|
| Thread: Annals of the Banner - War for the South (OOC) | |
|
Kipshasz
Undefeatable Hero
Elvin's Darkside
|
posted February 21, 2018 12:01 PM |
|
Edited by Kipshasz at 09:01, 26 Mar 2018.
|
Annals of the Banner - War for the South (OOC)
Woooheee, as a certain character named after an anus says, I did expand this A LOT. Sorry Joonas, ystäväni(I do hope google translate is not bleeping me with this word), I will not be joining your free from RP, as epic as I’m sure it is. Just not my thing anymore. I’ve been working on this bad boy for a long while now, all of you nerds better not disappoint, or I’ll dispatch the resident Sicilian to take you for a ride.
The Premise:
Five years had passed since the Brotherhood’s expedition was launched to the North to find the dwarven explorer Brann Goldbeard and the Malus of Alberich with him. And while the expedition was successful, after the Second Siege of Diamond, where the fury of the Malus was unleashed, it was deemed unanimously that this relic was far too powerful to be entrusted to anyone, but the god who forged it. The expedition returned home, and the renowned dwarven adventurer went back to write about his adventures searching for the Malus, and to start a fresh quest.
But as the Brotherhood and the Northerners were fighting the Cult in the North, trouble stirred in the south. After the caliph’ passing, his two sons began fighting over the throne, plunging their kingdom into a civil war. The youngest son, blinded by lust for power had allied himself with the cult, and had won the civil war, becoming the new Caliph of Emerdina.
With his ascension to the throne, he began expanding his domain both north and south. In the south, almost half of Bonswada had fallen, and had been only stopped due to the mages of Clan Vizjeq, who had erected a massive rock wall on land, and jagged, hidden reefs in the sea, to protect what’s left of Bonswada, but also, isolating it completely. By doing this, the mage city of Clan Vizjeq is currently besieged by the Emerdinan army.
In the North, the conquests of the new Caliph had been thwarthed by the orcs, as the Orcish Lands stand right between Emerdina and Merinanth. Capturing the Orc city of Kree means controlling the regions and the passes into Merinanth. And the orcish tribes will not give it up without a fight. Kree has been besieged for the last two years, and even though the orc tribes maintain a hold of the city, their strength begins to wane. As such, the Queen of Merinanth had dispatched the Brotherhood to break the Siege of Kree and push back the Emerdinan invaders threatening her borders. The Samann Inquisition had also took a keen interest in the current ruling body of Emerdina, however, they are too few to wage a successful war on their own, and as such, several agents of Clan Samann, along with the resident Brotherhood sorcerers Halfman and Nightshade had joined the Brotherhood’s ranks.
There are whispers of another relic being found, yet these tales tell little to nothing about the relic itself, or even if it exists. One thing is for certain – none of the relics must fall to the hands of the Cult.
A classical medieval fantasy, or in this case late medieval fantasy setting. Various mythical creatures exist, first gunpowder firearms are being made, and heavy full plate armor suits are slowly becoming as you can put it, obsolete as new forms of warfare slowly evolve.
Standart RP rules apply.
People who participated in the Chapter 2 of the story (Search For the Stormhammer) may continue to play their old characters.
All PCs (old and new) are ALREADY PART of the Brotherhood.
Gun tech level – Wheellock, however, no kingdom had armed their troops fully with firearms, and they are still reserved to the most elite.
Cold Weapons – Anything up to XVIIIth century.
Calendar – your standart earth type, 12 months, 24 hours 365 days deal. Months have different names though.
1. January = Month of High Cold
2. February = Month of Ice
3. March = Month of Hearths
4. April = Month of Timber
5. May = Month of Seeds
6. June = Month of Nets
7. July = Month of Honey
8. August = Month of Harvest
9. September = Month of Rain
10. October = Month of Songs
11. November = Month of Wind
12. December = Month of Frostfall
Realms and dimensions:
- The Cosmos: Where the mortal races dwell, The planet itself orbits a single star, and has three moons. The planet’s name is Elaria, it has three continents – one in the east, where the game takes place, one in the west, as of now barely accessible from the east, although few ships from Sapphire did reached it, and one in the South Pole of the world, covered by a thick ice layer. The climate in the Southern Kingdoms is mild, and usually two harvests can be had each season. The climate in the Northern Freeholds is less so, but still, it’s no Siberia in winter. Only harsher climate is in the deep north part of the continent, in the tundra steppes beyond the city of Onyx.
- Underworld – The realm where the souls of the dead reside. It is divided into several separate sections, and is governed closely by the god Vellynn. The sub realms of the underworld are:
- Halls of Vellynn : a Valhalaesque realm, a massive feast hall and training ground, where Vellynn gathers the souls of valiant dead. Myths hold that these warriors will aid the god in an upcoming war.
- Everplain : a bright and sunny place, where the souls of those who died of natural causes, or died young reside. It’s an eternally idyllic place, your equivalent of paradise
- Tenebri: A dark hellscape, which serves as a jailing place for the souls scum of the world, and the souls of most of the elves who turned from their goddess Calista and formed the Dominion.
- The Void – A dimension where the demons, called voidspawn reside. The realm which the Dark God Jagnir claimed as his own. The souls of those devoted to him are drawn to this place.
- Grand Heavens – The seat of the Pantheon, it is described as a heavenly place, with floating islands amongst the thick, white clouds on which the gods of the Pantheon make their home.
- Phylacaeum: A tartarus-like plane, in which the Dark God Jagnir is now imprisoned.
- The Elemental Realms: Several small planes in which the raw spirits representing the elements reside. They are five in total, representing Earth, Fire, Water, Air and the Arcane.
Gods and Religion:
Major deities are called the Pantheon. The Church of the Pantheon is the single major religion within the human kingdoms. They are a benevolent force, for the most part, but do have a military arm, the Temple Guard, who serve as the protectors of the temples, as well as other objects belonging to the Faith. They also have a priest-healer caste, the Hospitallers, who receive their training from the sorcerers of Clan Manarri.
These gods are:
Alberich: Patron god of the Dwarves and gnomes, he is responsible for their creation. He is also the god of labor and invention, most often depicted working at a forge. He also shaped the mountains of the world.
Allikha Khan: while not exactly a god, the orcs worship their ancient hero as such, for bringing the beginning of the elven downfall and the salvation for the race, as orcs suffered the most under the elven rule. It’s more like a cult of personality, or veneration as a culture hero, and is not actually a part of the Church of Pantheon.
Breata: creator of giants, halflings and humans She is the main deity that halflings worship, and is the second deity that humans pray to. She is the goddess of home, fire and fertility. Along side Manara she created the other non sentient creatures of the world, as well as gave life to the mortal races
Calista: Forgotten by the rest now, she was the deity of the elves. Scholars argue about her role in the pantheon, because most things regarding her were of elven origin, and as such many sources were destroyed during the Culling of the Elves. There are still some hidden or ruined shrines to her scattered through the land.
Drakthan: Creator of orcs. God of warfare and hunt. Orc patron god. Deserts and steppes are his creations.
Jagnir: mainly seen as the god of evil, trickery and plotting, this deity is responsible for the creation of Ogres and Goblins. He is the one that started the Wars of the Gods, going one against all and creating discontent amongst other gods. He is responsible for the creation of various monsters in the world. He is currently inprisoned within Phylacaeum. The Cult seeks to free him.
Manara: Goddess associated with healing and the land. Worshipped by many, including healers, farmers and animal herders. With Breata she created the beasts and birds of this world.
Ocenanya: Creator of the seas, rivers, lakes and all their life. Patron god of sailors and Neburans.
Parkkun: God of wisdom, truth and justice. Associated with lightning storms. Considered the human Patron god. He is the eldest of the pantheon. He gifted the mortal races with intelligence.
Vellynn: God of the underworld and the guardian of the souls of the dead. He was the only one not participating in the Wars of The Gods.
The gods themselves can appear to mortals, but they do not interfere in their affairs directly, only to provide vague, cryptic messages or to pass a judgement in a form of a simple trial on those questing for glory. In some places, called the Oracles, they have more power than anywhere else in the world. Currently the three known Oracles are in the Mage Duchy of Dhamann, in a Dryad populated forest near the freehold of Beryl, and one in an isle deep in the North. Two of the Oracles are collosal oak trees, while the third is a single white granite menhir.
