Epilogue - Fantasy RP - Recruiting

[Guest]

IC Will Go Here

Table of Contents:

- Leliandé - A graceful, slender humanoid race with a barely remembered past.
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Dramatis Personae:

- Takid Dalmarces - Son of a barbarian chieftain, soldier of Tharkos.
- Ennalahd “Ahdi” Sirvetica - Half-Human 'Courtesan'
- Enrik Vossler - Human soldier of the Empire, native-born.
- Jeachon Draes - A formally trained spellcaster (in the 'old art') from a political family.

There were those who thought the Tharkan Empire (or Tharkos, which refers to the Imperial City and the Empire at large) was an eternal society. At the height of its powers, peace and prosperity flowed through it to distant lands and her swords and spells kept back the brutish and dangerous forces that lived outside its boundaries, uniting the many under a common language, culture and values. Under the guidance of the Emperor, highest priest of Itah, magic was practiced only under the strictest of rules, and always at the behest of the Empire itself.

Five hundred years ago, a civil war broke out between cousins as to who would inherit the granite throne of Tharkos. Itah's choice, Anuros, was contested by Nalthuk, a rival deity who matched Itah's unmatched power with his own power and cunning, and his servant, Kollis, the cousin of Anuros.

The ensuing civil war was a clash of different parts of Tharkos as rebels and loyalists clashed, some out of belief and some out of thought for advancement on both sides. When the sad affair was over, Kollis and Nalthuk both were slain, but at a catastrophic cost to Tharkos; Itah was mortally wounded. The only way for Itah to survive long enough to set the affairs of the Empire in order for the next age to come was to anchor itself into the mortal body of Anuros, with the understanding that Anuros would give up his own free will to allow the patron deity of the Empire to live a few centuries more.

While both managed to rule long enough to try and set things in order, the day would come where the frame of Anuros, despite the life-prolonging magics and power of Itah, would give out. And with him, the Deity himself, spent.

Knowledge of Nalthuk's death, while celebrated as a herald of a great new age, turned sour and bitter as smaller powers proliferated in his place, the successors to his monolithic and primordial reign as a name to chaos and the wild, to the barbarism beyond the walls of Tharkos. Where there was one great power there were now many smaller powers, heirs to the great evil, as the followers of Itah knew Nalthuk, contesting and growing stronger by the day. And as Itah's power waned, their power grew, even within Tharkos.

The magic that once helped keep the lands tame and the cities clean and the empire safe is mutating dangerously in the hands of those that practice the wild or chaos magic, while those who practice the traditional arts find themselves losing their powers. As a result, chaos descends -- sicknesses go uncured and become epidemic, old construction starts to crumble and old bastions become vulnerable against an onslaught. There are some among the magus who make alliances, in secret, with beings that spawned in the wake of Nalthuk and undermine the Empire from within.

Five hundred years after the battle of Phekaeus, the Empire is finally at an end; the corruption from the center weakens it and the strength of the people at the borders threatens to be overwhelmed as the New Kingdoms spring up outside its border, hungry for the wealth within, knowing that the Empire has a hard skin over a soft, ripe middle and that even within the Empire, there are allies and those that would make accomodations.

The Citadel of Azghar is one of the border regions, the shield of the Empire against the so-named "Jagged Frontier," its garrison and people descendants of criminals and settlers and barbarians who came into the Empire for safety, who have fought increasingly harder to hold the Empire against foes from without. Despite this fight, the Empire falls. Now, they face the foes from within and the hardest foe of all; time itself, no longer content to be held at bay.


--

I honestly see this one as set in an era similar to the end of the Roman Empire and the start of the Dark Ages, with a significant reversal in theology; in Roman times, the paganism of the Empire gave way to monotheism for the most part, while here there is an evident trend toward polytheism, though mostly for opportunistic and amoral sorts that'd make pacts with demonic sorts of entities that sponsor the various small kingdoms and city states that exist outside of Tharkos and...well, probably will break out on their own inside Tharkos as things continue to decline.

