makes them special. 

In play, it can look like this.  This is from a group game I am in that is freeform.  This is a challenge the characters were made to defeat easily and so the players described defeating their enemies.  (You want posts 13 to 21)  On the other hand, a challenge that is more difficult can look like this, please note the GM and player hashed it out in google docs and the player just posted it all as one long post but you can see where there is the GM (the NPC Gaut) and the player (the PC Dak) influences. 

It works this way for combat and anything that is a challenge.  If this were a tabletop game the basic premise would be, your character is skilled in such a thing so the DC is low enough you don't need to roll versus your character could fail so you need to roll.  Only instead of luck being in place, there's common sense and trust between the players and GM.  If something is written that doesn't make sense or is just too awesome the player is asked to rewrite. 

I hope this didn't just make it more confusing.  Common sense plays a big part in freeform.  The NPC I am writing in Stormfront is an elf, been around a long time and has become the Fighter's Guild leader.  She has skill in fighting, lots of it.  Most would not be able to defeat her.  However she can't pick a lock to save her life so if I were to suddenly write she picked a simple lock the GM (and players) would rightfully call shenanigans and tell me to rewrite it.

Rajah

Quote from: steelsmiter on July 21, 2013, 02:00:59 AM
The rationale of the question still stands

You seem to be asking how freeform in general works.

It's just collaborative storytelling. There are no metrics beyond "this seems reasonable" and the GM's job is to arbitrate when that line is crossed. If you say you're an exceptionally skilled archer, you are - numbers or rankings don't get involved.

If you want to play TES in a system, I'd recommend FATE Core - but there are several prominent system conversions extant and you run it pretty easily in anything from standard D&D (3.5, 4E, whatever floats your boat) to the nWoD (houserules should take about half an hour to figure out). The game HERE is nevertheless freeform so maybe a system'd Elder Scrolls game would be better served as a new interest check, or you could even take a shot at running it yourself.
"They say even the proudest spirits can be broken...with love."

-The Beldame (CORALINE by Neil Gaiman)

steelsmiter

Here's what I mean. If I have absolute control over my character's death, I want everything that happens adversely to my character to be dice driven. I'm great if no one else wants to use dice, and perfectly fine with freeforming their stuff (such as by shooting at them), or even anything else that has literally no possibility of being lethal. I explained my reasoning to the GM, that's my bargaining chip he said he'd be alright if I played, that's my condition. If it's a deal breaker for the other players, or the GM I got no problems and can move along. If anyone wants to know my rationale, they can PM me or the GM about it but I don't need to harsh up the thread with the details. I'm a big guy, but death... it's a little much and as I said, the GM knows why.
I don't play in PMs
Who wants to join an incest registry?
O/Os
Download RPGs I wrote on my Discord!
So anyway I guess I'm steelsmiter on fetlife now. Hit me up and tell me you're from E!

Wargtass

Still looking? I have a pretty good idea for a support mage and alchemist who can barely handle swinging a fork and knife at a steak.  :P
O/O

Aadreal

*chuckles* I'm starting to feel like Gladiator's secretary.  He hasn't been able to get to his computer since early yesterday morning, don't know if he'll be able to get to it today.  To the best of my knowledge he's still looking for players and a mage would be sorely needed.  I'd suggest sending him a PM with your idea. 

Gladiator0161


Hey guys, sorry for not being able to answer you right off. I had a kidney stone that was kicking my ass. :/

Wartgass, I've sent you a reply PM and based on what you've sent me, it sounds like your character would be a fun addition :)

Steelsmiter, I've sent you a reply PM as well, I hope that helps you get a general sense of what I'm looking for in this rp. Also, ofcourse you'd have complete control over whether your character lives or dies, lol. I just don't wanna see "he swung his sword and did 18 damage on the Goblin's armor" type stuff in the story thread. It takes away from the realism of the story, know what I mean? :)

steelsmiter

Actually you'd see

[several paragraphs of action, possibly quite large paragraphs I'm not going to make up for the sake of this example]

some creative name

Difficulty to affect Lars Base would be 10, modified by specific circumstances, like if a character is specifically a master, they might get +4 meaning I'd get hit if I rolled a 6 in regards to that character

the link the dice bot spits out with the accurate honest result
But yeah if spoilers are too much for you... no problem.
I don't play in PMs
Who wants to join an incest registry?
O/Os
Download RPGs I wrote on my Discord!
So anyway I guess I'm steelsmiter on fetlife now. Hit me up and tell me you're from E!

Gladiator0161


Hey Steelsmiter, I like his name and what you have for his background so far. :)

QuoteDifficulty to affect Lars Base would be 10, modified by specific circumstances, like if a character is specifically a master, they might get +4 meaning I'd get hit if I rolled a 6 in regards to that character

Yeah, see, that's the kind of stuff I was talking about. I don't want that in my story thread. We're not writing a video game, and I've already had some trouble on that misconception, and adding that kind of stuff just reinforces what I don't want. Namely, people running around my story saying they have this particular cannon Daedric weapon, because it does so much damage and has some particular effect. We're writing a story, and I feel like having stat rolls like that would just encourage people to do exactly that.

Sorry if that sounded angry or rude, I wasn't trying to sound that way. I was simply trying to explain my reasoning. :)



steelsmiter

It did not. Now I have my response and harbor no ill will. I hope it is the same with you.
I don't play in PMs
Who wants to join an incest registry?
O/Os
Download RPGs I wrote on my Discord!
So anyway I guess I'm steelsmiter on fetlife now. Hit me up and tell me you're from E!

Gladiator0161