A short timeline:
Some 50 billion years BTC(Before the Culling): The gods are born from Chaos. They shape the realm over the eons, changing it completely over few hundred million years, never happy with the outcome.
250 million BTC: Satisfied with their design of the world, the Gods create the first races: Elves, Giants, Gnomes and Dwarves. First Godly Relics are crafted
100 million BTC: Humans and Orcs are created, along with Halflings, Ogres and Goblins
35000 BTC: The Godly relics are gifted to the mortal races, dawn of the Golden Age.
30000 BTC: the Wars of the Gods begin.
25000 BTC: The Wars of The Gods come to an end. Beginning of the Great Winter.
15000 BTC: The Great Winter ends. Beginning of the Age of Heroes
12000 BTC: The rise of the Elven dominion
11950 BTC: The dominion conquers the known world. The “lesser races” except for a few Giant Tribes suffer untold anguish and suffering under the leash of the Dominion
400 BTC: after many unsuccessful attempts a full scale rebellion finally challenges the might of the Elves.
380 BTC: The dominion is defeated after an orc hero Allikha Khan bests the Elven overlord Errynel in battle. Mounting Errynel’s head on a pike marks the beginning of the Culling of the Elves
0 ATC After the Culling. The new epoch is measured with the end of the elven genocide) Rebuilt kingdom of Neburu slaughters the last group of elves hiding in their island chain. This marks the end of Age of Heroes, and the beginning of a new epoch, the Seasons of Turmoil.
205 ATC(or SOT) : the legends about the Godly Relics are remembered, and many new found heroes set out to find them
600 ATC: Rogue wizards from the academy of Vendigr unleash a plague of Demons on the world utilizing surviving Dominion Warlock tomes on how to tap to the powers of the Void. Their techniques are later picked up by Clan Onshall.
615 ATC: The demonic incursion is defeated. The demoniac cult is scattered and defeated, although small cults following their doctrine still sprung up without causing major damage.
720 ATC: The Dwarven Clans dig to deep and unleash a plague of underground dwelling monsters upon the world, they become known simply as troglodytes or trogs.
740 ATC: the troglodyte hordes were defeated and their remnants hunted down and destroyed mercilessly.
860 ATC: an undead scourge rise up in Bonswada, instigated by the mages of the Clan Mortis.
900 ATC: the undead legions are defeated and the necromancers responsible are executed. Bonswadans discover vast quantities of gold being washed out by their two mighty rivers.
1100 ATC: after a failed uprising later known as the Grand Rebellion of Merinanth, the Miner’s Guild is formed. The rogue lords were using the mining profits to raise the funds for the rebellion. The Miner’s Guild had to ensure no other such thing occurred ever again.
1170 ATC: the Miner’s guild forms a complete monopoly of mined goods trade in the human kingdoms.
1320 ATC: a Civil war broke out in Kythay, sundering the kingdom into seven warring states.
1482 ATC: the civil war in Kythay ends, reuniting the kingdom once more. Kythayan historians write poetic chronicles of the period, titled “The Romance of the Seven Kingdoms”
1835 ATC: the Free Companies venture from the Uncharted North into the realm. There are nine mercenary companies in total.
1976 ATC: three of the Free Companies fall during the Siege of Ysmarkand, ending the war lasting 75 years and triggered by power hungry Onshall Mage Clan.
1994 ATC: the last members of Onshall Clan are killed. The academy city of Tullah, their last bastion is sacked and destroyed.
2158 ATC: three more of the Free Companies are ravaged during the Succession Wars of Merinanth. The royalists win the conflict, and the royal line is secured. The three mercenary companies involved, did not survived the ordeal and remaining members merged with the remaining three groups.
2420 ATC: Another Free Company falls during the demonic scourge unleashed by the rogue members of Clan Samann.
2450 ATC: Clan Samann rogues are defeated by the combined efforts of the Merinanthian and Kythayan military and the loyalists of the mage clan. Clan Samann reforms itself, dedicating their studies solely to counterspells and defeating rogue wizards. The Samann Inquisition is formed.
2800 ATC: Another Free Company falls during confrontation of Dwarven forces and Ogre clans in a violent clash at the Battle of the Wheel Clan halls. The Brotherhood of the Tattered Banner is the only Free Company remaining.
2850 ATC: The Brotherhood swears to service for Lord Meric Andross of Amber Shore, a Merinanthian Lord. The company serves the House of Andross for 70 years.
3042 ATC: The Brotherhood fights a large Goblin menace in Bonswada. During the campaign the company reaches it’s peak strength of 50000 men.
3050 ATC: The Brotherhood sacks Anbuktu, the Bonswadan capital, after the king refused to pay their wages. Since the incident, the Brotherhood men were ALWAYS paid for their service.
3294 ATC: The Brotherhood is involved in a clash between Emerdina and Bonswada over a land dispute. The dispute is eventually settled, and the Brotherhood leaves the service of Emerdinan caliph.
3420: the Tattered Banners enter the servitude of the Merinanthian Throne, dealing with rogue lords and ogre menaces.
4501 ATC: the Wizard city-academy of Derring suffers an mage uprising. The Brotherhood is used to quell the uprisng, greatly dwindling their numbers.
5012 ATC: The Brotherhood of the Tattered Banner almost faces destruction during a war between Merinanth and Neburu. Few members survive and are able to reform the group.
5798 ATC: Another Undead legion rises threatening the human kingdoms. The Brotherhood is one amongst the many to help repel the menace.
0 ASOT(After Seasons of Turmoil): The Brotherhood clings to this world, still a few thousand men strong, working various jobs for various employers. A new epoch dawns, called by some the Second Age of Heroes, but it’s not reffered to in the written annals just yet.
205 ASOT: A coven of rogue sorcerers try to summon some of the most powerfull Voidpsawn and their minion hordes to the realm. They are stopped by the Brotherhood in mere moments before another demon horde plows through the land.
1200 ASOT: A small border skirmish breaks out before Merinanth and Emerdina. It grows into a full scale war between the nations. The Brotherhood of the Tattered Banner enter the service of the throne of Merinanth again. The contract lasts during the conflict and onwards.
1205 ASOT: the Border War ends with a signing of a peace treaty.
1240 ASOT: a new wave of would be adventurers emerge, seeking to reclaim the Godly Relics.
1450 ASOT: The Duchy of Mikaya of Merinanth wishes to separate from the kingdom using aggressive measures. The Brotherhood of the Tattered Banner along with the regular Merinanthian military is sent to thwart the rebellion.
1455 ASOT: the rebellion is quelled, but the mercenary company is greatly reduced in numbers, now being a few dozen strong. At about the same time, a strange illness affects the Merinanthian princes.
1460 ASOT: The Brotherhood accepts the quest form the King of Merinanth to find the Goblet of Manara., marking the beginning of the Quest for the Goblet. This Quest marks the new epoch, and the chronicle scribes now refer to it as the Second Age of Heroes
2 SAOH: The Goblet is recovered and returned to the Capital of Merinanth, where it was placed in the Grand Temple of The Pantheon.
6 SAOH( 1466 ASOT): The War of the North begins, with the Cult of Jagnir invading Northern duchies of Merinanth , and the northern provinces of Kythay.
11 SAOH: The First Siege of Diamond, the turning point of the War of the North. The city itself, once a site of an ancient Elven city is reduced to rubble during the fighting.
12 SAOH: The War of the North ends. Domerth Dragonheart is born.
40 SAOH: The Tattered Banner sends an expedition to the North to locate Brann Goldbeard and the second Godly Relic, The Malus of Alberich. During the early stages, the expedition was attacked by the cult, and after a while, split into two, with one group focusing on their main goal, and one of them, well versed in politics and diplomacy, set out to reunite the Freeholds, who again descended into bickering over trade routes.
Late 40 SAOH: The Burning of the Blackness. In order to escape the vicious beastmen tribes serving the Cult, The Brotherhood’s sorceress belonging to Clan Agnirri set the ancient grove, called by the northmen The Blackness, on fire. The conjured firestorm had completely destroyed the grove.