Characters will be part of the Azghar Citadel in some fashion, be they nobles, soldiers and so forth and will have to face down the things that come. I do have the skeleton of a plot figured out to help guide things, but I think in many senses, I want to encourage people to take things into their own hands more than I usually do in many RP's.

Magic used to be a very stable thing, almost another science, but now it is spinning way out of control.

It's hard to say everything that needs saying for the setting, except that while Tharkos at large is falling apart, the focus will be on this outpost community and how they cope and what they do. Characters can be from all sorts of places, from varying degrees of urbanity and barbarism in their cultural origin. There is a sophisticated economy there yet, but it is in decline. Meanwhile, the New Kingdoms stalk outside, hungry for what Azghar guards.

I'm not sure what direction to take it all beyond the direction already set in the initial brainstorming, but I think that will depend on what some of you guys think of.

I'm hoping that people that sign on for this are willing to do it for the long term and want to do some of their own setting development. I'm trying to avoid being too Greco-Roman in culture beyond the bones of the setting, and want to avoid deriving far too much from any particular culture -- half the fun of a good high fantasy is mixing things up so you can't tell where it all came from and it all takes on a distinct character.

The eventual point of the setting will be how the outpost becomes a kingdom of its own, and how the ashes of the old brings in the new, but that need not be done anytime soon. I'd rather get a lot of RP out of this.

I can put up name generator codes and information on character creation and so forth, but I want to make sure there is an interest in this first before I go beyond a small stack of index cards and a flow-chart or two. The idea sort of just hit me about an hour ago and I had to start writing.

Addendum: I haven't figured out where races and species figure into this. I mean, I tend to think 'human first!' because my degree says "History" and I think in terms of human nature and human motivation. I'm not sure where to integrate 'elves' and 'dwarves.' In a way, I don't want to and would rather create new races (without getting outlandish) or go back a bit to the origin of these concepts in mythology and play with the roots of the modern historical depictions and come up with something different based on those roots.

I suppose I will if people express an interest in that sort of thing, as I have the prose Edda and Bullfinch's nearby, as well as the Iliad, the Odyssey, Gilgamesh and God knows what else. I suppose that will come if this idea is taken up by others.

Character Sheet Format (Just C&P and fill in!)

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[Guest]

For character races, I think it's highly advisable that we not use traditional names like, "Elf" or "Dwarf" and so forth; it tends to create a lot of preconceived notions. I am not anti-Tolkien, but I don't want to rely on the Tolkien interpretations for these races. I'm not saying there should be elf-like or dwarflike races, but I'm envisioning that we're moving away from a Northern European mythology stereotype with this one.

If you want a character race name invented, tell me how you kind of wanted it to sound and I can help out.

Also, as far as character backgrounds go, there are some social divisions in Tharkos. For the most part, I was thinking that the Empire largely has cobbled together different cultures under the aegis of one power with a lingua franca, but it is like most empires, with a variety of cultures under its aegis. I am debating whether or not slavery of some sort is in effect, such as for convicts. After all, I sort of see Itah as being less a deity of 'good' than a deity of 'order.' Order and goodness don't have to go together, after all.

As for a theme, I want people to keep Roman Britain and Rome in general in mind, such as the myths of King Arthur and the way the Romans pulled out as the Saxons and barbarians started to stream in from the steppes of Europe and elsewhere, or the way the Byzantines felt as the Turks eventually swallowed up Anatolia and came knocking at the door of Constantinople.

[Mustakrakish]

Just letting you know that I havn't bailed on thsi RP. Im still working up my character concept. Sorry about the wait.

[Guest]

The Leliandé

A graceful, slender race of fey origin that has long since integrated themselves into the Empire, slowly eroded by the assimilation that comes of living side by side with humanity, albeit in small urban enclaves. Suddenly, they find themselves face to face with problems similar to that of the rest of the Empire; where do they go when the Empire is gone? What do they do? The Leliandé are long-lived, yet their culture before the empire is a barely remembered mishmash of loan-words from a dead language and a smattering of practices that amount to what wasn't replaced by the mainstream culture of the Empire.

