Fantasy: The Curse of the Red Star [lit. M for lit. F]

[Delirium147]

Dear lady/-ies,

I am in the market for a gritty fantasy roleplay. My staple stories are of the fantasy variety, and that’s exactly what I’m in the market for: something gritty, detailed and gripping, titillating and seasoned with delicious scandal. I am by no means looking for innocents. Bring me your ambitious, wild, even spiteful cast so we may dabble in personality clashes and friction. You will find out more below. Names and aesthetics are placeholders. The post is compartmentalised for ease of reading. The first two are most important, while the last two are there for additional information. Should something not be clear, feel free to contact me.

I. The Pitch:
In a land ancient and rich in lore, history and wealth, a city came to be. Kormance: the greatest city there ever was and ever would be. Like an opulent orchid, she blossomed into existence. Founded a millennium ago, she quickly rose to be the largest and most prosperous of the Adunaic settlements. Trade and wealth flowed in from across the world and funded a majestic cityscape built on the backs of slaves.

The Adunites ruled lands cruel and often glamorous, and were a people glamorous and often cruel, worshipping many and various gods. Gods that were like their people: demanding and rather prone to jealousy. A people who responded to the curious erotic stimulus of the red star, which appeared for several weeks of each year in their night-time skies. As it trekked along the firmament, passions blazed and moods ran hot.

After the Downfall, a cataclysmic event that saw Adun, the Adunaic homeland destroyed, Kormance became the new seat of Kings. However, when their line ended, the city adopted an oligarchic form of government. Wealthy families of pure descent sat on a council for life, elected officials, and steered the Ship of State.

Kormance was proudly at peace, yet conflict remained a fact of life in the borderlands that stretched to the east and south. While the days of empire were gone, old pride remained, and many young noblemen sought service to prove themselves worthy of their family’s name. Ensuring the safety of the trade routes to the orient thus served a dual purpose: a proving grounds and economic influx.

As eldest, Calthor grew up groaning under paternal scrutiny. It was a lesson instilled in all of Lord Urian’s children: nothing short of dynasty would be acceptable. Calthor went east in an effort to escape his overbearing sire, and show his mettle. Reports lauded his conduct and spoke of a bright future. Thus, a letter was sent back that after another season, Calthor was to return home and take up a seat beside his father in the city council. The letter also mentioned a suitable bride he was to wed.

Then, an altogether different message reached the family patriarch. His son, groomed from a young age to carry on the family’s illustrious legacy, had gone missing. In a rare display of fatherly concern, Urian journeyed to the eastern borderlands in search of his eldest. Matters in Kormance and the increasingly logical conclusion eventually forced him to return, without even a body or bones to bury. It was not long before Urian’s hopes and aspirations were transferred to his second son. Plans were remade and wills were rewritten, life went on according to the neat lines Lord Urian drew. The loss of a son was not, so it seemed, insurmountable for the House of Urian Corbain.

But what does one do when five years on, during the sun-soaked splendour of summer, said son returns? Did the Red Star herald his return? How does one tell him that his betrothed has passed on to his younger brother, and that that brother has been confirmed as heir to the family name and fortune?


Inspiration: Works by Tanith Lee, G.R.R. Martin and Tolkien, renaissance Venice and Firenze, Antiquity’s Carthage, Phoenicia, Greek cities, Rome.

II. What am I looking for?
I wish to explore a faraway world. It's a setting rife with social tension, familial turmoil, backroom politics, conflicting interests and flaring tempers - something exotic and erotic. I'm looking to bring this story to life with rich imagery, lush locations, and vibrant and perverse characters that are still believable in their motivations. I've written out a bit of the setting and pairing, but I'll happily tweak and discuss other ideas. Your character could be from a rival family, or the mentioned spouse, a slave, a priestess-sorceress, someone returning home with him after his disappearance,... She can be an ally or a rival, though preferably a little bit of both because I am a sucker for push and pull. There are multiple possibilities. Bring your own stuff to the table, I'd love to hear you out.

Continuing with content, I’d like a tale with elements from low to high fantasy. My preference is for low, where magic is suggestive and rather limited, prophecies are ambiguous, and Gods are distant and unintrusive. While there is an emphasis on elements typically associated with fantasy it sets a narrative in "realistic" environments. Murder, mystery and violence can feature in this gritty fantasy world the both of us would create. I don't tend to shy away from darker themes if they serve the plot. Everything I wrote here is just to get us started. Please send me a personal message for further discussion.

III. Who am I looking for?
An erudite, dedicated female writer wanting to play a female opposite one or several of my characters. Keep in mind that this is merely one story pitch. I am available and looking for talented writing partners who are up for working out an intriguing tale with me. Who are our characters? What is the pairing? While I have a few suggestions at the ready, let's figure out our main characters in tandem.

Who and what am I exactly looking for? A (kinky) female writer of daring disposition, someone who is not scared of describing adult themes. An ambitious female keen on and capable of crawling into the brain of one (or ideally several) character(s). I am looking for story and smut in somewhat equal measure and quality, though for me story usually takes precedence. Without a salacious story there can’t be salacious smut. My writing partner is someone who is preferably available over Discord (PM me) to discuss the plotline, hooks and characters. Who has at the very least glossed over my o/Os and preferences or other Request Threads. And, who is a proficient and prolific writer, unafraid of grey morality, explicit and passionate descriptions, tragedy and triumph, love and pain both, grim tales, ... The RP itself would unfold on the forums, but (and I cannot stress this enough) OOC communication is key.

IV. Practical notes:
Let me cover the practical stuff. Hopefully the next segment won’t come across as too coarse. If it appears blunt, it is for clarity’s sake. Never fear, ladies  ;) As a gentleman, I do have manners.

• Communication:
  Communication is key! To that end I ask for contact details, with a preference for Discord. Initial greetings and introductions over PMs is all well and good, but a collaborative experience like this benefits from a chat service. The past has taught me that OOC chatter and an extra channel of communication hugely improves the RP. I am eager to hear from you! Particularly when hammering out our character pairing and dynamic. It all adds ease, fluidity and spontaneity to brainstorming, discussion, etc. Merely corresponding over PMs is good but not good enough. However, actual RP would take place on the forum.
  

• Post length:
  A writer who can produce quality posts of 500 words and up. Obviously, word count will vary per post, and is subject to character interaction, situation in the story, etc. Nevertheless, I think 500 indicates a decent average. My own posts usually cap around the 750 word range, but descriptive or introductory posts can grow to over double that. As a rule, I mirror post length. Check out my posts should you like an example of my writing, style and tastes.
  

• Frequency:
  I try to get a post out at least once a week. Life can be hectic, I’m more than aware. The next bit ties in with communication. I am quite patient as long as you keep me in the loop. I tend to post at least once a week (two at the most), and I expect the same to maintain my interest in the game. This is a rule of thumb and obviously posting times may vary. If you simply aren't able to post to our game, I'd love it if you'd let me know. If you'd like to terminate the RP, there will be no hard feelings. If something isn’t working out or you’d like a change, just let me know.
  

Conclusion:
In any case, my ideal partner should be available for brainstorming plot, pairings and characters. While I can provide concepts or pairings, I would much rather hear suggestions and proposals. Where do you want to play? Who? What sort of character? These questions and more I would love to iron out via IM. Let's talk. The goal is to weave a tale that belongs to both of us, as opposed to me dictating the ensemble. If my current pitch did not appeal to you, then I encourage you to make a suggestion of your own.

Do you think you fit the writer profile? Hit me up and let's work something out!

Older plots and pitches.

[Delirium147]

Bump.