41 SAOH: Battle of Onyx. The Brotherhood’s expedition with the aid of the Northern Free Companies fight the Cult inside the city of Onyx. A quarter of the city is destroyed during the duel between the Brotherhood’s Half-Giant warrior John, called The Giant and a Greater Voidspawn, as well as the rest of the Brotherhood and the forces of the Cult.
Late 41 SAOH: The Malus of Alberich is found. It chose the dwarf Brann Goldbeard as it’s mortal wielder.
42 SAOH: The Second Siege of Diamond. The Brotherhood, as well as the forces of the Freeholds besiege the ruins of Diamond, now a stronghold of the Cult. The battle is a stalemate, until Brann Goldbeard uses the Malus to completely wipeout the Cult of Jagnir present in the area. In the aftermath, it was decided by the Brotherhood, that the Malus is too powerful to be trusted to any mortal.
Mid 42 SAOH: The Malus is returned to it’s creator, when Alberich was summoned via the Oracle in the Dryad Grove near Beryl. Thus ends the Search for the Stormhammer.
43 SAOH: The Caliph of Emerdina, Salim el-Harron, called the Wise, dies, without choosing a successor. Two of his eldest sons begin to compete for the throne.
Late 43 SAOH: A civil war erupts in Emerdina.
44 SAOH: The civil war in Emerdina reaches it’s peak. People speak of horrifying creatures fighting on behalf of one of the borthers.
Early 45 SAOH: Emerdinan civil war ends, Aiman el-Harron, The former Caliph’s second son, assumes the throne. The new Caliph immediately begins to expand his realm, conquering much of Northern Bonswada,
Mid 45 SAOH: Dragomir the Black of House Dragonheart, the long running captain of the Brotherhood of the Tattered Banner, duke of North Shandra, passes away at the age of 80. His eldest son, Domerth Dragonheart, called the Young Dragon is unanimously elected as the new captain of the Brotherhood. Dragomir’s daughter, Aveline Dragonheart, the second eldest, assumed the title of Duchess, as per will of her Father.
Late 45 SAOH: The sorcerers of Clan Vizjeq erect a wall to protect the remnant of Bonswada. The Sieges of Kree and Sequat begin.
46 SAOH: Several agents of the Samann Inquisition disappear in Emerdina. This prompts the Conclave to suspect that the Cult is involved.
47 SAOH: The suspicions of the Conclave are confirmed. The Queen of Merinanth dispatches the Brotherhood to break the siege of Kree. Word has it that the Emperor of Kythay is also sending troops to aid the orcs in their struggle, as their city is the key to controlling the passes into both Merinanth and Kythay.
There are three “major” races sort of speak, and all are the peak of civilisation. Some minor, non playable races live alongside with them (Gnomes live with the dwarves, and halflings alongside humans.)
In short, the characters can be of these races:
Human(including Wickerborn)
Dwarf
Orc
Dryad(female only)
Half-Orc
Half-Giant
There are few other human kingdoms, alongside Merinanth. They vary in size and culture.
- Merinanth represents a classical, familiar to the bones European kingdom, and is the largest of them all. This Kingdom controls the Miner’s Guild.
Merinanth’s Capital city – Vorutha. It is a large city, built on a confluence on two large rivers. Seven fortresses ring the city, making them it’s first line of defense. Vorutha houses the most important Pantheon temples, and is the place where the Goblet of Manara is being safeguarded. The Temple District is a mass destination for pilgrims, even more so after the recovery of the Goblet.
-Kythay is an oriental culture kingdom, a mixture of mostly Chinese and Japanese. A nation of islands and peninsulas, borders Merinanth to the east.
Capital City – Shaoxing, sometimes called the City of a Thousand Canals, it is built on the banks of the Jade river, with the Emperor’s Palace complex, a city within a city itself being built on the right bank along with the district for the Kythayan Elite, and the commoner and trade district on the left. It has an extensive canal system, and many poorer people reside in their boats.
-Emerdina is based on Arabic and Hindi cultures. The landscape varies from lush oases and bits of jungle, to vast deserts and steppes. It’s people were originally nomads, uniting only after the Elven Dominion has been defeated. Borders Merinanth to the south east. Capital city – Ysmarkand, reffered as the White City, due to a law being passed that all permanent buildings in Ysmarkand have to be painted whte, this city is known for it’s spice and ivory markets.
-Bonswada is located deep south, bordering only Emerdina. A lush jungle and savannah region, it is inhabited by dark skinned humans, for the most part. It is said to be very rich, and rumors has it that the current king rewards people with sacks of gold for nearly every small quest or errand they’re sent on. Based on various African cultures and the medieval Mali empire.
Capital City – Anbuktu, sometimes called the Golden City. The buildings are mostly built of sandstone and are exquisitely decorated, even those of the poorer folk. Anbuktu was once brutally sacked by the Brotherhood. Anbuktu stands nearby the long dormant volcano called Mount Qalisk or The Black Peak, which is also the home for the dwarven families that make up the Black Mountain Clan.
-Neburu is a small island nation to Merinanth’s west, bordering nearly the entire Merinanthian west coast. The people are based on polynesian people culture wise, but don’t use primitive weapons made from hardwood and obsidian anymore. Their islands are dotted with many elven ruins, as it was the last refuge for their race. The neburans were the ones who killed off the last elves. Capital City – Otoki, which is built on a complex of small islands, and is connected via hundreds of causeways. Otoki is also one of the largest port cities in Elaria, with only Sapphire and Lazuli rivalling it in the North.
-The Miner’s Guild itself is a nation within a nation(much like Dutch Ost India company was) they have their own military force and govern several mining colonies and towns around the known world, but they still answer to the throne of Merinanth. They hold the monopoly of mining and metallurgy within human kingdoms. Only healthy competition is the Dwarven clans, but the ingots made by the dwarves are reserved for the weapon making for high end users(royalty, various wealthy lords, etc) and is considered a luxury material. For everything else that needs to be made from metal in human lands, the Guild supplies the metal as well as fuel and precious stones.
The Guild employs a strong mercenary force and can defend itself from various well organised bandit groups and other threats if needed.
The Northern Freeholds
After the War For the North, trade and such has been opened up, and caravans travel very frequently through the mountain passes. There are no kingdoms in the north, but a collections of Free City-States, which are collectivelly known as The Gemstone Cities. The cities themselves are sitting on foundations of cities that have been originally built by the elves. Each of them has varying degree of surviving and intact elven architecture. Each city, as the name implies, is named after a specific gemstone. These are(in no specific order):
-Beryl - The first large city that travelers from North Shandra encounter.
-Jade - The first city for those that come from the pass in Kythay.
-Onyx - The northernmost city, it is the birthplace of the Brotherhood of the Tattered Banner.
-Sapphire - A thriving port town on the west coast of the continent. Some say, that some ships from Sapphire reached a new continent in the west.
-Amethyst - The richest of the Gemstone Cities.
-Lazuli - Another port city, this one is on the eastern coast.
-Opal - The city found in the northeast, that has maintained the highest percentage of elven buildings.
-Garnet - A city built on a temple complex to the Elven Goddess Calista.
-Topaz - The smallest of the Gemstone Cities, standing in a place of an ancient elven fortress.
-Jasper - The city with the least amount of elven architecture in it.
-Emerald - The city from which the most Free Companies were formed.
-Diamond - The siege of this city was the turning point of the War For the North. Although the Brotherhood and it's allies were victoriuos, the city itself was destroyed completely from all the fighting between the sorcerers present in both armies. Prior to that, it was the biggest, and most wealthy of the Gemstone Cities.
All of the Gemstone cities are rich merchant hubs, specialising in many different types of merchandise. And no, there are no inhabitants with elven blood. They are primarily inhabited by humans, but also have members of other races in them.
-Average human male is about 170-190cm tall.
Dwarven clans reside in a vast mountain range ranging from northern to central Merinanth, called the Steelwall. This mountain range also extends to Northern Kythay was well. The central Merinanthian portion of the mountains are sometimes called the Iron Hills. Some clans are scattered within the lonely mountains or small mountain ranges in Kythai, Emerdina and Bonswada, but are all connected with underground passages. Ruled over by a council of Clan Leaders, or Thanes. Some smaller dwarven clans or certain families from a clan work within the Merinanthian Miner’s Guild.