But at the same time, as magic stirs in unexpected ways, the Leliandé find that their connection to it, primal and long since suppressed among them, is flowing back in a gentle, yet inexorable way. With the 'old' magic failing, how many will start to practice the 'wild magic' of their forgotten, mythological ancestors?

Brainstorm Notes:

"Well, I told people that when we do races for Epilogue, I'm hoping that we can reinterpret the stuff that Tolkien used to create the modern fantasy version of elves, rather than just sort of borrow the concept.

I think a secularized, extremely urbanized elven society in the Empire, just starting to retouch their ancient roots would be an interesting take, myself. A very Confucian elven society that shut themselves off to the natural world, for the most part, and just lost touch. I mean, much of Epilogue will involve extistential dread. Most fantasy involves Elves as a race in decline, but what of an elven type race that is totally lost to their ancestral heritage and have been for millenia?"

That's my half of the conversation with someone as I sort of started to work on the idea of races. This sort of elven race, I figure, will be worked with a bit, as their lifestyle changes with the new magic types and maybe a rediscovery/reinterpretation of roots.

Of course, I'll also find an entirely different name. But overall, that's an example of what I want to do with races, rather than just take the typical elf and throw them in, flower chewing and all. What WOULD an assimilated elven society be like? Would there be much left of their original heritage? What would they do well, and where would these leftover bits be seen?

If anyone wants to brainstorm, my aim is right there on the sidebar under all my info, feel free to hit it and I'll get back at you. But the idea here is, hopefully, to think out of the box a bit so that we have to imagine the culture and the outlook of our characters.

[Guest]

Character Sheet
Name: Takid Dalmarces
Species: Human
Age: 31
Profession: Professional Soldier
Town, City or Province of Origin/Birth: Azghar region, but born beyond the Empire.

Appearance: A dark haired, swarthy skinned man of broad shoulders, lean waist and long legs, Dalmarces prefers to keep his hair razored down to next to nothing and wears beard that he keeps neatly trimmed; like most soldiers the only thing uniform about him is his tunic; a standard green with white tassels along the hem. His armor is a little more ecclectic, due to the inconsistencies in supply and looting of enemies for their equipment that is prevalent with the veterans of the frontier, but includes a pair of greaves, bracers and a good mail shirt.

Equipment:
- Issue mail shirt, but supplemented with bits and pieces of looted armor through the years.
- Longbow, laminated wood, square-cut.
- Curved, single edged short blade, like a kindjal but a good bit larger. Not issue.

Personality:
Dalmarces looks to the civilization of Tharkos in askance, particularly as it goes down the tubes. And the reality is, despite the official line, there was always a rot from within, corruption and bureaucracy, an inflexible and rigid set of regulations that were easily manipulated and the impersonal grinding of people at the stroke of a pen from a distant city. He is a thinker, and a humorous one, but he is also cynical of Tharkos. His tongue is quick, and often irreverent, but he holds to his duty and controls his temper, even if it is at the price of his inability to accept authority unquestioningly.

He is no fool; he knows the days of Tharkos are numbered and is already anticipating what will come. He knows there is a day when he may have to sink his blade into the neck of the governor, whomever is chosen for the post next, in order to see to it that some fool order is not carried out. But while many would do so for ambition, Dalmarces, the son of a barbarian chieftain, raised with the ethos of the most able ruling, would do so for duty and to save Azghar, his people's new and far away home.

History:
Born of a nomadic people, Dalmarces prefers the frontier life to the life in the urban areas. By birth, the son of the Chieftain of the Takid tribe of Wasudir, he was enrolled into the public education available to those who are sons and daughters of important personages and given a thorough education in affairs of the cities and running a garrison and even diplomacy, things his father knew instinctively, for the most part, and also endeavored to pass on to his son in the form of stories of his experience.

Dalmarces is, however, not living the life his father dreamed for him, in coming to the Empire and becoming subjects. Stationed near where Tharkos settled his own people, very far away from the frontier they entered in from, he nonetheless feels drawn to the hinterland, the open plain or the unsullied frontier, finding himself alienated from the civilized places and wondering if he was ever meant to be there. Yet, at the same time, the Takid tribe live in the area around Azghar, a long way from the arid mountains of his own people, settlers in a strange land as a bulwark against the New Kingdom barbarians as a matter of policy. He knows his duty.