Dwarves stand about 130-135cm on average. Tallest dwarf was Thane Magnar Thunderstone of Wheel Clan, who stood at 145cm.
Dwarven metalwork is prized all across the realm. Some dwarves driven by curiousity and who knows what else, began inventing flying machines and other strange contraptions alongside the gnomes. So far, none of the experimental craft were successful in a large scale, although some clans did began to use hot air balloons for scounting purposes.
The largest, and most powerful dwarven clan is the Wheel Clan, and it’s halls are located on Alberich’s Throne, the tallest peak in the Steelwall mountains.
Orchish tribes are nomadic people roaming the steppes and plains in human lands. They only have one city, Kree, which is nestled between Merinanth and Emerdina, and serves as the gathering place for the tribal groups to settle conflicts, perform various ceremonies, burial ground, a place were young orcs go to train in the art of shamanism and a place for the elderly who are unable to live the nomad style anymore. It is, regardless of the majority of the citizens, heavily fortified and well defended. A single orc tribe is selected to keep guard over it, however, all orcs from all tribes will gather to defend it if needed.
The current guardians of Kree are orcs from the Stone Ox tribe.
The largest and most powerful tribe of orcs is called the Black Claw tribe, and is the tribe from which their culture hero, Allikha Khan originated.
Orcs are more muscular than humans, and are also a tad taller than them. Average orc male is about 2 meters tall. They are also more enduring than humans, as even an orc in his twilight years is still able to put up a good fight.
Orcs are known for their Fourhorns, a breed of large bovines, which can be used either as dairy cows, grown for meat or as beasts of burden. Fourhorn meat and dairy products, leathers and horns, as well as live cattle and items crafted from their horns and leather are valued commodities by both the humans and the dwarves and is the main object of barter when trading with the Orcs. A Fourhorn herd is the main thing of value of an orcish community, and the orcs will fight ferociously to defend them. Cattle rustlers often try to steal their bovines, although succeed rarely. The horns of these bovines are unique as they resemble ivory in their structure.
Alongside Fourhorns, the orcs keep a domesticated breed of direwolves , as cattle herders, guard animals and mounts for the orcs.
Orcish people ARE NOT brutish and stupid beyond imagining. Or hideous to look upon(like LOTR orcs)
Dryads. Daughters of the forest. They excell at ranged combat, favouring bows, but are quick and agile in close quarters combat as well. Their sorceresses use magic in a similar way that the druids of Clan Therium use (i.e. controlling the nature, like entangling their enemies in roots and so forth). They have olive toned skin(although some other dark greenish tints can be possible), and can live for several centuries(oldest dryads are known to be around 600 years old). And average Dryad is up to 1,75m tall. Dryads are born most oftenly from a human father and a dryad mother. There are no dryad males. If from such a union a boy is born, he's a normal human boy, but can live a tad more than normal humans(up to about 120 years, he still ages like a normal human would though). Usually the dryad abandons the baby boy, leaving him in a wicker cradle by the doors of a normal human family. A dryad will never abandon her daughters in any instances. The father is excluded from raising the child(since many of them were passing travelers anyways) The human males born out of a dryad are usually reffered as Wickerborn, and have a slight, barely visible olive green hue on their skin.
Other sentient, but non playable races are:
Ogres: A primitive race still in the edge of stone and bronze ages. Live in the mountains, and often clash with the dwarves. Sometimes kidnap human women(and that’s where baby half ogres come from) Average intelligence. Your average numbskull ogre stands about 250cm(metric ftw) tall.
Goblins: jungle vermin, rapidly making their way northwards. Short in stature, but wast in numbers and quickly reproducing, they are aggressive towards all non goblins. Often try to besiege Miner’s Guild Settlements, especially the ones where gem mining is prominent. Likes shiny objects a lot. Intelligence is average, but some bigger individuals sometimes show higher than average intellect. Less than a meter tall, but some are 120 or 130cm in height.
Gnomes: distant cousins of the dwarves, the gnomes share the mountain halls of their cousin race. Curious and very intelligent, they’re the ones who came up with the basic handgun design and various defence and siege engines the dwarves use. Due to their frail stature they are not suited for combat at all. About 80-90cm tall. Very high intelligence
Halflings do not have their own realm, instead they inhabit a small portion of South Western Merinanth, and have their own duchy. They are mostly innkeepers and farmers, some are merchants and craftsmen specialising in making musical instruments, jewelry and textile. A 120cm tall on average. Quick witted and itellingent people. Relatively staying away from conflict.
Giants: resembling humans by their looks, giants usually live in small, secluded family groups scattered around the world. Since the Age of Heroes they tend to keep to themselves mostly, but more recently they began interacting with humans more. Some of these interactions end either in trade, impregnation or conflict. Tend to from 3.50 to 4.50 meters tall. Very intelligent.
There are halfbreeds in this world and they come in three groups:
Half-Orcs
Half-Giants
Half-Ogres(non playable)
Usually a halfbreed inherits the intelligence of his/her mother and physical attributes of the father. Since most halfbreeds are born from a human mother, they possess human level of cunning and intelligence.
There were no half-elves in any time, as elves saw interbreeding with the “lesser” races as an act most disgraceful and tainted. If such a union did happen, neither the parents nor the child(ren) survived for long.
Half orcs tend to have light olive green skin, but some other colorations are possible. Some appear more human, some more orcish. The half-orcs with the human side more prominent appearance wise look like the anime bullcrap orcs from the MMO Lineage 2.
Half Giants are very tall and muscular, towering over most other humans. About 250-280cm tall.
Half-Ogres are dimwit abominations, and many are killed in their youth. The few that reach adulthood become a rampant menace. Some lead ogre raiding bands, who are getting bolder and started invading human settlements.
Information about the different groups (including mages, warrior orders and the rest)
There are several city-states in the world, which are governed by mages, and their Conclave. The Conclave is made up of the leaders of the Mage Clans, minor factions within the conclave, with different magic school focus, philosophy etc. These semi-independent cities also serve as academies and training ground for mages and arcanists of many kind. Some are sacked and destroyed, some are thriving and prosperous.
Necromancy and demonology is strictly forbidden to practice in any mage city, but as usual there are people who don’t give a shyte, and practice the stuff anyway. As both necromancers and demon summoners brought devastating events to the land, many of them are hunted, and practice their stuff in secret. In short everybody in the civilised world hates them. And I do mean EVERYBODY.
All mages are trained in basic combat arts, but are more prominent in the discipline they learned at their academy. A mage of any kind lives a long time up to several hundred years(via alchemy and other similar means), and can study at more than one mage academy. Those that do so however are not part of any mage clans. All mages use a pseudonym for a name and keep their real ones in secret, as saying a mage’s true name out loud is the way to take away his/her magic powers. Most mages do not belong to any clan, because of their thirst to master more and more forms of magic. Only those purely devoted to one particular branch are members of their respective mage clan.
Conclave mages manipulate arcane energies to perform magic. Healing magic is essentially a way to accelerate the natural body tissue regeneration, but cannot be used to resurrect dead people.
Orcish shamans tap into the power of the natural elements. It is possible for an Orc or Half-Orc to learn the magic from a Conclave wizard, however they have issues controlling the arcane energy, thus resulting in more miscasts than a non-orc mage
Elementalists are the main form of combat mages from the Conclave. Orcish shamans can manipulate the elements, summon spirit beasts (as well as commune with the spirits of the deceased) and heal.
The Mage city-academies are(both existing and destroyed):
Anarythum: seated in northwestern Merinanth, near the border of North Shandra. The mages called Seers by some, here focus on divination and forseeing the future which is often very difficult to decipher so that the masses could understand it. It is home of Clan Neshat.
Brek: Found on an island on the coast of eastern Bonswada, this mage city specialises in mystics who are potent illusionists. Houses Clan Inari.
Dhamann: Found in central Merinanth, this mage city slightly deviates from the rest, as it is not a independent mage state, but rather a Duchy within Merinanth. The mages here study nature magic(i.e. can raise treants, shapeshift themselves or other people into animals and such). Members of Clan Therium which reside in Dhamann are often called Druids.
Derring(Destroyed) – A site of a major mage uprising,which was started in hopes to wrestle the control of the Conclave. Most records of it are now destroyed or known only to the eldest mages residing on the Conclave.
Kenato: a mage academy in Kythay, it’s members are elementalists who specialise In air magic. The mage clan residing there are called Clan Nomahi.
Manaar: An academy in Neburu, this mage city produces mages adept in healing arts. It’s mage clan is called the Clan Maanarri. The members of this clan also serve as healers within the Temples of the Pantheon, and train the Hospitallers of the Church.
Leqina: Another elementalist academy, this one trains water mages. They comprise the Clan Aquaris. They reside in northern Kythay.
Pyross: This mage city specialises in elementalists who wield the element of fire. These pyromancers are the Clan Agnirri. Pyross is built on one of volcano islands in Neburu.
Sequat(currently besieged) : one of mage cities in Emerdina, this academy trains elementalists focusing on the element of earth. They are members of Clan Vizjeq.
Tullah(destroyed): The second mage city of Emerdina, this one was the seat of Clan Onshall, who specialised in summoning magics, but now lies destroyed after the power hungry Clan elders summoned demons and led their clan to war. The now hidden covens of demonologists follow the doctrine of Onshall summoners, who in their time, learned how to access the Void from Elven Warlocks of the Dominion.
Vendigr: A city found near one of the peaks of Steelwall Range, the mages here are master artificiers and alchemists, able to craft various magic trinkets, change one’s body’s properties and animate golems. They are known as Clan Amat .
Zanaris: the place where the Clan Samann resides. The mages from Zanaris are seen as distrustful, as they have caused a demonic invasion, but the clan was spared Onshall mages fate as one splinter group of sorcerers aided in the demise of the warlocks. The Samann specialise in creating mage hunters, dealing with warlocks and necromancers(but thy can neutralise mages from any Conclave mage clan). Zanaris is found near the border of Merinanth and Kythay.
Zeshett(destroyed): The birthplace of Necromancy, this was the home of the Clan Mortis. The ruins of this city are found in Emerdina, near the border with Bonswada.
Venefica: The Central seat of the Conclave, Venefica is the smallest of the mage-cities, as it lacks the academy and infrastructure portion that the rest do. Located in a valley within the Iron Hills region of Central Merinanth, the city itself is more like a large palace with tall, Ivory towers who are nearly as tall as the mountains surrounding the city itself. Venefica is the place where all the Mage Clan Elders gather to discuss business, and rule the mage cities in general. It is said to be the oldest surviving structure on Elaria, built in the Golden Age with the usage of the Malus of Alberich.
Clanless Sorcerers –referred by the Conclave as the Grey Magi, these are the mages that pursued knowledge in more than one discipline of magic. By far the most numerous type of mage within the land.
In Kythay, there are several monasteries housing orders of monks, who train both mind and body. The monks that reside there tap into their Chi energies to enhance their combat prowess or to provide healing to the fallen. While there are many different monasteries the vast majority of them practice a hermit lifestyle, and their members are seen rarely in the world. There are more open Kythayan monk orders, and their monks can be found outside their monasteries as well. These orders welcome all wishing to join, not just Kythayans. Each of the orders can trace their history back to the times of the Dominion, as the first monks were those opposing the Elven rule, and developed an unarmed fighting style(or used farm tools) to face their oppressors.
The more open kythayan monk orders are:
Zhonghai – The monks of this order focus more on combat with staff weapons (your polearms, qaurterstaves etc) The monastery is found in Northern Kythay, in a section of the Steelwall called the Jade mountains, on a relatively large peak, from which the order draws it’s name from.
Quishui – This kythayan monk order specialises in unarmed combat, or fighting involving fist weapons (katars and stuff) Skilled Quishui monks can augment their attacks by transforming their Chi into the elements. Their monastery is located in a small island in far eastern Kythay.
Zhenwei – The monks from this monastery focus more on the spiritual doctrines, and uses their Chi to heal the ailing. They are usually present where Clan Manarri is not, or treat those that are refused by the mages and those serving the Church. They venture rarely out of Kythay. The monastery is located on the banks of the Jade River, Mainland Kythay’s most important waterway.
Yugashiri – The more shadowy of the Kythayan monks that deal with the outside world, the Yugashiri monks harbour a reputation of assassins. They train with throwing weapons and short blades, and are skilled in stealth and infiltration. The Yugashiri monastery is located on an island in Northern Kythay.
Kaejin – The Kaejin are masters of an unarmed fighthing style unique to this order – a martial art reffered as “The Gentle Fist”, As Kaejin monks learned how to conjure their Chi into energy blasts. The Kaejin monatery is located in Southern Kythay, carved inside a plateau, known as the Dragon Perch.
Shimori – The monks from this order fight channeling their Chi into their two handed sabers. These monks can also harness their Chi into wind based elemental attacks. The Shimori monastery is located near the source of the Jade River, by the Jade Mountains.
Most monk orders are only a couple hundred strong each. The orders practice similar philosophies of altruism (save for the Yugashiri monks, who are known to be assassins for hire.) selflessness and aid to others. Some take oaths of poverty, silence or any of similar oaths, they are not only warriors, but scholars as well.
Other prominent militant groups found within the Land:
Merinanthian Knight orders – Including the Royal Guard, the kingdom of Merinanth have a lot of knightly orders, places for young noblemen and women to prove and try themselves aand their skill out, most of them differing only in name and heraldry. Besides the Royal Guard, once can categorize the knight orders into two groups – Questing Orders and Military Orders. Due to warfare slowly changing, the knights are on the beginning of decline.
Some of the more prominent orders:
The Royal Guard – Considered to be the elite of knights, they, as name imply serve as the protectors of the Merinanthian Royal family. They are distinguished by their uniform look of gold trimmed Dwarven Steel armor and their gold plumage decorated bellows faced sallets.
Order Of Manara – Considered by many to be naive idealists, this order of Questing Knights is largely aiming to accomplish one great feat or another. The Grand Masters of this order bear a grudge over the Brotherhood itself, as they had been able to find not one, but two Godly Relics, while the order is yet to accomplish something of this magnitude. Many of young, dreamful idealists join this order.
Order of the Red Lion – A more militaristic order, commonly reffered as the “scarlet cloaks”, the knight of the Red Lion had participated in the War of The North, where their heavy cavalry secured few of the key vicotries in the early years of the war. Nearly decimated during the First Siege of Diamond, they had managed to rebuild their order from the ground up. The knights of this order are known for their nearly reckless display of bravery.
Order of the White Falcon – Another order of Questing Knights, the White Falcons have little care for naïve idealism, and actually focus on embarking on various quests. The knight Beringer The Noble of the White Falcon was one of the few to search for the Goblet Of Manara, although unsuccessfully(he was found killed in elven ruins in the North, and was given a hero’s burial by the Brotherhood)
Knights of The Silver Sword – An Order Militant specializing in fighting on foot using greatswords. The knights of this order are known for their flamboyant looks and extravagantly decorated armor, with little to no uniformity in their dress, save for the order’s sigil, which is usually placed on the left pauldron of their armor.
North Shandran Knights Errant – Not exactly a true order, the Knights Errant of the most northern Merinanthian Duchy are a collection of the children of North Shandran nobility serving the Duke of North Shandra as the protectors of the duchy, as well as a nest of intrigues. With the Brotherhood making this duchy their main base, the Knights Errant are slowly falling out of favor, as most of the young nobles not able to inherit any meaningful position within their House, opt join the Brotherhood instead.
Emerdinan Jannisaries – The jannisaries originated as slave soldiers for the Elven Dominion of ages past, however today they are one of the more renowned mercenary groups (save for the Free Companies that exist in the Freeholds of the North, which are considered to be the best when it comes to mercenaries). Today they serve as guards for more wealthy Emerdinan emyrs, or offer their services to the highest bidder, to carry out any task, from fighting battles in the front lines to assassinations. Today most bands of Jannisarries serve the new Caliph.
Dwarven Ironbreakers – A heavy infantry of the dwarven clans, they are heavily armed and armored, they prefer to fight in tight formations armed with poleaxes and shields. Some use warhammers or other similar weapons. They are considered to be the Elite of dwarven infantry.