He is assigned as an officer of the garrison, commanding a number of professionals and others, and perhaps because of his particular affinity for the Frontier, he is the one inevitably chosen for tasks beyond it, or dealing with the barbarians while others often squat within the safety of his walls. Some say he's too close to the enemy in temperament, and that someday he might well go over. That would be an insult to others, but he merely says that understanding and appreciating the enemy's ways is part of how one fights them successfully. It doesn't necessarily endear him to those above, but politics keeps him in his post.

[Igraine]

Character Sheet
Name: Ennalahd “Ahdi” Sirvetica
Species: Half-human
Age: 24
Profession: Courtesan/spy
Town, City or Province of Origin/Birth: Tharkos, the Imperial City

Appearance: Ahdi is taller than most human women, standing approximately 5’11” tall, with a slim, willowy build. She has long, pale blonde hair; extremely fair, almost ivory skin, and gray eyes. Her clothing is, without fail, both elegant and sumptuous, made of only the finest materials available, and she is always perfectly coiffed and groomed for any occasion.

Equipment:
- A “lady’s dagger” strapped to her hip, hidden beneath her skirts
- A rather dizzying array of herbs and chemicals, stored and/or replenished as she travels, for both poisons and certain (non-magical) draughts.

Personality: Lady Ellanahd, or “Ahdi,” as she is known by both “lovers” and closer acquaintances alike, is unfailingly charming and witty, at ease in any social situation whatsoever, and always adaptable to any turn of events. She does, in effect, have a mask for every occasion, and rarely- if ever- shows what she truly thinks or feels. Almost all of her concern, at any given time, will be for the only person she truly loves, her mother.

History: Ahdi is the bastard child of a [give me a race name here, Heyseuss] nobleman, and a human mother, Tildia Sirvetica, a daughter descended a wealthy family of merchants. Scorned and denied from birth by her father’s side of her heritage, she was raised entirely by her mother (who never married, devastated by the rejection of her lover) and her maternal family. Ahdi was given the benefit of the finest education possible, all that money could buy, in both the sciences and the arts, and is an accomplished harpist and singer.

The Sirvetica family fortunes have, however, fallen upon hard times. The decline in the Tharkan empire has meant a subsequent decline in not only the ease of procuring high value goods, but also the ease of transporting them (with regards to both the safety of the seas from pirates, and the reliability of the major land routes and the presence of growing numbers of bandits and barbarian raiders).

And so when Ahdi was about 15-years old, Tildia encouraged her brilliant, talented daughter to consider the life of a courtesan. Under her mother’s tutelage, Ahdi learned how to move easily through the complicated – and often treacherous - social circles of the Tharkan courts, her exotic beauty, quick wit and easy temperament paving her way through the halls of influence.

Ahdi is, however, far from stupid. A shrewd and (for her age) rather cynical young woman, she can see exactly where the fortunes of both her family – and this Empire – are headed. Determined to see to her own survival, and that of her mother, Ahdi has begun to spy for the “barbarians at the gate,” in return for assurances that once the Tharkan empire finally does crumble, they will both walk away with far more than simply the clothes on their backs.

At this point, Ahdi is in the Citadel of Azghar at the [well-paid] request of the Governor himself, her presence and talents meant to be something of a “boost” for the flagging morale of the soldiers and people garrisoned there.

[Mustakrakish]

Character Sheet
Name: Enrik Vossler
Species: Human
Age: 25
Profession: Professional Soldier, Cavalry
Town, City or Province of Origin/Birth: Tharkan Borderlands, currently residing in the Azghar Citadel

Appearance: Enrik is a solidly built man, standing tall and proud. He is broad shouldered, yet lean in his limbs. He is by no means thin, possessing taunt corded muscle in every inch of his body, but the training and nature of his career has made him more lithe and agile than the bulkier infantrymen. His eyes are a pale blue, bright and clear. His ebony hair is cut so that it falls just below the very tips of his ears, yet tends to have a haggard appearance due to his uncaring attitude about his looks. He often looks like he hasn’t shaven in days, his cheeks and chin bearing varying amounts of hair depending on his time in the field. His skin is tanned and heavily scarred, though his face remains free of blemishes. He could be considered attractive, with a rugged jaw line and well sculpted features, though the lack of effort he puts into keeping up with his looks and the stench of leather and horse makes women turn their backs. He dresses in the traditional Tharkan military style, with the uniform green tunic, but supplements his attire with linen trousers tucked into spurred leather riding boots. His breastplate is befit of decoration or ornamentation, as is the rest of his weapons.

Equipment:
- Plain steel breastplate with segmented tassets
- Light crossbow
- Single edged, slightly curved blade, similar to a shashka


Personality: Enrik Vossler sees the world around him as merely a playground for his own enjoyment. The fall of the Tharkan Empire means little to him, as he has resolved that another King will rise that he could pledge his services too. He is often aloof and arrogant, and incredibly quick to temper. He has a history of violence, on and off of the battlefield. Enrik has a chip on his shoulder, being born to devastatingly poor parents in the outskirts of the Empire, and he feels like he has something to prove. He constantly seeks recognition and respect for his actions. Enrik dislikes being associated with the lower classes, yet cannot seem to fully displace him from them. On the battlefield he is courageous to the point of foolishness, often rash, and brutal. He delights in the sounds and motions of battle, feeling truly alive astride his steed in the maelstrom. He is not sadistic, taking no satisfaction in killing an unarmed man, and he knows honor. However, he also knows duty, and sometimes his orders clash with his moral code. Duty always prevails.

History: The Vossler family was impoverished, much like any other family who tried to stake a claim to the land outside the protection of the Empire. As a child, Enrik learned more about running and hiding than he did about mathematics and literature. His father was a shepherd, trading his flock for items that could not be easily made. Enrik hated his life, and blamed his parents for the way they had to live. He was always afraid of barbarians or thieves, and his father never tried to fight back. He vowed to never be afraid, never to show weakness to an enemy. After he turned sixteen, he ran away from his home, shedding no tears for his lost life, and never looking back.
He traveled to Azghar, the closest outpost of the Empire. The Tharkan Empire was in fast decline, but would not fully collapse for some years later. There, Enrik did the only thing he could do to not end up on the streets: he enlisted in the army. As a boy he had learned to herd the sheep by horse, becoming a master of the equestrian arts. He signed up for training to become a Knight of the Empire, but was denied on the fact that he was simply a peasant. Only those of noble stock could join the glorified ranks of the Knights, and so Enrik was cast aside so the next posh noble could take his place. Burning with anger, Enrik joined the light cavalry. He performed raids, scouting missions, and flanking maneuvers. The light cavalry was nowhere near as honored or as glorified as the Knights, being seen as cutthroats and upstarts without discipline. This helped to fuel Enriks desire to prove himself, as he fought with the ferocity of a man without fear of his own life. No weakness, no fear: that was his creed. He rose through the ranks, but eventually all of his courage and ferocity halted him from fully becoming an officer. He was deemed too dangerous, and could not be trusted with the lives of other men. Granted the title of Sergeant, Enrik was placed under the command of a fool of a man. A Captain with almost no military know-how, yet he was given command over an entire company simply because of his nobel status. Another slight dealt to him, Enrik resigned himself to wait for the bloated carcass of the old empire to die.

[Guest]

Good to go on both.

Might wanna give Enrik at least a little rank. Maybe he's serving under the command of a fool. That gives some plot hooks.

[Mustakrakish]

I took your advice, and made him a Sergeant. He is under the command of a completely inadequate Captain, who is only an officer due to his nobility.

[Guest]

I took your advice, and made him a Sergeant. He is under the command of a completely inadequate Captain, who is only an officer due to his nobility.

That works. You'll have more to work with. I want that element of tension between the legal authority and those who are in the Azghar citadel, to a degree. Wedges between allies, internal disagreements and so forth. The plot is going to center around not only the forces from without that affect the place, but the forces from within.