Dwarven Cavalry – Heavy lancers, riding on top on specially bred mountain rams, which horns are curved forwards, and often turned into another weapon itself.
Dwarven Pathfinders – experts in traversing mountainous terrain, the pathfinders are often armed with light melee weapons, and a variety of ranged weapons, from repeating crossbows to muskets. They are trained in guerilla warfare as well.
Orc War Riders – Considered to be the best light cavalry in the land, the Orc riders ride a top their direwolves, and use composite bows, and a variety of curved blades as their armaments. They are known for their fast strikes, and the usage of hit and run tactics.
Bonswadan Lionmanes – the bonswadan elite infantry adept at fighting using primarily sickle-swords. They are lightly armored, and wear pelts of great cats, namely lions (hence the name). The lionmanes are also great scouts, being able to traverse long distances shortly.
Neburan Stormkin – These men and women are experts at naval boarding actions, but not limited to just boarding ships. They are heavily tattooed with ritualistic tattoos, and wear light armor, and are adept with slashing weapons and parrying shields. The Stormkin worship a more violent aspect of Ocenanya, which manifests in the fury of a storm.
Other groups:
The Thieves’ guild: one of the largest organized crime groups in the continent the Thieves’ guild unites pickpockets, heist men and other similar criminals. The main trait of the guild is that they, while performing a heist do not kill.
Their latest, but foiled heist was an attempt to steal the Goblet Of Manara from the Temple District in Vorutha.
Smugglers: The second large group of organized crime, the smugglers deal in luxury goods “from beneath the table” sort of speak. From North Shandran wines, high end Neburan Tobacco and sugar, Kythayan silks and jadeware, Emerdinan spice, or Bonswadan Ivory, or any other luxury goods, the smugglers deal in all. They have hidden caches scattered around the world, and at one point became a real menace,due to their tendencies to engage the border guards in open combat. Now with the war out, some of their activities had ceased, at least in the areas engulfed by the conflict.
Other organized crime groups are small, ranging from highwaymen gangs, to pirates in the seas.
The Brotherhood accepts people of any background seeking a change in their life, save for those affiliated with the Cult of Jagnir, demonologists, necromancers, rogue wizards, and other wanted criminals. And they do always find out.
The Brotherhood is now over 55000 strong at this point in history, and there are several specialized branches within the Company. The PCs may be a part of these subfactions.
Shadecloaks – These men and women are responsible for intelligence and counter-intelligence operations, scouting missions, and assassinations. They wary from Yugashiri monks, former Thieves’ Guild members to former spies from any kingdom, dwarven pathfinders and the majority of dryads that signed with the Brotherhood.
Sappers – The dedicated combat engineering corps of the Brotherhood. They are responsible for building bridges, temporary fortifications and siege engines amongst other things. They work in conjuction with the cannoneers
Spellweavers – The mages in service of the Brotherhood. Mostly composed of Grey Magi , but there are some that belong to the Conclave Mage Clans.
Healers – As name implies, this subfaction makes up the medicine personell of the brotherhood, from mages of Clan Mannarri, Hospitallers to people using traditional healing methods.
Blackwings – The winged hussar cavalry of the Brotherhood, the Blackwings get that name, because the feathers used in the making of the wings are from the corvidae birds. They are the middle between the Steelmanes and Wind Riders, and excel at breaking up enemy ranks.
Steelmanes – The knight cavalry of the Brotherhood.
Wind Riders – The light cavalrymen, the mounted archers/musketeers of the Brotherhood. They also use bolas and similar weapons meant to incapacitate the oponent.
Sword-Brethren – The infantry of the Brotherhood, specializing in close quarters combat, using a wide range of weapons, from pikes, to blunt weapons and swords. By far the most numerous in the Brotherhood.
Arrow-Brethren – The ranged infantry, using primarily bows, crossbows and muskets.
Cannoneers – they are responsible for the siege engines that use black powder as the propellant of the projectiles, as well as stationary explosives. Mainly composed of dwarves and their organ guns (multi barreled cannon). They work alongside the sappers.
Support corps. – Safeguarding and procuring the supplies, as well as maintaining the arms and armor of the Brotherhood are the responsibilities of this subfaction
New-Blades - The newly joined recruits, yet to be assigned to any specific corps.
Monetary system:
There are two currencies circulating in the land - Human and Dwarven coinage.
The Human coin consists of:
Bronze coins called Kopecks or Groszy. 100 of them makes 1 shilling. Used to purchase the lowest tier goods and services
Silver coins called Shillings. 100 of them makes 1 Gold Talar, Dukat or Dubloon. used to purchare higher end low class good, and middle tier goods and services.
Gold coins, most often called Talars in the west, but some regions call them Dubloons or Dukats. Reffered as Kobans in Kythay. 100 of them make up 1 Forint. used to purchase high tier goods and services.
Forints are the top tier currency used in the land, used to purchase the top shelf goods and services. They are minted from platinum and are rectangular in form.
All of these coins have the same value in each kingdom, the only differences are the imagery used on the coins themselves.
Dwarven coin:
The main form of money seen outside the dwarven clans is called a Mark. An octagonal coin, minted from an alloy unique to the dwarven clans. One Dwarven Mark, or Anvil, as it is called by the humans, is worth two talars.
Character sheet as Standart. The PCs have relatively high positions within the Brotherhood.
My Characters:
Name: Domerth of House Dragonheart, Called the Young Dragon.
Race: Human
Age: 33
Appearance: Most consider him to be near identical to Dragomir when he was his age. Domerth wears his long black hair in a braid, and has blue eyes. He usually sports a 5 o'clock shadow. Has a scar on his right cheek. Domerth is 1,80m tall. He likes to wear black clothing with blackened dwarven steel armor pieces(cuirass, arm and leg protection, armored boots). aside from armor he wears a wyvern skin coat ( dyed black), silken shirt, and cotton pants. on his belt buckle is the sigil of House Dragonheart.
Personality: Domerth by initial appearance is a calm and collected man. He has inherited his fathers sense of loyalty and valor in combat as well.
Weapons: Domerth has a brace of wheellock pistols(three in total), A dwarven steel dagger, and two swords – Wyrm’s Fury, an ancient sword which was passed down to the eldest son in his family for generations, and Dragon’s Fang, a sword he purchased in Beryl from a merchant hailing from Sapphire. The swords are Viking style in appearance, with Wyrm’s Fury being decorated with amber and rune carvings, and Dragon’s Fang being a much more plain piece, and doesn’t have any gemstones in it’s décor, although the guard, pommel and scabbard are decorated with various knotwork engravings and carvings. Both blades posses enchantments. When danger is nearby, the runes of Wyrm’s Fury begin to glow, and neither blade requires a whetstone, they are always sharp, just as the day they were created. The two swords also seem to deal slightly more damage to Voidspawns.
Skills: Domerth excells in various fighting styles. Other than that he has been taught the traits that any young lord should know. He's well versed in diplomacy and war tactics as well.
Background: Domerth is the eldest son of Dragomir The Black, born shortly before the War for the North ended. Domerth grew up surrounded by the Brotherhood, learning from them how to fight, as well as being tutored in politics and etiquette by some of the best scholars that the duchy had to offer. But it wasn't always a nice and peaceful life for him. When Domerth reached nineteen years of age, the latest in many of North Shandran uprisings erupted. Feeling old and not fit anymore to lead his troops in combat directly, Dragomir placed his son in charge. It wasn't without loses however, but Domerth held his ground and along with the rest of the Brotherhood held the rebellous lords at bay long enough for the king's army to relieve them. It was that in this rebellion that Domerth got his first serious scar. Now, Domerth strives to achieve the goals that have been set before him. To uphold the name of his House, and that of the Brotherhood as well, now more as ever, as war calls, and the leadership of the Brotherhood is in his hands.
Name: Magnus Goldbeard of the Iron Clan
Race: Dwarf
Age: 215(Which is a middle age for a dwarf, a human equivalent to that would be around 50 years old)
Appearance: Golden color hair and beard, neatly kept. There is signs of graying in his hair as of now. About 140cm tall(Magnus is amongst the tallest dwarves) The beard is tied into two braids. Wearns a simple cuirass over a bleached linen shirt, leather pants and metal plated leather boots. On top of his cuirass, wears a tabard with his clan’s heraldry(two crossed hammers and an anvil in a field of azure), and a brown leather cloak with a hood. Has a wineskin at him for most of the time, hanging from his belt.