Note to everyone else: still recruiting, get your digs in. If you need names for anything, feel free to IM, PM or otherwise contact me.

Dear Igraine: Leliandé - The race we were talking about that you needed a name for.

[Mustakrakish]

Are we able to run this with only three players? I am skeptical as to whether those who had shown interest are still interested.

[Guest]

I mailed them last night and got responses. Two are still in, Sighlent checked out.

[Mustakrakish]

Sounds good.

[Guest]

Character Sheet
Name: Jeachon Draes
Species: Human
Age: 43
Profession: Spell caster
Town, City or Province of Origin/Birth: City of Sakara in the Tharkan Empire

Appearance: Jeachon Draes is a tall, spindly man with pale skin. He has deep, amber colored eyes and long black hair accentuated with a few thin braids. The braids are intertwined with ornate jewelry and small religious artifacts of minimal significance. He wears a heavy, maroon colored robe that is beginning to tear and show the stains of continual use. Several rings decorate his fingers, some silver, some gold, and some bearing small gemstones, all that is remaining of his family's expended and squandered wealth. Beneath his robe he wears a simple linen shirt and pants, and leather boots cover his feet.

Jeachon walks with a heavy limp, due to an injury, and uses a tall wooden staff for support. The staff has been carved and decorated with ornate symbols and other decorations, usually small pieces of jewelry or other items confiscated from fallen enemies.

Equipment:
-A tall wooden staff, carved and ornately decorated
-A massive brute of a slave, completely loyal to his owner
-His repertoire of spells and foci items
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Personality: Jeachon Draes is extremely manipulative. He was raised in the game of politics, aside from his skills as a spell caster. His mother and father taught him how to get what he wants either through the use of magic or politics. Despite the inherent failings in the use of magic, due to its increasing unreliability following the the battle of Phekaeus, Jeachon is extremely proud of his abilities, and doesn't take criticism or insults very well. Jeachon comes across as stubborn and rude, and the only friend he really has is his slave, Bronkun.

Jeachon doesn't really know what to make of the decaying empire, other than he must do whatever he can to ensure his own survival. He was somewhat alienated from the interests of the Empire after witnessing the corruption that his family partook in. While that was only small-scale compared to Tharkos itself, it was more than he was willing to return to. Whatever is to come, Jeachon will use his skills find himself a place above the bottom rung of society.

History: Jeachon Draes was born into a family deeply entrenched in the political battles that had engulfed the empire. His father was a minor spell caster for the city of Sakara, aiding the city's rulers in whatever uses they found for him in their own defense or political games. He trained Jeachon Draes to follow his path. With no choice, Jeachon became well-versed in both politics and the art of magic.

At the age of 24, Jeachon acquired his first slave, a large barbarian from beyond the empire. The barbarian slave was incredibly powerful, though considered too dimwitted to be of any real danger. Jeachon's father paid handsomely for the slave, and presented the slave as a gift to Jeachon upon his graduation from the Sakaran Academy. The slave, named Bronkun by Jeachon, had an immediate affinity to the young spell caster. Bronkun followed his every order loyally, though the slave had not the intelligence nor initiative to act on his own. It became the perfect asset for a young spell caster immersed in the dangers of politics, a powerful guardian that could be trusted to watch his back without a thought of putting a dagger in it.

Four years later, after an increase in riots and city-wide famine, Jeachon's father was murdered following an attempt to remove a governing lord from power and replace him with a man more...manageable. The coup failed when his fathers spells, the most important part of their plans, inexplicably failed. Jeachon's father was hanged outside the governor's manor, and Jeachon himself sent to the outskirts of the empire, to the Citadel of Azghar, as punishment for his father's crimes, and as a way to prevent Jeachon from following his fathers example. It was only due to his mothers influence, earned through her particular "services" to high-standing nobles than any expertise in politics, that Jeachon was not killed alongside his father.