Personality: likes his drink. The dwarf is notorious for drinking a month’s supply of booze overnight. And has a voracious appetite. Othervise is loyal to the company and will watch his comrade’s backs when such a need arises. Sometimes can be grumpy and complain a lot. By the outsiders can be seen as only a glutton and a drunk, but that is just a lousy first impression he gives out.
Weapons: has a two handed dwarven Warhammer with him for doing most of his combat, also owns a rondel, a kythayan made repeating crossbow and a hunting cleaver with a set of meat trimming knives. The latter items are used for hunting. The crossbow is also used as a ranged combat weapon.
Skills: Hunting is his main skill, and not only for game beasts. Magnus can sniff out hidden caches of wealth, find hidden passages and other similar things. How does he do it, no one really knows. Magnus says that it’s his family’s trait, and of such is a well guarded secret. Magnus is also an able smith, but for the best outcome of his work he needs a decent forge and anvil on a “steady ground”, or in other words a blacksmith’s workshop. He can do field repairs for armor and weapons, however he usually complains about work conditions a bloody lot.
Background: Born into the Goldbeard family belonging to the one of the richest of Dwarven Clans, brought a jolly youth to Magnus, but was overshadowed by the fact that he was the youngest of the seven children of Ragnar Goldbeard, owner of several mines and smelteries, and the younger brother of the Clan’s Thane, Loghaire Goldbeard. Magnus took the most out of that. When he wasn’t learning the trade of the metalsmith or prowled the mountain passes for game, he drank. He drank more and more and eventually Magnus started drinking so much that no tavern in an around the Steelwall Range would serve him alcohol. Because he wouldn’t pay up, provoke brawls and other nasty business. After finishing his studies at one of his Clan’s best blacksmiths, Magnus packed his belongings and left to see the world. Before signing the contract with the Brotherhood of the Tattered Banner he tried out several jobs. A poacher hunter for one of duchies in Merinanth. An armorer for the mercenary forces of the Miner’s Guild. After his natural talent to find deposits of riches was discovered by one of the Guild’s higher officials, he was working as a prospector for the guild. The mining town of Mage Rock, famous for it’s emeralds was founded thanks to the dwarf. Magnus joined the Last Free Company 20 years prior the campaign in Mikaya. Despite his personality flaws he is a valuable asset to the Brotherhood, due to his smithing ability and uncovering an occasional smuggler’s cache of goods and loot or some buried treasure. Time in the company has set him straight a bit, as he isn’t the troublemaker he was in his youth. He still drinks a lot though. During the War in The North, Magnus saw plenty of action and was injured several times. As he recovered, he continued to be a part of the Brotherhood, even mentoring the son of his captain and best friend. Today, Magnus is one of Domerth’s Liutenants, and often lends hand to the Support Corps in acquiring provisions and training the smiths of the Brotherhood.
____________
"Kip is the Gavin McInnes of HC" - Salamandre
"Ashan to the Trashcan", "I got PTSD from H7. " - LizardWarrior
|
|
AlkarRahn
Promising
Legendary Hero
Divine Arcanist
|
|
posted February 21, 2018 01:21 PM |
|
|
I might join this with Orryth. He'll, of course, have had time to refine his skills. I'll have to check back through the other RP to remember along what lines of magic I was planning him to develop most.
____________
|
|
Neraus
Promising
Legendary Hero
Pain relief cream seller
|
|
posted February 21, 2018 02:39 PM |
|
Edited by Neraus at 14:39, 21 Feb 2018.
|
Back at it, yay! I'll be recycling my old character.
Name: Federigo Orlando Aurelio de Calandrie
Race: Merinanthan Human
Age: 32.
Appearance: 172 cm tall, green eyes, long black hair collected into a curly ponytail and a blonde bang over his forehead and a goatee.
Personality: Easily bored, Federigo tends to make light of situations and tries to get a good laugh, while paradoxically being a relatively silent and solitary man, he's also strict on some of his principles.
He views the world with a fatalistic lens and at the same time he jumps into fights with no fear. He also has a weird fascination with animal trophies, old books, occult knowledge and explosions.
Sometimes he acts erratically, spouting some insane words and then composing himself again. He is prone to fits of blind rage when faced with the prospect of battle, however after a traumatic experience these episodes are followed by moments of complete mental absence.
Weapons: Like his father before him he fights with a zweihander, but he exchanged it in favour of a great sword found in ancient cache, a short sword, a dagger and a side pistol, like his father before him he wears full plate armour, made by the son of the smith that made his father's armour, allegedly this plate is also "bullet-proof", in one occasion he was shot, but the bullet hit the side glancing off, he also has a bascinet with a goat's head on top, and a fur cloak.
Skills: Trained in sword-fighting, he often experiments with unknown substances to improve his knowledge of alchemy, he's also well read on many common monsters and the traditions of the neighbouring lands. He's well versed enough to swindle traders, although sometimes his intellectual attitude puts them off.
Background: The second son of Francis de Calandrie, when it became clear that his father couldn't continue his service he returned to his home estates, as such, even if Federigo's first years of life passed while following the company he eventually found himself in the court of the Calandrines. His return to his forefathers' estates proved to be a great opportunity to continue his studies, as his father was insufficient as a mentor. While being raised to become a proper knight Federigo drifted off to become more scholarly, to the point of closing himself in libraries for days. These sudden moments of solitary confinement eventually alerted the men of his family and tried to get him back on track with a proper knightly education.
His father, brother and uncle all took turns, but failed: the first (not surprisingly) tried to bring him to brothels "to cheer him up and become a man", but Federigo eventually fled from the establishments when his father left him there. His brother sent him to assist the guards in their duties, but he was then sent away for not enjoying the camaraderie of the men at arms. While his uncle organized some extra celebrations so that the young Federigo could socialize with other nobles.
When his mother discovered these plans she was at first furious to her husband, then proposed to send Federigo to the mercenary company where she and Francis worked. At the age of 23 Federigo joined the Brotherhood and felt a vague sense of familiarity. At the age of 27 he participated in the expedition to retrieve the Malus of Alberich, there he fought side by side with Domerth and had the chance to write some treatises on oddities he found while traveling.
Let me know if I need to change something.
____________
Noli offendere Patriam Agathae quia ultrix iniuriarum est.
ANTUDO
|
|
Kipshasz
Undefeatable Hero
Elvin's Darkside
|
|
posted February 21, 2018 09:31 PM |
|
|
Yeah, it's allright.
A few more to go before I'll make the IC thread
____________
"Kip is the Gavin McInnes of HC" - Salamandre
"Ashan to the Trashcan", "I got PTSD from H7. " - LizardWarrior
|
|
AlkarRahn
Promising
Legendary Hero
Divine Arcanist
|
|
posted February 24, 2018 03:06 PM |
|
|
So, is this 5 years after the stormhammer one? I adjusted Orryth's age based on that.
Name: Orryth Ancaston
Race: Orc
Age: 48
Appearance: A bit taller than 2 meters, with long dark brown hair hanging where it may, but cut from the face so it doesn't hamper his view. More muscular than a human mage, but not quite so much as the normal shaman of his race would be. He wears the normal attire that one would expect of a human mage, but more fashioned to his size.
Personality: Orryth is a happy orc, for the most part. There are times he feels quite frustrated. At those times, he takes it out on some random inanimate object.
Weapons: Aside from the spells on his tongue, Orryth carries around what appears to be a pickaxe. This pickaxe, however, looks to have an outer coating of green and brown all over its surface, with a hint of blue, like veins, throughout.