However, halfway through the journey to the citadel, Jeachon and Bronkun were beset by assassins. It was only through Bronkun's wary eye and skilled use of his battle axe that Jeachon was able to walk away, though not unscathed. A dagger through his hip left him unable to walk without a severe limp and extraordinary pain, a wound his failing magic could not seem to heal. Jeachon has been forced to use a tall wooden staff to support himself.

Upon his arrival at the Citadel of Azghar, Jeachon was immediately assessed for his abilities and uses on the field. It was only because of his slave, Bronkun, that he was put in the field at all. He was criticized for both of his handicaps: his limp and unreliable spell casting. Jeachon would have preferred staying within the confines of the citadel, manipulating his way back into a position of standing or power, but he had no say in his situation. So he roams the walls, or the fields beyond, helping where he can, whenever his spells actually work. Bronkun stands by him to protect him from his own weaknesses.

---

Here is my character minus all the of the details of his use of magic, which need to be hammered out here. I asked Heyseuss, and he said that he imagined the spell casting working through types of foci, which are certain objects that help in casting. So...any more ideas? My character is decorating with things that could potentially be focal objects. Spell casting is a highly ritualized process. Other than that...I need some brainstorming.

[Guest]

Here is my character minus all the of the details of his use of magic, which need to be hammered out here. I asked Heyseuss, and he said that he imagined the spell casting working through types of foci, which are certain objects that help in casting. So...any more ideas? My character is decorating with things that could potentially be focal objects. Spell casting is a highly ritualized process. Other than that...I need some brainstorming.

Yeah, we need to work out the hows and so forth of it...of course, I tend to assume that, in many ways, large magical ritual works are part of what made the Empire so tough and hard to break down -- reinforcement of walls, irrigation and so forth. The Empire had a strong hold all over the place, just as the patron deity was duotheistic with a second enemy deity that similarly controlled things outside the empire. The balkanization of everything is part of the problem -- the old magic, in losing its potency, is also up against a more dynamic, evolving group of opponents.

Anyway, I'm sure there are ways the old ritual magic does still hold strong or that there are strengths in it, once adapted to the newer currents in magic. I'm just not sure of the details.

Perhaps some of you guys have ideas.

[Guest]

I can see the old ritual magic being infused with the new chaotic magic in variable ways. The ritual magic would either stop working completely, due to interferences from the newer currents, or perhaps what was intended would mutate completely due to the manipulations of the newer currents. So a caster would either not be able to cast a spell, or his spell would randomly mutate and do something either slightly different (stronger or weaker version of casted spell), or something completely different with or without similarities to the original casted spell.

This would make spell casters who rely on the ritual magic have to adapt to the newer currents in one way or another, by embracing it completely and relearning everything, or by preparing for these newer currents interfering with their spellcasting.

[Guest]

I think that all makes sense. I know that's a skimpy sort of response, but I think it's a fair way to express the idea that the old is on the way out and the new is taking over -- a certain instability in the magic, where formerly excellent practitioners are suddenly seeing their spells go utterly awry, which almost requires them to relearn the new stuff, except for the political consequences of such a thing.

[Guest]

As far as how the spells are cast, you had mentioned foci, so I would assume that foci could be nearly anything, from simple objects for simple spells to complex objects, perhaps ornately carved or decorated with religious paraphernalia, for the more complex spells. Or even multiple foci for complex spells.

In regards to my character, if that is the case, would his staff and the articles in his braids be sufficient foci objects for basic spell casting (assuming his spells are even working for him)?

[Guest]

I'm tempted to say one of the only ways to really stabilize the old ritual magic is to spend more time and care in preparing foci- more expensive materials, superior craftsmanship and so forth, or risk the spells fizzling or even becoming dangerous and so forth.

I think that the idea of making it a lot more labor and resource intensive to cast spells that used to come through easily is part of the whole decline thing.

I also think that in the case of most spells, the foci are consumed, after a while. In the case of powerful stuff, consumed immediately.

[Guest]

Alright, that makes sense. I will leave what I had in the description as simple decoration, like it was to begin with. I will need to find out where to get foci supplies from however.