Background: Orryth was saved, yet orphaned, during a Cult attack upon his small tribe. The tribe had set up temporary residence near to a path used on a moderately regular basis. The Cult came upon them late the next morning. The orcs were able to defend against the attack pretty well in the early stages, but things started turning in favor of the Cult when their main necromancer arrived, raising the dead of both sides to fight for them. 'Luckily' a human mage who was heavily studied in her arts, and a few of her guards were along the path, heading towards one of the mage academies. They rushed in, though too late to save much of anything. The Cult troop was crushed, having not made the preparations for this surprise addition. The rescuers searched the tribe's tents, and only ended up finding two survivors. Both were male orcs, of roughly similar age; between one and two years old. They came from different tents, so it was assumed they were from different mothers. The mage, one who loved the idea of having a family, but one who never time to look into having one, decided she would take the two with her, and figure out some way of adopting them. They were given the names of Orryth and Munulnan. Throughout the years, they were both taught in the ways of magic. Munulnan took to it pretty well, but Orryth took a fair amount more work. It was quickly figured out that the way Orryth was saying the incantations was the issue. Maybe it was the shape his mouth was, or maybe it was just the way he was moving his mouth around. The mage mother was persistent however, and pushed him through it. After a while Orryth produced his first successful spell. Successful in terms of it did something, but not in terms of doing what he had intended. He was intending to light the wick of a candle, but ended up freezing the thing instead. More years passed, and both brothers continued their training. Munulnan's progress seemed a little sluggish, when comparing it to Orryth's. Munulnan only learned a spell or two more. Orryth, however, learned a few more than his brother. The only problem was he still got random, yet similar, affects. He and his mother decided that him joining the Brotherhood may eventually help him out in some way that staying at home wouldn't, so off he went.
Even in joining the Brotherhood however, it took a fair amount of time to become passable with his abilities. Eventually, Orryth was able to cast what he was intending to cast, though to a minor degree of what he was actually going for. Over time, and through several nights studying, he finally went for the area of magic he was doing his best to avoid; enchantments. With his critical failures in the past, he didn't trust himself to cast very many spells of the enchantment variety. He certainly wouldn't cast any of the supposedly beneficial ones on himself or allies. However, with his spells actually doing what he wants them to do, perhaps it wouldn't be so risky. The first few attempts had led to nothing, which had been a good thing, in his mind. Even great. The next attempt, he decided to add a bit of a Shamanistic approach to the thing. No one had ever seen the orc smile so big as the enchantment took hold. Too bad no one was around to witness it.
____________
|
|
Kipshasz
Undefeatable Hero
Elvin's Darkside
|
|
posted February 24, 2018 07:43 PM |
|
|
yeah, it's set five years after the last game.
I guess a few more and I'll start up the IC
____________
"Kip is the Gavin McInnes of HC" - Salamandre
"Ashan to the Trashcan", "I got PTSD from H7. " - LizardWarrior
|
|
AlkarRahn
Promising
Legendary Hero
Divine Arcanist
|
|
posted February 27, 2018 02:16 AM |
|
|
Not that it matters a whole lot, but Orryth is full orc, not half. His mother being human is through the process of adoption.
____________
|
|
Kipshasz
Undefeatable Hero
Elvin's Darkside
|
|
posted February 27, 2018 05:50 AM |
|
|
my mistake, I'll edit it out.
____________
"Kip is the Gavin McInnes of HC" - Salamandre
"Ashan to the Trashcan", "I got PTSD from H7. " - LizardWarrior
|
|
Kipshasz
Undefeatable Hero
Elvin's Darkside
|
|
posted March 09, 2018 09:36 PM |
|
|
I'll update on the evening, tomorrow.
____________
"Kip is the Gavin McInnes of HC" - Salamandre
"Ashan to the Trashcan", "I got PTSD from H7. " - LizardWarrior
|
|
JoonasTo
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
What if Elvin was female?
|
|
posted March 10, 2018 01:21 PM |
|
Edited by JoonasTo at 13:33, 10 Mar 2018.
|
Love goes both ways, mellonamin.
So here I am, as promised.
Name: Simelenia Tel'Celeblaidenie
Race: Dryad
Age: Private!
Her childish features have already disappeared and her adult form has started to take shape, one would estimate her to be in her very late teens or young adult years.
Appearance:
Night black hair flows freely around her diamond face and all the way down her toned back. Carries herself chin up and moves without a sound like a panther. One can instantly tell that her 5'7" frame is filled with explosive power. Her dark, deep olive form is dominated by the wild, almost feral gaze from her piercing, screaming green eyes.
Tends to wear very little clothing(prefers none at all,) which leaves her multiple dark scars visible. Two of those are particularly striking, a quadruple claw mark going across her right leg and a set of puncture marks going across from her back across her left shoulder to her chest forming what looks like to be a bite mark from something very, very big and nasty.
In freezing climates will wear a white/grey woolly cloak with a belt around the waist.
Personality:
No nonsense, dislikes formalities, often causes trouble when she speaks in more subtle circumstances but that same brutal honesty is what gives value to her judgement. Enjoys spending time alone but doesn't actively push people away. Not on purpose that is. The intense evaluating stare tends to do that to most people regardless.
Weapons:
- If possible, carries with her a heavy war bow
- In a melee prefers a spear but will make use of whatever is available or necessary
- Always carries with her a pair of Liaoning style bronze daggers with jade handles attached to her forearms with a line braided of the finest arachnid silk. Can be used like rope daggers and coated with different venoms depending on the need.
Skills:
- As a dryad possesses natural affinity to moving undetected through woodlands and other fertile natural habitats
- Able to shoot a 200lb warbow(so when I wrote toned back, I meant it, she's physically adept, even for a dryad)
- Deadly with her twin daggers
- Skilled with the spear
- While not traditionally trained in multiple arms, like a skilled human/dwarven/orcish fighter would be, still holds instinctive understanding of most eg. will not lose to an average fighter in a sword duel but won't be able to stand up to a veteran
- Possesses basic understanding of dryad magic but is not a sorceress
Background:
Relatively new to the brotherhood, after joining the eastern Shadecloaks quickly made a name for herself and rose through the ranks quickly thanks to her skill but this didn't sit well with everyone. Her habit of telling what she thought of her superiors straight to their face certainly didn't help either. As it stand she is currently sidelined for most promotions in the cloaks but her field performance keeps her from being kicked out as long as the situation is what it is.
Currently known to most of her superiors as "the crazy one", "that troublesome wench", "scarred bitch" and to the common soldier as "jade shadow", "marked arrow", even "whisper of the woods" to the poetic ones. Most of her comrades simply call her Jade.
____________
DON'T BE A NOOB, JOIN A.D.V.E.N.T.U.R.E.
|
|
Kipshasz
Undefeatable Hero
Elvin's Darkside
|
|
posted March 18, 2018 07:58 PM |
|
|
The next few posts should be a bit on the "rest and relaxation" side, and afterwards, will continue with the story again.
____________
"Kip is the Gavin McInnes of HC" - Salamandre
"Ashan to the Trashcan", "I got PTSD from H7. " - LizardWarrior
|
|
AlkarRahn
Promising
Legendary Hero
Divine Arcanist
|
|
posted April 07, 2018 02:31 PM |
|
|
Been fairly busy this last week with work and family. I should be able to get to this this weekend.
____________
|
|
Kipshasz
Undefeatable Hero
Elvin's Darkside
|
|
posted May 17, 2018 10:51 PM |
|
|
Here's the map of the temple that the group is in right now.
There are several clues about the Diadem of Calista to be found:
One in the library
One on the murals of the temple. The murals depict the elven history from the golden age, to just before the rise of the Dominion.
And one in the living quarters.
____________
"Kip is the Gavin McInnes of HC" - Salamandre
"Ashan to the Trashcan", "I got PTSD from H7. " - LizardWarrior
|
|
AlkarRahn
Promising
Legendary Hero
Divine Arcanist
|
|
posted November 18, 2018 03:03 PM |
|
|
With work and life lately, I'm just not finding the time to put towards these message board rpg's. So, instead of taking weeks to post anything, I think I'm just going to drop out of it. Sorry for the inconvenience this has caused.
____________
|
|
Kipshasz
Undefeatable Hero
Elvin's Darkside
|
|
posted November 20, 2018 09:17 PM |
|
|
awww...
I guess there's no point in continuing with just two posters. I'll make a closing post in some time.
____________
"Kip is the Gavin McInnes of HC" - Salamandre
"Ashan to the Trashcan", "I got PTSD from H7. " - LizardWarrior
|
| |
|
|