[Guest]

We also need to work out if there is a caste system within the Empire and how regional government works -- I'll shake this out myself and you guys can spin off from that. I'll have something, probably tomorrow, because I've been mulling things over on this for a while. We need to figure out where the fault lines are.

Oh, if you guys know anyone that wants in on a fantasy RPG, steer 'em thisaway. I think we need more folks. This is an open call to anyone who might be reading this thread but wondering if they should or shouldn't -- you should.

[Guest]

So I assume that there are no problems with my characer? If there is anything you would like me to change, then please let me know.
And hopefully the others will get in on the brainstorming

[Guest]

Nope. When I stick them up on the top menu, it means they're good to go. I shoulda said that though.

[Guest]

Two castes; citizens and subjects. Citizens are eligible for leadership positions and so forth, but there's a catch -- promotion is based, theoretically, upon the ability to score well on certain tests, and the oldest families inevitably have the connections to either hire tutors or just outright bribe the test administrators. Yes, the system's been subverted heavily, and there's pious intonations about meritocracy, but the reality is that you gotta have cash to grease the palms.

Military commissions, particularly in flashy, cushy, well dressed assignments in the interior, are bought and paid for, and are considered a 'ticket punch' on one's way into politics. So there is a lot of military incompetence and little encouragement for officers to go professional, as appointments to command can happen at the whim of the governor -- sucking up is more the rule than actual experience and political loyalty counts for much.

And this example serves for most things, including the magicians and so on and so forth. The social scene has supplanted actual competence and this creates a subtle tension between the ambitious, the talented and the already-powerful.

Once, the system was monitored to stamp out the worst of these abuses, but local governments are increasingly more on their own as the power of Tharkos crumbles.

The society, after all, is in decline, and this would be part of that.

There is probably a third class of captured enemies and untouchables/serfs/slaves.

Thoughts?

[Mustakrakish]

I like it, but exactly what form of leadership positions are we talking about? Obviously high nobles, such as Dukes and Princes, and high military officers like Majors and Generals, but are the so called NCO's still considered officer's? Over all, I think its a wonderful idea and will create more tension between those who hold power and those who actually do the work.

[Guest]

I like it, but exactly what form of leadership positions are we talking about? Obviously high nobles, such as Dukes and Princes, and high military officers like Majors and Generals, but are the so called NCO's still considered officer's? Over all, I think its a wonderful idea and will create more tension between those who hold power and those who actually do the work.

NCO's, like centurions, in the Roman Army (and I modeled a lot of this on how they structured things) can make the transition because of their experience, if they've been careful with the money and so forth, but they can only go so far in peacetime...however, when it's a war and they need people to get shit done, that's generally when people who can do it get promoted.

So yes, a certain social standing is required to get appointed to a legate or tribune's position and so forth, whereas the centurions tend to be the guys who actually keep on top of the troops and so forth. The officers are very often political appointees.

Addendum: One of the things Roman citizens/legionnaires enjoyed about successful wars was the looting one did and the spoils -- well, this drove a lot of warfare in the ancient times through the end of the middle ages when state armies became de rigeur with the rise of absolutist monarchies (and that was just to bilk the enlisted out of treasure on the part of the officers.) Often, the spoils of war is a big deal, and a man that loots well and invests wisely could conceivably go far. Heh. Heh. Heh.

[Guest]

We may be at a point where we should probably start. Sometimes, once these things start, people jump in. We'll have to see, I suppose. Igraine is heading off into the wild white yonder soon, so it might be three of us actually playing for a bit.

[Guest]

Well, we can get our introduction posts out of the way and have a setting ready, so that when Igraine comes back she can jump in wherever. I doubt we would get so far that she would have trouble establishing her character.

[Guest]

Yeah, I think we've held up long enough, all told. And I don't think we'll be too far ahead for her, because I average like a post a week, unless I'm buried with work and feeling under the weather and then I really slow down. I have to play catchup with this place a bit, as I've been...well, not at my creative best. It happens, but I have a couple RP's that need movement from me.

[Guest]

I get that way frequently... I finally caught up after quite a big break. But I've really been looking forward to this one starting, so hopefully you can get it going soon

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